(continued from the previous post)
—————#6: Shu Uemura————————-
The Look: Juxtaposition of warm and cool hues.
Key Items: Sunrise Prism and Sunset Prism Eyeshadow Palettes. (Another interpretation of the sunrise/sunset theme is Chanel’s two Contraste Lumiere palettes, billed as “dawn and day” in Japan.) Not as bold as MAC’s C-Shock Collection, they are still richer than most pastel shades around. The combinations of colors are very interesting and enticing (turquoise, emerald and yellow for Sunrise Prism and orange, lilac, and gold for Sunset Prism). I’d be tempted to mix the colors from the two eye-catching palettes.
—————#5: Lavshuca————————-
The Look: A Touch of Blusher (Umm……)
Key Items: Cheek Colors. If you like to go heavy on the blusher, then they might not be right for you. (They do layer fine, but it takes time.) They impart a light wash of color. It is predominantly matte, which I like as well.
(I am not really sure how these are compared with the striped Cheek Select, which, from what I have gathered, is too sheer for most people’s liking. I think the Cheek Colors are probably more pigmented, as they certainly can’t be used as an overall face powder…)
—————#4: Lunasol————————-
The Look: Azure eyes.
Key Item: Skin Modeling Eyes in EX02 Beige Cool. This is a great palette for creating the hot look of this season: blue eyes. Instead of the bright and bold cobalt blue, the palette features a light pastel blue and a deeper and more understated dark blue. A very wearable blue eye palette.
To be continued……(see who wins the medals…)
Related Posts:
Lunasol Summer 2007 Collection
Lavshuca Summer 2007 Collection
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I started reading your blog recently, and I love it! I’ve always been hesitant to try Asian cosmetics because I can’t find any information (in English) about them. I’m just curious about the lasting power of the makeup because I hate it when my eyeshadow starts to fade after an hour. I’m also curious to know if there are any cosmetics that aren’t chock full of sparkles…I sometimes like to wear makeup that’s a little more understated. Also, have you ever tried Menard or Laneige products? (I know Laneige is Korean, but any thoughts would be really helpful.)
Thank so much! =D
Hello Sweety Heart,
Thank you very much for reading my blog and leaving a comment!
I have never tried Menard or Laneige actually. Menard has never been easily available wherever I have been. Their strength is mainly in their skincare products, which are quite pricey. About Laneige, outside Korea, it has been relatively popular in Taiwan, from what I have gathered. Some of their most popular items include the complexion-adjusting makeup base (http://www.laneige.com.sg/16-makeupbase.html).
About sparkling makeup in Japanese brands, I understand your concern. In the last 7 or 8 years or so, it is almost all about sparkles/shimmer/glitter in Japanese cosmetics, and each year everything is able to get even more glittery. While it can be very funky and glamorous, it is not for all people across ages and tastes. While I think the trend will continue, there will have to be a point when the trend starts to switch. (For me, my personal favorite finish is something that is predominantly matte with just a little bit of shimmer, not glitter.)
For matte items in Japanese brands, apart from Shu Uemura, which I am sure you know about, I think a superb choice is SUQQU. Almost all their blushers and eysshadows are completely matte. For matte items, texture is very important (otherwise they will easily come out very chalky), and SUQQU’s blushers and eyeshadows have a wonderfully smooth and silky texture. (Please have a look at some of my SUQQU articles under the “SUQQU” label, where I talked about their products in more detail.) But currently, SUQQU is only available in Japan, Thailand, and the UK.
Some of the other Japanese brands where it is more likely to find matte items are Ayura, IPSA, and RMK. But apart from RMK, which is available in the UK, Ayura and IPSA are only available in East Asia. (Makeup products from Ayura and IPSA do embody the word you mentioned: understated.)
About the lasting powder, I think it is the same across western and Japanese brands. There will always be items that have less staying powder than others, even within the same brand. I myself haven’t experienced any problem with lasting powder in Japanese brands in general.
From my own observation, staying powder can really vary from person to person, so the best way is to try for yourself.
May I ask what country you are in at the moment? Maybe I can try to think of things that I know are available where you are. Please do e-mail me with any more question if you wish to!! Thank you very much!
Hi again,
I’m in Canada. It seems like we’re way behind here because I can never find a lot of the products mentioned in other blogs even if they’re from well-known brands. There’s a Chinese mall located near me, which is how I know about Menard and Laneige, but otherwise, I’m left with Western-brand cosmetics. Any suggestions on how to solve my makeup dilemmas would be great! haha =)
Hello there again,
I see. Interesting to know that Menard and Laneige are available in Canada. I didn’t know about this before.
Would you be interested in shopping for Japanese cosmetics on-line? The website that I have been using is http://www.adambeauty.com. It is based in Hong Kong. It takes PayPal and the price you see under each item includes the international shipping charge. You will be asked to pay 2 USD for registered postage on top of each order. I have shopped from this site for many times and I have been happy with the price and the service.
Another website you may try is ichibankao.com. I have not used this site but I recently heard about some good feedback on it. It is based in Japan, and the advantage of this site (even though the prices are more expensive than those at adambeauty.com) is that you can ask about other products that are not listed on the website.
Do have a look at the sites and see what you think!
Thanks for the websites! They’re great! =D
Hello there!
You are very welcome. Happy browsing!