First Impressions: Hera Signia Core Lifting Serum

Odile very kindly recommended the Hera Signia Core Lifting Serum to me on the sub when I was looking for a serum that wasn't made by LG.

Whilst I'm not quite boycotting LG, I am trying to reduce my usage and AB Muse's boycott does now include AmorePacific, Hera's parent brand.

AB Muse is moving more towards Japanese higher end brands, which I'm trying out to where possible as well but they're not only challenging to get in sample form, the full sizes aren't that easy either.

Although I did get some Sekkisei Ultimate Emulsion in my last TK/SJ order, this particular one is super pricey and a pain to order to the UK. Like one site seems to carry it and Amazon.jp doesn't ship it to the UK.

But Yesstyle does have what might be the Sekkisei cream, it's not called Medicated (which is what I ordered from TK/SJ) but it might be the same. That at least is an easy ordering option.

Whelp that's for future me to decide on.

For Hera samples, given my sachet order got cancelled, I had another go at buying it, as there was a minis set with 10ml of serum plus five other products from the range. So of course I'll be trying all of those.

On the downside, the serum set has gone up 50% in price recently. This therefore requires some serious trialling to be fully sure I can justify it. Although I am now wondering if I'd looked at the Water and Emulsion set, rather than the serum set 🤷🏻‍♀️

Review of the Hera Signia Core Lifting Serum

Cost: StyleJolly, 10ml in a set of six products, total price $19 ish.

Full size: $150 SJ, or $179 in a set from Koreadepart.

Packaging

The mini is in a nice airless pump that works really well. I use one pump. I'm pleased to have an airless pump in a mini!

The branding is kind of modern luxe, minimalist cream and gold.

I don't know about trends and design history in Korea but from my perspective, the range looks a bit Art Deco.

Texture

It has so much slip, it's pretty easy to apply it sparingly.

That is a bonus given the price!

However, if I can get away with applying a little of a product, I always wonder if I'm actually under applying and therefore the benefits will be limited?

The texture of this serum might be close to perfect.

Although I prefer something with that siliconey structure and finish - a kind of primer finish - I can still appreciate a product that has a well-balanced texture.

The Hera applies incredibly smoothly, there's almost an oil-like smoothness to it.

Unlike oil, it fully dries and doesn't just swim around on my skin.

That silky application but very quick dry time is particularly good because I've got time to spread it properly before it dries but then I'm ready to move onto my next product (see the note below about the Signia Core Lifting Cream).

Compared to Sooryehan's The Black Serum, it does feel more luxe and better formulated.

There's always something nice about how the Sooryehan applies (spreads well, dries nicely) but in comparison, the Hera dries much more quickly and feels weightless, like a second skin.

I would be concerned that it therefore doesn't actually moisturise my skin but that isn't the case.

Ingredients

There's some common classics in this formula: squalane, shea butter, niacinamide.

Then you've got the lovely silicones, ideal for me but I don't think this is a siliconey product, I don't think it has that undesirable tackiness and it doesn't do what Sooryehan's The Black Essence Moisturiser does, which sticks my next products down in a tacky way. Granted, I do like that but I can definitely see why AB Muse wouldn't.

There's plenty of other moisturising, hydrating and things that do both and/or provide barrier repair functions.

The peptides are where its at the for the anti-aging, although some of the other ingredients might have supporting roles - Narcissus is called out on their site, although the wording looks like it's more about brightening than wrinkles. However, dull and pigmented skin is an issue with aging too.

Fragrance 

Complexity: 3.5/5

Perfumey: mid

Strength: low-mid

Floral: bottom end of mid

Spice: nil-low

Herbal: low

Earthiness: nil-low

Citrus: faint

Fruit: faint

Fresh: mid

Impression: fresh floral with herbal notes that balance it out in a lovely manner. I needed an extra fragrance category for this because the key thing about it is its freshness. It is a bit floral but there's nothing cloying or powdery, no white flowers about it to me. 

It's quite a subtle complexity but it's there. 

The fragrance isn't super noticeable after you apply it, although adding the emulsion and cream from the line (same fragrance exactly imo) amplifies it and so I catch the odd scent when I move my head around. 

Because I enjoy the fragrance, I like that I can smell it a little after application.

Experience

This might win the award for quickest drying serum!

By the time I've gone all round my face applying it, it's almost dry. I think I probably wait about 10 seconds and it's fully dry.

In comparison, the Signia Cream almost dries too quickly. I can't quite believe I'm complaining about a product that dries too quickly but it's almost immediate, I have to ensure I've spread it properly to start with as you can't go back to where you've applied it and then blend it in. It's already stuck!

I need to try the cream with different products but with the serum and an emulsion, we're talking immediate adherence.

On the one hand, this is something I want and I'm keen to try it in summer as it might solve my moisturiser sweat milk issues.

Whilst I have some alternatives in mind for the sweat problem, I am reordering the serum set so I'll have more of the cream to use as well.

For AB Muse's reference, the serum doesn't feel siliconey, although it does dry super well, however, if all your other products (eg Hera Signia) are siliconey, there will be a siliconey feel that you won't like imo. Definitely don't use the cream!

Back to the serum: it performs really well and is definitely more moisturising than Sooryehan's The Black Serum. Of course, it's much pricier than The Black Serum or the Isa Knox Age Focus Wrinkle For All but the Sooryehan has been my go-to for ages so it's what I'll compare it to.

The Isa Knox is pretty moisturising and it dries quick, but I haven't noticed effects beyond these two features so it will be bumped for the Hera.

Unless, of course, when I run out, I see that there some obvious issues.

With the Hera, I did have some issues with dryness, not the fault of the serum itself but more to do with the other products I was using because I was trialling various things.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly what because I don't really keep track of what I'm using, I take the buffet approach: a little of this, a little of that.

Even for products I like, I still hop around, as I do like most products that I've tried! Some more than others, sure, but I like to also check things in different contexts.

However, generally, I either need two light creams or one emulsion and one cream AM. I think my mistake was to go light cream and emulsion.

The Hera also isn't as shiny as The Black Serum so that's a win for my avoidance of too many dewy products.

What's outstanding about the Hera, though, is all of the sensory benefits, that smooth non-shiny finish and its visible effects on my fine lines and nasolabial folds.

It's the full package!

I keep looking in the mirror because I can't stop checking the progress.

That super stubborn fine line on my right eye is softening and beginning to smooth out, which is significant progress as it's rare that anything affects that line (positively anyway!). My nasolabial folds are similarly softening.

It's interesting as I've been noticing that my nasolabial folds have been getting ever more prominent since I moved and have the horrible hard water.

It's not doing anything for skin texture but (I assume) that you cannot have it all in one serum.

There are, of course, other things I use that may be contributing to the effects but what I would say is that I'm not consistent with those.

Whenever a product is a joy to apply, dries really well and contributes to how moisturised my skin feels, I'm far more likely to be consistent with it.

For purely functional things, I get bored or I can't be bothered or I'm low on time and therefore doing a short routine. My point is that I'm not very consistent. Such products include: The Ordinary 5% Lactic acid (started February this year), a basic retinal (low strength, super irregular but I'm making an effort) or 5% PHA (also February this year. And as much I do like the Isa Knox retinol cream, I notice it doesn't dry as well as other creams, which puts me off using it!

So I'm pretty sure it's the Hera that's responsible for the improvements and, because I love it, I'm pretty consistent with it.

It also smells really nice, as I mentioned, and it makes me want to use at least the serum and the cream for max fragrance results.

I'm actually less of a fan of using a differently fragranced product in between in case it compromises the fragrance.

My Stratia products come in handy here as they're not fragranced. Thanks AB Muse for replenishing my Lipid Gold and sending me the Interface moisturiser.

Don't get me wrong, I still really love the fragrance of Sooryehan's The Black range but the effects just aren't there, even from the perspective of simply moisturising my skin.

I have to admit to myself that there's better products for me and I'm going to make the Clueless argument here: I loved my Sketchers because I didn't have a Prada backpack. 

I'm shopping my stash, trying to use other stuff up, so my routine is as inconsistent as ever but the core routine tends to include a selection from the products below. I've put links to reviews - not sure why I didn't think of doing this in previous posts! 

• Post-shower, pre-routine: 5% PHA Cream (AM)
• First steps PM: Watery toner with cotton pad (like Sooryehan The Black Single Essence), The Ordinary 5% Lactic Acid serum, K-Secret retinal (0.02% probably)
• Toner: Decorte Hydra Clarity Softener and/or Hera Skin Refining Water
• Serum: Sooryehan The Black Serum (PM), I'm From Honey Serum, Hera Signia Core Lifting Serum, Stratia Lipid Gold (PM)
• Emulsion: Hera Essential Balancing Emulsion, Sekkisei Miyabi Ultimate Emulsion, Stratia Interface Moisturiser
• Cream: Hera Signia Vital Lifting Cream or Sekkisei Medicated Cream, Missha Chogongjin Youngan Jin Cream (Missha + something for the eyes ideally, such as Sooryehan Chunsam Sanghwang Regenerating cream)
• Sunscreen: Whoo Fresh UV and CNP Sunquid

The core regular products for a quick routine right now are Decorte, I'm From (teeny amount), Sooryehan (PM), Hera serum, both Stratias, Hera cream.

This is my quick routine and if it needs to be really quick, I'll drop the Sooryehan and Stratia Lipid Gold. However, with the aid of my trust fan, I can get all those products on my skin and properly dried in about 10 minutes. I can manage extras like the First Steps with about an another 5 minutes.

Final Thoughts

This is an excellent serum, I am hooked.

The feel, fragrance and formulation are right up my alley. I may have repurchased on those factors alone but add in the effects and I'm 100% sold.

I will be repurchasing the minis for a while whilst I'm figuring out the rest of my routine and trying things I haven't tried yet from my stash.

Ignoring the Sulwhasoo, it's the priciest serum I've tried but, for me, it's pretty much every single thing I want in a serum.

I also have strong positive feelings about all the products in this line that I've tried and I'll be doing an extensive trial of those against other things in my stash.

I've felt like quite a few of Sooryehan's products were HG and, at the time, they were!

However, I have more experience with luxe products now and this Hera serum knocks the Sooryehan out the park.

I mean, one would kind of expect that given the significantly different price points, although more pricier doesn't always mean better.

However, in this case, the price is justified and I am happy ❤️