I was in Tokyo for 5 days and shopped mostly around Shinjuku, Shibuya, Akihabara, Ikebukuro, and Asakusa. Honestly I could’ve bought more but I didn’t want to hoard so much that the products would expire (namely sunscreen and cleansing oil).
1. **Rohto Skin Aqua Super Moisture Gel Gold Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++** – Repurchase, trying to decide whether I prefer this vs the Anessa gel
2. **Shiseido Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Skincare Gel N SPF50+ PA++++** – Repurchase, I currently use this sunscreen and enjoy its waterproofness when I sweat — trying to compare it to the Skin Aqua Gold
3. **Shiseido Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Skincare Milk N SPF50+ PA++++** – Haven’t tried this before but it was ridiculous how many stores were sold out of this in Shibuya/Shinjuku/Akihabara…hoping it lives up to the hype to compensate for the effort it took to find it
4. **Love Liner Eyebrow Signature Fit Mascara (Cappucino Brown)** – Random eyebrow mascara I encountered that looked promising when I swatched it in-store
5. **Majolica Majorca Lash Bone Black Fiber In Waterproof Mascara Base** – Wanted to try out a mascara primer
6. **Majolica Majorca Mascara Lash Expander Long EX (Brown)** – Bought it to pair with the primer above
7. **Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler** – Had to grab one of these since it was so inexpensive in Japan
8. **Shiseido Eyelash Curler** – Same reason as above, it was like <$10
9. **Koji Curving Eyelash Curler** – I was intrigued by the curler shape
10. **Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask (Pink Lemonade)** – I already use the Berry one and wanted a back up (also smells yummy and seemed like a limited edition flavor)
11. **YSL Touche Eclat Glow-Pact Cushion (Shade B30)** – I admit this purchase was mostly due to packaging. I also swatched it in-store and the shade looked promising for my neutral-olive NC25 skin. It’s on the sheer/dewy side which will be great for me once winter rolls in with its dryness. It’s also around 50% the price in-store vs ordering online in USD.
12. **Mimuco New Me New View 1 Day Lenses (Brown Fondue, Mellow Strawberry, Pomme Canele)** – I’m normally an Olens fan but wanted to try a more local brand — most of these colors are on the soft brown/violet side
13. **DHC Deep Cleansing Oil** – Repurchase, this is my absolute HG oil cleanser and it was 50% cheaper to get it in Japan. Unfortunately I could only find this at the DHC counter at a department store and not in any drug store or Don Quijote 🙁
14. **Rohto Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Lotion + Refills** – My HG toner — it’s unbelievabley cheap in Japan and can be found in every drug store
15. **Shiseido Fino Premium Touch Hair Mask** – Really popular hair mask that I wanted to try out.
16. **LuLuLun Precious Balance Sheet Masks** – Obligatory sheet mask purchase, haven’t used it before but this brand seems to be very popular
**Stores I visited**
– **Don Quijote** – Depending on which one you go to (there’s a couple of huge 24 hr ones!) you can cover most of your AB purchases here, and also do it tax-free if you’re not from Japan. They also had some Korean make up brands like Rom&nd, Peripera, & Wakemake.
– **Matsumoto Kiyoshi** – Very popular drugstore, kind of like the CVS/Walgreens of Japan
– **Cosme** – Similar to Sephora, you can find more high-end AB brands along with some western ones as well
**Tips & learnings**
– Bring your passport everywhere!! Minimum for tax-free is 5500 yen (~$36) which I was able to easily hit for most of my purchases. Many stores in popular tourist areas will have a dedicated counter for tax-free purchases. The only caveat is that you CANNOT use that purchase within Japan or you’ll be subjected to consumption tax (though not sure how it gets enforced…)
– If you can’t find a product you’re looking for in a drug store you can try searching for its brick and mortar store (especially if it’s a Japanese brand)
– Besides being helpful in general knowing how to read katakana has saved me a lot of time pulling up Lens on my phone to translate basic product words/makeup shades.
– The JPY is weaker compared to USD right now so it’s the perfect time to shop there if you’re visiting anytime soon
6-november on
Please do a review of no. 15 when you’re back! I’ve been putting that on my list and I’m thinking of getting it too! 🫶🏻
I’ve used lululun some time ago and they’re really good! I think you’ll love it too.
keepingupwithmimi on
Hi! Are the Anessa spfs cheaper in Japan as compared to the US? Would you mind adding their prices in USD? Thanks!
3 Comments
I was in Tokyo for 5 days and shopped mostly around Shinjuku, Shibuya, Akihabara, Ikebukuro, and Asakusa. Honestly I could’ve bought more but I didn’t want to hoard so much that the products would expire (namely sunscreen and cleansing oil).
1. **Rohto Skin Aqua Super Moisture Gel Gold Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++** – Repurchase, trying to decide whether I prefer this vs the Anessa gel
2. **Shiseido Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Skincare Gel N SPF50+ PA++++** – Repurchase, I currently use this sunscreen and enjoy its waterproofness when I sweat — trying to compare it to the Skin Aqua Gold
3. **Shiseido Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Skincare Milk N SPF50+ PA++++** – Haven’t tried this before but it was ridiculous how many stores were sold out of this in Shibuya/Shinjuku/Akihabara…hoping it lives up to the hype to compensate for the effort it took to find it
4. **Love Liner Eyebrow Signature Fit Mascara (Cappucino Brown)** – Random eyebrow mascara I encountered that looked promising when I swatched it in-store
5. **Majolica Majorca Lash Bone Black Fiber In Waterproof Mascara Base** – Wanted to try out a mascara primer
6. **Majolica Majorca Mascara Lash Expander Long EX (Brown)** – Bought it to pair with the primer above
7. **Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler** – Had to grab one of these since it was so inexpensive in Japan
8. **Shiseido Eyelash Curler** – Same reason as above, it was like <$10
9. **Koji Curving Eyelash Curler** – I was intrigued by the curler shape
10. **Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask (Pink Lemonade)** – I already use the Berry one and wanted a back up (also smells yummy and seemed like a limited edition flavor)
11. **YSL Touche Eclat Glow-Pact Cushion (Shade B30)** – I admit this purchase was mostly due to packaging. I also swatched it in-store and the shade looked promising for my neutral-olive NC25 skin. It’s on the sheer/dewy side which will be great for me once winter rolls in with its dryness. It’s also around 50% the price in-store vs ordering online in USD.
12. **Mimuco New Me New View 1 Day Lenses (Brown Fondue, Mellow Strawberry, Pomme Canele)** – I’m normally an Olens fan but wanted to try a more local brand — most of these colors are on the soft brown/violet side
13. **DHC Deep Cleansing Oil** – Repurchase, this is my absolute HG oil cleanser and it was 50% cheaper to get it in Japan. Unfortunately I could only find this at the DHC counter at a department store and not in any drug store or Don Quijote 🙁
14. **Rohto Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Lotion + Refills** – My HG toner — it’s unbelievabley cheap in Japan and can be found in every drug store
15. **Shiseido Fino Premium Touch Hair Mask** – Really popular hair mask that I wanted to try out.
16. **LuLuLun Precious Balance Sheet Masks** – Obligatory sheet mask purchase, haven’t used it before but this brand seems to be very popular
**Stores I visited**
– **Don Quijote** – Depending on which one you go to (there’s a couple of huge 24 hr ones!) you can cover most of your AB purchases here, and also do it tax-free if you’re not from Japan. They also had some Korean make up brands like Rom&nd, Peripera, & Wakemake.
– **Matsumoto Kiyoshi** – Very popular drugstore, kind of like the CVS/Walgreens of Japan
– **Cosme** – Similar to Sephora, you can find more high-end AB brands along with some western ones as well
**Tips & learnings**
– Bring your passport everywhere!! Minimum for tax-free is 5500 yen (~$36) which I was able to easily hit for most of my purchases. Many stores in popular tourist areas will have a dedicated counter for tax-free purchases. The only caveat is that you CANNOT use that purchase within Japan or you’ll be subjected to consumption tax (though not sure how it gets enforced…)
– If you can’t find a product you’re looking for in a drug store you can try searching for its brick and mortar store (especially if it’s a Japanese brand)
– Besides being helpful in general knowing how to read katakana has saved me a lot of time pulling up Lens on my phone to translate basic product words/makeup shades.
– The JPY is weaker compared to USD right now so it’s the perfect time to shop there if you’re visiting anytime soon
Please do a review of no. 15 when you’re back! I’ve been putting that on my list and I’m thinking of getting it too! 🫶🏻
I’ve used lululun some time ago and they’re really good! I think you’ll love it too.
Hi! Are the Anessa spfs cheaper in Japan as compared to the US? Would you mind adding their prices in USD? Thanks!