Here a Tweak, There a Tweak

plus, a little inside beauty intel from Tokyo

Welcome readers, old and new!

Please hit the ❤️ above to remind all HNTFUYF-ers that even pajamas can be a magical gift.

As I mentioned recently, a few readers have asked me about beauty products (and the beauty culture) in Japan. Though I rarely have much to say about products (and only a bit to say about my expat experience of the culture), I do have—via a gorgeous and generous daughter-in-law—an insider’s view of both. She’s offered to share on the regular either a tidbit of intel or product information while I’m in Tokyo. Tuck it away for your next trip to Japan.

A reader whose daughter is coming to Tokyo asked if I could recommend a few sunscreens her daughter could bring home for her. My D-I-L suggested four of her favorites, and included an intriguing comment about cosmetics slang.

Japanese women often categorize cosmetics as either “depacos” (department store cosmetics, which are often high-end) or “petitpuracosme” (meaning, petit—small—price cosmetics you can often buy at drug or convenience stores).

The first three sunscreens, she says, are depacos; the last one is a petitpuracosme. She recommends:

1. Clé de Peau Crème Protectrice UV

2. Super UV Cut Intense Concentrate Day Cream

3. Pola BA Light Selector

4. Curél Intensive Moisture Care Base Cream

✨ ✨ ✨

After watching the miraculous Annette Bening and Jodie Foster in Nyad (and then tumbling into the trou de lapin of Jodie Foster speaking fluent French), I’ve started to feel slightly optimistic about enjoying more female role models who’ve eschewed face work in favor of accepting their appearance as they age. (NB: This is one choice only. I don’t devalue other choices if they make you happy; see reader question below.) I could watch these two faces for years—and I hope I do. I’m fascinated by the continuing beauty of their transformations.

And now, for those of us whose aesthetic choices include an in-office tweak or two, a reader asks which treatment is best to pursue during a surprise five-day staycation.

The beauty Q&A in this post is available only to paid subscribers. For full access to all posts—and if you value reader-supported work—please become a paid subscriber at the current rate of $40/year. If you can’t afford a subscription, email me at valeriemonroe.substack.com and I’ll comp you one, no questions asked. 🙏🏻