SHU UEMURA: Whitefficient Clear Brightening Gentle Cleansing Oil from Sample Room

Hello readers, due to awful traffic in the past days I've decided to stay home last Friday night. Good thing my most awaited treat from Sample Room arrived the same day so I had something to keep me busy.




If you haven't heard of Sample Room, it's a local site that gives away free product samples to their members. It aims to educate consumers about products before buying them. This way you have the luxury of testing products before purchasing them in full size so you won't be wasting money on those that don't work for you. Not a member yet? No worries, it only takes a few minutes to register, just click here to get started.

First time I read about Sample Room was weeks ago from one of their partner bloggers, Miss Shen through Shen's Addiction and I got too excited I registered right away. When Sample Room officially opened its doors to members last December 3, 2012, I was one of the lucky few who got to avail a sample pack for free (exclusive of PhP 100 shipment fee).

There were five awesome samples to choose from and I picked the Shu Uemura Whitefficient Clear Brightening Gentle Cleansing Oil without any hesitations. I've been wanting to try them for so long but the hefty tag has kept me from purchasing. Thank heavens they're included in the first batch of samples. 

The samples were in this cute paper bag showing the Sample Room logo. Nice to see the combination of colors pink, white and brown.

The sachets were securely packed and sealed with bubble wrap which brought out the playful side in me. Admit it, you're also guilty of popping these protective bubbles at least once in your lifetime.

Sample Room sent me 7 sachets of Shu Uemura Whitefficient Clear Brightening Gentle Cleansing Oil. Each sachet contains approximately 4 ml of the cleansing oil so your getting a total of 28 ml intended to provide you a week's supply.

I have to admit I got a little worried that one sachet won't be enough for a single use especially after watching the official youtube video of Shu Uemura on how to use the cleanser. The video suggests to use 4 pumps of the cleansing oil and judging by the small size of the sample, I feared it wasn't enough.

Good thing I was wrong because after trying it for the first time last night I can confidently say that one sachet is more than enough for a single use. I actually consumed only half of it so you can use one sachet twice. I prefer using this at night after a long day of wearing makeup and exposure to harsh pollutants but you can also use this in the morning as suggested by Shu Uemura.

PROS:

It has a light weight formula that doesn't feel sticky on your skin

It feels smooth and silky when massaged all over your face

It has a very pleasant scent

Easily rinses off with water without any trace of oiliness

Your face feels soft and supple immediately after each use

A little goes a long way so a full size will definitely last long

No need to double cleanse after using

CONS:

Though the full size is in a generous 450 ml bottle, it also comes with a hefty tag of PhP 5,295. If only Shu Uemura can have this available in smaller bottles that won't cost as much, then more people can benefit from this amazing product.

VERDICT:

I am so happy I picked the right sample. Now I'm loving the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil so much it has become my go-to night cleanser. I am still contemplating on whether to avail of this product in full size. I haven't bought a single beauty product that costs this much in my 30 something years of existence. Yes, I have splurged on high end cosmetics and skin care lines but not for just a single item. 

This brings me to an undecided verdict but it's only my 2nd day of using the cleansing oil so things might be different in the days to come. I do recommend it to those of you who are looking for a cleansing oil that works well and delivers great results. Of course you have to be willing to shell out a whopping amount to avail it.

As for my views on Sample Room.. It's great that we now have free samples especially of high end products that are quite expensive to buy in full size. Although it's not totally free to avail of the samples because you're required to pay for shipping fee, still the amount is less than the value of the samples you're getting. In my case, 28 ml of the Shue Uemura cleansing oil costs around Php 329 which is more than three times the amount I paid for shipping (PhP 100) so I really got more than what I paid for. 

But here's the thing, samples are limited and you need certain points in order to get them. Though you earn a total of 100 points upon registration, each sample has corresponding points. During the first wave, I wanted 2 samples but I couldn't get more than one because of limited points. That time, I was predicting I won't be getting more than one sample each transaction unless products with less points become available. Just like an answered prayer, Sample Room did include samples valued at 35 points on their second batch! 

Overall, I love Sample room's "try before you buy" concept. This brings much freedom and flexibility to us consumers at a reasonable cost. I will definitely check out their samples as often as possible and do my share of imparting my experience through writing my honest reviews. So if you're like me who wants true value for money and who doesn't mind shelling out a little for shipping fee, then I encourage you to be a member of Sample Room because you will definitely enjoy being one.

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