Best of Biteki 2008 continued...

Hello addicts!

Man, that sounds kinda bad. At least we're addicted to something healthy, right?

...Well, anyway, let's keep going with the best of Biteki! I'm going to be adding images and prices of the products I'm talking about now, please keep in mind that these prices are for the SMALLEST size available.


Best of Biteki 2008 Skincare

Cleansing

1. Fancl Mild Cleansing Oil

$21.95 through Fancl's own website, various prices elsewhere.


2. Shu Uemura High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil Advanced Formula

$28, available through the Shu Uemura website.

3. DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

$12.50, available through the DHC website.

4. Ignis Cleansing Cream

I have yet to find this ANYWHERE. It's not on ebay, not in any of the stores I frequent - all I can find out is that this is a high end brand not found in drugstores.

5. Orbis Cleansing Liquid Oil Cut

$26 on IchibanKao.com

Washing

1. Shiseido Perfect Whip Foam

Found all over the place - Amazon, beautykat, ebay, all sorts of places. Usually around $10.

2. Fancl Washing Powder

$17.95 at the Fancl website.

3. Sofina Beaute Facial Cleansing Beauty Essence

$35 at IchibanKao.com

4. Arsoa Queen Silver Soap

$40 at Neoskincare.com

4. Impress IC Shadow Clear Wash

$54 at Ichibankao.com

Tune in tomorrow for the picks for the top 5 lotions and masks, along with prices and availability...and pics, of course!

Read More......

Biteki Best of 2008

So, for those of you who don't know, I'm way into japanese makeup and skincare - well, all asian makeup and skincare, but since I live across the street from a japanese market, it's much easier for me to find the japanese stuff. This market also sells magazines - I have subscriptions for CanCam (the best fashion mag ever made), Maquia (a good makeup magazine) and Biteki (my addiction, my favorite, and the one magazine I would still find money to buy even if I was living on the street.)

So, in any case, Biteki, in their february issue of 2009, has come out with the best (most popular) products of 2008 - everything from skin care to hair care to makeup. This is basically my list of what I'm going to be buying for at least the first half of 2009! However, I know that some people may not have access to this most holy of holy lists, and even if you do you may not be able to read it. Well, never fear! I'm here to translate!!

So without further adieu, I present...

The Biteki Best of 2008

Overall skincare favorite 20

1. Albion Essential Skin Conditioner - surprisingly, this is a toner, NOT a moisturizer as the name might imply.

2. Otsuka Pharmaceutical Inner Signal Rejuvenate Lotion

3. Shiseido Haku2 Melanofocus whitening essence - a serum that includes hyaluronic acid and 4MSK complex which helps inhibit the production of melanin.

4. Kose Cosme Decorte Moisture Liposome - a moisture serum. I think.

5. Clinique's Moisture Surge Cream

6. SK-II Facial Treatment Essence - A toner that isn't called "lotion"!

6. Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher - A serum that wishes it was a primer. In fact, I used it as such with good results!

8. Ayura Bicassa Face Serum & Massage

9. DHC Olive Virgin Oil - Used as a moisturizer, this is basically cold-pressed olive oil.

10. HACCI 1912 Honey Soap

10. IPSA Preparing Clear Lotion EX1

12. Albion Exage Moist Innovation Milk

12. Kanebo Impress Brightener - A serum

12. Kinari Mask Gel - The subset of this looks to be Inhamahou, I think? I've never heard of this brand at all!

15. Estee Lauder Perfectionist CP+ Wrinkle Lifting Serum

16. SK-II Signs Treatment Totality - A cream

17. SK-II Whitening Source Derm-Revival Mask - A sheet mask

17. L'Oreal Revitalift Essence - This is a serum that is NOT sold in the US!

19. Pola Aglaira Lotion Lift Essence

20. Lancome Renergie Morpholift R.A.R.E Lotion - Also not sold in the US, this is toner.

In the next posts, we'll have the top 5 skincare items in each category - cleansing, washing, lotion, masks, essence (serum), milk, cream, and massage - as well as the top items in makeup, hair care, body care, healthy living, even perfume! With this list, you too can be up to date on the latest and greatest in japanese beauty!

Read More......

A few useful terms and my own regimen

When talking about japanese skin care, there are a lot of different names for things. Lotion, milk, cream, massage, sheet masks, gel masks, cream masks, all of these crazy things! Well, have no fear, Nik is here.

A few terms that may be a good addition to your dictionary:

Lotion - Toner

Massage - A serum, cream, or oil used in facial massage, which is popular in asia. I don't do it personally, but I'll probably learn someday.

Milk - A light moisturizing lotion.

Cream - a heavier moisturizer, used to seal in everything else you've got on your face.

Cleansing oil/cream - An oil or cream used to remove makeup. It can be used as the only cleanser, but is more often used with another, foaming cleanser afterwards.

Sheet mask - Usually a liquid or gel soaked paper or cloth shaped like a face. Unlike most american or european masks, the liquid is NOT washed off after. These are my FAVORITE types of masks, they absorb quickly, feel awesome, and have instant results as far as the look and feel of your skin goes.

Essence - A serum. It's usually paired with the words "brightening" or "whitening", but not always.


It isn't unheard of to use a cleansing oil, foaming cleanser, lotion, massage, serum, milk, and cream every night, plus a mask a couple of times a week. In fact, some skin care lines encourage it!

This is my personal skin care army as of right now:

Cleansing oil: I'm using DHC's oil right now, but I want to try the Fancl mild cleansing oil.
Cleanser: Shiseido Pure Whip
Lotion/Toner- this changes: I REALLY want to try Albion's Essential Skin Conditioner, but right now I'm using Fancl Lotion
Essence/Serum - I would give my left arm to try Shiseido's Haku2 melanofocus, but it's SUPER expensive. I use Estee Lauder Idealist or Olay Regenerist serum.
Milk - Fancl milky lotion
Cream - At the moment, it's Neutrogena. But soon, I'm going to try some DHC creams, see how they work for me!
Mask - I go through various Kanebo Hadabisei varieties - most often the whitening with vitamin C or the hydrating.
Scrub - When I need one (which is rare, but it happens) I'll use the olay microdermabrasion system.

Those are the things I use now, and I really love most of them!

DHC is available at DHC.com, Fancl at fancl.com (although I get it at my local store), and most other brands at bobodave.com, gooddealer.com, or adambeauty.com.

Read More......

Hello world!!

My name is Nikki, and I'm a japanese beauty addict. I'm 25 (26 in a few weeks!)

In this blog, we'll talk about and review japanese beauty - cosmetics and skincare mostly, but I'll be uploading tutorials from magazines and products I'm lemming and other things as often as possible - maybe one day I'll even expand and start doing video tutorials on the looks I post!

I hope some people enjoy this blog, and come to learn more about the products I really love!

Read More......