Pics of Ladurée Les Merveilleuses Launch in Tokyo

These marvellous photos of the Les Merveilleuses by Ladurée launch in Tokyo just popped into my mailbox, courtesy of the amazing Emilie, who previously also sent me the photos of the Majolica Majorca Christmas tree in 2011 and 2010.

Ad banners at Ginza subway station, just under Mitsukoshi department store where the Ladurée counter is located.

The delectable counter display.





Emilie purchased the Face Powder and Color Control Base.

The Face Powder pot (3780yen) is sold separately from the powder refill (8820yen).

The pot comes with a plush puff.


The paper packaging of the Face Powder refill is very similar to the loose powder refills for Paul & Joe and Anna Sui (which are also made by Albion).



The members' card.

The gift with purchase was this pouch.

Samples of the Fluid Foundation and Translucent Makeup Base.

Yesterday, I also visited the Ladurée cafe in Covent Garden here in London.




Naturally, I came away with a box of the yummy macaroons to share with my husband. These certainly lived up to their excellent reputation and we polished off half the box in no time at all.



My heartfelt thanks to Emilie once again for sharing her photos with us!

Lush Covent Garden for Valentine's Day & Sneak Peek

Chanced across this cheeky window display at the Lush store in Covent Garden in London yesterday.

Love the pretty box for the P.S. I Love You gift set.

Leap Frog Bath Bomb, which is scented with jasmine, sandalwood and rose.


Another display inside the store.




Perfumes: The A-Z Guide by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez was placed at the fragrance section with Lush perfume reviews helpfully marked out. The book is well-written and great fun to read, even if you do not have a chance to try out most of the perfumes covered in the book.

Yup, I got some too!

Sneak peek of the new products coming up in March and April for Mother's Day and Easter respectively from Lush Times.


The Reusable Bubble Bars in Mum Tulip (chocolate orange!) and Madame Butterfly sound divine. Each wand can be used for at least six baths.

Lunasol Starter Kit 2012

Biteki.com has posted several real-life pics of the Lunasol Starter Kit 2012 collaboration with Gallarda Galante and Toff & Loadstone.

Operation Use It Up

The first month of the year has already flown by so quickly! Managed to clear out another bunch of beauty products from my stash this month. I've been trying to use up the dozens of samples that I've accumulated in an effort to de-clutter.


1. Garnier Fructis Color Resist Shampoo: This worked well with my dry hair and didn't make my scalp itch like the Essential Damage Care Rich Premier Shampoo did. I can't say how well it does in retaining the vibrancy of colored hair as my hair had already lost much of the red color from my last color job in October.

2. L'Occitane Citrus Verbena Shampoo: I love the refreshing verbena scent. It does contain sulfates but it didn't leave my hair excessively dry or tangled. It feels light enough to be used as a daily shampoo.

3. Nivea Color Protect Conditioner: This worked well enough for leaving my hair detangled but I still need to use a serum in the mornings to get rid of frizziness. Again, I can't say how well it protects hair color.

4. Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater Bath & Shower Gel: I adore the lush, romantic rose scent of this entire line. Would definitely re-purchase except that I still have tons of other C&E bodycare products to use up.

5. Lancome Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover: This takes off eyeshadows usually in just one or two swipes of the cotton pad but with more stubborn mascaras like Anna Sui Perfect Mascara, it requires quite a bit more effort. It doesn't sting my eyes.

6. Perricone MD Citrus Face Wash: This works up a mild lather and cleanses well without stripping the skin or making it feel tight. However, I didn't quite like the scent.

7. Bifesta Moist Cleansing Lotion: Bifesta is the new brand name for Cleansing Express, which is made by Mandom. This is an excellent and very affordable alternative to cleansing oils if you are averse to oil in your skincare products. It removes makeup quickly and thoroughly, although I still prefer to use a separate eye makeup remover. I usually still follow up with a gentle face cleanser out of habit although this is a cleanser and toner in one.

8. H2O+ Clearwater Shower & Bath Gel: This lathers up lightly and doesn't dry out my skin. The light fresh scent doesn't linger strongly on the skin. I don't like this enough to want to repurchase it.

9. BareMinerals Purifying Facial Cleanser: This feels gentle on the skin and cleanses well without leaving it dry and flaky.

10. Cosme Decorte AQ Gentle Pure Washing Foam: This is a very watery, mild cleanser that doesn't strip the skin but it stung my eyes incredibly badly so I would not re-purchase this.

11. Kenzoki Melts On Contact Face Gel: This leaves my skin feeling hydrated and soft without being overly-greasy. The scent is also very soothing and calming.

12. Cosme Decorte Moisture Liposome: My skin just drinks up Moisture Liposome, which works well for prepping the skin before applying foundation. It is very expensive though, so I may not re-purchase it for awhile.

13. Chanel Hydra Beauty Serum: Like most Chanel skincare products, I find this too heavily fragranced and not exceptional in terms of its performance.

14. K-Palette Real Lasting Eyebrow: This is the only makeup product that I regularly use up every three months. It is super easy to use and gentler on the skin than most eyebrow pencils. This is the old version without the eyebrow powder.

Ladurée Les Merveilleuses Launch in Tokyo

The debut of Ladurée Les Merveilleuses in Tokyo on 29 January attracted a great crowd with queues of up to 200 persons at one time. The second counter is scheduled to open in Takashimaya department store in the JR station in Nagoya on 25 February.

Do check out the reports of the launch on:

A Blissful Living

Hana no Cosme

Syukan Syogyo

More product pics can be found on:

Spur magazine with reviews by Tomomon, Marianne and Miki.

CABeautynavi and here.

Elle Japan

Sawako Abe