Zuneta Relaunch and blog is moving!

It has been a pretty crazy couple of weeks so sorry for not posting much. We have been trying to get our new website up and running and its nearly a month late to launch. Apparently that's normal in the land of technology but it's been driving me crazy!
Anyway, the good news is that our brand new site is live and it has coincided beautifully with Zuneta's first birthday!!
So much has happened in the last year, and thank you for your support in helping me grow Zuneta - all your support is greatly appreciated!
Our new site has an exciting new magazine section so aswell as the usual articles from our guest writers, I'll be using it as my blog as well. You can still leave comments and participate as much as you want. And if anyone fancies a guest writing slot, don't hesitate to ask.

Come and visit us at the new Zuneta.

Model Search 2010 Finalists

2,500 entrants and 200K votes later, we were ready to go through the top 10's of our Model Search (in conjunction with ELLE, FM Agency and Rouge Bunny Rouge) with FM!

As laid out on the Model Search site, we can only take votes from verified email addresses into consideration to make it fair. Those people that set up scripts to generate email addresses to try to beat the system didn't achieve anything other than causing us issues with our server (due to the bounces such efforts generated) so those contestants had to be disqualified, as we had specifically warned on the Model Search site. However, there were a huge amount of genuine votes and of course, we understand that not every genuine voter would have verified their email address so we only disqualified people who had literally thousands of unverified votes.

Thank you to the huge amount of contestants that took the competition seriously and followed the rules! Hopefully some of you will see yourselves below!

So, these are the official top 10's that were presented to us and FM agency and these are the girls we will be plucking our 7 winners from!

We'll announce the winners on the 18th of November, so GOOD LUCK!!!!!

Group A Top 10

Group B Top 10

Group C Top 10Group D Top 10

Group E Top 10

Group F Top 10

Group G Top 10

We'll be choosing 7 girls that compliment each other, have the potential to have a career as a model, have a modern/edgy look that represents Zuneta aswell as their Phenotype group and that are friendly and forthcoming when we contact them as that is more important than you might think when it comes to success as a brand rep!
Stay tuned for more updates soon....

The Ultimate Lipgloss

This evening I have decided to do a new kind of post for this blog. I want to showcase the product that has become my new obsession, the Hourglass Extreme Sheen Lipgloss.

I have been *blessed* with enormous lips. Very pouty. While most people are jealous of this, it has taken me years to work out how best to *dress* them. I am a big fan of lip butters and coloured balms which give me a light hint of colour, but nothing too overpowering. Occasionally I go through a lipstick phase and get brave with my shades (although I still can't carry off a good, iconic, pillarbox red- its just not my shade). I have definitely been going through a lipstick phase recently, encouraged by the blackcurrant shades that I keep raving about.

But now I have a new obsession. Lipgloss.

The reasons I haven't normally gone for lipglosses are:

- A lot of them taste gross

- My hair manages to stick to my lips as soon as I step outside and the feeling of glamour therefore disappears immediately

- Most lipglosses seem to last for about 5 mins on the lips which annoys me

However, I have finally found a super shiny, super tasty lipgloss that has, quite frankly, revolutionised my attitude to this particular make-up essential!

Instead of raving about it too much, i will just dispaly the stunning shade range below. Yes I have them all, yes that's how obsessed i've become. Look how used up some of them are already!

That's flash and no flash so you can see the shades in the way you prefer. I also decided to do some swatches whilst I was at it. More so that I could choose which shade I will be rocking with my new gold metallic vest this weekend, but also so you can see how wearable they all are and how easy it would be to become obssessed. And look how shiny it is!!!!

The shades from left to right are:

Primal, Nectar (amazing), Origami (amazing), Reflect, Imagine (amazing), Ignite, Verse, Lush (amazing but sold out), and Truth (great if you don't want too much sparkle).

Today I was at a meeting with ELLE discussing the Model Search and someone actually asked me what lipstick i was wearing. It wasn't lipstick, it was this gloss! In Nectar. Sure, the shine had subsided a little ( this was over lunch so I had eaten....) but the colour was just as you would expect from a lipstick.

I'm pretty darn impressed, I must say. For all you gloss fans out there- you need one of these!

RBR Luminous Skin Wand- Instyle Beauty Buy Winner 2009

Well, today I have some exciting news!!!
The Rouge Bunny Rouge Concealer (Luminous Skin Wand) has has been voted one of Instyle's Best Beauty Buys. Of course, I wholeheartedly agree as I am a BIG fan of Rouge Bunny Rouge.

I am particularly excited to see this as most magazine based Beauty Awards only honour the big brands (read- big advertising spends). So it's very refreshing to see a little unknown like Rouge Bunny Rouge sneak in and take a prize!

The Rouge Bunny Rouge concealer is very unique though so it definitely deserves recognition. It is an eye cream and concealer in one so actively works to reduce fine lines, bags and dark circles as well as just covering them up. It contains an ingredient called Haloxyl™ which is what works hard to reduce dark circles. Meanwhile Fermiskin, made from Shitake Mushroom Extract, reduces puffiness and firms up the under eye area.

I am a bif fan of multi-tasking concealers that have performance related properties to them as well as just being good cover-ups. Granted, this may not be the product that properly covers those nightmare-ish bemishes, but it's worth investing in to care for the eye area.

Zuneta Model Search: Only 2 weeks left!

Last week was SO busy, I didn't even have time to post. There are a lot of changes coming up in the next few months so we are pretty busy here at Zuneta HQ.

We are a year old next month and to celebrate, we are going to be relaunching the site with lots of exciting new features that should make the whole Zuneta experience even easier and more fun. The new site will be a lot more interactive, so you'll be encouraged to add your product reviews and comments on our magazine content etc.

We also have our shoot with the winners of our Model Search coming up.

But first, we have to choose our winners! Last week I spent some time at FM Agency, going through all the entrants and seeing who is the most popular with the public and who we think could have a good career as a model. We've had some fantastic entries and I think there are a few girls that could have a great career ahead of them.

As we only have 12 days to go, I thought I'd share some of my favourite entries for each category so far.

Group A: The Redheads

I am looking for a girl that really encompasses the beauty of a natural redhead. Someone with pale skin, freckles and a beautiful tone to her hair. Here are a few of the girls that have caught my eye:

Group B: The Blondes

Blonde girls can be very difficult to cast, believe it or not! I always look for girls that have a beautiful, symmetric face and a quirky look about them. These are some of the girls that I thought were quite interesting:

Group C: The Fair to Medium Brunettes

Group C and E are the most popular categories, and we have had some great entris into both. Group C is my more delicate, English Rose type look:

Group D- Fair to Medium Asian

We need more entries in this group please ladies!!!

Group E: Medium to Tan Brunette

This category probably houses the toughest competition. Some fantastic entries!

Group F: Medium to Tan Asian

I am quite excited about a few of the girls in this category. We haven't had huge amounts of entries for this category though, which is a shame as this is where you can discover some truly stunning girls with long, beautiful lashes to die for!

Group G: Tan to Dark

Some seriously trendy young ladies in this category!

Make sure you vote for the girl you want to see representing you as there are only 12 days to go!

Hourglass videos are live on Zuneta

As you have probably already noticed, our Hourglass videos are now up on the site! You can watch MUA Michael Pierce take you through each product. He has some great tips and tricks up his sleeve, like this one below....this was a particularly exciting find for me! My mother won't leave her room unless her red lipstickis firmly in place and she has been searching for the perfect way to get long wear without drying out her lips for years! I think we may have just found it....

I hope you enjoy the vids! Watch them here or directly on the product pages.

Hourglass launches on Zuneta

Its been a very busy week at Zuneta HQ! Not least because we were rushing to get Hourglass live and launched! But, I can now finally announce the official arrival of Hourglass in the UK....live on Zuneta.
We had our press launch last week, as you know, and Nadine (who does our PR) has been crazy busy ever since then. Seems there are a lot of people that have been waiting for this fab brand.
Just to give you a little bit of background- Hourglass was launched in 2004 by Carisa Janes. It went staright into Barney's (in NYC) and stayed exclusive there until 2007. In 2007 Hourglass launched in 19 Sephora stores and was their most successful brand launch of the year. Why? They have cracked the code when it comes to a flawless looking face. For all you Laura Mercier lovers- I think there may just be a new kid on the block! Hourglass is now in over 150 Sephoras and is seen as one of the most successful US launches. You'll know exactly why when you try some of the products.

The Primers, Tinted Moisturisers and Veil Foundation are the obvious winners. But for the mascara addicts amongst you- the Hourglass Superficial Lash is brilliant. I used to be the global strategist (product development if you like) on mascara for Maybelline so I've tried a fair few formulas in my time but this mascara is quickly becoming an Hourglass best seller.

Also of note are the eyeshadow duos and bronzers. If nothing else, the 360° swivel compact they are housed in are worth the money! Each compact has a large mirror that you can actually see yourself in. No blurry vision or opaque glass. But, I should be fair about the products too...the eyeshadows are creamy and blendable (although RBR eyeshadows are probably a little more creamy) and come in a great variety of shades. Everyone has been getting particularly excited about Prism, which is the smokey duo. The black shade in that duo has a little bit of (classy) glitter that adds a really nice touch to your endlook.

The cream bronzer compact (with highlighter) is one of my favourites as its very versatile and easy to use. The bronzer is a very natural shade so there is no danger of looking orange. As an LA based brand, you would certainly expect Hourglass to get bronzers right and they really do!

I could go on about this brand for hours, but I'll save some of my comments for future posts.

In the meantime, I'll sign off by saying the person that really put this brand on the map is Angelina Jolie. This is her brand of choice and the foundation and primer that she buys. She has turned her friends onto the brand as well and phonecalls starting in 'Hi, Angie told me about you and....' are very common in the Venice Beach HQ. Well, if its good enough for Ange......

New Rouge Bunny Rouge goodies!

I have some new Rouge Bunny Rouge goodies to share with you. The new Matte Eyeshadows went live last night. They have already been popular & we only have one left of each! So be quick! The new delivery should be here on Fri or Mon. They are very pretty.....I am wearing blackpepper jay this morning, which is a smokey grey-brown. I am a huge fan of the smokey eye so I was particularly excited for this launch as there is a shade for me for every occasion. My eyes are very very pale blue, so with the right shade of eyeshadow they transform into brighter blue or even green.
The new eyeshadows are available in the following shades:
Grey Go-away Lourie Semi opaque smoky slate grey
Blackpepper Jay Semi opaque smoky black brown
Papyrus Canary Semi opaque palest creamy beige
Chestnut-napped Apalis Semi opaque chestnut puree with a hint of cocoa dust
I am also trying out the new Witchery Modelling Mascara today which is another new RBR launch. This mascara has a moulded brush and uses the popular tubing technology. Moulded brushes can give quite a natural, defined look (like Maybelline's Define-A-Lash) or quite a strong look- like this Rouge Bunny Rouge version. It all depends on the flexibility of the brush. The Rouge Bunny Rouge version is not flexible, so it deposits quite a lot of product on the lashes which is great for volumizing. I am wearing the brown shade today, called Golden Darkness. Still, I think moulded brushes are great for a daytime look and fibre brushes work better for a buildable impactful endlook. But, mascara brushes are very personal so you'll all know which ones you prefer!

Finally, Rouge Bunny Rouge have also come out with a Tinted Moisturiser- called Sketches on Water. I love the name!

The product is very nice, very light. It absorbs straight into the skin, leaving it looking healthy and refreshed. It has quite a high water content which gives it a lovely texture and is packed with botanicals and vitamins which protect the skin from external aggresors (so pollution to you and me!). Nice to even out the skin tone when you are looking to hide behind something but not ready for full on coverage! The only thing for me is I wish the product was in the beautiful glass bottles that Rouge Bunny Rouge do!

Just want to remind you all that there is only 2 days left to use your RBR code! You can get 20% off if you use the code RBRALIST at checkout. Happy Shopping!

Natural Beauty

Another busy weekend of model entries! I really like the natural pictures that you guys are sending in. Makes it easy to see your potential. A blank canvas.....so that Rouge Bunny Rouge (our make-up sponsor) can work their magic!

London Fashion Week S/S10

Its been a very busy week at Zuneta! Fashion Week mania plus a press launch for Hourglass. I can't wait to launch Hourglass on Thursday, I am really impressed with the brand and I think you're going to love it! We will do a sneak peak of the make-up trends coming our way for Spring/Summer 2010 but in the meantime I wanted to highlight a few looks seen at London Fashion Week. I think its important to support the looks concieved on British shores after all!

The big show was Burberry Prorsum of course. Make-up was neutral, complimenting the pastel fabrics and detailing. Fresh faced and ready for spring.
Louise Goldin took a similar approach with her look, with full focus on her collection.

I always love the glamour of Julien MacDonald's shows (I worked at a few back in the day) and I liked the slick backed look the girls were rocking this year. Julien seems to be a fan of the sleek shiny look. A look I like to recreate on holiday especially, by lathering on the Hei Poa!

The Luella collection was gorgeous and her focus was on the eyes. How cute is this outfit?

The look that was really following through from this autumn was the strong lip at House of Holland and Basso & Brooke. A coral red at the former and my favourite- the blackcurrant lip at the latter.

Weekenders

We had a real mix of applicants this weekend! It was hard for me to come up with a theme, so instead I have taken a slection of some of the most different so you can see some of the different personalities.

Having said that, the theme could be black & white....and this is our second or third twiggy lookalike!

Enjoy....

Hourglass Video Shoot

OK, you've heard me mention it before butthe Hourglass launch is imminent and I am getting very excited! We are working hard at getting the brand ready for upload and our stock should be arriving any day now. The press launch is next week and I'm really looking forward to it as it gives me great pleasure presenting brands that are truly impressive in terms of quality. No faddy brands here...only hard working products that are really going to make a difference.

We had the shoot on Sunday for the application videos. We did it at a venue called The Russian Club which is a gallery as well as a studio. It was perfect, our new favourite place to shoot. And they let us work late into the night on Sunday (no rest for the kids at Zuneta).

Michael Pierce, Hourglass' esteemed make-up artist, flew over for the shoot. He was a true pro and had us all watching avidly as he took us through some of the amazing little tricks you can do with the formulas. Be prepared to be completely hooked to the Solar Tan Primer and the Veil Fluid Foundation. I will post about these properly later, because they totally deserve it, but just to give you a snippet....the foundation contains Matrixyl which stimulates the production of collagen. Heard of it before? That's right, it can be found in brands such as Strivectin and is regarded as one of the best anti-ageing ingredients out there.

Can't wait to tell you more....