(The Other) Budget Princess: Majolica Majorca

by PJ on Sunday, July 8, 2007

in _Japanese Brand Profile, -Majolica Majorca, -Shiseido, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup, makeup - base makeup - foundation, makeup - blusher, stash focus

(pictured: my Majolica Majorca foundation and blushers)

For me, there are two Japanese brands that combine ultra-princessy packaging and superb pocket-friendliness: (Kanebo’s) Lavshuca and (Shiseido’s) Majolica Majorca.

I haven’t really talked about Majolica Majorca very much because Lavshuca has really edged Majolica Majorca out for me in the last couple of seasons.


I do remember how excited I was when it was first launched in July 2003, which was way before some of my current favorites (like Lavshuca and Jill Stuart) took to the stage. At the time, packaging for Japanese drugstore lines was never about being maximally appealing…until Shiseido launched Majolica Majorca, which targeted consumers in their late teens and early twenties. (There were always lines with cute packaging, but they were never packaged to the point of being invincibly dreamy.)


Gold is the predominant color for most of the casings, with filigree patterns, emblems, words written in fancy styles, and other decorative details. It has a royal and antiquey feel, and it was all very cute and princessy.

Their liquid eyeliners and mascaras have always been very popular. As for me, I have got two of their blushers and a powder foundation.


Both blushers are medium to sheer. PK333 is a cool pink (similar to Lavshuca Cheek Color PK-1) and OR211 is a light orange. I prefer PK333 because OR211 is a bit too warm for me.

The two-way powder foundation (Skin Remake Compact) is quite different from the ZA two-way foundation (also made by Shiseido) that I have been using for years. Relatively, Majolica Majorca’s powder foundation has a more moist feel, has a slightly better coverage, but controls shine much less effectively. (Because it controls shine rather poorly, I only wear it when the weather is very cold.) But if your skin-type is combination or slightly dry, this might be a good choice for you as it does give a smooth and almost satiny finish.

Recently, Majolica Majorca’s packaging has not been appealing to me. I think it is because brands like Lavshuca and Jill Stuart are really pushing it in this area. Also, for me, the recent products are just a little less than exciting.

But I still want Majolica Majorca to wow me again!

I’d be interested to know your view of Majolica Majorca and your favorite Majolica Majorca products.

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1st Poll Results Revealed!!

by PJ on Sunday, July 8, 2007

in -Anna Sui, -Aube (Couture), -Ayura, -Integrate, -Jill Stuart, -Kanebo, -Kao, -Kate, -Kosé, -Lavshuca, -Lunasol, -Majolica Majorca, -Maquillage, -Paul & Joe, -RMK, -Shiseido, -Shu Uemura, -Sofina, -T'Estimo, -Visée, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, readers' polls

Majolica Majorca, with cute packaging, good quality, and affordable prices, edged Shu Uemura out at the last minute to become A Touch of Blusher readers’ favorite Japanese makeup line!

Shu Uemura, one of the ultimate professional makeup brands, also captured the heart of many of you.

Lunasol, Lavshuca, and Kate (all by Kanebo) shared the third place.

Here is the full result:

What are your favorite Japanese makeup lines? (Tick all that apply!!)
(from June 27 to July 8, 2007)

Majolica Majorca (13 votes)
Shu Uemura (12 votes)
Lunasol, Lavshuca, Kate (11 votes each)
Paul & Joe (9 votes)
Maquillage, T’Estimo, Jill Stuart, Anna Sui (8 votes each)
Visee (3 votes)
Aube, Ayura, RMK (2 votes each)
Integrate (1 vote)

Other favorites mentioned include Inoui ID and Canmake. Great choices!!

Thanks for everyone that has voted and left comments!! There will be more polls to come. (Suggestions are welcome!)

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Esprique Precious Fall 2007 Collection (Featuring Gemma Ward)

by PJ on Friday, July 6, 2007

in -Esprique (Precious), -Kosé, 2007 Fall, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

Here is a preview of Esprique Precious fall 2007 collection ad campaign. The spokesperson is still the very popular Gemma Ward.

The collection includes lipsticks, liquid lip colors, lip liners, single-color eyeshadows, and eyeshadow palettes. There will also be new foundation products, including liquid foundations, powder foundations, and two primers.

The collection is officially out in Japan on August 21.

Even though I am not a Gemma Ward fan, I do think Kose picked a spokesperson who successfully appealed to the target consumers and created buzz for the line.

Watch her TV ads here and here.

Related post: Gemma Ward Fronts New Cosmetics Line in Japan

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Lavshuca Cheek Color in PK-1

by PJ on Friday, July 6, 2007

in -Kanebo, -Lavshuca, 2007 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - blusher, stash focus

(pictured: my Lavshuca Cheek Color in PK-1)

I’ve realized that, even though my blog is called A Touch of Blusher, this is actually the first time I am properly reviewing a blusher (even though I have mentioned Lavshuca’s blushers in my seasonal top-10 countdown). I promise there will be more to come. (I do have quite a few of them…)

Lavshuca’s Cheek Color is part of its summer 2007 collection. There are four different shades.

The one I got is PK-1, which is a slightly cool pink. It has that usual Lavshuca packaging. Very cute and princessy.

The finish is predominantly matte, which is what I usually go for.

The pigmentation is medium to sheer. If you love to sport very rosy cheeks, you might want to pass them up because the layering might take forever. But if you prefer a light blush on your cheeks, this would be a great choice. I’d also say this is one of those perfect daytime blusher shades. It is very natural and should go with most colors you wear.

If you happen to have both Cheek Color and Cheek Select (which Lavshuca released last year), please do let me know how they compare with each other. I have heard some negative comments on Cheek Select regarding its complete lack of pigmentation. I suspect that some people might say the same about Cheek Color. (I already know a friend of mine who did.) I am quite interested in knowing which one people prefer.

I have not tried Cheek Select but I like the Cheek Color that I have. The slightly cool pink is just right for my skin-tone and I like both the finish and the level of pigmentation.

More lovely items like this from Lavshuca, please…

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Dior Fall 2007 Diorissime Palette

by PJ on Thursday, July 5, 2007

in -Dior, 2007 Fall, makeup, makeup - eyeshadow, makeup - lip color, makeup - lip gloss

(pictured: my Dior items,
including the Dior Detective Chic palette from fall 2006)

There is no way that I am NOT going to get this palette!

This is the new limited-edition Diorissime Palette from the Dior Fall 2007 makeup collection, and I love it. I have my own reasons:

1. It has some lovely neutral shades that I have recently been very interested in.

2. It has a blue-tinted lip gloss.

3. It is even prettier than the Dior Detective Chic palette (or see photo above) from fall 2006.

4. It is pink! (Well, I don’t have a link to pink, but I do love pink. I’ll do a post on pink in my “I Love Color” series later on.)

It is as if the palette were made for me……

In the UK, the Dior fall 2007 collection will be out in early August.

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"Can I Return This, Please?"

by PJ on Tuesday, July 3, 2007

in makeup, skincare, What do you think? Beauty topics and thoughts

Drying lipsticks…mascaras that clump like crazy…moisturizers that break you out…I am sure you have come across things that are simply not good enough for you.

What can you do? Well, apart from putting them on eBay, it depends on where you are.

I live in the UK. Here, in almost all cases, once I open the packaging of a skincare/makeup/haircare product, I am not able to return it and get any money back (not even store credit). I can only get a full refund (within 28 days with the receipt) if the product is unused and the packaging is intact. (One of the exceptions that I am aware of is QVC UK, which obviously inherits the return policy from the US.)

It can be worse than this. I once bought a pressed powder in Debenhams (a chained department store in the UK). A couple of days later, with the outer packaging still completely intact, I decided I wanted to return it.

I couldn’t. I could only have an exchange. Their store policy says that, once purchased, no cosmetics item can be refunded.

I find it rather ridiculous, even though I have always been used to the fact that, cosmetics-wise, once I buy and start using something, I am basically stuck with it.

I have never lived in the US, and I remember being surprised when I came across people from the US on makeup forums saying that they were going to return products they ended up not liking.

I think it probably has something to do with the health and safety regulations in the UK, so I don’t expect things to change overnight. I am also aware that the return policies vary from retailer to retailer in the US. But certainly shops in the US are generally much more customer-friendly in this respect, I have to say…

What about the situation where you are? Any interesting/ridiculous story?

{ 24 comments }

Lilac Bouquet: Kanebo T’Estimo Frame Impact Eyes Palette

by PJ on Sunday, July 1, 2007

in -Jill Stuart, -Kanebo, -T'Estimo, 2007 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - eyeshadow, stash focus

(pictured: my Kanebo T’Estimo Frame Impact Eyes in 03)
.

I have mentioned a couple of times that I am loving lilac/mauve/lavender eyeshadows. After I have tried Jill Stuart’s Brilliance Eyes palette (04 Gem Amethyst), I went for this Kanebo T’Estimo palette (part of the T’Estimo spring 2007 collection). This is actually the first T’Estimo item I bought, and I love it!

Mono-color gradation eye palettes have been very popular in Japan in 2007. Apart from Kanebo T’Estimo, Jill Stuart, and Lavshuca (Eye Color Select), there are also similar creations from Shiseido Maquillage (Clean Contrast Eyes) and Sofina Aube (Jewelry Shower Eyes).

This one by T’Estimo is gorgeous. (The range includes 4 palettes.) The far right slot is a cream eyeliner. This is the only cream eyeliner that I have at the moment, so I don’t know how it compares with popular ones by Stila, MAC, and Bobbi Brown. But I have no problem with it myself. It goes on smoothly and doesn’t smudge. (I am also okay with the little applicator for the liner. Though fiddly at times, it allows me to get very close to the mirror.)

The middle two shades are actually very different from each other. (From almost all the photos I have seen, they appear to be quite similar.) The right one of the two is much darker, as you can probably see from one of the corners near the eyeliner (the part my brush has been dipping into).

So, from the highlighter (with a touch of lilac sparkles) to the deep purple eyeliner and with the two perfect shades in between, this palette is great for creating both a fresh daytime look and a smoky evening look.

I’ll compare it with Jill Stuart’s Brilliance Eyes (in 04 Gem Amethyst), as both are purple-based palettes:

Pigmentation:
The T’Estimo one is certainly more pigmented, especially the shade next to the eyeliner. The Jill Stuart one is noticeably sheerer.

Shimmer:
Both are full of it, but the Jill Stuart one is more glittery than just shimmery (with larger multi-color sparkles). I think for big glitters, people either love it or hate it. But, used effectively, the Jill Stuart one can really make the eyes pop and give your eyes a floaty and airy ambiance.

Shade:
The T’Estimo palette has a wider range of shades (from the lightest to the darkest). It is much easier to achieve a smoky-eye look with it.

Versatility:
Even though the colors in the Jill Stuart palette are sheerer, it might be more suitable for evening makeup (unless you don’t mind big glitters in daytime). The Kanebo one is perhaps more versatile in this respect.

So, there you go. I love both and I have tried mixing colors from the two. They complement each other well and I can create even more looks and more sophisticated finishes. Fantastic!

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Sneak Peek: Fall 2007 Collections from Kate, Lavshuca, and Tiffa

by PJ on Sunday, July 1, 2007

in -Kanebo, -Lavshuca, 2007 Fall, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

Kanebo has updated its website to include the report (and photos) from the pre-launch party for some of its makeup lines: Kate, Lavshuca, and Tiffa.

Everything looks yummy…and I am still loving Lavshuca’s lip colors and eyeshadow palettes.

Relate Post:
The Search for the Perfect Pout Is Over?! Lavshuca Fall 2007 Collection

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YSL Fall 2007 Collection

by PJ on Saturday, June 30, 2007

in -YSL, 2007 Fall, makeup

(pictured: my own YSL items)

“Daring Contrast” is the theme of YSL’s fall 2007 collection. The contrast is between very pale and intensely dark shades, as we see from the limited-edition Palette Couture, with a pattern of the back of a couture gown.

There are some luxurious looking eyeshadow duos, also with a little bit of that light/dark contrast.

The collection also includes:
Rouge Pure Shine Sheer Lipstick: four colors
Rouge Pur (Pure Lipstick): two colors
Variation Blush: one color
Everlong Mascara: one color
Shimmering Eyeliner: one color
La Laque (Long-lasting Nail Lacquer): two colors

I will be waiting to test the two palettes and the eyeshadow duos, even though overall I think this collection is slightly lackluster and lacks originality. I am already hoping for a dazzling Christmas collection from YSL later this year!

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NARS Fall 2007 Collection (Plus Reflection on Neutral Shades)

by PJ on Friday, June 29, 2007

in -NARS, 2007 Fall, makeup, makeup - eyeshadow

Today I came across a photo of NARS fall 2007 collection.

Named “Modern Odyssey”, NARS’ latest collection features muted and sophisticated shades, including a duo with lovely neutral tones.

To be honest, if I’d seen this photo this time last year, I wouldn’t have been interested at all….

Years ago, I started my love for makeup with universally flattering neutral shades. Later on, I developed a taste for soft and shimmery pastel shades and slightly bolder colors. Cool tones like aquamarine, turquoise, lilac, and cool-pink are my favorites.

But it seems that now I am consciously re-embracing neutral tones. Recently I have been experimenting with neutral eye makeup with shades from different brands. Mixing and matching is great fun (and it makes me look at my past purchases in a new light), but I would very much like to get a couple of nice neutral-tone eyeshadow palettes, possibly from all the new fall 2007 releases. (Guerlain and Lavshuca are on my list at the moment.)

I will never desert my lovely pastel eyeshadow palettes (I love my Lavshuca and Jill Stuart), but do look out for some fresh development on my new-found fondness for neutrals!

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