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Limited sets for this holiday season! Coffret D'or Party Coffret


Coffret D'or Party Coffret / EX-1  5,000yen
Just like any other countries, Christmas Coffret' is huge around this time of the year in Japan. Most of the beauty brands come up with limited sets that look pretty and gorgeous that you cannot resist. I usually do not buy Christmas Coffret but this year I was given a wonderful opportunity to try out Coffret D'or Party Coffret to review for GLAM. They have 4 different sets that you can choose depending on your liking, and I was given EX-1 which comes with a bright pink makeup bag that kind of represents the colour theme of this set.

EX-1 contains Soft Glamorous Eyes Eyeshadow Palette in Rose, Premium Stay Rouge in PK- 293 and a nail oil. Pink is not what I usually wear when it comes to makeup, as I do not dress 'kawaii' and 'cute' like Japanese uni students do, and I always feel like pink makeup doesn't go well with my style. But this set completely changed my point of view!


Soft Glamorous Eyes Eyeshadow Palette in Rose is such a lovely palette for grown women. Just like most of Japanese eyeshadow palettes, there is no matte shade to define the crease in this palette which is the only downside I can think of. It's got a very pale baby pink, dusty mauve, brown cream shadow, brownish burgundy and glittery gold eyeshadows which create such a beautiful look when they are used in conjunction with each other.



As you can see, all of the powder eyeshadows are super shimmery. The pigmentation isn't the best in the world, but the shades are very pretty.




Don't you think it looks pretty on the eyes? Even though I did not use an eyeliner, the cream eyeshadow worked as eyeliner and defined my lash line perfectly. It is definitely pink, but it's not a 'kawaii' type of pink, it's more mature and classy.


Premium Stay Rouge in PK- 293 is a lovely pink which I usually avoid, but this one looks quite nice on my lips as it's sheer. The nail oil didn't excite me to be honest as I have much better one which is spilt-free and smells amazing.



As you can see it's sheer and has tiny glitter particles that make my lips look plumped and juicy! The shade is a little too bright for my liking but it doesn't look childish at all which I like.


The makeup bag is also very useful -the size and the material is very nice and it holds so much stuff!! If you are into pink, this set is a must-buy. And for those who usually don't gravitate towards pink makeup, it's still worth checking out.





My current base makeup routine


Every morning before I go to work, I spend about 20-25 minutes to do my makeup. I wonder why it takes so long although I don't go too crazy with it when I have work, because 20-25 minutes seemed too long for the result. But then I realised, I was taking about 10 minutes or more for my base. To me, base is the most important part of the makeup, so no wonder why!

So here are the base makeup items that I use on daily basis....



Primer: Benefit POREfessional
Work day foundation: Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Foundation
Weekend foundation: L'Oreal Infallible 24hours Matte Foundation

I bought Benefit POREfessional at Heathrow Airport when I went to England this summer. I wanted it so bad that I thought of purchasing it from Boots so that I could use it during the stay, but I ended up purchasing it from Duty Free to save some money. The texture is similar to Micro-blur Skin Perfecter from Kiehl's -even better actually. I loved the one from Kiehl's but it separated a couple of weeks after I started using and it was a big mess. Whereas POREfessional never separates, and the texture is thicker which stays on the skin better.

When I go to work, I use Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Foundation which I purchased from Duty Free at Haneda Airport before flying to England. I ended up using this foundation only during my stay, because I became obsessed! I had used this foundation before to write an article, and I instantly fell in love. I wanted to buy one immediately but the price tag put me off -it's about 8,000yen I believe. Duty free didn't make a huge difference but I took the opportunity. My shade is Sand 02, which could be a little bit lighter than my skin tone if I apply too much, but it's quite a good match I must say. With SPF40, it's a perfect foundation to wear when I have plans outside of my house.

On my day off, I use L'Oreal Infallible 24hours Matte Foundation which I bought from Boots. I was at Westfield and they didn't have all the shades, and the testers were all messy and dirty. I should have waited to go to another branch but I wanted to buy 3 items from the brand to get the offer. So without matching my skin, I picked up the shade Sand 20 -which doesn't match my skin AT ALL. It's too dark and I cannot use it on its own, so I mix it with a foundation that is too light for my skin tone. It's a shame because this foundation is absolutely amazing that I wish I could use it without mixing with any other foundations! As L'Oreal cannot be shipped to Japan, I have to wait until I come to the UK again to get the right shade.



POREfessional blurs out my pores completely. I apply a tiny bit on the cheeks and nose, and it keeps my skin matte and smooth all day. I love the pleasant scent too. I am not sure when I will use up the tube as I only need a little bit per use, but I will definitely repurchase it once used up.

Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Foundation looks super yellowy in the photo above but it looks beautiful on my neutral-toned skin which isn't too yellow but definitely not pink. The reason why I'm obsessed with this foundation is because it gives a natural glow to my skin without making it look shiny. I have combination skin and quite large pores on the cheeks, so I always avoid glowy finish when it comes to a base product. But this one gives the most natural glow as if I am bare-skinned. It covers up the pores and dark spots without being heavy. Also the lavender scent is just amazing.

You can see L'Oreal Infallible 24hours Matte Foundation is too dark and pinky...especially when applied next to the one from Bobbi Brown, it looks ridiculously dark! I heard they don't have yellow-toned shade, I hope they would expand the shade range soon because I love the finish! It doesn't look too matte, but definitely not glowy. It makes my skin look soft and smooth, and plumped. I love how natural it looks on the skin. It's definitely worth the hype.



Evens out the skin tone: LANAREY Prism Concealer
Dark Circles: Calypso Magic Concealer
Dark Circles and highlight: Za Cosmetics Perfect Fit Concealer

To conceal dark spots and blemishes, I use LANAREY Prism Concealer that I got to review. It's an OK concealer in my opinion, I don't think it's worth the price (3456yen!) but it works as a concealer for sure. I apply it under the eyebrows too, to evens out the skin tone and conceal pores and baby hair.

My hideous dark circles can't be concealed by ANY concealer in my experience, but this combo works well. I first apply this orange concealer from Calypso, blend in only on the dark circles.  Then apply lighter concealer from Za Cosmetics which sadly is discontinued, to brighten them up. They both are creamy and not drying at all which is important when you choose a concealer for under eyes.


I have the shade 02 Natural of LANAREY Prism Concealer and it's quite a good match to my skin tone. I just click the end of the pen twice, apply it under the brows, on blemishes and dark spots, as well as around the nose, and blend with a sponge. I carry it around in my makeup bag when I have a pimple that I want to cover up so that I can touch up during the day.

You can see Magic Concealer from Calypso is pretty orangy on my skin, whereas Perfect Fit Concealer from Za Cosmetics is much brighter. I LOVE this concealer from Za because it kind of melts on the skin when applied, and it never looks cakey or drying. The only downside is that it's hard to control how much to dispense because of the tube, I sometimes dispense way too much. The shade is perfect to brightens up the skin without looking too bright. I also like the fact it's not pinky at all.


Phew, it became a much longer post than I expected. I sometimes switch my foundation to BB or CC cream, but these are the products I use on daily basis. Let me know what your favourite base products are!


A new whitening formula! Organic Rose Skin Conditioner



Organic Rose Skin Conditioner -Whitening formula
Some of you may remember I was raving about Organic Rose Skin Conditioner before. I loved the lotion very much, as it helped balancing my skin and made it stable. While I was using the lotion, my skin didn't break out nor felt dry. Considering the price (I think it was about 1200yen), I thought it was such a lovely product for everyday use. They just came out with this new whitening formula which I received to review. The packaging looks the same as the original, just in blue.


I usually use a cotton round to apply the lotion, but you can use your hands like the most of Japanese people do so. It contains placenta extract to brightens the skin and organic rose water to hydrate. Placenta extract grosses me out, the website does not say what it's derived from but I am hoping it's plant derived placenta (yes that exists, such as melon placenta).

It smells divine just like the original. I love how natural the scent is, it doesn't smell artificial or too perfumy. When applied on the skin, it feels cooling and soothing. Not sure if it's supposed to have a cooling sensation, but it feels very nice on the skin in my opinion. It never irritates my skin, and has got this perfect texture to use in the morning before makeup.


It helps a serum or moisturiser -whatever you apply next- to sink in better, and also balances the skin's pH balance. As I am quite pale for Japanese, I am not keen on whitening, but I have some dark spots I want to erase. I am not sure if this lotion helps, but I am looking forward to seeing the result!


Bored with Black Mascara? Try this! Love Switch Pink Brown Mascara


Love Switch Oil Treatment Mascara / Pink Brown  1,728yen
Recently, I tend to gravitate towards brown when it comes to eye-makeup. I'm not talking about eyeshadow, I'm talking about eyeliner and mascara, that usually I choose ones in black. If you ask me what the best brown eyeliner is, I don't even hesitate to answer that it's Love Liner in Dark Brown. But I hadn't found a brown mascara I recommend when asked the same question about mascara....until now.

Love Switch Oil Treatment Mascara is something I wouldn't have picked up if it was in black. They do have it in black too but what attracted me was this shade Pink Brown. It was when I was flipping through the beauty magazine MAQUIA, one of the photos of this model Moeka Nozaki caught my eyes. I loved the simple makeup she was wearing, and what made it look so natural was this mascara.

I had never been a pink-toned mascara type of girl at all, I always colour my hair in ashy brown with  a hint of blue which is far from the girly image. But surprisingly this mascara doesn't give too much of a femininity to the whole look at all.


The brush isn't my favourite if I am honest, but it's not the worst either. I wish it didn't contain fibres because not only it irritates my eyes but it makes my lashes look wonky. But one thing that I really do not like about this mascara is the smell. It's got this lavender scent which is supposed to be relaxing, but it literally smells like a bathroom deodorant. And the worst thing is that it lingers. For about 15 minutes after applying this mascara, I smell a loo.


But the colour is gorgeous. It's more reddish and brighter than I expected.




This mascara tends to stick the lashes together so I always comb them with a clean spooli after the application to separate them. Because it contains oil instead of water that makes lashes go down as time passes, meaning it holds curl better. Another bonus point is that it's a waterproof mascara that comes off easily with warm water and a bit of cleanser.

It doesn't make my lashes look fuller or voluminous, but it lengthens for sure as you can see in the photo. I love how natural it looks on the lashes, when I don't want my lashes to overshadow the whole eye makeup if that makes sense. You can't really tell it's 'pink brown' unless you are informed so, and it goes well with brown eyeshadow that I wear on daily basis. I wouldn't pair it with blue or green eyeshadow but I assume it looks pretty with most of the eyeshadow shades.


What do you think about this mascara? Do you own any mascara in a unique shade? Let me know!


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


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!


The Japanese Beauty Magazines I got this month


As you may know already, we have a few monthly beauty magazines in Japan. Voce, Maquia, Biteki, BiST, bea's up and some magazines fully dedicated to nail designs etc...you have some to choose from. I tend to buy Maquia and Biteki the most because they are targeting women in the same age group as myself which means the articles and products they are showing are very familiar and useful for me. Voce is also a very nice magazine that I still like, but it's targeting younger readers meaning sometimes their articles aren't informative enough for me. This month I got Maquia and Biteki as usual, so I thought to show you inside!





This month's issue of Biteki is much thicker than usual. It came with a little booklet showing Christmas Coffret from 109 brands in total. I was looking forward to this but to be honest, the layout of the booklet is really boring and it was truly disappointing. Other than that, the articles teaching how to make the most of your 30's are so-so, and some makeup tips are pretty useful.





Maquia did a much better job when it comes to showing Christmas Coffret in a nice layout, but to be honest Voce did the best job in my opinion. So if you want to enjoy discovering all the Coffret for this year, buy Voce!

I loved the fact they've got quite a few pages dedicated to makeup in this month's issue, you can keep up with Japanese trends by reading it. And also I found the one showing many red lipsticks in different undertones pretty helpful.

Next month, most of the beauty magazines will be revealing the beauty awards 2015, which I cannot wait for! I find Japanese beauty magazines the best, I enjoy them much more than I enjoy allure!



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!