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First Impressions

Ahhh the work of a Beauty Editor…

Sometimes a blessing, sometimes a curse.  Naturally, we get to test out products that are incredible finds from niche brands or notable brands that you know you’re in for a treat when their products arrive; or even in other rare occurrences, sometimes yet to be released products, so we’re the lucky few that get to test it before the rest of the world and then report back!  It can be quite invigorating and the other Editors and myself can sometimes (who are we kidding- most of the time) act like a pack of lionesses that just spotted a steak being tossed into our pen…  However, like every job out there, there are some times where you draw the short-straw and end up taking a product home that you’re shaking in your boots about less it turn you orange, breaks you out, gives you a migraine, stains your skin and then the carpet, looks (and most likely is in fact) expired or just plain wastes your time.

Fun Fact: All the outcomes listed are examples of actual negative experiences we’ve had while testing products.  The sacrifice/struggle IS real.

When MISSHA’s Time Revolution “The First Treatment Essence” came into our office you could feel the eyes shift and growling that had started to build into snarls.  We started prowling forward, ready to pounce on this elegant and luxurious frosted glass bottle of skincare that rivals (and defeats) the packaging of the notable SK-II essence bottles.  As we got closer, ready to claw each other’s eyes out for this magical Korean skincare, we were finally close enough to read the packaging when we all saw the words “whitening benefits”.  Suddenly a flurry of hair and perfume rushed past me in all different directions and to my horror I was the only one still looking at the product- thus the short stick was drawn and I was left to take home the product that could quite possibly turn my face geisha-white…

Well thank the cosmetic-goddesses I did; this product was such a delightful surprise!  The essence is a lightweight, translucent liquid that is made up of 80% “Fissione” (aka Fermented Yeast Concentrate) which is instantly absorbed into your skin on contact.  Did fermented yeast sound odd to you, because it did to me as well?  While I’m no stranger to fermented yeast near my face, it usually is in the form of wine and goes in my mouth, not on my face…  Apparently, thanks to Google and Missha’s website, Fissione is, “naturally fortified Vitamin B group [which] supports and increases the rate of metabolism and maintains healthy skin.”  Who knew?!

While the science behind it is fantastic, we don’t really care unless it works, right?  This essence takes about 4-6 weeks of use to see an overall change to your skin tone, complexion and so on.  However within the first couple of weeks I noticed a brightening in my complexion, tightening of the elasticity in my skin as well as few (if any) breakouts.  The essence also provides your skin with intense hydration and tone balance.  The website, bottle and so forth also claim that the essence is known to reduce fine lines and provide anti-wrinkle protection.    While I can’t say that these results were true for my testing period, this could be a case of needing to stick with the regiment for a whole 4-6 week timeframe.  The standout quality for me was the radiance the essence brought to my face (I suppose that Korean skincare refers to this as “whitening”, so in the case of MISSHA’s essence, don’t be put off by that term!) as well as tightening the elasticity of my skin and reducing pore size.  SK-II’s essence, which is highly regarded, has been known to sink into your pores and stay there (keeping them the same size- just clogged) and is over 3x the price for a smaller amount of product.

This was such a delightful testing process, after much unnecessary trepidation in the beginning; however I always love a twist in the plot that ultimately has a happy ending!

*Editor’s Note: No animals or Editors were harmed in the selection process of this review