CUSkin PH Balancing Toner: Simple and Effective

CUSkin is a Korean brand of skincare that is making its way into the rest of Asia. Right now, the brand is known mostly for their BB Cream, which I've reviewed before. Of course, in Asia, as you might expect, the BB cream steals all the spotlight, so with all the hype about the BB cream, I had actually forgotten that the brand has other skincare products, one of them being the humble toner.

The CUSkin PH Balancing Toner is supposed to help balance your skin's natural PH, although after using it for awhile, I can't confirm that for sure. But as a toner, it does do a pretty good job. The toner itself comes in a plain, functional, white box. No bells, whistles, or frills here - everything is kept simple. The ingredients list is printed on the front of the box itself.



The toner bottle has a similar design to the box, and is helpfully packaged as a pump dispenser, which is great - no contamination of the product, and no spills or messes during application. More brands should package their toners in pumps, for clumsy people like me who are prone to spilling things.

The toner itself is a clear, colourless liquid that looks and feels a bit like water. It also has a very nice fragrance, and smells a bit like rose, probably due to the rosewater inside. I liked this toner, it did feel like it moisturized my skin, and didn't leave any sticky residue behind, unlike some toners I've tried before.



So I like this product. But I did notice that the ingredients list on the box and the bottle were different from the ingredients label pasted behind the box. My guess is that the list on the front of the box is a list of the main ingredients, while the stuck-on label behind the box is the full list.

Here's the list on the front of the box:



And here's the label behind the box. As you can see, the ingredients list is longer here:



The discrepancy isn't very huge by any means, and the key ingredients, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin, appear in both lists, and are both very good ingredients for a toner. It's just that I do personally happen to be very persnickety about ingredients, because I'm the kind of girl that reads my ingredients labels before buying a skincare or makeup product. I don't think it's a big deal, since the full list of ingredients is on the back of the box, and that's already a plus point when it comes to Korean skincare. (You know how it is with Korean skincare - they rarely think to translate the ingredients into English for those of us who don't read Korean, which can be frustrating.) It seems to me that the list on the front of the box is a listing of their featured ingredients, while the complete list is behind. I just thought I'd point it out for my more observant readers.

So would I recommend this? Yes, and why not? The CUSkin PH Balancing Toner doesn't have the hype of the CUSkin BB Cream, but in my opinion, this is a better product. The toner is simple and basic, with reliable ingredients that have been shown to work. If that's what you're looking for, then the toner is worth checking out.

(Product was sent for review. Review is my complete and honest opinion. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)

Vote and Win a $89 Full Sized CUSkin Cream!

Yes, you read it right! You can win a full-sized CUSkin Pure Whitening Cream! If you appreciated my honest product review on the CUSkin BB cream, please do click on the picture below, find my photo out of the bunch there are (mine is the 7th photo from the top I believe) and click on the "Like" button below the photo! One lucky voter is going to get a jar of cream worth $89!

And you should vote because mine is the only blogpost that doesn't give a raving "OMG THIS PRODUCT IS AWESOME" review to the product. LOL, okay that was a joke. But if you've liked any of my posts so far, be they swatches, reviews, or random posts on Asian undertones, please do click on the link and "Like" the post :) I hope the winner of the cream will be one of you guys!

FOTD/Review: CUSkin BB Cream and Pure Whitening Cream

CUSkin is a brand hailing from Korea, and two of its most heavily advertised items are the requisite staples of Korean skincare - a BB Cream, and a whitening cream. The Whitening and Wrinkle Repair BB Cream, as well as the Pure Whitening Cream have both been getting a lot of press in the past couple of months, and I thought I'd take the opportunity to introduce my thoughts on these products to you.

Now, before I start on this review, I'd like to state upfront that I was only provided with sample sachets of the product, so my review will be limited in a couple of ways. I won't be able to tell you how these products work in the long run (e.g. I can't tell you whether it will break you out after 6 weeks), but I can do some swatches, as well as an FOTD. I'd also be able to give an overview of the texture, colour, and other cosmetic properties of the products. So now that all the disclaimers are out of the way, let's get on to the review, shall we?



Anyway, let's start first with the Pure Whitening Cream. It's a cream, but it doesn't quite feel like one, having a very light texture that's a cross between a gel and a cream. It's white in the packaging, but it quickly spreads out and becomes clear upon application. It's also easily absorbed, so it's easy to wear in a hot or humid climate, or during summer. You won't get a sticky-face feeling with this one.



The Whitening and Wrinkle Repair BB Cream has some of the most grandiose of claims - whitening and wrinkle repair, both of them. While I can't exactly tell you whether it really fulfills its skincare claims, because I haven't tried it out for long enough, I am quite happy to say that as a BB cream, it's actually pretty good.



Like most BB creams, this one has a very, well, creamy texture, that is actually quite similar to the primers found in Western brands. I half suspect this is due to the fact that BB Creams typically tend to be laden with silicones, in a manner that's similar to Western-brand primers. So if you've tried other BB creams and have liked them, and if you like the feel of silicon-bearing products, then this will be a good one for you to try.

Also, like most BB creams, the colour is actually on the pink side. I'm NC20, and I actually found it a bit too pink for me. Still, because it blends out well, as you can see from the photo above, the pink-ness isn't as bad as some other BB creams. I think even if the shade doesn't match perfectly, it's possible to pull it off, as long as there is plenty of blending. I've tried BB creams where the pink is so obvious that the colour looks all weird and pink and ashy when applied, but this one fortunately blends in much better, although it's not exactly a match.

And since I know we all love before-and-after photos, here's a before-and-after FOTD I've done just for you guys!

Here's a picture of my bare skin, with nothing but the Pure Whitening Cream. OMG I HAVE NO MAKEUP ON ! THE HORROR! :P



And here's a photo of me with just the BB cream on. As you can see, it provides pretty decent coverage for a BB cream, although it's still quite sheer. It covers up some smaller areas of blemishes, although for larger skin issues, such as acne spots or scars, it would be best paired with another conceaer underneath, or a powder on top to provide extra coverage.



And although I thought it would be too pink for my skin, it actually blended in pretty well. If you squint and look closely, you'd be able to see that my face is perhaps a hair pinker than my neck, but I don't think most people would notice the colour difference, unless they were searching for it.

Lastly, as the photos show, the CUSkin BB cream has a very luminous finish - and I mean, very luminous. You can positively see the light bouncing off my face in the photo, LOL!

And here's the finished FOTD. I decided to go for a clear skin, red lips kind of look. Can you see the light reflecting off my face?



Here's the breakdown of the look for anyone interested:
Face:
CUSkin Whitening and Wrinkle Repair BB Cream
Stila Peony Convertible Color

Eyes:
NARS Abyssinia
Urban Decay Underground 24/7 Eyeliner Pencil
Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara

Lips:
GOSH Velvet Touch Lipstick Hot n' Sweet 139

So, do you need this? Well, if you're into whitening products, and have been looking for a lightweight BB cream and whitening cream, this one is worth a go. It's best suited for girls who have a slightly pinker tinge to their skin, who like reflective foundations, and do not require much coverage. If you're NW20 or so, this is going to be your perfect shade. However, if you are sensitive to silicones, and are very warm-toned or have a very yellow cast to your skin, then this might not be the best product for you. But as far as Asian skincare products go, this is definitely more than adequate, and worth looking at.

(Product samples provided for review. I'm not affiliated with the company, or compensated for my review in anyway. Thus, this review is my honest and complete opinion on the product.)