Body Shop Sakura Collection

Spring in Japan is invariably associated with cherry blossoms (sakura). The sight of hundreds of majestic cherry blossom trees blooming along the river banks in Japan and casting showers of light pink petals on the sidewalks is simply a magical experience that stays with one forever.

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of sakura-fragranced products or sakura-flavoured food but I do like the look of the Body Shop's Sakura collection which will debut on 23 February in Japan.

1. Sakura Body Butter, 3150yen for 200ml

2. Sakura Bath and Shower Gel, 1890yen for 250ml

3. Sakura Eau de Toilette, 3990yen for 50ml: Top notes of magnolia, Fuji apple and osmanthus; middle notes of star jasmine, sakura and persimmon; bottom notes of fruity musk, hinoki cypress and sandalwood.

4. Sakura Pure Body Lotion, 2625yen for 250ml

Coffret D'Or Base Makeup

New promo visual featuring actresses Nakatani Miki (left) and Shibasaki Kou (right) for Coffret D'Or's forthcoming base makeup range, which will be launched in Japan on 1 March.

1. Beauty Lasting Pact UV powder foundation in 7 shades, SPF24, PA++
2. Beauty Lasting Liquid UV foundation in 7 shades, SPF26, PA++ 25ml
3. Beauty Lasting Veil UV (primer) SPF20, PA++ 25ml
4. Make Up Concealer in 2 shades
5. Make Up Powder
6. Prismal Blush in 4 shades

Maquillage New S/S Base Makeup

Maquillage will be launching a new base makeup collection for Spring/Summer '08 on 21 February.

1. Climax Lasting Liquid UV: liquid foundation with SPF28 PA++ in 8 shades. Non-fragranced. 3675yen

2. Climax Water Compact UV: two-way foundation (that can be applied with either a dry or wet sponge) with SPF24, PA++ in 8 shades. 1050yen for case and 3360yen for the refill.

3. Pre-Makeup Smooth Fix: makeup primer with SPF10 and PA+. 3150yen

4. Pore Perfect Cover: spot-use primer for reducing the appearance of pores. SPF10, PA+. 2625yen

Ettusais Zero Pore Pact

Ettusais will be launching two new powder foundations, Zero Pore Oil Block Pact and Zero Pore Dry Block Pact (3150yen, 11g, 7 shades) on 21 February. Both contain a non-chemical sunscreen of SPF12 and PA++, plus they are also oil-free, fragrance-free and formulated to combat acne. There will also be two limited edition cases retailing at 1050yen each.

Susie NY Spring '08

Susie NY will be releasing its Spring '08 collection, "Born to be a Beauty", on 26 February. The collection includes:

1. Eye Visualise #17 (natural green) and #18 (pink lavander), 1680yen

2. Precious Mellow Rouge #38 (clear pink) and #39 (orange gold), 1890yen

3. Nail Color #37 Loved Lady, #38 Aquatic and #39 Ode to Joy, 840yen

4. Color Mixture Gloss #55 (shine red) and #56 (clear orange), 1575yen

5. Face Designing Highlighter, 1680yen

Esprique Precious

Promo image for the forthcoming Esprique Precious new base makeup collection. The campaign theme is "Fumetsu no Face" which translates loosely as immortal/indestructible face!

Paul & Joe Haul

One of my new year resolutions was to cut down on my spending on makeup, especially for items that I am unlikely to use often. I was doing quite well resisting most of the spring collections until I chanced upon this Paul & Joe makeup set at Isetan last week. The set includes a Pressed Powder in #4 Iris, Blotting Paper compact with mirror, Eye Gloss #4 Marbre, Moisture Lotion 25ml, Light Cleansing Milk 25ml, Whitening Emulsion 5ml, the limited edition box from the Christmas collection of 2005 and a white plastic pouch. All for only S$90, which was quite a good deal considering that the Pressed Powder retails for $67, the Blotting Paper compact is $19 and the Eye Gloss is $35.



As the counter was offering a GWP of this lovely tote bag with a phone case with purchases of $120, I also got the Face Color in #9 ($35). I liked the green and black floral print much more than the cat print from last fall's collection!


According to the SA, the spring collection will be launched after Chinese New Year.

Kate Website Update

The Kate website has also been updated with the new spring collection. Check it out here!

Esprique Precious New Base Makeup

March is the time of the year when Japanese makeup brands launch their new spring/summer base makeup products. For this spring, Esprique Precious will be debuting its new base makeup collection on 16 Feb in Japan, comprising the following:

1. Dramatical Stay Pact UV (3360yen for refill, 1050yen for case): 2-way powder foundation with "Shine Block Powder", "Zero Shine Powder" and "Clear Smooth Powder" for a long-lasting smooth finish. SPF25 PA++

2. Dramatical Stay Liquid UV (4200yen for 34g): Formulated with a "Long Lasting Polymer" to combat oxidisation. SPF25 PA++

3. Dramatical Stay Base (3150yen, 30g): Makeup primer with SPF20, PA++

4. Toning Lotion (945yen for 60ml, 2940yen for 200ml): Formulated with a "Soft Smoothing Polymer" and witch hazel for reducing the appearance of pores.

5. Matte Veil (2310yen for 11g): mattifying primer

Maquillage Spring '08

The new Maquillage Spring '08 collection can be viewed on the website now (but the website is a bit wonky as the winter collection shows up instead of the spring collection occasionally.)


The three new TV CMs featuring Ebihara Yuri and Ito Misaki can also be viewed here.

Lavshuca Spring '08

Check out Lavshuca's newly updated website for its spring collection, plus the new TV CM and wallpaper. The beige-themed collection is not really my cup of tea but the Puffy ladies do look gorgeous in the new CM.

List of products used for the two looks:

1. Noble On Color Eyes BR1
2. Slim Line Liner BK1
3. Eyeliner Pencil BR1
4. Mascara Base
5. Perfect Mascara (Long)
6. Eyebrow Pencil BR1
7. Rouge Essence Bar OR1
8. Skin Filter Base
9. Stick Concealer in Light Beige
10. Powder Foundation N (Ochre B)
11. Cheek Color RD1
12. Nail Color GD1



1. Noble On Color Eyes PK1
2. Slim Line Liner BK1
3. Eyeliner Pencil BR1
4. Mascara Base
5. Perfect Mascara (Volume)
6. Eyebrow Pencil BR1
7. Rouge Essence Bar BE1
8. Skin Filter Base
9. Stick Concealer in Light Beige
10. Powder Foundation N (Ochre B)
11. Cheek Color OR1
12. Nail Color PK1

RMK "Shiny Mix Dots"

Promo visual for RMK's Spring '08 collection, Shiny Mix Dots which is inspired by Gustav Klimt.

Majolica Majorca Website Update

The Majolica Majorca website has been updated with the Spring '08 collection. The "Glossy Glamorous Girl" collection features 3 Majolook (Trick On) palettes, 3 new duo-toned Honey Pump Glosses and a revamped Lash Enamel Glamour. The Majolook palettes feature a new "Trick On powder", which is located on the bottom right side of the palette, that can be used at the inner corners of the eyes or patted in the middle of the upper eyelid for added sparkle and glimmer. The Majolook (Trick On) palettes currently have an average rating of 4.5 stars (out of 7) on Cosme.net with many reviews commenting that the eyeshadows are on the sheer side but the Trick On powders do add a very pretty sparkle with flashes of gold or green (depending on the individual palette) without being too over-the-top.

The new Lash Enamel Glamour Neo has received rave reviews on Cosme.net with an average rating of 5.5 stars with many users praising the glossy jet black formula that adds lots of volume and is long-lasting without smearing. It contains "Volume Up Powder" and "Gloss Oil" that ensures that your lashes look lush and glossy even after the mascara dries down.


I'm really liking the whimsical butterfly and rose theme of Chapter 18 as well as the gorgeous blue-green color scheme. For some reason, the website is taking very long to load but hopefully it will get better over the next few days.


Here is the breakdown of products used for the 2 looks featured on the website:

Glossy Glamorous Girl

1. Majolook (Trick On) GR741 Kougousei
2. Lash Enamel Glamour Neo BK999
3. Honey Pump Gloss BE221 Cocoa Rennyu
4. Cheek Customize RD255

Glossy Sweet Girl

1. Majolook (Trick On) BR742 Mori No Rinpun
2. Lash Enamel Glamour Neo BK999
3. Honey Pump Gloss PK320 Ichigo Syrup
4. Cheek Customize PK333

The Spring collections are slowly arriving in the department stores in Singapore. As of today, Chanel, Shu Uemura, Dior and Anna Sui have all launched their spring collections. The February issues of Voce, Maquia and Biteki also all arrived in Kinokuniya this evening. Both Maquia and Biteki come with the traditional Spring collections catalogue. Biteki also comes with a DVD sponsored by Kanebo Est with makeup tutorials for creating that perfect natural bare skin look.

Becca in Singapore

Some of my Singaporean readers may remember that Becca Cosmetics was briefly available at Bugis Junction's Seiyu department store a few years ago. It never took off in a big way, probably due to a lack of marketing. Fans of Becca will be delighted to learn that Becca has made a comeback and it is now available in Singapore's Changi Airport's brand spanking new Terminal 3's duty free area, according to last Thursday's Straits Times Urban supplement :-)

Tarte Spring '08

I'm always intrigued by what the wonderful ladies at Tarte will come up with next. Their new Spring '08 collection has just launched on Sephora.com and it's full of surprises!

First off, there is Infinite Glow ($30), which includes Tarte's best-selling Mineral Powder Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess, award-winning gel Cheek Stain in Tipsy and a moisturizing 24/7 Lip Sheer in May Flowers, all wrapped in a luxe faux croc compact for easy, on-the-go application. It basically has everything you need to tan, highlight and add rosy color in minutes. All of the products contain Tarte's trademark skinvigorating™ ingredients, including vitamins A, C and E, mineral pigments, jojoba seed oil and beeswax.

Next up is Double Dose ($21, 4 shades), a high-shine, colorful lip gloss with the added benefit of an infused superfruit vitamin complex. It claims to deliver a dual-powered dose of beauty and treatment. The inner berry boost is a T5™ concentrated pigment that mixes with the outer high shine gloss. The result is a rich color that helps rejuvenate your lips. The Tarte T5 Super Fruit Complex™ is a proprietary blend of the five most active superfruits: goji, acai, maracuja, acerola and pomegranate. The first blend of its kind, the T5 Super Fruit Complex™ is loaded with naturally occurring, antioxidant-rich nutrients and vitamins that have been known to deliver refining, antiaging and skin-restorative benefits with each application.

Tarte's cheek stains are what landed them on every beauty editor's list of top picks so it's not surprising that the ladies at Tarte have whipped up another pretty cheek stain to tempt the hearts of makeup addicts. Natural Swirl Cheek Stain ($28) is described as an all-natural swirled cheek stain that combines two universally flattering shades of their best-selling Natural Beauty Cheek Stain, infused with a proprietary T5 Super Fruit Complex™. I'm lemming this so badly but just can't justify it seeing as how I've barely made a dent in my Natural Cheek Stain but the good news is that Natural Swirl Cheek Stain looks like it's permanent!

Rejuvelash ($16) is declumping "lash exhilarator" that revives lashes while treating and protecting them from brittleness and breakage. It uses a blend of emulsifying agents in combination with Tarte's patented flexible bristle brush to gently eliminate clumps while delivering herbal hair restoratives with every application to improve the overall quality of your lashes.



And finally, Tarte has introduced several new shades of its Lock & Roll Creaseless Eyeshadow Duo ($17).

Jill Stuart Hand Mirror

Inspired by Venetian glass and the old saying that 'diamonds are a girl's best friend', Jill Stuart's new Swarovski-studded hand mirror (3150yen) which features a "Brilliant Cut motif" will be launched in Japan on 22 February. Another irresistible must-have item to add to those Japan shopping lists!




In March, Jill Stuart will be launching a new powder foundation and also revamping the foundation case. Pic from 2Channel.