Here's a sneak peek from Elle Japan's Instagram of the upcoming Paul & Joe new base makeup products to be released on 1 September in Japan.
1. Perfect Makeup Primer (2 shades, 4500yen)
2. Moisturising Foundation Primer S (3 shades, 3500yen)
3. Pressed Face Powder (6 shades, 3500yen for refill, 1500yen for case and 400 yen for powder puff)
Pic below by Tomoichi.
Today was the start of the Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale in stores so naturally, I grabbed the toddler in the morning for a quick jaunt to the nearby mall. I just finished burning all the glass candles that I had shipped over from Geneva, so it was a good time to restock.
All these candles were $10 originally and currently at 75% off. In fact, four of these rang up at an astonishing 50cents each at the register. According to the SA, these would be the ones that were released quite some time ago. To top it off, I had a $10 off $40 coupon, so they were even cheaper than 50 cents *score* I didn't pick up any of the 3-wick candles, which were 50% off, as BBW puts these on sale regularly in my area at least every other month.
The handsoaps were $3 each (originally $6.50), including the new American Summer collection. So much cheaper than the Singapore sale price of 2 for S$12 or 5 for S$25. We go through at least two bottles per month. Thanks to the super cheap candles, my items initially rang up at just over $39, so I grabbed an extra bottle of Island Margarita hand soap (which smells divine) to make the $40 minimum for the coupon. All in all, my haul of 17 items was just US$31.61 with 'savings' of $71.50. When the SA told me how much I had saved, I went 'Yes!' with a small fist bump. She chuckled and gave me another $10 off $40 coupon, plus a free signature item with $10 purchase for July. BBW really knows how to keep the customers coming back.
This was an earlier haul of the Coastal Summer collection two weeks ago, with a BBW voucher for an extra 20% off sale items. So we're well stocked until the next Semi Annual Sale at least.
Mummy's little helper keeps taking the cap off and blowing at the wick :-)
These are the three new Gradation Eyeshadow quads #58, #59 and #60 (5700yen) that Cosme Decorte will be release for Fall 2015. Pic from Nao.
I haven't purchased anything from Cover Girl since my experiments with their Lash Blast series of mascaras a few years ago. This past week, I've been testing out their two newest summer releases, the Super Sizer Mascara and Outlast Stay Luminous Foundation. Both were relatively inexpensive. The mascara was about US$6 while the foundation was going at between US$10 to US$11 in the supermarkets and drugstores.
The Super Sizer mascara promises to increase lash volume by 400%, with its unique lash styler that is wider at the tip than the base. I purchased this in the shade Black Noir but it turned out to be not as jet black as my usual Japanese mascaras.
The brush was easy to use and pulled out of the tube cleanly without excessive product on the bristles.
This did provide good lengthening and definition as well as holding up the curl of my lashes. However, it was slightly prone to clumping. If over-layered, my lashes would stick together. It did perform well in adding definition to my almost-nonexistent lower lashes. There was no smudging or flaking. There are also no fibres in this mascara. All in all, this was a decent performer for the price.
Below is the ingredient list. This is made in the USA.
I had high hopes for the Outlast Stay Luminous foundation based on initial raves on MakeupAlley. Upon application, it looked pretty good too. The finish was not overtly glowy, just a healthy satin finish without any powdery dry down. This was easy to blend, provided light to medium coverage and did not pool in the pores. My shade was Buff Beige, the third lightest shade of the 6 shades currently available.
However, four hours later, I caught my reflection in the car mirror and was taken aback by how much it had oxidised until my face was significantly darker than my neck (by at least 2 tones). This was, simply put, a deal breaker. There is also an odd artificial scent that is noticeable upon application but dissipates soon after. I couldn't see myself using it again (after testing it out for 5 days) and so I returned it for a full refund at Walgreens with no questions asked to my surprise. Americans are so fortunate to have stores that take back used cosmetics. Nowhere else have I encountered such a generous return policy.
Other products used for this look include Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow EX22 Yukiichigo (from Holiday 2014) and YSL Glossy Stain #201 Dewy Red. I'm tempted to pick up more of the Pop Water Glossy Stains but I'm restraining myself as I have about a dozen Glossy Stains still begging for more love in my drawer.
Here are the details of the Les Merveilleuses by Laduree Fall 2015 collection which will be released in two parts.
24 July
1. Cream Cheek Base (4200yen): #6 Flamboyant (clear red), #7 Groseille (coral orange) and #8 Airelle (bright pink)
2. Shimmering Pressed Powder 103 Astre Sacre (10g, 6000yen, LE): Contains champagne gold pearl and soft focus powder for absorbing oil and concealing pores.
3. Lip Stain (6g, 2500yen): Liquid rouge for juicy looking lips. Contains smoothing oil, silicon oil, smooth fit powder, damask rose and centifolia rose extracts. In 5 shades. #1 Prune (rich bordeaux), #2 Groseille (fresh orange), #3 Peche (pink beige), #4 Camelia (fresh red pink) and #5 Romance (powdery pink)
4. Body Treatment Oil (150ml, 4800yen): Composed of 70% olive oil, this can be used as a hydrating body oil or massage oil.
4 September
1. Cream Foundation SPF20 PA++ (28g, 5200yen): In 3 shades, #10 Aurore (light beige), #20 Ble (beige) and #30 Ambre (medium beige). Contains deeply hydrating amino acid color powders. Fits closely to skin without any powderiness or sinking into the pores. Composed of 60% water-based ingredients and four types of hydrating elements.
2. Translucent Makeup Base N SPF30 PA+++ (30g, 3800yen): Formulated with a smoothing emulsion and UV cut powders.
3. Mat Rouge (2500yen): 101 Force (coral orange), 102 Vie (peach beige) and 103 Gloire (cherry mauve)
4. Makeup Pouch II (2800yen)
