Asian Beauty Haul + Reviews Part II: Makeup & Tools

This is part two of the Asian Beauty Haul series. If you haven’t read part one yet, check it out! Part three will be completely dedicated to sheet masks—I’m testing a bunch of them right now.

As I mentioned in the first post, I tried to contain myself a little since the haul to end all hauls will be next year in Seoul. So, I focused mostly on skincare and bought just a few cosmetics and tools. Let’s dive in:

 

Eyelash curler (I don’t remember the brand!)

I didn’t even take note of the brand of this eyelash curler. I just know that I saw it as Ainz & Tulpe (read more about where to shop for beauty products in Tokyo here) fell in love with the eyelash comb concept and immediately put it in my basket. Don’t you hate it when you curl your lashes and they’re not evenly distributed? This was one of those products I never thought existed, but I’m so glad it does. It was really affordable, too! At about 1000 yen, it cost just under $10.

I was so happy to see that it works as well as I hoped it would. I’m never going back to regular curlers!

First impressions rating: 5/5

 

 

Etude House’s Dear Darling Tint (in the color PK001)

This lip tint had been on my list for the longest time. The reviews are wonderful, and it’s recently been curated by SokoGlam. But, since I don’t like buying lip products online (the colors are always off) I decided to wait until I could go to a physical Etude House store and try it out.

Luckily, there was one across the street from my hotel in the Philippines! And let me tell you: it did not disappoint. Much to the contrary—it’s worthy of all the hype it gets. It’s creamy, hydrating, and the color lasts a long time. The smell and the taste took me right back to my childhood, to these fruit juices we’d get at the farmer’s market. I’m loving this raspberry color, and next time I plan on picking up a deep red and a coral one as well.

First impressions rating: 5/5

 

Makeup Sponges (also brandless, oops)

When I first started using sponges to apply foundation, I was really loyal to BeautyBlender. I thought there must be a reason it is so much more expensive than other sponges. After a while, though, I got tired of spending $20 for a sponge that only lasts a few months and decided to explore other options. Thank goodness I did!

The first sponge I got after that was at H&M, one of the hundreds of products they put along the line for the cashier. If I remember correctly, it cost about $2 in Hong Kong and worked just as well as the “original.” Ever since then I’ve been buying all the cheap sponges I find!

I found a kit with three at Ainz & Tulpe, right next to the eyelash curlers, for about $5. The third one isn’t in the photo because it already looks like it’s been in a war zone. If I had more time in Tokyo, I definitely would have gone back there and gotten another 15! Definitely a win in my book.

First impressions rating: 5/5

 

ISEHAN’s Kiss Me Heroine Make Long & Curl Super Waterproof Mascara

We’ll wrap up with my only disappointment on this list. When I started researching mascaras to buy in Japan, this one was always at the top of the list. The reviews are stunningly good, so it looked like an obvious choice! Unfortunately, I ended up not liking it at all.

It’s easy to apply and does a great job coating each individual lash without being clumpy. Despite all of that, it’s such a pain to remove! Even after using a cleansing balm and a second cleanser, it simply won’t come off. Not only that, it leaves you with awful panda eyes afterwards. My 100% natural dark circles are enough, thank you very much. I tried it three times, but I just can’t get over it. I’ve gone back to my trusted L’Oréal Double Extend Beauty Tubes.

First impressions rating: 2/5

 

Have you tried any of these products? Which others do you recommend? Let me know in the comments!

Stay curious,

Nati