Hellobee

Aside from the obvious excitement of picking up our daughter, I was really excited about going to Korea to shop. Yes, shop. Specifically for beauty and skincare products! Mrs. Bee has raved about Korean skincare products before and they really have been getting quite the hype lately. My sister and I joked about how our mom is getting the greatest “I told you so” of all time since she’s always sworn that Korean products are the best – ha! But really, after reading up on lots of different products and going shopping with a friend in the know while in Korea, I’m totally sold and my skin has never looked better! And because I love you all so much, I’m going to share my favorites with you right here. The best part is that you don’t have to travel all the way to Korea to try these products yourself — they’re all available on good ol’ Amazon!

1) Wonder Pore: This works as an amazing toner and claims to tighten pores and balance skin. It actually totes itself as a 10-in-1 product, but what I’m most excited about is that it really does seem to minimize pores!

2) Etude House mascara: I am a total mascara addict. My current favorite is Benefit’s They’re Real mascara, but it can get pricey and this volumizing and curling mascara from Korea’s Etude House is a good, more affordable alternative.

3) Etude House lash fix: I’ve been invited to way too many Facebook “parties,” many of them selling 3-D fiber mascara. I’ve heard great things about that mascara, but never bit the bullet and bought any. When I saw this fiber lash treatment for sale for about $5 in Korea, I bought 3 tubes and I’m in love! I don’t use everyday since it’s a pain to remove, but when I do, holy cow, my lashes look super long!

4) Etude House eyeliner: If you’re like me and addicted to eyeliner and the precise, pretty lines you can/should make with it, this is a great eyeliner to try. It’s easy to use and won’t dry out like other felt tip eyeliner pens. Plus, it comes in lots of colors!

5) Nature Republic Aqua: You guys. I’m obsessed with this cream. It’s amazing and so light, but super moisturizing — the perfect day cream. I have combination skin, so this one is perfect for me, but there are also formulas for dry skin and oily skin.

6) Laneige Water Sleeping Mask: I’ve tried night creams in the past and I’ve always felt that they were a little too heavy and left my skin feeling oily and greasy. I tried a sample of this stuff and goodness, I’m hooked! You’re only supposed to use it 2-3 times per week, but it really does an amazing job of hydrating and brightening skin. An extra bonus? Target has started selling the Laneige line in stores!

7) Innisfree Blackhead Out Balm: This was one of those products that I saw and was like, “What? No way it does that!” A balm that claims to get rid of blackheads? It seems too good to be true! But it is! You rub it on your blackhead problem areas and massage it for a few minutes and then thoroughly wash it off. And slowly, but surely, those pesky little blackheads do start to go away…crazy, right?

8) Innisfree Tangerine Face Wash: For a long time, I used Cetaphil as my face wash, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve felt that I needed something a little stronger. I’ve been alternating between this wash, which claims to help tighten pores and help your skin tone, and this Innisfree Sea Salt Perfect Cleanser, which is an amazing exfoliating wash that makes my skin feel so smooth and clean. The salt cleanser also comes in different percentages of sea salt concentration — this one is the highest concentration at 40%, but my sister swears by the 30%. There’s also a lower concentration of 20%, which might be better for drier skin types.

10) IOPE Emulsion: You can probably tell I’m a little concerned about moisturizing my skin. Just a little. This is another great moisturizer that is again light and brightening, versus heavy and greasy.

11) Nature Republic Snail Solution Mask: I know what you’re thinking. Because I was thinking the same thing. Snail solution? I know. It sounds gross and if you think about it too much, it is. But, my goodness, it is amazingly hydrating (I know, I can’t get enough of the hydrating!) and leaves your skin feeling so smooth and soft. There are literally hundreds of different Korean beauty masks out there, but the snail solution ones are having quite the moment, and after trying them, I can see why!

12) Etude House CC Cream: BB cream had the spotlight for a while, and now CC cream is taking its place. After using BB cream for a few years, I tried this CC cream and I just can’t get enough! It’s an amazing base and I’ve been using it under my mineral foundation. It’s smoothing and doesn’t make my skin feel oily — it’s less about coverage and more about even your skin tone and giving you a bit of a glow under your makeup. Plus, it’s got SPF 30 which is great!

Have you tried any Korean beauty products? Thoughts/complaints/celebrations?