Rouge Bunny Rouge Long-lasting Eyeshadow Trumpeter Koel Review, Swatches, EOTD

I have been using When Birds Are Singing Long-lasting Eyeshadow in Trumpeter Koel daily for three weeks now. I usually use it to soften and set my liquid eyeliner. If I am feeling adventurous, I will use it in my outer corners but that does not happen too often. I can't blend to save my life. Haha!

Discover a new powder eye shadow with an astonishing lightweight, creamy touch and unprecedented adherence. This formula creates pure dynamic iridescence while it maintains second skin effect. It has extended 8-hour wear that will stay perfect and look freshly applied all day. Orange-derived Flavonoid improves blood microcirculation, enhances luminosity and serves as free radicals scavenger. (Source: rougebunnyrouge.com/)

Name: Rouge Bunny Rouge When Birds Are Singing Long-lasting Eyeshadow 068 Trumpeter Koel
Price: € 24 for 2 g
Release: April 2012
Made in: Italy

Trumpeter Koel is a pewter grey with silvery blue shimmer particles. It is described as a dark lead-grey with lilac-blue iridescence on the Rouge Bunny Rouge site.

Despite what's shown in the swatches, it is not a dark and intense colour. Even layering does not help it to overpower a black liquid liner that is applied beforehand. Nonetheless, it works brilliantly for me. Grey is not as harsh as a black and that makes it the perfect colour for a subtle day time look.

Natural light

Muted flash

The shadow has good colour payoff. It has a silky satin finish with zero grit and applies smoothly like butter. The texture alone makes it worth the € 24 price tag.

There was hardly any fallout during the application process. Despite lasting the whole day without smudging or fading, it didn't prove its mettle when I detected creasing along my inner corners. And yes, this is with an eye primer underneath. I always prep my lids with an eye primer whenever I apply makeup, it keeps gunk from building up in the creases of my eyelids.

My look with Trumpeter Koel. For the rest of my eye I used Max Factor Chic Monotone, Kate Super Sharp Liner BK-1, Empro Brown & Black Mascara and Visee Glam Glow Eyes GR-4 for a little bit of green. It makes a refreshing change from the neutral colours that I usually sport.

Since my EOTD is a little lacking, here is how Trumpeter Koel looks like on the RBR model.

You can buy the When Birds Are Singing Long-lasting Eyeshadow directly from Rouge Bunny Rouge counters or from en.rougebunnyrouge.com as well as various other e-tailers.

The full ingredient list for When Birds Are Singing Long-lasting Eyeshadow in 068 Trumpeter Koel:
Talc, Mica, Dimethicone, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Nylon-12, Zinc Stearate, C26-28 Alkyl Dimethicone, Zeolite, Sorbic Acid, Methylparaben, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Zea Mays Starch, Propylparaben, Tetrasodium EDTA, Butylparaben, PEG-6 Isostearate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Silica, BHT, PCA Dimethicone, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Octyldodecanol, Hesperetin Laurate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Butylene Glycol. (+/-): CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77007, CI 75470, CI 77742, CI 77510, CI 77288, CI 77289, CI 19140, CI 42090, CI 77266

Disclosure: Press sample.

Royce Nama Chocolate [Champagne Pierre Mignon]

Royce' is a Japanese company established in 1983. Their chocolates are made from fresh Hokkaido cream and the choicest chocolate.

Nama means fresh or raw in Japanese and to ensure the chocolates stay in tip top shape, they are placed in a cooling bag with dry ice upon purchase. It is recommended for you to store them in your fridge at 10 °C for no more than a month to ensure their freshness, thereby maintaining product quality.

Nama chocolate is catered towards different audiences: the ones who like their liquor and the ones who don't haha. There are five variations in the with liquor category: Au Lait, Champagne Pierre Mignon, Bitter, White and Maccha. Whereas for without liquor, the following flavours are offered: Mild Cacao, Mild Milk, Mild White, Ghana Bitter and Ecuador Sweet.

Naturally, I went for Champagne Pierre Mignon.

Melts in the mouth.

Sweet but not overpoweringly so.

Hint of champagne that melds beautifully with the chocolate.

It definitely sates my sweet tooth in a sophisticated manner. I am in love and I want more boxes stat!!

Besides the famed Nama Chocolate, Royce' also offers other delicacies:

✤ Potato Chip Chocolate
✤ Pure Chocolate
✤ Chocolate Wafers
✤ Chocolate Bar
✤ Nutty or Fruity Bar Chocolate
✤ Prafeuille Chocolat
✤ Criollo Chocolate
✤ Cookies

Etude House It's Real Pack Sweet Pumpkin

I can't keep up with Etude House. They release new products at the speed of light!

I have here the Sweet Pumpkin lifting wash off pack. It contains 6,250 mg of pumpkin and is free from parabens (파라벤), tar derived colouring (타르색소), talc (탈크) and mineral oil (미네랄오일).

Name: Etude House 에뛰드하우스 It's Real Pack 진짜진짜팩 Sweet Pumpkin 단호박
Price: ₩ 7,500
Contents: 25 g ×3
Made in: Korea

How to use:
After facial cleansing and prior to toner application, massage pack onto facial surface. Avoid contact with eyes and mouth. Leave for 10 - 15 minutes and rinse off with warm water. Use 1 - 2 times per week. Use pack brush to apply and gauze to cover face for best results. (Source: etude.co.kr/)

My masks got a little squished whilst on its journey to my doorstep.

I can't put my finger on the scent. It smells a little like a bakery but it is not overwhelming and just adds to the experience.

The thick and fluid texture feels pretty much like honey. It has some scrubby bits, which I think might be finely chopped pumpkin but don't quote me on that. It does not dry up, making it easy to rinse off.

On the other hand, the runny texture meant that this mask dripped all over the place the whole time I had it on. I had the dubious honour of tasting it since a tiny bit dribbled into my mouth. It is sweet and I can only hope that it is safe to consume haha!

I did not expect it to heat up and thus was pleasantly surprised. The heating sensation lasted quite a while and just as you rinse it off, the warmth comes back. I really enjoyed this aspect.

The mask feels very gentle on my skin despite all that heat and leaves me with the loveliest baby smooth skin. It also moisturises a little as shown below:

Before.

After.

Sadly, the lifting claim fell short, my firmness level remained more or less the same.

Etude House has other options available if you are not keen on slathering pumpkins all over your face:

Carrot.

Broccoli.

Sea kelp.

Chestnut bark.

The full ingredient list for It's Real Pack Sweet Pumpkin:

(Source: Promotional images are from etude.co.kr/)

MUA Undressed Eyeshadow Palette Review, Swatches, EOTD

Urban Decay Naked Palette has been making waves for the past couple of years ever since its release but it comes with a rather hefty price tag. For those of us who balk at paying £ 36 a pop, Make Up Academy has a pocket friendly alternative - Undressed - for only £ 4!

Name: Make Up Academy Undressed Eyeshadow Palette
Price: £ 4 for 9.6 g
Developed in: the UK
Manufactured in: PRC

It is housed in a plastic compact and has the exact same dimensions as a Sleek Makeup palette. It would be nice if it came with a mirror and if the compact had more heft.

This palette will be great for travelling. It doesn't take up much space and is jam packed with all the colours that you will ever need (that is if you are a neutral lover).

These shadows are smooth, soft and easily blendable. Shades 2 and 4 feel a little gritty due to the the amount of sparkles. The pigmentation is excellent across the board with the exception of Shades 3 and 5. They are sheerer comparatively.

The texture is a little lacking in the bottom rung - they are drier to the touch and aren't as buttery or creamy as the ones on top. Colour payoff however, is exceptional.

These shadows stay on my oily lids all day with minimal creasing along the inner corners. I do use an eyelid primer underneath otherwise they will fade off within hours.

In the UK, MUA products are found in selected Superdrug stores. Us international customers will have to rely on muastore.co.uk to get our fix.

Tebe Review: Hair Nourishing Shampoo, Hair Hydrating Conditioner

Simunovich Olive Estate is grower of olives and produces extra virgin olive oil as well as personal care products for the face, body and hair. Their products come in two different variations: Olive and Tebe. Both the Olive and Tebe ranges are formulated with extra virgin olive oil, however, the Tebe range is also fortified with pure olive leaf extract.

Olive and Tebe each has a full range of skin care, body care and hair care products that are free from parabens, mineral oil, artificial colourings, and more importantly, the surfactant sodium laureth sulphate. SLES's presence may introduce low levels of 1,4-dioxane (a carcinogen) and it irritates the eyes and skin.

I have here the Tebe Hair Nourishing Shampoo and Hair Hydrating Conditioner and they have been put to the test over the past four weeks.

A little bit goes a long away for this shampoo and conditioner. I was stupefied when the beauty consultant told me the amount needed for each wash. With other shampoos, my hair would not feel clean if I used a teensy squirt and it would feel dry and tangly if I make do with a dollop of conditioner.

The next eye opener for me was when the beauty consultant casually mentioned that I will have no need for a hair serum and a hair treatment mask. I was already despairing at the state that my hair will be in when I heard that. Accordingly, Tebe only has two products in their hair care range - the aforementioned shampoo and conditioner.

So? What do I think?

(Source: simuolive.co.nz/)

I am mortified to admit that I am a convert haha! I have never spent a large amount of money on hair care products so there goes my money down the drain...

ღ Tebe Hair Nourishing Shampoo

The shampoo has good foaming properties and it smells wonderful to boot. It has worked wonders: my hair feels soft, manageable and tangle free. It has also stopped my scalp from itching! I have stopped needing a straightener, my hair blow dries so beautifully after a wash.

The full ingredient list for Tebe Hair Nourishing Shampoo:
Aqua (Water), Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Sucrose Cocoate, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, D-Panthenol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Glyceryl Laurate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Parfum (Fragrance), Xanthan Gum, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Beta Carotene, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid.

ღ Tebe Hair Hydrating Conditioner

I didn't fare so well with the conditioner. My hair needed way more than the recommended amount in order to feel soft and smooth. I prefer my own conditioner or if I do use Tebe's, I would squeeze a generous portion.

The full ingredient list for Tebe Hair Hydrating Conditioner:
Aqua (Water), Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-57, D-Panthenol, Inulin, Hydrogenated Olive Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil Unsaponifiables, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Honey, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolysed Wheat Protein, Glycerin, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Extract, Glyceryl Laurate, Phenoxyethanol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Extract, Parfum (Fragrance), Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Chlorphenesin.

These products are gentle enough for daily usage and have a pleasant flowery herbal scent. It smells like it would be really good for you and really familiar too but I can't place where and when I have sniffed something like this, so please bear with my vague description.

I have gone through one-third of my bottle and and about half of my tube and am relieved to note that they will last another two months before needing replacement.

Tebe Hair Nourishing Shampoo (RM 106 for 250 ml) and Hair Hydrating Conditioner (RM 106 for 150 ml) are available to buy in-stores at

Metrojaya
✤ Bukit Bintang Plaza
✤ Mid Valley Megamall
✤ The Curve

Parkson
✤ Subang Parade
✤ Sunway Pyramid

theSkintopic
✤ Pavilion
✤ Subang Parade

Disclosure: Press samples.

Beauty Gadgets

The title summarises my content well enough, so let's get to it!

ღ Ion cleanser
Hitachi FaceCrie Ion Cleanser NC-561 deep cleanses your skin in three minutes. It utilises positive ions to draw dirt/environmental pollutants in the form of negatively charged ions.

NC-561 is a no-frills travel friendly version of the pricier CM-N1000 model and is 1.4× more efficient than the popular NC-550 model (the very device that started this ion cleansing trend). It comes with a Japanese plug with a universal voltage compatibility. Note that the plug might not fit the sockets in certain countries, so be on the look out for an adapter.

ღ Skin analyser
SK-III uses electrical current to determine the moisture level of your skin.

I have always been curious about the efficacy of the lotions, serums and moisturisers that I use and now I have a gadget that backs up or refutes their claims. Naturally it will be heavily featured in my skincare reviews.

ღ Electrical massager
Relax & Tone is marketed as a slimming massager. It can oscillate up to 2,500 rpm and this movement will purportedly slim, tone and relax.

I have only started using it, so I have yet to form an opinion on its effectiveness. Fingers crossed that I will never have to step foot into a gym after this haha!

Do you own any beauty gadgets?