Spotlight | Mamonde Flower Toner Series (Rose Water Toner + Aqua Peel Toner).

If you're into Korean cosmetics and beauty products, then you've probably heard of Mamonde's Rose Water Toner. It's one of the brand's bestsellers, and a cult favorite among K-beauty fans. Mamonde banked on this popularity and launched the Flower Toner series - a collection of flower-infused and nature-inspired toners for every skincare need.

Mamonde Flower Toner series.
L-R: Flower Honey Toner (dehydrated skin), Chamomile Pure Toner (sensitive skin) Rose Water Toner (all skin types), Aqua Peel Toner (dull, combination skin), Pore Clean Toner (oily skin).

These toners went on a 1+1 sale (that's 'buy one, get one' in layman's terms) while I was in Korea last June, and so I took this chance to buy two new toners for 15000 won (around $13 or Php 700), the price of one. Of course, I purchased the cult classic Rose Water Toner and paired it with the Aqua Peel Toner, upon recommendation of the staff at the Mamonde store in Myeongdong.

Mamonde Aqua Peel Toner and Rose Water Toner.

The Mamonde Rose Water Toner has recently been reformulated and now contains 90.97% rose water (previously, it was just 90.89%). It's made with Damask roses which grow in Bulgaria, and are said to be the most fragrant of all roses.

Mamonde Rose Water Toner.

Aside from its scent, the Damask rose is also known for its soothing and moisturizing properties, earning it the title of 'Queen of All Roses'. And true enough, you get a surge of moisture after applying this product on your skin.

Hangul text written at the back of the bottle.

The Mamonde Rose Water Toner has a light, watery consistency which absorbs into the skin immediately. It does not sting, nor does it leave the skin with a greasy feel. In addition, its mild and gentle '7-free formulation' (meaning this product is free from harmful ingredients such as mineral oil, silicone oil, animal ingredients, polyacrylamide, imidazolidinyl urea, triethanoamine, and synthetic pigments) makes this product safe and suitable for all skin types.

Shelf life of almost three years.

I've been using this as my morning toner for the past two months and I love how my skin feels soft and plump after patting this on to my face. (Yes, pat it, don't rub it. Patting is less damaging to the skin, plus it increases the absorption and effectiveness of the products, and stimulates healthy blood flow.) I also love its refreshing rose scent - it's the kind of scent that 'picks you up' and lifts your mood.

Mamonde Aqua Peel Toner.

The Mamonde Aqua Peel Toner, on the other hand, is a refreshing peeling toner that wipes away dead skin cells to smoothen and moisturize the skin. It boasts of its '2-step peeling formula' using apricot enzymes - first, it 'soaks' dead skin cells, then the enzymes from the apricot plant help with 'skin turn-over' to effectively remove the dead skin cells for clearer-looking skin.

Hangul text written at the back of the bottle.

The Mamonde Aqua Peel Toner also has an AHA component to mildly exfoliate the skin and prevent built-up of dead skin cells. Its plum blossom component, on the other hand, delivers rich nourishment and moisture to exfoliated skin to keep the skin hydrated. And then there's the plum fruit extract component, which repairs the skin's natural barriers and helps improve skin elasticity.

Like the Rose Water Toner, the Aqua Peel Toner is free from animal ingredients, mineral oil, synthetic pigments, and triethanolamine. Its consistency is also light, watery, and easily absorbed by the skin.

Also has a shelf life of almost three years.

I was initially worried that my skin would react negatively to this aqua peeling stuff (my skin is quite erratic and tends to be extra sensitive whenever I'm about to have my period), but the store attendant assured me that this product is gentle on the skin. Glad to know she was right!

I've been using this as my nighttime toner for almost two months now (using it alternately with the COSRx Galactomyces Alcohol-free Toner) and I've never had issues with it. No breakouts whatsoever. It doesn't sting nor does it leave the skin feeling tight and dry. It does its job of hydrating the skin and it even helps minimize the appearance of pores on my nose - not that they're very prominent. As for the scent, this toner has a light, floral fruity fragrance which reminds me of Baby Tous, one of my favorite colognes of all time.

A toner for every skincare need. :)

Since both toners work nicely on my skin, I reckon I'll be buying more of these in the future. Hopefully, they'll go on sale again on my next Korea trip so I can buy more for less. If not, well, I can easily purchase them at Althea, where they're sold at a very reasonable price. :)

Seoul Searching | Seoul Rose Festival.

South Korea is beautiful any time of the year, but it's most beautiful in the spring when the weather is pleasant, the temperature is neither too cold nor too warm, and varieties of gorgeous flowers are in bloom. During this time, an abundance of festivals take place throughout the nation - some celebrating culture and the arts, others celebrating unique and local delicacies, not to mention those celebrating the flowers in bloom.

One of the more popular spring festivals in Korea is the Seoul Rose Festival usually held in May and takes place in the area of Jungnang-gu. This year, the festival commenced on May 19 and I made it a point to visit on its opening day. My friend Melissa - who came to Korea for a quick vacation - arrived in Seoul on the same day, and rushed over to Jungnang-gu as soon as she dropped her luggage off at the hostel that she was staying. It's not everyday that we get to experience events like this and just like me, she wouldn't miss this for the world! :)

Mel and I at the 2017 Seoul Rose Festival! :)

The Seoul Rose Festival is an annual event which showcases over a million roses of more than 40 varieties. The festival usually runs for three days (from Friday to Sunday), with a variety of programs based on each day's themes.

Roses in full bloom!

The first day of the festival was 'Rose Day', with the festivities kicking-off with a rose-themed parade complete with a military band. Merchants from Bulgaria also participated in the parade; they're dubbed as pros in the rose industry as they hail from Kazanlak, where the world-famous Rose Valley is located.

Participants of the Rose Parade.

Also held on that day was a Rose Singing Contest, which we happened to catch a glimpse of when we went near the stage. I'm not sure what prizes were up for grabs, but the contestants can only sing songs related to flowers. Mel and I were more amused at the crowd comprised mostly of middle-aged women, singing and dancing to the music. Ahjummas know how to have fun!

The Rose Stage, where performances were held.

A huge basket of roses.

Rose Garden.

All you need is love.

Sun, sky, and roses.

Mel and I enjoyed the sight and the scent of these colorful roses, stopping every once in awhile to take photos of varieties that we have not seen before.

A rare breed. :)

Gold rose.

Pink sweetheart roses.

Yue, on the other hand, had a blast at the experience zones - the playground, in particular - and the photo zones, which were scattered all over the place.

My Little Prince. :)

Let's get physical!

Mini library! 

The festival also featured an array of food trucks selling street food and traditional Korean dishes, and merchandise booths where you can buy traditional Korean souvenirs and festival memorabilia such as flower crowns and rose halos.

Yukhoe - raw beef seasoned with spices.

This stall sells grilled squid and the like.

However, the highlight of this festival is the Rose Tunnel, which stretches 5.15 kilometers long. Walking through the tunnel proved to be a challenge for the three of us as it was super crowded that day. There were photo zones along the way, but we did not have the chance to take pictures because of the massive crowd.

One of the pretty fixtures that we saw at the festival.

The Rose Tunnel!

Mel and my little man. :)

But we had a blast nonetheless, and we're definitely doing this again next year!

Promotional poster, 2017 Seoul Rose Festival.

To get to the festival venue, take the following routes:

- Meokgol Station Exit 7
Walk straight for approx. 40m. Turn left and walk straight for approx. 400m to Jungnangcheon Stream.
- Junghwa Station Exit 4
Turn left and walk straight for approx. 400m to Jungnangcheon Stream and Junghwa Sugyeong Park.

Watch the Facebook live video of the Seoul Rose Festival here.

Seoul Rose Festival
332, Jungnangcheon-ro, Jungnang-gu, Seoul

Spotlight | Nature Republic Bulgarian Rose Moisture Toner.

Having heard good things about Nature Republic's Bulgarian Rose skincare line, I took the chance to purchase the Moisture Toner the last time I visited the Nature Republic store at Festival Supermall. The skincare line also includes an emulsion, an essence, and a moisture cream. However, I decided not to buy the entire line as I still have tons of creams and essences from various Korean brands, stocked at home.

Bulgarian Rose Moisture Toner.

The Nature Republic Bulgarian Rose Moisture Toner comes in a pink plastic bottle with a silver twist cap. I believe they come in one size only (155 mL) and sell for Php 255 per bottle. The packaging is very simple and straight-forward, yet comes off as elegant and feminine.

The silver cap gives a vintage vibe to it.

Sealed. :)

The clear-colored toner contains rose water, which is popular for its wide range of benefits to the skin. This includes moisturizing, soothing, and rejuvenating the skin.

Hangul text at the back of the bottle.

Filled with anti-oxidants and various vitamins, rose water also nourishes the skin and can help prevent signs of aging. 

Lovely rose prints on the side.

Unlike most toners that have a watery consistency, this particular toner has a slightly thicker, gel-like consistency - definitely a plus if you have dry skin. The best part? This product smells divine!

Comes in one size only - 155 mL.

What I love:

- The scent - beautiful, feminine, and light.

- Simple yet elegant packaging.

- Does a good job of moisturizing the skin.

- Soothes and softens the skin.

- No break-outs, safe for sensitive skin.

- Affordable price.

What you might not like:

- None that I can think of (except for the fact that practically everything in the bottle is written in Hangul).

Now here's a bit of trivia about rose water. 

Rose hydrosol (aka rose water) is derived from an intricate process. Small batches of rose buds are steamed in copper distilleries and ultimately release a volatile therapeutic compound into the water. The essential oil is drawn off, and rose water - containing micro molecules of essential oil and constituents from the flower - is captured drop by drop.
Amazing, isn't it? :)

Have you tried this product, or any other skincare products with rose water? How was your experience?