Althea Bare Essentials

Since Althea's very successful launch of their Althea Petal Velvet Powder which I love so much I have multiples and I have gifted it to people (p.s. they now have a Warm Beige shade, apart from the original translucent!), Althea has gone into skincare!

As always, all orders from Althea come directly from Korea and are packaged in the iconic Althea pink box (sometimes there are limited edition boxes too!)

From the packaging to the aesthetics, the idea behind the Althea Bare Essentials range is to pare back from all the steps of skincare (hello 10 step Korea skincare steps) and to just simply "Experience the Simplicity of Beauty".

There are 3 products in the range, the Althea Bare Essentials Contour Cleanser.

The Althea Bare Essentials Primer Water and the Althea Bare Essentials Fixer Cream.

Just 3 items? Yes, just the 3 items to cover your cleanse, tone and moisturise steps! These are little travel packs of the products which means that you do not ever need to be without your skincare regime, wherever you go.

The packaging and aesthetics of the brand is really in sync with the idea and really showcases the simplicity behind it.

Let's start with prices and the Althea Bare Essentials Contour Cleanser retails at RM23 for 150g. 

The Althea Bare Essentials Primer Water retails at RM43 for 200ml which is really very decent.

Then we have the Althea Bare Essentials Fixer Cream which is RM50 for 50ml.

Now for the important parts, how did the skincare products from Althea Bare Essentials range perform?

First up, the Althea Bare Essentials Contour Cleanser comes sealed, for your safety (hygiene purposes) so you can rest assured.

The actual product is actually quite a thick consistency and it is a little hard to squeeze out of the tube but do not worry, it is not exactly a gym workout.

You need about a pea-sized amount, this amount which I have shown is enough to wash your entire face. I have tried it to take off makeup and it works surprisingly well, but I would not take this around the eyes as it does contain menthol in the ingredients list.

You want to add lots of water to help it foam up and it does wash off with a bit of coaxing (more water). There are teeny tiny scrub particles in this that you can feel in your hands but I personally cannot feel it once I foam it up. The inclusion of menthol means that it feels slightly cooling on the skin but it may be a potential irritant for some people. Personally for me I have no irritations and like this. It is not my favourite cleanser but it is a decent one, especially for the price point!

The Althea Bare Essentials Primer Water is my favourite product from the range.

The product came well sealed, but I have personally lost this little white cap, which means that it may spill if I travel with this?

I personally love the little detail on the cap which is the Althea symbol. The actual product is slightly thicker than water and so it is easy to pour it onto the palms of your hands and just pat it onto your face.

I find that this step helps to prep the skin for whatever I apply next, be it serum or moisturiser. So this is a winner in my books.

The Althea Bare Essentials Fixer Cream is the final item to seal in everything. It is supposed to provide 24hours hydration, but I am not sure since I always moisturise twice a day.

Apart from the cap with the Althea symbol and embossing again, the moisturiser comes with an extra seal.

I must admit I do not really see the point of the extra seal, whether it is to keep the product fresh? There are also always product on the seal, which is slightly annoying but nothing major at all.

The texture of the moisturiser is lightweight without being too thin. It is definitely a cream and not a lotion and I have tried it in the day under makeup and it does not move things about at all. It is actually quite a good moisturiser/primer. If you choose to use it in the evenings, it is sufficient for a night cream. I personally like to use a hydrating serum and sometimes an oil before sealing it in with this cream.

All the products have a very slight scent which is not offensive at all. I personally love the Althea Bare Essentials Primer Water the most but it is a tough one to pick a favourite. I do not think that the other two products will replace anything in my arsenal but they are nice and definitely a good place to start if you are feeling overwhelmed or confused about skincare!