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

This is my sunscreen mist/spray thread on reddit. Only one reply so far & no info there

I don't know whether to try it or not

QueenSS I've not tried any yet, but have a Mizon Bee Venom sachet amongst my samples (not sure whether cream, serum or other atm) and am definitely going to give it a try soon. Happy to fill up the thread with my witterings report back.

lucysmam, it's a saturday so maybe people will be more likely to answer later in the day? Also I get the impression that the reddit boards have a lot of people in the US etc so different time zones etc. Hopefully you'll get some more responses soon.

However I've just done a search for Kose Fasio sunscreens in general and the Ratzilla overview of the range is not great. I can't remember where I found the link to her site - was it on here? It's a reasonably comprehensive guide to Japanese and Korean beauty products. Her graphics are a bit of a state though!

Yes, I saw that one earlier on. Couldn't find much else though but that may be down to my awful google skills.

Reddit does seem to have a lot of US users, hopefully I'll get a few more replies or some useful info later on

Hmmmm, I've been browsing Pinterest & am now in a flap about the order I'm doing things in...someone say yes (please!)

AM-

Wash off pm products with flannel & water
Vit c serum + 20 min wait
Prescription spot treatment

Hada labo toner will go here

Day serum (Superdrug's Clearly Youthful one - will look to replace soonish as it empties)
Snail gel cream
Heavier day cream if needed
Sunscreen

PM -

Oil cleanse (Skin Food Black Sugar)
Foaming cleanser in the shower.

Syn-ake/clay/mud mask here (not sure it should be here or after BHA?)

Clearasil pads (x3/week...20 min wait - will be replaced by COSRX A-Sol)

Hada Labo toning lotion will go here.

Prescription.
Night serum (Superdrug again - will look to replace as it empties a bit more).
Snail gel.
Eye cream will go here.

Heavier moisturiser if needed (not atm really though - snail seems to have it covered)

Sheet mask once sat down for the evening.

Sleeping product.

Any thoughts or adjustments, or serum suggestions?

Just popping in to say I received the hada labo creamy uv gel a few days ago - omg. It glides on and feels/acts like an expensive primer!

Here's the picture of my lovely Missha.ee mini-haul (with my Hado Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Foaming Wash, which also arrived today from Japan).

I think all the samples are amazing and I'm super excited to try all the Missha Aqua products as I was planning on buying the range anyway.

I ordered:
MISSHA M Magic Cushion [No. 23]
MISSHA The Style Perfect Eyebrow Styler [Dark Brown]
MISSHA The Style Deep Moist Lip Essence [No. 2 / Warm Honey]
MISSHA Natural Konjac Cleansing Puff [White Clay]
MISSHA Real Essential Sheet Mask [Hyaluronic Acid]
MISSHA Speedy Solution Nose Pore Cleaning Patch Set

My Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB cream arrived and I love it so far. I got the second shade, as I am about NC15/17 and its just right. Shade 2 would have definitely gone on too pale.

It dries to a semi matte finish, and gives light/ medium coverage. It feels cool going on- it reminds me of a runnier version of Rimmel Match Perfection Gel foundation (now discontinued but I did like it). It lasts really well, even without a setting powder over it.

Very impressed with it.

Poppy that's a good haul! I'm very impressed. Hope you have a lovely time trying them all out.

Is anyone else using the CosRx BHA liquid? I recieved mine today and am really looking forward to it. Is it supposed to be used in place of the toner in the routine?

Yazzy- Did you get the BHA power liquid? It's meant to be used after a vitamin c serum (if you use one) but doesn't replace a hydrating toner such as Hada Labo or an AHA/ glycolic toner. If I'm doing a long routine in the morning I will
Cleanse
AHA toner*
Vitamin c serum*
BHA toner*
Hada Labo hydrating toner/ lotion
Benton snail bee essence
Moisturiser (currently Cerave PM).

In the evening I will
Double cleanse
BHA*
LRP Redermic R*
Hada Labo toner
Snail bee essence
Moisturiser.

The ones with * are actives so I generally wait at least 10 Minutes before applying the next layer. It should be 20 minutes but who had time for that? I also don't do every step listed every day, but if I do that's how I use it.

Chester can I ask you why you are doing 2 acid tones in the morning?
I have always understood that you use AHA in the morning and BHA in the evening.

Thank you ForSaleChesterDraws . Yes its the BHA power liquid. I didn't know about how to use it with other products. I will add it in after my ren radiance serum with vitamin c that I am using up and add a hydrating toner afterwards like you mentioned.

Woke up to particularly radiant skin this morning. Trying to backtrack what I did last night

Cleanse (micellar + cream cleanser)
A quick tap-tap-tap with 2% salicylic acid pad
Innisfree Real Squeeze Blackberry sheet mask
Innisfree Red Wine sleeping mask
Missha Long name eye serum
Mizon eye cream
Plus about 10 hours of sleep

Poppy Thanks so much for your haul pic! It looks lovely, enjoy!
Cindy I hope you will like the sunscreen! Wearing it every day makes such a difference.
FallenAngel I have those masks too and they are really good!
Brittany that is great - please give me your impressions of the toner when you have tested it!
Bigbuttons I want to try Sulwhasoo at some point too!

Scrambled Borneo and Seoul are on my list too The Baltic capitals are amazing, you just have to avoid a couple of bars and restaurants. I love Riga and Vilnius too. I have travelled a lot with DC and Airbnb type rentals or a hotel suites is what we do, plus we always visit local playgrounds. The cities are compact, walkable and child friendly. Kadriorg park is one of our favorite places, we take the tram there, have lunch at the Kumu art museum (small but the collection is very impressive) and then visit the black swans and spend some time at the big playground.

I actually had a girls' night out with DDs (5 and 7) last night at our local restaurant. We dressed up a bit and got extreme attention from waiters. The girls had so much to say, it is actually a bit scary how much their thoughts and stories get suppressed in adult company. To be repeated soon!

Lucysmam I thought of you when I saw

Thanks Frugal, I spotted it yesterday but we had guests so I didn't watch it. I particularly like when he asks about "special facial bees"

I'm guessing my routine's ok since none of you have picked it apart so will carry on as I am

I've just checked reddit too. My sunscreen spray thread only got the one reply so I'll go back to hunting for facial sunscreen mists at some point today & see what else I come up with. Need to bake for school first.

Lucysmam I think sunscreen sprays are a niche product so not everyone has experience of them. I used one for body years ago but the problem was that it was a bit messy (to be used on the beach, not in my bathroom) so I have never tried another although I am a heavy sunscreen user. I keep my face layers thin and the sunscreen close to my skin (I do the heavy moisturizing at night) so I just add a blob on my nose and cheeks and neck and shoulders if I go out later in the day. I used to live in the tropics so I have an ingrained rhythm of staying indoors or in the shade between 10am and 4 pm.

I'm having a before baking so thought I'd have a bit more of a mooch at reddit for spray sunscreen recs. They don't seem popular on there - main arguments being that;

• you'd be spraying a lot to get the required 1/4 teaspoon (I don't even have a kids spray one left to test how many pumps it takes)

• coverage would be uneven

Sunscreen powders do seem popular though but I imagine would be very cake-ey by the end of the day.

Tony Moly & Holika do sprays so I'll look them up and see what reviews are like & be back with links

I wanted it mainly for sitting in the garden or park with the girls Frugal, the summer hols are coming soon (toooooo soon!) and our main source of entertainment is the park for picnics or playing and the garden.

I don't go out without make up - bb/mascara/eyeliner at least - so could do with something to put on top. Especially after I burned the other day when we were only out 2 hours!

newsreader do you still have the missha perfect cover samples? Ive been wanting to get the #27 esp but doing a no spend month so would be lovely to try that out!

I tried sulwhasoo overnight mask last night and after a busy day followed by 6 hr sleep my skin at least looks lovely, very clear and even - it can sometimes look very blotchy in the mornings.

I haven't been using any products for the last week and dying to try out my new sheet masks so will ease back into my routine tonight and start with one of these - is it sad I'm really looking forward to doing a sheet mask!

Someone with good Google skills help me! I can find reviews of the cooling spray but not this Etude House Sunprise face & body spray

It's reasonably priced on ebay & the other items in the range seem to be favourably reviewed so I might give it a whirl.

Bigbuttons/ I don't usually use two acid toners in the morning, but if I did they'd go in that order. It's normally when I realise I've not used one for a few days and panic.

Mowglik yes I just have one, inbox me with your address and I'll pop it in the post.

chester thanks for clearing that up!
My skin is slightly spotty probably due to my illness. During fevers I couldn't bear to touch my skin at all and putting water on it was out of the question. It is also hard to get the energy up to do a routine. Now I can just about manage to wash it and then moisturise!