Feast your eyes on the Jill Stuart collection for Fall 2015! The brand hasn't really been tempting me with their recent releases and their habit of doing wimpy pink and browns to death but the smoky burgundy theme and new packaging designs of this collection is looking very appealing. There will be a new line of lipsticks (3000yen) - not sure if this will co-exist alongside the Lip Blossom line or replace it.
Pic below from Voce.
Ribbon Couture Eyes - 1 new variation (5000yen)
Mix Blush Compact N - 1 new variation (4500yen)
Stay True Gel Liner in rich chocolate (2300yen)
Nail Lacquer R in 3 shades (1500yen)
Wish On A Star nailpolish collection - Starting in August 2015, there will be a limited edition nail polish released every month in line with the astrological sign for that month.
Lancome will release this limited edition Hypnose Palette DR10 Reflets Méditerranée (6600yen) on 12 June as part of the summer 2015 makeup collection. Japan will also receive the three Blush Subtil Creme blushes that are being released in other regions.
Below is the Reflets Méditerranée 110 palette currently on sale in the US as part of the summer 2015 collection.
There will also be two Hynose Palette D09 Bouquet de Lily and D010 Bouquet de Rose exclusively available at Isetan Shinjuku as part of a bridal collection named "Oh oui", starting 15 May.
Ettusais will release this Pore Care Clay (1000yen, 100g)and Oil Block Stick (1200yen, 4g, LE) on 18 June in Japan. The clay mask contains natural Italian clay, chamomile and rosemary extracts, and glycerin.
Also launching on 17 July in Japan is the limited edition Lip Essence (Clear Stick) SPF16 PA++ (1100yen, 2.2g) in PK Juicy Berry and OR Juicy Orange. The fragrance-free tinted stick balm contains honey, royal jelly extract, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, water soluble collagen.
This limited edition Shimmering Pressed Powder (6000yen) looks to be the star of Les Merveilleuses by Laduree's upcoming astrology-inspired Fall 2015 collection, due out on 24 July in Japan. Infused with micro gold pearl, it helps to make the skin look more translucent. Pic below tweeted by Tomoichi.
Pic below by Toshihito Tamura.
This Albion Gel Mask Foundation was recently featured in Lisa Eldridge's Japanese makeup video. Naturally, she made it look heavenly, offering full flawless coverage. I purchased this in Singapore back in March, where it retails for S$92 (for 30ml), a significant markup compared to the retail price of 6000yen (about S$67) in Japan. It is currently available on Adambeauty.com for US$66 but with only one shade (030) in stock, as well as Ebay where it is going at close to US$100.
The premise of this foundation is that it supposedly envelops the skin snugly in a translucent makeup coat like a deeply hydrating gel mask, making the skin soft, bouncy and clear. The texture is fresh and hydrating with no hint of powderiness, with a beautiful and longlasting finish. Available in five shades, it also has SPF25 PA++. This came in second in the liquid foundation category in Voce magazine's 2014 Autumn/Winter Best Cosmetics awards.
The air-tight pump packaging is well-designed and feels luxurious, despite not being made of heavy glass. I actually prefer the plastic packaging as it is much more travel friendly, albeit being twice the size of Shiseido's Perfect Refining Foundation. The texture is a creamy gel. I purchased this in 030 Pink Beige, which on hindsight is a tad too pink-toned for me. It looked more neutral than pink-based when I swatched it in the store. It was only after reading the box did I see that the shade name in Japanese was 'Pink Beige'.
As you can see from the pic below, I have a lot of redness and brown pigmentation on my cheeks. After having tried this foundation several times over a variety of bases and with different application methods (e.g. fingers, beauty blender sponge, brush), each time the experience was frankly disappointing, particularly in view of the high price tag.
The main issue was that this did not glide well over skin with enlarged pores and acne scars. Quite a bit of effort was required to get this looking evenly applied. As the day wore on, the foundation was also prone to some patchiness and caking. There was oil breakthrough on my T-zone and cheeks within two hours. After I blotted the shine off, my enlarged pores looked rather obvious. This probably works much better for someone with a more flawless complexion but it just did not play well with my skin issues. It has an average rating of 4.7 stars (out of 7) on Cosme.net with reviews being quite polarised, but that is typical for most foundation.
For this look, I'm wearing the purple and pink shades from the Urban Decay Vice Limited palette over MAC Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base and Etude House Color In Liquid Lips RD302. The Color In Liquid Lips has a nicely slick and superbly well-pigmented texture but requires a super steady hand for precise application given the vivid hue. It also stains off on everything that it comes into contact with, so it's rather high maintenance. I purchased this directly from EtudeHouse.com, with shipping from Korea to Illinois taking just over two weeks.
The list of ingredients includes mineral oil, alcohol, silicones and parabens, in case you are concerned about any of these elements. Parabens do not bother me but it is surprising to see mineral oil in a prestige brand formulation and alcohol given that this foundation is designed to be hydrating.
Below are comparison swatches with some of the other foundations that I own. From left to right:
Armani Luminessence Color Control Bright Moisturiser #2 Suqqu Frame Fix Liquid Foundation 101 (discontinued old formula) Guerlain Blanc de Perle Essence Infused Brightening Foundation 01 Pale Beige (released Feb 2015) Guerlain Parure Pearly White Fluid Foundation 01 (released more than 3 years ago) Albion Gel Mask Foundation 030 Pink Beige Rouge Bunny Rouge Liquid Foundation 025 Almond Milk Parfait YSL Fusion Ink B20 Burberry Luminous Liquid Foundation 04 Trench (seems to also be discontinued) It Cosmetics CC+ Light Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid Touch Foundation 15 Ivory.
Released in autumn 2014, the Anna Sui Loose Powder Foundation (US$48 for 10g) looked intriguing thanks to its unique packaging. I purchased this from B-Glowing.com recently, taking advantage of a 15% off code. Of the five shades available, I picked 101 Light Beige as I recalled that the lightest shade (100 White Beige) was too pale when I swatched it in Singapore earlier this year.
As it turns out, the packaging isn't the most idiot-proof or user-friendly. The ornate cap with the rose design pulls off easily but after unscrewing the middle cap with the attached brush, you will find a plastic sifter cap sitting on top of another plastic cap/flat cover.
The sifter cap is supposed to be placed on top of the loose powder after removing the flat cover. When I dropped it on top of the powder, the powder bloomed out of the pot and flew everywhere - my desk, keyboard, the pot itself. The instructions advise removing the sifter cap and replacing it on top of the flat cover if you want to bring the foundation on the go with you. However, fishing out the sifter cap will probably be another messy affair so this is staying put at home.
The synthetic brush feels nicely non-scratchy but it always picks up too much powder so you have to tap the brush against the rim of the pot to remove the excess. Some may prefer to use their own longer handled brushes for a better grip. Aside from these minor handling issues, the foundation is very easy to apply. Simply buff it on in a circular motion. It gives a nice matte finish and fairly light coverage. This does not perform that well in terms of minimising the appearance of pores and uneven skin texture. It can look a bit powdery if over applied or show up flaky skin if one's skin is not well-hydrated.
The lasting power isn't fantastic, but I wasn't expecting it to be given the loose powder format. However, it does lend itself better to mid-day touchups than liquid foundations. Oil breakthrough occurred after about two hours. The foundation also bears Anna Sui's signature rose scent, which I don't mind as it was not that noticeable upon application. For better coverage, I've been applying this over primers or CC bases such as Etude House Magic Any Cushion in Magic Lavender and Ettusais Premium CC Amino Cream.
The pics above were taken indoors without flash on a cloudy day by the window while the pic below was taken with flash.
Below is the list of ingredients.
Other products used for this look include Urban Decay Vice Limited palette, Lunasol W Lighting Mascara EX01 and Ettusais Premium CC Amino Cream and Creamy Lip Crayon PK2.
So far, my experience with the Vice Limited palette has been disappointing as the blue, purple and green shades (Goddess, Freakshow and Floss) all fade to a murky grey on me and there was a severe gold glitter bomb fallout with Disco that I had to remove with washi tape. I'm still experimenting with different eyeshadow primers as Urban Decay's Anti-Aging primer and Wet'n'Wild Fergie Take On The Day Eyeshadow Primer have all proven inadequate. The Ettusais Premium CC Amino Cream leaves a slightly whitish, pale pink cast on my skin, so I can't wear it alone as the shade difference between my face and neck is too stark. Once corrected with a foundation on top, the difference becomes more subtle. Anyway, it's not like anyone will notice or care as I spend my days here with mostly my husband (who won't notice anything short of a black eye) and my toddler.
Here's the ad visual for the Jill Stuart Relax Grapefruit and Bergamot bodycare collection, due out on 5 June in Japan. Product details in this earlier post.
Esprique is bringing back a revamped version of its Cool BB Spray Foundation (2100yen, 60g) this summer as a limited edition release. Originally launched last May, the new version boasts increased sun protection levels of SPF50+ and PA++++ (the maximum level in Japan), and is available in two shades whereas the original version was only available in one shade.
Described as a spray-type essence foundation, it comes with a sponge for spraying the foundation onto before applying to the face. It is fragrance-free, meant for all seasons and contains hyaluronic acid, collagen, mint extract, amino acids and silicones such as dimethicone. The BB aspect is based on its five functions as a beauty essence, sunblock, primer, foundation and face powder. Aside from promising to vanquish the appearance of pores, it also cools the skin by 5°C upon application. Due out on 16 May in Japan, there will also be a limited edition set that includes the BB Spray, Loose Face Powder in Lucent Beige 1.5g and a loose powder puff. Check out the TV commercial featuring actress Ueto Aya here.
This will also be available in Taiwan. I seem to recall reading somewhere that it will be available in Singapore too. Kose counters in Singapore are now selling the new Pore Cover Perfect Base CC in these limited edition base makeup kits for just S$39. Their other promotions for May can be found here.
Video tutorials on how to use the Pore Cover Perfect CC under a powder foundation, applied with a sponge or brush.
Visee will launch the following new products on 16 June in Japan:
1. CC Watery Foundation SPF30 PA++ (30ml, 1600yen): Available in four shades OC405, OC410, OC415 and BO310, this fragrance-free 'complete correction' foundation also acts as an emulsion, beauty essence, sunblock and primer, helping to keep skin hydrated while providing a longlasting, flawless porcelain finish.
2. CC Concealer (1300yen, 3.7g) in 01 Light Beige and 02 Natural Beige: Beauty essence-infused concealer with a sponge tip dispenser.
3. Illuminate Powder 01 Pearly Beige (1500yen, 8g): Composed of three tones, Visee's first ever baked powder illuminator is made up of a skin brightening white beige, beige for adding definition and purple for enhancing skin translucency.
4. Face Brush (1300yen): Limited edition brush that can be used for applying liquid/powder foundation, highlighter and blush.
Every summer, Lunasol releases a limited edition makeup set that is only available at a handful of counters in Japan. This Summer Kit 2015 (8000yen) will be available starting 5 June at Isetan Shinjuku, Ginza Mitsukoshi, Yokohama Takashimaya, Umeda Hankyu and Ikebukuro Seibu. It includes Sand Natural Eyes EX01 Shiny Sand, Full Glamour Lips EX04 French Coral Pink, Summer Cheeks EX01 French Coral Pink and High Stylized Mascara SV01 Clear Black. All are limited edition shades only available as part of this kit. The summer kits are usually good value as they are essentially the regular prices of the eyeshadow palette and lipstick combined, and are invariably OL-pleasing safe and easy to wear shades. (Edited the pic with a much better version!)
Here's the ad visual for the upcoming Paul & Joe Waterproof Mascara Duo (available in 2 shades) and Smudgeproof Mascara (4 shades, of which 2 are limited edition) due out on 1 June in Japan. More details available on the Paul & Joe summer collection website.
Suqqu will release this Reset Cleansing Emulsion (150ml, 4000yen) on 3 July in Japan. Described as having a 'mild relief cleansing' formula, it is supposed to have restore skin translucency with a light emulsion-like texture that helps to get rid of dead skin cells and makeup.
BeautyHabit.com is offering this luggage tag as a gift with any Paul & Joe purchase. Good time to pick up those gorgeous gradient lipglosses from the new Midnight Sangri collection for summer!
Just spotted this new limited edition Jill Stuart Mix Blush Compact N #108 on Gooddealer.com, retailing at US$48.88. The packaging is utterly delightful although the blush shade combination looks rather run-of-the-mill for Jill Stuart. I haven't seen any information about this elsewhere, so it may be a Hong Kong or Taiwan exclusive. Another one for the collectors!
Lancome's Makeup Creative Director Lisa Eldridge just posted this excellent video tutorial in which she talks about Japanese makeup trends and shows off her haul from Japan, including Albion Gel Mask Foundation, Visee Nudy Rich Eyes BE7 and Lip & Cheek Cream, Dolly Wink mascara and lashes, K-Palette 1 Day Tattoo eyeliner, Cle de Peau concealer and Aube Long Keep Rouge. Her blog post with links to purchase the products is here. If you're interested in the Albion foundation, Adambeauty.com has it in stock but with only the two lightest shades available at the moment for about US$66.
