Everytime I see the name “Juliet” my brain immediately tags on “Romeo and…” in front of it. I can’t help it. Its like when someone says “Jerry” and I think “Ben and…” Can’t help it! 🙂 Please tell me I’m not alone.
This Juliet however, isn’t part of a tragic love story. In fact, I have no idea why it is called Juliet. I tried searching for a back story but there is none. None of the other Antipodes products are named after females or tragic Shakespearean heroines as far as I can tell.
This is the Antipodes Juliet Skin-Brightening Gel Cleanser, which is as the name implies, a face cleanser. Antipodes is a brand of natural and/or organic skincare from New Zealand. I say natural and/or organic, because not every product in their range is organic although they claim to be mostly natural. Its actually my first time trying a product from this brand, and when I saw that this gel cleanser is formulated with kiwi fruit and manuka honey (two of my favourite NZ imports!) I just had to see how it would fare.
Well, to start with, this is as the name implies, a gel based face cleanser. It is supposed to help reveal clear and blemish free skin thanks to – kiwifruit for its exfoliating properties, manuka honey for its antibacterial properties and Vinanza Grape for its antioxidant properties.
Well, what the combination of ingredients makes for, is a very interestingly coloured and a little strangely smelling product. The gel is a slightly translucent brown as you see in the picture. It actually doesn’t look all that pleasant, if you are used to the clear gels of most skincare.
Secondly, it has a strange spicy musky smell with a hint of sourness. It actually reminded me a little of how pure manuka honey smells if you were to mix it with spices. If you take pure certified manuka honey, you will know what I mean. It smells and tastes a little sour and has that raw honey smell that you either love or hate. I love manuka honey but even then, I was a little taken aback the first time I used this gel cleanser.
Very little is enough as it will foam up a little once you add water. Not super foamy though, but enough to wash your face. What I like is that after washing, the skin doesn’t feel tight or uncomfortable at all. In fact, it feels smooth. Might it be the kiwi fruit at work? I’m not sure.
However, I’m not one to believe that just by using a face cleanser you can get brighter skin, even if its what the brand promises. A cleanser only sits on your face for a few seconds before it is washed away. So really, how much can it do to brighten your skintone in those few seconds? If it really did work that way, I’d be seriously worried.
So, to me, this is a very nice non drying face wash that you only need very little of each time. That makes the 200ml bottle quite economical. I’ve been at this for over a month used once a day and have barely made inroads into it. I think it will easily last me 5-6 months or more. Used twice a day, I reckon 3-4 months is a safe bet.
The bottle is brown plastic and the dispenser is via a hole so you can control how much product you want each time.
I initially didn’t like that. It sort of gets a bit messy if you aren’t careful. I personally prefer a flip top type cap with the nozzle dispenser, or even a pump dispenser. That said, over time, I’ve gotten used to it and I can see the point of using this sort of dispenser. It does help you control just how much you need each time, and there is less wastage than if you go through a pump. Still, a flip top would be nice, if anyone from Antipodes is listening 🙂
In a nutshell
The Antipodes Juliet Skin-Brightening Gel Cleanser is a light foaming gel cleanser that promises to give you brighter more even toned skin. It contains natural ingredients and the brand hails from New Zealand. I like that it is a very gentle cleanser that does not strip my skin nor leave it feeling dry and tight after use. Its comfortable and that makes it nice to use. Only very little is needed each time so I anticipate that one bottle can last at least 5 months quite comfortably.
Pros: Gentle gel cleanser for all skin types, Not drying on skin, Economical to use as only very little is needed each wash
Cons: Scent may not appeal to everyone, Initial cost is pricey for some
Who will like this: Anyone who is into natural products, Anyone who is looking for a gentle face cleanser that does not leave the skin stripped and dry
I was quite happy with my first experience with Antipodes products. It might just be a face cleanser, but I’ve discovered that sometimes, face cleansers are the hardest items to get right in a range of products. I do still subscribe to the save on cleansers theory but if I break it down to 5 months use, it works out to about RM23/month (RM115/200ml) so ultimately, it probably isn’t that bad, and I should be taking a little more care of what cleansers I put on my face. Who knows if it might contribute to drying out my skin further eh? I certainly don’t need more lines and larger pores 😉
Have you tried this one? Or have you tried anything from Antipodes skincare before? Care to share your thoughts on what I might try next? I’m all ears! This wasn’t exactly a love story for me, but at least it wasn’t a tragedy! 😀
Paris B
Antipodes Juliet Skin-Brightening Cleansing Gel Price: RM115/200ml Availability: TNS Skinlabs stores or online
Ingredients: Aqua (water), herbal extract mixture of vitis vinifera & actindia chinensis (Vinanza Performance Plus sauvignon blanc grape seed & kiwi, Vinanza Kiwi fruit pulp), sodium cocoyl glutamate, sodium lauroamphoacetate, wheat germamidopropylnium, hydroxypropyl hydrolysed wheat protein, sodium hydroxymethyl glycinate, persea gratissima (avocado) oil, (jojoba) oil, leptospermum scoparium mel (manuka honey), hibiscus sabdariffa (hibiscus) flower extract, sodium benzoate, gluconolactone, calcium gluconate, essential oil fragrances of green apple & cardamon: benzyl alcohol*, cinnamal*, citral*, citronellol*, geraniol*, limonene*, linalool* (*component of essential oil)
Lily says
June 28, 2012 at 9:43 amYes, Romeo and Juliet but I think of Tom and Jerry instead of ice cream. Lol! I only tried the Manuka honey mask and it’s quite lovely. talking about cleansers, I just bought caudalie’s milk cleanser and cleansing water yesterday. Promotion on sasa!
Paris B says
July 2, 2012 at 11:39 amLOL the irony is that I don’t even eat ice cream 😀 Thanks for the rec for the Manuka honey mask. It sounds like a nice one to try next. Will await yout thoughts on the Caudalie cleansers. I think I have the cleansing water. Picked it up on sale online 🙂
xin says
June 28, 2012 at 10:09 ami really like it that it doesn’t dry out my skin 🙂 and im afraid that it will turn rancid before i can even finish it, with twice a day usage after 2-3 months i still have half a bottle left
Paris B says
July 2, 2012 at 11:39 amIts one of those that can never finish right? I hope it doesn’t turn bad though. It does contain preservatives I think. That’s the problem with so many of these organic/natural skincare. They always turn bad and its icky!
plue says
June 28, 2012 at 10:22 ami like it because it doesn’t dry out the skin and it cleans really quite well, and i like the smooth feeling too! but i don’t like because the price is a bit steep, and yah at times the screw cap is quite annoying, though I gotten used to it d 😛
i really like their eye cream till i think i need to shut up about it. i am staying loyal to that one!
Paris B says
July 2, 2012 at 11:41 amEye cream! Thanks for the rec. I still haven’t gotten round to using eye cream regularly (I know, I’m terrible! But at least I don’t preach it 😉 ) I think the price is quite alright actually. Steep for a one off purchase but since it lasts so long, its not that bad 🙂
Sze Ling says
June 28, 2012 at 11:31 amI spent five years in New Zealand, and I’ve never heard of them. 😛 I know, shame on me. But that has to confirm that I really did spend a lot of time studying my butt out, right? LOL.
Paris B says
July 2, 2012 at 11:42 amhahaha! The funny thing is, everytime I ask someone from NZ about X or Y brand that comes from there, they always tell me they don’t know anything about it! Makes me wonder where these brands/products are coming from if they are that obscure in their own country 😛 But I’m sure you aced all your exams so yes, good on ya! 😉
Mira says
June 28, 2012 at 11:35 amIs it just me or the bottle looks like a poisonous chemical in science lab? Black bottle, black cap! >.<
Paris B says
July 2, 2012 at 11:42 amhaha! its actually a brown bottle, like the Aesop ones. It reminds me of an apothecary 😀
LSY says
June 28, 2012 at 1:32 pmMy friend just recommended me to try the Hosanna Intensive Hydrating serum, she says it is really good. I was in the store to pick one up last week and it was all sold out, it must be good…
Paris B says
July 2, 2012 at 11:43 amAll sold out! Could you pick it up online then? I see that they offer free shipping 😉 I’ll see if I can try that. In this heat, my skin seems drier than normal
Sunny says
June 28, 2012 at 1:49 pmI’ve been curious about Antipodes for a while now. I’m looking into their honey mask, but will probably have to figure out how to get this brand here!
Paris B says
July 2, 2012 at 11:46 amHey Sunny, I saw that Antipodes ships to Europe if you’re keen to give their products a go 🙂 http://www.antipodesnature.com/deliverytimes.html
Sunny says
July 2, 2012 at 2:43 pmThanks Paris! I actually checked after reading about this. Eyeing their butter cleanser and mask now haha
Sarah Karenina says
June 28, 2012 at 6:53 pmCleansers can do wonders !
I have one (the MyChelle cranberry cleanser) which is an AHA-based cleanser. In few days, I’ve seen a difference on my pores and on my skintone. I massage my skin with it for about one minute to allow the ingredients to do their job.
Soon, I will test their salicylic acid-based cleanser, can’t wait !
Paris B says
July 2, 2012 at 11:59 amThat sounds like a lovely cleanser, Sarah! I used to be blase about my cleansers but now, I’m a little more particular. I use a salicylic based one in the evenings too (Vichy) and I do think it helps keep my skin cleaner and spots at bay
Bryan says
June 30, 2012 at 2:24 amBeen using this cleanser for the past 2 months, using it daily in the evening after a day of work at the office.
The scent is lovely (at least for me), a bit citrusy. After cleansing, skin does not feel tight or dry.
The Rejoice Light Facial Day Cream from Antipodes is an awesome day cream. The cream absorbed by my combination skin very fast, leaving a matte and soft feeling, no oily or sticky feel. Be cautious of the smell, some might say it stinks! For me it is ok, cause I am more than happy with the skin softening effect of this day cream.
Just to share, Eminence Stone Crop Gel Wash is my favorite cleanser in the morning. It’s a non foaming gel (in green color) and skin feeling so clean and hydrated after washing. In fact, the Stone Crop range of products suit my combination skin. I am using the hydration mist, serum, and masque too 🙂
Paris B says
July 2, 2012 at 4:28 pmHaha its amusing how we all perceive scents so differently. Someone else has likened the smell to strawberries! Thanks for sharing your other recs. Will take a look at the Rejoice Light Facial Day Cream 😀 I tried some samples of products from Eminence once but I don’t have much of an impression of the brand. Perhaps I need to use it longer to actually see any results 🙂
Lissa says
July 1, 2012 at 6:51 pmI love this cleanser. Funny, it smells like strawberries to me. It actually helped lighten some recent acne scars on the side of my face. I use it morning and night and theres still an ample amount left in the bottle. But I would have to say it is a little expensive. I would prefer to buy a smaller bottle for a lower price. I don’t think I will use it all within the 6months before it expires. Also, the bottle is amber (dark) coloured for a reason (to protect the ingredients/product from light exposure).
Paris B says
July 2, 2012 at 4:49 pmIts great to know this product helped you lighten your acne scars Lissa 🙂 I haven’t noticed anything dramatic, but I’d like to think that its helped to keep my skin looking a little more even toned than normal 🙂
milktea says
July 2, 2012 at 11:36 pmLove the packaging! 🙂 It appears pricey at first glance but may be economical in the long run. I don’t know… gotta touch and feel it to decide.
nadz says
August 4, 2013 at 11:52 amhi dear…
my 1st time posting here, although i’m an avid reader. 🙂
i juz bought this cleanser based on your review.
but 2 things i found it weird when i received it.
1. when i open the cap, there’s no the seal thingy. dats gave me a ‘violated’ kinda of feeling.
2. to make things worse, the colour of the gel is CLEAR! not as u described which was “slightly translucent brown”.
am i being ripped off here? 🙁
Paris B says
August 4, 2013 at 1:26 pmHi nadz, thank you for leaving your comment! For mine there was no seal too but the liquid is definitely brown and gets a little darker over time. There is also a very ‘natural’ scent. I don’t know if they have reformulated but if you bought it locally I will suggest you contact the people to check or mytns.com.My to confirm it with them. Alternatively do drop me a line and I’ll put you in touch with the local distributors 🙂
nadz says
August 4, 2013 at 1:35 pmthx so much for the reply. 🙂
yupe, i emailed them (TNS, where i bought it online…).
i mentioned the no seal thingy n the diff in the gels colour.
i even gave them the link to your blog. heeee 😛
lets see how do they respond n i’ll update it here. 🙂
Paris B says
August 9, 2013 at 2:35 pmHopefully you get it sorted out soon!
nadz says
August 15, 2013 at 10:59 amjuz want to update and share with you…
4/8 – i emailed them with my complaints
5/8 – they replied with this “Thank you for your email below, we will look into this and revert with our finding.”
8/8 – they followed up with this “We had forwarded your feedback to the principal of Antipodes in New Zealand and received a written reply from the manufacturer of the product. ”
13/8 – i returned the product n emailed them to let them know. still waiting for their reply.
eventhough i’m x satisfied with the product, i am totally pleased with their response n how they handle it. very impressive. kudos to them! 🙂
Paris B says
August 15, 2013 at 5:57 pmThanks for the update Nadz! Hope you get your refund/exchange soon!
nadz says
August 15, 2013 at 11:01 amhere’s the feedback to the principal of Antipodes in New Zealand and a written reply from the manufacturer of the product.
“In conclusion of the above trials we have found that there is a change in colour from previous batches and that it is slightly thinner.
The formulation has not been altered at all and the batch records are exactly the same % as the previous batches
This product is using 100% natural extracts, gums and surfactants.
1. We believe that the colour change is from the extracts of the grape seeds. This is something that we cannot control. These change from batch to batch as a result of the natural process direct from the crop that was picked and the season that the product was picked for processing.
2. We believe that the thickness of the product was affected for very much the same reason but from the natural gums that we use but the viscosity test shows that it is still within the parameters of the product Spec.
In conclusion, this product is 100% stable and was supplied in accordance with your specification of manufacturing including % of each raw material. Please note as previously mentioned, this is not a chemical product. When manufacturing 100% natural products it is very hard to match the product from batch to batch.”
Mandy says
November 30, 2015 at 4:56 pmI have just purchased this cleanser after seeing someone recommend it on YouTube for acne prone skin. The smell reminds me of an old fashioned sweet shop. Quite pleasant! I have only been using it for a week and my skin hasn’t gone mental yet. Fingers crossed!