-Sony

Sony CP Satishe Spring 2011 Makeup 1(image from www.cp-cosmetics.com/satishe/)

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My Japanese Cosmetics Focus series is back today with Satishe.

Satishe is the name of the color makeup range of CP Cosmetics, which also carries the skincare range Soigne and the base makeup range Delitia as well as haircare and bodycare products. The line features items for face, eyes, lips, cheeks and nails.

(CP Cosmetics is part of StylingLife Holdings Inc. BCL Company*, under which there are other beauty brands such as Makemania (which carries the ultra-popular Curvy Lip Silicone), Vecua and Love Clover.)

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Sony CP Satishe Spring 2011 Makeup 2(Fantasy Garden, Satishe’s spring 2011 makeup collection)
(image from www.iswii.net)

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Satishe doesn’t boast dramatic colors or dazzling shimmer. The line offers wearable colors suitable for most work and casual occasions. One of the key items of the line is the eyeshadow palette Soft Veil Eyeshadow. The design of the palettes and the color combinations remind me of some of Lunasol’s early eyeshadow palettes (particularly Intellectual Eyes).

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Sony CP Satishe 3(images from www.cp-cosmetics.com/satishe/)

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Here are some highlights of the rest of Satishe’s lineup:

[Click to continue reading…]

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(Vecua’s spring 2008 makeup collection)
(image from www.vecua.com)

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Many of you familiar with Japanese cosmetics know that Sony Group plays a part in the Asian beauty stage. Very briefly, Sony co-owns* StylingLife Holdings, which owns six companies. Currently, among them, B&C Laboratories is the one that carries Makemania (where we get the Curvy Lip Silicone from) and Vecua, which is what I am talking about today. (StylingLife Holdings also owns CP Cosmetics**, which I will talk about in another post.)
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Vecua is the most developed brand under B&C Laboratories. It features several skincare lines catering to different needs, a base and color makeup line, a bodycare line, and a selection of dietary supplements. (It is one of the two high-end brands under B&C, beside the skincare line Restgenol.)
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(Vecua Smooth, a new skincare line for oily skin,
launched on May 1)
(image from www.vecua.com)

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Vecua’s brand image is refined and clean-cut, and the product packaging, almost always featuring gentle curves, is simple but not plain. Its pricepoint is somewhat similar to Lunasol’s, which means it is above Coffret D’Or’s and Sofina Aube’s but below SUQQU‘s and CHICCA‘s.
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Vecua’s main focus is on skincare, but the recent spring 2008 makeup collection (seen above) did catch my eye. The new white cases look a lot more refreshing than the previous slightly dated black cases. The new colors look soft and wearable.

One of the makeup products that have often been featured in Japanese beauty magazines is the Honey Luster N lip glosses (in 10 shades), and I have been interested in them for a while. From what I have read, they appear to be very lip-conditioning lip glosses.

(Vecua Honey Luster)
(image from www.vecua.com)
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Apart from department stores in Japan, I’ve recently found that Vecua has two salons in the US, one in San Jose, California and the other in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Check out their website, which is available in English.) There are some customer reviews here if you are interested.
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Now, when is it coming to the UK?
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(The main Vecua website is only available in Japanese and on-line ordering is for Japanese residents only.)

* Sony used to own StylingLife Holdings outright, but it sold the majority of its stock in June 2006 and now co-owns StylingLife Holdings.

** In January 2006, CP Laboratories was renamed B&C Laboratories as CP Cosmetics was set up as an independently-run company. I think this is the reason why most people in Asia still habitually say products like Makemania’s Curvy Lip Silicone are “Sony CP” products, even though Makemania is now officially under B&C Laboratories.

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Updated on June 18th, 2014:

There are some updates on relevant corporate information in my post on Vecua Honey Wonder Honey Honey Dew Hand Creams.

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Related Posts:

Japanese Brand Focus: Elégance

New Line! Kanebo Glamacy

Japanese cosmetics in the UK
(with notes on buying them from abroad)

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(pictured: Sony CP Makemania
Curvy Lip Silicone)

First of all, yes it’s Sony. They do cosmetics in Japan! (Or rather, they own a company in Japan that carries many budget and premium cosmetics lines. Makemania, which carries this Curvy Lip Silicone I have, is one of them.)

This lip gloss is claimed to have sold over 1 million copies in Japan and has been a huge sensation in some other Asian countries. It is nicknamed “Lip Attack” or “Lip Siege” (you get the idea).


It looks pretty ordinary, but it is one of the most lip-plumping lip glosses I have ever used. It is so good that I can’t even put too much on or I’ll end up having very fat lips, and it actually doesn’t feel too thick or sticky.

Also, one great design is the spatula applicator (see below). I always hate the sponge tip because it smudges off the lipstick and it is a hassle to clean. Now with the soft plastic spatula applicator, I can just wipe it with a tissue and it looks as clean as it can be. It also makes a smooth and even application! (Western brands please learn this!)

(pictured: the spatula applicator,
against the (very rare) bright summer sky in England)

Now that I have tried it, I can understand the hype about it all around Asia, especially when it only costs about $10 USD in Japan!

Edited on June 3, 2007: I’d like to point out that this is not the kind of lip-plumping lip gloss that gives you the tingling feeling and dilates the blood vessels in your lips. I personally don’t like that. For me the tingling feeling is a discomfort. The plumping effect of the Curvy lip Silicone lies in the spot-on texture, consistency, and the glassy and light-reflective effect.

Edited on July 18, 2007: Photos updated.

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