Review : My Favourite BB Cushions

#Kbeauty Time !

Back from Korea for 2 weeks already but i have yet to sort out my cosmetics and skincare. So i decided to spend my Sat morning to pack and sort them.

I used to hoard and buy alot of Korean cosmetics when i first got to know and try them. I don’t know but maybe that time i am curious and want to try as many and also i seldom travel to Korea so i thought i should buy more at once and stock up since they are much cheaper there ( 30-50% cheaper to buy in Korea than SG ). But since now i go there twice a year , i don’t hoard or stock up that much already. They update their product range every season and there are always new products and new colours. I used to stock up alot of one thing and when there are new colours or new products launched, i regretted getting many of one kind because i need to use finish before i change. If not very waste money leh.

But there is one thing that i will really stock up no matter what …..guess what ?
BB Cushions !

I use them everyday and i touch up maybe once or twice a day especially after meals. So one refill can last me only 1 to 1.5 months. And there are different kinds of cushions for different days and depends on my skin condition on that day.

I just sorted them in a tiny box and also according to the expiry. All cushions in this box were bought this year and expires till end of 2019. You can find the expiry and manufacturing date at the back of the cushion.

The different brands im using now :

From left to right..

Age 20’s Essence Cover Pack 3 X ( no 21)

Hera UV Mist Cushion Ultra Moisture ( no 21 )

Pony Effect Everlasting Cushion (Ivory)

Laneige Whitening BB Cushion (No 13)

Iope Moisture Cushion (No 21)

Leaders Insolution Cushion (No 21)

Pony Effect Everlasting Cushion in Ivory

Usually i use this on days when im wearing bright red lipsticks. Because this cushion makes my skin looks really fair which compliments with my red lipsticks. Also it will make your skin looks alittle “oily”.

Reviewed here before : https://peonykiss.com/tag/pony-effect/

Age 20’s Essence Cover Pact 3X in No 21.

This is a new cushion my MIL bought for me. It is a 3 in 1 kind of cushion which include sunscreen , skincare (essences) and bb cream. I was told that this is the IN thing among youngsters now so my MIL ordered a box of cushions + refills + serums + liptints for me. I have not done a review yet and shall do one for this one.

The one below is a new one. The one im currently using and kept in my bag looks already cui because i have been using it for 2 weeks already. I really like it ! It is really moisturising. I can feel the moisturising essence on my skin when i pat it on my cheeks. My skin doesn’t feel dry nor does this cushion cakes. Lasting power is good because if i were to top up , i will look every fairer. Unlike a cushion , it is a abit pact like.

Price : Not sure how much it costs since it was my MIL who bought for me.

Coverage : 8/10

Dewiness : 8/10

Moisturizing effect : 9/10

Lasting : 8/10

This is suitable for daily use for all skin types.

This is the pact which im using now. There is a dent on the left side was because i thought it was “spongy” so i pressed very hard with my fingers and it kinda “cracked”. The red and white ones are essences from what i know. It is not powdery not creamy. It is like a balm. Feels good and smells good also. I have been using this for 2 weeks already ! I used it in Korea to when the weather was abit cold and windy. My skin still felt moisturised and the coverage on my skin doesn’t crack from dryness either.

Really nice ! you should get one to try !

Hera UV Mist Cushion Ultra Moisture in No 21

One of my Holy Grail . This cushion is super moisturising and suits when you travel to cold country. I use this one days when i have really dry skin. But i don’t really use this one very hot days because it will make my face look very “glossy” when i perspire.
I had done the reviews for this couple of times already.

One word review this time : BUY!

Reviewed here before : https://peonykiss.com/2014/12/04/10588/

Laneige Whitening BB Cushion in No 13.

I have not done a review for this too.

To be honest , i am a little disappointed with this. I bought it because of the cute cover and was curious about it since i saw the advert everywhere. It is very drying and though i bought it a shade lighter ( no 13) than my usual shade which was no 21 , it doesn’t really ‘whiten”. I will use this probably when days are very hot because it is quite matte actually. It oxidizes pretty fast also.

Price : KRW 26,000 after 20% discount off ARITAUM

Coverage : 7/10

Dewiness : 5/10

Moisturizing effect : 5/10

Lasting : 6/10

Leaders Insolution BB Cushion No 21.

Will review about this next week. Have yet to open ! Need to use at least 2 to 3 times before reviewing. Will compare with Hera’s Ultra Moisture cushion in next review.

Iope Moisture Cushion in No 21.

Will review about this next week. Have yet to open ! Need to use at least 2 to 3 times before reviewing. Will compare with Hera’s Ultra Moisture cushion in next review.

To be honest , i am tempted to try out the Semi-permanent make up BB cover procedure at Lee Na Young Aesthetics Clinic which is a new Korean aesthetics clinic in SG but it is quite pricey. Heard the aestheticians and director/doctor is a Korean lady and quite pretty. Abit tempted to go for it because seems interesting and convenient that i do not need to put on any bb cushion after going through this treatment. The bb cushion is temporarily inked to your skin just like eye brow embroidery. But the pricing hor…hmmm….read that the results will last about 4-6 months.

It is 12 am now. Need to go for a good sleep and prepare for tomorrow’s challenge !
Review more again ! Ahhh im still waiting for the photos taken on my actual wedding day in Busan.

The studio said need 1 month ….. ok lah..if they do swee swee for me then 1 month of wait is worth it.

Before i say good night…

Something to let you dream of tonight.

Tonkatsu + Kimbap rice + Fried Dumplings for KRW 7000 only !

At this in Haeundae Busan. Cannot remember where already. It was a random Ahjumma restaurant selling Kimbaps , Ramyeons and Tonkatsu…was tempted by the picture menu on the wall and we walked in to order this.

So shiok lor !

Busan : My Family and Wedding in Korea

May15

After i touched down in Busan , the first thing i did was to go for a yummy BBQ lunch and had Korean Beef ( Han-u 한우 ) . You can read about Han-u HERE. That is the reason why you see different prices for different kind of beef sometimes. There are imported beef and local beef. Go for local beef if you want some chewiness and tenderness.

After which , we went to the Hanbok house at Gwanganli for fitting. Need to choose for my pre-wedd shoot and actual wedding day. The lady is a friend of my MIL and she recommended colours that suit my skintone , face and also pink and bright colours are often chosen for young brides. Different colours have different meanings.

So i finally chose 1 set to be custom made for my actual wedding day lunch and rented 2 for the photoshoot.

This trip was quite a busy week so we do not have much time to go sightseeing . Im in the saving mode now so this trip i didn’t shop except to stock up on my skincare and buy masks as gifts for my colleagues , clients and relatives. Now i only buy things i need. Managed to stock up some beauty products and the Laneige lipsticks worn by Song Hye Kyo in Descendents of the Sun drama. It was OOS almost everywhere and so difficult to find lor. Finally found the last stick in one of the Aritaums opposite our place and also renewed my Aritaum VIP card so i can enjoy the 10% off. A new beauty shop just opened and having an event ( storewide 15% off ) so i managed to get Pony effect (by popular Korean make up guru – Korean version of Michelle Phan ) eye shadow because my canmake one cracked cos i stupidly put in my hand carry cabin and i think all the knocks during turbulence causes it to crack into several pieces 😦

Laneige 2 tone lipsticks in #11 Juicy Pop. I already used it for 2 weeks that’s why you see a “curve” from the side.

I like how the yellow part actually helps to “highlight” and “brightens” up my lips.

Price KRW 25,000. I bought at KRW 22,500 because of Aritaum VIP member 10% discount.

Review- Easy to apply and moisturized my lips.

Verdict – MUST BUY !

My bro went with us this trip to have his pre-wedd photos taken too. Yes you can save up to 60% if you just liase directly with Korea side. My bro’s friend paid $5K ++ through a studio here in SG to have his pre-wedd shoot taken in Korea studio excluding air ticket , hotel etc . I was quite surprised it is so expensive because my bro’s air ticket + studio shoot + his shopping and food expenses + hotel rooms for 11 days in Korea = $5K and got $200 change some more. I will recommend Toyoko Inn Hotel in Seomyeon if you are looking for an affordable accommodation in Busan. It is about $70 per night for 2 pax including breakfast for 2. Located conveniently right infront of the shopping street. Cafe street is opposite the hotel. Not a very big room but they have everything you need. They have several branches ( Haeundae , Busan station and Seomyeon ). Because i will be too busy to bring my bro and his gf around so i arranged their stay there. MRT station is just 2 mins walk , Lotte department store is also walking distance etc. Recommended this place to my friends and they like this place.

Club FIX is also nearby so if you are done with clubbing , still can walk back. Don’t ask me how is the club there. By 10 pm my body already automatically going into sleep mode. Old already.

Day 2 was spent whole day at my brother’s pre- wedd shoot and helping him with translation. Oppa is there with my bro with the translation whereas im in the make up and dressing room with my bro’s gf helping her with translation between her and the make up artist and dressing assistant. It is good to have someone who can speaks English with you else can be frustrated because photographer may not understand what you saying and you also don’t understand what the photographer want you to do.

After which we cabbed down to Shinsaegae in Haeundae for dinner and Oppa bought me my birthday present.

Gentle Monster sunglass ! Been wanting to get one since i saw it on some K-celebs. Their sunglasses are all so pretty and tempting to get everything off the shelf (of cos not !) haha. My sunglass broke into 2 and it was time to get one. Cheaper to get it here in Korea.

He was stoning there lol.

I developed a new hobby during this trip.

Gardening and floral arrangement. I spent like hours going from one florist to another.

Flowers there are so soft and pretty. It looks so not real. I thought i was faked flower but they are real. Petals are so soft and moist like tissue-paper.

Their roses bloom until so pretty. Dry flower bouquets are so pretty too. Dry until so not real also.

They looked so not real but they are real and soft flowers.

Im intending to go for floral arrangement classes the next trip. Arrangements are very unique there. Very pastel and french-ish which i like. I bought a pot of flowers for my MIL to thank her for whipping up such good dishes for my bro and his gf at home.

This was from one of my favourite flower shop in Busan. Creative floral arrangements and styles. I love going to flower shop cafes because it is so therapeutic . Felt so relax with all the pretty flowers around. The cafe smells good too. Flowers looks so fresh and pretty. Some can even be used to decorate on cakes and eat lor.

Besides floral arrangement , im also into interiors. Our new place will be ready in 2018 which is near the baseball stadium. I can hang around for 2 hours in this furniture shop. The stuff are affordable. They are surprisingly so pretty and cheap ! Oppa and i were saying that if we have a house in SG , we will buy from Korea and ship to SG instead. There are alot of furniture and wares for different themes ( nautical , french garden , minimalist etc ) . So prettty !

And guess who i saw ?

Alot of eye candies ! LOL .

To be continued….nursing a bad throat now..

May3

Beauty Culture

Talking about Beauty culture , i really have to admit that our East Asian counterparts are really good at it. You can have fake boobs that feels and looks like real boobs. Eyelids that were done but no one knows that you had surgery. Creating healthy looking and beautiful skin with just make up. Cosmetics are easily available and cheap. You can find them even at MRT stations or convenience stalls. They are sprouting everywhere at street or underground level. The Japanese , Korean and Taiwanese ladies are really good at dressing up.

With Korea producing and inventing some of the products that are widely sought after and used today ( like the BB cushions , CC creams and BB Creams etc ) . It is no wonder their ladies there are so used to putting make up and they do it really well. Though not all have really good skin , they can create healthy looking skin with the use of cosmetic products.

There are the road side shops and departmental stores which sell cosmetics and skincare products.

Road side shops are the ones like Etude house , Innisfree , The Face Shop , Tony Moly, Missha , Holika Holika , It’s Skin , Nature Republic , The Saem etc. They are cheap and priced no more than KRW 20,000. With just KRW 55,000 you can easily buy a basic set of blusher , BB cushion , lip tint/lipstick and eyeliner pencil.

Here’s some of what i’ve got. There are still some powders , make up removers , make up fixer spray and eye shadows which i will share next week separately.

Some people may think these products are cheap and no good. The reason why they are cheap is because they are made in Korea.

Before i was “addicted” to Korean beauty products , i was into French skincare and make up products. I was using Avene skincare and Chanel make up and skincare products before switching to my first Korean skincare Laneige. I was using Chanel foundation , blusher and eyeliner then . Reason was because of the price , suitability and the range available. Chanel was too expensive and i cannot play with the colours and Avene’s range was too little. Most European products only comprise of 3 steps ( cleanser , toning , moisturizing ) . But French makeup remover are one of the best. Esp the Bioderma one. I am currently using the one from Creme Simon.

I love shopping at Korean road side shops because they are always promotions like 1+1 or discounts. And they do give alot of free samples which can be quite tempting because sometimes i ended up buying the full size products after trying them. But most of the time , i only ask for cleanser samples or lip tint samples. Yes , they have cute little lip tint samples which is good for travel and for me to try new colours. I HATE putting testers on my face because so many fingers already touched it.

Even though they are cheap , i don’t just anyhow grab and buy. I did that during my first trip to Korea because i “sua ku” . First time see cheap and nice make up mah. Now i just buy what i did and what i will use and to stock up what i always use.

Cheap doesn’t mean it is no good. Being cheap , you can buy ALOT of colours and play around with your looks. You can layer the powders , foundations and products because most of the cosmetics from these Road side shops doesn’t really have strong pigments. Korean goes for the natural “no makeup” make-up look if you get what i mean. So the colours are subtle and good for layering. That’s why you can layer alot of things to create healthy looking skin without looking too overly done up and no one knows you actually had 3 layer of bases on your face.

I layer my cheeks with a lilac and a peach colour blusher. When these 2 are mixed together , they give a dreamy and natural blush look. After i shopped for make up in Korea 3.5 years ago , i stopped buying make up in SG. Price and variety are the factors.

Here’s a peek at my dressing table or should i say corner.

I think there are too many things and too heavy. The table kinda curved downwards in the middle.

Top are the ones i use daily or often whereas all the stock ups are under the table.

I think i over did it . LOL .

The facial corner. Grouped according to “Basic” and “Special care”. Basics are the ones i use everytime whereas the special corner are the serums , creams and sleeping masks.

Then i have the make up corner on the left. Products which i may use.

Samples that were given by my friend’s sister when i bought my HERA products from her. Too many samples..Can’t use finish even after 1.5 years.

The make up corner where i keep all my foundations , pencils , eyeshadows , sunscreen , lotions and lipsticks

Drawer stashed with make up stock ups.

Eyelashes and which i bought from Hongkong at SGD 3 per box. Shops in Far east plaza are selling at $23 per box. If you are going to Hongkong , you gotta stock them up. I bought like 8 boxes from HK . Or you can buy them from JB. It is at least $5 cheaper per box. I saw a shop at Aeon Shopping Mall in JB Bukit Indah selling them at RM29.90 per box.

Hair rollers for fringe , BB Cushions , refills and sponges. All for stock up.

Sunscreen , make up removers , cleansing tissues , cleansing foam maker and mists. These are full size samples given to me actually.

Besides that , i have boxes and tupper wares filled with HERA , Sulwhasoo and Primera samples. Too many…equal to 2 full size bottles per product.

Here is a lip tint which i want to recommend to everyone.

The Honey Melting Tint from Aritaum.

I always wanted to get this but shipping fee from Korea to SG costs more than the lip tint itself.
So i managed to get this during my Korea trip and i bought 2 sticks.

I decided on the colour Peach Crumble.

What’s my review ?

It is super moisturizing. It feels like a lip balm and i like how i glides on smoothly. The colour is rich and it smells really good like peach. I like how i moisturizes my lips in the cold weather and how it doesn’t dries up easy like other watery lip tints. It also leaves a subtle glossy look. Not very glossy and not very matt like other water lip tints.

Colour is actually peachy orange.

Colour looks quite rich if you don’t apply any layer of foundation or BB Cushion before the tint.

Colour is more subtle if you apply it after a layer BB cushion or your foundation.

No make up here and you can see i have abit of dark circles. Still thinking to go for eye bag removal in Sept or not. Already think for 1.5 years already lol.

Peach / Coral / Orange lipsticks are suitable for all skin tones.

I was tempted to get the Laneige water lip tint at Aritaum after seeing my friend Elaine’s beautiful lip colour. I didn’t buy in SG though. I bought it at Aritaum because i have the discount card. I layer it on top of my lipsticks. Not recommended to apply alone because it is very sheer.

Here’s a comparison of the 3 lip colours i bought from Laneige , Tony Moly and Aritaum.

My favorites in order :

1) Honey Melting Tint in Peach Crumble

Reason : Subtle peachy coral without being too loud and it is super moisturizing. Very cheap at only KRW 7,900

2) Tony Moly in Spring Orange

Reason : Subtle orange without being too long and it has a little sheen and it kinda brightens up my whole look. Very cheap at only KRW 7,900

3) Laneige Water Lip Tint in Apricot

Reason : Adds a subtle coral glossy look. More than KRW 22,000 but i get to enjoy 10% off with Aritaum membership.

You see , with SGD 8.50 , you can get a decent lipstick.

The first time i went to Korea back in 2012, i got a beauty culture shock. Girls curling their fringe with velcro curler in the restaurant while their hands were busy eating their meals. And when i was in a bar , some girls beside me brought out a big mirror from her bag and started touching up her make up. When i was in the train , some ladies openly took out their make up pouches and put on full make up right in front of public eyes and yet no one bats an eyelid and no one cares. You will probably get stomped or have your face posted on FB by someone if you were caught doing that in SG.

When i went to the toilet , there is always a make up corner where the are alot of tables and mirrors. There are only 3 basins for you to wash your hand but more than 5 mirrors and tables at the make up corner. Even at departmental stores like Shinsaegae and Lotte, there is a room where ladies get to sit down comfortably in a cushioned chair and put on their make up infront of a professionally lit make up mirror.

Beauty culture is so strong and everyone do their best to look good everytime and everywhere they go. If they don’t put on make up , they will wear a cap.

Even my bf often looks into the mirror or reflection to check his hair. Lol.

Though you often see good looking women there , some men are not stupid. Sometimes i told my Korean guy friends that this or that girl in the photo or whom we saw on the street is pretty. They will often reply me “must see her without make up first” or from the first look , they know whether was it photoshopped or not. I guess they were experienced enough.

There is no ugly women ..except lazy women.

This saying is really true.

Mar2

Hi ~~

Well , today’s beauty topic is Sleeping Beauty !

Woken up by my Prince charming’s kisses every morning but this Sleeping beauty falls back to sleep after that lol. Too tired lah..every work till 2am.

So i went out on Sunday afternoon for lunch with my bf and his baseball team mates. Those who came for lunch were from Gyeongsan-do ( cities like Busan , Daegu , Gochang etc etc which is near the coastal area ). They speak in Gyeongsan-do dialect since they were from the same area. Only my bf and another Oppa speak with very heavy Gyeongsan-do saturi accent. That’s why I have to open my ears real wide and focus when they tried to speak in Seoul dialect to me which was what i learnt in school and my classes. It was a good practice for me because now i can understand abit of the gyeongsan-do dialect ( maybe 40% ? ). One of their wives had mul-guang 물광 injections done. She looks really pretty and young. What is mul-guang ? It means dewy look in Korean. 물광 주사 (Mul-guang ju-sa – Mul-guang injection ) is a kind of injection where the doctor injects hydrating skin boosters into your skin to create a dewy glow. The boosters locks in the moisture which creates the natural glow. I have not done it before and not sure how long it will last. If you are afraid of injections and yet want dewy skin. Then you have to be very discipline and keep your skin always hydrated with good products. Copy this 4 korean words into google search ” 물광 주사” and look at the images if you want to know more. Or these 6 Korean words “물광 주사 가격”into google search to see before and after pictures.

The weather was soo hot and im feeling very lazy. Oppa asked me not to put on any make up. He doesn’t like ladies with thick make up or overly done eye shadows and prefer natural looks. Good thing is that i always go for natural look make up so he seldom nag at me.

So i went out without make up and only apply sunscreen gel and tinted lip balm ( see picture below ) . Sun screen is a MUST ! Even though i don’t put make up but i will not skip my sunscreen gel. It is a water base and i love it alot. No grease and feels like applying serum on my skin. Got it from Missha for only KRW 2,500 during sales.

Heh heh..i don’t go out without make up just like that ok. Before going out without any make up , i will do an extra step of skin care and that is MASKING !

So let’s talk about masking.

There are many kinds of masks and packs in the market now.

There is the modeling pack. Where you scoop up the powder and put it in a bowl , add water , stir and mix , apply onto your face with a brush , wait for it to harden for about 20 minutes and peel it off.

I bought a bottle of Collagen Modeling Mask but i have not used it yet. Too lazy and find it cumbersome.

And then you have the sleeping packs.

Im currently using Laneige Water Sleeping Pack and Sulwhasoo Vitalizing Overnight Pack. The former is more for hydration and latter is for brightening.

Also there is the night cream. Im currently using Hera’s Cell-Bio Cream. It is more of a night cream to me because it is quite thick. I will apply and sleep overnight with it.

And then you have the sheet masks.

Im currently using Missha’s green tea and pearl mask , Hera’s white program masks , Cell-Derma T-laser Hydrogel masks and the new Korean Oriental Herb masks from Aeon Aesthetics and Medical Clinic. Just got them on CNY Eve. So cute the packaging. Comes in 5 different sheets for different skin conditions. They are made of Korean Oriental herbs.

Directions available in Korean and English.

Available for purchase in pack of 5 only.

Comparing Hydro-gel and Sheet masks , i prefer the sheet masks because they are soaked wet with the essences in the packaging. Whereas for Hydrogel masks , they dry up pretty fast if you don’t store and keep them properly. But of cos the fit for hydro-gel masks is better because they really stick onto your skin and face shape as compared to sheet masks. But Sulwhasoo hydrogel masks are the best because the gel masks are thin and really soaked wet with serum and essences ( but they are too expensive) .

I don’t recommend sleeping over night with the modeling pack and sheet masks on your face. It somehow made your skin feels dry the next morning. Well , i go to sleep with the packs or cell-bio night cream. I mask my face everyday lol. Yes..i have to if not i feel very…hmmm strange and “empty” like as if i missed out something. I even mask my face on the plane.
Besides applying on my face , i also apply on my neck and shoulders. But how to apply on your neck or shoulders when you are using the gel or sheet masks ??? well , there are always left over essences or serums in the packaging after you took it out. I will put on my hand in and feel around and then spread the essences and serums on my neck and shoulders and face.

If i applied sleeping pack or cream overnight , i will use a damp warm towel to slowly clean it off the next morning or do a mild cleansing with very little cleansing foam.

When you apply these overnight masks or creams , make sure you have enough sleep and have a good rest.

On days when i go out without make up , i will put on sheet masks first. After shower , i put on the sheet mask and then my normal skin care routine ( toner , essences , serums , emulsions and moisturizer ). The mask helps to brighten up my skin and so even though i went out without make up , my skin tone still looks even and nice. I will also put on lip balms. I dont want my face to look moisturized but yet my lips looks dry and chapped.

Sheet/gel masks aren’t only for night use. You can use it in the day also ! If i have any important appointments , dinners or occasion , i will put on sheet masks before applying my make up.

After swimming or under the sun for too long , i will put on aloe vera gel masks and then another layer of whitening mask. I don’t just apply the whitening mask right away because my skin flushes and gets irritated after being exposed to the sun for too long and whitening products are usually stronger and tends to dry up my skin. So before i apply any whitening products , i will first treat my skin and calm it down first with aloe vera masks or any moisturizing / hydrating cooling masks.

Some people have the wrong thinking that they should “salvage” their skin by applying whitening products first. Maybe it works for some people but i find it too harsh for my skin.

Hope this post helps to those who ask about masking/sleeping packs.

And yup , i put on masks/sleeping packs every night !

You should try to see if there are any improvement in your skin. It doesn’t just happen overnight . It takes sometime depending on your skin type.

Whatever works for me may not work for some people. Always ask for sample packs first ( at least for 3 times use ) !

And store your sheet masks in the fridge if you are not using them yet.

And here’s a bandage dress coming up soon on Agneselle.com !

I LOVE IT ALOT and im sure you will ! Something that you will always pull it out from your wardrobe and wear !

It is shoulder padded and had a unique side cut. My bf loves it alot and he said very very nice !

Oct23

There are many people i know heading to Korea to see the beautiful and colourful autumn maple leaves.

Well , decided to blog about a list of things you should buy if you are going to Korea.

Below was a picture of me and my other 3 girlfriends’ luggages when we went to Korea for the first time back in 2012.

We went with one and came back SG with additional luggages , boxes and more and more hand carry bags.

So how did we went with only 1 but came back with erm… so many ? Well , we spent more than sgd800 per pax at Laneige in Myeondong and they gave us a free luggage each ( The ones with polka dogs , mine is the pink one in the picture ). That was for my 1.5 years of supply of facial care and it came with generous supply of samples which in fact tempted me to get more of their newly launch products. Only you can buy 3 items in Korea and get alot of samples. Hera was more generous when i bought my first set of facial care. They gave me like 4 sheets of the white program masks and REALLY ALOT of samples. Not that i am a cheapo for the samples but these samples are convenient for my travels and it actually tempted me to get the full bottle of product instead and now i am a big fan. My friend’s sister used to send me new samples that last me 1 month and i love the results and ended up buying the full bottles and stock up on a year’s supply.

I don’t like how some counter ladies in SG were abit stingy with it when you ask for few more sachets and they look at you like as if you are some cheapo who want freebies. Maybe they have their reasons for doing so because there are really cheapos doing that but not all are so cheapo okay. There are genuine buyers like me.

It doesn’t make sense you see , your products claimed that with continuous use for 14 days , you will achieve radiant skin. But how can you expect your customers to see the results by giving one pathetic sachet ? Tell me how can you convince your customers the product is good with just one sad sachet and expect people to spend money on the full bottle ? To be reasonable , you should give samples that last at least for 3 days to be able to convince consumers how good your product is.

Ok back to the list of things you should buy in Korea !

1) Korean beauty make up

Nature Republic, The Face Shop, Etude House, Innisfree, Tony Moly, Holika Holika and Missha.

Reason why you should buy the make up products is because they are cheap and good. Korean ladies are very good with “natural make up look” so most of their products are not very pigment heavy. The colours are light and refreshing. They like to play around with lip colours so you can see a range of colours for the lipsticks.

Because they are cheap , you can buy many colours and have different looks. I usually shop off the city area because there are some outlets with 1+1 deal meaning buy 1 get 1 free ( usually for masks and lipsticks ) and some have up to 50% discount for make up products. I got my masks , make up and some accessories from the boutiques off city centre and i get to enjoy 30-50% discount or 1+1 deal. But this depends on your luck because sometimes they don’t have such promotions. Usually there are such deals at theend of each season . But the thing is that you don’t get to enjoy tax refund. But i think i saved more with those deals than the tax refund if im getting hell lot of them.

Can’t decide to get a lipstick in Pink , Coral or Red ?
Just get all 3. They will probably cost less than sgd20 for 3. If there is any 1+1 or discounts , you save more.

2) Amore Pacific Brands.

Beauty is important in Korea and girls there do take extra time and care to maintain their looks and skin.

Brands such as IOPE , Laneige , Sulwhasoo and Hera are under Amore Pacfiic. They do have a house brand too.

You can buy Laneige , Sulwhasoo and Hera at any Lotte Department store or Shinsaegae Department store in town. They are available at the airport as well.

Iope is available at Emart , Lotte mart and Aritaum.

If you a big fan of these brands , there are few reasons why you should buy in Korea ..

1) Cheaper than SG and there is tax refund.

2) Brands like IOPE and Hera are not available in SG.

3) Generous samples

4) These products works on my skin very well.

Below were my buys from Laneige back in 2012 when i was still using their products before switching to HERA. I was given a free luggage and hell lot of samples for purchase of SGD 800 and above. It filled up that entire luggage.

I bought home 1.5 years of supply of facial product.

I have since switched to HERA and because it is not available in SG and i have to really stock up .

3) Aritaum

You can find brands like IOPE , Laneige and Mamonde in Aritaum. I love Aritaum make up produts because they are cheap , nice colour and pretty good.

See the crayon lip tints and crayon eye shadows ? They were going at 1+1 for KRW 6,900. It is cheap and can’t decide which colour to buy ?
Just get all lah !

You can find whole range of IOPE products in Arituam. I have been to Korea 4 times but i have not seen any Iope boutique before.

Even blushers come in the form of cushions.

4) BB Cushions and CC creams

Korea is the mother of all BB and CC Creams.

And now the BB Cushion and CC cushion for easy application !

My favourite goes to Hera UV Mist Cushion and Hera CC cream. Iope is another popular choice among the locals.

They come in various shades which suits Asian skin tones. It costs about KRW 40,000-KRW45,000 and it comes with a refill pack.

5) Facial masks

Again not only being cheap is the reason but they have lots of selections for different skin types. It also work very well in hydrating the skin.

I bought like 300 over packs to last me 1.5 years. Instead of keeping them at room temperature , i kept them in the fridge so that the sheets remains moist and preserve the essence on the sheets.

My favourite brands are from Missha and Sulwhasoo. I bought 300 packets of Missha masks at 1+1 and each was KRW 1000-KRW3500 depending on the type of mask. The hydrogel ones are more than KRW3,000.

You can buy from the boutiques at Myengdong ( for tax refund ) or Supermarket such as Lotte mart and Emart. Usually the ones at Myeongdong does not have discount or 1+1 promotions. I realized it on one of my trips. I was helping friends to buy Missha masks and got some from the boutique at Myengdong and i swept up all the green tea stocks available at their boutique ( about few hundred pieces ) and i have to go to else where to get the remaining. So i went somewhere and i saw a Missha at subway underpass and saw that there was 1+1 promotion ( no tax refund ) . So you have to work on your maths to see which one is cheaper and you save more.

6) Seaweeds and snacks.

You can buy Korean snacks from Emart or Lotte Mart which can be found at departmental store. You can find your favourite and delicious and cheap Korean snacks there. I always buy a trolley full and bring it back to SG. They don’t give you plastic bags so bring your own HUGE bag or you can use the boxes found near the cashier to wrap up your shopping.

However , if you prefer a bag , you can pay for a paper bag. I dont recommend that if you have TOO many things because it breaks quite easily.

7) Kimchi and side dishes

Seriously , you can never get them so tasty in SG.

I never buy Kimchi in those aluminum packages and instead i bought those homemade ones because they are much tastier.
You can buy them from Emart or Lotte Mart. Be sure to wrap them up properly and suggest to send it back to SG in a box or else the Kimchi juice might leak and stained your clothes and the smell may linger on your clothes for a while.

8) Made in Korea apparels

Myeongdong , Dongdaemun , Namdaemun , Hongdae , Ehwa , Garusil Gil etc

Just to name afew , there are the popular places among tourists.

I skip on Dongdaemun and Namdaemun because some are china made and very platinum mall Bangkok like pieces. And are very overpriced. The ahjumma there are not very friendly. I deal with a supplier from Namdaemun before and they are really rude.

I only shop in 2 local boutiques at Myeong dong because they sell their own labels and design their own means there is quality control. And the apparels are priced tagged.

Try to bargain when you are buying. Some shops don’t indicate any price tags and i usually avoid those unless i really like the item and find the price reasonable. I was quoted KRW 32,000 for a skirt and a friend was quoted KRW 18,000. The salesman must have thought i am a tourist and don’t understand Korean and when my Korean friend asked for the price again , she was quoted cheaper ( almost half the price ). The salesman must have thought we were not friends . But i understand what the price he quoted to other person in Korean.

So for those shops that does not have any price tags on their apparels , do try to bargain.

9) Cute and little accessories such as stockings , socks and samsung mobile covers.

I get all my winter, spring and autumn stockings from there because they are very cheap and good. You can get a winter stockings/leggings with fleece for KRW5,000. That is why i can still wear skirt with the stockings in such cold weather.

They have tonnes of cute little stocks with ribbons and prints at KRW 1,000 each ! Some were going at KRW 800. Samsung mobile covers are cheaper there. I got one for my cousin from Korea for her Note 3 at like SGD 20 cheaper ?

I got my stockings and leggings from Ah jummas at the road side stalls. Or you can get from shops that sells those cute little socks and hair accessories.

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Happy shopping in Korea and worry about overweight luggage ?

One tip is to send all your shopping buys back via EMS Korea to SG.
It takes 3 working days. Meaning if you send it out on Monday , you will receive it on Wednesday.

I sent 500 pieces of Missha masks to my friend from Korea ( helped her to buy..you see im such a good friend haha , carrying 100 pieces each time x 4 trips is really not easy and super heavy ) and it costs about KRW 34,000. It is cheaper than paying for extra baggage weight.

And i buy my Hera skin care products from the airport duty free. There is one counter which carries the full range. Hera bottles are made of glass and very heavy. Definitely going to add weight onto your luggage. So i will buy at the airport and hand carry up to the plane instead to save on overweight baggage fees.

Well , have a good time and happy shopping !

May3

Some people asked me what is the diff between Laneige , Iope and Hera BB cushion. So i decided to blog it here.

Battle of the BB cushions.

I have been using BB creams since 2012. The first one was from Etude house because it comes with a sponge applicator that is soo easy to apply and i was only introduced to BB cushions in 2013 on my first trip to Korea. My first BB cushion was from Iope before i switched to Hera because i find it more moisturising and gives a more dewy look. Different BB cushion suits different type of skin tone and texture. I kinda like the IOPE one but if only it is more moisturising and i felt that the sponge seems to dry up much faster than the Hera one. After tested out these 3 brands before. I decided that Hera is definitely the winner in my opinion. For all BB cushion , im using Natural tone ( N ).

Iope BB Cushion (N21)

It is about KRW 40,000 if i can remember correctly. Comes with refill pack. You can get it at any Aritaumn shop in Korea.

Coverage : 6/10 – Medium and if you need more coverage , you need to pat more.

Colour tone – Pink with slight yellow tone

Finish – Slightly Matt. I can’t see any dewy finish.

How long does it last – Not really long lasting and you need to touch up pretty often.

Laneige BB Cushion ( #14 Pink Beige).

Cant remember the pricing but its about KRW 40,000 with refill. You can get it at Aritaumn , Lotte Dept Store or Shinsaegae Dept Store.

Coverage : 6/10 – Medium but slightly more than IOPE.

Colour tone – Pink with slight yellow tone. Even though it says PINK BEIGE but i see yellow tinge on my skin. Noted the difference once i put on my concealer. My skin seems to look yellow and pretty obvious after i applied my concealer. You can see the skin colour comparison.

Finish – Very slightly dewy. Slightly matte.

How long does it last – Quite ok and able to last more than 6 hours.

Hera UV Mist Cushion (N21) or (C21 for the long stay summer edition)

KRW45,000 with refill pack. You can get it at Lotte Dept Store or Shinsaegae Dept Store.

Coverage : 8/10 – Good Coverage

Colour tone – Pink tone.

Finish – Dewy

How long does it last – Long lasting.

The dewy part and the colour tone part is the one which won me over because i dont like foundations or bases with yellow tone. Prefer pinkish tone for healthy glow look. Coverage wise not a concern because my skin is good. And usually i touch up after meals because i use wet tissue to wipe my mouth after meals and i may rub it off.

I have not tried the ones from Sulwhasoo yet. Maybe one day i should get samples and let’s see which BB cushion is the real winner.

Hope this information helps.