A little while back, I became really quite obsessed with the Banila Co. Miss Flower & Mr Honey Essence Oil. I actually recently stumbled upon a hoarded one in my stash (yas!) and quickly and thoroughly used it up in record time (d’oh). So I made the controversial decision to move onto the Banila Co. Miss Flower & Mr. Honey Essence Stick — and see if it could live up to its much-loved sibling.
My friend Drew kindly bought this for me back when we were living in Malaysia, and he was visiting Korea. I think this was before I’d been back, and I was obviously sorely missing my second home. Well, let me tell you hunty, there’s nothing a little K-beauty can’t fix! At this point, Korean cosmetics are weirdly nostalgic for me, and sort of transport me back to a time and place that doesn’t exist anymore (as in, the Korea I was in 2013–2015 is different to the one now, and my experience of it, etc.). Which is also why I think my nice little addiction will live on indefinitely!
So, I obviously got very into the oil, and also tried out the Banila Co. Miss Flower & Mr Honey Cream, which I previously spoke about on here as well. Spoiler alert: it’s got the most massive tub I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen a lot).
But the stick was something I was definitely more hesitant to try. It seemed a little odd — a stick for skincare? And not for the cleansing stage, like the genius su:m 37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick, but… a moisturiser? But with my oil run out, and my skin in dire need of some sort of hydration — ANY — I turned my sights on the lonely essence stick in the corner.
I will say, this product is a beauty. It feels expensive, y’all. That said, Banila Co. was never a discount, high street brand. While Nature Republic (bless), Etude House, Innisfree et. al were always readily available in most areas, Banila Co. was much more rare. They didn’t run as many sales, had higher price points, and were just that bit more exclusive. And it worked for them.
So yes, the stick is good. It’s a simple twist-up mechanism encased in a gold tube — perfect for travelling. Not that that’s relevant for me right now! But yknow, it’s still a great space saver.
Onto the formula. This is quite a waxy formula — as you’d expect from something in stick form. It’s quite similar to the cream, really, which wasn’t a cream but more a… balm? Whereas the oil essence felt really lightweight, this is quite thin but definitely a waxier texture. As in, it applies in sheer strokes, so not much product comes off, but the product that does is waxy.
This means that it doesn’t really spread onto the face that easily. I mean, I’ve been a bit lazy in my nighttime routine recently, so I try and make it work, but… it’s not really s’posed to do that.
Because of this, I’m not finding it to be the most moisturising, nourishing product ever. It’s strange, because the consistency is obviously thick, but it probably wouldn’t be too great for dry skin either. Quite the conundrum! I would say it’s best for applying at night, probably in a thicker layer than I’m doing now — although that may leave you feeling a tad greasy, sheeny, and like one of those sticky honey joys you used to buy at your primary school’s fete (oh, how I love those!).
See if you can peep the texture here (the sun hit it and it blended in):
One thing I will say I love about this is the scent. Oh mama! If you’re a sweet tooth like me and you like your honey sweet (if you know what I mean — which is exactly what it sounds like… because I’m talking about honey), you’ll love this. It literally smells like honey. Like a hive of bees descended on the Banila Co. factory fantasyland and inserted themselves into this essence stick. Just like that!
I will also say that it’s quite a luxe product to have in your stash. In that, it doesn’t necessarily serve a specific purpose… but it’s just more of a princess product. So if you ever felt the need to have a smarmy-looking gold bar in your beauty drawer that smells like honey and is imported from Korea… then this one’s your guy.
You may noticed by this point that our cat, Ella, is heavily starring in these “product pics”. I happened to be taking them right near here, and the camera clicking proved too alluring to resist. Cue her approaching the camera, then proceeding to twirl and trill right in shot. What a G.
Anyway, back to the product. As I said, anything Korean makes me pretty nostalgic, and this line also reminds me of when we first got to Malaysia. So there’s a lot of layers (get it?! skincare routine reference there). It’s also expensive-feeling, novel, and a bit of fun to have in your stash.
In terms of efficacy… the jury’s still out on that one. I try and smear it over my face, but then I do apply a heavy layer of lotion afterwards. It glides on easy and is simple to use, but it feels more like a barrier on the skin, as opposed to a deeply moisturising anti-ageing elixir (which is usually what I go for).
My overall vibe? I’m not sure how much this is really pulling its weight when it comes to my skin’s texture and glowiness… but it sure is fun! And it smells so goood.
Have you tried anything by Banila Co.? Anything in the Miss Flower & Mr. Honey line? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Steph x