Greetings, alpacas! Bubbles will be sharing her Sulwhasoo stash and skincare regime today.
Bubbles is the proud owner of 8 full-sized Sulwhasoo products and she certainly hopes to acquire more. Introducing her babies, from left to right:
(1) Sulwhasoo Snowise EX White Ginseng Exfoliating Gel - 80 ml/$68
Bubbles bought this about 2 weeks ago. This is an exfoliating gel that contains little ginseng bits. It is gentle enough to be used daily (as the ginseng bits are extremely soft), and Bubbles uses it nightly after her makeup remover and cleanser. Bubbles squeezes out a generous dollop and massages it all over her mien for about 2 minutes. She then rinses it off to reveal brighter skin with minimized pores. For alpacas looking for a scrub with hard scrubby bits in it (e.g. apricot kernels, walnut shell) to have that feeling, this isn't the scrub for you. However, it does a good job with brightening up the complexion, and the smell is oh-so-luxurious. Cuddles also uses it, and her preliminary thoughts are that it seems to lighten scars.
(2) First Care Activating Serum - 60 ml/$106
Bubbles has been using this for about 2 months, and about 3/8 of her bottle is left. Bubbles now uses two pumps every morning and night for her mien (previously she would only use this at night). The serum is light and not sticky, with a refreshing herb-y smell. It looks like runny honey. This alpaca does not know how good the serum is on its own, as she layers lots of product over it. However, the serum promises to enhance the absorption of subsequent skincare products, and Bubbles has nothing to complain about this!
(3) Hydro-aid Moisturizing Lifting Toner - 150ml/$68
Bubbles has been using this for about a month, and has about half a bottle left. Bubbles uses it morning and night, after cleansing and before applying the First Care Activating Serum. Bubbles is quite liberal with this, putting 4 drops on a cotton pad and wiping her face. This toner is supposed to lift off any remaining gunk on Bubbles' face after cleansing, and so far it lives up to its claims.
(4) Hydro-aid Moisturizing Lifting Serum - 60 ml/$148
Bubbles has been using this for about 1.5 months in the mornings, before she started using the Herblinic ampoules in the mornings (they are not to be layered). Bubbles likes the Hydro-aid line because it's lighter than the Essential line (Bubbles finds that the Essential line has a heavier texture, so she saves it for night use - the other Sulwhasoo lines like Timetreasure are meant for more mature skin). The serum is white and creamy (it is an opaque white, not clear), and it is absorbed quickly once applied. Together with the lifting cream, it really hydrates the skin.
(5) Hydro-aid Moisturizing Lifting Cream - 50 ml/$132
Bubbles has also been using this for about 1.5 months, in the mornings. For the past two weeks, she has replaced the hydro-aid products in the morning with the Herblinic ampoule (more on this later). Sometimes, Bubbles skips this step (i.e. toner + serum + sunblock + makeup), but makeup always applies better when Bubbles uses the cream as well (no flaky bits).
(6) Hydro-aid Moisturizing Lifting UV Protection Cream SPF 50+ PA+++ - 50 ml/$68
Bubbles has been using this for about 2 months, in the mornings. She applies it after her skincare, and before makeup. The sunblock gives Bubbles' face a slightly oily look (but it is not oily), although it isn't anything some powder can't fix. This sunblock smells great (herbsy) and provides a smooth canvas for makeup to go over. Primers and/or makeup applied over the sunblock do not slip/slide off the face after a long day.
(7) Herblinic Restorative Ampoules (7 ml x 5) - $248
These ampoules are highly concentrated skincare meant to refine the skin after about 2 months of continued usage (each ampoule is supposed to last for 12 days and has little markings for each day to show how much product is left). Bloggers out there say that they are good for acne prone skin, as well as for refining pores. Bubbles was sold onto this concept and thus bought some to try. Bubbles has used it for about a month, and is on to her 2nd bottle (the first bottle lasted for about 2.5 weeks, mainly because Bubbles only used it at night).
Bubbles now uses it day and night, one pump at a time (but two if she's feeling indulgent). Bubbles hasn't yet seen the effects of the ampoules, but that could be because she's only 1/5 her way through them. However, Bubbles loves it when her skin is looking angry after she's removed all the gunk from her pores... after application, skin looks calmer after 5 minutes.
A note to alpacas out there: the ampoule essence is thick, and takes longer to sink into the face, so it leaves a stickier feeling compared to the hydro-aid serum and cream (which was why Bubbles didn't want to use it in the mornings). However, this can be resolved if (1) alpacas press their paws to their face after applying the ampoule essence, so that it is absorbed into the face faster, and (2) alpacas wait about 10-20 minutes after applying the ampoule essence before putting on makeup (which means waking up earlier). The latter suggestion is less attractive to Bubbles, simply because sleep is worth its weight in gold!
(8) Sulwhasoo Skin Clarifying Mask - 150 ml/$60
Bubbles can't say enough nice things about this mask. After receiving 2 samples, Bubbles went and bought the full-sized version. This is a peel off mask that is extremely sticky when wet (long-haired alpacas should be mindful to keep their hair out of their faces because it is a bitch to remove from hair), but dries to a thin film which you peel off from forehead to chin. This alpaca loves to peel it, and her mien is bright and glowing and SO SOFT to the touch after the mask is removed. Her pores are also minimized (what pores?).
(9) 3 assorted samples
The other 3 items are the Essential Balacing Water (sample - 15 ml), Essential Balancing Emulsion (sample - 15 ml) and Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream (sample - 5 ml). Bubbles hasn't bought the full sized products yet, mainly because she can live off the samples that come with every purchase (she has another 3 sets of the essential water and emulsion, and 2 more pots of the ginseng cream).
Essential Balancing Water - 125 ml / $68: This is the toner in the Essential Line - it is quite viscous, compared to the Hydro-aid toner, which is like water. A most unromantic way to describe its texture would be that of 'runny mucus'', but hey, whatever works! This sinks in to the skin almost immediately after application. If Bubbles is feeling lazy she sometimes skips the next step. Bubbles also puts on the Balancing Water before putting on the clarifying mask (#8).
Essential Balancing Emulsion - 125 ml / $78: Bubbles puts this on after the water. She prefers the scent of the Hydro-aid line, as it has more of a refreshing zing (like a citrus fruit).
Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream - 60 ml / $276: Bubbles has been told by the Sulwhasoo Beauty Advisors that this cream and the Ginseng Oil may be too rich for her twenty-something skin. so she does not slather it all over her face. Instead, Bubbles uses the Ginseng Cream to treat spots. If one has picked at a spot, it looks less angry after a night of ginseng cream. Any dark scars seem to fade away faster too (in about 2 days' time). Bubbles will probably live off Ginseng Cream samples because the full-size is incredibly spendy for a spot treatment, and Bubbles will never be able to use it up before the expiry date.
(1) Bubbles' current day & night routine
From left to right, in order of usage: (1) Hydro-aid toner (this goes on first), (2) First Care Activating Serum, followed by (3) Herblinic Ampoule (1 pump), and then (4) Hydro-aid sunblock. Skip the sunblock at night. Makeup goes on after the sunblock.
(2) Bubbles' previous day routine
This was before Bubbles switched to using the Herblinic ampoules in the morning as well. From left to right, in order of usage: (1) Hydro-aid toner, (2) First Care Activating Serum, (3) Hydro-aid serum, (4) Hydro-aid cream, (5) Hydro-aid sunblock. The smells are delicious!
(3) Exciting extras
From left to right, in order of usage: Bubbles uses the (1) Ginseng exfoliating gel in the shower, followed by (2) the First Care Activating Serum and (3) the Essential Balancing Water. She then applies a thick gloopy layer of the (4) Skin Clarifying Mask, waits for 20 minutes, then peels it off and applies (5) the Herblinic Restorative Ampoule. Alpacas who do not use this intensive treatment can use (6) the Essential Balancing Lotion after removing the mask. Then go to sleep, waking up to glowing skin. The skin clarifying mask should only be used twice a week.
Toodles, alpacas! For those of you who only saw the first line of this post published earlier - Bubbles sends her apologies your way, and much love for your patience, as she was doing a test post because Blogger kept telling her that there were problems publishing/saving her draft. Bubbles will not let a lengthy post go unsaved! Have a funday Sunday!
