Hi guys, today I'll be sharing all about The History of Whoo & the Gongjinhyang: Seol Radiant White Moisture Cushion Foundation!
The History of Whoo is a Korean brand that interprets Korean royal court secrets into their skincare and makeup products. For the longest time, I thought their logo read a "fo". I was always curious why their logo looked like a "fo" but their name was Whoo. It turns out, their logo is actually a hanja/Chinese calligraphy of the word 后/hou, and 后 means queen (王后) or empress (皇后). Using oriental herbal ingredients only reserved for the queen, they use special mixes and complexes that have existed for over 800 years!
The History of Whoo created something called Gongjinbidan, and it is a modern scientific reinterpretation of Gongjindan, one of the priceless 3 great secrets (Gongjindan, Cheongshimwon and Gyeongokgo) in the royal palace reserved only for the emperor or queen. Made from deer antlers, Angelica root, Sansuyu and Wild thyme, this precious Gongjinbidan formula is included in The History of Whoo's products.
They sent over a limited edition version of two of their best-selling products for me to try out, and today I'll be sharing all about it with you guys!
WHAT IS IT
Gongjinghyang:Seol is The History of Whoo's whitening range, and the products from this line aim to deliver deep whitening and brightening effects for a queen-like radiant face.
Among all the products in this line, the Radiant White Moisture Cushion Foundation is one of the most popular!
This product is a multi-functional cushion for moist, bright, and youthful glowing skin with an enhanced glow. Infused with one ampoule's worth of skin brightening ingredients, this cushion contains many active agents to keep the skin bright and glowing, as well as SPF 50+ PA+++ for protection against the sun. It also promises to wear on the skin like a second skin and to cover imperfections for a youthful finish.
WHERE TO BUY
The full sized 15ml cushion with 15ml cushion refill retails for RM245, but you can currently get the special edition packaging for RM235 on their official Zalora store. Aside from a 15ml refill, the special edition set also comes with a free 13ml deluxe size version of the Gongjinhyang:Mi Essential Primer Base. I recommend getting the special edition because not only do you spend less, you get a limited edition packaging + a free gift as well.
PACKAGING
The History of Whoo releases a special edition version of their cushions on a yearly basis. This year, the design was inspired by plum blossoms and apricot which shows the beautiful harmony of traditional elegance and modern majesty.
Here's what the box looks like. It's pretty nice and detailed!
Inside the set you get 3 items: the cushion, the refill and the primer:
The cushion's packaging is made of plastic, but it really looks like metal! It weights like a normal cushion and is not heavy at all.
Inside you get a puff for application + a nice mirror. The cushion comes sealed and the expiration of the cushion is written behind. You can easily pop the cushion out to refill it as well.
The primer comes in a similar pink tube with the same ornate flower decor. I quite like the size because it's travel friendly.
INGREDIENTS
Aside from GongJinBiDan which I mentioned above, all the products from the GongJinHyang:Seol line also contain pearl extracts and wild ginseng, as well as 3 special ingredients:
Chrysanthemum Indicum - a popular ingredient in Korea which blocks melanin synthesis and brightens the skin
SeolGamSan - a medicinal prescription originally only for the royal family used to keep the skin bright and glowing
ChilHyangPalBaekSan - a mix of 7 fragrant ingredients and 8 herbs found ob Mount Baeksan that together keep the skin glossy and fair
This product is paraben-free, sulfate-free, alcohol-free and EU allergen free. The ingredient list is jam-packed, but most of them are EWG green level with a few specks of yellow, meaning they're very unlikely to irritate the skin.
Some other noteworthy ingredients in this cushion are Niacinamide and Morus Alba Bark Extract (for brightening), Adenoside and Vitamin E (for anti-ageing) and Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid and Titanium Dioxide (for UV protection)
FRAGRANCE AND TEXTURE
The cushion itself has a bit of a cooling sensation when you apply it. The finish is not glossy nor is it matte, and I find it to be a natural demi-matte with a slight glow (which looks so skin like!)
The shade I've got is in #23, and as with all Korean cushions, they're too light to be used on my entire face. As always, I have to warm up my face with some bronzer/use this only as a highlighter shade.
The coverage is medium to full, and feels comfy + light on the skin! There is a slight citrusy scent which reminds me of Kiehl's Calendula line.
As for the primer, it's slightly green in colour.It does not leave any white cast on the skin and makes it feel soft. velvety and slightly powdery. I've used it with this cushion + with other foundations, and I think its quite a nice formula. It does not provide a glow not does it control sebum a lot, but it does make the application better + make the foundation look more seamless.
HOW TO USE
For the primer, simply apply it after your moisturizer, while for the cushion, apply it after primer. If you want a more natural finish, you can use a makeup sponge (like I do) and just layer product on. If you want a faster application with more full coverage, I recommend stamping it on using the puff that it comes with.
MY REVIEW AND VERDICT
As I mentioned above, the cushion is too light to be used on my entire face and needs to be bronzed a bit. I would have appreciated a wider shade range~
Finish wise, I quite like the formula. It's different from my usual all-glow beat, and it looks more natural/skin like. If you're someone who has dry skin, I think you'll like this cushion because it really does feel hydrating and cooling on the skin, even after a while.
On the right, you can see how it looks like when applied with a cushion while on the left, I used the puff:
As you can see, some of my acne scars can still be seen on the right. It's not really a big deal because it can be covered, but I wanted you guys to see the difference when you apply it differently. As you can see as well, it's not ultra matte nor is it ultra shiny, and its a perfect balance of both.
As for the skin brightening effects of this cushion, I did not really see much. Granted this is a foundation, so I was not really expecting to see my skin tone jump a few shades up after using it. It did not clog my pores nor did it break me out, and I think its a nice formula overall.
WILL I REPURCHASE
Overall this product's packaging is very pretty and the foundation itself is nice, but I think the History of Whoo's Radiant White Moisture Cushion Foundation caters to an audience which I am not really a part of yet. If you are someone who is like me who is 20+ and would love to play with makeup, I recommend trying other cushions/foundations which will be more friendly for your pocket. However, if you are in your 30s/40s/50s and would like something that is not as heavy as a full foundation + has a lot of skincare benefits, I recommend going for this cushion! A lot of more mature ladies prefer not to have so much makeup caked on their face, and I think this provides a nice way of giving a flawless complexion without the cakeyness.
At the moment, I do not think I will repurchase this product. In the future however, I'll keep it in mind and maybe give it a go again!
If you're someone who is more mature, or if you're someone who just generally loves collecting cushions, I would recommend getting the special edition set. Not only do you spend less, you also get a primer + a special packaging that will no longer be reproduced!
And that's it for this review! I hope you guys found it helpful and informative.
See y'all in my next post!
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