REVIEW┊Holika Holika Bulgarian Rose Eye Cream

Continuing on with the skincare theme, I'll be talking about the Holika Holika Bulgarian Rose Eye Cream!If you're looking for a new one to try, read on to see if this one will be perfect for you :)

⇥ AT A GLANCE ⇤

This eye cream is formulated with 20% Bulgarian Rose Water and Rose Essential Oil, known for it's highly moisturizing benefits.  Apparently, it was a secret beauty ingredient in Cleopatra's routine. This eye cream claims to do it all: hydrate, reduce dark circles, puffiness, and signs of tiredness while soothing, nourishing, and firming the delicate eye area.

⇥ THE BREAKDOWN ⇤

Using the cheapest price I found online, this eye cream retailed for $13.24 USD for 30 ml (which is approximately 1 oz). It is on the more affordable side of eye creams (if you buy if from the right places).

⇥ INGREDIENTS ⇤

Water,Rosa Damascena Flower Water,Glycerin,Jojoba Esters,Beta-Glucan,Hydrogenated Polydecene,PEG-75,Cetearyl Alcohol,C10-40 Isoalkyl Acid Cholesterol Esters, Butylene Glycol,Biosaccharide Gum-1, Trehalose,Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Olivate,Sorbitan Olivate,Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cyclopentasiloxane,Cyclohexasiloxane,Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Stearic Acid,Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Hydrogenated C6-14 Olefin Polymers,Dimethicone,Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Methylparaben,Phenoxyethanol,Triethanolamine,Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil,Propylparaben,Fragrance,Tocopheryl Acetate,Mica/Titanium Dioxide,Disodium EDTA,Red 504 (CI 14700),Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-yuen (Job's Tears) Seed Oil  , Oryza Sativa (Rice) Germ Oil,Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil,Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil,Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil,Rosa Damascena Flower Oil

⇥ THE GOOD ⇤

It has a good formulation. When I decide whether  a skincare or haircare product is worth it, I mainly look at te first 5 ingredients in the formula. As we can see, water, Damascena Flower Water, Glycerin, Jojoba Esters, and Beta-Glucan are the most abundant in the formula. Though we can never know exact amounts of each item in the formulation without going through some trouble, the ingredients should be listed according from most abundant to least abundant. Anyhoo, water and Damascena Flower Water are self-explanatory. Glycerin and Jojoba Esters are emollients, helping to retain water in the skin by reducing evaporation. Beta-Glucan helps soothe a number of skin ailments, like dermatitis, eczema, and more. I don't see any frangrant oils in this formula either so that's another plus for the formula. 

The texture isn't thick or heavy at all. It has a fluffy texture that makes blending very easy without looking greasy or oily. At first, it felt slightly cooling but after having it for a while, I don't notice any cooling effect.

 Commenting on the claims it makes, I don't think it really helps with dark circles. Keep in mind, mine aren't bad at all and look more like shadows than any kind of bruising or something. I don't have puffiness so I can't say much on that. Bulgarian Rose Water is really interesting as it's quite cold feeling but this eye cream lacks that coldness. However, I do think it does a great job of keeping my under-eye hydrated and keeping them awake-looking--not through any sparkles or something but I just find that a hydrated under-eye looks less tired in general AND concealer applies much more smoothly and less crepe-y. 

There is a rose scent to it. It isn't that strong and becomes unnoticeable after application. My eyes are quite sensitive but I didn't have any problems with this eye cream. 

⇥ THE BAD ⇤

The packaging is quite cute. The glass jar gives it a nice weight and the pink tinge is also very girly. Also, the almost opaque jar helps protect the product from harsh sunlight. However, it is a bit heavy and clunky for travel. I would definitely recommend decanting into a small jar for easy travel, as I have already done.

My biggest complaint and worry about this products is that it oxidizes into a weird color and texture. As you can see below, the left side is when I took out a bit from the original jar. The right side is how the eye cream looks like after a couple of weeks. It's gotten clumpy and even changed colors. I know this is bad but I applied the eye cream anyway without realizing the change...until I re-opened the original jar. The small jar I had been using is completely transparent but I store all my skincare in a dark cabinet and close the jar tightly every night. I don't get why that happened to my jar other than that it probably isn't airtight or the preservatives in this product aren't good enough (even if they include two parabens and Disodium EDTA). 

A minor complaint would be the addition of fragrance, mica/titanium dioxide, and Red 504. Fragrance in skincare is wholly unnecessary and can be irritating to most. Mica belongs in highlighter, not your eye cream but that's probably what gives it the whole "awake" look. Lastly, Red 504 is a dye that gives this eye cream a slight pink tint and that can also be irritating for sensitive skin. 

⇥ BOTTOM LINE ⇤

I wouldn't recommend it. As I am quite lucky not to have dark circles, fine lines, or anything like that, I just need my eye cream to provide hydration. This one fit the bill perfectly in terms of hydration and price point but its packaging, problematic ingredients, and oxidation issue makes me want to pass on it EXCEPT for the fact that I still have a lot. I don't like wasting product so I will be trying my best to use it all up. 

Here's some Korean for those who find it helpful. I can only read a couple of lines. The first line says, "Holika Holika Bulgarian Rose Eye Cream". The second line says,"Bulgarian Rose Water 20% Wae Rose Essential Oil...Hydrating" I'll look for the jar later on and update what this says later...

⇥WHERE TO BUY⇤

KOREDEPART: Eye Cream ($13.24USD)

AMAZON: Eye Cream  ($30USD +4.49USD shipping)

I'm still on the hunt for a good eye cream. 

If you have any recommendations about what I should try next, please let me know!

MWAH Musings♥

• Didn't know if it was clear before but I'm taking a Korean language class! I've only been taking it for almost 2 weeks now and can sort of read. There's so many pronunciation rules that I'm working on memorizing before our quiz this Friday but I'm having a lot of fun!
• Had a gnocchi sausage pasta yesterday for dinner. It was quite interesting as the pasta was made out of potato balls that have a chewy texture--kind of like the Korean hot and spicy rice cake, tteokbokki. Smelled a little weird but I'm glad that taste was fantastic!
• Am in the middle of cleaning the kitchen stove. Had to wait two hours for the degreaser to work--which reminds me, the two hours are up! I'll see you all in the next post. ♥

XOXO,

MWAH ♥

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Disclosure Statement: All products mentioned were purchased with my own money. I am not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned above and was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own. Links are not affiliate links and are provided for the readers' convenience. I cannot guarantee that the product(s) will work for you. I do not approve or endorse the products or information available on these sites. Proceed at your own risk.