Obsessed with Asian/Korean stuff - taking your skincare to level 2!

[FrugalFashionista]

Asian and Korean skincare products seem to be a big thing right now - we are falling in love with quite a few things...

Interested in the following?

• finding a great sunscreen - here's a thread favorite
• tailoring a multi-step ritual to your skincare needs - here are the basics
• talking about geisha beauty rituals - you'll probably need to read this
• 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!

Vol 1 of this thread here

Lucysmam the Hada Labo Gokujyun lotion most definitely would be a great base, but quite liquid, did you have hyaluronic powder already (cheaper, save active ingredient)? I think you and Bigbuttons can start your own line soon - you'd outsmart Sunday Riley in no time

May have found my new fave sheet mask tonight - Innisfree Real Squeeze Cucumber. Who knew? So relaxing that I actually fell asleep

Poppy I love bouncy creams too... And Jill Stuart looks great...

Bigbuttons sorry about your face If you have any snail stuff, might be worth a try.

Not Asian but Eucerin 5% urea is my go-to for flaky skin.

Ilove you'll need to give us daily updates about your skin. My day is immediately better if I hear that that all is well! Waiting is painful though, sending you lucky vibes for tomorrow!

Some Retin-A tips from Reddit. Mind, I am not using retinoids so no personal experience!

ooooh! I forgot about the cucumber! Will grate some up for when we get in from dd1's choir performance tomorrow. I'll have a look at the Hada labo too in the morning, thanks again Frugal

Frugal that raccoon mask is adorable!

Lucysmam I feel like I'm always banging on about propolis! I heard about it on the AB reddit sub. 95% propolis (antibacterial, antioxidant, healing, good for acne), and the second ingredient is the lovely niacinamide for added scar removal and anti-ageing. The Scinic serum is easy to find for about £12 on eBay. It's a watery gel formula in a dropper bottle. It doesn't smell and sinks in very quickly when I pat it in, Korean stylee. Since using it ive had no major breakouts (1 week in now) and had a reduction in scarring on my neck. However that could also be down to the 0.025 retin-a that I started (3x week) at the same time. Either way both products seem to work well together. I use the propolis after my actives (glycolic, salicylic, retinoid) - after I've waited for however long I can be bothered

On the placenta front (can't believe I just wrote that!) I read a rather disturbing article about how little girls who had been using hair products containing placenta developed signs of early puberty, which disappeared after they stopped using the products. It did make me 'unwatch' the Mizon placenta serum I'd had my eye on I must admit.. But then again, you can't believe everything you read on the web, can you. What does everyone else think?

viewpoint one: it's likely harmless due to the sterilisation processes involved in manufacture

but this Wikipedia article says the FDA believes its 'potentially hazardous'

Frugal, is this the hada labo? There are so many options on there my head's a bit ! I haven't got hyaluronic powder...will look into that too.

I'm testing Missha 23 today - first impression is that it was more grey toned coming out of the packet than 21 so will see how I fare through the day but may order more samples of 21 to get a proper feel for it. I still have the sample of 13 too, but think that may be very pale based on these two.

Someone up thread was talking about cheap foot peeling things. Don't do it! My feet did not peel in nice long strips but small tiny dry dandruff like flakes. It was horrible.

My orders still haven't arrived though. I feel left out

that was me Gin, & I ordered some to make up my spends last week . Never mind, I'll probably still try them since they're on the way now.

I forgot the bloody link in my first post this hada labo Frugal?

Anyone tried snail serum? I'm wondering if layering snailey stuff will promote their healing properties more maybe? (am most impressed with the snail gel ...will be ordering more of that).

Yes that's it Lucysmam! I mix Misshas to get a perfect shade.

I've just received a parcel from W2 beauty. You weren't lying about the huge amount of samples she sends! So impressed. I've been sent some Benton stuff, Missha signature BB cream, a sheet mask and some other sachets that I need to investigate further as they sound scary (a brick serum?! WTF?). This is in addition to a Laneige pore control cushion, an innisfree no-sebum powder and some Benton Snail Bee sheet masks that, yet again, I have no memory of ordering. But I must have done, because they're here.

In comparison the box merely containing my Su:m37 stick cleanser looks very bare, but I am at least looking forward to using it.

Aah, good idea about mixing them! I'll give that a go later on when I'm getting ready to go out.

Scrambled, brick serum sounds erm...interesting I'm going to google it now out of interest.

I'm wondering, since we're going out tonight, how much of your morning routines would you repeat in the process? All of it? Or just selected bits?

Just wanted to check in to say thank you to everyone who has recommended the holika bb cream. I am so pleased with it, I actually got complimented on my skin yesterday for the first time ever! Would highly recommended to anyone with an oily complexion .

First impressions of Snail gel - it's not very moisturising however it also hasn't made me react or break out and it does seem to make my skin look brighter.

I'll keep going with it but think I'm going to have to work out how to lock in moisture with it, while not making my skin break out. Apparently using it as a moisturiser on top of all the other treatments is a sure-fire way to get cystic acne, so I used it as the sole treatment last night after some very gentle cleansing. So far so good.

Today I received from postie my Laneige pore control BB cushion and a Misha cream stick blusher that I don't remember ordering. I had already applied foundation but now debating whether to wash off and try out BB cushion? Blusher is lovely and sheer pink. Even though I have rosacia I don't fear the pink! Tons of samples too

And OMG the Laneige cushion is amazing. I love it. I think I might have to buy another one in a slightly darker shade for summer, but I don't care. I honestly have never tried a base that suits my skin so well.

Right - the 'brick' serum is actually Banila V-V Vitalising serum, which boasts Liquid Crystal Brick Mechanism™. I have no idea what any of that means, but it sounds impressive.

Oh and I have a beauty of a spot forming on forehead. Luckily I have a very heavy 60s fringe. Fear not I don't think the trigger is anything Korean. Suspected culprit James Read Tan Mask. I got a spot last week after using it.

Scrambled, I've been layering the snail gel with my day serum underneath for day and then spf on top; and prescription/serum then a slightly heavier moisturiser I'm finishing off on a night time with no break outs.

These little beauties have been good for me too worn overnight on any brewing acne cysts. They reduce the redness and take the swelling down overnight like magic

I'm of all the early posties! Ours is always mid-afternoon.

Sorry, it was dafty with the spot! Still, those Nexcare patches are like overnight magic

I've ordered them Lucysmam! Forehead spot will probably be gone by time they arrive but I'm sure there will be another somewhere.
Bit upset about the tan. Anyone know of a subtle face tanner that doesn't start breakouts? I don't mind being so pale with dark eyes and hair in winter. However in Summer I would like a less dramatic made up look and a wee glow would be nice.

I'm intrigued by the bb cushion. The laneige one is not cheap ($55) though.

Mine only took a week ish to get here dafty.

Grin, have a look at the Missha ones - think they were only £7 ish on ebay.

I really ought to get something done but am mooching between here, ebay and reddit instead!

Finall after a loooong three week wait my stash has arrived. Well, I've another one due but at least I can relax now and stop fretting. They are turning up! So i got some bb creams, holika holika and tony moly, some sheet masks to try and a hand mask. Lots of samples too including oil blooting sheets from Jolse which i think is a great freebie as there are loads in the pack.

Can't wait till the kids are in bed. Is that awful?

Oh god, excuse dreadful typos.