makeup


(Pictured: Just for Redheads’ Brush a Brow,
Brow Stick, and Studio Mascara)

Just for Redheads, as the name suggests, is a line specifically designed for those with red hair and fair skin. Makeup items such as black (or dark grey) mascaras, eyeliners, and eyebrow colors, can simply be too harsh-looking and dramatic for redheads. Warm and auburn hues, in this case, can better enhance the facial features without being overpowering.

If you share this concern, then these goodies might be what you are looking for.

Brush a Brow and Brow Stick (both in Ginger Auburn):

Brush a Brow is a velvety eyebrow powder that goes on smoothly and stays well, while Brow Stick is an eyebrow pencil that is softer than most others. It glides on very easily and creates natural and fluffy-looking brows (not that painted-on look).

The very warm brown tone is of course the main feature. It is that delicious milk-chocolate brown which softly enhances the brows.

Studio Mascara (in Ginger Henna):

What is great about this mascara is that no matter how much I layer it, it does not clump. Although it does not volumize the lashes like some others, it superbly defines, separates, and lengthens the lashes to create an effortlessly natural look.

Again, the warm brown tone is spot-on.

As I was trying on these colors, it appeared to me (who has dark hair and medium skin-tone) that they are not just flattering for people with red hair and fair skin. They are suitable for anyone that wants an ultra-natural warm look. I think what Just for Redheads has created are products that can give an understated and elegant radiance to your face.

The full Just for Redheads line also includes a complete range of makeup, foundation, skincare and haircare products.

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Dior Summer 2007 Collection

by PJ on Wednesday, May 9, 2007

in -Dior, 2007 Summer, makeup

(Pictured: my own Dior stash)

Dior‘s summer 2007 collection is a feast of colors, and there is a wonderful balance between cool and warm tones. It is one of the best summer collections I have seen so far.

Dior Summer Play, lip color in a dice, is the sister to Dior Play, which was part of the Christmas collection back in 2005. This time, the dice has a bronzed and metallic exterior with a faux-leather string. One features a very sheer pink and the other has a slightly more opaque coral.

The two eye palettes are so gorgeous. 130 (Blue Croisette) includes a stunning selection of soft blue/lavender hues, while 440 (Sunset Cafe) has flattering shades of gold and brown.

I always want to see more interesting colors from DiorKiss lipglosses, and I have got my wish this season. The colors look fresh and remind me of tropical fruit. (I just bought the one in Mint Lemonade (#208) and I will review it later on.)

Blushers, bronzers, lipsticks, an eyeliner, and a mascara complete this very extensive collection, which creates a soft and sultry look with light pastel shades for both eyes and lips. The array of colors is a joy to behold, and you can get the whole summer look with this collection. Have fun trying everything on!

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The weather is getting warm again, as the soft gentle green hue of new leaves is everywhere.

Bring that atmosphere into your boudoir…

——————————————————
Makeup:
Chanel: Irréelle Duo in River-Light
Von Natur: Eye Color in Chrysocolla

Fragrance:
Bulgari: Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert Extrême
Lancôme: Aroma Tonic

Bodycare:
Ayura: Spirit of Ayura hand cream
Ayura: Spirit of Ayura body lotion
Imperial Leather: Green Tea and Kaffir Lime handwash

.

More splashes of colors to come!

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(the oh-so-pretty Lavshuca Jewelry Lips)

(engraved with the Lavshuca logo)


Lavshuca‘s Spring 2007 collection tops my list for the season, and these cutest little lipsticks are part of the reason. Lavshuca’s Jewelry Lips (approx. 10 USD) are exquisitely packaged. They also happen to be much more petite than most other lipsticks. Below, see how it is compared with a Chanel lipstick:

(They are nicknamed “Lavshuca Mini Lipsticks”.)

(And It is 1.8g of lipstick,
less than most others.)

The two I have, PK-1 and RS-1, are both very wearable. PK-1 is a sheer pink and RS-1 is a pinkish-plum with a little bit of shimmer.

(from left: PK-1 and RS-1)


They are launched with 11 colors in February, and there will be another 11 colors to follow later on. So I assume they have been very popular!

(Read my Lavshuca brand review here.)

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(pictured: my Lunasol stash)


Blue is going to be so in for this coming summer, and Lunasol’s summer 2007 collection reflects this trend. Aqua and navy blue take the center stage among a shimmering beige and bronze backdrop. It is a collection with a clear identity.

The collection includes:

two eye palettes (beige and blue)
three eye colors (jelly-texture; white, beige, and blue)
one bronzing powder
three mascaras
three lipglosses
three nail colors

I think the blue eye palette will be a hit. All the jelly eye colors will probably be hugely popular too, as jelly- or mousse-textured eyeshadows are selling very well in Asia at the moment.

The collection is out on May 11 in Japan. All are limited-editions apart from the lipglosses and nail colors.

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(pictured: my Lavshuca stash)


One of the summer launches that I am really looking forward to is Lavshuca‘s collection. Without a clear color scheme, the main focus is on the 11 new colors of Jewel Lips and the launch of a new blusher collection (packaged in the same way as the single eye color).

The collection includes:

Two Jelly Pot Eye Colors (brown and silver)
Four Cheek Colors
Three Nail Colors
Eleven Jewel Lips

As always, the packaging is cute and princessy, just how I love it!

The launch of the cute little Jewel Lips this spring has obviously been so successful that Lavshuca is bringing out 11 more colors. I have got two of them and I will be reviewing them later this month.

As a blusher lover (hence the name of my blog!), I am also excited about the new blushers. I wasn’t keen on the previous Cheek Select. I think I might get one of these new ones.

More new summer 2007 items next time!

(Edited: You can read my Lavshuca brand review here.)

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YSL Summer 2007 Collection

by PJ on Sunday, April 8, 2007

in -YSL, 2007 Summer, makeup

(pictured: my YSL stash)


It is the time of year again when major brands start to launch the limited-edition summer items.

Summer collections can be a bit dull (bronzers and more bonzers…surely we haven’t finished whatever we might have bought last year…or the year before that). But YSL’s summer 2007 collection features some interesting products.

It is an all-around collection to give you the polished sun-goddess complexion. There are a face (bronzing) palette, an eye palette, lip glosses, lip plumpers, eyeliner, mascara, among others. One interesting item is Nail Touche, which is a nail color pen.

Here are some photos for you to drool at:

Face palette, eye palette, eyeliner, and nail color pen

Lip glosses and mascara

Lip plumper (SPF 10)

(Edited: If you use Firefox, turn off Adblock Plus to view the photos.)

Some of the colors seem a bit too dark for my liking, as I usually go for light and sheer colors in summer. However, I will be interested to check out the eye palette. I love anything aquamarine and turquoise!

More summer items later this week!

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(my latest Raycious cases)

(part of my Raycious case collection)

Sofina is one of my favorite brands and I love collecting some of their cute stuff.

Within the brand, Raycious, the foundation line, launched Glamorous Skin Powder, its 8th-generation powder foundation. (Read the full review of their new base products here.) I have got the cases. (I didn’t get the foundation cakes because I still have several ones of previous generations…but I am an avid Raycious foundation case collector and I put the cakes in the new cases.)

The new case is, as always, a blue one. Gone is the three-way mirror in the 7th-generation and now there is jewel-like detail on the edge of the case. The pink one is a limited-edition and it looks so gorgeous.

The color makeup line, Aube, will launch the summer 2007 collection. The Gloss Fruitina feature 8 sparkling, fresh, and fruity colors. It includes the third minty/aquamarine lipgloss that is going to be lunched this summer (along with those from Dior and Guerlain), and I am very eager to check it out.

Next week, I’ll review more summer 2007 collections.

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Both owned by LVMH, Guerlain and Pucci have put together a makeup collection that is going to be the talk of summer 2007.

Most items feature the iconic Pucci print. Look out for Guerlain’s equally iconic meteorites powder sporting the classic pattern.

I am not really a Pucci fan. But I will be very interested in checking out the collection, especially the new lipgloss in Sparking Sea, which is a sheer aquamarine lipgloss (the sort of sheer, blue/green lipgloss I love to collect).

In the UK, the collection will be out on April 14 in Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, and Harrods, and will be available nationwide on May 19 (information from Grazia magazine).

(Edited on April 24, 2007: The collection is now available online at Harrods.)

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White eyeshadows are some of the key items this season. In Shu Uemura’s Spring 2007 makeup look, white is the only color around the eyes. This season, a white eyeshadow is not only used as a browbone highlighter but also all round the eyes to create a clean, sophisticated and edgy look.

I have some eyeshadow palettes that feature a white eyeshadow but I decided to experiment different finishes, so over the last couple of weeks, I have bought some more:

1 Rimmel Color Rush Mono Eye Shadow (241 Matte White)
2 Rimmel Color Rush Mono Eye Shadow (244 Moonstone)
3 Boots Natural Collection Eyeshadow (Sea Shell)
4 Boots No. 7 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow (25 Opal)
5 Lancome Color Design (904 Pearly Angel)

(I was tempted to buy Maybelline Dream Mousse Shadow (in 00 Vanilla Veil) just to try a different texture, but the finish was a bit too glittery for my liking.)

Finish-wise, 1 & 3 are completely matte, and 2 & 4 have a pearly finish. 5 also has a pearly finish but with minimal glitter.

Between 1 & 3, 1 is completely white, while 3 is a very pale beige, which doesn’t show very much on my skin.

Out of these five, I am particularly impressed with the texture of the two Rimmel ones. Very smooth and velvety.

So far, I like 1 the most. The matte white looks very good on me and I think the matte finish is the concept in Shu Uemura’s seasonal look as well.

Don’t go overboard with white eyeshadows, though. It should look like there is a soft and flattering spotlight around your eyes, which makes your eyes pop.

Also, sporting too much of a glittery white eyeshadow all around the eyes can backfire spectacularly under heavy pale florescent lighting…You don’t want the reverse-panda look!

I think it is best to use a matte white eyeshadow as an overall base and to use any pearly or glittery white eyeshadow sparingly and strategically (on the browbones or in the inner corners of the eyes), especially when you have to switch between daytime and nighttime looks.

White eyeshadows have always been very basic items, but now you can use them to create a whole new (and flattering) look!

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