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

Skincare Review: Elizabeth Arden Intervene Radiance Serum & Night Cream

by PJ on Saturday, March 14, 2009

in -Elizabeth Arden, skincare, skincare - moisturizing/others

(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

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Makeup Review: SUQQU Spring 2009 Blend Eyeshadow & Blend Lipsticks

by PJ on Thursday, March 12, 2009

in -SUQQU, 2009 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - eyeshadow, makeup - lip color

(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.

My Personal Take on SUQQU

SUQQU Creamy Lipstick in 22

SUQQU Makeup Base Creamy & Brightup

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Paul & Joe Summer 2009 Collection

by PJ on Wednesday, March 11, 2009

in -Paul & Joe, 2009 Summer, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

(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.

Paul & Joe Spring 2009 Collection

Paul & Joe Fall 2008 Base Makeup Collection

Paul & Joe Eye Color in 05

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Lunasol Summer 2009 Collection

by PJ on Wednesday, March 11, 2009

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

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.

Lunasol Sheer Contrast Eyes in Lavender Coral

Lunasol Scent Form Eyes in 02

Loving Japanese Brands – Lunasol

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Dior 5-Color Design Eyeshadow Palettes

by PJ on Tuesday, March 10, 2009

in -Dior, 2009 Summer, makeup

(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.

Dior Lady Dior in 002 French Chic

Dior Night Diamond

From My Treasure Chest – Dior Princess Ring

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Lavshuca Summer 2009 Collection

by PJ on Tuesday, March 10, 2009

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

(image and info from www.nikkei.co.jp)

In my post on Lavshuca’s spring 2009 collection, I mentioned that Lavshuca seemed to have been marketing lipsticks (instead of eyeshadows) as the main items of the seasonal collections. It appears that, for summer 2009, Lavshuca will continue to strengthen its lip makeup lineup.

On May 1st, Lavshuca will release a new range of lip glosses (simply called “Lip Gloss“), which will include 8 shades. They are infused with sweet almond oil and (hydrolyzed) silk for extra moisture for the lips.

Loving Japanese Brands – Lavshuca

Lavshuca Gloss Stick in PK-3

Lavshuca Color Conc Rouge in PK-1

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Weekend Beauty Read for March 8, 2009

by PJ on Sunday, March 8, 2009

in Weekend Beauty Read

Beauty Anonymous reviews Elizabeth Arden Pretty Eau de Parfum Spray.

A Touch of Blusher devotes a week to Japanese base makeup.

The Makeup Divas reviews Bobbi Brown Pink Platinum Collection

Beauty and Personal Grooming tell you how to puff out puffy eyes.

ThisThatBeauty is giving away Three Custom Color Specialists’ newest lip color, WHISPER. This creamy, shimmery nude with flecks of gold and bronze with have you on trend for Spring – Check out Felicia as she shows off her Spring ready pout.

Christine over at Beauty in Real Life is looking for some instant redness relief. Click here to see if she found what she was looking for.

Beauty Junkie in SF might go see her college classmate’s dad, the famous Dr. Zein Obagi, debunk skincare myths this Saturday in SF and you should too!

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Sass, Style & Substance for March 8, 2009

by PJ on Sunday, March 8, 2009

in Weekend Sass Style and Substance

eye4style
Like Anthropologie? Then you will LOVE Leifsdottir. Check out eye4style’s report.

Beauty Match
My BIGGEST contest EVER!!! I’m giving away loads of products to my readers.

STYLEnosh
Check out the new Target Go International collection: McQ by Alexander McQueen.

Style Manila
Style Manila offers a Falsies 101, a review and an FOTD. A false eyelash special.

Beauty and Fashion Tech
Beauty and Fashion Tech reviews L’Oreal Beauty Tubes Double Extention Mascara.

Splendicity
What do you think about the furry handbags on the runway at Milan Fashion Week?

image: Stock.xchg

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Japanese Base Makeup Week (Part 5)

by PJ on Friday, March 6, 2009

in _Japanese Base Makeup Week, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup, makeup - base makeup - foundation, makeup - base makeup - powder, makeup - base makeup - primer/concealer

Part 5: My Favorites (& Yours)

(One of my favorites:
Kiss Mat Chiffon Powder)

Some of you who have been reading my blog probably already know some of my favorite Japanese base makeup products, but I thought I’d present them in one round-up post for your future reference. Links to previous posts on products which are still available are provided below.

– Primers

I actually tend not to use primers at all. For my oily skin, I use as few base makeup products as I can after skincare and before point makeup. I used to use primers a long time ago, and I did find a couple of products from Ettusais (a yellow-based color-adjusting primer and a pore-concealing primer) to be quite effective. Among the primers I have talked about so far (that are currently available), I have been relatively pleased with SUQQU’s Makeup Base Creamy and Makeup Base Brightup. If you are interested, please have a look at my post on Coffret D’Or’s Beauty Lasting Veil UV and Lunasol Smoothing Makeup Base as well.

– Powder Foundations

I have been a fan of Shiseido ZA’s Two-Way Foundation for many years. I think the product has been revamped once since I started using it (while the product name remained the same), but the change is (fortunately) minimal. (It has very slightly less coverage and the finish is marginally more luminous.)

Other than ZA Two-Way Foundation, I think one of the best powder foundations I have tried in the last couple of years is Coffret D’Or’s Beauty Lasting Pact UV, which has very good sebum-control efficacy. (The link above will also take you to my thoughts on Lunasol’s Skin Fusing Powder Foundation.) Some of my other posts on Japanese powder foundations include those on SUQQU’s Powder Foundation Glow, Jill Stuart’s Smooth Silk Powder and SUQQU’s Powder Foundation Fresh, and Primavista’s Powder Foundation Moist Touch.

– Pressed/Loose Powder

At the moment, all my favorite pressed powders are from Raycious, and they have been discontinued. In terms of loose powder, my favorite is Lavshuca’s Face Powder (in Lucent). Mat Chiffon Powder from Kiss is almost equally good too. I also enjoy using Coffret D’Or’s Makeup Powder, but it slightly falls short on pore coverage and sebum control compared with the previous two.

(Lavshuca has launched Finish Powder (in two shades) on February 1st. It is replacing Face Powder, but Face Powder might still be available for a little while.)

To finish off the series, I’d like to mention the wave of mineral makeup (particularly foundations) arriving in Japan at the moment.

Since last year, I have started to notice that more and more Japanese beauty blogs are covering mineral foundations from the west. While I like some of the mineral eyeshadows I have tried, I have not yet been a fan of mineral foundations. There is very little doubt that mineral foundations have attractive appeals, as true mineral-based foundations can be saviours for people with very sensitive skin. However, I feel that, compared with some of the best (Japanese) foundations that I have used, they generally lack sebum control and pore coverage and they often lack staying power. For me, purely in terms of the quality of the finish (not of their skincare benefits), mineral foundations are generally mostly about coverage and not much else, as their straightforward ingredients do not seem to provide multi-faceted results.

It seems that many Japanese consumers are very open to trying out new products, so I think the novelty factor will work its magic for a while. But I do wonder, compared with some of the best foundations that one can buy in Japan, whether most of the mineral foundations will continue to hold consumers’ attention in the next few years. I guess this will depend on future product developments from both sectors.

So that’s it from me now, and I hope you enjoy this series. Now I would love to know your favorite Japanese base makeup products. You could simply drop in a short comment with the name of the item(s), and it would be really helpful if you would tell us your skin type as well. Of course, if you have any comment on this series or any question, do please feel free to post a comment here too.

I look forward to hearing from you!

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Japanese Base Makeup Week (Part 4)

by PJ on Thursday, March 5, 2009

in _Japanese Base Makeup Week, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup, makeup - base makeup - foundation, makeup - base makeup - powder, makeup - base makeup - primer/concealer

Part 4: Which brands shall I look into?

(IPSA’s new Pore Protect Foundation)
(image from www.ipsa.co.jp)

Today I will briefly mention some of the Japanese beauty brands that are noted for their base makeup lines. Direct links to the base makeup pages of the brands’ official websites are provided if possible. (Some sites are very flash-heavy and don’t have direct URLs for individual pages.) I will also update this post when there is something new and noteworthy on the scene.

Here we go:

– The three “megabrands“/ “superbrands“

Currently, in Japanese cosmetics, “megabrand” refers to the main base/point makeup lines of Shiseido, Kanebo, and Kosé. At the moment, they are Maquillage (of Shiseido), Coffret D’Or (of Kanebo), and Esprique Precious (of Kosé). These lines are usually worth looking into because their latest products are often the results of the companies’ latest foundation technologies.

– Sofina Primavista

Primavista, Kao Sofina’s main base makeup line and Raycious’ predecessor, is the answer to the megabrands’ base makeup lines. Right now two collections have been released (fall/winter 2008 and spring/summer 2009), and it will be interesting to see how the line develops.

– Albion Exage

Various versions of powder foundations from Exage (and Exage White) have been among the best-sellers in Japan for years. Fans often comment on the fine and light texture of the power and the natural finish.

– IPSA

IPSA is particularly strong in skincare and base makeup. All IPSA counters have a consultation area where you can find out which skincare and base makeup items are suitable for you. You can also check which foundation shade goes with your complexion.

– Paul & Joe

Paul & Joe has been known for its base makeup for quite a while. The products tend to create a luminous finish, with a low-to-medium coverage for an ultra-natural look. (Even though Paul & Joe is a French fashion line, its beauty line is produced in Japan.)

– SUQQU

SUQQU has been very strong in base makeup, and I feel that most of its base makeup products tend to be quite suitable for dry skin (even their powder foundations). Their concealers (Stick Concealers), cream foundation (simply called Foundation) and Clear Veil Powder are particularly popular.

– Lunasol

I think Lunasol has been so popular with its gorgeous point makeup collections season after season that some forget that some of its base makeup products are also very well-received. In the February 2008 issue of Biteki, Water Cream Foundation and Micro Finish Powder N are listed among the top five favorite base makeup items (in their own categories) with Biteki readers. In the February 2009 issue, Skin Fusing Powder Foundation is among the top 10 powder foundations.

– Sonia Rykiel

Sonia Rykiel is another French fashion brand that features an essentially Japanese beauty line. Among the base makeup products, Water Gel Foundation (which is claimed to contain 80% water) and the primer (currently Treatment Makeup Base S) have been popular for as long as I can remember.

– ECM

ECM started off as a base makeup brand and has a well-structured range of base makeup items. Please see my brand profile article on ECM here.

– Ex:beaute

Recently, Ex:beaute has been getting quite a lot of Japanese beauty magazine coverage. Their current slogan is to create the luminous and flawless “actress skin”, which is ready for anything hi-definition.

– Shu Uemura

Since Shu Uemura is sold internationally, the range of foundation (and loose powder) shades is considerably wider than that of most other Japanese beauty brands (that are sold within East/ Southeast Asia). There are also quite a few different foundation products to choose from.

Other than the brands above, a few cult products deserve a mention. RMK‘s various primers, AYURA‘s Zero Clear Colors (color-adjusting concealers), Chacott‘s (a dancewear brand) Finishing Powder, and Kesalan Patharan‘s Sheer Micro Powder all have their places on the Japanese base makeup map.

In the final post of the series, I will mention some of my favorite Japanese base makeup products and I will finish the series with a few further notes.

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