Hi my dears, I’m a little peeved that the Fukushima nuclear reactor situation is at level 7, revised from level 5 — the international media had quite a field day bashing Japan and this level 7 thing is just a definition based on the total amount of radiation released into the atmosphere since the explosion on Mar 12. This does not mean the Fukushima nuclear reactors have become worse — in fact the daily amount of radiation released is lowering.

That’s not to say the situation isn’t serious — it is — but I do find comfort that the total amount of radiation released thus far is only 10 per cent of what Chernobyl did (also rated 7). Please note that Tokyo is far from the disaster (250km!) so we are all safe here and life is going on as per normal. For radiation concerns, please read this post I wrote.

Again, I implore those who are following the crisis from overseas: do not believe fear-mongering reports by international media sources. I’m not naive nor am I being “pro-Japan” but I’m seeing this from the inside and only the neighboring areas to Fukushima in northeast Japan are terribly affected. In fact, I get the sense that your average Japanese is more concerned about the victims who lost their homes, families, and have to cope with harsh conditions (click here to learn how to donate).

But onto beauty-related (and happier things)…

I know it’s has been so long since I went to Australia….I was in Melbourne in late Feb for 10 days, but hey, that gave me time to test out the products I bought. It’s a really small haul but these can’t be found or are ridiculously expensive in Japan so they are quite “special” in my book…

First up, I finally got my hands on an Aussie classic — paw paw balm. I understand there are different brands but I saw this one that looked interesting so I got two tubes for AUD6 each. What is paw paw? It’s basically papaya – how cute! Apparently it’s got amazing healing properties so perfect for nursing cracked lips and skin.

Macadamia, shea, jojoba and papaya extract all sounded very delicious indeed…

I must say that the hydrating power of this balm is superior and the stickiness subsides quickly if applied on cuticles or lips. The only complaint I have is the slightly “oxidized” (or rotten?) smell that is likely caused by the papaya extract. Papaya does get quite stinky even when fresh plus I checked the expiry date of this product so it’s fine to use. However, the good thing is the smell quickly wears off so I’m not too fussed about it but will probably purchase a different brand and take a whiff if possible before buying!

Onto Jurlique….I like Jurlique products but they are very pricey in Japan. I love the fact that they use organic ingredients.

I’m a fan of the Purifying Foaming Cleanser, the Herbal Recovery Gel (great for smoothing over after a session at the beach), and the Citrus Mist (toner) but have held back because while they smell amazing and are great to have, I’m happy to forgo paying Japanese price tags that are exorbitantly higher than those in Australia. Since it was still winter in Japan at the time, I wanted to get some hydrating moisturizers to brighten my skin.

The Purely Age Defying Night Lotion, AUD61.80 (5400JPY; 11,550JPY in Japan – goodness!!!!), is very light for my skin and doesn’t break me out at all. My chin faces a constant dry patch which goes away if I use this lotion. However, I didn’t see any brightening or glowing effects from this moisturizer.

Next, I tried the Viola Cream (under their Botanical Remedies range), AUD40.90 (=3,500JPY; but 5,460JPY in Japan – !!!!!), which is meant to be a hydrating moisturizer that is gentle on the skin. It smells like custard which is lovely…

I liked it enough and it helped to keep my skin moisturized and didn’t break me out but again it seems like a high price tag just to do that and I didn’t see any improvement in my skin. I would also only use this moisturizer for winter because it feels too heavy in warmer weather now.

I don’t think I would purchase these two products again because I could use other moisturizers that are cheaper in Japan and work as well. I probably find the price for the Viola Cream more forgiving for what it does but I’m deeply disappointed in the Purely Age Defying Night Lotion — with such a title, I do expect more! I wish I bought my Jurlique favourites, instead! But I was a very curious cat at the Jurlique counter at the Gold Coast airport departure lounge.

Since I’m anticipating yet another sweltering humid summer in Tokyo, I thought it would be wise to nab this bottle of oil-free moisturizer from Neutrogena (Makeup Alley reviews here). I read that it has a very safe set of ingredients and they don’t sell this in Tokyo so it seemed worth getting. I have only used this three times and I like it so far in the warmer spring temperatures. I don’t get greasy from using this and it does hydrate well while keeping my mineral makeup looking good and not clog my pores. Again, this moisturizer didn’t “improve” my skin but it doesn’t say that it does and has a friendly price tag of AUD12.

So there’s my mini Aussie haul. I know I had more misses than hits but I’m still looking forward to my next visit so I can try products that are different from the ones in Japan.

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