Category: essence (Page 2 of 2)

KOREAN BEAUTY SECRETS: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO CUTTING-EDGE SKINCARE AND MAKEUP

KBSTBW
It’s officially official, we wrote a book! Like an actual one, that you can hold, and buy, and that would look so incredibly cute on your coffee table.

I’m going to take the words from my co-author and soul sister Kerry (Skin & Tonics), and let her give you her take on it before I put in my two cents 😀

We set out to create a book that would be useful, interesting, and fun for complete newcomers to K-beauty as well as the more experienced, and I wholeheartedly believe we accomplished that task. It has everything you need to know to assemble a Korean style skincare routine, including :
• Detailed information on each skincare product categories
• How to assess and address your skincare needs
• Tips for determining layering order
• Shopping and ingredient cheat sheets organized by skin concern
• Ingredient definitions
• Detailed example skincare routines by several of our favorite bloggers
• Nearly 250 English-Korean ingredient translationsIt also features:• An amazingly thorough makeup section that provides detailed descriptions of all the different makeup categories
• Guides to achieving some truly beautiful Korean-inspired makeup looks.
• A lot of gorgeous photography

One area where Coco and I were particularly fortunate is that we were given full control over the book’s content and design. Being given design control is not typical in the traditional publishing industry, so this was a really big deal for us! Coco art directed the photoshoots, and I handled the layout and information design. We both developed the cover design. The finished product is a beautiful, glossy, full-color, hardcover. If you don’t want to wait for November to order it, you canpre-order it on Amazon and receive it the day it’s released (November 3, 2015).

I’m so excited to introduce you guys to this book. It’s coming out in Nov, but like Kerry said above, it’s available on Amazon right now for preorder, which you can also access via the link on the sidebar of the homepage. I’m so proud of everything and I’d like to give a special shoutout to the stellar team we put together to bring you this baby. Truly, it was a labor of love, and I think you might love it just as much as we do.And like I said, it’s going to set your coffee table off so very nice 😉

WHAT THE BEAUTY BLOGGERS USE: FEATURING CHARLOTTE CHO OF SOKOGLAM

We write, we curate, we cull the herd, we try it all, we pare it down, we’re always searching for the standout stars. Do you ever wonders what the bloggers themselves are using? I’ve rounded up my favourite ladies in the game and asked them about their personal line-ups and thoughts on skincare!
CharlotteCho
Today I’m featuring Charlotte Cho, the brains (and absolute beauty!) behind Soko Glam. The write up on Soko Glam says it all:
Soko Glam is dedicated to discovering Korean cosmetics & beauty trends. With our thoughtfully curated selection from the most innovative and trusted brands, we invite you to explore Korea’s best in beauty.”

I’m a huge fan of Charlotte, she’s been featured in several well known publications and curates the Soko Glam online boutique. With her flawless skin and classic beauty, you can’t look at her without thinking “Giiiirl, what are you using? Because I want to look like that.”

I started by asking what she uses in her morning routine. She let us know that recently it consists of:

charlotteAM
Shingmulnara: Ultra Light Sun Gel SPF 30 PA++ (this was featured in the Get K-Beauty Box)
I then asked her to let us in on what she uses for her nighttime routine. She let me know that the evening is the time when she tests new products so it’s ever changing (I think this is the case with most of us beauty bloggers!) Currently she’s using:
charlottePM
Skinfood Lemon Brightening Cleansing Oil
Su:m37 Rose Cleansing Stick
Missha Super Aqua Hydrating Toner
Benton Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel
Banila Co Brightening It Radiant Cream
Su:m37 Water-full Cream

I also wanted to pick her brain and find out what her favourite beauty products are right now. Charlotte always looks so put together and cute, so I was especially interested in these answers!
charlotteproducts
Charlotte says:

IOPE water fit lipstick, because Jeonjihyun is my spirit animal (and it’s super moisturizing).
Clio Waterproof Pen Liner – I never liked liquid eyeliner until I used this one. It’s a game-changer!
Tony Moly Petite Bunny Lip gloss for cuteness and a sheer tint!
The secret to the glow-y dewy face without looking too shiny? A good sheer highlighter makes my face glow (in a matte) type of way?

I then wanted to know if she had any other beauty recommendations, any tools or anything that didn’t quite fall into the skincare of makeup category.
Charlotte says:

“I have a lot of annoying baby hairs so this bow hair pad is everything!”
http://sokoglam.com/collections/hair-body/products/lioele-pink-hair-pad
(The Beauty Wolf says: I know that pain all too well, baby hair club unite. Those little things are super useful when you’re doing masks or your routine!)

The one thing I’m always curious about is how people get into the game. Whenever I get a chance, I love to find out more about these self starters who’ve gone onto success. It’s one thing to toy around with the idea, and a whole other to try to make it happen. So I asked, what was the catalyst that propelled her from just daydreaming about it to actually doing it?

Charlotte says:
My husband Dave and I loved living in Korea and we have always been very passionate about the people and the culture. It was the perfect opportunity to share with the rest of the world one of the things Korea does best – skincare and cosmetics! It really wasn’t easy leaving stable careers and taking this leap into entrepreneurship, but I’m so glad we did.
Finally, I asked her what she thought the future held for her, and what her thoughts were on what she’s doing now:

Charlotte says:
I want to keep doing what I am passionate about: testing and curating Korean beauty products and making the discovery process enjoyable for others! 
In the past year, I started receiving emails from people who have experienced positive results after trying out my 10-step Korean skincare routine. Knowing I made an impact on someone’s confidence and skin has been incredibly rewarding which made me decide to go back to school to become a certified esthetician! I’m not sure what the future holds for me, but I’m truly grateful to be part of this journey and happy about where I am now.

So there you have it folks, a peek behind the curtain at one of the best out there. Thank you so much Charlotte for participating, it was a pleasure!

Who else would you guys like to see featured? Let me know in the comments below 🙂

HANYUL WHITE CHRYSANTHEMUM POWDER SERUM REVIEW

hanyul white chrysanthemum powder serum
Chrysanthemums, in their various incarnations, are one of my absolute favourite flowers. It’s fitting then that this chrysanthemum serum has turned out to be one of my absolute favourite discoveries.

Hanyul white chrysanthemum powder serum is a brightening and dark spot lightening serum. It says “whitening” but that doesn’t mean what you might think it does, this does not bleach your skin. It simply targets any dark marks or visible sun damage you might have in a very gentle way. It’s also works as an overall skin tone brightener. The namesake of this product, chrysanthemum extract, is used in skincare for it’s anti-inflammatory, natural astringent, and revitalizing properties. Other skincare ingredient stars with anti-inflammatory and skin brightening properties are also featured prominently on the ingredient list. Notably Peony root extract, Ginger extract, and Angelica root extract. The serum is a light watery milk consistency that absorbs nicely into the skin. It’s very light and doesn’t offer much in the way of hydration, but you should get getting your hydration from your other products anyway.
hanyulwhitepowderswatchWith the inclusion of all of those natural and flower derived ingredients you get not only a stellar performance, but also one of the most delicious smells I’ve come across in a skincare product. It’s a highly subjective thing, but to me this smells like heaven’s garden. This serum has a light but divine floral fragrance. It’s not an old lady powdery floral either, it’s a throughly modern earthy floral that I ended up looking forward to every night when it comes time to do my skin care ritual.After only a month of using this serum I noticed visible lightening of some emerging sun damage that was starting to peek through on my cheeks. I didn’t have any dark post inflammatory hyperpigmentation acne marks to test it on but others have had truly amazing results treating them with this serum. Though, if I did I feel as though I would want to find a professional (like thevictoriancosmeticinstitute.com.au) to help sort this, rather than use a product like this. In any case, in addition to the lightening of the sun damage, I also noticed visible overall brightening to my skin tone. Not lightening, straight up brightening. My skin was in a tailspin after a long bout with illness and this really put me back on track and beyond. I could not be more pleased with the results of this product and I will absolute be repurchasing it again, and again. This has earned a coveted spot in my permanent lineup. I’m thrilled with this product, I’m only sad I didn’t know about it sooner!

Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Powder Serum get 5 out of 5 turtles plus an extra turtle for overall outstanding awesomeness (so scientific, right?)
turtle-fullturtle-fullturtle-fullturtle-fullturtle-full+turtle-full

This product is available at W2 Beauty where if you’re a first time customer, you can get a five dollar voucher to use immediately on your purchase by entering my sponsor code 071087605 when you sign up for an account!

Also available on eBay in the 40ml size here
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HANYUL-White-Chrysanthemum-Serum-40ml-/400896401576?hash=item5d5749a0a8

You can get a 40 piece lot of samples of it here
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hanyul-White-Chrysanthemum-Powder-Serum-40ml-1mlx40pcs-Anti-aging-Whitening-/201241509047?hash=item2edaedbcb7

And on Amazon with free shipping here
http://www.amazon.com/Hanyul-White-Chrysanthemum-Powder-Serum/dp/B00L8HN4DY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1438359959&sr=8-2&keywords=HANYUL+WHITE+CHRYSANTHEMUM+POWDER+SERUM

BENTON SNAIL BEE REVIEW; BENTON SNAIL BEE HIGH CONTENT ESSENCE AND BENTON SNAIL BEE HIGH CONTENT STEAM CREAM

BWOLFsnailbeereview

Ok here it is, the thing my friends have asked about the most, the Benton Snail Bee review. We’re going to be looking at the Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence, and the Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream. The reason I’m going to review them together is I really don’t think they should be broken up. If you use one you should really be using the other because although they’re both stellar products on their own, they’re a phenomenal team when paired together. So, let’s get right to business.

 
   Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence
I’ve had people ask me what exactly an essence is and what it’s for since traditional North American skincare regimes don’t usually have an essence step. This “essence” is really just a high concentration of outstanding ingredients in a clear liquidy-gel form. If you’ve ever used a serum it’s pretty much that. I think if I were to rebrand this for the North American market I would rename is as such. When I say a high concentration of great ingredients I mean it.
Ingredients:
Snail Secretion Filtrate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Arbutin, Human Ogliopeptide-1, Bee Venom, Plantago Asiatica Extract, Laminana Digita Extract, Dios Pyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Ulmus Campestris (Elm) Extract, Bacilus Ferment, Azelaic Acid, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Beta-Glucan, Betaine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Cross Polymer, Adenosine, Panthenol, Allantoin, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Arginine
 
The main ingredient is snail secretion filtrate. Ok, I’m going to get real with you right now. I’ve had people catch a case of the vapors and act like they were delicate Southern ladies from the 1800’s about to faint when I revealed my holy grail products contained snail secretion. Y’all need to grow up and get over it because this stuff is absolutely incredible. People have asked “Is it slimy though? I couldn’t stand it if it were slimy” It is 100% absolutely NOT slimy, not even a little bit. You would never know what the miracle ingredient was if it weren’t on the bottle. I’ve also been asked what the benefits are. I’m going to really oversimplify a lot of scientific work here; snail secretions have been shown to help with healing, reducing damage from photoaging, inhibiting infections, not to mention it’s all natural and extremely soothing and nourishing. Even the most sensitive of skins (I’m your guinea pig representative sensitive skinners out there) will love this because there’s absolutely nothing in here that’s going to kick up a fuss. You’ll also notice once again they’ve replaced water with aloe leaf juice which I already talked about how wonderful that is in my Benton toner and gel reviews.
 
The essence itself is clear and has a very faint smell that I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s like this strange hybrid of earth and ozone. Whatever it is it doesn’t last long and by the time you’ve rubbed this into your skin it’s gone. It’s more watery than the Benton gel but thicker than just water. It comes in a pump bottle and I use about 2-3 pumps and that’s enough to cover my entire face, neck, and décolletage. I’ve also been asked where this fits in, as in, what step it is. After you’ve washed your face and applied your toner, apply the essence. It’s before your gel and before your cream. A simple way to remember is to apply things in order of their consistency, from lightest to heaviest. Of course your toner is the most watery, then the essence, then your gel, and then finally your cream. Sometimes there are some surprises in a Korean skincare regime, especially when you reach the 6-8 product mark like I have, but that’s a good rule of thumb. Now before I get to it’s grade let’s move on to the steam cream review.
 
 
 
    Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream
Holy. Fuuuuu. Where do I begin? My absolute fall down and start worshipping at the altar of Korean Skincare Jesus product. This is what made me an absolute convert. I can’t remember where first read about this cream but I do remember google taking me to a review from the Skin&Tonics blog (an amazing read btw, check it out!). I had already placed an order by the time I got to the end of the page. Looking at the ingredients there were some real eye catchers that sealed the deal for me.
Ingredients:
Snail Secretion Filtrate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Niacinamide, Stearic Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, Phytosqualene, Human Ogliopeptide-1, Bee Venom, Arbutin, Adenosine, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernal Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Arginine, Carbomer, Urea, Tocopher Leaf Extract, Salix Alba (Willow Bark) Extract, Ulmus Campestris (Elm) Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pilsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract
Notice the lack of 40 letter additives and water. You also see things like niacinamide, which is proven to help prevent your skin from losing water, help stimulate microcirculation, and help fight against break outs and the hyper-pigmentation that can come as a result of it. Now, let me say, before this I had grown so disenchanted with skincare that I had become a cynic and was convinced that nothing could really make a visible difference. I had a dull complexion and my age was really starting to show. I hated where my skin was heading and I was already looking into starting injections. Although I was excited to try this cream I didn’t have the highest of hopes. When night rolled around I told myself to have an open mind but not get my hopes up too high. Well, all of that pessimism was slapped right off my face. Immediately I could tell this stuff was special. The cream went on like warm butter and coupled with the essence I saw an instant superficial change in my skin. It just feels so good when you use it. It’s not heavy, it’s not greasy, but it somehow manages to be so hydrating and yet so light! There’s a dewiness and firming feeling that I have noticed and I’m not alone in that. My fellow converts have remarked upon it as well. Now, nothing on earth applied topically is going to get rid of deep wrinkles and sagging skin but just the overall condition of your skin shows real and serious results with this duo. Since I’ve started using the Benton line of products my skin has a glow that it hasn’t had in years. I know that sounds like a cornball line from an infomercial but I’m being completely honest and not embellishing at all. This stuff really works, and it works in complete harmony with each other. Guys, I don’t even have to wear foundation or bb cream anymore if I don’t want to, that’s how much of a difference this has made for me. I really can’t think of a single bad thing about the performance of this cream. I guess my only complaint would be the jar packaging. It’s a really bad idea to stick your fingers in a cream so I had to use a baby feeding spoon to scoop out just enough product. I’ve since gotten my hands on a small plastic spatula but I really just wish this were in a pump form instead. That being said I still I want to award this duo a 6 out of 5 turtles like that guy’s amp in Spinal Tap that goes to 11. The Benton Snail Bee line gets my highest possible rating of 5 +1 just because I love it so much.Overall:
turtle-fullturtle-fullturtle-fullturtle-fullturtle-full+turtle-full

Where to Buy:

Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence is available at:

Amazon
(with free shipping) : $17 »

Ebay (IamLove Shop): $10.50 »

W2Beauty: $15 »
You can get $5 off your first W2Beauty order by signing up via my affiliate link and entering code 071087605 upon sign up!

 

Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream is available at:

Amazon
(with Prime shipping) : $15.50 »

Ebay (f2plus1): $17 »

W2Beauty: $15 »
You can get $5 off your first W2Beauty order by signing up via my affiliate link and entering code 071087605 upon sign up!

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