Empties & Mini Reviews [July 2017 - December 2017]

Brands Included: COSRX | Missha | TheFaceShop | the CREME shop | Hada Labo | SCINIC | Kikumasamune | Mamonde

1. COSRX

• COSRX - AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner
• As somebody with oily, acne-prone skin, I found this product to work fine, but it did not seem to do quite as much as I would have hoped it would. It could be because the formulation is so gentle and I need a higher percentage of AHA/BHA, but this product would be ideal to those with sensitive skin. Will not repurchase. 4/5.
• COSRX - Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
• When my skin was doing particularly bad, this was my absolute go-to product. It hydrates, heals, and soothes the skin very effectively. I think everybody should try a snail product at least once in their lifetime. Will repurchase. 5/5.
• COSRX - Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask
• While COSRX tends to impress me more than disappoint, I was sad to find that this product did next to nothing for my skin. As an overnight mask, I expected it to act as an occlusive to seal in all of the hydration and moisture from the products I used underneath, but it felt like it would simply dissipate from my skin. I did love the texture of the actual product though. Will not repurchase. 2/5.  

2. Missha

• Missha - Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Borabit Ampoule
• This is a holy grail item for me. With its long list of extracts I can always expect this product to hydrate my skin and make it look more radiant. And because it has a very small percentage of retinol, I can comfortably use it every night without irritating my skin but still see the benefits that retinol brings -- lightening of acne scars, smoother skin texture, a more even skin tone, and less acne in general. Will repurchase. 5/5.
• Missha - Near Skin Smart All-In-One Cream
• I wanted to love this product so much. Its ingredient list might suggest that it could easily become a product loved by many, but for whatever reason this product did very little for me. I do not think that it truly functions as an all-in-one product, but rather, a slightly heavier gel-cream. That being said, it must be one of the very few products by Missha that had absolutely no fragrance. While it did not make my skin worse, it did seem to make it more oily and did not wear well under makeup. Will not repurchase. 2/5.

3. TheFaceShop

• TheFaceShop - Jeju Volcanic Lava Pore Mud Pack
• Simply put, I found this product to be very drying (and ultimately damaging to my skin more than anything else). My skin is not particularly sensitive, but this product made it feel as though it was. Will not repurchase. 1/5.
• TheFaceShop - Chia Seed Moisture Recharge Cream
• After discovering that my holy grail Chia Seed Moisturizing Cream had been discontinued, I decided to give this newer formulation a try. I was pleasantly surprised. Just as the original cream, it soothed my skin, thoroughly moisturized my skin without turning it greasy, and worked well under my makeup. The only thing that gets me about this product is that its scent seems more artificial (more “perfume-like”) than natural. Their first formulation will always be superior, but this is an acceptable replacement. Will repurchase. 4.5/5. 

4. the CREME shop

• the CREME shop - Chia Seed Calming Spritz Toner
• I thought I had stumbled onto an amazing dupe for my beloved Chia Seed Soothing Mist Toner by TheFaceShop, but unfortunately, I was very disappointed by this product. It burned my skin instead of soothing it, smelled strongly of perfume, and was drying rather than hydrating. I managed to finish the bottle by using it on my body. After only a few uses, I was reluctant to use this on my face. Will not repurchase. 0/5.

5. Hada Labo

• Hada Labo - Gokujyun Lotion (Clear)
• This is a perfectly light toner that effectively plumped up my skin, reducing the look of the fine lines on my forehead and under my eyes. I found that it was perfect for layering when I wanted that extra bit of hydration. Will not repurchase only because its main ingredient, hyaluronic acid, can be found in many Asian beauty products that provide additional benefits. 5/5.

6. SCINIC

• SCINIC - Honey All In One Ampoule
• Smells amazing, feels amazing, and simply is amazing. I loved how thick this product was while at the same time it felt light on the skin because of how well it absorbed. (Note that it will feel sticky until it does fully absorb.) It soothed my skin, improved my skin’s texture, was healing, and helped fade some post-acne scars. Will repurchase. 5/5.

7. Kikumasamune

• Kikumasamune - High Moist Lotion
• The most hydrating toner I have ever used to date. It delivers immediate hydration upon application due to the many ceramides it contains and improves the skin with its star ingredient, fermented sake. Perfect for layering. Smells of bananas and bubble gum. Will not repurchase only because of its controversial ingredient (horse placenta) and there is a dupe of this product. Still, I cannot deny that this is an amazing product. 5/5.

8. Mamonde 

• Mamonde - Rose Water Toner
• The highest rose-containing product that I currently know of (90.98%) that smells of natural roses and not artificially perfumed. I love that I could use it effectively as an astringent toner to remove any makeup I might have missed with my cleanser and to prepare my skin for the following products I used on top of it. It made my skin smooth and helped reduce my acne. Will repurchase. 5/5.

Review: Missha - Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Borabit Ampoule

Packaging: This product comes in a purple glass bottle equipped with a glass dropper. What I particularly like about its packaging is when you pull out the dropper, there is a plastic lining (see photo above) that removes excess product on the outside of it which takes care of the issue of dripping – a problem that most dropper applicators have. I use just three or four drops on my whole face.

Price: You’ll find that most places you look, this product sells for ~$50 (Missha US, Missha Canada), but you can find it for better prices around ~$35 (Jolse, Cosmetic-Love). This product generally lasts me around three months and is considered less expensive than the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair dupe that retails at over $100! So, this is a great deal if you ask me.

Consistency: As with most serums, immediately after application there is a slight sticky feeling left on your skin, but I do find that this product absorbs rather quickly despite its semi-thick consistency. On days when my skin is really dehydrated, it almost feels as though my skin “drinks” this product right up! I use it day and night; I love it. This suits skins of all types.

Scent: The scent is very, very subtle and I find it a little hard to describe, but I can only assume it is the concoction of extracts I’m smelling. (It is by no means bad!)

Ingredients: This product is absolutely loaded with extracts! If your skin is sensitive to extracts, then this may not be the product for you, but if you don’t have this issue, then allow me to introduce you to its glorious ingredient list:

Water, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Glycereth-26, Juniperus Chinensis Xylem Extract, Sorbus Commixta Extract, Bis-peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Betaine, Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethyl Hexanediol, Dimethicone, Grifola Frondosa (maitake)/ophioglossum Vulgatum Extract Ferment Filtrate, Peg-11 Methyl Ether Dimethicone, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ppg-26-buteth-26, Polysorbate 20, Carbomer, Glyceryl Caprylate, Triethanolamine, Chamomilla Recutita (matricaria) Flower Extract, Dimethicone/vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Rice Extract, Lactobacillus/rice Ferment Filtrate, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Sea Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Octyldodecanol, Carthamus Tinctorius (safflower) Oleosomes, Acacia Arabica Stem Bark Extract, Hydrolyzed Extensin, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Aronia Arbutifolia Extract, Beta Vulgaris (beet) Root Extract, Brassica Oleracea Capitata (cabbage) Leaf Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (carrot) Root Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium (blueberry) Fruit Extract, Dipropylene Glycol, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cyclomethicone, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Disodium Edta, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Cassia Alata Leaf Extract, Dextrin, Lactobacillus Ferment, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Manilkara Multinervis Leaf Extract, Theobroma Cacao (cocoa) Seed Extract, Lauryl Methacrylate/glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer,Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/soybean Ferment Extract, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Saccharomyces/viscum Album (mistletoe) Ferment Extract, Yeast Ferment Extract, Pogostemon Cablin Oil, Dimethiconol, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/leaf/vine Extract, Helianthus Annuus (sunflower) Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Alpha-glucan Oligosaccharide, Limnanthes Alba (meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Beta-sitosterol, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Propylene Glycol, Cholesterol, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Ceteth-24, Choleth-24, Glyceryl Arachidonate, Glyceryl Linoleate, Glyceryl Linolenate, Ubiquinone, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Maltodextrin Crosspolymer, Cetyl Phosphate, Caprylic/capric Triglyceride, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Retinol, Lecithin, Phenoxyethanol, Cucumis Melo (melon) Fruit Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Biotin, Brassica Campestris (rapeseed) Sterol, Peg-5 Rapeseed Sterol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tripeptide-10 Citrulline, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Bht, Ceteth-3, Ceteth-5, Copper Tripeptide-1, Silica, Tripeptide-1

Ingredient List Source: Missha US

I’ve bolded some of the ingredients that stand out most to me. First, we see many different kinds of ferments, all of which strengthen and protect your skin barrier. Next, we see niacinamide which brightens up your face. Last, but not least, we see retinol near the bottom of the list. In general, we can easily assume that the majority of this product is composed of the first five or so ingredients, but why might it be good to see retinol at the very bottom of the list? Well, you could purchase a more potent retinol product if you wanted, but then you face photosensitivity due to the sun, irritation, redness, and peeling. With a product like this, we can safely assume its percentage of retinol is fairly low, but still effective enough despite this fact. I didn’t realize I had fine lines on my forehead from raising my eyebrows so often (haha..), but I did when I realized they weren’t there anymore (!) due to this product. It managed to smooth them out within two weeks, and as a plus, its high percentage of niacinamide faded my old acne marks. To top it all off, this product seemed to do as it advertised: it strengthened my skin barrier by providing it with nutrients and a surge of hydration and moisture.

Overall Review: This is one of those products you might not realize how much you need until it’s gone. If you feel that your face is perfect, you may certainly feel this way as you use it, but upon using it up, you may be surprised! I was using many products when I had first purchased this, so it was hard to say what was contributing to my skin progress, but when it was gone, I found out just how much I needed it. I’ve purchased this product twice now, and I can say with certainty that I will be purchasing it again and again in the future. It’s simply one of those products I can’t go without. I’m simply smitten. 5/5.

Gifts from My Mother

In the first photo, from left to right: M Magic Cushion SPF50+ PA+++,
Signature Essence Cushion SPF50+ PA+++, MISA Geum Sul Vitalizing
Finisher*, MISA Cho Gong Jin miniature set, Time Revolution Night
Repair Science Activator Borabit Ampoule, Signature Dewy Rouge, &
Time Revolution Immortal Youth miniature set.

Ahh, just look at these beautiful products! When my parents came up to Canada to pay me a visit, my mother brought me all of these things. I’m so spoiled >;] and I love her. 

We share a mutual love (and subsequent brand bias) for Missha’s products. Her current obsession is Cho Gong Jin (red) from the MISA line, and mine, also from the MISA line, is Geum Sul (pink). And the one product that we’re obsessed with is Missha’s Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Borabit Ampoule*.

* Read my review of Missha’s MISA Geum Sul Vitalizing Finisher here!
* Read my review of Missha's Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Borabit Ampoule here!