• Interview with Innisfree, the No. #1 beauty brand in Korea, for their European launch

    Interview with Innisfree, the No. #1 beauty brand in Korea, for their European launch

    Written by Yasmine by Elva Ahlbin

    One of the most popular skincare brands has arrived in Europe. The brand was the first natural beauty brand from Korea and has one of the largest followings in Asia, with multiple stores for skincare and beauty enthusiasts to the everyday women and men who simply want great skincare for an affordable price.

    My own experience with the brand started during my time living in Hong Kong, I noticed stores named Innisfree in almost every corner decorated with nature inspirations - always packed with people of all ages.

    I never went into the store until my last day at the airport going home to Europe. I thought it’s now or never, and I purchased the Green Tea Seed moisturizer at the Tax Free. I clearly remember trying the moisturizer on the airplane (since it was a 9 hour flight, hydration is key) - the refreshing scent of green tea, the soft texture, long lasting hydration. This was the start of my Korean skincare enthusiasm and I never looked at skincare the same.

    To my surprise and sadness, getting off the plane back in Europe, Innisfree was nowhere to be found. Not in the U.K, France, Germany absolutely nowhere (not officially anyway) - the time I stepped my foot off that airplane the possibility of a refill of my newly found lovely cream was gone. Until now. Innisfree has finally launched at Sephora in Europe.

    The brand story is fascinating. Innisfree was created by Hu Shu, whose mother used to make her own skincare at home with natural ingredients from Korea. With fascination, Hu Shu created a brand which is unique in the world. Why, you may ask? A minimum of 80% of its ingredients are natural and come from one place, Jeju Island. Located off the coast of South Korea, the island was formed by repeated volcanic eruptions. At the pristine Jeju, they discovered 12 ingredients from the island’s land, sea, and water that are the baseline of the product lines.

    Having the opportunity to talk to Innisfree representatives is almost like talking to Serena Williams' trainer about Tennis. So, for the European launch, let’s talk about skincare with the forefront of not only Korean beauty but skincare as a whole.

    Welcome to Europe, it has been a long wait!

    - Yes, we are super excited. It has been a long time! We have been preparing and preparing, on how to implement the brand and to see how Europe will react. Our plan was to launch during last year with Sephora, but we all know what happend. So we waited one more year, just to make sure Europe was ready for Innisfree!

    If I am new to the brand, what product is the first go-to?

    - The products to try if you are new to the brand is the star product Green Tea Seed serum, it's our best-seller. It boosts your skin with hydration the second you apply it. It works for every skin type as well - oily, combination and dry skin.

    Listening to Anne-Lise and Nadin, the representatives talking about the brand  - I couldn’t agree more, the serum is a great start to get introduced to the brand, since it works for all skin types. Personally, I would also have you try one of their face masks as well - that have one for each skin type to fit you, which are all popular.

    What’s your own favorite Innisfree product?

    Anne-Lise: My favorite product is the green tea moisturiser, since I have dry skin, and I am sensitive. I love to apply the cream at night and it's definitely my best product. The scent is amazing, a light scent of green tea and since I love matcha, it works perfectly.

    Nadin: I also prefer the Green Tea line, I usually apply it on a daily basis but I also love the Green Tea Serum and the Green Tea night mask which I use at night when I am dry.

    Working with a korean brand that are in the forefront, tell me about a skincare hack you have learned from Korea?

    N: So, they love to apply toner in layers. Before and after serum.
    Applying serum before toner, gives you that extra hydration boost and intensifies the hydration. As we instead in Europe are used to applying a toner before serum as an extra cleansing step to remove extensions of make up. They simply use it as a hydration tool. The Green Tea Toner would be the example, using first the Green Tea Serum followed by 3-4 layers of toner. Try it!

    Regarding the Green Tea Seed line, I heard you grow your own Green Tea? How does that work?

    - The Green Tea Seed is at the very center of the brand. We grow our own Green Tea at Jeju Island, and is also actually the third largest producer of Green Tea in the world. The island with its clear fresh air and the right climate is perfect to grow green tea. It’s nourished for 3 years from the soil in the territory of Seo-Gwang Tea Field that was created by Innisfree on the ashes of the volcano.


    Regarding the Volcano line, which includes one of the most popular skincare products in Korean Beauty, the Super Volcano Mask, tell me a bit more about using real volcano leftovers from Jeju Island?

    N: The Juji Island is created on volcanoes. Innisfree's Volcanic Line products use volcanic ash, which is one form of ejecta. And we use those ingredients to create our Volcano products with clusters that remove sebum clogging the pores on the inside as well as dead skin on the outside. Important to say is that volcanic ash can only be collected in certain permitted areas.

    So after our conversation, I had to try the new Super Volcanic Clay Mousse Mask 2X, learning that their ingredients are from the island. However, I was a bit nervous about using it since I have sensitive skin. But it worked, I woke up a bit red on my cheeks but my skin was glowing. It is very purifying formulated with Jeju Volcanic Clusters & Spheres™, which helps remove excess oil and cleanse the pores. The texture of the clay mousse is incredible, it's almost therapeutic applying it over your face.

    I know Koreans are careful around their eyes, what do you think of eye care? What’s the difference in eye care between when you are 25 years old, and when you are 45 years old?

    A: I would say that when you are in your late twenties, use more hydrating eye care, and at 45 years old use richer products that help both with hydration and nourishment. For example Green Tea Seed eye roller is nice since it massages your skin when you apply it - and you feel energized. Compared to the Cherry Blossom cream that has very rich ingredients that’s good for the more mature skin.

    What do you think differs Innisfree from other skincare brands?
    -
    A: It’s not because of the origin being a korean brand. It’s because of the ingredients, and the technology behind it. With all ingredients coming from Jeju island. And every product has a minimum of 80% natural ingredients coming from the same place.

    N: Not all brands have the opportunity to grow their own ingredients in their own farms. So that’s something we are really proud of, being so close to the farmers and producers on the island making sure everything is produced well.

    Have you noticed anything prior to your launch in Europe?

    A: Only four years ago, korean beauty was still a small market in Europe, but today I think it’s the perfect timing for the launch in Europe.

    N: We see the korean hype and how korean beauty is being more accessible and wanted in Europe with all social media. Personally I think Koreans have an immense knowledge and beauty secrets, which I personally want to learn all about. They are definitely the leading. It’s just growing and growing.

    How many products are launching at Sephora?

    A: 24 products will launch at Sephora. From the Green Tea Seed line, Cherry Blossom, 4 different sheet masks, as well as the Volcano and Baja line which is created for sensitive skin and acne-pro skin.


    After an influential talk with the two representatives, we ended up discussing some upcoming secrets of the future of Innisfree that I can’t tell you - but are very excited about.

    My next step in my Innisfree journey is to get my hands on their eye creams they talked about well, as well as their new Soybean sheet masks, which have a three step function for extra hydration. Not to mention, I am definitely trying the new skincare secret - applying my toner after the serum. Once again, you learn that Korean skincare is already in the future. I am heading straight to the Sephora online store, to purchase, it may be a review on those as well!

  • Can we protect our skin from blue-light? If so, how?

    Written by Yasmine by Fashion Tales

    Picture credits
    photography Linda Andersson
    hair and makeup Annie Ankervik
    model Clara Hjerpe


    What's blue-light?

    Blue-light is the light that comes from our computers, smartphones, and TV screens. It’s a light most of us look at for hours each day. Not to mention, during the pandemic - my screen time at least, has gotten doubled - working from home with countless zoom meetings (and TV-series marathons).
    Blue-light is not only the light that comes from our screens but is in the simplicity - a wave-length of the light spectrum that is longer compared to others. Which is why it penetrates the skin deeper than other lights in the same spectrum. With the increased exposure to blue-light, not only our eyes and sleep can get affected but our skin. Not to mention in a research study they saw that compared to UVB, the blue-violet light induced significantly more hyperpigmentation that lasted up to 3 months.

    Furthermore, It has shown that 8 hours of screen time can be compared to 20 minutes of sun exposure. Which perhaps doesn't sound much, but as our face is closer to the source of light, it becomes more exposed.
    d help us reduce the blue-light exposure.

    A research paper from 2010 by the Department of Dermatology, Multicultural Dermatology Center, Henry Ford Hospital - scientifically showed that the more melanin you have in the skin, the more sensitive you are to blue-light and UV. Results showed that you could see pigmentation in the more melanin-rich skin than the lighter by UV light. So it’s not only lighter skin that has to use blue-light protection. Unfortunately, lighter skin types have often been the target market for sunscreen protection. However, that is changing rapidly with more awareness and focus on tinted mineral sunscreens and transparent sunscreens that don’t leave a light cast on the skin.

    Following the information regarding that various wavelengths have different effects on skin pigmentation (2013), the study explains that using sunscreens against the entire visible light spectrum is almost impossible day to day. The results tell that though it’s difficult to protect from the shorter wavelengths it could be helpful to protect from those with the possibility for higher pigmentation - which suggests it’s better to protect our skin from the wavelengths we can - than not at all.


    So how are we actually going to protect our skin?

    It’s shown that ingredients such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide can protect against blue-light damage, as they reflect light from our skin. Not to mention Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a good option to help pigmentation that can occur as a result of blue-light.

    In addition, in an article from 2020, it is proved that tinted sunscreens can be a good choice for blue-light protection since it creates a visible layer of sunscreen instead of a white-cast. It demonstrated that tinted sunscreens that tinted sunscreens reduced transmittance of visible light more effectively than untinted sunscreens containing titanium dioxide or zinc oxide alone. Since the tinted sunscreen creates a visible protective layer, instead of using sunscreen that later goes into your skin. Results further showed that it didn’t matter what shade the product was. All shades had the same protection.

    Last, always apply an antioxidant-loaded broad-spectrum sunscreen to keep skin shielded. It has been pretty challenging finding products that protect against blue-light - and after immense testing of products, the research continues to find ways that protect from blue-light. Here are the favorite products found so far:


    By Wishtrend Pure Vitamin C 21.5 Advanced Serum
    Vitamin C is said to neutralize reactive oxygen (free radicals) before they are created in our skin. Not to mention, Vitamin C helps with pigmentation, which can occur after being exposed to UVB/UVA lighting as well as blue-light. For that reason, adding Vitamin C to your skincare routine can help both neutralize free radicals and fade the appearance of pigmentation. By Whisttrends Pure Serum is highly concentrated Vitamin C drops. The serum does what a vitamin c serum is supposed to do, and makes your skin appear more luster and assist with pigmentation. It’s simply one of the best Vitamin C serums. However, if you are sensitive make sure you blend it with a toner or cream the first 2-3 times.

    Coola Full Spectrum 360 Sun Silk Drops Organic Face Sunscreen SPF 30
    Coola, is the new cool brand with focus on blue-light and sunscreen protection. The brand creates organic and vegan mineral sunscreens for UVA/UVB but also blue light. One of these products is the Sun Silk Drops. It has an oil-free formula that forms a transparent shield. The transparency makes it work for all skin tones. while it’s a mineral sunscreen, it doesn't leave a white cast. It’s made with 70% certified organic ingredients and a plant-derived Full Spectrum 360°, especially used by Coola that helps counter the effects of HEV light, infrared, blue light, and pollution. The only down part is that it ends too quickly for the price point- since you have to reapply your sunscreen during the day for the best protection.

    Paula’s Choice CALM Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30
    The CALM Mineral Sunscreen is a lightweight sunscreen with a broad spectrum.
    Enriched with antioxidants and minerals to reduce inflammation and improve barrier function. It’s a mineral sunscreen, with apricot kernel oil that helps to strengthen the skin and as well as fight the signs of aging. It’s a good choice if you have dry skin since it’s a bit thicker in consistency. However, since it’s a mineral sunscreen - it gives a slight white cast, that takes a few minutes to disappear - and works into your skin. So, if you have a darker skin tone, it can be good to for example mix a little with your daily cream or I would recommend going for the Sun Silk Drops or tinted sunscreen with blue-light protection.

    Supergoop! PLAY Everyday Lotion SPF 50
    The Supergoop! is the sunscreen brand that has conquered the social sphere and become one of the most talked about sunscreens. Most importantly, finally available in Europe, through Cult beauty. They have a wide range of sunscreens for the face + body, in both chemical and mineral sunscreen to fit your skin type. One of the best-sellers is the PLAY SPF 50, which is a hydrating, fast-absorbing formula that protects from UVA, UVB, and IRA rays, while also said to prevent photoaging and dehydration. It’s additionally formulated to be water- and sweat-resistant for 80 minutes, which means we can wear it when we want to sport outside and still protect our skin. It’s also a great sunscreen to have under make-up and for that glowy no-makeup look.

    ILIAs Super Serum Skin Tint SPF
    Ilia is a sustainable beauty brand that took the beauty industry by storm a few years ago. But it hasn't got the recognition it deserves, at least here in the Scandinavian region. But I can almost be sure that this product can help change that. Their Super Serum Skin Tint is not only a great light foundation - it contains both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to protect against blue-light with SPF 30. You apply it easily with your hands as the last step in your routine or you can use a foundation brush and leave your skin looking fresh and naturally covered. This product, I would say, is perfect for all skin tones since it comes in a wide range of shades. With that said, ILIA is a great option to protect against blue-light for darker skin tones.

    CHPO Blue Light Glasses
    Last but not least, after the article research regarding how our eyes can be affected by hours of blue light exposure, that results in interference with our sleep. We see the rise in blue-block glasses from various eyewear brands, one of these glasses are the stylish Blue Block glasses from the Swedish brand CHPO, which come in different designs and different colors from transparent to brown. Not to mention, they are from 100% recycled plastic.


    With all of this information, I however still wonder, if we ever could truly protect our skin from blue-light and exposure except decreasing our screentime? If you have an answer for the blue-light problem - do let me know.

    References

    Can Light Emitted from Smartphone Screens and Taking Selfies Cause Premature Aging and Wrinkles? 

    Blue-Violet light  irradiation

    Impact of Long-Wavelength UVA and Visible Light on Melanocompetent Skin

    Ultraviolet radiation and visible light both have biologic effects on the skin.

    The growing incidence of photo damaging effects caused by UV radiation

  • photography Mattias Edwall
    fashion Jahwanna Berglund
    makeup Johanna Norlander
    hair Khaddy Gassama / Swedish Hair Mafia

     

    total look Chanel
    earrings Cartier

    Hedda Stiernstedt

    Written by Valeria Bartocci by Sandra Myhrberg

    Hedda Stiernstedt is more than an actor, she is a star! She acts from the heart and that is something we as watchers can strongly feel. With her successful tv show ”Vår tid är nu '' Hedda is in a place she fantasied about many days of her early career.

    Hedda has since she can remember wanted to be an actor but not always did she know if acting wanted her. It took her time, travel, and courage to see that her dream could be real. When she and acting finally found each other she knew she had found her heart and soul perfectly matching, finally, she was home.

    Who is your big inspiration in life?
    My biggest source of inspiration comes from actors who I believe feel some kind of ”total freedom” towards their profession. Harriet Andersson is someone I watch to gain that inspiration to find dedication to my life, both mentally and physically for my profession.

    Who is your favorite actor?
    I have a few that I have loved over the years, one of them is Harriet Anderson who is an old Swedish actress. She has that total freedom that I am inspired by. Ben Mendelsohn is also an actor I have adored for many years. Lately, I have become attached to Florence Pugh due to her soft obedience, she has an incredibly genuine feeling that I am drawn to.
    Another new favorite is Eliza Scanlen who has been in Sharp Objects and Babyteeth. I loved her acting in Babyteeth, I found it almost a little strange. Her charisma of being able to follow the emotions and convey them in the raw freeway as she does in the movie.

    During the panademic what has motivated you to keep moving forward?
    I have found it difficult to stay motivated, but I have tried not to be too hard on myself. To allow oneself the small pleasures one can get, such as being able to play video games if I have felt like it. This time has been burdensome and punishing, but one thing I have found inspiration in is that people have been helping each other out and being more caring for others. It has made me realize that we as a “community” must stick together through this time.
    I also indulge in writing, I have been trying to find desire in my profession and life. This is the first time I have been able to ask myself the question “what do I want to do” as it is common in acting that I ask “what job would you want to give me” and then I have to adapt.
    I feel that I want to take a stand on what I can offer in a role and not what the role can offer me.
    Now I am deciding which is my next step forward from where I stand.

    When did you realize that what you're calling was to shine in front of the camera?
    The first time I tested acting seriously. I had been given the role and I found myself in the world I had been drawn to for a long time. I felt like for the first time I was the right person in the right place.
    I had never felt that I was right with what I was doing, everything was temporary. I looked in the wrong places and was always scared to invest in my passion for acting.
    But finally, we found each other and it felt more right than ever.

    How do you practice your dialogues?
    I read what the scene is about, but I have to say that I am bad at rehearsing lines. For me, it's about the feeling that I want to express in that scene. I do not come from the theater where the lines are everything, but  for me, the feeling is more important than knowing the exact words.
    Now, however, I have worked with a series where the language is made up. In such situations, I usually rehearse by recording the lines and walking while I repeat out loud to myself.

    Do you ever get nervous in front of the camera, how do you handle it?
    I'm nervous about every scene I play, but I like that feeling.
    It gives me something to not be one hundred percent comfortable as I listen more to my partner in the scene. For me, it's about taking in the feeling from the opponent and being caught in the feeling we have together.

    What is your trick for unwinding from a busy day of filming?
    I love to do puzzles. I have always found it difficult to unwind and find a way to occupy my whole brain. Puzzles give me the relaxation that reaches all of me.
    Otherwise, it could be playing Candy Crush and watching movies at the same time.


    What's the funniest character you've ever played?
    I have had the most fun playing Doris in the Jönsson league. I loved the humor that embraced the whole time we were shooting and the comedy within the character.
    I found it incredibly fun to be a part of that experience as it was my first humor film and character I played.

    That feeling has been most difficult for you to portray in front of the camera?
    Playing angry is the feeling that I find most difficult as I find that feeling farthest from developing at a certain time. Anger for me is only instinct and reaction, it does not exist as a raven's memory. I practice at home on how to quickly find anger and be able to quickly express it in the act.
    It is also rare that I am angry at my opponent, in some cases I can force them to make me angry just to capture the feeling.

    Which person have you been most “starstruck” by meeting?
    When I met Håkan Hällström in Cannes at the Swedish Film Institute's 50th anniversary party.


     

    5 quick:

    Hidden talents?
    I played the accordion for 4 years.

    Favorite garment?
    I love my track suit from H20 Fagerholt which I currently live in.
    But one of my all-time favorites is my jacket from Viktoria Chan that I can have for any occasion.

    What are you most grateful for right now?
    I feel incredibly grateful that I have a job right now considering what the world looks like.

    What makes you happy?
    I consider my job to be number one on the list. Then comes things like good food and people I love. Combining these two also makes me extra happy.

    What is your favorite music to dance to?
    When I am in need of little extra love, then I have Britney Spears.

    top Ganni
    trousers BLK DNM
    bracelet Cartier
    coat Moncler
    earrings Cartier
    total look Versace / Nordiska Kompaniet
    earrings Maria Nilsdotter
    dress Versace
    earrings Charlott Vasberg
    total look Chanel
    total look Chanel
    earrings Cartier

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