Editorial: Purple Smoke with Rouge Bunny Rouge

INSPIRATION is such a beautiful word. While it's been said true artists/writers are the ones who slough through regardless of its presence, I'm sure we all can agree that when it's there, life is a million times easier.

I've been meaning to feature a trio of shadows Rouge Bunny Rouge sent to me, but just couldn't figure out how to use them together, until I stumbled upon this photo.

The eyeshadows in question are Snowy Egret, Lilac Reef Curassow, and Eclipse Eagle — an icy gold mint, a lilac, and a purpled brown.

L-R: Snowy Egret, Lilac Reef Curassow, Eclipse Eagle

Here you can see them housed in a nifty little case (RBR' Trio Eye Shadow Keeper)

As you can see, I switched up the colors from the original photo (which are breathtaking, by the way. I want everything used on her), but conformed to the same shading shape. Basically, think of your eyelids in thirds. After applying primer, I patted on Lilac Reef Curassow to the center (2/3) of my lids. I then applied Eclipse Eagle to the inner and outer lid (1/3 and 3/3), making sure to blend, but not overly blend into the lilac. More detail went to shading the inner lid, as the makeup artist extended the shade to the side of her nose bridge instead of stopping at the edge of the lid. I applied Snowy Egret to the inner corners of my eyes and smoked out the bottom lash line with Eclipse Eagle.

I could discern only the faintest inkling of a line on the model's eyes, so I tight-lined using a black pencil liner. Two coats of black mascara, and done.

The Look

Rouge Bunny Rouge products are available internationally on rougebunnyrouge.com and zuneta.com.

Products Used:
Rouge Bunny Rouge Time Defying Foundation in Wheat Cream
Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in Light
Guerlain Meteorites Perles du Paradis
Shu Uemura Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown
NARS Pro Prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base
Rouge Bunny Rouge Eyeshadows in Snowy Egret, Lilac Reef Curassow, and Eclipse Eagle
THREE Flash Performance Pencil Eyeliner in Eye On 08
Pop Beauty Peak Performance Mascara in Blackest Black
Addiction Blush Mix in Brown Toast
Cle de Peau Enriched Lip Luminizer in #201

Necklace from Intermix, dress from Free People.

Full disclosure: This entry contains sample products sent by PR or the manufacturer for editorial consideration.

Those Tarte Liners Work As Shadows Too

As if the Tarte 6-piece SmolderEYES holiday set wasn't already a steal, I find another way to use it. While the pencils are originally eye liners, their crayon-like tips and buttery textures make them perfect for shadow work as well. Observe:

1. Apply on lid

2. Blend with crease brush

3+4. Adjust shape accordingly by applying more toward the crease and blending out

That itself could be a complete eye look, but I took it further by applying and blending out champagne at the inner corners of my eyes, lining the top lash line with onyx and the bottom lash line with gunmetal.

And since these liners are waterproof, they're budge and crease proof as well. That deserves a happyface for sure! (People with oily lids should still use primers, but I'm sure you already do, right?)

All the colors mentioned in this post are a part of the Tarte Holiday 2012 Eye Catchers 6-Piece SmolderEYES™ And Skinny SmolderEYES™ Collector's Set, which retails for $39 and is available at Sephora.

………………
Products Used:
Face -
Chantecaille 'Future Skin' Foundation in Camomile
RMS Beauty "Un" Cover Up #22
Paul & Joe Face Powder 001 (from the Holiday Make Up Collection 2012 001 Set)
Korres Cheek Butter in Eros Coral

Eyes -
Tarte SmolderEYES in Gold, Champagne, Gunmetal, and Onyx (from the 6-piece set)
Pop Beauty Peak Performance Mascara in Brilliant Black
Shu Uemura Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown
Le Métier de Beauté Eye Crease Brush

Lips-
Korres Lip Butter Glaze in Raspberry

PS: Thank you everyone for the well-wishes in regards to Hurricane Sandy. I am extremely fortunate to be living in a neighborhood that was unscathed by the storm, but there are plenty of New Yorkers who need help. For those who would like to give aid, you can donate $10 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief by texting REDCROSS to 90999 or visiting redcross.org directly.

The products in this post was sent by the company for editorial consideration

Swatched: Tarte Holiday 2012 Collection Sets

Unless you've been living under a beauty rock, you must have heard of these fantastic Tarte Holiday Sets. From what I've seen and heard, they've been flying off Sephora shelves so fast it's like UD Naked all over again. Looking at them and how little they cost, I totally understand the frenzy. With most of these sets, you're essentially paying a little over the price of one item for multiple products. The best part? Aside from the blush set, they aren't even mini-sized. 

A portion of my face has been rather odd lately so I haven't been able to take photos of myself wearing makeup. For now, here are swatches of the three sets I have, in case you were hesitating on your purchase (but seriously, why are you?).

Fantastic Foursome 4-Piece Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Enthusiast Set ($35 for $60 value)

L-R; Angelic, Fantastic, Magic, Stellar

L-R: Stellar, Magic, Fantastic, Angelic

The colors are all exclusive to this set! Angelic is an ivory highlight, Fantastic is a matte cool pink, Magic is a pink-leaning coral, and Stellar is a shimmery light bronzer. Out of the four, Fantastic was slightly chalky (since it's matte) while Stellar required some packing to show up, but I think that's a good thing in a bronzer shade. 

5-Piece LipSurgence™ Collector's Set ($34 for $120 value)

L-R: Escape, Enchanted, Exposed, Sweet, Elite

Tarte included three different formulas in this 5-piece set. Escape and Sweet are Lip Lusters (sheerer, more shimmer), Enchanted and Elite are Lip Tints (more pigmented), while Exposed is a Matte Lip Tint. It's fantastic if you've been hankering to try out a variety of Tarte lip offerings without breaking the bank. My only caveat is it's mostly comprised of warm pinks. I would have liked to see a wider color selection, maybe switch two out for a red and a nude.

Eye Catchers 6-Piece SmolderEYES™ And Skinny SmolderEYES™ Collector's Set ($39 for $144 value)

L-R: Ash Violet, Rainforest Black, Champagne, Gunmetal, Gold, Onyx

Again, the colors are exclusive to this set and not available in their regular line. I can't even begin to explain how awesome swatching these liners felt. Gliding butter! Yet they won't budge! Look at those colors! And that black! I mean, that's what I call a black! 

I guess it felt like a lot of exclamation points. I think the colors are pretty self-explanatory from the swatches and accompanying names, except Gunmetal, which is a taupey brown and not a steely gray as the name would suggest.

From swatching and some light testing, all the items in these sets hold up to the usual Tarte standard. I've been a longtime fan of their blushes, Exposed being my go-to browned rose, and am happy to rediscover their lip pencils and eye liners. I was once a staunch devotee of SmolderEYES in brown and only put it away because I went back to wearing black liners. 

These Tarte sets are available at Sephora and Tarte.com, and I say they're all worth it. Even if you only like one color out of the entire set, you can split them up and give them as Thanksgiving/Hannukah/Christmas/I-Don't-Need-A-Special-Reason gifts. After all, what girl doesn't like receiving makeup?

The products in this post were provided by the company for editorial consideration

Sneak Peek: Guerlain Holiday 2012 Swatches

Liu Eye & Lip Calligraphy Palette

I was very tempted by the Liu Eye & Lip Calligraphy Palette, which surprised me because I don't like palettes that houses both lip and eye products. The three lighter eyeshadow shades are what I've come to expect from Guerlain - smooth, pigmented, exquisitely shimmery. The black shade is more on the matte side and thus didn't swatch as well, but eyeliner shades are usually that way.

The standout, in my opinion, is the texture of the two reds in the palette. When I touched it it was actually smooth, as in it didn't feel like usual cream-type lipsticks. I imagine this would be how all those lip velvet formulas would feel if they were in pot form. The swatches were made using one finger swipe, and I know I said I shouldn't get any more reds, but just look at that.

Ecrin 4 Couleurs Eye Shadow in 500 Les Ombres Turandot 

The Ecrin 4 Couleurs Eye Shadow in 500 Les Ombres Turandot is so, so beautiful, except I know I definitely won't be able to pull off such warm colors. 

L-R: Meteorites Wulong, Shine Automatique #700 Altoum, #760 Lou-Ling

I hope you can see the very layered swatch of the Meteorites Wulong on the left. When swirled together, the powder is a pale, faintly shimmering pink. The two Shine Automatiques are quite sheer but can be layered for more intensity (do remember that Shine Automatiques are not made to be uber pigmented). Altoum is the perennial holiday gold, while Lou-Ling is a bright berry.

Edit: I took down my swatch picture for the nail lacquers because of the ugly horrid smudge on Lou-Ling, as I personally would hate to see it on any blog myself. You can proceed to Temptalia's site for her review of both Altoum and Lou-Ling.

I found the collection at Saks Fifth Avenue New York, which means it should reach Guerlain counters nationwide soon, if not already.

RMS Beauty Swatches

I know the pain of blind online purchases and the inevitable regret when the color doesn't match the product images online, so here are swatches of the complete RMS Beauty color collection.

L-R: Lip Shine in Sublime, Bloom, Moment

The Lip Shines are shiny lip balms. Sublime is a light hot pink, Bloom is a peach pink, while Moment is a honey brown shade.

L-R: "Un" Cover-Up #11, #22, #33, #44

The "Un" Cover-Ups are what we usually call concealers. #11 is ivory yellow, #22 peach yellow, #33 ochre yellow, while #44 is bronze yellow. (I'm definitely straining my color vocabulary here.)

L-R: Lip2Cheek in Muse, Promise, Modest, Smile, Illusive, Rapture 

The Lip2Cheeks are lip and cheek colors that can be sheered out or layered for intensity. Muse is a pale pink cream, Promise is.. orange/brown/red with slight gold shimmer? I don't know, but it's very pretty. Modest is coral, Smile is peach, Illusive is a brown-based red, and Rapture is a rich brick red. I actually tried on every single one of the Lip2Cheek and was surprised to find only Promise and Illusive worked on me. Muse was concealer lips (in a bad way), while Modest and Smile were too warm for me.

L-R: Cream Eye Shadow in Lunar, Solar, Seduce, Magnetic, Spark, Myth, Karma

I trust the Cream Eye Shadows need no external description. Lunar is actually a shimmery ivory nude (I layered the swatch heavily to show the color), Solar is a complex antique gold, Seduce is a khaki-leaning brown, Magnetic is a taupe. Spark and Myth looked really similar in the pot – I feel like Spark is a neutral brown with slight gold shimmer, while Myth is a brown cream that leans red. Karma is a dark brown-black.

I didn't swatch the Living Luminizer because I've already shown it in this post, which you can also head over to see "Un" Cover-Up #22 and Rapture in action.

RMS Beauty is available nationwide at rmsbeauty.com. If you live in (or are visiting) New York City, you can view and try out the entire collection at Bloom Beauty Lounge, located at 140 West 19th St.

PS: Just received word from @rmsbeauty that Spark and Myth have been discontinued.

Dior Holiday 2012: Grand Bal Swatches

Department store lighting makes me die a little inside, but this is the only way I can get you information as soon as I get it. Below are guerrilla swatches of Dior Grand Bal Collection for Holiday 2012. 

Palette Grand Bal Carnet de Maquillage ($85)

The star of the collection is the Grand Bal Palette, inspired by the dance cards held by 18th century young women to keep track of their dance partners. It includes an eyeshadow duo of platinum and gold, two glosses, and one black eyeliner. The eyeshadow is super pigmented and creamy (the photo above is just one swipe). Texturally, they feel like the new Estee Lauder shadows. The glosses are a shimmering warm pink and a pearl white. As you can see, they're both very sheer. I didn't manage to swatch the black eyeliner since the counter's tester was glued down. 

The eyeliner is supposed to slide through the rings and hold the palette closed. According to the press release, the palette is a "must-have for the modern party girl," but I feel like having that mechanism is going to be such a hassle for touch ups that it wouldn't be worth it.

5-Couleurs Eyeshadow in Fairy Golds ($59)

5-Couleurs Eyeshadow in Night Golds ($59)

The two eyeshadow palettes in Fairy Golds and Night Golds are Dior holiday staples. I recall similar offerings from the past couple of years. Both are pretty, but I suggest a quick stash inventory before you buy.

L-R: Rouge Diorific ($36) in Diva #038, Marilyn #040, Diorling #037, Lady #039

Diva is a coral-tinged red, Marilyn leans fuchsia, Diorling is a true red, while Lady is a comparatively sheerer, watermelon red.

L-R: Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss ($28) in Lame Gold #424, Ceremony Red #774

Lame Gold is a gold gloss with gold glitter. Ceremony Red is red with microshimmer.

All in all, pretty but predictable. I wish a brand would come up with a holiday collection that didn't involve red and gold. I mean, year after year, how many gold glosses do we really need? Especially when we know pretty much every brand in the department store beauty level will be coming out with one. I suppose it's safe from a brand's perspective, but as a consumer it's creatively unsatisfying.

I swatched the collection at the Dior counter at Saks Fifth Avenue New York. If you'd like to order yours now, you can contact them at 212.940.2181. Do tell them I sent you!

Sneak Peek: Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Intense Eyeshadows, Acqua Collection

While a few beauty brands are in the midst of rolling out fall collections (I know we're all tired of hearing this, but seriously, in July?!?), Giorgio Armani Beauty decided instead to release a capsule collection of just six Eyes To Kill Intense Eyeshadows and two eyeliners to tide us over before the big show. The eyeliners are run-of-the-mill black and brown, so I didn't swatch them, though I did purchase them.

L-R: 29 Rose Titanium, 28 Red Platine, 27 Oxidized Silver, 26 Carat Gold, 25 Rusted Gold, 24 Smokey Copper

These colors are true to the eye, though Rose Titanium is pinker and Rusted Gold has more multi-dimensional sparkle.

I don't remember if we already had the ETK Intense conversation on Messy Wands. My take is: great, unique formula, long lasting, amazing color choices, but by virtue of it being in a pot I just don't reach for it as much, and because of that I am now very wary of being drawn to any of them because of the seven I own that I have rarely, if ever, touched. That said (and this comes as a surprise), I find myself curiously attracted to Carat Gold. 

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Intense Eyeshadows retail for $32 and can be found on giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com and nordstrom.com.

Sneak Peek: Chanel Fall 2012

After a week of waiting for Chanel Fall to be released on chanel.com, I gave up and headed toward Neiman Marcus instead. I'm not usually loyal to a particular medium of purchase, but I really want to have a look at Brumes d'Or and the online site is the only way I have access to the product (and I'm trying to get to $100 for free shipping). They're usually so much better about releasing collections online, so color me perplexed that it's taking them this long. 

Chanel Nail Vernis in Vertigo 563 and Frenzy 559

I only swatched Vertigo and Frenzy because I wasn't interested in another fuchsia berry (Suspicion) from Chanel, and once on my finger, I also lost interest in these two. While nice, I was hoping for microshimmer in the polishes because that's when Chanel truly shines, and in keeping with my new resolution to pare down, I'm trying to ignore my grabby hands impulse and stop settling for just "nice."

Chanel Extrait de Gloss Troublant, Lumière d'Artifices Beiges, Joues Contraste Rose Initiale

The only thing I know I really want from this collection right now is the Extrait de Gloss in Troublant, a plummy rose with hints of brown that looks like the fall edition of my lips, as in if my lips (naturally) changed colors with the seasons it will look like that. I was most excited to see Lumière d'Artifices Beiges and Joues Contraste Rose Initiale, but so far my response to them is lukewarm. They reminded me of shades from the Le Metier de Beaute Blush Kit.

I compared the 3rd shade of the Blush Kit to Lumiere d'Artifices and found that the former more gold and shimmery. Rose Initiale is similar to a mix of the 2nd and 4th shade of the Blush Kit. That said, since they're not complete dupes I'm still considering the Chanel pieces.

As usual, Sabrina of The Beauty Look Book is on point with her Chanel coverage, so head on over to her blog for her thoughts and comparisons.

Dior Summer Mix Collection Gloss Swatches

During a quick jaunt to Bloomingdale's in New York, I stumbled across a preppy, happy sight. The Dior Summer Mix Collection, which consists of four new nail lacquers and glosses (three new and one repromote), has arrived at the counter, and isn't it one of the most joyful mid-season offering you've ever seen?

L-R: Orange Pareo, Cosmo, Or Sunrise, Calypso, Rouge Crosière, Acapulco, Rose Bikini, Lagoon

L-R: Rose Bikini, Orange Pareo, Rouge Crosière, Or Sunrise

I realized just as I was editing my pictures that the sales associate replaced Calypso and Cosmo with substitutes from the permanent collection, presumably because the two polishes have not arrived at the store yet. I am livid that I was blatantly lied to at the counter – I pointed at the polishes and asked if they were from the Summer Mix collection and she said yes, never indicating that two of them were stand-ins. I purchased only Graphite Berry that day, and though I know it is a fabulous color, I can't help but feel miffed that it came with a huge slice of deception. Needless to say, I won't be visiting that Dior counter again.

L-R: Graphite Berry, Acapulco, unknown shade, Lagoon

That said, I still can't wait for the entire nail collection to hit Dior.com. Now that I've had time to reflect on it, I really like these colors. Amazing swatches are available at Fruity Lashes.

Chanel Summer 2012: Le Vernis Holiday, Island, and Delight

Apart from Calypso, the only other items from Chanel's summer collection that dazzled me were its nail polishes. Chanel released three shades, Holiday, Island, and Delight, and I snatched them up gleefully. While I love the ubiquitous blue polishes that every brand seems to be releasing this summer, I have to admit these are a welcome change.

Chanel Holiday is a vivid orange. It is such a bright, jolly shade that I'm almost afraid to look at it for fear of hurting my eyes. They make your nails stand out and is a good alternative for red this summer. The formula for Holiday is a little thick (am I the only one having trouble opening Chanel's recent nail polish bottles?) and was not the easiest to apply. The first coat looked horrendous but the second smoothed it out. 

Chanel Delight, on the other hand, was marvelous to apply. It flowed on smooth and could have been a one-coater if I was diligent enough. The shade is a shimmering light gold, like the color of aluminium foil if it were gold instead of silver. While some say it is comparable to Graphite from last fall, I personally think it's more similar (and superior) to Gold Fingers.

Chanel Le Vernis Holiday, Island, and Delight retail for $26 and is available at all Chanel counters. I purchased mine from Chanel.com.

Le Métier de Beauté Blush Kaleidoscope

The latest Le Métier de Beauté offering is the Blush Kaleidoscope. It was introduced last year as a counter exclusive, but has recently been inducted into the permanent collection (yay!). The blush kaleidoscope contains four shades of varying textures: a matte apricot orange, a matte coral pink, a shimmering gold, and a light shimmering pink. If the Flawless Face Kit is all you need for a basic face, the Blush Kit is all you need for beautiful cheeks. 

L-R: First to Fourth Tier

It was difficult to photograph the nuances of tone when it's on the cheeks. This post by Cafe Makeup should give a good indication of how layering transforms the colors. I do think that even without layering, the colors in the kit are magnificent on its own and worth the investment.

Tier 1

Tier 1+3

Tier 2

Tier 2+3

Right Cheek: Tier 2+3, Left Cheek: Tier 1+3; Lips: Dior Orange Pareo; Eyes: NARS Ramatuelle Trio

I found this bit from the press release worth quoting, as it gives us some ideas on how to use differing textures to amp up our cheeks:

“In order to create dimension, there must be at least two pigments that are contrasting in tone or texture.  For instance, matte with sheen, satin with matte, pink with coral, or mauve with bronze. Layering multiple shades eliminates flatness while bringing vitality to the skin - this is true of color whether it is on the eyes, lips, or cheeks.” – Mikey Castillo

The textures of these powders are finely milled, super soft, easily blendable and (of course) layerable. It is the stuff of a blush fiend's dreams. 

Le Métier de Beauté Blush Kaleidoscope retails for $95 and is available at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue.