sulwhasoo bloomstay vitalizing serum

this is the description from their website: a vitality and resilience-boosting serum that stimulates the skin's vitality and clears up the complexion by using the anti-oxidizing energy of plum blossoms. bloomstay vitalizing serum leaves your skin with a bright glow and fresh look. the antioxidant properties of plum blossom with components from five germinated fruits. precious plum blossoms hand-picked at dawn. sulwhasoo harvests plum blossoms at dawn. this is because plum blossoms, which are extremely delicate, and reaches their peak at dawn. and to deliver this delicate energy all the way to your skin, sulwhasoo distills its harvested plum blossoms into the bloomstay vitalizing serum. the most extraordinary plum blossoms. sulwhasoo's research team discovered superior anti-oxidizing energy in the buds of green plum blossoms. each bloomstay vitalizing product contains a rare substance found in green plum blossoms. the extraordinary substance derived from green plum blossoms transforms tired and fatigued skin into brighter and firmer skin. "bala obang jongsil" adds clarity to your skin. adding to the list of special ingredients featured in the bloomstay vitalizing serum is a substance derived from "bala obang jongsil" which provides a healthier and brighter glow to your complexion. from a dense, honey-like texture, to a watery, dew-like texture. when you apply the serum, the enriched formula feels dense and elastic. but once you spread it evenly across your skin, it feels soft and smooth. 

ingredients list: water, butylene glycol, glycerin, glycereth-26, alcohol, cyclopentasiloxane, cyclohexasiloxane, niacinamide, 1,2-hexanediol, hydroxyethyl acrylate/sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate copolymer, BIS-PEG-18 methyl ether dimethyl silane, avena sativa (oat) kernel extract, PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil, PVP, xanthan gum, dimethiconol, propanediol, acrylates/c10-30 alkyl acrylate copolymer, tromethamine, sodium polyacrylate, methoxy PEG-114/polyepsilon caprolactone, disodium EDTA, fragrance, adenosine, phenoxyethanol, sorbitan isostearate, polysorbate 60, citrus junos fruit extract, honey, nelumbo nucifera flower extract, polygonatum officinale rhizome/ root extract, rehmannia glutinosa root extract, paeonia albiflora root extract, lilium candidum bulb extract, ethylhexylglycerin, glycyrrhiza uralensis (licorice) root extract, linalool, dextrin, prunus mume fruit extract, theobroma cacao (cocoa) extract, sesamum indicum (sesame) seed extract, pinus koraiensis seed extract, chaenomeles sinensis fruit extract, rosa multiflora fruit extract, beta lucan, poncirus trifoliata fruit extract, limonene, geraniol, benzyl benzoate, prunus mume flower extract, citronellol, potassium hydroxide, acetic acid, BHT.

the packaging: since i bought this in a set, this comes in light pink box with description of what is inside at the back. all the products are placed in a plastic tray so everything is secured inside. the serum is the only item that comes in full size, the rest are in sample sizes. if you're curious, the others are the FCAS in plum blossom scent (read it here), the toner (read it here) and the cream (read it here). the serum itself comes in a pretty pink glass bottle with pump head that's covered in pink cap. it comes in 30 ml. the bottle is heavy but i think the FCAS bottle is heavier. 

the scent: it smells just like the other products in the bloomstay line. they said that it's a plum blossom scent, but all i can say it's a mix of floral but there's a hint of ginseng scent in it. it's might not be suitable for sensitive skin, but all sulwhasoo's products are scented. for me, it's relaxing, even a bit addictive, so i'm not complaining.

the product: the serum is totally like described. it's a light golden serum, honey-like texture. it's a bit stringy like snail serum product, but i can easily spread it all around my face. it takes a while to be absorbed, but afterward there's no tackiness. if you look at their website, there's an instruction to massage the serum in certain way. i tried to follow it whenever i remember, but unless you use it at night, it's a hustle to massage it everytime. i use two pumps for my whole face and neck. if you have sensitivity to alcohol or extracts, you should look at the ingredients list because all sulwhasoo products have long ingredients list. 

the result: it's a moisturizing serum. after adding this serum at night, my skin starts to get better. before i only use an essence, a toner and a moisturizer but the moisturizer contains vitamin a and vitamin c derivatives so my skin got dry after awhile. then after adding this serum, it starts to get better. i can counteract the dryness effect from the moisturizer with this serum. as for the brightening, i can see my complexion is brighter in the morning, but it doesn't help much with acne scar. i'd need separate brightening serum for those scars.

honestly, i'm a bit disappointed with this serum. it doesn't wow me like the FCAS. but i do like the scent. it's very relaxing for me. i just wish they make the FCAS in gentle blossom scent permanently. then i'd gladly buy the FCAS gentle blossom again. anyway, this serum is quite heavy, so even though i think it might be suitable for all skin type, you might need to adjust it with your routine. if you have oily skin, you might want to adjust the product that you use together with this serum. if you have dry skin, this might not enough. so adjust it according it to your needs. as for me, i probably won't repurchase it. price wise, sulwhasoo is a high-end brand but lately they've been on sales during special dates on marketplaces, so make sure to follow their IGs and stay tune for their sales promotion.