2010 Spring

Spring 2010 Makeup Top 10 (Part 3)

by PJ on Friday, May 14, 2010

in -Coffret d'Or, -Cosme Decorte, -Kanebo, -Kosé, -Lunasol, -Magie Deco, 2010 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, seasonal makeup top 10

(continued from Part 1 and Part 2)

3. Magie Deco

(image from www.cosmedecorte.com/magiedeco)

(image from www.cosmedecorte.com/magiedeco)


Earlier this year, I finally got my first item from Magie Deco (Shadow Brilliance II in Foxy Lady). It didn’t disappoint me, and I will definitely look out for other things to try. For spring 2010, there are blue, green, and purple as well as more soft neutrals. I particularly like LC033 White Crystal Opal and DC031 Pink Opal. (White Crystal Opal looks a lot warmer in photos in Biteki than it does in the image above.)

2. Lunasol

(image from www.kanebo-cosmetics.jp/lunasol)

I tend to be more excited about Lunasol’s palette series for spring than those for fall, and Nature Color Eyes from the spring 2010 collection is another beautifully colorful range from one of my favorite makeup lines in the last ten years. I like the warmth in 03 Nature Brown and the soft colors in 05 Nature Colorful. (If the liner shade in Nature Colorful were a deep purple, I would probably consider buying it.)
1. Coffret D’Or

(image from www.kanebo-cosmetics.jp/coffretdor)

(image from www.kanebo-cosmetics.jp/coffretdor)

(image from www.kanebo-cosmetics.jp/coffretdor)

Among Coffret D’Or’s purple eye palettes, 3D Lighting Eyes in 04 Purple Variation (from the spring 2008 collection) is my favorite and Jewelcious Eyes in 05 Purple Amethyst from the spring 2010 collection is my second favorite. The tone of the purple in Purple Amethyst suits me well and I like its moderate pigmentation level and pearly shimmer. I also like the case design of this palette series.

The Innocent Color Blush reminds us again that Coffret D’Or is the successor to T’Estimo, which released Pure Layer Blush, a loose-powder blusher, for spring and summer 2007. (The cases look nearly the same.)

As I mentioned before, Coffret D’Or overall appeals to me a lot more than T’Estimo. This collection is one of the many reasons why the line has kept me interested for the last few years.

Related posts:

Lunasol Sheer Contrast Eyes in Lavender Coral

Lunasol Summer 2010 Collection

Coffret D’Or Late Summer/ Early Fall Collection

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News & Thoughts in Brief

by PJ on Wednesday, May 12, 2010

in -Dior, -Paul & Joe, -RMK, -SUQQU, 2010 Spring, 2010 Summer, all about Japanese cosmetics

(SUQQU Noble Nuance Face Color)
(image from www.suqqu.com)

Dior: I came across Dior’s summer 2010 collection in Harrods. (It doesn’t seem to be available in other department stores or Dior counters in Boots at the moment.) I am slightly underwhelmed by Addicted to Dior mainly because it is smaller than what I imagined. But I think I still like it enough to want to use my Boots points for it.

Paul & Joe: As I mentioned earlier, Select Eye Colors are now available in the UK. None of the shades has grabbed me. At the moment, I am looking forward to the new Lip Gloss G from the summer 2010 collection.

RMK: Spring Modern Eyes in 04 Rosy Purple from the spring 2010 collection has been sold out.

SUQQU: I finally had a chance to see SUQQU’s spring 2010 collection in person. Noble Nuance Face Color has a subtle luminous glow that should be appealing for many people. Among other items in the collection, I like Noble Nuance Eyeshadow in EX-01, Noble Nuance Cheeks in EX-01, and Noble Nuance Lipstick in EX-02.

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Spring 2010 Makeup Top 10 (Part 2)

by PJ on Monday, May 10, 2010

in -Est, -Kao, -Maquillage, -Paul & Joe, -Shiseido, 2010 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, seasonal makeup top 10

(continued from Part 1)

6. Paul & Joe

(image from www.paul-joe-beaute.com)

 

I think, for many people, the highlight of Paul & Joe’s spring 2010 collection is the Disney Character Collection, which features the Alice in Wonderland characters. For me, I also like the new eyeshadow singles (Select Eye Colors). A while ago, I was told by a Paul & Joe sales assistant that they might not be launched in the UK. But, fortunately, I recently saw them in Harrods. All the 25 shades are available here.

5. Maquillage

(image from www.shiseido.co.jp/mq)

 

There are five Eyes Creator (3D) palettes in Maquillage‘s spring 2010 collection. All of them feature light-to-medium colors, which look very wearable. I particularly like PK766 (with a hint of peach) and BR765 (with a hint of gold). The new shades of Eye Color N (Powder) include GD, BE, and BR shades as well.

4. Est

(image from www.kao.co.jp/est)

 

I still haven’t tried items from Est, but I nearly decided to go for a couple of items on several occasions. In the spring 2010 collection, I like the look of the Emotional Multiple Eyes palettes in 09 and 11. 09 reminds me of Magie Deco’s Shadow Brilliance II in Foxy Lady, while 11, with lilac, pink, and yellow gold, reminds me of Lunasol’s Sheer Contrast Eyes in Lavender Coral.

The countdown concludes in Part 3.

Related posts (on summer 2010 collections):

Paul & Joe

Aube Couture

Jill Stuart

 

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Makeup Review: RMK Spring Modern Eyes in Orangy Brown for Spring 2010

by PJ on Sunday, May 9, 2010

in -RMK, 2010 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - eyeshadow

In my post on the makeup trend of spring 2010, I mentioned that quite a few orange-toned shades seemed to be appearing among Japanese cosmetics. Today, I am looking at a good example of this trend, Spring Modern Eyes in 03 Orangy Brown from RMK’s spring 2010 collection.

Top left: well-pigmented mildly metallic warm brown with a burgundy undertone
Bottom: moderately-pigmented shimmery light warm beige
Middle: lightly-pigmented mildly shimmery off-white
Right: sheer subtly shimmery soft peachy orange

The orange looks vibrant in the pan, but it is sheer and subtle when applied.

All the colors go on very smoothly, especially the light beige and the dark brown. The staying power of all the colors is good.

According to the application instruction enclosed with the palette, firstly, the light beige is applied on the eyelids. Then, the dark brown is used to line the eyes and the off-white is applied on the brow bones. Finally, the light orange is layered on top of the other three shades.

Based on this application, the effect is soft and warm. Even though the light beige and the orange are on the sheer side, they are not so sheer that they would just show up as shimmer.

I personally really like the light beige, which is a very good daytime color. It has the right (softly warm) tone for my slightly warm complexion and it adds subtle depth to the eyes. The multi-color shimmer also enhances the dimension of the eyes.

The orange imparts a touch of bounciness to the eye areas. It can be layered for slightly more intensity, but it doesn’t look gaudy or overly vibrant. It can also be used in the inner corners of the eyes or as a lower-eye liner for a very different look. I have not tried any shade similar to it before and I do find it to be quite wearable.

This palette is an interesting reinterpretation of warm neutrals. If the orange in this palette were a medium-to-dark beige, the palette would be relatively more ordinary. The orange certainly adds a bit of novelty and an element of surprise and discovery to the palette. It makes this palette worthy of a look even if you already have a few neutral palettes.

(The product featured in this review is provided by RMK.)

Related posts on RMK:

Summer 2010 Collection

Ingenious Powder Eyes

Powder Foundation EX

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Spring 2010 Makeup Top 10 (Part 1)

by PJ on Thursday, May 6, 2010

in -Elégance, -Kanebo, -Kate, -SUQQU, -YSL, 2010 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, seasonal makeup top 10

Here we go, in reverse order:

10. Kate

(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)

(Diamond Cut Eyes in BR-3)
(image from www.kanebo-cosmetics.co.jp)

Kate is far from a regular on my seasonal top ten lists, but the line’s Gradical Eyes A series, with five tone-on-tone shades in each palette, has some soft-neutral options that appeal to me. (Also new for spring 2010 is Diamond Cut Eyes in BR-3, which is the kind of light-to-medium neutral palette that I would consider trying.)

9. SUQQU

(image fromwww.suqqu.com )

One of the things SUQQU is known for is its range of neutral-toned eye palettes. For spring 2010, the new additions are in the form of the limited-edition Noble Nuance Eyeshadow palettes. On the other hand, the star item of the collection is the multi-toned Noble Nuance Face Color.

8. YSL

(image from www.ysl.com)

(image from www.ysl.com)

Many major western brands, such as Chanel and Dior, have released relatively muted shades for spring 2010. This makes YSL‘s spring 2010 makeup collection stand out from the crowd. There are still wearable pinks and browns, but there are also more vibrant shades such as turquoise and deep violet. Lilac makes an appearance in the new Ombre 5 Lumières palette and the new La Laque nail color.

7. Elégance

(image from www.elegance-cosmetics.com)

The spring 2010 makeup collection from Elégance is also quite colorful. There are some interesting color combinations in the three new variations of the Phantom Eyes palettes (cool turquoise and warm pale pink, bright pink and mint green, and yellow and lilac). Eight shades of Eye Crayon also join the brand’s makeup lineup.

(The countdown continues in Part 2 and Part 3.)

Related posts:


Spring 2009 Makeup Top 10 Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3

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Spring 2010 Makeup Trend Round-Up

by PJ on Thursday, April 29, 2010

in -Chanel, -Coffret d'Or, -Estée Lauder, -Kanebo, -Kate, -RMK, 2010 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, seasonal makeup trend reports

(Chanel’s spring 2010 makeup collection)
(image from www.iswii.net)

I nearly decided not to post a round-up of the makeup trends of spring 2010 because, unlike some of the previous seasons, there are not many clear makeup trends for spring 2010.

Nonetheless, one noticeable trend for this season is the continuation of medium-to-warm neutrals from previous seasons. They are relatively easy to wear and they suit many types of complexions. They also suit most occasions and you can wear them later on in summer and in the rest of the year. Chanel and Estée Lauder are two of the brands that have released these wearable neutrals for spring 2010.

(Estée Lauder Michael Kors
Eyeshadow Duo in Blonde Mink)
(image from www.esteelauder.co.uk)

Also, Kosé’s Visée released Glam Nude Eyes, in which all five variations are neutral-based, many of which are warm-toned.
(Visée Glam Nude Eyes)
(image from www.visee.jp)

One related trend that is worth mentioning is the appearance of orange-toned eyeshadow shades from Japanese lines. (All of the three lines mentioned below happen to be under Kanebo.)

Firs tly, apart from the usual neutral options such as BR-1, BR-2, and GD-1 in Kate‘s Gradical Eyes A, there is an OR-1, which is the kind of variation that is less often seen in Japanese cosmetics. I think it is an interesting reinterpretation of wearable warm neutrals.

(Kate Gradical Eyes A in OR-1)
(image from www.kanebo-cosmetics.co.jp)

(Kate Gradical Eyes A)
(image from www.iswii.net)

Coincidentally, the Spring Modern Eyes series from RMK (which is ultimately owned by Kanebo) includes the Orangy Brown variation.

(RMK Spring Modern Eyes in Orangy Brown)
(image from www.rmkrmk.com)

Coffret D’Or already released an orange-toned shade in Color Mixing Eyes’ Orange Brown Mix from summer 2009. The orange trend seems to continue into summer and fall, as it appears that the line’s late summer/ early fall 2010 collection will also feature an orange-toned shade in one of the new Beauty C Curve Eyes palettes.
(Coffret D’Or late summer/ early fall 2010 collection)
(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)

(I will be featuring Coffret D’Or’s Color Mixing Eyes in Orange Brown Mix and RMK’s Spring Modern Eyes in Orangy Brown later on.)

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Makeup Review: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipglosses for Spring/Summer 2010

by PJ on Monday, April 26, 2010

in 2010 Spring, 2010 Summer, makeup, makeup - lip color, makeup - lip gloss

(From left to right: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipglosses
in Lilac Pastelle, Pink Pop, and Coral Reef)

For Spring/Summer 2010, Revlon has released its first color makeup collection with Gucci Westman, the brand’s global artistic director. Today I am featuring three of the five new shades of Super Lustrous Lipgloss.

All these three shades are bright and well-pigmented, and they don’t contain any shimmer. They have a glossy vinyl finish that lasts well. A thin layer is enough to give the lips a gentle pop of color, and a second layer adds a considerable amount of shine and color and creates a liquid-lipstick look.

Coral Reef (right in photo), when applied light-handedly, is a relatively natural shade for my medium-to-warm complexion. But I personally slightly prefer Pink Pop (middle), which is quite versatile. One thin layer of it gives the lips an elegant rosy-pink look. With more layers, the color turns more vibrant and closer to a hot pink.

I thought I would like Lilac Pastelle (left) at least as much as I would like the other two, but it turns out to be a little too pale for my light-to-medium skin tone. (I might like it more if it were a lot sheerer.) I think it should suit those with a fair skin tone a lot better. It might also work for you if you like a relatively nude look for the lips.

The rest of the collection includes two other shades of Super Lustrous Lipgloss (in Peach Petal and Fire Cracker), two Nail Colours (in Minted and Lilac Pastelle), and one (limited-edition) ColorStay Eyeshadow Quad in Summer Suedes.

(The products featured in this review are provided by Revlon.)

Related posts:

Coffret D’Or Jewelcious Eyes in Purple Amethyst

Natural Makeup Recommendations (2 of 3): Cheeks & Lips

Dior Lady Dior in French Chic

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Coffret D’Or Jewelcious Eyes in Purple Amethyst

by PJ on Monday, April 19, 2010

in -Coffret d'Or, -Kanebo, 2010 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - eyeshadow, stash focus

In the last few seasons, I have been picky about what makeup items to buy. However, I couldn’t resist Coffret D’Or‘s Jewelcious Eyes in 05 Purple Amethyst. Firstly, it is purple, and, secondly, it is Coffret D’Or.

The Jewelcious Eyes series is part of Kanebo Coffret D’Or’s spring 2010 collection, and there are five variations available. I was also interested in 04 Amber Beige, but, after seeing some photos of the palette, I thought that it might be too cool-toned for me.

The four shades in 04 Purple Amethyst are:

Left: sheer off-white with subtle shimmer
Right: moderately pigmented medium purple with pearly multi-colored shimmer
Bottom: well-pigmented dark charcoal-toned purple with sparse shimmer
Center: multi-colored sparkles (with little pigment)

All the colors have a good staying power.

I thought the medium purple might be a little too cool for me, but it actually goes on warmer than it looks in the pan and it turns out to be a shade that suits me quite well.

One of the selling points of this series is the “Jewel Shower” shade in the center of the palette. It is meant to be used over the eyelids as well as along the inner corners of the eyes to add some intense sparkles. I was worried that the sparkles would not stay put on my lids, but they do have a good adherence to the skin and there is very little fallout. The sparkling effect lasts throughout the day. (Personally, I think the shade is better suited for evening makeup.)

(I like the design of the case.)

In terms of the purple shades in the Coffret D’Or palettes that I have, the one in this palette is warmer than the one in Trance Deep Eyes in 04 Grey Variation and cooler than the one in Shine Accent Eyes in 02 Pink Variation. Overall, I prefer this palette to the other two, but I think 3D Lighting Eyes in 04 Purple Variation is still my favorite Coffret D’Or palette.

Related posts on Coffret D’Or:

Late Summer/ Early Fall 2010 Collection

Summer 2010 Collection

Color Mixing Eyes in Lavender Purple Mix

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Kosé Sekkisei New Base Makeup Range

by PJ on Thursday, March 4, 2010

in -Kosé, -Sekkisei, 2010 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup

(image from www.urcosme.com,
information from www.urcosme.com
& www.iswii.net)

Those interested in Japanese skincare products would probably be very familiar with Kosé’s Sekkisei line. Launched in 1985, it is among the best-selling whitening (brightening) skincare lines in Japan.

In April, Sekkisei will release its first range of base makeup products. The twist is that the range will debut in Taiwan, not in Japan. According to Urcosme and Iswii, the development of these products is based on the consumer research conducted in Taiwan and this is the first time Kosé has formulated products based on market research on consumers outside Japan.

The range aims to suit people living in Southeast Asia who need their base makeup items to cope with the warm and humid climate and still want them to offer a good level of coverage as well as skin-benefiting properties.

The range includes a foundation primer (SPF 25, PA++), a powder foundation (7 shades, SPF 20, PA++), and a loose powder (SPF 12, PA++).

Japanese base makeup already has a solid following in Southeast Asia, but Kosé has gone a step further and created products that might potentially work even better for consumers in Southeast Asia. I think many people in Taiwan will be eager to test out these items, and I suppose they should be available elsewhere in Asia in the near future.

Related posts:

Genre Focus: Whitening Skincare

Beauty City Shopping Guide (2): Taipei

Japanese vs. Western…Who’s Winning?

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Primavista Spring/Summer 2010 Base Makeup Release

by PJ on Friday, February 5, 2010

in -Kao, -Primavista, -Sofina, 2010 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup

(image/info from www.cosme.net)

Sofina Primavista will release Long Keep Base (SPF 10, PA+) in Japan on February 22nd as the line’s spring/summer 2010 base makeup item. Like many of the foundation bases released by Japanese makeup lines, it is claimed to be resistant to sebum and perspiration.

Related posts on Primavista:

Fall/Winter 2009 Base Makeup Collection

Spring/Summer 2009 Base Makeup Collection

Powder Foundation Moist Touch

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