- Don't feel obligated to buy something if they hand you a free sample to lure you into the store. You don't have to! Nor should you feel guilty, because they pass it out to get you in the store.
- Wait for the sales if you're in Korea for a longer stay, like a month or more. You'll see 50% off sales around. Note though when there are sales, they usually don't give you samples.
- Don't buy a product unless you really like it. Chances are you'll find your HG at another brand and regret buying the product you settled for.
- Test the products before buying. All the stores have testers, so feel free to test all you want!
- You must go to that exact same store that you purchased from if you want to return or exchange. Computer systems aren't as integrated as they are in the States, so you must go to the original store. Also, the product must be unopened and unused.
- Would personally avoid cosmetics shopping in Myeongdong on weekends. Waaay too hectic as there are so many people.
Below is a list of Korean cosmetics brand stores and my analysis (non-inclusive list ordered alphabetically, images via google)
Etude House (pronounced eh-twee-de)
Past & present spokesperson(s): Park Shin Hye, Jang Geun Suk, Lee Min Ho, Go Ara, etc. etc..
Price: $
My thoughts: Overall good quality products sold at low and reasonable prices. Out of all the brands, the pricing of Etude is the cheapest. The packaging is also very cute. I like the pink theme going as it makes you feel like a princess, but some may find it overwhelming. One of my favorite brands.
My thoughts: Overall good quality products sold at low and reasonable prices. Out of all the brands, the pricing of Etude is the cheapest. The packaging is also very cute. I like the pink theme going as it makes you feel like a princess, but some may find it overwhelming. One of my favorite brands.
Holika Holika
Present spokesperson(s): CN Blue
Price: $$
My thoughts: With the purple themed decor and band music, Holika Holika came off as a more indie brand compared to Etude. The sugar pop cuteness was exchanged for a more bold personality. The makeup seemed to be of good quality.
My thoughts: With the purple themed decor and band music, Holika Holika came off as a more indie brand compared to Etude. The sugar pop cuteness was exchanged for a more bold personality. The makeup seemed to be of good quality.
Missha
Present spokesperson(s): Kim Hye Soo
Price: $$-$$$
My thoughts: This brand targets older people, probably ranging from late 20s-50s. They have higher quality products than the brands that target the younger crowd and it is reflected in the price (though when it's on sale it's quite cheap).
My thoughts: This brand targets older people, probably ranging from late 20s-50s. They have higher quality products than the brands that target the younger crowd and it is reflected in the price (though when it's on sale it's quite cheap).
Laneige (often sold in a Sephora-like store called Aritaum)
Present spokesperson(s): Song Hye Go, Hyun Bin for men's line
Price: $$-$$$$
My thoughts: Laneige is a department store-like brand that caters to a wide audience. I like to compare it to Shiseido as it has cheaper lines for younger people and as you move up the age bracket the price increases. It's verrrrry expensive abroad, so it's definitely worth buying in Korea.
My thoughts: Laneige is a department store-like brand that caters to a wide audience. I like to compare it to Shiseido as it has cheaper lines for younger people and as you move up the age bracket the price increases. It's verrrrry expensive abroad, so it's definitely worth buying in Korea.
Nature Republic
Past & present spokesperson(s): JYJ, Jang Geun Suk, Rain
Price: $$
My thoughts: This brand is relatively new as it was launched some time in the 2000s. It markets itself as selling naturally made products. None of the products stood out to me though. I just went in to get the free facial mask samples with JYJ and JGS on them. They did sell $1 nail polishes though, albeit very watery.
My thoughts: This brand is relatively new as it was launched some time in the 2000s. It markets itself as selling naturally made products. None of the products stood out to me though. I just went in to get the free facial mask samples with JYJ and JGS on them. They did sell $1 nail polishes though, albeit very watery.
Skinfood
Past & present spokesperson(s): Sung Yuri
Price: $-$$
My thoughts: All the products are based on some kind of food (ex. avocado, tomato, to just name a few.) I feel like the products here though are kind of hit or miss, though the packaging is nice. It also markets itself as a "natural" brand. Its theme color is a yellow brown shade.
Innisfree
Past & present spokesperson(s): SNSD's Yoona
Price: $$
My thoughts: Also a relatively new brand to the scene. Similar to Nature Republic and Skinfood as it markets itself as a natural, organic brand. The price is slightly more expensive than other brands (by slightly I mean like ~$2-3 more), but the quality is good and the products suited my skin well. One of my favorite brands.
The Face Shop
Present spokesperson(s): Kim Hyun Joong
Price: $$
My thoughts: Probably targets older teens to women in their 30s. Quality seemed to be a notch below Missha even though it has a little older customer base, though it is slightly cheaper.
Tony Moly
Present spokesperson(s): Song Joong Ki
Price: $$
My thoughts: The brand I liked the least because of its pushy sales associates! They grab your arm as you walk by and literally drag you into the store. When testing the products, I also felt that the quality didn't justify the price. When testing some of the hyped about products in the store, I felt disappointed with the effectiveness.
The Saem
Present spokesperson(s): Lee Seung Ki
Price: $$
My thoughts: Seemed to be very similar to The Face Shop (they even share the same brand color-white). They handed out uber cute pens as samples. It was the only brand that I found to sell a gradient nail polish set (which I will review later ^^). Other than that, the store didn't seem to differentiate itself very well.
Hope you found this helpful. As the weeks go by I'll post product reviews of the makeup products that I bought in Korea.
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