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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The Weekend Beauty Read

by PJ on Saturday, September 8, 2007

in Weekend Beauty Read

From The Beauty Blog Network:

15 Minute Beauty Fanatic: How Moisturizers Work

Beauty Blabber: We Can’t Live Without…

Beauty and Fashion Tech: Benefit Benetint Lip Stain Review

Beauty and Personality Grooming: Hand-Art Pictures

Elke Von Freudenberg:
The Latest Makeup Brushes from Top Makeup Artist, Billy B

Lipstick, Powder ‘n Paint:
An article from last year on Principessa

Makeup and Beauty Blog:
Hot Fall Lipsticks from Cargo and MAC Smoke Signals

Savvy Skin: Dangerous Skin Care

Temptalia: Beauty & Makeup Galore: Stock Up For Fall 2007

Indieperfumes: Absolutes – Concentrated Perfume

Enjoy your weekend!

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Stella Velvet Edition *UPDATE*

by PJ on Friday, September 7, 2007

in -Stella McCartney, fragrance

I have seen the Stella Velvet Edition yesterday and I have posted an update on the original Stella Velvet Edition post!

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(No 7 Gentle Renewing No Grains Exfoliator)
(photo from www.boots.com)

My sensitive skin can’t really tolerate regular exfoliating, but from time to time I do feel like a bit of scrubbing.

Among the samples I have used, I quite liked Estée Lauder’s Idealist Micro-D Deep Thermal Refinisher and Chanel’s Gommage Microperlé Élat. But I was still searching for something even milder.

I felt I hit the jackpot when I tried Boots’ No 7 Gentle Renewing No Grains Exfoliator.

No grains? So how does it exfoliate? Enzyme? No. AHA? No.

The main exfoliating agent is mica. Yes, it is the kind of mineral powder that gives your eyeshadows and foundations a bit of shimmer. (I can see the shimmer when I have a bit of the product on the back of my hand.) It is this fine powder that is doing the job.

So, technically, it is not “No Grains”, since mica is still a kind of physical particle. But it is so fine that I don’t feel that my face is being scrubbed. (It goes on simply like a liquid-y lotion.)

For me, it does a sublime job! My face feels and looks smoother after each use, and it is so gentle that it doesn’t give my face any redness, dryness, or discomfort.

I am in my second tube now and this product will continue to be a proud resident in my bathroom for quite some time to come!

Some other skincare posts:

My Daily Skincare Routine
(Do we share favorites?)

Rose & Co. Apothecary’s Rose Petal Salve
(A great lip balm that looks so adorable…)

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I am planning to visit Japan again. It won’t be happening very soon, but my shopping list has been growing longer and longer already!

Apart from some of my favorite Japanese brands (such as Ayura, Sofina, Lavshuca), there are some specific items of my favorite brands and other very interesting lines I want to look at.

Here is just a little sneak peek of my shopping list!


1. Jill Stuart

(photo from www.jillstuart-beauty.com)

My ultimate cosmetics shopping trip in Japan will undoubtedly start with Jill Stuart (despite the risk of spending all my savings on the first day). I want to sample everything! I have several Jill Stuart items but I have always wanted more. I will definitely test the Blush Powder (loose powder blusher, second from left) and pick a shade I like.


2. Lunasol

(photo from www.kanebo-cosmetics.jp/lunasol/)


I absolutely love all the Lunasol items I have, but I have not yet had any of their beautiful eyeshadow palettes. They are quite expensive but…when in Japan…!

3. Elégance

(photo from www.elegance-cosmetics.com)


I absolutely love this brand but I haven’t really talked about it on my blog. El
égance is a French fashion label that has a cosmetics line in a couple of Asian countries. It is very high-end but the quality is great. I love the simple but opulent gold packaging as well. I am interested in their pressed powder blusher and the new cream blusher.

4. Eprise

( photo from www.albion.co.jp)

Eprise is the makeup line from Albion, a major cosmetics brand in Japan. Albion has some extremely popular skincare and foundation products. The makeup line Eprise is relatively low-key but has an elegant look that really appeals to me.

5. ettusais

(photo from www.ettusais.co.jp)


I have used many ettusais foundation and skincare products and have thought highly of them. The ettusais makeup line has recently been re-packaged. Well, it doesn’t particularly look very exciting, but I would like to have a look at the new blusher (yes, I can’t have enough blushers…), which features a sponge puff attached to the bottom of the container.


6. Sonia Rykiel

(photo from www.isetan.co.jp)

Sonia Rykiel is another French fashion label that has a cosmetics line in Asia. Known for some great foundation formulations and a couple of skincare products, Sonia Rykiel Cosmetics has an exquisite quality. Currently, the makeup packaging is inspired by Sonia Rykiel’s famous stripy patterns:

(photo from www.isetan.co.jp)


7. Watosa

(photo from www.isetan.co.jp)

Watosa is a quirky brand with a colorful look. Like Stila, paper is used for some of the product packaging. I bought a Watosa lipstick in Hong Kong many years ago and this is a brand I want to try more products from.

8. Kiss

(photo from www.kiss-cosmetics.com)


Kiss is a drugstore line that has been immensely popular in Japan. The packaging is very girlie, although I don’t think the overall look is as dreamy and princessy as Lavshuca. But like Lavshuca, their products are very affordable and I won’t leave Japan without a couple of their goodies.

9. Love Clover

(photo from www.loveclover.jp)

Love Clover, like Makemania (which carries Curvy Lip Silicone) is part of SONY. It has also been a popular drugstore brand and has a rather similar feel to Kiss. The PonPonCheek N (above) looks so adorable!

10: Anuenue


(photo from www.ar-anuenue.com)

Anuenue is another drugstore line from SONY. It recently launched some skincare products, including Hand Balm and Lip Balm seen above.

The list goes on and on, as there are many other brands and products I am interested in. But I’d better stop here before I get carried away (and book my flight to Tokyo tomorrow)!

Notes:

1. In the UK, we have Shiseido International, Kanebo International, Paul & Joe, RMK, and SUQQU. (We used to have Anna Sui and Chic Choc, but they left a few years ago.)

2. Some of the brands above are available outside Japan. But Japan is the only country where all of them are available…

Related posts:

Read about my favorite Japanese brands:
Ayura
Anna Sui
Jill Stuart
Lavshuca
Lunasol
Paul & Joe
Sofina

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