KATE 2017 F/W New Products

A tonne of new products from Kate this fall!

I've been entertaining my family the past week, then spending another week to recover from the loss of sleep. After not checking beauty news for a while, imagine how overwhelmed I am when I saw SO MANY new products being released by Kate!

I counted 15 new products, not including the different colour variations. Some of them are completely new, some are additional colours, while some are reformulation of existing product lines (but given a new name, so technically new, but theoretically not). If you think about it, nothing is really new anymore, as that would require a brand new innovation that has never been seen before. So, let's just take the word "new" at face value.

1. BROWN SHADE EYES N | 1200 YEN

With the addition of a "Bronzer" shade, the new Brown Shade Eyes N sets itself apart from the original Brown Shade Eyes that comes without the extra pearly shade. The Bronzer shade is supposed to add more dimension to the eyes when used in harmony with the fake shade powder to create a strong contrast between light and shadow.

It comes in 6 colour variations.

Click to enlarge!

2. SMOOTH EYELINER PENCIL | 800 YEN

With its new and improved formula, this eyeliner pencil is smoother than ever!

Available in 1 shade:
BK (Soft black)

3. SOFT BLACK LINER | 800 YEN

A new natural black eyeliner that is super sharp and long wearing, yet it can be easily removed by warm water.

Available in 1 shade:
BK (Soft black)

4. SECRET SKIN CC BASE ZERO SPF30 PA++ | 1000 YEN

This new shade EX-2 is a light green that can colour correct any redness to create a more even out skin tone that looks brighter. The product also covers pores, smooths your skin, and enhances your original skin tone with the addition of "Beauty Up Pearl" ingredient.

Available in 2 shades:
EX-1 (Pink Beige)
EX-2 (Light Green)

5. WATER IN OIL BB SPF 20 PA++| 1400 YEN

A BB cream that covers, primes, moisturizes, protects you from UV rays, it seeks to minimize your foundation routine into a one step process. Its lightweight formula is designed to smooth out pores, leaving you with glowy and healthy looking skin.

Available in 3 shades:
01 BRIGHT
02 NATURAL
04 DARK

6. STICK CONCEALER A | 800 YEN

A concealer formulated to cover acne marks, spots, and freckles.

Available in 2 shades:
LIGHT BEIGE
NATURAL BEIGE

7. FACE POWDER A | 1200 YEN

This loose powder creates smooth porcelain-like skin. Comes with puff.

Available in 2 variations:
NATURAL TYPE
GLOW TYPE

8. SLIM CREATE POWDER N | 1300 YEN

A shading and highlighting combo for contouring purposes.

Available in 2 shades:
01 NATURAL TYPE
02 GLOW TYPE

9. 3D CONTRASTING CHEEKS | 1500 YEN

A glossy highlighter combined with a pigmented blush, allowing you to easily create sharp cheek bones and lift your face. Comes with a 2 way brush that can be transformed from a small condensed brush to a wider brush.

Available in 4 shades.

10. 3D PART DESIGN | 1200 YEN

A highlight and contour combo, this is a convenient and easy to use product that allows you to sculpt your features to get more definition. The sponge tip applicator dips into the highlight/shading powder that is within the cap, making it travel friendly.

Available in 2 shades:
EX-1 (PINK WHITE + DARK BEIGE, natural type)
EX-2 (GOLD BEIGE + DEEP BROWN, deep type)

11. CC LIP CREAM N | 400 YEN

A clear lip cream that moisturizes and also add a tinge of colour. It also colour corrects, acts as a gloss, can be used as a lipstick base, and provides UV protection (SPF 8 PA+)

Available in 3 shades:
01 BEAT RED
04 ORANGE BURST
07 GRACE PINK

12. CC LIP CREAM N (TINT) | 400 YEN

A lip balm that changes from light pink to dark pink once you apply it onto your lips. Also has the same capabilities as the lip cream above.

Available in 1 shade:
06 MODE PINK

13. CC LIP OIL | 920 YEN

A new product never seen before, the CC Lip Oil is a coloured lip oil that moisturizes, colour-corrects, plumps, acts as a lip gloss, and can also be used as a lipstick base. 5 in 1!

Available in 3 shades:
01 RED SPICE
02 TRANS PINK
03 SHEER YELLOW

14. CC LIP & CHEEK CREAM N | 700 YEN

As with other products in the CC line, it has 5 functions - moisturizing, colour correcting, can be used as blusher, or as a lipstick base, and has SPF protection. Formulated with moisturizing ingredients such as olive oil, almond oil, jojoba seed oil, and sunflower seed oil, this product can be used on the lips and cheeks as the name suggests.

Available in 2 shades:
01 GLOW RED
02 CLASSY PINK

15. COLOR HIGHVISION ROUGE | 1200 YEN

A matte lipstick with high pigmentation in just one swipe, it contains moisturizing ingredients such as almond oil, jojoba oil, and olive oil.

Available in 10 shades

Click to enlarge!

Ending Notes:
Phew! That was quite a lot of products right!? What interested me the most is the light green SECRET SKIN CC BASE ZERO and the matte COLOR HIGHVISION ROUGE. Previously, only higher end Japanese brands made colour correcting primers, so having a drugstore option is a nice move. Also, as Japanese lipstick trend tend to favour glossy finishes, it really excites me (a matte finish lover) that Kate is being one of the first few to venture into the matte arena. All of my matte lip products are western brands not because I particularly like them, but because I just can't find any affordable Japanese alternatives! Now.. will Kate release more nude and berry shades in the future? I'm looking forward to this product line.

With the success of the Brown Shade Eyes when it was released a few years ago, this newer version is like.. lackluster. I imagine this scene taking place in Kate HQ.

Marketing team (M): We need something new to market!
Product development team (P): But the Brown Shade Eyes is perfect as it is!
M: Yes we understand, but the public likes new things!
P: Ok, how about.. we add 1 new blase shade into the palette?
M: Good idea!!!! We can sell it as a "Bronzer" shade that adds dimension! Just make it pearly.

Guys, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The Brown Shade Eyes is loved for its simplicity and impeccable formula that rivals that of higher end brands. People loved it for its buttery smooth formula and high pigmentation. The three shades creates a beautiful gradation that even makeup beginners can easily master. Why complicate things??? I rather they add more colour variations, like greyish brown.

With that said, you can never please all. Just my 2 cents.

Image credits:
@cosme, biteki, Kate

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KATE Spring 2017 New Products

A little late on the news!

Happy lunar new year! I spent the last weekend at my grandmother's place, which explains the lack of post last week.

Kate's new products were released on 1 February in Japan, so I'm actually late to the party. I just found out today so I quickly did this entry up. I remember lamenting the little sadness last time when there were no news of new Spring products from Kate. It's wasted feelings because Kate did have something planned!

It's a small collection, but I'm always excited to see what's new!

METAL GLAMOUR EYES | 1700 YEN

Kate's new eyeshadow is here to give you the ability to create glamourous eyes and control just how much shine you want.



The eyeshadow quad consist of 3 main shades that creates the perfect gradient effect for a naturally pleasing look, and an additional 2 shades as the finishing touch. The metallic/pearlescent shade contrasts the darker colours to create dimensions, allowing you to create more refined features.

That the official fluff anyway. The eye shadow quad reminds me of their older eyeshadow palette, the COLORCIOUS DIAMOND. Except the new one have only 1 glittery/mirror finish shade as opposed to the 2 glittery shades in colourcious diamond. The additional of a metallic medium (they call it their dark metallic) colour is new.

CLICK TO ENLARGE!

Available in 6 shades.

Over on their official site they went one step further to show you how to achieve certain effects with the metallic and glitter shades. Funny they used a caucasian eye shape to showcase it because most of its target consumers probably do not have that specific eye shape. Then again, it's just for illustration purpose, so I understand :) Also, I'm not one to complain about having more reference photo to take a look at their finish. It appears the metallic shade isn't THAT metallic.

SUPER SHARP LINER EX | 1100 YEN

The new Super Sharp Liner EX promises to be easy to use, bleed proof, sweat/water/sebum resistant, yet easily removeable. The jet black eyeliner has a glossy finish, brand new faceted packaging, and ultra fine pen tip (that's developed together with pentel, then pen maker).

The new product packaging is supposed to help with application. By holding it on its grooves, you can pivot the eye liner properly to easily fill in the gaps between your lashes (NOT the water line). The result is bigger eyes and fuller looking lashes.

I've owned one of their eyeliner from the super sharp series before, and I won't say it's my favourite eyeliner. I'm not sure if this would be the same formula as before. Regardless, the new packaging is BEAUTIFUL.

GLAMOUROUS LASH | 1400 YEN

The new volumizing mascara comes with a primer (fiber volume base), and a black mascara. This film type mascara can be washed off by warm water.

COLOUR ENAMEL GLOSS | 450 YEN

The sheer lip gloss has high shine like glossy enamel, adding more definition to your pout. Formulated with moisturizing ingredients such as almond oil, jojoba oil, and olive oil, it keep your baby lips kissable at all times (do wipe away that gloss before kissing though).

CLICK TO ENLARGE!

Available in 6 shades.

Ending thought:
After owing so much makeup, I'm really more of a spectator than a player on the field now.
Seeing what they have to offer is like entertainment to me. Kate rehash their eyeshadows every few season because how else are you going to keep people entertained if you don't release old products in new packages?
I think the beauty sphere is pretty much saturated by now, so new and innovative products will be far and little.
But I do have to give it to Kate for having awesome packaging.
The faceted stuff always gets to me! URGH!

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KATE Fall 2016 New Products

Underwhelmed is an understatement.

Kate is finally releasing new products for fall! About time!

I know they usually release a new palette every season even though the colour variation is similar to previous products. I thought this would be similar to all the other releases but I'm wrong!

Apart from the eyeshadow, the other products really didn't wow me. Canmake and Visee both made something similar, so I feel that there isn't much Kate has to offer in terms of innovation here. Just a rehash on products that's already out there in the market.

COLOUR SENSOR LIP TINT | 1400 YEN

A lip tint that changes colour according to your chemistry! The difference is just slight, I find it very gimmicky so I'd do without the swatches. If you're interested, you can click here to see them on their official site. It is available in 7 colour variations.

The only one that will really show a huge difference would be the shade BK-1, turning from a greyish tint to a pinkish tint. But Canmake already released something exactly the same before, so pardon the lack of enthusiasm here. Everything that's colour changing is just too gimmicky for my liking.

The only redeeming quality is perhaps the applicator, it's designed to be used perpendicular to your lips so you can coat the top and bottom lip at the same time! Hopefully this make it easier to achieve gradient lips.

DARK NIGHT GLOW | 1600 YEN

A new eyeshadow quad, containing one cream base and 3 powder eyeshadow, the colours are muted and look very wearable. I was going to say it's a rehash of older series, but truth be told, the colours are actually new. Even though it's the same colour combination (it's meant for daily wear, so you really can't get too creative with the colour combination or it'd end up looking too impractical), it's the first time I see such muted colours.

The eyeshadow base helps the later eyeshadow adhere better, and allows their colour to be more vibrant. You'll get a frosty/metallic shade and two darker shades to define your eyes to make it pop. I must say I'm in love with that metallic sheen that imparts so much dimension to the eyes! Literally make your eyes look like headlights!

Available in 5 colour variations.

CC LIP AND CHEEK CREAM | 850 YEN

Riding on the success of their CC lip balms, they now come in a bigger packaging so you can use it as a cheek cream too! The formula aims to give you natural looking colours. It's also hydrating and protects your lips from UV rays.

Available in 2 shades.

You know what? I'd tell you to save your money and get the 480 YEN CC lip cream instead. They're basically the same thing, just packaged differently.

As a Kate fan, I'm not overly excited by this release. But then again, how much newness an you bring into the market given the ton of competition around? I can only hope their quality stand out from the rest :)

Image credit: Kate and @cosme.

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NEW KATE EYESHADOW: FORMING EDGE EYES

Almond eyes are trending right now in Japan?

it's about time to explore other eye shapes, i suppose! rounded eyes have been in vogue for way too long in japan, so i'm glad the korean wave finally hit some sense into the beauty industry to start trends that actually enhances what we have instead of making us lust for something we don't have.

asian eyes are usually long and slender, it's the exact shape most caucasian makeup style goes after: the almond shaped eyes.

while you don't need this exact eye shadow palette to create the effect, this is KATE's way of recognizing and promoting a trend that i approve of!

introducing the FORMING EDGE EYES, available in 8 colour variations.

FORMING EDGE EYES | 1400 YEN

the eye shadow palette trio consist of a highlight shade, a medium shade, and a dark colour.
the shape of the pan is similar to the shape of how you'll apply the eyeshadow.

application instructions.

they recommend applying A first, followed by C, and lastly B to add definition to the eyes.
the palette comes with a sponge tip applicator, which is a pity because i think a brush will work much better with the blending.

before and after.

the eye shadow looks rather frosty, especially the highlight and medium shade.

click to enlarge!
swatches of the different colours

EDITOR'S NOTE

looking at the swatches, i notice the eye shadow is mostly frosty, which reminds me of their BROWN EDGE EYES. the only difference in this new palette lacks the nose shading powder the latter has. 

KATE is known to rehash their products, so this is definitely not a must if you already own some of their older eye shadow palettes. however, it's a good addition if you feel like experimenting with japanese eye shadows because for the price, KATE's products will amaze you. i can vouch for the smoothness and buttery-ness of their eye shadows.

KATE has a good selection of browns. if browns are too boring for you, check out GN-1, deep khaki. it's an uncommon shade among the western beauty brands! i'll personally stay away from BU-1 because frosty blue just don't float my boat.

all images belong to KATE.

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LIQUID EYELINER COMPARISON: Maybelline, Heroine Make, Kate

Sudden explosion of liquid eyeliner population at madokeki HQ.

obviously, this post is dated because now my eyeliner collection has grown from 3 to 4 (addition of dollywink).
this post will do a simple comparison between the qualities that matters to me the most (i assume they matter that much to you too).

THE CONTENDERS //



MAYBELLINE hypersharp liner (black), HEROINE MAKE smooth liquid eyeliner (black), KATE super sharp liner S spider liner II (BK-1).

click on individual link for their respective reviews!

SWATCH//


swatched on my arm, all are one swipe only.

COLOUR: all three of them are jet black. MAYBELLINE seems a little diluted because it was brand new when i swatched it.

FINISH: MAYBELLINE is the only matte black liner, while HEROINE MAKE and KATE both has a slight sheen to it.

RUB TEST//


i think this is self explanatory. you can see the results for yourself.

RUB RESISTANCE: HEROINE MAKE > KATE > MAYBELLINE

WATERPROOF: all claims to be waterproof, but MAYBELLINE is the one with a waterproof formula, while HEROINE MAKE and KATE are film type eyeliners.

OIL PROOF: they all claim to be oil proof, but i think HEROINE MAKE is the only one that really does the job well. MAYBELLINE and KATE might melt when there's oil AND heat.

MAKEUP REMOVAL: both HEROINE MAKE and KATE are film type eyeliners, they can be removed with warm water. HEROINE MAKE can come off easily with an eye makeup remover too, but KATE leaves behind a black stain for some reason. MAYBELLINE must be removed by an eye makeup remover and it cannot be removed by warm water at all.

RELIABILITY: HEROINE MAKE is the only eyeliner i can trust since it never melted or smudged on me. KATE and MAYBELLINE both melted on my eyes before (especially if i didn't powder my eyes).

IN A NUTSHELL
based on the formula alone, i really like heroine make's smooth liquid eyeliner because it can be removed by either water or eye makeup remover. why does this matter? because it means i can use it at all times, whether it's water proof makeup (that requires eye makeup remover) or it's a simple makeup (that can be washed away by just water or micellar water).

however, that doesn't mean there's no value in maybelline's hypersharp liner, because i will definitely use it when wearing waterproof mascara since they will be removed altogether by the eye makeup remover! convenient much! plus i really like it for being matte!

as for kate's super sharp liner, it's just not as reliable as heroine make smooth liquid eyeliner. it doesn't add any value to my life at all.

also, if you haven't seen my 2015 favourites, i explained why i love heroine make smooth liquid eyeliner. :) i don't want to sound like a broken record so.. watch it to find out!

did i miss out any qualities that you're interested in? leave me a comment if i did!

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KATE New Products (Autumn 2015)

Let's see how Kate tries to reinvent the wheel

translated from @cosme news:

kate's autumn focus is on the thicker brows and eye area to impart a more adult like impact. the eyeshadow focuses on the lower lid to create bigger eyes. for the lips, they are offering a lip treatment that will also colour your lips to finish the alluring autumn look.

TRAP IMPACT EYES | 1600 YEN

the main focus of the autumn collection is this new eyeshadow quint. they propose a gradient effect on the lower eyelid to make the eyes look wider. available in 5 brand new colour variations: reddish brown X pink beige, smoky greyish blue X cool silver, khaki X chic gold and so on.

DOUBLE LINE FAKER | 1000 YEN

draw a natural looking double lid fold with the double lid remake shadow liner. can also be used on the lower lid to accentuate your tear bags.

EDITOR'S NOTE: it's bascially a sheer eyeliner pen to add shadows.

CC LIP CREAM | 480 YEN

a multi function product, it colour corrects, hydrates your lips, adds a glossy sheen to it, prepare your lips for other lip products, and also cuts out UV rays. back by popular demand, the two previously limited colours are released again. you can choose from 4 shades: red, 2 shades of pink, and an orange.

CC LIP TREATMENT | 800 YEN

similar to the CC lip cream, the CC lip treatment does everything the former does with the added benefit of plumping your lips. translucent red adds an air of matured style while translucent pink is natural enough for every occassion. with a plump and hydrated looking lips, your look is now complete.

ENDING NOTE

i'd just like to say this collection of new products doesn't excite me at all. perhaps it's because i already own so many of their eyeshadow palettes to know that it's the same thing over and over again. however, for thoes of you who don't own their diamond cut eyes, i think you might want to give the trap impact eyes because it's as though the traded the glittery silver powder for the frosty shiny colours. 

it's safe to say i won't be buying any of these items.

kate has always been rather innovative, for example they were the first to release a three point lash liner, which was then copied by other makeup brands. the double eyelid faker liner is an innovative use of a sheerer formula to help extend a person's double eyelid folds. see below for the before and after. it's really pretty subtle, which makes me wonder what's the point?

image from kate official website

image credit: @cosme

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