Better Than Shu Uemura? Kose Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil Review

We know, we know. Our title is a pretty wild claim. Better than the most (in)famous cleansing oil in the whole wide world?! Well, what you'll hear from us is one big, resounding yes. If you're looking for a Shu Uemura dupe, you should definitely check out this cleanser from Kose. Like Shu Uemura, Kose is a popular Japanese company that houses and distributes a whole range of products, from high end to super affordable drugstore products. This Deep Cleansing Oil falls under Softymo, their line of cleansers.

HadaLabo Face Wash, Lotion, Arbutin Whitening Essence, and Cream Review

HadaLabo is mutually developed by Rohto Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd (Japan) and Mentholatum (USA). The brand concept is "Perfect & Simple": your skin benefits from the high-quality ingredients and easy to follow skincare routine. I don’t have my actual bottles anymore but I bought a full line of HadaLabo products in 2011 because of all the wonderful reviews I read online. People kept raving about the lotion and how it really made their skin soft and supple. 

I was really excited about purchasing these products because at that time, my skin was going through a rough (literally) period. I had these tiny raised bumps on my forehead that I couldn’t classify as pimples because when I tried to squeeze them (which I did, a lot. bah.),  nothing would come out. So given my skin situation and all the amazing online reviews, I had high hopes for the HadaLabo skincare range. 

Did they live up to my expectations? 

Cure Natural Aqua Gel Review - Is It Worth The Hype?

Let me begin this review by saying I am a firm believer in exfoliation. You can pile on all the toners, serums and moisturizers you have but if you don't exfoliate, your skin won't look as good as it could be because it won't be able to effectively absorb your skincare products.