What makes Japanese beauty mags different from Western ones is there are always step-by-step features to show you how to put on cosmetics. Be it from eye shadow to foundation and powder, there are pictures to guide you to a flawless result.

This is where the freebie Lunasol DVD comes in. I enjoyed watching how to apply foundation and concealer with your fingers and then with a sponge before using loose powder.

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As an expat in Japan, I’m always curious to learn more about Japanese culture and trends, so what better way to peep inside this box by way of magazines?

Well, we all know that we shouldn’t believe 100% of what we read but at least you can get an idea of what is touted as the ideal in a certain society. And boy, a Japanese fashion magazine definitely leaves many clues.

I’ve always wanted to read Biteki, 美的 (means beauty is possible), so I bought a copy of their April issue last week. It was February and the April issue is out. Now that’s another indication that this country is restless and competitive where trends are concerned.

The other reason why I chose Biteki was the “surprise” freebie that was stated on the cover. It’s also the Japanese answer to Allure in the US. The difference is there are no Hollywood celebs featured, but I couldn’t spot any celeb interview with a Japanese star either. Biteki focuses on beauty, beauty, and beauty.

I discovered quite some time ago that Japanese fashion and beauty magazines give great freebies and a copy only costs anywhere between 500 to 800JPY (USD5.60 to 8.90). From what I see, branded cloth bags and cosmetic pouches are most often packed neatly inside magazines, but once in a while you get something different. I thought that this freebie would be travel-sized cosmetics, but it was really a make up DVD.

I was disappointed because I wanted to try some Lunasol cosmetics but the DVD was very revealing in what kind of looks Japanese women love, so it turned out to be quite interesting, plus there were a few tips which I found illuminating. From my casual perusal, it seems natural, girlish looks are favoured but they are a lot of work. It just brings to mind this quote from the movie Steel Magnolias, “There is no such thing as natural beauty.”

That may be true but the Japanese try their best to enhance their looks through products, rather than cosmetic surgery. It’s hard not to bring up the Koreans who actually accept cosmetic surgery as a part of life, but a survey also found that the average Korean woman puts 17 products on her face before she leaves for work. Wow.

To be continued…

This is the first part (out of five) of one episode and you can watch the rest on Youtube.

+ Following a Japanese show about beautiful middle-aged women, called majotachi, 魔女たち, which means magical women. This weekday programme is different from other TV shows, I must say.

Every Tuesday on Fuji TV (Channel 4), 10pm, this hour-long talk show features incredible “feats” done by mature women. Last night’s episode showed a 44-year-old woman who had a 29-year-old boyfriend and his friends/colleagues were shocked that she was middle-aged despite looking like she’s his age.

There were more dramatic stories that were told. For example, an over-40 izakaya owner raised eight children on her own, took on three jobs, and still looks like a million dollars — and was mistaken for her 21-year-old eldest son’s girlfriend! Another much-talked about episode featured a female body builder who was over 40 and works out daily to achieve her muscular frame — a rarity in Japan where women take pride in being dainty and petite.

Also popular are women who had heavy debts to pay or serious illnesses and they rise from the ashes rich and looking even more gorgeous than ever. Some women on the show are also over 50 and they actually look as good as 30-something women. It’s pretty inspirational stuff — I’m hooked.

+ My new ultra marine sweater dress from Zara. It’s brrr freezing in Tokyo right now so no more flimsy tops and cardis and heavy duty turtlenecks are in order. Click here to find out what shade of blue ultra marine is. This color is on the streets on women everywhere – love it!

+ Snow in Tokyo.

+ Marc Jacobs’s Daisy body lotion that is rich and creamy. The weather has been gray and dreary all week so I was feeling fed up. For a pick-me-up, his classic spring fragrance put me in a happy mood all day. I kept marveling at how rounded this citrus-floral perfume develops as the day goes on (plus remaining as fresh as when you sprayed it!) and certainly stands out from the crowd of citrus-florals on the market — it’s no wonder because it won Fragrance of the Year in 2008.

+ Pocketwarmers, hokkario, in my socks. I don’t take to the cold well at all so I use up to four of these babies a day. For those not familiar with pocketwarmers, they are small sachets filled with a special metal that gives off heat when exposed to the air. I know you guys up on the US East Coast are shivering so I would highly recommend using these, instead of turning on your furnace full blast and getting unnecessary wrinkles.

Hi my lovelies!

As Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, I’ve got an exciting “gift” for you — $5 off every purchase of Meiji Amino Collagen Grapefruit. The original price was USD35 but it is only USD30 now. The expiry date ends in June 2010, so hurry while stocks last.

BUY HERE

Here’s my video on what this yummy pink grapefruit collagen tastes like.

To celebrate new additions to the Beauty Box Store, we are holding a very special Spring Sale — 10% discount on ALL Raffine products!

Our first Raffine product was the Perfect One Collagen Cream and it proved so popular that we thought our customers would love to try other products in this natural beauty range.

BUY HERE

(Clockwise from the top left:)

Raffine Perfect One Collagen Cream Moist – USD92 USD82.80
This has THREE times more collagen power than the original Raffine Perfect One Collagen Cream.

Raffine Solid Cleansing Oil (Makeup Remover) – USD49 USD44.10
An innovative makeup remover, this is a waxy paste made of orange, lemon, and grapefruit oil, that turns into oil once it comes into contact with your skin. It can remove heavy, waterproof makeup and leaves skin soft and hydrated.

Raffine Perfect One Deep Treatment Collagen Mask – USD65 USD58.50
These masks are infused with nourishing ingredients like royal jelly, hyaluronic acid, baker’s yeast, ginseng extract, soybean extract, pomegranate extract and chamomile that rejuvenates and moisturizes sallow skin deeply.

Raffine Clear Lotion – USD65 USD58.50
Brighten your skin tone with this hydrating toner made with vitamin C, baker’s yeast, saxifrage flower extract, peony extract, mulberry root bark, chlorella extract, and hyaluronic acid. Like many Japanese toners and treatment water products, you splash this on after washing your face, instead of using a cotton pad.

BUY HERE

I was thrilled to receive our new box designs for the Meiji Amino Collagen Premium products.

We used to pack them in the regular boxes and confused a few of our customers. Sorry for that — we had to use the regular ones to get the products past US customs. The US and EU countries do not allow non-English packaging.

So now you can see that the Premium product has hyaluronic acid and coenzyme Q10 on the English cover!

Monoi oil by The Body Shop is my new HG moisturizer for winter. In a desperate hunt for a solution for extremely parched skin, I found this to be a miracle (you can read more about it here).

Makeup Alley reviewers also gave monoi oil the thumbs up as a great way to smooth frizzy hair out.

Perhaps it was my five-week hiatus in the tropics that made me sensitive to this winter season. I thought I nailed it after I bought a humidifier in 2008 but I felt dried out — inside and out.

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Hi everyone, there’s no blending or chopping in my kitchen for this video. Today’s just a short chat about what Meiji Amino Collagen Apple & Ginger and Grapefruit flavors taste and look like. I’m honestly not a fan of anything too sweet or sour, so I was quite impressed by how these two versions held their own.

Bonus tip: a sneak peak at what you can do with the apple flavor if you haven’t got it already.

To buy Meiji Amino Collagen, go to http://store.beauty-box-online.com

Remember my little kimchi misadventure here? I’m proud to say I didn’t let that one hiccup get me down and this second batch did not make me sick. I’m happy to say that I’m back to noshing on fermented veggies and hoping my insides and skin will love me for it. However, I’m still not friends with natto…

Although I deem this as a success, I’ve to say that this is not exactly a traditional kimchi recipe. I did not use rice flour or fish sauce or a lot of salt, but I found it to be yummy all the same. It doesn’t emit the same pungent aroma as store-bought kimchi that is actually a bonus for me because I don’t like anything that smells fishy.

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We’re knee-deep in winter so I thought a hot, savory recipe was in order. Many of my collagen drink recipes revolve around sweet fruit-based concoctions, but Meiji Amino Collagen can actually be consumed in your meal. You can add this collagen supplement powder to pretty much any liquid you desire and at any temperature because its effectiveness will not be affected.

Since this is a Japanese product, I thought a simple healthy Japanese recipe, miso soup, would be suitable as an introduction. Miso is a paste made from fermented soy beans and is a staple in every Japanese household. I think it’s one of the secrets to good health and longevity in Japanese culture. Forget instant pre-mixes that have MSG — it’s so easy to make your own.

Recipe (serves two):
1 small piece of dried kelp (size of half a small envelope)
1 tsp of white miso
2 tsp of shoyu (also called soy sauce)
1 drop of mirin (Japanese rice wine; optional)
1 drop of sesame oil (optional)
2 small rice bowls of water
2 shiitake mushrooms
1/2 packet of golden mushrooms
1 tbs wakame
1 spoonful of Meiji Amiino Collagen

Place the kelp in boiling water and wait for five minutes. Then, put all the ingredients in except for the collagen powder. When the mushrooms look soft, turn the fire down and stir in the amino collagen. Ladle the broth into bowls and serve.