A Touch of Blusher — Makeup, Skincare, Fragrance and a Bit of Fashion

Chanel Tokyo-Exclusive Makeup Collection

by PJ on Wednesday, March 25, 2009

(images and info from www.iswii.com)

To celebrate the opening of the Chanel beauty boutique in Aoyama, Tokyo, Chanel will release a limited-edition Tokyo-exclusive makeup collection. The collection will include a pressed powder, four shades of Glossimer Lèvres Scintillantes and four shades of Nail Colour. Pink, blue, gold, and silver are the chosen shades for the collection. Everything looks very fresh and lovely, and I can’t take my eyes off the blue-tinted lip gloss!

The boutique in Aoyama will be the largest Chanel beauty boutique in the world and will showcase Chanel’s makeup, skincare, and fragrance products.

If you can’t make it to Tokyo, you might want to know that a very limited quantity of the collection will be available in SOGO (Chung-Xiao branch) in Taipei from April 9th.

Sometimes, Chanel’s Asia-exclusive items are available in the Chanel Studio in Harvey Nichols, London, but I doubt it would be the case with this collection.

Updated on June 10th 2009:

Please check the two posts on further information on this collection here and here.

Updated on June 22, 2009:

Please check out this post for more information on the UK availability.

Beautiful Lips with Blue Lip Glosses

Beauty City Guide: Tokyo

Beauty City Guide: Taipei

Beauty City Guide: London

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Chanel Huile Confort & Lotion Confort

by PJ on Tuesday, March 24, 2009

in -Chanel, skincare, skincare - cleansing/toning

Last month, a reader asked me whether I could talk about products from the slightly revamped Chanel skincare line. (It is mainly the cleansing and toning products that were revamped.) I happened to have got two 12ml trial samples at my local Chanel counter a few months ago, so I had a chance to try out the products. Today I will share my thoughts on them.

The new Chanel cleansing and toning lineup has three sub-ranges: Confort (for dehydrated and sensitive skin), Douceur (for normal-to-combination skin) and Pureté (for combination-to-oily skin). The two products I tried are both from the Confort range.

– Huile Confort Silky Cleansing Oil

This is a typical cleansing oil that is used on dry skin with dry hands to remove all the makeup at once. It makes sense to me that the cleansing oil is in the Confort range. Cleansing oils should suit all skin types but they can be particularly good for those with sensitive and reactive skin, since there is generally less massaging and tugging involved in the application as opposed to using a cleansing gel/milk.

The texture of the oil is relatively light, and it is quite easy to manoeuvre on the face. However, it doesn’t emulsify very well and leaves the face rather filmy and greasy. A face wash is a must in getting all the oily residue off the face. Overall it doesn’t work nearly as well as a few of the other products I have tried, including RMK’s Cleansing Oil, which is among my favorite cleansing oils.

– Lotion Confort Silky Soothing Toner

This alcohol-free toner has an emollient feel on the skin, but it does not feel filmy. It conditions the skin well and doesn’t irritate my skin. Some of the moisturizing ingredients are sodium PCA, alpha glucan oligosaccharide, hydrogenated castor oil and butylene glycol.

This toner should suit most skin types but I think some people with oilier skin types might find to be too emollient. Overall this product works a lot better for me than Huile Confort, but I still prefer Lancôme’s Tonique Douceur, which is less emollient and more calming. I am not considering picking up the full-size product at the moment, but it can be a reasonable backup for me if my preferred toners are discontinued.

Foundation Face-Off: Chanel vs. SUQQU

Chanel Irréelle Blush in Tea Rose

Chanel Ombre D’Eau Eyeshadow in Bay

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YSL Summer 2009 Asia-Exclusive Collection

by PJ on Monday, March 23, 2009

in -YSL, 2009 Summer, makeup

(image/info from www.biteki.com)

YSL will release a few limited-edition items exclusive for the Asian market for summer 2009. In Japan, they will be released on April 3rd.

The items include:

– Ombres 5 Lumières (1 new variation)

(images/info from www.joseishi.net/voce)

– Radiant Pressed Powder (1 new shade)

– Gloss Pur (2 new shades)

Magie Deco Summer 2009 Collection

by PJ on Monday, March 23, 2009

in -Cosme Decorte, -Kosé, -Magie Deco, 2009 Summer, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

(image/info from www.biteki.com)

Magie Deco (from the Kosé-owned Cosme Decorte) will release its summer 2009 collection in Japan on April 16th. The lineup includes:

– Brilliance Eyes palette (1 new variation)

– Fairy Eyes (3 new shades)

– Lipstick (3 new shades)

– Eyebrow Mascara (3 shades)

(Eyebrow Mascara)
(image and info from www.cosme.net)

SUQQU Summer 2009 Collection

by PJ on Monday, March 23, 2009

in -SUQQU, 2009 Summer, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

(image/info from www.biteki.com)

SUQQU will release a few lip items for summer 2009. They include three new shades of Creamy Lip Stick (two of them in the photo) and one new shade of Lip Liner Pencil.

All the items are limited editions and will be released in Japan on April 17th.

SUQQU Creamy Lip Stick in 22

Review: SUQQU Spring 2009 Collection (1)

Review: SUQQU Spring 2009 Collection (2)

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Weekend Beauty Read for March 22, 2009

by PJ on Sunday, March 22, 2009

in Weekend Beauty Read

The Makeup Divas reviews the new Crest Whitestrips Advanced Seal and is giving away two boxes to two lucky winners. Contest is ending on Saturday so hurry on over and enter today!

A Touch of Blusher counts down the best spring 2009 makeup collections.

Beauty Anonymous shares her recent nail polish purchase from Essie and OPI.

Jenn from Beauty in Real Life reviews Tarte’s new Perfect Whirled Cheek Stain. Check it out here.

Check this post from Beauty and Personal Grooming to know the reason why women love makeup.

Felicia from ThisThatBeauty was like a kid in a candy store at The LA Makeup Show Check out ThisThatBeauty’s inside scoop from the Beauty Blogger’s Sneak Peek.

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Sass, Style & Substance for March 22, 2009

by PJ on Sunday, March 22, 2009

in Weekend Sass Style and Substance

Beauty Match
Free Trial Offer: Cosmetyn Cellulite Removal

eye4style
eye4style wants to know what YOU think of jelly shoes. Lust or bust?

STYLEnosh
STYLEnosh is calling for an end to recession bashing.

Style Manila
Style Manila asks who is the modern Filipina?

Beauty and Fashion Tech
Beauty and Fashion Tech is impressed with DermaDoctor Poetry in Lotion and will give one away next week.

Girl Gloss
Girl Gloss has swatches of the MAC Hello Kitty Lip Conditioners.

Splendicity Accessories
Need a hand figuring out which trendy Spring handbag you want? Check out these popular trends and see which one you like best.

image: Stock.xchg

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Spring 2009 Makeup Top 10 (Part 3)

by PJ on Saturday, March 21, 2009

in -Coffret d'Or, -Dior, -Kanebo, -Lunasol, 2009 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, seasonal makeup top 10

(continued from Part 1 and Part 2)

3. Coffret D’Or

(Coffret D’Or Shine Accent Eyes)

(image from www.kanebo-cosmetics.jp/coffretdor)

Just a year after the launch, Coffret D’Or has become one of my favorite makeup lines. Among the spring 2009 collection, the new palette range, Shine Accent Eyes, includes another array of pretty and wearable colors. The palettes don’t have an intense eyelining shade, but I can do without it for my daytime makeup. I am planning to getting 02 Pink Variation, and I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you.

2. Dior

(image from www.dior.com)

For me, the star of Dior’s spring 2009 collection is obviously the Lady Dior palette. However, the collection has other gorgeous items, including some soft milky neutrals. Both 5-Color Eyeshadow in Elégante and 5-Color Iridescent Eyeshadow in Parisian Lights are beautiful and very covetable. This is a collection that shows that neutrals don’t have to be dull.

1. Lunasol

(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)

(Lunasol Layer Bloom Eyes palettes)
(image from www.kanebo-cosmetics.jp/lunasol)

Lunasol has always been a front runner for me among the spring 2009 collections. Since the Red Purification collection in fall 2008, Lunasol has gone full circle and returned to the more sophisticated look that Lunasol started off with in 1999. The spring 2009 Floral Purification collection is less shimmery than the Brilliance Purification collection in fall 2007 (featuring Geminate Eyes palettes) and less vibrant than the Color Purification collection in spring 2008 (featuring Sheer Contrast Eyes palettes). While some of those who fell in love with Lunasol in the last couple of years might not find this collection as appealing, I do think this is one of Lunasol’s finest seasonal collections.

The Purple Variation palette is now on my way, and I will be posting my thoughts later on.

Lunasol Summer 2009 Collection

Lunasol Sheer Contrast Eyes in Lavender Coral

Coffret D’Or 3D Lighting Eyes in Purple Variation (spring 2008)

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Elégance Summer 2009 Collection

by PJ on Friday, March 20, 2009

in -Elégance, 2009 Summer, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

(images/info from www.joseishi.net/voce)

Elégance will release its summer 2009 collection in Japan on April 18th. The lineup includes:

– Lustre Crush Eyes (bi-phase liquid/powder eyeshadow, 5 shades, seen above)

– Lagoon Mascara Duo (2 variations, limited editions)

– Nail Bijou (4 new shades)

It is a very colorful and summery collection. I especially like the look of the Lustre Crush Eyes, and I look forward to seeing more close-up photos of them in Japanese beauty magazines later.

Japanese Cosmetics Focus: Elégance

Elégance Spring 2009 Collection

Spring 2009 Makeup Top 10

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Lunasol Summer 2009 Collection Update

by PJ on Friday, March 20, 2009

in -Kanebo, -Lunasol, 2009 Summer, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

(images/info from www.nikkei.co.jp)

Here is an update on Lunasol’s summer 2009 collection, which will be released in Japan on May 8th. The two flowers chosen to continue the Floral Purification theme from spring 2009 are hibiscus and plumeria, which inspire the two mini collections you see above and below. (Please check this post for a quick reference for the two flowers.)