Aberdeen Centre: Korean Beauty and Kpop Stores

Aberdeen Centre is a large, three story Asian mall that holds restaurants, a food court, Daiso ($2 store), and various shops.  I visit this mall about twice a year, and it was only this past November, on Thanksgiving to be exact, that I realized that there are hints of Korean in Aberdeen Centre.  I have found a Korean grocery store, a Korean beauty store and a food court with a nice TV to watch. The address is 4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond, BC V6X, Canada.

HMart

This Korean grocery store chain has stores in the United States and Canada. This HMart is on the ground floor and has a beauty counter, framed Kim Hyun Joong posters and Big Bang CDs.

MQ Cosmetics

This small shop is on the top floor and has Korean beauty brands. Don't get MQ Cosmetics confused with MG Cosmetics on the second floor, however, because MG carries Japanese brands only. They don't have many common brands (I asked the one worker and she said they don't carry Tony Moly). I've only seen The Face Shop and SkinFood, as well as brands with which I am not familiar. They also have a The Face Shop poster of Kim Hyun Joong behind the cash register :)

[UPDATE: SASA has reopened, which I blogged about in this post.]
SASA (Closed)
There used to be a SASA store on the second floor that sold Asian cosmetics, but unfortunately this shop closed.  Aberdeen's directory still displays this store, so I temporarily had my hopes up that I would be able to find an ample selection Asian cosmetics.

Food Court
One of the stalls in this Asian food court is a Korean fast food booth. I haven't actually tried out the food here, but what does fascinate me is the TV displayed just above this stall that is constantly showing the latest kpop music videos. Too bad the food court seating area isn't located near this stall. I try to make any excuse (I say I'm going to the bathroom) just to pass by and glance at this TV!

Stop by Aberdeen Centre for a fun, Asian food and shopping experience.  There are plenty of specialty shops, restaurants and food stalls to entertain you for a couple of hours here.

Korean Beauty Brand: The Face Shop and My TFS Haul

The Face Shop is a popular Korean beauty brand that has stores around the world (more so than any other Korean beauty brand, I think). This brand's motto is "natural story" and it primarily focuses on the necessity of using products from nature to better your health and beauty, hence the green leaf logo.  There is also a controversy that this brand is a copycat of The Body Shop, but I can overlook this detail since Kim Hyun Joong endorses this brand.

This blog goes more in depth on my experience at The Face Shop in San Jose and the merchandise I bought there. This store is adorned with posters and low quality prints (it seems like the workers googled images of Kim Hyun Joong and printed them out in low resolution) of Kim Hyun Joong's smiling face welcoming The Face Shop's customers.  The best part is the almost life size cardboard cutout of Kim Hyung Joong standing out front, with which I got my picture taken (more about this on my other post).  I'm not a huge fan on The Face Shop's products, so I only bought a nail clipper and some paper products with Kim Hyun Joong :)  I was surprised to see that this store would offer non-beauty products such as Kim Hyun Joong posters for his solo album.

Nail Clipper
This nail clipper is in the shape of The Face Shop leaf logo, giving a simplistic tool a cute design. There is also a little nail filing section that unfortunately doesn't work well. The actual clip part does its job efficiently, though it is not the best quality.  I bought this for $5.

Kim Hyun Joong Merchandise
I didn't even see these hidden gems until I paid for my nail clipper.  The first photo is a journal and sleeve with Kim Hyun Joong looking cute and cozy.  Inside are lined pages occasionally covered with him doing other adorable poses, including one of Hyun Joong holding a large Pucca doll!  I believe this journal was $3.

The second item is a set of five postcards of Hyun Joong that comes in a neat folded envelope (one of the envelope's flaps is of the first picture in this post).  He is smiling gorgeously in every card, with some advertising a The Face Shop product.  I think this set was $1.

These products were too adorable not to buy.  The only other Kim Hyun Joong product left was his Break Down poster, which portrayed a more masculine side of him that I felt was just too much.  Kim Hyun Joong does an amazing job as an global endorser for The Face Shop (I've seen his face in a The Face Shop in Sydney too!) and is the only reason for me to buy The Face Shop products.

This purchase also came with a free skincare routine sample from the E'thym line that lasts one week and is fit for my skin type (the sales representative asked for my skin type). I have yet to try out this series, which includes a toner, serum and lotion/cream.  This sample comes in a generic cardboard box with no cute, or even simplistically decent packaging, which is a negative for me.  Overall, if you're a fan of Kim Hyun Joong, check out The Face Shop!

Korean Beauty Brand: Tony Moly and Red Appletox Honey Cream Review

Tony Moly is a famous Korean beauty brand with stores throughout Asia. The name was created based on a slang English meaning of the name 'Tony,' meaning stylish, and the Japanese meaning of 'Moly,' meaning to be packaged. The brand's concept therefore means products that are stylishly packaged, which most definitely is true. Many Tony Moly products are packaged in a plastic case in the shape of their main ingredients. These adorable products include the eggpore series, consisting of four 'eggs,' each made with eggs and has its own function. There are also red apple face creams, green apple face masks, peach hand creams, and lip balm in peach, blueberry and cherry. Besides the cute packaging, what draws me to this brand more than any other Korean beauty brand is their equally cute and fabulous endorsers. Past endorsers include Kim Hyun Joong and Song Joong Ki. Both actors have endorsed either the green apple or red apple, which is what encouraged me to purchase my Red Appletox Honey Cream.

Red Appletox Honey Cream

I bought this super cute face cream from YesStyle.com for $12 (the best deal online), which is surprising because YesStyle usually prices their beauty products higher than other online retailers.

I didn't care what contents were stored inside, the packaging was just way too adorable to pass up! The top half is a twist-off cap that reveals a sanitary lid and spatula. However, the lid isn't very tight; it's best to keep the apple upright or else the product will seep into the lid (be aware of this if your apple is coming in the mail). You can also see how big the apple is compared to my hand, about the same size as a real apple!

The cream is more like a sticky gel consistency, matching its juicy apple and honey scent.  Every night, I use the provided spatula to get about a dime size of gel and generously rub it on my face, then I use my index and middle fingers to tap the gel into my skin for better absorbency.
The Pros

• Cutest packaging ever
• Cutest endorsers ever (you can find promotional pictures of Kim Hyun Joong and Song Joong Ki holding the apples)
• Very fragrant apple and honey scent
• 80ml lasts a long time

The Cons

• Takes awhile for the gel to absorb into your face (so it's hard to go to sleep if you're using this as a night cream)
• The gel leaves a sticky feeling.  My hair constantly gets stuck to my face, which is why I only put the cream on the bottom half of my face.

Overall, the Red Appletox Honey Cream is amazing despite its sticky, slow-absorbing flaws.  The packaging is just too adorable to pass up!

Disclaimer About My Blog

I would just like to point out that my obsession for Korean culture was originally based on dramas which I understand are only a mere fraction of Korean culture. I do realize that the culture shouldn't be simply based on these generalizations made by watching dramas, so I just think of these dramas as a way to expose me to other realms of Korean culture, such as kpop, food and beauty.

Bottom line: Though my main obsession was caused by carefully selected, perfect Korean idols, I understand that Korean culture as a whole is different.

I have been thinking about the content of this blog post for quite some time now, which was the main reason why I was so iffy about creating a blog about 'My Seoul Obsession' in the first place. I hope you all understand that I respect the culture as a whole and don't expect it all to be just like in the dramas.

The Great Wall Mall: Various Korean Stores

Just the other day I traveled to The Great Wall Mall, a small Asian mall with several clothing boutiques, antique shops, 99 Ranch Market and restaurants of different Asian cuisines.  Here is the address: 18230 East Valley Highway  Kent, WA 98032.

Joo Joo Cosmetics
This little kiosk is a gem of a find, because there is no indication that such a places exists via the Internet. The store hours are very limited, only opening a few hours from Thursday to Saturday.

Joo Joo offers a limited selection of Korean beauty products, but many of these items are unreachable in the greater Seattle area. This kiosk has one Holika Holika mask, Etude House masks, several SkinFood products and Holika Holika's Pig-Nose product. The masks are $3 each, which includes tax. I came here only to by one product:

Holika Holika Cherry Blossom Essence Mask.  This is my first Holika Holika product, and I was entranced by this mask because of the brand's endorsers, CNBlue. When I use this mask, I'll be sure to write a review.

Morning Glory

This shop is part of the global Morning Glory chain that sells Asian trinkets and stationary.

This particular store also carries a few Kpop items.  There are PSY tee shirts out front. Covering the exterior are posters of beauty advertisements, including Han Ga In for Isa Knox. This store also offers large and small calendars, as well as posters, of kpop bands 2NE1, 2PM, Beast, Big Bang, Infinite, MBLAQ, SNSD and Super Junior.

Jang Soo Tofu Korean Tofu and B.B.Q. Restaurant
This restaurant is amazing in every way. The warm Korean food smell, along with tasty food and a TV is an excellent combination.

I sat at a table that faced the TV, which was showing the currently airing drama The King of Dramas on SBS with English subtitles. Seeing Choi Si Won while enjoying my delicious meal made me so happy.

Every meal comes with side dishes, and this restaurant offers high quality, unique ones. There are the usual brussel sprouts, but every other dish was much more fascinating. The kimchi had lots of flavor and was chopped up perfectly, so there were no chewy, tough pieces. The zucchini was slightly crunchy and had a mild spice.  The small red ball in the top right is a slightly chewy squid/fish/radish (I'm not sure)...all I know is that this side dish is my favorite. The mashed potatoes were sweet and consistently soft and pureed.  Each meal also comes with a small fried fish that you debone yourself. The fish is so soft and tender and flavorful; definitely a side dish that Korean restaurants don't often offer. Best of all, the friendly waitresses kept asking if we wanted more of each side dish (except for the fish).

If you're looking for a few hours of Asian shopping, come by The Great Wall Mall to do your grocery, cosmetic and merchandise shopping, as well as tasty dining.

Korean Beauty Brand: SkinFood and Product Reviews

SkinFood is a popular Korean beauty brand that offers nutritious, high quality skincare and makeup products. SkinFood's motto is "Food that is good for your health, is also good for your skin." This concept is vividly seen in some of the brand's repeated ingredients: fresh sparkling apple, gold kiwi, grape seed oil, lettuce cucumber, peach sake, even gold caviar! Below is a close up of the logo on the shopping bag I received from my SkinFood purchase in San Francisco.

Here's a brief review of my current SkinFood products:

Peach Sake Pore BB Cream SPF20 PA+ in Shade No. 1
This BB cream comes in a dispenser that squirts out small amounts at a time, which is very convenient because a little goes a long way!  I usually gently push down on the dispenser to release one drop about three millimeters in diameter onto my finger.  I place one drop on the top of my cheek, one on the bottom of my cheek and one on my chin (my skin is most uneven in these places) and I quickly rub the cream in circular motions to eradicate smear marks.  The cream dries really quickly for a matte finish, so be fast!

The Pros

• Though my skin is darker than the lightest shade, this cream gives light coverage that blends well with my skin.
• The peach scent is refreshing and delightful when putting on the cream and it wears off afterwards
• This cream offers light and smooth coverage that still reveals my freckles, but creates a more even skintone
• The peachy tone blends well with my yellow skintone

The Cons

• After putting this on my nose, I notice that it emphasizes the blackheads and flaky skin on my nose.  
• Though peach is supposed to control oil, it seemed to emphasize it instead.
• To avoid both of these concerns, I just use the cream on my cheeks and chin instead.

Foodtherapy Facial Water Vita-C (Mist)

I bought this mist for $18.70 at the San Francisco SkinFood store, which is splurging for such a small bottle of mist (145ml).  This facial mist contains berries rich in vitamin C, along with fresh Alaska glacier water.  The smell is a mild, refreshing berry fragrant.  I can't stop sniffing it, it's so addicting.

The back label is all written in English. I haven't actually tried this product yet, so I don't have the pros/cons yet.  Overall, I do love the light, refreshing berry smell of this mist and will definitely use it as a fragrant mist for summer!

Foodtherapy Stick Perfume No. 3 Happy Vanilla

Retail at the San Francisco store, this perfume is $19.80.  This is a solid perfume that twists upward like chapstick and comes with a protective plastic cap inside.  The smell is a soothing vanilla scent that smells sophisticated, too sophisticated (like what much older women would wear), once I rub it on my wrists.

You can see how small this solid perfume is compared to my hand; it's about 2 inches high, perfect for on-the-go! Both the packaging of the actual perfume stick and the box are so pretty and the box is very creatively and intricately folded.

This is the bottom of the box. All the info is written in English because I bought this in the San Francisco store, but there is Korean information on the side of the box. The box says that it is supposed to "create a sense of relaxation." It definitely has a calming, soothing scent to it that can put you into a relaxation mood if you believe, I guess.

The Pros

• The packaging is elegant and pretty
• It is easy to apply
• It is small enough to fit in a purse or pocket, yet there is so much perfume to last a long time
• The first whiff is delightful
• The smell lasts a few hours

The Cons

• The next few whiffs aren't as delightful, but still offers a classy feeling

Tweezers

I bought this for $2.20.  The design is simplistic and cute, but honestly it does not work well in tweezing little unwanted hair.  This pair of tweezers is definitely not recommended to use as your everyday tweezer.

I do also have several face mask samples that came with my purchase (my purchase included the facial mist, perfume stick, tweezers and nail polish), which I will review in the future. These samples include a Black Sugar Mask, Rice Mask, Ginseng Mask, Black Sesame Hot Mask and Gold Kiwi Hydrating Mask (the sales rep highly recommends this one).  I will also definitely use more of this brand's products, and when I do, I'll be sure to post more reviews. That's it for all my SkinFood products so far!

Sydney Chinatown: Kpop Stores

Sydney, Australia's Chinatown spans several blocks and is adorned with authentic Chinese restaurants and...kpop stores!  I felt like I was in heaven, being surrounded by heavenly cuisine and kpop.  I visited Sydney in August 2012 and will never forget it.  Their Chinatown is mainly a pedestrian street stretching two blocks long.  Walking down the streets of Chinatown, multiple stores blasted Gangnam Style loudly to draw attention.  Those were the stores I was attracted to, since they were just calling to fangirls.

Rong Bao Tang
[UPDATE: Rong Bao Tang located to just around the corner. Here is the new address:
Level 1 389 Sussex Street, Haymarket, Sydney, NSW, Australia. There is also a branch in Melbourne. Look in the comments for more details.]

Old Location: 46 Dixon St nr Goulburn St, Haymarket, NSW

The first store on my list was Rong Bao Tang, also known as Best Media Asia.  It is located on Dixon Street, the pedestrian street.  This store carries the largest collection of popular Asian movies, dramas, CDs and random kpop merchandise.  They even have a selection of signed rookie kpop band CDs.  Often they have great freebies. By purchasing two concert DVDs, I received a free large SHINee 2012 calendar!  The front is adorned with kpop posters and there is a TV facing the street blaring kpop shows.

Morning Glory
33 Goulburn St. btwn George & Sussex St., Haymarket, NSW

There are actually three Morning Glory stores in this vicinity, but only this location has kpop merchandise.  This cute stationary and gifts chain store (they have stores in the US and Canada too!) has a nice selection of $5 posters and unique items, such as kpop tumblers, planners, post-its and even socks.  Peek through the door and you can see a poster from Tony Moly's photoshoot with Kim Hyun Joong!

East Avenue

This small store is in an alleyway that is connected to Dixon's pedestrian street.  It mostly sells Asian clothing, but there are also kpop posters ($10AUD), postcards ($2AUD) and keychains ($10AUD).  The products are mostly of more well-established kpop stars and actors, such as Lee Min Ho, Kim Bum, Kim Hyun Joong, Jang Geun Suk, SNSD and IU, just to name a few, and not newer kpop idols.

I'll have another post about the kpop merchandise I bought here.  If you're ever in Sydney's Chinatown, check out these stores!

The Bay Area: Korean Fashion & Beauty Stores

I spent a weekend in the Bay Area, mostly to shop and fangirl. There were three shops that I was dying to visit: YesStyle, SkinFood (both in Stonestown Mall, SF) and The Face Shop (one in Milpitas, San Jose and Santa Clara).

Stonestown Galleria Center
595 Buckingham Way, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA

YesStyle
[UPDATE: Both YesStyle locations (San Francisco and San Jose) have closed down, but the online store still exists.]
YesStyle is an online Asian store that sells clothing, accessory, shoe and beauty brands from mainly Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China and Japan. Their only store, located in Stonestown Mall in San Francisco, offers a small selection of clothing, accessories and shoes, as well as Kpop posters of Big Bang, CNBlue, SHINee, Girls' Generation, Sistar, IU, etc. (from their partner site, YesAsia). Though this store is quite small, their selection of clothing is packed with a selection of Asia's latest fashion trends. They also have great clearance deals (50%), as well as the latest Kpop playing in the background (including recent hits "Classic" and "Loving U"). Check it out!

SkinFood
In the same mall is one of Korea's popular beauty stores, SkinFood. This is one of the six stores in the US, with all of their six stores in California.

SkinFood's products and design are all simplistically, yet elegantly packaged. Though they are a bit pricy (my first trip to this store, I easily spent $50), the quality is definitely well worth the price. They focus on natural ingredients that make their products almost seem edible...truly food for the skin.

Not all of the products on SkinFood's website is in their stores, however. The only BB cream currently in the US stores is the Peach Sake BB Cream because the others have yet to be approved for sale.

This store offers testers for all of their products, including nail polish and nail polish remover (with cotton pads). This was definitely handy because their items are pricy and I want to be 100% positive I love the product before I invest so much,

If the cashier doesn't mention it, don't forget to ask for a stamp card! With each purchase of at least $10, you get one stamp (the stamp is their Cupid logo-so cute!) and with ten stamps you can redeem your card for a free nail polish (worth $3)! With each purchase also comes numerous samples of face masks, also in cute packaging. I'll have a more detailed post about this brand and the products I bought from them here!

Grand Century Mall
1111 Story Road, San Jose, CA 95122

The Face Shop
The Face Shop has used Kim Hyun Joong as their endorser for a couple of years now. Just this fact urged me to drive an hour away from San Francisco, to San Jose, to visit this store in the Vietnamese mall, Grand Century Mall.

This store isn't very glamorous compared to other Face Shops I've seen online, but it's decked out with KHJ,which is perfect compensation. I am not a big fan of this beauty brand, but this store sells some exclusive The Face Shop KHJ endorsement merchandise, like his poster, journal and postcards.

I had my moment of fangirling-the closest I will ever get to KHJ <3 I purposely came to this store just to get a close up with his cardboard cutout! Here is a review of the goodies I bought at The Face Shop.

Hope this brief list of stores helps any fangirl heading to the Bay Area :)

Introduction

Welcome to My Seoul Obsession!

I started watching Korean dramas in July of 2010. I've seen a couple of Hong Kong films while growing up, but it wasn't until I saw a Korean drama that I fell in love with my Asian culture.

Over the summer of 2010, as I was hanging out at my grandma's. I stumbled in on her watching the 3rd episode of You're Beautiful-the water photo shoot scene. This was the first time I've been exposed to a drama first hand (for years my Vietnamese friend bugged me about dramas-I just thought she was weird then). I fell in love with the characters, the music, EVERYTHING. From then on, I've been watching dramas nonstop and listening to Kpop and OSTs.

As I was watching You're Beautiful a week later, I was at that same water photo shoot scene when my 3 cousins walked in and then they got hooked on Korean dramas and music too. Now, Korean dramas and kpop are all we ever talk about!

It has been over two years now, and my love for Korean culture is as strong as ever. Kpop is all I listen to, kdramas are all I watch, Korean cosmetics are all I use and I wish Korean food was all I eat.

In this blog I'll post my encounters and exposure of anything Korean. Enjoy!