First post! Yey!
Don't let the photo fool you. That's Etude House's "fresh" and "deep moist" toners in one picture, but this post is all about the former.
First of all, I'm not even going to try to pretend that SHINee hadn't had anything to do with this purchase. In fact, SHINee's what got me curious in the first place (pun not intended there). I heard good things about Etude House from people I know, then, and figured I wasn't going to loose more than some forty bucks shipping included, so why not? At worst I'd find they were just water in pretty bottles and I could give them to my friends if I wasn't going to use them. I was so wrong.
So, Skin Malgeum (or [mal:gem], or sometimes "malgem") "fresh". "Malgeum" stands for "cleanness, clarity and pureness". Every toner in the series is hypoallergenic and apparently suitable for every skin type.
"Fresh" has a nice, very light scent; one doesn't really notice it when applying the toner, so even those who can't really use scented products should be fine with this. It's an oil control toner that works to control sebum, but it certainly doesn't dry the skin. I don't apply moisturizer on top of the toner, and it's fine, but I assume if your skin is very dry you might need some.
I use "fresh" every morning, and it really works the whole day: when I get back home in the evening, my skin isn't glistening with oil even if I don't apply powder before leaving the house. It's been a month since I started using it, and my skin is much clearer with less spots, too. I don't even wash my face every day, so it's really a wonderful feeling when my face isn't red with spots or mild chipping skin (because apparently my skin can't decide whether to be oily or dry, and switches like a slinky on a roller coaster).
It also works as an oil controller when applying make-up: plaster BB cream and powder on it, and still no excessive grease all over.
The product itself aside, it comes in a really cute package, too, and the bottle - 250ml - seems to last for ages. In a month I've not even hit the green logo on the side.
***
product: Etude House Skin [mal:gem] Fresh toner
does what: controls oil and sebum
price range: $10 - $20
points given: 10/10
short story: An excellent product that really lives up to its description. Also good for daily use.
