Suqqu Autumn/Fall 2010 revamp

Haru at the excellent rougedeluxe blog has written a post about the Suqqu Autumn 2010 revamp (with pictures) here:

http://rougedeluxe.blogspot.com/2010/06/suqqu-fall-2010-revamp.html

I've got to be completely honest, my initial feelings on this are that I'm a bit disappointed. The line was last revamped in Autumn 2007 (with the introduction of the Blend cosmetics) and it feels very soon to be revamping it again to me. As Haru remarks, the new Blend eyeshadows appear to be variations on neutral without the blues, greens and purples from the current line-up - they reflect the last two collections more, which were lovely, but I'm ready for a little more colour from Suqqu again.

I am sure that once I see the products at the counter I'll be won over (most likely it'll be September here). I do wonder how they could possibly improve on the current foundation though, which is excellent.

Clinique Sun with Solarsmart

I wrote in an earlier post that Mr London is currently happily using the new Clinique SPF 30 products, and made a throwaway comment that I'd probably switch over to it because of the added antioxidant properties.

Having now read the press release properly, it seems to me that this sun care line might really be something quite special. As well as vitamin C and E, it also contains Ferulic Acid, an antioxidant that can protect against sunburn and that significantly increases the efficacy of sunscreen. It also contains Sodium Ribonucleic Acid and C1-8 Akyl Tetrahydroxycyclohexanoate to help the skin repair damage.

The sun protection is from Avobenzone, Ethexylsalicylate, Homosalate, Oxybenzone and Octocrylene. I had a look at a boxed version in Boots today, but unfortunately it didn't give percentages of the active ingredients. The press release states that the UVB:UVA protection ratio is 3:1; I'm not 100% sure if that means an SPF 30 has a PPD of 10 etc, but I would assume this to be the case.

I have used and loved Skinceuticals CE Ferulic Serum in the past - if Skinceuticals was easier to get hold of, I'd still be using it in the summer. I'm still not convinced I'd switch to the Clinique Face Cream for every day use (I probably would wear it if I was going to be outside for a prolonged period in sunshine) but I will be switching to the Body Cream.

Disclosure: products mentioned were provided without charge, for consideration for review.

rms Beauty Magnetic Cream Eyeshadow

I've written about and pictured this before but I hope you'll forgive me for revisiting it, because rms Beauty cream eyeshadow in Magnetic is one of my favourite products from the rms Beauty line, and one of my favourite eyeshadows of any line. I do love a taupe eyeshadow - the wrong taupe can look like a bruise, but the right taupe can give a flattering, natural-looking shadow to the eye, and Magnetic is definitely the right taupe for me.

As I always mention - these do crease. If creasing really bothers you, do not buy the rms Beauty cream eyeshadows. I don't mind fixing with a fingertip at lunchtime because these are very easy to wear on my dryish eyelids, and I'm reaching for these a lot in the current hot weather when I'm too hot and bothered to muck around with powder eyeshadows (I also find these eyeshadows easier to fix a bit of creasing than it would be to do so with a powder eyeshadow).

Applied: it gives a glossy shadow to the lid. I love the light reflection and the glossiness of it; it seems to make my eyes look brighter and more awake. No-one is going to be admiring your skilful application of eyeshadow with this look but I find it very easy to wear and flattering. I prefer this to the Ellis Faas Light E301 on me for a daytime look, as the rms Beauty is more subtle. The mascara is Lancome Hypnose Precious Cells and I do think it is doing something for my lashes, but I'll report back on it properly in a couple of weeks.

With the rest of my face. I'm also wearing the rms Beauty Lip2Cheek in Illusive, a plum/rose, on my cheeks and lips.

Tom Ford Moroccan Rouge Private Blend Lip Color

My husband surprised me with this lipstick on Saturday. I think I will keep him. 

Moroccan Rouge is quite a hard colour to describe. A deep rose pink with blue/purple undertones is about the best I can come up with - it's not quite plum, although it has definite purple undertones. Picture applied to my lips:

Picture of whole face:

I thought it might be helpful to post some comparison swatches with Pure Pink and Black Orchid too. From left to right: Pure Pink, Moroccan Rouge and Black Orchid.

Pure Pink is a brighter, clearer pink than Moroccan Rouge. I think Pure Pink is still my favourite colour from the Private Blend range for the summer, but I do like the others a lot too, and I can see myself wearing the Moroccan Rouge and Black Orchid a lot in the cooler months.

Estee Lauder Virtual Makeover

I wasted a happy hour or two playing with this last weekend.

http://www.esteelauder.co.uk/LetsPlayMakeover/Widget/index.tmpl

In the screenshot above I went a little crazy with the Endora-from-Bewitched blue eyeshadow look, but it is a fun way to try out different shades, it positions colour quite accurately and you can adjust the intensity of the shade application. I don't think I'd necessarily rely on it alone to chose colours, but it's handy for narrowing down what colours you want to look at at a counter.

Le Metier de Beaute Lip Creme gloss in Creme Caramel

I was sent this for review and as regular readers of this blog will know, nude is not a lip colour I'd usually wear. I'm not converted by this gloss.

The swatch. Very pigmented, and very shimmery. A nude caramel-vanilla shade.

On my lips. No full face picture, because I really don't like myself in very shimmery pale nude lipsticks. I can see how it'd work on a more golden skintone, but on me it's pretty ghastly.

I can't really review the shade of this gloss fairly, because neither this nor the other shade I was sent are in my comfort zone (if they'd sent a red or pink shade we'd be talking). The texture is comfortable on the lips (not sticky) it is very pigmented and it lasts well for a gloss too, although it is not as long-wearing as a lipstick. The gloss has a vanilla-caramel scent (it smells like the Laura Mercier Creme Brulee body care products to me) which I don't enjoy, as I find it a bit artificial (I don't like the smell of the Laura Mercier things either, although I know many do).  I don't care for shimmery lipglosses that are opaque, so I probably won't be checking out other colours in the line. It's a good quality lipgloss, but it isn't for me.

Disclosure: product was provided without charge for consideration for review.

Summer sunscreens my family are liking

Miss London, Mr London and myself are all using different sunscreens in the current heat, although all three of us are using spf 30.

I'm using Invisible Zinc on Miss London as she seems to get a rash on her neck with any kind of chemical sunscreen in very hot weather. Invisible Zinc is a pure Zinc Oxide block (micronised, but not nano) with 18% Zinc Oxide. The formulation of this has changed and is a little easier to spread, although it does seem to be slightly perfumed now (a change Miss London does not approve of). It takes a while to rub in and can leave a slight white cast, but it's excellent protection for very reactive skin. It's now available at Selfridges, as well as at www.cultbeauty.co.uk.

Mr London is using Clinique's new Face Cream SPF 30 on his face and Body Cream SPF 30 on his arms. He likes both of these because they dry matte, the Body Cream is easy to rub into his hairy arms and the Face Cream sinks in quickly, even when he's a bit stubbly (most of the time). I find the smell of the Clinique Body Cream a little odd - it almost smells like coffee to me, but Mr London likes it because it doesn't smell girly. The Clinique Sun Protection range has recently been revamped to improve stability and UVA protection and has added antioxidants.

I'm using Kiehl's Mexoryl SPF 30 on my body. I don't mind that it takes a little longer to sink in than the Clinique and leaves a slightly glossy finish but I'll probably switch to the Clinique Body Cream when I've used the Kiehl's up for the extra skincare benefits. I'm still using the Chantecaille Firming Face Cream SPF 30 on my face, and although it is expensive it would take a lot to tempt me to stray; it doesn't rile up my skin (no rashes or odd breakouts), it doesn't feel or smell sunscreen-y and it gives decent protection. I tan very easily and I prefer not to at all - with the Chantecaille I haven't picked up much colour on my face even in the very hot weather recently.

Disclosure: Clinique was provided without charge for consideration for review. Other products mentioned in this post were purchased by me.

Paul & Joe Finishing Powder Desert Sand

I promised a swatch of the Paul & Joe Desert Sand finishing powder, so here it is. It is a very fine, golden beige shade. 

Blended out: it isn't sparkly, it just seems to give skin a soft focus matte finish. Desert Sand is too dark for my skin, but it would be good for a tanned or naturally olive/golden skin. Traditional translucent powder can  sometimes looks a bit ashy on that skin colouring, particularly in the summer.

I have ordered the Finishing Powder in Dune (the lighter shade) from www.asos.com as the London Fenwick counter has sold out and I can't face the schlep to Harrods to try their counter. The make-up artist for the brand, Craig-Ryan French, mentioned that he'd really like to add this product to the permanent line-up.

The packaging, while very pretty, is a bit annoying. The powder is housed inside a cardboard container that is then fixed inside another cardboard sleeve. You can see where the powder could potentially slip down the tiny gap at the sides - and where it has already started to gather although I'd only just opened it to swatch. This isn't packaging you could chuck in your bag and carry around, and when I get the Dune it'll be living on my dressing table.

Disclosure: product was provided without charge for consideration for review. 

Summer Villainess stuff now at Posh Brats

The Summer Villainess range is now at www.poshbrats.com. I ordered:

Quick or Dead Lite Smack!
I have been meaning to try a Smack! since they came out late last summer - I dithered over a basket from the Seven Deadly Sins collection, and then missed out. Smack! is a foaming sugar scrub, with four different layers of scent in each. On the www.villainess.net site you can concoct your own, but Posh Brats offers the limited edition ones only.

I don't get a huge amount of foam, but it does leave my skin feeling clean and gently scrubbed. A very good scrub if you like to scrub every day, or if your skin is particularly sensitive. It leaves my skin feeling lightly moisturised, but without the filmy layer that the Smooch!es leave (Smooch!es are more moisturising).

Quick or Dead Lite is composed of a scoop each of Suede, Bluegrass, Bonfire and Limeade. It reminds me of Grundy, but the citrus makes it a little lighter and more summer-heat-friendly.

I'll be buying more of these if Posh Brats gets other ready blends in the future. I'm kicking myself for missing (if I remember correctly) a Pomegranate, Earth, Incense and Woods one in the Seven Deadly Sins.

Nesthai Whipped!
I love the Whipped! body moisturisers, and this is a great one for summer. It's fruity with a little tea, grass and subtle floral undertones. I mostly get the peach and blackberry when it's first applied, and then the floral/grassy/woody notes bloom when it settles on my skin.

Sidewalk Soap
I missed this last summer, so snapped it up this year. It's described as the smell of rained-on pavements, melon, lime and grass. It's a very clean, fresh scent so it's perfect for a summer soap.

You can find the Limited Edition Villainess stuff under the Villainess Temporary Insanity tab at Posh Brats.

Summer Sale on SpaceNK - mostly Jemma Kidd and Lubatti

It's not looking good for Jemma Kidd and Lubatti at SpaceNK - a lot of Jemma Kidd and all Lubatti products are half price on www.SpaceNK.co.uk. SpaceNK are ruthless about weeding out brands that aren't doing well sales wise.

I've always thought the brand repositioning of Jemma Kidd from Boots to SpaceNK (with a price increase) was odd.

Lubatti is a bit of a shame - I wasn't particularly impressed by the skincare formulations but the bath oils and body lotions are nice.

You can find the sale preview here. (This is not an affiliate link, it's a link from an email I was sent by way of being on the SpaceNK mailing list).

Butter London Tramp Stamp

Another Butter London polish - Tramp Stamp is a rich bitter chocolate cream, with slight purple undertones. I like this one a lot. It also applied smoothly, and two coats (pictured) gives good coverage.

Paul & Joe Lipgloss in 09 Antiquity

Paul & Joe recently released ten new Lip Glosses and five Lip Pencil Duos. I was given one of each to try out at the recent Paul & Joe demonstration I attended.

Swatched. I've also swatched the Lip Pencil Duo in 01 Dual Melon (the shimmer above the lip liner is from Ellis Faas Light E301, which didn't want to come off easily).

Antiquity on my lips on its own - a slightly coppered brown with micro-sparkles. I find brownish glosses hard to wear and this wouldn't be my first colour choice from the line but I think it's quite wearable. I like that it isn't too opaque or too shimmery, either of which would make it unflattering on my pale skin. It does impart decent colour, but the colour is translucent.

On my lips, with the Lip Pencil Duo 01 Dual Melon applied underneath. I used the deeper liner colour to line, and the lighter colour to highlight my cupid's bow and the middle of my bottom lip. I then applied the Antiquity gloss over the top and blended into the lip liner. The liner adds a little more peach/pink to the gloss, and I prefer it with the liner as I'm less concerned about the gloss travelling outside of my lipline. 

Like most glosses, this feels a little sticky when first applied but not intolerably so, and it does feel very comfortable and moisturising on my lips. The applicator is a soft, slim brush that doesn't splay out. 

Summary - very nice glosses in very pretty packaging. I'll be taking a look at 04 Blossom (rose pink) and 05 Mon Cheri (hot pink) when I'm next in Fenwicks.  

Disclosure: products provided without charge for consideration for review. 

Ellis Faas Eye Light E301 applied

This is a picture of the Ellis Faas E301 applied. I've just dabbed it onto my lid and into my crease, blended a bit with a fingertip and added black mascara. You could get a more solid metallic look simply by applying a bit more; this is quite a light application. The applicator is a brush which is good as there is quite an issue with the showerhead dispensed products in this line if you don't use them very regularly, as I mentioned/grumbled about in my recent video. 

The finish reminds me of MAC Reflects pigments, but without the fall-out. The Ellis Faas Light has a massive advantage over loose pigments and glitters in that it does not migrate; the quick drying liquid formulation means that it is simple to position exactly where you want it. On the close up picture of my eye you can see I have no fall-out underneath my eye and it hasn't travelled up to my browbone either. The Light also stays put and doesn't crease or fade during the day. 

The quick-dry nature of this product does mean that you do have to work fast - I didn't find I could blend out the edges after it has set (which happens in about a minute). This shade isn't exactly OL appropriate to me either, as it is very sparkly. It was a big hit with Miss London who thinks it is very pretty, and I'm looking forward to wearing it over a darker shade too.

Picture with rest of face: I'm also wearing Ellis Faas Blush in S302 and Milky Lips in L207. 

Ellis Faas Video - summary of thoughts on some products

This is a ramble about some of the Ellis Faas products that I own, and a quickish face using them.

I'm very sorry - I managed to cut half my head off in a good bit of this video.  This is more about providing a summary of what I think of the range and the issues with some of the applicators, but hopefully I will get better at setting up that blasted camera at some point!

Ellis Faas from Grace London on Vimeo.

Products used:
rms Beauty uncover up concealer in 11 (already applied)
Shu Uemura hard brow pencil in Seal Brown (already applied)

Ellis Faas:
Creamy Eyes E107
Milky Eyes E208
Blush S302
Creamy Lips L101

Mascara: Lancome Hypnose Precious Cells in black

Paul & Joe Summer 2010 Sahara Collection

I was recently invited to a demonstration of the Paul & Joe Summer 2010 collection. The theme of the collection is the Saharan contrasts of desert against sky and sun and the pattern on the packaging from the collection does have a moorish feel to it. Craig-Ryan French, the international make-up artist for  Paul & Joe Beaute, demonstrated the collection.

Blurry iphone picture of whole collection:

There are two finishing powders in the collection, a pale shade (001) Dune and a shade that's more suited for a tanned skin (002) Desert Sand. The texture of this powder is beautiful - it mattifies the skin without looking powdery or chalky, and gives a luminosity to the skin. It's also quite reasonably priced at £18 for 10g, and the packaging is gorgeous - even the puff has the pattern on it.

The Finishing Powder in Desert Sand 002 (pictured above) was in my event bag. It's too dark for my skin, but would work very well on a more tanned skin (I'll be posting a swatch picture of this soon.) I'm going to buy the Dune 001 for myself.

There are three lipsticks - all are semi-sheer with some sparkle/shimmer to them. Colours are:
001 Caravan: Coral Pink (too warm and pale for me, quite similar in colour to Becca Letitia lipstick, although sheerer and with shimmer).
002 Sahara: Vivid Pink (nice colour, a true pink, not overly bright in my opinion, but my lips do pale colours down considerably).
003 Morocco: Gold Pink (I would call this more of a copper pink than gold pink. My favourite of the three lip colours).

There are also three nail enamels:
004 Marrakesh: Coral Red
005 Mirage: Sand Brown (this is very sparkly, one for glitter magpies!)
006: Oasis: Blue

I liked the look of Oasis best; an aqua blue.

Shimmering Body Lotion - I didn't expect to like this because I just don't enjoy the silicone-oil body shimmer products at all and I thought it was one of those. This surprised me though - it's a cooling gel texture that sinks into the skin without a greasy or slippery afterfeel, and the gold shimmer in it is in the form of finely dispersed gold micro sparkles. I don't personally like shimmery skin on my body, so this is a nice alternative for me and I'm very tempted by it for holiday evenings. The scent is a light green floral, fresh and pretty.

There are also blotting powders and a nail file in complimentary packaging.

I will definitely be buying:
Finishing Powder in Dune 001.
Shimmering Body Lotion.

I will need to have a closer look at:
Nail Enamel 006 Oasis - beautiful blue colour, I just want to check it isn't too sheer.
Lipstick in 003 Morocco.

Disclosure: Finishing Powder pictured was provided without charge as part of event. I was also given one of the new Lip Pencil Duos and Lipgloss, which I'll be posting about separately.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Powder blush in Delicata

I bought this blush in my recent Zuneta order. I wanted a Rouge Bunny Rouge powder blush in a neutral non-pink shade that would work on my pale skin, and this works well for that. It's a soft warm beige with very slight pink undertones. The text description on Zuneta for this shade is the wrong one - it's the description for Orpheline. On the Rouge Bunny Rouge website, Delicata is described as 'Nude beige-pink with the barest hint of peach for an illuminated natural glow.' 

The swatch doesn't show up much on my hand - it's in the middle of hand. The texture is semi-matte - it isn't dry or powdery, but there is no shimmer. 

Picture of the blush applied. I'm not sure that it shows up at all in this photo, it's just a very light contour and warmth on my skin. It's sometimes frustrating that make up that is quite subtle doesn't seem to show up at all in photos. At least you can see that it doesn't turn orange or look overcooked, I suppose!

Ellis Faas Eye Light E301

Ellis Faas has just released a new product: Ellis Eyes - Light. In 5 shades, Light is a metallic liquid highlight/shadow for the eyes. There is a post with general details of all 5 shades here on www.Witoxicity.com and a post featuring E304 (mauve) and E305 (burgundy/green duochrome) here at www.getlippie.blogspot.com. 

After a quick look at the counter on Tuesday, yesterday I sent Mr London on a mission to buy E301 for me, a metallic platinum. I love this colour because it's neither too warm nor too cool, and I intend to use it on my lid rather than browbone as I prefer more matte shades to highlight the brow. The Lights are a metallic texture, and E301 sparkles when the light hits it in a certain way. 

Swatch in direct sunlight:

Slightly blurry swatch in sunlight which shows a hint of the sparkliness. In sunlight or under an artificial light, this product sparkles and shimmers as the light hits it.

Indoor (natural) lighting:

The Lights are exclusive to Liberty at the moment, but will be released through the rest of the Ellis Faas distributers from the end of June onwards. These are a bit more expensive than the other eye products in the range at £25 each. 

Lancome Hypnose Precious Cells Mascara - starting pictures

I've just started using Lancome Hypnose Precious Cells mascara, and I thought I'd take some pictures to see if it does make a long-term difference to my eyelashes.

I like the brush: it's the type of narrow brush that I prefer, and it removes cleanly from the tube without excess mascara collecting on it. Application is quite straightforward, and the formula is not too runny or too cloggy. It does smell quite strongly of roses, but in a rosewater type of way rather than a perfume-y way (I find YSL Faux Cils too perfumed for me).

Lashes before mascara applied (but curled):

Lashes after Hypnose Precious Cells applied:

I don't think it lengthens my lashes massively but it certainly darkens them right to the tips which makes them appear longer. I do get a bit of clumping, but it isn't unbearable and can be fixed with a lash comb. I like the texture of the formula when applied; it isn't crispy and leaves my lashes feeling flexible but doesn't wilt a curl. I do find I'm getting a little smudging by the end of the day in the current humidity.

I'm aiming to post progress photographs each month to see if the mascara does make a difference to the thickness of natural lashes as it claims to. I'm not sure how to judge if it makes my lashes 'feel stronger', which is the other claim - I'm certainly not going to give them a tug!

Bliss Steep Clean mask review

I was sent this recently, which was very good timing. The recent upturn in temperature and humidity combined with a skincare serum (not the Nubos) that I don't think agreed with my face (I'll try it again, perhaps in cooler weather, before I post a not-very-impressed review) led to a lot of clogged pores in my t-zone and particularly on my chin, which is not typical for my skin.

Steep Clean by Bliss is an exfoliating enzyme mask that helps to remove dead skin cells and clear out pore gunk. The container is dual chamber, and the mask is activated when the two gel-creams are dispensed and mixed together. The dispenser is a bit annoying - you have to make sure you apply equal pressure to both sides of the pump to dispense an equal amount, but if you accept that mixing them together just before application results in a more effective product it's a bearable irritation.

The texture of the mask is a slightly waxy gel-cream, quite similar to the Dr Sebagh Deep Exfoliating Mask. It didn't dry out my skin and it felt comfortable when applied. I applied weekly just to my t-zone, as my cheeks don't tend to suffer from clogged pores.

This didn't miraculously make my skin poreless after the first use, but I do think it did help to clear clogged pores and to keep them clear, and it's gentle enough to use on my dry and sensitive skin without irritation (which does make me wonder if it might be too gentle for a very congested and resistant skintype). I would prefer the formulation without or with less fragrance (I don't care for fragrance in skincare and this product has quite a strong fruity-floral scent) but it's an effective way to remove dead skin cells at home without manual exfoliation and at £35 for 100ml it's a reasonable price for this type of product.

Ingredients list:

Disclosure: product was provided without charge, for consideration for review.

New serum from Nubo looks interesting

This new SynErgetic Serum from Nubo looks interesting; its main ingredient is Arctic Lingonberry, and it claims to replenish dehydrated skin, improve elasticity and prevent oxidative damage. It's also a lot more affordably priced than many other products in the Nubo line, at £38 for 50ml.

I liked the Nubo Cell Essence a lot, but at £200 I still haven't been able to bring myself to buy a full size. I have recently bought the Dynamic Retinol Boost I to use at night and the Vitamin C 12% Concentrate to use during the daytime, and I'm having good results with both of them so far (with no adverse side-effects from the retinol), although I'll need to use for a few weeks more before reviewing.

If you're interested in Nubo, I'd recommend buying from www.beautyexpert.co.uk at the moment, as it has a GWP of a full-size Hydrating Lipids Complex when you spend £80 or more on Nubo (it's where I bought the Retinol and Vitamin C products).

Rouge Bunny Rouge Flawless Face Powder in Piano Forte

I used a discount code at Zuneta recently to pick up some more Rouge Bunny Rouge, and this face powder was one of the products I bought.

Piano Forte is the palest of the shades, and is described as a pale milky beige with subtle apricot tones. I have normal to dry skin and my t-zone gets a bit shiny in the summer, so I apply this powder in that area only and I find it brightens and gives a soft matte finish without feeling uncomfortable. The texture of this powder is gorgeous - it almost feels creamy to the touch, and it contains skin softening ingredients (papaya, hyssop and rice powder).

Swatched heavily on my hand (my hand is darker than my face):

Swatch above, blended:

This is very expensive at £39 for 12g, but it really suits my somewhat dry and very picky skin. If you have normal to oily skin you might not feel the splurge justified, but this is perfect for a more mature skin looking for a suitable powder. My only gripe about this product is that the puff that comes with it is a bit thin and puny looking, but it's fine for touch-ups, just not as pretty as the compact itself.

Makeovers - to buy, or not to buy?

Whenever I have a makeover, I prefer to have a good idea in my head of a couple of products that I know I want to buy, even if I don't end up buying things that are used on me. I feel that as I'm taking up the time of make up artist/salesperson I should contribute to their sales targets, as they could have made sales in that time.

A lot of beauty events have a booking fee redeemable against purchase, which deals with the issue in that way. I won't accept an impromptu makeover though if I don't already want to buy something from the brand in question, and I rarely accept the offer of these anyway (there are only a few counters that I feel comfortable having make up applied on my face.)

The only exception for me is foundation - I don't buy foundation very often, but if I am I prefer to wear it for a few hours before purchasing in case it does something odd to my skin or changes colour. If I ask to have foundation applied, I will explain beforehand I won't be purchasing it straight away, and I do try to return to the same sales assistant if I buy it later.

So, what do you do? Do you feel pressured to buy the products used on you during a makeover, or do you always give yourself a cooling-off period?

Rouge Bunny Rouge Milk Aquarelle foundation in Almond Parfait

Almond Milk Parfait is described as a pale yellow-toned beige. I think this is a hair too dark and yellow for my skin - it'd be a better match for a MAC NC25/Bobbi Brown Sand/Suqqu 20 skintone. I'd probably be better off with Coconut Milk Parfait, which from the description is a paler, pink-beige shade.

It's a lovely texture though, giving decent coverage without looking mask-like.  The formula contains anti-pollution and protective ingredients, and I don't find it clogs my pores even if I wear it for a few days in a row. I rarely wear foundation and this one hasn't converted me to everyday use but I do like it. The only drawbacks are the quite limited shade selection (5 shades) and the price - £47, which is very expensive, although the formula is comparable with the Suqqu cream foundation I like, which is even more expensive.

Bare skin:

Almond Parfait applied:

It covers redness on my cheek, forehead and around my nose well, and gives an even tone to my skin without looking cakey.

Rouge Bunny Rouge is available from www.Zuneta.com (although I actually bought this foundation from another blogger for whom it was a bit too light). 

Butter London Thames nail polish applied

Butter London Thames is a bluish green shimmer nail polish. The shimmer is fine, giving a foiled effect, and the colour reminds me of the triangle wrappers that used to be in Quality Street chocolates.  

The picture is of two coats of Thames, with the Butter London base and top coat also applied. It's a thinnish formula and could have done with three coats if I was being picky and wanted it to be absolutely perfect. 

I bought this from www.Zuneta.com who are currently doing a 3 for 2 offer on Butter London - enter the code NAILS at checkout.