Cremorlab - second impressions

This is going to be a long mega-post, so go grab a sandwich, or a coffee. Yes, you may need some caffeine just to stay awake.
Go on, I'll wait.

I'm going to get a drink myself.

This review has been simmering here since last fall. Yep. Nine months. If it were a baby, it would be screaming for some breast milk now.

Anyway, where was I?
Ah, yes... Cremorlab.

Actually, it's good I waited out the Cremorlab hype with these products. It gave me enough time to get to know them and to form an opinion of sorts about the brand in general.
And what a huge difference a year makes!
It seems that Peach and Lily stopped pushing Cremorlab in every single advertorial, the hype is done and over now. So what did Cremorlab do to fall from the K-beauty pedestal? Nothing really, apart from being boring and expensive.

Yes, expensive...

I bought all of today's products myself, and the only reason I could afford them was a huge discount at SkinGarden in Shin Okubo in Tokyo.

I've been getting quite frequent emails from people asking me if I could buy them Cremorlab this and Cremorlab that in Shin Okubo and unfortunately, I can't. One, because I am not a buying service, and two, because this is not how sales in Shin Okubo work.

You see, the huge discounts you can find at places like SkinGarden come with a trade off of short expiration dates, usually a year or less. Some products at 90% markdown are waaaay past their prime, I have seen SanDaWha and ElishaCoy that were so expired I'd be afraid to handle them without a hazmat suit.

Such are the risks of buying discounted Korean cosmetics in Shin Okubo. Those stores buy less than fresh overstock for super cheap and try to unload it as fast as possible. Once a brand is gone, it's gone for good.

That was the case with Cremorlab. Maybe some day it will appear in Shin Okubo again. If that happens, I will carefully check the dates on every single product and buy like there is no tomorrow. But until that happens, I will pass on Cremorlab. There is no way in hell I am paying the standard online prices.

But let's get started, shall we?

Last year, nearly exactly to the day (can you believe it?), I was writing about Cremorlab sunblock.
Today I will tell you about the rest of the Cremorlab goodies:

• Cremorlab Enriched Moisture
• Cremorlab Smooth Pudding
• Cremorlab Aqua Essence Water Fluid
• Cremorlab Fresh Water Gel

and

• Cremorlab Body Lotion.

I have finished all of them a long time ago. Some were multiples (Aqua Essence and Fresh Water Gel), and some were not.

 My overall impression of the products?

I liked them. I really did.
They were simple, functional, basic, boring skincare. They did not irritate, they played well with each other and with others and they left my skin looking supple, smooth and ... ran out of ideas for more s words here... Anyway, you know what I mean.

They gave me nothing to complain about. Except the price, that is.
And maybe the fact that apart from moisture and plumpness, they didn't do much else. For that kind of money I expected bells and whistles and skingasmic experiences to live up to the Peach and Lily hype.

Instead, it turned out that hype was just that. Hype. A year later there are new K-beauty darlings and Cremorlab is no longer the cool kid on the blog. You'd think that it would translate into lower prices, but noooo...

A new Korean beauty online shop selling Cremorlab - Brush and Powder, keeps the prices firmly in the Peach and Lily territory.
But unlike Peach and Lily, it runs frequent "buy one get one" Cremorlab promotions. And guess who will be dropping some change on a BOGO Cremorlab next time it happens? Yours very truly, that's who. Because despite all my bitching and moaning, and Cremorlab's ridiculous magical water mythology, it IS a good brand with decent products.

Wait, what? Magical water?

Yep.

I took this screenshot last year. It seemed to mysteriously vanish from the Cremorlab website. Or they buried it so deep, I can't find it now.

Pity, because this blurb is pure PR drivel gold.

I have enlisted the help of a Korean speaking friend and we've been trying to contact Cremorlab to find out the exact location of this magical hot spring in Geumjin where the water used in Cremorlab products reportedly comes from. No luck. The company simply ignored us.
In other PR blurbs, now no longer appearing on Cremorlab's website (at least not in English), it stated that their water had unique red wine color. 

We have emailed the tourist board in Gangwon Province and asked them for help in locating this mysterious hot spring. They had no clue either. Gangwon IS famous for hot springs, but this particular one proved hard to find. Red wine color and all. Nobody knows...

Not sure about you, but this kind of stuff always pushes my BS alert into overdrive.

Yes, miracle blending indeed...

Here is another blurb of the same, but this time from Lotte Duty Free website:

Anyway, what does T.E.N. stand for?


Apparently, for this:

• T = Thermal water therapy
• E = Eco-energy
• N = Natural nourishment

Exciting stuff, right?


So let's get this party started, shall we?

• Cremorlab Enriched Moisture T.E.N. Cremor for Face (45ml)

The bar is set pretty high with claims of highly effective hydration, brightening and nourishment.
No, this photo was not taken in black and white, the box really is that simple and spartan.

Until you turn it over and see this:

Yep, it's printed in Japanese and in English. How very fancy. Here we have the blurb about the red wine color.

Why is the box in Japanese if Cremorlab is a niche Korean brand?

You see, apparently, Cremorlab is one of those arrogant Korean brands who think that having Japanese packaging is the key to success in the Japanese market. Whamisa is another such brand. Idiots. They should have learned from the flagship Amore Pacific failure. It takes a lot more than Japanese writing on the box to succeed in Japan.


Cremorlab touts its eco-friendly cred, but as you see above, it's just lip service. The amount of waste that goes into preparing country specific packaging for every product is mind boggling. And very, very eco-unfriendly. Japanese language stickers satisfy all legal requirements for imported products, are much cheaper to produce and have a much lower carbon footprint. But noooo... Cremorlab is so green and eco-friendly, they had to produce individual boxes for the Japanese market. Idiots.
Let me repeat it one more time. Idiots.

K-beauty fans used to fawn over Cremorlab's minimalistic design. I don't find it particularly worth of fawning over. Maybe because many Japanese products in the comparable price range follow similar esthetics.

Now, whoever at Cremorlab thought it would be a good idea to have white print on a very pale whitish-gray background needs to be fired. It looks clean but is impossible to read. Hello Cremorlab, ever heard of visually impaired people? If it was the US of A, you'd get your ass sued by someone who's nearly blind and can't read the blurbs on your containers.

All creams came with spatulas. Personally, I didn't bother with them and just used my fingers. I think I tossed them as soon as I opened a box, that's why you can't see any in most of the photos.

Cremorlab Enriched Moisture had a light, fluffy texture.

It hydrated and moisturized like a champ. I didn't notice any brightening. Nourishing can be debatable, but my skin did feel more plump and smooth.

Cremorlab Enriched Moisture swatches:

You can see that initially it looks very rich, and then - magic! it absorbs completely and fully. There is no shiny cast, there is no residue. There is no sticky film. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Just happy, plump skin.

As you can see above, the ingredient list is printed in Japanese as well. There was no Korean and no English version.

Cremorlab Enriched Moisture T.E.N. Cremor for Face ingredients (in English):

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/capric Triglyceride, Isotridecyl Isononanoate, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Dimethicone, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Triethylhexanoin, Polyacrylamide, Panthenol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hamamelis Virginiana (witch Hazel) Water, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica (broccoli) Extract, Orchid Extract, Theobroma Cacao (cocoa) Extract, Glycine Soja (soybean) Oil, Yeast Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (licorice) Root Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (matricaria) Flower Extract, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Myristyl Myristate, Bis-diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Tribehenin, Pentylene Glycol, Peg-40 Stearate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Sorbitan Stearate, Laureth-7, Caprylyl Glycol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Bisabolol, Adenosine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, 1,2-hexanediol, Algin, Phenyl Trimethicone, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polysorbate 60, Myristyl Alcohol, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate

As you can see, the ingredient list in English has a very different order from what's printed in Japanese on the box. Let's just say, some of the extracts dropped to the very bottom in the Japanese version. Which leads me to believe that despite Peach and Lily's assurances that their ingredient lists were reshuffled to comply with the American regulations, they are not.

Later, when I have a moment, I will add the Japanese listing in English. Japan is very strict about the ingredient order in cosmetic products. Korea, on the other hand, tends to fudge things somewhat so the products appear "better" ingredient-wise than they really are.

Here is a nice write up about the differences between Korean and American ingredient lists: link.

~~~

Time for contestant number 2.

• Cremorlab Smooth Pudding T.E.N. Cremor for Face (60ml)

Cremorlab Smooth Pudding was my favorite from the whole lineup. I would pile it on after my Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Radiance Serum and let my skin drink it all up.

I didn't notice any anti-wrinkle results. I did notice, however, that my skin was amazingly hydrated, moist, supple, plump and glowing.

Last fall while waiting in a waiting room somewhere I grabbed a women's magazine and started paging through it carefully. An article about skincare caught my eye. It advocated something, which I dubbed "force feeding". The basic principle was that you are supposed to force your skin to drink as much moisture as possible. Winters in Japan are notoriously dry, my dry skin tends to crack, flake and peel. I went home, pulled out my Cremorlab lineup and started force feeding. Turned out my skin was a bottomless pit when it came to moisture. It would immediately eat up whatever I gave it. And it wanted more. And more.

The texture was indeed very smooth and very puddingy. The name didn't lie.

Cremorlab Smooth Pudding swatch:

Again, initially it looks very rich, and then - magic. It's all absorbed into satiny nothing. There is no sticky film, no filmy residue. Nothing. Just moist, fluffy skin.

No surprise to anyone that we run into the same ingredient order problem as with Enriched Moisture.

The Japanese and English language versions don't match up.

Cremorlab Smooth Pudding T.E.N. Cremor for Face ingredients (in English):

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Hydrogenated Poly (c6-14olefin), Butyrospermum Parkii (shea) Butter, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (lavender) Water, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (witch Hazel) Water, Orchid Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (licorice) Root Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (matricaria) Flower Extract, Yeast Extract, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Pentylene Glycol, , Polysorbate 60, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Dimethicone, Acrylates/c10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Arachidyl Glucoside, Silica, Sodium Acrylate/sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Hydroxide, Isohexadecane, Adenosine, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-hexanediol, Algin, Phenyl Trimethicone, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Caffeine, Xanthan Gum, Alcohol Denat., Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Fragrance (parfum)

Again, the differences in the ingredient order between the Japanese version on the box and the English listing provided by Peach and Lily are quite shocking. I was under the impression that Peach and Lily had the reshuffled American ingredient order. But apparently no.

I guess I'll have to get my stuff together and post the Japanese translation as well.


OK, moving on.

~~~

Next up is:

• Cremorlab Aqua Essence Water Fluid T.E.N. Cremor (50ml)

The name of this essence is very misleading.
It's neither "water" nor "fluid". And yes, I do think that "aqua" and "water" in the same name is a bit of an overkill. Especially if your product is neither.

Here you have a review of Cremor Aqua Essence Water Fluid by the lovely adoredee - link. She wasn't particularly pleased with this product.
I, on the other hand, loved it.

Make no mistake, despite what you can read about it on the internet, this is not an essence in the traditional sense. Not a "booster serum" either.

It's just a plain, old moisturizer.

It claims to do three main things: anti-wrinkle, whitening and super mega hydration.

I have gone through 2 bottles of it, and while I loved it for the super mega hydration (no lie here), I noticed zero whitening and zero anti-wrinkling. If anything, whatever superficial anti-wrinkle results it did offer were due to superior hydration. Plump skin looks visually less wrinkly than dry skin.

Cremorlab Aqua Essence Water Fluid comes in an airless pump bottle. Yay!

The "essence" looks like that:

See what I mean? Not very "aqua" and not very "water". "Fluid"? Hahaha! Nice joke, Cremorlab!

Cremorlab Aqua Essence Water Fluid swatch:

See? This is why I loved Cremorlab. It absorbed to nothing on my dry, dry skin. Initially I used it after my toner and before the Hanyul serum. I found that it wasn't the best order for me (despite what other websites claim) and started using it after the serum. The results were immediate. Soft, hydrated, plump skin. Happy, happy, yay, yay!


Ingredients in Japanese:

Cremorlab Aqua Essence Water Fluid T.E.N. Cremor ingredients (in English, from Peach and Lily):

Water, Butylene Glycol, Isohexadecane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Rosmarinus Officinalis (rosemary) Leaf Extract, Glycine Soja (soybean) Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (lavender) Water, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (witch Hazel) Water, Orchid Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (licorice) Root Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamomillarecutita (matricaria) Flower Extract, Yeast Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Glycerin, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Octyldodeceth-20, Peg-5 Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Acrylate/sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Bisabolol, Caprylyl Glycol, Arginine, Polysorbate 80, Acrylates/c10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Adenosine, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, 1,2-hexanediol, Algin, Phenyl Trimethicone, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polysorbate 60, Cetearyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Alcohol Denat., Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Dehydroacetic Acid

And no surprise to anyone at this point, the order is completely different. Shockingly different.


Hang on, this is the final stretch. Only two more products to go!

~~~

• Cremorlab Fresh Water Gel T.E.N. Cremor for Face (100ml)

Yes, it's really THAT big. It's not a typo. 100 ml. For real.
The jar is huge (relatively speaking) and it almost justifies the non-sale price of US$48.00

I used it as a sleeping pack. Yes, on top of all the other Cremors. I kept it by the futon and just smeared it on when it was time to go to bed.
If this goes on a "buy one get one" sale at Brush and Powder, I am totally buying it.

Oh yes, the design. Here you can see the details. Alien doodles, as my friend called them.

The gel is really gelly and kind of watery:

I loved this Cremorlab Fresh Water Gel. No matter how many layers were on my face before I got to put it on, it always managed to somehow sink it and keep it all together. Important when you consider the pillow mess that some sleeping packs can create.

Cremorlab Fresh Water Gel swatches:

The gel claims to be soothing and smoothing in addition to highly effective hydration. This one actually did all three. The skin looked fresh and rested in the morning.

Japanese ingredients:

Cremorlab Fresh Water Gel T.E.N. Cremor for Face ingredients (in English from Peach and Lily):

The first ingredient should be "water" but it's not included in their listing. Oh well...

Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, 1,2-hexanediol, Sodium Glutamate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Orchid Extract, Yeast Extract, Glycerin, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Lavandula Angustifolia (lavender) Water, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Glycine Soja (soybean) Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (licorice) Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (matricaria) Flower Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Water, Rose Flower Oil, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Algin, Phenyl Trimethicone, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Polysorbate 60, Silica, Cetyl Peg/ppg-10/1 Dimethicone, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Hamamelis Virginiana (witch Hazel) Water, Alcohol Denat.

And of course the ingredient order is very different than the Japanese language version. I also think there is a typo in the listing provided by Peach and Lily, because "water" is not listed at all, yet it clearly is the first ingredient.


~~~

And we are almost, almost done.
This is the last item for today:

• Cremorlab Body Lotion T.E.N. Cremor (250ml)

Comes in a standard pump bottle.

The texture was very similar to the smooth pudding but more sticky.

It was OK as a body lotion. Unlike Cremorlab's facial products, this one left a filmy layer. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it was there. It moisturized, it did its job. But for that kind of money, I expected, I dunno... more... I guess. I'm glad I got it for really cheap in Shin Okubo, otherwise I'd be might pissed it I had paid full price for it.

This one's totally not worth it. Skip it.

Cremorlab Body Lotion T.E.N. Cremor ingredients (in English via Peach and Lily):

Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, ceetyl Ethylhexanoate, Butylene Glycol, cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitol, Butyrospermum Parkii (shea) Butter, Cyclopentasiloxane, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (soybean) Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extrat, Hamamelis Virginiana (witch Hazel) Water, Orchid Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (licorice) Root Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (matricaria) Flower Extract, Yeast Extract, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Cyclohexasiloxane, Sorbitan Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Peg-100 Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Acrylate/sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Allantoin Polysorbate 80, Tocopheryl Acetate, 1,2-hexandediol, Algin, Phenyl Trimethicone, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Stearyl Aclohol, Xanthan Gum, Caffeine, Alcohol Denat., Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Yellow 5 (c1 19140) 

Of course they are arranged differently than the Japanese version printed on the box. Of course.


Final thoughts:

So there you have it.

Of all the products presented today, I'd repurchase all (except the body lotion) if I could get them on sale.
There are other Cremorlab products I'd like to try, so you bet I'll be waiting for a "buy one get one" sale over at Brush and Powder.

Folks in Europe can get Cremorlab from Honeysu.

These are NOT affiliate links. I'm just putting them here for your convenience.

When I translate the ingredient lists from the Japanese boxes, I will add them here for comparison purposes. Somehow, I am more inclined to believe the Japanese language version ingredient order, because it simply makes more sense. They make Cremorlab look less than a formulation darling that it's been advertised to be for the western audience.

Still, even despite that, Cremorlab is solid, basic skincare and if you can find it somewhere on sale, jump on it. Chances are you'll like it.

Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Radiance Serum

When I bought this Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Radiance Serum (I think it was on RoseRoseShop, but it might have been W2Beauty, I don't remember), I made a mistake.

You see, I used to use Hanyul White Chrysanthemum something or the other in the past, and it was lovely. But that was before I got all serious about blogging about Asian skincare products.
So earlier this year, when my dear friend from France asked about skin tone evening serums, I naturally ran to the net and purchased the first White Chrysanthemum item that caught my eye.

It turned out to be a good mistake, in several ways, actually.


But first things first.

"White chrysanthemum?" I hear you say.
"You mean, like this?" I hear you say.

image source: wikipedia

I mean, it's a chrysanthemum for sure. And it's definitely white.

Yeah, I thought so, too.
But as always with cosmetic products, the devil's in the details.

I remembered reading something about white chrysanthemum tea being a popular drink in China. But as far as I could recall, it didn't actually involve huge white flowers, of the kind usually placed on graves in a certain European country on November 1st.

I started digging. And sure enough, what they call "white chrysanthemum" in China is what we call "golden chamomile" or "Chinese chamomile" in Europe.

And yes, the "white chrysanthemum" drink I remembered drinking smelled more like chamomile tea than a cemetery on All Saints' Day (my Polish readers will understand the reference).

So you expect this:

image source: wikipedia


But in reality, you get this:

image source: wikipedia


Quite a difference, right?
Yeah, I thought so, too.

So that's the bad news. It's not white, it's golden, and it's not a chrysanthemum of the usual variety, but something more resembling a chamomile.

Luckily for us, that's the end of bad news.

And for the good news? Luckily for us, there's plenty of it.

1. Chamomile and chrysanthemums are actually related.
This one here is called Chrysanthellum indicum in Latin and "gamguk" in Korean. 

2. Chrysanthellum indicum extract happens to be quite awesome. According to multiple sources, it has:

• - anti-aging properties

• - anti-inflammatory properties

• - and according to a research paper published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, is an effective and well-tolerated topical agent (used as 1% cream) for the treatment of moderate rosacea.

3. Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Radiance Serum claims to have 1000 ppm (part per million?) of this magical "gamguk" extract.

Wait a sec.
My Japanese friend has a question.

Hanyu???!!??

No, not Yuzuru Hanyu *). Though in all fairness, this boy is the fairest of them all and totally could have his own skincare line.

Hanyul.

image source: Amore Pacific

Hanyul is one of the many, many brands from Amore Pacific. And Amore Pacific is the largest beauty company in South Korea. Or one of the two largest. The other being LG (yep, that LG).
Hanyul's tagline is: "Traditional natural cosmetics from the nature and folk remedies of Korea."

Pity they limit themselves to Korea, because just imagine the perfect blend of Hanyu and Hanyul. The marketing possibilities are endless.
I'd buy it. Just because.

But what were we talking about here?

Ahhhh... yes... Hanyu Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Radiance Serum.

It's a Korean skincare product that claims to even out your complexion, reduce dark spots and blemishes, improve your skin's natural radiance by preventing the formation of melanin.
It also claims to have anti-wrinkle properties.

As a serum, it goes on your skin after cleansing and applying toner.


In a typical Hanyul fashion, one side of the box is printed in English, the other - in Korean.

The bottle has the characteristic Hanyul shape. But sadly, it's plastic. It looks like nice, luxurious glass, but it's just cheap plastic. Korean skincare companies like to fool you like that.

The bottle is semi-transparent (you can see how much stuff is still inside if you hold it against the light) and holds 40 ml of product.

The serum is white, its texture is very light and deliciously delicate. It's not oily, it's not watery, it's just right.

It does smell like chrysanthemums, though. It's not a strong smell, but it's there. And it definitely likes to linger. I absolutely hate this scent!!!

The serum absorbs completely, leaves the skin feeling soft and very lightly hydrated. There is no sticky film or other residue.

The bottle is equipped with a pump. But it's not the airless type, you can unscrew it and suck every last bit of what's still left in the bottle.

The leaflet included in the box has the usual useless information in two languages. However, the Korean version is more extensive and includes the ingredient list as well.

Basically, the only thing you can read in English is this:

So yeah. That's what they say.

What do I say about Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Radiance Serum?

This is a very confusing product.
I used it once a day, in the morning. I felt like it wasn't doing much, so I stopped and put it aside for a while.
My skin reacted immediately.
Sometimes the best way to determine whether a product works or not is to stop using it.

So yes, this serum is indeed doing something. I can't tell you what it's doing, but I can definitely tell you what happened when I wasn't using it.

My skin lost its radiance and returned to its usual pinkish and I-look-like-I'm-slightly-drunk ruddy state.
Not using it made me realize how gentle and delicate and subtle this serum is.
The changes are minimal but they are there.

And the best part?
There was no adverse reaction whatsoever.
My skin was calm, smooth, less pink, radiant, bright and healthy.

I'm so in love with this Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Radiance Serum that I nearly wept when I reached the bottom of the bottle.
I wanted to run and repurchase immediately.

But I didn't.

And I won't.

Why?

The smell. The flowery scent that makes me think of All Saints' Day. I just can't stomach another bottle of this sensory abomination.

99% of people will tell you it's a pleasant, refreshing fragrance. And they are right.
But if you are sensitive to scents, you will, literally, be able to taste it.



Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Radiance Serum ingredients (courtesy of HwaHae):

So there you have it.
A delightful brightening serum that is suitable for dry, sensitive and delicate skin, and which would be perfect, if not for the annoying fragrance.


If you want to try it, most Korean online stores carry it. Pricing varies, so it pays to shop around.

So that was Hanyul.

~~~

And this is Hanyu *)

*) Japanese Figure Skating God

Koyuki Nadeshiko face wash and Gan Shiro lightening cream

A long, long time ago, in a far distant land, I lived in an awesome loft that during the day doubled as a busy photo studio. Two photographers ruled that kingdom. One was a product photographer, and the other shot fashion.
It was in the days before digital photography. We still used film back then. You, young ones, probably don't even remember those times. Ahhh... the memories... they make me feel really ancient...

There were rolls of film everywhere, there were messenger pick ups and deliveries - to and from a photo lab that was contracted to process the daily load. There were lights, and sets, and equipment everywhere. And models, and even make up artists (it's clear that I didn't learn anything from them, LOL).

There was also a creature (to this day I don't know whether it was a man or a woman), from Malaysia, employed by the photographers to do retouching. Photo retouching in those days meant anything from airbrushing to digital work. The creature worked its magic in a corner space that at night would transform into my bedroom.

And while I enjoyed watching the photographers at work, sometimes I even got to assist during sessions (though, clearly I didn't learn anything from them either), it was the creature's retouch wizardry that truly captivated me.
It was the first time that I witnessed with my very own eyes how an already stunning model becomes perfect, how a bowl of soup becomes irresistible, how a pair of underpants becomes a must-have item.

Since that time I have never looked at magazines, or commercial advertising, or celebrity photos, the same way again. I've been damaged for life.

So now you understand, that when a brand releases magically perfect beauty product photos (yes, Amore Pacific et al, I am looking at you), I know they are selling skincare dreams. Dreams manufactured in a corner space somewhere by a photoshop wizard (though not necessarily Malaysian). Dreams so real that we want to believe they are true. Admit it, we've all been there. I know I fall for it every time I see a new cushion foundation compact. Ehhh...

But sometimes a brand, usually, a small, independent brand, releases less-than-magically perfect photos. Photos so unreal that my bullshit detector just yawns and demands a sandwich.

So when it2yinc (or Itty, Inc), a company behind Koyuki Nadeshiko Facial Washing Cream and Gan-Shiro Bihaku Lightening Cream, sent me such photos, I immediately became intrigued.

Just take a look for yourself:

It's amazing how the model's white shirt became so much whiter on the left, where her hand is, surprise, surprise, also so much lighter than the hand on the right (in the photo).

Yet despite that, I became obsessed. I wanted to replicate those results. Without photoshop.


This is that story.


When it2yinc asked me to introduce their skincare on the blog, I said that I couldn't do it without trying it first. In reponse, it2yinc simply sent me the products, along with all relevant information. Including the ingredient lists in English. Nice! I really appreciate when companies understand what bloggers need and then actually provide it.

It was clear that it2yinc read my blog, because the company's representative knew exactly that one of my main concerns was, is, and always will be, hyperpigmentation.

Hence the two products I received were supposed to address my concerns. And I tried to keep an open mind. I didn't discount them right out of the box. Remember the Lioele Crystal Beam Cushion? I wanted to hate it, because, c'mon, Lioele. But I ended up liking it. And now, that it's gone, I quite miss it.

I was hoping it would be the same with the two products I received from it2yinc:

• Koyuki Nadeshiko Facial Washing Cream

and

• Gan Shiro Bihaku Lightening Cream

To prove that they work, the company included the hand image you can see above. And despite the obvious photoshop, I set out to confirm their results.


~~~

Koyuki Nadeshiko Facial Washing Cream

"Koyuki" means light snow. And "Nadeshiko" is hmmm... several things. It's a flower (dianthus japonicus), it's the name of the Japanese women's soccer team, it's the essence of ideal Japanese woman and some such.

In addition, 米発酵化粧品 means it's a rice ferment product.

And here you have it, it's a normal foamy facial cleanser.

It comes in a simple white tube that was sealed in plastic. There was no paper box.
The tube is quite substantial and holds 100g of product. That's a lot of cleanser!

It's made in Japan and it boasts some pretty incredible claims.

Remember the first photo in today's entry? No?
Ok, go back and take a look. I'll wait.

Yes, it's supposed to visibly lighten your skintone after just one use.
And this is how we use it:

Because the tube is not equipped with a flip top, using this cleanser was a real PITA.

It's a bright white creamy substance (no noticeable scent) that required a foaming net to foam up properly. Once foamed up, it rinsed easily and cleanly. It left the skin feeling fresh and despite its high pH - not dry at all.

Ah, yes... The pH... Here it is:

No longer 7 but not yet 8. Too high for the pH purists out there.

While I personally don't shun high pH cleansers, I decided not to use it on my face. My face is in the best condition it has been in many years and I wasn't about to introduce an unknown cleanser into the mix.

Taking inspiration from the photo, I've been using the cleanser on my hands only. Well, one hand, actually. Well, one half of one hand, actually.

Did it work?
Take a look for yourself (unedited photo):

The part on the right, along with the thumb, index and middle fingers, was treated with Koyuki Nadeshiko Facial Washing Cream twice a day for two weeks.

As you can see, I have been unable to re-create the advertised results. And not just after one use, but after nearly 30 uses.

The moral of this story:
If something looks too good to be true, it's most likely Photoshop.


To debunk Photoshop claims, on the Koyuki Nadeshiko Facebook page there is a short film showing how after just one application your skin will be visibly lighter. Yeah, it will be, for about 10 seconds, until your circulation returns to normal. The same instant gratification that lasts a few seconds can be achieved using any old cleanser along with a bit of pressure on the skin.
Sadly, the fleeting "whitening effect" didn't even last long enough for me to take a photo.
I have not observed any long term whitening / brightening/ lightening results.

Koyuki Nadeshiko Facial Washing Cream ingredients:

Despite the fact that this facial cleanser claims to be a "rice ferment product", there is zero mention of Oryza Sativa in the ingredient list. Oh well... moving on...


Koyuki Nadeshiko Facial Washing Cream final verdict:

Pros:

• - a nice, gentle cleanser (nothing to complain about here)

Cons:

• - high pH (if you are in the low pH camp)
• - no visible lasting brightening results

Koyuki Nadeshiko Facial Washing Cream was provided to me for review purposes, however the opinion presented here is my own.



~~~

Time for our second contestant:

Gan-Shiro Bihaku Lightening Cream

We get 50 grams of cream packaged in a simple, no-frills plastic jar, packaged in a simple, no-frills box.

There is no leaflet inside and all relevant info is printed on the box. In Japanese only.

The company very kindly provided some English language information as well.

The claims sound amazing. The ingredients look amazing, too.


We have dipotassium glycyrrhizate a.k.a. licorice root extract, which has anti-inflammatory and anti-irritant properties and is supposed to help soothe dry skin. It also supposedly has the ability to inhibit melanin production and do a bunch of other great things for your skin.

We have placenta extract, that while scientifically unproven, might be beneficial for the skin.

We have acetyl tyrosine, which is an aminoacid that is supposed to leave your skin baby soft and silky smooth.

We have hyaluronic acid for moisture.

We have peony extract for moisture and anti-aging.
We have pueraria root extract for skin lightening and anti-aging.
We have prune enzyme decomposer (prune enzymatic decomposition) for brightening and moisture.

We have loads of other good things crammed into this unassuming cream.

Gan-Shiro Bihaku Lightening Cream is considered a quasi-drug in Japan.

And you also have a long list of its purported benefits.
It claims to be an all-in-one cream, too.
Wow! This just keeps getting better and better.

Gan-Shiro Cream says to double as an essence, milk, moisturizer, lotion and cream. Pure magic!
Pity it doesn't cook or do the dishes.

Despite its highly inflated claims, its primary function is skin brightening and moisturizing.

The cream is milky white in color, and its consistency is very soft and fluffy. It reminds me of mayonnaise, if mayonnaise were pure white.

There is no discernible scent.

The pH is typical of most creams out there, around 5 ~ 5.5

The texture was soft but very siliconey. It felt vaguely plastic immediately upon application.
It took a while to dry, but it did absorb nicely and did not leave a sticky film.

And all would be just great if not for two things:

1. It didn't moisturize enough. Actually no, scratch that. It didn't moisturize at all.
My skin is very dry. This cream did nothing to moisturize it properly.
I ended up using it as a hand cream.

and

2. I did not notice any visible skin lightening results.

Gan Shiro Bihaku Lightening Cream ingredients:

Of course the last ingredient is 精製水, which is "purified water", not "manufactured water".

So that's that.
Gan Shiro Cream is a perfect example that a stellar ingredient list does not equal stellar performance. Which is a pity, because I had high hopes for this cream.


Gan Shiro Bihaku Lightening Cream final verdict:

Pros:

• - amazing ingredient list

Cons:

• - didn't do much at all

Gan Shiro Bihaku Lightening Cream was provided to me for review purposes, however the opinion presented here is my own.

I'd like to thank it2yinc for giving me the opportunity to try these products.


~~~
And here folks, you have the reason why *I* prefer to select my review items *myself*. While I appreciate the chance to try new things, I feel sad when a *company's* selection does not perform to my expectations.