I tried out an entire skincare routine from new luxury and CLEAN K-beauty brand When You Love Your Skin (WYLYS), and I’m here to dish! WYLYS was founded by sisters Sue Greene and Herra Namhie who have operated Korean beauty e-tailer OHLOLLY for almost a decade. These beauty veterans have seen it aaaall when it comes to K-beauty in all its forms. So they decided to combine K-beauty know-how and French manufacturing to offer natural skincare products that are advanced enough for mature skin and clean enough for ingredient purists. A total win-win in my book!

A bit about WYLYS in a nutshell:

• Vegan and cruelty free
• Small batch and artisan made
• 100% synthetic fragrance free (only essential oils are used)
• Uses organic ingredients

Keep reading for my WYLYS review, plus an exclusive interview with the founders for a more intimate look behind the scenes!

I Tried Double Rose Luminizer

I first got to try WYLYS’ Double Rose Luminizer from green beauty discovery box Boxwalla and I was immediately taken by it. This product stands out as a supremely elegant face oil that feels more hydrating than other oil serums. For reference, It feels as light as squalane oil even though it doesn’t contain any squalane.

Rose is the star in the formula, which contains organic rose flower oil, organic rosehip oil and cold-pressed essential oils of lavender and geranium. It has a lovely calming floral rose scent that is soo sophisticated and delicate. It’s not overpowering or overly floral.

I find that the Double Rose Luminizer face oil is perfect for those who don’t like heavy oils sitting on their skin. All I need is a few drops for super soft and moisturized skin. It sinks in quickly and feels weightless! I also love the gorgeous glass bottle and minimalistic design. It really delivers a luxurious skincare experience visually and texturally.

At $188 this oil serum is priced on the luxury end, like the rest of the line, and is definitely a splurge. I’ve tried plenty of clean and low-tox Korean skincare brands and very few of them offer natural face oils, let alone one as luxe as this, so Double Rose Luminizer is a welcome addition to the scene.

I Tried Liquid V-Lift

Liquid V-Lift is the product I was most impressed by out of the entire WYLYS line. I feel like this is their MOST advanced anti-aging product and the ingredients truly are so cutting-edge! The texture is water-like and the consistency is like liquid, so it feels super hydrating and weightless on my skin. The actives are what I find most impressive though. The blend of collagen, peptides, elastin, omega-3 fatty acid rich actives help to plump, strengthen, smooth and tighten skin. It goes faaaar beyond a simple hyaluronic acid or hydrating serum. Liquid V-Lift contains:

• Vegan Collagen: to replenish protein within the skin responsible for elasticity, firmness, and increased blood flow
• Vegan Elastin: to improve skin cell connectivity and fullness for a firmer, bouncy complexion
• Multiple Peptides RH-Polypeptide-11 (FGF AND FGF-1), Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (Argireline): to stimulate the skin’s production of collagen by supplying necessary amino acids for growth
• AFA-GS Alga Complex: to provide skin-plumping omega-3 fatty acids, hydration, and help prevent acne formation and collagen breakdown. Extracted through a proprietary method to preserve potency
• Baobab Extract: to hydrate and strengthen weak or thin skin barrier with vitamins B, C, and Omega 3s
• Licorice Root Extract: to soothe the skin and help eliminate redness while balancing oil production and fading dark spots

I Tried Nightinol Cream

This elegant face cream boasts 3 types of Vitamin A to renew skin overnight plus boost collagen production and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It’s sooo creamy without feeling heavy or rich. So the complex of triple Vitamin A includes a plant-derived version, retinal and encapsulated retinol. It’s also got a skin plumping powerhouse of AFA-GS Alga Complex that’s extracted through a proprietary method for maximum potency and purity along with Wheat Ceramide and Wheat Proteins, all working to fight collagen breakdown and product more! I find that this sinks in well and works for a long period of time compared to lighter moisturizers. I wake up to softer and smoother skin when I use this.

INTERVIEW WITH WYLY FOUNDERS SUE & HERRA

As founders of the K-beauty retailer OHLOLLY you have oodles of experience selling other brands’ products. What has starting your own K-beauty brand been like? Have any of your brand partners been able to help you along your journey? Any unique challenges faced?

Sue: Starting OHLOLLY in 2016 has been one of the best decisions that Herra and I’ve made together. As K-beauty enthusiasts who adore researching and sharing the best skincare products, it was only natural that we opened our own shop and made our passion our work. Ohlolly is thriving and we are grateful for the beautiful skincare community that surrounds us on the daily. Our quest for the best skincare products continued, and WYLYS was born in pursuit of the ultimate combination of potent active ingredients that could transform even sensitive skin in the way of graceful aging. Here’s the best part; while chasing the most potent ingredients and formulas, we came to merge the two best skincare worlds, France and Korea, together into a brand!

Ohlolly is and has always been a shop where you will find emerging or brand new indie K-beauty brands while picking up your everyday favorites, too. Curating independent brands means we get to meet and get to know the founders of the brands. We love this part of our work. It’s as if there’s a secret language that every founder knows, and we speak this language. We learn from them a ton, and we think that we’re being of help to them as well.

Unique challenges. Running an online shop has many moving parts and everything is constantly evolving as digital technology advances. In other words, the fun never stops 😉

I’m blown away by how luxurious these products are. Why did you decide to launch luxury products versus the budget-friendly price point that K-beauty is known for?

Herra: Over the 8+ years of running Ohlolly we have tried countless skincare products, and what Sue and I wanted was not another beauty brand with a new name but a skincare range that truly made a difference. A real transformation in the way our skin looked and felt. We did not set out to create a luxury brand but we were led here as we began developing, researching, and following the top grade ingredients and the laboratories that garnered multi-generational cosmetics expertise. 

Which product has been the most difficult to formulate so far?

Sue: Our new launch Cleansing Balm has been the most challenging. We wanted a unique scent made with all natural ingredients only. After about a year of developing, the texture, color, and performance all came together exactly the way we wanted. All this was only half the battle, though, as we faced yet another huge challenge with the packaging and transporting to the U.S. We are so excited that it’s finally here!

Can you tell us more about some of your favorite ingredients or technologies used in the line?

Herra: So many to list but if I had to choose just two… The triple retinol complex in our Nightinol Cream, which is a powerful combination of a plant-derived vitamin A, retinal, and encapsulated retinol. Combined with the AFA-GS Alga complex which uses our proprietary method to produce, the Nightinol Cream delivers on its promises. Also, unlike many other retinol products in the market, our 2% triple retinol complex is non-irritating and wonderfully nourishing for even the most sensitive and driest of skin types. Retinol scares a lot of people because of its many negative side effects, choosing the right product is key and the Nightinol is time-tested and the results speak for themselves.

Sue: I agree with Herra, for my normally ultra sensitive skin the Nightinol has marked difference which is exactly what we want for our customers. Another top ingredient for me is the peptide in the beloved Liquid V-Lift. Peptide is the name of the game when it comes to skin regeneration. The Liquid V-Lift uses FGF, FGF-1, and Argireline; these cell signaling, skin regenerating, and wound healing ingredients work together to lift, firm and protect the skin barrier. It is glorious especially for sagging, thinning, or dull, sensitive skin.

Is there something you wish customers to know that they wouldn’t be told from checking out the site?

Herra: We try our best to tell the whole story on wylys.com but if anyone is curious about anything we’re just an email away at [email protected]  

Lastly, is there anything you can tell us about what you have on the horizon for WYLYS?

Sue: We do! We have a handful of dreamy potions in the works right now. Here’s a teaser. Our best seller, Double Rose Luminizer, is known for its ability to give you the mega glow without any heavy oily feel, but its scent is what everyone comments on. Not too rosy nor floral, its scent is quite unexpected and complex, subtle but truly memorable. So we are working to bring you a body product with this special scent and all the benefits of this oil serum.