KR Multimedia Update and Official Infinite Merchandise

Yesterday I visited KR Multimedia, a quaint Kpop store, and what seems to be the only Kpop store on the West Coast north of LA, nestled in Crystal Mall in Burnaby, Canada. I posted about this store before, which you can read here.

I came at the perfect time, because the week following Christmas is Boxing Week (which is similar to Black Friday for America), and KR Multimedia had some great deals! Many unofficial goods were marked down and require cash only and there was a list of official posters that were now priced from $2 to $7 on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas), and an additional $2 during Boxing Week. Some albums were also reduced, like a Tasty single was marked down to $10 from $15.

What I was interested in most was the Infinite display. Locked inside were fanmade keychains (many with L...I was so tempted to buy them all!), as well as an Infinite Over The Top era symbol stamp for $5, Second Invasion Evolution button set for $23 and more. There was also one Infinite collection card set that has been divided by parts and is being sold individually. The tin case and sleeve (which has been popped-up) are $5 while each individual pack (I think there were 9 left) is $6. I decided to buy 2 packs, because essentially it's like buying 2 rare cards for $6 each or $1 per card, which is reasonable.

Here are the 2 packs I bought. Though I had 67% of these cards already, I have no regrets! I'm happy to be able to buy individual packs at a reasonable price.

On display were also 2 sets of official Infinite rally clear files, priced at $29 cash only. Each set comes in a resealable clear wrap, a paper folder and 7 clear files. Above is the paper folder that has the event information, image of each file, and the authentication seal.

Here are the 7  files and the paper folder.  6 files are the images of the promotional posters from all of Infinite's albums from debut up to this rally, which was held on March 1, 2013. The First Invasion file is updated since their debut, with Sungyeol's name spelled properly! The last file is to commemorate this event. All files are translucent and fit regular 8.5 inch by 11 inch paper.

The backside of all the files are the same, with the event information printed in the corner.

I am so happy to own this collective set! I am missing official posters from Infinite's debut to Infinitize (excluding Paradise), so buying these files now completes my collection of official images from each era. I just need a way to display these files...

Infinite: Destiny in America Review

Infinite capitalized on their May trip to Los Angeles and Las Vegas by creating a boxed set that documents their first time in the States together.  During these eight days, Infinite filmed at various locations, including the back lot of Universal Studios and the Mojave Desert, for their large scale Destiny music video.  In late October, Woollm released a Korean version (which I'm reviewing here), a Taiwanese version and a Japanese version of Infinite Destiny in America Production DVD.

Here's the back of the boxed set.  The translucent dust jacket includes the information of the two discs and has two official seals.

This boxed set includes, in this order, a notebook, photobook and a folder containing stickers and two DVDs. Every part of this collection is very high quality and treasurable. It's also cool how the Infinite logos and words have a metallic white sheen that reflects the light; this same effect is also displayed on the backs of each item.

The backs of these three items all have the same rustic design that showcases this era's Infinite logo.

The notebook is over a quarter of an inch thick and all the pages have a rustic appearance.

The first third of the pages are lined, then there is graph paper with 25 square boxes per one square inch, followed by blank pages in the rustic pattern. All the pages have a smooth and high quality finish, not like a typical notebook in which one would write. Honestly I wish this notebook included photos of Infinite to make it more related.

The photobook has 48 pages of the individual member's photoshoots. Many of these photos appear to be the same ones (or very similar) to the photobook and photocards from the Destiny album, which is disappointing. There are additional photos from these shoots, but they're just too similar.

There are three photos (refer to images above), however, that clearly weren't from the album shoots, but instead for an upcoming photobook. The last two pages are the credits, which are interesting to look at because they list which hotel Infinite stayed at and what car company they used (I'm not being a sasaeng fan, but I'm relating because I use the same chains).

Here is the container for the stickers and discs.

It is a tri-fold container with the stickers in a folder on the left and the discs in the middle and on the right. There are three sheets of stickers; the first includes group shots and the remaining two are individual members' stickers. While all the photos are amazing, Woollim really chose the best photos to print as stickers.

The two DVDs are absolutely fantastic! They're for all regions except 2, and include (pretty good) English and Korean subtitles. As printed on the inside cover of the disc container, the first disc is 54 minutes long and contains all three music videos and the teaser for Destiny, along with a segment on creating the music videos. This segment takes a look at all aspects of making the music video, including individual shoots, breaks between takes, technical details and behind the scenes. The second disc has a 46 minute documentary on Infinite's 8 days in America. This segment really documents every detail of Infinite's trip, including scenes from the airport, hotel, shopping, dance practice in the studio and various photoshoots for Infinite's first photobook, IDEA, to be released at the end of December. I absolutely love this disc!  It shows Infinite speaking in English and interacting with the American staff. There are also Americans who talk in detail about each location that Infinite filmed their music video. While three of the eight days were dedicated to filming Destiny, this disc still offers a completely different perspective than the first disc. Also on the 7th day, Myungsoo advertises for the release of his L's Bravo Viewtiful Part 1! He's so adorable to always be advocating for his photo essay books. Lastly, I loved how this segment really showed Infinite as their natural selves, at times even enjoying themselves being tourists, and not as glammed up idols!

Honestly, I'm a bit disappointed with the contents of this boxed set. No Inspirit would dare use the notebook, and there aren't even bonus photos of Infinite inside. The photobook doesn't offer many drastically new photos (except for about three) compared to the photobook and photocards included in the Destiny album. I may be being a bit harsh on this photobook though; now I do see some photos in this book are ones that weren't from the album, but they are still from the same shoot. Because this is a production DVD, this photobook should have a behind-the-scenes concept as well. I am thankful that the one thing I truly cared about, the DVDs, do offer a glimpse at Infinite that wasn't shown elsewhere. In all, I suggest buying this set if you're interested in the idol lives of Infinite working on their upcoming projects and the normal lives of the members being themselves, shopping, being tourists and having fun.

Shara Shara Aloe Pure Jelly Foam Review

Shara Shara is a Korean cosmetic company that isn't well known in the internet world, so I'm not able to provide much background on the brand or this product besides my thoughts of it.

This is one of Shara Shara's facial cleansers, the Aloe Pure Jelly Foam.  I have a thing for sea green and for matte finishes, so I quickly fell for the packaging despite being a basic 150 ml tube.  This tube is matte (not that it matters), and the substance inside is translucent aloe green.

The back has information in Korean, with a brief description in English that this foam cleanser has aloe to moisturize and clean your skin.  The QR code in the top right is to signify that this is a certified Shara Shara product.

Why does my hand always appear scorching red?  Anyways, the consistency is like aloe gel, but a lot more runny and diluted.  The solution is also very smooth and gentle, a plus for those with sensitive skin.  It's very translucent with just a slight green hue.  It smells light and refreshing, like lychee syrup or a mild hand sanitizer.  The amount in the photo is a good amount for my face, then I douse it with lots of water to create a white, foamy consistency.  To use, simply squirt the product in your palm, add lots of water, wash your face and rinse.

The Pros

• The foam easily washes off, leaving no soapy residue afterwards, just a clean face!
• I have combination-to-normal skin, and hours after using this wash my face is still normally and healthily dry.
• This foam is very gentle and smooth, so it's more suitable for those with sensitive skin.
• My skin has no irritation or discomfort during or after using this cleanser.
• The light aloe smell still lingers after washing.

The Cons

• Because this cleanser is more gentle and smooth, it's not a problem solver for those with target skin issues like acne.  I'll be using this product daily, along with my more medicated acne products.

Overall, I do like this product.  The mild scent and color are very refreshing, and my face does feel much cleaner afterwards.  I'll definitely keep using this as a daily cleanser.

Korean Beauty Brand: Shara Shara

Shara Shara is a Korean cosmetic brand that is fairly new (within the past few years) and has several locations in Seoul, mainly in Myungdong.  This brand is very girly, with its hot pink crown logo and slogan being "the romantic lounge for ladies."  Shara Shara seems more childish than competitors like Etude House and Holika Holika, because of its trademark cartoon girl figures (you'll know what I mean if you visit a store).  I, myself, have never been to Shara Shara, but would have definitely felt embarrassed stepping inside.  During the end of the summer, Shara Shara announced L as its latest and sole endorser.  I've honestly never heard of Shara Shara, so if it weren't for L, I would have never known about this brand.

I sent my mom on a mission while she was in Seoul: to go to Shara Shara and make a big enough purchase to get me all the L freebies. Honestly, Shara Shara is so smart to have L as their latest endorser; because of L, I'm buying so many Shara products without even caring about what they are.  Above are the freebies my mom received.

I received two hot pink pens with two padded, girly cartoon heads at the ends.  This is an example of the childish aspect of the brand. The backs of the heads say the brand and its slogan.

I also received a small pack of moist towelettes that, according to the back, can be used anywhere on the go.

And here is the one freebie I truly wanted the most: the doll!  There are two versions of the L doll, the other with him sweetly holding out a bouquet of flowers.  The doll is about 7.5 inches tall and comes with a base to stand it up.

I always keep L on my messy desk, near my One Great Step ticket and merchandise!

I didn't expect to receive a poster, which is such a nice surprise!  Sadly, the workers don't care about L like I do, and therefore the poster was mistreated with lots of bends and creases. The poster is highly glossy and has a printed signature of L, along with the message "Be Mine Shara Shara" in Korean.  I love how L looks so fresh and innocent in the doll form but so hot in the poster.  He looks so edgy and irresistible with that hairstyle and jacket, yet so adorable sucking on that colorful lollipop!  I just don't know what to make of this cuteness.

And lastly, here is the box of cotton pads.  L looks so dashing in his pink suit (it reminds me of Koi Ni Ochiru Toki promotions back in June!). On the side it says how the pads are super soft.

Here are the other two sides of the box.  L looks like such a precious angel in white with those feathers in his hair!  The other side explains more about the pads.  This box is so special to me, so of course I'll never open it!

On many of Shara's products, including the bottom of the cotton pad box, there's a QR code that sends you to this page:

This QR code is to guarantee that the product you purchased is, indeed, an official product of Shara Shara. I've never seen something like this for beauty products, which I thought was interesting, especially since this isn't even a high end brand prone to having others create counterfeits.

I now have a few of their products, so I'll be reviewing them soon.  Hopefully I'll like Shara's products as much as I love their freebies!

Infinite: Over The Top 1st Full Album Review

Never in my life did I expect I'd write this type of post.  I'm not surprised because I'm writing about the ever-so-rare Infinite album any Inspirit would love to have, but because of the outcome of this purchase.  To clear things up, I'll explain my situation.  As a newer Inspirit (it was December of last year I fell in love with Infinite), I missed the initial release of Infinite's first full album, Over The Top, which was released in July 2011.  Cleverly, Woollim only printed about 20,000 copies of this album before offering a repackaged album two months later.  I've been looking on Amazon.com hourly for the past few months, waiting for a good deal to appear on a new copy of Over The Top.  Finally, I spotted a new one on November 22 for $59 plus $3.99 shipping!  Most are listed at $100 or more, so I jumped on this deal.  The price may have been suspiciously cheaper, but my fangirl mind didn't think twice and placed the order.  I ordered from a third party seller from Japan called "music shop."  This seller was new and therefore had no ratings; I noticed this seller also offered a used copy of Over The Top for $44 plus $3.99 shipping, which is also an incredibly good deal.

My purchase shipped the following day and arrived 3 weeks later in a paper envelope with a bubble wrap lining.  When I saw the album inside, I gawked in surprise that I now had an album I only imagined of owning.  It was all so surreal!  And all for good reason why it actually was surreal.

I noticed the top of the wrap was already tearing at the binding, but I only thought that was because this album is two and a half years old and the wrapping turned brittle.  For the next ten minutes I just hugged my wrapped album in awe and didn't dare to open it yet due to the preciousness of having Over The Top unopened.  Then I realized...

WTF this is a NEW, unopened album with no exterior sleeve.  I confirmed with other Inspirits, and all Over The Top albums come with that transparent sleeve with this era's symbol in the center.  How is it possible that a factory sealed album is missing this sleeve?  Then I watched unboxing videos of Over The Top and noticed the wrap is more stretchy and tight, like saran wrap, but mine was a sloppy and loose wrap that looked like it was done at home.

It's one thing to sell a used album, but why claim this album as new and remove the sleeve when the sleeve is honestly worthless (there's no authentication sticker or anything valuable about it) and then go as far as resealing the album?  I am just so frustrated that a company thought they could take advantage of me, cheat me and send me a fraudulent item.  An album that made me incredibly happy has now made me so sad.

I filed a claim against "music shop" and will have to return this album now, and Amazon.com said they'd investigate this company.  It pains me to have my most desired album in my hands, only to know that I'll have to send it back in a few days.  Therefore, I took dozens of photos of every angle and detail of my album, as well as Infinite collection photos including Over The Top, despite it only temporarily being in my ownership. Boy does this album look so gorgeous on my shelf...

I hope someday I'll be able to write an actual review of this spectacular album!

Infinite "Lucky Guys" Official Collection Cards Vol. 1 Review

Infinite released their first official collection card set this past October, as well as an accompanying binder, which I reviewed here.  I was hesitant about buying these cards because they have nothing to do with Infinite's music, but I eventually caved in because this is an official Infinite product, after all!

This collection is called "Lucky Guys," which is displayed on the white sleeve.  This sleeve is perforated around the members and the balloons, so you can stand them up.  To preserve it, I think I'll just leave it as is. The sleeve is also covered with a reflective, holographic surface.  Also on all the sides of the sleeve and tin case, it shows Infinite's new symbol and says "INFINITE LUCKY GUYS."

The bottom of the sleeve has information printed in Korean, as well as the authentication seal.  You can also see a bit of the reflective pieces.

Inside the sleeve is the navy tin case.  It's about 6.25 inches by 5.25 inches by 1 inch.  The lid has Infinite's logo and name sticking up.  There are shades of dark blue and purple that make up a geometric pattern throughout the case. The bottom of this case has the same information as the bottom of the sleeve.

Inside this tin case is an instruction manual and the packs of cards.  This manual is made of high quality paper.

The instruction manual is a foldout, with four pages explaining the meaning of the 22 rare tarot cards in Korean and providing color images of each rare tarot card.

The backside shows all 135 cards in black and white with their corresponding numbers, which is a nice reference to know what you have and need to complete the collection.  The cards are also separated by the rare cards and normal cards, making it easier to know when you're trading cards with others.  Because these images are so small, I'm more thankful for also buying the accompanying binder, which includes black and white images of the cards in their actual size.

Underneath the tarot manual are the packs of cards.  There are a total of 10 packs, five on each side, which are placed on top of a navy card stock divider.  These packs have seven different designs, one for each member. Therefore, each set includes all seven different designs, as well as three duplicating designs. As I was looking at my packs from right to left, I was so scared I wasn't going to get L or Sungyeol!  But eventually they showed up as the last two packs.  On the right is the order I received my packs.  These designs are all metallic and follow the geometric pattern as the background, with an image of each member in their "Lucky Guys" outfits.

Here is a close up of L's pack, that displays him cutely gazing at the colorful balloons he's holding.  The backside has some information written in Korean.

And here is a close up of the reverse, if anyone cares to read it.

Each pack contains six random collection cards, divided up into five normal cards and one rare card.  I'm very anal when it comes to organization, so here's a photo recording which cards came in which back and in what order (cards from left to right indicate top to bottom for each pack).  When I first took out these cards and took this picture, I stupidly didn't know that some cards were reversed, so I thought I had fewer duplicates than I really did. My ultimate bias is L, yet I frustratingly only received two individual L cards, and they were the SAME card.  This calls for numerous trades until I get a decent collection of L.  From this one set, I received a total of 14 duplicates, which I also plan to trade.

Now I'll explain each type of card.  I don't know the official names of each type, so I'll just make them up as I see best fit.  On the bottom right side, each card lists its number from 1 to 135. The first 64 are rare cards, while the remaining 71 are normal cards.  Doing the math, that means you have to buy seven sets just to receive 70 rare cards, and that most definitely doesn't guarantee completing your collection card set. Woollim was very smart to design it this way!

1-22: Rare Tarot Cards

These cards have the same reflective sheen as the white pop-up sleeve.  There are three different cards for each member, with the exception of Sungjong who has four, for a total of 22 cards.  These images are reminiscent of tarot cards, with mythical graphics. Each card also has some English phrase Roman numerals from 0 to XXI (21).All of the backs have a dark gray radial symmetry with the Over The Top era symbol.

23-29: Rare Autographed Cards

Aside from the rare tarot cards and group cards, the listed card order is Sungyeol, Woohyun, Dongwoo, L, Hoya, Sungjong and Sunggyu.  These seven cards have each member's printed autographs in silver metallic, along with each member looking sharp in their classy suits against the light geometric background.  The backside has basic stats about the member along with the Over The Top symbol.

30-36: Rare Lenticular Cards

These seven cards are really cool!  They're lenticular, meaning when you change the angle from side to side, it creates a different image. Each member is holding some sort of sporty gear in the left background and the right is a close up.  The backside is like an optical illusion that incorporates a diagonal infinite symbol. These cards are a bit thicker than all the other cards.

37-43: Rare Hidden Message Cards

Each member has their own refreshing and cute close up, along with a colorful diamond pattern. On the bottom is a hidden message that each member (supposedly) created, and to reveal it, you scratch it off with a coin.  [Updated: I think there are three different messages per member, all Infinite song lyrics with two messages printed in handwritten in Korean, and one in English.] I don't want to damage the card, so I think I'll leave it as is. [Updated: I ended up scratching this card, and I bought another Sungyeol one with a different message...just to see his handwriting.] The backside is a zoomed out image of the front.

44-50: Rare Fabric Cards

These are honestly the coolest, most rarest cards ever!  They're so rare, they shouldn't even be listed as part of the collection because most people will have an incomplete collection because of this.  Each member wore a shirt that they signed, and then a square cut of that shirt was embedded into the card.  Because there can only be so many pieces cut from a shirt, there are only that many fabric cards made. These photos are from my binder.  Of course, not every card will look like these; each card is unique because it's from a different piece of the shirt.  I've only seen images of L's, Sungyeol's and Hoya's posted online.

51-57: Rare Holographic Cards

I received a lot of rare Sungyeol cards, if you haven't noticed from my photos.  Not that I'm complaining! These cards make the boys off to be cool arrogant (in a good way, like the lead man in a drama).  The entire card is holographic, giving that rainbow sheen.  The backside is a sketch of that member.

58-64: Rare Astrological Cards

These cards have a metallic and matte finish, yet some circles have a glossy finish.  The reverse has a zoomed out photo of the member, along with his birth date, astrological sign and corresponding constellation.

65-86: Normal Tarot Cards

There are 22 normal tarot cards, three for each member, and the 22nd card being a group photo.  Like the rare tarot cards, these have an English phrase and Roman numerals from 0 to XX (20).  I love this photoshoot because they all look so cute and adorable!  The backside has a bronze, intricate pattern.

87-93: Normal Year Cards

These seven cards are fresh and endearing, and the overall pastel color makes these that much more adorable!  The year of the member's birth date is listed at the top and birthday directly underneath, and the backside is a zoomed out, full color image with the member's stats.

94-100: Normal Member Cards

These cards are formatted like face cards from a playing deck, with a suit in the corners and the member's initials where the value of the card would go.  Also it includes the member's birth date and position within the group.  The card shows a full body shot of each member looking so adorable.  The backside is even sweeter, with a close up of the member gazing adorably at the camera.  This is my only card of L, of which I got a duplicate.

101-107: Normal Group Cards

These seven cards consist of three group photos.  The first card is a group shot of the oldest two and youngest two, while the second card is of the middle three (both cards not shown in the photo).  The next three cards is one continuous group photo, divided into three cards.  The backside also has alternate images of the members paired together.  The remaining two cards have the two oldest and two youngest on one side but split into two cards, while the backside has the other three members.  This sounds really confusing, so just refer to the photos posted above.  Ignore the Sungyeol card, it belongs in the next section.

108-114: Normal Sports Cards

When I first saw these photos, it seemed weird to me since sports has nothing to do with Infinite and I'm not buying sports cards.  But anyways, these cards show each member smiling adoringly while posing with sporting equipment.  The backside shows another pose with the prop.

115-121: Normal Generic Cards

I had no idea how to title these, but these cards are basically from the photoshoot of the pop-up sleeve and binder cover.  Infinite is once again looking cool and tough in their close up shots.  The backside is another cool pose in black and white.

122-128: Normal Generic 2 Cards

These cards are the exact images from the binder cover, showing the members as tough, cool and lost in their own world of thoughts.  The backside is a standing shot with a striped background.

129-135: Normal Group 2 Cards

The first four cards (not pictured) are of the pop-up sleeve photo, with the members smiling and holding the balloons.  The backside of each card is the entire image and highlights which section this card represents. The remaining three is from the same photoshoot, but with that tough and cool attitude again.  The reverse is another similar group shot.

Apparently there are also Polaroids of the individual members, which are super rare and therefore unlisted.

Overall, I love these collection cards!  Despite originally not wanting this item, it has really grown on me.  I think I'm becoming addicted, because I really want to buy another set just to get more L cards!  But I won't fall into this trap, because once I buy another one, I'll buy a third one, and then I'll just have too many duplicates to trade off.