Empties 5 – Mostly Kbeauty – Massive overview

Hello everybody!

After a really long absence from my blog, it’s time again for another Empties post. As I have already mentioned few times, I’m trying to decrease my stash and trying to empty as much products as I can, without troubling my skin. However, this is becoming extremely difficult since every now and then I have some shopping blackouts which result in some smaller or bigger hauls (again).  As, I said it’s been a while since I posted something, but I did empty quite a lot products.

So, if you want to read my post, take some snack or even a sandwich, since this might take a while 😀

Farmacy Green clean cleansing balm – as you can see, I have 2 jars and the 3rd one is already in use, so you can guess that I love it. It is gentle, but very effective. It removes all make up, dirt, grime. It looks like vax, but it is like the finest butter once you start massaging the face. You need only small amount to cleanse the entire face. The price point could be an issue, since it does cost around 30 GBP for 90 ml, but I will keep buying it.

Acwell 5.5 micro cleanser – I was using this as a 2nd cleanser or sometimes as a morning cleanser. It is a creamy cleanser which doesn’t foam a lot (it almost doesn’t foam at all). It is gentle and effective and leaves the skin clean and soft. I didn’t feel any dryness or tightening.  Little goes a long way and this tube lasted for 8 months!! I would probably buy again if I wasn’t so curious when it comes to the cleansers.

Tonymoly Pro clean smoky eye and lip make up remover – this is my favorite eye makeup remover which I alternate with the other one from the photo, Klorane Lotion florale démaquillant. I have already written about those 2 products. Both very effective in removing eye makeup and both packed in big bottles. Will repurchase!!

Mandom barrier repair essence lotion – this is wonderful lotion made with rice milk. It hydrates and nourishes the skin at the same time, it softness it, calms down any redness. I would probably buy again if I hadn’t tried I’m from rice toner.

Neogen Real ferment micro essence – I’m in love with this beauty! I was watching it for so long, that I was really afraid that it would be a disappointment once I tried and oh boy, I was wrong. It is the best essence I tried; it tops every single one of them. I just wish I could have a bath in it. It leaves the skin so hydrated, soft, shinny and still does what other first essences do and that is preparing the skin for next steps and providing better absorption of the next layers. My skin purrs when in contact with this essence.  Will continue buying (I already have 2 bottles in my stash).

May Coop Raw Sauce – my HG product. It refreshes, hydrates, nourishes. It can be used with other toners, but can also easily replace few steps of your routine. It is such a great product! Will repurchase for sure.

Mario Badescu Facial spray with aloe, cucumber and green tea – I wasn’t using this as a mist, but as a toner, since the sprayer is to strong for my face. I used to refresh the skin and for those purposes is ok. I find this to be a basic hydration and that’s about it. I wasn’t impressed by this spray. I won’t repurchase.

Omorovicza Queen of Hungary mist –  I got this in one of Lookfantastic beauty boxes (or maybe in Advent calendar). Unlike Mario Badescu, I give big thumbs up for the sprayer which produces the finest mist. I also think that the glass bottle is really classy. However, I hate the scent (I would say it’s fit for older ladies). It gives an instant refreshment, but honestly I do not see why it is so expensive. I won’t repurchase!

Indie Lee CoQ10 toner – this is the only western toner that can stand aside with the Asian toners. It provides a perfect ratio of hydration and moisture. It nourishes the skin and makes it glowy. The only downside of this toner is its price. However, I have already repurchased a travel size to have it for a treat for my skin.

Pyunkang Yul mist toner – I’m sure you ha0ve already seen this toner in my posts. This is one of my favorite hydrating toners. Of course, I have already a back up bottle in my stash.

Mizon AHA/BHA toner – you have already seen this toner in my Empties. I’m using it under all acid treatments and it gives them such a nice boost.

Missha artemisia first essence – I used this essence rather quickly due to its size. However, I must say I’m not that crazy about it. It is good, it does what it is supposed to do and that’s preparing the skin for next steps. But what I didn’t like is that I felt some stickiness from time to time, when I applied more than 1 layer. Otherwise, it’s good. I don’t think I will repurchase.

Missha Time Revolution first essence (not in the photo) – I tried this at the beginning of my Kbeauty adventure (when I had no clue about anything) and I didn’t like it. I gave it a second chance now and I didn’t regret at all since this is really such a nice first essence. It is hydrating, soothing and really effective in making my skin soft and facilitating the absorption of the next steps.  I will repurchase!

Primer Miracle Seed essence – I read so many raving reviews about this essence that I had to try it. However, I only used it 3-4 times before I managed to spill more that half of this small bottle. I can say that  it could have some potential, so I bought another one to try it again.

Laneige cream skin refiner – lovely milky lotion that nourishes nicely the skin. It sinks it fast without any tackiness. Just like May Coop raw sauce, it can replace few watery steps of your routine (I prefer May Coop for summer, and Laneige for colder days). Already repurchased.

2sol niacinamide – this was the first niacinamide I tried and I loved it. It contains 10% niacinamide and 1% panthenol. I used it in a serum step and now when I think of it, I could have obtained even better result if I had been using it as a 1st step (like I do now with all my niacinamide serums). This serum is really watery and basically it is perfect choice for the 1st step. It doesn’t cause any redness (what I experienced with some other similar products), it sinks in fast and brightens, clears and evens the skin. I will repurchase!

Manyo Galactomy Niacin serum – I have been trying to use the niacinamide regularly in my morning routine, so I have emptied few different ones lately. At first, I wasn’t so happy with this serum, because I felt like it was leaving a greasy, sticky residue. However, after few uses, this stickiness disappeared. The skin is smooth, brightened, clear. It doesn’t sting or provoke any redness. I will buy again, but not right away.

Medi-Peel Bortox – this is one of my favorite peptide serums. It is white and milky ampoule which sinks in fast and dries completely. It nourishes the skin, it has a tightening and plumping effect on my skin and it made my forehead wrinkle less deep, so I would say it does work. I do not expect any serum to erase my wrinkles, but this is close. I will repurchase.

2sol Bifida power ampoule – Before I started to explore the peptides and niacinamide serums, bifida was the ingredient of the choice for skin brightening and anti-age. It brightens and plumps the skin. It has watery texture and sinks fast. I cannot tell much more about some other effects since I wasn’t using it regularly.

Isntree C-niacin toning ampoule – this is a great choice for those who like to use the niacinamide and C vitamin in one single product. It is a nice brightening ampoule. Since I use this type of product as a first step in my morning routine, its jelly texture might not be a perfect choice for my routine (I prefer the watery textures from 2sol or Sidmool niaten that I currently use). However, it is still a nice product.

The Inkey List vitamin C – this was the first product I tried from The Inkey List range and I loved it. Although it is a serum, it has a texture of a moisturizer. When it comes to the ingredients, its inkey list is rather simple: 3 types of silicones and high percentage of vitamin C. Since I like to use the vitamin C serums as a first step, I was applying it as a first step despite its silicone texture (I have to make a longer pause before the next step). When applied, I felt stinging, but it wasn’t very unpleasant and it lasted few seconds. I have mentioned few times that my skin adores the vitamin C serums and once again, this one wasn’t any exception. My skin was brightened, evened. This serum also helped a pimple scar to heal faster. I have already repurchased.

Scinic peptide ampoule 95 – at first, I wasn’t happy with this ampoule since it tends to leave a sticky residue and I didn’t feel that this provided any benefit for my skin. However, as I was coming close to the bottom of the bottle, I felt like it was tightening and plumping nicely my skin. Maybe I would have felt its full potential if I had gone through another bottle. I will think of repurchasing.

It’s Skin Power 10 formula LI effector – this is one of my HG serums which I always have in my stash. It is my go-to serum together with Cosrx snail mucin ampoule for the skin accidents (if my skin reacts to some ingredients or if I overdo with some treatments, etc). I have already repurchased.

Iunik Beta-glucan Power Moisture serum – I wanted to try this as I had read that it was a good replacement for the hyaluronic acid serums.  It does provide the nice hydration, but it is sticky and I do not like that. Actually it reminds me of a snail muccin and it felt like I applied something that contains snail mucin (which I like in a skincare).

Liz K first C serum – after reading so many raving reviews for this, I thought I would just love this serum, especially since my skin enjoys a good vitamin C serum. However, I had an impression that this serum wasn’t doing anything for my skin, not even that immediate brightening effect that I see from every vitamin C serum. Luckily, this serum is packed in a miniature bottle so I went through it rather quickly. I will not repurchase.

The Ordinary Granactive retinoid in squalane – I had to throw this bottle since it was open for too long. I was using at beginning of this year till end of March and then I stopped using it. I cannot tell a lot about this serum since I wasn’t using it regularly and enough to see the results (it does take longer for a retinol to show the results).

Aritaum cotton pads – from time to time, I buy a box of Korean pads, because the difference between the western and Asian ones is huge. Korean pads do not waste a lot of product and yet they spread better the product over the face. However, they are still much more expensive than our regular ones, so I treat myself maybe twice a year.

Petitfee Superseed lip oil – I didn’t finish this small bottle. I liked it maybe for few first applications, but then I started to feel some dryness (which is usually an issue for me). The only thing I liked about this oil is the scent and the taste. I won’t repurchase it obviously.

Missha Perfect cover bb cream – my shade is #27. You can also see this bb cream often in my New-in posts since I have been using this bb cream for years now.

Dr Jart Shake & shot rubber mask (soothing)  – If you want to add some fun to your skincare routine, try the rubber masks!! Mixing the ingredients, shaking them, trying to apply the mask evenly on your face, looking funny with the masks dripping from your face, it is really a fun. I must however admit that this Dr Jart rubber mask was a lot less messy from what I expected. If applied evenly, after it dried, you can remove it in one piece, like a sheet mask. The skin is nourished and glowy, calmed.  However, it’s a bit pricey for a 1-shot product, but I will buy again.

Skinfood Rice mask – nice and gentle wash off mask. It brightens the skin, makes it soft and plump. The grains are big, but not harsh and provide gentle exfoliation. The mask smells nice and looks like a nice rice pudding. I will repurchase once I decrease the number of masks I opened.

Bobbi Brown Extra repair eye cream – so many swear by this eye cream, so do I. It is my HG eye cream. It delivers definetely! It is very thick, nourishing and it really made my crow feet wrinkles look almost invisible. I have already repurchased!!

Dr Dennis Gross exfoliating pads extra strenght – I got those 2 samples with my purchase in Sephora. I was a bit scared by that extra strenght remark. I thought it could possibly burn my skin. And that is so not true. These pads are actually strong when you see the result: brightened and extremelly soft skin obtained in few swiping movements, but without burning, without itching, without any nasty thing that usually comes along when using acids. I was blown away with these pads at first application. I have already ordered a 5-pcs packaging. O yeah, I forgot to mention that these are very expensive, but really expensive and that’s why I didn’t buy bigger packaging. But they are worth every penny!!

Peter Thomas Roth cucumber mask – I’m so happy I have only luxury sample size of this mask (from a 5-pieces set of PTR masks). I was using this usually after the beach days this summer and didn’t see any benefit of it at all (at least I didn’t see more benefit from what I could have gotten from a simple aloe vera gel). No matter how big quantity I put, my skin “drunk” it up fast leaving the surface still “thursty”. It did calm the skin, but that was all. I will definetely not repurchase it.

Primera Alpine berry watery cream – this one goes to my list for futur full size buy (though this won’t be any time soon, since I have few unopened moisturizers). This cream provides a perfect balance of hydration and moisture, it is not oily and yet it gives a nice glow to the skin. It is spread easily and it sinks in fast. I was using this in the night routine as last step (when I was using this moisturizer, I wasn’t putting the sleeping mask) and in the morning, my skin was soft and velvety.

Eyenlip salmon oil nutrition cream – When shopping on Beautynetkorea, I put often this 15ml cream in my shopping basket. I use it mostly during the colder period of year, since it is a great occlusive and delivers fine nutrition,  but still it is not greasy. I do not use in summer. I will repurchase.

Eyenlip eye patches – Salmon oil nutriton (packed in a fancy rose-gold packaging) and Gold & snail (packed in regular jar). I like to use the eye patches, but none of these will provide a longterm result. However, they do hydrate nicely, make the eye area look rested and fresh. I liked both of these, with the smsll complaint for Gold & snail which are really soaked and move a lot if you do not lay down. I like exploring the eye patches and usually always buy a kind that I haven’t tried before.

Elemis Pro-collagen marine cream – again a really great moisturizer which delivers a nice balance of moisture and nutrition. The skin texture  is so soft and even. I cannot speak about the anti-aging effect, since this was a luxury sample (15ml) obtained in one of Lookfantastic beauty boxes and I haven’use it enough to verify the claims. However, I got a full size product in Asos advent calendar, so I will be able to test more properly.

And of course, I emptied my share of body care, hair care and hand care products.

Till next time, stay healthy and beautiful!

Empties 4

Although I wasn’t present a lot at my blog lately, I have been really active when it comes to emptying beauty products and I hope I will continue with this pace since my big goal is to decrease my stash. I’m trying to use/finish as much products as possible, without, of course, troubling my skin or overloading my routines.

So, without further ado, here are my empties (and once again, due to a really long absence from my blog, I have again a big pile of empties to write about).

SKINCARE

Harumada Triple balance one-step cleansing pads – Excellent cleansing pads, very travel friendly. These pads do a great job in removing the makeup, dirt, grimes without having to do a double cleansing. I use these for my so called lazy cleansing routine. Would repurchase for sure if I could find anywhere!!

Kose softymo cleansing oil – nice, effective cleansing oil which turns into nice emulsion when mixed with water. It is affordable and lasts really long time. I will repurchase again, but not immediately since I really like to try new cleansers.

CNP Laboratory Perfect barrier cera cleanser – this complimented really well my 1st cleanser. It is gentle, not drying at all, effective, you only need a small quantity to wash your face (a pea size). But my problem with cleansers is that I do not stick to one, not even when I find an excellent cleanser and this one was excellent for me.

The Saem Healing tea garden White tea lip & eye remover – I struggled with this one, since I used much more cotton pads to remove my eye makeup than I usually need with my regular Tonymoly remover.

Pyunkang yul mist toner – this is one of my favourite toners. For the moment, I have 1 opened and 1 bottle waiting in my stash. I use it often and usually in both my morning and my evening routines.  It provides a perfect hydration to my skin, while refreshing it at the same time.  It is a nice watery toner which is absorbed easily and it doesn’t leave a sticky feeling. Since it is watery, it can also be used in 7-skin method. It is colourless and scentless which I really appreciate. My skin loves it and I will be repurchasing this toner again and again.

Isntree aloe soothing toner – this toner was one of my big discoveries of 2018. It is a colourless, odourless liquid, more viscous than water. It provides nice hydration, soothes the skin and gives it a nice glow. It isn’t sticky at all which can sometimes happen with aloe containing products.  I was usually using it as a 2nd toner, sometimes as the only toner. I can say that my face was feeling really happy when I applied this toner. I will repurchase!!

Mizon AHA/BHA toner – great preparation toner which functions great with all acid treatments and vitamin C serums. It is not irritating at all and it gives every treatment such a nice boost. Already repurchased!

Olivarrier dual moist toner lotion 5.5. – I bought this toner to try it as a replacement for Acwell licorice 5.5 which became rather difficult to find online. It seems that this one is pretty same when talking about difficulty to purchase. It is a nice toner which I used usually as a first toner in my routine. It is thicker than water, yellowish, unscented and is absorbed quickly. Due to the squalane and alantoin this toner contains, it is also nourishing. Actually, it is more nourishing than hydrating. If you’re looking for a hydrating toner, this shouldn’t be your first choice. I liked this toner, but wasn’t crazy about it. Maybe I will repurchase it in the future.

I’m from Magnolia wake essence – I opened it on New Year’s day and mentioned it in my post about first morning routine in 2019. I was putting it almost every morning under my bb cream. I didn’t treat it as an essence since it has a jelly consistence and is thick and not watery. It is absorbed nicely providing a decent hydration and glow. However, I did have to apply more than my usual 3 drops of serum (1 on each cheek and 1 on forehead) and I ran out of it quite quickly. I tried to find it again on ebay, but without too much success, so I guess it is discontinued. Sadly I don’t think I will repurchase.

Melano CC serum – I have already mentioned few times in my  posts that my skin adores serums containing vitamin C and this serum wasn’t any exception to that rule. It brightens the skin, it evens the texture and helps the scars and the pimples heal faster. The packaging is great and prevents the serum from oxydizing. This is an excellent serum which I will repurchase!

Hanskin Real Complexion Hyaluron skin essence – I really liked this essence and how it pushes in the watery layers previously put and how it makes the skin plump and hydrated. I felt like it wipped out completely the surface of the skin in few seconds without actually drying it. I will definitely repurchase when I decrease my stash!

Missha first treatment essence Intensive moist – I used this essence at the very beginning of my Kbeauty adventure and I honestly didn’t see many benefits from using it. I’m not even sure if I used it in a correct manner. However few FTEs and few years later, I decided to give it a second chance and I really liked it. It is really effective and, at the same time, really hydrating first step which nicely prepares the skin for next steps.

Manyo Factory Miracle overnight pack – this is my biggest discovery of 2018 and my HG when it comes to sleeping masks. It has a gel consistency, it sinks in the skin perfectly while sealing in all the goodness previously put, is refreshing, hydrating and in the morning I wake up with glowy glass skin. Already repurchased and will continue to!

Dr Botanicals Facial oil – I got this in one of my Lookfantastic beauty boxes. This was the most watery and runny facial oil I have ever seen. Actually it’s not oily in any way! I felt like I was using a toner or lotion, not an oil. I was using it as a last step of my night routine, after my moisturizer and for me, this was a perfect combo. My skin was just perfect in the morning: silky, shinny, not oily at all. Before I opened this oil, I haven’t been using the oils for years. And this reminded me of how my skin loves nice facial oil. Although this was really nice oil, for the moment I will not repurchase it, since I bought few new ones (The Ordinary, Sunday Riley Juno, Farsali).

MAKEUP 

Peripera Airy ink velvet in shade Sold out red – I have few different Peripera’s liquid tints and I love them all. This is perfect red, cool toned tint which suits well my complexion. It is well pigmented and creamy, it is not drying at all, but still it is not tacky. And it is really crazy how long it stays on lips even with eating, drinking, talking. I was really impressed with this lip tint. Will repurchase!!

Missha Perfect cover bb cream in shade 27 – my favourite bb cream and you will probably see it often in my posts. This shade can be hard to find and that’s why I always try to have at least one back-up tube.

SHEET MASKS AND SAMPLE SIZE PRODUCTS

I made an inventory of my sheet masks collection and sorted out some masks that are coming close to the expiry date. Some of the masks below were used before the sorting action took place.

Oolu dr Ohkims Ginseng gold – I mentioned this sheet mask in my Favourite sheet mask post. Unfortunately, this was the last Oolu mask I had in my stash. I cannot find it anywhere and I’m so sad. My skin looks great after it, it is glowy, soft and even.

Tosowoong Pure deep sea water mask – it provides a fine hydration to the skin, softens it and evens the complexion. I also like the scent which is powdery and not overwhelming at all.

Tosowoong Dr Troubex sparkling mask – it is extremely calming, it makes the skin soft and velvety, it gives it such a nice glow. It is really sparkling as its name says

Klairs Midnight blue calming – If one day I would have to decide to stop buying the sheet masks and to pick only 5 sheet masks to keep buying forever, this mask would be one of these 5 masks. It does everything what it claims: calms, sooths, hydrates. It is really a big relief for a skin. Already repurchased and will continue buying.

Benton Goodbye redness centella mask pack – I wasn’t so thrilled with this sheet mask as I thought I would be. It’s an average sheet mask. It doesn’t provide lot of hydration and it’s not that soothing as I expected it to be. Will use the remaining sheet, but will not purchase again.

Aprilskin Honey & Reed ginseng – this was for quite a long time one of my favourite sheet mask. Unfortunately it is discontinued. This was the last one in my stash.

Papa Recipe Bombee Green Honey – the reason why I enjoy so much in Papa Recipe’s sheet mask is the divine scent that spreads once you open the packaging. I thought I would start to cry of happiness when I opened this one. Just divine! As for mask, it is excellent, hydrating, soothing, but still I like a little bit more my Papa Recipe Bombee honey (in yellow packaging). But will repurchase this green one.

Dr Jart Ceramidin – I didn’t try any other product from Ceramidin line, but I heard lots of great reviews for the liquid, the cream, so I expected that this sheet mask will do the wonders. Obviously it didn’t. It is a nice sheet mask that nourishes and soothes the skin, but I didn’t like the strong scent which didn’t not vanish throughout my whole masking time.

Tosowoong Deep&Quick mask – tone-up care – nice sheet mask, as all Tosowoong’s masks I tried.

Sulwhasoo First care activating serum EX – Although it is called a serum, basically it is a first treatment essence with a gel consistency. It has that particular scent that all Sulwhasoo products have, but it disappears fast. It is absorbed nicely and it really gives a great boost to all other layers. I love it!

SU:M37 Losec summa softener – a great toner with a gel-like consistency. It smells nicely and refreshes the skin while softening it at the same time. I use it as a 2nd toner.

Ohui Miracle softener – it is a milky toner and it does what it claims: softens the skin to facilitate the absorption of the next steps. I find it ok, but nothing special. From time to time, depending what I put on top of it, I felt an unpleasant tingling. I have one more bottle in my stash, but I won’t repurchase.

BODY CARE

Lierac huile seche 3 fleurs blanches – I don’t tend to write about the body care products since I think that this category is too much dependant on a personal taste, since the scent is pretty important for this type of products. However, I really must mention this dry oil since this is my favourite body oil. No other oil is close to this one for me with the care and scent it provides.

I have already started to work actively on my next Empties post. I’m keeping my beauty garbage bin busy.

So, till next time, stay healthy and beautiful!

My first Sephora and Bath & Body works haul ever

Although I was on a low/no-buy regime during certain time, I knew that in April I would be travelling to USA for a business trip and that I would treat myself with few things that I cannot come across easily (neither in the drugstores back home, nor on different webshops that ship the orders to my country).

Of course, this haul was not only for me, I also bought some presents for my family. Like everything else lately, this post has been written for a long time and of course is long ovedue one (again).

Visiting Sephora was a perfect opportunity to buy some Drunk Elephant items which are intriguing me for quite a while now. I bought a Rise & Glow set that contains 2 mini serums C-Firma and B-Hydra and I picked as a gift two other items (Jelly cleanser and Protini polypeptide cream).

Some Tatcha skincare products also found their way to my shopping basket (again not in a full size). The only full size product I bought is Farmacy Green clean cleansing balm. I opened it already and I just love it!! It is the BEST cleansing balm I’ve tried so far!! It is so great that I’m even thinking about repurchasing it inspite of its hefty price tag (for a cleansing balm).

As a big admirer and user of Kbeauty products, I couldn’t pass by Glow Recipe range, so I bought 2 items, also in travel size: Blueberry bounce cleanser and their famous Watermelon sleeping pack. I have already tried both products, but I have to say that my first impressions are not so enthousiastic as I was before shopping. I’ll let you know about my further impressions.

Besides Drunk Elephant gift, I also got few other complimentary items: Dr Dennis Gross pads, Deva Curl Supercream and Amorepacific enzyme peeling mask.

I bought quite a few makeup items: some of them were gifted and some of them are for me. As you can see, there are some items from Sephora collection, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Kat von D, Fenty Beauty,..

And last, but definetely not the least: Natasha Denona Mini Star palette. Taking into account the price of Natasha Denona’s full size palettes (mostly 100USD and more), I must say that I would never spend this amount of money for an eyeshadow palette. However, 25 USD for 5 eyeshadows of nice quality sounded like a good bargain.

And for the end, here are some products bought at Bath & Body works. This was my first encounter with this brand and their shop. Most of these were given as gift.

I really look forward to my next visit to both shops.

What do you usually buy at Sephora? Do you like Bath & Body works?

Till next time, stay healthy and beautiful!

My shopping spree before my low/no-buy decision

First of all, this is a post which is really, but really a long overdue one. I started editing it few months ago. Some of the items below are already in use, but I will still share it with you.

Since I’m keeping track of my purchases, my  stash and use of all types of products, I came to a conclusion few months ago, that it was of an utmost necessity that I stopped buying skincare items for a certain period of time.  And that’s how I took a decision to keep myself on a buying diet at least till my birthday which was in April or even longer.  But before that, I still wanted to enjoy a bit in shopping and as a result, you will see below what I bought. And then, when I saw what I had bought (hoarded!!) during this time,  when I remembered what I had already opened and what I had,  I decided that I would need to be on a no buy regime till the end of 2019!!! You have to remember that my whole beauty stash is bought by my own money!!

So, below you can see the results of my last madness/spree (all this was delivered to me a while ago, but I haven’t written anything here for quite a while now).

SKINCARE

Skinfood Royal honey propolis enrich essence – I like very much honey and propolis in the skincare and always have at least one product that contains those ingredients. I also tried this essence when a friend decanted a small bottle and I liked how nourishing it was and how healthy my skin looked, so I really had to buy it.

From Nature Age treatment ampoule – one of the bloggers I follow, wrote a really interesting review of this product, so I bought it on a whim. Actually, this is a second bottle I bought, since I gave the first one to my sister as one of the Christmas gifts.

Medi-Peel Bortox – as I already mentioned in my post about 2018, I tried quite a lot of peptide serums last year and I really liked most of them. I tried this serum also afer receiving a decanted bottle and I liked it, so I had to buy a full size product.

Easydew DW-EGF cream – this one was also a result of an impulsive shopping due to the fact that I watched some youtube video mentioning EGF as an ingredient (I think it was Sokoglam’s serie about their curations). Actually, the product they curated costs more than 80 USD, so obviously I treated myself with something similar that costs 19 USD.

Manyo Factory Miracle Overnight sleeping pack – this is repurchased item. I wrote about it in my 2018 overview post since it is my HG sleeping pack and I will keep on buying it. I love how it is nicely absorbed. It gives my skin a nice moisture and perfect healthy glow. It has an interesting scent and nice texture. Will repurchase for sure as I have already said!

Cosrx low ph BHA sleeping mask – since I fell in love in Manyo Factory’s miracle sleeping mask, I look more often towards this kind of products. This mask was a a new Cosrx product for me and the ingredients combination is really interesting.

The Ordinary Marula oil and Plant-derived squalane – I didn’t use oils in my skincare since quite a while. I feel like my skin could benefit a lot from oils during the winter/spring, so I bought these two oils since they are really affordable and have excellent reviews. Also, I didn’t try a lot of product from Deciem/The Ordinary, but whatever I tried, I liked it (Buffet, Granactive retinoid 1% in squalane).

Sunday Riley Juno – I bought it since I really wanted to try something from Sunday Riley range. I adore this packaging which looks really luxurious. We will see if the results match the look.

Farsali Rose gold – this was bought on a whim together with the Sunday Riley Juno. Honestly I do not know a lot about this oil or about the brand, but I look forward to try it.

Benton Deep Green tea lotion – this is a relatively new product without too many reviews. This was a really impulsive shopping, since I basically wanted to buy a toner from the same line, but I didn’t pay much attention to what I was buying. If this proves to be a nice product, I will probably buy a toner too.

Neogen Green tea cleansing stick – Since my favourite cleansing stick is probably discontinued (SU:M37 Miracle rose cleansing stick), I wanted to try something similar. This Neogen stick will have a lot to live up to, since Miracle Rose stick was not only my favourite cleansing stick, but my favourite 2nd cleanser.

Laneige Cream skin refiner – also an impulsive buy after I saw one review. Till now I didn’t try a lot of Laneige products (I tried the famous sleeping mask in the blue jar, but honestly didn’t like it at all).

Missha Time revolution The first treatment essence (travel size) – I tried this FTE at the very beginning of my Kbeauty experience and I didn’t notice lots of benefits from it. Since I really like how the first treatment essences work on my skin, I thought I could give a second chance to the famous Missha essence.

Ausome Organic rehydrating double mist 50ml – I like to use the mists especially in the morning and when I’m travelling to prevent a dehydration. This looks like an excellent mist and we will see if I’m right.

Primera skincare kit – I haven’t tried anything from Primera brand up till now. I’m mostly curious about the toner and the essence and I really look forward to try it. I think I really have to start buying more often the travel size and sample products like I did in the beginning of my Kbeauty experience.

Neogen Real fermentation essence – I was watching this essence for so long, that I really thought I would never buy it! First, I wasn’t able to find it anywhere except on some USA online stores which have extremely high shopping costs to my country. And then when I finally found it on Ebay at some Korean sellers, it cost a small fortune: more than 50 USD!! So, when my saved search showed it at 35 USD, I just had to buy it! I’m so thrilled to have it finally in my stash! Yeah! I do not have to mention that I have extremelly high hopes for this essence!!

SHEET MASKS

Tosowoong Dr Troubex sparkling sheet masks – this was bought also based on a nice review from a Kbeauty blogger.

CNP Laboratories ampoule mask 3x – this is a set of 3 different ampoule sheet masks (green propolis, mugener, vita whitening). I was using their cleanser as a second cleansing step (CNP Laboratories Cera perfect barrier) and I loved  it. I have their propolis serum on my wish list, so a sheet mask is a cheaper way to test if some other products (other than a cleanser) work.

Blithe Intensive Mask Bluezone Marine Cucumber – I’m very intrigued lately by Blithe products, but since they are on a pricey side, I’m trying to find some promo prices to test them. I bought this mask as a complement to my order from Beautybay.

Benton Goodbye redness centella – although I rearly suffer from a skin redness, I always like to have something in my stash that can fight the redness, sensitivity or similar. Although I haven’t tried these masks, this sounds like it could answer to such challenge. I would also try to test the gel cream from the same line.

Leegeegam Deep & quick mask – Tone-up care – this was also an impulsive buy as result of reading a message board about Kbeauty.

Naruko sheet masks (different types) – only Naruko sheet mask I tried up till now was the one with snail mucin and it was horrible. On the other side, I read so many great reviews about their Narcissus sheet mask that I had to try it.

HAIR CARE

Nature Republic Argan essence deep care steam mask and Missha Damaged hair therapy steam mask – these are the first  products I purchased for my hair. I have high hopes from these masks.

MAKEUP

BH Cosmetics Color Lock Long Lasting Matte Lipstick in shade Passionate – I usually buy the lipstick and lip glosses in red (mostly cool tones), neutrals and fuchsia. This kind of brave purple shades always intrigued me, but I have never bought one. The discounted prices of only 3 EUR for BH lipsticks was an invitation for me to try the purple lipstick.

Urban Decay On the run palette – another impulsive buy. Honestly my eye makeup routine is quite basic: eye primer, eye liner and mascara, sometimes eye shadow, so my stash of palettes will last till 2039.

What did you buy lately?

Till next time, stay healthy and beautiful!

Empties 3 – last memories of 2018

My last Empties post almost turned into longreads, so I decided that I would try to have a monthly empties post, even if I have only few products. I failed immediately first 2 months (November and December 2018). And now, since I’ve been really active lately in emptying the products, I have again lot of material to comment and I have to divide my post in two.  So, without further ado, here are my new empties, mostly remaining from last year. Once again, a post that is a long overdue one!

SKINCARE

Acwell Licorice ph balancing cleansing toner – this is really a great toner: mild and hydrating, it softens the skin and gives it a healthy glow. If it wasn’t so difficult to purchase it, I would always have a backup. However, I think I will not repurchase it, especially since the only ebay seller who is selling this toner, increased its price for 6 USD since my last purchase.

Lierac Mesolift serum – This was one of my favourite serums before I started to use Asian beauty products. That’s why I bought it this time just to check out if it was still working. Unfortunately it isn’t. It is stinging, tingling and I feel it on my face all the time when applied, but not in a good way. I didn’t finish the bottle, I threw it away.

Ren Evercalm antiredness serum – this is one of only few non-Kbeauty products that I stick to. It has such a nice texture, is very hydrating and extremely calming. It does calm the redness and fulfils what its name claims. Will repurchase!

Tosowoong propolis sparkle ampoule – This is my 3rd bottle. Enough said! It provides the perfect hydration and glow, it sinks in fast and it isn’t sticky as some products containing propolis, tend to. Will repurchase for sure!!

The Ordinary Buffet – this was the first Deciem / The Ordinary product I tried. I really like this serum. It is a white gel-like serum. I was using it both as a first step after cleansing and sometimes in a serum step of my routine. Used as a serum step,  I felt from time to time a bit of stickiness after I applied it and sometimes it was absorbed nicely in the skin. The skin is left soft and smooth. I honestly have a feeling that it filled some fine lines and that it downtoned a bit two wrinkles on my forehead that have been my companion since I was 12. For the moment, I’m trying some Kbeauty peptide serums, but Buffet is definitely on my To repurchase list.

Neogen Dermalogy Bio peel Gauze wine – this product is just a proof of how innovative Kbeauty brands are and how they can turn the exfoliating into fun. And of course, the ingredients they use are just crazy. I would have never thought that I would exfoliate my face with a product based on wine. Otherwise, these are really nice pads, which leave the skin soft, smooth and they are not aggressive. This product also thought me a lesson: to read the instructions. I had a small accident after the first use: I didn’t wash it off and it reacted badly with the rest of my routine turning my face into a red tomato. It took me few days to solve the problem. So, no worries if you rinse it off. I would like to try the Green tea pads also.

Holika Holika aloe gel – At first, I bought this aloe gel mostly for handling summertime accidents: sunburns, insect bites, etc. However, some time ago, inspired by some girls from a Kbeauty message board that I attend a lot, I tried it as a step before BB cream in the morning and a step before sleeping pack in the evening. Ever since, I didn’t stop using it as a part of my routine. It is calming, moisturizing, it is not tacky at all (like some European aloe gels I tried). I only need a small quantity to refresh my whole face. I will try now the Saem version with 99% of aloe, but will repurchase this gel from Holika Holika for sure.

Enature birch juice hydro sleeping mask – I have already written about this sleeping pack in my previous empties post and in the post about my summertime favourites. I will just add that it is great and it works even better if it is put immediately on the previous step (without a pause between the steps). It locks in everything perfectly, is absorbed immediately and the skin is perfect next morning.

Carenel lip sleeping mask – this didn’t do a thing for my lips. It was just sitting on top of them, sinking in very slowly and in the morning, I felt like I hadn’t put anything. It is not moisturizing and sometimes I even thought that it was drying my lips. Won’t repurchase!

MAKE UP

Tonymoly Lip & Eye makeup remover – nice, effective makeup remover which does its job great. It is gentle for the eyes what is really important for me, since I wear the contact lenses. Big plus is the bottle size: 250ml, which is quite a lot when compared to other eye makeup removers which are usually smaller. Will repurchase.

Physicians Formula mascara – From the very beginning, I wasn’t very satisfied with this mascara. It has a nice brush and the shape that usually suits my eye lashes, but from the beginning, I had problems with the fallout. That’s a huge issue for me since I wear the contact lenses.

SHEET MASKS AND SAMPLE SIZE PRODUCTS

Ever since the heating season has begun, I reintroduced the sheet masks in my routine (I neglected them for a while now). And lately, as you can see, I use them often, but still not as much as I want to.

A by bom Leaf ultra water mask – While holding the mask, I was so afraid how my skin would look like once I remove it. The reason for that was the strong floral scent which didn’t disappear not even for a second and it made me think that it had some irritating ingredient. However, my skin was nicely refreshed, soothed and hydrated.

A’pieu Madecassoside gauze mask – This is a nice, soothing mask which calmed the redness of the skin. I like it.

Scinic snail matrix sheet mask – Although I really like snail mucin in my skincare products, the sheet mask are the exception to this. I always have some kind of drying feeling when it comes to this kind of sheet mask. I had a similar experience with Naruko snail sheet mask and some others. I didn’t like the cut either, especially around the eyes. Won’t repurchase.

Dearpacker Moisture microfiber mascream sheet mask – Although the scent of the mask worried me at first (some kind of floral scent I cannot explain since the main ingredient is avocado oil), I liked this mask. It is moisturizing, nourishing and calmed down the redness. I must mention that the face wasn’t left so soaked as usual when I remove the sheet mask. It was like I had put some stronger serum.

Illi ginseng firming hydrogel mask – this is one of my favourite sheet masks. I mentioned it in my Favourite sheet masks post. I always have a few in my stash.

Polatam Moisturizing Oak tree sap essence sheet mask – Nice sheet mask, material is very soft, feels gentle and nice on the skin. It is cut nicely around eyes and mouth. It is moisturizing and calming and it evens the skin. Love it!

It’s skin LI sheet mask – Since I really love LI effector, I had high hopes for this one. The material is really dense, it is really soaked, so soaked that I had some problems unfolding it. The cuts around eyes and mouth are ok. And just like LI effector, which is my go to serum when I occasionally have problems with irritated skin, this mask has calming and soothing effect. I also used the remaining essence as a step in my routine the following day. Thumbs up for this sheet mask!

My Beauty Diary Oligopeptide Firming sheet mask – All I have to say about this sheet mask is that it wowed me completely!! It is cheap and yet no other more expensive sheet mask has ever given such a result: skin is firm, plump, lifted, completely even. I kept looking at the mirror and kept repeating:”Wow!!!” I was using the remaining essence from the packaging for 3 days and the result was also great (as if I had used the best peptide serum). Definitely will repurchase!!

Aprilskin Red ginseng honey – this is one of my top 5 sheet masks and it seems that it doesn’t cease to amaze me each time I apply it. The skin is always left well moisturized, soothed and looks perfectly even. It is such a shame that it is extremely difficult to purchase it.

Sulwhasoo capsulized ginseng fortifying serum (in pouches) – this is really nice serum. It has a gel consistency, it absorbs fast in the skin, it makes the skin soft and plump with healthy glow. It has a specific old fashion scent which some people might not like. Although I had 40 pouches, I didn’t use this serum on a regular basis to be able to confirm some big changes when it comes to wrinkles and skin tonus, but I see lot of potential. Will think about repurchasing.

I have already a new pile of empties to write about, so stay tuned!

Till next time, stay healthy and beautiful!

My skincare in 2018 in some numbers and letters

Although 2018 came to an end almost a month ago, I think there are still few of us who are trying to make a resume of the past year (financial, emotional, experiential, etc).

I will try to make a resume of my cosmetic experience throughout this past year.

I buy my skincare, body care and makeup mostly online. I keep track of everything in the excel spreadsheets, so I can give you some numbers just for fun.

In 2018, I made 143 orders online and this means that the postman often rang at my door and that the delivery vans often stopped  in front of my house.  In average, I received at least 1 package in 3 days. There were some days when 3, 4, 5 packages waited for me to come from work. I’m still the target of my household members’ jokes when it comes to the number of packages I receive. My father finds hilarious the fact that I order my skincare from South Korea / Japan. Maybe I should buy him something? I’m still waiting for some packages to arrive. Lately I decided that I should try to be on a shopping diet till my birthday which is in April and that’s why I went a little bit crazy with some orders between Christmas and New year, just to enjoy a bit more in shopping.

So during past year I opened 154 different beauty products (skincare, makeup, body and hair care) and I emptied 163 products. My beauty stash is not that big as it used to be before, although I have a lot opened products. To be exact, for the moment, I have 96 different beauty products I’m currently using (some of them more frequently, and some of them rarely, but still in use).

So, let me take you through my 2018 also with few letters.

A as Acwell – or more precisely as Acwell licorice. I adore this toner which I used as first step of my routine. It replaced the first treatment essence, making my skin a perfect canvas for absorption of the next steps. However, after I emptied it, I had lot of problems to find it online and finally when I found it, the seller which was offering it, increased its price for 5-6 USD, which made me really angry (I say angry to stay polite).

C as C vitamin serums – 2 serums containing C vitamin blew my mind completely this year: Melano CC serum and Klairs Freshly juiced vitamin drop. Both of them really made a difference in brightening my skin tone and helping fade out some dark spots. My skin has always been in love with vitamin C serums and these two made even stronger this love.

H as Hanyul Pure Artemisia cleansing oil – perfect cleansing oil and perfect 1st cleanser. It foams nicely and removes perfectly the make up and cleans the face without leaving any oily residue. I love the scent. This oil made me buy the sheet masks from the same line (Pure Artemisia) and I love them also.

I as Isntree aloe soothing toner – the toners I’m using are the ones that I repurchase constantly (Pyunkang Yul mist toner, Muji Mujirushi High Moisture, Hadalabo Gokuyjun hyaluronic acid lotion), but still I managed to discover this aloe toner from Isntree and I love it. I usually use it in my routine after Pyunkang yul mist toner and I usually layer it (2-3 applications). It is absorbed nicely without sticky residue (which can happen with aloe products), it refreshes, soothes and moisturizes the skin in a such a great way, that I always enjoy in this feeling and wait at least for 15-20 minutes before putting anything else on top of it (of course, when I have time for this ritual).

M as Manyo Factory Miracle overnight mask – this is my HG sleeping pack and the biggest discovery of 2018. Before this, I only tried 2 sleeping packs. One of them was Enature’s Birch juice hydro sleeping mask which is really great and I talked about it in my summer favourites post. And then I fell in love desperately with this sleeping pack. It has a jelly consistency, sinks in fast and perfectly in the skin even if I exaggerate with the quantity and in the morning, my skin is smooth, radiant with that beautiful glass skin effect. I already have a backup tube in my stash.

P as peptides – one of my biggest discoveries of 2018 in terms of ingredients. I tried some wonderful peptide serums which made my skin smoother and firmer. I started with amazing Klairs Midnight blue youth activating drops (I wrote about it in my Empties 2 post), continued with The Ordinary Buffet, then tried Scinic Peptide Ampoule and Medi-Peel Bor-tox and finally Tonymoly Bio ex cell peptide ampoule. I will never be without a peptide serum ever!!

S as sheet masks – as a huge fan,  I cannot have  an overview without mentioning the sheet masks.  The ones that I discovered during 2018 and that I really liked are: My Beauty Diary Oligopeptide, Klairs Midnight blue calming mask, Hanyul Pure artemisia fresh calming mask.

So, these numbers and letters marked my cosmetic 2018. I really enjoyed and of course I will keep on discovering this wonderful beauty world (even with my no-buy till further notice decision for the beginning of the year, to which I will come back in one of my futur posts). I still have to share with you my empties for November and December 2018 and then I will say a forever farewell to my cosmetic 2018.

Till next time, stay healthy and beautiful!

My first skincare routine in 2019

Happy New year everyone!! Plenty of love and happiness!

This will be a short New year’s post, since I would just like to share with you my first morning routine in 2019.

 

I just wanted to look fresh and hydrate the skin. That’s why I have 3 toners for my own version of 7-skin method (Olivarrier Dual moist, Pyunkang yul mist toner and Isntree aloe).  And of course, since this is new year, I wanted to introduce something new and the choice I made was I’m from Magnolia wake essence. Of course, it is way too early to share my thoughts on this.

All I can say that the consistency is more of a serum than an essence, it is of nice pinkish magnolia colour, spreads nicely and hydrates well.

So this was my first 2019 routine.

I wish you all the best in New year without any skin concern and a bunch of nice products that do miracles for your skin.

Till next time, stay healthy and beautiful!

The newest additions to my little stash: what did I buy lately?

While everybody is still enjoying in Christmas gifts, I would like to share with you what I treated myself with lately. As mentioned before in some other posts, I’m really trying to keep myself on a no-buy regime, but weak as I am, I relapse from time to time, so here are the newest editions to my beauty stash:

Lookfantastic x Molton Brown limited edition box – I discovered Molton Brown shower gels in LF advent calendar and I fell in love immediately! Such special and unusual scents!! My favourite is Pink Pepperpod! This box was really a great bargain. I just love the packaging of this box.

Lookfantastic x MAC limited edition box – Since I do not have anything from Mac, I thought that this box was a good choice to check out all: lipstick, mascara, lip gloss, their famous fixing spray. For the moment, I only tried the lipstick (Twig 824) and it’s perfect creamy nude shade (it looks a little bit darker on the photo).

Acwell N5.5. balancing micro cleansing foam – for me the cleansers are probably the only product category where I cannot comitt to one special product.  I’m always searching,  trying, testing, looking for a new one although I found some really nice cleansers. I chose this cleanser mostly because I like the brand (Acwell licorice toner is one of my favourite toners) and the fact it advertises low ph.

Liz K first C serum 13% – As I probably mentioned already, my skin adores the serums containing vitamin C and I constantly have at least one C vitamin serum in my routine. I will empty soon my Melano CC serum, so I wanted to try something new. Can’t wait to try this.

Klavuu nourishing lip sleeping pack – I only tried 2 kind of lip sleeping packs (Laneige, Carenel) and neither one was good for me. I hope this one will be better.

Macadamia hair treatment – My hairdresser is using this for my hair, so I thought that I should have it also at home.

Blithe Tundra chaga pressed serum – I think I saw this product for the first time on Gothamista’s youtube channel a while ago and I liked the idea of the pressed serum. However, the price is a bit steap and no samples are available, so I couldn’t make myself buy this. That’s why we have Black Friday discounts to buy the things like this. This was a catch from  Beautybay.

Tonymoly Pro Clean Smoky eyes & lips makeup remover – this is repurchased item. It is my HG when it comes to makeup removers.

Knowing how I like the sheet masks, I do not think that my new-in post is possible without at least one sheet mask. This time I bought Klairs Midnight blue calming, two kinds of A by bom and Dr. Jart Ceramidin.

Scinic peptide ampoule – lately I’m into the peptide products a lot!! I tried Klairs midnight blue drops and for the moment, I use The Ordinary Buffet. I see that overall appearance of my skin improved, so I will keep using the peptides serums. This one is highly recommended by the girls on a forum thread I follow. And I got a sheet mask as a gift.

The Body Shop body yoghurt – since TBS doesn’t have any store in my country, whenever I travel and come across The Body Shop store, I always buy myself something  (body butter, shower gel, etc) and always buy some presents for my family. This body yoghurt was bought in Budapest.

Different makeup items – I bought few lipsticks (liquid ones: Milani and Sleek  and Nyx lipstick).

Did you treat yourself with some skincare or makeup product lately?

Till next time, stay healthy and beautiful!

How do I cleanse my face?

Hello everybody!

We all know how much cleansing is important for achieving and/or maintaining the healthy and beautiful skin. This is something I keep repeating to myself everytime I’m feeling lasy at night before going to bed and when I’m thinking about going to sleep without removing the make up. Although it is a big NO for skincareenthousiac like me, I have to admit that it does happen from time to time (I know, I know what you are thinking right now). And exactly because of this, beside my morning and my evening cleansing routines, I introduced the 3rd cleansing routine: a lasy one.

As you can imagine, my lasy cleansing routine doesn’t have many steps: it consists of removing the eye make up with the eye & lip make up remover, cleansing with the micellar water, water splash and then I go straight to bed. I’m not a big fan of micellar waters, but I always have one bottle in my beauty stash or at least one travel size bottle in my travel beauty bag. I emptied lately Labiotte Micellar water and I wrote about it in my last Empties post.

My newest addition to a lasy cleansing routine are Harumada Triple balance one step cleansing foam pads. I bought a 10-pcs pack and I have already used few of them. These are quite nice cleansing pads which remove well the make up. However, I cannot use it on my eyes since it got to my eyes and it burnt terribly. The pads are packed like the sheet mask and inside you can find the product that has the same shape  as Neogen peeling pads, but a bit bigger than Neogen. One side is embossed and used first to spread the cleanser and the other one is smooth and when you apply it, the cleanser foams, but not much. It removes the make up completely and when I wash it off, it leaves the face clean and smooth. It can replace both of cleansing steps. These pads are also very travel friendly and besides my lasy routine, I will use them for travels.

Besides my lasy cleansing routine which is simple, my morning cleansing routine also  tends to be equally simple. Either I do just a water splash and dry my face or I have 1-step cleansing routine. This depends on 2 things: how my skin looks in the morning and how many layers I put the night before. Although my skin is not greasy, sometimes I wake up with greasy and shiny traces, but not shiny in a good and healthy way. And this happens usually around my nose area (not my complete T zone, it’s rather I zone 😁). In this case, I  follow 1-step cleansing routine and for that purposes,  I use my 2nd cleanser from the night routine.  For the moment, I rotate two of them: Tosowoong enzyme powder wash and CNP Laboratories Perfect barrier cera cleanser. I really like both of them. However, since they both have some grains inside, I’m a little bit worried that I do not overexfoliate my skin, even though both cleansers are very mild. That’s why I’m actually thinking about introducing a new cleanser: my 3rd 2nd cleanser. It sounds funny!

Few words about each of my 2nd cleansers. CNP Laboratories Perfect barrier cera cleanser is my latest discovery. I really like it. It is mild, effective, little goes a long way, I only need a pea size of it to clean thouroughly the face. It foams nicely, but not too much, cleans very well the skin without stripping it. As I said, it has some small grains inside, which worried me at first, but I see now after almost 2 months of using it, that it’s quite fine. The other cleanser / peeling I use is Tosowoong enzyme powder. Again the little goes a long way, but it might take you a while to find a perfect quantity to use. You can melt it completely or leave the grains partially, it’s up to you. I usually melt it completely and use it as a cleanser. Even when I leave some grains, it is not a harsh peeling. It foams nicely and cleans nicely. I use it once or twice a week.

And we come now to my evening cleansing routine. As a first cleanser, I’m currently using Kose Softymo oil.

It is such a nice cleansing oil. I need only 1 pump to clean well the face. When I add the water, the oil emulsifies nicely,  it is washed off easily and it doesn’t leave any oily residu. And it smells nice. And the bottle will last forever and the price is really friendly.  Combined with the 2nd cleansers I already mentioned above, it gives me a perfectly cleansed, balanced skin.

Before Kose oil, I had Hanyul Pure Artemisia cleansing oil. I wrote about it in my last empties post.  It is a great oil, that I highly recommend also.

In the beginning of my Asian beauty path, I tried also some cleansing balms, but for some reasons it’s not my cup of tea. I tried of course Banila Co and Heimish. They both clean well and thouroughly, but I prefer Banila due to the nice scent.

For the moment, I have few travel size cleansing balms of high end brands (Eve Lom, Emma Hardie) and I will try them and write few words for sure.

How do you cleanse your skin?

Till next time, stay healthy and beautiful.

Do not follow my steps: guide for a Kbeauty beginner

Ever since I started to use both Kbeauty and Jbeauty products, I feel like I have a multiple personality disorder. On one hand, I am vibrant person extremely happy with how my skin looks and feels (like it has never looked), and on the other hand,  I am constantly mad at myself for buying so many products, for having 7 toners, 4 emulsions, 5 serums, 40 sheet masks, for opening 20 jars, tubes and bottles and still wanting to open 10 new ones,  for thinking that I must have everything (like Pokemons that children were collecting a decade ago).

As you can see this is not a “normal” guide for Kbeauty beginners you were maybe expecting and which you can find everywhere (what’s a Kbeauty routine, what’s an essence, a toner, how to build up a routine, etc). These are my guidelines how to get the best for your skin from a great Asian beauty world and how to keep your wallet safe and your head clear at the same time.

Before I start sharing my wisdom or even better, before I try preventing you from making my own mistakes, let me tell you where I’m standing at the moment when it comes to Kbeauty. I have a huge stash (all purchased with my own money) which I want to purge now a bit. I’m trying to keep myself on a no-buy regime, however I keep having cosmetic relapses caused by different things. So as you can see, I know what I’m talking about when I say that I’m trying to prevent you from making my own mistakes. Personaly, I have no intent of becoming a famous beauty blogger and earning my life from it. I have a nice and well paid job which I like and this blog is something that is making me happy and relaxed and my thought was  why not sharing my cosmetic experience. If only 1 or 2 persons read this and it helps them, my mission is completed.

When I started to explore the faboulous world of Kbeauty, I felt like I had to try everything and like I needed everything. I didn’t pay attention to what type of skin the product was made for or what skin concern it targeted. If somebody said it was a wonderful product, it was enough for me to wish for it and most of times to buy it!! Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed!! Trust me, this world of innovative products, strange ingredients, interesting packagings and shapes and sometimes funny translated names, can be pretty overwhelming.

Try to stay reasonable and wise! Choose your products carefully, investigate a little bit before you hit the buy button. Google the product, take advantage of the fact that everything can be found online, read more than 1 product review and choose the ones that were written by somebody similar to you (in age, skin type, skin concerns, …).

Do not buy a product each time there is a hype going on message boards, Instagram or elsewhere. You do not need an anti-wrinkle serum if you’re in your 20’s (unless you look like a picture of Dorian Gray 😁). There is no product that can satisfy everybody. And, I have to say that sometimes I feel like some people try to hype the product only for keep hypeing alive (if you understand what I want to say). Also I keep noticing that more and more people are creating hype around the products that they have being using for only couple of days. You should know that this should be called  first impressions.

I can bet that on every message board, Reddit topic about Kbeauty or similar, there is at least one person who thinks that she knows (everything) the best, not only for her, but for everybody else. If she doesn’t like a product, nobody will, if her skin reacts to a certain ingredient, it is useless, if she doesn’t like or respect the brand, neither have to the others, if the product is working for her, so it will for everybody else. Of course, you can hear what those people have to say, but keep in mind that your experience might be quitte the opposite (going both ways).

Take the adventage which Kbeauty has and western beauty usually doesn’t and it is called the samples. Whenever you can buy the samples, do it. Do not buy the full size product if you can try the samples first. Sometimes sample prices are bit higher, but buying the samples can save you a lot of money that could be waisted on a full size products, that don’t work well for you. Also, sample size products give you the opportunity to try high end products that you cannot maybe afford.

If you find a perfect product, you should stick to it. I know that the huge choice of products which you find once you open the door to Kbeauty, can be very intriguing, overwhelming, challenging and it can make you want to try all, but if you find that perfect product, just keep on using it. Finding another perfect product will probably cost you some time, nerves and money. Trust me: grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence.

Till next time stay healthy and beautiful!