Miss Flower & Mr Honey Cream
This is probably my most luxurious K-beauty purchase to date. I mean look at it! ITS SHAPED LIKE A HONEYCOMB!!
Ingredients
Honey Extract, Aureobasidium Pullulans Ferment, Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, PCA Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Glycereth-26, Petrolatum, Trisiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Chrysanthellum Indicum (Golden Chamomile) Extract, Plukenetia Volubilis (Sacha Inchi) Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Royal Jelly Extract, Calendula Officinalis (Pot Marigold) Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Seed Oil, Propolis Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Limnathes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethiconol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, PEG-150 Distearate, Water, Raffinose, Caprylyl Glycol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (Licorice Root Extract), Adenosine, Arginine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Sodium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Maltodextrin, Calcium Pantothenate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pyridoxine HCI, Silica, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, CI 19140
Key Ingredients
The cream boasts three types of honey compounds: honey, royal jelly and propolis extract. Based on their place in the ingredients list, the percentage of royal jelly and propolis extract is likely to be small so bleh. I did a derp when I first looked at the ingredients. I thought the cream contained 42% honey extract AND black yeast (aureobasidium pullulans ferment). It actually contains 42% ‘concentrated aureobasidium pullulans ferment honey water’, which I understand is a combination of those two ingredients.
Honey has softening and moisturising properties and black yeast is a source of beta-glucans, which help the skin retain moisture and plump out fine lines.
There are a few brightening ingredients such as niacinamide and liquorice root extract. Given their place in the ingredients list I didn't expect them to have any real effect and lets be real - I bought it for the benefits of hydrating honey/intoxictaing smell.
Other ingredients to watch out for are acne triggers and sensitivities. The cream contains two of my acne triggers - shea butter and olive oil but I haven’t had any break outs.
The rest of the formula doesn’t interest me much because the bulk of it seems to me made up of glycols and silicones.
How to Use
Apply generously over your entire face after toner/moisturiser. Use Honey Cream as a base substitution in the morning to achieve a long lasting sleek and dewy complexion for all day. Apply generously multiple layers and use it as a sleeping pack at night.
I personally found it too thick and slippery for daytime use. With suncream and cushion foundation applied on top and it turns into a gloopy mess and the finish takes you well beyond the boundaries of ‘dewy complexion' into oil slick territory. It feels a little heavy on the skin so I mix in a few drops of hyaluronic acid lotion or serum to thin it out.
Results
I use the cream at night once or twice a week and it leaves my skin feeling so plump and soft the next morning - like a really good sheet mask with an extended aftereffect. I'd describe my skin as 'normal', prone to dryness and gets really dry when I lay on the Benzoyl Peroxide. A few months back BP left my skin in such a bad state that I considered taking a week’s holiday to avoid showing my face. (I also cried. Yep.) The cream didn’t work a miracle overnight but it did help get my skin back to normal in 4-5 days. I noticed the most improvement when I started mixing the cream with hyaluronic acid which made it thin enough to layer and absorb better.
TLDR:
Good Aspects:
+ The packaging, the smell
+ Saved my face from turning into parchment
+ Helping me get through a never-ending bottle of Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Lotion
+ Good ingredients obv!
Not-so-good Aspects:
- Works best when mixed with hyaluronic acid (IMO) - I shouldn’t have to add stuff to make something better
- Feels heavy on the skin (without HA)
- Not ideal for daytime use -> skincare routine becomes more expensive
Repurchase? Although I'm satisfied overall with this cream, I can do without it so I won't be repurchasing. It was brilliant for treating my extremely dry/flaky skin but I don't experience that frequently so it doesn't really add anything to my routine.
Price & Where to Buy
Hyundai Department Store: $28.27 (W32,640) + free international shipping!
Jolse: Currently $39.08 I bought it for $38.00
*The prices on Jolse fluctuate a lot. It's usually around $40
G-Market mini-shop: Usually W48,000, currently W40,320
TesterKorea: W48,000 (but often sold with 20% discount for W38,400)
Koreadepart: $49.92
Official Website: 48,000 Won. Or $57.50 on the official English language website (??!!)
p.s. A review of the Hydrogel masks is coming next/soon!
