last time i went to japan i decided to get the hatomugi. while it works okay for me, and i managed to finish it just in time, i don't see much difference from using it, hence the reluctance to repurchase. i decided to get something else. i was in between cezanne one or kikumasamune. but i couldn't find the cezanne one, so i thought, while i grabbed the essence, why not grab the lotion too?
 |
| the sticker of approval from cosme |
this is the description from amazon: kiku-masamune sake brewing skin care lotion high moist is an ultra hydrating japanese lotion with sake. the lotion contains the same concentration of kiku-masamune's famed dry sake (japanese rice liquor) as the regular version, which is high in kojic acid to hydrate, soothe, smooth and brighten the skin. it features a rich, alcohol-free, slightly acidic formula with a blend of ceramides, amino acids, arbutin, and placenta extract to naturally protect the skin barrier against moisture loss and free radical damages. the lotion generous size makes it economical for use on the face and body, and as a 5-minutes lotion pack. japanese-sake-based hydrating toner. ethanol free. provide ultra hydration, healing and whitening.
 |
| the bottle |
the packaging: as usual, japanese people is very practical about their packaging. it comes in a big plastic bottle with a pump head. there's a regular version and this high moist version. the difference is in the color. the high moist one is in pink bottle while the regular one is in white bottle. there's a big sticker on top of the bottle that indicates that it's a cosme-award winner. at the back there's a lot of japanese text, so i don't know anything about it. the pump head however, is bad. many people complaints about it. on my first try, it squirts the toner everywhere so i decided to ditch the full size bottle and decant it to smaller spray bottle. turns out that the pump has malfunction. many people complaints that they couldn't control it but ratzillacosme said that the newer version has improved pump, but there's no telling whether you get the newer version or not since everything else stays the same. it also comes in jumbo size just like hatomugi which makes it very affordable.
the scent: okay, it smells just like the essence. it has this sweet fragrant scent that for me, very similar to sake. the scent is quite strong, so if you don't like fragranced toner, you might want to skip it.
 |
| the back of the bottle |
the product: the toner is just a regular watery toner. it's milky white and very easy to spread around my face. it is absorbed quickly too. and after being completely absorbed, i can feel a layer of moisture all over my face. this is the difference with hatomugi. the hatomugi one, once it's being absorbed completely, i can't feel anything on my face. while this one, i can feel the moisture that it gives to my skin. now, if you're looking at the ingredients, you might notice that it has ceramides, which is moisturizing, and a bunch of brightening ingredients, such as sake, licorice root, and arbutin. but there's one intriguing ingredients, placenta extract. now, if you're concern about ingredients, you might start asking whose placenta? (well, unfortunately, i was buying it without any information about the ingredients) unfortunately, i found two different answers for it. i read from cosmeperks that it is derived from pig (you can read it
here) but coffeeandhonestea suggested that it's from horse (read it
here). either way, it's definitely not cruelty free and probably not halal.
 |
| the pump head |
the result: i like it better. as i've stated before, i can feel there's a layer of moisture on my face after patting it all over my face. but i still like to layer it on my drier days. i do also use this to help soak my sheet mask tablet and it works just as well as hatomugi since this one is also watery in consistency. but i don't notice the brightening effect even though i'm using it with the essence. but i'm not the right person to test that effect, since i'm quite fair to start with. so any brightening products usually barely have noticeable effect on me. but i can definitely say that it doesn't help in fading dark spots or acne scars.
 |
| the toner on my hand |
 |
| after patting it in |
at this point, i like how it helps hydrating my skin. but it doesn't give anything else. plus it has that controversial ingredients. so i don't think i will repurchase this one. i also have been eyeing muji toner that everyone's been talking for quite some time, so i think i'll steer my wheel and try that one. or i will try the cezanne one if i could get it in decent price. if you have no problem with the scent and the placenta extract inside, then you should get it. especially if you're into huge size bottle and affordable price like me. however, if you only use cruelty free or having concern with halal products, then turn your eyes away from this as it's definitely not cruelty free and is not clear whether it's halal or not. as for availability, kikumasamune is not quite easily found in drugstore. i bought mine at beauty section in tokyu hands, so you should probably try cosme store or tokyu hands or ainz tulpe. but you can also get it online as i think it's more available online than the cezanne one. just keep in mind that it won't be as affordable as in japan when purchasing online.
0 Comments