Xmas 2008: Sonia Rykiel Pink Kiss Collection

Yup, you're reading this correctly... I am indeed reviewing some stuff from past Xmas (wow, that was already 3 months back!). =D


I know it's probably too late to get hold of that Sonia Rykiel stuff now but I thought I'll review it anyway in case you stumble across some items online (eBay or wherever). After all I purchased my items not more than 2-3 weeks ago (from eBay). All items were a total steal considering their retail price. I paid less than US$30 (incl. shipping) for all 3 Holiday items!
Sonia Rykiel is a very costly brand that has so far mostly disappointed me. Away from a few items most of the stuff turned out to be just not worth the high price tags so I quit buying anything at retail price.


Anyways, the Pink Kiss collection they released for the past Xmas was small but cute and what I liked most is the replacement of their usual stripe design with cute metallic raspberry pink compacts/tubes.

The items I won are:
-Creamy Eyecolor in 01 (white)
-Lip Color in 01
-Face Powder

The names aren't really fancy or witty in any way.... honestly that bugs me a little as I love cute names =D

-Creamy Eyecolor 01:


This is a shimmery liquid shadow which comes in 2 colors. I got #01 (white) but there is also a pale green (02) available.

The texture is silky and creamy. The liquid dries down rather quick so you need to apply/blend right away. That's not so much of a problem since the color is white so you won't do a lot of shading etc. with this color :P


For me this is a great highlighter for the brow bone area as it's a glistening pretty white but a very translucent hue so skin shows through.


It's really pretty, lasts all day long and wears well.

The Water Eyecolor Duos (formula is pretty similar to the Creamy Eyecolor) are an item I liked from Sonia Rykiel back in 2007 when they came out with cute duos for summer.
I have sweet memories wearing the turquoise/golden duo as it was my last EOTD (20th June) before my youngest child was born (21st of June) =D

-Lip Color 01:


ACtually I am surprised that I really love this item even though at first I thought it would be my least fave product of the lot. I normally dislike any sort of lipcolor in pots/palettes etc. so I wasn't having high hopes of ever using this but it came together with the eyecolor and after all both items cost me about US$11 & shipping.


This looks a little like children makeup but turns out to be a really lush lipcolor.

The little jar is filled with a medium pigmented glossy lipcolor in the center which looks like a lips shape (this goes through all down to the bottom).
Around the lips there is a clear gloss with glitters throughout.


I expected the gloss to be super soft and sticky but it's not at all. It's rather creamy and moisturizing with buildable pigment in the color. A few swipes of this give me that perfect red pink stain that looks like I just ate raspberries. I added a little more color and dabbed on a little of the clear gloss and the result is really pretty.


I find this lasts quite well. I think I didn't touch up for like 2-3 hours and that's quite long when it comes to lip products.

-Face Powder:


This is definitely the star of the collection. It's a very pretty face highlighter consisting of a pink lip-shaped super shimmery part surrounded by white powder with a finer shimmer.


This is a rather loosely pressed powder so there is lots of fly-away. The powder gives a pretty shimmery highlight with a few micro-glitters spread on my face.
Honestly not my most favorite finish for a highlighter but it's still pretty.


I wouldn't have paid the retail price which was above US$50 I believe but it's nice to add this to my stash. After all I paid only about US$11 plus shipping =D

Spring 2009: Fasio Gradation Deep Eyes & Gradation Mix Face Color (+Double Perfection Rouge)

Fasio by Kose is one of those brands I tend to ignore most of the time. Most of the items I tried from them were mediocre or below that (though I also found a few items I really like)

Recently I noticed that the prices went up and the design of the items changed a bit, getting more similar to brands like Kate and Integrate.


Honestly I have never been impressed with Fasio's eyeshadows as they were always unpigmented and chalky.
Some of the new Gradation Deep Eyes palettes looked really yummy but I had no real intention to order them until I found this post by my dear buddy Iris. The green/aqua quad looked REALLY delicious and the taupe quad was right up my alley, too!

I ended up ordering more from Fasio because I liked their revamped blushers and also found an interesting long-lasting lipstick in their lineup I hadn't noticed until now.

I got:


-Gradation Deep Eyes in I-3 and I-6
-Gradation Mix Face Color in RD420
-Double Perfection Rouge in BE30 and PK80

-Gradation Deep Eyes:


The new eye quads come in a simple black/silver/clear plastic compact reminiscent of Kate and Integrate (esp. Kate).


I find these quads quite pigmented but the texture is a little strange. It feels like the shadows are a little damp?! They have the tendency to clump up a little in one place so blending them well is a must.


But it's not a big problem as the shadows blend quickly and once applied they stay in place.

I-3:


Gorgeous neutral taupe quad. I couldn't resist picking this up even though I probably have 80786078785657645485296145 palettes like this.

I-6:


Most gorgeous aqua/deep green combo. It's bright but not in an overwhelming way. The colors are vibrant but wearable!
I got mine from Ichibankao (around US$19/each)

-Gradation Mix Face Color:


The new Gradation Mix Face Color comes in practically the same compact as the eyeshadow quads.


It contains 3 hues of the same color from light to dark.
The blusher has a satiny finish (leaning towards matte not shimmery) and is decently pigmented.


I find the 3 colors are too small to really pick them up separately (you can with a smaller brush though) so I just swirl the whole thing together and get a very pretty color.


I chose RD420 which is a perfect neutral red beige palette. It fits most nude/natural and also red lipsticks.


I think I paid about US$19 from Ichibankao. Btw the included brush is rather soft but very small thus for me it's more or less useless.

-Double Perfection Rouge:


Some years ago (before I was into Japanese/Korean beauty stuff) I used to love those Cover Girl Outlast lipsticks. Many brand have released those 2-step lipcolors (lasting color and gloss top coat) in the past years and in general they're rather uncomfortable to wear but last very well.


I honestly didn't spot those 2-step lasting lipcolors from any Japanese brand yet until I discovered the Fasio Double Perfection Rouges.

I was super curious so I got 2 colors.
You get a quite pigmented color and a sheer shimmery gloss in 1 rather large stick.


You first apply the color coat and let it dry for about 2 minutes (keep your mouth lightly open till it feels really dry) and then dab on the gloss topcoat (which looks tinted in the tube but looks clear when applied on top of the lipstick). Just reapply the gloss if your lips feel dry or the shine fades.


I think these are quite comfortable to wear and they last decently. However these are neither as long-lasting but also not as uncomfortable to wear as many other brands so I quite like these lippies.


There is no scent added to these and they remove easily with normal cleansing oil/makeup remover.


I will definitely pick up more of these. I am already quite happy with the 2 colors I got:

PK80 (the shade pictured on top): Happy warm medium pink and gloss.

BE30 (the shade you see on the bottom):


Pretty pink-beige which fits really nicely with the blush.
These are also around US$20 on ichibankao.

All in all a Fasio haul I really like. I will review the quad in I-7 and one of the Rich Stay Rouge lipsticks soon (they're on their way here =D)

And the winner is............

Hey ladies, the Etude House giveaway is closed now!

The winner (chosen by random.org) is:

Ti_Amo!

Please email me your address to lotuspalace@web.de to claim your prize! Thanks!

Banila Co De La Couture Moisture Body Lotion

I can't repeat often enough how great Banila Co is and how much I love this brand lol! Their products rarely disappoint as the quality is top notch.

Among my recent order (the one from that stupid seller hehe) was the De La Couture Moisture Body Lotion that came out back in fall.


The lotion comes in a very simple bottle (reminds me of The Body Shop) but the sticker around it is very pretty with that red/pink lace print.

The lotion is really moisturizing and not too lightweight so it's great for my normal-slightly dry skin.
I really love the scent of this! It's very soft and reminds me of a soft baby powder but in a feminine way.

All in all a great product.... I think I paid about 9000 Won or so for the 255ml bottle. Not exactly cheap but very worth it.

Spring 2009: Integrate (various items) + Volume & Curl Mascara WP

I posted a teaser pic over a week ago so I think I tortured you enough and it's time to review my new goodies from Integrate =D


I honestly rarely buy from Integrate even though the brand offers solid quality for fair prices (especially their lip products are lovely!) and the colors are all wearable and sophisticated. You won't find super bright orange lipstick or bright aqua eyeshadows from this brand.

Packaging-wise all is clean and simple (silver, white and transparent) and reminds me a little of Fasio and Kate.

-Accent Eyes in VI710:


Oddly what caught my attention most was the Accent Eyes palette in VI710. I didn't really like my Accent Eyes in BR730 so swore to myself I would not try any more Integrate shadows but the VI710 just screamed at me: "Buy me! Buy me!" so I listened and purchased it.

Hmmmm...I have to admit it. This palette ROCKS! It's a perfect cool grayish purple palette for me with colors that I don't see very often among Japanese brands.


I find this quad pigmented and soft, blendable and long-wearing.
I digged out my BR730 palette after having such great results with VI710 and it's weird but BR730 was pigmented and lovely! I wonder what happened the first 2 times I used it? (and after which I ranted in this review which I have to take back now in total?!)... Probably that's one of those mysteries that will never be solved *plays theme from X-Files*


Now of course I am very seduced to pick up more colors from the range! =P

Anyways, on with VI710... I won't describe the compact as you can see it in the pic (simple silver/faceted clear plastic).


The colors are: Cool metallic gray-toned purple, deep blackened purple (matte base with some scattered green and red glitters), pearly off-white (a little sheerer = perfect highlighter) and the sheer ivory glitter shade.


I believe this retails for somewhere around 1600 Yen. I purchased mine from ichibankao.com. The Spring collection contains a total of 4 new colors.

-Forming Cheek Blush:


I actually believe Integrate revamped the compacts of the blushes but didn't change the colors and formula.
I already have the RD310 one in the old packaging for some time now so I purchased PK210.


To me the only thing that seems new about the compact is that the clear window is now faceted instead of smooth.


The blush is not really silky but blends nicely and has decent pigment. The finish is matte though with a little luminousity.


I really like this blush and PK210 is a pretty fresh cheery pink. It also has a paler highlighter shade (also pink) but it nearly disappears on my skin.

-Design Veil:


The highlighter range has been replaced with their new Design Veil Range offering 4 highlighters with 3 instead of 2 colors like before.


I picked the one in Pink which contains 3 shades of pink:
a shimmery super pale pink-toned white, pastel pink and pale baby pink.


Actually since I got used to baked highlighters I don't like shimmery/glittery ones much anymore. The Integrate one doesn't really give a glow but leaves fine glitters on the areas I apply this and this annoys me.


I prefer a dewy/glowy finish so I am not too fond of this item.

-Soft Jelly Rouge:


The Soft Jelly Rouge was yet another item I was eagerly anticipating. Since Integrate usually just comes up with winners (lippy-wise) I was sure the cute new Soft Jelly Rouge (love that name!) would be another winner!

So out of 8 colors I chose 3 to give this new product a try.
The Soft Jelly Rouges come in rather fat tubes reminding me of Maquillage's Neo climax Lip and Kose Visee's Nudish Rouge.

On the pics (from top): PK702, PK395, RS394

What makes them somehwat new and innovative is the applicator. It's a wide slanted lipstick-shaped soft rubber tip with a hole in the middle to distribute the creamy gloss. So far the applicators similar to this were made of hard plastic, not a soft rubber (maybe that's where the name Soft Jelly Rouge originates from?).

The texture is lightweight and slick and feels more like a cream than a gloss.
My lips are only getting slightly glossy and these aren't terribly long-lasting but comfortable to apply and wear and the colors I picked are so pretty. I feel these are on the moisturizing/balmy side and don't dry my lips out.


The pigment is rather sheer in these and all colors are on the muted/subtle side.

One thing that slightly annoys me that these lippies have the tendency to sort of sink into my skin but by far not as much as with e.g. Lavshuca's Color Conc Rouge which I really hated.

All in all these are great little lip creams so it's definitely worth picking one up.


PK702 (right):


This is a pretty nudey pink-beige without shimmer.

PK395 (left):


Warm sheer pink with super fine shimmer

RS394 (bottom):


Cool sheer mauve pink. My fave!

All in all I think Integrate's Spring collection is pretty nice and wearable all year round since the colors are great basics and subtle neutrals.

-Volume & Curl Mascara WP:


I have good luck with Shiseido's mascaras in general. My HG mascara is the Lash Enamel Glamour mascara from Majolica Majorca and Maquillage's Combing Mascara is pretty good, too.
So I was expecting big things from Integrate's Volume & Curl Mascara WP.


It's indeed a great mascara which gives great volume, a bit of length and keeps the curl all day long. I am quite thrilled with this actually and used it nearly every day because I love this so much!
I really like the curved wand as it helps applying the mascara without messing around too much.


It's waterproof and really stays put. It removes easily with my usual double-phase makeup remover (right now it's the one from Aube Couture which is pretty awesome)


I am also wearing this mascara on the EOTD pic above!

I think I paid less than US$14 from Adambeauty? It's very worth it!