Sunday, March 8, 2009

Sana: Nameraka Honpo essence & Konuka Moist toner

**Correction - I checked the Nameraka honpo essence and it DOES contain alcohol - thanks to Audrie for letting me know! Fortunately it doesn't dry my skin at all so it must be present at a low concentration only.

I have a long overdue Adam Beauty haul to update on - from November last year :P

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That was when I got the following;
  • Mandom Cleansing Express Moist
  • Sana Nameraka Honpo Essence
  • Sana Konuka Moist Lotion (also known as Rich Skin Lotion. Its a toner)
  • Koji No. 100 Accent curler (a mini curler)
  • T'estimo Grande Shine Eyes in 04

If you ask him, Adam Beauty does do some custom orders but only if the products are available to him. The Koji lash curler was not on his website but I asked him if he could get it and the price was quite reasonable. His price was close to retail, when I asked for a quote from another popular online store theirs was almost twice his price!

Anyway for today I'm reviewing the Sana products since I've had quite a while to try them out.

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First, the Nameraka Honpo Essence, which is from their soy isoflavone line Nameraka honpo.

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Comes in a light yellow bottle, the opening is narrow so you can still control the amount to dispense.

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Official retail price in Japan is 150mL for 1260yen. Its a light milky lotion which is supposed to have a higher concentration of soy isoflavones to make your skin soft and supple.

The essence feels a bit runny, but if you have oilier skin it could be used alone as a moisturizer. Actually I find when I pair it with the Konuka toner, which is very hydrating, they are both sufficient as a moisturizer for my drier skin. It tends to dry slowly, so I would recommend using at night or if you're not in a hurry to apply makeup afterwards.

One of the reasons I bought this was because it is is fragrance free and alcohol free. Back in November my skin was extremely sensitive due to the weather change and this product was a good change from the overpriced, over-fragranced moisturizers I had been using then.

So far I haven't noticed significant benefits from this product but I like it because it does its job well as a night moisturizer for me without the heavy feel that other night moisturizers have. I would definitely repurchase it also because the idea of having the benefits of soy in my skincare routine just sounds good :)


The Konuka Moist Lotion is a hydrating toner from their rice ceramide line Konuka.

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Its a clear, slightly thick liquid that comes in a pump type bottle:

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Official retail price in Japan is 180mL for 1155 yen. Its a product that you would use prior to moisturizing. Its referred to as a toner or lotion on several sites, but it is actually a hydrating toner that helps prep the skin for moisturizer (see this post by blogger Phyllis on Asian toners)

The product comes in two versions - the regular and the extra rich version. I bought the extra rich version, since I figured my sensitive dry areas (cheeks) could really use some help. I use it all over my face except for the T-zone area, since that area tends to get oily anyway.

What I like most about it is how it really helps hydrate my skin in winter. The extra moisture that I get with this product allows me to use my summer lotions into winter instead of having to search for another moisturizer. I tried deciphering the ingredient list and though I wasn't able to translate all of it, the top two ingredients are water and glycerine, hence the highly moisturizing nature of the product.

Again, like the Nameraka line the Konuka line is also fragrance and alcohol free, making it ideal for sensitive skin.

Would I repurchase? Yes definitely. In fact I'm eyeing the other products from both lines. I've been waiting for my DHC washing powder and cleansing oil to run out so I can try the Nameraka cleansing oil and the Konuka face wash.


P.S. Does anyone want to swap or sell their MAC Pandamonium quad? I'd been lemming that quad for ages, forgot about it until recently and am now very tempted to buy it off eBay...unless anyone doesn't want theirs?

18 comments:

fuzkittie said...

Adam takes requests?? That's awesome!!! Haha.. good to know.. .:P

Anonymous said...

oooo the Konuka and Nameraka lines sound really nice! I need to try them, especially since they seem to be good for dry skin. I do believe they have several products from those lines on sale at my local asian super market, but the last time i checked the ingredients they contained alcohol?? Maybe I remembered it correctly, but I'm pretty sure that was the reason why I did not buy them when I saw them. Im going to have to go back and check, maybe they are different products that I looked at.

K said...

I love the soy isoflavone line! I use it all the time :) Please stop by my blog!

Anonymous said...

the koji curler u can easily get that from pmall toronto

mayaari said...

interesting products - i've seen the 2nd item a few times on a few sites - glad to hear that it helps you use the same moisturizer during the year :)

♡ Nic Nic ♡ said...

thanks for the review! i am liking DHC so far, though ive changed my cleanser twice the last 2 weeks. Was trying out a 20g soap from Sekkisho and it was really nice, but i just bought and started using shiseido milky foam cleanser (the blue packaging). there are too much choices!!!

if that brand better for drier skin??

thanks for following me on my other blog :)

purple snowflake said...

I love sana. I got their face wash.. the Nameraka one.. so good
I think it even helped with my blemishes.. my skins was in the best conditions when I used that cleanser..

haven't tried their toner/esscense yet.. might go try it after I ran out of the one i'm using now.. which is Garnier Light ess.

great review.. thx..

Yumeko said...

i like hydrating toners
or anything that helps me absorb moisturisors better

♡ Nic Nic ♡ said...

Oops I meant Perfect whip, dont know where "milky" came from! lol.

Unknown said...

My konuka buddy!! I love that simple no frills but does the trick line - I am glad that you do too...nice to know that it's not just my imagination! lol

I wish they did a sheet mask -that would be mega!

MiuMiu said...

ooohh a t'estimo palette! you must do an fotd with it =D
i was interested in the sana products too..but i have waaay too many things to finish first hehe

cheryl said...

hi..i like brightening, something with hyaluronic acid or cellular technology moisturisers for nite for some serious repair so i tend to skip more natural products...

Anonymous said...

I got your package! I was so thrilled; so sweet and so unexpectedly random!

Thank you!!!!!

Angie said...

I had no idea the guy running Adam Beauty was actually named Adam.. haha. Makes sense! =P

Thanks for the reviews! It takes me forever to review skincare because I really don't figure out how I feel until months later~

The 2 sana products sound pretty good!

Angie said...

I never knew your eyes were uneven! I never could tell! =)

Hmm I use to use eyelid glue just to make my eyes even too! I found it worked best when I'd put the eyelid glue on as my 1st makeup step and then wipe it off to do my eye makeup after like 15 or so minutes. Most of the time, the crease would stay! Nowadays, if my eye is being uncooperative, I'll just hold that eyelid wand thingy to create a crease for a couple of minutes and let go.

I think the P&J foundation is my favorite foundation so far! You should try it ;)

Thanks dear, I will update once I figure out what's wrong with me >.<

Ahleessa said...

I didn't know Adam Beauty takes request... hehe~ The toner looks nice and not drying! I hate drying toners with alcohol. :X

Grayburn said...

I'm very tempted by your review here. And I always get the feeling of "I wish I had bought the LE item when it first came out at MAC". So I know how it feels! Good luck locating this quad!

xo Grayburn

mayaari said...

psst...I nominated you for an award on my blog...oh and I hope that you get my package soon, I mailed it out over the weekend :)

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