REVIEW: Pure Beauty: Pomegranate Urban Shield Antioxidant and Antipollution!

Watsons Philippines x Pure Beauty Urban Shield

Last August 16, 2017 at Vask Modern Tapas and Gastronomic Cuisine, Watsons Philippines and Pure Beauty introduced a new product line designed to protect our skin from pollution, dirt, and sun damage -- the Pure Beauty Urban Shield line.

Congratulations to Watsons and Pure Beauty!

As I enter my 30s, I became more conscious about my skin as it is this time that signs of skin aging are showing. I know, I should have started earlier but I'm hoping I can still do something about it. Aside from that, I work on a mid-shift schedule so imagine the heat of the sun, the dirt and pollution I had to endure everyday going to the office. Issues like these are common to working Pinays like me and with these reasons, Pure Beauty Urban Shield is created by renowned Korean dermatologist Dr. Seong J. Kim.


Ms Joyce Lau looking fresh and young!	Revealing the secret!

Pure Beauty Urban Shield provides three-level protection from the harsh ray of the sun, heavy pollution, and harmful elements of the city: [1st level] fermented pomegranate fruit extracts and other plant extracts with high anti-oxidant content; [2nd level] patented IBRs with anti-pollution and natural skin defense properties; and [3rd level] Galactomyces Fermented Filtrate and Phyto Placenta with ultra-shielding agents.

Pure Beauty Urban Shield product line

Here in the Philippines, 8 products are made available and I'm lucky to get hold of them and share with you my experience.

Four (4) products are to be used everyday, day and night, in this sequence: Clarifying Foaming Cleanser, Clarifying Toner, Reviving Serum, and Reviving Gel. After the first four, Protective Lotion SPF 20 is to be used during the day, while Renewal Night Cream overnight. The two other products are the Makeup Remover Facial Cleansing Wipes, and the Recharging Mask meant to be used 2-3 times a week. All products are paraben free, lanolin free, and alcohol free.

Packaging: I love the packaging. It's pink fading into silver/white where the bottom part has a skyline outline representing the "urban living". Although in pink, they look chic rather than girly. Most of the products make use of pump container which I find very convenient to use. You also tend to get just the amount you need so no waste.

Scent: They all have the same mild floral scent which is favorable for me. It adds to the feeling of freshness after using the products.

For the individual products:

Clarifying Foaming Cleanser (150ml - 899Php)

Usage: Apply an adequate amount of Foaming Cleanser on damp face. Work into a lather by massaging in circular motions. Rinse with lukewarm water thoroughly. Use in the morning and evening.

Clarifying Foaming Cleanser

Expectations:

Purifies the skin, removes impurities and all traces of pollution
Soothing function that restores the skin's hydrating properties over time
Reinforce the skin barrier, while plant extracts moisturize and enhance beauty

Experience:
It's my first time to try a foam facial wash and it's so easy to use as you don't have to lather it in your hands before putting on your face. I just make a pump or two and it's enough to cover my face. It feels so light and smooth while massaging on my face. There are no stings even when I lather it too long. After washing, my face doesn't feel stretched, tightened, or dry. Instead, it feels smooth and hydrated. A refreshing feeling! This Clarifying Foaming Cleanser is one of my favorites among the product line.

Clarifying Foaming Cleanser sample

Clarifying Toner (140ml - 1,299Php)

Usage: Use day and night following Clarifying Foam Cleanser. Pour an adequate amount of Toner on a cotton pad, gently smooth over entire face.

Clarifying Toner

Expectations:

Rinses away all traces of dirt and pollution
The skin is left moist and clear, refreshed and free of impurities
Helps protect the skin while strengthening its natural barrier
Organic floral extract leaves the skin supple and glowing

Experience:
It's another first time for me to try a toner in a pump container as those I've tried before are in liquid form that you either pour or spray it on cotton. This Clarifying Toner is like a thin clear liquid gel -- liquid but has very slight viscosity. So when you put it on a cotton pad or cotton ball, it will hold volume for a time then will eventually be absorbed. I use this more adequately that I put a pump or two for every area like forehead, nose, cheeks, chin, neck. I like that even after washing my face, I get to cleanse off some dirt (as seen on the cotton) that may not have been totally removed through washing. During and after applying, there's no sting, tightening, or drying. My skin feels light and supple.

Clarifying Toner sample

Reviving Serum (35ml - 1,699Php)

Usage: Use day and night following Clarifying Toner. Apply on perfectly cleansed face, neck and decollete. Gently massaged until fully absorbed.

Reviving Serum

Expectations:

Penetrates deeply to replenish and repair damaged skin to improve skin-tone
The skin feels smooth and revitalized
Helps boost skin defenses and minimize the lasting effects of pollution, giving a glowing, youthful-looking complexion

Experience:
I don't usually use serum but I when noticed the signs of aging, I feel I need this! It is a bit thicker than the toner in terms of texture, and it is cloudy white in color. I start with a pea-sized amount to cover a certain area, applying it thinly and massaging until absorbed. I add a pump or so as needed but I ensure that my skin has absorbed it before putting on another area. It has a bit of weight on the face initially, but after massaging and letting it be fully absorbed, it doesn't bother me at all. It doesn't give me any sting, itch, or greasy feeling. My skin feels nourished and hydrated after.

Reviving Serum sample

Reviving Eye Gel (15ml - 1,299Php)

Usage: Use day and night after cleansing and toning. Apply on the eye contour area. Lightly tap with the fingertips in order to effectively absorb the gel.

Reviving Eye Gel

Expectations:

Revitalize your sensitive eye area with this fresh gel
Helps protect delicate skin against stress and environmental aggressors
Moisturizes, smooths fine lines and helps combat the signs of ageing
Delivers brighter, healthier, more youthful eyes

Experience:
This eye gel is something I feel I need as I wake up early to accompany my son to school, yet my work requires me to stay up late. I was about to look for an eye gel, yet how timely that I got this product. It's like the Reviving Serum for the eye area since that area is more sensitive. I put a small amount on my finger tip and tap on the area around my eye. I try to put thinly and have it absorbed before putting another layer. I like the hydrating feeling after putting it. It doesn't feel heavy too.

Reviving Eye Gel sample

Protective Day Lotion SPF 20 (50ml - 1,499Php)

Usage: Use in the morning following the Reviving Serum. Apply on perfectly cleansed and toned face, neck, and decollete. Gently massaged into skin.

Protective Day Lotion SPF 20

Expectations:

Provides skin with perfect hydration and protection all day long to minimize the harmful effects of city living
Revives tired and stressed skin, helps smooth fine lines and wrinkles
Revitalizes the complexion

Experience:
Since my son started schooling, accompanying him to and from school made me more exposed to sun than I used to (even with the use of umbrella). I noticed right away how my skin and complexion were affected by this. That's why I think, this Protective Day Lotion SPF 20 is another must-have for me. It's a white thin cream that you massage on your face. It has a bit of a weight on the face but still light. You can think of it as having a layer of protection on your face. There will also be slight stickiness initially, which will fade later on.

Protective Day Lotion SPF 20 sample

Renewal Night Cream (50ml - 1,699Php)

Usage: Use during night time following Reviving Serum. Apply on perfectly cleansed and toned face, neck, and decollete. Gently massage into skin.

Renewal Night Cream

Expectations:

Helps enhance the skin's elasticity, evens tone and reinforces the skin's natural barrier as you sleep
It rejuvenates, revitalizes and restores to skin so that it glows and is healthy and youthful
Proven organic extracts that improve the skin's resilience and radiance

Experience:
This has the most weight on the skin compared to the earlier products probably due to its cream form. You'll feel a layer of it but not to the point that it's greasy or bothering. This is also the last product you'll apply on your face before you go to bed so just think that it'll do wonders while you sleep. But seriously, the sticky feeling is so minimal but enough to moisturize the skin over night. When I wake up in the morning, my skin feels rejuvenated.

Renewal Night Cream sample

Makeup Remover Facial Cleansing Wipes (20 wipes - 299Php)

Usage: Open the re-sealable sticker, take one facial wipe. Gently wipe over face, eyes, and lips to remove dirt and makeup. Suitable for everyday use.

Makeup Remover Facial Cleansing Wipes

Expectations:

Removes all make-up, pollutants and excess oil in one wipes
Moist and soft on the skin
Protects, soothes and rejuvenates
Leaves no greasy residue- just fresh, clean and clear skin

Experience:
I wear makeup everyday so a makeup remover is a must so it will be easier to clean my face. However, this is the only product in the Urban Shield line that is not 100% suited for my skin as whenever I use it, there is a slight sting feeling. Not sure what ingredient causes that as I never encountered it with the other products in the same line. I initially thought that it might be due to the alcohol content in wipes but the packaging says Alcohol Free. So what I do is after removing makeup using this cleansing wipes, I wash with the foaming cleanser to relieve the slight sting. But there are times when my eyes are too tired that I prefer to just remove my makeup and cleanse my face without washing. For that case, using this cleansing wipes won't be the best option for me. On a good note, the wipes are well-moistened that a piece is enough remove makeup for my whole face considering I wear foundation, blush, eyebrow, eyeliner, and lipstick. There is also no sticky feeling after using the wipes.

Recharging Mask (100ml - 1,299Php)

Usage: Use on perfectly cleansed face. Apply a thin layer evenly over entire face (avoid eye and lip area). Rinse it with lukewarm water after 10 minutes. Use 2-3 times per week.

Recharging Mask

Expectations:

Revitalizes, re-hydrates and restores luminosity to stressed skin as you reinforce and rebuild the skin barrier
The skin is purified, oil is removed and the complexion feels recharged
This soothing and reinvigorating cream mask leaves you with renewed, radiant skin

Experience:
I'm used to the thick clay-like mask so I find this Recharging Mask really different. It's like applying a gel on your face, you leave it for a while, then rinse. Unlike the serum, eye gel, protective lotion, and night cream, you don't have to massage it on your face to be absorbed. You just have to apply it thinly and leave it for 10 minutes. It feels that there's a very thin and light film on your face. There is very slight tightening feeling at the start, but after rinsing it off, my skin feels smooth, refreshed, and moisturized.

Recharging Mask sample

It has been more than 2 weeks since I've used the products (not religiously, though) and I never had irritation, itchiness, or breakout. I love the soothing, hydrating, and revitalizing feeling whenever I use the products. My skin also feels supple, bouncy, and looks radiant. I believe this is really the expected result from using Pure Beauty Urban Shield as during the panel testing, 9 out of 10 women claim that their skin became hydrated and supple after switching to this regimen.

Will I Buy Again: For the Makeup Remover Facial Cleansing Wipes, no as it is not suited for my skin. But note that we all have different skin types. For the other products, yes as I feel good about them. But since I have limited budget, and the product line is quite expensive, I might just select the products that I feel I really need.

8 products under Pure Beauty Urban Shield

UPDATE as of SEPTEMBER 12, 2017
I have this thought that even though Pure Beauty Urban Shield gives a refreshing and well-nourished skin feeling right after using them, the results will be more visible after long term of religiously following the regimen. I do not use them often but when I had two fresh pimples during my period, I thought of using the main 3 products (cleanser, toner, serum) one night. To my surprise, they all dried up in the morning. They were completely gone the following day leaving no marks. Amazing!

Watsons Philippines

Disclaimer: I was provided the products in this post. I did not pay anything. Pictures with my watermarks are mine.