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, thank you! Never too early for a celebratory cheers
It's marketing, big, exciting opportunity so very happy! It will be a lot of hard work so I'm hoping my lovely new skincare products are up to the challenge of keeping me looking somewhat human

You know you've got a problem when things you don't remember ordering turn up. This morning a cushion refill and an Innisfree wine sleeping pack arrived . Plus MORE samples.

I really like the Mizon pack, I use it practically every night and I'm seeing a marked improvement. So wtf was I doing buying another one?! Although the cushion refill is good - it's shade 21 so perfect for summer.

Congratulations on the new job, Gertrude!

wickedfairy, I agree with mowglik - Hadolabo goes on straight after cleaning. Supposedly if you put it on within 2 seconds of doing your 2nd cleanse it's the best thing to prevent moisture loss, but who could seriously manage that?! I'm very tempted by the BB jelly - that's going on my cosmetics wishlist. Which is currently as long as my arm

Newsreader, sorry to hear the Innisfree cleansing oil is not great. Hope it wasn't too expensive?

Right, so I bought this at lunchtime. 135 HKD, which is about a tenner. I HOPE it's the hyaluronic lotion/mosturiser!

Congratulations Gertrude sounds exciting.

My skin is looking amazing this morning, but still a bit sore after the apple experience so I'm conflicted.

That looks right, Jessie. I've checked the Hada Labo website and it seems ok. Enjoy!

Fantastic that your skin looks good, Newsreader. Apple experience doesn't sound wonderful though, are you going to try it again?

I would definitely recommend the Jelly BB cream. I'll update after a week or so to see if I break out etc.

newsreader I'm also on the hunt for a decent cleansing oil. They're a tricky one to get right!

Just bought Laneige sleeping pack, this thread is lethal.

I realise that I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but if you want a good cleansing oil you don't have to go K-beauty. I'm using the Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil thanks to a Caroline Hirons recommendation and I truly love it. So much that I'm not likely to even try another oil for a good long while!

Even the notoriously bitchy stringent Paula's Choice Beautypedia has nothing negative to say about it. They try, of course, and mark it only 3 stars out of 4, but the negatives are tenuous to say the least. It's the worst thing about that brand IMO, they are the Demontors of the skincare industry. Shame as their BHA lotion is very good.

TBS cleansing oil has a light herbal/floral scent which I really like, and obviously feels very 'oily' to the touch, but nicely IYKWIM. I use about 1-2 pumps. It dissolves makeup in seconds, and is very gentle around the eyes. I then wet my hands and emulsify the oil, so it becomes a little creamy. Wash off with lukewarm water. It doesn't require a washcloth if you then use a foaming cleanser - I've been using another TBS product, the Aloe foaming wash, or Su:m37 rose stick.

None of these products are 'stripping' and all leave my extremely sensitive skin feeling clean and soft. I actually rate TBS oil above the Emma Hardie Moringa balm which I also use, and was previously very happy with. Which is great because TBS oil is £10 for 200ml which lasts ages, and the EH balm is nearly £40 for 100ml. So £ vs £££.

AND The Body Shop has a 3 for 2 offer on at the moment. I bought some more makeup brushes along with my cleansing oil - the eyeshadow blending brush is great for applying my Innisfree No-Sebum powder to the parts of my face that need it. I'm aiming for that lovely 'mul gwang' look that a lot of Korean celebrities have, dewy skin coupled with an inner glow.

I'm a big fan of the Camomile Cleansing Oil too and have got loads of bottles of in reserve in case the Body Shop decide to discontinue it!

Wow exciting buys! I started no-buy June when I realized I could not remember any more what I had ordered. I keep a parcel list now on my phone and also a wishlist. It is so easy to get carried away... The Innisfree sleeping pack was a similar thing for me - I already had a few I loved and then yet another parcel arrived I love it though, one of my favorites.

I have three tiny breakouts at the corner of my mouth. I blame my oily lip balm and trying to cover them up yesterday with liquid foundation when we went to a party (mineral makeup and BB cream were too sheer). I should know better...

Gertrude congrats! Sounds very exciting!

Jessie that looks like the Gokujyan that I have!

well done gertrude
Well wouldn't you know it, my errant box of goodies from beautynet attived today. I have sponge thing, I don't know what to do with it LOl
The snail bee essence and a big banana full of that luscious hand cream!

Well, I have a dilemma re acids.
I use the clearasil in the mornings and bravura aha in the evening. I used to use nip and fab pads. Like them at first then realised they left a sort of sticky film.
I am not overly impressed with what I have been using.
I was looking at the fifty shades of snail and she raves about the 3 cosrx acids, i.e the a-sol, the blackhead and whitehead liquids. She rates them as far more visibly effective than paulas choice, not at all stripping or aggressive but far more effective. She uses the a-sol as a pre acid primer.
So, to buy or not to buy?

Thanks everyone. I'm super excited and exhausted at the same time. Should have saved my sheet mask for tonight!

Scrambled - I've always had a dislike to bodyshop products. I'm not really sure why as I've never had a bad reaction or anything. I would just never consider to even try them. I think maybe back in the day they were overpriced and I've had an aversion since then. I tend to put TBS in the same category as lush (too much spiel, too little substance) I'll check out the cleansing oil though, it sounds great

It was the vile pong of dewberry that put me off TBS originally, Gertrude! I know what you mean. It took a lot of persuading for me to head in there, and it was only because I saw this Caroline Hirons post that I finally took the plunge.

You have to pick your products carefully. I would never buy anything from there on a whim, I always research first. The only products I use are the cleansing oil, the aloe face wash and the hemp hand cream*. The makeup brushes are pretty good too.

• I also use the Aloe eye serum but I don't recommend this. It's just ok. It doesn't have any noticeable effects although it is cooling and soothing.

Thanks all re when to apply Hada Labo. I bought "Hada Labo super hyaluronic moisturising lotion"

[[Skin and tonics does a review and she uses it after her vitC:
skinandtonics.com/rohto-hada-labo-gokujyn-super-hyaluronic-acid-lotion-review/]]

Sorry if that link doesn't work, am on my phone.....

So, what do you think - like above or as some on here are doing, straight after cleanse? I have some OST vitC serum coming, so trying to make sure I get things in the correct order!

Hmmm, will try link again

skinandtonics.com/rohto-hada-labo-gokujyn-super-hyaluronic-acid-lotion-review/

Mm wicked fairy- I do
Cleanse
BHA
Vitamin c
Hada Labo

Oh most defiantly agree with doing research and picking products carefully. I research everything to the point of madness, it's an obsession!!

There was a girl in my year in school who used to shower in was liberal with TBS White Musk perfume, out eyes would be watering and the headaches, oh the headaches so perhaps it's that!

On that note actually I want to get some samples of a few products before I take the plunge. Can anybody recommend a good site for this?

bigbuttons, yay for your parcel arriving eventually!

Mine that should have been here yesterday didn't show up . It was only a couple of quid novelty item but still....

Wicked, I'd do vit c, bha, hada labo

Thanks all. Plan to:

1. double cleanse
2. vitC then wait 20 mins
3. Hada Labo
4. essence
5. serum
6. cream
7. eye cream
8. night pack, if required

Does that sound ok?

Re: hada labo - I use a similar thing and I use it like a second toner a la Caroline Hirons

So

Cleanse 1
Cleanse 2
Acid toner
Hada labo (or similar hyaluronic acid lotion)
Serum (snail cream for me atm)
Sleeping pack

Ok Scrambled and Squoosh you've convinced me, I'll head off to the body shop when I'm in town next week. I'm using the Emma Hardie balm at the moment and the apple stuff was supposed to be for when that runs out.

So glad your stuff arrived BigButtons, is it a Konjac sponge you have? I got one last week, it's ok but I can't see what's different about it.

I've had an unexpectedly exciting morning as I had to kill half an hour near Selfridges so poped in for a wander and stumbled upon Muji, which I'd totally forgotten about. I bought their moisturising essence, a small spray bottle (hoping replicate Clinique moisture surge spray) and also spotted a pack of day sheet masks. While I was paying the lovely Muji lady asked if I'd used the sheet masks before, so I explained about my new obsession with KB and she said Oh have you seen the cotton pads? I had spotted them, but couldn't see why they'd be any different to good old Tesco's. So she explained that they are the most popular item with their Chinese, Korean and Japanese customers because they peel into four separate sheets. They're larger than the usual pad and rectangular, so you soak it in essence/whatever and use like a mini sheet mask, so peel each section and stick them all over your face for five minutes or however long you've got daily.

www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=17&Sub=70&PID=4406

Needless to say I bought some immediately, am ridiculously excited.