... aucuparia-brumalis... has moved!

This will be my last post on blogspot.com.
I moved to http://aucupariabrumalis.wordpress.com/.
This means I will loose google friend connect but I hope to see you on wordpress.com as well :)
Claire ~

Summer Nails

Since I am quite addicted to nail polishes lately, here are my latest picks so far. Summer nails are not only brights and pastels to me, I like wearing a nice deep colour paired with a white dress or something mint green for example. Red is a staple in my nail polish routine, therefore, at least one red nail polish had to be swatched!

As you can see, this post is quite brand limited. I discovered an amazing cheap nail polish brand and I am more than impressed (not all colours are evenly good though).

Zoya is one of my staple nail polish buys, I always find a colour I love there and I really like the quality. Above are all colours from their Surf collection plus Wednesday from their Beach collection. I love every.single.colour! Myrta looks amazing on my toes with white wedges (actually, I was a bit scared of this colour, I thought it would be too bright, too orange). Kimber and Wednesday are my most worn so far.

Since I forgot to take here and there a pic of my nails while wearing a certain colour, I just took closeup pics of every colour applied on my nails. If I had to choose my favourite colour, it would be Kimber (ok, and Wednesday).

Now, Kiko, has a variety of shades to choose from. Their cream finishes are a bit tricky and can go on streaky (you just have to use a thick layer and problem solved). Those are my favourite drugstore nail polishes (just for reference, I don't like Catrice, Essence, etc.). The staying power is about four days (tipwear starts to show up then, no chipping though). Two coats are a must (sheerer finishes up to four coats). Their darker, vampy shades are fenomenal (finish, maintenance) and can stand the pace with most high end nail polishes. I wish they had names instead of numbers.

221 - three coats, sheer, slightly metallic finish, champagne

216 - three coats, quite sheer, visible sparkles, very light pink with some mauve undertone

389 - two coats, cream, no shimmer, pastel teal

359 - two coats, cream, no shimmer, pastel peach

Nubar Cozumel Coral - four coats, gel, no shimmer, bright coral

239 - two coats, no shimmer, true red

286 - two coats, no shimmer, very deep wine red

Nubar Cozumel Coral, is actually my first Nubar nail polish. I don't really like the texture nor feel of this particular colour. It is very sheer and even after four coats it still has not enough coverage and looks very uneven. Since I like the colour a lot, I will try to make it work for me. I like gel finishes, Kanebo Lunasol makes one of the nicest so far.

As mentioned above, Kiko creams can be difficult to apply. 239 and 286 have the best texture, coverage and are oh so easy to use!

The brush is quite long and wide (not as wide as YSL and Dior), it's made of synthetic bristles, no high end quality here but for that price I don't expect it to be. It is also not as thick as YSL's or Dior's brush (which I find, is just easier to use, and in my opinion, Dior makes the best brush). I can say, I like it better than Chanel's brush for sure. I think, Zoya's textures work very good with their brush but Chanel would work just easier with a wider brush.

If you have the chance to try Kiko nail polishes, it's worth it. Their price-performance ratio is fenomenal.

Ellis Faas Glazed Lips L306 & L307

Ellis Faas is a quite well established brand nowadays. I remember the first youtube videos which featured Ellis Faas products, they seemed niche and an insiders' tip. I am more than contented to see a high level of attention this brand attained within the past years. Human Colours inspired hues are the key to a successful implemented concept: colours that suit every skintone.

Ellis Faas features a lot of brown and yellow based (liquid) lipsticks but the corals in this range are brighter and different, thus they deserve a special mention.

The high shine silver bullet pens contain 2.8 ml/.095 US fl oz of high quality product. Glazed Lips are neither a liquid lipstick nor a sheer gloss, they are something in between. They provide a level of opacity which is still transparent enough to be a gloss.

The idea of a click pen applicator is very handy but sometimes can state a problem (after two times twisting no product came out but after three times there was a blob of glazed lips on my table). That's my only complaint though.

The lip formulation is very creamy yet let the natural lipcolour shine though. Glazed Lips can last up to three hours, worn off they leave a slightly waxy and moisturizing stain without settling into liplines. All lip products are paraben free and contain Vitamin E. They are never sticky nor move.

L306 is a orange coral, L307 is a peachy coral, both, without any shimmer. I used three swipes for the swatches above.

Sheered out they appear more vibrant. Both colours seem very similar but are not once applied on lips (L306 is more orange, L307 more peachy).

Overall, I am in love with the formulation and concept, Glazed Lips is my favourite texture out of those three (Milky Lips, Creamy Lips). I also have some reds from this line, which are a far superior addition to everyone's collection. If you love corals or soft, tinted peachy lips, those two Glazed Lips are definetly for you. Ellis Faas lip products are a staple in my routine by now and I can't say anything negative about them (beside the packaging but still, it's nothing awefully adverse).

Suqqu Creamy Glow #17 Ichijiku

This is another Suqqu product I absolutely fell in love with. Ichijiku 無花果  means fig (unlike Becca's Beach Tint in Fig, this colour doesn't look muddy or unspectacular on my skintone, rather thrilling).

The packaging is sleek, really well made and, well, black (Suqqu's reds - Karakurenai and Ichijiku - always remind me of a little black dress actually). 

Ichijiku is a deep brown based red in the tube, once applied it transforms into a deep red. The sheerer it is applied the more fig-like it looks, surprisingly, after I swiped off my swatches, it had an almost hibiscus like colour transformation (on my tissue) and looked very close to Burberry Hibiscus, just deeper.

picture source

Creamy Glow, that's what this lipstick is. It feels like coloured butter (I only used one swipe for my swatches, the colour payoff and creaminess is fenomenal). The staying power is about two to three hours on me, however, it leaves a soft stain. I wouldn't suggest applying this colour straight from the tube (I had to use a lipbrush to achieve a perfect, clear line on my lips). It is not slippery but the lipstick end is too big for me. The formula is very hydrating and doesn't accentuate any liplines, I don't need any lipbalm underneath.

I do see some yellow in there as well once applied. Flash pic was taken to show how buttery, opaque and reflective Ichijiku is. It almost looks like a liquid lipstick. It doesn't contain any shimmer or sparkles. I do have some other colours from this line and all are creamy-fluffy-butter-with-hint-of-sheen-and-awesomness.

Fondant

Inspired by this picture, I rummaged a bit in my makeup collection and choose some fondant inspired colours for eyes, cheeks and lips.

source

Shiseido already has a colour named Fondant (GR222) and Fyrinnae recently has released some cupcake colours but I found it quite challenging to find some pastel, soft fondant colours in my collection (eyeshadow). Chanel Lilium is a hit every summer, the baked formula needs to be applied wet imo, I don't have any problems with pigmentation then (I think I am one of the few that really like those baked nuggets).

It was quite easy to find some fondant blushers though. I find every colour (as long as it isn't muddy or too brown based) works for me quite well. Shu Uemura M345 is a staple the second it was released. Jill Stuart has one of my favourite blushers (as long as they aren't too shimmery). Illamasqua Katie was one of my first blushers I got back in the days, when I was starting out with makeup.

I am not a fan of pastel colours on my lips (but I am still looking for the perfect baby pink). I have choosen some summer pinks and red pinks though. Lavshuca PK-1 was a gift from a lovely friend (very thoughtful, RD-1 was on my wish list for quite long). Well, my Guerlain Rouge Automatique broke during the I-have-to-swatch-it phase (it was quite humid and hot today but still, why? oh why? *sobs*).

Shiseido Fondant is way more complex irl, it has some luminescent golden shimmers (that sadly didn't show up here). Jill Stuart Strolling Bee and Lantana Honey may become my new favourite blushers. Soft, pigmented and  I can mix my own shade (more pink, more pastel, more orange, etc.) . Fyrinnae provides a quite well balanced variety of pastel, complex colours. Rapunzel Had Extensions is one of my most worn colours lately.

I couldn't choose my favourite colour here, the sheerest is Lavshuca RD-1 (still visible on my lips), the most pigmented is Burberry Primrose Hill (I was hunting this colour since it was released ... and always sold out, have to say, all the waiting was worth it!).

Suqqu Kakitsubata vs Konruri

Suqqu Kakitsubata was a staple in my make up routine and one of my favourite palettes. I can't believe I purged this beauty (I had my five wild minutes, I guess), well, after hearing it is going to be discontinued, I am very glad I could still grab one (actually ... thank you so much lovely UK friend for helping me out!). 

I wasn't that much interested in Konruri but when the first swatches popped up a new lemming was born. I was very curious about the deep blue colour and if Konruri actually is a dupe? Or even better? Or maybe even a dead loss?

Just from looking at those palettes I prefer Kakitsubata but when swatched, Konruri is a) no dupe and b) way prettier than expected and much more complex looking.

The base colour is a milky white, matte (less yellow looking irl)
The champagne colour contains tiny, iridescent peach and silver shimmer.
The warm, medium bronze contains warm golden shimmer, very sparse.
The deep navy blue contains very tiny and sparse pink and blue sparkles, satin.

Surpsrisingly, I feel like Suqqu's new released palettes have a slightly better texture, smoother and some colours almost appear wet. The dark navy blue in Kakitsubata is drier and not as pigmented as Konruri's deep ocean blue.

The base colour is a very light pink, matte.
The warm, orange champagne colour contains orange copper, warm gold shimmer and sparse light green sparkles.
The taupe contains light green, light red orange and champagne shimmer (feels so creamy!).
The purple based medium blue (looks lighter in pics and much more blue toned) contains mermaid green/blue shimmer and sparse light green sparkles.
The deep ocean blue contains very sparse pink red, medium blue and green sparkles.

Konruri's two wonderful blue shades look very complex in real life. The medium blue is way more purple (mermaid purple blue?) and deeper. I wish I could have catched a bit of sunlight  to show the iridescent base those colours have.

side by side comparison

comparison swatches

Overall, Kakitsubata is warmer than Konruri, neither a dupe nor worse, just different. I have to admit, that my side by side pictures are not the best, I tried to catch the exact colour but it just didn't work out, my cam is old *pets* and without sunlight it kinda takes weird close ups. I hope, I could at least show the difference though.

Konruri is a great addition to my Suqqu palettes I already have. What's a bit disappointing though, the taupe is very very close to Himesango's taupe, since Suqqu will release more palettes, I wish a bit more variation when it comes to all the browns and taupes. I haven't really reviewed the texture and brushes but you can find a detailed review here.

Gel Liners Comparison: MAC, Maybelline, Bobbi Brown, Kate, YSL

Beeing a huge fan of liner ... any colour and shape, I was looking for my Holy Grail (yes, I found my personal HG gel liner aka life safer aka perfect wing and no smudging). It was quite adventerous, because finding a HG doesn't mean the colours from this brand are to die for or outstanding.

MAC Avenue: dark blackened brown with gold shimmer, medium creamy
MAYBELLINE Black Gold: black based moss green with warm golden and peach shimmer, medium creamy leaning dry
Bobbi Brown Caviar Ink: very dark, cool toned black brown, dry texture
KATE BK-1: deep black, very creamy
YSL Cherry Black: a blackened purple with pink shimmer (which makes the colour almost metallic looking), creamy

I also swatched YSL Jade Black, because this shade is tdf, look at this green, it is even more opaque irl and just amazing once applied (my favourite colour so far).

Now onto testing:

All gel liners were applied with Maybelline's liner brush (not liking this brush at all but it's good for swatching, it gives those nice wide strokes I don't want to have on my eyes though *ahem*). After waiting for about 6 (or more) minutes I rubbed those strokes with a q-tip (hardcore testing here, no one will rub their eye with a q-tip, right?), as you can see YSL and Maybelline budged a bit (I tried rubbing again after 10 minutes and only the shimmer from Maybelline moved. If applied too much, you just have to wait a bit longer with YSL). Right after my q-tip rubbing attack I used a wet q-tip ... YSL and Maybelline again *sigh*, I tried this method again after about 10 minutes and only Maybelline budged a bit and loosed some shimmer. YSL stayed put, however, BB loosed some colour, even when I waited longer and tried again. Now, the oil q-tip attack. No gel liner really survived but KATE fought untill the end. MAC, Maybelline and BB were very easily removable, YSL has done well but nothing like KATE. After I took pics I poured tap water over my arm: KATE, YSL and BB hadn't smudged, Maybelline and MAC loosed some shimmer. I rubbed my wettened arm with a napkin ... only KATE was visible, YSL and BB hold up quite well (BB loosed its colour bit sooner than YSL though), MAC and Maybelline almost disappeared.

The winner is definetly KATE (and the cheapest), it's creamy, dries fast and lasts all day long. Silver goes to YSL, I have to wait bit longer till it dries but other than that it lasts all day, no smudging or budging on me (bare in mind: dry lids here). BB is a bit drying on me but still, it deserves bronze. Not a huge fan of MAC or Maybelline, nothing wrong with them but this 'I loose here and there some shimmer' attitude is quite annoying, no smudging or budging here either on my lids but I am afraid touching my eyes (well, I have allergies and sometimes I just need to touch them), I want to feel good while wearing liner, even when it starts to rain.

Stay tuned for a huge Japanese Liquid Liner Comparison post soon and see what happenes when Aucuparia attacks with a q-tip.

RMS Beauty lip2cheek Smile & Rapture

I have a weakness for cream blushers since I started with make up, having dry skin hasn't helped me at the beginning, almost all brands were a big fail: accentuated dry patches, uneveness are not the resluts I wanted. After complaining a lot a lovely friend recommended RMSBeauty lip2cheek.

I love everything about those small beauties: the packaging is sleek but nothing exciting. It's more important what's inside ... heaven beauty of creaminess.

Smile is a coral without any shimmer or glitter. Rapture is a brown based deep red (again, without any Edward Cullen admixture). The staying power is about four to five hours on me, then the colour starts to fade but is still visible. The finish is more than demi matte but not dewy on me. Those lip2cheek creams never set (and I have sahara skin). The application was a dream (not as nice as my Addiction cheek sticks but better than any other cream product I've used). Lip2cheeks are very creamy (they feel like a moisturizing lipbalm), apply even and smooth, without accentuating my dry patches.

The colours in this line remind me a lot of Ellis Faas. A lot of yellow and brown based colours, some reds and corlas. Also I find Ellis Faas has more variety when it comes to shades but RMSBeauty is an organic company after all and I understand that they just won't use some specific ingredients or synthetic colours. I still hope they will release some nice shades in future, because it's so hard to find a moisturizing cream product (for really dry skin).

paper swatches to show true colour

Since those little pots can be used on lips as well, I already experimented a bit with colour mixing. The first product that actually feels like heaven on my cheeks and lips (non drying, etc). I want one more colour and can't decide between Promise and Modest but hope to finally make a decision *sigh*.

RMSBeauty definetly got my attention and they have some more products I am interested in, I think you can expect some more reviews soon (their cream eyeshadows seem lovely btw).

Liebster Blog

The lovely and beautiful Driveller Kate nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award. Not only I feel honored and touched but I would like to thank you all for supporting my baby beauty corner. Thank you so much Kate, your kind words made my day.

I copied the info from Kate's page where I was awarded:

The Liebster Blog is an award which is given to up and coming bloggers with fewer than 200 followers which deserve some recognition and support to keep blogging. Because frankly, blogging is not an easy thing to do and it's nice to be appreciated and supported by your fellow bloggers!

The rules:

Link the person who gave you the award in your post.

Put the award in your post.

Choose 5 blogs with under 200 followers to recieve the award.

Let them know you awarded them.

My Nominations:

Laitarium - she is one of the sweetest bloggers out there, she is just starting out but I am already convinced to follow her eye of beauty. 

Tracy's Beauty Blogsphere - Tracy's reviews have been a staple for a long long time. She makes everything look so perfect and her latest review made me look at burberry eyeshadows again *sigh*.

Cosmetic Cravings - Victoria has a great taste, I love her pictures and swatches. Her reviews are always very detailed and her hits and misses posts are a lemming killer *some $$$ saved, thank you*.

Barefoot Ambisiosa - her intelligent and very informative reviews are very helpful, her brush reviews make me think that I need more ... more of everything. I like the fact, that she is reviewing a lot of different brands.

Kat's Cosmetics - Kat was and is my liner guru, I always had problems with my liner and her EOTDs were and are an inspiration to me. After practising a lot with her pictures in front of me, I can not thank her enough *thank you*, I am wearing liner almost every day now <3.

Addiction Lady of the Lake

I am addicted to red lipsticks, this beeing said, I sometimes need more variety when it comes to undertone, etc. More warm, cool, pink, blue, purple ... or vampy. I am over my goth phase *ahem* but still lionise a good vampy lipstick (which I consider both classic and vintage not alone goth).

Addiction Lady of the Lake incarnates the beauty of a distinguished and harmonic preludium between beeing a vamp and classic.

Claude Monet's Impression, Sunrise reflects the atmosphere this lipstick exudes, not only the shade is seductive but also the name Lady of the Lake (which actually is a legend) is encased by a mysterious aura.

The black packaging is simple but yet sleek and classic. The colour is a deep purple raspberry. It looks more purple in the tube but once applied it changes its undertone into more raspberry (but still with some purple). The texture is demi mat with a slightly, almost non visible glossy finish. The pimentation is opaque (very opaque), I only need one swipe for my swatches. The staying power is fenomenal, after three hours it starts to fade and leaves a beautiful stain.

The colour, when sheered out, looks awesome as a blush (I had to be very careful, it's so crazy pigmented and opaque). It gives me this vintage feeling (hello there 20s) *dreamz*.