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!

Sorry another proofreading fail...

Snail Gel Rejuvenating Mask today... just a random make (SasaTinnie) picked up in a Singapore drug store... and it was lovely, so cooling and has left my skin feeling very fresh.

Just happened upon this thread and would love to join in ...although probably not good for the bank balance as I'm a total sucker for recommendations!

Have been a fan of AB, mostly skincare, since stumbled upon it by accident at the beginning of the year.

Currently trying to make room to keep a basic (in AB terms!) skincare routine going whilst dealing with a sensitive 4 year old, tantrum-ing just turned 2 year old and a cluster feeding 4 week old!

Have attached a pic of some of the things I'm currently using. I'm not a huge fan of the Good Night White Sleeping Mask, but the others are favourites.

Hi everyone just writing my shopping list as DH flies to Korea at the end of the month and i have a quick question.
If i have been matched to diorskin star 010 chanel vita aqua (sorry not sure of proper name) 10 and bare minerals r250 powder compact or natural 05 in complexion rescue which korean cushion would you go for?

Misses, what's the donkey milk mask like? & is that one of the skin food sugar scrubs on the right? What do you think of them if it is?

Very lazy last night - I didn't take off my make up before falling into bed . First time since starting AB!

I meant to ask earlier about these but forgot - Have any of you used the Superdrug Vitamin E cleansing oil or toner mist? I haven't looked them up for the ingredients but at £2.99 each I'm tempted to give them a go as back ups (mainly the oil).

Also -they have sheet masks on 3 for 2 (£1.29 each) but I'm going to have a look on their website for reviews later on.

I love the donkey milk aqua masks, they're one of my absolute favourites. They're a bit slippy to put on but the fit is really good for me, I just have to make a very small fold on the cheek, which is really easy to do. They're extremely cooling when on and leave my face feeling super hydrated, smooth and plumped. I bulk buy them

Yes, the pot on the right is Skinfood Black Sugar Mask. I forgot it was there when I said the rest were favourites, as that one isn't. I like the way it exfoliates (it's a scrub more than a mask) and my skin does feel smoother and firmer after using it, but it has a really overpowering fragrance - think Cif Lemon Floor Cleaner! I think it'd be very easy to do a diy version at home, without the Cif smell!

I've never tried the Vit E Superdrug range, I have tried the Naturally Radiant line but didn't get on with it, I found it very drying and left my skin feeling very tight.

Thanks Misses, will pop one on my next shopping list to try.

I don't mind scented stuff at all. I have the black sugar cleansing oil & quite like it's lemony scent. I haven't actually used a scrub in months but do quite like them. Maybe I'll have a look for a diy recipe to try out.

Hope you like it! I end up leaving mine on for a lot longer than 20 mins (if kids allow) and the gel absorbs really well.

I imagine the fragrance is the same as the oil so if you like a scrub you'd probably really like the mask. You don't need much of it - the pot really lasts - so I think it's good value for money if you didn't have the time for diy. The sugar can be quite abrasive but you can mix with an oil or toner for a far more gentle exfoliation if you're skin needs that.

I have a new fave! Etude hairmasks are divine. I used one last night and my hair is now Pantene ad soft and smooth(er).

Is anyone using the Ost C21 (the new version)? I've read reviews but no one really says it's any better then the C20.

muddlingalong I saw your post earlier and have had to go browsing to find out what shades you were referring to (I am a cheapskate in general with foundation despite a brief dalliance with Chantecaille).

I'd say your skin tone is on the darker side for Koreans, who love the very pale look. You may struggle to find something that looks natural on your skin and doesn't give an ashy cast, I've had trouble getting a good fit with BB creams and I'm pretty pale. From what I've read Laneige tends towards being a bit darker than some of the other Korean brands so you may be ok with #23 in their cushions (I have Pore Control, 'tis vair good).

Sulwhasoo also do a good range of shades in their cushions although they are more expensive than Laneige.

As you've seen upthread though some of us have had success with making up our own DIY cushions with our favourite foundations, so my recommendation would be to buy an empty cushion case so you can do that. Missha and A'Pieu do these that I know of, I'm sure other brands do too.

Have fun with your shopping list!

Thank you to whoever mentioned the Skin18 freebies. A nice pile of masks just arrived. I went with weird ones such as donkey milk and placenta. I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm waiting for the second lot from them Grin. I think there were some more 'exotic' flavours in those.

Sorry for the upcoming mini posts - my brain has gone on strike

Which etude house hair mask did you try? I wanted to try one of their ponytail ones but couldn't find them on ebay.

Thanks for the info about the sugar scrubs/masks too Misses, I will add one to my to try list.

I tried the Mizon Good Night White mask last night - my face looks bouncy (for want of a better word). I expected to still look a bit, um, grey and hungover this morning after Saturday but I don't!

Grin search reddit AB for comparisons of the C20 and C21 - more comes up if you just search OST

comments/comparison here

more here also a link to a review in the op of this one

click the thread title when you open this one for Holy Snail's review/comparison.

Hope they help a bit

www.reddit.com/r/AsianBeauty/comments/3h8gcr/exotification_fetishization_within_the_ab/ Really interesting read if any of you have time. It's only short (ish) atm but I can see it getting longer and more interesting as the day goes on

Love the picture misses can I ask what you don't like about the good night white mask please? I keep adding it to my basket and taking it out again. I haven't tried the superdrug vit e range yet but I do love the naturally radiant glycolic peel.

muddling if my dh was going anywhere near Korea he would be under strict instructions to abandon all his clothes and bring back a case full of makeup and skincare Given how cheap the cushions are, I would ask him to get a couple of refills in the different shades and as scrambled says you could always opt for a diy cushion case.

My tk order is still stuck on standby a week after placing the order :( who knows when it will be shipped. I can't see me using them ever again :( This delay is only adding to my cushion lust I think I need to do another order so I wondered who has the quickest shipping? Would I be better off just ordering from one of the 'known' sellers on eBay?

Lucy I used the Etude argan silk scarf one.
Thanks for the Ost info too.

I had a session in a steam room yesterday so followed up last night with my first hydrogel mask, which was weird but a much better fit than any sheet mask. I slathered on serums & sleep pack and even DH noticed how fab my skin looks today.

I do feel sad that I found all this so late, I've done so much damage to my face that's just not repairable now. I'm making the best of what I've got, but if only I'd done this ten years ago in my thirties.

In other news I've been given a little money to buy a few new things for winter, so am hugely enjoying all the September mags and planning how wonderfully stylish I'm going to be if only this winter.

I was a little disappointed with the results from the Mizon Good Night White Sleeping Mask. I like the feel of it going on and I love the way it sinks in to the skin but I don't find it particularly hydrating and I don't feel like it has had any brightening effect. Out of all the sleeping masks I have tried, it seems to do the least - maybe because of skin type. I'm also quite sensitive to fragrance and, although I'd read that it had a very subtle scent, for me the lavender smell was off-putting.

Here are some of the ebay sellers I have used, and my experience of their shipping (and samples):

seoul*lindarium - great shipping, great samples
animetropolis - great shipping , no samples
333korea - great shipping, no samples
iamlove-shop - good shipping, good samples

f2plus1 - good shipping, ok samples
Rubyruby76 - good shipping, no samples
bello-girl - very slow shipping

Thanks for the Reddit discussion link Lucysmam, great reading for my commute. I think some of the exotic aspects of AB drew me in in the first place but for me it is mostly that I am interested in moderately priced products that work well. I use Eucerin, LRP and Avene as well. But yes, probably the exotic aspects make it more appealing, I love novelty and change. But I have also tried to learn about South Korea a bit more, too I read a couple of nonfiction books about their school system and the emphasis on exporting their culture (music, games, Kdramas and other entertainment) and learned a lot.

I wkish i had all those foundations scrambled i just remember what i get told at beauty counters when im trying to find a new foundation. I do own the dior one , i find foundations hard to buy as im pale and have cool undertones so too many foundations just dont work on my skin which is also prone to dryness.

Muddling if you are pale and cool try Missha. I'm too pale for most foundations and use missha #21 and #13 as my winter shade.

Thanks Frugal will have a look on the web. Think DH will be in shock when he gets the list lol. He is in a different part of Korea this time and isnt sure what shops are about but he said the 2nd floor of his hotel leads to the mall!