Mini Review: Milani Power Up Lip

Milani Power Lip may be discontinued. I saw it at my local Grocery Outlet and picked up a few as small souvenirs for foreign friends. Later I came across some reviews and picked up a few more to test for myself in Creamy Cafe and Mango Tango. 

The two shades are quite appropriately named. Mango Tango would be a great summer shade and also lovely on deeper complexions, being a bright melon.

Texture wise these gloss stains are fine. I find lasting power to be okay. Maybe I've been eating super greasy stuff, but these products are gone after a meal; no hint of a stain.

Because of this, I find these to be cheap and fun, but not must-haves or cause to bemoan their possibly discontinued state. Also the color selection doesn't particularly appeal to me; I have enough reds, and Mango Tango is a fun color but too bright for me to use regularly.

Mini Review: FRESH Tinted Lip Balm: Fig

Love the color! A plummy brown color with silver shimmer.
There is a slight scratchiness to the formula - probably because of the shimmer. The scratchiness does get annoying after a while, even though the formula is still nicely emollient. I will enjoy using this mini size up but the next time I purchase I'll try the Berry shade for color and less scratchiness.
Packaging is great but you're paying for that with this pricy product.

Profusion Feline Lip Luster in Purr

Profusion Luxy Lips in a strong red (L) and Feline Lip Luster in PURR (r)

Pigmented and opaque, Purr is a pinky beige that will probably suit ladies with less pale lips, but personally it washes my pigmented lips out in a very unflattering, chalky manner. 

It makes a pretty good concealer, probably thanks to a decent amount of white pigment.  It acts like my Shu Uemura WH 001 lipstick.  The Feline Lip Luster cream formula is pretty flat - there's not really any shine, although it isn't matte or drying.  The color visibly sinks into lines a bit, but since it isn't too emollient, as a concealer it works pretty well.

One of the more standard pinks probably would have been a better choice for a wearable color, but I prefer beiges to pinks.  I will be using this to tone down my strong lip colors, including the red Profusion Luxy Lips, which is a lot of fun.  Look for these products at the beauty bins in Walgreens - $1 plus tax is hard to beat.  I believe this product is made in China.

I'm going to start ending posts with music videos.  I'll start with my current favorite, the new song from Ameriie, "OUT LOUD":

You may remember Ameriie from when she spelled her name Amerie.

Profusion lip gloss

Profusion lip gloss can be found at some Walgreens stores in their beauty bins.  The glosses that I found were not labeled with prices but turned out to be $1 plus tax.
I tried out the red gloss - it is a comfortable cream formula with high opacity and highly pigmented.  It does sink into lines but doesn't seem to bleed so far.  It is a true bright blue-ish based red.
The formula seems to be the same in the squeeze tube and hard tube packaging.  There is a bright red orange also available - I am tempted to pick it up also, but I doubt that I will find much occasion to wear it.

I'll update when I try out the more subdued Purr color.

Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain - Crush

Have to say, I really enjoy the minty scent to these Balm Stains, and Crush is a lovely wine color on me!  It's definitely a bit more flattering than Rendezvous - which is a fun bright orange.

Next, I want Romantic.  Probably a more sensible formula for me than the Colorstay Moisture Stains which require a little more care to apply.  Anyway, I'll wear this for a while and see.  I am supposed to be on a no-buy...

Update: okay, so Crush leans a bit too purple-y for my taste - it's more of a bright color than a refined wine.  Still, I enjoy the minty formula, so I'll probably give Romantic and maybe Adore a try?  I have a feeling Adore will be too strong for me, and since I already have a lot of good reds, I should lay off it.  I do like brick red colors though!

No-buy?  What no-buy? *shifty eyes*

lipstick musings - Canmake Stay-On Balm Rouge

キャンメイク　ステイオンバームルージュ￥580(税抜) [02]スマイリーガーベラ

I tried Canmake Stay-On Balm Rouge in Smiley Gerbera [02]スマイリーガーベラ and I enjoy the shiny pigmented effect.  For whatever reason, I prefer this finish over KATE Rouge HG - maybe I'm not much of a creamy lipstick fan.  However, the Balm Rouge doesn't stain in any way, so I probably won't pick up any other colors, as I'm slowly weeding out products to make my makeup collection a low maintenance one.  I love makeup, but I only rarely have the time to indulge, so high maintenance products just don't make sense.  There are currently 7 colors, but [01] has been discontinued so when stock runs out it will be gone.

A Dream of Tokyo's review is pretty much spot on for all the details about the Stay-On Balm Rouge.

reflections on 2012

In General

I'm trying to just get things done, so that I can spend more carefree time on the fun things.  I'm also trying not to over-think things.
* do more vegetable cooking (first up, Ars Aromatica's lentil white bean soup)

* Start on the Chinese

Someday

* Learn to make scallion pancakes (Saveur.com recipe)

* figure out how to make those Bretagne-style galettes

I hope I never develop a gluten allergy.  I'm sure I'll survive, but it would be really sad at first.

Old Favorites

I still love Yves Saint Laurent Golden Gloss.  The messy packaging is annoying; gloss collects around the opening of the container.  However, it's an easy, no-fail glamorous gloss that I look great in.  I have #2 Golden Praline, and the gloss and shimmer are just right for evenings when you want to feel fabulous but not over-the-top.  The color is a totally wearable soft rose, and I enjoy the scent, personally.  When I use it up, I'll want another one, but I won't let myself until I use up my ridiculous stash of glosses.

Saying Goodbye To

I love the festive but wearable Fasio Melting Glossy Rouge RD441, but the lasting power is average-to-poor, so I don't think it's worth repurchasing.  I do love the color though, so if I don't find a replacement in a better formulation, perhaps I'll revisit this decision.  For now I'll just layer one of my many sparkly glosses on top of Addiction lipstick in Last Scene.

New Favorites

Hands down, the most amazing makeup release was Shiseido's Camellia Compact, sadly limited edition to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the brand.  A real pity that it was limited edition.  I have not yet been able to mar the pristine surface of this blush/highlighter, but I will, I swear.

I am still in love with Lavshuca Dramatic Memory Rouge lipstick - BE-2 is my default work lipstick.  Don Quixote offers a small discount on certain Lavshuca products, so I will pick up one in red once I use up a few other lipsticks.

I am quite impressed with the eyeshadow palette in the Lavshuca Pure Blossoming Eyes Limited Edition Set.  I got the PK Pink Variation, which is a bit too warm for me, but the texture of the eyeshadows is fantastic!  If they put out a color variation that I like, I may have to get a Star Decoration Eyes.  However, I have too many neglected eyeshadow palettes; I probably should try a different brand.

I love the liquid blush Cream de Cheek released by Majolica Majorca last year.  I haven't bought any of them yet, but I will definitely be picking up the red RD411 at least.  I'm also tempted to buy the new Clear series of Cream Cheek blushes from Canmake, especially the lovely red.

Clothing

This year I spent a good amount of time editing my closet, however, it is far from finished.  Of course, any fun closet should evolve over time, so the concept of "finishing" is a bit inaccurate, but I am not happy with my closet as it currently is.  Wardrobe Oxygen and Ars Aromatica have　really gotten me thinking about the concept of editing my wardrobe.  I particularly like Wardrobe Oxygen's office wear posts.  I am also being motivated by The Minimalist Mom's journey in minimizing her wardrobe.  More and more, I want to look good without putting effort into it, which often means buying clothing that is comfortable, looks good, and is easy to coordinate.  I've thrown out a lot of awkward clothing this year!  It makes me sad to waste money on clothing, but it's necessary to move forward and cull out the items that waste my time.

I've judiciously indulged in this year's massive New Year sales, picking up some necessities and adding 3 pieces to my work wardrobe.  However, I still lack some basics such as a black coat and suit.  I'm also debating whether to buy a new winter scarf - my silk scarf has seen better days.  Perhaps I will hold out until next year.

I'm breaking in some new winter shoes; I do need to add one casual winter shoe option.  I don't know where to find good quality shoes in my size at a reasonable price in Tokyo.

Cosmetics: what's working for me October 2013

Lipgloss: After years of evaluation, I've come to the conclusion that Dior Addict Lip Polish #2 is an excellent, high-quality product.

• Thin, non-goopy formula; I can feel it on the lips but it's not sticky at all
• Glossy!
• After several years, the product hasn't gone bad yet

It's not pigmented, but it adds a pretty flush, and looks flattering worn alone or layered over other products.

I am also a fan of the following eyeliner products:

• Integrate Kira Wink Gel Liner, which I own in the limited edition GY800, a lovely, complex grey with flecks of purple
• Pixi's Endless Silky Eye Pen, which I picked up the kit for.  I am enjoying Sage Green and Oyster Glow quite a lot.

Neither product smudges after setting, and have smooth formulas that are easy for me to use.  The one annoying thing is that Integrate makes their interesting colors limited edition, but there's always Pixi if I run out.

I also use Make Up For Ever's Aqua Eyes pencil liners, but they do smudge slightly on me, so I'm not really sold on them.

In terms of what's not working for me:
Kiss Me heroine make volume&curl mascara decidedly smudges on me.  Probably time to throw this one out!

In other news, I've been trying to weed out my makeup; strictly culling out the products that are difficult to use or don't look good by themselves on me.  This is a task that requires true discipline, as I cling to:

• Canmake Cream Highlighter: too glittery for me, but I can't just toss it, can I?
• Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Color SV810: a gorgeous color that is just a bit too cool for me
• Clarins Colour Quench Lip Balm #14 (probably discontinued): a lovely bright orange that is just a bit bright for me, but sheered out is wearable.
• Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine SS WH 003: sparkles and glitter in a transparent base - a bit too loud for me to use often
• banila co. banila Kiss in 04 Raspberry Jam (probably discontinued): a lovely bright white-based pink - again, just a bit bright to wear as-is, but sheered out is lovely, and the formula is very comfortable
• Shiseido The Makeup Perfecting Lipstick P12 (discontinued): a unique true brown-purple that looks gorgeous sheered out or as a stain, but just isn't a color I can wear every day.  Still, this is something I'm definitely going to hold on to!
• Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited WH 001: a white lipstick to lighten those lip colors that are too dark; however it just adds too much white, rendering anything rather pasty and unwearable.  Perhaps I haven't learned to use it properly.

Maquillage fall collection - Moisture Rouge

I tried on the tester for Maquillage's Fall collection with Alexander Wang today. I love trying out brand new testers. I wiped it off afterwards in a futile attempt to not completely contaminate it for other customers. Isn't it funny that the fall collection goes on sale July 21st? I'm definitely not in the mood for fall right in the middle of summer!

The limited edition red RD536 Moisture Rouge is very pretty. It's a sheer red (being Sheer Type), but pigmented enough that it's quite distinctly a red lipstick (faintly on the berry side), but not too strong to prevent it from being easy to wear. However, the color does sink into dry spots on my lips. So far it's been an hour and a half and the color is staying on pretty decently. I'm rather tempted to buy it, as it is quite a wearable red. I must admit that it is a bit cooler than I would like, as I'm looking for a more neutral red. Still, it's quite wearable and I think it suits me.

I'm also tempted to buy the dual mascara/liquid eyeliner in green released by Maquillage this summer. They're not limited edition though, so I'll wait 'till I use up (somehow!) my Kanebo Lunasol Geminate liquid eyeliner, as the fun colors are really only appropriate for after work.

on refraining from buying

I'm in the process of killing my lemmings for Maybelline's new Lip Cream Color (Baby Lips Color) and Canmake's new clear type Cream Cheeks. Online reviews seem to agree that the Maybelline Baby Lips Color balms are not all that moisturizing, so despite the stain-like pigmentation of #3 and #4, I think I'll pass, inexpensive and LE though these are. The reviews for the new Canmake colors are good, but similar to the original colors, the lasting power is average. Oddly enough, Canmake's website doesn't mention the 3rd clear type color - Sunset. I think I'll invest in Visee's new cream cheek colors in the nicer tube packaging instead. Both products are quite attractively priced at about 500 yen each; it is very hard to kill these lemmings.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

The Revlon balms have arrived in Japan!  They've brought 6 colors here, for 1260 yen each.
Citrine, RougeDeluxe, and Worship at the House of Blues have good reviews for this product, so I'm quite curious to try them out.

I will probably hold off on purchasing them in Japan, as the current exchange rate means that they're charging the equivalent of 16 USD for one, when ulta.com has them for less than 6 USD right now! 

Argh, I may have to place an online order. Because, I haven't enough lip products, y'know?

peach lip concealers

Note to self: peach lip concealers wash me out terribly - straight brown, beige or orange shades flatter me much better than beige-pink - too much pink just isn't good.

Still, the concealers are good for softening my too-orange and too-pink lipsticks.

I'm tempted to go through all of my cosmetics and divide them into 2 piles:
1) can't live without
2) everything else

And then rotate the category 2 stuff weekly at work.

It can make for surprisingly fun combinations.

Yves Saint Laurent Golden Gloss #2 Golden Praline

I've probably mentioned this gloss before, but after several years I've come to a new appreciation for this lovely, dependable gloss. The color #2 Golden Praline is a lovely, moderately pigmented, delightfully easy to wear color. The formula is moderately thick and wears comfortably in this dry and cold weather. I've discovered that I like thicker glosses in the winter - it just feels comfortable.

For understated elegance, this is my gloss of choice - the color is flattering but subtle, and the gold flecks add a touch of luxury but not over-the-top bling.

I really like the light fragrance - every time I apply it I'm happy. My tube has lasted several years without going bad - I'm discovering that that's the distinguishing factor for high quality products - they last longer.

I will always want one of these in my stash, and I may need to repurchase this color rather than branch out into a light brown or orange - this one is just really easy and flattering.

If buying this gloss in Japan, buy it at the duty-free shops in the airports - it's about 2600 yen there, compared to 3000 yen domestically. Better yet, buy it abroad!

I'm addicted to this song right now:

Favorites of 2011

My favorites of 2011

I've been enjoying the 2011 lists that various bloggers have posted, so I thought I'd contribute my own.

The products mentioned here are not necessarily products new to 2011, they are just the products that I loved the most this year.

* Shiseido Shimmering Eye Colors
http://www.shiseido.com/shimmering-cream-eye-color/9990000000076,default,pd.html
http://www.jp.shiseido.com/sc/product/view.asp?S=10786

I have BR709 Sable and SV810 Tin. I hope to get BK912 Caviar next, but OR313 Sunshower is looking lovely too!

This is my favorite new product of 2011. The texture is delightful - silky and light, and it's pretty easy to layer. Lovely pigment and a bit of sparkle but nothing over the top. I find Sable wonderfully subtle for work. It wears all day; I haven't had a problem with creasing but I think there'd be an issue if you pack too much on at once. I haven't had an issue with layering if I let each layer dry properly.
This product is a delight to use and there are so many unique colors in the line! It's a bit expensive - in Japan they charge 3150 yen per 6 g. But it's totally worth it - even better if you can buy it in Taiwan or the U.S. where the cost is a bit more reasonable. I don't know if I'll be able to use a pot up ever, but I hope to collect more of these colors.
The packaging is sleek and easy to use too.

* Kate Supersharp Liner in Brown has been the same reliable mainstay for me this year. I've been using this one liner for at least 2 years now, and it's still going strong! The silver paint has come off so it looks a little sad, but what a workhorse! I've already bought one in Black but haven't needed to use it. Kate is available for 30% off in some Japanese drugstores.

* I rediscovered Beaute de Kose Rouge Fantasist Aqua Vinyl Plump Shine Lip Color - BE366 is a great beige-rose color with tiny gold shimmer that looks polished and professional. The slightly thick formula is really comfortable especially during the dry winter.

* I'm quite impressed by Banila co banila Kiss lip jelly gloss - pigmented, with a light, comfortable texture.

* My Inoui ID eyebrow liner is still going strong! The perfect color, texture, and lasting power.

* Feather Flamingo eyebrow shaver - works great and easy to use. I haven't needed to buy new ones this year.

* I really like the Crest cross-action toothbrushes - soft and really get inbetween my teeth.


My least favorites of 2011

* In contrast, I'm debating whether to just toss my MAC paintpot - the texture is hard and the shade is frosty and I can't apply it smoothly for the life of me. Should I just throw it out?

* Also, my MAC penultimate Eye Liner is just not working - it smudges even when I set with eyeshadow, unless I apply it very very lightly. I will say that it's very pigmented and black, but who needs liquid eyeliner that smudges?

* The MAC concealer isn't working either - it's just not enough coverage for my undereye shadows. The packaging isn't very good either - the base of the applicator is always collecting lots of liquid - annoying.

So far the only MAC product that I would repurchase is the beauty powder - it doesn't show up at all in my swatch, but it's a perfect, subtle blush on me. So natural all the time!

* Missha BB creams make my skin feel a bit itchy

* Opera MyLash disappointed me by going dry, but I'm sure a new tube of mascara will fix this problem. First I'm going to try the other exciting mascaras out there to see how they fare.

Kanebo Tiffa Treatment Lip Cream UV

I've decided that Kanebo Tiffa Treatment Lip Cream UV has a lovely texture, but is just not very moisturizing.

the first day!

The first day of a new beginning.

Off to bed early. Tomorrow is the first day of the Haskell study group. Should be fun, but I may need some coffee.

It's a vivid pink and a bit too pigmented for me because it's so vivid. Still, a lovely color for summer, don't you think? It's moderately sticky and rather comfortable to wear.

I leave you with some swatches of banila co Banila Kiss in Raspberry. The lip swatch is rather sheered out.

banila co banila kiss gloss

Banila Kiss lip gloss #04 Raspberry is a nice, pigmented, medium weight gloss.

It's a bit sticky but not too noticeable, and the bright cherry is very naturally and flattering.

I think my photo is actually a little washed out; it seems more pigmented in person.

But very wearable; I'm quite happy with this tube gloss!

Be careful though, the other Banila Kiss gloss I got seems to leak a bit.

This one is fine, but the quality control for the line may not be that good.

experimenting with my stash

I've noticed that trying to use up my makeup is a losing proposition - I just get bored and I want to buy new products.
This weekend I ended up buying Make Up For Ever's Rock For Ever Aqua Eyes limited edition kit (which you can find in Tokyo at the Est Nation store in Roppongi Hills, near the extensive selection of Comme des Garcons fragrances including Series 1 and Series 2 and the incense series).
It's 5000 yen which is a markup on their US prices, but given I don't use up any makeup, having 5 colors is much better than 2. Anyway, it's better than L'Occitane's criminal markup in Japan (averaging 75% as far as I can tell).

Anyway, I don't need more makeup pencils, although I don't have any of these colors. In this heat, they seem to fade, but at least they don't transfer to my lower eyelids. The fading is lessened if I put powder on top.

I've been experimenting with other parts of my stash, digging out a mini Stila smudgepot in black and using it as a base for the various green and blue eyeshadows in my collection. As a base, it doesn't seem to smudge too badly, so I finally have a use for it. I like the mini size as I despair of using even this size up!

I've also found that using my canmake lip concealer as a base for my pink lipsticks tones them down quite naturally; it's good for converting them into wearable work colors, even the sparkly formulations. The concealer doesn't work with stronger colors too well, but it melds quite naturally into the pinks. A touch of my super frosty MAC lipgloss adds a nice touch of shimmer but remains wearable. At this rate it'll be years before I use the lipgloss up, but at least I have a use for it.

The next step will be finding a use for my MAC paint pot in a shimmery pink color. It's quite shimmery and hasn't worked very well as a base so far, as eyeshadows go on rather blotchy on top of it, and it creases a bit even with eyeshadow on top. I'll have to experiment more.

Clearly I have a lot of makeup that is useable but not at all necessary. I can't wait till I used these products up and clear them out!

From now on I'm going to avoid shimmery colors. I have tons of sparkly and shimmery pale shadows that can be used to add shimmer/sparkle to any matte/pearl color, so these kinds of finishes are more versatile for me. Which means I need to avoid most Japanese palettes, as they love including a shimmery highlighter color.

I've been enjoying using my Canmake cream cheek blushes, but certainly the lasting power is only average on me. So I will use these up (they're inexpensive, easy to use, and quite fun) but the next cream cheek product I try will have a good reputation for lasting power.

shu uemura rouge unlimited supreme shine SS WH 003

Jojoba's post on the new Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine lipstick prompted me to put some information about my older supreme shine lipstick up too.

I bought this lipstick in Taipei last summer. It's a new, super glossy lipstick line from Shu Uemura, in the old packaging.

According to a saleslady in Hankyu, this line was planned to be released in Japan last year, but they decided to revamp the packaging. 2 limited edition colors go on sale today in Japan, and the full line will be released in April.

WH 003 is basically a sheer, glossy, sparkly lipstick - good for making other lipsticks and glosses sparkly and a tad bit lighter in color. Great for evenings out. I really enjoy the texture, as it's quite light, but I find it a little rough and my lips tingle the tiniest bit when I put it on.

As you can see, the cap has already cracked in 3 places; it's a good thing they decided to revamp the packaging! It would be nice if they would replace my cap too, though.

Cosmetic Candy had the same issue with all three of her lipsticks! They should definitely give her new caps. My lipstick is tilting to the side too, as she mentioned. Hopefully the revamped version, which Jojoba has, doesn't have that problem.

As a lippy, I really like it. Just don't get the version with the flat top, stick to the new rounded cap.

Favorite products of 2010

It's been quite difficult to compile, but here is my list for 2010.

Aromatherapy Soothing Temple Balm by deserving Thyme - delightful, relaxing lavender and mint scent. Love this little balm.

Fancl cleansing oil still seems to work well for me. I'm still searching for good, reasonably priced facial waters (softeners) and moisturizers. Nothing seems to leave much of an impression on me. At this rate, I might go back to DHC Acerola Lotion and Q10 cream, but I wish the formulas had nicer scents! Ah well, I'm picky like that.

Old standby Inoui ID eyebrow pencil has not been supplanted yet (not that I've been looking): I still have one refill left, so this will probably last me through 2011 with no problems.

Kate Supersharp Liner was again my favorite liquid liner of the year. Reliable; I've been using the black brown version for more than a year and it still hasn't dried up! I'm rather impatient to start using my backup at this point.

SilkyGirl Funky Eyelights Eyeliner pencil: colorful and inexpensive, and I can set it with eyeshadow.

Canmake cream blush: the packaging is functional, the product is easy to use, and it's cheap. I can't comment on the lasting power as I haven't noticed, but it's useful for me!

MAC beauty powder: it doesn't show up at all if I swatch it on my hand, but on my cheeks it's wonderfully subtle yet contours and adds a sheer wash of color to my cheeks. Wonderfully easy to use! And huge; I wonder if I'll ever use it up.

美禅 Be-zen x Chigira Keiko lip treatment: a sparkly glossy treatment scented with lavender, it's soothing to wear. Cosme.com reviews point out that it doesn't last that long, and it's not that moisturizing, which I would have to agree with.

Dior addict lip polish: a light comfortable gloss that's easy to wear.

I stuck to old favorite Opera MyLash mascara. I plan to do more experimentation next year, as there are a lot of reasonably priced mascaras getting good reviews from bloggers.

I've been using bb creams on an almost daily basis, but mostly as tinted moisturizers as I don't skip any of my skin care steps, and have not found them particularly bad or good. I just have a lot of them and I'm trying to use them up.

Vera Wang Anniversary was a surprisingly easy-to-wear perfume. Drawn in by the promise of gardenia, I find the bottle gorgeous, the perfume pleasant, but in the end, not terribly memorable. Still, I will happily use this up, as I don't get sick of it.

Honorable mention:
YSL Golden Gloss is such a pretty, pretty gloss and very wearable. I love the scent too, but texture-wise it's a bit too sticky for my taste. As such, I probably won't repurchase, if I ever happen to finish this gloss.