Korean Skincare Haul and First Impressions

At the start of April, I decided to use my Yesstyle account again for the first time in about 6 years. Having brought much of my current korean skin care collection on amazon, I was now finding that it was not only expensive, but also difficult to find all the products I wanted to try out. Yesstyle solved both of these issues, along with free shipping for orders over only $35, although the wait time was longer. However, I decided it was worth it and placed a small order, deciding that buying little and often was more efficient than buying everything all at once. I then placed another order at the start if this month, using the $10 off voucher from my first order and timing it with their upgrade to silver membership offer, which will afford me another $15 off and 6% off everything for my next order. The whole system is a little confusing, but anyway, here are the products I brought and my thoughts. 

Heimish All Clean Balm - $16.65

I’ve tried this a few times now, and the jury is still out. I’ve not used a balm cleaner before, but it melts in your hands to a standard oil cleanser consistency so wasn’t that confusing to use. It smells much stronger than I expected, but it’s a nice, clean, medicinal tea tree type of scent. It seems to do a good enough job of cleansing, but no better than my current oil cleanser, and it does seem to leave my vision cloudier than normal. I do like it, but I think that’s more because of the novelty of a new type of product. For the most part, the Simple one would still be my go to oil cleanser, because it’s cheaper (especially when it was on offer for £2, how I wish I’d brought 60 rather than just 6) and more easily accessible. 

Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop - $18.96

I’ve been using this every evening, and I do think my skin has started to look brighter. The consistency is different to what I was expecting, it’s much more of a lightweight oil than the serum or essence texture I had imagined. This does mean that it takes a little longer to absorb into the skin, and the first night I was a little worried that I would remain slick faced until I washed it off, but my skin soaked it up nicely. The dropper was fun to use, and I experienced no tingling, warming or irritation. I know you have to be careful with mixing ingredients with vitamin C, so I don’t use it when I have used my neogen bio peel pads, and while I’m currently only using it in the evenings, when I build up to using it in the day, I’ll make sure to use a sunscreen as Vitamin C can make you a little more sensitive to sun damage.

CosRX AHA BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner - $13.54

I haven’t really given this much of a go yet as I was far more focused on the klairs vitamin drop and far too scared to mix vitamin c with these acids, but the couple of times I have tried it, I’ve mostly thought how awesome is is to have a toner in mist form. I still class myself a fairly new to toners full stop, and alternate between using pads and my hands to pat the product in. Misting seems to make so much more sense than either of these options, as well as saving money and waste on cotton pads, so next time I buy a toner, I’m going to look for a mist one. I’m currently eyeing up the Pyunkang Yul one as a non acid toner, but research has also told me that I should be able to use this toner with the klairs drop as I don’t have sensitive skin and they are of a similar ph, so maybe I’ll start giving it a go in the mornings. 

CosRX Pimple Master Patch - $3.45

These are A M A Z I N G. Luckily, or not, depending on how you see it, I had a pretty big cystic break out on my chin right as these arrived. I popped one of these on, and while it wasn’t invisible, it wasn’t obvious either and I felt comfortable enough to go out with it on. Within a day, it had brought all the gunk to the surface, which normally takes multiple days if not over a week. My breakout was also much less painful as the swelling went down so much quicker. Definitely would repurchase, and will definitely use them every time I break out. 

Face Liftimg Roller - $4.25

This was a bit of an impulse buy because I was feeling fat faced at the time. The reviews were good , but I think you’d have to use this consistently for like half an hour every day or something to actually be able to judge it’s effectiveness. So far, all I can tell you is that it bemuses my cat and makes her swipe at it, which isn’t ideal when it is in such close contact to my face. 

Etude House Collagen Eye Mask - Free

I haven’t used this yet so I can’t comment on it at all, but I guess the packaging looks cute?!

This has turned out to be quite a long post, and this is only the first order. I think I’ll have to do another haul post tomorrow or something! Overall, I’ve liked everything I brought so far, but time will tell how many of these products I will repurchase when these ones have run out. 

April

I finally placed my Yesstyle Korean Beauty order. It was getting fairly ridiculous, both in money as well as size, and I finally decided to cut it right down and just buy a couple of key products that I want to try so I can test them one at a time rather than basically changing up everything all at once and then having no clue what products actually work. So I wrote up a list on my phone of everything I want so I can keep track, and deleted over three quarters of my shopping basket.

In the end, I went for the Heimish All Clean Balm, the Pimple Patches and AHA BHA Clarifying Toner from COSRX, the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop. I also ordered a facial roller because my face is fat and I get some collagen eye patches from Etude House for free.

I am super excited.

I sort of have in my mind that I’m going to attempt to blog every day in April. Back in 2011 or something, this was known as BEDA and was all the rage. I’ve even started on the night of the 31st March so I could technically miss a day and still be on track. Hopefully I’ll have a lot to post about, what with new diets and exercise and skin care - I thought I might even bring back the review posts, although maybe not to the scale that I used to do.

Hopefully there will be significantly fewer sleep posts.

Addict

I’ve been adding things I want to my basket on Yesstyle for a few weeks now, just as and when I think about it. I’ve got no real intention to buy it all, at least not in one go, but somehow, I’ve found myself being the wrong side of $200 worth of Korean beauty products.

I thought I’d outline them here. Just because.

COSRX - Clear Fit Blemish Cushion SPF47 in #21 Bright Beige
I’ve heard such good things about this cushion. For those that don’t know, Asia seems to do liquid foundations in a compact form, so the product is soaked into a sponge inside the compact and you then use the puff to apply. This cushion is skincare and make up combined, and specifically designed with acne prone skin in mind to not only cover, but also treat. It contains Centella extract and niacinimide, both of which I hear are great for acne prone skin. It’s not cheap at just over $25, but it comes so highly recommended by some of my favourite Asian beauty bloggers that I have to try it out.

Missha - M Magic Cushion Cover SPF50+ in #21
I’ve tried the Missha M Perfect Cover BB cream before, and still use it in the summer. For over half the price of the COSRX cushion, I’m just intrigued as to what another cushion will be like.

Yousha - Cushion Foundation Case
I was watching old Gothamista videos today, and found one where she makes her own cushion using the Bourgois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation and various serums to create her own skincare make up. I think this sounds like an excellent idea! I need an empty cushion to do this, and for less than $5, this one will do.

Heimish - All Clean Balm
This is a balm cleanser, something that I’m really keen to try. As far as I can gather, it’s a balm that melts in the hands to form a oil, which then emulsifies with water. I’m intrigued as to whether balms will be better than oil cleanser, as at the moment, I am pretty sold on using oil cleanser for the rest of my life. I was weighing up between the Clean It Zero and this one, but opted for this one in the end as I’ve heard a few people say that the Clean It Zero can sting the eyes a little. Rumour is that the people who make Heimish used to work for Clean It Zero and basically made the All Clean Balm to solve those sorts of issues.

COSRX - Low PH Good Morning Gel Cleanser
This seems to be the go to gel cleanser for most of my favourite beauty bloggers. I like my Simple and Garnier gel cleansers but why not see what the Asian brands are like.

Klairs - Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop
This is probably the product that I’m most desperate to try. Vitamin C is supposed to be SO good for fading acne marks, and I have so many marks to fade. I did quite a lot of research into which Vitamin C serum to go for, and this one seemed to be the best. The only thing to take into account is the faff that comes with Vitamin C serums in general, which is that they can oxidise. So you’re supposed to keep them stored out of sunlight, and preferably somewhere cool. So, the fridge then.

Labiotte - Chateau Labiotte Wine Lip Tint in #CR01 Rose Coral and #CR02 Sauternes Coral
This is just a little but if fun. It’s a lip tint, that looks like a little bottle of wine. It's got good reviews too, so for the price, why not.

COSRX - Acne Pimple Patch
I’ve heard these are a game changer when it comes to break outs. They’re little stickers that you pop over a spot and it protects, heals and hides them all in one. You can even wear make up over them.

COSRX - Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
Snail goo is supposed to be great for your skin. It heals acne, fades scars and hyper pigmentation, is anti aging and just generally fab all round. This was always my favoured snail product to try, but CosRX just don’t seem to exist on amazon, so I’ve had to make do with Nature Republic and Benton instead, both of which  I’ve really loved.  Still want try this one though.

COSRX - Centella Blemish Cream
I was looking for a spot treatment that contained Centella. I found this one, it was by COSRX, and the reviews were good. I haven’t really heard much more about it, and it wasn’t a product that I hunted out so much so that I came across it, but the alternative is the Teca Cream by Wishtrend, and those reviews were not so positive.

Etude House - Sunprise Must Daily Lotion SPF50
Step 10 of the 10 Step Korean Skincare Routine is sunscreen. I cannot imagine putting sunscreen on my face voluntarily every day. Maybe korean sunscreens will be less sunscreenish than British ones.


This has ended up being a really long post. I thought I’d be done by midnight. LOL.

Amazon is expensive

You know what’s crazy? That I’m willing to pay £25 for skin care if it’s from Korea, but turn my nose up at Simple unless it’s on offer. You know what’s even more crazy? The price difference in the same Korean beauty products.

In my last Amazon shop, I decided to finally take the plunge and fork out for the Benton Snail Bee Essence. Then, literally days later, I found it on Yesstyle for literally half the price. Sure, I get that Yesstyle isn’t exactly located in the UK and I was very much going for UK based sellers on Amazon, but still, that’s a crazy price drop.

I then decided to look for the Neogen Bio Peel Gauze Pads, and found them to be cheaper on Amazon. There wasn’t much difference in the Nature Republic Snail Essence, but the Klairs Vitamin C Drop, a product I really want to try, is well over double the price on Amazon as it is on Yesstyle, as is the Heimish All Clean Balm.

I very much looked to Amazon as a really exciting way to get my Korean skincare hit, but actually I’ve been spending far more than I should, purely for the privilege of speedy delivery. Sometimes, the products I wanted didn’t even ship from the UK, so if I was having them delivered from Korea anyway, why not look elsewhere?

I used to like Yesstyle, I have brought a fair amount from there in the past, back in the days when you had to spend £90 to meet the delivery threshold, but now it’s only £25. I just had this connection in my head that Yesstyle was clothes, even though I knew they did beauty too. I even brought a load of BB creams from there. There are other options too, I follow Wishtrend on YouTube but have yet to explore their delivery system as I think it’s slightly more complex than normal. While researching for this post, I came across a website called Beauty and Seoul which I’m very excited about as a UK based business that seem competitively priced. Their website is actually really nice, with individual recommendations from the sites founder  and a how to use section on each product. They don’t have the a huge collection, but they have more than enough, especially CosRX, a brand which I can’t find on Amazon.

Tl;dr version - I’m want to spend a fortune on Korean skincare, and do, but maybe I don’t need to spend quite as much.

Why I don't drink caffeine

This evening, a couple of my girl friends came round for dinner. We sat at the dining table and everything. They brought Pepsi max, and I had half a glass. Now it's one in the morning and I'm sat in bed wide awake.

I'm not used to caffeine anymore. I gave it up a few years ago (it's documented on this blog somewhere) and it was horrible. The headaches. The tiredness. The general feeling like crap. Then I started Slimmimg World, and for some reason, it being free meant that I should have cola again, and so it crept back into my life. I came back to my senses when the tunnel vision started to return, and now normally stay away. Tonight was a mixture of laziness because I couldn't be bothered to get anything else, and wanting to belong because that's what the others were drinking.

It is not worth it. I'm now wide awake but my mind is tired, and I have a headache. Urgh.

In slightly related news, I think I'm addicted to Korean skincare. I've joked before, but now I'm really starting to wonder. You know when you order something on amazon and it'll tell you "spend £* to qualify for free delivery"? I always use that as an excuse to buy something under the pretence that I'm saving money. I'm not. Delivery will normally be a couple of pounds, and the products are rarely under £15. I'm supposed to be counting the pennies, and instead I'm ordering essences all over the place. I have one due to arrive tomorrow, which was making up the total on my nieces birthday presents, but I still ordered another one this evening to make up the cost of some more Mediheal sheet masks. So I have the Mizon Watery First Essence and the Benton Snail Bee Essence on the way, both of which I'm very excited by. Now I just need CosRX on amazon ...

Ever since I finished the green Mediheal masks, I can feel my skin getting worse, bubbling up under the surface. In all fairness, it could still be the Nature Republic Snail essence, as I finished that at around the same time, but seeing as I can get the masks in the UK for about £15-17, and the essence is only from Korea and last time cost me about £25 plus a £12 customs charge (!!!), I figure I'll try the sheet masks again first. I did love the Nature Republic snail essence though ... sigh. I was trying the orange Vita lightbeam masks, but I'm not loving those as much as the green healing ones. The serum is slightly thicker and more sticky, but I think pairing them up and alternating with the healing ones might work well. Prevent and heal break outs and then fade discolouration.

Right, I should stop typing now and distract my heavily caffeinated brain with drama instead. I've just started Just Between Lovers and so far I'm loving it. It's beautifully shot. Plus 2pm's Junho is the perfect mix of kind hearted bad boy.

I just wish dramas didn't have such lovey dovey titles.

Mediheal Tea Tree Healing Masks

I full on love these sheet masks. 

I only have one left, and even though I already have a fair few of the Tony Moly I'm Real ones left, as well as a box of the orange mediheal masks in my cupboard, I'm very tempted to repurchase sooner rather than later. 

I have been using these masks twice a week for 4 weeks. Before, I was suffering from hormonal cystic acne along my jaw line, which was very uncomfortable and really affecting my confidence. I was wearing multiple foundations to try and cover it, but because they were so deep under my skin, attempting to cover it up didn't seem to work. I know I was maybe too sensitive, and that others probably didn't think twice to look at me, but it was painful so I could never forget that it was there. I knew that tea tree was supposed to be good for acne, and had liked the Tony Moly one. I'd heard a lot of good things about Mediheal, so when I found these masks on amazon, I thought I'd give them a try. 

The packaging says:

Components that help problem skin with much oil secretion such as Melaleuca Alternifolia (tea tree) leaf oil, Pinus Palustris Leaf extract and Portulaca Oleracea extract will soothe your irritated skin and let you feel refreshed without any stickiness after using it. Use of the cellulose mask sheet with silky touch fitting even your fine wrinkles aids intensive care and delivers the efficacy of the high-concentrated essence more mildly. 

I'm not really sure what they are getting at with half of that, but I can attest to it soothing my irritated skin and not being sticky at least. 

I used this at night after a shower. I would double cleanse with Simple Cleansing Oil and Garnier Natural Aloe Gel Face Wash and exfoliate with the Neogen Bio Peel Wine Gauze Pads in the shower. After toning with the Face Shop Rice Ceramide Toner, I would then apply the sheet mask, keeping it on for around 20 mins, or until it had started to dry out a little. I'd then tap in the essence, pretending to know what I'm doing, but really just copying what the beauty gurus do, and follow up with the Nature Republic Snail essence, Simple Eye Cream and Olay Regenerist Night Cream. 

The masks are nicely saturated with the serum, and I always found there to be a fair amount of excess left in the packaging. I'd use this an an extra essence step in my day to day routine, morning and night, concentrating it on my jawline, and it would normally last me until my next mask. The masks themselves fit really nicely, and are by far the best fitting sheet masks of the ones I've tried. They don't crease, the eye holes are in the right place, nor do they slide off your face. They aren't as thick as the Tony Moly ones, and don't have the annoying paper of the My Beauty Diary masks. 

Straight away, I noticed my skin feeling plumper and more hydrated. Fair enough, that's what sheet masks are supposed to do, and I'd never used them more than once a week before. However, what's really surprised me is how much better my hormonal acne has been since I started using these masks. Now don't get excited, my skin is still far from perfect, but it is significantly less painful, and the frequency and amount of break outs has definitely decreased. I think my skin issues are hyper pigmentation from previous blemishes now for the most part. Sure, I still break out, but it just doesn't seem as bad as before, not as cystic. My skin itself also feels and looks much better too. 

I don't know how much I can chalk this solely down to these masks. I've been drinking at least two litres of red bush tea a day, which might have helped the general hydration of my skin. I've also been using the Neogen pads for around the same amount of time, and the Nature Republic essence for a month or so longer, both of which are supposed to be good for acne prone skin. However, I still really highly rate these masks - I've genuinely loved bringing them into my routine and will definitely repurchase. 

You can find them easily on amazon for around £15 for a box of 10, and both these green ones and the orange ones came really quickly. Normally Korean cosmetics can take months because they are shipped from Korea, so just be aware and look for a  U.K. based seller.  

Mediheal do a whole host of options, but I'll see how I get on with the Vitamin C ones before I decide to venture into the others - I've clocked collagen and placenta, and the blue ones with the random letters. I've also heard good things about Leaders, and am tempted to try the Nature Republic ones seeing as I've liked their essence so much. 

We'll see, I can't really afford to fill my house with Korean skincare ... as much as I would love to ....