(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!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello, this is the first time I visit your blog and I am really surprised that you know so much about Japanese cosmetics. I am from Taiwan (pretty close to Japan) and I’m crazy about cosmetics as well, it’s nice to know both of us love LunaSol, have you bought the Christmas limited edition?
Hello Sonia,
Thank you very much for visiting my blog and leaving a comment!
In the last couple of years, Lunasol is one of my favorite Japanese brands. (I also really like Jill Stuart and Lavshuca.) While Jill Stuart and Lavshuca are cute and princessy, Lunasol is really elegant and sophisticated. I am glad you like it as well.
I actually didn’t buy the Lunasol Christmas limited-edition set. But I am really looking forward to the Lunasol spring 2008 collection. I am particularly interested in the Lavender Coral eyeshadow palette.
I am originally from Taiwan as well, which probably makes it less surprising that I really love Japanese cosmetics…
(In the UK, we only have very few Japanese cosmetics brands, like Paul & Joe and RMK. But we have SUQQU, which, as I know, is not available in Taiwan.)
Thank you again for leaving your comment. Hope you would continue to stop by my blog, and if you enjoy reading it, do please introduce it to your friends. Thank you!
It would be really great if there are more people in Taiwan stopping by my blog.
Happy holidays, and hope to hear from you again! :)
i’ve been finding your blog really helpful! i’ve never tried lunasol before, but i’m thinking of getting either the purple or blue coral lunasol palette. However they’re priced at about 5000 yen aren’t they? So I was wondering if you could clarify if the quality is much better than other brands like T’estimo or Aube to justify the cost? Thanks in advance!
Hello b | u 3,
Thank you very much for reading my blog!
Indeed a Lunasol eyeshadow palette costs 5250 Yen, and it is not cheap. But I think the quality is superb and the price is justifiable. (I have just written a post about the Lavender Coral palette from Lunasol’s spring 2008 collection.) Do please have a look! :)
Compared with T’Estimo and Aube, I wouldn’t say Lunasol is much better. But this is only because the quality of T’Estimo and Aube is already very good. I think whether Lunasol’s quality is better is perhaps a matter of subjective opinion. I have come across reviews and comments from people who think Lunasol is indeed better than T’Estimo, Aube, and Maquillage and that Lunasol has some of the best makeup items among all the Kanebo lines. (By the way, you probably know that T’Estimo has been discontinued and has been replaced by Coffret D’Or.)
I personally slightly prefer Lunasol to Aube and T’Estimo because, out of all the products I have tested or bought from these brands, Lunasol’s quality is the most consistent. Also, I like the brand image and their richer philosophy behind the various seasonal collections.
You are probably aware of the fact that, in Japan, the pricing structure of a cosmetics line mainly reflects their brand image and target consumers (mainly in terms of age but also in terms of the level of financial affluence). It doesn’t necessarily reflect quality, and cheaper products are not necessarily worse.
Lunasol is marketed as a brand for consumers in their thirties and late twenties, where as T’Estimo’s (and Coffret D’Or’s) and Aube’s target consumers overlap with Lunasol’s but are noticeably younger. Lunasol also has a more polished and sophisticated brand image that tends to appeal to working professionals.
(But I have been intrigued by how well Lunasol has been doing since spring 2007 and by the fact that they have been gaining loyal users who are younger than their target audience.)
Hope my answer helps and that you will enjoy my post on the Lunasol Lavender Coral palette. Do let me know if you have any other question. I’ll be glad to help out! :)
Thank you again for stopping by my blog and posting your comment. Hope to hear from you again! :)