October Korean Glossybox - A-True and Innisfree

After the amazing September box, the Korean Glossybox that arrived in October is just bleh and meh.

I suppose I'd feel a bit more enthusiastic about it, if it had something else in it than A-True.
Why?
I know A-True very well. I like A-True very much. I have loads of A-True at home.
But the A-True that can be found in this month's Korean Glossybox is less than awesome.

We got three tiny bottles (20 ml each). Two of them are A-True Sweet Song Black Tea One-Step Cleansing Water (CosDNA ingredient analysis here) and one is A-True Vanilla Black Tea Day Relief Body Wash (CosDNA ingredient analysis here).

The cheapest throw-away selection one could come up with.

This cleansing water is A-True's weakest point. While not completely awful, and certainly serviceable, it is, nevertheless, probably the most disappointing product that A-True has to offer. A cleansing water that doesn't really want to cleanse much of anything, but instead burns my eyes and makes my skin feel dry and irritated is going to end up in the waste basket. Though I guess, since it came in a cute bag, I suppose I could push it onto one of my friends. Most of them have rhino skin and few skincare products bother them at all.

I'm not a fan of Bio-Oil or Thayers, so those products have zero appeal to me. I can use them up, on body parts other than my face, so while they are not completely wasted, it’s disappointing to see them in the box.

There were two Thayers in the box, both 50ml and both labeled as Aloe Vera Formula. One - Rose Petal Toner, and the other - Lavender Toner.

Nivea lip balm is always good. I'm not complaining here at all. My lips are so dry in winter that I go through a tube of lip balm a week, it seems.

While this balm looks very vibrant in the tube, it actually goes on nearly clear when applied. The fake peachy smell is the only thing that can be annoying. And yes, it does annoy me. Still, I've had worse. 


And now for the biggest disappointment ever.

Innisfree Ginger Oil Warming Mask…

It's a mini size version, only a 30 ml tube as opposed to 80 grams in a full size jar. The ginger line is a new release from Innisfree that hit the shelves just last month.

It includes serum, cream and a couple of other things. And of all those awesome choices, Glossybox decided we needed a warming mask. Which is exactly a product I have absolutely zero use for. I'm sure it's not a bad cosmetic. I'm sure it's actually pretty decent. Just for other people. I know my skin. And I know my skin is not going to tolerate it.

I couldn't find the English version ingredients anywhere online just yet (it IS a new product), so translated them AND input them into CosDna. Because I'm awesome like that. Here's the link.

So yeah, the October Glossybox (Korean version) was nothing to write home about. I can only hope that November will be better. Especially since November is going to be my third and final box.

A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant skincare line

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a fan of A-True. I like that the brand is trying something, while maybe not exactly new and original, definitely solid and reliable. In other words, A-True is doing what it can to stick to the plan and claim a very small, tiny niche in the very crowded world of Korean skincare.

I admire that ambition. And I admire the gumption. And the mostly moderate amount of crap in their PR blurbs. And I appreciate that instead of giving us a magical ingredient that can't really be independently verified (yes, Cremorlab, I am looking at you and your thermal water), A-True goes with a tried and true (haha, I'm so clever) approach.
Which is - tea. And tea is good. Hard to argue with that (unless you're an LDS, but just give it a couple more decades and even that sad bit of the gospel will be revised, mark my words).

And even though I am A-True's biggest fan girl (here are my other A-True reviews), I am not blind to the brand's shortcomings. And just like in the case of Cremorlab, I must say that while A-True is good, solid, basic skincare, it's also terribly overpriced.

Overpriced to the point that unless you can find it somewhere for 30% to 50% off, don't bother buying otherwise.

That's how I got today's products. My friend, who runs an online shop, was having a massive A-True clearance.

Today we are going to take a closer look at these three products:

• A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Aurora Cream
• A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Essence, and
• A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Toner

White Snow Tea is A-True's bestselling "whitening", or rather - brightening, line. Last year samples from this line were also my initial introduction to the brand.

Yes, A-True is a Korean cosmetic brand that, instead of water, uses either tea, or fermented tea extract in its cosmetics.

A-True White Snow Tea line features, as the name suggests, white tea.

White Snow Tea? Snow Buds? Is there even such a thing?

Turns out there is. It's grown primarily in the Fujian province in China.
And "cultivated in spring during 2 days out of the entire year"? Well, almost true. Not "cultivated" but harvested. And not 2 days, but a very short window of time. And yes, in the spring.

The whole idea is to harvest the leaves and tea buds when they are very young, as only such young tea leaves can produce high quality white tea.

Why is it white? The name comes from the "fine silvery-white hairs on the unopened buds of the tea plant, which gives the plant a whitish appearance." (source: Wikipedia - white tea).

The tea itself is not white, but pale yellow.

And what about the claim that "the extract of white tea protects the skin from dark spots..."?

Well, turns out that A-True might be onto something here.
Wiki again helpfully explains that:

"Like black and green tea, white tea is also derived from Camellia sinensis. Thus, white tea shares many of the same chemical properties and health effects of tea. However, white tea contains the most antioxidants."

But how exactly that translates into skincare is a mystery to me.

A-True gets its tea from a real place, which apparently, is quite fancy - Compagnie Coloniale.
For some of its skincare it then ferments the tea water. Yep, ferments. Not once, but twice. 1st fermentation uses Saccharomyces, and 2nd - Xylinum.

Today's contestants are not fermented. They all use straight tea water and tea leaf extract.

So let's get started, shall we?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Aurora Cream

Seriously, Korean companies must have some sort of an ongoing competition who can come up with the longest and the most convoluted name.

The box is plain and simple, just the way I like it. No cutesy designs and zero childishness.

Inside the box we have a 50 gram jar of cream, a spatula and a leaflet.

The lid is secured with a sticker. The jar looks fancy, but it's all cheap plastic. It bothers me when brands that aspire to be seen as fancy, pack their "fancy" creams in cheap, plastic jars. Why does it bother me? Plastic for cosmetic packaging is always "virgin" plastic, meaning it has to be made fresh, and not from recycled materials. And after the products are all used up and the jars are empty, such cosmetic packaging cannot be fully recycled. It can only be "down-cycled" for industrial use. Meaning, every time you open a plastic jar of "fancy" cream, it's a fresh, purpose-made piece of plastic.

In contrast, glass packaging can be infinitely recycled. But... glass packaging is expensive to make. Plastic is cheap. Money talks.
This is not the first time when I see Asian companies (even super fancy ones) pissing on the environment. And I don't know about you, but the environment is important to me.

Anyway, back to the cream...

In a typical A-True fashion, the inner cover got stuck inside the lid and as I have short nails, it took a kitchen knife to pry it out. (It seems to happen with all their creams).
And in a typical A-True fashion, the content of the jar has shifted.

The cream is very light. It's PERFECT for our hot and humid summer. It moisturizes without being greasy. It absorbs in a flash. It has a faint scent. But it's a pleasant scent. Vaguely tea-like, but not quite.

This is exactly what I loved about this cream last summer. This is exactly what started my obsession with A-True.

I'm using the entire A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant line in the morning. Let me repeat it once again, it's PERFECT under makeup. My skin is dry, but with close to 100% humidity outside, I don't need to slather on extra moisturizers. A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant does the trick.
I'm guessing it would be ideal for combo and oily skin in less extreme climates.

The cream is slightly pearlescent, but as you can see, it dries to a nice, matte finish.
Nothing to complain about here.

It doesn't break me out, it doesn't clog my pores, it doesn't make my red face any redder.
To be honest, I didn't notice any major "brilliance", but then again, it's not what I was expecting.
I was expecting moisture that would work under makeup in extreme conditions, and I got exactly that.
But to be honest, I also noticed that my complexion is, indeed, more even, when using A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant line.
However, it's a temporary effect, probably due to the pearlescent nature of the products.

This is what the leaflet has to say about A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Aurora Cream:

They talk about moisture - I agree. Comfort - yes, I agree again. Improves overall radiance? Yes, but temporarily.

Still, good enough for me. I like it.

A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Aurora Cream ingredients:

Because Korea doesn't follow the American (and Japanese) ingredient listing order rules, please use it only as a general guidance to see what's IN a product.


Next up we have the essence. Yes, I realize that we are going backwards here. We started with the cream, now the essence, and yes, we are going to finish with the toner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Essence

Again, the same simple design.
Inside the box we have a 40 ml bottle of essence and a leaflet.

There's a pump. Not airless, but better than nothing.

This essence is almost like a light cream, or a heavy milk.
Again, slightly pearly, with a gentle, delicious smell.

And as you can see, it absorbs fully, and leaves NO white, sticky residue.
I love A-True essences (though they are really more like emulsions), and if there is one item from this line that I'm going to definitely repurchase, this is it.

I really can't find anything to complain about here. Except maybe for the price...

A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Essence ingredients:

And here is the official spiel:

And the expiration date:

Again, I like it.
A good, solid product worth trying, if you can find it on promotion somewhere.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

And finally, last but not least:

A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Toner

Don't know about you, but toner is one of those skincare products that I use a lot of. It goes the fastest at my house. The fact that I use it with dry sheet mask capsules for instant refreshment for my poor face surely has something to do with it as well.

Either way, I go through liters and liters of toner. So when I hear that someone is using the same bottle of toner for a few months, I always wonder how they manage that. Because I can't.

Inside the box we get a 180 ml bottle of toner and a leaflet.
Look guys, this is what I really liked about this bottle. It came sealed like that:

And if you are really obsessive about your skincare, you could save this plug and reuse it. I didn't. I tossed it in the garbage. My toner isn't going to last long enough to be stored with a plug.

I like how A-True prints expiration dates on their products, instead of manufacturing dates. Though, in all fairness, having both dates would be even nicer.

As you can see, A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Toner is a clear liquid that dries to a nice matte finish. It's light and non-greasy. It absorbs fast. Again, perfect for the summer. And it smells yummy!

A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Toner ingredients:

All three products in this line have Niacinamide in them to even skintone and fade discolorations. Some people swear by Niacinamide. Personally, it does nothing for me.

I like this toner for its refreshing and moisturizing properties.

A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Toner official blurb:

All in all, it's a solid skincare line. It delivers ample moisture without being heavy, or greasy, or sticky. It's perfect for the summer. It should work well for combination and oily skin types. It works well under makeup and thus makes an ideal morning routine.

As all A-True products, this line is formulated without alcohol and parabens:

And A-True doesn't test on animals! Yay!

The only problem with A-True is that it's terribly overpriced. However, if you see a promotion on it somewhere, buy it. It's worth it.

You can purchase A-True at Jolse - a reputable Korean online cosmetic shop.

I got my A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant set at Berdever.pl.

Haul - April and May part 2

What? Surprised?
Of course there was going to be a part 2. Because when I haul, I mean business.

When Berdever was running a promotion on A-True in April, it was the perfect occasion to snatch the entire White Snow Tea series.

I got:
A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Essence (nobody does essences like A-True)
and
A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Toner
and
A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Aurora Cream.

If you get the distinct impression that I prefer to buy the entire lines of products, you are absolutely correct. I do mix and match in my skincare routine. But to form an opinion about a brand, or a line, I think it's a good idea to try everything, at least as samples.

And speaking of samples:

This was a calculated risk. I got 30 of each:
su:m37 Flawless Regenerating Essence
and
su:m37 Flawless Regenerating Eye Cream (my love!)
and
su:m37 Secret Repair Concentrated Cream.

The Flawless duo was legit, I checked it against the authentic samples I had from before.

But the Secret Repair foils got me thinking. Some were printed a bit sloppily. I started to compare the contents, foil to foil. In some the cream looked bright and fresh. And in some it looked and smelled like old butter. It's possible those were old samples. Or it's possible they were otherwise dodgy.

I wanted to provide a link to the ebay store where I got it from, but, wouldn't you know it, that particular seller (fortunebox_maker) is no longer selling. Oh well... moving on...

I was curious about this Privacy UV Gel BB SPF50+ PA++++:

Originally I wanted to get Privacy UV Face Mist, but it was all sold out.
So I took the very last UV Gel BB off the shelf.
According to the ingredients, it's alcohol-free.

And even though it comes out greyish pink out of the tube, once on the skin, it matches my complexion perfectly.
I'm very pleased.

And ladies, if you are looking for a matte BB cream, you need to look for a Japanese product.
If you want dewy glow, then choose a Korean cream.

And finally, placenta lotion!

The snobs of this world may shun placenta, but luckily I'm not that picky.
This is a huge bottle (500 ml) of alcohol-free placenta goodness. And it was ridiculously cheap, too. Around 1000 yen.

Yes, I was skeptical in the beginning. I didn't think this would do anything. And maybe what it does is just a placebo effect. But I'm happy. It calms my angry skin, it doesn't break me out, it doesn't smell, it's not greasy. What more could you want? Oh, yeah, and did I mention it's cheap? Yep. It's cheap.

And that concludes episode 2 of my April-May hauling adventure.

A-True Darjeeling Black Tea First Anti-Wrinkle Essence and Cream

Disclosure: I bought one of them and the other one was provided to me for review purposes by Berdever. However, as always, all opinions presented here are mine, and mine only. The fact that I received a product for free does not influence my review one way, or the other.

Wyjasnienia: Kupilam jeden z nich, drugi dostalam do recenzji od sklepu Berdever. Ale jak zawsze, wszystkie opinie przedstawione tu na blogu sa tylko i wylacznie moje. To, ze dostalam kosmetyk za darmo nie ma zadnego wplywu na moja recenzje, stety lub niestety. 

~~~

Everybody who's been reading this blog for more than 5 minutes, surely must have noticed that I love A-True cosmetics. I love them even if they try to eat my face alive, as was the case with the (in)famous A-True sheet mask.

Today we will take a look at two items that claim anti-wrinkle properties through the power of darjeeling back tea.

I love tea. As it happens, right this minute I'm channeling Captain Picard and drinking a cup of delicious blue flowers Earl Grey. And though A-True also does an Earl Gray line, we're going to talk about Darjeeling today. More specifically, these two products:

• A-True Darjeeling Black Tea First Anti-Wrinkle Essence

and

• A-True Darjeeling Black Tea First Anti-Wrinkle Cream.

(C'mon? I mean, what's up with those stupid names? And here we have yet another fine example of the Korean obsession with the word "first").


Kazdy, kto czyta ten blog przez dluzej niz piec minut, na pewno juz sie zorientowal, ze kocham kosmetyki marki A-True. Kocham je nawet wtedy, kiedy maska plachtowa A-True chciala mi zywcem zezrec twarz.

Dzis poznamy sie blizej z dwoma produktami, ktore twierdza, ze walcza ze zmarszczkami poprzez cudowne moce czarnej herbaty typu darjeeling.

Kocham tez herbate. Wlasnie udaje kapitana Picarda i popijam sobie "Earl Grey. Hot." w przeswietnej wersji "blue flowers". I choc A-True rowniez oferuje linie Earl Grey, dzis bedzie o Darjeeling. A bardziej dokladnie, o tych dwoch kosmetykach:

• A-True Darjeeling Black Tea First Anti-Wrinkle Essence

and

• A-True Darjeeling Black Tea First Anti-Wrinkle Cream.

Some people, mainly those of the LDS persuasion, are going to disagree, but the general consensus is that tea is good for you.
Tea bags for swollen, red eyes? Yep, that's a classic home remedy that I suppose nearly every woman has tried one time or another. Black tea compress to soothe sunburn? Been there, done that.

A-True builds on the same tradition, except in a very scientific and skincare fancy way.

In the leaflets that come inside the boxes, you can read the PR version of the origin of A-True tea cosmetics:

Ludzie, glownie ci, ktorzy biora Nauki i Przymierza na powaznie, nie zgodza sie z tym stwierdzeniem, ale generalne zdanie na swiecie jest takie, ze herbata jest dobra dla zdrowia.
Torebki herbaciane na spuchniete oczy? To klasyk, ktory znany jest chyba kazdej kobiecie. Kompres z czarnej herbaty na poparzenia sloneczne? Bylam, zrobilam, dziala.

A-True kontynuuje ta tradycje uzywania herbaty, lecz robi to w bardziej naukowy i kosmetycznie ekskluzywny sposob.

W ulotkach, ktore znajdowaly sie w pudelkach, mozna przeczytac pr-owska wersje pochodzenia herbacianych kosmetykow marki A-True:

For those with attention deficit disorder, or those who don't have the patience and/or time to read all that, the cliffs notes version is on the back of the box:

Dla tych, kotrzy nie maja ani czasu, ani cierpliwosci, aby to wszystko czytac, wersja na szybko jest na odwrocie pudelka:

Awesome! The important part here is that many people are confused by the word "France".
No, A-True is not a French company. It's a Korean company using a French tea brand to make their cosmetics.

Compagnie Coloniale is a real tea company, and yes, indeed, it's French.
So that's where the tea, the raw material, comes from.

And the tea in these two products we're talking about today, according to the leaflet, is Darjeeling F.O.P.

Super! Najwazniejszym punktem tutaj jest, ze slowo "Francja" zmyla bardzo wiele osob. Nie, A-True to nie francuska firma. To koreanska firma kosmetyczna, ktora wytwarza swoje produkty uzywajac francuskiej marki herbacianej.

Compagnie Coloniale rzeczywiscie istnieje i jest prawdziwa marka herbaciana. Tak, z Francji.
Wiec to stad A-True czerpie swoj surowy surowiec, ze tak powiem.

Herbata w opisywanych dzis dwoch kosmetykach, to wedlug ulotki, Darjeeling F.O.P.

F.O.P stands for Flowery Orange Pekoe.
However, when looking online at different Darjeeling grades, we can quickly determine that there is no such grade as F.O.P.

There is SFTGFOP (Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe), and FTGFOP (Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe), and even TGFOP (Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe). But no FOP.
But hey, nobody cares about those pesky, little details, right?


F.O.P. znaczy Flowery Orange Pekoe.
Ale jesli poszukamy informacji o roznych klasach herbaty Darjeeling, to bardzo szybko mozemy zauwazyc, ze nie ma tam nic takiego, jak F.O.P.

Jest za to SFTGFOP (Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe), i jest FTGFOP (Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe), i nawet TGFOP (Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe). Ale nie ma FOP.

No ale kto by sie takimi szczegolami przejmowal, co nie?

~~~

Anyway, where were we?

Ah, yes! Anti-wrinkle.

I have no idea if tea, any kind of tea, has anti-wrinkle properties. This was my first chance to find out.


Lecz, o czym to mowilismy?
A tak! Przeciw-zmarszczkowe to i tamto.

Nie mialam pojecia czy herbata, jakikolwiek jej rodzaj, posiada wlasciwosci przeciw-zmarszczkowe. To byla moja szansa, aby sie dowiedziec i przetestowac na wlasnej skorze.

Both cosmetics come packaged in paper boxes. Recycled paper boxes.
The essence bottle and the cream jar are both plastic. It pretends to be fancy, dark, heavy glass. But in reality it's dark, lightweight, non-fancy plastic.

I personally don't mind. Though for that price (US$50.00 plus each!) I'd expect better quality packaging. This was just screaming "drugstore".
It also opens a recycling can of worms, because as far as I know, cosmetic product packagings need to be made of virgin plastic. Later, they cannot be fully recycled, but only down-cycled. Therefore, glass, which is virtually infinitely recyclable, is the more eco-friendly option. But glass is expensive. Profit margins for cosmetic companies would go down. Oh well... everybody wants to make a buck.

(All this makes me appreciate the big European legacy companies that still package their cosmetics in glass. So next time you bitch and moan about that heavy glass foundation bottle, stop and think about the bigger picture.)

Oba kosmetyki przychodza do nas w pudelkach. Z recyclingowanego papieru. I dobrze!
Butelka esencji i sloiczek kremu sa z plastiku. Udaje on ekskluzywne, ciemne, ciezkie szklo. Ale w rzeczywistosci jest ciemnym, lekkim, tanim plastikiem.

Osobiscie mnie to nie przeszkadza. Ale za taka cene (ponad 50 dolcow za sztuke), oczekiwalabym czegos bardziej posh. To az krzyczalo "sieciowa drogeria".
Pozostaje rowniez kwestia ekologiczna, bo o ile dobrze sie orientuje, opakowania produktow kosmetycznych musza byc wytwarzane z dziewiczego plastiku (czyli nie moga pochodzic z recyclingu). Nie moga tez byc pozniej w pelni recyclingowane na kolejne opakowania, ale tylko na inne rzeczy, o bardziej prozaicznym zastosowaniu.
Tak wiec szklo, ktore mozna recyclingowac niemal w nieskonczonosc, jesli duzo bardziej ekologicznym materialem. Ale za to jest drogie. I zysk dla firm kosmetycznych bylby mniejszy.

(Ale to z kolei daje mi nowy punkt uznania dla europejskich marek selektywnych, ktore nadal pakuja w szklo. Wiec nastepnym razem, kiedy narzekasz na ciezka, szklana butle z podkladem, pomysl bardziej globalnie).

~~~

OK, OK, back to the topic.
Don't judge a face cream by its plastic jar, right?

Let's start with the A-True Darjeeling Black Tea First Anti-Wrinkle Essence.

OK, OK, wracamy do tematu.
Nie ma co oceniac kremu po jego plastikowym sloiczku, nieprawdaz?

Zaczniemy od A-True Darjeeling Black Tea First Anti-Wrinkle Essence.

What's an "essence"? It's one of the many steps in a Korean skincare routine. It usually comes after cleansing and toning and before serums and emulsions.

I like essences very much. They prep my skin for what's to come and provide an instant relief after toning. I have very dry skin. I need all the relief I can get.

Co to jest "esencja"? To jeden z wielu mini-podpunktow w koreanskiej pielegancji. Zazwyczaj przychodzi po oczyszczaniu i tonowaniu, a przed serami i emulsjami.

Ja bardzo lubie esencje. Przygotowuja one moja twarz na to co bedzie nakladane potem, i daja mi natychmiastowa ulge po myciu i tonerze. A mam sucha cere. Kazda natychmiastowa ulga jest bardzo mile widziana.

When brand new and unopened, you can see that the cap on the bottle is secured with a sticker.

You peel off the sticker, take off the cap and see a standard issue pump:

Kiedy nowa i nieotwarta, jak widac, butelka zabezpieczona jest naklejka.
Odlepimy ja, sciagniemy zamkniecie i widzimy standardowa pompke:

I hate this pump. It's exactly the same generic, mass market pump that's used by a bazillion other cosmetic brands. It needs a light touch, otherwise you risk spitting a jet stream of essence all over your bathroom sink. And as all cheap pumps, it tends to go all funky on you when you least expect it. Just be careful, that's all I'm saying. (All other A-True pumps are exactly the same - hate!)

When you press it gently, this is what comes out:

Nienawidze tej pompki. To zwykla masowa pompka, taka sama jak w tysiacach innych kosmetycznych produktow, glownie tych z drogerii. Nalezy sie z nia obchodzic delikatnie, bo inaczej moze nam wypluc przesadnie duzo esencji z przesadnie wielka sila. I jak wszystkie tanie pompki, ma tendencje do zacinania sie tak gdzies w polowie opakowania. (Wszystkie pompki na kosmetykach A-True sa takie same - nienawidze!)

Jesli przycisniemy delikatnie, to mamy to:

White-ish, thick-ish, delicately scented goo.

"It's not an essence," exclaimed my friend. "It's an emulsion," she added.

Yes, it does resemble the type of light moisturizer commonly referred to in Asia as "emulsion". And surprise, this essence moisturizers lightly just as an emulsion would.

Bialawa, malo gestawa, delikatnie pachnaca maz.

"To nie esencja!" powiedziala moja kolezanka. "To jest emulsja," oznajmila.

Fakt, ta "esencja" bardziej przypomina lekki rodzaj nawilzacza znany w Azji jako "emulsja". I niespodzianka - rowniez lekko nawilza, tak samo jak zrobilaby to emulsja.

I didn't think I would like it. But I do. A lot. It has become my go-to daily light moisturizer. It makes my face feel deliciously soft. It does not cause any breakouts or any other adverse reactions.

The only problem? It did nothing for my fine lines and wrinkles.

Yet, I am willing to forgive this major fail and actually repurchase this emulsion, oh pardon moi, this essence, because it's a perfect light moisturizer for the hot, sweaty, steamy summer months ahead. It works so well in my daily skincare routine, it agrees with my serums and creams and sunblocks.
It absorbs quickly and, get this, leaves NO greasy residue.  My skin absorbs it completely.
My oily friend loves it, too. She says it dries to a semi-matte, semi-satin finish. There's no greasy shine, she says.

My verdict? Even though it did nothing for my wrinkles, I like it. I will repurchase.

Here are the ingredients for the A-True Darjeeling Black Tea First Anti-Wrinkle Essence:



Nie myslalam, ze sie z nia polubie. Ale jednak! Polubilysmy sie. I to bardzo. To moje codzienne lekkie nawilzanie. Robi moja cere mieciutka, swiezutka i bardzo przyjemna w dotyku i w wygladzie. Nie powoduje zadnych wysypow, ani innych nieprzyjemnych reakcji.

Jedyny problem? Nie zauwazylam zadnych wlasciwosci przeciw-zmarszczkowych.

Jestem jednak w stanie wybaczyc to niedociagniecie, i zakupic ta emulsje, o pardon mnie, esencje, ponownie, bo to idealny lekki nawilzacz na japonskie lato. Wpasowuje sie tez znakomicie z reszta mojej pielegnacji. Zgadza sie z serami, kremami, filtrami, wszystkim.
Wchlania sie szybko i calkowicie, nie pozostawia zadnego uczucia tlustosci. Moja przyjaciolka z cera tlusta tez jest z tej esencji bardzo zadowolona. Mowi, ze na jej skorze daje efekt ni to pol-matu ni to pol-satyny, ze nie ma zadnego tlustego swiecenia.

Moja opnia? Choc nie bylo to przeciw-zmarszczkowe, to lubie to i kupie ponownie.

Tutaj sklad A-True Darjeeling Black Tea First Anti-Wrinkle Essence:

Now, let's move onto the A-True Darjeeling Black Tea First Anti-Wrinkle Cream.

A teraz czas na A-True Darjeeling Black Tea First Anti-Wrinkle Cream.

Comes in a matching box.
"For Youthful and Firming Care," it says on the box.

We shall see...

Przychodzi do nas w pudelku o takim samym dizajnie jak esencja.
Dla "pielegnacja odmladzajaco napinajaca" mowia nam na pudelku.

No, zobaczymy...

In the box we have a 50 g jar of cream, a spatula and a leaflet (not pictured here).

Just as with the essence, when new and unopened, the top is protected with a sticker.

W pudelku mamy sloiczek z 50 gramami kremu, szpatulke i ulotke (nie zalapala sie na zdjecie).
Tak jak w przypadku esencji, kiedy nowy i nieotwarty, zakretka sloiczka zalepiona jest naklejka.

There's an inner lid to protect the contents.
When I opened the jar for the first time, I didn't see this inner cap. Why? It got stuck inside the screw top. It took some effort to extract it and place it back on the cream to take the photo.

And here we have the cream:

Mamy tez wewnetrzna pokrywke dla ochrony zawartosci i swiezosci.
Kiedy po raz pierwszy odkrecilam ten sloiczek, nie widzialam tej wewnetrznej pokrywki. Dlaczego? Bo byla wcisnieta w zakretke. Musialam niezle sie nagrzebac, aby ja uwolnic, zeby pstryknac ta fotke powyzej.

A tutaj mamy sam krem:

It looks thick and rich, but it's not. It's actually pretty light.

Wyglada na gesty i bogaty, ale nie jest. Jest dosyc lekki, powiedzialabym.

I admit I'd prefer something richer. A lot richer. But then my skin needs rich, heavy, super nourishing stuff. This isn't it.

The cream moisturized, but that's all it did. For me, it didn't moisturize enough. I can see it will work a lot better during summer. Also, I'd chance to say, it will be a good cream for oily skin folk.
Both the cream and the essence have delicate quasi-tea scents that disappear fairly quickly upon application.

Now, what about its anti-wrinkle properties?
I honestly didn't notice any.
Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada.


Przyznam sie, ze wolalabym cos bardziej tresciwego. Ale to dlatego, ze moja skora ma takie wymagania. Bedzie jednak idealny dla tlusciochow.

Ten krem nawilzal. Ale to jedyne co robil. Dla mnie zima nie nawilzal wystarczajaco. Latem bedzie idealny. I krem i esencja maja delikatny herbaciany zapach, ktory bardzo szybko sie ulatnia. A szkoda, bo jest bardzo przyjemny i odprezajacy.

Ale co z dzialaniem przeciw-zmarszczkowym?
Tak szczerze, to nie wiedzialam zadnego.
Nic. Zupelnie nic.

It did nothing to prevent new lines. It did nothing for my existing lines.
It was a nice moisturizer, that's all.

And here I am torn.
Because I actually like this cream. I know it will work great as the weather gets hotter and more humid. But then again, if all I'm looking for is light moisture, then I already have the essence. Which I can pair with a more substantial cream, if needed.

However, as a basic day cream to wear under makeup, this worked great.

Bottom line? If this cream cost 20 bucks, I'd buy it again. For more than 50 dollars, no thank you. I'll pass.

(If you want a GREAT cream from A-True, buy the White Snow Tea Brilliant Aurora Cream. That's what I just did, because hello, Berdever has a promotion 30% off on all A-true products until April 30th).


Nie zrobil ten krem nic aby zapobiec nowym zmarszczkom. Nie zrobil tez nic z tymi, ktore juz mam.
Byl milym srodkiem nawilzajacym, to wszystko.

I tutaj mam problem. Bo w zasadzie to lubie ten krem. Na gorace, potem zalane lato bedzie idealny. Ale jesli jedyne co chce to lekkie nawilzenie, to mam juz esencje. Ktora moge polaczyc z bardziej tresciwym kremem, jesli tego moja cera bedzie wymagac.

Ale znowu, jako krem na dzien pod makijaz, to ten byl idealny.

Ostateczna opinia? Jesli kosztowalby jakies 20 dolarow to kupilabym ponownie. Ale za okolo 50, to podziekuje.

(Jesli koniecznie szukasz WSPANIALEGO kremu od A-True, to polecam White Snow Tea Brilliant Aurora Cream. Wlasnie skorzystalam z promocji 30% znizki w Berdever, i sama kupilam. Kupilam tez lotion z tej linii, bo esencje White Snow Tea Brilliant Aurora juz mam.)


~~~

After a few days of using the A-True Darjeeling Black Tea First Anti-Wrinkle Cream, one night I stuck the spatula into the jar and surprise!!!

Po kilku dniach uzywania A-True Darjeeling Black Tea First Anti-Wrinkle Cream, wsadzilam szpatulke do sloiczka. I niespodzianka!!!

(Please excuse the ratty towel background, this was taken with the phone in the bathroom).

So let's see how deep this rabbit hole goes.


(Prosze wybaczyc farfoclowaty recznik, bylam w lazience, pstrykalam telefonem).
Wiec sprawdzmy jak gleboka ta krolicza norka jest:

The answer? All the way to the bottom.

The inside of the jar was literally empty.
There's no way in hell there was 50 grams of cream in there.
I guess now I'll have to weigh all new creams before I start using them, and then again weigh empty containers to determine whether or not the quantity is as it should be.

Needless to say, this was a very unpleasant surprise.

The packaging info says this:


Odpowiedz? Gleboka az do samego dna.

Srodek sloiczka byl w zasadzie pusty.
Nie widze jak to mozliwe, aby znajdowalo sie tam 50 gramow kremu.
Chyba teraz bede musiala zaczac wszystko wazyc przed otwarciem, i potem po skonczeniu produktu, aby naprawde sprawdzic, czy znajduje sie w srodku tyle kosmetyku, ile byc powinno.

Byla to raczej nieprzyjemna niespodzianka.

Na opakowaniu mamy to:

40 ml for the essence, and 50 grams for the cream.
Oh well...

Here are the A-True Darjeeling Black Tea First Anti-Wrinkle Cream ingredients:


40 ml esencji i 50 gramow kremu. No coz...

Tutaj sklad A-True Darjeeling Black Tea First Anti-Wrinkle Cream:

The blurb on the leaflet is the same as for the essence, except here macadamia oil is also mentioned. I didn't bother to take a photo.

And what about the expiration dates?
Here they are:

Opis produktu na ulotce jest niemal identyczny jak w przypadku esencji. Tutaj rowniez macadamia olej jest wspomniany. Nie robilam zdjecia.

A jak z datami waznosci?
Sa tutaj:

Final verdict?

• Are these decent products? Yes.
• Overpriced? Yes.
• Anti-wrinkle anything? Nope.
• Moisturizing? Yes.
• Gentle? Very much so!
• Suitable for sensitive and breakout prone skin? Yes.
• Suitable for oily skin? According to my oily tester - yes.
• Suitable for dry skin? Depending on how dry your skin is, you might need more moisture.
• Day or night? For the cream I'd say day. You might want something more substantial at night.
• Works under makeup? Yes, very well!

Finalowa opinia?

• Czy sa to dobre produkty? Tak.
• O wygorowanych cenach? Tak.
• Przeciw-zmarszczkowe cokolwiek? Nie.
• Nawilzajace? Tak.
• Delikatne? Jak najbardziej tak.
• Dobre dla cery wrazliwej? Tak.
• Dobre dla cery tlustej? Wedlug mojej tlustej testerki - tak.
• Dobre dla cery suchej? Tak, ale w zaleznosci od tego jak sucha jest twoja cera, mozesz potrzebowac dodatkowego nawilzenia.
• Na dzien czy na noc? Krem powiedzialabym zdecydowanie na dzien. 
• Nadaje sie pod makijaz? Jak najbardziej tak.

Of the two I much prefer the essence, as you can tell. Here, I have absolutely nothing to complain about. Except maybe the pump and cheap, plastic bottle. For that price I'd like to see something a bit more luxurious.

Jak widac z powyzszego, bardziej lubie esencje. Tutaj nie mam nic do zarzucenia. No moze oprocz pompki i taniej, plastikowej butelki. Za taka cene oczekiwalabym czegos bardziej powiewajacego luksusem.

Maybe I'm judging the cream too harshly, but I think there are better options.
I know that next time instead of this, I will get the A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Aurora Cream. My anti-wrinkle needs I will take elsewhere.

You can purchase these, and many other A-True products from Berdever.pl.
As far as I can tell, Aga (the lady running the shop) has the best prices around.
She speaks English, so if you shoot her an email (kontakt "at" berdever.pl, just replace "at" with @ and remove the spaces), she'll be happy to help you out. She can quote your prices in dollars, of course.

And guess what?
She's running a promotion right now - 30% off all A-True products - until April 30th.
(I could pass this promotion up and just got A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Aurora Cream and A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Aurora Lotion).

Happy shopping!!!


Moze oceniam krem za bardzo surowo, ale uwazam, ze A-True oferuje lepsze opcje.

Wiem, ze nastepnym razem zamiast kremu dzis opisywanego, kupie ten: A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Aurora Cream.
A dzialania przeciw-zmarszczkowe polece komu innemu.

Caly asortyment A-True jest do nabycia w sklepie internetowym Berdever.
I z tego co widze w necie, Aga (przemila dziewczyna prowadzaca ten sklep) ma najlepsze ceny na A-True jakie udalo mi sie znalezc.

I co najlepsze?
W tej chwili ma promocje na wszystko A-True. 30% znizki. Do jutra, czyli do 30 kwietnia.
(Sama juz skorzystalam i kupilam A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Aurora Cream oraz A-True White Snow Tea Brilliant Aurora Lotion).

Milych zakupow!!!