Rouge Bunny Rouge Succulence of Dew Sheer Lipsticks

Sorry, I couldn't resist

I didn't know something was missing in my makeup drawer stash mountain until it magically showed up in the mail. I thought many of the lipsticks I owned were already pushing the limits of innovation, especially in terms of their amazing formulas (comfort, texture etc.). After all, I'm so picky with my lip products that I refuse to wear anything that's heavy, uncomfortable, or unnecessarily sheer (unless it explicitly functions as such, like tinted balms), yet I still own more lipstick than I can ever wear in my lifetime.

This is until I received the newly reformulated Rouge Bunny Rouge Succulence of Dew Sheer Lipstick, which completely changed my thinking of how good a lipstick could be. I'm actually thrown off by the naming, because as the images below show, these "sheer" lipsticks can be extremely pigmented. The formula is super moist but not in any danger of slipping and sliding all over your lips. No feathering, no scent, no heavy feeling. They're a downright pleasure to have on.

My only criticism is that the packaging picks up fingerprints like its life depended on it, but this should only matter to people who have to photograph it.

Jasmine-Weighted Air

Murmurings

Musings

Relish of Heaven

Perfume of His Gaze

Of the above, I was most intrigued by Perfume of His Gaze. The official brand description calls it a cool-toned rose taupe, which I never would have imagined as a lip color until I put it on. I think this could be the modern update of the 90s brown lipstick!

Rouge Bunny Rouge Succulence of Dew Sheer Lipsticks retail for $29 and are internationally available at rougebunnyrouge.com.

Products Used:
Shu Uemura Mechanical Brow Pencil
Guerlain Météorites Baby Glow in Clair 02
Clé de Peau Concealer in Ocher
Chantecaille Iridescent Eye Shade in Rose Gold
Rouge Bunny Rouge Long Lasting Eye Shadow in Eclipse Eagle
Clinique High Impact Waterproof Mascara
Three Flash Performance Eyeliner Pencil 08
Guerlain Météorites Perles De Blush
Ellis Faas Glow Up
Rouge Bunny Rouge Succulence of Dew Sheer Lipsticks

Full disclosure: This entry contains sample product(s) sent by the brand for editorial consideration. This entry also contains affiliate links.

An Evening Face Tutorial

I recently received an invitation to an evening event and was pondering the makeup I would do for it. Warning: I might be abusing my recent fondness for brown neutrals with a second brown-based eye tutorial this week. Granted, it's not the most flattering shade on me, but irrational fancy needs no excuse, I suppose (for those who live through life wondering why some girls look absolutely amazing in "universal" shades of brown and wheat golds when they make our eyes look like muddy swamps, this fantastic post from Ars Aromatica is worth a read).

Eyes

I started with Le Métier de Beauté Tamarack as my eyeshadow base, then placed Burberry Midnight Brown all over the eyelid, blending toward the brow bone. I used Taupe Brown to deepen the outer corner and Porcelain to highlight below the brow and around the inner corner. 

I applied NARS Rue Bonaparte on my waterline to minimize redness and used Burberry Pale Barley to smoke out the bottom lash line. I lined my eyes with Giorgio Armani Smooth Silk Eye Pencil 1, and as usual, a couple coats of Guerlain Noir G Mascara to finish.

Cheeks

Speaking of abuse, are you sick of hearing about Chanel Notorious yet? Because I'm totally still using it everyday. Pictured above is Notorious under the cheekbone, Benefit Dandelion on the apples, and RMS Living Luminizer to highlight.

Lips

Ellis Faas L207 on the lips for a rich, creamy peach.

Nails

On my fingertips, a deep navy creme a la JINsoon Rhapsody. Texturally, Rhapsody was slightly thicker than Auspicious (which was thinner than the standard, which means Rhapsody resembles "regular" polish). I only needed two coats to reach full opacity.

The Complete Look

Products Used:
Face -
RMS Beauty "Un" Cover Up #22
RMS Beauty Living Luminizer
Benefit Dandelion Blush
Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks

Eyes -
Shu Uemura Seal Brown Retractable Eye Brow Pencil (not available in US)
Le Métier de Beauté Dualistic Eye Pencil in Tamarack
Burberry Eyeshadows in Porcelain, Pale Barley, Midnight Brown, and Taupe Brown
NARS Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte
Giorgio Armani Waterproof Smooth Silk Eye Pencil #1
Guerlain Noir G Mascara

Lips -
Ellis Faas L207

Nails -
JINsoon Nail Lacquer in Rhapsody


And because friends tell friends when there are savings to be had:
Giorgio Armani Cosmetics – 15 percent off with code EXCLUSIVE at checkout.

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.

3 Looks, 1 Palette: Guerlain Ecrin 6-Couleurs Eyeshadow in 2, Place Vendome

Beautiful design, but minus points for smudgy fingerprints

One of the most beautiful (non-limited edition) palette I own has to be the Guerlain Ecrin 6-Couleurs Eyeshadow in 2, Place Vendome. I purchased this when it first came out two years ago, but relegated it to the back drawer because I could never make it work. The looks came out too muddy, too messy, too much, but I realized it's because I kept trying to use all six colors at once. 

I know. 'twas a silly compulsion. But I picked it up again and now it's magic! To illustrate, I created three simple looks from just this one palette, but no doubt I've only scratched the surface of possible combinations. 

Be warned: this post is picture-heavy, even for Messy Wands standards.

First, I love the softly shimmering textures in this palette. The liner shade on the most left can be more intense if used wet, but I don't like doing it because I don't like the leftover stain you get on the shadow. The taupe shade is beautiful on the lower lash line, which you can see in action in the last look below.

(Also, for concision's sake I will not explain the base makeup/repeat steps like apply concealer/mascara etc. For list of products used, scroll to the bottom.)

Light Smokey Eye

Apply ivory shade as highlight under brows and around inner corners of the eyes. Light gray shade all over the lid, lightly blending out toward the brow bone, and on bottom lash line. Taupe shade in the outer v. Lightly apply liner shade to upper lash line.

Deep Gray Gradient Smokey Eye

Pat the darkest gray shade on to the eyelid and use the taupe shade to blend it out toward the brow bone. Use the ivory shade to highlight under the brows and blend into the taupe. Press liner shade into upper lash line. The bottom lash line is a combination of the dark gray and taupe shades.

On a side note, methinks it's time to invest in a better brush for the lower lash line.

Violet Smokey Eye

 

Pat the blue shade on to the eyelid, blend light gray in the inner 1/3, then press taupe shade to the center of the eyelid, being careful not to blend it out too much (but enough so it's not just a patch). Line upper lash line with liner shade and lower lash line with taupe shade.

And finally, to dispel the "rule" (myth, I say!) that you can't pair a heavy eye with a drastic lip:

Using my new favorite red: Burberry Lip Velvet in Military Red No. 310

Endless fun! Can you believe I used only one brush (my precious Shu Uemura 11 Pure Kolinsky) to apply all that eyeshadow too? The palette, mercifully, is in Guerlain's permanent color collection for $85.

Shop the products:

· I used the same base makeup for each look -

Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge #2

Dior Skinflash Primer #001

Le Métier de Beauté Foundation Brush

RMS Beauty Uncover-Up #22

Guerlain Ecrin 6-Couleurs Eyeshadow in 2, Place Vendome

Shu Uemura 11 Pure Kolinsky Eyeshadow Brush

Guerlain Noir G Mascara

Suqqu Balancing Eyebrow in 01 Moss Green

Shu Uemura Retractable Mechanical Brow Pencil in Seal Brown

Shu Uemura 6OB Brush

· Look 1 -

Suqqu Balancing Cheeks in 02 Mukuge

John Masters Organics Lip Calm

Shu Uemura 20H Blush Brush

· Look 2 -

(same as Look 1, with the addition of)

Suqqu Creamy Glow Lipstick #12

· Look 3 -

(same as Look 2)

Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks (now available on Chanel.com!)

RMS Beauty Living Luminizer
Le Métier de Beauté Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss in Bondi Beach

· Bonus -

Burberry Lip Velvet in Military Red No. 310

Le Métier de Beauté Dualistic Pencil in Rose

Mohair sweater is from Club Monaco, purchased last year.

Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks, Worn

I repeat: it's a gray-taupe contour shade. Chanel didn't even give me a chance to hate it (swatches here).

As much as possible, I mirrored the makeup look in Chanel's Fall 2012 show. I pondered for a quick second how I was going to bling my brows, then gave up.

Products:
· Face: Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge #2 mixed with Burberry Fresh Glow Luminous Fluid Base, RMS Beauty Concealer #22
· Cheeks: Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks applied to hollows of the cheeks and jawline with Hakuhodo 210 (a firm contour brush), blended furiously. RMS Beauty Luminizer to highlight
· Brows: Shu Uemura Mechanical Eyebrow Pencil
· Eyes: Using Suqqu Eyeshadow Brush L (basically a big fluffy eyeshadow brush), I lightly dusted Notorious on the lid and winged it out. Le Métier de Beauté Anamorphic Mascara in Jade for natural-looking lashes
· Lips: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy

As you can imagine, the key to using Notorious as a blush is a light hand and a lot of blending (seriously, don't scrimp on the blending). So far, it seems many think using it will lead to zombie face, but I examined the hollows of my cheeks pre-contouring and it looks like a grayed version of my skin tone, which is why I thought it would be perfect. You can also pair it with a light blush to blend in with the gray so that it looks more "natural," but for this photo shoot I used only Notorious. 

To be honest, the blush is a breath of fresh air in the otherwise stale beauty market of late. I feel like a lot of brands have just been producing different versions of the same thing (e.g. liquid lipsticks, matte/velvet formulas), and while that has always been the norm, this year's slew of releases feels particularly uninspired. 

That said, I wouldn't recommend Notorious to beginners, just because it is really easy to overdo it. 

For purchase information, visit yesterday's post.

Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks Swatch

I've been lusting over Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks ever since I saw it on the runways last year. A gray-taupe contour color? You bet my grubby little manicured hands are all over it. I'll endeavor to have face shots by tomorrow, but I wanted to get swatches up as soon as possible in case you want one for yourself. After all, the last time Chanel debuted an interesting blush it sold out within the week.

You can layer it for a darker, smokier color (for eyes) or sheer it out to a soft gray-taupe as a contour. Before you think how can that possibly be on my cheeks, remember with natural contouring people are not supposed to know you did it, and that should be a guide on how much color you use. If you need additional help, Arianne from Glitter Geek just wrote a marvelous tutorial on natural contouring, complete with step-by-step pictorials. 

For your own, contact Alicia or Cindy at the Chanel counter at Saks Fifth Avenue New York. 212. 940. 2151

Chanel Prelude Eyeshadow Quad

Lips: Marcelle Jezebel; Cheeks: LMdB Creme Fresh Tint in Tenne

There isn't much to say about Chanel Prelude Eyeshadow Quad except it's an old favorite. My application has always been the same: lightest shade under brows and around inner corner, light taupe over eyelid, dark taupe in the crease blending to the edge of the outer corner, and dark brown as liner. I swipe a little of the dark brown mixed with the dark taupe on the bottom lashline to even the look out, and that's all there is to a simple smokey eye.

One Woman's Freckles Is Another Woman's...

... skin condition. I kid, I kid!

On a whim – I blame that taupe eyebrow pencil I had lying around – I decided to dot on some freckles to see how I'd look. 

image via

While the model above is cute as a button (and potentially leopard-sexy), I on the other hand look like I need to put on sunblock. Maybe the trick is more concentrated dots?

If you're interested in replicating the look, here are the products I used:

Clockwise: Serge Lutens makeup base, Suqqu Keshizumi, By Terry 100, By Terry 200, LMdB Fawn*, Guerlain Rouge Automatique #100

L-R: bT 200, bT 100, LMdB Fawn, Suqqu Keshizumi

To dot on the freckles, warm the pencil on the back of the hand, then put the pencil on your cheek and roll it a little without altering position. Taupe shades replicate freckles in the most natural way.

As an aside, that Serge Lutens makeup base costs $80, and unless I'm using it wrong (I sweep it onto the eye, how else am I supposed to use it?), it's absolutely horrible. Creases within application. What's wrong with this picture?

The product(s) marked with * is provided by the company as a gift during a press event.