Bright Like Juliet

I first heard about Antipodes Juliet Skin-Brightening Gel Cleanser from Michelle of Eat Paint Sniff Glue all the way back in October 2012, but only managed to pick one up during the post-Christmas sales a few weeks ago. Both Myer and David Jones were having 25% off full-priced Antipodes products, so I bought this cleanser for just under $25, which I thought was reasonable for a 200ml bottle. While Antipodes seems to get a decent level of attention on blogs, I haven't heard much about this cleanser except from Michelle and Cherie and wasn't sure whether my skin would like it or how it'd perform. I've generally enjoyed the Antipodes products I've tried so far, so I had high expectations.

Antipodes Juliet Skin-Brightening Gel Cleanser

After using it for a few weeks, I feel I've definitely had misconceptions about the product. Firstly, I expected little to no foam, but it actually produces a not insignificant amount of lather, especially with warm water and freshly washed hands. Secondly, I expected my skin to be left plump and balanced afterwards, with no signs of dryness or feeling stripped. Actually, I found it's no different to most regular foaming cleansers, in that if I don't moisturise within a few minutes of washing my face, I absolutely feel some degree of tightness and my skin craving hydration. Thirdly, I expected this to smell amazing, with the description on the bottle promising "a refreshing fragrance of green apple and cardamon", but after a while all I detect is the faint smell of soy sauce combined with a whiff of cough medicine. A little bit odd, not exactly pleasant, but subdued enough to not be an issue.

I've been using this basically every weekday in the mornings to wash my face, believing it to be a gentler and less harsh option than a normal foaming cleanser from say, Dove or Bioré, but at the same time more effective than simply splashing cold water onto my face. I like the ritual of properly cleansing my face in the mornings to get my day started, wake me up a little, take off any remnant creams, serums or oils that I've slapped on the night before and begin with a fresh, bare canvas for my moisturiser and makeup. Even with near daily use, it barely looks like I've used up any product, so I imagine the entire bottle lasting a long time.

Though it has a few ingredients that sound very appealing and skin-benefiting, like kiwi seed oil, Manuka honey and their trademarked "Vinanza Performance Plus" (which combines kiwifruit seed and grape seed extracts using a natural process that involves only water), I'm not wowed by how this leaves my skin feeling after I've used it. That is, after I pat my face dry with a washcloth and all the water has evaporated off my face a couple of minutes later, it starts feeling taut and craving moisturiser. Maybe my skin's just on the dry side right now and this is designed more for normal or oily/combination skin. I also don't feel it's done anything particularly noticeable in terms of skin-brightening. I'll continue to reach for this in the mornings instead of only washing my face with water or using a cream cleanser, but to me, it's more or less a slightly gentler version of a standard foaming cleanser from a cheaper brand, with some nicer-sounding ingredients and a unique scent.