kose

As I mentioned before, Fab kept giving me the beauty swag that she received in her fashion-show gift bags. As you can imagine, this pleased me greatly. A pathetic amount of sleep during Fashion Week has made my skin somewhat blah, and my eyes are puffy, so I was very happy that Fab gave me her sample of Kose Sekkisei Essence Mask ($54/box of six masks). It's a brightening and moisturizing mask that comes wrapped in its own individual pouch.

These are rather pricey masks, and so I was hoping for great results. So much so, that I hummed "All I Need Is A Miracle" while unwrapping the product. It's a thick cotton mask shaped to fit your face, with holes for your eyes, mouth, and nose. I applied it, looked in the mirror, and recoiled. To find out why, read more

While visiting Japan last year, I found a lot of exclusive and hard-to-find cosmetic brands. (For instance, did you know that the designer Jill Stuart has a complete beauty line?) One unusual discovery is Kose Seikisho Mask White ($28).

Naturally, I had to buy a tube (as a souvenir, of course). The mask itself comes out of the tube as a black goo. (It made me think of The X-Files, which led me into a dreamy David Duchovny reverie.) For more of my review, read more