Integrate is a Japanese drugstore beauty brand belongs to Shiseido. Their products especially the eyeliners and eyeshadow palettes are pretty popular in Japan, but I had never tried anything from the brand. But when I saw online that they came out with the gorgeous lipgloss range called Girl's Kiss Jelly last month, I couldn't resist but to pick one up.
The lip gloss comes in 7 different shades and I have to admit all of them look very pretty and wearable. I picked up this shade called Cherry&Berry, because first of all this is the only limited shade out of seven, secondly it looks so pretty. This kind of deep berry shade is on trend this winter, but I don't have enough courage to wear a lipstick in this shade. So I thought this lip gloss would be perfect for someone like me!
I am not a huge fan of Japanese 'Kawaii' stuff, but I really like this heart shaped lid! It adds a little bit of cuteness and makes me happy whenever I apply the lip gloss.
The angled tube applicator makes it easier to apply, and it doesn't dispense too much at once because the hole is so tiny.
The shade is very unique in my opinion, because it looks quite sheer and reddish like 'cherry' when applied one coat, and when you build it up with 2nd and 3rd coat, it becomes more like a 'berry' shade that has a purple / burgundy undertone to it. One coat gives you a natural shine and pout, or you can build it up to a deeper red.
It has tiny glitter particles that make your lips look gorgeous. Wearing a little sparkle on your lips is definitely suitable for winter. I hate lip gloss that has glitters that stay on my lips until I wipe them off with a tissue even after the lip gloss itself has been worn off. That sandy feeling on the lips is disgusting! With this lip gloss I haven't had such a problem, which is a good point.
You can apply it straight from the tube but I like using my Real Techniques' brush to apply. But because the applicator is small, it's not difficult at all to apply it straight from the tube either.
According to the website, it has a 'sweet and spicy' scent, but the scent is quite subtle that I didn't even notice at first. It indeed smells fruity and sweet, and has kind of a floral scent as well. I don't mind it at all, but it might bother people who hate scented lip products.
I LOVE how it looks on the lips. It instantly erases creases and discolouration on the lips. It makes your lips look like they are coated with raspberry syrup or something.
I like to apply two coats on the lips, and add a little bit in the centre of the lips to give a pout. It's perfect to wear on top of a berry toned lipstick of course, to add shine. The gold glitter particles look super gorgeous but as you can see in the photos, they are quite subtle.
This lip gloss is pretty comfortable to wear, though it's thick it doesn't make my lips feel too sticky. A good thing is that because it's thick, it stays on the lips for quite a long time. I don't have to keep reapplying every 10 minutes, which is always a plus when you have a hectic life.
I really like the effect it gives to my lips and am thinking of purchasing other shades as well. It's pretty small but I have never ever used up a single lip gloss as I have too many lip products (I'm sure I'm not alone here) so I quite like the fact it's small and easy to carry around in my purse.
If you want to see more details in action, please watch my video which is my favourite out of three that I've made!
This product is available on Beaut in Japan. Click HERE to purchase it now :)
Nocor Organics Hot Healing Body Massage Oil 5,980yen
I am not a body-oil kind of girl at all. I hate the oily residue on the skin, and I hate even more to get dressed after applying a body oil because then my PJ sticks to the skin and ahh it's just disgusting just thinking about it. Though I am a beauty addict, I admit that I don't like applying a body lotion either especially in winter when the air is cold in my room. That's why every year I end up with dry, cracked skin.
But this winter, I have a secret weapon. It's Nocor Organics Hot Healing Body Massage Oil. Nocor is not a huge brand in Japan, I didn't know the existent until I was given an opportunity to try this oil out. It's an organic body oil that has the essential oils that help your blood flow and warm up your body, such as ginger, cinnamon and pepper. The base oil contains olive oil, jojoba oil and castor oil that hydrate and nourish your skin.
The blend of orange, grape fruit, ginger, cinnamon and pepper smells absolutely divine. It smells really fresh and citrusy, then it becomes more like an oriental, deeper scent in the end.
It's so relaxing to massage my legs and arms with this oil, because it's far from stickiness and oiliness, and it sinks into my skin as if my body is drinking it (...or as if my body is a desert). It doesn't leave the oily film on the skin, and I can get dressed right after the oil is applied. How amazing is that? The pump is very handy as well that I sometimes use it as a hand cream too.
In Japan, 'Hietori (冷えとり)' has been on trend for years now which is a health management method where you warm your body and ideally increase your temperature to improve immunity. Hie means cold, and Tori means remove. My feet get extremely cold in winter, and I hope this oil would help increase the blood flow!
Do you have any favourite body oil? Let me know :)
Sweets Sweets Velvet Souffle Cheek 900yen
You must remember my post about Sweets Sweets Velvet Souffle Cheek that I wrote about a month ago (HERE), because I was raving about it a lot. And I mentioned that I would try out other shades from the range that are more suitable for winter. I picked up this shade called Apple Souffle, as it looked like berry toned deep red that would be perfect for the colder season. However, I was extremely disappointed when I actually used it on my skin.
Before I start complaining about it, look how beautiful it is. It looks like a deeper red that is sophisticated, and based on my experience with the shade Apricot Souffle which still is one of my favourite blushers, I assumed this one would work the same.
But it didn't.
Can you guess why I was disappointed with this blush? It's because the formula is absolutely rubbish. First of all, the shade looks different from how it looks in the jar (is it a jar? Or a container?). It's much brighter, blue-tone pink rather than deep red that I wish it was.
Another thing is that it goes on so patchy. I apply it with my trusty stippling brush from Real Techniques, that works really well with Apricot Souffle, but it just makes my cheeks look messy for some reason. You have to be really careful and light-handed to apply, otherwise you will end up with patchy, messy cheeks which never is a good look. I just cannot be bothered to pay that much attention just to apply a blusher, I don't have time for that every morning!
That's why I haven't used it since the first time I tried it. I much prefer Majolica Majorca Puff de Cheek, which is 100 times easier to apply and 1000 times more beautiful on the cheeks. I didn't expect the formula to be this different depending on the shade.
If you ever think of purchasing their blusher, I don't recommend Apple Souffle at all! :(
