Deal Alert! REN Skincare Products 20% Off Today Only!

I am a HUGE fan of REN Clean Skincare products, and this morning I woke up to find an email from them announcing a site-wide 20% off sale. I like everything that I have ever tried by REN- which is a rarity! If you need to stock up, or have been wanting to try a few new things then this is the perfect time to take another look. My two personal favorites are the Micro Polish Cleanser reviewed here and the Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask reviewed here.

Barneys New York Purple Card: For Every $250.00 You Spend, Receive a $25.00 Gift Card

Bobbi Brown Eye Shader Brush- Still an All-Time Favorite!

In the midst of my Hakuhodo fever I thought that it was only fair to pay tribute to a brush that I have used nearly every single day since the time that I purchased it at least 10 years ago! 

Bobbi Brown's Eye Shader Brush is a large brush that was designed for sweeping a light base of color across the eyelids. This is a wide, flat top brush that sweeps shadow across the lid (from lid to brow) in a single stroke effortlessly. While I see how one might use this brush in the manner in which it was intended- I prefer to use it as a blender brush. The densely packed head and ultra soft bristles make this my go-to blender brush. It effortlessly and quickly does the job with no fuss whatsoever.

This brush is so well-made that it has really stood the test of time. It hasn't shed a hair in all the years that I have had it, and it's just as effective today as it was when I first purchased it. While this brush is still made- you will find that the handle has changed into a shorter and chunkier version of the one that I have. All things being equal, I would probably prefer the new handle to the one that I have, but not enough to buy a second brush. The other day I made the discovery that this brush is also fantastic for the application of highlighter as well! The head is big enough to handle larger areas of the face, and it picks up the perfect amount of product by lightly pressing the flat bristles into your product and then sweeping it across your face. I also found the it was quite effective at picking up the product with the side of the bristles and then blending it out with the flat top. After all of these years I have discovered additional uses for this great brush, but I still don't use it as it was intended!

Overall assessment: This is a solid performing workhorse of a brush. I still love it and use it daily. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in this type of blender/shader brush! 

$30.00 at Nordstrom

Beauty Blog Coalition Weekly Roundup

Enjoy these wonderful posts from the Beauty Blog Coalition's Weekly Roundup! This is a fantastic way for you to discover some great blogs, and of course to find all sorts of things you didn't even know you needed! Have a great weekend!

Are you ready for summertime's beachy hair? Beauty Info Zone shows all the right products from American Culture's Pure NV BKT line to make the job beautiful and effortless.

Lola's Secret Beauty Blog has swatched all the Sunday Riley lipsticks. You don't want to miss these beauties especially now that both Barneys and Dermstore carry the line.

Retrodiva shares the new pastel eye by Make Up For Ever, just in time for spring!

BlushingNoir shows off three retina burning shades from the THAKOON for NARS Nail Polish Collection!

The Beauty Delicacy gets her shades of summer ready "juicy hues of orange blush."

Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom shares her newest vampy red love Deborah Lippmann's Single Ladies.

Is OPI Number One Nemesis really a dupe for Chanel Graphite? Read polish insomniac's post to find out!

Looking for a fun pink lipgloss for spring and summer that won't fade before you even make it to the beach? Perilously Pale has a solution in another gorgeous shade of Yves Saint Laurent Glossy Stain in Rose Vinyl.

The Lacquered Lady shows us an absolutely gorgeous polish from the Orly Dark Shadows collection!

Are you ready for summer? Polarbelle has some of the new Nars Summer 2012 Collection swatches.

Check out MAC Fashion Sets collection that features their best selling and cult favorite shades from around the world over at The Makeup Divas.

Phyrra brings you a gorgeous smoky peach video tutorial with Makeup Geek eyeshadows.

The perfect nude polish, Midnight Manicures shares with you her find! Could this be you perfect nude too?.

Stephanie Louise- All Things Beautiful shows off the gorgeous bronzed shade "Jersey? Sure!" from Nails by Laura, a hand mixed nail polish indie polish shop.

Spontaneous Chick Posted a Vincent Longo Review.

Pammy Blogs Beauty embraces the "Color of the Year" with Sephora + Pantone Universe's Blush Duo in Tangerine Tango. Has she found a new favorite blush?

Blondycandy shares her fascination with new Guerlain Meteorites Perles D'Azur.

Miss L shows her bright spring nails.

The Palettes are Coming, The Palettes are Coming! Rouge Bunny Rouge at Zuneta!

Well, the long awaited and eagerly anticipated day has finally come, my friends. The Rouge Bunny Rouge Palettes are now available at Zuneta! I am not sure how long it will be before these make it to Beautyhabit stateside, but hopefully it won't take too long since they have sold out of nearly their entire stock of RBR!

Rouge Bunny Rouge is offering 6 new eye shadow shades in the refillable pan form- plus three of their best sellers. They are also selling 2 & 3 shadow refillable palettes- thereby making them completely customizable. One imagines and hopes that this might be the wave of the future with RBR eye shadows! Can you imagine the idea of an RBR 15 pan palette-- I can only dream of such a delightful day!!!!!!!!!! You will find that these shadows are already starting to sell out- therefore either act quickly, or plan on waiting for the next shipment. 

New Shades:

Bohemian Waxwing - Iridescent bronzed champagne.
Golden Rhea - Iridescent pale gold, pure and simple.
Lilac Reef Curassow - Pale lilac with iridescent effect.
Olive Violeteare - Smoky olive with a satin finish.
Trumpeter Koel - Dark lead-grey with lilac-blue iridescence.
Umber Firefinch - Iridescent dark umber chocolate.

Bestselling Shadows:
Abyssinian Catbird - Metallic bronze with golden highlights.
Solstice Halcyon - Semi-matte mauve beige.
Unforgettable Oriole - Delicate, metallic white gold.

Also for a limited time there is a fantastic gift with purchase:

Buy any 2 products from Rouge Bunny Rouge and you'll get their Cream Eye Shadow in Batiste Grayling free. Worth £26, this metallic gun metal grey is stunning on its own but also makes a fab base to make sure your shadow doesn't budge an inch. We can guarantee these will go fast so don't wait too long - it's only whilst stocks last!

MAC Blushes: Pink Cult, Pink Tea, Lovecloud & Peony Petal Swatches & Review

MAC has been having blush fever lately given the number of new limited edition blushes launched in their most recent collections. In fact, one of the collections featured here is dedicated solely to blushes, and thankfully the pieces that I picked up from these launches were uniformly of high quality.

Pink Cult From Reel Sexy (Repromote from Jeanius) is described as a Midtone dirty neutral pink with a matte finish. MAC is sold out of Pink Cult online, but you should still be able to find it in some of the stores that sell MAC. MAC restocked the remaining blushes shown in this review online- so they are all available, and I've seen plenty at Nordstrom, Macy's & Bloomingdale's. Pink Tea, Lovecloud, and Peony Petal are all part of the Très Cheek Collection which consists of 6 blushes total. Pink Tea is described as a neutral beige pink with a Satin finish; Lovecloud is described as a mid-tone pink with a Satin finish; and Peony Petal is described as a bright blue pink with a Satin finish. I do find the color descriptions to be accurate, but the textures don't necessarily behave the way one might expect.

All four blushes have excellent pigmentation and are lovely on the cheeks. I did, however, find that Peony Petal was a little dry and stiff to the touch- though it did apply and wear beautifully on the cheeks. In this way Peony Petal behaves more like a Matte than a Satin, but it is richly pigmented and should be applied with a very light hand. Pink Cult, on the other hand, is a Matte that behaves more like a Satin in that it is soft and smooth. Lovecloud and Pink Tea have the soft and smooth texture that one expects from a Satin finish.

I really like all four blushes, but if you have similar things in your stash you could easily pass on all of these. My biggest surprise was how flattering Pink Tea is on my cheeks because it looks so muted in the pan. It turns into the prettiest soft pink shade on- offering the perfect flush of color. I have heard many people compare Pink Cult to Pink Tea, but I think that they are quite different from one another. I also initially thought that Peony Petal might be a good dupe for NARS Gaiety- so I swatched them side by side only to learn that they weren't quite as close as I had originally thought- click here to see the comparison.

Overall assessment: I didn't plan on getting any of the blushes from either collection, but I am glad that I did. I will definitely get use out of all of them. That said, I have a ridiculously large collection of pink blushes, and I certainly did not need any of them!

$20.00 each where MAC is sold

Rouge Bunny Rouge Matte Eye Shadows: A Real Game Changer in the Evolution of Mattes! Swatches & Review

So here are a few of the things that were in those pretty little boxes in my Rouge Bunny Rouge Teaser post!

At this point in the game, I think that it is safe to say that you are well aware of my obsession with Rouge Bunny Rouge. I have yet to come across a product of theirs that was a disappointment, and that is quite a rarity. Even the best lines produce a dud now and again, but so far this has not been the case in my journey down the RBR rabbit hole. If you decide to take the plunge- don't be surprised if you see him on the way down!

Source

I think that you will probably agree with me that matte shadows are extremely hard to do right- they are often chalky, patchy, apply unevenly, and quite often feel uncomfortable and drying on the eyelids. In fact, I have found very few brands whose mattes even come close to working for me. Rouge Bunny Rouge Long-Lasting Matte Eye Shadows- When Birds Are Singing is a real paradigm shift in the world of matte shadows. These are silky smooth eye shadows that are creamy dreamy, and luxuriously soft as well as ultra finely milled. Even people who shy away from matte eye shadows will be among the converted because these mattes are really that good. They apply evenly, are buildable, and come in a gorgeous array of must-have neutrals. I have four of them, but trust me when I tell you that the remaining shades are on my "must-have" list. Skeptics will be among the converted after a single swatch- and I am not exaggerating.

Blackpepper Jay is described as a "semi-opaque smoky black brown."

Grey Go-Away Lourie is described as a "semi-opaque smoky slate grey."

Chesntut-Napped Apalis is described as a "semi-opaque chestnut puree with a hint of cocoa dust."

Sweet Dust Seriema is described as a "semi-opaque cool dusty mauve taupe."

All four of the mattes that I purchased are very wearable shades, and I find Rouge Bunny Rouge's descriptions of the colors to be spot on. All of the matte shades are quite subtle, sensible, refined, and office appropriate. They are also wonderful for a more natural look- which I like a great deal. It is my hope that they expand the color range in this particular formula because shadows this great should come in a rainbow of shades, not just more muted ones!

I tend to favor simple looks for myself- namely a wash of color on the lid and a winged liner, and all of these shades work quite well for just that. I tend to use Blackpepper Jay as an eye liner, and Grey Go-Away Lourie, Chestnut-Napped Apalis, and Sweet Dust Seriema for a wash of color. However the versatility of these shadows suggests that they would also be excellent crease and outer-v colors as well.

For excellent reviews of Bashful Flamingo and Sweet Dust Seriema see Visionary Beauty and Everyday Beauty, and for a lovely review of Sweet Dust Seriema see Perilously Pale- you won't be disappointed.

Overall assessment: These mattes have by far exceeded all of my expectations, period! They are my absolute Holy Grail matte eye shadows. I honestly cannot imagine how anyone will be able to top this formula. They are expensive, but worth every last cent.

Available at Zuneta & Beauty Habit

Rouge Bunny Rouge Teaser from Beautyhabit!

As you surely know by now, Rouge Bunny Rouge has made it to the US! I was so happy to see it here that I promptly placed an order (or two).  Beautyhabit has outstanding customer service, they give numerous samples with each order, and they ship very quickly. I was astounded to have received my order the day after placing it! They are very low on stock at the moment, but hopefully they will be replenishing their backordered items quickly.

Sunday Riley Crème Gloss Sheer Impact Lip Color Pictures, Overview and Swatches!

A very lovely reader made a request for more information about Sunday Riley Crème Gloss Sheer Impact Lip Color Lip Glosses, therefore I decided to do this post about these wonderful little gems. I will add the remaining swatches as soon as I can go and swatch the shades that I don't have in my stash.

The Crème Gloss formula offers a dewy glossy finish with shimmer, but without any stickiness whatsoever (it's the antithesis of the sticky MAC Lipglass formula). This lip gloss formula is remarkably hydrating, and provides a fairly long-lasting wear time (provided that you aren't rubbing your lips together because it feels so good, or eating and drinking). It has the moisturizing properties of a lip balm, but with the elegant finish of a high-end luxury lip gloss. The consistency is much thinner than Chanel's Glossimers- which are thicker and stickier, but lack the moisturizing properties that one finds in the Crème Gloss Sheer Impact Lip Gloss formula.

This super conditioning lip gloss was specifically formulated to be non-tacky, long wearing, and conditioning while maintaining a high gloss sheen. Sunday Riley wanted to create universally flattering colors that ranged from semi-translucent, to shimmery, to intense pops of color. They can be worn alone or layered over lipsticks and/or lip liners. I have found that all of the shades tend to be more sheer than opaque, and the intensity of the color in the tube does not translate to the same level of intensity on the lips. Therefore, if you are looking for a lip gloss that is truly opaque you may be disappointed in the coverage. That said, you will not be disappointed with this phenomenal formula!

Blackberry Crush: Light shimmery purple lilac

Cherry Pie: Sheer reddish pink

Frost Bite: Light shimmery blue-based pink

Chameleon: Light shimmery sheer chocolate brown

Sangria: Sheer mid-tone pink fuchsia shimmer (review here)

Vacay: Light sheer hot pink (review here)

Antique Honey: Light sheer shimmery warm honey rose

Beach Front: Light sheer shimmery warm peachy nude (reviewed here)

Pink Lemonade: Sheer light shimmery pink

There is no stock photo available for Liquid Lava, but it is the bright orange gloss in the back row and upper left  corner of the display picture above. Click photos to enlarge.

Key ingredients that make this a magically moisturizing lip gloss are:

Sunflower Seed Oil which provides high levels of hydration for the treatment (and prevention) of chapped lips- it conditions and nourishes very effectively.

Vitamin E also works wonders to nourish and condition even the driest of lips.

Stable Vitamin C is used because it effectively increases collagen levels to plump up the lips naturally. It also brightens skin, reduces melanin production (which can lead to hyperpigmentation), and is a powerhouse vitamin for its ability to repair the damaging effects of UV exposure.

Polybutene 100 is the magical ingredient that creates the intensely glossy shine without any of the tackiness that one usually finds in high shine lip glosses (making this ingredient one of the most coveted in Sunday Riley's Crème Glosses).

Ingredients:

Paraben Free

Overall assessment: I love these lip glosses! They are the most comfortable and moisturizing lip glosses that I have ever worn. I can even wear these lip glosses when my lips are very chapped, and frankly they heal my lips faster than most of my lip balms do. I love the formula, I love that the shades tend to be more sheer, and I love how well it layers over other lip products. I also find that it is so emollient and moisturizing that it keeps my lips supple and soft even when I wear more drying lipstick formulas. I view Crème Gloss Sheer Impact Lip Color as a beautiful treatment product that doubles as a lip gloss. Merrady & Suzi aptly said that it is like Juno Oil for the lips, and that sums it up perfectly!

$28.00 0.23 oz. at Barneys New York and Dermstore

Stock photos from Barneys, all the other photos are mine.

NARS Gaiety Blush and MAC Peony Petal Comparison

The moment that I saw Peony Petal (bright blue pink) from the MAC Très Cheek Collection- it made me think of NARS Gaiety (bright candy pink). I thought that Peony Pink was perhaps a good dupe for Gaiety, or at the very least in the same family of hues. My purchase of Peony Petal was done without having compared them side by side in reality, but instead it was based upon an imaginary comparison that spontaneously appeared in my head as I was falling asleep the other night. Strange A-ha moment to have-- a makeup epiphany while falling asleep is surely reserved for the makeup obsessed!

I would say that at first blush (haha) my midnight musings weren't far off the mark. In the pan Peony Petal looks like a close dupe for Gaiety. However, the colors differ when swatched.

Indoor Lighting

Gaiety is a lighter blue-based pink while Peony Petal is a darker blue-based pink that seems to have a little more red in it.

Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor Lighting Direct Sun

I would definitely say that these two beauties fall within the same family of pink hues, but there is no comparison between the quality of these two blushes, period. Gaiety is soft smooth and silky- it applies like a dream, and is without question one of the greatest blue-based pink blushes EVER! For an outstanding review of Gaiety see Zuzu*s at Everyday Beauty- if that doesn't make you run out and buy Gaiety- nothing will! While Peony Petal is a gorgeous color it is stiff and chalky to the touch- so you are deprived of the same outstanding tactile experience that is immediately noticeable with Gaiety. However, Peony Petal applies and wears beautifully- and though I expected it to be patchy and skip it did neither. 

Overall assessment: Peony Petal  is not an exact dupe for Gaiety, and while both are gorgeous- if you are forced to choose between them Gaiety should be your blush of choice.

Sunday Riley Modern Lip Color: Overview & Swatches of Every Shade Part III

This is a 3-Part Series featuring all of the Sunday Riley Modern Lip Color Lipsticks.
See Part I here
See Part II here

Sunday Riley Modern Lip Color features richly pigmented lipsticks that were created to hydrate and protect the lips.  These are creamy, one -swipe, full coverage lipsticks that wear for 4 hours. Each lipstick is housed in a gorgeous and luxurious gold case that is manufactured by the same people who make the lipstick cases for Tom Ford. This is lipstick luxury incarnate!

Key Points according to Sunday Riley:
1) This formula was created as the next generation of lip color. The formula has anti-aging and collagen building properties that help to repair and prevent the aging of the lips.

2) This formula is filled with Stable Vitamin C that was specifically chosen because it helps maintain youthful lip volume - while fighting lines. Vitamin C bolsters collagen levels to maintain youthful plumpness. Vitamin C also helps to reduce melanin production, brightens the skin, and repairs the effects of UV  damage as well as helping to fend off other types of environmental damage.

3) Proprietary "signature" technology is implemented in the making of this product. "Advanced color molecules activate when applied to the lips- offering long lasting highly vibrant 4 hour wear." This is achieved by attaching high impact pigments to soothing base molecules which results in long lasting fade proof wear.

4) Non-stop hydration and conditioning with 10% Shea Butter. This keeps lips soft and smooth.

Ingredients:

Shakespeare (reviewed here): A lovely blue-based mid-tone pink.

Sugar Blossom: A mid-toned pink with a whisper of rose.

Entrepreneur: A muted deepened berry with a pop of mauve.

Marie Antoinette: A lovely blue-based rose.

Duchess: A blue-based reddened berry.

Sugar Baby: A gorgeous rich wearable purple berry.

Wine Stain: A rich deep purple.

Orchid Cream: A rich deep dark eggplant purple.

Overall assessment: Fantastic lipsticks!
$32.00 available at Barneys New York (in store) and Dermstore
Stock photos from Dermstore.