Introducing your new favorite daytime moisturizer: the Son and Park Beauty Filter Cream Glow!
*Please note that we added a reflector to the after photos to accurately capture the glow visible in person yet not visible on camera. To watch a video of swatches, please click here.
One of my biggest skin care learnings from last year has been that my habits have a direct impact on my skin. Even if I stick to my multi-step routine religiously, if I get little sleep or forget to properly hydrate, I’ll wake up with dull, irritated skin that flakes with the slightest touch of concealer.
On days my skin isn’t cooperating, I’m all for something that helps me fake that subtle, healthy glow Korean celebrities have. So when I found out that Son & Park is coming out with a special moisturizer that does just that, I was curious to see if it would live up to its promise.
The ingredients
A key ingredient in this moisturizer is vitamin C, which is one of the most effective ways to brighten skin. Even if you’re not dealing with intense hyperpigmentation or acne scars, using a brightening agent like vitamin C on a daily basis can give you an even and smoother complexion.
There’s also an impressive mix of eight different white flower extracts: freesia, lilium candidum, edelweiss, iris, lotus, daffodil, and white rose. These create an herbal scent and a subtle tone up effect to instantly make your skin look brighter.
For those concerned with acne, there’s also a hint of tea tree oil to help keep those breakouts under control. Lastly, there’s also vitamin E, another antioxidant besides vitamin C, to deeply hydrate the skin.
How it feels
In terms of consistency, this is far from being a typical moisturizer. It’s thicker than what I’m used to—think somewhere between yogurt and marshmallow fluff. It’s very satisfying to scoop it up because it’s so thick and creamy without being heavy and oily.
It’s pearly white with tiny sparkles, which you can see only if you look very closely.
Though you might think that this will weigh down on your skin, once you apply it, the consistency lightens a bit and becomes more like a typical moisturizer. Because it has tone up benefits, I like to dot it first and lightly tap it in instead of rubbing it around. I also work in light layers, instead of putting a large dollop on my skin.
The results
One note about my skin type: I have combination skin that’s not particularly acne-prone aside from hormonal breakouts. My main concern is redness around my nose and cheeks, and my forehead and chin tend to be dull compared to other parts of my face.
This is how my skin looks with Filter Cream:
As you can see, it has no coverage. But there is a noticeable brightening effect, and not in a way that my face looks ghastly white compared to my neck. In person, you can see that it leaves me with an iridescent glow and makes me look more awake.
How it looks with makeup
Strictly speaking, this isn’t a primer. Consider it a moisturizer that preps your skin for makeup, similar to how Beauty Water from the same brand preps your skin for makeup by toning and exfoliating your skin.
Given that I would likely be using this moisturizer during the daytime, I wanted to put it to the test and see how it changes my skin underneath the same BB cream I always wear.
Here’s how my skin normally looks with the BB cream, compared to with one light layer of Filter Cream underneath:
The BB cream I like to wear is the Erborian BB Creme Au Ginseng in Dore, which has a matte velvety finish. I skipped powder in both pictures. As you can see, adding the Filter Cream brightens and adds a natural glow to my face. It’s Photoshop in a jar, no highlighter needed.
Who is it for?
My favorite part about this moisturizer is that it works on all skin types. Of course, if your skin tends to be dry, consider layering another moisturizer or serum underneath, just to add a bit more hydration. If your skin is oily, you won’t need another moisturizer for the daytime.
Here’s how it looks on Renee, our digital content editor, who has a dry skin type and normally wears the Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion in No. 21:
And here’s how it looks on Sabrina, the supply chain operations manager, who has an oily skin type and normally wears the Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in Golden Beige:
Finally, here’s how it looks on Mickey, our customer experience manager. She has a normal to dry skin type and wears the Erborian CC Creme in Regular:
A couple tips to maximize the benefits:
From testing the Filter Cream every day for a whole week, I picked up a couple tricks that help me get the most out of this moisturizer.
The first trick is to add another layer on areas where I would normally highlight, like my C-zone, nose bridge, and the inner corners of my eyes, after I put on BB cream or foundation. Afterwards, I skip the powder just on those areas. This makes my skin even more glowing without turning me into a cyborg.
Another hack is to mix it in with my BB cream. This allows me to apply both products at once, saving precious time in the morning, and it leaves me with a more natural finish. This is the perfect weekend daytime look, when I want to look fresh and glowing without being too made up.
Bottom Line:
The Son & Park Filter Cream Glow is a versatile moisturizer that helps you fake an all-around glow, as if you’ve been sheet masking every day for the past two weeks. It makes your face brighter and more awake. Given that it has no coverage, you can’t expect your skin to be flawless with just this product. But if you want your skin to look healthy and youthful in an instant, layering this moisturizer underneath your makeup will do the trick.