The Cruelty-Free Dilemma

I got into K-beauty back in late summer, and it was new and fun and I was having such a good time with it that I forgot to consider the ethics of the companies whose products I was using. I'm not perfect, and to be honest, I don't have time to check EVERY SINGLE COMPANY and what their policy is on animal testing. But as soon as I started looking into it it became clear that the concept of cruelty-free isn't a popular one in Korea. So, what to do?

This list from KARA seems to be the definitive list online of which companies are cruelty-free. Their Facebook says certain popular companies weren't on the list because they wouldn't definitively say they don't test. My thinking is that if a company didn't test they would proudly announce it- so being coy about it means that they do test.

Sadly most of the companies on this list are unfamiliar to me, hard to find in the US, or frankly out of my budget. Thankfully Innisfree is on there, a company I really do like. I was a little surprised that Etude House was on there- I have not tried any of their products yet, as much of what they offer seems to be targeted to a younger audience, but after seeing them on this list I'm interested in trying their Dust Cut line.

It's not like I have a ton of money to spend on products anyway, so I'm not too worried at the moment- just expect to see mostly Innisfree products on here in the future :) Bonus: I got a super sweet tax return this year, and I've allowed myself a shopping spree on Innisfree's global site, and will be putting in a big order through iamlove-shop on eBay soon as well (since Innisfree limits you to $200 a day per order). And that will probably be it for me for a while for hauls...

REVIEW: Ugly Farm Rice Peel Off Pack

I'm not a good blogger, and I knew that going in! But I finally have a quiet morning to myself and can write this little review.

A couple months ago I was in Chinatown and walked by New Kam Man, a Chinese store on Canal Street that was supposed to have a selection of Korean skin care. Their entire second floor is skin care and cosmetics, but unsurprisingly it was almost all Chinese stuff. I did, however, come across this:

Ugly Farm?? How adorable is that! I couldn't pass it up, plus I do like peel off masks. I believe there was a potato version as well.

Unfortunately, I'll be tossing this one after only two uses. As soon as you squirt out some of the mask you smell the overwhelming scent of alcohol. The other night I sat down and translated the first few ingredients and two of the first three were alcohol- the first one being water. My skin is dry enough these days, I don't need this! Again, I'm no chemist, but even if alcohol in skin care products is safe and okay, the smell alone is off putting enough. Disappointing!

REVIEW: The Face Shop Herb Day Acerola Cleansing Foam vs. Tony Moly Clean Dew Blueberry Foam Cleanser

Foam cleansers seem to be a big thing in Korean Skin Care, and at first I was skeptical- wasn't the foam in cleansers just the variations on sodium laurel sulfates? But then I looked at the labels on these Korean foam cleansers, and lo and behold- no sulfates! (At least not in the first few lines of ingredients- I don't have all day to sit here and read labels. I'm not an aspiring cosmetic chemist!) (I just assume they foam because magic.)

So I decided to try one. My first purchase was The Face Shop's Herb Day Acerola Cleansing Foam. Before hitting up the store I tried to read up on the differences between the Herb Day cleansers and since they were all listed as "for all skin types", I wasn't really sure which one to get. And acerola looks like cherries and I like cherries so I got that one (even though I am aware acerolas are NOT cherries, so...I have no real explanation).

This was nice for a while, but as the weather got drier, so did my skin after using this. My face would feel completely stripped. So even though this is advertised as being for all skin types, I would not recommend the Herb Day Acerola for those with normal-to-dry skin, or for sensitive skin. (This is going in the bag o' products I'll be passing off to my boyfriend's 15 year old niece, who has basically the opposite type of skin from mine!)

I had hit up the Tony Moly in midtown a few month ago and bought a special they had- the Clean Dew Blueberry Foam Cleanser along with six sheet masks for $12 (good deal!). The cleanser had been sitting under my sink for when I finished the Face Shop one, but I thought it was time to give it a shot- and I'm glad I did. The Tony Moly cleanser is noticeable gentler on the face. My skin doesn't feel totally dried out after using- though the drier it gets outside the drier my face gets after using this, but it still hasn't come close to feeling stripped like it did with the Face Shop cleanser. This product gets a thumbs up from me for those with normal/dry/sensitive skin.

VERDICT: Tony Moly wins! And a little goes a long way with this cleanser, so I anticipate that I'll be using it for a long time, haha.

Oops, I did it again: Nature Republic edition

I had to run a couple errands in Soho yesterday and found myself on Centre Street, just a few blocks away from the Chinatown Nature Republic...and I was running low on my Super Aqua Max Watery essence, plus I have the Combination one that isn't quite moisturizing enough for me this time of year...

Who am I kidding, I stopped in.

It's not as big or nice as the location in Flushing, and as a result doesn't carry as many of their products. I explained to the shop girl that I was happy with the essence I was using but needed something more moisturizing for this time of year, and she directed me to the Placenta EX essence. I put a little on my hand and it was nice, but...placenta? Not sure I can go there. (I'm even less sure about spending $36 on placenta and then rubbing it on my face.)

When I got home I tried to find some info online about the Placenta EX line of products, but I couldn't really find anything (in English, anyway). Nature Republic in general seems to be a store I can't find much about online, but for some reason I'm drawn to them.

ANYWAY, here's what I picked up:

I don't wear a lot of makeup but I've been wanting to try an oil-based cleanser anyway- earlier this year I spent a couple months just "washing" my face with coconut oil and it was pretty cool, just kind of a pain because I only own so many washcloths.

So I got:

• the argan oil cleanser because I've seen a billion articles about how argan oil is amaaazing
• the dry skin version of the Super Aqua Max essence (I was looking at their fermented The First one but I want to try the Missha one- it's going on the xmas wish list!)
• and the White Birch Mist, which I tried spraying on myself while waiting for the train home but it was windy so the spray got everywhere but on my face. 

They gave samples of the snail stuff but I asked for something else (no anjimals on my face plz), so I got a few samples of The First cream. Not exactly a lot for what I spent there, but oh well.

Since I was in the neighborhood I also stopped at oo35mm for the first time, but I'll save that for another post. Here's the summary: everything there is seriously overpriced.

REVIEW: Innisfree Eco Science White C Skin, Lotion, and Sleeping Pack

In my last post I mentioned that when I got my Innisfree haul last month, I got samples of the Eco Science White C Skin and Lotion, and purchased the full-size Sleeping Pack. (The Eco Science White C line also has a serum, double serum, and cream.) The samples are really generously sized- I used the Skin and Lotion twice a day for at least two weeks. Definitely enough time to let you know if you like a product!

My skin isn't very complicated, but does get drier in the fall/winter. The lotion would probably work for me in the summer, but for this time of year it's not moisturizing enough. I would consider the cream, but to be honest, the tangerine scent is not my favorite. If you love citrus smells then I would definitely recommend you check out this line, but I think the scent alone is enough for me to not purchase these products again.

Since I only own two sleeping packs currently (the Green Tea and Eco Science White C from Innisfree), I end up using the Eco Science pack on nights where I feel like I don't need to add more moisturizing to my routine. I do think the use of these products has made my complexion a little brighter, but again, the scent just doesn't do it for me. But I should have anticipated that considering the products clearly state that they have tangerine peel extract in them! I've been told that vitamin C is good for anti-aging so I might try out the serum in the future. (Double serum sounds too intense. I'm not sure I can handle that. ;)

Innisfree Haul

Back in October Innisfree offered free upgrade to express shipping to celebrate the opening of their new global online store. I was really interested in trying their stuff out- I don't use any products that have animal products in them and try to be as cruelty-free as possible (something that is difficult with Korean brands, unfortunately). The jury seems to be out on whether Innisfree products are cruelty-free or not, but they definitely don't use any animal products. Anyway, here's my haul.

I got:

• two sleeping packs- the Green Tea and Eco Science White C
• Jeju Volcanic Liquid Nose Pack
• Soybean firming neck cream
• The Minimum Cleansing Lotion
• two hand creams- fig and lotus
• three capsule recipe sleeping packs- wine, rice, and pomegranate

The nice thing about ordering from them is that they are generous with their samples, and they are pretty sizeable. For example, I got samples of the Eco Science White C skin and lotion, and I used them both morning and evening for like two weeks! You get 7 samples plus a sample kit, and you get to pick all of them! I got the soybean kit.

Will post with reviews in the future :)

Intro Post!

Hi there! So, I’ve started a blog where I can talk to the internet about my new interest in (okay, obsession with) Korean skin care/beauty products. I can’t tell you how or why this started- one day a couple months ago I just found myself in a spiral of blogs and websites from which I have yet to extricate myself. I’ve never particularly had an interest in skin care before. I just don’t get it. But here we are.

Actually, now that I think about it, I think part of the reason K-beauty appeals to me is that it's less about makeup (which I like, but don't know much about either- like I can barely put on lipstick without looking like a toddler who found her mom's makeup) and more about making your skin look good so that you don't HAVE to use a lot of makeup.

And sometimes I look for reviews of certain products online and can’t find any, so I decided to start a blog where I could post my own. And whine about the things I want that I don’t have yet. :)

A bit about me: I’m 32 years old and live in Queens, New York. This is a good place to be if you’re into K-beauty (aside from like, Korea, I guess) because I’m just a train ride away from Flushing. This is also a bad place to be because I am not made of money and I want ALL THE THINGS! Also I feel like I need more faces to use all the stuff I want.

I’ve had pretty good skin all my life. Someone recently told me I had rosacea, but I like to think of them as my rosy Slavic cheeks. My skin doesn’t seem to be one specific type, so I think of it as normal/combination/sensitive, and it gets dry in the winter. So I don't even know what my skin type is. Every kind! \o/

Some of my other interests include hockey (go Caps!), knitting, and indie rock. I work as a massage therapist, which I love. I live with my awesome boyfriend of 3+ years. I'm originally from the DC suburbs but moved to Queens in 2005.

Looking forward to blogging :)