Sunkiller Kid's UV Kid's Milk SPF 38 PA+++

After the cult-renowned (oxymoronic, I know) Elta MD UV Clear SPF 46 proved to be a total fail on my skin, I proceeded with another famous recommendation, Isehan's Sunkiller Kid's UV Kid's Milk SPF 38 PA+++. 

This is not one of those easy-to-spot sunscreens at Sasa/Bonjour, of which none of it could be found. There was only one left in FreshMart at Sogo, and I finally hunted down a batch on the bottom shelf of City Super. Tough find for a supposedly famous product in Japan. 

I love the bright, almost chrome yellow packaging. Even the orange cap is endearing. And the drawing -- so kawaii! Just looking at the sun smiling as it hangs on the cloud, the font used for "Kid's UV," (not to mention the color combinations), makes me so pleased. 

True to form as a kid's sunblock, the opening looks like a baby bottle. (Drink, gulp, drink.)

It is not as runny as most Japanese sunblocks I'm used to; in fact it is a wee bit gel-like in texture. This sunblock is well-recommended not only for kids but also for adults with sensitive skin types because it contains zero alcohol and uses purely physical blockers. I do appreciate the high PA rating. For the ingredients list in English, visit Ratzilla Cosme's description of this product. According to her, it can even function as a makeup base. 

This 30ml bottle lasted me over three months. It's a good product in terms of sun protection and non-drying properties. It does leave a white cast but goes away after fully absorbed, maybe some 10 minutes. On my combination skin veering on the oilier side, it is a little too emollient. I would suggest topping it with a mattifier such as pressed/loose powder, to remove shine. 

Don't expect coverage that of tinted bases such as foundation or BB/CC creams, but it does somewhat even out the complexion, given that one has not much to cover up. It does an adequate job as a makeup base; a specific base is unnecessary in my opinion. And as this is marketed toward those with sensitive skin anyway (adults), one wouldn't want to pile on too much product at any one time with that skin type. No breakouts from this one either.

Product description. 

Magnified. 

Overall, a safe, effective sunblock at a fair pricepoint worth trying. I would prefer a more elegant finish, but this is as good as it gets. 

Kiss Me Hyaluronic Acid Collagen Moist Lip in Cherry Red

I got my tube of Kiss Me Hyaluronic Acid Collagen Moist Lip in Cherry Red from a small adambeauty.com haul early this year.

It comes in a plain red tube mimicking the color of the balm. The cap clasps onto the body securely. The twist up mechanism on the bottom is ribbed and looks very discreet.

The balm (SPF15 PA++), which contains hyaluronic acid, is a bright cherry red that instantly fuses the lips with vivid color.

Above is a swatch of the balm. It provides instant moisture and fills in lip lines completely. My lips not only felt moisturized, but they also looked smoother and plumper. I would otherwise call this one of the best lip balms I've ever tried if not for the fact that the bright red shade looks off on me. If you are a lover of reds and the moisture lip balms provide, then Kiss Me Moist Lip has all you are looking for. If like me, you prefer transparent balms, you'd be better off checking Moist Lip's other variants in Smooth and Natural. Click here for the entire selection on adambeauty. Overall, the Moist Lip line offers excellent quality lip balms for their price.

Some Japanese description.

Kiss Me Heroine Make Impact Frame & Curl Mascara

Kiss Me's Heroine Make line is popular for their mascaras. One of their recent releases is the Impact Frame & Curl Mascara, which I've read many good reviews about.

It comes in a standard black tube with gold imprints. The cap is carved with a princess-inspired design.

The packaging features this mascara as a deep black shade. 

This is the first mascara I've seen that features both brush and plastic in one wand.

Additional information for those who understand Japanese.
 
Using the diagrams as guide, I applied the plastic side to separate my lashes, and then proceeded to use the fluffier brush side to curl and add volume to them.

The inky blackness of the mascara truly gave my lashes a deep, dark, sooty look. It also left a delicious glossy finish that made my lashes look healthier. I found that it curled and gave volume to my lashes, but did not separate them so well. My experience is that heavier mascaras tend to curl and give volume, while lighter ones either curl and lengthen or curl and separate. I haven't found a product that successfully did all three for my sparse, thin lashes. However, this mascara is infinitely better compared to Heroine Make's earlier Long & Curl Mascara release (reviewed here). 

The Impact Frame & Curl Mascara stayed put without smudging for the 10 hours that I wore it and would have lasted longer if I hadn't called it a day. It wasn't easy to remove but I was able to get rid of most of it (not all though; I found some mascara on my lower lid in the morning) after patiently soaking my lashes with Biore Eye & Lip Makeup Remover. Overall, I found this mascara too heavy for my thin, brittle lashes and while it did give me a wide-awake look, the volumizing effect was obviously unnatural. For those with lush lashes that can carry the weight of heavily formulated mascaras, I can imagine how this can deliver fantastic results in terms of color, finish, and volume.

Coffret D'Or Lip Concelear Base + Elizabeth Nude Bon Bon Lipgloss

There are times when the occasion calls for nude lips. It can be at work, a casual day, or a deliberate attempt to tone down a strong makeup. However, not everyone is endowed with a naturally pale pucker. I would say that most people have a natural reddish tinge sans any lip product.

The remedy for this is covering the lips with concealers or applying light beige lip colors. The Coffret D'Or Lip Concealer Base (one shade only) comes in a slim tube-type twist up case. It is a fairly basic packaging. I chanced upon this on adambeauty years ago. Also bought from the same website, Nude Bon Bon Lipgloss in 04, is the most pigmented nude among the nude series lineup (4 colors in all). This range was in the Japanese top 3 lip gloss ranking in cosme.com some years ago.

The Nude Bon Bon on the left comes off as a milky color, andcan be layered easily to cover redness on the lips, yet is also not too beige or ashy that it washes out the complexion. I would guess that the slight red and orange undertone in this lip gloss helps in that respect. Coffet D'Or Lip Concealer Base, on the other hand, is a very dry stick. It is an absolute must to moisturize the lips before applying this concealer. It is not ultra pigmented so layering is still necessary with this one. I wouldn't call this a true nude, because there is a detectable orange tinge in the product. It covers the lips fairly well though, and is a good product to use for making other lip colors apply true to their shades on the tube.

Japanese description on CD'Or Lip Concealer Base