Disappointing Products #2 Tony Moly Skincare Products

For those of you who haven't heard about Tony Moly (original Korean website), it is a (South) Korean skincare and makeup brand.  Visit here  for its global site.

It is very famous for its snail-containing ingredients in their skincare products.  Yes you heard me right - SNAIL.  The slimey texture and the controversial looking creature.....

Back in January, my best friend and I travelled to Seoul for a 100% retail therapy trip.  We did nothing but shopping (and eating) for 3 days straight.  It was my first time visiting this exciting country.  I had no idea what to expect but all I was prepared for was the shopping.

One of the most interesting observations when I was shopping in Seoul was that, many beauty brands used male models (very young looking lads with perfect baby-bottom skin!) as their promotional figures.  It made me wondered a few times if I had gone into the wrong shops targeting at male customers!

To give you a little peek into how crazy I had gone in those 3 days, here's the evidence.....

Shopping Mayhem in Seoul

However, things were cheap in Seoul, so all in all it wasn't such a damaging experience.

I started using the Tony Moly skincare products after I came back from my trip and now I have nearly finished most products but I want to say I'm rather disappointed by them.

I bought 4 items from Tony Moly shop....

From left to right
Intense Care Galactomyces First Essence (Toner)
Intense Care Snail Hydro-gel mask
Anti-wrinkle and whitening cream
Intense Care Snail Eye Cream

I heard magical things about them and these snail ingredients containing products have received a lot of hype about it.  Therefore I had higher than usual expectations on them that they would improve the condition of my skin drastically.

I'm left rather disappointed.  They just didn't do anything to my skin I didn't feel.

The Intense Care Galactomyces First Essence (Toner) was the product I had unrealistic hope on.  I was told that this was better if not the same as the SKII Facial Treatment Essence (SKII is available in Harrods in the UK), it is well known for its nickname, 'holy water' - you can tell the level of status of this product!  I have used SKII facial treatment essence in the past and I felt that it's improved my skin for sure.   However it costs a staggering £117!!!  Not paying this much of money now.  Whereas the Tony Moly First Essence toner only cost a fraction of the price.  (Sorry I don't have information on the prices of these products but they were relatively cheap.  I would say they have more of a high-end drugstore price tag).  I have used up 3/4 of this product but I just don't feel it's done anything to my skin at all...... so my hunt onto the next best toner continues.....

Then comes the Intense Care Snail Cream which I have used up now and I am so pleased about it because I am happy I'm using something different now.

I use it as a night cream as it doesn't contain any SPF in.  It's just a very ordinary white cream.  It's quite watery in texture and it doesn't feel greasy at all and it is absorbed really quickly by my skin. But I think that's the only thing I'm impressed about.

 Also I think for any creams, day or night; the absorption rate and the texture should aim at being quick and not greasy.  So it's ticked the box of this but in terms of results - I don't think it's helped much.  I didn't think it's provided either whitening or anti-ageing effects even after using up the whole tub of cream.

Then came in the set is the Intense Care Snail Eye Cream which is actually a gel-looking product.

I am currently using this product.  It feels nice and refreshing.  Nothing else.... but then for me to judge on an eye product is a bit unfair as I can't quite tell whether an eye product has done something to my under eye area.  So perhaps I should keep my opinion short and sweet here.

Here's how it looks like when squeezed out of the tube....

Lastly, came the most interesting product... the Intense Care Snail Hydro-gel mask.....

I was told this mask can be put on and left on my face overnight...... I'm convinced I didn't hear it wrong.  So I left it as quite a precious product to try in one of my pampering evening sessions at home.

Mask on... sorry if I freaked you out!

The mask came in as a 2-part product, which you might be able to see from the photo above.  It's full of 'snail' product because it's quite wet when I took it out from the packaging.  It is not made out of paper but rather like a 'gel' mask, so from that perspective it is quite interesting.  However after leaving it on my face for about 20mins, I feel that all the 'wet ingredients' were being absorbed by my skin and I couldn't make myself to leave on my skin for any longer as I fear it would 'dry' my skin out.  So I wasn't sure why I was told this mask could be left overnight on my face.  It just feels like an ordinary hydrating mask..... that's all......  However I talked to my best friend whom we went to Seoul together, she's also used this mask but she said she found it good and that it took her an hour to absorb all the 'juices' on the mask........... so conclusion is that, it's probably down to the differences in weather between London and Hong Kong?  Here in London, the humidity is a lot drier than it is in HK and that my skin is dry anyway so the two combo makes my skin absorbs the hydration on the mask significantly quicker than it would be if you would to use it in Hong Kong.  If you have a different experience, do let me know!

All in all.... I'm disappointed by Tony Moly........ perhaps more work needs to be done?  Or it just wasn't for me?

Have you tried any of their products?  What did you think of them?


Disclaimer: The post contains purely a collection of opinions of my own and they are not representative of others.  THe use of these products are entirely my own experiences.  It is in no way of affecting consumers' choice of purchase.  The views expressed are entirely my own and once again is not representative of others.