My Favorite Winter Mask (and it's really affordable!)

I'm probably starting to sound like a broken record but Skinfood is one of my absolute favorite skincare brands...they're effective and affordable which is an unbeatable combination. Today I wanted to share my favorite Winter mask/scrub with you, the Black Sugar Honey Mask ($11.50). I use the original Black Sugar Mask in the Spring and Summer but when the weather gets cold and my skin gets dry I switch to this one because it adds a boost of moisture to my skin while removing dry patches and refining texture.

I picked mine up on the Skinfood website but I just noticed that Ulta recently started carrying it as well!

Let's take a look!

Skinfood Black Friday Sale

Skinfood is one of my favorite affordable skincare brands and they finally launched their US site a few months ago (they also have a few select products at Ulta now). Even though I love drugstore makeup, I admit that I can sometimes be a skincare snob...I prefer using higher-end brands because I've had better luck with them vs. drugstore brands. But not when it comes to Skinfood!

They're affordable and effective and some of their products are holy grail for me. I used to purchase them directly from Korea (and the shipping took forever) so I'm really happy they finally have a US site. 

This weekend, select products are on sale and there are also freebies depending on how much you spend: 

• Spend $50 and get a free full-size Black Sugar Wash off Mask (my favorite scrub of all time!)
• Spend $75 and get a free full-size Black Sugar Perfect First Serum 2x
• Spend $100 and get a free full-size Royal Honey Essential Eye Cream

My Recommendations: 

Of course, I highly recommend the Black Sugar Wash Off Mask, $10 (it's a scrub that makes your face super smooth, like porcelain...so good!). But if you spend $50 on other products, you'll get it for free, so keep that in mind. There's also a version with Honey ($11.50) that I plan on putting in my cart today. 

Also, if you have dry skin the Avocado line is amazing! I have the Avocado Rich Essence, $23 and the Avocado Rich Cream, $25 and they are super hydrating without being too heavy. They have a beautiful light scent and make my skin feel baby soft when I wake up in the morning. 

If you have oily skin, the Fresh Apple and Peach Sake lines are wonderful as well. I know a few people who use them and are totally obsessed. 

Finally, I use the Miracle Food 10 Toner and Serum during the day and I love them because they're packed with antioxidants that protect your skin from the aging effects of the environment all day. This is the most expensive Skinfood line and it rarely goes on sale so now's your chance to try it! 

Have you tried Skinfood yet? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! 

Skin Food is Now at Ulta + Suggestions

My #1 favorite Korean skincare brand, Skin Food is now at Ulta! I'm over-the-moon excited because until now, they've been extremely hard to find online. I happen to live near one of the handful of Skin Food retail stores, but I've always been hesitant to recommend their products here on the blog because I would have to refer you to Amazon where the products can be overpriced and take a month (or more) to ship from Korea.
My two favorite face scrubs on Earth...Black Sugar Mask and Rice Mask are actually available at SokoGlam.com (which ships from NY) but I'm guessing you guys would much rather get the Ulta points if you can, right? 

Ulta doesn't carry the full line (yet) but they do have several products that I've been using for a few years, so I can recommend my favorites to you. 

First...the Black Sugar Mask and Rice Mask! These two scrubs are only $10 at Ulta and you can see my full review on them HERE.

I can also highly recommend the Black Sugar Cleansing Oil ($21) It's lightweight and rinses away clean, taking off all of your makeup with it. I did a full review on it HERE back in 2014...the bottle has changed but it's the same formula. 

I got a deluxe sample at the Skin Food store of the Cucumber & Lettuce Emulsion $15 (which is a light moisturizer that goes on before your regular moisturizer- or can take the place of moisturizer if you're oily). I love how refreshing and cooling it felt on my skin...I was actually planning to get the full size this summer next time I made a trip to the store, but now I think I'll just grab it on the Ulta website! 

The Egg White Pore Foam ($11) is a deep cleanser that I use once a week or so and it really gets deep down into your pores so your skin feels ridiculously clean...yet it doesn't dry out or strip my skin (which is dry to begin with). It makes tons of plush, creamy foam so you only need a tiny bit to clean your whole face. I haven't gotten around to reviewing it yet, but it's awesome! 

Finally, the Peach Sake Pore Serum ($16) is another favorite of mine. It contains Vitamins A & C, Silica, Peach Extract, Sake, and Peptides to tighten pores, smooth, tone and firm the skin, brighten, and control sebum. I don't have oily skin but the pores on my cheeks have become much more noticeable as I get older, so this makes my skin look smoother!

I'm hoping Ulta decides to add more Skin Food products over time because I'm obsessed with their Avocado products in the Winter when my skin is extra dry! 

Have you tried Skin Food yet? If not, will you try something from the line now that it's at Ulta? 

To see the full line available at Ulta, visit Ulta.com

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The Two Face Scrubs I Can't Live Without

I first discovered Skinfood a few years ago after researching the Korean skincare routine with its multi-step process. I had heard great things about their Black Sugar line and decided to try their Black Sugar Mask (which is really a scrub, not just a mask). Fast forward a few years later and I'm still using it, and don't plan on stopping any time soon. I have also discovered many more Skinfood products recently due to their retail store that opened in my area. Unfortunately, they still don't have a U.S. website, but Ulta now carries them!

Anyway, if you're looking for a great face scrub I highly recommend checking one (or both) of these options out. They've become holy grail skincare items for me, which is kind of a big deal because I'm rarely loyal...I'm always jumping around to different skincare products, looking for the next new thing that'll help me discover the fountain of youth.

The Black Sugar Mask Wash Off ($10) is made with brown sugar grains so it's gentle, yet effective. It has a really unique texture that reminds me of wet sand...it's not oily or drippy like some sugar scrubs can be. It's also not dry and crumbly (don't you hate when scrubs just keep falling off into the sink when you want them to stay on your face?). It almost feels like it's held together with honey or something with a similar gooey texture...but it never feels sticky. It also has a lovely brown sugar scent that has a hint of lemon (reminds me of Fresh's Brown Sugar Scrub).

You're supposed to use it on a damp face, massaging it in and leaving it as a mask for 10-15 minutes. I don't use it this way only because I use face scrubs in the morning when I don't have makeup to remove and I just don't have time to leave it on as a mask. When I want a really effective scrub, I use it on dry skin...it's magical and leaves my skin feeling as smooth as porcelain. I wouldn't recommend using it dry if your skin is sensitive though...using it on wet skin will help dissolve some of the grains for a gentler exfoliation. I actually use it wet most of the time and it works great! I only use it dry once in a while if my skin is flaky and is looking really dull due to a dead top layer (especially in the Winter).

I've tried dozens of face scrubs but most of them have been the kind that looks like a gel with little beads in it. This one looks more like a body scrub but without the oils and greasy after-feel (I've actually used this on my body too). I'm obsessed with it!

Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off

After using the Black Sugar scrub for two years, I recently decided to try the Rice Mask Wash Off ($15) last time I was at the Skinfood store. If you can't tolerate more harsh scrubs, you'll love this one! It has a light, fluffy whipped cream-like texture with a mild scent. It has really gentle rice grains that do a surprisingly good job at smoothing your skin. The first time I tried it, I thought "this is too gentle, it's not going to do much" but I was pleasantly surprised at how effective it is....my skin was glowing after the first use! I use this on damp skin once a week and it's so gentle, I can massage this in for a few minutes and really get a good scrub without irritation.

Since discovering the Rice Mask, I've found a way to work them both into my routine. I use the Black Sugar scrub on Sunday mornings and the Rice scrub mid-week (usually on Wednesdays or Thursdays) and they keep my skin feeling super smooth and looking bright and clear with no dullness and uneven texture. I love that they're so effective yet affordable and each tub lasts quite a long time.

If you're looking to add something new to your skincare routine, consider adding one (or both) of these scrubs into the mix. Just once or twice a week and you'll notice a huge difference!

To purchase, visit Ulta.com

Skinfood Cacao Hand Balm Review

Skinfood Cacao Hand Balm ($8) is a super nourishing treatment for dry hands that I've become obsessed with the past week or so.  I had heard that they were opening a Skinfood store at the Palisades Mall in Nyack, NY which is fairly close to me, and you guys know how much I love Skinfood! They're my favorite Korean beauty brand and they're so hard to find...they only have a handful of stores in the NY and California markets and you're not able to order from their website yet. Stores like Urban Outfitters have started to carry select Skinfood products, but I really wanted access to their entire line, so needless to say, I was pretty psyched that they opened a store so close! 

I posted this photo to my Instagram feed while I was there...

I picked up a few items, including this Cacao Hand Balm.  I fell in love with it as soon as I tried the tester on the back of my hand...it had to be mine, haha! It comes in a cute little jar and it's only $8. 

Skinfood Steam Milk Mask Cream Review

I recently purchased the Steam Milk Mask Cream ($22) from Urban Outfitters because it sounded heavenly for my dry skin. I discovered Skinfood about a year ago when I started getting into Korean skincare products and the multi-step routine (see my post about that here). Korean women are known for their beautiful skin and take great care of it, so that's something I've been trying to do after years of neglecting it.  I've seen so much improvement in the clarity, pores, and lines and wrinkles. It's still far from perfect but I like to think I'm looking younger than 37 these days! 

Out of all the Korean skincare brands, Skinfood is probably my favorite. Every product is made with real food ingredients, the packaging is adorable, it's affordable, and best of all...it works! 

Let's take a look! 

The Steam Milk Mask Cream comes in an adorable little cow-printed carton with a little hang-tag on top that looks like a milk jug.  I don't know why, but I always want to keep boxes that are cute like this...even though I'm not sure what the heck I would do with it.  My husband would call me a hoarder and he's probably right, haha.
Even though this has the word "mask" in the name, it's not really a mask, it's a moisturizing cream that has a mask-like texture.

Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Review

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you may know that Skinfood is one of my favorite Korean beauty brands...they're inexpensive but contain such fantastic natural ingredients and everything I've tried so far has lived up to it's claims.  A few months ago, I saw that Memebox was offering a Skinfood box and of course, I just had to buy it!  I started using most of the products right away but I left the Black Sugar Mask in the box, because since I've been using a Clarisonic to cleanse my face, I haven't had much need for scrubs.  I guess I figured that I was getting all the exfoliation I needed...I was so wrong! 

This product is called a mask but it's really a scrub that you can leave on as a mask if you want to. It seems like it could be a dupe for Fresh's Brown Sugar Face Polish ($62), although I haven't tried that one so I can't really compare the two.  It contains Brazilian black sugar, Macadamia Seed Oil, Shea Butter, and Meadowfoam Seed Oil which are all very hydrating for the skin.  It has a lemon sugar scent that's so delicious too!

Skinfood Honey Pot Lip Balm Review

Skinfood is probably my favorite Korean skincare brand and I was so happy to see that they're now sold at Urban Outfitters because it's finally more accessible (yay!). Previously, you could only get Skinfood at one of their stores in NYC or Cali (or order it from Korea).  So I ordered a few things from Urbanoutfitters.com since I don't have a store in my immediate area, and one of the things I just couldn't resist is this Honey Pot Lip Balm ($12).  It's super adorable and comes with a wooden honey stick instead of a spatula. Let's take a look...

I got the Berry shade, but there is also a Mandarin shade and a Honey shade.  

The pot is actually a little smaller than I thought it would be, but once I used it, I realized that it's going to last a long time since you only need a little bit.  It has a fruity scent to it...I'm not sure if the other shades smell different, but if you're sensitive to fragrances I wanted to point that out.  I don't mind it and don't really notice it after a few minutes anyway.

Skinfood Fresh Apple Smooth Pore Cream Review

This is my second Skinfood post after the Black Sugar Cleansing Oil I reviewed earlier this week. I had a rather large haul from Beautynetkorea.com a few weeks ago and I've been trying out all the new products and loving them so far!
This is from their Fresh Apple line and it's a pore-minimizing primer. At only $9.90, it's half the cost of L'Oreal's Pore Vanisher or Miracle Blur so I couldn't wait to see how this stacks up!

The tube it comes in is so adorable! I love all of Skinfood's packaging, they manage to make it both cute and sleek at the same time.

Skinfood Black Sugar Cleansing Oil Review

Ever since I started my Korean Skin Care Routine, I've been dying to try more Korean products. I keep hearing that they're way ahead of the U.S. when it comes to skin care, and that their products rival our most expensive brands at a fraction of the cost. The idea of getting high-tech products on the cheap is a total thrill (I'm sure a lot of you feel that way).
One of the first Korean brands I found was Skinfood. It was pretty random, since I knew nothing about any of the brands I was looking at.  I started with them because I liked their adorable packaging and food-themed products. They've been around since 1957 and even have some stores in the U.S., although not that many- I think they're all in CA with the exception of one store in Queens, NY (to search, visit their US website).
I was in need of a cleansing oil for my double-cleanse method (read about it here), since my Garnier Cleansing Oil was almost gone so I figured I'd replace it with a Korean brand this time.
I chose their Black Sugar Cleansing Oil ($21 at Ulta- as of June 2016) and again, it was another totally random decision.  I saw a couple of reviews online and decided to go for it.
It comes in a beautiful vintage-style pump bottle with a ring that goes around the neck to keep the pump from dispensing when not in use (great for travel!).  The pump makes using this so neat and clean!  I absolutely love the design.

Here's a graphic from Skinfood describing this cleansing oil- some of it is in Korean, but you can get the idea about it dissolving makeup.

Here's the back of the bottle:

This is the lightest weight cleansing oil I've ever used!  It's not the least bit heavy and thick, it's actually very thin and runny.  You're supposed to pump it into dry hands and massage it on a dry face over all of your makeup, rinse, then follow up with a regular cleanser of your choice. 

All the cleansing oils I've used in the past have been really difficult to rinse off, leaving my face feeling like it has a film on it.  That made the second cleanser an absolute must to get rid of the excess oil.  This actually rinses clean, to the point where my face just feels soft and moisturized.  It also removes makeup really well, even my waterproof eye makeup! Once in a while I find a tiny bit of mascara left over so I just use eye makeup remover on a pad to get rid of it. 

Here's what it looks like on my skin (not rubbed in):

This oil is scented like lemons and reminds me of Fresh's Lemon Sugar perfume.  I wonder why all these companies think sugar smells like lemons?  I was expecting a sugary scent, but I like the lemon smell too- it's a nice pick-me-up.  

Overall, this was a great first buy, even though I didn't have much knowledge of Korean skin care products at the time. I purchased it at Beautynetkorea.com for $12.96.  They ship straight from Korea and it took 8 days to get to my house. They also included a ton of free samples including a generously sized BB Cream to try! ***2016 Update...you can now buy this at Ulta)***

I'm excited to try more Skinfood products! This one was definitely a winner for me.  Have you heard of Skinfood or tried any of their products?  I'd love to hear about it!