Who’s interested in a light-weight and pimple-safe moisturizer that smells great and is easy on the pocket? If you are, read on as today’s review on Shiseido Aqualabel White Up Emulsion S promises a decent beauty purchase.
Should you use an Emulsion or Cream?
Before we move on, let’s digress a little. Should you use an emulsion or a face cream?
Emulsion is a lighter version of cream and is suitable for those with normal to oily skin, or who just wants a light layer of moisture before applying a cream moisturizer over it.
I tend to use emulsion in the day for the following reasons:
1) Layering face with multiple products
In the day, I use a few layers of products beneath and over the moisturizer, such as vitamin c serum, sun screen, makeup base and foundation. It is important that each layer is lightweight so as not to overwhelm and suffocate the skin.
2) Daytime heat increases sebum
To counter the year-long summer heat in Singapore, I prefer a lightweight moisturizer in the day. Shiseido Aqualabel White Up Emulsion S with a more diluted formula came in handy.
What’s Good about Aqualabel White Up Emulsion?
1. It’s Cheap!
Shiseido Aqualabel White Up Emulsion S retails for S$26.90 in Singapore. In Japan, it was priced at Y1296 (inclusive of taxes) which makes it about $15. That’s a whopping 44% discount, and you know why it’s included in my Japan must-buy list.
Even if you don’t get it in Japan, it’s still a really affordable moisturizer considering how much quantity is packed into the bottle.
How much do you normally get for a bottle of moisturizer?
“30ml?”
“50ml?”
Shiseido Aqualabel White-up Emulsion S gives us 130ml of goodness.
2. Lightweight, Great for Layering
I love the texture – lightweight yet providing sufficient moisture to the skin. Shiseido Aqualabel White Up Emulsion S absorbs within seconds leaving behind a light veil of hydration with ZERO stickiness.
Do note that this blue bottle of emulsion comes in two variants, labelled with S and R separately:
–> S (Light)
–> R (Moisturizing)
The one labeled with ‘S’ is meant for those with normal to combination skin and is the one I’m reviewing today. If you have dry skin, grab the ‘R’ bottle, or look for the red product line which is the “Moisture” series..
3. Smells so Good…
It’s personal, but I’m loving the scent of Shiseido Aqualabel White Up Emulsion S.
Although the fragrance was described as a rose-mist scent, I thought otherwise. For the record, I’m not a fan of rose fragrance. Thankfully, Shiseido Aqualabel emulsion smells nothing like rose.
Instead, it was a refreshing and distinct fragrance that reminded me of ocean. If anything, it was more citrusy than floral.
4. No pimples
This product is safe for my pimple-prone skin. No clogging or break outs. Yay! I can see myself emptying this large bottle of moisturizer.
5. No Additional Dark Spots
This blue series of Shiseido Aqualabel product line is the whitening range. The White Up products contain whitening ingredients such as m-tranexamic acid which is said to be effective in preventing dark spots.
From the time I started using this emulsion, I did not develop additional dark spots. However, I am less inclined to attribute that solely to the use of Shiseido Aqua Label White Up Emulsion S. Religious application of sunscreen and Vitamin C serum help too.
What’s Bad?
1. Large Bottle Opening
The hole where the lotion pours out from is too large (0.8cm) and makes it look like a cheap product (which it is, ha ha). Considering how runny the product is, you need to apply timely brake unless you want enough lotion to cover your hands and legs.
Still, it’s not exactly a big issue, as a few days of ‘training’ was all it took to retrain my lotion-dispensing habit.
2. No Obvious Whitening
I’m not a firm believer that off-the-shelf products can do miracles to skin. Such easily-accessible products are controlled by general regulations and aren’t allowed to penetrate too deeply into the skin. Unlike prescription beauty items, such mass products seldom produce significant and visible improvement.
Hence, I wasn’t disappointed when I didn’t notice much lightening of my skin tone. There wasn’t any expectation in the first place. I’d bought this for its light-weight attribute as a basic daytime moisturizer.
3. Not Great for Sensitive Skin
This product contains alcohol and fragrance which may not be great for those with sensitive skin
Recommendation
Shiseido Aqualabel White Up Emulsion S is an affordable basic moisturizer for those with normal to oily skin. Although my skin has been getting more dehydrated over the years (aging process), I still find this lotion useful since I do pile on multiple layers of beauty products. Just don’t expect any significant whitening to take place. If whitening is your concern, I recommend that you invest in a good vitamin c serum instead. Rating 4/5.
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