Obsessed with Asian/Korean stuff - taking your skincare to level 5!

[FrustratedFrugal]

Are you curious about Asian/Korean beauty products?
Please join us and share your experiences and questions!

Check out past threads for product and vendor recommendations.

Remember, orders of £15 or less are VAT free!

mint I LOVES it. It is quite drying and I only use it once a day. And it really doesn't feel or smell luxurious. But it is slowly reducing the red marks I have on my chin and neck from old cysts - and it isn't breaking me out. It's making the milia on my cheek go away too.

I think if like me you aren't really oily, you'll need to layer the moisture on top. And definitely use a SPF as with all acids.

If you want to buy it and it doesn't work out, I'll buy the rest of the tube from you. I think it's a HG for me and I have very temperamental skin.

Wombat lovely to see you here and hear that you've found things that work well. CosRx stuff and snail bee broke me out last summer, and I also had a scary patch of sun damage on my lip, so I returned to a no-frills routine (went totally barefaced for some weeks last autumn).

I still love Asian sunscreens and Korean BB creams and the occasional sheet mask and overnight mask, plus a double cleanse with Bioderma micellar water and black soap and sometimes acid pads. I've focused on using up what I have so no new purchases since August. I feel I've learned so much about cosmetics, but no longer need to try it all.

Gosh frugal that sounds scary. I'm still having regular checkups post-melanoma. It does put your skin priorities back into perspective doesn't it..
I agree, trying all the things isn't for me either. But I'm glad to have found a few product that work for now.

For me, the skincaretainment aspect of KB is still there - I am tempted by cute panda things and bizarre sounding sheet masks but I've learned a lot about what my skin reacts to (and still am learning), so I am choosing more wisely now. The beauty blogger backlash thread has been so interesting on that front too.
And yes to using it up! My stash is much more manageable now!

Have ordered the PC bha and azelaic acid product Wombat. I so need to tackle my red marks and breakouts. Will keep you posted!

Good luck mintbiscuit do let me know how you get on!

So I bought a few things from RoseRose Shop. Lots of sample too which were from their own line but I haven't tried them yet.
Konjac sponges
Mizon No1 king's berry aqua step up cream
Mizon correct essential activator
Mizon 8% AHA peeling lotion

The activator is DIVINE! It is like a silky glove of moisture for your face.
The kings berry cream is odd. It is a massive tub of blue gel. It doesn't smell great but it is very hydrating but sticky. It's more of a summer cream then winter.
I haven't tried the AHA yet.

I've got the Essential Activator, took me a few weeks to get the point of it but now I really like it.

When do you apply it?

Just tried the secret key donkey milk berry hand cream, really nice. Not greasy but leaves hands feeling soft straight away

Is the Mizon correct essential activator a first essence but in mist form? I'm in the market for another first essence as my Missha FTE intensive has nearly run out.

Not sure how it should be used, but I've been putting it on as a first stage after cleansing and toning.

My first ever post! Wanted to say 'hello' as I've been following this chat since the first thread and have to say I love it. Just come back from Korea with a load of things to try, unfortunately I couldn't find cosrx but I have pc bha to be getting on with.

Still need to get used to where essences and ampoules fit in as I've just been using serums etc in the past.

And was also wondering if anyone tried tony moly goat milk range at all? Is it meant to be like Kate Somerville??

Hi all, hope this is ok, I'm gonna post a link of decants and some sample bundles bundles I'm selling on Reddit

Hi Popple - not sure about tony moly vs Kate Somerville but I have tried a sample of the tm goat milk and found it really fragranced. Didn't try it long enough To get a feel for how it worked though.. Let us know what you picked up from Korea! I went to Malaysia earlier last year just as I was getting into AB and just bought a jumble of stuff. Would be so different if I was going again now.. Btw I think Cosrx is mail order only, even in Korea

Welcome popple!
Essence tends to go after any actives like bha, and before ampoules. Generally the order goes: cleanse, actives (aha, bha, vit c, retinol), and the rest of your routine in order of product thickness - so watery ones first, and thicker creams / oils last.

Tony Moly goat milk, you say?

Mowglik - I think it's more a question of what didn't I buy? I bought a tonne of masks from innisfree + Tony Moly. Black sugar scrub, clean it zero, missha time revolution set, snail cream, aloe spray, lip gloss bunnies...the list goes on (inspiration from the lists I found on here). It was meant to be no spend 2016 but I made an exception for my trip. Where do you buy your stuff in Malaysia? Sasa?

I'm still trying to get my head around reddit, hopefully will with time!

Thanks for the welcome Womble - so can I do hydrating toner and then essence or are they one of the same?

popple I shopped in watsons, sasa, sephora and the duty frees for sulwhasoo etc. I would def make an exception to a no spend if I was visiting korea - in fact Id probably buy a years worth of stuff out there and leave all my clothes and shoes behind to make space!

A lot of the more popular AB options like mizon and missha didn't seem to be sold out there but I did get lots of bioessence, sulwhasoo, dr jart stuff and tony moly stuff.

Popple hmm - I think I would do the toner first and then essence? But I think it might be doubling up a little bit.
Am very envious of trips to the Far East - that street of beauty shops in Seoul looks amazing! I think I'd have to forego a no-spend on beauty too..

wombat that street of shops was crazy - bit intimidating at first but once you get into the swing of things it's super!!

mowglik I should have enough to see me through the year! I really love Tony moly, it's too cute

Welcome Popple!

I'm with wombat. Toner then essence. Unless it's a first essence e.g. missha time revolution FTE. Then I would go FTE> hydrating toner> essence. Hope that makes sense!

Thanks for the advice mint - funnily enough it is missha time revolution! So I'll go with that!

Yes defo first with the missha fte. I love how it preps my face for my other products.

What are you liking most from your haul popple?
Can well imagine the 'beauty street' was an intimidating place, I find MAC rather daunting!

Popple your trip sounds fabulous - I'd love to visit South Korea! And yes please, tell us more about what you found there!

I've still got lots to try out as you can imagine - really loved the Tony Moly stuff as it's very cute.

I'm most excited to try the missha time revolution and also the snail cream. I'll report back once I've incorporated them into my routine, being a bit lazy at the moment which isn't good.

Another great thing is all the mini samples they give you out there - they just throw loads in the bag, one of the best bits!

Ladies how can this be so cheap and get contain the beloved HYALURONIC ACID:

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