SUQQU in Selfridges London and Shu Uemura in Fenwick Bond Street

by PJ on Thursday, December 7, 2006

in -Shu Uemura, -SUQQU, all about Japanese cosmetics, all about Japanese cosmetics (overseas availability information), makeup, skincare



Finally I was at the SUQQU counter to see all the products for the first time yesterday. Wonderful service there, which reminded me of my trip to Japan when the sales assistants bowed to me after hearing my compliments on their products.

This time, she didn’t bow to me, but she did say “Thank you” when I complimented on their nice packaging. (Usually, at most other counters in the UK, I get the reply “It is indeed nice, isn’t it?” They will *never* say this in Japan. You are supposed to be thankful for a customer’s compliment, not to eagerly agree with it. Well, I know there is no right or wrong about this.)

I left with a Creamy Lip Stick in 22 Benikoji, a nice beige pink. I also got samples of HA Complex Lotion and HA Complex Emulsion. In true Japanese style, the sales assistant came around the counter and handed the bag to me with both hands. Again, I felt like I was in Takashimaya Shinjuku.

Later, I went to Fenwick Bond Street Christmas Shopping Evening. As I expected, there were loads of people in the beauty section. It’s because it was rare for a department store to have a 20% discount on all cosmetics and fragrances. (As far as I know, on special 20% off days, department stores like Debenhams and House of Fraser only do 10% on cosmetics and fragrances.) No surprise, the accessory section was full of people looking through all the “it” bags for this season.

I bought a few things, including the Depsea Therapy Moisture Recovery Nanowater. I left feeling satisfied and wanted to come back next year.

By the way, I saw Dior’s Asia-only “Ultra Shine 2” lipsticks in Harvey Nichols.

I will now save the money for the coming winter sale.

{ 7 comments }

Sunscreen Basics

by PJ on Monday, December 4, 2006

in skincare, skincare - moisturizing/others, What do you think? Beauty topics and thoughts

Just a reminder really. I’ll (try to!) make it short.

First of all, wear sunscreen EVERY DAY, regardless of the weather or whether you need to be outdoor for a long time. If you can see any daylight, UV rays are present and you need to use protection. I know it means you have to wear sunscreen every day for the rest of our lives, but it is human beings’ fault in the first place to have ruined Nature’s ability to shield UV rays. So we have only ourselves to blame.

Secondly, apart from proper UVB protection, which the SPF represents, UVA protection is equally important. UVB rays burn our skin and both UVA and UVB rays cause skin cancer as well as accelerate the aging of the skin (by damaging collagen fibers).

Thirdly, a sunscreen with proper UVA protection should have at least one of the following five ingredients:

zinc oxide
titanium dioxide
avobenzone (aka Parsol 1789 or butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane)
Mexoryl SX
Tinosorb

(from Paula Begoun’s website, and go there for a very comprehensive guide on sun protection)

Do learn to check the ingredient list of the sunscreen product (or any skincare product, actually) you buy. If a sunscreen product does not have any of those ingredients, it is NOT something you should pay any money for.

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Budget Fashion Favorite: River Island

by PJ on Sunday, December 3, 2006

in fashion

(image from riverisland.com)

There are many budget fashion lines I like, such as H&M and Topshop. But a recent favorite of mine is River Island.

I particularly like their bags. They are generally very stylish and they keep up with the latest trend. There are occasionally some brassy exceptions, but mostly their bags are very chic. They also do nice real leather bags at relatively good prices (around 60 pounds (120 USD)).

The quality of their bags is very good. I think this is what sets them apart from other budget brands. I once came across a post where the person commented that the bags were very well made and could last a long time. I have two of their bags and I agree with this. The bags seem very sturdy. I like more structured bags (I am not really a fan of boho-style bags or slouchy ones), and it is important that they “stay in shape”. The bags I have perform well in this category.

I recently found out that River Island was chosen by Cosmopolitan UK as the best budget brand for handbags. I am not surprised at all.

Their on-line shop has constant updates. But they don’t run seasonal sales (which are only available in store). I do log on to their website a couple of times a week to check whether they have any new stuff. Umm…is this obsessive?

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2007 Spring Makeup Galore!

by PJ on Friday, December 1, 2006

in 2007 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

I was on MakeupAlley last night and I came across something I was not prepared to see. Haruchan posted loads of photos (from Urb magazine January 2007) of 2007 spring makeup collections of various brands. (Usually Biteki does it on the March issue, which is why I didn’t expect this at this time of year.)

I could just feel money flying away from me as I browsed (okay, closely studied!) the photos…

I am sort of glad that there weren’t all the major brands. After all, I always need something to look forward to. It was only November (I saw the photos yesterday), for goodness sake!

There are already some stuff on my shopping list (even though I haven’t totally taken care of what is on my Christmas makeup list):

Jill Stuart eyeshadow palette 04
Lunasol lip gloss palette EX04
Anna Sui lip gloss
YSL Pure Lipstick 135
YSL eyeshadow palette 06
Estee Lauder blusher stick

For what’s new for other brands like Paul & Joe, Givenchy, Lancome, Giorgio Armani, NARS, Sonia Rykiel, IPSA, Visee, M.A.C (and many more), go to MakeupAlley *NOW*.

Thanks again, Haruchan!

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New on My Watch List: M.A.Couture and Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited

by PJ on Wednesday, November 29, 2006

in -MAC, -Shu Uemura, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

I really like the packaging of the new MACouture collection. It is very chic and glamorous. I know it is more expensive than the usual MAC products (and it will be more expensive in the UK), but I will be more than happy to own a piece of it. Right now I am interested in MACouture Lipstick, Lipglass, and Sheer Mystery Powder.

The other thing is Shu Uemura’s new range of lipsticks “Rouge Unlimited“. I don’t normally like transparent packaging, but out of the 48 shades, there are a few interesting choices. The six artist shades (white, yellow, green, blue, purple, and black) are to be layered onto the other shades to give a sheer accent color, according to my Biteki magazine (November 2006). It also suggests PK308 as the base shade to experiment the layering. (You have to go to the Japanese website to see the shade. The color naming is different in the US. But I think it might be Nude Pink Pearl under Pink.) Can’t wait to see how the layering works, especially how the green and the blue layer on to the pink shade.

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Loving Japanese brands (7 of 7): Lunasol

by PJ on Monday, November 27, 2006

in _Japanese Brand Profile, _Loving Japanese Brands, -Kanebo, -Lunasol, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

(pictured: part of my collection)


Meaning “moon and sun”, Lunasol is a very chic and gown-up line from Kanebo Group. In the last few years, the packaging has changed twice but has always maintained a low-key demure image. It used to have a skincare collection but it was discontinued.

I am glad that Lunasol has been quite popular in a couple of other Asian countries. The brand does exude quality inside and out, and the whole collection seems to have a quiet confidence about it in the sea of attention-grabbing merchandise in department stores.

The first two Lunasol items I bought were the lipstick and the powder case, and I bought them on my first trip to Tokyo when Lunasol was only available in Japan. I was then able to fit my own Kanebo foundation cake into the case. (I think all the foundation cakes from most Kanebo-owned lines should fit into one another’s cases.)

I don’t usually go for simple designs (I like glamourous and intricate designs, like Jill Stuart and Anna Sui), but there is something very elegant and sophisticated about Lunasol that really appeals to me. Even though I still prefer the silver and copper-beige square design when the line debuted, the current rich and glossy chocolate-brown look has a great sense of low-key glamour.

Their blusher is the only peach-tone blusher I have (in 03 Light Orange). (It seems to have been discontinued in Japan. See the rest of the colors here.) Most of the time, cool or neutral pink blushers work better for me. (Warm-tone blushers usually make me look too flushed.) But this one actually looks slightly more neutral once it has sat on my face for a while.

The blusher itself, the case, and the brush have to be purchased separately, but the quality of the brush is very good. It is exceptionally soft and has a good density of hair.

The lip gloss I have is in 04 Bright Pink. It is not really a shockingly bright pink. It is a very natural pink with delicate shimmer. (See the rest of the lip products here).

Their 2006 Fall Collection (especially the eyeshadow palettes) and 2006 Holiday sets have been extremely popular.

In the last couple of years, Lunasol has been consistently launching great seasonal collections. Look out for what’s new in the coming year!

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Update: Gemma Ward fronts new cosmetics line in Japan

by PJ on Sunday, November 26, 2006

in _Japanese Brand Profile, -Esprique (Precious), -Kosé, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

(Gemma Ward for Esprique Precious)
(image from www.interwoman.co.jp)

Even though many Japanese companies love having western superstars as their spokespeople, it is relatively rare for Japanese cosmetics companies to do so. Usually they use famous local movie or television actresses, and a couple other companies prefer relatively unknown western models.

However, Shiseido first broke the tradition by having Angelina Jolie to front the new budget cosmetics line Integrate earlier this year (see the television commercial on YouTube here). Now, Kose has international supermodel Gemma Ward to front their new makeup line Esprique Precious.

The line will debut with a limited edition set on December 1st, and the whole collection will hit the shops on December 16th in Japan.

The packaging is surprisingly similar to Kose’s other skincare and makeup line Beaute de Kose. Esprique Precious will have all the basics: lip sticks/glosses/liners, eye shadows/liners/mascaras, eyebrow pencils, blushers, and the face powder (similar to Guerlain’s Meteorites Powder). I am particularly interested in the blushers and the face powder. We can’t see the prices of the items on the website yet. I am sure they will appear later.

Do have a quick glance at part of the line.

Tomorrow: Lunasol, the concluding post to my Loving Japanese Brands series

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Loving Japanese brands (6 of 7): Lavshuca

by PJ on Thursday, November 23, 2006

in _Japanese Brand Profile, _Loving Japanese Brands, -Kanebo, -Lavshuca, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

(pictured: part of my collection)


Lavshuca is the latest addition to my favorite brands. It was launched in February this year and has foundation and color makeup products. (The flash version of the website is worth a look. It does a great job of attracting potential customers.)

Price-wise, it is also the cheapest. It is a shelf-top (budget) brand rather than a counter-top (premium) brand, so it is in the same league as Maybelline and Bourjois. (A single-color eyeshadow costs 840 Japanese yens, which is about 7.2 USD.) It is launched by Kanebo Cosmetics, so quality-wise, it is on the same level as RMK and Lunasol.

As with all my other favorites, one major part of Lavshuca’s appeal is in its packaging. (Kanebo launched Lavshuca in a bid to lure the image-conscious teenage market in Japan.) It has that dreamy quality, with a lot of curves and filigree patterns.

I have got the loose powder in the 2006 Fall Collection. It has a little light-reflective particles to add luminosity (not greasiness) to the complexion. The single-color eyeshadow I have has a really great texture.

For me, Lavshuca (and Shiseido’s Majolica Majorca) are the only two shelf-top brands that feature both top quality products and great packaging. No western budget brand comes even close. It would have no problem “looking expensive” if it had its own counter in a department store. Maybe this is part of the reason it has been extremely popular with teenagers and young 20-somethings in Japan. Other nearby countries in East Asia have already caught on the trend and many people there want a piece of Lavshuca as well.

As long as it keeps the dreaminess, the fun, and the coolness of the brand, I think Lavshuca will continue to be very popular.

{ 6 comments }

New Discovery: Elizabeth Arden’s 8 Hour Cream

by PJ on Wednesday, November 22, 2006

in -Elizabeth Arden, bodycare, skincare, skincare - moisturizing/others

I got a sample of this about a year ago. I tried it on the back of my hand and I felt it was too greasy even as a hand cream. I didn’t know what to use it for so I just put it away, and I kept wondering why so many people recommended it on magazines.

I thought of it a couple of days ago when my L’Occitane nail and cuticle cream was running out and when my Dior nail cream was no longer good enough for this cold weather. I have been putting it on before I went to bed for a couple of days and I am amazed with the result. My cuticles look moisturized despite the daily housework, and I think it might be even better than the L’Occitane one, which I have been using for the past two years.

I am seriously thinking about buying a full-size one (50ml) when the 5ml sample runs out. It costs 19 pounds in the UK, which I thought was fine. (It is cheaper than the 15-pound 30ml limited edition, in a small glass jar, which will be out soon.) However, I almost fell off my chair when I found out that it only costs $16 in the US. I am aware that American brands, like Clinique and Estee Lauder, are more expensive in EU, but not like this! It is more than doubled here!

But a 50ml “cuticle cream” for me will last for ages…so I will just have to get it for myself……

{ 2 comments }

Japanese beauty magazine: Biteki

by PJ on Monday, November 20, 2006

in all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, skincare

(Biteki magazine, August 2007)

Biteki is one of the major beauty magazines in Japan. There are others, such as Voce and Maquia, but Biteki has always been my firm favorite.

The magazine was launched in May, 2001. I think I have almost every issue. Even here in the UK, I subscribe to it at JP-Books in Mitsukoshi Department Store London. I pay the airmail rate so the latest issue arrives about 5 days after it is in store in Japan. The service at JP-Books is absolutely wonderful.

Biteki is like Allure in America (there is no equivalent in the UK!!), but I have to say Biteki is much better. First of all, it is much more up-to-date. The regular feature “launch calendar” lists all the major launches in the upcoming month, and there are comments on some of these new products from readers who were asked to try them by the magazine.

Second of all, it is *way* more comprehensive (there’s simply no comparison). Every March, June, September, and December issue has a major feature (for at least 20 pages) of virtually all the new seasonal makeup products (usually around 1000 items, mostly with actual-size photos) by all the major brands (around 45 brands).

Biteki focuses specifically on skincare and makeup. There is very little fashion, or even perfume. That’s what I like about Biteki. With it, I know everything I need to know about what to expect in the beauty market and I can make very informed purchase choices.

As mentioned earlier, there is no equivalent to such kind of magazine in the UK. Compared with British people, Japanese people are much more into skincare and makeup. They want to know everything and they enjoy staying updated. British people are much more laid-back about this and they don’t do nearly as much research. Certainly a huge cultural difference. (I would probably put American consumers in the middle. Websites like MakeupAlley and most blogs about beauty products are US-based, while there are extremely few beauty blogs in the UK.)

I have shown many issues of Biteki to my local Dior sale assistant. She loved them and agreed with me that there should be a magazine just about cosmetics in the UK. I wonder when it is ever going to happen…

Updated on October 24, 2007:

Photo of the cover of Biteki magazine August 2007 is added above.

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