Unboxing Beauty

AmorePacific was the first K-Beauty brand I tried without really recognizing or understanding that it was a Korean skincare brand and how K-Beauty would change how I feel about my skin forever.  I love and adore their Enzyme Treatment and have tried a few other things from them, including a wonderful and expensive eye cream (review here)

I received some of these products complementary to review and was not paid.  All reviews are my own honest opinion and  I never have been asked to write copy for a brand.  This blog post might contain promo codes, affiliate and referral links, which using my links will help generate a small commission that helps support my blog at no extra cost to you.

My skin type and concerns:  Oily, aging, blemish prone, pores, hyper-pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles.

All of these products were PRsamples from AmorePacific, as this is one brand that is quite expensive.  I am lucky enough that I got to use, test and review these, so that you can judge whether or not you wish to spend the money on these products.  This is a luxury line, so the price tag is going to be higher than my normal array of skincare products.  I tried to view these as objectively as possible, and price is a factor in here.  Just because a product has a high price tag, doesn’t mean it works.  If you live near a Sephora, go in and request a sample made if they carry AmorePacific in the store.  Otherwise, look for samples or gift kits, where you can try a variety of products in minis.  I reviewed a bunch of AmorePacific items in Part 1, so check it out!     

Time Response Vintage Wash-off Masque ~ let’s get the gulping out of the way… this baby is 💸💸$170 smackeroonies (that’s USD). The rest is all good though. This is made with green tea water, green tea extract, green tea callus culture, hydrolyzed green tea seeds! All picked by the left hand of AmorePacific scientists… probably wearing cotton gloves too.  This mask comes in a DISPLAY box, seriously… even has the informational card in a gold envelope and the spatula is so cool with its wavy handle.

Green tea is full of antioxidant polyphenols, helping to soothe, protect and repair your skin from both internal and external aging stressors. Green tea helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while restoring your skin’s moisture barrier over time. This also has epigallocatechin gallate, rich in catechin and yep, more green tea in the form of an antioxidant, helping suppress oxidation and prevents free radical damage. In fact, Amorepacific has taken a few of these green tea ingredients and created a patented Advanced TIME RESPONSE Complex™ formula ~ the green tea callus culture (stem cell), green tea polysaccharide EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) and green tea saponin (hydrolyzed seeds) ~ this will help to improve your skin’s appearance, by firming, smoothing and just making it glowy. Good ol’ enzymatic bacillus ferment gently exfoliates your skin and cocoa extract is a nice nourishing moisturizer.

This brown jelly has lots of tea leaf bits in it and it smells like a sweet tea. Seriously addicting. It is so cooling on my skin too, not a frigid freeze, but just so refreshing. I don’t want to take this mask off but I do after 10 minutes ~ it rinses off nicely and the first time I used it, I noticed two things ~ my skin was very soft and very smooth. The 2nd time I used it, I noticed how clean more pores looked and how they seem smaller in appearance… my skin also looks more radiant ~ must be all those catchins!  This doesn’t strip or dry my skin, it helps plump up my skin and due to the bacillus, it does have skin refining benefits that I can feel after just one use. I totally recommend this wash off masque if you can afford it. It is a luxury item, for sure, but it really did impress me. I guess my other complaint is that the TUB IS TOO SMALL. I want a vat of this stuff.

Ingredients: Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Camellia Sinensis Callus Culture Conditioned Media, Camellia Sinensis Callus Culture Extract, Hydrolyzed Camellia Sinensis Seed Extract, Bacillus Ferment, Methoxy PEG-114/Polyepsilon Caprolactone, Glyceryl Caprylate, Dextrin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Carbomer, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Tromethamine, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Water, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance  cosDNA

Limited Edition Moisture Bound Skin Energy Hydration Delivery System (ie Facial Mist) is made with fresh bamboo sap for instantaneous long-term hydration, patented Phytofluidics, which provide contiguous hydration for up to 24 hours and patented 5-Hydra Complex, made with lotus, cactus, bamboo leaf, soybean and green tea to help combat dryness while softening skin and brightening niacinamide.  AmorePacific came out with 3 different scents:  Dawn, which “captures the forest’s refreshing early morning fog“; Daytime is “inspired by the soothing wind of the forest” and Nighttime is “inspired by the silence of a Korean bamboo forest’s moonlight“. I chose Dawn and Nighttime for my two scents. These mists have a pH of a little under 6 and they are very hydrating ~ in fact, if I layer them several times, I don’t need a serum or toner ~ I can just put on a moisturizer and call it a day! That said, I have very oily skin, so if you have drier skin, you might need a bit more, but for me, this is plenty hydrating.

Now, the scents… Dawn is a very light fragrance and it is the classic Amorepacific scent that is in their other lines. It isn’t as overpowering as it is very subtle. That said, I like this one for my body rather than my face, as I am not a huge fan of the classic scent. Nighttime, however, is MY FAVORITE. I wouldn’t mind AmorePacific replacing their classic scent with this one. It is more aquatic floral, a little spicy and a bit more complex. It really smells lovely! These mists are cooling on the skin and can be used to help set makeup as well. I hope that they keep Nighttime in the permanent collection as it is just a lovely scent!!

Dawn Ingredients: Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice, Alcohol, Glycerin, Betaine, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Phyllostachis Bambusoides, Hydrolyzed Camellia Sinensis Leaf, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, BHT, Stearic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tromethamine, Palmitic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, PEG-5 Rapeseed Sterol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-75, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Water, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance cosDNA

Nighttime Ingredients: Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice, Alcohol, Glycerin, Betaine,PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, PEG-5 Rapeseed Sterol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Fragrance, Ethylhexylglycerin, Water, Disodium EDTA, Stearic Acid, Tromethamine, Butylene Glycol, Opuntiacoccinellifera Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Potassiumsorbate, Hydrolyzed Camellia Sinensis Leaf, Hydrolyzed Phyllostachis Bambusoides, Tocopherol cosDNA

Youth Revolution Vitamin C Radiance Concentrator  is a vitamin C, liquid dual phase serum ~ it is supposed to help with softening fine lines and wrinkles along with evening out the skin tone. This also will combat a term that AmorePacific calls “Aging Dust™”, which is external factors, such as pollution, that cause dull, uneven skin tone from building up on the surface of your skin. This dual phase serum contains

• Brightening antioxidant vitamin C (3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid): for skin tone and  firmness improvement
• Anti-pollution green tea polysccharides: for soothing and protecting skin from environmental factors
• Antioxidant white peony: brightens and purifies
• Skin brightening niacinamide: vitamin B3, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, improves and enhances skin elasticity and skin barrier function

This product is cruelty free, free of sulfates, parabans and phthalates but NOT fragrance. This comes in a beautiful sleek white bottle with an eye drop applicator and you must shake up the serum first ~ very important, otherwise you will have a sticky face. The serum is colorless but the scent is not! OMG, the artificial perfumed scent is very strong and pervasive ~ it does fade down a bit, but it also lingers. I make sure to use another product over this that smells better. Some people love the Amorepacific “classic” scent, but I am not one of them. I love their Vintage Essence herbal scent, to be honest.

However, I do love how this plumps up my skin, making  it soft and supple ~ and my skin’s texture looks so refined without any of the fine lines. I do use it at nighttime, as I find that the serum leaves a bit of film on my oily skin type, but in the morning, my skin feels smooth. I have not noticed any lightening of hyper-pigmentation, and as this has a pH level of about a 5, I doubt this is a strong enough vitamin C serum to achieve that.  One of my  knowledgeable readers on Instagram @yxnay stated that the 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid appears to be fine with a pH level of a 5 and that the lower concentration of vitamin C in the product was the reason why I wasn’t seeing an impact on my hyper-pigmentation.  

I didn’t experience any breakouts due to the higher pH level of the product, which is a bonus. However, for a skin softening, smoothing and plumping serum, this is very nice. I am not sure about that price tag though.  $250.00 is very steep for a product that doesn’t lighten hyper-pigmentation with a strong perfumed fragrance. I will continue to use this until it is done and  will add some vitamin C powder to it, to boost the potency.

Formula 1 Ingredients: Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Polyglycerin-3, Panthenol, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Water, Xanthan Gum, Fragrance, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol cosDNA

Formula 2 Ingredients: Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Water, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Disodium EDTA, Paeonia Suffruticosa Flower Extract, Phenoxyethanol cosDNA

Botanical Radiance Oil ~ now I have tried this product before but never wrote up a review. I had been planning to, but kept forgetting and then I finished the bottle. However, after trying a product from a different brand ~ I will mention more on that.., I want to try this again as I DID really like it & felt that a comparison was needed. Let’s talk about this product ~ This contains green tea ~ green tea water, green tea seed oil and green tea polysaccharides ~ all which will revitalize, moisturize, soothe, protect skin from both free radical damage and environmental factors.

This is due because green tea is full of powerful anti-oxidants, due to its high concentration of polyphenols.  Amore Pacific has their own green tea farms on Jeju Island in South Korea and they are VERY serious about their green tea. This also has canola oil, otherwise known as rapeseed flower oil, which is used quite a bit in K-Beauty. This oil will help keep moisture retention, while brightening your skin, smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles. This also has alcohol in it, but it doesn’t smell like it and probably is used to thin the product out.

Is this truly an oil? The first ingredient is green tea water, not oil, and the big oils ~ rapeseend and green tea ~ don’t show up until near the end of the ingredient list. I would say that it is more of a serum than an oil. The Botanical Radiance Oil comes in one of the prettiest packaging I have seen ~ so elegant with the white glass bottle with the spring green shading at the bottom. The cap is a flat silver button that when you twist it, it pops up and you press down on it so it sucks up the oil into the glass pipette.

It is a clear, almost watery and lightweight “oil” that has a bit of slippery feel to it, but it absorbs quickly & cleanly into my skin, leaving no sticky residue. I find that this is one of my favorite Amore Pacific products as it really hydrates my skin, leaving it plump and glowing, reducing redness.

However, the scent is a major drawback ~ it has that classic perfumed Amore Pacific scent, although it isn’t as strong as some of their other products. Will this work on all skin types? I think it is best suited for dehydrated oily and oily/combo skin, as drier skin types might not find it moisturizing enough for an “oil”.  Now, what this reminds me of is Wishtrend’s new Fundamental Watery Oil Drop, which really doesn’t contain oil. The ingredients are somewhat similar, the results are very similar and Wishtrend’s product is unscented, plus a lot less expensive. Amore Pacific is $105 USD, so that price tag is daunting.

Ingredients: Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Alcohol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Butylene Glycol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Water, Xanthan Gum, Octyldodeceth-16, Fragrance, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol cosDNA

AmorePacific was the first K-Beauty brand I tried without realizing it was K-Beauty or what would begin my long love affair with Korean skincare products. AmorePacific uses Jeju Island grown ingredients, such as 🌱green tea, 🍄pine mushroom, ginseng and  🎋bamboo to create their hydrating and anti-aging skincare products. The Moisture Bound line is designed to boost your skin’s hydration level and I have to say, the products found in this Moisture Bound Skin Regimen Discovery Set are very moisturizing! Moisture Bound focuses on using fresh bamboo sap for instantaneous long-term hydration and their patented 5-Hydra Complex formula made with lotus, cactus, bamboo leaf, soybean and green tea to help combat dryness while softening skin.

Starting off with a couple of items from their Treatment line, a little double cleansing duo with a Cleansing Oil and a full sized Cleansing Foam ensures that your makeup and dirt are whisked away nicely. The Rejuvenating Creme is lightweight, but still a bit too heavy during the hot summer months, so I am not really using this right now and will save it for when the weather is cooler. They do have the Refreshing Hydra-Gel, which is an oil free, lightweight gel moisturizer, which might make more sense for oily skin and hot weather.

Now we get to the stars in this box…. I love the Rejuvenating Eye Treatment Gel, which is very lightweight, but a powerhouse of a moisture! No sticky or greasy residue and my skin drinks it up. It is very refreshing too, with its gel texture and my skin around my eyes looks a little less line-y. The other star is the liquid-gel texture Sleeping Recovery Masque, which is only a tiny sample! This is so nice, lightweight and really provides hydration overnight. I found that it had a cooling sensation as well, as it does have alcohol in it, but my oily skin really enjoyed this! My skin was silky soft in the morning. 

This is the fresh, perfumed classic Amore Pacific scent, but thankfully, the Moisture Bound line is MUCH more lighter in the scent department and it doesn’t linger too long. As there are so many products in this kit, I won’t list the ingredients for every product, but just the two that I really enjoyed ~  AmorePacific’s website does have all of the ingredients in English!

Moisture Bound Rejuvenating Eye Treatment Gel Ingredients: Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Alcohol, Water, PEG-75, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Squalane, Niacinamide, Acetyl Glucosamine, Hydrolyzed Phyllostachis Bambusoides, Hydrolyzed Camellia Sinensis Leaf, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Hesperidin, Caffeine, Theanine, Kaempferol, Camellia Sinensis Flower Extract, Natto Gum, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Phytantriol, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Polysilicone-11, Propanediol, Dimethiconol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Stearyl Behenate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Polysorbate 20, PEG-15 Pentaerythrityl Tetra (Laureth-6 Carboxylate), Sodium Chloride, Poloxamer 407, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance cosDNA

Moisture Bound Sleeping Recovery Mask Ingredients: Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Squalane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycereth-26, Water, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cyclohexasiloxane, Hydrolyzed Camellia Sinensis Leaf, Hydrolyzed Phyllostachis Bambusoides, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Calcium Gluconate, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Tricholoma Matsutake Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Flower Extract, Lactobacillus/Water Hyacinth Ferment, Theanine, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Kaempferol, Betaine, Beta-Glucan, Niacinamide, Natto Gum, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polysilicone-11, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Stearyl Behenate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Peg-15 Pentaerythrityl Tetra(Laureth-6 Carboxylate), Caffeine, Mannitol, Phytantriol, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Poloxamer 407, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance cosDNA

Where To Purchase

If I had a million dollars, Well I’d buy you some art (a Picasso or a Garfunkel)…. Well, if I had the money to burn, that Time Response Vintage Wash-off Masque would numero uno on my list.  If Nighttime became a permentant scent, I would repurchase that Moisture Bound Skin Energy Hydration Delivery System and I love the Rejuvenating Eye Treatment Gel and am interested in trying the full size of the Sleeping Recovery Masque.

Sephora carries a huge line of AmorePacific products and Sephora can ship internationally to selected countries. 

• Time Response Vintage Wash-off Masque  50 mL  $170.00
• Limited Edition Moisture Bound Skin Energy Hydration Delivery System Trio 3×80 mL $89.00 
  • Dawn 80 mL $35.00
• Youth Revolution Vitamin C Radiance Concentrator 30 mL $250.00  
• Botanical Radiance Oil 30 mL $105.00
• Moisture Bound Skin Regimen Discovery Set (not available at Sephora) 
  • Treatment Cleansing Oil 200 mL  $50.00
  • Treatment Cleansing Foam  120 mL  $50.00 
  • Rejuvenating Creme  50 mL  $150.00
  • Rejuvenating Eye Treatment Gel  15 mL $85.00
  • Sleeping Recovery Masque 100 mL $60.00
  • Refreshing Hydra-Gel Oil-Free  50 mL $100.00

AmorePacific USA has its own store and they always have free shipping, free samples and Gift With Purchases specials going  on.  Get a complimentary deluxe sample by using my referral link with your first purchase.   

• Time Response Vintage Wash-off Masque  50 mL  $170.00
• Limited Edition Moisture Bound Skin Energy Hydration Delivery System Trio 3×80 mL $89.00
  • Dawn 80 mL $35.00
  • Daytime 80 mL $35.00
  • Nighttime 80 mL $35.00
• Youth Revolution Vitamin C Radiance Concentrator 30 mL $250.00  
• Botanical Radiance Oil 30 mL $105.00
• Moisture Bound Skin Regimen Discovery Set $165.00
  • Treatment Cleansing Oil 200 mL  $50.00
  • Treatment Cleansing Foam  120 mL  $50.00 
  • Rejuvenating Creme  50 mL  $150.00
  • Rejuvenating Eye Treatment Gel  15 mL $85.00
  • Sleeping Recovery Masque 100 mL $60.00
  • Refreshing Hydra-Gel Oil-Free  50 mL $100.00

[ disclaimer:  blog post contains products received for review purposes and affiliate links ]