Obsessed with Asian/Korean stuff - taking your skincare to level 4!

[FrugalFashionista]

Asian and Korean skincare products are a big thing right now. We love them!

Tailor your routine here!
Some of our favorite products so far...
Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50 Sunscreen
Missha Magic Cushion BB Cream #21
Lioele Dollish Veil Vita in Purple
CosRx Returning A-sol
Scinic Propolis Serum
Mizon Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule
Missha Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail products
Mizon Snail Repair Cream
Mizon Returning Starfish Cream
Mizon Good Night White Sleep Mask
Innisfree Wine Jelly Sleeping Pack
My Beauty Diary Imperial Birds Nest and Hyaluronic Sheet Masks
Innisfree Trouble Care Sheet Masks
Innisfree Real Squeeze Sheet Masks
Tony Moly Avocado Mask
Nexcare Acne Patches

Orders from outside the EU: £15 or less are VAT free!

Best blogs and other resources
Reddit Asian Beauty
Fifty Shades of Snail
Snow White & Asian Pear
Skin & Tonics
more resources here...

Vol 3 of this thread here, Vol 2 of here and Vol 1 here

Please come and share your questions, experiences, links and best shopping tips!

Ruby I buy a lot of items from a seller called IAmLove-Shop on eBay.
They are quicker then the others and I haven't had any issues with them or the products. They appear to stock the bb cream.

scrambled hope you're keeping cool!
I'm intrigued about the water oil. Are you using it as a cleanser? I've just read up on it expecting it to be a cleanser but it's used as a serum.
When/if you get a chance could you explain how you use it in your routine. I especially like the sound of the grits coming out. Do you massage the oil in and then the grits come out? Sorry being dense today!

I've just tried the konjac sponge - it's like a firm jelly type feeling a bit odd but quite pleasant too!

An Introduction to Actives loooong post from reddit but useful - might be handy in the next OP

My innisfree manuka honey masks have just dropped through the door along with tcfs pumpkin sleeping pack samples (Curiosity )

Hi bigbuttons - I'm sweltering, thanks for asking Dunking in the sea/pool helps briefly, but then we're straight back to gently melting in the heat.

The Waterest Oil is a serum. As per Fanserviced-B and the advice from Goodal, I apply it straight after cleansing (post-Cosrx, pre- Hadalabo). It's the only thing I've changed in my routine recently, so I assume it's behind my new success with oil cleansing. I was using my Body Shop camomile oil when all the grits came out. Presumably the added moisture in my routine has softened my pores and made it easier to slide the grits out.

Btw, when oil cleansing you need quite a lot. I've found that the more slip you have, the less drag on your skin and the easier the grits come out with a gentle massage.

Can't link to Fanserviced-B's link about Goodal, but it was quite a recent post so have a look at her blog page and scroll down till you see it. Should be on the first page still.

I got grits!!!
Ok so maybe there were only a few but they were there.

Grinandtonic Thank you I have just ordered the bb cream.

Am fascinated by all this talk of grits. I really want to try this. But what I need to know first (to avoid disappointment) is whether it will work on my skin. I have visible pores but I don't think there is anything in them. I don't really have blackheads and SFs seem to have been got by BHA pads. I do have little closed pore bumps on my forehead though. Is this method only for blackheads?

Hello everyone - brushes cobwebs off self - OMG this thread has raced along. So good to hear that so many people are having success with new products. I am super excited about Shark Sauce! I made a note of all the ingredients but not quite sure if I am committed enough to make it...especially as I don't know if it will break me out.. Can't wait to hear from those of you who are brave enough to give it a go!

My mixed-results AB adventure is continuing. Currently my skin is also a lot more stingy after using the OST C20 for about 2 weeks - haven't noticed a massive difference in PIH, but skin is definitely more sensitive generally. It stings and feels tighter and drier - so I added in the Laneige water sleeping pack one night, and promptly woke up with the mother of all cysts on my neck (ooouch), too big to squeeze, waaaay too big for any tiny CosRX patches, and already starting to scar. It looks so awful, several people have commented on it. On top of that, I have three big patches of dermatitis/eczema on my neck.

So I think I may have to give up on the Laneige sleeping pack for good, and
that multiple layers are not necessarily the way to go, for me, in this warm humid air. On the plus side, I am tolerating the Retin-A pretty well with no stinging or breakouts from this. I might move up in the strength brackets soon! Other than that I think I will be a lot more cautious with my pennies for now..

Ooh The Wombat it sounds like the sleep pack isn't for you. I'm jealous that you're tolerating the retin a so well, I'm still on alternate nights at 0.025 after three months I'm still peeling every day.

Poor you wombat I bet it's really painful.
scrambled thanks, that makes more sense. I usually oil cleanse as my first pm cleanse. I think I might give it a go. i haven't had any buy for oh, at least 2 weeks.
I've got so many bloody serums to work my way though. The hylamide is ok, I can't honestly say I've noticed a difference but then I've used so many other products I don't know what's doing what!

Hi Wombat lovely to hear from you! Sorry about the awful cyst, it really sounds like sleeping packs are all wrong for you. If you want to, you might be able to sell or swap it here. I can't do many layers either right now, too knackered in the evening, and have even skipped the sleeping pack on some nights because I have fallen asleep before the post-acid wait time is over.

I've worn my cushion and bright fuchsia lipstick today, loving the bright shade. I am super busy, DH is driving across Europe. If all goes well, he will join us on Wednesday. Our furniture will arrive on Friday. So if we are lucky, sometime next week we can finally settle in...

Need to go and cleanse my face

Hello Wombat, hope you're fareing well? Something with propolis might help with the cyst on your neck maybe. It helped calm and reduce two big ones for me a couple of weeks ago.

Frugal hopefully you'll be all settled by next week. Have you moved in yet or are you still staying with relatives? I don't think I'd have the patience to stay with any of ours.

I'm tired tonight, about to sit down for a while with a sheet mask while the girls settle down and then head up myself I think.

I've cleaned the stairs and landing carpets today as well as help with a dress fitting for the girls and clear out a load more junk.

I think the bubble mask I used on Saturday evening helped dislodge a load of gunk in my pores. I put it down to heat last time as we had that really hot day but I can't think of anything else I've used or done this time that would account for it this time.

Gross but satisfying!

My missha perfect cover in 23 finally came today so I made a custom Bb cream of sorts for the DIY cushion compact I had already bought.

I used mainly missha perfect cover with a few pumps of bourjois healthy mix serum foundation and a squeeze of soap and glory highlight fluid and elemis illuminating flash balm to try and make the consistency a bit more fluid.

Tried it on a few hours later and I'm really amazed by how good it is! It smells good as well (thanks to the flash balm I think), and for some reason is really cool on application (may be the sponge?). I'm really enjoying the results and may experiment more with mixing up foundations and highlighters I'm not so fond of

Attaching a pic of the amount of product I needed (this is everything mixed in)

Thank you everyone for the monster fighting tips! Have applied warm flannel, then effaclar duo. Propolis tomorrow - it is one of the few products that doesn't break me out (along with Cosrx galactomyces, I think).

I am considering giving up trying to fight it on non-prescription strength things, tbh - I've struggled for so long and the only things that have ever helped are topical or oral antibiotics. I'm hesitating only because a 'skin issue' seems a superficial thing to go to the dr and request such strong meds.

Would anyone like a barely used Laneige sleeping pack? I've used it 2-3 times (via a spatula so it's as hygienic as possible). Happy to send on for the cost of postage.

I went for a Four season snail mask from the skin18 promotion tonight - it fit really well, the essence was refreshing & it's left my face looking bouncy and glowy. Soooo, I tried looking it up on ebay to see what sort of price they are.

That did not go well! I scrolled through paaaages of condoms with not a snail mask in sight!

Sometimes AB's are the way to go Wombat - some of mine are beasts that need something prescription strength to zap them into oblivion.

Hi wombat I love the laneige sleeping mask and would be happy to send you something of mine in exchange? Will pm you

Finally finished the first tube of Mizon snail gel this morning. Am going to try the Benton aloe in it's place - see if it was that which encouraged the two monster cysts last time I tried it or it was indeed my sunglasses as Scrambled suggested.

I have a new snail gel waiting if the aloe gel was the culprit.

Don't do it, lucysmam! I know what caused mine, but you were pretty certain about the Benton being the culprit.

Just received a couple of small things from iamlove shop and they sent 8 samples! That was a nice surprise esp as I'd been buying from rubyrubyshop recently and they haven't been sending any samples at all

I think the OST vitamin C may be kicking in finally as my skin is looking more even the last couple of days. It's either that or the Tosowoong tea tree essence which I love, and would totally recommend, it's a non sticky/greasy gel but feels really nourishing - big thumbs up. I'm looking for a propolis ampoule and am now looking at the Tosowoong sparkling one since their tea tree essence is so good.

Sorry about being so quiet, super busy moving, doing the same routine every day (acid pads, snail bee, Innisfree red wine) before I crash. I have so many friends and relatives here, so seeing lots of people.

Lucysmam when you try it, give me first impressions on the TCFS Pumpkin Sleeping Pack! I'm really curious... And don't risk ugly cysts!!!

Scrambled enjoy your hols! I'm in the far North and wore shorts for the first time today (briefly, indoors only ). My macs are getting a lot of wear, I'm remembering now why I own quite a few My skin does not love the new climate, I get some peeling and flaking from BHAs. Oh well, need to experiment and find what works here.