(Raycious Case Assembly)I have talked about why I love Raycious foundations in an earlier post, so I won’t be going there today. (But mainly, it features fine blue-based particles that even out sallowness and redness to make skin bright and alive.)
Today it is all about all the cases since Raycious was launched in 2000. Each year, the foundation formulation changes slightly, and so does the case design.
I have been collecting these cases throughout the years. (I don’t have all the different foundations. The refills fit all the cases apart from the very first edition.)
Here we go!
The 1st-generation Raycious was launched in 2000. It is probably still the best-selling edition to date. This simple case is also my favorite. I also love this shade of blue. (You can see the difference above in the photo.) All the lines are slightly curved. Very subtly elegant. (This is the only Raycious case for a round refill, which, by the way, fits Anna Sui foundation cases as well.)
(Raycious 2000)Riding on the success of the original Raycious, the 2nd-generation was launched in 2001.
(Raycious 2001)It has a very reflective sheet in the lid. It is very shiny and colorful when I play it around the light:
The back of the lid can be opened:
I remember this sheet was given to purchasing customers in a very limited period of time:
This pattern was downloaded from the Sofina website in 2001:
You can put anything in the lid. For example, now I am doing some shameless self-promotion:
Onto 2002…the case has a minimal look:
(Raycious 2002)Cell phone charms can be attached to the back:
The Raycious 2003 case is gadget-free and features soothing patterns:
(Raycious 2003)It is quite a cutie!
Tomorrow I’ll come back with the ones from 2004 to 2007. You will have a closer look at the one with a three-way mirror. See you then!!
(See the cases from 2004 to 2007!)
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!)
by PJ on Sunday, May 20, 2007
in _I Love Colors, -Anna Sui, -Dior, -Kao, -Lavshuca, -Sofina, all about Japanese cosmetics, fragrance, makeup, makeup - base makeup, skincare, stash focus
The sun is shining and you are lying on the beach, busy being lazy.
But there’s a masquerade by the sea after sunset. You have your dazzling mask and all your powder and potion to bring out your radiance. All that’s left is to find that perfect floaty summer frock, maybe in blue as well……?
—————————-
Makeup
Sofina Raycious: Glamorous Skin Powder
Lavshuca: Eye Color Select BU-1
Lavshuca: Eye Color BG-1
Dior: DiorKiss 198 Plum Tart
Dior: DiorKiss 208 Mint Lemonade
(limited edition for summer 2007)
Gerlain: Guerlain by Emilio Pucci Lip Gloss 03 Sparkling Sea
(limited edition for summer 2007)
Maybelline: Volume Express Waterproof
Fragrance
Anna Sui: Sui Dreams
Skincare
Lancome: Tonique Douceur
KissMe: Lip Care Menthol
Previous Splash of Color: New-Leaf Green
Even more Splashes of Colors to come!
(my latest Raycious cases)
(part of my Raycious case collection)Sofina is one of my favorite brands and I love collecting some of their cute stuff.
Within the brand, Raycious, the foundation line, launched Glamorous Skin Powder, its 8th-generation powder foundation. (Read the full review of their new base products here.) I have got the cases. (I didn’t get the foundation cakes because I still have several ones of previous generations…but I am an avid Raycious foundation case collector and I put the cakes in the new cases.)
The new case is, as always, a blue one. Gone is the three-way mirror in the 7th-generation and now there is jewel-like detail on the edge of the case. The pink one is a limited-edition and it looks so gorgeous.
The color makeup line, Aube, will launch the summer 2007 collection. The Gloss Fruitina feature 8 sparkling, fresh, and fruity colors. It includes the third minty/aquamarine lipgloss that is going to be lunched this summer (along with those from Dior and Guerlain), and I am very eager to check it out.
Next week, I’ll review more summer 2007 collections.
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.
#8: Anna Sui (“Blooms of Fascinations” Collection)
The Look: It is all about lips for Anna Sui this season, with a collection full of cute lipglosses and lipsticks in a variety of color palettes (pink, orange, red, and beige). The packaging is adorably girlie as always.
Key Items: Sui Lip Gloss. 19 sweet fruity colors of varying pigmentations. Mix and match them up!
#7: Aube by Sofina (“Splash Beauty” Collection)
The Look: Ultra-shiny and ultra-glossy, this collection brings a watery transparency and a burst of radiance. All five eye palettes feature a glittery eye gloss that can work as a base or a top coat, giving a wet-look effect. The lipsticks impart a gloss-like finish, and the shimmery powder is great for face as well as body.
Key Items: Jewelry Shower Eyes palettes. The name says it all. Apart from the eye gloss, there are gradations of pink, purple, blue, and brown in each palette. The shades are relatively muted, but reasonably so due to the high shine of the eye gloss.
Related posts:
PJ’s Top Ten: Spring 2007 Makeup Round-Up (#10, #9)
(Pictured: my Raycious stash)
Raycious updated its website today to feature the latest additions, due out in February.
I love Raycious. It is more or less the only reason why Sofina is one of my favorite brands. (See my post about Sofina here, which is mostly about Raycious.)
This spring, there are three new products. The Glamorous Skin Powder will be the 8th-generation Raycious powder foundation. (The 7th-generation is the one with the three-way mirror. The link just above has a photo of it.) Again, the case looks so lovely and will definitely be added to my collection.
Along with the foundation, there are a primer and a double-tipped highlighting/shading pen.
The Crystal Skin Base is a primer that will impart a sheer luminosity. But it might look greasy on my skin after a couple of hours.
The Face Trick Duo is an interesting product. It has a highlighting cream on one end and a beige/brown contour shading cream on the other. It is for creating defined facial features and contour. Because of its creamy texture (but lighter than the usual creamy concealer), it is used before a powder foundation or after a liquid/cream foundation.
This and the Glamorous Face Powder are what I look forward to trying!
After months of anticipation, Raycious seems to have delivered products that are worth the wait. But I will pass my final judgment when I get my hands on these new products.
(pictured: part of my collection)
Sofina, part of the Kao Group, is a major cosmetics brand (along with Shiseido, Kanebo, and Kose). It has an efficient and no-nonsense concept of skincare and makeup with a sense of fun and enjoyment. It mostly appeals to the 20-something generation.
One of the two Sofina’s foundation lines, Raycious, is probably more popular than the skincare and the color makeup lines. The debut of the 1st-generation Raycious powder foundation in 2000 was a sensation. It was said to have sold 1 million in its first year in Japan.
The innovation of Raycious lies in the ultra-fine luminous pale-blue particles (which the blue packaging represents). It counteracts the dark orange undertone (which makes skin look dull and lifeless) and keeps the face bright (not shiny) and fresh-looking throughout the day. The color of the foundation does not fade or turn dull when the face gets oily.
When I tried it for the first time, I was amazed. All the advertising claims were lived up to. No wonder it sold so well. The color does not darken over time, unlike what usually happens with a lot of other foundations. And the foundation stays fresh throughout the day and my face actually looks more luminous (not greasy!) by the end of the day.
Each year the packaging and the formulation of the foundation change, so we’re in the 7th-generation in 2006. But the fine blue-based particles have always been the main feature of Raycious. This year, the new formulation is all about defining the facial contour, and the foundation case became as much of a talking point as the foundation itself when it features a three-way mirror (for seeing exactly how the foundation defines the contour of our faces from multiple angles).
Aube, Sofina’s color makeup collection, offers all the good basics for daily makeup. The packaging changes entirely every two years or so. New products replace existing ones season after season and we end up with a completely new line every two years, in line with the revamped packaging. The Spring 2007 Collection is mentioned in a previous post.
The daytime moisturizers with proper sunscreen ingredients are the most popular items in the skincare line. They are fresh and still great as a makeup base.
Packaging-wise, Sofina is the most down-to-earth one among all my favorite brands, but it consistently offers great and innovative products. I will always be its loyal customers.
Sofina is part of Kao, one of the largest cosmetics companies in Japan. It has a very youthful image. Their makeup line Aube radiates youthful elegance and the foundation line Raycious is one of the best foundation collections in Japan.
The new Aube collection includes 13 lipsticks and 5 4-color eyeshadow palettes. Similar to Kanebo Testimo‘s upcoming collection (discussed here on a previous post), the eyeshadow palettes feature tone-on-tone color selections, except for a limited edition palette, which features olive, pastel green, and soft orange.
The collection also includes mascaras, a lip base, and a loose powder. More details will be added to the Aube website later about these products.
The collection will be launched on December 13th.
Sofina is among my favorite Japanese brands as well. I will review it (especially the Raycious foundation line) on Sunday.
(Raycious Case Assembly)
(Raycious 2000)
(Raycious 2001)
(Raycious 2002)
(Raycious 2003)
