Pink Aye: Hidemond Pinkblast Super Moisturizing Cream Review

For the past 3 weeks, the Hidemond Pinkblast Super Moisturizing Cream has been my sole cream, day and night, on most days.  (Scroll to the bottom of this post to see it in my various skincare routines.)

I have the Mild version ($35 for 75g, provided for consideration by Cupidrop), which is the only version available on Cupidrop so far. (Hidemond makes 3 versions: Light, Mild, and Ultra Rich (in order of richness).)  What piqued my interest was the boast of “Deep Nutrition and Contour.”  Darned if I couldn’t use a little contour!

First a little background: Korean brand Hidemond is a newcomer to the AB (Asian beauty) scene in the U.S.  In fact, I only saw the brand while browsing Cupidrop, and its English-language Google footprint is small.

Kate, the founder of New York-based Cupidrop, prides herself on selecting new, innovative, and hard-to-find brands to introduce to the U.S.  Indeed, the site features lesser known/less accessible brands (in the U.S. at least) such as Kicho and A-True alongside more established brands (COSRX, Lioele).  Kate actually discovered Hidemond while staying at her friend’s house in Korea this winter.  She tried out her friend’s Hidemond cream and liked it so much that she took it!  Kate found that it kept her skin (super dry with occasional eczema flare-ups) well moisturized.  And now Cupidrop is the exclusive retailer of Hidemond in the U.S.

The star ingredient of Hidemond’s Pinkblast line is dunaliella salina, a green micro-algae associated with pink lakes.  Seriously, PINK LAKES.

The exact mechanism for this stunning phenomenon is uncertain, but dunaliella salina is known to produce carotenoids, specifically beta-carotene, so its purpose in skincare is to provide antioxidant effects.  Presumably that’s the reason for the “nutrition and contour” claims.

The cream contains 62% dunaliella salina extract and is a pale pink color (although the pink color is enhanced or produced by cochineal (insect) extract/red cabbage color).  It also contains a lot of moisturizers such as sodium hyaluronate, shea butter, squalane, and oils.

It’s a medium-weight cream, a little heavier than an oil-free gel-cream yet not dense or oily.  It smoothes on easily and leaves a moisturized (but not oily) sheen, although if you touch your face after a few minutes, very little or no residue comes off, indicating that the moisturizer has absorbed.

With currently dry-normal skin, I appreciated that this cream fully moisturizes.  I even used this as a night cream, no sleeping pack, and woke up with still-moisturized skin.  The times when my skin did get flaky, I could trace it back to other causes (such as a drying sunscreen, over-exfoliating, and nose-blowing and dehydration while sick).  This cream also plays well with my million-layer skincare routine.  No pilling!

Some caveats: it’s hot and humid right now where I live, and my skin would definitely require a richer formula in the winter.  That said, this Mild version is likely suitable for normal and combination skin year-round (use more or less depending on skin’s needs) and there’s always the Ultra Rich version for drier skins and weather.  (For reference, Charlotte’s Magic Cream and Embryolisse are currently slightly too rich.)

As for the “contour” claims, after 3 weeks of regular use, I would say that my skin isn’t any more or less firm due to this cream, although I don’t have much sagginess other than maybe my jawline.

In sum, don’t expect transformative results, but Pinkblast Cream is a solid and effective moisturizer that I’ll happily keep in my routine.  The star ingredient might confer long-term or preventive benefits, and the moisture level is just right for this time of year.

Pros: PINK.  Moisturizing even for dry skin.  Absorbs quickly.  Layers well with other products and sunscreen.

Cons: No noticeable difference in firmness after several weeks of regular use.  Leaves a moisturized sheen.  (Actually not a con for me–my makeup renders this irrelevant, and at night I don’t care if I look sheen-y all over–but it could be a con to some.)

One last thing: check us out on Instagram @beautyandthecat.

Renee and I often post our skincare routines and mini-reviews of what we’re using.  Below are some of my recent routines.  Clicking the photo takes you to the Instagram post with full product list.  Follow us for more Asian beauty goodness!