Every season, I get surprised by the sheer multitude of Kanebo’s offerings. During the Autumn / Winter '17 collection, I finally found out why; despite being a 130-year old brand, they only came to the Philippines last 2011 and need to seriously beef up the local collection! I’m a huge fan of Japanese cosmetics, and the Kanebo family of brands (Coffret D’Or, Kate and Kanebo) are some of my best-reviewed brands.

Here’s the things I got to try from the latest collection, with some impressions based off a 3-week on-and-off trial:

Kanebo Luster Cream Foundation w SPF 15*, P 7200 / 30ml, available in 8 shades

I love this PHP 7200 foundation! Let’s be real about the elephant in the room… The price tag and it being a PR sample can definitely affect the way I see things, which is why I wanted more space to justify my feelings about it. I can say it’s pretty but I would also like to go more objectively into why I find it great. For now, a teaser with some snippets of what I’ve seen so far.

This is fucking trendy. cle de peau recently made noise among the American YT community with the world’s most expensive foundation with an SRP of $250 (~PHP13 000) / 27ml. I love this trend of luxury brands coming out with high coverage, skincare-textured foundation! Moreso, Kanebo’s own iteration is exciting because I’m a huge fan of 5R Color Technology. I love how it delivers a realistic finish by layering pigment under a pearlescent glow. And while it can be argued that it’s not always the best formulation for things like matte eyeshadow and lipstick, it’s the best thing to happen to base products such as foundation, blush, contour and highlight. So if you’re new to the brand, I suggest trying their base products as, in my opinion, they’re the star products.

I also appreciate how many more shades it has, especially compared to Korean bases. My shade OC-B is somewhere in the middle of the collection, and I while I am still fairer on average in the local population, this is pretty inclusive.

The foundation is being cross-released with the Kanebo Foundation Brush (P 3000). The brush toe (surface) is cornered on one end and rounded for the rest. It’s about as big as a grape, and I like how it reaches in easily to tight corners such as the top lip, around the nose and eyes.

Kanebo Volume Framing Mascara*, P 2280

This mascara has a straight, thin wand. Wands are difficult to judge objectively just because your eye shape and technique factors heavily in its success. I will say for my puffy eyes and long, thin lashes, I prefer a straight and thin wand.

More to the point, what’s rave-able about this mascara is the waxy formula! I love how it separates and volumizes each lash. It does get overwhelming though, and sometimes I feel it weighs my lashes down. It also can be spiderlike and clumpy as I'm perfecting the application - I think it's the heavy formula. Because it is a little much, I get the best results when I remove excess mascara from the wand with a tissue before application.

Kanebo Intense Crayon Rouge*, P 2100, available in 6 colors

Of all the lip collections I’ve seen from Kanebo, this autumn release has the most Pinay-friendly and wearable colors. The color is more intense, so those who have darker lips like myself don't need to worry about uneven lip color. Ranging from warm pinks to vibrant reds and deep wines, these colors are a no-brainer for Pinays.

I have the shade 02 Chic Pink. It’s a nice, soft rose on my warm, medium skintone and I think it will suit the whole range of warm skin tones as well! It makes my lips look less cracky, which might be a product of the soft matte formula + 5R color technology. I can’t get over how conditioned my lips look with this particular lippy, and even during the event I kept thinking to myself if the brand consultant had lip injections; no she did not, and she did not even use this collection’s lip primer. I always remember this interaction when I admire the lippie’s finish on my own lips!

I think we’ve been pretty fixated on liquid mattes for the better part of the decade, so it was a breath of fresh air to have this soft matte (not full matte) option. I’ve almost forgotten how understatedly elegant a soft matte lip can be, just because I’ve been so used to seeing in-your-face glam with liquid mattes.

This season, Kanebo is also releasing the Kanebo Tone Up Primer w SPF 15, P 3600 / 30ml, a pinkish, pearlish primer meant to brighten most skintones. This is not mere marketing; color theory does verify that pink will slightly brighten nearly all skintones. With a green primer released in the previous collection, these two colored primers are set to address Pinays’ most common complexion issues. Kanebo Selection Colors Eyeshadow in 06 Elegant Lavender, P 3300 is something I’m not very excited about. I like their palettes but I’m not a fan of lavender on the eyes so I do hope for the upcoming seasons they push for more nudes, roses and golds. There’s also a Kanebo Eyebrow Mascara in 01 Neutral Grayish and 02 Neutral Brownish, P 1680 featuring a two-sided brush. Mostly, I was shocked upon trying this how clean it looked on the brow skin! Normally it’s a big no-no to smear browcara on the brow area, but when I swatched haphazardly, the pigment looked soft and blended on my skin. Lastly, the Kanebo Variant Brosse (Contour,) P 1500  is also out, but only in one shade. Like I said about the foundation, Kanebo base products are the one to watch out for. This has a gradiented contour pan which helps you apply more natural-looking contour. And the pearlesence of the highlight is just <3 It’s a must to swatch it though, because this one variant might not show up on darker Filipina skin tones.

As for skincare, Kanebo is still completing their Chrono Beauty-inspired skincare shelves. This season is all about the lifetime cycle; or those products focused on solving skin issues that develop over a longer period of time, i.e. anti-aging skincare. The Kanebo Graceful Flow Lotion P 6000 / 180ml is their anti-aging, hydrating toner aimed at repairing elasticity at the deepest levels of the skin. The Kanebo Fulfilling Emulsion P 7200 / 100ml, is meant as a second layer to the Graceful Flow Lotion, and it targets fine lines that have come to the surface. Next is the super unique Kanebo Skin Gloss Oil Water, P 3000 / 50ml. It’s an essence-oil combo that can be additionally used on the body and hair :o The only biphase items I’ve tried are eye makeup removers, and having this leave-on skincare felt like such a treat tbh. It’s one of my faves for this release! Lastly, the Kanebo Skin-Tightening Cream P 12000 / 40ml marks the final step in a Kanebo anti-aging skincare routine.

Kanebo is an investment, but thankfully they have physical stores in the local market. I suggest you visit a Rustan’s and just familiarize yourself with what the brand is offering. I find the brand very reliable!

*These items were sent for editorial consideration.