Rouge Bunny Rouge Raw Garden Eye Shadow Palette in Caliche

Last month, I was able to give you a preview of Rouge Bunny Rouge's magnificent Autumn Beauty Look, Rose Garden Melody. Now, after days of rain, wind, and generally miserable weather, I have photos of Caliche (#092, 49 euros) that I am happy to share with you.

Caliche is a nuanced harmony of muted silky purples (rosy ecru, dusky and earthy aubergine, rosewood, and mauve). This fall, you can step up your eye shadow game with this new Eye Shadow color quartet. With encapsulated hyaluronic acid and argan oil added to the formula, the texture is even more silky and luxurious, while deeply hydrating to the skin. Argan oil nourishes and regenerates, too.

The signature multi-dimensional quality of Rouge Bunny Rouge Eye Shadows is at its best here, with a 3D color effect, an extraordinary satin-matte finish, and the richest pigmentation with stunning color pay-off.

The Raw Garden high-tech formula delivers a sense of transparency despite the intense pigmentation and the pleasant silky, melting sensation during the effortless application. Having read that the Caliche combines wearable, muted shades of purple, I was a little afraid it might be too "red" for my eyes. Not!

The cream with slight pink undertones is a great base or highlighting color. Moving clockwise, the medium cool, dusky aubergine actually works on me, when blended over the cream. I love the soft rosewood laced with greige (so trendy!), and the soft, grey will work with any color scheme. The formula is free from parabens, D5, mineral oil, and nano-particles. You can always expect purity from Rouge Bunny Rouge.

There is a PDF brochure at this link if you'd like to take a look. It's on the European site. The U.S. site will follow shortly this month.

Rouge Bunny Rouge sent me the Autumn Collection over a week ago. I tried to take photos on a "mostly sunny" day, but I was unhappy with them. Finally, I have snapped photos that I believe accurately portray this beautiful palette. My photos were taken in full, early afternoon sun. I swatched with a sponge-tipped applicator. The sun added a bit of extra sheen to the shades.

The cream or ivory at the top of my arm is a radiant shade perfect for use with its sister shades or any other palette you have. The aubergine below it could be too red for some, but if you cleverly blend it with the other shades in the palette, it will give you the perfect fall look.

The taupe, which Rouge Bunny Rouge describes a a rosewood laced with greige, is absolutely gorgeous on the eyelids. I like to wear it alone, just swept over my lid below the crease. The grey is perfect for any look. You may want to try blending it in the outer corners with the taupe.

As always, the palette is presented in a black presentation box, safely nestled into a plastic insert. Although it takes up space, it's too elegant to discard.

Rouge Bunny Rouge has generously offered readers of Best Things in Beauty a discount code: RBR-BESTTHINGSINBEAUTY20. I believe you can use it on either their European or U.S. site. I haven't tried it, but if you have any trouble with it, please let me know.

As soon as I can, I will show you the other two beauties they sent me gratis: one of which is the new Skin Perfector. I think you're going to love it. For now, I must run off. I read The Girl on the Train all afternoon yesterday and finished it this morning. I'm a little behind on life management.

You can purchase Caliche right now at Rouge Bunny Rouge - or wait for the U.S. Web site to publish it. Either way, I think you'll be delighted with this unique palette.

Photo at top courtesy of Rouge Bunny Rouge; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

Rose Garden Melody - Coming Attraction at Rouge Bunny Rouge for Fall 2016

Rouge Bunny Rouge has enticing Enchanted Garden news for you. Today their Autumn Beauty Look, Rose Garden Melody, launches and presents the two latest novelties, Skin Perfector and an Eye Shadow Palette called Caliche, for the new season.

Celebrating 10 years in the service of beauty, Rouge Bunny Rouge's Neo-Victorian Festival honors what customers love most about the company: individuality, excellent quality, and extraordinary results achieved with great ease.

The new looks, euphony of lace, summer night symphony, rose garden melody, and rebel princess, were designed to be expressions of modern beauty. Rose Garden Melody presents the lush abundance of pinks from the softest pearlescent cream-rose to sheer hot pink to dusty mauve and anything in between that creates the flattering harmony of Rouge Bunny Rouge's Autumn Beauty Look. There is a short video that presents the collection.

Skin Perfector looks like a must-have to me. I think I have one on the way. Weightless and velvety-soft, this lightly tinted primer dramatically enhances the appearance of your complexion with innovative particles called Diamond Core Powder. The formula transforms invisible UV light into blue and green light, an effect natural to young and healthy skin. Discoloration, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and imperfections nearly disappear.

Its delicate, rosy tint further flatters one's skin tone, making the skin look more radiant and fresh without any visible coverage. It is packed with antioxidents and plant-derived actives, and the combined ingredients contribute to protecting the skin.

The new Eye Shadow Palette Caliche is a nuanced harmony of muted silky purples (rosy ecru, dusky and earthy aubergine, rosewood, and mauve). This fall, you can step up your eye shadow game with this new Eye Shadow Palette color quartet. With encapsulated hyaluronic acid and argan oil added to the formula, the texture is even more silky and luxurious, while deeply hydrating to the skin. Argan oil nourishes and regenerates, too.

Rouge Bunny Rouge is quintessentially British. The company's makeup and skin care embody efficient and ground-breaking formulas, active ingredients, rich and complex colors, and unmatched signature textures with a lightweight second-skin feel. Rouge Bunny Rouge is constantly scouring the latest state-of-the-art solutions from the best international manufacturers. Rouge Bunny Rouge is also renowned (for good reason) for its fantastic world of storytelling. Elements of magic, whimsy, and mystery are playfully reflected in the names of their products, endearingly romantic or charming and mischievous.

As a counterbalance to massively trend-driven or conceptual, ritual-based cosmetics, Rouge Bunny Rouge stands for quality and effortless results - beauty that is quick and easy to achieve, with no complicated techniques that must be mastered. How perfect for modern, busy women!

Caliche will be available in the U.S. in October (you can purchase online or from Beautyhabit) and in Rouge Bunny Rouge's international and German Web Boutique at the end of this week. Check out the company's Web site.

Photos courtesy of Rouge Bunny Rouge

Rouge Bunny Rouge ALCHEMY Long-lasting Brow Liner

Creating chiselled, immaculate eyebrows may be an art…but with Rouge Bunny Rouge's extra-thin waterproof ALCHEMY Long-lasting Brow Liner (26 euros), it’s a snap. The exceptionally fine and sharp tip allows for ultimate precision of lines, instantly releasing the pigments for maximum control. Rouge Bunny Rouge sent me these liners months ago, and I've been anxiously awaiting their introduction to show them to you.

The easily blendable, wax-based formula and the delicate matte finish create a very natural-looking result: waterproof and smudge-free, it will stay put for 10 hours and longer. I love the natural colors. They both work for me, and I suspect they will work for everyone who wants to fill in patchy spots or enhance the shape of their brows.

On top of their thin precision, these liners are enriched with natural antioxidants, vitamins E and C and are vegan. They are also free from mineral oil/paraffin, synthetic preservatives, and volatiles.

They are available in two medium-coverage shades. Antimony is described as a dark chestnut. It's and deal neutral shade for dark brown and black natural brow colors, although I found I could use it lightly on my brows (which have always been darker than my hair). Trona is the shade an expert would select for me. It's a light hazelnut - a perfect neutral shade for almost any natural brow color, especially for blondes and those with fair faces.

I took a photo of both shades in today's wind. I only wound them up a little because it was so windy I was afraid they might fly off and get damaged. Antimony (#088) is shown on the left, and Trona (#089) is shown at right.

I took a swatch photo that shows both shades applied very lightly on my arm. I wanted to show you how much control you will have when you use these liners to either add wisps of color into your brows or to add color to the brows you already have in a very natural way.

Trona is shown at the top, with Antimony below. I see my swatch of Antimony, the darker shade, wasn't as even as I would have preferred, but it's too late now to go out and retake the photos. I hope you can see from my swatches that these shades will look natural on nearly everyone. The only women who may not find them dark enough may be those with chocolate skin and black brows.

As always with Rouge Bunny Rouge products, there's a lovely story.
The divine transformational power inherent to the philosophy of the Enchanted Garden is celebrated every year during the Great Alchemy Ball. The guests of honor are the Artists and the Philosophers, the Artisans and the Mages who have excelled in their arts. Their indisputable mastery and wisdom allow for the visions and fantasies to come true in perfection…and to be filled with magic and life. Rouge Bunny Rouge's Long-lasting Brow Liner ALCHEMY brings a spark of this magic to you: a delicate pencil made to enthrall you with the magic of precision.

You can find all you need to know about Rouge Bunny Rouge's Long-lasting Brow Liner ALCHEMY in a product brochure (including professional make-up tips) that you can open or download in PDF format from the following link: Long-lasting Brow Liner Brochure. Some tips for Rouge Bunny Rouge follow.

Eyebrows are "alchemy" to our looks: masterfully defined, they can give faces friendlier and younger expressions, counterbalance other facial features for greater harmony, and, of course, modify the very appearance of our eyes. Since the smooth, natural Long-lasting Brow Liner formula is effortless to apply and doesn’t produce harsh, dull, or "greasy" looks in the first place, the company's makeup artists have but these few tips for you.

• For natural and pretty results, take the brow liner and feather in your eyebrows with minuscule strokes.
• To create or accentuate beautiful, full arches, don’t attempt to draw additional hairs - instead, elongate or extend the natural shape subtly. A little goes a long way here.
• If you’re playing with a new shape or just are new to color cosmetics, always step back before applying more product and examine the results in a good mirror with good lighting.
• Soften the color with a brush (try the three-in-one Brows & Lashes Brush 007). This step really makes a difference: you’ll see how it finishes the look and evens out any application mistakes for a perfectly defined brow. You’re not likely to need more product at this stage.
• Here's an extra tip: Trona is your ideal natural shade for creating faux freckles.

Rouge Bunny Rouge has made a very generous offer to Best Things in Beauty readers. If you purchase from the company's Web site and use the code RBR-BESTTHINGSINBEAUTY20, they will give you a 20% discount on their collection. This code will be valid for three months - perhaps even longer! That should inspire you to check out the Rouge Bunny Rouge site of treasures.

Update 5/19: The brow liners will be available to U.S. buyers in mid-June. Customers in Europe can order now.

Photo at top courtesy of Rouge Bunny Rouge; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

Rouge Bunny Rouge LOVE LIGHTS Highlighting Powder - Reformulated and Re-introduced

I first told you about Rouge Bunny Rouge's LOVE LIGHTS Highlighting Powder ($48) in 2011. These highlighting powders were fabulous then, and they are even better now. They have been reformulated with triple anti-aging benefits, and Rouge Bunny Rouge has added a new black, high-luster case with a magnetic lid. The compacts come with an applicator, shown in my photo above. They weren't as beautifully embossed in their first incarnation.

When Rouge Bunny Rouge sent me these highlighting powders with other new introductions for review, I had a moment of déjà vu. I figured out why very quickly with a quick blog search. I had featured them in June of 2011.

Rouge Bunny Rouge said, "We interpreted the sublimely haunting beauty of this powder and released it here for you. Feather-light and creamy, to softly stroke your skin with pearly velvet light from dusk 'til dawn. A natural, even, and radiant look is yours, while the tiny dazzling micro-particles add teasingly shimmering twinkles. Let the firelight in to accentuate cheeks, arms, legs...anywhere you dare to bare. With such a bewitching halo about you, those who lay their head upon your warm lap may not want it back."

This radiant powder, enriched with exquisite anti-aging benefits for a firmer and healthier skin, feels like a gossamer sweep of creamy silk. The powder’s miraculous “blurring” finish and smoothing effect will instantly transform your complexion - your personal secret to perfect, clear, porcelain-like skin.

New-generation pigments create a lasting flawless, luminous coverage and a unique blendability. State-of-the-art technologies in powder treatment and coating make for the superb smoothing properties, and delightful skin feel. An exclusive Aglianico Grape Marc Extract is added to boost natural anti-aging and healing processes, such as detoxification and synthesis of hyaluronic acid and type I and type III collagen. These powders are free from parabens, fragrance, and D5.

The new packaging is even more elegant and practical. Inside the tall matte box with a glossy floral print, a foam inserts cradles a high-luster, piano black case with a magnetic lid. All of Rouge Bunny Rouge's packaging is inspired.

You can see the two shades in the photos above. Goddess is a satin-finish, very light cream with pink undertones. Sweet to Touch also offers a satin-finish; it's a medium amber with a golden glow effect.

Like all of Rouge Bunny Rouge's products, LOVE LIGHTS comes with a story. When night falls in the Enchanted Garden and soft moonlight bathes the resplendent beaches of the Grand Moon Seas, nymphs will emerge and dance and whirl weightlessly around a fire. The secret of their weightlessness lies in the starlight powder coating the beach - every night the nymphs luxuriate in it to sustain the magic of their skin and grace of their movement.

I've joined the nymphs in their dance around the night's fire. I took swatch photos of the powders in full, mid-day sunshine, though, not around the fire. I used a sponge-tipped applicator and applied them heavily so that you might see them on my arm. They are beautiful and subtle finishing powders when applied normally, with a fluffy blush or powder brush. When applied with a more dense brush, you can build the coverage on your skin wherever you want light to be reflected.

Goddess is shown at the top of my arm. It is a very light pink, one that will add a touch of color to your skin with a subtlety that is radiant, but conservative - a glow. Instead, it looks makes my skin appear lit from within. That's worth every cent of the price.

Sweet to Touch adds more color, leaving an amber-tinted gold on my complexion. It warms my skin, making me look less bland than I do after a winter without much sunshine. Both shades add a fresh, healthy look to the skin.

These powders really don't sparkle much, despite those "teasingly shimmering twinkles." That makes them perfectly wearable during the day. I'll use both and probably select a shade based on what I'm wearing. I'd have a hard time choosing between them, so I'm excited that Rouge Bunny Rouge sent me both shades.

If you go to this link, you can find a brochure on these lovely powders. Definitely worth a download!

These re-introduced highlighting powders are being launched on Friday, April 1. You can order them from Rouge Bunny Rouge, or wait a short time for them to be available at Beautyhabit.

Update: There is a GWP!  Special offer until April 11, 2016: Buy any Highlighting Powder and receive a Sheer Lipstick Jasmine-weighted Air as a gift. Buy any Highlighting Powder plus any Highlighting Liquid and receive a Face Contour Brush 012 as a gift. Find all you need to Read more...

 

Photos by Best Things in Beauty or courtesy of Rouge Bunny Rouge

Rouge Bunny Rouge Dazzling Sip Tinted Luxe Balm from the Euphony of Lace Collection for Spring 2016

The moment I saw the e-mail announcing the new Rouge Bunny Rouge Dazzling Sip Tinted Luxe Balms ($31), I asked about them. There are no lipsticks that delight me more than those that are sheer and shimmery. Totally unexpectedly, Rouge Bunny Rouge offered to send them to me, making me one of the most grateful bloggers on Earth. They arrived on a sunny day. I knew I could get photos if I hurried. I think my hands were trembling as I opened the box. It's a wonder I didn't cut myself. I left Charlie playing with the pretty RBR tissue paper as I dashed outside to try them and take photos. I've been wearing them ever since.

These beautiful new lip colors are part of Rouge Bunny Rouge's Euphony of Lace Collection for Spring 2016. The beautiful model is wearing the new Spring Harmony eye shadow palette, the Foundation Essence I featured in January, and the darkest of the Tinted Lip Balms, Specs of Cerise. To see how she got the look shown above, pop over to the Web site, where you will find step-by-step directions.

The three shades are shown directly above. From left to right, they are:

• Pinch of Nude, a juicy and transparent juicy beige, nude that adds shimmer with little color for your casual days;
• Sip of Pink, a transparent and luminous soft raspberry-pink with light peach undertones; and
• Specs of Cerise, a transparent and luminous red - like crimson-red cherries.

The balms offer dazzling, sheer treatment colors with anti-aging, intensely moisturizing, and repairing properties. They have a delicate scent that dissipates quickly, leaving behind all of the hydration and shine. They feel light and creamy on the lips. As we age, our lips lose color, elasticity, and volume; the unique Tinted Luxe Balm formula is exclusively aimed at making a difference. The shimmer will make your lips look plump. It doesn't get better!

Rouge Bunny Rouge says that Tinted Luxe Balm is based on a powerful active complex designed to bring back the original volume of our lips within four weeks of daily use, all while smoothing fine lines, nourishing, and brightening the lips. An Ecocert-approved, patented active complex derived from natural sunflower oil intensely hydrates and softens (clinically approved). I haven't had them for four weeks to testify to this effect, so I'll have to get back to you later. In the meantime, I'm enjoying them for their sheer, shiny look.

Adding to the glamour of Rouge Bunny Rouge color, there is a story, of course. This sybaritic balm is inspired by the Dragon-guarded Fountains of Indulgence in the Enchanted Garden.

It's a soothing yet scintillating mélange of exuberance and healing that quenches your lips with richness while glinting them with a light veil of precious pearls. This sumptuously luxuriant balm melts creamily, dispelling cold and fatigue, making your lips as soft to the touch as the unopened buds of spring, while also polishing them with a dewy gleam. Your shining smile will sweep everyone around you into the heart of the Water Faeries’ abode, where you can swim unabashed in your own bubble of contentment.

Luxury care, with a reflection of pearls. An innovative lip balm that nourishes, restores, and protects with a Triglyceride-packed formula. With specially selected actives: an emollient complex, rice bran oil and vitamin E for antioxidant and emollient properties. Aloe adds moisture and promotes natural healing. A structured, full-bodied cream glides on smoothly and melts onto the lips. The immediate results are healthy lips with a brilliant veil of precious pearls.

The transparent shimmer at the top of my arm is Pinch of Nude (#091). The middle shade is Sip of Pink (#092). The shade at the bottom is Specs of Cerise (#093). I applied all three shades directly to my arm (one pass) from the tubes and took my photos in late-afternoon sun. I love them all. I would have purchased all three.

You can purchase Dazzling Sip Tinted Luxe Balms from Rouge Bunny Rouge and Beautyhabit. Rouge Bunny Rouge was offering a buy two, get one free offer in February, but I don't think it's still valid. Beautyhabit has a special offer on their page. With your $85 or more Rouge Bunny Rouge purchase, you will receive a Succulence of Dew Sheer Lipstick in Tongue Tickles - a beautiful shiny pale carnation pink with a white shimmer (a $29 value) Use the code LACE. The offer expires March 25, 2016 or as long as supplies last.

Photos courtesy of Rouge Bunny Rouge and by Best Things in Beauty

Rouge Bunny Rouge Silk Aether Long-lasting Duo Cream Eye Shadow in Gossamer Wing

Rouge Bunny Rouge, one of my favorite beauty companies, makes a Long-lasting Duo Cream Eye Shadow (in the U.S. $45 at Beautyhabit) that caress your skin with the ease of a butterfly wing beat, so that your lids appear smooth and renewed while coated with a semi-matte, slightly luminous color. Rouge Bunny Rouge sent me Gosssamer Wing (#085) last summer, and I've been enjoying it since.

All Rouge Bunny Rouge products grow from the Enchanted Garden with a story...
Deep inside one of the Enchanted Garden's dense jungles, surrounded by thick and leafy rainforest, lies the Butterfly Makers' Workshop. As the hot monsoon rains drum down upon its roof, inside there is serene calm, as hundreds of the most skillful tailors labor lovingly over exquisitely fine fabrics, cutting and moulding them with a precision that only a select few can ever manage to attain. Rolls of light and airy chiffon, luxuriant velvet, delicate white batiste, and sparkling brocade are cut, smoothed, and shaped by the expert fingers of the craftsmen. A tailor will close his eyes, and fabric in hand, imagine on a mental canvas the image of a perfect, elegant butterfly. After many hours of work, the outline of smooth wings becomes apparent, absent of the smallest crinkle. It is said that some of the butterflies are so perfect that they burst forth from the fingers of the tailors. Acquiring a life of their own, they mingle with the light and fly away into the rainforest, gently flapping their smooth, silky wings.

How magical! Inspired by these very butterflies that sprang to life, Rouge Bunny Rouge introduced Silk Aether Long-lasting Duo Cream Eye Shadow. The Long-lasting Duo Cream Eye Shadows are an irresistible combination of exceptionally long-wear, non-crease, richly pigmented and smudge-proof qualities in one formula. The extreme long-lasting effect is delivered through synthetic filming polymers, which ensure a perfect appearance all day.

The light, mousse-like texture ensures an effortless application. Best control is achieved by innovative silicon waxes and gels in combination with beeswax. Rouge Bunny Rouge added Para Cress Flower Extract to stimulate natural skin lifting capabilities and Coffee Extract to increase collagen and elastin production while also enhancing the natural skin defenses. The airtight vials protect the precious formula; the soft sponge applicators allow me to pick up the perfect amount of product with each application and also layer it if I want more color. Apply one layer, and you will achieve a satin wash. Apply a stronger application, and the shadow will become opaque, slightly metallic, and a darker hue of the same color.

The packaging is perfect to take along in your makeup bag in case you want to refresh your makeup before a night on the town. However, I've found that this eye shadow says on a very long time, so I don't have to refresh it after work.

Gossamer Wing could not be a more perfect neutral combination for me - for anyone, I'll bet. Rouge Bunny Rouge describes it as a perfect match of a velvety café latte, paired with the most flattering, silky luminous beige.

I applied it using its own sponge-tipped applicator and evened it out without blending it into my arm too much. I took my swatch photo in one of the rare moments today when we had sunshine peeking through the clouds.

The darker shade at the top of my arm is easy to see. The lighter shade, a perfect base or brightening color, is shown below. I can see the lighter shade in the photo; I hope you can. It is a tiny bit more beige than my skin, and it's definitely more luminous (without being sparkly).

Rouge Bunny Rouge offers tips for application. You can line, shade, and contour your eyes sheerly or in a more dramatic way. Use the lighter shade to highlight the inner corners of the eyes and the area underneath the brow bones. Use the slightly deeper shade along the crease to add a natural looking contour. Blend the two shades together to create a flawless nude finish and an even tone along the lids.

For an added boost of longevity, dab and blend a pea-sized amount of Aqua Primer, Mattifying Primer, or Luminous Skin Wand over your clean lid. Follow by applying Duo Cream Eye Shadow for a waterproof, long-lasting base for your favorite powdered eye shadow. For natural looking, bright, and luminous eyes, blend either shade of the Duo Cream Eye Shadow from the lash line to just underneath the brow’s edge using Rouge Bunny Rouge's Large Shader Brush #003.

You can see the ingredients here. To order, hop over to Rouge Bunny Rouge or Beautyhabit.

Photo at top courtesy of Rouge Bunny Rouge; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

Rouge Bunny Rouge SKIN SOUL DROPS Foundation Essence

Rouge Bunny Rouge's SKIN SOUL DROPS Foundation Essence ($63) is a creative face foundation that beauty mavens will adore. Highly saturated with pigment and enriched with uniquely processed silica and mica, this concentrated formula with beautiful adjustable coverage will blend to match  most skin tones perfectly (as long as you don't have very dark skin) and is designed to work well with all kinds of moisturizing, serum, dry oil, and primer products to achieve the perfect degree of seamless, picture-perfect coverage.

Rouge Bunny Rouge sent me all three shades, and I've had fun playing with them. I will show you "my shade" below.

The texture is fluid and sheer if you apply it lightly; however, it can be applied more heavily for more coverage. Here's how Rouge Bunny Rouge describes its texture.

• Lightweight, silky-soft, moisturizing liquid formula
• High percentage of pigment, perfect color purity (approximately 36%)
• Blendable with skin-care products to create a custom result - Each shade can flawlessly
• match with up to four skin tones
• Demi-matte finish with buildable coverage
• Minimizes the appearance of pores and imperfections
• Absorbs excess sebum and melts seamlessly onto the skin

It has unique ingredients.

• Anhydrous silicones: for extended wear and ultimate comfort
• Jojoba esters: superior emoliency, soft with no greasy film
• Silicone elastomer: a highly engineered sililcone gel for enhanced smoothness of texture, diffuses light
• Unique mica: highest skin adhesion, supreme softness
• Special silica: absorbs sebum, gives skin an even finish and look
• Lecithin-coated pigments: extended wear; excellent skin protection, highest skin-affinity and
• moisturizing effect
• Plant-derived (jojoba, mimosa, sunflower) waxes
• Natural moisturizing texturizing agent: provides for unique blendability and product versatility, combines functionality with sensorial liquid emollient advantages

The formula is free of cyclomethicone, fragrance and preservatives.

Rouge Bunny Rouge suggests these makeup artist tips and tricks. Apply SKIN SOUL DROPS with your favorite treatment product(s). Apply between a pea to coin-sized amount of treatment product and mix it with Foundation Essence (one to four drops, depending on your preferred coverage level) in your palm. Swirl the mixture using a foundation brush or your fingertips. Then apply to your complexion beginning along the center T-zone of the face, brushing down and outward. To spot treat areas around your nose, the orbital bone, or around the edges of the lips, use a concealer or touch-up brush. You can apply a finishing powder to add a velvet or shimmery finish - whichever you prefer.

Directly above, I've provided Rouge Bunny Rouge's snapshot of the three SKIN SOUL DROPS shades: Miriam, Lalla, and Yeshe. I swatched them on my arm in full sun, and I did not blend them. The results are shown below.

I would definitely wear Miriam, shown at the top. The other shades, as you can see on my arm, are much darker. Miriam, when blended in my palm and applied over my moisturizer, provides a lovely, even finish to my face. It is slightly yellow-toned on me, which is good. It hides my winter red, cold, wind-burned skin well. In the summer, I probably would blend it with my moisturizer for a sheer finish.

I like it! You might too. Right now, you can find SKIN SOUL DROPS at the Rouge Bunny Rouge Web site. Although it says "Coming Soon," I think that will be flipped to available very soon. Before too long, you will be able to find it at Beautyhabit.

P.S. It comes in a lovely black box, with a base that nestles the bottle and a tall top that's black with white lettering and shiney black designs. I will photograph it for you when it's not 17 degrees outside.

Photos courtesy of Rouge Bunny Rouge; swatch photo by Best Things in Beauty

We Have Rouge Bunny Rouge and TATCHA Giveaway Contest Winners!

The winner of the Rouge Bunny Rouge exquisite new Raw Garden Eye Shadow Palette in Chronos is Andrea! She has been notified. I have sent her address to Rouge Bunny Rouge. I can only imagine her joy when she opens that box and sees the beautiful palette in person.

As of yesterday evening, 364 people had entered the TATCHA draw for 100 deluxe samples of Ageless Enriching Renewal Cream. That means about 27% of those who entered will be receiving a package from TATCHA. You are lucky readers!

I want to send mega-thanks to TATCHA and Rouge Bunny Rouge for selecting Best Things in Beauty for their contests. I appreciated the opportunity very much - two superb companies. Thanks for entering and congratulations to the winners!

Photo courtesy of cranmore.ie

Two Fabulous Giveaway Contests End Tomorrow: TATCHA and Rouge Bunny Rouge

For all of you who may have been on vacation when I posed these amazing giveaway contests, I'm posting this reminder to enter. Both end tomorrow. All prizes are being donated by their generous companies.

TATCHA is generously offering 100 Best Things in Beauty readers a deluxe sample of Ageless Enriching Renewal Cream. In order to enter, you must have a United States delivery address. Just go to this link and fill out the entry form before August 25. That's tomorrow at midnight.

Be one of the first beauty lovers to own this brand new, exquisite Rouge Bunny Rouge Raw Garden Eye Shadow Palette in Chronos, worth an estimated $73. Rouge Bunny Rouge has generously donated the palette for one winner at Best Things in Beauty.

How can you enter to win this giveaway contest (technically a sweepstakes)? You will find all the entry rules at this link. The deadline is August 25 at midnight. That's tomorrow. Make sure to enter now - before you forget.

Good luck to everyone!

Photos courtesy of TATCHA and Rouge Bunny Rouge

Rouge Bunny Rouge Raw Garden Eye Shadow Palette in Chronos Giveaway Contest

Here we go, the stupendous giveaway contest of this year! You can enter to win the brand new, exquisite Rouge Bunny Rouge Raw Garden Eye Shadow Palette in Chronos, worth an estimated $73. Rouge Bunny Rouge has generously donated the palette for one winner at Best Things in Beauty. There are other contests running; one is at The Non-Blonde.

If you didn't see my feature on this beautiful new palette, just scroll down. I have swatch photos I've been sitting on for months. I'm so pleased to be part of this unveiling.

How can you enter to win this giveaway contest (technically a sweepstakes)? Just leave a comment on this feature (not in another BTiB post). After you comment here, feel free to send me an e-mail at bestthingsinbeautycontests@gmail.com (the contest address, not my "personal" e-mail) and identify your comment. You can never be too careful about sharing an e-mail address you care about on a blog, so feel free to follow this step (an alternative is to code your e-mail, e.g., myname at gmail dot com, in your comment). Please make sure I have your e-mail. If I can't notify you, you can't win - even if your number is drawn. I can't believe the number of winners I haven't been able to find in the past.

You can earn extra entries. Follow this blog (through an e-mail subscription, GFC, or though one of the many readers - see sidebar at right) to earn a second entry. If you are a follower, it would help me tally entries if you tell me in your comment how you follow. You don't have to follow to enter. I want everyone to have a chance, but I also want to reward my followers. I must be able to track this entry.

You can earn a third entry by tweeting this contest. You must include "@BTiBeauty" (without the quotes) and the contest title in your tweet. Remember, tweet the contest title - if you don't, that entry won't count. I will tweet the contest early this evening, and you can simply retweet it to earn that second entry - if that's easier.

You will automatically earn a fourth entry if you have commented here during the last two weeks. I will know if you have.

The deadline for entries will be Monday, August 25, at midnight. I will use a random number generator (random.org) to select the winner. I will e-mail the winner the next day. The winner will have 48 hours to reply to my message and provide a shipping address. After 48 hours, the prize will be forfeited, and another winner will be selected. Make sure to check your e-mail - and look in your spam folder - when the contest ends.

This contest is open to anyone anywhere. The winner must be able to provide me with a "mailable address," meaning the U.S. Post Office recognizes it or its street, province, and other "elements" the way the winner provides them. I've had some trouble with both U.S. and international addresses.

For all the legalese related to this contest, please see the Contests/Sweepstakes page at the top of the blog. Good luck! One lucky entrant will receive the palette of the year directly from the generous people at Rouge Bunny Rouge.

Photo courtesy of Rouge Bunny Rouge

Rouge Bunny Rouge Raw Garden Eye Shadow Palette in Chronos

The excitement at the Rouge Bunny Rouge Headquarters is now public. I can finally give you a look at a special, limited-edition product that the team and a few beauty insiders, myself included, have kept a treasured secret for months. Finally, on the eve of its introduction, I am able to announce Rouge Bunny Rouge's Raw Garden Eye Shadow Palette in Chronos (55 euros). It will be available next week.

I received this stunning palette many months ago. Sitting on it - well, not literally - has been extremely hard. You will see it was winter when I took my photos. It's really hard to keep my mouth shut for months on end, but that's what I did.

Chronos is an extravagance that is fun, time-saving, with a brand new texture, and limited. It offers a brand new metallic texture for your makeup pleasure - and a brand new, luxurious palette design with a large mirror and magnetic holders to carry your favorite refills.

Chronos has been designed to become your perfect partner in crime - in particular, for a magnetic smokey eye. Do you know what the most common smokey eye pet peeves are? Rouge Bunny Rouge shared its experience with us.

First, it’s choosing black or grey as your only color. There’s the risk of ending up with a grungy, bland-looking patch of darkness around your eyes that's not really attractive. However, if you choose a colored eye shadow - green, violet, or blue - you need smoky colors to tone it down, and you need time to practice. Another problem is that it can get a little messy and quite time consuming if your product creases or is difficult to blend.

With Rouge Bunny Rouge's brand new, limited-edition Eye Shadow Palette Raw Garden, you get a palette of muted metallics that are ideal to create a perfect, enticing, and quick smoky eye in the formula of your favorite eight-hour wear, flavonoid-enriched Rouge Bunny Rouge Long-Lasting Eye Shadow.

When Chronos arrived at my house, I nearly hyperventilated with happiness. I couldn't believe that the company was sharing its treasure with me. Month after month, I've wondered when I'd be able to show it to you. Finally! This palette is divine, and the colors will take you into fall and winter with glee.

I took my photos in full sun, and I used a sponge-tipped applicator to apply the shades, starting on the left at the top of my arm and moving toward the right down my arm. There is a dual-ended sponge-tipped applicator in the palette, but I used my own.

Look at these shades! I love every one of them. I would call them shimmering, not metallic, but that's a minor detail. The taupe at the top of my arm is drool-worthy. Every taupe lover will rejoice. The next shade is a taupe-plum hybrid that's heavy on the taupe so it's eminently wearable. The brown-olive shade is simply perfect. What more can I say?

The grey is just this side of charcoal. It's a very flattering shade to use with all of the other shades in the palette. Use it as a liner or an accent color, it's much prettier than your "average charcoal." In certain light, I see some blue in it. I'm sure the last shade, a teal from heaven, was inspired by the plumage of the Enchanted Garden's birds.

All of the shades are very nicely pigmented, with no fallout, and a texture that's almost creamy. Although I applied them to show you their intensity, the brush you use for application and your own hand can guide the look you wish to achieve, from a soft wash of color to a full-on, intense eye. This palette is the ultimate smoky eye treasure.

Rouge Bunny Rouge has a draw at its own site. Four bloggers have also been offered a giveaway, and, my lucky readers, BTiB is one of them. I will start our giveaway contest tonight. Come on back to enter. Make sure to enter all of the contests to increase your chances of winning one of the prettiest palettes I've ever seen. All I could think was Yabba Dabba Doo when I opened Chronos. You will too.

Photo at top courtesy of Rouge Bunny Rouge; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

The Friday Forum - March 28

It is dark, dreary, and raining. I suppose I should be glad it's raining, not snowing, but I'm having trouble believing the weather forecasters who are proclaiming the grand, late entrance of spring. At least I don't have to shovel rain. The bad news is that I have new Guerlain Rouge Gs, and I won't be able to get a photo of them today.

I found the gorgeous photo above at a site called my.englishclub.com. It's so much nicer than the scene outside my house. Plus, the color reminds me of makeup. What else?

Rouge Bunny Rouge has introduced Diaphanous Impalpable Finishing Powder ($46.24), a completely transparent powder with a silky feel. This completely transparent powder allows you to finish your makeup routine or to underline your natural beauty without makeup.

With the incredibly smooth feeling of vaporous silk, a fine dusting of this invisible loose powder softens unwanted flaws and rewards the complexion with an even skin tone and velvety matte finish.
Evermat reduces the production of oily sebum to keep shine in check, with the aid of silica’s absorbing action. Tetrapeptide Matrixyl 3000 adds an anti-aging and smoothing effect, while Actiwhite works to lighten and brighten. Due to its super-transparency and ability to mattify the skin without drying, all skin tones can benefit from this single, universal shade that can be used to set makeup or be worn alone to brilliant effect.

Suave Professionals has introduced Moroccan Infusion Body Care, products that are infused with authentic argan oil from Morocco, a lightweight miracle oil known to be rich in nutrients and antioxidants. The new products are available in a Body Lotion, a daily moisturizer that absorbs quickly for up to 24 hours of non-greasy hydration, and a Dry Body Oil Spray, a non-greasy formula that absorbs instantly locking in long-lasting moisture. Did someone say dry oil? I'm so there! I must find some immediately. I must go looking for these. You know I'm a Suave girl.

That reminds me. Last weekend, with just about every part of my body hurting, I stopped into a Hair Cuttery and asked for a shampoo and blow dry. I had done that once before this winter when I wanted to be treated. The service was $18+tip, which I thought was very reasonable. This time, I "got" a different stylist, and she was selling from the moment she started washing my hair. She wanted to know what products I use on my hair, and I explained that as a blogger, I continuously test products - from Suave to Rahua. She then proceeded to slam Suave for ingredients that are NOT in Suave products, then she mentioned Wella as being "OK." I imagine the luxurious Rahua is not in her realm of knowledge or experience, since she confused it with Wella. I started to get angry as she implied that the "state" of my hair was due to the products I use. I don't suffer fools gladly, and she started out on a bad foot.

Then she moved on to remarking about the lovely curl in my hair. Are we kidding? My hair, with the exception of one wave in the front, is stick straight. I found out when I got my bill what that was all about. As she prepared my hair for blow-drying, she put four different products in my hair, including a volumizer, which didn't work at all. (I had asked for volume on top). My hair was plastered to my head when I left. I'm not sure what happened to the turned-under ends I had requested. All the while as she blew dry my hair, she sung the praises of the products she used.

At checkout, she said my bill was $26 and suggested I purchase one of the products. I questioned the $26, saying the last time I had paid $18. She said the extra charge was to straighten my hair - a service I did not request. I wasn't sure whether to roar with laughter or be nice and explain that I was expecting an $18 bill because that is what I had paid the month before. I chose the latter. She knocked off the extra third without an argument; I paid; and I left that Hair Cuttery for the last time. What a set-up! Where do they find these people? I thought they had to have a beautician's license to work in hair salons. Have you ever had a similar experience?

It's time for the Friday Forum. I love this part of our week. What new products did you discover this week? Did you find any deals you couldn't resist? Are you using a fabulous product and want to sing its praises? Did you find a beauty product disappointing? Do you have a question others might be able to answer? Want to talk about skin care? What's new in your life? Just use the comments. Don't be shy. Just make sure to ask any question you might have over the weekend. By early the next week, most (not all) readers will have moved on.

Update 3/29: Guerlain's 2014 Muguet, in an exquisite bottle, will arrive at the Guerlain Boutique any day. It will sell out. If you are interested, pre-order from Jonathan at (702) 732-7008. When you call him, ask about the long list of Guerlain fragrances that are being discontinued.

Photos courtesy of my.englishclub.com, Rouge Bunny Rouge, and Suave Professionals

Rouge Bunny Rouge Original Skin Blush for Love of Roses - Three New-to-Me Shades

My obsession with Rouge Bunny Rouge started two years ago (see this link). That's when I purchased my first two shades of Original Skin Blush for Love of Roses ($28): Delicata and Gracilis. When ordering sight unseen, I gravitate toward light, mistake-proof colors. Delicata and Gracilis turned out to be exactly that.

One day a few months ago, I got the itch to try some shades that might not be perfect for me, but would expand my knowledge of the blushes and possibly give me new blending options. Am I glad I did! I ordered Florita (#035), Habanera (#038), and Starina (#037). They are shown above in that order, from left to right. My photo was taken in bright light, but not full sun, so the colors look a bit flat.

An intricate and luxurious cosmetics brand, Rouge Bunny Rouge, twists opulence and beauty with embellished detailing to deliver a range of color makeup that embraces both romance and whimsy. Wearable, blendable, and adaptable formulas and shades are at the very heart of Rouge Bunny Rouge. The formulas are absolutely outstanding and have been sourced from the world's most sophisticated laboratories. 

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. The result is your skin but better; you'll wonder how you blushed before.

Rouge Bunny Rouge is easily the most imaginative, inspirational, and addictive brand I’ve come across! The formulas are out of this world. They state online, "Be warned, once you fall down the rabbit hole and try this brand there is no going back."Truth!

The packaging of these "darling" compacts is whimsical - adorable, actually. From the box, which has a botanical theme on one side and the Rouge Bunny Rouge coat of arms, with bunnies, of course, on the other, it's enticing. The compacts have a pretty white-on-black floral design. The Rouge Bunny Rouge crest is shown on the inside insert that protects the powder blushes. The blushes themselves have an embossed design too.

I think I ordered these three shades from Beautyhabit. Florita is described as a natural, rich raspberry red with an illuminating radiance. It glides onto the skin imparting a warm rosy glow and is best suited for medium or olive skin tones, i.e., not me. Habanera was listed as a great shade for medium complexions, but I knew I could use it lightly for my pale face. It's described accurately as a medium, sun-warmed terracotta with a hint of rose. Starina is described as a good color for fair skin. It's a pale coral nude with an illuminating radiance.

I took swatch photos in fairly full mid-day sun. I swatched with a sponge-tipped applicator to show you the shades. No one will apply the colors as heavily as I did for these pictures. Florita is shown at the top of my arm, Habanera in the middle, and Starina at the bottom.

Don't you think Florita at the top of my arm is drop-dead gorgeous? Imagine this color applied with a brush, and you've got a medium pink that will look great on nearly everyone. The warm brown-toned Habanera does have rose in it. I hope you can see that. I have to apply it with a very light hand. It's a good contouring shade, as is Starina. Starina is the neutral shade here that's perfect for my skin.

After I took these swatch photos, I got cheeky and decided to play. I mixed Florita with Starina on a dense blending brush and applied the resulting shade to my arm. I got pretty excited when I saw the result - a warm rose pink that lights up my face. Shall I call it Florita-Starina? Can you believe this color (shown below)?

I'm very pleased with my experimental purchases. A blogger has to do what she's got to do, and sometimes that means wandering outside her comfort zone. I wandered right into the Enchanted Garden.

Deep inside a labyrinth of perfectly topiaried winding lanes in the Enchanted Garden lies the Rose Orchard. The sweet and tantalizing fragrance of the roses, combined with the sight of their intense pigments, provokes torturous visions of languorous beauty. The thorns of the flowers, so piercingly sharp, can slice through flesh as though it were air, and the elegant, gorgeous Floribunda-Elves are the only guardians that the roses, with their poisonous thorns, will allow to tend the orchard. The Floribundas perfectly preen and nurture each flower, and in return, they are gifted by the roses with the most effervescent and radiant faces in the whole of the Enchanted Garden, their cheeks exuding happiness and excitement, causing many a lover to fall to his knees. Rouge Bunny Rouge has recreated for you this radiant glow with six petal-soft colors to impart a splendorous bloom and captivate your heart's desires.

We have more options than ever for ordering Rouge Bunny Rouge. Rouge Bunny Rouge's own Web site, Zuneta, and Beautyhabit. Watch for specials on shipping or gifts with purchase, particularly at Rouge Bunny Rouge and Zuneta. You'll be glad you did.

Black and white photo courtesy of Zuneta; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

Rouge Bunny Rouge News!

Rouge Bunny Rouge's UBIQUITOUS Magnitude Mascara is officially launched! The unique formula includes silk protein that ensures wonderful flexibility and natural feel in wear while it restructures and protects your lashes. Rouge Bunny Rouge uses a very soft texture for flexibility, volume, and superior luminosity and a new fiber brush that guarantees enhanced dimension of your lashes. Your lashes will glisten with deeply intense color. This voluminizing mascara is available in two shades: Almandine, which I featured with swatches and Titanian (black). Both shades are glossy and gorgeous. Remember Clinique's Glossy mascara? The glossy finish reminds me of that old favorite.

There's another new product to celebrate May. The latest addition to our Long-lasting Eye Shadow Refill range is the matte shade Papyrus Canary (17 euros). It's available now as a refill for the RBR Duo and Trio Keeper. I love the refills because they are so economical - in price and the space they save.

In addition to Rouge Bunny Rouge's latest Facebook competition (you must enter!), the company just started an Elegant Spring Sweepstakes on Pinterest. Follow them on Facebook and Pinterest for more updates and to participate in the sweepstakes.

To order the new products, hop over to the online boutique. There is a lovely gift with purchase and free shipping for orders meeting the criteria. Can you believe they provide three free Highlighting Liquid samples with each order?

Photos courtesy of Rouge Bunny Rouge

Rouge Bunny Rouge Incantation Eau de Parfum

Rouge Bunny Rouge sent me a press sample of Incantation Eau de Parfum ($129 at Beautyhabit; 97 euros at Rouge Bunny Rouge), their dynamic new fragrance. The day it arrived a few weeks ago, I sprayed it on and swooned. I've been wearing my little spray sample every few days - today too - to see if the magic remains. It does. That means I must purchase a full bottle of Incantation.

I'll give you Rouge Bunny Rouge's interpretation of Incantation, and then I'll follow with mine. I will tell you up front that as much as I have enjoyed RBR's first three fragrances - I purchased them all - I love this newest even more.

I took a few editorial liberties with their description...
This darkly divine perfumed potion strikes a soothing yet arresting beat on the skin. In a synchronized rush, blackcurrant, mint, and spices instantly entice the senses. Although it has a bright, engaging temperament, Incantation also has a deep, inky edge that should come with a warning: don’t lie on the luscious green grass if the Enchanted Garden in delicious slumber, no matter how enticing, for something unknown may approach through the stirring foliage.

Drawn deeper down fruity bitter-green trailing vines, aroused by the pulse of life and concealed magic beyond, be tempted through a green foliage façade. Fresh, lush fans of fig leaf ignite the air with scented swathes of rich black fruits that boldly incite exhilaration. Succeeding the initial heady rush, a soft, otherworldly rose embraces the senses as it sways near the forest floor. The senses are beholden to this ancient floral rite as regal flowers sway amidst roots of enormous trees, in a spellbinding dance known only to themselves - the secrets of nature. Suspended on a base of spice and vetiver, this silky, sylvan aroma aims to fluctuate and tease as it blooms on the skin.

Follow this fragrant enchantress to a place of closely guarded secrets and succumb to the call of its aromatic adornment. If you follow, you will join a dancing band of merry revelers. I'll be in that line dance.

Inside this elegant bottle, you'll find the spellbinding scent of Incantation. The merriment starts with sparkling top notes of citrus accord, blackcurrent, fig leaves, and green tea. The heart notes are orange blossom, coriander, and cardamon (the spices are very light). The base notes, left after the flowers and fruits have danced further into the garden, are vetiver, cedarwood, beeswax, and musk. Incantation is a blend of some of my favorite notes.

Blackcurrent has recently become trendy in fragrances, even though it has been used for years (think Chamade by Guerlain or First by Van Cleef & Arpels). It doesn't knock you over with its hypnotic might, like jasmine does. Fragrantica called it shy, although it has a characteristic first impression, bourgeons de cassis in French. Fortunately, I don't "get" even a hint of that fleeting cat box odor with Incantation. I do with another trendy blackcurrent fragrance (that everyone seems to love for its complexity). Instead, Incantation is dominated by fresh greens and citrus fruits.

I love Rouge Bunny Rouge's charming tales of mystical and whimsical wonder. I'll admit that I must read them twice to fully appreciate the nuances of each tale and the imaginations that fuel them. I have a mental image of the Enchanted Garden - one in which a symphony of nature exists unperturbed by human hands and the destruction we've wrought - where every plant and animal is bound to the natural rhythms of its magic.

Abstract stories can only give you a hint at the enchanting scent of Incantation. This very green fragrance opens with an effervescent blend of greens and fruits. It's dry, fresh, and enormously appealing. I think it's a unisex fragrance, one that will captivate men as well as women. To my nose, it has an Italian essence, one you'll recognize if you are an Italian fragrance lover.

As it dries down, the florals, fruits, and roots reveal themselves, but the freshness never departs. The more complex finish leaves my nose remembering the beginning of my journey through the garden as I enter the protective woods of the forest. The base notes never smell "woody," the way fragrance experts define woods, but they ground the scent during its last hour.

Incantation lasts about three hours on me -  maybe four. I don't think that means much because longevity depends on many factors, including skin type (e.g., oily vs. dry), environmental conditions, and the speed with which individuals develop anosmia. They might not be able to smell it on themselves, but others can. When a fragrance smells as fresh, bright, and captivating as Incantation, I'm happy to reapply it during the day to re-enter the garden and woods by the same delightful path. Many thanks to Rouge Bunny Rouge for this delightful frolic.

Incantation Eau de Parfum is available at Rouge Bunny Rouge, where you will receive a purse spray with your purchase. It's also available at Zuneta and Beautyhabit. All bases are covered, no matter where you live. I'd highly recommend you sample it. You may fall in love as I did.

Photos courtesy of Rouge Bunny Rouge and suma.coop

Rouge Bunny Rouge Ubiquitous Magnitude Mascara - The Rest of the Story

Yesterday, I featured Rouge Bunny Rouge's Ubiquitous Magnitude Mascara ($29) without the benefit of any press information. They graciously sent me the information overnight. Given the time difference, I was asleep when the e-mail came. Thus, I present the rest of the story - and what a story it is.

Ubiquitous Magnitude Mascara is a true all-rounder for "otherworldly," luminous lashes. Rouge Bunny Rouge's unique formula includes silk protein to ensure wonderful flexibility and a natural feel while it restructures and protects your lashes. In combination with the three natural compounds, paraffin wax, carnauba wax, and beeswax, it imparts a soft texture for flexibility, volume, and superior luminosity. A new fiber brush guarantees enhanced dimension of your lashes - separating, lengthening, curvaceously curling, adorning with a sleek, glistening, and deeply intense color. Rouge Bunny Rouge calls it the perfect mascara for silky, long, fluttery lashes.

You know all Rogue Bunny Rouge products are accompanied by an enchanting story. Here is the story for Ubiquitous Magnitude Mascara.

There’s a place in the Enchanted Garden where plant life is embellished in every way, bequeathed by more than just nature’s hand. Legend tells of an ancient creator who, eager to intensify his world, called forth centipedes from deeply rooted trees, flying fish from underwater leaves, and the queen of the bees from the heart of her hive. They carried with them on leg, fin, and wing, beads of wax from their natural habitat. Once collected and melted over fiery flame, the solution, even if brushed on the tiniest sapling, immediately imbued a burgeoning in all directions, appeasing the creator that his beautifying work was efficiently done. Even now in the Enchanted Garden when fruit or blossom flourishes, it’s whispered only the fabled liquid could have caused transformation in such a marvelously, spellbinding way.

Ubiquitous Magnitude Mascara will be available in two shades: Titanian (luminous black) and Almandine (the luminous brown I featured yesterday). See swatch photos and my impressions of this gorgeous mascara here. With sensitive eyes in mind, Rouge Bunny Rouge forumlated Ubiquitous to be fragrance- and alcohol-free.

The launch date for Ubiquitous Magnitude Mascara is May 10. I was privileged to receive a press sample early. I think you'll love it.

Photo courtesy of Rouge Bunny Rouge

Preview: Rouge Bunny Rouge Ubiquitous Magnitude Mascara in Almandine

Do I feel lucky! Rouge Bunny Rouge sent me their new mascara: Ubiquitous Magnitude Mascara in Almandine (#077). I've been using it for a few days, and I'm thrilled with it. I probably shouldn't be featuring it today because I don't have all the specifications for it, but I always try to show you the latest and greatest from my favorite brands. I'm excited!

Magnitude Mascara is exactly what its name suggests, a volumizing mascara that will amp up your lashes. The color, Almandine is one of the deepest, most natural brown shades I've ever used. See what you think. It reminds me of the most luxurious dark chocolate.

I took my swatch photos in full, morning sunshine. I did not have to work hard to create a swatch on my arm. Magnitude Mascara rolled onto my arm with ease. No doubt, the fairies in the Enchanted Garden worked their magic. Plus, the wand is designed to apply a good coat in one swipe to add volume and length to your lashes.

Look at the rich, cool-toned brown color! Almandine is definitely brown, but unless I'm delusional, I can see an ever-so-slight red hue in it - really hard to detect. There is a garnet called Almandine, which is a very deep red - sometimes indistinguishable from brown (photo immediately below). Almandine garnets could be the source of the name. So could almonds.

This is a perfect brown for gals who don't want the sharpness or edge of black, but still want their eyelashes to direct your gaze into their eyes. As a pale-faced blonde, I find brown mascaras perfect for a more natural look than black. This brown is so deep, I don't really see brown when it's applied. I see lashes that look like mine, only better.

It's hard to find the perfect brown mascara. I know because I've been searching for a long time. Some look too brown - therefore unnatural. Whose eyelashes are really the shade of a Snickers bar? My lashes are light black (dark charcoal may be a better descriptor) with light tips. The light tips make them disappear, even though they are long. People notice my nice long lashes, but only if I'm wearing mascara.

Almandine doesn't look brown on my lashes. It looks like a soft black - definitely not a harsh black. When I examine it outdoors, it looks natural, but I can see that it's there. My lashes are enhanced with length and volume.

Almandine Magnitude Mascara does not appear to be waterproof, which suits me just fine. I might term it water-resistant. I don't need waterproof mascara for most occasions, and I don't need the extra work to remove it. Yes, waterproof mascaras are perfect for certain days, times, and people. Day to day, though, I don't need and prefer not to use waterproof mascara.

I wrote to Rouge Bunny Rouge for the price and product details. When I get the information, I will share it with you. I searched the Rouge Bunny Rouge, Zuneta, and Beautyhabit sites - all Rouge Bunny Rouge retailers - and I couldn't find Magnitude Mascara available yet. I know it's coming soon.

Photos by Best Things in Beauty; almondine photo courtesy of cs.cmu.edu