makeup

(Lavshuca Christmas 2007 Makeup Palette)

I have written about my first impression of this palette when I heard about it and upon receiving it. Now that I have tested the colors, I can share with you more of my thoughts. (But I haven’t tried the lip color yet because I don’t want to mess up the heart shape…)

(No, I still haven’t put them in the case…)

The palette includes three eyeshadows, a lip color, and a lip gloss. The eyeshadow shade I like the best is the shimmery white one on the left. It is fairly well-pigmented with nice multi-color shimmer and it joins my white-eyeshadow lineup as a major member.

The pink in the middle appears to be very pale when it goes on and it doesn’t look very different from the white shade. The only two differences between the two are that the texture of the pink one seems chalkier and that it has less shimmer.

The dark shade at the right is a dark charcoal grey that works well as an eyeliner and for a smoky-eye effect. It has some sparkles but they don’t look obvious when it goes on.

The lip gloss looks very pretty in the container, again with multi-color shimmer. But the shimmer looks much more subtle when applied. I was trying to layer it to see if I could create a glossy finish, but it doesn’t seem possible. The finish is similar to that of a shiny lip balm, as it imparts a very natural sheen, which looks more balmy than watery.

As I mentioned before, holiday palettes (especially those from Japanese brands) are mostly about packaging and wearability. In terms of these two, this palette has done well. (Plus it is relatively affordable.) I am sure there are people who think the shades are not very interesting. But, for me, I will always consider picking up nice wearable shades which are beautifully packaged. Overall this is a nice little gem to have.

Related Posts:

Chanel Contraste Lumière Palette
(great palette for eyes and lips)

Loving Japanese Brands: Lavshuca
(my personal take on the successful Kanebo line)

Lavshuca Cheek Color
(Need a blusher to go with the palette?)

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Dior Spring 2008 Makeup Collection

by PJ on Wednesday, November 28, 2007

in -Dior, 2008 Spring, makeup

(Dior spring 2008 makeup collection)
(images from www.cosme.net)

Among western cosmetics brands, Dior‘s seasonal collection has been among those I look forward to the most, especially the limited-edition item.

The Dior spring 2008 makeup collection (launched in Japan on January 11, 2008) will include, among others, eyeshadows, lip glosses, and nail colors*. The base makeup additions will feature pressed powders (pictured bottom left) as well as Capture Totale Serum Foundation (bottom right), which will be a top-end foundation item for Dior.

Also part of the new base makeup lineup is DiorSkin Shimmer Powder (top middle), with gradations of shades. These have really caught my attention.

Dior’s limited-edition item for spring 2008 is named Dior Flower Blossom (not to be confused with the 5-color eyeshadow palette in #690 Flower Blosom). It will include 5 eyeshadows in pastel shades and a pressed face powder.

I have not come across a photo yet, and I will be updating this post when there is more information.

(*Dior’s cosmetics releases can vary substantially from country to country, especially the shades of eyeshadows and lipsticks.)

Updated on December 5, 2007:

Photo of the limited-edition item: Flower Blossom!

(Dior Flower Blossom)
(image from www.cosme.net)

It does look beautiful, but I am trying to decide whether I actually want to get this or not. What do you think?

Updated on January 10, 2008:

I have tested the collection in the shop. You can read about my initial thoughts here!

Related Posts:

Spring 2008 Makeup Preview
(featuring Chanel, Givenchy, and Guerlain)

DiorLight Jewelled Makeup Necklace

(one of my latest acquisitions)

“Totally Dior Cannage” Holiday 2007 Set
(You’ll need to go to Japan to get this…)

My Personal Take on Dior
(one of my three favorite western cosmetics brands alongside Chanel and YSL)

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(Anna Sui spring 2008 makeup collection)
(images from www.cosme.net)

Anna Sui will release its spring 2008 makeup collection in Japan on January 10, 2007.

The collection includes lip glosses, eyeshadows, eyeshadow palettes, eyeliners, nail colors, and a makeup mirror.

The lipstick-looking item on the top left is Glitter Eyecolor Stick, available in 5 shades. (See all the shades, including a blue and a purple, on my post on Spring 2008 Makeup Preview.)

I mentioned before that Anna Sui needed to come up with more ingenious product designs to keep people interested. (Otherwise, the brand would start to date.) It looks like Glitter Eyecolor Stick is one of their answers. I’d be very interested in the texture and the finish of this range of eye colors.

Finally, after quite a few seasons, there is an Anna Sui seasonal collection for me to really look forward to. Apart from Glitter Eyecolor Stick, I am also interested in the three limited-edition lip glosses. I might be looking at yet another member of my blue lip gloss family…

Related Posts:

Loving Japanese Brands: Anna Sui
(my personal take on the Gothic Princess)

Anna Sui Face Color Accent
(a surprisingly wearable blusher)

My Anna Sui Foundation Cases

(Which one is your favorite?)

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(Lavshuca Spring 2008 Collection)
(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)


Like Kate, Lavshuca will release its spring 2008 collection on February 1, 2008.

The collection is well-rounded and features eye shadows, lip colors, foundations, and a makeup base. The lineup includes:

Rouge Essence lipsticks (10 shades)
Noble On Color Eyes palettes (5 variations)
Jewel Lips lipsticks (2 new shades)
Grade Color Select eyeshadow palette (1 new variation)
Powder Foundation N (5 shades)
Skin Filter Base (1 shade)

Noble On Color Eyes will be the new eyeshadow palette range to join the lineup, but, packaging-wise, it looks less impressive than the Eye Color Select palettes. But I will definitely still think about picking up a couple of them when there is more information on the various shades.

Related posts:

Spring 2008 Makeup Preview
(featuring Chanel, Dior, Givenchy…)

Kate Spring 2008 Collection

Lunasol Spring 2008 Collection

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(Kate Spring 2008 Collection)
(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)

Kate will release its Spring 2008 makeup collection on February 1, 2008.

It is all about the eyes for Kate in spring 2008! The collection includes:

Line Spicy N eyeshadow palettes (5 variations)
Magical Volume Gel Mascara (1 shade)
Square Cut Eyeliner (5 shades)
Powder Gel Eyeliner (3 shades)
Gradical Eyes palette (1 new variation)
Glam Tricks Eyes palette (1 new variation)

The Square Cut Eyeliner features a flat rectangle-cut tip for a flexible application:

(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)


I have not been a Kate fan in the last few years. Will 2008 be the year for me to buy my first Kate item? I will keep you posted!

Related Posts:

Kate – Lavshuca’s Dark, Edgier Sister
(my personal take on Kate)

Lavshuca Spring 2008 Collectio
n
(Do you love the new looks?)

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(Paul & Joe Lip Gloss N in 001 Black-Tie,
part of Paul & Joe’s Christmas 2007 collection)

We all know that makeup items very often look disappointingly less impressive than how they appear on glossy fashion magazines. But this lip gloss is one of those welcome surprises.

Paul & Joe Lip Gloss N in 001 Black-Tie is part of the limited-edition Holiday 2007 Collection, titled Invitation.

(Paul & Joe Holiday 2007 collection: Invitation)
(image from www.paul-joe-beaute.com/en/index.html)

(Paul & Joe Lip Gloss N)
(image from www.paul-joe-beaute.com/en/index.html)

What grabbed my attention (and the reason it looks much better in person) is the multi-color shimmer. It has pink, yellow, green, and lilac shimmer. It also has very little blue-ish shimmer which is in a warm turquoise-y shade.

The shimmery particles look beautiful, but I won’t describe them as very delicate since they are just a little bit larger than those in some of my other glosses. But they are not glittery at all and are very fitful for the holiday season.

Upon seeing the photo on the Paul & Joe website for the first time, I thought the shade might be too dark for my liking and that I would not want to wear it. (I tend to prefer lip glosses that are not too densely pigmented.) But it is actually a very nicely and delicately pigmented shade (not too sheer) with subtle transparency.

The only thing I can imagine that might bother some people is that the texture of the gloss is slightly more liquidy than some of my other glosses. When it is on my lips, occasionally it travels just a little bit. I avoid it simply by not over-layering it too much.

Overall I love this gloss, and it is now among my favorites. I will surely be reviewing some of my other lip gloss favorites later on, so do stay tuned!

Related Posts (for Paul & Joe lovers):

Loving Japanese Brands: Paul & Joe
(my personal take on Paul & Joe)

Paul & Joe Holiday 2006 Collection

(with stunning hummingbird prints)

Related Posts (for lip gloss lovers):

Sony Curvy Lips Silicone
(million-selling lip gloss…for a reason)

Beautiful Lips…with Blue Lip Glosses?
(See all the great things they can do for you.)

DiorLight Jewelled Makeup Necklace
(sparking inside and out)


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Exciting spring 2008 makeup preview!
(image from i-voce.boxerblog.com/contents/index.html)


The Voce website has a page from the January 2008 issue, featuring a preview of some spring 2008 makeup collections.

I see Dior, Chanel, Jill Stuart, Lunasol, Anna Sui, Givenchy, Guerlain, Coffret D’Or, Beauté de Kosé, and perhaps Helena Rubinstein, Sofina Est and Shu Uemura…just to name a few.

I think I have already seen some items I want…and it is still November!

I am loving the look of the Chanel and Lunasol lilac eyeshadow palettes (as if I didn’t have enough lilac palettes…with my T’Estimo, Jill Stuart, and Lavshuca lilac bonanza).

What has grabbed your attention?

Updated on Friday, November 23, 2007:

Bjooti has kindly confirmed that the zebra-printed one towards the top left is indeed from the Helena Rubinstein spring 2008 collection. Take a look at the full collection on her blog!

Related Posts (let’s go back to holiday 2007):

Dior DiorLight Jewelled Makeup Necklace
(another beautiful Dior seasonal item)

Lavshuca Christmas 2007 Makeup Palette
(as cute as a box of chocolates…)

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(the group shot)


Apart from Sofina Raycious foundation cases, which I enjoy collecting, I also collect Anna Sui foundation cases from time to time. (Do have a look at my Part One and Part Two of my Sofina Raycious Case Galore if you haven’t.)

My Anna Sui collection is far less extensive than Raycious’. There are many more Anna Sui cases that I don’t have, as I only collect what I really like.

This black one above is my first Anna Sui case, which is among the first Anna Sui case designs. It is the Gothic princess look that Anna Sui does very well.


Then Anna Sui entered what I call the golden age, during which most base makeup products and some color makeup products were packaged in frosty matte golden cases. I do really like the golden look. First of all, finger prints are not easily left on these finishes. Also, the golden cases show off the details of the design much better.

This one above is perhaps my favorite one. Again, love the golden case. Also, I like the butterfly detail.


This one is from the Anna Sui brightening skincare and foundation range, in which most of the items are in white packaging. I like the unique shape of this case in particular.

Last fall, Anna Sui re-launched the base makeup range (seen below). We are brought back to the classic black packaging, while the shapes and the details of the cases are slightly modified.

(Anna Sui’s current base makeup range)
(image from www.annasui-cosmetics.com)


By the way, Anna Sui’s Holiday 2007 collection includes a limited-edition hand mirror in the golden shade I love. It looks adorable! (I have to say I prefer this to the usual black one…)

(Anna Sui Hand Mirror G)
(image from www.annasui-cosmetics.com)

More items in gold, please, I’d say…

Updated on March 27, 2008:

See my latest Anna Sui foundation case here.

Related Posts:

Anna Sui Face Color Accent
(a lovely blusher…)

Anna Sui Fall 2007 Collection
(featuring a photo of my Anna Sui stash)

Loving Japanese Brands: Anna Sui
(my personal take on Anna Sui)

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(Prescriptives Better Off Fast-Acting Makeup Remover,
Magic Illuminating Potion in Red Neutralizer,
and Site Unseen Brightening Concealer SPF 15)


Prescriptives is generally renowned for base makeup products. I am going to review two of them, plus a water-proof makeup remover. Let’s dive straight in.

Magic Illuminating Potion in Red Neutralizer:

It is a primer that is supposed to even out redness. I understand what the product is trying do, as it imparts some yellow and green shimmer which attempts to cancel out redness. But overall, the shimmer sits on top of the redness (which is still visible) instead of neutralizing it.

Basically it is a primer that adds quite a lot of luminosity to the face (which can be a little too shiny for some people), and it is also able to alter the finish of your foundation. (My matte powder foundation takes on a more luminous finish.)

However, the overall texture is slightly too greasy and the finish is too shiny for my personal liking (apart from the fact that it doesn’t neutralize my redness).

Site Unseen Brightening Concealer SPF 15:
(with titanium dioxide to protect against UVA rays)

As we know, there are many products in the same category as YSL’s Touche Éclat, and this is one of them. Some of these products rely more on light-reflective particles while some use more opaque pigments. I think Prescriptives’ version is more toward the opaque-pigment end of the spectrum. Apart from that, the consistency is very creamy and it dries quite quickly, so swift blending is essential. It can be used as a general cream concealer for the face.

For covering imperfections around the eye area, I have noticed that, to reach the desired effect, it is better to put on the needed amount all at once and keep blending. Don’t layer and layer, as it will cake easily.

(Prescriptives Sight Unseen Brightening Concealer SPF 15)
(image from www.prescriptives.com)

The brush is wider than that of most other similar products, so it is not particularly designed for precision concealing. It is more for sweeping across slightly larger areas. Overall, as long as the blending is done speedily, the coverage is relatively satisfactory.

Better Off Fast-Acting Waterproof Makeup Remover:

This is a dual-phase makeup remover for eye and lip makeup. I always go for a dual-phase formula since it is able to dissolve makeup quickly and only very little rubbing and tugging is required for effective removal.

This one doesn’t disappoint me. It cleanses effectively and doesn’t irritate my eyes. It doesn’t leave any greasy residue, but I do suspect that it could possibly be a bit drying for some people. (I don’t have a particular preference regarding this, and I don’t mind some slightly oily residue since I always wash my whole face thoroughly after taking off the eye and lip makeup.)

Overall this is something worth considering, but do bear in mind that there are less expensive options that can preform equally well.

Related Posts:

Prescriptives Foundation Review: Flawless Skin & AnyWear
(Find out which one I prefer.)

My Foundation Routine
(as requested by one of you)

My Skincare Routine
(featuring my favorite makeup remover)

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(Here it is.)

One of my readers suggested that I review my eyelash curler, so I decided to share with all of you this little useful tool.


I bought this such a long time ago that I don’t remember which brand it is from. I only remember that it is from a very inexpensive Japanese drugstore beauty tool brand. There are many such brands in Japan as well as in other Asian countries, and it is generally not hard to get something similar.

(the narrower curler)


This is usually called a narrow curler or a precision curler. The curler itself measures about 0.8 cm. It doesn’t grab and curl all the lashes at the same time. Instead, it curls a portion of the lashes at a time.

(measuring about 0.8cm)


The best thing about this kind of curler is that it can really get to the lashes at the two ends. Also, I can have an optimal control as to the exact extend and angle of the curl I want from different sections of my lashes.

Plus, sometimes the curve of a normal curler might not suit everyone. This is absolutely not an issue here. This is something that I think everyone can use to get the most beautifully naturally curled lashes.

With all these wonderful merits, this is my first and only eyelash curler, and I have never needed another one!

If you are interested, Japonesque and Seki Edge carry very similar versions.

Related posts:

My Makeup Brush Stash
(See my beloved makeup brushes.)

You Mean It’s NOT Real?
(Have your say!)

Spotlight on Mascaras

(featuring Dior, YSL, Max Factor, and L’Oréal)

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