A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant skincare line

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a fan of A-True. I like that the brand is trying something, while maybe not exactly new and original, definitely solid and reliable. In other words, A-True is doing what it can to stick to the plan and claim a very small, tiny niche in the very crowded world of Korean skincare.

I admire that ambition. And I admire the gumption. And the mostly moderate amount of crap in their PR blurbs. And I appreciate that instead of giving us a magical ingredient that can't really be independently verified (yes, Cremorlab, I am looking at you and your thermal water), A-True goes with a tried and true (haha, I'm so clever) approach.
Which is - tea. And tea is good. Hard to argue with that (unless you're an LDS, but just give it a couple more decades and even that sad bit of the gospel will be revised, mark my words).

And even though I am A-True's biggest fan girl (here are my other A-True reviews), I am not blind to the brand's shortcomings. And just like in the case of Cremorlab, I must say that while A-True is good, solid, basic skincare, it's also terribly overpriced.

Overpriced to the point that unless you can find it somewhere for 30% to 50% off, don't bother buying otherwise.

That's how I got today's products. My friend, who runs an online shop, was having a massive A-True clearance.

Today we are going to take a closer look at these three products:

• A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Aurora Cream
• A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Essence, and
• A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Toner

White Snow Tea is A-True's bestselling "whitening", or rather - brightening, line. Last year samples from this line were also my initial introduction to the brand.

Yes, A-True is a Korean cosmetic brand that, instead of water, uses either tea, or fermented tea extract in its cosmetics.

A-True White Snow Tea line features, as the name suggests, white tea.

White Snow Tea? Snow Buds? Is there even such a thing?

Turns out there is. It's grown primarily in the Fujian province in China.
And "cultivated in spring during 2 days out of the entire year"? Well, almost true. Not "cultivated" but harvested. And not 2 days, but a very short window of time. And yes, in the spring.

The whole idea is to harvest the leaves and tea buds when they are very young, as only such young tea leaves can produce high quality white tea.

Why is it white? The name comes from the "fine silvery-white hairs on the unopened buds of the tea plant, which gives the plant a whitish appearance." (source: Wikipedia - white tea).

The tea itself is not white, but pale yellow.

And what about the claim that "the extract of white tea protects the skin from dark spots..."?

Well, turns out that A-True might be onto something here.
Wiki again helpfully explains that:

"Like black and green tea, white tea is also derived from Camellia sinensis. Thus, white tea shares many of the same chemical properties and health effects of tea. However, white tea contains the most antioxidants."

But how exactly that translates into skincare is a mystery to me.

A-True gets its tea from a real place, which apparently, is quite fancy - Compagnie Coloniale.
For some of its skincare it then ferments the tea water. Yep, ferments. Not once, but twice. 1st fermentation uses Saccharomyces, and 2nd - Xylinum.

Today's contestants are not fermented. They all use straight tea water and tea leaf extract.

So let's get started, shall we?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Aurora Cream

Seriously, Korean companies must have some sort of an ongoing competition who can come up with the longest and the most convoluted name.

The box is plain and simple, just the way I like it. No cutesy designs and zero childishness.

Inside the box we have a 50 gram jar of cream, a spatula and a leaflet.

The lid is secured with a sticker. The jar looks fancy, but it's all cheap plastic. It bothers me when brands that aspire to be seen as fancy, pack their "fancy" creams in cheap, plastic jars. Why does it bother me? Plastic for cosmetic packaging is always "virgin" plastic, meaning it has to be made fresh, and not from recycled materials. And after the products are all used up and the jars are empty, such cosmetic packaging cannot be fully recycled. It can only be "down-cycled" for industrial use. Meaning, every time you open a plastic jar of "fancy" cream, it's a fresh, purpose-made piece of plastic.

In contrast, glass packaging can be infinitely recycled. But... glass packaging is expensive to make. Plastic is cheap. Money talks.
This is not the first time when I see Asian companies (even super fancy ones) pissing on the environment. And I don't know about you, but the environment is important to me.

Anyway, back to the cream...

In a typical A-True fashion, the inner cover got stuck inside the lid and as I have short nails, it took a kitchen knife to pry it out. (It seems to happen with all their creams).
And in a typical A-True fashion, the content of the jar has shifted.

The cream is very light. It's PERFECT for our hot and humid summer. It moisturizes without being greasy. It absorbs in a flash. It has a faint scent. But it's a pleasant scent. Vaguely tea-like, but not quite.

This is exactly what I loved about this cream last summer. This is exactly what started my obsession with A-True.

I'm using the entire A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant line in the morning. Let me repeat it once again, it's PERFECT under makeup. My skin is dry, but with close to 100% humidity outside, I don't need to slather on extra moisturizers. A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant does the trick.
I'm guessing it would be ideal for combo and oily skin in less extreme climates.

The cream is slightly pearlescent, but as you can see, it dries to a nice, matte finish.
Nothing to complain about here.

It doesn't break me out, it doesn't clog my pores, it doesn't make my red face any redder.
To be honest, I didn't notice any major "brilliance", but then again, it's not what I was expecting.
I was expecting moisture that would work under makeup in extreme conditions, and I got exactly that.
But to be honest, I also noticed that my complexion is, indeed, more even, when using A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant line.
However, it's a temporary effect, probably due to the pearlescent nature of the products.

This is what the leaflet has to say about A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Aurora Cream:

They talk about moisture - I agree. Comfort - yes, I agree again. Improves overall radiance? Yes, but temporarily.

Still, good enough for me. I like it.

A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Aurora Cream ingredients:

Because Korea doesn't follow the American (and Japanese) ingredient listing order rules, please use it only as a general guidance to see what's IN a product.


Next up we have the essence. Yes, I realize that we are going backwards here. We started with the cream, now the essence, and yes, we are going to finish with the toner.

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A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Essence

Again, the same simple design.
Inside the box we have a 40 ml bottle of essence and a leaflet.

There's a pump. Not airless, but better than nothing.

This essence is almost like a light cream, or a heavy milk.
Again, slightly pearly, with a gentle, delicious smell.

And as you can see, it absorbs fully, and leaves NO white, sticky residue.
I love A-True essences (though they are really more like emulsions), and if there is one item from this line that I'm going to definitely repurchase, this is it.

I really can't find anything to complain about here. Except maybe for the price...

A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Essence ingredients:

And here is the official spiel:

And the expiration date:

Again, I like it.
A good, solid product worth trying, if you can find it on promotion somewhere.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

And finally, last but not least:

A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Toner

Don't know about you, but toner is one of those skincare products that I use a lot of. It goes the fastest at my house. The fact that I use it with dry sheet mask capsules for instant refreshment for my poor face surely has something to do with it as well.

Either way, I go through liters and liters of toner. So when I hear that someone is using the same bottle of toner for a few months, I always wonder how they manage that. Because I can't.

Inside the box we get a 180 ml bottle of toner and a leaflet.
Look guys, this is what I really liked about this bottle. It came sealed like that:

And if you are really obsessive about your skincare, you could save this plug and reuse it. I didn't. I tossed it in the garbage. My toner isn't going to last long enough to be stored with a plug.

I like how A-True prints expiration dates on their products, instead of manufacturing dates. Though, in all fairness, having both dates would be even nicer.

As you can see, A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Toner is a clear liquid that dries to a nice matte finish. It's light and non-greasy. It absorbs fast. Again, perfect for the summer. And it smells yummy!

A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Toner ingredients:

All three products in this line have Niacinamide in them to even skintone and fade discolorations. Some people swear by Niacinamide. Personally, it does nothing for me.

I like this toner for its refreshing and moisturizing properties.

A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Toner official blurb:

All in all, it's a solid skincare line. It delivers ample moisture without being heavy, or greasy, or sticky. It's perfect for the summer. It should work well for combination and oily skin types. It works well under makeup and thus makes an ideal morning routine.

As all A-True products, this line is formulated without alcohol and parabens:

And A-True doesn't test on animals! Yay!

The only problem with A-True is that it's terribly overpriced. However, if you see a promotion on it somewhere, buy it. It's worth it.

You can purchase A-True at Jolse - a reputable Korean online cosmetic shop.

I got my A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant set at Berdever.pl.

Cremorlab Sun Protective SPF50+ PA+++

Cremorlab is a Korean skincare brand that generates a lot of mixed emotions.
Many lust after it, sometimes solely on the basis of its pretty packagings.
Many revere it for being nothing short of a skin miracle worker, sometimes solely on the basis of Peach and Lily telling them that it is so.

Peach and Lily is an American online retailer, who... well... is responsible for making Cremorlab so popular and lust-worthy among western K-beauty fans. (Western, because Cremorlab is also sold in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and online in a few other places, like Australia).

If you listen to Peach and Lily, you might be excused for believing that Cremorlab is huge in Korea. It's not. Not even close. It's rather unknown and fairly unpopular. It's stocked in local stores, but it's not that easy to find.
It is sold by Lotte Duty Free now, no doubt, in response to the wants of foreign visitors.

image source: Lotte Duty Free


Needless to say, Peach and Lily sells Cremorlab at highly imaginary prices. Being the only distributor in the US and with lots of artificially created buzz about the brand (look at any article mentioning P&L and the word "Cremorlab" won't be far behind), it's understandable they can charge as much as the market is willing to pay. And it seems that the market is willing to pay a lot. A whole lot.

So imagine my surprise when a friend said that Skingarden in Tokyo stocked Cremorlab. AND that they were having a sale. Of course, I immediately begged her to pick up one of each, whatever they were, for me.

See? I so bought into the hype I wanted everything, sight unseen, patch untested. Because it was supposed to be so awesome, right?
I mean if P&L tells us so, it must be true, right? After all, if it wasn't, they wouldn't be charging so much money for it, right?

I got my Cremorlab goodies, squealed with excitement, and started using them.
But while I expected unicorn tears and pixie dust from such a highly hyped brand, the reality was a lot more mundane. Cremorlab was OK. But nothing special.

(I will write a full review of everything I am currently using when I'm done with it)

It's a solid, basic skincare brand. With the key word here being "basic". What makes it stand out from the pack are the package design esthetics. But is it worth paying Peach and Lily prices for pretty boxes and minimalistic jars? Well, that's for you to answer.

At Skingarden in Tokyo every item cost less than (the equivalent of) 15 dollars, with many as low as 10 dollars, with a couple even lower.
It was like a Peach and Lily sample sale but without the madness.
But even by Tokyo sale standards, those were pretty incredible prices. Makes you wonder just how much Cremorlab products are REALLY worth.

Last week I had to go to Tokyo quite unexpectedly, and of course wanted to see if the Cremorlab sale was still going on.
It was. Many products from the original lineup were gone, but there were still a few left.

One of them was today's contestant (which I didn't get in the original "friendly" haul).

Cremorlab Sun Protective SPF50+ PA+++ UVA/UVB Protection T.E.N. Cremor

(not sure which part of this mess is the actual product name, so I'm just throwing out here everything that's on the box).

See what I mean? It IS a pretty box.

I have a thing about sunscreens. I see a new sunscreen, and like a well trained Pavlovian dog, I reach for my wallet. It's become an involuntary reflex. And that's exactly how it went down last week at Skingarden. Veni, vidi, VISA, as the ancients used to say.

In the photos above I already took it off, but each box was securely sealed in plastic. Yay for ensuring that all products were kept away from fingers itching to open them at the store and test without later buying anything. See Peach and Lily? That's how it should be done!

By Japanese sunscreen standards this tube of Cremorlab Sun Protective SPF50+ PA+++ is positively HUGE! There's 60 ml of product inside.

Now, whoever thought that putting grey print on a black tube was a good idea is an idiot. And that's a pretty gentle way of expressing my feelings.
My friend was a lot more to the point - "this idiot should be shot, I can't read this crap," she mumbled as the kept turning the tube to the sun to catch more light in order to be able to read the blurbs on the back.

Take a look for yourself:

And I really had to crank up the exposure in this photo to make the text visible.

Still can't read it?
Ok, this is what it says:

T.E.N. Thermal Water from Geumjin
"T.E.N. calcium to magnesium ratio is 1.6:1, which is a golden ration that brings the best absorption to the body. With the colloid, T.E.N. in red wine color is rich in rare minerals. It provides the skin with intense nourishment and helps maintain a moisture balance to keep it soft and youthful."

The same is printed on the box, but with a spelling mistake.

Very unhelpfully, there is not much on the internet I could find about this mythical "red wine color" mineral water, and the only English search results that came back were links to Cremorlab and Cremorlab resellers. Big surprise here, LOL.

So let's see what Cremorlab has to say about it.

Wow, it's positively magical.
I googled Gangwon Province (here's the link to the official provincial website - Gangwon Province) and it's indeed famous for its hot springs. But no word anywhere (in English) on the magical Cremorlab mineral water.

So let's take a look at the Cremorlab site to see what else they have to say about it.

(both images - http://www.cremorlab.co.kr/cremorlab/)

Now, I must say I absolutely despise the Cremorlab website. It's all image based. All!

Yeah, they do have an English language version (well, sort of, only selected parts are in English), and a Chinese version. But that's not enough. I don't want to be limited by the site design. For example, if you click on the "Store" tab, it gives you the list of Watsons and Olive Young stores in Korea where you can purchase Cremorlab products. But if you are a foreigner and can't read Hangul, you're shit out of luck. The entire list is image based and you can't copy it into Google translate.
Wow! What a great way to win new customers! Well done, Cremorlab!

(Rant over)



OK, back to Cremorlab Sun Protective SPF 50+ PA+++.

It claims to be "nourishing, highly effective hydrating, highly effective protection, for all skin types".  Their words, not mine. That's what it says on the box.

As my product was purchased in Japan, Cremorlab went to the trouble of printing an entire Japanese language version box. Some brands just slap on a sticker in Japanese and call it a day. Not Cremorlab. It printed a whole new country-specific box.
What a great way to cut costs and save paper! Amazing! Awesome for the environment, too. After all, I wouldn't expect anything less from a brand that describes its philosophy as: 

• Healthy Life, 
• Pure Beauty,
• Clean Environment, and
• Humanism

Dunno, maybe in Korea they have a different concept of "clean environment" and wasting a mountain of paper is considered a good thing?

(Ok, rant over.)

Back to Cremorlab Sun Protective SPF50+ PA+++.

The tube opening was protected by a sticker. Brownie points here. I like to know that the product has been left untouched by human hands.

The consistency is a lot more liquidy than I would like. It would have worked much better in an airless pump.

It has a vague citrusy smell that is not too overpowering. It doesn't linger too long.

The product takes ages to dry. Let me repeat it - ages. Centuries. Whole millennia.

But when it does eventually dry, it is deliciously non-sticky and fairly matte. And leaves no white cast. The skin feels soft. It worked well under makeup. It managed fine in 38 degree heat.

However, from now on, I am downgrading it to a body block. I'm going to use it on my arms and legs only. Why? Just a minute.

When I bought it, I quickly scanned the ingredient list. It's printed in Japanese on the box. I was glad to see that "Ethanol" wasn't one of the top ingredients. What I didn't notice at that time was that "Alcohol Denat." was listed further down.

Here's the entire ingredient list for T.E.N. Cremor Cremorlab Sun Protective SPF50+ PA+++ in Japanese:

I looked at it and thought to myself "Well, that's odd."
I checked the ingredient list on that Korean cosmetic appli, Hwahae... whatever the name of it is.

I screenshot it for your convenience:

Cremorlab Sun Protective SPF 50+ PA+++ ingredient list as seen on Hwahae:

(click on it for a larger view)

And it is different. Very different from what the Japanese box says.

We already know that Korean manufacturers have different ingredient listing standards than the US.
Tracy from Fanserviced-b did a whole blog post explaining those differences - South Korean vs US cosmetic ingredient list order differences.

Japan follows the American pattern.
Ratzilla said so before on Twitter, but there were still some people who were doubtful, and who assumed (incorrectly) that Japan and Korea had the same labeling standards.

You can compare the differences for yourself.
For your convenience I translated the Japanese list and plugged it into CosDNA. I used CosDNA's own Japanese support function and manually looked up the entries that were missing.

Cremorlab Sun Protective SPF 50+ PA+++ in CosDNA according to the American (and Japanese) ingredient list order.

Enjoy!

Another blogger (sorry, don't remember who right now) already noticed that Cremorlab ingredient lists for the same product differ significantly depending on who provides them.
Myself, I tend to trust the Japanese version. And the Japanese version says that while it's an effective sunblock, it's not really something I'd like to keep using on my face.

As an aside, I expected better from a company that lists "Pure Beauty" as its brand philosophy.

And because I'm a glutton for punishment, I am planning to do similar ingredient showdowns for all Cremorlab products I own.

I paid the equivalent of US$8.00 (give or take a few cents) for this sunscreen. And in my opinion it's worth exactly that much.
T.E.N. Cremor Cremorlab Sun Protective SPF50+ PA+++ is a good, basic sunscreen, if you don't mind Avobenzone and denatured alcohol.

And here's the reason for the massive sale at Skingarden:

But by the looks of it, I'm going to finish it sometime around September. Because it's so liquid, it goes super fast.

Stay tuned for more Cremorlab reviews.

Dr Wu Ageversal Repairing System

Long time ago, in a far distant land, I fell in love with a doctor. We had some good times, and some bad times. Memories I will always treasure.

Earlier this year I fell in love again. With a doctor. This time the love affair is still going strong.

Dear readers, let me introduce my new prince charming - Dr Wu.

Our meeting was purely accidental.
While visiting Taiwan earlier this year, I was on the hunt for the ceramide series from For My Beloved - a well-known Taiwanese skincare brand.
For My Beloved was running a major promo, where if you bought two items, they showered you with additional goodness (while quantities last). I was trekking across Taipei for days looking for the still lasting quantities. They were sold out everywhere.

Finally, at some random store, the sales woman took pity on me and made a few phone calls. Turned out there was still stock at the For My Beloved counter at Taipei 101 Mall. Before she could complete the sentence I was hopping on the subway.

I made it to the mall in record time. I raced to the For My Beloved counter. And yes... you guessed it right. It just got sold out. The quantities didn't last long enough. That was the last day of the promo. And the next day I was flying back to Japan.

In utter disbelief and frustration I looked around for an alternate place to spend my hard earned cash. Sure as hell I wasn't gonna give any to For My Beloved now.
Right next door there was a Dr Wu counter. I resolutely walked over and said "give me your best stuff!".

Yes, I actually said that.
I knew nothing about Dr Wu. All I had researched before was For My Beloved.

The sales woman didn't speak a word of English and I used a pen and paper to write "number 1" in three different languages. Surrounded by a flock of hearts and smiley faces.

She made a smiley face of her own, poked at MY face with her finger (yes, she actually did that!) and selected some stuff. She said the magic words "duty free".

And the rest is history...

The Wu woman selected for me these:

• Dr Wu Ageversal Youth Repairing Set
• Dr Wu Repairing System Intensive Repairing Serum with Squalane - 35ml
• Dr Wu Repairing System Advanced AntiWrinkle Eye Cream with Botolift™ - 15ml

Dr Wu Ageversal Youth Repairing Set contained:

• 5 ml of Dr Wu Repairing System Intensive Repairing Serum with Squalane
• 15 ml of Dr Wu Repairing System Extreme Micro-Lifting Cream With Ageversal
• 50 ml of Dr Wu Repairing System Intensive Firming Essence With Ageversal
• 30 pieces of facial cotton pads.

And don't you just LOVE the fact that Dr Wu has a website in English? And an online store?
This doctor just keeps getting better and better!


As you can see, the sales lady chose an anti-ageing series for me. And she chose wisely.
I didn't know it at the time, but the squalane serum is considered one of Dr Wu's legendary products.

And let me tell you, I completely understand now why.

But first things first.

Dr Wu is a Taiwanese brand of dermo-cosmetics founded by a real-life dermatologist - one doctor Ying-Chin Wu (Yes! there's a real Dr Wu behind the brand but sadly, he's not handsome) in 1996. Or 2003, depending on who you ask.
You can read about the history of Dr Wu brand on their website.

To make a long story short, Dr Wu is now Taiwan's number 1 clinical skincare brand, has won numerous beauty awards and is endorsed by many Taiwanese celebrities.

One reason for its success is this way of formulating products:

image source: Dr Wu

The principle? It's really simple:

"No Additives, No Alcohol, High Concentration of High Grade Actives that are safe and effective, even for use on sensitive skin."

So, let's take a closer look at these Taiwanese cosmeceutical wonders.


First up is Dr Wu Repairing System Intensive Firming Essence With Ageversal.

This is the starter size of 50ml. It's a simple, plastic bottle. There is no pump in this size.

The instructions say this is to be used as the first step after cleansing.
It has a pleasant consistency and while initially may appear somewhat greasy, it dries completely very fast. In the time it takes me to floss my teeth, it's completely dry on my face.
I don't use a cotton pad, as too much of the product goes to waste that way. I pour some into my hand and then gently pat my face until all liquid is fully absorbed.

And like this:

But what the heck is this mysterious "Ageversal"?
To be honest, even after reading everything on Dr Wu's website, I'm still not sure.
But this handy graphic aims to explain the "Ageversal" concept:

So, basically, an anti-ageing skin soup.
I liked this essence a lot. It was very basic but did exactly what it was supposed to do. It got my face ready for the next step in this Dr Wu routine.

Ingredients of Dr Wu Repairing System Intensive Firming Essence With Ageversal:

The disappointing part is that out of the three main ingredients in "Ageversal", the first one - Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide - 7 is the second to last item on the product's ingredient list.
Sodium Hyaluronate is number 11. And maybe I'm blind, but I couldn't find any algae extract.

The confusing ingredient on this list is Chlorphenesin, which is NOT the muscle relaxant drug Chlorphenesin carbamate. Chlorphenesin carbamate, confusingly also known as "chlorphenesin" is NOT a cosmetic ingredient.
This Chlorphenesin here is something different entirely and functions as a mild preservative. And yes, it is approved for use in the EU. No worries.


And if you are interested, here's this:

There is no discernible scent, the texture is light, the application is problem-free.
Nothing to complain about here.


Step 2 in this routine is Dr Wu Repairing System Intensive Repairing Serum With Squalane

There was a 5ml sample in the starter set, but the Wu lady, very wisely, decided to sell me a full size bottle as well. Smart woman.

This is the star of the show, no doubt about it.

Let me just say that much - all the hype is true. This serum is gold.
It's an oil based formula that is surprisingly light. It takes more than a few minutes to absorb, so normally, I put it on and then clean the cat litter boxes, change the water for my babies, water the plants, that sort of stuff. When I come back to the bathroom to wash my hands, the serum has been magically absorbed leaving my skin feeling so velvety soft it's ridiculous.

Dr Wu loves the airless pump system! Yay and hurray!

The bottle is all shiny plastic. Simple and functional. Zero embellishments, bells and whistles.
The shiny caps are a pain to keep clean, but otherwise the design is very practical.
And it's an airless pump - I just love saying that. Makes most Japanese brands look like relics from the 20th century with their squeeze tubes and screw-on caps.

While this serum is oil based, it's not greasy greasy, if you know what I mean.

It's deliciously soft and instead of feeling oily on the skin, it feels hydrating.
Just pat it in and let your thirsty skin absorb it all. And trust me, it will.
There is no noticeable scent or fragrance.

I have used squalane products before, amongst others - from HABA. But none felt as light and fluffy as this one.

Squalane is the one beauty oil that rules them all. Squalane is a hydrogenated form of squalene, but unlike squalene, which is sourced from shark liver oil, no sharks are hurt in the production of squalane. Squalane is a plant-based oil (yep, save the sharks!), and the experts say this about it:

"Squalane occurs naturally in the lipidic layers of the skin and prevents moisture loss while restoring the skin's suppleness and flexibility. Squalane is highly resistant to oxidation and has a high affinity to skin cells due to its skin-identical structure."

The blurb on the package tells us this:

I am almost done with the bottle, and yes, I can definitely agree. It gave me softer and smoother skin.
And despite having a pile of other skincare products, I am seriously considering ditching them, and reordering this serum ASAP.

Here's the ingredient list of Dr Wu Repairing System Intensive Repairing Serum With Squalane:

Interestingly enough, as you can see, this serum contains both squalane (from plants) and squalene (poor sharks). But while squalane is number 2 on the list, squalene is number 12.

The directions for use suggest to use it twice daily, however with our current temperatures I've been using it at night only. It's still managing to work its magic.

And if you're interested, here's this:

The next step, according to the helpful graphics on Dr Wu website, should be an eye cream.


And yes, here it is!

Step 3 is Dr Wu Repairing System Advanced Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream With Botolift™.

Again, we have the same functional silver bottle. And as before, because it's Dr Wu's style, we have an airless pump.

OK, just for that alone I love this doctor.

This eye cream was a bit of a surprise. It's a lot lighter than a typical anti-wrinkle eye cream. Next to it, my favorite su:m37º Flawless Regenerating Eye Cream feels like a tub of margarine.

Due to the lighter texture, I was quite skeptical whether this cream was going to work at all. It took time to get into the swing of things, but once it did - it really keeps the under eye area in check.

This is what they say:

I have used Lirikos Marine Botoxin cream before, but it did absolutely nothing for me. So it was a pleasant surprise that Dr Wu actually delivered, and for a lot less money.
The droopy eyelid bit interested me the most.
My left eyelid is definitely past its prime. It needed some lift. Not sure whether this cream took care of it (as the peptides are at the very end of the ingredient list), but the eyelid is now noticeably less droopy.


It absorbs fast! Unlike the essence (so so fast) and the serum (not fast at all), this one is gone in a flash.

See? It even looks very fluffy.
Again, there is no noticeable smell. Kudos to the doctor for realizing that many people are sensitive to and dislike perfumed skincare.

While this cream might not be sufficient for night time use in winter (especially if used alone, without the serum), it's perfect for the summer.

Here are the ingredients of Dr Wu Repairing System Advanced Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream With Botolift™:

According to the ingredient list, the famed Botolift™ seems to be nothing more than a marketing gimmick. So maybe the positive results after using this cream are nothing more than a placebo effect?
Anything is possible...

And if you are interested, here it is:

The final step, according to Dr Wu, should be a face cream.
And here it is!

Step 4 is Dr Wu Repairing System Extreme Micro-Lifting Cream With Ageversal.

As my version came with the set, it has only half of the standard volume of 30ml. It's still less than the traditional 50 g we came to expect from Western brands.

The cream is very similar in texture to the eye cream. It doesn't smell.

It absorbs fast. Doesn't leave a greasy layer. Feels comfortable and light on the face, especially considering this is the fourth layer.

I usually use it at night. However lately, despite the ridiculous temperatures during the day, I started to use it in the morning. I suppose, because Taiwan is also a hot and humid country, this cream had been tested in such conditions. Let's just say, it works like a charm. It moisturizes without stickiness and greasiness.

Where I am ambivalent are its anti-wrinkle properties. I honestly have not noticed any. Maybe it's my wrinkles, or maybe I have to use it much longer to see noticeable results. Or maybe this cream simply doesn't work. The jury is still out.

Here are the ingredients of Dr Wu Repairing System Extreme Micro-Lifting Cream With Ageversal:

And if you are interested, here is this:

Are you still with me? Or did you fall asleep 15 paragraphs back?

In conclusion:

This is a very effective anti-ageing / repairing line that while not exactly cheap, doesn't cost an arm and a leg and a firstborn. I don't remember how much I paid for all the items, but it wasn't heart attack inducing.

This is solid skincare that, for the most part, delivers good results.
It's worth mentioning that with my sensitive skin, nothing, and let me repeat it once again - nothing in today's lineup broke me out. That in itself is already a huge accomplishment and a reason enough to try other products by Dr Wu.

(Now... if he were only more handsome, I'd have my skincare knight in a shining airless pump container).

Speaking of airless pumps, what I also liked was that all relevant info was printed (in two languages!) on the packaging. There were no extra leaflets inside. Yay for saving paper!

What I also liked was that individual boxes were sealed in foil. Yay for security!

What I also liked was that every product had its expiration date printed on the bottom of the container:

Again, how come Japanese companies are unwilling (or unable) to do it?


Final verdict:

So, will I buy again?
You betcha!

The End!