-Esprique (Precious)

Esprique Precious Fall 2009 Point Makeup & Fall/Winter 2009 Base Makeup Collection

by PJ on Tuesday, June 30, 2009

in -Esprique (Precious), -Kosé, 2009 Fall, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup

(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)

Kosé’s Esprique Precious will release its fall/winter base makeup collection in Japan on August 21st. The lineup includes:

– Dramatical Veil Pact Moisture (7 shades, SPF 20, PA++)
– Dramatical Veil Liquid (7 shades, SPF17, PA++)
– Moisturizing Base (1 shade, SPF 10, PA+)
– Lines Reset (concealer, 1 shade)
– Purely Veil Powder (loose powder, 1 shade, limited edition)

Esprique Precious’ fall 2009 point makeup items will be released on the same day. They include:

– Dress on Glossy Rouge (10 shades)
– True Impact Eyes (2 new variations, limited editions)

Related posts:

Foundation Face-Off – Dior vs. Esprique Precious

Esprique Precious Spring/Summer 2009 Base Makeup Collection

Esprique Precious Spring 2009 Makeup Collection

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Foundation Face-Off (4): Dior vs. Esprique Precious

by PJ on Tuesday, June 9, 2009

in -Dior, -Esprique (Precious), -Kosé, 2009 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup, makeup - base makeup - foundation

It has been over a year since my last Foundation Face-Off, and I hope you will enjoy this long overdue addition. Today I am taking you through two spring/summer 2009 releases: Dior’s Snow Whitening UV Compact (White Reveal UV Shield Makeup) and Beauté de Kosé Esprique Precious’ Dramatical Stay Pact UV EX. The two trial samples are from the April and May 2009 issues of Biteki.

(I have oily skin that is prone to slight redness. I prefer powder foundations that control shine well, offer at least medium coverage and have decent pore coverage. I don’t usually wear a primer or a concealer. I have a light-to-medium complexion and ZA Two-Way Foundation in 22 is one of my ideal shades. (I haven’t used MAC foundations for a very long time so I don’t know which shade is currently the closest to my complexion.))


Basics

– Dior Snow Whitening UV Compact (White Reveal UV Shield Makeup): SPF 30, PA +++, 6 shades (shade tested: 020)
– Beauté de Kosé Esprique Precious Dramatical Stay Pact UV EX: SPF 25, PA ++, 7 shades (shade tested: OC-410)

Both shades are lighter than ZA Two-Way Foundation in 22.

Finish

The two differ quite a lot in finish. Dior has a luminous and glowy finish, while Esprique Precious has a soft matte finish which is only very subtly luminous. Neither has visible shimmer.

Texture

Dior has a soft velvety texture, while EP has a slightly drier feel (which is far from chalky). Both go on evenly and smoothly.

Coverage

Both have a light-to-medium coverage, but Dior has marginally more coverage. With Dior, I feel that the coverage is more based on the luminous semi-transparent light-reflective powder than on opaque pigment. One thing I don’t like about this is that, as I have applied the powder evenly and then look straight at the mirror, the coverage looks sufficient on the forehead, chin and top of the cheeks (wherever the light hits straight on and creates the coverage) but the sides of my nose and the sides of my face (where the light bounces off sideways from where I can see) seem to get almost no coverage.

Even though this type of coverage creates more dimension for the face and should please some people (as the powder emulates a shading effect), I prefer EP’s soft-focus and even-looking coverage.

Pore Coverage

Dior’s luminous and glowy powder can exaggerate the look of pores. On the other hand, EP has a decent pore coverage.

Shine Control

Again, Dior’s glowy finish can make shine more pronounced overtime. EP has a fairly good shine control.

Staying Power

Dior does have a reasonably good staying power (with all the blotting), but I am more impressed with EP’s lasting ability. It can be a little hard to tell how the coverage and finish last since they are on the natural side, but, after a whole day, there is no patchiness and my skin tone still looks very even.

Overall, Dior reminds me of Primavista’s Powder Foundation Moist Touch and Esprique Precious reminds me of Coffret D’Or’s Beauty Lasting Pact UV. (Coffret D’Or has slightly better shine control). For me, between Dior and Esprique Precious, Esprique Precious is the obvious winner. If it had more coverage, it would definitely be a product I’d consider buying.

You can read my friend Betsy’s review of Esprique Precious Dramatical Stay Pact UV EX on Autumn Masquerade.

Related posts:

Japanese Base Makeup Week

RMK Powder Foundation EX

Foundation Face-Off (1) – Chanel vs. SUQQU

Foundation Face-Off (2) – Lunasol vs. Coffret D’Or

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Spring 2009 Makeup Top 10 (Part 1)

by PJ on Monday, March 16, 2009

in -Elégance, -Esprique (Precious), -Kosé, -Maquillage, -RMK, -Shiseido, 2009 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, seasonal makeup top 10

Spring makeup collections tend to be my favorites as compared with collections from the rest of the year, since the colors are usually soft, fresh, and wearable. This week, I will be counting down my top ten spring 2009 makeup collections.

10. Maquillage

(Maquillage Eyes Creators 3D)
(image from www.shiseido.co.jp/mq)

(Maquillage Face Creators 3D)
(image from www.shiseido.co.jp/mq)

Maquillage rolled out a large collection for spring 2009, changed a few of the brand ambassadors, and modified the packaging. The collection focuses on creating dimension for the face and the facial features. The Face Creator 3D includes highlighters, contourers and a blusher and aims to create depth for the face and a delicate jawline.

9. RMK

(image from www.rmkrmk.com)

RMK‘s spring 2009 collection, Spring Translucence, is full of soft ethereal hues. The idea is to use moderately pigmented shades with a gently luminous finish to enhance the lucidity of the complexion (rather than to cover the face with opaque colors). The star item is the Translucent Cheeks & Eyes, with one warmer and one cooler variation. The other items in the collection are also well-balanced and features both warmer and cooler shades.

8. Elégance

(Elégance EyeShadows)
(image from www.elegance-cosmetics.com)

(Elégance Radiance Quartet)
(image from www.elegance-cosmetics.com)

Like Sonia Rykiel and Paul & Joe, Elégance is a French fashion line with its beauty range mainly available in Asia. I particularly like the glamorous and opulent golden cases for many of its products. (Please see my profile of the brand here.) For spring 2009, the four new Eyeshadow palettes reflect all the main seasonal color trends (pinks, purples, and neutrals). The new Radiance Quartet is among the three cheek items from Elégance that I really want to check out in person.

7. Esprique Precious

(Esprique Precious True Impact Eyes)
(image from ep-bko.com)

Usually, spring is when most Japanese brands bring out the largest point makeup collection, but Kosé’s Esprique Precious‘ spring 2009 collection is very concise and consists of four eye palettes, two lipsticks and two lip glosses. The purple eye palette (True Impact Eyes in T-3) is featured as the main item of the collection. (Please see the ad image here.) I am still a little tempted to try this palette, as the purple seems to have the right tone for my complexion.

The countdown continues in Part 2 and Part 3.

Related posts:

Spring 2009 Makeup Trend Report

Maquillage Clean Contrast Eyes 2 in SV844

Maquillage Forming Shiny Eyes in 52

RMK Water Colors Eyes in 02 Lavender

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Spring 2009 Makeup Trend Report

by PJ on Monday, January 26, 2009

in -Ayura, -Chanel, -Clarins, -Clé de Peau, -Cosme Decorte, -Dior, -Elégance, -Esprique (Precious), -Giorgio Armani, -Jill Stuart, -Kanebo, -Kosé, -Lancôme, -Lunasol, -Magie Deco, -Shiseido, -Shu Uemura, -YSL, 2009 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, seasonal makeup trend reports

Partly due to the current world economy, many people are not spending as much money on makeup as before. It is also not surprising that many of us are looking for classic, wearable and trend-resistant colors.

If you are the kind of makeup fan that looks forward to unique shades, you might have already been disappointed with most of this season’s lineups. It seems that, for spring 2009, many brands are coming up with wearable colors that don’t easily date. But I find it very interesting to look into how various brands interpret “wearable colors”, and here are three shades from spring 2009 collections.

– Soft neutrals

(image from www.shiseido.co.jp/cpb)

Brown-toned neutrals will probably never date. This season, neutrals are soft, milky, and not overly intense. Neither too bronze nor too gray, these neutrals have maximal appeal for most complexions.

Some of the loveliest neutral palettes I have come across are from Clé de Peau and Dior. They are soft, elegant, chic, and easy to wear.

(Shiseido Clé de Peau Eye Color Quad
in 121 (top) and 120 (bottom))
(image from www.shiseido.co.jp/cpb)

(Dior 5-Color Eyeshadow in 553 Elégante)
(image from www.iswii.net)

If you want something slightly more intense, try Chanel‘s Les 4 Ombres (Quadra Eye Shadow) in Mystic Eyes from the spring 2009 Bohemian Fantasy collection.

(image from www.iswii.net)

– Pinks

(image from www.giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com)


If you think neutrals are too predictable, try a little bit of pink. Soft light-to-medium pinks that are very slightly on the cool side should give you a youthful and gentle look, as seen above in the ad image from Giorgio Armani‘s Pink Light collection for spring 2009.

Like Giorgio Armani, YSL includes pink in the brand’s only new quad for the season. (Check my previous post to see the main makeup look).

 

(Palette D’Artiste Colletor Powder for the Eyes)
(image from www.cosme.net)

Jill Stuart regularly brings out pink shades, and this season’s Blossoming Pink collection adds two pink-toned palettes to Jill Stuart’s eye palette lineup.

(Seductive Eyes in 06 Romantic Goddess)
(image from www.jillstuart-beauty.com)

 

(Illuminance Eyes in 06 Blossoming Shine)
(image from www.jillstuart-beauty.com)

For an edgier look, try Lancôme‘s Irreverent Madame palette from the brand’s Pink Irreverence collection.

(image from www.lancome.co.uk)

– Lilacs

(image from ep-bko.com)

I think lilacs are just as wearable as neutrals and pinks. Like how we find the right neutrals/pinks, as long as we find the shades with the right color intensity and the right amount of warmth/coolness for our complexions, lilac can be a great everyday eyeshadow color.

Lilac was part of the spring 2008 makeup trend, and, as a lilac fan, I am pleased that it is still a very prominent shade this season, especially in Japanese beauty brands. Beauté de Kosé’s Esprique Precious is using the lilac-toned palette (from the new True Impact Eyes range) in the ad campaign. Lunasol‘s Layer Bloom Eyes in 03 Purple Gradation is also the feature item in the brand’s Floral Purification collection. (In the image below, it seems that the palettes are blossoming under the fresh spring sun.)

 

(www.kanebo-cosmetics.jp/lunasol)

In addition, AYURA‘s only new eye palette for spring 2009 is a cool-toned lilac/gray palette, somewhat reminiscent of Maquillage’s Clean Contrast Eyes 2 in SV844.

 

(image from www.ayura.co.jp)

– Mix & Match

 

(image from woman.excite.co.jp)


There are quite a few collections that feature two or more of the three colors mentioned above. For example, all four of Elégance‘s eye palettes incorporate pinks, lilacs, and neutrals. (There are one neutral palette, one pink palette, one lilac palette, and one with an off-white pink and an off-white lilac.)

Beauté de Kosé‘s two new Eye Fantasist liquid eyeshadows are of pink and lilac hues:

 

(image from www.iswii.net)

If you want pink and lilac in the same product, look into Shu Uemura‘s Spring Mode Makeup Eye Palette in Fantasia and the Nature Temptation Eye Palette from Clarins, which also includes some neutrals. (The picture below shows the version sold in Asia. The European/American version also has a pink and a lilac, which are paired with slightly darker shades.)

 

(image from www.shuuemura-usa.com)

(image from www.joseishi.net/voce)

If the pinks and lilacs above are too pale for your complexion or if you want a more striking look, try Magie Deco‘s Shadow Brilliance palette in 022 Flower Show.

 

(image from www.cosmedecorte.com/magiedeco)

So, do you like this spring’s trend (or non-trend…), and what colors will you be wearing this season?

More information on the spring 2009 collections featured above:

AYURA
Beauté de Kosé
Chanel
Dior
Elégance
Esprique Precious
Jill Stuart
Lunasol
Magie Deco
Shu Uemura
YSL

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Esprique Precious Spring/Summer 2009 Base Makeup Collection

by PJ on Thursday, January 22, 2009

in -Esprique (Precious), -Kosé, 2009 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup

(image from www.nikkei.co.jp,
info from www.nikkei.co.jp
and www.joseishi.net/voce)

The Kosé-owned Esprique Precious will release the spring/summer 2009 base makeup collection in Japan on February 16th, 2009. The collection includes:

– Dramatical Stay Pact UV EX (7 shades, SPF 25, PA++)
– Dramatical Stay Base (SPF 20, PA++)
– Face Styling Powder (for creating highlight and lowlight)
– Cleansing Lotion (makeup removal water)

According to Nikkei Net, Kosé has developed the new Film Fix Powder to be used in the new version of Dramatical Stay Pact UV (out in spring 2008). The powder particles are designed to have enhanced lipophilic and hydrophilic properties. Instead of fighting against perspiration and sebum, which are the two main issues in wearing a foundation in summer, Film Fix Powder is supposed to merge seamless with them so the finish stays even overtime.

According to Voce, Film Fix Powder will work hand in hand with Pure Cover Powder (for natural coverage) and Zero Shine Powder (for translucency) in Dramatical Stay Pact UV EX.

Related posts:

Esprique Precious Spring 2009 Point Makeup Collection

Esprique Precious Holiday 2008 Collection

Coffret D’Or Spring/Summer 2009 Base Makeup Collection

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Esprique Precious Spring 2009 Collection

by PJ on Tuesday, October 28, 2008

in -Esprique (Precious), -Kosé, 2009 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

(images and info from www.nikkei.co.jp)

On December 1st, Kosé‘s Esprique Precious will release its spring 2009 collection. I am sure some of you won’t be surprised that the lavender palette did catch my attention. It is always nice to see purple shades featured in the ad campaign as key colors for the season.

The full lineup includes:

– True Impact Eyes (4 variations: brown, blue, purple, and beige)

– Dress on Moist Rouge (2 new shades)

– Rouge Stylish (liquid lip color, 2 new shades)

Also, since fall, British model Karen Elson has replaced Gemma Ward as Esprique Precious’ spokesperson.

Related Posts:

Esprique Precious Holiday 2008 Collection

Espreique Precious Fall 2008 Collection

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Esprique Precious Holiday 2008 Collection

by PJ on Wednesday, October 22, 2008

in -Esprique (Precious), -Kosé, 2008 Holiday, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

(images and info from www.iswii.net)

For holiday 2008, Kosé‘s Esprique Precious will release Party Couture Collection, a makeup set that includes items for eyes, lips, and nails.

The pink-toned set features an eyeshadow trio, an eyeliner, a lip gloss, and a nail color. Like Lavshuca’s Winter Make Collection (for holiday 2007) and Summer Gradually Compact, the eyeshadows are not packaged in the case and come in a disposable container like this:

You can see the actual packaging of the set and all the swatches in the article written by an on-line beauty editor. (The set will be released in Taiwan on November 16th and it should be launched slightly earlier in Japan.)

Related Posts:

Esprique Precious Fall 2008 Collection

Beauté de Kosé Holiday 2008 Collection

Visée Dual Shine Rouge Palette

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Kosé Esprique Precious Fall 2008 Collection – First Look

by PJ on Tuesday, July 15, 2008

in -Esprique (Precious), -Kosé, 2008 Fall, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

(Esprique Precious fall 2008 collection)
(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)

Kosé’s Esprique Precious will release its fall 2008 collection in Japan on August 21st.

Detailed information of the new items is not yet available on Nikkei Net, but it is known that the collection will include seven new products, including the new eye palette range, lipstick range, and the powder foundation seen above.

Also, as we can see, the line will have its first major image overhaul after it was launched in 2006. The new look features clean off-white cases with decorative details. I think it has a grown-up look but it seems to lack style and character. I would still love to see close-ups of some of the items on the official website and in Japanese beauty magazines later on.

Related Posts:

Gemma Ward for Esprique Precious
(from fall 2006)

Visée Dual Shine Rouge Palette

Cosme Decorte AQ Revamp for Fall 2008

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Esprique Precious Fall 2007 Collection (Featuring Gemma Ward)

by PJ on Friday, July 6, 2007

in -Esprique (Precious), -Kosé, 2007 Fall, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup

Here is a preview of Esprique Precious fall 2007 collection ad campaign. The spokesperson is still the very popular Gemma Ward.

The collection includes lipsticks, liquid lip colors, lip liners, single-color eyeshadows, and eyeshadow palettes. There will also be new foundation products, including liquid foundations, powder foundations, and two primers.

The collection is officially out in Japan on August 21.

Even though I am not a Gemma Ward fan, I do think Kose picked a spokesperson who successfully appealed to the target consumers and created buzz for the line.

Watch her TV ads here and here.

Related post: Gemma Ward Fronts New Cosmetics Line in Japan

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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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