Korean Skincare Mega Haul

So. While I may not be busy reviewing stuff, I have been busy buying a lotta stuff. So in lieu of an actual blog post, heres a picture of my last haul(s). Yehet~♡

Make-Up 
CLIO Kill Black Waterproof Brush Liner
ETUDE HOUSE Colour My Brows (No. 1)

INNISFREE Water Glow Cushion (No. 13)
O HUI x Teo Yang Ultimate Cover CC Cushion (not pictured because iamnotthatsmart)

Skincare 
BANILA CO Miss Flower & Mr Honey Cream 
INNISFREE Green Tea Mineral Mist 
SOORYEHAN Boyun Eye Cream
BLOSSOM JEJU Pink Camellia Soombi Blooming Flower Toner ♡ Reviewed Here ♡ 
I’M FROM Vitamin Tree Mask ♡ Reviewed Here ♡

Cleansers 
BANILA CO Clean it Zero

MAY COOP Cleansing Mousse 

KLAIRS Rich Moist Facial Soap

Ampoules 

KLAIRS Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop ♡ Reviewed Here ♡ 
MIZON Placenta 45

LEEJIHAM Vita Propolis Ampoule 

BLOSSOM JEJU 100% Camellia Seed Oil ♡ Reviewed Here ♡

Sheet Masks 
TOSOWOONG Pure Propolis, Green Tea & Deep Sea Water Sheet Masks
THE SAEM Natural-tox Pumpkin & Apple Sheet Masks
MEDI-PEEL Gold Therapy Syn-ake Sheet Mask
SIDMOOL Waterfull Pure Essence Mask Sheet
KLAIRS Moist Rich Soothing Mask
BEYOND Soo Hyun Hydrogel Mask
BEYOND Hydrating Hyaluronic & Soothing Aloe Masks
MY BEAUTY DIARY Pearl Powder, Mexico Cactus, Red Vine, Royal Jelly, Bulgarian White Rose & Black Pearl Sheet Masks

other crap because shipping limits 
SKINFOOD Premium Tomato Whitening Special Kit
IOPE Bio Activator Special Bio Kit
INNISFREE Soybean Energy Special Kit 

I’m currently writing a review of Vitamin Tree Mask. Spoiler alert: stinks like a 'shyt.

Review: Blossom Jeju 100% Camellia Seed Oil & Pink Camellia Soombi Blooming Flower Toner

The world of K-Beauty has introduced me to some interesting ingredients: propolis, birds nests, galactomyces, snails, starfish, fermented soybeans, fermented everything, and most recently: camellia oil. Ok it doesn't sound as jazzy as the others but it's one I've heard good things about (the wisdom of of ahjumeonis and obasamas). It seems to be a well-known but fairly uncommon ingredient - except in Tatcha products which cost serious $$. Like $28 for a sheet mask. Enter Blossom Jeju!

100% Camellia Seed Oil

Packaging & Texture

The Oil comes in a glass amber dropper bottle which protects it from degradation in sunlight. (The sort of thing that Klairs serum should have been packaged in...)

I use the Oil as the last step in my night routine. It absorbs well but not fully so I wouldn't use it during the day unless you can really rock that oily sheen.

Ingredients

100% cold pressed camellia seed oil

Camellia seed oil is a powerful antioxidant rich in Omegas 3, 6 and 9; fatty acids, which help improve skin elasticity; Vitamin E and polyphenols, which protect the skin from free radical damage.

By comparison, the Camellia Soombi Essence Oil contains 73.09% Camellia japonica seed oil and the Pink Camellia Soombi Essence Serum contains 62.40% Camellia japonica flower extract. The mixture of oils would probably be more effective than using camellia seed oil alone, but I didn't want to chance them because olive oil gives me breakouts :(

Results

Antioxidant serums are kinda hard to review because they’re one of those things that work without necessarily showing visible results. My skin hasn't dramatically transformed in the few weeks I’ve been using the Oil, but it does leave my skin feeling soft and supple after use and healthy and glowy looking in the morning.

Pink Camellia Soombi Blooming Flower Toner

I think I'm in the minority when I say the lotion/essence step is my favourite part of my skincare routine. I like watery textures and layering different products to get the benefit of different ingredients, like hyaluronic acid, CoQ10, galactomyces, green tea, rose water, grape water ... 

Packaging & Texture

Look at that beautiful bottle! ᕙ( * •̀ ᗜ •́ * )ᕗ The lotion is dispensed via a small hole in the top and it's easy to control how much comes out. The texture is slightly more viscous than water (similar to the Gokujyun lotion) and absorbs easily. 

Smell

(Nado smeelllll~) Whereas the Oil is almost odourless, the Toner is VERY strongly scented. It's a bit too perfumey for my liking and the thought of diligently patting a crapload of perfume into my skin is a little concerning. I can't figure out why the smell is so strong when 'fragrance' is right at the end of the list. You'd think the answer was staring me in the face with 82.82% camellia flowers, but camellias don't smell. Donno.

Ingredients
Camellia Japonica Flower Extract (82.82%), Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Water, Akebia Quinata Extract (Chocolate Vine), Panthenol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Xanthan Gum, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Betaine, Sorbitol, Adenosine, Sorbitan Caprylate, Arginine, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Fruit Extract [Sicilian Prickly Pear], Centella Asiatica Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract [Green Tea], Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract [Japanese Knotweed], Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Trehalose, Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Levulinic Acid, Bioflavonoids, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Leaf Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract [Satsuma], Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Skin Extract, Hizikia Fusiforme Extract [Hiziki], Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Silybum Marianum Extract [Milk Thistle], Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Yeast Beta-Glucan, Fragrance

Camellia Japonica Flower Extract
One of the reasons I chose the Pink Toner over the Camellia Soombi Toner from the Hydration & Nutrition range (yellow bottle) was for the high percentage of Camellia japonica flower extract (82.82%) compared to 76.36% Camellia japonica flower water in the yellow toner.

If my two line analysis of the antioxidant properties of Camellia seed oil didn't impress you, I found a paper on the antioxidant effect, here. Yeah science!

Niacinamide
Lightens hyperpigmentation and brightens skintone. The Camellia Soombi Toner doesn't contain niacinamide which was another reason to chose the Pink Soombi Toner. I have a few products with niacinamide (Missha FTE, Black Snails, Placenta 45) and they seem to be working well so I'm always happy to add more niacinamide to my routine! 

Akebia Quinata Extract (Chocolate Vine)

Provides an an anti-ageing effect through anti-glycation (stops the breakdown of collagen).  

Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract

Known for it's anti-inflammatory and brightening effect.

Adenosine
Promotes the production of collagen.

Antioxidants
This Toner is packed FULL of anti-oxidant plant extracts. I ran them through Beautypedia because I don't speak plant and was impressed to find they all had a 'best' or 'good' rating, except for your 'average' rosemary and satsuma.

Hydrating Ingredients  
[Listed in blue:] Glycerin, panthenol, sorbitol, hyaluronic acid (humectants), trehalose and Aloe barbadensis leaf extract (water-binding ingredients). Humectants draw water to the skin to give effective surface hydration.

I don't give ratings to products, but this one deserves a 0/10 for its ingredients! ♡

Results
The Toner leaves my skin feeling hydrated and luminous but as a standalone product I don't think it's made a noticeable difference in lightening my PIH.

Overall Impressions
All in all I'm very happy with these products. When you wake up, wash your face and look like you've applied make-up, you know something is working right! 

Where to Buy
I bought my goodies directly from Blossom Jeju, linked below:

• 100% Camellia Seed Oil ($30/20ml). Also sold on Glow Recipe

• Pink Camellia Soombi Blooming Flower Toner ($45/120ml). Also sold on Glow Recipe
  
  

Review : Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop

The latest addition to my skincare routine is Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop, an anti-oxidant serum containing 5% Ascorbic Acid.
*Picture borrowed from Wishtrend. Wishtrend do not sponsor me obv.*

The Benefits of Vitamin C in Skincare
-Brightening
-Improves skin texture 
-Helps to reduce hyperpigmentation and discolouration
-Antioxidant serum + sun cream = better protection against photoageing. Sun creams do not block all of the free radicals generated by UV exposure. They work by absorbing or reflecting UV radiation while Vitamin C neutralises free radicals. In that sense Vitamin C enhances the effect of suncream. 
 
One of the most popular Vitamin C serums among K-Beauty enthusiasts is C20 which contains 20% Ascorbic Acid. Users' before & after photos look promising but the high alcohol content is a total put-off, not to mention the problems with stability and oxidation. Across the globe, Skinceuticals sets the gold standard for Vitamin C serums and their star product is C E Ferulic. My personal fave is Serum 10 which contains 10% L-Ascorbic Acid. It's amazing but costs the equivalent of $115 in the UK - enough for an entire skincare routine!

Packaging, Texture and Application
Packaging: standard dropper bottle. It's easy to control the amount dispensed. I use 2-3 drops. The bottle is made from plastic and seems durable.
The formula is quite oily but doesn't feel greasy or leave a sheen. It's colourless so theres no need to worry about it turning you orange. 

Ingredients 
Water, Propylene Glycol, Ascorbic Acid (5%), Hydroxyethylcellulose, Centella Asiatica Extract, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Illicium Verum (Anise) Fruit Extract, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Polysorbate 60, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract, Chaenomeles Sinensis Fruit Extract, Orange Oil Brazil, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Camellia Sinensis Callus Culture Extract, Larix Europaea Wood Extract, Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract, Rheum Palmatum Root Extract, Asarum Sieboldi Root Extract, Quercus Mongolia Leaf Extract, Persicaria Hydropiper Extract, Corydalis Turtschaninovii Root Extract, Coptis Chinensis Root Extract, Magnolia Obovata Bark Extract, Lysine HCL, Proline, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Acetyl Methionine, Theanine, Lecithin, Acetyl Glutamine,SH-Olgopeptide-1, SH-Olgopeptide-2, SH-Polypeptide-1, SH-Polypeptide-9, SH-Polypeptide-11, Bacillus/Soybean/Folic Acid Ferment Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol

Vitamin C:
In my excitement to re-introduce a Vitamin C serum to my routine, I bought this when it launched on Wishtrend without knowing what the percentage of Vitamin C was >.< (It's listed now, but was only added after I e-mailed Klairs to ask. D'oh.) Vitamin C is (only?) effective in concentrations of 10-15% or 15-20% (the studies vary), so at 5% you're basically looking at a bottle of water and humectants.

Everything Else (<5%): 
I didn't pay much attention to the stuff listed after Vitamin C since it's all in tiny amounts. I just checked for possible sensitivities.

Results

Before & After, following 6 weeks of use

Please excuse the crap photo quality and ugly face, neither were meant to be seen by The Internet. Yes my skin looks brighter and the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation has faded a bit, but I wouldn't say that's thanks to this serum. My skin has been improving since I started a K-Beauty routine a few months back. #allhailthesnail   

Overall Impressions
-Didn't make my skin any better but didn't make it any worse. Meh.
-Found use for it as a hydrating serum. But didn't do what its supposed to.

Not something I'd recommend, but if you're really determined to try it it's available on Wishtrend for $23.

Alternatives
-Vitamin C: SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic or Serum 10
-Niacinamide to lighten PIH: Mizon Black Snail Cream, Placenta 45 Ampoule, Missha FTE. Niacinamide has worked really well to help fade my PIH.   

Review : Etude House Happy Essential Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam

For those not familiar, double cleansing involves using an oil cleanser to remove oil-based impurities (like make-up and suncream) and following up with a water-based cleansing foam or cream to remove water-based impurities. The idea is simple enough but I find foaming cleansers to be quite drying and I struggle with spots so I don't need to send out an invitation for more bacteria to breed there by stripping my face with harsh cleansers.

When I came across this cleanser formulated with "40% moisturisers" I was pretty pleased, thinking it was gentle on the skin and hydrating. I ran the ingredients through cosdna and the analysis didn't look bad. Stearic Acid and Myristic Acid are flagged for acne but I wasn't too concerned since it's a wash off product. Fortunately, this cleanser hasn't given me any problems in terms of acne/breakouts but for something that touts a high percentage of moisturising ingredients, I find it so drying!!

Ingredients
Glycerin
Water
Stearic Acid
Myristic Acid
PEG-32
Potassium Hydroxide
Lauric Acid
Sorbitol
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Sodium Hyaluronate
Glyceryl Stearate
Lauryl Glucoside
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
PEG-100 Stearate
PEG-14M
Alcohol
Disodium EDTA
BHT
Sodium Benzoate
Phenoxyethanol
Blue 1 (CI 42090)
Fragrance

Moisturising ingredients: Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Sorbitol
Potential acne triggers: Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid
Potential irritants: PEGs, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance, Alcohol, Potassium Hydroxide
Free of: Sulfate Detergents (SLS, SLES)

Texture & Smell
Feels creamy and luxurious. Has a pleasant soapy smell.

Packaging
Easy to use, has a foil seal to warn you of tampering.

Performance
There's no denying that this cleanser works well. I'd say too well because my skin feels "too clean" (AKA stripped and crying out for love).

Overall
The Good:
- Cheap ($4)
- A little goes a long way

 The Bad
- Likely to have a high PH = breeding ground for bacteria
- Alcohol. Some people are ok with alcohol in skincare, I say leave it for G&Ts.

I'm kind of sad to see this cleanser go to waste but at least it cost less than my toothpaste. Feel free to give recommendations for cleansers!!

Korean Skincare & Beauty Haul (Gmarket, Koreadepart and Sasa)

Harro! I’ve finally taken pics of my Sasa haul from March ~ plus two more hauls from Koreadepart and Gmarket that happened in the meantime...
^◡^

Yes the masks are arranged in the shape of a heart #sad

Make-Up: 
ETUDE HOUSE Colour My Brows (No. 4)
TONYMOLY Petite Bunny Gloss Bar (No. 6)

Skincare: 
BANILA CO Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm
ETUDE HOUSE Happy Essential Foam (Hyaluronic Acid)  ♡ Reviewed Here ♡
INNISFREE Green Tea Sleeping Pack
LANEIGE Multiberry Yoghurt Repair Pack
MISSHA Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence
MISSHA Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Borabit Ampoule
MIZON Original Skin Energy Hyaluronic Acid 100
MIZON Black Snail all in one cream
SECRET KEY Starting Treatment Essential Masks (x20)
SECRET KEY Starting Treatment Eye Cream (Rose Edition)
TONYMOLY Intense Care Galactomyces Lite Essence

Gaijins: 
BIO-ESSENCE Hydra Tri-Action Aqua Droplet Sleeping Beauty Mask  ♡ Reviewed Here ♡
HADA LABO Super Hyaluronic Acid Lotion

I reviewed the Bio-Essence mask in my last post {here} and will review the rest once I’ve used them long enough ^^ In the meantime, I thought it might be helpful to do a (sort of) guide on where to get your Korean beauty fix.

1.     Check the official website to find the price in Korean Won which you should take as your guideline price

{Requires some patience/mad skillzyo as you navigate in Hangul}

2.     Check and compare prices on reputable sites like Sasa, Gmarket Koreadepart

If possible, buy from a seller based in your home country to avoid import duties

3.     Factor in the shipping cost and offers/gifts

I checked the prices of a few products on Koreadepart, Sasa, Gmarket and the official websites and made a mini chart which will hopefully help you figure out which site is best to buy from!

{click to enlarge}

$1= apx. £0.65

SASA

I’ve ordered twice from Sasa. I was happy with the first order but one of the products in the second was a couple of weeks away from expiry :( Sasa tends to be more expensive than Koreadepart and Gmarket, but the mark-up is usually offset with free shipping offers. 

Shipping time: 14 days

Fun Fact:
BF noticed the Black Snail cream on my dresser (Guess where this is going)

BF: Whats that ‘black snail’ thing? Is that actually made of black snails?
Me: “Black Snail” is the brand name you silly - it’s an all in one cream, see? (*shifty eyes*)
(I’m sorry honey)

Gmarket

Oh you like it GMARKET Oh you love it GMARKET. Sorry (다 거짓말). Gmarket is like the Korean version of eBay, but 100x more awesome because it has its own theme tune. You can buy from individual sellers or directly from brands via their official mini-shop.

These are some of the official shops on G-Market:

Amore Pacific (Iope, Laneige, Mamonde & Hanyul) (주)아모레퍼시픽 - doesn’t ship internationally
A'PIEU
banila co.
CLIO 본사직영샵
Etude House 에뛰드본사직영샵
Holika Holika 홀리카
Innisfree 이니스프리★직영샵
Lioele (주)리오엘리
롯데닷컴LOTTE - carries Japanese brands like CANMAKE and Heroine Make but doesn’t ship internationally :(
Missha 미샤|본사직영|
Mizon 미즈온직영샵
Peripera 페리페라 본사직영샵
Secret Key 시크릿키본사직영
Sidmool 시드물
The Face Shop 더페이스샵본사직영샵
The Saem 더샘온라인직영몰
Tony Moly 토니모리(본사)
toocoolforschool
Tosowoong 토소웅

Mediheal

*If you have friends living in Korea, now is the time to enlist them as a forwarding service show them how much you value friendship.*

The mini-shop prices are the same (and sometimes cheaper) than the official websites. From time to time the mini-shops do discounts, sales and free gifts. Gmarket also issues coupons for discounts of anything from ₩1,000 - ₩10,000 off. 

 

The good deals almost offset what I hate about Gmarket: the huge shipping costs!! Gmarket uses EMS, which is a premium service that you pay more for to get your stuff quickly. I bought ₩42,350 ($40) worth of products and paid ₩27,400 ($25) in shipping. Ridiculous but the Hyaluronic Acid ampoule is $30 more on Koreadepart so it was worth it I think …

._.

The shipping cost is only an estimate so if the actual cost is more than the amount paid you’ll be asked to pay the difference. My estimate was pretty accurate - the box actually weighed slightly more but I didn’t have to pay extra. (I assume they let you off if it’s only a few thousand won?) If you pay more than the actual shipping cost, Gmarket will credit the difference to your G-Account for you to use against a future order. I left some things out of my order for this reason - like a $2 eyebrow pencil which added $15 for shipping because the estimated weight was 0.5kg. 

Stack of sheet masks. Forgot to take pics of the ampoules

I didn't receive any free samples but I did get a coupon for 20% off.

 

Shipping Time: 7 days

Koreadepart

My order from Koreadepart was the last to arrive.

Daily FOTD as I wait for the parcel

ᕙ( * •̀ ᗜ •́ * )ᕗ

15 days after placing my order, a card from Royal Mail finally appeared in my letter box. YAY! It read: We cannot deliver your parcel because there’s a customs fee to pay. Eighteen pounds & ten pence. FOCK.

Lesson on UK VAT & Customs

VAT may be payable on goods over £15 and gifts over £36, which is charged on CIF value

Goods worth over £135 will incur a Customs Duty

If your parcel is stopped, you’ll have to pay Royal Mail’s BS £8 handling fee on top of that

So. I paid the £18 (= $28) (= another bottle of FTE *cry*) and was handed over this battered crappy looking box.

  

Though thanks to the layers of bubble wrap, nothing was missing or broken

 

HAI

Free samples

Ignoring how incredibly pissed I am about the customs, I still think Koreadepart is a great website. The selection is huge and the prices are very reasonable. As you’ll notice from the chart, most products are a few dollars cheaper than Gmarket/Korean RRP but there is the odd item or brand that’s $10 cheaper or $20 more expensive.

On top of the already good prices, certain brands like Secret Key, Too Cool for School, The Saem and Holika Holika frequently (always?) have 10-20% off. The month's offers are listed in the 'Event Zone' section allowing you to plan your purchase in advance hoho~

There are two shipping options: EMS and Registered Airmail. A package weighing 1.5kg costs $32 to send via EMS and $17 via RAM. EMS takes 5-10 working days and RAM takes 2-8 weeks. Whichever service you use, you’ll only pay one charge based on the gross weight of the order - no extra payments required afterwards.

Official Websites

Buying from official websites isn’t really an option for me since the majority don’t ship to the UK. Innisfree has worldwide shipping, which is free on orders over $75. Theres always a buy one get one free offer and new customers will receive a coupon for 10% off their order or free shipping.

I think I’ve bought enough stuff to last me for the year and when I order again (because lets face it, it’s not a question of “if” once you get started with Korean skincare), I’d probably buy from Koreadepart. If I recover from the shock of paying that customs fee TT.TT