Sometimes I buy beauty stuff even if I don’t need it, or just out of curiosity or because I want to cheer myself up. I know I shouldn’t do that – it’s evidence that I’m trying to fill an internal void with meaningless objects, which in turn is the result of a capitalist conspiracy to keep me unhappy and coming back from more. This is, broadly speaking, true. If I were a fully content, balanced, worthy individual, I could probably live without a ‘wardrobe of cleansers’. But sometimes I think that buying that new cleanser is a better option than despairing and berating myself over the fact that I haven’t yet reached complete enlightenment and still crave stuff. I mean – it’s just skincare. It could be drugs!

Which, obviously, brings me to Korean skincare. It’s often this category I turn to when I want something fun and interesting and not insanely expensive. The Koreans innovate constantly and there are so many brands to choose from that you can always find something exciting. Here’s a quick round-up of what I’ve tried recently.

Let’s start with the abovementioned cleansers. I like both Laneige Cream Skin Milk Oil Cleanser and Sioris Cleanse Me Softly Milk Cleanser, but I have a slight preference for the first one. I was initially almost disappointed, because I expected the Laneige to be richer, more oily. But I have really grown to love it: it is very light and gentle, while still having the oil base that can deal with makeup very effectively. I use it in the morning, though, especially when my skin feels a bit dry or sensitive. My favourite time to use it is after training: it has enough oomph to cut through the sweat, but isn’t as heavy as my balmier cleansers. The Sioris is also lovely (and more reasonably priced), it reminds me of – in texture and smell – The Inkey List Multi-Biotic Moisturiser. It’s more solid than Laneige, more yoghurt than milk, and has the slightly sour smell of yoghurt, too (I couldn’t locate any probiotics on the ingredient list, but it feels like it includes them). It’s a lovely, comfortable cleanser and another favourite for mornings.

Korean skincare is big on different toners and essences. Of the three I’ve bought recently, my favourite is I’m From Rice Toner (Gothamista has been raving about it for years, so it’s not a surprise I like it). The main ingredient here is rice bran and the toner is supposed to be hydrating (definitely the case) and brightening (potentially the case) and I feel it’s also very slightly exfoliating, although this isn’t advertised anywhere. I like the milky-watery consistency and often use it in the morning when I want something extra. I also really enjoy Laneige’s Cream Skin Refiner – this is more hydrating and moisturising than the rice toner and is, as the name suggests, creamier in texture. I like to use it when I want an additional layer of moisture or when I for example take a shower in the middle of the day and need SOMETHING on my skin, without going through an entire routine. I imagine that if your skin is oily, you could easily use it instead of a hydrating serum. I also bought a travel size of the cult Son & Park Beauty Water which is my least favourite of the bunch (nothing wrong with it, just not amazing). But its USP is that you can also use it for cleansing and I haven’t really tried that.

Moving on to serums, I got three by Beauty of Joseon: Propolis Glow Serum, Ginseng Repair Serum and Green Tea Calming Serum. They come as a little 3x10ml set and honestly, it’s difficult to tell how effective they are – because I use them randomly whenever I feel like it. I do enjoy them, though: they are all basically hyaluronic acid serums with added benefits and feel immediately nice on the skin. The ingredient lists are very solid and the small bottles are useful for traveling and the gym. I have used the glow one the most, but I think that’s mostly because of the name.

I’m From Honey Mask is another product Gothamista has been recommending for ages, so I had to get this, too. I rarely use masks these days, as I believe a proper routine outperforms any one-off product and I’m not sure this mask is going to change my mind. The ingredients are nice (mostly real honey, but also propolis and macadamia, sunflower, hazel and jojoba oils) and I did feel an effect after I used it: the skin was more supple and clearer. However, after a couple of minutes it also felt very tight, which is not a feeling I enjoy. I will give it another chance, though.

Finally, I also bought two sunscreens, because I generally find Asian sun products far superior to the European ones. And this is definitely the case with Neogen Dermalogy Day Light Protection Sunscreen SPF50/PA+++. It is not as lightweight and dry-touch as my beloved Biore, but the texture is very elegant and it looks and feels lovely on the skin. When I use this, I can in fact skip the moisturiser, which is the ideal scenario for me. I also love the lemongrass smell, but this may not be everyone’s cup of tea. The other one I got was Heimish Artless Glow Base SPF50+/PA+++, which actually is higher rated on some websites than Neogen, but I prefer the latter. I suspect the Heimish would work better on drier skins than mine, on me it feels a bit too oily and shiny. Also, I don’t know where I have put it, so cannot test it again in case I’m wrong.

So, here you go, I have brought you all the morsels of skincare information I’ve gathered in recent weeks. Do you have any new (Korean) skincare favourites?