I received the Urang Cica Smoothing Ampoule in the BAZAAL k-beauty box collab with meejmuse. The box’s theme focused on soothing items for the Winter months and I became interested because it had a few products I wanted to try. The price of the box was pretty reasonable considering some of the prices of the products, and I also purchased a few add-ons on top of that that were on sale.
Overall I feel like I got a really good deal. But that isn’t the point. The point of this review is focusing on one of the products I got, which is this Urang Cica Smoothing Ampoule.
Here is a description of Urang, the brand, from the website OHLOLLY:
URANG (pronounced, yoo-räng) – A wellness brand as much as a skincare beauty brand with values rooted in honesty and consciousness. Founder, Jina Lee, a mother and holistic aromatherapist, created a skincare line with high-quality natural, organic ingredients, safe for the whole family. Urang (Ultimate Radiant + Natural Glow) blurs the line between what’s good for you and what’s effective. Urang is a cruelty-free brand with many vegan product options.
From OHLOLLY
And here is the information on the ampoule, also from the website OHLOLLY:
Urang’s new Cica Soothing Ampoule features organic Centella asiatica leaf water, Centella asiatica extract and Madecassoside, all three of which are known for abundant healing and skin-strengthening properties. Prized for centuries as a medicinal plant, nourishing Centella asiatica has been used in folk medicine and also in scientifically-oriented medicine to soothe and repair sensitive, delicate skin.
Using no essential oils and a high concentration of antioxidants, this ampoule helps eliminate dryness and irritation, and uses a low molecular weight hyaluronic acid to restore long-lasting moisture and suppleness in the deepest layers of the skin. Vegan and formulated without mineral oil, synthetic fragrances, additives, harmful chemicals or preservatives. Use within 6 months of opening.
Soon to be CPNP certified.
Tip: Mix with one of Urang’s Oil Serums for an extra luxurious treatment.
To use: After cleansing and toning, apply a few drops to the face and pat in to gently absorb. Follow with moisturizer.
From OHLOLLY
I honestly wasn’t expecting much out of this. I didn’t even bother using it until I ran out of a few products and was too lazy to purchase new ones, so I just sorta shoved this product into my routine to see what it would do.
To be honest, at first, I really felt like this product didn’t do anything for my skin. I mostly just continued to use it because it was pretty hydrating for my skin without being oily or greasy.
I remember thinking to myself, “Didn’t meejmuse say this product was like $50 USD? Why such a high price point for something that just seems to hydrate my skin?”
It wasn’t until I’d used the product every day in my morning and night routine that I really noticed a difference.
It was pretty subtle and slow, but I feel like the results have been quite nice.
The product is definitely moisturizing, but I wouldn’t really say it soothes my skin or anything. I don’t particularly feel like it makes any skin redness go away or calms my skin very much after I’ve put it on. I typically use 3 drops on my forehead and cheeks in the morning and at night. It has a very moisturizing and somewhat viscous feeling to it, not quite watery but also not sticky. It applies beautifully and sinks down pretty quickly and doesn’t leave any residue. It doesn’t leave my skin feeling oily either, which is obviously important for me since I have an oily T-zone. It gives my skin this nice dewy glow after I use it, and I really feel like this product sinks down into my skin and moisturizes it deeply. It has no scent, which is good for people who are sensitive to smells.
Since I started using it, I feel like my skin has definitely improved, but in a way that I don’t really know how to describe? It’s just this sort of subtle change to my skin that I’ve only really noticed recently. This is because I’m almost out of the product and am now considering whether or not I want to repurchase. Recently, I took time to really look at my skin and consider what had changed about it since I started using this ampoule.
I definitely feel like my skin has improved more than just on the surface. Not only does my skin look much smoother and more plump and hydrated recently, I also just feel like my skin feels moisturized underneath everything and not just on a surface level. Recently I felt like my pores have become much more minimized due to my skin truly become hydrated from the inside out, and that my skin just feels healthier to an extent as well.
I can’t really describe just what kind of feeling I have, I only know that I’m pretty happy with the results.
I have oily skin that isn’t reactive or acne-prone, and I felt that this product just really worked well with my skin. At first I didn’t really feel like it’d done anything for my skin, but the product definitely helped, it was just more subtle and something that came about after consistent use rather than suddenly having mind-blowing results.
I know I probably shouldn’t be surprised that this is the case, but I feel that in this day and age, it’s sometimes easy to fall into the rut of wanting to see immediate results and then being disappointed when you don’t. I often need to remind myself that repairing my skin is a long process that takes years, not just a week or two of using some new product.
Anyways I do really like this product and felt like it’s made a difference. Also, the packaging is extremely aesthetic. Although, after the product is almost out, it is a little hard to get the product out because of the shape of the bottle and I don’t think the dropper can reach all the way to the bottom, but whatever at that point you can just tip it upside down to get the rest out.
That being said… I do still hesitate to continue purchasing this product. As for the reason?
Obviously the price point.
It’s $54 on OHLOLLY, which is an authorized re-seller of Urang. It can also be found on BeautyBoxKorea for around $43 USD, not including shipping. I’ve also heard shipping on BeautyBoxKorea is slow as hell and can take ages for your products to be sent out, so that’s another point to keep in mind.
I think you can find it on other websites too, but I did a quick Google search and the only website I recognized was BeautyBoxKorea, and OHLOLLY for the most part looks legit.
It’s a bit pricy for a single ampoule. The beauty box I purchased was I think $59 for a bunch of full-sized products, so to me the price point was worth it. Honestly, this ampoule wasn’t even on my radar when I bought the box ironically enough.
I’ve used it consistently every day for morning and night probably about a month or a month and a half after I got the box, so maybe mid/late February to early March? Regardless it’s definitely lasted me a decent amount of time, but even so, having to repurchase every two months or so is a little painful in my opinion. Most of the products in my routine are not pricey except for maybe my Banila Co. Miss Flower & Mr. Honey cream, but that product lasts me like 4 months using it every morning and night because a little goes a long way, so to me, it’s worth it.
I’m still not completely out yet, but I think once I’m completely out of the product, I might wait a little while and see if my skin is really negatively affected by not having it in my routine and then decide if I want to repurchase or not.
While I do think it’s a great product, it’s just subtle enough that I wonder if I can’t get a similar result to a cheaper ampoule or serum rather than continuing to use this one.
Of course, the other point to this is that I really enjoy incorporating new products into my routine so this is also just another excuse for me to buy more things. 😛
My routine is a little bit different from others, mostly because skincare for me is not only something I do to improve the health and look of my skin, but also it’s a hobby for me. I have a ‘core’ set of products I pretty much never switch out (aka my oil cleanser, my foaming cleanser, my vitamin c, my first toner, my favorite serum and my occlusive/final cream) but otherwise everything else I like to mix and match depending on the season and the state of my skin that day or month.
As usual, skincare is very personal, so while this product worked for me, it might not work for you.
Side note: but they have a pink ampoule that I lowkey want to try out just because of the pink packaging. Yes, I know I am a clown.
Thanks for reading!
{ Honey + Bunny } 