Makeup, Skincare, Fragrance and a Bit of Fashion
(images/info from www.cosme.net)
– Protective Powder Compact Foundation (above, 6 shades, SPF 22, PA++)
– Protective Foundation Primer UV (1 new shade (02 Honey), SPF 40, PA++)
Related posts on Paul & Joe:
Spring 2010 Point Makeup Collection
Loving Japanese Cosmetics (3 of 7): Paul & Joe
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(images from www.urcosme.com,– Protective Powder Foundation L (above, 5 shades, SPF 28, PA++)
– Protective Fluid Foundation L (6 shades, SPF 20, PA++)
– Protective Foundation Primer L (SPF 38, PA++)
Related posts on Anna Sui:
Spring 2010 Point Makeup Collection
Fall 2009 Point/Base Makeup Collections
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(image/info from www.cosme.net)
(You can read my review of Smooth Silk Powder Foundation here.)
Related posts on Jill Stuart:
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(images/info from www.nikkei.co.jp)
The new powder foundation, Dramatical Veil Pact UV, features “diamond shelter powder” and “pore control powder” to enhance pore coverage and sebum control. (Esprique Precious refers to the area that needs pore coverage and sebum control the most “dia[mond]-zone”, which is the diamond-shaped area covering lower forehead at the top, the cheeks on the sides, and the chin at the bottom.)
The full lineup includes:
– Dramatical Veil Pact UV (7 shades, SPF 25, PA++)
– Clear Revision Base UV (SPF 22, PA++)
– Radiant Trick (concealer, 2 shades, SPF 14, PA+)
Related posts:
Foundation Face-Off (4): Dior vs. Esprique Precious
Esprique Precious Spring 2010 Point Makeup Collection
Esprique Precious Fall/Winter 2009 Point/Base Makeup Collection
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(image from www.ettusais.co.jp)
Ettusais was launched in 1991 and I believe it is still owned by Shiseido. The name of the brand comes from “Et tu sais?” (“And you know?”) in French. The brand includes skincare, bodycare, base makeup, and point makeup products. The Ettusais Homme sector features an extensive range of male grooming products.
One area that Ettusais focuses on is the skincare regime for those with acne-prone skin. Quite a few years ago, I purchased a trial set of basic skincare products for acne-prone skin. The set included a gel makeup remover, a face soap, a toner, and a moisturizer, and I later on purchased full-sized products of the makeup remover and the face soap.
(I don’t think I would be able to use the face soap now, since my skin is less acne-prone than how it used to be and I live in a generally cooler and drier climate. Most face soaps would be far too drying for me now.)
Ettusais’ current makeup remover designed for acne-prone skin is Medicated Acne Gentle Make Off, which is a cleansing oil. I have been using RMK’s Cleansing Oil for many years, and I am quite interested in seeing how well this one works.
(Medicated Acne Gentle Make Off)
Many of Ettusais’ base makeup products are also designed for those with acne-prone skin. Some of the products are claimed to be able to neutralize redness and to make the skin look smoother and more polished.
One item that I have tried is a yellow-toned concealer which is able to neutralize redness. It is applied on redness-prone areas such as the nose and the cheeks. The texture is a little bit too much on the thick side for me, but the coverage is natural and long-lasting. The current version is called Flat Design Color Changer (SPF 12, PA++).
(Flat Design Color Changer)
(Ettusais Eye Colors)
(one of Ettusais’ retail points in Hong Kong)
According to Ettusais’ official website, apart from Japan, Ettusais is available in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. Ettusais’ Japanese official website offers on-line ordering but it is only available to customers in Japan.
Other posts in the “Japanese Brand Profile” series:
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(image from www.clinique.co.uk)
Today I am reviewing Clinique‘s Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder. It is from
Clinique‘s Redness Solutions range, which is mainly a skincare range that features products designed to calm down the redness of the skin. Instant Relief Mineral Powder is the only non-skincare item from the range.
As I mentioned in my review of ck Calvin Klein’s Subliminal Purity Mineral Based Loose Powder, in terms of beauty marketing (particularly with many mainstream beauty brands that are not traditionally associated with mineral makeup), a mineral or mineral-based powder is usually a talc-free powder (even though talc is a mineral ingredient) and it is usually not purely mineral. Instant Relief Mineral Powder is another example. It is talc-free and it contains non-mineral ingredients.
Purely mineral foundations/powders rarely suit me because they tend to be very drying and they usually don’t have a good staying power. Therefore, I have no problems with using powders that contain both mineral and non-mineral ingredients. Some non-mineral ingredients in foundations/powders add moisture to the products and help them adhere to the skin more evenly. Some of the non-mineral ingredients that act as emollients in this product are astrocaryum murumuru seed butter, isopropyl palmitate, lecithin, and squalane.
(The word “mineral” can mean “containing minerals”. (A mineral spring of course contains non-mineral substances.) However, I don’t think powders that contain non-mineral ingredients should be called “mineral” powders. They may confuse consumers since there are powders that are actually entirely mineral. Also, almost all foundations/powders contain some mineral ingredients anyway, and the word “mineral” in a product name, in many cases, does not necessarily differentiate one product from another.)
Instant Relief Mineral Powder is a yellow-toned loose powder that has a softly matte finish with no visible shimmer. The coverage is between sheer and sheer-to-medium. It has a fairly good shine control efficacy and the pore coverage is generally satisfactory.
I find that the yellowness of the powder does help even out the redness, but I also find that the yellow pigment goes on slightly too dark and too sallow on me. It does not have the brightening effect from some of the other yellow-toned products that I have tried.
(A yellow-toned powder from Kanebo Revue that I have works very well as a finishing powder that balances out my skin’s slight redness, which can sometimes make the skin look dull. Also, an Ettusais yellow-toned primer that I tried a few years ago had a very natural and long-lasting brightening effect.)
The powder does not contain parabens or fragrance. It contains bismuth oxychoride, which, according to Paula Begoun, may cause slight irritation but is not a toxic ingredient. (Some beauty companies, most of which are mineral makeup companies, claim that bismuth oxychloride is toxic, which, according to Paula Begoun, is not the case.)
If you are looking for a mineral loose powder, do remember that this powder contains non-mineral ingredients. Also, if you are looking for a matte shimmer-free loose powder with a decent oil control ability and would like to test out this product, do bear in mind that the yellow pigment in it may not suit all complexions.
(The product featured in this article is provided by Clinique.)
Related posts:
Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer SPF 20
L’Oréal True Match Super-Blendable Powder
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(image from Trish McEvoy)
The set contains a Petite Refillable Makeup Page, which holds up to eight eyeshadows and can be filed into the Planner.
The palette includes:
– Eye Definer in Deep Aubergine: dark brown-toned purple (matte)
– Eye Definer in Amethyst: dark violet (with sparse shimmer)
– Glaze Eye Shadow in Sable Bronze: light-to-medium warm beige (softly metallic)
– Eye Shadow in Delicate Pink: gently pigmented off-white pink (matte)
– Blush in Easy Going: soft warm pink (glowy matte with very subtle shimmer)
– Bronzer in Dual Resort: pale beige (shimmery) and brown-toned beige (mildly shimmery)
I personally really like Glaze Eye Shadow in Sable Bronze and Blush in Easy Going. Sable Bronze has a flattering sheen which doesn’t look flat or frosty, and the shade has a natural warmth to it. (It doesn’t look ashy or too bronze.) The blusher adds a soft and natural flush to the cheeks. The powder is smooth and velvety and is very easy to apply.
Overall I think this palette is more suitable for those with a light or light-to-medium complexion, as Sable Bronze, the blusher, and the bronzer might be too subtle for those with darker skin tones.
Eye Base Essentials is an eyeshadow base with quite a creamy texture. The shade included in the set is Bare, which is a pale beige with a pink undertone. It has sufficient pigment to even out the skin tone in the eyelid areas. It also contains ingredients to provide additional moisture for the eyelids, such as hydrogenated vegetable oil and bees wax.
The set also includes Beauty Booster SPF 15 Lip Gloss in Brightening Pink. It is a moderately pigmented cool berry pink with no shimmer. The color looks quite bright in the tube, but, as it is not too pigmented, it looks considerably more natural on the lips. It creates a vinyl-like glossy finish, which lasts well.
It contains avobenzone, which provides protection against UVA rays, and it is fragrance-free. It contains peppermint oil, which might be a concern for some people. But it is the last ingredient on the ingredient list, and it doesn’t feel tingly or cause discomfort or irritation when I wear it on my bare lips. (It only feels very mildly cooling.)
All the items are housed in a limited-edition White and Black Quilted Petite Makeup Planner. (It measures 11.5cm x 15cm x 7.5cm approximately.) The planner contains a small see-through pouch, which fits snugly in the Planner (as seen in the photo at the top).
Except Eye Shadow in Delicate Pink, which is not on Trish McEvoy’s website as an individual product, all the makeup shades in this set are available individually. I think this is a very nicely edited set with well-coordinated and easy-to-wear colors which are quality basics and can suit various occasions.
In the UK, this set is exclusive to Harvey Nichols.
(The product featured in this article is provided by Trish McEvoy.)
Related posts:
SUQQU Christmas Makeup Kit A (for Holiday 2009)
Paul & Joe Holiday 2009 Collection (Pearl Powder, Pencil Eyeliner, and Pouch C IV)
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(image/info from www.nikkei.co.jp)
– Micro Finish Pressed Powder N (2 shades, SPF 10, PA +)
– Pressed Face Color (2 shades)
Related posts:
Foundation Face-Off – Lunasol vs. Coffret D’Or
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(image/info from www.nikkei.co.jpThe new items include:
– True Satin Perfect Liquid Foundation (6 shades, SPF 12 & PA++)
– Makeup Base N (1 shade)
– Loose Powder N (1 shade)
– Tone Up Liquid (highlighter for eye area, 1 new shade)
The new True Satin Perfect Liquid Foundation features Silk Filter Powder with enhanced moisturizing efficacy.
Related posts:
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First of all, I know that some of you have been waiting for this review for quite a while. I am sorry for the delay, and I hope you will enjoy reading this review.
Lavshuca Finish Powder was released in February this year and it is meant to replace Face Powder. It is available in two shades, Lucent and High Cover. I wasn’t sure which shade to get, since I really liked Face Powder in Lucent and I was also curious about High Cover. In the end I decided to get both.
When I saw the packaging in person, I actually liked it more than I thought I would. Obviously it is not as princessy as the more ornate Face Powder, but I still think it is quite pretty. The center of the lid is gently raised, which I think is a nice touch.
The case is smaller than that of Face Powder. The Face Powder case measures 7.7 cm in diameter (at the widest part) while the Finish Powder case measures 6.4 cm in diameter. Face Powder has 16g of powder while Finish Powder in Lucent has 9.8g of powder and High Cover has 6.8g. (I find the difference quite interesting. The two cases seem to contain roughly the same amount of powder and I think the difference is down to the ingredients, which I will touch upon later.)
The powder puff still has the cute bow, but the puff itself is smaller than the one included in Face Powder to fit the smaller case.
(Lavshuca Finish Powder in Lucent)
Now onto the powder itself. If you like Face Powder in Lucent, you shouldn’t be disappointed with Finish Powder in Lucent, which is quite similar. It is a predominantly matte setting powder with a hint of fine shimmer and with a very light coverage. It has a good pore coverage and does well in oil control. The fine powder feels soft on the skin.
I was surprised to find that High Cover doesn’t have more coverage than Lucent. (It won’t be able to replace a foundation.) Finish-wise, it is more matte than Lucent and it has no visible shimmer. In terms of ingredients, High Cover has kaolin, which is second on the ingredient list. (Lucent doesn’t have kaolin but has mica, which High Cover doesn’t have.) I do find that High Cover does a slightly (only slightly) better job in shine control, and this is probably down to the absorbent quality of kaolin. (I think the differences in the ingredients might explain why Lucent weighs more than High Cover even though the two cases have more or less the same amount of powder.)
(I didn’t include a photo of High Cover in this post mainly because Lucent and High Cover look similar in color. High Cover looks slightly lighter and slightly less yellow-toned than Lucent. Both are relatively sheer so there is virtually no difference in color when they are worn on the skin.)
Even though High Cover does slightly better in shine control, I personally prefer Lucent. First of all, I like Lucent’s soft-focus finish. It disguises the look of pores well and it gives the face a polished look. High Cover is nicely matte (not chalky matte) but it doesn’t do as well in pore coverage. Secondly, I personally don’t like kaolin in foundations. It does help absorb sebum but it can also absorb moisture, which can potentially dry out the skin.
Overall, I think Lucent should suit most skin types and should please those who go for an almost-matte finish with a touch of shimmer. If you would like a shimmer-less loose powder and if you have no issue with kaolin, then High Cover might be a good choice as well.
Related posts:
SUQQU Loose Powder in Natural
(if you want more shimmer)
Crème de la Mer The Powder in Translucent
(another shimmery loose powder)
Kiss Mat Chiffon Powder
(another great loose powder for an almost-matte polished finish)
Coffret D’Or Makeup Powder
(an ultra-natural loose powder)
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Jill Stuart Story of Fragrances Collection for 2025 & 2026 (image from www.cosme.net)
