Manufacturer combines hot new makeup trend with cool tie-in to the anime/video game franchise.

Last summer, Japanese fashion brand Its’Demo released a line of Pikachu-themed cosmetics. Japan isn’t the only country that loves both Pokémon and looking good, though, as those are both things Asian neighbor South Korea is also quite passionate about.

Originating in South Korea, cushion compact foundation combines a mirror, applicator sponge, and a skin-care/cosmetic solution all in one petite package. Over the past year, cushion compact foundation has started to gain fans in other countries as well, so Japanese Twitter user @KOTETSU13th was probably pretty happy to receive a set as a souvenir from a friend who’d visited Korea. The Twitter user was no doubt even more excited to see Pikachu gracing the compact, but the real surprise came when @KOTETSU13th opened the case up.

Instead of a plain, ordinary sponge, inside was an applicator in the style of a Poké Ball, with the black band in the middle even serving as a strap to make the sponge easier to remove and hold.

Based on the Pikachu illustration used, this particular set seems to be made by Korean cosmetics brand Tonymoly. Available online from Japanese web retailers such as Shoppies, the Poké Ball compact is priced at around 1,900 yen (US$16.40). That puts it at about the same price point as a Pikachu plushie, but if you feel like you’ve outgrown stuffed animals, this is a practical and mature way to indulge in your continuing love of Pokémon.

Source: Twitter/@KOTETSU13t

Follow Casey on Twitter, where he’s always happy to talk about Pikachu-based internationalism.