Koyudo Fu-Pa14
Another gorgeous Koyudo temptation that I wasn’t sure I wanted to order at first, I read it wasn’t only grey squirrel but a blend with some soft goat hair, however, this brush doesn’t feel like goat hair at all. I don’t often use powder foundation so I wasn’t sure this was an useful brush for me but at the end I still decided to get it…
It costs around 60$ and AGAIN, it’s totally worth every penny ! Such a lovely surprise !! The quality is absolutely outstanding, I am in awe and so will you…
It is as soft as the Chikuhodo Z-series (I can’t feel much difference to be honest), it’s densely packed, absolutely no flaws, it’s flat(ish) -very slightly rounded as you can see in the pic- and covers a wide surface at the top, approx 4cm of diameter. The handle is short, black and the ferrule golden, the black part has little green sparkles inside, I can’t stop contemplating and patting this work of art…
I thought it would be very similar to the Chikuhodo Z-1, it is in terms of softness and hair quality but it’s more dense and short, the goat hair must be so little quantity that it just feels like there isn’t at all. The application of powder foundation with this brush is out of this world, it does the work so softly and evenly, so far I think there is no other better powder foundation application than with this Fu-Pa14, efficiency and enjoyment guaranteed !
When I apply powder foundation, I don’t apply a heavy coverage, the finish I like is sheer to medium. I have tried this brush with the Mac Mineralize Skinfinish, it picks the product really well, one swirl is enough, you have to tap off the excess just a bit, you apply and then reapply if you want more coverage. I will try it also with mineral loose powders, for now I didn’t had the chance yet but it does a better job at covering than the Z-1, because it’s flatter and denser so the process will be faster too.
I also tried it with bronzer (TF Terra), I tap off the excess on the back of my hand and I apply in the forehead, cheeks, I cannot see any lines around the application and it doesn’t look muddy but I apply it softly anyway.
Swatching RMK
RMK is one of my top favorites brands, specially when it comes to blushes. I am really surprised that these blushes aren’t more often reviewed and raved on the blogosphere. When I wanted to expand my collection I couldn’t find enough information or swatches online then saw a mission for me here… so I have gathered a few products and today I will show them to you, believe me, it’s not a sacrifice to spend my money on RMK, whatever the product the chances it doesn’t work for me are so minimal that I absolutely don’t mind taking the risk.
RMK was launched in 1997 by Rumiko, a Japanese professional makeup artist, I just wish her brand was more easily available. Thanks to Rouge Deluxe I got the info that Rumiko is actually going to leave her place to a new Creative Director in 2013. I just sincerely hope that RMK’s phylosophy will remain exactly the same.
Unlike other brands, RMK manages to create vibrant and bold colors and make them wearable on a daily basis, I mean “easily” wearable, no need to blend for hours and to need to be a scientist to pick the right amount of product. RMK claims that their makeup will make you feel “happier, sexier and fresher”, it’s exactly what I want and what it does to me, I like to wear discrete makeup for work but discrete and subtle does not mean flat. I love when natural comes with some kind of twist, therefore, most of my RMK products made it into my Holy Grail sanctuary…
Swatching Suqqu…
First of all, I apologize for the look of the pictures, not only some palettes are a bit old and ugly but I also haven’t found the best way to take pictures of swatches -yet-, eventually one day I will get better at this, so let’s hope for the best !
After a few years collecting Suqqu palettes, I have managed to gather some of them, 16 eyeshadow palettes and 8 blushers/powders, tightly stored in my little bright green box and duly labelled for the fastest possible morning makeup routine ! Not easy to remember which one was behind each name but today I finally can.
I already mentioned in one of my posts that Suqqu was my comfort makeup : when I don’t know what to wear and when I am in a rush – which is almost every single morning – it’s easy to take just one Suqqu palette and get ready in a minute, or two… 
Wearing Suqqu feels good, so far all the palettes I bought work really well for me, some better than others but I am able to use them on my ageing lids whatever the shades or the finish or the mood…
I got most of them at Selfridges Uk, not easy to get them actually. I remember going to Selfridges years ago and continuously hearing “it’s sold out” again and again and again… it took time and a lot of patience (time and money) to get my hands on them. By the way, if you are contacting Selfridges, not all the palettes they have are mentioned on the website, if you call them they might have more items available in stock (LE, etc..).
Some of these palettes are either discontinued or Limited Edition from past collections, I am showing you all of them because if you have them today you may be able to compare to the others from their current collection.
This is not a review, just sharing some swatches for some of you that might be interested 
A few Koyudo brushes…
You know how much I love makeup brushes, now, this is what happens when “cute” meets “efficient” :
And this is what happens when “Alien” meets “My Little Pony” and have children in Heaven :
The result is absolutely divine. Well, you don’t always “need” this kind of brushes, but I am pretty sure there is a big chance you just want to get them anyway
Billy B Beauty
Today, I am sharing with you a special review, my thoughts on Billy Brasfield (Billy B) and of course also his brushes.
If I had to choose only one makeup artist in the whole world that I wish I could meet in person it’s Billy and I didn’t even know he existed before Wayne sent me an email some weeks ago. Wayne knows how obsessed I am with great brushes, not that we need anymore brushes at all but we just love brushes, like anyone else loves cars, jewelry or art, we love brushes. Wayne told me how much he loved Billy’s brushes, that even though they weren’t the softest they were extremely efficient.
As I said, I wish I could meet Billy, I have been watching many Youtube videos of him or about him. He is the most generous and amazing makeup artist, a great personality, a great talent, a great heart.
Billy has his own Youtube chanel and Wayne just recently reviewed his brush range for us. To better understand why Billy designed his own range and what materials he uses -or why-, please watch this video. Basically, as long as the brushes do the job, he doesn’t care what material they are.
I love Billy, I love his vision and I am so glad he succeeded, it looks like he didn’t have the easiest teenage years and today when you watch his videos and when you listen to him, you feel how genuine and how touching he is. I am hypnotized by his ideas and creativity, he is Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Sharon Stone’s makeup artist (just to mention a few), he can go from the most natural enhancing makeup look to the most extraordinary drag makeup, both achieved perfectly well and with his own brushes. That’s also what I love about him, he shows his technique and shares his ideas, when you watch a video you actually see how he works and how he uses his brushes, for example here, unlike Claudio Riaz. Claudio also makes videos (too short in my opinion) were he tries to explain how to use his brushes BUT the makeup is already done, you don’t see how he works from the beginning and I have to say that it doesn’t help me, but maybe it’s me, for example here or here, can you actually see what he is doing ? I prefer videos like Billy’s, where you learn so much more. My favorite quote from Billy is “let the eye tell you what it needs” (same for the brows, same for the face…). That’s exactly what I try to do with my little knowledge, of course I am very very far from being able to correctly achieve that but it’s like a game, I have so much fun and that’s also what makeup is about.
Lunasol face brushes – Cheek N and Powder N
If you know RMK brushes, you probably also know Lunasol brushes, they are manufactured by the same company : Chikuhodo, just like Suqqu.
The Lunasol handles are quite similar to the RMK ones, but they are a bit heavier and slightly longer.
I got my Lunasol brushes in a swap but they were brand new, actually it’s difficult to get them if you are not living in an Asian country, we have a Kanebo counter in Switzerland and even though Lunasol is a brand from Kanebo, we don’t have access to Lunasol.
These are the Cheek N and Powder N brushes :
Le Metier de Beauté kaleidoscope in Bauhaus
I have just received this Bauhaus kaleidoscope a few minutes ago and it’s really very late now so I will just briefly show you some swatches today.
Tomorrow I will wear it and then I will have a better opinion. During this weekend I will also try my new camera lens and take a picture while wearing it
Edward Bess Prismette Eyeshadow Quads – First impressions
I am a big fan of astronomy – not the horoscope oriented one – but the actual universe science, Edward Bess nailed it when he called these palettes Sun and Stars, Cosmic Bliss and Over the Moon… these palettes suddenly became very tempting.
I knew I could use these palettes on a daily basis and with Edward Bess quality on top of that I am pretty sure it’s going to be interesting.
These are very new palettes, just recently released and I got mine at Zuneta :
How about a Sisley Orchidee under your Christmas tree ?
I am always very excited as the festive season approaches, I also love to receive and to give so I am very happy today to do this small Christmas giveaway for my sweet followers.
One lucky winner will receive the :
Sisley L’Orchidée Highlighting Blush
This Sisley blush is Limited Edition and was released in Spring-Summer 2012, remember ? Maybe you didn’t have the chance to pick it up or maybe the price scared you a bit… now you have a chance to win it and try it for yourself !
Hakuhodo Maple Kinoko Brushes
When I first saw these beauties they were not available on the Hakuhodo website yet so I have ordered them by email. Hakuhodo told me they will be available on their Hakuhodo online shop sometime this week, perfect timing then !
I love kabukis, I love white hair – only on brushes though…, I love wood handles and I love Hakuhodo’s customer service, I just could not resist ! Enough reasons here for me to get the whole family :
Le Metier de Beaute – Nouvelle Vague kaleidoscope
In the hunt for the black eyeshadow that will allow me to create The Killer Smoky eye, I purchased the new kaleidoscope from Le Metier de Beaute, this one is called “Nouvelle Vague” (new wave) and comes in a silver case ! Finally ! I have so many of them and I never got a silver version of the compact !
Recently I wasn’t that impressed with Le Metier kaleidoscopes but it gets better with this one.
I recommend you to check out Pink Sith‘s review and pictures and also the Beauty Look Book has amazing swatches and comparisons !
Suqqu EX-07 Tsukiakari – Fall 2012 Limited Edition
Suqqu’s fall 2012 collection seems interesting to me but I only got one item so far, you know, too many tempting brushes were recently released and I had to control myself
Here is the Limited Edition EX-07 Tsukiakari, I thought this one was the most beautiful of the three released and I suspected it would be quickly sold out :
Burberry eyeshadows – swatches and a brief review
These Burberry eyeshadows are HG material for me, I am just literally obsessed with Burberry anyway, their Beauty range totally reflects the elegance of the Brand and I think it also added a sexy accent to their image.
Their makeup products are not just luxurious little compacts but the quality of the product itself couldn’t be better.
I am in love with their Sheer Foundation, their blushes and their lipsticks are amongst my favorites. Today I will talk about the eyeshadows, I don’t own all of them but I am afraid I am not that far from that, I don’t usually buy so many eyeshadows from one brand just because I like them, when this happens, it’s because I really deeply love them. I really do.
I have been watching some interviews with their Chief Creative Director, I like to hear him talking about the brand, he defines the beauty collection to be effortless, elegant, to be meant to enhance rather than cover the face, to be appropriate for all different occasions and decades, I absolutely agree.
Burberry makes Youtube videos, they show some tutorials and give some advice, like wearing their lipstick as a blush under the foundation… these videos are useful. I wish all the brands did that !
Rouge Bunny Rouge – Face makeup brushes
I was finally able to get my hands on the Rouge Bunny Rouge 012 Contour brush, every time I wanted to order it, it happened to be sold out… is that because it’s really that good ?
So here it is now and since I have the other two RBR face brushes, I take this opportunity to briefly review the three Rouge Bunny Rouge face brushes together.
If you don’t know it already, RBR make wonderful eyeshadows and blushes, expensive, but you’ll love them. Their makeup brushes are not bad at all but if you had the possibility to try Japanese brands like Hakuhodo, Koyudo, Chikuhodo, Suqqu, you’ll find that it’s quite difficult to find better elsewhere.
Face powder 001 – Goat hair
Base of the ferrule : 2,5cm, hair length : 5cm
Le Metier de Beauté Crème Fresh Tint VS Chantecaille Cheek Crème
I had two reviews in the pipeline today, the Chantecaille Cheek Creme and Le Metier de Beauté Crème Fresh tint for lips and cheeks, I thought I could post a comparison of the two
The main difference between them is that the LMdB are also meant to be used on the lips, but since anyway I don’t like the feeling on the lips at all, I will compare only the “cheek” usage of these.
For reference there is a pic at the end of the post with Coral Nymph on the lips but it’s like a frosty/icy finish, not very forgiving, sits on the lips and it does also settle into the lip lines, I did not find the application flattering at all. At this moment I have the worst lips ever and I know that doesn’t help but I had the same problem with very smooth lips. However I saw pictures of bloggers wearing it and it looked nice… on them ! It doesn’t really dry the lips out and I can keep it for a while but even if that’s not a bad multipurpose product, I will not use it on my lips.
The packaging is totally different, I like that Chantecaille has a cute packaging, small and easy to carry, BUT, LMdB contains 5g and costs Usd 28, Chantecaille costs Usd 34 and contains 3g, you get definitely much more product in the LMdB.
Rouge Bunny Rouge – For love of roses – Original Skin blush swatches
Rouge Bunny Rouge claims to be targeting the “true seekers of beauty”
In an era when most brands are concerned with following the trend, we provide something quite different; a thoughtfully balanced palette of colours, for true seekers of beauty, who choose beauty over brand name or fad.
I am looking for a blush that enhances my cheeks, that doesn’t shout blush, with a matte but not powdery finish and with Rouge Bunny Rouge I am in the right place.
I actually find the packaging practical and trendy but for the price tag it could be a little bit more luxurious… or it could contain a bit more product !
The case is 1cm high, 5.5cm diameter with a big mirror inside, it contains 3.5g of product for 25 Gbp (I think, because I got mine without VAT so it reduces the price to Gbp 20.83). An European version of a Chanel blush is 4g and costs 31Gbp, now you know that Rouge Bunny Rouge is a very expensive brand indeed !
I am sad but also lucky they don’t have more shades available because I would be tempted to buy them all ! Today I have all their shades from their Original Skin blush range.
I stick white labels with the names on the side because of the way I store them, it helps me to pick them up more easily.
Rouge Bunny Rouge started in Russia in 2006 and even if I find their prices too high, I find most of their products to be extremely good and worth the price tag.
I like the RBR description, it really makes you want to have them
Original Skin Blush blends with a sheer, silky touch for a naturally luminous glow. A medley of active ingredients, including Uhaloa from Hawaii, also known as Velvet-leaf and modern technologies impart a long term brightening effect. Indian Gooseberry Fruit Extract stands guard against free radicals. Sheer pearls amplify the creamy soft touch and ensure a limpid glow. Innovative powders entwine with your skin to preserve perfection all day long.
Result is your skin but better; you’ll wonder how you blushed before…
Shu Uemura 18R, a magnificent touch of crimson red in your brush collection
For those who have previously read my recent London trip post, you know I got this Shu Uemura 18R. Why ? First because when I see a red brush I freeze with greed and envy… then because Deb made me do it… She knows how much I am crazy about beautiful brushes and she told me some time ago that I needed this one.
I wanted to check out the Shu brushes 12 and 18r in Selfridges. I went to the Shu counter and first I asked for the 12 … they showed it to me and told me it costed 100 Gbp. gasp. Then I asked for the 18R, when I touched it, you could see from miles away that I was clearly disappointed. It looked terrible and scratchy. But I trust Deb, I had to check it out more in detail. “Can I please see a new one?” ok – so now it’s better. When they told me the price, it sounded kind of ”cheap” compared to the 12. It was around 40 Gbp…
The hair length is 5cm, the base of the ferrule 1.7cm, total length of the brush 19cm.
It’s made of goat hair and of course red dyed (be aware if you cannot tolerate dye). It’s clearly a beautiful brush, a shape that I was looking for. I have only two similar brushes, the Chanel 1 and the Hakuhodo K022.
The Chanel is denser, the Shu is softer than the Chanel but not as soft as the Hakuhodo. The bristles of the Shu have much more spring than the Chanel.
It did shed a bit but it seems to have stopped.
Flattering lipsticks and amazing formulas
Do you remember the 80′s ? If you’ve been there, you will remember your 80′s lipsticks… That’s wasn’t pretty for me, I remember 2 of my lipsticks, an iridescent-frosty purple lavender and a frosty pink, the most unflattering lipsticks ever created.
They looked terrible but when you are young you can pull anything off. I wish I could find a picture but I probably made sure they would not reappear by accident so I have no idea where they are 
… what I do remember is that at 13, I looked 35 ! I used to go to the disco and had no problems at all going through security… My big brother was there to watch me anyway!
Today I want the total opposite effect : a flattering lipstick that makes me look younger, but not 13
Most of the time when people compliment me and tell me that I look great, or younger, it’s often thanks to the lipstick I am wearing, if my colleagues tell me I look tired it’s often because I am not wearing the right lipstick ! I can manage to hide fatigue and stress with the right products, wearing the wrong lipstick can make me look drained even if I am in perfect shape.
What I love is a neutral eye look and daring lips, but dark or bright lip colors don’t suit me. I also love a dark smoky eye look but nude lip colors wash me out, there is only a certain degree of dark, bright or nude I can wear, and the only thing that helped me to find it is time and money !
I have tried to follow every single guideline on the internet to find the shades that better suit my skintone, but there are too many rules and it all gets too complicated, even if I follow them, I am not entirely satisfied, so I just follow mine :
- Find a texture I love, then find the right shade in that lipstick range.
- Never wear a blah shade but still keep it in my comfort zone, move beyond only when and if appropriate.
When I am choosing a lipstick, first of all I pick the shades that draw my attention, mostly corals, warm pinks or orange reds. I try them on, when I wear a flattering shade my hair looks healthy and the hair color somehow enhanced. I also make sure the shade brightens my complexion and that it does not make me look tired or overdone and most important, I don’t want to wear a lipstick that ages me.
In the past few years I was always picking “safe” colors but now I know I need to go a little bit brighter and a little bit closer to the limit of my comfort zone, when I wear the neutral shades that I used to wear back then I can see that although being safe and universal, they are not flattering at all.
Rouge d’Armani lipsticks – a well-deserved Award
When I first tried this formula, I was thrilled, I loved everything about it. I started with the very safe 102 that I could wear on a daily basis paired with any look, I loved to create dark eye looks and that lipstick was just perfect.
As you can see I went totally wild and crazy about them, the good consequence is that today I own most of the range…
There is something about them that makes them look incredibly stunning on the lips, whatever the age. I am finally able to wear bright shades and yet still look elegant ! The color range is so tempting, I think these were the first lipsticks that really got me addicted and made me try more dazzling and daring shades.
Rouge d’Armani is a very long-lasting formula, they claim 8 hours but on my lips there is no way they last the 8 hours, they do last around 3 to 4 hours but I am happy with that, the darker ones last longer than the others and the stain remains on the lips for a very long time, it will slowly fade in an even and natural looking way, my lips never look dry or patchy.
The packaging is also gorgeous and elegant, it’s a black lacquered case with a magnetic closure, feels heavy, solid and luxurious.
Suqqu Makeup base – The tests have started…
I have recently purchased the Suqqu Creamy Base, the Foundation and the Nuancing Powder in order to test them together, hoping that these products will be appropriate for my very, very, dry skin.
I need more days in order to say if they will be comfortable enough for me to wear all day, but I thought that it will be good to post something at the start of the tests with my very first impressions, and then I will update this post after approx 10 days to see if my skin really liked it or not. So far, I am not sure it will.
The finish is too matte for my taste, I haven’t found the right balance between not looking overly glowy and setting the foundation with powder. I never used powder before because it tends to dry my skin completely, giving me dry patches on my chin, cheeks and flakes all over the nose area.
The products I am using today are, in the right order, the Astalift Jelly Aquarysta, Laura Mercier Repair creme, Suqqu Makeup Base Creamy, Suqqu Foundation 30, Suqqu Nuancing Pressed Powder Natural.
10 Long lasting plum, violet, purple or aubergine pencil eyeliners
Some years ago I was afraid of wearing anything else than brown or black eyeliner. Recently, after watching many Youtube tutorials on purple looks, I started playing with them until I finally managed to create fun looks still appropriate for my age.
I loved to wear a beautiful and colorful eyeliner but since I was wearing contact lenses, of course one eye always feels more or less comfortable than the other when you are wearing lenses… and that was causing my eyeliner to fade more on one eye than the other… after 4 hours I could already see that happening and it was upsetting, I have no time and I don’t want to have to reapply make up during the day.
I first started wearing the Clinique or Estee Lauder long lasting eyeliners, then I crossed borders and discovered Urban Decay and By Terry in London, today I am in love with the Chanels and the Addiction !
By Terry Gloss Terribly Shine – HG Alert
I need to quickly write this little post because I realized that my HG gloss is a Limited Edition from Spring 2012…. NOOO !
If you are still looking for a great gloss, you might still have some time to try and grab these. I am preparing my shopping list for my London trip and this is on top of it, together with Illamasqua’s foundation
I don’t know how I managed to get my hands on so many glosses that I don’t even use, from Laura Mercier, Mac, Tom Ford, Burberry, Bare Escentuals, actually, I am not a gloss person at all but since I am a matte lipstick one, I like to add just a little touch of gloss. I also hate when it’s sticky and I cannot bear to feel sparkles on my lips. I think that today I could throw away all my other glosses and just keep these By Terry and I wouldn’t even mind.. that’s how much I love them.
They say that this formula is anti-aging, firming and volumizing… it DOES look good on the lips, it really does. I can feel all this happening on my lips for sure, well anti-aging means “younger looking lips” to me… When I first wrote about them, I already liked them a lot, but today when I am not wearing them, I feel like something is missing… that’s what I call addiction.
I have been reaching for Gold Digger nearly everyday since I got it, I wear it on top of other lipsticks or on top of lip liner, or just on its own if I don’t have time for more.
Sue Devitt Matte Lipsticks – They deserve more love !
Very soon I will be uploading a review on some of the most long-lasting lipstick formulas that I love to use, it will include the Rouge d’Armani (my fav), Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist, Rouge Bunny Rouge Hues of Enchantment, Lancome Rouge in Love, YSL Vernis à Lèvres and these Sue Devitt Balanced Matte.
Preparing the review, I realized these Sue Devitt don’t get the raves they deserve !
You want long-lasting, matte but not drying and bright but flattering shades ? I do. This formula is fantastic, it’s a matte-velvety formula with moisturizing lip nutrients. It applies evenly, I don’t even need a gloss if I want to skip that step it’s totally fine.
Kose Addiction BlackJack VS Rouge Bunny Rouge Salome
I just wanted to show you the difference between these two amazing black eye liner pencils. They are both black, they both last forever, but there is just a “little” difference in the blending and the intensity.
The Rouge Bunny Rouge Salome is much more black, more intense, but it’s also more difficult to blend, if you apply it and you want a blended or smudged application, you have to do it WHILE applying, you cannot wait 2 seconds, it will set and don’t give you a second chance.
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