When I left my exchange on Hong Kong, I wish I spent more time exploring Asian makeup/skin brands. But unfortunately or fortunately, I spent most of my exchange traveling and not shopping.
Recently, DHC reached out to me as they will be stocking their skincare products at T&T and set up an Amazon.ca shop for Canadian consumers. DHC is a brand from Japan and has already been selling to the US and the UK through their online websites. They sell direct to consumer either through catalog or online.
The products I’m reviewing are all made in Japan which is cool. I listed the retail price that DHC has on their website in USD. I couldn’t find a consistent CAD comparison. Sorry peeps! But let’s get started with four of their products that I’m reviewing!
First up is their makeup primer which claims to instantly soften and improve the look of your skin. This primer is suppose to minimize lines and pores, reduce oiliness, and help makeup last longer. This is one of their best selling items.
The texture of this is definitely one of those silicon primers very similar to the Smashbox Photofinish Primer that I reviewed here. I am personally a fan of moisturizing primers as I have pretty dry skin. I dislike the feeling of a silicon primer on my skin. I can definitely see this providing a smooth canvas though and I can imagine this would be good for oil control as well.
3/5 I personally really dislike the feeling of silicon primers but I see the smoothing effects and can definitely see people loving this if they like silicon primers such as Benefit’s Porefessional or the Smashbox Photofinish Foundation Primer.
Next is this little mascara. Mascaras these days keeps getting bigger and bigger while the packaging gets brighter and brighter. It was a nice change to see this slim silver and very simply packaged mascara.
When I pulled it out I knew I was going to love it. It has natural bristles with not a lot of gap and no noticeable mascara already clumped onto the brush. It gave me lashes a really lifted look. My lashes felt long and separated and I could build up with out worrying about spidery eyelashes. It’s not going to give you a super dramatic effect though but I think this is good enough for my every day use!
I also love that I can use this for my bottom lashes! I’m finding that a lot of my mascara wands have become so big that it’s impossible to use the same mascara for my bottom lashes. This is such a plus in the morning when I don’t have time
5/5 It lasted all day, did not flake or smudge, and lengthened my lashes.
Eyeliner and mascara are “Asian eye looks” essentials! I surprisingly don’t use a lot of liquid eyeliner and usually stick with pencils. I loved the sleekness of the pen and the density of the brush tip. Unfortunately the color is not as dark as some of my other eyeliners and I feel like people usually want to use liquid eyeliners for more bold and precise looks. I think this pen gives off more of a black-brown.
Two good ones from the drugstore for a black liquid eyeliner are the Revlon Colorstay Skinny Liquid Eyeliner and the NYC Liquid Eyeliner. However both of these has a brush cap and are not in a pen format. I find the DHC liquid eyeliner much easier to use which would be great for beginners. The pen tip is much more dense and gives really good control. There was no issues with skipping and color went on evenly. It dried quickly and lasts about 6 hours before fading.
4/5 I like this for everyday wear and the tip gives me a lot of control to make thin lines or bold wings. However the color is not as black as some of my other products which could be a problem for people who want more statement.
The last makeup item I received was this lipstick in a beautiful nudie rose color. There are six colors in the line and all of them are very wearable from pinks to nudes to reds. There is no scent to this lipstick and I love how when I put it on I don’t feel anything! It seriously is like wearing a lipbalm but with lots of color!
The color pay off is quite good and has a lot of shine. It’s like wearing a lipstick and gloss in one with the feel of a lip balm! HEAVEN! The lipstick claims to make you look younger by a fuller lip. I didn’t notice that but I guess the glossy finish can make you look plumper.
Also, can we talk about the packaging? It’s so freakin beautiful! The silver, gold and rose print go so elegantly together and I’d be very happy to display this on any dresser.
5/5 LOVE this! Beautiful packaging, nice color, comfortable wear.
If you take a look at their range, you’ll notice that most of the makeup is quite natural and enhances your beauty. I think this is quite in line with how makeup is treated in Asian countries. I also love that their line up does not have excess. They just have one version of mascara, one liquid eyeliner etc. Because, who can really tell the difference between a volumizing, vs. curling vs. all in one mascara?
Overall Thoughts
Overall, I would really recommend the eyeliner, mascara and the lipstick! I didn’t personally like the primer but it would be good for you if you like the silicone primer feel! DHC has quite a few other items in their makeup range and I’d be interested in trying out their BB Cream, Face Color Palette, Eye Zone Treatment Retouch, and Moisturizing Care Lipstick. You can browse all of DHC’s products on sale at Amazon.ca in their store.