Hello my lovelies, are you enraptured in holiday collection fever or what? I just thought I’d cured myself of drooling after the fall collections and here is an arsenal of amazing coffrets being offered this season. I would like to get one set but don’t know which!

Let’s start with the Japanese brands first…

Lunasol’s Tender Glow Collection has got to be one of the most value-for-money sets amongst the Japanese brands out there. For 6,825JPY, you get an eyeshadow palette (Party Eyes TG EX01), a cream blush (Cream Cheeks EX04), a lipgloss (Full Glamour Gloss N EX 19), a loose powder (Skin Contrast Face Powder 01). Lunasol fans will know that one eyeshadow palette is 5250JPY so you are getting quite a few products for just a bit more.

I would love to get this but I already have many neutral palettes so do I really need one more? And I’m wondering if the loose powder shade can be swapped out as the one in the picture is definitely too light for me.

At first glance, Jill Stuart’s Fairy Collection looks like a lovely treat for 7,875JPY which is not too bad but I wouldn’t say it’s very “worth it” on closer inspection. In the set, there is a Jewel Crystal Eyes 104, one Loose Powder N 101, a Jelly Lipgloss 103, and two fragrance satchets in peach and lavender — all of which are encased in a frilly cosmetics case which is frankly way too girly even for me.

Personally, I would like the eyeshadow palette and the lip gloss but I’m really not sure if I should get yet another face powder of which I have several already (not Jill Stuart ones but in general).

Now the star of all the Japanese brands is definitely Addiction’s Sleepless Nights Collection. It looks the most exciting and it’s a kit meant to prep you for a glamorous night out. Priced at 9,765JPY, it is on the pricey side but you do get enough goodies that make it an honestly good buy. Another draw is that this whole set is limited edition and I’m not sure if they would eventually include these items in their permanent collection.

The compact has an eyeshadow duo with a shimmery charcoal grey and a glittery silver, plus a very light cool-toned baby pink blush. The blush is not as light as it looks when swatched and warms up a bit on my slightly tanned skin tone and the SA had similar colouring to me and it looked very pretty on her. The other items are a plum nail polish, a mini sheer pink lip gloss, a black eyeliner with multi-coloured shimmer specks (very very cool in person!) and a tiny pot of body/face shimmer. The one downside to this collection is the bag which kind of looks cheap and nasty in person. The sequins were a bit sad and ragged to put it bluntly.

Now onto non-Japanese brands…

I had been thinking about MAC’s Festive Frost Face Kit since I’d been spying them on US and UK blogs (Jamilla has a great post on this). But I don’t think there would be the exact same set available in Japan because in the Dec issue of Biteki, it says you can get a Make It Perfect Brush Kit/Mineral Eyes set for 8,400JPY or you can get the six eyeshadow palette, called 6 Snow Globe Eye Shadow in Warm, Sultry, and Cool for 5,775JPY. The info is not yet up on the MAC Japan website though the Glitter & Ice collection is on sale at counters right now.

I’m a bit torn up about the Holiday Style Collection by Estee Lauder but this must be the best value kit amongst all the holiday offerings at the moment. For 12,600JPY, you get a 15 eyeshadow palette, a 4 blush palette, three lipsticks, two mascaras, two lip glosses, one eye pencil, two lip pencils, a cleanser, a mirror, a clutch, and a makeup bag. Estee Lauder makes stellar, high quality products but their branding and packaging are just too oba-san (old lady) for me — just look at the red bags/mirror (!!!). However, I’m very tempted because the matte eyeshadows look incredible!

What are you drooling over this holiday season? Have you already got one or two holiday sets already? If you have, do share what you like about them!

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Hisashiburiiiii! (It’s been a longtime, in Japanese) I know it’s been ages since I uploaded a proper video but I’ve been trying to find solutions to my uploading issues, so this is me with a “no-frills” video (no music or intro or text) which is about my October Favourites (video link here; or you can click on the photo above to take you there). My thumbnail is upside-down *groan*…Anyway, the video plays right-side up…This is so bizarre…Edit: I re-uploaded this and Youtube is not acting up anymore — everything is right-side up!!

Sorry if my voice sounds stuffy but I’ve been battling the flu since last week but I’m feeling heaps better today.

Products mentioned:
Ettusias Mineral BB Cream 30
Jill Stuart Lip Jewel 11
Addiction Emotional Blush
Maybelline Creamy Gel Liner 02 Brown
Essie Not Just A Pretty Face
Sally Hansen Instant Strength Base/Top Coat
Sally Hansen Dries Instantly Top Coat
Hada Labo es Lotion
Hada Labo es Milk
Naruko Magnolia Brightening and Firming Serum
Morrocan Oil
Peanut Butter & Co. Smooth Operator (organic, transfat, cholesterol and dairy-free!)

If you can’t be bothered to click over to my Youtube Channel, you can watch it here:

*Edit: I was mistaken about the Ettusias BB Mineral Cream — it does have sun protection and SPF30 to boot! It says on the plastic box it comes in and not on the tube itself.

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Hello my dears, I was going to put up a video yesterday but am facing major uploading problems over at Youtube (apparently it’s better to use “Private Browsing” to get it up but to no avail – any advice would be appreciated).

So instead of a video, I’ll just make a quick mention of the things I bought that will accompany to my trip to Singapore and Hokkaido where I’ll get hitched. Sorry for all the wedding talk lately but let me just say that I finally understand 100% why this milestone in life is truly….huge. The massive number of people are involved in the exercise of two people joining their lives legally is just mind-boggling. And it takes a very strong woman to not be bothered about how she looks on her big day.

I always thought I would be more…”level-headed” and wouldn’t go on crash diets and such — I haven’t but I can tell you that it has definitely motivated me to really move my butt and be more careful with what I eat. Though I’m at the point where I am dreaming of being lazy and slurping on instant ramen — kind of like when you are in the last kilometers of a marathon, you can almost taste the sensation of an ice-cold sweet beverage and falling into a fluffy bed.

So I thought a little help in the beauty department was in order to help me psychologically and physically. By surrounding myself with pretty things, I think I could feel more at ease and confident. I’m definitely a believer in putting your best face forward to gain some pep in your step.

Remember my wish list for fall? I got me some Jill Stuart, oh yeah…

Can I just die of prettiness right now?

This pressed powder compact is called Smooth Silk Powder Foundation N in 105 which is the darkest shade they have. It looks almost identical to my Revlon pressed powder but it is finer in texture similar to my Paul & Joe loose powder — compact, fine, and encased in a dreamy girly compact. Though this is not a proper review since I’ve only tried it on my face at the counter.

And the salesgirl was so convincing in selling the new limited edition Jill Stuart Mixed Blush Compact Sweet Lock, I found myself saying, “Hai!” before I could comprehend what I was doing. Can I say that I’m tired of corals (for now anyway) and want to go back to pinks? And this is a lovely neutral pink blush. It’s not cool but not warm either which is what I’m looking for. I swatched the Blush Blossom fall item at the counter too and it was way to glittery and the Sweet Lock one was matte in comparison, so no guesses which I got…

I think you could even use this as an eyeshadow palette especially that neutral shade at the bottom left corner. When mixed together, it’s just really gorgeous and not as pigmented as their usual Mixed Blush compacts where it’s all too easy to put on too much blush because they are so pigmented.

Next up, I got two main products to help me smell like ambrosia in Singapore’s steamy hot weather…You know that I’m obsessed with fragrances and especially so for a special occasion.

I know I said in this video I found my perfumes for the wedding but I think I finally settled on one that would suit both hot and cold climates — Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Flora Nymphea.

I love scents that smell like skin — a beautiful woman’s skin that has just been bathed but still has that “human” aroma and not completely synthetic…Flora Nymphea is just that. It’s a soft dewy floral that contains some milky musk and herbal notes that are an intoxicating blend.

And the final one to wrap up my signature scent for this special occasion is the Korres Mint Tea Body Milk. I used to be a hardcore Body Shop body butter fan but I’m now a Korres convert. This creamy body lotion is light enough for humid weather but hydrates pretty well. I think it’s a bit too light for freezing dry winters but it works for my purpose now.

More importantly, the fragrance is thoroughly sexy and not in musky way. It is pillowy with a slight hint of mint and a lick of masculine bergamot. Again, it has that character of cleanly washed skin that falls on the natural side than something fully synthetic (e.g. lemon scents that smell just like detergent…ew….).

I’m all set now. Lock and load, babeh and I’m just going to enjoy myself and leave all the stress behind — I figured that at this point, nothing really bad could ruin the wedding(s). Wish me luck!

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I’m a big fan of Japanese beauty magazines, Biteki and Voce (plus I got one from Elle because I’m a Seibu department store member), and they came with inserts that are their autumn beauty “lookbooks”. I say that in quotations because they are obviously advertorials but they have models sporting looks for this autumn — I don’t mind these booklets at all, in fact, I love them!

It’s so easy to peruse what new items are coming out brand by brand…Unfortunately my efforts to photograph the pages I liked didn’t turn out well due to the rainy weather. So I plucked the images off their official websites…

I’m really eyeing the new Esprique eyeshadow palettes because the colours look chic and wearable. I have one grey Esprique Precious eyeshadow palette and the texture is buttery soft and highly pigmented. I’m always surprised by the quality considering that Esprique is a very affordable drugstore brand.

Ooooo, Addiction’s Emotional blush is calling my name (on the right; it’s a shimmery golden coral). I love the whole aesthetic of Addiction but have not got a single thing. Would you believe that I’ve gone to the counter twice and all five SAs were super busy on a weekday night? It’s definitely becoming an extremely popular brand.

The name of Addiction’s fall collection is Aurora Reflection — how gorgeous does that sound? I really love the green shades, Deep Forest and Silent Scream. It’s about 9,500JPY for an eyeshadow quad but you can of course purchase the eyeshadows individually. But I think if you are going to start with one or two, you might as well get four at a go.

I adore the names of Addiction shades — whoever does the naming sure has a sense of humour. I like Fall In Love (can see this to be a shimmery nude on to add dimension to the lips) and Platonic.

But the one that really purrs in person is Miss You More, a bright fuchsia that will slap on some glam on a night out.

I got a bunch of Paul & Joe base makeup and eye glosses so I won’t be purchasing any more from this brand in the near future but I just like looking at their products. I actually tried the lipstick 074 Lower East Side (lipstick on the extreme left) which is a dusty rosy red and was surprisingly flattering on my skin tone (I tend to avoid reds but now will be open to the idea of them), but I have many lipsticks so I’m “KIV-ing” this (keep in view).

These Lunasol blushes are gorgeous….! I prefer to buy Lunasol at duty free as they are quite pricey.. They consistently produce attractive, sophisticated palettes every single season so I never get sick of looking at them…

The triple panel thing in one square of a quad is curious…I wonder if it would make a difference to your eyeshadow look — it’s something I’m waiting for the beauty gurus on Youtube to experiment with!

I’m considering getting a Jill Stuart nail polish just because of the packaging. It’s so shallow but I’m sort of thinking I would like a princessy addition to my travel makeup (for my weddings; both are not in Tokyo so I need to pack stuff to last me for about three weeks) — there’s no logic, only desire!! I’m hesitant to get a gel manicure because my nails are really in poor condition as it is.

I’m considering 50 Layered Petal which is a lovely nude pink that would match anything (I hope)…

I’m trying not to wear any nail polish from now till mid-Sept when I get my nails done for the big day. Since my second big day is deep in the Hokkaido boonies, I’ll probably do my own nails (I doubt my manicure would last for seven days from the first wedding) though I’m sure many of you are gasping in horror. Wasn’t Kim Kardashian’s wedding over-the-top or what?

Doesn’t this just scream “wedding”? Jill Stuart always reminds me of Vera Wang for women who like this type of look but have an excuse to indulge without needing to get married…

Is it possible to die from too much prettiness? This pressed powder compact won the number four position in Voce’s Spring/Summer 2011 Beauty Awards. I know this is a mainstay in their range so not exactly a fall item…

I was also thinking this golden nude shade P 24 by RMK would be fantastic for my wedding as well….

I’ve been looking into pressed powder compacts more lately and these new RMK ones look so sophiscated. I recently discovered that RMK is under the same company as SUQQU so it has great quality cosmetics at a fraction of SUQQU’s price…

Last but not least, Maquillage’s Essence Glamorous Rouge for this fall. Japanese cosmetics have this curious addition of liquid lipsticks that give the coverage of a high sheen lipstick topped with gloss. It’s not as light as a lip stain but of course not as opaque as a matte lippie, if you get what I mean.

PK393 is “recommended” which is something I find unique to Japanese marketing — they would tell you this is their best colour and usually more often than not, I would find it the most wearable in the collection.

Alright, that’s it for my wish list this season. What are you eyeing this fall?

P.S.: FIVE MORE DAYS till our 3rd Anniversary Giveaway closes. Lots of Japanese drugstore faves to be won, so get your tush there now!

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Life in Tokyo is definitely pretty much back on track though there are rolling blackouts outside central Tokyo due to fewer working energy plants on Honshu.

Food and water supplies are much easier to get now and my local supermarket looks almost 100% though the yogurt section still looks dismal and bottled water is still being limited to one or two per customer. Apparently the fermentation process is interrupted by the blackouts so yogurt manufacturers are struggling to meet demand.

And natto (fermented soy beans), Japan’s infamous cheap health and beauty food, is also in short supply. So it seems there is a sudden boom in making DIY yogurt and natto…

My mood has picked up considerably too with the start of real spring — warm temperatures, sunny cloudless days and blooming sakuras.

This spring for me is all about coral shades which is quite “revolutionary” for this die-hard pink lover. I had this weird psychological block that orange shades made me look more yellow or sickly. But it took a tiny incident to change my mind: it was the reluctant purchase of Marjolica Marjoca’s Puff De Cheeks Apricot Macaron blush.

There was a lot of buzz about MM’s Puff De Cheeks collection and I wanted the Strawberry Macaron because it’s a lovely pink shade but I have not been able to buy it at all. My local Tomods only had Apricot and Vanilla so I ended up getting Apricot since Vanilla was more like a highlighting colour. You know what? It looks so flattering on my skin tone (NC25-30)…

I don’t actually use the puff provided and prefer my Shu Uemura blush brush. It is so orange to me but it makes me look healthy…My pink blushes have been neglected in the meantime.

Since I got braver about coral, I bit the bullet when I was at Kansai International Airport and nabbed this Jill Stuart beauty, the Mixed Blush Compact in 09 Little Bouquet. This is so pigmented that I have to be cautious of not swiping it too harshly with the brush. Again, it gives me a healthy glow. Then there was no stopping this new coral convert…

I spotted this Coffret D’Or Essence Stay Rouge in OR 106. This is more pigmented than a lip stain but is still lighter than a lipstick so I tend to use this more like a lip gloss and put it over a coral or nude shade of lip stick.

I heard rave reviews about the staying power of this Maquillage Rouge Enamel Glamor lip gloss so I got one in OR 212. Although it’s called a lip gloss, this fully works as a lipstick cum lip gloss for me. The right side of the tube contains the pigmented lip gloss and the left side is almost like a lip glass tinted with coral and sparkles. You have to wait a little bit for the lip gloss layer to dry and then apply the lip glass. Eating and drinking would take away most of it but the gloss is so pigmented that my lips still retain a bit of the coral shade so my lips don’t look completely pale and naked after a meal.

Swatches: Maquillage on the left and Coffret D’Or on the right.

I still like pink shades but am moving towards more milk tea or latte shades these days.

What colour is making waves in your makeup collection this spring?

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