I Tried April Skin's Magic Stone Black (So You Will, Too)
7:15 AMRecently, my interest was piqued by a Korean product that looks immensely promising.
If ever you're wondering where I purchased mine, it's from LAZADA. At the time of my purchase, it cost me about PHP 549 ($11). If you're having doubts about authenticity, you may want to purchase from big box shops like Amazon or directly from the April Skin website. I'm pretty sure mine is authentic. I haven't read anywhere about replicated April Skin products, so I think I'm good to go. Plus, I've seen replicated Korean beauty products before, and they give off that weird, cheap smell from lack of originality. The soap I purchased screams authentic all over. Did I forget to mention that the box smells heavily of the product inside? And it's heavenly, I'm telling you! If you're a person who likes tea and herb-smelling products like me, you're gonna have a fantastic time using this soap.
If you have no idea about what I'm talking about, here's a brief overview of April Skin as a company:
April Skin is a Korean company that was launched in October 2014. Their first products consisted of the Natural Magic Stone Soap (the gray one). They later released the black version of the Magic Stone Soap in April 2015. On September 2015 came April Skin's newfound glory after releasing the Magic Snow Cushion. This innovative product boasts of its ability to provide maximum coverage. It can cover up a huge majority of skin imperfections like acne (mild to severe), red spots, and blemishes.
I found out about this product after watching a video from a sponsored post on my Facebook feed. I don't remember which video it was that I watched, but this video can give you an idea of what I'm talking about.
After watching the video, you might have had the same reaction I had.
I swear I heard a Gregorian choir sing after watching that video. There isn't any product in the market that conceal acne in seconds like theirs did. I was prepared to go through lengths just to get one. The wait was arduous. I remember checking every cosmetics deals website I know just to check if they're already keeping stock of April Skin's cushion product. Several Instagram shops posted about it, but I didn't mind them. They could be selling bootleg items for all I know.
So when the time came and a legitimate dealer surfaced on Facebook, I was overjoyed. I heard she often conducted sales, reducing the usual amount of PHP 1,200 ($25) to PHP 1,000 ($20) for each cushion compact. How great is that? However tempting it was, I had recently purchased Maybelline's Dream Velvet Matte Foundation (Which I might review?) at the time. So I opted for the soap instead. I'm thinking of buying it when I run out of the Maybelline foundation. I don't go out too often nowadays so this is probably going to take months (Sorry!).
"Why didn't you buy it from that Facebook seller if you claim she's legitimate?"
I had to buy it from LAZADA because my shopping cart was full of stuff that had marked down prices. If a retail website showcased 10% off on all the items on your cart and free shipping to top it all off, wouldn't you check them out, too? I got my Magic Stone Soap for a few bills less than the other listings. Some listings sold them for PHP 700+ ($14+) a piece! But that doesn't mean the quality is diminished. Some retailers on LAZADA just have a higher markup than all others for many reasons I would like to explain in a long, separate blog post (This post will seem really long and boring if I had this here, so I need to make a separate blog post on how I do online shopping this month).
Like any other person anxious to get rid of acne, I scanned through tens (or hundreds?) of articles and videos reviewing April Skin's Magic Stone Black. I have to tell you honestly that I tallied every interesting review I could find. 25 out of 30 reviews said this product worked wonders for their skin. Most of the reviews I took weren't from blogs (because they could be sponsored and that would be a shame), but from customer reviews on Amazon (US), Ulta, Walmart, April Skin's PH retailer page, Althea, and Memebox.
Working in the customer service industry had shown me that the people on the review section of every website are the most honest in whatever industry. If your product is crap, they'll brutally say it is and give you stars little to none. But it your product is "The Bomb™", you'll have returning customers and thousands more from word of mouth. So since honesty can't be bought, the product reviews section is the perfect place to scout for what the masses are thinking. The reviews are stellar, I'm telling you! On Amazon, I couldn't find anyone rating it below 4 stars. That's how great this bar of soap is. One can tell that this product is hyped for the absolute reason that it's a major breakthrough in the world of skincare and not because Artists ABC and XYZ are endorsing it.
If ever you're wondering why I'm always including the word, "black" after Magic Stone, it's because they have 2 types of soaps. One is for night use (the one I bought) and the other is for day use (the gray one on the left):
Here's a better overview on their differences:
The differences are not too far from each other, but I've read somewhere that it's best to use both at their respective times for maximum effect. I might purchase the gray one anytime soon. I'll keep you in check. But for now, I have to hustle!
Here's some crappy pictures I took of this product with my crappy phone camera (I swear I'm buying a new one for the sole purpose of blogging early next year):
It was too late when I realized that I didn't take any photos of it whole or even beside a common product you can compare the size to. I was cutting into the bar of soap when I noticed. I'm so sorry. I'm so new at this.
VERDICT:
- Value for Money
From the pictures above, you'll see that I've cut the bar into 4 equal sections (Because I'm not a #RichBitch and money doesn't grow on trees (It doesn't in ours. If it does in yours, can I pay you a visit?)). Being an avid freak of washing my face every couple of hours (#CarpalTunnelTendencies), 1 section may last me for about 3-4 weeks if my estimate is correct. Potentially, 1 bar cut into 4 sections can last for about 3-4 months if we share the same face washing addiction. But if we don't, it may probably last longer as long as you're keeping it as dry as possible after every use. I put mine in airtight containers like these to prevent it from getting soggy, infested with bacteria, and used by other people in the house. Never share a bar of soap and towels with anyone if you have sensitive skin. It's the only rule in the Book of C
- Packaging
- Where Can I Compare This To?
- Effectivity
"Don't all soaps do?"
Some soaps, yes. But this one took me by surprise. Because as I was massaging it onto my face for the first time, I could feel my skin getting cleaner by the second. Patting my face dry after the rinse was even more spectacular. Have you ever tried going on a facial and touching your face afterwards? (It's considered taboo, yes). Because that's exactly how it felt! Like a baby's smooth bum! Don't believe me? Try it for yourself!
It's also important to note that I have combination skin. Meaning, my skin can be dry or normal in some areas and oily in others, such as the T-zone (nose, forehead, and chin) (excerpt from WebMD).
- Final Thoughts + Will I Repurchase This?
I am hands down impressed with this product. Will I repurchase this? FUCK YES. I will definitely repurchase this together with the gray Magic Stone soap even if it kills me (Of course, it won't).
NOTE: This is not a sponsored post. If it were, I would be on 7th heaven right now *winks at potential sponsors*
Until the next blog! Thank you for reading!
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