Rouge Bunny Rouge Lipstick

I wasn’t planning to do any swatching in Dubai. I didn’t want to subject my husband and mother-in-law to hours of waiting around a mall; I wasn’t planning on trekking around the city looking for brands; I didn’t know if a new set of sales associates would let me have free rein with their testers. So I didn’t pack my swatching supplies.

But then I tripped over Rouge Bunny Rouge (at Beautybay in Oasis Center on Sheik Zayed Road), and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. I’ve received several requests-to-swatch, but the brand isn’t available in the U.S.

I don’t know too much about RBR. Based in Russia, the company describes itself as English/Russian, combining “Victorian-style fairy tales with Tsarist aristocracy.” Their website — and product nomenclature — is fanciful. (“The fiercely beautiful royal dragonflies from the Enchanted Garden inspired us to concoct this glorious beam of a lipstick for you.”). Their fans say the texture and quality of their products is excellent (particularly eyeshadow and pigments, lipstick, liquid liner, highlighter, and blush).

Since I didn’t have my sponge-tipped applicators (for eyeshadow), my triangle sponges (for blush), my lipgloss applicators, or a black eyeliner for marking off highlighters, I decided to swatch RBR’s lipsticks. We even acquired a piece of astroturf (which Mr. Salt held up as a background).

I swatched every “lipstick” Beautybay had, starting with RBR’s two “Dazzling Sip” ultra-sheer Shimmering Luxe Balms. Sip of Pink is a nearly-clear pink tint; Pinch of Nude is clear gold (and slightly more sparkly). These have a scent… maybe vanilla? The testers stand open, so it was hard to be sure.

The rest of this arm represents “Succulence of Dew” sheer lipsticks. As far as I could tell, these have no scent. Fluttering Sighs (my favorite) is warm pink with a few gold sparkles. Tongue Tickles is cooler, slightly deeper, and more pink, with silver multicolored sparkles. Jasmine-Weighted Air is tangerine with lots of gold sparkles. Perfume of His Gaze is a muted, slightly rosy peach-nude. Water Honeyed is warm caramel brown with lots of gold sparkles. Dark Juices is slightly mauvey brown with lots of silver multicolored sparkles. Murmurings is a sheer rose that I think everyone will love. Looking at RBR’s website, I realize the counter was missing Dissolved in Dreams.

Then I swatched the “Hues of Enchantment” Colour Burst lipstick (I don’t think these are scented either). The Plot Thickens is a muted bubblegum pink with a slight frost. Irreverence is a mauvey rose creme. Scrumptiously Devious is a frosty purplish pink with gold shimmer. Watch Out! Eve is a warm corally desert pink with some gold shimmer. Prey of Lust is a nude, beigey pink. Inscribed in Sheets is a desert rose, slightly mauvey and slightly brown. I Forget You is a rosy, clay-orange with gold shimmer. Whim of Mine is mauvey rose. Word of Mouth is cool watermelon.

Unrestricted is a muted copper rose shimmer. Know What Lies Are For is a greyed mauve beige. Love Triangle is a muted copper-coral with gold shimmer. Raw Silence is cool red. Got Rid of the Man is a deep, muted, berried red.

Upon consulting the RBR website, I see I’m missing shades I Misremembered, Impossible to Erase, and Nothing Unknown.

The sales associate told me that Dazzling Sip, Succulence of Dew, and Hues of Enchantment lipsticks were all 95 dirhams apiece (which works out to $25.86 at the time of this writing). I’ve heard from a friend in the U.K. that RBR lipsticks are £22 ($35.73).

As far as I know, Rouge Bunny Rouge is available in the UK, Germany, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Estonia, Russia, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. You can also find them on Zuneta.com