[Review] The Misfits - KIKUCO Lotion Serum & Sooryehan THE BLACK Essence Moisturizer

 

I've been dragging my feet on these two reviews because I wasn't quite sure what to call them. They were originally purchased to serve a very specific purpose in my routine - to add a bit of moisturization before my sunscreen - and by the time they arrived, my routine/sunscreen changed to where I didn't need them anymore. So it's not the product's fault that I don't need/use them anymore.

Misfits has a negative connotation, but I think it's cute. I have recommended both of these products because they are solid products, just not suitable for me. They are also very good hybrid products like a "lotion serum" or an "essence moisutrizer". I appreciate this in-between naming scheme as it's an apt description and true to the finish of the products.

Skin profile: NW25, anti/well-aging, dehydrated normal to dry

Season & Type of Climate: winter, coastal desert

Current AM Routine:

• Cure Aqua Peeling Gel OR double cleanse with Sekkisei Oil Cleanser + Biore The Face Foaming
  
• 2-3 layers of NACIFIC Fresh Herb Origin Toner
• Sansim Yangmyung Soo Toner
• Daughter Intensive Hydrating Serum + 3 drops of KISO Fullerene10
  
• Anessa Day Serum
  

KIKUCO Lotion Serum

 

Packaging and full bottle of the KIKUCO.

I originally ordered this because I was using the Allie Chrono which was just slightly not moisturizing enough (I was using the Allie UV Facial Gel before the Chrono reformulation came out). Kikumasamune (the brewery and maker of the much beloved Kiku Bright/High/Glossy Moist) came out with a three-product KIKUCO line for mature skin. (Who is running around with mature skin being able to only have a three-product routine? Jealous.) 

The three products of the KIKUCO line (from the website).

(L-R) Gel Oil Cleanser, Lotion Serum, Emulsion Cream.

It's sold as a set, and being a Kiku fan, I really wanted to try something from it. I settled on the Lotion Serum because I thought it'd come close to the level of moisturization I was looking for before my Allie Chrono.

I love everything about the packaging. It looks and feels luxe despite it being a plastic bottle, the rose gold cap is very pleasing to look (and use). The font and logo? Perfection.

 

Texture shot of the KIKUCO Lotion  Serum.

As someone who is so picky about textures, especially for moisturizing products, it's just lovely. It has a milky toner texture that sinks into your skin immediately and leaves behind just the faintest moisturization without any of that suffocating oily film feeling.

The scent is a hard one to pin down. It initially starts off as clean but finishes with a very delicate amber, but more like the equivalent to warm fuzzy blanket on a cold fall day. I really enjoy the scent.

I requested it on KireiStation and by the time it arrived, it became a misfit because I had moved on from the Allie Chrono to the Suncut Prodefense Toughness UV.

 

The ingredients of the KIKUC) Lotion Serum (Google Lens).

It has fantastic ingredients and loads of ceramides, but it wasn't able to handle the level of dryness from the Suncut. It makes for an amazing one and done product before working out though, which is mostly what I've been using it for. But I cant justify having a whole other product that's this hard to get for that reason alone. And frankly, for a product that I'm just going to sweat away, what a waste! If there's a day I feel a bit more dry I do add a layer of this before my Anessa, so overall it's not bad to have around. But I think I can get a cheaper and more easily accessible product to fulfill that slot than this.

I have recommended this to people with mature skin looking for milky toners, but not often as I've only seen it on KireiStation. I really do love the finish of this to the point that I had and still consider getting the Emulsion Cream to try it out. 

Sooryehan THE BLACK Essence Moisturizer

Texture shot of the Sooryehan THE BLACK Essence Moisturizer.

Since I needed something more moisturizing than the KIKUCO to pair with the Suncut and I enjoyed THE BLACK Serum (though ultimately choosing not to use it), I thought it would be a good excuse to try the Essence Moisturizer.

I got it off of Amazon (LG has said Amazon is an official outlet for their products) and it came in a set with an additional Serum...which I didn't want (and still haven't cracked into).

The bottle itself is a lovely heavy glass and it definitely gives the experience of using a luxury product, even though this is a mid-luxe tier. I would also say this packaging is perfection, but the KIKUCO is more subtle and humble about it.

The texture is a runny lotion (so thicker than the KIKUCO) that finishes a little glowy/dewy and a bit  more silicony than I'd like. Because it is more lotion than milky toner compared to KIKUCO's, you definitely feel it on your skin and does have a slight suffocating feeling. The scent is more obvious than the serum; more floral forward finishing in a cologne-like smell. It's not bad, but I am surprised how different it is from the serum.

Texture shot of the Sooryehan THE BLACK Essence Moisturizer after 

some spreading.

The main thing I'm disappointed about is that the Serum gives that glow (especially with 30 min of waiting before application of the next product), and the Essence Moisturizer doesn't have that super power. I'm not one for wanting more glow in my skin overall, but if I wouldn't mind a boost of temporary glow in the AM.

I can't overstate how sensitive I am to textures so I'm sure most people won't notice the silicony finish, but I feel it and it bothers me just enough not to want to use it regularly. By the time this came, I had given my Suncut to my partner to use for golf and I had moved on the the Anessa (for a while it was the reformulated UV Milk which has an oily finish, but then moved on to the perfection of the Anessa Day Serum), so again...misfit. But I have recommended it to people, especially for people with mature skin who are looking for more entry-level luxe products.

I also slightly worry about piling so I haven't used it before my sunscreen. Truthfully, I don't think it's a realistic concern because again, my level of pickiness is insane. I'm not one who usually cares about the ingredients list, I've only started to become better about taking note of it for the blog and using this blog as a way to store and compare to any future reformulations, but here it is:

 

The ingredients of the Sooryehan THE BLACK Serum (top)

and Essence Moisturizer (bottom).

It turns out that dimethicone is the second ingredient in the Essence Moisturizer, so maybe I'm not so insane. However, it is third in the serum though and I didn't think it had a silicone finish at all, so...I just don't understand formulations and I'm not going to pretend I do.