Ladurée cream cheek base in #05.

So I mentionned awhile back that Ladurée, who became famous for his macarons, came out with their own cosmetic line.

One of the products I was really curious about were the cream cheek bases that basically looks like an egg in a cup.

Although I'm not the biggest fan of the gold and white packaging, I guess it would look great on a vanity.

The plastic material does seem a little tacky but it's sturdy enough to prevent the product inside from breaking. The details on the packaging is very feminine and has a sort of vintage feel to it.

The shade I got was #05 which is a bright pink one and it's the brightest colour they offer in their permanent range.

But seriously don't you just want to put pepper and salt on it and eat the whole thing?

Ladurée cream cheek base in #05

The texture is quite interesting and not like anything I've tried before. It's not really creamy but feels a bit more dryish (but not drying), almost balmy/silicony when you apply it to your skin.
Quite surprised by how pigmented it was but it's very easy to control the amount you apply on your cheeks so over applying won't be an issue here.

It does sink in immediately and very easy to blend with your fingers so no brush is needed for this product.

Ladurée cream cheek base #05 - close up

As usual here are some swatches and comparisons for those who are wondering about possible dupes etc...

From L to R (indoor lighting):

Ladurée #05 cream cheek base - Addiction Damask Rose -

R&R Bedroom

Same swatches- outdoor lighting.

The Ladurée cream cheek bases retail for 4410 Yen and can be purchased in Japan only at their counters or at webshops like Ichibankao for a higher price.

Serge Lutens #02 powder blush

Serge Lutens is one of my favorite perfume brand and when I heard they came out with a cosmetic line as well, no need to say that my interest has been piqued ever since.

As many of you hard core beauty addicts probably already know that Serge Lutens was a fashon designer, photographer, hair stylist, make up artist and a perfume art direcor. A talented and passionate artist with a vision of his own.

But when I heard about the prices I admit that I almost did a double take. Yes it's that expensive but I was determined to try some products nonetheless.

Recently I got my hands on the #02 blush that I have my eyes on for awhile now. As a highly exclusive niche brand will the quality live up to the expectation?

Serge Lutens #02 blush

A pale peach pink shade that looks very natural on the cheeks, no matter how you pile it on.

Subtle, crealy soft (without being too powdery) and with a matte finish which is why I can see why a lot of women would be drawn to it (if you are willing to pay the price tag for it of course).

The blush comes in a sleek shiny black packaging which is no surprise considering Serge Luten's eye for aesthetic. Anyone who has seen "Les Salons du Palais Royal" in Paris (that he designed himself) knows what I'm talking about.

As a former make up artist for brands like Dior and Shiseido it's no surprise that he also opted for vibrant colours for his own cosmetic line.

I also took a shot of the ingredienst on the side of the box for those who might be interested.

Some swatches and comparisons of the blush.

From L to R (indoor lighting):

Serge Lutens #02 - Shu Uemura M Peach 44 - Illamasqua Lover

Same swatches- outdoor lighting.

The Serge Lutens blush can be yours for an eye watering $160 USD/ £111 GBP and can be purchased exclusively at Barneys in NYC (US) and Harvey Nichols in London (UK).

Shiseido Perfect Rouge lipsticks in RD142 Sublime and RS745 Fantasia

Recently Shiseido reformulated their much beloved Perfect Rouge lipsticks and added some new colours too while at it.

While most of them are repromotes, it was still worth it to get a couple of them because Shiseido also reformulated the texture of these lipsticks.

Two of my favorites must be RS745 Fantasia and RD142 Sublime.

The formula is noticable creamier than the regular Perfect Rouge range which I was very pleased about. Very smooth and moisturizing on the lips and yet long lasting.

With the release of this new formula they also added more interesting colours instead of the usual neutral/nudish shades that is so typical for Shiseido.

Shiseido Fantasia and Sublime Perfect Rouge lipsticks

Fantasia is a gorgeous plum shade that filled a nice gap in my stash because I don't own a plum colour that really suits me.

I find plums in general is a tricky colour and it's definitely not a universal shade that will look good on almost all skintones so no need to say I'm very pleased with this one.

Shiseido RS 745 Fantasia

Sublime is a pinky coral shades and it seems to look different on everyone. Some find it to be more of a reddish shade while others said that it looked more coral on them.

On me it's more of a coral shade with a hint of pink in it but bear in mind I don't have very pigmented lips to begin with.

Shiseido RD 142 Sublime

Here a some swatches that I did and I must say that Sublime does look a bit darker on my arm than when you apply it on the lips.

From L to R (indoor swatches):

Shiseido RS 142 Sublime - RD 745 Fantasia

Same swatches - outdoor lighting

The Perfect Rouge lipsticks cost $25 USD/ 26 EUR each and can be purchased at any Shiseido counter.

Elégance Spring 2013

So one of the Japanese brands that hasn't been talked about a lot must be Elégance. Their spring 2013 collection caught my eye with the beautiful lip palette so I decided to explore the brand a little more.

Elégance Spring 2013

First I feel I must say that this brand is not cheap at all, and it's way up there with all the high end brands out there.
Elégance is originally a French fashion brand and like most French brands, their cosmetics are made and sold exclusively in Japan.

So let's get on with the products now. The 2 items I got from their spring collection are the Fabulous Rouge #07 lip palette and the Rouge Velnity #18 lipstick.

The case is made from a gold metal material and like most of the palettes, the Fabulous Rouge palettes have fake gems on them.

I personally don't dislike golden packaging but the gems make them look a bit tacky. But besides that, the material itself is very sturdy and quite shiny which means any fingerprints will  be noticable very quickly.

Fabulous Rouge #07 palette

The Fabulous Rouge #07 palette has the most gorgeous detailed patern I've ever seen so far and I was afraid that the patern might get ruined by using it.
I was a little confused at first since some people said it was a blush but on the Elégance website, it's mentionned under the lip products so my guess is that you can use it for both purposes.

And I was right, the white flowery designs will get swiped away and the interesting part is that it's clear and feels like a moisturizing balm on your lips.

So they are 3 'shades' in each Fabulous Rouge palette. Besides the white balmy shade, there is also a warm pink and a cool toned pink colour.
Both of pink shades are quite sheer and they look more like a gloss on the lips. A shiny finish and a waxy texture to ensure that it won't dry out your lips or to make it blend easily into the skin in case you want to use it as a blush.

The only downside of it that you would have to use your fingers to dig in the palette to use it for blush or lipstick (unless you don't mind carrying a lip brush with you all the time).

The Rouge Velnity #18 lipstick is a pretty cool pink with a hint of a fushia in it. No need to say the perfect colour for spring and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that these lipsticks are more pigmented than the Fabulous Rouge lip palette.

Feels very creamy and smooth without that slippery feeling. Probably not the most long wearing lipstick but then again I don't expect a lipstick to last all day without any touch ups.

Here are some swatches of both the Fabulous Rouge palette as the Rouge Velnity lipstick.

From L to R (indoor swatches):

Cool and warm pink colour of the Fabulous Rouge palette-

Rouge Velnity #18

Same swatches- outdoor lighting

And a quick lip swatch to show you how the Rouge Velnity #18 looks on my lips.

The Fabulous Rouge palette retails for 5250 Japanese Yen and the Rouge Velnity for 4200 Japanese Yen and can only be purchased in Japan or online at Ichibanckao.

Anyone tried these before? What are your thoughts about them?

Givenchy Le Rouge #301 Magnolia Organza

So I'll take back what I said about not reviewing lipsticks since there are so many formulas to try out, it's almost impossible not to try one out once and awhile.

One of them is the new Givenchy Le Rouge lipstick range that has recently came out.

I purchased 2 of them, # 301 Magnolia Organza  and #303 Corail Decollete but this review will be for the #301 Magnolia Organza. Maybe I'll review Corail Decollete another time.

Givenchy Le Rouge #301

Magnolia Organza

So Magnolia Organza is a pretty coral pinkish shade with a little hint of fushia. It's quite cool toned but brightens up my face.

Givenchy Le Rouge #301

First let's talk about the packaging. It's made out of a sleek black leather material combined with silver parts on the sides.
And the best most luxurious about it is that it has a little stud on the bottom of the tube. Yes that's correct... a freakin silver stud!

Texture feels very light and smooth on my lips, reminds me a bit of a silicony feel. Some people have mentionned they are simular to the Addiction cheek sticks but personally I find the Addiction cheek stick a bit drier.

It gives a pretty sheen to the lips but I wouldn't call it a satin finish, more like a natural semi-matte finish.

I'm well aware that this is becoming a lipstick blog but I find the new Givenchy lipsticks worth getting (if you don't mind the price tag) hence the little review.

There is only so much you can talk about when it comes to lipstick so I'll conclude this mini review with some comparison swatches.

From L to R (indoor swatches):

BITE Tart lip pencil, Givenchy L301, WetNWild Old School glam,

Giorgio Armani #503 lip Maestro

Same swatches in outdoor lighting.

The Givenchy Le Rouge lipsticks retail for  34,50 EUR/ $36 USD and can be purchased at any Givenchy counters.

 

BITE High Pigment Matte lip pencils

One of the trends that has been going on for the past few years must be the lip pencils. I'm not talking about lip liners or anything but lipstick in pencil form.

Lots of brands have jumped on the bandwagon by now but one of the first brands who started with this hype is probably BITE beauty with their Pigment Matte lip pencils and I'm sure most of you beauty addicts are not unfamiliar with them.

The ones I'll be talking about are Pomegrenade, Zinfandel and Tart.

I love the idea of carrying around a pencil instead of a bulky lipstick packaging (yes I'm looking at you Guerlain Rouge G aka tampon packaging!)

Easy and travel friendly and very light weight to begin with so couldn't be more happy about the packaging.

Texture is smooth and glides on your lips without any problems but I do have to mention I don't have dry lips to begin with. They don't feel drying on my lips and lasting power is excellent (lasted even through a light meal).

The BITE lip pencils aren't as creamy like the Addiction lip crayons (which I will be reviewing soon as well) and I wouldn't consider them moisturizing as well but all of that can be helped with a decent lip balm underneath.

From L to R: Pomegrenade- Zinfandel - Tart

Okay more about these shades that I own.

Pomegrenade is a blue based dark red shade and a must have for every red lipstick lover out there! The perfect easy to wear red to slap it on your lips whenever you have to go somewhere.

Zinfandel is a described as a 'electric' coral shade and I couldn't agree more! So vibrant and a must have for the upcoming spring/summer season!

Tart is the last one I got and I have been fascinated by this colour because it looks so different on people depending on the pigmentation of your lips.
So according to BITE beauty it's a soft cherry red shade but it doesn't look like that at all on me. I would call it a vibrant pinky red that definitely leans more pink than red on me.

Swatches from L to R: Tart - Zinfandel- Pomegrenade

Indoor lighting

Same swatches- outdoor lighting

Although BITE calls them matte lip pencils I don't feel that they are particularly matte since they do have a bit of a sheen to them on the lips (which I personally don't mind actually).

For those who are looking for something easy to wear and carry around, I highly suggest to look into these.

These BITE lip pencils retail for $24 USD/ $28 CAD each and can be purchased at Sephora. From the little that I known about BITE beauty is that it's originally a Canadian brand so there might be other places where you can find these.

Suqqu spring/summer 2013

The spring collections so far haven't really impressed me untill I saw the promo pictures of the Suqqu spring 2013! 

As a major Suqqu fan, I was immediately interested but since Suqqu isn't readily availble where I live, I wanted to see and know more about this collection because we all know how deceiving pictures can be.

After seeing some swatches I knew that I had to get the eyeshadow quads and the face palette that has been released for Suqqu's 10th anniversary.

So need to tell that I was squealing like a little girl beyond excited when I got this in my mailbox.

So the first thing that I'll be reviewing are the eyeshadow quads. I got all 3 of them and the most interesting about them is that some of them are duochrome shades! *gasp*

For those who are more familiar with Suqqu eyeshadows, this is quite unique for Suqqu and nothing simular has been ever released before by Suqqu.

From L to R: EX-11 Sumiredama, EX-12 Hisuidama, EX-13 Ginusudama

The first quad is EX-11 Sumiredama and probably the most popular one of the 3 spring palettes.

Suqqu EX-11 Sumiredama

A mix of a duochrome purple and bown shade, paired with a pretty fresh (and spring like) yellow and pink shades makes this palette a stunner.

Close up of Sumiredama

These kind of colours are right up my alley and I was pleasantly surprised how vibrant the duochrome shades are.
The only thing is that the yellow shade is very sheer and light so it looks almost white on me which is a shame really. I would like to have a more bolder and pigmented yellow which is something Suqqu hasn't made yet and would make the palette much more interesting to use.

All by all I'm not disappointed in this quad and will be using the crap out of this palette.
Here are some swatches to show what I was talking about concerning the yellow colour. I did my best to capture the complexity of the duochrome shades which wasn't as easy as I thought it would be.

Sumiredama swatches- indoor lighting

Same Sumiredama swatches- outdoor lighting

Next quad is EX-12 which goes by the name 'Hisuidama' and caught my eye immediately because of bright green and pink shades which makes this palette perfect for spring.

Suqqu EX-12 Hisuidama

And the hard core Suqqu fans out there probably already saw that this quad looks very familiar to another one that has been released before.... yes I'm talking about EX-08 'Hanamari' which was originally Japan exclusive but has been released in the UK after all.

Close up of EX-12 Hisuidama

The main difference between Hisuidama and Hanamari is the duochrome brown shade that really makes this palette in my humble opinion. Also the pink shade in Hisuidama is lighter and more wearable compared to the one in Hanamari.

As usual the lighter shades are a bit more sheer compared to the the darker ones which will make a beautiful contrast when you want to apply them on your eyelid.

Hisuidama swatches- indoor lighting

Same Hisuidama swatches - outdoor lighting

And finally last but not least the last quad is EX-13 and is called 'Ginusudama'. The most neutral one of the 3 I guess but nonetheless still absolutely gorgeous!

Suqqu EX- 13 Ginusudama

The dark duochrome metalic greyish taupe colour is to die for and probably the most unique shade of all the 3 Suqqu palettes!

When I first saw the pictures of Ginusudama, I was hesitant to get it but now I'm glad I did. I don't have anything simular in my stash and this would be make a great everyday neutral palette.

Close up of EX- 13 Ginusudama

Some swatches to show off the complexity of the shades.

Ginusudama swatches- indoor lighting

Same Ginusudama swatches- outdoor lighting

Now the cherry on the cake may I present to you the Suqqu EX-02 face palette that has been released to celebrate the brand's 10th anniversary.

Suqqu EX-02 Face palette

This palette consist of a highlighting powder and a stunning coral peach blush.

The left side of the palette is inspired by a vintage pearl necklace and the embossed pearl pattern and is meant to create a pearly glow to the skin. It illuminates well and adds a subtle brightening sheen to the skin.
Because it doesn't contain any shimmer you can use it all over your face as well but be sure to use a light hand to create a natural effect.

Close up of the Suqqu EX-02 face palette

The right side of the palette is meant to be used as a blusher. The coral peach shade will bring a natural flush to your cheeks while adding a glow. The blush last for a good 4-5 hours and is incredibly pigmented. It does contain very tiny subtle shimmer but doesn't translate on the skin and the colour will suite almost any skintone.

EX-02 Face palette swatches- indoor lighting

Same EX-02 Face palette swatches- outdoor lighting

They also released 3 new Creamy Glow Moist lipsticks which I skipped due to the sheerness of the texture.
Suqqu will also be releasing a new foundation soon (somewhere in March) and it's the nex Frame Fix N liquid foundation which is suppose to be more dewey than the regular Frame Fix foundation range.

All of these products are limited edition so I suggest not to wait too long if you still want to get your hands on it.

The quads retail for £45 GBP each and the Face palette for £50 GBP and can be purchased at any Suqqu counter in Thailand, Japan and the UK (Selfridges).
Some online webshops like Ichibankao sell it too but beware of the marked up prices.