i have big pile of skincare stuff in my closet, but mostly they are toners, facial foams, cleansing oils and masks. but i never pile up on essence, serum or acid treatment. i like to buy something when i'm close to end of stuff that i'm using that time. so when i went to japan, i knew that i have to buy essence or serum but i don't want to repurchase daiso serums. so i've been looking at my instagram feed looking for inspirations. then i stumbled upon the @the_lost_duck 's instagram and i saw this essence from kikumasamune that she had popping on her feed frequently. i guess it must be good so i asked her where she bought it and luckily i managed to go there and i found it! along with the high moist toner. will tell you about the toner later... but for now, let's discuss about the essence.
this is the description from kirei station website: the beauty serum featuring kikumasamune's kojic acid rich dry sake to hydrate, soothe, smooth and brighten the skin. an additional blend of 12 amino acids, 3 ceramides, 2 vitamin c derivatives, arbutin, and placenta extract further nourishes and protects the skin while helping to fade discolorations. lightweight, slightly acidic formula absorbs quickly, leaving skin looking plump, supple and luminous. ideal for use on the face and neck.
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| the bottle while still sealed |
the packaging: honestly, japan is always so straightforward about their products. no boxes, no extra sealing.. just the product itself. this one too. the bottle is a pink plastic bottle with white pump head and transparent plastic cap to cover the pump head. there's description at the back but it's in japanese. the only sealing on it is the plastic sealing that cover the whole body of the bottle. although the bottle is pink, but it's a see-through so you can see the remaining product inside. and the bottle is huge for an essence, 150 ml.
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| the back of the bottle |
the scent: this is quite surprising since i find out that this one has scent! i usually try scentless japanese products and it's quite common, so finding out a non-scented japanese product is a rare thing. this one has sweet sake scent and pretty strong, but somehow it dissipates pretty quickly so it doesn't bother me. but if you're sensitive to scent, then you should put that in mind. unfortunately, there's no sample size or sample sachet that i knew of.
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| without the seal |
the product: the essence is a milky white gel type essence that is slightly viscous at first but once spread on my skin, it melts into my skin and leaves watery trace. it spreads easily on my skin but takes awhile to be absorbed.
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| the pump head |
the result: it leaves a bit sticky feeling afterward, but it's moisturizing without being too rich. after using this for couple months, i can say that this is moisturizing but might not be enough for dry skin. i usually use one pump for my whole face but on my dry skin days, i will add a little bit more. after using it every night, i can see that it helps brightening my whole complexion, but let me remind you that i also use vitamin c serum plus a whitening gel cream, so the result might because of all that products combination.
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| essence on my hand |
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| after spreading it on my hand |
i like it, how it's moisturizing my skin without being too heavy. and it smells nice. although it's not widely available here. even in online shop, it's not easy to get it. and it's not that easy to get it in japan too. i get it from tokyu hands, and i don't see it on usual drugstores. so if you can get it yourself or ordering it online, then you should try it. i think it's suitable for most skin types, although dry skin might need another products to add moisture. as for me, there's still a lot to finish so there's no repurchasing in the meantime.
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