Pixi H2O Skintint, Bronzebeam Endless Silky Eye Pen and Shea Butter Lip Balm

During BeautyBay's recent 15% off sale, I purchased the new Pixi H2O Skintint (£21, 35ml), Endless Silky Eye Pen in BronzeBeam (£11) and Shea Butter Lip Balm (£8) in Ripe Raspberry from the Spring 2014 collection.

The H2O Skintint is a water-based tinted face gel that is supposed to be hydrating, long-lasting and water-resistant with a semi-matte finish that lasts all day. Aside from being paraben-free and fragrance-free, it contains antioxidant-rich green tea, moisturising rose water, soothing english chamomile and relaxing lavender. I was surprised to see that it is made in Korea.

The lightest shade No. 1 Cream was a good match for my MAC NC20 skintone. The pump dispenser is easy to control and the plastic tube packaging makes this convenient for travel as there is no fear of breakage. The texture is a very light cream that feels cool upon application. I had rather mixed results with this as depending on the skincare that I used prior to applying it, there were variances in the finish. When I used Paula's Choice Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution, the H20 Skintint applied patchily with a tendency to pool in my pores and dry patches also appeared on my cheeks. It applied much more smoothly when I prepped my skin with Shiseido Ibuki Refining Moisturiser instead.

Being a tinted moisturiser, I did not expect this to offer much coverage. Indeed, the level of coverage is pretty light and does not cover blemishes well although it does even out some of the redness in my skin. It also takes quite a bit of blending to achieve a smooth, streak-less finish. Although titanium dioxide is listed as the third ingredient, there is no SPF level stated on the packaging which is disappointing as it means you can't rely on this alone for sun protection. Overall, I was a bit disappointed with the H20 Skintint as I was hoping that it could be a fuss-free all-in-one product for those days when I do not have time for applying foundation.

List of ingredients is below.

The Shea Butter Lip Balm has a nice creamy texture. It does not feel as balmy as Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatments but it does keep my lips hydrated without any peeling thereafter. Ripe Raspberry is a sweet pink that shows up nicely with just a couple of swipes.

Being a longtime fan of Pixi's Endless Silky Eye Pens, I always pick up any new shade that they release. Bronze Beam (center in the pic below) is a medium brown with a bit of a glimmer. It's not as muddily flat as Black Cocoa (left) and lighter and cooler than Copper Glow (right) which is more chocolate. I find Bronze Beam a bit too light for the upper lashline but it's nice for adding some depth along the lower lashline.

Swatched from left to right: Black Cocoa, Bronze Beam and Copper Glow.


In the pics below, I used Bronze Beam on both the upper and lower lashlines.


Below is the look that I did using all three products, along with the Metallic Magic Eye Alchemy palette from their Holiday 2013 collection.



BeautyBay is currently offering 20% off all Pixi products until 17 March to celebrate St Patrick's Day, with free international shipping, but they do not have the H20 Skintint in stock while they only have a few of the eyeliner pencil shades available (excluding Bronze Beam). I received my order in just under two weeks. The Skintint is also available on ASOS.

Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow 16 Hanashoubu & 17 Yomogiiro

Thanks to Bellyhead of Wondegondigo alerting that Selfridges had the new Suqqu eyeshadow quads for spring in stock, I swiftly placed an order on 12 February and it arrived by DHL on 19 February. Shopping online at Selfridges has become dangerously easy since they lowered their shipping cost for Switzerland from £25 to £15. As Selfridges also deducts the VAT for non-EU countries, I paid only £37.50 for each Suqqu palette, instead of the UK retail price of £45. This basically means that the amount I saved on VAT paid for the shipping cost. I also ordered some pieces from the RMK and Armani spring collections but I haven't had time yet to play with them. The RMK Kaleidoscope Nuance Powder was just £26.67 (about S$57) after VAT deduction versus S$79 in Singapore and 5040yen (about S$62.50) in Japan.

Of the three new quads, I purchased #16 Hanashoubu and #17 Yomogiiro, giving #15 Mitsucha a pass as it's a pretty basic brown and pale yellow combination. Unlike the past few seasonal collections, these quads are all permanent. Selfridges does not have them listed at the moment, but my guess based on past experience is that they should come back in stock at some point although that could take weeks, if not months.

The central theme running through this collection is elegant browns that are easily wearable. They are even touted as helping to conceal signs of aging such as wrinkles and skin dullness without the need for any special techniques. Unlike previous Suqqu palettes which usually contain a white matte base shade, all the shades in Hanashoubu and Yomogiiro feature some pearl shimmer. These look wonderfully lustrous in the pan while on the skin, they are more subdued and subtle, offering just a hint of a glow. The bottom right shade is supposed to be a "moisture wet powder" that corrects skin unevenness and gives moisture care while bringing you a natural luster.

My apologies in advance for not doing swatches, which you can find on Color Me Loud and Erica's blog.

Below is the look that I did with Hanashoubu, with the purple shade along the upper lashline and the brown shade in the outer crease. The pale yellow shade was used as the base while the light pink shade was used over the browbone area and along the lower lashline.

The combination has a gentle glimmer and zero frostiness. I find the texture to be more flattering and forgiving compared to Sleek's metallic shades. There was no shower of glitter bits descending on the under-eye area and cheeks, although there was a bit of powdery kick-up with the two pale shades when touched with the included brush applicator.

I also used Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in Iridescent Iris to line the upper lashline.


Like Hanashoubu, Yomogiiro is very easy to wear even if you are not used to green eyeshadows.



For the first look, I applied the brown shade from the upper lashline to the crease and the green shade in the outer half of the crease. The light yellow shade was used as the base and also dusted on top of the green and brown shades, while the light pink shade was applied over the browbone area and along the lower lashline.


For the second look, I swopped the placement of the brown and green shades, with the green shade along the upper lashline and the brown in the crease. Both the brown and green shades are nicely pigmented and glide onto the skin with ease, requiring very littler layering.


Both Hanashoubu and Yomogiiro wore very well on me without fading or creasing for more than eight hours, using Too Faced Shadow Insurance as the primer. They would make good solid additions to any working woman's makeup wardrobe as the shades are so easy to work with and require very little blending and layering. I'm glad that Suqqu has done away with the matte base shades as those usually just disappear into my skin and were pretty much a waste of space for me.

Coffret D'Or New Base Makeup

Coffret D'Or has a new spokesmodel, Japanese actress Kato Ai, who is featured in the ads for their new Premium Silk Skin Pact UV foundation SPF27 PA++ (3990yen, 7 shades) and Makeup Base (2 types).  Both products supposedly help to conceal pores.  Due out on 1 March in Japan, there will also be a limited edition foundation case.

Esprique Sakura Project

Esprique will release a limited edition Sakura Blossom Loose Cheek (2300yen, 5g) in two floral-scented shades PK800 and PK801 on 16 March as part of the Fukushima Sakura Project to support the reconstruction efforts in Fukushima. See real-life pics of the two shades on Beautist.

Below is the new TV commercial for their new powder foundation and Beautiful Stay Makeup Base SPF50+ PA+++ featuring Namie Amuro looking as impossibly youthful as ever.

Integrate Spring 2014 Love Nude

Integrate will release its Love Nude collection for spring on 21 February in Japan.


1. Pure Big Eyes #4 Nudey Beige


2. Sweet Trick Eyes #2 Nudey Pastel (LE)


3. Lip Forming Liner


4. Mineral Glow Pressed Powder SPF12 PA++ : Natural peach-toned highlighting powder. Free of parabens and formulated with sebum-absorbing mineral powder.


5. Mineral Watery Foundation N SPF25 PA++: This paraben-free, fragrance-free light textured foundation contains micro mineral pearl powders and beauty capsule moisturising ingredients. It offers five functions: toner, beauty emulsion, sunblock, makeup base and foundation. Available in four shades.

Ettusais x AMPHI

Ettusais is teaming up with Japanese lingerie brand AMPHI to release this limited edition collection on 6 March in Japan. It includes:

1. Lip Essence a AP (1260yen, 10g)

2. Lip Essence N AP (Stick) (1050yen, 3g)

3. Gel Top Coat N AP (997yen, 9ml)

4. Gel Color Coat PK2 AP (997yen, 9ml)

Lavshuca Spring 2014

For this spring, Lavshuca will be releasing a new BB Lip Essence and Dressy Glow Cheek on 1 February in Japan. The unfragranced BB Lip Essence SPF21 PA+ (630yen, 8g) supposedly has five functions: hydration, sunblock, gloss, color correction and primer. Formulated with hyaluronic acid, jojoba oil, silk and sweet almond oil, it is available in 2 shades, 01 Princess Pink and 02 Queen Red.

The Dressy Glow Cheek (1260yen) is formulated with silk and pearl essence and comes in five shades: PK1 (cute sweet pink), RS1 (elegant feminine rose), RD1 (healthy coral red), RD2 (mature elegant red) and OR1 (fresh orange). The lace imprint and puff look adorable!

Anna Sui March Releases

According to Kyoko Iida, Anna Sui will release the following products on 1 March in Japan:

1. Rose Tissue Box Case (2100yen)

2. Limited Loose Compact Powder SPF18 PA++: In Baby Pink and Apricot Pink (4725yen)

3. Pore Smoothing Primer (2625yen)

See the pics here and here.

Suqqu Spring 2014

Here's the ad visual for the upcoming Suqqu spring collection, due out on 31 January in Japan. The concept behind the collection is to present refined, elegant browns that are easy to use without being boring through the inclusion of accent shades. The shades do not turn ashy when applied. UPDATE: See swatches on Erica's blog and Sherry's Facebook.

The three new Blend Color Eyeshadow quads (7140yen) are permanent. The semi-matte pearl base shade in the lower right corner of each quad is made with a new "moisture wet technology" formula with enhanced moisturising content compared to the previous formula. This enables the shade to be used as a base shade that conceals imperfections and skin unevenness or on top of the other shades for a natural pearly glow. The top left shade is a Light Color (Pearly) for brightening; top right shade is an Arrange Color (Pearly) for adding depth; and bottom left is a Deep Color (Pearly) for a fresh, playful accent.

Blend Color Eyeshadow #15 蜜茶 Mitsucha

#16 花菖蒲 Hanashoubu (used on the model)

#17 蓬色 Yomogiiro

Balancing Cheeks N (6825yen): The left shade is a Nuance Highlight color with red and gold pearl, with a dry formula that helps the Cheek Color (right) meld into the skin. The Cheek Color is made with the wet technology formula for a translucent, glow-from-within finish.

01 桃朱色 Momoshuiro

02 淡桜 Usuzakura (used on the model)

Smoothing Face Color (7350yen, LE): Comprises a matte pink powder for correcting and brightening, a matte beige powder for a poreless finish and a pearly white powder for enhanced translucency.