October 4, 2007

MuseTV Presents: Spotlight on Canmake

If I may, allow me to introduce you to a wonderful little Japanese Brand entitled Canmake.

Canmake is pretty much the bottom of the line in regards to cosmetics. It’s a cheap and cheesy little brand that packs a baby punch of goodness 🙂

It’s cute, usable, and inexpensive. If you’re on a budget we are heading into the land of sweet cosmetics that will cost you a few dollars and leave you left over money for lunch! Yay! Canmake kinda reminds me of a time when I was 10 or 11 and Bonnie Bell was the epitome of fine cosmetics and if you had a lipgloss from Bonnie Bell you were the height of fashion, style, and sophistication (or maybe that was just me feeling this way hmmm).

MuseTV Presents: A Spotlight On Canmake Cosmetics

Canmake has both an English and a Japanese site. For some odd reason or another I enjoy visiting the Japanese site more than the American site, don’t ask me why, we’ve already established I could be mental. Canmake’s site is pretty darn helpful as they have diagrams for application all over the bloody place! I love user friendly sites don’t you? This isn’t something you’ll find in any brand stateside so enjoy the helpfulness of the Japanese and take advantage of the great tutorials and how to’s on some of these sites because I personally find them very helpful and just awesome!

Canmake has a HUGE catalog of goodies and I only have a few of the items they carry! The entire line is pretty darn big. They carry a little bit of everything. Glosses, Blushes, Skincare, Perfume, Etc…

One item that I failed to mention in my video that deserves a good healthy rave would be the Cheek Gradation. Basically this is a highlighter not a blush, which means don’t try wearing it by it’s lonesome, it’s not nearly pigmented enough to make any difference on a bare skinned face. Apply your blush and afterwards apply the Cheek Gradation of your choice and Presto! Chango! You’ll glow and elude a soft dewy look! Yum!

The Gradations I’ve used are 01, 04 (we’ll take more about 04 in a second), and 02. Basically the Gradations give me a soft sparkle after using my blush and a cheaper Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick effect. I liked all the ones I have but my favorite would be the limited edition color 04. I don’t normally like a bronzed look and 04 gives the appearance of being a somewhat bronzy color however, upon using it, you’ll find out that it’s the most pigmented of all the Gradations that Canmake makes. It could possibly be used alone as a blusher (I haven’t tried that yet). 04 oringally started out as a limited edition shade but my little eye spies it on both the Japanese and the American site so if you have the means try and grab this gem! The Cheek Gradations run about $7 bucks each and hey if you’re really wanting a Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick but the price seems just a little too much right now…spend $7 and get yourself a Canmake Cheek Gradation and call it a day 😉 The Muse loves them and recommends them fully!

Canmake Cheek Graduations

01, 04, and 02

Canmake makes quite a few different shadows, most of which I’ve tried. Sadly, you can’t expect too much from a Canmake shadow. Shadows are a good texture but they are very, very sheer depending on which shadow series you end up purchasing!

The first shadows I’ll discuss are the Eye Nuanace Trios. These are tiny circular palettes that include three very workable shades! I should say that if you aren’t a fan of pigmented shadows or you like a sheer, no nonsense, minimalist look, these are great! I’ve used these on many occasions when I am just not up for a full on eye makeup look! The trios always have colors that work well together so if you enjoy colors that are neatly organized you’ll love these! I have six of these and my favorite of the lot is 11. The combos of green and yellow are just lovely and it goes on for a pretty nice look!

Canmake Eye Nuance

03, 14, 11, 12, and 09

Oooo this guy got left out of the group picture my mistake 😉 Canmake Eye Nuance in 15

Overall, I’d say for around $5 you get what you pay for. If you have the means to get them do add them to you cart however, don’t pay more than retail for them! That’d be a waste!

Next up on the eyeshadow line would be a favorite of mine, the Metallic Eyes single shadows. These little guys are great! They pack a nice sparkle to them and are pretty nicely pigmented for the price of $4.50 or so! I use these as a highbrow highlighter or an all over color wash. They go on pretty heavy with the first stroke and you can build the intensity as little or as much as you like! I give these a high recommendation because they do exactly what they promise!

Canmake Metallic Eyeshadow

01, 11, and 08

Another that falls into my favorite list is the Glitter Eye palettes. These are pretty cute palettes. What I failed to mention earlier is the packaging these all come in is really tiny and small so it makes great for toting around! Now the Glitter Eye palettes are a favorite however, you have to be aware that some colors are more pigmented and others are very sheer. These are a tad on the grainy side, think the middle color in the Lunasol Geminate Eye Palettes, of course it’s not nearly as bad as that but as you get deeper into these palettes it gets a bit grainy. Most of the colors I can’t use alone for a look unless I really want a minimal no makeup look but I do use them as washes of colors to prep my eye area or as a highbrow highlighter and they work a treat! Purchase 06 or 05 if you want to wear these alone as those are the most pigmented I’ve come across for these! For $5 a pop these are worth getting one or two of just to try! The Muse recommends them!

Canmake Glitter Eye Palette

06, 05, 04, 01, and 02

Almost done with shadows! Two more to go 😉

Next up the Dual Sparkle Shadow from Canmake. These are very sheer, so sheer they may be transparent. I don’t get too much sparkle from these but the good news is they do a great wash of color to prep my eye area for something that packs a better punch. I can’t say I don’t recommend buying these because I actually do. At about $4.50 you can’t afford not to at least try one or two! The colors offered are pretty nice and the shadows have a good, smooth texture to them.

Canmake Dual Sparkle Shadow

03 and 02

Finally on our list is another favorite of mine! The Glow Twin color are pretty darn pigmented for the price of $5.50 each. These are fantastic for a really, super quick make-up look! Darn good multitasking shadow in that you can create a simple look, use them as highbrow highlighters, use them as color washes, or even dip a blush brush in and powder your cheeks with them for some sparkle! The texture is very smooth and almost creamy when applied. I find that the top color has a bit more shimmer than the bottom color. The bottom color almost appears matte in texture compared to the top! I really like these and give them a big thumbs up 😉

Canmake Glow Twin Color Shadows

03 and 02

Canmake has a really nice size line of glosses! I’ve only tried the Lip Essence and it goes right onto the recommendations list. It’s one of the few Japanese Brands that I’ve seen a sponge applicator with, as much as I like the spatula style applicator, sometimes it’s nice to have a sponge one 😉

Canmake Lip Essence

Colors: Lip Essence and 02

The gloss is nice and slick minus any tacky, sticky feelings! The colors are very nice and you can wear them alone for a nice wash of gloss, shine, and a tiny bit of color. My favorite is 02 it gives me a nice reddish pink kissed look! $6 or so each and the Muse says it’s a steal for a great gloss!

Our Canmake Spotlight comes to an end with the Super Glitter Liner! Looking for a cheap inexpensive glitter liner? Well, here it is! Works just as well as the MAC Glitter Liners, or Too Faced, or Pop, or any of the other designer brands that put out Glitter Liners 😉

Canmake Super Glitter Liners

01, 03, and Limited Editon 04

These liners are about $5 each and are perfect for adding a little sparkle to your lower and upper eye line! Wanna get the most bang for your buck? Use them as a liner, use them to smooth onto your lashes for a bit of sparkle, use by patting ont your shadow for some extra POP!

Another fine product from Canmake!

That’s all for today my friends! I hope you enjoyed getting to know more about my favorite inexpensive brand of cosmetic, Canmake! If you have any questions do give a shout and I’m happy to answer 😉

17 Comments

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Anonymous

    Hi Muse,

    This looks like a fun line! I am curious about the new foundation that’s paraben free. Your thoughts on it?

    It’s quite OK you haven’t responded to my email. Life gets crazy busy. =D

    Have you tried Magie Deco yet? That’s another brand I am curious about and am contemplating trying.

    Cheers!
    Betsy

  • A-Mused

    ‘ello betsy 🙂

    Do you mean the lola duo? It’s Paraben free but not new.

    Gosh yes! You’re a doll for being so understanding 🙂

    gosh the Magie Deco is so elegant and girlish! I seen some pics and fell in lust 😉

    Hugs!

  • Anonymous

    Hi again Muse,

    I think the new one is called something like Essence in Foundation. I saw it on Rouge’s website.

    You keep posting so many nice items on your site! I am now going to have to look into the Beauty Powders and the Emerald smokey eye kit. For some reason I have been leaning towards blues and greens lately.

    I may break down and order a Magie Deco palette from Kelly. I’ll let you know if I do and definitely let you know how I like it!

    Cheers!
    Betsy

  • A-Mused

    Hey Betsy!

    Hmmm…Got a link? I’d love to see which one it i!

    The Beauty Powders are nice! I must say I give them a hearty ok for purchase! They are really nice!

    lol I love to create the lems my dear 😉 I must say the Stila deal right now is great! i ordered both of the new smoky eyes because really the price can’t be beat. I have the original and really loved it so these two will be a welcome addition to the family.

    I’d get it if I were you! Free shipping plus 20% off is great IMHO!

    Kelly’s prices scared the bloody hell outta me lately. Every since she started doing combined shipping my hair stands up when I see some of the prices 🙁

    What’s she asking for a palette at the moment? Last time I looked at her Kose items they were too hot for me to touch hehehe!

    Hugs love!

  • ???

    hello dear!

    i have the glitter eye in the pinkish red and yeah, it’s a bit more on the grainy side but the glitter is pretty! 😀

    haven’t tried out the dual sparkle and eye nuance trio but the colour seems lovely, especially the aqua greenish colour and purple trio.

    but my fav item from this line is the cheek & highlighter which is not available in your post, it’s has a darker side for blush and a lighter side for highlighting. The colour payoff is alright with subtle shimmer. If you are those that goes with a heavy hand, this is quite nice to use as it wun turn ur cheecks into horrible red spots!

    i wud love to try out the mettalic eyeshadows as i heard some nice reviews and after reading from u, i’m gonna go get one soon. 😀

    the cheek graduation is not available here and the colour is so pretty!!! same goes for the twin colour shadow…sigh~

    regards,
    ???

  • the Muse

    hello again ???!

    *hugs*

    The glitter is definately pretty 😉 I’ve wanted to actually swap these off as I didn’t use them all that much!

    The trios are a bit sheer but a little work and they come out very nicely with a look 😉

    I’ve never tried the dual sided blushes but I have seen them and now I think I want one with your rave review of it 🙂

    I am one for having a heavier hand so I’d probably end up with two red dots hehe!

    The metallic shadow are my fav and heavily pigmented for the price if you get them do a review on your blog would love to read/hear your thoughts!

    I love the cheek graduations especially the chocolate so pretty 😉

    Many hugs!

  • ???

    i love the way you do your blush. vibrant and suits you alot! i’m not as fair as you and i have horrible pigmentations >_<, blushes that are too bright or too heavy will make me look weird. i've tried it. >_< canmake’s pricing over here in malaysia isn’t really too friendly to student’s pocket, for their price, i can get stuff from Kate or Skinfood! and alot of the nice items aren’t available here, such as your cheek gradation. sad. regards,
    ???

  • the Muse

    hi ???!

    Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😉

    What’s your skintone? I use a great product for brightening up the tone of my skin maybe it’ll help you 😉

    Honestly I love canmake but if it was a higher price tag I probably wouldn’t buy it. That’s so sad when prices are jacked up sigh 🙁

    the cheek grads are a fav of mine! So sorry to hear you’re unable to get them 🙁

    grr!

    hugs!

  • ???

    i’m of fair to medium tone, a bit yellowish, with pigmentation on the cheeks. >_< i hate those freckles. btw, i did a review on the canmake’s cheek and highlight, if you wanna purchase it, maybe you wanna have a look, but it’s purely my opinion~ so dun mind if there’s any mistakes 😛 sigh, good things are hard to come by. maybe i’ll try to get online for the cheek gradation 😀

  • the Muse

    hi ???!

    That’s about me too but no yellow tones and no freckles!

    Freckles are beautiful 😉

    I seen your review and I definately want it now. It looks good!

    Def get online as a few shops sell at not so bad prices 😉

    Cheers!
    Love and Hugs!

  • Ay

    Muse, Dear…
    I think what Betsy meant was the Canmake’s Essence in Foundation, it’s on Canmake’s site under the Base option. I also curious about Canmake’s bases, they look so good and some of them promises to give sparkle look. Plus, they’re skin friendly. Have you tried any of them?

  • the Muse

    hey ay!

    Sorry for the late reply 🙂

    ah ha!!!!! Sorry about that 😉

    I haven’t sadly. They are skin friendly, no parabens yay!

    I’ll consider buying some and reviewing 😉

  • Anonymous

    I wish I could live in Japan, I can get Canmake only through ebay.com. And the sellers there make the prices too high 🙁

  • the Muse

    aw sorry anonymous!

    have you seen my japanese shopping guide maybe it’ll help u locate cheaper canmake 😉

  • Nunuiviet

    The only stuff that I bought from their brands are the lipsticks and the lip essence, so far not so bad, but the range of colours is very limited, but he what the heck they’re cheap!

  • Kate

    Only tried their eyelashes and I wasn’t much of fan. They don’t seem to suit non-Asian types of eyes very well, or maybe I am just terrible at using them haha. I have NO issues with Dollywink or Jewerich eyelashes though, which I adore. <3 I want a truckload of those lashes hahahaha.