Anyone who knows me is aware of the fact that I am fascinated Korean culture, especially the music and beauty products. So you can imagine my surprise and hype when I saw a 'Korean Beauty' shelf in TKMaxx. Needless to say I did buy most of what they were selling. Sorry to anyone else who wanted to buy but I couldn't miss this opportunity. I bought 8 products in total and each are very different, most are brands that I am aware of thanks to Edward Avila (queen) and because of adverts that I have seen because they probably had EXO in them.
The first products are the Nature Republic: Bee Venom Cleansing Foam and Emulsion. The Cleansing foam has labelled on the front:
"The cleansing foam for acne-prone skin contains bee venom and anti-acne complex"
On the Nature Republic website it states that the product is created 'by nature of Sweden' and continues to declare that the 'Scandinavian bee venom comes from healthy bees in the Southern Swedish regions of Stromsnasbruk and Hjarnarp'
The product includes the bee venom along with
salicylic acid which offers skin care to sensitive skin, whilst it takes care of pores and dead skin cells for a clear skin.
In terms of my own skin I am having a dry spell at the moment and I keep breaking out on my chin and nose (I blame my exam stress to be honest) I don't necessarily have acne-prone skin but if I do get spots they are either those really tiny things you can't see but can feel or they are like Mount Vesuvius on my face. However, I am in need of a new skin care routine so this may be my new key to a clear face. Despite the pros of the bee venom there are disclaimers towards those who may be allergic to bee stings. Well then it's great that I don't know whether or not I am but there's a first for everything.
The cleansing foam is exactly what it is, it comes out as a white and then all you have to do it laver it up in your hands, give your face a good rub and wash with lukewarm water. The emulsion is somewhat a moisturiser with extra effects that you massage into the skin, let it sink in and then proceed with your routine.
The next product I bought was the Dr.Jart+ Dermaclear Micro Water. On the label of the bottle it states:
"Removes make-up & dirt + Brightens Purifying effect of hydrogen mineral water"
It comes in a nice box with the two products inside of it. One is the micro water bottle with the water inside along with what I can see to be either a refill or a travel version (it's most likely the first one)
I first used it after taking my makeup off as I got in from buying this lot of products. I forgot that I could use it as a makeup remover so I used my usual micellar water before I used this. I covered my cotton wool with a bit of the Dermaclear and proceeded to lightly brush it across my face as it instructs to on the back of the bottle. The directions actually read as :
"Saturate a cotton pad with Micro Water and lightly sweep over entire face to remove all impurities and makeup. It is no-wash type cleanser, but rinse with warm water if you need"
As I did sweep it over my face I noticed that it took off the excess makeup I had left on my face, which for me is a pro because I am really bad at removing my makeup fully as I wear really shear products it's hard to tell whether or not they have been taken off. It also left my skin feeling toned and fresh which from my experience if you get the fresh feeling it has done it's job.
Next up is the Tony Moly Blackhead Steam Balm (I nearly screamed in the shop out of excitement) I barely knew anything about this product but I suffer from blackheads so I was like yeah just whack it in the basket. Thanks to a little research I found it on Cult beauty I managed to understand a little about it. It is a self heating treatment that aims to eliminate pore-clogging dirt, oils and make up to help prevent blackheads, as well as making your skin pore-less. It's made with charcoal powder and sea salt to attract impurities embedded into the skin; vitamin E and egg shell powder is added to maintain moisture levels for a dewy glow. The description of the product is as follows:
"TONYMOLY’s innovative Egg Pore Blackhead Steam Balm acts like a ‘steam’ for your face – heating upon application to ‘open up’ pores and encourage the elimination of blackhead-causing dirt, impurities and toxins which can contribute to breakouts. Purifying charcoal powder draws out dirt, while a cocktail of egg yolk extract, skin-conditioning vitamin E, sea salt and exfoliating eggshell powder works to refine your complexion and leave things feeling enviable smooth, even and completely blemish-free"
The instructions on the box are entirely in Korean so I had to do some extra research to find out how the heck I used it. You are supposed to apply an appropriate amount onto areas with blackheads and gently massage for three to five minutes. Wash off with lukewarm water.- fairly easy and simple and if this works for me oh lord it will be my favourite product ever because I get the worst blackheads ever.
The Tony Moly Dream White Magic Cream is something I was sceptical about buying. White magic cream made me hesitant as I didn't want it to be a whitening cream, but after a little digging in the internet I found out that it's not for the purpose of whitening a complexion and more for evening it out. The heaven that is MEMEBOX has a description for the product:
"Enriched with Bamboo and Niacinamide, this light and airy cream hydrates and illuminates dull skin, leaving skin fair and glowing like porcelain"
The glowing like porcelain maybe a red light for some people but in fact after looking at reviews of people with darker skin tones use the product they seem to only have evened out their skin tone and not lightened it. They state that it's only if you use too much at once that the product does whiten the skin. So Danielle don't go crazy on the panda! Speaking of the panda how freaking adorable is that packaging?!?!
It is suggested that the product is best used as the last step of your basic skincare routine. You should gently massage in outward, circular motions on your face and neck. Then pat for better absorption. It is supposed to help reduce the look of dark circles, uneven skin-tone and blemishes (hopefully) The Memetips for this product are:
"This cream works amazingly with makeup. Apply right before BB cream or foundation, and watch your face transform into a dreamy complexion" (God I love Memebox)
I am going to finish the haul with my opinions of using the Nature Republic products for the first time myself. I am hoping that this is going to be my new skin routine, so I tried it before I headed off to watch the BBMAs (BTS babies gonna win tonight)
Step one: I started with the Bee Venom Cleansing Foam. This is the part where I find out whether or not I am allergic to bee stings. It comes out in a thick white cream and I just added a bit of water, lathered it up and massaged it into my skin. Then I took it off with a cotton wool pad as I am sick of using my flannel which I partially blame for my recent accumulation of spots.
Step two: I took the Micro Water (which I now realise is backwards on the photo way to go Danielle) and I just used it as a toner. Another cotton pad was used and it made my skin feel fresh- the good sign that a product works.
Step three: The Bee Venom emulsion. I didn't need to use a lot on my face as the cream gave a lot of coverage in very small doses. I dotted it around my face and gently rubbed it in. After I did feel like I had a cool breeze on my face therefore the freshness was there.
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