I've been trying out a lot more Korean makeup and skincare the past two years. Mostly because it's easier for me to get and secondly, Korean makeup and skincare (or, to shorten it, K-beauty) is flippin amazing. Sure, there have been some flops, but most products I've tried have earned a seat in my streamlined makeup and skincare collection.
Today, I'm going to share some of my favourite K-beauty products that are my current loves.
Favourite Korean Skincare
I did not like the Banila Co Clean It Zero ($14.80) when I first used it - it was a weird balm to oil product and would get into my eyes. But boy am I glad I gave it a second shot. This is the only makeup remover I've used in the past year and a half or so and for good reason. It will remove everything in a jiffy. Waterproof mascara, long-lasting matte liquid lipsticks, waterproof liquid liner? The Banila Co Clean It Zero will break down everything in seconds and still leave your skin feeling ridiculously smooth.
I'm a toner skeptic. I don't think it does much and I'm not picky about which one I use. So I wasn't expecting much when I picked up the much hyped about Cosrx AhA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner($16). Turns out, I was wrong. I've noticed less blocked pores and whiteheads on the days I use this toner compared to my lazy days. It's also gentle enough for daily use.
I have a lot of old scarring but the It's Skin Power 10 Formula Vc Effector Sebum Care ($10.75) has been working wonders, especially if you consider the price. It also leaves my skin feeling plump, hydrated, and glowy afterwards. It's worth noting that It's Skin is developed in collaboration with dermatologists, so it's safe to say they know what they're doing.
Favourite Korean Makeup
Lightweight, good coverage, easy to use, long-lasting, and hydrating - I found all those qualities in the 3CE Waterful Concealer($18.93). I know, I'm shocked as well. But this squeezy tube concealer quickly became my most reached for concealer, even favoured over the Urban Decay Naked Concealer. Paired with the Bobbi Brown Corrector, it's my secret weapon to looking "not dead and even vaguely alive", aka the look I aim for most days.
If I want to take that look to the next level, I reach for the Innisfree Cushion Foundation($12 for refill, $10 for compact case). I'm pretty sure the makeup world is pretty familiar with cushion-based makeup now, and if not, then you're missing out. It's hydrating, long-lasting, good coverage, smooth and even finish, and more importantly, it's flippin' convenient. Everything you need to apply your makeup base is in a slim, no-fuss compact. I've gone through three refills, taken this foundation on multiple trips, and my love for it still grows strong.
Last but not least, I haven't dived as deep into Korean lip products as I have with, say, MAC lipsticks, but even in my mahoosive lip product collection, the Innisfree Creamy Tint Lip Mousse still stands out for how great it is. It's a light-weight liquid lip colour that dries a satin-finish and is bold and opaque with one layer. I think they've replaced these with the Innisfree Cotton Vivid Ink as the formula is quite similar.
Have you tried any of these products before? What are some of your favourite Korean makeup or skincare products?
I know February only had 28 days, but it honestly only felt like the month was two weeks long?
I switched things up quite a bit in my February bullet journal spread, taking inspiration from here and there. Some changes worked out and others didn't - I thought it might be helpful to document what worked out for me and I will continue doing in March, and what bullet journal experiments are better left in February.
Let's start with what worked out:
Mind maps: This is, hands down, the best layout I've added to my bullet journal. I shamelessly stole this idea from the brilliant Evy so I'm not even going to try and take credit. I mostly use the mindmap to keep track of art projects, blog posts, and shop updates. I'm a very visual person, so seeing my project map grow and connect is a great way for me to keep track of things. It's also less structured than a to-do list, which is great when it's a constantly growing list. I wonder if I can incorporate this into my daily layout...
Embracing colours: My bullet journal has always been very black and white - with the only colours being my colour-coded systems. But February was the month I started experimenting with watercolours, which carried over to my bullet journal spreads. I'm still on the fence about using watercolours in my bullet journal as the pages tend to warp. BUT I'm definitely loving the idea of incorporating more colours into my layout. It's a quick way to add some "quirk" and "personality" into layouts.
Incorporating more doodles: I started a visual to-do list at the start of the month (I only got to check off 3 of the 6 things...). This is definitely something I want to carry over into March, and hopefully do more "daily doodles" throughout the month as well.
There are also some things that just didn't work out:
Habit Trackers: I'm terrible at this and honestly, I don't think it did much for me. I was quite diligent the first three days - tracking my water intake and exercise on time, at the end of the day. And then things started falling apart from day 4 - let's just say that it was more of a memory exercise than anything. Do you know how hard it is to recall how much water you had each day the past week? I didn't have much luck with this - maybe it's because I'm terrible at remembering to fill in the habit tracker - but it's something that I'm leaving behind for now.
Vertical Calendar Layout: Okay, technically this is something that I did in January and ditched right after the month ended. But as beautiful as a vertical monthly layout is, I still prefer the traditional 7 days a week, horizontal monthly layout. Again, I'm a visual person, so being able to see events and dates marked out in a calendar gives me an idea of when it's happening - on which day and which week - at a glance. Whereas it felt like I was reading a list with the vertical monthly layout.
Something I want to try out in my March spread:
Space things out: Right now, all of my weekly spreads are across two pages, which works out most of the time. But I want to try the dutch door system and space my weekly spread across four pages - essentially giving me more space to separate my spread into more categories (e.g. work, personal, coffee + scribbles co, misc.) and have more space to doodle.
I always thought I already found "my bullet journalling system", I didn't realise I was still experimenting with my layouts until I decided to write this post. Turns out, I'm not as predictable as I thought I was. Do you experiment with your bullet journal layouts? If so, what worked or didn't work for you?