Makeup, Skincare, Fragrance and a Bit of Fashion
One of Excel‘s most popular items is Powder & Pencil Eyebrow EX. Even though I tried NewBorn’s W Brow EX N in B2 Grayish Brown (and both NewBorn and Excel are makeup lines from Sana), I still decided to get the powder-pencil-brush trio from Excel. I went for PD05 Grayish Brown, and today I will be sharing my thoughts on it.
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I got a few items from Paul & Joe‘s fall 2018 Moonlight on the Seine makeup collection, and today I would like to share with you photos of them.
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To shape and fill in my eyebrows, I have been using a matte grayish black eyeshadow. (I use it very light-handedly to create a natural look that doesn’t look too defined.) While I have been very happy with it for years, some of the recent 3-in-1 eyebrow products (which feature an eyebrow pencil, an eyebrow powder on a sponge tip and a brush) do look tempting. NewBorn‘s W Brow EX N in B2 Grayish Brown is what I decided to try.
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Paul & Joe is celebrating its beauty line’s 15th anniversary this year, and its spring 2017 Les Petits Noms d’Amour makeup collection features three new Compacts and three new Lipstick Cases CS. I decided to add them to my collection.
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Combining quality and ingenuity, SUQQU has been among the top Japanese beauty brands for years. From Clear Veil Powder from 2006 to Contour Shadows from 2009, SUQQU has been continuously developing products that enhance facial beauty in unique ways. Today, I am highlighting another example, Eyebrow Liquid Pen R in 01 Moss Green.
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Late last year, one of my readers suggested that I recommend items for a complete makeup look. I thought that I would recommend items that create a natural look that is suitable for daily wear. Today, I will focus on eye makeup items.
– Coffret D’Or 3D Lighting Eyes in Purple Variation (right)
Released in December 2007, it is still one of my favorite eye palettes. The dusky pink and the light lilac are a winning combination. The violet lining shade is one of the most beautiful lining shades I have come across.
– Coffret D’Or Trance Deep Eyes in Rose Variation (left)
Try this one if you want a palette that is similar to 3D Lighting Eyes in Purple Variation but with more warmth. (Do note that this palette is more shimmery.)
– Magie Deco Shadow Brilliance II in Foxy Lady (top)
This is my recent favorite. It includes soft warm neutrals that create a natural depth for the eyes.
– Clinique Naturally Glossy Mascara in Jet Black
It is one of the most natural-looking mascaras that I have come across. It creates subtle length and volume for the lashes, and it has never clumped on my lashes.
I think this is one of SUQQU’s finest creations. Use this brush with any eyebrow powder that suits you. I like the fact that the brush is able to enhance the structure of the eyebrows without leaving any hard edges.
More recommendations for cheeks & lips as well as the complexion!
(The SUQQU Eyebrow Brush L featured in this post is provided by SUQQU.)
Related posts (other wearable items):
Coffret D’Or 3D Lighting Eyes in Gold Variation
SUQQU Blend Eyeshadow in 10 Sakuragi
Chanel Irréelle Duo in Désert-Rose
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(From top: Tinted Brow Gel,
Brow Wiz and Perfect Brow Pencil (bottom of the photo) are the basics in Anastasia’s range. Both shades you see above are in Medium Ash, which would be the closest match if you have very dark or black hair. The thin and retractable pencil in Brow Wiz is good for precision-filling and needs no sharpening, while Perfect Brow Pencil is the traditional type of brow pencil. Both are softly pigmented so I think even people who can be heavy-handed sometimes (like me) can slowly build up the intensity and get a natural finish. Both come with a brush for blending.
Brow Filler is for people who need more serious filling. The brow powder is automatically loaded on a sponge-tip when you screw-open the cap. (The design is similar to that of some eyeshadows.) The powder is very pigmented and I would suggest removing the excess first and applying the powder light-handedly. If you want to save time and use this to do the whole brows, you are likely to end up with a heavy-browed look. (This item is currently available in one version, with Blonde on the one side and Brunette on the other.)
On the other hand, Go Brow is all about saving time. The product features a brow pencil on one end and a brow highlighter on the other. It is available in one shade only, and Anastasia claims that the brow pencil suits all brow colors. (Overall it suits my dark brow hair well.) The shade itself is a cool medium brown, and this is the only brow color reviewed here that has a hint of shimmer. I think the shimmer is precisely for making the shade suit more people. (The actual color is darker than it looks in the photo above, and I suppose it appears lighter here partly because of the shimmer.) The other end of the pencil is a matte and slightly pink-toned brow highlighter, which is the same as the Eye Lights Matte reviewed last week.
Lastly, Tinted Brow Gel works similarly to the Clear Brow Gel in the 5-Piece Brow Kit but it comes with color and shimmer. The shade in Caramel that you see above goes on quite light. The gel dries up very quickly and the color stays true throughout the day and doesn’t flake. It would be a suitable color if you have blonde hair or if you want to tone down your brow color.
(Products reviewed here that are not available on Anastasia’s official website can be found on Sephora.com, which also features a how-to video.)
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(Anastasia Five-Piece Brow Kit in Medium Ash)
Today I am reviewing Anastasia‘s Five-Piece Brow Kit and two brow highlighters. Next week I will review some of Anastasia’s other brow products.
Anastasia’s Five-Piece Brow Kit is essentially a DIY brow-shaping kit. The idea is to use the pre-made stencils to achieve the ideal brow shape. I will first talk about the general steps of the use of this kit and then share my thoughts.
After locating where the brows start and end (check here for tips), you choose a stencil from the four that best matches the shape of your brows. You then use the brow brush to apply the Brow Powder Duo inside the cutout. Then tweeze the hair outside the filled-in area, particularly the hair under it. After that, simply blend and use the Clear Brow Gel to set the brow.
(the four stencils)
I am sure very few people have the exact same shape as one of these cutouts (in terms of thickness, length and arch). One of my initial issues with them is that all the cutouts are too long. But, after locating where the brow begins/ends, the right stencil is simply the one that has the closest arch. Then, as long as I place the arch of the cutout where my natural arch is and make sure the starting/ending points of the brows are inside the cutouts, I can simply fill in where needed. After tweezing and some blending to soften the edges, the result is relatively natural.
Most of us don’t have totally symmetric eyebrows, and we do need to be flexible and “go with the flow” a little bit when we use the stencils. Forced symmetry doesn’t always look optimally flattering.
One reader asked me some time ago (before I tried this kit) whether any of the four Brow Powder Duos would suit people of East-Asian descent with jet black hair. I have black hair myself, and I think Medium Ash (seen above) suits me quite well. The darker shade on the right of the duo is a matte dark cool brown with just about enough grey undertone to look natural for those with black hair. (But I usually use a dark grey eyeshadow as a brow powder. The one I am currently using is Rimmel’s eyeshadow single in Jet Black.) Texture-wise, the powder is smooth and glides on easily.
I am quite pleased with the brow brush in this kit. The feel of the bristles is not overly stiff like those from MAC and Bobbi Brown (which I think are too stiff) and is similar to that of Shu Uemura’s 6 OB Badger brush for eyebrows.
The Clear Brow Gel has a light texture and gently sets the brows. Since this is formulated to act somewhat like a hair styling product, it is not surprising that it has (quite a lot of) alcohol. If your face is sensitive to alcohol, carefully apply the gel to the brow hair and avoid contact with the skin.
Overall this is a fairly good kit if you need some general guidance on brow-shaping, especially if you need reassurance on where to tweeze. It is also something worth having if you are starting out with makeup and want to invest in some good-quality basics.
Also from Anastasia’s range are two brow highlighters, Eye Lights Matte (right) and Eye Lights Shimmer (left).
(Eye Lights Shimmer in Lace (left)
Eye Lights Matte has a satiny matte finish that doesn’t look chalky, while Eye Lights Shimmer has a softly metallic sheen. Eye Lights Matte in Camille is pink-toned and Eye Lights Shimmer in Lace has a golden undertone. Both are multi-purposed and can be used elsewhere, such as the inner corner of the eye. (Both have very good staying power as well.) As a brow highlighter, I prefer the matte one, which gives a soft-focus finish and delicately highlights the brow bone.
Next week I will review some of Anastasia’s other brow products, including Perfect Brow Pencil, Tinted Brow Gel and Brow Filler.
Related Posts:
EcoTool Makeup Brushes
The Only Lash Curler I Ever Need
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Just for Redheads, as the name suggests, is a line specifically designed for those with red hair and fair skin. Makeup items such as black (or dark grey) mascaras, eyeliners, and eyebrow colors, can simply be too harsh-looking and dramatic for redheads. Warm and auburn hues, in this case, can better enhance the facial features without being overpowering.
If you share this concern, then these goodies might be what you are looking for.
Brush a Brow and Brow Stick (both in Ginger Auburn):
Brush a Brow is a velvety eyebrow powder that goes on smoothly and stays well, while Brow Stick is an eyebrow pencil that is softer than most others. It glides on very easily and creates natural and fluffy-looking brows (not that painted-on look).
The very warm brown tone is of course the main feature. It is that delicious milk-chocolate brown which softly enhances the brows.
Studio Mascara (in Ginger Henna):
What is great about this mascara is that no matter how much I layer it, it does not clump. Although it does not volumize the lashes like some others, it superbly defines, separates, and lengthens the lashes to create an effortlessly natural look.
Again, the warm brown tone is spot-on.
As I was trying on these colors, it appeared to me (who has dark hair and medium skin-tone) that they are not just flattering for people with red hair and fair skin. They are suitable for anyone that wants an ultra-natural warm look. I think what Just for Redheads has created are products that can give an understated and elegant radiance to your face.
The full Just for Redheads line also includes a complete range of makeup, foundation, skincare and haircare products.
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Kanebo Milano Collection 2025 for Holiday 2024 (image from www.fashion-press.net)
