New items being listed on Lotus Palace Sales

I am in the process of listing new items to Lotus Palace Sales.
I have already listed some new skincare (sheet masks and more), brand new BB Creams and Lunasol eyeshadow palettes.

I am going to list more BB Creams and foundations (tested ones), some other eye palettes and a few new items (a few Lotree items)

=D

Kiss Me Heroine Make Liquid Rouge 03 Berry Rose

At the time I was in Japan I spotted the Kiss Me Heroine Make mascaras and eyeliners in almost every drugstore... I didn't pick up anything as I wasn't sure if it would be of good quality. I really liked the cute Manga-style girl on the packaging though.
Later my friend Iris CPed me the volume mascara and I really liked it.


Recently I noticed that there was actually a very pretty lip color from Kiss Me Heroine Make so I decided to give it a try since it wasn't expensive and looked just gorgeous.

The Heroine Make Liquid Rouge comes in a normal wand-style tube. The applicator is a slim doe-foot style tip if that makes any sense. It applies the gloss evenly and smoothly.


I really love the formula of this gloss. It's slick, creamy and has enough pigment to show up nicely. It's not sticky or gooey at all. The formula is quite similar to my beloved Elizabeth OL Style Glosses I reviewed just a few posts below. The Elizabeth ones are a bit thicker though.


The Liquid Rouge has no scent at all. YAY! And the color is sheer perfection. It's a MLBB color on me as it looks like my lips, just half shade deeper, with intense glossy shine and very fine shimmer.
I picked color 03 Berry Rose and it's one of THE perfect lipgloss colors out there.


This is quite cheap at retail (800 Yen, about US$8 currently). I paid US$14.50 from ichibankao (shipping included).

The other colors are 01 Sugar Rose (looks like a pale pink) and 02 Apricot Rose (a rosey coral probably?)

Lotus Palace Giveaway: Elisha Coy, Jadilla J and Dermal package

I haven't done a real giveaway yet away from various samples.
So I thought it's time to pack up some nice gifts for my readers =)


3 readers will get a package consisting of:
-Elisha Coy Always Nuddy BB 24, 15ml
-Jadilla J Jelly Tint
-1 Dermal Royal Jelly Essence Sheet Mask (for all skin-types)
All items are sealed and fresh of course

All you have to do is:

-leave a comment below telling me on which days I reviewed the Always Nuddy BB 24 and the Jadilla J Jelly Tint. (hint: The Google search bar on the right is really helpful...).
-include your first name and first letter of your last name (e.g. I would be Kathi M.) or your screenname
-Contest ends on Wednesday, December 3 at 8 AM (my time, that's GMT+1). The 3 winners will be anounced in a new post
-Please leave only one comment
-Winners will be randomly selected through random.org.
-Winners must send me their address to lotuspalace@gawab.com within 48 hrs after the end of the contest or the next on the list will be selected.
-Of course I will ship worldwide (by airmail) so everyone is invited to participate!

Have fun!

Shiseido Integrate Accent Eyes... I am NOT impressed

I avoid Integrate'e eyeshadows like the plague since I tried their first batch of eyeshadow palettes called "Dramatic Deep Eyes" (there was NO drama and no depth when I used this whatsoever).


Integrate released their 4th series of eyeshadows named "Accent Eyes" and since I spotted a color I really liked I decided to give it a try...might have been that they used a new pigmented formula? After all Shiseido's other brands do great shadows like Majolica Majorca or Maquillage.


Anyway, total fail. The shadows are super duper mega sheer (yes, THAT sheer). I can subtly sculpt my eyes but I just don't like this palette. It makes me really yawn ..it's just meh and blah.
I got color BR730 (Cool Brown) which consists of a pale creamy beige, light taupe brown, darker cool brown and a slightly glittery light beige color (to be patted on top).


The result is shimmery and if you like really subtle shadows you might enjoy the accent eyes. The texture itself isn't bad at all, the shadows feel quite silky to the touch and they don't look chalky. It's just the significant lack of color that bugs me.

You can get the shadows from Adambeauty normally but he doesn't carry color BR730 and the other colors are currently sold out.

I purchased mine from Ichibankao for US$21 (incl. shipping).

First venture into Prorance

2 ladies who follow my blog brought my attention to a beautiful range of baked blushes from a Korean brand called Prorance. Baked blushes? Of course it was impossible to resist!


I checked out Prorance's website (the English version though) and can't seem to find the Finish Water Glow blushes there. Maybe the website isn't updated
Honestly away from the baked blushes nothing from them catches my interest. The eyeshadows come in super bright odd color combos that I am sure not going to get.


The Finish Water Glow blushes come in 6 colors. I picked #M11 which looks like a bright bubblegum pink in the compact.
Like most baked blushes this leaves a glowy shimmery finish (very finely milled shimmer particles). Most are on the sheer side but the Finish Water Glow offers a little more pigment so the color shows up beautifully as a soft pink glow on me.


This comes in a beautiful metallic plastic compact. You also get one of those obligatory flat brushes =)
I purchased mine from hayanpibu on Gmarket for 13900 Won.

Overall this is a good product. I am not sure if I'd get any of the other colors though as I believe I have so many similar colors lol. M16 looks quite interesting though =X

Banila Co Winter 2008: The Secret Glam Part1 - The Secret Glam Shadows 101 & 102

I am slowly testing out my new Banila Co items so it's time to review the first 2 items: The Secret Glam Shadows in 101 Glam and 102 Egoist (no other colors available).


I really love these! The shadows come in little square boxes with 4 little blocks of color/shadow. However I consider these as duos as there are only 2 different shades per compact. The individual color blocks are large enough to pick the colors up comfortably with my brushes.


The Secret Glam Shadows are baked so the level of pigment is medium except for the black color which is richly pigmented.
The 2 shades in color #101 have a very fine shimmery/metallic finish whereas color #102 consists of a softly shimmery black and shimmery white with fine glitter pieces.


These stay on very well and apply like a dream. I really heart them!

The colors are:
101 Glam: This contains a light silver taupe and a soft mauve pink.


102 Egoist: Black and white


I find the 2 duos work together so nicely! They make a perfect quad together!

The retail price is 12000 Won (about US$8) so they're really a good bang for your buck IMO.

I'll review the other items soon.

Xmas 2008: Esprique Precious Party Couture Collection

I love Xmas... and even more when Japanese brands release cute coffrets for considerably good prices offering you limited products you won't be able to get hold of later on.


One of the prettiest kits this year is from Esprique Precious in my opinion. While the brand seems to target a slightly more grown up and feminine audience now after revamping some of their line a bit they went a little more girly and cute for the Xmas coffret. Even at age 27 (soon 28 *sigh*) I feel girly sometimes so the kit looked very appealing to meko. Don't worry, it's not the glitter bomb or something and all colors are easy to wear and flattering for most skin-tones.


Last year's kit looked pretty, but the quad turned out to be unwearable for me (too warm browns, too sheer), the nail polish was too glittery and gritty for my taste and the gloss was a light pink that turned out to be almost clear on my lips. I wasn't that hot for the loose highlighter either so the whole set was more of a disappointment lol. It also came with a pouch so it was a bit better value for money but I just think this year's kit is much prettier as I love the cute snowflake print on all items (except the eyeshadow case).

The Party Couture Collection contains:


-Eyecolor Selection in PK803, WT004, BR303; 1.7g/each
-Eyecolor Case
-Pencil Eyeliner in BK001; 1.2g
-Rouge Stylish (Liquid Type) in PK827; 3g
-Nail Color in PK805; 5ml


Retail price 3675 Yen (about US$39 at the current exchange rate)

-Eyecolor Selection & Eyecolor Case:


You get 3 single shadows with cute snowflake prints (gone with the first swipe though) in a clear soft plastic case (not sturdy so it won't survive long). The shadows are meant to placed in the cute velvet heart-shaped compact you get with the kit. Each color has a glob of glue on the back so you just can put them in the cute case and they'll stay there.
The shadows are probably packed outside the compact for display reasons.


Anyways, all 3 colors are very silky, they almost feel creamy to the touch. The colors have only soft shimmer and sheer-medium pigment thus they show up well and they blend like a dream.
I wore them a full day and didn't have serious signs of fading and I didn't notice any creasing.


The 3 colors you get are:
PK803: Medium baby pink
WT004: Soft silvery white
BR303: Antique bronze with green undertones, turned almost khaki green on me.


The case is made of a velvety material with a cute white fluffy ball glued on.
Inside is a big mirror with the "Esprique Precious" logo printed on.

You also get an applicator with the shadows.

-Pencil Eyeliner BK001:


This is a short eyeliner pencil in true black with silver glitters. It's a bit hard at first but works quite well when I warm the tip a bit by swiping the pencil on the back of my hand.


The glitters show up only a little so they're rather subtle.

-Rouge Stylish (Liquid Type) in PK827:


I really like the Rouge Stylish series. Many will probably not be that hot for these as they have a really sticky thick texture that lasts very long but is not the most comfortable to wear for many.
However I really like the formula as it gives high shine and lasts very long.


PK827 is a gorgeous light golden rose /with soft orange iridescence and a very finely milled shimmer. The orangey tones are very subdued and light so it's a super pretty flattering shade.


I really love this and it works so nicely with the shadows.

-Nail Color in PK805:


I wasn't too fond of last year's nail polish. Even though the color itself was pretty (a dusty pink) it was so chock-full of glitters I only rarely wore it.
This year gives us a safe sheer pale pink with very subtle multi-colors shimmers. I quite like it but it's nothing that special.
The nail color dries rather quickly and since it's such a light shade little application mistakes won't be that noticable.


All in all the coffret gives us a quite complete look that just needs some foundation, mascara and blush and you're ready to go out.
All colors work together nicely and would flatter many skin-tones.
This is a pretty gift or to keep for yourself =)

Banila Co Fall 2008: Two Eyes Shadow in #28 Versailles

As I had posted in my review of the Banila Co Two Eyes Shadow in #27 De la Couture I wrote that I wanted to get #28 Versailles as well but it was sold out until recently.


Oddly the Versailles duo comes now in the normal dark metallic gray/clear case whereas the #27 duo comes in the special De La Couture box and in a metallic bronze/clear compact.
I think when they restocked Versailles they just integrated it into the regular lineup and the De La Couture packaging was just LE for fall.

Like the other Two Eyes Shadows #28 Versailles is a quite silky and pigmented duo of pretty colors. These are baked shadows which I really adore usually =D


At first the combination of metallic taupe and shimmery golden mustard looks a bit weird and reminds me of Majolica Majorca's fall Majolook Trick On Eyes in BR751 (however MM's taupe is cooler and more silver) but the colors look surprisingly pretty and sophisticated. I wear the taupe on my lids and blended into the crease area, use the mustard color just above on my eye sockets and use a pale ivory highlighter under my brows.

Compared to #27 De La Couture the taupe in #28 is warmer, more pigmented, has brown and plummy undertones and is darker. The lighter shades are totally different. Both duos are very different so it's worth getting both.


The Two Eyes Shadows retail for 8500 Won (about US$5.70 right now) so they're very affordable.

I still can't find a seller who's offering Banila Co on Gmarket for international buyers. I rely on seller skinfood2you on eBay to purchase the items for me.

Xmas 2008: Kanebo Kate Select Eyes color palettes

While browsing Ichibankao I stumbled accross new Kate palettes I had no clue of nor seen before.

Seems the Select Eyes Color palettes are new for Xmas and will be officially out December 1 2008, however you can already get them from Ichibankao.

I think both are very basic and nice so I ordered both. I will review them for you when I have them (probably end of this or early next week)

Xmas 2008: Cosme Decorte Magie Deco Coffret II

I think this year Kose has some of the pretties Coffrets for Xmas. I ordered the one from Cosme Decorte Magie Deco and Esprique Precious and my dearest friend Iris CPed me the Beaute de Kose kit, too.


I really liked last years Magie Deco Coffret I but it consisted only of 2 items, an eyeshadow quad and a shimmery loose powder highlighter.

This year you get 4 items in a very pretty black gift box presented on a black velvety material so this makes a very elegant and pretty present.


Like most Japanese brands Cosme Decorte decided to play safe and offer a set of neutral universally flattering shades to be wearable for most women. However I really love the combination of items and overall looks I can create with either of the Kose Xmas coffrets.

The Cosme Decorte Magie Deco Coffret II contains:


-Fairy Powder #01 13.5g
-Fairy Gloss RO660 7g
-Fairy Eyes GD040 6ml
-Fairy Brush (retractable blusher brush)
Retail: 6300 Yen (about US$65, I paid a bit more)

-Fairy Powder 01:


This is the heart piece of the collection and it's really pretty. It's a striped highlighter/blush in a beautiful red and gold compact (very Xmas-y!).

It consists of 5 colors stripes in the white/beige/pink range.
The MD logo is dusted with golden glitter but after wiping it off the highlighter gives just a pretty shimmery finish. The shimmer is very fine so it will look elegant and not too much like teenager makeup (which often has more obvious glitters)
I find this more to be a brightening powder/highlighter but I can also get a pretty light pinky peach blush. However it is quite light on me so it depends on your skin-tone which use you prefer for this.


The texture is a bit powdery so there is lots of fly-off but the pigment and finish are good.
The powder is lightly scented with Kose's typical fruity scent (they use the same one for most Beaute de Kose things, too!).

-Fairy Gloss RO660:


This is similar to Magie Deco's Fairy Rouge (texture-wise) but comes in pretty very Christmas-like tube. The Fairy Gloss seems to be an item only available in the kit as I cannot find a Fairy Gloss range on the Magie Deco website.
It's a rather pigmented gloss with a very shimmery finish. The tiny shimmer bits can feel a bit scratchy if I rub my lips very strongly together but otherwise the gloss feels rather lightweight and comfortable to wear.
It's only slightly sticky and not thick or gooey.


The color RO660 is a beautiful plum with pink and silver shimmer bits. Since it's not opaque (but about medium pigmented) it looks lighter and redder and very pretty. It's like my lips color but about 2 shades deeper.


The gloss base itself is not that glossy but due to the shimmer bits it reflects light beautifully.
Staying power is average, about 1-2 hours like most other glosses.
The gloss has a very faint scent which is not overpowering or strong at all.

-Fairy Eyes GD040:


I only tried the Fairy Eyes in BK051 which is a disappointing color as it's just a sheer silver base with tons of (annoying) chunky glitters.
However the Fairy Eyes GD040 is very different.
It's a liquid eyeshadow very similar to Beaute de Kose's Eye Fantasist (no surprise as Kose seems to repeat their items in their different makeup lines) so it dries down to an almost budge-proof and crease-free finish on me. It has a brush applicator which is quite comfy to use.


The color GD040 is a very pretty soft metallic light gold with minimal shimmer flecks. It's a very neutral color so it should be wearable for about anyone.


I dot a few dots on my lids and spread the cream with my ring finger by gently patting the color on (instead of swiping). I do 2 layers and the result is very pretty.
The Fairy Eyes is a full size but the color is exclusive to the kit.
The retail value would be 2940 Yen

-Fairy Brush:


The brush is a very soft retractable blusher brush in a pretty silver container. I think it's quite useful and of good quality.

Overall the look you can create with this coffret is very pretty.
The plum lips, shimmery icy pink cheeks and soft golden lids makes a gorgeous holiday look!
I think this makes a perfect gift, too!