Nonno x Tsumori Chisato

I picked up the latest issue of Nonno ($17) at Kinokuniya this evening, primarily for the Tsumori Chisato drum-shaped shoulder bag with a cute starburst floral print.



Measuring 35cm in length, this is supposed to be Nonno's largest freebie ever. The bag is made of polyester with a PVC coating. It would have been much nicer if it could have been in nylon like LeSportsac bags but I guess for the cover price, one can't ask too much. The bag does look quite nice on the outside thanks to the colorful print and shiny smooth surface but once you open it up, it looks somewhat cheap inside with the exposed edges and stitching.


Nevertheless, I quite liked it overall mostly because of the print and the exterior does look and feel nice.


The only pocket is a small one on the front of the bag, just big enough to fit a cardholder.

MPH Magazine freebies

MPH is giving away a 4-piece Vichy skincare set worth $25 with the September issue of Female ($6). The set includes Eau Thermale spray 50ml, Aqualia Thermale 15ml, Purete Thermale One Step Cleanser 30ml and Aqualia Thermale Essence 5ml.


I also picked up the September issue of L'Officiel ($5.90) which came with a Ed Pinaud eyeshadow that is supposedly worth $75. But my Midnight Blue eyeshadow came with the clear plastic cover already loose. The eyeshadow itself is a metallic royal blue with gold flecks. Reminds me of Lancome's Declaring Indigo collection, which has just been launched at the counters here.

Magazine GWPs

Here's a preview of the upcoming Japanese magazine freebies in September.

The October issue of InRed (7 Sep) comes with 2 Marc Jacobs Daisy pouches with attached bangles. Check out the video here!


Also out on 7 Sep is the October issue of Steady with an Agnes B. lunch tote. View it here.


October issue of Sweet (12 Sep) comes with an Anna Sui cosmetic multi-case that has the same print as a blanket GWP that will be available at counters in Japan. You can see both here.


And a 7-piece Hello Kitty stationery set will be included in the October issue of Cutie (12 Sep).


Earth, Music & Ecology vanity pouch and hair accessory in the next issue of Non-no out on 18 Sep.


November issue of More (28 Sep) comes with a Gelato Pique floral print shoulder bag!

Cath Kidston & Hello Kitty Mooks

Yet another brand mook is being released: the fall/winter '09 edition of Cath Kidston will be released on 15 September in Japan. It will retail for 1500yen and has 56 pages. It comes with a large tote bag and pouch in blue rose print. Want this too!



To commemorate the 35th anniversary of Hello Kitty, two mooks will be released on 20 October, one with a gold logo tote and another with a black ribbon bag. The contents are the same for the two 52-page mooks which will retail for 1200yen each.

Love Clover Marshmallow Fit Moist Base

Love Clover has released a new Marshmallow Fit Moist Base (1890yen, 30g, SPF16 PA++). It is available in 3 shades: #5815 Peach Ochre, #5816 Cinnamon Ochre and #5817 Banana Ochre and formulated with "super hyaluronic acid", "Amino Moist" complex plus marine collagen and lavender extract for deep moisturising properties and micro pearl for enhanced translucency.

Jill Stuart Mook & Gisele

I received the Jill Stuart 5th Anniversary Mook and October issue of Gisele today from Japan. Edited to add: Both Jill Stuart Mook and Gisele have already sold out at Kinokuniya in Ngee Ann City but there will be another shipment of the Jill Stuart mook in about 2 weeks. If you want a copy, do call and order.

The pouch is very well-made with lots of room plus slots for brushes. There is also a detachable divider inside. This is what makes the mook a worthwhile buy considering the usual prices of Jill Stuart's beauty accessories.




The matching mirror.



As for the 64-page magazine portion, it has the usual interview with designer Jill Stuart, recap of previous collections and makeup tutorials. Nothing really that interesting or new but since this is the first ever Jill Stuart beauty mook, it's still nice to have if you're a collector.


Limited edition items from the past 5 years. No pic of the upcoming holiday coffret but just a hint that it will be sweets-themed.


A mini catalog of the makeup range.


Lip products.


The 5th Anniversary party where the goody bag was products from the 5th Anniversary collection. So lucky!

A day in the life of a Jill Stuart beauty adviser.


Makeup how-to tutorials.





The new store in Hong Kong. Wonder when Singapore will get its own?


I basically wanted this issue of Gisele for the Gelato Pique portable mirror, which is about the same size as the Jill Stuart one with a similar silky finish. Now I'm just waiting for the Gelato Pique mook to be released on 10 September with the matching tote bag and scrunchie!

Body Shop Haul

I stopped by the Body Shop today to use my Star Loyalty 30% discount on the Precious Pearlescents Blush Trios. These came up to S$51+ after discount. I also received a $10 voucher, an cloth tote bag and a deluxe sample kit which was the "mystery gift" for Star Loyalty members.


The sample pack included a Buriti Baby Body Butter 10ml, Aqua Lily EDT 2ml, Colorglide Lip Color in Pink Ginger and Berry Shimmer, Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow and Body Mist 0.3ml and a voucher for a complimentary eye treatment with purchase of $80 or $25 off any body treatments worth $95 and above at the Green Sanctuary. Although there was also a 4-piece GWP for purchase of $120, I managed to resist the temptation as I just have too many TBS shower gels still sitting at home in my shower. I also skipped the Pearlescent eyeshadow trios as I already have similar colours in my collection.


#1 Cool Dusk


#2 Warm Sunset


You can check out the current promotions at TBS here

Coffret D'Or Holiday '09

Coffret D'Or will release the "Luxuriate Collection" comprising two limited edition face palettes for this holiday season on 16 November in Japan. #1 Sweet Luxury is light beige and pink eyeshadows paired with an orange gloss color, coral pink/red lip colors and a pink treatment gloss while #2 Cool Luxury features an ice blue and lilac eyeshadows paired with a red gloss color, red/beige lip colorsand white treatment gloss. The compacts feature a lace motif on hologram covers.


The different products as denoted in the diagram are as follow:
A - Highlight Color
B - Medium Color
C - Dark Color
D - Gloss Color (lipstick)
E & F - Lip Color (lipstick
G - Treatment Gloss

Anna Sui Rock Me EDT

Anna Sui will launch a new fragrance, Rock Me eau de toilette on 1 October in Japan. Available in 3 sizes (30ml, 50ml and 75ml), the floral fruity fragrance has top notes of green orange, peach skin, Williams pear; middle notes of honeysuckle, jasmine nut and waterlily; and base notes of cedarwood, amber and vanilla.


Also to be released on the same day are the Foaming Moisture Wash 150ml, 2940yen), Moisturising Trial Kit (2940yen) and Hair Band G (1575yen). The kit includes Deep Cleansing Oil 50ml, Moisturising Lotion 50ml and Intensive Moisturising Serum 10ml. Both the kit and hair band are limited edition.

I Nuovi Megalips Velvetshine

I Nuovi is launching a new Megalips Velvetshine lipgloss duo this fall. Available in eight combos, each duo consists of a Lip Velvet (with a brush applicator) with metallic shimmer and a glossy Lipshine (with a sponge doe-foot applicator).


I received the Velvetshine in Latin Lover which is a deep metallic wine burgundy paired with a shimmery medium rose pink. These are formulated and manufactured in Italy and contain quite a generous amount of product (5g on each side).


The Lip Velvet is like a liquid lipstick as it is very pigmented with a metallic finish. The brush tends to pick up a lot of product so I had to blot off some of the excess. I liked that it did not dry out my lips, lasted quite well and wasn't too sticky. It also did not bleed into the fine lines around my lips. If I wanted a more glossy finish, I could top it off with the Lip Shine.


The Lip Shine has a translucent glossy finish, without the metallic pigment of the Lip Velvet. This gave my lips a nice pink tinge of color and felt quite moisturising. Overall, I liked the MegaLips, which are especially convenient for bringing around in your purse for touch-ups on the go as you can get 3 looks out of one tube.