by PJ on Thursday, March 19, 2009
in -Aube (Couture), -Kanebo, -Kao, -Lavshuca, -Sofina, 2009 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, seasonal makeup top 10
(continued from Part 1)
6. Max Factor
(image from www.maxfactor.jp)
Many of the Max Factor releases in Asia are very different from those in the west. In the case of the spring 2009 collection, these colorful palettes have a particularly Japanese feel and look very much like the tone-on-tone palettes that have constantly been brought out by Japanese brands. (The purple-toned palette reminds me of my Lunasol Lavender Coral.)
Do check this post for a great review of the green-toned palette (with swatches of all the palettes). The writer pointed out the improvement in the powder’s pigmentation level and lasting power. (The low pigmentation level from previous releases was mentioned by one reader under my initial post on this collection.)
5. Lavshuca
(image from www.kanebo-cosmetics.jp/lavshuca)
“Cute” is still the best word to describe Lavshuca‘s makeup, but I do like the fact that the brand doesn’t try to be overly girlie. (The plum cases look quite elegant.) The spring 2009 collection includes a new range of lipsticks and eye palettes. I nearly decided to get Grade Color Eyes in PU-1 (top right in the photo above), but the colors are a little too pale and don’t seem warm enough for me. On the other hand, I am still interested in trying the new Finish Powder.
4. Aube Couture
(Aube Couture Designing Eyes)
(image from www.sofina.co.jp/aube)
I wasn’t really a big fan of Aube’s last few collections, but the new Aube Couture‘s debut collection got my attention. A lot of design went into some of the items to make them as user-friendly as possible. (Please see this post for examples and more discussion.) I’d think that the packaging was still kept very simple so that it wouldn’t overtake the actual design features, and Aube Couture certainly gets extra points from making makeup application a little bit easier for us.
The countdown continues in Part 3.
Related posts:
Aube Couture Summer 2009 Collection
Lavshuca Summer 2009 Collection
by PJ on Monday, March 16, 2009
in -Elégance, -Esprique (Precious), -Kosé, -Maquillage, -RMK, -Shiseido, 2009 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, seasonal makeup top 10
Spring makeup collections tend to be my favorites as compared with collections from the rest of the year, since the colors are usually soft, fresh, and wearable. This week, I will be counting down my top ten spring 2009 makeup collections.
10. Maquillage
(Maquillage Eyes Creators 3D)
(image from www.shiseido.co.jp/mq)
(Maquillage Face Creators 3D)
(image from www.shiseido.co.jp/mq)
Maquillage rolled out a large collection for spring 2009, changed a few of the brand ambassadors, and modified the packaging. The collection focuses on creating dimension for the face and the facial features. The Face Creator 3D includes highlighters, contourers and a blusher and aims to create depth for the face and a delicate jawline.
9. RMK
(image from www.rmkrmk.com)
RMK‘s spring 2009 collection, Spring Translucence, is full of soft ethereal hues. The idea is to use moderately pigmented shades with a gently luminous finish to enhance the lucidity of the complexion (rather than to cover the face with opaque colors). The star item is the Translucent Cheeks & Eyes, with one warmer and one cooler variation. The other items in the collection are also well-balanced and features both warmer and cooler shades.
8. Elégance
(Elégance EyeShadows)
(image from www.elegance-cosmetics.com)
(Elégance Radiance Quartet)
(image from www.elegance-cosmetics.com)
Like Sonia Rykiel and Paul & Joe, Elégance is a French fashion line with its beauty range mainly available in Asia. I particularly like the glamorous and opulent golden cases for many of its products. (Please see my profile of the brand here.) For spring 2009, the four new Eyeshadow palettes reflect all the main seasonal color trends (pinks, purples, and neutrals). The new Radiance Quartet is among the three cheek items from Elégance that I really want to check out in person.
7. Esprique Precious
(Esprique Precious True Impact Eyes)
(image from ep-bko.com)
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(Elizabeth Arden
Intervene Timefighting Radiance Serum)
(images from Elizabeth Arden)
Elizabeth Arden‘s Intervene is the brand’s range for addressing the first signs of aging and is targeted at those in the thirties and late twenties. I personally don’t believe in the concept of anti-aging (or other similar terms), and, for me, skincare products are either well or not-so-well formulated when it comes to contributing to the well-being of the skin. The criteria for well-formulated skincare products are virtually the same whether we are 20 or 80, and this is how I approach all my skincare reviews. Today I will be reviewing two new items from the Intervene range.
The Timefighting Radiance Serum can be used day and/or night underneath a moisturizer. It has a relatively light texture and has a very good slip.
One thing that makes this product stand out from most of the skincare products that I have reviewed is the array of antioxidants that this product contains, such as red clover extract,
linoleic acid (an emollient that has antioxidant properties), ascorbyl palmitate, retinyl palmitate, tocopherol (vitamin E), tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene). Also, it features a few anti-irritants and anti-inflammatory ingredients.
This product is alcohol-free.
It leaves the skin very smooth and silky, mostly due to the various silicones. Used in the daytime, it can help prime the skin for makeup application. (It can be used underneath the moisturizer, as intended, or, specifically for a smooth foundation application, it can be used as a primer directly underneath the foundation.)
If you are looking for a skincare product with antioxidants, this product can be a very good choice.
(Elizabeth Arden
Intervene Stress Recovery Night Cream)
The Stress Recovery Night Cream is currently the only night-time facial moisturizer in the Intervene range. (The other two have SPF 15.) Some of the main moisturizing ingredients in this product are glycerine, glyceryl stearate, butylene glycol (humectant), hydrogenated polyisobutene, and cetyl alcohol (fatty acid).
The product doesn’t feature as many antioxidants as the serum, but it still has red clover extract, tocopherol (vitamin E) and tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E).
This product is also alcohol-free.
The texture of the cream is light enough for most skin types and it moisturizes the skin well, leaving the skin soft and conditioned. If you have oily skin, it can be slightly too rich for you. However, the good spreadability of the product means you can easily apply as little as you want. (Alternatively, you can try the serum reviewed above as a very lightweight moisturizer.)
Overall, both products are well-formulated and they have the consistency that should appeal to most skin types.
(But the Night Cream, with its jar packaging, will not retain the efficacy of antioxidants as well as the Serum.) They should also work fine for some sensitive skin types, but do note that both products have fragrance.
Other skincare reviews:
Crème de la Mer
Själ
Nude Skincare
(SUQQU Blend Eyeshadow in #10)
Last week, I reviewed three of the five Contour Shadows, which are the main items of SUQQU‘s spring 2009 collection. Today, I will highlight several items from the rest of the collection.
The Blend Eyeshadow range (SUQQU’s 4-color eye palette range) was launched in fall 2007 with five variations. Three more were introduced in spring 2008, and another three were added to the range this season. Pictured above, Blend Eyeshadow #10 is a very wearable neutral palette. The shades include (anti-clockwise from bottom right):
– luminous cream white with very sparse and fine shimmer (used as a base)
– softly pearly warm taupe with a very faint mauve undertone and fine multi-colored shimmer
– pearly cool silver with a very faint cool lilac undertone and fine multi-colored shimmer
– predominantly matte dark chocolate brown
The base shade does a good job at brighting up the eye area and making it even-toned (which helps create a base for a clean (rather than muddy) neutral eye look). The warm taupe and the cool silver are moderately pigmented for a delicate and elegant finish. The powder is soft and easily blendable.
When it comes to the texture, the brown eyelining shade reminds me of the purple in Shiseido Maquillage’s Forming Shiny Eyes in 52. Compared with the other shades in their respective compacts, the two shades don’t have as much movement and the powder seems slightly dryer. I think they are formulated like this so that they stay in place for longer.
I find that the warm taupe and the cool silver can work together to create subtly different hues. When I apply a soft layer of the silver underneath the taupe, the taupe looks cooler. As it can sometimes be difficult to get the tones of neutral shades exactly right for a certain complexion or a certain makeup look, this palette, perhaps inadvertently, offers a good solution for at least certain complexions for which taupes are generally suitable.
Overall the colors in this palette are very easy to wear, and the palette is versatile in its own ways.
(SUQQU Blend Lipsticks in #18 (left) & #16 (right))
The Blend Lipstick range was also launched in fall 2007. Various shades were added to the range over the last few seasons and five more were introduced for spring 2009. (Please have a look at my review of Blend Lipstick #14 from SUQQU’s fall 2008 collection.)
Both Blend Lipsticks in #16 and #18 are cooler than #14. #18 is a very pretty cool pink that goes on slightly more vibrant than it looks in the tube. Like Contour Shadow in 02, it really reflects the sakura theme of the collection and it is definitely a very lovely spring-like color. #16 is a light medium pink that applies lighter than it looks in the tube. If you are looking for a nude lipstick with a hint of pink, this shade is worth looking into.
Between the two, #18 seems to be a little more pigmented and can be easily layered for more intensity. # 16 is more about a soft nude look.
Both shades are subtly glossy and create a sophisticated finish. Like all the lipsticks from SUQQU, they have a very creamy texture and glide on effortlessly. (As I mentioned before, SUQQU’s lipsticks are some of the most moisturizing lipsticks that I have come across so far.)
Most of SUQQU’s makeup products radiate sheer quality and sophistication, and these certainly do too. The items reviewed here (along with the Contour Shadows, apart from EX-02) are part of the permanent lineup and are not limited editions. If you do have a chance to stop by a SUQQU counter in Japan, Thailand (Bangkok), and the UK (Selfridges, London), do enjoy testing out these items.
Related posts:
My Personal Take on SUQQU
SUQQU Creamy Lipstick in 22
SUQQU Makeup Base Creamy & Brightup
(images/info from www.iswii.net)
Here is a quick look at Paul & Joe‘s summer 2009 collection. Including items for face, eyes, lips, and nails, the gold-toned limited-edition collection (with champagne-gold packaging) features:
– Bronzer (001 Goddess and 002 Deity, above)
– Eye Color G (001 Nugget, 002 Gold Rush, 003 Fortune)
– Lip Gloss S (001 Byzantine, 002 Bullion, 003 Lustre)
– Nail Enamel S (001 Golden Slumbers, 002 Goldfinger, 003 All That Glitters)
– Blotting Paper 2009
The collection will be out in Taiwan on May 1st. According to Rouge Deluxe, it will be out in Japan on the same day.
Related posts:
Paul & Joe Spring 2009 Collection
Paul & Joe Fall 2008 Base Makeup Collection
Paul & Joe Eye Color in 05
A Taiwanese blogger, Gemilay, has posted information on Lunasol’s summer 2009 collection on her blog.
If you are familiar with Lunasol‘s spring 2009 collection and how Lunasol develops some of the summer collections based on the concept of the spring collections, you might have been speculating which flowers would be the inspiration for the summer 2009 eyeshadow palettes.
I will let you check out the post yourself and not spoil your fun. I will talk more about the collection as I have more information.
By the way, if you are a Lunasol fan, be sure to check out the links under Gemilay’s post. (Have a look at her amazing stash of Lunasol eyeshadow palettes.)
(Many thanks to my reader Littlewing for telling me about this post. Do check out her blog, The Rainbow Star.)
Updated on March 20, 2009:
Please see the update on the collection here.
Related posts:
Lunasol Sheer Contrast Eyes in Lavender Coral
Lunasol Scent Form Eyes in 02
Loving Japanese Brands – Lunasol
(image/info from www.joseishi.net/voce)
(image/info from www.cosme.net)
Dior has released a new range of 5-color eyeshadow palettes in Japan, which are called 5 Couleurs (5-Color) Design (as opposed to 5-Color and 5-Color Iridescent). (The full name is 5 Couleurs Design All-in-One Artistry Palette.)
Four variations are in the initial lineup. Two of them have already been released (408 and 508) alongside the launch of Pro Eye Creators.
The range features tone-on-tone palettes. The main difference from the existing Dior eyeshadow palettes is that the darkest shade in each palette is a cream eyeliner. One of the two applicators included in the compact has a flat brush for applying the cream eyeliner.
The other two variations will be released in Japan on April 10th.
Related posts:
Dior Lady Dior in 002 French Chic
Dior Night Diamond
From My Treasure Chest – Dior Princess Ring
(image and info from www.nikkei.co.jp)
(image from www.maxfactor.jp)
(image from www.kanebo-cosmetics.jp/lavshuca)
(Aube Couture Designing Eyes)
