Takashima – San Gabriel

Typically I am very hesitant going into an Asian store only because there is a lack in customer service, hence I used the word TYPICALLY. I am beyond glad I found this little Asian cosmetic store when I was in the area. Never have I been inside a store where I felt their associates were interested in my personal needs versus pushing a product for me to try (just so they can make their sale).
I am the very typical Asian where I have been blessed with a monolid, I just have to work that much harder to achieve that eyeliner and draw my own eyelid. I went and had the best experience with an associate named Cindy. She had a very bubbly personality and truly understood my problem. She recommended this eyelid tape for me since I struggle to have an eyelid. Not only did she recommend it to me, but she showed me how to use it and answered all my questions regarding safety and how to use it in my daily life; she was even kind enough to share with me her tips on her AMMMMAZING SKIN. Of course tried other some other products to!
all in all, I had such a pleasant experience with her, I’ve made it a point to at least stop by in that store every 2 – 3 weeks to try something new! If it wasn’t for Cindy’s help and enthusiasm I’d still be the same boring girl with no eyelid. Thanks so much!

They might have the most complete Japanese makeup products available, but their customer service is TERRIBLE at all times! I If you want to buy Japanese cosmetics, make sure you do your homework before coming in, and do not expect the pretty full makeup chics are gonna assist you in anyways. They are either arrogant or just who cares about customer service, people is gonna come in buy anyways! But sure what a bad resemblance of the Japanese’s friendly culture!

I had to visit this Takashima location whilst in the area because they carry Canmake! I’ve been to the location in Irvine and it just doesn’t have as much as this one (makeup wise) I’m very impressed at the selection of beauty products they had and I left with a bag full of items I’ve been on the hunt for. (My wallet wasn’t too happy) The girls that work there are pretty helpful and none of them were breathing down my back so I was able to shop in peace.

Again, terrible customer service. I should know by now. Nobody greets you or asks if you need help. I didn’t need any help but come on.
You cannot take pictures. Okay understandable but questionable. Why is it that nobody acknowledges the customers upon entering but as soon as you whip out a camera they follow you around two inches behind you every step of the way just making sure you don’t take another picture lol. Awkward and rude. (Because she still didn’t offer any concern of helping and just stands there) Also, many users posted pictures on Unilocal so… How do you expect to attract customers with no pictures ?? It’s just makeup from Japan, not some secret.
Most cramped location compared to the Arcadia store. Aisles so narrow.
Pricing is more expensive. Goto Maneki Neko. Art land. Or beauty diary. It’s usually $ 1-​$ 3 cheaper at those places for the exact same products. Exact. Same. Products. They rarely get anything new here.
Canmake. Dolly wink. Biore. I think I haven’t returned in awhile and I haven’t missed out on much.
The upper floor has random items that are so over priced. Hello kitty, nail supplements, rilakkuma, phone cases, hair brushes accessories, and sometimes occasionally gyaru magazines.
I think I’m simply giving it the extra store because of location convenience. Many years and the service never changes.

ZERO customer service, the girls just look at you when you walk in and continue to giggle and chit chat at the cashier counter. Most of the product is in Japanese and I have no clue what the label says, they don’t even bother to ask if I needed help. Won’t come back

I would rather shop at The Face Shop (korean brand cosmetics shop). All the Face Shop stores that I’ve been to, have knowledgeable employees who rly know their stuff about the products-​unlike this place.

2014 Unilocal 365 CHALLENGE — ³³⁴⁄₃₆₅
Pretty cool Asian/​Japanese cosmetics store in the SGV! I discovered this place when I saw some beauty YouTubers going here in a vlog. I have only been to one other type of Asian beauty store before, so it was definitely exciting checking out Takashima!
Parking:
Small parking lot above ground behind the building which leads to an underground garage (1 floor). FREE which was great.
Store Itself:
The store itself isn’t super big. It feels very cramped because the layout is basically a bunch of shelves with narrow aisles. I was really impressed with how clean it was, well lit, and SO ORGANIZED! Didn’t seem like anything was out of place and everything had its own little designated spot. The shelves were packed with products and they even had some stacked on the floor, but everything was neatly organized so it wasn’t too much of a nightmare looking through the products.
Honestly I had a hard time looking at the products because I am not really familiar with Asian brands, and also because almost all of the products are written in Japanese or some other Asian language. Hardly any of the products were in English =/​Fortunately the girls that work there are pretty helpful and they can easily translate any of the products if you are looking for something in particular or need help finding something. They helped me find this eyeliner I was looking for, and they also helped my roommate choose a hair gel.
There is a very small upstairs portion of the store that is really just like a small loft. They had more of the miscellaneous products up there and my friend ended up buying a solar powered bobblehead of Rilakuma holding a cheeseburger LOL.
Prices were pretty comparable to the other Asian cosmetics store I have visited. I believe I paid $ 18 for the 1-​Day Tattoo eyeliner. My friend’s Rilakuma was $ 35 hahaha.
Overall, pretty great store for anyone who wants to check out Asian beauty, cosmetic, and skincare products!

Holy moly, this place is super bright at night. You can tell just by looking at the shop from the outside with all of its lights on — enticing you to take a peak at all the Japanese beauty supplies they offer. When you walk in, you’ll definitely need some shades to protect your eyes!
Nonetheless, they carry an extensive selection of Japanese cosmetics and body care products. It’s a tiny place with 2 floors, and a couple of female workers wandering around. I didn’t ask them for any help and they didn’t approach me either, so can’t say much in terms of customer service except they appear unenthusiastic.
Although they carry a large selection of items, the biggest downsides are: all products in Japanese with no helpful English translations from the store (c’mon, what am I buying then?), and overpriced as you can definitely get these items for cheap at another place and/​or online.
Still, if you’re curious to see what they offer, it’s worth a look to try out some testers they may have available on the floor. If you know what you’re buying and it’s something that is hard to find anywhere else, then this place could probably meet those needs.

It’s been a while since I’ve come here, and for sure, most likely all the employees from the last time have moved on. Sadly in general the customer service leaves something to be desired — but you can still get help. This store has differently motivated employees — to get the best service, you better wait and see who’s proactively approaching customers rather than ask anyone on your own. Recently I went to the store, and experienced this myself — the first associate that I chased down was confused, but the second who actually came to find me, was extremely forthcoming with offering me as well as many other customers help with selecting items. Try looking for Regina if you need help.
Still one of the best places to experience Japanese and Taiwanese and Korean products first hand and get advice on product. Not one of the most cost effective ways to do so, but I consider the few dollars premium as kind of a concierge tax that I willingly pay to learn about what I need.

Every time I go LA, I must visit this place because I love Japanese cosmetics. I don’t know why people say the customer service is horrible, but at least they were very friendly and answered all my questions patiently.

Customer service is horrible!!! I wish I could give it a negative rating. If you wish to pay to see someone’s attitude then this is your spot. The store used to be crowded but the service was great. They have totally remodeled this place now, and yes it looks nice and bright but the people work here now are totally rude!!! I have been a customer here for over 7 years, this place is really going down hill in terms of customer service… I will never come back to this store as there are plenty of other stores out there that offer the same product selection if not more and way better services…

I came to this location in order to buy some micro-​fiber double-​eyelid tape. The staff was very nice, but not so knowledgeable or helpful in terms of products and application techniques. When I asked the lady how to apply the tape, she told me to just Youtube or Google it. I mean really? Well, color me surprised with that response! She knew how to use it, but had no patience in giving me a ten second explanation – I was not impressed by this, obviously.
The only reason why I would give this place ³⁄₅ stars and not any less is because they had the product that I was interested in, and the location was clean and bright (much like the Arcadia location). In terms of which Takashima to visit, it doesn’t really make a difference. The service and the products in-​stock and out-​of-​stock are usually the same. I am going to continue coming here because no other stores carry the supplies that I want.

I have been a customer for them for 3 – 4 years already. The store has been remodeled recently and it serves it well. Before it was so cramped and small it wouldn’t be wise walk with a large purse because the purse would knock down everything in the aisles .
The selection is always large and they have tons of really hard to find Japanese cosmetics and hair care products .
The Girls who work there have always been a little distant and observant but not bothersome. They will warm up after a while and be happy to help .
Sadly they dont carry and Gyaru magazines anymore .
I m still a fan.

I think everyone can agree that we hate the customer service and the attitude of the workers here, but keep coming back to the store for the sake of necessity.
This is where I like to get my car fresheners, and boyfriend gets his gatsby. Unfortunately it is currently closed for remodeling :| They’d better come back soon before they get replaced by Daiso/​Amazon!

This place is ran by FOBs… with seriously bad communication skills and non-​existent customer service. I use to frequent this location a lot back in the days for my japanese makeup fix. But then I realized that their prices were too pricey compared to online deals. But what can I say, sometimes you need that instant gratification of an impulse buy.
The ladies that work here basically keep to themselves. I usually see 2 girls working in the afternoon hours and whenever customers walk in they don’t greet them or offer any help; instead they chitchat amongst themselves about who knows what as if they are too busy to bother with you. But then again I can’t blame them, maybe they don’t have great English skills, but then again it’s America, go get yourself enrolled in an ESL class for English, and a business class about customer service!

Randomly found this little store when they used to have missha store in the same plaza. Yes, this was awhile back.
This store sells almost everything that relates to beauty&health. I love it because theyre all mainly, well mostly, products of Japan. Japanese makeup, makeup tools, air freshners to cute stationary stuff in the second floor.
Customer service is OK. But I dont like how they think all the customers that walk in there are Chinese. They talk to me in Chinese and I am like ‘WHAT?!‘
Their customer service is OK. I just hope that they had a description in English so that I dont have to ask them every each one of them.
Its pricy but all Japanese products are on the pricier side. Parking can be a hassle but street park, park across the street or in the lot behind, there are many lots to park.

Asian store filled with Chinese, Japanese, and Korean products. I love walking into this store. It’s full of cool make up, shampoo, and anything required for beautification you could think of. The store used to sell stuffed animal and Sanrio brand stuff with some beauty products mixed in but it seems they have gotten rid of all that and is now a full blown beauty product store.
The place is tiny but they do manage to cram in a huge selection. The variety is bigger than Focus Department Store the next block over but the price is also higher for most items. Sometimes I would go to both places to check out the price before I buy.
I wish they would have some sort of translation for their product descriptions. Most products are Japanese and I can’t figure out what the heck I’m buying.

Overpriced Japanese goodies!
Think twice before you buy anything here. Please, please check out ebay or Amazon before you considering your purchase. Tip: check out adambeauty and gmarket. They stock ton of the items found here for a fraction of the price, and usually FREE SHIPPING! Those two sites might be hard to navigate since they’re Japanese/​Korean, but there are English versions and tutorials online.
The girls here dont speak much English and are either nice or extremely unhelpful depending on their moods. Good luck!
Note to self: Learn Japanese and/​or Chinese.

Great Selection with High Tokyo Prices
Yeah so I am a guy and I don’t use this store, but my dear little friend does. I came here and was mislead by all the hello kitty pictures in the front. Thought it was a Sanrio store. My little friend loves Hello Kitty and is an avid collector.
~Variety-​5 Stars
I have to say that for the class of persons this store is targeting, the variety is unbelievable. This place has everything imaginable for teenage (and even older) female patrons. The selection of cosmetic products was extensive also. The magazines… again, I could only wish I was a teenage girl.
~Price-​2 Stars
Uhh.Ok, so this place has variety. We are in the US and this place is charging Tokyo prices. I was astonished and never would pay these prices and nor would my smart friend. Most of the items are at least 40% overpriced. Ok, so some may be picky about their cosmetics. But!!! 13 bucks for a Hello Kitty Pen? ummmm. $ 50 Bucks for a towel? To each his own. We didn’t buy a thing but sure had a good time looking around.
Judging by the reviews on this place, I doubt many know that there are other places to buy these things. Or, this place must offer convenience for locals.
Lastly, it was around 7PM and there were three young ladies working and we were the only customers. They did not even greet us. I am leaving this aspect out of the review because we were not looking for anything in particular. just browsing.
Anyways, I did have fun looking around with my friend and could not believe the prices. thus my post! This is a pretty cool place to browse if you are looking for Japanese girlie stuff.

I’m a beauty product junkie and I was completely overwhelmed by this place. It’s pretty hard for me to find a huge array of Asian brand beauty products, and this place is wall to wall beauty products. The packaging! The colors! There was so much to look at. Their lash selection was pretty scanty, but they did have eyelid glue and bunch of skin stuff.
The place was pretty cute, but the aisles are really narrow and every shelf was crammed with stuff. There’s a bunch of Asian beauty magazines by the door and the second floor had little gifts (kind of like a Sanrio store). I’d recommend this place for the selection alone. The brands are pretty pricey, so I wouldn’t expect any bargains.