Getting to Know... Perilously Pale from The Beauty Spotlight Team

This week, we delve into the mind of Christa, author of the beauty blog Perilously Pale. I've always liked her blog not because her reviews always seem to interest me, as does her writing, but because I feel a very special, pallid kinship with her. Yet neither of us have a real problem with our low-melanin status, and that's what makes us part of the Sisterhood of the Porcelain Pigment.

Click HERE to read Christa's interview!

Coffret D'Or Spring 2014

Here are the pics and details of the Coffret D'Or Spring 2014 collection, due out in December.

3D Gradation Eyes 07 Orange Brown and 08 Pink Grey (limited edition)

Smile Up Cheeks #9 Feminine Red, #10 Sweet Pink and #11 Pure Peach (limited edition)

Rouge Essence: 8 new shades including 2 LE shades

Elegant Jewelry Rouge: 6 shades

Brow Designer Powder: 3 shades

Kanebo has also just launched a new sub-brand, Coffret D'Or Gran targeted at ladies in their 50s and above. The range consists of Cover Fit Pact UV foundation and Liquid UV foundation, and a Moist Cover Base UV.

Tokidoki x Jujube Bags in TokiPerky and Unikiki

Being a longtime fan of Tokidoki bags, I couldn't resist picking up a couple of bags from their recent collaborations with Jujube, a diaper bag company. The timing was perfect too, with my baby boy arriving last month.

My first purchase was the Better Be shoulder bag in the TokiPerky print released for Spring 2013.

Next was the larger Be Prepared diaper bag in the Unikiki print released for Holiday 2013. This unicorn-themed print was immensely popular with most of the lower-priced bags selling out in a flash on the day of release. Unfortunately, it looks like there won't be a restock, so the only recourse is Ebay for many of the designs. It's disappointing that Tokidoki and Jujube can't seem to get the task of anticipating demand right, even after several collections. Diehard Tokidoki fans are reduced to stalking their website for these popular collections but not everyone has the time to do that.

The Be Prepared is quite a bit taller and roomier than the Better Be. For a quick trip outside for a few hours, for example to the mall, the Better Be is the perfect size and fits everything that I need. It also affords faster access to the interior via the flap with a magnetic closure whereas the Be Prepared's main compartment needs to be unzipped. The side pockets of Better Be are also easier to access compared to those of Be Prepared which have a covering flap.

Better Be's shoulder strap is also slightly wider compared to that of Be Prepared. I found Be Prepared to be surprisingly heavy when empty, so this will probably be reserved for travelling.

Both bags come with a padded changing mat, with the Better Be having a slightly larger one.


The cheerful whimsical prints never fail to brighten up my day. The prints featured in the Jujube collections are amongst the most charming ever done by Tokidoki, with none of the leggy Japanese girls common in the older Tokidoki releases.


Inside, there are several netted and zip pockets which make organising the multitude of items a baby needs a breeze. The bright interiors make it easy to see the contents.



My Samsung S2 phone slides easily into the side pocket.

Be Prepared has metal studs on the bottom but not the Better Be.





Overall, I think these are the best bags that Tokidoki has produced since its classic LeSportSac creations, in terms of the attractiveness of the prints and the quality of the bags. Hopefully, Tokidoki will continue this collaboration with Jujube for several more seasons to come. Tokidoki has also just released another Sanrio collection, which can be viewed here.

Shiseido Celebrate Color with Dick Page

Video clip of the recent Shiseido Celebrate Color with Dick Page event in Tokyo on 19 November previewing the Spring 2014 makeup collection.

Party guests commented on the new spring shades here.

Lunasol Spring 2014

Here are the details of the Lunasol Spring 2014 collection, due out on 17 January in Japan.

1. Sand Natural Eyes: 4 eyeshadow quads in Natural, Warm, Cool and Clear variations. (5250yen)

2. Sand Pastel Eyes: Eyeshadow duos comprising a pastel shade and a shiny pearl shade. (2625yen, LE)

3. Shiny Pencil Eyeliner: 3 shades (2100yen)

4. Sand Natural Cheeks: Tri-tone blushes in pink and orange variations. (3675yen, LE)


5. Full Glamour Lips: 6 shades (3150yen)

6. Full Glamour Gloss a in shiny sand beige (2625yen, LE)

7. Nail Finish N: 4 milky pastel shades (1575yen, LE)
Pics from Biteki.

Anna Sui Spring 2014

Anna Sui will release the following products for Spring 2014 on 4 January in Japan. All items are limited edition.

1. Rose Cheek Color #302 Princess Rose and #601 Magical Rose (3675yen) (see pic here)

2. Lip Crayon #302 Coral Pink (with gold shimmer) and #303 Rose Pink (with silver pearl and silver and red shimmer), #702 Peach Beige (2310yen, 1.5g) (see pic here).

3. Protective Lip Balm SPF25 PA++ (2940yen, 3g)

Sandalwood Again ["come with us now on a journey through time and space..."]

A couple of years ago, I very accidentally happened into some very vintage sandalwood oil. I'd bought a cute mini flask, green, corrugated glass, that I had plans to fill with something special. When it arrived, it was already full of liquid. A dab on my hand and a few long inhalations told me that this was sandalwood oil. Very old, probably from the 60s or 70s. It was, as I like to call it, the cosmic motherlode, and I love to imagine who used to own it and what his or her life was like at the time.

Silver Factory hijinks.

While my life is more The Mighty Boosh than Doctor Who (thankfully, yet regrettably), every once in awhile, I like to revisit the past and bring out that little flask. It now resides in a lovely deerskin medicine bag given to me by my beautiful friend and employer, Angela Shore, who creates spectacular oils for her brand Jiva-Apoha. Today was one of those blessed days. I put a dab of vintage on one hand, and a dab of Angela's sigh-inducing sandalwood she obtained from India last year, on the other hand. As per usual, I called in my husband to be the sniff-tester, and I took note of his reactions [he is a very gifted savant fragrance critic- I guess creativity is creativity, no matter how you slice, dice or roll it].

First, the vintage. Seventeen sniffs later, he said, "Powerful. Ripe, almost skunky. Dirty leather and dusty sex. Easy Rider with twice the drugs." That's a lot of drugs.

Lord Hopper on his low-rider.

Then, Angela's sandalwood. He measured his words more carefully this time."Gentler. Sweet. Godly."

Siddhartha under the Bodhi tree.

I totally agree. And do the scents represent the times from whence they came? Absolutely. And they are both wildly attractive to the point of obsession, as far as I'm concerned. They are both gifts from the earth, and when they're gone, there will be no more that is exactly the same.  So in the meantime, I will treasure every drop and allow myself to occasionally experience the sublime nature of real, precious sandalwood-- not the fragrance industry's estimation of what it should smell like. And the best part? The unleashing of my husband's unwitting genius in distilling the essence of fragrance in very few, pithy and mostly hilarious words. I often find the best inspiration to write about my own passions in the people and places that orbit in galaxies far, far away from fragrance. Even if they happen to sleep next to me at night.

Crimping for the greater good

Paul & Joe Spring 2014

Here are the official images for the Paul & Joe Spring 2014 makeup collection, due out on 6 January in Japan. Aside from the limited edition Collection Sparkles lipsticks and face colors, there is also a delectable new line of eyeshadow trios and a Silky Smooth Foundation UV slated for the permanent line.

Eye Color Trio (US$35) and Eye Color Trio Compact (US$10)

• 01 Breakfast in Bed – Bright and warm browns to mimic a sunny day
• 02 My Little Kitty (Mon Petit Chaton) – A sweet and sexy trio of browns
• 03 Garden of Flowers (Le Jardin de Fleurs) – A playful combination of fresh green, flower pink and a touch of lavender
• 04 Tree Shaded Walkway – Sophisticated maple colors reminiscent of the changing season
• 05 Cherry Blossom – Natural shades of pink, gold and brown blend for an effortlessly chic look
• 06 April in Paris – These three romantic shades are the perfect pastel pairing evocative of Paris in the springtime
• 07 Stormy Weather – These sultry shades are perfect for the spirited woman looking for a dark & smoldering look
• 08 Night Cafe – Three metallic shades create an effortlessly smoky day-to-night eye


Face Powder S ($45.00) (Limited Edition)

Lipstick CS ($20.00) and Lipstick Case ($7.00) (Limited Edition)
• 084 Poppy – This cheerful fresh orange gives you the bouncy step of a beautiful Poppy flower
• 085 Peony – An exciting baby pink is perfect for lips that want to make a statement
• 086 Rosebud – A sheer red suggests secret passion and ignites the fire of spring’s life

Face Brush S ($30.00)

Color Powder CS ($28.00) (Limited Edition)
• 088 Dahlia – Gorgeous coral orange to give you a fresh morning glow
• 089 Azalea – A brilliant pink leaves the cheeks naturally flushed
• 090 Amaryllis – A radiant red perfect for all occasions

Nail Enamel ($16.00) (Limited Edition)
• 036 Lily – A purifying pink white
• 037 Hyacinth – A clear blue provides a calming escape
• 038 Petunia – A light touch of peaceful pink
• 039 Buttercup – A cheerful sun yellow to brighten up your days
• 040 Carnation – A sheer vermillion red that says nothing but love

Paul & Joe Beauty is available on BeautyHabit.com, B-Glowing, Beauty.com, ASOS.com and BeautyBay.com. All ship internationally except for Beauty.com.

Truly, Madly, Deeply: New vs old Besame Cosmetics products

I've been a fan of Besame Cosmetics for years, and have seen almost all of my favorite products come and go, for various reasons. But I have held on to some of the lovely little compacts and lipsticks, and only wish I could still get their delicate rose facial moisturizer and translucent loose powder. Anyway, I have tried some of their newer offerings in order to compare and contrast.

First, I'm very happy to see that the size of their lipsticks have grown to full size, instead of lil' babies. Those little ones were very cute, but they were not any less expensive for their size. I picked Merlot, a matte brick red that is extremely highly-pigmented, soft and very comfortable to wear. The delicate vanilla fragrance is nice too. In these respects, all that has really changed with the lipsticks is the size. They have always been top quality, and suitable not just for vintage junkies-- these are just plain amazing lipcolors.

[old on left, new on right]

[Merlot- gorgeous on pale skin]

[note the flat, tapered edge to the lipstick- perfect for precision application w/o a brush]

The other product I HAD to get was the Violet Brightening Powder. It's in loose form with an included puff. I applied a dusting of it after using a lightweight liquid foundation (Urban Decay Naked Foundation), and the finished look was really stunning. With the smooth complexion and the deep, matte lips, I didn't feel like I needed any other makeup at all. 

[translucent, violet loose powder-- perfection!]

[a product that's a blessing for the fair-skinned]

Besame has been the big winner in the game of packaging for a LONG time, which is why I could never part with anything. I've got little eyeshadow and blush compacts that I'm hoping I'll be able to find refills for one day, but if not, I'll just save them for the day I get my dream vanity table. 

[get a load of the lipstick sample matchbooks! I love them]

[modern packaging, including the new lipstick sample matchbooks]

[older compacts- both eyeshadows, plus the old lipsticks. Tiny and cute- minaudiere-friendly]

[old eyeshadows, and old vs. new lipsticks]

Besame has a new souffle formula foundation that I must try, there's 1930s cake mascara, cashmere pressed powder, and even vintage-style crimson rouge-- all worth a try, because Besame never disappoints. If you like your vintage style with a wink and a nod, and not necessarily head-to-toe phoniness, Besame will be your new cosmetics BFF. If you can only try one product from this brand, make it a lipstick. If you can't decide on a color, order those genius little matchbooks to sample!

[all products were purchased by me for my own personal collection. I have not been compensated by the brand monetarily or with product]