Weekend Beauty Read for February 15, 2009

by PJ on Sunday, February 15, 2009

in Weekend Beauty Read

Raging Rouge announces the tarte complexion giveaway! Click HERE to enter for a chance to win one of three tarte cosmetic prizes, each with a retail value of $83!

Beauty Anonymous wears Jewel Lips.

Come see what mascara The Makeup Divasis raving about.

Beauty Junkie in SF loves Benefit’s The Overnighter’s Set because it comes with product and her fav, a Hanky Panky, just for Valentine’s Day!

DivaShop reviews some Coastal Scents & e.l.f. Products.

Elke starts her series on how to take control. Beauty control that is. Part I: Focus.

Beauty Banter gives you the exclusive dish on Gwyneth Paltrow’s hair inspiration!

The girls over at Beauty in Real Life are having a giveaway with Ralph Lauren’s new fragrance. Click here for the details and to enter!

{ 0 comments }

(image from www.jillstuart-beauty.com)

It seems that it has been a bit of a Jill Stuart week on my blog this week… (It is certainly unintentional.)

First of all, many thanks to BA at Beauty Anonymous for posting about the article on Elle News Blog earlier today. According to the Elle article, the launch of the Jill Stuart beauty line will be slightly postponed to early summer this year. The line will be launched at the Jill Stuart flagship store in New York City.

Finally, for those of you in the US who are waiting for the launch, the end seems to be in sight. Hopefully you will be able to place a phone order if you can’t make it to the store.

Related posts:

Jill Stuart Cosmetics Available in the US Soon

(Check this post for the link to the article on Wall Street Journal.)

Jill Stuart Breaks Record

{ 4 comments }

Skincare News in Brief: Bulgari and Issey Miyake

by PJ on Wednesday, February 11, 2009

in -Bulgari, skincare

– The Bulgari skincare line, which was launched in 2007, will be launched in the US soon. It will be available in 12 Neiman Marcus stores in March and in Bergdorf Goodman in April. (Please have a look at the article at WWD for more information.)

– Issey Miyake has ventured into the skincare market by launching La Crème de L’Eau, which was formulated by Shiseido Laboratory. It will be launched in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the US, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand. It will contain a 50ml jar and a 10ml travel-sized jar. (Please see this WWD article for more information.)

Related posts:

Bring It Back (Sooner)!! Bulgari Skincare

Bulgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert

{ 2 comments }

(images and info from www.jillstuart-beauty.com)

Designer beauty brands like Anna Sui and Paul & Joe often cash in on their fashion roots and release beauty accessories featuring original designs. On February 20th, Jill Stuart will release Pouch Large (Sweet Ribbon). It is a set of a bag pouch and a mini pouch with pink-ribbon pattern and Jill Stuart’s signatures. It will join the brand’s beauty tool lineup, which includes the very popular Compact Mirror and Hand Mirror. (However, the pouch, priced at 4725 JPY, will be a limited-edition item.)




(Jill Stuart Beauty is currently available in Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong. It is scheduled to be launched in the US with a small selection of products.)

Related posts:

Jill Stuart Available in the US

Jill Stuart Moist Silk Liquid Foundation

Loving Japanese Brands – Jill Stuart

{ 4 comments }



Since Jill Stuart‘s Mix Blush Compact was launched in fall 2007, it has become one of the brand’s most popular products. Currently, there are six shades available. (01, 02, 03, and 04 were out in fall 2007, 06 was released in spring 2008, and 07 and 08 were recently available for spring 2009. 05 was a limited-edition item in fall 2007.) Today I am sharing my thoughts on 01 Baby Blush.


Like all the other variations, the blusher comes in a very pretty and princessy compact. A retractable brush is attached to the compact. (It can be detached.)

All Mix Blush Compacts feature four shades that can be used separately or together. I decided to go for 01, which contained an off-white pink, two cool pinks, and one warm pink with a hint of coral.

The powder is very fine and silky. The lightest shade has a pearly finish and some fine shimmery particles, while the other three have a subtly luminous finish. Used together, they give a glowy finish to the cheeks. I personally think it is a little too glowy for me, so I usually skip the lightest shade. The lasting power is fairly good, and the fresh cool-pink shade doesn’t turn dull overtime.

I am sure many of you have read other reviews of Mix Blush Compacts, and opinions seem to vary with regard to the quality of the brush and the pigmentation level of the colors. I think the quality of the brush is decent. The hair is nicely dense and the bristle-heads are soft to the touch, but the hair is slightly stiff. The brush is on the small side but it can be very useful in picking up individual colors from the compact.

In terms of the color intensity, I would say the blusher is moderately pigmented. You will be likely to think it is quite sheer if you are used to some of the highly pigmented blushers from MAC and Bobbi Brown. But Japanese blushers, overall, tend to be subtle and are more about recreating the natural flush, and Mix Blush Compact is actually more pigmented than items like Lavshuca’s Cheek Color in 01 and SUQQU’s Blend Cheeks in 05. (Personally, I prefer lightly-to-moderately blushers, and I actually have to be slightly light-handed with it.)

Overall, Mix Blush Compact is a very good item, as it combines beautiful packaging and a solid performance of the colors. Last year, I came across the news that Jill Stuart Beauty would be launched in the US this year. If you are interested in trying out the line, I think Mix Blusher Compact is a good item to go for.

Related posts:

A Touch of Blusher talks…blushers!

Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in 04

Chanel Irréelle Blush in Tea Rose

Western vs. Japanese…Who’s Winning?

{ 12 comments }

Weekend Beauty Read for February 8, 2009

by PJ on Sunday, February 8, 2009

in Weekend Beauty Read

Announcing the first annual Golden Compact Awards brought to you by the blogging community! Vote for your favorite beauty products of 2008 and receive a chance to WIN a prize package filled with items from the finalists!

Enter to win a Marc Jacobs Star Charm Watch Necklace over at The Makeup Divas.

A Touch of Blusher reviews Lady Dior palette in French Chic.

Beauty Anonymous reviews Shiseido’s Integrate Nail Polishes.

Beauty Junkie in SF is loving her weekly manicure with OPI’s Mrs. O’Leary’s BBQ. Even if the name isn’t cute or sexy, it is a hot shade for winter.

Elke shares her review of the Clarisonic Skin Care System. Find out if it’s worth the hype.

It’s Mascara Monday says The Beauty Blog Network, thanks to, guess, which network member!

ThisThatBeauty meets Vincent Longo! Check out Felicia’s interview and makeover. Check out the technique that Vincent Longo taught Felicia for a more lifted look!

Kyle at Face Candy shows you the web’s best FREE Gift With Purchases.

Beauty Banter dishes on the must-have products for EVERY type of hair!

Jenn of Beauty in Real Life shares her beauty picks of the week. Click here to find out what they are.

{ 0 comments }



Beauty Match

Free Beauty Samples: Lift SP Instant Face Lift with Acai Extract

My Women Stuff
Can you be allergic to organic products?

eye4style
eye4style is getting ready for Valentine’s Day with heart necklaces done right!

STYLEnosh

Easy ways to finally organize your closet.

Steeping Beauty
Prep your lips for Valentine’s Day with Softlips moisturizing SPF treatments.

Her Accessories
Celebrities need to remember that Muppets do not make good footwear – seriously!

Gleaming Things
February is The Heart Truth month, so wear red and remember to take care of yourself.

(image: Stock.xchg)

{ 0 comments }

(image from Coty)

For Valentine’s Day 2009, Sarah Jessica Parker’s first fragrance, Lovely, will be joined by The Lovely Collection, which includes Dawn, Endless, and Twilight. The three distinctively different scents capture the different times and moods within a day.

Dawn
Top notes: citrus cocktail, violet leaves, angelica
Middle notes: orchids
End notes: Tahitian vanilla, orris, oakmoss, vetiver, musk

Endless
Top notes: pineapple, apple, ivy leaves, plum
Middle notes: peony, pink jasmine, magnolia
End notes: oakmoss, Indonesian patchouli, Australian sandalwood, vetiver, suede musks

Twilight
Top notes: bergamot, galbanum, mandarin, pink pepper
Middle notes: peony, jasmine
End notes: amber, sandalwood, incense, musk

Dawn is a fresh and cool citrusy floral, with orchid as the leading role. Endless is an elegant fruity floral, while the sensual Twilight is sweet, powdery, and smoky at the same time. From Dawn to Twilight, the scent gets warmer and sweeter. (The colors used to clothe the bottles are nicely chosen to reflect the characters of the scents and the imageries that they evoke.

My favorite of the three is Endless, which, to me, is all about the balance, both within itself and in relation to the other two scents. There is a balance between the fruity and floral notes, and no floral note overtakes the other two. The end result is a soft, gentle and very subtly vibrant scent that works in all seasons. (In contrast, Dawn is clean, crisp and cool and strikes me more as a summer scent.)

The three fragrances are available in eau de parfum spray 30ml, eau de parfum spray 75ml, and Soft Body Lotion (200ml).

Related posts:

Bulgari Eau Parfumée eau Thé Vert


Stella McCartney Sheer Stella 2008

Escada Moon Sparkle

{ 6 comments }

(images and info from www.cosme.net)

On March 6th, SUQQU will release Base Makeup Kit, which includes four existing items from SUQQU’s base makeup range. The kit (10,500 JPY) includes:

– Liquid Foundation Aqua (full-sized)
– Makeup Base Creamy (travel-sized, 7g; please see my review here)
– Loose Powder Natural (travel-sized, 5.5g)
– Loose Powder Deep (travel-sized, 5.5g)
– original pouch

This is a good set to go for if you are interested in trying items from SUQQU’s renowned base makeup range. Also, it is nice that the kit includes both Loose Powder Natural and Deep, which are supposed to be used together (Natural for highlighting and Deep for contouring).

Also, on March 6th, SUQQU will release Pore Covering Base, which will be SUQQU’s fourth primer.

Related posts:

SUQQU Spring 2009 Collection

SUQQU Creamy Lipstick in 24

Japanese Cosmetics in the UK

{ 6 comments }



(This is an update of a previous post, after which I launched the “Can’t Live Without” series.)

Some of you might have read about the heavy snowfall in the UK this week. (It is the heaviest in the last two decades.) With the low temperatures and the drying indoor heating (and all the contact with water from washing my hands), my nail cuticles can be very dry and sometimes even a little sore.

Two years ago I got a 5ml sample of Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream at the counter. I tried it on my cuticles and it worked very well (even better than the L’Occitane Nail & Cuticle Cream I had been using). Later on, a friend of mine was traveling to the US and asked me if I would like her to pick up something. Knowing that it was much cheaper in the US (16 USD in the US and 19 GBP here at the time), I asked her to buy it for me. Even though I do use other items occasionally, I always come back to this when I need some serious moisture.

As most of you know, it is a dense semi-transparent orange-colored gel-cream. (I have tried using it as a lip balm. It works fine, but the smell is a little overpowering.) It contains moisturizing agents like petrolatum, mineral oil, castor seed oil, and corn oil. (I like the fact that it does not contain fragrant plant oils, such as lemon oil or orange peel oil, as they can irritate the skin.)

I am suspecting that one of the reasons that it works well to soothe sore cuticles is that it contains salicylic acid, which is an anti-irritant. (Apart from salicylic acid, petrolatum is also known to have anti-inflammatory properties.)

Because of the dense texture, I only use it before bedtime, on top of my Garnier hand cream. (I don’t feel that I need to use it more often than this.) Out of all the products I have used on my cuticles, I think this one works the best to keep them moisturized and protected.

The Eight Hour Cream can work as a multi-purposed product, but, I think, even if I just use it as a cuticle cream, it is worth the purchase (well…if I can get it from the US…). Plus, a 50ml tube will last a very long time…

Related posts:

My Beauty Weakness: Cute Cuticle Oils

Can’t Live Without: Dove Body Silk

Can’t Live Without: Starbucks Napkins

{ 6 comments }