My Kind of Nude: Suqqu Creamy Glow Moist Lipstick no.3 Fuyuzakura

Well, I couldn't have just stopped at buying one eyeshadow palette from Suqqu, could I now? I also really, really wanted to try another must-have from the line, the Creamy Glow lipstick in shade no. 3. However, I'm not sure if the counter person got confused or maybe Mr didn't read all of my carefully scribbled description I provided him with prior to his departure, but I ended up with the Creamy Glow MOIST Lipstick in, yes, shade no. 3 - Fuyuzakura (£27.00 for 0.13 oz/ 3.8g) , which I *think* may mean 'winter cherry blossom'.

The tube is made out of shiny black metal and the shape is sleek and somewhat elongated, but not so tall as not to fit in my shallow vanity drawer. The bullet itself is cut at a slanted angle, as with many lipsticks in those slimmer tubes. The Creamy Glow Moist formula claims to 'stay firmly on the lips while keeping them moist and hydrated' and touts to have 'added skincare effects of lip balm'. Due to the word 'moist' in the name, I expected it to be somewhat glossy, moisturizing and more on the sheer side.

And it turned out to be exactly that, in a shade that's luckily my kind of nude - ain't that easy to find a true flattering nude for this pale face, people. What surprised me upon initial application was that the texture of the Creamy Glow Moist is firmer than most of those sheer, balmy lipsticks, and while it glides onto the lips without trouble, the color does seem to hug the lips a bit closer; it's not as slippy as something like Revlon Lip Butters or my beloved Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatments.

No. 3 Fuyuzakura is a beautiful cool pink nude with just a hint of peach. In the bullet, it looks very similar to Maybelline Color Sensational in Warm Me Up or Red Apple Lipstick in Audrey, but in the swatches and on the lips, it's much lighter and seems to have more of a white base - placing it more in the nude rather than 'My Lips But Better' category for my fair skintone. The LE Bite High Pigment Lip Pencil in Sablé, another favorite nude shade, is a bit deeper and peachier.

It is worth mentioning that while the Creamy Glow Moist formula is quite sheer (that's about six layers on my arm), it doesn't benefit from building up too much on the lips. A heavy layer in such a light shade tends to sink into vertical lip lines too much - you can see that a tiny bit in the close-up photo. Fuyuzakura is also pretty much the exact color of my lips; in the full face shot, I kinda look like I'm wearing just clear lip balm - except that the sheer veil of color makes my unevenly pigmented lips appear more perfected. If you're medium to dark, I think this color may be too light on you (I've heard some people describe Bite Sablé as a death nude, and in the swatches, you can clearly see it's darker than Fuyuzakura).

I would say that the Creamy Glow Moist in Fuyuzakura reminds me most of the Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine in PK331. The Shu is a cooler baby pink with shimmers and the formula feels a bit softer, but the effect of that glossy whisper of color on the lips is quite similar - so if you're having trouble getting your hands on the Suqqu and you're not sure if the texture would agree with you, I'd recommend checking the Shu Supreme Shine first (even though it's admittedly not that easy to get hold of Shu in the US either).

Lasting power was slightly above average for a sheer glossy lipstick, and it was still comfortable and somewhat hydrating even after teaching a 1.5 hour class - most lipsticks get eaten/ disappear mysteriously from my lips in similar circumstances, so I'm happy about that.

All in all, I'm satisfied with this purchase - probably more so than with the Hanashoubu eyeshadow quad (btw, I'm not wearing Hanashoubu in the face shot; that's the purple shade from the Stila In The Moment eyeshadow palette on my lower lashline). I don't think the Creamy Glow Moist formula is a lipstick to end all sheer lipsticks, but it's still very good, and a joy to use - it's the definition of effortless, barely there lip. Have you tried any of the Suqqu Creamy Glow Moists? What is your favorite glossy lipstick formula?

Drugstore MLBB: Maybelline Color Elixir in Caramel Infused

One side effect of only allowing myself to buy two make-up products a month is that I rarely shop the drugstore these days. But I recently decided to remedy the situation and bought quite a few inexpensive things (oops, more than two...) that I'd had my eye on for a long time. One of those products is the Maybelline Color Elixir in the shade Caramel Infused ($6.99-8.99 for 0.17 fl oz), a balm-gloss-lipstick hybrid that came highly recommended from my pal Larie at the Eye Heart It blog.

Btw, am I the only one to think that 9 bucks for a drugstore lip product is a bit steep? It's like the only time you can get a good bargain at the drugstore now is when you shop the sales - and not even the Buy 1 Get 1 50% off, but more like the 40% off that only happen a few times a year. ANYWAY. For a more affordable product, I find the packaging of the Maybelline Color Elixirs really pretty; a bit reminiscent of the Dior Addict Fluid Sticks, and I like the fat, shorter tube. The applicator is also one of those newer generation bent fluffy doe foots (doe feet?) that pick up just the right amount of product and perfectly hug the lips.

If you're sensitive to fragrance, these do have a scent; sort of an artificial sweet vanilla with maybe a touch of floral. I don't find it very strong though, and I can't really smell it at all after application. Now, my favorite thing about this Maybelline Color Elixir is the texture: it's like a thicker, balmy, cushiony gloss that's absolutely non-sticky on the lips. It applies evenly, gliding over vertical lip lines and dry flakes. It really does feel like a liquid lip balm with enough pigmentation so that you don't need to layer it over lipstick. Yes, the color and glossy shine wears away after a couple hours and doesn't last through eating (or drinking), but I honestly don't mind - it's just so, so comfortable on my dry lips.

I was a bit hesitant to order a shade with the word 'caramel' in the name, fearing this would be way too brown on my cool-toned complexion, but Caramel Infused turned out to be the perfect My Lips But Better shade. It's a lot more pink than the color of the tube would suggest, and in fact, it almost perfectly matches the shade of Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Warm Me Up. As you can see in my arm swatches, MAC Viva Glam V is lighter and more peachy (plus, it has gold shimmer while Caramel Infused is a cream finish), Buxom Lip Polish in Dolly is sheerer and has more of a cool mauve undertone.

L-R: Maybelline Color Elixir in Caramel Infused, Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Warm Me Up, MAC Viva Glam V, Buxom Lip Polish in Dolly. Swatched in the same order below.

Overall, I'm super happy with this purchase - thank you Larie for the recommendation! Speaking of bloggers' recommendations, I've noticed lately that I no longer buy products as soon as they come out or even after the first barrage of posts from the big beauty gurus (who are usually sent the items for review), waiting instead to see if any of my favorite bloggers try them out themselves, and then waiting even a little longer to see if they continue using the product via their Face of the Day posts or updates on Instagram. I just really don't care anymore about buying and trying every single new release out there; instead, I want to have a smaller collection of truly the best formulas available on the market.

How do you decide which new product to bring into your make-up stash? Have you tried any of these balm-gloss-lipstick hybrids? Which one's your favorite?

That 90's Nude Lip: bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Make Your Move

Seriously, mini-sized beauty products are my downfall - whenever there's a coupon code or some other offer to get a teeny tiny eye pencil, or a miniscule lipstick, I'll consider an otherwise totally unnecessary order just to get the adorable gift with purchase. I believe this mini bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Make Your Move ($18 for 0.12 oz) came with a Beauty.com order - they often have some of the best GWPs around, so if you already shop from their website, make sure you're taking advantage of these offers!

I've never tried any of the Marvelous Moxie lip products from bareMinerals, and Make Your Move looked like a pretty nude from online swatches, so I was really excited to try it out. The deluxe sample even came in its own box with a color-coded top and a bottom label with the shade name - not all brands go to the same trouble when it comes to their minis. So far so good!

In the bullet, Make Your Move looks like a very universal neutral nude/ My Lips But Better shade - a perfect mix between pink and brown tones that should suit a wide range of skintones. On my lips however... boy, it's trouble. Or maybe not, if you're into the 90's brown nudes/ Kylie Jenner lips, because it gives me precisely that. Coincidentally, it looks very similar to the very first lipstick I ever bought in early 2000's. Yeah... I don't think it's a great look on me.

The formula is nothing to write home about either; reasonably smooth but not very creamy, I found it dragged just a little bit on my lips. It's also not particularly kind to my vertical lip lines, nor does it feel moisturizing. It's just alright - I was quite surprised to see that these Marvelous Moxie lipsticks had very high ratings both on Sephora and Ulta. To me, Make Your Move doesn't stand out in any way; not a bad lipstick, but not a great one either. There's a very faint old school lipstick scent to it in the tube that doesn't linger on the lips, so if you're sensitive to fragrance, it may be worth checking out.

Compared to my other nudey neutrals, you can see how much more brown bareMinerals Make Your Move is to another universal favorite, MAC Viva Glam V. Looking at these swatches, it's clear to me why I always gravitate towards Viva Glam V and Maybelline Warm Me Up over the Make Up For Ever N9 that was part of last year's birthday gift at Sephora - the pinky tones just look so much better on my complexion.

L-R: bareMinerals Make Your Move, MUFE Rouge Artist Natural N9, MAC Viva Glam V, Maybelline Color Sensational in Warm Me Up

While I wasn't particularly vowed by this shade or formula, I'm sure I'll be able to find a warmer-toned family member who will more than appreciate it (and while I'm at it, I may give away MUFE N9 as well, since it's not getting much wear around here). Have you ever tried any of the Marvelous Moxie lipsticks? What is your current favorite nude/ MLBB shade?

Understated Elegance: Dior 5 Colour Iridescent Eyeshadow in 609 Earth Reflection

I've recently come to the realization that I may have finally gotten big eyeshadow palettes out of my system. It's not that I don't reach for the ones I have in my collection - I do all the time - but at some point, you just start accumulating doubles and triples of the same shades over and over. So, I think I'm done on that account (watch me as I pick up another neutral eyeshadow palette in a couple months' time...), which of course doesn't mean I'm not interested in eyeshadows anymore. I've simply switched my attention to singles, duos, trios, quads and quints, like this one: the Dior 5-Colour Iridescent Eyeshadow in 609 Earth Reflection ($62 for 0.21 oz).

I've actually had this on my mental wish list for a very long time, but just couldn't quite pull the trigger. Last week, I spotted it on an Instagram sale (watch out, blog sales, there's a new kid on the block!) for $30 with shipping, and so I wasn't able to resist it any longer.

Here's the deal: from swatching Earth Reflection multiple times in-store and reading reviews online, I knew it wasn't going to be anything earth-shattering (har har) in my collection. I could probably find near dupes scattered among my other palettes and singles. But! But there's just something so luxuriously elegant about Dior quints. From the simple packaging to the effortless formula inside, they're oh so very chic. They're not trying hard to impress with their pigmentation, texture, complex shimmers or uniqueness. They just are what they are. And I quite like that.

After playing with the palette for a couple days, here are my general thoughts: it's a great basic palette for fair and light skintones. I believe medium and dark skintones may have issues getting a complete eye look out of the palette, due to the fact that it contains three very light shades and the darkest shade is more or less the same depth of MAC Satin Taupe, which I know is a lid shade for most (I've always used it in the crease and outer corner in the daytime on my fair skin).

All five eyeshadows in Earth Reflection are shimmers, or pearl/frost finish (not metallic, not glittery, just smooth sheen). While for some it may be a deal-breaker, I was able to get a balanced look using just the quint, since the darkest shade I used in the crease isn't very reflective when blended out on the eyes. Another thing worth noting is that the three lightest shades (a warm champagne, pale pink in the middle, and ivory pearl) come across quite similar on the eyes - I wish especially there was more variation between the pink and ivory.

But other than those slight drawbacks, I very much enjoy Earth Reflection. The two taupe shades are absolutely stunning, and I was happy to see that I could use the lighter taupe on the lids quite easily for an everyday look. As you can see below, for this post I did more of a smokey eye using the darkest shade to add drama, but you could also get a barely there look with this quint using the champagne on the lid and the light taupe in the crease; quite similar effect to my beloved Shiseido Luminizing Satin Trio in Nude. The texture is smooth, easily buildable and blendable, and I haven't noticed any fallout on the eyes during application or wear time.

Dior 609 Earth Reflection swatched clockwise from top left corner, with the pink in the middle swatched last

I don't know you guys, there's just something about this that I deeply enjoy. I can definitely see why these Dior quints are so popular - they're just so effortless. I already know that I'll be taking Earth Reflection with me when I travel, simply because you can do a whole eyeshadow look in minutes without thinking about pairing shades together or their careful placement.

In the face shots, I'm wearing lighter taupe on the lids with a bit of champagne layered over it in the centre, darker taupe in the outer corners in a more cat-eye/ elevated shape, lightest ivory in the inner corners, and the combination of taupes on the lower lashline. I've also tightlined my upper waterline with Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in Black Noir. I'm wearing Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee in Getaway Red with Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil on the cheeks and Essence Stay With Me Lipgloss in Candy Bar on the lips, since the weather suddenly turned very summery here in NYC.

Do you own any of these Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadows? What is your favorite colorway? Do you prefer smaller palettes like this or the larger ones with 10+ shades?

Peaches and Cream: Catrice Defining Blush in Rose Royce

In my opinion, blushes are one area where the American drugstore has a lot of catching up to do. Apart from my well loved NYX Powder Blush collection, I haven't come across any outstanding blush formulas with an affordable price tag - so I was excited to try out a new inexpensive find I brought from Warsaw, the Catrice Defining Blush in 020 Rose Royce (16 PLN/ ~ $4.50 for 5g/ 0.17 oz, can be found on eBay, but shipping is rather expensive). I'd read a lot of rave reviews of these blushes and really wanted to see if the formula would perform for me as well.

In the drugstore I went to in Warsaw city center (Drogeria Natura for my Polish readers), the Catrice section was pretty picked over, and I believe there were only four shades of the Defining Blush on display (their website specifies there are six permanent shades available in total). I have to say that I really, really like the geometric clear acrylic packaging of most Catrice products, and was sorely tempted by the eyeshadows (singles and quads) as well. The plastic case doesn't feel cheaply made or clunky, but I will say that the hinge on my blush doesn't work very well (stops midway and has to be forced a bit), which makes me worried it may break one day. But you know, it could just be a one-off thing.

And look, look at the back label! This blush was actually made in Poland. How cool! By the way, in case you didn't know, Catrice is a sister company to Essence, which is available in the US at Ulta. That makes me hope that maybe, maybe one day Catrice will come to the US as well. Sigh.

To the touch, this Catrice Defining Blush feels incredibly silky smooth, with that buttery texture we all like to fawn over. It definitely does not feel like a very inexpensive product. While I find it very easy to pick up product from the pan, the soft formula isn't powdery in the least. The blurb on the back claims this blush will smooth out minor imperfections, and while I think that's a bit bogus, it doesn't cling to dry patches or scars like some blushes like to do. I'd say the pigmentation is medium (meaning, not so scary pigmented as to require tapping off on the back of my hand, but pigmented enough to require just one or two layers), and the finish is on the skin is a satiny matte. When you look at it in full sunlight, you can see extremely fine shimmer/ pearl particles, but it just translates as a creamy matte on the cheeks.

I know what some of you are going to say - I picked out such a 'Monika shade'! In the store, having read the shade name, I was under the impression it was going to be a pink rose color, but in fact, it's more of a dusty pinky apricot on my complexion. Either way, I love it. With my current fair winter skintone, it gives me a peaches & cream type of look, and pairs incredibly well with the Revlon lipgloss in Coral Reef, which I'm trying to use up (that's what I'm wearing in the photo below).

L-R: Catrice Rose Royce, bareMinerals The One, NYX Mauve, Tarte Dazzled

Compared to my other natural rosy shades, you can clearly see that Catrice Rose Royce has a more peach than browny red undertone. It's the closest to the bareMinerals READY Blush in The One, one of my most favorite blushes in my collection.

Overall, I can't say enough good things about this Catrice Defining Blush. Some of my blogging pals asked me for European product recommendations in the past, and this has now shot to the top of my list. From the beautiful shade, the texture, to the lightweight but longlasting effect on the cheeks, Catrice hit this one out of the ballpark. I probably won't be able to resist a couple more shades next time I'm in Poland! Do you have any firm favorites among brands that are only available in Europe?

I Couldn't Resist: bareMinerals The Posh Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette

Admittedly, I've become a bit of an eyeshadow palette snob: these days it takes a spectacular one to set my heart aflutter. But, you know my love of bareMinerals READY eyeshadow formula, documented here, here and here, so as soon as I saw that they had released two more Limited Edition colorways in their Neutral 8.0 range, I knew I had to get my hands on one.

After much deliberation, I settled on READY 8.0 Eyeshadow Palette in The Posh Neutrals ($40 for 0.24 oz), which I belive has the most clear cool undertones out of the three variations. The name is a bit ridiculous and reminds me of my Spice Girls fan days, but I guess that doesn't really matter - for inside the sleek rose gold compact, you find eight beautiful neutral eyeshadows in a variety of depths and finishes.

The shiny compact comes in a simple cardboard envelope with the names of the shades on the back (though notice the inaccurate shade representations both on the outer box and the back of the palette itself) and three eye look suggestions on the inside. I like the packaging of these palettes, even though they're a bit of a finger print magnet - the compacts are small but sturdy and come with a big mirror inside, which makes them the perfect travel eyeshadow palettes. I traveled with both The Finer Things and The Posh Neutrals now (I took it with me on our recent trip to Colorado) and I was very happy with my choice.

I like the rose gold theme, however now it slightly bothers my collector's soul that I have given away the yellow gold Power Neutrals palette, because together with the silver Finer Things, they would have made a beautiful precious metals trio. But, alas - I'll have to deal with the fearful symmetry of just two READY 8.0 palettes.

Now for the important part - the eyeshadows inside. Similarly to The Finer Things, The Posh Neutrals has quite a range of different formulas and textures. Here we have a silky matte (warm beige Promise), mattes with microglitter (Curtsy, white with silver flecks, and Romance, blackened aubergine with gold and copper glitters), satins (light peach Debutante, dusty mauve Waltz and silver sage Caviar & Cake), and high shimmers/ metallics (warm taupe Valet and Sizzle, a light bronze with silver microglitter).

It's a bit difficult to spot those differences in finish in photos, so I've decided to include a couple shots in full sunlight, hoping to capture the more complex shimmers. In terms of pigmentation and texture, these shadows differ quite a bit between the finishes, with the one matte and two metallics being the most opaque and soft, the satins equally soft but less pigmented, and the mattes with microglitter the most sheer and dry in consistency. None of these shadows are bad though - I find all quite easy to work with, even if I have to layer to get more pigmentation. Overall, I like all of them, but find the darkest Romance and bronzy Sizzle the most problematic, as the microglitters have a tendency to migrate and fall down my cheeks.

Shades swatched in diffused natural light in the same order as in the palette.

Swatches in direct full sunlight.

In terms of shade selection, I think The Posh Neutrals is going to suit light to medium skintones the most, both on the cool and warm ends of the spectrum. You can absolutely create a complete eyeshadow look with just this palette, although I wish there was one more medium depth transitioning/blending shade; in lieu of that, I've been using Promise, the only matte in the palette, to soften the edges and tone down the shimmer of other shades. I find the satin shades, especially the muted tones of Waltz and Caviar & Cake, to be the most unique and difficult to replicate, although fans of bareMinerals READY taupe shades will be very content with Valet and Sizzle as well.

Here's a shot comparing The Finer Things and The Posh Neutrals - you can see that the latter has more watercolor tones and less contrast than The Finer Things. I'm sorry I don't have The Power Neutrals anymore to give you an idea of differences between the two, but from my memory (and photos), The Power Neutrals was both a bit more grey and warm. On my fair cool skintone, I do prefer the muted pastel shades in The Posh Neutrals palette.

My favorite eye look using The Posh Neutrals palette is the silvery sage Caviar & Cake on the inner two thirds of the lid with plummy Valet in the outer third and softly in the crease, further blended out with matte beige Promise around the edges. I also applied flecky white Curtsy in the inner corner, light bronze Sizzle along the lower lashline, and used the darkest Romance wet to line my upper lashline. It's quite subtle, but luminous and pretty, and when I tilt my head, you can just about see the copper microglitters of Romance between the lashes.

I hope this was helpful to anyone trying to decide between The Posh and The Sexy, or just generally on the fence about these two new palettes. From what I've seen on Temptalia, they are supposed to be limited edition, although The Power Neutrals was a limited release at first too, and then became a permanent part of the range. Have you been tempted by the new READY 8.0 palettes?

More Of a Good Thing: Rouge Bunny Rouge Eyeshadows in Snowy Egret, Sweet Dust Seriema and Chestnut Napped Apalis

Because having more of Rouge Bunny Rouge When Birds Are Singing Long Lasting Eyeshadows is... L♡VE? RBR eyeshadows were among some of my favorite make-up products I've tried in 2014, so I couldn't resist getting a few more when the brand debuted on HauteLook a couple months back. I had longed to try their Matt (sic!) formula, so I purchased Sweet Dust Seriema and Chestnut Napped Apalis ($25 for 0.08 oz/ 2.4g each), as well as another shimmery shade, Snowy Egret ($19 for 2g).

You have probably spotted right away the difference in size and price between these eyeshadows. The two matte shades I purchased are only available as single compacts, while Snowy Egret is available as a refill pan. All the shimmery shades from Rouge Bunny Rouge have slightly smaller pans than the matte single compacts. It's a bit confusing, and while in theory it's nice to get more for your buck, I wish the matte shades were the same standard size of a MAC eyeshadow, so I could plop them in my custom palette. As it is, I've depotted the single compacts and keep shuffling my two RBR mattes between different Z-Palettes (as a side note, melting the plastic underneath and piercing it with something sharp to wedge the pan up and out has worked great for me; I was also able to peel the labels off and stick them to my depotted pans without any problems).

Before we start swatching and comparing, I apologize for a slight lighting/ white balance discrepancy between the photos; I took these shots on two separate days and I'm guessing the temperature of the natural light I was working with must have been different. But I think that also shows you different aspects of these shades, no?

Let's begin with Snowy Egret (described as smoked palest gold iridescence), which is at once easy and difficult to review. Easy, because I knew right away that I would love the formula, having already experienced and loved four of the When Birds Are Singing Eyeshadows previously (click for my review and swatches of the shades Unforgettable Oriole, Bohemian Waxwing, Delicate Hummingbird and Eclipse Eagle). Difficult, because it's a rather complex shade. I would describe it as a very pale platinum with a white gold sheen.

When I took it out of the packaging, it immediately reminded me of Surratt Beauty Eyeshadow in Scintillante, and while they're not too far apart, Snowy Egret is warmer and has a stronger reflective quality, while Scintillante is more cool pink/ grey (well, for a white gold shade, anyway...) and has more of a subtle scattered sparkle finish.

L-R: RBR Snowy Egret, RBR Unforgettable Oriole, Surratt Scintillante, MAC Vex, NYX White Pearl

I'm sorry these swatched don't stand out very clearly on my skin, but I'm fair and they tend to blend in quite easily. You can see here that RBR Unforgettable Oriole is warmer, deeper and more of a champagne tone, but Snowy Egret is not a stark white either, compared to NYX White Pearl. I also shot these swatches in direct sunlight to show you the intensity and tone of shimmer in these shades (my usual swatches are in diffused natural light, by the way).

L-R: RBR Snowy Egret, RBR Unforgettable Oriole, Surratt Scintillante, MAC Vex, NYX White Pearl

Let's discuss matte Sweet Dust Seriema (semi-opaque cool dusty mauve taupe) next. I was very much looking forward to owning a basic cool-toned transition/blending eyeshadow shade, as many of the often recommended shades for that purpose run too warm and orange on me. But Sweet Dust Seriema is seriously cool-toned; it has that grey aspect of a natural shadow on the skin, but with enough mauve/ purple undertone to balance it out. It pairs beautiful with cooler shades on the lid, and I think that for pale and cool toned skinned like me, it could even work as a cheek contouring shade (because see how much cooler it is than NYX Powder Blush in Taupe?).

Now, in terms of formula and performance, the Rouge Bunny Rouge Matt eyeshadows really are as stellar as everyone else made them out to be. The texture of the powder in the pan is incredibly silky and smooth, so they apply and blend on the eye without any effort, and last an entire day. Compared to my other favorite matte eyeshadow formula from Inglot, the RBR shadows are slightly less opaque but also not as soft and powdery (less powder kick-up when picking the powder up with a brush or a finger). I'm not sure if I necessarily like them MORE than the Inglot; Inglot single pans are $6, RBR are $25. Both are stellar formulations, and I like how complimentary the RBR shades are compared to my Inglot counterparts. But if you're on a budget or don't have easy access to Rouge Bunny Rouge, you'll still be good with your Inglot Freedom System choices.

L-R: RBR Sweet Dust Seriema, Inglot Matte no. 337, Red Apple Lipstick Clean Slate, NYX Powder Blush in Taupe

Lastly, Chestnut-Napped Apalis (semi-opaque chestnut puree with a hint of cocoa dust... Say what?) is a fantastic neutral blending shade, running neither too warm or too cool. While I forgot to include that comparison in the photos, it is in fact a very similar shade to that NYX Taupe contouring shade - so yes, I'm sure it would double as a face sculpting powder on just about any skintone as well.

Compared here to some warmer matte medium brown shades, it stands out as the most cool-toned, but you could see how warm it looks against Sweet Dust Seriema. It's just a staple neutral brown, I think a must-have in a good eyeshadow collection. The formula is just as good as Sweet Dust Seriema. Love, love this shade, even though it seems like such a boring color - but it's hard to find something that's just right!

L-R: RBR Sweet Dust Seriema, Too Faced Velvet Revolver from the Natural Eyes palette, Annabelle So Foxy (similar to MAC Charcoal Brown), a medium brown from Physicians Formula Canyon Classics quad, Inglot Matte no. 344.

As you can probably tell, I'm very happy with the new additions to my Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadow family - I don't know if I need to have them all, but I can't rule out getting a few more shades in the future, even if that means depotting and defiling the beautiful packaging. I haven't yet met an RBR eyeshadow I was disappointed in. I hope this post was helpful to anyone looking for good transition mattes as well; I realize that my shade comparisons are somewhat limited as I can only compare to other things I own, but hopefully that gives you some idea about the shade depth and warmth. Rouge Bunny Rouge newbes, do you have any of these shades in your stash? RBR collectors, which shades am I missing from my line-up?