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

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Review: Sulwhasoo Capsulized Ginseng Fortifying Serum

July 19, 2016
Updated 9/26/16

All good things must come to an end, which my Sulwhasoo Capsulized Ginseng Fortifying Serum did recently, the pump dispensing nothing but air right when I need that capsulized ginseng most, with KCON LA right around the corner.

(ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻

But even tragedies have silver linings. The silver lining of this particular sad event is that I can review the Capsulized Ginseng Fortifying Serum now: since I consider this a serious investment product, I wanted to finish off the entire bottle before giving my opinion. Keep on reading if you want to hear that opinion, in detail! (more…)
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How to Exfoliate: Multitasking with Chemical Exfoliants

July 16, 2016
The most recent episode of the Snailcast was all about acids and how to exfoliate safely and effectively, and I’m super bummed because I wasn’t able to join thanks to moving hassles. But the topic got me thinking about acids and reminded me that I’ve been doing mine in a different way than I used to. A more efficient way, and one that substantially reduces the risk of overexfoliation and irritation. If you want to hear about it, read on! (more…)
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Spring/Summer 2016 Flops and Faves, Part 3: Yet More Hanbang + the Return of the AHA

July 14, 2016
Previously: Part 1: Classics and New Faves | Part 2: Best and Worst Ginseng Skincare

This final installment of my spring/summer 2016 skincare routine update took me a very long time to write because so much has been happening with my life and my skin! Which sounds dire but in reality isn’t. Even when I’ve been let down by something I’d been sure I would love, I have fun talking about why. Let’s look at some more hanbang contenders and my recent adventures with acids, prompted by my repaired skin barrier! (more…)
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Announcement: Shark Sightings Predicted at KCON LA!

July 7, 2016
I wasn’t kidding about having lots of exciting announcements to make. This one’s a big one for me and is a major motivation for me to get back in the habit of a full routine morning and night. I’ve gotten myself patting and slathering at full power again because I’ll be appearing at KCON LA at the end of this month: Christine from Glow Recipe (and Shark Tank! it’s a double sharking) invited me to join her, Sarah, and several other way-more-respectable-than-me K-beauty voices in a panel speaking on skincare and the Korean beauty scene. For the first time ever, I’ll get to expose my obsession to a live audience. It’ll be something!

(HOLY SHIT!)

We’re also planning a meet-and-greet at the Glow Recipe booth, and since I have some other friends doing things at the convention, I may be able to come up with some more IRL funtimes, too. I’ll post times, dates, and other details as I get them confirmed.

Also, I’m thinking I will bring presents. I owe many of you presents. And I hope I get to meet lots of you there!

(HOLY SHIT!!!)
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Introducing Sunday Funday, a Collab with Memebox and Christina Hello!

July 7, 2016
So one of the things I didn’t mention in my last post was the sheer number of exciting announcements I have to make over the next few months. I may have been offline for a while and struggling with moving for even longer before that, but I’ve also been busy with a whole mess of projects, some of which I’m finally ready to talk about. This first one is for those of you who love K-beauty and Gudetama. Meet the Sunday Funday box, which I put together with my fellow K-beauty blogger and Gudetama fan Christina from Christina Hello! (more…)
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Casual Wednesday: Stress, Change, and My Skincare Routine

July 6, 2016
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) out of their home of three pretty accumulative years and into a brand new place?
(more…)
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3 Asian Beauty Tools I Love (and a Couple I Can Live Without)

June 27, 2016
So I had this revelation while shopping at Target the other day. I was doing an unenthusiastic token pass through the beauty aisles, thinking about how long it’s been since I really stopped and actively looked for beauty products to buy there, when I realized: I don’t even buy freaking cotton pads at the drugstore anymore. I get them delivered (in sizable yet unnervingly lightweight boxes) instead, all the way from Japan or Korea. I’ve gotten in the habit of doing the same with the rest of my beauty tools, too. Using the best tools for my skin has maximized the potential of my skincare routine. Tools won’t make or break a routine, but they can provide a noticeable boost. Here are the Asian beauty tools I find most useful, how to tell whether they could benefit you, and the ones I almost always pass on! (more…)
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Naruko La Creme Platinum Bright Essence Repairing Complex Review and B&A

June 23, 2016
When it comes to skin brightening and spot fading, a couple of years with Japanese sunscreen and lots of niacinamide, AHA, vitamin C, and tretinoin have gotten my skin to where I originally wanted it to be and then some. But lately I find myself jumping at the opportunity to review products that make serious brightening claims anyway, because those are some of the easiest to verify. A side-by-side before and after will do the trick! So when Naruko Boutique USA approached me with offers of product to try, I pointed the trembling index finger of my fully activated grabby hand at their La Creme Platinum Bright Essence Repairing Complex. Read on for my experience and results. (more…)
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UPDATED Review: Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum EX

June 16, 2016
October 7, 2019 update: I’ve updated this post at the bottom with a link to the latest limited edition version of the product.

Woohoo! Sulwhasoo!

I’ve spent several years steeped in the serums and essences of Korean skincare but have until recently given well known, high-end brands like Sulwhasoo a wide berth.

I avoided the grandes dames of K-beauty partly for budgetary reasons and partly because I doubted that any difference in quality and effectiveness could be proportional to the difference in price between the fancy stuff and solid midrange beauty brands. But then I got interested in hanbang skincare thanks to my snailboo (and fellow Snailcaster) Snow of Snow White and the Asian Pear. Since then, I’ve purchased several full-sized Sulwhasoo products. Now, after a month of use, I’m ready to review one of the ones I was most excited to get. (Update: after over a year and several more bottles of this product, I stand by everything I originally said here.) Let’s talk about Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum EX! (more…)
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The Best Lash Growth Serum for My Asian Eyelashes, Plus Other Asian Eyelash Tips

June 10, 2016
And now for something completely different. My decades of Asian Eyelash Struggles are over thanks to the best lash growth serum I’ve ever used. I’ve also found the best mascara for my lashes and have picked up a couple of tricks with eyelash curler and eyelash brush. Let’s talk about my HG eyelash serum and mascara (and a couple of tools and tricks to make the most out of short, straight, stubborn lashes)! (more…)
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