Enjoy!
Makeup Moxie dishes on the hottest new online charity auction for those who “Adore Dior.”
Is it too early to start thinking about Halloween? Product Girl is looking forward to October and takes a look at Philosophy’s Haunted House set.
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In July, I posted a link to a beauty-related survey for my UK readers, which is part of a research project by Ms. Dora Chan which looks into cosmetics-purchasing habits of British consumers.
Dora has kindly shared the survey results with me and allowed me to post the link to them on my blog. Do have a look here if you are interested. (Note that the results are not just from the readers who took the survey from the link I posted earlier.)
If you would like further information on the research project, please feel free to contact Dora at S.Chan9@student.westminster.ac.uk.
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(Bobbi Brown Holiday 2008 Basics Eye Palette)The palette features a base shade, two shadowing shades and a lining shade:
– Eye Shadow in Navajo (exclusive): sheer matte off-white cream
– Eye Shadow in Cement: moderately pigmented matte medium taupe
– Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow in Heather Mauve: well-pigmented medium taupe with a soft metallic finish
– Eye Shadow in Mahogany: densely-pigmented matte dark brown
(The shades are slightly darker and (pleasantly) warmer than how they appear in the photo above.)
Cement and Heather Mauve can be used interchangeably, depending on the overall finish you want for the day. The matte Cement really adds depth for the eyes, while the shimmery Heather Mauve can either be used alone or lightly on top of Cement where you want a bit of shimmer.
Navajo goes on very subtle and sheer. It can be a good base or a very subtle brow highlighter. Espresso glides well as an eyeliner. The effect can be as natural or intense as you want but the shade is very natural in itself.
All the shades, as expected of Bobbi Brown, have a nice texture. (Mauve Heather is particularly smooth and silky.)
(Velvet Plum Eye Palette)
Bobbi Brown will also release a double-decker Lip & Eye Palette for the holiday season. It features four Creamy Lip Colors and four Metallic Eye Shadows:
(Lip & Eye Palette)
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Please have a look at the post at Steph’s Closet for more images of Dior’s holiday 2008 collection.
The Night Diamond compact (Black Diamond Diamond Effect Powder, according to the site) is still looking good!
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From The Beauty Blog Network:
Beauty Anonymous reviews FlowerbyKenzo Eau de Parfum Nomad Spray from Kenzo 2008 Ryoko Collection.
The Makeup Divas reviews Smashbox Breast Cancer Awareness Eye & Lip Palettes.
Vampy lips and sultry eyes are all the rave this Fall season! Roselyn from Makeup Makes Me Happy shows you how to achieve this sultry look in this spicy makeup tutorial, using items from MAC’s latest limited edition collection, Cult of Cherry.
The Muse reviews Cargo’s new Color Eyeshadow Palette in Tahiti featuring Swatches, Product Photos, and Several Looks using this brand new palette!
Lilan from The Daily Cookie turns her friends’ hair from drab to fab with the new L’Oreal Feria!
StyleBell presents Redken’s only Guido and his Fall Hair Trends with amazing hair style images!
Beauty Junkie in SF is giving away to one lucky reader a T-Shirt from C&C California and Burt’s Bees, in support of the Vote Natural Campaign. Check it out!
Beauty Banter gives YOU an exclusive step-by-step tutorial on how to achieve the Fall face! Loaded with pictures and products!
Cybelesays picks their favorite eye shadow colors for the season. Did your favorite brands make it in?
Rouge Deluxe reviews Kenzo’s Eau de Fleur perfumes!
15 Minute Beauty Fanatic tries out L’Oreal’s Bare Naturale Mascara, and loves the long lush lashes it creates!
CanadianBeauty.com tells you about Lancome’s newest fragrance, Magnifique – discover its notes and how it fits into Lancome’s counter this fall.
Beyond Beauty Basics gets inside the tents of NY Fashion Week and a backstage exclusive interview with makeup artist icon, Kabuki!
Jenn and Christine from Beauty in Real Life have 5 Citrus Scrubs from Hemloq they are giving away. Click here for more info and to enter the giveaway.
Find out who marina from makeup loves me met at new york fashion week!
Daneen can’t stop pinching herself. In the one day, she scored interviews with Bobbi Brown and Oscar Blandi! Visit Spoiled Pretty as she takes you behind the scenes of New York Fashion Week, Spring 2009.
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(Dior Night DiamondI always look forward to Dior’s holiday releases, and the packaging of this year’s star item, Night Diamond, is yet again inspired by Dior’s couture designs.
Dior‘s holiday 2008 collection will be released in Japan on November 1st. There should be more items to come. So far some of the items include:
– Night Diamond (pressed powder, 2 shades)
– J’Adore Absolu (50ml, this seems to be already available in many countries)
– J’Adore Absolu Fragrance Compact (solid perfume, 4g)
I do like the case of Night Diamond, and I am really looking forward to seeing the product in person.
I will update this post when there is more information.
Updated on September 14th, 2008:
There are more images of the jewelled powder compact and some other items at Steph’s Closet.
Updated on September 19th, 2008:
Please see the updated post here for more product information.
Updated on September 27th, 2008:
Please see the updated post here for more product information.
Updated on October 23rd, 2008:
Please see more photos of the collection here.
Updated on November 17th, 2008:
My review of Dior Night Diamond is up.
Updated on November 18, 2008:
Image and information of the Shimmering Party Makeup collection.
Related Posts:
Dior Fall 2008 Makeup Collection
Dior Holiday 2006 – Dior Pretty Charms
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(all images from i-voce2.com)
Lancôme will release its holiday 2008 collection in Japan on October 31st. All items are limited editions. Some of them include:
– Color Focus Palette 4 Ombres (above, 1 variation)
– Diva Magic Powder (1 shade)
– Le Magnetique Nail Lacquer (1 shade)
– Juicy Tube (2 shades)
The collection will also include two limited-edition shades of Color Fever Dewy Shine.
Related Posts:
Lavshuca Holiday 2008 Collection
Prescriptives Holiday 2008 Colorscope Refillable Palette
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(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)
– Duo Eyeshadow in 3064 Jolie Poupee
– Single Eyeshadow in 2062 Night Life (silver) and 2063 Silent Night (gold)
– Blush in 4030 Super Orgasm
– Lipstick in 1083 Canaille
– Lip Gloss in 1644 All Night Long
– Nail Polish N in 1760 Orgasm
I quite like this colorful collection. NARS seems to be a part of the huge violet/purple trend this fall/winter, and the Eyeshadow Duo in Jolie Poupee looks very nice to me. (I have been seeing exactly these kinds of shades in stores like Armani Exchange, H&M and Uniqlo.) I think, this winter, I might wear my deep purple sweater from ZARA even more…
Related Posts:
Autumn 2008 Makeup Trend Report
NARS Makeup Review
An Interview with François Nars
(from The Telegraph)
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(Les Tissages de Chanel)
I came across some items I was looking forward to testing out in shops earlier this week, and here are my thoughts in brief. (I only tested them on the back of my hands, not on my face.)
– Chanel (Les Tissage de Chanel)
Those of you who find the Irréelle Blush range to be too sheer might be interested in knowing that the powder of this new range is soft and more pigmented. Among the four shades available at the moment, Pink (seen above) and Rose are more of my shades. But Pink is a little too Barbie-pink for me (it is brighter than the color seen above) and Rose is a little too warm for me. Plus, all shades come with gold flecks (I prefer matte blushers). I personally still prefer the Irréelle range and Les Tissages de Chanel is now off my shopping list for the moment.
Even though they are priced at 29 GBP, which is expensive, I think the smooth texture and the shimmer should still tempt many people.
– Paul & Joe (Moisturizing Foundation Primer)
As I was expecting, 01 and 02 seem similar to the previous versions (Foundation Primer N in 01 (reviewed earlier) and 02). I was under the impression that 03, the new shade, would be sheerer and more shimmery, but I wasn’t totally right. It goes on sheer, but it has more or less the same level of (subtle) shimmer as 01 and 02, which is good to know. It is supposed to further condition the skin without adding any color before your foundation and to help the foundation stay on longer.
However, even though the texture of all three shades are basically the same, 03 is formulated differently and has alcohol. It is a real shame. (I nearly decided to buy it.)
– Laura Mercier (Eye Basics)
I tried Eyebright (light blue) and Cotton (off-white cream). I was delighted with the light and almost fluffy texture. It was very easy to blend and I was impressed by how quickly and firmly it set. Also, it didn’t seem to budge, even under a bit of rain. It does seem to be water-resistant, as the Laura Mercier website claims.
– Bulgari (Jasmin Noir)
I like Bulgari’s Voile de Jasmin, and I was looking forward to the new Jasmin Noir. It is deeper and more intense, and it is more of an evening scent that is launched for the right season. It seems to be more complex than Voile de Jasmin and overall it feels less floral. It also smells far less of jasmine than Voile de Jasmin, which I think I like a lot better. (By the way, Harrods was launching B de Boucheron in the fragrance hall. I didn’t like it enough to want to buy it, but to me it was quite appealing.)
You can read more about both Jasmin Noir and B de Boucheron on Now Smell This. (It seems that the reviewer also thinks Jasmin Noir’s jasmine note is faint.)
Related Posts:
Chanel Irréelle Blush in Tea Rose
Paul & Joe Fall 2008 Base Makeup Collection
Bulgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert
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(It’s more than just A Touch of Blusher, it seems…)
Very generally, there seems to be a wider range of pigmentation levels in blushers from western brands than in Japanese brands. For example, among the ones you see in the photo, Chanel’s Irréelle Blush is quite sheer, while the ones from MAC and NARS are very pigmented. Japanese blushers, like those from Majolica Majorca, Lavshuca and AYURA, are more towards the sheer side.
One of the reasons seems to be that many western makeup brands cater to a wide variety of skin tones (in terms of dark/light as well cool/warm). On the other hand, most major Japanese brands are either sold locally in Japan or within East Asia where there isn’t such a wide range of skin tones. I think people with darker skin tones will find that some blushers from Japanese brands are simply too sheer and don’t really show up on the skin.
Another reason, I think, is that Japanese customers seem to see the role of blushers slightly differently. This is reflected by the fact that some Japanese brands either categorize blushers as part of base makeup (along with primers and foundations) or release new blushers along with new base makeup items.
In most cases, for them, and many customers in Asia, blushers, when worn, just like foundations or concealers, are not to be seen. Like a freshly powdered face that should look ultra-natural (which is something Japanese base makeup excels at), blushers should simply make the face look healthy and slightly flushed, and nothing more. I think this is the main reason why most Japanese blushers are softly pigmented with relatively basic but natural colors. (The shade range is often small.) Even though some of them have shimmer, they still look natural and glowy, not glittery.
But there are of course exceptions. The shimmery particles in Canmake’s Loose Cheek are bigger than the norm in Japanese cosmetics and I think it definitely appeals more to a younger consumer group. (Many thanks to my friend Lynn for having me try this item.) Also, as Shu Uemura has been a professional beauty brand available globally, its blusher range features a very wide variety of shades.
I think, overall, I have been enjoying using Japanese blushers more. It is much harder to go wrong with the shade choices, mainly because most shades are quite natural anyway and they are not that pigmented. Also, since I can be quite heavy-handed at times, I tend to find it easier to apply blushers from Japanese brands. Even for someone like me, who likes to wear blushers relatively sheer, I can still enjoy the fun of slowly building up the color intensity to the level I want.
What about you? Have you tried blushers from both sides of the world? What would be your verdict?
Blushers featured in the photo above:
From Japanese brands-Majolica Majorca Cheek Customize in PK333 and OR211
Lavshuca Cheek Color in PK-1
From western brands-
Chanel Irréelle Blusher in Tea Rose
Fafi for MAC Powder Blush in Fashion Frenzy
Prescriptives Blush More Or Less Creamy Cheek Color in Thai Orchid
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Jill Stuart Story of Fragrances Collection for 2025 & 2026 (image from www.cosme.net)
