-Ayura

My Top 10: Spring 2007 Makeup Round-Up (#6, #5)

by PJ on Wednesday, March 7, 2007

in -Ayura, -Dior, 2007 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, seasonal makeup top 10

(pictured: my Dior Addict Ultra-Nude
in #380 Undressed Mauve along with
Dior Detective Chic palette from Autumn 2006)

#6: Ayura (“Hawaiian Garden” Collection)

The Look: Sunny and breezy, with colors that brighten your eyes and your day. The combination of tropical colors in the eye palettes are unusual and fun — turquoise with lilac, orange with purple, and blue with minty green. Great when you want to be a bit more experimental.

Key Items: The three limited-edition Aqua Fix Lipglosses. Fresh and vibrant with three tiers of colors, they remind me of summer cocktails by the beach.

#5: Dior (“Dior Flight” Collection)

The Look: Chic, glamourous, and globe-trotting beauty. The Dior Flight palettes carry all the essentials (eyeshadow, blusher, and lip color), and the two 5-color eye palettes feature two very different looks (soft warm pastels and dramatic blue). The two single-color eyeshadows, white and pink, are spot-on with this season’s soft, femine, and almost-nude look. (Read a more detailed review of the collection here.)

Key Items: Dior Addict Ultra-Nude lipsticks. Definitely some of my favorite items for this season. All the five colors are sheer and wearable while giving a gloss-effect. The #380 (Undressed Mauve) that I have goes well with a variety of eyeshadows like cool pink, lilac, and pastel blue. The must-try for this season, in my opinion!

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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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PJ’s Rankings: Christmas 2006 (6th to 4th)

by PJ on Monday, December 11, 2006

in -Ayura, -Jill Stuart, -Kosé, 2006 Holiday, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, seasonal makeup top 10

(continued from yesterday)

6th: Jill Stuart
The collection includes a set of pressed powder, two eye glosses, and a nail polish. The collection also includes two lipstick charms. Everything is ultra cute and glossy. The pink and golden eye glosses look extremely cute, but the color might a bit too sheer for some people. I nearly decided to buy the lipstick charm, but I settled for another one (you can look for it on the photo above), which I will review tomorrow.

5th: AYURA
Another makeup and evening bag set. The bag looks exquisite. There are one-off creations like the bubble bath, the hair gloss, and the face highlighter. The set also includes a choice of lipstick. Again, AYURA creates interesting one-off products to entice us. (I want the bubble bath and the hair gloss!!)

4th: Visee
I have never bought anything from Visee before, but this chic and edgy Gothic-style lip palette won me over (pictured upper left). The palette features a lip base, a lip liner, four lip colors and two lip glosses. The colors are basic and wearable, with the catchy exterior being the main selling point. The Gothic design, not the usual Visee packaging, is also a one-off. The real thing looks as good as it does on the website and on the magazine.

Tomorrow I will reveal the top 3.

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Fragrance Favorites: Stella, Bulgari, and Ayura

by PJ on Friday, November 10, 2006

in -Ayura, -Bulgari, -Stella McCartney, all about Japanese cosmetics, fragrance


(group shot of my top three)

These are my favorite fragrances:
Eau Parfumee au the vert by Bulgari
Stella by Stella McCartney
Spirit of AYURA by AYURA

The first one I came across was Eau Parfumee au the vert by Bulgari in 1997 after having been interested in fragrances for a couple of years. (Looking back, I think it was fragrances that got me interested in the world of beauty products.) I could really feel the refreshing green tea note, even though a friend of mine said it smelled very floral for her. I guess it is because of the lily and the rose notes.

It is such a great summer fragrance. Light and lilting. The Extreme version is obviously more intense but is still refreshing.

I discovered Stella in the Stella McCartney boutique in London. The first Stella fragrance I bought was actually Sheer Stella 2005. I don’t normally go for an obvious rose note but Sheer Stella 2005 is such a pleasant surprise. Compared with some other rose-based fragrances, Stella has a real depth, which is probably due to the amber note.

Then I really started to explore the whole Stella collection. I got the original Stella and managed to get Sheer Stella (2004). I then got Stella pure parfum (thank you, Boots points) and Stella Rose Absolute (merci, Nectar points). My latest addition was Sheer Stella 2006.

I don’t have a particular favorite among these, but I love the less vibrant and more sophisticated Stella Rose Absolute. Also, I sometimes dab a little Stella pure parfum under my ears before I go to bed. The scent is very calming.

As for Spirit of AYURA by AYURA, I have talked a little bit about it in a previous post. For me, it is the best of the three. It is a little close to Eau Parfumee au the vert but it seems to have even more substance. I also love the subtle oriental twists. It is the most multi-faceted out of the three, but all the different sides mix so incredibly well together. It is easy to wear but far from boring. I am not surprised that it is one of the best selling fragrances in Japan.

There are other fragrances I like, such as Blush by Marc Jacobs and Miss Dior Cherie. Perhaps I will talk about them later.

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Loving Japanese Brands (1 of 7) : AYURA

by PJ on Wednesday, November 8, 2006

in _Japanese Brand Profile, _Loving Japanese Brands, -Ayura, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, skincare

(pictured: part of my own collection)
.

If I had to stick to only one brand of cosmetics for the rest of my life, I would choose AYURA. It is a brand that exudes an understated ambiance of oriental sensitivity and elegance.

AYURA is named after the word “ayus” in Sanskrit, which means “life”, according to an AYURA dairy book I was given as a gift with purchase.

When I first saw this brand on a Japanese magazine, I was instantly attracted to its understated and elegant packaging. I like the fact that each product looks a bit different but is instantly recognizable as an AYURA product and that the products don’t have the individual names of the products printed on the containers (they are on a sticker on the bottom of the containers).

So when I went to Japan for the first time several years ago, I went a bit crazy. Also, the staff at the counter were so helpful, even when I couldn’t really speak Japanese.

Most of the body products I have have a wonderful scent, especially the Spirit of AYURA range. “It must be what heaven smells like,” I once said to a friend.

Here are some of my favorites:

Meditation Bath (bath soak): It turns milky once it is in contact with water. It is almost like taking a milk bath. The scent is very relaxing.

Arising Shower eau de cologne: Very zesty and invigorating. Light but lasting. I usually use it during daytime.

Spirit of AYURA eau de parfum: One of my three favorite fragrances. Even though it is supposed to be eau de parfum, I don’t feel that it is as strong and long-lasting as eau de parfum should be. It is a good balance between sensual floral and crispy citrus notes, with oriental twists.

Spirit of AYURA Aroma Hand (hand cream): A best-seller for AYURA, it is under the Spirit of AYURA range so it has the same scent. Lightly moisturizing and not greasy. It has very fine and sparse light-reflecting particles to make hands look smoother.

Lip Moist Wrapping: One of the best lip balms I have ever used, even though I don’t usually like lip balm in a spot (less hygienic). Moisturizing, long-lasting, and doesn’t give me the glossy and greasy look which I don’t like in a lip balm.

Lip Retouch Compact: It has a lip base, lip liner, lip gloss, and highlight liner to define lip shape. The compact (inside and out) looks divine!

I like the face care range as well. The oil cleanser and toners are fairly good. Their hair care range is also good, but I personally won’t spend that much on shampoo and conditioner.

One of the things they do which keep me going back to them is that they often bring out limited edition sets. They usually contain travel-size versions of their popular products, teamed with a limited edition product, which is only available as part of the set. Many people buy the sets for the limited editions and they get to try the products they don’t normally buy. Seems like a good business idea.

I think AYURA is available only in Japan and Taiwan. It is the brand I want to see in the UK the most!!

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