You walk into any cosmetics chain and you're sure to walk out with at least some free cotton swabs or some face mask sample. It's like a frugal girl's version of Halloween. Me loves it.
If you decide to buy a Korean fashion magazine, be sure to get an issue that comes with some sort of free gift. Do not settle for less. It is your right as a consumer in Korea, a right called "service."
In America, all you ever get are some annoying subscription postcards that threaten to fall out every time you open the magazine. At most, you get some tiny sample of makeup concealer that is unlikely to match your skin tone. You certainly never get anything that you could re-gift...
Korean magazines are far superior in terms of freebies. I should note that the complimentary gifts may be seem a little random, but one should never look a (free) gift horse in the mouth. (Did I get the expression right? I think I'm beginning to lose my ability to speak Engrish).
Pick up an issue of CeCe and get a tube of Pringles (Pringles Light, of course. You are a woman after all).
Ran out of grapeseed oil? No problem. Just run to Kyobo Bookstore and pick up a couple of bottles.
(Thanks for the corrections HY) An issue of Cindy the Perky magazine will get you a scale and some sort of useless face shaping device.
It's a little disconcerting that all of these freebies reinforce the body consciousness inspired by the photo-shopped models in the fashion magazines, but then again... it's FREE!
10 comments:
Not to mention the entertainment of compounding beauty products with the general randomness of Konglish you normally see. Does that bottle of grapeseed oil say "Ribbing Sense" (리빙센스)? Hilarious!
Whoops, guess it's supposed to be "Living Sense." Still funny!
Anna.. That magazine is not "Circly"...
it is "Cindy" , Cindy the Perky.
visit here...ㅋㅋㅋ
http://www.cindy.co.kr/
hi there... i found your site randomly.... i think off a google search for something seoul/korea related. : ) but i just wanted to let you know that it's very cool! so this might sound sort of random... but would you have any recommendations for 1) salons in seoul - particularly for women's haircuts... and 2) your thoughts on eyelash implants? haha... thanks! there's not much else as far as "living in seoul" resources go, and i found your blog quite helpful!
Hi anonymous,
Glad that you could find some useful info amidst aall my rambling. I am not familiar with eyelash implants, but I'll ask around. Eyelash extensions have been great. I don't know if I can afford this habit when I get back to the States :( As for salons, I like my hair stylist at Leechul Harikerker in Apgujung. It's pricey, but Mr. Taek Kim has been great and he speaks fluent English. What neighborhood do you live in? Perhaps Cyndi can naver up some recommendations. :)
What a spectacular blog. You're a great writer.
haha, that's pretty gnarly. i love freebies! anyway, i just got done reading all of your blog entries. i am sufficiently amused. so thank you for that.
a few questions...do you speak much Korean? Also, since you refer to being in Korea as "the motherland" I'm assuming your Korean as well. And if that's the case, and assuming you don't speak much Korean, do people treat you weird or are they surprised if you don't speak Korean? I'm just really curious.
But I look forward to reading more of your entries :)
ah, i live near 이대... so it's a pretty close walk to 신촌. thanks for responding! i just got a haircut in 원주 over the holiday and eeeek... the lady did not understand the "long bang" concept... sigh. anyway, thanks for the recommendation! do you know how much a standard cut would cost? where do you go for eyelash extensions? do they make your natural eyelashes fall out? thank ya! hope you had a nice holiday! oh yeah this is "anonymous" writing back. ; )
Becca: I do speak Korean, but I can understand more than I speak. I can read and write, but only enough to sing ballads in the noraebang. I'm sure that most people think it's a shame that an ethnic Korean doesn't speak Korean, but they don't usually say it to my face. Most people are actually quite supportive and try to encourage me to practice more, or... they think I'm Japanese. I tend to just nod my head, and say 네("yes") a lot, so they think I'm very docile and lady-like. Muhahahaha.
Hi Cheri: Happy new year! Of course, I know where Edae is :) Summer does our eyelashes. She used to work out of a salon in Hongdae, but she's had a falling out with the salon owner so she's currently nomadic. My natural lashes haven't fallen off more than usual. A standard hair cut (depending on the length) is probably $25-$35, but I'm not certain. I pay a little more at Leechul (eeps). If you want a bargain, I recommend one of those salons with student interns. I once went to a decent one in Myungdong, but I have no idea what is was called or where it's located.
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