harlette waterymelon deep hydration emulsion

yes i know, this is my second product with watermelon inside. i know it's written "waterymelon" but it really contains watermelon. and falling for pink packaging again? i know.. i have weakness toward pink stuff, but in my defense, this is a hydrating serum that i might like, and it contains watermelon again. so why not? let's see how it compares with ariul one.

this is the description from their website: emulsion is the best moisturizer for combination and oily skin, this emulsion contains watermelon, aloe vera, licorice and sodium hyaluronate that deliver hydration for your skin. a lightweight texture can absorb the skin quickly, make your skin hydrated, healthy glow-from-within look. skin type: all skin type. benefit: hydrating, moisture the skin, calming the skin, nourish the skin, help you get healthy and plumpy skin. your skin will love this because it's alcohol free, oil free, paraben free.

ingredients list: aqua, glycerin, butylene glycol, isohexadecane, sodium PCA, polyacrylamide, citrullus lanatus (watermelon) fruit extract, hylocereus undatus (dragon fruit) extract, glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) root extract, aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice, phenoxyethanol, C13-14 isoparaffin, laureth-7, panthenol, fomes officinalis (mushroom) extract, milk protein, phragmites kharka extract, poria cocos extract, sodium benzoate, sodium hyaluronate, allantoin, polysorbate 20, triethanolamine, bisabolol, carbomer, tetrasodium EDTA, parfume.

the packaging: it comes in pink box with description at the back and sides. it also has ingredients list printed on the box. the box is quite sturdy, which is understandable since the emulsion comes in glass bottle. it comes pink glass bottle with dropper to dispense the product. the bottle is see through so you can see the remaining product inside from outside. the size is only 30 ml so i think it's more like serum and not emulsion. there's another short description at the back of the bottle in english.

the scent: it does have that sweet watermelon scent which is similar to ariul. however, i can't pinpoint the difference. i think because harlette one has added other extract that might interfere with the scent. and they added parfume as well as you can see in the ingredients list. so sensitive skin or sensitive nose, you might want to skip this. me personally, i don't mind the scent as it's not as strong as joylab toner.

the product: it's a cloudy white gel type serum. it's quite viscous so i have to pinch the dropper for few seconds to pick up the product. i use only half dropper for my whole face and neck. though it's viscous, it changes into watery traces once i spread it around. but it takes a while to be absorbed. compared to ariul, this is slightly more viscous. i use this as serum and not emulsion.

the result: i have to say once it's absorbed, i can feel a punch of hydration as well as moisture. looking at the ingredients list, it contains lots of hydrating and moisturizing ingredients like glycerin, BG, sodium PCA, sodium hyaluronate, as well as some soothing agents like aloe, panthenol and allantoin. as for me, i notice the hydrating and moisturizing effect. while the soothing effect is not noticeable for me. though it contains brightening stuff like licorice, at this moment, i also use several products that promotes brightening as well, so they might interfere with the result, so i can't say for sure about the brightening effect. compared to ariul, i have to say it's a tie. however, i need less product to achieve similar result as ariul (back then i need two to three pumps of ariul while this i only need half dropper). it layers well under and over other skincare product that i use. even though it leaves slightly tacky feeling afterward, but i can put other stuff on top of this without any problem.

i have to say i'm very happy with this serum/emulsion. you can use this as emulsion is you have oily or combination skin. but if you have dry skin, this might feel like a hydrating serum for you rather than emulsion. for me, i like it as serum as it's perfect to counter the retinol effect. for me, ariul and this one is a tie, and i can't differentiate which one is better for who. i guess if you want to support local brand, you should try harlette. but if you're drawn to cute packaging, then ariul wins. if i have to be picky, harlette one leaves tacky feeling while ariul doesn't (not as much). price wise, it's still affordable, but compared to ariul, of course ariul is cheaper considering ariul comes in 50 ml while harlette only comes in 30 ml. as for me, i will definitely repurchase this.