Product Review: Za Total Hydration Face Wash

Hi Everyone!

Let's do a quick review of a lovely face wash by Za. Now, Za is a line of products developed by Shiseido, a Japanese beauty care brand. Shiseido is one of the oldest personal care brands in the world. Za is a budget range that was launched a sometime in the middle of 2015 in India.

Product Price: INR 299/- for 100gms of product

List of Ingredients:

Product Claim:

• A Refreshing cleansing foam that polishes the skin to form a clear complexion.
• Cleanses impurities while retaining vital moisture for clear skin
• Removes excess sebum and pore-clogging impurities
• Fine textured, rich foam gently covers the skin while cleansing.

My Take on the Product:

Za Total Hydration Face Wash comes in a baby pink, plastic squeeze tube. It has a flip-top cap which I like since it is leak-proof. The product has a creamy texture and contains these tiny blue particles. They are not very abrasive and are far too gentle to be exfoliating. It has a very gentle, nearly imperceptible fragrance. 

True to promise, the product foams up really well and a tiny bit goes a long way. Just take a pea-sized amount add a few drops of water and rub your hands together for a rich lather. For the Japanese its a complete no-no to be rubbing your facial skin directly with your fingers. The idea is to gently massage the foam on the skin. 

The face wash is quite gentle yet takes off all the grime that collects on the face. However, it is not entirely effective when it comes to waterproof makeup. So if I have that on, I first remove the makeup with relevant cleansers and then follow it up with this Za face wash.

The product does not leave my skin dry, but it does feel a wee bit stretchy if I do not follow up with a moisturiser. I have oily skin with a few dry patches, so I wonder how this product will fare on dry-skinned beauties. 

What I like best about this face wash, is that it does not have any of the regular nasties like parabens or SLS. So that's a huge plus for me.

Interesting update: Za products were easily available in online stores like nykaa.com and fabbag.com, but as I was writing out this post I realised, they weren't available here anymore. However, amazon.com and flipkart.com did seem to have them. I wonder....

Pros:

1. Convenient, spill proof packaging
2. Lightly scented
3. Creamy texture.
4. Non-abrasive cleansing particles.
5. High foam
6. Little product goes a long way.
7. Takes off daily grime.
8. Did not strip my skin of moisture.
9. No Parabens and SLS.
10. Reasonable price point.

Cons: 

1. Not very effective on water-proof/long-lasting makeup.
2. Can dry out already dry skin.
3. Was available easily online, but not anymore.

Overall Verdict: 4.75/5 

I have loved using Za Total Hydration Face Wash and am looking to buy again once I use up the product.

Have you used this product? How did it fare on you? Let me know in the comments section below...

Think and Stay Beautiful!

Product Review: Za True White Liquid Foundation in OC 30

Hi Everyone!

Za has taken India by a storm with their skin care products. Bloggers are raving about these products. However, the Za True White Foundation has had some mixed reviews. So lets see whats all the noise about....

I was quite excited about this foundation when I first heard about it. And despite reading very mixed reviews about the product, especially its shade range, I still picked up this product. In part I blame Nykaa.com for tempting me with a discount offer I couldn't refuse! 

Hey don't think I am criticising Nykaa.com, I think it is by far the best cosmetics and personal care online sale portal in India.

I picked up the darkest shade: OC30

Product Price: INR 950/- for 30 ml of product.

Product Claim:

• Get virtues of Skin care now in make-up with Za True White Liquid Foundation.
• Get Enriched with Vitamin C & E, Minerals & Hyaluronic acid, this Breakthrough Illuminating & Pore less Liquid Foundation creates Pearly Translucent & Radiant skin. SPF 26-PA++ protects skin from UVA and UVB.
• Now get long lasting satin smooth & even-toned coverage.

Ingredients List: 

My Take on the Product:


The Za True White Liquid Foundation comes in 6 shades of which OC 30 is the darkest. The product comes in a sturdy, curvy glass bottle with a pump dispenser and a silver plated, plastic lid. the bottle is further packed in a see-through plastic carton which carries all the product details.

The product itself is somewhere between creamy and runny and spread easily over my skin. I've tried this product both with my fingers and a foundation brush. The product gave excellent results with both. 

The product gives medium coverage. It may be buildable but I did not try it because the darkest shade in the range is still too light for me. The first time I applied it, I think I got too much on my face and I had to fairly wipe it off my face with a tissue. 

With this product, less is more. On immediate application, the face looked far too white, but it did even out to a more natural look in about 10 minutes. It did minimise the appearance of pores (I do have an open pore problem). The product has a finish somewhere between matte and dewy. 

It lasted for about 6 hrs on my face without it getting too shiny. But then its real test will be in the hot and humid months

This foundation comes with PA++ and SPF 26 which is great but that means it does not photograph too well.

I actually liked the product and how it felt on my skin. But the only problem is its limited shade range. It wont cover nearly 75% of Indian skin tones.

Pros:

1. Easily Available both in malls and online stores
2. Contains vitamin C, E, Minerals & Hyaluronic acid
3. PA++ and SPF 26 for UVA and UVB protection
4. Medium coverage
5. Spreads easily.
6. Applies well with both, brush and fingers
7. Good and hygienic packaging
8. Minimises appearance of pores and other minor skin imperfections 
9. Lasted for about 6 hrs without need for blotting (in winter months)
10. Gives a good finish between matte and dewy.
11. Gives a natural finish, if appropriate amount applied.

Cons:

1. Does not photograph well (but this is not the deal breaker)
2. Limited shade range. 

Overall Verdict: 4/5

I actually really like the product. I like what it does for the overall look of my skin. The only problem is the limited shade range. However, I have been able to make it work for my skin by adjusting the amount of product I apply.