(the oh-so-pretty Lavshuca Jewelry Lips)
(engraved with the Lavshuca logo)
Lavshuca‘s Spring 2007 collection tops my list for the season, and these cutest little lipsticks are part of the reason. Lavshuca’s Jewelry Lips (approx. 10 USD) are exquisitely packaged. They also happen to be much more petite than most other lipsticks. Below, see how it is compared with a Chanel lipstick:
(They are nicknamed “Lavshuca Mini Lipsticks”.)
(And It is 1.8g of lipstick,
less than most others.)
The two I have, PK-1 and RS-1, are both very wearable. PK-1 is a sheer pink and RS-1 is a pinkish-plum with a little bit of shimmer.
(from left: PK-1 and RS-1)
They are launched with 11 colors in February, and there will be another 11 colors to follow later on. So I assume they have been very popular!
(Read my Lavshuca brand review here.)
(pictured: my Lavshuca stash)
One of the summer launches that I am really looking forward to is Lavshuca‘s collection. Without a clear color scheme, the main focus is on the 11 new colors of Jewel Lips and the launch of a new blusher collection (packaged in the same way as the single eye color).
The collection includes:
Two Jelly Pot Eye Colors (brown and silver)
Four Cheek Colors
Three Nail Colors
Eleven Jewel Lips
As always, the packaging is cute and princessy, just how I love it!
The launch of the cute little Jewel Lips this spring has obviously been so successful that Lavshuca is bringing out 11 more colors. I have got two of them and I will be reviewing them later this month.
As a blusher lover (hence the name of my blog!), I am also excited about the new blushers. I wasn’t keen on the previous Cheek Select. I think I might get one of these new ones.
More new summer 2007 items next time!
(Edited: You can read my Lavshuca brand review here.)
by PJ on Wednesday, March 21, 2007
in -Kanebo, -Kao, -Lavshuca, -Sofina, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup, makeup - base makeup - foundation, makeup - base makeup - powder, stash focus
As requested by a reader, I am going to talk about my daily foundation routine.
Every foundation product I use is in powder form (loose or pressed). I have oily skin, and anything liquidy or creamy (liquid foundation, creamy concealer,…) doesn’t stay on very well.
I try to make everything simple. I almost never use a primer. I only use a daytime moisturizer with sunscreen (like Estee Lauder DayWear Plus for Oily Skin SPF 15). Then:
1. I put on my ZA 2-way foundation (pictured mid-left).
Well, 70% of the time, that’s actually it. But if I want a more polished look:
2. I put on some transparent loose powder. My favorite two at the moment are from Raycious (mid-right) and Lavshuca (top). They are both very good in disguising pores. They both have minimal shimmer but it is barely visible on the face. Or I use Raycious pressed powder (bottom-left), which is completely matte.
Occasionally, if I need to conceal a pimple (here comes the big trick):
3. I use Raycious powder foundation (bottom-right) as a concealer with the corner of a rectangular sponge and gently press the powder onto a breakout. The light-defusing particles in Raycious powder foundations (especially the earliest generations) are fantastic for precision concealing. Not only is the redness covered, the shadow around the bump is instantly less visible (so the pimple looks much flattened). I want the powder to stay absolutely put on my breakout so it is applied last.
(This trick works wonder for my friends as well when I help them with makeup.)
My suggestion is to always take time doing the foundation. The foundation from a rushed application never stays on well. Taking time and doing everything slowly, gently, and carefully makes a huge difference, even with exactly the same products. (My routine is straightforward enough so it takes 10 minutes from 1 to 3, but I always make sure I don’t rush things through.)
My next post will be about some favorite cosmetics products as voted by Japanese consumers.
#2: Jill Stuart (“Brilliant Veil” Collection)
The Look: “Brilliant Veil” is quite an accurate description of the colors on offer here. Medium-pigmented colors add soft hues to the face with a great amount of glow and sheen. The emphasis is on the eyes, with the launch of Jill Stuart’s first collection of eye palettes.
Key Item: Brilliance Eyes palette in 04 Gem Amethyst (reviewed earlier here). A beautiful lilac palette with featherweight powder and intense shimmer and glitter. It gives a veil of color with dazzling and multi-dimensional sparkles. A palette that adds a bit of drama to the eyes.
Winner: Lavshuca
The Look: When I saw the ad campaign featuring the Japanese girl band PUFFY (the two girls you see as soon as you enter the Lavshuca website), I couldn’t believe their transformation. They used to be two funky girls with slightly mad hair jumping around the stage. Now they cannot look more polished and sophisticated while they still keep the coolness and edge. I guess this is the image that Lavshuca’s new collection is trying to convey: cute, fun, feminine, and with a bit of an attitude.
Key Item: Too many to mention, actually, but I will single out Eye Color Select in PK-1 (reviewed earlier here). Pink eyeshadow is hot for this spring, and this pink palette gives a couple of different looks. You can go for a soft pale pink or an intense cherry pink. The lightest shade is good as a base or a highlighter and the brown can be a natural eyeliner.
For me, it was very close between Jill Stuart and Lavshuca this season. They kept switching positions when I was finalizing my rankings. But Lavshuca wins at the end with its more complete range and updated packaging to keep the brand image fresh.
If you are interested in mineral makeup, my next post will be about von Natur’s mineral powder foundation.
Lavshuca again today. They make some of the cutest stuff around. Their eye palette is just adorable, and this lipgloss pen is another example. In seven colors, the Gloss Stick looks just like any other lip gloss that comes in a pen, and the color I have (PK-3) is a nice basic everyday pink with a bit of shimmer.
But what makes it interesting and fun is the applicator:
The heart-shape dispenser is what seals the deal for me. What a nice little touch! It has a very similar advantage to that of the spatula applicator of Curvy Lip Silicone. It doesn’t smudge off the lipstick and is easy to clean. Cute and clever.
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone.
I didn’t consciously plan this, but I was going to talk about these gorgeous little eye palettes from Lavshuca featuring cute heart shapes. (Lavshuca is one of my favorite Japanese brands. Read more about it in my other post. I also reviewed its spring 2007 collection here.)
The Eye Color Select palette is out this spring and comes in five versions. I got the ones in pink and blue.
Pink is not the easiest color for me to wear but I wanted to try. Surprisingly, they came out nicely and I didn’t look like I had irritated eyelids. The deep pink (lower right on the palette) is very pigmented and is fun to experiment with.
The blue shades are all quite sheer, which I personally like. It is a subtle and elegant look.
All the colors have fine shimmering particles.
I am really loving these. They are great to use and look adorable on my dressing table. Definite keepers!!
(pictured: my Lavshuca stash)
(Read my previous Lavshuca post here.)
First of all, the new Lavshuca site was launched a couple of days ago to include the new collection.
After reading a lot of information about the various new collections, I think Lavshuca wins it for me this season. The slight modification of the packaging (from pale pink to plum) is working for me. Still exquisite and princessy. The vast array of new colors is exciting as well.
I have also decided on what to have:
Jewelry Lips: Amethystia Groom PK-1
I was choosing between this one and Viva Garnetica RS-1, but I was confident that PK-1 wouldn’t be too pink for me.
Gloss Stick: PK-3
I think I can go more pink on the gloss, hence the choice.
Eye Color Select: BU-1 (and maybe PK-1 as well)
I mentioned that I wanted to go for PK-1. But then it was actually off my shopping list for a while. Later I saw some photos of the palettes (not studio shots), and I fell in love with them again and thought BU-1 was also a great choice as well. Now I am not sure whether I will have both. I think I probably will. They are only about 8 pounds each.
Ummm…later I noticed that the BU-1 eye palette and the PK-1 lipstick were exactly what were used on Puffy on the ad shots…was I being subliminally influenced??
I might do *another* post after I get these items!
Next post: Avene Thermal Water.
(pictured: my Lavshuca items)
Hope everyone had a great Christmas.
There is an event report on Kanebo’s website about the Lavshuca Spring 2007 collection launch party. It seems to be such a glamorous occasion! I wish I could be there.
But that’s fine, as long as I can get hold of some of these lovely items. The collection includes eyeshadow palettes, single-color eyeshadows, lipsticks, and lipglosses, among other things. You can see the whole Lavshuca collection and all the new items here.
There are three things I think I will be getting:
1 lipstick (Very Anna Sui.)
2 lipgloss pen (One of the photos on the event report features the tip of the applicator, which has a cute heart shape where the lip gloss comes out. This little touch definitely seals the deal for me!)
3 eyeshadow palette (I’ll probably get the one in PK-1.)
The collection will be out on February 1 next year.
I went to Central London for the start of Winter Sale yesterday. I actually saw YSL’s and Givenchy’s new Spring 2007 collections in Selfridges. I will talk about them tomorrow.
(pictured: part of my collection)
Lavshuca is the latest addition to my favorite brands. It was launched in February this year and has foundation and color makeup products. (The flash version of the website is worth a look. It does a great job of attracting potential customers.)
Price-wise, it is also the cheapest. It is a shelf-top (budget) brand rather than a counter-top (premium) brand, so it is in the same league as Maybelline and Bourjois. (A single-color eyeshadow costs 840 Japanese yens, which is about 7.2 USD.) It is launched by Kanebo Cosmetics, so quality-wise, it is on the same level as RMK and Lunasol.
As with all my other favorites, one major part of Lavshuca’s appeal is in its packaging. (Kanebo launched Lavshuca in a bid to lure the image-conscious teenage market in Japan.) It has that dreamy quality, with a lot of curves and filigree patterns.
I have got the loose powder in the 2006 Fall Collection. It has a little light-reflective particles to add luminosity (not greasiness) to the complexion. The single-color eyeshadow I have has a really great texture.
For me, Lavshuca (and Shiseido’s Majolica Majorca) are the only two shelf-top brands that feature both top quality products and great packaging. No western budget brand comes even close. It would have no problem “looking expensive” if it had its own counter in a department store. Maybe this is part of the reason it has been extremely popular with teenagers and young 20-somethings in Japan. Other nearby countries in East Asia have already caught on the trend and many people there want a piece of Lavshuca as well.
As long as it keeps the dreaminess, the fun, and the coolness of the brand, I think Lavshuca will continue to be very popular.
