skincare

Makeup Review – SUQQU Eyelash Kit

by PJ on Friday, December 5, 2008

in -SUQQU, all about Japanese cosmetics, beauty tools/accessories, makeup, makeup - mascara, skincare, skincare - cleansing/toning

Since SUQQU was launched in September 2003, some products have, one after another, become the brand’s most talked-about items. Among them, one that some of you have told me about is the Eyelash Curler. Currently, it is included in SUQQU’s Eyelash Kit, which I am reviewing today.

The SUQQU Eyelash Kit includes:
– Eyelash Curler
– Mascara Volume Long in EX-01 Green
– Screw Brush
– Eye Makeup Remover (travel-sized, 50ml)

The items come in a roll-up folder, which is presented a bucket pouch. The curler doesn’t come with refills but they are available separately at the SUQQU counter.

First, the Eyelash Curler. The problem I have with eyelash curlers of this design is that they simply do not get to the two ends of my lashes, and it seems that SUQQU’s version has the same issue. The curler does give a flattering curve to the lashes and the rubber pad seems very sturdy and durable, but I have to position the curler in so many angles to get to the two ends of the lashes that it takes a lot of time to achieve a finished look. Also, my middle lashes end up being curled for too many times and the curl looks slightly less natural.

According to what I have heard in the past few years, this curler does work well for most people, but unfortunately it doesn’t perform well enough for me. I have to say I still much prefer the precision lash curler that I previously talked about. It is much more efficient to use and I can achieve a natural fan-like curve in a very short amount of time.

SUQQU has three kinds of mascaras: Volume, Long, and Volume Long. (All three are water-resistant.) The one in this kit is a Volume Long version in a limited-edition green shade. On my dark lashes, the green pigment doesn’t show up very much, but I do like the soft look and it doesn’t clash with eyeshadows of other shades. For me, this mascara, which contains fibers, does a better job at building up length than adding volume. (The Separate Curl Mascara in RMK’s Christmas Palette 2008 delivers more volume.)

The Screw Brush and Eye Makeup Remover are very good additions to the kit. The brush is surprisingly soft and separates lashes nicely. (It is also a very good eyebrow brush if you find the bristles of most eyebrow brushes to be too hard and scratchy.) The Eye Makeup Remover has a bi-phase formulation, which I always like. It takes off the Volume Long Mascara very easily, and it doesn’t feel greasy or irritate my eyes.

Overall, this is a good kit to try if you are interested in both the Eyelash Curler and the mascara. (The Kit is priced at £40, which is the prices of the two items combined.) This kit is a limited edition and is currently still available at the SUQQU counter in Selfridges on London’s Oxford Street.

SUQQU Holiday 2008 Collection

SUQQU Spring 2009 Collection

Review: SUQQU Fall 2008 Collection Part 1 & Part 2

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Skincare Review: RoC Hydra+ Bio Active Anti-Oxidant Moisturising Cream SPF15

by PJ on Friday, October 31, 2008

in -RoC, skincare, skincare - moisturizing/others

Daily sun protection should be an indispensable part of your daily skincare routine (rain or shine) and is essential for healthy and great-looking skin. But choosing a good daytime moisturizer/sunscreen with a suitable texture for any particular skin type can be tricky. Today I am looking at a product marketed for combination skin from RoC’s new Hydra+ Bio Active range.

Generally, it is a well-formulated moisturizer for daytime. It is alcohol-free and has ingredients to protect the skin from both UVA and UVB. The anti-UVA ingredient in this product is butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, and the antioxidants are copper gluconate and Tocopherol (vitamin E). But Tocopherol is towards the end of the ingredient list and is highly doubtful that it will be of any substantial help for the skin.

It goes on quite matte so it can work for people with combination skin. However, the texture itself is richer than many moisturizers marketed for the skin type. If you happen to have quite oily T-zone, it can be a little too emollient for the area. One way to work around it is to apply the moisturizer on the cheeks first and apply only the residue on your fingers onto the rest of the face.

As a base for the foundation, I think it works well. Cyclopentasiloxane (silcone) is the second ingredient on the list and the product does give a silky finish. My powder foundation goes on very smoothly. Even though, in skincare products, silicone preserves the efficacy of antioxidants much better than water, I would personally prefer slightly less silicone in my skincare products.

Overall, I would recommend this moisturizer to those with normal or normal-to-dry skin with no issue with excessive sebum. If any part of your skin tends to be oily, you might want to go for something lighter.

(The range also includes three other moisturizers, one for normal skin, one for dry skin and a body lotion.)

Olay Multi-Radiance Daily Illuminating UV Fluid

Sunscreen Basics

10 Golden Skincare Rules

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New Skincare Range: Shiseido Elixir Prior

by PJ on Tuesday, October 21, 2008

in -Shiseido, skincare

(image and info from www.nikkei.co.jp)

Shiseido‘s skincare and base makeup range, Elixir Superior, targets those in their thirties and forties. On November 21st, a new Elixir range, Elixir Prior, will be launched in Japan and will target consumers in their sixties.

According to Nikkei Net, in 2007, the beauty market for those over sixties occupies 19% of the whole beauty market in Japan and shows a remarkable 104% increase from 2006. The launch of Elixir Prior is responding to this market shift.

The launch lineup will include a face soap, a toner, a moisturizing lotion, a moisturizing cream, and a daytime sunscreen (SPF 30, PA+++). I am sure the line will be expanded later on.

This launch happens to echo what I mentioned earlier about the launch of Voce Platinum, the beauty magazine for more mature readers. It seems that we are witnessing a new dimension in the Japanese beauty scene.

Shiseido d Program Revamped

Japanese Cosmetics Focus: Kanebo Freeplus

Genre Focus: Whitening Skincare Products

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Japanese Cosmetics Focus: ECM

by PJ on Wednesday, October 8, 2008

in _Japanese Brand Profile, -ECM, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, skincare

(all images from ecm-cosme.jp)

ECM is a relatively young brand launched around two years ago. Owned by Lissage Ltd. (which is part of the Kanebo Company), ECM is unique in the sense that it started out only with a base makeup line and then recently branched out to skincare.Now ECM also features a fragrance, but the brand is still best known by far for its array of base makeup items, all packaged in deep magenta cases. The range includes primer, cream foundation, two-way foundation, loose powder, concealer (in cream and crayon forms), and a pressed powder specifically for covering pores.

(ECM base makeup lineup)

The first time that ECM caught my attention was in 2006 when its Tsuya Cream Foundation was chosen as Foundation of the Year by beauty experts for Japan’s FRAU magazine. One of the experts described it as “the queen of natural finish“.

(ECM Tsuya Cream Foundation)

I don’t usually wear a cream foundation, so I haven’t been very interested in it. But I think I will definitely check out the loose powder and the pore-covering pressed powder when I go to Japan again.

(ECM is available in Japan only, as far as I am aware. In Tokyo, it is available in Keio Shinjuku, Seibu Shibuya, and Seibu Yurakucho, among other places. The ECM website is for information only and does not offer on-line ordering.)

Beauty Shopping Guide – Tokyo

Japanese Cosmetics Focus – Kanebo Freeplus

Japanese Cosmetics Focus – Sony Vecua

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Shiseido d Program Revamped

by PJ on Monday, September 29, 2008

in -Shiseido, all about Japanese cosmetics, skincare

(image from www.shiseido.co.jp/dp)

In my earlier post on Freeplus, which is Kanebo’s skincare line for sensitive skin, I mentioned that Shiseido’s d Program would be the equivalent. On October 21, most of the basic items in d Program will be revamped.

The main appeal of the d Program range is that the products are free from fragrance, mineral oil, and parabens, and the new products should continue this ethos. According to Nikkei Net, the new releases will focus on caring for “lifestyle sensitive skin“, which refers to skin sensitivity due to lifestyle factors such as daily stress and lack of sleep. The products are designed to be gentle and suitable for fragile and reactive skin.

The new items are divided into three “Programs”: Balance Care Program (for dehydrated oily skin that is occasionally prone to acne, in blue bottles), Acne Care Program (in orange bottles), and Moist Care Program (for dry skin, in pink bottles).

Shiseido’s d Program is sold in Asia, and the website is for information only.

Updated on January 11th, 2010:

Check out Innerchild’s review of Shiseido d Program Conditioning Wash.

Kanebo Freeplus New Releases

Genre Focus – Whitening Skincare Products

Beauty Spending – Where do you fit into this?

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L’Oréal De-maq Expert Makeup Remover

by PJ on Monday, September 1, 2008

in -L'Oréal, skincare, skincare - cleansing/toning, stash focus

(Velvet Creme Wash Expert Makeup Remover)

The De-maq Expert range is a relatively new line of cleansers from L’Oréal. I bought the Velvet Creme Wash Expert Makeup Remover last year and I have been using it on and off for a while.

It is a gel-cream makeup remover that foams somewhat like a face wash. (The main ingredients are emollients that can dissolve makeup. Decyl glucoside, a mild detergent, appears later in the list, after the emollients, water, and glycerin.) The direction on the back says, “Apply a small amount of Velvet Creme to damp skin using your fingertips. Gently massage into a creamy lather to foam and then rinse with water.”

It doesn’t really foam up in my hands like a face wash does, but it does slowly lather up as I apply it and gently massage my face. The lather is very cushiony and is not the kind of frothy/bubbly lather from an usual face wash. It dissolves the foundation quite quickly.

(When I don’t use a cleansing oil, I almost always use a bi-phase cleanser to remove my eye/lip makeup first. Like how I tested waterproof mascara removal with Dior’s Cleansing Gelee, I put Maybelline’s Volum’ Express Waterproof on the back of my hand, waited for it to dry up, and tried to remove it. I found that it did take a lot of massaging to dissolve the mascara.)

It takes more water to rinse than normal foaming face washes, but, as a cream cleanser, it rinses fine. There is still minimal emollient residue, and I usually use a face wash (with one-third of the amount I use in the morning) right afterwards.

Overall, I like it and don’t like it at the same time. I like it because it does do the job for me while not irritating my skin and it doesn’t drag my skin like many cream cleansers do during the massaging (mainly because it foams gently). But, what sometimes bothers me is how heavily scented it is. There are times when I can still smell the cleanser after using a face wash and having a shower. It is a little unsettling as I feel that I haven’t rinsed it off thoroughly, although it is clearly not the case.

I have still been using it alternately with my trusted RMK Cleansing Oil N (partly to save cost, since RMK Cleansing Oil N is about three times more expensive), but, as a cream-based cleanser, I think I slightly prefer Dior’s Cleansing Gelee mentioned earlier.

Johnson’s Eye Makeup Remover

Crème de la Mer The Cleansing Fluid

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The Body Shop "Stop Violence in the Home" Campaign

by PJ on Tuesday, August 26, 2008

in -The Body Shop, skincare

(image from The Body Shop)

For the fourth time, The Body Shop is teaming up with Women’s Aid to launch the 2008 “Stop Violence in the Home” campaign in the UK.

This campaign focuses on and draws inspiration from the result of the study (by Ipsos MORI on behalf of The Body Shop) which shows that 59% of women are more likely to confide in a friend if affected by domestic violence.

Based on the idea of friendship and sharing, the “For You, for Me” Shea Lip Care Stick Duo includes two identical lip balms. They include Community Trade shea butter.

The Duo retails for £7.00, and £4.80 of every sale goes to Women’s Aid.

You can click on the links to find out more about the “Stop Violence in the Home” Campaign as well as Women’s Aid.

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News in Brief – Lunasol Swatch Galore; More Skincare Brands in the UK

by PJ on Thursday, August 21, 2008

in -Kanebo, -Lunasol, 2008 Fall, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, skincare

For fellow Lunasol lovers-

My post on Lunasol’s fall 2008 collection has been updated with a link to an extensive array of swatches. Have a look!

For all my UK readers-

According to WWD, while La Roche-Posay has recently been introduced to the UK, another pharmacy line, Lierac, will be available in the UK in September.

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Kanebo Freeplus New Releases

by PJ on Wednesday, August 20, 2008

in -Freeplus, -Kanebo, all about Japanese cosmetics, skincare

(Freeplus Maintenance Lotion and Maintenance Emulsion)
(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)

Kanebo‘s skincare range for sensitive skin, Freeplus, will release two new items for fall 2008.

The new toner, Maintenance Lotion, and the new moisturizer, Maintenance Emulsion, will be added to the range. Apart from the six oriental herbal extracts featured in Freeplus’ lineup (please see my brand profile on Freeplus to find out more), Jezo Spruce and Chinese Peony extracts will be included in the two new products. They are said to be able to improve skin’s elasticity.

The two products will be available in Japan from October 16th.

Related Posts (skincare items I am currently using):

Lancôme Tonique Douceur

Olay Multi-Radiance Daily Illuminating UV Fluid

Olay Complete Care Night Enriched Cream

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Dior Cleansing Gelee for Face, Lips, and Eyes

by PJ on Monday, July 28, 2008

in -Dior, skincare, skincare - cleansing/toning

(Dior Cleansing Gelee for Face, Lips and Eyes)

I have disliked almost all the cleansing creams that I have tried. Most of them either are too thick to manoeuvre (too much massaging involved) and/or leave some greasy residue. But Dior‘s Cleansing Gelee for Face, Lips and Eyes is one of the very few cream-based cleansers that I like. (I used a couple of 7ml trial samples before and I was glad to get a 50ml one from a gift with purchase.)

It has a very pleasant light-cream texture. With minimal massaging, it melts into a watery lotion consistency. It rinses off nicely and does not leave a greasy film. I still use a little bit of face wash after that, but I’d think some people probably don’t need that extra step as the cleanser does leave the skin quite refreshed.

It did remove lipstick and waterproof mascara when I tested it on the back of my hand (I tested it on Maybelline Volum’ Express Waterproof), but I usually still use an eye/lip makeup remover before using any cleansing gel/cream. (I don’t like any massaging/rubbing in my eye/lip area.)

This product is alcohol-free but contains fragrance.

Generally, I still prefer a cleansing oil, which is quick and easy to use and removes everything at one go. But if you are looking for a light gel/cream-based makeup remover for this summer (and are not sensitive to fragrance), this can be a good candidate.

Can’t Live Without – RMK Cleansing Oil N

Simple Moisturising Foaming Facial Wash

Johnson’s Eye Makeup Remover

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