Kose Sekkisei Trial Kit

I've always had OK skin, something I'm glad of, but since I always take a minimalistic approach when it comes to my skincare routine—a cleanser and a moisturiser are pretty much it—there's always that desire of wanting more for my skin. I always want it to look better, for it to be clearer, for it to feel lusher.

I'm rarely an experimenter when it comes to skin products but since I'm a self-proclaimed Tokyo girl at heart, I was absolutely willing and excited to give Kose Sekkisei Trial Kit a little trial of my own!

The Kose Sekkisei Trial Kit includes:

• Sekkisei White Liquid Wash 20ml
• Sekkisei Lotion 100ml
• Sekkisei Emulsion 70ml
• Sekkisei Clear Whitening Mask
• Bihadagoyomi mask

All of them came in the cutest pouch, which has Sekkisei's adorable icon cutie Setsuko emblazoned on it—and yes, the brand has its own icon! The Japanese sure know how to make everything extra "kawaii", don't they?

Sekkisei was birthed in Japan in 1985 and has been a word-of-mouth favourite for achieving that beautiful, sought-after translucency of skin. With 'Glow From Within' as Sekkisei's motto, they promised an oriental formula for moisturised, brighter and even skin tone. The clincher for me was the fact that Sekkisei caters to oriental skin by utilising actual oriental plant extracts in their products, and in this case, they are the trio of coix seed, white lotus and Angelica.

It's totally coincidental that the Sekkisei range came my way at a time when I'm going to Japan back and forth—although some would argue it's more meant-to-be than coincidental...

One thing I really like about the Sekkisei range is the luxurious feeling I get when using its products. My previous minimalistic skincare method was comparatively more like a lazy, on-the-go thing: a quick wash and a hasty all-over moisturiser rub on the skin and I was done. With Sekkisei, though, I've been diligently following the instructions given and I find myself enjoying the positive effect the skin-pampering has on me, which isn't only beneficial to my skin but also provided me with the opportunity to have a calming and relaxing note for me to start and end my day on.

Here's my Sekkisei beauty regime:

Step 1

Wash face thoroughly with Sekkisei White Liquid Wash—one pump is sufficient for me! It feels all foamy and bubbly and oh-so-clean but yet I don't get that tight, taut feeling afterwards, so you know your skin's natural moisture is more or less retained.

Step 2
After drying the skin with a clean towel, I douse a cotton pad generously with Sekkisei Lotion and gently pat it all over my skin. Contrary to its name, it's not the moisturiser of the range, but Sekkisei Lotion works rather as a toner, or a sort of 'liquid mask'.

Unlike other toners out there with a strong anti-septic smell and sting, this one has a mild fragrance and feels soothing on the skin. Most toners I used in the past tend to make my skin feel uncomfortably tight and dry but this one actually hydrates the skin, so Sekkisei Lotion is kind of aptly named! It's meant to balance the level of our skin's natural moisture while calming any redness and cancelling out dullness in the skin.
For a truly luxurious way of applying the lotion, soak the bihadogoyomi mask tablet with the lotion in the cap and wait for it to be all puffy, and place it on your face like any normal mask. Easy peasy! Plus, seriously, guys, how super impressive is Japanese beauty technology? If you're wondering what a 'bihadogoyomi' is, it's a magical beauty contraption that you need to try on your own to fully understand its luxe effect.

Step 3
Now comes the moisturising step of the range: take a fresh cotton pad and press two pumps of Sekkisei Emulsion onto it and massage it gently all over your skin.

This step is completed as soon as it feels like there's no emulsion left on the cotton pad to distribute, which leaves me thinking my skin has successfully absorbed all the goodness! It's weird, but it does feel like my skin is literally "drinking" in the emulsion as I slowly sweep it all around my face. I used to always rub moisturiser onto my skin with my clean fingers but using a cotton pad is definitely a new lush way of applying moisturiser!
The emulsion isn't as thick as most moisturisers in the market so it will spread evenly pretty easily all over the skin. It has a mild pleasant smell to it, which I'm favouring a lot. Sekkisei aims for that glowy from within look so this emulsion will help prevent the formation of freckles and dark spots, as well as combat dryness.

Extra Step
Adding a weekly mask routine to your skincare regime is another way to treat and pamper your skin, and I'm loving Sekkisei Clear Whitening Mask. It comes out as a balmy, charcoal-black gel from the tube, which is to be applied as evenly as possible all over the skin. Make sure to steer clear of the areas around the eyes and mouth where the skin is slightly thinner and more sensitive.
After the gel hardens and becomes firm, gently peel it away from the skin.

You'd think a black thick gel squirted out of a tube would feel too potent but it goes on the skin really nicely and comfortably. I'm free to do my laptop work while waiting for the mask to do its work, as long as I keep a poker face and do not disturb the masking process!
The Whitening Clear Mask helps remove dead skin cells, effectively removing any dullness and brightening your face.



Verdict:
Kose Sekkisei has completely won me over, even to my surprise, to be honest. I'm not one to venture out of my comfort zone when it comes to skincare but I am really glad I took the leap of faith with Sekkisei. I can see that my skin is quite visibly clearer and, dare I say, is actually more translucent. The positive effect Sekkisei has on my skin is especially noticeable after I've put my makeup on; my foundation looks more even and more polished than usual. I'm all about that base, for sure, and Sekkisei is helping me hugely with that.
I love how all of their products don't have a strong, invasive smell; I've used facial products that smell too medicinal or too fragrant in the past, so this range could be a pleasant change in anyone's beauty routine.
Most new products tend to break me out but I am SO stoked that none of the Sekkisei products did. Not only did it not break me out, but it also made my skin healthier too, so Sekkisei is a win, win, win for me!
Overall, I'm happy to say Sekkisei delivers its promises.



You can purchase these products separately but it is always a good idea to give products a trial run whenever you get the chance to do so. The Kose Sekkisei Trial Kit is priced at RM 99 a pack at their counters, and it's just waiting for you to try it out!

PS: If you're already a Sekkisei loyal user, Sekkisei has come out with the prettiest one-of-a-kind Sakura print editions of their products, so go check those out!

For more information on Kose Sekkisei and where to get them, you can either visit KOSE Malaysia on Facebook or visit their official Malaysia website at www.kose.com.my.


A huge thank you to Kose and The Butterfly Project for this trial kit!

Disclaimer: These products have been sent to me for a review but all thoughts and opinions of them here are a hundred percent my own!