Category Archives: Holy Snails

Best and worst skincare 2016 Fifty Shades of Snail

The Best and Worst Skincare I Used in 2016: A Holy Grail Skincare Routine

December 31, 2016by Jude Chao 24 Comments

2016 was a pretty wild year in a lot of ways. Even my face got a taste of the turmoil. I tried a lot of different products from a lot […]

Casual Wednesday: Stress, Change, and My Skincare Routine

July 6, 2016by Jude Chao 57 Comments

What do you get when you make a change-averse Fiddy move herself, her family, and her massive and ever-expanding skincare routine and beauty stash (also clothes and furniture and things) […]

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Best Practices, Biore, Blunders, CosRX, Hada Labo, Holy Snails, Japan, Korea, Lists, News, Sulwhasoo, Sunscreen

Mid-Year Megapost: Fiddy’s Faves and Flops of Spring/Summer 2016, Part 1

May 11, 2016by Jude Chao 19 Comments

This is my skincare basket. It’s the sturdy workhorse that carries everyday essentials chosen out of my much more extensive skincare wardrobe. The contents of my basket change on a fairly regular basis. […]

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Ampoules/Serums, Banila Co, Chemical Exfoliants, Ciracle, Cleansers, CosRX, Creams, Curology, Enzyme Exfoliants, Essences, Etude House, Eye Creams, Faves and Flops, Foaming Cleansers, Hada Labo, High-End Skincare, Holy Grails, Holy Snails, Innisfree, It's Skin, Japan, Korea, Leejiham (LJH), Lists, Masks, Mini-reviews, Moisturizing Toners, Reviews, Scinic, Sheet Masks, Sulwhasoo, Sunscreen, Toners, Tosowoong

Dry Skin Megapost: 3 Great Facial Oils and 3 Ways to Use them

January 19, 2016by Jude Chao 34 Comments

I’m not really a sucker for tradition (in skincare or anything else), but even I have to admit that when our ancestors weren’t busy smearing mercury-laden blush onto their cheeks or dropping dead from makeup-related lead […]

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Best Practices, Blossom Jeju, Facial Oils, Goodal, Holy Grails, Holy Snails, Korea, Mamonde, Product Spotlight, Reviews, Skincare Tutorials, Specialty, Western Products

The Fiddy’s Choice Awards, Part 2: The Best AB and K-Beauty Shops of 2015–and the Brand of the Year

January 2, 2016by Jude Chao 36 Comments

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2016 WOOOOO!!!!! Okay, with that out of the way, let’s continue reflecting on the best that 2015 had to offer. The awards I’ll be giving out below […]

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Brand Spotlight, CosRX, Holy Snails, Korea, Lists, Taiwan, Webshop Spotlight

Casual Tuesday: Enter the Acid Toner

December 15, 2015by Jude Chao 41 Comments

Guys, I’ve added a new step to my skincare routine! And I know you may be wondering, Where do you even have room for a new step? or maybe Do you […]

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Acid Toners, Chemical Exfoliants, Holy Snails, Miscellany, Product Spotlight, Routine Building, Skincare Tutorials, Specialty, Toners, Western Products

@fiddysnails on IG

This is my super hawt #saturdaynight face when a sick kid means I can't go out to party, except I wouldn't want to go out to party anyway because I just don't want to. I do what I want. And I want to stay in and ramble incoherently about #claymasks. . Product provided by @paparecipe_official_us. . Clay masks attract excess oil and gunk. I find them helpful at drawing out tiny grime deposits lodged deeper in open pores than regular cleansing can reach. . I don't use these kinds of masks often due to their inherent drying properties. They are nice as an occasional deep cleansing step or in my three-step pore minimizing routine that I've very graciously linked in my bio, though. . My clay mask tonight is #Paparecipe Eggplant Clearing Mud Cream Mask, a soft and creamy #mudmask that contains some scrubbing grains to provide bonus exfoliation as you apply and then as you massage and rinse. . I prefer creamy clay masks to the old-school ones that contain more clay and harden into a dry, difficult-to-rinse crust. Cream-type clay masks are much less harsh and labor-intensive. . Speaking of harsh, since the entire point of clay masks is that they dry up oil, even creamy clay masks shouldn't be used too often. I'd cap use at once a week for normal skin or twice a week for naturally oily skin. I'd avoid them altogether (or only use them on trouble zones) for dry or compromised skin. . Don't use a clay mask for longer than the suggested time on the label. I've seen some "challenges" where people wear them for extremely long periods of time. Skincare advice from anyone who says it's okay to use a clay mask for hours (or DAYS) should be vigorously ignored. . Clay masks do not "detoxify" your skin or your insides through your skin. Your liver and kidneys detoxify. #Detox claims on skincare are meaningless. If your organs are having trouble removing toxins from your body, you should seek medical attention, because a mask can't help that. . Clay masks suck up oily skin grunge and usually exfoliate. Isn't that enough? . Follow a clay mask with plenty of hydration and moisturization! . #skincare #skincaretips #spanight #oilyskin #instaskincare #skinstagram #kbeauty #koreanskincare

Not according to current research. But don't take it from me. Here's support from relevant organizations. . American Academy of Dermatology: "Sunscreen is safe to use. No published studies show that sunscreen is toxic to humans or hazardous to human health...No data shows that oxybenzone causes hormonal problems in humans. No data shows that oxybenzone causes any significant health problems." https://www.aad.org/public/spot-skin-cancer/learn-about-skin-cancer/prevent/is-sunsceen-safe . The Skin Cancer Foundation: "Attention has focused most on the ingredient oxybenzone and whether it is a hormone disruptor. One study showed uterine growth in rats. But if you look at that study, they fed the rats a huge amount of this chemical over the course of four days. To duplicate that amount in humans would take applying sunscreen all over the entire body every day for 70 years. It was not an accurate model for what a human would be exposed to." https://blog.skincancer.org/2018/06/06/sunscreen-safety/ . Melanoma Research Foundation: "The results of these studies provide overwhelming evidence that sunscreens are safe and effective. No current published data has demonstrated adverse health effects on humans from the regular use of sunscreen." https://www.melanoma.org/understand-melanoma/preventing-melanoma/facts-about-sunscreen . Sunscreen scares seem to ramp up in summer, exactly when many people get the most sun. This fearmongering can cause actual harm! . I understand how these myths spread. I get the underlying fears and anxieties. But the research strongly indicates that sunscreens don't cause cancer. Unprotected sun exposure does. . There are compelling reasons to avoid certain UV filters, like reef safety and/or personal ingredient sensitivities, but cancer isn't one of them IMO. . If you want to learn more about ingredients like UV filters, visit the scientifically credentialed @labmuffinbeautyscience, @kindofstephen, and @chemist.confessions! . (Stay tuned for my eventual follow-up, in which I yell about parabens in cosmetics also not causing cancer) . . . #spf #sunscreen #sunblock #sunsafety #skincancer #skincancerawareness #skincancerprevention #uvprotection

My #skingoals today are a juicy, water-plumped glow and a smooth and even surface for minimal makeup. Since my kid's summer vacation means I have time for extra layers in my morning #skincareroutine, I'm going all in. . #Purito, #SoNatural, and #seaNtree products provided by my job @beautytapofficial. #23YearsOld product provided by @k_beautywave for @23yearsold_global. . Purito Defence Barrier pH ~5.5 #facewash. I'm still vacillating on how I really feel about the new Sulwhasoo Snowise cleanser. Plus, I want something at a truly ideal pH to preserve all the hydration in my skin, so back to this I go. . #23yo Badecasil Docto acid toner, applied with a swipe of a cotton pad. With a pH of 3.9 and less than 2% of glycolic acid, this isn't a full-strength chemical exfoliant. That makes it better for my purposes. I don't want full exfoliation, just the mildest of skin texture refining over time. . seaNtree Donkey Milk Waterising Toner, patted on in 4 layers. Though lighter than my ideal hydrating toners, this product layers well and builds the desired moist sheen. Could live without the scent, but I stop noticing it after a few minutes. . So Natural Water Glow Sauna Cream. This is the weird pink gel cream from my stories last night. The tiny red "vitamin" capsules and ability to form air bubbles are a lot of gimmick for one moisturizer, but it leaves my skin remarkably hydrated, with more of the soft gloss that I'm looking for. . (I'll be requesting an explanation of the air bubbles from a brand formulator, so stay tuned! Also, this is today's Dailytap deal over at #beautytap.) . #EarthsRecipe Waterful Sun Gel SPF 50+ PA+++ sunscreen. This is my final touch for super silky and #glowingskin without shimmer or highlighter. Applied generously and with a cushion puff, of course! . I used my hydrating toner and moisturizer all the way into my eye area in place of eye products and used sunscreen there, too. @musicalhouses got on my case once about protecting my eyelids, and she's totally right 😎 . Final look is in my story. . . #kbeauty #koreanbeauty #koreanskincare #smoothskin #skincareaddict #beautyjunkie #skinstagram #summerskincare . . . #succulove #junegloom

Jude Chao aka Fiddy Snails

38yo | Normal/balanced

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