Hey guys! It’s been awhile since I last posted anything, nonetheless review any products, but my experience with the ANGEL AQUA Moisture CC Cream is something I must share.
I went to Olive Young (Korea’s equivalent of Sephora) in Myeongdong looking for a new BB or CC cream to try out. Recently my skin has been improving thanks to the treatments and advice from my dermatologist. My dermatologist had recommended me to stop using the BB cream I had been using previously and to find a new one, so that’s how I ended up in Olive Young.
Because of language barriers, I wasn’t able to tell the sales lady my skin type or any specifics, but she recommended the ANGEL AQUA Moisture CC Cream since a lot of Koreans use it and it was one of their more popular CC creams.
From the little English that was on the box, this CC cream seemed like a really great choice. It boasts of:
- SPF25, PA++
- Ethanol-free
- Tar colorants-free
- Mineral oil-free
- Animal origins ingredients-free
- Chemical fragrance-free
- 55% Water Content
On the side of the box it also says:
- Dermatologically-tested
- Paraben-free
- Against animal testing
I have very sensitive, combination acne-prone skin, and all of these sounded really good with no fragrances or other chemicals and ingredients that are irritating and pore-clogging.
Plus this was animal-cruelty free, a really great bonus (I’m assuming it’s also a vegan makeup product since it claims no animal ingredients, but I can’t be 100% sure).
I ended up buying this CC cream. For 15,000won (roughly $15) for 45mL, this is a really great price for any sort of BB/CC cream or foundation in general.
The first couple days I used this CC cream was AMAZING. Although it has such a high water content (something I feared would not help with my oily skin), with a great primer and finishing powder, this stayed matte for HOURS. I went through a whole day (12 hours) wearing this CC cream and it didn’t budge or get nastily oily at all! I didn’t even have to blot since it didn’t look oily or gross by the end of the day.
Also, this CC cream blended so well and changed into my skin tone, making it look so natural like second skin. It even covered up my marks and redness really well. I really thought I had found my magic go-to CC cream.
It wasn’t until after the first few days that I started noticing some changes that my skin was going through. Although I do have combination skin with oily parts, I noticed that my skin stopped reacting well to the CC cream. It started getting oily very quickly (despite using primer and finishing powder, and also changing my primer/bases and finishing powders to see if it’d help). It looked really gross and to blot and pat on more powder made it look even grosser and didn’t help my skin condition.
And worst of all, I started getting little bumps all over my forehead and nose. They are not acne bumps, but an allergic reaction/irritation. I’ve NEVER in my life ever broken out or had a pimple on my nose or forehead, so for me to have tiny clusters of pimple-like bumps was so scary.
At first I thought it was a bad reaction to the new makeup remover I was using (since I started using that around the same time I started using the CC cream), but even after switching and using a different remover, my skin was getting worse. I finally realized it was the CC cream. Somehow my oil production on my face increased after using the CC cream and my skin just didn’t react well to it. I wanted to believe it wasn’t the CC cream because of it’s benefits and claims of having very little bad ingredients (like fragrances and mineral oils and such), but after stopping the use of that CC cream and switching to a BB cream, I realized it was the CC Cream.
Now I don’t want to completely slam or hate on this product. Reading the ingredients list, there are still a ton of ingredients and chemicals that I have no idea what they are (but that’s the same for any beauty product). It also contains a lot of citrus products, such as lemon peel oil and various citrus fruit extracts, which I think may have irritated my skin due to the acidity. Of course, it’s not high acidity (or else it wouldn’t go on your face), but I haven’t had any beauty products that contained so many citrus-like chemicals and ingredients, so that may have been a factor. Also, I’m not a bit citrus fruit/smell person.
Like I said, I DON’T COMPLETELY HATE THE PRODUCT. I’m just saying this product did not work well for me. My mother has normal skin (not overly oily or dry, so lucky!) and she absolutely LOVES this CC cream. I’ve also read/watched some reviews of people who had positive experiences with the CC Cream.
I wish I could love this CC cream again, but my reaction to it was just so bad. I have no idea why my skin would not tolerate this CC cream formula, but I don’t discourage others from trying it out. My first initial reaction was so wonderful and to know others who’ve tried and liked it (such as my mom) makes me still encourage others to try.
I’m going to give my skin some time to relax and heal and if for some reason, I still have a skin allergy and I feel it wasn’t due to the CC cream, I may give it another try. But it also doesn’t control oil that well (I guess it did at first but my skin quickly got used to it?) so I may not go back. I also wouldn’t recommend this for people with very oily skin or those who live in hot, humid places. If you have sensitive skin that’s combination/normal/dry then I would recommend to try this CC cream.
Quick review if contemplating purchasing this CC Cream:
Pros:
- Moisturizing
- Medium-high coverage
- Adjusts to any skin tone quickly
- Blends easily
- Contains SPF
Cons:
- Not suitable for oily skin
- Has a dewy finish
- Doesn’t cover pores well
- Has a citrus-y scent (which may be good or bad, but for me was a slight downside)
If you’ve ever tried or are contemplating trying the ANGEL AQUA Moisture CC Cream, let me know in the comments! I’m curious to see how others think of this CC cream or any questions that you may have.
Jenni Kim's Thoughts & Rambles 