My deep_discount_dvd_cd Package!

Despite the sketchy company name, I think I like this business!  deep_discount_dvd_cd is an online seller that has a storefront through Amazon.  This company sells miscellaneous CDs and DVDs, including kpop ones.  I have been eyeing Infinite's Second Invasion: First Concert Live in Seoul DVD for a bit on Amazon's webpage, but as expected, there is limited information.  There was no information of the contents of this product besides 3 discs (so I wasn't sure if there was a photobook), there was no region code and there were no given subtitles.  I was basically blindly buying this product and hoping it was exactly what I was looking for.  I decided to email deep_discount_dvd_cd, but they never responded.  After three days I emailed three other sellers through Amazon, and they all responded back the next day.  (By the way they all said they can't provide this information because a third party supplies them this product).  I decided to order from deep_discount_dvd_cd regardless of them not replying to me, because on their seller information it says if you order by 11AM PST (which I did do), they will ship your package on the same day and provide a tracking code.  I'm very naive and hopeful, so I continued to be faithful to this company.  But it wasn't until three days later that Amazon said my package has been shipped.  I ordered on April 22nd, and Amazon said that my package would arrive between April 29th and May 14th.  USPS said my package would arrive on May 1st.  Yet before I knew it, my package came on April 27th, just five days after I ordered it!  My package arrived earlier than expected which was very surprisingly.  And here is the beauty:

My Second Invasion ended up coming in a cardboard box that fit perfectly, with plastic air bags on top to completely fill the package.  The product itself was in good condition, though there was a slight ding on the side.  This item ended up being about $60, which is about the same as Kpoptown and cheaper than YesAsia and other sellers on Amazon.  So despite the lack of information given, everything worked out perfectly, much better than expected.  Overall, I'm so happy at how early the package came and can't wait to watch Infinite in action!

My Kpoptown Package! (Poster)

Despite the agonizing anticipation of my CNBlue CD from my first Kpoptown order, I decided to order from this website again.  I had ordered my Infinite New Challenge CD without a random poster so then I could order a poster separately and choose from the three myself.  I ordered from Kpoptown on April 12th, and the next day they had already shipped my poster!  Finally my poster arrived on the 26th, arriving only 2 weeks since I had placed the order.  I am very satisfied with the shipping this time.  Also the price was reasonable, $4.90 for the poster and $4.90 for shipping.

Here is the package:

My unfolded poster came in a mini poster tube, about 2 feet tall.  The tube is made of hard cardboard, which protected the poster pretty well.  Under the metal caps was a small layer of bubble wrap.

And here is the poster:

I can't stare at this poster too long or else I feel like passing out from fangirling so much!  I absolutely love this poster because it shows the group dynamics of Infinite that the other two posters didn't portray as well.  The entire theme is so fun and carefree, and how the members created an infinity symbol is very cool and the camera angle makes for a new and creative composition. 

Sadly my poster was a bit damaged at the top left.  It was a bit crinkled, and lasted about 5 inches across the top.  Besides that, I'm quite happy about my poster.  It's made of good quality paper.  This poster is also much bigger than my Paradise poster, with dimensions of 77cm by 52cm (roughly 2.53' by 1.71').  You can get a visual idea of its size by comparing the poster to the two Infinite CDs to its sides.

Overall, I can't wait to put this up on my wall!  I'm so happy I decided to purchase the poster separately from the album so I can choose the type myself.  This is definitely my most favorite poster of Infinite (or any poster in general) because of how happy, fun and carefree the members look!

Tony Moly Peach Anti-Aging Hand Cream Review

Tony Moly is known for its adorable, realistic beauty products.  This cute hand cream is no exception!  According to online descriptions, the Peach Anti-Aging Hand Cream contains peach and apricot extracts and other vitamins and ingredients to improve wrinkles and aging.  The result is supposed to be smoother, softer and whiter hands.

This peach is about life size, fitting in the palm of my hand.  The packaging itself is very similar to its nature counterpart.  The finish is matte, mimicking peach fuzz.  The color gradient, from cream to peachy pink from bottom to top, is also like a peach seen in Asian culture (red envelopes, cartoons, etc.).

The top half of the peach twists off, revealing a flat, white lid.  Surprisingly the lid doesn't have 'Tony Moly' imprinted, but instead is just a flushed lid.  This is to prevent the cream from spilling if the product weren't placed upright.

The color is white, from seen inside the peach, there is a slight, pale pink hue.  The texture is very rich, creamy and smooth.  This hand cream is definitely very moisturizing for even the driest, chapped hands, making my hands feel very smooth and soft despite previously being dry and rough.

Pros

• The packaging is too adorable!
• 30 grams is a lot for using just on the hands, so this can go a long way.
• The peach and apricot scent is very strong and lovely.  I smelled it right after I opened the lid, it's so intense!  Also with my hands typing, I can still smell the cream.
• This cream has been ranked as my go-to cream for when my hands are super dry and seeking moisture.  I'm amazed at just how healthy, smooth and soft (not to mention yummy-smelling!) my hands are right now.

Cons

• Maybe if you're sensitive to fragrance, then this product could be a problem.  But I see nothing wrong with this hand cream!

Overall, I love this product.  It is definitely another win for Tony Moly!  The sugary fruit scent reminds me of peach gummy rings, which is pleasing.  I didn't actually know that this product is supposed to whiten your hands until I read up on it, so I really hope the cream does just this.  This cream already moisturizes my hands to perfection, so if it whitens as well, I'd be a super happy camper!

My YesAsia Package!

Ever since Woollim Entertainment began building great anticipation for the main track "Man in Love" with its week-long teasers and both Google+ events on the day of New Challenge's digital release, I have been following Infinite closer than ever and waiting so long for their physical album release on the 25th.  This past month has been so stressful as I had been trying to get my hands on my own copy.  Here is my journey of frustration:

I was in Toronto during Infinite's release and had expected the stores there would magically have New Challenge in stock.  Unfortunately every store I checked said that they would receive the album two weeks after the release date.  I was disappointed because a store on the west coast of Canada had the album in stock just 3 days after the release date.  I understand that the west coast is much closer to Korea than the east coast, but I still had faith.

I decided to order mine directly from Amazon.com instead, which I had thought would have the fastest shipping sense usually direct Amazon packages arrive at my doorstep on its pre-order date.  Amazon's pre-order date was April 2nd, but once that date hit, the webpage said that this item was temporarily out of stock.  This webpage was already causing me concern because of the lack of information provided (including the title of the album being 'Infinite' and having no information of whether it comes with a poster or not).  With even more frustration, I cancelled my order.

Then I decided to order from YesAsia.com, which supposedly has very fast shipping (under a week).  I ordered on April 6th and it shipped on April 8th.  The shipping time was 6-14 days.

On Saturday, April 20th, Amazon finally announced that it had a few New Challenge albums in stock (last I checked was 4), meaning the CD would have arrived pretty shortly after then with prime, 2-day shipping.

Infinite's album has really been haunting me, because for the past 3 nights I've had dreams of other people receiving their CDs (including the limited edition ones) and on the last night, I finally received my copy, which happened to be a limited edition.  My dreams were a sign that the CD has finally come.  Today, 10 days after it had shipped (excluding weekends), my CD has finally arrived!

Sorry for blogging about all of that unnecessary frustration, but I just had to vent it out.  But now that my package has arrived, I can't stop grinning; my friend said I look so happy :)  And here it is:

 

 I was so excited that I opened my package just as I got it, walking on the sidewalk.  My album came inside a bubble wrap envelope, which was wrapped with 2 more layers of bubble wrap, then placed inside a tight plastic envelope that was then bounded by lots of masking tape.  It took awhile to open the package and reach its core, showing brilliant packaging.  I must admit, it did feel awkward carrying around a suspicious looking package...

Now a bit about YesAsia.  YesAsia is the same company as YesStyle, and it's based in Hong Kong.  The website has a huge selection of official Asian entertainment goods.  YesAsia is a trustworthy website, but with such high standards comes high prices.  YesAsia's products are usually more expensive than prices at Amazon, Kpoptown, etc.  They do have occasional deals though, like if you're a first time shopper.

Holika Holika Real Lip Butter Review

Holika Holika is a Korean beauty brand that has an enchantingly magical theme.  I decided to purchase one of their lip products that doesn't fall into its main concept but is still fun and refreshing.  I bought Holika's Real Butter Lip Balm for $11.50 (Canadian currency) at Pacific Mall in Markham, Canada.

Holika's lip butter comes in three flavors: milk, strawberry and butter. I'm also drawn to the unique flavors, but butter was a bit too extreme as a beauty product.  I had originally purchased the milk flavor to give to my friend, but loved the scent so much that I decided to keep that and buy the strawberry flavor for her.  This 6 gram lip balm comes in a flat tin with a perforated plastic wrap.  The bottom of the packaging doesn't offer much.

With this image, you can see just how big this balm is relative to my fingers.  You can also see the opening/closing mechanism, which I explain below in the 'Pros' section.  The texture is smooth and the consistency is very thick and hard.  I had to put a lot of pressure while swiping my finger tip on the product to get a thin layer.  Because with several swipes I barely got any product on my finger, and because the color is transparent, it wasn't worth a swatch photo.

Pros

•  I absolutely love the milk flavor!  The scent reminds me of sweet Asian milk candy, which is so unique and definitely not a flavor found in western products.
• It is very easy to open this tin with just one hand: simply put pressure on the lid and slide it open.  Despite opening it with such ease, it still has a very sturdy closure so you can't easily slide the entire lid off (though you can if you want to turn the lid 180 degrees).  You can see this with the third image.
• This tin is very small and flat, so it can easily fit anywhere, including tight jean pockets, without looking bulky. 
• My lips are left feeling smoother and healthier than before.
• Because this is the type of balm where you scoop the product yourself, you can choose the amount to put on.

Cons

•  The balm is very hard to pick up out of the tin.  It's like using the heat from your finger to melt a frozen chocolate bar.

Overall, my favorite part about this product is the scent.  I love just flicking the lid open and smelling it.  This balm is meant for already healthy, unchapped lips so I wouldn't suggest this product to severally chapped lips.  Because it is kind of hard to scoop out the product, I wouldn't purchase this product again, but I'm not disregarding this product either! 

Korean Beauty Brand: Holika Holika

Holika Holika is a newer Korean cosmetic brand, launching in early 2010.  In early 2013, Holika launched its American website, along with a Facebook page and twitter account.  Holika has stores throughout Asia and only one location outside of Asia, in Markham, just outside of Toronto, Canada.

This brand has a magical, witchcraft-like concept.  To me, their American counterpart seems like Urban Decay due to similar themes.  Holika's logo is a deep purple silhouette of a witch flying on a broom with stars twinkling in the background.  Holika Holika comes from the English suffix -holic, meaning addiction, and the Korean word holida, meaning temptation.  The brand's motto is "Holika Holika, cast a spell on your wishes. Holika Holika, magic cosmetics for your wishes to come true." This is a bit arbitrary, but fits with the overall magical theme.

Currently the endorsers for Holika are actor Jung Il Woo, actress Park Shin Hye and girl group Sistar. Previously CNBlue were the endorsers, which was what originally drew my attention to this brand.  Throughout the store I visited in Markham, Il Woo's face is smiling all over the place :)

Holika's prices are a bit higher than that of other Korean cosmetic brands of the same customer target, including The Face Shop and SkinFood.  In my opinion, many of the products are overpriced, but there are some reasonable items.  The nail polish, pictured below, was $8, mask sheets started at $2 and a 6 gram tin of lip butter was $11.50, all in Canadian currency.

Products range from skincare (including the adorable egg soaps packaged in egg cartons, like in the second photo) to cosmetics to BB creams (for males and females) to beauty tools.  The packaging is very charming, matching the magical fantasy theme.  You can see how this nail polish has a pretty look to it, with the glass bottle almost looking like a crystal ball.  The hue is also very unique and looks like a witch's potion, also having a similar color to Taylor Swift's Wonderstruck perfume.

To get information on my experience in Holika Holika's only store outside of Asia, check out my post on Pacific Mall.

SkinFood Good Afternoon BB Cream Review

SkinFood has an adorable BB cream line called Good Afternoon BB Cream, with five different tea flavors that target specific needs, though many of these features overlap with one another. All of the creams in this collection have SPF 20 and come in two shades.

Besides its function, this line's packaging is very adorable. One tube of BB cream is placed in a small, foldable, brown paper bag similar to fancy tea bag packaging.

I bought the lightest shade of Honey Black Tea from C&C Korean Cosmetics at a fair price of roughly around $10. According to the back of the package, the Honey Black Tea is meant to moisturize and brighten skin.

Here is a swatch of the lightest shade offered:

This cream smells more like generic sun screen rather than honey black tea.  The product comes out quickly and is a bit runny.  The amount shown is enough for moderate coverage (1-2 layers).  1 layer is very minimal coverage, so just keep layering for your desired amount of coverage.

The directions say to apply the cream in a gentle patting motion, though I prefer rubbing it in a small, circular motion. Either way seems to work just fine.

Pros

• I absolutely love the finish!  This BB cream leaves my skin looking and feeling smooth and healthy.  It doesn't look too matte or dewy or unnatural.
• (Similar to the first point): My face doesn't feel greasy or gross like other face creams I've tried.
• This color matches my skin very well.  Because the consistency is so runny, 1 layer is very translucent and can be used by a range of skin tones.
• The cream dries quickly so layering doesn't take much time.
• The small size and convenient shape make this cream easy to bring around.
• The packaging is adorable.

Cons

• The smell is tolerable, but could be more fun and pleasing.
• 1 layer is still very translucent, so try 2-3 layers.

Overall, I love this BB cream!  Though this is only the second BB cream I've tried, I definitely love its quality and will continue to try this afternoon tea line.  The finish gives my face a polished, naturally healthy glow and stays throughout the day.

The Face Shop Real Nature Mask Raspberry Review

On my visit to The Face Shop in Markham, I really wanted to buy something but had no interest in any specific product.  So I decided to buy the cheapest thing: face masks!  I bought three, and today I'll be testing the Real Nature Mask in Raspberry.  What drew me to this particular mask was my love for raspberries and the very appetizing picture on the front. There are various other flavors, including Mung Bean and Pomegranate, which I reviewed here.

The back has information in both Korean and English.

There are unappealing images of how to wear the mask sheet.  The bottom states the date 10/24/2015, which I'm assuming is the expiration date.  The center states that this mask contains extract that was grounded from 1,000mg of fresh raspberries (in bad English).  Underneath it states that this mask is for maintaining healthy and dense skin.

Here is a close up of the bottom half of the backside, which is where the English section is.  The directions say to first clean your face, then place the mask sheet onto your face and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.  There is a warning for if you have an allergy to adhesive tape or have broken (dry, cracked?) skin, to not use this mask sheet.

Here is the mask sheet after my first use.  You can see the tiny slits around the edges and holes for a more 3D fit.  You can also see the nose flap and the huge mouth hole.

Pros

•  The subtle raspberry aroma is very pleasing and lasts throughout and well after the 20 minutes.
• Surprisingly the fit of this mask was very tight and perfect, from the nose upward.  The eye hole was just big enough to expose my eyebrows, but on the downside my eyelids weren't covered in the mask.
• The liquid is very moist, and the mask feels like a gelled up sanitizer wipe.
•  The mask was very cool and chilling, giving a refreshing and relaxing experience.
• Afterwards my face was very moist.  I decided to tap the excess for my face to better absorb the liquid.  After this tapping, my face was a bit sticky but not in a gross way.
•  Because the mask was still so moist after the first usage, I stored it back in the packet to reuse the following evening.  The packet wasn't as cool, more room temperature, but the sheet was still moist and fragrant.  Unfortunately the mask was very loose and fell right off when I sat up, but I was still able to wipe my neck and limbs with the excess liquid.

Cons

•  When I first put the sheet on, there was so much liquid absorbed into the sheet that it was very suffocating around my nose.
• Like many mask sheets, this one is a bit loose from the nose downward.  The mouth hole is twice as big as my mouth, so half of my chin was exposed.

Overall, I loved this mask.  It feels so refreshing, relaxing and destressing for my face.  My most favorite part is the light raspberry fragrance, which adds an extra pleasing touch to the mask's freshness.  I also love how much liquid is compacted and absorbed into the packet, so I'm able to reuse this mask and then wipe my neck and limbs for extra freshness all over my body.

Bellevue: Seoul Garden Restaurant Review

Going to this restaurant was an impromptu visit, so I apologize for the lack of detail and photos. This restaurant is quite small and is located in the corner of a strip mall, on 304 105th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004. The decor is quite simple, with colorful walls, a TV displaying sports and American music playing in the background (sadly no signs of kpop anywhere). The waitresses are fluent in both Korean and English; in fact their English seems like their native tongue.

The place setting is really adorable.  I love the sanitary slip placed over the spoon!

 Here are the side dishes.  We received three sets of six dishes for 10 people.  From the top left going clockwise, there was seaweed, cucumber, kimchi, jelly-like strips, noodles and bean curd.  Each dish had its own taste to counterbalance each other.

The main dishes were very flavorful.  We ordered a variety of dishes, and each had its unique flavor.  We ordered two tofu soups, one originally spicy and another mild.  Usually when the customer alters the flavor of the dish (like choosing mild instead of the regular spicy) the dish doesn't taste as flavorful, but the mild flavor actually had a lot of flavor!  I was pleasantly surprised and would definitely order mild again.  My favorite was the dduk-bohk-yi, a spicy rice cake appetizer that had me wanting more!

The price was pretty reasonable, especially for the large portions served.  The bill ended up being about $108 for 10 people (six adults) for dinner, which is very decent, especially because everybody was stuffed and we had leftovers.  The service was also very good, despite only three waitresses working.  There were about 5-10 other parties, and the waitresses were prompt to serve everyone quickly.  Overall, I'd definitely come back to get my Korean food fix!

Markham: Pacific Mall

Pacific Mall is a three story Chinese mall located in Markham, a suburb of Toronto. Majority of the retail is on the ground floor, with miscellaneous tenants selling electronic accessories, Asian (mainly Korean and Japanese) beauty products and Asian CDs and DVDs (both legit and counterfeit). Many of these stalls are random, unheard-of shops, but the chain brands include The Face Shop, Holika Holika, and to my surprise, soon Tony Moly! Here I'll highlight the shops I went to and what I bought.

Broadcast
This store occupies a corner spot, so despite there being hundreds of repetitive shops throughout the mall, it isn't too hard to find Broadcast if you just circle the perimeter. To further stand out, there are kpop posters against the exterior, but I'm not sure if they're for sale.

Out of all the shops at this mall selling Asian CDs and DVDs, I think Broadcast has the best (and is probably the only shop with a) reputation of selling only authentic discs. There are rows of fully packed shelves containing kpop and kpop CDs and concert DVDs, as well as Asian dramas and other genres. They carry newly released media, as well as older ones like Ss501. The latest kpop CDs and DVDs are at the front counter. There are two older Cantonese ladies running the shop, who were very helpful. Though they were out of the Infinite CDs I was looking for, she directed me to other popular and highly demanded CDs. She was more knowledgeable than I thought, but I did have to correct her about a few things.

There are also not authentic Kpop merchandise, such as scrolls, mouse pads (roughly $10), playing cards (Infinite's for $15.99), notepads, keychains, pens, and more.  Just a side note, no photos allowed inside the store. Whoops, I only saw the sign after I had started taking photos.

The Face Shop

The store is very simplistic and pristine with its glossy white panels.

Sadly a Kim Hyun Joong cutout doesn't greet customers at this location, but his face is still plastered throughout the store. The Face Shop is really using Hyun Joong as the face of the brand, even placing his face on the mirrors and business card. The workers are also friendly and helpful, so don't be afraid to approach them. Sometimes there's no worker at the register, however, so just seek one of the workers.

I wanted to buy something from The Face Shop despite not actually wanting any of their products, so I just bought their cheapest products. I chose three face mask sheets, costing $1.70 and $2 each. Sadly my purchase didn't come with any samples.

Holika Holika

This Holika Holika location is the only one outside of Asia, so I was thrilled to visit this one. The layout is simplistic like The Face Shop, but the storefront has two gorgeous Jung Il Woo cutouts greeting customers.

I had to take photos with them, as they'll be the closest I'll get to the real thing! Around the store are little advertisements of Jung Il Woo holding various Holika products and labels of his recommended products. Sistar also endorses the brand, but there was only a poster of the group on the side of the store. Prices are fairly expensive compared to other brands. The workers are friendly and helpful when I asked her to show me their lip balms; she ended up walking me to all of their lip products and describing each to me.

My first purchase (top) was the milk lip butter and nail polish, which came with a free sample. My second purchase (bottom right) was the strawberry lip butter and face mask sheet, and sadly that didn't come with a free sample. It may just be the worker, because during my first purchase the first worker sent me off without giving me a sample but then a second worker peered over and got one for me before I left. I think it just depends on the worker.

Debbie
This shop carries various Korean cosmetics. There are workers of different Asian nationalities, so if you're not confident with English, you might be able to communicate in Cantonese or Korean. They are all friendly and helped me test out products by getting the product and placing of on my hand themselves. One customer was even getting a makeover done. The prices seem a bit more expensive, but they can give you more samples as a compromise.

I ended up buying Tony Moly's Tomatox and Silky Smooth Balm and received samples for a full skincare routine that included four different products, which she determined by touching my cheek for my skin type, and she let me choose from a whitening and natural BB cream. All of my samples and the bag were from Missha, despite not buying any from that brand.

Tony Moly
I was so ecstatic to see my most favorite skincare brand about to open a store in North America! Though the glass walls are boarded with construction paper, it appears that construction is almost finished. According to the work permit posted on the front door, construction period is supposed to end on April 2nd, which is coming up!

I also took a sneak peek inside and can already see JYJ endorsing!

I got so excited about this Tony Moly location that these photos ended up extra blurry :/

Also outside of Pacific Mall is a sports shop that has large a 2NE1 for Adidas advertisement on the storefront. Unfortunately inside the store is only posters of soccer players.

If you're ever in need of cosmetics, there is an abundance of them throughout the entire Pacific Mall.  For the best selection of CDs and DVDs, your best bet is probably online.