SkinFood or Skin Food? Either way its spelt, its the cute cosmetics and skincare brand to come out of Korea.
I don’t go down to 1 Utama very often but I can tell you that the SkinFood store at 1U and I go back a long way. I still remember when it was first opened (some time in 2005 or so) and I walked past during their opening, and was handed a pack of rice bran mask absolutely free! Thrilled me to no end and I shamelessly went back for another pack 😀
Recently, I had the pleasure to be invited to take a look at the newly renovated and upgraded SkinFood store at 1 Utama, which is how all future stores will look and its the look that comes down all the way from Korea. The store has a bright airy feel with products prominently displayed and although much smaller than the SkinFood store I went to in Myeongdong, Seoul, did have a similar vibe.
SkinFood, the affordable Korean skincare brand has been around in the country for a while now, but I must confess that I never paid much attention to it. For some reason, it always felt a bit young for me. So are you a fan of the brand or is there anything in the brand you particularly like?
A little known fact you may like to know is that the SkinFood store in Malaysia opened up almost at the same time as the time Skin Food was launched in Korea and after Korea, Malaysia has the cheapest SkinFood products worldwide. Now isn’t that a consolation for us? 😀
A new range to be launched and which just came out of Korea is the Gold Kiwi skincare range. Packaged in cute little bottles and jars, the Gold Kiwi range is a slightly pricier skincare range that uses the extracts of the gold kiwi fruit. I love eating gold kiwis don’t you? They are always sweeter and tastier than the green hairy kiwi fruits 😀
Another range I found rather intriguing is the red orange makeup range which has a BB Cream in a mousse jelly form (very cute!), sun powder (powder form sunscreen) and this interestingly named Makeup Finish Mist. This is a mist you spritz over your makeup to seal in makeup and help it last longer. It comes in matte and shimmer where the shimmer version leaves little tiny shimmer/glitter all over your skin, and the matte version is supposed to help mattify the skin. Its quite cute and I had this in my basket until I decided I didn’t quite need a makeup finisher, or shimmer on my skin so I exchanged it for some skincare instead. If you have tried this, I would love to hear what you think of it 🙂
I was told that I should try this – the SkinFood Black Sugar Mask that is one of their bestsellers. It helps exfoliate dead skin cells and leaves skin feeling soft and smooth. Sounds delicious doesn’t it? Black Sugar mask? 😀
If you are like me and enjoy eating pineapples (nothing says tropical quite like a pineapple!) then this pineapple hand cream may just catch your fancy. Like everything else at SkinFood, the prices are affordable and honestly, in this gift giving season, makes a nice little inexpensive gift 🙂
The sheet masks too are amongst SkinFood’s bestsellers. There is a whole wall of sheet masks you can buy in varying prices. They don’t sell them in bulk packs here as they do in Korea (you can easily get packs of 20-40 sheet mask packs there) but then who cares right? We want variety! 😀
There was lots to browse around in store. The cosmetics were cute and I was very close to picking up an eyeshadow quad but sanity prevailed and I went instead to look at skincare for which SkinFood is better known for. The prices are for the most part relatively affordable too so its easy to pick up a nice big basket of products and go “Ooh! I didn’t spend that much!”
But as I said right at the top, I’m not familiar with SkinFood. So I’m open to suggestions! 😀
What do you like from SkinFood? Is there something you think I just have to try because its very good for you? Or have you tried the interesting Gold Kiwi skincare line? Its new so I’m not holding out too much hope 🙂
Paris B
SkinFood stores and counters are found in most major shopping malls nationwide
Wow! SkinFood here in MNL is so expensive. It’s too bad, because I love SkinFood and it’s extremely cute packaging 🙂
Oh I didn’t know its pricey in Phillippines! Well now you know what you haul when you come to KL 😀
For some reason i dont like skinfood products
1st- i think the packaging is ugly and childish
2nd- i dont feel confident in the products
3rd- i can get better products with that price
Thanks! I don’t know enough about the brand or its products to have a formed opinion about the brand. I only tried one eyeshadow once and didn’t quite like it. They do have quite a long history in Korea under their parent company though with a proper R&D and their own factory for skincare so that was quite confidence inspiring. But then not having really tried any of the products, I can’t say how good/bad they are 🙂
This reminds me that I have two small samples of Skin Food I’ve got from a friend. And I’d really like to try more Asian brands actually, especially in makeup!
I personally prefer Japanese makeup if you want to try something Asian. I don’t think much of the Korean colours/textures but they are usually much more inexpensive 🙂
Their salmon eye cream and under eye concealer of the same line is a staple of my daily skin care for months now. I’ve also tried a variety of their other skin care products but sadly this was the only one I didn’t feel meh about.
Hmm… I think I remember reading about the concealer! Thanks for reminding me!
i like their pore packs! bee and xin swear by them too. and apparently the black sugar scrub is very good. wonder if that’s a dupe for fresh’s sugar scrub.
The Sugar Scrub is supposed to be nice and I haven’t tried the Fresh one but who knows eh? 😀
I use the black sugar scrub 2-3 times a week ^^ helps to get rid of whiteheads and to ‘loosen’ blackheads so that I can use the nose pore tapes heh :X the sugar granules are pretty big so for those with sensitive skin you might want to try out the rice sugar mask instead =x
Thanks for the recs Saphy! 😀 Looks like the black sugar scrub has to go on my shopping list!
😀
Hehe… You’ve prolly heard this so many times frm me… Love their sun aloe bb cream!!! It’s my daily staple ^^ I’ve tried quite a few stuff frm them, some were good, some were bad.
Good:
1) sun aloe bb cream!!!!!!
2) black sesame self heating pack (smells not so nice but it’s effective in evicting those pesky blackheads frm their “home”
Bad (for me):
1) peach sake skincare line – gave me horrible breakouts all over my face
2) salmon eye cream – gave me milia seeds (lucky it was a sample only)
Lol. I guess their stuff are affordable… 🙂 I rmbr when they 1st opened here, they gave those packs, I gave them to someone cuz back then I wasnt interested in these stuff… I like nature republic n face shop too!! Cheap sheet masks 🙂
Lately milia has also appeared under my eyes and after reading your comment I just realised that these annoying little cysts appeared after I started using the salmon eye creme :O
I think I will stop using it to see if it is actually a side effect from this creme. I hope not.. I am sad to say I bought the actual jar and not a sample!!!!
Haha yes! I was wondering if you might chip in 😉 I actually saw the Sun Aloe BB Cream and thought of you! I guess I should give it a go. You’re not the only one raving about it!
The only thing I have tried from SkinFood is their Salmon Under Eye Dark Circle Setting Powder (??? I am not too sure of the name) and the only reason I even ventured in the SkinFood store to purchase it was due to a review by Musings of a Muse. It was quite good in terms of staying power and making my under eye are look brighter but on the other hand, it could have been some what more finely milled as it can look a bit cakey even when I apply it with a light hand. I much prefer the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder or Bare Escentuals Well Rested for setting my under eye concealer. They thick all the right boxes for me for being an under eye setting powder.
I might venture to the SkinFood store for the second time just cause I suddenly am really really wanting to try the Black Sugar Mask. As a face mask enthusiast, the thought of having a cheaper dupe for my Fresh Sugar Face Polish is quite appealing as it has been one of my faves physical exfoliating masks for the past 2 years. Thank you for bringing the SkinFood mask into light. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I have that LM Secret Brightening Powder too but don’t use it, preferring to just use the Dior Skinflash 😀 I guess I never got the hang of the eye setting powder thing 😛
SkinFood has some most awesome nail polish. I’ve got 2 for my birthday which was meant for my toes i guess, judging from the word ‘pedicure’ printed on the bottle. Just two layers and the polish stays on forever! 😀
Ah I saw that one! And I remember thinking “Why did they have to specify that the polish was just solely for pedicures? Can you use it on your nails?” 😀 I have heard a lot of good things about their polishes and they do have very pretty colours and are inexpensive!
I’m a reluctant fan of skinfood XD I think the concept of food for the skin is cute. I get attracted to their products for the price, the cute factor, and the good reviews and usually they don’t work but they are so cheap I just end up hauling more. After all its much easier to try something out when its cheap (compared to shelling out for something higher end and finding it doesnt work, which is slightly heartbreaking) I admit I do actually find their packaging a bit childish and cheap a lot of the time, but its not like they are charging for it so again its fine. I don’t reach for any of their products every day but I don’t mind their peach sake concealer or their aloe sun bb cream or the banana yogurt wash off mask. The former two are fairly average, but I love the mask for days when I can’t be bothered with skincare : )
Teehee a reluctant fan 😀 I think some of the packaging tends to be too cute for my tastes but some of them are alright and as you’ve pointed out, they are inexpensive so we don’t feel so bad 😀 Thanks for the recs. I’ll take a look at the ones you suggested
I’m attracted by the cutsy packaging. Tried out the rice mask, black sugar mask, some back acne products few years back. These were the best seller back then too. However, I’ve stopped buying skin food coz’ none of the items I’ve purchased maintain my skin or perform. The only good thing for me is that the products did not break me out. Cosmetic wise, nothing in particular that calls out to me either. I’ll passover skin food.
Thanks Lisa. We do tend to have similar sort of tastes so I think I’m headed the way you are too LOL I did see a very nice eyeshadow palette I was tempted by – the texture was nice and it was nicely pigmented and all but I wasn’t keen on the cute packaging. I prefer my cosmetics to look more “serious” 🙂
I’m getting serious on my cosmetic selections too currently. I’m over the phrase of elaborate, girlish or cutsy makeup. E.g. Jill Stuart. But with Skincare, I don’t mind it as much. Not that I’m adventurous in this aspect. I have sensitive skin so I usually these days insist on testing out samples prior to buying. Yes… I even bring along my own sampling containers when I shop for Skincare. ????
I think its clever to bring your own sampling pots – that way there’s no reason for them not to give you a sample! 😀
In high school I was in love with their Seaweed BB Cream. It’s pretty good and gives a light to medium coverage. I bought a whole lot of masks when I was back in Malaysia the last time. I tend to just try whatever sounds like it would smell good and I shamelessly interchange with my The Face Shop masks. I don’t know if I would actually incorporate their skincare into my daily regime but their make up is cheap and reliable enough to dabble in. Their polishes are okay too, compared to The Face Shop ones that are streaky and require a bajillion layers of coat to give any kind of colour.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! 😀 I think the sheet masks are a cheap treat especially when travelling 😀
Oh I’m glad you’re writing this. I’ve always been curious about Korean stores. Will trawl through the comments tonight to plan on what to korek from my sibling who’ll be visiting Seoul next month. 😀
She’ll be so spoilt for choice! There’s not just Skin Food but a billion other Korean brands too!
Do you know if their nail polishes have been reformulated? Last I checked, they’re not Big 3-Free, the reason I’ve never tried them even though they receive a lot of raves.
I don’t know about this to be honest (don’t know enough about nail polish evidently) but you will soon! 😉
Hmm, peculiar reply… 😀 I think I’m excited! LOL
Previously I bought their green tea facial cleanser when my face is having breakouts few years back and it really helps, my face went smoother and looks healthier. But too bad it was discontinued. So i bought the aloe facial cleanser, it was not that bad coz i am still using it and repurchase it after finish it. I still like the green tea results than aloe… Their cleanser can stays up to 6 months for me! =D
Other than that skinfood mask is pretty good too! like the black sugar mask as well…
but i am a lazy girl, i bought their ‘quick-wash off mask’ which only requires 6 minutes to put on ur face and wash it off ASAP…
Seriously i didn’t realize i am such a ‘big fan’ of skinfood coz i tried a lot of their products like mascara, aloe bb cream (works good on me!), eye shadow and moisturizer.
Maybe the price ranges are within my budget and the outcome works on me.. and thank god it works =D
Thanks for the recs! 😀 A cheap cleanser that works as it should sounds like a good deal indeed! Glad the brand works for you and its light on the pocket too!
Skin Food products that I have tried and would recommend are:
1. Eggplant Auto eyeliner (glides easily and no sharpening required)
2. buckwheat loose powder (superb oil control)
3. Lemon pack (brightens and cleans the face)
4. lipstick (very moisturising but not many color choices)
5. Rice Mask (my mom’s favourite)
6. Nail polish remover
7. Milk Shake point eye & lip make up remover (removes water proof mascara and eye/lip makeup effortlessly)
8. black sugar scrub
What a comprehensive list! Thanks – will take a look!
I just got some stuff when I was on holiday in California and I LOVE IT ALL. All of their masks are great! Their nail polish is awesome too. The under eye concealer is pretty great too. I wish I had gotten more.
I’ve read so many good things about their nail polishes! I saw some very pretty colours when I was in the store and they aren’t very pricey at all. Maybe I should check it out 😀
I like the Peach Sake Pore Serum. Works for me to mattify the skin. I also like the Aloe Sun BB cream. Good for travelling as it has SPF 25 and I don’t need to bring along additional sun care (if I don’t want to but I do since I’m anal about sun protection like that).
Another vote for the Aloe Sun BB Cream! I really should take a look at this one 😀 Thanks!
I don’t have many skinfood products. The ones that I have, I liked — Salmon Dark Eye Concealer and the Coffee Scrub
Ooh coffee scrub! I think Xin gave me one – now where did I put it?
Oh. I love the coffee scrub! Nice! I am sure you will love it too 😀
for now, i only have the bb creams(peach sake & aloe sun) but i would like to have the salmon concealer..they say it was a holy grail 🙂
Now that everyone’s mentioned it, I think I remember the raves about the Salmon concealer! I shall have to take a look the next time I go past a store 🙂