Product Review: Skinfood Royal Honey Emulsion

As you can see from the photo, this emulsion came to me in the form of a sample I got in my latest PinkSeoul box. I’ve changed my order from ‘pore care’ to ‘having fun with K-beauty products,’ because I’m awash with gorgeous pore care products and would like to change it up a little. Hopefully they’ll keep sending me great stuff to review for you guys!

This emulsion from Skinfood is excellent. I use it as a serum, and since there’s so little of it, I mainly put it on my chin and neck, with a little to spare for the rest of my T-zone. It doesn’t smell very strong at all, and it soaks in well, so no extra oil (always a bonus for me).

The first time I used the emulsion, I got a big surprise the next morning: the zits I’d gone to bed with had literally transformed overnight from ‘under the skin and inflamed’ to ‘open and healing!’ Wow! It’s like this serum hit fast-forward on my hormonal breakout. I kept using it with my regular skin routine, and it’s done a great job getting any new acne to open up and clear away. I think it’s the honey component that’s so great, as honey has been used for centuries to treat infections and soothe skin due to it having some antibacterial properties. There are even recipes out there for at-home face masks that include honey.

The package says to use the emulsion during the moisturizing step of your routine, which, by all means do that thing if it works better for you. I’m still using my May Coop Raw Moisturizer, though it’s almost time to switch to a lighter one for spring and summer. For me, the Royal Honey emulsion works great as a serum.

I’d probably buy this again, given the chance. I’m definitely happy with how it helped my acne, and with how it’s tightened up my face. If you’re looking to soothe and heal your skin from a nasty breakout, this is well worth looking into.

Product Review: Tosowoong Enzyme Powder Wash

Okay, so this one could alternatively be titled, ‘How the Fashion Bird Doesn’t Follow Instructions.’ But I got there eventually, and that’s what counts, right? Join me on this journey.

If you’ve followed the blog for a bit, you’ll know that my skin is oily, acne-prone, and in need of just all the exfoliation. So when I found out about enzyme powder and rice powder cleaners, I thought ‘Great! I can exfoliate SO MUCH now.’

I got the Tosowoong Enzyme Powder Wash in my previous PinkSeoul box, and I was super pumped. Not only is this some extra exfoliation, but it’s also a much-cheaper enzyme powder cleanser than the Tatcha Rice Enzyme Powder that I absolutely love, and absolutely can’t afford right now. Vickie, if you’re listening, you know I’d buy only your products on the regular if I could, but as it stands, I buy what I can and shill for you on all my social media accounts instead. You seem really nice on Snapchat, so I think you’re okay with this.

I do have to thank Vickie, though, for showing me how to properly use the Tosowoong powder, after weeks of getting it wrong. I’d been using it as a scrub, just putting the powder on my wet face and rubbing until it lathered up, and I was really only getting mediocre results that way (probably because I was scratching the crap out of my face twice a day). Then I watched Tatcha’s Snapchat story one day, where Vickie explained that no, Bird, enzyme powders are not supposed to be a scrub. You’re supposed to pour a little powder into your hands, put some water on the powder, then rub it between your hands to dissolve the powder into a foam. Only then do you put it on your face and start washing.

‘Well,’ I thought. ‘That explains the middling results of this scrub.’ I started using my cleanser like Vickie recommended for hers, and lo and behold! This stuff is amazing, when you use it properly. My skin feels so soft right now, and just smooth and luminous all around. My nose-blackheads are almost invisible, which is just huge for me, and some of the acne cysts I’ve been battling along my jawline are finally starting to clear up properly.

Weird how things work better when you use them as intended.

Now that I’ve used the Tosowoong powder properly for a bit, I can safely say that this is a great product, especially if you have oily, rough, or congested skin. The enzyme action helps clear away all those extra skin cells that keep hanging around, and the foaming action feels really pleasant. It rinses off very cleanly, so there’s no residue or anything left behind, even if you’re double-cleansing or washing off makeup. There’s also not a strong smell to it, so I’d definitely recommend this to any Fledglings who are sensitive to the more perfumey skin products. At $11 on Peach and Lily, I doubt you’ll find a better deal on a cleanser – I’ve been using mine for almost two months now and haven’t used it up.

Of course, as an avid traveler, one of my favorite parts about this powder is how well it travels. No melting, no leaking, no separating – it’s POWDER. I could put this in my checked bag on a plane flight and save some room in my carry-on, as long as I taped the flip-top lid closed or put it in a baggie.

I’m going to get some more product reviews to you in the coming weeks, so keep watching the blog, and feel free to send me suggestions for new products to review on Twitter!