by PJ on Friday, November 23, 2007
in -Anna Sui, -Chanel, -Dior, -Guerlain, -Helena Rubinstein, -Jill Stuart, -Kanebo, -Kosé, -Lunasol, -Shu Uemura, 2008 Spring, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup
Exciting spring 2008 makeup preview!
(image from i-voce.boxerblog.com/contents/index.html)
The Voce website has a page from the January 2008 issue, featuring a preview of some spring 2008 makeup collections.
I see Dior, Chanel, Jill Stuart, Lunasol, Anna Sui, Givenchy, Guerlain, Coffret D’Or, Beauté de Kosé, and perhaps Helena Rubinstein, Sofina Est and Shu Uemura…just to name a few.
I think I have already seen some items I want…and it is still November!
I am loving the look of the Chanel and Lunasol lilac eyeshadow palettes (as if I didn’t have enough lilac palettes…with my T’Estimo, Jill Stuart, and Lavshuca lilac bonanza).
What has grabbed your attention?
Updated on Friday, November 23, 2007:
Bjooti has kindly confirmed that the zebra-printed one towards the top left is indeed from the Helena Rubinstein spring 2008 collection. Take a look at the full collection on her blog!
Related Posts (let’s go back to holiday 2007):
Dior DiorLight Jewelled Makeup Necklace
(another beautiful Dior seasonal item)
Lavshuca Christmas 2007 Makeup Palette
(as cute as a box of chocolates…)
(my most used brushes…)
Last week, a reader asked whether I could talk about the makeup brushes I use. Then I realized I had never mentioned these “hairy” friends who have been helping me putting together my makeup.
One of the reasons that I haven’t talked about them is simply that I don’t have a lot of them. All I have are the basics, and I make do with them. Also, some of them are not really available now, but I will focus on what you can get your hands on.
First of all, a couple of years ago, I bought an Ayura set that included a limited-edition brush set. The brushes came in this lovely brown holder:
(my Ayura brush set)
The set has 6 brushes, for cheeks, eyes, and brows. These are not the kind of sparse, scratchy, and coarse brushes often included in many gifts with purchases. They are soft and fluffy, and they have proven to be durable and easy to use.
(the six brushes in the set)
I use the four on the right very regularly. They and three others make up my “sensational seven”:
(the Sensational Seven)
(a close-up)
(numbered for you)
— #1, #3, #4, and #5 are from the Ayura brush set. I don’t think the set is available anymore so I’ll be brief with these. #1 is a soft blusher brush that I have been counting on for all my powder blushers. #3 and #4 are solid and bouncy eyeshadow brushes that never feel scratchy. #5 is a great flat brush for lining the eyes.
— #2 is Ruby & Millie Eye Brush [Large]. (I remember it costs about £9 (about 18 USD).) Ruby & Millie is a makeup line sold exclusively in Boots stores in the UK. Last year and this year, the Ruby & Millie makeup brush collection is chosen by InStyle Magazine UK as “the best inexpensive brush line“. I can definitely see why. Budget brush hunters will love some of these brushes. In particular, this eyeshadow brush is thick and dense (thicker than #3). It is good for eyeshadow application for larger areas and for overall blending.
— #6 is Shu Uemura eyebrow brush (6 OB). I’ve had this for at least 7 years and it still performs well. This eyebrow brush is slightly softer than those from MAC and Bobbi Brown, both of which I think are too hard. The brush tip is nicely slanted for easy application.
— #7 is RMK Lip Brush. This one is retractable and very easy to carry around. The very flat tip allows a precise application. I’d like the hair to be shorter and slightly denser, but it is a minor complaint for a brush that I have been very used to for years.
I have some other brushes but these are the ones I depend on the most. I am not really on the lookout for any new brush, but sometimes I fancy an alternative blusher brush (I am a blusher person) and an angled face shading/contouring brush. Any suggestions? Let me know!
by PJ on Sunday, July 8, 2007
in -Anna Sui, -Aube (Couture), -Ayura, -Integrate, -Jill Stuart, -Kanebo, -Kao, -Kate, -Kosé, -Lavshuca, -Lunasol, -Majolica Majorca, -Maquillage, -Paul & Joe, -RMK, -Shiseido, -Shu Uemura, -Sofina, -T'Estimo, -Visée, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, readers' polls
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!)
(continued from the previous post)
—————#6: Shu Uemura————————-
The Look: Juxtaposition of warm and cool hues.
Key Items: Sunrise Prism and Sunset Prism Eyeshadow Palettes. (Another interpretation of the sunrise/sunset theme is Chanel’s two Contraste Lumiere palettes, billed as “dawn and day” in Japan.) Not as bold as MAC’s C-Shock Collection, they are still richer than most pastel shades around. The combinations of colors are very interesting and enticing (turquoise, emerald and yellow for Sunrise Prism and orange, lilac, and gold for Sunset Prism). I’d be tempted to mix the colors from the two eye-catching palettes.
—————#5: Lavshuca————————-
The Look: A Touch of Blusher (Umm……)
Key Items: Cheek Colors. If you like to go heavy on the blusher, then they might not be right for you. (They do layer fine, but it takes time.) They impart a light wash of color. It is predominantly matte, which I like as well.
(I am not really sure how these are compared with the striped Cheek Select, which, from what I have gathered, is too sheer for most people’s liking. I think the Cheek Colors are probably more pigmented, as they certainly can’t be used as an overall face powder…)
—————#4: Lunasol————————-
The Look: Azure eyes.
Key Item: Skin Modeling Eyes in EX02 Beige Cool. This is a great palette for creating the hot look of this season: blue eyes. Instead of the bright and bold cobalt blue, the palette features a light pastel blue and a deeper and more understated dark blue. A very wearable blue eye palette.
To be continued……(see who wins the medals…)
Related Posts:
Lunasol Summer 2007 Collection
Lavshuca Summer 2007 Collection
by PJ on Friday, December 8, 2006
in -Chanel, -Estée Lauder, -Lancôme, -RMK, -Shu Uemura, all about Japanese cosmetics, skincare, skincare - cleansing/toning, skincare - moisturizing/others, stash focus
I don’t have naturally perfect skin. It is a bit sensitive, a bit oily, and a bit dry underneath all at the same time. These are the products that really work for me and help keep my skin in its best possible condition.
Morning:
Johnson’s Sensitive Facial Wash
Shu Uemura Refreshing Lotion
Estee Lauder DayWear Plus SPF 15 for Oily Skin
Chanel’s Soin Tendre Levres SPF 15
No7 Uplifting Day Cream SPF 15 (something more emollient for my neck)
Evening:
RMK Cleansing Oil (if I wear makeup during the day)
Johnson’s Sensitive Facial Wash
Shu Uemura Refreshing Lotion
Lancome Hydra Zen for Normal to Dry Skin
Rose & Co. Apothecary Rose Petal Salve (for lips)
I try to keep the routine simple. I don’t use an exfoliator or a moisturizing mask regularly. I have them and I use them when I need to. They are SOS products that I only use several times a year.
I don’t switch between products in different seasons. I simply apply a more generous amount of moisturizer in winter.
Also, I don’t use an eye cream. Eye creams are a complete marketing myth. A well-formulated moistuizer should work on the entire face, and there is no need to have another moisturizer that usually costs three times more than the facial moisturizer in the same line (in terms of unit price). I don’t have dark cycles, dry lines, and puffy eyes, and I don’t own an eye cream.
In terms of skincare, I think simpler is better. Cleansing, moisturizing, and sunscreening are all you need.
Finally I was at the SUQQU counter to see all the products for the first time yesterday. Wonderful service there, which reminded me of my trip to Japan when the sales assistants bowed to me after hearing my compliments on their products.
This time, she didn’t bow to me, but she did say “Thank you” when I complimented on their nice packaging. (Usually, at most other counters in the UK, I get the reply “It is indeed nice, isn’t it?” They will *never* say this in Japan. You are supposed to be thankful for a customer’s compliment, not to eagerly agree with it. Well, I know there is no right or wrong about this.)
I left with a Creamy Lip Stick in 22 Benikoji, a nice beige pink. I also got samples of HA Complex Lotion and HA Complex Emulsion. In true Japanese style, the sales assistant came around the counter and handed the bag to me with both hands. Again, I felt like I was in Takashimaya Shinjuku.
Later, I went to Fenwick Bond Street Christmas Shopping Evening. As I expected, there were loads of people in the beauty section. It’s because it was rare for a department store to have a 20% discount on all cosmetics and fragrances. (As far as I know, on special 20% off days, department stores like Debenhams and House of Fraser only do 10% on cosmetics and fragrances.) No surprise, the accessory section was full of people looking through all the “it” bags for this season.
I bought a few things, including the Depsea Therapy Moisture Recovery Nanowater. I left feeling satisfied and wanted to come back next year.
By the way, I saw Dior’s Asia-only “Ultra Shine 2” lipsticks in Harvey Nichols.
I will now save the money for the coming winter sale.
I really like the packaging of the new MACouture collection. It is very chic and glamorous. I know it is more expensive than the usual MAC products (and it will be more expensive in the UK), but I will be more than happy to own a piece of it. Right now I am interested in MACouture Lipstick, Lipglass, and Sheer Mystery Powder.
The other thing is Shu Uemura’s new range of lipsticks “Rouge Unlimited“. I don’t normally like transparent packaging, but out of the 48 shades, there are a few interesting choices. The six artist shades (white, yellow, green, blue, purple, and black) are to be layered onto the other shades to give a sheer accent color, according to my Biteki magazine (November 2006). It also suggests PK308 as the base shade to experiment the layering. (You have to go to the Japanese website to see the shade. The color naming is different in the US. But I think it might be Nude Pink Pearl under Pink.) Can’t wait to see how the layering works, especially how the green and the blue layer on to the pink shade.
Exciting spring 2008 makeup preview!
