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!

Shiseido Fine Toiletry Hand Cream

Hand cream is something I am always running out of. While I generally do not practice impulse buying, the bug usually catches me overseas when everything feels "now or never." It was one of those moments in SaSa when I spotted a glass jar stocked full with this Hand Cream while checking out at the cashier. I looked at the HK$20 tag, grabbed one and off it went with my other purchases.

I knew i wouldn't be blown away. After all, it is from Shiseido's FT (Fine Toiletry) line, which is the brand's humble drugstore offering. I was sure it was not going to be bad, but I also knew it was going to be basic, just like my one-time FT Cleasing Oil favorite.

The white translucent gel feels very light, quite different from the many hand creams I am accustomed to. I honestly didn't expect it to provide moisture. Blended out on bare hands it leaves a slight sticky film that eventually dissipates. While it did not moisturize my hands, I felt that it hydrated them. In face care analogy, this hand cream is a balancing water or a light serum as opposed to a cream. I am surprised though, for when I wake up in the morning my hands are noticeably softer and some lines are smoother. During the course of the day my hands go back to their original state after some labor, but this product always restores them unfailingly.

From my experience with Shiseido's FT products, I can glean that it offers reliable products at reasonable prices. While I would like to try other brands of hand creams (because there is so much out there), I wouldn't mind revisiting this one once in a while.