BeautyBlog60-Korean Skin Care Laníege

Hi Lovelies,

In Korea I found the most amazing skin care line. I had done a bit of research before I left for Korea but I had no idea just HOW big skin care is in Korea.

Skin - clean, perfect and white! - is big in Korea. Walking around Myoeng-Dong - one of the best shopping areas in Seoul - every other store is a skin care store. Some of the biggest brands are The Face Shop, Skin Food, It's Skin, Nature Republic, Etude House and so many others.

All of them sell loads of stuff - make up, body lotions and so many skin care products! Face masks in numerous versions. I got several different kinds and I will go through all of that and the make up I got in a future post.

This post is dedicated to my new skin care system: Laneíge - "Snow" in French. Clear skin is the number 1 thing in Korea. Actually, the name snow is not a coincidence. A lot of the skin care products in Korea contain whitening stuff! White clear skin is IN in Korea. For me being tan is nice and staying out of the sun feels unnatural, however Korean women don't like the sun. They love sunscreen, sun hats, umbrellas and the shade! It's scary to see how many things contain whitening - even Nivea body lotion. But I guess it's like us Westernes loving the sun, self tanner, sun tanning beds (ewwwww) and just lazing around under the sun to get that sun-kissed tan.

Well, back to Laniegé. The skin care line is pretty high end compared to a lot of the other Korean skin care products. I spent around 100 US dollars on my basic products but it was so worth it!

Read more about the line here: www.laniege.com

The spokes person for Laneige is the hugely popular actress Song Hye Kyo.





I mean if I can get to look like her, then I'm hooked! :)

I got two products from the Basic Care line:

The Laneige Power Essential Skin Refiner Light (Combination Oily Skin) is my new toner. It is very light and has the most amazing scent. It has a soft flowery scent and leaves my skin feeling soft and clean.



I also got the Laneige Balancing Emulsion Light Lotion. The light weight formula with purifying and hydro balancing care leaves my skin feeling refresh and clear.



I use those two and my Clinique Dramatically Moisturizer in the morning.

At night I add one more step from the Water Bank line between the toner and emulsion:

The Water Bank Essence, which is a long-lasting moisture essence for smooth and clear skin texture! The essence is a deep functioning version.



Since I began this routine almost two weeks ago my skin has become a lot more hydrated. Also I wake up in the morning and my skin feels the same as it did when I had just washed and cleansed it.

I was so fortunate to be given a lot of Laneíge products as gifts, so I have loads of refills now and I will also be trying out the:

Water Bank Gel Cream, which is a gel-type moisture cream that soothes the skin with a cool, invigorating texture!



I was also given the Water Sleeping Pack_EX, which is a light gel-type texture provides intensive hydration, vitality, and brightening effect while restoring skin with deep relaxation. I have yet to try this but you basically apply it in a thin layer - it dries and you sleep with it. It is supposed to give a lot of moisture and work with the skin during the night. I can't wait to try this.



I also wanted to try the much talked about Laneige Strawberry Yoghurt Peeling Gel is a cellulose and enzyme peeling gel, which gently removes dead cell and impurities brining back clear and soft skin. I have yet to try this out as well but I will let you know what I think about it!



I also got the popular Laneige new UV protecting Sliding Pact, which lightly sildes and fits on my skin, effectively absorbing excess sebum to portray longlasting powdery skin. It mattifies my skin and has the nicest clean scent. I love it. I got it in Medium Beige.





I am so exited about my new products. The last year or so, ever since I definitively said goodbye to the Clinique soap and toner, I've been looking for a series to fit my skin. This works amazingly and it does not dry or irritate my skin. And the products not too expensive. The toner and lotion are around 25 US dollars each - the essence and the other things are more expensive though.

Hope you enjoyed this!

xoxo
msbeautyblogger

(photos: laneige.com, cherryxblossoms.files.wordpress.com)

BeautyBlog59 - Back in beauty business!

Hi my lovelies,

After 20 delicious and much needed vacation days I'm back!!

I started out spending four fantastic days in Rome. It was my first time there and I loved the city, the architecture and the sun!

Initially, I was saving my money for my next destination (Seoul, South Korea) but I couldn't resist getting a few things including a small golden cross at the Vatican. I also ventured out onto Via del Corsa - aka THE shopping street, where I found a Sephora and a Lush.

Unfortunately, the Sephora did not carry Nars, which I was pretty keen on trying out so I went for Make Up For Ever instead. Since my skin is combination/oily I was advised not to go for the ever so popular MUFE HD Invisible Cover Foundation. Instead I bought the Mat Velvet + Foundation. I've only had the opportunity to try it out a few times but so far I like it! It does seem to give my face a mat finish, which I love - however I don't think the coverage is as good as my preferred foundation: Revlon ColorStay.



I also went into Lush where I spent the majority of my time. I love it there. All the soaps, face products and funny bath-things. I only got four things in there.

I wanted to try Dark Angels skin exfoliant. On Lush's own website Dark Angels are described like this: "Dark and tough, this one doesn't mess about. It's a black, squidgy scrub made with charcoal to absorb oils and exfoliate your skin. Nutritious avocado oil softens, glycerine keeps the moisture in and black sugar scrubs away." I already love it. I used it daily in Korea and it was wonderful for deep cleaning my face after long busy days, where my skin would be dirty from all the activity and all the sweating! (Korea was HOT HOT HOT with even more humidity to go with it!)



I also bought my first bubble bar called Creamy Candy Bubble Bar. I don't have a bath tub so I use it for the water I soak my tired feet in once a week;) It smells so good! So sweet like candy and it turns the water into a sea of pink bubbles!



I also decided to give the Sugar Scrub a try. I have yet to try it out but here is what the website says: "Tough on cellulite, kind to skin. Our Sugar Scrub is hard, but a bit of a sweetie. Its no nonsense stance stimulates activity and tackles cellulite with fennel and ginger. Calming lavender has a balancing effect and encourages healthier skin." I mean who wouldn't want to give this a try!?



In the end I decided not to get a lot of soap since I still have some left from last time I got a shipment from Lush in December. But I had to get one little piece and I picked the Triple-citrus cleanser. According to Lush: "Lemslip is our creamiest, dreamiest lemon shower soap, but this is only one of the reasons why it's a best-seller. It has antimicrobial lemon, lime and sweet wild orange to clear up spots all over a body that gets a bit oily now and again" and I really love everything lemon scented. It just smells clean and summery!



This was what I got beauty-wise in Italy. I flew straight from Rome to Korea where I just returned from after 16 great days! Experience and shopping-wise.

Upcoming blog-posts:
-Korean Skin Care Products
-Haul - beauty products
-Korean Fashion and Haul

TTYL,
msbeautyblogger

(photos: sephora.com, lush.com, a248.g.akamai.net,4.bp.blogspot.com)