For many, many years now, the only place I will purchase my cotton pads (for nail polish and eye makeup removal) is at my local Japanese dollar store. I used to buy just any ol' cotton pad that happened to be on sale at the drugstore, but then I tried one of the various Japanese versions on the market and I was hooked.
I've tried high-end cotton pads in the past, including Shiseido Facial Cotton, and I've got to say, for quality and value, I always go back to my Japanese dollar store cotton pads.
Like their higher-end counterparts, these pads don't shed, they're extremely soft, and very durable. Plus, I believe you get approximately 162 pads in a package of Shiseido Facial Cotton for around $10, whereas you can get 130 pads for $1.98 at the Japanese dollar store.
The place where I go for my cotton pads is Marukai (others may still refer to it as Daiso but I believe it officially changed its name to Marukai a while back). Anyway, everything at Marukai is $1.98 unless specified, which I guess makes it more of a "two dollar store", but who's complaining?
Sidenote: if you're in San Diego and haven't been to Marukai lately, they now have a Sanrio store-within-a-store and the most amazing Hello Kitty selection I've ever seen in San Diego.
If you don't have a Marukai in your city, try going to the Asian part of your town (i.e., your local Chinatown or Little Tokyo) and go into an Asian market. If your local Asian market has a beauty section, I'm pretty sure they'll have cotton pads, and the prices are usually lower than cotton pads you'd find at the drugstore.
Here's my favorite brand:
Cosmetic Cotton
(retail: $1.98, 130 ct)
The surface produced only by water presser Soft and fine, and supple texture.
If you're unfamiliar with the packaging on Japanese products sold in America, sometimes the intent of the copy can get lost in translation. I think this is a very endearing quality and I often enjoy trying to figure out the intent of the wording (I'm still trying to figure out what The Raid Article of the Nail means). In the case of these pads, I think it's pretty understandable: the soft texture is produced by water pressure. Sweet! And let me tell you, these cotton pad ARE super soft.
Once I tried Japanese cotton pads like the ones above, I never looked back. For me, they're worth the hunt, especially for the quality and value.
To see my other Japanese beauty finds, click here for all of my past posts.
Do you buy any beauty products at your local Asian markets? Do you have any staples?
do they hold together well?
ReplyDeletethey look really awesome to be honest :O
i just found your blog xD
MrAJBx3: Yep! As I mentioned in my post, they're extremely durable, and also very soft and they don't shed, which is really nice if you're using them for polish removal. :)
ReplyDeleteI need to look for these the next time I visit Daiso. It's still called Daiso here and things are $1.50. I love that store, I can spend hours browsing around. Thanks for sharing these with us! Hopefully I can find them.
ReplyDeleteFirst I just want to say I recently started reading your blog and really like it! I'm in San Diego too and I've been wanting to go to Murakai or Daiso but I can't find it. Would you mind me asking where is this? Google just keeps coming up with a closed Kearny Mesa area one.
ReplyDeleteLooks great- what a value!
ReplyDeleteClarissa: Wow, you are SO lucky that your location is still $1.50. An even BETTER bargain! I'd love to know what you think if you try these. :)
ReplyDeleteAlexis: Thanks for the kind words! And the location in Kearny Mesa is the one I go to--if you're viewing the info on yelp, I think it says it's closed because it USED to be called Daiso. It's still the same place but now it's called Marukai (which is owned by Daiso, I think?). Anyway, the yelp listing is very deceiving but trust me--I was just there the other day and it's still VERY much open. Have fun!
aly7: Thanks, hun!
I've never tried the pads at the dollar store; I'll have to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post!
Ah curses, my city is big, but we do not have a China/Korea/Japan/Asian-town. I've seen some Asian markets, but I don't remember ever seeing beauty products in them, just your typical butcher and small groceries. Rats.
ReplyDeleteI need to get my hands on these. I have never been to Murakai, I have been wanting to go for awhile.
ReplyDeleteI love Marukai! Definitely going to check out these cotton pads. I usually get mine at the Dollar Tree and you only get 80 pads for a dollar. This one is much more worth it! Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, I will definitely have to check these out. We have a ton of Asian markets where I live.
ReplyDeleteThey look so soft! I use the cotton rounds by The Body Shop. I don't like the ones from target, wags because of the lint...makes nail polish removal a pain. I'll try to get hold of this :D Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteGreat review, I want to try these. I'm pretty sure there aren't any Asian stores like this in my area, do you think it's worth ordering these cotton pads online?
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to try the Shiseido Facial Cotton but the $8 price tag can't sway me. The Daiso cotton pads sure can though ;)
ReplyDeleteanyone know where to buy these or something similar in the houston area?
ReplyDeleteWhat area of town in SD is it in? I think I'll have to check it out!!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if the ones I have are the same brand, but I got a 120 pack for $1.50 at a Daiso Japan store on the West coast. They look identical o.o except mine came in a plastic packaging rather than the box. The cottons are incredibly smooth :)
ReplyDeleteLady T: Hum...I'd say that if you can get them for less than the Shiseido ones at Sephora, then yes! I personally love them more than any of the cotton pads I've used from the drugstore!
ReplyDeleteDori: If you click the link to Marukai in this post, it will take you the page with directions to the San Diego location.
conniewxx: Oh, do you mean the ones in the blue plastic packaging? If so, I LOVE those too! I used to use those religiously until my Marukai started selling the ones in the box and stopped selling the others. You're so lucky to live in a city where everything's still $1.50. I miss that!!
Whether they're packaged in a box or plastic wrap these are the best cotton pads ever! They're still $1.50 up here in Silicon Valley. We have 2 Daiso up here that I know of, and only one of them is next to a Marukai. I wonder if they're doing that store-blendy-thing just in certain areas...?
ReplyDeleteanother item im going to be tracking down. hah, you are costing me a lot of funds. :) btw, today i got a colorburst lipgloss for 2.19. It was 40 off and i have a 2 dollars off coupon. the joy of cheap (inexpensive) cosmetics.
ReplyDelete