There are certain brands I constantly overlook. Like Mizon. I just don’t think about them much these days, which is a shame. Mizon might be easy for a fickle blogger to outgrow in the quest for exciting new things, but the brand’s solid if unglamorous products have a lot to offer at really reasonable prices (if you buy them from the right places). Take the Snail Wrinkle Care Sleeping Pack. Do you like snails? Do you hate wrinkles? Do you enjoy sleeping? You might like this! (more…)
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
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So I thought I’d try out something different today and give you guys a look at the latest addition to my skincare wardrobe and daily routine. I’ve been coveting Innisfree Jeju Lava Seawater Essence since it first appeared on Innisfree’s Instagram profile, and I stalked the new arrivals page on Jolse until it surfaced there. Then I pounced. My package arrived today, so now I have some details to share!
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While I’m not the most sciencey AB blogger (not by a long shot; I’m not even the most sciencey Snailcaster!), I do try to practice ingredient awareness both as a blogger and as a regular old skincare consumer. The more we understand ingredients and our skin’s responses to them, the better we become at picking the products that can help us achieve our personal skincare goals. Most of the time. But it’s easy to develop ingredient biases, little triggers that make our hauling fingers twitch. Sometimes these biases lead us to holy grails we can’t imagine living without. Other times? They don’t.
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The OG version of Hada Labo’s famous Gokujyun “Lotion” never held my interest for long, even though I did keep it around and occasionally changed my mind, but when I first heard about the Hada Labo Gokujyun PREMIUM Lotion, I knew I had to have it. Its five different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid called to me. FIVE. That’s a lot of different kinds of hyaluronic acid!
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If there were an official AB FAQ, “How do I fade a tan?” would be right near the top, yet it’s one of the easiest to answer (though not to do). To fade a tan, you don’t need products marketed as “whitening.” You’ll need sun protection, progressive exfoliation, melanin inhibition, and a buttload of time and patience.
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Out here in Fiddyland, the long, hard winter (it got down to 41°F one night!) is finally giving way to spring. There’s a little more moisture in the air and a little less bite (41°F that one time!!). It’s time to reevaluate my routine (again) and consider adding a lighter moisturizer to my skincare wardrobe. Maybe something like COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion. (more…)
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I guess you could say I’m a practical learner. When I get interested in something, I want to try it, and if I like it the first time, I want to try it again and again until I master it. I’m working on a research-heavy ginseng post, but reading about it isn’t the only thing I’m doing. Nope. When I noticed the results I got from a few different ginseng products (to be reviewed), I decided I had to Get. All. The. Ginseng. On. My. Face. I hauled accordingly. The L’Herboflore Ginseng Anti-Aging Mask is the only ginseng product I’m ready to talk about right now. So let’s talk.
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Update 8/6/16: I’ve now gone through several jars of this product and have found a way to get much more use out of the pods than I was my first time around. Scroll down to the new “Prelab Toning Peeling Tap Tip” section to check it out!
As much as I preach the benefits of being flexible with skincare, and as much as I try to adjust my routine to address the changing needs of my skin, even I sometimes carry on a habit long past the point where it’s stopped being beneficial. Like chemical exfoliation. Last year, COSRX’s AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid and BHA Blackhead Power Liquid changed my life, but now that I’ve gotten serious with Curology prescription tretinoin, my skin can’t really handle standard chemical exfoliation anymore. Luckily for my face, I’ve found a gentler way to keep my skin smooth and clear. (more…)
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I don’t usually do Instagram review roundups because I like to give you guys different things on different sites. I have a (half-assed but deliberate) system for deciding what goes where. But I don’t want anyone to miss out on the launch of the Mask Party sheet mask set at my favorite Taiwan-focused boutique AB shop, Beautibi! (more…)
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Are you having trouble understanding how K-beauty skincare routines like mine come together? I often link to my skincare wardrobe to demonstrate the variety that makes Asian skincare and K-beauty in particular so great, but if you’re new to skincare routines that change by the day, it can be hard to visualize how that works. Looking at people’s skincare routines on Instagram can help (shockingly, the #skincareroutine tag is a good place to start, as is the #koreanskincare tag, and a lot of K-beauty bloggers post their skincare routines–my homegirl Snow does them frequently and I’m trying to do them more, too). IG isn’t the best place to explain the curation process, though. Stupid character limit. My skin and routine have gone through some changes lately, so now is a good time to explain how my morning and evening skincare routines happen.
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Fifty Shades of Snail 