While the beauty community is championing inclusive beauty and fighting against colorism, I have noticed that brands found a way to ride the waves and market themselves in a way that people with darker skin tones and advocates won't be offended, and I'll have to commend BeUtify for their way of branding.
The first thing I noticed about BeUtify is the misspelled word "beauty." I must admit it's intriguing, and after a bit of digging, I have come to discover that its purpose is to portray what the brand is all about—to be you (be u).
Basically, the brand is promoting self love. It encourages its users to be themselves while still having the chance to achieve "a better you" by using their products. If you think about it, it actually makes sense. Skincare is part of self love, and who doesn't want to achieve a better skin? Definitely not me. Another thing about this brand is they claim to "lighten" instead of "whiten," meaning you'll achieve a radiant glow rather than a fairer complexion, and we'll see just about that as this post goes on.
BeUtify is still on its infant stage, and I am among the few lucky people who got to test the products prior to the actual launch. I've been using the beauty set for more than a month now, and I think it's high time that I share my honest thoughts and opinion.
Their product line consists of six products, namely Kojic Plus Soap, Reign Clarifying Toner, Expose Lightening Lotion, Lucent Lightening Creme, Divine Gel Creme, and Time Eye Serum. By using these products simultaneously, BeUtify claims to unveil "a better you." But, does it really?
Truth be told, I am not a fan of kojic soaps in general. I just don't like the harshness it gives my face, the tight feeling as if all the moisture is being stripped off my skin. Not to mention that many of these leave my skin literally peeling. After all, it's not in my priority list to have whiter skin. Still, I had to try this.
I had a gut feeling that the BeUtify Kojic Plus Soap was worth trying, and I'm glad I did! This is, thus far, the mildest kojic soap I have ever used. Whenever I write reviews, I always critique the pros and cons, and I am very particular about its effect on my pores because my skin tends to react on new products and leave me with clogged pores. I find clogged pores difficult to get rid of that's why I take extra caution when trying out new products. Fortunately for this soap, it does not clog my pores or trigger breakouts. It also does not leave my skin feeling dehydrated or peeling. I must say it does the job without giving me any adverse effects.
They say tiis ganda is the mantra for people who ought to achieve clearer skin through micropeeling, but thanks to BeUtify's newest technology, you can bid goodbye to harsh toners that leave you with visible drastic peeling.
BeUtify Reign Clarifying Toner has a little alcohol content in it, but its floral scent overpowers the harsh smell. In fact, it doesn't sting when applied to the skin, though I only use small amount and pat it with cotton instead of rubbing. It claims to lighten, exfoliate, and tighten—and true enough, my pores feel refreshed whenever I use this product. It did minimize the appearance of my pores around the cheek area, but I think my nose is a bit problematic due to it containing a lot of sebum which is why the pores remain significantly noticeable.
Still, this is a good buy considering it contains powerful ingredients such as glycolic acid and witch hazel extract. This product will also suit you if you're not a fan of harsh, alcohol-laden toners.
The BeUtify Lucent Lightening Creme claims to have instant lightening effect, but what I really like about it is the glass skin effect it gives me. When wearing this, I can confidently go out even without makeup, and if you knew me personally, you would know I'm insecure when it comes to my bare face. Also, this product allows me not to worry about sun exposure anymore because it is infused with SPF 30, a reasonable amount of SPF for an effective UVA and UVB protection.
In case you're wondering, it does have an instant lightening effect. It sets into the skin after a few seconds so it doesn't look weird as though you covered up your skin with a wrong foundation shade to make it look lighter. In short, it looks natural. However, I can't really say much about its long-term effect. I'm not that morena to begin with, and I don't care much about my skin tone to notice if there's any significant change. But if we're talking about drastic changes in a one-month span, there isn't much. I think you'll have to use it longer than that to achieve your desired effect. Better skin doesn't happen overnight, anyways.
The Divine Gel Creme is the night cream slash moisturizer among the set. It claims to nourish, hydrate, and soothe the skin. What I love about this one is it feels light and refreshing, plus it is infused with aloe vera extract, and in case you don't know it yet, I'm such a sucker for aloe vera! It also contains hyaluronic acid, and this particular ingredient is beneficial to the skin. In fact, in one of the articles I've written before for Zen Health magazine titled 'What Should You Look for in your Moisturizer," a clinical dermatologist stated hyaluronic acid among the main ingredients that a moisturizer must have. I believe this really steps up the game!
The consistency of the gel is unlike that of the Korean brand gels, and I'm pretty sure BeUtify didn't intend to formulate it as such anyway. I think it's good though because it isn't runny, and I personally like how my skin feels and looks in the morning. This is such a great product for overnight pampering, and I think it has significant contribution to the 'glass skin' effect!
One of my major skin concerns that never go away is my dark circles. I've been such a night owl since high school, and this has adversely affected my skin. I also noticed that my under eye lines are becoming more noticeable over time, and even if I apply moisturizer on them, they do not seem to improve. In fact, because of the moisturizer's thick consistency that isn't specifically formulated for the eyes, it actually gave me milia. In case you're not aware, the skin around the eyes is more sensitive than the rest of our face, which is why it's important to apply only products that are particularly made to address skin issues around the eyes.
Going back to the product review, the Time Eye Serum is my favorite product among the set. This is actually the first time I'm addressing my dark circles and fine lines, and the thought is comforting. Ever since I use this, I noticed significant improvements with both my dark circles and fine lines, and no more puffy eyes for me as well! I really love using this at night because it feels soothing to the eyes. Eventually, I found out that the reason for it is its passion fruit extract content, which is found to be helpful for a relaxing, peaceful sleep. This is such a great buy for anyone who needs it; I'd totally recommend!
I'm not a fan of lotions in general. I don't like the sticky feeling it gives me, and I'm almost always running late to even think about applying lotion to my whole body. Still, I went on and try BeUtify's Expose Lightening Lotion.
Fair enough, the consistency isn't thick and the finish is semi-matte that totally eradicates the sticky feeling. Similar to the Lightening Creme, it is also infused with SPF 30 so you don't have to worry about getting exposed to the sun. It also has the same instant lightening effect as that of the lightening creme. I honestly don't see much of a difference with the formulation of both products, and they seem to have similar purpose and effects, but I do suggest you use the cream for your face and the lotion only for your body as to not have any unwanted side effects.
All in all, this lotion works great plus it really does leave my skin feeling soft and supple. I think I might stick to using this product if I weren't such a tardy brat. Haha!
Well, that was the whole product line of BeUtify. This brand is very promising, and I'm excited to see more of what they will offer in the near future. I'll keep this post updated for further changes in my skin, and hopefully, I can include some photos for documentation. I've been really staying away from cameras recently for personal reasons so I hope you bear with my incomplete reviews. I promise, I'll try to do better in the upcoming weeks! :)
If you're interested in BeUtify products, you may check out their Facebook page and/or website.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to leave a comment below. :)
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