makeup

Kanebo Dew Superior Base Makeup Debut

by PJ on Thursday, July 31, 2008

in _Japanese Brand Profile, -Kanebo, 2008 Fall, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup

(image form www.nikkei.co.jp)

Dew Superior is a high-end line sold at Kanebo counters in many Asian countries. (A brief profile of the line follows below.) On October 16, Dew Superior will launch its base makeup range in Japan. The lineup includes:

– Pact Concentrate (powder foundation, 6 shades, SPF 23, PA++)
– Liquid Concentrate (liquid foundation, 6 shades, SPF 19, PA++)
– Pre-Make Concentrate (moisturizing primer, SPF 16, PA++)
– Finish Concentrate (loose powder, 1 shade)
– Designing Concentrate (highlighter/contourer, 1 variation)

(Earlier this year, the line also launched two primers, Protect Essence Concentrate I and II, both of which have SPF 26 and PA++.)

Dew Superior was launched in 2007 to replace the original Dew line, which debuted in 2004. Dew used to carry a range of base makeup as well as skincare items, but Dew Superior was launched with skincare items only. The line’s main claim is to bring moisture and elasticity to the skin, and the target consumers are those in their late twenties and above. In line with the main selling point of the skincare items, the new base makeup line claims to have moisturizing properties which help give the skin a glowy look.

(www.kanebo-cosmetics.jp/dewsuperior/)

I have only used trail samples of a toner and a moisturizer from the original Dew line. Perhaps not too surprisingly, they both contained too much alcohol to do anything positive to my skin. I doubt Dew Superior is very much different in this aspect. (As I mentioned before, even though there are some Japanese skincare products that work well for me, the allure of Japanese cosmetics for me lies mainly in base and point makeup, not in skincare.)

There are a couple of loose/pressed powder items on my shopping list at the moment, so I will probably skip Finish Concentrate. But if you are looking for foundations that have a dewy/glowy finish, then some of these products might worth looking into.

Other upcoming base makeup items:

Kanebo Coffret D’Or

Shiseido Maquillage

Sofina Primavista

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Exuding Quality – Coffret D’Or Makeup Powder

by PJ on Wednesday, July 30, 2008

in -Coffret d'Or, -Kanebo, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup, makeup - base makeup - powder, stash focus

(Coffret D’Or Makeup Powder)

Coffret D’Or released its debut base makeup collection earlier this year, and this loose powder is part of the lineup. It may not be the best loose powder I have ever used, but it is a lot better than almost all others that I have talked about on my blog.

The refill and the case are sold separately. (The case comes with a nice fluffy puff.) There is no sifter in the refill so you will need a case (any case) for an easier application. I have a couple of loose powder cases, but I decided to get both the case and the refill.

The sifter is designed in such a way that the powder can easily go in and out of the case (if you want to remove some into a smaller container for travelling). A very nice touch.

Currently the powder is available in one shade. It is a semi-translucent off-white powder with the slightest hint of pink. It has very fine shimmer but it doesn’t really show up very much when applied. The overall finish is semi-matte and gently luminous.

What I like the most about this loose powder is that it is nearly impossible to over-apply it. The powder is very fine and seems to melt into the skin, and there is no chalkiness even after some layering.

Even though, for my oily skin, Lavshuca’s Face Powder (in Lucent, currently my favorite loose powder) has a better pore-diffusing and oil-absorbing efficacy, Coffret D’Or’s loose powder does well enough in both areas to be a suitable product for me. But I would probably use it more in colder months.

Overall, I think this powder should appeal to various skin types. People with combination or oily skin will appreciate how it subtly mattifies the skin, while those with drier skin will probably like how it effortlessly merges with the skin without looking powdery. I think this is one of the products that show off the great quality in Japanese brands’ base makeup items.

(You can see another review of this loose powder at Autumn Masquerade.)

Foundation Face-Off: Coffret D’Or vs. Lunasol

L’Oréal True Match Super-Blendable Powder

ck Calvin Klein Mineral Based Loose Powder

Can’t Live Without – ZA Two-Way Foundation

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Makeup Review: Thevi Cosmetics

by PJ on Sunday, July 27, 2008

in makeup, makeup - blusher, makeup - eyeshadow

(From left: Sheer Matte Blush in Touch of Plum and Sheer Rouge,
Triple Split Shadow in Bistro and Venice,
Matte Eyeshadow in Charcoal)

The recently launched Thevi Cosmetics aims to provide makeup colors that suit people of all skin tones, particularly those with darker complexions. However, for those of you that have a fair skin tone, you can benefit from some of these items that I am reviewing below if you usually go for well-pigmented makeup items.

Triple Split Shadow (in Bistro and Venice)

Both trios include a highlighter, a shadowing shade and a lining shade. Upon looking at the colors, I thought Venice, with what appeared to be a muted medium beige pink, would suit me better than Bistro. But I was wrong.

The two shadowing shades in the trios are moderately pigmented and have a soft and flattering shimmery finish, but they go on warmer than they look. The beige pink in Venice goes on too warm for me, but the greyish-looking beige in Bistro doesn’t show up greyish on me and the soft beige-brown finish looks very natural.

The highlighting and lining shades in Bistro are very well pigmented, and the gold highlighter has quite a metallic finish. The deep brown and pale beige pink in Venice, on the other hand, seem uncharacteristically sheer.

Matte Shadow (in Charcoal)

I find this to be a great multi-purposed item. It is a good matte eyeshadow if you want the classic smoky-eye look. It can go on sheer as a light grey or heavier as a very dark grey. The silky powder is also suitable for lining the eyes and, again, the color intensity is adjustable. I also use it as a brow powder since I have black hair and brows (and need a brow powder that is grey-based rather than brown-based). A light-handed application can create defined but natural-looking brows. (In comparison, this shade is greyer than Medium Ash in Anatasia’s line reviewed earlier.)

Sheer Matte Blush (in Touch of Plum and Sheer Rouge)

“Rich” and “vibrant” are accurate descriptions of these blushers on Thevi’s website, as these are not “sheer” (as the name suggests). The matte Touch of Plum is a rich warm pink (which looks darker than it does on the photo above), while Sheer Rouge is even darker and warmer and has a hint of shimmer.

Both are very pigmented and have a pleasant texture. I think the finish is what Thevi sets out to achieve, as I’d imagine they can really show up on and complement darker complexions. (I have a light-to-medium skin tone, and I have to be very light-handed with them.) Overall they are worth a look if rich pigments in blushers are what you are looking for.

(Note on packaging: All Thevi’s eyeshadows and blushers are housed in very sleek and compact cases. But some of the lids are quite tight and I think they can be hard to open for people with long nails.)

Makeup Review: NARS

Coffret D’Or Trance Deep Eyes in Rose Variation

Lavshuca Summer Gradually Compact

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SUQQU Fall 2008 Collection

by PJ on Friday, July 25, 2008

in -SUQQU, 2008 Fall, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

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

SUQQU has updated its website to feature the fall 2008 collection, which will be released in Japan on August 8th.

Does the image above remind you of Lunasol‘s Red Purification collection? SUQQU’s red-themed lineup draws inspiration from the rich warm red that has figured predominantly in the Japanese culture for centuries. The collection includes:

– Eyelid Base (1 shade)
– Dual Eyeshadow (5 variations)
– Blend Cheeks (1 new shade)
– Blend Lipstick (3 new shades)
– Gloss & Lip Color (3 new variations, limited editions)
– Eyeliner Creamy (3 new shades)
– Mascara (3 versions: Volume N, Long N, and Volume Long N, all in black)

(SUQQU Dual Eyeshadow)
(image from www.suqqu.com/japan.html)

So far, none of the items has been calling out to me. But, as usual, I am very impressed by SUQQU’s visuals, which present a sophisticated mix of traditional and modern elements. They always leave a lasting impact and this is part of what sets SUQQU apart from many other Japanese brands.

(Outside Japan, SUQQU is available in Bangkok and London. Please see the list of retail points on SUQQU’s international site.)

Japanese Brand Profile – SUQQU

A Class Act: SUQQU Creamy Lipstick

Foundation Face-Off – Jill Stuart vs. SUQQU

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Anastasia Product Review (2)

by PJ on Thursday, July 24, 2008

in makeup, makeup - eyebrow

(From top: Tinted Brow Gel,
“Go Brow” Brow Pencil/ Highlighter,
Brow Filler, Perfect Brow Pencil, and Brow Wiz)

Last week, I reviewed Anastasia‘s 5-Piece Brow Kit and Eye Lights. Today I am focusing on some other items from the brand.

Brow Wiz and Perfect Brow Pencil (bottom of the photo) are the basics in Anastasia’s range. Both shades you see above are in Medium Ash, which would be the closest match if you have very dark or black hair. The thin and retractable pencil in Brow Wiz is good for precision-filling and needs no sharpening, while Perfect Brow Pencil is the traditional type of brow pencil. Both are softly pigmented so I think even people who can be heavy-handed sometimes (like me) can slowly build up the intensity and get a natural finish. Both come with a brush for blending.

Brow Filler is for people who need more serious filling. The brow powder is automatically loaded on a sponge-tip when you screw-open the cap. (The design is similar to that of some eyeshadows.) The powder is very pigmented and I would suggest removing the excess first and applying the powder light-handedly. If you want to save time and use this to do the whole brows, you are likely to end up with a heavy-browed look. (This item is currently available in one version, with Blonde on the one side and Brunette on the other.)

On the other hand, Go Brow is all about saving time. The product features a brow pencil on one end and a brow highlighter on the other. It is available in one shade only, and Anastasia claims that the brow pencil suits all brow colors. (Overall it suits my dark brow hair well.) The shade itself is a cool medium brown, and this is the only brow color reviewed here that has a hint of shimmer. I think the shimmer is precisely for making the shade suit more people. (The actual color is darker than it looks in the photo above, and I suppose it appears lighter here partly because of the shimmer.) The other end of the pencil is a matte and slightly pink-toned brow highlighter, which is the same as the Eye Lights Matte reviewed last week.

Lastly, Tinted Brow Gel works similarly to the Clear Brow Gel in the 5-Piece Brow Kit but it comes with color and shimmer. The shade in Caramel that you see above goes on quite light. The gel dries up very quickly and the color stays true throughout the day and doesn’t flake. It would be a suitable color if you have blonde hair or if you want to tone down your brow color.

(Products reviewed here that are not available on Anastasia’s official website can be found on Sephora.com, which also features a how-to video.)

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Lunasol Website Update

by PJ on Thursday, July 24, 2008

in -Kanebo, -Lunasol, 2008 Fall, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

(Lunasol Noble Shade Eyes for fall 2008)

Lunasol has updated its website to include information on the fall 2008 Red Purification collection.

According to the writer of this blog post, the overall finish is a lot closer to that of the Scent Form Eyes series from fall 2006 and is very different from the shimmery look of Geminate Eyes (fall 2007) and Sheer Contrast Eyes (spring 2008). The overall eye makeup look echoes what Lunasol used to be like a couple of years ago, which is sophisticated and low-key. It makes sense to me, since the key emphasis for Lunasol this season is on the red lips.

The collection will be available in Japan on August 22.

Related Posts:

Lunasol Summer 2008 Collection

Lunasol Full Glamor Gloss in Bright Pink

Foundation Face-Off – Coffret D’Or vs. Lunasol

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Update: Anna Sui Fall 2008 Collection

by PJ on Wednesday, July 23, 2008

in -Anna Sui, 2008 Fall, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

My post on Anna Sui’s fall 2008 makeup collection has been updated to include two images of the Makeup Color Collection D. Do have a look, particularly if you are considering getting this luxurious item.

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Coffret D’Or Trance Deep Eyes in Grey Variation

by PJ on Wednesday, July 23, 2008

in -Coffret d'Or, -Kanebo, 2008 Fall, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - eyeshadow, stash focus

(Coffret D’Or Trance Deep Eyes in Grey Variation)

Two weeks ago, I talked about Rose Variation from Coffret D’Or‘s Trance Deep Eyes series for fall 2008. Today I am reviewing Grey Variation.

Grey Variation features a cool lilac as the shadowing shade along with a medium grey for lining the eyes. The four colors are (clock-wise from top-left):

A off-white (sheer, mildly shimmery)
B cool medium lilac (moderately pigmented, shimmery)
C medium-to-dark grey (well pigmented, luminous matte under the sparse shimmer)
D off-white silver (moderately pigmented, very sparkly)

(As with Rose Variation, all shades have fine multi-colored shimmer and a good staying power.)

(Please click on the image for a larger version.)

Compared with Rose Variation, Grey Variation is my preferred one since the cool medium lilac brings out the dimension of the eyes a lot more. This dimension-enhancement is twofold:

– The lilac is darker than the warm dusty pink (the shadowing shade) in Rose Variation. The dusty pink can be a little too subtle, particularly for the evening.

– The lilac’s tone changes when looked at from different angles (while the depth of the color remains the same). When seen straight-on (as seen in the photo), the lilac has a cool tone. However, when seen from the side (when the palette is held almost horizontally in front of my eye-line), the shade takes on a slightly warmer tone (particularly under sunlight). But I didn’t manage to really capture the difference on camera. (There is also such a tone variation with the dusty pink in Rose Variation, but it is extremely minimal.)

What is great is that this tone variation also shows up when worn and it gives a good eye-sculpting effect (even when the color is worn lightly). (But please note that this variation is different from (and much subtler than) the iridescence that we see in, for example, Lancôme’s L.U.C.I. collection in spring 2008.)

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

(Coffret D’Or TV commercial, via YouTube)

It is also worth mentioning that this palette does appear similar to Maquillage Clean Contrast Eyes 2 in SV844. However, the lilac in the Maquillage palette is quite pale and is a lightening color, whereas the lilac here is darker and performs as a shadowing shade.

As I mentioned, at the moment I prefer Grey Variation to Rose. But, compared with Purple Variation from the 3D Lighting Eyes series, I think I still like Purple better and I’d say I like Grey as much as I like Gold.

Overall I am quite happy with the two I have from the Trance Deep Eyes series. In an earlier post, I mentioned that I was also considering Beige Variation. It is still on my shopping list, but not anywhere towards the top. There is no limited edition in either of the two palette series, so for now I’ll look forward to spring 2009.

Updated on September 4th, 2008:

Please check out this blog post for swatch and FOTD photos of this palette.

Lunasol Sheer Contrast Eyes in Lavender Coral

Chanel Quadra Eye Shadow in Stage Lights

A Splash of Color – More Lilting Lilac

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Maquillage Website Update

by PJ on Tuesday, July 22, 2008

in -Maquillage, -Shiseido, 2008 Fall, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

(image from www.shiseido.co.jp/mq)

Shiseido Maquillage has updated its website to include information on the fall 2008 collection.

The collection is titled Mode Mix, and the website has launched Mode Mix TV, which features a dynamic presentation of the fall collection. Check out the backstage footages of the TV commercial shoot, profiles on Christopher Kane (who collaborated with Shiseido on the collection) and Agyness Deyn, and key makeup looks modelled by all five brand ambassadors.

Agyness Deyn for Maquillage Fall 2008

Maquillage Clean Contrast Eyes 2 in SV844

Maquillage Lasting Climax Rouge in RS310

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Kanebo Impress Fall 2008 Base Makeup Collection

by PJ on Tuesday, July 22, 2008

in _Japanese Brand Profile, -Kanebo, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup

(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)

Kanebo‘s top-end line Impress (a brief brand profile follows below) will release its fall 2008 base makeup collection on September 5th. The collection includes:

– Liquid Foundation (SPF 18, PA++)
– Pressed Powder (case and puff sold separately)
– Color Powder N

Impress currently features a skincare and a base makeup line, and the prices reflect the top-end status. The Impress Emulsion (in the skincare line) costs 12600 JPY (about 118 USD) and the Powder Foundation refill costs 9450 JPY (about 89 USD). The Liquid Foundation above also costs 12600 JPY.

The recent introduction of Impress IC, a sub-line of Impress, seems to have attracted more press interest in Japan than the launch of Impress a couple of years ago. Impress IC currently has two skincare ranges, Revitalizing and White, and the White range also features a makeup base and a powder foundation.

IC stands for Intensive Care. In usual marketing practices, the name would suggest an even higher price-point, but it is not the case here. Impress IC products are up to half the prices of the Impress equivalents and they are similarly priced to products from Lunasol. (The Impress IC White Powder Foundation refill costs 4725 JPY (about 44 USD), which is only slightly more expensive than a refill of Lunasol’s Skin Fusing Powder Foudation (4200 JPY, about 39 USD)). They are still quite pricey but are a lot more affordable than those from the main Impress line.

(Perhaps more surprisingly, the Impress Powder Foundation case (3150 JPY, about 30 USD) is three times more expensive than the Impress IC White Powder Foundation case.)

As far as I know, Impress is available in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. (Please let me know if it is also available where you are.)

If you are interested in Impress Powder Foundation and Impress IC White Powder Foundation, please check out the review on Autumn Masquerade.

Other upcoming collections from fall 2008:

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