A New Year of Beauty secrets: Tend Skin Shaving Liquid

Some research led me to Tend Skin, ordered on the internet, in the hopes of finally banishing the bikini line razor burn.

I am amazed. Completely and utterly amazed.

In two days there has already been dramatic improvement.

I've been applying 2-3 a day, as directed, and will continue to do so until I'm all bump-free and perfect. Then I will apply only after hair removal.

The good fight against razor burn and Veet depilatory cream

 

I am now in a full on battle with my bikini line. I usually wax, but I hate that I have one week of a beautiful bikini line, and three weeks of a crazy, unsightly bikini line.

A friend swears by daily shaving, so I bought a new razor and a ton of new blades specifically designed for women (I had been using the same brand as my male S.O.). I bought the laser hair remover. Now, I have to shave everyday and my bikini line, while hairless, now has unsightly razor burn that is only getting progressively worse. In an effort to stop repeating tasks which have proven not to work, I did some research on how to cure and prevent razor burn, and purchased Veet depilatory cream for about 900 yen at my local drugstore.

My goal is to have a beautiful, hair-free bikini line in five days. Wish me luck!

Step One: Fixing the Razor Burn

Day one: No shaving or plucking. Treatment consisted of exfoliating with my Aqua Cure gel, followed by a cleansing with an acne fighting astringent after my morning shower.  I added a little TLC mid-day with a light application of my Nivea lotion. Evening treatment (no improvement, possibly worsening?) included an aspirin paste application and a layer of lotion. And prayer....

Day two: Surprisingly, there has been significant improvement. No shaving or plucking. The redness has gone down and some bumps have disappeared altogether. Morning treatment included exfoliating, a long soak in a hot bath with Youmeisen bath salts, and application of acne fighting astringent followed by lotion. Evening treatment included an aspirin paste application and a layer of lotion.

Day three: No huge leaps in improvement. No shaving or plucking. Still have a few (4) pink/red bumps.  Morning treatment included exfoliating, application of acne fighting astringent, lotion application. Evening treatment included acne fighting mask, SK-II lotion. Today is the spot-test for the depilatory (results below).

Day four: Worsening! But how? No shaving or plucking. Have 6-8 pink/red bumps. Morning treatment included exfoliating, hot bath, application of acne fighting astringent, lotion. Since the evening was the time to do the full depilatory treatment, no evening razor burn treatment. But, surprise change of plans! No time to continue experiment. ABORT. Shave.

Day five: No shaving or plucking. Have 4 pink/red bumps. No morning treatment. Evening treatment was exfoliation, acne fighting astringent.

Day six:  No shaving or plucking. Have 4 pink/red bumps. Morning treatment included acne fighting astringent. Evening treatment is a long hot bath, acne fighting astringent, lotion.

Day seven: How do I have more bumps? More than 8??? No shaving or plucking. Morning treatment included exfoliating, hot bath, application of acne fighting astringent. Evening treatment included exfoliating, hot bath, aspirin paste application.

Day eight (RESULTS):  Still have 8-10 bumps!?!? After depilatory (results below!!!), morning treatment included hot bath, acne fighting astringent, and aspirin paste. I've concluded that nothing I am doing is actually helping to cure the razor burn. The aspirin paste does help reduce redness and inflammation, but it doesn't get rid of the bumps or the redness altogether. I'm bringing in the big guns for future treatments - check back later!

Step Two: Bikini line hair removal

I had not used a depilatory in more than 20 years, mostly due to the memory of the chemical perm-like smell. I am using the "sensitive skin" version, and, while there still was the tell-tale smell of depilatory cream, it was nowhere near as strong as I remember it being in the past.

The Veet depilatory cream instructions state that the cream is resistant to water in the shower, so you can use it while showering. You take off the cream (and the unwanted hair) with the included sponge. There is supposed to be no stinging. Directions say to leave on the "premium essence" brand for 3-6 minutes, "sensitive skin" brand for 5-10 minutes. Results should last 3-5 days.

Day One: I have four days of growth. Today is the spot test! I left the cream on for 10 minutes, then wiped with the sponge. I'm not sure it removed all the hair (but this could be just the hair on the edges of the spot-test). After cleansing the area, there was some slight burning/stinging. However, as long as my skin doesn't revolt, I'll try a full removal tomorrow!

Day Two: There is still a bit of a burning/stinging sensation at the test site, but nothing I can't live with. There is a lingering odor of depilatory. There is also a lotion-y film on the skin. No adverse effects, but surprise change of plans! No time to continue experiment. ABORT. Shave.

Day Three - Six: Waiting for hair to grow out a bit more.

Day Seven (RESULTS): I have three days of growth. Full depilatory today. This worked AMAZINGLY on the areas between the legs and through to behind. However, it didn't work as well on the front - both on the front sides and above. First, the rough side of the included sponge inflamed my existing razor burn, breaking open some bumps and making others an angry red. Second, it didn't remove all the hair in these areas, meaning I had to do a second swipe with a razor. (I think this hair might have been too short?) So, I will continue using this, and continue the fight with my razor burn, in search of a photo shop perfect bikini line...

2014 Year end awards: Buy these now!

These are the things I can whole-heartedly recommend:

Heroine make mascara

Heroine make mascara remover

Evangelist BB cream

Muji lipstick

SK-II stempower

Bifesta facial cleansing wipes

Tiare body oil

Beauty Pride's APPS+E(TPNa) shampoo and conditioner

Drybar dry shampoo

Heroine make mascara remover

I finally splurged and bought the mascara remover for the all day super waterproof mascara I ADORE. I was getting raccoon eye overnight, even after I cleansed my face and used my normal makeup remover. I have to say, this doesn't get ALL the mascara off, but it does a much better job than normal cleansers. Go ahead and buy it!

Nivea body lotion

I needed a new body lotion that could stand the test of winter, so I picked up this Nivea body lotion. I like it. It's as nice and easy to apply as the Moist Diane, but without any scent. I would buy this again!

Panasonic Hair Removal Machine with Light Este with Light (for Body)

I'm in a constant battle with my body hair. I usually use NAD'S wax on my bikini line, and a strip wax on other places (upper lip, big toe, etc.). While strip wax is easy to find in any Japanese drug store, any type of wax for a bikini line is difficult, if not impossible, to locate. Therefore, I decided to take the plunge into the world of laser hair removal.

I was seriously considering the Tria (about $450 USD), but, because of the price, I decided to look elsewhere. Cosme rates the Panasonic incredibly highly, and, at 14500 yen, it was much more reasonable for my first foray into the arena of at-home laser hair removal.

I just completed my first session on my big toes, legs, and bikini line. The instructions say this is for body use only, no facial use. There was no pain whatsoever. There was a bit of a burning hair smell, but it was not overpowering.

I plan to continue the treatment twice a week for the next several months, so I will update this post as I progress.

Wish me luck! My goal is to have a bikini line free of shaving bumps and no need to grow out hair in order to wax!

MONTH ONE UPDATE: no real noticeable difference.  I've been using the machine about every 3-4 days.

Month two: still no noticeable difference. I've been using the machine about once a week, to week and a half.

Nars lipstick: Mayflower

So, I am in Japan and am being completely shut out of the Sephora website, so no sale buys for me! Not happy!

When I was in the States I hit up Sephora because I wanted a good everyday lipstick, and knew I wanted to select from the Nars collection. I like shopping at Sephora because it's so easy to try on different products without any harassment from sales people. In Japan, there is no Sephora, and going to the Nars counter at a department store feels like buying a used car.

Anyhoo, I bought the Mayflower shade and love it. It will replace some of the cheap versions I bought here in Japan late this summer. All thumbs up!

Bringing stuff back from the States: Yes to Grapefruit brightening wipes and Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

I had a quick-turn-around trip planned back to the USA and made a down and dirty list of items I wanted to buy that I couldn't find in Japan. First up was a selection of "Yes to" facial cleansing wipes. I really liked my Bifesta wipes but wanted to try out the "Yes to" collection since they receive raving reviews on US Beauty websites. I have been using the  Yes To Grapefruit brightening wipes (around $7US), and have to say, I prefer the Bifesta. My skin feels dried out after using the "Yes to Grapefruit" wipe. And, I hate the smell. It's like a fruity, medicinal, candy citrus.

I also picked up the highly rated laura mercier tinted moisturizer with SPF 20 in "natural" for $43USD as an experiment against the Evangelist Lady Bright Up BB cream. I like the laura mercier, but it is much more "American" than the Evangelist: it is definitely more of a moisturizer, less coverage, and more precise color for Caucasian skin. I'm glad I have this in my arsenal, and think it will be great for dry winter skin, but it was not the "holy grail" product I was hoping for.

Traveling with Japanese luxuries: prepping to conclude an 18 hour flight looking fabulous

I always leave my flight looking oily and gross. So, I put together a little carry-on love to attempt to remedy that situation.

First up are the Bifesta facial cleansing sheets (550 yen). These oil and fragrance free sheets are supposed to give you a deep clean. I use these facial cleansing whenever I start feeling oily during a flight, and also in the bathroom of the airport when I arrive at my destination. Result: absolutely fabulous. Love these. They take off all my makeup and leave me feeling squeaky clean, and they give me a clean canvas for a fresh make-up application at my destination airport bathroom without having to get water all over the place and risk messing up my bangs.

I've been using the SK-II stempower as my morning and evening moisturizer, and am loving the mochi-like feeling it gives my skin. Japanese flight attendants use this instead of a facial mask on planes and swear that it helps them remain looking so positively fantastic throughout a long-haul flight. I can attest that it lives up to this claim!

Before settling in for a sleep, I slip on my Dr. Scholl compression leggings. My hope is to stave off bloating and uncomfortableness! I use these around my house, and love how they massage my legs. I've also found that they really do reduce leg and ankle bloating.

Then, before I pop on my noise-reduction headphones hooked up to my ambient noise app, I put on my Kao Megurythm heated eye mask, in lavender. These always put me right to sleep here at home, and really help when I'm wedged in an economy airplane seat! Note: I've been trying out the different aromas (rose, yuzu, and unscented), and so far I much prefer the lavender.

Other items in my beauty carry-on: travel toothpaste and brush, hand sanitizer, pepto bismol (um, airplane food?!?), a sleeping pill, deodorant, perfume, and make-up.

And, make my hair look great upon final exit of the airplane, I use this fantastic dry shampoo from drybar.

I have to say, I looked really marvelous for coming off an 18 hour flight. Paparazzi ready!

World's most expensive shampoo? Beauty Pride's APPS+E(TPNa)

I feel like my hair is aging fast, so I went in search of something I might be able to do about it. Cosme just put out new rankings for shampoo, and Beauty Pride's APPS+E(TPNa) took top prize. The comments are positively glowing. Apparently, this stuff is the real deal and can actually reverse damage. Also, as the real deal, it is ridiculously expensive. A bottle of shampoo costs 8600 yen. Conditioner: 8600 yen. You can get samples online for about 2100 yen. This is a review of the sample sized product.

I have to admit, this is nice stuff. It feels good in your hands when you pump it out. It lathers nicely in your hair. The conditioner is thick, but doesn't weigh hair down. I used all the product in the individual use packets, but I think I could get away with using only half on my mid-length hair. In the end, I got soft, silky, bouncy hair. I got "just-stepped-out-of-the-salon" hair.

I usually wash my hair every 2-3 days, depending on my running schedule. On day 2, my hair continued to be soft and manageable. No noticeable traces of oil/grease. After pulling my hair into a low ponytail for an 80 minute yoga class, there are no traces of the "band."

Some of the comments on cosme say that after an initial great impression, the product fails to "wow" the second time. So, I washed my hair with Beauty Pride's APPS+E(TPNa) shampoo and conditioner a second time, using only half the product in the individual packets, on day 3 (no other product used in between). I also did not style my hair after washing, so this was all the work of the product. I have to say, it was lovely. It still had that light-bouncy-soft feeling.

I am torn. I LOVE these products, but the cost is SO high!

So, I tried a little experiment. First, I shampooed with my normal MUJI seven herb. I followed up with the APPS+E(TPNa) conditioner. Result: Nice hair. Not quite as bouncy as when I used both products together, but it had the same look on day one, day two, not so much. Also, it felt like there was product in my hair, but nothing like the after-product feel of the Mogans conditioner.

Then, I shampooed and conditioned with the MUJI and Mogans. Same results that I normally get. Ok, but not great.

Finally, I shampooed with the APPS+E(TPNa) and followed up with the Mogan's conditioner. Result: almost the same results as with the regular MUJI and Mogans.

So, if I can stomach the price, I will first buy the conditioner. When my MUJI shampoo runs out, then I'll spring for the conditioner. I'm trying to remind myself that I spring for facial beauty products, why not some for my hair?

Evangelist Lady Bright Up BB Cream

I ran out of the CoverGirl BB cream I had been using all summer and switched over to the liquid foundation I usually use for fall. But I noticed such a dramatic difference in my skin tone. It looked duller and like the foundation was caking around my pores.

After doing a bit of research I learned that the Evangelist Bright Up BB cream (which only comes in one color) is the apparent "godsend" of Japanese BB creams. I ordered a small tube for about 2800 yen (which is a lot in my world of makeup!).

At first I was really worried about the color, which is a bit light for my skin tone, but as I rubbed it in it seemed to blend with my natural color. It definitely has more coverage than my CoverGirl CG Smoothers BB cream and really brightened up my skin (I'm not sure how, but it did! Some sort of illumination powder must be included.). There was more caking around my pores than with my CoverGirl BB cream, but I suspect that this is because of the increased coverage.

In addition, it boasts 50+UV protection.

I'll continue to use it, but, for the price I was hoping for more. It will soon run out, since the tube is so small. I'm going to look into the Laura Mercier illuminating tinted moisturizer the next time I visit the States (since more colors are available there!).

Moist Diane Tiare Body Milk

I picked this up at the drugstore for 950 yen for two reasons: 1) it's Tiare scented and I am almost out of my beloved Tahitian tiare oil, and 2) it had a big #1 on cosme sticker slapped on the front.

When I came home and looked it up on cosme, I couldn't find it ranked at all! Suspicious!

This is a good day lotion, it absorbs quick enough (although not instantly) to quickly get dressed after use. The consistency is nice enough, actually rather easy to apply, but the smell is so disappointing! It doesn't really smell like Tiare at all. It just smells like - lotion...

Salon Nail nail polish (#19 大人ベージュ)

While performing the luxurious task of picking up garbage bags at the 100 yen store, I treated myself to a bottle of salon nail nail polish. This brand is rated very high on cosme (the art series), but I never saw a color I liked, so I never bought a bottle (108 yen).

However, I came across this sparkly beige and thought it might be nice for an event I have coming up later this week. While it is definitely lighter in color than the bottle (this is 2 coats), I like it. It is very unassuming, but, when you notice it, the shine and color look like well-cared-for nails. I'll be sporting it out and about this week!

Pretty Little Underthings

The first time I needed new undergarments in Japan, I went to the Wacoal store in the local Yokohama mall. (There is a Wacoal section in Shijo Daimaru as well.) As you can expect, I spent a fortune on a basic bra and panty set. However, there are changing rooms and it was good to be able to try on the bras in order to find the right Japanese sizing. The bra ran about 6000 yen, the underwear around 4800 yen. A size conversion chart can be found here.

After moving to Kyoto I found myself in need of a basic black slip. After looking around a bit, I found something suitable, for around 2500 yen, at Amo's style (locations on both Shijo and in the underground mall at Kyoto station). They also have fitting rooms, which was a plus because slip sizing was also different from sizing in the States. I noted that, in addition to the bountiful "girly" and "doll-like" lingerie, they also had a few affordable more basic sets.

When I popped into Uniqlo yesterday I strolled down the underwear aisle and was surprised to find a set that was INCREDIBLY SIMILAR to the seamless set I paid so much for at Wacoal. I picked up a set of bra and underwear (conveniently sized S, M, L) for under 2500 yen. You can even order online in English! This will be my new go-to place for basic undergarments!

Towels: Nitori, 7-11, Imabari (Goldilocks and the three towels...)

When I moved here, I ordered a few towel sets from Nitori. I went for cheap (about 400 yen a towel) since I knew I would be throwing them out when I move back to the States.

I quickly realized I hated these scratchy stiff towels. While they dry relatively easy, which is a plus in the rainy season, they are just so unpleasant on the skin.

So, I picked up a towel from 7-11. If I recall, it was about 1000 yen. Ah, much better. Soft. Dries quickly. But, after a few washings, seems to be falling apart. And, it collects all manner of lint. I will be washing it in a laundry net bag from now on.

But, I only had one. That is not feasible when it is still on the line drying and you need a towel. So, I splurged on one of the famous Imabari towels. A set of a bath towel and a face towel cost me 5000 yen. Ouch.

OMG. I love this towel. It makes my dinky bathroom feel like a spa. I will be buying more of these, and taking them home. These will also feature as holiday gifts for friends and family back home!

Youmeisen bath salts

My neighbor gave me a 60 gram packet of youmeisen the other day in order to help stave off the coming cold. As many people know, Japanese women are very sensitive to the cold and do all sorts of things to heat up the inner core.

My neighbor said that in addition to being a good cure for chilliness (because, so is a bath, no?), it also helps with her husband's eczema. When I looked this up on the web, indeed, it is said to cure a host of ailments, including skin and chill.

Since I dislike that particular cold of a Japanese winter in Kyoto (so damp and so cold, yet my skin is still so dry), I gave it a whirl in my bath tonight.

First: it is yellow. Really yellow. Like a "tub full of pee" yellow. You have to laugh.

It did give my skin a nice silky feeling while in the bath, and, after drying off, seems to have left a subtle residue that is trapping in moisture. I think I'm going to like this!

You can buy this on Amazon Japan, about 2050 yen for 900 grams, or 1300 yen for an 8-pack of 60 gram packets.

DHC Deep Facial Cleansing Oil, Grands Rich Soap Rosemary Facial Cleanser, Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner

This is supposedly a standard item in most Japanese women's medicine cabinets, and has a ton of positive reviews on the DHC site. Cosme currently has it ranked rather low, although it won top prize in 2000. I got a small bottle for 900 yen at the local drugstore.

It has a similar consistency to the Shisheido cleansing oil, meaning that it is not as "thick" as the Fancl oil. It seems to have done a fine job cleansing, however, I thought the smell of olive oil was too strong. Since I'm using this with the Grands Rich Soap Rosemary facial cleanser, I smell a bit too "savory" in the morning for my taste!

 I'm not so sure that the soap cleaner got all the oil cleaner off, even after an application of my trusty Thayers Witch Hazel Rose Petal Toner.

After this combination, my skin still feels like it has an oil moisturizer on it, which is not a bad thing - I feel all soft and smooth -, it's just different from my former "squeaky clean" feel after the Fancl oil and Shisheido face wash. Perhaps this will be better as the cold weather approaches and starts drying out my skin!

UPDATE: I've thrown out the DHC oil. Being greeted every morning with that bitter olive oil smell was just not worth it. In addition, my skin has been acting up. It could be from any matter of things, but, no matter the cause, I'm not adding oil that doesn't smell good and that I'm not sure actually washes off.

UV protection: Coppertone v. Parasola

I usually head straight for the Western brand UV spray lotion, but decided to test out a Japanese brand on my last summer hurrah.

This Parasola 50+ UV block spray is effective and waterproof! It did a great job and I loved the baby powder smell. Also, it was much cheaper than the Coppertone I usually buy, at about 800 yen.

Laurier F maxi pads

These are rated number one over at cosme.net, so I picked up a pack to see for myself. I have to say, they were pretty basic. The tabs were nice and sticky and didn't have those annoying individual backings. However, since I use these at night, I like a long pad, and feel like these were too short. So far, I prefer the Laurier Speed+.

Tooth Whitening: Smile Cosmetique vs. Oil Pulling

I usually just pick up whatever American brand of toothpaste I recognize, and that's that. But, I have this blog and all, so I thought I might as well refill my toothpaste with the highest ranked one on cosme.net. Which brought me to Smile Cosmetique. A tube is super expensive, at 1300 yen, but it's not so different from high end whitening toothpastes in the States, so...

I've been using it for a week and haven't seen much difference at all. It has a nice "toothpastey" taste, obviously covering up a medicinal taste. I haven't had any sensitivity.

However, I think I will just return to my regular toothpaste once this runs out and continue oil pulling, which has definitely whitened my teeth and given me added benefits, such as better sleep.

Monoi Tiare body oil

This was one of those purchases made after reading an "if you can't get to the tropics, at least you can..." articles. Moni Tiare oil is one of the major tourist purchases in Tahiti. I've always wanted to go to Tahiti. So I can buy the oil, right?

A 400 ml bottle goes for about $10 on amazon and can be found on Amazon Japan as well.

This is my favorite post-bath oil. It's thick. It reminds me of Tropicana tanning oil from my childhood. It has a similar smell, although less coconut and more Tiare. It reminds me of a wonderful vacation I had in Anquilla with my entire extended family. It is a vacation in a bottle.

The smell is strong, but not so strong as to be offensive. It permeates my bathrobe and my bed linens and transports me to a vacation-y place. Love!

It's the little things: hair ties

You know those days when it's just been kinda rotten and you need a little retail therapy pick-me-up, but need to emphasize the "little" because the next payday is quite a way away? Well, I had one of those days and my treat to myself was this little pack of three metallic colored hair bands from MUJI.

Well, bah humbug, they look pretty and work for only about a day! They get all stretched out super quick!

On the other hand, these adorable little hair ties I bought two for 100 yen at the 100 yen store: fabulous! Take a licking and keep on ticking!

On (yet another) less than fantastic day, I picked up this hair tie/ metal ring duo from H&M (currently selling for about 200 yen). I really like this piece and might pick up another one. I don't wear it as often as I like (it is great for a fall "low pony") since the hair tie is connected to the ring, and once it wears out, well, the thing is worthless. But at 200 yen, perhaps I shouldn't care as much?

Pax Naturon Kitchen Sponge

I find myself doing a lot of dishes when living in Japan. With no dishwasher, and a lot of home cooking, I suppose it is a natural result. But I still hate doing dishes.

I usually just pick up kitchen sponges from the dollar store, but they get so dingy so quickly, I decided to check out cosme's highly rated sponge. It costs about 150 yen.

I have to say, it was much much better than the dollar store sponges. The gajillion tiny little holes hold the dish soap allowing the sponge to suds up really well. It made doing the dishes a little better!

Laundry detergent: Utamaro

I have never stumbled upon a Japanese laundry detergent that I like, so I decided to give cosme.net's #1 rated Utamaro a try. I was a bit worried about all the "color fading" warnings, so I gave it a go on some old linens first - no problems!

I'm liking this so far! It has a really clean smell and gets things squeaky clean. A bottle is about 500 yen for 400 ml, but you only need a little for each load of laundry. I got mine on Amazon, since I haven't seen it around, but I'll keep an eye out!

I haven't really been following the use directions (which state to wet the garment, put a drop on the stained area, scrub, then stick in the washing machine). Instead I've been following the looser washing machine directions (a little goes a long way...). Also, I got the liquid form because that was more familiar to me, but there is apparently a "soap" form that is very popular.

Keeping fit: Grocery stores (Yaoichi, Fresco, Misugiya, Kaldi Coffee Farm, Mediya)

I am a sucker for fresh beautiful foods, and, at times, enjoy cooking them for myself. My Japanese neighbor suggested I buy my fruits and vegetables at Yaoichi (八百一), where there is a beautiful selection of produce. The prices are a bit higher than other grocery stores, but the quality is unparalleled. I've often opted for the cheaper Fresco produce, only to get it home and find that there is something so terribly wrong with it, it is inedible (avocados rotten on the inside, unshucked corn hiding shrivelled kernels, etc.)

I also found that the selection of seafood and yogurt at Yaoichi is much better than at other markets. For instance, on a wild hunt for Hokkaido uni for a dinner party, I only found two places that had uni: a fishmonger in Nishiki market and Yaoichi. Yaoichi's uni was cheaper, and to the naked eye, much fresher.

That said, according to my neighbor, it is much more economical to buy your fish and meat from Fresco. I'm not big on animal flesh, so I can't bear out this claim, but it does seem that there is big turnover in the fish department at my local Fresco. This is also where I buy the majority of my dry goods and staples.

However, for the sake of convenience, I often find myself shopping in the underground mall attached to the Kyoto City Hall subway stop: Zest Oike. Here you can find a supermarket (Misugiya) with a small but decent selection of fresh and dry goods, as well as a spirits corner. Across the way is the Kaldi coffee farm, where I buy my coffee and can find good prices on import groceries (as well as WAY overpriced imports), like canned diced Italian tomatoes for 98 yen a can and cava or rose for 1000 yen!!! Kaldi has a coffee point card. Ask for one, as I was not offered one with my first purchase.

Of course there is also Mediya for import groceries and higher end wines and liquors.

By far the best place to buy liquor is Yamaya. The selection is bonkers and the prices are the best I've seen in the city. There is bicycle parking out front!

Mogans Conditioner

My super expensive (2800 yen) highly rated (number 1 on cosme) conditioner arrived today, so I just had to wash my hair and try it out!

It is much better than the Shiseido Tsubaki. It doesn't have a discernible smell, but it smells very clean. It is a lighter formula and doesn't weigh my hair down at all. It gave me a bit of a shine, but not much silky softness. Despite not weighing down my hair, there seems to be a residual feeling of "product."

Overall, I'm much happier with this conditioner than my previous one and will use it until it runs out. However, for the price, I was hoping for more, so I'll keep up the search!

UPDATE: I've started putting this conditioner on post-shampoo, leaving it on for about a half hour, then rinsing. Now, I love it! It still has a "product-y" residue, but I think that is what is giving me the shine, so I'll deal with it! Also, hair is MUCH softer.

MUJI Massage Oil: Citrus Green

I need a good moisturizer for Japanese winters and have found that I like oils better than lotions. I ran out of my standard Neutrogena sesame body oil, and, rather than ordering it here, decided to try some Japanese options. I picked up this MUJI massage oil in Citrus Green because it was marked down to 500 yen.

This oil is currently ranked as number 15 on cosme.net in the body massage section.

The oil itself is fine, nothing truly special, but I found I was not too fond of the smell. I'm glad I only got a small bottle and didn't pay much for it. I'll use it until it runs out, but will be looking for something different for winter.

UPDATE: I've been trying to use up this small bottle to clear out my medicine cabinet. I really dislike this oil. It leaves an oily film on my body for at least 24 hours, it never absorbs into my skin. It makes me feel dirty and oily.