makeup

Holiday 2007: A Touch of Blusher’s Seasonal Top 10 (Part 1)

by PJ on Sunday, December 16, 2007

in -Jill Stuart, -Lunasol, -YSL, 2007 Holiday, makeup, seasonal makeup top 10

We have already seen many spring 2008 makeup collections, and I am sure some favorites have emerged on your list. But let’s look back, just in time in the midst of the holiday season, at my own top 10 holiday 2007 collections.

10. Lunasol

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


2007 is a great year for Lunasol, which brought out fantastic collections for spring and fall. Lunasol’s Christmas 2007 coffret presents the usual dose of neutral and wearable colors as seen in Lunasol’s previous holiday sets. Some might say they are unimaginative, but this doesn’t stop Lunasol fans from collecting this sophisticated coffret for lips, eyes, and face.

9. Guerlain

(Forever Gold)

(image from www.guerlain.co.jp)


Guerlain’s holiday 2007 collection did not get my full attention until I tested Forever Gold (pictured above) and a couple of other items. Forever Gold delivers a sheer and fine mist of very sparkling shimmer. The finish is quite even, and the sparkles are very glamorous without being over the top. A star item for this holiday season indeed. (You can read more about my thoughts of Forever Gold here.)

8. YSL

(image from www.yslbeautyus.com)

I mentioned in my initial review of the YSL holiday 2007 collection that I preferred the usual gold packaging. But, compared with many other holiday collections, this is still a strong one. The collection is well-themed with memorable designs. The heart-shaped necklace is very pretty even though I don’t think this is the best makeup necklace for this season.

This is the first time in five years that YSL’s holiday collection didn’t make the top five on my holiday top 10 list, as the overall collection didn’t impress me as much as the previous ones did. (Read about YSL’s Gold Celebration Palette from the 2006 holiday collection if you are interested.)

7. Jill Stuart

(image from www.jillstuart-beauty.com)

Jill Stuart’s holiday 2007 set is instantly appealing, with the kind of feminine and princessy packaging that Jill Stuart is famous for. Like Lunasol’s holiday 2007 coffret, the set features universally flattering shades.

According to this blog post, all the slots were full within an hour after one department store started to take pre-orders for this set, while the set was completely sold out in another department store within two hours after the set was officially launched. I am not really surprised. Since the Jill Stuart beauty line was launched in Japan in 2005, the holiday sets in 2005 and 2006 have been extremely popular. (This post also features a swatch video, in which you can actually see how the eyeshadow shades shimmer!)

(Continue to read Part 2 and Part 3!)

Related Posts:

Loving Japanese Brands: Jill Stuart
(featuring my Jill Stuart Christmas 2005 set)

Loving Japanese Brands: Lunasol
(one of my three favorite Japanese brands for the moment)

Keep It Gold: YSL
(my personal take on the glamorous YSL)

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MAC A-Mei Color Collection – Fantastic Update!

by PJ on Friday, December 14, 2007

in -MAC, makeup

The MAC A-Mei Color Collection has some more exciting updates, this time with links to a beautiful official product image and some great stock images.

Do check them out!

Thank you, Janice, for your great work!


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A Splash of Color – Lilting Lilac

by PJ on Thursday, December 13, 2007

in _I Love Colors, -Ayura, -Chanel, -Jill Stuart, -Kanebo, -Lavshuca, -Maybelline, -T'Estimo, all about Japanese cosmetics, bodycare, makeup, nail color/care, stash focus

Among all my favorite colors, pastel purple (lilac/lavender) has always been near the top of the list. Thanks to the delicate mixture of red and blue, purple, to me, is an elegant color with the right amount of warmness and coolness.

It has been a great accent color in my wardrobe for years (be it pastel lilac or rich violet), but it is only fairly recently that I discovered that soft lilacs look good on my face as well!

Keep pretty:
-Jill Stuart Brilliance Eyes in 04 Gem Amethyst
-T’Estimo Frame Impact Eyes in 03
-Lavshuca Eyecolor Select in PU-2
-Chanel Contraste Lumière palette in Aquarelles
-Maybelline Dream Mousse Eye Color in Divine Lilac
-Clinique Glosswear for Lips in 333 La La Lilac
-AYURA Pure Nails (limited-edition lilac shade)

Keep clean:
-Radox Clean & Pamper Handwash with lavender & magnolia

Keep warm:
-Hat by Fred Bare
(My teddy bear pulls this off much better than I do…)
-Sweater by Sisley

Keep organized:
-Beauty Diary by Biteki & Albion
(from Biteki January 2007 issue)

I have noticed that Chanel, Lunasol, and Guerlain are featuring lilac in their spring 2008 collections, and I am predicting that lilac is a key spring 2008 makeup trend!

I have more lilacs on my spring 2008 shopping list, and I am sensing an arrival of Lilting Lilac Part II!

More splashes of colors!

–Girlie Pink

–Citrus Orange

–Aqua Blue

–New-Leaf Green

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MAC A-Mei Color Collection – More Update

by PJ on Tuesday, December 11, 2007

in -MAC, makeup

The MAC A-Mei Color Collection post has been updated with a link to an image featuring A-Mei wearing shades from the collection. The image was released to the Taiwanese press but I am not certain whether this would be one of the official promotional images.

Please go to the end of the post for the link, and enjoy!

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Loving It – Lavshuca Face Powder in Lucent

by PJ on Sunday, December 9, 2007

in -Kanebo, -Lavshuca, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup, makeup - base makeup - powder, stash focus

(Lavshuca Face Powder in Lucent)

First of all, I admit that this item caught my attention ever since I saw the packaging. Very few loose powder containers (possibly part from Jill Stuart’s) look dreamier than this. With Lavshuca being an affordable shelf-top brand, I had to get this.

(Lavshuca Face Powder)
(image from www.kanebo-cosmetics.jp/lavshuca/)


I bought this soon after it was released in fall 2006. The packaging looks as good as it appears on-line and in magazines. I was very pleased with that.

When I tested the powder on the back of my hand for the first time, I was slightly concerned. Even though the shade was the pale translucent beige that I usually went for, there seemed to be some shimmer. As I normally only used a completely matte loose powder, I was not sure if this was going to be something I would use regularly.

But when I put it on my face for the first time, all worries disappeared. The shimmer was relatively sparse and extremely fine. The finish is still basically matte, but it is not chalky. It is silky and almost satiny.

What I also love (perhaps the most) about this loose powder is its ability to disguise pores. It is able to make my skin look smoother and more even. As I usually wear a loose powder mainly to make pores less visible and to get a polished complexion, I am very happy with what it can do.



I also like the puff that comes with it. Apart from looking so adorable. it feels quite soft and puffy on the skin. The hair is not too long so it grabs the powder and places it on the skin evenly. I usually press (instead of sweep) the powder onto the skin, and the puff works very well for me.

I have another loose powder by Sofina Raycious. It is essentially matte and does a fairly good job in controlling shine. I shall review it in more detail a bit later!

Related Posts:

Which loose powder will win my heart?
(I have already decide to get one of them…)

Loving Japanese Brands: Lavshuca
(a brief profile on Kanebo’s successful budget line)

Lavshuca Spring 2008 Collection
(featuring some more lovely packaging)

Lavshuca Eye Color Select in PU-2
(another of my Lavshuca Favorite)

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MAC A-Mei Color Collection: Further Update!

by PJ on Saturday, December 8, 2007

in -MAC, makeup

The MAC A-Mei Color Collection post has been updated yet again, this time featuring a sneak peek at some of the packaging and colors.

Take a look!

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MAC A-Mei Color Collection Update!

by PJ on Friday, December 7, 2007

in -MAC, makeup

One of my readers, CK, has kindly left a comment under my post on A-Mei’s Collaboration with MAC with a link to some great footage featuring A-Mei sporting the shades from her color collection in the photo shoot!

Click on the link above to watch the clip!

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Product Review: Prescriptives Holiday 2007 Colorscope Refillable Palette for Eyes and Cheeks in Cool

by PJ on Thursday, December 6, 2007

in -Prescriptives, 2007 Holiday, makeup, makeup - blusher, makeup - eyeshadow

(Prescriptives Colorscope Refillable Palette
for Eyes and Cheeks in Cool)
(image from www.prescriptives.com)


Prescriptives has come up with two wearable and good-value makeup palettes for holiday 2007. The palette in Cool I am reviewing here includes six pink and plum-based shades for eyes and two shades for cheeks.

For the eyeshadows, I have categorized them into highlighting, main, and eye-lining shades:

Highlighting –
Chiffon: cream white with pearlescent shimmer, suitable as a base or a highlighter

(Chiffon)


Main (from left to right/ light to dark) –
Shell: pale dusty pink with pearlescent shimmer
Hocus: light taupe with pearlescent shimmer
Aubergine: brownish plum with metallic shimmer

(Shell, Hocus, and Aubergine)


Eye-lining –
Indigo: dark charcoal grey with minimal shimmer
Plum: brownish plum with minimal shimmer

(Indigo and Plum)


(Color-wise, Aubergine is almost as dark as Plum, but it has a lot more shimmer and, for me, it doesn’t bring much depth to my eyes as an eye-lining shade.)

The six shades blend well and can be easily coordinated to create simple and sophisticated daytime looks and intense evening looks.

Cheek Colors:
Petal: a matte warm pink
Highlighter Cool Light: a very pale pink with frosty shimmer

(Petal and Highlighter Cool Light)

Petal is a very wearable blusher shade. Highlighter Cool Light can be worn with Petal to bring a veil of shimmer to the matte finish of Patel. Another great way to wear this cheek highlighter is to layer it right on the center of cheeks to make the cheeks pop and to bring out the dimension of the face.

All the shades are quite well pigmented, with Highlighter Cool Light being sheer and shimmery. (These are all regular shades and not limited-edition ones. The silver stripes on the cheek colors featured in the palette in the top photo are spray-ons.)

The palette comes with a nicely big mirror. The limited-edition double-ended eyeshadow brush features a soft medium brush for eyeshadow application and a slightly slanted flat-tip brush, which is good for blending. You will need another brush to line your eyes with the darker shades.

The sizes of the eyeshadows and blushers are the same as the usual sizes they come in. The palette itself is refillable, so you can also add in your favorite shades to customize your own palette. (The slots for blushers will hold two eyeshadows each.)

The palette also comes in Warm:

(Prescriptives Colorscope Refillable Palatte
for Eyes and Cheeks in Warm)
(image from www.prescriptives.com)


Overall, the palettes offer good ranges of shades and further flexibility of customization. Retailed at 38 pounds in the UK, it is relatively good value considering all the shades are worth around 100 pounds when bought separately. This is also a good starter palette to consider if you are interested in trying wearable shades by Prescriptives.

Related Posts for Holiday 2007:

Lavshuca Christmas 2007 Makeup Palette
(cute and affordable)

DiorLight Jewelled Necklace
(sparkling with Swarovski crystals)

Paul & Joe Lip Gloss N
(perfect berry-red lip gloss)

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Dior Spring 2008 Limited Edition: Flower Blossom

by PJ on Wednesday, December 5, 2007

in -Dior, 2008 Spring, makeup

I have just added the photo of Dior Flower Blossom, Dior’s limited-edition item for spring 2008, under the post on Dior Spring 2008 Makeup Collection last week.

Click on the link above to see the photo!

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New Calvin Klein Beauty Line: Close-Ups

by PJ on Wednesday, December 5, 2007

in -Calvin Klein, makeup

(the new Calvin Klein Beauty)
(scanned image from The Bay catalog)


As I mentioned in an update of a previous post, the brand new Calvin Klein beauty line has been launched in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Recently it has also been launched in Canada, available exclusively in The Bay.

One of my readers in Canada, Ebontien, has very kindly scanned an ad image from The Bay and images from the Calvin Klein makeup brochure, and she has generously let me share these images with all of you! Thank you, Ebontien!

(scanned image from the Calvin Klein brochure)

(scanned image from the Calvin Klein brochure)


These images show part of the line-up, including the lipstick, two lip glosses, the eyeshadow single, the mascara, the liquid eyeliner, and two foundations.

The packaging is simple and minimal, with a youthful edge. The emphasis is on the actual makeup shades. The black color scheme and the “CK” logo also remind me of CK Be, one of Calvin Klein’s earlier fragrances:

(Calvin Klein CK Be)
(image from www.amazon.co.uk)

As I understand, the Calvin Klein beauty line is recruiting in the US and should be launched next year. It should also appear in the UK soon. We’ll see!

Related Posts:

Bring It Back! Calvin Klein Cosmetics
(remembering the original Calvin Klein cosmetics line)

Calvin Klein Beauty Line: First Look at the Counter
(From Hong Kong!)

I Got It! Calvin Klein Eyeshadow
(my only Calvin Klein makeup purchase…for the moment)


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