Hello dear readers,

long time no read, huh?
i'm sorry for being MIA, and i'm very thankful that you still come over regularly to my blog.
it's not that i feel guilty for not posting, but somehow i think it's rude to just stay away without honoring your kind interest without even a short note.
in fact i just don't feel like blogging these past weeks, i'm in a state of low interest for make up and if i don't enjoy it, i wouldn't want to cheer for any. delayed reviews (SUQQU, i know, sorry...) will be caught up later, i hope.
i feel more relieved and free to be out of the makeup world for as long as i wish now that i have let you know. in the mean time, there are so many fabulous blogs out there covering your cosmetic cravings in place of my humble one, please check my blogroll (sidebar) to discover them!

have a nice Lunar New Year, stay healthy and happy.

sincerely,
Ketoglutarat.

Le Métier de Beauté Crème Fresh Tint in Ginger Lily.

today i finally want to start my review-series of the Crème Fresh Tints by Le Métier de Beauté. you might remember my introduction post with general information and comparison swatches of them all, i will put that post into the sidebar as navigation help.

Ginger Lily is the most universally flattering colour in the range, it's a muted rosy-peach without shimmer.
now let's talk about the texture of these Crème Fresh Tints, they claim to not contain any parabens or silicones and the texture is quite different to the rather siliconey cream blushes i've tried so far (Giorgio Armani, TopShop, YSL), it's most comparable to the Miracle Touch Cream Blushes by Max Factor.
it's a quite greasy texture with creamy consistency, like soft lip balm in the pot. i was afraid that the texture would not work on my oily skin, but to my surprise the cream blush doesn't remain oily once blended out on the skin, only leaving a dewy sheen plus a lightweight but nourishing layer. touching the cheeks feels like soft skin but not oily or sticky at all.
the pigment of this is very fine and nicely blendable. it melts into my skintone seamlessly just like a stain and creates an even result. i also noticed that it's not slipping off my face at all, the stain-like quality keeps the colour on the whole day.
the colour is semi-sheer and creates a very subtle hint of pink on my cheeks with a healthy radiance. i would use my Hakuhodo G5552 Brush with it. to finish up the make up, i would powder on the rest of the face but leave out the cheek area to keep the original finish
i think this shade looks best on fair skin (up to MAC NC30) since the sheered out colour would be too light for deeper skintones and concentrated colour would end up with a greasy finish. i'm surprised how well it holds up on my oily skin and i think it would be great for dry skin types, too.
this is not the kind of cream blush i would suggest using as a base colour for powder blusher since it works with the soft sheen. also, powders could become blotchy on these. they can surely be mixed, layered and combined with each other though. Ginger Lily looks nice on the apples of the cheeks combined with Tenné on the back of the cheeks.
dabbed onto my rather pigmented lips, it becomes a pale nude shade that i would wear with a dramatic eye makeup otherwise it washes me out.

these Crème Fresh Tints are quite a nice deal with 5g content for 28$ based on the average price level of the brand. Le Métier de Beauté is not available in germany (yet?) and i ordered my LMdB products through my friend Maureen from the US (Neimann Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom).

Le Métier de Beauté Creme Fresh Tint in Ginger Lily in natural light: swatched heavily & blended out

Le Métier de Beauté Creme Fresh Tint in Ginger Lily with flashlight: swatched heavily & blended out

tihilw

without blush - with Ginger Lily on cheeks & lips

here is how it looks on the lips

i have no comparable shades in my cream blush collection, so this time no comparison swatches, sorry.

updated my blog sale.

i have added some items to my blog sale! head over to my sales page for some highlighters, brushes, glosses etc.

happy hauling!

Rouge Bunny Rouge Holiday Collection: Beyond The Looking Glass.

 

few days prior to christmas, a package from the PR of Rouge Bunny Rouge arrived me, containing some products from the holiday look 2011 called Beyond The Looking Glass (on their official website you can find a detailed step-by-step description to recreate the makeup: click!). it's a soft, glowy and warm look and the most exciting information to me was the release of two new shades of Loose Glitter Pigments (Embrace Of Cashmere and Caress Of Mink), two neutrals that i have hoped for so long! in my beautiful package there was one of the new Loose Glitter Pigments (plus a sample size of it), a lipstick and a gloss. since the products are all permanent, it's not too bad blogging about them after the holiday season.

i love the whimsical, mystical (but not too girly since monochromatic) packaging.

since RBR is not available on QVC germany anymore, at the moment they can only be purchased on zuneta.com but i've heard about an online shop that will be launched soon.

Fire Drops Loose Glitter Pigment in #048 Embrace Of Cashmere

this is my favourite product from the look and i'm glad that it's now in the permanent line, adding some neutral tones to the quite pastel and colourful range of the Loose Glitter Pigments. it contains 1.8g of product and costs 28.96€/24£.
it comes in a little plastic vial and has an unusual felt tip applicator that dips into the product inside the vial and can be used directly to your lids.
Embrace Of Cashmere is a highly shimmery, almost metallic shadow. it has a medium sand taupe base colour and a beautiful glowing gold shimmer, makes this colour somewhere inbetween gold an taupe and right there in my soft spot ;)
i like to have more control over the application, so i would always put the product onto the back of my hand or on a little palette before i use a flat brush to pick it up and apply it on my lids, but for a very concentrated application, the felt tip is quite convenient.
the powder is very fine and lightweight, don't let the word "glitter" in its name fool you since these are never chunky glittery but contain a glowing glimmer. it applies opaquely and blends out easily without getting blotchy but also without fall outs. i have no complaints about the staying power either.
it looks amazing on the lids combined with darker colours (and not only brown but also black, grey, blue, purple, green, whatever!). the reflective quality is a beautiful light-catcher for the lids and would also be nice on the inner corners for darker skintones (NC30+).
all in all a very fantastic eyeshadow - wouldn't there be the price. it's a quite expensive eyeshadow and should be a well-considered purchase. for my part, i'm very lucky to get this sent for free but i guess i would have caved in sooner (most probably) or later and bought this shade myself. i think it's the prettiest of the range, even prettier than my beloved Wishing for Wings.

RBR Embrace Of Cashmere swatched in flashlight

tihilw

i used Embrace Of Cashmere on the inner half of the lid and lower lashline and deepened the outer corner with RBR Eyeshadow in Bejewelled Skylark, a smokey maroon.

comparison

MAC Gold Mode - MAC Sunnydaze - Bare Minerals Glisten - RBR Embrace Of Cashmere - L'Oreal Sahara Treasure - Chantecaille Sel

MAC Gold Mode - MAC Sunnydaze - Bare Minerals Glisten - RBR Embrace Of Cashmere - L'Oreal Sahara Treasure - Chantecaille Sel

in comparison to other shades it's quite unique - i thought it'd be more similar to Sunnydaze or Glisten but it's much more golden. for those who can't afford RBR, take a look at L'Oreals Colour Infaillible Eyeshadow in Sahara Treasure as it's very close to RBR Embrace Of Cashmere. both shades are very shimmery, but Embrace Of Cashmere is much softer and owns more complexity and depth than L'Oreal.

Succulence Of Dew Sheer Lipstick in #002* Dark Juices

i have also been sent my first RBR lipstick in the shade Dark Juices which was used for the holiday makeup. it's one of the sheer formulation lipsticks and comes in a simple tube of black lacquered metal with white ornaments.
it contains 3.8g and costs 25.34€/21£.
Dark Juices is not my type of colour at all, i was a bit hesitant when i opened the tube and saw a shimmery, taupey rosewood colour. in real, this lipstick is less rose than what it looks like on my product and swatch photos, the lip swatches are very true to colour, though. the taupey brown tinge is hard to capture in the pics.
i wouldn't have associated such a dark and brownish colour be part of the makeup look Rouge Bunny Rouge promoted for the holiday season, until i read through the descriptions again where it is suggested to dab the product on sheerly with the fingers for a natural look. and they are perfectly right!
this is a sheer lipstick and should also be worn so. applied thickly in two or more layers, the true colour is too opaque and coats my lips in an unflattering cool toned brown. but i was surprised to see how well it goes with any eye make up when applied only very sheerly. then it would define the lips subtly and thanks to the silver shimmer (which i'm normally not a fan of) it creates great dimension to my lips with a soft balmy sheen. a very grown up (but not old!) lip for every day.
the formula of this lipstick is quite balmy and waxy, but it glides evenly on my lips. the silver shimmer bits are noticeable when i rub my lips, it's not completely smooth, but not uncomfortably gritty either. it has a faint sweet scent, like from dried fruits.
the colour lasts about 3 hours on my lips since i only apply one thin layer. when the colour is faded, you still have a soft sheen left on your lips from the white shimmer that's in it. it's very moisturising even though i haven't expected that from the firm consistency of the lipstick.
i'm glad that i could try this colour to get out of my comfort zone a bit and experience that i could still make it work!

my bare lips to compare

Sweet Excesses Glassy Gloss in #055 Crisp Sorbet

last but not least i could try a Sweet Excesses Glassy Gloss in the shade Crisp Sorbet. i have once reviewed another lipgloss range by RBR, the Gleaming Temptations glosses. other than the different packaging, the Gleaming Temptations glosses are more shimmery and colourful while these are the more shiny and sheer version.
the packaging is really beautiful and has a regular flocked doe foot shaped applicator. it contains
7.5ml and costs 26.55€/22£.
Crisp Sorbet is a bright fresh pink in the tube with pink pearl and really reminds me of MAC Dollymix blush, but applied, it's a very sheer gloss with hardly noticeable pink pearl.
it has a thick consistency and feels smooth and balmy on the lips with medium stickiness. it smells like iced tea with lemon flavour. on the lips, it doesn't add much colour other than a fresher appearance with a pretty shine. the pink pearl is most noticeable when you apply it a bit more intense and are in direct lighting.
the gloss lasts well on me for about 3-4 hours and makes my lips soft and moisturised thanks to its nourishing ingredients from plant extracts. i like to apply it sheerly and use it as lip balm due to the softening benefits.
this is a quite basic product that can both be worn on its own as well as on other lipsticks to make them appear shinier, but in the end it's a quite expensive treat.

my bare lips to compare

i'm glad that i could try these products, my most favourite of course is the Loose Glitter Pigment and i'm planning to try the other new shade "Caress of Mink" soon!



these products were sent to me for free by the brand's PR for consideration. thank you!

Cargo Molokai.

i'm finally completing my Cargo Blush series with my last one: Cargo Molokai.
Molokai is one of the permanent shades which were recently added to the offered range on beautybay.com. it costs 15£ (for UK) / 19.40€ (for Germany :( ) and the traditional Cargo tin contains 8.9g.
Molokai is a matte soft peach blusher with a very fine and smooth texture. it has a nice pigmentation, but since it's quite a light colour, it appears as a sheer wash of colour on my NC20-25ish skin. it glides evenly onto my cheeks and creates a refined skin effect with a velvety glow which i like very much with Cargo's matte textures.
this is my perfect peach shade for the winter time when i'm a bit paler. it doesn't turn pink on me unlike other too reddish peachy blushes but stays a beautiful soft pastel peach. at the same time, it's not too orange based at all. the colour stays true all day (7-8h).
theoretically a very perfect blush, but practically i can only wear this when i'm palest of my pale since most time of the year i'm too dark for it and the colour just disappears on me. that's why i had to sell it away few days ago. i have too many peachy blushes to justify keeping one that i can only wear in 3 months in the year.

check the overview post of my Cargo Blush collection for more swatches and reviews.
 

Cargo Molokai in sunlight: swatched heavily & blended out

tihilw

without blusher - with Cargo Molokai

comparison

Cargo Cannes - Cargo Molokai - MAC Melba - Guerlain Caresse de l'Aube - Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush #2

Cargo Cannes - Cargo Molokai - MAC Melba - Guerlain Caresse de l'Aube - Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush #2