pixelbunny's picks

Beautiful bottle for a beautiful product

Back in May, I was invited to a VIP Beauty Editor Breakfast courtesy of Dave Lackie, Shiseido, and Cityline for their upcoming new product. Now that I’ve finally gone through the whole bottle, I can share my thoughts with you!

So what is Ultimune? Simply put, it is Shiseido’s answer to being the world’s first skin immunity booster. We spend all this time and effort into retaining our skin’s youthful appearance, erasing fine lines, brightening up dull skin, that no one’s given a thought to something that precedes all that, immunity. Shiseido spent more than 20 years of research into skin immunity and produced Ultimune. They developed the ultimate complex that works on boosting Langerhans cells’ function. Therefore, with consistent use, you’ll find your skin to become stronger and with a heightened immunity in 4 weeks time.

The Packaging

Box and bottle

The box is made of sturdy cardboard with a beautiful red-pink sheen. The bottle itself is so pretty, it deserves some pictures on its own.

Top of lid

The top of the lid has an engraving of Shiseido’s trademark camellia logo.

Side of bottle

The side of the bottle has this curve like feature, which actually makes the bottle fit more comfortably in your hand when you hold it.

Pump mechanism

Pop off the lid and voila, a pump mechanism. I love pumps because it’s more sanitary than dipping your fingers into a product. The only annoying thing is getting every last drop. Luckily, the pump straw reaches all the way down to the very bottom of the bottle, so with a slight tilt of the bottle, I can pump out practically every last drop that’s in there. The other way to do it is to completely unscrew the pump and then turn the bottle upside down. Either way, you can definitely get to every last drop.

The Product

Slightly opaque formula

The first thing you notice is the smell. It is heavenly. It’s a mix of florals, gingko and ginger. While it comes out as slightly opaque, when you massage it into your skin, it definitely is clear. It soaks into my skin almost immediately and doesn’t leave a greasy residue. I use it twice a day, morning and night just after toner but before other serums and moisturizers. Yes, it is an extra step but I think it’s worth it. My skin has looked and felt so soft and clear that I didn’t see a single pimple in the 2 months it took me to get through this bottle. I will interpret this as that the immunity booster is working.

The Verdict

I quite love this stuff and what it’s done for my skin. I would definitely recommend it to those who are 25 and older. Anyone younger and the product is wasted. Young people have a quicker turnover of skin cells, so there’s no real time for the product to absorb and work its magic. On older skin, cell regeneration is much much slower, so the product has time to work. Another bottle is definitely in my backup stash.

Where to Buy

• The Bay
• Sephora

Over the summer, Mr Pixelbunny and I met up with some friends for brunch and they suggested Farmhouse Tavern. Reservations were made à la OpenTable, and we were all set to eat!

The Atmosphere

When we arrived at 12:00pm, the place was packed! It was a good thing we had reservations! The inside decor reminds you of being out of the city, with country-style settings, and things you would expect to find in a farmhouse. We spotted an old school wood stove leaning against one wall. Chairs were all mismatched but in this place, it fits!

The Food

Hey Buttercup – $?? (can’t remember)

I ordered Hey Buttercup!, which consisted of half a baked butternut squash, mixed greens (I could identify green beans, shoots, and asparagus amongst other greens), corn, smoked bacon, and two poached eggs. It was pretty tasty, although it didn’t quite satisfy my brunch hunger. It’s good as a salad, and you definitely get your serving of vegetables here. The smoked bacon was small and only a few bits were here. I was hoping for heartier pieces to give the salad some more meat.

Eggs Gravlax – $14

Mr Pixelbunny ordered eggs gravlax. This was definitely my favourite and I wish I had ordered it instead. The eggs were poached perfectly and the hollandaise sauce was amazing as well. There’s something about the biscuit that also makes it amazing as it’s not plain, but maybe has veggie bits in it? The trio of egg, gravlax and biscuit is mind-numbingly good, plus the side of salad ensures that you get some veggies in with your meal. You can also spot some ribbons of carrot on the plate.

The Verdict

Brunch, although very busy, was fantastic! Definitely try the eggs gravlax. I wasn’t too impressed with Hey Buttercup! and will likely order something else next time. Hmmm the mother and child reunion sound rather interesting…

The Place

Farmhouse Tavern
1627 Dupont St,
Toronto, ON
416-561-9114

Oops! I was on a bit of a hiatus for the last few months and hadn’t blogged in a while. I did keep track of what I used up, so this should be one big pile of empties!

4 months worth!

Bare Minerals Mineral Veil

I’ve had this for quite a while and loved using it as a finishing powder over foundation. A little bit goes a long way and it’s so silky smooth. It took me over a year to get through this so it’s well worth the money!

Make Up For Ever HD High Definition Primer

I had heard really good reviews for this but it’s not my favourite. Personally, I didn’t like how liquid-like it felt and I wasn’t sure if it really held my foundation any longer than without. Perhaps I’m used to the feel of silicone based ones but I didn’t really like this one.

Biotherm Aquasource Superserum

Full review here.

Lancôme Advanced Génifique

This is the new improved formulation of their award winning Génifique. I have a review cooking up for both formulations so look forward to it!

Laneige Water Bank Eye Gel Cream

I honestly love this line and will continue to use it for as long as it works on my skin! The Water Bank line is perfect for those with dry skin and does absolute wonders for me during the winter. Read my full review for it here.

St. Ives Deep Restoring 24 Hour Moisture

I used to use this in university and then forgot about it for a while. I had picked this up again when it was on sale at my local Shoppers Drugs Mart, plus cash back on my Checkout51 account making this bottle costing me only $0.50! How could I not? It soaks into my skin pretty quickly and leaves it feeling nice and smooth. I liked that 12 hours later, my skin still felt really smooth. Definitely repurchasing this one again.

Lancôme Tonique Radiance

One of my favourite toners, as well as Mr. Pixelbunny’s. Read my full review for it here.

Maybelline Baby Lips in Quenched and Peppermint

This lip balm remains my favourite one to keep in my pocket while at work. It definitely keeps my lips moisturized and replenishes moisture when they’re dry and flaky. I’ve already bought 3 more backups too.

Kate Somerville Oil Free Moisturizer

A sample I received in a Sephora order last year that I finally got around to using now. It’s definitely light and luxurious feeling, but there definitely wasn’t enough for me to see any skin changes. For the price tag of an actual jar, I likely won’t be purchasing one.

L’oread Youth Code Pore Vanisher

This was a sample I received in my Loulou magazine subscription. I actually liked this and contemplated purchasing one but decided to finish what I had first. It doesn’t come out clear, but more of a peachy tone instead. It has a slight tint to it that worked for my skin tone. Pores were “vanished” and made for a nice canvas for my foundation. I also like wearing it on its own just to cover some of the larger pores around my nose. Definitely one to consider.

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes

I absolutely adore these wipes, especially when traveling. Costco used to sell big boxes of 6 + 2 travel packs but I’m not sure if they still do. I need to hunt around and see if they still exist. They get off every bit of makeup on my face, even most of my eyeliner and mascara. I need to use another eye makeup remover for the lasting bits (Lancôme Bi Facil to the rescue!) but it gets off most of what’s there. Definitely a repurchase.