Since starting my exploration into asian beauty I quickly accumulated a lot of stuff over a short period of time. I wanted to try everything so I kept buying and used parts of each product.

I eventually calmed down and started to focus on really understanding how my skin responded to each product and to do that properly, I started to concentrate on using them up. This also helped my (already crammed) beauty area as well as my wallet.

I like watching and reading other blogger’s empties videos and articles. I find that it’s a good way of seeing if they really liked the product or not. I find them to be way more useful than a haul or first impressions. With skincare, first impressions are pretty unreliable unless it causes an obvious reaction to your skin.

The products which I will be talking about were tolerable to my skin and decent enough for me to use up without any irritation or breakouts (no more than usual). I won’t be going into too much detail because this post will be super long. I will elaborate on some of these products in seperate posts.

Shu uemura Skin Purifier nutri:nectar

I wrote a full post on this a couple of months ago here.

What is it?

Its a cleansing oil which you use to remove makeup and the first step in a double cleanse. It has a soft floral scent and its texture is unique since its in the form of an emulsion. It effectively removed my makeup without leaving a residue.

Ingredients: copied from my post:

ethylhexyl palmitate, acqua, glycerin, caprylic/capric triglyceride, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, propanediol, peg-20 glyceryl triisostearate, sucrose laurate, sucrose palmitate, sodium methyl stearoyl taurate, salicylic acid, tocopherol, sodium hydroxide, linalool, citronellol, geraniol, ganoderma lucidium extract, isopropyl lauroyl, sarcosinate, isopropyl myristate, dicaprylyl ether, dicaprylyl carbonate, euterpe oleracea fruit extract, butylene glycol, maltodextrin, hydrolyzed opuntia ficus-indica flower extract, citric acid, perilla ocymoides leaf extract, magnolia liliflora flower extract, sodium benzoate, phenoxethanol, potassium sorbate, ethylhexyglycerin, parfum.

Would I repurchase?:

No.

I had received this as a gift from my partner and I would not buy this for myself. It is way too expensive for what it is. The product itself is fine, nothing wrong with it, but other less expensive balms and oils do the same job. It does remove makeup really well and with ease if compared to a cleansing balm but not that much more to warrant its price.

Lee Gee Haam Vita Propolis Ampoule

What is it?

It’s an ampoule serum which helps even out skin tone and gives your skin a glow amongst other benefits. It has 50% propolis extract as well as other ingredients which I love such as Centella Asiatica and Niacinamide. I usually apply this after my essence and before moisturiser in my skin care routine.

Ingredients: from glowrecipe.com:

Propolis extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Panthenol, Rosa Centifolia Flower Water, Niacinamide, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Ethyl Ascorbyl Ether, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Bark/ Twig Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Carbomer, Arginine, Spirodela Polyrrhiza Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Adenosine, Sodium Hyaluronate. 

Would I repurchase?:

Yes.

A product like this might not seem “necessary” but for me, I liked how my skin felt and looked whenever I used it. Layering it with other skincare was fine and it did not make me breakout. It also gave me a nice subtle glow. My only gripe is that its so small, 15ml. You only need a couple of drops but its still quite tiny for the price. I bought it from ebay and I think it was around $20 AUD.

Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch

What is it?

It’s a clear patch which you apply onto any active pimples. These pimples can either be already open or still closed/almost ready to erupt. I suffer from hormonal breakouts so this has always been my saviour. I put the patch on before I go to bed and in the morning, the pimple is less angry and noticeably flatter. Its a one time use product for each patch and its pretty gross when you peel it away, but cool.

Ingredients: From stylestory.com.au

Would I repurchase?:

Yes.

I have continued to repurchase this over and over, from many different sellers. Its such a great product and for around $6 AUD you get 24 patches in each pack, which I think is totally worth it.

Su:m37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick

What is it?

A cleansing stick used as the second step in a double cleanse. It lathers and foams nicely and has a soft rose scent. The stick also contains real rose petals which gently exfoliate your skin. It also has a low ph of 5.5 and leaves my skin feeling moisturised. Even though coconut oil is the third ingredient, it doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin. I love its packaging, in the stick form, because its great for travel and easy to use without any mess.

Ingredients: From stylestory.com.au

Glycerin, Water, Coconut Oil, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Betaine, Lauryl Betaine, Camellia Oil, Rosa Centifolia Flower (0.5%), Pelargonium Graveolens (Rose Geranium) Flower Oil, Rose Flower Oil, Castor Oil, Green Tea Seed Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, Olive Oil, Apricot Seed Oil, Ylang Ylang Flower Oil, Lime Oil, Orange Peel Oil, Lemon Peel Oil, Basil Oil, Origanum Heracleoticum Flower Oil, Saccharomyces/Rosa Damascena Flower Extract Ferment Filtrate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol

Would I repurchase?

Yes.

I was about to repurchase this recently but found that its sold out everywhere! Then I read some posts which indicated that it may have either been discontinued or reformulated. Which is really annoying! Its such a popular product as well. If and when it does come back, I will be buying it again.

Neogen Real Fresh Cleansing Stick – Green Tea

What is it?

This is also a stick cleanser used in the second step in a double cleanse. Green Tea is the hero in this product and I adore anything with green tea in it. It has real green tea leaves scattered in the stick which also provides gentle exfoliation while you cleanse. Sounds really similar to the rose cleansing stick right? The concept anyway. Just like the rose stick, its packaging is the same, handy for travel, messy free etc. With a ph of 5.5-6, its just as gentle as the rose stick. The rose stick felt a hair more moisturising though.

Another similarity is that coconut oil is once again third on the ingredients list and doesn’t irritate my skin.

Ingredients: from sokoglam.com

Glycerin, purified water, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, palmitic acid, stearic acid, lauryl betaine, betaine, camellia sinensis leaf(0.3%), camellia sinensis seed oil(0.1%), camellia japonica seed oil, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, helianthus annuus (sunflower)seed oil, limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) seed oil, oenothera biennis (eveningprimrose) oil, tocopheryl acetate, citrus aurantifolia (lime) oil, ocimum basillicum (basil) oil, cananga odorata flower oil, citrus limon (lemon) peel oil, origanum heracleoticum floweroil, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange)peel oil, fragrance.

Will I repurchase?

Yes.

Even though I liked the extra moisturisation from the rose cleanser, I would definitely buy this again. It is a good alternative to the su:m37 cleanser if that did get discontinued or became impossible to buy. I just really like stick cleansers 🙂

Pyunkang yul Moisture Cream

What is it?

A face moisturiser which is good for both sensitive and combination-oily skin types. It is fragrance free, lightweight and easily absorbable into the skin. I read somewhere that it also cools down your body temperature so its especially great in summer and humid climates. I applied it as my final step in skincare before sunscreen and makeup. I appreciated how moisturising it was without any stickyness or oilyness. Its star ingredient is Coptis Japonica Root Extract which is known for its nourishing and anti inflammatory properties.

Ingredients: from beautyandseoul.co.uk

Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Isohexadecane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polysorbate 80, Glyceryl Caprylate

Will I repurchase?

Yes but not for awhile. There are still loads of moisturisers I want to try out and I don’t like this one enough to repurchase just yet. My biggest gripe is the packaging, I despise jars for creams (yes I know its common for moisturisers). Its also not great for travel because its glass and has some weight to it.

Pyunkang yul mist toner

What is it?

It’s a toner in a mist form which you can use to hydrate your face anytime or as toner after cleansing. I really liked to use this spray for both purposes, especially when I felt too lazy to pat toner onto my face or find a cotton pad. The spray is really fine so it felt pretty relaxing to mist on the face.

Like the moisture cream, the star ingredient is also Coptis Japonica Root Extract.

Ingredients: from beautyandseoul.co.uk

Coptis Japonica Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate

Will I repurchase?

Yes.

I have a few products from this brand and I respect its minimal ingredients list. Will definately buy this again once I’m through with my other ones.

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know if you have and whether you would repurchase any of them.