eye4style
eye4style keeps her tootsies in tip-top shape, thanks to THIS Farmhouse Fresh product.
A Touch of Blusher
A Touch of Blusher reviews Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum.
Beauty Match
Free Trial Offer: Celtrixa Stretch Mark Cream.
Eat Smart Age Smart
10 ways to tell if you are addicted to sugar.
STYLEnosh
I am so serious: No more shoe purchases for the rest of the year!
Splendicity Accessories
Are you looking forward to the return of flats and kitten heels? Join the shoe revolution!
image: Stock.xchg
(continued from Part 1)
6. Majolica Majorca
(image from www.shiseido.co.jp/mj)
I have not been paying a lot of attention to Majolica Majorca’s seasonal collections in the last couple of years, as the new items generally don’t excite me. But the new Jewelling Eyes, featuring a nice range of palettes, did catch my eye. The color combinations are on the basic side, but the wearability of them will always appeal to me.
5. Maquillage
(image from www.shiseido.co.jp/mq)
Maquillage’s summer 2009 collection is, in a way, a typical summer makeup collection from Japanese brands, with colorful eyeliners and mascaras as well as a collection of nail colors. Two more Eyes Creator 3D palettes (limited editions) join the five launched in spring. The one in GD831 (left in photo), among all the seven palettes, appeals to me the most. I also like the limited-edition gold and silver cases for the two palettes. (I wish they were not limited editions so that I could have more time to think about whether to get GD831…)
4. Sonia Rykiel
(image from www.soniarykiel-cosmetics.com)
The weather in the UK in the last couple of weeks has been pleasantly warm on the whole, so it seems to be a good time to count down my favorite summer 2009 makeup collections. (Let’s hope that the good weather will continue.)
10. Paul & Joe
(image from www.paul-joe-beaute.com)
Paul & Joe’s summer 2009 collection captures the beach holiday feel with gold-toned neutrals and soft cool pinks for eyes, lips and nails. The wearable colors have a subtly vibrant look, and I like the limited-edition champagne gold packaging.
9. Dior
(image from www.dior.com)
With the launch of the Lilas Addict collection (in some countries) and the new 5-Color Design Eyeshadow palettes, Dior’s summer 2009 collection seems a little drowned among all the new products. The seasonal star item, Dior Cristal Shine, is a slight disappointment for me, since it doesn’t have the luxurious feel that many of Dior’s past star items have. The real stars of this collection for me are the two 5-Color Iridescent Eyeshadow palettes. The cool-toned iridescent shades look vivid and edgy.8. RMK
(image from www.rmkrmk.com)
RMK’s renewal collection was released in time for summer 2009. I like the fact that the 35 shades of Ingenious Powder Eyes are categorized into five groups: DR (Dark), BR (Brown), P (Pearly), SH (Shimmery), and ME (Metallic). I particularly like the dimensional finish of the SH shades I tested at the counter. Also, if you like very sparkly eyeshadows, the ME shades are a must-see. They are seriously sparkly. (They are definitely more sparkly than metallic.)
7. Elégance
(image from www.elegance-cosmetics.com)
Many Japanese beauty brands release colorful items for summer, and Elégance’s summer 2009 collection is a good example. The new Lustre Crush Eyes looks very lovely. (Many Japanese consumers seem to see blue and green as summer colors for eyes.) Since it is not a limited-edition item, I am hoping that there will be more shades in the future.
Please check out Part 2 and Part 3.
Related posts:
Spring 2009 Makeup Top 10: Part One, Two & Three
(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)
Lunasol will release its fall 2009 collection in Japan on August 21st. As mentioned earlier, the collection will have a “starry night” theme. The Stardrop Purification collection (my own translation) aims to capture the varying shades and glimmers of stars and sky at dust and night time. The collection features a new series of eyeshadow palettes, Star Shower Eyes, as well as Star Dust on Eyes, which promises to be very sparkly.
The whole lineup includes:
– Star Shower Eyes (5 variations)
– Star Dust on Eyes (2 shades, limited editions)
– Contrasting W Eyeliner (5 shades)
– High Stylize Mascara N (1 shade)
– Full Glamour Lips S (10 new shades)
– Full Glamour Gloss N (5 new shades)
– Nail Finish (5 new shades)
– Coloring Cheeks (2 new shades)
Please check out this post for the link to images of all the five Star Shower Eyes palettes. (I am liking the lilac and the neutral ones.)
Updated on June 27th 2009:
More images of the collection:
(images from www.cosme.net)
Updated on July 2nd 2009:
Images of the five Star Shower Eyes palettes:
(01 Start of Night)
(images from www.kanebo-cosmetics.co.jp)
(02 Medium Night)
(03 Dazzling Night)
(04 Star River)
(05 Close of Night)
Related posts on fall 2009 makeup collections:
Maquillage
Ayura
Aube Couture
(image from www.olay.co.uk)
Olay is a solid skincare line that has many very well-formulated items. The fact that most of Olay’s products are on the affordable side (compared with all the high-end products) shows that we don’t have to spend a lot of money on quality products.
Olay’s Complete Care Night Enriched Cream has been my evening moisturizer for a couple of years, and I have recently switched from Olay’s Multi-Radiance Daily Illuminating UV Fluid SPF 15 to Complete Care Daily Sensitive UV Fluid SPF15, also from Olay. (I will be featuring this product later on.) Today I am reviewing the Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum.
This serum has more of a gel texture than a watery consistency. (It is one of the thicker serum-type products that I have come across.) It doesn’t have a lot of slip, but it does create a silky finish, which is largely down to the various silicone ingredients and the fact that cyclopentasiloxane (silicone) is the first ingredient on the list (before water and glycerine).
It has a very good mix of beneficial ingredients, such as carnosine (with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties), tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E, antioxidant), tocopherol (vitamin E, antioxidant), allantoin (anti-irritant), and camellia sinensis (green tea, potential antioxidant for the skin).
Also included in this product is niacinamide (vitamin B3). Paula Begoun mentions that the serum contains approximately 2% to 3% niacinamide and that, in this amount, “it can increase the skin’s ceramide and fatty acid content as well as have anti-inflammatory action”
(Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, April 2004, pages 88-93). (The three Olay products that I mentioned above also contain niacinamide.) For more information on all the potential benefits of niacinamide, please refer to the entry in Paula Begoun’s Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary.
Overall, this can be a good product to be used under the moisturizer for those with normal or dry skin or as a light-weight moisturizer for those with oily skin. For daytime, it can also work as a primer to help create a smooth texture for the skin in order to facilitate makeup application.
(You can also see Paula’s review of this serum here.)
Related posts:
Rose & Co. Apothecary Rose Petal Salve
Amatokin Emulsion for the Face
Nude Skincare Review
With Japanese cosmetics, apart from the new lines springing up every now and then, an existing line sometimes revamps the packaging to keep things fresh.
Before being replaced by Aube Couture, Aube went through a few packaging revamps. About every two years, we would get a whole new Aube look. As the brand attempted to look and be more and more youthful and approachable, I have to stay I generally liked the packaging less and less. There was something about some of the older cases that really appealed to me.
I think I purchased Rouge Dressious in RS376 in 2001. At the time, the next Aube look had been introduced. It still featured dark-blue cases (with a gloss finish), but I think some of them (especially the lipstick cases) looked almost too streamline and simple. The old products, such as Rouge Dressious, were on their way out for good, and I thought I’d at least get one item and have it join my permanent collection.
(RS376 is an elegant deep rose-red.
The actual color looks cooler than it does in the photo.)
I don’t think this is how Aube looked when it was first launched, but it was how it looked when I first got interested in Japanese cosmetics and this is still by far my favorite Aube look. As “Aube” means “dawn” or “leaf” in French, I think the motif at the waist of the lipstick case was probably meant to be a leaf (even though it also looked like a tulip).
I absolutely love the gold details against the frosted dark-blue case. The case looks so classy and elegant and it also has a somewhat assertive air about it.
Now, Aube Couture is all about easy-to-use wearable makeup to create everyday looks, and the soft and amiable packaging was designed to help convey the brand message. But I think I will still miss the Aube that was glamorous, regal and sensual all at the same time.
Related posts:
From My Treasure Chest (1) – Dior Princess Ring
User-Friendly Makeup: Aube Couture
Aube Couture Early Fall 2009 Collection
(images/info from www.joseishi.net/voce)
Here is a quick look at YSL’s fall 2009 makeup collection. I like the look of the eye palette below, but this might be an Asia-exclusive release as it looks slightly different from the palette posted at Temptalia.
The new items includes:
– Palette Y Face Powder (above, limited edition)
– Ombres 5 Lumières 5 Colour Harmony for Eyes (2 new variations)
– Ombres Duolumières Eye Shadow Duo (2 new variations)
– Cream Blush (3 shades, limited editions)
– Gloss Volupté (4 shades)
– Rouge Volupté (4 new shades)
– Volume Effect Faux Cils Luxurious Mascara (1 new shade)
– La Laque (2 new shades, limited editions)
– Top Secret Refining Skincare Brush (Primer)
Two new skincare/pre-makeup items will be joining the Top Secret range:
– Top Secret Instant Eye Patch
– Top Secret Lip Plumper Essence
Updated on July 6th 2009:
More images of the collection:
(images from www.cosme.net)
Related posts:
YSL Spring/Summer Base Makeup Releases
YSL Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils
YSL Golden Gloss in Golden Pink
