Firstly, what the heck even is Glass Skin? It's a Korean skincare trend that took the world by storm a few years ago and only seems to be growing in popularity - Superdrug already stock a small selection of K-beauty products, and Boots have said they are due to follow suit shortly. Put in it's simplest terms though, it's skin that looks clear, poreless, soft and dewy, like err.. Glass.

But one of the first things people hear about Korean skincare is the famed 10 step regimen that also went viral, so how can one bottle take the place of ten different products? The way I see it, is that's highly unlikely, and that's before we start talking about everything else that plays a part in the glass skin look, such as lifestyle and diet.

Interestingly enough though, I was able to attain something reasonably similar to the glass skin look kind of by accident when I first set sail on my Japanese and Korean skincare adventures, using a combination of chemical exfoliators, a shit ton of hydrating products and SPF. Let me tell you, it was quite the journey. So imagine the shape of my brows when Cosrx rock up with their Two In One Poreless Power Liquid, claiming to shorten your journey time.

Despite the look of suspicion, I'm actually a huge fan of Cosrx. They're one of the first Korean brands I tried when I embarked on my K-Beauty adventures, and I actively searched them out whilst I was in Seoul earlier this year. Their Whitehead Power Liquid worked actual magic to end the Game of Comedones I'd been playing with the milia on my face for years. If this is an issue you have, I'd recommend you read this post on my Top 5 products for getting rid of those HERE 

But back to this review, and because of my respect for Cosrx as a brand, and of course my own curiosity, I purchased a bottle of the Two In One Poreless Power Liquid from eBay.

The Two In One aspect of the name comes from the fact that Cosrx claim this to be a toner and an essence, which they go on to claim smoothens the skin, clears congested pores, visibly tightens the pores and thus reduces the look of pores. That's pretty bold. The active ingredients are Willow Bark Water (88%), which is a natural BHA, and allegedly clears the pores and helps with skin texture, Tannin, which tightens pores, and 0.1% BHA (Beta Hydroxy Acid). Note that this a weak concentration of BHA, so would be suitable for use alongside other BHAs or AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids).

The product itself is a clear liquid, with some viscosity, and comes in a 100ml plastic bottle with a pump, very much in the style of the Whitehead Power Liquid. You can apply this with a cotton pad, but I much prefer using my fingers and tapping it in. Due to the low percentage of the BHA ingredient, there's no stinging or irritation at all, so I used it day and night.

The initial results were disappointing. It wasn't making my skin any worse, but it also wasn't really making it any better either, never mind coming anywhere near close to it's lofty claims. When I first started using the Whitehead Power Liquid, the results were visibly noticeable the next day, but with this, nothing.

Nonetheless, I persisted with the application and did notice that my skin had smoothened just a little, but what about my pores, were they getting smaller? The short answer is no. For my pores, this product had no effect whatsoever, which was quite the disappointment, given the bold claims I mentioned earlier.

What about congestion though? Again, nothing of note to report back on, and again, a big disappointment. I was using an AHA product at the same time though, so my skin did get less congested, but this was not as a result of using the Cosrx. I really, really wanted this to work, because I've got mad love for the brand, so I even stopped using the AHA I knew to work, just to see if the Powerless Power Liquid would have any effect at all, and it didn't make a single bit of difference.

That's not to say this product is terrible though, as my skin is naturally pretty tough, so it could be that people with more sensitive skin than mine find this product to be perfect for them, or for someone who's looking to delve in to the world of K-Beauty for the first time, and is looking for something very gentle. Indeed, from reading reviews online, there are equal amounts of people who swear by this stuff, to those who swear at it - they either love it or hate it and there's not a whole lot in between.

For me personally though, I'm not sure whether this product even does anything for my skin, so I wouldn't repurchase it. The big telltale sign was that when I stopped using it, I didn't miss it, and neither did my skin. Would I recommend it? I mean, it might be worth trying out if your skin is quite sensitive, and it could definitely be used under the eyes, given how gentle it is, but keep your expectations low, as I doubt it will give you that glassy skin look it promises.

But why would anyone even think of using an alcoholic beverage to form the basis of a skincare product then, I hear you ask? Well, legend has it, that SK-II was developed by Japanese scientists investigating why it was that elderly workers on the production line at a sake brewery had smooth, youthful looking hands. It turns out, that submerging their hands in fermented yeast over the years was the secret.

Obviously, after reading this I scoured the internet looking for SK-II-esque products because this bitch doesn't want to age. And that's when I came across Kikumasamune on a Reddit forum where the lotion (essentially a watery toner) and the emulsion (a light moisturiser) were highly rated.

From my research, I learned three main things about their two beauty products - 1) they're supposed to be amazing; 2) they also allegedly smell strongly of Sake; and 3) the bottles are big, with the lotion coming in at 500ml and the Emulsion at 380ml.

3 is irrefutable, the bottles are fucking massive, and look like they would literally never run out. Almost as if you could stand over the sink, pumping it direct in to the plughole for half an hour and it'd last for decades still. As for the smell, I mean, I honestly don't really know what all the fuss is about. Yeah, you get that initial whiff of sake, but it isn't that bad, and it's not like the smell hangs around on you for long.

As for them being amazing, well in my opinion, that's a yes almost as big as the bottles. Both the lotion (the white one) and the emulsion (the pink one) are intended for the face, but given the size of the bottles, and the sheer volume of K-Beauty products I have left over from my trip to Seoul earlier in the year, I started to use these on my body, and haven't looked back,

Lotion (the white one)

The lotion is essentially a toner, and I've found that with Japanese beauty products like this, and with Korean ones too, people don't necessarily use a cotton pad to apply them. The reason being, is that if you've already cleansed thoroughly, you won't need the cotton pad to remove any residue, so instead they simply pat them in. This one has a very watery texture, smells fairly strongly of sake, but after application this disappears.

I apply the lotion all over my body, straight after showering before drying myself off, so I'm tapping in to wet skin. I find that doing this means I don't use quite so much product. I've also used this on my face on occasion, straight after doing a double cleanse, and it instantly hydrated my skin, which looks clarified and gives that lit-from-within glow. I've also found that if I soak this on a cotton pad, and place on an area of particularly dry skin, such as my knees or elbows, my skin just laps it up.

Even though it's a toner, I find that it's quite hydrating, but not quite enough to go about my day, so I then layer on the emulsion after.

Emulsion (the pink one)

 

The consistency of the emulsion is like a moisturiser, only much, much lighter and milky in texture. Just like the lotion, it does have a quirky little whiff of sake, but after a few moments, it's gone. Having tapped in the lotion all over my body, I'll then apply the lotion on top, whilst my skin is still damp, and let it settle in before towel-drying. The lightness of the emulsion makes it perfect for summer, as it feels so light, unrestrictive and isn't greasy at all.

It also gives a really nice brightening effect, and having used this for a couple of weeks now, I've noticed that my skin has this sheen to it, that I only ever used to get when applying oil to my skin.

I absolutely love using this on my body, because let's be honest, body moisturisers in the UK are traditionally thick dollops of creamy crap that smell like overly sweet pretty flowers or fruit. I want hydration, and in that sense, I think our bodies, in particular the legs, arms and feet get a little neglected. Cream just doesn't cut it, at all.

I can't yet say that my skin is as smooth and youthful looking as the hands of the elderly ladies on the sake production line, as I'm not quite at the age where wrinkles become an issue, but prevention is far better than cure, and this product feels like quite the opposite of a chore to apply. So whilst the true benefits may well be long term, it gives more than enough in the short term to make me want to keep using it until the bottles run out in 2062.

If you're curious and want to give it a try, you can get yours from YesStyle **here** for £21 each! Or, you can get the Emulsion (pink one) from Amazon for £13.90 plus free delivery **here**. Note, these are affiliate links, and I will receive commission on any purchased you make through it. Of course, I always recommend you do your own research to find the best deal!