This product was gifted to me for review purposes. I was not paid for this post and affiliate links are not used in this post.

If you haven’t heard of Hanyul before, then I need you to drop everything because I recently tried out my first product from the brand and I am actually in love. Yes – in love. I’ve been raving about this for quite a while on Instagram and I’m not sure if people understand how much I enjoy this product, so I knew that I had to write this review to talk about.

I received the Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Gel from BONIIK to try out but, actually, it was one that I chose myself after a skin consultation and testing out a bunch of different products. I told them about my combination skin that liked to get oily during the afternoon, and also about how rushed I am for time in the morning. They recommended for me to try out a more lightweight gel-type moisturiser and, after testing out a lot of products, this is the one that I was really keen to take home!

This product is currently selling for AUD$49 and, if you’d like to get your hands on this product, then check out the BONIIK website. If you are a Sydney-sider like myself, you can also drop into their stores at Westfield Sydney or World Square (Sydney CBD). Remember that you can use my code online and offline for 15% off your purchase too – valid until the end of March – OHMYSTELLAR15

So, let’s get right into this review!

BONIIK Kbeauty Review Hanyul Pure Artemisa Watery Calming Gel
BONIIK Kbeauty Review Hanyul Pure Artemisa Watery Calming Gel
BONIIK Kbeauty Review Hanyul Pure Artemisa Watery Calming Gel
BONIIK Kbeauty Review Hanyul Pure Artemisa Watery Calming Gel

Packaging

The product comes housed in a white and green uncoated cardboard box – this means that the paper was not coated in any sort of plastic and so had a natural, ‘raw’ paper texture. Because of this, the product feels very classy and luxe. The design of it is simple too, which makes it look more mature. Personally, I’m here for the aesthetic. I also love that they have their logo in both Hangul and in English (on two seperate sides), which pays homage to the traditional Korean inspiration behind the brand.

Opening it up, the product comes in a very heavy plastic tub. I love the design of it, which is more rounded and has a unique shape. I especially ike that, although it is rounded, the top of the lid is kept flat so that it is still stackable if you (like me) have a larger skincare collection.

The gradient of the white to green also gives it a ‘light’ impression, which works well for this product. The tub has a matte finish and feels like a really high quality and sturdy packaging. It also has a little plastic cover when you open it up and the lid screws on very easily.

However, this is not a travel friendly product and you would absolutely need to decant it if you want to take this anymore. It’s a 250mL tub and fairly substantial.

BONIIK Kbeauty Review Hanyul Pure Artemisa Watery Calming Gel
BONIIK Kbeauty Review Hanyul Pure Artemisa Watery Calming Gel

Product Description

The Watery Calming Gel is a clear, gel-type cream that has a strong cooling sensation when applied. It claims to help hydrate skin, as well as calm and soothe tired skin. It is targeted towards sensitive or combination skin (like myself), especially for people who also suffer from redness or irritation.

This product is part of a full Pure Artemisia collection, which makes use of Artemisia (or Mugwort), a known ingredient for purifying and soothing skin. It is derived from the region of Ganghwa in South Korea and the ‘pure’ artemisia is best harvested before May 5th (according to the lunar calender). It has traditional roots in Korean culture as it was used as the first bathing water for mothers and babies. The use of these medicinal herbs claims to also protect skin from damage and inflammation.

This product is free of parabens, animal ingredients, mineral oil, artificial colors, and imidazolidinyl urea.

As I previously mentioned, the Watery Calming Gel comes in a generous 250mL tub as – as a cream – can be used closer to the end of your skincare routine (after your serums, ampoules and essences). Since it is is gel formula, it is also very lightweight and absorbs quickly into the skin. I find that it is very suitable for both evening and morning skincare use.

BONIIK Kbeauty Review Hanyul Pure Artemisa Watery Calming Gel

Personal Experience

I generally don’t use any Mugwort products because I don’t like the scent but I was really surprised with this Watery Calming Gel! I didn’t even know that it was Mugwort until later on – the product has such a pleasant, fresh scent (similar to aloe vera but not as light). I absolutely love applying this in the mornings because it is super cooling on the skin, which is great for puffy faced people like me.

Even though it is a gel though, don’t mistakenly think that this product won’t be hydrating enough! In fact, I feel like this is one of the ‘thicker’ gels that I have used and it is many times more hydrating than any sort of aloe vera product – it is definitely far superior. For this reason, I also often use this at night because I find that it is sufficient to help my skin keep moisturised until the next morning.

I like to apply this product to my skin with a spatula, partly because I feel like this keeps the tub more sanitary, and also because the formula is so spreadable. I like to spread it lightly over my face first – to kick start the refreshing sensation – before gently rubbing it in all over. I use a bit less in the morning and a bit more at night, so that it is almost like a sleeping mask sort of application.

As a result, I feel that my skin is feeling more hydrated throughout the day. I love that these is no greasiness from this moisturiser, especially since my combination skin does oil up in the afternoon, and that the lightness of the formula means that it doesn’t further clog my pores or irritate skin when I am having any hormonal break outs. Since it absorbs quickly, it is easy to use this underneath make up – even when your morning skincare routine is as rushed as mine.

BONIIK Kbeauty Review Hanyul Pure Artemisa Watery Calming Gel
BONIIK Kbeauty Review Hanyul Pure Artemisa Watery Calming Gel

Above you can see an example of this product on my skin, as well as how it looks after immediate application. It gives a very strong cooling effect, similar to if you had placed the product into the fridge (which I didn’t). Because of that, it’s really pleasant on the skin and I especially love to use it when I feel especially tired.

Although this product contains some alcohols, they don’t seem to be the ‘bad’ alcohols, which explains why this product feels a bit more hydrating and substantial on the skin. It is one of the very few gel-type products that are both quick absorbing and actually non-drying.

This product is really perfect for any occasion and – even with my massive skincare collection – I find that I keep returning to this! Although the price point is a bit much, I feel like this is something that I would continue to purchase. I just love how easy it is to use and how it works well for any time of the day!

So, here’s the verdict!

SO WHAT IS IT?

A soothing and deeply hydrating gel-type cream that uses Artemisia (Mugwort)

THE GOOD

  • Gorgeous packaging
  • Generous tub
  • Refreshing scent
  • Lightweight texture that absorbs quickly
  • Can be used easily underneath make up
  • Soothing on skin
  • Gel-texture is a little bit thicker than aloe gels (hydrates well)
  • Contains ‘good’ alcohols that don’t dry out skin
  • Suitable for all skin types (targeted to combination and sensitive)
  • Does not clog pores

THE BAD

  • Heavy packaging

RATINGS

  • PRICE POINT | 3/5
  • PACKAGING | 4/5
  • SCENT | 5/5
  • ABSORPTION| 5/5
  • HYDRATION | 5/5
  • SOOTHING | 5/5

OVERALL RATING? 9/10

WOULD I RECOMMEND?

Yes! After trying out this product, I definitely want to dive more into the Hanyul brand – especially to try out more from this Pure Artemisia line. I am glad to finally find a gel product that doesn’t dry out my skin, and I am also glad to find a cream that works well for both my evening and morning skincare.

WHERE TO GET IT FROM

I received the Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Gel as a gift from BONIIK so definitely check out their website. You can also drop into their stores at Westfield Sydney or World Square (Sydney CBD) if you are based around here too – and that would be the best because their sales people are very knowledgable and would also be able to recommend products to suit your skin type.

Remember that you can use my code online and offline for 15% off your purchase too – valid until the end of March – OHMYSTELLAR15

What do you think?

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

No Comments Yet.