Infinite: Destiny 2nd Single Album Review

2013 has been a milestone of a year for Infinite.  Infinite H and Myungsoo had their own activities, then Infinite came back with Man in Love, then they announced a legit world tour, and now Destiny has come out!  This era has been very hyped up due to the roughly one million dollar budget for filming the Destiny music video at Universal Studios California, and then an additional photoshoot in Las Vegas.  After Infinite's fresh and romantic Man in Love era, they are back to their usual dark and edgy selves.  While Sweetune has composed majority of Infinite's past hits and main tracks, Infinite stepped in a new direction and had Rphabet compose Destiny.  It's been said that 'Destiny' is the most Infinite-like music.  Hearing this has disappointed me because I love all of Infinite's past main tracks, but listening to 'Destiny' or any of the other tracks on this single didn't click with me at first.  I hope this is not the end of Infinite and Sweetune's relationship!  I am glad that Infinite has performed all of their songs on this album, because watching performances has always made me eventually enjoy the songs.

I pre-ordered my Destiny album and unfolded poster from Kpoptown.com.  I was very satisfied with delivery this time, because my packages shipped a day after Destiny's release and both the album and poster tube arrived in 9 days!  As a pre-order, Kpoptown also gifted me with their own 5 double-sided photocards of stills from the Destiny music video in Universal Studios California.

This album has the same dimensions as Infinite's previous mini albums and single.  However, the front and back covers are much thicker and sturdier than Infinite's first single (whose covers were practically made of thin cardboard), creating an even higher quality physical album.

 

The album cover displays Infinite's name, current infinity symbol and album name, all in a metallic finish.  The cover has Infinite posing in their Destiny outfits on the deserted streets of Universal Studios.  The entire image is in grayscale, with a very sheer silver-gray metallic finish.  The back cover is a simple black, with the album name, tracklist and holographic seal of authentication.

This album comes with 1 of 7 gorgeous photocards.  I'm so happy with the photocards for Destiny; the quality, the photo itself, the size, everything about the cards are amazing.  I received Sung Yeol!  The back of the photocard also has character, showcasing Infinite's new era.  The photocard is almost as big as the album itself (you can compare Sung Yeol with the back of the album cover from the top image). 

Inside the album is the photobook on the left and CD on the right.  Interestingly enough, the photobook doesn't have any member profile; not even their names are mentioned.  The photobook merely has beautiful photos, along with lyrics and a 'thanks to' page.

This photobook has 46 pages of high quality photos.  The book is split into 2 photoshoots.  The first photoshoot (the top photo), which contains 16 pages, is of the main 'Destiny' and poster attire at Universal.  The second photoshoot (the bottom photo) fills the rest of the photobook's pages.  Infinite is wearing their alternative 'Destiny' outfits, which have a military feel to them with army print.  I believe they shot these photos in the Vegas desert, with a car and crashed planes in the background.  The layout of these photos is very professional.  Dongwoo's photos remind me of a Marc by Marc Jacobs perfume ad.  Both photoshoots portray the usual dark and serious Infinite.  Majority of these photos are individual shots, except for the first page with the tracklist.

I was upset by the weak binding toward the end of the photobook.  It appears that the book might just rip off because of how many pages there are in comparison to the strength of the binding.  I'm assuming this is the manufacturer's fault and not Kpoptown's shipping and handling.  I wonder if others also have this issue...

I'm a neat freak and value my posters very much, which is why this poster is framed.  My album came with one of two posters.  I received Version B, which is the design I had wanted!  Version A is simply the Destiny album cover, which is also intriguing, but I wanted the more unique image.  The dimensions of this poster is the same as the poster for L's Bravo Viewtiful, which is 53cm by 77cm, or 1.74' by 2.53'.  In this version, the boys are wearing more casual black and white outfits, while sternly posing on the steps of an apartment building at Universal.  I'm just disappointed at how the boys further up on the steps (Sung Jong, Sung Gyu, Hoya, etc.) become more out of focus.  I'd like to see Infinite in HD!

Here is the tracklist that's printed on the inside cover of the photobook, along with Sung Yeol's boots.  Because this album is a single, there is no introduction track, instead 4 very strong songs.  And here are my thoughts on these songs:

1. 'Destiny' is the powerful main track that falls closely to many of Infinite's previous main tracks.  The vocals are strong, maybe because main vocalists Sung Gyu and Woo Hyun have majority of the lines.  The translated lyrics reveal Infinite's usual desperation and relationship troubles.  They sing about how they have left a woman before but want to be involved again and will do anything to be back with her, "'cause you're my destiny."  I really like these lyrics because they are deep and meaningful and do reflect some relationships in reality.  The music video reminds me of Infinite's debut music video, 'Come Back Again,' with its random super powers.  The music video showcases its investment in Universal Studios by filming on its famous streets as well as the warehouse that Inception (the American movie) filmed.  While all of Infinite's previous main track dances always had a signature move, there was no one dance move that really stuck with me in 'Destiny.'
2. 'Inception' begins with what reminds me of tribal sounds or snake charmers.  This song sounds more mature than Infinite's previous songs.  The line distribution is more even, allowing all members to express their singing abilities more.  The translated lyrics reveal Infinite as very caring and protective of their woman, singing that she should take care of her feelings and eventually she'll be with her man (Infinite).  The performance for 'Inception' is amazing.  Infinite performs while dancing on chairs, which creates a much slower dance that's that common of Infinite.
3. 'I'm Going to You' is a beautiful slow track about a man who is reminiscing about the warm memories he shared with his woman and how he must see her as soon as possible because he misses her so much.  I absolutely love this song because the vocals are clear and beautiful and the chorus is so catchy without being an annoying hook song.  I love singing along to the chorus!
4. 'Mom' is a very thoughtful ballad dedicated to mothers.  The lyrics explain how one has grown up childish, always expecting more, but has finally grown up and is giving all of the love he has received from his mom.  As a slow song, it definitely displays the members' beautiful voices and singing abilities, despite the lopsided line distribution.

Overall, though Destiny is not favorite era of Infinite, after listening to the album on repeat I have started liking these songs.  There is a bit of falsetto in the first two tracks, which always makes me melt every time I hear it!  All of the songs add their own unique sound into this album, creating a variety of sounds that work well  and make the album more diverse.  Of course I also do love this concept.  While this concept is so similar to Infinite's past eras, they know what works well for them and stick with it.  Lastly, I commend Infinite and Woollim for investing so much into this album and being the first Kpop group to film at Universal Studios California.

K-Boy Paradise Magazine Vol.09 Review

K-Boy Paradise is a monthly Japanese magazine hat focuses on Jpop of Korean artists.  I bought the July 2013 issue, volume 9, from Seattle Chinatown's Kinokuniya Bookstore.  This edition is a double feature, with the cover focusing on Infinite and the back cover covering Lee Hong Ki.

This magazine is especially special, because it comes with 2 folded, double-sided posters.  [Note: I went back to Kinokuniya and checked out the June 2013 issue, and this one is also a double feature with 2 posters.  So possibly every issue is like this.]  In the top left photo, you can see the poster is folded into fourths and is nicely protected behind the front cover.  Each poster is attached to the spine of the magazine with a perforated tab.  This poster is of Lee Hong Ki.

Here is the poster of Infinite, in their famous 'Man In Love' costumes.  One side shows each member separately, revealing their individual charms.  Their names in English and Japanese are printed at the bottom of each image.  On the other side is a cute group shot, revealing Infinite in love.

This issue has a 24 page spread of Infinite.  These pages include group shots, individual pages, mini group pages, and a gorgeous collage of photos that reveal a bit of aegyo, a birthday and some dance moves.

The last two pages covering Infinite reveal Infinite's latest Japanese projects and releases, including Hoya's drama Reply 1997, Ranking King, the 2012 Infinite Concert and L's Bravo Viewtiful.  I especially love the very last photo, which is of Myungsoo and his camera.  There is something about his pose and expression (and his typical black clothes!) of which I can't get enough!

The front portion is of Infinite while the back portion is of Lee Hong Ki. In between the two main stories are mini articles of Korean artists and actors.  Above are articles and photos of Yoon Eun Hye and Yoo Seung Ho of the drama I Miss You, as well as Song Joong Ki from his hit movie A Werewolf Boy.

The magazine continues with a 16 page spread of Lee Hong Ki adorned with a casual photoshoot.  At the end is a foldout and interview of Kim Hyun Joong.

Besides the many photos of Infinite (and Lee Hong Ki), there are also lots of pictures and articles of Hallyu artists and actors.  Even if you can't read Japanese, the abundant high quality photos that fill up over 120 pages are enough to make this magazine worth every penny.  Overall, as an Inspirit, I'm so ecstatic to have this magazine and admire such beautiful photos!

Infinite: Be Mine Single (Type C - Innocent Version) Review

I ordered this Japanese single album from SoundSourceCDs, an individual seller on Amazon.com from Japan with a contact center in LA.  My package shipped in about a day and a half after my order and arrived on a Saturday, 10 days after being shipped despite the estimated delivery date being 4 to 7 weeks since the order date.  My album arrived in a thin paper envelope and very strong bubble wrap that fits snuggled securely around the album.  Overall I'm quite satisfied with my order and will definitely order from this seller again!

In April 2012, Infinite released their Japanese single 'Be Mine' in several versions: a normal edition only containing a CD (like a typical American album), and then 3 versions, Solid (Type A), Pop Art (Type B) and Innocent (Type C), that each include photocards and a photobooklet.  I blogged about Type A here and Type C here. Each type includes the same tracklist but have a uniquely interesting concept.  I ordered the innocent version because I love this concept and it fits Infinite the most in my eyes (I've always seen them as so innocent, which is what makes me love them so much).

The top left photo shows how the album looks from the side.  The bottom left photo shows the front album cover.  The right photo shows the backside of the album and Myungsoo's adorable smile.  I love always being able to admire Myungsoo's photocard without removing it from the album since his is always at the top of the collection.

This Japanese single is very different from the packaging of Infinite's Korean albums, but it does have roughly the same dimensions as Infinite's Korean mini albums and singles.  In order, starting from the photocard side and from right to left in the photo, this album comes with Myungsoo's photocard, followed by 6 individual photocards in descending order by age (Sunggyu to Sungjong), next the group photocard, followed by the bonus photocard (mine is Sunggyu's), then the photobooklet and finally the CD case. 

The photocards, photobooklet and CD case come in a thin plastic case.  You can kind of see how the sides are wobbly, which makes it a bit hard to put the contents back inside.  The album itself had a plastic wrap over it, and I just cut out the opening on the side and left the rest of the wrap on the album to preserve the stickers.  The round sticker has pricing information while this rectangular sticker displays the 8 photocards and all 7 bonus photocards.

This version always comes with 7 individual member photocards and 1 adorable group shot.  There is also an extra photocard of a member; I got Sunggyu's!  The outfits, colors, hairstyles and expressions make the boys of Infinite fit this innocent concept beautifully.  For me, the focus of this album is the photocards and I absolutely love each card.

These photocards are very high quality and are made of cardstock, making them that much more treasurable.  The back of the 9 photocards all look the same.  It is a solid silver/gray hue with the bottom displaying the elegant Infinite era logo and the names of each member.

The photobooklet cover is very simplistic.  The back cover has an adorable group shot from the backside, and includes the credits.  There are a total of 10 pages.

The first page of the photobooklet includes the tracklist.  The songs are the introduction, 'Over the Top,' and the Japanese versions of 'Be Mine' and 'Julia.'  There are two pages dedicated to the lyrics of the songs.  The remaining pages are filled with one gorgeous page per member, showcasing the group's strong visuals as well as a mini biography on each member.  These pages also include the members' copied signatures, which is fun to see how they sign and how their personalities play into theirautographs.

The CD is in a plastic backing inside this cardboard folder type device.  The cover is actually the entire packaging's cover, while the backside is a simplistic yet elegant design matching the innocence theme.  I wish this case were more protective, but I'm not too concerned since I don't need to take out the disc often.

Inside the actual CD case is this slip of paper showing Infinite's Japanese CDs, concert DVDs and variety show DVD, which is obviously now outdated.  On the other side are the 3 versions of the single 'Be Mine,' including all of the included and bonus photocards.

Overall, the contents of the 'Be Mine' single, Innocent Version, are gorgeous.  The beautiful photocards are the highlight of this album and I love looking at them.  The photobooklet is equally gorgeous.  However, as an international fan that can't understand Korean nor Japanese, I prefer listening to the Korean versions of  'Be Mine' and 'Julia' more than the Japanese versions.  I decided not to review the tracklist since these are just the Japanese versions of originally Korean songs.  I would only recommend buying this album if you're a fan of the photos more so than the tracks themselves.

Seattle Chinatown: Uwajimaya Store

Uwajimaya is a large Japanese grocery store catering the Northwest.  While majority of the stores are for buying Asian food, there is a small section selling miscellaneous Asian gifts such as dishware, cards and beauty products.  In the Seattle Chinatown location, this gift area is past the rows of cash registers and just adjacent to Kinokuniya Bookstore, the Japanese bookstore with gorgeous magazines.

In a small glass counter display there are Korean and Japanese beauty products.  I found Dr. Jart+ Shining Base and Sun Block, as well as a variety of Skin79's BB creams.  The prices for these weren't listed.

On the other side of the counter is a selection of SkinFood masks.  The masks displayed from left to right are Black Sesame Seed Hot Mask, Cucumber Soothing Mask, Rice Mask, Black Sugar Mask, Kiwi Yogurt Mask and Fresh Aloe Pack.  The prices for these SkinFood products range from $14.80 to $19.  All the products in the photos were the only Korean products I found.

Usually there isn't a worker on duty (as you can see on the last picture how there is a "Checkstand Closed" sign).  The worker is needed to take the products out, offer testers and make transactions.  Also you can see the "No Returns" sign for beauty products.  It's been rather difficult finding Korean beauty products in the Seattle area, so I was surprised to see these products right in Seattle's Chinatown, at reasonable prices.  On a side note, I think I saw some toddler's colorful hanboks on the next display for purchase, which looked very adorable.

SkinFood GoldKiwi Hydrating Mask Review

SkinFood's Gold Kiwi line mostly focuses on sun protection and whitening skin.  According to SkinFood's webpage, gold kiwis are found in New Zealand and are used to "restore your sun-damaged skin from deep under."  SkinFood's GoldKiwi Hydrating Mask especially does this, as well as moisturize and hydrate your skin sufficiently.

I received this mask as a sample from my first SkinFood purchase.  The sales representative especially recommended and praised this mask out of the 5 mask samples I received from this purchase.  If you were to purchase this mask, it's 10 of these 8ml small containers in a disposable-looking to-go drink container.  The one downfall about this style of packaging is that you can't choose how much product you want to use every time. 

The instructions online say after washing, apply and gently rub an ample amount of the product (the more you apply to an extent, the more effective), leave on for 10 minutes and then rinse off with cold water.  I was a bit confused, but I think the site also says you can apply the mask to your neck, arms and legs when they've had too much sun exposure and need moisturization.

To my disappointment, the container was less than half full with product.  In the top left photo, you can see how big this container is compared to my (super red) hand.  It was rather difficult to remove the lid.  As seen in the bottom left photo, the mask is translucent and has a pale yellow hue, with a slight citrus scent.

I applied just the excess mask (from the lid and the sides) onto my face, and that was plenty and sufficient.  But because the website states to apply an ample amount, I kept layering and layering until I had finally used up the entire container.  It took quite awhile to use up the mask and I even had to put a lot under my chin.  In the photo at the right you can see the final layering.  For the most part the mask goes on clear and glossy, but there are streaks where there is excess product.

Pros

• The mask feels very cool and refreshing on my face as I was applying it.
• The coolness of this mask reminds me of the use of aloe vera to sooth burns.  I can see why this is great for sunburns.
• My face is clean and refreshed afterwards.  I had a tough scab on my nose that was completely softed afterwards.
• My cheeks came out matte with a bit of a healthy sheen, if that makes sense.

Cons

• Because this particular mask is individually packaged for a single use, I can't choose the amount of mask to use.  This one container seemed like it could have lasted me several days.
• There is so much product on my face that it takes a lot longer to apply and to wash off.
• After applying the mask midway, the creases of my nose kept stinging.

Overall, this mask takes too much time (and product) and my results seem equal to using any other typical mask.  While it is refreshing on my face, I wouldn't use this mask often.  I probably wouldn't purchase this product, but if I attained this mask again, I would use it after being sunburned because of the aloe-like soothing effect.

The Face Shop Herb Day 365 Cleansing Foam - Acerola Review

The Face Shop is known for using natural ingredients and for creating great skincare products, and the brand's Herb Day line fits these concepts perfectly.  Herb Day has a variety of products, such as cleansing foam, cleansing tissue wipes, cleansing cream and massage cream.  These products come in various organic flavors, with the most diverse selection of flavors for the cleansing foam.  Here I'll be reviewing my Herb Day 365 Cleansing Foam - Acerola sample, which I received from my purchase at The Face Shop in San Francisco's Japantown.

I didn't know what acerola was, but based on the image it looks like a cherry.  After a quick Google search, I figured out it's a type of tropical cherry from Central and South America, as well as the tropics around the world.  The sample is entirely in English, with the front stating that this is for all skin types and the back listing the ingredients.  The Face Shop's webpage gives more detailed information on the product.  Each flavor targets a specific need; acerola is suggested for whitening skin.  The online descriptions states that this product is "a mild, natural cleanser, effective in cleansing and brightening."  To use, rub on your face until the product is foamy, and rinse off.

The consistency is rather smooth and liquidy, making it easy to use.  This cleanser has a slight pinkish hue that turns white as it's mixed.  With lots of water, it easily foams.  The amount pictured above is very abundant for washing the entire face.

Pros

• The mild, cleanliness scent isn't overpowering nor bothersome.
• My face feels and looks clean afterwards.
• It is very smooth and mild, making this cleanser gentle on the skin.

Cons

•  This product seems too mild, and seems equivalent to using plain hand soap.

Overall, as a mild cleanser or for someone with sensitive or very healthy and normal skin, this isn't a bad product. Of course, I'd have to use this cleanser frequently until I can judge whether or not my skin has gotten brighter and whiter.  In all honesty, I probably won't buy this product because it is too mild and the effects seem comparable to using an ordinary bar of soap. 

My Dentist's Encounter with Infinite

I usually don't post blogs like this one, but today I had a unique experience of my dentist sharing his bystander account (not fan account since he didn't even know who Infinite was) of spotting Infinite.

I've never been a fan of visiting the dentist until today.  My dentist, who immigrated to the US from Korea some time ago, brought up the fact that I like Kpop, and Infinite in particular.  I've never talked to him about my interests other than small talk, but somehow my brother had mentioned my obsession to our dentist during his appointment a few weeks ago.  My dentist then began his story of how last year, 2012, he boarded a commercial flight from Incheon Airport to Thailand.  Suddenly teen girls were taking photos of my dentist, or so he thought.  He turned around to see a tall, slender, very good-looking guy and assumed the photos were of this mysterious prince charming (those were my words, not his).  Then seven good-looking guys boarded the plane and sat in first class with their crew while my dentist sat one row behind them.  He asked the stewardess who these people were and she replied, saying they were Infinite, a popular boy band.  My dentist goes on to say that once he arrived at the Thailand airport, there were other Kpop groups there as well for some Kpop concert and that fans were going crazy.

Me: If only I had a closer relationship with my dentist, he could have met Infinite for me!  But I'm sure they wouldn't want to be bothered on their flight.

I later asked my dentist if it's common to see celebrities at the airports, and he said it's not really common.  But some target celebrity sightseeing would be at broadcasting centers like KBS and SBS, and certain streets and hangouts at Gangnam, because that's where many celebrities live.  He then said how it's true that celebrities' appearances and normal people's appearances are from two different worlds, which throws me back into reality that Kpop stars are rare in the world's population.

Infinite: Inspirit 1st Single Album Review

I bought this album from i-Deals Store, a seller on Amazon.com with the lowest price and based in Kentucky.  To my very pleasant surprise, my package arrived on a Saturday, 5 days after I had ordered it, and 3 days before the earliest arrival date!  The album came in a clear, almost vacuum-sealed wrap and then in a thin cardboard envelope.  I'm very satisfied with the price, delivery and package protection.

Inspirit is Infinite's first physical single album, which released on March 17, 2011.  This album's dimensions are the same as Infinite's mini albums, just vertical-wise instead of horizontal-wise.  However the cover isn't as strong as the mini albums because this album is paperback, while the mini albums are hardcover.  The front cover showcases an interesting new font and a fun and unbalanced logo, while listing the definition of "infinite" once again.  The back cover has the tracklist and the authentication sticker placed perfectly aligned with the text.

Once opened, on the left is the photobooklet and on the right is the disc.  Underneath the disc is adorable, with an image of Infinite smiling happily.  I like how in this shot, they reveal their faces while on the back cover they playfully shield their faces.

While the overall concept of this era is very cute and adorable in the I-want-to-pinch-your-rosy-little-cheeks kind of way, this album consists of two distinct photoshoots that fit this theme. These two photoshoots are displayed in the 38 page photobooklet.  Because the photobooklet is simply stapled together instead of bounded together at the spine, the quality is lower compared to Infinite's mini albums.  The first and main concept is like an adorable schoolboy look.  The only reason I don't like this concept is because all the outfits are mismatching, and there isn't a single pattern in outfit that flows from member to member.  Some of the solo shots also include what I'm guessing is a message composed by that member, such as the top image of L.  The bottom image's configuration is similar to that of Paradise's photoshoot, where the members in the background are unfocused.  Throughout this photobooklet, I see one or two more comparisons to Paradise's photobook as well.

The second photoshoot is so fun, bright, summery and just plain adorable.  The boys have fluffy, natural bedhead hairstyles, white boho-beach tees and bright skinnies.  The back cover looks like the members are having so much fun, which is such a contrast from their predecessor Evolution and successors Over The Top, Paradise, and now Destiny.  The bottom photo shows the uncommon pairing of Hoya and Sungjong, which is also seen on the last page of the Paradise photobook with a similar pose.

This album consists of 3 tracks.  Here is the tracklist from the photobooklet.  The three songs on this album are all from different genres, illustrating how Infinite can perform a wide range successfully.

1. "Nothing's Over" is a very cutesy and fun song that shows Infinite's youthfulness and innocence.  The music video matches this concept perfectly, with its playful settings.  This main track isn't as powerful as Infinite's other main tracks, but it has its own unique personality that adds to Infinite's wide range of concepts.  This era is definitely a nice refresher from the harsh and dark Evolution era.
2. "Shot" is a song that never gets much attention.  It's not performed on stage or in concert often, though it does have potential.  This song is a bit edgier than the other tracks, balancing out the overall cuteness and gentleness of the entire album.  It is definitely very different from usual, yet varied, Infinite sound.  I myself have never given this song much attention because the beginning sounds too much like Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4."  These two songs are very different in many more ways than they are the same, but I love Chicago and felt this a bit too conflicting.  Other than that, "Shot" is a great song that I hope will get as much attention as other Infinite songs.
3. "Can You Smile (Remake)" is a beautiful ballad rendition of the more upbeat original version in Evolution.  This is the song that truly made me fall in love with Infinite, more so than any of Infinite's main tracks.  "Can You Smile" is a remake that really showcases each member's unique and amazing voice.  The tune is very soothing, which is why I always come to this song when I need a pick-me-up or when I'm feeling very sad.  This is a very meaningful song that concludes this short, yet worthy album.

Though Inspirit contains only 3 tracks, each track is very high quality and significant.  The overall packaging is nice as well, making this album an equal part in my collection and a beauty in anyone's Kpop collection.

Kinokuniya Bookstore in Seattle

Kinokuniya Bookstore is a Japanese bookstore located throughout the world.  Each store carries Japanese books, as well as Japanese and Chinese magazines, Japanese CDs, travel guides, stationery and more. 

This Seattle location is the only Kinokuniya in Washington state, and it's located in Chinatown's Japanese grocery store Uwajimaya.  There are two entrances: one is from the corner of 6th and S Weller, and the other (pictured above) is from the inside of Uwajimaya.

And inside the store, there are signs of Kpop!  There are recent album promotion posters lining the stairway up to the second floor.  The only Kpop posters I found, and by Kpop I mean Jpop music by Kpop artists, include Girls' Generation's "Love & Girls," Jang Geun Suk's "Nature Boy" and SHINee's "Boys Meet U."

The second floor carries Jpop CDs.  Among this collection are some sparse Jpop CDs by Kpop artists.  The first section of CDs displays the new releases, which is where I found most of the Kpop artists.  Here I found Donghae & Eunhyuk of Super Junior, SHINee, Girls' Generation and Kim Hyun Joong (not shown in picture).  In alphabetical order I also found FTIsland's latest album, Rated FT, and more Girls' Generation.  To give a rough idea of just how expensive these CDs are, I'll list the prices.

This is majority of the Korean artists' Jpop CDs in the store.  As you can see, the prices are quite high and the store only carries well-established artists.  These are the listed prices and discounts seem to rarely happen.

Also upstairs is the travel section.  Here is a shelf with Korean travel guides in Japanese.  What drew me to this one book were Pig Rabbit and Jang Geun Suk on the cover, reminding me of my first drama, You're Beautiful.  Inside includes an abundance of pictures and locations, including this section filled with lots of Korean beauty stores like Nature Republic, Holika Holika, The Face Shop, Etude House, SkinFood, and more!

Downstairs is where all the magazines are.  The Kpop section is my most favorite area in the store!  This photo displays the entire Kpop boyband and actor magazine section, and as you can see there is a large variety.  These Japanese magazines showcase the hottest Kpop stars and Korean actors.  The magazines that caught my eye were one of Infinite (first magazine in the fourth row from the top) and of actor Song Joong Ki (second magazine on the top row).  These magazines do seem a bit pricy, with some being roughly $15.  While I prefer not to listen to Jpop (because if I can't understand Korean nor Japanese, I'd prefer to listen to music of the artists' native language), I have no preference with magazines because pictures are the same in any language and either way I can't understand the writing.  So I'm always inclined to buy a magazine while I'm here!  I did end up buying the Infinite magazine, which I'll review soon.

I come to Chinatown very often, but I only step into this bookstore maybe once a year.  What turns me off about Kinokuniya are the unreasonable prices (I understand that these our shipped from overseas, but finding these items online is much cheaper) and the very limited selection of Kpop.  But if I ever need a quick Kpop fix, I'd come here!

Tony Moly Latte Art Cappuccino Cream-In Scrub Review

While Tony Moly is famous for it's fruit and egg shaped packaging, the brand also has another line known as Latte Art with equally adorable products.  The Latte Art line has coffee inspired products, such as the Cappuccino Cream-In Scrub and the Milk-Tea Morning Pack, which I'll review later.

The front and sides emphasize how this scrub changes color while in use, showing that it's working. The backside has information in Korean while the bottom has information in English.

The bottom has an elaborate description and instructions in English.  The description explains all of the benefits of using this scrub, including removing dry and dead skin, providing nutrients, cleaning out pores, firming skin, slimming facial contour and leaving a smooth and glossy finish.  Much of this seems a bit bogus, but it does work as a general scrub for me.  The instructions say to rub the scrub on your face until the scrub changes color, then rinse off with lukewarm water.

The packaging, not the product itself, really won me over.  The "stirring spoon" comes straight out from the top and can be used to stir and scoop up the scrub!  I guess this feature is more for those who want to be sanitary to scoop out the scrub, but then the spoon slot will get all covered in excess scrub, which isn't good.  Also the top is adorable, showing cute latte art. 

 

The bottom of this "cup" has information in Korean and the date of production.  To open, simply screw off the top portion.  Sadly despite having a protective slip, a bit of product still spilled into the inside of the lid.   The top right photo reveals that the product isn't full to begin with.

The scrub itself is very coagulated.  You can kind of see that where I dipped the scrub, there is still an indent in the cup one day later.  The scent is of unsweetened coffee (maybe that's how cappuccino smells like?), not as strong or sweet as the SkinFood body scrub.  It reminds me a bit of hard coffee candy.  This subtle scent lasts while the scrub is still on my face, creating a soothing and relaxing environment.  The scrub first appears translucent (top left photo), then transparent once spread (bottom left), and finally opaque white (right) after rubbing it on my face.  This transformation quickly takes place as soon as my fingers heat up and massage the scrub.  I usually don't add any water and treat the scrub like a lotion.  Because the scrub is already so mild, I wouldn't want to dilute the scrub.  The scrub is mostly a smooth gel-like consistency with sparse exfoliating beads that are very gentle on the skin.  The amount in the bottom left photo covers about 2/5 of my face.

Pros

• The packaging is way too adorable.
• The scent is heavenly!
• The color-changing effect is unique and easily indicates when the scrub has taken effect.
• My face instantly feels and appears very clean and healthily matte (not glossy).
• It seems that this cup will last me awhile.
• The scrub is very gentle, perfect for an everyday cleanser.

Cons

• I honestly have nothing to complain about!

Overall, I love this product!  Not only is the packaging adorable, the scrub itself is lovely.  I use it when I am very tired and just want a quick face wash to clean my face.  Also this scrub is very mild, like a gentle cleanser, yet effective for cleaning my face.