Let’s Talk Fashion: Golden Globe 2007 (The Good)

by PJ on Thursday, January 18, 2007

in fashion, fashion - award fashion

It is the award season again. Now I have an excuse to talk about all the glamorous evening gowns!

Today it is all about the good ones. The list is not conclusive. I am just commenting on what I have seen so far. Stay tuned for tomorrow for the Not-So-Good!

In no particular order:

1. America Ferrera

I am loving her at the moment. (Ugly Better has just started to be shown in the UK two weeks ago.) I was trying to imagine what she would wear to the Golden Globe, and, when I saw her, I thought I could have been the one that put her in that gorgeous deep purple number! The cut around the shoulders and the train were spot-on and really flattered her shape. The deep rich color worked for her as well.

2. Angelina Jolie

I love this grey gown. Some people don’t think it is a good shade of grey for her but I disagree. It is indeed not the easiest color to wear (especially for an evening gown and especially when it is not on a light-reflective fabric), but the color really made her stand out. If it were in black, it would be boring, and if it were in pale grey, it would probably wash her out. I also love the simplicity of the design. Her hair looked divine and her makeup was flawless. She just looked like a goddess.

(One thing I noticed is that out of the dozens of shots of her on the red carpet, there was not even one remotely bad shot. How on earth did she manage that?)

3. Eva Longoria

She usually goes for bold colors (which she pulls off well), so it was nice to see her in a much more sedate color. She looked both elegant and sexy. The jeweled detail was a good touch; otherwise it would have been a relatively boring gown.

4. Felicity Huffman

Emerald green is not an easy color to wear, but when it is done right, it can be stunning. (I was thinking about Salma Hayek in last year’s Oscar (okay it was more of a turquoise) and Julianne Moore in the Oscar a couple of years ago.) Felicity Huffman’s gown looked great on her and her hair looked fabulous. The overall look was very glamorous and she definitely made an impact.

5. Helen Mirren

I so consistently like what Helen Mirren has been wearing to all award ceremonies in recent years. (See here for my favorite.) There is rarely anything dull about what she wears. Yet she is able to maintain that understated elegance. For the Golden Globe this year, she exuded elegance again with a dark blue-green gown. I personally would have liked to see her in something a little more glamorous. But overall, she is someone that really has true style!

In defense of Cameron Diaz:

I need to mention her here. I haven’t really read anything positive about her look, and I feel that I need to defend her a little bit.

I love that Valentino gown. When I first saw that gown on a magazine a while ago, I instantly loved it. I like gowns with some drama, and Cameron was able to carry off the design. The thing that didn’t work was her makeup. I think she was trying to do the old-school Hollywood look but the dark hair and the red lips were distracting and made her face too harsh-looking. I’d think soft smoky eyes and nude lips would keep the focus on the gown and create a better overall look.

Don’t forget to be back tomorrow!

Related links (with photos):
E! Fashion Police
The Golden Globe Winners & Losers (from Beautiful Makeup Search & Beauty Blog)

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London Fashion Weekend: Feb 22-25 2007

by PJ on Monday, January 15, 2007

in fashion

The twice-a-year London Fashion Weekend is coming again! It is a great event for any serious fashion fan.

I went there in February two years ago with a friend, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

It featured items from a great variety of top designers. We were there for about 2 hours and we could only browse through everything really quickly. We could have easily spent a lot more time if we wanted to.

There were both clothing and accessories. There were also quite a lot of exquisite full-length dresses. Although most of the items were for women, I do remember seeing some really nice men’s sweaters from John Smedley.

My friend grabbed herself a nice purple suede evening bag for about 20 pounds and a wonderful quarter-length tie-up coat for about 80 pounds.

Tickets are available on their website.

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Avon: It Will Be a Long Way…

by PJ on Saturday, January 13, 2007

in makeup, skincare

I got my first ever Avon catalog a couple of days ago. I have never used anything from Avon before and I am not sure what I should be looking for. I really think this is more or less what the general public in the UK are feeling toward the brand.

The reason for me to order a catalog (which is easier to browse than the website) is that I wanted to know more about Avon products after I watched a program about Avon on BBC a few weeks ago. It looked into the recent expansion of Avon in the UK and what difficulties it had been experiencing.

It mentioned several key difficulties. One is the dated image of the brand. Another is the lack of A-list celebrity endorsement. Still another is the lack of a clear target consumer group.

But I personally think there is another problem. It lacks a major “cult” product to attract attention to the whole brand. When everybody around you or on an Internet forum has been saying something is good, it is quite likely that you will be interested in finding out what the fuss is about.

I’d like to use the example of DHC’s cleansing oil. In Japan, shopping for DHC products is not totally a glamorous affair. DHC mainly uses mail and telephone orders for their sales. They don’t do heavy celebrity endorsement campaigns. Their packaging is plain and far from trendy.

Overall, it is similar to Avon in the UK. But the DHC cleansing oil has been so popular in Japan that it has the ability to propel sales of other DHC products. I believe a usual pattern is for someone to start using and falling in love with the cleansing oil and then trying other DHC products as a natural progression.

Unfortunately, it is not enough to have wonderfully formulated products. Some level of hype has to be generated to grab people’s attention and for the products to fly off the shelves.

YSL has Touche Elat, Lancome has the mascaras, and Clinique has the 3-step system, but Avon is not famous for anything (at least in the UK). Sometimes it only takes one product to get the customers closer to the whole brand.

Another thing I think Avon should do in the UK is to make samples more readily available. Since we don’t have the traditional Avon ladies here (do correct me if I am wrong) and it does not have a counter, it is very hard for people to sample Avon products first before they think about whether they want to make a purchase. Even though Avon has a great money back guarantee policy (even when the product has been used), it is still a chore to pack an unsuitable product up and send it back.

What happened to me is that, after asking around, I found that many people seemed to like Avon Glazewear lipglosses. But I still don’t think I’ll make any purchase because I’d really like to try the colors first, at least on the back of my hand, just to see the pigmentation and the level of shimmer. So, even though I am quite keen to experiment in general, I am still a bit hesitant to make a purchase at the moment.

One of the things that DHC does is offering travel-size sample kits at a very low price so that people can easily afford to try a variety of products and see what they can incorporate into their existing skincare routine. That’s the way to go!

I think Avon still has a long way to go before it can make it big in the UK. Unless they get the marketing (which includes customer sampling) spot on, it will be a very long journey…

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Raycious Spring/Summer 2007 Foundation Collection

by PJ on Thursday, January 11, 2007

in -Kao, -Sofina, 2007 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

(Pictured: my Raycious stash)

Raycious updated its website today to feature the latest additions, due out in February.

I love Raycious. It is more or less the only reason why Sofina is one of my favorite brands. (See my post about Sofina here, which is mostly about Raycious.)

This spring, there are three new products. The Glamorous Skin Powder will be the 8th-generation Raycious powder foundation. (The 7th-generation is the one with the three-way mirror. The link just above has a photo of it.) Again, the case looks so lovely and will definitely be added to my collection.

Along with the foundation, there are a primer and a double-tipped highlighting/shading pen.

The Crystal Skin Base is a primer that will impart a sheer luminosity. But it might look greasy on my skin after a couple of hours.

The Face Trick Duo is an interesting product. It has a highlighting cream on one end and a beige/brown contour shading cream on the other. It is for creating defined facial features and contour. Because of its creamy texture (but lighter than the usual creamy concealer), it is used before a powder foundation or after a liquid/cream foundation.

This and the Glamorous Face Powder are what I look forward to trying!

After months of anticipation, Raycious seems to have delivered products that are worth the wait. But I will pass my final judgment when I get my hands on these new products.

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Ayura Spring 2007 Collection

by PJ on Sunday, January 7, 2007

in -Ayura, 2007 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

(Pictured: my Ayura stash)

The new Ayura collection includes lipglosses, eye palettes, nail colors, and aromatic face absorbent paper. It is out on January 26th.

I quite like the lipglosses. The ones with three layers seem intriguing, especially the BL one. But the layers will probably merge after several uses.

The whole collection is soft and breezy. There are no garish colors. It might lack the drama that some people look for, but for me these are lovely items that can enhance our natural beauty.

I consistently like Ayura’s seasonal makeup collections. It always has something interesting, like the stunning creamy eyeshadows last autumn.

Ayura doesn’t have the ultra ornate packaging of Anna Sui or the glamorous look of Dior. But it is the epitome of elegance. The packaging is soft and feminine and so are most of the colors in the makeup line. Moderately pigmented and without too much glitter, the understated makeup is for everyday use and for most occasions.

To me, it is a brand I can always count on, and the new makeup collection proves it again.

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Japanese vs. Western

by PJ on Thursday, January 4, 2007

in all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, skincare, What do you think? Beauty topics and thoughts

(Paul & Joe, Suqqu, Visee, and YSL…
so which side is winning?)


Several days ago, someone in the asian_beauty community over at LiveJournal asked me whether I preferred Japanese over western cosmetics. I gave an answer but was inspired to write a longer post here.

In terms of makeup, I do actually prefer Japanese products. I have ten favorite makeup brands and seven of them are Japanese. There are three main reasons:

1. I tend to go for sheer pigmentation for eyeshadows, blushers and lipsticks.

2. I love cute/elegant/princessy (depending on the brand) packaging. I know this is purely subjective. Brands like Pout and Benefit have more than merely functional packaging and they are known for cute and quirky images respectively, but I am never a fan. Not even Stila (sorry Stila fans)…I don’t like cartoon drawings on my makeup. On the other hand, brands like Ayura and Jill Stuart can do no wrong for me.

I don’t usually put my makeup items away in toiletry bags or drawers. I arrange them beautifully and display them happily on my dressing table and on the shelves. They are part of the room and part of the decor. I choose my makeup with the same aesthetic eye as I choose a table lamp or a coffee table.

The bottom line is, with many brands that have looks that appeal to me, when I need something (be it a lipstick or a foundation), I am usually able to find something that looks great, both on my face and in front of my eyes, and I will use it with more enthusiasm and joy.

And it just happens that most of these brands are Japanese.

3. A simple reason: most Japanese makeup items are scent-free.

Skincare-wise, I don’t have a preference. When I first started using skincare products, I chose them by reading the blurbs. If they sounded like something I wanted my skin to look like and if the price was within my budget, I would consider trying them. But over the years, I have learned to pay attention to the chemical aspects of skincare products. Now the first thing I look at when choosing skincare products is the ingredient list. I know what is good for my skin and what I should avoid.

In this case, the packaging is important in terms of preserving the antioxidants in, say, a moisturizer. A container with a pump dispenser is far better than a jar with a lid. (So of course we are not talking about aesthetics here.)

The thing with quite a few Japanese toners and moisturizers is that they tend to have alcohol to create that fresh feel after each use. But my sensitive skin can’t really tolerate that. (I don’t think alcohol should be in any skincare product anyway. It is potentially drying and irritating.) I do love some of the Shu Uemura products because they are alcohol-free and are so gentle. But currently most of my skincare products are from western brands. For example, my moisturizers are from Estee Lauder and Lancome, and recently I bought one from Nivea. If you happen to wonder what I use on a daily basis, read my post here.

I think many of us, especially the younger generation, are getting quite knowledgeable about what does and doesn’t work, but there are still some people who buy whatever the sales assistants say is good. I do try to encourage friends around me to learn more about ingredients in skincare products. After all, they go on our faces every single day…we might as well learn about them. I think a good place to start would be Paula Begoun’s website, as I am sure many of you know. Do some research and it will benefit you immensely!

Overall, Japanese makeup has the edge. Skincare-wise, I simply use what works for me. At the moment, there are more western products in my skincare routine, while several years ago, I used more Japanese products. So I wouldn’t say I have a clear preference. It depends on what suits my skin and what is more available at a given time and place.

So, what’s your take on this?

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Lunasol Spring 2007 Collection

by PJ on Wednesday, January 3, 2007

in -Kanebo, -Lunasol, 2007 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup


(pictured: my Lunasol stash)


I am loving the look of Lunasol’s new collection! It is going toward a very soft look. All the colors look so gentle and wearable. It is about subtle and barely-there makeup.

My top pick is the lip palette, or Skin-Modeling Lips as it is properly called. This limited edition palette has four parts:

creamy-matte color (lip base)
natural color (lip color)
sheer gloss
jewel gloss

I’d like to have the one in EX04. I am a fan of blue-tone (but nearly totally sheer, of course) lipglosses. They make lips look really dewy and create a very natural and watery gleam.

This kit reminds me of another one by Ayura. It features a lip base, a lip liner, a highlight liner (for the two ridges of the upper lip, for extra perkiness), and a lip gloss. It is more of a lip-shaping kit that works in combination with your own lipsticks. I have it in 01 and I really like it.

The eye palettes also feature some soft colors. They are not as striking as what Lunasol had for last autumn (which has proven to be so successful that they top the favorite eye palette lists of Biteki and Frau magazines in Japan as voted by the readers), but they are great basics that look airy, breezy and beautiful. They also remind me of Jill Stuart’s latest eye palettes For example, Lunasol’s 04 looks very similar to Jill Stuart’s 02 Crystal Jade, and they both have the ubiquitous beige-tone palettes. I think, in this case, I’ll stick with Jill Stuart’s 04 Amethyst.

Both the four-color face powder palettes (Tone-Up Powder) look similar to Dior Detective from last autumn. It would be interesting to see how different Lunasol’s take on this will be.

The lip and nail colors will be great for the nude-color look.

As you can see, most of these products do remind me of some others. (Of course it is not unusual. New products are usually existing ones with a twist anyway.) But the texture and the pigmentation will vary (and the packaging, of course!) and I look forward to trying them out.

Apart from those above, you can also see Lunasol’s new foundation items here.

The color makeup items are out on January 19th, and the foundation items are out on February 23rd.

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Anna Sui Spring 2007 Collection

by PJ on Monday, January 1, 2007

in -Anna Sui, 2007 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup


(pictured: my Anna Sui stash)


Anna Sui is one of my absolute favorites (see this post), and I do like the fact that they have brought the main packaging color scheme back to black.

The first thing about the new collection is the array of new lipglosses. There are 19 of them, in different color palettes (pink, orange, red, and beige) and varying pigmentations. There are also six new lipsticks (in two different finishes, and in pink and beige) and six nail colors.

Also included in the collection is a square black brush holder.

It is a basic collection and it does lack a bit of a wow factor compared with Jill Stuart from yesterday and Lunasol and Ayura which I will touch upon in the next few days. Also it lacks items for eyes or cheeks. Overall it is slightly disappointing.

The collection is out on January 11.

Wednesday: Lunasol’s new collection

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Jill Stuart Spring 2007 Collection

by PJ on Sunday, December 31, 2006

in -Jill Stuart, 2007 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

(my Jill Stuart items)
.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Jill Stuart has updated its website to feature the upcoming spring 2007 makeup collection. It is a very pink collection with a lilac and aqua-blue edge.

I saw magazine photos of the collection items on MakeupAlley a while ago, and the first things that caught my eye were the eyeshadow palettes. All four palettes look great. I read from Bea’s Up magazine (January 2007) that they are quite pigmented and glittery. Not for everyone, I guess, but I’d certainly like to try them.

I am particularly interested in 04, which is a lilac-toned palette. The case looks extremely cute and I like the longer double-ended applicator, which should be easier to work with than those fiddly ultra-short ones.

The rest of the collection seems great as well. There has been some buzz about the two new shades of Jelly Eye Color. I have never tried Jelly Eye Color, but it seems to be one of Jill Stuart’s best-sellers.

Judging by what I have seen so far, I think this collection is among the best in spring 2007.

The collection will be released in Japan on January 19th.

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Winter Sale & YSL/Givenchy Spring 2007 Collections

by PJ on Friday, December 29, 2006

in -Givenchy, -Lancôme, -YSL, 2007 Spring, makeup, skincare, stash focus

(pictured: my only sale purchase…)


I went to Central London for the start of the winter sale on the 27th. I have to say I was quite disappointed. Usually there would be a few surprises apart from what I expected to see, so the fun was trying to decide what to buy. (Battling between budget and desire can be painful but exciting at the same time…) But this time there was just nothing.

In Selfridges Oxford Street, where major cosmetics brands often unveil their latest collections before the actual UK launch date, I happened to see YSL’s and Givenchy’s Spring 2007 Collections. Givenchy’s new eyeshadow palette looked very exciting with all the vibrant colors. But when I tested them, I found that most of them were not very wearbale. On the other hand, YSL’s eyeshadow palettes were better in that respect. Two of them featured brown tones and the other one had soft green, pink, and lilac.

What happens in most UK department stores during the sale is that some brands have items with 30-50% discounts. They are usually surplus stock or unsold limited edition items from previous seasons. They are usually placed in a small box at the counter. This time I saw YSL’s Gold Celebration Palette from 2005 (the one with a heart in the middle), YSL’s Palette Signes D’Orient (Autumn 2006), and Dior’s 5-color eyeshadow palette in 370 (Autumn 2006).

The only thing I did get from the sale was this year’s Lancome Hydra Zen gift set, which includes Hydra Zen 50ml for normal to dry skin, Hydra Zen Nuit 15ml, Hydra Zen Yeux 3ml, and Juicy Tube 7ml in Fraise. The original price was more or less the normal retail price of the Hydra Zen 50ml. With 30% off, it was a good bargain, especially when I also use the richer Hydra Zen Nuit when the weather is very cold.

Overall, this is one of the most underwhelming sale trips. But on the bright side, it is money saved for next year…

Next few days: more updates and thoughts about some upcoming stuff

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