(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)
EST (owned by Kao) will release its fall 2008 base makeup collection in Japan on August 23. The lineup will include:
– Powder Makeup Visually Moist (6 shades, SPF 20, PA++)
– Perfect Base Fresh Touch (SPF 15, PA ++)
– Perfect Base Moist Touch (SPF 10, PA+)
The Fresh Touch primer is a liquid-type sebum-controlling primer, while the Moist Touch primer is cream-based and provides extra moisture for the skin.
All items are fragrance-free.
Also, the EST website has been updated to feature the fall 2008 point makeup collection.
Related Posts:
Capturing Your Emotional Beauty
(EST Brand Profile)
EST Fall 2008 Point Makeup Collection
(Sofina Primavista Face Powder)
(image from i-voce2.com)
When Sofina Raycious did not release a spring/summer 2008 lineup, I thought it was obvious that this great base makeup line had been discontinued. (On the other hand, I am now able to say that I have the complete set of Raycious powder foundation cases since 1999 (the annual releases, not the limited-edition ones).)
I was wondering whether there would ever be a new base makeup line from Sofina, and now we have the answer. On September 1st in Japan, Primavista will officially join Aube (point makeup line) as well as all the skincare lines at Sofina counters.
The Primavista debut lineup includes:
– Powder Foundation (7 shades, SPF15 PA++)
– Cream Foundation (7 shades, SPF15 PA++)
– Smooth Coat Base (SPF10 PA+)
– Bright Up Base (SPF10 PA+)
– Face Powder (seen above)
(all images from i-voce2.com)
For me, this is one of the most exciting base makeup releases in recent seasons. At the moment, the new items seem to be typical fall/winter releases, featuring products like cream foundation and loose powder. I am expecting the usual moisturizing properties and soft-focus finishes from some of these fall/winter items.
While I am very interested in the loose powder, I will be waiting to see if there is going to be a spring/summer powder foundation next year, which should supposedly be more sebum-absorbing and more suitable for my oily skin.)
You can see photos of the Primavista launch event here.
Related Posts:
Lavshuca Face Powder
(my loose powder favorite at the moment)
Loving Japanese Brands – Sofina
Can’t Live Without – Shiseido ZA Two-Way Foundation
ck Calvin Klein Mineral Based Loose Powder
My post on EST’s fall 2008 collection has been updated with an image of all the new Emotional Aura Eyes palettes and Advanced Lips. Have a look!
The Kao-owned EST will release its fall 2008 collection in Japan on July 26th. The collection includes:
– Emotional Aura Eyes (3 new variations)
(Updated on June 24, 2008: According to Cosme.Net, the three new variations are khaki x beige, purple x grey, and brown x blue.)
– Emotional Aura Lips (3 new shades)
– Advanced Lips (8 shades)
– Double Side Mascara (2 shades)
– Pencil Eyeliner (2 shades)
(all images from i-voce2.com)
Please note that Advanced Lips is a new product and is different from the Emotional Aura Gloss released for EST’s summer 2008 collection.
EST is a brand that I have been very interested in. I nearly decided to buy the Emotional Aura Pact and one of the Emotional Aura Eyes palettes, but I decided to hold on a little more since they are not limited-edition items. I am looking forward to seeing the rest of their fall lineup. Maybe I am not too far away from meeting EST in person…
Updated on June 25, 2008:
Image of the 3 new Emotional Aura Eyes palettes and Advanced Lips:
(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)
Related Posts:
Capturing Your Emotional Beauty
(a brand profile on EST, Kao’s most sophisticated makeup line)
Sofina Aube’s Late Summer/ Early Fall 2008 Collection
(with an updated link to swatches)
(Gel & Shine Eyes)
(image from www.cosme.net)
Sofina Aube usually releases an early fall collection in June. This year, it will be released in Japan on June 14th, and it includes:
– Gel & Shine Eyes (above, six shades, limited edition)
– Rouge Purely Stay (10 new shades)
(image from www.cosme.net)
– Dual Color Eyeliner (six shades, limited edition)
(image from www.cosme.net)
– Coil & Comb Mascara (2 shades, water-proof)
(image from www.cosme.net)
The new Gel & Shine Eyes looks quite interesting. Each pot has a gel eyeshadow and a loose-powder eyeshadow in a coordinating shade. The gel eyeshadow is relatively sheer and provides a base for the sparkling loose-powder eyeshadow. I look forward to seeing the other four shades!
I will update this post when I have more information.
Updated on June 16, 2008:
Please check out this link for swatches!
More Upcoming Collections:
Coffret D’Or Early Fall 2008 Collection
Chanel Fall & Holiday 2008 Collections
by PJ on Monday, March 31, 2008
in -AQ, -Cosme Decorte, -Est, -Kao, -Kosé, -Magie Deco, -Sofina, 2008 Summer, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup
My posts on the EST, Magie Deco, and Cosme Decorte AQ summer 2008 collections have been updated to include additional images and information.
Have a look!
(part of the EST Summer 2008 collection)
(image from www.cosme.net)
EST will release the summer 2008 collection in Japan on April 26th. The collection includes:
Emotional Aura Gloss: 10 shades, fragrance-free
Nail Color: 12 shades
Nail Foundation (base coat)
Nail Color Remover
Essentially, the collection features more basics which add to the debut collection launched in November 2007, which has been generally very well received. I particularly look forward to seeing the shades of the glosses.
I will update this post with more images later on.
Updated on March 31st, 2008:
The EST website has been updated to include information on the summer 2008 collection. (All images are from www.kao.co.jp/est/.)
(EST Emotional Aura Gloss)
Like EST’s Emotional Aura Lips, the lip glosses are grouped into three categories. Innocent Colors (#101-106) are moderately pigmented, Pure Colors (#201, 202) are on the sheer side, and Deep Colors (#301, 302) are more heavily pigmented.
You can check the EST website to see the shades of the Nail Color.
Related Posts:
Lunasol Summer 2008 Collection
Kate Summer 2008 Collection
(continued from Part 1)
6th: Clinique
(Clinique spring 2008 collection)
(from Voce February 2008
Spring 2008 Makeup Catalog, p. 14 – 15)
I did surprise myself initially by liking this collection. But as the Color Surge Trios have been looking lovely for the past few weeks, I’ve decided to include Clinique‘s spring 2008 collection in my top ten.
(Clinique Color Surge Trios)
(from Voce February 2008
Spring 2008 Makeup Catalog, p. 14)
With brands like Chanel and Givenchy featuring dark and ashy blues for spring, which don’t really appeal to me, Clinique’s soft and cheerful pastels are unexpectedly welcoming. The color combinations are straightforward and wearable, and the lilac and pink look especially dreamy. As someone who doesn’t wear green very much, I actually find the green palette very tempting too.
5th: Eprise
(part of the Albion Eprise spring 2008 collection)
(image from www.albion.co.jp)
Eprise‘ spring 2008 collection is not hugely extensive but still includes items for eyes, cheeks, lips, and nails. Most of the shades have a gentle and girlie feel. Like Clinique, Eprise’ Creamy Eye Colors also feature pastel blue, green, and lilac.
(Eprise spring 2008 collection)
(image from www.albion.co.jp)
What instantly attracted my attention upon seeing this collection was the Water Face Color, which is a range of liquid blushers. I picked up the shade in 100, a very natural pink. Easy to use and long-lasting, it is definitely a great makeup purchase for this season.
(image from www.kao.co.jp/est)
The EST debut color makeup collection was launched on November 24th, 2007. But Biteki’s spring 2008 makeup catalog (March 2008 issue) includes this collection, so I am counting it as a spring 2008 release.
(EST Emotional Aura Eyes palettes)
(image from www.kao.co.jp/est)
As should a debut color collection, it includes all the basics. I think the highlights of the collection are the Emotional Aura Eyes (above) and Emotional Aura Pack (featured in the ad image above), which is a selection of highlighters for different parts of the eye area. (Please see my brand profile on EST for more on this item.)
Overall, this is a triumphant debut collection with a very feminine and sophisticated feel. I look forward to seeing how this color makeup line evolves.
Do come back for Part 3!
Other spring 2008 collections worth checking out:
Lavshuca Spring 2008 Collection
Kate Spring 2008 Collection
(a tearful diva)
(image from www.kao.co.jp/est)
A reader once asked me why, regardless of the generally consistent quality, certain Japanese makeup lines (under the same company) are more expensive than others. To summarize my answer for her, apart from the fact that price-points and target consumer groups define each other, more prestigious makeup lines tend to have a fuller philosophy behind their creations.
One prime example is Sofina EST.
Sofina‘s EST is not new. It has been a skincare line under Kao’s Sofina for many years, and it is Sofina’s most expensive line. In fall 2007, EST launched a full color makeup line, following the earlier debut of the base makeup range. (While, obviously, the brand name reminds people of the superlative suffix “-est”, Sofina also advocates that it is an acronym for “Essence of Sofina Technology”.)
The over-arching concept of EST’s color makeup is Emotional Beauty. As our faces are always displaying various feelings and emotions, EST attempts to use colors and finishes to enhance our day-to-day expressions of emotions. So, our beaming smiles look even more dazzling, our focused determination is even more infectious, and our sorrow melts the hardest of hearts.
(image from www.kao.co.jp/est)
I love EST’s recent ad images. They are beautifully and subtly compelling, with colors that enhance the facial features rather than overtake them. To embody the essence of the line, the model (April) displays a much wider range of emotions than what we usually see in makeup advertisements. The image on the top of this post is by far my favorite. As for the two below, I call them “despair & hope”:
(image from www.kao.co.jp/est)
(image from www.kao.co.jp/est)
However, all this ethos will be hollow if it can’t translate to product designs. So how does EST carry out their promise?
One item that defines the line is Emotional Aura Pact. Essentially, this is a highlighter for the eye area. It includes four subtly different shades of various finishes and opaqueness, and each of them is used on a specific part of the eye area.
(Emotional Aura Pack)
(image from www.kao.co.jp/est)
Apart from the eye area, this multi-purpose item can also be used around the lips to sculpt your pout. So, when you feel surprised, happy, curious, excited, inspired, or moved, this item is designed to capture your million faces and help them make a lasting impression.
Also, so far, I have come across good comments on Emotional Aura Eyes, the eye palette range:
(Emotional Aura Eyes palettes)
(image from www.kao.co.jp/est)
After the huge success of Kanebo’s Lunasol in the last couple of years, Kosé’s Magie Deco and Sofina’s EST were two of the major makeup launches in late 2007 that posed as rivals. Similarly priced and packaged with a sophisticated flair, they appeal to similar demographics. With a strong and distinctive concept behind it, Sofina EST’s development and evolution will be immensely interesting to chart and will serve as an indication of the future of Japanese cosmetics.
[Even though Sofina is available in Japan and several other countries in Asia, the EST line is currently only available in Japan as far as I know. The EST website is for information only and does not offer on-line ordering.]
Related Posts:
Loving Japanese Brands – Lunasol
(my current favorite Japanese brand)
Brand Profile: SUQQU
(a reverse strategy that works)
Coffret D’Or 3D Lighting Eyes
(replacing the beloved T’Estimo)
by PJ on Thursday, February 21, 2008
in -Albion, -Ayura, -DHC, -Kanebo, -Kao, -Kosé, -Shiseido, -Shu Uemura, -Sofina, all about Japanese cosmetics
(Loving Japanese makeup)
As a fan of Japanese cosmetics, apart from all the colorful products available, I am also interested in knowing more about the history behind the various brands and companies. So I was delighted to come across a time-line featuring the launches of many major Japanese cosmetics companies in Biteki‘s January 2008 issue. Let’s have a look:
1872 Shiseido
1887 Kao
1929 Pola
1936 Kanebo
1946 Kosé
1956 Albion
1959 Menard
1967 Shu Uemura
1972 DHC
1981 Fancl
1987 IPSA
1991 Ettusais
1995 AYURA
1996 Equipe (which now owns RMK and SUQQU)
(Biteki, January 2008, p. 102-125)
It is interesting that, like many western cosmetics brands, some of the recent major Japanese cosmetics companies in the last couple of decades have also been acquired by more established ones. For example, IPSA, Ettusais, and AYURA were acquired by Shiseido. Kanebo now owns Equipe, while Kosé owns Albion. Also, in early 2006, Kanebo was sold to Kao.
I will be equally interested in these slightly more corporate and behind-the-scene developments and in all the shiny new releases from these brands…
Related Posts:
All About Japanese Cosmetics
(consolidating my passion)
“Loving Japanese Brands” Series
(my favorite seven)
Japanese Brands in the UK
(featuring where to get them from outside the UK)
(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)
