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
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…)
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.
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.
9/2/16 update: In light of the sheet mask packing scandal that has been the talk of the AB community, I thought it’d be fun to feature some masks that aren’t affected. My Beauty Diary is a Taiwanese brand whose manufacturing processes are automated and controlled within the company’s factories, as you can see in this video here.
South Korea is inarguably the leader of the current wave of Western interest in Asian cosmetics (there’s a reason the term is K-Beauty not T-Beauty or J-Beauty or C-Beauty, after all), but that doesn’t mean other countries don’t offer standout products–or stand out in particular categories. (more…)
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?
Hi guys! Just a quick note to say that my introductory blog post is now live on the Memebox blog.
We will return shortly with our regularly scheduled programming.
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.
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.
Summer is technically over and winter is probably coming, but don’t put your sunscreen into storage just yet. If you want to prevent the photodamage that speeds up the visible aging process and you don’t live in extreme northern latitudes, sunscreen will be your biggest ally whether there’s sand between your toes or a foot of snow on the ground.
Having a single sunscreen on hand is a great start, but not every sunscreen is suitable for every purpose. I keep a few different sunscreens around. That way, I can enjoy worry-free days no matter what I’m doing outside. For this post, I want to introduce you to the sunscreens taking up half a shelf in my bathroom cabinet. Maybe you’ll find one (or two or three) that fit your needs. And even if you don’t–since everyone’s skin is different and there’s no such thing as a universally perfect product–I hope you’ll come away with some ideas of what to look for as you hunt down your own stalwart sun defenders.
*Or at least household name status
Despite having never bought a single beauty box in my life (I’m picky and not the biggest fan of surprises), I’ve somehow developed a huge fondness for Memebox. I discovered some of my all-time favorite masks on Memebox (the Freeset Donkey Milk Aqua and Donkey Milk Healing and the practically legendary Banila Co. Miss Flower & Mr. Honey hydrogel masks come to mind) and I was beyond excited when they started carrying COSRX. I get a ton of my makeup from Memebox. Whenever I have an itchy ordering finger but am not in need of anything in particular, I head on over to their mask section to pick out a few new things to try. Memebox has definitely seen its share of missteps, like any other brand, but in my opinion, the company does plenty of stuff right.
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