Shiseido Ibuki Skincare

I was invited to the  Hilton Hotel this week (Thank you Victoria) for a media press release for a new skincare line by Shiseido.  I was greeted by lovely ladies at the door who lead me to a white-themed room filled with lovely floral fragrance. The tables were decorated with white cloth, flowers and the new products to try (even the plates and saucers were decorated with orchids).  I had the chance to meet and talk to new people in the beauty industry, got to try some products out and enjoyed a few glasses of orange juice.  We sat down for some food and chatting before Victoria (Shiseido brand manager) and Mayu Wanibuchi(guest speaker) introduces us to the new skincare range Ibuki.

Above: Lovely venue decoration and setting on a Monday with great weather.

Above: Nibbles and products to test out on the table. Lovely white and green colours (my favourite combination just like my bride’s bouquet).

The new skincare line Ibuki (いぶき or 息吹), meaning Breath or Vitality in Japanese.  It is targeted at women aged 25-35. We are constantly surround by stress from work, long hours in front of the computer, lack of sleep, busy lifestyle and general pollution in the atmosphere. Shiseido discovered that the cells on the skin surface shrink under stress thus lead to poor cell alignment which disrupts cell renewal process, hence skin problems such as enlarged pores, breakouts and rough skin occur.

The main technology and ingredients behind the range is Shape Memorizing Cell Technology and PhytoResist complex (3 major ingredients: Yuzu Seed Extract, Lamium Album Extract and Trimethyglycine). I don’t think I will dwell on these technical stuff here. But basically, the technology and complex works in 3 steps: CLEARS OUT (remove excess surface cells), BUILDS UP (skin is reinforced with stable supply of surface cells) and FILLS IN (maintain moisture and prevents skin cells from shrinking).

Above: Gift bag with a lovely posy of white flowers,  Shiseido Ibuki products and information booklets.

What I got: The gift bag came with 4 products from the Ibuki range including the Purifying Cleanser (125mL), Softening Concentrate (75mL), Refining Moisturiser (75mL) and Eye Correcting Cream (15mL). The packaging design with white and silver gives a fresh and clean image and feel. All products are lightly scented with soft floral scent that is designed to relax the sense and your mind. There will also be a limited edition trial sized starter kit for those who wants to try before committing to the full-sized products (great as gifts too!) for RRP $49 which includes the Gentle Cleanser, Softening Concentrate and  Refining Moisturiser. The entire range will be available at Shiseido counters from 9th August 2013.

How I find it: I have only used it for a day so this is just my first impressions, but I am really eager to share my experience with you all :).

Purifying Cleanser (RRP$65): Usual Shiseido cleanser tube design with a flip cap. The cleanser has a cream texture with micro-granules that melts as your massage. I wet my face and hands, squeeze a tiny amount onto my palms and work into a lather before I massage my face. Like all Shiseido cleanser, they create a lovely smooth rich lather that is not ‘foamy’. The texture is a pleasure to use, and the scent is very minimal.  Washing off does take a little time, but it really does give my skin a good clean. The Ibuki range does have a gentle cleanser for sensitive/dry skin, but it was not in the gift bag so I couldn’t review it. UPDATE 15/7/13: I have been using the cleanser with my Clarisonic Mia at night and the cleanser by itself in the morning and it is doing wonders on my skin. So clean and smooth! 

Above: I actually squeezed a bit too much in the photo, you actually need about half of that amount. Check out that creamy lather!

Softening Concentrate (RRP $69): Normally a toner would step in after cleansing, but the Ibuki range offers a softening concentrate. The texture of this concentrate is just like a thick softening toner.  It is clear and fluid. One pump is all I need after cleansing, I warm it up in between my palms and press into my face. The serum-like texture is not sticky and absorbed easily into the skin without leaving a film over the skin.  I love this stuff! UPDATE 15/7/13:  I can smell a bit of alcohol in this softening concentrate, but it is lovely to use and I love how it is not stick at all.

Above: One pump of the Softening concentrate. Clear, fluid texture is a pleasure to use on the skin.

Refining Moisturiser (RRP $80): Again, a hygienic and convenient pump design. After the softening concentrate is absorbed, one pump of the moisturiser is enough for the entire face.  The creamy white moisturising lotion is light in texture and it leaves my skin silky smooth.  The moisturiser provides just enough moisture without being greasy. My skin is left feeling silky soft and a natural looking matte. Another favorite in this range. The Ibuki line also have a Refining Moisturiser Enriched (RRP $78)and Protective Moisturiser with SPF15, but they weren’t in the gift bag so I couldn’t review them. UPDATE 15/7/13: The refining moistuiser is not too thick and not too watery which gives a good amount of moisture. It is working great for winter, but if you have really oily skin, this may be too thick for you in the morning.

Above: One pump of the refining moisturiser is enough for the entire face.

Eye Correcting cream (RRP $84): This small little tube of eye cream is lightly pink-tinted. It claims to address dark circles,  puffiness and fine lines.  The texture of this eye cream is silky (which I prefer) rather than thick and oily. Feels nice on the eyes because it’s not too greasy, but I will need time to see the effects for dark circles and fine lines (for me, these are 2 things that I can never get rid of). UPDATE 15/7/13: It is usually very hard to find a good eye cream that helps with dark circles and this is still trying to help address the issues. Other than that it is giving my eye area good hydration so I don’t have any dry patches around my eyes.

Above: Eye Correcting Cream.

Overall: So far, my first impressions of these products are great! I love the softening concentrate and the refining moisturiser the most for their texture and moisturising effects.  The purifying cleanser is great in regards to how clean it makes my skin feels but it feels very similar to other Shiseido cleansers I’ve used and I can’t use it with my Clarisonic because of the micro-granules.  The eye cream will need some time to work for me to see if it manages to address my dark circles and fine lines.  But overall, the scent of the products are really pleasant to use and it doesn’t linger too long on my face.

UPDATE 2/8/13: Been using this for about 4 weeks now and I love it. My skin is less rough and my breakouts have reduced. I realised the benefits of this skincare is achieved when I stick to the entire range for a minimum of 3 weeks. Products needs time to work especially when it claims to improve your skin from the inside out.  In a skincare regime, I usually use up the cleanser first, but with 3 weeks of use, my cleanser is still more than 90% full, my softening concentrate is around 75%, moisturiser and the eye cream about 85%. 

My pick from the range will be the softening concentrate because it provides moisture and soothes my skin after cleansing. Feels great and absorbs very quickly! Get to your local Shiseido counter from 9th August to test and ask for samples!

Thanks you so much for reading! xoxo