Beauty Review: Skinesque
Okay, if you’ve done any perusing on beauty brands available online or even on Amazon, you’ve seen the phenomenon that Korean Skincare. But if you’re anything like me, this trend can be hard to parse through – I love a good skin care moment as much as the next girl, but there is A LOT out there. So, I tend to go for simple to use, natural, and tried-and-true (which is fine, but can scare me away from finding new products).
Skinesque is a skincare brand made in South Korea and designed in California, touting “clean and approachable Korean skincare.” All of their products are cruelty-free, pH balanced, dermatologist tested, and gentle for all skin types – plus free of sulfates, parabens, and phthalates.
So, when Overachiever reached out to Skinesque, their products sounded right up my alley – simple to use, gentle, and super clean. Not to mention, we always love to support a company that is female-found (by some awesome boss Asian women) and female-led!
A box of goodies arrived at my door bright and early on a Friday morning filled with two of their best selling products – “3-Step Brightening Charcoal Mask” and “Deep Sleep Overnight Mask” – and thus began my weekend skincare extravaganza! First was the “3 Step Brightening+ Charcoal Mask,” which has become my new go-to travel product. They come in a pack of 5, with each sleek black packet containing 3 products (plus the directions on how to use printed right there so you can’t mess anything up!).
Step 1 is the Gentle Foaming Cleanser, which surprisingly may be my favorite of all the products. It has the thick creamy texture of moisturizing face washes I’d usually steer clear of (because my face tends to be be oily), but as I rinsed it off, my skin had the refreshed fully clean feeling I get using my gel cleansers (without that tight over-scrubbed feeling of the harsh exfoliants I used growing up).
Step 2 was the Hydra+ Essence – a very light hydrating serum that you are instructed to pat into your skin. It felt weightless, absorbed fully into my skin, and left me wondering if I should just stop at this Step 2 and save the mask for later, since my skin felt so good.
But would any skin care routine be complete without a sheet mask? Even I know the answer is “no.” The Brightening+ Charcoal Mask is made to “brighten, hydrate, and clear out toxins” with ingredients like “oak tree charcoal, niacinamide, and birch tree sap.” So, I queued up my Netflix, opened up the Step 3 packet, and set the mask on my face.
20 minutes (almost a full episode of “The Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj”) later, I peeled off the mask and enjoyed my skin feeling clean, light, and hydrated. And with these 3 steps all in one self-contained packet, I’m definitely going to bring this to treat myself whenever I am traveling. The second product was their signature “Deep Sleep Overnight Mask.” With a unique “mochi-like texture” and a light refreshing smell, this can be applied as a wash-off mask or overnight treatment. I get nervous with overnight face products – I hate feeling like my face is covered in gunk and sticky, and with skin on the oilier side, I never like the feeling that my skin can’t breathe. But, after a long day running errands and doing work in the city, I got ready for bed and applied a thin layer to my face and neck. Instead of a thick cream, it was a cooling gel that didn’t feel sticky or heavy. I woke up the next morning and washed my face, marveling at my very healthy feeling skin.
Needless to say, I’ve found two new tried-and-true products to add to my roster, and feel great about supporting a female-driven company that cares about approachable, natural, and thoughtful skin care. If you are at all on the fence about Korean skincare, or are just looking for some new “treat yourself” skincare, I highly recommend checking out Skinesque!
