I'd used up the very last drop of Boscia Sake Treatment Water
a few weeks ago and haven't bought a replacement. Yet. Still waiting
for a good promotion to take the bait, I'm cheap like that. But by now
I'm too addicted to the super smooth and soft feel of my skin (face,
neck, and decolletage!) to risk it all going away. I figured the Treatment Water probably helped the absorption of the Sake Balm, so I just need another sake-based something to continue layering beneath the balm, and preferably something light. That was when I remembered these goodies in my stash--Kuramoto Bijin.
I first read about Kuramoto Bijin from Anna at My Asian Skincare Story. I do like sake-based skincare products. I mean, they changed the texture of my skin and all, not to mention the Kuramoto Bijin products are quite affordable. So before leaving Tokyo I went ahead and picked up a few things from Rakuten to try: a Hakumai Fermented All-in-One Milk 120mL (1,600yen/~$14), a Komeyu Beauty Oil 60mL (1,000yen/~$8.75), and this Komeyu Rice Oil Serum 30mL (1,800yen/~$15.75).
I first read about Kuramoto Bijin from Anna at My Asian Skincare Story. I do like sake-based skincare products. I mean, they changed the texture of my skin and all, not to mention the Kuramoto Bijin products are quite affordable. So before leaving Tokyo I went ahead and picked up a few things from Rakuten to try: a Hakumai Fermented All-in-One Milk 120mL (1,600yen/~$14), a Komeyu Beauty Oil 60mL (1,000yen/~$8.75), and this Komeyu Rice Oil Serum 30mL (1,800yen/~$15.75).
This Rice Oil Serum comes in a dark glass bottle with a dropper. It looks like rice congee so overcooked there's nothing left but a slightly milky gelatinous broth. It even smells faintly of rice water to boot. If you've ever washed rice before filling with water and press that "cook" button on your rice cooker, yeah, it smells like that water.
Being called a Rice Oil Serum but to my utter delight it's not at all oily. As mentioned above, it has a gelatinous texture, goes on super light and clean, and absorbs like water. I use 4 drops for my face, neck, and decolletage, and I'm happy to report it works marvelously with the Sake Balm, just as hoped ^.^ After a few weeks of nightly used, I've noticed zero change and my skin is still as baby soft as before. Love!
Of course this spells terrible news for the Sake Treatment Water. We're talking about $46 for a 55mL bottle ($0.84/mL) versus Kuramoto Bijin's $15.75 for a 30mL bottle ($0.53/mL)! That's it, folks, I'll be switching to Kuramoto Bijin from now on and won't be going back for anymore Sake Treatment Water!
If it gets a thumbs up from you and Anna it's gotta be good. I've been using argan oil to help with dry patches but it breaks me out so I'll grab this instead.
ReplyDeleteHi Caty,
ReplyDeleteOh man, I love it! And I love that it's so affordable. They do have a Komeyu Beauty Oil too--an multi-purpose oil for face, hair, and all over. Can't beat $10 for 60mL, really! I'm hoping to get to it soon-ish so I can review it, but if you're going to pick up the Rice Oil Serum, might as well give this a try too!
Cheers,
D.
Did you ever try any of the Kikumasamune lotions or emulsion? I use the emulsion as a body lotion and it works really well.
ReplyDeleteHi Caty,
ReplyDeleteOoohhh...new sake based skincare brand! I looked at the website and saw that the Lotion bottle is 500mL and the Emulsion is 380mL, both too big, but the brand new released 150mL Essence went straight into my Rakuten shopping basket ^.^ I picked up a Kuramoto Bijin sake hand cream too!
Thanks for the recos. Any other sake brands you know of that makes skincare? I'd love to try more :D
Cheers,
D.
Oh yeah, totally forgot to say I'm currently using the essence. I like it as my daytime serum. The sheet masks are also good! I'll have to try the hand creams too - they make a strawberry one as well.
ReplyDeleteI've also been enjoying the Kouji Hime wash off pack.
Hi Caty,
ReplyDeleteI bought 2 bottles of the Kiku Masamune Essence and am looking forward to try it, though I'm too lazy for sheet masks I'm afraid xD
Yes, I also read about that strawberry hand cream from Anna, but I think it might chase hubby out of the room so I picked the original sake one instead hahaha
Has anyone tried the Kuramoto facial oil, with the dark blue sticker? i just got one shipped to England and it arrived with no seal under the lid and the fill up line seemed quite low. Do they usually come without seals on the inside or if anyone has a new bottle would they tell me what to expect? Thanks 😊
ReplyDeleteWhere can I buy these products in England? So far I have got the rice oil from ebay but I would prefer to buy directly from the brand or a better trusted source! Have a great day 🥰
ReplyDeleteHi Millie Love,
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading! By "Kuramoto facial oil" did you mean "Kuramoto Bijin Komeyu Beauty Oil" (reviewed here--https://alittledabintomakeup.blogspot.com/2017/04/kuramoto-bijin-komeyu-beauty-oil.html)? I can confirm these Kuramoto Bijin products aren't usually sealed. How low was your fill-up line? Mine was above the sticker but the bottle was not filled to the brim.
If you purchased your oil through Ebay, was the seller located in Japan? I would try Amazon Japan, although they might not ship these products to England. https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B00H4SWM98
I also purchase through a proxy shopping service, either online or in-person. For an online proxy service, I'd recommend DEJapan -- https://www.dejapan.com/en/ -- the only caveat is you must search for your items in Japanese. I've been using this servie for the past few years without any problem, although the pandemic may cause shipping delays.
For an in-person proxy service, I'd recommend Toshiya-san from FudeJapan -- https://www.instagram.com/fudejapan/ -- just follow him on Instagram and direct message him whatever cosmetics/skincare/makeup brushes/accessories you want to purchase. He charges a 20% service fee on top of the Japanese retail, which is a whole lot better than Ebay prices that are double-triple the Japanese retail.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
D.
Hi! I'm sorry to bother you, but would you happen to know where I can purchase the komeyu serum? I've searched online and I still can't seem to find it besides having to buy from an eBay seller who isn't located in Japan.
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteNo worries. You're not at all a bother :)
I did a quick search on Kuramoto Bijin's official webstore (https://www.kuramotobijin.jp/) but didn't see this Komeyu Rice Oil Serum among the product list. This probably means the product has been discontinued. I'm afraid whatever you could find online via E(vil)bay or elsewhere is probably the last remaining stock out there.
That said, last fall I tried their new 7-in-1 serum (https://alittledabintomakeup.blogspot.com/2020/08/tonoike-shuzou-biofermainte-all-in-one.html) and liked it enough to have repurchased. Perhaps you might be interested in giving this a try? Right now, with international delivery restrictions in Japan I think the best way to get a hold of products like these is to use proxy shopping services. See my reply to Millie Love above.
Hope this helps,
D.