Flowfushi Mote-Liner in Cherry Cheek

Flowfushi Mote-Liner in Cherry Cheek  1,500yen

Whenever I take friends or clients from overseas to my favourite drugstore in Harajuku, Ainz-Tulpe, 90% of them would ask me 'Is this a good brand?' with a mascara or eyeliner from Flowfushi in hand. You would spot Flowfushi everywhere in Japan and it's hard to ignore. I believe they are one of the best-selling Japanese drugstore brands, and they have a very good reputation.

However, I always answer 'It's popular but I personally am not a big fan' to the question, because that's the truth. They are selling well but I haven't had a good experience with their products. First of all, let me tell you something about their best-selling Mote Mascara. They have 4 different types of mascara and one mascara base. I've tried a couple of them but the only one I kind of liked was the base. It's blue which makes your eyes standout, and I liked the unique concept. However, the mascaras were not good at all in my opinion. If you like Dejavu, which is another mascara I have no idea why have a good reputation, then you might like Mote Mascara too. It sticks your lashes together and make you look like you only have 4 lashes each eye. Not my type at all.

But what I didn't like the most is Mote Liner. I tried it in black and brown when it came out, and I hated them. Firstly, it did not dispense the ink evenly. Sometimes I ended up with a super thick liner just because the ink came out a lot suddenly. Another time the ink didn't come out that I had to keep shaking whilst drawing the line which resulted in a horrible look. Then, the eyeliner dried out within 10 days or so. I tried the hacks hoping they would bring the eyeliner back to life, but nothing did. That happened to 4 or 5 of my Mote Liner, and I finally decided not to purchase their products ever.

But when I saw Mote Liner in this limited shade Cherry Cheek in March, I couldn't resist. I knew Mote Liner might let me down again, but the shade looked too pretty not to give it a go. And it's only 1500yen. Why not?

I instantly fell in love with this beautiful shade. It's somewhere in-between pink, red and orange. I have never seen any other brands with this kind of shade of eyeliner. It's such a unique and sophisticated shade.

How pretty is that? I am truly obsessed with this eyeliner. And as you can see in the photos above, it draws a perfect line without fail. It allows me to draw thick and thin lines very easily, and never budges on my eyes. It stays vibrant all day and does not make me look like I have an eye infection! It goes well with a simple makeup like the one I'm waring in the photos, or you can go really bold with orange or pink eyeshadows.

It has not been dried out after 2 months, which makes me wonder if the ones I have tried were from a bad batch and were defective. Have you tried Mote Liner before? How did you get on if you have?

Obagi C Powder Wash

Obagi C Powder Wash  1,800yen
Obagi is a Japanese brand founded by Dr. Obagi and Rohto, one of the most famous drugmakers in Japan in 2001. They are known for their Vitamin C Serum which was an innovative product back in those days as it contains pure Vitamin C in high concentration. After 16 years, their serums are still selling well and Obagi as a brand remains well-known.

They recently brought out this new product called Powder Wash, which looks very similar to Beauty Clear Powder from suisai which has been super popular especially among tourists from China. This is basically enzyme powder that removes excess sebum on your skin that causes clogged pores. The biggest difference is that Obagi C Powder Wash contains Vitamin C to moisturise and clear up the skin along with enzyme.

One pack comes with 30 little portions. I find it very handy because you can simply take one or two when you travel, rather than carrying the big heavy jar like Rice Enzyme Powder from Tatcha (which is an amazing product, too!). Also it's good to know how much you are supposed to use at a time.

The powder is very fine and is not scented. Simply take the powder in the palm, add a little bit of warm water and make it into paste. You can use a net to create fluffy and bouncy foam with it too if that is what you prefer. Keep in mind that you just need a tiny bit of water -2-3 drops to be specific!

Gently massage the clean skin with the paste or foam, whichever you like, and rinse with warm water. You will feel the instant effect because enzyme removes excess sebum and old protein in the pores and leave the skin feel clean and moisturised. It's kind of shocking how smooth it makes my skin feels just by one use. I let my husband try it and he was impressed too that I gave him the whole pack. I am not sure how often you are supposed to use it, but it does not replace your daily cleansing step. I use it once or twice a week whenever my skin feels oily or unstable.

Obagi C is widely available in Japan, mainly at Matsumoto Kiyoshi, Loft, Tokyu Hands, Ainz-Tulpe, Plaza and Tomods.

Fasio Mascara Base Long

Fasio Mascara Base Long   1,100yen

One of the reasons why I am not a big fan of Japanese mascaras is because most of them contain fibres. They are contained intending to make your lashes longer, but they make my lashes look super wonky and strange. Which is why I usually try to avoid any mascaras that have a word "fibre' written proudly on the packaging.

But this mascara base is an exception. It's full of fibres that you can actually see white fibres stuck on your lashes when applied -not my cup of tea at all. But hear me out, it makes my lashes look AMAZING. And it makes any mascaras waterproof. Magical, huh?

Fasio is a Japanese drugstore brand that I can't care less. They have been around for decades but they barely come out with an amazing product in my opinion. Though their mascaras have a good reputation, I personally have never been a fan of them, and again I couldn't care less about the brand at all.

They brought out two types of mascara base this year. One is 'LONG' which I am writing about at the moment, and another is 'VOLUME' which, like the name suggests, claims to make your lashes voluminous.

As you can see the formula is white, and it does make your lashes look white once applied. I pay extra attention to apply mascara on top not to miss any little spot otherwise I would end up with white lashes peeking through.

I apply this mascara base after curing my lashes with Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler. Sometimes I warm up the eyelash curler with a hair dryer to make it easier. The important thing is that you must apply mascara before the base dries to avoid getting clumps. And believe me, the base dries pretty quickly!

Not only does it make my lashes longer, but it makes them look thicker and fuller. I like paring it with False Lash Sculpt Mascara from L'Oreal because it smudges so bad on me when worn on its own (is it just me or this mascara never dries on the lashes and they feel sticky all day...?). No mascara would smudge when paired with this base, instead you'd need an eye makeup remover or cleansing oil!

I never pair the base with Better Than Sex Mascara or Velvet Noir Mascara as I love how they look alone and they don't smudge anyway, but it's really handy to wear underneath mascara that doesn't get along with my lashes. For only 1,100yen, I think it's a nice product to have in your collection. Fasio is available at drugstores such as Matsumoto Kiyoshi.