5 Japanese Beauty Products To Try In September

The summer holidays are over, everything's back to normal and you stare at the mirror tracing fatigue signs in your eyes and cheekbones. Gah! Good news your way — this month's goodies are all about adding life (and love) to your skin; time to start #sofreshandsoclean.

Dr. Ci: Labo Enrich Lift Eye

Price: ¥4,100
Where to buy? At Tomod’s and other drugstores
Beauty brownie points: For the price, this eye cream actually delivers amazing results
Best for: Reducing any puffiness, and lifting and tightening the eye area

Until recently, many Japanese skincare brands haven’t offered a specialised eye cream so there’s still not a huge range available at drugstores here. Recently, however, I came across the Enrich Lift Eye cream from Dr. Ci Labo. Containing hard working skincare ingredients like collagen, hyaluronic acid, carnosine and HyalfixTMGL, as well as Dr Ci Labo’s own “Golden Lift” formula, I was extremely impressed with how the cream immediately appeared to tighten the skin while delivering a hefty dose of moisture to plump up fine lines.

Minon Amino Moist Charge Milk

Price: ¥2,000
Where to buy? At most Japanese drug stores
Beauty brownie points: The light formula sinks quickly to the skin, but still feels comforting and highly moisturising
Best for: Dry and sensitive skin types

I cannot live without a moisturiser of some kind, for even for one day, so I often find myself at the local drugstore quickly grabbing a new product on the go. One of the most reliable I have found is Minon Amino Moist Charge Milk. The light milk formula contains nine amino acids to treat dryness and help protect the skin’s moisture barrier, and the hypoallergenic formula is perfect for sensitive skin.

DUP Eyelash Fixer Hello Kitty Limited Edition

Price: ¥900
Where to buy? At most Japanese drug stores
Beauty brownie points: The extra fine brush makes it easy to apply just the right amount of fixer to each lash
Best for: This best-seller makes false lashes super quick and easy to apply

Japanese women are the masters of false eyelashes and the D.U.P Eyelash Fixer EX is a best selling eyelash glue for good reasons. The brush is super fine so you don’t have to worry about too much glue swamping the lash band. Plus the glue gets tacky very quickly, so there’s no waiting around; just apply to the lash, hold for 10-15 seconds and it’s set enough for you to let go. Finally, the fixer dries clear, meaning minimal time applying eyeliner to cover the lash band. An extra strong formula means no risk of eyelashes shifting out of place. Look out for the cute limited edition packaging featuring Hello Kitty!

Sparking Gorgeous Bubbling Mud Pack

Price: ¥500
Where to buy? At most Japanese drug stores
Beauty brownie points: A fun bubbling mask packed with super beauty ingredients
Best for: By the end of summer, skin can be in need of a deep cleanse to unclog pores of the buildup of sweat, sebum and sunscreen.

This fun, mineral-filled mud pack combines the power of carbonation, ghassoul clay and argan oil, to give the ultimate deep cleanse. The pack contains two sachets, a small dish and spatula for mixing. Firstly, fill a small amount of water up to the line marked on the dish, then add sachet A (the ghassoul clay) and combine with the spatula (the mixture will still be quite dry). Finally, add sachet B (the Co2 mixture) and stir. As soon as the powder has disappeared and the mixture is bubbling, apply to the face and leave for five minutes.

Obagi Vitamin C Serum 5%

Price: ¥3,240
Where to buy? At most Japanese drug stores and cosmetics stores
Beauty brownie points: Available in three strengths, 5%, 10% and 20%, to suit different skin types
Best for: Those looking to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as adding brightness to the skin

Vitamin C is a powerful skincare ingredient regularly recommended by skincare professionals as it has a an impressive ability to minimise fine lines and wrinkles, and brighten skin, all while retaining and improving the skin’s moisture levels. Apply 3-4 drops of  the Obagi Vitamin C serum directly onto skin using the fingertips, and then follow with lotion and/ or cream. Even sensitive skin types can enjoy the benefits of this Vitamin C by starting at the lowest strength (5%) and building up to the more highly concentrated formula.