-Kate

(Kate Spring 2008 Collection)
(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)

Kate will release its Spring 2008 makeup collection on February 1, 2008.

It is all about the eyes for Kate in spring 2008! The collection includes:

Line Spicy N eyeshadow palettes (5 variations)
Magical Volume Gel Mascara (1 shade)
Square Cut Eyeliner (5 shades)
Powder Gel Eyeliner (3 shades)
Gradical Eyes palette (1 new variation)
Glam Tricks Eyes palette (1 new variation)

The Square Cut Eyeliner features a flat rectangle-cut tip for a flexible application:

(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)


I have not been a Kate fan in the last few years. Will 2008 be the year for me to buy my first Kate item? I will keep you posted!

Related Posts:

Kate – Lavshuca’s Dark, Edgier Sister
(my personal take on Kate)

Lavshuca Spring 2008 Collectio
n
(Do you love the new looks?)

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(You can tell that I love my Japanese cosmetics…)


Most of you who read my blog certainly know that I have a passion for Japanese cosmetics. While I do try to keep a balance between western and Japanese cosmetics on my blog, I do think, for me, Japanese cosmetics items do better on my scoreboard in most areas.

If you would like to look through my posts related to Japanese cosmetics, I have made it a bit easier for you by adding the category All About Japanese Cosmetics on the sidebar (under “Read by Topics”). As of now, there are 96 posts under this category, and the number will certainly grow week by week.

Please enjoy!

Here are just a few highlights:

Loving Japanese Brands
(where I highlight 7 wonderful Japanese brands)

Japanese vs. Western…Who’s Winning?
(Which side are you on?)

If I Could Go to Japan RIGHT NOW
(I share my dream shopping list.)

A couple of the items featured in the photo above:

Kanebo T’Estimo Frame Impact Eyes 03

Lavshuca Eye Color Select PK-1

More to come!!

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Some distinctive trends in the fall 2007 makeup releases:

– olive green / grey eyeshadows
– intense lip colors

– retro Audrey Hepburn look

Which trend are you going to experiment with this fall?

—Grey Areas—————

In fashion, grey has been hailed as The New Black for a while. I am surprised that it didn’t trickle down to makeup earlier. This fall, grey eyeshadows will be big, among all the neutral tones.

One palette that epitomizes this trend is Shiseido Clé de Peau‘s Ombres Couleurs Quadri palette in 114 (seen below):

(Clé de Peau fall 2007 makeup ad,
Biteki magazine September 2007, p. 152-153)

(Clé de Peau fall 2007 makeup ad,
Biteki magazine September 2007, p.152)

Also, Dior‘s 5-Color Eyeshadow Palette in 060 Silver Goddess features an array of grey hues along with a sensual light blue.

Other servings of grey eyeshadows:

-Shiseido Maquillage: Sparkle Contrast Eyes 2 GY851

-Majolica Majorca: Shadow Customize BK922
-Kate: Gradical Eyes S BK-1
-Integrate: Live Fix Eyes GY812
SUQQU: Blend Eyeshadow 04

In a way, grey (especially in metallic finishes) is simply a darker silver. The look reminds me of an old-school silver-screen goddess. Very nostalgic and glamorous.

—Green with Envy—————

Another trendy color this season is olive green. Paired with pink, olive green is featured in Lush & Lovely, Chanel fall 2007 makeup collection, as it appears in the latest eyeshadow palettes: Garden Party (Les 4 Ombres Quadra) and Lotus-Cactus (Irréelle Duo).

(photo: from Chanel
at www.bergdorfgoodman.com)

Also, YSL fall 2007 makeup collection features olive green eyeshadows in a couple of the new Ombres Duo Lumières palettes.

In Japanese cosmetics, Cosme Decorte’s new line, Magie Deco, uses pink and olive green in the opposite way, with olive green above the eyes and pink along the lower lash line:

(Magie Deco ad, backcover of makeup booklet,
Biteki September 2007)

Apart from Magie Deco, olive green eyeshadows are also used in:

Kate‘s fall 2007 TV ad (with Gradical Eyes S GN-1)
SUQQU‘s fall 2007 printed ad (with Blend Eyeshadow 01).

Olive green seems to be a relatively masculine color as an eyeshadow, which might be why it has been paired with pink to create a balanced look. But, worn alone, it can be very edgy.

—A La Audrey—————

Givenchy‘s fall 2007 collection, Camouflage Chic, pays tribute to the classic Givenchy muse, Audrey Hepburn. A search in Google Images comes out with photos of what I think is one of the most beautiful people ever, with clean, crisp, and defined eye makeup. Intense color fills between the lash line and the crease line and it is kept clean everywhere else. No smoky eyes here.

Givenchy’s latest Prismissime Eyes in 54 Cache Cache can get you this classic look:

(photo: from www.sephora.com)

Shiseido The Makeup‘s new Silky Eye Shadow Quad in Q9 Lunar Phases is based on the same trend.

Again, this is definitely a very retro look. I think “Less is more” is the key here. Don’t overdo it and keep it nice and simple.

—Strong Lips—————

What if you don’t want to pile on intense eye colors? You can channel the intensity to the lips. Keep the eye makeup fuss-free and choose a rich satiny (not glossy) lip shade. The cover of Biteki September 2007 shows how it’s done:

(cover of Biteki, September 2007)

It can be a wine red, berry red (as in the Chanel ad above), or a warm brownish red. With careful coordination, they can go with grey or olive green eyeshadows, as in Estee Lauder’s fall 2007 look:

(photo: from esteelauder.co.uk)


I quite like this look. Chic and timeless.

What other trends have you spotted?

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I can’t take credit for this description of Kate, Kanebo‘s consistently successful drugstore line.

One reader, Tammy, left a comment under one of my posts on Lavshuca and asked about Kate. She described Kate as “Lavshuca’s edgier, darker sister“. (Both are Kanebo’s “daughters”.)

She couldn’t have put it any better!

But so far I have never bought anything from Kate. (I almost did for several times though.) Somehow the brand does not appeal to me. But, am I not edgy? Am I not dark enough for Kate??

Well, looking at my avatar….

.

(Well hello!)

…ummm……maybe not. (I do blush too easily!!)

Kate definitely has an edgier image (its slogan “No More Rules” sums it up), while Lavshuca is all very dreamy (yep that’s me). But Kate is also one of the most established and best-selling drugstore brands in Japan. It has a strong brand identity and has survived a lot of competition (against the new wave of drugstore brands such as Integrate, Kiss, Makemania and Love Clover).

You can see some of Kate’s TV commercials on YouTube to see how Kanebo is branding Kate.

Aside from the image, some of Kate’s popular items include:

Dual Carat eyeshadow duos
Deep Eyes N eyeshadow palettes
Line Spicy eyeshadow palettes
Glam Trick Eyes eyeshadow palettes
Super Sharp Liner eyeliners

When it comes to continuously releasing attention-grabbing items, I also have to hand it to Kate. The wide array of eyeshadow palettes and the recent cream eyeliner and loose eyeshadow have indeed given Kate that little extra (and almost semi-professional) edge. (I guess this is what I mean by product designs under one of my Anna Sui posts.)

So, have you tried anything from Kate? And what’s your favorite? Let me know!

I can be convinced!

.

Updated on December 31st, 2012:

Finally I purchased my first ever Kate item, Gradical Eyes A in GD-1!

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Majolica Majorca, with cute packaging, good quality, and affordable prices, edged Shu Uemura out at the last minute to become A Touch of Blusher readers’ favorite Japanese makeup line!

Shu Uemura, one of the ultimate professional makeup brands, also captured the heart of many of you.

Lunasol, Lavshuca, and Kate (all by Kanebo) shared the third place.

Here is the full result:

What are your favorite Japanese makeup lines? (Tick all that apply!!)
(from June 27 to July 8, 2007)

Majolica Majorca
(13 votes)
Shu Uemura (12 votes)
Lunasol, Lavshuca, Kate (11 votes each)
Paul & Joe (9 votes)
Maquillage, T’Estimo, Jill Stuart, Anna Sui (8 votes each)
Visee (3 votes)
Aube, Ayura, RMK (2 votes each)
Integrate (1 vote)

Other favorites mentioned include Inoui ID and Canmake. Great choices!!

Thanks for everyone that has voted and left comments!! There will be more polls to come. (Suggestions are welcome!)

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