Kanebo Markdown Sale December 2011: Haul

Snapshots of my haul from the Kanebo Christmas sales!

From Lunasol:

Aurorized Eyes in #02 & #03, Shining Face Color (2010 Winter), Aurorized Nuance Eyes in EX02 & EX03, Full Glamour Gloss EX15, Gel Eyeliner #01 Deep Black, First Skin Adjuster

Aurorized Eyes #02 Light Variation, #03 Gentle Variation

From Coffret D’Or:

Eyeshadow Base #02, RT Veil Misty Lotion and Makeup Base, Beauty Lasting Liquid UV Foundation #BE-B, Beauty C Curve Eyes #01, Jewelcious Eyes #02

Beauty C Curve Eyes #01, Jewelcious Eyes #02

From Kate Cosmetics:

The gel/cream shadows were at a great deal at only $3 each and they are very shiny and gives a wet look to the eyes. Compared to the Lunasol Aurorized Nuance Eyes, their shimmers are chunkier and less refined but beautiful nonetheless.

And lastly, a skincare set from Blanchir Superior:

The White Deep Clear Conditioner set was also available at the same price of $25 (UP $60 iirc). I had tried the Conditioner set before and it was not too bad (reminds me of Shiseido White Lucent Softener) so I decided to try out the White Luster set which is supposed to be a serum of some sort that has to be applied with cotton pads to smooth skin and get rid of dead skin cells.

The sale is ending tomorrow on the 23rd December 2011 so do make your way down as soon as you can for some worthy buys (imagine paying drugstore prices for high-end/high quality products )

Please feel free to check out Airmeli for her Kanebo sales haul and Elaine for her fabulous swatches on the Lunasol Full Glamour Liquid Lips that were available at the sales.

Kanebo Christmas 2011 Seasonal Sale – Up to 70% Off!

For the uninitiated, Kanebo Markdown sales are now on! Brands include Kanebo Blanchir Superior, Coffret D’Or, Lunasol, Kate and Freshel. This is the best time to do some last minute shopping for your friends and families this Christmas.

Just a preview of my haul:

Updated price list:

Lunasol Skincare:

Oil Cleansing $23, Foamy Cream Wash $20, Foamy Moist Wash $23, Moist Conditioner $35, First Skin Adjuster $30, Eye Essence Kit $40, Eye Makeup Remover $10

Compared to the last Kanebo sales in July, prices for skincare is higher now (Oil Cleansing was $12 and Foamy Cream Wash was $10 during the last sales). However, there is a significant increase in the variety for skincare.

Lunasol Makeup:

Aurorized Eyeshadow Palette #01-05 $35, Shiny Nuance Eyes/Auro Nuance Eyes $15, Shining Face Powder $15, Pressed Powder refill $25, Pressed Powder Compact Case $15, Noble Shade Liquid Liner $20, Gel Eyeliner $20, Eye Pencil $15, Undereye Base (Concealer) $18, Full Glamour Lips & Full Glamour Liquid Lips $15.

There were no blushers available.

Rather disappointed with the variety of eyeshadow palettes. The sales this time round lacked the Nature Color Eyes & Star Shower Eyes palettes that were offered in July.

Blanchir Superior:

White Luster Set $25, White Deep Clear Conditioner Set $25, White Luster N $18

Impress IC:

Lotion $25, Emulsion $25, White Returnergy $45

Coffret D’Or:

Jewelicious Eyes/Beauty C-Curve Eyes/Color Mix Eyes Palette $12, Eyeshadow Base (01 & 02) $8, Mascara $8, Gel Eyeliner w/brush $10, Lipsticks $8-10, Eyelash Curler $10, RT Veil Misty Lotion & Makeup Base $8, Beauty Lasting Liquid UV Foundation $15, Powder Foundation $15

Kate Cosmetics:

Diamond Cut Eyes/Dual Blend Eyes/Gradical Eyes $6-$8, Gel Eyeshadow $3, Mascara $8, other items should be below $10

Freshel Skincare:

White C:

Cleansing Oil $10, Cleansing Cream $10, Essence Cream $16, other items under $20

Moist Lift:

Cleansing Oil $10, other items are under $20.

Please feel free to add a comment if you would like to add on to the price list and happy holidays to all readers!

Elianto: Haul & Initial Impressions

Visited the Elianto stand-alone store in Genting Highlands when I was there over the weekends. I was never keen on Elianto, especially when the product range is limited and it does not seem to get much exposure in Singapore (we do have a store at Tampines Mall though). They were having some sort of Xmas promotions (as categorized by the display of beautiful boxes and pouches) so I decided to pop by to see what they had to offer.

As such I ended up with these:

Baked Blush – 01 Angel Pink

Baked Eyeshadow – Zebra

Fresia Blush – 01

Fresia Eyeshadow – 03 Purple Haze

Swatches:

These shadows were very smooth and pigmented, all swatched without a base. The baked shadows and blush can be used wet for more intensity according to the SA as they can look a little flat when used dry.

4-pan palette RM14 + singles RM 12 ea

Swatches:

Prince3na Mascara – Volume & Long Lash

close up of wand

Stay On Max Eyeliner – Twilight Black

These products came in promotional sets with the exception of the 4-pan eyeshadow palette:

Fresia Blush + Fresia Eyeshadow + Prince3na Mascara (fixed) = RM69 

Baked Blush + Baked Eyeshadow Duo + Stay On Max Eyeliner (fixed) = RM69

These sets also come with adorable ribbon satin pouches which are perfect for travel.

My thoughts:

Eyeshadows – Very pigmented and silky smooth but texture can be a little crumbly and soft because it is so loosely pressed. I feel that it might break easily so it pays to be careful when travelling with it. Wide colour range available too at affordable prices (RM12 to RM18 depending on range) so you will definitely find something you like. Comes in various finishes – matte, satin, shimmers, glitters etc. The Fresia Eyeshadow can be a little chalky and flaky but tapping off any excess before applying will help. Pretty nice for the price but not the best. Baked eyeshadows are average (almost similar to MAC Mineralized Eyeshadow Duos), you need to apply it wet for more intensity otherwise you might need to pack on more. Good for daily neutral looks although better pigmentation is preferred.

Blushers – Very lovely! My favourite is the Fresia blush which comes with 4 shades so it is easy to mix and match. I love to use with all 4 colours swatched together as it gives a healthy baby pink flush without being OTT. The colour tends to oxidise into a peachy pink as it wears on but that’s not a big issue for me since a peachy pink looks more natural on me than a full-on baby pink.

Volume & Long Lash Mascara – The most promising of the lot. I had low expectations for it (because of its similarity to the Fairydrops mascara which totally failed me) even though I had really good experience with Korean brand mascaras. I find the wand a little too big for my eyes (been really spoilt by the tiny mascara wands by ZA) but that does not mean it doesn’t work. In fact it applies well, dries quickly and volumizes my lashes without the clumping (I’m looking at you, ZA). The best part? It stays on all day long without smudging and yet removes easily with my Neutrogena Eye & Lip MU remover and warm water.

Stay On Max Eyeliner – Automatic eyeliner pencil similar to Clinique Quickliner for Eyes. This is a waste of time and money! No wonder it was bundled with the promotional sets. Drags eyelid like crazy, lousy pigmentation, fat pencil tip makes it hard to draw a fine line and worse part? It does not “stay on max”. I crimped my lashes after drawing on the eyeliner and it rubbed right off my eyelids. Total fail. It also does not seem to set no matter how long I waited and honestly, I do not have so much time in the morning to wait for my liner to set >.<

On a totally unrelated note, I spotted this really cute Lulu Australia bucket tote which I fell in love with immediately:

Haul: Shiseido Sales November 2011

Popped by the Shiseido sales this morning and I reached around 9.30am to a snaking queue at the lift lobby.  The staff allowed us in early to queue within the office because the lift lobby was getting too crowded and in the end we were allowed into the event hall about 15 mins to 10am.

Some stuff available at the sale:

Shiseido White Lucent & Benefiance Travel Sets – $15

Various Shiseido Maquillage Makeup

ZA & Biotera

ZA

The crowd when I left

My small haul:

Silky Eyeshadow Quad – $20 ea

Q12 – Wood Tones

Q3 – Flora and Fauna

Shiseido Hydro Powder H8 Bare Pink and H12 Lemon Sugar – $12 ea

Also picked up the Cle de Peau Gentle Balancing Lotion:

cle de peau Lotion Tendre – $60

This time round, the sales were quite disappointing because there were very few makeup items. There were also no signs of CdP’s loose powders or base makeup except for some of those cream foundations and the foundation in a twisty tube. I did not see any Shiseido White Lucent skincare products on sale unlike the past years except for the serum which was going at $50.  Nothing much from Shiseido Maquillage too except for lipstick + lip brush sets, single lipsticks, single eyeshadows and nail polishes.  Shiseido also offered quite a variety of stick foundations and concealers.

The crowd this year was not too bad, there wasn’t much pushing at all and most people are quite civilized. I left the sale quite early at 10.30am because there weren’t much else to browse. All in all, Im happy that I managed to snag these items even though they weren’t must haves.

Mini Haul: Luxasia Warehouse Sale 2011

Met up with HS, Jemay and her friend to go to the Luxasia sales at Taiseng Street! Just wanna share what I got:

Écrin 6 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette - 10 Rue Des Frances-Bourgeois, 93 Rue De Passy

The packaging is gorgeous. The metallic compact comes with intricate filigree details etched on the compact cover and opens and closes easily with a sturdy magnetic clasp.

10 Rue Des Frances-Bourgeois $50

93 Rue De Passy $50

Parure Aqua Radiant Feel-Good Foundation SPF20 $35

Duo Correcteur $15

Comes with 1 corrector and 1 concealer in a set. According to Guerlain, the yellow one is meant for dark circles whereas the nude beige one is meant for blemishes on the skin. However I feel that the nude beige one might work better on my undereye circles than the yellow one.

Lastly, I picked up a Lancaster Eye Makeup Remover for $15:

This time round the sales were pretty comprehensive in terms of perfumes and cosmetics especially Stila and Guerlain. Stila had plenty of lip glosses, makeup brushes (around $12-$29), single eyeshadows/blush etc. Guerlain and IPSA had a lot to offer unlike RMK. Prices were quite reasonable with the exception of the Guerlain eyeshadow palettes. However, the crowd was crazy with a lot of pushing and tugging (not unusual) but we also had to endure the heat (no aircon in the warehouse) as well as the nasty attitudes of the Luxasia people. We were chastised for sitting in a group while sorting our stuff, then also sternly reminded that we were not allowed to test the products when all we did was to open them up to check. I understand where they were coming from, but seriously, no need for such hostility.

Nonetheless, I had a great time with the girlies though and I am extremely excited about my purchases. Cannot wait to start playing with them especially the shadows

Topshop Goodies – Eyeshadow Mousse & Powder Blush

I picked up some Topshop makeup from ION Orchard recently. When they first launched, I did check out the makeup range but did not feel very compelled to buy them at all because I wanted to wait for more reviews first. Now it’s a year later and I finally picked up some that I felt was a need to purchase.

Actually had wanted to pick up the Cream Blush in Head Over Heels but it was OOS at ION Orchard and the SA did not have the faintest idea whether stock will come in again or not

Nonetheless, I picked up the following -

Glint & Tundra

Glint

The picture had washed out the true colour a  little, my camera does not perform well with flash Glint is said to be a MAC Satin Taupe dupe (as seen in London Fashion Freak), and for those who are familiar with MAC, Satin Taupe is a must have in every makeup kit because of its versatility to suit all skin tones. Glint looks brown in some lights,purple in others and sometimes a little reddish brown. It’s so odd. I can imagine wearing this on its own or as a base because it is rather pigmented.

Tundra

Tundra on the other hand, is a grey-green with a lot of golden sparkles in it. It is more sparkly than Glint, the latter gives off a pearly sheen instead. Tundra will make a gorgeous base for mossy green shadows The colour might be a little hard to build up though but I shall try wearing it on its own for a more in depth review.

Tundra on left, Glint on right

These were released with the recent Sandstorm collection if I am not wrong. The packaging is slightly different from the rest of their products. One thing I detest about these mousse shadows is that they are housed in a smaller & deeper pot than I’m used to. It was hard to pick them up with my fingers because the opening was a little small and I ended up with the shadows under my nails as well which was icky.

I also picked up some powder blushers:

Powdered

Powdered is a cool pink with heavy blue undertones. I regretted getting this for a bit because it is definitely going to turn out too cool on me. From experience, blushers like that turn reddish on me instead of the sweet pink it looks like in the pan.

Pop

This is a colour that I fell in love immediately with. It is a BRIGHT pink apricot colour which instantly brightens up warm skintones. Pop is the perfect name for it because the colour is so intense and bright.

These colours are insanely pigmented. One swatch was all it took for them to show up, and quoting my sis who had absolutely no interest in makeup, she referred to the colours as “very rich”. Ahhhh and the textures of these remind me a lot of Illamasqua blushers; even the colours seem pretty similar to what they offer but they aren’t spot on dupes in my opinion.

natural light

with flash

That’s it for now, I will be sure to update when I start wearing these products

BB Cream haul!

Like I had mentioned in my earlier post, I am back on the BB creams bandwagon now. I realized after months of using my Skin79 Hot Pink BB Cream that my skin condition seemed to improve greatly with minimal breakouts. My skin also looked clearer and brighter after every use. Therefore, this prompted me to try out other brands of BB creams in the market, particularly from more renowned Korean brands like Dr Jart+ and BRTC.

Hence, I’ve done a mini haul last week from Beauty-Bestbuys since they were having a National Day promotion for the entire month of August.

However, do note that while they are having 30% off, their items seemed to be priced higher than local drugstores (Watsons/Guardians) so do keep that in mind when you are ordering. Otherwise it wouldn’t make sense.

Dr Jart+ Rejuvenating BB Cream (Silver Label):

 

 

I have actually used up at 15ml tube of the Silver Label and I really liked it. It has been on my mind to purchase the full size for quite some time now.

BRTC Mini BB Cream Set:

 

I have not been very adventurous with BRTC (and only used the BRTC Jasmine Water BB Cream which I ADORE), so this is a good chance to test out the other types of BB Creams available.

Samples that I received from the blogshop:

They were quite generous with the samples I’d say!  And as far as I know, they would give samples with every purchase so thumbs up for them

And I got the Dr Jart+ Most Moist Water Fuse BB Cream from Vie Beauty at RWS:

Now I haven’t tried this yet but I read a lot of positive reviews on it. It helps that it contains water and moisturizing agents meant for dry skin types.

My favourite BB Cream up to date is the Legere Multi White All-in-One BB Cream and the Skin79 Super Plus BB Cream (Hot Pink) but I definitely hope these would live up to the raves

Kanebo Sale Haul July 2011

Headed to the Kanebo Sale with HS early this morning. We were both very excited because of Lunasol that will be on sale. Both of us a fanatics of Lunasol palettes and I feel that we’ve indeed came a long way with our passion for Lunasol eyeshadows;)

What I managed to get:

Didn’t buy too much because I’d came to the realization that I am probably hoarding too much makeup.. And that I’ll never finish anything anyway.

Lunasol Watery Oil Cleansing $12

Actually got 3 of the cleansing oils since it’s 1)super cheap 2) I use it everyday to remove sunscreen and makeup 3) it’s good quality but I gave one away.

Note that this is chocked full of mineral oil so probably not very suitable for those who are sensitive or break out from it. This feels a tad oily so people with oily skins should handle with care.

Lunasol Foamy Cream Wash $10

Value for money! A drugstore cleanser can easily set you back by $10 or more, why not get 1 from Lunasol at the same price instead?

Kanebo Impress IC White Emulsion RF $25

Emulsion for combination/oily skins. Tried the one meant for dry/combination skins and it felt too greasy for my liking. Planning on using this in the day so the lighter the better.

Lunasol Gel Eyeliner 05 Brown Red $20

Was actually contemplating between 03 Dark Brown and 05 Brown Red for a nice versatile brown that I can wear for days or nights. 03 Dark Brown is more brown (towards colour of expresso) and less red whereas 05 Brown Red is much redder in tone without being too coppery.

The pigmentation and lasting power is insane. I swatched them and they dried within seconds. Super creamy and long lasting. I know because I tried rubbing them vigorously with a tissue and they did not budge until I used a cleansing oil on them.

Now for the highlight of today’s haul:

Nature Color Eyes #02 Nature Green $35

Nature Color Eyes #01 Nature Blue $35

Star Shower Eyes #05 Close of Night $35

Group pic!

This year’s Kanebo sale was quite comprehensive. Brands include Kate, Freshel, Kanebo, Coffret D’Or and Lunasol. Good variety imo, there were nail polishes, eyebrow pencils, mascaras, blushers, eyeshadows (both singles and palettes), eyeliners etc. Skincare also includes Kanebo Blanchir Superior, Impress IC, Freshel as well as Lunasol.

I find Lunasol skincare super worth it; the quality is tops (love their Morning Awakening Massage) and the price is very affordable. And I cannot rave enough about the quality of their eye shadows. Very finely-milled and the shimmers are astounding without looking garish or cheap.

With that said, I’m officially on a skincare ban. *ashamed* Le sigh.

Mini Ben Nye Haul

Recently joined Michelle’s Camera Ready Cosmetic’s spree and I received my items today! This is my first foray into Ben Nye cosmetics and I am absolutely brimming with excitement

BEN NYE Visage Poudre Luxury Powder in Banana (BV-1):

The powder is yellow and incredibly finely-milled. It feels almost buttery instead of powdery.

Comes with a screwtop and sifter

BEN NYE Neutralizers and Concealers in Blue Neutralizer (NB-1):

The colour is a tad dark for me but its pink undertones work well in covering my dark circles. It goes on very creamy with moderate to full coverage. Love it!

BEN NYE Creme Rouge Wheel:

natural light

with flash

A gorgeous cream blush wheel indeed! They might look crazy pigmented in the pan but when swatched, the colours instantly become very wearable especially the hot pink and bright red shades. Have not tried it on my cheeks yet but I can tell that I’m definitely gonna love this!

Lunasol Summer 2011 Haul

Finally managed to check out the Lunasol Summer 2011 Limited Edition Collection yesterday at Takashimaya. Before this I was adamant against getting the neutral palette (EX01 Shelly Ocean) because I have way too many neutrals in my stash (and honestly…. It doesn’t matter if the shades look a teeny weeny bit different, no one I know can tell)

However, after swatching the testers at the counter…. I was sold. Even the SA was telling me that both are worth getting. Right.. There goes my self-imposed ban.

I ended up with these:

Go on and click on the images to see them in full glory.

EX01 Shelly Ocean:

EX02 Vacation Ocean:

Shade application guide for Ocean Scene Eyes:

These are the best palettes I’ve ever bought from Lunasol. Previous collections tend to have shades that are overly glittery which result in terrible fall-outs. Pigmentation was also not that great in the past (well, because Lunasol prizes their eyeshadows on translucency). The previous Ocean Scene Eyes were also not that impressive to me especially when pigmentation is low and lighter shades look indiscernible from one another when swatched (not to mention when applied on the eyes).

The Summer 2011 collection (LE) however, impressed me with the softest feel of the eyeshadows. They literally melt away under my touch, transforming from a creamy-buttery texture into powder. Pigmentation was fantastic, it took no more than one medium-weight swatch for colour to show up intensely on my arm. Glitters were also tiny and fine, coming off as a subtle sheen rather than full on glitter bomb.

Swatches will be up in a while… After I am able to get over the lovely alphabetic prints on the eyeshadows. How I wish the letters wouldn’t rub off in one swatch I nicked the letters on the eyeshadows earlier on when the eye shadow sponge rolled against the powder.

I also received an Impress IC skincare GWP with every $150 purchase:

According to Kanebo, Impress IC is a subrange of the high-end Impress range and focuses on high whitening and moisturizing performance.

It includes Brightening Make Off 20ml(cleansing oil), Brightening Wash 20g, White Lotion 1 30ml, White Emulsion 1 30ml and White Cream Returnergy 10g. Quite a worthwhile GWP I would say.