40 Days and 40 Nights of Beauty Brand Reviews

Day 33, Shiseido

Cavewoman: Six makeup-obsessed girls entered the Sephora store near Macy's NYC one evening. They dipped into testers, sprayed fragrances, swiped shimmery pretty powders on their hands, exclaimed over glosses and glitters, and testified about favorite products. One of these people had a favorite that she happened to be wearing that day. She led us to the Shiseido display and showed us the little jar of Hydro-Powder in WhiteLights. Dabbing and smoothing a bit of this cream shadow on the back of her hand, she showed us why she wears this shadow every day. We checked her hand closely. We checked her beautiful eyes. Every one of us reached to the display, grabbed for ourselves a jar of this magical sparkle, and headed to the checkout.

Shiseido Hydro-Powder is a tiny jar of thick, dense cream shadow that smooths out on the eye for a sheer wash of color. Whitelights is a silvery-white with flecks of particles that sparkle like crushed diamonds. It can be used alone or as a shadow base, it's the perfect highlighter for under the brow, and it is gorgeous worn alone as a wash of lid color. I've never seen anything else quite like it. The teeny particles can take on a multi-color effect under different lighting. The effect is wide-open, bright eyes.
The enabler/gorgeous-eyed WhiteLights wearer was ChattyKathy. The purchasers shall remain anonymous.


Annieytown: I started using the Pureness line in the early 90’s. My friend Michelle insisted that it would help me with my skin issues. I was young and dealing with the trifling problem of acne and blocked pores. From the moment I got on the Pureness program I was hooked. Most of the issues went away and I was left with improved skin. I considered it a minor miracle and was surprised that it was never recommended to me by a dermatologist.
Years later I still use the line along with constantly recommending it to others.

The Pureness skincare collection is gentle and caters to the needs of young complexions. I am not by any means young anymore but the stuff keeps issues at bay…so why upset a good thing?
Pureness contains a “soothing blend of green florals that help to release stress and lower excess oil production.” The cleansers are the mildest I have ever tried. You do not feel like you have stripped away anything essential to your skin. The Pureness Deep Cleansing Foam has non-gritty granules that remove impurities along with heavy duty foundation and primer. It leaves my skin soft, clean and not irritated. The Pureness Refreshing Cleansing Water quickly removes makeup while maintaining skin’s natural balance. I use this formula in the morning as it is light and there is no need to rinse. I follow this by using the Pureness Balancing Softener. This is an alcohol free lotion that gives a fresh sensation similar to a mild toner like Prada. This helps maintain ph balance to help the skin resist acne. I like it because it feels wonderful on my face. It gives you the energy to start the day or in my case…start putting my makeup on.
Before any makeup I use a moisturizer. My Dermatologist informed me that I did not need a moisturizer since my skin was oily. This was not entirely correct. I did need help but with a light hand. I could not have handled something heavy like a La Mer but Pureness Matifying Moisturizer Oil Free was perfect. This lightweight moisturizer is sheer and “absorbs oil for a matte finish as it provides hydration.”

I highly recommend Shiseido skincare to anyone with special needs from acne to aging issues.
I think their skincare is consistent in quality, innovation and price.
It is a solid performing cosmetic and skincare line.

What are your favorite Shiseido products? Let us know in the comments!
Photo: Cavewoman and Blogdorf Goodman

Disclosure: The products were purchased by the reviewers.