Korean Job Discussion Forums

[MollyBloom]

This time around in Seoul I really want to not bring a lot of stuff from home. I didn't really get to know a lot of Korean beauty products last year, but I am open to opinion. Plus, I'm not sure there is a thread about the quality of certain products (correct me if I am wrong). So, let's have a thread about best products!

Which shampoo/conditioner has worked well for you? Prices?

I have only used Dove and I didn't really like it. Prices were reasonable for refills.

Which makeup brand do you suggest?

I have used some stuff from Skin Food, and it has been okay. I have somewhat sensitive skin and it did not irritate it. I liked the Banana mascara...no clumps. I didn't use the skin care products. Eye Makeup remover was good.

Hair products?

Never used any.

Toothpaste and other dental products?

Used Perioe. Worked well.

Any other products not mentioned?

Companies like Olive Young? Good place to shop? Give examples of good products.

[ciccone_youth]

Good thread! I'm a beauty product and makeup junkie, and there are some very good products here:

hair: if you don't want to pay a lot, use the stuff they sell under 5K- Kerasys and Mise en Scene. Smells good and kind of like Pantene, doesn't do wonders though.

I prefer L'Or�al Els�ve-- which is European and VERY expensive back home, but here in Korea it's only 5K a bottle, and it works great.

skincare: i like the Japanese line DHC, sold at Olive Young, very affordable.
i also like the cheaper line of Shiseido products they sell at the same place.

Makeup: i like anything from Skin Food! so cheap, but good products. I tried the foundation and it's pretty amazing for 7K a bottle. I like their nail polishes and eyeshadows. Also, �tude House has good, cheap lip glosses.

I like department store brands a lot, though-- such as Lancome and Est�e Lauder, but they're quite expensive here so I don't buy so much.

Other: The Face Shop and Beauty Credit have some great smelling body lotions, for very cheap too!


All in all I mostly shop at Olive Young, they have a great selection and fun brands to try. If you like trying new things you'll love it in Korea.

[MollyBloom]

I am into the mineral craze, so are there some good products that have mineral foundation, loose powder, etc? The Prescriptions Organic products are AWESOME but can be around $12 in the US.

[bassexpander]

[MollyBloom]

Yeah, I love Chanel as far as brand name products of that caliber are concerned, but they are more expensive in Korea!

Thanks to your wife!

[OiGirl]

Which shampoo/conditioner has worked well for you? Prices?
I'm not picky about shampoo. I usually go with Mise en Scene, but I don't think there's anything special about it.

Conditioner, on the other hand, is a BIG DEAL for me. I haven't found anything I really like in Korea. I have to schlep Garnier Fructis from home. In a pinch, Nutique from Nutrition for Life, a US MLM company that has invaded Korea, will do. It helps that my colleague's sister sells Nutrition for Life.

Which makeup brand do you suggest?

I don't use Korean foundation, but powder and color from The Face Shop is fine.

Hair products?

Can't find anything that doesn't suck. Experimenting with innisfree's Moisture Shine Esssence.

Toothpaste and other dental products?

Won't use Korean brands. Actually, won't use US brands except for Ultrabrite. I'm really picky about toothpaste.

Any other products not mentioned?

Moisturizers and cleansers from innisfree are not bad. Ones from the Face Shop seem appealing, but usually turn out to be crap. Almost all my favorite Aveeno products are becoming available in Korea.

[Underwaterbob]

Beware the pine toothpaste. Green tube with pictures of pine needles. Nearly made me vomit.

[ardis]

I love shopping for cosmetics and skincare, as well. I was actually really surprised that there is no Sephora here.

A lot of my shopping is done at Skinfood because it smells good and hasn't broken me out at all. I used the Face Shop at first (gifts from mothers), but it most definitely was the cause of some break outs (I usually have clear skin--a pimple or so comes every three or four months). I do still use a lot of my makeup from home (like my Stila smudge pot, MAC concealer, etc). I just bought some lipglosses from SF that I love, as well--they smell good, moisturize, and have good pigmentation. I've bought stuff from Etude House but it was more watered down and the quality wasn't as high.

Shampoo and conditioner...I'm still trying to find one that I love. I've been hopping around and haven't settled on one that I like. I've tried Dove, MeS, one in a green bottle that starts with a K (forget the name), and a Watson's brand.

[maeil]

Like OiGirl, I don't care about shampoo but conditioner is very important. The best brand I've found so far is Double Riche. My hair is super fine and tangles if you so much as look at it, and this stuff helps it comb out very easily and not get staticy.

I haven't really been able to find any other hair products that work for my hair here. Most of the products are geared to Korean-type hair which is, I find, usually very thick, strong and heavy. All of the waxes, gels, sprays, glosses etc just weigh my hair down and make it look greasy.

I LOVE face masks from Skin Food. The best one I've found was the Royal Jelly one.

I don't wear a whole lot of makeup day to day. I have some eyeliner from Misscha that works well, and a shadow from Face Shop. I'm pretty pale, and I've actually had some of the shop girls at the lower-end stores (Face Shop, Skin Food etc) tell me that they didn't have any foundation in my color. I use stuff from back home, but I do keep a compact of translucent powder from Face Shop in my bag. It's decent stuff.

As for toothpaste, I pay the price for Arm and Hammer. I can usually find it at E-mart or some place. Maybe it's all in my head, but my teeth start to feel bad if I've been using a Korean brand for a while.

This is a bit of a different note, but has anyone seen those "fat-busting" stockings they sell in convenient stores here? They promise to burn 500 calories an hour or something and cost upwards of 13,000 won a pair. I'm sort of amusingly intrigued by these things, just for the novelty of them, and I wonder if anyone has tried them or knows anything about them? How can people get away with making that type of claim? What "science" backs them up? Please let me know if you've got the scoop.

[smurfetta]

Which shampoo/conditioner has worked well for you? Prices?

I've been using the Cooling Mint shampoo and conditioner from the face shop. I think it cost about 12,000 won for the two bottles.

Which makeup brand do you suggest?

I've tried using some powder from the Face Shop but the colour was all wrong for me. I have really fair skin so it is not easy for me to find the right matching foundation and powder. In the end, I ended up buying L'oreal true match powder and foundation. It was way more expensive than it is at home. I can't remember how much it was. I would bring your own powder/ foundation that you like with you.

Hair products?

I like Skin Food's Extra Virgin Olive Essence. I use it when my hair feels a bit too dry. I had my hair straightened so it needs help every once in a while. All my other hair products are from home.


Toothpaste and other dental products?

I'm using Oral B tooth paste right now. You can buy that at E-mart etc... It's boring but a reputable brand. I'm thinking about picking up some toothpaste like Crest or Aquafresh from Hannam market next time I am there.

Any other products not mentioned?

Whenever, I am at home or in Thailand (Boots) I always pick up a spf 15 facial moisturising cream that is hypoallergenic. I also pick up vitamin E and coco butter cream. I've yet to find these creams in Korea. Hopefully, I will be able to because I am running out of coco butter.

[ciccone_youth]

I guess I'm lucky since I have an oliver skin tone with strong yellow undertones: most foundation and powder tints in Korea fit me.

Also lately I got many Dior and Estee Lauder makeup products from parents on teacher's day, which is fantastic!

[bassexpander]

We tried the Arm & Hammer toothpaste, but it would leave a gross white muck in our mouths the next morning... yuck. Felt like dead skin.

[sistersarah]

Which shampoo/conditioner has worked well for you? Prices?

I was using Dove forever because of countless Chuseok/Seollal gift sets. Finally done those and now I'm using Elastine. It's all right.

Which makeup brand do you suggest?

I love trying the Korean shops. Lately, I've been into Innisfree. I really like their BB cream tinted moisturizer.

As for the best Korean brand, LaNeige wins hands down. It's more expensive than Skin Food and Face shop, but the quality is noticeable. Their brushes are amazing. Also, their PRIMER is out of this world. There's a LaNeige shop in Myeong-dong and it's available in other smaller shops like Hue Palace.

Hair products?

I use Biosilk. I've found it in some salons, and there's a lady in basemet Doota (Dongdaemun) that sells it.

Toothpaste and other dental products?

Currently using up gift packs! Can't wait to go back to Arm and Hammer.

Any other products not mentioned?

Skin Food's pressed powders are nice.

Note: There's a store in Myeong-dong on the main drag called "On Tree." It's all imported European beauty brands, everything from hair to skin products to perfumes. I got some jojoba oil (I mix a drop with my moisturizer) and candendula oil there. They gave me some samples, like lotions and stuff....wow, very expensive, but very nice!

[jjurabong]

Has anyone seen any murad products here?

[moosehead]

Which shampoo/conditioner has worked well for you? Prices?

K shampoos are all to drying - they all (yes, ALL) have detergents in them which will dry your hair and scalp. If your hair tends to be oily you may not notice, but I wouldn't recommend using them.

However, in a pinch, I've used the higher priced ones in FaceShop; they also have a citrus one which is also detergent based but a little less harsh than some. FaceShop also has good conditioners in the higher end section.

The shampoos and conditioners I DO use regularly (but sometimes run out and/or am just too busy to go) are the Aveda ones. The problem is you have to go to either a salon or a dept store like Hyndai to buy them. However, a large size might cost 80,000 won but will last a year- the shampoo definitely, conditioner a little less time.

I've found Aveda to be excellent and pack some in small bottles for traveling even.

The rosemary mint shampoo is my fave.

Which makeup brand do you suggest?

I only wear mascara and lipstick - mascara I can't find Maybelline but try to find something for contact lens wearers because it's going to be hypoallergenic - it's possible - Olive Young is good for this.

Lipcolor - dept stores, FaceShop, wherever, doesn't matter - not a problem.


Toothpaste and other dental products?

CLARIN - it's a gel- and is very excellent - not like those pasty toothpastes - Clarin is a little hard to find sometimes and a bit pricey but compared to the alternative -

Olive Young usually has it. maybe 3800 won for a tube - lasts about 2 months.

Any other products not mentioned?

Misha has some good moisturizers, one in a little pink jar is very good and they have some that are water based which are excellent in the summer, so you aren't all oily.

Both FaceShop and Misha have very good products but watch out for their skin whitening stuff.

there's an excellent body wash foam - Ginko -comes in a White Box, Green Letters, English, the foam is in a tube - maybe 9-12,000 won, depending on where you find it - it's in Emart, Lotte Mart, but over near cosmetics, not in the usual bath soaps. Also Olive Young. This was a teacher's day gift years ago and now I buy it all the time. It has a wonderful scent which I've learned is green tea. Leaves your skin very soft, also.


good thread