Ipsa Cleansing Sensitive Creamy Mousse

Ipsa -- my first exposure to Japanese skincare. It will always have a special place in my memory bank. Time and again, I revisit its counter in Sogo Causeway Bay, where I had my first taste of Time Reset. Ipsa fans, you know what I'm talking about. On second thought, the very first products were Cleansing Clear Foam EX and Metabolizers in the now defunct Seibu (in Windsor House). 

So last year, in my quest to quell the rebellion of my facial skin, I found myself looking at Ipsa's sensitive care line. The Cleansing Sensitive Creamy Mousse is relatively new. It wasn't part of the original product lineup. 

It comes in a sturdy, plastic self-foaming bottle. I adore the simple color blocking. It captures the brand's image and the line's purpose perfectly.

Product description above. It is additive-, fragrance-, colorant-free. Music to me! The cleanser in foam form would be less irritating to sensitive skin. With three pumps per use at night, it did cleanse my face thoroughly. In the morning, when there is less dirt to remove, one or two sufficed. Overall, this is a good, basic cleanser for sensitive skin -- no irritations, but just a tad drying. I have tried filling up the bottle with Muji's Cleansing Foam (Mousse) for sensitive skin, and found that to give a more balanced result, although the foam produced is rougher in comparison to the very smooth foam of Cleansing Sensitive Creamy Mousse. The bottle can be kept for future use, as the self-foaming mechanism of the pump is a good investment if you prefer foamy cleansers. This cleanser was easy to use up -- about 5 weeks and it was goodbye. Gone too quick for the price tag, but nonetheless a pleasant experience. 

Here is the Japanese take, for those lucky to understand kanji/hiragana, etc. 

The back label. 

Ipsa Protector Sensitive Sun Block SPF23 PA++

Ipsa is a brand under the Shiseido umbrella, its name upon which is derived from the Latin word ipse meaning the "self." The brand's mission is "to enhance the skin's vital force to become beautiful on its own...and create skin that is fundamentally beautiful." Founded in 1987, Ipsa gained acclaim when it introduced Metabolizer, a toner-and moisturizer-in-one. Ipsa's Cleansing Clear Foam EX was my go-to cleanser for years until it was discontinued and replaced by Cleansing Smooth Foam, which is still one of the best cleansers, if not the best I've tried. My skin has generally fared well with Ipsa products, and now that it cannot take alcohol, it was time to venture into its Protector Sensitive Sun Block, created for sensitive-skin types. 

Ipsa's boxes have always been very special. Whereas most brands' are made of paper, Ipsa's are made of white and beige plastic.  

The top has a product description. 

Even the font is in blue!

The dropper reminds of a baby's milk bottle. This sunblock is a shaker type with tiny silver balls inside to help mix the fluid properly. 

It is a runny physical sunblock with a texture similar to most Japanese sunscreens. The greatest difference is it is alcohol-free. Only very few Japanese sunscreens are free of alcohol, except those made for babies. 

This 30ml bottle lasted about three months. 

As hoped, this did not sting upon application and did not make my face red. There was no unpleasant reaction and the finish was not oily either. It kept my face matte but not too dry. No breakouts or irritation; no white after-cast. I almost want to pat this on the cap every day for being such a good boy. Aside from the rather low SPF and heavier price tag (but that is usually a condition for most quality products), I have no qualms with this sunblock. A definite recommendation for all skin types looking for a daily sunscreen, provided it is for indoor use and not for running around under the sun. 

Ingredients list in Japanese.

Ipsa Skin Beauty Face Color in H562

Ipsa skincare and makeup are renowned for their quality and have also long struck me for the clean, beautiful lines of their packaging, perhaps because no other brand I know of has got the same look and feel as it does. 

Pictured above is the Face Color in H562 (now renamed Skin Beauty Face Color). On Ipsa's English website, the product description goes as:

"A face color that evenly adheres to skin with a smooth, moist texture to produce a finish irresistible to touch. Can be applied to various areas including eyes and cheeks."

The square case has rounded edges that keeps the case looking soft and elegant while being modern and futuristic at the same time. The center of the cover is a see-through plastic surrounded by a metallic, reflective border. It is easy to see the actual shade even when the lid is closed. The face color can also be clipped on and off from the container easily. The high-quality plastic case feels very sturdy and smooth.

It was hard trying to pick up H562 among the massive selection. I remember testing many colors in HK Causeway Bay's Lane Crawford counter (when it was still on the ground floor; Ipsa has now relocated to the basement level). My one perfect color had to satiate my desire for all the lovely, colorful shades laid out on the counter (I know, unreasonable), as well as serve as a functional "every day" eyeshadow. In the end, I settled for H562 because it looked like the holographic peach shade is basic enough to pair with any look, while the fine gold shimmers in it would help creating a lively 3-D effect. 

The texture is buttery soft and smooth.

The shade applies sheer with some visible gold bits that provide an ethereal, special finish. It doesn't wear well without an eye makeup base though. Perhaps because it is a multi-use product, it doesn't have the staying power of most Japanese eye shadows.The product can be slowly layered to build a strong wash of color. I wouldn't recommend piling on this color though, because it is a light color, too much of it made my eyes look unflattering-ly smaller. With a good eye primer, it stays put for a good 8 hours or so. I did try to use this as a highlighter on the cheeks, but alas, it turned out to be too shimmery and the result looked unnatural and greasy-looking.

The eyeshadow pan (I call it such since I mainly use this as an eye shadow) is clear too so that the color is still visible from the back (really cool). On both sides, notice the levers that make this eyeshadow clip in and out of the case easily. It contains a good 2g. The Face Colors now come in a new packaging that I have not had the chance to try. I do know they increased the price by ¥100 and there are 39 colors in all. This product only cemented my continuing love and support for Ipsa.

Ipsa Pore Less Retouch Powder in 01 Yellow Apricot

Ipsa was my first introduction to Japanese cosmetics. Ten years ago, I remember asking for free samples of Cleansing Clear Foam EX (now replaced by Cleansing Smooth Foam) when my mother hauled her Ipsa stuff from their Sogo counter in Hong Kong. My sister and I thoroughly enjoyed the smooth foamy texture and incredible fresh citrus scent while washing our faces that evening. Little did we know that opening those sachets would be the beginning of a decade-long affair with Shiseido's sister brand. To this day, Ipsa's cleanser is a staple in my regime. I've tried other Ipsa products over the years such as the Time Reset Essence, foundation, lipstick, and some face colors. Overall, none of them impressed me as much as their cleanser. It's still one of my favorite brands to date because I really believe in the brand's quality and also love their understated packaging which is also eye-catching in every way. I don't mind trying more of their products in the future, but would most probably skip the Pore Less Retouch Powder. Below are my thoughts.
This powder is described in the website as:

"A pressed powder that contains two colors in light and dark tones. Provides an excellent effect of minimizing the appearance of pores and produces a finish with a brush. The darker apricot ivory color makes pores less visible and the lighter color with Lively Pearls gives a vitalized look. Perfect for touchup. Instantly restores the initial makeup finish. *The compact is sold separately."

It comes in a square white plastic compact with an interesting circular depression in the center. I really like this kind of design. 

One of the highlights of the packaging is that it is a two-tiered compact. It is neat and hygienic, which are qualities I try to look for in makeup items. The first tier houses the brush applicator. The handle is made of aluminum and is well-made. While the bristles are soft, it didn't apply the powder evenly because of its flat shape. 

The second tier lifts up to reveal a mirror and the powder itself. The mirror gives a true reflection, but then again most good brands do excellent mirrors properly with no distortion of the subject. This powder caught my eye because there are two different shades in one compact. It is made so well the demarcation forms one neat line instead of wobbly ones found in most other products. The left side is supposed to be the "main" pressed powder with pore concealing abilities, while the right side is supposed to "vitalize" or subtly highlight parts of the face. The darker shade didn't conceal any of my unsightly pores, nor did the lighter color provide illumination. It hardly performed the basic functions of a pressed powder. It made my face look dry and dull, but also didn't control oil. I always ended up with a cake-y look with this no matter how light handed I was. Somehow, it just made my face look worse. Honestly I was expecting more from Ipsa, and am extremely disappointed by this product. Hopefully, I would encounter better product from this brand in the future.