Posts

Shopping My Stash: Whoo Gongjinhyang Fresh UV Protective Cream

I do have a rather embarrassingly large stash. Most of samples but there's some less-loved full sizes too. Even loved full sizes don't always get used and there's a whole ton of reasons, mostly down to time. I got into a bad habit of forgetting to do my evening routine and having to rush it right before bed, so I needed to use super quick drying products. Then there the morning rush, which then compounds the not-using things issue. This means some things which are quick drying, but not super quick, don't get used. This series of posts is about working my way through my stash as I both try to diminish it and for the move away from LG. Although, as Odile recently pointed out on Instagram, many of the major brands are using AI for marketing now, before and after model shots as well as texture photos. Madness! Link: https://www.abmuse.net/2024/11/lg-h-using-ai-for-marketing-and-why-i.html So my current ploy is to spread my money around across different brands. There...

First Impressions: Missha Chogongjin Youngan Jin Cream

Image
  Slightly blurry photo of the front of the Missha Chogongjin Youngan Jin Cream box Introduction I saw this recommended as a cheaper and reasonable alternative to a Whoo cream by a trusted sub member. I don't think I'd actually tried that Whoo cream but I like a recommendation for a good value product that works fine as an alternative to a Whoo product. It was great timing as I wanted something I could easily order (and reorder) that wasn't from LG. Link to AB Muse about the not-LG and now not-AP: https://www.abmuse.net/2024/11/lg-h-using-ai-for-marketing-and-why-i.html Review Cost: $29~ for 60ml Packaging It's a deep red oval jar, with a wide top, tapering to a narrower base with a gold lid. It has the classic removable plastic disc over the opening of the jar and comes with a spatula. It looks nice on my dressing table and is satisfying to hold because all of the edges are nicely rounded. Looking at Missha US/EN site, there's been a change to the packaging an...

(Micro) First Impressions: Whoo Hwanyu Imperial Youth Contour Eye Cream

  You can find all the info about this on Odile's site: https://themonodist.com/the-history-of-whoo-hwanyu-imperial-youth-contour-eye-cream/ For me, this might be the One Eye Cream To Rule Them All. I have, admittedly, not used very much of this, one 0.6ml blister but a little went a long way. Granted, that probably sounds ridiculous but not only is the texture perfect for me, it seems to have delivered visible benefits in the time I've been using it. Here's my previous eye-area product discussion-review: https://commercialpoemferments.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-sleep-crease-saga-continued.html Background I didn't actually order the Hwanyu, I'd ordered samples of the Hera Signia Core Lifting Serum that Odile recommended to me on the sub when I asked for a serum on the Alter Daily Help Thread that wasn't an LG product. The Hera went out of stock so StyleJolly sent me a load of other samples to make up for not being able to supply it. It was a huge amount of sample...

The Emergency Sheetmask

I am not really one for sheetmasks, which is why I never talk about them. My preference is for adding an extra leave-on product if my skin needs a boost and I already have a product for that: Sulwhasoo's Timetreasure Invigorating Serum. Whilst this has been discontinued, I've got the replacement to try (the Ultimate S Serum).  Sheetmasks never fit my face well, I don't like the feeling of it or the time sink. And then there's AB Muse's post about how the preservatives concentrate if you leave it on for ages. Link to AB Muse's post about preservative concentration   However, there is one situation when a sheetmask is indispensable: over-exfoliation. I've borked my skin  I was just double-checking that the term borked meant what I thought it did and found this delightful etymological explanation. Joy!  https://www.reddit.com/r/etymology/s/G5Eeh8Dmc8 Back to borking my skin: this has happened a couple of times now because I am not an entirely sensible person. I...

First impressions: Kose Sekkisei Medicated Cream

Some purchases I spend ages deliberating over and some I just pick up randomly, on a whim or because of a recommendation. I think Sekkisei was a recc from AB Muse and it was a great choice for me. This is a truly delightful product, fragrance aside, and could be the ideal day moisturiser, although it seems like it may break me out.  I say may break me out because it could be user error.  Cost $3ish for 6g, mini pots from TK. Although I'm pretty sure it's out of stock now.  Packaging It's a jar, my least favourite cream packaging but what can you do. A jar is probably the best packaging for a cream, given you can be sure you've used it to the last drop, although a squeeze tube is just easier in my opinion. Pretty much everything comes in jars and a squeeze tube for a gel cream is probably madness because how would you consistently squeeze out the right amount and also I often don't pay attention to how much I'm squeezing, resulting in using too much. My face do...

First impressions: Sooryehan The Black Single Essence

This will feel like a big of a negative review but it'll get better! Cost  $27.44 from KoreaDepart (plus shipping, no taxes) Introduction I got this to do a full routine of The Black range and hoping it would help with redness, like The Black Serum originally did. I thought using all four products - essence, serum, moisturiser and cream - would be delightful as a routine. I suspected that the products wouldn't be siliconey enough to help with sleep creases, knowing the cream was actually quite light.  And knowing the essence would be watery, I potentially felt that I would be annoyed by it because I find watery products annoying to apply and take ages to absorb. Packaging It's interesting that the serum, even the 60ml, comes in a plastic bottle, where as the essence and moisturiser are both glass bottles. The essence has an open top with one of those plastic covers so it doesn't just pour out but it does still just pour out because it's super watery. Regardless of t...

Sooryehan The Black Fine Shampoo and Treatment

Image
Image of Sooryehan The Black Fine Shampoo (right) and Black Fine Treatment (left). Gold fading into black ombre colours, the shampoo has a pump and the treatment has a flip top Before I continue with this review, I am in the process of mentally getting to grips with not purchasing any more LG products - AB Muse makes a very eloquent argument on the blog about the greenwashing of their AI marketing announcement and the effect it'll have on human employment: https://www.abmuse.net/2024/11/lg-h-using-ai-for-marketing-and-why-i.html I'll keep posting reviews because almost all of my core routine products are LG (I have a lot to go through before I start replacing them) and you, dear Reader, may want to use them. No judgement and the purpose of this blog was to review these products so I'll keep posting. I'm sure other companies make questionable choices and it's all about the money money money nom nom nom, and they may be using AI but we just don't know about it, et...