Holika Holika Bulgarian Rose Petal Skin Review

Where to get it: 

• prettyandcute.com $27
• yesstyle.com $28

• ebay.com $19-$24 from what I saw

They used to have it at Sasa, but I checked today (26/02/13) and it seems to have disappeared :(

Description: Holika Holika Bulgarian Rose Petal Skin is an alcohol free blend of hydrating and toning rose floral waters, enriched with real rose petals. This gentle floral water hydrates the skin and tones complexion. It’s natural aroma adds a mood-enhancing dimension to the experience. (From prettyandcute.com)

Claims to:
~ Hydrate
~ Tone
~ Firm

I was looking for an Asian toner for my new skin care routine when I found this on sale. I read some good reviews so I figured I'd try it out, as I'd heard good things about rose water as a toner!

"Bulgarian 'damask' Rose, cultivated since the 16th century, which is considered to produce the finest quality essence. Holika's Bulgarian Rose oil and Rose Water is from the Valley of Roses, the Kazanlak (???) town and absolute is made with a delicate process. It provides high-moisturizing effect and marvelous beauty to the skin as same as Cleopatra's beauty secret. " Not the best English...

Ingredients: Couldn't find on the internet, I'll update this if I find anything!

Packaging: Really lovely packaging, feminine and pretty without being too princessy (looking at you, Etude House). The toner comes in a heavy glass bottle, which I like. You have to be really careful about not dropping it, though! The top is a lovely semi-matte pearl screw on/off thing which I think is nice, and I never have any issues with it dispensing too much.

The bottle cap twists off fairly easily as long as you don't tighten it too much when putting the cap back on, I've never had an issue with it getting stuck.

Scent: Lovely rose scent (obviously), I am quite a fan. It's not overwhelming at all, though if you don't like the smell of roses you probably won't like it. You can catch whiffs of it for a couple of minutes after application, which I like. 4.5/5 (nice scent, but not my favorite ever?)

Consistency is like any Asian toner, I think.

Results: Overall I think Holika Holika's Bulgarian Rose Petal Skin does what it claims. It leaves my skin feeling soft, even, and nicely firm. I've been using it for over a month now and I really like it, and after going without it for a week (visit to my lovely boyfriend <3) I'd honestly say that it improves the texture of my skin while I'm consistently using it. I wouldn't say it's a HG product, but I'm not sure if there really is a HG toner? It smells good, feels good, and does what it promises. Also- I've barely used any despite using it liberally roughly 10 times a week (sometimes I'm lazy and skip my skincare routine, haha), so I'd say that you get your money's worth. However, I don't think I'll buy it again unless I am unable to find a better toner- it's the first one I've ever tried and I'm eager to see how others compare. I don't know if there are better ones out there, but I'd like to experiment a bit more before settling down ~ (I sound like I'm breaking up with it lol)

Conclusion: Final Score: 4.5/5

Pros:

• does what it claims
• smells good
• nice, high quality packaging
• lasts a long time

Cons:

• kind of expensive if you get it from Pretty & Cute
• glass bottle can break if you're not careful!!