I spend more time than I’ve ever admitted reading skincare reviews on Reddit—I do the same when it comes to food recommendations in Brooklyn. There’s just something about honest opinions from people who will ultimately receive no personal gain from taking the time to review and help others…us beauty girls have to appreciate that. As someone who trusts K-beauty above all else, I found myself perusing Reddit for K-beauty recommendations for dry skin and stumbled upon a discovery: Dear Klairs Fundamental Ampoule Mist.
I had never tried or heard of the Korean beauty brand Dear Klairs, but when I saw a multiple mentions of their Fundamental Ampoule Mist in various skincare threads (including one about underrated products—I love an underdog) with and honest, unprovoked reviews of its hydrating abilities for all skin types, I was intrigued. But it wasn’t until I caught wind that it possessed enough benefits to fill multiple roles in my beauty routine that I was fully sold.
Keep scrolling for my full review of the Reddit-approved sleeper hit, Dear Klairs Fundamental Ampoule Mist.
My Skin:
I’m perpetually searching for and testing out products that will leave my dry skin feeling anything but stiff and tight when I wake up in the morning. While some products work temporarily, I’m really looking for a long lasting hydration that truly transforms my skin. If a product keeps my skin moisturized and hydrated overnight, I consider it a huge win—if there are even more benefits to it then that, it’s a no-brainer repurchase.
The Product:
Dear Klairs is a Korean beauty brand focused on creating products suitable for sensitive skin. Their products are minimal yet effective, as well as vegan, eco-friendly, and cruelty free. In K-beauty, an ampoule is essentially a hyper-concentrated serum formulated to address one major skin concern. More often than not, these products come in the form of vials and dropper bottles. In the case of the Dear Klairs Fundamental Ampoule Mist, the major skin concern targeted is dryness and it comes in the form of a spray bottle—this eliminates the need to put the product in your hands and rub it together before application making the process seamless and mess free. In terms of formulation, the product is jam-packed with ingredients to address hydration, antioxidant protection, and glow: 82% green tea leaf water, cucumber, rice, mugwort (a very popular ingredient in K-beauty and praised for its calming and repairing abilities), luffa, and kelp extracts, and trehalose.
Soko Glam
The Results:
While the instructions encourage two to three spritzes of product, I found myself spraying extra—that’s just how much I liked the way it felt on my skin. I used this as the very first step in my routine after washing my face, then patted the product in a little bit, but mostly let it air dry. I then proceeded with the rest of my routine: a hydrating serum, a heavy cream and a facial oil. I’m about to make a massive statement and I don’t say this lightly: this is one of the most hydrating products that my dry skin has ever met. Despite my already established routine doing a lot of heavy lifting hydration-wise, I still tend to wake up a little dry—and I’ve accepted this as my reality and chalked it up to how my skin is and always will be. Adding this ampoule to my routine fully changed my perspective, as dramatic as that might sound. After using the ampoule, I woke up feeling hydrated and with a remaining glow and softness.
I was doubly as sold on this product when I took the advice of one very wise Redditer that wrote: “The Dear Klairs Fundamental Ampoule Mist is really good at setting makeup—maybe a little too good. My makeup did not budge.” I, a dry-skinned girl desperate for makeup that stays on my face for 24 hours and maintains a glowy finish, obviously had to give this a go. Here comes another massive statement: this worked better than any product actually intended to function as a makeup setting spray. Through Reddit comments, deep dives into ingredients, and solo research, I’ve concluded that this is due to the rice extract in the formula, which creates a semi-permeable film on the skin. It forms a protective layer and barrier which, arguably, locks in makeup and prevents it from separating. Just in case you needed more convincing: a review on the Klairs Cosmetics website reads “This is my absolute favorite product to set makeup in the morning, especially on colder or drier days. It brings back all the hydration to my skin, and it keeps it there!” Enough said.
My makeup at 6 p.m.
My makeup at 12 a.m.
Worth It?
in short: yes! Regardless of your skin type, it’s a great starting point to prepare your skin for the rest of your skincare routine—and it leaves the skin with hydration and softness that lasts all day. I would recommend this product even if it wasn’t multi-functional, but the fact that it works shockingly well as a setting spray makes this a no-brainer purchase. For something that fills multiple roles in ones beauty routine, the $27 price-point feels like a steal.
TL;DR
I discovered the Dear Klairs Fundamental Ampoule Mistt through a Reddit deep-dive and was intrigued by its multi-functionality. It’s formulated with 82% green tea leaf water, cucumber, rice, mugwort, luffa, and kelp extracts, and trehalose, so it provides daylong hydration for all skin types without clogging pores. Several reviews noted that, because of the rice extract creating a film over the skin, it works insanely well as a setting spray—I, of course, had to test this theory out for myself and can confirm that it indeed does.
At a $27 price-point for an item that fills multiple roles in one routine, I encourage everyone to try this out for themselves.
