Review-Holika Holika Aqua Fantasy Cream

Hello everyone! Tonight I have a short review for you:

Holika Holika Aqua Fantasy Cream

The packaging says: 

"Fantastic moisture care with aqua energy of wonderland where those one icebergs and hot spring water."

Ummm....ok.

I got this sample from the Holika Holika store in South Korea last summer.  It is the last step of their 4-step Aqua Fantasy line (the moisturizer step).

Since I only had the cream, I used this sample with my normal face care routine: Missha Strawberry Latte face cleanser and Missha Super Aqua toner.  

Since Holika Holika is a newer company, and they seem to market to a young audience, I did not expect too much from their skin care lines.  I just thought they were all about cute packaging, trendy items, and good marketing.

This is the second skin care product I've tried from Holika Holika, and I must say, I'm pretty impressed by the quality I've seen from them so far!  

I have "normal" skin, not too oily, not too dry.  I use lotion in the winter to combat dryness, and either skip it or use lighter products in the summer.  Pretty much any skincare item with "Aqua" or something else in the name that implies water seems to work really well for my skin type. (For example, I LOVE anything that H2O makes.) This cream was no different...

I really liked it!    

The Aqua Fantasy cream was clearish-white and had a light gel texture.  It was obviously water-based, and not at all creamy or greasy.  It almost felt like a thick toner rather than a cream.  The smell was light and similar to that of other "marine" products.  It quickly absorbed and left my skin silky smooth and firm.  The next morning my skin was still silky with no added shine or oil. 

This is a great product that I would definitely buy.  If your skin can use a little moisture, but you don't like heavy products, this might be just what you are looking for!  I think it would make an especially great product for warmer weather, or more humid, tropical climates.  I could see myself using this in the summer months when my usual moisturizer is a little too much.

Have you ever purchased Holika Holika products?  What did you think?     

Review- Holika Holika Miracle Real Skin Finish

I recently wrote a post about my travel bag that made me realize that I should probably use the samples I've hoarded from my trip to Korea over the summer, before they are no good!  I have quite a stash, because in Korea they almost always give you a bunch of samples anytime you buy something. So, I will review the various samples for you as I try them.

First up is: 

Holika Holika Miracle Real Skin Finish- Normal/Dry Skin

First of all, I wasn't quite sure what exactly this product was for, since the sample packet had no English description.  Thanks to the magic of Google, I found this blurb on Amazon:

"Holika Holika Miracle Real Skin Finish cream is a dynamic, light-weight skin tone correction cream that also provides bright radiance, moisture and SPF protection (SPF 25) to your skin. Think of it as a super light BB cream that works to enhance the look of your natural, bare face."

I used the cream after cleansing and applying my usual Missha Super Aqua Toner.  And since I'm getting to be quite the beauty blogger these days (haha), I even snapped a quick swatch of what the product looks like before blending.  Because I was only using a sample packet, this was a pretty stingy swatch, but you are able to see that on first application, it looks almost like thick pearly lotion. 

The Miracle Real Skin Finish blended easily on my skin, and it dried to a very smooth silky texture.  It felt sort of matte.  I really liked the feel of the product on my skin, that was definitely the most unique thing about it.  It added a smooth, clean, and fresh texture.  This cream is supposed to "brighten" skin, and it did have a slightly lightening effect.  I noticed I looked a bit paler than normal.  My skin, as you can see, is very light to begin with, so I am uncertain how this would look on a darker skin tone.  The cream also added a subtle sheen, almost like a highlighter.  

The directions from Amazon suggested that it was meant to enhance a bare face.  I was on my way out when trying this, and I rarely go out without makeup, so I didn't want to use it alone.  I used it as a base for my Nature Republic BB.  The highlight effect of the Miracle Real Skin Finish continued to be visible with the BB cream.

Overall, I liked this product, but I would be unlikely to buy it for myself.  

I used to be a big fan of shimmering and highlighting face products, until I noticed that the  "shimmer" looked like "grease" in many of my pictures.  It is not something that I'd ever noticed in real life, but either way, these days, I stick with matte face products over shimmery or dewy ones.  That being said, I thought the shimmery brightening effect was pretty and soft.  It looked pretty both alone, and when used as a base.  I think the lightening/brightening effect of this product might be even more flattering on someone with a skin tone slightly darker than mine.  

Also, I would not buy this because I want more coverage than this product offers.  I don't use a primer before my BB cream, so for me, this product falls into the "great quality product, but not-too-useful" category.

I would recommend Holika Holika Miracle Real Skin Finish to those of you who aren't too big on wearing face make-up like powder, foundation, or BBs.  Applying this product is as simple as using face lotion! If you already have clear and attractive skin and tend to go sans makeup, but you want a no-fuss product that adds a little glamour to your look, this is a really great little cream! The ultra smooth texture also makes it a good base, if you regularly use base.