I think it's safe to say that in the last few years the skincare industry was taken by a storm with the increased popularity of K-beauty. I mean, what's not to like, good ingredients, innovative formulas and amazing price points.
J-beauty is something new to me. I mean, I knew about Hada Labo but I never got the chance to try it, but for the rest, I didn't know anything about Japanese skincare. I know, shame on me but it's never too late to learn, right?
Japanese skincare is all about hydration and nourishing. They have a minimalist 4 steps skincare routine that is divided into two parts: double cleansing followed by double moisture.
The one that made me want to find out more about J-beauty was Monica, the owner of Murasaki Cosmetics. She was kind enough to send me a complete J-beauty skincare routine and after almost 5 weeks of testing, I'm here to tell you my opinion about them.
KOSE - Softymo White Cleansing Oil
Ingredients: Mineral Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate, Cyclomethicone, Prunus Dulcis (Almond) Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba), BHT, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, Trilaureth-4 Phosphate, Water, Phenoxyethanol
This cleansing oil is formulated with olive oil, jojoba seed oil, sesame oil, shea butter and promises to remove sunscreen and waterproof makeup completely and brighten the skin. It has a lightweight texture, a pleasant scent and it's quite easy to use. This cleanser can be used on dry/wet skin, I personally use it on dry skin, I think it cleanses better. It's very gentle with the eye area which is a very important matter to me because I like to use a single product for my face and eyes, it saves time :)
A little goes a long way, as you can see, I've used it every day for 4 weeks and I'm not even close to half of the bottle. Overall, I am pleasantly surprised by this product. It does what it's supposed to do, it has a good price and I didn't get any breakouts from it, which is a big plus!
SANA - Nameraka Honpo Soy Milk Q10 Face Wash
Ingredients: Water, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Iron Hydroxide, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Sorbitol, PEG-20, Glyceryl Stearate, Lauric Acid, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Protein, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Butylene Glycol, PEG-32, Ethanolamine, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocoyl Glutamic Acid, Polyquaternium-52, Lecithin
This cleanser is lovely when it's used by itself but can be quite drying used as a second cleanser, at least for me and that's why I've used it for my morning skincare routine. It has a thick gel consistency that turns into a delicate and rich foam. It leaves the skin very soft and it didn't cause any unwanted breakouts.
HADA LABO - Gokujyun Premium Hyaluronic Acid Lotion
Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether, Diglycerin, Na Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Na Acetyl Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Crosspolymer NA Hyaluronate, Lactobascillus / Hyaluronic Acid Fermented Solution, Hydrolyzed Na Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed dinopolysaccharide, Hydrolyzed Hydrogenated starch, Glycosyl Trehalose, Sorbitol, Triethyl Citrate, PEG-32, Carbomer, PEG-75, 2Na Succinate, Propanediol, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, K Hydrozide, Succinic Acid, EDTA-2Na, Polyquaternium-51, Capryl Hydroxamic Acid, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Xanthan Gum, Phoenoxyethanol
I was very excited to finally be able to try the famous Hada Labo Lotion. Monica explained to me that this can be used as a toner/serum/essence and judging by its texture she was right. It has a gel-like consistency that literally glides on the skin. I am pretty sure that I go overboard sometimes and I apply more than I should, but I really love this product.
Besides the hydration (it contains seven types of hyaluronic acids including Hada Labo's smallest molecular size of hyaluronic acid ) I find this lotion to be very soothing. I started using it when my skin was very irritated, itchy and looking bad and every time I applied it my skin would calm down instantly. It dries down pretty fast and it doesn't let my face sticky.
HADA LABO - Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Lotion
Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Disodium Succinate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Methylparaben, PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Succinic Acid
This was voted the no1 lotion in Japan for 13 years!! I can totally understand why. It has such a lightweight texture but it delivers so much moisture! I use it in the morning as a day cream, under sunscreen and at night as a serum, applied over the Hada Labo Premium Lotion. I don't usually use rich creams, I tend to get breakouts from them, so for me, this is the perfect moisturizer.
LULULUN - Precious White Brightening Face Masks
Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Piper Nigrum (Pepper) Seed Extract, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, C18-36 Acid Triglyceride, C12-18 Acid Triglyceride, Jojoba Esters, Squalane, Phytosterol Macadamia Nut Fatty Acid Ester, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Lecithin, Hydrogenated Sunflower Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben
First of all, how cool is the packaging? I love the idea of having more of my favorite masks in one pack and handy too. This is a lovely brightening mask that leaves the skin hydrated and toned. I haven't noticed any brightening effects, but I love the way my skin looks and feels after I use it (firm and smooth). The only downside is the fitting. The eye area is very small and I had to find a way to use it without the mask getting into my eyes ( I solved that issue with scissors). There's plenty of essence inside, so you can also apply it on your face like a serum after you finish all the masks.
I am very happy and thankful to Monica for giving me the chance to try these products. She also gave me a 10% discount code for you guys (except for Ishizawa lab collection and giftcards). You can use LAURA at checkout or you can click this link and the discount will be automatically added to your cart.
Don't forget to check out their Instagram page. There you can check out the latest J-beauty products and news.
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