Doo-ro-ro-rong... Yesterday, the special correspondent from Chubby mom’s blog briefly disappeared but has now returned! (Deepest apologies... I promise to do better, so please forgive me just this once...)
Today, I’m introducing a product that Chubby mom’s daughter really loves and uses all the time — a truly real, super real, ultra-favorite cream!!
It’s effective for wrinkles, pores, elasticity, and even brightening... I just can’t stop using it and have already gone through more than 10 tubes of it!
Introducing Dr. Different’s VITALIFT-A Fortissimo Cream!! (Cue dramatic drumroll~~~)
Not an ad. Paid with my own money. 100% honest review!
This is a truly real favorite item that Chubby mom’s daughter uses religiously... a true go-to product. The one she applies generously every night before bed is none other than Dr. Different’s VITALIFT-A Fortissimo!!
You can think of this product as a Vitamin A cream — its key ingredients are retinol and retinal (in high concentration), as stated on the packaging.
To explain a bit more...
Retinol and retinal are both forms of vitamin A.
- Retinol is the storage form of vitamin A, which gets oxidized and converted into retinal.
- Retinal is one of the active forms of vitamin A and further oxidizes into retinoic acid.
In short:
Retinol [storage form] → (oxidation) → Retinal [intermediate active form] → (oxidation) → Retinoic Acid [fully active form]!!
The more active the form, the faster it works on the skin — but it also tends to be more irritating.
So, retinoic acid, the final active form, has strong medical benefits like wrinkle reduction and cell regeneration!
So what does that mean for Dr. Different VITALIFT-A Fortissimo Cream?
It means that, unlike many products that only contain retinol, this cream contains a high amount of retinal, the intermediate active form — so while it might cause a bit of irritation, it also delivers results to the skin much faster!
* By the way, “Fortissimo” is a musical term that means “very strong.”
That says it all... Thanks to the retinal, the effects are powerful!
Now, back to the actual product review… (Staying focused on the main job here!)
The Fortissimo Cream comes in a bold red tube, as you can see in the photo below. I’m guessing they chose red to match the name “Fortissimo” — to express that powerful, intense vibe… just my theory though. 😅
Oh! And since this is a genuinely honest review, I’m using my actual, currently-in-use tube of the cream for this post — hope you understand… (There’s already only about 1/3 left… 😭)
It’s not a tacky red at all — it’s a deep, sophisticated red that I personally love… (I tend to like bold, striking things!)
On the tube, it says it contains 0.15% retinal. Since Fortissimo has the highest concentration of retinal among the Dr. Different Vitamin A creams, you can think of this as the maximum strength version...!!!
But — one important thing to note:
If you’re new to Vitamin A creams, I highly recommend starting with a product that has a lower concentration of retinal. I’ve seen other reviews where people mentioned experiencing irritation or some light peeling.
That said, once your skin adjusts, it feels completely fine — and your skin just keeps getting smoother and healthier. So if you’re trying this kind of product for the first time, it’s best to build up tolerance before jumping into Fortissimo.
Chubby mom’s daughter also started with one of the lower-tier creams and then eventually settled on Fortissimo as her go-to!
The Fortissimo Cream comes in a 30g tube, and when purchased online, you can usually find it in the 50,000 KRW range.
Chubby mom’s daughter always searches for the lowest price online… searching and searching to make sure she never runs out — she’s consistently repurchasing it!
At the very bottom of the tube, you’ll also find the expiration date clearly marked (as shown in the photo below), and the shelf life is fairly long.
But honestly, even with a long expiration date... Chubby mom’s daughter goes through one tube every two months anyway!!
The cap is a very shiny, bright red plastic one — it twists open smoothly, like this.
The cream itself is yellow, as you can see in the photo below. Why yellow, you ask?!?
According to the Dr. Different website (which I actually went and read thoroughly, lol), the yellow color comes from the natural color of retinol itself — no artificial dyes added!
Also, the higher the concentration of retinol/retinal, the more yellow the cream gets!
Close-up shot of the cream… (always doing some mysterious solo experiments 😂)
It’s not a pure, bright yellow — more like a shade between lemon yellow and regular yellow. Even when you spread it on a bit thickly, it still looks this yellow!
As for the scent, there’s almost none, so it’s hard to describe. It’s basically unscented, though you might catch a faint, slightly medicinal smell.
Here’s what it looks like when fully spread on! It really shines and looks a bit oily, but surprisingly, it doesn’t cause any breakouts at all. Seriously, it’s amazing.
Chubby mom’s daughter usually has skin that’s prone to breakouts, so whenever she uses other oily creams, she immediately gets trouble. But the reason she applies this Fortissimo cream generously every night is… it doesn’t cause a single breakout! Instead, the next morning, her skin feels plump, radiant, and when she washes her face, she can actually feel how soft her skin has become with her hands. She absolutely, absolutely loves this product.
Unless she’s really exhausted and just washes her face before falling asleep (which happens maybe once a month), she faithfully applies this cream every night, and her skin is noticeably better and firmer the next day.
She was worried about some fine lines forming between her eyebrows, but after consistently applying an extra layer on those wrinkles daily, they have visibly softened and haven’t gotten worse at all. She loves it so much!
This is Chubby mom’s daughter’s personal review, so of course, it might not work for everyone. But honestly and sincerely, she truly feels the effects and it suits her skin so well that she’s already gone through more than 10 tubes.
At around 50,000 KRW for 30g, it’s a bit pricey...!!
But since it really works, she’s committed to using it diligently!
If you’re thinking about trying a Vitamin A cream, she definitely recommends giving this one a try! (And like I mentioned before, if you’re a complete beginner, start with a lower concentration first.)
And with that, I wrap up today’s super genuine review.
The weather’s been so nice and cool lately — it really makes life feel good these days.
Everyone, take care of your health and stay happy!!!
Let’s keep our spirits up!!!
See you next time — mwah mwah...!!
