Rouge Bunny Rouge: Eye Shadow Keepers: New shadow swatches of Olive Violeteare, Bohemian Waxwing & Golden Rhea

The much anticipated RBR refillable palettes were released last Friday at Zuneta.com. They come in either a duo (£12) or trio (£15) Eye Shadow Keeper. Along with the palette launch was the release of refill pans (£16 each), six new shades and three best-selling colours in the Long-lasting Eye Shadow formula.

 The keepers are sleek and streamlined and adorned with the whimsical RBR imagery. The palettes have a magnet so the shadows fit in securely.The refills come in a black envelope in a similar style to that of MAC but with RBR you get the extra touch of the pretty design.

Here is the currant refill shade line up with the RBR colour descriptions:
New Colours:
Lilac Reef Curassow - Pale lilac with iridescent effect
Trumpeter Koel - Dark lead-grey with lilac-blue iridescence
Bohemian Waxwing - Iridescent bronzed champagne
Olive Violeteare - Smoky olive with satin finish
Golden Rhea - Iridescent pale gold.
Umber Firefinch - Iridescent dark umber chocolate
Bestselling Shadows:
Unforgetable Oriole - Delicate, metallic white gold
Solstice Halcyon - Semi-matt mauve beige
Abyssinian Catbird - Metallic bronze with golden highlights

Here are the refills compared to a normal sized RBR shadow:

Bohemian Waxwing is a beautiful shimmery taupe with a touch of bronze. If you are a fan of taupes Bohemian Waxwing is a must have, in fact it would be a disservice to your love of taupes not to have this in your collection.

Olive Violeteare  is a smokey olive as RBR describes, its not harsh and makes a really pretty crease/outer V colour.



Golden Rhea is a shimmery true gold.


The shadows have the great  texture and pigment that we are use to with RBR, there is nothing you can fault with these.

Such beautiful shades which are sure to become essentials, I've placed an order for Lilac Reef Curassow & Trumpeter Koel (Umber Firefinch had sold out) so I'll show you those soon.
RBR is available from Zuneta.com and they ship internationally.

Disclosure: I was sent these items for free.

By Terry Crayon Sourcils Terrybly

When you have little in the eyebrow department, finding a product that can make the area look fuller but also natural at the same time can prove difficult. I also think that the majority of brow products for fair hair have a strong yellow/orange tone, which doesn't work for me as I have no warmth in my eyebrows. The best colour match I had found so far is Chantecaille Ash blond, but as I find the Chantecaille a bit too dry in texture I decided to try the By Terry version.

As I couldn't find any reviews I went for the lightest shade, #1 Basic nude £22.


The formula is probably one of the best I have ever tried (and I have been through a lot of brow pencils). It just glides on the skin so well, feeling almost gel like, you can easily vary the colour intensity and it never looks dry and it lasts very well. The problem for me is that the shade is very warm, in fact I'd only recommend this shade for those who have red hair. Such a shame, I could do with the Chantecaille colour in the By Terry formula.

Swatched below, Chantecaille Ash Blond, By Terry Basic nude


Ingredients:

 

I bought this from SpaceNK

Sans Ceuticals Haircare

Sans Ceuticals is described as a range of "highly active but also chemical-free" hair and bodycare products. As I am trying to find more natural brands for my skin/hair needs, its become apparent that a lot of brands marked natural, still contain a lot of things you'd think they would omit (silicones and parabens for example). Sans Ceuticals seems to be true to its natural labelling, furthermore the ingredients are sustainably harvested, with 70% being locally sourced. They also use PETG for their packaging (deemed the most easily recycled plastic).

It can be difficult choosing the correct shampoo for my hair type, as though the lengths/ends are dry, the roots quickly become greasy. I went for the Normal Hair Wash (£17). Like a lot of sulphate free shampoos it has a low foam and you have to work it through the hair carefully. It washes out well and leaves my hair looking shiny and not flat. However I don't feel like this is moisturising enough so next time I'll go for their Nourishing Hair wash.
 Ingredients
Water (Aqua), Decyl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Cocamidopropyl Betaine,  Cocamide MIPA, Disodium Laureth Sulphosuccinate, Disodium Lauryl Sulphosuccinate, Cocoamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerine, Hydrolysed Wheat Protein, Saccharum Offiniarum (Sugar Cane) Extract & Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract & Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract & Hexylene Glycol & Betaine & Hexapeptide-11, Retinol Palmitate, Panthenol, Gluconolactone and Sodium Benzoate, Natural Fragrance
 

The conditioner I bought was the one aimed for dry, damaged hair, Nourishing Hair Hydratant (£20). On the bottle is says to leave in for 30 seconds, I was very impressed that after leaving it on for the said 30 seconds my hair did indeed feel smooth and tangle free. For an extra moisturising treatment I just leave it on longer. I really think this is an effective conditioner.
 Ingredients
Water (Aqua), Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerine, Water (and) Glycerin (and) Glycosphingolipids (and) Phospholipids (and) Cholesterol, Wheat Amino Acids, Hydroypropyltrimonium Hydrolysed Wheat Protein, Octyldodecanol (and) Irvingia Gabonensis Kernel Butter (and) Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Panthenol, Cetyl Esters, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil Unsaponifiables, Lanolin, Gluconolactone and Sodium Benzoate, Natural Fragrance


I think Sans Ceuticals has clean and simple packaging and has managed to create a natural range of products that also contain some interesting and beneficial ingredients such as anti oxidants and Phyto Keratin Amino Acids (which are meant to be more easily absorbed than the standard keratin particles as they are much smaller). Overall I'm pleased and will buy more from the range.

I bought these from zuneta.com

Beauty Spotlight: Whats In London Makeup Girl's...

 It's London MakeUp Girl's turn to do What's In My... and she's taking us to her special skincare corner. What are the skincare products that find a place in the corner of her bathroom, rather than sitting in a cupboard? These are the items she reaches for daily or weekly. Click here to find out what they are!

Rouge Bunny Rouge Bashful Flamingo & Sweet Dust Seriema

For Spring RBR released two new matte eyeshadows (£22 each).
The mattes have an amazingly buttery, smooth texture. They really set a new standard for matte shadows and they have definitely given me higher expectations when I come to using other brands.
They feel lightweight, blend beautifully and have great pigmentation. With an eye base they last all day with no colour fade.
Sweet Dust Seriema is described as a cool toned dusty mauve taupe, on me I'd say its more of a dusty mauve grey rather than taupe. I don't have a shade like it, it really is just very pretty and gives a polished look. If you like your cool tones and want an everyday shade you can just throw on then I'd highly recommend this.
Bashful Flamingo is a pale pink that applied with a peachy edge on my cool toned skin. Its got too much colour to work as an all over base on my skin tone but as a lid shade it works really well to perk up the eyes giving a fresh natural look.
As I am really pale I can actually use this on the cheeks to give a really natural, subtle hint of colour to the face.
Yet again RBR triumphs and these are great additions to their matte shade line up.

I bought these from zuneta.com

Giveaway Winner

My giveaway for the Rouge Bunny Rouge eye shadow closed at 19:00 PM today. Thank you very much to everyone who entered.
I used the custom random number generator and got 10, which is Lillian funny face. Congratulations Lillian :)
If you could email me your address please at replica.visionarybeauty@googlemail.com

Becca Balearic Love: Tempranillo Nail Polish

I fall into the all too easy trap of buying on the first few days of new collection releases, but sometimes it can be a real blessing when for whatever reason I have to postpone buying. It allows me time to read the reviews and see the swatches and in the case of the Becca Balearic Love collection, though Initially I was planning to get 5 items, after seeing the reviews/pictures, it whittled down to only one item I still wanted.
Tempranillo (£12) is a deep glossy red wine with a touch of plum. The hint of plum that catches in certain lights gives it a slighter deeper more vampy edge.
The formula is free from Formaldehyde, Toluene, Camphor and Di Butyl Phthalate. This is my third Becca polish and unfortunately I am not as pleased with the application. Though it still has the fast dry time with no colour fade, I find this one applies rather streaky and uneven.


So whilst I like the colour, the application is not of equal merit.

Ingredients:

My husband bought me this from lookfantastic.com

Chanel Correcteur Perfection Long Lasting Concealer

I don't fare well with Chanel base products, often they are too dark or irritate my sensitive skin. I was cruelly lured in by a shiny display of the Lift Lumiere foundation and correcteur perfection concealer right near the till as I was paying for my items. I just couldn't resist picking up the concealer testers just for a look........and so here we are.
The SA was adamant that I get Beige Clair #10 (£26) as she said the tester I had grabbed, Beige Rose # 31 would be much too dark for me. Beige Clair is 1-2 shades too dark and has a strong warm yellow/peachy tone.
As this contains salt (which I try to avoid due to acne) I bought this to use as an under eye concealer.
Swatched below L-R: Estee Lauder Double wear Light 01, Chanel Beige Clair, Rouge Bunny Rouge Luminous Skin Wand Orionis,YSL Touche Eclat shade 2,
Swatched below is the same order but this time I have rubbed them in, so hopefully it shows the warmth of the Chanel.
It has a creamy, lightweight,gel-based texture. Under the eyes it does not provide adequate coverage and whilst I found it does not migrate into any little lines,it does look dry and flat. I found its lasting ability average.
For testing purposes I decided to give this a try as a face concealer. I felt it performed much better, it blended nicely, covering discolouration well (though not an opaque concealer that would be needed for spots/scars). It does not feel heavy and gives a natural finish. However it did emphasise my pores and highlighted dry areas mid way through the day.
Overall I think its performance is adequate and somewhat forgettable and when I look at it I think to myself I could have spent that money on another Coco shine lipstick instead.

Ingredients:


I bought this from John Lewis

Giveaway: Rouge Bunny Rouge

::::::::THIS IS NOW CLOSED::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::As a thank you to my followers I wanted to do a little giveaway of a Rouge Bunny Rouge shadow.
I've bought a shade I already have, Fire-Tailed Sunbird, as its a shadow I get a lot of use out of, its a pretty peachy iridescence that is pretty used alone or mixed with other shades.
Here is my review

Here are the rules:
1.To enter you must be one of my followers and just submit a comment on this post.
2.The giveaway will close on Monday 16th April 2012 19:00 UK time, and the winner will be picked via a random number generator. I'll announce the winner on my blog so that you can email me your address details.

This is open to all countries

I bought the item for this giveaway from zuneta.com

Diego Dalla Palma: Part 2

So here's the second part of my review of Diego Dalla Palma. The more I tried from the brand, the more apparent it became that they are very big on pigment, though sometimes this is good and other times not so much.....
I went for a sculpture-blush #51 (£19).

Described as a light pink, I was immediately pleased by how the colour looked in the pan, a matte nude beige pink.
However on application the pigment was extremely intense and as a result the colour looked ruddy against my pale skin. Though it feels smooth to the touch, on my skin it feels dry and does not blend well and looks patchy.
Ingredients:

The Universal Fluid Eye Shadow 06 (£15), again is very pigmented but can be easily sheered out.
It applies nicely, blends quite well and has good lasting power. The colour is a mix of brown and beige, once applied I can't notice any shimmer in this.
Ingredients:
Lastly I go an anti-age-lipstick in shade #167 (£14), its described as a mauve but to me its a deep cherry rose.
It feels creamy and has good wear, with an average moisture level. The pigmentation again is full on and this is too intense for me.
Ingredients:
Swatched below L-R: Lipstick, blusher, cream shadow swiped, cream shadow blended in.
On the whole I have had more duds that hits with my first foray into this brand, I definitely think its one to try in person rather that ordering blindly online like I did, as had I been able to swatch things I would have made different choices.

I bought these from tesco.com/direct

The Beauty Spotlight Team: What's on my dressing table

For this week's Beauty Spotlight, it's my turn, so to see my daily must haves and attempts at organisation, please read on for 'what's on my dressing table.'
Given my reasonable amount of makeup, I work on a rotation basis. In the little drawer box I have some of my lipsticks, eye shadows and blushers/highlighters.
The rest of my makeup is kept in the top drawer of my unit, I have boxes at the front then the rest is in smaller containers behind them (below is just a peak at the first row)
The skincare/body care I currently use consists mostly of Pai, I really do think this is an excellent range for those with sensitive skin. As we are heading towards more sunny weather I bought a new sunscreen to try (Organic Pharmacy) so I'll review that after I've used it for a while.
I have two brush holders - there never seems to be a point at which I have all my brushes clean at the same time so I think I have about 7 missing in the photo. The pot in the middle contains the concealers and liners I reach for the most.
The perfume I am really liking at the moment is Stella McCartney’s L.I.L.Y. Though I don't care for her other fragrance, I find L.I.L.Y a perfect light floral for spring.

The orange box is my morning grab box, this is where I put the bulk of the makeup I'll be using for the week (I rotate the non base products weekly).
In the morning rush this allows me to avoid having to fuss around searching through drawers.

So there you have it, more functional than glamorous, I hope you have enjoyed having a peek at my stash.

Diego Dalla Palma: Part 1

Diego dalla palma is an Italian brand, looking at the range my impression is that it bears similarities with MAC in that it offers a comprehensive range of professional products and shades with the focus being on trends. I'd heard some good things about the quality and selection offered so was very pleased to have it arrive in the UK.
The brand is available from Tesco online (and in some of their concept stores). It doesn't quite sit right to me that a medium end cosmetic range be best placed at Tesco. Its not to say I don't buy from Tesco but I think of the store as having more of a "value" image, if I want something "nicer" I go to Waitrose.
Placement issues aside, I bought a few things so I'll start off with the powder eye shadows
The Essential duo eye shadow #14 (£23.50) was released with the fall 2011 collection. It contains a peach beige with a satin finish and a matte brown.The lighter shade is reasonably smooth however the matte is quite dry and I found it difficult to blend.
From the core collection I got eye shadow in shade #19 Frost Sand (£14). This has a very different texture to the duo, its smooth and buttery soft and blends really well. The colour is a shimmery golden sand.
Both of the shadows have really good pigmentation though I do need to wear an eye primer to get them to last.
There is always bound to be hits and misses when delving into a brand you've not tried before so now I know to stick with the shimmery formula of eye shades.

Ingredients:

I bought these from tesco.com/direct, they arrived the next day which was very impressive (I just selected the standard postage) but they were not packaged well and the boxes where very dusty and had dirt marks on them so its a good thing I wasn't buying them as gifts.