Here’s a review long time in the making. The lowdown on the Shu Uemura Ultime8 cleansing oil.
As much as I love to put on makeup, I am someone who believes one should take the time to properly cleanse and take it off with just as much enthusiasm.
For the longest time I used a regular foaming cleanser to take off my makeup and just follow with a toner. I now shudder at the thought! For those who still do this, please keep reading, you are about to find out why.
The basic difference of a cleansing oil and a regular cleanser is, a cleansing oil is more or less designed to take off makeup and cleanse your face two steps in one. Whereas a cleanser is usually something that’s meant to just effectively execute the cleansing step, ie take off any dirt and grime off your face and not actually heavy makeup. Me being the obsessor, I like to use a cleansing oil after I have pre cleansed my face with a micellar water. This extra step assures me that there’s zero traces of makeup on my face once I cleanse and am now ready for some skincare!
My very first encounter with cleansing oil was when I tried the SK2 oil about two years ago. And since, I have repurchased that and have also been using two of the Shu Uemura oils in rotation. Today I shall discuss the Ultime8. My favourite cleanser from the Shu Uemura range. It’s priced slightly higher than the others and is the ‘super’ cleanser from the bunch. If you are one who gets seduced by skincare claims by cleansers, this one is the ideal candidate for you to try as it’s the anti aging version.
According to Shu Uemura it’s said to..
‘Effortlessly remove all kind of make-up and impurities. skin feels soften, conditioned, hydrated, nourished from within and glows with a new radiance’
I’m sure you are interested in finding out if this statement is in fact true. So read on!
Let’s start with packaging & product details.
The Ultime8 is packaged in this amber coloured pump bottle which is ideal as it allows you to easily dispense the product without fumbling around with a cap and is also a very hygienic method of storing product.
The product itself is slightly thicker in consistency compared to the other Shu cleansers i’ve tried. It feels more luxurious and for lack of a better word, smells ‘expensive’. I say this because usually I associate floral or sweet smelling skincare with poorer and cheaper quality!
>.< Although this is purely my personal opinion!
Application and use
Many of you new to cleansing oils may not know this, but cleansing oil is applied directly onto dry skin. Unlike your normal cleanser where you would dampen skin with water in advance. The reason being, the oil needs to come into contact with the makeup in order to break it down and as you know water and oil don’t mix, and dampening your face creates a barrier that oil would only sit on top of and not come into contact with your makeup.
Let me demonstrate the recommended method of removing your makeup using a cleansing oil :-)
Step 1-
I usually start with about 2-3 pumps of oil for a face full of makeup. (Here’s my ‘made up’ hand for a demo)
Step 2-
Slowly work in the oil onto your face with circular motions. And the makeup would start to dissolve.
Step 3-
Emulsify by adding a little bit of water and continue with circular motions. You’ll be left with a milky solution now.
Step 4-
Now you are ready to wash this off, and finally take a cotton pad saturated with toner to wipe your face. I did this step to check if all makeup is off. And as you can see there is still a tiny bit of residue. If so, repeat the process.
Or, if you are like me. Double cleanse. Use a Micellar water and take off any residue.
Step 5-
Completely cleansed skin!
Final Verdict
The Ultime8 Cleansing oil is a gentle but effective way of taking off any makeup and thoroughly cleansing your skin. It leaves my skin soft, bouncy and mildly hydrated and never feels stripped and tight. I also love that it doesn’t leave an oily residue unlike some cleansing oils and I do feel that this would be perfect for everyone including those with oily to combination skin types but especially beneficial for those with dry or mature skin for it’s hydrating and conditioning qualities.
P.S- I wouldn’t recommend this cleansing oil to anyone with sensitive eyes as it does feel uncomfortable if it makes it’s way there.
Is it value for money?
Yes. You only need a very little to cleanse your face each night. And a bottle would last you well over 3 months depending on how many pumps you use.
Product details
Available in a 150ml bottle as well as a larger 450ml bottle.
*Mine was a sample sent for review by Shu Uemura SG
