review: Sulwhasoo First Care Serum

So I have been using quite a few of Sulwhasoo products for quite some time now (read: more than a few months, which I think should be ample time to test a skincare). Some of their products had been misses rather than hits; but on the other hand, I now cannot live without a few of their items.

One of those is Sulwhasoo First Care Serum. And damn it, they don't come cheap either >: (

On my quest to search for a new skincare routine last year, I purchased a few lot of samples from Gmarket, including the upper end brands, like Isa Knox and Sulwhasoo. And thus my humble beginning of the serum.The First Care Serum worked beautifully on my rather oily combo skin, as a base serum to be used before toner application and without having to slap additional moisturiser. But since I knew better than to make my mind up based on a few sachets of samples, I bought a few tubs of this little gem in HongKong last November, as well as some bottles of their cleanser and cleansing oil. Boy, I spent some moola.

Let's just say, if the Sulwhasoo representative got paid on commission base, the lady that served my purchase at that time would be very happy.

The serum comes in 60ml fancy bottle, which will last you around 2-3 months. The cost, as I mentioned before, is on the exxy side - around A$75 when converted from my purchase in HongKong. However, this is one item that I will not be willing to give up from my daily skincare routine - broke or not!

Method of usage - refer to this website.

Anyway, to the real review:

My skin is oily combination. And I hate how it seems to have its own mind during every season change. In summer, it is freaking crisco. In winter, it is drier than the sahara. Hence, my skincare routine always change every season.
Interestingly, this serum seems to neutralize my skin. I don't even need to use moisturiser (moisturisers always end up making my face feel 'heavy') to hydrate my face anymore. Here is what I notice after a full 4 seasons cycle of using this serum (beginning since Autumn 2011 when I started on the sample sachets):

- Using them before applying the toner (and consequently any primer and make up after), preps the skin condition and hydrates the skin just enough so whatever the products you use afterwards are absorbed properly.
In my case: the toner really hydrates the skin (hence no more moisturiser), the make up primer glides easily on my face, subsequently the BB cream and foundation powder used afterwards feels like a part of my skin, not an additional fake cakey layer. Any serums used after the toner are absorbed much easily and evenly (I notice this because the BRTC blemish serum I use becomes more effective after starting using this First Care Serum).
- During winter, my skin is usually dull looking because of the dryness (and hence, I usually used to slap on additional moisturiser after cleansing & toner to hydrate them). But no more of that last winter. Yay! Apart from applying some mist water to lightly hydrate my face during the day, the serum seems to contribute to a more glowing even skin condition throughout the winter days.

I admit, I still have some of Sulwhasoo product samples that I will never touch, use, let alone buy the full retail packaging, simply because they don't work for me. I notice that a lot of their line cater towards dry skin, so perhaps it will suit that market more.
But I am so glad that I have found my new love with at least some of their basic skincare routine products: Liquid Cleansing Foam, Deep Cleansing Oil, and First Care Serum.

review - Sulwhasoo Deep Cleansing Oil

So I got my GMarket deliveries today. Yay! I feel like a kid opening her Christmas presents. I purchased quite a few things (have been purchasing quite a few things since more than a year ago - and my wardrobe and make up bags have been very fat ever since), but this time - apart from my returning purchases of BRTC BB cream  and Etude House goodies - I purchased a skin care brand that had got me curious for the past few weeks:

Behold: Sulwhasoo

I bought a few of their swatches from this shop:

Since Sulwashoo (along with Isa Knox, Hera, and some other high end products), are considered luxury items in the skincare and cosmetic world, I wanted to dip my feet first before parting with my dollars for their full packaged items.

Of the samples I received (and I even got some freebies from that shop. Bless them), I want to review Sulwhasoo Deep Cleansing Oil. Full retail package:

link (and source of above image): http://www.sulwhasoo.com/product/detail.jsp?prdtCd=213031002

As fellow BB cream and stubborn make up users know, cleansing oil is a very important addition to your skin care/ cleansing routine. I, myself, have been using DHC cleansing oil for the past few years, and though I don't hate it, I don't really like it either (it's just that I haven't found a better cleansing oil).

And Oh, for the love of God, Sulwhasoo, where have you been all my life!

Anyway, here is the item I received - 20 small packs of its kind:

I actually *cough* broke the all-too-well-known rule of test patch-ing skin care/ cosmetic items. Instead, I put it straight on my eight-hours-bb-creamed-and-not-washed face. And boy, I should have done the test patch, because it hit me like a brick:

The smell!!!! People, beware!! It has a strong strong herbal smell. I actually don't hate the smell since I love herbs, but it just gobsmacked me as soon as I slapped the oil on my face. It reminded me of the traditional herb medicine drinks my mom used to buy from the street vendor back in Indonesia, when she wanted extra vigor/ recover from illness.

I'm sure you are more interested in how well the cleansing oil works. Well, here's my arm as a test patch pallette:

A: lipstick
B: eyeshadows
C: waterproof mascara
D: gel eyeliner

C & D have always been a pain in the arse to clean up (D, btw, is a TonyMoly gel eyeliner which I absolutely love, though I don't use it often since I am so lazy to remove it). But not with this cleansing oil:

As you could see, the oil completely dissolved all the colors and smudge/waterproof eye makeup (I even quad-coated those lip & eye colors on my skin, and the mascara & eye liner too). The same as cleaning my face (provided that I have the same eye make up on), I rinsed the initial oil off my skin, and re-did it. By this time, the skin was pretty much clear already, this 2nd step was just to make sure I had all the residue completely off. Interestingly, when in contact with water, it did not emulsify as much as other brands of cleansing oils.

Rinse it off again, and..... tadaaahh:

Love it. This cleans much much better than DHC cleansing oil. Texture is actually more liquid-y than the cleansing oils I have tried, but this cleans like nobody business.

Pros: 
-Really gentle to use, not as 'oily feel' as most brands of cleansing oils
-Cleans lip colors - check. Cleans BB creams/foundations - check. Cleans eyeshadows - check. Cleans mascara & waterproof eyeliners - check.
Cons:
-The herbal smell (not really a cons for me...). Some people may NOT like it.
-Price is higher than other brands of cleansing oil. Look out for discounts from major stores (sasa), and always try samples before investing in expensive products!

For people who are concerned with using cleansing oil and afraid that it will make their face feel 'oilier', I don't think this cleansing oil have that effect at all. It made my face look really smooth after rinsing it off. BUT, if you are still worried, you may want to try a sample of Sulwhasoo foam cleanser as well. I received one small package of the foam cleanser from the GMarket shop I bought this cleansing oil from, and used it after I used the cleansing oil.

After using that foam cleanser, I swear I ran my fingers on my cheek and it made a squeaky sound. Like a finger run on a freshly polished glass.... .... .... Ok, maybe I exaggerated a bit there,but it did leave my face feel really clean. Interestingly, it did not leave my face tight as some foam cleansers I have tried in the past did. People with dry skin type might want to be a bit careful using the foam cleanser.

Anyway, until next time...