Shiseido Facial Cotton vs Swisspers

Enjoy this legacy post from the archives! These days, I use reuseable makeup cloths, but if I was going to use cotton, I’d use the products mentioned in this post.


Previously, I wrote about the cotton pads from Swisspers that I use with my micellar water to remove makeup. In that post, I exclaimed that nearly $10 for the Shiseido Facial Cotton was ludicrous. As it happens, a smaller pack was available at Sephora for $5 – and I’ll digest that in order to compare them for you.

Packaging

I was surprised to see that the packaging of my $4 or $5 Swisspers product is remarkably similar! Both products come in a pouch made of this translucent, velvety, satin-finish plastic.

Shiseido Facial Cotton
Resealable? Swisspers is, Shiseido Facial Cotton (in the small size I purchased or the full size pack) is, unfortunately, not. It does not appear that the full-sized package is, either.

Size

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Worth it? Shiseido Lash Curler

Curled my Lashes, Bent my No Buy - Shiseido Lash CurlerShiseido Lash Curler, $20

Eyelashes are serious business. Often if I’m not wearing any other makeup, I’ve probably at least curled my lashes and thrown on a coat of mascara. My lashes are light brown and tend to point straight out from my eyelid so I tend to look a little worse-for-wear than I am. It’s silly, but that 30 seconds of effort makes me look a bit more awake and alive. I’d seen magazines and blogs praising both the Shu Uemera and the Shiseido Lash Curler but I initially dismissed it as hype because, back then, the idea of prestige cosmetics was comedy to me.

On the Cheap

For the longest time I used the Sonia Kashuk lash curler from Target. It was passable; I’d used better (cheaper) ones in the past. I hadn’t put much stock in an eyelash curler as an, “investment,” tool. A lash curler is a lash curler, right? After all, they’re fairly simple and straightforward. Is there that much difference between the $5 option and the $20?

Upgrade

Last year, in spite of my misgivings about spending $20 on something so simple, I splurged on my first prestige eyelash curler. I decided I was going to go with a cult favorite and selected the Shiseido Lash Curler over the Shu Uemura for, initially, accessibility’s sake.

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Curled my Lashes, Bent my No Buy with the Shiseido Eyelash Curler

No Buy

I’ve been on a No Buy for the better part of a year. If you’re a regular, you’re probably tired of hearing about it. The truth is, it is an interesting balance – writing a beauty blog without buying product. If you’re sick of hearing it, sorry. If not, carry on.

My eyelash curler broke recently. I’ve had it for years and, frankly, didn’t treat it very well. I didn’t have a backup so I determined a replacement was warranted. Overall life-choices wise, I try to buy the best version of a tool I reasonably can. Ultimately, I decided that I would go for a cult classic – either Shiseido or Shu Uemera. Both are renown for their effectiveness and longevity.

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