I came across the term ‘chok chok‘ whilst reading The Little Book of Skincare: Korean Beauty Secrets for Healthy, Glowing Skin by Charlotte Cho (Amazon, £11.31). While Western skincare tends to target specific concerns such as anti-ageing or acne and favours products that mattify the skin, Korean skincare believes in a more holistic approach to caring for the skin. Instead of seeing skincare as ‘quick fix’ or a preventative measure, Korean skincare is about taking enjoyment and pride in the process from a young age. Chok Chok is dewy, fresh and flawless skin that appears moist and glowing; it’s the ultimate Korean skincare goal.
Oh K! is a skincare brand that aims to bring South Korea’s rich history of beauty tradition to a global market. They are probably best known for their adorably packaged sheet masks which, as my Instagram followers will already be aware, I adore; especially the hydrogel ones. Their newest ‘chok chok’ collection contains 11 innovative products all designed to hydrate your skin whilst giving it a youthful glow. The range includes an illuminating serum, cleansing balm stick, holographic sheet mask and clay cleansing beads. When I randomly stumbled across the Oh K! Chok Chok Glowing Moisturiser (Beauty Bay, £15) I immediately got excited, as this was the first product I’d ever seen associated with the term. Charlotte Cho made the concept sound so wonderful that I couldn’t resist buying it, I’m ashamed to admit the pretty packaging played a hand in this too.
The moisturiser is sulphate-free, gluten-free, vegan-friendly and made in Korea. It contains, and I quote, “healing crystals, Rose Quartz, Ruby & Citrine”, which is information I’m not really sure what to make of so we’ll skip that and head to the good stuff. This face cream is unlike anything I’ve personally tried before. It’s a lightweight pearlescent moisturiser that adds a very subtle glow to the skin, not too dissimilar than when you remove a sheet mask and you massage the essence into the skin. It doesn’t look shiny or greasy, and it doesn’t feel it either. The cream contains hyaluronic acid, shea butter and rapeseed oil which leaves skin feeling soft and hydrated. I also find that it slightly blurs imperfections and creates a smooth base on which to apply makeup upon.
When I first read about the citrine, quartz and ruby extracts, saw the millennial pink packaging and opened the lid to smell a lovely floral, however, unnecessary fragrance, I was worried this moisturiser was going to be nothing more than a gimmick or Instagram trend. I couldn’t be more wrong. It’s fantastic. It leaves my skin feeling softer, looking plumper and actually delivers on that fresh-faced glow without leaving any stickiness. The effect is subtle yet effective and if you even want to leave the house without makeup but give your skin an instant pick-me-up than I highly recommend that you don’t sleep on this product.
* This post contains affiliate links.
19