japanese skincare

As a skincare junkie, my attention naturally turned towards trying and testing Aesop products, mainly for curiosity’s sake and also to see if the brand could fill the void of some of my skincare needs. Aesop is an Aussie skincare brand owned by a Brazilian company. It is known for its simple and straightforward design of its packaging with emphasis on plant-based and sensory-invoking formulations that are very much spa-like. I’ve never been to an Aesop store before, and I also have not seen any of their signature concept spaces in some department stores. I’ve heard and read that each of their stores is unique and that the interiors are well-designed. I hope to set foot in one of them someday. Anyway, I got my Aesop fix from Nordstrom.com and Saksfifthavenue.com which made it so convenient especially if you don’t have an Aesop store nearby. So here some Aesop goodies that I’ve tried and tested lately.

Parsley Seed Cleansing Mask (2.1 oz: $45) – This is a lightweight face mask with antioxidants and aloe vera. It has a blend of clay and herbaceous scent with a bit of something fresh and floral. The consistency is smooth and creamy and its color is a light brown clay that transforms into something of a pale white shade once it dries. The instruction says to use this twice weekly for 15 minutes, which I did. It has a calming effect on the skin and it’s good in keeping moisture on the face. It is a great mask if you have a normal, sensitive or dry skin, but definitely, it’s not for oily skin like yours truly here. On my skin, this doesn’t feel like it goes deep into cleansing my pores or that it takes off excess oil. I definitely need something stronger than this like Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple Pore Extractor which actually smells and feels very similar to this Aesop Parsley Seed Mask. Also, the Pore Extractor Mask from Philosophy works better and it’s also cheaper.

Rind Concentrate Body Balm (4.2 oz: $35, 17 oz: $97) – If you love the way your hands smell after eating a citrus fruit, then you’re surely to going to love this scent. This versatile cream totally smells like 100% citrus, orange, and lemon skin. It is so good and so irresistible that I practically got addicted to its scent. This is definitely the best Aesop product I’ve tried so far, and its consistency does not disappoint. It’s a smooth mid-weight cream that is not too thin and not too thick. It’s also non-sticky and it goes through the skin easily. Truly a great body and hand moisturizer, and because I love this so much, I’ll be repurchasing this in its largest size, simply because this is unbelievably good, and I highly recommend this to all of you guys.

Geranium Leaf Body Scrub (6.1 oz: $35) – This is a very invigorating gel body scrub with pumice, bamboo stem, and geranium leaf. A little bit of this works really well to exfoliate the body because this scrub is so gritty and it foams nicely, but at the same time, it’s also gentle on the skin. You definitely need to rinse this off thoroughly and try to use it once or twice a week. This surprisingly leaves the skin smooth and soft, refreshed, and very well-cleansed. I love its unisex green and fresh scent that almost feels like you’re having a spa. I just wish Aesop will make this in a much larger container in the future.

Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser (6.8 oz: $25, 16.9 oz: $45) – This is another gel body cleanser that smells fresh and green just like the Geranium Leaf Body Scrub above but without the pumice. It lathers really well and it also leaves the skin feeling thoroughly cleaned and soft. I also found this to be gentle on the skin and you also don’t need to use a lot of the product. I believe this a great alternative for those who don’t want the super-exfoliating Geranium Scrub version and just wants an everyday gentle body cleanser, but this is also a great partner together with the scrub if you want that extra cleansing and polishing.

Fabulous Face Cleanser (3.4 oz: $33, 6.8 oz: $49) – What a fabulous name for a facial cleanser eh? I wanted to check how fab this cleanser would be, and I find that this actually has a mild herb-like scent that’s great for everyday use. It works pretty well for normal, combination, dry, and sensitive skin types especially during the winter, and it foams quite ok. It cleanses gently so a lot of folks will surely love this, however, if you’re the oily-skin type, you might need something more potent than this just so you can get rid of excess oil and shine.

Bottom line, I like Aesops’ concept of organic simple skincare products that actually smells relaxing and luxurious. I find their formulas to be very well-thought-out but they’re pricey and hard to find. Because of that, I feel like I’d probably limit myself to the Geranium Leaf Body Scrub because it’s such a very good exfoliator with a fresh herbaceous and spa-like scent that’s kind of hard to come by nowadays. And of course, I am definitely in love and will definitely hoard the Rind Concentrate Body Balm. Not sure about the Parsley Seed Cleansing Mask though, I prefer the Philosophy Pore Extractor more. I will probably skip the Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser from time to time, and will not repurchase the Fabulous Face Cleanser in the future, yet I will continue to discover more Aesop products because they are such awesome treats once in a while.

The Aesop Skincare products are currently available at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys NY, Net-A-Porter & Selfridges