xylitol

Curesys Trouble Clear Toner review

This toner is designed to soothe and exfoliate your skin before your nighttime treatments. But don't apply it in the morning, since it contains glycolic acid.

This Curesys Trouble Clear Toner was part of my TJ Maxx skin care haul a few weeks ago (when I picked up this Jeju:en Hyaluronic Acid Sleeping Mask. Curesys is a Korean beauty brand that I can’t find much info about online. It appears to be pretty new, and I’m not sure how this lone bottle of toner ended up on the shelves of my local TJ Maxx.

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence Sunscreen Review: My first Japanese sunscreen

This sunscreen provides the highest-caliber UVA protection, and blends into your skin like a dream—but it also contains potential irritants like fragrance and alcohol (ethanol).

During my trip to Japan last fall, I tried to keep an eye out for the most popular cosmetics (specifically, I was mainly interested in face masks and sunscreens). Biore UV Aqua Rich Water Essence was definitely one of the most commonly spotted products on many shelves, so it seems like it’s pretty popular.

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…