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!

GREAT thread(s!) ladies, drawn to them by MN highlighting best 5 products.

HORRIFIED at the MN links though and the pricepoints when these products are available so much cheaper on ebay elsewhere.

The MN link for 75ml Snail Repair Cream clicks through to Cult Beauty where it is c£30 a pot... whereas you can buy precisely the same product HERE for £9.40 Kinda at the 300% price if use the MN link (which I so nearly did as couldn't RTFT but happened see ebay mentioned through sheer luck!)

Ditto the sponges - £8-£9 if use MN click-thru to Cult, but £0.99-£1.99 inc free postage from Asia on E-Bay. Nope, no need fellow newbies to the thread, you're welcome

Does MN get a cut from the links? If so they should have a disclaimer like the people on the beauty blogger thread would like to see.

Bloody good point Cheese - am assuming they must as plain commercial instincts say of course they do, but concur vis lack of disclosure if that is the case - ESP in context of the hammering Caroline Hirons et al got on here, and very def ESP given the massive price differentials

How could we find out? [Disclaimer: pretty ill ATM so not got the usual energy to go digging around to find out:/]

All but one are an affiliate link (though probably a slip up). However, ads and affiliate links are what fund this site, there must be a disclaimer on here somewhere stating that, which as far as I can remember from the influencers thread is all the ASA really desires. I do get why they don't link to ebay at lower costs, delivery times and possibly linking to a fake product wouldn't be helpful for people new to AB which that specific post targeted but I agree that they could have just offered this at slightly higher than ebay prices on amazon prime at less than half the Cult Beauty price.

I really rate that cream, I am just about to order another one. Found it cheapest here I've bought the tube before but the jar is better value. I feel there may be another haul coming on

I'm fine with affiliate links but want to be warned of them like Fifty Shades of Snail does so clearly.

I am too cheese but that was sort of my takeaway from that thread, there are very few bloggers who are willing to be that upfront and meticulous in disclosing unless an outside body requires it of them (and apparently their loyal readership doesn't count). Considering how small the affiliate income is in their financial model their lack of transparency only makes me all the more suspicious of disclosure practice everywhere else.

Saying that, I came across this disclosure statement on a blog the other day which is the other end of the extreme and I seriously hope no one ever paid them that kind of money...

lefl I feel there may be another haul coming on

THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS

Am v glad on a NN change atm as only unknown can I fess this....

Since stumbling across thread via MN's succinct summation of the thread/s along with extortionate links, I have (in various chunks over the past c.36hours) dropped over £400 in total on products

Started with the Korean 'basics', then escalated to a raid on Bobbi Brown and Clarins, then seduced BACK to clarins by the stunning goodie offers they have on right now so a total of 4 Clarins shops each over £60, then to Amazon for top-ups of basics. So I think it's fair to say I too had a serious haul kicked off by this!

In my defence however, I haven't spent a dime on beauty products - skin care or make-up - for over 3 years as have been battered by CFS. Am tho having 3 days treatment course (which I believe in and believe will work) next week so my shopping blitz is in readiness for when I have the energy to sort out my bathroom and throw out all the old shit, and then to deliciously unpack all of the parcels in one go The plan being that I then carefully put all away and embark on a proper skin care routine for the first time in what feels like forever...

Bought some FABULOUS Collagen serum and Vit A/Retinol serum along with a microderma roller as Lord knows my skin will need some serious kick starting!

Oh, and one other thing. I had genuinely forgotten how utterly enjoyable browsing for skin care and make-up is. It is self-care and self-love at a really fundamental level, and a sign that I am already getting better

In the same period have had a couple of beautiful convs with DC who are away at various Unis, and collectively those lovely chats and my many forays into treating myself have delivered a pleasure, joy, and little jolts of excitement that I haven't felt for many a year

I see no conflict between being an intelligent woman with a masters, someone who would consider myself a feminist, but also who adores all of the above. Am always staggered at the amount of people who think you can't be both intelligent/serious and simultaneously wanting to make the best of yourself FOR yourself. NO-ONE pulls a bloke up on a £75 footie ticket, yet spending £50 on a serum can get your core beliefs questioned! Tis nuts and they can all bugger orf

NB Vis the affiliate links, I have no issue with them but DO have an issue with there not at least being some kind of reference to fact that there are MUCH cheaper outlets? IME, we MNers have a lot of faith in MN so would (if we wanted the product) generally just click through and buy, working on some kind of subconscious level that it must be an ok deal or else MN wouldn't have it as the entry point of ''buy HERE'' etc.

wishtobewell couldn't have put your points across any better myself!

I've spent A LOT on skincare in the past year but I consider it an investment. I don't spend a lot on make up or clothes because they come and go with the seasons. Your skin lasts forever

Re the dermaroller I've bought one too but am too scared to use it. You must let me know how you get on with it.

wish and mint - what's a dermaroller?! and do i need one?! baaa

wish i'm the same as you i hadn't spent anything on beauty and skincare for the past few years so i'm making up for lost time (glad you are feeling better too )

mint, i really want to try my scheming but i cant seem to find it on roserose and jolse only on ebay but i dont want a box of 10 yet

Wow, thread 5! I was on the earlier ones, had to take a break due to severe crapness™ of skin. Having taken a break, seen a lovely dermatologist who prescribed marvellous stuff but also commented that despite aforesaid skin crapness it didn't look half bad for my age. YAY for AB! So after all that blether (which is par for the course with me) will you have me back please? Pretty please?

lelf you could try www.beautius.com for single masks? Also AB exchange for UK based sellers. Sometimes they do pop up for sale (I sold some of mine recently on there).

A dermaroller is basically a roller with hundreds of micro needles on. They come in different lengths depending on what you want to achieve. They pierce the skin to a certain depth which stimulates collagen renewal. They are meant to be good for acne scars and fine lines. Not sure if you need one (you probably don't). I bought mine for fine lines and a bit of acne scarring.

Hi scrambled. What marvellous things did you get from the derm? Have they worked?

Drugs, mint. Drugs...

Well specifically antibiotics, which I'm going to be on for a good few months. Plus a retinoid gel and an amazing cream which stops me flushing (have rosacea) but only for occasional use. My skin has cleared up like an absolute dream. I don't really use the retinol that often though as my skin is so sensitive - I've stopped all acids too because it just can't take them.

I think the stuff that led to the dermatologist commenting favourably was my use of the Goodal Water Oil First Essence and Facial Oil. They're my HG products. Am looking forward to catching up with what everyone on here is using and loving at the mo.

I'm just about to order some My Scheming lelf, you can get them as singles here on ebay. You pay for the shipping (about $2) on the first single one and then the next ones are free so you can get quite a few different ones to try at once without committing to a box of ten with low shipping costs. I researched the seller and they have a good reputation on the reddit sub.

Mind if I join you? I have a few things my DH brought back from Seoul a couple of years ago but I've never really played with, if you can believe it! If only he was going now that I know what to ask him to look for!

I have some Tonymoly snail BB cream - it's slightly on the dark side, so it's a summer-only thing for me. I tried a Beauty Lounge hydrating sheet mask at the weekend - it was lovely and cooling.

I'm using up current stocks of a Clinique TTDO balm and my own oil blend for cleansing. I have a Tata Harper cleanser I'm trying to use up too - really not fussed on it, and am actively investigating replacements now. I'm also waiting for a Biore Watery Essence sunscreen to turn up.

I've eased off the acid toners, maybe one night a week now?

This morning I have ordered Misha FTE with Borabit ampoule (samples), BEnton High Snail Bee masks, and a Laneige sleeping mask.

My main concerns are dehydration, fine lines and red post-spot marks. Any suggestions for additions to my basic starting kit?

Hi Splat! I've only just rejoined so may well be a bit behind the others in terms of current products, but your concerns are the same as mine so thought I let you know what I use for them.

Dehydration - many swear by Hada Labo. I no longer get on with it (gah, Rosacea!) but it was great for a while. Not moisturising in itself I found but good for boosting the hydration power of whatever you used on top of it.

What I LOVE obviously is the Goodal Waterest First Essence and Lasting Water Oil (more of a serum). They're doing amazing things for my dehydrated, previously cystic-acnefied skin. I've practically ordered it in bulk as I'm so scared of running out! Buy via eBay because the Club Clio shop is expensive.

For 'whitening' or in actual fact brightening and fading scars, I think the Benton Snail Bee serum is great. I mix in a blob of a propolis ampoule too which seems to agree with me. I had a bee venom one by Tosowoong but didn't love it as much, although it's still good. Needed snail!

The Innisfree red wine sleeping pack is still my go-to, despite my well-documented hatred of the smell (I don't like grape scents). So it must be good?! I notice the difference in the morning, I look brighter and fresher after using it.

Love the Beauty of Joseon Dynasty cream too. It supposedly has whitening properties but I can't tell, probably due to all the other whitening stuff I throw at my face. It's just a lovely cream that smells gorgeous and my skin likes. Win!

Scrambled Just gone on E-Bay and bought the Hada Labo (cheers for that, and cheap as chips too!) BUT having probs with the Goodal Waterest First Essence and Lasting Water Oil?

Two DIFFERENT products seem to come up? One a 60ml serum/oil and the other a 150ml Water/Essence thing? Am I just being thick and they're the same thing as post your one title name for the product?

Mint & Lelf - must fess to not having used it [dermaroll] yet, but that's primarily down to fact have been so ill (ALL of which WILL change this week though ) and to the very basic yuk fact that haven't really cleansed my face once had much of a skincare routine for at least the past 2-3 years. Reason I got the dermaroll is not for acne or any type of scarring (I must be seriously lucky with my skin as never breaks out, though suspect WILL have a breakout 10-14 days into hard core skin routine as the shite comes out, and stays pretty smooth). I got mine to use for home facials, for after cleansing and for AFTER applying VitA/Retinol Oil to help nudge that into the skin, and to hopefully get that collagen whoosh that everyone talks about derma delivering. Will report back (& WHOLLY expecting you to do the same with an NN shoutout so catches my eye please;)

Vis the pain bit, I do know you can get face numbing cream (avail Ebay of course) but tbh I'm minded to think that if I can push 3 babies out without so much as even one toke of gas & air, then I should be fine with this...

It's going to be an interesting time in 2-3wks as shitloads of individual packages arrive from Korea & Japan as bought all separately so lots of tiny and not so tiny (I bought the pack of 30 face cut out masks that someone recommended above, for princely sum of about a tenner; can already imagine my [nosy] postman getting increasingly suspicious as the days roll on along with the flow of packages

with the flow of packages from the Far East* even. Doh...

Splat I've just bought the Leneige Sleeping Mask, 5 x 15ml pots for £12.50 & free postage can't be bad can it? And I prefer idea of 5 smaller packs totalling 75ml vs the 70ml (which both smaller AND more expensive at c.£17) as less time to go off.

Note to self: must grasp that even though all of these products seem cheap in ad of themselves, collectively they will sorely be mounting up every time I hit 'Buy Now' and bypass the SEEING of the PayPal bit

ALL This surely must be the most precise ending you can have to a skincare regime: Laneige LIP Sleeping Mask 20g Moisturized Lip Full Size is £12.20 HERE

BTW, what does everyone think of the spatulas as opposed to good old fashioned dunk off the finger? Ness or OTT????

And where do the spatulas live as surely they pick up bacteria et al themselves???

Hello ladies, what a wonderful thread!
I'm looking for a few recommendations -
-A balm or oil cleanser for normal/ dry skin (formerly dehydrated, but not anymore, hurrah!) w/o MO nor parabens, silicones or polyethylene (which most balms seem to include).
I wonder why the DHC balm seems to be stripping, as the ingredients are so lovely and harmless?
-A moisturiser with SPF 50 or an SPF 50 that can serve as one (I can sometimes get away with that in summer with the eleventy layers I smear under it). I'm looking for something lightweight, again w/o silicones, as in the past I've reacted to most SPF (Avene has been kind of OK, though after a couple of weeks on holiday an applying every hour there is also some minimal reaction).
If you could also specify where you bought said products - looking for shipping to mainland Europe.

I totally agree re beauty/ caring for oneself as frowned upon. I get that sometimes. So stupid, as I think appearance, nurturing self etc (beauty, makeup, fashion) have always been deeply connected to sense of self, identity etc etc... One only has to look at cosmetics, make up and jewellery (including beads found in Neandarthal graves) discovered in archeological excavations to understand this

Hi Wish! Asian beauty and general skincare is my favourite low-exertion hobby. Self care indeed.

Aurora, I just finished up my research on Japanese sunscreen (universally touted as the superior choice by ABers) with similar requirements as you. I ordered Mommy! UV Mild Gel which is an SPF33 which I'll use for daily use in winter/autumn. It was pretty hard finding a silicone, fragrance, paraben, and alcohol free SPF50 since most Japanese sunscreens have a high alcohol content (the use is warranted in the formulation but I'm cautious with my skin so prefer to avoid altogether). I ended up choosing one with silicones since it had better reviews and isn't loaded with problematic silicones (for me). I nearly bought Sunkiller Perfect Water Essence which has a small amount of fragrance but is silicone, paraben, and alcohol free but takes longer than most to dry. You might have more luck with physical sunscreens but those aren't going to be as cosmetically elegant or lightweight.

If alcohol content doesn't bother you there are a few spf50 sunscreens you can check out on this silicone free product page.

As for the DHC (not a balm, it's an oil), it feels a little stripping but I don't actually find it stripping if that makes sense. I've looked into cleansing balms briefly but the majority are mineral oil based and I tend to find them rather poor value for money in comparison to a traditional cleansing oil. BANILA CO CLEAN IT ZERO - Purity for Sensitive Skin is mineral oil free using synthetic esters instead, I can't remember if I found any others.