Beauty Review: Shu Uemura "Whitefficient" Cleansing Oil

Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil - THE Cleansing Oil

Let's talk Japanese skincare today! Shu Uemura's cleansing oils are really a cult product - recommended by beauty experts and bloggers. Several of my friends and extended family members swear by it.

Generally, I'm a pretty sceptical person; I often get too suspicious if something is "so AH-MAY-SING" or an "immediate HG" - if it's too good to be true, it often is, girlfriend #lifelessons. (...)

But as usual, curiosity killed the cat, or the Steph, in this case. Not the first (and probably not the last) time either... Sigh...

Worth the risk? Jump!

Details:

Shu Uemura "Whitefficient" Cleansing Oil.
150 mL (also comes in 450 mL)
Made in Japan
Buy it:
- Locally: selected David Jones department stores (RRP $75AUD)
- Online: sasa.com, strawberrynet.com or shuuemura-usa.com for those in the States (shopping around, it's about $40USD)

Shu says:

Credit: Shu Uemura

(about the Whitefficient line, in particular)

Credit: Shu Uemura

Steph says:

My skin type: Normal/Dry - dry patches on mainly on cheek bones and jawline. Not too many problems with sebum and oil/pimples (touch wood, touch wood)

Firstly, can we please talk prices? Only because this was the most absurd mark up I've ever succumbed to! Generally I like to buy locally, when it comes to higher end brands that I'm unfamiliar with; there are heaps of fakes/expired products out there! But seriously? I paid $75 for my bottle, only to find that it was definitely cheaper online T_T

Instructions in English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and French

Cute infographic demonstration

With the actual product, colour me surprised. It sports a very good, gentle cleansing effect. No harsh scratching or rubbing, yet incredibly good at removing hard to shift eyeliners and lipsticks.

I'd say that cleansing oils were more for those with drier skin as it does leave a slight layer of oil on your skin. Nothing too dewy,dramatic or sticky, but enough to allow your skin a bit more moisture and maintain softness. Shu Uemura does make a specific oil for oily skin, which I haven't tried yet.

"Whitefficient" - supposed to help brighten skin tone.

I've been using this product for about three months now and haven't really noticed any developments in the whitening claim. But then again, never had high expectations for that; it's a wash-off cleansing product after all.

Standard pump

Packaging wise, it's housed in a pretty standard 150 mL plastic bottle with a pump. Pump has closure option which prevents unwanted spillage of the product. Shu Uemura does release Limited Edition bottles from time to time though! The 2012 Holiday collection with Karl Lagerfeld and there's a current "UnMask" release, along with a few updated lipsticks and eye compacts.