makeup

(image/info from www.cosme.net)

Jill Stuart will release Smooth Silk Powder Foundation N (5 shades, SPF 20, PA++) in Japan on March 5th. It will replace Smooth Silk Powder Foundation.

(You can read my review of Smooth Silk Powder Foundation here.)

Related posts on Jill Stuart:

Moist Silk Liquid Foundation

Jelly Eye Color N in 08 Crystal Sky

Loving Japanese Brands (4 of 7): Jill Stuart

{ 6 comments }

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

Elégance will release its spring 2010 makeup collection in Japan on February 18th. The collection includes:

– Phantom Eyes (above, 3 new variations)

– Eye Crayon (8 shades)

– Spice Shot Rouge (4 new shades)

– Pencil Remover


Related posts:

Elégance Holiday 2009 Collection
(Makeup Collection Revamp)

Elégance Fall 2009 Collection

Japanese Cosmetics Focus: Elégance

{ 0 comments }

(images/info from www.nikkei.co.jp)

Kosé’s Esprique Precious will release its spring/summer 2010 base makeup collection in Japan on February 16th.

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

{ 0 comments }

(images from www.suqqu.com/japan.html)

SUQQU’s Japanese website has been updated with information on the brand’s spring 2010 collection. (See details of the collection here.)

I have always loved SUQQU’s seasonal ad images. For spring 2010, the elegant neutral shades that the model is wearing contrast the colorful watercolor hues, which echo the new Noble Nuance Face Color (top left in the image below). I am eager to see this multi-colored pressed powder in person.

The collection will be launched in Japan on February 5th, and all the items in this collection are limited editions. According to the SUQQU website, the pre-ordering will start on January 29th.

Related posts on SUQQU:

Clear Veil Powder

Loose Powder in Natural

Cheek Brush & Eyebrow Brush L

{ 0 comments }

(image from www.bareescentuals.co.uk)

– Shiseido Co., Ltd. will acquire Bare Escentuals, Inc. through a US subsidiary (Blush Acquisition Corporation). You can read more about the acquisition at Yahoo! Finance.
(information from Nikkei Net and Yahoo! Finance)

– My post on Paul & Joe’s spring 2010 makeup collection has been updated with more images of the Disney collection. Do have a look!

– I have got my first Magie Deco item (Shadow Brilliance II in DC 025 Foxy Lady) and my first impression of it is very good. I will be reviewing it later on.

{ 4 comments }

(image/info from www.nikkei.co.jp)

Kanebo’s Twany Glamacy will release its spring 2010 makeup collection in Japan on February 16th. The lineup includes:

– Eye Collection (2 new variations, limited editions)
– Lipstick (5 new shades)

Related posts on Twany Glamacy:

Fall 2009 Collection

Fall 2008 Collection

New Makeup Line: Kanebo Twany Glamacy

{ 2 comments }

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

SUQQU will release its spring 2010 collection in Japan on February 5th. The collection features the new Noble Nuance range, in addition to the Blend range (with Blend Eyeshadows, Blend Cheeks, and Blend Lipsticks). The new items include:

– Noble Nuance Eyeshadow (above, 3 variations)

– Noble Nuance Cheeks (3 variations)

– Noble Nuance Lipstick (5 shades)

– Noble Nuance Face Color

On March 5th, more base makeup items will be released:

– Pore Covering Base Clear (1 shade)

– 2010 Base Makeup Kit

The 2010 Base Makeup Kit includes:

– Liquid Foundation Aqua (24ml, full-sized)
– Makeup Base Creamy (7g)
– Loose Powder Natural (5.5g)
– Loose Powder Deep (5.5g)
– original pouch

Except the pouch, the contents of the kit appear to be the same as those in the 2009 version of the Base Makeup Kit. (You can see my review of Makeup Base Creamy here and my review of Loose Powder Natural here.)

One of the items in this collection I am very interested in is Noble Nuance Face Color. According to the photo and the text in the February 2010 issue of Biteki, the mosaic pressed powder has shades of beige, lilac, pink, yellow, and coral. I am looking forward to seeing it in person.

(All the items are limited editions, except Pore Covering Base Clear.)

Related posts:

Japanese Beauty Brand Profile – SUQQU

SUQQU Blend Eyeshadow in 10 and Blend Lipsticks in 16 & 18

SUQQU Clear Veil Powder

{ 2 comments }

(image from www.ettusais.co.jp)

It has been a while since I last added an article to the “Japanese Brand Profile” series, and today I am going to talk about Ettusais.

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’ point makeup range includes basic as well as vibrant colors. The packaging is simple and youthful. You can see Ettusais’ spring 2010 collection here.

(Ettusais Eye Colors)

Over the years, Ettusais seems to be doing steadily well. I like the fact that the brand didn’t reach success through glamorous ad campaigns or fancy packaging. Apart from the brand’s clear identity (skincare/makeup items for acne-prone skin), the reasonable pricing may be one of the reasons for the brand’s popularity. (Melty Touch Rouge, new for spring 2010, is priced at 1890 JPY (12.7 GBP/ 20.4 USD).)

(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:

Mamew

Kanebo Freeplus

Sony Vecua

{ 10 comments }

(image from www.clinique.co.uk)

Happy New Year!

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

Kiss Mat Chiffon Powder

L’Oréal True Match Super-Blendable Powder

{ 2 comments }

(continued from Part 1 and Part 2)

Happy Christmas everyone! Today I will conclude my holiday 2009 makeup top 10 countdown.

3. Lunasol

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

I really like the white packaging of Lunasol’s Party Coffret 2009. Lunasol usually brings out neutral-toned eyeshadow palettes for the holiday season (which can be a little repetitive for Lunasol fans), so I like the fact that there is a pink shade in this year’s eye palette. The collection also includes other items for the face, lips, and nails.

2. Jill Stuart

(image from jillstuart-beauty.com.tw)

The holiday season is probably the perfect time to indulge in some ultra-prettiness, and Jill Stuart’s Sweetness Collection is more than suitable for the purpose. It is a very pink set, with pink makeup shades as well as pink makeup accessories. The pouch might look a little too frilly for some people, but I personally really like it.

1. Dior

(image from www.dior.com)

Dior has had some good holiday collections over the years, but I think its 2009 holiday collection is among the best. The gorgeous Cristal Boréal includes four Aurore Boréale crystals, which reflect light beautifully and have a nice depth to them. But it is not the only highlight of the collection, as there are some lovely purple-toned and soft neutral-toned eyeshadows. For me, this is a solid and memorable holiday collection from Dior.

Related posts:

Lunasol Spring 2010 Collection

Jill Stuart Spring 2010 Makeup Collection

Dior Spring 2010 Makeup Collection

{ 0 comments }