Today and in the next few days, I will be counting down my 10 favorite holiday 2008 makeup collections. We’ll start from #10 to #7 today.
10. RMK
(image from RMK)
The 2008 edition of RMK’s Christmas Palette is probably one of the best holiday palettes from RMK in recent years, particularly in terms of the packaging. I like the two-tier design as well as the metallic gold pouch. (On the other hand, I didn’t like the animal-print palette from last year, even though it had some very nice colors.) The colors are wearable and the sparkles in the three pastel eyeshadows add a festive vibe to the party makeup look.
Please have a look at my review of the palette here.
9. Magie Deco
(image from www.iswii.net)
This is Magie Deco’s second holiday coffret. While I prefer the first one, this year’s version still looks gorgeous and glamorous. It is a good continuation of the deep-red theme from the line’s fall 2008 Bordeaux Magic collection.
8. Jill Stuart
(image from www.urcosme.com)
I have to say I am slightly underwhelmed by Jill Stuart’s holiday set for this year. It does have a beautiful vintage look, but, again, I prefer last year’s Christmas Rose Collection, with rosette details and a more different design for the eyeshadow palette. But the Solid Perfume Ring did tempt me a little bit when I first saw it.
7. Shu Uemura
(image from www.shuuemura-usa.com)
I really like the cases of these eye palettes and some of the colors in them. The colorful photos are by Japanese photographer Mika Ninagawa, and they also feature in Gloss Unlimited Mini Trio, Portable Brush Set and Makeup Box. Shu Uemura’s products usually have a simple and minimal look, and these images inject a lot of vibrancy to these holiday items. (You can see the rest of the collection here.)
The countdown continues in Part 2 and Part 3!
Related Posts:
My Fall 2008 Makeup Top 10:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
(images and info from www.iswii.net)
Here is a look at Jill Stuart‘s spring 2009 makeup collection. Titled “Blossoming Pink”, the collection features feminine pink tones and a couple of shades with a hint of purple. The lineup includes:
– Illuminance Eyes: 1 new variation (seen above)
– Seductive Eyes: 1 new variation
– Mix Blush Compact: two new variations
– Jelly Eye Color: two new limited-edition shades
– Jelly Lip Gloss: 12 shades (2 limited-edition shades, product name translated by Haru at Rouge Deluxe)
– Nail Lacquer N: 5 shades (2 limited-edition shades)
I was expecting more eye palettes from Jill Stuart’s spring 2009 lineup, but it seems that the collection is more about the launch of Jelly Lip Gloss, which is a new product. But if you are a fan of Jelly Eye Color, I think you are probably pleased to see the two long-awaited new shades. (The other is of a dark-grey tone.)
Related Posts:
Jill Stuart Available in Hong Kong in December
Jill Stuart Available in the US in 2009
Jill Stuart Holiday 2008 Collection
(Where can you get this for the lowest price?)
Earlier I mentioned that Jill Stuart Cosmetics will be available in Hong Kong in December. Later, one of my readers, Sweet Tiramisu, kindly let me know about the prices in Hong Kong. (You can see her comment here.) Thank you, Sweet Tiramisu!
I decided to compare the prices of some popular Jill Stuart products in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Have a look!
Loose Powder
Japan: 4725 JPY
Taiwan: 1350 NTD (3955 JPY)
Hong Kong: 330 HKD (4132 JPY)
All eye palettes
Japan: 5250 JPY
Taiwan: 1450 NTD (4248 JPY)
Hong Kong: 370 HKD (4633 JPY)
Jelly Eye Color
Japan: 2310 JPY
Taiwan: 680 NTD (1992 JPY)
Hong Kong: 160 HKD (2004 JPY)
Mix Blush Compact
Japan: 4725 JPY
Taiwan: 1300 NTD (3809 JPY)
Hong Kong: 330 HKD (4132 JPY)
Blush Powder
Japan: 4410 JPY
Taiwan: 1250 NTD (3662 JPY)
Hong Kong: 310 HKD (3882 JPY)
Compact Mirror
Japan: 2625 JPY
Taiwan: 650 NTD (1904 JPY)
Hong Kong: 170 HKD (2129 JPY)
(based on today’s exchange rate:
1 JPY = 0.34 NTD = 0.08 HKD)
It seems that Jill Stuart products are currently the cheapest in Taiwan, but the prices in Hong Kong are quite good too. (Japanese beauty products do tend to be slightly cheaper in Taiwan, but currently the prices seem particularly good in the relative sense since Taiwanese Dollar has recently been quite weak against Japanese Yen.) It will be interesting to see the prices of Jill Stuart’s spring 2009 items in Taiwan later on…
Related Posts:
Jill Stuart Breaks Record
Jill Stuart Holiday 2008 Collection
Jill Stuart Fall 2008 Collection
(Jill Stuart Flower Bath Salt,
from the new Bath & Body Collection)
(image from www.jillstuart-beauty.com)
One of my readers, CC, has very kindly told me that Jill Stuart Beauty will be launched in Hong Kong on December 5th. (Thank you for letting me know, CC!) It is definitely great news for Jill Stuart fans in Hong Kong, who won’t have to travel to Japan or Taiwan to see the products in person.
As I mentioned earlier, a selection of Jill Stuart items will be available in the US next year. I also think it is somewhat possible that the line will be available in a couple of other countries in Asia. Singapore seems to be more than a reasonable choice. We’ll see!
(By the way, Jill Stuart Beauty’s website has been revamped. Do have a look (through the link above) if you are interested.)
Updated on November 26th, 2008:
Please check out this blog post for the price list of Jill Stuart’s items in Hong Kong.
Related Posts:
Jill Stuart Breaks Record
Jill Stuart Holiday 2008 Collection
Jill Stuart Brilliance Eyes in 04 Gem Amethyst
(image and info from www.urcosme.com)
Like many other Japanese brands, Jill Stuart will release a makeup set for the holiday season.
The set will include an eye palette (Vintage Glaze), a lip gloss (Deep Bordeaux), a solid perfume ring, a hand mirror, and a vintage-style clutch bag.
As with all the limited-edition holiday items from Jill Stuart, I think this set will sell exceptionally well. So far, the Jill Stuart holiday set I have is from 2005 and is the brand’s first holiday collection. It includes a shimmery face powder (similar to Guerlain Meteorites) and a lip gloss, packaged in a little round box. You can see the items (minus the box) here.
The set will be released in Japan on November 21st (according to Rouge Deluxe) and in Taiwan on December 1st.
Also, Jill Stuart released a base makeup set in Taiwan. The contents differ slightly from those in the Japanese release, but the clutch bag in the set is the same. Please see the photos of the actual items on this Taiwanese blog.
Related Posts:
Jill Stuart Cosmetics Available in US Soon
Jill Stuart Fall 2008 Makeup Collection
Jill Stuart Moist Silk Liquid Foundation
It is time to count down my favorite fall 2008 makeup collections. In the next week or two, as usual, I will present them in reverse order (in three posts).
10. Awake
(image from www.awake.co.jp)
Purple shades will probably always get my attention, and Awake‘s fall 2008 collection certainly is very purple. Apart from the eye palettes, Awake’s Moon Illusion collection includes lip glosses and nail colors, both of which feature a purple shade. This is a small seasonal lineup with a very coherent look.
You can see a review of some of the items from this collection at Autumn Masquerade.
9. Jill Stuart
(image from www.jillstuart-beauty.com)
Packaging-wise, this is probably the prettiest makeup collection this season. The eyeshadow palette and blusher cases manage to look even more divine than the previous releases. But the color combinations are slightly predictable. Nevertheless, I will be looking forward to the spring 2009 collection.
Check out a review of some of the items (along with packaging comparison) at Musings of a Muse.
8. YSL
(images from www.ysl.com)
Even though I am disappointed with the Lilac Sky palette, which doesn’t suit me enough to worth a purchase, it doesn’t affect my view on this stunning-looking new range of 5-color eyeshadow palettes. The colors are rich and vibrant, with a mix of matte and shimmery shades. Whenever a magazine page features one of these, my eyes are usually immediately drawn to it.
7. Sonia Rykiel
(images from www.soniarykiel-cosmetics.com)
Sonia Rykiel‘s Actrice fall 2008 collection aims to capture the sophisticated glamour of silver-screen heroines. The colors seem lively but still easy to wear. The Quatre Eyeshadow Collection in 01 and 04 feature a soft lilac and violet respectively, while the limited-edition 06 has gold and silver in one palette. I haven’t tried anything from Sonia Rykiel after they changed the packaging from deep silver cases to striped ones, and I will definitely keep a mental note on the eye palette series.
The countdown continues in Part 2 and Part 3.
Related Posts:
Summer 2008 Makeup Top 10 –
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
(all images from www.iswii.net)
As I mentioned in my post Beauty City Guide – Taipei, the best time to shop for cosmetics in Taipei is during the department store anniversary event (between late October and late December), where each department store takes turns to hold the event. During the event, in terms of cosmetics, there are GWPs and exclusive sets, many of which are good value for money. With Japanese brands, some sets are exclusive to the Taiwanese market.
The people behind Jill Stuart cosmetics (launched in Taiwan earlier this year) are certainly making sure they are part of the action this year. The picture above shows an exclusive set that will be available in SOGO Zhongxiao Branch’s anniversary event (November 6 -17). It includes a Mix Blush Compact (you can choose the shade you like), Lip Color Compact, Glitter Eye Color (in gold, the one that looks like a mini lip gloss), and an original box (which I think is exclusive to Taiwan). The set is priced at 1850 NTD (about 57 USD), which is very good value for money.
If you are a long-term Jill Stuart fan, you have probably just had a déjà vu moment (or maybe you already have some of these items). The Lip Color Compact and the Glitter Eye Color were part of Jill Stuart’s holiday collection in 2006. They could have been (re-)produced for the event in Taiwan, but I am not certain.
But I will worry less about the vanity case and the pouch below, both GWP items in the event.
You have probably seen both the case and the pouch as well. The round vanity case was originally a GWP in Japan which celebrated openings of two Jill Stuart counters. The pouch was part of the holiday 2006 set in Japan (that included the Glitter Eye Color above).
It seems that some of my readers in Asia have friends or relatives living in Taiwan. If you are interested in Jill Stuart and the event offers, here is some relevant information:
– Jill Stuart Cosmetics is currently available in Taipei’s SOGO Zhongxiao Branch (anniversary event: November 6 – 17) and Taipei’s Mitsukoshi New Life Square A8 Building (anniversary event: October 23 – November 24). (See contact information on Jill Stuart’s Taiwanese website.)
– You can see all the Jill Stuart event Information here. (It seems that there will be either a new counter or a temporary one at Kaohsiung’s Hanshin Arena.
Related Posts:
Loving Japanese Brands – Jill Stuart
Foundation Face-Off – Jill Stuart vs. SUQQU
Jill Stuart Cosmetics Available in the US Soon
(Illuminance Eyes and
Mix Blush Compact Illuminance)
Thanks to The Muse at Musings of a Muse and Jazmin at Makeup Moxie, I learned that Jill Stuart Cosmetics will be available in the US next year.
The report comes from The Wall Street Journal, which also suggests that the line will be launched in Hong Kong soon. (Jill Stuart’s beauty line is currently sold in Japan and Taiwan only.)
According to the report, the prices of the small selection of the line available soon in the US will be between 15 and 50 USD. It appears that the prices will be similar to those in Japan. (The Illuminance Eyes palette (pictured above) is among the more expensive Jill Stuart items and is priced at 5250 JPY, which is currently about 49 USD.) But it will depend on exactly what will be available in the US.
I think it will be interesting to see how well this edited version of the line does in the US and, more importantly (if the full line is introduced to the US), whether the overall direction of the line, from colors to packaging, will be modified to appeal to customers in both Asia and the US. We’ll soon find out.
Again I ask the question…will it make it to Europe? At the moment, I don’t think so…
Related Posts:
Possible Jill Stuart Launch in the US?
(back in June 2007)
Jill Stuart Breaks Record
Loving Japanese Brands – Jill Stuart
(Illuminance –
Jill Stuart fall 2008 makeup Collection)
(All images are from www.jillstuart-beauty.com)
Jill Stuart has updated the official website to include information and images of its fall 2008 makeup collection. The collection includes:
– Illuminance Eyes palettes (5 variations, #05 limited-edition)
– Mix Blush Compact Illuminance (2 variations, both limited editions)
– Lip Luster (3 new shades)
– Nail Color N (5 new shades)
(Illuminance Eyes and
Mix Blush Compact Illuminance)
(Illuminance Eyes)
(Mix Blush Compact Illuminance)
Jill Stuart obviously knows what works and has released new editions of eye palettes and blushers. Both are among the brand’s best-selling items. The packaging varies minimally, with slightly different case designs and an added charm for the blusher brush.
However, just like the packaging, I am not seeing anything substantially different from past collections. I feel that I have seen almost all these palettes before, and it seems almost as if the gold prints are added to existing shades of the blusher. (By the way, the information sent to Jill Stuart Club members in Taiwan very clearly (and commendably frankly) states that the gold prints will gradually wear off.)
There is no doubt that this is an extremely beautiful and dreamy collection and that these items will sell well. But I suspect some Jill Stuart fans might be slightly disappointed with the fact that the brand hasn’t been trying hard to come up with new and slightly more creative product designs. In a way, the brand has been so successful that there is probably no need to, at least for the moment.
Hopefully there will be nice surprises for the holiday and (especially) the spring 2009 collection. As a fan, I will remain positive.
Other fall 2008 makeup collections from Japan:
Lunasol
Lavshuca
AYURA
Aube
Twany Glamacy
(image from RMK)
(image from www.iswii.net)
(image from www.urcosme.com)
