Kira Kira by Japan Crate Review + Coupon – March 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 + free U.S. shipping. Save with 3, 6, and 12-month subscriptions.

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

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. It also featured a Hello Kitty and Tweety design. The box had 6 items total.

As always, the booklet included a simple makeup tutorial.

This month's tutorial revolved around the color orange which feels appropriate as we move into spring!

Yakuyouburo: Irritated Skin and Acne - Value $1.95 USD

This is one of my favorite bath soaks I've received in a subscription box so far. This soak is supposed to help with irritated skin and acne. The information booklet says the bath will "leave you thinking that you're taking a bath in a magical lake deep inside a forest". I have to agree with that statement! The color of the powder was a teal/green but it turned the water a bright forest green. This smelled so herbal and refreshing. It smelled like a mixture of mint, chamomile, eucalyptus, and wheatgrass. I really enjoyed this. It also contained licorice root extract which contributes to that sharp, fresh smell. This did have a calming effect on my skin while also leaving me rejuvenated.

Rilakkuma Face Mask - Value $6?

There were two variations possible for this limited edition mask - Rilakkuma or Korilakkuma. I got the Korilakkuma variation! This was your typical sheet mask that suggested wearing it for 15-20 minutes, then pat in the extra product. This printed mask held a lot of product and had a nice, fresh scent. My skin felt bright and moisturized after using this. It was nice to have a cute design on this month's mask.

Hello Kitty Sticker Earrings - Value?

These were a funny item to include in the box. I do love Hello Kitty so I'm always excited to see a Hello Kitty item in a subscription box. This is listed under the cosmetics section in the information booklet which seems a little odd to me. I guess that's the closest category these earrings might fit into.

The gold part of the sticker is there to help place the sticker on your ear. At least, that's what I used it for. It helped me navigate the sticker on my ear and then you tear off the gold part so just the white circle (that the gold part of the earring is attached to) remains on your ear. I also applied one by tearing off the gold part first, the applying the earring and that worked as well. I haven't worn stick-on earrings since I was a kid but these were funny and cute. At first, it seemed really silly to have these in the box but they were cute. The sticker part makes sense because people with pierced ears can use them too. You can get three uses out of these earrings. I found the earring stayed on for a whole day without losing stickiness and the removal was fine - it felt like a teeny, tiny band-aid being removed.

Avance Lash Serum N Tweety - Value $8.36

This lash serum is supposed to add volume and length to your lashes. The serum came in a really cute Tweety bag. This small bag has a slide closure on top and fits a few small items - I've been keeping a chapstick, hand sanitizer, and mascara in mine.

Here's a look at the back of the cosmetic bag.

The packaging on the lash serum is really cute! The blue bottle features an image of Tweety and the cap has a yellow to white ombre design. The instructions I was able to locate online suggest using this once in the morning and once at night - after washing your face. It suggests applying this from your root to tip.

It's a little odd to use this kind of applicator for your lashes. I would have expected a mascara wand. I did notice a little sheen to my lashes after using this but I haven't noticed a significant length difference yet. This serum has a somewhat strong chemical smell to it as well so I'm not too excited to put this near my eyes. The booklet also suggests using this on your eyebrows so I've been using this as a quick eyebrow tamer on days when I'm wearing minimal or no makeup. I've been enjoying it for that use because it does help tame my eyebrows while also adding a little sheen.

For anyone concerned about the ingredients in this product, here is the list I was able to find online:

Water, PG, glycerin, quaternium--51, pantenylethyl, clover flower extract, acetyltetrapeptide-3, biotinoirtrepeptide-1, panthenol, hydrolyzed keratin, hyaluronic acid, EDTA-2Na, ethyl Hexyl Glycerin, carbomer, sodium hydroxide, dextran, BG, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben

Dodo Moisture Volume Lip Gloss: Clear - Value?

I wasn't able to locate this exact lip gloss online but it felt like your basic clear gloss. I don't buy a lot of lip gloss because I typically don't like the tackiness of the texture. While this isn't a high ticket item in this month's box, I'm surprised at how much I've actually been using it. The stickiness of the gloss isn't too bad and I like having it as an option to make my matte lipstick or lip stain glossy. It is a nice option for a minimal or no makeup look too.

Biyougeneki - Collagen Face Lotion - Value $13.50

Last month's Kira Kira Crate was my first experience with Japanese Lotion. The comments section let me know that this is what Japanese brands typically call a toner (Thanks, Nancy!). Once I understood what the product really was, I enjoyed using it so I was excited to see another one in this box. This is supposed to help with the elasticity of your skin and can be used alone or before a moisturizer. I've been using a heavy duty exfoliating treatment once or twice a week and this is a nice companion to that mask. This is really light and cooling on my skin. My skin feels really silky after rubbing this in and I often just use this alone. If my skin is feeling extra dry, I follow this up with another moisturizer and the results have been really nice. I still have some product from last month's bottle of lotion and this seems like it will last me another month.

Verdict: This month's Kira Kira Crate worked out for me. As always, it included a sheet mask and this month's was a cute design. I don’t think I’ll use the eyelash serum for my lashes but I’ve kept it around as an eyebrow gel and I liked the little Tweety pouch it came in. The Hello Kitty sticker earrings were a fun and cute addition to the both, although it seems like it would fit in a different Japan Crate box better. But they were fun and something different to try. The only product that I didn’t really care for when I opened the box was the clear lip gloss but I’ve ended up using it pretty often. I really loved this month’s bath soak scent and the collagen face lotion is really nice. I had some trouble finding a lot of the products online this month but my vague estimate based on similar products is just around the $30 cost of the box.

What do you think of Kira Kira Crate?