Scaly skin sufferers, got one minute to spare? Then say annyeonghaseyo to the sexy “wet” skin sported by just about every K-Drama starlet in Seoul.
It’s incredible how ingenious the Koreans are, really. Tip of my Philip Treacy hat to Lancôme Korea national makeup artist Choi Hee Seon for divulging one of the best beauty hacks ever.
Here’s Choi’s secret: Express DIY masks first thing in the morning. Grab three or four pieces of your finest cotton pads – off-the-counter stuff will do in a pinch, although I’m partial to the poshest courtesy of Clé de Peau Beauté’s Le Coton – and douse them in your go-to toner (or softener or refiner or emulsion, tomato, tomahto).
Sidebar: Choi suggests sticking your skincare in the fridge; this neat storage trick makes them go the extra mile and is especially handy for cooling ruddy complexions.
In any case, when the cotton pads are wet all the way through, slap them on your face – but only on select areas: One across the forehead, one for each side of your cheeks, and one you press into place across your nose bridge. Twiddle your thumbs for one minute, then take the pads off. Pat in any excess and proceed with the rest of your regimen.
Now, there’s method to this madness (and you will look mad with those white cotton sheets mummifying your mien!) Notice how said areas of the face are also the very same spots where most of us tend to get dry, itchy patches?
By bumping up the plumpness of the cheeks with a skin-soothing toner, you’re giving your makeup a highlighting head start. The moisture will also imbue your mien with a subtle inner sheen that’s very intriguing; Choi says this speedy spot treatment is the secret to the beguilingly bare dewiness so coveted in today’s K-Obsessed world.
Well, now you know. Pass this tip on to your beauty buddies, and try it on for yourself, pronto. You can thank me in one minute!