For Holiday 2020, Shiseido partnered with Japanese shoe designer Noritaka Tatehana to release a special holiday edition of the brand's bestselling Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate (C$170 for 75 ml). Promising to "strengthen the skin against daily damage and visible signs of aging", the Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate serum was originally released in 2014 and was revamped with a more potent formulation in 2018. The serum is the recipient of countless beauty awards and according to Shiseido, one bottle is sold every 13 seconds! I've tried the serum a few times in the past but I've finally had the time to put it to a proper test drive. To read my thoughts on the formulation, click......
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| Shiseido | Holiday 2020 Edition Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate |
Housed in a festive limited edition packaging adorned with a red and gold artwork done by Noritaka Tatehana (best known for creating those outrageous heel-less platform shoes Lady Gaga used to sport), the Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate is a lightweight serum designed to hydrate, firm, and protect the skin against environmental and internal stressors. The serum has a light fruity-floral fragrance and it boasts key ingredients such as reishi mushroom extract, iris root, rose water, yeast extract, and lotus extract. The formulation has a slightly viscous liquid consistency and it spread nicely on the skin without leaving behind any discernable residue. Unfortunately, the Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate is laden with drying alcohol (second ingredient), which alone isn't always a deal-breaker for me but in this case, it's also coupled with two different forms of silicone (seventh and eighth ingredients). Admittedly, I've not experienced any significant pilling or patching due to the silicones but their inclusion seems rather unnecessary.
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| Shiseido | Holiday 2020 Edition Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate |
Similar to The Serum from Clé de Peau Beauté (reviewed here), a brand which not so coincidentally falls under the Shiseido umbrella, the Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate is one of those serums that by itself, doesn't bring about any drastic changes to the skin, at least for me. The formulation is lightly hydrating and firming but I think it's really intended to prep the skin for other skincare products. Obviously, this is an incredibly popular serum with countless reviews and accolades to vouch for its greatness but I don't think it's quite what I'm looking for. However, if you are curious about what it can do for your skin, I recommend getting a sample to test out!
Ingredients: Water, Alcohol Denat, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, PEG/PPG-17/4 Dimethyl Ether, Triethylhexanoin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Trehalose, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/ Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, PEG-14M, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Fragrance (Parfum), Disodium EDTA, Potassium Hydroxide, Silica, Isoceteth-10, Linalool, Lauryl Betaine, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Geraniol, Citronellol, Origanum Majorana Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera (Lotus) Germ Extract, Alcohol, Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-glucan, BHT, Thymus Serpyllum (Wild Thyme) Extract, Perilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract, Sodium Bicarbonate, Iris Florentina Root Extract Sodium Benzoate, Ganoderma Lucidum (Mushroom) Stem Extract.
