Japanese Drugstore Haul!

About a week ago, Alanna from UK2Tokyo and I went to Veggie Food Festival at Yoyogi Park. After we enjoyed Vegetarian Kebab and wandering around the park looking for treasures, we dropped by Ainz Tulpe in Harajuku. If you live in Tokyo and haven't been there before, you need to go there as soon as you can. Because I guarantee you that you will find amazing products you have not seen before. It's quite a big drugstore that has 2 floors and we actually spent 1.5 hours there as long as I can remember. Today I want to share my thoughts on the products I got from Ainz Tulpe as well as the ones I got to review!

Non Kuma
It contains 4 sheet masks for under the eyes that you can use multiple times.  I admit that I was attracted to the cute packaging at first, then I read that it reduces the appearance of dark circles which I am always conscious about. So when I found out it was only 500yen or so, I didn't hesitate to buy one. Far infrared slightly warms them up once applied, which they claim to improve circulation. I have used it once and I wish the sheets were a bit softer, but it feels relaxing to have slightly warm sheets under the eyes. My undereye circles are pretty dark so it might not erase them completely, but I am hoping them to fade a little so that I can reduce the amount of concealers to apply to hide them...

Rafra Balm Orange / Yuzu Honey
Rafra Balm Orange is my favourite cleansing balm in the world. I will write an in-depth review on this product because I have been enjoying it a lot, but this is such a lovely cleanser that makes me excited to remove makeup. Usually they only have the orange-scented one, but they just came out with a limited scent which is a blend of Yuzu and Honey. The scent is much weaker than the original, but it's more lemon-y and refreshing.

Pantene Extra Damage Care Hair Mask
This hair mask is given to me to review on my blog. As it's packed with silicone, it makes my hair feel absolutely silky smooth. My fine hair gets tangled very easily, but I don't even have to comb it in the morning when I have used this hair mask the night before.

Asience MEGURI
Though I cannot share my thoughts on this yet, the concept seems very interesting and unique. Asience, one of the most popular (and classic) hair care brands in Japan which I was obsessed with when I was younger, just came out with this new range called MEGURI. I got the trial set to see if I like them, and I believe it was only 500yen. There are 3 different scents, and I assume there is no difference between them besides the scents. I got Bergamot and Neroli which is the feminine yet refreshing scent, and they also have Lavender and Lemongrass, and Geranium and Mint. Starting with shampoo like you normally do, succinic acid removes calcium built up in your hair. Then apply the gel which supple your hair, and move on to the hair treatment without washing the gel off. I will write an in-depth review once I have tried them!

Ce Parfait Loose Powder / The City Matte
This is another product I got to review. I usually prefer pressed powder (I have been loving the pressed powder from Me Me Me Cosmetics, which makes my skin look like porcelain doll) rather than loose powder, because loose powder is a little too fine that completely disappears on my skin. But this loose powder maintains the matte skin for hours, which is a big PLUS for me! It looks a little bit cakey at the beginning, but once set on the skin, it makes it look flawless. The only downside is that it's a little too pigmented and makes me look pale. I much prefer a transparent powder.

L'Oreal Super Liner V Sculptor / Soft Bronze
I believe this product isn't available in the UK nor the US, but I hope they will bring it out there soon! I use it as an eyeshadow stick rather than an eyeliner, and it is absolutely beautiful. The sponge tip applicator isn't necessarily practical and the powder is pretty loose that falls off on the cheeks, but it looks so pretty on the lid! It's so pigmented and blendable, and the metallic finish is gorgeous.

What is your favourite Japanese drugstore product? Any recommendations? Let me know!

Exclusive in Asia? L'Oreal Lucent Magique Cushion Foundation

L'Oreal Lucent Magique Cushion Foundation  3,200yen
L'oread just came out with their version of Korean Cushion Foundation in Japan. It's already sold in Hong Kong and Thailand I suppose, and might be coming to other countries soon considering the fact this kind of foundation is getting more and more popular over there.

The case and refill come separately. The case is 1,000yen, and the refill is 2,200yen. Meaning once you've used it up, you can repurchase the foundation for 2,200yen which isn't too bad. The shade I've got is N2, which is the lighter shade out of two and another is N3.

You can see how liquidy the texture is, but the puff controls the wetness of it by absorbing the excess water (or whatever it is making it liquidy). It evens out the skin tone when applied on the skin by the cushiony puff, but it has very little coverage that you definitely need a concealer if you have blemishes or dark circles. I don't personally think this is a downside because I don't want my foundation to cover literally everything that I don't even need a little bit of concealer. That would be a scary look as if I am wearing a 'face mask made with foundation'.  Foundation is to even out the complexion, not to mask everything.

If you have dry skin, you will like the finish of it because it makes your skin look naturally healthy and dewy. If you have oily to combination skin like me, you might find it a little too shiny even if you set it with a powder.

This foundation is for those who have normal to dry skin, have no concerns and troubles with it that a foundation isn't even needed -but want something to even out the skin tone to make it look slightly better than bare skin. It also has SPF29 PA+++ which is perfect for a daily use.

Cushion foundation gives this beautiful and natural glow to the skin without making it look heavy and cakey. The texture is pretty unique that you might need some time to get use to -I was like 'EW!' when I tried for the first time because it feels cold and wet, which in't necessarily a pleasant feeling. But I definitely recommend it to younger people in their twenties, including my younger self at the age of 18.

Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Oil Jelly

Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Oil Jelly 
During the cold season, I sometimes feel my skin needs intense moisture. As I have combination skin I don't suffer from dry or chapped skin, but when I was younger -until the age of 25- I had really dry skin that sometimes I couldn't even laugh as my skin felt so tight because of the dryness. Whenever I had really really dry skin that none of my moisturiser worked, I applied a very thin layer of Vaseline to protect the skin. But it felt awful on the skin. Very greasy and sticky. Since then, I haven't had a good impression about Vaseline that I hadn't owned it even...until I got Hada Labo Oil Jelly.

The base of this 'jelly' is something called Super Vaseline which melts at 35 degrees which is about the same as our body temperature. It's so soft that you might be able to tell from the photo above, I put my finger in and it instantly started melting that it literally felt like jelly.

It doesn't feel heavy and tacky like normal Vaseline, it's more like a gel consistency when applied to the skin. It contains polymer that makes the skin feel smooth, and it works amazingly that you cannot tell that you just applied Vaseline 30 seconds ago. I was expecting it to be sticky, but I was completely wrong. It's not sticky AT ALL! Also it doesn't have any scent to it which is perfect for those who are sensitive to fragrances.

It's easy to carry it around in your makeup bag as it's compact, and you can apply it on the skin on top of your makeup as it's so light. You also can use it on your hands, nails, hair and lips! It completely changed my perspective about Vaseline. Well done Super Vaseline, you really are super!

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream £26.00
Are you into this 'No Makeup Makeup' look? Are you confident on your skin? You don't like foundation yet want something to even out your discolouration? If you answered yes to any of the questions, you will like Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream from bareMinerals. I had seen quite a few beauty bloggers raving about it so I was pretty excited to receive it to review.

The shade I got is 03 Buttercream. I first thought it was too yellow for my squinting, but it actually didn't matter -because it's so sheer that you can't tell its shade. It definitely gives a natural glow. Not a glittery glow, a very fresh skin-like glow.

My skin has been behaving well recently, but as I got older my pores appeared bigger. So even when my skin is clear I have to be really careful not to emphasise my pores by any products putting on my skin. And this tinted cream kind of does make my pores visible and noticeable. I think one of the reasons is because it gives the natural glow that reflects lights that makes each pore stands out.

It also makes my skin a little shiny and greasy throughout the day even if I set it with powder. I have to use extra blotting paper when I wear this cream. I have to test it longer during the winter to judge fully whether it makes my skin greasy even in the cold weather or not, as it just started getting cooler in Japan (finally!).

However, it's a wonderful cream if you have dry skin with smaller looking pores. I want to introduce this cream to myself in my early twenties when I had really dry skin. Any foundation made my skin look dry which made it look older, and in winter it sometimes peeled off even. It would work amazingly on dry skin giving a natural shine and glow.

I definitely recommend this cream to young, dry skin that needs a little bit of something rather than being bare-skinned. It's got SPF30 PA+++ which makes it a perfect base product to wear when you go walk your dog -or just going to a supermarket on a lazy weekend when you don't want to put makeup on. Consider it as a slightly tinted moisturiser that makes your skin look healthy and dewy.

If you have oily to combination skin, you might not like this. Avoid purchasing it online, go to the shop and test it on your skin, see if you really like it for a couple of hours at least. If it doesn't make my skin greasy during winter, I might wear it underneath my foundation, but not on its own because of the pore-emphasising effect.

Have you tried this cream yet? Do you think it's worth the hype?

Clinique Travel Box -Hong Kong

One of my favourite things to do when I go abroad, is to shop at Duty Free. Especially when I am in the country where the exchange rate is terrible -such as the UK- I take the full advantage of being able to shop without tax, because just a tiny bit of discount matters. Another reason why I like Duty Free is because they have exclusive products / sets that you can't miss out. This Clinique Travel Box is definitely one of them, considering the fact it's a set of full sized products.

Travel Box Hong Kong £55
All About Shadow Quad / Going Steady
Quickliner For Eyes Intense / Intense Charcoal
Lash Power Feathering Mascara / Black Onyx
Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm / Pudgy Peony
Cheek Pop / Plum Pop
Makeup Bag

I always wanted to try their Cheek Pop as I had heard so many good things about it. The shade Plum Pop does not look like a plum shade to me but it's a gorgeous bright pink that instantly brightens up the completion. Unfortunately blue toned pink does not look as pretty as I wish it would be on my skin, but the pigmentation is great and it blends easily into the skin.

It's easy to create both a simple and feminine look, and a smoky and seductive look with All About Shadow Quad in Going Steady. Using shade 1 on all over the lid with shade 3 on crease, you can reach a feminine version of 'no makeup makeup'. I used shade 1 on the lid, shade 3 on the crease, shade 4 on the outer corner, and shade 2 on the lower lash line in the photos above.

Shade 4 is a little bit hard to blend, you really need to be patient and keep blending for a couple of minutes -which I am not even exaggerating- until there is no line. Yes, the application takes a little longer but it's worth it. Look how beautifully each shade blends with each other! 

Also Quickliner For Eyes Intense is a very good pencil eyeliner that provides you a smooth application, and the sponge on the other end comes in handy when you want to smudge the line. And my favourite product out of everything in this beautiful set is the mascara. Feathering Mascara is one of my favourite mascaras ever, because it really does make my lashes look like feather -very light, separated and full. People often ask me if my lashes are naturally that long and full when I am wearing it -that's how natural the lashes look! I have two tubes opened -and I must say it dries out pretty quickly which makes it a tiny bit clumpy, but still works wonderfully- and both are almost empty because this is the only mascara I wear recently. I am going to repurchase it over and over again for sure.

If you like a bright pink lipstick that does not make your lips look flat and old-fashioned, Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Pudgy Peony is perfect for you. You still can see your lips through as if your lips are candy coated. The lipstick itself is pretty sheer yet very pigmented. The bright blue toned pink is not my kind of shade, but I love how it wears! I totally understand why Chubby Stick has been raved about and influenced other brands to bring out similar types of lipstick. 

The makeup bag is also very cute and bright which represent Hong Kong -the very energetic city. It's not too big nor too small, which is very handy to have in your makeup bag collection. Apparently they have different Travel Boxes represent different cities such as London, NY and Paris, and they all look so pretty! And I think they did a very good job representing each city with a perfect colour scheme. If you like bright pink, you will absolutely love this set. 

What is your favourite product from Clinique? Let me know!

I will be back soon!

Hello! I hope there is someone reading this post. It's been about 2 months since I wrote my previous post. At that point, I was very sick (it took me more than one month to get over a cold, plus I broke my bones by coughing in the end!), super overwhelmed with all the tasks I had to get done before leaving for the UK, and I got criticised about something totally childish, and I just got tired of everything that I needed some time to gain my passion towards blogging.

The rest of August was amazing, I had a wonderful time in my favourite city in the world. I spent time with my loved ones, and every moment of it taught me that I should be who I am, and never change for an odd reason. Also as I bought so many beauty products, I kind of missed blogging in English.

After coming back to Tokyo, I started blogging constantly in Japanese. But I was too busy being sick, juggling work and writing articles, doing housework, taking care of some family issues....which did not leave me time to blog in English.

However, I am working on something right now. I decided to transfer my blog to Wordpress from Ameblo for various reasons -which I'm struggling SO MUCH that I almost cried 100 times already- and eventually I want to combine both English and Japanese blogs together. I don't know if it's possible to only show Japanese posts on one page and English posts on another, but it would be more convenient and that's what I am aiming for...which might take years for me to figure out how to do this.

In the meantime, I decided to change the design on my blogger page, and I absolutely love the new design that instantly made me want to start blogging again! How silly am I? But I am that simple, and I like it. Okay?

Anyway, I think I'm ready now. I hope I am. I am still very busy, but I will start blogging in English soon. Thanks for those who left a comment on my social media accounts saying that you were missing my blog, I didn't expect that at all so I was very happy to hear that there were people actually enjoying my blog, and waiting for me to start again. It meant a lot to me, thank you.

See you very soon!