During my last Sasa haul, I bought a few products from NARUKO to try, given that Val has been raving about the very popular Taiwanese brand. I’ve been using the Narcissus Total Defence Repair Cream for close to two months now, so it’s about time I gave it a review.

Description:
This state-of-the-art cream contains multi-functional peptides, narcissus bulb extract, Phytoferulin (R) and SyriCalmCLR (TM) to boost skin’s rejuvenation, visibly minimize fine lines, protect against environmental damage and restore youthful appearance. It reveals healthy, radiant and glowing complexion.

The cream comes in a sleek and heavy glass jar. I’m not too keen that the jar is transparent (ingredients are not as efficacious when they’re stored in transparent containers), but most moisturisers come in transparent/translucent jars or bottles these days, so I guess you have to pick your battles.

The cream also comes with a spatula, which is rare these days for a non-high end brand. Even though I don’t use the spatula to scoop the moisturiser to use (since I’m the only one using the cream anyway), I think it’s a very good move on NARUKO’s part to provide one, so that we keep the cream as hygienic as possible. This way, you don’t have to stick your grubby mitts into the moisturiser. But I did. 😛

The moisturiser smells amazing. I don’t know how to describe the scent; it’s not floral or fruity nor any kind of fragrance I’m familiar with, but it’s just lovely. The texture is like whipped cream or mousse and applies so well on the skin. Some might find that it does not absorb as well and would just sit on the skin (similar to the negative reviews for Clinique’s Moisture Surge), but this works very well for me.

It’s not that rich or heavy that I can’t use this during the day, but I prefer to use it at night as I like to take my time with it, massaging my face gently with the cream. It’s oil-free too, which is a big thumbs up for me. On the website, it states that this is suitable for dry and delicate or mature skin. Pfft. I have combination skin with a super oily nose and I still think this works.

Was there any changes to my skin after using this? Well, there weren’t any miracles, that’s for sure. It moisturised my combination skin very well, keeping it well hydrated throughout the night, and I’d wake up in the mornings with baby bottom-smooth skin. I didn’t notice any minimisation of fine lines as described. My complexion did look brighter and more radiant after using it for a month though. I’m not sure if it’s just this moisturiser or a combination of the skincare products I’ve been using. A girl can only hope.

Would I repurchase this? Most definitely. I have about a third of the cream left, and I’ve already added it to my to-replenish list.

You can get them at the official NARUKO website, or if you’re completely Chinese-illiterate like me, you can get them from Sasa.com like I did. It’s US$19.40 for 60ml at Sasa.com. The NARUKO website is a cheaper option. An alternative is to use Google Translate on the NARUKO website (as suggested by Akisa). Even if you don’t buy anything, I highly suggest you try out Google Translate on the NARUKO website. The results are incredibly funny.

What I like about it: Smells lovely, nice that it comes with a spatula, very creamy-moussey texture, good for those with oily/combination skin.

What I do not like about it: It’s not available in Australia.