I’ve been listening to songs with the word sunshine in the title all morning. No particular reason other than it’s sunny outside today in my neck of the woods (Marin County), and the temperature is at that sweet spot where it’s warm enough to go outside in jeans and a t-shirt. It’s so nice!
If only it could always be just a little bit warm but not too hot – maybe I have to move to Hawaii for this? I’m still manifesting that one-story house in Kailua with a white picket fence and pink roses. LOL!
Anywho, if you have a pick-me-up playlist, add these three sunshiny songs stat.
Sunshine on me
A little bit of sunshine
I’ve got a pocketful of sunshine
While we’re on the topic of sunshine, I recently discovered the wonderful world of Korean sunscreen. They get so much hype amongst derms and skincare enthusiasts online, and now I see why they have such a devoted fanbase.
I’ve got three in my arsenal right meow: Innisfree Daily UV Defense Sunscreen SPF 36, Laneige Hydro UV Defense SPF 50+ and Etude House Sunprise Mild Watery Light SPF 50+.
Side note, all of these brands are owned by Amore Pacific, and I write for Innisfree and Laneige.
Some quick thoughts…
Innisfree Daily UV Defense Sunscreen SPF 36
The tube is decently sized and you get a good amount for $16. While all three sunscreens have a lotion-y and light texture compared to American sunscreens, this one is relatively thick compared to the other two and not as moisturizing. It doesn’t feel as weightless as the others, for sure. I wish the SPF was higher, but if I’m working from home, it does the trick. Oh, and this one smells the most sunscreen-y. I like it enough, but I probably won’t buy another bottle.
Laneige Hydro UV Defense Sunscreen SPF 50+
Oh my gosh, SO GOOD that I just put a jumbo-size tube in my cart! Absolutely lovely, and very much like the Shiseido sunscreen that I used and loved for years, but even better because it’s more moisturizing and feels even lighter on my skin. I love that I can reapply it throughout the day, and it doesn’t feel heavy or sticky. Layers well underneath makeup, too. I don’t mind the light, floral scent either. A pretty, dewy finish that’s not too shiny. My dry skin loves it. It’s currently on sale now on the Laneige website, by the way.
Etude Sunprise Mild Watery Light SPF 50+
Believe it or not, this was a Mother’s Day gift from El Hub and Connor! I love it, too. It’s the lightest and thinnest in texture of all three, almost like a gel, and it just melts right into my skin. Like Laneige, it’s a joy to reapply. Now, it’s not as intensely moisturizing as Laneige, but it should be enough if your skin isn’t excessively dry. The scent is kinda lemony and fresh. Very light. A perfect summer sunscreen for very hot days! You can find it on Amazon.
One last sunshiny-related bit. Cookbooks make my heart sing, and here is the latest edition to my library.
So, I’ve actually never made Korean food before, and I’m kind of intimidated by all of the elements involved in a Korean meal. Apparently there’s a lot of side dish action! While I live for a bevy of side dishes, especially ones involving veggies or various fried dumplings and whatnot, I don’t know if I could handle cooking an entire Korean meal with all the fixings by myself. It seems like a lot to juggle!
Have you cooked Korean food before? Where should I start?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
You write for Laneige! Color me impressed, haha. I love Laneige.
Haven’t cooked any Korean food before but I did have a Korean taco while I was visiting my son in Denver last week.
So it sounds like Korean cooking might resemble Korean skincare routines–there are lots of steps involved. Good luck.
Yes, I’ve been with them for a while now. What are your favorite Laneige products? I’m loving the Cream Skin Toner, Water Bank Blue Serum and the Daily Hydro Defense sunscreen.
I’m so excited to hear about the Laneige sunscreen. I hadn’t seen it. I liked the Amore Pacific tinted sunscreen in a cushioned compact, but didn’t like the compact part of it – I would have liked it a lot better in a tube.
Etude House always reminds me of the cat-ear headband we got MANY years ago. Well, YOU got and then I copied you and picked one up at the EH store in Hong Kong. HAHA! One of the boys used to wear mine, which makes the memory even fonder. 🙂
Congrats on the nice weather. Folks 10 miles down the road from us got some snow today. It’s supposed to warm up after tomorrow, though.
It’s really, really great, and if you purchase it online at laneige.com, it’s currently on sale for $21 (regularly $30 for 1.6 oz).
I can’t believe it snowed out your way! OMG!
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know about the sale! Ooh, and it’s another 2.5% cash back with Rakuten (if you’re in that free money cult like I am!). HAHA!
I know, our weather is cray!
You’re welcome! Happy Friday!
My friend and I both got a few things during the Laneige sale. They should be giving you a commission. 🙂
OH MY GOODNESS! I need to know what you purchased. Here’s what I have in my cart:
Cica Sleeping Mask
Creamskin Toner
Glowy Skin Makeup Primer
Hydro UV SPF
The BTS Lip Sleeping Mask Set
I love the Sunprise SPF-50 sunscreen. I bought it on Amazon a year ago. I have oily skin(even now at 70+, which is sad, but most sunscreens make me look an oily mess and the Sunprise doesn’t. Great to hear, that you work for Laneige, they have a lot of really great products.
I was thinking the Sunprise would be great for oily skin! So glad you like it. Have you tried the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence? It’s supposed to be good for oily skin, too.
On those winter days where it isn’t raining but it’s still cool and we have the heat on, I like to use Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF 50 PA++++. I have dry skin and this gives me a dewy finish. Not sure I could wear it in the summer though as it’s not the lightest weight sunscreen I’ve used.
Oooh Maangchi!!! I love her blog and YouTube channel. Don’t feel the need to own her cookbooks though. The thing about side dishes, is you can make a whole bunch quickly on the weekend and then put them in labeled containers and use them for the rest of the week. Quite often I’ll just make one Korean dish and serve it with rice and maybe a regular salad or veggie. But do try the seasoned spinach side dish. I also love jjangmyeon (Korean version of black bean noodles with veggies and with or without pork), japchae (sweet potato starch noodles with spinach, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions and beef), galbi ribs (just like Hawaiian Kalbi ribs) galbijim (a stew made with galbi ribs), tteotboki (rice cakes in a spicy gochujang sauce with fish cake, veggies and egg), gimbap (rice and seaweed with veggies) or you can always make kimchi fried rice. Dubu Jorim (Braised Tofu) is one of my favorite ways of making tofu. I would see if Weee delivers to your address if you don’t feel like driving to H Mart on Alemeny Blvd in SF or Kukje in Daly City/South City for Korean or other Asian cuisine ingredients.
Where did you buy your Beauty of Joseon sunscreen? Stylevana?
So I had no idea Maangchi had a Youtube channel until I got the book, LOL! I’ll be going out to the East Bay this weekend, so I’m gonna see if I can pick up some soybean paste and various types of noodles. 🙂
I got my BoJ sunscreen at Stylevana. They charged my credit card as soon as I placed the order (not when they shipped like most US sites) and then took over a month to pack and ship it. Made Dear Husband POed as heck. Once it was shipped it took less than a week to get here and clear customs.
I’m not sure if their packing and shipping times have gotten shorter. Hong Kong was having pretty high numbers of covid cases when I ordered it.
It’s a little more expensive on YesStyle and Olive Young Global, but I thought I’d try one of them next to see if they’re better about shipping.
Is there an H Mart or 99 Ranch in the East Bay? I rarely cross the Dumbarton these days.
FYI, I know it’s not authentic, but I use half the amount of gochu in any given recipe. Also CJ makes gochujang in a MILD version, which is what I buy. I love the taste of spicy flavors, but my stomach does not.