Astalift Essence

Update Monday June 10, 2013.

Got my hands on the two Astalift 2013 trial sets xD Although both of mine are slightly different than the screencaps in the original post below. The right screencap is Hari Skin Trial Kit I got, and instead of 10 there are 2 x 0.5g (for a total of 5g) Jelly Aquarysta, 3g Cleansing Gel, 3mL Cleansing Oil, and 2g Moisture Foam. My Moisture Trial Kit is the same only without the extra 0.7mL Essence Destiny and the 0.7g [Day] Cream, which is bit of a bummer but I guess I shouldn't be to greedy ^.^


Astalift's updated Skincare Regiment 2013.

***Both screencaps from Fuji Film Skincare Japan.

Here is my Hari Skin Trial Kit, with the new Essence Destinty 5mL. 

The 5mL Essence Destiny comes in a dropper cap bottle and not a twist cap, I guess that ups the "fancy" scale a bit LOL!

Totally looking forward to trying this, although by the time I get to it, they'd probably have a new one out. Sigh...

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Original post Thursday, June 6, 2013

Been experimenting with Fuji Film's Astalift skincare line for the past two months with wonderful results so I guess it's about time to start reviewing some of these. In addition to the Moisture Kit I got last year, I also picked up this Deluxe Trial Set from Rakuten JP before I left Japan.

The Astalift Deluxe Trial Set includes a 30mL Lotion, 5mL Essence, 5g Cream (for day use, as there is a separate Night Cream), and a 4g and a 10g jar (for a total of 14g) of Jelly Aquarysta. I am using all the items but finished the Essence first and hence reviewing it first ^.^

This Essence was actually an older version. The current version is called Essence Destiny, which I haven't tried. If you're in Japan and has a valid Japanese address, both of this year's trial kits are still available for purchase online, directly from Astalift Japan. When I bought my Moisture Kit last year, the nicer skincare kit was already sold out :(

This tiny 5mL bottle of Essence lasted me a whopping 6 weeks and I just finished it a little over two weeks ago! It was supposed to go on after the Lotion (toner) but before moisturizer. It was transparent, viscous but not runny and almost jelly like, although not as jiggly Jello-y as the Jelly Aquarysta ^.^ As with the rest of the Astalift line, it was orangey red and scented with a soft rose scent that's quite mild and subtle and is in no way intrusive.

Left: Moisture Trial Kit 2013, JPY500 free shipping, with 20mL Lotion, 0.7mL Essence Destiny, 0.7g [Day] Cream,  and 10 x 0.5g (for a total of 5g) Jelly Aquarysta.
Right: Hari Skin Trial Kit 2013, JPY1,260 free shipping, with 20mL Lotion, 5mL Essence Destiny, 5g [Day] Cream, 5g UV Protector, and 10 x 0.5g (for a total of 5g) Jelly Aquarysta.

***Screencaps from Fuji Film Skincare Japan.

The essence went on a tad slimy, very much reminded me of the Nature Republic Snail Therapy 80 Emulsion ^.^ Because of the sliminess, it spread very quickly and easily, and just a drop was enough for my whole face, which totally explains why a 5mL sample bottle lasted me 6 weeks. My face felt a bit sticky right after application, but I usually wait for 5-10 minutes after applying essence/serum anyway for complete absorption. And this did absorb completely, and my face was very soft afterwards.

Much to my surprise, sometimes amusement and occasionally dismay, over the years I have gone from the lazy (clueless?) girl routine, as in washing my face with whatever cleanser closest to my reach then slapping on some whoknowswhat lotion, to fully adapting the "Asian skincare regiment," as in double cleansing, mask/massage, tone, serum/essence, emulsion, and whenever my skin needs it, which is almost always, sealing everything in with a moisturizer. Now whenever I skip something, I feel oddly lacking and my skin would show it too.

All this is to say I really enjoyed using this Essence as part of my whole regiment for the past several weeks. If I were to "settle down" with a set of products, I would seriously consider this product. On the other hand, the skeptic in me thinks this whole thing is just a halo effect - I started using this essence 2-3 weeks later than a few other Astalift products, by which point my skin was already glowing (will review these products next). I suppose I will soon find out whether this is a halo effect - I've already started on the next serum, a 3mL sample tube of Dior Capture Totale One Essential Skin Boosting Super Serum ^.^ Will definitely review this too once finished.