all about Japanese cosmetics

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.)

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)

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.)

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.)

More neutral shades:

Dio r Spring 2010 Collection

SUQQU Spring 2010 Collection

Est Spring 2010 Collection

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Aube Couture Early Fall 2010 Collection

by PJ on Sunday, April 25, 2010

in -Aube (Couture), -Sofina, 2010 Fall, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

(images/info from www.cosme.net)

Sofina Aube Couture will release its early fall 2010 makeup collection in Japan on June 15th. The collection features:

– Designing Shine Eyes (above, 5 variations)

– Designing Stay Rouge (8 new shades)

– Designing Premium Rouge (8 new shades)

Aube Couture Summer 2010 Collection

Aube Couture Spring 2010 Collection

From My Treasure Chest (2) – Sofina Aube Rouge Dressious

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Anna Sui Summer 2010 Bodycare Releases

by PJ on Sunday, April 25, 2010

in -Anna Sui, 2010 Summer, all about Japanese cosmetics, bodycare

(images/info from www.cosme.net)

Anna Sui will release several bodycare and body makeup items in Japan on June 3rd. The items include:

– Instant Tatoo (above, three new variations)

– Body Protection G (SPF 30, PA++, with sparkles)

– Body Protection P (SPF 30, PA++, with gold-toned shimmer)

– Bodycare Kit (limited edition, with Body Shampoo (60ml), Conditioning Body Lotion (60ml), Body Scrub (80g), Mesh Body Sponge, Vanity Pouch)

In addition, a limited-edition Oil Control Paper Set will also be released on June 3rd. The set contains two packets, and each contains 80 sheets of oil control paper.

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.

Sonia Rykiel Summer 2010 Makeup Collection

by PJ on Thursday, April 15, 2010

in -Sonia Rykiel, 2010 Summer, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

(images/info from www.joseishi.net/voce)

Sonia Rykiel will release its summer 2010 makeup collection in Japan on May 1st. The collection includes:

– Ombre D’Été (above, 5 variations)

– Gloss D’Été (3 shades)

– Shiny Nail Color 2010 (3 shades)

– L’Atout Éclat Supreme 2010 (1 shade)

– Poudre Visage D’Été (1 shade)

All the items in this collection are limited editions.

Natural Makeup Recommendations (3 of 3): Base Makeup

by PJ on Tuesday, April 6, 2010

in -Coffret d'Or, -Estée Lauder, -Kiss, -Lavshuca, -ZA, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup - foundation, makeup - base makeup - powder, makeup - base makeup - primer/concealer

After talking about items for eyes as well as cheeks and lips, today I am posting the final part of my natural makeup recommendations. The items below are likely to work well for those with combination or oily skin who want a decent semi-matte coverage as well as a fair deal of pore coverage. (I have oily skin and I find it a little easier to recommend products that suit those with combination or oily skin.)

– Estée Lauder Idealist Pore-Minimizing Skin Refinisher (bottom left)

This product is obviously not designed to be a primer, but the silicone-rich formula makes it a good primer. It helps disguise the appearance of pores and creates a soft-focus finish. (If you have very oily skin, be very light-handed with it.)

(I very rarely use primers and Idealist is the one I use the most (only a couple of times a year at most). Also, I don’t use oil-control primers so I don’t really have a personal recommendation.)

– ZA Two-Way Foundation (top)

I think this is one of the best powder foundations for those with combination or oily skin and it has been my favorite foundation for years. It has a semi-matte finish, a decent coverage, and a good pore coverage. The sebum-control efficacy and the overall lasting power are fairly good too.

– Coffret D’Or Beauty Lasting Pack UV (center)

Compared with ZA Two-Way foundation, it has less coverage but controls sebum better. I like it slightly less mainly because it doesn’t have the level of coverage that I want, but this is an outstanding powder foundation if you need a good deal of sebum-control.

– Lavshuca Finish Powder in Lucent (left)

This is the new version of the discontinued Face Powder in Lucent. (The two are very similar.) It mattifies the skin well and has a fairly good pore coverage. It has a subtle redness-neutralizing effect.

– Kiss Mat Chiffon Powder (bottom right)

It is as good as Lavshuca’s Finish Powder in Lucent. Between the two, Mat Chiffon Powder is sheerer but has a marginally better pore coverage. I quite like its skin-brightening finish.

– Coffret D’Or Makeup Powder (right)

Among the three loose powders here, this is the most natural-looking one. It has a very airy and translucent finish that almost never looks powdered, but it doesn’t control shine or disguise the appearance of pores as well as the two above. (Among the three loose powders, this is the most likely to suit those with a none-oily skin type.)

– If you have a drier skin type, then these items might be worth considering:

Jill Stuart Moist Silk Liquid Foundation

SUQQU Powder Foundation Glow

Lunasol Skin Fusing Powder Foundation

Sofina Powder Foundation Moist Touch

RMK Powder Foundation EX

SUQQU Loose Powder in Natural

– Have a look at my Japanese Base Makeup Week series.

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