2016 was a fairly wild 12 months in quite a lot of methods. Even my face acquired a style of the turmoil. I attempted quite a lot of completely different merchandise from quite a lot of completely different manufacturers this 12 months, and whereas a few of these merchandise have been actually nice (and I respect the chance to strive all of them), others…weren’t. I took a deeply moisturizing journey down Reminiscence Lane, digging by way of a 12 months’s price of Evernote entries and Instagram posts to give you these picks.
Affiliate hyperlinks on this submit are marked with an asterisk(*). Some merchandise on this listing have been offered for my consideration by manufacturers and retailers and are marked with double asterisks(**).
2016 Asian Skincare Greatest (and Worst)
I selected a greatest and worst product for virtually all my routine steps, leaving out solely the steps for which I haven’t tried a large sufficient choice of merchandise to discover a true “greatest” and “worst.” Decisions seem in order of product utility, so consider this as my 2016 Holy Grail skincare routine. Oh, and I’ve offered options to the higher-end objects within the listing. Fiddy luhhh you.
Greatest Oil Cleanser: Amorepacific Therapy Cleaning Oil**
I had a very, REALLY dreadful time discovering a cleaning oil to like this 12 months. It appears like the whole lot I attempted was both simply okay or outright dreadful. After which I acquired a few reward units from Sulwhasoo and Amorepacific’s US workplaces, eagerly opened up the little bottle of Amorepacific Therapy Cleaning Oil, and had my world instantly utterly rocked.
GUYS. This cleaning oil. THIS CLEANSING OIL. It’s precisely the fitting consistency for my tastes: thick sufficient in order that it doesn’t run or drip onto my lash extensions however not so thick that it feels gross or exhausting to unfold. It breaks up make-up and sunscreen in a flash. It emulsifies nicely with a contact of water. No frantic rubbing to attempt to produce the milky white stuff. And it rinses off with an ease I’ve by no means skilled earlier than. It leaves my pores and skin merely clear; I don’t really feel any oil residue after rinsing in any respect. If I discovered myself out of foaming cleanser (unlikely), I’d be comfy simply utilizing the Therapy Cleaning Oil to clean.
I’m not in love with the perfume, which is extra flowery than I desire lately, but it surely’s not an disagreeable perfume in any respect and is a minor grievance in comparison with all that I like about these things. It’s additionally very minor in comparison with the actually horrifying smells of another cleaning oils I’ve used this 12 months. (Preserve studying.)
Substances listing and CosDNA evaluation | Amorepacific* | 30ml mini dimension included within the Amorepacific Asian Magnificence Secret Assortment* | Test the particular codes part in my right-hand sidebar, as Amorepacific US often provides Fifty Shades of Snail readers further items.
Various: The one cleaning oil I like the way in which I like the Amorepacific Therapy Cleaning Oil is illi Hanbang Whole Growing older Care Cleaning Oil. I raved about it just a little over a 12 months in the past and used it for a lot of pleased months. I desire the scent of the illi, and it rinses virtually as cleanly because the Amorepacific, although it does ship a extra “moisturized” really feel relatively than a glowing clear one. (Full evaluate | Amazon* | Memebox* | Jolse)
Worst oil cleanser of 2016: I hated so many cleaning oils this 12 months. Which one was the worst? I couldn’t resolve till I requested myself, “which one did I most dread utilizing?” The reply is Missha Excellent BB Deep Cleaning Oil**, which I acquired from Missha’s US PR. It performs nicely however smells like a cosmetics formulator’s hangover, a flaw I seen increasingly more each time I used it. Chemically, with sharp notes of artificial fruit perfume and bile. The scent is powerful, and it lingers. This is likely one of the Missha merchandise that Goal now carries on-line* and will likely be carrying in shops in January, however I plan to steer clear of it and snag their M Signature Actual Full BB Cream*, one in every of my first HGs, and play with their Time Revolution* line, as an alternative.
Greatest Foaming Cleanser: Sulwhasoo Snowise EX Cleaning Foam
I had higher luck this 12 months with acidic (pH <7) foaming cleansers than I did with cleaning oils. Regardless of my wealth of fulfilling cleaning choices, nonetheless, I discovered myself constantly going again to the pH 6-7 Snowise EX Cleaning Foam once I had it and constantly desirous to repurchase it after I ran out. So I repurchased it, as a result of I’ve no higher enablement sufferer than myself.
The Snowise EX Cleaning Foam provides a dimension of indulgence to the tedious chore of washing my face twice a day (which is one thing I would like once I’m feeling down and never within the temper to tug myself to the lavatory to begin my routine). This cleanser smells of contemporary inexperienced pine needles and produces dense, luxurious foam that creates a cushion between my fingertips and facial pores and skin whereas I’m massaging it round. My pores and skin feels smooth and purified after utilizing this, and it by no means dries me out or causes any redness after cleaning.
Ingredient listing and CosDNA evaluation | Jolse | Amazon Prime*
Various: These days I take virtually as a lot pleasure in indie Korean model Simplistic’s Start Cleanser**, which was despatched to me from Beautibi. The frivolously minty, pH 5.5-6 cleanser produces a good quantity of froth and cleans my face to a contemporary, comfy state. Simplistic is a small firm whose CEO doesn’t solely the product formulations, but in addition the branding, design, and even Instagram images. (Substances listing and CosDNA evaluation | Beautibi | New Beautibi prospects can use my referral hyperlink to obtain $5 off your first buy)
Worst foaming cleanser of 2016: I feel I made my emotions about Treeannsea Eskimo Mella Liquide Mousse Foam** fairly clear in this evaluate. I don’t even like utilizing this cleanser to scrub my make-up puffs and brushes, because it leaves my palms so stripped.
Greatest First Essence/Fermentation Essence: Naruko Jingcheng Face Renewal Miracle Essence**
After rage-quitting first essences in early 2015 as a consequence of Missha’s reformulation of my once-beloved Time Revolution The First Therapy Essence, I lastly acquired again into the FTE sport in 2016. Luckily, one in every of my first makes an attempt at re-entry was Naruko Jingcheng Face Renewal Miracle Essence, offered to me by Naruko US. The outcomes I acquired from this primary essence far exceeded my expectations; I’ve acquired backups within the closet and am ready for a possibility to get it again into my routine. (Full evaluate | Naruko US*)
Worst first essence of 2016: The legendary SK-II Facial Therapy Essence runs for $100 or extra retail, about $85 an excessive amount of for a product that didn’t do something for my pores and skin besides hydrate. It wasn’t even essentially the most hydrating product I’ve tried on this class. My good friend and fellow Snailcast member Tracy (of Fanserviced-B and Racked fame) despatched me a journey bottle of this to strive. I went by way of the entire thing with out having a single optimistic thought in regards to the product or its results.
Greatest Essence: COSRX Superior Snail 96 Mucin Energy Essence
How a lot do I like COSRX’s Superior Snail 96 Mucin Energy Essence? A lot that I’ve misplaced rely of what number of bottles I’ve completed and repurchased during the last couple of years. I typically take a break from it to strive different snail merchandise, and a few of these different snail merchandise are very nice in different methods, however for pure calming, soothing, protecting, skin-softening, snail-slimey efficiency, I haven’t discovered something that compares to this. I at all times discover a steep decline within the softness of my pores and skin once I’m not utilizing this product. Its cream sibling is HG for me, too.
(Full evaluate | Amazon Prime* | Wishtrend* | Memebox*)
Worst essence of 2016: To me, Huxley’s branding emanates cool from each invisibly tiny pore. I like the way in which their packaging marries stylish minimalism with pure magnificence. I didn’t love the efficiency of Huxley Secret of Sahara Oil Essence**, which was offered to me by Glow Recipe. I discovered this supposedly deep moisturizing product to be surprisingly not significantly moisturizing–I can get the identical degree of moisture from many different serums, a few of which additionally ship different optimistic outcomes. The Secret of Sahara Oil Essence didn’t give me any particular illuminating or smoothing or firming results. The fragrance and the scent of the alcohol within the product exacerbated my complications. And my dropper bottle appeared poorly made; I might solely ever get a 3rd of a dropper of product out at a time.
Greatest Serum: Sulwhasoo Capsulized Ginseng Fortifying Serum
It means rather a lot once I develop dependent sufficient on a product to repurchase it, and it means much more when that product usually prices $100+. I’ve repurchased Sulwhasoo’s ginseng serum as soon as already and can accomplish that once more if I can’t discover something at a lower cost level that may give me comparable enhancements in pores and skin resilience and elasticity, which to date nothing has. In the course of the instances in between bottles of this ginsengy elixir, I discover myself continually and futilely chasing that bounce in different merchandise.
Full evaluate | Amazon* | Sulwhasoo US* | Test the particular codes part in my right-hand sidebar, as Sulwhasoo US often provides Fifty Shades of Snail readers further items.
Various: In the identical method that I haven’t discovered something fairly just like the Capsulized Ginseng Fortifying Serum for pores and skin resilience, I haven’t seen something that fairly stacks as much as Holy Snails Shark Sauce for general spot lightening and pores and skin brightening. It is smart, since Chel, the creator of Shark Sauce, initially concocted Shark Sauce to fulfill my private cravings for plenty of seaweed and many niacinamide. Shark Sauce is just about well-known now. I nonetheless use it in between trials of different brightening merchandise and find it irresistible a lot I purchased the enormous Megalodon dimension. (Trial dimension | 30ml Shark Sauce | 50ml Whale Shark | 100ml Megalodon)
Worst serum of 2016: I’ll maintain my rant on Blithe Tundra Chaga Pressed Serum** temporary. I already ragged on it right here anyway. Blithe’s schtick appears to be “commonplace merchandise compelled into odd consistencies,” and this one’s nonstandard consistency appeared to undermine the aim of the product. The Tundra Chaga Pressed Serum, which was offered by Glow Recipe, refused to sink into my pores and skin or to do a lot of something in any respect. It did scent good, although, so there’s that.
Greatest Sheet Masks: MasKingdom Chinese language Medi line
MasKingdom’s sheet masks are usually spectacular for me, however the Chinese language Medi ones go a number of steps past, which is why I find yourself grabbing a handful every time I do a Beautibi order but by no means really feel like I’ve sufficient. The smooth, comfy masks sheets maintain a ton of essence, sufficient for the masks to remain moist for 45+ minutes on my face, and the translucent glow these masks give me lingers for a day after use. I’ve tried many types and discover that, for me, all of them excel at calming redness, night out and brightening my pores and skin tone, and offering lasting plumpness and hydration. As an added bonus, none of them are perfumey. The natural scents are typically fairly faint, apart from the pleasantly minty however nonetheless refined perfume of the Peony & Angelica taste.
Singles at Beautibi (scroll down to seek out particular person varieties) | Chinese language Medication full set | New Beautibi prospects can use my referral hyperlink to obtain $5 off your first buy)
Various: This 12 months I noticed that I desire Taiwanese sheet masks over Korean ones more often than not. I like each the common pulp and extremely skinny silk masks sheet supplies higher, and one thing in regards to the essences the T-beauty masks producers use appears to sink in higher to my pores and skin, offering extra constantly superior outcomes. So my MasKingdom options are additionally Taiwanese. I like the Naruko Narcissus DNA Repairing masks for his or her intense brightening and firming results and the Naruko NRK Snail Essence Intense Hydra Restore masks for his or her ultra-calming properties; I purchase each by the field.
Narcissus DNA Repairing Masks full evaluate | NRK Snail Essence Intense Hydra Restore Masks full evaluate | Narcissus Repairing Masks at Naruko US* | Narcissus Repairing Masks on Amazon Prime* | Snail Essence Intense Hydra Restore Masks at Naruko US* | Snail Essence Intense Hydra Restore Masks on Amazon Prime*
Worst sheet masks of 2016: It’s superior when mainstream US retailers carry Asian merchandise, however not a lot so when these Asian merchandise are Blithe sheet masks. Tracy additionally despatched me a taste every of those to strive. She didn’t like them, however we thought I would, since I’ve a severe marine ingredient fixation and these have been within the sea cucumber and abalone flavors carried by City Outfitters. My greatest guess about why UO selected this model and these varieties is that the packaging seems to be actually cool. The precise masks, as Tracy, I, and different pals agreed, are form of gross, with thick, heavy essence that doesn’t sink in, however as an alternative sits in an oily layer on high of pores and skin after masking. By no means once more.
Greatest Cream: Soo Ae Freeset Donkey Milk 3D Moisture Cream
I’ve tried so, so, so many various lotions of various weights and consistencies this 12 months, and most of them have been simply effective and a few of them have been actually good, however none of them packed the identical unbelievable nourishing and barrier-healing energy of my valuable Freeset Donkey Milk 3D Moisture Cream. These things quickly repairs my pores and skin when it’s overexfoliated and irritated, supplies simply sufficient moisture with out “too heavy for day” limitations, and simply feels good to make use of. It was one of many final lotions that I used up enthusiastically, now that I give it some thought.
Full evaluate | Memebox* | JKLNEE.com
Worst cream of 2016: When a cream not solely stomps throughout my Asian skincare nostalgia but in addition actually bodily hurts my face (by scraping my pores and skin with comically outsized and completely pointless gold flakes), I feel it’s fairly clear that that cream is the worst of the 12 months. Mizon Gold Starfish Cream, you might be no Returning Starfish. You’ll by no means return to my stash once more.
2016 is nearly over (only a bit over 4 hours for me!). It was a loopy 12 months, filled with merchandise and running a blog and extra merchandise and extra running a blog and a little bit of podcasting too. I’ll be persevering with to make use of my greatest merchandise in 2017 and attempting as exhausting as I can to neglect about my worst. And I can’t wait to see what new skincare goodness 2017 will convey.
Comfortable New 12 months!
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