Shu Uemura Blanc : Chroma Cleansing Oil & Essence

Sometimes the littlest things make all the difference… From the moment I laid eyes on Shu Uemura’s latest skincare offerings – Shu Uemura Blanc:Chroma – I was in love! Purple clear packaging with touches of white speaks of femininity and strength. Fresh soft white floral scent envelops in true sensory pleasure. And heralding a new age of whitening beyond dark spots sounds too good to be true! The Blanc:Chroma line is new to the Shu Uemura family, and currently consists of a cleansing oil and essence. I had the opportunity to test both out for the past month, and would like to share my experiences with you.

Shu Uemura Blanc:Chroma promises to work on more than just dark spots, eliminating all chroma imperfections to reveal luminous transparent skin.  The range targets 4 chroma imperfections – brown spots, pale skin tone, uneven redness, and yellow dullness.

Shu Uemura Blanc:Chroma Cleansing Oil [SGD55 for 150ml and SGD125 for 450ml] is the latest member of the famed Shu Uemura range of cleansing oils. The Blanc:Chroma Cleansing Oil contains volcanic clay extract that has been filtered and purified from mineral-rich natural lava clay, and is intended to trap and draw out impurities from the skin. It also contains Lipo HA to gently exfoliate dead skin cells that contain melanin, thereby leaving skin looking clearer. This new cleansing oil also has an improved ability to remove waterproof mascara and I was pleasantly surprised to find it really does dissolve my triple-layer of lash armor effectively without much rubbing. I also loved the fresh white floral fragrance, and found it uplifting and refreshing.

Shu Uemura is a strong advocate for cleansing oils in place of foaming cleansers, and the rationale is firmly grounded on the basis that oil is the best solvent for oil.  So when I received the Blanc:Chroma Cleansing Oil, I decided to challenge myself to put away my foam cleansers and skip double cleansing. What I found was that after massaging my face with Blanc:Chroma Cleansing Oil and rinsing off, my skin felt clean and comfortable, and it left no visible traces of makeup. However, when I sweep a cotton pad saturated with toner over my face afterwards, it comes away yellow, indicating there is still leftover grime on my face. Used in conjunction with another foaming cleanser though, it leaves my face perfectly clean without any feeling of tightness. As such, I am unlikely to do away with my foaming cleansers anytime soon. But for a cleansing oil, I’m really enjoying the Shu Uemura Blanc:Chroma Cleansing Oil for its light texture, dissolving all my makeup (including mascara) without leaving any oily residue!

Shu Uemura Blanc:Chroma Essence [30ml for SGD120] comes in a handy light-weight yet sturdy plastic pump bottle with a twist-up mechanism. The most distinguishing feature is the pinkish purple hue of the product, which has been identified by Shu Uemura Atelier Artists as the solution to Asian skin for a healthy looking complexion. The Black:Chroma Essence is packed with powerful brightening active 4D Complex to target the 4 chroma imperfections. Melano SW is a proprietary whitening active ingredient that helps to fight pigmentation and protects skin from turning darker when exposed to UV. Olive leaf extract contains anti-oxidant benefits and decreases the oxidative degradation of lipids in cell membranes, thereby maintaining healthy, bright skin. Boldo Leaf extract has skin conditioning properties that help to reduce redness in skin. Finally, Red Seaweed extract is a skin conditioning agent that helps the skin maintain a healthy look.

As you can see from the swatch above, this Blanc:Chroma Essence has a somewhat thicker texture than most other essences and serums. Unfortunately I have not been able to test this out for quite as long as my skin has been very fussy for the last 2 months. On the days that I apply this, I found my makeup also goes on more smoothly. However, a quick look at the ingredient list confirmed my suspicions that this Essence contains a high amount of silicones which gives that smoothening effect. With consecutive days’ use, I found tiny bumps emerging under the surface of my skin, and eventually stopped using it, so am unable to ascertain its ability to bring about greater clarity in the long run.

Overall, I do think this is a lovely start for the Blanc:Chroma line of skincare, it seems very thoughtfully planned, and I really do love the scent and packaging.  I love the texture of the cleansing oil, and am amazed at its ability to remove my mascaras completely without any tugging or stinging of my eye.  The Essence makes for a lovely makeup base with its pinkish purple hue.  I’m not so fond of my essences / serums having such a thick texture, but that is really a very personal issue, although if you are sensitive to silicones than do proceed with caution.

Have you tried any Shu Uemura cleansing oils and if so, which was your favorite?