Canmake Perfect Serum BB Cream Light

During my Tokyo trip, I picked up the new Canmake Perfect Serum BB Cream Light, which was released in July. Made in Japan, it retails at a very affordable 840yen (about S$12.50) for 30g.

Boasting a high SPF50 with PA+++, the texture is supposed to be more lightweight with natural coverage compared to the original Perfect BB Serum Cream. In addition, Canmake has packed it with 21 beauty ingredients such as ectoin (an amino acid), hyaluronic acid, collagen, ceramides, royal jelly extract, witch-hazel extract, arbutin, Job's tears extract, saxifraga stolonifera extract, aloe vera extract, ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, artichoke leaf extract, cherry leaf extract, prune resolvent, seaweed extract, soybean extract, gingko extract, peach leaf extract, hydrolyzed silk, European white birch bark extract and rosehip extract. You can find the ingredients list, which contains silicones, in English on Ratzilla Cosme.

The formula is designed to be gentle on skin as it is free of parabens, alcohol, mineral oil, fragrance and tar-based pigments. Like any good BB Cream, it offers 8 functions in one, including foundation, primer, sunscreen, a soft focus effect, beauty serum, moisturiser and face pack.

Of the two shades, I chose 01 Light, a pale beige that turned out to be a good match for my MAC NC20 skintone. It has no grey or ashy tones and did not oxidise on my skin.

The light cream texture is easy to blend to a natural finish. The coverage is sheer and does not conceal angry red blemishes or skin pigmentation completely, although it does help to even out the skintone somewhat. It did not emphasise or pool in my pores, which is important for me.

This worked quite well for me in the chilly Swiss winter, when my skin is not as oily as it usually is. There was only a bit of shine on my T-zone after four hours, whereas normally with most foundations, I would have to blot my T-zone and cheeks after two hours.

It doesn't provide a flawless finish but it does help skin look more even-toned and less ruddy, without looking like heavy makeup. It's good for those days when I'm in a rush as I can just use this in place of moisturiser/primer and foundation. I didn't even have to set this with powder.

The other products used for this look are Lancome Colour Design Palette in Golden Frenzy over NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, K-Palette 1Day Lash Perm and Lasting 2Way Eyebrow S01, RMK Super Base Liquid Concealer EX01, Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment in Passion and Sephora Pantone Universe Blush Duo.

The Lancome Golden Frenzy palette (from the holiday Beauty Box) is a real gem with wonderfully pigmented eyeshadows that glide on like silk.

Weekend at Brighton

Recently, my husband and I spent a weekend at Brighton, which is an hour by train from London. We arrived on a damp, overcast afternoon and caught the fading rays of the sunset.


The remains of the West Pier, after being battered by fires and storms.

The Brighton Pier was a quaint place of arcades, carnival ride and countless UFO catcher machines.





The Grand hotel along the Brighton promenade.

Fortunately, the next day saw better weather with blazing blue skies.


It was also Remembrance Day in the UK, in tribute to soldiers fallen in wars. This crowd was dispersing after observing a moment of silence.

We also visited the Royal Pavilion, a very striking sight with its Indian-style architecture.



A freshly laid ice rink at the Pavilion.

On the streets, someone was delighting the children by making giant bubbles.

Have a lovely weekend ahead!

RMK Christmas Palette 2012

Earlier this month, I purchased the RMK Christmas Palette 2012 at Selfridges in London. It retails for £75 (versus 11,550yen in Japan) and was included in Lisa Eldridge's list of recommended Christmas beauty gifts. Aside from a mascara and petite lipstick, the set includes a small leopard print bag, which I didn't really care for. Last year's Kate Spade accessories were much more elegant in comparison.

Made in Japan, the palette is pretty niftily constructed. The top lid flips up to reveal four generously sized eyeshadows and two eyeshadow brushes while the lower compartment swivels out to the right to reveal the three cheek shades and a cheek brush.


The trays holding the eyeshadows and blushes can be easily removed, so that you can replace any of the shades with RMK's Ingenious Eyes or Cheeks. There is no glue securing the pans to the tray.


It was the eyeshadow shade combination that attracted me to this palette, in particular the lovely periwinkle blue. All four shades have a very refined pearl shimmer that provide a soft luminosity that is not frosty or glittery.

If you've tried RMK eyeshadows in the past, you would know that they tend to be sheer and translucent. RMK described this palette as containing "vibrant seasonal hues" but to be honest, the shades are hardly what I would call vibrant. If you prefer a more intense finish, you're better off with the Urban Decay Vice Palette instead.

After experimenting with primers from Too Faced, Pixi and NARS, I found that the NARS primer worked best with getting the blue shade to show up and even then, it's a soft muted tone that is nowhere as intensely purple as shown on the model on the RMK website. The brown shade is similarly very muted and not dark enough to act as an eyeliner shade. The gold shade does a nice job of highlighting the lower lashline and inner corners but this too is ultra sheer.

The blushes and highlighting shades are easy to work with, as both the pink and tan beige shades give the cheeks a natural hint of color. The white highlighting shade adds a luminous glowy effect.

The brushes are of good quality, as is typical of RMK. However, it is better to use a sponge applicator to help the blue and brown shades show up better.

Here's a simple look that I did with the blue shade from the upper lashline to the crease, the white shade over the browbone area, the gold shade along the lower lashline and in the crease, and the brown shade along the upper lashline.


On the cheeks, I used the tan beige shade topped with the white highlighting shade.


The Irresistible Lips B EX01 Pink is a natural, non-descript pink that feels emollient on the lips with a bit of shine. It doesn't last very well though, and comes off easily at the lightest contact. Overall, this coffret wasn't a complete hit for me as I was disappointed by the sheer texture of the eyeshadows and the lipstick shade was lacklustre and boring. Nevertheless, the shades are easily suitable for everyday wear. Still, I wish I had saved my pennies for the Vice palette instead, which retails for significantly lesser.

Jill Stuart Spring 2013

Here are more details of the Jill Stuart Dreamy Layered Glow collection, to be released on 11 January in Japan:

1. Layered Blush Compact: 5 variations, of which 1 is limited edition. (4725yen)

2. Mix Blush Compact N: 5 variations (4725yen)

3. Velvet Crystal Eyes: 5 variations, of which 1 is limited edition. (5250yen)

4. Jewel Crystal Eyes N: 5 variations (5250yen)

5. Nail Lacquer R: 20 shades (1575yen)

6. Lip Jewel: 3 new shades (2940yen)

On 15 February:

1. Eyebrow Powder: 3 variations (3360yen)

The Jewel Crystal Eyes N are a revamped version of the existing Jewel Crystal Eyes, with a new packaging featuring a diamond motif. Four of the quads bear shade names from the current line-up (Sweet Amethyst, Pink Cameo, Princess Sapphire and Romantic Onyx) so that probably means the other quads are being discontinued. Similarly, Mix Blush Compact N features a new cover design, with four quads retained from the existing line-up (Baby Blush, Fresh Apricot, Candy Orange, Milky Strawberry) plus a new quad named 05 Sunny Holiday. See more pics on Glam and WWD Japan.

Jill Stuart also partnered with NTT Docomo in Japan to produce this Arrows Kiss smartphone. See more pics here and here.

Addiction Spring 2013 Girl On Fire

Here's the ad visual for Addiction's spring 2013 "Girl on Fire" collection, featuring New York-based DJ Leigh Lezark. This will be released on 11 January in Japan. More info and pics in this earlier post.

Addiction Cheek Stick in Neroli Flower was used on Miranda Kerr in this cringingly bizarre Japanese commercial for Lipton tea. There's another clip on the shooting of the commercial here.

Boots Christmas Gifts

One of the best places for doing some early shopping for Christmas presents is Boots which has an amazing range of gifts. At their store on Oxford Street in London, there was an entire floor devoted to Christmas gifts, featuring a mind-boggling array of brands. All were eligible for the "3 for 2" promotion.

Soap & Glory had makeup, skincare and bodycare sets.



No.7, which is exclusive to Boots, also had a wide range of makeup, brush and skincare sets. Even after the recent revamp, I still feel that the quality of the brand is very hit-and-miss. None of the makeup and brush sets looked that fantastic, to be honest.



17 also didn't look that tempting.

At first glance, I thought that these shower gels were by Philosophy. Upon closer examination, I realised that it was just a very cleverly designed knock-off.

Ted Baker is one of my favourite UK clothing brands but their makeup and bodycare line for Boots doesn't have much going for it aside from pretty packaging.


Even Starbucks and Nando's have gotten in on the act.



I did splurge on the Hello Kitty x Liberty collection, which like last year's range, contained makeup, bodycare and accessories. That retro alarm clock was right on top of my list.


Fearne

L'Oreal & Dove


Even Twilight and Glee sets are available.



Have you started on your Christmas shopping?