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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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  • 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
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  • Casual Wednesday: Science’s Place in Skincare, Ask Fiddy, Links & Open Post

    Casual Wednesday: Science’s Place in Skincare, Ask Fiddy, Links & Open Post

    October 7, 2015

    Hi, guys! I want to do something a little less structured today. A big part of the reason I love keeping this blog is seeing and participating in the discussions that it can spark, so I thought I’d make an open post and invite you all to talk about whatever you want or ask me whatever you want, whether it’s about skincare or something else entirely! I’m a pretty open person, and I’ll be happy to answer questions about pretty much anything I can speak on.

    I have only one rule. 99% of you don’t even need to hear it because you are already awesome people that I’m privileged to have as readers. In case any of the other 1% are reading this, though: You may have noticed that any hostile, derogatory, or harassing comments you attempt to post here don’t show up. That’s because I refuse to host hateful speech on Fifty Shades of Snail. Play nice or get out of my house.

    (Respectful, civil disagreement and debate is of course totally fine and welcomed. Those are things that the 99% of you who are grown-ups know how to do without losing your shit.)

    Anyway! I’ll start things off with what I want to talk about, which is the intersection between cosmetic skincare and ¡¡SCIENCE!!, and how far I think we should go in using ¡¡SCIENCE!! to make our purchasing decisions.

    (more…)

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  • Quickie Body Review: Tony Moly Pure Eco Snail Moisture Gel, Plus a Discount Code for You

    Quickie Body Review: Tony Moly Pure Eco Snail Moisture Gel, Plus a Discount Code for You

    October 6, 2015

    I really, really, really don’t like putting body lotion on. Almost all of my motivational vanity is reserved for my face, and so are almost all of my fun and exciting products. I know I’m not the only one, either. I’ve talked about this more than once with my fellow skincare enthusiasts and beauty blogger homegirls, and the consensus is always that no one enjoys the body moisturizer chore. In fact, I had to make a new post category just for this review. I never expected to feel strongly enough about any body product to want to write about it.

    Unsurprisingly, what changed all that was snails.

    (more…)

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  • Review: Etude House Real Art Moisture Cleansing Oil

    Review: Etude House Real Art Moisture Cleansing Oil

    October 5, 2015

    Of all the different product types assembled in my extensive skincare wardrobe, cleansing oil is the one I think about the least. I mean, there’s just not that much to think about. You’ve got your oils to break down and loosen up makeup and sunscreen, your emulsifier(s) to enable easy rinsing with water, maybe a few nice-sounding bonus ingredients, some fragrance, and some preservatives, and that’s pretty much it. I don’t research cleansing oils before I purchase them as I do with everything else I put on my face, and I’ve never really felt I should. After all, I’ve gone through a handful of different cleansing oils and balms all chosen more or less at random, and they’ve pretty much all worked fine.

    Yeah, well. My winning streak was bound to end sometime.

    (more…)

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  • UPDATED! COSRX Sleeping Pack Showdown: Honey and Rice Overnight Mask Reviews

    UPDATED! COSRX Sleeping Pack Showdown: Honey and Rice Overnight Mask Reviews

    October 2, 2015

    Post updated 9/15/16. Still in love with Mr. Rx.

    There is really no way to say this without sounding like a total weirdo, so I’m just going to be blunt with you guys:

    I’m in love with a cartoon character.

    Not just any cartoon character, but a cartoon character who’s not even my type. This cartoon guy is stocky and dorky and his T-shirts are always a little too tight.

    But I love him. (more…)

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  • Weekend Project: Get Your Skin Under Control with a Skincare Log

    Weekend Project: Get Your Skin Under Control with a Skincare Log

    September 25, 2015

    Fiddy apologies for the text-heavy, picture-light nature of this post. Fiddy’s tablet is currently on strike. Her terrible tablet photography will be back to enliven Fifty Shades of Snail posts very soon.

    Skincare can be confusing and overwhelming. This gets worse when you step (metaphorically) out of the familiar aisles of CVS and into the vast and varied world of Asian skincare products, and/or if you’re kind of new to Intermediate and Advanced Skincare Concepts. There’s a reason so many of us call Asian cosmetics the rabbit hole. Once you start the tumble down, it can be hard to stop, hard to know where to go…and hard to keep a firm grip on your wallet. But you’re not necessarily doomed to a future of five-page credit card statements and cabinets bursting with shelves of products that you haven’t gotten around to opening yet and that probably won’t work when you finally do.

    I cut out a lot of impulse skincare purchasing and got a lot smarter about my products after I started a skincare log. I talked about keeping skincare records a long time ago, but this is less labor-intensive. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial for a simple, single-doc log that might change your skincare life.

    (more…)

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  • Updated Review: Enprani’s Dear by Enprani Moistfull Booskin

    Updated Review: Enprani’s Dear by Enprani Moistfull Booskin

    September 24, 2015

    June 4 2016 update because Fiddy can’t let things go: Moistfull Booskin has been spotted on Amazon Prime! Fulfilled by Amazon and everything! Much thanks to @anthecrawford on IG for the tip! Link at bottom.

    November 14, 2015 update: Full ingredients list translated by Jessica. Thanks, Jessica! Fiddy luhhh you.

    I don’t know about you guys, but one of my favorite feelings is the feeling I get when I give someone a piece of advice and they actually do what I suggested. So when I noticed yesterday that Memebox had started carrying Enprani’s Dear by Enprani Moistfull Booskin, which I’d suggested to them a couple of weeks ago during a KIB chat, I had a moderate conniption.

    This product was originally pretty far down in my review queue, but to celebrate the momentous occasion of someone actually listening to me, holy shit!, I’ve moved it up to the top.

    (more…)

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  • First Impressions: COSRX Low pH Cleanser and Honey and Rice Overnight Masks

    First Impressions: COSRX Low pH Cleanser and Honey and Rice Overnight Masks

    September 16, 2015

    Note: This post features products provided by Fifty Shades of Snail sponsors Jolse and COSRX. For more information about my rules for reviewing press samples, read my sponsorship policy.

    COSRX, one of my favorite Korean skincare companies (and a mainstay in my skincare routine), has been making some serious growth plays in the last few months. The company is establishing itself as a standout not only for simple, effective formulations, but also for incredible responsiveness to its customers. A few months back, COSRX’s Lee Hye-Young told me that because of some overseas customers’ interest in low pH cleansers, the company was working on one of their own. The cleanser will be released in early October…and thanks to Hye-Young (who I really hope is being paid extremely well, because she is awesome), I have a little pre-launch bottle of it in my possession! Want a look?

    (more…)

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  • First Post on the Memebox Blog + A Little Sale for You

    First Post on the Memebox Blog + A Little Sale for You

    September 15, 2015

    Hi guys! Just a quick note to say that my introductory blog post is now live on the Memebox blog.

    Click here to read “K-Beauty Fun with Fiddy” and to get a Memebox 30% off coupon code for some of my favorite Korean skincare products!

    We will return shortly with our regularly scheduled programming.

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  • Mask Set Mini-Reviews: Regen Cos 2 Step Synergy Effect Masks

    Mask Set Mini-Reviews: Regen Cos 2 Step Synergy Effect Masks

    September 15, 2015

    The products featured in this post were provided for my unbiased review by Cupidrop. To learn more about my rules for working with sellers and brands, please take a look at my sponsorship policy. A full and current list of Fifty Shades of Snail sponsors is available here.

    I’m sure you guys have noticed by now that I love sheet masks and really love trying out new sheet masks, whether they’re masks I picked out myself or masks provided or gifted to me by others. So when Kate, the owner of US-based K-beauty shop Cupidrop, offered to send me a variety pack of Regen Cos 2 Step Synergy Effect Masks, I jumped at her offer. It’s taken me quite a while to get through the pack, since I didn’t want any unintended cumulative effect to throw off my assessments of each individual mask, but now I’ve finished the pack and am ready to talk.

    (more…)

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  • Why K-Beauty Matters (to Me)

    Why K-Beauty Matters (to Me)

    September 13, 2015

    Over the past couple of years, I’ve done a pretty good job of keeping my voice of reason shut away in the padlocked basement of my mind. Sometimes, though, usually late at night when I’m trying to choose between one of my many, many essences or serums or lovingly leafing through the hundreds of sheet masks in my collection, a muffled voice drifts up to the surface of my consciousness and asks timidly: Why does it matter? Beyond the therapeutic effects of my meticulously curated many-step skincare routine, what is it about K-beauty that has held my attention for so long?

    The answer finally came to me last night. When it did, it made so much sense that I knew I had to share it with you all. Maybe I’ll find I’m not the only one who feels the way I do.

    (more…)

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