My quiet life on Maui has lately been interrupted by a series of trips to the big pineapple (Honolulu). Recently, my daughter signed with a modeling/acting agency. This required us to travel to Oahu several times this Summer for meetings and a photo shoot to get her started in the business. Visiting the big city can be very exhilarating for a 13 year old girl. For me, after years of living in NYC and Washington, D.C., it’s a toss up, dependent on my mood. While I do appreciate the the shopping, the international flare of the place, I’m also a bit over it.
Imagine the relief I feel seeing Maui appear through the clouds on our plane ride home. The quiet drive from the airport, through peaceful streets calms my soul. My blood pressure immediately drops as I drive down Mokulele Highway, embraced by the West Maui Mountains on my right and beautifully majestic face of Haleakala on my left. I can’t see it, but know the ocean lies just beyond those hills.
Discovering Korean Skin Care
Luckily though, on a recent visit to Oahu, K-Beauty came into my life. The prices admittedly seem crazy high. As you may know, K-Beauty blew up in the U.S. several years ago. It doesn’t look to be slowing down. I’ve read that global sales are in the tens of billions. Now, the doubter in me, always thinks that the secret to beautiful skin has more to do with staying out of the sun, than products. There’s no doubt that my Irish roots make it harder for me to look good longer, especially living in the Hawaiian islands without a lot of effort.
However, I notice that Asian women, young and old, seem to protect their skin more than other women do, while enjoying the sunshine in South Maui. Sun tan lotion, broad brim hats, umbrellas, long sleeve shirts abound among our Asian visitors. At the beach, I never see them with any tan lines. For me, this is evidence that they never take a casual approach to their skin care. An admirable quality indeed!
In general, I feel I have a good handle on what is available in the U.S. Cosmetic/Beauty market. I follow the ads, magazines, youTubers, IG. I try to stay up to date on what’s new. The truth is, with K-Beauty, I didn’t know where to begin. The young lady at the Face Shop was really trying to be helpful, but my anxieties got the better of me and we left to explore the rest of this little mall on Honolulu’s windward side. I was later glad, too, as I found the same products on-line, at Amazon, sold for much cheaper! Note to self, always check Amazon first.
Where do I begin?
I guess being a 50-something and having a budding model/actor on my hands, I felt worried about switching things up in our skin care. But, after some research on the internet, I decided to start my “Korean Skincare Journey” with the company Julep . Their founder is Jane Park, a Korean American. The company motto is as follows: “Inspired by our founder Jane Park’s Korean heritage, every product we create is steeped in Korean skincare traditions mixed with innovation to deliver results without the complicated routine. We believe that beauty should be effortless, fearless, and above all—fun to explore with girlfriends. Because skincare and makeup should do more than just make you look good, it should make you feel good in your own skin.”
Double Cleansing is da’ bomb.
I have been using their Double Cleanse System for the past two weeks and can’t believe how pleasurable it is, as well as easy to cleanse and remove my makeup gently. I love the way my skin feels afterwards, when applying their Boost Your Radiance Serum. While my medicine cabinet is, generally, over-filled with skincare products — from serums, to masks, to exfoliating scrubs — I’ve been really consistent with this little Double Cleanse and Boost System (an Allure Magazine Award Winner).
Step #1:
I do see a definite difference in the texture of my skin. The Hydrating Cleansing Oil (The Korean System First Step) is antioxidant rich and easily removes the toughest of makeups. I love using the Konjac Sponge too, because older skin requires both a combination of exfoliation, yet a gentle approach. It’s the perfect happy medium.
Step #2:
The amazing Second Step is with the Love Your Bare Face Detoxifying Cleansing Stick (currently out of stock on their website…that says something!). It has essential oils and fruit enzymes in it. I can smell there is a lot of limonene (a compound found in fruit) in it. There are numerous benefits to this little compound, as it both calms and detoxifies the skin…something we all can use.
The Finale
I love following up my two step cleanse with their Boost Your Radiance Oil. It has Rosehip Seed Oil in it, a longtime known, nutrient rich seed oil for the skin. If you want to find out more about the miracle benefits of Rosehip Oil, check out Essential Oil Guru, Dr. Axe’s article for more information: https://draxe.com/rosehip-oil. I have definitely noticed, since using this product, that the annoying vertical lines that have started to appear above my upper lip are gone. Forget the filler….at least for now.
Conclusion
In short, for me, The Korean Double Cleanse is not a miracle product that is going to make my skin look 20 years younger. But, I wish I had it 20 years ago! It is an incredibly gentle system to get your skin really, really clean and healthy. It’s simply a must-have for getting your skin ready for either your morning makeup application, or whatever aha/bha/ferulic/vitamin C serums, tretenoins, moisturizing creams you might be using on a daily basis, morning or night.
My favorite thing? No more tugging at my eyes to get my eye makeup off. Thank God! I will forever use my Double Cleanse, from here to eternity. If you haven’t already, check out http://www.Julep.com. It is, without question, my most favorite new thing. (I ordered their Beauty Box Subscription and look forward to receiving that, hopefully soon, though it sometimes takes a while for anything to reach Hawaii.)
However, I did receive, fairly quickly nail polish I ordered (see below). The colors are unique, have good wearability, if allowed to properly dry, and encourage this nail biter to leave her dang nails and dry cuticles alone, cause those colors are too cute to ruin.
Peace out Beauty Mavens! Stay Sassy and Beautiful, cause you are!
XOXO,
Mrs. Sassy Pants
P.S.-I almost forgot! Here’s the code for 40% off sitewite: FRIENDSFAM40
