As you’ll no doubt know by now, I have completely redesigned the site. It’s long over overdue — I haven’t re-structure it for more than 5 years! (Did you know I wrote my first post back in 2009?!) I do all of my website myself — including CSS and HTML — and learn from various bits on the internet, so please bear with me if you see something weird with a page or some functions don’t load properly. Anyway, I just wanted to add this “announcement” to this drafted post while it’s still relevant. Now back to the review.
Big half-litre sized lotions is getting more and more popular — lots of Japanese budget brands have added one to their skin care line. Besides being more economical, they are also more watery and lighter-weight than your normal lotions — making them ideal for stifling muggy summers. I’ll be honest, most of them don’t really do that much – they are simply fancy waters that freshen and tone skin. They may claim to do a whole slew of things and contain some nice ingredients, but in effect, they’re no different to your run-of-the-mill toners you find in Western pharmacies.
The popular Kiku-Masamune Sake Brewing Skin Care Lotion ticks all the important large format lotions boxes — freshening, toning, and hydrating. Additionally, it soothes, mildly brightens, feels weightless, absorbs quickly even during Japan’s muggy summer days, and it does all off this for the price of a Starbucks venti-sized Frappuccino. Some of these lotions seems to be rather drying once the effects have worn off, while others don’t absorb well and feel sticky in hot, humid climate; Kiku-Masamume version is lightly hydrating and keeps the skin nicely freshened. (This also comes in an alcohol-free High Moist formula that’s a lot more hydrating. I can see why some people might prefer it, but it doesn’t freshen the skin nor absorb well in hot weather. Not my cup of tea, I’m afraid.)
This smells of sake, but it should come as absolutely no surprise to you as 1) it’s produced by a famed sake brewery, 2) it contains dry sake, and 3) it’s in the product name! For those who are worried about smelling like a drunkard, the sake smell has touch of floral and it doesn’t linger once the lotion is applied. I use a saturated cotton pad and very gently swipe it all over, taking it across the face and neck in the morning as a “cleansing water” and lotion in one. It’s soothing and replenishing and provides the refreshment that I need in this muggy summer season. It also refreshens and rehydrates extremely well if you spray it over makeup (decant it into a small spray bottle).
The Kiku-Masamune Sake Brewing Skin Care Lotion comes in a whooping 500ml pump bottle and it’s ¥585 (approx. US$5.35) at Rakuten Global Market HERE. You can also get it from Amazon.com for US$14.99+ HERE.
