FIVE [Ayu Mini Album] + Ayu Contacts

This was announced a while back but I was waiting for track list and covers to come out to speak of is on Gossip Candy.

Hamasaki Ayumi releasing FIVE, a "mini album", on August 31st 2011.

CD + DVD Cover

CD Only

CD Only -Limited Edition-

Track list

CD content.

01. progress (●PS3「Tales of Xillia」theme song)

02. ANother song feat. URATA NAOYA (●BeeTV「sweetTV」theme song)

03. Why... feat. JUNO (●HIS Taiwan Campaign CM song / Recochoku TV-CM song)

04. beloved (●Japan Television「Sukkiri!!」 theme song for August)

05. BRILLANTE (●music.jp TV-CF song)

Dvd content.

01. progress (video clip)
02. ANother song feat. URATA NAOYA (video clip)
03. Why... feat. JUNO (video clip)
04. beloved (video clip)
05. BRILLANTE (video clip)
06. progress (making clip)
07. ANother song feat. URATA NAOYA (making clip)
08. Why... feat. JUNO (making clip)
09. beloved (making clip)
10. BRILLANTE (making clip)

A song for a video game, Tales of Xillia, thus why the anime limited edition cover.

I'm not as excited for this as I've been for previous albums. Probably because it only has 5 new songs and doesn't feel like a "real" album does.

I mean, this could have very well been split into 2 singles and then we could have had a new album at the end of the year or something along that line. But with Ayu's life changing (aka. she got married) and the earthquake in March, I've noticed her way of doing things has changed. It's like she taking more time to focus on the things she does rather then rushing through it all. Which is good, I think.

In this album, she has 2 songs in collaboration with 2 different male singers. URATA NAOYA, whom she's performed and produced a song with already. And a new guy, JUNO. He looks tasty. Wait, what? Did I just say that out loud?!!

I like the CD Only, bust shot cover, but the other two leave me going "meh". I don't like the font they used for her name and in the face shot she looks very manly to me. I don't know if it's the hair or the eyebrows or what, but I don't find it feminine at all, and to me Ayu is all about being feminine. I could care less for the anime cover, I mean, if it'd been HER as an anime character then OK, but this one doesn't say or remind me of Ayu at all.


In other news, on the exact same date, a collection of color contact lenses will be released! Seems to be some kind of collaboration 「浜崎あゆみ × SWEET DAYS」



I don't know if they were designed by Ayu or if they just affiliated with her to use her name. Maybe they'll be using her as spokes person for this serie of lenses, who knows. I'd love to see a photo shoot of her wearing each one of them, but that's probably just me dreaming.

You can view everything in details with better pictures of the lenses Here


What do YOU think of Ayu's "FIVE" mini album? What do you think of the covers? What about the contact lenses? Would you buy any of them?

Hello Kitty @ Sephora

The other day I was on http://www.sephora.com/. I rarely shop in store because I always find the make-up is over priced... that and there's so much stuff I get dizzy and don't even know where to start looking. But I love online shopping, and it's a lot easier for me to find things at Sephora when I look online. I mean, there's no one getting in the way, pushing me around and make me feel like an idiot cause I don't know what the hell I'm doing. Love it!

Long story short, I came across the following:

Hello Kitty Collection @ Sephora

I used to obsess over Hello Kitty stuff. And while it's calmed down and I haven't actually purchased anything Hello Kitty related since I came back from Tokyo, I'm REALLY EXCITED for this. I mean, even when M.A.C. came out with their Hello Kitty Collection, I wasn't THIS excited.

After searching online, I found THIS lovely page that gives out a lot of info, in fact, lots of DETAILS. Pretty much everything the collection is said to have, down to the prices they will be sold at.

Pictures of only a few selected products. It seems there'll be TONS more. But I just can't get over how freaking KAWAII are the HK face shaped bottles. At this point I almost don't even care if I will like or dislike the scent of the perfume, I just want to own the cute thing! And the polish bottle, I mean really? WHY hasn't any nail polish company thought of this first?! REALLY! I would have bought cute shaped nail polish bottles of even colors I would NOT wear.

After searching online real quick, it seems this collection will be coming out in mid-January. But you can subscribe Here to get updates and e-mails on the Collection and when it'll be available. That's exactly what I did.

I might actually have to buy a bus ticket to bus out to Rideau Centre, and avoid the high amount of stress to park downtown, just to check out this Collection in person. I mean, really, that says a lot coming from a girl that just recently swore to never taking the bus ever since she got her car a month ago.


What do you think of this Sephora X Hello Kitty Collection?
Is there Sephora in your country? Will you be checking it out?
If there isn't, do you think you'd buy online?