Shiseido: She-sigh-doe (if you're wondering how to pronounce it like I am) is a luxury Japanese makeup and hair care brand. Their counters are a regular sight at my local department stores, however I had never gotten round to trying their products before. That all changed when I won this lovely bundle in one of
Dave Lackie's giveaways. The packaging looked so crisp and well put together I didn't want to open it (yet at the same time I'm like a little kid when I get post!).
Shiseido Skincare
First of all I unwrapped the red tissue paper to find this cute metallic gold toiletries bag, it has the Shiseido logo embossed at the top and it's the perfect size for travelling, or to cram all the lipsticks I hoard! Within the toiletries bag there were four generous samples of the :
IBUKI Purifying cleanser,
IBUKI Gentle Cleanser,
IBUKI Refining Moisturizer and
IKUBI Softening Concentrate (as well as some facial cotton).
At first the
IKUBI Purifying Cleanser seems similar to a hot cloth cleanser as it's quite a thick cream, however once you add a little bit of water into it it lathers up tremendously. I wasn't expecting this at all, especially seeing as I generally avoid foamy cleansers as they can be quite drying. Once I massaged it into my skin I also noticed it had a few micro-granules (for exfoliation), however I was then really careful not to get this anywhere near my eyes as I'm sure that would have stung! Overall, I think this is more of a morning cleanser rather than an all in one makeup remover, and I'm not convinced this is the best for dry skin.
The
IBUKI Gentle Cleanser is more creamier than the purifying cleanser, however it's similar in terms of the formula as they're both quite foamy. Since this one didn't have the granules in it I ventured to remove my mascara with it. It did remove it easily (although I was only wearing one layer), but I still think that hot cloth cleansers for me are more effective and less harsh on my skin.
Now onto the moisturisers! The
IKUBI Refining Moisturiser is a lightweight cream that absorbs quickly into the skin, although I'm not sure it's thick enough for dry skin, I still really like the hydrated feel it gives to my skin. This moisturiser will be a great one for those with combination skin who prefer something lightweight.
The
IBUKI Softening Concentrate is the most bemusing product out of the four! Not only does it look like water but it applies like water too. It's a colourless gel that instantly absorbs into the skin, making it not only look hydrated and replenished, but it truly feels softer too! This one will be brilliant for those with dehydrated skin who want something to pair with their moisturiser, it's definitely my favourite out of the bunch.
Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio GR716 Vinyl
The satin eye color trio is really one of those palettes that looks and feels all high end! The shiny black compact packaging also features a decent mirror and a little flat eyeshadow brush, as well as the normal sponge applicators. The trio of shades includes:
a flourescent golden yellow, a shimmery meadow green and a sparkly black. All three shades are very pigmented, however the black doesn't translate as pitch black as it appears, this is probably due to the fact that these are all shimmery eyeshadows. However, they are buttery smooth and apply very well, there will be little fall out with these.
Although the shades do appear very bold and bright, the golden yellow and black are infact quite versatile, the gold will look beautiful as a lid colour!
Limited Edition Perfect Rouge Lipsticks Mini Collection
I couldn't exclaim how lovely the packaging is for these perfect rouge lipstick miniatures! I can't find anything similar yet but if they do come out with a Christmas collection this would be the perfect present for lipstick fanatics! Plus who doesn't like a mini lipstick?!
The lipsticks also come in a similar shiny black casing, as did the eyeshadow, with the Shiseido logo down the side. Whilst it does appear very simple it has an unusual twist as the lipstick casing is more of a curved hexagonal, than the usual circle cylinder. I really liked this little detail.
The three shades I received are:
PK 307 Tourmaline - A cool toned pale pink that reminds me very much of bubblegum.
RS 306 Titian - A light-medium pink with undertones that don't venture too cool or warm. However, when swatched and applied it looked very similar to Tourmaline.
RD 142 Sublime - A warm pink with strong coral undertones.
I'm not normally someone that can pull off nude lipsticks, and therefore I did find Tourmaline and Titian to be too pale for me. I think they would be more suited to someone with cool undertones. However, Sublime was the game changer! Albeit it might not look like a nude in the swatches yet it just managed to look like the most perfect neutral shade on me! It brightened up my face, complimented my skintone (neutral medium, slightly bordering on warm), and just seemed to look so natural, even though it appears quite bold.
The formula of these lipsticks also makes them a great match for those suffering from dry lips, like myself. Whilst they can appear shimmery, they are infact very creamy and moisturising, yet they also feel quite lightweight. The wear time for me was decent at a few hours, however due to them being so creamy they did wear off when I ate, although I would rather reapply lipstick and have the benefits of a moisturising lipstick.
Overall, out of these products I got to try I'm really enjoying the luxurious eyeshadow palette and the perfect rouge lipstick in RD 142 Sublime!
I hope you enjoyed this post!
Have you ever tried any Shiseido products?
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