Majolica Majorca Innocent Pleasure

The Majolica Majorca Innocent Pleasure collection has been launched at the Watsons store in Ngee Ann City. The collection should roll out to other Watsons stores soon.


The Jewelling Eyes palettes are less shimmery and pigmented that I had expected but the texture is soft and blends easily. The shade selection is quite feminine and easy to wear for most ladies, but there weren't really any that were outstanding or unique to me. For the price, I guess one cannot expect the quality of, say, Lunasol, but these are still worthwhile to consider if you are looking for good basic palettes for everyday wear and easy to tote around. I like the lightweight, slim and compact design of the MM palettes which makes them very convenient for travel and you can see the shades without having to open the case. Out of the 8 palettes available, my favourites were the green and gold palettes.



The bad news is that the price of the Jewelling Eyes palettes is S$27.50, a bit higher than the MajoLook (Trick On) Eyes palettes which are S$25.90. The MajoErotica glitter solid perfume was overwhelmingly fruity, and just too teenagerish for me.

John Little Sale: Bourjois haul

John Little is having another 20% storewide sale so I took the chance to finally haul the Bourjois purple butterfly-themed spring collection that I'd been lusting after, thanks to the promo visual :-)


I got the So Laque! nail polishes in #32 Mysterious Blue and #31 Blue Violet (S$9.70 each), the Ombres a paupieres eyeshadow #12 Blue Magnetique (S$20.40) and the Khol & Contour eyeliner pencil #19 Bleu Surprenant (Blue Surprise) (S$13.30).


Isn't this just so gorgeous?




I also got a dual pack of the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes (S$19.90) and Deep Clean Foaming Pads (13.20) which are to be used with the vibrating Wave power cleanser. I picked up the Wave cleanser from Watsons last week for S$24 and it works surprisingly well in leaving my skin super soft and smooth. The pad actually does not foam up very well, unlike the pics in the ad and on the box, and it takes quite a bit of effort to see any foaming action. So sometimes I apply another foaming cleanser to my face and then use the Wave to massage it in.

Total damage: S$68.95
Total savings: $17.24

At least I managed to "save" by refraining from buying the new MAC MSFs from the Sugarsweet collection and the Bobbi Brown Runway Collection set. I just could not bring myself to pay S$150 for the BB palette which is super tiny, barely 10cm in width. The MSFs add hardly any color and are more for highlighting, which I do not need. So as tempting as they had looked in the promo pics, I safely passed on them. The BB counter at Robinsons Centrepoint only has about 5 sets of the Runway Collection left so if you want it, better hurry. You also get 6 complimentary makeup lessons when you buy the set.

Coffret D'Or Summer '09

Another pic of Coffret D'Or's forthcoming summer collection, Juicy Clear Colors which will be released officially on 16 June in Japan. The drugstores usually get the new collection in one to two weeks ahead of the official release date.



The top left shade in the eyeshadow palettes is formulated with a high shine pearl while the top right shade has a microfine pearl shimmer. The two shades are known as the "free medium color" and can be used individually or blended together. The bottom left shade is the highlight color with translucent pearl shine and can be used on the browbone area as well as the under-eye area. The bottom right shade is the shadow color for adding definition.

Laneige & Anna Sui Sightings

Laneige has finally launched its Spring '09 collection, "Art Play" in Singapore. The alien-like spring fairy packaging is designed by Finnish graphic artist Klaus Haapaniemi. There are 2 eye palettes, 2 lip palettes and a Dual Face which includes a cream concealer and pink highlighter cream. The Dual Face is about S$43 while the palettes are S$55 each.




The eyeshadow shades were too pale for my liking but I briefly contemplated getting the Dual Face as I'm always keen to try out new concealers.



Laneige is also having a warehouse sale at Robinson's Raffles City Level 3 Training Room from 10.30am to 8pm from today until 5 April. The discount is up to 80%.

Anna Sui has also launched a small makeup collection plus new face powder cases. I'm contemplating getting the eyeshadow palette which costs about the same as the Laneige palette but has much prettier shades. The texture is silky with good color payoff and a lovely shimmer.



The current GWP at Isetan Orchard.

Givenchy Spring '09

Givenchy will launch its India-themed Spring makeup collection this Saturday at Isetan Scotts. Details in the pic below!

More sightings at Watsons

Dropped by the Watsons in Ngee Ann City today and they had the full Majolica Majorca spring collection on display. The new Pore Cover Powder is S$33.90 for the case and the powder with the refill sold separately for S$22.90.


The new Fasio spring collection is also in, with 8 eyeshadow quads, 4 blushes, 2 mascaras and about a dozen lipsticks. I was briefly tempted by the green quad which had an intriguing emerald shade but couldn't bring myself to spend S$24 on it. There is currently a 20% discount on brands such as Fasio, Canmake, Bourjois, L'Oreal, Maybelline but the discount excludes new and promotional items.




The Love Clover Popchu Lip Gloss display. These cost S$21.90 each, which is just a couple bucks more than the Japan retail price of 1260yen (S$19.68).

Maquillage Website Update

The Maquillage website has been updated with the new Spring/Summer'09 base makeup collection.

New ad visual featuring actress Ryoko Shinohara. You can also watch the 15-second TV CM on the website for the new Lasting Powdery UV Foundation, which is touted as capable of lasting 8 hours. Other new products include Styling Keep Base UV, Concealer Stick EX and Pore Perfect Cover.


And if you miss former Maquillage spokesmodel Ito Misaki, do check out her TV CM for Shiseido's whitening skincare brand, Haku. The ad visual makes her look stern and humorless but the TV CM is much more visually arresting.

Majolica Majorca Girly Erotica

If you're still waiting impatiently for the Singapore launch of the new Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus, from the spring '09 collection Girly Erotica, I'm afraid you will have to wait almost another month. According to yesterday's issue of Urban in the Straits Times, the collection will launch here only on 26 March.



Also, do check out my buddy, Fleckenschnittte's reviews of the collection on her wonderful blog, Lotus Palace!

Lunasol Blooming Purification

I went by Takashimaya today to check out the Lunasol Blooming Purification collection.


The Christmas 2008 coffret was also on display, so I guess it has not sold out yet.


The Blooming Eyes palettes looked very pretty arranged in the counter display. Since it's spring, the focus is on creating looks based on sheer pastels with each palette containing three light shades and one dark liner shades. The shade combinations are not as vibrant as the Sheer Contrast Eyes or Geminate Eyes series but they are more glowy than the Noble Shadow Eyes which were released last fall.
Left Column to Right): #1 Pink (Cherry Blossom), #4 Red (Plum) and #3 Purple (Wisteria)


The Blooming Eyes palettes in that regard are less versatile as the lighter shades tend to blend into one another so you don't really get to see a distinctive contrast between the different shades. The advantage is that it's hard to go wrong with these palettes as blending is such a breeze and the shades are very easy to wear for most skintones. All the shades in the quads have a nice pearl shimmer but in terms of color payoff, Plum and Wisteria are the more pigmented out of the five.


Left to right: #2 White Magnolia, #5 Orange (Mountain Azalea). As you can see, the lighter shades don't show up that well compared to the liner shade.


#4 Plum


If I had to pick one quad to purchase from the collection, it would be either #4 Plum or #3 Wisteria. Both are pretty in their own ways but frankly, not that outstanding enough to earn the label of a must-have. I feel like I can easily dupe the shades from other palettes in my makeup collection.


The lipsticks are S$46 while the eyeshadow quads are S$77. Not sure about the lipglosses.

Paul & Joe GWP totes

Here are the pics of the new Paul & Joe GWP tote bags, as promised!

You get this eco-bag with $100 purchase. It's quite massive!

With $150, you also get this smaller tote bag which is also quite roomy as it has quite a broad base with three different compartments inside.

Lancome Pink Irreverence

Came across this display of the Lancome Pink Irreverence collection at Robinsons in Raffles City today. I love the ad visual with the glossy black eyeshadow but unfortunately, it does not look like the products in the collection can actually replicate that look.




I swatched the four shades of La Laque Fever Ultimate Lasting Full Color Lip Shine. The Electric Pink shade was the one that caught my eye immediately. It is truly stunning, amazingly vibrant and sparkly hot pink. I think I may need to go back for this! I haven't tried MAC's Dazzleglass before so I'm not sure how this compares with Dazzleglass.



The quad looks pretty but when swatched, I found most of the shades too pale for my liking. They do feel very silky to touch but overall, the shade combination is just lacklustre compared to the quad that came in the last Christmas collection. I also swatched the Color Fever Gloss in Piha Black. It's not for sale but rather you stand a chance to win it with with a purchase of some item, can't remember what.


Sorry about the poor photo quality as I snapped these with my handphone in the store. I didn't check out the prices for the individual products.




Here's the current GWP. You get all the products shown, minus the red vanity case, with purchase of $160, if I recall correctly but I may be mistaken. I'm not sure how much you need to spend to get the traincase.


Do also check out Makeup and Beauty Blog for great product pics and much better swatches. The eyeshadow quads released in the US are different from the quad released in Singapore and other Asian countries.

Estee Lauder Fleur de Lys

Still upset that the MAC Redhead MSF sold out before you could get to the counter? Well, let me introduce you to a much better substitute, Estee Lauder Fleur de Lys Shimmer Powder! It's the new limited edition star product from the spring collection that just launched at the Isetan Scotts counter. (I'm not sure if it's already available at other EL counters in Singapore but probably it is.)



I tried out MAC Redhead MSF out of curiosity but it looked frosty on my skin. So I wandered over the Estee Lauder where I was surprised to discover the Fleur de Lys Shimmer Powder on display. I had given up hope that it would arrive at the counters here as sometimes we don't get all the collections from the US. But I guess the makeup gods were smiling on me today :-) When swirled together and applied, it gave a gorgeous velvety rosy flush that was flattering and glowy without any of the frostiness of the MSF.



The Fleur de Lys Shimmer Powder comes in a navy compact that's almost the same size as a MSF, but the Fleur de Lys has 13g of product compared to the MSF's 9g. It retails for $55, compared to the $51 for a MSF. As Isetan is now having a 10% rebate for every $50 spent, I also received a S$5 voucher with my purchase :-)

New Spring Collections at Isetan

Decided to drop by Isetan Scotts department store this evening after work and to my delight, I discovered that the new Paul & Joe and Maquillage spring collections had just been released!

The Maquillage collection is the best that I've seen from the brand so far. The texture of the eyeshadows is just out of this world silky, soft and pigmented with the most gorgeous micro shimmer that twinkles ever so merrily under the lights. These are way way better than the palettes in Coffret D'Or's Spring '09 collection. Do test these out for yourself at the counter if you can. You'll be amazed at how creamy and silky these feel to touch.

The new Eyes Creator palettes are S$69, the Face Creator palettes are S$73 (but you can buy the refills separately for $40+) and the eyeshadow singles are S$24. The prices are comparable to those in Japan. For example the Eyes Creator is 3990 (S$65) and the Face Creator is 4200 (S$68) but the eyeshadow singles are much cheaper in Japan at only 840yen (S$13.70) each.

Top Row: Eyes Creator GR366
Bottom Row: Eyes Creator BR363


Eye Creator RD364


The eyeshadows and face shades have a sparkly top layer that makes them look delectable under the bright counter lights but the sparkles disappear with the first brush, so don't be fooled by these. The actual finish of the eyeshadows underneath is less sparkly although the eyeshadows do have a nice metallic shimmer.

Top Row: Liner shades from Eyes Creator palettes RD364, BR363, GR366
Left Column middle and bottom shades: Eyeshadow singles in GR736 and VI737
Middle Column (second shade and below): Eyes Creator GY865
Right Column (second shade and below: Eyes Creator VI367


The Paul & Joe Ingenue collection was exactly what I had expected, pretty but somewhat safe and boring. I applied the eyeshadows with the sponge applicator in the palette. The dark liner and medium accent shades are well pigmented while the lightest base shade is less pigmented but still shows up easily with just one stroke of the brush. But the shades are of the neutral variety, which doesn't tempt me much as I prefer more fun and vivid colors. I like the floral print on the cover more than I like the eyeshadow colors so I can't really justify spending $66 on them! But the texture is good and if you're looking for a basic palette that can be used every day for work, then these palettes would be a good option.



The two limited edition Lipsticks are more disappointing and again, the nicest thing about them is the floral print on the packaging instead of the actual lipstick shade. #61 Backstage gives a colorless glossy sheen to your lips, which for me is just pointless since you can get that look with any cheapo lipbalm. #62 Opening Night has better pigment but is just an average creamy candy pink. It's nice but not outstanding enough to justify the S$39 price tag. And I don't want to pay so much just for a cardboard tube!

The good news is that the new GWP bags in the white and pink floral print are awesome! I think with $100, you get the large sling bag and with $150, you get an additional small rectangular tote. The rectangular tote is the more sturdy of the two. The sling bag is similar in shape and material to the kitty print bag that came with the P&J mook. Both are in the white and pink print of the #62 Opening Night lipstick tube.

Also just released is the new permanent 6 eyeshadow singles, 6 lipsticks, 6 nailpolishes, 2 eyebrow pencils and a limited edition nail set with the red and pink butterfly print (includes a nail polish, hand cream and gloves with a metal box). Again, it is quite pricey at about $69, and I just couldn't bring myself to drop that much for a nail polish that I'll probably use twice (and it's a boring pinkish beige). I do like the orange-scented hand cream but I already have the one from the Disney collection which I haven't used. So basically, I would be buying the set for the metal box.

Decisions, decisions.... I had a New Year resolution to stop buying makeup just for the GWP bags but it's really hard to resist when they feature such pretty prints. I'll try to get pics of the bags when I go by the counter tomorrow. I forgot my phone at home today, silly me!

Susie NY Website Update

The Susie N.Y. website has been updated with the new spring collection, which includes a new series of eyeshadow quads.



The Eye Creation quads (1890yen) look like a cross between Fasio and Kate. The concept is also very similar to Kate's Diamond Cut Eyes, with a Jewellery Shine Color, a Highlight Color, a Medium Color and a Line Color in each quad. The shade combinations offered are the usual gamut of pink, brown, black and green. Not terribly exciting though they do look nice on the model.