by PJ on Wednesday, December 12, 2007
in skincare
(image from U.S. Food and Drug Association)
I am sure many of you who are skincare-savvy know the importance of UVA protection. UVA rays cause premature aging of the skin, and sunscreen products as well as daytime moisturizers that have adequate anti-UVA ingredients can help prevent it.
I am surprised that FDA is only doing this now. Most Japanese brands have been specifying the strength of UVA protection of sunscreen products for quite some time, using the scale from PA+ to PA++++. Also, several European brands like Boots No. 7 and Garnier have been labeling the level of their sunscreen products for a number of years.
But better late than never. After all, adequate labeling on all sun-protection products is by far the best way to make people more aware of the importance and necessity of using adequate sun protection. I hope the new labeling system will be put into practice as soon as possible.
Related Posts:
10 Golden Skincare Rules
(Let’s try to follow all 10 of them.)
The Only Words You Need to Know About Anti-Aging
(Make sure you know them before your next trip to the drugstore.)
New Sunscreen Regulations for UVA Protection
(from cosmeticsdesign.com)
FDA Aims to Upgrade Sunscreen Labeling
(from U.S. Food and Drug Assiciation)
by PJ on Tuesday, December 11, 2007
in -MAC, makeup
The MAC A-Mei Color Collection post has been updated with a link to an image featuring A-Mei wearing shades from the collection. The image was released to the Taiwanese press but I am not certain whether this would be one of the official promotional images.
Please go to the end of the post for the link, and enjoy!
(Dove Body Silk Beauty Body Cream)
Today I am bringing you another product that I can’t live without!
I first bought Dove Body Silk simply because I decided I was not going to buy a body moisturizer that came in a bottle. With or without a pump, it could be quite a pain at the end with all the scraping to get the last bit.
I remember trying Boots Botanics Nourishing Body Butter, which came in a jar. It was very moisturizing but slightly too greasy. I then bought a Garnier one (which has been discontinued) but I later thought the per-ml price was a bit too high for a budget line.
Then I bought Dove Body Silk and this turned out to be one of my favorite body moisturizers ever.
It smells pretty good. (It is hard to really love a body moisturizer if I don’t like the smell.) I wouldn’t say it smells absolutely heavenly, but it has a faint soft comforting smell that I like very much. Apart from body products from a fragrance range, I don’t usually like those with a strong smell. So this one is absolutely fine with me.
It has a light cream texture and spreads so easily and evenly. It takes less time to apply than many other body moisturizers I have tried. The skin is left very effectively and delicately moisturized with no greasiness or heaviness.
But I think what I love the most about this body cream is how the skin feels after each application. I still remember how surprised I was after I put it on for the first time. I was just making sure that everything was absorbed, and I felt that the skin was so delightfully silky smooth. My skin never felt like this before, I have to say.
The product is named Body Silk, which, for me, is quite spot-on. I think I will definitely continue to enjoy it (and all the silkiness) as long as it is available.
Related Posts:
I also can’t live without: Garnier Hand Cocoon
(top-notch hand cream)
Haircare Review: Dove Cool Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner
(a great match)
(Lavshuca Face Powder in Lucent)
First of all, I admit that this item caught my attention ever since I saw the packaging. Very few loose powder containers (possibly part from Jill Stuart’s) look dreamier than this. With Lavshuca being an affordable shelf-top brand, I had to get this.
(Lavshuca Face Powder)
(image from www.kanebo-cosmetics.jp/lavshuca/)
I bought this soon after it was released in fall 2006. The packaging looks as good as it appears on-line and in magazines. I was very pleased with that.
When I tested the powder on the back of my hand for the first time, I was slightly concerned. Even though the shade was the pale translucent beige that I usually went for, there seemed to be some shimmer. As I normally only used a completely matte loose powder, I was not sure if this was going to be something I would use regularly.
But when I put it on my face for the first time, all worries disappeared. The shimmer was relatively sparse and extremely fine. The finish is still basically matte, but it is not chalky. It is silky and almost satiny.
What I also love (perhaps the most) about this loose powder is its ability to disguise pores. It is able to make my skin look smoother and more even. As I usually wear a loose powder mainly to make pores less visible and to get a polished complexion, I am very happy with what it can do.
I also like the puff that comes with it. Apart from looking so adorable. it feels quite soft and puffy on the skin. The hair is not too long so it grabs the powder and places it on the skin evenly. I usually press (instead of sweep) the powder onto the skin, and the puff works very well for me.
I have another loose powder by Sofina Raycious. It is essentially matte and does a fairly good job in controlling shine. I shall review it in more detail a bit later!
Related Posts:
Which loose powder will win my heart?
(I have already decide to get one of them…)
Loving Japanese Brands: Lavshuca
(a brief profile on Kanebo’s successful budget line)
Lavshuca Spring 2008 Collection
(featuring some more lovely packaging)
Lavshuca Eye Color Select in PU-2
(another of my Lavshuca Favorite)
by PJ on Saturday, December 8, 2007
in -MAC, makeup
One of my readers, CK, has kindly left a comment under my post on A-Mei’s Collaboration with MAC with a link to some great footage featuring A-Mei sporting the shades from her color collection in the photo shoot!
Click on the link above to watch the clip!
(Bond No. 9 The Scent of Peace)
(image from Bond No. 9)
What should “peace” smell like?
To me, it should smell simple, serene, comforting, and joyful. Bond No. 9 set themselves a big challenge of creating a fragrance emulating the aura of peace, and I think they did a remarkable job.
Top notes:
grapefruit and black currant
Middle note: lily of the valley
Base notes: cedarwood and musk
To me, The Scent of Peace demonstrates a successful attempt in combining fruity and floral notes and not making the combination overly sweet and syrupy. I think the key is the straightforward simplicity of the chosen notes.
As someone who loves citrusy notes and floral notes like rose and lily, I am delighted with the complementary match of grapefruit and lily. Cedarwood and musk are very subtle base notes here as they add a swift and quiet depth to the beautiful citrusy and floral effervescence.
Gentle and elegant, the scent is wonderfully fresh without being too cool. It certainly smells serene, comforting, and… peaceful. I adore it.
Two other treats are on offer if you enjoy The Scent of Peace: the scented candle and the Body Silk.
(Bond No. 9 The Scent of Peace scented candle)
(image from Bond No. 9)
The Scent of Peace Body Silk is a luxuriously rich body cream. It does take some time to apply and spread evenly, but it keeps the skin very well moisturized and the scent is pleasantly long-lasting.
(Bond No. 9 Body Silk)
(image from Bond No. 9)
For the holiday 2007 season, The Scent of Peace also comes in a limited-edition Swarovski crystal embellished bottle, with amethyst, while and opalescent crystals.
(The Scent of Peace Holiday 2007
limited-edition bottle with Swarovski crystals)
(image from Bond No. 9)
For an even more extravagant gift-giving experience, The Scent of Peace is also featured in the gift set which includes 11 other Bond No. 9 fragrances.
(
I Love New York Double Decker Gift Set)
(image from Bond No. 9)
So far, The Scent of Peace shares the title of my favorite Bond No. 9 fragrance with Coney Island. Both are light, uplifting, and very easy to wear. While the summery Coney Island is fun and energetic, The Scent of Peace is soft and elegant and is a great fragrance all year round.
Related Posts
:
Sheer Stella Galore
(See all my Sheer Stella collection)
My Fragrance Favorites
(my ultimate top-three)
(Prescriptives Colorscope Refillable Palette
for Eyes and Cheeks in Cool)
(image from www.prescriptives.com)
Prescriptives has come up with two wearable and good-value makeup palettes for holiday 2007. The palette in Cool I am reviewing here includes six pink and plum-based shades for eyes and two shades for cheeks.
For the eyeshadows, I have categorized them into highlighting, main, and eye-lining shades:
Highlighting –
Chiffon: cream white with pearlescent shimmer, suitable as a base or a highlighter
(Chiffon)
Main (from left to right/ light to dark) –
Shell: pale dusty pink with pearlescent shimmer
Hocus: light taupe with pearlescent shimmer
Aubergine: brownish plum with metallic shimmer
(Shell, Hocus, and Aubergine)
Eye-lining –
Indigo: dark charcoal grey with minimal shimmer
Plum: brownish plum with minimal shimmer
(Indigo and Plum)
(Color-wise, Aubergine is almost as dark as Plum, but it has a lot more shimmer and, for me, it doesn’t bring much depth to my eyes as an eye-lining shade.)
The six shades blend well and can be easily coordinated to create simple and sophisticated daytime looks and intense evening looks.
Cheek Colors:
Petal: a matte warm pink
Highlighter Cool Light: a very pale pink with frosty shimmer
(Petal and Highlighter Cool Light)
Petal is a very wearable blusher shade. Highlighter Cool Light can be worn with Petal to bring a veil of shimmer to the matte finish of Patel. Another great way to wear this cheek highlighter is to layer it right on the center of cheeks to make the cheeks pop and to bring out the dimension of the face.
All the shades are quite well pigmented, with Highlighter Cool Light being sheer and shimmery. (These are all regular shades and not limited-edition ones. The silver stripes on the cheek colors featured in the palette in the top photo are spray-ons.)
The palette comes with a nicely big mirror. The limited-edition double-ended eyeshadow brush features a soft medium brush for eyeshadow application and a slightly slanted flat-tip brush, which is good for blending. You will need another brush to line your eyes with the darker shades.
The sizes of the eyeshadows and blushers are the same as the usual sizes they come in. The palette itself is refillable, so you can also add in your favorite shades to customize your own palette. (The slots for blushers will hold two eyeshadows each.)
The palette also comes in Warm:
(Prescriptives Colorscope Refillable Palatte
for Eyes and Cheeks in Warm)
(image from www.prescriptives.com)
Overall, the palettes offer good ranges of shades and further flexibility of customization. Retailed at 38 pounds in the UK, it is relatively good value considering all the shades are worth around 100 pounds when bought separately. This is also a good starter palette to consider if you are interested in trying wearable shades by Prescriptives.
Related Posts for Holiday 2007:
Lavshuca Christmas 2007 Makeup Palette
(cute and affordable)
DiorLight Jewelled Necklace
(sparkling with Swarovski crystals)
Paul & Joe Lip Gloss N
(perfect berry-red lip gloss)
