Obsessed with Asian/Korean Beauty Products Vol 6

[FrustratedFrugal]

Past volumes here.

I tried to post on the previous thread and realized that it was full.

Anyone still around?

I have a parcel from Korea waiting for me at the post office. Can't wait.

Otto it's always fine to resurrect I believe (I do all the time anyhow ). Can you tell me what type of cream it is, I looked online but there's very little info on it and couldn't find an INCI though I did come across one of those promotional images which is probably one of the strangest I've come across as it claims its star ingredients are, "Mysterious beginning of Green technology cosmetic science" and, "Mysterious beginning of plant derived placenta ingredient combined with lifting bound (vibrator) is a 3D Programming skin care for enhancing resilience" while proudly claiming the inclusion of pig placenta on the image above .

I finally caught up with the most recent Snailcast episode and apparently there's a huge scandal with Korean sheetmasks over on the Reddit sub with the discovery that most sheetmasks are folded manually by people from their homes rather than machines in a factory raising huge sanitary issues and it's also done for incredibly little pay so feels wrong all round. Most updated post on it I found here with links back to the original posts and an overview of brands responses as to who does and doesn't use machines to fold their sheet masks.

It's early days but in stark contrast to my so-so Naruko Rose Cubic night gelly I am absolutely loving the Naruko Magnolia night gelly. I still use an oil with it as I don't think it would be occlusive enough for me on its own. I wake up with wonderfully glowy skin that's well nourished and it has definitely been brightening and evening out my skin tone, v. comparable to the masks I love from the same line.

Aurora, hollinhurst84 just alerted me to Deciem's newest brand, The Ordinary, on another thread that looks to have some great products for bargainous prices that makes the Koreans look expensive and it has a really promising looking Vit C, Asorbic acid at 23% in a water and silicon free solution that is said not to oxidise. It sounds brilliant but as of yet not shipping to NL, and I really hope that is a 'yet'.

botemp - thanks for the link to the Vit C, I've just ordered it! What a fabulous bargain, free postage too!!!

Ooh excellent Lumpy let me know how you get on with it, my current Vit C should last me a few more weeks by which time I will hopefully be able to get it shipped here.

Great, found this thread!

Has anyone ever heard of Nlighten beauty products from Korea?

I just bought on ebay CC cushion and Cloud cream ( with a big discount), anyone tried these products? Any good?

Eh sorry, no. Just had a quick Google and I don't think it's from S. Korea but from the Philippines. No info on the Reddit sub and no entries in cosdna either. Judging from the INCI only I can't see anything groundbreaking or special, sorry. The cream is also only 30g vs. the standard 50ml (around 60g usually). The ebay prices are a bit and that's coming from someone who is very into high end Japanese cosmetics...

There are quite a few people from the Philippines on the Reddit sub (who tend to all buy Korean stuff) they might know more about it if you put out a query there.

Yeah, friend from Philippines mentioned this to me but she said products from Korea.

Very pricey isn't it? Oh well, saw some videoes and a bit weird but yeah I'll try and see.

Thanks for replying

Yeah, I did a little further investigation. It's manufactured in S. Korea but so are a lot of western brands, the R&D happens elsewhere so I wouldn't consider it part of K-Beauty. All cushion compacts are made by Amore Pacific, brands like Lancome, YSL, Dior all just supply the formulation that goes in it and sell it under their own brand name. It's not all that unusual, it's a first for me though to see an Asian brand piggy back onto the hype of K-Beauty for marketing purposes and deliberately obscure the brand origins but it doesn't surprise me in the least.

Let us know how you get on, it just might turn out to be a hidden gem .

videos **

Yeah, will definitely post what the products have done for me

I received my Cosrx snail 96 and their rice sleep pack, both are just lovely.

I replaced my Hada Labo hyaluronic serum with the premium one, also lovely but maybe I'm easily pleased!

I've also got a bottle of the Kikumasamune Sake lotion, it's huge! I've bought it tp replace my Benton Aloe lotion when it runs out, has anyone else used it? I've heard good things on reddit.

Softymo oil is excellent, possibly even better than Skin Food Black Sugar.

Need some advice though - I have what i think is a sun spot on my face is there anything you'd recommend to fade it?

Vitamin C and SPF (you might want to switch to a mineral one) for sunspots teawamutu. I can't vouch for it as of yet but the Vit C by The Ordinary I linked a few posts up is a bargain and looks to be of good formulation.

have you got any Vitamin C in your routine, that's ace for lightening and brightening.

Cross post!

Great minds and all that, lumpy

I ordered The Ordinary stuff, thanks! It arrived at the weekend so I'm only three days in, but feels slightly gritty going on but really smooth afterwards.

Did notice, though, that last night I was itching hugely round the eyes, really needly. It's the first active ingredient I've tried, is this normal?

I've got the serum too team and my skin tolerates it well but I am used to actives, maybe drop it for a few days and see if it's causing the itching, or avoid applying around the eyes.

It does feel gritty doesn't it, I think thats the HA spheres though they do blend in. It's not an ingredient that you pat in but it does feel well formulated and seems to be continuing the good work of my other c serum, though it's not a pleasurable item to use.

I've just ordered the retinol serum, only £7 quid!!!

uggghh, for some reason I stopped receiving notifications from the thread (!!!) and been a bit busy so haven't been on MN at all. But I'm back now, so hello everyone!

botemp you read my mind, even though I was MIA, as I too just discovered the Ordinaries a few days ago... and then of course realised they weren't shipping here. How annoying! I think I will try mailing them and see what they say. I'll keep you posted, obvs
The reason I was checking it was indeed the Vit C, as I hadn't been successful with my AB hunting and got so fed up with the huge time consuming task of back and forth checking all the INCI. OST do have a new 21.5 serum w/o the nasties, but it's distributed by Wishtrend from the US apparently, so the PP makes it too expensive. Then I discovered that the Dr Wu one has a preservative that has already been banned in Germany and in Canada, the Claire's in only 5% etc etc.... Was going to go for Oz Naturals, but the PP is also quite high so turns it into quite a "different" type of serum. (sighs in despair of brands that don't list INCI on their sites)

Very curious to hear from anyone who has ordered any of Ordinaries products. Their retinol 2% sounds very intriguing... as does everything else, actually. Wonder how other breands will react to their pricing and philosophy/ marketing.

botemp was also deliberating whether to add the Naruko Magnolia night cream to DH's Taiwan shopping list??? I did ask him to bring the Magnolia mist, lots of Magnolia, Rose and Narcissus masks, L'Herboflore Ginger masks, a few It's Skin Prestige masks... Basically told him to bring as much as he can fir in his suitcase .
Yeah, all Taiwanese masks, so no danger of being folded by hand! I too read about that scandal, and understood that it only applies to the Korean brands (including Sulwhassoo, how disappointing for such a brand!).

In case not everyone has read it - Fiddy Snails had a very comprehensive post about pm skin care with very detailed info about ingredients, actives, layering etc.

When will you learn, Aurora, you give him an extra empty suitcase! Or just an empty suitcase, it's not like he needs anything while he's there or anything...

I have the Magnolia Gelly and was actually thinking of getting the cream next for the winter time. I do have to say they go rather quick so despite their relatively low cost it may be a bit of false economy but it might just be me as it's been awhile that I had a moisturiser in a jar instead of a pump...

The fact that the Ordinaries isn't available here yet is probably a good thing since I want it all pretty much and it would still be cheaper than my current Retinol serum... I came to a similar conclusion with the Asian Vit C serums, too much hassle or not effective. I was going to get a set of six sample bottles of the Skinceuticals one from a trusted seller on ebay but I'll be trying the Ordinaries one first... the bastards just need to want take my money already...

I've used the Oz Naturals serum, you get it free if you review it on Amazon.

It's a nice serum but I'm not sure how much C it delivers, it's SAP isn't it? The ordinary suspension does seem to be doing the trick.

I'm also loving my Bravura actives, really effective and a nice clean ingredients list.

Ah, lumpy that might explain all the positive reviews, but from analyzing the ingredients etc I simply concluded that that would be the next best product after the Skinceuticals serum, and since I'm not prepared to pay that kind of price for Vit C (as pigmentation is not my main concern, I just want to add it to my regime as a preventative), though I use their Retinol 1%).
I actually have two sample of the Skinceuticals C E but haven't bothered, as I knew I would not pay over 100 euros for that kind of product.

botemp don't worry his suitcase is half empty . Let's hope that the typhoon they are experiencing today will not flood any of those lovely cosmetic shops!

I've written an email to Deciem. Hopefully they take pity on us;)
I would also be seriously tempted to order the whole line, though obviously I would not have when to slap it on, or would have to create a 34 step regime. I read the owner or Naruko spends 3 hours a day on his skin regime

Hypoctite that I am and in spite of the sheet mask scandal, I ordered samples of the Sulwhasoo GOA serum.
Next on my list are the Cosrx Rice overnight mask and the Mizon Black Snail cream, which I'm still super curious about.

Aurora - I have the 2% retinol and the alpha. Have ordered the niaci and the HA/B5 combo
Was using LRP redermic R for retinol and holy hell the tingle with this one I used about 4-5 drops and could feel it was in a different league

Ooooo I love the Cosrx rice overnight mask, it's lovely and light, sinks in like a dream and is so nourishing. I use the honey one in the day as my last step before suncream and the rice one at night. I loved the Joseon dynasty cream to but Cosrx is easier to get hold of.

Hollin LRP was also my fist retinol serum. I think it's such a great serum in ordrer to introduce your skin to the stuff and build up resistance for the higher %. I'm soooo curious about the 2% so hopefully they will change their shipping policy and then botemp and I can buy the whole line ;)

Lumpy I will probably order the rice mask this week when I find the time. Very curious about it, though find it a pity there is silicone in it. If I'm not mistaken it's not hug in the INCI, right?

I'm quite glad I didn't merrily slap the new retinol on otherwise my face might have fallen off
Touch wood, my cystic hormonal acne (chin and jaw) seems 100 times better

Aurora , you're worse than me, only thinking of the cosmetics and not the DH's survival during a typhoon!

You know it had to be either 3 hours spent on that skin a day or he'd sold his soul to the devil since he looks about twelve at fifty-something. I'm rather bemused though by Fiddy Shades et. al. who seem to think Naruko is quite the dish .

Iirc my Vit C choices were narrowed down to NuFountain, SkinCeuticals samples from ebay (6 small vials are the equivalent of one full size at 1/3 of the price) and Drunk Elephant's Vit C serum but they all still worked out quite expensive (€50+) mostly due to shipping and since it's coming in from the US I was expecting a whole bunch of taxes on top. It never made much sense in the end and I was half ready to start DIYing it or get the Blissoma one from DD which is supposed to be pretty good but also something like €60 so I'm thankful the Ordinary showed up.

I am indeed ready to order the entire line about now, I want to use some things on my body as it's affordable enough to do so and it's actually quite hard to get some nerdy active skincare things for the body that isn't a total rip off. I really hope they expand their line into some higher % actives formulated for the body and they really should start listening to me anyhow since I seem to be blethering on about them on nearly every thread lately...

I need a new oil cleanser as mine is nearly done, I'm a little torn between staying faithful to my Muji one or trying a new non-mineral oil balm cleanser from Heimish. The latter seems to be hyped up a bit but I can't really seem to find any actual user reviews, it is pretty cheap on Jolse though. Decisions, decisions...