japanese beauty

Shiseido Ultimune Eye Cream Review: Worth the premium?

Why does this Japanese powerhouse brand include artificial sweeteners in its eye cream formula?

I wish all uber-expensive beauty products came in travel-friendly, wallet-friendly, everything-friendly sample sizes. Free samples would be even better—but I swear, I wouldn’t mind paying for the smaller sample sizes, if it meant that I could try higher-end products without putting down $50+ on a product I’ve never tried. Anyway, I recently rediscovered a free sample that I received from a Macy’s beauty counter some time ago—so today, I have the unusual opportunity to review a…

Kiss Me Heroine Mascara review: What makes it so waterproof and smudge-proof?

What ingredients make Isehan's Kiss Me Heroine's mascara so waterproof? Plus, tips for choosing mascara that won't irritate your skin/eye area.

I have very short, very sparse eyelashes (thankfully, I’m not a character in an old-timey storybook, so I’ve never had to bat my eyelashes like a damsel in distress). When I was younger, I tried out a few kinds of mascara, but I never found one that didn’t smudge after just a few hours…even when the label claimed that it was supposedly waterproof and smudge-proof! Maybe I have a very oily eye area or something. Anyway, I eventually gave up on my search for the perfect…

HADA LABO Goku-Jyun Milk Review: not quite a cream, not quite a serum, but super moisturizing

This Japanese cult favorite contains not one, not two, but three forms of hyaluronic acid.

When I was growing up, I used to drink multiple cups of milk every day. Although I only drink non-dairy milk these days, I still always think of milk as this really nutritious, feel-good thing (maybe I’ve been brainwashed by the “Got milk?” ads). So when a beauty product calls itself a milk (even if it doesn’t contain a drop of dairy), I feel positive vibes about it right away. This could be the reason why I immediately had a good feeling about HADA LABO Goku-Jyun Milk…