I used to wear moisturizers from the drugstore, but it wasn’t until I splurged on Shiseido skincare a couple of years ago that I really felt like I had hit that sweet spot with my skin.

Sure, the much-higher price tag is still hard for me to swallow, but if there’s something that you shouldn’t skimp on, it’s your skin, your body’s largest organ. So I feel that it’s worth every single penny.

(If you shell out for makeup, stuff you put on top, you had better make sure the canvas it’s sitting on is a good foundation.)

Through the couple of years that I’ve dived into Shiseido skincare, I’ve found my favourite when my skin feels dry, like it did during the seemingly endless winter we had this year: the Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Night Cream!

It’s more for mature, dry skin, but even though I’m in my 30s, I really enjoyed it. Plus I’m a late-bloomer when it comes to using anti-aging skincare. Pretty much all my friends started using age-defying skincare in their early 20s. Better late than never!

Although nail polish is more fun for me to review, I knew I had to share a review on this because I recently just finished an entire tub of it, and I repurchased it during the Sephora VIB Rouge sale this month.

Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Night Cream Pictures

Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Night Cream Ingredients

Claims: TRUSTED

• Age-defying night moisturizer (Yes)
• Visible reduction in the appearance of wrinkles (Yes)
• Promotes silky smooth skin & encourages recovery by morning (Yes)
• Intensively addresses lines and wrinkles before they become more serious (Not sure)

Key Notes

• Name: Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Night Cream
• Amount: 50 mL (1.7 fl. oz.)
• What I Paid: $57.80 CAD (Got it on sale during Sephora’s VIB/VIB Rouge sale. It retails for $68 CAD.)
• Where to Buy: Sephora stores, Sephora website, select Shoppers Drug Marts, The Bay counters, Sears.ca & Sears counters

Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Night Cream Review

Efficacy & How I Use It

Before I go to bed at night and after washing my face thoroughly with my Clarisonic Mia and using a Shiseido softener, I take about 1-2 peas worth of the Shiseido night cream and apply it all over my face and neck. I’m really careful about rubbing it all in gently, so that it absorbs into my skin, rather than just sit on top of the surface.

Sometimes when I’m lazy, I put it over my eyelids, too, but usually I prefer to put a specific eye cream on my sensitive eyelids. I’ve actually also only started using an eye cream.

The reason I’m in love with the Shiseido Benefiance night cream is that instantly when I put it on, my skin feels soothed and fully hydrated.

My skin already has a smooth texture, and it feels soft, but when I put this Shiseido night cream on, it seems to take it to the next level.

When I wake up the next morning, my skin feels so good, not tight or dry. (In the past, even when I used greasy-feeling moisturizers, I woke up with dry patches and an uncomfortable tightness, which suggests that they weren’t working for me.)

I completely vouch for the Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Night Cream because it always gets the job done, even in the cold Canadian winter we had.

Texture

As I’ve said before, I’m new to luxury skincare. (Haha, well, some of you may think that what I’m talking about isn’t luxury skincare because it’s not in the ranks of skincare that costs over $200 a tub. But in my mind, Shiseido is definitely a luxury in my life with my budget.

You’d expect a super-moisturizing cream to be thick and heavy. At least that’s what I was expecting when I first tried it. So you can imagine my surprise when the cream felt more like a soft lotion in tub form!

It isn’t so liquid-like that it drips from your fingers (as you can see in one of the photos above where I show what it looks like on my finger), but the texture is thin.

Although I tend to have unrealistically high hopes for most skincare products I try, when I saw the texture, my initial thoughts were, “It’s so thin! It’s not going to moisturize my skin that well!”

But, I was glad to be proven wrong. A cream doesn’t have to feel thick, gross, and greasy to work its magic!

What It Feels Like on the Skin

Of course, it doesn’t matter what it feels like on your fingers. The real test is what it feels like on your face (and neck, if that’s also where you moisturize at night).

I was surprised that, although the cream looked and felt thin, it delivered hydration exceptionally well. My skin is sensitive, and it just loved how exceptionally soothing the cream is! (Before I used this cream, I had never experienced a cream that had a soothing effect! I was used to putting on a night cream and thinking, “Ugh, it feels gross, but it’ll be worth it in the morning.”)

Although this formulation is supposed to be heavier to address the needs of mature skin, I found that it wasn’t too heavy for me, and I’m in my early 30s.

I think the key is to not use too much. (We’ve all heard that saying that too much of a good thing isn’t good! The same is true in this case.) If you use more than 1-2 peas worth, it can feel heavy.

Packaging

I’ve never been attracted to luxury skincare packaging. In fact, when it comes to skincare, it’s the only time when I really don’t let the outside sway my purchasing decision too much. I could easily be wooed by novelty packaging for nail polish or a new eye-shadow palette, but when it comes to skincare, I want to know one thing: Does it work? Haha, and if it works, I really couldn’t care less if it came in an ugly tub.

However, it’s not that packaging is completely irrelevant to me. I’m just more practical about it. I want to make sure the packaging keeps the product fresh and that the lid is easy for me to open and close. Stuff like that.

This Shiseido Benefiance night cream has a frosted-glass jar and a gold-coloured lid that unscrews. It’s no-nonsense, which I prefer with skincare. Once packaging gets too fancy, I begin to get suspicious about what gimmicks the company is using. (Funny how I never think that way about makeup, and fancy packaging is sometimes why I buy cosmetics!) 😛

I like how the jar is glass because it feels heavy in your hand, as opposed to plastic jars for the skincare products I’ve tried from the drugstore.

And it’s good that the lid is coloured. You don’t want a skincare lid to be clear because, as you know, light can break down the product and compromise its efficacy.

The night cream comes in a box that includes the tub, written instructions, and a tiny plastic spatula.

You’re supposed to use this spatula to get the product out from the tub more hygienically. At first, I used it, but after a while, I frankly was too lazy to keep using it. (Now, when I get them, I give the spatulas to my mom, who actually does use them.)

Before I wash my face, I always thoroughly clean my hands, so by the time I reach for my moisturizer, my hands are still clean enough for me not to feel gross about sticking my fingers in the pot.

How My Skin Looks & Feels the Morning After

The product completely absorbs into my skin by the time I wake up. My face doesn’t feel tight, dry, or on the opposite end, greasy! Instead, it feels like it ‘drank it up’ because my skin feels softer, smoother, and more comfortable.

Does It Reduce the Appearance of Wrinkles?

I don’t have a lot of fine lines and wrinkles, but I do have some as a result of being a human and using my face to express emotion. I’m not looking for a cream (or anything like Botox) to get rid of wrinkles. To me, wrinkles show that you lived life. You smiled. You frowned. You made a goofy face. Those are hardly anything to be ashamed of (haha, unless someone took a photo of that goofy face you made and posted it all over Facebook to your embarrassment!). 😉

I’m in my early 30s, and as I get older, I know that I don’t look like I did when I was a teenager. I’m okay with that. I wouldn’t want to still look like I’m 18. I want to be comfortable with myself at any age, even if I’m fortunate enough to live to be 90.

But, growing old gracefully is important to me. Just because I’m not embarrassed to have some fine lines around my eyes when I smile, it doesn’t mean that I want massive wrinkles on par with a 90-year-old. That’s extreme! To be comfortable with yourself and your looks, I think you have to gradually ease into it, and the changes are more easy to accept this way.

Plus I hold the philosophy that I keep harping about on here (and in life). It’s not about perfection. It’s about happiness. 

Instead of trying to achieve ‘perfect skin’ (which, by the way, doesn’t exist outside of Photoshop), I’m trying to make my skin age gracefully and feel comfortable. Big difference.

I found that this night cream helped to soften the appearance of the wrinkles around my eyes, but it didn’t get rid of them like a magic potion from some wizard in a fairytale.

Value

When I bought the Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Night Cream, I cringed when I saw the $68 CAD price tag.

Unfortunately, the price will prevent a lot of people from ever trying it, but, for me, it’s worth every cent. I’m not saying go into debt over it. (Nothing is worth that!) But, if you have some space in your budget to factor in a ‘luxury skincare’ product and you’d like a fantastic night cream, I would highly recommend this! (If you still aren’t ready to take the leap, it doesn’t hurt to ask for some free samples to try before committing to a full tub.)

If you end up loving this night cream like I do, here’s my suggestion. Wait for sales and special promotions. That’s what I do. When Sephora has their VIB/VIB Rouge sales where you can save 15-20% in general, that’s when I purchase this expensive night cream.

You can also find free-gift promotions at department-store counters that will help you get more bang for your buck.

This is probably the most I’d ever pay for skincare. I’ve seen creams that are $200 or more, but with my budget, I can’t afford that. Even if I could, I just couldn’t bring myself to spend that much. $68 is already a lot for me, and I’m happy with the results.

This 50 mL tub lasted me for around 6 or 7 months of daily use, so it’s not like you’ll just be flying through this stuff. A little goes a long way.

Pros Hydrates skin Doesn’t feel greasy or heavy when you use an appropriate amount Absorbs into the skin (doesn’t just sit on the surface) Helps to soften the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles Leaves skin feeling soothed Packaging is no-nonsense Coloured lid helps prevent the light from breaking down the effectiveness of the cream

Cons Very expensive

Final Verdict: 9.5/10

I wanted to give this product a perfect score because I have really fallen in love with it, but the high price tag made me deduct half a point.

I will continue to repurchase this for the colder months when my skin needs an extra boost of hydration.

Now that it’s spring, I may need to use the “Emulsion” version, instead, since it’s lighter. But since the weather still seems to be flip-flopping, I’ll continue to use my night cream until we start getting consistent warm weather.

Shiseido has a new skincare line out called Ibuki, which I think is designed more for people my age. (Benefiance is actually formulated for people older than me, but I don’t care. I use what works, not based on an age classification.) 🙂 I’m curious about trying the Ibuki line, but I need to finish the products I have first before buying more.

Have any of you tried the Shiseido Benefiance or Ibuki skincare lines? Do you splurge on skincare? What are your skincare concerns, and how do you address them?