Sokoglam | Re:p | Hanskin | Mini-Haul Review & Mini-story on how I met Charlotte Cho

Growing up, I have always been fascinated with Korean skincare. Of course, K-drama plays a huge part in how I started learning more about the Korean culture. And I remember binge watching Full House (no shame), the main actress, Song Hye Kyo, has the most gorgeous skin ever. Her skin appeared very smooth with no texture, pearl-like complexion, and super moisturized with no fine lines! 'Till this day, she looks like she hasn't aged at all! Like seriously, what is her skincare secret? 

Recently, I had the chance to meet Charlotte Cho, the co-founder of Sokoglam. She hosted a meet & greet / book signing at her mini-pop up shop at Bloomingdale - Soho, New York. Oh my god, I am not even exaggerating when I say, she's the most sweetest and down-to-earth person ever. I waited about half an hour on the line and when it was finally my turn, Charlotte greeted me with a warm smile and hugged me. I took out my book and I told her my name was Mango (not my real name), and she giggled and said, "Mango? That's a first time." I wanted to talk to her a little longer but I didn't want to hold up the line so I gave her another hug and I dashed off to purchase a few items. 

My mini-haul from Sokoglam: 

R e : p. Organic Cotton Treatment. Toning P a d. 

H a n s k i n. Bio-orgin. 3-6-9 o i l. 

Featuring Charlotte's book, The Little Book of Skin care: Korean Beauty Secrets for Healthy, Glowing Skin

I found Sokoglam by chance while I was searching for a good toner--- and I remember clearly, Son & Park Beauty Water - Sokoglam popped up as the 2nd link. From then on, I have followed Sokoglam's blog, the Klog, gaining more insights on the Korean skincare world. Which by the way, I purchased Son & Park Beauty Water at Sephora and I am on my 2nd bottle now! 

For the LONGEST time, I have been eyeing Re:p Organic Cotton Treatment Toning Pad. Every single time I try to order it on Sokoglam, it's sold out. Right at this moment as I am typing this, it's still sold out. 

See! I told you! I've read great reviews on this and the idea of an exfoliating/toner all in one pad just triggers my spending habit. But what really got me wanting this is the fact that it's ORGANIC COTTON. I immediately knew I must have it in my skincare collection. So when I saw this at the pop-up store, I did not second guess at all and immediately dropped it in my basket.

I love the simplicity design of the box. The criss-cross of the pads are displayed all over the box in black and white scheme. While the jar is not fully transparent at all. I don't know, something about black and white just captivates my attention. Perhaps it's because I mostly wear all black clothes on a daily basis. My closet is 90% black clothes and trying to find that exact one piece of black clothing is annoying. 

INGREDIENTS: Camomile, Lavender, and Calendula. All three flowers are soothing to the skin, heals the skin, and nourishes it. I am aware that lavender may trigger some sensitivity, however, this one did NOT irritate my sensitive/combo skin. Not a lot of skincare products in the market has Calendula--- it's an antiviral herbs (protect your skin from environmental stressors), has a lot of flavonoid antioxidants, and heals your skin. 

The smell is addicting because of the floral aroma. It's weird at the same time because I can't exactly distinguish what smell I am smelling--- it's just a mixture of a little of everything. 

There are a total of 90 pads and there's an expiration date in the back of the box. 

FINAL THOUGHT ON THE PRODUCT: I use it exactly the same way the direction has written: use it twice a day, daily. I have only used this for three days, so I can't really say I have seen a major difference in my skin. However, whenever I use this in the morning (after my cleanser and before my sunscreen), my makeup glides on so much easier and I just feel like my sunscreen/oil/serum/moisturizer absorbs so much more effectively! It gives my skin such a nice refreshing feeling. Also, this cotton pad have a PH level of 5 so it's not stripping your skin at all!
Cruelty-free and Vegan as well!

Rating: 10/10

As you already know, I love a good facial oil. My combination skin soaks up all of the oil and delivers a glowy skin by the next day. P.S: Oily skin doesn't produce as much wrinkles as dry skin does. So love your natural sebum, ladies and gentleman! Hanskin Bio Origin has Omega 3, 6, and 9 to help hydrate, heal your acne scars, anti-inflammatory, promote cell-growth.

I can't read Korean so I have no idea what the first pic says. The main ingredient in this is sunflower seed oil, which is labeled to be 63.77% active. For those who are not aware, sunflower seed oil is rich in fatty acid and antioxidants. A lot of people who are oily skin type seem to afraid of the word "oil" because oil + oily skin = more oil. Mathematically, it sounds correct. THIS IS A MYTH NOT A FACT. Oil actually helps to balance your skin's natural oil, and to be honest, when you over-strip the natural oil, that's when your skin produces more oil.

This oil smells like the vegetable oil I uses at home. It's not a bad smell, it simply reminds me of it. I spy with my own little eyes, Squalane. It's the 3rd ingredient which makes me extremely happy. It's used in almost every single cosmetic products because it's a highly-effective emollient (super hydrating) ! Squalane is great for acne-prone skin and oily skin because it's light-weight and replaces 10%-12% of your skin's oil.

FINAL THOUGHT ON THIS PRODUCT:  The perfect oil for the Summer time because it's light-weight  (more watery than most facial oils) and absorbs extremely fast. I am able to use this with my foundation without it feeling heavy during this humid weather. I hate that it's expensive but a little does go a long way.

 For every purchase of $50+, you'll receive a bag. And... the total cost of these two items came out to be $113 (after tax). The oil cost the most ($63) but I don't regret purchasing it at all. Originally, I was going to pick up a few sheet masks and leave--- the plan turned out to be a fail.
Rating: 10/10

I really hope Sokoglam will have a permanent store soon. For now, the mini-pop up store will be up until the end of July! So go check it out while you're in the area!

I know this post was longer than my usual reviews, so if you made it to the end, thank you for reading!