Best sunscreen recommendations for sensitive skin? Go!

@Annie Ah, I have a few of these in my stash. Thanks! (LOL, that is also how I choose between some brands.)

@hazelmoss 😁

@Veky Thank you! I have a few of these too and will patch test.

@Veky I feel like I need to send my cart of Aestura products to you for final approval and recommendations before placing my order 🤣

@Sora Hahaha yes, absolutely 🤣 At this point I’m apparently the resident AESTURA psychopath, so send me the cart and I’ll give it my final approval 😂 I actually went through my Amore Mall orders because I wanted to see how bad my AESTURA obsession really is… and apparently I’ve bought 60+ full-size AESTURA products just this year 😭 And that’s ONLY from Amore Mall — I have even more AESTURA products that I bought from other sites 💀 I seriously need to take a picture of my entire AESTURA collection because I don’t think I fully understood how insane the amount was until I started counting everything 😂 Honestly, with how much AESTURA I’ve bought, they should be sponsoring me at this point 🤣 And somehow I’m still not done. I already have another AESTURA purchase coming up soon, and I’m genuinely scared to see what happens when Black Friday comes around 💀😂

@hazelmoss Absolutely! I’m actually on a bit of an SPF hunt right now and researching/testing different options, so if I come across any hidden gem that works for those of us whose skin occasionally decides it can tolerate absolutely NOTHING, I’ll definitely let you know. 😂😭☀️ We need a special category of sunscreen for the “everything burns, please just protect me without making my face angry” crowd. 🦞😂 If I find our miracle SPF, you’ll be one of the first people I report back to! 💙

@Veky Perfect!

@Veky do you have 3 years of aestura? I kept buying them when there’s a global mall sale and I thought it was ridiculous the amount of product I have, but I think you beat me by double. Lol

@Veky have you tried beauty of joseon body mineral sunscreen? It’s the only Korean sunscreen that I found with no chemical UV booster and isn’t pasty. It feels like a regular moisturizer when I apply it. I use it on my baby since it has no chemical filters and no chemicsl UV booster. She has really reactive skin and seems to to tolerate it fine. I believe it either has ceramide or panthenol in it. I also have the chemical body sunscreen as well. Love it and have bottles backed up.

@BeauteAddict Hahaha, the worst part is that this is basically ONE year of buying Aestura. 😭😂 Most of it came from Amore Mall sales, so I guess we could say I have a tiny Aestura obsession. Just a tiny one. 🤏🤣 I’m actually scared to see what happens to this collection during Black Friday. 😂 The only thing I don’t stock up on as easily is their body lotion because it can be surprisingly difficult to find at a reasonable price. I also still haven’t properly tried their acne line, and I really want to try the whole line eventually. That’s basically my final Aestura mission 😂 — once I’ve tried that, I think I can officially say I’ve tried almost everything they make. The problem is that the acne line seems SO much harder to find than their Atobarrier, A-Cica and Hydro lines. 😭 At this point I’m not collecting skincare anymore, I’m apparently conducting a long-term Aestura research project. 😂😭

@BeauteAddict I haven’t tried it! I actually saw that Beauty of Joseon body sunscreen recently and at first I was like, “Wait, why is the bottle so big?” 😂 Then I realized it was a BODY sunscreen and everything made sense. 😭 And ahhh, so they actually have two body sunscreen versions! I didn’t realize that. Your description of the mineral one has completely changed my mind about it though. I couldn’t find many recent reviews when I first saw it, so I wasn’t sure what to think, but a mineral body SPF that feels like a regular moisturizer instead of thick paste sounds REALLY good — especially hearing that your baby has very reactive skin and tolerates it well. 👀 Okay, it’s officially going on my list. 😂😭 I absolutely did not need another sunscreen to investigate before Black Friday, but here we are.

@Veky lol oh I forgot to count my aestura body lotion. My favorite body lotion and I have bottles backed up as well. I wish Amore mall release all of their products on the website. I really want to buy the atobarrier 365 mask. I love the ones that came with the 3 pack of the cream. And do want to try their soothing line as well since my skin is so flushed. I wonder if it would help me with it even though I don’t have acne.

@Veky the mineral sunscreen leaves a slight white cast because they don’t use chemical booster so I think they may use more of zinc oxide. But way less white cast than dr. g. Cell fusion c, and dear klair’s. I don’t know how do they it and not sure why they didn’t make their tinted sunscreen this hydrating and lightweight vs the thick bb cream texture. I think if they decided with this texture for their tinted sunscreen, it would be more suitable for more people skin type.

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@BeauteAddict Where do you buy the body lotion? 👀 I actually asked Amore Mall about it and they told me they were planning to add it to the site — that was around the end of June and I’m STILL waiting. 😂😭 We might need to remind them! I also asked them about the newer A-CICA mask and they originally told me they wouldn’t carry it… and then they added it anyway. 🤣 If you mean the blue AESTURA Ceramide Intense Sheet Mask, StyleJolly still has the full 5-pack for around $2.08! 👀 They’re discontinued and almost impossible to find now, but some sites still have leftover stock. That’s why I stocked up while I could, especially since all the ones I’ve received so far don’t expire until 2028. And YES, if your skin gets flushed, I really think you should try the A-CICA365 line! You definitely don’t need acne for it — it’s really a soothing/calming line for redness and irritated, sensitive skin. I think people sometimes see CICA and automatically think “acne,” but that’s not really the purpose of this line. I got an A-CICA365 Soothing Repair Mask as a sample and OMG, it was SO calming on red skin. 😭 Definitely one of the best soothing masks I’ve tried, and I need more. Also, have you tried the A-CICA365 Cooling Relief Pads? If flushing is one of your main concerns, I’d really recommend trying those too. They’re made for that cooling, soothing relief when your skin feels hot and red. 👀💚

@BeauteAddict A slight white cast honestly doesn’t bother me that much, especially with mineral sunscreens. As long as I don’t have to spend five minutes trying to rub it in, I’m fine. 😂 I use mineral sunscreens quite a lot when my skin is extra sensitive, so I’m used to some white cast. The Avène mineral one is a perfect example — it’s actually a good sunscreen for me when my skin is REALLY sensitive, but OMG… 👻😂 I look like Casper after applying it. Your description is making the BOJ body mineral one sound even better though. Lightweight and moisturizing with only a slight white cast? Definitely going on my list. 👀 I’ve actually never tried their tinted sunscreen! Wait — when you said tinted sunscreen, you mean their Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen, right? I just realized it comes in a whole range of shades. 😂 It’s interesting that you find that one so thick compared with the body mineral formula. If they could put that lightweight body-SPF texture into the tinted one, that sounds like it would be SO much nicer.

@Veky I received the cica365 cooling report pads as a sample, but couldn’t remember if I used it or if I like it had I used it. Maybe I’ll dig some out to try again. I got aestura body lotion on olive young global when US still had access and during the Amazon prime sale which is upcoming again on 10/6 & 10/7. I believe Sephora also have if you live in the states. Have you purchased from stylejolly before? I’m on the cushion foundation craze right now so I’ve been watching so many Korean speaking YouTuber reviews of cushion foundation and putting them in my cart. Do you have any recommendations? I already have hera glow, holitual, milk touch, vidivici. Highly recommend vidivici black cushion if you like lightweight cushion that makes you feel like you’re born pretty instead of makeup pretty.

@Veky no, not their tinted fluid, that one has been discontinued and they replace it with something else this year. I haven’t use the new one personally, but saw YouTube review of people spreading it on their face and claimed it’s thick. It seems like a a thick bb cream texture for their new tinted sunscreen.

@Veky FOR SCIENCE!

@Veky You are the official Aestura representative, I'm going to call them and ask for you hahaha I know I have their moisturizer, the main popular one, and the sunscreen in my cart. Not sure what else I should try. HOLY COW 60+ full sized bottles?! Yeah you really are the expert. Thats dedication on a whole new level. They definitely owe you a sponsorship by now lol Thats it, youve sold me, I need to actually buy their products and stop just trying their samples here and there when I remember to. What are you absolute MUST haves from them?

@BeauteAddict Unfortunately I’m in Europe, and even worse, in one of the countries Olive Young doesn’t ship to. 😭 I can’t get the AESTURA body lotion through Amazon here either, and although we have Sephora, they don’t carry the body lotion. The struggle is real. 😂 I have ordered from StyleJolly several times, though! I know their website looks a little suspicious at first 😂, but I originally heard about them from people buying minis and samples of expensive Korean brands like The History of Whoo, O HUI, Sulwhasoo, and other brands that can sometimes be surprisingly difficult or expensive to get internationally. They have an insane amount of minis, samples and promotional sets, including quite a few AESTURA minis. I’ve actually bought quite a lot of my AESTURA stuff there — multiple packs of their masks, the lotion, etc. — and I’m planning another order now. I’ve also bought Torriden and Wellage sets that were literally the same promotional sets I had seen at Olive Young, sometimes for half the price or even less. It honestly gives me more of a warehouse/distribution type of shop vibe than a typical beauty retailer. Even their standard shipping works around warehouse/courier collection days. I don’t know what their actual distribution arrangements are though, so I can’t say they’re connected to Olive Young, LG or Amorepacific. The biggest downside is shipping. It’s calculated by weight, so you REALLY have to watch your cart. 😭 You can add one product and everything looks fine, add another one and suddenly BOOM, the shipping jumps. 😂 I usually play around with the quantities and weight before ordering. If you’re buying a lot and the shipping suddenly jumps, sometimes splitting everything into two smaller orders actually makes more sense. Even with shipping, though, every order I’ve made there has ended up way cheaper than buying the same amount of product elsewhere. Some of my orders have worked out around 50% cheaper overall, even after including shipping. Another weird thing is that I personally haven’t been charged any additional customs/VAT fees on my StyleJolly packages so far, and I’ve seen quite a few other customers say the same thing. I honestly don’t know exactly how their shipping/declaration process works, though, and they do warn that customs charges can still happen and are the buyer’s responsibility, so I definitely wouldn’t count on avoiding them. 😂 Even if one of my packages did get charged, most of my orders would still have been significantly cheaper than buying everything elsewhere. Their regular shipping can take a little longer, but I’ve been really happy with them so far. And another cute bonus: they usually include gifts/samples, and after an order you can leave a review for a $10 reward/credit. I’ll definitely keep ordering from them because their prices and selection are just too good, especially for products that are normally ridiculously expensive. One of my favorite things about StyleJolly is that if there’s some luxury Korean product you’re curious about, there’s a pretty good chance they’ll have samples or minis of it, so you can actually try it without committing to a $100–$300 full-size product. 😂 And if you already own the full-size bottle, you can sometimes buy a bunch of the little samples/minis and basically refill it for a fraction of the price. 😭😂 I’ve definitely looked at the total amount of product in the samples versus the full-size price and thought, well… the math is mathing. So yes, I’ll absolutely keep using them. 😂 Just watch the shipping weight before you check out, because that’s the one part where your amazing bargain can suddenly start fighting back.

@BeauteAddict And OMG, cushions. 😭😂 I actually have the HERA Glow Cushion, HERA Black Cushion and HERA Black Cushion Mesh Powder, and I really like HERA cushions in general. Honestly, HERA has been so good for me that it’s probably the main reason I haven’t experimented with that many other cushion brands. I also tried the Primera Nia Cica Soothing Glow Cream Cushion and that one is REALLY good too! I’d definitely recommend it if you like a more natural, glowy skin finish. One I REALLY want to try next is a JUNGSAEMMOOL cushion. I keep seeing them everywhere and they’re so popular in Korea that at this point I feel like I need to know what all the hype is about. 😂 I did try the red TIRTIR Mask Fit Red Cushion, though, and unfortunately that one wasn’t for me. 😭 It felt too heavy and dry on my skin, and because it’s so full coverage it didn’t give me that natural “my skin but better” look I prefer. It also oxidized on me, which definitely didn’t help. So I think my cushion preference is definitely lightweight, skin-like and naturally perfected rather than obviously full coverage — which is exactly why your description of the VIDIVICI Black Cushion as making you look “born pretty instead of makeup pretty” immediately got my attention. 😂😭 Now I want to try that one too. And if you discover any hidden gems from all those Korean YouTube reviews, PLEASE tell me because apparently we’re enabling each other now. 😂

@BeauteAddict Ohhh, now I know which one you mean! 😂 The new Beauty of Joseon Tinted Mineral Dayscreen that replaced the old Tinted Fluid. I’ve seen that one, I just didn’t realize that was the one you were talking about. Now it makes sense! 😭 I haven’t tried it myself yet, but I’ve seen how much thicker it looks compared to the old fluid, so I completely understand what you mean by the BB cream texture. I actually use tinted/tone-up sunscreens quite a lot, although finding the right shade is always the annoying part with tinted SPF. 😭 If you want an SPF that you can put on and basically skip foundation altogether, I REALLY like the HERA UV Protector CC SPF50+/PA++++. That one genuinely surprised me because it gives me enough coverage that it almost looks like I’m wearing a light foundation. It evens everything out and covers quite a bit while still looking natural. It’s become one of my favorite lazy products. 😂 If I need to look put together but don’t have time to actually do my makeup, I just put that on and suddenly it looks like I did. 😭 The only thing is that it’s not a mineral sunscreen, so it wouldn’t work if you’re specifically looking for mineral filters. But if that isn’t a requirement and you want that SPF + light foundation/CC effect in one step, I’ve been really impressed with it.

@Veky if you can order from style Korean, grab Vidivici. I got 1 When it was on sale last weekend, tried it side by side with hera glow cushion, my husband and I like the side with vidivici better so I bought 6 more because it’s the only place that sells it other than OYG and now recently Amazon, but Amazon is more expensive, lol I’m thinking of buying more but it be crazy. I want to try new ones. The color of vidivici 21N is similar to hera glow cushion 21N. I haven’t tried the hera black cushion after it’s renewed so I’m not sure what it’s like. Is Hera black cushion and glow cushion same in color, but different finishes? I ordered Sulwashoo, the whoo cushion from yesstyle and will let you know how it goes. I’ve also heard good things about Cle De Peu beaute (high end Japanese brand) cushion so went to my local mall today to try it. It is indeed pretty. Texture feels like nothing on your skin lol. Coverage is light to med, depending on how many times you apply it I guess. I do have dry, mature skin, with enlarge pores so I look for cushion with more skincare ingredients in it. My only gripe with it is their cushion only have 00, 10, 20, 30. And I have no idea how it relates to Korean cushion coloring. Color 20 looks exactly like my skin color and 10 could be Korean 17-19. I was wearing milktouch in 19N today and it’s slightly darker so I think color 10 in their brand is the same as Korean 19-20 in typical cushion or hera 17-19. I wanted to purchased, but the color is sold out. If you have light color skin tone, I think it would look really nice. Have you tried hera glow pressed powder yet or their glow highlighter? I’m making a cart already for Black Friday, but not sure if I can hold it until then. Lol AP beauty cushion is also in my cart. As for stylejolly, I want to purchase but never heard of it before. Can’t find reddit reviews of it either. I recently saw the news of fake Korean cosmetics made in china found in Korea warehouse. They sell these on the Korean website so I’m worried about getting fakes. Have you compare your Aestura products from StyleJolly with the ones on amoremall? Are they exactly the same? Packing and the actual product.

@Veky if you’re looking for a mineral sunscreen that’s tinted and doesn’t feel pasty, INN beauty project has a mineral sunscreen. First one that I’ve used and thought “omg, I can actually use this and it’s not too dark on me like the rest of the tinted ones out there.” As for Hera sunscreens in general, I wish they use new generation filters instead of the old ones. If they did, I would stock up so many bottles. I having Jung saem mool color 21 cushion. It’s soooo yellow. lol I absolutely hate it. Amazon has one that’s in color light pink color 19, but it expires in a couple of months so I couldn’t buy it. However, I noticed when I use AP tone up sunscreen and JSM foundation, it lessen the yellow undertone then the color is soo pretty! It’s not as light as Hera glow though.

@Sora HAHAHA I genuinely think they should sponsor me at this point. 😭😂 I might actually be one of their most loyal customers — and possibly one of their biggest consumers at this rate. I carry AESTURA minis around with me, recommend them to basically everyone who will listen, and I’ve even somehow managed to incorporate AESTURA into several of my university projects. 😂 I’ve done projects involving web design, marketing, social media/campaign strategy and even how I would launch and position AESTURA better in the European market. Now I have a video production project coming up and I’m seriously considering making an AESTURA commercial/promo for that too. At some point I genuinely need to gather all of this together, send it to AESTURA and be like: hello, I have apparently been doing unpaid European marketing for you, would you like to sponsor me now? 😭😂 People at my university, professors, friends, random people around me… even doctors who absolutely did not ask for a skincare recommendation have heard about AESTURA from me. 😂 A lot of them had never heard of the brand before. Well, they have now. I genuinely love them though. For me they’ve become more than just another skincare brand because their products have gotten my skin through some REALLY bad barrier episodes. And you probably don’t want to know how many AESTURA minis I have on top of those 60+ full-size bottles. 😭 I’m seriously considering making an AESTURA Christmas tree this year and hanging the minis instead of ornaments. 😂🎄 BUT before I tell you what YOU should buy, tell me a little more about your skin! I can see that you’re dry, but is it just dryness, or do you also deal with dehydration, redness/sensitivity, acne, pigmentation, fine lines/loss of firmness, etc.? And are you interested in anti-aging at all? Because that completely changes which AESTURA products I’d tell you to prioritize. I can basically build you an AESTURA routine around your specific skin at this point. 😂 My skin is very dry/dehydrated but also sensitive, redness-prone and acne-prone, which is an annoying combination, and I’m also interested in anti-aging because I’m firmly in the better sooner than later camp. 😂 I especially like that AESTURA has anti-aging options made with sensitive skin in mind because I can’t always tolerate more aggressive anti-aging products. But since you asked for my absolute MUST-hAVES, I’ll try to behave and narrow it down. 😭 ATOBARRIER365 Hydro Essence is probably my favorite AESTURA product overall. If you forced me to pick ONE, this might be it. It gives me the deeper hydration my skin desperately needs without feeling heavy or greasy, and I can layer it with basically anything. Then there are the two creams: ATOBARRIER365 Hydro Soothing Cream and the classic ATOBARRIER365 Cream. I actually LOVE using them together. The Hydro gives my skin that immediate watery hydration it needs, and then I put a thin layer of the regular ATOBARRIER365 Cream over it to deal with the dryness and seal everything in. I have that annoying kind of deep dehydration where my skin can still feel thirsty even when there’s moisturizer sitting on top, and this combination works SO well for me. If the “main popular moisturizer” you already have in your cart is the classic ATOBARRIER365 Cream, absolutely keep it there. 😂 That’s their iconic barrier cream with the ceramide capsules and one of the first AESTURA products I’d recommend. The Hydro Soothing Cream is especially nice if you want hydration without heaviness. People sometimes assume “Hydro” means it’s only for oily skin, but my very dry skin LOVES it — I just layer something richer over it when I need more. Then there’s the ATOBARRIER365 Hydro Cera-HA Serum. This is one of my “my skin has completely lost its mind” products. 😭 When my barrier is so irritated that I’m scared to put half of my skincare on my face, this is one of the serums I can still reach for. It’s very focused on hydration + barrier support and my skin absolutely drinks it up. ATOBARRIER365 Cream Mist is another one I think people underestimate. If your skin gets REALLY dry, especially during winter, this thing is a lifesaver for me. When it’s freezing outside and my skin would normally feel like it’s being slowly freeze-dried off my face 😂, I spray this and it makes such a difference. It’s more like a milky moisturizing mist than just water pretending to be skincare. I sometimes basically use it as a milky toner too. It gives my skin a really pretty hydrated glow, it lasts me quite a while, and it isn’t even one of their more expensive products. For toner, I’m currently having an internal competition between the ATOBARRIER365 Capsule Toner and the A-CICA365 Hydrating Relief Toner. 😂 The Capsule Toner is newer to me, so I need more time before I officially crown a winner. Right now I genuinely love both. Now the A-CICA365 line is where I go when my skin is RED, sensitive, irritated, overheated or generally throwing a tantrum. The A-CICA365 Soothing Repair Cream is one of my SOS products. It’s a lightweight gel-cream, so for my very dry skin it usually isn’t enough as my only moisturizer, but that’s not really why I use it. If I have one really red irritated area or redness after a breakout, I’ll sometimes put a slightly thicker layer there. If my entire face has suddenly decided to become a lobster 🦞, I spread a lighter layer over everything. 😂 It’s light, hydrating and SO soothing. The A-CICA365 Soothing Relief Serum is also REALLY good if redness and sensitivity are major concerns. Honestly, the whole A-CICA line is worth looking at if your skin tends to get reactive. And the A-CICA365 Cooling Relief Pads are among my favorite toner pads — and I own WAY too many toner pads. 😂 They’re hydrating, soothing and have this lovely cooling effect. I use them before makeup, after exercising, or whenever my face gets hot and red. Put them on for a little while and it’s basically redness? What redness? 😂 They’re also SO nice as makeup prep. If you don’t know what to try from the CICA line, though, PLEASE try the A-CICA365 Soothing Repair Mask. I originally got one as a sample and was honestly shocked by how much I liked it. My skin felt so hydrated, refreshed and calm afterward and my redness looked much better. I’m literally planning to order a whole pack now because apparently I need another AESTURA product in bulk. 😭😂 I also really like cooling/calming products in general. When my skin is visibly hot and red, I want to calm that down rather than leave it sitting there angry. Then we get to my baby: REGEDERM365 Skin Tightening Capsule Serum. 😭 This might actually be my favorite AESTURA serum and one of my favorite serums in general. I originally bought it for anti-aging/firmness and did NOT expect the pore effect to be so noticeable. I swear I want to rename it the Pore Tightening Serum. 😂 My pores genuinely look better with it in a way I haven’t gotten from most other serums. And that actually makes sense because AESTURA specifically designed it around firmness and visible “sagging pore” concerns. It contains 10% niacinamide, adenosine, a vitamin C derivative and their capsule technology, so it’s doing quite a bit more than just moisturizing. It’s also surprisingly hydrating for an anti-aging serum and doesn’t feel heavy. With consistent use, my skin looks firmer, smoother, glowier and generally healthier. The REGEDERM365 Intensive Lifting Capsule Cream is basically the richer anti-aging companion to that serum. If anti-aging/firmness is your MAIN concern, I’d absolutely look at it. But if you’re choosing where to spend your money, personally I’d buy the REGEDERM serum + regular ATOBARRIER365 Cream first. The regular cream is bigger, cheaper and more universally useful, while the serum gives you that more targeted anti-aging/pore treatment. You can also get REGEDERM samples/minis on StyleJolly — I wrote you an entire StyleJolly essay above 😂 — so that’s a really good way to try them before committing to an expensive full size. Their REGEDERM365 Retinoid Eye Serum is another one I really like. It uses HPR (hydroxypinacolone retinoate) rather than retinal, and I find it surprisingly gentle around my eyes while still being an actual retinoid anti-aging eye product. Right now it’s basically the only dedicated eye product I consistently use at night. For cleansing, ATOBARRIER365 Bubble Cleanser is another must-have for me. It’s VERY gentle, which is exactly why I like it. My skin doesn’t tolerate aggressive cleansing well and this cleans without giving me that horrible stripped/tight feeling. It is a gentle cleanser though, so I wouldn’t expect it to single-handedly remove heavy makeup or a really water-resistant SPF. I’d remove those first and then use this as my gentle cleanse afterward. I’m currently testing their other foam/milk cleansers too, but I need to use them longer before I give you my official verdict. 😂 And then we get to AESTURA SUNSCREENS, which is another rabbit hole because I’d choose a completely different one depending on what you want. 😭 If you like a tone-up sunscreen and redness is one of your concerns, I really like their calming tone-up option. It visually helps with redness and leaves my skin with a really pretty glow instead of making it look dry and flat. It takes a little more effort to blend than a completely transparent sunscreen, but I LOVE the finish. If your skin is EXTREMELY sensitive/reactive or your barrier is compromised, the DERMA UV365 Barrier Hydro Mineral Sunscreen is the one I’d look at. That’s their mineral option and this type of sunscreen is basically my GOAT when my skin is having a crisis. Sunscreen is normally one of the first things that starts stinging me when my barrier is damaged, so having one I can still reach for during those periods is incredibly useful. And then there’s the DERMA UV365 Vita-C Radiance Sunscreen SPF50+/PA++++, which is a completely different option. This one is NOT mineral — it uses organic/chemical UV filters. I really like it if pigmentation, post-acne marks, dullness or uneven tone are concerns. It combines strong UV protection with skincare ingredients including niacinamide and a vitamin C derivative, so you’re getting that antioxidant/brightening angle alongside your sunscreen. And obviously consistent UV protection itself is incredibly important if you’re prone to pigmentation because you don’t want UV exposure continuously making those marks worse. What surprised me most is how wearable the Vita-C is. There’s no mineral white cast to fight with because it isn’t a mineral SPF, it isn’t greasy or sticky on me, and it works really nicely underneath makeup. I find it really easy to wear as an everyday sunscreen. So my simplified AESTURA SPF guide would basically be: redness + tone correction → calming/tone-up SPF very sensitive/reactive/barrier-compromised skin + you want mineral filters → Barrier Hydro Mineral SPF pigmentation/dark marks + dullness + brightening/antioxidant support → Vita-C Radiance SPF Which is exactly why I need to know what your skin actually needs before I tell you which sunscreen to buy. Apparently even asking me “which AESTURA SPF?” requires a full consultation. 😭😂 So after writing another AESTURA novel and accidentally recommending half the brand again, if you REALLY forced me to choose my personal essentials, they would probably be: Hydro Essence, ATOBARRIER365 Cream, Hydro Soothing Cream, Hydro Cera-HA Serum, REGEDERM365 Skin Tightening Capsule Serum, REGEDERM Eye Serum, Bubble Cleanser, and probably the Capsule Toner — although I’m still making it fight the CICA toner for that position. 😂 Then I’d add the Cream Mist if you’re very dry or live somewhere with cold winters, and something from A-CICA365 if redness/sensitivity is a major issue. If I absolutely had to pick one from CICA for everyday SOS use, probably the cream — but I genuinely love the serum, pads and mask too, so asking me to choose is cruel. 😭 And yes, I realize I just said “if I had to narrow it down” and then listed almost everything again. 😂 So tell me about your skin first! Give me your dryness/dehydration level, whether you have sensitivity or redness, acne or no acne, pigmentation, whether anti-aging/firmness matters to you, and what kind of sunscreen finish you like. Then I can tell you which AESTURA products I think are actually worth prioritizing for YOU, instead of enabling you to buy the entire brand like I did. 😭😂

@BeauteAddict YES, I can order from StyleKorean, so you’ve officially convinced me to put the VIDIVICI Black Cushion on my list for my next order. 😂 Especially now that you’re telling me 21N is similar to HERA Glow 21N — that gives me a much better idea of what shade I’d need. Buying six backups after comparing it side-by-side with HERA Glow is honestly the kind of commitment I respect. 😭😂 Although now I REALLY need to try it if both you and your husband looked at the two sides and preferred VIDIVICI. And about HERA Black vs HERA Glow — yes, the finishes are definitely different, but one thing I noticed is that I wouldn’t assume the same shade number will look identical between them. The Black has more coverage and lasts longer on me, while Glow is obviously more luminous and gives that fresher, more radiant skin finish. But when I compared my shades, I was actually surprised by the color difference too. My 21N in HERA Black looked noticeably darker than 21N in HERA Glow. To me, 17N Black is actually much closer to 21N Glow than 21N Black is. So if you wear 21N in Glow, I personally wouldn’t automatically buy 21N Black. Based on the shades I have, I’d look at 17N, and I’d even consider 17C if you don’t mind a slightly cooler tone. I’m actually not 100% sure whether I’m truly neutral or if I lean more cool 😂, but I often prefer slightly cooler shades on myself. I find that HERA’s C shades aren’t extremely pink or obviously cool, and that little bit of coolness gives me a subtle brightening effect that I really like. And since we’re talking about HERA, I HAVE to recommend the HERA Black Cushion Mesh Powder too. That product surprised me so much because I normally don’t even particularly like powders. It doesn’t behave like a traditional powder that immediately makes my skin look dry and powdery. The product comes through this really fine mesh and feels incredibly lightweight on the skin. What I love most is the blur — it smooths the appearance of pores and texture without giving me that obvious layer-of-powder look. It basically makes my skin look like itself after someone quietly turned on a Photoshop blur filter. 😂 I have 21C1 Rose Vanilla, and that shade works really well for me. I also wouldn’t use the shade numbers from the cushions as a direct guide for this one because I find the shades behave differently. I use it in several ways too. Sometimes I’ll wear HERA Glow Cushion and only use the Mesh Powder around my nose, forehead, inner cheeks and anywhere I want more pore blurring or a little less shine. Other times I put a VERY thin layer over more of my face. I also use it over Black Cushion when I want even more longevity and smoothing. And you can actually use it by itself too if you just want your skin to look more refined without really looking “made up.” That versatility is probably why I like it so much. BUT my favorite weird little HERA cushion might actually be the HERA Black Cushion Foundation 00P1 Beige Pink. 😂 It’s basically this very pale pink-beige tone-up/color-correcting cushion rather than a normal foundation shade. It’s extremely lightweight and gives this soft satin, brightened effect without looking like you painted your face pink. I love using it when I want my complexion to look fresher, brighter and more even, but still incredibly natural. The pink-beige tone gives just enough brightness to wake up the complexion without becoming obviously pink. If you have a lighter complexion, you can absolutely use it over the whole face — I do sometimes. But it’s also SO useful almost like a complexion brightener/color corrector with another cushion. I’ll use my normal HERA cushion and then tap 00P1 lightly under the eyes, over the upper/inner cheeks, center of the forehead, bridge/tip of the nose, or anywhere I want that subtle extra brightness. It’s also useful if another cushion is just a little too dark. Instead of piling on more foundation, I can lightly tap the Beige Pink over strategic areas and it visually brings some brightness back into my face without looking heavy. The only thing that annoys me is that 00P1 doesn’t have a refill, so when you finish it you have to buy the whole cushion again. 😭 And while I’m enabling you with HERA products 😂 — have you tried their liquid blushes? Because THOSE I can absolutely recommend. I’ve tried them in almost every shade and they’re SO pretty. They have skincare ingredients in the formula too, but what I love most is how naturally they sit on the skin. They don’t give me that obvious “here is my blush” look — they almost melt into the complexion and give you this really fresh, healthy flush. Every time I’ve worn one, someone has eventually asked me what blush I’m wearing. 😂 That has happened enough times that I feel like it’s a pretty good endorsement. And there’s another HERA product I HAVE to ask whether you’ve tried because I swear people don’t realize what it actually is: HERA Reflection Skin Glow Cushion Foundation 00N1 Dia. Despite being listed under the Reflection Skin Glow Cushion Foundation, 00N1 Dia is actually HERA’s cushion HIGHLIGHTER. HERA themselves describe 00N1 as the highlighter shade — it just lives in the same product line as all the regular foundation shades, which I think is why so many people completely miss it. 😭 And OMG, this product deserves WAY more attention. It’s basically a translucent highlighter in cushion form, and instead of giving you that obvious metallic or glittery highlighter sitting on top of your makeup, it creates this incredibly subtle, luminous, almost wet-looking glow. HERA Glow Cushion + 00N1 Dia is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. 😭 I tap Dia onto the areas where I want more light and dimension and it gives me that luminous glass-skin effect where you can’t really tell what product is creating it. Your skin just looks ridiculously healthy and like it’s naturally reflecting light. And I’m not exaggerating when I say people have actually asked me what I used when I wear it. 😂 It’s one of those products where people notice that your skin looks different, but they can’t figure out WHY. I originally found out about 00N1 Dia through a makeup artist. Otherwise, because HERA puts it alongside all the regular Glow Cushion shades, I honestly don’t know if I ever would have realized that it’s a highlighter and not just some bizarre shade 00 foundation. 😂 I bought it after seeing the makeup artist use/recommend it and I’m SO glad I did. HERA seriously needs to promote this product better because anyone who loves natural, luminous, “my skin is somehow glowing from within” makeup needs to know it exists. When you say HERA Glow pressed powder, though, do you mean the newer HERA Reflection Skin Glow Powder — the one that comes in 01 Glow and 02 Lavender Glow? 👀 Because if THAT’S the one you mean, then YES, I’m definitely planning to get it. 😂😭 I haven’t tried that one yet, but it immediately caught my attention, especially after how much I ended up loving the Black Cushion Mesh Powder. Now I just have to decide whether I want Glow or Lavender Glow… although knowing me, that decision may eventually become “both.” 😂 PLEASE report back about the Sulwhasoo and The Whoo cushions when they arrive. Sulwhasoo is one I’ve wanted to try for ages, so I’m genuinely curious what you think. And OMG Clé de Peau Beauté. 😭 I know the brand and I’ve heard so many good things about them, but I haven’t tried their cushion yet. The way you described it actually sounds EXACTLY like the kind of cushion I love — feels like nothing on the skin, light-to-medium buildable coverage, natural, “your skin but better.” I have fairly light skin too, and judging by our HERA shades I think we might actually be somewhere around the same general shade range. So your comparison between Clé de Peau 10/20 and Korean cushion shades is genuinely useful to me. This is also why I HATE buying expensive base makeup online when I can’t swatch it. 😭 If I’m spending that much on a cushion, please at least let me know whether I’m buying a face product or an expensive little compact that will sit in a drawer because the shade is wrong. 😂 And AP BEAUTY too!! 😭 Their cushion is another one I keep looking at and thinking I want you… but do I want you THAT many dollars? 😂 I’m really curious whether the formula actually justifies the price compared with HERA and the other high-end Korean cushions. Have you tried anything else from AP BEAUTY? Because now I’m curious what you think of the brand in general, not just the cushion. Actually, I’m really curious about your whole skincare AND makeup routine now. 😂 I feel like our taste overlaps a LOT — lightweight base products, skincare-heavy cushions, natural finishes, expensive Korean beauty products that neither of us needs but somehow end up in our carts anyway… 😭 I want to know what you use regularly and what your actual favorites are. As for StyleJolly, I completely understand why the counterfeit news would make you nervous. That’s actually one of the reasons I was cautious with them in the beginning too. It’s funny that you couldn’t find much on Reddit because that’s actually where I originally came across them, but it was buried in discussions about brands like The History of Whoo and other luxury Korean brands, and I’ve also seen them mentioned in European skincare discussions. They’re definitely harder to find information about if you search specifically for “StyleJolly reviews.” People in those discussions said they had received legitimate products, but I still didn’t just take that at face value. My first order was deliberately smaller and cheaper because I basically wanted to test them before I trusted them with a large order. And yes — I have actually compared the products I bought there with products I already owned from other sources, including AESTURA from Amore Mall. I went slightly detective mode because I was suspicious too. 😂 The packaging was identical, the actual product looked, felt and performed the same, the masks were identical, and the minis/samples matched the ones I had received elsewhere. And I didn’t only compare AESTURA. I’ve ordered HERA, LANEIGE and other brands there too, including products I had previously purchased elsewhere or still had at home, so I was able to put them next to each other and compare them directly. On some products I even checked identifying/batch-style numbers and whatever other product information I could compare because I REALLY wanted to make sure before I started placing bigger orders. 😭😂 I obviously can’t personally authenticate every single product they sell or tell you exactly where their inventory originates, but everything I’ve personally received and been able to directly compare has matched the products I bought from established/official retailers. Packaging, product itself, samples, masks — I haven’t personally found anything suspicious in what I’ve received. That’s basically why I became comfortable ordering more from them. I’ve also noticed that they carry an enormous amount of minis, samples and promotional/trial sets that can be weirdly difficult to find internationally. For example, they recently had AP BEAUTY Rejuvenating Booster Shot minis and a trial set, and those sold out REALLY quickly. So I definitely think there’s a group of people who know about the site and shop there even though it isn’t talked about nearly as much as StyleKorean, YesStyle or Olive Young. One thing I HAVE noticed is that several of my orders have arrived in boxes associated with major Korean beauty companies/brands, and their inventory is very heavily concentrated around certain Korean beauty groups. That has made me wonder whether some of their stock comes through wholesale/distribution channels, but that part is purely my speculation. I don’t actually know their supply chain, so I wouldn’t tell you they come from a particular company’s warehouse as a fact. If you want, I can also dig up some of the Reddit posts/comments/reviews where I originally found people talking about StyleJolly and send them to you. They’re annoyingly difficult to find again because a lot of them weren’t posts specifically ABOUT StyleJolly — someone would be discussing Whoo, O HUI, Sulwhasoo or another luxury Korean brand and StyleJolly would come up somewhere in the comments as a place to buy minis/samples. So I completely understand being cautious, especially after reading about counterfeit Korean cosmetics. I was too. I’d honestly do exactly what I did: make a smaller first order with products you already own or know well, so you can compare everything yourself before ever placing one of those giant “I have lost control of my cart” orders. 😂😭 Although judging by the fact that you bought SIX VIDIVICI cushions, I feel like neither of us should be giving the other person financial advice. 😂💀

@BeauteAddict Ooh thank you for the INNBeauty Project mineral sunscreen recommendation! 👀 I’m definitely going to look into that one because finding a tinted mineral sunscreen that doesn’t feel thick/pasty AND isn’t too dark is ridiculously difficult. 😭 I have pretty light skin too, so so many “universal” tinted mineral sunscreens are absolutely not universal on me. 😂 And I completely understand what you mean about HERA sunscreens. I love so many HERA products that I’m always looking at their sunscreens too, but I really wish they would update some of the filters they use. If they came out with one using newer-generation filters AND gave it the same elegant texture they manage with their makeup… dangerous. 😂 I’d probably end up stocking up too. Also THANK YOU for warning me about Jung Saem Mool 21 because JSM is literally one of the cushions I’ve been wanting to try. 😭 If it’s THAT yellow on you, I have a feeling I might have the exact same problem, especially since it sounds like our HERA shades are pretty similar. Light Pink 19 sounds much more like something I would gravitate toward. It’s such a shame the one you found on Amazon expires in a couple of months though — I wouldn’t want to buy a cushion just to immediately start racing against the expiration date either. 😂 But your trick with the AP tone-up sunscreen underneath JSM 21 is actually really smart. If it neutralizes enough of that yellow undertone and suddenly makes the shade beautiful, at least the cushion isn’t a complete loss. 😂 And now you’re making me even more curious about the AP tone-up sunscreen too! I actually do this kind of thing with base products all the time — if something is slightly too dark, too yellow or just a little “off,” I’d much rather correct it with a tone-up/color-correcting product than waste the whole thing. And the fact that JSM 21 still isn’t as light as HERA Glow is REALLY useful for me. I think I’d definitely need to hunt down one of JSM’s lighter/pinker shades rather than blindly ordering 21. Also, now I have to ask: what HERA products have you tried so far? 👀😂 I absolutely LOVE HERA, so I’m genuinely curious about everything you’ve tried from them — not just the cushions and sunscreens. Skincare, makeup, lip products, blushes, powders, primers, anything. 😂 They’re one of those brands where I keep discovering random products that don’t seem to get nearly as much attention internationally as the Black Cushion, and then I try them and think, WHY IS NOBODY TALKING ABOUT THIS?! That’s basically what happened to me with the Black Cushion Mesh Powder, the Reflection Skin Glow Cushion 00N1 Dia highlighter, and their liquid blushes. Some of my favorite HERA products aren’t even the ones I originally went to the brand for. 😭 So if you’ve explored more of HERA, PLEASE tell me what you’ve tried and what was actually worth it — and especially if you’ve found any underrated products. At this point I clearly don’t need any encouragement to buy more HERA, but I’m asking anyway. 😂😭

@Veky wow you are definitely passionate about aestura! I have the original cream and lotion, cream mist, capsule toner, the regenerative cream and serum. I’ve only used the mist, cream, and lotion and I can’t say I love them, initially at least. :( I have dry, very dehydrated skin, with enlarge pores, fine line. When I use the OG 365 cream, it just felt like a thick silicone sitting on top of my skin and the lotion feels a lesser intense of silicone. It doesn’t soothe my dehydration and after an hour or 2 my skin feels uncomfortably dry and tight again. I am also on retinoids at that time and it was summer so AC didn’t help. However, when my skin barrier is damaged, my face turn purple/blue, not just red. When my skin is burning and hot and I apply Aestura 365 cream, the product melts completely into my skin and my skin drinks it up. My skin got better in a couple of days. This is when I became an aestura fan. I just wish they came out with a version that’s more rich for mature skin because we need more cholesterols and oil as we get older. I think I’ll try their cica line now that you recommend it. If you have sensitive skin, try dear klair’s midnight blue line. I think my obsession for dear klair’s is like you to Aestura. Lol I got 9-10 bottles of the cream. Many backed up serums, I love their new egg mist too. I hate the dispenser so I put the product into a foam dispenser. I’d say I’ve never used a toner or a serum so fast! It feels so hydrating! Have you tried the midnight blue or azulene line before from dear klair’s?

@Veky I think I’m a newbie to Hera. Lol I don’t know much about the brand, but Hera black cushion was the first Korean cushion I tried 6 years ago. It was too matte for me, but they have been reformulated. I pretty much buy cushion foundation Cyoung recommends for dry and mature skin. I bought hera glow cushion a while ago but haven’t used it until recently because I was so obsessed with holitual cushion that I got them in both colors lol. I also have 1 of the blush too. Everytime I place hera items in my cart, I leave it there to think about it, and when I decide to buy, their sales are over or I need to put my financial funds in another brand to repair my barrier. I think I have tried most famous cream that’s high ranking in OY trying to heal my skin barrier. To be honestly, with the exception of Sulwashoo and medicube, I’ve always used western brands skincare in the past. It was within the past 6 months that I discovered Korean skincare has better products than medicube. Lol one day I was watching YT and heard OY is going to USA so we won’t have access to Korean sunscreens anymore, so I went overboard and bought 2 years or more worth of sinscreen even though I didn’t even use Korean sunscreen at that time. The FOMO is seriously real. There were so many sales, Mother’s Day, Amazon prime. I may have multiple years of products for multiple people’s worth of creams, serums, toner, face wash. 😬 As for Hera glow vs Vidivici, my husband liked it because he said it makes my skin look more natural. I liked it because it cover my pores and somehow cover my redness without feeling cake or heavy. It makes me feel like I was born with good skin. A lot of Korean speaking influencer from Korea I follow compare Vidivici to hera black cushion and think they’re on par with each other so you may like Vidivici if you like the Hera black cushion. I hope Vidivici goes viral so they can release their glow cushion in the states or on style Korea. They have a glow cushion too and I’m so bummed I don’t have access to it. I watched a video of an influencer mentioned that Ohui denier cushion foundation is the best department store cushion she had tried including Cle De Peu, but this particular line from Ohui isn’t sold anywhere. I think one of my online high end store has it, though they require a minimum of $400 purchase for free shipping. Since I don’t know my color, I didn’t wanted to pay for the shipping and the hassle of returning. I’m into make up this month after watching a few anti blush video. In term of blush, I love JSM blush. I love that they’re not pigmented! For the Hera glow 00Dia, you should try it on top of the black cushion. A makeup artist said it makes the cushion stay longer, but it give you the prettiest glow. I also heard that they use the Hera glow press powder to brightening up their complexion on places normally where you would put highlighters for a more natural look. I haven’t tried much AP products but really want to try their cushion. The only AP products review I found on YT unfortunately is in Chinese and they don’t do AI translate or subtitles. I want to find a cushion that looks super natural, lightweight, hide all my pores, redness on my skin, hyperpigmentations, without looking cakey, doesn’t dry my skin out, but can last at least 8 hours on my skin with me doing minimal work for it. Age20 is a good cushion too. I can apply it on my skin without much efforts, but I feel like it doesn’t really set. Because I have a 1 year old, she touches my face and a layer of foundation is gone after lol. PS, if you need recommendations on non amore pacific brands to try, I can recommend some.

@BeauteAddict Ohhh, then you really ARE still a HERA newbie. 😂 Although starting with the Black Cushion six years ago is a pretty solid introduction to the brand! From what I’ve heard from people who used both versions, the reformulated HERA Black Cushion is less matte and less drying than the older one, which probably explains why your experience six years ago was so different. I’ve only used the newer reformulated version, and I was actually surprised that it didn’t feel particularly dry on my skin because that was one of the things I was worried about. That’s usually my biggest issue with matte cushions in general. They can look beautiful initially, but after a few hours they start becoming cakey or patchy and suddenly every little dry area and line you didn’t even know existed has been invited to the party. 😭😂 Especially on dry skin. Between the two, I still think HERA Glow is the safer choice for dry skin because it feels more hydrating and gives that softer, luminous finish. The trade-off is longevity — Black definitely lasts better on me, while Glow doesn’t stay perfect for quite as long. It’s funny because I actually don’t wear THAT much makeup in everyday life, even though I’ve always loved makeup and I could watch makeup tutorials forever. 😂 I’m extremely picky about how makeup looks on my actual skin. I want it to look natural, seamless, fresh and glowy. I absolutely hate when I can see foundation sitting on top of the skin from across the room, or when everything starts looking patchy, heavy or overly “done.” That’s probably one of the reasons I’ve become so interested in Korean makeup techniques and Korean base products. I really love that dewy/glass-skin approach where the goal is still perfected skin, but you’re trying to make it look like the skin itself is beautiful rather than like you applied an impressive layer of foundation. I also tend to prefer Korean eye makeup styles and techniques over a lot of Western makeup looks. Ironically, I think that kind of effortless natural makeup can be harder to achieve than heavier makeup. 😂 Getting everything to blend perfectly into the skin, cover what you want covered, blur pores and redness, and STILL somehow look like you barely have anything on is basically witchcraft. I’m actually only now starting to build my makeup collection properly again from the beginning, and HERA has completely surprised me. I’ve become slightly obsessed with their makeup. 😭 Their lip glosses especially — OMG. I genuinely prefer some of them to high-end Western lip products I’ve tried. And I really like their eyeshadows too: beautiful pigment, long-lasting, they blend into the skin nicely and don’t give me that dry, powdery appearance. Honestly, HERA may be partially responsible for getting me properly interested in makeup again. 😂 And I have the SAME budgeting problem as you. Skincare always wins. 😭 I’ll put makeup in my cart, stare at it for three days, decide I’m finally going to buy it and then suddenly there’s some skincare product I “need” and there goes the makeup budget. 😂 Also, your skincare collection sounds INSANE in the best possible way. Multiple YEARS worth of creams, serums, toners, cleansers and sunscreen?! 😭😂 The FOMO really got you. But wait — after trying so many of the highly ranked Olive Young creams, you still haven’t found a barrier cream that you really love for your dry, mature skin? Because now I’m extremely curious which ones you’ve tried and what was wrong with each of them. With that amount of testing, you’re basically conducting your own long-term moisturizer clinical trial. 😂 I’m personally not a huge Medicube fan. Sulwhasoo interests me much more, although fragrance is one thing that holds me back with some of their products because they can be quite fragranced for my skin/preferences. I’ve tried their overnight/revitalizing mask and thought it was nice, and I’ve wanted to try the ginseng serum and several other products. But I’ve also seen people saying they preferred some of the older formulas before certain reformulations, so that has made me hesitate a little with the prices they charge. And YES, I’ve heard the same thing about VIDIVICI from Korean influencers and makeup artists! That’s one of the reasons you’ve now convinced me I really need to try it. 😂 I kept seeing good things about it, but my problem was always figuring out where to actually buy it. Your description is basically my ideal cushion: it blurs pores, tones down redness, looks like real skin and doesn’t feel cakey or heavy. The fact that your husband preferred that side because your skin looked more natural is honestly one of the best endorsements you could give me. 😂 And WAIT — VIDIVICI has a Glow Cushion too?! 😭 Why would you tell me this when neither of us can easily buy it?! 😂 If I end up loving the Black Cushion, I already know I’m going to become obsessed with finding the Glow version somewhere. Hopefully they expand distribution eventually because that sounds even more like my kind of cushion. I know O HUI, but I had no idea their The First Geniture cushion had that kind of reputation among Korean makeup people. Saying the O HUI cushion is better than the other department-store cushions she tried, including Clé de Peau, definitely gets my attention. 👀 But $400 minimum for free shipping when you don’t even know your shade? Absolutely not. 😭😂 That’s exactly the problem with these less internationally available luxury Korean brands. I might be willing to spend more on a really beautiful cushion, but not when I have to blindly guess the shade AND pay ridiculous shipping on top of it. If the shade is wrong, suddenly you own a very expensive decorative compact. And I completely understand why you like the Jung Saem Mool blush because it ISN’T overly pigmented. That’s actually something I appreciate too. I’d rather build blush gradually and have it melt into the rest of the makeup than tap the brush once and accidentally become a Victorian child with a fever. 😂 And YES, I’ve used 00N1 Dia over the HERA Black Cushion! I think I may have even seen the same makeup artist/video you’re talking about. That combination is gorgeous. I’m seriously obsessed with Dia — I still think HERA does a terrible job of making people realize that 00N1 Dia is actually their cushion highlighter because it’s sitting there with the Reflection Skin Glow Cushion Foundation shades. 😭 It gives exactly the kind of luminosity I like because it doesn’t scream HIGHLIGHTER. It just makes the skin catch light beautifully. The HERA Reflection Skin Glow Powder is the one I haven’t tried yet. Do you mean the newer one that comes in Glow and Lavender Glow? Because if so, THAT is already on my list for my next HERA purchase. 😂 I’ve seen the technique you’re talking about too — using a glow powder strategically on the areas you’d normally brighten/highlight instead of powdering the entire face — and that sounds much more appealing to me than traditional powder. I’m really curious how it compares with Dia because I could imagine using them for completely different versions of the same effect: Dia for that translucent, almost wet luminosity and the powder for a softer, diffused brightness. And AP BEAUTY is frustrating me too because I want to research that cushion properly before paying AP BEAUTY prices, but there just isn’t nearly as much English-language content about some of their makeup. 😭 I don’t mind watching Korean beauty content when I can work around the language barrier, but when the only detailed review is in another language with no subtitles or translation at all, choosing something as specific as a foundation shade becomes difficult. And your ideal cushion criteria made me laugh because WE ARE LITERALLY LOOKING FOR THE SAME CUSHION. 😂 I want something ridiculously lightweight and natural that looks like skin, blurs my pores, reduces the appearance of redness and pigmentation, doesn’t become cakey, doesn’t dry me out, and somehow still lasts around eight hours with minimal effort. Basically: please erase everything I don’t like about my skin while maintaining the illusion that I’m not wearing foundation. Totally reasonable request. 😂😭 AGE20’S sounds interesting too, although the transfer would drive me crazy. And with a one-year-old touching your face, you’re basically performing a durability test more realistic than anything a beauty influencer can do. 😂 If one baby hand removes an entire cheek of foundation, we have failed the wear test. 😭 And YES PLEASE, absolutely give me your non-Amorepacific recommendations! ❤️ I would genuinely love to hear them because you clearly love beauty products, you actually research what you buy, and from everything we’ve talked about so far I feel like we have very similar taste in both skincare and makeup. Especially with base makeup — lightweight, natural, skin-like, pore-blurring, flattering on dry skin and absolutely NO cakey foundation mask. So please enable me. 😂 Tell me the products outside Amorepacific that you think are genuinely worth trying — skincare AND makeup if you have favorites in both. I’m especially interested in the things you’ve tried where you immediately thought, “okay, THIS one is different.” At this point I trust recommendations from someone who bought six VIDIVICI cushions more than I probably should. 😂😭❤️

@BeauteAddict I completely understand what you mean about the ATOBARRIER365 Cream. One of my biggest problems with dry/dehydrated skin is finding something that actually fixes that deep inner dehydration, rather than just making the surface of my skin feel moisturized. Sometimes my skin looks perfectly hydrated and glowy on the outside but I can STILL feel that uncomfortable tightness underneath. 😭 That’s why I layer so much — I need to get hydration into my skin first and then seal it in with a richer barrier cream. I’ll usually start with a watery toner like the AESTURA Capsule Toner or A-CICA toner, sometimes in multiple layers, then something more nourishing like LANEIGE Cream Skin Cerapeptide Refiner, which has actually helped quite a bit with that inner dryness. Then AESTURA Hydro Essence, serum(s) depending on what my skin needs, a lighter hydrating cream and finally a richer barrier cream. Yes, my face apparently requires an entire skincare sandwich. 😂😭 This is actually why I STILL miss the old light-blue AESTURA Hydro Soothing Cream. It was amazing for deeper hydration, redness and barrier repair, but not rich enough for my dry skin by itself. Under ATOBARRIER365 Cream, though? CHEF’S KISS. 🤌😂 The Hydro gave me the hydration and calming I needed, while ATOBARRIER sealed everything in. I like the newer Hydro too, but it doesn’t quite do what the old one did for me. And honestly, I think the old ATOBARRIER365 Cream felt more moisturizing before its reformulation too. I sometimes wonder if they made the newer formulas more suitable for a wider range of skin types, because even normal/oily skin can have a damaged barrier. But I completely agree that they need an extra-rich version for very dry/mature skin. Your experience with ATOBARRIER when your barrier is actually damaged makes total sense that it feels like silicone sitting on your skin, but when your barrier is wrecked, burning and hot, suddenly your skin just DRINKS it. And yes, I really think you might like the A-CICA line, especially for the heat, burning and redness/discoloration you described. I think of it more as my calming/SOS layer rather than something that replaces a rich moisturizer. BUT OMG, Dear, Klairs. 😂 Are you reading my mind?! I’ve been looking at their blue/azulene products for SO long — the EGF serum, mist, creams, toners, basically the whole line. And now you tell me you have 9–10 backups of the cream?! 😭😂 Okay, I’m convinced. At this point I’m probably going to buy half the line… or knowing me, eventually the entire thing. 😂 I was already especially interested in the EGF serum, so consider that one mentally purchased. You are clearly to Dear, Klairs what I am to AESTURA, so I trust this level of obsession. 😂❤️ But now I need to know your absolute Dear, Klairs favorites besides the EGF serum. Which cream, toner, mist, serum, etc. would you immediately repurchase? Especially anything that really helped your dehydration or barrier. And have you tried the newer Blue EGF Intensive Pro Cream? 👀 That one has really caught my attention too. Barrier repair + EGF + anti-aging is basically a formula specifically designed to take my money. 😭 Also, have you tried ZIPIDERM? I recently bought several of their products and I actually think you might really like them. Their whole concept is very damaged-barrier + anti-aging/derma skincare, and they also use EGF in their products, which obviously got my attention immediately. 😂 Their cream is MUCH thicker and richer than ATOBARRIER365. Right now it can actually be a little too rich for me unless my skin is extremely dry, so I mostly use it at night, but I think it’ll be perfect in winter. With how dry/dehydrated your skin is, though, you might actually love that richness. Their toner is more like a thick hydrating essence than a watery toner, and I really like it. Their ampoule has been great for hydration too. I only bought them recently, so I can’t give you a long-term review yet, but so far I’m really enjoying them. I’ve seen ZIPIDERM on StyleKorean and YesStyle, and they’re also sold on Olive Young Korea. I’m just not sure if the US version of Olive Young carries them too. And one more brand — have you tried any ZEROID products? 👀 I’m planning to try them too because they’re another brand focused on barrier repair and sensitive skin, which is obviously right up my alley. 😂 I’ve been looking at their barrier creams in particular. Since you’ve tried SO many products trying to repair your barrier, I’m really curious whether you’ve tried ZEROID and, if so, which products you liked. So apparently we need to trade obsessions now: you investigate A-CICA and ZIPIDERM, and I’m apparently about to buy enough Dear, Klairs to qualify as a shareholder. 😂😭❤️ And please give me your Klairs favorites because after hearing “9–10 backups,” I no longer need convincing — I just need a shopping list. 😂

@Veky I love Korean makeup products more than western products for sure because they’re super light so it makes people wonder if you’re even wearing makeup, or you just look amazing lol. I only started buying more makeup after vidivici cushion and the jung saem mool blush in the tan apricot and loved that it looks so natural. I tried Hera glow cushion and vidivici cushion again today and still like vidivici better because it blurs my pores whereas the glow doesn’t. Now I wonder if I would like Hera black cushion too, but I think Vidivici may be lighter or less matte than Hera since the Vidivici black cushion on since it had a slight sheen to it. Also, the glow side dries my skin more than the Vidivici side. Tomorrow I will switch the side to see if it’s becuase one side of my face is more dry than the other side. The Ohui cushion that this reviewer mentioned is the new Denier cushion where they have increment of 0.5 for color increase. Like 23, 22.5, 21, 21.5, 20 ect. That’s the reason why it’s difficult to pick because what I’d I like 20.5 better than 21? Lol. They also have light coverage which they call 70D and I guess full coverage 100D. The Vidivici glow cushion, Vidivici foundation, and the new Ohui cushion is on OYG. There is a service call purchasekorea which is like a person who buys the items for you and ship it to you, but the cost for shipping, fees, and tariffs is nearly $100 on top of product price and I don’t know if I want to try it that badly to pay $100. As for creams, I’m going to have to agree with Cyoung that OY’s product aren’t really for mature skin. They’re more for 20s, early 30s. I think my criteria for skincare is high. It needs to be anti aging, no ingredient dusting, hydrating, and moisturizing. My holy grail cream a western cream medik8 pro collagen & peptide cream. The whole reason of buying all the creams from OY was to find a cheaper product that can do the same, but I don’t think that really exists in OY. Because my skin is dry and extremely dehydrated, most OY is not occlusive for me since they’re made for Korean presence which is light or gel like. Amoremall’s cream are my preference, however I think their cream lacks the anti ingredient factor like high concentration of peptides, or growth factor. I do love sulwashoo though. My first time trying sulwashoo was also 6 years ago when I got Hera. I know at that time I saw significant difference in my skin brightness with Sulwashoo so I like it a lot. I still like their first activating serum. I tried Iope for a week and like it for its moisturizering factor too. My perfect cream would be something that is medium weight, but very moisturizing and hydrating. I tend to like derma brands at OY more Becuase they have the 3:1:1 ratio. For example: Zeroid and physiogel. I like every single physiogel cream I’ve tried, especially the regenerative cream because it’s hydrating. Their issue is they don’t have the anti ingredient factor in them. Another cream I like is Dear Klairs calming blue or midnight blue cream. It soothed my skin. I layer it with aestura altobarrier 365 when my skin is irritated. Another cream I like is Epii 10% HPT cream. This one is hydrating and has high concentration of peptides. I think they’re trying to copy skinceautical’s A.G.E cream. I recently tried the cream and immediately purchased another one plus 4 of their serums lol. Iunik’s beta glucan cream is good as well. Good for hydration and moisturizing. An Korean speaking influencer I followed recommended layer lab Panthenol cream. He said that be replaced one of his favorite cream the aestura starrier 365 cream with Layer Lab Panthenol cream so I bought all the creams from that brand lol. I do like their ceramide cream. I haven’t open the Panthenol cream yet but StyleKorea also carries it. I also like the brand foretderm. It’s a brand developed by the medical clinic I believe. Foretderm non foaming cleanser is my morning cleanser. It’s similar to Zeroid dermanewal cleanser that is meant to use on patients after procedures but they add more soothing or calming ingredients and cheaper. If you know Lagom gel to water cleanser, it’s similar in type of cleanser. I got 5 bottles backed up lolol. I hate it when only 1 place carry the item so it makes me worry that they’ll discontinued or sold out so I always buy a ton of backups. If you can tell by now, I like niche brands are brands that are recommended by Korean influenced with little to no foreign followers because I think they actually refer things that works vs what’s trending on the market. And if someone say it’s their holy grails for years, I’d definitely buy it to try. make prem inteca cream decent too. It’s soothing, but they’re going to reformulated it because oily skin are complaining that it’s too oily so I think I won’t like it anymore after reformulation. P calm ato cream has a nice texture and my skin feel nice after using it. I wish it was thicker though. One of the person I follow mentioned Numbuzin no 9 cream, their newest release is the best firming cream he had tried so I’m interested in this too. I have it but need to finish Epii first. Dr. Reju-all ceramide cream is okay, not hydrating enough for me, but I think for most people it would be. Okay I think those are the creams I like among those I’ve tried. Now if you need serums, toner or cleanser esp milk cleanser let me know. My goal is to try all the milk cleansers eventually since there aren’t many of them compare to other cleansers.

@Veky for dear Klairs I tried their egf mist. Absolutely love it, but absolutely hate the hell out of the spray bottle. It gets stuck every single time Becuase the straw is too small for the oils so it clogs. I put it into a foam dispenser and omg, the difference!!!! I use it up so fast! I also don’t use their Azulene serum as a serum either. lol I put it into the foam dispenser and use it as a toner. It works so well and hydrate the skin. I think the mixture of liquid and really helps our skin. I also have their new Azulene and egg cream as well. I haven’t tried it yet though but their staff said gives you more flow and rich than the midnight blur so I got some to try. I have tried the epiderm cream as well. It’s okay, but I think I like Zeroid intensive balm better. You and I have the same issue. We’re so dehydrated that we layer so much fluid before we seal it up. I would recommend you Dr. Sante Azulene toner. It’s a gel to water toner so it stays longer on your skin and makes you feel more hydrated. I don’t feel like aestura hydro essence did anything for my skin. It wasn’t hydrating enough. I do like Laneige milk toner though. I’m waiting for black Friday so I can purchase the whole Dr. Sante azulene line since they’re quite expensive. I’ve noticed after using the dear klair’s egf mist as a toner and then added dr. Sante azulene toner my skin driness had significantly feel better. I think it’s the azulene thats helping with the hydration and soothing. I think azulene is trending. So many brands coming out with azulene in their products like manyo, s nature, ect.

@Veky @BeauteAddict Sorry to jump in, fellow Hera fan (thanks to Felix from stray kids lol) and while a agree that their black cushion can be look great at first and then over time shift a bit, I use the yellow D’Alba spray that CYOUNG recommends about mid day and it really helps my makeup look “fresh”. I have dry skin so I get cracks or creases in my makeup after a couple hours especially during winter but the D’Alba spray is something I’ll carry in my car if I know I’m going to be out at an event. I hardly wear makeup though for what it’s worth

@Sora I was thinking of adding the d’alba spray too. Not as a midday spray, but as a setting spray. I saw a video of a makeup artist using a spray, not sure if it’s a setting spray or just a hydrating spray but it has mixture of liquid and oil and it gives her an amazing shine. Do you use a setting spray? If so, which? Or make up primer?

@BeauteAddict I use Hera primer and setting spray. Huge Hera fan here lol I will usually do the setting spray, wait until I’m about to leave and use the D’Alba spray, and bring it in my car for one more spray at some point later in the day if necessary

@Sora I’m a total noob to make up, but how many spray do you normally use to set your makeup? I got the JSM setting spray from OYG as part of a sample gift. It squirt out such huge droppet that I feel that it washes my cushion foundation that applied on my face away.

@BeauteAddict I’m exactly the same with makeup. 😂 I love makeup that makes people wonder “is she even wearing makeup or is her skin just like that?” I want it to look pretty and natural, not like you can see every trace of foundation sitting on the skin. Honestly, with heavier/cakey foundations my skin sometimes looks worse than it does with no makeup at all. They may cover discoloration, but then they emphasize texture, dryness, pores and everything else, and I really don’t like that look. Wait, so you have the HERA cushion in 21N — do you have the VIDIVICI in 21N too? If you do, are the shades actually similar? After everything you’ve said, I think I’m definitely going to try the VIDIVICI cushion. I had already heard Korean influencers and makeup artists mention/use the brand, but when someone who has actually used the product repeatedly recommends it like this, that convinces me much more. 😂And please let me know what happens when you switch sides tomorrow! I’m really curious to see if VIDIVICI still feels less drying once you wear HERA and VIDIVICI on the opposite sides. That should make it easier to tell whether it’s actually the cushion or just one side of your face being naturally drier. 😂 And YES, the Korean shade systems confuse me so much once brands start doing all these different numbers, half shades, undertones and then different coverage versions on top of that. 😭 Like now I don’t just have to figure out whether I’m a 21 or 20.5, I also have to decode their warm/neutral/cool system AND 70D vs 100D. 😂 I honestly need to sit down and compare everything because I have no idea what shade I would be once a brand uses a completely different numbering system. I’ve actually wanted to try one of those Korean purchasing/proxy services too! There are so many Korean products I’m interested in that simply aren’t sold globally or don’t ship to my country, especially pharmacy/dermatology products. That’s honestly where I feel like some of the really interesting Korean skincare is hiding — the stuff that isn’t necessarily being marketed internationally. But if the proxy service + international shipping + tariffs/fees adds almost $100 before even counting the products, I don’t know how worthwhile it would be. 😭 The products themselves might be cheaper in Korea, but by the time everything gets to me I might completely lose that advantage. And what you said about Korean vs Western skincare is EXACTLY one of the things I’ve been noticing. Korean skincare has so many amazing products for hydration, barrier support, soothing and general skin health, but when I start looking specifically for stronger anti-aging products, high peptide concentrations, growth factors, stronger retinoids, etc., suddenly the options become much more limited. Even their stronger OTC retinol products often seem gentler than what you can find from Western brands. Meanwhile Western brands like Medik8 and SkinCeuticals have much more of that “serious active treatment” approach…but then you look at the price. 😭😂 That’s basically the problem I’m trying to solve too: finding something that gives me that more active-heavy formulation without having to spend SkinCeuticals money on every step of my routine. And YES, I heard the same thing about Epii trying to make a more affordable alternative to the SkinCeuticals A.G.E. cream! I follow someone who is absolutely obsessed with Epii and talks about them constantly. 😂 So hearing that you tried the 10% HPT cream, immediately bought another one AND four serums definitely makes me more interested. Would you say Epii is genuinely worth trying? Especially compared with some of the other peptide/anti-aging products you’ve used? I’ve heard of LAYER LAB Clear Tone Dark Spot Serum too! I originally found it because a Korean influencer/YouTuber recommended it, and then I noticed it seems to be pretty popular in Korea. I almost bought it because I’m VERY prone to hyperpigmentation even though I avoid the sun like a vampire. 😂 A lot of mine is post-acne pigmentation too. I wasn’t sure from the ingredients whether Clear Tone would be strong enough for me, though. If you have a dark spot/PIH serum that you think actually works, PLEASE recommend it because that’s another category I’m currently searching for. I didn’t know about their Panthenol Cream though! So if someone replaced AESTURA Atobarrier365 with the LAYER LAB Panthenol Cream, now you’ve got my attention. 😂 Is their Ceramide Cream good too? And once you finally open the Panthenol Cream, please tell me how it compares with AESTURA because that comparison is especially interesting to me. I’ve never heard of Foretderm either, but what you described is basically exactly the type of brand I love discovering. And if their cleanser is similar to the LAGOM gel-to-water cleanser, I’d probably like it because I tried a sample of the LAGOM cleanser before and really liked it. And I completely understand why you have FIVE backups. 😂 I do the exact same thing mentally when I find some obscure product that only one store carries. Instead of thinking “great, I found it,” I immediately start thinking “what happens when they stop carrying it???” 😭 That’s also why I’m really happy to get recommendations from you because I think we search for products in a very similar way. I pay much more attention to products that are actually being recommended and repeatedly used by Korean consumers, dermatology/clinic accounts, Korean influencers and YouTubers — especially when someone has been calling something a holy grail for YEARS — rather than automatically buying whatever product is currently viral internationally. I don’t necessarily think the globally popular K-beauty products are bad. A lot of them are genuinely good for hydration, soothing, barrier support and relatively mild skin concerns, and for most people that may be all they need. But sometimes I’m looking for something that targets a more specific or stubborn problem, and then I want to know what people in Korea are actually using beyond the same 20 products that keep appearing on international TikTok/Instagram. 😂 Also, since you tried Dr. Reju-All, have you tried their copper peptide serum? I keep seeing that one lately and I’m curious about it, especially because I don’t see copper peptides used nearly as often in Korean skincare as some other ingredients. And which ZEROID cream is your favorite/recommendation? I’ve been looking at the brand because I generally gravitate toward derm brands too. Honestly, if you have ANY Korean dermatology/pharmacy brand recommendations, throw them at me. 😂 I usually get more excited about those than regular cosmetic brands. I’ve heard about Make P:rem Inteca too but haven’t tried it. If they really reformulate it to make it much lighter because oily-skin users think it’s too rich, then I’m not sure I’ll want the new version either. 😭 My skin is annoying because I’m acne-prone, so I sometimes really like soothing creams aimed at acne-prone skin, but a lot of them are nowhere near moisturizing enough for me. Same with P.CALM — I’ve heard about the Ato Cream but haven’t tried it yet. So hearing that you like the texture but wish it were thicker is actually useful because I suspect I might feel the same way. And I need to ask you about Medik8 too. So you’ve tried the Advanced Pro-Collagen+ Peptide Cream — have you tried anything else from them that you think is really worth the money? There are several Medik8 products I’m interested in because I’m starting to think there are certain things I might simply not find an equivalent for in Korean skincare. Have you tried Allies of Skin too? I actually really like their formulation philosophy — high concentrations of actives, peptides, no unnecessary fragrance, and generally very sophisticated formulas. I’ve tried a few of their serums and they really were good, but HOLY SHIT their prices. 😭😂 I don’t understand how people maintain an entire routine from that brand long-term. Especially with peptides, where you really need to use them consistently for quite a while to judge the results. That’s why I’m also trying to find cheaper alternatives, or at least products I can alternate with the expensive ones so I’m not burning through a $100+ serum constantly. And YES PLEASE, give me your recommendations for serums, toners and milk cleansers too! Especially the more niche Korean/derm products you’ve found. I’m actually specifically looking for a milk cleanser right now because cleansing oils and balms I’ve tried seem to clog my skin, so I’d much rather experiment with milk cleansers. Also, if you have any recommendations for gentle exfoliation, I desperately need those. My skin gets irritated so easily that I’m always scared of over-exfoliating, but if I don’t exfoliate enough I start getting closed comedones, so I’m constantly trying to find that balance. 😭 And definitely send me anything you genuinely think works for dark spots/PIH, especially post-acne pigmentation. Basically at this point you can just give me your entire obscure-Korean-skincare database. 😂 I am absolutely the target audience for it. And seriously, thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed response and share all of these recommendations with me. ❤️ I really appreciate how much time and effort you put into it, especially explaining your experience with each product instead of just listing names. It’s genuinely so helpful! 🥹

@BeauteAddict Okay, so the mist itself is amazing, it’s just the actual spray bottle that’s terrible. 😂 I’ve actually wanted to experiment with putting more products into foam dispensers because I LOVE foam toners and foam textures in general, so now you’re making me want to try this even more. I’ve also seen people use the Klairs serum as a mist hahaha, so apparently everyone is just finding their own way of using these products. 😂 Okay, so you already have the new Azulene + EGF cream but just haven’t tried it yet! Please let me know what you think once you open it, especially if it really is richer and gives more glow than the Midnight Blue cream. At this point you basically have the whole blue/Azulene Klairs family. 😂💙 I’ve never tried anything from Dr. Sante Azulene before! After you mentioned the toner I immediately went to read about it, and honestly it sounds like something I would really like, especially that gel-to-water texture. Now I just need to figure out where I can actually buy it and have it shipped to me. 😭 I also saw the prices and immediately understood why you’re waiting for Black Friday. 😂 The toner itself is already pretty expensive, and then the rest of the line gets even more expensive. I actually do like the AESTURA Hydro Essence, but I completely understand what you mean. Even when I use it, I still feel like I need another layer of deeper hydration underneath it. My skin sometimes feels like it’s literally thirsty, and no matter how many hydrating products I give it, somehow it still wants more water. 😭😂 So what you said about using the Klairs EGF mist as a toner and then layering the Dr. Sante Azulene toner over it is really interesting to me. Maybe that kind of combination is what I’m missing. And yes, LANEIGE Cream Skin really is worth the hype in my opinion. 😂 The only thing is that I keep hearing people say the older formula was even better before the reformulation. Seriously, how many amazing products have brands ruined by reformulating them?! 😭 And YES, I’ve noticed azulene/guaiazulene everywhere lately too! Suddenly so many Korean brands seem to be releasing blue calming products with it. Also, have you tried the Dr. Althea 147 Barrier Cream? I just remembered that one has azulene in it too, and now that you mentioned how well your skin seems to respond to azulene, I’m curious if you’ve tried it and what you thought of it. 💙

@Sora Welcome to the HERA fan club! 😂 And okay, apparently I’m NOT the only person who bought their first HERA product because of Felix and then stayed because the brand is actually genuinely good. 😂 Are you a Stray Kids fan too? What are your favorite HERA products besides the sunscreen? I already know we both love their SPF. 😂 And honestly, I don’t think people talk about HERA sunscreen enough. Yes, the makeup is amazing, but their SPF deserves WAY more attention too! Please promote it more, HERA. 😂 And that’s coming from someone who is completely obsessed with sunscreen and basically refuses to leave the house without it, so I’m pretty hard to impress when it comes to SPF. But back to the makeup 😂 — I’ve heard about the yellow d’Alba spray too, especially for refreshing makeup during the day. The only thing that has stopped me from trying it is that I’ve seen quite a few people mention that it’s pretty heavily fragranced, and my skin is extremely sensitive to fragrance. So I’ve always been a little hesitant about it. Did you find the fragrance strong, and has it ever irritated your skin? Because if your skin is dry and it actually helps with the cracking/creasing without causing irritation, that definitely makes me more curious about it.

@Sora Which HERA primer do you use — the Airy Powder Primer, Correcting Base UV Protector or Boosting Base UV Protector? I’ve been looking at their bases too, so I’m curious which one you like! And YES, their setting spray is so good. I love that it actually holds my makeup well without drying my skin out at all. So many setting sprays make my skin feel even drier, especially after wearing makeup for a few hours, but I don’t have that problem with the HERA one. Your setting spray → d’Alba before leaving → d’Alba again later routine actually makes a lot of sense for dry skin. 😂 Now you’re making me even more curious about the d’Alba spray!

@Veky I switched the sides today. I don’t feel dry on the Vidivici side. I can’t member if I felt dry on the Hera side after switching it so I do think my left side is dryer than my right side but despite that, the left side that has Vidivici on today isn’t dry today. I do have 21N both Hera glow and Vidivici. They seem similar to me. Not exactly the same, but somewhat similar, except hera glow is more glowy and Vidivici is more sheen. I heard from reviewed that Vidivici 21N is brighter than Hera black cushion 21N. For Epii, I think their 10% cream is good as barrier cream. It’s hydrating, but I’m not sure how it effect long term. A cosmetic chemist said that it’s probably hard for the HPT to be absorbed thru the skin so think of it as a good barrier cream vs anti aging but the 2% peptides in it is interesting. I think you’ll like Epii HPT6 10% cream if you like the aestura altobarrier 365. When I first applied it, I felt like I was applying a thick layer of silicone on my skin. Same feeling I had when I apply aestura, but then it synced in soon after and also it’s more hydrating. That’s why I got a backup since yesstyle is on sale. As for Dr. Reju-all, yes I have their serum, I have all the products from their line that you can purchase in USA lol. I have 6 bottles of their copper peptide serum. It’s hydrating and I finish it too fast. I hate their dropper though. I don’t have PIH due to acne, but I have a ton of age spots and freckles from the sun. I’m going to say if you have PIH then Numbuzin no. Serum or dr. Reju-all mela serum should help. I see my face brighten with dr. Reju-all mela serum. If you have sunspots or melasma, that will be difficult to get rid of with over counter products. I tried prescription hydroquinone 12% and that barely does anything for 2 months, but everyone’s skin is different. As for medik8, I’ve tried their pro collagen peptide cream, their advance peptide MP serum, their advance tetra MP serum, their oxy-R serum, and have their PDRN serum, but I haven’t use the full bottle of the PDRN serum yet. Only used the sample sizes for the PDRN. So if I haven’t use skincare for a while and start again with medik8, I’ll see a huge difference in firming, lifting, and skin texture, but if you’re a long time skincare enthusiast, I’m not sure if you see a major difference, but if you ask me if medik8 is worth it, yes it does. Other brands that are as effective like allies of skin are double the price, and cheaper products than medik8 aren’t as effective. Like I’ve tried drmlogy before, geek and gorgeous peptides, I don’t see any difference, don’t like the texture of them. I also own a lot of allies of skin serums too. I’m going to have to say, the only serums I’ve tried from there that I’m willing to pay for again is their copper peptide serum. When my hands are cracked, bleeding, dry patches that won’t go away no matter how much lotion I apply, applying their copper peptide serum, their peptide serum, 100% glycerine, and la mer cream healed it. It seems crazy that I applied these products to my hands, but at that time I have a few months old baby and I have to constantly wash my hands with diaper change, feeding, ect, I need my bleeding hands healed ASAP. I also think their silk cleanser is good. It doesn’t dry my skin out and most cleansers do, even some milk cleaners and oil cleaners. I think their popular peptide cream is meh even though lots of people like it. I’d pick medik8 over it any day. Their vitamin C serums are also meh to me. lol I think Korean serums are better at overall brightening and no serums can fix age spot lol so for me it’s not worth it to spend the price of allies of skin for their other serums. I have their beta glucan serum, I haven’t tried it though, but if it works for my dehydrated skin, I will repurchase because it soils be nice to just put 1 serum instead of layering a ton of others to fix dehydration. For milk cleansers, most Korean milk cleansers are fine. Some better than another. I’ll start out with the ones I don’t like first. Make prem. It’s not hydrating enough for me. Instree yam milk cleansers, this one dry the heck out of my skin and broke my skin barrier. Do not recommend. Manyo milk cleanser, too thick, takes forever to wash off, the amount of rubbing you need to wash it off will irritate your skin if your skin is already irritated. These are the ones I like. S Nature, dewy tree, skin1004, Jumiso, Etude soonjung, theyeobaek26. I usually look for milk cleansers that people complain about not removing make up well because they tend to be the gentlest and I double cleanse anyways so I don’t mind if they don’t completely remove with the first wash. My favorite milk cleanser from above is theyeobaek26 and has too many backups lol. MUSINSA is the only place that sells them other than Amazon, but Amazon is more expensive. Now you can purchase directly from their website and they can ship globally, but the shipping fees is expensive. I think if I didn’t already have 7 small bottles and 2 large bottles I would purchase from their website lol. Jumiso and Etude soonjung I also like. I like soonjung better than Jumiso, but Jumiso is cheaper. The only place that sells soonjung is TikTok for me and it’s $25! My mom loves Jumiso. I just got round lab milk cleanser today and have Nomadia coming whenever that decides to arrives. For layer lab, I do like their ceramide cream. It feels like Benton ceramide cream. If you’re out of creams and need to get one you can try it, but I don’t think it’s a necessity. Layer lab is on stylekorea too btw so you can get it if you’re getting Vidivici, lol. I received the Sulwashoo cushion in 21N today and I have to say I’m disappointed. The color isn’t as pretty as Hera glow or holitual. I have to reapply it tomorrow. Their puff is so crappy I think it made the foundation patchy. When I use a thicker cushion the application is prettier, but the color is bothering me. After I bought it, I watch another reviews that said Sulwashoo is kind of dark compare to other cushions because it’s made for mature skin. Lol if I knew that I would’ve buy a brighter color and maybe it would’ve been better. I would say the pore coverage is better than Hera Glow cushion though. I also don’t see the foundation breaking or sticking when I touch my face either. I guess the biggest downside about it is the coloring. I wonder what I can do to make the color more pinkish. 🤔

@Veky I guess we’ll never know with Aestura but it’s better not to know than to be disappointed. Lol if I used it back then and knew about the change I may have stock up and they go expired before I can use it up. I have Dr. Althea 147, but haven opened it up yet. I tried their 345. It felt too watery for me plus I don’t have acne so I won’t benefit from the cream. I bought them because I heard of them when I discovered OYG and wanted to buy a few creams to use before they stop shipping to the American market. I also have their 2000 PDRN cream that I haven’t use but I doubt it would be better than salmon PDRN. In term of PDRN, have you used VT PDRN essence and their r5 PDRN serum? I think I tried VT PdRN line except for their sunscreen.

@Veky Okay sorry it took so long to reply to this, I wanted to go on my computer to read everything carefully and make sure I addressed everything! Wow it really does sound like they owe you some sort of commission or at least a lifelong discount haha That’s really impressive honestly, I should start carrying around some of their minis too! The aestura christmas tree is such a cute idea! I love that haha! Okay so my skin is dry, very red, and sensitive. Acne hasnt been much of an issue, yet, but since I take testosterone injections theres a good chance that it can start at any moment and be hormonal. Pigmentation and firmness hasnt been a problem, and yes I do want to start implementing more anti-aging products. I’m the same way, Id rather start anti-aging now as opposed to waiting until its too late. I know we cant rewind our skin clock but id like to slow it down as much as I can lol I love the idea of a personalized AESTURA routine based on my skin haha thank you so much! My redness is my biggest issue combined with my dryness, but I also have lupus AND I'm native American so my skin is just naturally a bit more red than most people. Okay yes I have the Hydro Essence in my cart too! I finally pulled up my cart and am reading through it so I can properly name things, sorry I was lazy last time haha I like the idea of using both creams together, as I’ve mixed other products too and found that it works well. Being that I am very dry, I think the hydro option sounds appealing, but since you pointed out how they both work to help with immediate and long term dryness when combined, you’ve got me sold! Because I’m the same, I can layer moisture over and over on my face but the base of my skin still somehow doesnt feel quenched if that makes sense. Okay it sounds like I need the Cera-HA Serum too, because my skin can get so red and irritated that I feel like I could play a monster in a horror movie just from the redness! Its awful and makes me paranoid to put anything on my face, even water because of all the metal and pollution in it! Is it the ATOBARRIER 365 HYDRO Cera-HA Ampoule? I am looking for the serum, but I see the ampoule version on global amore. I have a can of the cream Mist and I LOVE it! I spray it on whenever I see it or walk by it lol. I love how milky and moisturizing it is. I am looking for a toner that is good for days where I need to be extra gentle on my face, so between the ATOBARRIER365 Capsule Toner and the A-CICA365 Hydrating Relief Toner, you mentioned that the CICA365 line is the go to for your sensitive and irritated skin days, so I will probably go with that toner. The more I read about what you wrote for the A-CICA365 line, the more I keep adding to my cart lol! You really should get a percentage of my purchase haha! I really do need things for sensitve red days, so it sound perfect. I own a ton of toner pads too, way more than I will probably ever use (RIP lol) but I might have to get the A-CICA365 if it is your fav out of all of the ones you have. I also like to use toner pads as makeup prep, right now I’ve been using the ABIB heartleaf and the HANYUL Armoise Cica ones, but I really do need to try the A-CICA 365 ones if its your favorite. I have a couple samples of the A-CICA365 soothing repair mask that I havent tried yet, but now I’m going to try one tonight and I will add them to my cart now just in case lol. I love calming products the most too, because the heat off of my face and the redness is so overwhelming for me it is my biggest insecurity for my skin. Okay now I’m adding the REGEDERM365 Skin Tightening Capsule Serum to my cart too. At this point I’m adding everything you’ve mentioned thus far haha. My poor husband/wallet by the end of this lmao! Okay I will have to check out StyleJolly too, I’m learning so much I need to take notes. I actually copy/pasted your comment into a word document so I can save the information more easily lol. SO thank you very very much! I appreciate your honesty about the cleansers, I think I will wait for your final verdict on all of them before I buy one in particular. I have BEPLAIN Milk Balm for my go to cleanser and I really like it so far. Though I definitely do want to try at least one AESTURA cleanser at some point and add it to my go-to cleansers. Oh man, sunscreens, okay, I’m buckling in for this one haha Wow, they have SO many options! I prefer mineral sunscreens and I dont care about white-casting, to me, if my skin is safe from the sun, I don’t care what it looks like 😀 I do like the sound of the tone-up sunscreen for the redness because as I've said a lot, its my biggest concern lol. But I also love mineral sunscreen, so I might do the DERMA UV365 I appreciate your full consultation lol, I feel like I actually learned a LOT reading your comment so thank you very much for your most insightful reply! I have so much thinking to do now, with all of that information you provided!

@BeauteAddict For me it depends on if I'm going to an event or if its hot/humid outside, I will spray about 8 times lol. I dont wear makeup unless I have a reason to, so I usually spray about 4-5 times though just to be safe. A huge drop doesn't sound ideal, I would try to test spray from a further distance away from your face first if you can.

@Veky Oh yeah, I'm a stay lol. wbu? My bias is Bangchan, Felix, and Hyunjin lol Honestly I'm surprised too that not more people are talking about the HERA sun defense because I really like it and considering that they have good deals or give them away as samples, it's a no brainer! I really like their liquid foundation, its probably my fav foundation ever and since I like very subtle foundation, its perfect. I go dramatic with my eyes and lips, so I like my face to look very natural in comparison. I honestly havent even noticed the fragrance for the yellow d'Alba spray? So for me it hasnt been an issue. The toner for HOLITUAL has a stronger fragrance but that has never been a problem for me either. I really like how the d'Alba spray helps address the cracking by the corners of my eyes mouth and nose for my makeup. For HERA, I use both the airy powder primer AND the correcting base UV. I use the Correcting base UV first like a secondary sunscreen. So I do sunscreen, correcting base UV, then the Airy powder primer. I could be doing it wrong bc I'm no professional and I do have a lot to learn about makeup, but so far I have been happy with my process/results so I havent had a reason to change anything yet lol. I also love Hera's lip products, naturally i have Brownie Boy because of Felix but I have a few others too.

@Sora I know this isn’t for me, but it looks like you and I have similar skin type. Dry and red. After having my baby, my skin has been so red. Things I’ve used before like tretinoin and exfoliation with no problem I can no longer do. My skin will turn red purple and now redness is part of my skin baseline and the severity goes from red to purple blue. I can layer moisturizers and moisturizers but within 2-3 hours, there is an intense driness and tightness. I would recommend dr. Santa azulene toner. This helps with inner driness a lot and it’s made with chamomile water instead of regular water. Dear klair’s azulene & egf mist also helps me a lot as well. I do layer them together. If you have driness, redness, I really don’t recommend any foaming cleansers at all. Aestura foam cleansers makes my skin very dry and rubbing a bit too hard or too many times also causes my skin to irritated. Not aestura, I recommend theyeobaek26 milk cleanser. You can get it from MUSINSA. I believe the base of it is made of cica water. On another topic, because of you, I went ahead and bought the d’alba first serum mist. Costco is having a sale for it btw. $18 for a 6 oz one. Way better pricing than Amazon or their official TikTok that’s $18 for a 3 oz. Have you used their mist with the peptide yet? I added it to my Amazon cart hoping it will be part of the Amazon prime day sale.

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@BeauteAddict Honestly, maybe it IS better that I never tried the old AESTURA formula. If I had loved it and then they reformulated it, I’d probably still be complaining about it now — or I would’ve bought ten backups and watched half of them expire. I actually have tried Dr. Althea 345, mainly because of my acne, and it did help! I thought it was a good cream overall, but it just wasn’t hydrating enough for my dry skin. And that’s always my issue — if I need to put another moisturizer on top anyway, then I start questioning whether I really need the first cream. 😂 I’m much more curious about what you’ll think of 147 once you open it. With PDRN I’m actually the opposite though — plant-based PDRN appeals to me more than salmon PDRN. Salmon-derived PDRN just hasn’t really attracted me so far. I’m not completely against it if there’s a product that genuinely gives amazing results, but I haven’t used any salmon PDRN products yet. And no, I haven’t tried the VT PDRN Essence 100 or R5 PDRN serum! Since it sounds like you’ve basically tried the entire VT PDRN line , which ones do you think are actually worth buying? I’m especially curious about Essence 100 vs R5 — which one did you prefer, and did you notice anything beyond hydration and glow? ❤️

@BeauteAddict Okay, switching sides definitely makes me think VIDIVICI might be the less drying one, especially since your normally drier side still didn’t feel dry with it. And I’m glad 21N is similar to HERA Glow 21N — HERA Black already runs darker than Glow, so it makes sense that Black 21N would also be darker than VIDIVICI. I keep seeing Epii everywhere lately, and I can’t decide how much is because it’s genuinely amazing versus influencer marketing. HPT is interesting, especially the claims about deeper hydration, but I’d probably look at the 10% cream primarily as a barrier cream rather than anti-aging. Maybe HPT is something you’d have to use consistently for a long time to judge, similar to peptides. Have you tried their Epii Drops or Double Up Cream Ectoin & Panthenol too? Six bottles of the Dr. Reju-All copper peptide serum is impressive though. Do you notice anything from it beyond hydration/cosmetic effects that makes you think the copper peptides are actually doing something? It sounds like you go through it really quickly too. Unfortunately I have both acne PIH AND sun pigmentation. Did you mean Numbuzin No.5? The Dr. Reju-All Mela Serum was actually one of the first products from them that interested me, but the retinol makes me hesitate since I already use retinoids. Maybe I could alternate them. And 12% prescription hydroquinone barely doing anything is ROUGH. 😭 Pigmentation is so stubborn, but I’m also afraid of throwing too many actives at it and destroying my barrier in the process. Out of everything you’ve tried from Medik8, which product do you think is the most worth the money? I’m especially curious about the Advanced Peptide MP Serum. Peptides are difficult for me because I never know whether cheaper formulas work just as well, and something like Allies of Skin gets VERY expensive when you need several bottles before you can really judge long-term results. I haven’t tried their copper peptide serum because that price hurts. I have tried the Multi Peptides & GF Advanced Lifting Serum, Azelaic & Kojic Advanced Clarifying Serum, and Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum. The azelaic one is actually really good — I can see a difference — but it’s incredibly expensive for an azelaic acid product, even though obviously there’s much more in the formula. The tranexamic serum is okay and maybe brightens my complexion overall, but I haven’t noticed a major difference in the actual pigmentation yet. Same problem with the peptide serum: these are products you have to keep buying to properly judge, and eventually I’m like… am I spending hundreds just to find out whether they work? 😂 I’m using them more consistently now so I can finally decide what’s worth repurchasing. The azelaic is the one I’m most tempted to continue because finding acne treatments that my dry, sensitive skin tolerates is HARD. And I completely understand putting expensive skincare on bleeding hands when you’re desperate. Mine have cracked badly enough to bleed before too. Although I’d probably be standing there calculating how much each drop of that Allies serum costs before putting it on my hands. So in your experience, would you say the Medik8 peptide serum is comparable to Allies, just much better value? I tried the Allies peptide cream too and also thought it was nothing special. Their cleanser is good, but expensive for a cleanser, and I actually like their lip balm too. I think expensive products make more sense if one product can replace several steps. If I still need five other serums alongside a $100+ serum, it becomes difficult to justify. Definitely update me on the Beta Glucan Serum — at that price I’d want it to replace most of my hydration serums. Your milk cleanser list was REALLY useful. I’m surprised about Make P:rem because I constantly see it recommended! I’d been curious about S.NATURE and SKIN1004, and I didn’t even know SoonJung had a milk cleanser. THEYEONBAEK26 sounded great until I checked shipping to Europe and saw around $40 shipping, so… nope. I’m also interested in Nomadia, and definitely tell me what you think of the new Round Lab Milk Cleanser because Round Lab products are usually pretty reliable for me. For Layer Lab, I think I’ll leave the ceramide cream as a “maybe if I’m already ordering from StyleKorean.” I have enough creams that “good” isn’t really enough to convince me right now unless there’s something special about it. And NOOO about Sulwhasoo. That’s exactly what scares me about ordering cushions online — everything can be perfect and then the shade ruins it. Especially if it’s darker and pulls yellow/orange, I personally couldn’t make it work. Maybe a pink/lavender tone-up base underneath could cool and brighten it a little? Or even a tiny amount of blue/pink foundation mixer, but I definitely wouldn’t mix anything directly into the cushion. Also, I have a question and I genuinely don’t mean this critically — I’m actually really curious because you’ve tried SO many products. How do you personally figure out which ones are actually working? Not things you can judge immediately like texture or hydration, but long-term effects like peptides, brightening, anti-aging, etc. How long do you usually test something before deciding, and do you introduce products one at a time or rotate between routines? I struggle with this myself because once I’m testing several things, sometimes I have no idea which product improved my skin — or which one pissed it off. 😂

@Veky before I know Korean skincare, which is just the half year. My skincare routine is more simple, peptides, hydration, cream, sunscreen. I don’t even use toner or anything like that. My skin was in good condition, and no barrier issues. Of course this is all prior to my baby lol so I’m not sure if having a baby make my skin barrier sucked because I have several immune response during my pregnancy that made my face and body itchy, red, and swollen and my skin hadn’t recovered since. I did noticed it got more red after using Korean skincare. Most Korean skincare I’ve tried are targeted toward hydration, barrier repair vs peptides. I believe most the Korean skincare products ingredients are fairy dusting compare to western product so I just look for hydration and brightening effects. Because my Korean serums are more hydration, barrier support, brightening, I’ll be able to know if it works for me or not within a few use but I’ll give it 1/3 to half a bottle before I decide that this product doesn’t work which is about 2 weeks-a month. Maybe this is too short to tell, but I’m not sure why I need to continue when there are products I know that works well for me. My goal is to replace my more expensive products with Korean ones if that’s possible so if I noticed my skin isn’t as lift or worse, it sags, texture problems, then product isn’t it. I think if a person has been using something in their routine that works, and suddenly they change a product but their skin is worsen then it would say the new product isn’t on par with the old one. For Epii, the double up ectoin cream my high school cousin uses it and she seem to like it. She has oily skin though. I watched a review from Tina Tanaka Harris whose holy grail product is dear klair’s midnight blue cream and she said she likes epii for summer or mornings because it’s lighter than the midnight blue. With that comment alone, I know it’s not for me because I do prefer thicker, richer products for my mature skin. I’m not so interested in ectoin in the cream since I already have serums that had ectoin incorporated up to 4% in it already. As for Dr. Reju-all copper peptide, I’m seeing hydration, as for the peptide part, only time will tell, but I use it purely for hydration. Their copper peptide is sort of hard to use because you can’t use it with vitamin C or retinoids so I use it on days I’m not using other actives or have to wait 10 minutes in between in order to use dr. Reju-all copper peptide. As for their Mela serum, they said it can be used in the morning so you can try that. HPR supposed to not give you any side effects that other retinoids does and knowing Korean skincare, it’s probably super gentle because the amount is small. As for medik8, I think their pro collagen peptide cream and the advance peptide MP is worth it. I actually most the products I tried including the tetra advance MP because it does brighten my overall complexion. In terms of if it’s on par with allies of skin or not, some say it’s the similar, some say allies is better, but in my experience, allies of skin peptide isn’t a miracle so I am fine using advance peptide MP from medik8. I do have backups of both brands. I don’t buy their products unless it’s black Friday or major sale where I can get at least 25%-30% off and stock up bottles for the year or two lol. I’m going to be honest, I spend way more products on Korean skincare in the past couple of months about 4-5 x more than I did on my western products that I know for sure works. So in the end, I feel like I’m putting a lot of money down the drain, but it’s always fun and exciting to try new products and who knows, find something that great along the way. Like I’m so glad I found theyeobaek26 milk cleansers and dr. Sante Azulene toner. If you want to use azeilac acid, try using geek and gorgeous. They recently released the 15% pure azeilac acid serum. Another brand you can try in Europe is theramid. I actually like theramid a lot esp their 3% ceramide serum, but they no longer ship to the states after the tariffs situation. Give that line a try if you want to try more affordable, high strength ingredients. As for theyeobaek26, have you tried MUSINSA? They ship globally but there is a $200 limit for free shipping. They sell a lot of skincare products, niche ones and famous ones as well along with clothing plus they have 20% discounts quite often. Today I wrecked my skin barrier. :( usually I would double cleanse, but it’s milk cleanser twice, or oil cleanser follow by a thick milk cleanser like Jumiso, theyeobaek26, soonjung, but today I was in a hurry tending to my baby that I wanted to have a quick second cleanse and used dewy tree which leaves no hydrating residue and I also applied a moisturizer that’s too thin and that was enough to cause my skin to be red and hot. :( Speaking of soonjung milk cleanser, the only place that sells it TikTok shop and they have already stopped selling it! 😭 maybe you can email amoremall with me and ask them to sell soonjung milk cleanser too. For Sulwashoo, I have to try it a few more time before I can decide if I like the product or not. There’s positive and negative about it. I ordered the color in 17N for their regular cushion. The air cushion has 21P so maybe that’s better but it’s out of stock on yesstyle. I’ll updated later. I also got Cle de Peu cushion today. I found out there’s a I10 color which is more suited for neutral tone. Beige 10 or B10 is too bright on me but I do like the pinkish tone so I think you’ll like that color if you were to use it.

@Veky I think for all pdrn topical, it’s about the same unless they have studies that shows it can be absorbed thru the skin or benefit like an injections but I still like pdrn products because I think brands pit higher actives inside the products they have pdrn as part of the ingredients so consumer can see some sort of results to come back to using it but between salmon and plant derived, I think the salmon ones is the one that has similar dna to us. For the vt pdrn, both is dehydration, moisturizing. I think the serum has 5 type of ceramides and also anti aging peptides so pick that one if you want to try one between the 2. Their toner is hydrating, but not enough for me. I think muji, the Japanese brand booster which is a product you apply before your toner feels similar but way more hydrating. I like the PDRN azulene cream too. Also their peel off mask. I use it overnight so the product absorbs better and don’t get stuck on my pillow. I haven’t use their cleanser yet, but I think I may not since I’m giving up on foam cleaners since I find that non foaming and milk cleaners are better for my skin. The only cleanser that I’d recommend that foam is physiogel gel cleanser because it’s gentle.

@Sora First of all, I’m SO sorry it took me this long to reply 😭 I’ve had the flu and I’ve barely been active in the community these past few days, so I wanted to wait until I actually had enough energy to sit down and give you a proper answer instead of replying to half of this and forgetting the rest. 😂 And LOL, honestly it would be amazing if you actually emailed Amore Mall one day and told them, “This is the person who convinced me to put all of these AESTURA products — and probably a few other Amorepacific products — in my cart.” 😂😭 Once they figure out which customer you’re talking about and look at my purchase history, I don’t think they’d have much trouble figuring out who I am. 😂 The amount of AESTURA I’ve bought from them alone is slightly ridiculous, and then there’s IOPE, HERA and everything else on top of it. At this point I’m not even asking for much — send me some AESTURA merch, give me a lifelong Amore Mall discount, or let me test the new AESTURA releases so I can continue doing my unpaid promotional duties. 😂 I promise I’ll put them to work immediately. And if AESTURA themselves ever want to join in, I certainly wouldn’t complain. 😂😭 Between how much I buy, how much I talk about them and apparently how many people I’m slowly converting to Aesturism, I feel like we could work something out. 😂 Honestly though, comments like yours make me realize I probably SHOULD eventually collect all of this and send it to them. It’s one thing for me to say “I recommend AESTURA all the time,” but it’s another thing entirely when someone literally tells me they added products to their cart because of what I wrote. 😂 And YES, when Christmas comes I absolutely need to actually make the AESTURA Christmas tree now. 😂🎄 I’ve talked about it enough that I’m committed. When I finally make it, I’ll post a picture in the community so you can see the final result. Okay, NOW that you’ve explained your skin properly, I actually think the A-CICA365 line makes even MORE sense for you than I originally thought. Something really interesting about that line is that the A-CICA365 Soothing Repair Cream, Soothing Relief Serum and Cooling Relief Pads have received the National Rosacea Society Seal of Acceptance. That doesn’t mean they’re a treatment for rosacea or that they’re guaranteed to erase redness, but products that receive the seal are evaluated specifically with sensitive, rosacea-prone skin in mind. So I think that says quite a lot about what AESTURA was actually trying to accomplish with this line. I think people sometimes see “CICA” and automatically categorize it as an acne line, but I really don’t think that describes A-CICA365 properly. Cica can obviously be useful when acne is inflamed, which is probably one reason people associate the two, but this line is really centered around sensitive, irritated and redness-prone skin. You absolutely don’t have to be acne-prone to have a reason to use it. And I completely understand what you mean about your redness being complicated by lupus. I have atopic dermatitis plus an autoimmune condition that affects my skin too, and one thing I’ve realized is that when you have an underlying health condition affecting your skin, it isn’t always comparable to someone whose skin is temporarily red because they over-exfoliated or used something irritating. With lupus especially, I’m assuming you may also deal with some degree of the characteristic butterfly/malar-type facial redness. Obviously skincare can’t treat the underlying lupus itself, so I definitely don’t want to promise you that a skincare line is going to completely erase medically driven redness. But can it help calm the skin itself, reduce that horrible hot/irritated feeling, support your barrier and potentially make some of the visible redness look calmer? Absolutely, and that’s where I think A-CICA could be really useful for you. On my skin, when my redness is related to irritation/barrier issues, it can sometimes calm it down dramatically. If you made me choose ONE A-CICA product for you, I’d probably choose the Soothing Repair Cream. It’s technically a gel-cream, but to me it leans more toward a very lightweight cream than one of those completely watery gels. When I have one particularly angry red area, I’ll put a slightly thicker layer just there, almost like a little soothing mask. If my whole face is angry, I use a thinner layer everywhere. 😂 It’s surprisingly hydrating considering how light it feels, and for some people I think it could actually be enough as their moisturizer by itself. My skin is too dry for that most of the time, so I normally layer something richer over it. Since you already love toner pads, though, YES, I think you should try the A-CICA365 Cooling Relief Pads too. 😂 I actually have the same HANYUL Artemisia/Cica pads you mentioned! I really like those as well. The HANYUL pads themselves are thicker, have those two different sides and feel really substantial and saturated. The AESTURA pads are much thinner, but don’t let that fool you because they still hold a LOT of essence. Where the AESTURA ones win for me personally is the actual calming/cooling effect. If my face feels hot and red, I notice more relief from them. They’re lightweight, hydrating and I also LOVE them as makeup prep. The A-CICA365 Soothing Relief Serum is another one I really like, and one underrated advantage is that it’s 40 ml, whereas a lot of AESTURA serums are only 30 ml. Mine lasts me quite a long time because I don’t necessarily use it every single day — I treat that entire line almost like an SOS kit. I originally bought a few A-CICA products just to try them. Now I’m at the point where if I don’t have a backup of certain ones, I start panicking. 😂 There must always be a backup. Apparently that is where we are now. For your toner, I would now definitely choose the A-CICA365 Hydrating Relief Toner over the ATOBARRIER365 Capsule Toner. The A-CICA toner is more directly aligned with what you’re telling me your biggest issues are: sensitivity, heat, redness and dehydration. And it isn’t one of those toners that feels like someone put three drops of skincare into a bottle of water 😂 — it has a little more body to it, somewhere between a watery toner and an extremely light emulsion. It’s genuinely quite hydrating. The Capsule Toner is lovely too and I really like it, but it also contains PHA for very gentle exfoliation. It’s designed for regular use and we’re obviously not talking about some aggressive acid toner, but if someone told me their skin was extremely reactive and redness was their #1 concern, I’d personally start them with A-CICA. And YES!! The ATOBARRIER365 Hydro Cera-HA Ampoule you’re seeing on Global Amore Mall is the one I was talking about when I called it the Cera-HA serum. You found the right thing. 😂 This is another product I think people misunderstand a little because they see “Cera-HA” and think, “Okay… hyaluronic acid serum. I can buy a basic HA serum for much less.” But that isn’t really why I keep buying it. It isn’t just there to hydrate — the formula combines the hydrating side with AESTURA’s barrier-focused approach and contains things like panthenol, niacinamide and barrier lipids including ceramide, cholesterol and sphingolipids. So I think of it much more as hydration + barrier support than simply another hyaluronic acid serum. And that difference becomes much more obvious to me when my skin is having a crisis. I own PLENTY of hydrating serums and HA serums, but this is one of the ones I can still reach for when my skin suddenly decides it hates everything. That’s why I always keep it around. I will warn you about two things though. First: my skin absolutely EATS this serum. 😭 Especially when my barrier is bad and it’s one of the only things my skin wants, I end up using more of it than I normally would, so 30 ml can disappear surprisingly quickly. Second: THE PRICE. WHAT HAPPENED?? 😭😂 The double set is $68 now. I bought the exact same two-serum set for $54.40. That’s a 25% increase! AESTURA has raised prices on quite a few things and IOPE has done the same thing. Apparently my reward for promoting their products is watching them become more expensive. 😂 So yes, I absolutely recommend Cera-HA for you, but if you’re trying to save money, I wouldn’t necessarily burn through it every morning and night as if it were a basic HA serum. I use mine more strategically when my skin actually needs what it does. For your moisturizers, I still stand by Hydro Soothing Cream + ATOBARRIER365 Cream for that “my face has moisturizer on it but somehow the skin underneath is STILL thirsty” problem you described. I know EXACTLY what you mean by that. 😭 There is also the ATOBARRIER365 Lotion, which sits somewhere in between them for me. I like it during the day when the regular Cream feels like more than I need, and because the bottle is much larger it can actually be really good value and lasts forever. So if you don’t always want a richer cream during the day, that’s another one I’d consider eventually. But specifically for that deep/inner dryness feeling, I personally prefer Hydro first + a thin layer of ATOBARRIER365 Cream over it. I’m still mourning the old Hydro Soothing Cream though. 😭 If you remember the older version in the completely light-blue packaging, THAT was the one that originally made me obsessed with this combination. It was 60 ml and weirdly never seemed to get as much attention as the regular ATOBARRIER cream. The old Hydro had this very specific effect on my skin where it helped that “inner dryness” feeling AND made my skin feel cooler and look less red. Then I’d put ATOBARRIER365 Cream over it and that combination basically solved my inner-dryness problem. They reformulated it and the current Hydro is still a good moisturizer — I use it! — but for me personally it isn’t quite the same. I’m literally still hunting for leftover stock of the old one so I can hoard it before it disappears completely. 😂 If I find a warehouse somewhere with ten forgotten tubes, nobody speak to me. They’re mine. Hydro Essence we already discussed: KEEP IT. 😂 And you already own the Cream Mist and understand why I love it, so I don’t even have to convert you there. For cleanser, I’m still making you wait for my final AESTURA cleanser verdict because I’m testing all of them against each other and I refuse to pretend I know which one I prefer before I actually know. 😂 I’ve heard of the BEPLAIN Milk Balm you’re using, but I haven’t personally tried it yet. Since your skin is SO dry and sensitive though, here’s another non-AESTURA thing I used to do a lot: I used La Roche-Posay Lipikar cleansers on my face. Their gentle cleansing products are designed with very dry/atopic-prone skin in mind and you can get huge 400 ml bottles, which makes the cost per use so much less painful. 😂 I’ve used their cleansing oil when I wanted something that could fit into a double-cleanse situation, and their gentle wash as a normal cleanser. With my atopic skin, sometimes those huge products designed for extremely dry face/body skin have actually worked better for me than tiny expensive facial cleansers. I also used Lipikar Baume AP+M on my face a LOT when my dryness and atopic dermatitis were bad, and it genuinely helped me. The only reason I don’t automatically recommend it as a facial moisturizer to absolutely everyone is that once I became much more acne-prone, sometimes it could feel a little too rich for me. Before acne became an issue for me, though, those big atopic face/body creams were basically what I HAD to use because there just weren’t nearly as many good facial moisturizers specifically designed for skin like ours. I’m actually about to try Bioderma’s newer Atoderm Intensive Baume as another winter option. It’s made for very dry/atopic-prone skin and can be used on the face and body, and I’m really interested in the barrier/lipid and anti-itch approach of the formula. So once I’ve properly tested it, I can tell you how that compares too. Now SUNSCREEN. 😂 Buckle back in. Since redness is by far your biggest concern, I still think you might REALLY like the DERMA UV365 Red Calming Tone-Up Sunscreen. What I like about AESTURA’s is that it doesn’t feel like a lot of those dry, chalky tone-up products. It’s more hydrating and has a somewhat more fluid texture compared with several other tone-up sunscreens I’ve tried. I’ve actually worn it in winter in the mountains. 😂 My cheeks normally become SO red in cold/windy weather that it genuinely looks like I deliberately put bright blush all over them, especially when there’s snow, and I noticed that my face looked noticeably less red with the AESTURA tone-up SPF on. BUT there is one important thing since you said you prefer mineral sunscreens: the Red Calming Tone-Up is actually a HYBRID sunscreen, not a purely mineral one. It combines mineral and organic UV filters. So knowing that you specifically prefer mineral SPF and genuinely don’t care about white cast — which I LOVE because you’re basically the ideal mineral-sunscreen customer 😂 — I would actually make the DERMA UV365 Barrier Hydro Mineral Sunscreen your first choice. That one is AESTURA’s true mineral/physical option, and honestly it’s exactly the kind of sunscreen I like having around for those ultra-sensitive periods when my barrier is angry and everything suddenly starts stinging. Then I’d consider the Red Calming Tone-Up as your second option if you want something that also visually helps tone down the appearance of redness. Honestly, I can see a use for both in your routine 😂 — Barrier Hydro Mineral when you want your mineral sensitive-skin SPF, and Red Calming Tone-Up when you want that extra tone-correcting effect and don’t mind using a hybrid sunscreen. Now REGEDERM. The REGEDERM365 Intensive Lifting Capsule Cream is genuinely lovely. I like the formula, texture and ingredients. BUT if you’re already buying ATOBARRIER365 Cream and your skin is very dry, I honestly don’t think the REGEDERM cream needs to be a priority for you right now. It’s more expensive per ml, and for pure dryness/barrier support I’d still choose the regular ATOBARRIER365 Cream for you. If your skin weren’t so dry, or if anti-aging were your absolute #1 concern, I might answer differently. I would spend that money on the REGEDERM365 Skin Tightening Capsule Serum instead. That serum is such a unique product to me because it’s an anti-aging serum that is also genuinely hydrating and has those little capsules in it, without feeling heavy or clogging my pores. And the pore effect is still one of the biggest surprises I’ve had from an AESTURA product. I originally bought it for firmness/anti-aging and ended up thinking WHY ARE MY PORES SMALLER?? 😂 It genuinely makes my skin look plumper, smoother and firmer with consistent use, and I notice a mild brightening effect too. I also want to set expectations properly because I hate overselling skincare. I know some people look at REGEDERM and say something like, “Well, it’s an anti-aging line but it isn’t aggressive enough.” But I think that misses the point a little. It’s an anti-aging line made with sensitive/barrier-conscious skin in mind. Is it going to give you the same dramatic or fast changes you might potentially get from stronger retinoids? Obviously not. We know which kinds of ingredients are stronger for that. But for preventative anti-aging/slow-aging, hydration, plumpness, gradual firmness support, some brightening and maintaining a healthy barrier while you’re doing it, I think REGEDERM is really useful. And then you can eventually combine that kind of supportive routine with stronger anti-aging actives that your skin actually tolerates. Especially for someone with sensitive skin, I think being able to use something consistently without constantly upsetting your barrier has value in itself. And definitely check StyleJolly for samples too, because this is one of my favorite ways of committing slightly less financial damage with AESTURA. 😂 Although I say this while still buying the full-size bottles myself because I have absolutely NO patience. 😭😂 Their shipping can sometimes take quite a while, and if I run out of something I love, there is no chance I’m sitting there waiting weeks for samples to arrive. I’ve gone through an embarrassing number of full-size bottles of some of these serums for exactly that reason. So now I’ve finally become slightly smarter and started ordering samples in advance, before I actually need them. 😂 Realistically, I’ll probably still buy another full-size bottle if I suddenly run out because… who am I kidding, I’m not waiting. But having a stash of samples ready is SUCH a good backup strategy, especially for the more expensive AESTURA products. And some of the sample math is honestly ridiculous. 😂 You can get REGEDERM cream samples there too, and if you buy enough of the 10 ml samples to equal a full-size cream, it can work out to be around three times cheaper than buying the full-size jar, depending on the current sample prices. So you can try it first, or basically build yourself an entire full-size amount out of samples for a fraction of the price. Same with the serums. I still like owning the actual full-size bottle because it’s obviously much nicer and easier to use, but once I have the bottle, I can order samples ahead of time and use those afterward instead of continuously rebuying the expensive full size. So apparently my new financial strategy is: buy the full size because I’m impatient → fall in love with it → use it way too quickly → order an unreasonable number of samples in advance so Future Me doesn’t have to pay full price again. 😭😂 Welcome to advanced Aesturism. One more thing: since you ALREADY have samples of the A-CICA365 Soothing Repair Mask, USE ONE!! 😂 Honestly, that is probably the easiest little experiment you can do right now to see how your skin responds to the overall calming direction of the A-CICA line. The first time I used a sample of that mask I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked it. My skin looked and felt so much calmer and more hydrated afterward that I immediately wanted more. And if you want, once I’m no longer dying from the flu 😂 I can photograph all of the AESTURA serums and creams I have next to each other for you — actual swatches, thickness, consistency, how much they spread, which ones are watery vs gel-like vs creamy, etc. I’ve actually wanted to do that anyway, and I think seeing all the textures side-by-side might help you MUCH more than trying to judge them from product photos. It’s absolutely no problem for me to do that for you. Also, completely outside of AESTURA, I have a ridiculously simple and inexpensive redness trick you might like: ONE THING Centella Asiatica toner. It’s a very simple centella-focused toner and it isn’t expensive. What I sometimes do is buy those completely plain dry toner pads — literally just the empty pads with nothing in them — soak them in the Centella toner, put them in a little container and keep them in the fridge. DIY refrigerated centella toner pads. 😂 When my face feels really hot and red, they feel AMAZING. And because the toner itself is inexpensive, you don’t feel like you’re committing financial crimes every time you use several pads. 😂 They also make a mist if you prefer that format. And one last question because apparently I’m physically incapable of ending this consultation 😂: Have you ever tried Avène Cicalfate+ Cream or the Cicalfate+ serum? If you haven’t, those are two more things I think could be interesting for your skin type. I used Cicalfate a lot in the past and I’m actually planning to buy the cream and serum again because it’s been a while since I properly used them. So if you want, you can either try them too, OR let me rebuy them first and I’ll give you an updated review of how they perform on my skin now before I enable you to spend even more money. 😂 And seriously, thank you for saying such nice things about my ridiculously long comments. ❤️ Sometimes halfway through writing these I genuinely think, “Oh my God, nobody is going to read all of this, WHY am I writing a skincare dissertation?” 😂 So hearing that you literally copied my comment into a Word document so you could save it actually made me laugh, but it also made me really happy. I’ve gone through SO much trial and error with my own skin, and if I can save someone else even a little bit of that, I genuinely enjoy doing it. Especially someone who also deals with very dry, reactive skin, because I know how exhausting it gets when you’re constantly trying products and wondering whether the next thing is going to help or make your face angry again. And I’ve spent an embarrassing number of hours researching products, formulations, ingredients, what each ingredient is supposed to do, what works together, what doesn’t, what’s actually worth paying for… at this point my skincare hobby is slowly turning into a chemistry degree I never enrolled in. 😂 Even though I obviously LOVE AESTURA, I’ll always tell you if I think one of their products isn’t worth the money for your needs, or if I think you can get the same thing much cheaper somewhere else. I don’t want someone buying something just because I love the brand. I’d rather you buy five things that genuinely make sense for your skin than fifteen things because I accidentally hyped up the entire catalog. …although looking at how this conversation is going, I fear it may already be too late for your husband/wallet. 😭😂❤️

@BeauteAddict First of all, sorry for the late reply! ❤️ I've been sick, and I wanted to properly read everything because I genuinely trust your recommendations. I always end up taking notes on the products you mention! Wait, you've only been into Korean skincare for SIX MONTHS?! You've tried an impressive amount in that time! I can definitely imagine pregnancy and hormonal changes affecting your skin. I have hormonal health issues and atopic dermatitis myself, and both my hormones and immune system seem to influence my skin. I never really had acne before, but now I'm dealing with cystic breakouts, clogged pores and closed comedones despite having dry skin. My barrier is constantly struggling too, so I can relate! When you say Korean skincare made your redness worse, was it an immediate reaction to certain products, or did your skin become more redness-prone after your barrier was compromised? I agree that Korean skincare generally emphasizes hydration, barrier care and prevention, while Western skincare often focuses more on stronger actives. I think the Korean approach to early skincare and consistent sun protection plays a big role too. And now I understand how you evaluate products so quickly! You're comparing Korean products with Western ones that already work for you, hoping to find cheaper alternatives. That makes perfect sense for hydration and barrier products. I still think pigmentation, peptides and anti-aging results are harder to judge without months of use, though. OMG, I watch Tina Tanaka Harris all the time too! I remember her saying the Epii Ectoin Cream is lighter. I'm still curious about its deeper-hydration claims because I struggle to find one moisturizer that provides both enough hydration and barrier protection without layering several products. Which ectoin serums do you use, especially the ones containing up to 4%? I'd love recommendations! The Dr. Reju-All Copper Peptide Serum interests me, but organizing it around vitamin C, retinoids and other actives sounds exhausting. I'm already juggling enough products! 😂 Maybe I could use it on my nights without retinoids, though. I'm also tempted by their Mela Serum, but even with a low-strength retinoid and diligent SPF use, I'd rather keep retinoids in my evening routine. I had the same dilemma with Primera Vitaminol Bouncy Lift Serum. I couldn't figure out where to fit it in, so I ended up using it on my neck and décolletage, where I really liked it! Maybe I'll try Mela by alternating it with my current retinoid. Medik8 is especially tempting because it's so much cheaper than Allies of Skin, and the formulas look excellent. Allies might be better, but is it really THAT much better for the price? How long have you been using both brands? And with Tetra Advanced MP, have you noticed improvement in actual dark spots or mainly overall brightness? I completely agree about Black Friday and 25–30% discounts. Full price? No thanks! And YES, Korean skincare can become such a spending trap! Individual products seem affordable, but there are so many interesting ones that you keep buying more to see whether they can replace your expensive favorites. Suddenly you've spent even more money, sometimes on products that do nothing or actually irritate your skin. Then something new catches your eye and the cycle starts again. 😭 At least you already have products you know work, which gives you a useful comparison. Thanks for the azelaic acid suggestions! I know Geek & Gorgeous and Theramid. Geek & Gorgeous is sold locally here, but their azelaic acid product always seems unavailable when I look. I've been considering Theramid because it's European, reasonably priced and much easier to order. Their peptide and copper peptide products interest me too. But I've also found a possible way to get a Korean pharmaceutical 20% azelaic acid product, so now I'm debating which to try! THEYEONBAEK26 looks amazing, and I really want to try it after your recommendation! Dr. Sante Azulene Toner is on my list too; I just need to find somewhere to buy it. Unfortunately, MUSINSA doesn't seem to ship to Croatia, so I'd probably need a Korean buying service or forwarding company. That's my biggest frustration with Korean skincare: one store has one product, another has something else, and ordering from multiple places means extra shipping, Croatian VAT, customs fees and paperwork. Sometimes I spend more trying to get the products than on the products themselves! 😭 And I'm so sorry about your barrier! Is your skin doing better now? It sounds incredibly reactive if changing your cleanser and moisturizer was enough to leave it red and hot, especially when you're already busy caring for your baby. ❤️ I'm absolutely in favor of emailing AMORE MALL about the SoonJung Milk Cleanser! Actually, why doesn't Amorepacific's own store carry more products from its brands? Sometimes other retailers have a better selection! 😂 We should make a wishlist. What else would you like them to stock? Maybe we could encourage other people in the community to request the same products. The more requests, the better! Definitely update me on the Sulwhasoo cushion too! And the Clé de Peau cushion sounds interesting! I'm curious about the I10 shade you discovered. Have you seen actual swatches comparing I10 with B10, or are you going by online photos and shade descriptions? I'd love to know what the undertones really look like, because a fair, slightly pink-toned shade sounds perfect for me! Anyway, thank you again for sharing so many detailed experiences and recommendations. I really appreciate them, and our conversations always give me more products to research… which probably isn't helping my skincare shopping problem! 😂💕

@BeauteAddict I completely agree! I’m still skeptical about whether topical PDRN can actually penetrate deeply enough to produce anything comparable to injections, which is why I think the whole PDRN trend is a bit overhyped. But I do enjoy PDRN products! Like you said, they often have really nice hydrating formulas and interesting concentrations of other active ingredients. Sometimes I feel like a PDRN serum is actually good because of everything ELSE in the formula rather than the PDRN itself. I did recently buy the IOPE STEM III Clinical Recovery Serum, though, because IOPE actually talks about doing research comparing their serum on one side of the face with PDRN injections on the other. Their liposomal delivery technology also caught my attention. I'm curious how meaningful those results really are, and whether the delivery system makes a noticeable difference compared with regular topical PDRN. It was one of the few PDRN products that made me curious enough to give it a try! And yes, I know salmon-derived PDRN is considered more similar to human DNA, but my main question is still whether enough of it can actually penetrate the skin when applied topically. Until there's stronger evidence, I mostly look at these products as potentially good hydrating serums with other beneficial ingredients. Interesting that you'd choose the VT R5 Serum over Essence 100! I feel like R5 doesn't get nearly as much attention, so maybe it's a hidden gem that just hasn't gone viral. If both are similarly hydrating, I'd definitely consider R5, especially with the added ceramides and peptides. Hydration was the main reason Essence 100 interested me in the first place, since everyone seems to rave about how hydrating it is. And the VT PDRN Azulene Cream — is that the more concentrated PDRN cream from their range? I know VT has several PDRN products, and I've looked into quite a few of them, but I still haven't actually tried any. They seem to have some interesting formulas; I just haven't gotten around to them yet! I've heard good things about the Physiogel Gel Cleanser too and actually wanted to buy it, but it's surprisingly difficult to find somewhere that ships to Croatia. YesStyle used to carry it, but unfortunately they don't anymore. 😭

@Sora OMG yes, I'm a STAY too!! 😂❤️ My biases are Hyunjin and Felix! I absolutely adore them both. The problem is that Felix is becoming an ambassador for EVERYTHING, and my wallet simply can't keep up. When I saw he became a HERA ambassador, especially after Jennie, I was SO excited! And the makeup on him?! He's already gorgeous without it, but with that makeup he looks like an actual angel. Ironically, nobody has ever influenced me to buy makeup more than Felix, and now I'm obsessed with HERA. Honestly, some of the best makeup I've ever tried! And YES, their sunscreens deserve so much more hype! Especially the tinted one — sometimes it makes your skin look so good you barely need foundation. Maybe that's why they don't promote it more, they'd stop selling makeup! I'm a total SPF maniac, and HERA is one of my absolute favorites, alongside AESTURA. I just wish they offered those amazing bundle deals on all their sunscreens because the prices aren't exactly friendly! Which HERA liquid foundation do you use, Glow or Black? I absolutely love their cushions, and I've tried foundation samples too, but I can't decide which one to buy, especially since the shades seem different between the two lines. Good to know the d'Alba mist doesn't bother you! I've heard it's amazing for refreshing makeup when it starts looking dry or cracking. Apparently flight attendants helped make it popular, which makes sense because airplane air is SO drying! I'm especially curious about the Airy Powder Primer! Does it really blur pores, and does it ever feel drying? I've read mixed opinions about using it on dry skin, and that's the only thing stopping me from buying it. Your combination with the Correcting Base UV is interesting too! They're both primers, but since they do different things, I can see why layering them works. And of course I have Brownie Boy AND Sunkissed! Both of Felix's shades, plus a few others. At this point, Felix has basically taken over my makeup collection. 💕

@Veky i hope you feel better soon! Been wondering where you were. I should be specific, I’ve discovered OYG within the last 6 months and FOMO purchased the high ranking creams, barrier repair, and whatever else Cyoung and other influencers recommended. I’ve been using Sulwashoo since 2020, on and off. Whenever I need the brightening and firming effect, I use Sulwashoo. I’ve used medicube maybe in 2021-2022? And Biodance and sungboon in 2024. I’ve also been using Medik8 and AOS since 2024. lol I use a lot of brands, but those are what I remembered. The ones I consistently use would be Medik8, AOS, and Sulwashoo. After discovering OYG, bought oil cleaners, foam cleaners and it broke my skin barrier which makes me buy all the top rated barrier repair toner, serums, creams in bulk. My skin barrier broke so many times from using new cleaners, and masks than it ever have been. I don’t ever remember my skin barrier break in the past other than when I’m on retinoids, but even then, it didn’t really turn red, just dry and flaky. Within the last 6 months, my skin is red and irritated constantly and the redness never went away even after the stinging stop. As for peptides, I don’t think Korean brands I’ve tried have new peptides that western brands don’t have, so for me it’s easy see if the product works. By working I meant to say if it’s as potent as the stuff I’m currently using. If not, I can see the lifting and firming or dullness in my skin. I have mature skin so effects are shorten. Though, I think the Olive Young stuff is good for those who are younger and using it as preventative. I’m not sure which Korean stuff are good for anti aging, I’d like to know and would love to try them. For medik8 advance tetra Mp, my skin brightens. I don’t think hyperpigmentations lighten. My skin is so stubborn that 12% hydroquinone doesn’t do much for me, but I’m sure for others, they may see great results. Geek and gorgeous just release their 15% AA. If it’s possible to order from their website, you should try it. I also recommend mad about skin. It’s create by a skin influencer on YouTube in UK. He doesn’t take sponsorship from any brands so I trust his reviews more. I read comments from people on his channel and they seem to prefer his brands over a lot of brands because of high percent of actives while being affordable. I use his copper peptide serum and his UV sunscreen. The copper peptide he madeis 3% I believe and it’s encapsulated so you can use it with vitamin C and retinoids. For the 4% ectoin, I use the face factory. It’s not advertised on their website that it’s 4%, but an influencer I follow emailed them and they said it’s 4%. Another one I use that has 5% ectoin is prequel, a dermatologist American brand. If you want ectoin, layer lab has a 1% ectoin cream. For Cle Du Peau, I tried all their colors in person. I10 is ivory neutral color, b10 is pink tone, o10 is yellow tone. O20 is my either my match or deeper than my skin color. So I got Hera black cushion in 3 color, 17N, 19N, 21C. I think compare to Hera black cushion, sulwashoo adhere better on the skin. it also looks more pretty compare to Hera black cushion on my skin. I just wish it comes in more shades. The whoo also looks nice as well, similar to Sulwashoo, but I think I may like it better since it seems less powdery on my skin. It sort of feels like you have a tinted moisturizer on your skin vs foundation that has a powdery look. I have to use it more to compare though. Hera 19N is darker than Vidivici 21N. I haven’t tried the color 17 yet. Which color do you use for your black Hera? I also went a bit overboard with Hera lippies because of Amazon prime and AMG 20% sales. 😅 i got at least 10 lippies coming my way lol….

@Veky I think VT r5 might actually be better. It’s slightly thicker. I think all VT PDRN has 100,000 ppm in it, but I could be wrong. The c Azulene cream isn’t more concentrated of pdrn, it just a cream with Azulene capsule and has pdrn. I like it better than their boba capsule cream. Try foretderm non foaming gel cleanser. It’s available on yesstule I believe. I’m glad physiogel cleanser doesn’t dry my skin out. It’s one of the rare Korean cleansers that foams, but doesn’t make my skin feel dry. Though, I haven’t use it as often since I’m more into non foaming cleanser.

@Veky Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that you had the flu and I hope that you feel better. I noticed that you werent as active and was hoping that you were okay. I’m the same way where I prefer to actually go on my computer to reply to longer messages than on my phone, especially because I like to take notes or save specific information since I have a bad memory. Lol right? Like any amount of discount is a bonus and at this point I think they owe it to you lol I got a lot of AESTURA products yesterday on the Amazon Prime Day sale in the US so I’m excited to get them and try them out! I’ll be sure to make a post and tag you in it when its time 😊 lol Aesturism is a religion that I am willing to start practicing myself lol I think I could make a HOLITUAL mini/sample Christmastree, we should totally do it! Maybe that would help us get a discount from these brands that we are basically ambassadors for. OMG now I want to be connected to Hera, to be that much more like Felix hahaha Okay, returning to reality now lol 😀 I tried the A-CICA 365 mask and OMG I LOVED it! I have the masks in my cart now and once AP has a sale, I’m stocking up! Same with the pads. I also have a sample of them, well I had 3, but now I have just 1 left lol. They were really nice and I think they will be my new go-to toner pad, I actually prefer it over abib and maybe even Hanyul’s toner pad, and thats saying something. Thats really impressive that they are accepted by the National Rosacea Society, it really helps seal the deal. I don’t consider myself as someone who really struggles with acne, but I still have some and the acne that I do have is basically permanent on my face ): So I am not oppossed to using something that can probably help with it. My mom has dermatagraphism (I probably misspelled it) but she is prone to having bouts of super sensitive red and irritated skin, so I will have to recommend this to her too! Yes its really frustrating when my skin is so red but its not because of a product. My disabilities are all invisible (they’re on the inside of my body) but sometimes they decide to make an appearance on my face lol Lucky me 😀 I have a sample of the A-CICA repair cream and I’ve been using all my AESTURA samples since I sent my last reply to you and I really love everything that I've tried so far. I like the idea of using the A-CICA 365 line like an SOS, and I will probably end up using my HOLITUAL products on good days and the A-CICA 365 products on rough days, but together I think my skin should be set! It will be nice to finally have products that are staples and not have to keep experimenting and ‘shopping around’ for products that I can keep stocked up. Though I’ve been relying on CYOUNG for most of my products anyway so I’ve been lucky enough (thanks to her) to not waste too much time and money since I found her. I try not to remember the times before her haha I can’t wait for AESTURA to be on sale, the amazon prime day sale didn’t have great deals on the A-CICA 365 line so I didn’t get anything from that line sadly. I will have to get their toner though, based on your reply, so I will add that to my cart now too because, you know, I don’t already have enough AESTURA in my cart now....$200 USD later 😀 I know that there are always exceptions, but I genuinely think that for most things, especially when it comes to skincare, you get what you pay for. That’s not to say that we must go broke to have nice skin, but that sometimes investing in products might have the pay off when compared to only trying to budget. Let’s just say I know someone who gets her skincare from the dollar store, where things cost literally one US Dollar, and it shows on her skin....she’d probably be better off leaving her skin bare. Okay so I figured it out, Global Amore Pacific calls it an ampoule and amazon calls it a serum, so that could be where the mix-up happened. I just wanted to be sure that I was investing in the right one lol I feel like I have SO many products that I probably wont get around to using, so I will have to start gifting away some products to make way/room for the new AESTURA products that I know I will be obsessed with, as I already love the samples that I’ve been using while I wait. Gosh its crazy how quickly prices increase, like I get that supply and demand can make it go up, but still, I wish it wasn’t so expensive. Especially since most people end up repurchasing and if its good, you know they’ll be a customer for life. So that is a bit frustrating. I got the Hydo soothing cream and the ATOBarrier 365 cream so that I can use both the way that you suggested. I do want to get the A-CICA 365 cream too, so that is in my cart. It sucks though that the newer formula is noticeably not as nice as the original, especially since as we already discussed, prices are only ever going up. You’d think that with the increase in prices we’d get products that reflect this. So far I’m really happy with the BePlain Mung Bean Milk Balm cleanser, so I will probably stick with it while I spend my money on the other AESTURA products we discussed but once you have decided which ones you prefer and why, I will probably try at least one lol Okay for sunscreens, I like the sample of the Tone Up Aestura sunscreen a lot! But like you said, I am basically the ideal mineral sunscreen user, so I try to use mineral when I can. With winter around the corner, I know my skin will only get more dry and more red, so the Tone Up sunscreen will probably be my go-to. Still, I might get the DERMA UV365 Barrier Hydro Mineral Sunscreen that you mentioned too, because 1) You can never have enough sunscreen 2) Its a mineral sunscreen and 3) Your recommendation means a lot lol I have the Regederm 365 Skin Tightening Capsule Serum in my cart too, but not the cream, though from your reply it looks like the serum is better at least for my skin concerns for now. I am blessed that my skin is still firm and I like to try to build on that before it starts to fade away rather than wait until it’s all gone. So far now I’m not expecting anything to make me look ‘younger’ so much as trying to slow down the aging process which I know is inevitable but I like to try to age gracefully, like wine rather than like sour milk lol I appreciate the heads up about it not being super aggressively anti-aging, but I’m sure that’s fine with me and even preferable as opposed to products that might be more aggressive but also harsher on my skin. Yes thanks to you I now have a huge cart in Style Jolly too, not just AP 😀 I like the idea of getting sample sized products for new products or new brands so that will be very helpful. I will probably be the same where I buy a lot of little samples from SJ and then some full-sized bottles from AP to cover the gaps in time since I’m also very impatient lol Advanced Aesturism makes me laugh, but I love that strategy for my impatience and my wallet, so sign me up, take my money 😀 Consider me a disciple lol I am so glad that I used that mask sample I had, like I said, now it’s in my cart and I plan on stocking up soon. It’s one of my fav masks, and I have so many it’s almost bad, because most are the “trending on social media” kind that I could probably skip now that I know better. Oh well, we live and learn lol. They’ll make good stocking stuffers for friends/family OMG the idea of refrigerated Centella toner pads sounds like HEAVEN! Especially because while winter where I am is very cold and my skin gets dry, the heat inside my house makes it balance out pretty well lol Besides its still pretty warm where I live for now. I’ll have to try that trick! Thank you for the idea No, I havent tried the Avène Cicalfate+ Cream or the Cicalfate+ serum. I havent even heard of it until now actually. As much as its hard to not add more to my cart, I think I will wait for your decision after more trials on it before I get it myself. I want to level up in Aesturism first lol (its more of a cult now than a religion lol). But I do appreciate you mentioning it, I’ll add it to my wish-list so I can keep an eye on it and remember it Thank YOU so much for the time and effort that you put into your replies! I really appreciate it! No need to thank me at all! I am so grateful for this community, and for you, for taking the time and energy to share so much wisdom (and the cult of Aesturism lol). I copied that last reply you left into a word documentary too. I need to make a spreadsheet and charts next lol I have to step up my game. It’s nice to know that I can trust your opinions and recommendations from all of the time you’ve invested in learning about these products and ingredients and the trial and error you’ve experienced by trying them out personally. Truly, thank you! Oh yeah, my wallet is a lost-cause. It’s okay, my husband wants $800 in computer parts for Christmas, so guess who’s going to level up in Aesturism this Christmas? 😀

@Emily I'm super curious about the Pyunkang Yul ato products. I have the toner and moisturizer gel coming because they have like six ingredients. What's your experience been with their sunscreen?

Cranky skin is exactly right! I haven't tried any Japanese sunscreens. I'll look around to see if they have a sample size somewhere. Thanks! And hello! I think this is our first time meeting. ☺️

@S.M.S Oh, another person with dermatitis — welcome to the club. 😂❤️ I have atopic dermatitis, so I definitely understand what you mean by having “cranky” skin. I’ve actually been wanting to try the Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence for a while, along with a bunch of other Japanese sunscreens. The only thing that keeps putting me off is that Japanese SPFs can sometimes be pretty heavy on alcohol and fragrance, and unfortunately my skin can be really sensitive to both. 😭 This one has both too, so I’ve always been a little scared to just go for it. But now you’re making me curious again because if it works for you even with seborrheic dermatitis, maybe I should finally give it a try. 😂 I LOVE sunscreens that just disappear into the skin without leaving a white cast or that greasy sunscreen look. Do you find that it ever stings or dries your skin out because of the alcohol, especially when your dermatitis is acting up, or does your skin tolerate it pretty well all the time? Also, have you tried any other Japanese sunscreens that you liked? I’m really interested in exploring more Japanese SPFs, especially because there are so many good water- and sweat-resistant options. That’s one thing I sometimes struggle to find with Korean sunscreens — I love how comfortable so many of them are for everyday wear, but a lot of my favorites aren’t water resistant, and I want something more durable for summer, sweating and being outdoors. So if you’ve found any Japanese ones that your sensitive skin tolerates well, I’d love to hear your recommendations!

@Veky I haven't tried any other Japanese sunscreens, since I bought that one I'm sticking to it. I haven't had any burning sensation and my skin feels quite hydrated afterwards. I guess "perfume" is listed on the ingredient list, but I can barely feel it. I hope this helps.

@S.M.S Thank you, that definitely helps! ❤️ I was especially curious to hear how it performs on someone who also has sensitive skin and dermatitis, because that’s what has made me hesitant to try it. The fact that you don’t get any burning or irritation and it actually leaves your skin feeling hydrated makes me much more interested in giving it a try. And it’s good to know the fragrance is barely noticeable to you too!