Rouge Bunny Rouge GWP & Santa Ana Look Video

Zuneta presents Rouge Bunny Rouge ¬ Get The Look ¬ Santa Ana from Zuneta Beauty on Vimeo.

Here's the Zuneta video for the new Rouge Bunny Rouge Santa Ana look that I had a go at re-creating yesterday. I will be interested to see if I can improve my copy of the eye look after watching how it's done in the video.

I've also just spotted the GWP offer in the weekly e-newsletter. The offer is for a free Sleeping Under A Mandarin Tree loose glitter pigment with every order of Rouge Bunny Rouge products worth £40. I really like the RBR loose pigments as they're not as messy to apply as most, especially if you use the applicator in the tube.

A Solution for the Frizzies: Cutler Fly Away Control Stick

I was in a frantic rush to get everyone out of the house this morning and as a result, I went out without a scrap of makeup on and a cursory brush through my hair. I'm not generally that bothered about being seen without makeup but I regretted it on this occasion when I caught my reflection in a mirror at school. No makeup is one thing but no makeup and frizzy hair is quite another!

I don't know about you but all this rain is reeking havoc with my hair. I considered using my straighteners when I returned home, instead I put my hair in a pony tail and used my secret weapon on all the frizzy hair sticking up on top.

I received the Cutler Fly Away Control Stick in a goody bag a very long time ago. I was probably too busy swooning over Edward Bess to realise what a little gem this was. The stick looks similar to one of those solid roll-on deodorants. The product is solid and quite thick so you only need a tiny bit to work. You can either apply directly to the hair or rub some on to your hands and smooth through that way. As I only use a small amount each time, this huge stick is likely to last me forever.

It's marvellous at taming new hair growth on the top of your head to create smooth roots or a sleek ponytail. It was particularly good at helping with that awkward post baby hair re-growth. This is one of those strange side-effects of having children that others fail to mention until you're pregnant!

I would definitely recommend this if you're struggling to tame your hair in this frizz-inducing weather. Cutler hair products are available from Zuneta and this Fly Away Control Stick costs £16.

Disclosure: I received this in an event bag without charge...nearly two years ago. It's true what they say about pregnancy rotting your brains ;)

Ilia Arabian Knights compared to RBR Murmurings

About a month ago I showed you Ilia Arabian Knights applied. I have worn this lipstick a lot since I purchased it. Ilia lipsticks have a nourishing balm texture which makes them very comfortable to wear. I'm also a fan of these sorts of sheer berry shades for easy wear so this was really the perfect choice for me. If you're a fan of the Clinique Almost Lipsticks you'll enjoy the sheer Ilia.

Swatch of Arabian Knights

Whilst on holiday, I wore Rouge Bunny Rouge Murmurings and Ilia Arabian Knights a lot. Murmurings is one of the Rouge Bunny Rouge's Succulence of Dew lipsticks, so like Arabian Knights, this has a sheer finish. By eye these quite similar colours but I didn't get round to swatching them side by side until I returned home (my apologies for failing to get the swatches in the same order in both lighting conditions).

Top - Murmurings, Bottom - Arabian Knights (direct sunlight)

Top - Arabian Knights, Bottom - Murmurings (overcast lighting)

I was relieved to see that the lipsticks are similar but not identical. Murmurings is more brown toned and plummy whereas Arabian Knights is a brighter, cooler berry. The colours look more similar on my lips than in the swatches because of the sheer quality but Arabian Knights still looks the brighter of the two. 

I cannot choose between these lipsticks, both are lovely in terms of colour and texture. It can be difficult to find really comfortable lipsticks and I would happily recommend either of these formulas. RBR Murmurings costs £21 is available from Zuneta. Ilia Arabian Knights costs £20 and is available from Content Beauty and Mise Beauty.

New Rouge Bunny Rouge Eyeshadow Keepers

Sometimes my eyeshadow and nail polish purchasing ban seems like a good thing, other times it can feel like a terrible mistake. Sharing this news whilst simultaneously not being able to purchase any of it, is probably one of the lowest points. With that little pity party out of the way, let's enjoy some pictures of the new loveliness from Rouge Bunny Rouge.

Behold the Eyeshadow Keepers. These customisable palettes will be available in two and three pan versions and there will be a choice of nine eyeshadow refill pans to fit them: six new colours and three current bestsellers. I believe more eyeshadows will be available as refills in the near future.

Although I can't be 100% certain, this looks like it will be a magnetised system so you might be able depot singles you already own and add a magnet to slot them in. That's if you can bear to deface the pretty pots of course, it sounds a lot like cosmetic vandalism to me (gives Everyday Beauty a side long look)! EDIT: The pans for the palette will actually be slightly smaller than the single pots (I knew I should have checked the weights) so you won't be able to depot.

On to the new eyeshadow colours...

Trumpeter Koel - Dark lead-grey with lilac-blue iridescence

Umber Firefinch - Iridescent dark umber chocolate

Bohemian Waxwing - Iridescent bronzed champagne

Golden Rhea - Iridescent pale gold

Lilac Reef Curassow - Pale lilac with iridescent effect

Olive Violeteare - Smoky olive with satin finish

The new colours that really grab me are Olive Violeteare and Bohemian Waxwing. I'm sure that Trumpeter Koel would look great as a liner too.

The three current eyeshadow that will be available in pan form are: Abyssinian Catbird, Solstice Halcyon and Unforgettable Oriole. I already own Abyssinian Catbird and Solstice Halcyon which allowed me to check the accuracy of the promotional images. They look pretty spot on to me so I feel confident that the new colours will look as shown above.

L- Abyssinian Catbird R - Solstice Halcyon

L- Abyssinian Catbird R - Solstice Halcyon

Direct sunlight

Shade

As excited as I am by the new colours, if I was able to make a purchase, Unforgettable Oriole would definitely be on my list. It's rare that I buy light shimmery colours but I like the RBR formula very much and I feel this is something lacking in my collection.

Unforgettable Oriole

When they do roll out more of the eyeshadows in pan form, I hope that they include some of the matte eyeshadows. I think that would be perfect for making a really versatile custom palette. Of course, when and if that happens we'll all be demanding bigger Eyeshadow Keepers!

The Eyeshadow Keepers will cost £12 for the duo and £15 for the trio. The eyeshadow pans will cost £16. All of these items will be available from Zuneta from tomorrow. Are you plotting a purchase?

Edward Bess Radiant Lifting Serum

This post is so overdue, I feel a little embarrassed. I try and use any new skin care product for 28 days before reviewing. In this case, I 'tested' the Edward Bess Black Sea Radiant Lifting Serum for a month, started a new cycle with another serum and I'm almost ready to review the new one. So, if it seems like I'm reviewing a lot of skin care all at once, I am but I promise I'm not cheating on my 'rules'. I'm just slow!

Anyway, with that confession out of the way, let's talk about the Black Sea Radiant Lifting Serum. I'm rather taken with the packaging, it's stylish in a masculine kind of way. The pump dispenser makes it easy not to waste product too. The texture is like a slightly milky gel which becomes more watery on contact with the skin. The more watery texture allows it to glide on the skin and it feels pleasantly cooling. I do find that it sometimes feels slightly tacky as it dries: I like to wait for a minute or too between applying serum and moisturiser to allow it to absorb and minimise dilution of any active ingredients. This sticky feeling disappears as soon as I apply my moisturiser. 

I wouldn't say this serum made my skin more radiant. I think you either need something with a slight peeling effect or light reflective particles to do that. However, what it did do was hydrate my skin sufficiently to plump out my fine lines so that they looked less obvious. It is perhaps unsurprising that the only active ingredient that I really recognise on the ingredients list is sodium hyaluronate, which does help skin hold onto water.
 
The benefits of the Black Sea Serum are transient but I like how it feels and, as someone that suffers with dehydrated but not dry skin, I really appreciate a product that hydrates my skin without leaving me with a greasy face.  I also like that it doesn't include any silicones, instead they use ethylhexyl palmitate as an ingredient to provide slip. I do think it is a little on the expensive side at £50 but on a positive note, it is £50 for 47ml so the bottle will last quite a while.

It's hard for me not to feel the urge to compare the Black Sea Radiant Lifting Serum to the Dr. Perricone Advanced Face Firming Activator that I'm currently using but this is an unfair comparison. The two serums have quite different functions. The Perricone is a lot more active, refining the skin and improving existing signs of ageing whereas the Black Sea Serum is good for hydrating the skin and cosmetically improves the appearance using 'natural' extracts rather than refined active ingredients*. In fact, I have started to use the Black Sea Radiant Lifting Serum on the days which I do not use the Advanced Face Firming Activator and this seems to suit my skin well.

EDIT: I've brooded on this one overnight and really wanted to come back and add a few more thoughts. This serum is OK but the ingredients list is not really worthy of a £50 price tag. I was also really disappointed to find the Made in Taiwan sticker on a product from a luxury brand. I think you can find better products in this price bracket. 

The Edward Bess Black Sea Radiant Lifting Serum is available from Zuneta and costs £50.


Disclosure: This items were sent to me without cost for review purposes.

* I really hesitate to use the word natural. I desperately need to find an alternative as I think the word natural is frequently misused in the beauty industry. In this case, I'm referring to the fact they use extracts rather than purified chemicals. It is worth noting how far the ingredients list these extracts appear.

Lanolips Triple Buttermilk Body Balm

Up until recently my only experience of Lanolips was their tinted 101 lip ointments. I know opinion seems to be divided but I really like the lip ointments. I have mentioned before that I often used Lansinoh nipple cream as an overnight treatment to repair my lips but the Lanolips formula is infinitely less gritty!

The Triple Buttermilk Body Balm is one of the new editions to the line along with the Herbal Body Treatment Oil. The Body Balm comes in a large squeezy tube and has a medium thickness cream consistency. I find it spreads easily for a balm product and the moisturising feel is long lasting. I use it on my legs post shave and also on my hands when they are feeling particularly chapped. I regularly use it on Miss MB's very dry skin too. She proffers a leg now whenever she sees the tube!

I have to say that I am a little addicted to the scent. It's not a particularly strong fragrance but there's something about the smell which transports me back to being a little girl. It is a comforting sweet powdery smell and I'm still struggling to bring to mind exactly what it reminds me of.  

The Triple Buttermilk Body Balm costs £14 for 170ml and is available from www.victoriahealth.com and Zuneta.


Disclosure: This item was sent to me without cost for review purposes.

They're Back!! My Le Métier de Beauté Favourites

So, after a long wait, today is the day that Le Métier de Beauté sees a return to the UK via Zuneta. I saw a hint on Facebook recently and I have been looking out for emails and watching their "What's New" section like a hawk ever since! I thought this would be a good moment to share some of my favourite things from Le Métier. This little group includes a mixture of things I have purchased, my winnings from the BBB giveaway and PR samples.

I realised when I started writing this post that I forgot to take an individual picture of the Peau Vierge*. You can see the silver tube on the far left of the group picture. Peau Vierge is a sheer base come anti-ageing treatment that contains an encapsulated retinol treatment**. I have shade 01 and I like to wear it as a tinted moisturiser in the summer (it has an spf of 20) but you can layer it without foundation. Because of the treatment aspect, it is rather an expensive product. I'm not sure what the pricing is going to be on their return but when Peau Vierge was originally released in the UK in 2010, it cost £90.

From top to bottom, we have: Dualistic lip liner in Rose*, Dualistic eye pencil in Champagne and Anamorphic mascara in Aubergine*. Both the lip and eye pencil have a lovely texture. Rose is perfect for lining my lips before applying lipstick for a more polished (and long lasting) red lip. I don't do it that often as I am lazy and tend to slap lipstick on but it's easier to get a precise look with a pencil. Rose works well with the majority of my reds too.

The Dualistic pencil in Champagne was a cheeky purchase during a no-buy. To be honest, I was sold at the word taupe. It can be used as a liner or a base for eyeshadow and I like to use it as a base for the Le Cirque eyeshadows as I was shown during my makeover with Erin Lockard.

The Anamorphic mascara in Aubergine was also used during my makeover with Erin (not this particularly tube you understand, although I confess this tube is older than it should probably be). It's not obvious when applied that you are wearing a coloured mascara, the effect it subtle but it does bring out the green in my sometimes blue, sometimes green eyes.

Aurora Lip Kit

The Aurora Lip Kit* is relatively new addition to my collection. I took this picture from my review post, in the group shot you can see it has been attacked and it doesn't look quite as pretty as pristine anymore. I believe this kaleidoscope is quite difficult to get hold of in the States and I suspect it may sell out here quickly here too.

Le Cirque

I wasn't going to include any of the eye kaleidoscopes as they're limited edition items but it's hard to talk about Le Métier de Beauté without mentioning them. I think everyone needs to try at least one kaleidoscope and experience the beauty of the signature Couches de Couleur technique. Yes, they are expensive but worth it in my opinion.

Come One, Come All and Le Cirque are probably my joint favourites. Come One, Come All was a very limited edition created for a specific counter and I got very excited when someone suggested that maybe they will come up with a unique kaleidoscope for Zuneta. I could definitely break my eyeshadow no-buy for something like that!

I have a fondness for makeup brushes and I have several Le Métier brushes on my shopping list wishlist. The foundation brush is good but the concealer brush* is definitely my favourite of the two. It's excellent for blending concealer seamlessly. These brushes have quite short handles and this is true of all of their brushes. I know this isn't to everyone's tastes but I rather like short handles brushes. I have a quite a few of similar length from Hakuhodo too.

L-R: Dionysus nail polish and Blonzer in Maldives Magic

Dionysus nail polish* came out with last years summer collection. It is a petite thing of beauty. As someone who has never finished a bottle of polish EVER, I'm quite ok with the smaller size. I'm not sure whether they have any nail polishes as part of their core collection but they do release a few with each seasonal collection. I really like the taupe Faraday from the current Northern Lights collection.

The Blonzer in Maldives Magic is the item I won in the BBB/Le Métier dash. Someone once described it as looking like cocoa powder and I think it's rather an apt description. It does have shimmer but it's not really disco ball territory, I don't wear bronzer often but I tend to pick this out if I have a little colour as I like the soft texture. I have a feeling this is different to the bronzers in their permanent collection.

L-R: Aubergine mascara, Rose liner, Champagne, Peau Vierge 01

There are a number of things that I am looking forward to getting my hands on now that Le Métier has returned. Corinthian eyeshadow is on my list (post eyeshadow ban, of course), a couple of lipsticks and as I have already mentioned, I have my sights set on a few brushes. Do you have your eye on anything in particular?


* PR Samples

**Warning: labcoat moment** I popped this as an aside rather than in the main post, as I figured that not everyone would want to read my science wibbling. Someone commented on a previously Peau Vierge post about how unusual it was to find a retinol product in a day treatment. It is certainly more normal for a retinol treatment to be applied in the evening and I spent a little time yesterday investigating retinol and light sensitivity. There is a general impression that retinoids make the skin photosensitive but I also came across articles declaring this a common myth and that it is only the molecule itself which sensitive to light. Certainly, when I searched the published scientific literature, I could only find evidence that retinol is indeed highly photosensitive.

Patients on a retinol treatment regime are often advised to use sun protection during their treatment but they also tend to prescribe glycolic acid alongside retinol, and glycolic acid does make the skin more sensitive to UV light. Also, those taking part in clincal studies would have to use sun protection in order to prevent any new photodamage interfering with measurement of changes to existing photodamage. I couldn't find anything in the literature which definitively said that retinol caused photosensitivity of the skin.

In the limited time I had, I wasn't able to find an answer I was satisfied with. I suspect that retinol does not cause skin to become photosensitive but it does degrade in sunlight. Whether this limits the effectiveness of retinol product used in daylight I'm not sure. If you're considering a purchase, this might be something to investigate as this is an expensive product. I can report that I have never experienced any irritation with Peau Vierge as dermatitis is a common side effect of retinol use.

Edward Bess Quad Royale in Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo is the darkest, and possibly warmest, of the three Edward Bess Quad Royale palettes. I naturally veer towards more cool toned or neutral colour palettes, so I was intrigued to see how I would get on with this.

Unlike many of the other Edward Bess cheek products, the Quad Royale palettes are not scented. The powder is finely milled and all four of the colours in the Monte Carlo quad contain shimmer. The shimmer is very refined and imparts a subtle sheen so you're not going to look like a disco ball mixing all four colours together. A light sweep across the whole pan can be used for a subtle glow or you can pick & mix from the four colours to create the perfect highlight or cheek color. You can also use the individual shades on the eye. Although the colours are quite sheer they are buildable .

When I uploaded my first batch of swatch pictures, I realised the lightest colour (#1) was invisible in the images. I took some further pictures with heavier swatches but I included one of the original images so that you can see a less intense application of the colour. NB. I used my fingers for the blended colour swatch. If you sweep the brush included in the compact across all four colours, you can get a much lighter application of colour.

I had a go at using the colours as eyeshadows. I get on fine with the top two shades (#1 and #2). Although the lightest colour barely shows up on my arm, it works well as a base to even out redness on my lid. Using these top two colours, I get just a hint of shimmery colours which works well with a bit of liner and mascara. I tried adding the darker two colours but I didn't feel it suited me. I'm generally nervous of peachy shades on my eye anyway.

On my cheeks, I get the best results if I use a light hand and a loose fluffy brush. On my fair skin, this palette is dark enough to wear as a blusher on it's own but it is also possible to apply over a matte blushers to add a sheen.  To pull off such a warm colour, I find I need to keep everything else warm. It doesn't really go so well with my trusty taupes so instead I need pair with warm browns.

Clockwise from top left: MAC Golden Lariat, Monte Carlo, Orgasm Illuminator and Smashbox Silhouette

From left to right: Smashbox blusher, Monte Carlo, MAC Golden Lariat and NARS Orgasm Illuminator.

I wondered if I had any similar colours in my collection. I thought Golden Lariat from the MAC Wonder Woman collection might be a good match. Side by side, I think Monte Carlo is more of a peachy coral to Golden Lariat's golden tan. Smashbox Blush Rush in Silhouette in definitely more tan and obviously contain no shimmer. NARS Orgasm Illuminator is probably the most similar in colour although I feel it's more pink toned than Monte Carlo.

I think the beauty of the Quad Royale palettes is that you can adapt them to suit your needs by selecting the most appropriate brush and also customise the colour by selecting more or less of particular quadrants. I think that Monte Carlo would be well suited to medium to dark skintones and also those who enjoy warm, peachy tones. I think of it as having a very sunny beach holiday feel and I imagine it would be handy for enhancing summer skin. 

The Edward Bess Quad Royale in Monte Carlo costs £35 and is available from Zuneta. If you're interested in reading about the other two palettes, I can recommend Visionary Beauty's review of South of France and the Beauty Look Books review of Summer in Capri.


Disclosure: This item was sent to me without cost for review.

Argh!!!! (and new RBR taupe news)

If I was a cat, this is how I would look right now. Well, I was doing really well with my eyeshadow ban. I blocked out NARS Lhasa, ignored the new D&G quad and I've even checked that the Viseart Basics palette won't be sneaking up on me at IMATS.

BUT my resolve is going to be truly tested now. Some of the new Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadows are already on Zuneta.com and of the two new matte eyeshadows, Sweet Dust Seriema is calling to me like a sweet (taupe) siren. The description is cool dusty taupe mauve. I think I might actually have shed tears. The only silver lining is that Rouge Bunny Rouge don't indulge in this limited edition nonsense so Sweet Dust Seriema will still be waiting patiently for me on the other side.

Anyway, I thought I would share this news with you. It's worth waiting until tomorrow to see if there are any offers announced in the weekly Zuneta newsletter that you can take advantage of. Don't feel you have to tell me how nice it is. I'm going to be sticking my fingers in my ears and pretending I can't hear you until July!

Edit: Here you go, I'll let you have a look at them whilst I wipe away the tears.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Seas of Illumination Swatches

These small pots of loveliness contain samples of the four Seas of Illumination liquid highlighter from Rouge Bunny Rouge. I'm afraid this post is rather image heavy as I got a little snap happy taking pictures of these pretty highlighters. They say a picture paints a thousand words, so I'm mostly going to let the photographs do the talking today.

With flash

The four shades of liquid highlighter are: Sea of Clouds, a shimmering icy white; Sea of Tranquility, an opalescent pink; Sea of Showers, a honeyed gold and Sea of Nectar; a bronze with gold shimmer. I hope you can see from the pictures of the pots that the shimmer is very fine. One thing that my pictures can't express is the delicious scent of these highlighters. I realised whilst my face was hovering over the pots that these liquids smell very reminiscent of Estee Lauder's Day Wear face cream. It has that same fresh cucumber fragrance. 

Sea of Clouds

Sea of Tranquility

Sea of Showers

Sea of Nectar

The swatches below are fairly heavy so that you can see the colour and shimmer but it's very easy to apply the Seas of Illumination fluids in a thin layer to impart a subtle sheen. It's a really nice formula to work with as it's not too thick nor too thin and I find it easy to pat on top of foundation without displacing it. My favourite is the pinky Sea of Tranquility and I have used it as both a cheek and brow highlight. It gives a polished but quite subtle effect and finishes a look off nicely without making me feel overly 'done'. Because of the consistency of these liquids, I think it would be very easy to mix them with foundation or moisturiser should you wish. I slapped some on quite liberally today without foundation and it has done an excellent job of perking up my sleep deprived face!

With Flash

The Seas of Illumination highlighters are available from Zuneta. They cost £45 each which is expensive however, as the bottles contain 30ml of product and you only need a small amount at a time, one bottle would probably last for many years.


Disclosure: These sample pots were sent to me without cost.