Out on 24th November! AUBE Essence Lip Colour

Aube Essence Lip Colour / BE01  3,200yen
If you ask me which lip product I've been using the most recently, this is the answer: Aube Essence Lip Colour which will be launched on 24th November in Japan. I was lucky enough to receive it to review a couple of weeks ago, and since then it hasn't left my handbag for once.

This is in between liquid lipstick and lipgloss. They claim it protects your lips from dryness as it prevents water evaporation. I didn't find anything special on their ingredient list, and the 2nd from the heaviest ingredient is mineral oil which doesn't sound hydrating. But for some reason, it does protect the lips and they never feel dry when this one is on.

As you know, I am not too fussy about ingredients. There was time I was checking all the ingredients in a product and judged whether it was usable or not. Paraben, silicone, mineral oil, polymer, sulphate...there were many ingredients I thought I had to avoid. But information online always confused me, that some claims mineral oil destroy the natural barrier of the skin, and some claims that happened a long time ago when mineral oil contained impurities. Some said silicone clogged pores on scalp, and some said the molecules are too big to be clogged inside of small pores. So about 3-4 years ago, I decided to give up on checking the list because everyone dies and being fussy about the ingredients of cosmetics won't elongate my life anyway, because I must be eating tons of food with additives anyway! So you do not need to leave a comment saying how terrible mineral oil is, I know what people say about it and I just don't care because beauty for me is something to enjoy. Not something to investigate and be sensitive about.

Back to the review. It's so dinky that it really surprised me when I opened the box. It's 3,200yen which is about $26 and £17. And is the smallest lip product ever! Considering the fact it's not a lip stain, you reapply it every couple of hours to be realistic, meaning this tiny tube won't last so long. But the good thing is that it's got this 'window' that you can see how much of the product is left. Thank you Aube for the consideration...

The sponge applicator is slightly bent which makes it fit perfectly on the lips. It tends to pick up too much product but besides that it works perfectly.

They have 12 shades in total including the clear one. Just like other Japanese makeup brands, they did not name each shade (boring). The shades with a number ends with 1 (e.g. 201, 401...) are the most natural ones, the numbers end with 2 are deeper I believe, and the ones end with 3 are bright and opaque.

My shade is BE801 which is a perfect shade for any makeup looks. BE stands for Beige, and I usually avoid beigy lip colour because I was afraid it would make me look washed out, but this one instantly brightens up my face and completes the whole look.

Apparently it contains small gold glitter particles but I cannot feel it at all. If it didn't say so on the box I would never have known. But the glitters do make my lips look fuller, so good job!

It doesn't have any scents which is great for those who are sensitive to fragrance. It's not sticky at all and is very comfortable on the lips. The lasting power isn't too good to be honest, I would say it lasts about 3 hours if you don't eat and drink much. It looks super pretty right after applied, and the shine goes away as time passes.

I love the shade, texture and how easy it is to carry around (which has the negative side of it too -I might use it up pretty soon). It compliments any eyeshadow shades, so whenever I am rushing to get out of the house, I grab this and apply on my lips. It always, always look beautiful.

FLOWFUSHI The Eyelash Serum

FLOWFUSHI The Eyelash Serum 1,200yen

Have you heard of FLOWFUSHI? Maybe not. Then, have you heard of Mote Mascara? You probably have! FLOWFUSHI, a company well-known by their hit product ranges such as Mote Mascara and Mote Liner, came out with a new product on 1st October; an eyelash serum. It contains 'End Mineral' which claims to encourage the eyelashes to grow stronger. You can use it as an eyelash serum and eye cream all in one, which sounds pretty convenient.

As you can see, the packaging is a little unusual for an eyelash serum because it does't have an applicator. It does look like an eye cream (imagine Midnight Botanical Eye from Kiehl's) and also look hygienic. The metallic design looks pretty nice as well in my opinion.

You are supposed to apply a tiny bit on the eyelid, lash line and under the eyes if you wish to use it as an eye cream. The tube will last you 3-4 months according to the official website. You can also use the lid to massage your eye area to stimulate your blood flow to reduce puffiness and dark circles, which I haven't tried yet.

The texture is very silicone-y which is far from moisturising feel of an eye cream. I don't think this is moisturising at all, and I won't use it as an eye cream. However, I sometimes apply it on top of my daily eye cream to make the surface silky smooth so that the concealer stays put.

At night, I close my eyes and apply it on my eyes which takes about 3 seconds. But it makes my eyes itchy when I apply it that way, though it doesn't irritate my skin when applied on under the eyes. I heard the ingredients aren't as harsh as normal eyelash serums out there, but something seems to irritate my eyes. It doesn't make them look red or swollen, it just makes them itchy and uncomfortable. I have stopped using it as a serum, but only as a daytime eye cream. You don't want to apply anything that you might have allergy to around your eyes, so choose your eyelash serum wisely!

It doesn't contain silicone, oil, paraben, alcohol, artificial colouring or fragrance, mineral oil and gluten. Though it doesn't contain silicone, it contains polymer instead which works in a similar way. In addition to that, it contains many different types of peptide as well as hyaluronic acid.

I usually use much stronger eyelash serums such as Rapidlash and Revitalash, and they don't irritate my skin or eyes at all. I have never thought myself having sensitive skin, meaning this eyelash serum in particular did not agree with my skin. The idea and the packaging are very attractive, it's unfortunately I cannot keep using it!

Shiseido d program Moist Care

Shiseido d program Moist Care

I'm aware there are tons of people who dislike the word 'moist' and for those 'most care' must sound horrific. But just hear me out, this Moist Care range from Shiseido d program is absolutely amazing. If you have dry / sensitive skin, this is what you need in your life.

d program Moist Care Lotion  3,780yen
This lotion is super gentle, moisturising yet not heavy or tacky at all. The 125ml bottle is a little smaller compared to any other lotions that I own, but it's very handy that it comes with a pump. Take one pump of the lotion on your palms, gently press them onto the face until it's absorbed. Repeat the same thing again, to supple your skin.

I am lazy and inpatient, so I prefer to use a cotton pad to apply the lotion. I have mentioned here before that cotton pads aren't recommended here in Japan unless they are very thick and fluffy (check out ALBION, they have such amazing cotton pads) as Japanese people have thin and sensitive skin that shouldn't be rubbed. I have hyper pigmentation under my eyes which was caused by myself rubbing my eyes too much when I was younger, and possibly because I used the makeup wipes to remove my eye makeup when I was a teenager. Because I have experienced the downside of rubbing my skin, I am very careful whenever I use a cotton pad. I apply lotion quite a lot that it completely wet the cotton pad -which seems to be a waste of product but cotton actually pushes back the moisture whereas your palms absorb it.

So I take 3-4 pumps of the lotion on a cotton pad, gently swipe my skin with it, and place the pad on my cheeks or where I feel dry for a couple of minutes. It makes my skin very moisturised that I feel like I even can skip my moisturiser -which I never do though. As it doesn't contain fragrance, it's suitable to the skin which is sensitive to essential oils / artificial fragrance.

As I use about 8 pumps a day, I used up a half of it within 10 days or so. I know I shouldn't be bathing in it but it's keeping my skin moisturised so I am happy about it. I wish it wasn't as expensive as it is...

d program Moist Care Emulsion  4,104yen
They just reformulated this emulsion and the new one is available online ahead of the official launch on 21 / November. It moisturises skin while protecting it from the dryness. The 'gel balls' inside of the formula -which you can't feel- burst when applied on the skin to supply hydration and moisturisation.

Emulsion is another unique step seen in Japan. I personally don't use emulsion but I believe a lot of Japanese women are using it. Some people use emulsion instead of moisturiser but you are supposed to finish up your skincare routine with a good moisturiser. I do not use this emulsion in the morning because it contains oil which isn't perfect for combination skin, but it makes my skin soft when I use it at night.

It looks pretty thick but when applied on the face, it goes on smoothly and sinks in quickly. It leaves a slightly moisturising 'veil' on the surface of the skin, which goes away once it's completely absorbed. I always apply night cream on top which makes my face like a grease ball anyway, so I don't care how shiny my face looks when the only task left to me is to go to bed.

They also have different ranges which you can choose depending on your skin type. The blue one is Balance Care Program for dehydrated skin, the orange one is Acne Care Program for acne prone skin, and the purple one is Ageing Care Program for mature skin. I think Balance Care Program is suitable to my skin, and suspected that Moist Care would be too heavy but it actually works OK for my skin!

They have mini sets of trial sized products too which makes it easier for you to try out. I love it when a skincare brand comes out with mini sets especially when the full size products are pretty pricey. Check out d program if you have sensitive skin!