It is time to round up my top 10 makeup collections for fall 2007, in reverse order, throughout the rest of this week. This time I have included photos of the seasonal makeup catalog from the September 2007 issue of Biteki magazine.

#10: ettusais


Ettusais has re-packaged its makeup collection. Everything still looks minimal and simple to show off the variety of colors. I especially like the vibrant shades of the Eye Color (top right).

Another interesting item is the Cheek Color (far right). All the 7 shades are packaged in a round compact with a spongy puff applicator attached to the bottom of the compact. I wonder how well the applicator works…

#9: Bobbi Brown


Bobbi Brown doesn’t appear on my top 10 lists very often (I have been doing the lists for a while for some of my friends.) But this collection caught my eyes. The Stonewashed palette has a great selection of brown, taupe, and grey shades. I nearly considered buying it, but the battle was won by Dior’s Diorissime palette. I am also intrigued by the eyeshadow trios. It is a slight departure from their usual neutral tones.

#8: Elégance


Elégance’s latest collection is in tune with the fall 2007 makeup trend. The eyeshadow palettes feature lovely shades of muted green and grey. They also include some lilac shades, which I always like.

(photo from www.elegance-cosmetics.com)

The lip glosses look scrumptious. All the shades look very wearable and appear to have delicate shimmers. Love the gold packaging as well. Very Glamorous.

#7: Anna Sui

(photo from www.annasui-cosmetics.com)

The Mini Rouge lip colors (top right) have been popular with Anna Sui collectors for the ultra-cute packaging and a good selection of shades. The limited-edition Pressed Powder M (bottom right) has been popular as well. For me, the new Liquid Eye Color (lower mid-left) looks very tempting.


Stay tuned for the rest of the round-up in the following days!

Related Posts:

Fall 2007 Makeup Round-Up Part 2

Fall 2007 Makeup Round-Up Part 3

Fall 2007 Makeup Trend Report

If I Could Go To Japan RIGHT NOW
(with more on ettusais and Elegance.)

Summer 2007 Makeup Round-Up Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3

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Emmys 2007 Fashion Mini Roundup

by PJ on Wednesday, September 19, 2007

in fashion, fashion - award fashion

I was watching The Emmys 2007’s red carpet coverage and the award ceremony on Sunday (which was early Monday morning here in the UK). Fashion-wise, it was disappointing. I couldn’t even come up with a top-5 best-dressed list. There are only 2 (well…2.5) this time:

Katherine Heigl (in Zac Posen)

This is a perfect modernized retro look. Delicate and demure. I like the whole proportion of the dress, and the dress moves well with her. The hair and makeup complete the ensemble seamlessly. This is a great overall success.

Ana Ortiz (in Escada)

If I were a stylist, I would not dress an actress in black for an award ceremony. But I think Ana Ortiz shows us how to wear black and still stands out in the midst of all the black tuxedos (as you can see in the photo). The simple dress has a great shimmer (almost a dark purple shimmer, as I saw on the TV screen), and she looks sassy and vibrant. Everything else is kept simple, which is the right thing to do.

These are the only two looks that I like. Other than those, Marcia Cross‘ earrings deserve a mention. They are great statement pieces, in a gorgeous color. They go with the style and the color of her hair so well. (I am not so crazy about the dress though….)

There are many disappointments from my usual favorites. I usually like Helen Mirren, Debra Messing and Eva Longoria. They looked nice, but nice is almost not enough! (Maybe it is only because I do expect more from them…)

Helen Mirren‘s dress is a tad too fussy. Her hair doesn’t suit her this time, as it is too messy and relaxed. I do give her credits for trying to be versatile with shorter hair, which she has normally done superbly well.

Eva Longoria looked fresh and glamorous. But I am not a fan of shorter dresses at major award ceremonies…

Debra Messing‘s look is simple and classic but it is slightly too sterile for my personal liking. I always like to see her pull off something bold (and I don’t care what others say).

I am tempted to mention some badly dressed celebrities, but then this post could run very long…so I think I will stop here and bring you some related fashion reports:

Couture Patrol: Costume Institute Gala 2007
(There were some great gowns…)

Best-Dressed at Oscars 2007
(Let’s remind ourselves of how movie stars do award ceremonies…)

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MAC Holiday 2007 Lineup

by PJ on Tuesday, September 18, 2007

in -MAC, 2007 Holiday

(part of the MAC Holiday 2007 Collection)
(photo from www.iswii.net)

I am not usually a MAC person. The last time I wrote about MAC was back in November last year when I was talking about the MACouture collection. I didn’t buy anything from MACouture, but months later I did buy a Patternmaker lip palette, which is the only MAC item I have at the moment. (I shall write a post about it later.)

But it seems my lone Patternmaker lip palette might soon welcome some siblings. Nowadays I rarely get excited about MAC as I used to years ago, but the upcoming Holiday 2007 lineup really caught my eye! Antiquitease (pictured above) is part of what will be appearing at MAC counters in the coming months.

Well, yes, it is the packaging. It has a retro and fancy Baroque feel with some elaborate patterns. It is a little similar to my princessy Majolica Majorca cases…just the kind of things I love!

For (many!!) more photos, have a look at the Specktra.Net Beauty Blog. I know I will be there to do some serious picking and choosing! (Also, get your diary out for the release dates.)

(A special thanks goes to A-Mused at Musings of a Muse, who knows what I like, for bringing my attention to the MAC holiday 2007 collections.)

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(Les 4 Camélias de Chanel)
(photo from www.chanel.com)


No, I won’t be buying this…not because I don’t like Chanel or because I don’t like the look of this palette.

It is quite the opposite. Chanel is one of my favorite brands for makeup. I love the low-key and glamorous packaging and I enjoy using their items.

I adore this palette as well. The beautiful colors, in the shape of feminine and delicate camellias, are wearable for most people.

*BUT*, the second my lip brush is dipped into the colors, I won’t have all the four perfect camellias anymore! Sigh. As much as I want to keep looking at them, I want to use them too! So I will just have to satisfy myself by looking at the photo here…

Relate posts:

Chanel: The Perfect Black
(my take on Chanel cosmetics)

Chanel Contrast Lumième Palette in Aquarelles
(I don’t have a problem with this beautiful palette. I am happily using this.)

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The Weekend Beauty Read

by PJ on Sunday, September 16, 2007

in Weekend Beauty Read

From The Beauty Blog Network:

15 Minute Beauty Fanatic: Neutrogena’s Glow Sheer Foundation

All Lacquered Up: Exclusive First Look at Zoya’s Winter Collection

Beautynomics: The Beautynomist’s Hair Rebonding Expereice

Elke Von Freudenberg:
Beauty Blog Network day at Fashion Week!

Makeup and Beauty Blog:
Would you rather give up lipstick or have yellow teeth?

Musings of a Muse:
Victoria’s Secret Heavenly Face Palettes Fall Collection

Savvy Skin: Top 10 Signs You’re A Beauty Junkie

Temptalia: Tutorial – Smokey Black Gold, Dramatic Eye

The Life of a Ladybug: Toya reviews Bourjois Blush!

Enjoy your weekend!

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(Calvin Klein Eye Shadow in 06 Ivory)

Back in May, I wrote about Calvin Klein Cosmetics to mark the start of my Bring It Back! series. I mentioned I was aware that some on-line shops still carried the line and that I was concerned about the quality (since the line has been discontinued for quite a while).

But, during my trip to Nottingham in June, I was roaming around in a shopping mall and I came across some Calvin Klein makeup products in a cosmetics store! The store had a slightly similar feel to The Company Store in London, which is the Estée Lauder Group outlet store.

I checked the quality of some of the stock, and I was relatively happy. As most of the colors were too dark for my liking, I picked up this matte ivory shade, which is good as a base for other eyeshadows. It can also work as a subtle brow-bone or face highlighter.

This is the only Calvin Klein Cosmetics item I have, and it is a very welcome addition to my white eyeshadow collection!

Related post:

Fashion City: Nottingham, UK
(Read about a fabulous fashion show I attended there.)

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(Left: Prescriptives AnyWear
Multi-Finish Compact Foundation SPF 12
Right: Prescriptives Flawless Skin
Total Protection Makeup SPF 15)

If I can only wear one makeup product before I go out, it will undoubtedly be a foundation. My foundation has to perform and I am very picky about my choice.

Here are the results of my latest trials!

Prescriptives Flawless Skin
Total Protection Makeup SPF 15

(photo from www.prescriptives.com)


Judging by the name, I thought it would offer medium-to-full protection. But the coverage is basically slightly less than medium. It doesn’t fully cover up all the imperfections, but it does naturally minimize them to a certain extent and my skin looks brighter and smoother. I guess it is “flawless” in the sense that the skin looks naturally radiant and subtly glowy (but not made-up).

The texture of this liquid foundation is very runny, which I rather like. Also, the good slip makes the foundation adhere to my skin well.

I usually dust some loose powder to set a liquid foundation and to take away most of the shine. (I prefer a matte finish.) This foundation lasted fairly well this way.

A minor complaint: I wish it came with a spatula attached to the lid or with a pump, which will make dispensing easier. (I have noticed on Makeup Alley that some people think the runny texture is way too fiddly when it comes to dispensing the product. What I do is that I put my finger on top and flip the bottle upside down and back. It gives me enough amount on my finger for almost the whole face.)

I have oily skin and very occasional blemishes. Some liquid foundations give me breakouts the next day, and a couple of them do so even before I take them off. I have been using this on and off, and so far there are no problems.

(I usually don’t use a liquid foundation for more than two days in a row. Nowadays a lot of liquid foundations have many moisturizing ingredients and they are like moisturizers with pigments. Breakouts are likely to appear on my face for all the extra emollients. When I do occasionally want to use a liquid foundation, I cut the amount of daytime moisturizer by about one-third to minimize the possibility of breakouts. But I also try to use a liquid foundation with proper anti-UVA/UVB ingredients so that my sun protection is not sacrificed.)


Prescriptives AnyWear
Multi-Finish Compact Foundation SPF 12

(photo from www.prescriptives.com)


This would be an obvious daily choice for my oily skin and for an efficient foundation routine.

When I used it for the first time, I was not impressed at all. The powder seemed very dry, the finish was very chalky and rough, and pores were not concealed. Also, the coverage was too sheer for my liking.

Later, it occurred to me that maybe it was because of the sponge, since it simply didn’t “grab” the powder easily and the power didn’t go on smoothly. So, for the second time, I used my usual ZA powder foundation sponge. The finish improved tremendously. (It shows yet again just how important makeup tools are!)

Compared with the first application, my face looked much smoother (no chalkiness) and the pores were better concealed. Apart from a reasonable staying power, it actually absorbs oil quite well.

The coverage is still too sheer for me so I probably won’t use it alone. (I prefer a medium coverage.) I will use it as a finishing powder or just for touch-up.

Among the two, in terms of coverage and finish, I am surprised that I actually prefer Flawless Skin (as a powder foundation user most of the time). With it, my skin looks radiant in a very natural way. But the application of a liquid foundation takes so much longer than a powder foundation that I will only use it when I have very ample time.

Currently, (Shiseido’s) ZA two-way foundation is still my top choice.

Related Post:

My Staple Foundation Products
(as a very picky foundation user)

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(one of the beautiful seasonal ad images from Inoui ID)
(photo from www.inouiid.com)


When I heard about Shiseido’s Inoui ID being discontinued earlier this year, my heart sank. (I also read that,
upon knowing this, a shell-shocked Japanese Inoui ID fan felt that her nose was almost bleeding.)

I was transported back to Tokyo several years ago. I was in a Shiseido boutique in Shinjuku and sampled many beautiful lines like Emerger, Dignita, and Inoui ID. I picked some Emerger and Dignita items, but somehow decided to skip Inoui ID at the time.

What was I thinking??

Inoui ID was on my shopping list since the beginning of this year when I started to have the vaguest plan to go to Japan again. But sadly I had to cross it out from my list…

I love the bold red packaging. So chic and memorable. Some of their most popular products were the eyeshadow palettes, which featured smooth texture and some great color combinations (I want #30!):


(photo from www.inouiid.com)


I like many of the ad images as well. The one above is one of my absolute favorites. Soft, simple, airy, but still striking and stunning. (Loving the blue eyeshadow!)

I think the discontinuation is simply a marketing decision (a wrong one in my opinion), since Shiseido has been trying to cut down the number of lines by discontinuing some and merging some others. I hope that, Dick Page, the creator of Inoui ID and Shiseido’s current creative director, will come up with something even better!

If you are interested, read about the mourning of a like-minded.

Related Post:

What are your favorite Japanese brands?
(Inoui ID was mentioned!)

Other Bring It Back! posts:

Calvin Klein Cosmetics, Cynthia Rowley, Helena Rubinstein, Bulgari Skincare, and Sephora (back to the UK)…

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(SUQQU’s fall 2007 foundation lineup)
(photo from www.suqqu.com/japan.html)


Like the regular seasonal color makeup launches, many Japanese brands release new foundation products in spring and fall. Some are new additions and some replace part of the collection.

SUQQU has been changing the packaging from creamy white to black and a very dark violet, and the new foundation products continue the transformation.

Looking at the whole SUQQU foundation lineup, I notice that a couple of the products have been discontinued (the Cream Foundation, which boasts a natural medium-to-full coverage, and Liquid Foundation Lucent, with sheer coverage).

But overall the foundation line (what SUQQU is mainly known for) has expanded. The new additions include:

One cream foundation
One powder foundation
One primer for the cream foundation
One primer for the powder foundation
One loose powder (SUQQU’s first loose powder)

These new items include red, yellow, and blue pigments to add vibrancy and transparency to the complexion.

I am interested in the loose powder. I usually use a powder foundation, wait for a few minutes, AND set it with loose powder for maximal lasting power. I love the very groomed and polished look. A good loose powder can really make my skin smooth and cover up the pores. (Read about my foundation routine if you are interested.) I look forward to testing all these new products later!

Outside Japan, SUQQU is available in Selfridges London (Yeah!) as well as Isetan and Central Chidlom (from September 15) in Bangkok.

Related Posts:

SUQQU: Sensuality with an Attitude
(See some stunning ads of this exquisite Japanese brand)

SUQQU Make and Skincare Review
(after trying out a lot of goodies)

SUQQU Clear Veil Powder: An Unprecedented Masterpiece
(I am *still* waiting for its debut in London in October…)


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(Bulgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert candle)
(photo from www.neimanmarcus.com)

Neiman Marcus Beauty Event is now taking pace (on-line September 4-17 and in store September 7-16). As a Bulgari green tea fragrance lover, this candle instantly caught my attention among all the free gifts with purchases.

We over here in the UK don’t have events like this where brands have promotions at the same time in one store.

(photo from www.neimanmarcus.com)

But it seems that people need to spend quite a lot of money to get some of the gifts…what do you think?

Related post:

Bring It Back! Bulgari Skincare

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