Amore Pacific Haul (So many freebies!)

I made 2 large hauls from Koreanbuddy a couple months ago but wanted to specifically share just the Amore Pacific products I purchased. I only bought 3 items, but thought it worth showing for anyone considering buying AP products, because of the sheer amount of deluxe samples and freebies they give you. It is awesome.

Amore Pacific is the epitome of high-end luxury Korean skincare (above Hera, Sulwhasoo etc.), and will cost an arm and a leg – but for anyone wanting to splurge on AP but hesitant, then let me say that it’s still much better value than its Western counterparts.

Korean skincare technology is so much more advanced, developed and innovative and none more so than AP that are the leaders of the pack and the brains behind everything coming out of Innisfree, Etude House, Hanyul, Laneige, Hera, IOPE, Sulwhasoo and many many more.

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Firstly, the three products I bought:

• Moisture Bound Skin Energy Mist

• Vintage Single Extract Essence

• Ideal Bloom Foundation Cushion SPF34 PA++

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1. Moisture Bound Skin Energy Mist

I first tried the 30ml travel size version of this which I ordered on Sephora (which they have re-named – Moisture Bound Skin Energy Hydration Delivery System – what a mouthful, don’t know why they didn’t stick with the easier original name), but I fell in love with everything about it. This is the best mist I’ve ever tried. The spray nozzle disperses the mist finely, the smell is lovely and spa-like, and it really helps to hydrate my face during the day. You can even use it before and after makeup and it really revitalizes and freshens your skin.

A month after I’d been using the 30ml travel size and was running low, AP released the special limited edition versions for 2017 which feature a bamboo leaf design on the bottle and I just had to get it as they look much nicer than the original plain bottles and these can be refilled so I can use them all the time.

I don’t think the limited edition version is still available anymore (which I got for about KRW68,000), but the original price stated on their website is KRW80,000 for 80ml x3 (which is what I have), or KRW65,000 for 200ml x1.

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2. Vintage Single Extract Essence

This is a new product which AP launched earlier this year and I had been wanting to try a toner/first essence from the brand so when I saw this, I thought it sounded pefect and exactly what I was looking for (I LOVE green tea and I LOVE fermented skincare). This is pure fermented vintage green tea and you can read all about the fascinating fermentation/extraction process from their website (link in the name above). I’ve been looking to incoporate more antioxidant skincare into my routine and what could be more potent and effective than this. I love this product so far and it performs as a first essence in my routine. It’s watery, light, absorbs quickly and doesn’t have much of a scent. I especially love this for my morning routine, as I know I’m getting that added skin protection from free radicals when I step out the door.

The original Korean retail price is KRW170,000 for 120ml. It is significantly cheaper if you buy it online rather than through airport duty free or in the department stores if you’re in Korea. The lowest I’ve seen it selling online is KRW132,000, and as it’s a new product, you can still purchase it with lots of travel sized samples which slightly mitigates the pain of parting with so much money.

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3. Ideal Bloom Foundation Cushion SPF34/PA++

Ahh pretty! I’m a huge fan of cushion compacts and the last, ultimate luxury brand of cushion I have yet to try is AP. The steep price has always put me off, until they released this new foundation cushion a few months ago and I was staring at it googly eyed online. It contains their signature green tea as well as other top notch skincare ingredients and has a special metal plate packaging that prevents heat, moisture etc from getting in and prevents evaporation of the cushion contents so it stays fresher for longer. It also promises 12 hour wear and very fine pigment which adheres thinly and tightly to the skin.

It retails at the original price of KRW92,000 which exceeds my most expensive cushion (Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion Intense – KRW80,000). But of course since I ordered it online I was able to get it slightly cheaper than the Sulwhasoo,  which I bought at full price in Lotte Department Store in Seoul. Still by no means cheap, but AP cushions have piqued my curiousity for awhile now so I want to see if it really is the best of the best. Lookout for this full review once I’ve had a chance to test it out for awhile.

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FREEBIES:

So with each product purchase I got some great deluxe minature samples and travel sized products. One thing to note is that you have to shop around online to find the best deals that offer a competitive price with the best freebies because not every seller will include them. I personally like to use shopping.naver.com or 11st.co.kr to compare different sellers/prices.

Also, newly released products are more likely to offer the largest amount of samples. 2 of these products were newly released and 1 of them was limited edition so they all came with a bunch of free goodies. (Otherwise, you are still likely to get 1 or 2 free samples when you buy an AP product).

This is great because it allows you to try more products that you perhaps wouldn’t have been able to splurge on, or wouldn’t have thought to try. (Or this could be a bad thing since you could end up loving something and spending more money, which is certainly the case with me!) This is not an inexpensive brand so I’m glad I get the chance to try more of Amore Pacific’s products that I would otherwise be hesitant to buy outright without knowing if I liked the formulation or if it worked for my skin type or not.

So let’s delve into what free stuff I got!

Top left in the green box – this is the Fresh Bamboo Sap Collection Gift Set that came with the Moisture Bound Skin Energy Mist. It contains:

• 30ml travel size version of the limited edition bamboo mist bottle
• Green bar of soap also made from bamboo sap – this smells amazing and I can’t bear to use it

Top right in the brown box – this Ideal Bloom Makeup Look Gift, came complimentary with my cushion purchase. It includes:

• Perfection Bloom Natural Finish Base Primer SPF20/PA++
• Mini sample size of the Ideal Bloom Cushion Foundation
• 30ml travel size of the Moisture Bound Skin Energy Mist

Bottom left and right – I got 2 of the Special Anti-Pollution Kits and I can’t remember which purchases they came with. Its likely to be the cushion and the essence. The 4 products are:

• Treatment Cleansing Oil 10ml – this is the perfect consistency I usually like (not too thick or runny) and is very gentle even for eye area.
• Treatment Enzyme Peel 7g –  this is amazing and I love it the more I use it. Makes skin soft, smooth, bright and clean.
• Moisture Bound Vitalizing Mask 10ml – only tried it once but so far so good. I like lightweight sleeping masks like this.
• Triple Defence Sun Protector SPF50+/PA+++ 5ml  – not too keen on this as it is a bit too dewy and creamy for my liking and is a chemical sunscreen.

The above Beauty Essentials Gift includes:

• Treatment Toner 10ml – was considering the full size, so glad I can try it first.
• All Day Balancing Care Serum 3ml – the serums are so painfully expensive from AP so I will definitely see if this is worth it.
• Hydrating Fluid 10ml – you can use it as a serum/emulsion.
• Moisture Bound Hydration Ampoule 3ml – also crazy expensive.
• Triple Defense Sun Protector SPF50+/PA+++ 5ml
• Treatment Enzyme Peel 7g – another one. That makes 3 so far.  🙂

Got a really nice firm mesh pouch with my cushion purchase and is one I’d definitely use because its a great compact size and I really love the brownish-red bean type colour. It also came with 2 extra cushion puffs; they’re quite unique because it has a raised wedge within it to help get into the hard to reach areas around the nose and eyes. AP are really going all in with the innovation for this cushion!

Lastly I got some smaller extra goodies. From top left to right:

• Vintage Single Extract Essence Experience Gift 3x 5ml – small and handy vials to take on the go.
• Vintage Single Extrac Essence 30ml travel size – this frosted heavy glass bottle is so luxe. I love using it from a smaller bottle and wish they actually sold it in this size too so its travel-friendly (which the large 120ml certainly isnt).
• Treatment Enzyme Peel 7g – 4th bottle and counting. 🙂

The box at the bottom is the Moisture Bound Hydration Kit III and contains:

• Treatment Enzyme Peel 7g – 5th bottle which equals 35g of product in total, all for free! (The full-size 70g bottle retails for $60 on Sephora).
• All Day Balancing Care Serum 3ml – (also in the beauty essentials kit)
• Moisture Bound Hydration Ampoule 3ml – (also in the beauty essentials kit)
• Moisture Bound Rejuvenating Cream 8ml – tried sample size before and I would purchase this because it is a lovely soft moisturising cream that is perfect for my normal-dehydrated skin.

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And that’s all for my Amore Pacific haul. Have you tried anything from this brand? What’s your experience with them? Any favourites or must haves? Let me know in the comments below!