Wednesday, February 5, 2014

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.

25 comments:

  1. Antipodes as a whole brand intrigues me. There's something about that simple, elegant packaging that's drawing me in. Even though you weren't wowed by this, it's still on my to-try list because it sounds like one of those reliable products that may not be incredible, but it probably won't be too disappointing either.

    Jennie xo | sailorjennie.com

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  2. I have never tried anything from Antipodes - although it is a brand I;d love to try. This cleanser doesn't sound like a must have product - I might try one of their moisturisers first.
    http://www.letstalkbeauty.co.uk/

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  3. I've recently bought two Antipodes cult products, the Vanilla Pod Day Cream and the Aura Manuka Honey Mask, and I feel like I'm falling in love with them and with the brand's concept. It's a real pity you don't like this product. I never really considered it as a possible next purchase of mine, but it seemed to be a nice product; maybe it's not a good combination with your skin. It happens to me all the time with skincare products!

    x Giada | The Beauty Recensionist

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  4. I have read a lot about Antipodes within the beauty community lately and mostly are good reviews.. The brand is not available here but I think I'll be able to find it online..
    I've been loving my rituals rice milk cleanser in winter because it is so gentle yet cleans very well.. ^^

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  5. I've never tried anything by Antipodes. I love the packaging but I've never paid much attention. Have you tried any others by them that you could recommend?

    Molly x
    Lyon Notes

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    1. I haven't tried too many of their products but Organic Avocado Oil & Rosehip Divine Face Oil, Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream, Reincarnation Pure Facial Exfoliator and Aura Manuka Honey Mask are all solid.

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  6. That's disappointing. I was only mildly curious about Antipodes (I don't think it's in Canada) but I never hear rave reviews - most say it's nice but that seems to be about it. I like the apothecary styling of the brand though. It's the primary draw, lol.

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  7. I've never tried anything from Antipodes since I don't see it around much in my area where I live, but it sucks how this one is a no-no/meh and tend to steer clear of foam cleansers. For some reason I always feel like they don't do good enough a job to cleanse my face lol.

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  8. It's so sad when out expectations aren't match :< Specially when the product isn't that cheap.
    I'm currently finishing my The Body Shop cleanser, but I'm already thinking about trying out my new Avène Cleanser. Let's see if I don't get disappointed as well :<
    Take care dear, have a nice day!*

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  9. I was just considering buying this and now I'm glad I didn't! I have some samples of the Aura Manuka Honey Mask that I've been using... not wowed yet!

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  10. I've never tried anything from Antipodes, I've always wanted to though! Maybe not this though!

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  11. I was highly considering buying this and just taking a chance, but I'm glad I fell upon your post! Thanks for the great write-up! <3
    blushingbiddies.com

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  12. I recently picked up a couple of Antipodes products and I'm excited to give them a try. It's too bad this isn't amazing for you because this product gets so much hype around it!
    xx
    Celina | The Celution | Bloglovin’

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  13. Maybe it's too much to expect all that from a cleanser anyway. The bottle looks unattractive and rather inconvenient to use to me.. I just hope that my cleanser cleanse well without breaking the ph balance too much and run for the moisturizer. ;)

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  14. I haven't heard about this cleanser before so thanks for doing a review on it - Antipodes are definitely on my list of brands to try out once I've used some of my skincare stash but I'm not sure if this would work for me x

    Evelyn @ We Were Raised By Wolves

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  15. The ingredients sound nice, but sometimes the results are what matter! Right now I am using a mild glycolic cleanser and it helps to control oil and smooth out flakes and dry spots.

    Jordan | Boho Vanity

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  16. Hahah ew the way you described the scent… no thank you! Shame that this isn't a miracle cleanser for you but at least you got it on deal and it's something you'll be able to use up without too much trouble. I've always wanted to try things from Antipodes but this is definitely not going to go on my list of things to try/buy :/

    ♥Cassie
    thriftthick.blogspot.com

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  17. I just smelt mine this morning- IT DOES smell like apple and cardamom! I agree that it's not especially gentle- the minimal froth is the only notable difference to the Dove Cleanser and Toner in One and Biore gel cleanser variations. I still like, it, but I'm not averse to trying something new after I finish this bottle.

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    1. Haha I don't even know what cardamom is. But come on, soy sauce?! Please tell me you kiiinnddd of detect it :p I swear I wanted to smell something good but that's all I got after using it like 2-3 times, lol.

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  18. is the sale still on?! love the antipodes brand!

    lisaalways.blogspot.com

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    1. Nope, last time I checked both DJs/Myer the sale has definitely finished now. But Antipodes tends to go on sale fairly frequently - wouldn't be surprised if they repeated something similar soonish :)

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  19. Cough syrup and soy sauce.. that sounds so disgusting. lol

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  20. I've been really impressed with Antipodes so far, but I haven't tried any of their cleansers yet. This one does sound a little too gentle for me though.

    Beauty Challenged

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  21. Hmm, I own this product myself and your picture of the gel looks very different to what's in my bottle - the gel is an orangey-brown and the scent is very pleasant. Maybe you got a bad batch, yours sounds like it smells terrible!

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    Replies
    1. I did notice weird colour discrepancies when I Googled it ... others looked orangey brown and mine is positively clear!

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