Reviewed: Shiseido Vital Perfection Uplifting and Firming Advanced Cream

Now that I’m over 40, I’ve noticed many changes in my body, especially my skin. It seemed like only yesterday that I used to be a clear-cut, combination skin type, prone to breakouts, kind of gal. So, it’s still shocking that I have only had one or two zits in the past year. As you can guess, the change in my skin and skincare products has taken a while to get used to.  Before, I was satisfied with a lightweight moisturizer year-round, but now that I have—gulp—dry skin, finding a face cream with adequate hydration is the top priority. (I never thought in my life that I’d miss having oily skin!)

Finding a suitable face cream for my 40-somethin’, perimenopausal skin has been somewhat of a Goldilocks situation. Sometimes, a face cream I’ll try will work wonderfully at night, but it is an entirely different story in the morning.  I’m already a fan of Shiseido’s skincare, but its newest moisturizer has done some serious magic. The Shiseido Vital Perfection Uplifting and Firming Advanced Cream ($140) has left my skin hydrated, plump, and nourished to the gods since I started using it weeks ago —but it did even more.

Many things make this face cream different from any other, namely the ingredients. Safflower has a long history of being used as a colorant, and in cosmetics and food, but it has some pretty awesome benefits for skin. SafflowerRED, the proprietary ingredient found in Vital Perfection Uplifting and Firming Advanced Cream, is cultivated in Yamagata, Japan. According to the brand’s research, this variety of safflower “has a structural stabilizing effect” on the blood vessel structure, suggesting it can help treat aging concerns such as dark spots, dullness, wrinkles, and facial sagging. 

(Image credit: Marie Lodi)

I kid you not; since I started using the face cream, the wrinkles on my forehead are not as deep (I haven’t had Botox in two years), and my skin feels and looks firmer than it has in years. It’s almost as if it reversed my age back a few years. Shiseido also did some consumer trials that found 90 percent seeing firmer, lifted, and more even-toned skin, with 95 percent experiencing brighter skin, 93 percent having less visible dark spots, and 91 percent having tighter facial contours. In addition to SafflowerRED, the cream features an entire wonderland of antioxidants, plus caffeine and ginseng root to energize and stimulate collagen and jujuba fruit for elasticity and firmness. It is a must, especially if you have over-40 skin or have some aging concerns like deep wrinkles, dryness, and pigmentation. I take it with me everywhere, so much, it needs its own little purse! 

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