Voce has a deluxe Paul & Joe Beauty freebie set lined up for its April 2017 issue (on sale on 23 February in Japan). It includes a metal accessory tin, samples of its upcoming new Eclat Teint Gel Foundation N #102, Protecting Foundation Primer S 01, Oil (2 sachets), Herbal Lotion (2 sachets) and Facial Cotton (2 pads). Online retailers such as Amazon Japan have already started taking reservations.
Coffret D'Or is slated to release the following base and color makeup products for Spring 2017:
16 February
1. Nudy Cover Liquid UV Foundation SPF30 PA++ (3500yen, 7 shades)
2. Lucent Finish Powder (3500yen for 15g powder in tub; 2500yen for refill sachet)
3. Foundation Case (1000yen)
Coffret D'Or will be progressively revamping its product packaging starting with this collection. The new design theme emphasises a simple form in a nude pink color scheme with golden pleats, to convey the impression of opening a treasure box.
16 March
1. Purely Stay Rouge (8 shades, 2500yen): Clear, glossy colour with a moisturising finish thanks to ingredients such as olive oil, jojoba oil, squalene and water-soluble collagen.
Pic below by Maquia.
Pic below by Voce.
Suqqu has finally opened its first ever duty-free counter in Narita Airport's Terminal 1 (Southern Wing) at the ANA Duty Free Shop. If memory serves me correctly, Singapore Airlines flies from that terminal.
Lunasol will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its bestselling Skin Modelling Eyes Beige Beige palette with a special collaboration with illustrator WALNUT. This collection debuts on 24 February, and includes the palette in a limited edition case together with a Creamy Cheeks & Lips EX01. The Skin Modelling Eyes Kit will retail for 5000yen.
There will also be a new Skin Modelling Powder Glow foundation SPF20 PA++ (4000yen, 9.5g, 6 shades)and a Base Make Kit (7500yen to 9000yen) that includes a choice of any liquid/cream/loose foundation, and a choice of either the Modelling Control Base or Smoothiung Light Makeup Base, plus a mini nail polish and zip pouch. The limited edition Powder Foundation Compact will retail at 1500yen.
Pic below by Biteki.
RMK is celebrating its 20th anniversary with this limited edition collection launching on 10 March in Japan. It includes an eyeshadow palette with six shades, three limited edition shades of Ingenious Powder Cheeks N and five new shades of Ingenious Powder Eyes N. Pic by Abe Sawako.
The bestselling Liquid Foundation and Makeup Base will also be available in new packaging. The formulas have remained unchanged since their introduction.
Rimmel is launching this pair of highlighters for Spring 2017 on 17 February in Japan. Priced at 1200yen, these could be Asia-exclusive as Rimmel Japan offers a different product line-up than that for the USA and Europe. Pic by Voce.
Shu Uemura will debut its new Petal Skin Fluid Foundation SPF20 PA++ (5000yen, 30ml) on 24 February in Japan. Available in 11 shades, it promises poreless coverage that does not feel heavy on the skin, and a softly radiant semi-matte finish like the surface of a flower petal. Pic by Voce.
The accompanying Petal 55 Foundation Brush (6000yen) is designed for speedy application of foundation. It is designed to sit at an angle so that water does not pool in the base when the brush is drying off after a wash. Pic below by Tokyo Beauty News.
Suqqu has posted a couple of makeup application videos featuring their new Designing Color Eyes quads on their Facebook page. Below is a behind-the-scenes clip on the shooting of the ad campaign. With the introduction of the Designing Color Eyes, the much beloved Blend Color Eyes palettes have been discontinued and are no longer available on the Suqqu online shop for Japan. A select few are still available on Selfridges and Harrods but these will eventually be phased out as well. Selfridges has also stopped carrying Suqqu brushes on their website, a rather odd decision given how popular these were despite the high price tags. The Spring 2017 collection will launch in Selfridges on 2 February.
Kose will launch its ONE BY KOSÉ brand on 16 January in Japan with just one product, Moisture Rice Power Hydration Boosting Serum. The brand earlier launched in the USA through QVC in January 2016 with a gel foundation that sold 5000 units with 10 minutes of the informercial's broadcast. The serum is free of artificial colours. It has a mildly acidic pH and a green floral scent. The official website is here.
The Guerlain Happy Rosy Glow Collection for Spring 2017 has just started to arrive online. It is available now on Nordstrom.
The star product is naturally the Meteorites Happy Glow Pearls, described as "shimmering pink with multicolored reflection for the ultimate glow, soft mauve to catch light and matte pink to revive the complexion. Combined with mini champagne pearls, they create a universal harmony that enlighten the complexion with radiance and a perfecting halo." It sure is pretty but do be aware that Guerlain has hiked up the price significantly for this Meteorites. The Meteorites from the permanent line-up retail at US$62 for 0.88oz/25g while the recent LE Météorites Perles de Légende from the Holiday 2016 collection was US$65 for 25g. In contrast, the Meteorites Happy Glow Pearls are a whopping US$74 for 1 oz (vs 9400yen in Japan). That's almost a 20% increase in price compared to the regular Meteorites, albeit for a tad more product. My Meteorites collection is vast enough that I think I can safely pass on this (unless a nice discount pops along) without regret.
Also part of the collection is the Meteorites Blush Happy Glow (6800yen), Meteorites Brush (5200yen) and KissKiss lipsticks #564 and #565 (4400yen). All items are limited edition.
Albion will release this improved version of their Tight Film Foundation on 18 February in Japan. The Tight Film Foundation PRO SPF32 PA+++ (6000yen, 30g) will be available in 6 shades. It supposedly contains two types of memory polymer and uses the skin's temperature to help form a lifting, tightening veil on the skin to create a slimmer profile. Pic from Voce.
Paul & Joe will release this new Cleansing Gel (3500yen, 160g) on 1 March in Japan. Formulated with olive oil and parsley extract, the textures transforms upon contact with skin. Pic by Voce. The Spring 2017 collection is now available on ASOS which ships internationally (but often without any protective packaging so caveat emptor).
Since its introduction in February 2015, Kose's budget-friendly Nailholic line has logged sales in excess of 10 million units. Priced at just 300yen each, the line boasts a whopping 92 shades. Nailholic will add 19 new shades, plus 10 Pastel Snow shades and 8 glittery Pasty Flake shades. View the official website here.
Kanebo will expand its new eponymous global prestige brand's lineup with nine makeup products on 10 February and skincare on 3 March. The skincare line is supposedly designed to be attuned to women's monthly hormonal fluctuations. Aside from the new powder foundation and tri-tone brow powder, there will also be six new lipsticks that are a revival of Kanebo's former flagship drugstore brand T'estimo's bestselling Rouge Clear rose-based shades, reformulated with the latest modern technology.
KANEBO was launched in September 2016 in Japan and November 2016 in Southeast Asian countries including Singapore, and will be available in Europe and Russia in 2017. Read the press release here.
Well, 2016 has simply whizzed by, hasn't it? With just a couple hours left of this year to go, I wanted to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. For longtime readers who have hung around, thank you for your continued interest and support. I know blog updates this year have been very sporadic and I can't promise that it will change anytime soon. As many of you know, my brood expanded from one to three this past April so life has been a whirlwind of mainly diaper changes, bottle feeds and lots of baby carrying. My makeup collection has sat collecting sad dust bunnies for the past year. I've been trying to make more of an effort with putting on my face but it often feels like a losing battle, especially when I see all the white hair that has sprouted, reminding me that I'm on the cusp of turning 40.
Enough of my prattle. Who wants to see cute baby pics?
These little tykes were born at 36 weeks by C-section, weighing just 2.4kg and 2.5kg. They spent 8 days in the neo-natal ICU, mainly learning how to feed and put on weight. One had jaundice and the other had trouble maintaining his body temperature for awhile, but other than that, their issues were pretty mild compared to other premature babies. They came off their oxygen tubes after the first day and their IVs were out by the third day. Still, there were a couple of harrowing moments, like when the nurses jabbed one twin several times in the arms, heels and even his forehead trying to find a viable vein for the IV needle. It was surreal being discharged from the hospital and going home without my babies, but fortunately, we lived just around the corner from the hospital. We were also able to view the babies live over the internet through video cameras above their cots.
We've been fortunate in that we've had great help from our parents, who have been taking turns to stay with us for six months each. The first few months were tough as expected, but the painful pregnancy had trained me to function with very little sleep. At least now I can sleep lying down without stomach acid flooding my mouth like it did when I was pregnant.
These chubby wubbies are identical twins but they have always looked different to me. The younger one has a slightly rounder face and bigger eyes. My husband still gets them mixed up on a regular basis, claiming that he's just not good with faces. Whatever! The two also have different temperaments. The older one is more stoic while the younger one is super jolly but also quicker to fuss.
However depressing the state of the world around us is, I feel like I've been blessed many times over with this crew. Life's pretty perfect when one's heart and arms are so full. Each day when they wake up and see me, their faces light up and they kick their tiny feet and flap their arms like ecstatic chickens on speed. Those precious seconds of unadulterated joy are what I hold on to. Some day, they'll probably become resentful moody teenagers who can't wait to escape to the other side of the world but I'll always have these treasured memories of the time when I was their whole world and vice versa.
May the new year bring you more love, light and merry adventures wherever you are.
Three will release these limited edition Peach Celebration sets (6800yen) on 3 March in Japan to coincide with the traditional Hinamatsuri (Girls' Day) festival. Each of the three sets includes a Whisper Gloss For Eyes, Shimmering Lip Jam (mini size) and Epic Mini Dash (liquid blush). Pic by Voce.
