By now, you should be well-acquainted with SK-II and their latest campaign and film series, which puts some usually flawless and very famous people to the test, by having them hike up active volcanoes, or trek through scorching desert conditions, and then head straight to an on-site photoshoot after. They’re armed with a bottle of SK-II’s just-as-famous Facial Treatment Essence though, because the brand’s that confident that their product will make a difference. The audacity!
Still, the very bold ‘Face The Wild, Face The Camera’ campaign is a fun one to get behind. Produced together with National Geographic, we’ve already seen fashion icon Chiara Ferragni looking fresh despite having her skin being subjected to the harsh and dry conditions of the Anza Borrego Desert in the USA, and Korean actress Lee Siyoung taking on the challenge by being in the extremely polluted environment of sulfur dioxide atop the Ijen Stratavolcano in Java, Indonesia. No mean feats, and yet, they still look gorgeous and glowy after.
And then, it was our turn to “face the wild” — which for us meant planting ourselves in the middle of a ripe forest or mountain, and more exercise than we’ve done in an entire year. Were we daunted? Yes. Were we curious though? Certainly. SK-II’s Facial Treatment Essence is supposed to refresh our skin with instant hydration, a calming effect, and even a visible glow once it goes on our faces, and we were determined to find out if any of the long-held claims are true. Here’s how it went.
Who: Tami Lai, Associate Editor
Where: Mount Batur, Bali + Borobodur Temple, Yogyakarta
“My 8-day trip to Yogyakarta and Bali came at a time when my skin was not in a great place. For a couple of weeks prior, my face felt greasier than usual, my pores more stubbornly enlarged than usual, and all my makeup just didn’t seem to be sitting right. So starting on a new skincare product (yes, unbelievably, the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence is new to me) in a place where I would be exposing my skin to the harsh sun for prolonged durations, sans my usual face of makeup, filled me with quite a bit of trepidation.”
“Thankfully, the Facial Treatment Essence felt good from the moment I patted it on, both in the day and night — I could sense a slight tightening effect which was soothing for my pores; yet, the silky texture of the product left my skin feeling plump and hydrated overall. Over the trip, I hiked two peaks, went cave tubing and white water rafting, and spent hours under the unrelenting Indonesian sun exploring ancient temples, street stores, and beaches; many days, I was running on under 5 hours of sleep, after setting out in the wee hours of the night to be in time to catch the sunrise. That’s putting my skin through a lot, but all that time, it felt smooth, shine-free and just-slightly-glowy enough that I didn’t even mind taking all these photos without a stitch of foundation (that’s rare for me!).”
Who: Amelia Tan, Associate Editor
Where: MacRitchie Reservoir, Singapore
“I know, I know, it’s just MacRitchie — but come on, this is Singapore, and boardwalks aside, this is as close as we can get to nature and the hot and humid stickiness that comes with a tropical rainforest. In fact, for such a small island with very city-like conditions of skyscrapers and constant upgrading, our biodiversity numbers are astounding: 392 species of birds and at least 2,100 native vascular plants, according to the National Parks Board, which probably includes the insects, monkeys and monitor lizards I encountered on this nature trek. Therefore, a walk in the park isn’t just that — it’s a whole lot of perspiration after just half an hour, thanks to our famous high humidity, and also a thorough experience of our wonderfully erratic weather — one moment it was bright and sunny, and the next, I saw gloomy skies that signalled an upcoming torrential downpour. Thanks! Still, I was armed with SK-II’s Facial Treatment Essence, which made all the difference.”
“I’ve written so much about the benefits of SK-II’s miracle essence that I think I have it by heart, and yet, I remained skeptical — but only at first. Here goes! Before I had even started on the trek, my skin felt parched from the intense afternoon sun, so I patted on a bit of the Facial Treatment Essence using a cotton pad. In no time, my skin felt hydrated, as if it hungrily slurped up all the nourishing ingredients in the lightweight liquid-like formula. I noticed my skin felt more plump, surely a good sign that the essence had already begun its work. What I also enjoyed is that, unlike a typical cream, no matter how light, there was no greasiness, even for a second, just a refreshing cooling sensation.”
“After that, I also put on sunscreen and a light layer of water-based foundation. How did my skin hold up? Surprisingly well, actually. The second half of my hike involved more ominous cloud-filled skies, so my skin didn’t feel as dry than if I had endured more scorching weather, but still, there’s bound to be dehydration from all that walking. And it performed pretty well under these fickle conditions too. In fact, don’t underestimate the clouds, UV rays can still pass through them so we’re never safe, oh joy. However, my skin never felt stripped, and instead, still felt hydrated after hours. In front of the camera, I dare say that I detected a bit more glow on the high points of my face, even without any highlighter, so that’s definitely a plus!”
SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, available at SK-II counters. sk-ii.com.sg
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