Kira Kira by Japan Crate Review + Coupon – February 2017

Kira Kira Crate from Japan Crate is a new monthly delivery of beauty products directly from Japan. You’ll receive 6-8 full-size products ranging from fragrant lotions and scrubs to fun cosmetics, face masks, and unique new ways to relax.

My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

This review is of the Kira Kira Crate, $29.00 a month, box. 

The Subscription Box: Kira Kira Crate

The Cost: $29 a month

ACTIVE DEAL: Save $3 off your first box
CODE: MSA3DD

•  Month-to-Month: Receive Hello Kitty drawstring pouch
•  3 Months: Receive XL Hello Kitty zipper bag
•  6 Months: Receive Hello Kitty travel wallet + XL zipper bag
•  12 Months: Receive a Makeup case, travel wallet, and zipper bag!

OR

Use code MSA3 to save $3 off your first Japan Crate Premium, Doki Doki Crate, Umai Crate, or Kira Kira Crate!

The Products:  6-8 full-size items directly from Japan through a mix of four categories: Daily Care, Cosmetics, Pamper, and Bath & Spa

Ships to: U.S. and International, with the exception of these countries

Check out all of our Japan Crate reviews and the Beauty Subscription Box Directory!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

The box came with a booklet that described each item and how to use it. The box had 7 items total.

Choosy Chocolate-Banana Mask - Value $1.50

This is the second time I’ve tried a lip mask from Kira Kira Crate and I’m still not totally sure how I feel about them. It’s kind of an odd sensation to have your mouth totally covered but it does provide nice moisturization. The chocolate and banana smell is very sweet. The suggested time to keep the mask on is a wide range of 5-30 minutes. I went with about 10 minutes. My lips did feel significantly softer and smoother after using this. The experience is a little odd so I don't think will ever be part of my routine consistently.

Japan Essence Mask - Value $1.50

Every Kira Kira Crate has included a sheet mask and I received the Osmanthus mask this month. I wasn't able to find this exact scent online so I linked to a similar product from the same brand. There were 9 variations so you could have received Camelia, Gold, Mt. Fuji, Green Tea, Horse Oil, Mandarin Orange, Aserola, Seaweed, or Euglena. The Osmanthus mask smells very floral and fruity - it reminded me of flowers, oranges, and peaches. This mask had vitamin e, collagen, arbutin, and hyaluronic acid. Those ingredients should moisturize, revitalize, brighten, and firm skin. My skin definitely felt moisturized and more awake after using this mask. I’d never heard of osmanthus before but I really loved the scent!

Yakuyouburo: Fatigue - Value $1.87 USD

This month’s bath soak has a citrus ginger scent and is supposed to help with fatigue. This smelled mostly like citrus and I didn't get too much ginger coming through. The citrus scent was invigorating but the strong citrus did vaguely remind me of a cleaning product. Overall, I did enjoy the scent and I always appreciate a nice bath product.

5Lanc Sealed Bottle Face Lotion: Refreshing Type - Value $5.15 USD

This moisturizer was unlike any moisturizer I’ve tried before. Its consistency is just like water and the package says it’s for oily skin. I have combination skin with some oily days so I can definitely use this. This is the “refreshing type” and is supposed to give you glowing skin. The lotion is very cool and refreshing on my skin. The scent reminds me of a really light cologne scent. The only problem I have with this is how to apply this without making a big mess. I’ve used my hands but the watery consistency makes that difficult. I also tried a cotton ball which worked a little better. Either way, I feel like I’ve wasted a little product. But a little product spillage isn’t a big deal though because this is a HUGE bottle. I don’t think this will replace any of my current products but it’s an interesting alternative to my typical gel moisturizer. I do find it pretty refreshing so I’ve been using it as my morning moisturizer to jump start my day.

Delicious Lip Cream - Value $4.75 USD

This balm had two possible variations. I received the strawberry chocolate and the other option was mint chocolate. The balm itself feels really nice and moisturizing. I tend to buy a lot of slightly boring, unscented lip treatments so it’s fun to have an alternative to those. The scent is very sweet and reminds me of Lip Smackers.

BWPRM Liquid Eyeliner (Crazy Pink) - Value $1.52 USD

This liquid eyeliner came in “crazy pink” which is a dark pink. I really like the shade of pink (pictured in swatches below). It pairs really well with the /eyeshadow palette and I’m excited to have a brighter color in my eyeliner collection. I wasn’t sure if I would use a pink eyeliner when I saw this listed in the booklet but I really like this shade. I often use gel eyeliner or felt tip eyeliners so I might have to practice a bit with this. I find it a lot easier to mess up eyeliner with a brush tip but my first few attempts have been good! I like that this can be used with a bright look or as a nice pop of color in a more natural look.

PGT 4 Color Nuance - Value?

This eyeshadow quad is described as having “Neapolitan ice cream” colors. The brown shade is closer to matte while the pink, gold, and cream are shimmery. The brown and pink have decent pigmentation while the cream and gold are sheerer. As always, the booklet includes a makeup tutorial for the palette that shows you how to do a nice neutral look. Typically, I don’t use the tiny applicators that come in these palettes but it is nice that they include two. So if you need to use those, you at least have one for each color! I hate it when a palette with multiple colors gives you one mini applicator. I like this little palette for a simple look. The shadow doesn’t have the best staying power (I needed a couple touch ups) but using a setting spray helped.

Verdict: This month's Kira Kira Crate was just ok for me. I really liked the huge bottle of moisturizer, the pink eyeliner was fun, and the Osmanthus sheet mask was nice. I wasn't able to find the eyeshadow quad online but the total cost of the other items came to around $16. This is well under the cost of the crate and it's a little disappointing. To be fair, though, a lot of the items were hard to find online and would add up to much more with shipping costs. But it still feels pretty low. I also feel like Kira Kira Crate can feel a little repetitive. I love it when they include interesting items that I haven't used before. Previous boxes have included hot gel masks, foot detox pads, heated eye masks, etc. Those types of products are awesome because they're new to me and I wouldn't typically buy them. The biggest repeat offenders in the boxes are sheet masks, lip masks, bath soak, and bar soap. I like all of those products but they aren't too exciting or new. I do appreciate that they included interesting scents on the masks this month. I hope to see more interesting scents and unusual products in future boxes.

What do you think of Kira Kira Crate?