My first GlossyBox arrived yesterday evening! What a lovely way to wrap up the day. If you follow me on Instagram, you’d know my cup was overfloweth with glee…

I know I am totally behind this monthly beauty box subscription trend. It seemed like everyone was jumping into it, and lo and behold, Japan was swimming along, too!

I couldn’t get the first few boxes when GlossyBox Japan started late last year because they were all sold out, so the earliest one I could get was March’s. Obviously, GlossyBox began with a bang in Japan because their subscriptions are always sold out at lightning speed. I think I could get one because I literally charged my credit card just 30 seconds I received the email that the March box was up for grabs.

I tried nosing around the website to get an ongoing subscription but couldn’t find it but maybe they are just going month by month? Does anyone know anything about this — please let me know!

I waited till the morning to take photos of the goodies because my camera is really crap at night. I must say that the GlossyBox hype is living up to its reputation because everything was packaged well and the samples were really good.

Inside:

Clarins White Plus Emulsion
Clarins Intensive Whitening Smoothing Serum
A trio of Clarins suncreens
A couple of Clarins White Plus vouchers for a 1-day White Plus trial set
Shigeta Honey Dew Lip Serum
Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat
Lunasol Moist Conditioning Mask
Loretta Makeup Milk
Loretta Night Care Cream
Loretta cosmetics case with clasp

The Seche Vite Top Coat apparently won the Nails Readers’ Choice Award in 2011 and judging from the price of their base coat at 2100JPY, just this one product has already exceeded the 1500JPY value of this whole box.

I was very amused by the Loretta products because they read like skincare at first glance but they are actually hair care products. The Night Care Cream seems it is a leave-in conditioner and the Makeup Milk is a styling serum that you slick on before curling or blow-drying your hair. The makeup bag is too cute and I’m definitely going to use this on my next trip.

What excited me the most is that I finally get to sample Clarin’s amazing sunscreen. The UV Plus Multi-Protection Sunscreen has been raved about by beauty insiders but is very pricey for a small bottle (USD40). I’ve swatched it on my hand a few times before but couldn’t decide if it would be suitable for my face, so now I get to really test this out before dropping moolah on this if it really is as great as they say it is.

What do you think of Japan’s GlossyBox? Is it comparable to other countries’ GlossyBoxes?

PS: Don’t forget to put your name down for my Hada Labo BB Cream giveaway!

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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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This is my first-ever FOTD and my skin has cleared up quite a bit since my last breakout fiasco. I figured that it’s not that often I have okay-looking skin and I’ve “re-discovered” an old foundation that was unloved by me for the last year, so I thought, “Let’s do an FOTD!”

I bought Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Light Foundation Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF 10/PA++ (Intensity 2.0) in January as a “gentle” base during my horrible breakout phase last winter. I looked up Makeup Alley and found that those with acne-prone skin liked this particular foundie because it was light-weight, non-clogging, non-oily, and had decent coverage.

To be honest, I liked it at first and then I didn’t like it because it didn’t give me enough coverage and looked patchy on me. Furthermore, the brand Estee Lauder is not something I usually reach for as I prefer girlier brands, e.g. Jill Stuart and Paul & Joe, but I realized I’m actually smack in the demographic that Estee Lauder markets at – LOL!

But on hindsight, my skin really was a mess and I think I didn’t put enough of it on as I used to have a very light hand with liquid foundation. I just felt it didn’t give me that ultra-smooth complexion that some BB creams can (like the Nanoce one but it’s too rich for non-winter weather). And because it is very light-weight, I think it wasn’t moisturizing enough for the freezing temperatures in Feb and Mar in Tokyo. My skin was flaky at that point in time but I wouldn’t blame it on this foundation because I think I wasn’t moisturizing my skin enough and was using an arsenal of drying acne products.

BUT, in this warm-ish fall weather when it is over 20 degrees C in the day and 16-18 degrees C at night, somehow my skin has been LOVING this foundation. I do use it generously but it doesn’t cake. The only complaint I have is that it is a wee bit too light for me shade-wise but Intensity 3.0 is way too dark for me.

It gives a dewy look if you don’t powder your face after and it gives surprisingly good coverage to redness and freckles.

Other items used in this FOTD:
Lunasol Modeling Eyes 01 Beige Beige
Dollywink Eye Pencil in Brown
Lancome L’Extreme Mascara
Meow Cosmetics Brow Beater in Dark Brown to line brows
Esprique Precious Gradation Layer Cheek 01 Coral Red as blusher and face highlighter
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Medium Dark as bronzer
Revlon ColorStay Pressed Powder 104 Medium
Jurlique Love Lip Balm
Chanel Rouge Coco Cambon 31
Lancome Juicy Tubes mini (sparkly nude)

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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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Hello my lovelies, a week has gone by since I returned from Singapore and it’s has zipped by so quickly I don’t know what hit me. I went to Singapore to settle some wedding stuff but I managed to find time to shop. Duty-free and a cheaper currency are all there is to tempt me. I ♥ shopping when I go back to Singapore!

Before I get into my post proper, just a reminder that my giveaway ends in 24 hours! So go on over and put your name down….

I don’t usually buy so much at once and the bulk of my beauty shopping is really my Naruko products which I have been lemming since forever. For those who don’t know, Naruko is a natural paraben-free skincare and cosmetics brand from Taiwan that is formuated by celebrity skincare and makeup guru Niu Er. I’ve heard so much about how great Naruko is on Youtube that I had to get some. Though it is not available in Japan, there is a Singapore website so I just ordered a bunch of products and got them sent to my parents’ residence. I’m also flying to Taiwan in July so I might pick some up there but I’m not sure if Naruko is an internet-only shop which is the case in Singapore (click here) — it was only sold online and none of the stores carried the brand.

I know I said in my early summer skincare routine video that I was avoiding herb ingredients but some Youtubers with sensitive skin tried Naruko and they didn’t have flare-ups….and my skin is improving so hopefully it’s not as sensitive as it was before. What can I say, I’m really an incurable beauty junkie!

Anyway, hope you enjoy this video and till the next episode!

Products mentioned:

Part I Skincare:

My Beauty Diary All In One Sample Pack
My Beauty Diary Apple Polyphenol Mask
My Beauty Diary Strawberry Yogurt Mask
Silk Whitia Whitening & Moisturizing Mask
Silk Whitia Anti-Oxidation Whitening Mask
Naruko Narcisuss Day Care Range:
Foaming Wash
Mousse Facial Wash
Moisturizing Dew
Moisturizing Day Protector
Total Defense Fundamental Serum
Night Jelly
Tea Tree & Naouli T-Zone Blackhead Pore Remover
Job’s Tears Whitening & Cooling Night Jelly
Rose & Snow Fungus Night Jelly
AMPM Wakeup Skin Smooth Washing Powder (free gift)

Part II Makeup:

Clarins Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Colour 03 Miami Pink
MAC Mineralize Skinfinsh Natural Medium Dark
Estee Lauder Nutritious Vita-Mineral Loose Powder Makeup Intensity 1.0
Lunasol Ocean Eyes 05 Colourful Ocean
Lunasol Modelling Eyes 01 Beige Beige
Clinique Age Defense BB Cream SPF 30/PA+++
MAC Blush & Stipling Brushes
MAC Brow Set Beguile
MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick Gotta Dash!
Urban Decay Good Karma Liner (Brow Brush)

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I really couldn’t resist getting this…

Lunasol Ocean Scene Eyes 03 Vivid Ocean eyeshadow palette (5250JPY; USD63). It was rather uncharacteristic of me to splurge on this but lately I’ve been thinking a lot about quality versus quantity. Is it better to have fewer, more expensive but better quality cosmetics than to have lots of puchipura (cheap) ones that don’t seem that fantastic when you really look closely?

The second reason for getting this is because Lunasol has been raved all over the blogosphere, well, at least bloggers who love Japanese makeup. I think the unique colour tones and silky finish are worth paying for. Cheaper cosmetics tend to lack a depth of colour but I’m just stereotyping — there are some fantastic cheap drugstore finds.

It was a bit hard to swatch the shimmery yellow and green shades on my arm but they really highlight the two blue shades very well. I love the silky texture and the pop of bright blue that goes so well with a white, creme, or blue top.

I have bought skincare and cosmetics at department stores before but this experience at Seibu was quite surreal. I think they were running multiple promotions so the SA spent a lot of time explaining to me each of the eight items she enclosed, out of which, five were vouchers (restaurants, lucky draw, and a quiz), one was a sample of their water cream foundation and TU makeup base (can’t wait to try this!!), one was a chocolate energy drink (weird) for ladies, and the last, a copy of my Seibu membership registration form. Whoo. I just wanted to grab, buy, and go but no such thing that day. This is what I call a “cultural” experience in Japan…^^

I’m so in love with this palette!

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