My Skin Story + Updated Whitening Skincare Routine (and recommendations)

            Beauty is an essential part of every woman’s life. At a young age, we are taught to protect our skin with sunscreen before going out to play in the sun. Once puberty begins to creep in, acne cleansers and spot treatments from the drugstore are our favourite friends. In high school, we start to get curious about all the other products on those Walmart or Shoppers Drugmart shelves. We begin to choose one product and then another on the next visit. By the end of the year, you have at least 4-5 different products that you are currently using or have tried and left on the bathroom shelf to rot. Finally, during university is where we become individuals and find ourselves among the sea of people. Having good-looking skin has never become so important, as everyone somehow seems to have their eyes on you. Forget that! No one actually cares…But that doesn’t stop you from feeling smaller and smaller as the skin on your face starts to transform into an unstoppable explosion.

            My journey began when I was just in grade 5. It was the year that puberty decided to strike early and HELLO teenage acne. Now that I look back on my pictures, it really wasn’t that bad; I only had a couple of pimples on my forehead, chin, and occasionally on the upper lip area. However, something began to build inside me and an obsession over my looks became apparent as I transitioned into high school. One thing that I will never forget is that massive breakout I had at the beginning of grade 10. Imagine being on stage in front of the entire school, walking through what seems an endless path, and getting recognized for your grade achievements. It should’ve been a happy day, but it ended up being one of the worst memories I hold to this day. My acne had now spread to my chest and back. It was so bad that my parents noticed it and finally decided to bring me to see a doctor. Yes, a doctor, not a dermatologist. He prescribed something called “Benzaclin gel”, which I have been using religiously since grade 10. It’s been now 8 years and my skin is still not the best I’ve seen it. MIRACLE cream is what I thought it was…though the side effects of the cream were not so pleasant once my peers started noticing changes in my skin. The doctor had not informed me beforehand that it would: 1) dry out my skin and 2) I should wear sunscreen. So there we have it, going into grade 11 I noticed that my face had become about 3 or 4 shades darker than my neck. Keep in mind that I am originally a light skinned Asian, and even dare call myself pale in the winter. Skin tone was never an issue to me until people around me started saying that I looked very tan or dark (in Chinese we say “hak” which means black or dark). It is evident that in the Asian community, dark skin is not the most desirable, and dare I say it, I think most Asians do look better with lighter skin tones. This has been my problem and obsession ever since, and it was then when I took an interest into whitening skincare.

            Whitening skincare is perhaps my specialty. I have carefully researched and tried a vast majority of the whitening skincare available in the Korean market. I do however; pick and choose between mid-higher end brands as I have discovered that my skin is sensitive to road-shop and even drug store products. No I am not a brand-whore; my skin just doesn’t cooperate with me and prefers higher end products that have quality ingredients in them. Keep in mind that organic products and certain textures also irritate my skin for the most part. So continuing my story…I was already interesting in Korean culture by that time and so it was only natural for me to move towards that market, seeing that all these Korean actresses and idols had nearly perfect milky-white skin. I thought: “If I use these products, I’ll have skin just as white and clear as them!” Umm…I was wrong. Laneige, Hera, Su:m37, O HUI, HANYUL, IOPE,  I’ve tried them all. Yes they have some really good products, but in general, the whitening part just didn’t exactly work for me. It’s been 7 or 8 years since I started using whitening products and to be honest, the most effective way of lightening the skin, is by staying out of the sun. I literally tried to avoid long exposure to sunlight for 2 years at one point and it did work. I went back to Hong Kong for the first time in 13 years last year and I was pale. What was the trick within those two years? Sunscreen!!!! Oh Lord what was I doing all this time? Sunscreen was the answer to all my prayers and I am rather stupid for discovering it so late actually. Up until 3 years ago, I had only been using products that already contained sunscreen or none at all. It made such a difference that I’m now hitting myself in the head for not venturing into it sooner. Though the sun damage is now irreversible, I have managed to bring my skin tone back at least 2 shades lighter, while my neck is still a vast of paleness during the winter and summer.

            As I write about this, I feel a little silly for caring so much about how my face looks, but the insecurities are too real for me to just forget about them and start anew. While I still have many things to improve upon, I find myself accepting my flaws little by little. Hey, no one is perfect, and as I come with many flaws, I’m still ok just the way I am. Beauty is on the inside, but it doesn’t mean the outside is fully irrelevant. While I try to improve on both inner and outer beauty, I decided that I should share my skincare routine and steps to help some of you out there that share the same concerns. I have tried too many skincare routines to even count, but I have stuck to some very good products that have worked for me and many other people. My very first tip is to change up your skincare routine every season or every 2 seasons and really focus on what your skin needs. If whitening is your main concern throughout the year, then find an essence, ampoule, or serum that works well and use it throughout the year. Alternatively, you could replace your essential skincare (toner and emulsion) with some that have a whitening function. Another thing that brings faster results is an intensive night treatment and a good night cream. We are out of the sun during the night and so sleeping in the dark will help the skin regenerate overnight and speed up the function of the products. Last but not least, use a high spf sunscreen!! I use a whitening sunscreen that has spf50+pa+++. I also layer my spf as most of my base makeup products contain a high spf to protect me from the sun. Without further ado, here is my step by step skincare routine at the moment:

Step 1: Cleansing

For this step I use a makeup remover first and then go in with a cleansing foam.

Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil – this is by far my favourite makeup remover and cleansing oil that I have ever used. It is not oily despite being an oil…I know -.- It seriously melts off all of my makeup and makes my skin feel very soft. I use it twice a day in the morning and night.

Hanyul Pure Artemisia Cleansing Foam – I have yet to find a cleansing foam that I like more than this one. This is truly a gem and it’s really not that expensive either. I bought this for about $20CAD and it lasts me for a good 3-4 months. It leaves my skin clean but not dry. It also has calming ingredients to avoid irritation so it is great for sensitive skin.

Step 2: Exfoliation

While I do not and should not do this every day, I do incorporate this step twice a week after cleansing my skin. It is important to keep up with this step if you want your skincare products to absorb into the skin. It also gets rid of built up impurities and dead skin.

Hanyul Red Bean Peeling Facial Peeling – this is more of scrub than a peeling gel. It is gentle enough for sensitive skin and smells of herbal ingredients. I suggest massaging for no more than 2-3 minutes if you have very thin, sensitive skin.

Cure Natural Gel – I have literally searched for this product for a couple of years now. They do not sell it in Canada and I was only able to find it this year when I visited Hong Kong yet again. This was said to be a miracle worker and it is a good peeling gel. It is also supposed to help clear the skin and brighten over time but that is very relative. It is a good product nonetheless and it lasts a very long time.

Step 3: Toner

I love using toner because it takes away any residue that I wasn’t able to wash off. Also, a toner used with a cotton pad is good for texturing. I have used so many toners over the years and I have officially found my favourites (SK-II clear lotion is the best thing I have ever used but it is too expensive to keep repurchasing. Also, my skin goes crazy when I’m off of this stuff)

Hanyul Rice Essential Skin Softener – I started using this last year when it essentially blew up in popularity last year (probably because it was featured in a drama). It smells quite nice and it works very well for my combination skin. I have tried both the lighter formula which feels like a regular toner, and the thicker formula that looks like a watery gel. I’m not necessarily seeing the whitening benefits from this, but my skin feels more plump and hydrated.

Step 4: Watery Essence

This isn’t exactly an essence and you will see with the products I’m about to list. These help your other skincare absorb better and they also help your skin texture to become a little smoother. When I have a lot of bumps, I always go back this product and voila! I have used the SK-II facial treatment essence as well as the SU:M37 secret programming essence, but they were a bit out of my budget and at times too moisturizing for me. They were pretty darn good during those harsh winter days though, and my skin was so clear and soft.

IOPE Bio Essence Intensive Conditioning – This will always be my first love. It doesn’t seem like it does much and over time, it’s just like a toner, but when you have bumps, it flattens them! It also helps tone the skin and brightens when used together with a whitening essence.

Hera Cell Essence – This little baby I discovered during my trip to Korea this past May. I had seen the product online but did not want to splurge before I did a bit more research. Once I saw it on sale, I knew I had to get it. I liked it but it was the wrong season to try it. I think I would’ve loved it a lot more during the fall and winter. It is milkier in colour and more moisturizing than the IOPE. In terms of function, it still works just as good as the IOPE.

Step 4: Essence/Ampoule/Serum

This is perhaps the most important as it involves the most concentrated product in the entire routine.

IOPE Whitegen Ampoule Essence Bio Luminous – I have to say that I prefer the older version because it did more as a whitening product than this new one. Though I still love it regardless because it’s a little more moisturizing than others I have used, but still light enough to absorb quickly without any sticky residue. It has a very pleasant light fragrance to it and contains no shimmers. Over time, it does keep my face bright (not white). Whitening effects are more obvious when used together with the bio essence.

Step 5: Eye Care

To this day, I am very ashamed to say that I neglect my eye area. Why? Because it seriously takes so much time to just work the product in. However, I do admit that my dark circles are horrendously dark and huge and so I need something to control that and take it down a notch. I am nearing my mid-20’s now and eye care is an extremely important step to keeping my face looking youthful and alive.

AmorePacific Intensive Vitalizing Eye Essence – Yes I caved. This baby was $105 at my local sephora in Toronto and I am still kind of iffy on the purchase. I have never paid so much for an eye product. My previous IOPE Pro-Retinol Eye Corrector seems to be discontinued and I’m very sad because that seriously brightened my eye and I loved that stuff. I am still trying out this new Eye Essence but I am still undecided. A good eye cream is the Su:m37 Secret Programming Eye Cream. It is rich and it firms the eye area very well. So for the ladies who are starting to get a few wrinkles, this is the product to go for. 

Step 6: Cream

You will notice that I have dropped the emulsion altogether and gone straight to the cream. Well, that’s because I only use emulsions when I have texture problems or I’m lacking a little moisture in my skin. I actually don’t think it’s necessary but I used it religiously up until last year when I fully switched to moisture and gel creams. Creams are important to lock in all the products that you have previously put on. I did not start using these until the later part of university because my skin wasn’t as dry as it is now.

Nature Republic Super Aqua Max Combination Watery Cream – I discovered this last year on my first visit to Seoul, Korea. It was literally so good that I was sad I didn’t buy another tub before I left. I did repurchase it on my second visit to Seoul earlier this year, and I am now on my second tub. This stuff literally lasts forever. I’m saying this as a person that needs a little change because I prefer something a little more moisturizing around this time of the year. I still have one tub to go…

I did ask my best friend to get me the new SU:M37 White Award Ultimate Whitening ampoule in cream since she is now visiting Korea. I will update once I have tried and incorporated that into my skincare routine. At a hefty price of $140CAD, it better do something wonderful to my skin.

Step 7: Sunscreen

Yes, how can we forget the sunscreen. There’s no way a whitening skincare routine could be complete without the sunscreen. Simple emulsions or creams with spf are just no good to me. Sunscreen is something I want to wash off at the end of the day and so having it in any of my other skincare products is a little scary to me. Throughout the years, I have tried so many sunscreens from so many different brands that I can’t even count, but I have found myself a very loyal consumer of one particular one.

Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Sun Screen – This is actually a sun cream and therefore a lot thicker than most of your regular sun screens. It does absorb into the skin well and it leaves a nice glowing layer on top. It smells so good and light that I cannot stop putting this on. I have used this every single day since last year and it is without a doubt, my favourite. It has not broken me out once, which is rare for me with many sun screens. Highly recommend it. Even my friend loves it now!

Special Care: Don’t forget about the masks!!!

I use masks at least twice a week. Not as often as I use to because I don’t have time, but it is essential if you want to keep your skin nice and glowing. I used to use sheet masks every night for 2 months right before prom and my skin was beautiful for that one special night. I have gotten lazy so on days that I can’t even move to put on my skincare, I cleanse my skin very thoroughly and slap on a sleeping mask. The Laneige Water Sleeping Mask has been a Holy Grail for years. In terms of sheet masks, I alternate but I prefer gel masks as they absorb better into the skin and you can leave them on for a little logner.

So that is it! Wow that was long…If you managed to read through this entire article, congratulations! I’m glad I’m not the only one that cares about this stuff so much. Beauty is an ongoing journey, and the destination is undetermined. There are times in your life that feel very low and times that feel very high. Hold on to both and find a happy medium for yourself. Taking care of your skin can be therapeutic, much like taking care of your own emotions. This is my personal skincare journey. I hope you all found something useful and even maybe inspiring from all of this.

DISCLAIMER: Whitening does not mean bleaching nor am I trying to be white in any way. Whitening skincare evens out the skin and tones it by reducing melanin production, which creates dark spot on the face and gives Asians that yellow skin tone. No matter how much I stay out of the sun, I’ll never have white skin, I’m yellow and I accept it. I just want an even skin tone so that one that my neck and face will finally match up!   

Gmarket Haul + How to shop on Gmarket

What is Gmarket?

 This is my most recent Gmarket haul. So for those who don't know what Gmarket is, it's the equivalent of the Korean Ebay. However, they work through a warehouse where they ship the products that you purchase from personal mini shops. If you are interested, I will have the English site posted bellow. It's very easy to find particular items on the site, however navigating through the mini shops is a different story. If you can't at least read some Korean, you might have a slightly difficult time choosing the items as the descriptions as well as the product names are all in Korean with some exceptions. What you can do is write down the name of the product and when you're ready to add it to your cart you can make reference to it instead of constantly scrolling down. I think the biggest selling point for me is the price for the products; some of them are significantly cheaper but you still have to keep in mind that there is a shipping fee. The shipping fee starts at around 15,000 won which is roughly $14-15 for 0.5kg (this is only about 2-3 items at max). The shipping fee goes up by about 5,000 won per 0.5kg but once you get to around 2.5-3kg it only goes up by 2,000 won. So essentially it's more worth it to buy in bulks than a couple of items.

Having said all of this, the items that you purchase are sent to a warehouse and this is where Gmarket ships all of the items together since you will most likely be purchasing from multiple shops. If there is a difference in the estimated shipping to the actual shipping, you will either be asked to pay the difference if actual is higher than estimated, or refunded if actual is less than estimated. There are many forms of payment and they are very safe from what I have experienced. If they are out of stock in an item you have already paid for, you will be refunded in the purchased amount in the form of payment. They accept direct deposits, credit cards, and paypal which I would say is the safest. Tip: make sure to log in everyday and spin the wheel so you get points towards credit later on. (10,000 points = 10,000 won) You can also click for coupons on the site that will give you a good discount on products.

So this is how it actually comes in the mail. You have a giant box and then you have smaller boxes from each individual shop and they always wrap it in bubble wrap so it doesn't get damaged through the shipping process. 

This is what I purchased this time around. I picked particular items to purchase this time since I don't really need much.

AmorePacific Moisture Bound Rejuvenating Serum Set (120,000 won - I got it for 115,000 after discount)

The serum itself costs $100 +tax at sephora so this is a much better deal.

Etude House Bling In The Sea Precious Mineral Sun BB Cream SPF50+/PA+++ (17,000 won - I got it for 8,500 won)

This is the revamped version of the previous one that came out last summer. This particular one came out this summer.

SU: M 37 Water-fiull Timeless Water Gel Cream (52,000 won - I got it for 48,360 won)

I needed a moisturizing cream that wouldn't be too rich for my combination skin. A friend from Korea recommended this to me and voila. 

Laneige Original Essence White Plus Renew (35,700 won - I got it for 33,730 won)

This is the renewed version of the previous white plus renew essence which I have used as well. This is my second bottle since I am running low on my first one. They have changed not only the packaging but the essence itself which I actually like better than its previous version.

Hera HD Fix Face Coat 60 Mint Green (39,000 won but I got it for 36,270 won)

I also own the foundation and the compact face powder form this HD Fix line and it's a renewed version of their previous HD line. 

Black Purse (24,800 won)

I am very surprised by the quality of this bag as it is quite good and sturdy. Still I'm not too sure about holding too much weight in this but so far I really like this purse. It beats spending hundreds of dollars on a designer purse that I could possibly break in 2 months. 

Pink peep-toe heels (24,120 won)

So these are not very expensive and I can tell when I put them on my feet. The material at the front where your toes go is way too soft and it moves wherever your feet go if you know what I mean. The shape doesn't hold and they don't fit my feet properly unfortunately. I don't want to pay for shipping just to ship them back to Korea so hopefully one day I will suck it up and wear them -.-

More info: They do have return policies if you check out their website. It is actually quite informative if you have any issues and whatnot, and it is in English. 

More Tips: If you are skeptical about being scammed, you should be because it does happen. Some products may not be what you think so make sure the seller has a good standing and good reviews. Also, if a product is too good to be true as in it's way way cheaper than what you would imagine then it's probably not what you're going to get. Look for sellers that give a reasonable price and this can be done by comparing other sellers and their prices. You might find some really great deals from time to time as they do go on sale during special events on Gmarket. One time I got a K-pop CD for $1...I know that's ridiculous but they do these events from time to time. Also check for either manufacture date or expiry date on products to know they are legit and functioning well. Most Korean products will have a manufacture date and are good for 3 years before opening. 

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them in the comment box and I will be back with reviews and more hauls!!!

website: Gmarket

Hera CC (complete care) cream vs. O HUI UV color control cream

Hera CC crema

What is a CC cream?
CC creams can have a wide range of definitions like color correction, complete care, color change. Its technology was formulated in Japan and later further developed in Korea. It is a refined version of the BB cream with less harmful ingredients, less oil, higher nourishing and skincare benefits, and supposedly 'more effective skin coverage' (I will explain the quotation marks later). They can be used either as a makeup base or alone.

Can I use CC creams?
This is rather subjective because everyone has different needs to their skin and everyone likes their skin to look a certain way. I say this because CC creams in terms of color change creams will look different on every one depending on your skin. They are engineered to adhere to your natural skin tone as you blend them in. Typically, they only come in 1 or 2 shades; beige tone CC creams come in 2 and color change CC creams come in 1. 
They were made for the Asian market therefore they are light in color and will suit most fair tones up to a light-medium skin tone. If you are on the darker range then a color change cream will be the better choice for you because they adjust to your skin tone.The way this works is by a release of color beads that burst when you start blending and that's what helps adjust to the natural color.

O Hui UV CC cream

Hera CC (complete care) Cream (SPF35/PA++) 

Price: $35-$45

Color: 02 Natural Beige (other: 01 Pink Beige)

Description: A Photoshop cream that creates transparent and gorgeous skin like Photoshop. An emulsion powder that spreads like absorbing into skin leaves moisture and removes oil. Sticks to skin and creates elastic skin veil. Contains 50% of skin care moisturizing ingredient to create resilient face.

Volume: 30ml

Ingredients: Cell culture cocktail (Apple stem cell culture medium, grade seed oil, vitamin C, honey, hyaluronic acid, and vegetable protein)

O Hui UV CC (color control) Cream (SPF50+/PA+++)

Price: $35-$45

Color: only one shade (pink with red and black beads)

Description: CC cream that changes color to match to skin tone as soon as applied. All-in-one moisturizing cream that spa mineral ingredient offers super moisture to create gorgeous skin color. Cooling feeling soothes skin. 

Volume: 15g + refill

Ingredients: N/A

Comparison

Packaging: The Hera one comes with a pump tube and it is very sleek. The pump is a little hard to control for the amount. The O Hui one comes in a compact with a pump mechanism as well, but it is much easier to control as you push down to get a set amount of product each time and can pump more or less for desired quantity. It is also very sleek and more travel friendly for touch-ups. 
Scent: They are both scented but they are very light and they smell lovely in my opinion. The Hera one smells more flowery and is more on the fragrance side of smells (all Hera products have a scent; their skincare lines smells like perfume but the CC cream is much lighter and fresh). The O hui CC cream is light and fresh with no particular smell; it goes away after a while.

Texture: They are both creamy but the Hera CC cream is lighter when applied although heavier on the actual skin. The O Hui has a slight mousse-like texture with the color capsules in it. They both have a very light texture that allows the skin to breathe and not feel the product; it doesn't cake. 

Moisture: This one goes to Hera for sure. It feels much more moisturizing specially in the winter and it gets rid of dry patches. The O Hui CC cream is a little less moisturizing and suitable for the summer or those with oily skin; it does however minimize appearance of dry patches with longer wear. 

Lasting Power: CC creams generally last about 4-5 hours at max. Hera wears for about 5 hours with a setting powder and O Hui wears for 7-8 hours with a setting powder and about 5-6 without. They can slip off at the end of the day or disappear.

O Hui on the left and Hera on the right (this is only after
2 minutes but after an hour, there's not much spread)

Oil Control: Although they both generate the same amount of oil, I get more oily with the Hera one only because it's extremely moisturizing. O Hui only generates a little bit of oil by the end of the day and mostly on the T-zone.

Application and Blending ability: The Hera CC cream is better applied with either fingers or a beauty blender; it has a dewy finish and it blends quite well with a tapping motion. (Tip: Use fingers to tap the product in; you get better coverage this way). The O Hui CC cream is better applied with the sponge applicator that it comes with because it leaves a more natural look and it blends better. (After sweeping motions, tap with the sponge to set). It has a semi-dewy finish; it's more bright than dewy with a natural highlight effect.

Coverage: CC creams have next to no coverage but among all the CC creams I have seen, these two are a bit superior to the rest. The Hera CC cream has better coverage overall and it's closer to a BB cream in that sense. The O Hui CC cream covers redness really well and makes even skin tone. The Hera one covers some scars but not very deep dark scars. Coverage is not very build-able; it is light coverage.

Sensitivity: I did not experience any breakouts from either of these and they made my skin look better as I wear them. My skin tone did get a little lighter but I can't say that it's due to these products although they contain some whitening ingredients. Make sure to wash it off properly but so far I have not experienced clogged pores or anything form these products.

O Hui on the left and Hera on the right

Recommendation: Hera CC cream is best used in the winter or for dry skin types in the summer. The O Hui CC cream is more suited for oily skin types and perfect for the summer. If you want a bright skin tone with a light feel, CC creams are perfect for you. They offer minimal coverage but are good for those that have some redness and fairly good skin condition. They are both very good CC creams and they are my go-to products for this year so I highly recommend them. They give me the perfect amount of coverage and brightness to feel confident in my no-so perfect skin. =) 

Any questions? Message me!!! Or leave a Comment!!!

Disclaimer: None of these products are sponsored, I bought them with my own money and this is my honest opinion.

WARNING: A SLIGHTLY DEPRESSING BLOG

We often find ourselves at some point in life just thinking nonstop about what’s going on around us and what’s going to happen in the near future. I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m a hypocrite.

           

            So I told my friend just a week ago to not think about these things so often and take things as they come; slowly. However, slow feels like eternity in my head and I’m about to explode if I don’t get these thoughts out. So as I was saying, my friend is rather bothered by all this and it’s making her unhappy. She has a boyfriend, she has two jobs, she seems to be doing well in school, but she’s unhappy. Why is she unhappy? In a way I understand her because no matter how much I laugh and smile in everyday life, deep down I have my own sadness. It’s not sadness from pain, it stems from the sadness that everyone experiences throughout their lives. I wonder if anyone is ever really happy deep down. With all these worries and stress, we carry on with our lives but this THING is never really gone.

            I find that sometime I find myself just looking and observing others. I really like analyzing people and trying to figure out their behaviour and motives for doing things. Maybe I’m just trying to look for an answer in myself. I don’t know why I feel this way and I get slightly irritated when others ask why do I feel like this or why do I do things like this. Why, is the question I’m also trying to answer. Do we also have to have motive for doing things? I guess we do since that’s what civilized people do, but I just want to let loose and do what I want without others questioning what I do. I don’t want to know why I do things.

            And so I move back to my friend. I gave her a lot of advice that day, not knowing myself what I was saying. Half the crap I said I don’t think I believed myself because that wasn't exactly how I felt. Again HYPOCRITE. But what I said was the ideal and how I really wanted to feel except right now, I’m still wondering about everything.

            I’m hitting 21 very soon. It’s the big party age if you live in America. Parties are supposed to be fun and on the surface they are, but sometimes I feel like they’re not even that fun. You go and get drunk; everyone forgets for a moment of all their problems and enjoys the buzz. That’s it, right? Yeah, it’s real smart drowning all these emotions in alcohol; a Bellini would be nice.

            I guess what I’m trying to say is, we don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. Heck, we don’t even really know what’s happening right now. But the one thing that keeps everyone going is hope, hope that one day things will clear up and that cloud in our heads will dissipate into a clear sunny sky. My ultimate goal is to understand my purpose and my own motives for living my life. I just wish I didn't have so many eyes and mouths at my side watching and telling me each and every step I take. Is life truly ours? Or is our social environment the stubborn little cloud that won’t move?

            My problem: EMPTINESS.

Gmarket Haul - emergency skincare

I have finally decided to update my blog with a new haul. This time around, I am purchasing what I call my "emergency skincare". Why, you ask? Well to give you a little update on my skin, I've had horrible reactions to my previous products plus the added stress from school did not help at all. 

If you're not familiar with IOPE or O HUI, they are highly popular korean brands. IOPE is under AMORE PACIFIC which also makes high end brands like HERA, mid-end like LANEIGE, and affordable products from ETUDE HOUSE. O HUI on the other hand is a high-end brand from LG Cosmetics.

First off, my experience with Gmarket was great this time around. It took exactly a week to receive all of my purchases, in a giant box like always. Nothing was damaged and each thing was packaged neatly and carefully. I will be purchasing again sometime in the future when shipping goes on discount...I paid $35 for shipping this time. 

So I have been eyeing this product for quite a while, and finally decided to purchase it after much consideration. This is the newest item from IOPE called the BIO ESSENCE INTENSIVE CONDITIONING. It was only released last year but it has slowly started to gain much popularity in Asia by being compared to the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence. It claims to enhance every day changing skin's condition to help create translucently smooth skin. I paid $47 for this set and it comes with the 168ml bottle, 84 facial cotton sheets, and a 5-piece sample set from the moistgen line. Everything was packaged nicely and I love the little gift. I really hope this works well with my skin so watch out for a longer review on this. 

The second set that I bought is this O HUI White Extreme Special set. Description: Transparent cells make bright skin. O HUI White Extreme is a whitening treatment that purifies, regenerates and brightens the skin by restoring fresher radiance to the cells. This set was $77 and it comes with the two full size emulsion and toner (each 150ml), two deluxe size (20ml), the cell shine essence (4ml), the purifying cleansing foam (40ml),  and a 3D black mask. I have actually tried a sample of these products before and I absolutely loved them. They made my skin look brighter and more transparent, as well as improving the quality of my skin as a whole. During the summer, I found a location that sells these products but the set goes for $150. 

Overall, I think this purchase was much more worth it than buying it in store. Gmarket has always been my go-to place for korean cosmetics and makeup because of the value. Except for the overblown price for shipping, I think it's pretty worth it. I will be posting reviews for these products as soon as I get a good sense of them so please watch out for that!!

Thanks for reading! =)

Gmarket Haul - 숨37도(SU:M 37˚) and ISA KNOX (+ Shopping Tips)

This is my last haul for the summer and of course I had to stock up on some skincare products for this coming fall and winter =) 

I've had experience with purchasing products from Gmarket before but this is by far my biggest haul so far. So for those of you who don't know what Gmarket is, it's basically the korean version of ebay. You can find just about anything from skincare to household products so it's extremely convenient. You just have to make an account and start shopping!

Tips: make sure you click for discount coupons everyday so you can save more!

-they do charge for shipping based on weight and it might seem a little pricey but if they overcharge you then they will deposit the extra charge to your account. Shipping rates are also based on the country you live in, of course, if you live closer to korea then it's much cheaper.

-you can also track your items and so far I haven't gotten charged extra by customs and that's probably because they list it as a gift.

-the products do come from individual shops and when you order the items, they are shipped from the shops to the Gmarket warehouse and then shipped off to you. From the order date, it takes about 1 week to arrive but that's for Canada, it really depends on where you live.

Website: http://english.gmarket.co.kr/

The individual products come in small boxes shipped from the sellers and then Gmarket ships them in this giant box. It's sometimes unnecessary if you order something small but they'll still send it in this giant thing. 

The first skincare set is from su:m 37 which is considered a slighter higher end brand under LG Household & Health Care Ltd. It was launched in 2007 so it's petty new. It follows the philosophy of giving oxygen to the skin for good respiration and the 37 represents the optimal fermentation temperature. The very first picture is their best selling product called the secret programming essence and it is said to be comparable to the SK-II facial treatment essence. This set cost 58,500won and it comes with the 80ml essence bottle (also available in 150ml), the time energy line emulsion and toner (20ml each), and eye cream (5ml), and the white award detox mask (10ml; also top selling product). At the bottom are 2 products from the time energy line: skin resetting refining toner (31,900won) in 160ml and skin resetting softening emulsion (35,100won) in 130ml. I did not get any free samples from any of these purchases but I think that's because they were on discount of that shop just really doesn't like to give away samples. They are packaged in heavy glass bottle with a very sleek design and an oriental logo on the top cap. These products have a citrus scent and are quite good for moisturizing. I recommend for those with normal to combination skin. I have oily skin but I enjoy this very much at night time, I hold out a bit during the day.

Isa Knox is also under the same company as su:m 37 but is probably one of their more affordable skincare. They do have premium lines that can go for over 100CAD but I only spent about 65CAD on all of these Isa Knox product (excluding shipping). Unfortunately I can't seem to find any reviews or english instructions for any of these products so that's a letdown. But considering the prices I couldn't pass up to stock up for my whitening skincare for this winter =) The product above is the ISA KNOX MX-II Platinum Ultra White Serum (24,500won) and this comes in 35ml. Not a lot of product but a decent price. The bottle is heavy and a little extra for the amount of product but I do enjoy nice packaging. I haven't tried any of the Isa Knox products yet so I can't say much about it.

Finally, I bought this entire set on a huge summer deal. This entire set was only 49,200won and every product here is a full sized product except for the cream on the left corner of the second picture. The set consists of the MX-II Platinum ultra white softener (120ml) and emulsion (170ml), sample sizes of the ultra white serum (10ml x 2), Ideal ringer in the medihyalon drop (40ml) and astin C drop (40ml), WX-II spot whitening treatment (30ml), MX-II platinum eye cream (30ml), revolution sun pact (SPF35PA++), and MX-II platinum ultra moisture cream (25ml). I have only tried the astin C drop and I really like it. It has a serum consistency and it absorbs into your skin very well. It can be used before an essence, alone, or with other ringers. It's orange in colour and it has a strong citrus/orange smell. It prevents skin oxidation which gives it anti aging properties to keep the skin looking youthful and fair. It contains Astaxanthin and Acai bery.

So after shipping I paid around 230CAD but they charged me an extra 15CAD and now that's in my Gmarket account cash which I can use to towards a purchase as long as the cash in my account is greater than the purchase amount which includes shipping of course. Overall I'm very satisfied with my purchases and since I've started shopping on Gmarket, I've become completely obsessed and addicted. I'll be saving up for new purchases in the future. =)

Makeup Primers - Banila Co vs. Missha

Makeup primers are not always necessary but they do help your foundations or bb creams stay on longer and look better. I hate putting on extra products on my face but these two things do make all the difference in the world. 

I purchased a couple of banila co products on Gmarket a couple of weeks ago, including one of their top selling products, the prime primer in classic matte. Now I do have combination oily skin and this goes on very smoothly and not super thick. 

It is comparable to the Makeup Forever HD primer as it goes on light and it works just as well. It's a wonderful makeup base and I usually use it with bb cream. I haven't experienced any complications with the product yet but it's still a little too much for an everyday product. It's 30ml, it cost about 20CAD, and it contains sebum control powder. I give it a 7/10 because while it keeps my makeup on, it is a little too dry and it sometimes creates some weird makeup lines on my face from the bb creams. 


On the other hand, Missha's BB Boomer is specifically made to prepare the skin for bb cream. It contains pearl powder and antioxidant ingredients that help keep the skin moisturized and illuminated. This product really helps my bb cream stay on longer and it makes my complexion look much brighter. Yay! =) My skin definitely looks like it's glowing with this under my bb cream and it doesn't melt off my face so that's a good thing hehe. I think I like this better than the classic matte primer because it's like putting moisturizer on my skin rather than a makeup product. I got this at pacific mall for about 12CAD and it's 40ml. I've used this for over a year now and it's still one of my favourite products. This is highly recommended and I give it a 9/10, one point because it still makes my face a little shiny during the day.