i bought couple of eyebrow pencil or eyebrow products in japan when i visit them and i finished them all. i have to search for more affordable option since i found out that western eyebrow products are cheaper than japan eyebrow products. then we had long holiday here in indonesia. this year the school holiday and the lebaran holiday came back to back so we had a long holiday, and we had nothing to do since my sister's was just 2 weeks apart from the end of the holiday. so we just mall hopping and then i found out that miniso here started carrying out makeup products. i decided to grab a couple, and i managed to get the 3 in 1 eyebrow pencil in grey shade.

this is the description on the back of the packaging: a pencil integrated with brush, pencil and powder. unique natural wax formula, with subtle color pigments, creates hair-like fine lines. bring you a new experience of shaping your brow.

the packaging

the packaging: it comes in standard mascara packaging. covered with hard plastic and cardboard backing. there's description at the back in english. oh, and if you wonder, it's made by a china company, ningbo eyecos cosmetic. there's also ingredients list written at the back of the packaging as well as the instruction of usage. at front you can see the picture that describes parts from this eyebrow pencil. but it doesn't state the shade name at front. you have to read it at the back.

the back of the packaging

the color: i don't know how many shades they carry, but so far i found two, grey and brown. in the first store, i only found the grey one, so i grabbed the grey one. considering that i leave my hair just the way it is, it starts to show some roots, which practically is black. so grey might be a good choice for now. i never buy grey eyebrow pencil, so this is new for me. but apparently, it matches me perfectly. but if i color my hair again, i might need to switch to brown eyebrow pencil again.

the pencil beside the packaging

the product: it looks just like regular eyebrow pencil, long, slim and this one is shiny, silver metallic in color. there's a number 01 at top with grey background which indicates the shade name and number. if you remove the upper cap, you can see the angled eyebrow pencil. it's retractable and has angled tip just like most korean eyebrow pencil. the pencil is a bit hard but slightly creamy when being used. it doesn't feel waxy. the second part is the sponge tip that automatically dip into the powder container when being closed. the powder is not that pigmented as japanese/body shop eyebrow powder. the bottom part is the spoolie brush. i don't like it since it's too skinny and a bit scratchy at first, but it works okay. better than no spoolie. i still like the spoolie brush on excel 3 in 1 eyebrow pencil.

the eyebrow pencil

the triangular tip

the result: i use the pencil to outline my eyebrow and then draw the tail as well as make my arches look similar (i have one eyebrow slightly higher than the other). then i use the powder to fill the rest of the eyebrow, especially the front part, to make it look gradient. then i use the spoolie especially for the front part to make it more hair-like. surprisingly, the grey shade matches my hair but i have to be careful not to put much powder since it will make my eyebrow very dark and i will look like i'm furious.

the sponge tip

the spoolie

okay, i have to admit that i like this eyebrow powder. the color matches me if i don't color my hair. the powder also doesn't give me too much pigmentation so combine with the pencil it's still acceptable. but i don't like the spoolie. it's a little bit harsh on my skin, but it's workable. this one is not super duper cheap like the la girl one, but it's still as cheap as etude house/faceshop around 50-60rb, so it's still affordable. but i won't repurchase. i still like to try other eyebrow pencil because there are tons out there that i haven't tried. and all of them are also affordable. so i will keep trying around for now. but if you want to try something from miniso, i suggest trying the eyebrow product. but let me remind you that it has very limited shade range.

swatch on my hand: left - the powder, right - the pencil

top: before bottom: eyebrow pencil and powder together

if you've been reading my blog, then you'd probably knew that i went to japan several times and every time i managed to do a little haul. i have tried daiso serum before and they are okay, but not worth repurchasing. but i read about their toner and i'm always into toners. somehow i'm finishing my toner faster than anything else. so i decided to pile on toner. there are 4 types of but unfortunately, i couldn't go to the bigger daiso store in harajuku, but i managed to go to a small daiso store in osaka. i managed to get two of them. i've finished the first one, and i'm already finished with this one too actually. so i think it's time to get my review done. (gee.. i usually write a review before i finish the product, so this is my first time finishing a product before review it).

the description at the back of the bottle: glycine soja (soybean) seed extract contained moisturizing product. fragrance-free, free from artificial coloring.

the toner bottle

the packaging: just like the pink one, this one also comes in a white plastic bottle with color-coordinated flip-top cap. for this soybean version, it's blue. there's a label at the back with description and ingredients list both in english and japanese. they only put a sticker to seal the cap. nothing on the inside. luckily it's arrived home safely. unfortunately, this only comes in 120 ml which feels small after finishing that gigantic hatomugi toner that comes in 500 ml.

the label at the back

the scent: i don't think it has any distinctive scent. but if it has some scent, it's very subtle that i can't smell it.

the sticker that sealed the cap

the product: the other tones is a watery toner and i was expecting another watery toner. but this one is different. it's milky white toner and slightly more viscous than the pink one. but when it touches my skin, it becomes watery. it glides over my skin very easily and gets absorbed real quick.

the opening of the bottle

the result: it's absorbed easily to my skin. but it leaves weird feeling. i don't feel my skin being hydrated and i can feel my skin is matte after it's completely absorbed. it feels similar to pyunkangyul toner. but this one is slightly better. if i layer 2-3 layers of toner, i can feel my skin is better hydrated. a little bit better than pyunkangyul. i don't see any other effect, but luckily it doesn't break me out.

the toner on my hand

look how the toner is sliding down my hand

after pat it in on my hand

i like the pink one better than this one. although this is more viscous, but it doesn't give me the same hydration as the pink one. if i have to choose, i will repurchase the blue one or try the job's tears one. somehow i have better luck with job's tears. i have to say, if you want to get something from daiso, better try the toner one than the serum. but if you want to get them all, then do it since it's affordable. everything is only 100 yen at daiso japan. again, i won't find this in my country since apparently no one sells things from daiso, or if they do, the price will be doubled. so i will only repurchase if i could buy it myself or ask my friends/family to buy them for me. but if you can get your hands on it, then try it yourself.

i've been seeing this biore cleansing oil all over the instagram, but me being weird, i always avoid testing hyped products. i always want to try something that's haven't been reviewed a lot, but then get annoyed when it doesn't perform well. anyway, i finally decided to get the biore cleansing oil since i saw it everywhere in japan last time i went there and it is cheap. so i get the pump bottle and also the refill.

this is the description from kao singapore's website: biore cleansing oil effectively dissolves and removes stubborn makeup, including waterproof mascara, while lifting away dirt and impurities. unlike other cleansing oils, it leaves no greasy film on your face and maintains the skin's natural moisture balance. it doesn not emulsify upon contact with water, thus maintaining its optimal cleansing performance at all times. just apply with dry or wet hands and rinse off with water for that cleans and fresh feeling!

the packaging: okay, i always buy something without getting more information at first. so i only screenshot the picture of the pump bottle and sent it to my husband and he bought it to me. and before i wrote this review, i found out that i bought the 2015 version and there's a new 2018 version! i bought this in early 2018 so i'm a little bit disappointed with that. oh well. the 2015 version is a purple plastic pump bottle with all the description at the back in japanese. the 2015 version comes in bigger size, which is 230 ml while the older version comes in 150 ml. it also has a transparent plastic cap to cover the pump head, so there's no stopper under the pump head since the cap prevents us to accidentally push the pump head.

the pump bottle

the scent: this is quite surprising. most japanese products that i tried are scentless, and the last cleansing oil that i've tried smells yucky so discovering that this one has a nice fresh scent is a big yes. i like the scent. it smells nice without being too overpowering.

back of the bottle

the product: i have to agree that this is a lighter type of cleansing oil that quickly dissolves all your makeup and then when you put water, it doesn't emulsify. which is weird feeling since i've been used to cleansing oil that emulsify when in contact with water. the consistency of the cleansing oil is similar to hada labo. and when i wash it off with water, it doesn't leave slick feeling that you get with usual cleansing oil. definitely true to the description.

left: bb cushion, lip/cheek stain, eyeliner, mascara middle: after rubbing the oil right: after adding water (notice that it doesn't emulsify)

the result: it works well in removing foundation, regular mascara (the heroine mascara need separate makeup remover), eyeliner, but it struggles with lip/cheek stain.

right: after rinsing it off - notice that the lip/cheek stain is slightly visible

okay, i have to say that i agree with most people that they say this is a great cleansing oil. i definitely don't regret buying the bottle and the refill since i like it. although it struggles with the lip/cheek stain, but it doesn't matter since my other cleansing oil also struggles with it. so definitely grab one when you were in japan, or if you could buy this online. it works well and it's cheap so definitely won't hurt your wallet.

i was concern about my hair after my daughter was born. after a couple of months, my hair started to fall out. since i have pretty thick hair, i didn't think much about it but i was starting to get concern. then after a few months, my hair condition was back to normal so i forgot again about it. then i was pregnant with my third one and i was worried that i might experienced the same bad hair loss again. i was searching for hair treatment but i didn't experience bad hair loss so somewhere along the way i forgot again. then i colored my hair again and left it just as always, only to find my hair starts to show some damaged sign. i have dry ends and then a bit of split ends. that's when i knew i had to take care of my hair again. so i searched for hair treatment and hair oil. i have no luck with japanese hair treatment so i decided to stroll around my supermarket and i came across this ogx hair oil. it's the only hair oil available there so i decided to give it a try.

this is the description from ulta's website: indulge your tresses with this exotic blend of kukui nut oil, an ancient hawaiian secret used for its humidity resistant abilities, creating a shimmering gloss to smooth and repel humidity, to help make every day a "good hair" day.

the packaging: it comes in a transparent plastic bottle with spray pump on top. there's a clear plastic cap to cover the spray head. at front you can see the description on the sticker label. there's ingredients list at the back too. i've been using this for a few weeks so i completely forgot whether or not it had seal on it.

the bottle

the scent: let me tell you, it smells nice. i can't specify what kind of scent it is thanks to my lousy nose, but it smells nice and not too overpowering.

back of the bottle (somehow they have to put another label on top of the original label)

the product: i'm actually surprised knowing that this oil comes in a spray bottle. my previous hair oil comes in a bottle with opening and my last loreal oil comes in a pump bottle, not spray. but somehow this oil is a very runny oil. once i spray it on my hand and it feels like my retinol oil, quite runny and spread easily but takes awhile to be absorbed. since i have oily scalp, i only use this midway of my hair and focusing more on my dry ends.

the spray head

the result: it's supposed to be used on damp hair, but sometimes i get distracted and when i finally remember, my hair is almost dry. so i've been using on damp and almost-dry hair and both works okay. after i spray generously to my hair, it appears greasy but i usually comb it and then leave it to dry. and when my hair is completely dried, there's no greasiness, unlike the famous hair oil from japan that give me greasy hair when being used on almost-dry hair. after using this a few weeks, i started to notice that my hair is getting better. i don't see split ends anymore and my ends are not as dry as before. i usually have flying hair all over my head since i have wavy and frizzy hair, but somehow this oil tame my hair. i don't experience hair flying all over my head anymore.

trying to capture the mist but it's very fine so that's the oil on my son's hand

honestly, i like this hair oil. it smells nice, it's a lightweight oil that doesn't weigh my hair down and it works well. i notice improvement on my hair condition after using this hair oil regularly. unfortunately, this is imported products here. so i can't get it easily. if the supermarket had it, i will definitely repurchase. but i won't preorder it from online shop since the price is higher than in US. but if you can get this oil easily and in reasonable price, then get it and try it especially if you have hair problems like mine.

if you're reading my blog, i did visit japan twice in two years, and although the original lululun masks don't impress me enough to repurchase them, i do however, attracted to their new line, the lululun plus. it's supposed to be used weekly so i guess it isn't as thin as their regular line. it's divided into two groups, the aromatic one and the non aromatic one. during my visit i only managed to get the non aromatic one, but i think i missed one from that group. there are 10 variations from this line and i only managed to get 4. i've tried the sunny days, homeo age and fresh red, so let's see about this one.

the description from their us website: if you want to capture the secret of silk's luster, you have to use silk itself. an extract sourced from lustrous gold silk works with hyaluronic acid and ceramide to restore the skin with essential moisture and radiant luster. for aged skin, it's a moisturizing match made in heaven. you must ask the silk for the secret of silk shine. extracted from thai golden silk containing special silk amino acid sericin similar to the natural moisturizing NMF of your skin. this rare extract prepares the skin for vital nourishment from hyaluronic acid and ceramide. purple brown rice has a strong life force, it grows abundantly in harsh environments even without fertilizer or pesticides. nukaekisu, extracted from purple brown rice bran is rich in skin-nutritious polyphenols and anthocyanins. sake is the liquefied embodiment of rich nature and kyoto culture. our proprietary sake extract is make from a luxurious blend of kyoto fushimi sake lees. ceramides and sugars born during the fermentation process fill the corners of the stratum corneum with moisture and support the barrier function of the skin.

the packaging: it's packaged in color-coordinated box/sachet. for smooth gold it's pale gold one. both the individual packaging and the box has the same design, so you can read "smooth gold" written at front and the description at the back in japanese. it's also has "weekly face mask" written at the bottom. i bought a box which contains 5 individual packages inside.

the packaging

the scent: i don't think it has distinctive scent. if it does, then it's barely detectable.

the product: the mask is made of thick but soft cotton that soaked in generous amount of clear essence. again, the fit is okay but it has that annoying inner eye slit that poke my tear duct, so with this mask, sometimes i like to pull it a bit so it doesn't adhere well on top of my nose. it has no slit and slightly wider at the temple. i put it on for about 40 minutes.

the result: i like it, it moisturizes my skin and a little bit brightens it as well. but again, the effect is temporary. it also leave a sticky feeling afterward, but just keep patting it in, and it will be gone.

left: before - middle: mask on - right: after

again, i like the plus line better than the regular line. however, if you compare this to taiwanese masks, then you will be disappointed. the lululun mask plus is comparable to regular korean masks, like etude or face shop that you can use daily. but seeing that japanese daily masks is way thinner than korean, then no wonder that they marketed this mask as weekly face mask. i think all skin type can try it, but if you have super oily skin or your skin doesn't like rich moisture mask, then you probably want to skip it. don't worry about the price since it's only slightly more expensive than the regular one. as for availability, since i live in indonesia, it's hard to get japan products here. you have to pre order them through online shops and the price might be higher than the actual price in japan. but if you live in japan, going to visit japan, or you can buy this online, do give this a try and compare it to their daily masks. as for me, i won't repurchase just because there are so many other masks that i haven't try.

if you've ready my other posts, you might know that i like my beauty diary masks. it seems that every options that i've tried is okay for me. so i always want to buy some more. and this time, i managed to get another 4 types. however, this looks different from the ones that i bought in singapore. so, we'll see how they works. i bought the antartica, mexico, sahara, and alps. i've tried the sahara, and now i want to try the antartica.

this is the description from beautibi website: my beauty diary mask laboratory starting from the base essence, the ultimate design perfect fantastic essence, moist and silky formula, the unique fermented plant emulsification technology, without the burden of soft texture, easy to penetrate to moisturize the skin absorption, skin meet high repair moist feel protected. antarctic glaciers glycoprotein extracted from the bottom of the iceberg antarctic marine ooze, contains rich protein and complex carbohydrates and other substances, in addition to giving the skin an excellent sustained moisturizing repair and excellent drying properties, the better to enhance defense force reduction external stimuli on the skin damage. antarctic ice glycoprotein rich in sugars and amino acids necessary for the defense of sebum, fully moisturize rough and meticulous disorder horny, collaborative instant soaked factor aquaroad x tinysome x cosphingo synergistic effect, allowing moisture absorption then upgrade to show the ultimate moving supple feeling. water sense of moist marine collagen with soft hair loose algae and other marine efficient moisturizing ingredients, with excellent skin-friendly features to provide superior lock up water storage mechanism to maintain skin deep moisturizing young should continue through full run muscle.

the packaging: since i bought the whole box, it contains 8 sheet masks (if i'm not mistaken). the box has the same design as the individual packaging. for antartica, it has ice background with penguins pictured at front, which is a good illustration of antartica. at the back there's description in mandarin, but don't worry, the ingredients list is in english. the box and the individual packaging is slightly wider and taller compared to ones that i bought from japan.

the packaging

the scent: it smells floral. but worry not, for the scent only detectable upon opening. once you put the mask on your face, you can barely detect the scent.

the excess (you can clearly see the milky white essence)

the product: the mask is made of soft thin cotton with plastic backing, which is highly appreciated since the mask is pretty flimsy. there's no slit on the mask, but it's adjustable. it has slightly tall forehead, long chin, but narrow jaw. it also has pretty big eyes holes too. the mask adheres well. it's soaked in milky white essence, which is a little too much since there's some excess in the package. the mask is slippery at first so i have to tilt my head up so the mask won't slide down to my neck. it feels cooling too.

before- mask on - after

the result: it's very moisturizing and it stays until the next morning. when i wash my face, i can feel a layer of moisturizing film on top of my face. i don't see any other effect though.

honestly, i like it but i feel that it might be too rich for my face. so, it might not suitable for oily skin, but i think dry skin will appreciate this more. as for me, maybe i will use this sparingly, when i feel my skin is drier than usual. as for the price, i can't say that it's pretty cheap since i bought it in singapore. but when i calculate the price per package, it is the same. so i think the price everywhere is pretty much the same. definitely try it if you like my beauty diary and like juicy sheet masks.