The Lavshuca website has been updated with the holiday collection and the new Stick Eyeshadows. Check it out here!
The Kate website has also been updated with the new Gel Eyeshadows which will be released on 1 November in Japan.
Get those credit cards ready 'cos Isetan is having another event this weekend for Isetan cardholders whereby you can get 10% rebate vouchers with every $50 purchase.
Today is also the start of Robinsons Beauty Festival, which includes the exclusive advance launch of MAC's Red She Said collection. Guess where I'll be at lunchtime!
Another discovery that I made last night is that there's a beauty supplies store in United Square that stocks the Korean makeup brand, Castledew and they're running a 20% discount at the moment. There's actually a whole wall display and they have the Color Shot Eyes, but not the Diacut Eyes and Cheeks palettes with 9 shades that I've been lemming ever since I read my buddy, Fleckenschnitte's reviews. Do check out her reviews of Color Shot Eyes quads, Diacut Eyes and Diacut Cheeks! I can't remember the name of the store but it's on either the first floor or basement 1, tucked away in the corner.
Chicca will release a Innocent Christmas coffret on 12 November in Japan. The coffret retails for 17,850yen and includes rose-scented Innocent Glow Aroma candle, Enthralling Powder Eyeliner 01, Enticing Lipgloss EX01, Enthralling Powder Eyeshadow EX05 and Enticing Lip Stain EX01.
If you're thinking of trying out Suqqu's skincare line, you may want to splurge on the Massage & Skincare Kit (22,050yen) which will be released on 21 November (reservations start 7 November) in Japan. It includes a pouch with attached mirror, Massage Cream 200g with sponge cloth and spatula, cotton pads (box of 30 pieces), Refined Flow Cream 4g, Face Refresher 150ml, Refined Flow Lotion 50ml, Refined Flow Emulsion 40ml and Upsurge Essence 15ml.
Guerlain will release a Midnight Beauty Makeup Coffret (12,810yen) on 14 November in Japan which includes the Midnight Butterfly palette, a choice of either Kiss Kiss Lipstick in 514 or 515 and a clutch bag. I haven't seen the clutch bag being offered anywhere else so it may very well be a Japan-exclusive.
Just picked up my copy of Bea's Up yesterday so I took some more pics of the upcoming Jill Stuart releases. As reported earlier, Jill Stuart will launch a bodycare line on 7 November in Japan. The bodycare line, which consists of just two permanent products for now, has a madonna lily and rose scent.
The Body Milk (250ml, 3150yen) is made with silk extract and moisturises without leaving a sticky feeling while the Flower Bath Salt (300g, 3150yen) has the natural rose and jasmine essences and contains mineral-rich German rock salt. The Flower Bath Salt looks very pretty in the bottle with the multi-colored rock salts!
There will also be a limited edition coffret (6300yen) that includes the Flower Bath Salt, Body Milk, Shower Gel and Floral Aroma Candle.
What may be even more sought after is the limited edition Shimmering Body Powder (3990yen) which is a pearl-infused power in puff that can be used all over the body.
Reservations for the bodycare line start 24 October.
As for the holiday makeup coffret set, I had earlier reported that it contains a vanity box but according to Bea's Up, it is actually a party clutch box with elastic bands inside. It measures 4cmx21cmx11cm.
The eyeshadow quad in the coffret is Illuminance Eyes 101, which is good news for JS fans like me who prefer the Illuminance Eyes series to the Seductive Eyes series. The Lipgloss 103 looks like a deep burgundy in the tube but probably applies like a sheer berry, as Jill Stuart lipglosses are usually not intensely pigmented.
Solid Perfume Ring
Clutch Box
Reservations start 15 November and the coffret goes on sale on 21 November.
I received my copy of the Paul & Joe Mook a couple of days ago. The mook is quite bulky at over 1-inch thick as the tote bag is packaged inside a cardboard box. The magazine can be detached from the cover easily.
The bag is made of a very light nylon material and feels quite well-made. The straps, which have a flap of material wrapped around the base of the straps, are designed to resemble the bags from the Fall/Winter/08 collection, which is a nice touch.
Inside of the bag, which is roomy enough to fit quite a bit of stuff.
Sheet of stickers! This was a nice surprise :-)
Actress Nakatani Miki wearing Paul & Joe.
Paul & Joe Sister fashion spread
Paul & Joe Sister handkerchieves, which retail for 1050yen each. I can't wait to pick up some of these on my next trip to Tokyo!
Paul & Joe Sister fashion line.
Paul & Joe Fall/Winter '08 fashion show pics
Feature on P&J creator Sophie Albou's home with photos of her bedroom, bathroom and even the bedrooms of her two sons, which the brand is named after.
Pics of the P&J store in Omotesando, Tokyo.
Upcoming new makeup products
Model wearing the Christmas makeup collection shades
Previous best-selling limited edition makeup collections
Previous Collection Sparkles inspired by prints from the P&J fashion line
Overall, I felt that the mook was quite worth the 1380 retail price but not much more than that. It was interesting to get a look inside the designer's home and the two fashion lines although it would have been more interesting if there was more in-depth coverage of the history of the makeup line. The main Paul & Joe fashion line is priced way beyond my reach but the Paul & Joe Sister secondary line is much more affordable with pieces generally in the 20,000 to 40,000yen price range, similar to the Jill Stuart fashion line in Japan.
A better pic of Lavshuca's Antique Collection.
Here's a better pic of RMK's Christmas Palette 2008 (9975yen), due out on 7 November in Japan. It includes:
1. Separate Curl Mascara 01 (mini size)
2. Powder Eyes in Deep Brown, Gold, Pink and Pale Green
3. Powder Cheeks Coral Brown and Pale Pink
4. Gloss Lips EX11 (mini size)
5. No Color Powder
6. Pressed Powder Puff
7. Eyeshadow Tip
8. Eyeshadow Brush
9. Cheek Brush
10. Gold pouch
Here are the details on Suqqu's two Christmas Makeup Kits which will be launched on 7 November in Japan.
1. Kit A (8400yen): Pressed Eyeshadow EX01 (Beige/brown), Mascara Volume Long N EX02 (with silver glitter) and a pouch
2. Kit B: (7350yen): Gloss & Lip Color Palette EX01 (beige, pink, orange and coral), Loose Powder Natural (mini size) and a pouch
Giorgio Armani will release a Crystal Couture Kit on 31 December in Japan. The Kit includes a Black Shimmer Puff which is available only as part of the kit, plus your choice of any Armani Silk lipstick (include the limited edition holiday shades), choice of either Mascara Top Coat or one of the mascaras, and a cyrstal clutch bag (H155×W125×D60m). The price ranges between ¥14,190 to ¥15,960 depending on which products you choose.
I like Armani's classy, elegant makeup line but I just don't like it enough to shell out so much dough for it.
I've ranted about NARS' terrible rubber packaging recently on this blog but when a friend went to Hong Kong last weekend and offered to help me buy stuff, I couldn't resist asking her to help me pick up another two NARS blushes.
I was intrigued by the description of Oasis as a "sparkling pink champagne". Since it had quite good reviews on Makeupalley, I decided to go for it. When I received it, I was delighted to find that it is a pinker version of Sin with more obvious, chunkier gold glitter. The gold glitter doesn't bother me much as it's not too over the top and the glitter falls off after some time. I had great difficulty getting Sin to show up on my MAC NC20 skin but Oasis shows up on my cheeks as a natural berry mauve flush with just a couple of strokes of the brush.
The overall finish is not frosty or over-the-top shimmery, so it's suitable for office. After 12 hours, it was still noticeable on my cheeks but not as pigmented as it was when I first applied it. This would be a good choice for ladies who prefer natural blushes that are not too bright red or blue-based dolly pinks.
I also purchased Mounia which is described as a "cinnamon coral" but when I received it, it looked more like a dark wine raspberry to me without any coral tones. It has a very fine micro-shimmer that is not very obvious unless you look at it closely under the light. I haven't tried it out yet but it looks very rich and gorgeous in the pan.
I paid S$83 for the two blushes, which is just a couple of dollars more than I would have paid if I had gotten the blushes CP'd from the US, so I was extremely pleased about that! My friend got them at a 10% discount thanks to her friend who had a Lane Crawford card.
Here's a pic of some of my NARS blushes (missing Taos, Exhibit A and Mounia).
