Review: Japanese Dollar Store Products

First let me start by saying THANK YOU to the three readers who posted about some great beauty deals they've spotted recently! This makes me feel like my new "Beauty Deals YOU have spotted" feature (located in the right-hand sidebar) is going to be a success, and I cannot wait to see more comments from you as you find great deals in your town and/or online. Please, please share what you're finding with us so that we can all benefit! If you haven't seen the great deals contributed by Nouveau Cheap readers yet, click here to check 'em out (they're fantastic!).

OK, onto my review. This review is a long time coming, because I purchased these products from my local Japanese dollar store back in February (click here for my original post).

First up, the Japanese version of the L'Oreal Scrublet:

I purchased this scrublet-type facial cleansing tool for $4.98 at my local Marukai Living store. Marukai Living is not actually a dollar store, but let me explain. Marukai is a chain of different Japanese retail stores. In San Diego, Marukai has a dollar store (called Daiso), a home-furnishings/beauty product store (called Marukai Living) and an Asian grocery store (called Marukai). All three stores are in the same strip mall (which just so happens to be across the street from Mitsuwa!) and this strip mall is a bargain shopper's paradise! Especially Daiso, which also carries beauty products (nail polishes, makeup, beauty tools, etc.) and everything in Daiso (unless otherwise specified) is $1.98. If you have a Diaso in your city, you will go nuts in this store. I promise.

So anyway, I purchased the scrublet-type cleansing tool at Marukai Living for around five bucks, but I have heard that similar products are also available at other Japanese stores (in the US and in other countries) and that you can also find them on ebay. So if you don't have a Marukai in your area, but you want one of these, you can probably find one pretty easily.

The first thing I noticed about the Japanese version was that the surface area is bigger. Also, the fish-type shape made me go, "Huh? How is THIS going to work?" But honestly, it's pretty freaking fantastic once you get the hang of it.

Check out the other side of each product:

The number one complaint I hear about the L'Oreal Scrublet is that it's hard to hold (especially when it gets wet). I can't count how many times this little sucker has popped out of my hand when I'm washing my face. In fact, I told you in my original review of the Scrublet that you can really only hold it a certain way to ensure that it doesn't go flying out of your hand (click here if you missed it). But with the Japanese version? Form and function come together beautifully, my friends. There are two "straps" on this product, and you just slip your fingers inside of them (I put my index finger in one strap and my middle finger in the other). How brilliant is that? This will never, ever slip out of your hands, period.

And do you see the little suction cup on the right side of this tool? It's GENIUS! This little part of the tool is for use on those little crevices of your face that are too small for the larger part of the tool. It's ideal to use on the sides of your nose, around your hairline, etc. Think of this as the part of the tool you use for "detailing" your face.

Another thing I LOVE about the Japanese version of the scrublet is that, despite the fact that it's made from essentially the exact same soft, pliable, rubbery material as the L'Oreal Scrublet, the actually scrubby nubs are more exfoliating than the L'Oreal version. If I were to rate the exfoliating power of the L'Oreal version on a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 5, while the Japanese version is about a 7. Don't get me wrong--neither tool is harsh on the skin AT ALL, but the Japanese version just ha a little bit more "oomph" when it comes to cleansing my face and getting every little bit of makeup off.

I have found myself reaching for the Japanese version almost every single time I wash my face these days. No, it does not come with a bottle of cleanser like the L'Oreal version, but who cares, really? You can use this tool for a very long time so it's a great investment. It's just too bad that I love the actual Sensitive Skin cleanser in the L'Oreal version, which means I'm going to one day end up with more L'Oreal Scrublets than I know what to do with. Maybe I'll be forced to do a giveaway for just the Scrublet someday!

Moving on to this little wonder:

This caught my eye when I was shopping at Diaso (remember: that's the nothing-over-$1.98 store owned by Marukai). At first I thought it looked like a pink plastic ear. LOL! But then what really captured my attention was the tagline at the bottom of the package: The Raid Article of the Nail. What the heck? Something definitely got lost in the translation, because I can't even infer what they were trying to say. But that doesn't matter because the photo at the top of the package totally explains its use. It's a nail file for your keychain! I had to have it.

The Raid Article of the Nail (retail: $1.98 at Daiso)

I'm totally going to admit to you that I had a "Doh!" moment with this little gadget. I kept it on my desk for a few days and every single day I'd pick it up, run it across my nail, and NOTHING. It felt like I was running my nail across smooth plastic. I mean, every time I felt that one of my nails was a bit jagged or rough, I'd run and get this thing and try again. Every time, it did nothing. Finally I just totally forgot about it and I figured one day I'd write a review and tell you it was a total waste of money.

But then one day, I felt a little jagged edge on one of my nails and I reached for it again, but I noticed that there was something weird about it. The metal edge had something stuck to it. Wait, was that a protective coating? OMG. Yes! There was a protective coating on the metal strip the entire time I was trying to use it, and I guess all my repeated uses finally made the coating start to peel off on its own. So I peeled the rest of it off and PRESTO! This thing totally works. All together now, let's say it: Doh!

It's not a true nail file, but it's perfect for those times when you're out and about and you feel a little roughness on the tip of your nail, and it drives you crazy because you don't have a nail file to smooth it down. I know that's happened to all of us, and this little "pink plastic ear" is the perfect thing to have on hand for that very situation. Hey, it was a $1.98, I'm keeping it in my purse whether I use it or not! Ha!

I hope you enjoyed my little adventure at the Japanese dollar store. Do you have any Japanese stores in your town? Do you have any favorite beauty products you'd like to share with us? I'd love to hear all about them!