I'm very grateful to Influenster & Laneige for sending me Laneige's Water Sleeping Mask- however, upon learning that Sephora would now be carrying Laneige products, I instantly went and purchased their Brightening Sparkling Water Foam Cleanser as well!

I'm really quite glad that North America seems to be paying so much attention to Korean beauty products now- their skincare products have always worked wonders for me, and it definitely doesn't hurt that their packaging is always so darn cute! (The only downside to this is how much more expensive it costs here as opposed to Korea, sigh.) For anyone who's quite immersed in Korean pop culture, Laneige is definitely a well-known brand, especially since their spokesperson is the stunningly beautiful Song Hye Kyo! Despite this, I'd never owned any Laneige products as it was quite hard to get hold of in store.



First off- the cleanser. I've always been quite partial to foam cleansers, mainly since they're just so fun to use! I've tried Bliss' Fabulous Foaming Face Wash, and also Lancôme's Clarifying Self-Foaming Cleanser...which was my go-to daily cleanser until my dad accidentally threw away the bottle thinking there was nothing left in it. To clarify (aha!)- it's unique in that the product is all liquid, until you press the pump and foam magically comes out! I'm guessing my dad assumed that the liquid was just watered down soap. Needless to say, I was VERY irritated that day, especially since it cost $39!!! One bottle will last you a very long time though, so I'd recommend checking it out if you just need a simple cleanser. Anyway, I've gone off topic again, oops- back to Laneige! In comparison to Lancôme's, this cleanser dispenses a very thick foam, almost reminiscent of shaving cream. It's meringue-like firmness is quite amusing to press against your face, heh. Also, I love the grapefruit scent. I definitely feel as if my face looks brighter after use? Hopefully it's not just a placebo effect! My skin feels slightly tighter, but I do find that consequently, my skin also feels drier, so I apply toner and a slightly heavier night cream to compensate (I've been using Lancôme's Génefique Repair Crème.)

edit: it's been about two weeks since I first wrote this post, and having used this cleanser almost regularly, I think my skin genuinely has improved. Where the pores on my nose used to be constantly clogged with sebum and whatnot, the skin there is constantly smooth now (which used to only happen after using charcoal masks/nose strips every so often), and the difference is obvious when I apply foundation. My forehead has also been more or less blemish free. I'd say this is a must buy!!



On to the mask. A few of my friends have raved about the product, so I was definitely excited to try it; of course, I also happen to loooove masks! My one concern was that this mask would only focus on rehydrating my skin, whereas I was hoping for a product that would help reduce blemishes overnight. I was surprised the next morning to find that whatever bumps had been on my face the night before had now disappeared, or were barely noticeable! I will say though, for a "water" product, once again, my skin felt slightly parched afterward, so I may have to give this a few more goes just to confirm that. I do really like the consistency and the scent though. Upon application, there is a slight cooling sensation which I really like, and the product itself is very soothing on the face. There are two other products I like that I'm reminded of- Shiseido's Ibuki Softening Concentrate, and also Etude House's Flower Moistfull Cream (which is hands down my favourite summer moisturizer!) As is common in Korean products, both the Laneige mask and the Etude House cream come with a little plastic applicator stick, which I'm sure some will abhor, but I personally don't mind.

All in all, I'm pretty pleased with both these products, and I'm looking forward to discovering more from this and other Laneige lines now that they're all so readily available from Sephora! :)