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

The Coffret D’Or website has been updated to include information on the items which will be released on July 16.

The two new makeup looks happen to feature my favorite shades at the moment, lilac and golden beige! (I love the color of Tokiwa Takako’s (left) dress as well.)

You can see the two TV commercials here.

Related Posts:

Coffret D’Or 3D Lighting Eyes Purple Variation

Coffret D’Or 3D Lighting Eyes Gold Variation

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My post on AYURA’s fall 2008 makeup collection has been updated with an image showing shades of all the eye palettes and lipsticks. Enjoy!

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(L’Oréal True Match Super-Blendable Powder
in W3 Golden Beige)

Ever since L’Oréal’s True Match Super-Blendable Powder was chosen by Paula Begoun as one of the best makeup products in 2005, I have been interested in it. At that time, it was not sold in the UK. But it has been available here for a while now, and I recently decided to give it a try.

I am quite disappointed with it as a powder foundation. Even though the talc-based powder is very smooth and the finish is nicely matte and natural, it has very little coverage and only mildly evens out the complexion.

I think the reason why L’Oréal is able to claim that this powder can “adjust to the color” of the skin is that it is so sheer. On the plus side, it is hard to go wrong with the color selection, as most people can probably work with a couple of different shades.

For me, it works a lot better as a pressed setting powder. The smooth texture doesn’t look chalky over my ZA Two-Way Powder Foundation, and the silky matte shimmer-free powder covers pores and mattifies the shine fairly well. (I have oily skin and shine tends to be an issue.) This is a good alternative to loose powder when I want to set my foundation very quickly.

The enclosed sponge (not a puff) is thinner than most foundation sponges I have seen, but it still works well with the powder.

My slight complaint of this product is the awkward compact design. The top tier is the powder itself, and the sponge and the mirror are underneath. The product can be fiddly to use when you are out and about and want to do a quick touch-up.

Overall, this can still be a good powder foundation if you only go for a sheer coverage. If you want more coverage, this will almost certainly not work for you. But if you are looking for a well-formulated and reasonably priced pressed powder to set your foundation, this should be a strong contender.

Related Posts:

My Foundation Face-Off articles:

Jill Stuart vs. SUQQU

Lunasol vs. Coffret D’Or

Chanel vs. SUQQU

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From the Splendicity community, comes this week’s best in Beauty, Fashion and Shopping.

BEAUTY

The Fragrance Fanatic tells you some great ways to Wear Your Fragrance.

Aging Fabulous introduces us to Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Body Serum.

Beauty Banter asks celebrity makeup artists how to do a white eyelid right… must-have application tips and products for a fierce, summer white eye!

The Scented Life is excited to hear that Justin Timberlake will be the face of Givenchy’s new cologne, Play.

15 Minute Beauty Fanatic finally finds a great concealer that will cover up her undereye area all day! It’s Tarte’s The Eraser!

Beautiful Makeup Search picks out some products from the Shu Uemura 25th Boutique Birthday collection.

Steeping Beauty Gets Smart with Peter Thomas Roth’s Un-Wrinkle Pressed Powder!

A Touch of Blusher looks at Dior’s fall 2008 makeup collection.

FASHION

Wardrobe Oxygen offers some suggestions to give a modern and youthful look to your makeup routine.

The Well-Heeled Society shows you a worthwhile shoe investment, available in a spectrum of colors from Ralph Lauren.

She Knows Best is glad to report that David Arquette has redeemed himself.

Style Tots is giving away a Tutu from Prissy Poofs.

Snarkstress marvels that the potentially future First Lady, Michelle Obama, is an off-the-rack shopper – and is creating quite a frenzy in the process.

The Fashionable Kiffen asks “Denim or Not?”

SHOPPING

Style It Less offers up an Under $100 Look with a belted tunic, jeans and a Christian Louboutin Pumps replica.

Teen Style Lounge invites you to get your cute on with this summery (and cheap!) sundress and accessories outfit from Forever 21.

Have a splendid weekend!

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Weekend Beauty Reads for June 28, 2008

by PJ on Saturday, June 28, 2008

in Weekend Beauty Read

From The Beauty Blog Network:

Melissa from The Makeup Divas reviews and shares photos of eye shadows and slimshines from the Mac Cool Heat Collection.

Still confused about products that use the words NATURAL, ORGANIC and PURE on their packaging? Cybelesays discovers an organization that’s setting a standard with their seal and some big indy brands are joining up.

Beauty Banter uncovers the most important sweatproof beauty products of the summer – a sweaty face is SO 2007!!!

Are you ready for a Warm Chill? Roselyn from Makeup Makes Me Happy™ is also raving about the latest collection from MAC Cosmetics. Here she gives us another wonderful makeup tutorial featuring the cool blue hues from MAC’s Cool Heat.

Beauty Anonymous reviews La Mer The SPF 18 Fluid Tint.

Get your summer beauty fix with The Daily Cookie‘s coverage of Nordstrom’s Beauty Trend Show in 3 parts – Summer in the City, Get the Look, and All About the Tan!

15 Minute Beauty Fanatic finds her new favorite hot weather fragrance, Elizabeth Arden’s Green Tea Lotus!

The Muse decides to saw her Urban Decay Primer Potion in half and make the most of it!

Beyond Beauty Basics is having a Burt’s Bees Radiance Kit Giveaway in honor of National Pollinator Week June 22-28. Comment and win an assortment of natural personal care products!

Makeup Moxie dishes on her favorite way to practice safe sun in this face sunscreen review.

Beauty Blogging Junkie tells you how to channel Gossip Girl‘s Serena van der Woodsen here.

The Fragrance Fanatic tells you some great ways to Wear Your Fragrance.

Beautiful Makeup Search picks out some products from the Shu Uemura 25th Boutique Birthday collection.

Come join The Life of a Ladybug‘s no!no! giveaway! All you have to do is enter your name and e-mail address and you have a chance to win a brand new no!no! hair removal device!

The fabulous ladies of Beauty in Real Life, have the details on the N.Y.C. Color Big Apple Bronze Summer Collection.

Have you tried Yes To Carrots Lip Balm? Face Candy tells you what she thinks of it.

Every day this week, Spoiled Pretty is giving away a chic summer bag, filled with beauty booty to help you beat the heat. This series of giveaways is all that and a bag of products! Enter today!

Summer heat doing a number on your skin? Beauty411 shares how the new June Jacobs Cooling and Soothing Masque can help you beat the heat and improve your skin!

Makeup Junkie shares a new Makeup Obsession!

Pursebuzz.com reviews her favorite tinted moisturizer. Clinique Moisture Tint :) See why I love it so much here.

Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog shows you how to create a light purple and blue eye with MAC Cosmetics.

The Beauty of Life is giving away over $100 worth of Lisa Hoffman products! Click here to enter!

A Touch of Blusher looks at Dior’s fall 2008 makeup collection.

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NARS always has a chic and fashion-forward image and a wide range of shades to go with it. Today, the review focuses on how well some of the brand’s warmer shades perform.

– Lip Glosses in Supervixen & Sunset Strip

Supervixen (bottom right) is a cool medium brown. It appears to have a very subtle mauve undertone, but it doesn’t show on the lips. Sunset Strip is peachy tangerine that is slightly more pigmented than Supervixen and has a frostier finish. Both have very subtle multi-colored shimmer.

Their texture is on the dense side and they don’t glide as easily as many other glosses. Also, if you like a very glossy finish, it will take a bit of layering. One layer gives a subtle sheen, two layers create a mild shine, and it takes three layers to achieve a full and glossy look. But, once applied, the staying powder is fairly good.

– Lipstick in Viva Las Vegas

Viva Las Vagas is a moderately pigmented warm brown with a bronze undertone. It has a very frosty finish that I rarely like, as I find that it often makes the lips look dry and can accentuate lip lines. (I tend to go for lipsticks with a soft satiny finish or a slightly wet/moist look, and I prefer minimal shimmer to intense metallic/frosty shimmer.)

I once tried laying the brown-toned Supervixen Lip Gloss on it (to take away the frosty finish), and I find that they actually work very well together. Shade-wise, they complement each other. Also, one layer of the gloss over the lipstick instantly creates a glossy finish. Even though the finish is very rich and luxurious, I would often prefer to have one product that does the job instead of two as I tend not to layer too many products on my lips.

– Duo Eyeshadow in Kalahari

Kalahari creates quite a sultry neutral look. Before I used the duo for the first time, I thought the shade on the left might be a little too dark for the lids. But I was surprised that, even though it is indeed darker than the neutrals I would go for, it is still natural and not overly heavy. The neutral brown (neither too cool or too warm) has a very subtle rose-gold iridescence and the overall finish is softly shimmery and flattering.

The slightly darker shade on the right is much warmer and has a more metallic finish. I wear it close to the lash line as a very subtle liner. Both shades have a very soft texture, while the darker shade seems particularly silky and has an effortless glide.

– Highlighting/Blush Duo in Albatross/Torrid

Albatross, the highlighter shade, has a metallic sheen, and I find that it is too metallic as a highlighter for the face. Even when it is very lightly dusted onto the skin with a fluffy brush, it can still make pores (and possibly fine lines) appear more obvious. However, with a soft gold undertone, it can work as a base for warm-toned eyeshadows.

Torrid is a warm-red blusher. In the container, it looks quite shimmery, but the gold-toned shimmer doesn’t look apparent when worn and the satiny finish looks natural on the skin. For me, it is a fairly wearable summer blusher and I think it will suit people with a warm complexion very well. (I tend to wear neutral-to-cool pinks, and this warm-red is probably as warm (and red) as I would go.)

Overall, I think the powder-based products here perform better. They have a very good texture and stay on well. The various finishes of the products reviewed above might not suit everyone, particularly the very metallic lipstick and highlighter. If you are planning to try out items from NARS, I would suggest looking especially into the finishes to make sure that they are flattering for you.

(
All the products reviewed above are fragrance-free.)

Related Posts:

Coffret D’Or 3D Lighting Eyes in Gold Variation

Dior Golden Dior Makeup Jewel


Lavshuca Summer Gradually Compact

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(I have been testing them as you are reading this post…)

It is a little hard to believe that half of 2008 is almost gone. (I feel that this year has just begun a couple of months ago and that we are still taking about spring collections…) But here is what to look out for in July:

– If you have been gathering reviews of the new Coffret D’Or Trance Deep Eyes palettes, do come back in July. I will bring you reviews of 01 Rose Variation and 04 Grey Variation. I will also review Coffret D’Or’s loose powder. (It’s a keeper!)

– You will be seeing a new three-part series, Beauty City Mini-Guide. Since I often receive e-mails from readers asking for suggestions on beauty shopping when travelling, I have decided to present some of my personal experiences as blog articles. Each of them will focus on one particular city.

If you would like to make sure you don’t miss any of these future posts, please consider subscribing to my blog via e-mail or a feed reader. Thank you very much!

Tomorrow: Review of items from NARS Cosmetics

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Bulgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert Revisited

by PJ on Wednesday, June 25, 2008

in -Bulgari, fragrance

(Bulgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert)

Bulgari’s Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert is one of my three favorite fragrances, and I thought I would go back to this after mentioning it in earlier posts.
.
Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert was launched in 1992 and is Bulgari’s first step into the world of fine fragrance. I do like many of Bulgari’s other scents, but this has remained a scent I really love. It includes notes of bergamot, orange blossom, cardamom, coriander, pepper, rose, jasmine, green tea, oakmoss, tonka bean, and beeswax (scent note information from Now Smell This, where you can find a great review of this fragrance).
.
(image from www.bulgari.com)


For me, it is a daytime and a spring/summer fragrance. Marketed as a unisex scent, it is a fresh citrusy floral number with the green tea note bringing all the facets together. The whole creation is sophisticated and equally approachable. If I have to describe this fragrance as a person, I would use the words “well-mannered“, “elegant“, and “unassumingly confident“.

One of the reasons that I like Eau Parfumée is that it is clean, crisp and beautifully simple. It carries an invigorating energy, and it is the scent I often go for to get ready for the day ahead. (Among other green-tea scents on the market, I find many of them overly sweet.)

As the scent is by no mean dominated by the green tea note, I’ve observed that people perceive it differently. For example, a friend of mine, upon smelling it, immediately commented on the orange and rose notes and (only after I brought it up) thought the green tea note was not obvious. She had a point, since the scent as a whole does not really bear a lot of resemblance to the actual drink.

As an eau de cologne, I find that it lasts relatively well. But the popularity of it did lead to the launch of Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert Extrême in 1996. An eau de toilette, this is a stronger and longer-lasting version with the same notes. I reach for the original version more since it is a little fresher and lighter, which is how I prefer these notes to perform as a whole, but I do see the Extrême version as a good evening scent. (If you are interested, an review of the Extrême version can also be found on Now Smell This.)

Overall, for me, Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert is nearly impossible to get bored of. As a daily fragrance, its fresh character does not grow tiring. As a green-tea scent among many others, it has been unique enough to remain consistently well-received.

Related Posts:

Bring It Back Sooner – Bulgari Skincare Line

Sheer Stella 2008


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Update: EST Fall 2008 Makeup Collection

by PJ on Wednesday, June 25, 2008

in -Est, -Kao, -Sofina, 2008 Fall, makeup

My post on EST’s fall 2008 collection has been updated with an image of all the new Emotional Aura Eyes palettes and Advanced Lips. Have a look!

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Beauty Duty for June 24, 2008

by PJ on Tuesday, June 24, 2008

in Weekly Beauty Duty

Enjoy!

KRiSTOPHER is wanting, wearing, hating DvF dresses.

Check out the hottest blush for summer over at Makeup Bag.

Makeup Moxie wants to get glowing with the new Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Stones.

Product Girl is featuring some of their favorite brushes. Are they some of yours too?

SugarShock Beauty wonders: when it comes to mascara brushes, does bigger necessarily mean better?

TheMakeupGirl has a BONUS June Contest! This week only, enter to win one of FIVE Burt’s Bees Radiance Kits…

A Touch of Blusher looks at Dior’s fall 2008 makeup collection.

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