Soko Glam August Curations

Hi guys, welcome to the Soko Glam August Curation Update. So today we clearly have a special guest. Hello everyone! It's Joan! I don't know like 80% of them. I have heard of the brands, but a lot of these are new, so I'll be learning as you guys are learning too. Yeah, and I think it's cool because you did tell me that you know one or two of them and the backstory behind it, so we'll fuse my knowledge with your knowledge. Mostly Charlotte's knowledge. Well okay, we have a lot of amazing products to share with you guys, so I can't wait to get started. Yay! So first let's start with a new brand to hit Soko Glam, and this is Pacific. I actually know this brand as Natural Pacific, because Eddie loved this brand. Yeah, we talked about the eye cream in one of my Best of Beauty videos. Which we are curating. Yeah, he actually gave this eye cream an award. I think it was 2017. Oh wow. But it was called Natural Pacific back then. And now yeah, they did change the name to Pacific. Okay. And actually the reason why we started looking into this is that Jeon Ji-yeon is known for using this serum. So all of you K-drama and Korean culture fans, Jeon Ji-yeon is a really famous actress in Korea. I love her. Her skin's like... I know. And she's like I think 35 or something. She just looks amazing still. And so it caught my eye because I'm a big fan of her, and I heard she uses a serum. And so that's why we got our hands on this, and now it's finally through to Soko Glam. Have you tried this eye cream? So I can understand why Eddie likes this eye cream, because first of all the price points are really accessible. They're like $20 to $30 range. And this eye cream contains niacinamide. And niacinamide is a ingredient you may see a lot on your ingredient list. It's a really really popular ingredient, and it's because it's also called vitamin B3. It's really popular because it's great for sensitive skin types, but it does a lot of positive things for your skin. It helps uneven skin tones. It also helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles. And this eye cream's main ingredient is niacinamide. So I like the fact that it has also no artificial fragrances. Yeah, it also has like a watery texture to it, so it's very easy to apply. And I know that this brand is, I believe, vegan? Yes. Yeah, and cruelty-free. Vegan, cruelty-free. They do really focus on just sensitive, skin-friendly ingredients. And also, you know, one thing is like on Soko Glam, Elencilia is one of our best-selling eye creams these days. But I feel like this could be like a really close second, or you know, I could see it rising to the top. Or it might even win. Oh, a Best of K-Beauty? I don't know. I don't know what they are. But yeah, so this is an all-around great eye cream. Like you mentioned, like Joan mentioned, very lightweight texture, not too heavy, and the fragrance that it has is completely natural. Yes, and I think it got like mixed with the sunscreen smell, so I was like, why does it have a scent? But it doesn't have a scent. Last time I asked you in the curation video if you wanted us to curate more oil-based serums, and you guys have unanimously said that you want more, so I'm glad that this is coming in to give you guys more variety. You shake it before you use it, right? Yeah, shake it, and then it contains, the main ingredient here is meadow foam, and that's a really great ingredient for anti-aging. It has a host of antioxidants that will really help just smooth, coat, and protect your skin. And you know oils in Korea are always so lightweight. There's very, it's almost like watery. It doesn't feel like an oil. Yeah, and that's what I love about this serum. And I think it's just a different take for serum, oil-based serums. It smells really good. Yeah, no artificial fragrances, all natural. There's some essential oils in here as well. Wow. So you should tell Eddie about that. NACIFIC, yes. I think he also mentioned one of the essences or serums in the Vesta Beauty Awards, so he does really like this brand. That's how I am familiar with it. Yeah, I think if you guys have any suggestions for NACIFIC, please let us know because we're just getting introduced to this brand, and we're gonna start off with two, but of course if we hear your feedback, we might curate more. So next we'll talk about a brand that has been on our site for many, many years now, and is very loved by our community. It's called Benton. What does Benton stand for? Don't ask me! I just found out today. I've mentioned this before in previous videos, but the movie Benjamin Button. So it's like the aging. Yeah, you know how he like reverse ages, so he becomes younger? So they use that whole idea and merge the two names together to create Benton. I had no idea. Yeah. I was like laughing outside. Because it's so like cute. Yeah, yeah. I notice a lot of Korean brands, they like to merge names together, like they like to mix words together. Like every Korean drama has a shortened version of the name. Like 응답하라. What was that? Oh yeah, 응답하라. Yeah. I love that! Yeah, but I was like, what are you talking about? Or like 미드. Recently I learned 미드, and that stands for 미국 드라마. So like American dramas, they call it 미드. I love learning about those things. It's so interesting, but I'm like, I need to know like, can you give me like a preview of what they are? Because I learned so many at once. So now you learned something new. Benjamin Button is Benton. We have three also exciting products from Benton. You guys know I love them, because they formulate the products really well with really high percentages of the best part of the formula. So for example, if it's an aloe cream, it really does have like 40% aloe in it versus like 1% or 0.009. So they have really great prices too. So it's super accessible. This aloe hyaluron cream is newly produced by Benton because their whole aloe line just does so well. I'm sure you guys are aware of the soothing gel, the aloe soothing gel that does, it's like one of our best sellers in terms of moisturizers. And then Benton also has the whole Snail Bee line, which has like hundreds of reviews on our site. But anyway, I'm so glad they have this option because the soothing gel is great for oily skin types in the summer, but you know, this is a cream that you can use for more dry skin types and people that need a little bit of oils and nourishment in their skin. Right, I would actually prefer this over the gel type because I have dry skin. Same. I love aloe. I had really bad acne at one point, and I tried a lot of different aloe products in Korea, and actually Nature Republic had that really affordable- Yeah, I used to like apply a thick layer before I went to sleep, and aloe vera, it's like deep, you know, like we have a good relationship. Because it really helped calm my skin, yeah, soothe, and it really helps with like redness too, so. Yeah, I agree. And this also contains hyaluronic acid, so aloe plus hyaluronic acid, it's a great combo. And we also have the hand cream, so I don't know if you remember, we curated the Benton coconut hand cream in the past, it's like shea butter and coconut, and so that was well received, but we decided to shake things up, and so that's no longer on our site, and we curated another hand cream, and this is part of the shea butter line, and it includes olive oil. Okay. So the shea butter is 10%, and it's eco certified, and also it's just like lighter weight than the other hand cream, so it's suitable for all seasons. I would say the other one was really really thick, so if you guys are looking for a lightweight hand cream for all seasons, this is a good one. And then we've got the hydrogel eye patches. Yeah, I'm really excited about this one, because you told me how environmental friendly it is. Yes, I think top of mind, I've been talking to everyone at like SoGo House, they come in they're like, hey are brands being more like eco-friendly, or sustainable conscious, and I think that that's definitely top of mind when we curate, and this is really caught our eye, because it basically is biodegradable. Yeah, so cool. These eye patches are made with seaweed, and in 80 degree celsius water, it can actually dissolve. Yeah, the tip that I read from Benton is that, you could mix this with water and use it as a mist. Yeah, so it has all these skin-benefiting ingredients, like seaweed extract, hyaluronic acid, and snail secretion filtrate, which is so great for hydration. So yeah, apparently you can put it underneath your eyes obviously, and then even like smile lines, and then a tip that Benton shared with us, is that you could put two of these in a little like water spritzer, put a little bit warm water, and then use it as just like a nice hydrating mist. Yeah, that's really cool. Yeah, I thought that was really cool that they gave that tip. I love products that have more than one purpose. Yeah, and I love that. Look at how ridiculous I look. But I'm getting moisturized as we do this video. And overall, like I'm noticing you guys are asking for more sheet masks in like tubs, like sheet masks in a box with like 30 pack, you know? Yeah. It is more eco-friendly, and I've been talking to like Mediheal, we just recently curated. Oh yeah, you need to curate the heating eye mask from Mediheal. They have like cute characters on it. I cannot go on an airplane without the heated mask. Okay, I've never heard of that. It doesn't have to be from Mediheal, but I love those. Oh, interesting. No, I love Mediheal. After we launched Mediheal, you guys have shared you love that curation, and a lot of people recognize the brand obviously, because it's like the number one. It's also the number one sheet mask. Yeah, it is. But BTS is all over that store. They have a store in Myeongdong, and I walked in, I was like, wow. Yeah, they play all the BTS tracks, and I was like, okay. Yeah, yeah, I mean it's huge globally, right? So like that was such a smart partnership. And I think Mediheal overall, like they're just great quality products for such an affordable price, and so I'm down to curate more from them, so let me know if you have any more recommendations. It's also very innovative. I don't know if you saw the ones that come in the capsules, where they have the sheet mask inside. That's what I plan to curate. You mean the hearts? Yes, and it's like pink, green, and blue. We are planning to curate. September! Yeah, I think this is just the beginning. I'm being very vocal to all the brands, and telling them like people love eco-friendly options, and the reason why I brought up Mediheal is because they told me that they were trying to figure out how to be more eco-friendly as well, so I'm glad it's part of the conversation. Yes, I know. It's better than not considering the environment at all, so I do appreciate brands who are moving forward and working on environmental-friendly, eco-friendly, vegan, cruelty-free, all of that, it's very important. Yeah, oh, one random thought. China is releasing some information these days about being more cruelty-free, so that obviously in the beauty industry, everyone knows that China has like the strictest laws of animal testing, and so apparently they're making steps towards eliminating some of those restrictions or some of those testings, so I'm excited. We're getting there. Solved. It will solve all your skincare problems. That's what Charlotte just told me. Yeah, I like the name because it really is to the point, and I think everyone here has a goal in mind for their skincare concerns, so this is a perfect name. Yeah, I love the red. Yeah. Red's my favorite color. Interesting. And I'm noticing it's coconut water, hibiscus, and rosehip, so good for skin like mine because I have dry skin and sensitive, and I've been actually trying out a few rosehip oils because I have acne scars. Same here. So please tell me about this toner. Yeah. I'm sorry, like I introduced it. No, yeah, you introduced it because you know the basics, but yeah, I love Solved because they really do care about their ingredients. They infuse a lot of natural ingredients, and they make it really work well for your skin, so you guys know about the coconut cleansing pads. I love them. Same thing with their cleansing foam. It's so luxurious. This toner has 75% coconut water, and they infuse Egyptian hibiscus into the coconut water, and many of you have shared that you're concerned about coconut being put on your skin. Oh, yeah. But I think that now misconception is cleared because it really depends on how it's formulated. Coconut extract and water can be super great for your skin as long as it's formulated to be on your skin, not just putting raw coconut oil on your face. Yeah, so it's totally different, and that's why I stand by the coconut ingredient infused in these products. 75% coconut water, and it's just really great for making your skin very hydrated and also just improving the unevenness of your skin color, and overall just great for anti-aging. And what's unique about this toner also is I love the pH. Oh, 4.5. Yeah, and our skin is naturally 4.5-5.5, so it's very gentle. And I like what's inside. You can see what's inside. This is hibiscus, right? Yes, it is hibiscus, and it's from Egypt. And I talked to Solved, and they told me that they source the hibiscus essence extracts themselves, and they fused it into the coconut water. So they take a very hands-on approach for their formulation. Oh, that's good. I'm also noticing a lot of hibiscus in Korean beauty these days. Like Mamonde has like a whole line of hibiscus. It must be- Yeah, I think it is like a very trending ingredient. I would say so. It's like mugunghwa. Yeah, mugunghwa is the national flower of Korea. See, you taught me something new. I didn't know what the Korean national flower is. Mugunghwa, it's in the national anthem. Oh, I see. Learning something new every day. The next brand we would love to share with you is something called Comleaf. Comleaf, yeah. And it is a brand that we got really intrigued about because it's not like a huge brand where everyone in Korea knows it, but it's an up-and-coming brand that is really focused on sustainable packaging and eco-friendliness. Comleaf. Yeah, that's the Korean way. I'm sure Koreans would say it that way. Yeah, I've never heard of this brand. Yeah, it is new. It is a new, relatively new brand. But again, so many people in the U.S. are so interested in cruelty-free, vegan-friendly formulas, so we are providing this for you guys. And also packaging. Yes, so everything- If you actually see the boxes that it comes in, it's 100% soy ink, and they just use sustainable resources as much as they can. So you're holding the ganjinbal. Yes. And it's- Actually, open it up. It has this natural green color to it. Made completely with natural pigments from herbs and flowers. It smells herbal-y. It is very herbal fragrance. The whole team love this cleansing balm, and it's really lightweight texture, it emulsifies perfectly, so if you're looking for a cruelty-free, natural cleansing balm, this is your guy. And you also said that this is- A lot of people who have oilier skin types prefer this cleansing balm, right? Yep, yep. Definitely. And then another great product for oily skin types. We should go with the water-based cleanser after, though. Oh, yeah, that's right! Don't you know the double cleanse? I was so excited about this one! Wait a minute. What is the double cleanse? I don't know. So let's talk about the Rice Purifying Foam Cleanser. It is a nice pH of 5.5, which is great for sensitive skin, and it also has rice water extract and glycerin. So overall, I had a great experience with the entire double cleanse routine from Kongli. It's approved by Charlotte Cho. You are the double cleansing queen, so I'm curious. Yeah, I know, it was really good. The team especially loved these products overall. And finally, we have the oil blotting papers, and I really like this because when you open it up, they look like green tea bags. Yeah, and it's actually made with green tea powder. 95%. Yeah, green tea powder, which I thought was so interesting, and then hemp pulp. Yes. So we're both dry, and yeah, we're both dry skin types, so we're not a major blotter. But there have been people who have asked for more blotting paper options. I actually like using powders before I film because I don't want to look too dewy. I mean, I'm not oily, but people think that I look oily because of all the moisturizing products I put onto my face. So I usually always have like a blotting paper or a powder. Like I have my powder on the floor right now. Oh, okay. In the packaging. Maybe you should try this out. Let us know what you think. It also smells like green tea. Right? Kind of? Yeah, it does, it does. I actually didn't notice that. I just thought it was really cool that this is 95% green tea powder and the pulp from hemp. Like wow. Oh wow, yeah. It's the product. You can take this home with you so you can use it every time you feel too dewy. Okay, thank you. Too dewy. Is there even such thing? Last but not least, we have sheet masks. So this is the brand Acwell. Acwell in Korean. Yeah, she does the Korean pronunciation very well. And you all know that we love the Licorice pH Bouncing Toner. I love that toner. Do you use it to remove your makeup and tone? Or do you use it to just tone? I don't use it to remove my makeup. It's a cleansing toner, so you can. Oh, like the cleansing water? Yeah, it's like. From Benton. Yeah, that one is like, that one's purely cleansing water from Benton, but the Licorice pH Toner is you can remove makeup and you can tone. It's like multitasking product. I like that. Yeah. But it's like one of my favorite toners because it's so gentle and hydrating at the same time. And it has the licorice extract. Yes. Super brightening for the skin. And then you guys have a mist now. Yeah, the essence mist. So now the sheet mask. And now the sheet mask. So we actually curated a bunch of Acwell sheet masks previously, but then those got discontinued. As you know, in K-Beauty, there's so many like amazing products that get discontinued, but they created new ones. So I tried them out and I loved it. There's so many varieties for your skin. The Purifying Sheet Mask has a cooling effect to it, which is really cool. The Brown Packaging Super Fit Clear Mask. The licorice. Yeah, that has licorice extract in it. And it's black and creamy. So really moisturizing for dry skin types. So yeah, Calming Sheet Mask. It's pink because of the calamine in it. Moisture. And the moisture. Yeah, it has the typical like hydrating ingredients. But a lot of varieties for different skin types. I hope you guys like it. You know, Acwell does really good with their formulation. So I had a great time using these. And more sheet masks and varieties for you guys to enjoy. Yes. So that's the end of the Stokoe Gland Curation video. Thank you so much, Joan, for being part of it. Thank you for having me. I was a bit nervous because I didn't know a lot, but I feel like I learned so much about the products. And you actually taught me a few things too. Hibiscus. Did I? The national flower. No, and Nacific. Like I didn't know the products before they changed their name. Oh yeah, so Natural Pacific is now Nacific. But honestly, I always trust Charlotte's skincare recommendations because I know that she takes a long time to curate things onto the website. So the whole team gets involved. Yeah, I love that. So thank you for having me and teaching me. And if you want to check out Joan's channel, it'll make you want to live and work or stay in Korea forever because she goes to all the best spots. Have a Joan day. All right, see you guys next time. Bye!