Beauty of Joseon's Revive Eye Serum: Does it live up to the hype?

We roadtest one of the most popular eye creams on Kanvas Beauty: The Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum. Keep reading for our honest Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum review.

Listen, I've always been a bit sketchy on eye creams and serums. Are they actually necessary? Do you even need one? Why are they so tiny but so expensive? I'll be honest: I didn't bother during my 20s and early 30s. If it was good enough for the rest of my face, it was good enough for my eye contour area!

Then my late 30s hit me like a trout slap in the face, and so did the sudden dryness, fine lines, and pilling if I dared to wear makeup. WTF.

Why do you even need an eye cream?

Well, we did our research and it turns out, the skin around the eye is thinner and more delicate than the rest of our face. In fact, that's why it's poorer at moisture retention than the rest of our skin, factors like age and poor sleep show up there first. It's also why eye creams are formulated differently to face creams: the ingredients tend to be hydrolyzed (i.e. smaller in size for better penetration) and are designed to pack a punch in terms of effect without overwhelming the fragile skin or pilling under makeup / SPF. 

SO. With that being said, I decided to give my first eye cream a go and chose Beauty of Joseon's Revive Eye Serum. 

Beauty of Joseon is like the Beyonce of the K-Beauty world

This K-Beauty brand is a hitmaker: every single one of their products has a 'uuuuge following, and when they release a new skincare item, it is sold out within minutes. I guess being clean, cruelty-free, fragrance-free, gentle on sensitive skin but highly effective when it comes to results is the way to go! Not surprisingly, we saw a similar reaction when Beauty of Joseon released its Revive Ginseng & Retinal Eye Serum. Naturally, it went on my 'gotta try it' list - because I've never met a BoJ product I didn't like.

Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum ingredients

The Revive Eye Serum combines a traditional hanbang anti-aging ingredient (ginseng) with 2% retinal. And no, that's not a typo: Retinal is a vitamin A derivative that's very similar to retinol. Yowza! Meanwhile, macadamia and rapeseed oils moisturize and soften the skin. The formula also contains niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and ceramides for the win. There are no essential oils or fragrances, or anything that could potentially irritative sensitive skin apart from the active ingredient.

What is retinal and is it different from retinol?

Given they are both forms of vitamin A, retinal and retinol will ultimately lead to the same outcome - we're talking improving the skin cell renewal rate, erasing fine lines, helping to fade discoloration, and generating collagen production. However, retinal purports to do it quicker, with a much higher exfoliation rate than standard retinol. For that reason, retinal can feel more irritating on sensitive skin, but Beauty of Joseon insists that its formula is specifically tailored for the more sensitive, without compromising on results. 

Where it fit in my routine

After double cleansing and toning, I pat this serum around my eye contour area. I then use my facial serum, and wait until my face is dry but moist, before applying my moisturizer.

For anyone interested, I have sensitive, aging, combination skin that's sometimes prone to acne and blackheads. Oh, and it's also dehydrated at times. Just to make things interesting! Right now though, my skin is in a good place (hopefully I didn't jinx myself). I use Mary & May's Vitamin B.C.E. Cleansing Balm, followed by SKIN&LAB's Barrierderm Mild Foam Cleanser. I then use TIA'M's Vita B5 Toner (my holy grail for dehydration). Once that's absorbed, I pat on the Beauty of Joseon Eye Serum. On the other areas of my face, I'm trying (and loving) Anua's Heartleaf Ampoule. Lastly, I apply SVR's Topialyse Barrier Cream on my face and deck, and dot a little under my eyes as well. 

Texture and application

The Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum is like a champagne-coloured, slightly thick emulsion. It's rather lovely. It feels moisturizing between the fingertips, and when I apply it around my eye contour area, it absorbs quickly. I still feel like I need extra moisture at night because I literally transfer half my skincare onto my pillow (stomach sleeper here), so once it feels dry, I apply a little of my face cream on top. I wait until it is noticeably dry and absorbed though, otherwise dotting a cream on top would only dilute and/or rub off the serum before it has time to do its thing.

Results and final verdict

First things first - there was no irritation, dryness or redness from the retinal (hurrah!). I was a bit concerned even my under-eye skin is even more sensitive than the rest of my face, but it was no issue. That said, I am only using it 3 nights a week. If you're an experienced retinol user, you could probably use it nightly (but I don't want to push my skin too hard). It's been a month of use, and so far I've noticed - better moisture, no pilling, no irritation, and no NEW fine lines. I feel like it might be working on existing fine lines, but it's hard to tell because a month ago, I was 8 weeks post-partum and probably just looking really tired anyway LOL. So while I have gotten a few comments on how 'fresh' I'm looking, it might also be due to my getting more rest these days. I'll keep it at though, as you should give vitamin A and vitamin A derivatives about 2 months of consistent use before seeing results on fine lines. Also, it is a lovely addition to my routine and seems to have prevented any newer creases, so that is good enough for me. Would I buy it again? Yes. Would I recommend it? Yes - but probably not for experienced retinol users. This is definitely one to try if you have sensitive skin, or have struggled with retinol in the past.

****

Find the Revive Eye Serum from Beauty of Joseon online in Australia at Kanvas Beauty

You can shop the Beauty of Joseon's Revive Eye Serum and other stellar products from Beauty of Joseon right here on Kanvas Beauty.

We ship Australia-wide, including all the major cities (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin, Adelaide and Canberra). Enjoy free standard shipping with any purchase over $50, and free express shipping with any order over $99.

We also ship to our Kiwi mates across the pond! For both our Aussie and NZ customers, if you’re new to Kanvas Beauty, take an additional $20 off your first order with us (use code WELCOME20 at checkout).

Happy shopping! If you have further questions on Beauty of Joseon or any of our other brands, drop us a line on chat or on email: hello@kanvasbeauty.com.au.

Have you tried this eye serum? What did you think?