Read part 1 here!

I did a lot of research on BeautyMNL and Cosmo.ph, and asked friends for recommendations too. I found a lot of interesting and helpful articles, which gave me ideas on brands and products to try:

• The Strategist: The Google Doc I Send to People Who Ask About My Skin
• Cosmo.ph: The Tamad Girl’s Guide To Korean Skincare
• BeautyMNL: The Editors Answer: The 10-Step Korean Skincare Routine for Beginners
• BeautyMNL: K-Beauty 101: Your Ultimate Guide to the 10-Step Skin Routine
• BeautyMNL: Morning Skincare Routine vs. Evening Skincare Routine
• BeautyMNL: Watch: The 7-Step Anti-Acne Routine by COSRX
• BeautyMNL: The Editors Answer: The Correct Way to Apply Every Single Skincare Product

It was in August 2017 when I started spending more time and money on Korean skincare products and makeup.

Less than a month later, I noticed my skin was smoother and clearer, and I was using much less makeup!

I’ve only been doing this for two months, but so far this routine works for me.

Depending on your skin type, this combination of products might not work for you. You really have to try different products to see what works.

STEP 1: Makeup remover

Daily use: Maybelline Micellar Water. I like this because it doesn’t sting, and it doesn’t leave my skin feeling dry.

Heavy duty makeup remover: Banila Co. Clean It Zero (Classic). This thing is awesome. Use a spatula or a clean plastic spoon and apply all over your face, then massage gently. The makeup literally melts off your face! Then just rinse or wipe off gently.

STEP 2: Facial cleanser

Morning: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. I use this in the mornings, just to wash off any oil that might have accumulated through the night.

Evening: Mizon Snail Repairing Foam Cleanser. I use a teensy drop of this when I shower at night.

Evening: Céleteque Dermoscience™ Gentle Exfoliating Facial Wash. I only use this twice a week, or on days when I wear heavy makeup.

STEP 3: Acne treatment

CosRX Acne Pimple Master Patch. This is great for keeping pimples under control. Acne scars don’t seem so bad anymore. I just put a patch on a pimple after washing my face at night. It seems to work for me at any point of the pimple’s life cycle–when it’s bright red and hasn’t broken skin, or when the pimple is about to pop, or even after it’s popped. It’s good for keeping dirt out of the pimple.

STEP 4: Toner

Céleteque Dermoscience™ Acne Solutions Oil Control Toner. This is the toner I was using even before I started my Korean skincare routine. I had half a bottle, and I didn’t want to buy new toner before finishing this off. Happily, it worked pretty well with the new products.

CosRX Galactomyces Alcohol-Free Toner. I bought this because it was on sale. It came in a spray bottle, so at first I was a little confused about how to use it. I tried spraying it on cotton, and spraying it on then wiping it off. Then I read an article (The Correct Way to Apply Every Single Skincare Product) which was super helpful! So now I just spray it on my face and pat gently. It doesn’t seem to do much though, so I may just finish off the bottle I have now, and go back to the Céleteque toner.

STEP 5: Serum

Power 10 Formula VB Effector. Serums were confusing, at first. I couldn’t remember how to use it, or what it was supposed to do. Then I remembered that the Jeju serum I got from Caroline cleared up a lot of rough spots on my skin. This article (The Correct Way to Apply Every Single Skincare Product) helped too! So now I just apply it on rough spots. It works really fast. I saw results in a week!

STEP 6: Essence

CosRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. I think this is the Holy Grail of my skincare routine. This was one of the first products I used out of Caroline’s samples, and I bought my own bottle too. I think this is responsible for making the skin all over my face softer and smoother.

STEP 7: Moisturizer

Morning: Céleteque Dermoscience™ Sun Care Matte Moisturizer SPF 30. I’m really lazy about sunscreen, so I’m really thankful that a lot of moisturizers and makeup products have sunscreen built in.

Night: Human Nature Night Moisturizer with Jojoba. I used to use Céleteque Dermoscience™ Hydration Facial Moisturizer, but that one felt too liquid, and it didn’t seem to do much. I feel like my skin absorbs this better.

STEP 8: Eye cream

Mizon Snail Repair Eye Cream. The Mizon foam cleanser and the CosRX essence both use snail ingredients, so I figured I’d give this one a try. The dark circles under my eyes seem to be lighter!

Skin Genie Anti EYEging. I started with this one because it was cheap. Now I only use this in the mornings. It’s very liquid, so I have to wait until my skin fully absorbs it before I put on makeup. It comes in a roller bottle, which is really convenient, and it feels nice!

I know the stuff is working because even my old acne scars have faded. The rough spots are gone. And when I wake up in the morning, my face doesn’t feel heavy and oily.

September 2017. I decided, hey, I didn’t look so bad without makeup!

And just last week, an officemate told me my skin was lovely.

And, looking at my Instagram posts, I’ve been posting more selfies, which means I like how I look!

When I like how I look, I feel better about myself, and that makes me feel better about the world.

October 2017. I’ve been wearing much less makeup!