Korean wave has been stirring in Singapore since 2002 and still blowing strong currently. Thanks to korean dramas and most importantly its chain of beauty products that are pretty hot here.
Well, I felt all korean skincare and cosmetics are pretty similar, seemed to have come out from the same factory or manufacturer. The texture is pretty light, easily washable with gentle wipes/cleansing and the range of colours are kept to the korean skin tones. You can never find a colour that is suitable for dark skins because koreans are all very fair, thanks to their climate. Not to mention, you need 5 steps to maintain healthy skin, unlike the usual 3 steps, cleansing, toning and moisturizing, there are extra steps such as essence penetration and moisture locking.
From my korean trip and research done in Singapore, I would like to rant about a few popular beauty brands which I like, in some ways. (Note: all pics below are taken from Google Images)
MISSHA
This is one of the first korean brands that launched in Singapore. I personally like its range of mascaras, they aren't very expensive but work wonders for me. The iconic red and black flower on the label is very catchy however is a legalized copycat of UK brand MaryQuant.
The last visited shop over at Korea had a new look and it looked dashing!! Too bad I din take a picture of it.
SKINFOOD
You see them everywhere, it was well-known for its cute packaging. Stepping into the shop looks like entering into a fairy street and you are welcomed by the fairy dust (loose powder testers). They had this special liquid eyeshadow with glitters which is one of the unique features.
It has a pretty dazzling website, take a look here!
THE FACE SHOP
Yes, you definitely be screaming at the sight of your idol.
I was shopping along in Korea and was given free samples, even without buying anything. It shows how generous their marketing strategy is in luring people into their shops.
There are hundreds of products from The Face Shop, including Men's skincare. These shops are all over Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, in fact, all over the world, including in Japan where they also rave about this brand despite strong competition from the other Japanese products. To me, they are just like Bodyshop, boosting about natural ingredients and prices are ridiculously jagged up over here.
DODO CLUB
Has been trying to google for some shop frontages of Dodoclub, only managed to find this. (It wasn't closed, fortunately) . You can get to see dodoclub shops in those korean supermarkets (Cineleisure and Novena Square2). Dodoclub products could also be found in Sasa, Watsons.
The packaging looks mediocre, and some of the items looked like they are kept on the shelves for quite some time. However, I've heard the magical theatre powder is pretty effective in covering blemishes. You could jolly well take a look. The black butterfly mirrors (they are pretty!!!) looked splendid for a vain girl, however another legalized copycat of the dolly theme designer Anna Sui.
BEAUTY CREDIT
So what are the credits in beauty? This shop name makes no sense at all. It should sound, "Credits in Beauty". You get to see these shops in Vivocity and IMM (there was a counter). Products are more the less the same as the rests, however, it has a best seller called the coenzyme Q10 series which made their products special.
Plus, they managed to get handsome boy to be their spokesperson!!
Hyun Bin was in "My love Sam Sun" the drama really garnered alot of fans.
THE ETUDE HOUSE
Which girl will never stop to take a look inside? It looks like a HELLO KITTY house, having a "Princess" theme.
I enjoyed shopping inside, fiddling with the princess combs, mirrors, pink-themed dressing tables. To my disappointment, The Etude House was the only brand I mentioned here that doesn't have this cute shop in Spore... yet. I really hope there is one soon, cos it is too cute to be true.
LANEIGE
This is one of the Laneige dedicated shops in Korea which are not common some of the drugstores above are selling Laneige products too. Unlike in Singapore where counters are found in big departmental stores, Laneige products are pretty hard to find in full range. So if you are keen to purchase them in discounted prices, you really need to keep a look out for them. They are usually sold bits and pieces in random shops.
Being a loyal fan of Laneige, I wouldn't say it is the best brand so far, but it did work some wonders for me. They are usually water-based and they won't dry up your skin or clog your pores.
I like the whitening series as they are not really oily, but they really burn a big hole in the pocket. Laneige was one of the top-notch brands as marketed in Singapore, standing side by side with big players like Shiseido, Kose. However back in Korea, the product was not so of high-range which there are better and more expensive ones. I managed to get a couple of the whitening series while shopping in Korea which prices were about, 30% cheaper than in Spore. Most interesting of all, they gave out samples of the new products generously. I once tested on the day-night dual eye cream and it was pretty good. But have to wait for a few months or NEVER to see it launch in Singapore.
Well, I could be tapping on you guys if you are going to Korea.... :-) Anyone going so far?
