Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Radiance Serum

When I bought this Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Radiance Serum (I think it was on RoseRoseShop, but it might have been W2Beauty, I don't remember), I made a mistake.

You see, I used to use Hanyul White Chrysanthemum something or the other in the past, and it was lovely. But that was before I got all serious about blogging about Asian skincare products.
So earlier this year, when my dear friend from France asked about skin tone evening serums, I naturally ran to the net and purchased the first White Chrysanthemum item that caught my eye.

It turned out to be a good mistake, in several ways, actually.


But first things first.

"White chrysanthemum?" I hear you say.
"You mean, like this?" I hear you say.

image source: wikipedia

I mean, it's a chrysanthemum for sure. And it's definitely white.

Yeah, I thought so, too.
But as always with cosmetic products, the devil's in the details.

I remembered reading something about white chrysanthemum tea being a popular drink in China. But as far as I could recall, it didn't actually involve huge white flowers, of the kind usually placed on graves in a certain European country on November 1st.

I started digging. And sure enough, what they call "white chrysanthemum" in China is what we call "golden chamomile" or "Chinese chamomile" in Europe.

And yes, the "white chrysanthemum" drink I remembered drinking smelled more like chamomile tea than a cemetery on All Saints' Day (my Polish readers will understand the reference).

So you expect this:

image source: wikipedia


But in reality, you get this:

image source: wikipedia


Quite a difference, right?
Yeah, I thought so, too.

So that's the bad news. It's not white, it's golden, and it's not a chrysanthemum of the usual variety, but something more resembling a chamomile.

Luckily for us, that's the end of bad news.

And for the good news? Luckily for us, there's plenty of it.

1. Chamomile and chrysanthemums are actually related.
This one here is called Chrysanthellum indicum in Latin and "gamguk" in Korean. 

2. Chrysanthellum indicum extract happens to be quite awesome. According to multiple sources, it has:

• - anti-aging properties

• - anti-inflammatory properties

• - and according to a research paper published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, is an effective and well-tolerated topical agent (used as 1% cream) for the treatment of moderate rosacea.

3. Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Radiance Serum claims to have 1000 ppm (part per million?) of this magical "gamguk" extract.

Wait a sec.
My Japanese friend has a question.

Hanyu???!!??

No, not Yuzuru Hanyu *). Though in all fairness, this boy is the fairest of them all and totally could have his own skincare line.

Hanyul.

image source: Amore Pacific

Hanyul is one of the many, many brands from Amore Pacific. And Amore Pacific is the largest beauty company in South Korea. Or one of the two largest. The other being LG (yep, that LG).
Hanyul's tagline is: "Traditional natural cosmetics from the nature and folk remedies of Korea."

Pity they limit themselves to Korea, because just imagine the perfect blend of Hanyu and Hanyul. The marketing possibilities are endless.
I'd buy it. Just because.

But what were we talking about here?

Ahhhh... yes... Hanyu Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Radiance Serum.

It's a Korean skincare product that claims to even out your complexion, reduce dark spots and blemishes, improve your skin's natural radiance by preventing the formation of melanin.
It also claims to have anti-wrinkle properties.

As a serum, it goes on your skin after cleansing and applying toner.


In a typical Hanyul fashion, one side of the box is printed in English, the other - in Korean.

The bottle has the characteristic Hanyul shape. But sadly, it's plastic. It looks like nice, luxurious glass, but it's just cheap plastic. Korean skincare companies like to fool you like that.

The bottle is semi-transparent (you can see how much stuff is still inside if you hold it against the light) and holds 40 ml of product.

The serum is white, its texture is very light and deliciously delicate. It's not oily, it's not watery, it's just right.

It does smell like chrysanthemums, though. It's not a strong smell, but it's there. And it definitely likes to linger. I absolutely hate this scent!!!

The serum absorbs completely, leaves the skin feeling soft and very lightly hydrated. There is no sticky film or other residue.

The bottle is equipped with a pump. But it's not the airless type, you can unscrew it and suck every last bit of what's still left in the bottle.

The leaflet included in the box has the usual useless information in two languages. However, the Korean version is more extensive and includes the ingredient list as well.

Basically, the only thing you can read in English is this:

So yeah. That's what they say.

What do I say about Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Radiance Serum?

This is a very confusing product.
I used it once a day, in the morning. I felt like it wasn't doing much, so I stopped and put it aside for a while.
My skin reacted immediately.
Sometimes the best way to determine whether a product works or not is to stop using it.

So yes, this serum is indeed doing something. I can't tell you what it's doing, but I can definitely tell you what happened when I wasn't using it.

My skin lost its radiance and returned to its usual pinkish and I-look-like-I'm-slightly-drunk ruddy state.
Not using it made me realize how gentle and delicate and subtle this serum is.
The changes are minimal but they are there.

And the best part?
There was no adverse reaction whatsoever.
My skin was calm, smooth, less pink, radiant, bright and healthy.

I'm so in love with this Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Radiance Serum that I nearly wept when I reached the bottom of the bottle.
I wanted to run and repurchase immediately.

But I didn't.

And I won't.

Why?

The smell. The flowery scent that makes me think of All Saints' Day. I just can't stomach another bottle of this sensory abomination.

99% of people will tell you it's a pleasant, refreshing fragrance. And they are right.
But if you are sensitive to scents, you will, literally, be able to taste it.



Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Radiance Serum ingredients (courtesy of HwaHae):

So there you have it.
A delightful brightening serum that is suitable for dry, sensitive and delicate skin, and which would be perfect, if not for the annoying fragrance.


If you want to try it, most Korean online stores carry it. Pricing varies, so it pays to shop around.

So that was Hanyul.

~~~

And this is Hanyu *)

*) Japanese Figure Skating God

Hanyul Luminant Cushion

There's a typhoon rolling around outside. My throat is so sore that all I can do is drink lukewarm tea through a straw. And I'm killing time watching amazing talent show auditions. Yay! What a way to spend a Sunday evening.

But to make myself feel a little less miserable while being miserably sick, I actually put on some makeup and even did my hair today. It did help to brighten my day a bit. Especially the fact how gloriously bright and even my skin looked. This is something that will never cease to amaze me.

And why my skin looked so awesome?
Three words for you.

Hanyul Luminant Cushion.


Tajfun szaleje za oknem. A mnie tak boli gardlo, ze jedyne co moge robic, to pic ostudzona herbate przez slomke. I na polepszenie humoru ogladam sobie roznego rodzaju x-faktory na jutubie. Czyli, wspanialy niedzielny wieczor.

Zeby czuc sie mniej mizernie bedac zmizerowana przeziebieniem, zrobilam sobie dzis makijaz i nawet wlosy tez umylam. Poprawilo mi to humor. Szczegolnie ten fakt jak wspaniale rozjasniona i wyrownana moja cera wygladala. To chyba nigdy nie przestanie mnie zadziwiac.

A dlaczego moja cera wygladala tak swietnie?

Trzy slowa.

Hanyul Luminant Cushion.

Oh yes, the full name of this wonder is Hanyul Luminant Cushion SPF 50+ PA+++, dear search engines.

Let me say it straight off the bat - this is my holy grail cushion.
I have four more cushions to test and frankly, after Hanyul, it seems like a waste of time.

And don't you just love this simple and chic box?
English on one side, Korean on the other:


Pelna nazwa tego cuda to Hanyul Luminant Cushion SPF 50+ PA+++, zeby wyszukiwarki wiedzialy co maja wyszukiwac.

Powiem prosto z mostu - to jest moj KWC i swiety graal w jednym.

Mam cztery dodatkowe poduszki wciaz do przetestowania, ale po Hanyulu, po prostu nie chce mi sie. Strata czasu.

Zacznijmy od pudelka.
Proste, ale bardzo eleganckie.
Angielski po jednej stronie, koreanski po drugiej.

If you're a cushion maniac, like me, there are already reviews of Hera UV Mist Cushion and Sulwhasoo Evenfair Perfecting Cushion and Iope Air Cushion XP on this blog. 
They are all good, solid cushion foundations. But sadly, or rather - luckily in this case, I have a Pokemon mentality when it comes to cushions. And so I kept collecting.

Hanyul Luminant Cushion wasn't on my original shopping list. I got it on a whim. I don't remember the reason why. Probably something to do with spending enough to qualify for free shipping.
I picked the lighter of the two available shades, marked as number 1 and variously translated as "bright pink", or "light pink", or simply "pink".

Remembering how unpink the supposedly pink shade of Sulwhasoo cushion was, I didn't expect much.

Jesli jestescie maniaczkami poduszek tak jak ja, to juz sa tu na blogu recenzje poduszek: Hera UV Mist Cushion, i Sulwhasoo Evenfair Perfecting Cushion i Iope Air Cushion XP. Wszystkie one to dobre, solidne poduchy. Ale mnie ciagle bylo malo i nadal kolekcjonowalam.

Hanyul Luminant Cushion nie byla na mojej liscie zakupowej. Nie wiem jak wpadala mi do koszyka. Chyba chodzilo, zeby wydac okreslona sume, aby kwalifikowac sie na bezplatna wysylke ekspresem.

Wybralam jasniejszy z dwoch dostepnych odcieni, oznaczony jako numer 1 i tlumaczony jako taki czy siaki rozowy.

Pamietajac jak bardzo nierozowy byl rozowy Sulhwasoo, nie oczekiwalam cudow.



I didn't even open it right away when the package finally came.
But when I did open it, boy oh boy... I was left speechless. And those who know me and know how blunt and brutal my opinions can be, can confirm - I'm not speechless very often.

When I opened the box, the standard cushion set was revealed:

Nawet nie chcialo mi sie tego pudelka otwierac, kiedy w koncu przyszlo.
Ale jak juz otworzylam, to o rety! Cud, miod i orzeszki, po prostu.
I ci, ktorzy wiedza jak brutalne potrafia byc moje wypowiedzi o kosmetykach, moga potwierdzic, malo co mnie zachwyca.

Ale, krok po kroku...
Po otwarciu pudelka dostajemy typowy zestaw poduszkowy:

A very sleek and chic black and white compact, a cushion refill, and a leaflet. Sadly - all in Korean.

I must say, the compact was very impressive. Simple but elegant.

Piekny, minimalistyczny kompakt, paczka z refillem, i ulotka - niestety cala po koreansku.
Kompakt jest naprawde elegancki.

One minus here - keeping it clean is very, very difficult.

For those who are not sure what a cushion foundation is - it's a soft spongey cushion (or a soft cushioney sponge) saturated with foundation. You press the spongey cushion with an applicator and dab the foundation on your face. Simple, easy, convenient. 

To work with this application method cushion foundations are a lot lighter than usual foundations. Yet depending on the type, they can offer coverage ranging from very natural to more substantial.

And unlike other liquid foundations, cushions come in convenient compacts.

When we open this lovely compact, we get the usual cushion applicator puff.

Jeden minus tutaj - niemozliwe jest utrzymanie go w stanie nieskalanym przez dluzej niz 2 minuty. Niesamowicie latwo sie packa.

Dla tych, ktorzy nie sa pewni, czym sa podklady w poduszkach - to miekka gabczasta poduszka (lub poduszkowa gabka) nasaczona plynnym podkladem. Naciskasz na poduszke aplikatorkiem i ciap, ciap, ciap, nakladasz podklad na twarz. Prosto, latwo i wygodnie. Kazda ofiara pedzlowo-podkladowa da rade.

Aby taki rodzaj nakladania byl mozliwy, podklady poduszkowe sa duzo rzadszej konsystencji niz wiekszosc podkladow butelkowo-tubkowych. Ale w zaleznosci od rodzaju, daja krycie od naturalnego do bardziej wyrazistego.

Najpraktyczniejsza roznica jest to, ze pakowane sa w wygodne kompakty.

Kiedy otworzymy ten minimalistyczny kompakt, widzimy typowy poduszkowy aplikator.

Hanyul is one of the many Amore Pacific brands, and I think all their cushion puffs are white and blue.
I really hesitate to call this thing a "sponge", because this compares to a foundation sponge the same way that a Ducati 899 Panigale compares to your sister's scooter.

When you lift the puff and open the cushion lid, you see a sticker protecting the cushion's surface.

Hanyul to jedna z wielu marek produkowanych przez koncern Amore Pacific. Poduszki marek rodem z Amore Pacific maja aplikatory bialo-niebieskie.
Nie chce okreslac tego aplikatora jako "gabeczki", bo ma sie tak do typowej gabki do podkladu jak Ducati 899 Panigale do skuterka twojej siostry.

Kiedy podniesiemy aplikator i otworzymy wieczko, widzimy naklejke chroniaca poduszke wlasciwa.

You peel off the sticker and tah-dam!!!

Zrywamy naklejke i mamy to:

You have the famous Hanyul Luminant Cushion in "Light Pink" in all its glory.

I had not read any reviews of this cushion before buying it. I knew nothing of the magical advertising descriptions. I haven't seen a single commercial. I had no idea what to expect. Which in retrospect was a good thing.
If I had known how hyped this cushion was, I would have never bought it. Stupid me.
It just goes to prove that sometimes cosmetic products are hyped, because they are good.

I swiped a bit of the foundation on my arm:

Hanyul Luminant Cushion w odcieniu jasny roz w calej okazalosci.

Nie czytalam zadnych recenzji tej poduszki przed kupnem. Nie wiedzialam nic o obietnicach producenta. Nie widzialam zadnej reklamy. Nie mialam wiec pojecia czego moglam oczekiwac. W sumie, wyszlo mi to na dobre, bo jesli wiedzialabym jak tak poduszka byla reklamowana i jakie cuda byly obiecywane, to pewnie bym jej nigdy nie kupila.
Czasem jednak cuda na kiju sie sprawdzaja.

Pomazalam troche podkladu na przedramieniu:

This photo was taken in natural light and has not been modified in any way.

I was pleasantly surprised at how light the color was. I like testing foundations, BB and CC creams on my arm like that, because the skin tone there is nearly identical to my face.

I grabbed a sponge and, without expecting any miracles, I schmeared it out a bit.

And Holymotherofbatman!!! I sure as heck wasn't prepared for this:

Zdjecie bez filtrow i edycji w naturalnym swietle.

Bylam przyjemnie zaskoczona jak jasny byl ten odcien. Testuje podklady, kremy BB i CC na wewnetrznej czesci przedramienia, bo tam skora jest niemal takiego samego odcienia jak moja twarz.

Rozprowadzilam podklad i co ja widze????
Nie bylam na to w ogole przygotowana:

Again, no filters were applied to this photo. Taken in natural light.

It disappeared!!! The only way you can tell that something is there is by the fact that my green veins are also gone.

How is that even possible? Black magic?
Have I signed my soul over to the devil by purchasing this cushion foundation?

Highly probable, because this is just the first of many wonders.

This cushion is perfect for my skin type. I have dry skin and it gives me just the right amount of moisture without being overly wet.
Some people said it is still very dewy. That might be the case on oily complexions. On my dry face I get a perfect satin finish.
Some people were not happy with the coverage this cushion offers. I think it provides more substantial coverage than N type cushions from Hera and Iope.
When used with a primer it stays in perfect shape for over 8 hours. It doesn't separate and it doesn't change color when it oxidizes.

How is that even possible?
What is this thing? A gift from the gods of makeup?

But wait! There's more.

It dries fast. It doesn't make me break out. My skin feels soft and looks bright when I remove my makeup in the evening.

Znowu, zdjecie w naturalnym swietle bez filtrow.
Podklad zniknal. Zniknely tez moje zielone zyly, co jest jedynym znakiem, ze czyms sobie ramie posmarowalam.

Jak oni to zrobili? Czarna magia?
Czy sprzedalam dusze diablu kupujac ta poduszke i nie dostalam kopii cyrografu?

Bardzo mozliwe, bo poduszka ta jest pelna cudow.
Jest idealna dla mojego rodzaju cery. Mam sucha skore, i ta poducha daje mi tyle nawilzenia ile potrzeba, ale bez mokrego efektu.

Czytalam, ze niektore babki narzekaly, ze wykonczenie nadal bylo dla nich bardzo "dewy". Mozliwe, ze to wina ich cery, lub brak primera. Na mojej twarzy dostaje satynowe wykonczenie.
Niektore babki nie byly zadowolone z poziomu krycia tej poduszki. Nie wiem, moze oczekiwaly szpachli. Porownujac z poduszkami typu N Hery i Iope, Hanyul ma wieksze krycie.
Kladziony na baze siedzi na twarzy w perfekcyjnym stanie przez ponad 8 godzin.
Nie rozdziela sie, nie plackuje i nie zmienia koloru, kiedy sie utlenia.

Jak to w ogole mozliwe, ja sie pytam?
Co to jest to cudo?

Ale, ale, to nie wszystko.
Wysycha szybko. Nie powoduje wysypu syfow. I kiedy zmywam wieczorem makijaz, moja skora jest miekka i promienna.



There is one "but" here...

As with most Korean cosmetics, it's scented. I find the fragrance to be quite annoying. Yeah, it's fresh and vaguely citrusy (but don't quote me on it, I can't describe smells if my life depended on it).
Mercifully, it evaporates rather quickly.

Because in all other ways this cushion is simply perfect for me, I'm willing to forgive and forget about the scent. I just try not to breathe when I'm using it.
But, if you are sensitive to perfume, consider yourself warned.

Jest jedno "ale".
Jak prawie wszystkie koreanskie kosmetyki, ma dosyc silny zapach. Mnie on drazni. Tak, jest swiezy i taki jakis cytrusowaty (ale mozliwe, ze nie, bo nie umiem okreslac zapachow).
Na szczescie ulatnia sie dosyc szybko.

To chyba jedyny minus tej poduszki. Jako ze jest moim idealem pod kazdym innym wzgledem, jestem w stanie wybaczyc ten perfumik. Staram sie nie oddychac, kiedy nakladam ja na twarz.

Ale jesli ktos jest wrazliwy na perfum, to lojalnie ostrzegam, moga byc problemy.

The leaflet was all in Korean and as such useless for me.

Some sites gave a brief descriptions of the most touted ingredients, however, as I am not really all that up to date with what does what, I can't tell you what in this cushion is responsible for its magical properties.

The full ingredient list appears here courtesy of Agata from Agathblog. Thank you so much for translating it!!!

Ulotka jest po koreansku, wiec na wiele mi sie nie przydala.
Niektore strony internetowe daja opisy co bardziej chwytliwych skladnikow, ale ja sie nie znam, wiec nie jestem w stanie powiedziec, ktore z nich sa odpowiedzialne za moc tej poduszki.

Sklad zamieszczony tutaj jest dzieki uprzejmosci Agathblog. Bardzo dziekuje za przetlumaczenie.

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Nelumbo Nucifera Germ Extract, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Arbutin, Acrylates/Ethylhexyl Acrylate/Dimethicone Methacrylate Copolymer, Sodium Chloride, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Panax Ginseng Root Water, Aluminum Hydroxide, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Stearic Acid, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Adenosine, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Mother of Pearl, Glycerin, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Polysorbate 80, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins, Sodium Polyaspartate, Phytosphingosine, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, Aspergillus Ferment, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499, Fragrance

As you can see, this cushion claims to provide sun protection as well. SPF50+ and PA+++.

However, as I always tell you and Alice from Skin and Beauty Story can confirm, you still need to use your usual sunblock. The amount of foundation you put on your face is simply not enough to offer adequate sun protection benefits.

Where can you buy this wonder?
Several places offer it, among them W2Beauty.

Jak widac, poduszka ta ma filtr przeciwsloneczny SPF 50+ PA+++.
Ale jak ja zawsze twierdze i Alice ze Skin and Beauty Story moze w 100% potwierdzic, sama poducha nie da wystarczajacej ochrony przed sloncem. Nadal trzeba uzywac oddzielnego filtru, bo ilosc podkladu jaka nalozymy na twarz jest po prostu za mala, aby miec jakiekolwiek wlasciwosci chroniace nas przed sloncem.

Gdzie kupic to cudo?
Kilka sklepow internetowych ma poduszke Hanyul w ofercie, w tym rowniez W2Beauty.

If you are interested in purchasing this cushion, or any other Korean beauty product, you can order it online from Alice of W2Beauty. By clicking on the link, or the banner in the sidebar and using this registration code: 182991708, you can receive $5.00 off your first order (above $30.00). Free worldwide shipping directly from Korea, and lots of samples and other freebies with every order. Enjoy!!! 

Jesli chcecie kupic ta poduszke, lub inne koreanskie kosmetyki z wiarygodnego zrodla, mozna to zrobic zamawiajac od Alice z W2Beauty.
Klikajac na ten link, lub w banner w pasku obok i wpisujac ten kod przy rejestracji: 182991708, otrzymacie $5.00 znizki przy pierwszym zamowieniu (powyzej $30.00).
Wysylka darmowa, prosto z Korei, na caly swiat, a w kazdym zamowieniu duzo probek.
Milych zakupow!