One of my favourite brands- Laniege!

Pictured: Wow look at these spreads.

I am so excited to partner with Laniege- just kidding. If a brand ever sponsors me, or indeed thinks tumblr is an “influencer” platform, I would be shocked. I’d be happy to do it for free if Laniege sent me their products.

Kind of went overboard at the counter but you know, it’s a once-a-year slurge on makeup (this year it came with some skincare products for an extra amount) and getting some samples.

I have heard that Laniege isn’t very good for your skin as it contains a lot of fragrance and only provides basic hydration, but I would respectfully disagree. I haven’t seen any problems with my sensitive-ish skin so far. If you have oily skin in summer and dry skin in winter, you need extra moisture!

1. BB Cushion Whitening in No. 21 Beige (the OG) and the Neo Cushion Glow 21N
2. A bunch of samples, including makeup remover, foam cleansers (two types!), products from their hydrobank collection
3. 7-step trial kit
4. Youth Collagen Drink (pack of 24)
5. More samples!! Special Care Water Sleeping Mask,Clear C Peeling Serum, and Cica Sleeping Mask. (The thing I love about going to physical stores is how many samples people give you, especially if you’re shopping a lot)

A common thing I hear about Laniege is that their prices are not on the high end of the market, but not exactly affordable. I did finish a jar of the sleeping mask and the lip mask before and could say they work well if your skin is super dry. Honestly I get most of my Laniege skincare from samples. It’s the cushions that are really worth the money.

Once you use these cushions, I don’t think you’ll want to go back. They’re medium coverage and smell great. They stay on for around half a day before you need to reapply. I’m always conflicted when it comes to buying products like foundation and concealer because it feels so weird to want to make your face “flawless” before going out in public. I often say that what you look like with natural skin doesn’t matter but turn around and use a cushion to cover up my acne scars. Does anyone else feel like this?

(And then you have to buy make up remover, like the Fresh Brightening Cleansing Oil. That product does the job by the way. I have no complaints about that, just this whole capitalistic cycle of forcing women to pay to “look presentable”.)

A seven-step Water Bank trial kit from Laneige! This came with my makeup purchase. Can’t wait to test it out. The bag is really pretty. Might make a review for this.

I bought the Youth Collagen Drink on a whim. The collagen helps with fading acne scars. I’m not in their targeted demographic, but it never hurts to start reversing the aging process at a before your late twenties. (Once again, more conflicted emotions about what it means to be “beautiful”. Like how being beautiful means looking young, if that makes sense.) The taste of this drink is berry-like and has a semi-thick consistency. You drink it after your evening skincare. I’m not sure when you see results, if ever, and I don’t think I would buy it again. Edit: I checked and apparently there’s improvement in the bounciness of your skin after 8 weeks.

Finally, get samples! Samples let you try products before you buy them. It’s not awkward to ask something like “I want to try these products for a bit, is it alright if I get samples for it?” when you’re shopping. The salespeople are willing to help. Be nice to retail workers!

✨✨Splurge-worthy Korean Skincare Products ✨✨

Or, it’s my birthday and I deserve to treat myself

Hello everyone I’m back from a long hiatus because I finally have time and energy to post. It’s also my birthday today (29/11).

People are always talking about treating yourself to a new coat or a manicure whenever you feel like it. So, here are my picks for the best Korean skincare products if you want to treat yourself.

Belif: The True Cream Aqua Bomb

Pictured: So I don’t really own one of these because it’s sort of out of my budget. I wish I did though.

Alright a high price tag may not always be justified (see: La Mer), but this moisturiser from Belif has an anti-oxidant formula. That means it perfect for calming your skin and keeping it soft and radiant. It’s also suitable for most skin types.

They say that it could be used as an overnight sleeping mask and a makeup primer. I love multipurpose products that are worth the money.

Beauty of Joseon: Dynasty Cream

Pictured: This is very pretty packaging. (From Soko Glam).

Can I just say how cool the name is? And the glass packaging. This is why presentation is so important for branding.

It contains ingredients from traditional Korean medicine such as ginseng, which helps brighten skin. I would recommend this for people with dry skin but not for those with sensitive skin.

Make P:rem: Safe Me Relief Moisture Green Ampoule

People shouldn’t spend a lot of money on cleansers or makeup remover, but the one thing it’s alright to splurge on is serums or ampoules. Things that warrant the price.

Make P:rem’s Safe Me line is well-marketed, but it works. The above ampoule works for oily, sensitive or acne-prone skin types and contains 18 ingredients. It soothes and moisturizes at the same time.

Innisfree: Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask

I think I’ll be recommending masks in this post, because they are just so nice-feeling and gives your skin that extra push it needs to be dewy and even. It’s the perfect thing to treat yourself with.

I’m a huge fan of clay masks in general as my skin gets super oily at times. This one from cult favourite Innisfree detoxifies skin and helps with calming acne. It also comes in a foamy mousse form. I’ve recommended it a few times here on this blog as it is very good for your skin.

Dr. Jart+ Lover Rubber Masks

These are super fun rubber masks (each color has a different property) that are good for every skin type. Normally I’m not a fan of sheet masks, but I’ll make an exception for this.

I would recommend the Hydration Lover, which is perfect for a self-care day. One mask is pricier than your average Korean sheet mask, but it is really effective.

Bonus: Brands that are worth your hard-earned money

• Cosrx (fantastic for acne-prone skin)
• Skinfood (try the Egg White Pore Mask)
• Sulwhasoo(a brand on the higher end of the spectrum with products made from the best ingredients)

I might add some more to this list later. Stay tuned for my next post!

All the different types of ‘good’ skin (Korean ver. )

Sometimes I wonder how South Korean women even live, with the pressure of society forcing them to look their best every single day. Flawless white skin, double eyelids, sharp jawline. Korean beauty standards are some of the highest and most unrealistic in the world.

Here are the four types of skin Korean people aim to get (mostly through witchcraft):

Glass skin

The difficulty of achieving this type of skin: compared with the rest, not really

Unlike the rest of the looks below, glass skin only asks you to get a dewy, luminous look- just like a porcelain doll. It’s literally my personal goal when I get down with my ten-step Korean skincare routine. And you have to get that look without makeup.

My advice would be to use more hydrating products. Toners like the Dear Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner or the NAKEUP FACE Stress Zero Toner are good picks if you want poreless skin.

Basically, just go through all the steps of a Korean routine and you’re good to go.

Cloudless skin

The difficulty of achieving this type of skin: since it’s pretty much asking you to have the skin of a young child, I’d say very difficult

So cloudless skin has to be blemish-free and perfect. You need an aura- ie. a youthful glow- easily achievable through plenty of rest, eating healthy food, and keeping your face moisturized. (Use IU as a point of reference.)

Honestly, I’m too tired and world-weary to even bother trying this. You need to be healthy to get this look. I like junk food way too much.

However, if you would like to get cloudless skin, you cannot have dull skin. I would recommend the MISSHA Time Revolution Clear Toner and the CORSX Advanced Snail Mucin 96 Power Essence. Also, try to put on a sheet mask more than three times a week.

Honey skin

The difficulty of achieving this type of skin: on a scale of 1-10, I’d say an 11, as it’s the step you take after you get healthy skin

To start with, you have to consider your skin type. Can your skin take the amount of moisture needed to plump up and achieve a translucent glow?

It’s more well-known than ‘glass skin’, at least in South Korea. Not going to lie, the faces of people who have honey skin are very shiny. I suppose it’s to mimic actual honey?

Well if you want to get this, good luck. I would recommend LeeGeeHaam’s Grow Vita Propolis Ampoule (even though it’s kind of pricey for 15 mL of liquid), maybe an aloe vera toner like the one from Benton, and to get rid of blackheads for that desired even skin, Neogen Dermalogy Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Pads. 

Baby skin

The difficulty of achieving this type of skin: maybe if you were born again and learnt to treasure your skin you might have the slightest chance of maintaining baby-smooth skin

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a person who already has good skin, would want the perfect skin of a baby. This isn’t a trend that has caught on internationally because I guess it’s not as marketable.

Anyway, if you want to get this type of skin, I would recommend using only one night cream. As for cleansers, I’ve heard good things about the Peach & Lily Power Calm Hydrating Gel Cleanser. Don’t touch your face as much.

Conclusion

Honestly, you can probably get these ~very similar~ looks with makeup, but it would be nice for your natural, bare skin to look pure and lovely. You don’t precisely have to get these looks, just try your best to care for your skin.

How to beat hormonal acne

Pictured: Alice facepalming- definitely don’t touch your face during a major breakout. ‍♀️

It’s time for everyone to learn how to outsmart your body.

So hormonal acne occurs during periods, when you’re stressed, and other times when your hormones fluctuate. Outbreaks tend to occur in the T-zone (ugh the worst zone) or jawline.

I happen to get hormonal acne on my cheeks whenever I get my period. While I am by no means an expert, here are some methods I use to combat this problem:

• In the morning, instead of using my Cosrx Mild Foaming Cleanser, I just wash my with warm water instead, because cleansers, even the mildest ones, contain some chemicals that can irritate your skin.
• Sweating makes the situation worse, because your face produces excess oil. Avoid going outside in hot weather and always carry oil blotting paper. Stay cool.
• Eating less sugary things. Don’t give into your cravings!
• Don’t pick at any pimple as it’s painful and bad for your skin. Slap a pimple patch on it (the Cosrx one comes to mind) and you’ll be fine.
• I monitor the places I breakout the most closely before my period (I track it, like everyone probably should). At any sign of disturbance, I use my acne medication that contains retinol.

Hormonal acne is normal so don’t feel bad about yourself when it happens. Seek the help of a dermatologist if it gets worse.