Catrice Yellow Submagreen Absolute Eye Color

One more palette from Catrice, same concept as the other; neutrals + a brighter shade. Yellow Submagreen has a lovely olive green, a light grey with gold shimmer, a deep brown, and a yellow with a frosty finish. Same as Mud Spencer, the pigmentation was lacking so I decided to experiment. The result is if used dry, a tackier base is best to yield the most true to pan colors.

The olive and deep brown are the most pigmented, followed by the yellow, then the light grey. 

 

I don't usually have any issues with fading, but with this palette in particular without any base, the pigment seems to slide right off my eyes by the 5th hour. No problems with longevity when used with Pixie Epoxy, or plain moisturizer. 

Vichy Dermablend in Opal as a base, Burberry concealer under the eyes, Thebalm Frat boy blush, Clinique Curviest Caramel on the lips. Catrice Yellow Submagreen, MAC Dipdown fluidline, Lancome Definicils mascara. 

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Catrice Mud Spencer and Coralle Hill Absolute Eye Colour

I recently swapped for a couple more Catrice products, one of which I'll be sharing with you guys today. These are my first palettes, I've only previously tried singles. Mud Spencer and Coralle Hill is your 'basic' neutral shades, with the exception of the bright pink on the upper left. I really like how they added that there, for days when I'm feeling more adventurous or as a blush!

Swatches were done over Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy, one layer each. I love the colors and texture is very smooth but the pigmentation is lacking. On its own, or even over a silicone based primer, its quite sheer. I have found this palette performs best wet or over a tacky base like Fyrinnae's. Its a little disappointing especially when compared to their single shadows.

  I'm wearing Mud Spencer & Coralle Hill over Pixie Epoxy, Dipdown fluidline, and Clinique High Impact mascara on the eyes. RBR Linen Cream Skin Sanctuary Foundation, MAC Pro longwear concealer under the eyes and on the face (I suspect this is irritating me). Clinique Curviest Caramel Chubby Stick Intense on the lips (love, review soon), and RBR Habanera on the cheeks.

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Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer: Sx 03, SX 06

Kevyn Aucoin's Sensual Skin Enhancer needs no introduction, by far the most pigmented and versatile product I have come across. I'm relatively late in trying this, the high mineral oil content had me fearing clogs but I've since been proven wrong. Comes in a relatively small jar and contains 0.63oz, which seems steep for $45 but I swear this stuff is pure pigment. The smallest amount will go a long way. 

I purchased two shades to mix; SX 03 is a very light neutral shade, while SX 06 is a more medium yellow based one. Consistency is fairly thick and so I found it very easy to overdo, thus look cakey. Starting with a small amount warmed up, then applying with a small brush to blemishes and/or various red areas is the best way for me personally. Minor flakes would be okay with SSE, but anything more than that will be highlighted. 

Compared to other pigmented bases like Vichy Dermablend and Kat Von D Tattoo concealer, SSE is still the winner for the most opaque. Vichy comes in second, then KVD in last. If I had a match in Vichy, it would be my pick hands down. I love how easy it is to apply and is fantastic on even my driest areas. Kat Von D is great on the go, the color match is pretty good but although not as bad on flakes as SSE, it still accentuates it. The foundation is better in my opinion except it has been out of stock for a while and I've used up my sample. 

Overall a great product and now that it's warming up, will be put to more use. Highly recommend at least trying it. 

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Rouge Bunny Rouge Skin Sanctuary Foundation: Review, Swatches

It has been a while since my last foundation review and what better brand to get things started again then one of my favorites, Rouge Bunny Rouge. Milk Aquarelle is still one of my most reached for bases, I love the light, breathable formula that truly looks like second skin. However, I have been dealing with redness and an unprecedented level of dryness for months now so I needed more coverage than my usual light-mediums. Skin Sanctuary is marketed as a medium to full coverage foundation for more mature skin types. It contains Detoxyl, a natural complex derived from Shea Butter, detoxifies and calms, offering skin sanctuary from ravaging free radicals and urban pollutants. Rejuvenating, skin-identical, lipid actives Ceramide III & IV work to erase fine lines, deeply moisturise and monitor the skin’s dehydration process as extracts of Karitè Butter Seed nourish and soften. (taken from en.rougebunnyrouge.com) 

Rouge Bunny Rouge kindly sent me samples of all four shades in order to find my closest match, which is currently Linen Cream and Wheat Cream. Odd that I can wear both but I feel that I'm somewhere in the middle in terms of undertone (more on that later).

Skin Sanctuary has a thicker texture than the thinner, more fluid Milk Aquarelle. It does a better job smoothing things out, but in spite of the creamier, more luxurious formula, I found it less kind on dry areas than MA. Less dewy, leaning more towards semi-matte. The color selection is rather limited, only 4 shades, one less than the previous 5 offered by Milk Aquarelle.

In comparison to Almond Milk Parfait (pale yellow-toned beige), Wheat Cream (medium tawny beige) is darker, while Linen Cream (pale milky beige) is more neutral and peachier. In all honesty, undertones confuse me, I am never quite sure of mine but I know I am much more comfortable in yellow toned bases. It is undetectable to me as opposed to beige toned ones.

Wearing Wheat Cream on the right and nothing on the left except for a heavy layer of LRP Cicaplast and Vaseline Creamy. I have a little bumpiness left over on the sides of my nose and the area below my left eye (your right) that Skin Sanctuary smooths in one swipe. Redness is evened out but the active pimple on my chin is not fully covered. To date, I have not purchased my own bottle which is a sign that I am not convinced Skin Sanctuary is compatible with my skin type. It looks great on areas where I don't have any flaking and dry bits but on the areas that I do..

Tried RBR's Skin Sanctuary Foundation? Like it or no?

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Physicians Formula Warm Nude Eyes Eyeliner Trio

I've been meaning to get another set of Physicians Formula eyeliners for a while now but I just haven't been interested in other shade selections. I'm not sure when exactly they released the Nude Collection, but I picked up the warmer of the two (the other is cooler imo, called Smoky Nude Eyes). These come in a set of three retractable liners, described as hypoallergenic and fragrance, paraben, and gluten free. 

The swatches are a tad darker than I'd like but show the correct tone and varying finishes of the three liners- Copper, Bronze, and Black respectively. Copper has the most frost/gleam to it, Bronze has a bit to it as well but just enough to keep it from looking flat, and Black has silver micro shimmers that isn't as obvious on the eye as it is swatched. All three are pretty on par on what I've come to expect from Physician Formula liners, long-lasting but you won't hurt yourself trying to remove it. I've used up Espresso from my previous set and Bronze, although lighter and warmer, has taken its place. I think I prefer Bronze actually. Overall, love and highly recommend these. 

Prices will vary, but I purchased mine from CVS for $11.99. If you're interested, I do recommend CVS because this week, they are running a promotion that if you purchase $15 worth of Physicians Formula products, you get $10 in extra bucks back! 

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Bare Minerals Ready Eyeshadow 4.0 The Happy Place

Ulta recently ran a promotion on Bare Minerals eyeshadow quads and duos which I thought was the perfect time to try these long time lemmings. I purchased two quads, the first is Happy Place, which contains one matte, one satin, and two shimmer shades.

I originally thought Peace was matte but I hope you can see that there is a bit of a sheen. Imagine is a shimmery warm peach and Exhale is a cooler matte grey. Euphoria, while it looks like a deep purple in the pan, translates as a shimmery plummy brown on my skin and eyes. I really like the formula of the Ready eyeshadows, creamy and pigmented, I experienced absolutely no fall-out. I bought mine for $15 (it was 50% off, originally $30) and I'm thrilled at the quality. Even at retail, I think these eyeshadows are worth at least a look. 

Here's a quick FOTD using The Happy Place:

I didn't even realize that I forgot to do my brows until I saw this pic (hehe oops). I used Imagine all over the lids, Euphoria on the outer 3rd, Exhale on the crease, and Peace on the brow bone.

Have you tried the Ready eyeshadows by Bare Minerals? Did you like them or no?

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