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I tried 5 on-trend Korean beauty products (including snail gel) so you won't have to

I tried 5 on-trend Korean beauty products (including snail gel) so you won't have to

I mean, you don't have to try 'em but trust me, you'll want to
03 May, 2016

I don’t know when winter is coming, but summer is definitely here. And it hates me!

I’m sure some people here bask in the heat and think “Huzzah! Time for flip flops and beach trips and limka!” However, I think… okay, well, I love limka…

But apart from that I hiss at sunburn, snarl at humidity and groan at loadshedding. I thought I had tried everything (drink water, apply sunscreen, right?) to make summer more bearable, at least in the beauty and skincare department, but when I discovered these products popular in Korea and parts of East Asia I realised my regime had been lacking.

Korean beauty products are all the rage these days: they've been reviewed extensively in top international magazines and have garnered a cult following. So I figured, why not give them a try? Sourcing these products was pretty easy, I scored some through Facebook pages and ordered some directly from stores abroad (they had international shipping, yay!).

Here's what happened.

1) First treatment essence

This product needs to be hyped!
This product needs to be hyped!

I hadn't heard much about FT essence, and I’m sure if you don’t know about Korean beauty, you haven’t either.

It’s a bottle of very watery liquid. It’s lighter than a toner even. Water with benefits? You’re supposed to take a few drops on your palms and pat them into the skin (no massage or strokes, just smack yourself) and I found that silly.

Some other products that are note-worthy
Some other products that are note-worthy

But after doing so, and wondering “Why am I hitting myself” over and over till the product dried, my skin felt softer. For our humid weather and oily skin I think it’s perfect because it’s lightweight and I can wear it under my sunscreen and makeup. Win!

2) Cleansing oil

Rice water cleansing oil by the Face Shop is actually a cult favorite
Rice water cleansing oil by the Face Shop is actually a cult favorite

When I first heard of this item I laughed. I mean, come on! Oil? For my face? My face is already oily enough to fry an egg on! But I learned that the trick is to fight oil with oil.

There's a variety for different skin types
There's a variety for different skin types

The oils in Korean cleansing oils are strong enough to break down any makeup particle on your face yet light enough to hydrate without feeling sticky. We use it the way we use face wash; take a small amount, massage and rinse. This stuff removes all of my makeup and also the bad oil, without prepping me for a Canola oil commercial! This was a win too.

3) Lip tattoo

A go-to for the summer!
A go-to for the summer!

You know the struggle; glosses in this heat just melt off your lips.

Even most lipsticks give me a painted chin. And what do we do? Wear liquid lipsticks. But you can’t wear those all the time! Your lips will end up looking like a chuara. So when I found out about the peel-off lip tattoo I went for it.

This actually becomes a fun morning routine
This actually becomes a fun morning routine

It’s exactly what you think. I apply a thick layer, wait for it to dry and then peel off. And there’s a dark stain left on my lips which is transfer proof.

I made the mistake of applying a very thin layer the first time (I’m stingy!) and that was painful to remove, but after the second try I was satisfied by the amazing color pay off. A touch of waxy balm and you’re good to go!

Only go for the legit brands!
Only go for the legit brands!

Be warned though! Go for the products belonging to a reputable company! Many duplicates and cheap brands out there have given these a bad rep!

4) Snail Gel

Yes, I have this restocked. It's that good!
Yes, I have this restocked. It's that good!

I did not want to try this out. When I read about it, all I could think was “Oh hell no! It’s like it’s crawling on my face!”

I’m sure you’re all squeamish at the very thought as well! But all the benefits listed made me take the leap. Why not, right? When the product arrived I had a good stare at just the tub (yes, a tub of slime) before opening and applying it. Lemme tell you something people, this is the best product we could need for the summer! The product just looked like gel, smelt nice, and healed a lot of my damaged skin!

Thank goodness the packaging is so cute!
Thank goodness the packaging is so cute!

The science is simple. A snail is prone to abrasions and cuts as it travels on the ground and the slime it secretes is for healing itself. The Korean industry has taken advantage of this and put it in their skincare and thanks to that I have a cure for my sun damage, acne and scars. I’ve gotten different snail slime products from different brands and now am hooked.

5) Scalp Scaler

Way better than a cleansing shampoo
Way better than a cleansing shampoo

Do you ever go through this situation where its hot and you’re trying to focus on something but you can’t because you can literally feel the drops of sweat trickling down your scalp?

I can’t shampoo every single day, but gentle baby shampoos aren’t satisfying either. So this is one product I bought without any hesitation. Well, obviously because there was nothing questionable save for the fact I never heard of it.

Not all come in 5ml single use bottles, but the use is the same
Not all come in 5ml single use bottles, but the use is the same

This small 5ml single use product is a pre-shampoo treatment which you apply to the scalp and it gets rid of all product build up including dead skin, which you can then shampoo off. I loved it because it wasn’t as harsh as a cleansing shampoo and didn’t strip my hair completely. It’s used twice a month so a lazy slacker like me is happy!

Korean skin care is said to be leaps ahead of western skin care and I believe it. These bad boys have actually made me think it's okay to step out of the house! I switched to the Korean substitute of many skincare products and that has made a difference as well. Have you ever tried any Korean skin care products? Let us know!

Comments

Agnostic May 03, 2016 12:01pm
I'd like to know how did you get these things? Any links?
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Fauzia May 03, 2016 12:08pm
But are any of them cruelty-free i.e. not tested on animals?
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Peqe May 03, 2016 01:18pm
Very interesting! Might just give it a go too :)
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Eddie - (Nakli wala) May 03, 2016 01:29pm
Gowwd knows !!! why i wanted to read it, may be the title is catchy And trust me i kept on reading coz the writing style was so interactive.... Considering i am a dude and have never, and will never use cosmetics. I tell u Sonia Ashraf, u should write some humorous stuff or blog. Good job gurl.
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Maheen Zahid May 03, 2016 01:41pm
Woahhh! Had been looking into some of these for quite some time, especially the snail gel, but couldn't muster up the courage to actually order it! Way to gooo, Sonia! You volunteered as tribute for us xx
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hafsa May 03, 2016 05:17pm
Where you buy them from ???
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Fahad Khan May 03, 2016 06:24pm
I didn't know we could get Korean beauty products in Pakistan, let alone review them.
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Wishaal May 03, 2016 08:37pm
THIS IS FANTASTIC.
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Ruby May 03, 2016 09:34pm
Fun read. Your writing style is nice. Never will have any use for this stuff. But read it anyway because lines like the snail story kept me going. Catchy title also.
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Amna May 04, 2016 12:42pm
soniyaaa where did u get the snail gel from? acne has never had mercy on me, and u must be aware of the aftermath of acne -__-
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GULLNAZ May 05, 2016 11:29pm
WAOOO AMAZING AND VERY INTRESTING .
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GULLNAZ May 05, 2016 11:32pm
VERY INTRESTING AND GOOD INFOMATION ABOUT KOREAN PRODUCTS WAOOO
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Zaman May 06, 2016 02:14pm
I hope my wife doesn't peruse this account otherwise .....
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