Beekman 1802 Facial Wipes- Review and Eco-friendly Option

Beekman 1802 is a company I discovered late last year. I was in a little boutique and saw that they had a mineral facial sunscreen (their sunscreen review to come). As I'm always on the hunt for sunscreen that won't completely ruin my skin, I looked into this brand some more. Beekman 1802 is a cruelty-free brand that is all about their star ingredient- goat's milk which they include in just about everything they sell. Goat’s milk is high in lactic acid which is both exfoliating and moisturizing for skin. 

The 1802 part of the name is from the year 1802, that the farm that the goats currently reside in was originally built. Beekman is after the original owners of the farm. However, what attracted me to Beekman 1802 is that on further research I found out how well formulated their products are and the quality of their ingredients.  They also really focus on the treating everyone as if they are one of their neighbours which I like the idea of. A little kindness and respect go a long way.

One of the items I picked up from Beekman 1802 is their facial wipes. I can already hear some of you screaming- facial wipes aren't eco-friendly! For the most part I agree with you, but Beekman 1802 has gone above and beyond in my opinion and created an eco-friendly option for facial wipes. 

These facial wipes are biodegradable and come in a recyclable package. Which makes me very happy as these would be hard to give up.

I tend to only use facial wipes in either desperate straits and/or to remove my makeup before I wash my face for the night. It makes it so that I actually sort of double cleanse my skin. They aren't an everyday thing, but I do use them. I know they aren't the best environmentally speaking but these at least are making a lesser impact. I figure it’s every little bit that counts. These are great after a long day at school or work and you just want to remove your make-up quickly but not do your whole face routine. They are lovely as they remove make-up well but are gentle enough to use even around the eyes.

Not only do these work, they also smell AMAZING. I've tried two of their scents in the wipes the Honeyed Grapefruit and the Vanilla Absolute and they are both so wonderful. I often just close my eyes and breathe in the smell of them before or after I use the wipe. 

Honeyed Grapefruit is my favourite of the two, to me it exactly embodies grapefruit that has been broiled in the oven with honey drizzled on top (if you've never tried it, I highly recommend that as a snack, so yum). Juicy and sweet and just wonderful. Vanilla Absolute is lovely too with an excellent not overly sweet vanilla scent with a light grounding note. The next scent I'd like to try is their Sweet Grass scent, but they have others if none of these strike your fancy. One thing to keep in mind is that although there are scent notes given for description of the scents, I find that the scent name tends to be a better description of the fragrance. For example, Honeyed Grapefruit scent notes include Jasmine and I dislike Jasmine and can’t smell even a hint of it in Honeyed Grapefruit. For those out there sensitive to fragrance they also have a Pure option that is scent-free.

 

View of a wipe so you can see the texture.

These are also exceptional for face wipes in that they are alcohol-free and actually have moisturizing and skin care ingredients in them. They are ever-so-slightly textured in a honey-comb-like pattern and are white in colouration.

Here's a list of the ingredients for the Honeyed Grapefruit Wipes:
Water (Aqua), Decyl Glucoside, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Extract, Caprae Lac (Goat Milk), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Ubiquinone (CoQ10), Citric Acid, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Polysorbate 20, EDTA Disodium, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Fragrance (Parfum).

In addition to the packaging being recyclable they somehow managed to make it so that the sticker-flap actually seals in the moisture for these wipes. I hated when in the past I’ve used face wipes and the last few in the package are dry because the top didn’t seal properly. Such a waste. I’m now almost through my first package and a good way through my second package and I’ve not had any dry-down in the wipes at all. They are still as wet as when I first opened them. 

Image from the HSN website

These wipes retail for $7 USD for 6 oz or 30 wipes. So, these aren’t cheap, but I feel like the quality of these is so much nicer than other facial wipes I’ve tried. Which I honestly didn’t think I’d say- I mean I was of the idea one face wipe is the same as all the rest. You can purchase them on the Beekman 1802 website, but they are also available through the Home Shopping Network (often you can score deals on bundles), or The Shopping Channel if you’re in Canada. They sometimes have retailers in small boutiques as well, such as Pedlar’s Quay in Tillsonburg, Ontario, where I purchased my first package. 

I would say that the only issue I have with these is that it says on the package that they only have a two-month shelf-life. I’ve kept and am still using them after this point and not noticed any issues but something to keep in mind.

Sprite Rating: 9.5/10

I will for sure be purchasing these again. They work so well, smell and feel luxurious and are biodegradable. Beekman 1802 did a great job on these!

Pure Anada Natural Mascara Review

Today I'm reviewing a natural Canadian brand called Pure Anada. I was in the market for a new mascara and honestly I didn't have high hopes. I used to love the blinc tubing mascara but when I noticed it had plastic in the formula I felt like I had to make a change. I just couldn't get over the fact that every time I washed my mascara off the little plastic tubes went down the drain and added to our global micro-plastics problem. The plastics don't break down over time and as someone who truly believes we need to be restoring as many of our natural spaces as possible I felt guilty every time I put on mascara.

However, there was a reason as to why I used tubing mascara in the past. It's easy to remove, doesn't flake or smudge, and it doesn't create racoon eyes when I cry or rub my eyes due to allergies. All these things I wanted in a mascara going forward.

On a whim I decided to try Pure Anada's natural mascara. This is a vegan formula and I really like the ingredients of this (no plastics!). I thought I'd therefore give it a shot as it's only $14 CND for 9 grams- a significant drop from my previous mascara. They even have a sample size of 4 grams in a half-sized tube through their website for $7 CND.

Here is a list of the ingredients: Aqua, CI 77499, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters, Stearic Acid, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Myrica Pubescens (Bayberry) Fruit Wax, Pullulan, Glyceryl Caprylate, Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides, Xanthan Gum, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Galactoarabinan

Pure Anada's natural mascara comes in two shades Black and Brown and only the one formula. I purchased the black and it comes in a nice heavy black tube. Upon testing and continued use I am still frankly blown away by how good this mascara is.

This formula doesn't smudge on me, it doesn't leave raccoon eyes, and it flakes very minimally (even my beloved tubing mascara flaked a bit on me- I have allergies and so I'm always touching my eyes). This washes off really easily too.

I also find the formula of the mascara to be both slightly volumizing and lengthening. I've shown below myself with firstly no mascara, mascara on one eye and not the other and finally on both eyes so you can really see the effect the Pure Anada Natural Mascara gives. I love that it creates a natural but still amplified look to the eyes. Perfect for everyday and someone who doesn't want the fake lashes look.

Wearing no mascara

Wearing no mascara on the left eye and Pure Anada mascara on the right eye

Wearing Pure Anada Mascara on both eyes

The only problem I have with the mascara is actually the wand. It has an odd curve to it that I find difficult to use that also brings up too much product. It's not too much of an issue but I often struggle to get the wand to the inner corner of my eyelashes without hitting the brush against my eyelid.

I only ever have the patience for a single coat of mascara so I'm not sure how this would perform with multiple coats, however the Pure Anada website says that layering coats is possible. They also state that this is pH balanced for eyes and won't cause a burning nor stinging sensation even for those of us with sensitive eyes. Additionally it is described as water resistant which I would say is true as I do have watery eyes and this mascara doesn't come off until I gently cleanse it off at the end of the day. No major rubbing or harsh cleansers needed!

Overall, I'm really pleased with this find. I lucked out and found it at a Sobey's that had a natural cosmetics and medicinal section. However, their shipping through the Pure Anada website is reasonable too. 

Sprite Rating: 9/10 

I wish the overall packaging itself was easier to recycle and that there was a slightly different wand but other than that this mascara rocks!

What mascara are you using at the moment? Have you tried the brand Pure Anada?

Skylar Perfume Palette Review

I love different scents and how they can evoke memories and feelings. However, I'm sadly pretty sensitive to perfume- some give me instant headaches. Skylar is supposed to be a natural perfume brand, so I decided to give them a try as I'm usually ok with essential oils and I've tried another more natural fragrance company as well that I've had success with (they'll be featured in an upcoming review). Skylar states clearly that the are a clean, hypoallergenic, vegan and cruelty-free brand that is made in the USA. They also say that you can blend the perfumes in layers to create new scents.

I purchased this Skylar palette from Sephora for $27.00 CND. It includes their main line of perfumes that can be purchased in the full size (except the newest edition Salt Air). There are six perfumes in the palette. They also have a scent club that has a new roller ball perfume every month, but I've not tried that.

The packaging for this set was cute, with a nice sturdy box and decent sized little spray bottles for each of the scents. I love the watercolour spots beside each of the scent slots and how the back fully describes each scent. There was a lot of plastic in it though which I thought was a waste. The ingredients are listed clearly which I thought was great as many perfumes often just say fragrance which could be many ingredients.

Skylar brand photo from the Sephora Website

First up is the fragrance Isle. Isle is described as having key notes of Bergamot, Cardamom, and Sandalwood, with the short description overall being Beachy, Dewy and Fresh. They go on to describe it as "With a subtle citrus and spiced sandalwood, this ocean-inspired oasis will have you feeling relaxed, refreshed, and ready to take on the day".

This perfume is my second favourite of the bunch, but I honestly don't smell any of the supposed key notes. No sandalwood, no citrus. I would say that it is dewy and fresh with a touch of beachy though. Upon first sniff I smell sweetness and fresh water. Over time this becomes more ocean-like (without any of that overwhelming fake ocean scent that is so prevalent in fake candles). As it develops I could smell a hint of salt added to the water, and then later more sweet and water. As it settles more I get the tiniest hint of possible spice.

I think there could have been a bit more to this to make it a tad more unique but I do like it. If the sandalwood had shown up I probably would have really loved this.

Sprite Rating: 7/10

Skylar brand photo from the Sephora Website

Second in the set is Coral. Coral is supposed to have key notes of Grapefruit, Apple Blossom, and Lily Petals. It's supposed to evoke Fruity, Floral, Flirty vibes. Skylar describes it as "With hints of grapefruit and a touch of apple blossom, this happiness booster will have you smiling all day long".

My take on this perfume is that it's alright. I did initially smell a fruitiness, but I didn't smell any grapefruit and the fruitiness disappeared into a typical 'perfume-y' floral/Jasmine scent. I didn't find this unique or different at all and I found it kind of one dimensional. I was probably the second most disappointed with this of the set as the description sounded great but I found it just didn't live up to my expectations. 

Sprite Rating: 3/10

Skylar brand photo from the Sephora Website

Arrow is next in the palette. Arrow's key notes are Midnight Jasmine, Vanilla Bean and Patchouli Haze. It is said to embody Spicy, Warm and Seductive feelings. It is described as "With warm notes of patchouli and jasmine, this confidence complement will have you feeling like you're ready to take on the world".

I'll be honest and say this is the last of the perfumes from the set that I tried. I don't generally like Jasmine or Patchouli so even though I love Vanilla Bean I wasn't particularly looking forward to trying this one. I will say I was pleasantly surprised by it. I still didn't really like it but I didn't hate it either. It started as slightly spicy, slightly sweet and somehow a touch grounded. I didn't smell the patchouli at all. The spiciness does fade a little to become more traditional jasmine-perfume-like but it is still there and over time seems to almost come back stronger. If you like more spicy and seductive perfumes this one might be worth a try. 

Sprite Rating: 6/10

Skylar brand photo from the Sephora Website

Meadow is fourth. Meadow is supposed to smell mainly of Orange Blossom, Ethereal Tuberose, and White Rose. This fragrance is supposed to be Floral, Chic and Beautiful. It's described as "With notes of baie rose, tuberose, and orange blossom, this floral fantasy will highlight your feminine, chic and coy side".

This perfume is my favourite of the bunch. It still has a sort of normal 'perfume' feel to it but it's the only one I didn't wash off soon after applying it and I am looking forward to wearing it again. I actually went back and smelt my wrist multiple times while on a walk. I found that it is sweet and fresh and floral and does give me a springtime meadow or french garden feel. Sometimes I get a hint of lily sometimes a hint of lilacs, all with a sweetened background. I can't quite pin it down. I really enjoy it though.

I don't smell orange blossom nor rose distinctly in this so if you are looking for that this isn't it. I did wish there was another layer to it however, just something a touch more. I'm debating on a larger size of this one as I do like the feminine feel it gives me.

Sprite Rating: 8/10

Skylar brand photo from the Sephora Website

Nearing the end we have Capri next. Capri is said to have key notes of Bergamot, Neroli (Orange Blossom) and Grapefruit. It is supposed to have a Citrus, Sparkling, and Sweet feel. Skylar describes it as "With notes of bergamot, neroli and sparking wine, this carefree indulgence will have you feeling all of the vacation vibes".

Capri was the one of the set that I was looking forward to the most. At first this one to me smells like melon and then it becomes melon-bergamot then mainly bergamot. So it really smelt very normal 'perfume-like' and not too unique. I was really hopeful to smell the Neroli or Grapefruit but neither was there for me. It didn't give me an instant headache, and it was alright but unfortunately that's about all I can say about it.

Sprite Rating: 4/10

Skylar brand photo from the Sephora Website

Last but not least is Willow. Willow is supposed to be Woodsy, Lush and Cool. The key notes in this one are Willow, Pine Resin and Heliotrope. The description is "With notes of cedar wood, pine and fir, this everyday serenity will put you at ease immediately, reflecting everything we love about the outdoors".

I was hesitant about Willow as I find fragrances with pine notes tend to be too sharp. Sadly I found that to be the case with this one too. At the very beginning I could smell a little cedarwood and something fresh and damp like ferns or wet moss. As it developed however all I could smell was the sharp pine. There was no heliotrope or floral at all for me. It also gave me a bit of a headache.

Sprite Rating: 4/10

I think the Skylar Perfume Palette was a great way to sample the majority of the line. It gave me a feel for the brand and let me find one that I liked. Overall though, I was kinda meh about most of them. I found many of the scents kind of typical 'perfume-like', some were even one-dimensional. More than one I ended up washing off shortly after applying. I was hoping for more nuances to them and less conventional generic 'perfume' scents. I do however really like Meadow, and Isle was nice as well. If I liked Jasmine at all then Arrow would have likely been a favourite.

I would recommend the palette if you have an interest in the line at all especially to try first or I would make sure to sample in store. As always scent is so subjective so although I may not have liked most of these, someone else certainly could- especially as Jasmine is not my thing and that is in more than one of these scents.

The travel roller balls for Skylar retail for $37.00 CND and $85.00 CND for the full size. The palette's are limited edition on Sephora and are $27.00 CND, but I believe they are not limited edition on the brand website.

Skylar is available through Sephora or through their own website Skylar. It's great they are being offered through Sephora as that makes them accessible for us Canadians. I believe if you get the palette through their brand website there is a coupon included for a reduction off of a full size bottle for afterwards. Something to note that I have heard is that if you purchase anything from Skylar through their own site, even the palette, they automatically sign you up for their monthly scent club and take automatic payment for that so that is something to be aware of beforehand.

Have you tried Skylar perfume? If so which scent were you drawn towards? Have you tried any other 'clean' or 'natural' perfume companies? Let me know!

Elate Cosmetics Creme Lipstick in Adore Review

Recently I've been really getting into 'Clean', 'Green' or 'Natural' beauty. By no means am I saying that mainstream products are out of my routine or even necessarily harmful (which seems to be the cause of many people switching over), merely that I am trying to buy from more eco-conscious brands that give back more, have more biodegradable formulas and packaging, and try to make a difference. I also have a lot of sensitivities and ingredient allergies and I find it's easier to a) figure out the ingredients in these products and b) avoid many of the acne causing ingredients that cause me problems.

Elate Cosmetics is one of these brands, and bonus they're Canadian!

I've not tried much from this brand but what I did pick-up was one of their Creme lipsticks. The lipstick I chose was a shade called Adore that I believe was limited edition as I can't find it on the site anymore. If you are looking for something very close colour-wise Plush is very similar, just a tad pinker.

Adore is in my opinion the perfect mauve/everyday shade. It's ever-so-slightly purple and I love it. It is very much a 'my lips but better' shade for me and I love how makes me feel. Sophisticated and unique but not too different as to cause a fuss at work.  (Please excuse the acne in the photos, I do the best I can).

Wearing Adore in Natural Lighting

Wearing Adore in Indoor Lighting

The Elate Creme lipstick formula is a lovely one, it's creamy and has medium-long wear time. Without major eating/drinking it lasts about 3-4 hours on average. It's not transfer-proof but it's moisturizing and comfortable to wear and it has a lovely vanilla smell from the real Vanilla Absolute that is one of the ingredients.

Natural Light swatch of Adore (Most realistic)

Indoor Light swatch of Adore

Here is a list of the ingredients:

Ricinus Communis (Organic Castor Seed Oil), Simmondsia Chinensis (Organic Cold Pressed Jojoba Seed Oil), Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla Wax), Limnanthes Alba (Organic Meadowfoam Seed Oil), Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit (Unrefined Organic Shea Butter), Mangifera Indica (Organic Mango Seed Butter), Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba Wax), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Vanilla Planifolia (Vanilla Absolute Oil), +/- CI77499 (Black Oxide), CI77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77820 (Manganese Violet), CI77491 (Red Oxide)

Another benefit of these lipsticks is the beautiful packaging. The tubes are made of bamboo and aluminum metal wrapped on a recyclable plastic insert, so they are partially compostable and partially recyclable. Elate recommends crushing the bamboo and composting that part and to recycle the rest. I particularly love the burned/etched design on all the tubes.

There are a couple downsides to the packaging however, the first being that they come with a sticker that shows you that the lipstick hasn't been opened. This is fine, and it isn't plastic which is great, but the sticker doesn't come off cleanly and you need to spend some time cleaning the bits and residue off of the bamboo which is annoying.

My tube also came slightly ski-jawed so the bullet is a touch crooked. It wastes a bit of product when I twist the tube up and down which is a shame, but doesn't affect the use except for my gentle handling of it.

Elate is a great company that is available in multiple places so if you want to pick-up one of their products. So look around to see if you can get a deal anywhere, here is the link to the lipstick page on their website. The lipsticks retail for $22 CND, which I think is very reasonable considering the packaging and ingredients, etc. There are currently 13 different shades that I think would suit a wide variety of skin tones.

Overall, I do really like these lipsticks, I would get another of these (possibly in the shade Kink, it looks interesting). I would have preferred a touch more wear time, and for the bullet to not have been so fragile but I do like the moisturizing factor and the ingredients, packaging and perfect shade Adore turned out to be.

Sprite Rating: 8.5/10

Jaydancin Mineral Foundation- Review

Today's review is for a Mineral Foundation by a small Canadian company called Jaydancin. They're a skincare and make-up brand that focus on all natural and organic ingredients. Plus, they're a local brand for me which is really cool.

As you can see from the picture, the foundation is a loose powder. I have the foundation in shade 1 and they have quite a few foundation shades, though only five are available through their website. They have two sizes available the larger at 9 grams for $18 CND, and the smaller 3 grams for $10 CND. Pictured above is the 3 gram size.

Ingredients: Rice Powder, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Kaolin Clay, Iron Oxides

I do really like the ingredients in this foundation. Both Titanium and Zinc oxide give a bit of sun protection and the Kaolin clay is good for oil absorption. 

The foundation is what I would call sheer coverage- it doesn't cover anything major but it evens out your skin-tone a bit and still looks like skin. It does fairly well on my oily skin through-out the day, needing to be re-touched in the afternoon. 

Bare Face

With Jaydancin Foundation (nothing else)

As you can see if you've got skin issues (acne, post-acne marks, etc) to cover like me this isn't going to cut it on it's own, but with some concealer it looks nice. It's very natural looking and can easily pass for a no make-up look. 

The packaging is a tad small (3 gram) to work with but I do like the shifter that comes with it. It's very easy to move and you can actually get a decent amount of powder out without spilling it all. It's a nice change from sifters that don't let enough out or having to deal with all the powder at once.

Overall as long as you go into it knowing that the foundation is sheer it's a nice foundation. It blends in well and stays all day, even if you do need something extra for oil control part way through. 

Sprite Rating: 8/10, mainly because it doesn't have enough coverage for me and sometimes the loose powder is a bit hard to work with in the size of the 3 gram packaging. 

BECCA Ever Matte Primer~ Photos and Review

Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector

A little while ago I purchased Becca's Ever Matte primer in search (yet again) for a primer that would actually reduce the appearance of pores on my face and help keep me matte during the day. Primers are supposed to also improve the application and wear-time of your foundation too, but honestly I expect those things from my foundation to start with, for me I want a primer to help my skin look smooth and flawless (which if you don't know already, it's about as far from perfect as it can get sometimes).

I must say that although this primer is different than any other primer I've tried before I really like it. At first I was a little wary as this stuff is thick! There is a major trick to this primer and to get it to work. 

See how thick it is?

Firstly you need to make sure you shake the bottle before use. Then you squeeze out the smallest amount and warm the product up between your fingers so it becomes more emollient. Then working quickly spread it onto the places of your face that get oily. 

Due to the thickness of this product I don't recommend using it anywhere you don't get oily. I personally only use it on my nose, centre of my forehead in the middle of my chin and the top of my cheekbones where my pores are the largest as well. 

I wouldn't say it makes my pores invisible as it says in the name but it does reduce the look of them and best of all it keeps me matte all day. Plus you need so little this bottle is going to last me a while. 

Once it's on this feels almost powdery and satin-like. If you spread it thin enough you can barely feel it in my opinion though some people may find it too thick or film-like for them. To me it's a much nicer feeling than the oily feeling my forehead and t-zone becomes after a couple hours. Plus if you forget to put it on before your foundation it works just as well if you dab some on over-top. 

In addition to this it has a simple ingredient list and is okay for my super sensitive acne-prone skin. The only thing in it that could cause problems is Butylene Glycol (a solvent and moisturizer) but it's only rated a 1 out of 5 on the comedogenic scale, the rest of the ingredients are all zeros. Plus there isn't any silicones in this either (a group of ingredients that causes my skin trauma). 

Heres the ingredients list: Water, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylene Glycol, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract, Oleanolic Acid.

Unfortunately Becca is an expensive brand so if you're going to get this ( $44 CND for 1.35 oz) I recommend getting it on sale. You can get it from Sephora (they have biannual sales for Beauty Insiders getting 10- 15% off.) Dermstore stocks it as well and they occasionally have sales too. I purchased mine from Artisan Boutique online because they seem to have a 20% off weekend seemingly every other month (sometimes more). I sign-up for their e-mail to get sales alerts, so I got my Becca primer 20% off.

 Overall, though this is a bit finicky to work with I love this product. For anything professional or occasion I want to look my best I can see myself using this. It can feel a tad much for casual days, but I can see this becoming a staple in my stash.  

Rating: 9/10 This lost half a point for price and half a point for not perfectly concealing the look of pores. Other than that I really like this. Very unique, excellent ingredients, and it works so well.

Would I buy this again? Yes. I like this better than many of the other primers out there, plus it doesn't break me out which is a huge plus.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Eyeshadows~ Swatches and Review Part 3

Chilean Flamingo from Safari Sam Blog

Fire-tailed Sunbird from India Nature Watch

Fire-tailed Sunbird from Oriental Bird Images

This is Part three of my three piece Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadow review series. You can check out the other parts here: Part 2, Part 1.

The last two shadow shades I'm reviewing are (as you can probably guess from either process of elimination due to part one or the pictures above): Fire-Tailed Sunbird and Bashful Flamingo. I included a picture of a Chilean Flamingo in this review because it is the exact colour of this eyeshadow. Normal flamingos don't compare colour-wise in my opinion. Bashful flamingo is a beautiful light matte pink with peach undertones. Fire-tailed Sunbird is a medium-light coral shade with a pink reflect.

I'm going to start out this review by being quite bluntly honest. I was disappointed with both of these shades. These were the two shadows of the ones I ordered that I was the most looking forward to and they just fell short by quite a bit.

First with Fire-tailed sunbird; it's so damn sheer. This takes forever to build up and you can't succeed at that task completely. Even as a highlight (which I was hoping I could get it to work as) it just doesn't have enough intensity. Maybe part of the problem is how pale I am but overall it just isn't enough. For such an expensive eyeshadow I can't believe how poorly this performs.

In the photos this one appears much oranger than it is. In real life it is a peach with a pink sheen. It is a nice colour combo- very wearable in my opinion. However due to it's lack of pigmentation or sheerness of something I can't seem to grasp the only way to get any decent appearance of the shade is over pixie epoxy. Out of all the shades I reviewed this one the one I was most looking forward too performed the worst.

As for Bashful Flamingo I truly think part of my issue is how pale I am. This blends into my skin completely. Like you can't see it, can only tell it's there is you lean into the mirror and squint and tilt your head until you see a powdery residue on my eyelid.

Therefore, I think I like Bashful Flamingo- it seems to create a slight diffusing/softening effect on my eyelid but honestly, I don't know. Unlike other nude shades I don't get that instant- oh that looks nicer- feeling when I apply it and I seem to need to build it up. It's a bit powdery which I don't mind but the lack of something just leaves me underwhelmed. I think I expected a more peach-pink soft loveliness and just got nude instead.

One thing to note about the swatches below- both of these shades I found particularly difficult to swatch and photograph colour accurately. I built up both colours as much as I could but I didn't have too much luck. Fire-tailed Sunbird is much pinker and bashful flamingo is a tad darker than it appears in the pan photo but much lighter than the swatch over pixie epoxy makes it appear. The barely seeable swatches are the best representation of these and you can see why I'm so disappointed.

L: Fire-tailed Sunbird (pinker in real life), R: Bashful Flamingo (pinker in real life)

L-R: Fire-tailed Sunbird then Bashful Flamingo swatched in pairs first over Pixie Epoxy,  Too Face Shadow Insurance then just over bare clean skin.

L-R: Paired Fire-Tailed Sunbird and Bashful Flamingo- Pixie Epoxy, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Bare skin.

See the sad sheerness? And these weren't just a single swipe these were brushes loaded with eyeshadow swatched multiple times to build the colours up so you could see them.

As for comparisons the only shadow I had that I could think of that would come close to Fire-Tailed Sunbird was Fyrinnae's Rupuntzel Had Extensions and I couldn't find the shade for the life of me (and I really searched!) I don't have anything that comes close to Bashful Flamingo either (part of the reason I was so excited for both these shades- something unique). I have other brown-based nude shades but honestly swatching them side by side would be you just looking at my arm pretty-much with some skin looking a tad nicer than other bits.

Sprite Rating: Fire-Tailed Sunbird- 4/10, Bashful Flamingo 7/10. Both were too sheer and are a pain to build-up and pretty much work with in general even though the colours are nice and fairly unique and Bashful Flamingo had a nice feel to it.

Would I buy these again? No. Neither shade is worth the money or the hassle to get. I can't truly express how disappointed I was by these. Bashful Flamingo is a nice shade but as it just blends into my skin I can get a similar effect with a cheaper product. I'm sure the nuances of the shade here would be easier to see and appreciate on a darker skintone.

EDIT: After playing around with the Bashful Flamingo shade I realized it just matches my skin colour. It has a brown undertone to it that I didn't expect and so instead of the peach/pink I expected I got something closer to my skin colour. I've come to realize it is nicely pigmented (I just couldn't tell possibly because of bad lighting and certainly because I was expecting a different colour). Therefore I have increased the rating of the Bashful Flamingo eyeshadow shade accordingly. I can't really judge longevity on it though as it blends in too well.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Eyeshadows~ Swatches and Review Part 2

This review is going to feature Periwinkle Cardinal and Delicate Hummingbird.

To view Abyssinian Catbird and Resplendent Quetzal go to Part One!

Or there is Bashful Flamingo and Fire-Tailed Sunbird in Part Three.

Male and Female Northern Cardinals

Firstly for Periwinkle Cardinal. Gosh this name kills me. No Cardinals are Periwinkle in colour. None. There are 3 species of Cardinal, the Northern Cardinal as seen above, the Vermillion Cardinal a slightly orangey but still red cardinal and the Desert Cardinal seen below.

Desert Cardinal from E.J. Photo

As evidenced from the photos none of these birds are purple-blue (i.e. periwinkle). None of these birds are the green-blue of this eyeshadow either. WHYYYY?!!?!?
As a zoology major this bothers me. There are so many lovely birds that would fit this eyeshadow perfectly, even ones that are related to Cardinals such as the Indigo Bunting.

Indigo Bunting from Birds of Corpus Christi

Anyways, for this post we also have Delicate Hummingbird. This is also not named after a specific species of Hummingbird but I think we can all agree that Hummingbirds in general are rather delicate so I don't mind so much. Here are some photos of Hummingbirds that match the purple-taupe of this eyeshadow. See the purple-taupe bits on his belly?

Purple-Throated Mountain-Gem Hummingbird from Jim Scarff photography

Purple-throated Mountain-gem Hummingbird photo by Latafat Correa

So gorgeous!

L: Periwinkle Cardinal, R: Delicate Hummingbird

Periwinkle Cardinal is interesting as depending on the light it can look medium pine green with blue undertones, or blue with silver undertones. On the lid it's semi-sheer meaning it looks like your skin shows through the shadow at certain angles but not when you change the way the light hits it. If you build it up you can get a more intense look but it never quite covers your skin colour entirely. This allows it to be very wearable of course but is something to keep in mind if you like a more pigmented eyeshadow look. Personally for the depth of colour I was expecting something more pigmented as this semi-sheer consistency is better for a highlighter shade in my opinion. Delicate Hummingbird is similar in that sometimes it looks distinctly purple whereas other times it looks quite silver-taupe.

Left pair is over bare skin, middle is over Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Right is over Pixie Epoxy

As you can tell Delicate Hummingbird is the more pigmented shade. It's easy to build up and almost creamy in texture. It's also the longer lasting one, actually living up to the claim of long lasting. As with Abyssinian Catbird in the first part it seems to do best over bare skin for the long-lasting claim. Periwinkle Cardinal seems to fade over time, but lasts slightly more than Resplendent Quetzal from part one. It doesn't however last all day and it doesn't seem to do well over primer either. 

T-B: Urban Decay Flipside, Hi-Fi Slime and Snails, Barry M Kingfisher, Rouge Bunny Rouge Periwinkle Cardinal, Too Faced Rich Bitch duo blue side, Wet n' Wild dark green from Snow Sprite palette, Urban Decay Misdemenor

As you can see none of these really comes close to Rouge Bunny Rouge's Periwinkle Cardinal. Too Faced Rich Bitch has no green tones and has a gold highlight, whereas Hi-Fi's Slime and snails isn't as deep has a duochrome and mini glitter as well as lacking green undertones. They all seem to lack the silvered sage look that Periwinkle Cardinal has too.

Top: Rouge Bunny Rouge Periwinkle Cardinal, Bottom: Darling Girl Serenity

Then thinking I was finished of course I found a closer shadow match for Periwinkle Cardinal. Darling Girl's Serenity is very close in tone and just a tad bluer. It's also sparklier whereas the Rouge Bunny Rouge shadow is more satin-metallic in finish. Honestly on the eye I think either would work.

T-B: Urban Decay AC/DC, Urban Decay Mushroom, Rouge Bunny Rouge Delicate Hummingbird, Scaredy Cat Cosmetics Arctic Royal, Almay Green Eyes Trio purple shade

Delicate Hummingbird I actually found a very close dupe for as well. Surprisingly it was in one of my old Almay trio palettes called Trio for Green Eyes. The purple shade (if you can get ahold of that palette, I think it was discontinued but may still be avaiable online in some places) is a satin, less silvered version of Delicate Hummingbird. Delicate Hummingbird has better pigmentation and is a tad more complex but they are very close.

Would I buy these shades again? Though I have a dupe of the Delicate Hummingbird I would purchase this shade again due to the lovely pigmentation it has the neutral but still fun shade of it and the decent wear-time. The Periwinkle Cardinal I would not purchase again however due to the strange semi-sheer consistency of it. If I wanted that it would be great but I was hoping for a richer more true to pan colour, as it is a lovely unique shade. The only way I can see myself wearing this shade is over Pixie Epoxy whereas at least with Delicate Hummingbird I can wear it without extra prep.

Sprite Rating: 8.5/10 for Delicate Hummingbird, 6.5/10 for Periwinkle Cardinal

What does everyone think? Do you like either shade?