Here's a sneak peek by the Frau editor of RMK's upcoming whitening skincare line. The Sherbet Moisturizing Soap (2940yen) is a limited edition release for the summer, due out on 5 April.
The Intensive Brightening Essence has a spearmint scent and a light gel texture.
Shu Uemura has teamed up with 21-year old Japanese illustrator Ob for this pair of POREraser UV Under Base Mousse SPF35 PA++. Ob (pronounced "oh-be") is a fast-rising new artist from the Kaikai Kiki group founded by Murakami Takashi. She also writes a style blog for Vogue Japan. See more pics of her work here.
Pic tweeted by Abe Sawako. No details on the release date yet.
This week, I've been testing out Dr Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF40. This 15ml sample tube was included in a UK Glossybox last year. It retails for £24 for 40ml at Boots, and US$39 on Sephora.com in the US. I think Watsons in Singapore also stocks it, but I'm not sure.
The Premium BB Cream is described as "a slightly glossy, low coverage cream which helps fight ageing" that is particularly suitable for those over 30. It contains a Bio-Peptide Complex infused with white gold for anti-aging properties. It is available in only one shade. The list of ingredients is available on Sephora.
The texture is a very light cream that spreads easily on the skin and is easy to blend. The shade looks slightly greyish but when applied, there is no greyish cast.
The glossy sheen is visible when under a bright spot light (pic above), but as you can see in the photo below which was taken by the window, it does not look that dewy in natural daylight.
The Premium BB does a pretty good job of evening out the skin surface without emphasising my pores. The level of coverage is sheer, and it does little to conceal very red blemishes. The slightly dewy finish makes this most suitable for ladies with dry, dull skin. I can skip moisturiser when using this as it is quite hydrating and handles dry patches well, unlike my Addiction Tinted Moisturiser which is more suited to summer.
However, the Premium Beauty Balm turns my skin greasy too quickly even in the depths of winter when my skin is more surface dehydrated. I have to blot frequently when using this. I'll probably pass this on to my mother instead of trying to finish it. As it's quite pricey for a BB cream, I would advise trying a sample before purchasing it, if you can. There are more reviews of it on MakeupAlley.
During my holiday in Japan last year, I purchased a few Three Flash Performance Eyeliners which have been garnering excellent reviews. Three is currently sold only in Japan. There are some online retailers but they usually charge a high markup.
Made in Germany, these elegant pencils retail at a whopping 3150yen each. The shade name is printed on a sticker on the pencil. There is also a color stripe running down the length of the pencil that coordinates somewhat with the liner shade. However, these can be tricky to pick out due to the lack of contrast with the black body of the pencils. It would save one quite some time if Three made their pencils easier to distinguish.
There is a smudger at the end of the pencil, which I do not use at all, as the pencils glide on very smoothly without creating any harsh lines that need to be blended out.
Of the eight shades available, I chose 04 Eye Belong, 05 Eye Rock and 07 Eye Doll. These appeared to me to be the most unique and not as easily duped by other brands. As you can see in the swatch photos, all of these have a complex shimmer that does not feel gritty or chunky at all on the skin.
The texture is beautifully creamy without being so soft that they crumble at the slightest pressure. These lay down color on the very first pass without tugging at the skin. They also build up very nicely to an opaque finish, but I think you can achieve a more intense and dramatic finish with liquid eyeliners.
These swatches were done without any primer underneath and with very minimal layering. Once they set, they do not budge at all, even when I rub my finger across them.
For the first look, I used 05 Eye Rock along the upper lashline. I like the subtle definition that it provides. The shimmer shows up as a gentle glint, nothing too distracting or obvious. It lasted well on me throughout the day without smearing.
On the lips, I used Clinique Almost Lipstick in Luscious Honey.
For the second look, I used 04 Eye Belong along the upper and lower lashline. The purple tone is not that obvious as I layered it over Urban Decay's Junkie eyeshadow from the Vice palette.
Overall, while the Three liners are of good quality, I would recommend only getting the more unique shades due to the exorbitant price tag. The more common shades can be duped by more affordable brands. Three is available at the dutyfree area in Terminal 2 of Japan's Narita Airport.
On the lips, I used Clinique Almost Lipstick in Flirty Honey.
See more reviews and swatches on:
So Lonely in Gorgeous
All Made Up Nowhere To Go
Drivol About Frivol
Front Row Beauty
During my trip to London, the Boots at Leicester Square was clearing out its Pixi stock at 50% off. I picked up the Lid Last Shadow Pen Duo for just £6. This limited edition set was released just a couple of months ago as part of the holiday collection.
It includes Shell Sheen, a champagne glow highlighter, and Brun Beam, a cool brown liner and definer. They are described as being waterproof, budgeproof and line smoothing thanks to the inclusion of soothing Vitamin E. Made in Germany, they are free of preservatives, fragrance, parabens, triclosan, sulfates and pthalates and have a shelf-life of 36 months.
I found both shades to have a creamy texture that does not drag on the lids. They are also easy to blend out with a fingertip. Shell Sheen is quite subtle and does not leave a frosty sheen. It's less glowy than Pixi's Endless Silky Eye Pen in Oyster Glow, which remains my favourite. Brun Beam is a muddy olive brown, not the most exciting of shades but one that can be easily worn for the day. These are truly budgeproof. I tried wiping off the swatches with tissue and completely failed. These did not smear at all but they do come off easily with my L'Oreal eye makeup remover.
For this look, I applied Shell Sheen over the browbone area and along the lower lashline and inner corners. I used Brun Beam along the upper lashline and blended Unhinged and Muse from the Urban Decay Vice palette in the centre of the lid.
On the lips, I'm wearing Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey from the Taste of Honey lip quad released for the holidays. It's a veritable classic that looks scarily dark in the tube, but on the lips, it gives a flattering hint of color. My lips have been feeling very dry but this went on like a balm without any patchiness.
Also included in the set are Luscious Honey, Shy Honey and Flirty Honey. This is made in Belgium.
Other products used for this look: Addiction Tinted Moisturiser No. 1 and Eyeliner Pencil 101 Sleepless Nights, Becca Ultimate Mascara, Lunasol Under Eyes Base, K-Palette Lasting 2Way Eyebrow 02 and the peachy brown blush from the RMK Christmas 2012 palette.
The face pics were taken with my new Nikon D3200, which I finally invested in after months of deliberating. It's much better than my Canon PowerShot SX210 for taking portrait shots, but I haven't figured out how to get it to take better shots of product and swatch close-ups. While researching, I found Live Snap Love to be an excellent resource for DSLR beginners.
Coffret D'Or will release the following new base makeup products on 1 March in Japan:
1. Full Keep Base UV EX SPF25 PA++: Foundation primer that helps to conceal pores and contains an sebum-blocking polymer.
2. Pact Case 2013SS (LE)
3. Silky Fit Pact UV (Long Keep) Limited Set c: LE set comprising the Silky Fit Pact UV foundation, Full Keep Base UV EX 6ml and foundation sponge.
4. Silky Fit Pact UV (Long Keep) Limited Set a: LE set comprising the Silky Fit Liquid UV foundation and Full Keep Base UV EX 6ml.
Kanebo, the parent brand of Coffret D'Or, aims to establish five of its brands as global brands: Lunasol, Sensai, Impress, Kate and Freshel. Sensai, which is currently available in the US and Europe, will be introduced in Asian countries while Impress will become the main Kanebo skincare brand globally.
Here's the most recent batch of products that I used up over the past 1.5 months. Hopefully, this year will finally see my stash of bodycare products return to some semblance of sanity. At least until the next Lush holiday collection!
1. RMK Super Basic Liquid Concealer EX01: For a product that contains a paltry 0.06oz/1.8g, this has been in my stash since March 2009 - yikes! This helps to cover up the worst of my dark circles and is easy to blend without feeling cakey, although it does crease slightly later in the day. It's pretty pricey though so I probably will not re-purchase it as it did not quite hit holy grail status for me.
2. Lush Whoosh Shower Jelly: Reviewed earlier here, this wonderfully zesty jelly is great for refreshing the senses. Always use a shower lily with these, otherwise the slippery jelly will just end up in bits on the floor.
3. Lush Rehab shampoo is designed for damaged hair. Most of Lush's hair products have been disappointments for me, and sadly, this was another miss. It has a clean, bracing scent but leaves my hair slightly tangled and dry. Ingredients list below.
4. Lush Twilight Shower Gel is a deeply unusual blend of soothing lavender mixed with malt, that makes it a headier scent than L'Occitane's lavender range. This has a sprinkling of silver shimmer, which does not linger on the body. The scent takes some getting used to, but I grew to like it eventually. Ingredients list below.
5. Aromatherapy Associates Renew Rose Body Cream does a good job of moisturising my skin and leaves a nice soft rose scent. This was a deluxe sample that came in a UK Glossybox. At £32.50 for 200ml, it's too expensive for me to purchase.
6. Korres Basil Lemon Shower Gel smells a bit sharp. It lathers easily and does not strip the skin. Doubt I will re-purchase this. Ingredients list below.
7. Bliss Lemon + Sage Conditioning Rise does a decent job of detangling my hair and leaving it soft. The lemon scent is not particularly memorable, unlike their Blood Orange range. Ingredients list below.
8. Berber Oil is yet another argan oil-based serum that also contains silicones like cyclomethicone and cyclopentasiloxane. This was another sample box product. It worked fine for temporarily relieving the dryness of my hair ends and keeping them frizz-free but it wasn't special enough to warrant tracking down to purchase.
9. RMK Skintuner Smoother Moist leaves my skin feeling slightly sticky and makes it get shiny pretty fast, even in the depths of winter.
10. Lancome Tonique Eclat Clarifying Exfoliating Toner did the opposite and dried out my skin without having much of an effect on combating acne. Need to avoid purchasing toners that contain alcohol so high up on the list of ingredients (below).
11. Avene Cleanance Mask is also designed for oily, blemish-prone skin. However, this stings my skin and leaves it red so I would caution ladies with sensitive skin to avoid it.
12. L'Oreal Gentle Eye Makeup Remover is a staple that I keep re-purchasing as it doesn't sting my eyes.
13. Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream does a nice job of hydrating the eye area without leaving a sticky, obvious film. It also does not irritate my eyes. The only drawback is the pot packaging which is less hygienic than pump packaging.
14. Phyto Phytophanere is a dietary supplement for combating hair loss. The hard water in Switzerland results in quite a lot of hair fall for me, so I started taking this a couple of months ago. It does seem to have helped slow down the rate of hair fall. The recommended dosage is two small capsules per day.
