I was really intrigued by this product because it's a super famous product in the Korean Skincare world. It's from Secret Key and it's their Snow White Milky Pack The Premium. I did a video review of this a little bit ago, but I thought I'd also make a post on it for those of you who prefer to read reviews!
Let's get to the product breakdown...
Packaging...
This is just a simple squeeze tube. On the front of the tube, it gives a brief description of what the product is supposed to do!
Directions...
This is a pretty simple process! You just apply a decent layer to your skin and then let it sit on your skin for about 2-3 minutes. After that, you just wash it off your skin.
Application...
This product goes on very smoothly. It is a little on the thick side just so it's easier to apply a nice layer on. You do need to wash it off with warm water because the warmth helps remove it from your skin. It does leave a "layer" behind, which some people have complained about. Some people don't like this because they feel like it's heavy. However, for me, it didn't feel to sticky. I actually didn't feel it on my skin after I washed it off.
Results...
You'll have to ignore the expressions in the pictures below. I took screen shots from my video. haha. But as you can see, this is a slight brightening effect! It makes my skin look luminous and bright. It's nothing too dramatic, but it just makes my skin look healthy. This effect does wear off through out the day however.
So you're new to Korean skincare or you're just looking to try out some new products... I bet you're OVERWHELMED. When I first started looking into Korean skincare, I couldn't believe how many options there were. Between the different brands, lines, and products, I didn't know what to think! I knew I wanted to try some skincare products, but I literally didn't know where to start. After months of researching, I was prepared! I knew what was popular, what people enjoyed, and what were considered "cult favorites" in the Asian Beauty World.
I then traveled the Seoul, Korea with my list in hand...
And, well, that list went out the window. I bought everything I could get my hands on. (If you want to see the haul of what I bought, here is Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Yes, I had to split it up into 3 parts!)
But for those of you who don't want to do that, I complied a list of the Top 10 Korean Skincare Products that are notoriously popular in asian skincare. These are the products that I feel are the most raved about, and are a good outline of what to buy while in Korea! All of these products are tried, tested and true, and here are my honest opinions about them. BTW, if you have you're own recommendations, please comment below and share with the rest of us! Again, this is what seems to be the most popular Korean skincare products in my own personal opinion.
So let's get to the breakdown...
So I'm listing these products off in no particular order!
Etude House Wonder Pore Freshener
This one for me was difficult. I've heard so many good things about this product and I know a lot of people love it. However, it didn't work miracles for me. This is just your average toner in my opinion. It does remove makeup residue, oil and dirt from my skin, but this didn't change the appearance of my skin. But for some people, this is a Holy Grail type of product. That's why I included it in this list.
Nature Republic Aloe Vera Soothing Gel
I love this stuff when it gets hot where I live! It's nice because it's light and smells nice and fresh. It feels cooling and soothing when you apply it to your skin, which makes it great when it's hot. Since it's not super moisturizing, I usually only use this during the spring and summer, not really during the winter when my skin is more dry. Plus, you can use it on your face, skin, hair and nails so it has a ton of functions. It's also super cheap.
Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence
This is something I use twice a day and love. It's nice and light, absorbs right into the skin, and really preps the skin for your skincare routine. I've definitely noticed a difference since I started using this product! It makes my skin look brighter and smoother. It also lasts a really long time!
This product is even Waffle-approved!
Innisfree Cleansing Foams
I love both of these cleansing foams. They have a nice, thick lather and really clean your skin. It also doesn't strip the skin of its moisture. Therefore, it's the perfect cleanser for me because it doesn't leave my dry skin feeling drier, but it makes my skin feel super squeaky clean! I also love Innisfree products because they try to use more natural ingredients.
Laneige Water Sleeping Pack_EX
This stuff is amazing. You apply if after you've finished your skincare routine at night, leave it on while you sleep, and wash it off in the morning. It makes your skin look nice and plump and really softens the skin. This is a super famous product and Target has even started carrying this brand! So it's much more accessible, which is nice.
Innisfree Super Volcanic Clay Mask
This is the ultimate clay mask for me! Clay masks are a must-have in general, but this one is by far my favorite. It does a good job of sucking out all of the debris from your skin without leaving your skin feeling tight and dry. I know a lot of people love and enjoy this product, and it's definitely a cult-fave!
The Face Shop Rice Water Rice Cleansing Water
This is another one of those products for me that I have mixed feelings about. It does an awesome job of cleaning your skin and getting makeup and oil out of your skin without needing to wash it off after. However, for me, it does feel a little sticky after I use this. I almost feel like I want to wash my skin after I use it, even though I know technically I don't have to. However, I know this is really popular in the Korean skincare world and people have compared it to the ultra-famous Bioderma. But personally, I'd take Bioderma over this any day. haha.
SkinFood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off
Boy, I love this stuff. It really makes my skin feels smooth and I love that you can dilute the sugar to your liking. Therefore, if you like a super abrasive exfoliant, you can apply a small amount of water or if you like a more gentle exfoliant, you can use more water to help melt the sugar granules. Either way, this stuff is great. Plus, my sister, who isn't that into skincare in general, loves this stuff too. I think that shows how good this product really is!
Innisfree Sheet Masks
Now, if you're going to Korea and really any Asian country, stock up on sheet masks! In Asia, these things are so much cheaper than they are elsewhere. I personally really like the ones from Innisfree. They are a nice pick-me-up when you're skin feels like it needs a little TLC, and a cheap way to treat yourself. They come in literally every "flavor" possible too!
SkinFood Milk Shake Point Make-up Remover
Everyone who wears makeup uses makeup remover. So this is a definite must have if you're ever going to Korea. I love SkinFood in general, but this stuff is awesome! It removes the most stubborn makeup with ease, even waterproof mascara. Plus, it doesn't burn your eyes or delicate skin!
Anyways, there's my quick list of the Top 10 Korean Cult / Must Have Skincare Products. Do you agree with this list or what would you add? It was definitely difficult to narrow down because let's face it, I love Korean skincare in general. Who knows, maybe I'll have a completely different list a year from now and need to make a new list. And yes, I am working on the Makeup version of this, however, it's much more difficult for me to narrow down!
I recently decided I wanted to change up my hair a little and wanted to go for a lighter look since spring is coming closer. However, I know my hair...and boy is my hair STUBBORN. I use to attempt to dye my hair back in high school, but it never really "colored". I guess that's a typical characteristic of asian hair...
So first I decided to go to a salon and get it professionally colored. However, as you can tell in my videos on my channel, The Beauty Breakdown, my hair didn't really look any different. I don't know if my hair stylist didn't have a lot of experience coloring asian hair, or if my hair was THAT stubborn.
A couple weeks later, I decided to give it one last go and try hair dye that was specifically designed for asian hair. I went to my local Korean beauty store and found this bubble hair kit.
When I first saw this, I was like "WHAAAA, LG makes hair products too?!"
The color reference guide
The contents of the box included the pump bottle, the developer, shampoo and conditioner packets, and protective gear included gloves, ear covers, and a plastic shawl.
You mix solutions one and two together and just swirl them together! You don't want to shake because that ruins the solution... so try not to make any bubbles. Then, like you would with any box color, you just apply it all over your hair. I love that this was "bubble-y" because it made the application of it much easier! You could basically shampoo it into your hair, so the color came out very evenly.
You then leave the product in for 25 minutes (I left mine in for 30 minutes), and then you wash it out using the packets below.
BEFORE
As you can see, my hair is a little lighter from when I went to the salon. Naturally, I have very dark brown hair (almost black!).
AFTER
You can see that it looks MUCH lighter! So I was happy with the results. It looks pretty red in the picture, but in real life and in sunlight, it looks much more brown. I was hoping for an ashier look, but this will do! I was just happy my hair looked different. Although, I don't know if you can really tell, but this hair color didn't have the best root coverage. If you look closely, you can still see my darker roots.
This is what the color looks like in direct sunlight (I'm facing a window)
My hair didn't feel super dry, so I was happy it still was healthy and soft! Plus, it made my hair look nice and shiny :)
Overall: *** (and a half)
Coverage: ****
Root Coverage: **
Ease of Application: ****
Shininess: ****
Overall, I liked this box color. It was easy to use, came out evenly, and didn't make my hair feel super dry. I just wish it lightened my hair even more and was a bit more ashy. Plus, the root coverage wasn't that great. So I would recommend this product, but next time I color my hair, I think I'll try a different bubble brand!
Holika Holika has come out with a predecessor for its very famous Pig Nose Clear Blackhead 3 Step Kit. It's called the Golden Monkey Glamour Lip 3 Step Kit and instead of removing your nasty little blackheads, this kit is designed to exfoliate, plump and moisturize your lips! Of course I had to try this since my lips are notoriously dry. (I'll be releasing the video review of this product soon and I'll put it in this post!)
By the way, if you're wondering why Holika Holika themed this kit after monkeys, I believe the Golden Monkey is known for its pink and noticeable lips. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's move on!
The packaging is super cute! Look at this thing, I don't even want to open it! haha. But I must for the sake of the review.
Here's a close up of the packaging. You can see the ingredients, directions, and description.
Here's an initial 'before' of my lips. As you can see, they're fairly dry and a little chapped.
So step one of the packet is to remove all the dead skin and clean your lips with this pad. As you can see, there's no texture to it, so it's not really good for exfoliating. It doesn't really have a smell and FYI, just in case you get in your mouth, it doesn't taste terrible. haha.
This is what my lips looked like after step one. As you can see, they're a little bit smoother.
Step 2 of the packet is to take this lip gel patch and place is on your clean lips for 15 minutes. It's nice because it stays in place and doesn't slide all over the place. You can wear this while you do other things!
I look crazy with this thing on!
So I forgot to take a picture after step 2 but you can see the results immediately after step 2 in the video (once it's posted!). Step 3 is a honey-based balm that you put on your lips. As you can see in the picture below, the balm is nice and glossy. Plus, it's not sticky at all and it's very comfortable to wear! I loved this last part because it made my lips feel really nice and it's really shiny! Also, there's enough in the packet to save a use a couple more times!
So what do you guys think?! Can you see a difference? Do my lips look better? Hope you guys enjoyed this review!
It's been a really long time since I've been able to post a makeup tutorial! So I'm really excited I was finally able to :) If you didn't know, I wasn't able to wear eye makeup for about 5 months because I have a condition called Blepharitis, which got really bad :/ But now that it's under control, I'm happy to say I'm back at it, and decided to make a video to show you guys what has been my go-to winter makeup routine. The video tutorial is down below and of course, the pictures of the products I used!
Product List (Everything from left to right, top to bottom):
Tony Moly Panda's Dream Brightening Eye Base, Benefit's The Porefessional Makeup Base, E.L.F. Eyebrow Kit in Medium
Lancome Le Crayon Khol in Black, Benefit They're Real Mascara, Holika Holika Jewelight Waterproof Eyeliner in 03 Lapis Lazuli and 08 Pink Topaz, Too Faced Long Stemmed Liquid Eyeliner
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup in Fresh Beige, Mineral FX Face Powder, Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Medium
Too Faced Pink Leopard Brightening Bronzer, Physicians Formula pH Matchmaker Bronzer
Tony Moly Petite Bunny Gloss Bar in 02, Tony Moly Prestige Snail Lip Treatment
