 |
| UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ it's a rave! Haven't had one since my Mediheal Dress Code Sheet Masks review in August! |
This is a tale of triumph. You know that moment when you throw caution to the wind and buy something with zero reviews and come away with something you really love? Yes? No? In any case, it's not something that happens often.
Today I'm reviewing a cream that I bought from a Korean e-tailer using the international shipping services of Dowaja.com. It's from a brand called Miguhara, which to me sounds Japanese, but after moseying around their site, seems to be fully Korean. I first found out about them through a feature in an In Style Korea issue, and promptly forgot about them (after all, a magazine editorial inclusion doesn't necessarily equal great product). A little while later, I came upon some of their products at G-Market and they looked nice, the ingredients lists were clean and included many of the ones I've been seeking out in my skincare as well.
I bought the Miguhara Hyalucollagen Moisturizer Aqua-Ctrl moisturizer. There are two versions: one for dry skin, and one for normal/combo/oily skin. I preferred the ingredients list for the latter. And I now believe it to be the LBD (little black dress) of creams, perfect for everyone, and ideal for Fall.
The ad copy: "All skin types have the issue of lacking moisture."
More claims:
"1. BSL method (biomimetic skin lipids) Onion-like cream concept particle structure with DDS technology (Drug Delivery System)
2. Bio:Fermentation Method
Oriental herbs are fermented using traditional oriental methods increases phyto-energy
3. Characteristics
Excellent and long-lasting moisturizing effects
Damaged skin and lipids protection & action
Delivers ingredients (hyallucollagen)"
Secret Key of the product: hyalucollagen, phytochemical ingredients & peptides
Order placed on 8/27
Shipped from Korea on 8/31
Received 9/8
Total: 12 days, and there was a slight 2-3 day delay due to the Labor Day weekend.
Product (50 ml): $44.57 <-> 54,400 KRW
Registered Air Mail Shipping: $8.47
Total: $53.14
It comes in sturdy jar packaging. The silver colored top lid is pretty heavy, and there's an inner plastic disk imprinted with the brand name. Unfortunately, there is no spatula.
There's a reason why I called it Love at First Swipe when I first laid eyes on this cream. The texture is like whipped butter and smells super fresh with a hint of pine and herb.
Ingredients: Green Tea Extract, Glycerin, ginseng extract, Ophiopogon japonicus root extract, Baloon flower root extract, licorice extract, Astragalus extract, ginger extract, sunflower seed oil, apricot kernel oil, ethylhexyl palmitate, hydrolyzed collagen, Sodium hyaluronate, wild yam root extract, glycol stearate SE, cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid, hydrogenated lecithin, beeswax, cetearyl glucoside, honeysuckle extract, Sichuan pepper fruit extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Grapefruit extract, Lactobacillus / rooibos leaf fermentation extract, honeysuckle extract fermented filtered water, white mushroom extract, Eclipta prostrata extract, Rehmannia glutinosa extract, "aeyeop" extract (it looks like a fern), Portulaca Oleracea extract, arginine, tocopheryl acetate, acetyl hexapeptide-8, carbomer, allantoin, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, disodium EDTA, orange oil, rosewood oil, lavender oil, rosemary leaf oil, fragrance, lemon oil
The two namesake ingredients in this cream are great for adding hydration and moisture to the skin. They are:
(1) sodium hyaluronate: salt form of hyaluronic acid, a substance present in our skin and joints that is highly prized in skincare for its ability to bind water molecules by the thousands.
(2) hydrolyzed collagen: collagen, again a substance present in our skin, broken down again for better absorption in the skin.
On top of that, imagine how excited I was for my first "waterless" (based in something other than water, usually a botanical extract that is high in antioxidants, or oil) skincare item. Waterless is basically a buzzword for "no-filler ingredients". This cream is based in green tea extract which is known to be high in polyphenols, potent antioxidants.
Next, many of the herbs and non-fragrant botanical extracts (ginseng, ginger, licorice, ...)have gone through the fermentation process, which is thought to break down the particles for easier absorption into the skin.
This cream also contains hexapeptide-8 which is thought to relax facial tension and wrinkles.
Just, almost everything in this list is like hallelujah.
According to CosDNA, ethylhexyl palmitate is an acne trigger, while apricot kernel oil, cetearyl alcohol, and stearic acid are possible acne triggers. Carbomer, the fragrant oils at the end of the list, and fragrance are potential irritants, while Arginine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA should be noted as health triggers.
 |
| always save your spatula kids! |
The cream is really rich and satiny. It's also so emollient that it spreads out and absorbs very quickly for a heavier cream.
See it in action above!
It leaves your skin velvety and touchable. You can see in the photo on the right hand side that my nasolabial folds look more shallow after using this cream.
Kind of funny and relevant, remember when I first talked about the radiant glow that my new skincare routine was giving me when I first hauled this cream? At first, I'd thought it was my astaxanthin product, but after a few weeks of testing, I found out that the glow actually comes from using this cream! It actually has a very mild white cast that makes your skin look brighter. It's not as bad as the white cast from a sunscreen, but it acts like a sheer veil of extra brightness for your complexion.
It performs so well. I know that most people don't really get in a tizzy over a cream, but my skin has had a 30 year dry spell. Meaning, it needs all of the help it can get, and any product that can consistently raise the oil and water content of my skin by 10 - 20% will automatically make me want to go steady with it. I want to own this every day of the rest of my life and grow old with it.
BOTTOM LINE
This is a product that functions extremely well at hydrating and moisturizing skin, with a very clean ingredients list (save the fatty alcohols and the ethylhexyl palmitate), pleasant scent, and luxurious texture. The drawback of the cream is that it is costly at $50+ for a 50 ml jar. It also comes in jar packaging and does not have a spatula included.
Miguhara for < $54*Requires buying/shipping service Dowaja.com or Avecko.com
G-Market for ~$54.40
$69.50 at eBay store Kevin-Cosmetic
 |
| Wearing the Lioele Triple The Solution BB Cream reviewed here |
Are you interested in this product? In the brand? What are some unreviewed products you've tried and had work out?
Disclosure: Bought it, no affiliate links. If you're curious about my policy on press samples, affiliate links, and sponsors, see my disclaimer and policies.
No comments:
Post a Comment