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!

Hi frugal thought this would be your thread!!!

Mizon snail gel ordered and I managed to restrain myself from more bb creams as I found several in my stash cupboard yesterday Thanks for all the recommendations on this thread. I may need a second job to cover this skincare addiction!

Mowglik - yes you can get Korean / Japanese beauty stuff in Malaysia.

Head to any large mall - look for Sasa, Guardian, Watsons, Skinfood, Innisfree etc & I think Sephora stocks Laneige

This is fascinating but sadly a lot is out of my budget

I think I'll be making a wishlist of things to try for my birthday and Christmas though

Thanks Frugal. I think I'm going to try some sheet masks. I will be in the US at the end of the month and was going to order some from the websites linked but it seems daft to pay $6.95 shipping to buy two masks that cost less than the shipping cost. Might look for a Korean supermarket while I'm there on the off chance they'll stock some. I also like the sound of the snail eye cream, my DH has fondness for eye creams so will see what he thinks!

The BB creams do sound amazing compared to the UK ones. Does anyone have any recommendations? I'm not sure how to choose the right shade for my skin. I have pale skin with some freckles and pigmentation issues. I use Bobbi Brown foundation in the shade sand and Nars sheer glow foundation in the shade Deauville. The only UK BB cream I've tried is the Estee Lauder one in the palest shade they do, but I don't like the heavy consistency and the shade is too pink for my sallow skin. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Hello to thread newcomers!

lucysmam were there any type of products in particular you were looking for? I am also trying to do this on a budget so I am trying to pick and choose low cost products to try and make a wish list of the more expensive ones. If you look on eBay you can get some great prices for some of the items mentioned on the thread.

I have just ordered the mizon snail gel to try, £3.72 delivered on eBay (just have to try and wait patiently for delivery!) The bb cream I use is £3.63 delivered. I think frugal linked to some masks that were £2.99 for two as well. If you want any help shopping on eBay i am happy to go searching

Lucysmam I have just ordered a tube of the Pilaten blackhead remover mask for under £3 on eBay!

TheWombat my favourite bb creams are the holika holika ones. I have the moisture one and the essential one I think its called. I am pale with some red acne scars and broken capillaries to cover (don't I sound attractive!) I find the bb cream covers all of this for me without needing heavy duty concealer.

In the past I have been able to order miniatures from eBay (I think I had a skin79 set really cheap) but the holika ones are less than £4 delivered and the missha one frugal mentioned was just over £5 so they are not mega bucks and definitely worth a trial :)

Thank you M0gz
There don't seem to be a lot of shade choices - do they work out well on your pale skin?

Thanks Rojak have made a note can't wait to have a little self indulgent shop on holiday and hopefully they will be super cheap!

Re the bb creams are they all super pale or do they have shades for medium skin tones too? I'm using the botanic bb and also really like no 17 bb creams but find the finish a bit shiny so looking for something different

Oh God you've made me order a set of a billion sheet masks to try. I said no more spending.

review of holika moisture here. There are also YouTube videos that might be worth a watch? I love the colour on my skin. I have tried several UK ones in the palest shades (no.7 etc) and I was left orange :(

This one doesn't seem as shiny or shimmery on me as some of the others but I do sometimes run a bit of elf mineral powder over the top

Mogz - can you link to that eBay seller for the Mizon you bought? I want to try it

Mogwlik - the bb shades in Asia usually come in 2 shades - light & medium

Light for paler Koreans, Japanese & Chinese

Medium for darker skinned Asians

I think light is probably good for western skin

snail gel

Stevie77 Postage is free with the online shop www.beautynetkorea.com I prefer shopping from here as postage is free and I always make sure I place smaller orders so I don't get hit by customs fees.
I do also buy from Ebay.

M0gz that is the snail gel my teenager is using and he really likes it.

Amazon sell sheet masks. I got Innisfree, The Face Shop and My Beauty Diary ones. Until recently Memebox was a fantastic way to try Korean products. Unfortunately they stopped shipping to the UK. Luckily I have a lot of boxes to get through!

Lisa Eldridge has some interesting Asian inspired videos:

www.lisaeldridge.com/video/26677/korean-makeup-skincare-and-beauty-haul/#.VU9bjGK9KSM

www.lisaeldridge.com/video/26834/japanese-makeup-look-haul-chat-and-some-big-news/#.VU9b9GK9KSM

www.lisaeldridge.com/video/26657/korean-beauty-trends-inspired-makeup-tutorial/#.VU9cGGK9KSM

If only the products could make me look like that!!

HeathrowExpress I miss Memebox. Even though I have got 6 boxes of products to work threw. I loved getting my Memebox and discovering new brands and products.

Thanks Ruby, checking it out!

I've found some awesome Asian beauty blogs!
snowwhiteandthepear.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/multi-step-korean-skincare-routine.html
This woman ^ has a SPREADSHEET for her routine. Now that's hardcore! But some v useful product reviews..

fiftyshadesofsnail.com
I really like this one's ^ chatty style... She has a knowledgeable post on AHAs/BHAs and waiting times vs effectiveness.

ww.skinandtonics.com is really good too

No wonder people don't read magazines any more...these blogs are so much more informative and better put together.

Ladies thanks so much for the lively discussion! I'm enjoying your comments, suggestions and links!

And thanks for the awesome blog links Wombat!

Skin and Tonics is my favorite blog at the moment, she combines Asian and European and American skincare and her skin type sounds quite a bit like mine.

There is an added bonus - I'm a bit of a geek, and cosmetics is often the realm of pseudoscientific myths. This girl tries to back up her claims with research and references. I really respect that. I hear she is writing a book on Asian beauty, due soon, and that's why she is too busy to blog right now. I will buy that book, but her blog is free and full of interesting tidbits, just check out this comprehensive intro to Asian beauty. her product reviews are great too.

Oh good. Thanks to mumsnet I have found more things I want to buy.

OMG I just realized Snowpear Excels her skincare
She deserves a geeky girl endorsement too...

Iatemyskinnyperson your fave list is to die for! Thanks!!!
I'm also relieved to hear that the Benton snail bee essence is watery, I don't get on with oils at all. I know oil cleansing is a central thing but that is the scariest step still fading those cystic acne scars. I've used micelles as a lipophilic alternative (Bioderma is my HG), they dissolve oily gunk like sunscreen and hard to remove mineral makeup but suit my skin. I am thinking of ordering a sample of Banila co Clean It Zero Purity. Has anyone used it? Here is what someone on Reddit says:

"The ingredients don't irritate my sensitive/rosacea skin. I love that it's fragrance-free, and, the best part, it completely removes all traces of my waterproof mascara without the need for too much rubbing. I'm so glad I tried this after reading so many recommendations on here and on blogs. It blows the Clinique TTDO balm out of the water."

Has anyone here tried it?

RubyShoes3 and HeathrowExpress have you seen wishtrend's boxes? I don't know Memebox but these seem like a similar idea..as far as I can tell delivery is worldwide...

www.wishtrend.com/68-wish-box

((Enabler emoticon))