Hello everyone! Today i’ll be reviewing a little black bottle Q-Depot kindly sent over to me for reviewing. But first, allow me to apologize as this post has been long overdue, like 3 weeks overdue! I know, it’s really unprofessional of me but some things cropped up very last minute and i had to take care of those first so i feel really apologetic to Q-Depot and the very patient and sweet brand representative Ivy.

Alright, with that out of the way, let’s get into the review proper but not before i share a little more about the brand NoTS and Q-Depot. Read on to find out!

Here is some info about the brand NoTS:

Now, let’s look at what Q-Depot stands for and is all about:

The inspiration that led to the creation of Q-Depot is very similar to what happened to me and perhaps even some of you readers here too. Furthermore, they also source for cruelty-free brands and giveback to the society which i feel is a really positive action too.

Now, let’s look at the original product info of the Robust Men Black Essence in Korean:

And a little bit more but in English this time:

Not bad eh? I think the ingredients make-up of this Black Essence is pretty neat especially with all the interesting botanical extracts that are added in.

According to the brand, NOTS Robust Men Black Essence is/has:

• Whitening, moisturizing, calms and soothe troubled skin
• Restorative-type essence with vitamins and minerals added
• Contains botanical complexes clinically proven to improve skin firmness and prevent damage to the skin
• Specifically designed to suit men’s skin needs
• Low irritation formula
• MFDS (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) approved for whitening and anti-wrinkle functions

And here are some additional info i can find for some of the more interesting and uncommon ingredients in the recipe:

• Bambusa Arundinacea Stem: Commonly known as Bamboo Stem; rich in minerals and proteins and is able to restore elasticity and suppleness to the skin

• Onion Bulb: Anti-inflammatory and able to stimulate collagen production

• Boswellia Serrata Resin: Commonly known as the Frankincense; excellent anti-inflammatory, reduce acne growth and prevent the formation of wrinkles and lines

• Chrysanthemum Zawadskii: Commonly known as the Korean Chrysanthemum; anti-inflammatory and able to restore and strengthen skin barrier

• Hizikia Fusiforme: Commonly known as Hijiki, a brown sea vegetable; rich in essential minerals and is anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial

• Juniperus Chinensis Xylem: Commonly known as Juniper; antioxidant and promotes collagen production to improve the firmness of the skin

• Magnolia Kobus Bark: Commonly known as Kobushi Magnolia; great anti-inflammatory and prevents the signs of ageing

• Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5: Man-made chains of amino acids; able to penetrate deep into the epidermis to stimulate collagen product and tissue growth

• Pimpinella Brachycarpa: Commonly known Chamnamul; rich in Vitamin C and Beta-carotene, helps in cell regeneration, and is rich in antioxidant, anti-wrinkle, anti-blemish and calming

• Thyme: Antiseptic and antioxidant

• Taurine: A known antifibrotic and antioxidant agent, able to help skin retain moisture and protect against free radicals

And here is my experience with the lightweight yet potent boosting essence:

Roaring view for [NoTS Robust Men Black Essence]:

Product’s packaging	:	Tall, black glass bottle with a reflective cap
Product’s texture	:	Watery gel that spreads easily
Product’s scent	:	A little medicinal but nothing off putting
Price point	:	Products were kindly sponsored by the kind folks at Q-Depot; however, recommended retail price for the Black Essence on their website is USD$38
		To view the product, you may click on the link to the product’s page here on Q-Depot
Try-out period	:	7 weeks, twice daily
Personal take	:	When Ivy from Q-Depot emailed me and offered me a product to try from NoTS Men’s line, I knew right away I had to try the Robust Men Black Essence after reading its ingredients recipe. The few ingredients that jump out at me were the extracts of Onion Bulb, Juniper, Frankincense, Korean Chrysanthemum and Galactomyces. Before this, I have seen accounts of how the extracts of Onion bulb and Frankincense has helped people suffering with acne outbreaks, and how their skin improved noticeably after using products with those two ingredients in it. So naturally, I straight away requested to try the Black Essence by NoTS. And a couple of weeks after that, a parcel with the Black Essence from Q-Depot arrived at my doorsteps. Now, having also used the Missha FTE Intensive, I can compare and say that the texture of this Black Essence is a little thicker than Missha’s but it is okay because once i spread it, it immediately feels more like water and it absorbs into the skin so readily! What i like to do with the essence is to pour it onto a cotton pad and pat it onto my skin. Next, i pat the skin with my fingers to allow the essence to be better absorbed into the skin. After having used this for several days, I could actually feel my skin getting more hydrated and supple and has more bounce than before. Plus, any occasional pimples I may have goes away pretty quickly and did not hurt as much. Several weeks into using the essence, I also noted that my skin wasn’t as reactive and looked so much brighter. I have to say that this little black bottle of essence really helped boost the efficacy of the other skin care products I applied thereafter, especially my moisturizer. I know this because on my recent trip to Seoul, I skipped the Black Essence for 5 days and I could that feel my skin was not as supple nor hydrated as when I applied it religiously back here at home in Singapore. Moving on to Q-Depot, I noticed that the price of the Black Essence is listed as USD$38 on their shopping portal while the retail price of it on the NoTS website shows that it is 38,000₩. A direct currency conversion shows that 38,000₩ is roughly about USD$33.80. This also means that the percentage markup of the Black Essence is relatively low and a bargain is always welcome in my book! PS. My blogger friend, Jude, from Fifty Shades of Snail totally suggested a really cute (and fun) way of getting this Black Essence absorbed into the skin: If the Black Essence was like a genie bottle and a robust man pops out of it to put my skincare on my face and give it a massage every night. I swear, i totally chuckled at that suggestion and agreed with her that it would definitely make a way better delivery system! LOL. 🙂  Well, if only right?
Will i recommend it?	:	Yes, especially if your man’s skin is feeling a little dull, or feels rough due to constant shaving. Also if the skin is a little stressed out from the little acne spots that never seemed to go away after blasting it with those strong pimple cream

To this, Buddy says:

On a side note, Q-Depot is currently having a Halloween promotion where shoppers can get a 5% off + a free gift  + worldwide free shipping for orders above USD69! If you are thinking of getting some Korean beauty and skin care products, this is one promotion you can consider.