From The Straits Times    |
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Image illustration: Sharmaine Khor

Beauty buddies, meet the “cult-iest”, most covetable cosmetic collectible yet.

This has been a special secret that I’ve been hoarding for a minute now, but I suppose all #GoodThingsMustShare. I’m referring to the mythical MRCS – that’d be online community-speak for the Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick – from too-cool-for-school skincare brand Su:m37, which may well be the only thing you need to cop the dewy complexion of top K-Stars like Han Hyo Joo.

Essentially a facial soap in stick form, this ever-elusive elixir is provocatively and perpetually sold out, it seems; at one point, Su:m37 even said it was taking the plug out of production due to overwhelming demand. 

Why the fuss? At “face” value, this is a decent enough product; a cursory scan of the ingredients label throws up a number of beautifying botanicals billed by the brand as being anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative. Impressive, sure, but nothing to go blue in the face over.

The devil’s in the details, however. The MRCS is pH-balanced, for one – an incredibly important component when it comes to cleansers because your skin’s surface is actually acidic in nature, hovering between the 5.4 to 5.9 on the pH scale. Indeed, your face fares best when it’s slightly “sour”, so to speak; experts even suggest that an acidic pH value can play a part in preventing pimples and enlarged pores.

There’s also the element of extravagance. This sumptuous soap is redolent of roses – fermented Damask rose petals, to be precise – and that signature scent really goes an extra mile towards making the cleansing chore something of a me-time treat.

Billion-dollar beauty question: Does it work?

Then there’s how this really, really works, at least for me. What I do is to smear this stick straight onto my damp face, then massage the suds into my skin. Caress the contours for 15 seconds or so, paying special heed to the cheek and jowl areas, where most of the sagging and bagging occurs, before splashing off with warm water.

Fun factor aside – it does feel as if you’re rubbing a colossal chapstick all over your face – this cleanser does an ace job of clarifying my complexion without that squeaky-clean sensation that we now know to be bad for you. (If your face feels as if it’s been stretched by a plastic surgeon, it’s probably too clean – not a good thing at all, because that means your cleanser is wicking away water and essential lipids.)

As for the results? I can also attest to this ultra-gentle cleanser’s claim of melting away makeup and revving up the skin’s renewal process; if your skin is anything like mine, you’ll enjoy an instant depuffing effect, alongside a reduction in ruddiness, pore size and such – essentially any and every cosmetic concern. (FWIW, a pal of mine swears by this poultice, and her face is “on fleek”, as the young’uns are wont to say these days.)

Thanks to a comforting coconut-derived emollient, this cleanser also imbued my mien with a subtle inner sheen that’s very intriguing indeed; I’ll go so far as to say that this soap is the secret to the beguilingly bare dewiness so coveted in today’s K-Obsessed world.

Eager to give this a go? Su:m37’s Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick is as yet unavailable on our sunny shores, more’s the pity, but you can snag it via international shipping on shopping portal Sokoglam. (And yes, this stuff is probably worth sussing out if I’m singing its praises when it’s not even on our shelves!)

Well, now you know. Share this story with your pals and check it out for yourself, pronto. Let me know if it worked as well for you as it did for me; you and your skin can thank me later!

Want more? Depuff and detoxify your way to a slimmer and “smaller” face with this step-by-step manual, and stave off the advances of Old Father Time by following these anti-ageing beauty best practices every self-respecting office lady should know. Get your daily dose of beauty atwww.herworldplus.com/beauty.