Goutal and Glass Skin

Glass-smooth and slightly dewy.

Six months after surgery, my sense of smell continues to come back in fits and starts.  I’ll go through a day or three of quasi-anosmia, especially with perfume, and then suddenly – the scent is back, or at least most of it.  The episodes of what I’m calling “meat-sweat,” the phantom scent my nose (brain?) sends to annoy me, have diminished.  I can’t smell all of the perfume all of the time, and some of my beloveds are still in the try-again-later pile, but I’m starting to think it might all be okay if I’m patient.

Anyhow, for whatever reason, right now I can really smell my Annick Goutal scents, and it’s a chilly late spring/early summer, so I’ve been wearing a lot of Gardenia Passion (when it’s cooler) and Eau du Sud (when it’s warmer.)  Sud was my gateway drug back in the day when everyone else wore Hadrien, which never quite worked on me.  Eau du Sud is, to me, quintessential vintage AG – a little oddball, pretty but not sweet, sharp and green with its boldly herbaceous citrus.  Makes me smile every time.

Since I don’t trust my nose to give a new scent a fair shake, today’s topic is Korean facial care and the much coveted “glass skin” look (poreless, smooth, radiant, dewy.)  I’m a little late to the K-beauty revolution, but I decided to give it a whirl a few weeks ago (hey, I have to throw my fun money at something!)  And glass skin is a much more achievable goal for me than the omnipresent matte look.  I’m too old and too pale to be piling on Kardashian levels of foundation; I don’t even particularly like that much makeup on young women.  All I can think of when I look at some of the MAC counter SAs is the terrible things all that contour and strobing and whatnot is doing to the skin they’ve spackled over.

You can buy high-end K-beauty lines, but in the Korean skincare game most stuff is cheaper (and more fun!) than its American counterparts.  There’s the 10 steps, including the “seven-skin” method (seven layers of hydrating toner) —and that’s just one step.  I mean, sure, you could drive yourself nuts.  Or you could just do what I did and buy yourself a few products based on a weighted combo of online reviews and cute packaging, and not fret about the details.  Korean product has a lot of gentle botanicals and moisture, and even my sensitive skin has been fine with the new multi-product regimen.

After almost a month, here’s my conclusion:  if you do the Korean double-cleansing / gentle exfoliation / deep hydrating routine even somewhat consistently, your skin’s going to look better, unless your game was already pretty strong.  The routine actually has me getting ready for bed earlier these days, because I have incentive to put on a girly peignoir and get started with all my little pink frosted bottles of serums and emulsions and other goo.  I do see a significant difference, particularly my pores, which are way less visible.  And it’s not like I didn’t wash my face before; it’s just that I wasn’t anywhere near as thorough with the cleansing and hydrating. Considering that I wear zinc sunscreen (a bear to remove), the gentle thoroughness is really paying off.  My skin absolutely glows. Even friends and coworkers have commented on it.  They want to know what that radiant foundation or glow cream is, and it’s pretty cool to be able to tell them, nope, that’s just my skin.

Do any of you have a K-beauty regimen?  Did you notice a difference?  And is House Goutal (or whatever it’s called now) ever going to release another scent worthy of my attention?  We’re overdue for something quirky and pungeant, if you ask me.

  • Austenfan says:

    While I will never have that glass skin that frankly frightens me (I’ve got freckles and am mostly rather pink cheeked naturally), I do love skincare.
    I’m a great Deciem fan, especially the Hylamide and Ordinary brands have become a big part of my skincare routine. Other than that some French pharmacy brands and Paula’s Choice excellent stuff do the rest.

    On the Goutal front: I think Une nuit étoilée is the last one I tried. I’m with HCZERWIEC in wanting another Mon Parfum Chéri par Camille.

    • March says:

      Etoilee I wanted to love and … didn’t. My daughter is a HUGE fan of The Ordinary and I think it’s working great for her. I definitely use Paula’s Choice!

  • Kathleen says:

    I just sampled a Goutal from a decant, Tenue de Soirée. I need to spend more time with it to give review. I think I like it but different.
    I am a skincare fanatic and love products almost as much as fragrance. I’m looking forward to reading comments re K skincare.
    I truly believe good skin care provides healthier and glassier skin.

  • Musette says:

    Patty hooked me on Kskincare awhile back and when I do it regularly I really do see a difference. I use Missa toner and some rub-off exfoliant and then the Tatcha rice enzyme powder and then some other thingamabob and then I use Pai oil (Beautyhabit) and then Weleda Skinfood atop that because Skinfood is LIFE!

    xoxo

  • Jennifer S says:

    Aside from hearing its popular, I need to do some research into products. My skin is sensitive with some cheek redness from rosacea so…don’t want to unbalance the situation but I am intrigued. My daughter could benefit from this regimen as she has very dry skin and would like to see smaller pores so she’s always looking for help. Glass skin I’ll never have but it’s lovely!

  • hczerwiec says:

    I haven’t tried Korean skincare, but it seems like it’s everywhere! I mostly use a combo of Aveda and Drunk Elephant. But yes to a new, funky Goutal! I want another Mon Parfum Cherie par Camille!

  • Mariannetm says:

    I have tried something for my skin that I had never tried before and it really works well, I take a supplement called: Astaxanthin (6 Mg).
    My skin is much more hydrated and my eyes are not dry, not even early in the morning after a night of sleep.
    Even when I forget to put on my daycream my skin is still moisturised.
    I love the look of glass skin!

  • Dina C. says:

    I get ads from Soko Glam almost daily, and I’m overwhelmed by their choices. I’ve tried a nice essence of theirs, but I’m a bit afraid I’ve bought into an Emperor’s New Clothes situation. I’m game to try more though. The gizmo that has helped my skin look more glassy is that little Finishing Touch Flawless hair remover which removes all the fuzz. Everything goes on more smoothly without all that fuzz in the way.

  • Tara C says:

    I am too lazy to be bothered. Just Tatcha powder enzymatic cleaner/exfoliator in the shower and some jojoba oil moisturizer. I have so many other issues that bother me more, like my chicken skin neck, hideous beaky profile and thinning gray hair. 🙁 I spend very little time in front of the mirror.

  • Tanja Zunterer says:

    I use kbeauty since more than a year, and my dark spots and wrinkles have improved a lot. I also started retin A, which also helps. I like some Japanese toners too, try hada labo gokojiun or Kikumasamune high moist!