Five From Skinfood

I have something to say to those who have yet to see the light about Skinfood. I’m sorry but despite what some would tell you, Skinfood is not a high-end cosmetics line in Korea. In fact, it’s not even mid-level (mid-level brands are Missha, Laneige and Hanskin). It is, as what my Korean friend /workmate would tell me, “something for the college students”. (Of course, one reason why it’s considered high-end in Pinas is the outrageous markups on Skinfood products.)

But it being inexpensive and readily available in Korea doesn’t make this brand of lower quality. On the contrary, it is a testament to this brand’s popularity that one is most likely to see a Skinfood Store anywhere you go in Seoul. (I’ve lived in three different apartments , in three different locations in and at the outskirts of Seoul since 2005 and in every apartment (or officetel, as Koreans would point out) there ‘s always a Skinfood nearby. And the fact that this brand never goes on Sale. Ever. That says a lot about a brand’s confidence, right?

Like any other brand, Skinfood has its good and weak points. For one, I hate SF’s eye shadows. They suck. Very light color pay-off. At the same price (and they are pretty cheap, I admit), I can get great shadows from Innisfree or Lioele.

But I have also my favorites. Here are five Skinfood products I’ve used again and again . As you can see there are no new releases from this list. These are products I’ve used for at least a year.

Skinfood Shea Butter Lip Care in Raspberry

Natural rosy, pinkish lips in lightly scented reaaaaallyyyy moisturizing lip balm! It is so good, I sometimes use it on its own (without lipstick!) even at work.

Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash-off

The name is a misnomer. It’s actually a scrub not a mask. As the name implies, it has sugar granules and some supposedly mineral and vitamin rich softeners . But what I really like about this “mask” is how good it is as an exfoliant. The sugar beads are fine enough not to feel too abrasive, but you do feel like you are exfoliating when you rub the sugar mask on your skin. And the best part is, after rinsing off the mask, your skin really feels soft! It’s supposed to be used about twice a week, but I often use it at the end of the day to remove any debris and stress (Haha, yes, scrubbing your face can relieve stress!).

Skinfood Cappucino Wash Body Scrub (Phased Out~ Sad)

It’s like slathering a Starbucks Frap all over your body. It smells that good! Plus the beads are also great for exfoliating. (Apparently, the beads are real coffee nibs). However, since January this has been off all Skinfood stores. The SF clerks I’ve asked confirmed that it’s been discontinued. I wonder why though, as this has always been a bestseller. Now where do I find a yummy flavored body scrub at the same reasonable price? 

Skinfood Rose Cheek Chalk in Peach

The cheapest and most cost –effective blush I’ve used. Ever. The finish is matte. And it is amazingly long lasting. Twelve hours at the office with no blush retouch and there’s still color to my cheeks. I love this blush. (I tried a comparable product from TFS and the pink sank into my skin in just a few hours!).

Peach Sake Silky Finish Powder

It is a lightly scented loose powder with silica(to refract the light and provide a bit of illusion of smoothness) and oil-absorbing ingredients. Though most of my clients rave about Skinfood’s Buckwheat Loose Powder (which comes in two shades), I like the Peach Sake Powder precisely because it has no shade and is very very light on the skin. More importantly, it really works as a mattifier for BB creams/liquid foundation.

These are my top five picks from Skinfood. How about you? What’s yours?

(All the images shown above are from the official Skinfood website)