First of all, I know that some of you have been waiting for this review for quite a while. I am sorry for the delay, and I hope you will enjoy reading this review.

Lavshuca Finish Powder was released in February this year and it is meant to replace Face Powder. It is available in two shades, Lucent and High Cover. I wasn’t sure which shade to get, since I really liked Face Powder in Lucent and I was also curious about High Cover. In the end I decided to get both.

When I saw the packaging in person, I actually liked it more than I thought I would. Obviously it is not as princessy as the more ornate Face Powder, but I still think it is quite pretty. The center of the lid is gently raised, which I think is a nice touch.

The case is smaller than that of Face Powder. The Face Powder case measures 7.7 cm in diameter (at the widest part) while the Finish Powder case measures 6.4 cm in diameter. Face Powder has 16g of powder while Finish Powder in Lucent has 9.8g of powder and High Cover has 6.8g. (I find the difference quite interesting. The two cases seem to contain roughly the same amount of powder and I think the difference is down to the ingredients, which I will touch upon later.)

The powder puff still has the cute bow, but the puff itself is smaller than the one included in Face Powder to fit the smaller case.

(Lavshuca Finish Powder in Lucent)


Now onto the powder itself. If you like Face Powder in Lucent, you shouldn’t be disappointed with Finish Powder in Lucent, which is quite similar. It is a predominantly matte setting powder with a hint of fine shimmer and with a very light coverage. It has a good pore coverage and does well in oil control. The fine powder feels soft on the skin.

I was surprised to find that High Cover doesn’t have more coverage than Lucent. (It won’t be able to replace a foundation.) Finish-wise, it is more matte than Lucent and it has no visible shimmer. In terms of ingredients, High Cover has kaolin, which is second on the ingredient list. (Lucent doesn’t have kaolin but has mica, which High Cover doesn’t have.) I do find that High Cover does a slightly (only slightly) better job in shine control, and this is probably down to the absorbent quality of kaolin. (I think the differences in the ingredients might explain why Lucent weighs more than High Cover even though the two cases have more or less the same amount of powder.)

(I didn’t include a photo of High Cover in this post mainly because Lucent and High Cover look similar in color. High Cover looks slightly lighter and slightly less yellow-toned than Lucent. Both are relatively sheer so there is virtually no difference in color when they are worn on the skin.)

Even though High Cover does slightly better in shine control, I personally prefer Lucent. First of all, I like Lucent’s soft-focus finish. It disguises the look of pores well and it gives the face a polished look. High Cover is nicely matte (not chalky matte) but it doesn’t do as well in pore coverage. Secondly, I personally don’t like kaolin in foundations. It does help absorb sebum but it can also absorb moisture, which can potentially dry out the skin.

Overall, I think Lucent should suit most skin types and should please those who go for an almost-matte finish with a touch of shimmer. If you would like a shimmer-less loose powder and if you have no issue with kaolin, then High Cover might be a good choice as well.

Related posts:

SUQQU Loose Powder in Natural
(if you want more shimmer)

Crème de la Mer The Powder in Translucent
(another shimmery loose powder)

Kiss Mat Chiffon Powder
(another great loose powder for an almost-matte polished finish)

Coffret D’Or Makeup Powder
(an ultra-natural loose powder)

Japanese Base Makeup Week

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(image from Elizabeth Arden)
Elizabeth Arden‘s Ceramide line is certainly one of the brand’s most noted ranges. The Plump Perfect Gentle Line Smoothing Exfoliator is among the range’s latest products. It is claimed to give skin a gentle deep cleansing and to leave the skin smoother and plumper.

The product uses polyethylene as the exfoliating agent. When finely ground, this synthetic ingredient is often used in facial/body scrubs. The base of the scrub (which holds the exfoliating agent) is very emollient, as coconut oil and shea butter are second and third on the ingredient list. Not surprisingly, the scrub has a rich and creamy texture.

I feel that this is quite a heavy-duty facial scrub, as the base is densely filled with the polyethylene beads. The scrub doesn’t feel harsh on the skin, but the exfoliating beads are definitely working very hard. The scrub does leave the skin polished and conditioned, and it rinses well enough so that it doesn’t leave the skin filmy. However, personally, for my oily skin, I prefer facial scrubs with a less emollient base.

Overall, I would recommend this product to those with dry skin. It is able to create a smoother appearance for the skin while the occlusive emollients are able to condition the skin. For those with oily skin, gel-based scrubs should be more ideal.

Related posts:

Crème de la Mer The Refining Facial

Chanel Huile Confort & Lotion Confort

Nude Skincare Cleansing Facial Oil

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Sass, Style & Substance

by PJ on Sunday, September 6, 2009

in Weekend Sass Style and Substance


(This list was supposed to be posted on August 16th but my blog was down from August 14th.)

Eat Smart Age Smart
10 reasons to eat berries more often!

Beauty Match
Olay is launching 8 new anti-aging skincare products.

Raging Rouge
Don’t forget to enter the Benefit Cosmetics Fall 2009 Color Giveaway!

STYLEnosh
Get your magazine fix online!

Splendicity Accessories
Warm up your palette of colors for Fall 2009 with these shoe picks inspired by Pantone’s color forecast.

image: Stock.xchg

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Weekend Beauty Read

by PJ on Sunday, September 6, 2009

in Weekend Beauty Read


(This list was supposed to be posted on August 16th but my blog was down from August 14th.)

Beauty Anonymous reviews La Mer The Treatment Powder Foundation SPF15.

Fresco Phyrra shares her thoughts with you on a new Coconut Bodywash.

15 Minute Beauty Fanatic checks out Elizabeth Arden’s Intervene Line in her attempt to postpone getting older!

Beauty Junkie in SF discovers Sonia Kashuk has a blush for everyone, as long as you can get to Target!

Face Candy interviews purse designer Katherine Kwei about her beauty routine. Plus, WIN A $920 Katherine Kwei purse!

Beauty and Fashion Tech reviews and swatches the Bobbi Brown Nude Eye Palette.

Girl Gloss looks at Three SPF 15 or Higher Lip Balms for Sunny Days.

Elke starts her 5 Minute Summer Makeup How To Series, in 6 easy steps.

Toya from The Life of A Ladybug wants to know if you’ll do just about anything for the beauty and strength of your hair, like … put bull semen on it!

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Blog Back Up

by PJ on Thursday, September 3, 2009

in announcement

I would like to apologize to all my readers for disappearing for the past 20 days. On August 13th, I discovered that there were malware issues with the BlogLinker blogroll widget that I was using. Despite the fact that I removed the widget (which I am no longer using) as soon as I discovered the issues, Blogger still took down my blog the next day. My blog was finally back up earlier today after I sought help from Blogger.

I would like to thank all the readers who e-mailed me to express their concerns and support. I am very grateful. Also, I would like to thank Betsy at Autumn Masquerade for posting my message and Nutty at Nutsaboutmakeup for linking to it. I am also thankful for the friendly support from BA at Beauty Anonymous, Kia at Yummy411 (I hope her blog goes back up soon) and The Muse at Musings of a Muse.

Since there was no way to communicate with all my readers during the downtime, I decided to sign up for Twitter just in case something similar happens again. (You can follow my tweets here.) I won’t be twitting very regularly but I will still try to make my (beauty-related) tweets worth following. (One thing I might do is to mention upcoming posts in my tweets.)

Also, I am considering moving to another webhost. (I really don’t want to have a downtime like this again.) I will keep you all posted.

My next post will be up in the next couple of days.

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In May, RMK revamped its eyeshadow and blusher singles. Today, I am reviewing two shades from the new Ingenious Powder Cheeks. (Next week, I will be reviewing three of the new Ingenious Powder Eyes.)

One feature of the new eyeshadows and blushers is that the shade name indicates the finish. With Ingenious Powder Cheeks, MT stands for “matte” while P stands for “pearlescent”. Also, according to RMK’s website, within the blusher’s P shades, there are Shiny types and Holographic types.

MT-02 Light Pink and P-07 Holographic Pink look quite similar in the cases, but they have considerably different finishes when worn.

(RMK Ingenious Powder Cheeks
in MT-02 Light Pink)

(RMK Ingenious Powder Cheeks
in P-07 Holographic Pink)


MT-02 Light Pink is the second lightest shade among the eight MT(matte) shades. It is a light medium-to-cool pink with a softly matte finish. P-07 Holographic Pink is slightly darker and warmer, but the main difference is that it has a pronounced (but not over-the-top) gold-toned iridescence. Both shades are moderately pigmented, and the powder is very fine and goes on smoothly. Both blend very easily and have a decent staying power.

I personally prefer Light Pink to Holographic Pink. I tend to prefer matte and semi-matte blushers that are slightly on the cool side, and Light Pink has the finish and color that appeal to me. The look it creates is soft and sweet without being too girlie.

Color-wise, compared with two of my favorite blushers, it is cooler than Chanel’s Irréelle Blush in Tea Rose and lighter than Lavshuca’s Cheek Color in PK-01. I think this should be a relatively natural, easy-to-wear and mistake-proof shade for most people with fair, light and light-to-medium complexions.

In comparison, Holographic goes on quite glowy on me and suits my oily skin less. But when I swatched it on my arm (which is obviously a lot less oily), I do think the finish is quite flattering and will suit those with dry skin who want a luminous finish on the cheeks.

Overall, the Ingenious Powder Cheeks range is worth looking into if you like the delicate and natural finish that Japanese blushers tend to create. If you think the two shades I have reviewed here are too light or too cool for you, there are quite a few darker and warmer shades available.

The new blusher lineup also includes Ingenious Jelly Cheeks, which features six shades with a soft cream-to-powder texture.

Related posts:

A Touch of Blusher Talks…blushers!

Jill Stuart Mix Blush Compact in 01 Baby Blush

Albion Eprise Water Face Color in 100

Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Mauve

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Weekend Beauty Read for August 9, 2009

by PJ on Sunday, August 9, 2009

in Weekend Beauty Read


Fabulous Giveaway!! Enter for a chance to win Tight Curves- Perfect Protein for Women Only worth $59 and naat hair care products worth $22.97 at Beauty and Personal Grooming.

Decorative Diva has been busy this week! See what she’s been up to!

A Touch of Blusher reviews Elemis Pro-Collagen Body Serum.

Felicia from ThisThatBeauty was recently interviewed by the Brown Bombshell Beauty! Check out Felicia’s makeup bag and skincare favs!

Face Candy LOVES Sonia Kashuk’s Spring 2009 Collection.

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Eat Smart Age Smart
Is meat good or bad for you?

Beauty Match
Review: Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Airbrush Finish.

STYLEnosh
When you shop A LOT, you tend to notice random things. Here are my latest observations in shopping.

Splendicity Accessories
Cage and gladiator sandals can be a fun summer look, but are there options for plus-size women? Oh yes!

image: Stock.xchg

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The Color Mixing Eyes series is part of Kanebo Coffret D’Or‘s summer 2009 collection. Today I am sharing my thoughts on 04 Lavender Purple Mix.

The four colors in this palette are:

Bottom left: sheer off-white with soft shimmer
Top left: moderately pigmented light cool lavender with a mildly sparkly finish
Top right: moderately pigmented light-to-medium purple with soft shimmer
Bottom right: pigmented dark plum-purple

All shades have multi-colored shimmer. They go on easily and have a decent staying power.

The interesting thing about Color Mixing Eyes is that the top two shades are designed to be mixed together for the eyelids, and the two shades in this palette do work well together. With two slightly different finishes (the cool lavender on the left is more sparkly), the two shades together are able to create a dimensional look and the overall color is a soft cool purple.

(According to the eye chart on the back of the outer packaging, the cool lavender is also used along the inner 1/3 of the lower lashline.)

Compared with the previous series of Coffret D’Or’s eyeshadow palettes, Color Mixing Eyes is sheerer than Trance Deep Eyes (fall 2008) and 3D Lighting Eyes (spring 2008, marginally the most pigmented among the four series) and is more or less as sheer as Shine Accent Eyes (spring 2009). Among the four, Trance Deep Eyes is still the most shimmery/sparkly.

The look that this palette creates is fresh, cool, and summery, mainly due to the cool-toned lavender. For me, the color from mixing the two purples is a little too cool for my liking. I have tried using the purple on the right on its own on my lids, and I think this look suits my slightly warm-toned complexion better.

Overall, this is a satisfying palette and I should be going back to it quite often. If you would like a light and cool look for the eyes for summer (instead of the warm bronze look), this palette will be a very good choice. Also, if the purples you usually go for are medium-to-cool ones, then this palette would also be quite ideal.

Related posts:

Coffret D’Or Fall 2009 Point Makeup Collection

Coffret D’Or Fall 2009 Base Makeup Collection

Coffret D’Or Makeup Powder

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(images from www.annasui-cosmetics.com)

Anna Sui has updated its official website to feature the fall 2009 point and base makeup collection. Have a look at the site to see larger photos of the new items than those I posted earlier.

The ad campaign features British model Agyness Deyn.

The update also includes limited-edition wall paper, screen saver and blog parts.

Related posts:

Agyness Deyn for Shiseido Maquillage

Anna Sui Makeup Color Collection D

My Latest Anna Sui Foundation Case

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