Ophelia de Vere

There’s nothing minimalist about a Korean beauty routine. To chase Glass Skin, the kind of immaculate, dew-drenched complexion Instagram filters fantasize about, you need commitment, counter space, and the spiritual stamina of a marathon monk. Still, in a moment of equal parts curiosity and vanity, I decided to try it.  Full immersion.  No shortcuts.  No mercy. A quick Google search launches me into a universe that feels half-laboratory, half-fairy tale. Snail mucin? Check. Bird’s nest extract? Apparently, yes. Mysterious “finger balls” for extracting blackheads? Tragically, also yes. If Western skincare is a tidy cocktail bar, K-Beauty is the apothecary of a mischievous wizard. What unites these potions is the philosophy of layering —the idea that your face is a sponge and only becomes truly happy when swaddled in a dozen watery, silky, gel-like fluids, each promising clarity, bounce, and angelic radiance. Five steps, seven, ten, twelve… the numbers vary, but the messa...