Review: Isa Knox X2D2 CC Sun Block SPF 50+/PA+++

The product reviewed was sponsored by iBuyBeauti. All thoughts and opinions expressed are mine and 100% honest.

Hello everyone!

I'm so sorry for my absence lately. I've been really busy with school and still am. In fact, the next time I post on this blog will probably be in a little more than 2 weeks since finals are coming up. Also, if some of you are used to me commenting regularly on your blogs and noticed that I stopped, I apologize for that > < I promise that I'll start commenting again once finals are over. I'm really behind on everything blog-related right now OTL

Today I'll be reviewing a product from Isa Knox, one of the higher end brands under LG Household & Health Care. I always thought of Isa Knox as a brand more suited for women in their 20's+ mainly because of its sophisticated and elegant packaging, and its price, which teens would normally not be able to afford. ^^; Nevertheless, I've heard good things about its skincare from the X2D2 line, but not much about its makeup. So when I saw this Isa Knox X2D2 CC Sun Block, I was really interested to see how a high end CC cream would perform as opposed to other CC creams I've tried before. I've always liked the natural finish of CC creams, but never found one that I really like and would repurchase. Let's see if it passed the test shall we?

이자녹스 X2D2 CC 선블록 SPF 50+/PA+++

Name: Isa Knox X2D2 CC Sun Block SPF 50+/PA+++

Price: 41,000원

Size: 32g (16g + 16g refill)

Claims: 6-in-1 High Performance Multi-Sunblock

-3 color capsules

-Long-lasting color correction

-Powerful sunblock

-Long-lasting moisture

-Whitening function

-Anti-wrinkle

Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Stewartia Koreana Leaf Extract, Titanium Dioxide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerin, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Dimethicone, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Tromethamine, Arbutin, Dimethicone/PEG -10/15 Crosspolymer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Isopropyl Stearate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Zinc Stearate, Nylon-12, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Hydroxyproline, Magnesium Sulfate, Stearic Acid, Aluminum Hydroxide, Palmitic Acid, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Zein, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Corn Starch, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Palmitoyl Proline, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Magnesium Palmitoyl Glutamate, Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate, Polyperfluoroethoxymethoxy Difluorohydroxyethyl Ether, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Geranylgeranyl Isopropanol, Citronellol, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Perfume, Yellow Iron Oxide, Red Iron Oxide, Black Iron Oxide

As you can see, the ingredients list is really long and contains a few ingredients that aren't very common, at least to my knowledge. Here's the information for some of them:

Titanium Dioxide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, and Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine- Both Titanium Dioxide and Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate are commonly used in sunscreen as an UV filter. Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate is also often listed as Octinoxate on sunscreens. Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine is added to sunscreens to absorb UV rays.

Stewartia Koreana Leaf Extract- There doesn't seem to be much information on this ingredient, and those that I could find were more on internal health and wounds. However, one study mentioned how it's been reported to have anti-inflammatory activity. According to CosDNA, this is also a skin conditioning ingredient.

Arbutin- This is an ingredient commonly used in whitening products, so I wasn't surprised to see it there since this CC Sun Block claims to have a whitening function. It inhibits melanin production and has some pigmentation reducing effect.

Cornstarch- Cornstarch is sometimes used to replace talc in cosmetic products as an absorbent. It is also used as a thickening-agent in skincare products. In powders cornstarch creates a silky feeling.

I could go on but I'm sure you'd rather not read a long analysis. ^^; According to CosDNA, there are 13 ingredients that are in the yellow zone in terms of safety. Both Aluminum Hydroxide and Palmitic Acid have a score of 2 as a potential acne trigger, while Dimethicone and Butylene Glycol have a score of 1.

The Isa Knox X2D2 Sun Block was featured twice on Get It Beauty Self- once for natural brightening nude makeup and the other for baby face skincare.

Dimensions: 17.7 cm x 9.4 cm x 4 cm

The box is silver and really pretty with a rainbow hologram effect *-* In fact, the box looks even better than the actual case in my opinion lol The inside of the box is orange, and when you open it there's an information packet inside as well. Sadly everything is in Korean so unless you know how to read Korean you won't be able to understand anything.

This is how the case and refill are stored inside the box:

When I first opened it I was really disappointed because I thought they didn't include an extra air puff for the refill, but turns out that the puff was just placed underneath the case.

Diameter: 7.7 cm | Height: 2.7 cm

The case is storm grey and a lot more rounded than other cases. The mirror is also smaller too compared to others, which is disappointing since I find it a bit too small. Also, the grey coating on the case seems to chip easily. I dropped it on the ground once it the chipped. OTL Other than that all I can say for the case is that it looks mature. Rather than the manufacture date, you'll find the expiration date instead on the bottom of the case.

When you first open the case there's a sticker that is covering the place where the CC cream is dispensed, along with a piece of plastic on top. Simply remove them and press on the button near the front-edge to dispense the CC cream, then use the included air puff (or your fingers, brush, or whatever applicator you prefer) to swipe it up and apply to your face.

The air puff included looks like the typical air puff in most cushion foundations, only it's flat at the bottom as opposed to a complete circle. However, this air puff seems a lot more stiff and not as soft as the usual air puffs. In fact, when I first used it it was really uncomfortable, but overtime it became softer. I think holes in the air puff aren't as fine as the usual ones either because it's very visible where the CC cream has sunk into the puff after using it

To exchange the refill, just press the bottom of the case (where the beige-colored circle is) up to remove the used up CC cream for a new one.

The scent is faint but noticeable, and is neither unpleasant nor pleasant. It has a slightly floral scent mixed with something else, but I'm not sure what that something is. OTL Either way, it does smell better than what most BB creams smell like.

Can you see the little flecks of black and brown in the CC cream? Those are the color changing capsules that will help adjust the color to your skin tone ^^ The CC cream itself is white. When you spread it out, sometimes you'll notice a streak of brownish-red, which I believe is due to the red iron oxide.

A little goes a long way. Like most CC creams, the coverage is low, but I think this is slightly higher than what most CC creams offer. It has a yellow undertone, and would fit anyone from NC20-NC30 I think. My friend tried it and her skin is pretty tan, but it adjusted to her skin tone well, so I think this CC cream would be suitable for people with darker skin (not any higher than NC35 though).

I'm guessing it's due to the cornstarch, but this CC cream is slightly thicker than I expected, but not extremely thick. It's still pretty lightweight and spreads easily. It doesn't feel drying at all and actually feels kind of moist, which is good for people with dry skin.

As you can see, there is already a small ring forming after just one minute. Now, you're probably thinking that this is going to be really oily, but actually there's hardly any difference between after 6+ hours and 1 hour. Either way though I'm not sure if I would suggest it to people with really oily skin since it doesn't have any oil control.

I've been using this more as a daily sunscreen than anything else because my skin is sensitive to sunscreens but this didn't break me out, and it works pretty well at preventing/absorbing UV rays. I used this once for a hike to the beach with my classmates and my face only got slightly tanner, and that's because I didn't reapply even though it had been over 6 hours (oops).

I like how it doesn't sink into pores, adheres well, and that my skin feels silky and hydrated after using it, but I do wish there was more oil control. I still had to use an oil blotting paper on my T-zone in the afternoon, but at least it didn't make my skin oilier. Another thing is the really dewy finish. I like slightly dewy finishes but anything more than that is a no-no. When my friend tried it the first thing she said was "It's too shiny" lol And I agree. The dewiness is reduced significantly however when you apply a powder on top.

I like this, but it's not exactly what I'm looking for. The finish is a bit too dewy for my liking, but I will continue using it as a sunscreen for now. ^^ I think this would be good for anyone with dry to combination skin since it isn't drying, and is actually a bit moisturizing. People with oily skin might find that this makes their skin a little oily, and the dewy finish wouldn't help at all, so they might not like it as much. The lasting power is ~5 hours until it starts fading.

I feel like all Korean foundations, BB creams, and CC creams claim to whiten and be anti-wrinkle, so most of the time I just ignore these claims now

Pros

-Travel friendly

-Easy to apply

-Adheres to skin well

-Yellow undertone (might be con for some)

-Adjusts to skin tone

-SPF 50+/PA+++

-Doesn't sink into pores

-Higher low coverage than most CC creams

-Lightweight

-Faint scent

-Feels moist

-Not drying

-Decent lasting power

Didn't break me out 

Cons

-Expensive

-No oil control

-Grey paint(?) chips easily

-Smaller than usual mirror

-Really dewy finish (might be pro for some)

-Stiff/hard air puff

-Puff is difficult to clean

Overall Score: 4/5

Where to buy:

Get yours at iBuyBeauti for $40.99. They offer free worldwide shipping and a tracking number only costs $2.50. 

They also currently have a 5% discount code that ends today (May 26th)! Enter qpY3unNcHz4V at checkout to receive the discount. 

Repurchase? No. Even though it's nice, I wish it wasn't so dewy. Plus it's a bit expensive. I will however use it up and not set it aside and forget about it ^^;

What about you?

Would you like to try this CC cream? Do you prefer matte or dewy finishes?

This review was originally published on Beautifan, iBuyBeauti's cosmetic review website.