Review: Skinfood Tomato Whitening Emulsion

I like to see Skinfood as the brand that started it all. When I was in LA over the summer, I happened to walk by a Skinfood store and they were giving out free samples! At that time I probably couldn't have cared less about my skin, but boy did my thoughts change after that day. This is my first Korean skincare product, so I've been using it for awhile (since August). The Tomato Whitening line is one of their most popular products from what I've heard, so lets see if it lives up to its claims or not.

Name: Skinfood Tomato Whitening Emulsion

Amount: 135 mL

Price: ￦ 12,900 ($12.15)

Description: This lightweight skin-brightening emulsion containing arbutin and tomato extract rich in lycopene, vitamins, and minerals makes dull skin clear and blemish-free and improves skin tone, by suppressing melanin pigment formation. 

Ingredients: Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerine, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Arbutin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Diacetyl Boldine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Cyclomethicone, BIS-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane , Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Honey Extract, Glycol Stearate SE, Cetearyl Alcohol , Stearic Acid, Punica Granatum Extract, Dimethicone, Allantoin, C14-22 Alcohols, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Carbomer, Chaenomeles Sinensis Fruit Extract, Triethanolamine, Sodium Carbomer, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Phenoxyethanol, Propylparaben, Methylparaben, CI 15985, Parfum

There is alcohol in this, but it doesn't seem to contain a large amount of it. I actually bought this in-store, so it cost nearly $30. > < This was before I realized I could buy Korean products online, and that most stores in the US tend to double (sometimes triple) the price. 

Height: 16 cm | Bottom Diameter: 4.7 cm 

It comes in a glass bottle, which makes it somewhat heavy. The words have a foil effect on them. I thought it was really cute how it kind of resembles a ketchup bottle. ^^ The two things I don't like about the packaging is that you can't see how much is left and it's hard to control how much product comes out sometimes.

It includes the expiration date, which is 2 years and 5 months after the production date.

The opening of the bottle. Diameter: 0.8 cm 

It has a strong floral scent. People who are sensitive to scents probably wouldn't like it. I'm kind of scent-sensitive, so I find the scent a bit nauseating if I had to smell it for a long time. Luckily it disappears a few seconds after you apply it.

It has a watery texture that spreads easily, but in no ways is it runny. It doesn't feel sticky at all. People who have dry skin might find it lacking in moisture. 

How it looks when it's spread.

Here's how it looks once it's absorbed. My skin usually feels somewhat softer, but not by much.

I have to say that I'm quite disappointed. While I wasn't expecting any drastic changes, I thought it would at least help brighten my skin. I might as well be using any regular lotion/emulsion in this case. I use it in my daytime skincare routine, but I'm starting to think it's not moisturizing enough since the weather is getting colder.

Pros

-Cute packaging

-Not expensive

-Didn't break me out

-Lightweight texture

Cons

-Doesn't live up to its claims

-Strong scent

-Not really moisturizing

-Difficult to control the amount of product that comes out

Overall Rating: 3/5

Repurchase? Nope. I would rather get a good water-based cream or maybe Benton's Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream which I really liked when I had a sample of it. I remember when the saleslady recommended me the emulsion since it would be better for my combination skin because it's lighter, but I honestly think that a cream actually makes my skin less oily (unless it's the Etude House Moistfull Collagen Cream). 

Do any of you guys use a lotion or emulsion? Or do you skip this step and use a cream instead? 

Thanks for reading!