I first learnt of the Amorepacific Vintage Single Extract Essence while I was watching Gothamista’s video in which she used this essence in her morning skincare routine during the summer of last year. When I saw this product, I was attracted to it immediately and knew that I’ve gotta get it (Do you believe in lust at first sight? That’s how I felt about this product!). However, I went online to search for reviews on it and couldn’t find much information (probably because it’s kinda a new product). My lust for it also kinda stalled when I saw its price on Sephora (US$145 for 120ml!).
Like the handsome stranger that you met briefly on the train ride during the morning rush hour, the memories and the feelings of that encounter with this product got pushed to the back of my mind as months passed by. It wasn’t until September last year (in 2017) that my friend asked me if I wanted anything from Korea as she had another friend who’s going there for a holiday. Immediately I thought of this product and asked her to haul one from Lotte Duty Free shop for me.
Ingredients
Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin
If you just look at its ingredients list as above, you’ll note that this product is basically made out of glycerin (a humectant) and green tea extract (a strong antioxidant).
How does the Amorepacific Vintage Single Extract Essence fare?
Amorepacific’s Vintage Single Extract Essence is described as a skin-enhancing essence sourced from single extract, antioxidant-rich green tea that has been naturally fermented and aged to pre-tox and purify skin before ageing occurs. The antioxidant-rich green tea was harvested from AMOREPACIFIC’s Dolsongi tea garden on Jeju island. The handpicked leaves used to create the original single extract are fermented for 50 days, aged in traditional Korean earthenware for another 50 days and extracted for 24 hours, using the patented Full Body Extraction, to create a concentrated skin superfood. The fermentation process really maximises the potency of the EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) in this green tea extract. EGCG is a powerful antioxidant which protect cells from damage.
See the video below from Amorepacific on this product! I swear this advertisement is so effective and makes me want to rush out to buy it immediately!
Even though I’ve had this product for around 6 months, I only really started cranking down to using it seriously around the end of January this year (2018) since I was using the Sulwhasoo First Care Serum previously. So I’ve been using this product both in my day and night skincare routines for around 1.5 months and I’m ready to share my thoughts of this product with you.
Amorepacific’s Vintage Single Extract Essence is similar to a First Care Essence/ Serum in that you’ll need to use it in the first step after cleansing your face. For the first 2 weeks that I was using this product, I only pour out a few drops from the glass bottle and pat it into my skin. However, I later decanted it into a plastic spray bottle to spray it all over my face instead. There are 2 main reasons why I do so. Firstly, the product is extremely liquid, almost water-like, and I would find it seeping out through the gaps of my fingers. D*mn if I’m gonna let my floor gain all these anti-ageing super anti-oxidant benefits instead of my skin! Secondly, my 3 year-old daughter is now extremely curious about the “magic” potions that her mama keeps on the dressing table. She likes to pretend that she’s using them the same way as her mama does. To my absolute shock and horror, I caught her trying to shake the glass bottle of this particular product (that costs US$128/ US$145 a bottle, mind you!). For my own peace of mind and my daughter’s safety (in case she breaks the bottle and gets cut by the glass shards), I decided to decant it instead.
Anyway, as I was saying, the product is extremely liquid and it smells of tea (like duh!). I literally feel like I’m spraying my face with tea everytime I use this product. My initial impressions of this product was that it is lightly hydrating, softening and seems to help boost the absorption rate of my subsequent skincare. To be honest, I didn’t really see much results for the initial 2 weeks that I was using this product. I was just enjoying the sensorial experience of using this product. After 4 weeks, I find that my skin was significantly softer. I wanted to test if this new texture of my skin was due to this product so I stop using it for a few days just to see if there would be a difference. I noticed that although my skin still looks relatively ok, the feel of it was really quite different. Although my skin still feels smooth, it didn’t quite have the velvety softness that it had before.
However, the pressing question is this: is the difference in the softness of the skin a big enough factor for me to repurchase, considering its price? To be honest, I’m not certain either. Currently, I’ve got 3 new essences in my stash that I’ve not tried out yet. I’m not sure if the performance of those essence would be better than this essence but, they are certainly cheaper than the Amorepacific one. To date however, it is the best essence that I’ve used before. I might do a comparison post of all the essences that I’ve tried sometime in the future.
Where can you find it?
I asked a friend to purchase it from Korea. It retails at US$128 (120ml sized) at Lotte Duty Free shops.
Alternatively, you can also purchase it from Sephora (USA) or Nordstrom Online. It retails at US$145 (120ml sized).
Thank you for reading!
Engineering Beauty 