By Sheila Arkee
In today’s episode of “Japan Just Has A Stronghold On Cute Beauty Products”, I am here to present to you a cousin of the special cotton swabs I talked about last year.
Behold, super duper unbelievably cute and effective cotton pads.
Back when I was working behind the makeup counter, a co-worker would make a mad dash to the Shiseido counter every couple of months and come back with a pack of cotton pads.
What was the big whoop, I wondered?
As I soon came to discover, Japanese-style cotton pads are made a little differently - they have a tighter weave and are more absorbent than the typical cotton pads that are available in US drugstores so you end up using less of your beauty product, like nail polish remover or facial toner.
Thankfully, you don’t need to pay department store prices for Japanese cotton pads, as they are readily available in Japanese markets and online. I bought this pack of pads for around $2.50 at a Mitsuwa market. And this brand was just the tip of the iceberg! There are many different types to choose from!
Speaking of Japanese markets, my fellow beauty junkies – it was HEAVEN! So many cute products and nifty packaging – including this face mask (a la Megan) for less than a dollar.
Selena Fresh cotton pads are available at Japanese markets and also online.
you also have to try japanese make-up brands,sweetie
like majolica majorca, dolly wink, jill stuart, etc
they are amazing!
i always drop by at a japanese store near me & i always end up buying something even though i don’t want to spend on those specific days!
LOL
NIPPON BANZAII!!! But anyway….that face mask has Korean written on it though….LUS is a Korean brand =)
I mean Japanese brand! But it’s curious that it has Korean!
Esther – I was confused, too – I think it is a Korean brand, not exactly sure!
I love Mitsuwa. I’m going to have to browse the beauty aisle there. I never do that. I usually look at the food court, the green tea and the fruits and veggies.
I live in Seoul, South Korea and the makeup stores (the only good thing about them are the nail polishes and free samples of the cotton pads) are usually pretty cheap, unless you’re trying to get American products.