Magnolia Wake Essence Review
Product Reviews

Magnolia Wake Essence Review | I’m From

Today I wanted to review a new product I’ve recently tried, the Magnolia Wake Essence from I’m From! This is my first try with an essence, was it worth it? Should you stick to an essence product instead of using a serum? Check out my review below!

What Is Magnolia Wake Essence?

The Magnolia Wake Essence is a beautiful (and very pretty) essence from I’m From. Although the brand name is a bit weird, the product is lovely.

This essence can be added into a Korean skin care routine each morning, such as:

Step 1 – Green Tea & Enzyme Powder Wash by Wishtrend

Step 2 – Supple Preparation Unscented Facial Toner by Klairs

NEW Step 3 – Magnolia Wake Essence from I’m From

Step 4 – Rich Moist Soothing Cream by Klairs

You could also do this routine at night and swap the Wake Essence for the Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop from Klairs instead. Ideally, you want to use the Wake Essence during your morning routine rather than at night.

The Magnolia Wake Essence is used to brighten your complexion while still remaining hydrating. It has 69% magnolia water from the Sobaek Mountains in Korea, which sounds really cool even if I’m unsure whether it’s effective or not. It’s supposed to give your skin a natural boost while giving off a really beautiful scent.

However, if you’re not interested in scents, this one does fade away fairly quickly. You won’t be smelling it all day.

We also have to talk about how cute the packaging and the bottle is. I’m From really knows how to design!

Essence versus serums

At first glance, I didn’t know what the difference was between using an essence or using a serum. From what I had read before, you tend to use an essence at the same step as a serum. So how are they different?

Apparently, essence products used to be quite light, less concentrated and used before applying a serum. However, it seems that essences and serums have become essentially the same thing, and both words are often used interchangeably. Some essences have become thicker, some serums have become lighter, and they both can achieve positive results.

Magnolia Wake Essence Review

What’s It Like?

Although I’ve only just added the essence into my routine, so far I’m really enjoying it! It’s thicker than I imagined, but still glides on really smoothly.

When I wake up in the morning, I use my Green Tea & Enzyme Powder Wash by Wishtrend which cleans up my skin and gets rid of any dirt or oil from my face. Plus it feels great, so it’s a nice start to my day.

Next comes my Supple Preparation Unscented Facial Toner by Klairs which gets the last bits of stuff off my face and prepares my skin for all the active ingredients I want to use. I also really love this particular toner because it’s nearly completely unscented and creates a great base to work with.

Then I use my new Magnolia Wake Essence from I’m From. I like to use 2-3 drops directly on my face rather than onto my hands first. I apply the essence then simply rub it all over my face and it quickly absorbs into the skin. It’s also really easy to apply using the dropper.

Finally, I always finish with my Rich Moist Soothing Cream by Klairs. I actually had to switch back to my old moisturiser while I was waiting for a new bottle of the Rich Moist Soothing Cream to arrive, and it sucked! I really noticed a difference in my old moisturiser versus the Klairs one. It’s by far the most hydrating cream you can find.

This essence fits perfectly into my routine, I just swap out the Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop for this essence. I guess you could use both, if you wanted to, but I feel like it would be too much product on my skin.

What’s In It?

Magnolia Wake Essence ingredients: Magnolia Kobus Branch/Flower/ Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Methyl Gluceth-20, Alcohol, Water, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Veronica Officinalis Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Malva Sylvestris (Mallow) Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract, Primula Veris Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Polyquaternium-51, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance

Additional details about this serum:

  • Cruelty-free
  • Paraben-free
  • Steroid-free
  • Artificial coloring-free
Magnolia Wake Essence Review
The box even gives you a little map of where the ingredients come from – the Sobaek Mountains in Korea!

What Does It Feel Like?

This essence is fairly thick but still very easy to apply. Thankfully, it doesn’t come across as sticky and it tends to absorb into the skin quickly.

What I really enjoy about this essence (other than it’s really pretty, of course) is that your skin immediately feels soft and hydrated after using it. Of course you can’t tell if a product does anything for your skin right away, like clearing acne or evening out your skin tone. But it’s definitely nice that your skin immediately feels better and clean right away.

I was really surprised to see tiny bits of Magnolia flowers actually in the essence – how cool! These easily dissolve so it’s not like you’re going to have bits of flowers on your face. But it’s still a cute touch, nonetheless.

Final Verdict on Magnolia Wake Essence

Although I haven’t been using this one for long, I genuinely really enjoy it so far! Korea really knows how to make great skin care products, and this is no exception. It’s easy to use, smells great and absorbs really well into the skin. This is also my first experience with essences and the company “I’m From” but I have had nothing but positive experiences so far!

Emma x

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *