REVIEW: SKINFOOD Royal Honey Hydro Cream

This time I'll be reviewing SKINFOOD's Royal Honey Hydro Cream. I've been using it for just under a month in conjunction with the Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum, which I previously reviewed. This product is "a hydrating treatment cream with royal black honey and royal jelly extracts that replenishes moisture and transforms skin into a nice honey-glazed complexion", according to the SKINFOOD website.

I was initially on the hunt for a good hydrating cream that I could use specifically at night, since I typically like to use more moisturising products for when I sleep. Since it was coming to the end of winter in Australia, my skin was suffering from a lack of moisture. Despite producing a lot of oil on my face, my skin still felt a lot more tight due it being so dry. The struggles of a person with combination skin, sigh.

After doing a bit of research, I came across this page which shows a list of the supposedly best Korean moisturisers in winter 2013. I actually went on to research all products on the list but being the cheapo I am, I went for the SKINFOOD cream since I found it to be the cheapest.


Unfortunately, my order didn't come in its packaging so it was just bubble wrapped when I received it. That was a bit of a let down. The cream itself comes in a thick glass jar with a cute gold lid. The glass is so thick and sturdy that you wouldn't even have to worry about dropping it. When you open it, it comes with a small plastic barrier to keep germs and all things nasty out of the actual product, which I can appreciate. You get 55g of product, which I think is quite alright since a little goes a long way.



The label at the back of jar can be peeled to reveal the ingredients

While the bottom part of the jar is all in Korean, it can also be peeled to reveal the general product information. It basically has everything that's written on the SKINFOOD website, but also gives you directions on how to use it. Not entirely sure why they say "pumps" when it's obviously in a jar. I've learnt to just accept Korean engrish though, so...

How to use: "After essence or emulsion application, dispense a few pumps and smooth over the entire face."


The texture of the cream itself is rather thick and jelly-like. It's insanely smooth when you put it on and spreads really nicely, so you don't need very much of it to cover your entire face. I normally dab 5 small dots onto my face (forehead, nose, chin and cheeks) and apply some onto my neck. I also enjoy the finish it gives. It dries semi-matte and leaves your skin feeling like skin, but better. Since the texture is almost like a gel, it doesn't feel greasy at all and penetrates the skin without leaving a layer of oil. Combination or oily skin sistas can appreciate this, I promise. It does feel somewhat sticky when you first apply it, but goes away after you let it settle. I can't personally comment if it would be good for day use under makeup since I only wear it at night, but I assume it would be fine.

Judging by the name of it, I initially thought it would smell like honey. While it doesn't smell bad, it's as if they tried to make it smell like honey but didn't quite succeed. It's something I'd expect to smell if I were walking through a garden of flowers. I'm not sure how that helps, but it's sweet and not too overwhelming. The scent doesn't linger for very long after it's applied so no worries there.

Conclusion:
I really like this product overall, it hasn't made me breakout and I enjoy the way my skin feels after using it. I find it especially great for my combination skin, probably due to it's jelly-like formula. It gives a great amount of moisture without feeling heavy or oily, and leaves my skin feeling like I just sculled a whole glass of water. I also like the fact that it spreads so easily and feels smooth when applied. Despite that, I find that while it gives an adequate amount of moisture at night, it does wear off a bit in the morning which you can expect from most creams. It may however just be that it's not specifically made for night, so I'm not going to be harsh based on that alone. I think it's a good product and definitely worth the try if you're looking for something light but hydrating.

PROS
- Quite moisturising
- Feels light
- Application is smooth
- Spreads easily
- No oily residue
- A little goes a long way

CONS
- Wears off a bit in the morning
- May or may not be too heavy for those in warmer climates

Would you repurchase?
I think I would, one day. While I would definitely come back to it, I'd like to see what else there is to offer in order to compare and see what I like best or works well for me.