Obsessed with Asian/Korean Beauty Products Vol 6

[FrustratedFrugal]

Past volumes here.

I tried to post on the previous thread and realized that it was full.

Anyone still around?

I have a parcel from Korea waiting for me at the post office. Can't wait.

[botemp]

Yes, was meaning to get back to this thread. Just got in a parcel from Japan and am testing things out, looking very promising. Another package is on the way .

I'm becoming slightly fearful of sheet masks, it feels like playing Russian Roulette with my face after two separate breakouts from different types despite rather innocuous INCI and I think the CosRx BHA is not doing a thing except roughing up my skin and making me more susceptible to breakouts so I stopped using it for now. Some on the AB reddit suggest washing it off after 15 mins but I think it's just not that great of a product for me. I'm really trying with the Koreans but we're just not getting along.

Have you received your new cushion yet Frugal? I was contemplating getting the AmorePacific one or a new one by Flow Fushi from Japan but I'm wondering if the colours will be flattering, they do tend to favour appearing paler than they are.

[FrustratedFrugal]

Botemp I got awful cystic acne from CosRx - never again. We all have such individual needs and triggers. It could be that one of the common ingredients in sheet masks doesn't work for you. I originally got into Korean cosmetics because Dr Jart BB cream, sleeping masks and sheet masks did not irritate my finicky, acne-prone skin and the gel-like moisturizers suited me better than Western products. But if sheet masks are causing breakouts, feel free to steer clear!

I have the Hera UV Mist Cushion sitting on the shelf in the bathroom but I haven't opened it yet. I scooped out the very last spoonful of Dr Jart (it's quite pricey) and mixed it in a jar with some Missha Perfect Cover to get a really pale winter shade to match my lily-white neck. Once that is gone, I'll open the cushion. I'll keep you posted - unfortunately their shades are always guesswork, no testers around here

[botemp]

CosRx seems so highly praised but I find it a little disappointing, I even have a few samples for other products of theirs but I don't think I'll be trying them. It's a shame they were one of the few promising brands since they're not heavily fragranced. I think that's my issue with the Taiwanese sheet masks too but it's random, I have Japanese ones (Lululun Red Prestige) that are fragrance free and really cheap, I actually like them best even without the breakout issues. I think I'll try selling the others on or gift them but it feels like such a shame.

[FrustratedFrugal]

Everyone praises the MBD masks but I also find them too perfumed. I'm not sensitive to perfume (quite the opposite) but I much prefer the more naturalistic fruity scents in Innisfree masks. I'm trying to remember whether I have tried an unscented sheet mask - Benton Snail Bee Masks???

[wickedfairy]

Hi all, I am still ABing!

Hada Labo, Scinic AIO, missha ampoule and Mizon stuff for me. Also use CoRX stuff (aha and bha) and they are fine on me. Also use OST c20 but I have to switch between all the actives and rotate them.

Had retinA on a couple of night ago after a few weeks without and my chin is flaking...

Ooh, and don't forget the Biore sunscreen - every day!! Must sheet mask soon, my face is pretty dry and this recent cold spell hasn't helped my face, or my hands!

[AuroraPolaris]

Hello ladies, good to have a new thread. I only have a foot peeling thing on its way, as I promised myself I would not buy anything new until I finished at least a couple of my serums ;)

Sorry to read about your trials botemp. It is very frustrating isn't it?

Breakouts aside, I followed 50 Shades of Snail's advice last two times I used a sheet mask, applying HA serum before putting on the mask, and the plumping results have been quite amazing and lasted well through the next day.

I received my Anessa medicated whitening SPF 50 but only used it once as I want to build up slowly and.... Well, the weather hasn't exactly been demanding SPF 50??!!! It was 6 degrees at 13:30 today :((
The texture does seem very nice and thin esp. for SPF50 and it does not leave any while film. So far so good.

[FrustratedFrugal]

I am using up my peachy Missha sunscreen - perhaps a week left - then going back to Bioré. It is still my favorite, weightless and easy to wear under makeup. I'm in the far North, we got some snow on Friday but the bluebells are out and the sun is very bright and the weather is really changeable, so I've worn sunscren daily since March.

[AuroraPolaris]

Yeah, we had snow and lots of hail yesterday. More like early rather than late April wealther...
I wear SPF all year round, but keep it to 20 or 30 until the spring, as I don't spend too much time outside. I''m really hoping I don't get breakouts from the Anessa as it has quite a few beneficial ingredients, and I'm hoping to use it instead of moisturizer thoroughout the summer.

[LesIncompetents]

Hello! I'm still a bit of a noob, trying to restrain myself and add new things in one at a time to my routine.

botemp thank you for the LuLuLun recommendation, I received the red masks last week and they are very hydrating. The CosRX rice night pack arrived today so looking forward to giving it a go tonight!

I ordered some Secret Key SPF 50 sunscreen as a back up as it was stupidly cheap (less than £4 with delivery) so will report back on what it's like. I'm using the Missha essence sunscreen at the moment and it's great, but I'm using it up pretty fast! No more new stuff for me this month though

[HeyMacWey]

I'm still ab-ing.
I'm on the market for something to replace the bentons snail bee essence.
Current am routine is hada labo hyaluronic toner, snail bee essence, spf, bb cream etc.
I'm oily/combination.

[botemp]

The weather is awful here at the moment isn't it Aurora, I'm also having issue trialling my Kose Sekkisei Milk sunscreen that like yours I want to wear as a moisturiser in summer because of added skincare benefits. I actually seem to be tolerating the alcohol in it quite well but it has a bit of an odd smell that reminds me of my grandmother but it's gone in seconds. On an even more positive note I'm finally getting the dehydration under control with the introduction of the Kohaku-hada Lotion which is like the Hada Labo but with a few different benefits, supposedly anti ageing with amber extracts.

I've also found an organic SLS-free foaming cleanser (which I usually hate but I just wanted to see if the Asian version were really all that different) from Kibiki (also Japanese) that seems to be doing what I wanted from the BHA in keeping pores clear and it certainly helped clear up the breakouts quicker than I expected. It's early days so I'll have to see how it does long term in terms of possibly drying me out but I've been skipping my weekly clay maintenance mask ever since. I'm stuck patiently waiting on trying the other things from my package now.

Which foot thing did you get Aurora? I was looking at the Holika Holika Baby Feet but I'm still slightly terrified of the whole thing, I saw some gruesome pictures online and my feet aren't really that bad to begin with, I'm just too lazy to do the foot file thing.

Is anyone into Japanese bath salts btw? I got a free package with an ebay order and despite being sceptical -it turned the water a rather toxic green- it was really great, soothing and nourishing. Very different from the standard bath stuff. Was just wondering which ones are worth buying since I assume I got a cheaper type.

[AuroraPolaris]

Botemp the weather today was absolutely horrid!!!!! I wore my warm winte coat again.....
I ordered the Tony Moly foot thingy after comparing reviews on one of the AB blogs, don't remember which. This seemed to be one of the best ones and not contain any nasties. I know, the peeling looks awful, and my feet are not that bad, but nothing else seems to help plus I'm also a bit lazy (who has patience after the 17 layers we apply on our faces, right?) including those little foot peeling/ polishing machines.
Hope you manage to tolerate your SPF, it's so difficult to find one. Like I said, I only tried the Anessa once, also since I was trying the Bioderma mist last week (which is also OK up to now, though I haven't tried it on consecutive days yet).
Re masks - I have quite a few Secret Key Syn Ake masks (ordered double by mistake). They are 5 free but can't find the rest of the INCI at the mo. If you have t given up on sheet masks ;) and feel like trying them we could do a mask swap??? I'm mainly into anti aging or hydrating ones.

Les that rice sleeping pack is on my mybe/ to check out wish list, so very interested to hear your opinion.

[lelf79]

I'm still ABing here!

I tried the tony moly shiny foot super peeling liquid a couple of months ago and nothing happened for 10 days then wham my feet were flaking like crazy for a few days then they were so smooth. I've been a bit lax as the weather hasn't warranted getting my feet out so now i need to redo them.

My LJH propolis ampoule has finally run out and i'm contemplating either the scinic AIO or shara shara honey bomb, heard good things about both, does anybody have any experience of these?

[derektheladyhamster]

Hello!
Back in December, I received the 'it's skin, power 10 li effector' I was a bit meh about it, but it didn't break me out, so I kept using it. Then 2 weeks ago, there was an accident and it all spilt. Well, since then I've become all red and blotchy again. It is obviously a bit of a work horse, so I've had to reorder it
I've ordered some more tretinoin, but I have a really flaky chin, and a couple of huge spots. I really hope its just purging, as the rest of my skin is looking good!

[ilovetosleep]

I'm still dipping in and out of AB. I had a rocky start breaking out when I never usually get spots, and realised I was just trying too much at once. I've settled on a few products that I like although I'm not blown away by any of it. I used hada labo, missha time revolution ampoule, biore SPF, cos rx bha. I LOVED starfish cream before it was discontinued. I liked a few sheet masks but got a bit bored of using them - I have a nice stash to dip into though and I think when the weather wants up they'll be more appealing. I also liked the cos rx snail cream but that was only a sample.

what I'm really after now is a be cushion. No idea where to start. Also how do you buy them - when you see an eBay listing for a cushion case do I need to buy a refill as well? Am totally clueless when it comes to cushions!

[botemp]

I dug out my gloves again today and put the heating back on! Ingredients are here Aurora but since they contain alchohol and fragrance I'll have to pass. I'll see what is hydrating/anti-ageing in my stash to pass on. It's mostly Lovemore, My Scheming and L'Herboflore. I am really quite happy with the Lululun Red Prestige ones, I'm glad to hear you like them too LesIncompetents, I tried the regular Lululun ones (pink) and they were really unimpressive in comparison. I might just be really be boring and only like one sheet mask, although I think I will order the White Prestige ones from Lululun too to see if I like those as much as the Red masks since they're supposed to be slightly fancier.

Let us know about the sleeping mask LesIncompetents, it had peaked my interest too but the user reviews were very mixed. I now have my eyes on a Japanese one, Gekka, but I'm holding off from buying for now in an effort to be sensible .

The cushions come filled with an extra refill ilovetosleep so you have 30ml (2 x 15ml) in total but confusingly they sell the cases separately as well as DIY kits.

[AuroraPolaris]

I was contemplating gloves yesterday botemp but it's just too depressing. No gloves and no boots (high rise trainers don't count)!

[botemp]

It is grim isn't it? I was just about to finally put away all the winter gear, procrastination finally worked in my favour for once . Just to clarify Aurora, did you get the Tony Moly Shining Foot Peel or the Changing U Magic Foot Peel?

[wickedfairy]

Lelf - I have the Scinic AIO. I like it and the jar is huge! I must have had mine and used it twice a day for at least 6 months. I will replace it once it's close to running out.

[AuroraPolaris]

botemp I ordered the Tonymoly - New Shiny Foot Super Peeling Liquid. Of course the minute I get it there will be a heat wave and I'll want to wear sandals....
Sorry I can't help you with sheet masks... Fragrance is not one of the things that my skin dislikes.
The sun was shining for a while, but now it looks horrid again. And yeah, I too delayed washing my very warm coat, so there you go - rewards for the procrastinators!

[botemp]

I'm totally fed up with the weather now Aurora it's impossible to plan anything around it with the odd bouts of rain and sunshine while being terribly cold. I don't even dare look at my phone any more to inform me how cold it is!

The Super Peeling ones are the most hard core of the lot, I'm a little hesitant but I've yet to read anyone being overexfoliated, more the opposite. The reviews seem good for that one so I might just bite the bullet and jump on board.

I'm random with fragrance, if it's far down the list or not synthetic it's usually fine and I've never had issues with Japanese cosmetics containing fragrance so I sort of assumed it would be okay in the sheet masks. Thankfully I only bought singles to try and it really has been random which ones aggravate and which ones don't, but I'll stick with fragrance free from now on.

[marushka82]

Marking my place (while desperately trying to catch up on reading previous threads!)
I love AB products and my eBay watch list is full of them!
I'm still trying to learn about what works for my dry/combination skin but at the moment I'm using [It's skin] Power 10 Formula WH Effector Ampoule (ok, just started this morning and it seems nice so far), Missha cushion (I love how dewy it looks on skin, but will order a lighter shade next time - or are there other inexpensive cushions worth trying?). I also love sheet masks and essences (currently waiting for [Mizon] Water Volume EX First Essence - hope it's going to help me hydrate my skin!)
I have a feeling my bank account will NOT like this thread

[Abecedario]

Hello,

I'm sorry I've not been able to read all the previous threads so feel free to tell me to sod off, but I am after some advice/recommendations. The posts on here are like a foreign language to me I am rubbish at beauty/skincare stuff.

I am mid 30s, I have lines on my forehead, a few fine ones around my eyes. They don't bother me too much but I do think I should get some kind of anti aging routine in place, probably already too late. I have dark circles under my eyes too which nothing I've tried has made any difference.

The main hing though is that my skin is quite sensitive, can get dry and flakey, but also gets very spotty and I get quite a few whiteheads. I have large/open pores. This has been since I came off the pill just over a year ago, it does get worse around TOTM so I'm sure it's mostly hormonal but I wonder if there is anything I can use on my skin to help.

Have heard good things about Asian brands, do you think there would be anything to suit me.

(If it matters I currently use a mix of Clarins /Liz Earle).

[CheshireChat]

I have to say I'm very happy to see this thread as I've finished reading all the old ones, thought I'd join in on this one and... Nothing! (I may have become somewhat of a stalker).

I've bought the Mizon Snail Gel and the sleeping mask and they seem to work well for me, my skin didn't break out which is a major plus as my skin is super sensitive and worse it's random as well so I have no idea what triggers it.

I've also ordered the Etude House Pink Vital Water as it sounds gentle and it's super cheap so no massive loss if it's not great Trial Kit

Also ordered the Etude House Proof 10 primer as it has great reviews Primer

[scandichick]

I've used the CosRX rice sleeping pack both as a day moisturizer and a proper sleeping pack, like it both ways and will replace it a second time when it runs out. I also really rate the Scinic honey AIO, don't think it'll run out in 2016 but I won't risk being without it.

I do like CosRX - will get the racist essence (white power galactomyces) the next time I can justify ordering something. Or the snail...

Apparently Mizon are discontinuing their 8% AHA serum - does anyone have an alternative to recommend?? I'm only phasing it in at the moment, so really annoyed.

Abecedario, here is a good link to get you started: www.snowwhiteandtheasianpear.com/p/recommended-reading.html?m=1

There's s few excellent AB bloggers, and this is one of them.