When I first saw the Tony Moly Shimmer Lover Cubes at the Tony Moly press event, I immediately thought of the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks, so similar are they in appearance.*
Tony Moly Singapore recently sent me the range to review and I had the pleasure of swatching and test-driving them. According to Tony Moly, these compacts of striped colours are made with multi-coating terracotta technology (i.e. they are baked!) and contain pre-milled pigment for a pearlescent effect. I’m not sure what they mean by ‘pre-milled’ but that pearlescent effect the brand promises is certainly there – the finishes of these colour compacts range from softly shimmery to frosty. You are guaranteed of a flattering glow with all of them but you need a light hand with some of them. Interestingly, the palest shade in each palette (aside from the clearly pastel Pure Cocktail) has flashes of the main compact colour. I thought this was a nice touch, certainly preferable to the ubiquitous white.
These easy-to-use palettes can be a touch crumbly but they don’t break up easily, thankfully. In fact, the the pans look brand new once the colour dust is softly swept or blown away.
They come in black boxes printed with the Tony Moly logo in a multi-coloured sheen. The iridescence actually reminds me of the brand’s colourful signage at its Marina Square store.
The baked beauties are housed in these sleek black cases. They’re solid and thick but aren’t cubes; I’m not sure why they’re called that! Sturdy and well-made, they each have a drawer that contains a flat and wide blush/face brush. The brush picks up colour easily and surprised me with its softness.
Tony Moly Shimmer Lover Cube in 01 Pink has varying shades of pink and mauve. The sheerest of the five Shimmer Lover Cubes, it imparts a soft, flattering flush to the visage.
Tony Moly Shimmer Lover Cube in 02 Brown is great for a sun-kissed look, thanks to its coppery and bronzey hues. This is one of the more pigmented palettes, so gentle application is necessary.
Tony Moly Shimmer Lover Cube in 03 Pure Cocktail is the Tony Moly version of MAC Lightscapade, albeit a little stronger in tone. I love the combination of these pastel colours for subtle, neutral highlighting.
Tony Moly Shimmer Lover Cube in 04 Pinkholic is a palette of wearable pinks. I particularly love the last two strips of bubble-gum and rose pinks – they impart a sweet blush-flush to my skin.
Tony Moly Shimmer Lover Cube in 05 Gold is perfect for a golden glow; warm-toned skins will embrace the gorgeous golds!
* As a comparison, the Shimmer Lover Cubes are made in Korea, weigh 9 g and retail at S$49.90 in Singapore, while the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks are made in Italy, weigh about 10 g and retail at almost S$70 (I believe they’re S$67?) here.
Mag, those are GORGEOUS! I esp love the lightest one- it does resemble Lightscapade! These look to be more finely milled than the BB SB too!
Lovely, just lovely!
x jeanie
Hi Jeanie Pie!
They are very beautiful and aren’t gritty at all (thank goodness!).
wow, they really look like the BB shimmer bricks! 01 pink and 02 brown are promising! thank you for sharing! :)
Hi Georgina,
You’re welcome! They are dupes to consider. :D
These are BEAUTIFUL! Thanks for listing the prices and the price comparison, but i still think Tony Moly’s pricing is relatively steep compared to its’ original Korean one, and compared to other Korean brands. But it makes a great gift for girlfriends. Finger-crossed that they may have some storewide promotions for christmas ;)
Hi Lynn,
You’re welcome. :) I agree with you but I guess we pay the price for instant gratification! ;)
So beautiful! And great idea to have a brush in the drawer.
Hi Karen,
Yep! And the brush isn’t half bad too!
Very nice! And much more affordable than Bobbi Brown’s bricks which I admit to having a lemming for! Will ask sis to pick up one for me when she’s in Singapore for business trip!
Also want her to grab some stuff from the cute Japanese doll range that Haru posted recently on Rouge Deluxe!
Hi Milktea,
It depends – the local price can be little daunting still, especially when you compare it to the Korean price! Nonetheless, we pay for instant gratification. ;) Have fun proxy shopping! :)
Mag! 01 looks like BB Rose & 02 looks like BB Nectar, both I love. Only hv Rose tho I seldom reach for it, if ever LOL!
Hi Farah,
Dupes, I tell you! :D
Hey Mag! I must go check these out! I want Nectar but this would be a better choice. :p
Hi Farah,
Wait for the opening promos at Bugis this November. ;)
Great tip! Will wait then, since Bugis is more accessible anyway.
oh.. is tony moly a korean MU brand?
Hi Rhain,
Yes, it is.
i am from Manila Philippines……i wonder if we have this here.if,where? TANX!
Hi Airin,
I’m not sure if it’s available in the Philippines.
How abt the price ???
How much is it ??
Hi Yuki,
It’s written at the bottom of the post – S$49.90. I’m not sure if the price has changed since 2010, though.