Shiseido Water in Lip (Pineapple)

Since my foray into Japanese cosmetics, I have been consistently awed with the quality of their products from the humble drugstore lines to the shiny department store brands. Shiseido's Fine Toiletry brand is a self-select (drugstore) line that is always such a pleasure to use.

Water in Lip is a famous lip balm range from Shiseido's FT line. It comes in many flavors with corresponding tubes reflecting the inspired fruit/scent. I've tried the blue (Mint, one of the original flavors), the green (French Pear, smells divine!), and featured in this review, the yellow tube (Pineapple).

The packaging looks simple but is actually well-thought out. The delicate vertical waves, paired with the dotted oval ring around the words "Water in Lip," together with the perfect pale yellow shade of the tube makes this lip balm look special and elegant. It may be a drugstore product pressed to sell at a certain price point, but the Japanese belie with good quality and beautiful design. Those unfamiliar with Japanese cosmetics could never guess the price of this lovely lip balm (around HK$25).

The balm mimics the tube's color -- a pale yellow shade. It smells unbelievably like fresh pineapples! It glides on the lips easily and leaves a slight glossy finish. I immediately notice some lip lines diminish. Like most lip balms, it does get wiped off easily, but if this is avoided, lips are more hydrated throughout the day. It also doesn't feel sticky or gooey. The effect is like a light gloss leaning more toward a balm. It can be applied anytime of the day with no fuss or worries. This is my favorite lip gloss of the moment (and it has been more than 3 years since I discovered this line). Overall, I would definitely recommend this gem of a lip balm!

Some Japanese description. It contains 3.5g of product. I usually finish mine in a year, with usage of approximately every other day.

For those lucky to understand the above Japanese text!