Review: Shiseido Essential Energy Moisturizing Gel Cream

Just so there’s no confusion further down the line, I would like to clarify that the product I am reviewing here is the Essential Energy Moisturizing Gel Cream, not the Moisturizing Cream or the Day Cream. Although I do not doubt that these are also excellent products, thus far I have only tried the gel cream, and I am therefore ill-equipped to review or comment on any of the others. So, is everyone clear on this? OK good…

Now that that’s out of the way, I’ll begin discussing the product itself: Shiseido Essential Energy Moisturizing Gel Cream is, in the brand’s own words, “a dewy fresh cream that penetrates quickly to reawaken skin’s sensors, turning its energy back on for a glowing, smooth and freshly hydrated look”. While a lot of this is obviously marketing spiel, the product definitely does sink into the skin quickly, and the subtly fruity scent is nothing if not refreshing. (I don’t know if it necessarily “turns my energy back on”, however. Not the way an espresso does anyway.)

If you have dry skin, the Moisturizing Gel Cream may not be for you, but as alluded to above, there are other textures available to suit a range of skin types and preferences. But if, like me, you happen to have enormously oily skin, there are few moisturisers I would recommend more strongly than this one. It has a lightweight, melting texture not entirely dissimilar to that of La Mer’s The Moisturizing Cool Gel Cream, only it comes at a much more modest price — think £59 for 50ml as opposed to £125 for 30ml…gulp. This lightweight texture makes it ideal for layering under make-up, and it won’t compromise the longevity of anything you apply on top of it. Also, you only need a small amount to cover the entire face.

I am now onto my second or third jar of the Essential Energy Moisturizing Gel Cream and I can’t see myself defecting any time soon. I know some people love a rich face cream, especially in winter, but given that such formulas are fundamentally ill-suited to my skin, I prefer to stick with gel creams like this, and simply layer them over hydrating serums like my beloved Dior Capture Youth Plump Filler (raved about here). Since I started using this last autumn, my skin has become significantly more balanced, both in terms of how it looks and how it feels, and after many, many years of trial and error, I feel like I’ve finally found “the one”.

Unlike some of the other products in the range, the Moisturizing Gel Cream doesn’t contain any SPF, however I am happy to confirm that it layers just fine under one. This also means that it can be used a.m. and p.m. without need of a separate night cream — win! Furthermore, it is non-comedogenic and oil-free, both of which are also big wins for more problematic skins.

This piece was originally published on Part Time Beauty in 2019.