Awake, Aube & Kiss Haul

I thought this was going to be another boring weekend until my latest haul from Tokyo landed on my doorstep, courtesy of a dear friend :-) The EMS express post service from Japan never fails to amaze me with its speed and efficiency.



Here's what I got:

1. Awake Star Ilusion Eyes Stardom X1 and X3 (5040yen each): I've been a great fan of Awake's Reflectance Eyes Stardom series for some time now so when I saw the new limited edition Star Illusion Eyes series, I just had to get these. The external packaging is slightly different from Reflectance Eyes as the Star Illusion Eyes compacts are completely red with the cover being an intensely shimmery ruby that is just too gorgeous for words. The layout of the eyeshadow pans inside is identical to Reflectance Eyes except that the base colour shade is now on the bottom left while the nuance colour shade is on the top left. On the top right is the glitter colour for "adding a mysterious sheen" and below that is the usual dark liner shade.

According to the instructions printed inside the box, you're supposed to apply the base shade with the brush applicator over the whole eye area, followed by the liner shade along the upper lash line with the thin end of the sponge applicator. Then use the broad end of the sponge applicator to apply the nuance shade in the crease area. Finish off by applying the glitter colour on top towards the outer corners of the upper eyelid for added sparkle.

I haven't tried these out yet but the shades are very pretty in the pan, with lots of sparkle and pearl shimmers. There is also a good mix of pale, colourful and pigmented dark shades in each palette, which makes it more versatile as you can create both soft feminine looks and intense smokey eyes with each palette.



2. Aube Impression Eyes #52: This looks like another winner as the green shades in this palette have a lovely complexity to them. My friend also got me the adorable Aube phone accessory that features three mini charms, an Aube lipstick, an Impression Eyes palette and a Puffy Bounce Cheek! This is currently available on ichibankao.com for US$33.50 but I would recommend waiting for Adambeauty.com to get these in stock since Adambeauty is likely to offer it for about US$5 cheaper.


3. Kiss Twinkle Jewel Eyes: I decided to get this for the novelty factor, plus it was only 1470yen. It's also quite rare to see a Japanese eyeshadow trio that is comprised entirely of cream eyeshadows. It contains Snow Jewel (white), Nuance Pink, and Shiney Beige. Each can be used as an eyeshadow base or as a highlighter shade patted on top of your usual powder eyeshadow for added lustre and glossiness.