makeup

(Coffret D’Or Fall 2008 Base Makeup Collection)
(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)

On September 1st, Coffret D’Or will release its fall 2008 base makeup collection in Japan. The lineup includes:

Beauty Essence Pact (7 shades, SPF 23 PA++)
Gel Foundation (7 shades, SPF 17 PA++)
Beauty Essence Veil (primer)
Makeup Pressed Powder (1 shade)
Blend Color Blush (3 shades)

(Like the case for the powder foundation, the case and the puff for Makeup Pressed Powder and the case for Blend Color Blush (the same as the one for the pressed powder) are sold separately.)

So far I have been enjoying the two spring/summer base makeup items I tried (Beauty Lasting Pact UV and Makeup Powder, which I will review later this month). Among the new lineup, I am interested in the pressed powder and the blusher. I haven’t tried any new blusher from a Japanese brand for a while, and I am looking forward to seeing the other two shades. Hopefully these blushers are softly matte and not too shimmery for me.

Related Posts:

Sofina Primavista – New Base Makeup Line

L’Oréal True Match Super-Blendable Powder

The New Thierry Mugler Makeup Line
(featuring Bleu Glacis Cooling Effect Concealer)

{ 6 comments }

I used to like gold more as a (glamorous and opulent) makeup packaging color scheme than as a shade to be worn. But I have tried a couple of gold-toned eye palettes this summer, and I have been enjoying seeing how various shades of gold can do for my eyes.

It seems that gold will be leading the makeup trend for fall and winter 2008, and I think there will be more dazzling hues of gold all the way through the holiday season.

Base
Anna Sui Fluid Foundation
Majolica Majorca Skin Remake Powder Foundation
Versace Concealer & Highlighter Duo

Eyes
Coffret D’Or 3D Lighting Eyes in Gold Variation
Lavshuca Summer Gradually Compact in Shiny Sandy Beach
Elégance Purity Eyes 11

Cheeks
Anna Sui Face Color Stick 302

Lips
Dior Sparkling Lip Gloss Duo
YSL Golden Gloss 03 Golden Pink

Multi-purposed
Dior Golden Dior Luminizing Makeup Jewel
YSL Gold Celebration Palette “Star Glow”

Fragrance
Dior J’Adore Eau de Parfum

Other splashes of color:

Lilting Lilac (Part 1 and 2)

Terrific Turquoise

Citrus Orange

Aqua Blue

New-Leaf Green

Girlie Pink

{ 4 comments }

(Sofina Primavista Face Powder)
(image from i-voce2.com)

When Sofina Raycious did not release a spring/summer 2008 lineup, I thought it was obvious that this great base makeup line had been discontinued. (On the other hand, I am now able to say that I have the complete set of Raycious powder foundation cases since 1999 (the annual releases, not the limited-edition ones).)

I was wondering whether there would ever be a new base makeup line from Sofina, and now we have the answer. On September 1st in Japan, Primavista will officially join Aube (point makeup line) as well as all the skincare lines at Sofina counters.

The Primavista debut lineup includes:

Powder Foundation (7 shades, SPF15 PA++)



Cream Foundation (7 shades, SPF15 PA++)

Smooth Coat Base (SPF10 PA+)

Bright Up Base (SPF10 PA+)

Face Powder (seen above)

(all images from i-voce2.com)


For me, this is one of the most exciting base makeup releases in recent seasons. At the moment, the new items seem to be typical fall/winter releases, featuring products like cream foundation and loose powder. I am expecting the usual moisturizing properties and soft-focus finishes from some of these fall/winter items.

While I am very interested in the loose powder, I will be waiting to see if there is going to be a spring/summer powder foundation next year, which should supposedly be more sebum-absorbing and more suitable for my oily skin.)

You can see photos of the Primavista launch event here.

Related Posts:

Lavshuca Face Powder
(my loose powder favorite at the moment)


Loving Japanese Brands – Sofina

Can’t Live Without – Shiseido ZA Two-Way Foundation

ck Calvin Klein Mineral Based Loose Powder

{ 4 comments }

Please check out this blog post for photos of Jill Stuart’s fall 2008 makeup collection. The collection includes eye palettes, blushers, lip colors, and nail polishes.

I will share my thoughts on this collection after I see more photos of it on the latest issues of Biteki and Voce, which I will be receiving very soon.

Related Posts:

Jill Stuart Breaks Record

Jill Stuart Moist Silk Liquid Foundation

Loving Japanese Brands – Jill Stuart

{ 4 comments }

NARS Fall 2008 Collection

by PJ on Tuesday, July 1, 2008

in -NARS, 2008 Fall, makeup

(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)

Here is the information on NARSfall 2008 makeup collection:

Duo Eyeshadow (2 new variations, Isolde and Cordura)
Single Eyeshadow (1 new shade, Fez)
Blush (1 new shade, Dolce Vita)
Lipstick (2 new shades, Beautiful Liar and Senorita)
Lip Gloss (1 new shade, Female Trouble)
Nail Polish (1 new shade, Rebel Yell)

(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)

My first ever NARS purchase is the Dolce Vita Lipstick, which is a medium cinnamon red that I liked. It seems that the Dolce Vita Blush is of a similar (but slightly lighter) hue. I will remember to check this out when the collection arrives in the UK…

Other Fall 2008 Makeup Collection:

Chanel

Dior

YSL

{ 0 comments }

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

The Coffret D’Or website has been updated to include information on the items which will be released on July 16.

The two new makeup looks happen to feature my favorite shades at the moment, lilac and golden beige! (I love the color of Tokiwa Takako’s (left) dress as well.)

You can see the two TV commercials here.

Related Posts:

Coffret D’Or 3D Lighting Eyes Purple Variation

Coffret D’Or 3D Lighting Eyes Gold Variation

{ 0 comments }

My post on AYURA’s fall 2008 makeup collection has been updated with an image showing shades of all the eye palettes and lipsticks. Enjoy!

{ 0 comments }

(L’Oréal True Match Super-Blendable Powder
in W3 Golden Beige)

Ever since L’Oréal’s True Match Super-Blendable Powder was chosen by Paula Begoun as one of the best makeup products in 2005, I have been interested in it. At that time, it was not sold in the UK. But it has been available here for a while now, and I recently decided to give it a try.

I am quite disappointed with it as a powder foundation. Even though the talc-based powder is very smooth and the finish is nicely matte and natural, it has very little coverage and only mildly evens out the complexion.

I think the reason why L’Oréal is able to claim that this powder can “adjust to the color” of the skin is that it is so sheer. On the plus side, it is hard to go wrong with the color selection, as most people can probably work with a couple of different shades.

For me, it works a lot better as a pressed setting powder. The smooth texture doesn’t look chalky over my ZA Two-Way Powder Foundation, and the silky matte shimmer-free powder covers pores and mattifies the shine fairly well. (I have oily skin and shine tends to be an issue.) This is a good alternative to loose powder when I want to set my foundation very quickly.

The enclosed sponge (not a puff) is thinner than most foundation sponges I have seen, but it still works well with the powder.

My slight complaint of this product is the awkward compact design. The top tier is the powder itself, and the sponge and the mirror are underneath. The product can be fiddly to use when you are out and about and want to do a quick touch-up.

Overall, this can still be a good powder foundation if you only go for a sheer coverage. If you want more coverage, this will almost certainly not work for you. But if you are looking for a well-formulated and reasonably priced pressed powder to set your foundation, this should be a strong contender.

Related Posts:

My Foundation Face-Off articles:

Jill Stuart vs. SUQQU

Lunasol vs. Coffret D’Or

Chanel vs. SUQQU

{ 8 comments }



NARS always has a chic and fashion-forward image and a wide range of shades to go with it. Today, the review focuses on how well some of the brand’s warmer shades perform.

– Lip Glosses in Supervixen & Sunset Strip

Supervixen (bottom right) is a cool medium brown. It appears to have a very subtle mauve undertone, but it doesn’t show on the lips. Sunset Strip is peachy tangerine that is slightly more pigmented than Supervixen and has a frostier finish. Both have very subtle multi-colored shimmer.

Their texture is on the dense side and they don’t glide as easily as many other glosses. Also, if you like a very glossy finish, it will take a bit of layering. One layer gives a subtle sheen, two layers create a mild shine, and it takes three layers to achieve a full and glossy look. But, once applied, the staying powder is fairly good.

– Lipstick in Viva Las Vegas

Viva Las Vagas is a moderately pigmented warm brown with a bronze undertone. It has a very frosty finish that I rarely like, as I find that it often makes the lips look dry and can accentuate lip lines. (I tend to go for lipsticks with a soft satiny finish or a slightly wet/moist look, and I prefer minimal shimmer to intense metallic/frosty shimmer.)

I once tried laying the brown-toned Supervixen Lip Gloss on it (to take away the frosty finish), and I find that they actually work very well together. Shade-wise, they complement each other. Also, one layer of the gloss over the lipstick instantly creates a glossy finish. Even though the finish is very rich and luxurious, I would often prefer to have one product that does the job instead of two as I tend not to layer too many products on my lips.

– Duo Eyeshadow in Kalahari

Kalahari creates quite a sultry neutral look. Before I used the duo for the first time, I thought the shade on the left might be a little too dark for the lids. But I was surprised that, even though it is indeed darker than the neutrals I would go for, it is still natural and not overly heavy. The neutral brown (neither too cool or too warm) has a very subtle rose-gold iridescence and the overall finish is softly shimmery and flattering.

The slightly darker shade on the right is much warmer and has a more metallic finish. I wear it close to the lash line as a very subtle liner. Both shades have a very soft texture, while the darker shade seems particularly silky and has an effortless glide.

– Highlighting/Blush Duo in Albatross/Torrid

Albatross, the highlighter shade, has a metallic sheen, and I find that it is too metallic as a highlighter for the face. Even when it is very lightly dusted onto the skin with a fluffy brush, it can still make pores (and possibly fine lines) appear more obvious. However, with a soft gold undertone, it can work as a base for warm-toned eyeshadows.

Torrid is a warm-red blusher. In the container, it looks quite shimmery, but the gold-toned shimmer doesn’t look apparent when worn and the satiny finish looks natural on the skin. For me, it is a fairly wearable summer blusher and I think it will suit people with a warm complexion very well. (I tend to wear neutral-to-cool pinks, and this warm-red is probably as warm (and red) as I would go.)

Overall, I think the powder-based products here perform better. They have a very good texture and stay on well. The various finishes of the products reviewed above might not suit everyone, particularly the very metallic lipstick and highlighter. If you are planning to try out items from NARS, I would suggest looking especially into the finishes to make sure that they are flattering for you.

(
All the products reviewed above are fragrance-free.)

Related Posts:

Coffret D’Or 3D Lighting Eyes in Gold Variation

Dior Golden Dior Makeup Jewel


Lavshuca Summer Gradually Compact

{ 0 comments }

(I have been testing them as you are reading this post…)

It is a little hard to believe that half of 2008 is almost gone. (I feel that this year has just begun a couple of months ago and that we are still taking about spring collections…) But here is what to look out for in July:

– If you have been gathering reviews of the new Coffret D’Or Trance Deep Eyes palettes, do come back in July. I will bring you reviews of 01 Rose Variation and 04 Grey Variation. I will also review Coffret D’Or’s loose powder. (It’s a keeper!)

– You will be seeing a new three-part series, Beauty City Mini-Guide. Since I often receive e-mails from readers asking for suggestions on beauty shopping when travelling, I have decided to present some of my personal experiences as blog articles. Each of them will focus on one particular city.

If you would like to make sure you don’t miss any of these future posts, please consider subscribing to my blog via e-mail or a feed reader. Thank you very much!

Tomorrow: Review of items from NARS Cosmetics

{ 4 comments }