I announced in November that Shu Uemura Art of Hair’s most successful launch to date, Essence Absolue, had sold out worldwide at salons only weeks after the product’s launch. This is an impressive feat in any economic climate, but is especially astounding when retail sales–while up slightly from 2008–were generally weak during Q4.
Sadly, this fabulous product generally sells out as quickly as stores can replenish it. This, of course, only piques the curiosity of product-addicted consumers like myself. I was thrilled when I received a sample of Essence Absolue, especially in light of the product’s scarcity and highly-coveted celeb-adored status.
Shu Uemura’s Essence Absolue Nourishing Protective Oil is a magical elixir for those cursed with dry over-processed hair. Essence Absolue’s secret ingredient is Camellia Oil (commonly referred to as “liquid gold”), derived from the Camellia Japonica tree. The beauty of this hair care product is that it doubles as an extremely effective intensive pre-shampoo moisturizing treatment, or an after-styling protectant that shields the hair from sun damage and leaves it looking shiny.
I’m particularly fond of the product’s weightlessness, as some leave-in conditioners can leave hair feeling heavy, looking flat or even looking greasy! Essence Absolue has none of these horrible side-effects, and I love the instant gratification of applying one teeny-tiny pump to my hair post-styling, and ending up with shinier, more healthy-looking tresses instantly!
Retail price is $65 for a large, 5 fl oz pump bottle. I know the price is steep, but this bottle will likely last for quite a while. I’ve been using mine for about 2 weeks, and the bottle is only 10% empty (using ruler measurement to determine this). I’d estimate two bottles is all you’d need for an entire year of treatment and protection.
Join the wait list by clicking here, and you’ll be informed via email when Essence Absolue is back in stock. Good luck, readers!
The author of Raging Rouge received press samples for purposes of this makeup review / product review. For more information on sample policies, please click HERE to read my full disclosure statement.
Celebrity makeup artist Brett Freedman is a big fan of wine and berry shades this season. Here is his "how to" create a dramatic plum/berry eye makeup look.
Burgundy/plum eyeshadow: My tip for adding these fun, unique shades to your make up bag is to head to the drugstore. I really like Maybelline's Rose Tints Duo. These shades to give the eyes instant intensity but with a soft vibe. Here's how:
1: Sweep the lighter shade across lid and on brow bone. I like to take the lightest, shimmery color and smooth into the inner eye/tear duct area. This trick catches light and brings eyes to life.
2. Using a small, tight brush use the darker shade and dot/stroke under the bottom lash line. Keep it very close to the lash line. I like to wet the small brush to get the most color impact and help with staying power. Line about 3/4 toward the inner eye.
3. Using a slightly larger eye shadow brush blend the deeper shade into the crease. I would go from outer corner to 3/4 toward the tear duct. You want to really nudge out the lid so it really pops. Blend up and outward to give the eyes a sexy lift.
Crisp, dramatic brows: With an amp'd up eye, you want to make sure your arches don't look low watt. Be sure to give your brows a nice clean up early in the season so they are always camera ready. Define your brows with a pencil or powder that's one shade lighter than your hairs. You want a shadow of definition, not a hard filled in line. Try Vanitymark's Ultra-Brow powder.
My tip: if you are wearing your hair up, give brows a touch extra crispness since they will be center stage.
Click HERE to visit Vanitymark to check out Brett's portfolio!
This sparkling New Year's Eve party eye makeup idea was created by Jemma Kidd: founder of the Jemma Kidd Makeup School. Just reading Jemma's advice gets me in a party mood!
1. Don’t be afraid to go a little wild – it’s New Year’s Eve after all! The perfect party look: glitter never fails to get girls in the mood to hit the dance floor. The inspiration is the heady days of disco, Studio 54 and 1970’s glam rock, but toned down for a more refined interpretation.
2. Tidy and emphasize the brows to provide a nice frame to your face.
3. Start with the eyes, that way you can dust away any particles before applying foundation. Draw along the upper lash line with a mahogany eyeliner pencil, working the tip between the roots of the lashes to add volume.
4. Create a base by using a synthetic brush to apply beige-gold crème eyeshadow from the upper lash line to the socket crease.
5. Next up – sparkle! Using a natural brush, layer gold glitter over the top, pressing it with the brush so that it sticks to the crème underneath. Using a pointed eyeliner brush, apply a line of crème and glitter just beneath the lower lash line.
6. Finish the dewy look by brushing a neutral highlighter over the browbone.
7. To up the flirt-factor, make your eyelashes super long with false-lash corners, curling and coating with a lengthening black mascara.
8. Make sure there are no traces of glitter on your cheeks before starting on your face.
Click HERE to shop for Jemma Kidd Make Up School products.
If you're looking for more tips on how to create the perfect Smoky Eye, check out this step-by-step tutorial by Rick DiCecca, Global Makeup Stylist. His advice is–pardon the pun–eye opening!
Products Required:
Time Zone Line and Wrinkle Reducing Eye Cream
Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Shadow Base
Black Smoke Signature Eye Shadow Quad
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Shade #1
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Shade #2
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Shade #3
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Shade #4
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Onyx Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eyeliner
TurboLash All Effects Mascara
Blacker Black Double Wear Zero-Smudge Lengthening Mascara
Double Wear Stay-in-Place Concealer
When creating a dark and smokey eye, I will often apply the eye shadows and liner to the eye before I apply concealer and foundation. This practice makes it easier to remove any shadow that may remain under the eye area from the application, leaving this area clean and bright.
Apply Estée Lauder Time Zone Eye Cream to smooth and brighten the skin around the eyes.
Prepare your eye lids for powder eye shadows by applying Double Wear Stay-in-Place Shadow Base to your eyelids using your finger tip or an eye shadow brush. Start from lash line and blend over lid up to brow.
Using an eye shadow brush and the Black Smoke Signature Eye Shadow Quad, apply highlight Shade #1 from under the brow arch and to the inner eye corner. By buffing out any hard edges, you will create a soft definition.
Then apply Shade #3 over eyelid, starting along upper lash line and blending up over lid and into crease. Be sure to blend well in the crease to soften any hard lines.
Now apply shade #2 over the center of eyelid, starting from lash line and blending up over lid and up to the crease. This time, however, do not blend into the crease.
Apply Onyx Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eyeliner along upper and lower lashes in short deliberate strokes. Then smudge liner into lash line with the sponge tip on the end of the liner pencil. There’s no need to draw a perfect straight line. Your goal is to create darkness and lushness at the base of your lashes.
Blend Shade #4 into liner along upper and lower lashes and on outer edge of eyes from lash to crease. Again, make sure you blend the shadow well into the crease to soften any hard lines.
To complete your holiday eye makeup look, apply TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara to upper lashes and Double Wear Zero-Smudge Lengthening Mascara in Blacker Black to lower lashes.
Click HERE to buy the products mentioned in this post at EsteeLauder.com.
A warm eye? A cool eye? Who could possibly choose? Gazing at these facecharts might help you with decision-making! These two holiday eye makeup looks were created by Sonia Hodzic, Director of Education at tarte Cosmetics using the "Treasure Chest" palette from the Holiday 2009 makeup collection.
Holiday Eyes, Cool:
lifted™ natural eye primer with Firmitol™ applied first on the entire lid
treasure chest holiday collection 2009
shimmer shadow in pink on entire eye
shimmer shadow in light green on the lid, slightly on crease and under eye
matte shadow in dark green on outer corner and slightly on the outer crease
shimmer shadow in silver on the inner well
emphasEYES™ high definition eye pencil in black on both top and bottom lash line including inner rim
lights, camera, lashes! 4-in-1 clinically proven natural mascara
Holiday Eyes, Warm:
lifted™ natural eye primer with Firmitol™ applied first on the entire lid
treasure chest holiday collection 2009
shimmer shadow in pale gold on entire eye
shimmer shadow in darker gold on entire lid and under eye
matte shadow in rusty brownish pink in the crease
shimmer shadow in brown across the lash line and under the eye
emphasEYES™ high definition eye pencil in chocolate
lights, camera, lashes! 4-in-1 clinically proven natural mascara
Click HERE to buy Tarte Treasure Chest from Sephora
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This easy-to-follow metallic holiday eye makeup idea was created by Christopher Del Castillo, MAC Sr. Artist. It's a wonderful choice for a low-maintenance woman in search of a high-maintenance appearance!
1. Start by applying MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow in Mayhem with a soft brush (like MAC 217) to your lids.
2. Then use a contour brush like MAC 224 to apply MAC Copperplate Eye Shadow to your crease/socket to add depth.
3. Make sure your eye brows look fabulously groomed with MAC Eye Brows in your perfect shade (they make one for every hair color).
4. Finish the look with a fine line of black liquid liner — I prefer MAC Penultimate in Rapidblack.
Click HERE to shop for the products used to create this eye makeup idea!
She's back! Jenny Smith, a Makeup Stylist with NARS Cosmetics, shares us her personal favorite holiday eye makeup idea: the smokey eye.
Every woman wants to wear a smokey eye this season whether it is for a holiday party, a work event, or just a fun night out!
The challenge that most of us run into when doing a smokey eye is that the dark color gets too dark, too fast and sometimes it is hard to take away color that has become too smokey or even messy.
Here are the step by step secrets to creating a smokey eye and how to gradually build up to the levely of sultry darkness that you want.
Start with NARS Nourishing Eye Cream for hydration. Blend NARS Concealer to blur out imperfections or dark circles around the eyes. Set your entire eye with NARS Loose Powder. You now have the beginning base for a smokey eye: even skin. Use concealer and foundation on areas of your face that have redness or imperfections. Set with powder. An even skintone allows for the focus to be on beautiful, smokey eyes.
Next, blend shadows that are light, then medium, and finish with dark. The easiest smokey eye base is the new NARS Soft Touch Shadow Pencil. Use Goddess (a silvery pink) from lash line to brow. Scribble on all over your eye as a base and use your finger to blend. This gives a light, bright cream base all over the eyes. Add a darker base, like NARS Aigle Noir Soft Touch Shadow Pencil (a lush, himmering black) by brushing along your lashline on the top and bottom of your eye. Follow top and bottom lashes for a silky black smudge that instantly defines.
Once you have created the perfect light and dark base, take a big, firm shadow brush like Nars Brush #3 to set your entire eye with the white side of NARS Pandora Duo Eyeshadow. Apply it from lashes to brow for a seamless effect. Less shimmer by the browbone looks more modern and chic. Take a fluffy, dome-shaped brush like NARS brush #13 to blend the black side of Pandora eyeshadow duo along your lashline, outer corner of your eye, and bridge of your eye (above the crease- also known as the brow bone). Voila! You have a smokey eye!
Remember that the best way to finish a smokey eye is with a black eyeliner, like NARS Black Moon Eyeliner Pencil, on the inner rim of your eye along your lashline. Now, wiggle on a few coats of mascara for the finishing touch! I'm in love with the NARS Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara which is a runway-ready mascara that does not clump, flake, or end up under your eyes. Apply 2-3 coats!
You can use these techniques with any variety of colors. A smokey eye is not about the colors that you use, but about the application. Try the same techniques I've mentioned about with different color combinations like a gold and a purple, a cream and a burgundy, silver, and blue. Try out the newest NARS colors like NARS Brumes Duo Eyeshadow and NARS Eurydice Duo EyeshadowLet your imagination run wild. Experiment with makeup and have fun. Sometimes, the most unexpected combinations will become your favorites!
Click HERE to shop for the products used to create this eye makeup look!
Get your bling on this New Year’s Eve with Urban Decay Rocks! Teeny, tiny gold, silver and irridescent crystals can be manipulated into any creative design, and held in place with a skin-friendly lash adhesive.
If your beauty look must be positively dazzling, take it to the next level! How totally fun!
Retail price is $18.
Click HERE to buy Urban Decay Rocks at UrbanDecay.com.
The author of Raging Rouge received press samples for purposes of this makeup review / product review. For more information on sample policies, please click HERE to read my full disclosure statement.
Oh readers… there are many products in the world of makeup that I anxiously await each holiday season. Estee Lauder’s beautiful, collectible, and sometimes quirky collection of compacts ranks high on my list.
The image above features only two of the many styles available this holiday season. These limited-edition beauties will win the heart of the collector in your life!
Pictured above are two exclusives to Saks Fifth Avenue. Pictured at left, The Sensuous Brilliant Bloom Compact, $250 (filled with a solid form of Estee Lauder Sensuous Perfume). Pictured at right, The Jeweled Tiara Compact, $175 (filled with luxurious Re-Nutriv Intensive Comfort Pressed Powder and refillable with Lucidity Pressed Powder, large size refill).
Click HERE to buy them at Saks.com Beauty Place
. Be sure to check out the other designs, too!
Click HERE to check out other compacts at Estee Lauder.
Click HERE to buy Estee Lauder at Nordstrom online.
Click HERE to shop Estee Lauder at Macy’s
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This Fall’s trendiest, hottest new look was certainly the green eye. Mixing shades of Forest, Emerald and Kelly may not be as easy as you suspect, however. So, Urban Decay has introduced this delightfully teeny tiny shadow palette to help you conquer the look. The Urban Decay Smoke Out Kit in Yerba is a one-stop shop for creating a perfect smoky green eye. (Please note, the palette pictured does not contain the Yerba shades)!
Also included in the kit are a mini 24/7 Eye Pencil in Zero (their super-popular pitch black shade), a waterproof pencil, and NEW Skyscraper Mascara. The palette design itself is genius. Each of the four layers fan out to reveal all of the products at once, and then stay shut tight using magnets.
Retail price is $34.
Click HERE to buy the Smoke Out Kit in Yerba from UrbanDecay.com.
The author of Raging Rouge received press samples for purposes of this makeup review / product review. For more information on sample policies, please click HERE to read my full disclosure statement.
