(image from Liz Earle)
Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare, founded in 1995 by Liz Earle and Kim Buckland, is recognized as one of UK’s leading skincare brands. The brand’s emphasis is on botanical ingredients and essential oils, and the products do not contain mineral oil. Today I am featuring Liz Earle’s Superbalm.
Superbalm is marketed as an emergency moisturizer that can be used anywhere, particularly on the lips, nails and cuticles, and elbows. The product has a solid balm consistency. However, occasionally, I have come across testers in department stores with a thick oily-cream consistency. This could possibly be due to the warm shelf lighting.
Some of the product’s main moisturizing ingredients are hazelnut oil, shea butter, rosehip seed oil, beeswax, avocado oil, neroli oil, lavender oil, and camomile oil. Rosehip oil has antioxidant properties, but neroli oil and lavender oil can be skin irritants for some people.
The product doesn’t appeal to me as a lip balm. Even though I don’t dislike the scent of the product, it is too strong for me on the lips. Also, I don’t find it as soothing as some of the other lip products I have used. But it works relatively well for me as a nail and cuticle moisturizer, as it is moisturizing without being greasy.
The product does not contain parabens.
If you are interested in trying the product, I would suggest making sure you like its herbal-medicinal scent (which does linger particularly if you use it as a lip balm) and making sure you are not sensitive to any of the fragrant essential oils in this product.
(The product featured in this article is provided by Liz Earle.)
Related posts:
Rose & Co. Apothecary Rose Petal Salve
(still my favorite lip balm)
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream
(great for nails and cuticles)
My Beauty Weakness: Cute Cuticle Oils
(From left to right: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipglosses
in Lilac Pastelle, Pink Pop, and Coral Reef)
For Spring/Summer 2010, Revlon has released its first color makeup collection with Gucci Westman, the brand’s global artistic director. Today I am featuring three of the five new shades of Super Lustrous Lipgloss.
All these three shades are bright and well-pigmented, and they don’t contain any shimmer. They have a glossy vinyl finish that lasts well. A thin layer is enough to give the lips a gentle pop of color, and a second layer adds a considerable amount of shine and color and creates a liquid-lipstick look.
Coral Reef (right in photo), when applied light-handedly, is a relatively natural shade for my medium-to-warm complexion. But I personally slightly prefer Pink Pop (middle), which is quite versatile. One thin layer of it gives the lips an elegant rosy-pink look. With more layers, the color turns more vibrant and closer to a hot pink.
I thought I would like Lilac Pastelle (left) at least as much as I would like the other two, but it turns out to be a little too pale for my light-to-medium skin tone. (I might like it more if it were a lot sheerer.) I think it should suit those with a fair skin tone a lot better. It might also work for you if you like a relatively nude look for the lips.
The rest of the collection includes two other shades of Super Lustrous Lipgloss (in Peach Petal and Fire Cracker), two Nail Colours (in Minted and Lilac Pastelle), and one (limited-edition) ColorStay Eyeshadow Quad in Summer Suedes.
(The products featured in this review are provided by Revlon.)
Related posts:
Coffret D’Or Jewelcious Eyes in Purple Amethyst
Natural Makeup Recommendations (2 of 3): Cheeks & Lips
Dior Lady Dior in French Chic
(images/info from www.cosme.net)
Anna Sui will release several bodycare and body makeup items in Japan on June 3rd. The items include:
– Instant Tatoo (above, three new variations)
– Body Protection G (SPF 30, PA++, with sparkles)
– Body Protection P (SPF 30, PA++, with gold-toned shimmer)
– Bodycare Kit (limited edition, with Body Shampoo (60ml), Conditioning Body Lotion (60ml), Body Scrub (80g), Mesh Body Sponge, Vanity Pouch)
In addition, a limited-edition Oil Control Paper Set will also be released on June 3rd. The set contains two packets, and each contains 80 sheets of oil control paper.
Related posts on Anna Sui:
Summer 2010 Makeup Collection
Spring 2010 Makeup Collection
2009 Hair & Bodycare Collection
In the last few seasons, I have been picky about what makeup items to buy. However, I couldn’t resist Coffret D’Or‘s Jewelcious Eyes in 05 Purple Amethyst. Firstly, it is purple, and, secondly, it is Coffret D’Or.
The Jewelcious Eyes series is part of Kanebo Coffret D’Or’s spring 2010 collection, and there are five variations available. I was also interested in 04 Amber Beige, but, after seeing some photos of the palette, I thought that it might be too cool-toned for me.
The four shades in 04 Purple Amethyst are:
Left: sheer off-white with subtle shimmer
Right: moderately pigmented medium purple with pearly multi-colored shimmer
Bottom: well-pigmented dark charcoal-toned purple with sparse shimmer
Center: multi-colored sparkles (with little pigment)
All the colors have a good staying power.
I thought the medium purple might be a little too cool for me, but it actually goes on warmer than it looks in the pan and it turns out to be a shade that suits me quite well.
One of the selling points of this series is the “Jewel Shower” shade in the center of the palette. It is meant to be used over the eyelids as well as along the inner corners of the eyes to add some intense sparkles. I was worried that the sparkles would not stay put on my lids, but they do have a good adherence to the skin and there is very little fallout. The sparkling effect lasts throughout the day. (Personally, I think the shade is better suited for evening makeup.)
(I like the design of the case.)
(images/info from www.joseishi.net/voce)
Sonia Rykiel will release its summer 2010 makeup collection in Japan on May 1st. The collection includes:
– Ombre D’Été (above, 5 variations)
– Gloss D’Été (3 shades)
– Shiny Nail Color 2010 (3 shades)
– L’Atout Éclat Supreme 2010 (1 shade)
– Poudre Visage D’Été (1 shade)
All the items in this collection are limited editions.
Related posts on Sonia Rykiel:
Spring 2010 Collection
Fall 2009 Collection
Japanese Cosmetics Focus: Sonia Rykiel
(images/info from www.joseishi.net/voce)
A quick look at Chanel’s summer 2010 makeup collection, if you haven’t come across it elsewhere:
– Soleil Tan de Chanel (above, 2 shades)
– Rouge Allure (3 new shades)
– Aqualumière (1 new shade)
– Gloss Fluo de Chanel (2 new shades)
– Lèvres Scintillantes (1 new shade)
– Aqualumière Gloss (1 new shade)
– Le Vernis (3 new shades)
(All the items in this collection are limited editions.)
Related posts on Chanel:
Spring 2010 Makeup Collection
Ultra Correction Lift & Line Repair
Huile Confort & Lotion Confort
(image from Palmer’s)
A body moisturizer with rich emollients like petrolatum, paraffinum liquidum (mineral oil), and cocoa seed butter can be quite greasy, but this is not the case with Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Body Lotion.
It has a dense lotion consistency but it is relatively easy to spread. I find it to be very easily absorbed and it is among the most moisturizing body lotions that I have come across. It leaves the skin very nourished and supple.
It also includes moisturizing ingredients such as glyceryl strearate, propylene glycol, glycerin, coconut oil, and palm oil.
Like the Cocoa Butter Formula Body Butter that I reviewed earlier, it has a warm and slightly smoky cocoa scent. I don’t usually like cocoa-based scents, which I think is because many of them are quite sweet, but the smokiness of the cocoa scent in this product appeals to me a lot. (If you wear a fragrance regularly, do note that the scent is quite long-lasting and could clash with your fragrance.)
This product should work very well for those with dry or very dry skin. If you don’t have particularly dry skin, it would work better for you in colder and/or drier months.
(The product featured in this review is provided by Palmer’s.)
Related posts:
Jergens Total Nourishment Body Moisturiser
Vaseline Sheer Infusion Mineral Renewal Body Lotion
Neutrogena Deep Moisture Body Lotion
by PJ on Tuesday, April 6, 2010
in -Coffret d'Or, -Estée Lauder, -Kiss, -Lavshuca, -ZA, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup - foundation, makeup - base makeup - powder, makeup - base makeup - primer/concealer
After talking about items for eyes as well as cheeks and lips, today I am posting the final part of my natural makeup recommendations. The items below are likely to work well for those with combination or oily skin who want a decent semi-matte coverage as well as a fair deal of pore coverage. (I have oily skin and I find it a little easier to recommend products that suit those with combination or oily skin.)
– Estée Lauder Idealist Pore-Minimizing Skin Refinisher (bottom left)
This product is obviously not designed to be a primer, but the silicone-rich formula makes it a good primer. It helps disguise the appearance of pores and creates a soft-focus finish. (If you have very oily skin, be very light-handed with it.)
(I very rarely use primers and Idealist is the one I use the most (only a couple of times a year at most). Also, I don’t use oil-control primers so I don’t really have a personal recommendation.)
– ZA Two-Way Foundation (top)
I think this is one of the best powder foundations for those with combination or oily skin and it has been my favorite foundation for years. It has a semi-matte finish, a decent coverage, and a good pore coverage. The sebum-control efficacy and the overall lasting power are fairly good too.
– Coffret D’Or Beauty Lasting Pack UV (center)
Compared with ZA Two-Way foundation, it has less coverage but controls sebum better. I like it slightly less mainly because it doesn’t have the level of coverage that I want, but this is an outstanding powder foundation if you need a good deal of sebum-control.
– Lavshuca Finish Powder in Lucent (left)
This is the new version of the discontinued Face Powder in Lucent. (The two are very similar.) It mattifies the skin well and has a fairly good pore coverage.
It has a subtle redness-neutralizing effect.
– Kiss Mat Chiffon Powder (bottom right)
It is as good as Lavshuca’s Finish Powder in Lucent. Between the two, Mat Chiffon Powder is sheerer but has a marginally better pore coverage. I quite like its skin-brightening finish.
– Coffret D’Or Makeup Powder (right)
Among the three loose powders here, this is the most natural-looking one. It has a very airy and translucent finish that almost never looks powdered, but
it doesn’t control shine or disguise the appearance of pores as well as the two above. (Among the three loose powders, this is the most likely to suit those with a none-oily skin type.)
Related posts:
– If you have a drier skin type, then these items might be worth considering:
Jill Stuart Moist Silk Liquid Foundation
SUQQU Powder Foundation Glow
Lunasol Skin Fusing Powder Foundation
Sofina Powder Foundation Moist Touch
RMK Powder Foundation EX
SUQQU Loose Powder in Natural
– Have a look at my
Japanese Base Makeup Week series.
(image/info from www.nikkei.co.jp)
(image from Liz Earle)
