Ā Took a single suitcase. Came back with two. Exploring the road shops in Seoul for some unique cosmetic products is such an enjoyable experience for me. Without further ado, here are all theĀ gadgets and gizmosĀ I picked up during my shopping sprees inĀ Korea this winter break!
This winter, I decided to chop of a good six inches off my hair and dyed it a lighter brown ā it was a rather bold decision, but I really liked the end result (and now I can cut my shower time in half).
I got the AMOS softening conditioner that you can basically spray onto your hair whenever, whether it be right after you come out of the shower or on the second/third day after a wash when your hair is feeling a little stiff because of the dry shampoo ā it has a green tea and apple peach scent that leaves your hair smelling really fresh. It sprays on really evenly onto your hair and doesnāt weight it down at all.
The second hair product is the Toni&Guy Volumiser that I purchased at Olive Young. I donāt exactly have thin hair, but my hair doesnāt have a lot of volume so it still tends to look pretty flat most of the time. So I started using this product to give some life to my hair by applying it after I blow dry. The directions say to spray it onto dry hair before styling, but since I donāt give myself blowouts or use a curling/flat iron every single day, I just spray it on and work it into my hair with my fingers.
I got the Baking Powder Pure Cleansing Foam from Etude House. They used to have a milk cleansing foam that you could apply onto a dry face and I really liked it, so I was kind of disappointed that they didnāt have it in the stores anymoreā¦until I discovered that this one works pretty much the same way. You just massage it onto a dry face until it absorbs all your makeup (I still like to remove my eye/lip makeup beforehand), then you lather it up by adding a little bit of water. The little beads of baking powder really clean out my pores but are gentle enough to be used daily.
This one is the Olive Cleansing Cream from Nature Republic.Ā Iāve been wanting to experiment with different cleansing methods for a while ā and on the days I want a thorough cleanse, I think this cleansing cream would come right after removing my eye/lip makeup. You just take a sizable amount in your fingers and rub it into your face ā just as if youāre applying lotion ā until all the face makeup melts down. Then I either take a facial tissue or a wet makeup towelette and wipe it off before finishing off with a foam cleanser. Often times a multi-step cleanse can leave my face feeling bare and dried out, but this cleansing cream keeps my face rich and hydrated even after a deep cleanse.
This cleansing gel was gifted to me from my grandmother, and itās yet another formula different from just a normal foam cleanser. I havenāt tried it out for long enough to tell if this is more effective or not, but when I use this I feel like Iām giving my face a nice massage.
I got this Clean Face Spot Corrector from The Face Shop since Iām almost out of my Burtās Bees blemish stick and I wanted to get something that would sooth and calm any pimples about to rise (You know when you JUST KNOW that oneās about to pop up?!). This spot corrector has a gel-like consistency and doesnāt run or sting or emit a strong herbal odor like the blemish stick, so itās totally compatible with the rest of my skincare and makeup routine. I think this spot corrector also helps even out the skin tone in dark areas where an old pimple has taken its toll.
Facial mists were all the rage in Korea ever since a few years ago ā and for a reason. They are perfect portable solution for providing constant hydration to your face, especially in the winter! I couldnāt leave Seoul without getting at least one. I purchased the Green Tea Mineral Mist from Innisfree (one of my favorite shops) when they were having a BOGO sale ā I got a tall one plus a mini one for about 8,000 won. These cans are much more effective at spraying on fine mist onto your face than just regular spray bottles, so all you need to do is gently tap it into your skin after youāre done spraying (sometimes I donāt even do that ā I just leave it be).
My skin has periods of trouble ā especially when itās close that time of the month. For the longest time I felt like my skin was constantly at an irritated state no matter how well I cleansed and how many face masks I put on at night. So I got the Parsley and Mandarin Toner from Skin Food, designed to soothe irritated skin. For most of 2015 I was using a spray-onĀ Andalou Naturals Illuminating Toner, which I really liked, but since I was almost running out, I wanted to get something that focused less on brightening or anti-aging but was gentler to the skin. Besides the fact that now I have to use cotton pads to apply the toner on my face, I absolutely love this toner! I love the fresh, slightly citrus scent, and After just a a few days of using this toner, my skin feels a lot more stable.
Last in skincare is just a plain old mini tub of Vaseline, which I normally use for my elbows and feet, but lately I also started using it on my lips as a lip balm alternative, and Iāve found it to be pretty effective.
I ran out of my Urban Decay Makeup Fixer while I was in Korea, so I purchased this Primer Fixer from Tony Moly. When I hear primer I usually think of a paste-like product applied before all of my makeup, but this fixer pretty much does the same thing when you spray it on AFTER your makeup, and it also holds your makeup so it lasts all day. Iāve found all of Tony Molyās products smell amazing, which is a plus.
This Ice Smoothie Base by SecretĀ was gifted to me, and I have mixed feelings about it. It definitely lets me skip primer, moisturizer, and BB/CC cream.Ā Since it comes in a mousse form, I thought it would dissolve thinly onto my skin, but itās way more pigmented that one would expect. The first time I tried this, I put too much onto my face and had so much trouble wiping it off! However, once you get a sense of how much you have to use, this product really moisturizes my skin and does a pretty good job of covering any imperfections on the skin.
This product has quickly become one of my favorites! The No-Sebum Mineral Powder by Innisfree was recommended to me by a friend right before I flew over to Korea. It literally acts as an oil-absorbing sheet, except it comes in a powder form and smells minty fresh. After the first few tries, I went back to get two more! I use it in several different ways:
I dab it on after my face makeup and just leave it there while I do my brows, eyes, and lips, letting it absorb all the oils on my T-zone and the rest of my face
I apply it throughly right after Iām finished with my makeup routine as a setting powder ā I like that itās not pigmented, so it doesnāt make my face look cakey.
On second day hair (or third day even), I apply some onto my hairline to absorb and control the oil on my scalp
The Shiseido Anessa SunscreenĀ was gifted to me from my mom. Sunscreen is really important (and you have to put it on even if your BB cream or foundation has SPF!), and this sunscreen has a milky consistency and doesnāt clog my pores even after putting on the rest of my makeup on top of it.
Nature Republicās Green Tea Pore Primer is a repurchase; I find this Green Tea PrimerĀ to be a perfect in-between for moisturizing and pore-covering, so when my face isnāt having too much trouble, I just use this as a daily primer. I can apply a pretty generous amount and not have my face feeling greasy or flaky.
However, to replace my tiny, empty tube of Benefitās Porefessional with a more affordable yet powerful pore primer, I did purchase Misshaās Layer Blurring Primer specifically designed to target pores. It basically does the same job, and I just apply it in small portions on any areas of my face where pores are visible.
Daiso is like a fancy Asian dollar store of your dreams. I found these nail art liquids that have two tips, so you can apply it onto your nails with either a metal tip or a fine tip brush. The clear one is a fast-dry topcoat specifically designed for small and detailed nail art.
Nature Republic had a end of the year BOGO promotion for all of their nail polish, so I purchased an array of reddish neutrals to match those cold weather vibes. Sadly I have gel nails on my fingers right now, but once these are off Iāll go back to these colors right away!
These hand warmers are necessary for my chronically cold body ā just open one up, shake it up, and keep it in your pocket until itās flaming hot.
I got this face massager just for the fun of it ā I saw so many people on television and YouTube using it, so might as well try it out myself and get that v-shaped jawline!
I also got this odor-eliminating shoe spray from Daiso to keep my giant shoe collection smelling fresh.
I found a store called Butter, which kind of felt like a younger, hipster Muji. These DIY Deco Stickers can be applied onto any plastic, glass, or ceramic surface, so Iām planning on trying them out on one of my water bottles or a coffee mug.
I have been meaning to purchase heel protectors like these for my Steve Madden slip-ons, but whenever I found them, they were too expensive in the USĀ for some reason. There is a store called Jaju (basically the Muji of Korea ā must be a relatively new brand since I donāt remembering seeing it the last time I was in Korea), and they cost around a dollar each, so I went ahead and purchased them.
ArtBox is one of my go-to places for cute (and often very random) things for gifts, crafts, etc. I got these two packets of stickers mostly because they were just so dang cute!
I guess IĀ could have included these Egg White Pore Strips under the skincare sectionā¦? But This was kind of a spontaneous purchase during a visit to Skin Food. One thing thatās different about this one would be that it doesnāt just work on your nose ā there are ones designed to fit your forehead and chin as well.
Last purchase from Daiso. These Magic Sponges can be used to clean the kitchen, the bathroom, and basically any surface that needs a good clean. And all you need is water!
Wow, that was a lot. But Iām glad I got all of these products to enjoy ā until next time Korea!
Korea Haul 2016: Tony Moly, Etude House, Missha, Innisfree, Skin Food, The Face Shop, andĀ More! Took a single suitcase. Came back with two. Exploring the road shops in Seoul for some unique cosmetic products is such an enjoyable experience for me.
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