Rouge Bunny Rouge Milk Aquarelle Liquid Foundation

I'm always reluctant to order a foundation I've never tried in person. That's why I've placed order after order at Zuneta without ever giving Rouge Bunny Rouge's Milk Aquarelle Liquid Foundation ($84.50 at current exchange rate) a glance - until my last order. There was something about a sale that pushes me over the ledge. Now that I've tried it? I'm wearing it every day I wear foundation! I have a new favorite.

While the dreamy scene in the Enchanted Garden had tempted me, it hadn't sealed the deal.

On a rare, rare night, just as the Enchanted Garden prepares itself for sleep, ethereal o'wisp forms rise through the miasmic air, as if formed from a dissolved elixir of the forest's autumnal cloak... Voiles of the softest nutty tones mingle sweetly through the balmy milky clouds, suffusing the atmosphere with calm - as though a brush of light had softened every line into a lambent glow.

Here, at the root of just one chosen tree, the ceremonial Wood-Nymphs lay their whispered chants gently, blessing it so that all who rest there will be soothed. Their fatigue melted away by a hazy bacchanalian light, which cradles them with a feeling of deep serenity.

Milk Aquarelle Foundation is said to translate the gentle, natural phases of tone and transparency into delicately creamy swathes of color in a mélange of stirred light, to give your complexion brightness and lucidity. "Stroke yourself with innocence and comfort and watch as others sway towards you, helpless, like netted birds, caught by a sudden feeling of tenderness." Netted birds? In my Enchanted Garden, birds fly free, unconstrained by human inventions and intrusions.

Milk Aquarelle Liquid Foundation is described as having a light gel texture that blends and moves with the contours of the face like a second skin and minimizes imperfections to give the appearance of a flawless complexion while allowing your natural beauty to show through. I don't associate "gel" with such a divinely creamy liquid, but I'll go with that for now. The gel texture is, apparently, what gives Milk Aquarelle its cushiony, buildable qualities.

Milk Aquarelle is packed with skin-saving protectors and botanicals, including detoxyl, a powerful anti-pollution ingredient to keep the world at bay; bamboo, which conditions, softens, and repairs the skin; shea butter to nourish; panthenol, which imparts long-lasting moisture, stimulates cell regeneration, and normalizes the skin; and Egyptian lotus and white water lily flower extracts to protect, soften the skin, and fight free radical damage. Milk Aquarelle protects while it gives the skin a beautiful finish.

Oh the agony of choosing a shade online! I knew I would be one of the lightest shades, but which one? Coconut Milk Parfait is described at Zuneta as a milky pale pink-beige, ideal for the palest of skins. That would be me. Almond Milk Parfait is described as a pale yellow-toned beige, ideal for fair skin tones. That would be me too, from the perspective that I have a little red in my skin that mildly yellow-toned foundations mask. I guessed that I could wear either shade, but I ordered Almond Milk Parfait. I applied it the minute it arrived and was delighted to find the shade was perfect.

Applied to my arm for a swatch, Almond Milk Parfait looks too yellow. On my face, it's perfect, blending effortlessly to give me a polished perfection. One should never test foundation on the inside of the arm. Our wrists seldom have the sun exposure that permanently changes our faces (sun damage is permanent). For the swatch photo at left, I applied a swath of Almond Milk Parfait (using its wonderful pump dispenser) and barely blended it. In other words, it's caked on. The yellow you can see in my swatch is what disguises the red in the center of my face (nose and chin). On my jaw line, it blends into a perfect match.

I have applied and blended Milk Aquarelle with a foundation brush and a foundation sponge. Either works fine for me (Rouge Bunny Rouge recommends a brush, which you can see if you watch the short film here). Milk Aquarelle blends effortlessly and leaves behind a superbly natural finish. Most of us don't gleam naturally, nor are we matte. Healthy skin should have some life (not necessarily shine), and one of the nicest things about Milk Aquarelle is that it also has life. The finish is natural, not easily categorized. If you want your foundation to glow, use Rouge Bunny Rouge Seas of Illumination Highlighting Liquid and blend it with the foundation in your palm before applying.

Milk Aquarelle offers what I would call medium coverage, blurring imperfections, but never leaving a mask or the look of foundation. I am absolutely delighted with it. I've tried and used a lot of foundations over the years, and it's one of the best ever. That's high praise.

You can purchase Rouge Bunny Rouge products at Zuneta, where you'll receive excellent customer service. If you have a hard time selecting a shade, shoot them a question or a photo. I'll bet they can help. Milk Aquarelle is now on my "shout it from the rooftops" list.

Photo at top courtesy of Zuneta; swatch photo by Best Things in Beauty