First Impressions Review | Belif Hungarian Water Essence and The True Cream Aqua Bomb

I’ve been using deluxe-sized samples of these two products for almost a fortnight. Here are my thoughts on them.

Meant to boost hydration, Hungarian Water Essence is apparently inspired by the legendary Hungarian Water that helped Queen Elizabeth of Hungary to maintain her beauty. The thing is…it seems that Hungary Water is also known as the first alcohol-based perfume. Thankfully, the product is neither heavily-fragranced, nor does it contain alcohol. It does feel light and cool against the skin but it doesn’t behave in a volatile manner. Rather, it has a gel-like, non-sticky texture that feels almost like dense water, sinking in nicely to prep the face for moisture.

I follow up with The True Cream Aqua Bomb, a gel-crème that purportedly works for 26 hours. Its key ingredient is Lady’s mantle, a plant that has soothing and healing properties. The moisturiser is readily absorbed by my skin and doesn’t leave a sticky residue. It doesn’t dry matte; instead, it makes my face look dewy. I actually like it a lot as a prelude to foundation. It doesn’t feel as substantial as The Face Shop Chia Seed Moisture-Holding Seed Cream but isn’t as heavily-scented as the latter (there’s a gentle fragrance – possibly lavender – though nothing obtrusive).

After using both in tandem, my skin feels plumped up in the morning and the good thing is that it doesn’t get greasy along the course of the day. I won’t say they control sebum production but they do keep my face moisturised without letting it become an oil slick. My face also doesn’t dry up in an air-conditioned environment – tried and tested during the week of the horrible haze when I was room-bound with the air-conditioner switched on.

My conclusion: No bells and whistles (whitening/antioxidant/anti-ageing etc ingredients); people with other skincare concerns might need something more powerful but if you’re looking for comfortable hydration, this basic pair is something to consider. In addition, the two never broke me out at all, which is a plus.

A point to note: The moisturiser has denatured alcohol quite high on its ingredient list. Why, I’m not sure.

In Singapore, the serum is S$57 for 75 ml, while the moisturiser is S$54 for 50 ml.