From 2 of my favourite Japanese drugstore brands.

Happy 2017 everyone! Hope you all had a good start to the year?

I gave myself a little break from blogging :D Felt like it was necessary because ideas need space and new inspiration to grow, and the best way to do that is to break away from the usual routine and expose myself to something new or different.

Anyway, here are new products from Canmake and Visee that will be released in the upcoming months. Nothing new under the sun really, but as always, it's nice to see something different, yea?

It looks like my favourite brand Kate has nothing new up their sleeves this spring. In fact, there isn't too much new stuff among drugstore brands. Which is why this entry only contains stuff from Canmake and Visee.

Photo credit: Biteki

This is mildly exciting!

Canmake don't usually release a themed collection, and this time it's the same. It's a handful of random products, some are new, some are just new colour additions to the existing line.

That's not to say it's not exciting though! I don't really care too much about having an over arching theme, neither do I look for an over arching connection between all the new products. As long as the products are awesome, you got my attention.

This fall, Canmake is releasing mostly lip products.

New and Pretty Makeup From Canmake

fresh news from japan! canmake is going to add several new colours to their existing product lines. click to find out more.

unlike big beauty brands, canmake isn't decking out a whole fall series, but they are releasing some fall inspired shades such as burgundy eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks. there are three new products to look out for.

It's a tough decision when rounding them down.

if you're a fan of japanese cosmetics, canmake won't be unfamiliar to you. the drugstore brand has created many best selling products over the years and have a huge following thanks to their really friendly price, cute packaging, and last but not least, high quality makeup.

canmake is the starting point for many school girls who have a tight budget, that's probably part of the reason why the brand is so popular! in fact, my first eyeshadow is made by canmake :)

the @cosme award is quite a big deal in japan, while the annual best cosmetics awards are chosen by editors, the weekly ranking are fuelled by the community.

here are 5 products you must try because they're also products i want to try! :P


a new product that was recently released in march 2015, it has gain popularity quickly and took the number 2 spot of this weeks ranking.

a lip gloss that changes colour according to the amount of moisture you have on your lips, you can have a shade that's unique to you! formulated with more than 92% emollient ingredients, this gloss will moisturize your lips as the colour develops over time. if you're a fan of a pair of natural looking stained lips, this is for you.

available in two shades, 01 is a clear gloss while 02 is pearly.


currently ranking at the top spot, the cream cheeks is a long time favourite by japanese ladies as this has came in first in the 2013 and 2014 cosme awards for best cheek product.

the texture of the blusher changes from gel to powdery upon blending out, so you can use it over both powder and liquid foundation without worrying about blotchiness as it blends really well. formulated with moisturizing ingredients to improve adherence to your skin for better staying power. use the cream cheeks to create a natural flush on your cheeks!

comes in 9 colours (according to the official site). you can check out my swatch and review of my cream cheek in shade 05 here!


also clinching the number 1 spot (as of time of this entry), the quick lash curler has been in the top three position in year 2010, 2012 and 2013. in 2014, it was named in the hall of fame by the @cosme editors.

you can use it as a base coat to curl your lashes before applying your favourite mascara, or use it on top of your mascara to help maintain curls for the entire day. the mascara comb is designed to lift and separate lashes for a natural look (if used alone).

comes in two shades, 01 is transparent, 02 is black.


the last multi eye base got first place in the makeup base category in year 2014.

the multi purpose primer boosts the vibrancy of eye shadows while keeping your eye makeup budge proof throughout the day. it can also be used on the eyebrow to help brow product stay better, as well as keeping eyeliners from melting or smudging. sick of panda eyes? this may be the product for you.


consistently in the top 2 position in the @cosme best cosmetics awards, it took 2nd place in 2014 (coming right behind .

the finely milled powder contains sebum absorbing ingredients, keeping your face matte and smooth like a marshmallow all day. have pores? fret not, the powder is able to scatter light in a special way that minimizes their appearance.

comes in two shades, MO creates a brightening effect, while MB is more natural.

IN CONCLUSION
i own quite a number of canmake products, such as the candy wrap lip (10), cream cheek (05), glow fleur cheeks (04), colour stick concealer (09), eye nuance (13), highlighter (05), and also one of their mascaras. the quality i get for the price i pay is superb (except for the mascara, it was disappointing).

i'm definitely a canmake fan girl. are you?

Canmake Color Stick Concealer (09 Skin Beige) Swatch and Review

in an attempt to search for another concealer that can perform what the sonia kashuk hidden agenda concealer is doing for me, i picked this up when it was on sale at a sasa event. i got this for $5!

IN A NUTSHELL:
1. lightweight, creamy and super blendable
2. light to medium coverage for natural look
3. colour most suitable for hiding dark circles
4. not long wear formula, but stayed on for at least 6 hours on my skin with a proper foundation and setting powder

read on if you'll like more details.


the tube is in a colour that's similar to the content - a slightly darker beige with orange undertones.


on the tube it did suggest that this colour is meant for covering dark circles, and it has a natural skin colour.


swatched on bare skin, the left side is unblended while the right side is blended out slightly.

09 is a dark peach colour.

IMHO

the coverage isn't full coverage, in fact it sheers out quite a lot after blending into the skin thanks to the lightweight formula. the coverage is buildable although i won't recommend it as this is a very creamy product, the chances of it creasing and enhancing the lines around the eyes are very high.

what i like most about this product is its colour and spreadability. it is lightweight and creamy at the same time - making it very easy to sheer out. the colour is very suitable for covering dark circles under my eyes, i'm not sure if it's because of the slight orange tone (which isn't that obvious once it's on my skin), i think it's most probably due to the slightly darker colour that made it work better than the brightening concealers i own.

the best way to use this concealer is to layer it over a brightening foundation. brightening foundations tend to make the under eye area look greyish, this concealer will return some natural skin tone to the area to make the dark circle less glaring, what you get is a very natural look at the end of the day - no more tired look eyes, but people won't be able to notice that something is weird because this lightens the appearance of dark circle instead of eradicating it altogether.

as the consistency of the concealer is thin, don't expect it to work wonders like achieving full coverage.

this is not a long wear formula, so it's best to set it with a powder after using. to prevent creasing, it's best to use just a thin layer of it.

i'm really surprised at its blendability as my experience with drugstore concealers told me they tend to be slightly stiffer and thicker. this defied my expectations. now, if only it's more pigmented..

i purchased this for SGD$5 when it was on sale.

Canmake Cream Cheek 05 (Swatch and Review)

this has taken over the cream cheeks as the new number 1 (as of 8 aug 2014) in the cosme ranking, beating big brands like nars and ysl! surprise? not really, since canmake is known to have really good cheek products, plus their price and package is so on the point this time. i think they copied anna sui's blusher.. :P makes this thing a joy to look at when i'm not using it.


canmake is a drugstore brand in japan, and for their petite price (japanese way of saying really affordable price), they offer really good quality products. they cost 800yen in japan and HKD$96 in hongkong. in singapore, it retails for SGD$20.90. moral of the story is to buy this in japan in you can.


apart from the lovely design, this blusher seeks to give you a translucent and long wearing colour on your cheeks. honestly speaking, i didn't buy this because of its skin loving qualities (such as containing a slew of moisturizing agents like rose flower oil, hyaluronic acid and rosehip oil etc, you can see the entire list on their official website). it's great that the product doesn't contain paraben and fragrance, may be something that a person with sensitive skin will look out for! it also claims to contain silica to absorb excess sebum! hmm!

what got me into this product? the colour, packaging, and the price. tick, tick and tick! it fit my needs! welcome to my cosmetic family!


the brush that come along with the blusher was white initially but it got stained into a lovely sakura colour. the brush is slightly dome shaped and tightly packed with hair (it's plastic fibres)



i got it in shade 04, strawberry fleur.
on the back of the packaging are simple instructions on how to use this product.
it says to swirl the brush about 2-3 times for application on the entire cheek, and then applying the glow powder on the highest part of your cheek.


top left: glow powder, the remaining 4 are a selection of peach and pinks.



swatched individually on my hand in different lighting.


going from left to right, clockwise direction, ending at the center:
the glow powder is a white colour (with a hint of pink) with a pearly finish, looks transparent on skin unless swatched heavily. it glows when flashed.
the 2nd shade (top right) is a light peach, also has a pearly/satin finish.
the 3rd shade (bottom right) is a blue base baby pink, pearly/satin finish.
the 4th shade (bottom left) is a darker peach with a pearly/satin finish.
the 5th shade (center) is a dark blue base pink, also has a pearly/satin finish.


swatched after i blended all the colours (except the glow powder)

after being blended together, it's a light blue based pink (almost like shade 3 above?). works really well for fair skinned peeps, not so well on darker skin sadly.

IMHO:
i can't stop raving over how pretty it looks. that aside, i must be more objective when it comes to sharing my opinion on this product.

the colour is lovely, it isn't as sheer as i thought (either that or i took too much products as suggested by the 2-3 swirls). the colour is a glowy translucent colour, perfect for the cheeks. it's a nifty little thing as it contains a highlighter shade, allowing you to carry one product for 2 needs - cheeks and highlighting.

i'm not sure if they formulated the highlighter differently from the single highlighter that i own from canmake as well, but this feels much more finely milled and subtle. 

the powder is finely milled and soft, thankfully, due to the lower pigmentation, you won't risk getting too much product in just one single swipe (you tend to pick up more product if the powders are soft). and because they're so finely milled, they adhere to my skin like a second skin, i couldn't feel it on my skin at all.

i can't say much about its longevity as most cheek products stay on my face pretty well throughout the day, so this is just like the rest. i also can't vouch for the moisturizing capabilities as my skin is already well moisturized to begin with, but i believe having those skin loving ingredients in the product won't do any harm. just don't expect it to turn a desert into an amazon forest filled with life and moisture.

and did i mention how much i love the brush that came along with it? it's soft and fluffy and so full! the dome shape helps to push the product into the skin better, and the buffing motion helps impart some extra glow to the skin.

LOVING IT.

i bought this for HKD$96.

IN A NUTSHELL:
1. soft translucent colours, colour can be built up without feeling heavy or cakey
2. finely milled
3. not scented
4. comes with highlighting shade
5. affordable (in japan)
6. lovely packaging and brush
7. long lasting on my face

MAKEUP LOOK:

i prefer to use the corner shades as a base first (applied it over my entire cheeks) before adding the center colour on my cheeks for a smoother gradient and a more natural flush of colour. i applied it pretty high up my cheeks (as i'm going for the harajuku look), but you can put it on the apples of your cheeks, or across your cheeks, whichever way you want it :D


applied lightly.


applied lightly.


applied heavily.

Canmake Cream Cheek 05 (Swatch and Review)


these blushers are constantly in the top 5 of the cosme ranking, and it has been that way since the year i bought it (back in 2010 OMG). it topped the chart in 2013, and now it's taking the number 3 spot. not bad huh!

canmake is a drugstore brand in japan, and for their petite price (japanese way of saying really affordable price), they offer really good quality products. these are sold in japan for a mere 580yen, of course it cost a lot more in hong kong (HKD$76) and singapore (~SGD$18), but it's still cheaper than many other brands.

in summary, these cream blushers are easy to blend, true to colour, and has buildable pigmentation. in fact, the colour is pretty strong, so you only need a tiny bit to give your face a healthy glow. the formula makes it a breeze to blend on my cheeks without any patchy-ness. it's super easy to work with even for beginners as you won't have to worry about leaving streaks or marks on your face if you don't work it in quick enough.


i got it in shade 05 sweet apricot. it's a coral shade.


please ignore the two tone differences, the product has aged so the colours appear darker on the untouched surface. the true colour is the well in the middle - a peachy coral shade.


concentrated swatch on the left, blended out on the right.

when applied on my hand, it is a healthy glow of reddish orange colour. it comes with glitters, however they're quite invisible when viewed from afar. i feel like the product goes on matte, but it doesn't mattify the face. it feels like a super finely milled powder after blending out with my fingers.


seen from three different angles to show the sheen and finish.


IMHO:
i can totally understand why the japanese love this product so much - the formula is easy to work with and the colour is just amazing. application is smooth as breeze as there're no issues with patchy-ness or product not staying on the skin nicely. the effect is super natural, just what the japanese likes. it actually makes my skin looks as though it's glowing from within. the fact that it's a cream (slightly moussy) formula makes it blend into my skin that much better to give off that illusion.

the product is also really pigmented such that i only need to tap my finger lightly to get a little product for my two cheeks. a little goes a long way (i learnt this the hard way).

i like to dab and tap this in a circular motion until it's spread throughout my cheeks. it would be best to apply this prior to any powder products. if you must use a powder foundation, all the more you should tap (instead of rub) the product onto your skin to prevent caking.

i used this a lot more in the past as compared to of late, i think it's time i show it more love again.

i bought this for HKD$76.

MAKEUP LOOK:


applied lightly.


applied very lightly.