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!

Thanks lucysmam. I've registered my interest now. What is this Facebook thing of which Newsreader is speaking? I am mighty confuddled.

Skin is looking slightly better this morning. I've stripped back my routine to the bare minimum, to give it time to recover. I double cleansed and used my Returning A-sol, then patted with Clearasil pads and left it for about 20 minutes to work. Then Waterest Oil, LRP Effaclar Duo, Evercalm serum with a drop of Propolis light and bed.

I have to throw in a word for Liole Seaweed gel. It was actually the only thing that actively soothed my poor face in the high humidity and constant onslaught of chemical sunscreen/chlorine/seawater. I had a few samples that I kept in the fridge and I was positively distraught when I ran out.

Have decided that since I'm back from my holidays it is officially no longer no-spend July. So I bought some bits and bobs last night. The Tosowoong Enzyme wash, Holika Holika bubble mask (with Harrogate Sparkling Water! Exotic!) and Cosrx Whitehead Power, plus a couple of ToSoWoong masks which apparently I have to collect from Argos . I presume it's a UK seller although it doesn't specifically say so. Shall be looking forward to picking them up soon.

Is there any reason why over the last week or so the skin on my chin has became darker then on the rest of my face? I look like I have a beard!
The only things I could see causing it would be either vit c serum or glycolic pans but I thought these were supposed to help with hyperpientation. I use biore factor 50 daily and my skins never done this before!

You'll get an email with a FB group link in it now you've filled in the form. She's doing batches of 20 but has stopped folks paying at the mo while she waits on ingredients/bottles etc.

When she starts taking money again, you pay & get put in a group of 20 for your shark sauce.

Hope that makes sense - it's probably clear as mud

I have loads of samples of the Lioele seaweed - I think I'll hold off until after the wedding then try it. Which step have you been using it in?

Brian, at a guess, the vit c oxidising on your skin maybe? Try removing any residue with a tissue after the 20 mins wait time and see if that helps? (I have no idea really so it's just a guess )

Brilliant post day for me today.

Starfish Returning Cream
Mizon White Sleeping Mask
Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence
Missha Time Revolution Ampoule

Can't wait to get stuck in

I was using the seaweed gel as my main/only moisturiser. The humidity was such that anything else turned me into an oil slick! I think it's not occlusive so somewhere pre-lotion/cream.

Tbh it's the type of thing I'd only use in very hot weather.

Thanks lucysmam I'll try that, it looks like I've put fake tan on my chin and no where else!

After some initial improvements my skins looking worse then it did before, by black heads/pores are more obvious, my chin has gone brown and I have lots if little spots under my skin. I do have less wrinkles though.

How long have you been using the glycolic pads?

Maybe your skin doesn't like an ingredient in what you are using & is reacting to it. Might be worth stripping back to cleanse, moisturise, sunblock and then re-introduce the acids slowly and see what happens.

It did take me a while to see noteable results though

I've been using the glycolic pads for about 2 months. I'll go back to liz Earle for month and see if it improves.

Amazing what you discover when you start reading ingredient lists - I'm just packing up my baking kit after making the first of three cakes this week (toffee flavoured - smells lush!) Anyway, I didn't know nicotinamide was was in baking powder!

The Watery bb cream is a much better match for me than the clearing one if anyone would like me to send that one on for them to try. I have used it but there's still loads left since you only need a tiny bit

I can't keep up with this thread, you're all too quick :)

Thanks for the recommendation amazing that clarins glow boost sounds fab.

lucysmam re vitamin c, I think I might try the active formulas diy kit. Is that what you use? I'm scared of it as I am quite sensitive. What % should I start at?

Will post a pic of my eye area that i'm trying to tackle in next post. Dark circles and sun spots. This is the bit that stops me going make up free.

I'm also on the look out for under eye concealer!

gerti I'd say the hylamide eye serum is definitely worth another go (not touching the dark circles though!) it really stings doesn't it? But I think it's normal as CH referred to the tingle too.

vegancow you mentioned recommending bb creams - would you be able to recommend based on Mac NC 20-25 ish? ( I think that's right. - I mix up nc15 with nc30 at the moment!) I have found the moisture holika holika a little too pale/pinky grey, same for the etude house perfect fit. I'm tempted by missha in 27 but scared that is too dark.

Finally I tried tony moly intense dual effect sleeping mask last night. Can't see any noticable effects but i haven't broken out which is great as the last sleep pack I tried (mizon goodnight white) broke me out. Speaking of which a full tube is up for swap, only used twice.

Here's my eye

Frugal - I received my CosRX today - thank you So much, that was really kind. I have pm'd you as well, please take a read

ilove, I didn't buy a kit - just the Laa, glycerin and distilled water. Oh and a 30ml dropper bottle for it to go in. I used a recipe from reddit in the end but halved the quantities so I'm not risking so much oxidising at once & started at 5%. Have worked my way up to 15% but that's fine in the fridge so will carry on using it until it's either finished or oxidises - whichever comes first.

I'll link the recipe shortly if you want? We're just in from a birthday party & I've snuck outside with a cup of tea for five mins peace

Brian vit C can sometimes dye fingers and nails yellowish. I've used glycolic acid a couple of times per week since April, no problems, my PIH has faded completely! I am fussy about my nails so haven't tried vit C serums. But do you use sunscreen religiously? Acids can make you more likely to tan/get hyperpigmentation from sun exposure (I've struggled with ugly discoloration type hyperpigmentation in the past).

Brittany I'm so glad the CosRx arrived!

Sleep I love Mizon Good Night but only have CosRx AHA/BHA to swap - let me know if you are interested.

Exhausted after 14 hours of moving. We have 52 boxes left and our apartment feels like a home already. I got a new makeup cupboard and have organized my stuff. Yesterday I unpacked my perfumes and toiletries. It is all coming together!

Brian, I wonder if it might be because of the Bioré? I hate to say it, but I really doubt the efficacy of the AB wonder sunscreen I was wearing it on the very first day of our holiday, which I spent mostly either driving in a car or in a plane, and in the very brief time that I was outside my skin got a bit more colour than I was expecting. I'd re-applied it less than 2 hours before

I too really loved the lioele seaweed gel from the samples I got, think this will be my next purchase. Am also really liking the skinfood emulsions, have the lettuce and tomato ones. They're really light and hydrating without being greasy or heavy which is great for my oily skin
Have just started using the sum37 ultimate whitening essence. The LRP pigmentclar has stopped being so effective so think my skin needed a change. Will report back with any results, have loved all the sum37 products I've tried so far

lucysmam I'd love the link to vitC serum if you have it. It's quite expensive to buy so would like a go at making it myself!

diy vitamin c serum recipe from reddit - you have to scroll a fair way (or at least you do on mobile).

I've been halving the recipe as I said earlier & adding more glycerin than it says - I used 3 1/4 tsp water and 2 tsp glycerin for the 15%. It just felt too watery using more.

Right, back to working out how to halve dp's cake through the middle to fill it -I've just dropped, and pinged the wire out of, my leveller which would have done it for me!

I've used the same reddit Vit c recipe and went from 10% to 20% within a couple of weeks, I didn't react just felt a little tingle but I can really see a difference already. The other advantage is that because it doesn't cost much to make I use it quite liberally all over my neck, chest and backs of hands. I suffer from big crease marks from my neck down to boobs and it's making them less noticeable.

Glad you're beginning to feel at home Frugal I love the unpacking stage of a house move.

I'm back - I forgot to mention that the cheap snail cream I bought has turned out to be a decently hydrating eye cream which was a pleasant surprise! They're all plumped up and not looking baggy and blah at all lately.

ilove the Missha in 23 should be spot on for you. Or the 27 as you say, but that might be too dark . I am nw 15 and i use the Missha 21.

There is also the Holika holika petit jelly bb cream in number 2, might be good for you.

The moisture Holika is pinky grey, I find the Essentials one the most yellow. Have you tried the lioele Triple the Solution, thats a lovely one with great coverage.

Vegan, while you're here - any idea what cushion might suit me? The Holika Holika watery bb is spot on but I have no idea what that means in any other brand to look for a cushion

Thanks for the grits advice/commiserations! I think probably if I persevere a bit with the acids I might get something - the acids are a fairly new step, especially the BHA. Failing that, I'm just going to assume that I have tighter pores ;-)

Re sleep masks - I have the Etude House Collagen one and it seems a bit meh. It does add moisture, and hasn't broken me out either, but it also sticks to the pillowcase and has alcohol in it which I wouldn't normally go for. I doubt it can do me much harm through all the million or so other layers though. I'll use it up but will probably get the Lioele Waterdrop (I think Waterdrop. Something like, anyway. Waterfull?) one next time. I had a sample or two of that and it was lovely.