Fifty Shades of Snail
Finding the best skin care products since 2014. Started with a focus on Korean skincare and grew from there. Skincare tips and beauty tips that work, maybe some hamster butts too
recent posts
- Protected: Fluorescent bulbs and SPF
- How I Grew My Thinning Hair Back Thicker and Stronger Than Ever Before (with no drugs or medical treatments)
- Sponsored: The Best of Skin1004
- How to Ask for Skincare Advice Online, Part Two: What Questions to Ask to Get Helpful Answers
- How to Ask for Skincare Advice Online, Part 1: What Not to Ask
about
Category: Ampoules/Serums
Da real MVPs of the Korean skin care lineup, ampoules and serums deliver high concentrations of actives in formulations made to layer. Unless they work as chemical exfoliants, apply ampoules and serums after any acid, toner, and light essence steps in your routine, then seal in with a moisturizing emulsion and/or cream. Don’t get too hung up on the difference between an ampoule and a serum. Technically, an ampoule is more concentrated and potent than a serum, but in practice, the terms are pretty much interchangeable.
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As lots of you already know, lately I’ve been all about two amazing DIY skincare items whipped up for my by my friend Chel at Holy Snails. Her Vita-Sea-Rum vitamin C serum and Shark Sauce sea kelp and niacinamide ampoule have been the superstars of my skincare routine ever since I got them, and using them…
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As you may have noticed, my routine is an ever-evolving thing. Our skin condition isn’t static, and for best results, we should adapt our routine on a day-to-day basis to account for things like weather and other environmental changes, as well as for our own health and skin conditions and anything else that might affect…
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It’s natural to be sad when the last drops of a favorite product have been dispensed and the bottle (or tub, or tube, or jar) is empty. A fresh, unopened skincare product is a thing of pristine beauty and endless promise. An empty one sometimes seems haunted by the ghosts of promises unfulfilled. But empties are…
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One of my favorite Korean beauty bloggers, Steph over at Misc. Bliss, does two things I really admire. Number one, she actually uses the samples she gets. And number two, she blogs about them, in a series called Sample Sundays, a concept that I am about to shamelessly steal, because I have a little problem.…
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The skincare industry thrives on the frustrations of consumers struggling to find real solutions to their skin problems. That’s why such a wide selection of products exists: consumers jump around from serum to serum and cream to cream, disappointed by one and hopeful the next will work in a sometimes endless cycle that may not lead to…
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I’ve been in the AB game for long enough by now that not every parcel I get is cause for excitement. Sometimes they’re just restocks, and sometimes they contain items that, while new and interesting, just aren’t all that exciting. But then there are the ones that are. The ones that make me hover creepily behind…
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At long last, the day has come: Mr. Crazy Snail Lady has joined the Dark Side. I mean the Hydrated Side. The Balanced Side. The…the Bright Side? I don’t know, forget about it. I tried. His experiment with the Innisfree Green Tea samples I started him on went so well that by the second night,…
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Don’t worry, Hada Labo fans. I didn’t suddenly discover something bad about the famous and bestselling hydrating toner. The thing is, I just keep discovering other products that, for my purposes, are better. Here’s why a toner like Hada Labo Super Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Lotion can be so useful: Anti-aging isn’t just about preventing wrinkles.…
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I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: flexibility is critical to maintaining healthy skin. Your skin is a complex living ecosystem, subject to all sorts of ever-changing influences, like diet, lifestyle, stress levels, living environment, overall climate, and day-to-day fluctuations in the weather. And if that wasn’t complicated enough, just about anyone’s skin…
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Tinfoil time! Innisfree either has psychics on staff or a deal with the NSA, because they always seem to have a great deal or promotion going just when I’m running out of my staples and looking for a change. Check out what I got and how my routine will be changing (spoiler: I’m replacing some…
Fifty Shades of Snail 