Cosme.Net 2008 The Best Cosmetics Awards

(image and info from www.cosme.net)

Cosme.Net (@Cosme) has posted the feature on The Best Cosmetics Awards 2008. The results are based on reader reviews of products released between November 1, 2007 and October 31, 2008.

Two things that caught my attention are the Best Eyeshadow and Best Newcomer awards. My two favorite eye palette series in 2008, Coffret D'Or's 3D Lighting Eyes and Lunasol's Sheer Contrast Eyes (both from spring 2008) are number 1 and 2 on the list. (Sofina Aube's Impression Eyes took the number 3 spot.) 3D Lighting Eyes also won the Best Newcomer award.

I am happy that it seems many other people agree that the two ranges offer fantastic products. The two 3D Lighting Eyes palettes I have, Purple and Gold Variations, are among my favorite eye palettes, while Sheer Contrast Eyes' Lavender Coral is also among my favorites and is probably my favorite lilac palette at the moment.

These items are undoubtedly some of the makeup highlights for me in 2008, and I am certainly looking forward to what these two brands have to offer in 2009!


Looking Ahead:

Coffret D'Or Spring 2009 Collection

Lunasol Spring 2009 Collection

Aube Couture Launches in December

Weekend Beauty Reads for November 30, 2008

From The Beauty Blog Network:

Lilan from The Daily Cookie adds a little sparkle to her holidays with Givenchy Pop Gloss Crystal in two new LE shades!

Felicia at ThisThatBeauty is doing her own personal rendition of the MAC and HELLO KITTY collection. Check out Felicia's HELLO KITTY Face of the Day.

The Makeup Divas reviews and tells you about a scrumptious selection of bath and body care products, that are perfect to use as stocking stuffers!

Beauty411 shares time-saving tips and styling suggestions for holiday hair without the hassle!

Beauty Anonymous brings you Shiseido's Majolica Majorca Holiday 2008 Collection.

Beauty Junkie in SF discovers Diptyque's luxurious candles in San Francisco's Maiden Lane.

All Lacquered Up ponders whether men can wear nail polish or if it's only acceptable on rock stars.

The Beauty Blog Network shares maybe the best post ever.

Elke finds a Holiday Gift Set for $25 that even Dr. McDreamy would approve of.

Face Candy helps you choose between the Lancome's Holiday Beauty Box and Estee Lauder's Holiday Blockbuster.

Beauty Banter dishes on the must-have Holiday Hair... all the celebs are sporting it!

Head on over to Beauty in Real Life to find out which fabulous new skincare products make the cut in Christine's morning routine.

Sass, Style & Substance for November 30, 2008

Gleaming Things
Have a "Gleaming" Christmas - jewelry shopping guide for Christmas and the holidays.

eye4style
eye4style has the scoop on the new At Home line from Victoria's Secret!

Her Accessories
Her Accessories is celebrating Christmas with her gift guide tradition "The Twelve Days of Shopping".

A Touch of Blusher
A Touch of Blusher talks about major trends in Japanese cosmetics.

Beauty Match
Celebrities have acne, skin discolouration, dark circles AND wrinkles just like the rest of us!

ShoeBlitz
ShoeBlitz features 5 Manolo Blahnik shoes that you'll really love!

image: Stock.xchg

"Can't Live Without" Update (2): Garnier Hand Cream

Earlier this year, I talked about the two replacements (above) of Garnier's Hand Cocoon, which is one of my favorite hand creams. The red one on the right is very similar to Hand Cocoon in terms of both the ingredients and the texture, and it is what I have been using. It is also far better than the white one on the left.

However, it's happened again. Recently I have only been seeing the white one in Boots and Superdrug, and I am suspecting that the red one might have been discontinued.

Just to make things more confusing, I have been seeing sporadic stock of Hand Cocoon in Superdrug (in slimmer tubes like the ones above). I bought two today just to get myself through this winter...

Est Spring 2009 Collection

(image and info from www.nikkei.co.uk)

The Kao-owned Est will release its spring 2009 collection in Japan on January 10, 2009. The lineup includes:

- Emotional Multiple Eyes palettes: 4 variations
- Emotional Aura Pact (for face and eyes): 1 new variation
- Emotional Aura Gloss: 3 new shades (limited editions)
- Emotional Aura Lips: 3 new shades

I have not tried anything from Est yet and I am really looking forward to making my first purchase. But at the moment I am not sure I would go for any item in this collection. Perhaps some more photos from Japanese beauty magazines will change my mind.


Related Posts:

Capturing Your Emotional Beauty
(a profile on Est)

Est Holiday 2008 Collection

Est Fall 2008 Collection

Update: Lunasol Spring 2009

My post on Lunasol's spring 2009 collection has been updated with a link to some great images, including photos of two of the actual palettes on a Japanese auction site as well as photos of Lunasol's spring 2009 promotional leaflet.

I am still loving the lilac palette (03 Purple Gradation (Wisteria)). It is a must-have for me next season. (I am also thinking about getting the lip gloss that goes with the palette.) The pink palette (01 Pink Gradation (Sakura)) is looking delicious as well!

Makeup Review: RMK Christmas Palette 2008

For the last few holiday seasons, RMK has brought out luxury makeup palettes that include items for eyes, cheeks, and lips. Today I am reviewing the 2008 version of the RMK Christmas Palette.

The holiday palette for this year is presented in a rectangular gold pouch with a chic metallic finish. The palette itself is black.







The palette includes four eyeshadows, a travel-sized mascara, a travel-sized lip gloss, face colors, and pressed powder. The pressed powder, powder puff and blusher brush are in the pull-out drawer on the bottom layer.

- Eyeshadows

The three light shades (gold, pink, and green) are very sheer and mainly add (quite sparkly) shimmer to the eyes. The brown is less shimmery and a lot more pigmented. It can be a subtle eyelining shade or part of your smoky-eye look.

- Face Colors

At first, I thought the coral-orange blusher would be too warm for my liking, but it goes on as a nice warm coral-pink that looks surprisingly natural. Both the blusher and the highlighter have shimmer. (The shimmer in the highlighter is more pronounced.)

- Pressed Powder

It goes on luminously matte and has good pore coverage. However, compared with products like Kiss Mat Chiffon Powder and Lavshuca Face Powder in Lucent, it lacks shine control and will not suit those with oily skin.



- Separate Curl Mascara in 01 Black (travel-sized)

This waterproof mascara is part of RMK's regular mascara lineup. The brush is slightly curled. For me, it creates more volume and definition rather than length. On my lashes, it doesn't clump or smudge.



- Gloss Lips in EX-11 (limited-edition shade, travel-sized)

This is a semi-sheer gloss with a hint of beige and should suit most complexions. It has very pretty multi-colored shimmer. As far as I remember, RMK's lip glosses come with a brush applicator. This one has a sponge applicator.

Overall, this set creates a warm and glowy makeup look for the holiday season. How you use the pigmented brown eyeshadow will determine how dramatic the overall look is. If you have been thinking about trying items from RMK, this set (including the brand's popular items like the mascara and Gloss Lips) is worth considering.

If you would like to see swatches and FOTDs of this palette, please head over here and here. Enjoy!


Related Posts:

Review: RMK Fall 2008 Collection

Can't Live Without - RMK Cleansing Oil

Beauty City Guide - London

CHICCA Spring 2009 Collection

(image from www.chicca.jp)

The Kanebo-owned CHICCA will release its spring 2009 collection in Japan on February 4th, 2009. Titled "Touch the Flowers", the collection includes:

- Enticing Lipstick: 10 new shades
- Enticing Lip Gloss: 4 new shades
- Enticing Lip Pencil: 3 shades
- Enthralling Powder Eye Shadow (duo): 4 new variations
- Flush Blush: 2 new shades
- Perfect Readiness Face Protector (SPF 37, PA++)

(info from Nikkei Net)

Like Lunasol's spring 2009 lineup, this collection seems to be inspired by floral shades. I will update this post when I come across any image of the collection.


Related Posts:

CHICCA Holiday 2008 Collection

CHICCA Fall 2008 Collection

Brand Launch: CHICCA