REVIEW: HadaLabo Gokujyun Oil Cleansing

I'm nearing the end of a lot of my products, and I've decided to try some new things. But in order to test the new, I'll need to appreciate the old, and everything that it has done for me.  The HadaLabo Gokujyun Oil Cleansing has stuck by me for the past 8 months (seriously, that's some seriously good product time!) and I'm down to the last few drops in the bottle.

Here's a brief review on what it does, taken from the product description on Sasa.com:

Hadalabo Gokujyun Oil Cleansing formulated with high purity olive oil to deep clean and gently remove dirt, excessive oil and stubborn makeup instantly.
It contains Super-Hyaluronic Acid, a hydrating ingredient, to provide deep moisturization, leaving skin suppler. At the same time, it is added with cationized hyaluronic acid to form a moisture-locking film on the skin surface. It keeps cleansed face never taut. Skin pH balanced, low irritation, free of fragrances, mineral oil, alcohol & colorant.

So how does it perform?  Let's have the pictures speak for themselves!

I generally use this cleansing oil as a makeup remover before I then move to another foaming cleanser to clean my face and any residue, so I decided it'd be best to test the oils ability to remove various types of makeup. As you can see I have (starting from the left) foundation, eye liner, mascara and a super red lipstick.

After applying a bit of the oil (make sure your hands and skin are dry!), I massage it in. As you can see the makeup has already started to blur and run. After this step you should rinse with water, and watch the oil emulsify and become milky. If my camera skills were better I'd try and capture that, but I was afraid that my clumsy one-handed state would drop my DSLR into the sink, irreparably damaging the lens. Or something.

Instead, you get this lovely picture, which is my freshly rinsed hand. As you can see, there is little makeup left over, except for a dab of lipstick on my wrist. As the rest of the lipstick smear is practically eradicated, I might attribute this to user error. I probably did not rub the oil in enough before I rinsed. But for the rest of the makeup, nary a trace has been left behind, and the skin looks smooth and bright.

SUMMARY

I really loved this cleansing oil. The first time I used it, I think I actually had an audible 'wow' at how easily it took my makeup off, but still kept my face quite soft and moisturized. There is a barely perceptible smell (to me) of olive oil to the cleansing oil, but it's only due to the actual olive oil in the ingredients. Some people do find the smell stronger, so your mileage may vary. The oil is very good at what it does however, and I'd recommend you give it a try.

Overall: 4.5/5