Where do I start? It tends to confuse people when they ask me about the brand of skin care products I use, and when I respond to their questioning looks with, 'It's Korean', it become yet more perplexing. The question that follows is usually something along the lines of, 'Why Korean?'

I cannot quite say when my focus of all things fashion and beauty shifted towards the Asian market. It may have very likely started when my high-school best friend became consumed by Korean music and their doll-like superstars. She introduced me to the Korean fashion website, YESSTYLE.COM.


Although at the time the music and the singers gained not a flicker of interest from me, their fashion, on the other hand, I felt I could appreciate.

Then, not so long ago, the whole of the western cosmetics market exploded with the introduction of bb creams. They claimed to tend to a huge range of out skincare needs, a miracle in a bottle. However a little research into them, and I was quickly uninspired. their fanatical claims where merely fictional, they where no more than your standard tinted moisturizer wrapped in big words and bold exclamations. Needless to say, not one of the popular western BB Creams made it to my collection.

The rave was not entirely futile in its efforts to win me. Through my research I was growing more and more intrigued with Asian products, it is after all where the bb cream craze originated, and it is where BB Creams - real bb creams that is to say - have been rife the last 10 years. My only barrier was availability and shipping. I struggle to trust Amazon on this point.

Read my review on my Korean skin care products and bb cream here (yes, I finally got hold of them).


It appears the Asian population, both male and female are very conscientious when it comes to skincare, with skincare being a far greater seller over cosmetics. And I quite agree, good makeup starts with a good base. Whilst here in Western society, beauty regimes are traditionally limited to cleanser, toner and moisturizer, and more recently serum, Korean regimes are, in comparison, extensive and complex and can involve a list of around 7 or so products.

It is no wonder that Korean people appear to have the most flawless skin, even without makeup (I hear it is also because it is popular over there to have your own dermatologist, but who knows). I am really looking forward to gradually working my way, trying and testing, through the vast abyss of the Korean beauty market, from their skincare down to their cosmetics and taking on board their tips, tricks and signature styles!

Further reading: this is a wonderful, thorough post that I stumbled up from The WanderLust Project, describing the ins and outs of each component of  the Korean skincare regime.

For places where you can buy Korean cosmetics, check for updates on the Links page!

It was only recently that Yesstyle have opened a website exclusively for the UK and yes -  I have been keeping a close eye on them these few years. Over the moon and charged with enthusiasm and willingness to give it a try I decided to change up my entire skin care routine, from toner to eye cream.

Sadly the eye cream did not arrive, Yesstyle seem to work on an on-demand basis and the manufacturer of the cream had ceased to produce them indefinitely. This delayed my order by a few days, Yesstyle was very apologetic in their correspondence and diligently dealt with the issue, promptly returning my money. They also let me keep my free shipping although my total now fell below the minimum spend.

So here are the rest of the products that I purchased.



for skin care I stuck to one brand, Laneige. It had very positive reviews and I felt the need to be consistent here.

1. Laneige Water Bank Moisture Cream, 50ml:
This is a very hydrating water based cream for dry to normal skin. I am very  finicky when it comes to moisturizer, most moisturizers are too dry for my skin and just sit on the surface while I turn into a prune underneath. I suffer from the 10 second rule, where if i do not apply moisturizer within 10 seconds of drying my face, my skin forms an impermeable barrier that does not allow moisturizers to sink in. I have to splash my face in order to release it again. Strange, I know. This cream, however, seems to counteract this peculiarity, it sinks deep into the layers of my skin regardless of how dry it is. I really feel that this truly hydrates, and not just moisturizes. It feels as though it fills up in and around my skin cells, returning elasticity to my face.


2. Laneige Water Sleeping Pack_EX, 80ml:
This is a gel like, watery formula which I have been using as a night cream. Immediately after applying, it looks and feels wet but within a minute or two, it seals over and can feel a little tight. I mistook this for dryness the first time however on washing my face the next morning, the gel (still there) returned to its original consistency and washed away. This quality I feel keeps the product from slipping and rubbing off your face in the night and retains it like moisturizing socks and foot creams. I never wake up with dry flaky skin when using this.

Both of these products come with a small plastic spatula, perfect for hygienic application. I have not once had to dip my finger into the pot. They also both smell like sea minerals, light and pleasant when applying and disappears soon afterwards so it is not lingering. both are water based as opposed to oil based, so they do not leave you feeling greasy like most common moisturizers.

3. Laneige White Plus Renew Tone Up Corrector, 50ml:
I bought this toner believing it would help combat areas of pigmentation, such as around the eyes and mouth. I also believed it would come in liquid form like a traditional toner that can be applied with a cotton pad. Its remarkably high SPF (40PA+++) was also an attractive feature.

In reality this turned out to be a white shimmery cream formula, one that I am still struggling to figure out how to use. With a little experimenting I have come up with 3 effective methods of using this for different purposes. Its true purpose, however, is still a mystery to me. Directions for use would have been helpful here.

4. Missha B Perfect Cover BB Cream, 50ml:
This is the bb cream that I have had my eye on for some years now. When Yesstyle opened their service to the UK it was the first item on my to-buy list. its consistency is thick and creamy, with medium coverage and has a bonus of super high sun protection with an SPF of 42 PA+++, a rarity in the Western market. I want to do a full review on this product soon so I won't talk about this further here. I'll try not to tantalize you too much by delaying it!

Overall I am very pleased with my products, except maybe the tone up corrector, they have been a satisfying introduction to Korean skincare in general. Although they have worked well for me, I want to discover more brands and products and for that reason my next purchase may not necessarily be these.

Since my Yesstyle purchase I have discovered another website, cosmetic-love.com, which offers free delivery on all products with no minimum spend and small price variations.

Let me know what your views are on Korean products, whether you have tried them, use them already or whether you may/may not venture out to them.

As if cosmetic shopping for myself is not enough, I've lately taken up the challenge of doing so for my mummy. Having always had cosmetics bought for me by my Mum during those inexperienced pre-teen years when even a display at Superdrug seemed daunting to me, it is high time that I return that favour by doing the same for her. My mum, while not being a make-up junkie, has interest in make up like any other woman, however she does not tend to venture out and try different products could ultimately lead her to find those best suited to her. For that reason I feel obliged to go out and do it for her.

Source: Personal image (all images on this post)

With Mum, I have always noticed that her foundation tends to look flaky and always, always has an ashy appearance. This pointed towards the fact that her skin was dry and her current foundation was far too matte and that she needed a yellow-toned shade.
My first foundation purchase for her was the Rimmel Lasting Finish foundation. At the time, I was getting nowhere trying to convince her that she needed a darker, yellower foundation and so opted for a lighter colour, knowing she would approve. As you can see, the foundation was well loved and is pretty much finished. The cakey, flaky, ashy look however was not yet defeated.

At the end of the previous year Illamasqua had one of their enormous sales, grasping the opportunity, I made a colossal purchase. Amongst them was the Light Liquid foundation in 215. As this was an online purchase, I tried to make a decent guesstimate as to her shade using online shade comparison charts and contrasting it to my own.

I was not at all convinced by the texture of this foundation nor of its shade when it had arrived. A few days of sticking to this and even Mum admitted it looked dull and ashy.

Having tried and failed to drag my mum away for a make-up spree and colour matching in Manchester (I cannot even get her to come into town with me due to her crazy schedule) I took myself to our local boots and swatched away at their various foundations.

Maybelline Fit Me attracted my attention. To my delight, the shade 220 was a most glorious match. It was creamy and blended into her skin so effortlessly you could hardly tell it was there, the undertones was sufficiently yellow giving her skin a lovely glowing look as opposed to the usual ash. I was happy, Mum was happy - success!

The Illamasqua Under-Eye Concealer in 215 was also amongst the Illamasqua haul. Mum has never used concealer so I thought it would be good for her to test it out and form her own opinion of them. There is so urgent call for them though.

Lipsticks:

Mum and I agree on the point that we both love a good lipstick over gloss any day. However where I like my deep bold bright shades, Mum is always on the lookout for that perfect my-lips-but-better colour.

Maybelline Moisture Drench lipstick in 670 Natural Rosewood:

I bought the Maybelline along with few other goodies for her birthday (or was it Mother's day?). While it wasn't perfect, Mum seemed to like it well enough to wear fairly regularly.

Illamasqua lipstick in Utopia:

Haul product. I bought this shade, an antique gold-brown colour, because I felt it was interesting but safe and when worn lightly, can be very pretty. I think Mum disagrees.

Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in 19:

I did a massive Rimmel haul last week (see Instagram for pictures) I have no idea what possessed me at the time. I love my Rimmel lippies so I thought it the perfect opportunity to introduce a new colour to my mum. Mum had said her perfect shade would be a browny-pink, I felt no.19 had that gorgeous earthy-rose look to it which fit that description quite well. However this lipstick was still a tad too pink for Mum to wear comfortable... ah well, guess I'm still on the lookout for that illusive perfect colour.

Skincare:

Caudalie Premier Cru trial sizes:

I bought this pair from lastestinbeauty.com. Initially it was for myself but I found that I did not use it often and felt my mum would get more use out of it so I passed it on. One thing that annoyed me with the company was that when the products arrive half of the cream tube was filled with air, I really felt like sending an angry ranting email to them but had so much going I never got round to it.

Dior Capture XP Anti-Wrinkle Correction night cream sample size:

You may recall me mentioning a particular lucky dip (read more), well this mini was one of my wins. Again I felt Mum's skin would do it more justice so gave that away too.

Eyes and Brows:



HD Brow Beater:

Mum complains about her untameable eyebrows and how she likes to comb them but they never stay in place. This product came in a Glossybox, initially I was really happy to have more HD Brows products but soon realise that it was not something that I needed. Mum would appreciate it more.

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Eyeshadow Stick in 003 Bad Girl Bronze:

Another haul product I picked up, firstly because it is a most gorgeous bronze-brown colour and secondly because it has a smooth consistency that makes it easy to blend out. Mum likes things that are non-fussy, simple and quick, a swipe of this and she's good to go. I was going to get the paler in this range so she could create a two toned look with little effort but the products in the store had been open and looked awfully messy - maybe another time.

No7 Smokey Powder Eyeliner in Black:

I actually bought this for my aunt whilst getting my No7 lipstick in Leeds (read more), I was in fact looking for a liquid liner but in my rush I picked this up instead. I did not really want to go back and return it so I offered it to my mum. She was delighted, I didn't realise that she loved no7 products. The product does give quite a bit of fall out which is problematic but it still appears to be a firm favourite of Mum's, and unexpected winner!