Friday 20 February 2009

New Spring Collections at Isetan

Decided to drop by Isetan Scotts department store this evening after work and to my delight, I discovered that the new Paul & Joe and Maquillage spring collections had just been released!

The Maquillage collection is the best that I've seen from the brand so far. The texture of the eyeshadows is just out of this world silky, soft and pigmented with the most gorgeous micro shimmer that twinkles ever so merrily under the lights. These are way way better than the palettes in Coffret D'Or's Spring '09 collection. Do test these out for yourself at the counter if you can. You'll be amazed at how creamy and silky these feel to touch.

The new Eyes Creator palettes are S$69, the Face Creator palettes are S$73 (but you can buy the refills separately for $40+) and the eyeshadow singles are S$24. The prices are comparable to those in Japan. For example the Eyes Creator is 3990 (S$65) and the Face Creator is 4200 (S$68) but the eyeshadow singles are much cheaper in Japan at only 840yen (S$13.70) each.

Top Row: Eyes Creator GR366
Bottom Row: Eyes Creator BR363


Eye Creator RD364


The eyeshadows and face shades have a sparkly top layer that makes them look delectable under the bright counter lights but the sparkles disappear with the first brush, so don't be fooled by these. The actual finish of the eyeshadows underneath is less sparkly although the eyeshadows do have a nice metallic shimmer.

Top Row: Liner shades from Eyes Creator palettes RD364, BR363, GR366
Left Column middle and bottom shades: Eyeshadow singles in GR736 and VI737
Middle Column (second shade and below): Eyes Creator GY865
Right Column (second shade and below: Eyes Creator VI367


The Paul & Joe Ingenue collection was exactly what I had expected, pretty but somewhat safe and boring. I applied the eyeshadows with the sponge applicator in the palette. The dark liner and medium accent shades are well pigmented while the lightest base shade is less pigmented but still shows up easily with just one stroke of the brush. But the shades are of the neutral variety, which doesn't tempt me much as I prefer more fun and vivid colors. I like the floral print on the cover more than I like the eyeshadow colors so I can't really justify spending $66 on them! But the texture is good and if you're looking for a basic palette that can be used every day for work, then these palettes would be a good option.



The two limited edition Lipsticks are more disappointing and again, the nicest thing about them is the floral print on the packaging instead of the actual lipstick shade. #61 Backstage gives a colorless glossy sheen to your lips, which for me is just pointless since you can get that look with any cheapo lipbalm. #62 Opening Night has better pigment but is just an average creamy candy pink. It's nice but not outstanding enough to justify the S$39 price tag. And I don't want to pay so much just for a cardboard tube!

The good news is that the new GWP bags in the white and pink floral print are awesome! I think with $100, you get the large sling bag and with $150, you get an additional small rectangular tote. The rectangular tote is the more sturdy of the two. The sling bag is similar in shape and material to the kitty print bag that came with the P&J mook. Both are in the white and pink print of the #62 Opening Night lipstick tube.

Also just released is the new permanent 6 eyeshadow singles, 6 lipsticks, 6 nailpolishes, 2 eyebrow pencils and a limited edition nail set with the red and pink butterfly print (includes a nail polish, hand cream and gloves with a metal box). Again, it is quite pricey at about $69, and I just couldn't bring myself to drop that much for a nail polish that I'll probably use twice (and it's a boring pinkish beige). I do like the orange-scented hand cream but I already have the one from the Disney collection which I haven't used. So basically, I would be buying the set for the metal box.

Decisions, decisions.... I had a New Year resolution to stop buying makeup just for the GWP bags but it's really hard to resist when they feature such pretty prints. I'll try to get pics of the bags when I go by the counter tomorrow. I forgot my phone at home today, silly me!

9 comments:

Jamilla Camel said...

Hi Haru,

I've got the RD364 Palette! I love it and am wearing it here....

http://makeupforprofessionalasianwomen.blogspot.com/2009/02/fotd-maquillage-eyes-creator-3d-palette.html

I must check out the new P&J stuff!

Kathi said...

Hey dear,
I just scored the pink/taupe P&J palette on eBay for US$26 =D I didn't want to shell out the US$57 (+/-) it cost online (bobodave, gooddealer etc.) =D I think US$26 is pretty sweet for such a cute palette and I like safe combos =D

Anonymous said...

I am such a sucker for packaging, so I can't blame you wanting that tin - too pretty :)

Haru said...

Hey Jamilla,

The palette looks pretty on you!

Hey Kathi,
that's a great score :-) I think I may end up buying the same palette that you did, 'cos I really like the GWP.

Hi Down Comforter,
Yes, I'm a real sucker for packaging too, and I just love collecting these P&J items, not just from the seasonal collections but also the freebies that come with Japanese mags.

aichaku-愛着 said...

Maquillage spring collection is here! Thanks for posting, I'm going shopping. :D

miss_waterlily said...

I indeed bought the P&J hand set for the metal box lol! The pretty print is gorgeous though and i been using the hand cream with the gloves at the night, it is actually surprising good, much better than any other hand creams i have ever ever used seriously!

Love reading ur blog.

Anonymous said...

hi haru

which one in your opinion out of the palettes is the stand out?

Thanks!

Haru said...

Hi,

Personally, none of the Maquillage or P&J palettes were a must-buy for me, as I prefer brighter and more vivid shades. I did prefer the Maquillage palettes though as you get more shades to play with. Of the Maquillage palettes, I thought RD364 and GR366 were the nicer ones of the lot.

Anonymous said...

It's too expensive for a tri-color palette. I will skip this one & wait for Coffret D'or. Too bad Spore does not bring in Aube.