nail color/care

(Jill Stuart Birthstone Nail Collection)
(image from www.jillstuart-beauty.com)

On April 25th, Jill Stuart will release the following items in Japan:

Nail Lacquer N

The launch of the revamped nail collection will feature 20 colors. Most of them are fresh spring colors, including pink, peach, mauve, beige, and lilac.

Nail Art Sticker II (limited-edition)

(Jill Stuart Nail Art Sticker II)
(image from www.jillstuart-beauty.com)

Birthstone Nail Collection

Starting from April 25th, Jill Stuart will release one limited-edition nail color based on the birthstone of each month. The first one features emerald for May (seen above). Each monthly birthstone addition will be released on the third Friday of the previous month. (So the next one (pearl for June) will be released on May 16th.)

I really like the look of the new nail color bottle, and it seems that there will be some great colors coming up in the birthstone collection. I might be tempted to get a couple of them……

Related Posts:

Loving Japanese Brands – Jill Stuart
(my personal take on Jill Stuart)

Jill Stuart Brilliance Eyes in 04 Gem Amethyst
(my first lilac-based eye palette)

Coffret D’Or Summer 2008 Collection
(more nail colors)

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(part of Coffret D’Or’s
summer 2008 collection)
(image from www.biteki.com)

Coffret D’Or will release 20 nail colors as its summer 2008 collection in Japan on April 16th.

The summer collections of Japanese cosmetics brands are usually a lot smaller than their spring and fall releases, and this is an example. These nail colors also add to Coffret D’Or’s debut lineup (released in December 2007) which didn’t feature items for nails.

Updated on March 29, 2008:

The Coffret D’Or summer 2008 collection will also include the Cuticle Care Oil.

(image from www.joseishi.net/voce/)

I like the two-tier design, and the lilac and aqua look very pretty! This might join my cuticle oil collection

Related Posts:

Coffret D’Or 3D Lighting Eyes in 04
(one of my favorite spring 208 items)

Coffret D’Or Spring/Summer 2008 Base Makeup Collection

(loving the look…)

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

(There is a clear winner for me.)

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(cuticle oil from Paul & Joe (left)
and Ayura (middle and right))

I have to admit in the beginning that, to moisturize my cuticles, I prefer very emollient and dense cuticle creams and that I also use very thick lip balms on my cuticles. In general, cuticle oil, on its own, does not do a lot for me.

But I do have a weakness for cute-looking cuticle oils. A big reason why I bought these three is that they look so adorable. They are like little treats, and I don’t really use them regularly. But, when I do, I use them as a nail/cuticle conditioner underneath my hand cream and cuticle cream.

The Ayura one in the middle is what started this weakness. It was a limited-edition item included in a set a few years ago and it was never sold on its own. The three layers of oil (of pink, peach, and lime-green shades) are mixed together before use. It is well-absorbed and smells divine. (This cuticle oil was a one-off creation based on the scent of Spirit of Ayura, one of my favorite fragrances.) I stopped using it after I decided I wanted to keep these colorful layers close to their entirety.

When Ayura’s nail items changed their packaging a couple of years ago, they released After Bath Nail Essence (a general item, not limited-edition). It is not an oil and has a serum texture. The inclusion of alcohol in this prevents it from being more moisturizing, and I make sure I apply a hand cream right afterwards.

The Paul & Joe Nail Treatment Oil (pictured left) has the same light oil texture as the Ayura limited-edition one. It penetrates well and conditions the nail area nicely before I apply my hand cream and cuticle cream.

The link to the Paul & Joe Nail Treatment Oil above shows the new version (Nail Care Oil), out on February 1st. I will be checking it out and see how different it is from the one I have…

Related Posts:

Can’t Live Without: Garnier Hand Cocoon
(one of my favorite hand creams)

Ayura Spring 2008 Collection
(a new look for my all-time favorite brand)

Paul & Joe Foundation Primer N
(tried and tested…and loving it)

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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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(pictured from left,
Luscious Cosmetics Crystal Nail Lacquer in Topanga
Lip Polish in Belize
Lip Delites Lip Plumper in Palm Beach)


Luscious Cosmetics features simple packaging with a girlie edge. The items are compact and easily portable. Very travel-friendly.

Lip Polish (5ml) takes up very little space in a makeup bag. Belize is a glossy nude with delicate shimmer. Great shade for this coming season.

Crystal Nail Lacquers, Luscious Cosmetics’ signature products, come with Swarovski crystals contained separately in a compartment within the cap. Topanga is a beautiful cranberry with ruby and diamond crystals.

Lip Delites Lip Plumper is an interesting one. According to the website, it is a lip plumper to be worn 1-2 times a day for 30 days to give lips up to 40% more volume. It is not the kind of lip gloss that stings. Instead, it claims to stimulate the production of collagen.

It is essentially a gloss that you wear on a daily basis to see a lip-plumping result. Personally, I don’t usually wear the same lip gloss (or any lip gloss) every day, and, since it has color, I can’t really wear it as an overnight treatment.

But, as a lip gloss alone, it is a fair one. Palm Beach is a sheer orange that looks more wet than glossy. It looks glittery in the tube but the glitters are barely noticeable when applied. Compared with Lip Polish, it is much less glossy and it doesn’t layer as well. It is simply a natural lip gloss that feels lightweight and moisturizing.

Luscious Cosmetics seems to feature quite a few dual-function products, from nail lacquers with Swarovski crystals to lip glosses with lip-pumping effects. (Their Luscious Blooms feature two coordinating shades for face and cheeks.) We’ll see what comes up next!

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Orange has been the youngest member of my favorite color family, since I discovered that I looked nice in orange (deep orange, especially, not yellowy orange) only a few years ago.

It is such a cheerful color. Also, when it comes to fragrance, citrus notes are some of my favorites as well. Uplifting and energizing!

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Makeup

Lunasol: Contrasting Cheeks 03

Fragrance

Shiseido: Energizing Fragrance
Lancome: Aroma Fit

Skincare

Ayura: Nail Essence
RMK: Cleansing Oil
Garnier: Handcocoon Intense Nourishing Concentrate
(And…an orange!)

Related Posts:
A Spash of Color — New-Leaf Green

A Spash of Color — Aqua Blue

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