Tsururi Pore Cleansing Brush

Stumbled onto this Tsururi Pore Cleansing Brush while browsing my local Japanese drugstore back then. It was on sale for around 600yen, down from the 1,000yen retail. Plus I remembered reading about a Daiso duplicate of it so I picked one up out of curiosity (I also tried the Daiso Puff & Sponge Detergent Yumeko recommended, will review next). Yup, that just sums up why hubby was always wary of my drugstore browsing trips, because I always came home with some useless impulse buys. Good thing this wasn't too big a damage ^.^

Selecty Glitter Aburatorigami Oil Blotting Paper

Got a tiny travel size packet of Selecty Glitter Aburatorigami Oil Blotting Paper as part of Don Quixote's Visee Eye Color and Liquid Eye Liner Sets I got during the holiday season 2011.  

This particular set came with  each containing a deluxe 30mL travel size jar of Fasio Oil Cleansing EX, a small 2.5mL sample tube of Fasio Mascara Easy Remover (which I probably will never use...), a mini 70-sheet booklet of this Selecty Glitter Aburatorigami Oil Blotting Paper (retails 420yen), a Visee Glam Glow Eyes BR-3 (the other option was PK-1, each palette retails 1,680yen), and a full size Visee Liquid Eye Liner in BK001 (retails 1,050yen, haven't gotten to this either). 

Steam Cream

So I've been reading about these Steam Creams for a few years now but have refrained for the longest time! Why? Because, well, just look at them! Of course I want all the adorable tins (have you seen the new Fabric of Japan designs? OMG - want!!!), but seriously, how many giant tins of the same darn cream do I need? One. Actually, a fifth of one, may be even less, because I scooped mine out into a much smaller 0.5fl oz. glass jar (from Avon Hydrofirming Eye Cream) in order to seal up the tin and keep the rest of it fresh. Even then, I've been using this glass jar for the past two months and still haven't gotten through half of it! Should I just start slapping this stuff all over or what?!? 

Clockwise from top left: Gris-Gris (black cat on yellow), Fragaria (strawberries on sky blue), Daisy (girl on royal gingham), and Yume (sakura on metallic pink). 

DDF Amplifying Elixir

Got this 15mL deluxe sample of DDF Amplifying Elixir from the Ulta Spring 2012 GWP and been using it for the past month. This is a serum and is supposed to go on after toner but before moisturizers. It's supposed to help the skin absorb whatever goes on next, maximizing its benefits.

Spring 2012 GWP

***Screenshot via Ulta.com.

Kate Wide Edge Eyes

Happy hearts day!

Picked up these Kate Wide Edge Eyes at Watsons while I was still in Taipei. I started out having no lemmings for them whatsoever, but after visiting the store so often and walking by their display every single time, I just threw my hands up one day and bought them. Yup, that's how they get you. At least that was how they got me ^.^' Of course it made it all the more tempting when there was always some sort of promotion going on, and that was in addition to the majority of Japanese makeup items going for about 15-20% cheaper than Japanese retail. I ended up coming home with quite a haul, and that was after exercising enormous restraint. Ha... 

From left to right: Kate Wide Edge Eyes in BR-2, BR-3, and PU-1. All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Hadanomy Collagen Concentrated Lotion

This Hadanomy Collagen Concentrated Lotion is the last of the 4 products I started using from this line. This lotion (toner) is a much thicker and much more moisturizing version of the Collagen Lotion. It is supposedly the second to last step before the cream, which raises my eyebrows, because it's very moisturizing already just by itself!

Suggested routine for nights (purple section): 

1. Collagen Cleansing (for makeup removal, pink tube, haven't tried this yet; if you wear a water resistant Japanese sunscreen, you will need an oil cleanser to remove that first), OR

2. Collagen Wash (follow up cleanser, pink pump bottle, I skipped this and didn't bother with it)

3. Collagen Concentrated Mist, OR

4. Collagen Lotion

5. Collagen Milk

6. Twice a week treatment: Collagen Mask (skipped this too) 

7. This Concentrated Lotion

8. Collagen Cream (haven't tried this yet)

Suggested routine for days (yellow section):

1. Collagen Wash

2. Collagen Concentrated Mist, OR

3. Collagen Lotion

4. Collagen Milk, OR

5. Collagen Cream

***Hadanomy product guide from Hadanomy JP.

Hadanomy Collagen Milk

I apply this Hadanomy Collagen Milk after the Concentrated Mist (and sometimes Lotion), just as recommended in the product guide below. This is a moisturizer milk that, despite looking thick, opaque, and scary in the bottle, is in fact quite a pleasure to use, much so hubby has started mooching it from me ^.^

Suggested routine for nights (purple section): 

1. Collagen Cleansing (for makeup removal, pink tube, haven't tried this yet; if you wear a water resistant Japanese sunscreen, you will need an oil cleanser to remove that first), OR

2. Collagen Wash (follow up cleanser, pink pump bottle, I skipped this and didn't bother with it)

3. Collagen Concentrated Mist, OR

4. Collagen Lotion

5. This Collagen Milk

6. Twice a week treatment: Collagen Mask (skipped this too) 

7. Concentrated Lotion (left this at home, but will review next)

8. Collagen Cream (haven't tried this yet)

Suggested routine for days (yellow section):

1. Collagen Wash

2. Collagen Concentrated Mist, OR

3. Collagen Lotion

4. This Collagen Milk, OR

5. Collagen Cream

***Hadanomy product guide from Hadanomy JP.

Hadanomy Collagen Lotion

Next up is the Hadanomy Collagen Lotion, which I was using daily while visiting with my parents but have since reduced usage to only occasionally when I feel my skin needs extra help. This is a lotion (toner) that is viscous, making it more of a water-like gel. It is thicker than the Collagen Concentrated Mist. While it does melt upon contact and becomes more watery in my palm, it's still not quite as runny as the mist. 

Suggested routine for nights (purple section): 

1. Collagen Cleansing (for makeup removal, pink tube, haven't tried this yet; if you wear a water resistant Japanese sunscreen, you will need an oil cleanser to remove that first), OR

2. Collagen Wash (follow up cleanser, pink pump bottle, I skipped this and didn't bother with it)

3. Collagen Concentrated Mist, OR

4. This Collagen Lotion

5. Collagen Milk (using right now, will review next)

6. Twice a week treatment: Collagen Mask (skipped this too) 

7. Concentrated Lotion (left this at home, but will review too)

8. Collagen Cream (haven't tried this yet)

Suggested routine for days (yellow section):

1. Collagen Wash

2. Collagen Concentrated Mist, OR

3. This Collagen Lotion

4. Collagen Milk, OR

5. Collagen Cream

***Hadanomy product guide from Hadanomy JP.

Hadanomy Collagen Concentrated Mist

This Hadanomy Collagen line was my "goodbye Japan" gift to myself ^.^ Of course I was being silly, because both the Hadanomy Collagen as well as AquaPlacenta lines are easily available via the internet as well as here in SF, and I have already spotted them all over Japan Town. Then again, I got these in Japan for a discounted price and no markups or international shipping :P

Anyway, I am reviewing this Collagen Concentrated Mist first. It is not the first layer of my daily skincare routine (that would be SK-II Facial Clear Lotion then Facial Treatment Essence at night, and currently The Body Shop Vitamin E Hydrating Toner then Facial Treatment Essence again in the morning), but it is the first step after cleansing (makeup removal) and washing (follow up cleansing) according to the product guide. I started using it almost two months ago after hubby and I left Taipei.

The Body Shop Moroccan Rose Body Milk

Bought this Body Shop Moroccan Rose Body Milk on clearance last year because it'd been discontinued. I read that it's super light weight, so I didn't think much of it. Plus it being in a spray bottle and is probably a thin runny liquid, I didn't expect much moisturizing power either.