Shiseido update Summer '09/10

Joanne Leong is the consummate beauty professional – she's whippet thin, immacutely groomed, stylish and good at her job. Don't you just hate her already? Well actually she's a doll too, goddamnit!

For those of us who are children of the '80s Shiseido Moisture Mist was our introduction to foundation (man some girls let those sponges get manky!) My award-winning makeup artist friend Fraser Newton still recommends it as the best available in New Zealand. It's a little known fact that Moisture Mist is made only for the New Zealand market. (Boh Runga designed this year's limited edition Moisture Mist compact, and you can win one of ten amazing $160+ makeup packs which incorporate it, here.)

But I digress. Jo had development not just Moisture Mist, but also in the Shiseido makeup collection, fragrance, and men's products to tell us about – our highlights below.

Shiseido Ray of Light Zen Parfum Concentrate – limited edition

I really wanted to love the first Zen release but it was a little 'sharp' for my taste – this version is fuller and just right. It's described as a woody floral and has blue rose and magnolia top notes; jasmine and lotus flower mid notes; and vanilla, white musk and amber as a base.

Those of you who appreciate quietly beautiful packaging will love the bottle, which has fine gold lines to convey “spaces between
rays of sunlight.” How zen is that!? RRP$139, available now.

Shiseido Moisture Mist Balancing Gel Mist

This could well become a summer handbag essential. It moisturises AND controls oxcess oil and it comes in a spritzer – you can
use it as a toner, a primer or spritz it over makeup to moisten and refresh. RR$26, available now.

Shiseido Men Moisturising Self Tanner

Ok this is VERY metro, but just like us men need to protect their skin from the sun, and it's only reasonable that some of them may like that healthy, bronzed-face look too! Men love practical multitaskers so the fact that the self tanner moisturises as well as bronzing. RRP$55(50 ml), available now.

Shiseido Perfect Rouge – Glowing Matte and Tender Sheer

British makeup maestro Dick Page is Shiseido's artistic director and he designed these two new formulations to build on the success of his Perfect Rouge release of a year ago. Our Joanne is excited by thyet-to-be-revealed advertising imagery – she says it's an edgy step for Shiseido. We tested both Glowing Matte and Tender Sheer and found both textures divine – the former particularly soft and supple for a matte. You will have to wait till 8 February for these babies to hit the counter – sounds like a great Valentines Day gift-to-self! $RR50

Note – accompanying the lipsticks' arrival on counter will be new Luminizing Satin Face Color Blushers, 5 new shades in
Luminising Satin Eye Colur; new Liminizing Lip Gloss and a new Sheer Matifying Compact – start saving, beauties!