My Top 5 Peach & Lily K-Beauty Awards Picks
If you're a fellow K-beauty enthusiast, you've probably heard of Peach & Lily. They're an NYC based e-retailer that sells all sorts of Korean beauty products (you can also find them on Youtube and Instagram.) Over the past few years, they've also started developing their own products and even have a collaboration with CVS. If you've ever noticed sheet masks and hand creams and other colorful Korean products in a cute display at your local store, you can thank Peach & Lily!
For the first time ever, they're hosting their own K-beauty award series! Of course, when they reached out and asked if I would like to test out the line-up and share my top 5, I said yes! When I got a list of their top winners, I easily knew which ones would be my top 5 because I had already purchased and loved them in the past. In fact, some of them have been featured in various blog posts 😉
Total disclosure: this post is not sponsored but they did send me all 17 of their winners to try out. If you'd like to win all 17 yourself, head on over to my IG to see how!
I'm on my third bottle of this stuff (and now have a fourth as my backup thanks to Peach & Lily) and I'm still in love. I've honestly talked about it so much I don't think I have anything new to say. It's lightweight, hydrating, and smells amaze. It does have a small amount of alcohol in it but I don't find it to be drying or irritating.
I reviewed it in a blog post along with the sk-ii essence, raved about it it in my sephora VIB sale haul post, featured it in my 2016 beauty favorites, and most recently chatted about it in an empties post last year.
Is it possible to reach a point of sheet mask oversaturation? If so, I think I've reached it. These days I need to be motivated to sheet mask. The fit and ingredient list on these properly motivate me to sheet mask!
The masks are generously drenched in essence and lie nicely on my skin. AND the excess essence doesn't burn my eyes. I can comfortably wear the masks for 20 minutes and they'll still be damp when I peel them off. Both of them inject a kick of hydration to my skin. While I enjoy all three, my favorite of the bunch is the good day drench + nourish mask (the blue one.) It has centella asiatica and is fantastic when I'm breaking out. When I apply it at night, I wake up the next morning with reduced pimples and overall smoother skin.
For a higher-end sheet mask, they're also priced quite reasonably! $5 is not bad at all; it's the same price you would pay to buy some crappy paper sheet mask from Target that refuses to lie flat on your nose and burns your skin after 5 minutes (I speak from experience. I've been literally burned.)
Pimple patches are magic. There's no other way to explain it. If you've never used a pimple patch before, it's basically a small clear sticker (or rather a hydrocolloid bandage if you want to get technical.) You apply it over a pimple and it helps it heal faster. The trick to using these is applying them to pimples that have already come to a head, or are almost coming to a head. They won't do anything for a pimple that's deepseated under the skin, at least they don't for me.
They're also fantastic for open wounds/ picked at pimples. I have a terrible habit of scratching my face. If I feel some sort of texture on my face, it has to be scratched. And if there's a visibile whitehead, it has to be popped. It's a horrible habit that I have yet to conquer. Anyways, after I do inevitably scratch my face or pop my pimple, I always slap on one of these pimple pads. It makes things heal so much more quickly! Sometimes I'll also slap one one before I pick at a pimple
I've tried a few pimple patch brands at this point and have yet to actively dislike any of them. But I will say the Peach Slices and the Cosrx ones are the best of the bunch! They're both thin enough to appear invisible on the skin but also thick enough that they lie flat and don't bunch up on themselves. I've tried a few brands that are thinner and while in concept it sounds nice, they don't lie flat for me. And since they don't lie flat, they don't fully protect the open wound/ pimple, and they aren't as effective.
My favorite thing about these are how easily accessible they are. Have you ever run out of pimple patches and then freak out because Aunt Flo has stopped by for her monthly visit bringing along a whole host of zits? I know I have. But now instead of waiting for an online order to restock, I can drive on over to CVS and pick some up right away (thanks to the Peach & Lily collab I mentioned at the start of the post.)
For the first time ever, they're hosting their own K-beauty award series! Of course, when they reached out and asked if I would like to test out the line-up and share my top 5, I said yes! When I got a list of their top winners, I easily knew which ones would be my top 5 because I had already purchased and loved them in the past. In fact, some of them have been featured in various blog posts 😉
Total disclosure: this post is not sponsored but they did send me all 17 of their winners to try out. If you'd like to win all 17 yourself, head on over to my IG to see how!
1. May Coop Raw Sauce
$43.00 via Peach & LilyI'm on my third bottle of this stuff (and now have a fourth as my backup thanks to Peach & Lily) and I'm still in love. I've honestly talked about it so much I don't think I have anything new to say. It's lightweight, hydrating, and smells amaze. It does have a small amount of alcohol in it but I don't find it to be drying or irritating.
I reviewed it in a blog post along with the sk-ii essence, raved about it it in my sephora VIB sale haul post, featured it in my 2016 beauty favorites, and most recently chatted about it in an empties post last year.
2. Peach & Lily Sheet Mask Set
$15.00 via Peach & LilyIs it possible to reach a point of sheet mask oversaturation? If so, I think I've reached it. These days I need to be motivated to sheet mask. The fit and ingredient list on these properly motivate me to sheet mask!
The masks are generously drenched in essence and lie nicely on my skin. AND the excess essence doesn't burn my eyes. I can comfortably wear the masks for 20 minutes and they'll still be damp when I peel them off. Both of them inject a kick of hydration to my skin. While I enjoy all three, my favorite of the bunch is the good day drench + nourish mask (the blue one.) It has centella asiatica and is fantastic when I'm breaking out. When I apply it at night, I wake up the next morning with reduced pimples and overall smoother skin.
For a higher-end sheet mask, they're also priced quite reasonably! $5 is not bad at all; it's the same price you would pay to buy some crappy paper sheet mask from Target that refuses to lie flat on your nose and burns your skin after 5 minutes (I speak from experience. I've been literally burned.)
3. Shangpree Gold Black Pearl Hydrogel Eye Mask
As serious as I am about my skincare, I'm admittedly lazy with eye care. I only started regularly wearing an eye cream last fall and that's about as far as my eye care routine goes most days. My eyes are quite sensitive and easily irritated so I'm not too keen on trying too many eye care products. Most of the under eye masks that I've tried have been a fail. If I get them too close to my eyes, they burn but if they're too far away they do jack sh*t. But I did buy these hydrogel eye masks on a whim at the Peach & Lily sample sale two summers ago and they were a win!
Most importantly, they don't burn my eyes. They've also achieved peak saturation. They're saturated to deliver results, but not so much that it drips serum down my face. The material is also sturdy enough that you can move them around and readjust them without fear of ripping them. I don't use them regularly but rather save them for days when I wake up from swollen/ puffy eyes. After slapping on these under eye masks for 20 minutes, my eyes are back to normal.
The only thing I'm not sure about is the shape. They're a bit big on my face but then again I have small eyes. It's not a deal breaker, if anything it's a perk. Ya get more mask for your money!
When I first opened these I was concerned about their 3 month shelf life but I've been using mine for 5 months with no issues. The top has a click on lid that helps lock in the moisture! (And it comes with a spatula #spatulaappreciation.) Of course, if you're going to go past the intended shelf life of a product, it's always best to be cautious.
Random but part of the reason I was so interested in these eye masks in the first place is because of the brand! They're a super duper fancy, top of the line spa in Korea that employs some of the best aestheticians in the business. As stated on the Peach & Lily brand page, "even an esthetician with 20+ hands-on experience is required to train the Shangpree-way for 3 years before being able to provide client services." To me, that's a commitment to quality. It's a breathe of fresh air in a beauty market dominated by brands focusing on making a quick buck.
Most importantly, they don't burn my eyes. They've also achieved peak saturation. They're saturated to deliver results, but not so much that it drips serum down my face. The material is also sturdy enough that you can move them around and readjust them without fear of ripping them. I don't use them regularly but rather save them for days when I wake up from swollen/ puffy eyes. After slapping on these under eye masks for 20 minutes, my eyes are back to normal.
The only thing I'm not sure about is the shape. They're a bit big on my face but then again I have small eyes. It's not a deal breaker, if anything it's a perk. Ya get more mask for your money!
When I first opened these I was concerned about their 3 month shelf life but I've been using mine for 5 months with no issues. The top has a click on lid that helps lock in the moisture! (And it comes with a spatula #spatulaappreciation.) Of course, if you're going to go past the intended shelf life of a product, it's always best to be cautious.
Random but part of the reason I was so interested in these eye masks in the first place is because of the brand! They're a super duper fancy, top of the line spa in Korea that employs some of the best aestheticians in the business. As stated on the Peach & Lily brand page, "even an esthetician with 20+ hands-on experience is required to train the Shangpree-way for 3 years before being able to provide client services." To me, that's a commitment to quality. It's a breathe of fresh air in a beauty market dominated by brands focusing on making a quick buck.
4. Peach Slices Acne Spot Dots
$4.49 via Peach & LilyPimple patches are magic. There's no other way to explain it. If you've never used a pimple patch before, it's basically a small clear sticker (or rather a hydrocolloid bandage if you want to get technical.) You apply it over a pimple and it helps it heal faster. The trick to using these is applying them to pimples that have already come to a head, or are almost coming to a head. They won't do anything for a pimple that's deepseated under the skin, at least they don't for me.
They're also fantastic for open wounds/ picked at pimples. I have a terrible habit of scratching my face. If I feel some sort of texture on my face, it has to be scratched. And if there's a visibile whitehead, it has to be popped. It's a horrible habit that I have yet to conquer. Anyways, after I do inevitably scratch my face or pop my pimple, I always slap on one of these pimple pads. It makes things heal so much more quickly! Sometimes I'll also slap one one before I pick at a pimple
I've tried a few pimple patch brands at this point and have yet to actively dislike any of them. But I will say the Peach Slices and the Cosrx ones are the best of the bunch! They're both thin enough to appear invisible on the skin but also thick enough that they lie flat and don't bunch up on themselves. I've tried a few brands that are thinner and while in concept it sounds nice, they don't lie flat for me. And since they don't lie flat, they don't fully protect the open wound/ pimple, and they aren't as effective.
My favorite thing about these are how easily accessible they are. Have you ever run out of pimple patches and then freak out because Aunt Flo has stopped by for her monthly visit bringing along a whole host of zits? I know I have. But now instead of waiting for an online order to restock, I can drive on over to CVS and pick some up right away (thanks to the Peach & Lily collab I mentioned at the start of the post.)
5. Olivarrier Squalane Oil
YOU ALREADY KNOW.
And if you don't, that's okay as well 😂 2017 was the year of squalane oil for me. And this was the oil that started it all! It's lightweight and instantly sinks into my skin. It doesn't make me greasy which is the number 1 issue I had with oils in the past. It also smells like nothing! And it's completely clear.
I dedicated an entire blog post to squalane oils last summer, and spoiler: my favorite of the ones I tried is this Olivarrier one. In the post I also went into all the various benefits of squalane-- and there are a lot. It's a great moisturizer, it's stable with a decent shelf life, it's non-comedogenic, and can help control excess sebum production. It works for all skin types too-- oily, combo, dehydrated, dry, acne prone, mature, etc.
If you don't normaly like oils, I urge you to give squalane a try because it's the bomb dot com!
What are your favorites from the awards? Or what product do you want to try the most from the line-up?
If you don't normaly like oils, I urge you to give squalane a try because it's the bomb dot com!
Rest of the Gang
So those were my own top 5 picks from Peach & Lily's first K-beauty awards but if you want to see the rest of the winners, you can find them here! And if you want to win all 17 winners, check out my IG! I'll be pinning the rules of the giveaway to the highlight section of my profile.What are your favorites from the awards? Or what product do you want to try the most from the line-up?
If you'd like to keep up with my posts, follow along on bloglovin' | instagram | pinterest | twitter
