All of the products I would buy or have bought over and over again. They're that good!
Sections
5
Skincare Holy Grails
Haircare Holy Grails
Fragrance Holy Grails
Makeup Holy Grails
Bodycare Holy Grails
Skincare Holy Grails
I love this peptide serum. This is my third bottle and I’m so glad Naturium now offers the large 2oz size. It feels more like a light moisturizer on my skin and layers well with my other skincare and makeup. It has encapsulated copper peptides and fe...
I’m almost done with my second time using this retinal serum. I use it on my entire face on nights when I’m not applying tretinoin. It’s so gentle. Def feels like a cream more than a serum. Two pumps cover my face, neck and chest.
I’m old so it’s not like I’m looking younger per se. It’s more like I’m holding ground and not looking older. I love this product because it helps my skin “hold its ground.”
I loved this as an intro to retinal creams. I've since moved on to products with a higher percentage of retinal but this is an excellent starter cream.
Revive Eye Serum: Ginseng + Retinal | Beauty of Joseon Official Store
Love love love this milky toner. The ceramides in it leave my skin feeling plump (the mochi effect), hydrated and moisturized. It is one of the k-toners that provide the famous glow.
I add several layers at night and my skin does get a little tacky but who cares when I’m going to bed. I’ll just do one layer in the morning. But hey here’s the best part: it comes in a 500ml bottle and lasts a long time. I also use it on my body as ...
I can find it for $23 at Ulta but I can also catch it for sale online for $10-$15. The only drawback might be the light citrus scent. I enjoy it but it may not be for those who may have sensitivity to fragrance in skincare. This is a product I will a...
Milky Mochi Toner
This Japanese sunscreen feels hydrating and makes my skin glowy in the morning. I don’t like the alcohol note when I first open the tube but it hasn’t been drying so I would buy again. There is no white cast since it’s a chemical sunscreen. Don’t nee...
I have a six month supply of this right now. It is worth stocking up on when you can because tarrifs.
Kao - Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++
The main goodies in this clay mask are kaolin clay, salicylic acid and pansy extract. It deep cleans pores, gently exfoliates but is not harsh on the skin because of the synergy of these ingredients as well as the others.
I hate clay masks because of the mess of applying it and removing it. So I apply this a couple of times a week before a shower. Makes the clean up way easier.
When it dries on the skin, it doesn’t get super tight. And it leaves my skin feeling clean and soft after. It smells faintly like clay and I like the whipped texture.
The Outset Purifying Blue Clay Mask
I have to try all of the toners and this one has excellent word of mouth hype. I consider this in a class of k-beauty milky toners with the Tirtir one, the Dr Ceuracle kombucha essence and the I’m From rice toner.
All are incredibly hydrating and moisturizing for my dry, sensitive skin. This fragrance free one boosts the skin barrier with peptides, ceramides, and white leaf tea (amino acids).
In the morning, I apply one layer to get the glass skin effect and then multiple layers (usually 3) at night to improve my skin barrier.
Out of all the milky toners, this one may have the edge on the others because I can purchase a refill pouch and just refill the bottle(s) I have. I love less waste.
I use this hydrating watery toner in the mornings when I’m in a hurry. One or two layers of this adds moisture without my skin feeling oily. It sinks nicely into my skin.
This toner is fragrance free, hypoallergenic and full of good for my skin ingredients. The first ingredient is green tea water; it also has hyaluronic acid, glycerin and centella.
It’s a workhorse product for the skin. No gimmicks or fancy marketing. Just effective moisturizing. If I’m going to say anything negative about this, it’s that I wish it came in a bigger size. Right now it only comes in a 200ml size.
B:Lab - Matcha Hydrating Facial Toner
This is a chemical sunscreen but it’s definitely not as light as two of my J-beauty favorite sunscreens, Nivea Super Water Gel or the Skin Aqua Super Moisture UV Gel.
It has that slight alcohol smell that a lot of Japanese chemical sunscreens have but that dissipated quickly. Two fingers of this for the face, neck and chest felt like too much but that just meant I spent more time working it in to my skin and had e...
It had a bit of a white cast until I rubbed it in. It does function as both a moisturizer and sunscreen. It also feels heavier than my favorite sunscreens. I have repurchased this.
Rohto Mentholatum - Skin Aqua Super Moisture UV Essence SPF 50+ PA++++
I don't get acne much anymore but this product takes away sebaceous glands on my nose and it is oh so affordable. I’m on my 4th or 5th bottle!
I first heard of this exfoliating toner when I was researching how to deal with sebaceous glands. This is...
This fragrance free Centella ampoule is HG status for sure. It truly soothes my skin. I put it on between my toner and serum when my sensitive skin gets triggered. It calms inflammation right down and plays an important role in restoring my skin barr...
This is the OG lip balm for me. Since it’s messy to carry an actual jar around with me, I love these squeeze tubes. I have one of these in my bag, in the car and on my nightstand.
A few years ago, I had peri-oral dermatitis around my lips. Besides ...
Vaseline Lip Therapy Advanced Healing Lip Balm, .35 OZ
This is the gentlest fragrance-free cleanser I have ever used. First two ingredients are water and sunflower seed oil. The yam root extract is one of the middle ingredients on the list.
I would call this a milky cleanser. It doesn’t really foam up....
Isntree - Yam Root Vegan Milk Cleanser
This is the OG in our house. I’ve been buying the double tubs at Costco for years. Have used it on my body and my face. This was my moisturizer until I started paying better attention to my skincare a few years ago.
It is fragrance free, is non-com...
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream with Pump, Body & Face Moisturizer, 16 OZ
This is a balm version of the Missha time revolution night repair ampoule that I love. The packaging feels high quality. The texture is soft so it’s easy to apply to problem areas (for me that’s under the eyes, forehead lines and crepey neck). It is ...
MISSHA - Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule Balm Stick
This remains HG for me. I’m finishing off my second bottle and I have another one in reserve. I’ve convinced two of my friends to use it and they’re big fans as well.
The only thing that comes close to how it feels on my skin and its cosmetic elega...
Dr. Ceuracle - Vegan Kombucha Tea Essence
I'm on my third container of these toner pads. They’re completely drenched in product. The serum they’re in has a pleasantly vague scent to it. Slightly fruity and fresh. With my sensitive dry skin, I experienced no irritation.
The container, the l...
Guava 70 Skin Toner Face Mask Pad - Benton
I have to try all of the toners and this one has excellent word-of-mouth hype. I consider this in a class of k-beauty milky toners with the Tirtir one, the Dr Ceuracle kombucha essence and the I’m From rice toner. All are incredibly hydrating and moi...
Cream Skin Refillable Milky Toner with Ceramides and Peptides - LANEIGE | Sephora
I’ve been reading about hylauronic acid (ha) and beta glucan (bg) because bg is supposed to be more hydrating than ha. There is a fair amount of pricey products featuring bg. Not so many reasonably priced ones.
I’ve only heard good things about thi...
iUNIK - Beta-Glucan Power Moisture Serum
This is a fermented black tea (kombucha) toner light enough for everyday warm weather use. I used it all summer.
My sensitive skin loves ferments and this has calming and brightening effects. The toner has 60% kombucha and 1% panthenol. Upon applic...
KAINE - Kombu Balancing Ampoule Toner
This toner is for oily or combination skin. I have dry skin, but I use it every night before I use my red light mask.
One study has indicated that green tea on the skin is supposed to increase the benefits of red light therapy so I’ve been applying...
Isntree - Green Tea Fresh Toner
This is a high quality, beautiful milky toner from the K-beauty brand, Celimax. It is the richest, most soothing milky toner of all the Korean ones I’ve tried (and I’ve tried almost all of them).
Usually I use multiple layers of most toners. I only...
celimax - Dual Barrier Creamy Toner
This toner is one of my favorite calming and hydrating products. I’m on my second bottle and just ordered another one.
It is watery with lotus extract water is the first ingredient plus aquaxyl and several diff kinds of hyaluronic acid. This toner ...
ROVECTIN - Calming Sensitive Lotus Toner
I’m such a fan of this toner. I always keep it on hand and can usually pick up a 200ml bottle for under $10 on sale.
It is slightly viscous and has only 7 ingredients with astralagus root being the most prominent. I use it just after double cleansi...
Pyunkang Yul - Essence Toner
At first, I didn’t like this essence. It’s so thin and felt like I was patting water on my face. After 3 layers however my skin felt hydrated, moist and plump.
It is supposed to be a dupe for the expensive SK-II Essence. I don’t have the patience t...
MISSHA - Time Revolution The First Essence 5X
This is a viral chemical sunscreen for good reason. It has no scent. Feels great on my skin, like a light moisturizer going on, and makes my skin glowy in the morning. Under my foundation, it functions as both moisturizer and sunscreen. No white cast...
Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum
Because I have dry, sensitive skin, I love thicker oils and balms to remove makeup/sunscreen but also to hydrate my skin. I’m a big fan of this oil. It is made with 14 plant oils and has a slight citrus scent. It’s been really popular in Korea.
I us...
Pure Cleansing Facial Oil - ma:nyo | Ulta Beauty
This is HG for me. I’ve tried some Korean chemical sunscreens (skin1004, BOJ, round lab). All of them are Kolmar formulations as is this sunscreen. I think that’s why I like them all.
This HHW fragrance-free one is a bit more matte than the others....
haruharu wonder - Black Rice Moisture Airyfit Sunscreen
This sunscreen is a lightweight, hydrating cream. Fragrance free, it just sinks into my skin, leaves a glow and plays well with the foundation I put over it.
As with several Korean chemical sunscreens, this formula is cosmetically elegant and contai...
numbuzin - No.1 Clear Filter Sun Essence | YesStyle
Have I mentioned I love toners? I also love ferments. They’ve been great for my skin. Bifida gently exfoliates, builds the skin barrier, and softens wrinkles. This one includes PHA and 5 kinds of ferments. The texture itself is watery. It lightly moi...
Bifida Biome Ampoule Toner - ma:nyo | Ulta Beauty
I’ve heard so much about this fragrance free moisturizer—especially about how it makes a great occlusive last step in a night time routine.
Excellent ingredients are ceramides, fatty acids, cholesterol which strengthen the skin barrier and prevents...
ATOBARRIER365 Cream Moisturizer with Ceramides & Niacinamide for Skin Moisture Barrier Repair - AEST
I love everything this brand does. This milky essence is deeply hydrating and packed full of hero ingredients like ferments, ceramides and rice extracts. It leaves my skin feeling silky and hydrated.
The bottle feels like quality and the dropper on...
haruharu wonder - Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence
I love the price and quality of The Ordinary serums. I’m almost done with this bottle. This fragrance free peptide + hyaluronic acid serum is super hydrating and gentle on my skin. I’ve been using it in the morning and at night. I can’t really tell i...
Matrixyl 10% + Hyaluronic Acid for Fine Lines and Wrinkles - The Ordinary | Ulta Beauty
I’ve gone through a couple of tubes of this fragrance-free brightening serum for a week and I’m a fan. It does have 10% vitamin c and 68% centella asiatica. It’s super gentle and just sinks into my skin. I’ve been using vitamin c for years now so I c...
Beauty of Joseon - Light On Serum Centella + Vita C
This is an affordable, mild K-beauty cleanser. Soonjung is a brand under the Etude umbrella. I also enjoy the Soonjung moisturizer. This whole line is gentle (great for sensitive skin) and effective.
I’ve used up a whole tube (as in the pic). The c...
ETUDE - Soon Jung 5.5 Foam Cleanser
Haircare Holy Grails
I’ve been using this consistently since getting it back in September. I even bought a pouch for it to make it easier to store and travel with.
I haven’t used it as blow dry heat brush in awhile. Instead I wash my hair at night, let it air dry and use the heat brush setting that night or the next morning. It smooths my normal frizz and the waves/curls for 3-4 days.
I’ll do a retouch if I’m going to something special. It heats up quickly and sometimes it feels too hot although no damage to my hair yet.
I’m trying to encourage my natural wavy hair to just do its thing so I don’t have to use heat on it. This is one of the products I’m trying.
I apply styling products on my super wet hair out of the shower, plop it in a microfiber towel for 30 mins ...
5.0 oz Weightless Shine Air Dry Crème - KRISTIN ESS HAIR | Ulta Beauty
This is a really nice deep conditioning mask. You can use it as a leave-in conditioner or a rinse one after a few minutes. I’ve only been rinsing it out but now I want to try it as a leave-in. It has a wonderful fruity scent. Maybe peachy?
It has ‘...
L'Oreal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Power Restore Multi-Use Treatment, 23 OZ
I alternate between this and the Kristin Ess air styler. I picked this up at Ulta and used it after my shower. I treated it as a gel so after I put in a few layers of product to encourage my curls/waves (leave in conditioner, mousse, hair oil), I add...
6.0 oz Air Dry Styler for Light Moisture, Definition + Shine - Odele | Ulta Beauty
Fragrance Holy Grails
I LOVE THIS SCENT! Back when I first sampled it in the summer, it had a green scent that to me goes up. I can’t describe it as anything other than a high green note to me. It smelled like cilantro (which I love).
Now that I have it with me and have looked up the notes, it’s probably the tuberose giving me that “up” green scent. It’s such a great contrast to the creamy coconut. Officially the top notes are dragon fruit, orange and sea breeze. Middle notes are ...
How can a fragrance not have coconut but still smell like it? I have no idea, my friends. I just really enjoy this one. It smells summery and beachy but I’m still wearing it to the office lol. It has a slightly oily texture that I don’t mind. I think...
Hair and Body Mist - St. Barts Scent
I love this dupe of Jo Malone nectarine blossom and honey. I think the peach note is juicier than in the JM version. Lasts nearly all day on me as well. Pro tip: layer with BBW Diamond of the Season for all day peachy goodness.
I took the rollerball version of this scent on a trip as my signature scent. I ended up buying a full-sized bottle because it is so good.
To me, it is undefinable. Sweet but not too sweet (thanks to the fig) and the strong black tea note balances out the fig. The lasting power is about five hours on me. I feel confident and ready to face the world when I put it on in the morning. My hu...
I love tea notes in perfumes. I have Green Tea by Elizabeth Arden which is considerably lighter than Indigo and is great for spring/summer. Indigo IMO can be worn year round.
Indigo Collection | NEST New York
I have this as well as the cashmere vanilla hair/body spray. At first this smells synthetic and plasticky on my skin. Then it dried down to a mellow vanilla that doesn’t smell gourmand to me.
The dry down reminds me of a thick white sweater or a vintage quilt. It smells comforting to me. Besides a few Victoria’s Secret vanilla variations, this is my favorite vanilla.
Being Frenshe Women's Eau De Perfume - Cashmere Vanilla - 2 fl oz
I don’t understand how it smells like coconut without that note? The fragrance notes are dragon fruit, orange blossom, tuberose and musk. I think it’s the tuberose that I love. It smells like glorious green lusciousness. It has me wondering if I can ...
This cream is light yet moisturizing. It feels whipped and luxurious. The scent lingers on my skin for 3-4 hours. This layered with the hair & body spray creates a lasting impression of St Barts. It’s one of the few scents where strangers have pa...
Body Crème - St. Barts Scent
I bought this stick because I hate reaching into cream jars. I run it across dry areas—often under my eyes and along the crepey parts of my neck since I know that moisturizing those areas will reduce the look of wrinkles.
My favorite use for this s...
Aquaphor Healing Balm Stick
Makeup Holy Grails
I’ve been obsessing over cool nude tone lippies. Can I just say that this is my first Mac lipstick. It’s so nice! Top quality in terms of packaging.
The color itself isn’t too drying on my lips. The color is pretty dark—a little too much. With a lip liner, I can just line my mouth, fill in with a pink and blend by rubbing my lips together.
I’m going to experiment with this color by layering it with something lighter and Stone is the OG cool nude lip color. I really like the quality of this lipstick.
MACximal Sleek Satin Lipstick in the color Stone
I’ve seen this raved about in Asian beauty vids and posts. I don’t like mascara because I don’t like removing it—even tubing mascara. I end up losing eyelashes. But this mascara remover is amazing. You put it on your lashes like it’s mascara. I’m ass...
Kiss Me Heroine Make Speedy Mascara Remover Blue ...
I love these. My favorite is #17, Rosy Nude, but I’m down for trying more of the nude tones. Strong pigment, feels creamy going on and then it dries but it doesn’t feel drying. The packaging is cute although I wish the bottle is transparent so I can ...
peripera - Ink Velvet - 31 Colors
I saw bad reviews of this but I really wanted to use a quick daily cleaner so I could space out the deep cleaning of my brushes more.
I save the brushes right after use or I do them later in the day when I have time. I spray each brush head about f...
I got a trial size of this tubing mascara primer as a sample in a recent Sephora order. I loved it so much I bought the full size.
A long time ago I’d tried the L’Oréal primer and tubing mascara but it seemed like a lot of steps at the time for clu...
0.27 oz Tartelette Tubing Lash Primer - Tarte | Ulta Beauty
I keep this sharpener in my bag for my liners. I like that it has two sizes. That makes it versatile.
The lid covering the sharpener part keeps falling off so I’ll have to empty it each time to keep shavings out o off my makeup bag.
At least it w...
This foundation is amazing. It looks and acts like an expensive option.
wet n wild Photo Focus Dewy Liquid Foundation Shell Ivory
I'm on my 3rd tube of this. Might be a BB cream but it acts like a foundation. Has a gray hue that absolutely disappears when blending. Is buildable.
MISSHA M Perfect Cover BB Cream No.23 SPF42
This is my eyeliner holy grail. I can't get a clean line on top of my lash line anymore so I waterline with this eyeliner. It makes me lashes look thicker, my eyes look more dramatic (yet not obviously so) and it stays on for several hours. I've coll...
L.A. Girl Ultimate Eye Intense Wear Auto Eye Liner, Continuous Charcoal, Deepest Brown, Lasting Brown, Never-ending Navy, Perpetual Purple, Super Bright, Totally Teal, Ultimate Black
Bodycare Holy Grails
This shave cream feels and acts lux. My skin often gets irritated when I shave but using this has reduced the pain and itching. I get a close, painless shave.
It is more creamy than foamy and one pump covers a lot of area. And the scent! It’s a gorgeous vanilla gourmand.
EOS Vanilla Bliss Shaving Cream for Women
This is a post-shave body cream that I use out of the shower after shaving. It adds another layer of soothing moisture that works in combination with the EOS shave cream I use.
It is a medium weight cream that smells exactly like the popular EOS 16oz vanilla cashmere lotion. It also includes good for skin ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter and argan butter.
EOS Cashmere Skin Collection Post-Shave Smooth Body Cream
I can’t believe I’m reviewing this but I’m perimenopausal so here we are. One of my worst symptoms has been vaginal atrophy. I have an estrogen rx that I use but the itching and pain has been terrible.
Enter this product. It’s one of several I’ve b...
Vag of Honor
I’m in my perimenopausal era of seeking relief from vaginal atrophy. Rael has a whole line of vulva care. This gel is nice. It has been formulated with hyaluronic acid, hibiscus extract and centella among other things. It is meant to alleviate irrita...
Rael, Soothing Vulva Gel, 1.7 fl oz (50 ml)
This is an exfoliating body serum that has retinol, lactic acid, urea and squalene in the formulation. It has a medium texture. I have to squeeze the bottle to get it out but once the serum is in my hand it is a bit runny and thinner than I expected....
Slather Body Serum - Topicals | Sephora
I love this stuff. It’s a chemical exfoliant gentle enough to use on my face once a week and more importantly on other areas of my body daily. I use it on my armpits and I literally don’t smell! For me, not only does it gently exfoliate but it kills ...
8.0 oz Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating and Brightening Daily Toner - The Ordinary | Ulta Beauty
One of my lotion faves! It is light and easy to blend into the skin. Has a light fruity scent. Just a delight to apply.