The Ginza Hybrid Day Protector |
I'm going to take a wild guess and say most of you will probably be unfamiliar with this brand, but The Ginza Cosmetics is actually a premium skincare line from Shiseido! Well, whaddya know! (And Ginza is actually an upscale district in Tokyo where Shiseido was born and their flagship store still resides. Ooooh, makeup education!) This Hybrid Day Protector SPF 30+++ claims to protect the skin by shielding it from harmful factors including UV rays, air pollutants and "invisible substances" - their words, not mine. It has a lightweight, mousse-y texture that melts flawlessly into the skin using just my fingertips! It comes out as a nude gel yet offers zero coverage, but manages to have a skin perfecting quality - it makes my pores less noticeable and has a similar blurring effect as the Kiehl's Micro-Blur Skin Perfector. In direct sunlight, I found this has the tiniest amount of shimmer, which I think gives the skin that extra radiance and oomph. The texture, the scent, the application - this was just an all-around pleasant product to use. However, it turns out the full size is almost $2200HKD (that's close to $285USD... *eyebrow raise*) which is entirely ridonculous for something that performed like a glorified primer with SPF. If I were Oprah, I'd probably own this entire range. But I'm not. No one will ever be Oprah, expect Oprah. I love Oprah. Wow, that escalated quickly.
Swatched | Blended out
Melvita Moisture-Replenishing Night Nectar |
All you organic skincare junkies, listen up! I've been a fan of Melvita for quite some time now - the French pioneer in organic beauty, Melvita only uses ingredients that are organically and responsibly sourced, along with packaging that is completely recyclable. Talk about doing it right! I was given this sample of the Moisture-Replenishing Night Nectar from their Rose Nectar range upon purchasing the Rose Nectar Fresh Eye-Contour Gel a while back (which was nice and refreshing but worked poorly under makeup), and had put off trying it since it's specifically for dehydrated skin, Well, I've since learned that you can have the oiliest of skin types (like moi) and still be dehydrated! This claims to bathe the skin in "beneficial moisture all night long" with a velvety consistency. I was highly drawn to its subtle, calming rose scent and milky, runny texture that felt soothing, almost even cooling, on the skin, although it never did fully absorb and sink in. The instructions on the packet say to use this only in the evenings, which I suspect is because their products - like the Eye-Contour Gel - don't work particularly well under makeup. Since I was lathering it on before bed, the tackiness didn't bother me all that much. Still, I feel this Night Nectar was too rich for my oily skin, and perhaps the Hydrating Facial Gel from the same range catered for dry to combination skin would be a better fit. We shall see!
That's it, folks - I love trying products from unknown and underrated beauty brands! You never know when you'll find something absolutely amazeballs.
