Fifty Shades of Snail

Review: Botanic Farm Grain Ferment Cleansing Sherbet + Oil Cleansing Tips

July 5, 2015
Snail Disclosings: This product was gifted to me by Memebox with no request or obligation for review. Nevertheless, I treated it as any other sponsored product for review. You can find my sponsorship policy and reviewing schedule here.

Some time ago, shortly after my first piece for Fashionista went live, Arnold at Memebox contacted me to see if I would allow them to send me a little package as thanks for my support. (What support? you may be asking. Um, I’ve made a lot of purchases from Memebox in my time, and I always forget to use coupon codes, so I’m guessing…monetary support.)

Also, one that gives Fiddy what Fiddy wants.

These boxes have brought me a lot of happies over the last year and a half.

There were many really intriguing items in the box, some of which I’ve mentioned already and some of which I have yet to review. But I was surprised to find that the item destined to take a regular spot in my skincare routine turned out to be a cleansing sherbet from a brand I barely knew.

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Seaquest: The Next Chapter

July 3, 2015
Sorry, this has nothing to do with Jonathan Brandis or dolphins and everything to do with the next phase of my skincare ingredient exploration.

I still love all things bee. My delvings into the sweet, sticky world of propolis and honey have been great for me. I’ve learned a lot about my skin and about some wonderful natural ingredients, and I’ve discovered a ton of great products along the way. But in my opinion, clinging to one ingredient is just as limiting (and ultimately boring) as clinging to one brand, so it’s time to dive into something that I already know my skin loves (also, my taste buds) but haven’t yet fully immersed myself in: seaweed!

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Mists Mists Mists! Three Korean Facial Mist Mini-Reviews

July 2, 2015
Quick Snail Note: One of the products discussed in this post was provided as a press sample from Cupidrop. Check out my sponsorship policy if you’d like to learn more about how being given products for review doesn’t affect the honesty of my reviews. There is also an affiliate link floating around in here.

I’ve been into essences and serums and ampoules for what feels like forever, but until recently, I thought facial mists were just silly. I didn’t see any purpose for them. My only conception of them was as something that people spray on their faces when their skin feels dry during the day, and in that case, they seemed totally pointless. Would the hydration (and any special ingredients) even penetrate through layers of makeup and sunscreen to benefit the skin? Wouldn’t evaporation take more moisture away from the face? I didn’t get it.

Then the temperature started to rise, I got a facial mist as a gift with purchase from my bae Jolse, and now I have three, and I’m looking at some more.

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Lindsay Modeling Masks: A Review in Pictures

July 1, 2015
Disclosure Snail says: The products featured in this post were provided to me for unbiased review by Glow Recipe. You can find my rules and standards for accepting press samples in my sponsorship policy.

Do you have that one friend who’s always trying to shake things up? Always coming around with something new that you’ve got to try, always devising crazy adventures, always smashing bottles of fancy tequila and sitting on your chest dangling the worm in front of your face in an effort to make you try it, just to do something new?

Uh, Glow Recipe is like that for me, except not scary, no worms (as far as I know), and all the new things they make me try are fun and good for my skin. It is entirely their fault that I’m constantly lusting after Whamisa hydrogel masks and always debating with myself over whether I should just buy another five bottles of LJH Vita Propolis Ampoule once my last one runs out. And then they sent me these things.

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Review: COSRX Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence

July 1, 2015
Yeah, so, obviously the thing to do with this product would be to open with a witty comment about its original name, but I got nothin’. I’m just happy and appreciative of COSRX‘s openness to hearing feedback from their international customers and changing the product’s name to the Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence.

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Megapost: How to Build an Asian Skincare Routine (without Breaking Your Face or Your Wallet)

June 25, 2015
I’m really sorry, guys. I should have done this a long time ago.

As a blogger, I find it really easy to get caught up in the specifics of product testing and forget to consider the bigger picture of what message I seem to be pushing. Then I get a rush of emails from readers who have gone and bought multiple products based on their inclusion in my current skincare routine, and I realize that I’ve messed up. I should have written a guide to building your own Asian skincare routine before I started raving about the products in mine. Seriously, I’m sorry. Here it is, late, but better late than never.

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Where to Buy COSRX in the US

June 20, 2015
Transparent Snail is Transparent: I am in no way affiliated with the brand discussed in this post, do not earn commissions from either seller discussed here, and gain nothing from any sales of the brand’s product, except the satisfaction of leading another person to a stellar skincare brand. In fact, I have never even gotten a press sample directly from the brand, and that’s totally fine. Take my money.

I’m starting to think that COSRX is going to be a serious contender among Korean brands sold in the US. In some ways, the company is a dark horse: no cutesy packaging, gimmicky themes, or unusual (“weird”) formats, and therefore almost nothing to distinguish it to the casual observer as a K-beauty brand. But COSRX is blowing up.

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The Latest on the Upcoming Low pH COSRX Cleanser

June 19, 2015
Just a quickie today. My brain is fried from finishing up yesterday’s ampoule review megapost, but I got some great news from Lee Hye Young over at COSRX and had to share.

The news is that they’re making progress on the development of their low pH facial cleanser! Hye Young wrote me:

I just got a mild acidic cleanser sample from our lab and COSRX staffs are going to test it in ourselves. I’d like to notify you of this news. I’m not sure when it will be released. However, I’ll keep you posted and let you know the release date if it’s arranged.

Here’s to hoping their testing goes well and we get to try out a gentle COSRX foaming cleanser soon!
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Ampoule Review Megapost: Missha Long Name Borabit, LJH Vita Propolis, & Banila Co Miss Flower & Mr Honey Essence Oil Reviews

June 18, 2015
It’s natural to be sad when the last drops of a favorite product have been dispensed and the bottle (or tub, or tube, or jar) is empty. A fresh, unopened skincare product is a thing of pristine beauty and endless promise. An empty one sometimes seems haunted by the ghosts of promises unfulfilled. But empties are a part of the natural cycle of life. So are reviews of the empties and decisions about whether to repurchase them.

In the last month or so, I’ve emptied quite a few products, including Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator “Longer Name” Borabit Ampoule, a couple of Leejiham Vita Propolis Ampoules, a Banila Co. Miss Flower & Mr. Honey Essence Oil, and a jar of COSRX Honey Ceramide Full Moisture Cream. Which ones did I like enough to repurchase? How much retinol is actually in the Missha Longer Name Ampoule, and how does it compare to the original Missha Long Name Ampoule? We’ll find out as I bid goodbye to my depleted friends and wish them luck on their journey to reincarnation.

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Why I Started Using Hada Labo Gokujyun Super Hyaluronic Acid Lotion Again

June 18, 2015
That’s right, I’m back on the Hada Labo train. Apparently hyaluronic acid might be more than just a basic hydrating ingredient. This blog post and podcast from my new favorite skincare learning resource, The Beauty Brains, will explain why.
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