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

Frugal - I sympathize with the Italian postal system. A relative of mine lives in Italy and we used to send parcels back and forward for Christmas etc. They were forever going missing or items missing from them, it was awful. Now we save the money and book flights instead

Gertrude - booking flights to Seoul would probably save me money... Lots of companies actually don't ship to Italy because they know the parcel will get lost. I ordered a pair of white J brand jeans to Italy last May, they arrived in September. Based on package stamps they had took less than a week from California to Italy, and spent the summer in a customs warehouse somewhere.

Frugal, I like your thinking

Another totally futuristic article.

Second link recommendation - Face Masks: The One Night Stands Of Skin Care
Don't miss the slide show. That's where it gets really futuristic.

Cam you tell I'm doing a sheet mask right now?

Interesting links frugal, I'll have a good read when I'm home thanks.

Quick question - how do people choose which shade of BB cream to get? I am typically pale Irish - normally use Bourjois in 51 but I'm wary that they might be too pale? I'm looking at Hoika Hoika Jelly or Missha M and just can't decide!

Interesting first article Frugal, I like the sound of the little device to give reminders and take notes for you.

I missed the slide show but like the look of the ones that look like juice pouches - will be hunting for those later on to try out.

eek! I can only find a pack of 6 Aritaum masks for a tenner - I was hoping for a single one to have a try of.

Gertrude, try temptalia foundation matrix. Put in what you're currently using & it's supposed to make recommendations based on that. It didn't work for Max Factor, and I got a tad confused, but Bourjois might work

Hello new people! . Welcome to the world of snails and starfish!

Gertrude My acne emerged after I came off the pill too...pants isn't it. I find double cleansing with micellar water and a balm such as Emma Hardie. I'm quite hot on acid toning too. The lighter essences / serums from Korea have worked for me too. I like Mizon snail repair cream, and Mizon starfish cream.

My OST C20 serum and Biore watery essence arrived today, woop! Will wait a bit before I introduce the serum I think..

Gertrude google for swatches. Here are some. Missha is gray/pink toned so it is very good for my cool/neutral skin. Holika looks warmer but I haven't tried it. I'm very pale - I'd guess NW10ish and Missha Perfect Cover #13 is almost too ghostly for me, I can get away with #21. Missha BB cream samples can be ordered from Missha.de.

Ilovetosleep - I am in the process of using up western products I currently have before moving to completely Korean/Japanese... I am a novice by the way, I hopped onto this thread at the beginning and my skin looks all the better for it already!

Skin: dry, pale skin. I don't seem to have many spot issues (fingers crossed) although I have a few broken capillaries at sides of nose. I want to reduce sun damage however as I am quite freckley

A.M: wash with water
Tone - little Liz Earle sample
Mizon hyaluronic acid serum
Moisturiser - Victoria principal day stuff
Sunscreen - almost finished my LRP Anthelios, which is crap and leave a white cast. Waiting on my Biore stuff coming but it's been a month (will chase Amazon.com tomorrow, when the delivery window is up)

P.M - cleanse x2, Victoria principal stuff
Tone -same as a.m
Mizon hyaluronic acid serum
Eye serum -Victoria principal stuff
Sometimes use a sheet mask or Nuxe dry facial oil
Moisturise and eye cream -Avon night cream with glycolic acid

I have just received the Missha super Aqua trial kit, so looking forward to trying that.

What I need to buy (for when my current stuff runs out)is:
Some kind of toner
Another serum - maybe the OST C20 vitC stuff? To reduce pigmentation
Mizon good night sleep mask
Tony Moly Apple skin peel thing

Sorry - that was an epic phone post - what do you all think of the above routine? Would also be grateful for any suggestions for anything I am missing! Thanks

Wait Gertrude! i have Bourjois #51, will do swatches for you!

I have very pale Irish skin and Missha BB cream in shade 13 is the perfect match for me. Alas I just don't particularly like the finish it gives!

I see you use Bourjois in shade 51 though. In this case Missha 13 will probably be too pale for you as Bourjois 51 is too dark for me.

Thanks a mill for info. I'll have a good look later, might err on the optimistic side and get shade 21; it's supposed to be a nice summer.... right?

My god, this thread is so exciting, I literally haven't been this excited in years and thanks so much for the info, its a little less daunting now. On a duller note, I'm off to do the Asda shop. I'll keep you all updated when I finally make my order this evening

Okay, here are my BB cream swatches - I swatched what I have, Dr Jart and Missha, plus a few traditional foundations, Revlon Colorstay, Bourjois and Chanel. The underside of my arm, daylight, very heavy swatches so that you can actually see anything. I am a bit more tanned now, #21 is my summer shade and #13 my winter shade. Click the link for closeups. And sorry for the smudges, tried to use a black marker first - fail.

Just used an Innisfree anti-trouble propolis sheet mask. Quite a different feel than the My Beauty diary ones - the essence in the Innisfree one is more watery and less 'juicy', and the mask is thinner. Less of a strong chemically smell than the MBD ones too. The cotton in the mask was covered in little black spots (this is normal, I checked it out). The sheet mask felt less moisturising when I was wearing it and the essence took less time and 'tapping' to absorb than MBD. But my skin feels lovely now - cool, hydrated, soothed, refreshed. If I had a breakout this would definitely be my go-to sheet mask out of the ones I've tried. If you have dry skin I imagine you'd prefer one of the richer MBD masks...

Thanks for the tip Frugal! Can't wait for my goodies to arrive.

Hmmmm, Aritaum seems to be out of my budget Never mind. I'll have a look at something else instead - the something bubbling maybe, that sounded interesting too.

Completely unrelated - do any of you who use the diy ultrabland think it would be gentle enough for dd1? Her excema is flaring up on her face and neck a little, as well as the odd spots I'm going to make a gp appointment in the morning I think but it's usually a 3 week wait for an appointment & anything they offer will (I presume) be chemical based.

lucysmam... how old is she? I've used LRP cicaplast Baume 5 on my three year old niece and it worked wonders. It's about �15/£13

Oh wow frugal thanks so much. Those swatches are so helpful! Its great to see them in relation to what I currently use and I do think the 13 would be too light on me now.
I echo another poster, this thread is so enabling

She's 8yo Gertrude. I think the spots are the start of 'teen' spots tbh - she's a lot bigger than most of her peers, is developing breasts and properly sweats (with associated smell) too. I'll have a look at the LRP next time I head to town & google for ingredients in the meantime.

I have been lurking in the shadows on this thread. I have bought some Snail Repair Cream, Egg White Bubble Cleanser and Apple Smoothie Peeling Gel (all Mizon). I LOVE the snail cream, but the cleanser is too drying for my skin and the jury is still out on the peeling gel.

I need a cleanser that will be non-irritating and hydrating (my skin is very dry and prone to rashes and psoriasis). I don't often wear make up but I do wear tinted sunscreen or tinted moisturiser sometimes. I'm thinking of Shu Uemura Blanc : Chroma cleansing oil. Any thoughts on whether it might suit me? Or is there something better?

Bitter, what does the bubble cleanser feel like on your skin?

Sorry, I don't think I have any useful suggestions for you as my skin is oily/acne prone but if you scroll back a bit, Frugal and wizard [I think] posted their dry skin routines which might help as a starter

I took the plunge with a diy green tea/glycerin sheet mask. Think I squeezed out a bit much liquid though -it's drying a bit already But it's nice and cool/relaxing still so that's a bonus.

I think green tea powder might be easier than the bags to just make up a very small quantity of liquid to soak into the mask though as there is a fair bit left over. I might try adding a little of the snail gel tomorrow after Rainbows. And will invest in some tea tree/lavender/lemon essential oils I think - not to use all at once I don't think though.

One other thing - the compressed sheets are very small compared to the shop bought ones. Well, either that or my face has grown since last night

Bigbuttons, what other things do you diy if you don't mind me asking? I quite enjoy a spot of diy beauty treatments and the like once I get going