Skincare and General Wellbeing
Mom used to spend a lot more time on her face than she does now, and the products she uses also have changed over the years. I think partially because she has less time for herself and also wants to be more practical. Here are some of the brands and products mom holds dear.
If you are new to Korean skincare, Missha is a great place to start. It has some of the most effective skin care products at a fraction of the cost compared to other big brands, and there is always some sort of sales going on their website. Also, if you become their VIP member (need to spend $100 per calendar year), then everything will be 30% off year-round. Missha also has special sales that offers up to 70% off on outlet items, and semi-annual sale with everything 40% off, so sign up for the email list will keep you updated with all the great deals.
Among the extensive lines of skin products that Missha offers, here are some of mom’s favorites:
This sounds weird,but the products are very effective. The Snail Cream is great for combination skin during the drier winter months or used as night cream. For summer months, mom relies on the Snail Skin Treatment to keep things on the lighter side. Most of these products can be applied directly using just hands, so they are great for traveland just streamline the whole skincare routine.
Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence
People have said that Korean skincare has too many steps and that it is too time consuming. When I wait for mom in the morning for our daily walk, I think she probably only spends about 10 minutes total from brushing teeth to putting light makeup on her face. This is the one of the items that mom buys in bulk whenever Missha has a big sale, and my grandma also uses it. It does wonders on dehydrated skin and is very lightweight to be used all year round, and the cost is a friction of what one would pay for SK-II Facial Treatment Essence.
This is the holy grail of Korean makeup. BB Cream has been around for many years in Asia and especially in Korean and Japan, but it has become so popular that more and more European cosmetic companies are now making their own version of it. Yet still,after trying several over the counter and shelf brands, mom always comes back to Missha’s M Perfect BB cream in color no. 21. She shared some samples with fellow moms in our neighborhood, and some of them liked it so much they started purchasing their own, too. The color range offered on Missha’s US website is quite extensive, anything from no. 13, which is a very pale bright beige, toNo. 31, which is a darker, warm beige.
If you think Missha’s ground shipping takes too long (it ships from East coast), try Julep, which is based in Seattle, WA. The brand used to be online only and had a monthly subscription called the Maven Box, now it can be found at Target as well asUlta. Just recently, Costco also started carrying some of Julep’s most popular makeup items, like their Crème to Eyeshadow Stick Duo. Mom used to have to order directly from Julep or Ulta, but now she enjoys the convenience of picking those up at our local Costco before checking out groceries. There some very wearable shades for everyone, like Stone and Taupe Shimmer.
Love Your Bare Face Hydrating Cleansing Oil
It goes without saying that properly washing your face it they key to healthy looking skin. But so many people tend to either overdo it, or don’t do it right. From what I understand,if you have makeup on, it is best to use an oil-based makeup remover first; put some on dry hands and wash DRY face, then immunity the remover with warm water.Then the second step is to use your regular gel or foam face wash to double cleanse. For those who do not wear any makeup, or if it in the morning, a gentle face wash milk or foaming cleanser will do the job.
One of the things that made Julep famous, was their extensive collection of nail polishes and treatments. Among those, mom’s favorite pick is the Treatment, which she uses as a daily nail polish. When it comes to nail color, Julep definitely has something for everyone. From barely there nude nail, to bright and sparkly nails, Julep has it for you. If you are worried about the price, restassured, many of Julep’s nail colors are discounted on their website at $4.99per bottle, so you won’t break the bank to try out something new.
Clinique
Well, this is the one brand that I do not need to introduce to you, right? Mom actually didn’t even know about Clinique until she was a high school senior and needed to get makeup for her school dance in New Zealand! Now Clinique is one of mom’s must-have wherever she goes. The cool thing about Clinique is that it offers seasonal giveaways so those little containers can be reused for air travel or road trips.
Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator
This has to be the must-have on mom’s bathroom sink and in her travel bag. I remember this shiny-lidded jar sitting on the bathroom sink ever since I joined my family, and the size of the jar has gotten as large as 125 ml, so it can last for several months to save mom the trouble of having to purchase every month. We use the empty jar for the body lotions that has to be scooped out of pump bottles and make our own coconut body butter, so I feel like we are also helping with recycle and reused plastic containers in a very practical way.