Our Product Panel is growing by leaps and bounds! I am so glad to be adding more women from different backgrounds, lifestyles, ages, and experience. Annie is one of our new "makeup junkies" and this week she's got a great review of Shiseido's new The Skincare. Here is a bit more about Annie:

Annie, 52, is a network systems analyst from the Pacific Northwest. She has dark auburn hair, fair skin, and hazel eyes. Annie's combination skin is a little bit blotchy and benefits from concealer. She tends to avoid oil-free products since they often cause her skin to produce even more oil. Annie is constantly on the lookout for the perfect eye cream and exfoliating mask to keep fine lines at bay. Because of her contact lenses, Anne hates powder shadows that drift into her eyes or oily eye makeup remover. Annie considers herself a computer geek and shopping fool who loves to combine the two pastimes :)

Take it away, Annie!

I've seen Shiseido products at department stores all my life but didn't realize they've been making cosmetics for over 100 years. They must know something to be in business that long! Their newest line, Shiseido The Skincare, is advertised as containing "state-of-the-art ingredients" including an aromachology-based (their word!) scent. It's supposed to work beneath the outer layer of the skin to strengthen the under layers to diminish fine lines and other such signs of aging. I'm not sure science supports all that beneath-the-skin stuff, but ever-hopeful to find eye cream that eradicates my squint lines, I plunged ahead. I've used the line for nearly a month and, for the most part, am really pleased with it. The Skincare features several different products for each skin type, your choice depending on how dry your skin is. I chose the lighter to medium products for my combination/oily, 52 year-old skin.

Gentle Cleansing Foam ($23.50)
At first, I didn't like this cleanser because it made my skin feel tighter than the creamier cleanser I'd been using. After using it for a few days, I realized my skin felt clean but wasn't dry. Skins drier than mine might want to go with Gentle Cleansing Lotion or Gentle Cleansing Cream. Just a little bit of Gentle Cleansing Foam goes a long way. It lathers up nicely and doesn't drip down my neck and in my eyes when I'm washing -- yes, here's a pet peeve....thin drippy cleansers. The "aromochology-based scent" was left out of this product; it has a mild and not unpleasant soapy scent that's different from its sibling products.

Hydro-Refining Softener Lotion ($30)
This is a fancy name for toner. The oil-free lotion is clear and just a little thicker than water with a wonderful mild flowery scent. It's meant to be used after cleansing and before moisturizer as a softener and mild exfoliator. The first few days I was not happy with this lotion - it took at least 3 minutes to absorb and then felt sticky. But when I used less lotion, it worked very well. Absorption was quick, and my skin felt soft and smooth with no stickiness. While I liked the product, I'm not sure it's worth the price.

Day Essential Moisturizer SPF10 ($34)
A nice light, soothing moisturizer that felt good on my face and smelled great. Shiseido is using what smells to me like a very light lilac scent in their products - although the rep told me there's no lilac in it. Oh well, it smells like lilacs to me and I love it! Once again, I wasn't wild about this product until I realized I was using too much. Are you beginning to sense a pattern here? After I cut the amount used about in half, it absorbed quickly with no stickiness. Even with my oily T-zone, it worked fairly well although I think I'd try the Day Essential Moisturizer Light next time. (The Skincare also has some night moisturizers, but the rep told me the only difference is the night version has no sunscreen.)

Eye Revitalizer ($35)
I really liked Eye Revitalizer. It's an alcohol-free cream designed to hydrate the eye area and (!) reduce puffiness and fine lines. After using Eye Revitalizer for a couple weeks, I really feel I can see a difference. Maybe those little lines are a bit less noticeable, and the puffs do seem diminished -- those probably make me crazier than the lines. Like the other The Skincare products, just a tiny bit is enough so the value is better than it first appears!

Moisture Relaxing Mask ($30)
My very favorite thing in this entire line! The minute I opened the store tester I was hooked. The fragrance is wonderful, lilac-y but subtle. I start to relax the minute it touches my face. This mask is different from others I've used. You massage it into your face rather than lopping it on -- don't use much though, remember it's Shiseido! Moisture Relaxing Mask only needs 2-3 minutes to do it's work and then "dries" to a really odd, but not icky, sheen which when touched isn't wet, but looks it. I can't figure it out, but it's a great moisturizing mask. I'll buy this one again.

All in all, I think Shiseido The Skincare is a good line and though a little on the pricey side, generally worth it. I bought my products at The Bon Marche, a regional store in the Pacific Northwest. Macy's and Bloomingdale's are part of the same company so Shiseido is probably sold in those stores, too, as well as Nordstrom.