Suqqu Ex-14 Ruridama Blend Color Eyeshadow

The release of a new limited edition Suqqu palette caught me by surprise, since I was thinking that the last releases were meant to be for spring as well as for summer. I waited for it to hit the shelves in UK and contacted my Suqqu dealer (!) to ask for one. I was busy with packing when it arrived today. Without going into detail why I was packing, which should be the subject for the next post, let me introduce you to Suqqu Ex-14 Ruridama.

Suqqu Ex-14 Ruridama Blend Color Eyeshadow

I can't count how many purple palettes I own (can you?) but a lavender one? To my surprise, today I found out that I don't own any. It is a light fresh alternative for summer, very different than other summer releases which are either vibrant blues&greens or soft peaches&golds. But here is Suqqu doing their own thing and I love it... Gold, lavender and midnight blue with a touch of pink.

Suqqu Ex-14 Ruridama Blend Color Eyeshadow

Each shade is satin but shimmer percentages are different. When I swatched them first, I thought the upper two shades are satin and the below ones are matte. After I looked at them under the sun, I have seen that all of them are satin but the lower two shades, midnight blue and pink, have less shimmer than top two. 

Suqqu Ex-14 Ruridama Blend Color Eyeshadow, close-up

The palette consists of:

• Soft yellow with golden shimmer
• Lavender with silver and multi-color shimmer
• Midnight blue with subtle multi-color shimmer
• Pale pink with silver shimmer

All of the shades are very pigmented and buttery soft. I was very impressed during the swatches. Midnight blue shade is a bit drier than the other three, I think the intention is to avoid fall-out and I am happy to report that this dark shade caused no fall-out during application. This time around there are no multi chrome shades like in spring palettes, but these have all impressive pigments and a main difference I see between this one and recently released Ex-11,12 and 13 is how the shimmer shows itself under artificial light. Ex-14 looks very complex and a tad more shimmery under artificial light (nothing fancy, just normal bulbs we have at home) whereas I found that Ex-11/12/13 performs best under sun light. 

Suqqu Ex-14 Ruridama Blend Color Eyeshadow, swatch under sun light

And here is Suqqu Ex-14 Ruridama in action. I applied the lavender shade all over the lid. To the inner corner I layered the yellow shade to highlight. On the crease I used the midnight blue with a light hand. I applied lavender shade also along the lower lash line. I then used Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof eye pencil in Blue Exqusite along the upper lash line and on lower waterline and set this with midnight blue shade.  I finished the look with Chanel Le Volume mascara. Apparently I was so taken with the beauty of lavender shade, I forgot to comb my brows, so please ignore them ;-)

Suqqu Ex-14 Ruridama Blend Color Eyeshadow in action

Final thoughts: Nice and soft colors combined in a wearable way and brought you by Suqqu which means the quality is to die for. I especially find the shades in this palette a good alternative for blue/green or peach/gold themes which are very common this summer. One more super pretty palette from Suqqu, highly recommended.

Have you checked Ex-14? Do you like the colors? Do you find this combination wearable?

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Artdeco Bronzing Glow Blusher from Tribal Sunset Collection Summer 2013

During one of my visits to Douglas, the summer collection of Artdeco caught my eye. Although Artdeco is widely available here (which makes sense since it is a German brand) , I don't own many of their products. I am also trying to restrict the brands I am checking out, since each new brand makes my wallet lighter so I managed to pass on this the first time around. Next time I visited the store, they were all sold out, phew, I was somehow happy to be able to successfully resist it.

Artdeco Bronzing Glow Blusher

After a week what I feared had happened. They restocked the items! As soon as I have seen it, I sighed for a moment appreciating the pretty design. Then I ran my hands over its soft surface and I knew that I had to take it with me. Check out this photo below, wouldn't you agree?

Artdeco Bronzing Glow Blusher

Artdeco describes this product as: "The three shiny shades with a soft golden shimmer lend your cheeks a classy sheen and highlight the evenness of your face. Your complexion glows as if bathed in sunlight." 

The compact has three colors nicely placed emphasizing the pretty design: a peachy brownish shade, a pink coral and a cool leaning pink. Once swatched under the sun, the shades appear to be closer and warmer due to the golden sheen. The shimmer is very subtle and there is no scent, which I really prefer (probably the only thing I don't like about Guerlain's bronzers is the strong parfum). Mixed together, the bronzer compact gives a pretty coral glow with just the right amount of glow for day time.

Swatch under direct sun, Artdeco Bronzing Glow Blusher, individual colors (left) and mixed together (right)

Once the shade are photographed in shadow, the colors are more distinct. The cooler pink and peachy brown mute the coral, the dominating color to result in a pretty summery coral blusher color. Although the name suggest it being a bronzing blush, I would say it is more of a blusher, depending on the following comparison. 

Swatch with indirect light, Artdeco Bronzing Glow Blusher, individual colors (right) and mixed together (left)

With summer bronzer blushes, I always wonder, how much bronzer or blusher a particular product is. I thought the following comparison may give an idea about it. I put Artdeco's Bronzing Glow Blusher next to Dior's Nude Tan Paradise Duo in Coral Glow. I would like to shortly rave about how much I love Nude Tan Paradise Duos. Coral Glow was the one I opted for, which only made me crave for the second one more and purchased also Pink Glow in no time. I still have to write a review about these two. It is probably going to be the millionth review in beauty blog-sphere but I still want to share the love. Now back to Artdeco comparison...

Artdeco Bronzing Glow Blusher vs.  Dior Nude Tan Paradise Duo Coral Glow

The photo below with indirect light should give a good idea about where both products stand on a scale from %100 blusher to 100% bronzer if such a thing would exist. You can see that why I categorized Artdeco Bronzing Glow Blusher as a blush. Dior's Nude Tan has a bronzer part which is more dominant in the compact and it is definitely more brown. The coral part of Dior's Coral Glow is also more muted in comparison to the vibrant coral and cool pink of Art Deco's blusher.

Artdeco Bronzing Glow Blusher (down) vs.  Dior Nude Tan Paradise Duo Coral Glow (up)

Final thoughts: Bronzing Glow Blusher from Artdeco from Tribal Sunset Collection is a pretty blusher for this summer. It is limited edition but can still be found online (e.g. Beautybay) as well as in stores. The powder is soft and silky, the shade results in a vibrant coral with a subtle golden sheen. If you want a bronzer blush though, there are products which are more bronzing than this one (such as Dior's Nude Tan Duos). It is paraben free. The compact has 10g/ 0.35 OZ of product and retails for 23 EUR/$30.

Do you own any Artdeco products? Have you checked their summer collection?

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Caught in Action: Chanel Stylo Fresh Effect Eyeshadows from L’été Papillon de Chanel

It has been over a month I have been playing with these sticks, with the same enthusiasm of a kid playing with his new crayon set. I wrote my first impressions after the blue look I posted back then. Before I go into my second post with some "in action" photos, let's remember the six shades shortly. Please check out this post for full swatches and comparisons too (the following two photos are taken from my previous post).

 Chanel Stylo Fresh Effect Eyeshadows from L’été Papillon de Chanel

Chanel Stylo Fresh Effect Eyeshadows come in rather vibrant shades, only Moon River (and Black Stream) being on the neutral side. Although I welcome the fact that Chanel goes outside of their comfort zone from time to time and release something unusual and fun, I have to admit I would rather have a usable peachy pink or a silvery gold color instead of Cool Gold (which is very yellow) and Pink Lagoon (which is way too pink for my taste and gives me a swollen look on the lids if used alone). I find Jade Shore to be the most wearable of the colorful range, followed by Blue Bay fitting to this year's blue theme for eye make-up.

Swatches under sun, all six Chanel Stylo Fresh Effect Eyeshadows from L’été Papillon de Chanel

During my testing phase, here are the things I noted down:

Usage on the waterline: After trying it, I was impressed how nicely this shadows glide and leave a nice pop of color, well, at least for the first 10 sec. After that my eye started to burn and get watery. Needless to say I have never tried this type of application again. Is it just me? I never had problems with any eye liners I used and usually don't have sensitive eyes. Anyone else who can report on that?

Removal: I used Bioderma as usual, it could be removed fairly easily but I recommend using more cotton pads than usual to make sure the glitters doesn't go inside the eyes.

Form/Ease of Use: The eye shadow stick is slimmer in form than other similar products, e.g. Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks, so they may bend (and eventually break) if too much is taken out during the application. My Moon River was a bit softer than the others and a part of the tip got deformed. Luckily I could press it back to form with my fingers. Be sure not to take too much out.

Longetivity: This topic seems to be the one with the some controversy. Please leave a comment down below. I use it without primer and it lasts all day but I don't have oily lids to start with so I may not be the right one to test it.

Setting/Blending: They set very quickly so blending has to be done directly after application. I recommend working on one eye and then starting with the other. With the first application it is better to go for a thin layer and build on top of that. If more than one color is going to be used thin layer application becomes even more essential. I was mostly applying one color heavily on the lid and blending it with a crease brush in the beginning. Later on I have seen the gorgeous look Tracy from Beautyreflections created by using Black Stream to give some definition. I used her guidelines of thin layer application for the following looks I would like to share with you today.

Look 1: Blue with a touch of neutral warmth

This one is a way I found to make crazy blue look of this summer somehow more wearable. I aplied a thin layer of Moon River all over the lid, defining the outer half of the lid by applying Blue Bay on top of it. In this way, the Ble also looses its intensity but still shows presence. I applied it from outer edge and blended towards inside so that it is heavier on outer lid. I also swiped the stick several times halfway along the upper lash line for more intensity. I then applied black mascara on upper and lower lashes, topped it with blue stream mascara from the same collection. Because of the reflective properties the result is hard to capture with camera, and the photos doesn't do it justice, but I think you can understand the idea. For a finishing touch, I applied Cool Gold on the inner corner of the lid and lightly applied Moon River and Blue Bay along the lower lash line.

Eye make-up using Moon River, Blue Bay, Cool Gold

Look 2: Sunny Jade 3-D Effect

Again another look which is hard to capture in photos. I applied Jade Shore on the entire lid and defined the outer edge with Black Stream. I could stop here but then I could like to give a 3D effect and applied Cool Gold in the middle of the lid and intensified Jade Shore on the inner lid. I used Blue Bay as a liner to this look and Pink Lagoon along the lower lash line and inner corner. After applying black mascara to top and bottom lashes, I applied different colors all at once for the butterfly effect. I just skipped Zest, the yellow mascara which I still don't know how to use.

Eye make-up using Jade River, Cool Gold, Black Stream

I hope you liked the looks or it could inspire you in one way or the other. Let me know what you love/hate about these sticks and how you use them I would love to get some new ideas.

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Suqqu Spring/Summer Palettes, Ex-11 Sumiredama, Ex-12 Hisuidama, Ex13 Ginusudama

It has to be today! Since Suqqu summer palette is already on its way to me, here comes the Suqqu post that was being delayed forever. Meanwhile I was playing with my palettes and enjoying the following posts by fellow bloggers:

• Bellyhead from Wondegondigo reviews Ex-11, Ex-12 and Ex-13
• Karima from Shameless Fripperies has a stunning make-up tutorial with Ex-11
• Selphia swatches of all three quads
• Drivel About Frivol, reviews and comparisons of Ex-11 and Ex-12
• Rachel from Ok?okay!Makeup reviews Ex-11 and  Ex-12
• Messy Wands reviews Ex-13
• Beauty of Interest have swatches of all three quads
• Sweet make-up temptations swatches and compares all three quads

Do you see a pattern here? This can only be love in beauty blog-sphere. Everyone wants to report about these three quads. Sometime around February I was amazed watching this craziness and waiting for my Ex-11 to arrive to check that out myself. I ordered just one at first to try it out and see if I would like the formula.

Fast forward to today, I have all the three quads and despite numerous other quads I own, I reach for these three quiet often. It is really not easy for a brand to sit on top of my favorites list with all the releases for a certain season, so I decided to dedicate a post to these beautiful palettes. Unfortunately reviews and swatches of these lovely quads are much easier to find than the quads themselves, which are very hard to get unless you live in UK or Japan. To get more information on how to get Suqqu products, I recommend that you check this post from Bellyhead. I have checked out Selfridges in London and it seems as of today they still have Ex-12 and Ex-13 in stock.

Three eye shadow palettes from Suqqu Spring/Summer 2013 Collection

I would like to present you my take-on these, which will be less pan shots, less swatches but a few eye make-up photos. Ex-11 Sumiredama (violet pearl), has two darker shades with duo-chrome effect and two highlighter colors. All colors are satin, no mattes in this quad but since the shimmer are not over the top, I can use it for day time looks too. It has a peachy pink, a neutral taupe with complex shimmer, an ivory and a dark plum with green/blue shimmer (swatched below in this order).

Suqqu Ex-11 Sumiredama swatches with direct sun

The palette gives an effortless purple smokey eye with complex but rather subtle shimmer. The results are not too warm or cold, therefore should be flattering on many skin tones. Although I find the color combination of this one the best among the three (did someone said purples?), I think this palette is the sheerest among them once it comes to pigmentation. I found the purple (third shade from the left on above swatch) to be the most pigmented one and used it on the crease and outer half of the lid. I used the taupe shade all over the lid and highlighted the inner corner with ivory shade. I then used the peachy shade over the purple on the crease for a smooth translation. I finished the eye look with a dark purple eye liner on the waterline and along the upper lash line and applied generous amount of mascara (Chanel Le Volume).

Suqqu Ex-11 Sumiredama eye make-up, eyes closed

Suqqu Ex-11 Sumiredama eye make-up, eyes open

Ex-12 Hisuidama (jade pearl) was the last palette I decided to purchase. After the first application I was cursing myself since I ever considered to skip it. This one became my favorite green eye look in no time. Most of the green palettes don't look so good on me, especially because they blend with my eye color. My misses include Dior's Khaki Design palette, which was not flattering on me. Also Tom Ford's Sahara Haze are not one of my favorites from their range. I don't know how but Jade Pearl of Suqqu worked much better than expected. This one is also much more pigmented than Ex-11, the shades are (from left to right) a very pigmented white, a gorgeous green with very complex shimmer, a warm brown with golden shimmer and a matte pink shade, which is the only shade here which is a bit sheer.

Suqqu Ex-12 Hisuidama swatches with direct sun

For this look, I applied the green shade all over the lid, defining it with brown on the crease and outer third of the lid, then adding some white on the inner corner for highlight and smoothing the edge on the crease with the pink shade. I also used the green shade along the lower lash line for more definition and finished the eye look with plenty of mascara (Chanel Le Volume).

Suqqu Ex-12 Hisuidama eye make-up, eyes closed

Suqqu Ex-12 Hisuidama eye make-up, eyes open

Ex-13 Ginusudama is the warmest of them all. It is also the one with the shade which has the strongest duo chrome effect. From left to right, these are a satin pink, a warm reddish bronze with gold shimmer, a satin ivory and a gorgeous duo-chrome shade which is very hard to define. This one is green, purple and taupe at the same time with a touch of navy if it makes sense. Combined with bronze, it gives a unique and interesting result.

Suqqu Ex-13 Ginusudama swatches with direct sun

For the eye look below, I applied the bronze shade all over the lid, defining my crease and outer third of the lid with the duo-chrome shade. I used the pink shade on the inner corner and to smooth the crease translation. I also applied a taupe liner (I believe this one is Urban Decay's Mushroom, which I am obsessed with at the moment) to the upper lash line and along the lower water line. I finished the look with mascara on upper and lower lashes (again Chanel's Le Volume)

Suqqu Ex-13 Ginusudama eye make-up, eyes closed

Suqqu Ex-13 Ginusudama eye make-up, eyes open

Final thoughts: I am happy to be able to complete this post about my first Suqqu Palettes. I found myself reaching for them quiet often for the last months and I was afraid not to make them justice by my photos. They are very blendable, smooth and mostly pigmented (other than the few shades I mentioned above) with complex shimmer properties and nice color combinations. My favorite is Ex-12, which is a surprise since usually green doesn't work well with my coloring. My only problem is the amount of product in these and their price (only 5g of product and retails for £45). The powder is very smooth and I can already see the level of a few main shades descreased in the pan after using them for 4-5 times. All three are limited editions and Ex-11 seems to be mostly sold out. If you are still thinking to try one out, I would recommend to act quickly.

Do you own or tried any Suqqu eye shadows/palettes? Let me know what you think about them.

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Guerlain Terra Ora Sculpting Powder Contrast Highlighter

The star of Guerlain's Summer 2013 Collection comes in a real wooden case. The name and the signature of Guerlain are carved by golden letters, fitting to how it is called, Terra Ora. 

Wooden compact of Guerlain Terra Ora Sculpting Powder Contrast Highlighter

To open it, one has to twist the upper part gently so that three small magnets holding upper and lower part together loosens to reveal one of the most breathtaking powders I have seen this season.

Guerlain Terra Ora Sculpting Powder Contrast Highlighter, once opened

This post is forcing me to put thousands of photos, showing how excited I am about the design of Terra Ora Compact. It reminds me how badly we got used to plastic packaging and forgot how such a neutral design can be so appealing and effortlessly chic. The upper part hosts a mirror for the touch ups on the go and the powder.... *happy sigh*...

Guerlain Terra Ora Sculpting Powder Contrast Highlighter, the mirror (up) and the powder (down)

The sun is chained down in this powder and the big G must be indicating that this can only be done by Guerlain. Look closely at how elegantly each chain gets separated from the anothers as the circumference increases and tell me this is not a work of art...

Gorgeous design of Guerlain Terra Ora Sculpting Powder Contrast Highlighter

Alright, after everyone heard enough about how I will probably never be able to use this beauty by fear of loosing the design, I still owe you a review, so here it goes. After I ran my fingers on the extremely finely milled surface of this out-of-earth bronzer/highlighter, its golden and peachy shades reminded me of Armani's Face&Eye Compact, which was reviewed here. So I took it out to shoot some comparison photos.

Guerlain Terra Ora Sculpting Powder Contrast Highlighter side by side with Armani Face & Eye Palette Summer 2013

Top tier of Armani's palette which is a highlighter/bronzer is similar to the outer ring of Guerlain's Terra Ora. Armani is just a tad more orange and Guerlain is leaning slightly more red. The inner Ring of Terra Ora is a gorgeous golden shade which is rather satin than shimmery. This compact does not have a matte shade. I think a slightly darker matte shade would make it much more versatile, nevertheless it does work wonders as highlighter on me. But before we come to that, I would like to point out that once inner and outer shades are mixed, the result comes close to the peachy eye shadow shade at lower tier of Armani's palette. As one would expect, Terra Ora is sheerer than Armani's eye shadows though so to get the same effect (such as the swatches below) one has to swipe eye shadow of Armani once and Terra Ora several times. 

Swatches of Guerlain Terra Ora compact and comparison to Armani F&E Summer 2013 Palette

I applied Terra Ora combined with Guerlain's Fard Metal loose powder in Cuivre Ora on eyes, reviewed here. Terra Ora gives a subtle from within glow, not over the top but surely noticeable. For the photos below I used it alone. Combining it with a Terracotta bronzer, ( shade 03 reviewed here), also gives good results since those are matte. I found the outer ring of Terra Ora to be too light for my NC 20-25 skin for contouring, thus for me it is a highlighter and contributes to sculpting in only this way. If you are very pale, having NC10ish skin, the outer ring may show up more and can really used for sculpting but even then I would recommend combining it with a matte bronzer for the best effect. As you can see in the photos below, the powder does accentuate my cheek bone by highlighting the upper part, even when used alone. Unfortunately I have to report that it also highlights some of the pores slightly, even though ( I was thinking that) I don't have many, check out around the nose...

Guerlain Terra Ora in action

Final thoughts: This must be one of the prettiest designs I came across this season. It is quiet expensive too so it has to be mentioned that it doesn't provide much versatility starting from light medium (NC20-25) complexions. It is a gorgeous highlighter though, so if you already got your Terra Cotta and if you want to add some oomph to that for special occasions, it is a product that you can consider investing for. Terra Ora is limited edition, contains 16 g / .56 OZ and retails for 57 EUR / 72$. 

What do you think about Terra Ora? Worth the splurge or just an expensive adventure?

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Guerlain Fard Metal 01 Cuivre Ora & 02 Bronze Ora from Terra Ora Collection

Guerlain's Terra Ora collection hit the shelves in Germany earlier last week. I picked up two of the eye shadows in Cuivre Ora and Bronze Ora as well as the gorgeous bronzer/highlighter compact in Terra Ora. Today I would like to start by introducing the metal effect eye shadows.

Guerlain Fard Metal 01 Cuivre Ora & 02 Bronze Ora, loose powder

These are loose powders in cylindrical glass container which can be opened by twisting the black cap. There is a spring inside the cap so that after twisting it easily gets loose. On the other hand as the spring expands some of the powder gets out of glass. I suggest to open it carefully since with the first try I got some of it on my shirt. Once the cap is taken out, there is a sponge applicator which comes out with significant amount of loose powder on it. The sponge applicator is quiet big. If you want a precise application, it is better to use a brush and take some of the loose powder from the applicator onto the brush and gently pad it on the lid.

Guerlain Fard Metal 01 Cuivre Ora & 02 Bronze Ora, close-up of sponge tipped applicator

Since the sponge tipped applicator picks up significant amount of powder, the swatches below are very pigmented and dense. Guerlain Fard Metal 01 Cuivre Ora is an orange leaning copper. 02 Bronze Ora is a taupe-bronze. Both of them have multi-colored shimmer which gives a gorgeous multi-dimensional metallic finish, especially under the sun. 

Guerlain Fard Metal 01 Cuivre Ora & 02 Bronze Ora swatches under sun light

Cuivre Ora reminds me of recently released illuminating eye color from Laura Mercier in Fire Glow, reviewed here, thus the swatches for a comparison. I applied both of the eye shadows dry and Cuivre Ora appears to be much more dense. One has to keep in mind that Fire Glow can also be applied wet to get a similar effect. The shades are very similar with Fire Glow leaning a bit more red as Cuivre Ora leaning more orange, as the difference is very subtle. Once applied on he lids, I prefer Fire Glow as it gives a denser look and it is easier to apply.

Guerlain Fard Metal 01 Cuivre Ora & 02 Bronze Ora comparison with Laura Mercier illuminating eye color

For the following eye makeup, I used Guerlain Fard Metal 01 Cuivre Ora all over the lid, blending it on the edges. I then used Laura Mercier's creme eye liner in canard (a dense green) along the upper lash line. Under the eye after applying Cuivre Ora I lined my water line with 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Junkie from Urban Decay. 

Eye makeup with Guerlain Fard Metal 01 Cuivre Ora

For the following eye look I used Guerlain Fard Metal 02 in Bronze Ora all over the lid and just a touch of 02 Cuivre Ora on the crease for a smooth translation. I then lined my upper and lower lash line as well as my lower water line with Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Mushroom for a soft definition.

Eye make-up with Guerlain Fard Metal 02 Bronze Ora

To sum things up about my experience with Guerlain's Fard Metal loose powders for eyes: 

Advantages:

• Gorgeous dimension provided the multi-colored shimmer, which is not over the top.
• Very pigmented.
• Small sized package, good for traveling and for touch-ups on the go.
• No fading over 8 hours.
• Wearable shades.

Disadvantages:

• Waste of product by opening and closing.
• Not easy to apply precisely due to very large sponge applicator.
• Hard to layer or combine.
• Only 0.7 g/0.02 OZ for 30 EUR/35$.

Final thoughts: Guerlain Fard Metal 01 Cuivre Ora and 02 Bronze Ora loose powders are gorgeous shades with multi-colored shimmer which gives it a metallic multi-dimensional finish. I love those other than the fact that they are very hard to apply with the provided sponge tipped applicator, therefore one has to use it with a brush. I also found it hard not to waste product during application. Cuivre Ora is very close to recently released Laura Mercier illuminating eye color in Fire Glow so if you own this one you may want to check Bronze Ora instead.

Have you checked Metal Fard? Any ideas of application without wasting product? DO you like those colors?

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Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof #57 True Blue from L’été Papillon Summer 2013 Collection

Chanel's butterfly themed Summer 2013 Collection reached Germany in the beginning of last week so I could get my missing pieces. I also got a back-up of Stylo Fresh Effect Eye Shadow in Moon River as well as back-up bottles of nail polishes, Bel-Argus and Azure, the latter I consider to be a very smart move, since just three days after their release they were already sold out online and at most of the counters. Additionally I got one of the Coco Rouge Shines in Pygmalion, and Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long Lasting Eyeliner in True Blue, which I would like to review now.

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof #57 True Blue

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof  #57 True Blue is a cool mid-toned baby blue. The packaging is the same as previous ones, it can be turned to take the product out and there is a sharpener under the back cap. I always find that the sharpener is rather wasting product and the tip is thin enough for a precise application. Since the eye liner is water proof, it can also be used on the waterline. 

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof #57 True Blue, close-up

To give you an idea about the color, I picked up some similar colored eye liners from my stash. These are Dior's Aqua Green and Turquoise, reviewed here, Lancome's Jade Crush, P2's Turquoise, and Urban Decay's two closest liners that I own, Electric and Deep End. I also included Chanel's Stylo Fresh Effect Eye Shadow in Blue Bay, reviewed here, from the same collection to show how they play together. 

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof #57 True Blue, comparison with similar eye liners

Dior Aqua Green is the greenest of the bunch but also turquoise eye liners, such as Lancome Jade Crush, Dior Turquoise are leaning more green. P2's Turquoise seems to be rather close, maybe just a tad more green than True Blue, but not significantly, which makes it a great choice if you are on budget (it costs around 2 EUR if I am not mistaken).  The closest shade of the bunch is Urban Decay's Electric, which is slightly more vibrant and a tad more blue but once applied, it is difficult to spot the difference. Urban Decay's Deep End is darker, almost like a bluer version of Lancome's Jade crush. Chanel Blue Bay is more cool and silvery.

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof #57 True Blue, comparison swatches under direct sun light

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof was spotted at Chanel Cruise Show 2013-14 held in Singapore last week. Peter Phillips used this shade on the lower lash line and water line to create a heavy cat eye. For more information, check out La Chanelphile. The liner on model's eyes look more a tad cooler and more blue compared to my swatches, probably due to her skin color being cooler than my neutral, warm leaning undertones.

Chanel #57 True Blue on lower lash line as seen in Chanel Cruise Show 2013-14 Singapore (source)

Final thoughts: Chanel's new water proof eye liner Stylo Yeux #57 in True Blue is a vibrant baby blue to complete your trendy blue eye make-up this summer. The formula is consistent with their previous ones, rather on the drier side but stays put for a long time, even on the water line. If you like smoother pencils, check out Urban Decay's Electric as it is a very close shade. 

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YSL La Laque Couture #36 Vert D'Orient from Summer 2013 Saharienne Heat Collection

There will be a few posts with greens and blues involved, and the first one is about the second item I picked from Saharienne Heat Collection of YSL. I introduced the first item last month, which I ordered from France Sephora, the eye shadow quad Pure Chromatics #13. Since then I was waiting patiently for the collection to hit the shelves in Germany. It felt like forever but eventually I spotted the second item I was planning to purchase yesterday at a department store (the collection is still not available online in Germany). Here comes the deep teal nail polish from YSL, Vert D'Orient.

YSL La Laque Couture #36 Vert D'Orient from Summer 2013 Saharienne Heat Collection

This is one of the two nail polished released with Saharienne Heat collection. The other one is #37 Taupe Mauresque, a deep brownish taupe which I already got in March during a special event. I found it to be too dark and not that special for my taste and I was looking forward to the "green one"...

YSL La Laque Couture #36 Vert D'Orient from Summer 2013 Saharienne Heat Collection, indirect light

Yesterday, After I got my hands on Vert D'Orient, I couldn't wait until I got home and put it on. The application was a breeze, I can't emphasize enough how much I like the brush and the formula of YSL nail polishes. I should definitely get more of those from their permanent collection. Up to now I almost only purchased the limited edition ones.

YSL La Laque Couture #36 Vert D'Orient, indirect light

Vert D'Orient is a teal, changing color under different light, pulling more green or blue. Some may find it to be more green than other available teals. It is a green teal, not a blue teal if this makes sense. It was opaque almost with one coat but for these swatches I used two coats. Vert D'Orient is also shiny on its own but I used a top coat (here I used Seche Vite) so that it lasts longer.

Although I am almost obsessed with aqua greens, usually I don't own many deep greens or teals. I tried to find some similar colors in my stash.

YSL La Laque Couture #36 Vert D'Orient, comparison to similar colors

First I was almost sure that Butter London's Slapper would come close. It turned out having more blue and lighter in color. I then reached for Illamasque's Muse since it is "the" teal that I was counting on. Although it is as deep and rich as it gets, was much more blue once it was side by side with Vert D'Orient. A-England's Galahad, which is one of my favorite teals, was also bluer and lighter in color. The closest shade I could find was O.P.I Jade Is The New Black, which I hardly use as I am no fan of true green colors. Nevertheless I appreciate that Vert D'Orient has a bit more blue inside, which makes it more useable for me and also makes the nail polish different from the green Christmas nail polishes.

YSL La Laque Couture #36 Vert D'Orient, close-up comparison to similar color

Final thoughts: The formula is perfect, I love the brush, Vert D'Orient gives great coverage, almost a one-coater. As for the shade, I think this is way too dark for something I would imagine I wear in summer. Probably I am going to be reaching for it more during upcoming Fall, the same goes for Taupe Mauresque from the same collection, which is even darker.

Have you checked Vert D'Orient? Would you wear this shade for summer? 

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comparison, nail polish, swatch, Yves Saint Laurent

My Rouge Bunny Rouge Trio with Snowy Egret, Bohemian Waxwing, Eclipse Eagle

Who said a beauty blogger can't write a post about other things? Like random things... Let the world speak about Angelina Jolie's breasts, today I would like to talk about...

Birds!

Yes Birds. Over the decade we had seen many cat (and occasionally goat) images on beauty blogs, so why not birds? Birds are colorful, thus speak for the name of this blog and passion for the make-up enthusiasts, right?

After reading that someone spent several hours trying to create real Angry Birds digitally (which were anyway digital but, hey, those look at least more real) I decided to focus on real "analog" birds for today's post. Take a look at these three...

Left: Bohemian Waxwing (source:cornell), right up: Snowy Egret (source: grahamowengallery), right down: Eclipse Eagle (source: raptorresearchfoundation)

On the left we see Bohemian Waxwing. She is called Waxwing because of the shape of her secondary wings looking like drop of sealing wax. Her unpredictable migration patterns gave her the name "Bohemian" meant in a Gypsy way (source: Wikipedia). Once I look at her through my beauty blogger glasses *puts them on* I see the gorgeous taupe color of her body, makes me want to take out a few of her hair and decorate my lashes with them *finds herself drooling, terrified takes her glasses off*. Before we speak about how to make my scary visions come true, let me introduce you to Snowy Egret on right upper corner. Gorgeous white bird, with such a chic natural head decoration. Many women must have been inspired by it to the point that Snowy Egret was once being searched by market hunters for hat decoration (source Wikipedia). Thankfully those days with many feathers on hats must have been long over. Oh and what about the mighty eagle on the photo right down? I think this one introduces itself by just swinging her wings and doesn't need my help

These beautiful birds don't come together very often in real life, so much like the effort of digital artist putting Angry Birds together, I tried my best to put these three gorgeous colors together, in form of... Eye Shadows...

Rouge Bunny Rouge Trio with Snowy Egret, Bohemian Waxwing, Eclipse Eagle

Long lasting eye shadow range of Rouge Bunny Rouge (not an affilate link), a London/Moscow based beauty brand which has been praised for their quality and design on beauty blogging space for years, are inspired by these beautiful birds. Check out for Cardinals, Nightingales, Blue Bird and many more. I took advantage of one of their offers and ordered their empty eye shadow keeper. This is a sleek case and has nice details such as very tiny holes at the back making it easier to take the eye shadows out. I already had Snowy Egret and Eclipse Eagle, so I thought of a medium color to warm the combination up and ordered Bohemian Waxwing.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Trio with Snowy Egret, Bohemian Waxwing, Eclipse Eagle

I would like to shortly write that the quality is to die for, the powder is very soft to touch and almost like butter meting on the skin. Moreover the colors have a certain complexity once applied, having multi colored subtle shimmer making them appear gorgeous on the eyelids.

Close-up Rouge Bunny Rouge Trio with Snowy Egret, Bohemian Waxwing, Eclipse Eagle

Snowy Egret is a warm white with golden shimmer, once swatched it appears more warm than in the pan. I like using it for highlighting purposes, on the corner of the eyes or sparingly under the brows. Bohemian Waxwing is defined as a bronzed champagne but it is more than that. It is a warm mid toned bronze with golden and taupe shimmer and is a gorgeous complex natural color. Eclipse Eagle is said to be the darker brother of "Delicate Hummingbird", a very popular eye shadow of Rouge Bunny Rouge. Eclipse Eagle is a dark taupe leaning plum with platinum shimmer. I prefer this one to Delicate Hummingbird in my trio because I use it as defining color and I like it to be a bit darker.

Swatch of  Snowy Egret, Bohemian Waxwing and Eclipse Eagle under direct sun light

For the eye make-up below, I used Bohemian Waxwing all over the lid, then highlighted the inner corner of the lid with Snowy Egret. I then defined the crease with Eclipse Eagle and blended out the edges with Snowy Egret mixed with Bohemian Waxwing.

Eye make-up with Snowy Egret, Bohemian Waxwing, Eclipse Eagle, eyes closed

To complete this look, I used Urban Decay Eye Pencil in Mushroom along the upper lid and Chanel Stylo liner in Or Rose along the lover lashline to brighten up the eyes. If you carefully look, you will see that I am wearing a red mascara. This one is also from Rouge Bunny Rouge, called Megaplums in Oxblood. Although I don't find this mascara to be very dramatic, I love its color, especially once worn with black eye liner.

Eye make-up with Snowy Egret, Bohemian Waxwing, Eclipse Eagle, eyes open

I went through my stash to find a similar colored palette to this one that I put together. The closest I got was the recently released spring palette of Chanel called Raffinement. As seen in the swatches below, although the shades are not very close, all in all the satin shades give a similar feeling to Snowy Egret and Bohemian Waxwing. As for Eclipse Eagle, I find that the closes shade is from Tom Ford's Silvered Topaz Palette, which is not swatched here. I am going to come back to that once I start my preview series for Tom Ford palettes.

Comparison of Snowy Egret, Bohemian Waxwing, Eclipse Eagle to Chanel Raffinement Quad

Final thoughts: Although I own many palettes, I rarely put one myself together. This must have been one of my rare attempts and I have to say that I love it! Given the quality, color pay off and texture of Rouge Bunny Rouge eye shadows, this won't be my last trio. Big thumbs up. If you want everything swatched at once, check out RBR Swatch Set and Belly's blog.

Do you own any RBR products? How is your experience until now?

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comparison, eye shadow, Rouge Bunny Rouge, swatch