Althea Bare Essentials Capsule Review

When I first tried the Althea Petal Velvet Powder (which is my favorite translucent powder to date), I wished that the brand would come up with more products since the first one was really good. I got my wish and more - now they have the Althea Petal Velvet Powder in Shade #23 Warm Beige and a minimalist 3-step skincare line! 👍
 

Althea strips down to the Bare Essentials with their new skincare line. Dropping all the non-essentials and focusing on the basic fundamentals of skincare, this 3-step skincare line promises to give you the benefits of a 10-step Korean skincare routine! The packaging looks really simple, clean, and basic. It somehow reminds me of Muji beauty products.

Contour Cleanser (P300 for 150ml)

When I first saw this, I found the name really strange. A cleanser that contours the face AKA skinny cleanser? The star ingredients of this product are soothing Ice Plant and detoxifying Lemon Myrtle extracts.

You only need a pea-sized amount as this cleanser foams up richly. Upon massaging it on your face, you'll be greeted by a subtle but invigorating lemon verbena scent. It improves blood circulation to decrease puffiness for a V-shaped look - not that my face needed any more slimming. 😂 The micro-capsules in this product are unlike regular facial scrubs - they burst upon contact with water, so they literally melt away while whisking away dirt and dead skin cells. This one's the most gentle scrub wash I've tried, and it can definitely be used everyday. This mild cleanser leaves my skin clean (never dry and squeaky), balanced, and soft - ready for the next step.

Primer Water (P550 for 200ml)

This toner looks like a bottle of cloudy water. Upon further inspection, it has higher viscosity (similar to an essence) than a regular toner. It's more on the nourishing side vs astringent-type toners that can strip moisture off your skin.

At first, I thought that the toner and moisturizer came in glass packaging. The Primer Water comes in a soft plastic bottle that you can squeeze gently to control the amount of product you're dispensing.

I use this in two ways:

(1) On regular days, I just use this alone with a cotton pad after cleansing. It's gentle yet able to remove leftover dirt on the skin.

(2) On days when I wear heavy makeup or when my skin's itchy and on the verge of breaking out (from stress), I use my trusty Snow Pore Minimizing Toner with a cotton pad to remove dirt and cool down my skin, then use my hands to apply the Primer Water with a patting motion to nourish my skin back to health.

The primer water is a hydrating toner + primer in one. Patented dewdrop formulation gently fills the gaps between pores and allows hydration to penetrate deep within the layers of the skin. Snow Lotus extracts make your skin softer, smoother, and brighter.

From the first try, my dehydrated cheeks drank the Primer Water up, said "ahhhhh", and thanked me. It's good!
 

Fixer Cream (P640 for 50g)

When they said that this moisturizer is made for ALL skin types, they weren't kidding. The Fixer Cream can be used no matter if your skin is dehydrated, dry, normal, or even oily. My skin's acting up by being itchy dry on the cheeks and shiny elsewhere, so this moisturizer is exactly what I needed.

This water-based moisturizer contains Trehalose (found in cactus plants that prevent moisture loss) to provide the skin with 24-hour hydration. Wild Green Tea extracts pack on antioxidants, while Baobab Tree extracts promote collagen regeneration.

My experience with this one: The first time I used it, I got too excited and put on too much product, so it took a while to get absorbed and it made me look shiny. When I used it again with just the right amount of product, the result was perfect. My skin just looked healthy and dewy, and it felt plumper, too. The only con for me is the initial sticky feeling before it gets fully absorbed by the skin, but once it gets absorbed, you will love how glowing your skin is. I use this day and night. During the day, my face feels balanced (and my cheeks do not get flaky and itchy) despite staying for more than 8 hours inside an air-conditioned environment. At night, I use this before sleeping and I always wake up to soft and supple skin!

Contour Cleanser, Primer Water, and Fixer Cream
 

Expiry dates are indicated on all Bare Essential products 👍

You can get the entire Althea Bare Essentials set for less than P1,500 - a steal considering its quality! Althea is giving out an additional 10% off when you buy the full set + a FREE beauty mirror while stocks last. 🛒 Get P200 off your first order with a minimum purchase of P1,500. 💝

You can buy the Bare Essentials products here.

Love,

Helen

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