mardi 31 mai 2011

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse

Biore recently sent me their two new water-based sunscreens for the face and body. The UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse SPF50 PA+++ (S$18.90; 33g) is a very light textured cream sunscreen for the face. Infused with hyaluronic acid to help moisturise the skin plus grapefruit, lemon and orange extracts, the Watery Mousse has a light citrusy scent and applies with a slightly cooling sensation.

Unlike many other sunblock lotions that tend to leave a slight sheen on the skin, the Watery Mousse absorbs virtually instantly without any sheen or greasiness, just a smooth, silky feeling. I don't have the ingredients list in English but you can find it easily on other blogs. It does contain alcohol and silicones.

After trying it out for the past few days, I have to say that I love the texture and how nicely it absorbs. I haven't had any issues applying makeup on top of it but it does make my skin appear slightly fairer, so there is a subtle tone difference between my face and neck when wearing this.

In the photo above, I am wearing only the UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse while in the photo below, I am wearing the Watery Mousse with Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation T51 dusted on top. The Bourjois foundation powder adds a little bit of coverage and a more matte finish. With this combination, it takes about 2-3 hours before my T-zone starts to see some shine, depending on how dry the weather is.

The products used for this look.

In the Japanese TV CM, they use an oil blotting sheet to show that after applying the Watery Mousse, there is absolutely zero oil absorbed by the blotting sheet, whereas the blotting sheet picked up oil from a previous Biore sunblock product.

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Shu Uemura Color Atelier

The Shu Uemura website has been updated with the Color Atelier collection of of 55 Pressed Eyeshadows and 30 Glow-on highlighters/blushes.

The eyeshadows are a mix of old and new shades in five textures: M for matte, P for Pearl, IR for iridescent, G for glitter and ME for metallic. The new shades are marked with a red box at the top left corner.

The Glow-on shades are divided in 3 categories: highlight (light), blusher (soft), and shadow & accent (medium/vivid). Both the Pressed Eyeshadows and Glow-ons are now sold as refills, with the cases sold separately.

While the prices of the individual eyeshadows and blushes have dropped, the net weight has also been reduced. Putting together a palette of 2 eyeshadows and a blush will now cost 7245yen while a palette of 4 eyeshadows will cost 8160yen. That's a tad more expensive than the palettes from the Spring 2011 Morphorium collection which had retailed at 7140yen each and contained a blush, 2 full size eyeshadow pans, and two half size eyeshadow and eyeliner pans.

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Jill Stuart Fall 2011

According to Fashionsnap.com, Jill Stuart's fall 2011 makeup collection will be released on 5 August in Japan. The collection includes three nail polishes, a Mix Blush Compact 105 and Prism Carat Eyes, a duo comprising loose pigment eyeshadow and a cream base in 5 variations.

Check out this Japanese blog for more pics of the collection.

Jill Stuart will also release a new Body Scented Mist (3150yen, 200ml) on 1 July in Japan. This is supposed to have a romantic white floral bouquet aroma.

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Redefining the animal: Amouage Library Collection Opus V


For a couple of weeks, I've been somewhat at a loss as how to explain the experience of wearing the most recent launch from Amouage: Opus V. Created by perfumer Jacques Cavallier, it is definitely not a traditional perfume in the way that I know traditional, but it's not exactly modern, either. But with that said, I somehow feel like I understand it. It is strictly Earth-bound. It is animal, vegetal and mineral, magnetically grounded and sensual- not simply for pleasure but for procreation. It exists in a wild, feral space bursting with the potential for life.

When first sprayed onto the skin, it explodes with a boozy tickle to the nose attributed to a fabulous but rather short-lived rum note, then the florals create sparks that shower down over you like olfactory fireworks.The particular element of rose used here smells very expensive and is charming, luring you at first into an expanse of an English topiary garden full of roses, sunlight and shadows. The rose is refined, without a hint of sweetness, and the jasmine is soft and (thankfully) non-indolic. Just when you become comfortable with the way things are developing, the familiar starts to disappear. You slowly come to the realization that you're actually alone in the woods as the canopy of trees overhead grows thicker by the second and blocks out all light, and glowing eyes peer at you from every dark corner. It's like a Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale. At once beautiful and picturesque, then veering into the shockingly visceral. Opus V is to me a complete and unflinching representation of the cycle of life. It's nature acting naturally.


Notes: Orris Absolute, Rum, Orris Concrete, Rose, Jasmine, Agarwood, Civet, Dry Wood Accord

The woods are creamy and develop fairly soon, and they feel even creamier because of the civet which smells natural and thick (but it's synthetic, I checked). The agarwood is rich and pervasive; just gorgeous (and natural, I checked on that too). This is where the fragrance starts to feel very satiny and cashmere-like, it grows a thick coat of fur, and it's maddeningly plush. The orris is very earthy, dark and opulent- just the way I like it. The "dry wood" accord is not overly dry, in fact, the moist presence of the civet helps the woods to not disperse too quickly. Instead, it damps them down so that they play nicely with the other notes for a longer period of time. There is a subtle smokiness in the drydown which I think could be labdanum. Whatever it is, I'd consider eating it with a spoon. 



Over time, the civet and agarwood are all that's left (with a tiny touch of rose), and it really starts to meld into the skin in the most seductive way. It reminds me a bit of certain savory gastronomic delights, like forest mushrooms sauteed in butter, or goat cheese with brined olives. 

The sillage of Opus V is not too strong- it wears fairly close to the skin, but the longevity is unbelievably good (12-24 hours depending on how much you spray). This is what I would consider to be a 'personal perfume'. It's not something I would wear for the benefit of anyone other than myself. It's MY fur coat, and nobody else can wear it.

Amouage Opus V is available from Amouage.com, a 100ml bottle for 275 Euros, also available from Luckyscent.com for $325 USD.

[my sample of Opus V was provided by the company for review]

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Becca Halcyon Days: Nail Polish in Tangerine Dreams


the other nail polish shade (next to Summerdaze) i bought from the Becca Halcyon Days collection is called Tangerine Dreams. this is the first time Becca does nail products, and i find they're doing it really well!
their polishes have rubberized tops and a wide flat brush. Tangerine Dreams has a liquidy texture and applies very evenly, better than Summerdaze. it dries quickly to a glossy finish and smells much less offensive than other polishes i own. it's free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Camphor and DBP.
this shade is a cream peachy coral and is a great bright summer nail polish but still very wearable thanks to its sheer and light appearance. it's opaque in 2 thin coats, but it's already very even in one coat so you could surely wear it sheer like that.
it looks great on tanned skin and warm skin tones. this is the perfect colour for everyone who wants to try out THE colour of this summer *orange* but doesn't go too bright. also, a real yellowy orange doesn't look good on many skin tones and pale skins, but this shade is very flattering because it's more of a coral with orange hues.
it lasts over 2 days on me without chipping and tipwear, but i had to remove it then so i can't say more about longevity.
it contains 14ml and costs 12£/14.40€. i ordered it on zuneta.com.




comparison
click to enlarge so you can see the swatches better ;)
MNY 009A - Becca Tangerine Dreams - Essence What Do You Think? - Catrice I Scream Peach

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Edward Bess Luxury Face Brush


as i have told you earlier, i also bought the Luxury Face Brush by Edward Bess since i'm such a brush-fanatic and actually can't really resist not to try at least one or two of each brand. luckily this brand only offers two brushes at the moment, so i can both enjoy to test out their brushes but can also proudly state that i own their whole brush collection haha (this sounds better than it looks in real ;)).
click here to read my review on the Edward Bess Luxury Eye Brush.
this little face brush left quite a big dent in my budget with its 44£/~52€ price point, but i love face brushes and from all the amazing reviews about it, it seemed to be a no-brainer ;) (and hey, if you follow Edward's philosophy, you would only need this one brush for your face make up so the price relativates). i ordered on zuneta.com.

this is what they say about it (and the brand) on zuneta.com:

"Investing in good brushes is always worth it. As with the rest of his collection, Edward has kept his collection edited with only a luxury face brush and a luxury eye brush. The majority of his collection has been designed to be easily applyable with your fingers.
This is what Edward says about his brush:
'Experience ultimate luxury for the face. Perfectly designed to define and accentuate. Expertly crafted with hand-shaped, natural bristles set in sleek weighted metal for superb application. Presented in a signature black box'.

Edward Bess is a stunning, sexy new make-up line, made up of wearable shades, luxurious formulas and simple, design led packaging. Edward started his career as a successful male model, spending his time between London & New York. In 2006, he decided to focus fully on developing his cosmetic line, concentrating on bringing to life his vision of female beauty. Edward’s gentle nature combined with his extremely qualitative products has insured the brand has become an instant success. Edward Bess is currently stocked at Bergdorf Goodman (NYC) and Zuneta.com."


this brush comes in it's own gift box and would make a really classy gift for any cosmetics-lover. it has this little acrylic (! - not thin plastic) protection tube around it that you could use to adjust the density and head size of the brush with when you leave it on the brush like a belt (hope you can imagine what i mean). of course my head was full of air when i received the brush, drooled over it and somehow lost (or maybe even thrown away) this helpful little tool - this usage idea hasn't even come to my mind at the time (i have read about it afterwards) and i only wanted to tidy up the photo-location ;)
it's a kabuki type brush with a short stand up handle that in fact is longer than most kabuki brushes and is made of metal. it feels heavy and secure in my hand, still not too heavy and the handle is not too thick. the brush is made of natural hair, i think it's goat hair even though i can't find out anything official about the hair type. it's densely packed but not as dense as your usual kabuki brush, it's more like a more dense face brush that's round bounded and flat dome shaped.
it's quite slender at the beginning but fluffs out quite a bit after washing. it washes nicely without shedding and it only bled a bit of greyish dye. it dries quickly (in about 6h) but you should find a way to let it dry upside down. for washing tips, you could take a look at my brush-care post ;)


pre-wash
post wash

let me state that this is not a soft brush.
that's the main let down for me - experiencing so many great brushes that are soft but still have a good resistance and fluffiness (hello Trish McEvoy, i love you!), i was somehow disappointed that i don't really like the feeling of this brush on my skin. it's made of a blend of uncut (that means the hairs have naturally grown ends) and cutted hair (which is cheaper and would add volume and resistance to a brush but feels prickly on the skin) - with this brush maybe 70:30%. but since the cutted hair is not bounded shorter than the soft hair but with the same length, it feels a bit harsh on my skin when i touch it with the brush head surface. with the Luxury Eye Brush EB shows that they can do it, i don't know why they don't use the same technique here. swiping is ok, but tapping feels not so great.
this is really only nagging on the highest level, but still has to be said.
if you feel ok with MAC brushes like the 150, 116 or 129 - this brush is better in hair quality so you won't be disappointed.
because it's still a good brush that works perfectly fine. i like it to apply sheer bronzers like the Chanel Bronze Rosé or also the Edward Bess Ultra Luminous Bronzer in Daydream. it picks up the ideal amount and has the perfect size and fluffiness to apply in seamless sweeps on your bronzer-areas.
you could also use it for powder or blusher, it's supposed to be a multi-purpose brush (the video on zuneta is again very helpful since you can see how the master himself uses it :P). although i wouldn't recommend it to apply mineral foundation or buff in any product since it's too loose And prickly for that.
however i reach for other brushes more often - for the similar type and size i like my MAC 181 mini kabuki brush. it's denser so i have to be more careful with application but also a lot softer.


MAC 182 - Edward Bess Luxury Face Brush - MAC 181
MAC 182 - Edward Bess Luxury Face Brush - MAC 181

UPDATE ;)

look what i found:


it's that acrylic tube. now my brush keeps its shape even better and i can use the tube to adjust the density/head size. great, huh?
so don't forget to keep this nice little helper ;)


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lundi 30 mai 2011

RMK Extra Deep W Mascara and Ingenious Waterproof Pencil Eyeliner

Recently, I received the RMK Extra Deep W Mascara 01 Black and Ingenious Waterproof Pencil Eyeliner 01 Black to review. I had the opportunity to test both earlier at the RMK workshop by Mr Kosuke Wada and since receiving them, I've been wearing both pretty much every day for the past couple of weeks.

The Extra Deep W Mascara (S$63; 3g) is a waterproof mascara and base duo. RMK's recommended method of application is to apply the mascara first, and then brush on the base side and finish by applying the mascara again.

The base is infused with fibres for greater lengthening and volumising effect.

The jet black mascara applies very smoothly and builds length and definition easily with a few strokes but it doesn't add that much volume. I find that it is excellent at keeping the lashes curled and lifted throughout the day for that wide-awake look. The consistency is not too wet and slick but not overly dry either. I also like the fact that the brush comes out of the tube with just the right amount of mascara and zero clumps. The two pics below were taken after applying only the mascara.


After applying the base (pics below), the lashes look thicker and slightly longer but the fibres also make it more prone to clumping, especially at the tips of the lashes. One plus point is that the fibres don't drop and irritate my eyes, like Majolica Majorca's mascaras do. Overall, I like the mascara more than the base. There was no smudging or flaking over several hours of wear. At S$63 (or 4200yen in Japan; £23.50 in the UK/ASOS), it's probably too pricey an investment for many ladies, considering that there is no shortage of much more affordable options. Nevertheless, it can be a nice splurge once in a while as it's great at keeping the lashes curled, defined and lifted.


At the RMK workshop, Mr Wada had recommended applying the Ingenious Waterproof Pencil Eyeliner along the waterline of the upper eyelid, filling in the gaps between the lash roots for a simple, defined look (see pic below). While I find the Pencil Eyeliner to be good for use along the waterline, it drags against the skin when I try to use it to line the upper eyelid from above the lash roots. Hence, I still prefer using liquid eyeliner when lining from above the lash roots as liquid eyeliner is gentler on the delicate eye area and doesn't drag like most pencil eyeliners do.

The Pencil Eyeliner comes with a smudger and sharpener built into the other end.

For this look, I also used Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation #51, Correcting Concealer #51 and Foundation T51 (loose powder), Lancome Color Focus Palette 321 Greta Purple over Benefit Stay Don't Stray, Anna Sui Lip Gloss C #306 and K-Palette Real Lasting Eyebrow 02.


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Le Brice Hortefeux de la Beauté, acte 2

Allez, voici donc en ce dernier jour de mai le second item de la rubrique Welcome to France, que vous connaissez mieux sous son joli petit nom "Le Brice Hortefeux de la beauté" ! Le principe n'a pas changer d'un iota depuis la dernière fois : je vous présente trois marques, repérées au cours de mes pérégrinations sur l'internet mondial, et pour lesquelles j'ai personnellement bien accroché que ce soit parce que le concept me parait novateur, la formule efficace, le positionnement intéressant, le packaging joli à tomber... En clair, des marques que j'aimerais bien que l'on ai en France pour pouvoir voir cela de plus près. Et qui sait si ce ne sera pas un jour le cas, et cela même grâce à vous ! Après présentation en bonne et due forme des trois marques dont il va être question aujourd'hui, je vous inviterai en effet à voter via les commentaires pour celle qui vous aura le plus séduit. Celle qui terminera la course en tête fera l'objet d'un mail que j'enverrais à tous les distributeurs cosmétiques de mon carnet d'adresses, en espérant que cela leur donne la bonne idée de se pencher sur son sujet. C'est vous qui votez, c'est vous qui décidez, mais en attendant, place aux nouveaux candidats à la nationalité française !


S.HE STYLEZONE


Allez, on rentre directement dans le vif du sujet avec une marque qui va, à mon avis, vous plaire. Mais bon, je peux me tromper hein ! Si je commence par vous dire qu'il s'agit d'une nouvelle marque allemande, vous allez avoir peur, craignant que ça manque un peu de fantaisie. Pourtant, et une fois encore car au fond, leur austère réputation étant bien moins méritée en make-up qu'en soins, nos amis d'Outre-Rhin se sont bien lâches ! Au final, je dirais même que S.He Stylezone est un peu la petite soeur de Fred Farrugia. D'abord parce qu'ils partagent tout deux l'amour des packagings blancs et épurés à l'extrême, renfermant en leur coeur des couleurs toutes plus vives et plus pigmentées les unes que les autres. Et aussi parce que tous deux misent sur des flacons totalement modulables les uns avec les autres. D'ailleurs, et parce que parfois quelques images valent mieux que des longs discours, je vais vous faire voir en photo de suite...



Tout s'emboîte à l'infini ! Un fard bleu pétrole sur une autre ombre à paupières vert anis, le tout clipsé sur votre vernis fuschsia et voilà votre petit gratte-ciel de maquillage du jour prêt à être glissé dans votre sac à mains. Alors bien sûr, des produits échappent au principe de par leur taille naturellement plus grosse qu'un petit boîtier (les mascaras, les crayons pour les yeux...) mais pour les autres, c'est plutôt fun. En plus, si le contenant est soigné, le contenu est loin d'être négligé car les couleurs sont pour la plupart très sympas je trouve. A voir après ce que valent en vrai les rendus, la tenue, les finis... mais ce qui est certain, c'est que ce genre de principe où le maquillage est rendu ludique est en plein dans l'air du temps, et devrait en séduire plus d'une. D'ailleurs, le spot de pub mis en place pour le lancement (juste LA) dresse de suite le décor : S.He Stylezone est réservé aux filles qui aiment s'amuser et qui n'ont pas peur d'oser la couleur.


GLO WHITENING


Non, contrairement aux apparences, ce boîtier n'est pas le nouveau modèle d'Ipod signé Steve Jobs. Pire encore, il ne sert même pas à écouter de la musique ! Non, non, cet objet design n'a qu'un seul objectif : vous faire un sourire de star, sans avoir à passer par la case dentiste. C'est un produit que l'on trouve depuis quelques jours à peine au Sephora des Etats-Unis et qui commence déjà à faire parler de lui. En même temps, quoi de plus normal pour ce qui me semble effectivement être le plus élaboré des traitements blancheur qu'il soit possible de réaliser à domicile ? Jusqu'à 5 nuances de blanc gagnées en 5 jours, GLO n'y va d'ailleurs pas de main morte avec la promesse produit. Pour atteindre son ambitieux objectif, l'appareil se place directement dans la bouche où la lumière bleue et la chaleur produite sont censées apporter brillance et blancheur à nos teeths. Clairement, c'est un produit qui peut rebuter celles et ceux qui ne font guère confiance à ce genre de machine high-tech, mais c'est aussi quelque chose qui devrait séduire tous ceux qui souhaiteraient s'offrir un blanchiment des dents chez le dentiste mais n'en n'ont pas forcément les moyens.



Enfin, attention quand même car lorsque je dis ça, on pourrait penser que c'est une machine très accessible alors qu'elle coûte quand même la bagatelle (purée, ça fait des années que je n'avais pas utilisé cette expression !) de 250€ environ ! Sachant qu'à ce prix s'ajoute ensuite des recharges de gel concentré à 6% d'Hydrogen Peroxyde (on les appelle les G-Vials) dont il faut au préalable s'enduire les dents. Un lancement assez ambitieux donc et en plein dans la tendance qui permet au consommateur lambda de bénéficier à domicile de machines de pointes et de technologies (laser...) qui étaient jusqu'alors uniquement réservées aux professionnels de la beauté. Je ne sais pas si l'on peut changer la partie "dentier" de la machine, mais si c'est le cas alors cela peut-être un investissement fait à plusieurs et pour lequel chacun rachète ensuite ses propres recharges. En tout cas, on risque fort d'en entendre parler dans les prochaines semaines, foi de Planète-Beauté... Et en attendant, une petite vidéo (ICI) pour finir de vous faire découvrir cet OVNI cosmétique.


KIO KIO


Non, non et non, il ne faut pas forcément des choses incroyables pour réussir un joli lancement beauté. Il n'est pas obligatoirement nécessaire par exemple d'avoir la dernière crème anti-âge ayant bénéficié de 12 années de recherche, possédant 6 brevets internationaux dont le MYGB54U aux propriétés anti-glycation et vendue 269 euros les 25ml chez Colette pour réussir à tirer son épingle du jeu ! Non, on peut aussi très bien faire simple mais soigné, minimaliste mais efficace. Vous ne voyez pas ce que je veux dire ? Attendez, je vous illustre le propos par un exemple ! Prenez un pays qui fait rêver, évoquant l'immensité et la beauté de paysages à couper le souffle. Une destination un peu dans le vent, la Nouvelle-Zélande par exemple. Pour ne miser vraiment que sur le soin pur plaisir sans autres promesses qu'un agréable moment de bien-être, concentrez vous sur une gamme de soins corporels. Mais du coup, développez la bien à travers à la fois des laits corporels très riches, des émulsions au contraire très légères, des gels douches invitant au dépaysement, des sprays hydratants pour un grand bain de fraîcheur, des savons délicatement parfumés...



Mettez dans tous ces soins ce que la Nouvelle-Zélande offre de mieux. Des actifs bio bien entendu, mais surtout évocateur d'ailleurs. De l'eau des plus hautes montagnes du pays aux actifs végétaux des grandes forêts. Soignez votre copie jusqu'au moindre détail, qu'il s'agisse des flacons qu'il faudra habiller de motifs aussi subtils que chics, ou bien encore des parfums. Choisissez en par exemple 4, tous plus tentants et exotiques les uns que les autres, à l'instar par exemple du Tiaré, du Frangipanier, du Puriri, du Koromiko... Trouvez un petit nom exotique à tout cela et voilà, le tour est joué. Seul problème, ce beau projet nous vient un peu trop tard à l'esprit et Kio Kio l'a déjà réalisé en tout point ! Une marque à réserver à celles et ceux qui recherchent sans cesse de nouvelles marques green et haut de gamme, et qui serait parfaite chez Nopeg, Mademoiselle Bio et autres écrins pour marques naturelles en devenir...



Et voilà pour moi, à vous de jouer maintenant ! Le fun de S.He Stylezone, la technicité de Glo Whitening ou bien encore le glamour de Kio Kio, à quelle marque aimeriez vous donner sa chance en France ? Pour le maquillage modulable à l'infini, tapez 1 ; pour le sourire Colgate à domicile, tapez 2 : et pour le décollage immédiat pour la Nouvelle-Zélande, tapez 3. Je vous propose de faire votre choix jusqu'à vendredi 20h, date à laquelle je clôturerai et comptabiliserai vos votes pour envoyer un mail à celles et ceux qui peuvent directement influer sur l'arrivée de ces marques du côté de chez nous ? Après les vernis naturels Scotch Naturals, à qui souhaitez vous dire "Welcome to France" ?!


EDIT 13 JUIN

Zut, je viens de me rendre compte que j'avais oublié de vous donner les résultats du second opus du Brice Hortefeux de la beauté ! C'est donc finalement le maquillage modulable de S.He Stylezone qui l'emporte, il semblerait que le concept ludique, les packs modernes et les jolies couleurs ont réussi à faire pencher la balance de son côté. Néanmoins, saluons quand même la prestation de Kio Kio. Pour tout vous dire, je ne pensais pas que cette jolie marque bio se défendrait aussi bien, juste un petit point derrière le maquillage. Pour tout vous dire, je crois même savoir qu'elle a déjà tapé dans l'oeil d'un distributeur français ! En revanche, "l'Ipod blanchisseur des dents" semble vous laissé assez indifférent, pas sur que Sephora France ai vraiment besoin de l'importer par chez nous. En tout cas, je vais très vite faire un petit mail aux distributeurs cosmétiques que je connais et qui pourraient donner un coup de pouce à S.He Stylezone. Je ne sais pas vous mais j'imaginerai tout à fait ça chez Monoprix moi ? A suivre donc, dans les prochains mois !

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