I recently tried a few new skincare products from Asian brands and wanted to share my thoughts with you! There are a few places you can now easily pick products up from - some of the things in this post are from Skinsider (which was set up to bring Korean brands to the UK), Topshop (where there are loads of sheet masks available) and even Superdrug (who now stock Bio-Essence). There are a few products that aren't traditional steps in a skincare routine here in the UK, so I'll also let you know which I think are worth incorporating!
Blossom Jeju Sheet Masks: Lifting, Brightening & Nourishing* | £15 | These sheet masks actually come free with your Skinsider order for a limited time. They each have a little sachet of Camellia oil to prep the skin with before using the mask, which works really nicely (it's a lightweight, nourishing oil that hydrates without breaking me out). The fit of these is actually pretty decent and I tend to leave sheet masks on for a good couple of hours until they dry out and have full-absorbed into my skin. I don't think my skin is particularly saggy so I'm probably not the best person to review the Lifting mask, however this did leave my skin looking fresher and it was softer and more nourished overall. The Brightening mask was still a nice, gentle product and nothing overly intense, however I did think my skin looked much healthier after use. The Nourishing mask is lovely - it still has a lightweight gel formula so it does sink in and definitely left my skin considerably more hydrated and much softer and smoother. Trying these masks has definitely made me want to incorporate sheet masks into my routine more and I'll definitely be trying the trick with the oil!
Dr. G A-Clear Spot Repairing Serum Special Unit Set* | £30 | For some reason (ok, not 'some' reason; probably a combination of hot weather and a few nights out when I probably did take off my makeup as well as I could have...) my skin was seriously breaking out during the second half of last month. This kit of mini products contains a toner, serum and moisturiser aimed at fighting blemishes and after a fortnight of use, I have to say I am impressed! The Balancing Toner removes surface shine without being astringent or stripping moisture from my skin. The Spot Repairing Serum really helped to clear up my complexion and has a very lightweight texture, making it fine to use on oiler skin. Finally, the Balancing Moisturiser was perfect for helping even out the texture of my skin; it was moisturising to the perfect level, so my skin felt soft but there was no excess or greasiness. These products contain tea tree oil and salicylic acid, which are quite strong spot-fghting ingredients, however for my skin I do think I could use this set every day, as they're in fairly small quantities.
Dr. G Brightening Peel Gel* | £20 | This is a sort of treatment product to be used after cleansing. You're supposed to take a few minutes to really massage it into your skin before rinsing and I've been using it a few of times a week. It contains various vitamins and also honey, so whilst it won't give you the dramatic effects you'll get with something like glycolic acid, it's a lot gentler and also suitable for sensitive skin. It's great for removing dead skin cells that can build up and stop your skin looking as fresh as it could, though I'd still use a manual or acid exfoliant once a week (with this one being a more 'general maintenance' product than one you reach for when you can see you're having some issues).
Dr G. Hydra Cream Full of Water* | £38 | This is the perfect moisturiser for combination skin; as the name suggests, it's packed full of hydration however has a lightweight gel consistency. It absorbs beautifully into the skin, leaving it soft, smooth, hydrated and elasticated. It's suitable for sensitive skin and doesn't leave behind any excess. Its ingredients include edelweiss and melon extract.
LJH Vita Propolis Ampoule* | £28 | This lightweight serum can be mixed with a bb cream or used under your moisturiser. It sinks into my skin without leaving a tacky film. It includes Vitamin C, Vitamin D and seabuckthorn, which combine to really replenish my skin. It's hydrating and leaves my skin looking fresh and bright. It's not one of those 'dramatic results' products but is a great one for regular use to ensure you have a good skin day!
Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream* | £22 | I've been using this as a night cream, though I can definitely see myself using it every morning when the winter months come around. It's a sort of gel-cream product so isn't greasy but still feels nice and nourishing (more so than the Dr G cream). It also is a blue colour, true to the name! It's amazing if you suffer from sensitivity, dehydration or redness, as it really evens out the skin and calms it down. I definitely recommend this if you have normal, dry or combination skin.
Bio-Essence 24K Gold Day Cleanser* | £6.99 | This entire collection contains 24K magic! Bio-Essence also uses amino acids in the formulation. I do find this slightly tricky to squeeze out, as the cream formula is quite thick. It foams up nicely without stripping my skin, leaving it looking and feeling soft and clean. It's nice and refreshing and is also supposed to help prevent the skin ageing prematurely over long-term use.
Bio-Essence 24K Gold Water* | £16.99 | Probably the most well-known product from the range; this essence really is gorgeous to look at! I use this after cleansing, instead of a toner, and it has a very lightweight texture and doesn't feel overly tacky on the skin at all. I definitely feel my skin looks more radiant when I use this and it also adds some moisture, plumping out any dehydration lines. Overall, I'd recommend checking this one out if you just want a nice all-rounder. I also think the price-point is very reasonable for this kind of product.
Bio-Essence 24K Gold Day Cream SPF25* | £23.99 | This has a really interesting texture; it looks like a cream but behaves like a jelly and contains flecks of gold. I actually really like this texture and it doesn't feel as though it contains SPF at all, which is an added bonus. The texture makes it fast-absorbing, which I like because I have combination skin so I prefer something lightweight but that still delvers in terms of moisture (and this does!)
Bio-Essence 24K Gold Miracle Finish* | £29,99 | This is my favourite product out of the ones I tried from Bio-Essence by far! It's intended to be an additional step in your makeup routine to protect the skin against pollution, however I personally think this makes an amazing primer. It mattes down any shine whilst simultaneously still being nice and moisturising, which really helps to even things out. It gives my skin this perfect satin finish and my makeup goes on so smoothly over this.
Bio-Essence 24K Gold Night Cleanser* | £12.99 | This is more of a gel-based cleanser that comes with a handy pump. I use this after removing my makeup to get rid of any lingering dirt. I do feel that this perks up my skin when it's looking a bit tired after a long day, though I guess I just have other cleansers I prefer to use over this. At the same time, it's a nice product and is affordable.
Bio-Essence 24K Gold Night Cream* | £23.99 | To me, this was incredibly similar to the day cream. It is very slightly richer, but there's not much in it for me, so I'm not convinced that both of them are necessary, as they feel very much alike and have a similar effect on my skin.
Oh K Egg White Sheet Mask | £4 | I was browsing Topshop's beauty section and for some reason this mask caught my eye! It's slightly odd to me that this is billed as a brightening mask, because for me it seems more moisturising than anything else. The mask itself was actually a pretty good fit for me and the product on it has a lightweight but milky consistency. It took 2 hours or so for the product to absorb and for the mask to dry out, leaving a very slight tackiness on my skin. It's not a total game-changer but for £4, I really can't complain as it left my skin softer, smoother and plumper.
Have you discovered any Asian skincare products you'd recommend recently?
Disclosure - products marked * were sent to me for consideration however all opinions remain my own.
I really love the sound of the Bio essence range - especially the Gold Cleaner - and it's so affordable!
ReplyDeletefranklyflawless.com
Yeah this brand is surprisingly affordable :) xx
DeleteI saw that Egg White mask recently in a store, and was really intrigued! I need to try everything!
ReplyDeletexx, The Makeup Feed
I recently saw quite a few Asian beauty masks in TK Maxx, even Tony Molly! I didn't pick up any because I want to get more information about the different Asian brands available first. The Dr G. cream sounds really good, although it is on the more expensive side!
ReplyDeleteJulia x
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I've heard great things about Bio-Essence (especially with their sqaulene serum) so I'll be diving in a bit more into their products!
ReplyDeletehttps://thedianaedition.com
I'll have to check that out next! xx
DeleteIt's nice to see Bio-Essence is now reaching out to bloggers to spread more awareness, my mum uses the brand for years now and she swears by it!
ReplyDeleteShireen⎜Reflection of Sanity
Blossom Jeju masks have been on my wish list since I first started using Korean skincare. I might just have to check out the site to get my hands on them for free ;) xxx
ReplyDeleteUmmBabyBeauty
They're really lovely! The oil works so well with the masks xx
DeleteI'm tempted to try the Egg Sheet Mask!
ReplyDeleteCarolina's Makeup Life
nice review
ReplyDeletehttps://helenaonthego.blogspot.al/
Those sheet masks sound so good. I need to invest in more myself.
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Thank you for your comments :) hope this introduced you to some new brands and products! xx
ReplyDeleteVery interesting products! Thank you for reviewing them for us! Dr Christian Farthing
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your reviews, Jasmine. I needed to buy a present for a friend and this was very useful.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up dear!
Dr Kaine Jerome
Dr Kaine Ikwueke