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Kira Kira Crate March 2017 Review

April 18, 2017

Hi everyone!

I won’t bore you with the details of why I didn’t post recently and instead will dive right into the review of my very first Kira Kira Crate! I have always been a huge fan of subcription boxes and was very delighted when the kind people of Kira Kira Crate reached out to me to let me try out their march box.
What is the Kira Kira Crate? In this Japanese subcription box, you will get 6-8 full-size beauty items straight from Japan, which is probably every beauty blogger’s dream. The box also includes a magazine with translations and instructions for those who are not able to read Japanese. It includes a variety of items from skincare, beauty and bath items. You can look up past crates here and get an idea what kind of items are featured in the box. I really appreciate that they send me their “normal” march box and not some special kind of “blogger box” which I have been seen from other companies and which makes it really hard to cast fair judgement over what the company does offer. So already a small bonus point there. ๐Ÿ™‚ What did I get in my box..?
Avance Lash Serum N Tweety
This was by far my favorite item in the box! It’s a lash serum that claims to make your lashes longer and more voluminous. The serum came with a cute tweety pouch that I will definitely use on my next flight as it has the convenient zipper and it semi see-through ๐Ÿ™‚ I have used this only for a week and have to report back what it actually does (be sure to follow me on IG as I’ll likely report there instead of another review) but it seems very promising as I think my lashes are just a tiny bit more full (but that could very well be only my imgaination – have to look at my before and after pictures in a few weeks to confirm!) I absolutely adore the tweety design and it’s something I probably would have gotten if I spotted it in a drugstore in Tokyo ๐Ÿ™‚
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Rilakkuma Face Mask
I was super excited to see the Rilakkuma masks but also slightly bummed that I didn’t get the Korilakkuma one! Dammit! Rilakkuma is cute but Rilakkuma is so much cuter, sigh ^^ I’m definitely excited to try these as they will turn you into Rilakkuma! I actually never tried those character masks before. These masks are from Pure Smile, a company that I have used a lot when I was living in Japan for face masks and was always quite pleased with.

Hada Labo Collagen Face Lotion
I was kinda excited about this and kinda not – don’t get me wrong, y’all know just how much I love Hada Labo. But that’s the thing – I have used it all and still have a lot of their products in my stash so that was just an item that I already own (and love, btw!) I would have been more excited about something totally shiny and new as these lotions from Hada Labo have been on the market for quite some time. You can never go wrong with either collagen or Hada Labo though, so now at least I have a spare one that I can take to my gf’s place ๐Ÿ˜€
Also in the box:
Dodo Moisture Volume Lip Gloss – I don’t use or like lip glosses at all, so not much to say about this item. I found it quite sticky so I gave it to a friend who loves lip glosses and she really likes this one! I’d rather would have liked something with a little more color ๐Ÿ™‚
Yakuyouburo – Herbal Bath Mix against acne and irritated skin – I loved this product! I knew those kind of baths back from Japan and I loved that I got the one against acne and irritated skin as that is my personal main concern. It smells deep like a forest and is very relaxing not only for my skin but also the soul! It has a more “medicine” approach but I felt it helped quite well when I had a stress induced break-out (not sure if it’s the herbs or just taking time to relax but either way, it helped.)
Hello Kitty Sticker Earrings – As you may know, I have 14+ piercings already so I personally really don’t need sticker earrings. Instead of gimmicky items like these I would have preferred a small beauty or skincare product such as a cleansing pad or maybe a second sheet mask..? I gifted this to the daughter of a friend though and she was beyond happy and excited so it does make for a cute gift.
Verdict
All in all, I really enjoyed this subscription box. If you’re a fan of cute stuff from Japan, you definitely get the right amount of cute here. For me, who has lived in Japan and already tried hundreds of beauty products, the “risk” of getting something I already tried is quite high. I’d totally recommend this box to anyone new, who wants to dabble their feet in the vast world of Asian beauty and skincare and want to build a foundation. It gives a nice range of different products that you otherwise may have never discovered. I wish for the future that they will include a translated ingredients list in English (something they say are aware and working on on their homepage) – I can read Japanese and get so many requests on a daily basis to translate X product so I really think that would be a high motivation for many subscribers if they could confirm all the ingredients, especially if you know certain ingredients will break you out for sure.
Looking at past crates, there also seem to always be some “old but gold” products in there as well. They definitely try to use quality items from high reputation brands such as Hada Labo, Pure Smile or merchandise from Sanrio which I think is really great. I personally am now really curious about their Doki Doki Crate that features cute plushes and stationary from Japan! I think the risk of getting anything “double” is lower for me with that one ๐Ÿ™‚ They also have a crate for Japanese snacks and drinks!
You can subscribe to the Kira Kira Crate here for 29$/month per box ๐Ÿ™‚ You can subsribe to single boxes or get a 3-, 6- or 12-month plan where the individual crates are cheaper. There are no additional shipping fees. Thank you Japan Crate for letting me try out this gem and bring back some fond memories of shopping the drugstore aisles when living in Japan ๐Ÿ™‚
Are you a fan of subscription boxes? Any box I should definitely get? I really love the excitement to receive a surprise gift to myself every month :3 If you have any questions, feel free to let me know in the comments!
Lots of love,
Sam

Disclosure: This subscription box has been provided for review purposes to me by Japan Crate. All opinions are completely my own and my honest review of the products provided –ย see my full disclosure and review policy here.
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