Kbeauty Summer Favorites!

I’m not sure about the weather where you live, but this year the summer is crazy in Germany! At least in Berlin where I live, we don’t get into real summer feeling for a prolonged period of time. Most years, we’re lucky to have 2-3 weeks of summer temperatures before it’s more or less almost autumn again. This year however, it’s been crazily hot and humid for the past two weeks and it’s only been May! As a fellow vampire, I don’t approve of this development.

Regardless, as I had to adjust my skincare regimen according to the melting temperatures I figured it’s a good opportunity to share my favorite products for summer time! Most of them are Korean or Japanese products but I threw in some of my personal European favorites in there too.

It’s probably not a secret by now that the sunscreens from Hada Labo are my absolute favorites (unfortunately, my favorites the UV Creamy Gel and the UV Moist Emulsion have both been discontinued. It’s however still possible to find both of them on Ebay!). I ordered the Biore Uv Aqua Rich Smooth Watery Gel (90ml, yays!) and also can’t wait to try the replacement from Hada Labo which is the Koi-Gokujyun Perfect UV Gel. The formulas are to die for, sink into the skin nicely and have never failed me. (Probably common knowledge, but still important to repeat: These sunscreens are for daily wear (as in: shopping in town or going to work) only, they are not meant for a day at the beach or a lot of sun exposure! If you are going on vacation, make sure to use appropriate sunscreens that are sweat- and water-resistent.)

One sunscreen I still need to write a review on is the Biosolis Extreme Fluid 50+, a physical-only sunscreen that I’ve been using for probably a year almost daily and that still is not empty! It unfortunately is too greasy and white cast-ey for daily all-face use but I put it on the parts of my face where I had the highest amount of hyperpigmentation (my cheeks) and I think this is the main reason it has healed and faded so well (yes, that post on fading hyperpigmentation is coming.) I also love to mix this with all my foundations which are usually a tad too dark for me and create the perfect pale base. I usually use one of my Hada Labo sunscreens, wait for that to sink in and then either put this on my hyperpigmentation or mix it with my base make-up.

Speaking of make-up, I am still on the hunt for a translucent powder with SPF for touch-ups. If you know of anything, please let me know! So far I have used the Bare Minerals Natural Sunscreen Powder, but even the lightest shade is too dark for me and tends to look cakey. So I mainly use one of my cushions to keep the sun protection going throughout the day.

One thing I ALWAYS use in the summer time is a chapstick with SPF. Some people easily get cold sores or blisters after too much sun exposure and guess who is one of those lucky gals…? The Avène High Protection Lip Balm SPF 30 worked great for me and can easily be bought in any pharmacy in Germany, which is a big plus! 🙂

I’ve talked about hydration before in my skincare regimen post and this part is actually not *that* different from what I usually use. My skin needs lots of hydration in forms of water instead of oil as my pore clogs easily when I use emulsions that are too rich. So I prefer gel moisturizers and light essences all year round with the only difference being that I use a facial oil once or twice a week in the winter time but don’t really feel the need to once it’s summer. I also tend to use sheet masks way more often in the winter time, but that might just be me.

One of my favorites for up to a year now is the Tosowoong Super Aqua Cooling Gel – the jar is huge and you get a lot for your money, I think the jar lasted me half a year before I ran out. It feels refreshing, there isn’t too much filler crap inside and it does the trick for me. I can’t recommend this enough for anyone who has trouble with acne and problems with products not sinking in, this is such a light moisturizer! I haven’t tried the Dearpacker Alaska Glacier Soothing Mask yet but it’s already on its way and I can’t wait for it to arrive! It’s almost impossible to find any gel moisturizers in Germany for some reason and the one they do sell are utterly crap. Except for one. The one. MY ONE.

I think I’ve mentioned it already in many blog posts but my absolute favorite gel moisturizer will always be the Noreva Aquareva Express Moisturizing Mask – it’s supposed to be used as a sleeping pack, but I use it as my daily moisturizer for 1 1/2 years now. I’ve repurchased it a dozen times already, it smells divine, it absolutely melts into your skin, I FREAKING LOVE IT. The downside is that one tube only lasts me 6-8 weeks and it’s 15 bucks per tube :'(

One item that for some reason I never repurchased but did use in the worst summer of the entire Japanese history is the Skinfood Watery Berry Serum. I’m not actually sure why I never repurchased it because I really really liked it. The formula sinks nicely into the skin and smells soooo good. I’m usually not a fan of scents but this one, I absolutely loved. I remember discussing all the products lines with the Skinfood sales lady and we settled for the Watery Berry line and at that time, it was absolutely the right decision. We had 40°C from April to August. It was terrible. I love you Japan, but your summer is AWFUL.

Another item that I vastly underestimated in my initial review is the COSRX Galactomyces White Power Essence. It didn’t receive too much praise from me and I found it quite boring and well, it is. However, for some reason, my skin is a lot better when I use this. I don’t see a dramatic effect on my hyperpigmentation, but dang is my skin calm and content when I use this in my daily routine. So despite what I said in my review, I actually did repurchase it twice. I have to admit it’s now one of my most favorite items because it sinks into my skin instantly and is great when I’m in the rush to go to work (which is basically every damn morning.)