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!

This one mowglik (so sorry about repeatedly spelling your name wrong my brain just doesn't want to put a 'k' at the end )

I'm still working my way through the search results trying to make my mind up

lucy I wondered about that but I am now thinking that it's my toner combined with the acid pads. Too much AHA. I just ordered the A-sol too. Bugger.

Thanks lucysmam I have to find time to have a read through the links..il interested in the LJH propolis ampoule, scinic propolis ampoule or the Miss honey and Mr flower essence oil..

The shara honey bomb is so huge we should club together and buy one and split it 2 or 3 ways

I'm in the same place LucysMam. No cystic acne no spots at all!
I now have the Holika white wine sleeping pack and I love it, its my new addition to my night time regime and its staying!

Just ordered the innisfree red wine sleep mask
Quite liking the tony moly dual action one so far

I'd cut back on the acids for a while Grin, see if that helps your skin repair itself

Amazing, it's good isn't it

What do you like about the holika mask amazing? I'm thinking of getting this one is it any good at evening skin tone?

Grin my face did that when I went straight in with two different acids at once, every day - ! was red and sore for quite a while until I figured it out and stopped using them for a couple of weeks.

I'm a bit pink today too. unfortunately I started two new products last night although I'm pretty sure it wasn't the Emma Hardie cleansing balm (which is utterly divine) I think it was more likely the Benton Steam Cream, but I'm not sure why as I've been fine with the essence. at least its only a small sample. I'll use it for a couple more days and see how it goes.

I've been browsing reddit and I'm just so confused about how to choose products and firm up a routine. I have been a bit haphazard just buying loads of stuff, and still there are so many more things I want to try. EG I only need one moisturiser/cream, right? So, on the assumption that none of these irritate me, how do I pick between Starfish (which I have, waiting to try, not sure if it broke me out though), Steam Cream (ditto), CosRX honey cream, Banila Miss Flower and Mr Honey cream, CosRX all in one snail cream, and my trusty Cerave PM? Do people alternate? Use more than one at a time? One for AM and one for PM? Do people use another cream over something quite gel-ish like Cerave? Use one cream up the don't repurchase but use a tub of something else - is continuity important?

Same goes for ampoules etc. I know you can layer them but how many is too many/does it matter if you duplicate ingredients? For example, I have in PM Benton Snail Bee essence, Missha Long name, I've just been given Hylamide as a gift, I want to try Honey Bomb or Scinic Propolis 95 or Scinic all in one Honey (These last 2 are often sold as a set so assume they are used together?)

Anyone else having these dilemmas?

I don't think continuity is important ilove. I read a discussion on reddit (last week maybe) about an older sales assistant in a skincare store being at the thought of mixing and matching brands rather than using all from one line.

I plan to experiment a bit - will use up what I have and stick to things (like the Hada labo) that I really like but there are such a lot of interesting products out there it'd be a shame just to stick to a select few (hence my mask variety atm ).

Plus, if you think about it - your skin has different needs in winter than summer, or in different (i.e. holiday) climates so plenty of opportunity for trying different moisturisers out.

I'm very very, almost, out of snail gel and my replacement still isn't here so I'm going to try the Benton aloe gel again when it runs out. I think Scrambled was onto something with the sunglasses suggestion - I have been trying to remember to sanitise them every day so will see how I get on again.

ilove I have quite a few different products for each category and I mix it up. More than continuity (aside from actives) I think tailoring your routine when and as needed is more important. Eg I use cerave pm on the nights I use retinol, and when my skin feels sore from actives. I have a lighter emulsion I use on hot muggy days or after I've used a sheet mask and layered lots of products on.

Don't overwhelm yourself with products but give yourself a nice choice of things that target your concerns eg dryness, spots, pigmentation etc

I think fiftyshades had a great post on how her routine can totally change depending on how much time she has, different seasons etc, will try and link it

I've made a list on my phone with different headings eg essences, emulsions, sleep masks etc so I can see what I have and figure out if there is a gap somewhere or more likely I have too many of the same and need to offload some stuff to someone!

Fiftyshades blog post on changing up her routine, she has listed sample routines at the bottom

Hi Mowglik, yes it evened out my skin tone and my skin was so soft and glowy. I'm not sure the glowy effect has lasted this morning but that's more down to DH and I being idiots and staying up until 3am watching Netflix ( just one more episode...) and only having 4hrs sleep.

I'm also really liking Tony Moly gel eyeliner. I have Pearl Black and its a really nice shimmery black.

Lovely new thread. Shiny!

So knackered today, DD1 hasn't been sleeping well, keeps coming into our bed at night and draping herself over me like a huge bony cat . I look like a particularly unhealthy zombie.

The fucidin is working, so presumably whatever was up with my skin is not normal acne, but an infection of some sort. Ick Will be using my propolis ampoule to help my skin recover from it. Am packing for hols next week, surrounded by crap we're throwing out before the house move. Stressful. Taking some time out to get my hair done now though, choppy bob I reckon. I'm sick of long hair tho the dds are going to be gutted!

Glad the move went well, frugal!

ILove I'm in the same boat re the infusion and what to get etc. However I think I've figured it out, I just need to buy an essence and eye cream.

As for the red skin, I think again my problem was that I was using the Salicylic acids pads as a cleanser of sorts. I'm stopping using them at daytime and will use them at night after my BHA.

I did, Kayley!

Ahh, Serenity + Asian Beauty chat. I feel so happy.

On a more contributory note: The Biore sunscreen didn't work out for me either. It's odd, with that lovely texture I was definitely able to put on 1/4 teaspoon on my face, but perhaps I sweated it off.

Has anyone tried the BASF sunscreen simulator? I plugged in my expensive sunscreens and was not happy with the results. Might go back to La Roche Posay, despite the clagginess.

Scrambled, I have no idea...enlighten me

I've just finished baking 100 fairy cakes for school...my face looks alright but feels yuk (also, my hair smells of chocolate buns if anyone has any scent neutralising suggestions for hair!). Can't wait to get home from picking the girls up.

5 points to proteins, my partner in geekdom!

Hair is now a 'lob' and shorter at the back. Dds may never forgive me - I won't be able to do an Elsa braid any more! However my head feels great, light and free, so worth it.

Really tempted by the honey all in one ampoule but resisting. No spend July is still on.

Btw, a really good facial sunscreen is Ultrasun. It's not a mega-high factor (about spf 30) and is expensive, but it's great at protecting your skin. I recommend a good Sunhat too - I've just bought a big sun visor . It's great, really shady but I don't overheat in it. I do, however, attract the occasional off look on the school run.

Firefly, the series by Joss Whedon, Lucysmam. It's what the character Kaylee says to show pleasure/awe. it spawned a spin-off film called Serenity, which has become something of a cult favourite.

Aah, I have no idea still I'll youtube later and have a mooch.

I need a haircut of some sort...no idea what though.

Scinic Vs Skin Food Vs Shara Shara Honey Bomb...just a bit unsure about the honey bomb still because of the price & customs

I'm considering the Shara Shara Honey Bomb too. I am quite sure I saw it a couple of weeks ago on Amazon.co.uk, but now the listing shows 'Unavailable".

I'm trying to avoid getting it from Glow Recipe, because then I'd have to chuck in a pack of Whamisa hydrogels as well...

Or there's the COSRX Propolis light ampule - that's quite favourably reviewed too....decisions decisions

See, I have a bit of cash that was unexpected and is not needed for anything else and I still can't decide what to buy!

It's worth checking out some clips on Youtube just to see Nathan Fillion before he got fat Castle'd.

ScrambledSmegs I cut my hair recently too. It used to be down my back and I liked having the Elsa braid. However there was a snide comment from a work colleague (along the lines of having had the same hairstyle for years), so I cut it off. I must admit I think I preferred it long.

I looked up Helen Kaminsky sun hats after I saw Dr Sam Bunting's interview with Caroline Hirons about melasma. I currently have a baseball cap, but I need one with a larger rim. A sun visor might provide the answer!

I've been eyeing up wide brimmed hats in primark for £4...the only thing putting me off is the piss taking I might endure

I quite like Castle Scrambled, will take a look when the girls go to bed hopefully soooooon with the squabbling they're doing