Everything under P400: A review of the new Sephora PH cleansing line
My jaw dropped when, at a recent local event, Sephora PH introduced their 25-piece skincare collection that focuses almost exclusively on just cleansing. They've got micellar waters, cleansing gels, milks, and creams, wipes, and exfoliators under six different lines that have themed ingredients. Even more interesting? Everything is under P400!
They launched the Sephora Collection Mix & Play Skincare Range in their first ever event in the Philippines. Don't get your hopes up though, because Sephora physical stores are not arriving here anytime soon (according to their team). In the meantime, you can avail of their fast shipping from Singapore - it takes only three business days for my order to get to me - which is free for orders above P1,300.
Now back to this intriguing new collection. There are six lines: Coconut Water, Rose, Pomegranate, Charcoal, Yuzu, and Green Tea. Each one has a designated function, but looking at the ingredients list informs me that the actives (e.x. punica granatum or pomegranate fruit extract, charcoal powder, camellia sinensis or green tea extract) are quite low in concentration; oftentimes, "fragrance" is even higher than the featured ingredients. This is common practice.
Nevertheless, these are affordable enough that they may be treated exclusively as a pleasant way to cleanse off makeup. I do appreciate that as I am a makeup remover fiend! Sephora claims that you can go to sleep right after, but I would not recommend it as using cleansing products only dissolves and re-distributes the makeup; they don't take all of it away from the surface of your face.
Here's a quick review of each product I have!
Charcoal Micellar Cleansing Water (P347 /100ml). This is a nice change from clear micellar waters as it's actually black due to the charcoal particles in it. It smells fresh and clean. I like that it removes my heavy makeup effectively with a couple of cotton pads, but it stops short of removing waterproof makeup (as all micellar waters do).
Pomegranate Micellar Cleansing Gel (P347 /100ml). I first spotted cleansing gels in Tokyo a few years ago and enjoyed using them for a while. It's great to see a more accessible contender! This gel is supposed to be squeezed onto cotton first, after which it will become more fluid, like micellar water. It's a waste of a cotton pad though as it can be massaged directly on the face with just fingers.
It claims to remove waterproof makeup, but don't count on it. I recommend to keep it away from your eye area as it stings quite a bit.
Coconut Water Cleansing Cream (P385 /50ml). This is my favorite so far! It feels very gentle and moisturizing on skin, like I'm wearing a soothing mask. It removes heavy (but non-waterproof) makeup effectively and washes off without residue. I massage this on my face using just my fingers. Do note that it doesn't sud up; it melts the makeup then washes off cleanly.
I love the mild coconut smell of this one as it's not cloying or heavy at all. This is just 50ml though; it's much more expensive than the micellar removers.
Charcoal Exfoliating Cleansing Cream (P385 /50ml). This is much like the plain cleansing cream save for the hydrated silica beads in it, which are mineral-based and not plastic. It gently exfoliates the skin as I massage off my makeup. I'm all for 2-in-1 routines! This doesn't sud up and washes off without residue.
Actually, for the cleansing creams, you can treat them as facial wash if you're not wearing that much makeup and don't mind that fact that they don't form bubbles. This feature makes them more gentle than normal facial wash as they don't contain harsh surfactants.
Pomegranate Cleansing Wipes (P385 for 25 wipes). If you prefer using wipes to remove your makeup, these Pomegranate ones are nice! They are thick, smooth, and wet, features which allow them to remove even heavy (non-waterproof) makeup with just one wipe. I love the pomegranate scent the most in this collection, so you can bet I'll finish these no-fuss wipes up!
Left: Pomegranate Cleansing Wipes / Right: Green Tea Exfoliating Wipes
Green Tea Exfoliating Wipes (P385 for 25 wipes). These are textured wipes with raised dots. Frankly, I will not recommend this as the dots feel sharp on my face. :-/ I've tried exfoliating wipes before but they've never felt this abrasive.
Coconut Water Lip Balm (P347 for 3.5g) and Honey Lip Scrub (P347 for 3.5g). These are thin, comfortable lip balms that moisturize the lips and can be worn under drying lipsticks. The Lip Scrub effectively exfoliates lips and has a sweet taste and mild honey scent.
Overall, I highly recommend the Coconut Water Cleansing Cream and Pomegranate Cleansing Wipes out of all the products I've tried. They are gentle makeup removers that keep skin hydrated and soft, while cleaning off non-waterproof makeup without the drama. Love how they smell, too. Everything else is good except for the textured wipes and micellar gel. Get them now at Sephora.ph! Let me know what you think, as always!
