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!

Could I just ask has anyone used roseroseshop, and how long did it take to arrive? I'm so paranoid about buying fakes that will break me out in a rash so am a bit nervous about ebay. I'm also a bit scatterbrained so prefer to just order everything from one place rather than place lots of little orders!

Not in the UK but here is a blogger's experience. To Italy it can easily be a month and customs sometimes seize stuff so I've done just two small trial orders from South Korea. Am fully prepared not to receive them.

Frugal Have you used the Body Shop sleeping mask, or has anyone else? I've been dithering over buying it for months.

No, but someone should try it! I imagine it is not super difficult to cook up a product like that, many Western companies are making their versions of Korean stuff right now, I hear L'Oreal is doing a cushion for example. I'm sure we'll have a LRP sleeping mask sometime in the future. Cerave PM is quite like a sleeping mask and it's a US drugstore / mass market product.

Is there a list of reliable sites in the uk where you can buy these products? specifically the sleeping masks and face masks? I don't want to go down the ebay route and worry if products are genuine or not.

Frugal Do Italian customs have a list of products that you can not import? it seems a bit heavy handed to not let beauty products in. The only things I have heard that have not got threw UK customs is nail enamels and the Innisfree Orchid range of products.

Yazzy www.koreankosmetics.co.uk is a UK shop. I have never brought from them though. Also www.p2bus.com is another shop they also have a actual shop in London also.

Thanks for those uk sites, I'll have a look. Re TBS sleeping mask, I looked in the shop and it feels like it would be lovely, someone on the other CH thread is using it and raved about it

I've lost a couple of irreplaceable perfume orders (vintage stuff) to Italian customs. They have their own rules. I got tired of them and started bringing home stuff in my suitcase - nobody at the border shows any interest in my luggage - or circulating it via Northern Europe (prefer to pay my VAT there). This should not be a problem elsewhere in Europe. I found a few other EU-based shops, anything within the EU is fine, please scroll back for links!

I just tried some out on the back of my hand and I'm okay with the texture. Just reluctant to pay 22 quid for a Body Shop product! They always exclude it from offers and I can't believe their prices these days. I remember shopping in there with my pocket money

ilovetosleep I've used roseroseshop many times with no problems. Items usually take 2-3 weeks and they give good free samples too

Thank you so much for the links rubyshoes3

It seems Returning Starfish is in high demand - I can't find it anywhere except ebay! Might end up having to buy the set from cultbeauty even though I don't really want the eye cream... and i was hoping to get the snail gel rather than cream. If anyone has bought any recently from genuine seller let me know!

cosmetic-love.com/mizon-returning-starfish-cream-60ml.html

ilovetosleep I have brought from this Korean online shop a few times, never had any problems with any of their products.

Thank you ruby

One more Q for now.... Has anyone tried the Tony Moly Panda whitening sleep mask? I just want the cute pot Is it good? I can't find an ingredients list anywhere. Thanks!

I could play on this thread all day long. Étude always includes little samples and a happy note with each product. I am off to look at some SkinFood products..I think I might need a second job soon..

ohohoh! I am excited...dp has spent some cash so I have up to a tenner more to spend (we try and be equal with spendy cash).

I don't know what to get though... I'm still tempted by the lip balms!

May I ask whether any of you Asian skincare fans have ever tried the Kanebo Instant Glow foundations? They are an ultra-sheer bronzing type of cream, and seem to be water based. Do any of the other Asian brands you are talking about do anything similar (but ideally less £££)? I can only buy it from Harrods and it's £36 including postage!! Sorry for the hijack, but finding the thread v interesting.

PLEASE HElP ME! I have searched through blogs and websites until my eyes, head and brain hurt. I want to get some cheap but effective hydrating sheet masks.
If you currently use ones that you really like PLEASE let me know.
( desperate emoticon)

My brain hurts too buttons. It's overwhelming. If it helps I have ordered from a uk ebay seller an aloe innisfree sheet mask, a hyuralonic Etude one and a green tea Etude one, all just to try for my first sheet masks. Oh and I accidentally got a missha aloe one too ;)

Well thanks to you lot, I have bought Holika Holika royal jelly bb cream and a Japanese hylaluronic moisteriser for a fiver...

Could one of you please link me to a list of toners to have a look at. I've tried various combinations of searches to find somewhere to start my research on ebay but am not having much joy

bigbuttons I have never tried one, but I have read a lot of bloggers who recommend masks by My Beauty Diary, Innisfree and Leaders. I am considering a My Beauty Diary aloe pack and an Innisfree total care pack.

lucysmam what would you like the toner to do? Moisturise / exfoliate...?
On the blogs I've read, the CosRX aha and BHA toners seem to be highly recommended. I've also read a lot of good things about the Goodal essence toners and they are on my ebay wish list right now! It won't be long before I cave I think..

Wombat, I've been looking mainly at calming/soothing products and ones to try and stop the outbreaks of spots so something along those lines maybe or something that will complement the healing properties of the snail gel for existing scars.

I liked the sound of the rice water oil cleanser and toner (The Skin Shop...I think, maybe) but after a bit of reading, they don't seem particularly suitable for oily skin which mine tends to be. Although it's not as bad as it used to be.

Oh good to know ruby, thanks! I have a couple of red marks from acne so will check back in a let you know if there's any progress when I get to the end of the bottle.

Acne is my foe too Frugal, I've never got on with oil cleansing. I'm currently using clarins cleansing lotion, no7 boots melting gel and garnier micellar water. The Benton essence is not at all oily,

Tempted to order the holika holika now, I have been using skin79 bb cream, the Orange one but it's been hard to get on eBay. Has anyone any recommendations for which shade to get? I'm an NW20, classically pale freckly Irish skin with pink undertones.

Lucysmam have a look at the Goodal essence. Here is a blogger with oily / acne prone skin who raves about it!
www.fanserviced-b.com/fighting-oil-with-oil-a-review-of-goodals-waterest-lasting-water-oil/

I've been reading her blog because I have quite similar skin to her, I think..