Korean Job Discussion Forums

Taya · Joined: 09 Jan 2009 Location: Changwon

I'm leaving for Seoul in a couple weeks. I'm a 25 year-old female and I have some girly questions. This is not about tampons.

1. I'm curious about foundation make-up. I'm a very light-skinned caucasian and I don't expect to have trouble finding make-up to match my skin tone, but I'm wondering if dark skinned girls have problems with this.

2. Are there good places to get a professional bikini wax done? Also, can you buy home wax kits or hair removal cream easily?

3. On a related note, do women wear bikinis at the pool or at the beach or should I stick to one-piece suits?

4. I'm interested in trying Taekwondo or a non-combat martial art while in Korea but I've never done anything like it before and I'm probably horribly out of shape. Would I have trouble finding a newbie friendly, female friendly place to learn?

5. My feet are wide and flat. It's fairly hard to find shoes that fit me here in Canada. Do I have any chance at all of finding shoes that fit me in Korea? Will I be wearing slippers all day in the classroom?

That's all I can think of right now...

Panda · Joined: 25 Oct 2008

1, No problem, many Korean girls are whiter than their Caucasian sisters.

2, No, I don't think they usually have it done by others, but there are hair removal products.

3, No, most of them don't even ware one-piece, I mean on a beach, but yes, bring your bikini, everybody loves it.

4, No trouble.

5, No, you wont have problem finding shoes, the problem is big shoes are also out of fashion at least 10 years. BTW, you can find Nike Adidas Puma etc....easily.

neandergirl · Joined: 23 Jun 2005

1. I had quite a bit of trouble finding foundation and powder light enough for me. Shop girls were often surprised at the difference between the lightest stuff they carry and my complexion; this was outside of Seoul but even in Busan it was a problem.

2. I believe there are places in Seoul that do waxing. The search feature on this website is problematic, but there was a thread with people rating/recommending the different places.

3. Young women often wear bikinis or bikini tops with shorts at the beach. Others wear beach skirts, tankinis, tee shirts etc. Pretty much runs the gamut.

4. A former co-worker took up taekwondo for the first time here. She had fun but said she really needed to have a thick skin because even tho' she was very fit (she went through uni as an athlete), people made comments about her and her shape regularly. Her calves in particular, for some reason.

5. Finding nice shoes of reasonable quality and fair price in my very average size 7 was a nightmare. I resigned myself to buying them in Thailand (which is where I got my foundation etc as well). Maybe I'm pickier than you are tho'.

refikaM · Joined: 06 May 2006 Location: Gangwondo

I have wide feet, too, and yes you will have problems finding properly fitting shoes... But the biggest problem is finding attractive women's shoes! Korea's women's shoes are just about the ugliest I've seen anywhere, and I've lived/visited many places in the world. My advice is buy your shoes before you come for the year.. Oh yeah, you won't have trouble finding athletic shoes (running, walking, hiking, etc.).. They are everywhere although more expensive that N. America...

Marlboro · Joined: 31 Jul 2006

what they said ^^ Very Happy

I agree with RefikaM. shoes here are awful to look at,i bought all mine with me , and usually order online,there are however some attractive sandals at the Macy store in Seoul.

as for the bikini wax ,i do that myself,ive yet to find one that does it better!

Jane · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

In general, if there are certain products, styles, fits or items that you find work for you, well, bring them over.

If you feel you are willing to compromise a little, wait and look for it in Korea.

For example, I can't live without my favorite brand of pressed power so I bring a few compacts over every time I go home. Second, I refuse to wear bows and gaudy, fake jewelstones on my shoes or clothes, so I go on a shopping spree when I'm at home and buy very little in Korea.

BTW, my mom is a size 9 (US size), and she couldn't find a single pair to fit. If you are anything bigger than say, an average size 8 shoe, bring shoes from home! Also, if you believe comfort and quality are admirable traits for a shoe, avoid buying in Korea.

Nierlisse · Joined: 11 Oct 2008 Location: South Korea

I agree with what someone else said; if you have certain kinds of make-up that you prefer, bring those with you. I was hoping to find something I liked in Korea, but my skin is fair with pink under-tones and anything with yellow under-tones (like most of the makeup I have seen here) makes my skin look orange. So I'm going to have to have my mum ship me some makeup and then stock up again when I go home.

I like the shoes here. Well, most of them. There are always some super gaudy ones. But some of them are really cute. I haven't gotten the courage to buy a pair yet though. I'm too afraid of not finding anything in my size. (I wear anywhere from an 8 to 9) I'm going shopping this weekend though so hopefully I can find something.

Taya · Joined: 09 Jan 2009 Location: Changwon

Thanks for all your answers. I'm going to bring a couple pairs of shoes and my mother said she'll mail my winter boats in the fall if I need them. Do most schools require you to remove your shoes and wear slippers all day? Because that would be awesome.

My home bikini waxes are pretty sloppy but if there's no other option, that's fine. So skinny Korean girls don't wear bikinis at the beach? I don't want to look like an attention *beep*.

Jane · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

You can do bikini or brazilian waxes here (in Itaewon).

Just don't expect privacy!

tzechuk · Joined: 20 Dec 2004

Misera · Joined: 12 Oct 2008

Janny · Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Location: all over the place

1. Korean ladies have yellow-toned skin and most of the products here cater to that. But I predict you could find something suitable, with some searching. There are LOTS of cosmetic places around, cheap and costly.

2. You can find both wax and hair-removal cream here. Korean ladies are not very hairy but they do like to remove all the hair anyway. (I have started to remove the hair on my arms, because of the looks I was getting...my arms are hella hairy...my mom sends me Nair from home) About the bikini-wax...yes, you can get it done here. But I wouldn't. I don't like the looks / attitude I get from Korean service people. In any venue. I can't imagine having one of them studying my bikini area. No thanks! (I'm a bit touchy about this topic of scrutiny, in general)

3. Women mostly wear nice one or two-piece suits, covered with a sarong or T-shirt. NO exhibitionism here. Occasionally you'll see a Korean gal walking around in a bikini, but she's probably Kyopo (Korean raised in America), a model, or just really HOT and needs to show it off. If you have a nice body, show it with a bikini. No problem. If you have any "unfortunate" body traits then maybe don't. No matter what, you'll get stared at, since you're a white girl. Don't show too much boob either, not cool here.

4. Not sure about this. Best bet would be to hook up with another newbie and join a class together. Preferably a new Korean friend. There is alot of foreigner interest in TaeKwanDo here. I suggest Groove magazine..you will find SOOO much good info in there. Invaluable. You can get it at certain venues in Itaewon (Gecko's is one place, also Pita Time, both on the same street, ask around)

5. I once worked for a school that made everyone take off their shoes at the door and wear slippers. But it's the exception. About shoes, you should bring as many from home as you can. Get someone to ship them to Korea to avoid luggage bulk. Only people with small, regular-shaped feet do well here with shoes. And Korean shoes are ugly, in my opinion. Really frou-frou with frills and bows and sparkle and shit like that. Click clack click clack, high heel stupidity.

GOOD LUCK! Korea is....interesting!

sweetmoya · Joined: 06 Feb 2009 Location: south korea

It's best to bring your shoes. I brought tons of shoes in my luggage. I too have a large flat wide foot. You can find proper sizes (and stylish) at western stores like Zara and Forever21 though they tend to be costly. You can also order online from yesstyle.com. I personally like to order from ASOS.com but it can be costly as well.

Jane · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

DorkothyParker · Joined: 11 Apr 2009 Location: Jeju

As long as we're talking about chick issues overseas, what's the sizing like in Korea? I know here in America vanity sizing has made it near impossible to really know what proper sizing is. I really like the fashion styles in Korea and would like to partake, but I don't know if my ego can handle finding myself in an XL label. Also, I'm terrified of being the fat Westerner especially since I heard many students can be rather outspoken regarding such things.