Obsessed with Asian/Korean stuff - taking your skincare to the next level!

[FrugalFashionista]

Asian and Korean skincare products seem to be a big thing in skincare and beauty right now.

Interested in the following?

• finding a great sunscreen
• tailoring a multi-step ritual to your skincare needs
• talking about geisha beauty rituals
• learning what snail slime, bee venom and starfish have to do with beauty
• plumping up your skin with sheet masks and sleeping masks
• experimenting with essences

Please come here and share your questions, experiences, links and best shopping tips!

I can see the point if you're in a warm climate Frugal, there doesn't seem much point spending on it at the mo when my other products are working & it's not overly hot.

I'm still unsure about serums too so will have to spend some time looking into those.

Just off to teach dd2 (5yo) how to apply her own sunscreen to her face...should be fun . Thanks to all my new lotions and potions both girls want a 'pamper day' at some point over the hols so I'll be looking up some child friendly basic ideas too.

Wombat tomatoes are my favourite fruit! I love the fresh smell of them.

RE meth lab, I do think Walter White was missing a trick when he decided not to make DIY niacinamide and vit C serums - probably more expensive than meth per Kilo!

Ilovetosleep I don't think my Mizon things from Cult Beauty came with a hologram on them.

Today I am wearing snail gel, followed by watery essence and Ester Lauder BB cream (which I am trying to use up). They work very well layered together, none of the pilling you sometimes get..

Well I did wake up to very smooth skin but I'm not sure the snail gel is moisturising enough for me at night time, I can see it being a nice primer in the morning though. My skin drank it all up and there is no residue or evidence of moisturiser at all this morning. It says it should be te last layer but it feels to me like it should be over a serum/under a night pack?

I've been out & missed a parcel delivery It was Hermes & their card through the door doesn't say whether it's with a neighbour or they took it back...or anything much . Wonder what it was!? Just hope I don't have to wait ages to find out now.

I've got some vitamin c powder in my basket - I just can't find any of the little bottles to put it into as serum. Has anyone bought any they could link?

I think that and green tea might make a good sheet mask?

ilovetosleep I have the Mizon snail AIO and it's not a heavy duty moisturizer on me either. Asian women layer their products, so products are formulated to respect that - we expect an one step solution. If I layer it with a serum or a sleeping pack, I get optimal hydration. My skin is dry/normal but not atopic exzema dry. I also have felt it is a great summer weight moisturizer here in Italy but when I was in the far North last week it felt too flimsy. But before you write this purchase off as a mistake, experiment with it some more. On me, it has some serious healing properties. If my skin feels irritated, it feels quite soothing, or if a breakout seems to be on its way, this somehow seems to intervene. But no it won't be moisturizing enough for super dry skin.

lucysmam so sorry about the missed delivery! My thyroid medication comes in amber glass jars, if I go Walter White I'll repurpose them. Buttons to you get yellow fingers or nails with the Vit c serum? And totally acree Wombat that skincare would have been a far more lucrative career choice for him in the long run, but perhaps not as interesting to watch

I'm on a shopping ban but the beauty of Korean stuff is that you get so many samples that there is always something to play with. I washed my hair with a tsubaki shampoo (Missha Dong Baek). Hair oils are usually a bad idea for me, the jury is still out, but it smelled pleasant, I did not need a conditioner and my hair is not immediately greasy - watching with interest what happens during the day. And I used a sample of Missha Perfect Cover #21 for my daily makeup. I have the full size version of this in#13 and it's a tad pale on me (I mix it with a darker shade of Dr Jart). Shade #21 is a perfect match! This BB cream is seriously good, it makes my skin look so good that I feel I could almost guest star in a Korean soap opera

Medication jars would be ideal Frugal, we don't have anything here that comes in dinky ones. Just HUGE 500ml ones for dd1's meds & I think that might be tooooo huge. I'll try searching medicine jars and see what comes up.

I found some. So, my first diy sheet masks will be the cucumber on it's own. Green tea on it's own. And then I'll try the green tea with vit c and see how I go on. I'm still not 100% whether I need anything else (other than the masks) to 'carry' the ingredients or they'll be ok as they are.

reddit green tea info here There are loads of discussions about it though, that was just one of the top ones.

paulaschoice article about vitamin c

I think I'll also give the serum a try on it's own and see if I notice and of the positives associated with it - fading signs of post acne marks is quite high on my priorities list.

I'm getting no closer to deciding on an eye cream but have decided to skip buying a bha toner for the moment and give the clearasil pads a fair trial - so a month or so - and re-evaluate whether I need anything else or am happy enough with those.

oh, and, I need some sort of nice looking storage for my bits and bobs. What do you all use?

You've reeled me in already women. I've ordered a honey sheet mask and a blackcurrant one too. A sleep mask and a smallish snail rejuvenator. Oh and a bb cc cream. Didn't spend a fortune and all with free shipping. Brilliant.
I'd like to send some oddments as a gift. Does anyone know gift boxes that post to the UK now that memebox is put of action?

Lucysmam I too am after storage solutions! I usually keep all my beauty stuff on a windowsill in the bathroom, in a plastic organiser like this one from TK Maxx www.tkmaxx.com/new-in-beauty/acrylic-cosmetic-organiser/invt/16254641

It's not very big but it used to do for all my skincare and makeup - but now it can't hold all the snails, pandas and bird nests! What does everyone else do?

I had a parcel today - pearl flavour My Beauty Diary sheet masks (sent from UK so didn't take too long). I am beyond excited to try them out tonight!

Wombat if you don't mind would you share your MBD link? I'm running low on sheet masks and don't think my Innisfree order will clear customs anytime soon. But will wait to hear how you get on them with first!

I keep some of the Korean stuff that use in the bathroom (cleansers, BB creams). I keep the rest in the Missha box near my bed (mainly to keep track that I am not overshopping). Last weekend in Muji, I saw small shopping basket type open thingies that were labeled as cosmetics baskets. They did not make sense to me before - why would you storage something in open baskets - but now I totally understand that you might want to carry the products in your routine around the house in a basket as you go about your evening tasks. I don't lock myself in the bathroom for an hour! I cleanse my face and do the AHA/BHA step there, then do homework with DC and sort out their evening meal. Then I might do a sheet mask, and after it slap on a serum or a cream, letting it absorb when I hang out with DH, and the sleeping mask is the last step usually when I am already in bed. So although my routine is longer now all this takes next to no time, and I really enjoy the steps because the products feel and smell lovely.

Silver welcome! This is pretty addictive, so be warned, but thank God the products are quite cheap I'm actually saving money because I have found superb cheaper alternatives to a few pricey staples (a Chanel serum, sunscreen and foundation - the Missha products outperform them and cost much less).

lucysmam I had some essence left from a green tea sheet mask, but not quite enough, so put in a tablespoon of cold green tea, let's see how it works

I have the Muji tubs! They rock. I get my stuff out as I'm using it and then pop the tub back in the cupboard. I have one for skincare and another for hair care. I also store my medicines in them- one for tablets, one for liquids and one for topical/ plasters etc.

I got the My Beauty Diary masks from 'bits and bobs of beauty' on ebay, but they also have a website, see here: www.bitsandbobsofbeauty.co.uk/#!my-beauty-diary/c1cap

And in the parcel was a discount code for 20% off. Happy to share the love: DISCOUNT20. Happy shopping! Will report back tonight after the first sheet mask love-in.

Those muji tubs look awesome, I will be investigating them, thank you frugal and chester

Silver, frugal is right...very addictive! But it all looks lovely & seems to do what it says so far.

I need glycerin to carry the vit c powder to make the serum - is that the same stuff you find in the baking aisle of the supermarket?

I'm back with a quick update about the tomato suncream before I head up for a shower.

I'm very pleased with it. No Casper the friendly ghost appearance under make-up, no funny pilling like you sometimes get, make-up has stayed put all day long and I actually think I have looked less shiny through the day without a quick dusting of powder again to mattify (pure laziness there - I took the girls to dp's mum's and got sent home to put my feet up so did some sewing ).

The girls got on ok with their Coppertone tubes as well. Dd2 needs some practise since I usually do it for her but there's no harm in her learning how important it is from a young age

Well, my debacle with the Missha Germany site was soooo worth it - I ordered some samples of the Perfect Cover BB cream and I am blown away by it!

It looks even better on my skin than my favourite YSL Touche Eclat foundation, and it seems to have lasted the day well.

So, can anyone tell me please which of the Asian eBay sellers (or web sites for that matter) is the speediest to arrive in the UK (I know that's not a grammatically correct question, but I'm overexcited ), and how long does it take for products to arrive?

I also ordered a couple of sheet masks, I shall be combining one with a glass of prosecco later. I bloody love S&B!!

My, I ordered mine just under two weeks ago and have had a steady trikle of parcels since Monday

Thanks lucysmam, I suppose the sooner I order, the sooner it'll arrive...

Quick question Frugal, what did you use to wash out your sheet mask and where did you dry it out?

Just water and sun Lucysmam!

Me I'm so glad! My experience is just like yours, a fantastic product and no going back to Western high-end foundations after this one. I prefer EU-based vendors because Italian customs are a nightmare - none of my Asian orders have arrived yet.

Wombat thanks for linking - that shop looks so tempting!

Doing a green clay mask on my nose atm

Thank you, just wanted to check

Oh and Chester that looks exactly like the tub I saw! Loving how organized you are!

Another Alicia Yoon interview on style.com - cannot decide whether it is marketing hype or a snapshot of the future but it sure makes my head spin

Thanks for the cleanser recommendations. I used to love a fab Shiseido foam cleanser, but haven't seen it in Europe. Going to try the Egg White Bubble and the Hada bubble.

My current obsession is cushion compacts; starting the research now and hope to try a few soon. Has anyone found any winners?

Frugal thanks for the Alicia Yoon link - loved reading now and thanks to that, also obsessed with a "finisher". I need something like that in my life!