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Rituals Sophisticated Beauty Set + Giveaway!

Hello everyone! I know it’s been a while since the last time I posted, but life happened and it took me a while to get back. On Friday I received my Rituals prize (I won it on their twitter), so I figured this would be a perfect time to come back and post some swatches of products we don’t really see a lot out there.

Wondering how I won this set? Or maybe not, but anyway… :D Rituals had a giveaway on their twitter account asking for our best makeup tips, and I was one of the winners. I won the Sophisticated Beauty Set which contained seven products in total: Cheek & Eye Glow in Peach, Duo Eyeshadow in Gold & Dark Brown, lipsticks in Candy Pink and Pink Coral, lipgloss in Peach Pink and Intense Color Eye Pencil in shades Bronze Taupe and Black.

I had to immediately swatch these products because I haven’t used anything from Rituals in a while (I’m talking about makeup, not skincare since I’m using their skincare on a regular basis). I know these photos look a bit blurry and I’m sorry about that, but I think you’ll survive. ;) Anyway, let’s take a look at swatches and at the end of the post you can find a tiny giveaway and win something from this set :)

Cheek & Eye Glow – shade Peach
Price: 275 SEK / $34 / €28.50
Amount: 9 grams

Intense Color Eye Pencil – shades Bronze Taupe (left), Black (right)
Price: 100 SEK / $12.27 / €10
Amount: 0.35 g

Lipgloss – shade Peach Pink
Price: 135 SEK / $16,5 / €14
Amount: 5 ml

Duo Eyeshadow – shade Gold & Dark Brown
without eyeshadow base (left) / with Too Faced Shadow Insurance eyeshadow base (right)
Price: 215 SEK / $26 / €22
Amount: 1 gram
Comment: this is a really pricey eyeshadow! Only 1 gram of product?! Wow! Don’t remember the last time I came across such an expensive eyeshadow (I always compare the price with the amount I’m getting).

Giveaway

As you maybe noticed, I haven’t swatched the lipsticks I got. That’s because these colours aren’t my cup of tea and I figured I’d rather give them away to someone who maybe likes these colours.

There are two shades and if you’d like to win one, simply leave a comment down below and tell me which shade you’d like to win:

  • Candy Pink (black packaging), or
  • Pink Coral (golden packaging)

This giveaway is open worldwide. Two winners will be picked randomly. Winners will be contaced by e-mail and they have to reply back to me in 48 hours. Giveaway ends Friday, October 6 at 23:59 (CEST).

What are your thoughts on these products?

Vesna ♥

New In | ColourPop (First Impressions & Swatches)

Now that my exams are finally over, I can get back to posting! I decided to start this week with my first ColourPop order; I’ll share my thoughts on the brand, first impressions and swatches!

So, I’ve been wanting to order something from ColourPop since forever (!) and I finally did so last month when they had free shipping on all orders (no minimum). I’m very pleased when it comes to how fast my order was processed, everything came in perfect condition and it took only a week or so before the package was in my hands. Unfortunately, I had to pay some additional costs since this was a package from a non-EU country (I’m in Sweden) so, in the end, it wasn’t really that cheap, but I’ll live. :D

Products I ordered:

  • lippie stix in shades: Lumiere, Bichette, Back Up and LBB (all vegan)
  • Super Shock Shadow in shade Cricket (vegan)

Lippie Stix

The product I was mostly interested in was Lippie Stix because I’ve read so many good reviews and I just wanted to try them for myself. Well, I can definitely say that I am impressed with their pigmentation, the colours on lips are true to those in the packaging. Matte shades – LBB, Lumiere, Bichette – do have a drier texture and have a sticky feeling after application. The last shade, Back Up, has a matte X finish and it is completely different from matte finish because it has this waxy formula and it’s so nice and creamy on lips. It’s also the only shade that looks completely matte on my lips. The downside of these is that they all have a weird scent that reminds me of wax crayons. I don’t know if it is something that’s typical for Lippie Stix in general or it is something that depends on the shade. Another thing – LBB stains my lips (I just can’t remove it, LOL). I don’t see this as an issue, but someone might.

Lippie Stix cost $5 / 43 SEK / €4.44 and you get 1 gram of product. I have to say I was surprised that they contain only 1 gram of product. It was my fault though, I assumed they contain the average amount, like 3 grams of product or so, but they don’t. I should’ve checked before I placed my order. Anyway, that’s why I think their claims as being an affordable and cheap brand are actually misleading. You pay less, yes, but you get less, too. :D For reference, Wet n Wild lipsticks cost $2.49 and you get 3,3 grams of product! THAT is a cheap and affordable brand.

Super Shock Shadow in Cricket (ultra-glitter)

When it comes to the eye shadow, I don’t really have much to say besides that I end up having glitter all over my face when I apply it. It is a nice colour though and you do get a proper amount of product for the price you pay – $5 / 43 SEK / €4.44 for 2.1 gram of product. I think this shouldn’t be applied on it own but rather on top of a dark base like black or purple pencil. Will try that this week, I finally have some time to play with new looks. The texture is soft and smooth with good color payoff. Oh yeah, the thing that I really dislike about this product is the packaging – unnecessarily too big.

Conclusion

Overall, I am pleased with my order, but I won’t be placing another one. Even though ColourPop has nice products, I don’t think I’m willing to pay extra costs for products that contan only 1 gram of product. Another thing that really bugs me is that I’ve read so many posts on blogs and reddit about how their customer service is bad and that is just unaceptable.

Photos & Swatches


l-r: Back Up, Bichette, Lumiere, LBB


l-r: Lumiere, Bichette, Back Up, LBB and Cricket

What are your thoughts on ColourPop?

Vesna ♥

Review | Rouge Bunny Rouge Original Skin Blush – Gracilis

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One of my favourite products lately is my first blush from Rouge Bunny Rouge in shade Gracilis, lovely medium rose shade with a hint of mauve. According to Rouge Bunny Rouge, this shade is best suited for pale, cool complexions. I’m not pale, more like light to medium, but I do have cool undertones and this shade is definitely suitable for my complexion.

This is how they describes their blushes:

“Original Skin Blush blends with a sheer, melting touch for a naturally luminous silky glow. (…) Innovative powders entwine with your skin to preserve perfection all day long. Result is ‘your skin but better’ effect; you’ll wonder how you blushed before.”

As all other Rouge Bunny Rouge products I’ve tried so far, even this product has this nice and soft formula that blends on its own. Additionally, ‘your skin but better’ description is completely appropriate since this blush really is just that.  My skin tends to look quite dull and tired, especially lately, but a bit of CC cream in combination with this blush does wonders for me. And not only is this blush looking lovely, it is long lasting, too! Rouge Bunny Rouge claims this blush lasts all day long, and, well, it does! I usually apply it early in the morning and by the time I get home – 12 hours later – it is still there! This blush comes in a simple black packaging with a mirror on the inside. It contains 5.5 grams of product and it costs €31. Another thing that impressed me, along with the quality, is the lovely pattern on the blush itself. I almost felt bad for “destroying” it, but it would be a shame not to use such a lovely shade. ♥

Rouge Bunny Rouge blush comes in five shades and that might seem a bit odd, especially today when brands offer so many shades and different types of products (blush in a stick, cream blushes, and so on). On one hand, I wished there were a few more shades, but then again, I’m glad that Rouge Bunny Rouge isn’t one of those brands that comes out with many collections/products/shades each year and who basically push you into buying more and more products (especially if it’s limited edition and you feel like you might miss something if you don’t buy it right away). Not sure if that was their intention from the beginning, but I really like how they are sustainable and how they take their time to launch new shades/products. :)

Here is my swatch, but I’ll be taking a photo of the blush on my cheeks this weekend; I finally have a bit of time for that.

photo rouge-bunny-rouge-blush-gracilis01_zpsjubejqvx.jpg

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Have you tried any of their blush shades? :)

Ingredients: TALC, ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINTE, MICA, MYRYSTYL TRISILOXANE, C26-54 ALKYL TETRADECYL DIMETHICONE, LAURYL LACTATE, DIMETHICINE, GLYCINE SOJA OIL, ZINC STERATE, OCTYLDODECYL STEAROYL STERATE, HYDROGENATED POLYDECENE TRIMETHYLOLPROPANE TRIISOSTEARATE, CHLORPHENESIN, OCTYLDODECANOL, POTASSIUM SORBATE, TETRASODIUM EDTA, PHYLLANTHUS EMBLICA EKTRACT, PHENOXYETHANOL, AQUA, LAURYL METHACRYLATE/GLYCOL DIMETHACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, DICAPRYLIETHER, SODIUM GLUCONATE, ALGAE, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM CITRATE, WALTHERIA INDICA, FERULIC ACID, POLYGLYCERYL-2 DIPOLYHYDROXYSTEARATE; (+/-): CI 7789l, C 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77007, CI 77510, CI 75470, CI 15850, CI 73360, CI 19149, CI 42090

Suitable for vegans: No.
Where to buy? online
Price: €31

Vesna ♥

Review | Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Ash Brown

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It took me a really long time to finally purchase the well known Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade, and once I finally did, I kept asking myself: “Why on earth haven’t I purchased this product ages ago?!”. I don’t have any good reason, to be honest, I guess I was just trying to convince myself I don’t need any other product as long as I have Illamasqua Brow Powder in shade Gaze. That was, obviously, not true because as soon as I got Dipbrow Pomade, I stopped using Gaze. Well, I guess I needed the change since I was using Gaze for at least 6 years and it is (was?) my holy grail product. Until now.

I guess you’ve already seen Dipbrow Pomade all over the internet, so it’s not like I’ll be saying anything new. I’ll simply start by saying that, if you’ve been on the fence about buying it, well, just buy it because I don’t think you’ll regret it. You might, though, if you get the wrong shade, but that’s something else and not related to the quality of the product. And, since I mentioned the quality, let me tell you that everything about this product is simply superb – it is highly pigmented, waterproof, incredibly long-lasting and so easy to apply (you can easily go from ‘barely there’ brows to ‘strongly outlined’ brows). I love the packaging, too – it comes in a glass jar with a screw-on lid. The jar contains 4 grams of product, a decent amount that will last me at least 6 months, but probably more.

I purchased the shade Ash Brown because I prefer cool toned brow shades, which are, if you ask me, really hard to find. Even Dipbrow Pomade has mostly warm toned/too dark brown shades, but this one is really good for cool toned/ashy brows (like mine). I would, though, prefer if it was a bit more ashy since Gaze is quite ashy and I guess I’m just used to it, but it looks good on my brows either way. I apply it with an angled brush (usually ecotools) or Anastasia Beverly Hills #12 (#12 brush is actually Dipbrow Pomade brush, but you can use any angled brush, just make sure it’s clean).

Anyway, to make the long story short, this is a product that you do need in your life. Or, to be more precise, your brows do. ;) I’ve been using it all the time for the past two months, and I really doubt I’ll buy anything else instead of it. I really don’t think anyone could make anything better than this.

photo anastasia-beverly-hills-dipbrow-pomade-ash-brown02_zpsliv2ij56.jpg

photo anastasia-beverly-hills-dipbrow-pomade-ash-brown03_zpsvruphrzi.jpg

I’m wearing Ash Brown in this photo, applied quite lightly since I prefer light application. I think it shapes my brows really nicely. ♥

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Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Isododecane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Silica, Polyethylene, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Ozokerite/Synthetic Wax, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Mica, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propylparaben, May Contain/Peut Contenir: (+/-) Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163)
Suitable for vegans? Yes
Where to buy? here or here (and many other websites); if you are in Sweden, you can get it at Kicks and Åhléns
Price: 255 SEK / 28$ (I know it’s cheaper online or in other countries, but this is the price in Sweden

Vesna ♥

Mini Review | Rouge Bunny Rouge Raw Garden Eye Shadow Palette – Caliche

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Last month I got my hands on a few products from Rouge Bunny Rouge, and one of them was this lovely eye shadow palette called Caliche. At the moment, Rouge Bunny Rouge has only two different palettes, but I do hope they will come out with more shades in the future. In the meantime, I’ll share my thoughts on Caliche which I’ve used a few times.

Let me start by saying how RBR eye shadows have one of the best formulas out there. Well, at least that’s my opinion. They are so silky and buttery. They basically blend without any additional effort – you don’t need to try hard to blend the shades because they do that for you. All you need is a brush. Caliche has the same formula, but I have the feeling like the formula is somehow even better. Not sure how is that even possible, but it really is – extremely soft and gentle formula with a bit of discreet shine that you don’t see until it’s applied on the eyelids. If I had to use an adjective to describe these eye shadows, for some reason fragile / delicate comes to my mind. Since the formula is a bit specific, the pigmentation is different as well – it’s much softer and not so much “in your face”. Caliche isn’t for those who prefer strong pigment, it’s rather for those who want certain colours in a softer form. I prefer to wear these colours on those days when I want to quickly define my eyes and get that soft, misted look. Another thing that I love about these shades is that they are cool toned, which makes me especially happy since lately I’ve been seeing mostly warm toned eye shadow palettes.

The packaging is definitely exquisite. Unfortunately, I have no photos of it, even though I tried to take some, but it’s impossible to show you how interesting it is. I think I’ll make a short video where you’ll be able to see how it looks like. When it comes to the packaging of the palette itself, I love how there is some sort of magnetic mechanism which makes it a lot easier to open the lid (hate it when I basically have to break my nails in order to open a product, LOL). Additionally, there is a mirror in the size of the lid which might be useful on the go. The only thing I don’t like, is the fact that eye shadows aren’t separated – they don’t come in their own pans. For now, that’s not an issue, but it might be in the future once I hit the pan and try to scoop the very last bit of a certain shade.

The price of this product is on the higher end – it costs €59 / $63 / 560 SEK. It contains 7 grams of product in total, which is 1,75 grams per eye shadow, and that’s €14.75 / $15,75 / 140 SEK per eye shadow. Personally, I am a fan of their eye shadows and I think they’re totally worth the price.

All in all, I’m satisfied with my purchase, but to be honest, I didn’t think it would be any different. I just know that I always get the best quality with Rouge Bunny Rouge products and I always know what to expect from them. So far, I’ve never been disappointed and I hope our mutual love will last…
As I mentioned above, the formula is one of the best out there, they apply like a dream and they last for many hours on my eyelids without any primer.

photo rouge-bunny-rouge-caliche02_zpsnibejjdc.jpg

photo rouge-bunny-rouge-caliche03_zpssuwumppi.jpg
swatches without primer, photo taken in natural daylight (unfortunately, they look so poorly pigmented on my photo, but I think it has to do with the formula which is, as I said, really delicate in a way; would be nice if you could try it for yourself)

Ingredients: TALC, NYLON-12, MICA, DIMETHICONE, HYDROGENATED POLYISOBUTENE, DIMETHICONEOL STEARATE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, PHENOXYETHANOL, HEXYLENE GLYCOL, ARGANIA SPINOSA KERNEL OIL, AQUA (WATER), BENZYL ALCOHOL, DEHYDROACETIC ACID, SODIUM HYALURONATE, [+/-]: CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE), CI 77491 (IRON OXIDES), CI 77492 (IRON OXIDES), CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES), CI 77007 (ULTRAMARINES), CI 75470 (CARMINE)
Suitable for vegans? No (one or more eye shadows contain carmine)
Where to buy? online
Price? €59

Vesna ♥