The Muse's Japanese Fall Collection Wish List for 2009

For what seems like a very long time I've fallen out with many of my beloved Japanese cosmetic collections. If you're a collector or fan or Japanese cosmetics you probably know what I mean as it's been a rather long, hard road of reruns and repetitive products and colors.

This year I'm actually quite excited to finally haul some new products from some of my favorite Japanese brands that have captured my interest.

Jump ahead to hear the Muse's Wish List for Japanese Collections 2009.

Although my love affair is not nearly over with T'estimo, I have gotten used to the idea of Coffret D'Or. One thing I am excited about is the release of sixteen shades of Coffret D'Or Eye Shadows Singles. These shadows all look quite exciting to me and carry an inexpensive price tag so indulging in a few won't break my bank.




It's been a while since Lunasol really caught my interest. As beautiful as many of the pieces are, I admit that the price does put me off every so slightly. However, cost aside this year's Lunasol Star Shower Eyes have me in fits of joy. I see at least three color combinations I'll be hauling!





KATE almost always has my heart and it hasn't been so long since my last haul from the brand. Kate Reflect Mirror Eyes look positively delightful with three shades of shadow for a contrasting, sparkling eye look!


And finally Lavshuca Light Mix Eyes garnered some of my attention as these are a tad different from what Lavshuca has been pulling off lately. Although the color selection is pretty the same ho-hum shades, I still feel they may be worthy of a pick up.




Overall, Japanese Fall is looking up this year. Although many of the shades and products have been done before a few items did warrant a further look and since I do feel ever so slightly excited about these releases I think, finally after a long, dry spell, I'll be indulging in quite alot of Japan's Fall cosmetic offerings.

How about you?

Majolica Majorca Fall Collection 2009

It's not surprising that the Majolica Majorca Fall Collection 2009 is extremely tiny and slightly disappointing. This isn't too shocking considering the larger Summer release of eight brand new palettes.

Jump ahead for more details!

I'm loving the imagery for Fall '09 with it's slight BDSM twist, quite nice. A little goth, a little BDSM, oh my MJ have you gone all dark on me again? As I mentioned above it doesn't really shock me that the release is extra tiny since Majolica Majorca Summer Collection was quite huge. I find it fun that Summer was "innocent" and Fall is a little bit evil. I see a trend developing here as Urban Decay has a little bit of innocence going on and a little bit of evil too with it's new lippie shades.

The collection releases July 21st in Japan and will include the following items:

Majolica Majorca Perfect Automatic Liner in 7 Shades hold little appeal for me. I have one of the old versions and it's utter crap (either that or I suck at liquid liner application). The promo image alone makes me want to purchase one to attempt an exotic look but I won't bother, meh!


Majolica Majorca Cheek Customize in a new shade? Whoa been ages since we seen any new colors. This appears more of a highlighter but we'll have wait and see! Again, another item I can safely skip, kinda boring.


Majolica Majorca Honey Pump Gloss Neo is a creamy tinted version of the regular Honey Plump Gloss. Honey Plump Gloss is decent enough but I'm not going to bother with this either, just kinda ho-hum. I'm such a killjoy aren't I? Sorry, just not feeling the excitement here.


Majorca Majolica Honey Pump Lip Essence seems a special release of some kind of Honey Plump and yes you guessed it, boringggggg!


A majority of the items are pretty much releases that have already been done before just with little differences here and there. I suspect Winter/Holiday 2009 will be small but perhaps more appealing (one can hope).

This is somewhat good news as I can use the money I was saving for Fall '09 and spend it on the Summer palettes I have yet to haul!

What do you think?

Majolica Majorca Fall Collection 2009 Yay or Nay?

Me, I'm saying nay. They could have done slightly better.

Source

DHC Rose Beauty Gel Foundation Review

It's such a terrible shame we aren't privy to some of the DHC cosmetics that are offered in Japan. I spoke to you briefly about the DHC Rose Beauty Collection that was released some time ago in Japan and even reviewed the DHC Rose Beauty Shiny Color Base for you in a prior post.

Today I thought I'd haul out my DHC Rose Beauty Gel Foundation which I'm loving all over at the moment and give you a brief review!




Jump ahead for it!

As pretty and romantic as I found the DHC Rose Beauty Collection, I admit that many of the products were a fail with me including the base which turned out to be just another meh product. However, bless be that the DHC Rose Beauty Gel Foundation was such a winner for me.






Available for almost retail at Imomoko, DHC Rose Beauty Gel Foundation is a thick, creamy, heavily pigmented foundation that creates a beautiful flawless finish to skin. The foundation comes housed in a sweet little pink pot with a rose top and a spatula for spooning out the foundation (so your hands are digging around in the jar).










Although gel is in the name I wouldn't say it was gel-like in consistency. It's more of a heavy, moisturizing foundation. A little goes a very long way at prepping face for makeup. I'd say the coverage is medium but can be pressed to full coverage if you layer it well. It covers flaws, minor imperfections, dullness, and uneven skin tone quite well with a nice dewy finish. I don't know if I'd recommend this for oily skin as it's quite heavy and moisturizing. Dry skin and possibly combination skin types should be in heaven with the blend (particularly those with dry skin). The foundation applies beautifully well without oxidizing on the skin after a few hours of wear. My foundation is known for oxidizing but this stays true and wears well for at least 5-6 hours.

I ended up with the lightest shade, I believe there are three shades total. I should have gotten the middle shade as the lighter of the three is just a bit too porcelain but after I have my full makeup on it looks quite nice. Possibly the only thing I'd change about the foundation is the size. It's rather huge for the price and I worry I won't get through it before it goes bad as that's a whole LOT of foundation especially considering it's quite pigmented so a drop is all you need.






Overall, I'd say DHC Gel Foundation is a winner! Quite nice but I believe it's LE which is rather sad as it's a great product.

Nice one!

Loves it!

Beauty Most Unusual: Horny Remover

The Muse has confessed on occasion her elbows do indeed get dry and rough however she's unsure if she's up for removing that roughness with a...horny remover?

This simple tool will get rid of all that horny on your elbows. Ah the joys of Asian beauty tools!


Possibly multitasking for the hub or the boyfriend on nights you have a headache...."here honey use the horny remover!" See? Relationship help and a beauty tool all in one wonder!


Source

Product Musings: Majorica Majolica Lash Expander Mascara

Care to Muse Majolica Majorca with me? It's been a while since I mused Japanese cosmetics. After talking with some of my mates on Twitter today I realized how much I miss musing about on CozyCot about makeup and just posting hauls and such. Good times!

I was inspired to product muse about one of my favorite mascaras soon after. Majolica Majorca Lash Expander is worthy of a muse for sures!


For the longest time Majolica Majorca mascaras were my go to holy grail mascara for longer, fuller lashes. I swear MJ mascara has some magical formula that makes my lashes look incredible. I've been so busy testing everything in the sun the past year or so I can't recall the last time I purchased a new version of MJ mascara. With each new season Majolica Majorca has a knack for introducing a new mascara with a supposedly new and improved formula. Most times the formulas are as incredible as the last but I'm a traditionalist and love the simple old Lash Expander as is.

The design of the mascara is meant for Asian eyes and lashes as the applicator tends to fit the contour of an Asian eye very well and pulls lashes upwards and out. I love it because it always gives my lashes a fuller, longer look. Particularly longer! Many mascaras I've tried and none give me as much length as I get from MJ.




It's my first Japanese love and will remain so ever after. I'll continue to buy new versions as it releases and I'll try not to push it aside when I'm busy testing other mascaras as I must remind myself it's superior to all others. Loves it!

Are you a fan of MJ mascara?

Why or why not?

If you'd like further details about Majolica Majorca Mascara do see my full review here.

Lavshuca Fall Collection 2009

Ahhh blessed relief. Let's all let out a collection sigh of utter, blissful relief. My good friend Iris from Rouge Deluxe reports about the Lavshuca Fall Collection 2009 and what a pleasant surprise it is!


Finally something great to look forward to from Lavshuca this year.

With it's disappointing release after release as of late Lavshuca has fallen into the do not buy list for the Muse. Look at Summer, utter disappointment there!

My last known purchase from Lavshuca was Summer 2008 and I do think, currency conversion aside, this is testimony how bad collections have been as of late from Japan. Because seriously if I'm not hauling something is terribly wrong.

But have no fear the Lavshuca Fall Collection 2009 is so something special to look forward to it appears. The floral motif and interesting color selection shown in the photo above is enough of a reason to get this Muse excited. I'm looking forward to how this develops and I'll start saving my pennies as of now so I might indulge. Iris reports the following items will be released:

• Lavshuca Light Mix Eyes (5 Shade Selections)
• Lavshuca Grade Color Eyes (1 New Shade Selection)
• Lavshuca Dual Prism Eyes (2 New Shade Selections)
• Lavshuca Full Baloon Rouge (15 Shade Selections)
• Lavshuca Rouge Star Classics (2 New Shade Selections)
• Lavshuca Power Memory Eyebrow (2 Shade Selections)
• Lavshuca Power Memory Eyeliner (1 Shade Selection)
• Lavshuca Pore Concealer Base

Count me excited for Fall to get here!

Anyone else?

Best of: Jill Stuart Cosmetics

It's no secret Jill Stuart is one of my very favorite cosmetic brands. With it's elegant packaging and unique makeup items, is it any wonder why it's a makeup junkie's dream come true?

As of late I haven't indulged in Jill Stuart cosmetics due to the repetitive color releases and bad currency conversion. But regardless how repetitious it becomes or how high the cost, Jill Stuart still remains a true favorite that stands out in my makeup world.

Click ahead for the Best of Jill Stuart Cosmetics at Musings!

Click through some great posts, reviews, and babblings about Jill Stuart Cosmetics!

Jill Stuart Jelly Eye Color Review

Stash Spotlight: Jill Stuart Blush

Jill Stuart Cleansing Oil Review

Jill Stuart Christmas Coffret 2007 Review

Jill Stuart Perfume Review

Fake Jill Stuart Palettes

Jill Stuart Illuminance Review

See all tagged Jill Stuart posts

I hope you enjoyed clicking through these and learning more about Jill Stuart or just drooling over the greatness of Jill Stuart Makeup!

Do share some of your favorites from the brand!

Or e-mail me some stash pictures of your collection to share with readers!

Best of Inexpensive Asian Skincare: B&C Super off Eye Make-Up Remover

As you may know I have a slew of Asian drugstore finds hiding out in my closet. I really like shopping inexpensive Asian skincare and I'm always full of glee when I can score a deal online or have a friend pick me up something from Japan or Korea. One of my fav finds from the Asian skincare world is B&C Aqua Way Super Off Eye Make-up Remover. You may recognize the B&C name if you know Japanese cosmetics as they are the company behind Love Clover. B&C also offers a slew of inexpensive drugstore skincare items such as Aqua Way Super Off Eye Make-Up Remover. This retails for around $4-$5 USD in Japanese drugstores but it's available readily online for US shoppers at around $8-$9. The price is a tad jacked up so the question to answer is it worth the price increase?


Jump ahead to hear about it!

Yes, if you have no friends or contacts in Japan to get this for you than yes it's worth the price jack. It's a quality item that I've used for two years or more now and absolutely adore.




What is it?

It's a subtly orange scented gel which removes waterproof mascara, hard to remove eye makeup, and eye shadow.




I'll start off by saying I'm not partial to gels or balms for removing my shadow. For example I think theBalm Balms Away is awesome however it's not my ideal makeup remover. I do prefer liquid to remove my eye makeup. That being said I can be convinced to love good quality items like Balms Away and Super Off Eye Make-Up Remover.

The formula is a very thick gel that doesn't foam or sud, no tricks or gimmicks, simply a gel here. Taking a little more than a pea size amount you rub it on makeup laden eyes sans water. As you rub the gel breaks up makeup and goes to work to remove it. After gently rubbing for a minute or so you can proceed to rinse with warm water. Presto! Eye makeup, even hard to remove waterproof mascara, is rinsed off.




I imagine the idea of rubbing your eyes for a minute or so isn't too appealing but I find that the gel allows your fingers to gently glide across your eyes so no severe tugging is involved. If you're terribly uncomfortable with rubbing you can simply work the gel onto lashes and ever so gently rinse them clean. Honestly, the friction of the gel makes for a ever so gentle removal.

It's possibly one of the best removers I've come across aside from Lancome Bi-Facil plus it's way cheaper. You get about a 3.7oz to 4oz tub for the price which will last well over 3 months with daily use.

If you're looking for the Best Inexpensive Asian Eye Makeup Remover, B&C Eye Make-Up Remover is it. It's Muse Approved for purchase! A tried and true favorite.



The Muse recommends purchasing from the following places:
Sasa $8.90
Imomoko $12.95

I'll be bringing you more of my favorite, best inexpensive Asian skincare picks soon!

This Time Last Year: Vincent Longo, Banila Co, Bourjois Paris, and Many Other Musings

Click through some past posts from yesteryear!

This Time Last Year I was Musing about.....

This time last year I was thinking mark Gorgeous Eye Trios were quite a cute little value!


This time last year Vincent Longo Liquid Eye Shadow failed to wow me!


The This time last year Banila Co Sun Blessed Collection caused one or two lemmings!


This time last year I was busy musing a plenty about the Susie N.Y. Summer Collection 2008!


This time last year I remembered how much I fancied Bourjois Paris Rouge Hi-Tech Lip Stain!


This time last year my lust for the Shu Uemura Fluer De Source Palette knew no bounds!


This time last year I was digging all over Red Point Airbrush Effects BlushWhip (I still reach for this daily!).


This time last year Beaute de Kose Summer Collection 2008 was a story I shared with you!


Hope you enjoyed clicking through some past posts from last year! Do check out all my archives located on the left hand drop down menu.