Aujua Equial Force Mist

Aujua Equial Force Mist  3,000yen
The product that made me ditch all the texturising and volumising sprays that I got from Boots, is surprisingly a Japanese product. Japanese people tend to have thicker and voluminous hair which is opposite from my hair type. People who have thin and limp hair like I do, struggle to find a product enhances natural volume in the hair.

It's only recently that Japanese beauty brands started bringing haircare products for mature people who have limp hair due to ageing of population. Aujua Equial is one of them. Aujua is a Japanese haircare brand only sold at hair salons. They have 15 different lines of haircare products which you can choose depending on your hair type. Seven out of 15 are focusing on anti-ageing, and they have shampoo, hair treatment and some styling products within the line.

Equial is for limp hair which needs more volume. I have never tried them but they also have shampoo and hair treatment. I was recommended to try this mist at the hair salon which I go to for 14 years, when I told them I was struggling to style my hair. They demonstrated this product with my hair at the salon, and I was impressed with the result that I had no choice to to purchase it. But at the same time I was wondering -is it the hair stylist that made my hair look amazing, or the product?

As it turned out it was this product. I simply spray it directly on my scalp and the roots -not the hair, this is the important part- after towel-drying my hair, and massage it in. Then blow-dry my hair as usual. It's simple is that but makes a huge difference to the finish. It lifts the roots naturally which gives volume to the hair without feeling greasy or crispy at all. I cannot feel the product in my hair, which I love the most about this mist.

It does not have an amazing fragrance which is a little disappointing, but it has a very subtle herbal scent which does not disturb other fragrances you are wearing. Since I started using this mist, I completely stopped using the texturising spray that I adored before. I just don't need it. If you are looking for a volumising spray that does not make your hair crispy, you must try Aujua Equal Force Mist. This bottle would last for about 3 months as you only need about 10 pumps per day, which makes it about 1,000yen per month which I think is pretty cheap for what you get!

Integrate Beauty Filter Foundation

Integrate Beauty Filter Foundation 1,728yen
Since I started wearing makeup at the age of 17 or something (my parents were very strict that they didn't let me even wear a tinted lip balm until then), I have been a liquid foundation kind of girl. I believe powder foundation is more popular than liquid one in Japan, which I seriously wonder why. Liquid foundation looks much more natural and skin-like, whereas powder foundation makes you look drier than you actually are and emphasises the creases and baby hair in my opinion.

But recently, I found powder foundation that melts into the skin and instantly evens out discolourations. Bonus: it's from drugstore.

Let me introduce you to my favourite powder foundation aka my go-to weekend foundation at the moment, Integrate Beauty Filter Foundation.  As the name suggests, it blurs pores and fine lines to create skin as if it's photoshopped. It comes with a very thick and fluffy puff, but I use my Real Techniques Buffing Brush to apply it to increase the coverage. When applied with the puff, it feels more like loose powder than foundation, but with a dense brush like Buffing Brush, it covers everything you want it to cover without making it look cakey or heavy.

The reason why I love this foundation is that it literally melts into the skin and blurs everything. As you can see in the photo, you cannot really tell where the foundation is applied because it's super natural.

I have tried so many BB cream, tinted moisturiser and loose powder which you can wear alone on your day off to create natural-looking skin. But I did not like most of them because they either does not cover my pores enough, or does not do anything to make my skin look better. But this one does both. It covers and blurs my pores perfectly, make my skin texture look smooths, evens out the skin tone and covers redness around my nose without a concealer. What more can I ask for?

Having SPF15 PA++ sun protection, it's perfect to wear on my day off when I don't feel like piling up loads of makeup products on my face. It comes in two shades which I believe won't satisfy everyone, but shade 1 which is the lighter one matches my NC20-25 skin perfectly. It's not too pigmented which makes it suitable for wider range of skin tones I guess. For under 2,000yen, this is a must-have foundation!

Shiseido d program Allerbarrier Essence

Shiseido d program Allerbarrier Essence  3,240yen
If you ask me what the latest trend in skincare in Japan, my answer would be 'the products that protect your skin from environmental irritations -a product like Allerbarrier Essence from d program to be specific'.

Skincare products used to be more to do something extra to your skin to improve the condition of it -i.e. brightens up the complexion, smoothes wrinkles and lightens dark spots...though they became more to protect the skin in the past few years due to the change of lifestyle, stress level and environment.

Allerbarrier, the latest launch from Shiseido d program (you can read more about the brand on my past review on their Moist Care range) is representing the shift in my opinion. With the ingredient called H-stabilising A, this light-weight essence increases skin barrier function whilst protecting the skin from environmental irritations such as pollens, pollution and a UV damage.

In Japan, more than 15% of the population suffers from cedar pollen allergy from February to March / April time depending on the year, and PM 2.5 from China is a massive issue as well. People sometimes suffer from unknown skin irritations actually caused by those environmental irritations.

The texture is quite runny and thin, which feels like an oil the moment applied to the skin. But then it turns into a silicone-y feel after about 30 seconds. It probably is because this essence is supposed to leave a film on the skin surface so that dust, pollens and pollution do not touch the skin directly.

Having SPF40 PA+++ UV-protecting action, it makes a perfect primer without being too oily or drying. It does not contain UV absorber which sometimes irritates the skin, which makes it leave the alien-looking residue. It makes my face look blue-y silver, which I don't think is the best primer to wear on a free-from-foundation kind of day. It does look OK when foundation is applied on top, it shouldn't be worn on its own in my opinion -unless you want to look sick and shiny.

I am one of those who don't know much about the consequences of pollens and pollution, but I hope it stabilises my skin condition.

I also got a mini of Day Repair Mist, which is like a mist lotion that is perfect to use during the day to refresh the makeup. It's free from alcohol, paraben, artificial fragrance and colouring, which makes it very gentle and suitable for sensitive skin -all of d program products are supposed to be suitable for sensitive skin, though. It's so small that fits perfectly into my makeup bag, and I like spraying it all over my face and blot with oil blotting paper, before applying a bit of concealer to touch up.

d program over all is a lovely brand, they have some trial sets as well that you might want to grab when you have a chance!