LUNASOL blushes are usually soft, pretty, wearable (and in that regard perhaps not exciting) colours in huge pans, and this one is no exception. EX-01 Sheer Gold Beige Pink was an item in the limited edition Party Coffret, released for Holiday 2010. Unlike the previous time LUNASOL included a blush in their annual Party Coffret (the rather tiny EX-01 Soft Silver Rose), EX-01 Sheer Gold Beige Pink is a full-sized product.

The most remarkable thing about it is probably its mouthful of a name. But it is nevertheless a lovely shade, and one I like a lot.

I’m probably most pleased, despite its relative triviality, by the case design. Regular LUNASOL blushes are sold as refills, with cases for separate purchases. (In such circumstances, given the option, I always buy only the refill.) The cases for purchase are larger as they include space for a (tiny) portable brush. I’m not in the habit of using such brushes, so this case is ideal.

The blush itself is quite fittingly described by its name: Sheer Gold Beige Pink. In the pan it is a peachy-beige-y-pink kind of colour, with subtle gold shimmer. And like the other LUNASOL blushes I have, it is rather sheer, and a number (somewhere in the vicinity of five) of swipes of the brush are needed for it to show up on the cheeks as a noticeable, but soft flush of colour.

I feel this is a blush that’s perfect for everyday wear, and one that is relevant and wearable through all four seasons in the year. (Personally, I’m partial to it in spring, but I would certainly still use it in winter, or any of the remaining seasons.) It is extremely subtle, and the shimmer is indiscernible when applied. It looks very natural on the skin, although, and despite the gold shimmer, it leans slightly on the powdery side.

The strong point of LUNASOL blushes, in my opinion, are their wearability and naturalness, and EX-01 Sheer Gold Beige Pink exemplifies this. It blends effortlessly into the skin.

I feel the texture has improved since the Contasting Cheeks days. The powder is finely milled, and there is less loose, flyaway powder with each brush swipe. I thought the Contrasting Cheeks blushes were a little odd in that my brush did not pick up much powder with each swipe, although there was plenty of loose powder around the pan, but this is not the case with Colouring Cheeks (EX-01 Sheer Cold Beige Pink).

As with my older LUNASOL blushes, I experience a little fading by the end of the day. But again, I feel the Colouring Cheeks blushes, or rather this blush in particular, has improved on the old Contrasting Cheeks.

I haven’t had time to take photos of the blush on me, but I might add one later. On me, it is more peachy than pink, and is an excellent choice for a fresh-faced look. It’s a blush I can use satisfactorily with most, if not all, my eyeshadows and lipsticks (subject to eyeshadow-lipstick coordination of course).

EX-02 White Pink was a limited edition release (hence the ‘EX’ prefacing the shade number) from the Spring Modern collection of 2010. It’s a much loved member of my lipstick family, and, in the year I’ve had it, has somehow edged itself into being my most used lipstick. It’s a colour I use a lot in the warmer months, but mostly I blame the soft texture for its speedy depletion.

(Please excuse the ugly white sticker. I label my lipsticks with the season of purchase/first use so I’ll know when they get old.)

EX-02 White Pink is a sheer, shimmery warm pink. This is a light, fresh colour perfect for spring and summer. I tend to use it less as the weather grows colder.

The Irresistible Lips C formula is light and very sheer, with an emollient, almost balm-like consistency. I like the soft, buttery texture a lot as it feels very comfortable on the lips. It’s an unfussy lipstick that applies easily, even without a mirror. Typical of sheer lipsticks, it adds a glossy sheen to the lips. It’s moisturising and, for lips that aren’t dry, a lipstick that doesn’t need to be paired with lip balm.

The lipstick is lightly scented with a pleasantly sweet fruity scent. I prefer my lipsticks unscented, but the fruity scent is not at all intrusive.

EX-02 White Pink is a versatile colour that would pair well with many pink, coral and peachy pink blushes, and the eyeshadows that go with them. I like to use this with fresh, sheerly applied, “spring”-y green or blue-green eyeshadows, and of course the usual suspects of browns and neutrals.

My lips are naturally pigmented and reddish. With EX-02 I get a lighter, pinker and glossier version of my natural lip colour.

I have rather ambivalent feelings towards RMK’s packaging. The shiny silver metal doesn’t appeal to me, and neither does the font (even less the words printed on their cardboard boxes), but the packaging feels pleasantly solid and the shapes are elegantly minimalist.

I’ve fallen disgracefully behind with blogging once again. It seems every post here begins with such a sentence. (I would like to say I’ll be more diligent but, honestly, that’s not very likely.)

I’ve been using this bottle of DUCHESS MARDEN Damascena Pure Rose Water recently as my toner/kesshousui. I know little about DUCHESS MARDEN besides that it’s a natural skin and body care from the USA, but I came across a mention of their rose water as a luxury alternative to the good old bottled rose water from the provision store and decided to try it (in a fit of mild insanity). I’ve been interested in rose water as a natural option to toners and facial lotions, but I hadn’t tried any before this.

Unfortunately, to pun badly, it isn’t all a bed of roses. (I promise this will be the last and only time I’ll be punning, or making sad attempts at doing so. I couldn’t resist, sorry.) I’ve read numerous mentions of the soothing effect of rose water, but this bottle stings my eyes painfully. On the rest of my face, it feels like… well, water.

The spray is a convenient inclusion, but mine often doesn’t work properly and I’m unable to get any spray out. Needless to say, I’m disappointed.

Perhaps trying rose water after being accustomed to Japanese kesshousui isn’t such a good idea. I haven’t been persuaded by this brief affair with rose water.

I’ve only used this a few times, but it’s not love… yet.

I don’t believe there’s anyone who doesn’t already know this, but: Douceur was first released as a limited edition with last year’s (2010) autumn/winter collection. It’s still available, so it seems it is only the shallow NARS logo imprint, the kind more often found on NARS products off ebay (if you know what I mean), that is limited edition.

Douceur, as befitting its name, is a soft, pretty colour. It’s a dusty browned pink, and completely matte. To me it is a discreet colour, for a polished look when you don’t wish to draw attention to your cheeks. It pairs well with more dramatic eye or lip makeup.

I like to use Douceur over a very sheer application of a cooler pink shade of cream blush to bring out its pink tones. Brown toned blushes can look muddy or dirty on me, and I don’t like that!

Douceur is nicely pigmented. One or two swipes across the pan is all I need.

I’m trying out this ‘Early Thoughts’ thing, since I’m terrible at writing full reviews in a timely manner.

I’ve almost finished this, so it’s time for a review. Ecological Compound is one of SISLEY’s more popular products. I’ve seen it more than once in the annual rankings of Japanese beauty magazines. It’s a light moisturising fluid, and although it comes touted with a list of additional benefits, it’s basically just a moisturiser.

I’m still not quite sure what I think of this product, but I know I won’t be repurchasing.

Ecological Compound is packaged in a heavy, clear glass bottle with an easy to use pump that allows you to dispense only as much as you need. (Sometimes I don’t need to use an entire pump for my face.) The bottle isn’t very travel friendly, and I’ve taken to packing it in its cardboard box before putting it in my suitcase. Despite this, I like the packaging, and apart from minor aesthetic quibbles (surely I am not the only one who does not find SISLEY’s packaging appealing to the eye?), I wouldn’t change it.

This is a light moisturiser with a thin, fluid consistency. It spreads easily, so very little is needed to spread over the whole face. I use it as both my day and night moisturiser, but I do not think it would be moisturising enough for dry skin types, or even for non-oily skin types in dry weather. Its position in the SISLEY system is actually to be used before another SISLEY moisturiser (SISLEY does not really have much in the way of serums), so this would be an option for those who don’t find it hydrating enough on its own. My skin is combination-oily, however, so layering another moisturiser (I tried with SISLEY Hydra-Global) over doesn’t work for me — it feels too heavy and my skin gets very oily.

I found this little more than a basic moisturiser that didn’t irritate my skin. And for me, it wasn’t even a very good moisturiser. In humid tropical weather this was too greasy for me, but in dry weather, I have to use this with a hydrating serum as alone, it is simply not moisturising enough for me. I haven’t noticed any of what has made Ecological Compound such an enduringly popular product, and for this I am disappointed. (But my skin is finicky, and at once sensitive and resistant — I never seem to experience any of the miraculous properties of skin care that other people do.)

I don’t believe this is fragranced, but it carries the typical SISLEY botanical fragrance. 125ml is is such a large amount, I don’t notice the scent at all now, I’m simply assuming it is the typical SISLEY botanical scent.

CHANEL Le Vernis 13ml

Particuliere was released for Spring this year, and is already almost a classic (and perhaps you will argue it is a one already). I’m not sure if it’s a limited edition shade (my original impression) or has made the permanent lineup. The colour in the bottle and on my nails — they’re identical — is a warm greyed brown with no shimmer. It’s a mousy colour but (somehow) it’s beautiful (opinions may vary). It’s a shade that is classic, elegant, stylish, but never boring. For me it’s the colour I turn to when I’m tired of pale pinks, peaches and beiges yet want something neutral and unostentatious.

This is opaque in one coat, and the formula is typical CHANEL (including its tendency towards chipping).

… And I’m off to werk my live stream, may it cooperate.

CHANEL Le Vernis 13ml

I’ve had Vendetta for a while, but it’s not one of my favourites, hence its appearance only now. On my nails it’s a deep indigo, with no real visible shimmer. It looks a little lighter and more purple in the bottle, with visible blue and red micro-shimmer. It does fit my ideas/images of ‘vendetta’ perfectly, but I’m a little disappointed the shimmer doesn’t translate onto the nails.

Everything else I can write about CHANEL nail polishes has surely been written already, but in a sentence: I loathe the brush, the formula is heavenly (even for the coordination impaired, i.e. me), and I don’t care if it chips easily, I like that it’s opaque in one coat.

I finished this a few nights ago, but I’ve been too absorbed with tinkering with Lightroom (mine is new and shiny, and the approach is quite different to Photoshop so the learning curve is definitely there) to be interested in writing this up. And also, well, ‘okay’ just about sums my thoughts on this moisturiser up, so it is definitely not the most inspiring of subjects. It is not a bad moisturiser, and there are things I like about it, but there is, for me, nothing distinctive about it that sets it apart from the many, many other moisturisers available.

Hydra-Global is one of SISLEY’s newer products (although it is already a few years old, I bought mine perhaps two years ago?), and occupies a somewhat awkward position in the lineup. The fancy name is something of a misnomer, and it’s neither intensely hydrating nor anti-aging. I feel there is little to differentiate it from a ‘basic’ moisturiser.

One of my favourite things about it is the pump packaging. And perhaps this is an indication of how just okay this moisturiser is, if the packaging makes it to my list of favourites, but a pump is just cleaner and I appreciate that. One pump dispenses only a little product, but it’s generally enough for the whole face. Using two pumps tends to make my combination-oily skin protest with more oil.

It is lightly fragranced, but I like the botanical, floral scent.

Texture-wise, it’s a medium-weight cream. It’s not as light as, for example, Ecological Compound, but at the same time lacks the heaviness of richer, more moisturising creams. It feels creamy, and not at all balm-like. It’s easy to spread, and absorbs reasonably quickly without being greasy.

I used this at night, supplemented with a hydrating serum, and while it was adequately moisturising for my skin, I doubt it would be sufficient for anyone with dry(-er) skin. It was, however, too rich for me to also use in the day, so I feel that for combination skin types it is perhaps better left as a night cream.

I was most pleased to note that it was always gentle on my skin, and I never experienced any irritation from it. Of course, it didn’t exactly do much in the first place… (apart from the usual softness and smoothness associated with adequately moisturised skin, which I feel is not too hard to replicate with other products.)

I finished this today. The bottle lasted me about six weeks, which is about right if you use the amount suggested in the instructions. In my experience Japanese kesshousui (face lotions, or maybe toners, would be the closest translations I suppose, but I find translations awkward sometimes, and this is definitely one of those instances.) rarely last me as long as Western toners do, which in the past was reason enough for me to favour toners from Western brands. I’ve since resigned myself (probably) to replenishing the lotion part of my skin care regime more frequently as I feel kesshousui are often better at hydration than their western counterparts.

SHISEIDO d PROGRAM has been a brand I’ve been interested in for a while, and so when I discovered it on the shelves of the Fa-So-La duty free shops in Narita airport I was simply stoked! The brand is designed specifically with sensitive skin types in mind, and hence the products are formulated using clean manufacturing processes and without certain potentially irritating ingredients (more information on the official website). I picked up a trial pack earlier in the year, and was pleased enough with it to get more later.

The Moist Care line, as the name implies, is targeted towards dry (sensitive) skin. Like the Balance Care line I sampled earlier in the year, it also purports to repair and protect the skin’s natural barrier function, while restoring moisture to the skin. I like the d PROGRAM Lotions because these, unlike many other Japanese kesshousui, are formulated without alcohol. They also don’t contain parabens, colouring, fragrance and mineral oil.

The full-sizes come in cute coloured plastic bottles with a pump. I was pleased to find that the pump unscrews as it meant I was able to get every last (precious!) bit of product out. The pump was easy to use, and two pumps, the suggested usage amount, dispenses a more than adequate amount for my face and neck (but mostly my face).

The product itself is unscented, and a clear, watery liquid with a somewhat slippery feel to it. The consistency is a little thicker (i.e. less viscous) than Balance Care Lotion II, and in my opinion unsuitable for use with lotion (paper?) or cotton pad masks, which work better with lighter kesshousui. The texture is a little too rich to absorb easily into cotton pads or paper masks, and you would probably end up using a lot of lotion were you to try.

Using it, I found it on the whole quite similar to Balance Care Lotion II, albeit a little richer. It took a while to absorb, and was generally rather sticky (more so than with Balance Care Lotion II). It kept my skin all nice and soft and moisturised without irritating it, but I’m not so sure about the barrier repair thing — I can’t say if my skin is more resistant and less sensitive.

I’m not sure if I would repurchase this, or opt for the lighter Balance Care Lotion II (or Acne Care Lotion). I think it would work, and the stickiness would be more bearable, if I paired it with lighter moisturisers and serums, but with my current products (SISLEY Ecological Compound and Hydra-Global) the result is unbearably sticky. Perhaps a gel cream type moisturiser would be better for this. One thing is for certain though, it has made me more reluctant to try the other products in the Moist Care line. I was originally thinking of trying the emulsion and cream, but now maybe not.

I’ve almost finished this, even though I don’t think I’ve been using this for much more than a month. It’s my first time using a cleansing gel (I’m usually a cleansing milk type of person), so maybe I’ve been using it a little too liberally. Right now I’m hoping my new cleansing products will arrive in the post before I finish this one up.

DR CI:LABO is a cosmeceutical skin care (and makeup) brand from Japan, and as is obvious from the name, the man behind it is a doctor and dermatologist. The products have a “scientific” tilt to them, and the philosophy behind the brand is simplicity (and science). The Super Sensitive line in particular was supposedly designed to protect the barrier function of delicate skin. (The products in the regular line are also meant to be gently, but I suppose these are doubly so.) I bought the few items in the Super Sensitive line together as a set earlier this year (or maybe it was late last year?). I doubt I would have been interested in this cleansing gel otherwise, but I don’t have any regrets giving it a try.

(I was originally intending on taking some photos of the actual gel, but it’s on strict rations at the moment, so I’m not sure whether I’ll get around to it…)

This was my first cleansing gel so I wasn’t too sure what to expect, but it’s basically a clear, scentless gel. It doesn’t feel thick or rich (in the moisturising sense), but more, I suppose, refreshing. I think it would be lovely for summer. But for winter, and dry weather in general, I would prefer something richer and more moisturising. I don’t think this adds any moisture to my skin, and is possibly even slightly drying.

It spreads easily, and melts into a watery consistency when massaged in. Personally, I feel it isn’t as efficient a makeup remover as the cleansing milks I’ve used in the past. It does get everything makeup-related off (as far as I can tell), but with more massaging involved than what I would usually need with a cleansing milk. I also feel it isn’t as gentle as a cleansing milk. This doesn’t irritate my skin, but because it melts into a liquid there’s more friction and rubbing.

One thing I like about it, though, is that it rinses off very easily and cleanly. I feel I don’t have to use my facial cleanser after it (but I still do out of habit). And also I like using this to remove sunscreen on my neck. I feel cleansing milks are a little messy for that, and often leave a residue.

I usually use a walnut sized amount. Maybe this is too much, but I like using my cleansing products generously. I don’t use it to remove eye makeup, for which I have a separate remover, but the few times I’ve accidentally gotten it into my eyes, it stung. I do have sensitive eyes though, so maybe it is just me. But I’m also not convinced enough of its efficacy at makeup removal to try it on mascara and eyeliner.

While I’m not about to convert to cleansing gels and use them exclusively — I still like my cleansing milks and creams too much — I wouldn’t mind trying the odd one here and there in future. As for this particular one, I probably wouldn’t repurchase as I like trying new products, but I’ve been quite happy using it.