haircare

Ayura Meditation Hair Coffret Spring 2011 1(image/info from i-voce.jp)

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Ayura‘s very popular Meditation range has a gorgeously fresh fragrance and Ayura’s Hair Wash is one of the best shampoos I have used. (See more of my thoughts here.) For spring 2011, Ayura will extend its Meditation range again and bring out a limited-edition Meditation Hair Coffret.

The coffret features:

[Click to continue reading…]

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Lavshuca Holiday 2009 Collection

by PJ on Saturday, September 26, 2009

in -Kanebo, -Lavshuca, 2009 Holiday, haircare

(image/info from www.nikkei.co.jp)

Lavshuca will release its holiday 2009 collection in Japan on November 1st. The lineup includes:

– Custom Selective Eyes (eyeshadow duo, 12 variations)
– Jewel Lips N Shiny (12 shades)
– Jewel Lips N Color (10 shades)

It is great to see new versions of the Jewel Lips range (launched in spring 2007). The Jewel Lips lipsticks I have are certainly among the cutest lipsticks in my makeup collection, and I also like their soft satiny finish. I am looking forward to seeing the new shades.

Related posts:

Lavshuca Finish Powder in Lucent & High Cover

Lavshuca Spring 2009 Collection

A Splash of Color: Sensuous Plum

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(images/info from woman.excite.co.jp)

Anna Sui will release a collection of hair and bodycare products in Japan on June 4th. The items include:

Bath & Body Trial Kit (with Hair Shampoo 60ml, Hair Conditioner 60ml, Body Shampoo 60ml, and a tote pouch)

Hair Treatment Oil


Hair Comb R



Updated on April 25, 2009:

Body Protection N (SPF 30, PA++)



Related Posts:

Anna Sui Spring 2009 Makeup Collection

Anna Sui Makeup Color Collection D

Anna Sui Face Color Accent in 400

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(Left: Anna Sui UV Body Spray G
Right: Anna Sui Hair Spray G)
(image from www.annasui-cosmetics.com)

Anna Sui Cosmetics in Japan has announced the recall of UV Body Spray G and Hairspray G, which were released a few weeks ago (on June 5th) as limited-edition items for summer 2008.

There are concerns about product leakage from the nozzle, and the sale of these two items has been discontinued. Customers in Japan who purchased either of the two products can receive a refund upon returning it. (The full recall notice (in Japanese) can be seen on the Anna Sui website.)


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(Mini Rouge W)
(image from www.annasui-cosmetics.com)

On June 5th in Japan, there will be more items from Anna Sui‘s summer 2008 collection being released. They include:

Mini Rouge W (limited-edition, 3 shades, seen above)

Bath & Body Primary Kit: The set includes a pouch with Hair Shampoo, Conditioner, and Body Shampoo, each in a travel-size 60ml bottle.

(Bath & Body Primary Kit)
(image from www.annasui-cosmetics.com)

Hair Spray G: A hair-conditioning product (not a styling product).

UV Body Spray G: SPF 30/ PA+++

(Left: Anna Sui UV Body Spray G
Right: Anna Sui Hair Spray G)
(image from www.annasui-cosmetics.com)

These items join the currently available eyeliner pencils, mascaras, and nail colors as the full lineup of the Anna Sui summer 2008 collection.

Mini Rouge, released last fall (packaged in black cases), has been very popular, so I am sure these three white limited-edition ones will be equally coveted. (As far as I know, the black Mini Rouge shades are not limited-edition items.)

Related Posts:

Anna Sui Lip & Eye Luxury Palettes

Loving Japanese Brands – Anna Sui

My Latest Foundation Cases

(featuring Anna Sui and Jill Stuart)

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Haircare Review – Crème of Nature

by PJ on Friday, May 23, 2008

in haircare

(Kiwi & Citrus Moisture-Active Shampoo)

Today I am reviewing three products from Crème of Nature. If your hair tends to be on the dry side and needs more moisturizing haircare products, then these might be worth looking into.

– Kiwi & Citrus Moisture-Active Shampoo

This shampoo foams very well, but it is also very conditioning. It does take more time than usual to rinse and I feel that it is a little bit too emollient for my scalp, but the hair itself is left soft and nourished. While this is a good cleansing product for my slightly dry hair, I think it will suit people with both dry scalp and dry hair better.

(Jojoba & Olive Oil Moisture-Active Deep Conditioning Treatment)

– Jojoba & Olive Oil Moisture-Active Deep Conditioning Treatment

This is a hair treatment that is left for 20 minutes after shampooing. I have tried using this after my deep-cleansing shampoo (Pantene Pro-V Clarifying Shampoo, which is basically a shampoo with more detergent than standard shampoos) to remove product build-up and to see how well this treatment works. It does work well in infusing moisture into the hair, which is left conditioned and manageable.

(Most of the time, I shower when a hair treatment is at work. But with this product, which contains many rich emollients like paraffinum liquidum, coconut oil, soybean oil, shea butter, cocoa seed butter, jojoba seed oil, and olive oil, I rinse it off completely before showering. Otherwise there will be some unwanted emolliency particularly around the back of my neck and my back.)

(Lemongrass and Rosemary Leave-in Crème Conditioner)


– Lemongrass and Rosemary Leave-in Crème Conditioner

This is my favorite of the three. A leave-in conditioner or a (silicone-based) hair serum (like John Frieda’s Frizz-Ease) helps me a great deal in keeping my hair manageable, and this item does the job well. It has a light-cream texture and a little goes a long way. It adds moisture and a bit of gloss to the hair, but it does not make the hair look or feel greasy (provided that I don’t over-use it). The moisture is able to last throughout out the day.

If you have normal/oily hair that doesn’t have dryness issues, then these three products might not suit you and you might find them to be too rich. But if you have dry scalp and dry hair and/or if you regularly color-treat or heat-treat your hair, then these products might be worth a try.

(Crème of Nature products are currently available in the US.)

(A note on my hair: I have short-length and wavy hair. I have slightly oily scalp and slightly dry hair. Volume is never something I need to boost up, since I have quite a lot of hair. My hair can be on the puffy and unruly side, so I use haircare and styling products that make it look flatter, sleeker, and more groomed. I don’t color-treat or heat-treat my hair.)

Other Haircare Reviews:

Profound Beauty

James Brown

Dove

Von Natur

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— For those following Jill Stuart’s Launch in Taiwan, see the initial price list of some of the items. As predicted, the retail prices in Taiwan are cheaper than those (including sale tax) in Japan. Most items are about 7% cheaper.

— Have a look at a large photo of Anna Sui’s new Oil Control Paper case on a Japanese blog. Check out the details and the enclosed mirror.

Uno is Shiseido’s well-known male haircare/skincare drugstore line. Recently, Orlando Bloom has been their spokesperson and you can see some of the TV commercials on Uno’s website. Here is the latest mini-movie version:


(from http://www.shiseido.co.jp/uno/
via acdticojp at Dailymotion)

I know it is a little predictable…but I don’t mind. It’s Orlando Bloom.

(The actress in the commercial, Kuriyama Chiaki, is one of the four brand ambassadors for Shiseido Maquillage.)

You can see another extended TV commercial posted by The Punk Cat.

Related Posts:

Must-Try Look for Spring 2008
(featuring another Japanese TV commercial)

Loving Japanese Brand – Jill Stuart
(See part of my stash.)

Anna Sui’s Sui Lip Gloss in 100
(the latest addition to my blue bonanza)


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(Von Natur Complete Hair and Body Wash in Citrus
& Complete Hair Conditioner in Citrus)

For me personally, I don’t particularly look for sulfate-free cleansing products or paraben-free cosmetics products. (Parabens are more of a necessary evil.) But if you have concerns about sulfates and parabens in hair and body products, you might be interested in the two Von Natur items I am reviewing below.

The Complete Hair & Body Wash in Citrus has quite a natural grapefruit scent, which is different from the artificial citrusy scent from daily toiletries that we are familiar with. The product has a liquidy consistency and I find that it doesn’t lather as well as some other cleansing products. So I do need a little more than the usual amount per use.

As a shampoo, I find it slightly drying and I would prefer something more moisturizing. As a body wash, it leaves the skin fresh and squeaky-clean, but it does not dry out the skin. (However, if you have very dry skin, you might not enjoy the squeaky-clean feeling as much.) It also leaves the skin with a delicate and pleasant scent. Overall this is a generally competent body cleansing product.

The Complete Hair Conditioner in Citrus has the same grapefruit scent. The product is in a greyish color. It reflects the inclusion of activated charcoal, which has absorption properties.

It lightly conditions the hair, but I would usually go for something more emollient. I am suspecting that the moisturizing properties of the emollients are overtaken by the charcoal, as the conditioner leaves the hair light and fresh rather than moisturized and nourished.

Overall, I enjoy using the Complete Hair and Body Wash as a body wash alone. The light conditioner should be more suitable in hotter weather, as I would go for something more nourishing for the rest of the year.

Related Posts:

Profound Beauty Haircare Review

James Brown London Haircare Review

Dove Cool Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner Review

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Haircare Review: Profound Beauty

by PJ on Friday, October 26, 2007

in haircare

(image from profoundbeauty.com)


It is always a delight when I find something that really works, in this case, for my hair. I usually need haircare products that bring deep moisture to my hair and styling products that give weight and texture to tame my unruly ends. Among the products I have tried from Profound Beauty, there are many great finds.

Profound Beauty is an extensive salon haircare and hair-styling line that caters to a wide range of hair types and styling needs.

(60/40 Shampoo & 05/95 Conditioner)

60/40 Shampoo is a very efficient hair cleansing product for me. I wear hair-styling products very often and I sometimes have to wash my hair twice to make sure there is no residue of any styling product. With this shampoo, one wash is enough. Even though it is designed for dry hair, It can still be a little drying for me (since it is a very efficient cleanser). But the 05/95 Conditioner complements it extremely well, leaving my hair smooth and silky.

(The numbers in the product names indicate how moisturizing they are. The shampoos come in 95/05, 90/10, 80/20, and 60/40, while the conditioners come in 40/60, 20/80, 10/90, and 05/95. The higher the second number of the pair, the more moisturizing the product is.)

(Linear Serum & Frizz Zero Cream)


Both Frizz Zero Cream and Linear Serum combat frizzy hair effectively. Frizz Zero Cream is essentially a leave-in conditioner. Even though the texture of the cream is very light, it works superbly well in bringing some weight and taming my fluffy ends, leaving the hair fresh and well-conditioned. Linear Serum is a simple silicone-based serum that has a very light watery texture and doesn’t leave hair greasy. (But, in this case, I’d personally prefer something more concentrated and heavy-duty, like John Frieda Frizz-Ease Hair Serum Extra Strength.)

(Stucco & Arctic Chill)


Arctic Chill and Stucco are very different styling products, but both work well for my hair and have individual strengths. Usually, I don’t use a hair mousse because it gives me unnecessary volume. But Arctic Chill is a mousse that gives a glossy and sleek finish and takes away volume instantly. Stucco is a thick paste-like cream that has a completely matte finish and effectively gives texture and effortless definition.

Overall I am very pleased with what I have tried, especially the Frizz Zero Cream and the two styling products. Among the three, I have not used anything that performs quite like Arctic Chill, which is a particularly good find for me.

Other Haircare Reviews:

Dove Cool Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner

James Brown London (featuring Kate Moss)

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James Brown London Haircare Review

by PJ on Friday, October 19, 2007

in haircare

(Kate Moss for James Brown London)
(image from www.jamesbrownlondon.com/)

James Brown, a noted British hairdresser and session stylist, launched his own haircare range on October 1.

The James Brown London haircare range is a collaboration between James Brown and his long-term friend (and once housemate) Kate Moss. James Brown is in charge of the formulation while Kate Moss has input in packaging, fragrance, and marketing (as the model).

(James Brown London haircare range)
(From left: Dry Hair Conditioner
Styling Balm, and Dry Hair Shampoo)


I do like the packaging, in terms of both aesthetics and practicality. The minimal and sophisticated packaging looks great on bathroom shelves. (If all my products in my bathroom look like these, the shelves will appear much less cluttered.)

I also like the design of the shampoo and conditioner dispensers. The swivel caps (seen below) make it very easy to dispense the product. No fiddling when your hands are wet in the shower. Also, the tube design means there is very little waste at the end.

(the swivel caps)

Performance-wise, Dry Hair Shampoo cleanses gently and doesn’t strip the hair. It also foams exceptionally well so I need less per use than usual. In a way, it justifies the cost. (All James Brown items are sold at 5.99 pounds. They are affordable but are still more expensive than many other haircare ranges.)

The main selling point of Dry Hair Conditioner is that it is silicone-free. If you don’t like any silicone derivatives in your conditioner, then this one might be worth considering. But it is slightly too weak for my liking. I personally don’t mind a little bit of silicone on my hair and I would like my conditioner to be more heavy-duty and more emollient.

As for Styling Balm, I have been enjoying using it. The very balmy and waxy texture keeps my unruly ends at bay. The scent is very subtle, so it is particularly good if I am wearing any fragrance.

(the Styling Balm)


Overall, Styling Balm is my favorite among the three, followed by Dry Hair Shampoo. As for Dry Hair Conditioner, it would not be hard for me to find other products that suit my hair a lot better.

Currently, the James Brown London range is sold exclusively in Boots stores in the UK.

Related Post:

Dove Haircare Review

(where you can also see a profile of my hair if you’d like to know the criteria of my haircare reviews)

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