The Tokyo Affair 2014 - Matsumoto Kiyoshi Beauty Loot

Before I left for Tokyo I promised myself that there would not be a repeat of last year's frantic squishing of luggage, desperately trying to fit all my shopping into my bags.....and I did so well this year, that I came back with barely anything! Of course, it also helped to think of my overflowing 'beauty drawer' back home~ XP

Maybe it was because I was there with my husband. I didn't spend as much time browsing and only made 2 trips to the drugstore as opposed to...well...I dunno...8? =P

Let's start with the stuff in sachets!

From left: Choosy lip masks, hot bath salts, whitening bath salts

I'm a big fan of these hot bath salts, feels so good after I soak & sweat buckets! By the time I took this photo, I'd already used 4 packets of bath salts....totally regret not buying more =( But if I get desperate, there's always Nishino Pharmacy or Meidi-ya I guess~

These hydrogel lip masks look yummy and were available in soooo many colours! Everything from nude to reds, pinks and orange shades. They can also double as nipple masks. Yep, NIPPLE masks. I haven't tried them yet though.

Choosy lip masks in Milk and White Pearl (about 100 - 120yen each)

Dual use lip & nipple gel patch!

Formulated with Collagen, Vitamin E and Hyaluronic Acid, this hydrogel lip pack goes on after the lips are thoroughly cleansed. Leave on for anything between 5 - 30min and then gently peel off lips. Depending on which mask you choose, there are also other ingredients in the formula such as argan oil, grapefruit essence, jojoba seed oil, honey and aloe vera~

炭­酸宣言(tan san sen gen) Sparkling Water Pack - 388yen

 

This water pack supposedly will help expand the capillaries in the skin, allowing more oxygen to the skin. From my understanding, it basically improves circulation, activating skin cell metabolism whilst cleansing the pores, improving elasticity and moisture.

 

From the instructions I gather one should mix pack 1 with water then mix in pack 2, at which point a creamy foam will form. Next, immerse your face in the foam for as long or as many times as you want then rinse off with the remaining carbonated water (I'm presuming this is after the initial chemical reaction settles and the foam dissipates.). Pat dry and you're ready for makeup!

Next! Makeup!

(By the way, I am immensely proud that I didn't come back with like 12 different mascaras circa 2013. *fistpump*)

I got a few really basic items like lip gloss and nail polish from Kate cos it was just SOOOO cheap, as always~ And Maybelline Baby Lips in Sweet Beige! Why don't we have this colour in Singapore? Or have I been somehow blindsided again. =\ I actually also bought a lip concealer stick from Canmake...but....I...can't find it....=___=

Kate gloss & polish - 400yen each, Canmake eyebrow liquid - 540yen, Maybelline Baby Lips - 540yen

And then the new Cool BB Spray with UV from Esprique~

Esprique Cool BB Spray - 2,268yen

 

Cooling BB Spray formulated with hyaluronic acid, collagen and mint essence.....I played with the tester a little bit and only felt a little bit of the cooling effect, maybe it'll be more apparent when used over a larger area. Simply spray on a sponge and apply~

 

And that, is it for makeup. Amazing right?!??! Talk about downsizing!

 

In misc goods, I got a couple bottles of these clothes fragrance sprays! They smell SO GOOD! I spritz some on to clothes I'm gonna be wearing the next day or sometimes on my work clothes when they need freshening up. Again, something I regretting not buying more of.

 

Flair Fragrance - 299 yen (so cheap!!!)

And for my daily aching legs~

 

Night Aroma Cooling Sheets - 498yen & SlimWalk compression socks - 1,831yen

Now the cooling sheets were a godsend for the trip because they adhered really well and the cooling effect was really soothing on my aching calves~ I simply slapped them on every night and only removed them in the morning =)

 

The SlimWalk compressions socks/stockings were also pretty great because I have the first ones from Scholl and they were abit hot for Singapore....it's pretty gross to be sweating in them. These new ones are a summertime release and are designed to release any trapped heat, keeping you cool...and compressed! =)

 

Wow, that was really....not a lot of stuff! =\ *feels overly self-censored* I really need to establish a middle ground.... Well, hope you guys enjoyed this short post!

Pucker up - Canmake Stay-On Balm Rouge

I envy ladies who can work solid colours on their lips. I really do! Some may say that I have full lips that should be emphasized...but I really can't.... (>__<) And therefore, I have an overflowing arsenal of nude lipsticks, lipglosses and lipbalms. And that's what I'm sharing today~

The Canmake Stay-On Balm Rouge:

Retails S$19.90 at Watsons

Comes in 6 colours (colour description from canmake.com):

01 - Rosier Rose; A delicate, pretty rose pink
02 - Smily Gerbera; A bright, stylish orange
03 - Tiny Sweetpea; A pure red that highlights your complexion
04 - Savonly Lily; A coral beige that blends in beautifully. classical and a casual look (That's mine)
05 - Flowing Cherry Petal; A pink that offers a short-cut to girlishness
06 - Sweet Clematis; Pink Beige which we can use without choosing a sence

Summed up, this is a coloured lipbalm. Containing no UV absorbers, this stick delivers a comfortable layer of protective balmy colour with ingredients like macadamia oil, rosehip oil, grapeseed oil, pomegranate oil, honey, shea butter, royal jelly extract etc. For you ladies who're big on SPF for your lips though, this product has only SPF 11 and PA+ so maybe layer it with your SPF30 lipbalm? I layered mine a couple times with my Maybelline Dr Rescue lipbalm and it was fine.

Anyway, I got this on my last Japan trip for around 600 yen (about S$10) so it's actually really really cheap! The amount of product is really good too, just slap it on and don't worry about it running out soon =D The next picture should give you an idea of the size...

As you can see, it's not one of those dinky little tubes~



The only gripe I have about this it the shape...would've preferred it to be an angled stick like lipstick but that's a really really small issue ^_^ Swatch time!

It looks darker on the stick but goes on really nice, balmy & sheer. A couple more shots just so you can get an idea of the sheen & balminess...

When I first applied it, my lips were a tad dry and at first I felt like it was highlighting the drier patches on my lip but after a few minutes, the balm settled in and it looked great!

Light colour but totally covers up my darker outer lip shade!

My darker outer lip bothers me to no end so it's instant love when I get a lipbalm that helps even the colour out. There's a very slight/fine shimmer in the pigment that's hardly noticeable so it makes for a nice natural lip sheen.

In a nutshell, the Canmake Stay-On Balm Rouge

• is an easy go-to option for sheer as well as richer yet balmy colours with basic SPF 11 PA+ lipcare
• comes in a pretty plastic casing with a firm cap (no accidents!)
• amount of product allows for lavish usage =P
• balm take a minute or 2 to set in and pretty up your lips if they're running abit dry/chapped; will probably not be sufficient for severely dry or chapped lips
• feels light on the lips; no sticky icky feeling
• the colour is only slightly buildable for this shade; layering brings up a glossier sheen
• staying power for this shade is decent; light tapping will remove some sheen but colour holds up ok; touchups required to maintain a 'made-up' look though
• 2 thumbs up for au-naturale looks =D

Overall, I really like this balm rouge and I'm looking forward to my next trip so I can buy try the richer colours like Tiny Sweetpea! ლ(´◉❥◉｀ლ)