Juice Beauty: concealer and lip moisturizers

Continuing on my all-natural makeup replacement, I picked up the juice beauty correcting concealer in ivory. I got it on amazon for about 3600 yen. All I can say is, eh. It has a very watery consistency and low coverage. The color is nice and gives me some brightness under my eyes. This is no match for my NARS. Different beast altogether.

I also got the three pack of lip moisturizers. They have spf and I love a tinted lip balm. The texture is great. Very bees-waxy. Stays put! I tried "playful" first. It's kind of a beige-y purple. I like it. Very grown up. This has a much better wearability than the rms lip tint. Actually, I might apply the rms over the clear juice balm, since I love the rms color, but hate the oily spread...

RMS organic foundation, mascara, and lip/cheek tint

I decided to go all natural and paraben free this time around as I replace my makeup. I really wanted the Juice beauty CC cream, but it had to be shipped from the states via Amazon, and I needed make up now. So instead I went with the RMS un-cover-up in 22. It cost 4800 yen, and I purchased it online, but you can buy it at most Cosme Kitchen stores. (It costs more at Cosme Kitchen though!)

The color was a near perfect match. It felt a bit oily going on, and the recommended finger application was a bit odd. I usually apply with my fingers, but the foundation is hard and only a little comes off at a time. I found it hard to blend. I might finally buy a beauty blender and see if that helps.

Coverage was good.

UPDATE: the beauty blender helped a lot! it still feels kinda oily, but not as bad as before.

Next up was the lip to cheek in "beloved." This was also 4800 yen. It is more highly pigmented than the canmake, so you need less on your cheeks. However, as a lipstick it is more like a highly pigmented gloss. If you don't care about the organic/paraben free issue, the canmake is a MUCH better deal.

UPDATE: When I used this as a lipstick it really made my face feel oily. I only use it as a blush now.

Finally, I also bought the volumizing mascara for 3800 yen. It was easy to apply and a good color. It is no match for the heroine make mascara, but again, it's a different beast. If you're looking for something organic, this is nice.

Return to Japan! Canmake cream cheek #14 (apple cream red)

Ah, home sweet home! I'm back in Tokyo for a short stay and the first place I headed to was the Yamada denki beauty section to see what is going on!!!

I recently ran out of my lovely Nars orgasm blush and decided I would buy the #1 cosme rated blush when I got to Japan. That happens to be the canmake cream cheek! And at 580 yen, it's so much cheaper than the Nars.

I picked up color number 14, which is a bright, yet brown undertone, pink (instead of the bright red). I have to say I'm liking it. It has a nice texture, is easy to apply, and has a bit more color than the Nars. Also, it's not as bulky as the Nars - fits so much nicer in my cosmetic bag.

So happy with my first "return home" beauty purchase!

Benefit Cosmetics Erase Paste Brightening Concealer

I love my NARS concealer. But, I've been stressed. And tired. And I have some serious under eye circles.

This is more of a color corrector than a concealer. And it works. And a little dab will do you.

It's added to the "staple" list. I put the NARS concealer on top and it's perfect. Perfect!

You can get this at Sephora for about $26.

d'icila powder

I was given this d'icila powder and hand cream as a gift. The rose powder (top) goes for 10000 yen! When you open it, you think there is no way it is worth it. The packaging is not luxurious and the powder is pink, pink, pink. However, since I've been using it I've been getting compliments on my skin. People tell me my skin looks velvety and flawless, so WIN!

The hand treatment/lotion is really silky and nice, but the smell is overpowering.

If you want to try these products, there is a store locator on the website (Japanese only).

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer (vanilla)

I splurged on a new concealer (about 3600 yen at Isetan), and man am I glad that I did. This pulls my entire routine together. The coverage is amazing. It is thick without being heavy. The color is brightening without being shiny. Covers all my under eye circles. Is great for contouring.

Holy grail product.

Maquillage Dual Color Rouge (30)

I loved my red Maquillage lipstick so much I splurged on a second, more neutral, shade. I tried the new two-in-one which was supposed to give me that gradation effect I see in magazines. I found it on Amazon for about 2200 yen, and in drugstores for about 2900 yen.

The color was nice, the darker shade is better for my skin tone. It's like 3 lipsticks in one: light shade, mixed shade, and dark shade. I couldn't notice the gradation effect at all. It doesn't bleed or make my mouth area oily. It has good staying power.

I like the red better.

Pore Putty BB cream (smoothing)

I see this everywhere, so at 1200 yen I thought I would give it a try. It's ok, not as great as my smashbox primer. It's about as good as the make-up for ever primer, and much cheaper... It has ok coverage, nothing fantastic...

Maquillage Dramatic Rouge (10)

I recently fell for the pretty commercials and the rave Cosme reviews about this lipstick. It was pretty pricey (at 2700 yen), but worth the splurge! A nice ruby red color, a little shine, some translucence. I even got compliments on it. It stayed on well and didn't run. I'm going to try the double shade next!

Make up forever Ultra HD Foundation and Skin Equalizer (Smoothing) Primer

I FINALLY ran out of my Addiction foundation, Evangelist BB cream, and Smashbox primer. Let me just say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Evangelist BB cream and the Smashbox primer. I'll buy them again and again.

But I wanted to try something different.

The make up forever ultra HD foundation is better than the addiction foundation. The coverage is more even and the formula is less heavy.

However, the make up forever primer is not as good as the Smashbox. But I can't find Smashbox in Japan (and Sephora won't ship it to me!). I'll finish this tube, and then find a way to get my Smashbox!

The combo set me back 1 man. But, I got color consultation, which I DEFINITELY recommend, as I ended up being 3 shades darker than both I and the salesgirl thought!!!!

Canmake Candy Wrap Lip Gloss

I picked up the Canmake Candy Wrap lip gloss in Lady Strawberry at Yamada Denki in Tokyo for about 600 yen.

I LOVE the color and the gloss. It's super "garu." Since it's a gloss, it doesn't last long. My only complaint is that it caused acne around my mouth.

I'm going to try it again with a lip pencil.

Addiction Tinted Skin Protector

I received a sample of this with my Addiction eyeshadow order and decided to give it a try. Oh my goodness. It's wonderful. It gives perfect coverage while still allowing your skin to shine through. There seems to be some illuminizer in it, so there is a dewy effect, but it's not overwhelming. Plus, it has SPF50+/PA+++. It really downplayed my pores and unevenness in my skin tone.

I liked it so much I bought a tube (in color 03), from the Addiction website (Japanese only) for 4860 yen.

UPDATE: I am trying desperately to cover a zit and this stuff just doesn't cover as well as the Evangelist BB cream.

Addiction eyeshadow: Pink Sky

I was so happy with my recent Kate eyeshadow I thought I would pick up another brand in another color. Cosme ranked Addiction eyeshadow as the best, so I gave it a whirl, selecting Pink Sky (pearly type) for 2160 yen (available on the Addiction website- Japanese only).

I was thoroughly disappointed. The color looks like any brand and had no shine at all. I'll be sticking with the Kate brand!

Concealer: Sheer Eye zone concealer (Shiseido)

My trusty Rimmel Natural concealer is no longer anywhere in my local drugstores, so I took that as a sign from the gods to move forward and try something new. Ranked at #3 on cosme's recommended concealers is Shiseido's Sheer eye zone concealer. I bought this from the Shiseido website (in 101, very light) for a little more than 3600 yen.

The color is great, and it seems to have some sort of luminizer in it, which is nice, but this is definitely too sheer to be called a concealer. It provides only minimal coverage.

And, I have to say, I'm not a fan of the applicator brush.

I'll continue to use it until it's run out, but then I will try something else.

RMS living luminizer

I've never really liked luminizers because they just make me look sweaty, but this one is different. I love it. It is the perfect shade and goes on sheer and light. I use it in combination with my NARS orgasm blush.

It's about $38.

Kate dual blend Eyeshadow (gold)

My Japanese girlfriends all wear sparkly pinky silver eyeshadow everyday. I'm not sure if that color would go with my skin tone, so I picked up the new Kate dual blend eyeshadow when I was at the drugstore yesterday, for about 1000 yen.

It went on nice and smooth and stayed put. I really liked the gold color, lots of sparkle. I contoured with the dark brown today, and felt it blended nicely. Not bad for a random purchase. It will last forever - there is so much!

Eyelash extensions: ProCare Eyelash in Osaka

I love my Japanese mascara, but getting it all off is tough. And, I wanted to try extensions.

After a bit of research I decided to try out ProCare. I'm in LOVE. I will be doing this from now on. I got 80 lashes in American Doll design. The result looks like I have long lashes with a bit of mascara. It really makes my eyes pop.

The process wasn't bad at all, about an hour. No bad reactions to the glue.

I'll be going back!

UPDATE: The follow-up was really great. I decided I wanted 60 lashes per eye instead of 40, and went I went back they counted the remaining lashes all up, removed any damaged lashes, and made sure I left with 60 per eye.

Clinique eyeliner in Egyptian (103)

I recently read about Clinique's Egyptian eyeliner, which was apparently all the buzz in Japan and Korea a few years ago since it was not quite black or brown, and the shimmer gave an eye opening effect.

My eyeliner arrived today, and I have to say, the effect is very subtle. I'm not sure it really makes all that much difference whether you use a black liner or this one. I can say, it was pleasing to apply (nice and creamy) and stayed put. It resisted cleansing with my bioderma make-up remover, but two wipes did the trick.

I'm going to continue using this product, but research methods of application that will make my eyes appear bigger.

2014 Year end awards: Buy these now!

These are the things I can whole-heartedly recommend:

Heroine make mascara

Heroine make mascara remover

Evangelist BB cream

Muji lipstick

SK-II stempower

Bifesta facial cleansing wipes

Tiare body oil

Beauty Pride's APPS+E(TPNa) shampoo and conditioner

Drybar dry shampoo

Heroine make mascara remover

I finally splurged and bought the mascara remover for the all day super waterproof mascara I ADORE. I was getting raccoon eye overnight, even after I cleansed my face and used my normal makeup remover. I have to say, this doesn't get ALL the mascara off, but it does a much better job than normal cleansers. Go ahead and buy it!