This product was sent to me for review purposes. Please note that affiliate links are used.
When it comes to Korean skincare, one of their most unique additions is a facial essence – in fact, this product originated from Korea. It is a hybrid of a toner and serum, formulated with a concentration of active ingredients to hydrate and rebalance, as well as boost the efficacy of other products.
There are a lot of great essences with varying speciality skin concerns on the market but the one that I’ve been trying out lately is a new addition to the By Wishtrend line. This is the Quad Active Boosting Essence, which has primarily anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
I was actually quite surprised to receive this because, as we all know, the world is in a bit of a state at the moment and – understandably – a lot of product launches and PR send outs have been postponed. I actually didn’t expect to be reviewing much in the next few months but this really came at a convenient time.
Since I’m spending so much time at home now, I barely wear make up (whereas I used to wear a full face every day) and am instead taking time to develop a morning and evening skincare routine. I used the product twice a day for approximately two weeks and definitely saw some good results!
This is currently selling for USD$23 on the Wishtrend website.
As a special promotion, I have also been given a code (STELLA15) for 15% off – valid until April 30.
And now, let’s just dive right into this review!
Product Description
The Quad Active Boosting Essence was recently released by Wishtrend as part of their own line – By Wishtrend. They are an independent brand that “reflects development based on directly listening to the skincare concerns from customers on Wishtrend.” According to the product description, the essence is formulated as a serum booster using ‘quad’ active ingredients:
- 3 Complex Ingredients (Morus Alba Bark Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract, and Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract)
- Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract
- Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water
- Propolis
These generally have have anti-inflammatory, anti-pollution, and anti-bacterial effects. They are also further supported by Black Tea and Honey for moisturising benefits.
The Quad Active Boosting Essence is recommended for all skin types, but is also especially suitable for acne-prone skin and those looking for lighter textures (making it perfect for me, really).
Packaging
The packaging for the Quad Active Boosting Essence is exactly as I expected it – simple and modern. It is very similar to the other By Wishtrend products but uses orange as its main colour.
The unit carton is made from a gloss finish cardboard with an orange metal-like finish. The print (logo and text) uses a silver foil which I usually like but feels too much in this instance. I think that the actual design is quite nice – but would have looked more luxurious with a flat orange background.
However, I like how the actual bottle looks – it has a nice, modern luxury aesthetic. When you open it up, you will find a 100mL tinted orange glass bottle, with a gold metallic cap. It has a stout shape that stands nicely on your vanity too. The only downside would be that the glass is pretty heavy so I would not recommend this for travel.
It is similar to a lot of other essences that I’ve used in that it doesn’t really have an applicator – just a small cap so that you don’t pour out too much product. I don’t mind this since it works with the recommended application method but I know from experience that these bottles are a pain to decant haha!
Personal Experiences
The Quad Active Boosting Essence has a super lightweight, watery texture which s quick absorbing and doesn’t leave any stickiness – as expected from an essence product, this is a great formula if you want to layer up your skincare. There’s no noticeable scent either and no irritants in the ingredients list, which also makes it great for people with sensitive skin.
Application wise, the recommended application method is to use your hands to press into skin, as cotton pads tend to soak up too much of the product (and the swiping motion isn’t needed).
It gives an instant boost of hydration, in turning smoothing out any uneven skin tone. In comparison to some other products, this has a more gentle and subtle soothing (anti-inflammatory) effect on irritation – it is still effective, but is more visible over time rather than giving immediate effect.
This essence is especially suited for morning skincare, though works for both night and day. It is both fast absorbing and super hydrating, so gave my complexion a great dewiness – I think that this would work great underneath make up but I haven’t personally tested that out yet.
I also feel that this product helped my skin heal faster – perhaps also through its anti-bacterial benefits. I had a break out on my chin (which I made the mistake of picking) and it had been trying to heal itself for over a month now. However, within a week of using this product twice a day, that area healed up completely. It’s definitely become one that I love reaching for all of the time.
This essence also boasts anti-pollution benefits but I feel like that is something that I will need to test long term. Since we are going through a lot of change at the moment, this was a hard one for me to observe and comment on.
Overall, I do really enjoy this essence – although a great essence also needs to works in conjunction with a solid skincare routine! I am using this with some of my other favourite products (COSRX Calming Liquid Mild, COSRX Blemish Spot Clearing Serum, Dr Ceuracle Hyal Reyouth Ampoule, Biossance Eye Cream and Ole Henriksen Gel Cream).
The website says that the Quad Active Boosting Essence is suited for all skin types but I would personally recommend this for dry to combination skin – people who struggle with oily skin might find this a bit too nourishing, though it works great for me! I also think that this would be great for people with acne prone skin as, from my experience, this visibly aided the healing process (though doesn’t prevent further break outs).
With all of that said, here’s the verdict!
SO WHAT IS IT?
A lightweight essence with anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-pollution benefits
THE GOOD
- Gorgeous bottle design
- Decent price point
- Clean ingredients list with no irritants nor noticeable scent
- Lightweight texture that can be layered
- Immediately smoothes uneven skin texture
- Helps with the skin healing process
- Gives skin a glowing dewiness
THE BAD
- Bottle us not suitable for travel – heavy and difficult to decant
- Subtle soothing effects – visible over time
- Might be too nourishing for oily skin
RATINGS
- PRICE POINT | 3/5
- PACKAGING | 3/5
- ABSORPTION | 4/5
- HYDRATION | 5/5
- ANTI-INFLAMMATORY (SOOTHING) | 3/5
- ANTI-BACTERIAL (HEALING) | 4/5
OVERALL RATING? 7.3/10
WOULD I RECOMMEND?
I enjoyed this essence and will absolutely be continuing to use it in my routine. Since it is a clean formula too, I would recommend this for a wide range of skin types though personally think it is best for dry to combination skin and those with acne concerns. The price point is pretty good too, so I definitely think it’s worth checking out!
WHERE TO GET IT FROM
The Quad Active Boosting Essence is available from the Wishtrend website for USD$23 – you can also get free standard shipping for all orders over AUD$60 too!
Remember that you can also use my code STELLA15 for 15% off (valid until April 30).
