Something about Japan just gets under your skin. There’s no place quite like it. It’s uncommon for a place not to only meet your expectations (which were high) but exceed them. Part of the appeal while I was over was tracking down some super cute Japanese beauty products – particularly the 20th Anniversary Sailor Moon goodies that I have been obsessing about for years at this point. It was time to dust off my inner magical girl and go on the ultimate beauty pilgrimage around Tokyo and build the cutest make-up bag known to man.
Sailor Moon Eyeliner and Blusher
Sometimes you find make up so beautiful you don’t want to use it. It also helps when the make-up is mediocre (at best.) Which I am both equal parts devastated and delighted by. The first clue is that it’s sold in a Toy Store. The Sailor Moon make-up line launched to coincide with the 20th anniversary and while hiked ebay prices has dashed any dreams of owning any, a trip to Japan meant I could finally track it down. Which turned out trickier than I first thought. But worth it. So worth it. The blush is a light peachy pink matte kept in the cosmic heart compact with a surprisingly pigmented application. The blush pad isn’t the best but you’re not really buying this for the blush here. It’s all about the compact. Comic moon power make-up!
The eyeliner is a traditional pen which makes for easy application and in truth isn’t too bad. It’s not got the longest longevity but the fact you get to use the cutie moon rod to apply your liner will have you channelling your inner cosmic warrior.
Barbie Beauty Buys
Barbie beauty products went from a total whim purchase to legit favourite beauty product. The BB cream is not just great for a budget beauty haul, it’s just a really fantastic beauty product period. You want barbie face? You got it. As it’s made for a Japanese market it’s not the most colour diverse (pale one or pale two) so if you fall in to either of those two camps you’re golden. Lasts for ages, nice consistency and great coverage and more like a foundation than a BB cream truth be told. The lipstick is a great semi-gloss candy pink. The range has a great range of other pink and reds, but the classic barbie frost pink it high octane girly goodness. Of course, I couldn’t do a Japanese beauty haul without the infamous sheet face masks that are so prominent over there. Naturally I bought the entire range. From placenta to pearl inspired face masks, these Japanese face masks are unreal. While not quite as impactful as the cat face masks, the Barbie Face sheet masks are a fun, cheap piece of beauty paraphernalia and well worth the 100 yen. The face masks are EVERYWHERE but I picked up the beauty range while nipping in to WeGo which is like a magical H&M/Primark hybrid through a Harajuku filter. Really, go for the clothes and stay for the make-up as the Barbie collection was unreal.
Daiso 100 Yen Shop Goodies
A trip to Tokyo isn’t complete without a trip to the 100 Yen stores. Daiso was a regular fixture on my shopping trips around Shibuya and while most of the time I was stocking up on souvenirs like kitchen towels and snacks (so many snacks) they also had some beauty bits that caught my eye. Now I don’t buy make up from pound stores as a general rule but the packaging caught my eye so I ended up picking up a gel liner and a cream blush. The eyeliner was definitely the surprise product here coming with a great little brush and while not the most even application it built up quite well and lasted nicely. While it isn’t becoming my go to product, a handy little treat for the price. The blush definitely lured me in with it’s OTT bejewelled packaging. My love affair with it ended there though. The product feels more like face paint than a cream blush and I found the application uneven. I do prefer a powder blush though so when it comes down to it, your mileage may vary.
All things considered I think I showed remarkable restraint. The now infamous Laduree Make-Up caught my eye (though not my budget) and I’m sure given enough time I’d have tracked down some more Sailor Moon compact blushes. It’s not great when you’re looking for a diverse range of colours and tones, but the bits I did pick up were fun, cute and worth the money for the experience alone. Hell, a few even surprised me and have become go dos in my daily make up bag (I’m looking at you Barbie) giving me yet another excuse to go back when I eventually run out. Do you have any favourite beauty buys you’ve picked up on your travels?