Carroussel of Newbies...

I've been a bit quiet on the blog this week, but my wallet hasn't been...

Dutch cosmeticsstore IciParis has 40% on its lipglosses and lipsticks, and those YSL Gloss Voluptes finally arrived! -> I kept it modest with *just three* but I want Guerlain Girly so much! I also included my Net-a-Porter free shipping haul: I skipped fashion and went for beauty alone :). Plus my skin-sensitive period led me to another foundation: is it good, better, best? Read on.

So those new YSL Gloss Voluptes first: I picked *modelcolour* 49 Terriblement Fuchsia, the one Lindsay is wearing so poutily in this add:

I am slightly influenced by Japanese brands who often mention that the lipstick is the *modelcolour* or the one worn in the advertisement. I'd never would think my lips go near the poutiness of Lindsay without any filler-help, and I wouldn't want them that way unless they wear natural. I just adore fuschia: is such a popping colour without getting too sensual like red, it's fun with a dash of sensual! And so nice on making your teeth looking extra white. 

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I also picked a safer calmer YSL Rose Satine 102 for that perfect peachy pink with that deliriously blueish microshimmer. They are extremely fruitily scented: this line...I have fierce Lancome Juicy Tube memories of the early noughties.

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I'm still the biggest fan of their Rouge Pur Couture Vernis a Levres and I'd finally picked up Cara-modelled selection of the Rebel Nudes: this one is not so nude as it's the Violine out of Control 108.

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The sweetest Italian drugstore SA recommended Bionike Defence Tolerance for my sensitive skin: this is the travelsize of the micellar water

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I picked up another Charlotte Tilbury quad from net-a-porter: Uptown girl...Chants that song right now...

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More of the Italian recommended Bionike line: it's the Defense Xage Skinergy Perfecting Concentrate: a lot of words for a serum so I hope it works as good as the title.

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Again, a new foundation. My sensitivities spurred me on to look further. RBR has too much fragance for me right now, and mineral makeup doesn't give my pores a good cover. Kjaer Weis Foundation in Paper Thin is organic, but also difficult to work with (like quite some reviews mention). Then again, my face feels so relaxed and unirritated under this foundation and it gives the most skin-but-better finish. I just put some good work into it by blending it well with my Hakuhodo Mizubake. And some really good moisturizing before...

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So I skipped the extraorbitant fashion of Net-a-Porter but finally satisfied my curiosity after the frequently reviewed Hourglass Ambient blush line: I picked Radiant Magenta and I think it's really brilliant. It stays on me all day, unlike some mixed reviews I read on this blush. It matches my YSL Fuschia Terriblement so well!

And some more:

 I bought the Urban Decay Naked Basics on the airplane: Some more mattes to 'date' with my Rouge Bunny Rouge Mattes.

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The Models Inc Lip Enhancer is a GWP with a British glossy (have to check which one again)

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And I've been reading heaps of Murakami books for the last couple of years: this is the latest one I'll dive into.

Have a gorgeous weekend :)

Kanebo Kate Colouricious Diamond in BR-3

I seem to have a penchant for mauve-toned palettes:  When Kanebo Kate reworked something 'Beyonce'-liciously named  palette and added some Diamonds (hi Rihanna) I caved again...

The palette is in Kate's neutral and more grown-up theme and has some excellent glow-factor:

The palette exist of some flat pans (1 & 2) and some heaved pans (2, 3, 4) that remind me of baked eyeshadows. I actually think that they are baked eyeshadows, at least peachy shade no 3 gives that flecksy "baked eyeshadow" quality.

I thought the colour-scheme was most similar to my Chanel Seduction palette  and Burberry Plum Pink 06.

My intuition has been right, however, the glow/lustrous/flecks/glimmer factor is a different story.

cool winter light ouside, no sun

The difference in glowiness if most visible under flash-light:

This is what makes Japanese eyeshadows so desirable in my opinion: they bring an amount of glow to the eyeshadow that brings eyes and forward.

Visuals:

• Kate CL Diamond shade 1, the whitest. It has a fleck-sy texture which shimmers silvery cool. It absolutely doesn't compare with either Burberry nor Chanel. Chanel lightest colour is sandy brown and opaque with a hint of a glow. Burberry is a peachy sand with some opacity and a low amount of shimmer.
• Kate CL Diamond shade 3 is a fleck-sy peach with a cooler undertone. I think this one layers well in the middle of the moving eyelid for an extra hint of light. Again, Chanel & Burberry do not compare at all. Both Chanel & Burberry are opaque. Chanel's 'peach' lingers towards terracotta sand and Burberry's directs towards a brownish mauve.
• Kate CL Diamond shade 4 is a gorgeous shimmery mauve with a silvery undertone. I think it is opaque but nowhere near the matte-ness of Chanel & Burberry.  I like how shade 3 lingers between Chanel & Burberry's 2 & 3 colours.  Burberry's 3 shade hints towards a burgundy mauve and has a gorgeous glow, but not as shimmery as Kate. Chanel 3 is a couple of tones deeper and has a hint of pinkish glow over it.
• Kate CL Diamond Shade 5 is the strongest colour qualitywise with a high opacity and still a good amount of interesting, multidimensional glow. It looks like a cool brown in the pan but on the skin it is almost a greyish black. Perhaps the multiflecks have something to do with it. Chanel's 4 shade comes close to it but only a more matte & a one-dimensional glow. Burberry is definitely more brown.

Texture/quality:

Kate Colouricious Diamond applies almost creamy but as you can see from the swatches (with crappy brushes -> my good brushes were getting a wash) they do need a bit of work and an extra layer. There is a difference in opacity which makes some colours more prone to fade than others (colour 1 & 2). The darkest colour is a dream in both texture, blending and the multiflecked quality that is still office appropriate.

Overal:

The theme of a mauve-based palette is similar to the likes of Chanel & Burberry but the colour payoff and the glow is quite different. I really like this palette because the sublime shimmer brings my eyes more alive and it blends a bit easier. I mix Kate up with either Burberry or Chanel for a mauve-ish eye.

Conclusion:

Fame isn't always better and the shyer sisters of the cosmetic branches have some good values out there1

Availability:

I got mine from adambeauty.com for $17 
 

1Ofcourse, when living in Japan Kate might be just as big as Chanel or Burberry but hey...for the Western posse

Pretty Springy Things

- Something Cheeky

(YSL Creme de Blush 9)

-Something (from) Lush 

[Mumkin]

- Something Glossy 

[Le Metier de Beaute Sheer Brilliance Cannes]

Cannes looks really sparkly in spring-sunlight, but it's quite subtle on lips: 

- Something Mask-y 

Etos (Dutch Brand)

I guess it's more of a no [stop] buy for me lately....

Review: Kose Addiction Cheekstick 14 Damask Rose

-I've bought a new Kose Addiction cheekstick- 

-I like it -

 -here are the swatches- 

Ok, you know my reviews will not be that easy but I will be short(er) about it.

I saw the announcement of the range of new colours by Iris on Rougedeluxe: she's often the first in English with the scoops on the newest releases.

And so I also found out that Ayuko, the makeupartist of Addiction, is a woman!

I often like Ayuko's choice of models: they have unique faces that are perfect veils for her makeup-range, without going into the faces of the models I consider used too much (sorry Kate Moss). I totally love the angle of the photo and how the mustard eyeshadow stands out: it almost made me buy that shade, and I still might.

I wrote to Iris that Damask Rose looked like a muted Amazing from the earlier line. I have been right about this: (see below)

I don't have Amazing myself, but I will link to Kate from DrivelaboutFrivol's picture to give you an superclear swatch of it (here)

My swatch of Damask Pink (3 swipes layered!):

COLOUR:
First, there is a difference between Kate's albaster skin with a hint of warm/yellow and my light/medium skin that hints towards cool. I believe that Amazing would appear cooler on my skin than hers.
I consider Damask Rose a true pink that hints towards fuschia. It is not really bubblegum pink, but it has a bit of a cooler tone in it that tinges blue.

COVERAGE:
On cheeks: I have discussed this with Kate and noticed myself that the earliest 'batch' of Kose Addiction seem to have a different consistency, almost better and with a higher coverage. First, I thought that my last cheekstick Rose Bar (review here) was merely too muted to show up vividly. However, I think that, compared to my 1st cheekstick in Revenge, that the coverage is not as strong.
I still like, better say love, the cheekstick and it's coverage. I layered 3 swipes of stick over each other and it doesn't get blotchy. This is personal, btw, because when you like your blush strong and vivid you might think "need more". I like a blush that looks like it comes from within. This looks like a from-the-ski-slopes-colour.
On Lips: I have raved about Addiction cheeksticks before for being a fantastic hybrid product. I still love how velvety and non-drying it feels. However, the consistency changed and so does the cover on my slightly rosy-toned lips. So here is where my vivid territory comes in and I need a couple of layers to make the pink appear. That is different with the coral/pink hue of Revenge: that one gave me that fashionable pout-n-shout-vividness that was happening early 2012. With Damask Rose it's sheerer, now.

CONCLUSION:
I love this colour in my collection, especially in a cheekstick. It travels handily and it's consistency makes blending and layering easy for me when I don't feel like blending all morning. Only, it's not a realy hybrid colour to me, so I will keep it for my cheeks only. Or tint my lips on the road if I really have no other lipsticks around. And that sounds close to impossible, as the 5 lipsticks are always sollicitating for my attention in my bag ;-)
The price? Yeh, it's Kose Addiction: check for the price & product here.

Pink Giveaway!

Happy 2010!!!

To start the year of bright and cheerful, I will give a 2010's starters Pink Giveaway!

Pink is both a soft and energetic colour...it is red's baby sister, and you cannot get more girly with pink.

Moreover, even though I say it myself...I have some fabulous products to give away. Lioelle, DHC, Themefragance and a vividly pink colour by Orly.

Let's take a glance at the pink prices:

1. Lioelle Beyond the Solution BB cream. Totally unopened and brand new. (I have a zillion of travel sized Lioelle BB's, so the big one is for the winner to have).
   
2. Lioelle Blooming Shimmer Pearl Base. (used once, however, it is in a hygienic pump). A gorgeous highlighter base with delicate pearly pink shimmer.
3. DHC Q10 Base Makeup Moisture Care Liquid Foundation SPF 25 PA++ in colour beige ochre 02. (used once, also in a hygienic pump). This foundation has been reviewed by Eki, Beauty Snap, Lotuspalace and Makeupalley.
4. Orly nailpolish in Sea the Change. Brand new and unopened, with a lovely pink ring.
5. Themefragances perfume in Bikini. A fresh, fruity floral that will mentally prepare you for sunnier days.
   

The guidelines are simple as ever:

1. Make a comment or say something small. I should be able to contact you, or you should read closely to see if you are the winner after the drawing, so you can contact me. I do not want followers just for the giveaway, so you can join even if you do not follow my blog. I just want to contact the right winner when the winner has been drawn.

2. Contest ends on Tuesday, 5 January 2010, 1 PM European standard time, GMT +1)

3. You are only able to make one comment, so no cheaters who would like to double (or triple) their chances.

4. Winner will be announced in a new post after random selection by random.org

5. Please contact me with 2 days to claim your prize or another winner will be selected! Prizes will be shipped by airmail WORLDWIDE within 3 business days after winner contacts me!

Do join the giveaway because 2010 might start off with wonderful pink prices for you!