New Korean skin care always excites me, especially when my skin is feeling a little tired or worn out from the stress of final year and all that it comes with. Something different in my routine makes me remember to take time out for myself and take care of things I’ve probably been neglecting. Like my face. Oops.

Recently, I’ve been trialling the “NoTS 28 Remedy  Perfect Solution 4 Set*“, courtesy of the team at the Korean beauty online store Q-depot, to see what it could do for my stressed-out final-year skin. It’s been a pleasant change in my evening routine, no aggravation, irritation or anything untoward, which is always a bonus when I switch out and swap things – though I do tend to find my skin reacts an awful lot less to Korean skincare and beauty products.

NoTS 28 Remedy Balancing Toner* c/o Q-depot

Toners are probably one of those products that I didn’t realise my skin needed until a very nice girl in Laneige sat me down and told me just why I did. They help balance the ph levels of your face and to remove some of the environmental toxins in everyday life, giving your skin an overall more healthy appearance.

The NoTS Balancing Toner* claims to calm and clarify oily, acneic skin, although it is recommended for any skin type to help balance the natural facial oils. It also “deeply hydrates and nourishes, improves skin complexion, lessens wrinkle formation and heals acne spots and pigmentation” and was featured on the Korean cosmetic surgery show ‘Let Me In’ due to the improvement seen upon regular use.

Bold claims and high endorsement there. NoTS is a high-end Korean beauty brand, so ingredients like Adenosine and Niacinamide (vitamin B3) don’t surprise me, they’re some of the best on the market for skincare, and ‘Let Me In’ was a wildly popular series in South Korea and I’ve cited many an episode for my dissertation.

NoTS 28 Remedy Intesive Serum* c/o Q-depot

Serums are starting to creep into beauty regimes more and more often now, I think. I’ve had some that really did nothing for my skin at all, other broke it out and that’s just the worst. The NoTS 28 Remedy Intensive Serum* claims a “rejuvenation effect to the damaged face”, giving intense care to sensitive skin especially. It leaves the face looking healthy and radiant by strengthening the skin with elasticity and firmness. Bonus points because it included a patented ingredient, and I have no idea what it is. It also contains 10Times HF Complex, which I also have no idea really what that is.

so what are they like?

I added the Balancing Toner* and Intensive Serum* to my evening skincare regime: the toner used after cleansing and with one pump for the entire face, and the serum half a pump also to the entire face. I prefer application with the fingertips for both, as it distributes the product better in my opinion, and means that I’m not scratching at my skin with a cotton pad…. if I had a cotton pad. That’s the alternative. Although I wouldn’t recommend applying serums with a cotton pad at all.

After application of both my skin definitely felt plumper almost immediately. My skin hasn’t felt particularly dehydrated recently, but any extra hydration is very much welcomed, and the NoTS products certainly provided that. The toner feels incredibly refreshing on the skin, and the serum is very intensive.

I don’t feel qualified to comment on wrinkle reduction, but I have had some pigmentation, discolouration and a couple of stubborn acne scars that have definitely been cleared up using both of these products daily. Upon waking up my skin would appear to be more elastic, and I definitely reduced the amount of moisturiser I applied in the morning.

Problem skin hasn’t really been that much of issue for me for since I changed up my diet in January of last year, but sometimes it does get a bit oily in the t-zone and I have found that this duo has sorted that out quite nicely. Expensive skincare, yo.

All in all, if you’re in the market for some high-end Korean beauty brands to try, NoTS is one I’d recommend. And if you’re just in the market for some online shops that sell Korean beauty or Korean makeup at their Korean retail prices, Q-depot is a place you need to have on your list or in your bookmarks.

I also think I’m going to do a comparison of the NoTS toner to the IASO toner since they’re both high-end brands, so stay tuned for that.

What do you think of these? Do you think expensive or high-end skin care is worth the price tag? Let me know~

[NoTS acne pore deep cleanse & repair cream review]

♥

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