Japan Trip: Beauty Haul!

If you’ve been following my Instagram, you couldn’t miss that for my winter vacation this year, I jetted across the sea to the Land of the Rising Sun. Not only this, but I was lucky enough to have my mum fly over from England and meet me for a one week adventure in Kyoto and Osaka. 

Of course while I was there, I did some beauty shopping! The beauty scene in Japan is unique and pretty nuts compared to anywhere else I’ve shopped. I tried to refrain from going as crazy as I did on my last trip, and only purchased products I felt weren’t easily available (or are way more pricey) in Korea. So gonna share my haul, and I’ve also included some travel photos and information at the end of the post, for those of you who are interested!

---

Daiso

Daiso is a wondrous place (I recently posted about my favourite Daiso beauty products in Korea). In its origin country of Japan, it’s even better! Here’s what I grabbed:

• Silicone mask- to lay over sheet masks to prevent evaporation of the essence
• 3D Lift Up Masks- dry masks ready to soak in a product of my choice
• Nail stickers and foil- Japanese style for a home mani
• Hair Line Color Stick- to fill in the spaces in my hairline
• Misc- a Hello Kitty bottle top (the kids will like it even if I look like a big baby ha!), cherry blossom and Kyoto theme tape, and tiny origami pieces for my scrapbook.

---

Drugstores

Japanese drugstores are some of the most overwhelming shops I’ve ever been in. From floor to ceiling, they are stacked with every kind of beauty product you can possibly imagine. Bright colours and very little English make drugstore shopping tiring, but a fun experience! I bought:

• Kao Megurism Steam Eye Masks in Rose, Lavender, Cherry Blossom and Yuzu (tried these a couple of times and I’m OBSESSED. Particularly with the lavender- so relaxing).
• K Palette 1 Day Tattoo Real Lasting Eyeliner
• Kailijumei Flower Jelly Lip Stick in Dream Purple
• Kose Suncut Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++
• Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++
• Mitomo Arbutin and Lithospermum Essence Mask (this is the only sheet mask I bought because it was so beautiful. I couldn’t justify any more when I have around 100 at home, and my past experience hasn’t been all that great with Japanese masks. Maybe I’ve been unlucky but I just didn’t want to spend money on them, considering they’re more expensive than in Korea too!).

---

Yojiya

Yojiya is a beautiful cosmetics company, founded in 1904 in Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital. You can read about their story here. They’re famous for their blotting paper, and so that’s what I bought! I could easily have been persuaded to purchase more, but I stuck with the papers and a little plastic wallet to carry them in.

---

Hakuhodo

Hakuhodo is heaven for brush lovers. Honestly, it’s one of the most incredible beauty stores I’ve even been into. Just brushes on brushes on brushes, lining the walls.  It’s very difficult to decide which to buy, so I made a list in my head of what I needed beforehand, and the shop assistant helped me choose those best suited to my needs. I stuck with the black, long handles, to match the rest of my collection, but you can choose the handle size and colours you prefer. Hakuhodo are cruelty free. I haven’t written too much detail here, as I plan on writing a full blog post about the store in Kyoto! From L-R on the photo:

• B005 (weasel)- for detail work with cream or liquid eyeshadows
• B J125R (goat and synthetic mix)- for blending cream or powder eyeshadows
• J5522 (goat)- for blending powder eyeshadows
• J4003 (goat)- for contouring with powder

---

And that was all I bought! I’m really pleased I shopped responsibly, it’s something I’m really striving for in 2017, and this was a big first test as it would have been easy to grab everything. But I’m chuffed with my purchases. If you were only interested in the beauty, time to cut out, because I’m now gonna give a few of our travel details and tips to those interested!

Hotel

Hotel She, Kyoto. I fell in love with this hotel. It’s a small budget place, but spotlessly clean with the most lovely, helpful, English speaking staff. It’s conveniently located 10 minutes walk from Kyoto station, and 2 minutes walk from both a well connected bus stop, and Kyujyo Subway station. It’s in a quiet residential area which might not suit everyone, but for me and my mum, who were there predominantly for sightseeing, it was perfect. The best part is the lovely communal area, that has full kitchen facilities, free water, ice, tea and coffee, and a great soundtrack to sit and chill to. Mum and I spent most evenings here with beverages from the convenience store around the corner. Because the rooms are small, it was nice to have the option of somewhere else to sit. We paid about £230 between two of us for a twin room for 5 nights. I really didn’t think this was bad at all, especially when you compare it to the cost of hotels in Kyoto generally. Would definitely return!

Budget

I took 540,000 Korean won (roughly $550, or £380) for 6 days- this was to cover everything apart from the hotel. I came back with about 50,000 won unspent ($50 or £30). However, we could have done the trip on a MUCH lower budget. Remember I probably spent a couple of hundred thousand won on shopping and gifts alone. We also bought snacks, alcohol, and other bits and bobs that weren’t totally necessary. 

Favourite Spots

There are about 1600 temples and shrines in Kyoto, so of course we didn’t even touch on that number. These are my favourite places we did visit:

Fushimi-Inari

My favourite movie and book is Memoirs of a Geisha, and I’ve wanted to visit this shrine, which features in the movie, for a very long time. It was stunning, and didn’t disappoint. It can get crowded but if you keep walking you find quiet areas. It was a really special place for me.

Gion and Pontocho Alley

These areas are what I imagine when I think of Japan. We were lucky enough to see a geiko tea ceremony going on above a restaurant in Gion, and it’s a highly atmospheric place to wander. You can then cross the river to the narrow Pontocho Alley for hundreds of food options. We went for a small Kobe beef establishment- best steak I’ve had in YEARS, but sadly I can’t remember the name I’m sorrrrry. It was a quite near the entrance to the alley from the bridge direction, and had a tiny interior, decorated red.

Kiyo-Mizu Dera

I’d been here before but the views are really worth it. The vermillion colour of the buildings also makes for beautiful photos. If you have time it’s great to spend time on the streets going down too- lots of souvenirs, cafes and matcha ice cream!

Nishiki Market

The best place to sample some of Kyotos cuisine. Many of the vendors offer tasters and there’s no pressure to buy. Mum bought some spices which tasted divine with the rice we tried. I highly recommend going here for a wander.

Dotonbori, Osaka

If you’re staying in Kyoto it’s super easy to get the train to Osaka, and then transfer to the subway to Shinsaibashi. You can then walk down the loooong shopping arcade before coming to Dotonbori- the food centre of Osaka! So many restaurants and a real attack on the senses, it’s a fun place to explore, shop and eat.

Cafe Espresso in Kyoto Station

This place stood out for me because of their AMAZING coffee art. Geikos and meikos!

 

We visited the Golden Pavillion, which was beautiful but not as big as I expected, and it’s quite a trek for what it is. But of course it’s a something you should do if you’re in Kyoto! Also, many of the tiny cafeteria style restaurants have some of the best quick food, such as udon, fried chicken etc. Highly recommend trying those places if you’re wanting to grab a quick bite!

Overall I had an incredible trip, as ever, and I hope I can return once more to Japan before I leave Korea for good in 2018. Saving my pennies already!

---

Have you visited Kyoto or Osaka? What were your favourite places? Did you shop beauty?