Posts Tagged pink
Another Rave Review for YSL’s Rouge Volupte Shine in #8 Pink in Confidence
Posted by Latoya in Lips, Spring 2013, YSL on April 21, 2013
Hallo everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend 
Mine was good but effing busy – I helped my friend clean and move into her newly built house (gorgeous!), who’s wedding I also happen to be standing in next month (my first time [since I was a kid] – I’M SO EXCITED!!!!!!) – so I also spent some time preparing for her bachelorette/wedding. It’s such a fantastic experience, all of it, but its quite involved! On top of all that, I’m also training for that half marathon I’m doing in Ottawa at the end of May, so every weekend I have to find time to do a long run – this weekend was 15k so at this point it starts to take up a fair chunk of time. But, running is honestly the best thing I have EVER done for myself, so it’s well worth it. *Just as an aside – if you even have a remote inkling that you might like to run, or if you run at all – casually or more routinely – I highly recommend signing up to do a half (or, if you’re super-ambitious, a full) marathon, it is an amazing experience and I love it so damn much. This will be my third half, and every long run is better than the last – this is the best training I’ve had yet and I really think I’m gonna rock the shit out of the race!! Fingers crossed for me
Ok, moving on. As many of you know, I went on a bit of a lippie binge in the past couple weeks, and I’m still working through the reviews of each. Today I’m going to show you a shade that’s been pretty talked up in the blogosphere – YSL’s Rouge Volupte Shine #8 Pink in Confidence. Since I’m certain many of you have read reviews on both the RVS formula (ultra-hydrating, antioxidant-full, sheer to medium coverage glossy lipstick) as well as this shade, I’m going to keep the chatter to a minimum and let the pictures do the talking.
Pink in Confidence is described as a dusty pale pink, and I think that’s pretty accurate. Somehow, I didn’t own a nice soft pink shade, so this has been a much needed addition to my collection. As you can see in the lipstick bullet itself (picture below shows it better), there is a very fine micro-shimmer present, but I find it shows up on the lip very minimally.
While the Rouge Volupte Shines have a translucency to them that allows your natural lip color to show through, they’re actually more opaque than I thought, and this shade can mute my natural lip tone quite a bit if I layer it on (above, it was swatched first with one swipe, then several, to show how it can be built up). I’m a touch concerned that it may be a bit too light for my skintone once I get tanned – or perhaps it just might be a great nude. Time will tell.
The uber-long list of ingredients makes me somewhat nervous; however, I did not notice any irritation or roughness over the course of wearing this a few days in a row, even with the inclusion of fragrance (which, by the way, smells totally delicious. It makes me think of the lip balms I used to wear as a young teen ). I did find the formula mildly hydrating, though by no means as moisturizing as the claims made by the brand (which was to ‘seal in moisture for up to 8 hours’). The wear time is minimal – perhaps an hour or two at best, though I knew going into the purchase that these would likely require continuous application, which I’m OK with. I have never tried the Chanel Rouge Coco Shines so I can’t compare, but from reading reviews it sounds like these might be superior in terms of hydration and longevity. But – don’t quote me on that.
Overall, I’ve found this lipstick exceptionally wearable and notice myself reaching for it quite often. It filled a much needed gap in my lippie arsenal, and while it’s not perfect (could be a touch deeper in tone and wear a bit longer), it will definitely get a lot of use. I’m not sold on the $39CAD price tag, and if I didn’t have the 15% VIB discount I may not have gone for it, but I don’t feel any guilt in the purchase either so obviously it’s doing something right 
Have you tried the Rouge Volupte Shine’ formula yet? Do you plan to? Have you tried both these and the Chanel Rouge Coco Shines? How do they compare?
Ka-POW Lips: BITE Beauty’s High Pigment Lip Pencil in Quince
Posted by Latoya in BITE Beauty, Lips on April 18, 2013
Apparently, this spring I’m bringin’ my A-Game. That’s right – I’m rockin’ the SHIZ outta this season. Its been sunny and kinda sorta warmish this week, so I pulled out my AMAZING printed pants that I bought down in NZ – I did show you a picture – and wore them yesterday with pride. Even though they’re so loud and crazy and some people actually looked at my pants first before looking at my face (LOL), I didn’t care if they loved or hated ‘em because I felt KICKASS. Good times.
Over the past month, I decided I absolutely NEEDED a bright pink lippie. It would give me mega-spunk times 10, right!? So, last week I finally took the plunge and picked up BITE Beauty High Pigment Lip Pencil in Quince, $28CAD (which also happens to be a Sephora ‘hot pick’ or whatever, but I LIKED IT BEFORE IT WAS COOL *just sayin’*), a matte bold fuchsia lipstick.
BITE Beauty lip colors are known for their exclusion of baddie chemicals, and make the claim that the ingredients they do use are ‘healthy enough to eat.’ …cool? I mean, it’s great that they’re kind of like a ‘clean’ beauty brand, for sure. Just…yeah. ANYWAY, the High Pigment Pencils are designed to be long-wearing, paraben-free, and contain ‘super’ antioxidant resveratrol – each pencil contains enough of it to amount to five glasses of red wine (does that mean if I eat it then I’ll get drunk??????? 
). So there’s a whole whack of good reasons to get on board, and it was high time I did it.
Aside from all the great ingredients in the pencil, there’s also the fact that THIS COLOR IS AMAZING. This is the EXACT color I wanted in a bright pink lippie. I find the shade uber-flattering on my skintone and super-wearable (also due to the fact that the finish is more of a demi-matte than totally flat) while still being totally stand out.
I wore this shade last Wednesday, and found it relatively long-lasting – it survived fairly intact through a meal, but began to fade shortly thereafter. Despite being sick and dried up like an old prune, it was comfortable to wear, for a matte, though it was not hydrating. However, note that BITE Beauty does not make claims that it should be, which is a key point. It actually states that you should prep your lips first with [their] balm and then apply the lip color. Since they don’t make a claim they can’t live up to, plus the fact that I actually didn’t find this problematic to wear on my drier lips, they get a gold star from me 100%.
I am madly in love with this lip pencil – I love the color, I love the formula, and I love the ease of application with the pencil. I am most definitely picking up a couple more of these – I’ve seen pics of Pomegranate that look stunning, and Zinfandel (electric coral) and Corvina (bright coral pink) are totally up my alley!
Have you tried any BITE Beauty products? What is putting some pep in your step this spring?
ALL THE THINGS: An Abundance of New Lippies (But First: An Apology)
Posted by Latoya in BITE Beauty, Dior, Lips, MAC, Make Up For Ever, Make-up, Sephora, Spring 2013, YSL on April 14, 2013
I have to admit that sometimes I’m a jerk. Sometimes, when people seem to be making excuses for things, I judge *just a little bit* Case in point: in the past, when reading posts in which the blogger noted that they had been sick and gave that reason for why they hadn’t posted in a while, I always thought ‘Jeez, you’ve been home for a week and you were so sick that you couldn’t even type? Pfffffft.’
Well, consider this my sincere apology at my secret douchebagginess.
*Did you know that when you google douchebag images that you get 99% pictures of guys? So maybe douchebag can’t apply to females, I dunno. Let’s just stick with jerk shall we?
As I noted in my last post, I was sick with a cold this week. Nothing life-hindering, just general shitty malaise with a seriously stuffed up (yet super-sneezy) nose, which meant some badass pressure in my head from all the congestion which made behind my eyes hurt, and the absolute necessity of on-hand kleenex at all times. Just your general bitch of a cold. I was off two days from work and skipped out on my extra-curriculars like yoga and running, yet I only posted once. It wasn’t that I couldn’t type. It was that I DIDN’T WANT TO. I didn’t want to do anything – I wanted to wallow in my own snuffling misery and drink lots of warm tea and feel kind of sorry for myself. I didn’t type nor did I read anyone else’s blogs (which is an admittedly passive, scrolling-finger-only kind of action). I watched a lot of Mad Men episodes and stayed on top of Big Brother Canada (which by the way is AWESOME – and the Nova Scotia peeps are ROCKIN’ it, woohoo!!!!!). And that was about it.
Long story short (this is what happens when I don’t get my chatty out on the regular), I am SORRY for judging you, my periodically sick friends. I recognize the error of my thoughts ways. Forgive me, as I get sick very infrequently and when it does happen, it lasts for 3 days max. I misunderstood – it’s not that you physically can’t, you just feel like doing sweet F.A., and I get it. I understand. So again I say: SO SORRY. My bad.
Ok, with that out of the way! Here is a sneak peek of a bunch of lippies I’ve procured over the past month or so. I went from not purchasing a lipstick since last August (!) to buying 3 in a week plus acquiring 1 via swap as well as 1 lipgloss via PR. For some, this is just another day, but for me it’s a lot. And they are all pretty damn sweet.
I plan on doing separate posts for each of them but for now I leave you with this:
Above: MAC Morange. I received this in swap and thought it was going to rock my world. I still think it’s an amazing color but on my face? OMFG IT IS SO INTENSE. And I’m not sure if that’s in a good way. It’s so frustrating, because in these swatches it seems like this color would be great on my skintone, and looking at it on others online it’s stellar. I WILL find a way to wear this, I just haven’t figured out how… In the meantime, I bought this:
One of the new Dior lippies, #433 Delice, in the Addict Extreme formulation. I bought this at Shoppers when I had a $10 gift card. They actually sent me home with the wrong version – the regular Addict which is more sheer – that thankfully I noticed before using it, but good grief Dior did you have to name them ALL the same name, same number? The poor SA’s… Anyway, no harm no foul on my end, but I would have been totally disappointed in the Addict shade; this Extreme one is more opaque and absolutely amazing on. It’s a more toned-down version of Morange and super-wearable, though I won’t give up on the former just yet.
Yay! I actually bought one of my wishlist items! Meet Quince, a High Pigment Pencil (matte formula) from BITE Beauty, my first from the brand. This is the exact fuchsia shade I was searching for, it looks SO good on – not too bright on my skintone, which was one of the major challenges, but also not so dark that it’s more berry. On me it’s just perfect. LOVE.
Yes, I caved and bought a YSL Rouge Volupte Shine since everyone and their dog seemed to be raving about them! I wouldn’t have probably picked this up if not for the 15% off VIB sale, which eased the painful $39CAD price tag down a bit. I initially didn’t think these were anything to write home about, but they’re actually more pigmented than I thought. I really wanted to get a soft pink shade as I don’t seem to own one, and #8 Pink In Confidence fit the bill. Very pretty and wearable.
Lastly, I received a couple of products from MUFE in shades that complimented the Pantone 2013 Spring shades. This is a Lab Shine Star Collection gloss in S0, which is essentially a shimmering beige. It’s fairly translucent but not clear, so it mutes my lip color a bit. I have to say that I do like the Lab Shine glosses, they have a nice smooth texture, feel hydrating worn, and have good staying power. This isn’t a terribly exciting color but it’ll be great for a casual look or for layering!
I think I’m pretty much set for spring with all of these lip colors, I finally have a few serious brights to play with, and also a couple muted shades to pair with any bright eye looks I choose. They’re all worthy of their own posts so keep an eye out! I wanted to get them up earlier but being sick my lips were so dry, everything I put on them just looked like a flaky mess. They’ve pretty much healed so I should be able to give you full reviews this week
What new lippies have you bought lately? Do you prefer brights or more subtle shades? Gloss or lipstick? Did you buy anything from the VIB sale?
Swatching Is Rough (AKA My Eyeshadow Collection)
Posted by Latoya in Bare Escentuals, Bobbi Brown, Burberry, Chanel, Clinique, Eyeshadow, Giorgio Armani, Hourglass, Illamasqua, KATE, L'Oreal, Laura Mercier, Le Metier de Beaute, Lise Watier, MAC, Make Up For Ever, Make-up, My Collections, NARS, theBalm, Urban Decay on February 9, 2013
I was going to leave my eyeshadow collection ’till last to swatch in my ‘find the gaps’ series of posts, but the superstorm (which…is kind of lackluster – yea, there’s lots of snow, but I want some action, darn it!) seemed like the perfect time to just get ‘er done – so I did! Oh man…for those of you who have larger collections than mine, I feel sorry for you if you attempt to do this – it is a BIG EFFING ORDEAL. I started last night and got just over halfway through before both (!) arms had had enough. I continued today and after needing to re-swatch several shade categories to get them *just right*, my left arm is just burning (as you’ll notice in the photos – red spots galore!). So: enough. I’m ready to rock ‘n roll. Now – let’s get into ‘er!
Note: All shades are permanent within their respective brands except where otherwise noted.
WHITE EYESHADOW
Avon True Color Quad in Smokey Eyes (satin white)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Uzi (shimmer w/glitter) (LE)
‘HIGHLIGHT’ EYESHADOW
Make Up For Ever Star Powder in #920 (iridescent)
KATE Real Create Eyes BR-2 Palette (white gold pearl)
MAC Eyeshadow in Vex (frost)
NUDE EYESHADOW
MAC Eyeshadow in Next to Nothing (Cult of Cherry Tempting Quad – frost) (LE)
Laura Mercier Eye Color Duet in Suspense (matte cool beige) (LE)
Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in Trench (satin)
BEIGE, CHAMPAGNE & PEACH EYESHADOW
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Midnight Cowboy Rides Again (shimmer w/glitter)
Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in #13 Warm Beige (frost)
Chanel Illusion d’Ombre in Emerveille (shimmer)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Snatch (shimmer w/glitter)
Kate Real Create Eyeshadow BR-2 Palette (soft peachy shimmer)
MAC Eyeshadow in Arena (satin)
GOLD EYESHADOW
MAC Pigment in Melon (frost)
Laura Mercier Illuminating Eye Color in Gilded Moonlight (pearl) (LE)
Clinique Touch Tint for Eyes in Gold Glimmer (shimmer) (discontinued)
COPPER & ORANGE EYESHADOW
MAC Eyeshadow in Amber Lights (frost)
Ardene Eyeshadow in 8B (pearl)
BRONZE EYESHADOW
MAC Pigment in Cocomotion (frost) (LE)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Smog (shimmer)
MAC Eyeshadow in Tempting (lustre)
Clinique Color Surge Super Shimmer Eyeshadow in Rum Spice (shimmer)
BROWN EYESHADOW
MAC Eyeshadow in Dark Edge (Cult of Cherry Tempting Quad – satin) (LE)
KATE Real Create Eyes BR-2 Palette (deep brown shimmer)
Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow in #17 Espresso (matte)
Laura Mercier Eye Color Duet in Suspense (matte burgundy brown) (LE)
TAUPE-BROWN EYESHADOWS
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Suspect (shimmer)
NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Rajasthan (beige-gold taupe) (shimmer) (LE)
KATE Real Create Eyes BR-2 Palette (taupe shimmer)
TAUPE-PURPLE EYESHADOWS
NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Grand Palais (silver-taupe shimmer)
Hourglass Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Exhibition (mauve shimmer)
MAC Eyeshadow in Shale (satin)
bareMinerals High Shine Eye Color in Meteorite (frost)
Le Metier de Beaute True Color Eye Shadow in Corinthian (shimmer)
RED & PINK EYESHADOW
L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Golden Mahogany (frost)
Chanel Illusion d’Ombre in Abstraction (shimmer)
Avon True Color Quad in Smokey Eyes (matte light pink)
MAUVE & ROSE EYESHADOW
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Bordello (shimmer w/glitter)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Last Call (metallic)
NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Grand Palais (matte dusty rose)
PLUM EYESHADOW
NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Habanera (sparkling plum)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Rockstar (shimmer)
Hourglass Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Exhibition (eggplant shimmer)
PURPLE EYESHADOW
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Psychedelic Sister (shimmer)
MAC Paint in Infamous (metallic) (discontinued)
BLUE EYESHADOW
MAC Paint in Blue Boy (metallic) (discontinued)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Radium (shimmer)
MAC Eyeshadow in Blue Edge (matte w/shimmer) (discontinued)
AQUA & TEAL EYESHADOWS
NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Rajasthan (blackened teal shimmer) (LE)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Loaded (metallic)
theBalm Shady Lady Eyeshadow in Jealous Jordana (shimmer)
Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow in 8E (matte)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Haight (shimmer)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Money (shimmer w/micro-glitter) (LE)
NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Habanera (mint frost)
GREEN EYESHADOW
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Kush (shimmer w/micro-glitter)
Le Metier de Beaute True Color Eye Shadow in Jade (shimmer)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Mildew (shimmer)
MAC Eyeshadow in Sharp (Cult of Cherry Tempting Quad – satin) (LE)
Lise Watier Couleur Folle Eyeshadow in Folie Pomme (iridescent shimmer)
Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow in #57 Chartreuse (satin)
YELLOW EYESHADOW
Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in #24 Yellow (matte)
MAC Eyeshadow in Bright Future (
KHAKI EYESHADOW
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Waterproof Eyeshadow in #24 Smokey Copper (shimmer)
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow in #6 Khaki Pulse (shimmer)
Clinique Color Surge Soft Shimmer Eyeshadow in Autumn Moss (satin)
TAUPE-SILVER EYESHADOWS
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Maui Wowie (metallic w/glitter)
Bobbi Brown Chrome Eye Shadow in Pewter (frost) (LE)
theBalm Shady Lady Eyeshadow in Insane Jane (shimmer)
Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in #2 Steel (shimmer)
GREY EYESHADOW
Avon True Color Quad in Smokey Eyes (medium grey & dove grey) (shimmer)
BLACK EYESHADOWS
MAC Pigment in Dark Soul (frost w/glitter)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Perversion (matte)
….PHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did you make it??
…So. To be honest, when I started swatching all my makeup, I was originally just trying to find a way to justify new purchases – if it could be considered a shade I didn’t already own, then I would feel free to go for it. However, now I’ve discovered that being so fully aware of what I own, has made me really excited to play with my current collection, instead of seeking out new products. I especially noticed this with this eyeshadow post – there are so truly fabulous shades in there! While there are still of course colors I’d like to pick up to fill the gaps (namely – a lilac and a skintone [MY skintone, to clarify] shade, among a couple others), overall I’m WELL aware I have a ton of shades to rock out and don’t really *need* anything else at the moment. I did notice I have a lot less color than I imagined, but that’s actually OK because I don’t tend to wear it a ton and try to avoid buying a lot of it only for it to go unused. I think my stash is fairly representative of the kind of makeup I wear day to day! So SCORE for being logical in my purchases
I am kinda worn out from the work necessary to do this post, so I’m done now LOL. But – I have questions for you!
Do you see any gaps that I could fill? What shades make up the bulk of your eyeshadow collection?? Also – anyone bother to count how many shades I have? I’m too tired now to bother LOL
Kate x Rimmel Lipstick in 06 Might Be Too Much for Me
Posted by Latoya in Drugstore Finds, Lips, Make-up, Rimmel on August 1, 2012
Unlike Makeup Morsels, I might fight you to TAKE this lipstick away…
Ok, it’s not that bad – and in fact, for some I suspect it might be really good. But I am VERY not sure about this color on me. Its in your face but I don’t think in a good way.
The new(ish) Kate x Rimmel lipsticks boast a variety of bold, saturated shades that are probably every lipstick-wearer’s dream. They’re creamy and easily opaque, and Kate Moss made ‘em by hand (no, really!). Well, at least she endorses them, so they’ve got to be cool, right?
The case is actually quite sleek and attractive, jet black with Kate’s ‘signature’ on the side written in red, with not much else. Alongside my other higher-end lippies, it fits right in.
The shade I selected was 06, a bright deep pink that leans more warm than cool. I envisioned myself wearing this and little else, much like the J Crew models (god they make that look good!). However, because this shade is SO opaque, it actually looks a little….I dunno, fake somehow? As if wearing a screaming pink lipstick isn’t fake enough, right?
Sunlight
Flash
Natural light
Aside from perhaps the poor shade choice, I also find this lipstick to highlight any imperfections on the lips (so be sure to prep very carefully), and while it’s creamy, it’s not particularly moisturizing so I would opt to apply a thin layer of balm beforehand if you have drier lips. It’s not terribly problematic, but I’ve worn some lipsticks just as is so it’s something to note. Also, the scent is typical Rimmel, which is to say – sort of cinnamon-y? I don’t know what that scent is but I’m not a huge fan. It’s not overpowering or noticeable once worn, but it’s kinda weird.
Overall I’d probably pick up another shade of these as they’re fairly inexpensive (mine was on sale for around $5.79 but they’re probably around $8CAD full price), they have a fun shade range, and they do apply and wear well. If you’re easing your way into wearing a ‘trendy’ lip color, this is a good way to go.
Do you think this is too bright for me? What shade of lipstick do you have a hard time wearing?
Illamasqua’s Unrequited Powder Blusher – I *Might* Never Buy Another Blush
Posted by Latoya in Blush, Illamasqua, Make-up on July 18, 2012
A disclaimer before I begin: the absolute awesomeness of what I’m about to show you is no longer available for purchase. *ducks hurtling objects* I know, I know!!! I normally don’t like to do this, especially when I’m well-aware that the product has been discontinued. However, I really can’t hold back on my excitement and I just really want to share with you, is that ok?? Please don’t hold it against me!!!
Alright. So, once upon a time, about a year ago, there was a girl who owned 8 blush (give or take a few). She really had no interest in accruing any more; blush was kind of a ‘must’ due to no natural flush of her own, but nothing that really sparked her interest. Then, she began seeing swatch upon swatch of HG blushes: shimmery, matte, warm, cool, highlighting, contouring – and suddenly she became intrigued. The word ‘blush fiend’ was thrown around a lot, and somehow a phrase that was supposed to imply something negative, started to sound kind of…fabulous. Time passed, and suddenly the girl woke up to find herself with 3 times the blush she had before, and a MAJOR hankering for many more. It seemed that none could satisfy her lust completely (though she managed to snag a TON of pretties along the way).
Until.
Illamasqua Unrequited
One day, said girl came across a blush that at first, seemed to be just like any other. But, being the blush fiend that she had proudly become, she nevertheless forged ahead and tried it on…..and just like that, she fell hard for THE ONE.
(Ok guys, I can’t write in third person any more, it’s too hard on my head – and to top it off, I’m watching episodes of the discontinued ‘Lipstick Jungle’ series and drinking wine. So yea.)
Unrequited is my fourth Illamasqua powder blusher – I also own Tweak, Hussy, and Lover – and while all of those shades bring joy to my blush loving heart, they do not blow my mind like Unrequited.
Natural light
Flash
Sunlight
The shade of this blush is utter perfection on my skintone – like my ultimate natural flush. It’s soft and demure without being too subtle, and the pink tones compliment my skin – and pretty much any makeup look – in the best way possible.
Artifical light
Sunlight
I just can’t get enough of this shade, I want to wear it every day (and have been)!! It is more powdery than my other Illamasqua blushes, and kicks up a fair bit, but it doesn’t look powdery on the face, and this one small drawback does NOT decrease how much I love this shade even one iota. I suspect that the lighter the color, the more ‘fluffy’ it will be – a similar shade I own (though not as lovely), theBalm Down Boy, has similar issues.
Speaking of Down Boy, here is a comparison, along with Illamasqua’s Hussy:
Left to right: theBalm Down Boy, Illamasqua Unrequited, Illamasqua Hussy (natural light)
Left to right: theBalm Down Boy, Illamasqua Unrequited, Illamasqua Hussy (flash)
Left to right: theBalm Down Boy, Illamasqua Unrequited, Illamasqua Hussy (sunlight)
You can see that Unrequited has a touch of warmth and is a bit deeper than Down Boy, which makes all the difference – truly, this is the ultimate pink blush. I’m always surprized by shades like these, because they look so light on my skin in swatches, but then turn out beautifully on the skin.
If you own Unrequited – good for you! May you use it in good health for the rest of your days (I know I will be)! If you don’t….truly, I’m sorry to rave about this, but it literally *just* was discontinued, and I just can’t get past how much I love it to NOT show it to you! My advice is to find it somewhere, somehow – on eBay, or Makeup Alley – or possibly better yet, find a dupe! And if you do, please let me know, as I’d love to put a note about the shade on this post, I’d feel so much better about my total awfulness.
Do you own Unrequited (please say yes!)? What is your ultimate shade of blush for your skin?
*Product was provided by the Brand’s PR for my unbiased consideration.
You’re Making Me Blush: Rouge Bunny Rouge Original Skin Blush in Florita
Posted by Latoya in Blush, Make-up, Rouge Bunny Rouge on July 5, 2012
Back in May on my birthday, I mentioned that one of the 30 goals for my 30th year was to try 12 new-to-me beauty brands. Since the Burberry haul was a birthday gift to myself, that was considered 1 brand down – today, I bring you the next: a little treat from Rouge Bunny Rouge, an Original Skin Blush in Florita!
It’s easy enough to find brands I’ve never tried, but the real challenge is finding products that I don’t already have. While my stash continues to grow, I’m making every effort to fill any gaps I may have rather than just buying the same shades over and over. Florita was a perfect fit within my blush collection, as I own nothing like the glowing berry shade. The fact that the blush itself is also absolutely wonderful, and it was a major win.
With flash
How cute is the imprint!?
Natural light
RBR describes the Original Skin Blushes as blending with a ‘sheer, melting touch’ for a ‘naturally luminous silky glow.’ *Ooh, sexy* They go on to say that the blush contains active ingredients such as Uhaloa from Hawaii (for long term brightening) and Indian Gooseberry Extract (which guards against free radicals) *Sounds good to me!*. ‘Sheer pearls amplify the creamy soft touch and ensure a limpid glow’ *GAWD, doesn’t that invoke some major imagery??* Lastly, ‘innovative powders entwine with your skin to preserve perfection all day long. Result is ‘your skin but better’ effect; you’ll wonder how you blushed before.’ *Holy smokes. If that’s not a description and a half, I don’t know what is!*
Artificial light
With flash
Ok, so after all that, how does Florita stand up?
First of all, the illuminating formula of this blush is what I wish ALL my blushes would be. It gives me the best glow ever without looking shimmery or glittery in the least. I only have a couple blushes that do this – MAC’s Early Morning Mineralize Blush, and Burberry’s Russet Light Glow Blush (though the latter does come close to being more shimmery than glowy). I just love how this looks on the skin, like you’re just radiating health. The color doesn’t hurt either – it’s a gorgeous berry pink that comes close to how my skin looks when I flush naturally. It’s a deeper tone (they actually recommend the shade for medium or olive skintones), but the blush is so finely milled and so soft that anyone can wear it – it just requires a bit more building on darker skin.
Sorry for the ‘angry face’ here, it was SOO sunny that day!
Squinty-McGee here lol
The only beef I have with this blush is that on me, the wear time is fairly paltry – maybe 5-6 hours? I have a similar issue with my Burberry blush, and I think the culprit is that these shades have such soft tones that even slight fading means they all but disappear on my dark skin. So, I’m not going to hold it against them – it’s my own stupid fault for buying shades that are designed with fair skin in mind. And I have SO much blush now, that reapplying throughout the day sort of appeals to me, because that means I’ll be using it faster. Another bizarre quirk of mine, I know!! lol In any case, I’ve heard much better results from other sources, so I would hazard a guess that on medium to light skintones, you won’t have issue with the wear time at all.
I know some people have an issue with the packaging being sort of cheap, considering the higher price tag (I paid $31 – minus a 20% discount! – from Beauty Habit), but it doesn’t bother me at all – though it’s plastic, it’s sturdy, and it looks pretty to me! As long as it’s not super crappy/gaudy, and the product inside is amazing, I’m happy as a clam I find Illamasqua’s packaging to be of similar quality, but again, the product inside is so terrific that I couldn’t care in the least. It just makes those products (like Burberry ~swoon~) seem that much more luxe.
So. Florita. Wonderful, beautiful shade that I am pleased as punch to own! I really love how it gives my skin such a natural lit-from-within look, and the tone (though prone to fading on me) is just perfect with my skin. The size of the blush is a wee bit on the small size (0.123oz, as opposed to 0.19oz for NARS, 0.15oz for Illamasqua, 0.20 for MAC – though MAC’s Mineralize blushes are 0.10oz) but again – am I ever going to use it all up with all the other shades I have? Doubtful. Overall, it’s a fantastic shade, fantastic formula, and a great introduction to the brand. I was tempted to order some shadows as I’ve heard so much about them, but for the time being resisted. For now…
What do you think of Florita? Have you tried the Rouge Bunny Rouge brand yet? Any suggestions on some must-own products?
The Only Spring Blushes You’ll Ever Need: Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Lover and Hussy
Posted by Latoya in Blush, Illamasqua, Make-up on April 30, 2012
While waiting for our late afternoon flight to Jamaica (which is the WORST, waiting all day to go on vacation!!), I was catching up on emails and saw that Illamasqua was having an Easter Egg hunt on their website. That day’s deal was five powder blush that were half-price (£8.25 from £16.50 – approx. $13.25CAD from $26.50CAD), and two of the shades were super-popular colors Lover and Hussy. Of course, I snatched them up quickfast.
I had a REALLY tough time photographing these shades, no matter what lighting and camera setting I used. The photo above is the closest I could get; they look less dusty in real life, and are a bit brighter and lighter than shown here.
Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Lover
Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Lover (with flash)
Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Lover (sunlight)
Lover is described as a soft apricot, and has a matte finish. The close-up shot of Lover in sunlight is the most accurate, though it’s a touch more orange in real life. I thought this might be close to MUFE#12, but that shade is far more peach in tone, and darker.
Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Hussy
Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Hussy (with flash)
Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Hussy (sunlight)
Hussy is described as a bright candy pink, and also has a matte finish. Hussy’s description is bang-on and looks like the perfect pink blush that runs neither too cool nor warm. The close-up with flash is more accurate here. I thought this might match theBalm’s Down Boy, but that shade is wayyy lighter and more cool-toned pink than this!
Illamasqua Powder Blushers in Lover (left) and Hussy (right) – with flash
Illamasqua Powder Blushers in Lover (left) and Hussy (right) – sunlight
Illamasqua Powder Blushers in Lover (left) and Hussy (right) – sunlight
I was worried that Lover would be too pale for my skintone, and it’s borderline too light with my tan. If I layer it, it gives me a really subtle flush which I actually don’t mind at all – most of my blushes are quite pigmented and colorful, so it’s nice to have this pretty option. Once my tan fades, I don’t think the softness of the shade will be much of a problem. The tone of lover once layered looks less orange and more peachy-pink when applied to my skin, as you can see below. I’m curious to see how it looks in the Fall when I’ve got less color.
Hussy comes out much more warm on my cheeks than it looks like in the swatches above. It comes close to looking like a light-handed application of Tweak, another Illamasqua shade I own. However, I appreciate that with Hussy I don’t have to be so careful in the application, and it might be better suited for lighter skintones than Tweak (though it’s still a gorgeous blush as well!).
Heh, after looking at these shots, both shades look pinky – trust me that in person, they are entirely different. Sometimes I find that my skin makes blush tones turn kinda pinky overall – like lipsticks sometimes turn red or pink on others. Sorry about that!
When I purchased Tweak, though I was enamoured with the shade, I found the texture of the blush to be kind of hard and I had to use a light hand to get the look I wanted. With these shades, I’ve found a new appreciation for Illamasqua blushes, as they go on easily and blend with no problems. They’re intensely pigmented, like NARS blushes; but unlike NARS blushes, there is no shimmer or glitter which can sometimes make them less wearable. These particular shades are going to get some MAJOR use in my regular rotation, as they’ll go with just about any look I create – particularly fresh Spring looks! I definitely recommend BOTH of these shades as an addition to your collection!!
Do you own any Illamasqua blushes? Do you prefer shimmery blushes or matte ones? What’s your go-to Spring blush?
Something to Amuse You While I’m Gone: My Blush Collection (Part I!)
Posted by Latoya in Benefit, Blush, Chanel, Illamasqua, MAC, Make Up For Ever, Make-up, My Collections, NARS, theBalm on April 9, 2012
Since it’s a well-known fact that blush addiction is 1) contagious, and 2) that it spreads quickly, I thought I’d leave you with a little *something* while I’m away this week – my gift to you 
It’s truly scary how quickly one can go from owning a handful of blush to moving into double-digits in an alarmingly quick fashion. At the beginning of the year, I think I had 8 (plus a handful of highlighters and bronzers, so around 14 total), and in three short months I have pretty much doubled that number – yikes!! I was so easy to judge when it was someone else, but I see how quickly things can go downhill. It’s a fun ride slippery slope, but gosh are there ever some beautiful shades out there! It’s so easy to fall prey to their powers.
The first installment in what will be a week-long series, are my pink and peach/coral shades. It blows me away how some of these looks so similar in the pan, yet look nothing alike when swatched/worn. I played around with the groupings a bit, but am fairly satisfied in how I divided them in the end. Let’s begin with the pink blushes:
Clockwise from top left: Benefit Bella Bamba, Chanel Blush de Horizon, MAC Madly Magenta, theBalm Down Boy
MAC’s Madly Magenta, a matte cream, is really too violet for this grouping, but it’s the only one of it’s kind in my stash, so it’s joining the team. I bought it well over a year ago, but the other three were bought or acquired over the past four months. Benefit Bella Bamba is a shimmering ‘watermelon pink’; Chanel’s Blush de Horizon is a shimmering cool-ish pink, and theBalm’s Down Boy is a matte baby pink.
All swatches taken with flash. Left to right: Benefit Bella Bamba, Chanel Blush de Horizon, theBalm Down Boy, MAC Madly Magenta
Over the past few months, I’m coming to realize that what looks like one thing in the pan might be something else entirely when worn. I thought for sure that Down Boy would look chalky on me, but it doesn’t at all – it’s just a lovely subtle pink flush. I was surprized and slightly disappointed to see how close Bella Bamba and Blush de Horizon was, though Bella Bamba does have more pink pigmentation. I’m still working on MAC’s Madly Magenta…maybe when I’m more tanned I’ll figure it out.
Next up, we have my peach/coral shades – my favorite color of blush. I find myself always looking at these when I’m shopping, but so far I’ve been able to stop myself from buying more, until I can confidently say it’s a color I do not own.
From top left: NARS Torrid, Illamasqua Tweak, theBalm Hot Mama, Make Up For Ever #12 First Kiss
I know that Illamaqua’s Tweak (described as a deep hot pink) looks far too pinky to be here, but it’s too warm to be included with the ‘pinks’ group, and again it was one of a kind, so here it is. It actually wasn’t so far off from NARS Torrid, a ‘warm coral’ with shimmer, so it seemed to fit. MUFE’s First Kiss HD Blush is a bright apricot (which is the only recent *purchase* out of this group), and theBalm’s Hot Mama is a pinky-peach with shimmer.
All swatches taken with flash. From left to right: theBalm Hot Mama, MUFE #12 First Kiss, NARS Torrid, Illamasqua Tweak
It still blows me away every time how light Hot Mama is, when it looks so similar in the pan to Torrid. Also, comparing Torrid in the pan to Benefit’s Bella Bamba, they look so close, and yet Torrid swatched/worn is SO much deeper than it looks – it’s shocking. I was also surprized at how much more orange-leaning MUFE’s #12 First Kiss looks when compared to other shades – when I bought it I thought I might have repeated something else in my stash. I’m please to know that I didn’t
As a bonus shot, here’s what Illamasqua Tweak looks like when worn (on me):
Sunlight
Artificial light
In these shots, it looks like it should be with the pink family, doesn’t it?
So, there you have it – Part I of my ever-expanding blush collection! I hope you enjoyed it – stay tuned tomorrow for Part II!!
Do you own any of these shades? Were any swatches surprizing to you too? What is your favorite blush shade?
Playtime!! Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural Lipsticks
Posted by Latoya in Lips, Make Up For Ever, Make-up on March 21, 2012
Lately I’ve been turning away from wearing a high-gloss lip, and getting more and more interested in playing with the colors and richer textures of lipstick. I’m slowly trying to switch up my routine just to get out of doing the same old. Apparently, ~somebody~ is on my side, because last week I received a surprise package in the mail – three new MAKE UP FOR EVER lipsticks to play with!
Ultra-creamy and moisturizing, MAKE UP FOR EVER’s Rouge Artist Natural lipstick ($22CAD) provide light coverage and a soft, shiny finish. Similar to their gloss formulations, the Natural lipsticks are formulated with illuminating mother-of-pearl which adds a natural sheen to the lips. Candelilla and beeswax, as well as cuapacu butter (which is rich in essential fatty acids), helps add moisture to the lips and improve the longevity of the color. 50 shades in all, there are three finishes – satin, iridescent, and diamond. The shades I received are N21 – a pastel pink ; N36 – an iridescent coral; and N46 – a cherry red.
As my lipstick stash is woefully small and lacking in diversity, I was really looking forward to digging in with these shades. Working from lightest to darkest, I started with N21, the pale, milky pink shade.
Obviously, this shade is far too light for my skintone – it washes me out, and with the flash it looks like something Nicki Minaj would wear – not really my style Also, I found because my lips are more pigmented, it highlighted flakes on my lips – which were, in fact, exfoliated prior to testing these shades and weren’t actually dry or rough in the least. It also settled into lip lines. Bummer.
The second shade, N36 (a pretty, medium coral), was more wearable than the first as the pigmentation was a touch more sheer, and is the first coral lipstick I own – if you can believe it!!
I found that this shade was quite nice worn, even though it is still a little bit light for me. It really give a nice subtle tone to my lips that feels like a perfect color to wear this Spring. It still highlights lines and flakes on my lips a bit, but if I’m very careful in my application and am sure to apply the color to completely bare (as in, with no balm etc.) exfoliated lips, then it seems to be OK.
The last shade I was sent, N46, is a deep, slightly blue-leaning red that delivers a fair amount of coverage without much effort.
Of all the three shades, this one was the most wearable and easiest to put on – no need for any special tricks here!! I think if you are looking to ease into wearing red lips, this is an excellent shade to start with – it’s so creamy and lightweight and non-obnoxious – I really love it! They also offer a few other reds if this one doesn’t float your boat.
Overall, while the shades didn’t all work for me perfectly, I quite enjoyed the creamy, smooth, easy to apply formula that left my lips feeling exceptionally hydrated with none of the dry feeling that lipstick can sometimes leave. I think the formula is the perfect way to segue into wearing lipstick more regularly, and it’s particularly suitable for the upcoming warmer months as it’s featherlight and on the sheerer side (note that due to this fact, wear time is around ……..). Without a doubt I’ll be checking more of these shades out!
Note: 18 of the 50 shades of Rouge Artist Natural are sold exclusive at Sephora stores; the shades I received are only available at MAKE UP FOR EVER’s ProLoft (514-288-4445) or by visiting makeupforever.ca.
Thoughts? Are you also a lipstick newb? What color lipstick in general is your fave?
**Don’t forget to enter my giveaway!
*These products were provided for my unbiased consideration by the PR company/brand.
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