“When it comes to beauty, what Americans Contemplate luxury, Koreans think about upkeep,” says Los Angeles–established Christina Han, former editorial director of this high-end beauty website Violet Grey and founder of the consulting company Type Navy. “In beauty and seoul, facials are a part of the everyday routine.”
For many years, kimchi and kalbi have enticed us en Masse into South Korea’s capital, but a growing amount of sheet-mask fanatics and influencers are flying the 7,000 kilometers for snail-mucin serums and wrinkle-banishing Fraxel laser treatments. (Think about this as a farther-flung variant of Costa Rica’s health tourism, but with greater BBQ.)
Some quick history: Back in the eighties, some French beauty manufacturers outsourced manufacturing to Korea; afterward, at the aughts, Koreans started to utilize the present labs to produce their particular higher-quality, lower-priced goods. K-beauty sites like Soko Glam began demystifying multistep skin-care beauty bakerie uk regimes for Americans, helping drive the 3.97 billion in makeup exports this past year, and societal media did the rest. Lately, we have watched beauty junkies such as Han, the Hollywood makeup guru Lisa Eldridge, and Drew Barrymore (there to investigate her lineup, Flower Beauty) perform through Seoul’s attractiveness emporiums on Instagram.
Han, whose parents were born in beauty and seoul, says you Can handle a whole lot in three times. “All of the best spas are concentrated in three fashionable neighbourhoods: Sinsa-dong, Cheongdam-dong, and Hannam-dong.” Dedicate a day to every, as in between facials–that are so moisturizing and gentle, Han declares you can safely perform a day–you will still need to sit down to pork belly at Gamgyuk Shidae (worth the flight ) and match in certain non-beauty shopping also.
Christina Han’s Beauty and Seoul Strike List
- Sinsa-Dong
- 3CE Cinema
“This is actually the two-level flagship of Korea’s maximum Popular beauty manufacturer, and that I swear by the peachy pink highlighter known as Back to Baby Glow Beam. It is magical on lips for all those folks who do not like to put on a good deal of makeup but desire that dewiness.”
Village 11 Factory
“This area is packed with All Types of Korean-brand sheet masks–they sell them in vending machines. Proceed to the foot health spa at the next level at the close of the afternoon and request a soak and wash –it is just like a pedicure minus the gloss.”]
Sulwhasoo
“You could spend an entire day here. There is a spa On the fourth ground for walk-in facials; yet another degree devoted to antiaging remedies; and a slew of goods that you can not locate in the States, such beauty instruments as peach-blossom cologne oil and camellia hair . My information: Head directly to the spa; this way in case you need to watch for an aesthetician, you are able to kill time searching. They will fill you up with free samples also.”
Kwonsooksoo
“At this Michelin-starred modern Korean BBQ restaurant, I’d pasta which has been dressed with perilla-leaf oil and topped with sashimi. The pairing seemed so strange on the menu, but it had been life-changing. For something more conventional, do the bud rice which comes with six attractively organized side dishes, known as bansang.”
- Cheongdam-Dong
- Chaum
“It is similar to the Mayo Clinic of skincare. You will See politicians and soap celebrities obtaining blood work done to help ascertain a wonder regime, but I really like it for its extreme two-hour-long facials, which render my skin feeling like it did when I was 12 years old. Book an appointment beforehand on the site; it is in English and simple to navigate. There is also an outpost of beauty and seoul high-fashion concept shop Boon that the Shop on the ground floor”
Jung Saem Mool or Beauty and Seoul
“Think of her as the Bobbi Brown of Korea. Be Certain to pick up the vital Star-Cealer base compact; a few lip spots, which can be beauty blender washing machine the rage at Seoul right now; and also the multi-use Essential Tinted Paste, which I utilize in peach”
- Hannam-Dong
- Anthracite
“Coffee is big here, and this is where trendy locals and Korean-American expats hang out. Take a latte on the outside patio.”
Beaker Beauty and Seoul
“This store resembles the Barneys Co-Op of beauty and seoul. Come here for best Korean designers such as the namesake tag and for purses by Gu-De.
Cosmic Mansion
“My husband enjoys the cedar notes at the Another Morning cloth sprays from this home-fragrance place. Plus they take fragrant Canvas sachets that perform wonders in keeping your clothes smelling fresh. I Always pick some up in vanilla”