Kanebo Suisai face wash powder

I picked up this face wash powder for about 2000 yen at Yamada Denki.

You empty the capsule into your hand, add a bit of water, rub your hands together, and it turns into a lather.

It's ranked very high on cosme and won a best face wash award in 2014. But it was really drying for me. I'll use it when I travel (no liquids!), even though I prefer my Bifesta cleansing sheets for traveling.

Canmake Candy Wrap Lip Gloss

I picked up the Canmake Candy Wrap lip gloss in Lady Strawberry at Yamada Denki in Tokyo for about 600 yen.

I LOVE the color and the gloss. It's super "garu." Since it's a gloss, it doesn't last long. My only complaint is that it caused acne around my mouth.

I'm going to try it again with a lip pencil.

Daiso's nail polish: Espoleur

I've been trying to trim down my beauty budget, and one way has been to do my own manicures/pedicures. To not feel completely impoverished, I treat myself to a new 100 yen nail polish (almost) each time.

The other day I stumbled upon Daiso's new nail polish line. I have to say, it's pretty great. There are many colors to choose from - from wild and crazy to my new favorite beige (#2 light nude ライトヌード). The first coat goes on very sheer, but the color builds nicely. It dries quickly with no gumming.

Datsumo Labo: visits 4 and 5

This is where it got real for me! Last weekend, after visit 5 at Datsumo, I went to the beach. I did not have to landscape! It is so freeingly wonderful to not have to worry about grooming!

Face: hair is definitely growing back less and at a slower pace. I usually have to wax my upper lip every two weeks, and that is because hair is THERE. I have noticed no new hairs.

Underarms: A significant reduction in the amount of hair. The hair that does grow there is much finer. I went about two weeks without having to really shave.

Arms: I can still feel hair there, but I can't see it.

Bikini line: I can go a week without shaving. No razor burn.

Legs: I can feel some hair there, but can't see it.

Fingers and toes: I can feel some hair there, but can't see it.

Verdict: After five treatments the results are noticeable and make it worth the discomfort (so cold, and so many people touching my body)! I'm finally slowing my visits down to once a month!

Datsumo Labo: Visit #3

I've completely given up thinking that I can save the 1000 yen shaving charge. No matter how diligently I shave before my appointment, they shave me anyway.

I'm going every two weeks (they said that would be ok for the first two, maybe three months. After that, they recommend only going once a month). Below are the results to date:

Face: hair is definitely growing back less and at a slower pace. I usually have to wax my upper lip every two weeks, and that is because hair is THERE. I noticed I only have a few stray hairs by the end of week two.

Underarms: A significant reduction in the amount of hair. The hair that does grow there is much finer. I went about a week without having to really shave.

Arms: I can feel hair there, but I can't see it.

Bikini line: Here is my big problem spot. This process has definitely reduced the razor burn I experience from daily shaving. There is a significant reduction in the amount of hair. The hair that grows is still dark and coarse. I can go about 3 days without having to shave at all. After a week, shaving is necessary.

Legs: I can feel hair there, but can't see it.

Fingers and toes: no real difference here. I still have the same amount of hair that regrows in two weeks.

Verdict: After just three treatments the results are noticeable and make it worth the discomfort (so cold, and so many people touching my body)! I'm continuing to go every two weeks until the hair regrowth makes that unnecessary.

LUX Super Rich Shine Damage Repair

I'm still on the hunt for a good conditioning mask to fix my fried hair. I chose this Lux damage repair due to great ratings on Cosme, and the fact that it cost about 500 yen at my local drugstore. You leave it on for about 20 minutes after shampooing. It is a weekly treatment, but I've been using it after each shampoo (just on the ends), and haven't noticed any terrible build-up.

It's better than the Laggie conditioner (which comes in cute little individual packets- perfect for traveling). But, it hasn't solved the problem. My Japanese friend swears by using Nivea cream lotion in her hair - I'm trying that next!

Laggie Rich Repair treatment

The double process straight perm Watanabe gave me totally fried my hair, so I'm desperate for treatments to disguise the damage. Since Aki san didn't reply to my email request for products he recommends, I picked up the highly rated Laggie Rich Repair mask (4 treatments for about 500 yen).

It definitely helped - I can get a comb through the ends, gave it a silky texture, and it doesn't look horrible, but you can still tell the ends are frayed and dry. I'd recommend this for a normal weekly treatment, not a salon-gone-wrong-fix.