Peachy Days

11:58:00 AM mandy 0 Comments

One area of food that I lack the most knowledge in is with fruits. Yes, the sweet and juicy, vitamin packed produce that mostly grows on trees. Why? Because I grew up eating a very limited variety of them all-year round. Thanks, uncommon allergies! Fruit seasons might as well not exist for me; otherwise, I would miss out on the chance to fill my daily sugar allowance with preferably natural ones.

This doesn't mean that the opportunity to go fruit picking doesn't still excite me. As long as it isn't pollination season and not departing for the farm at 6:30 AM on a hot summery day, I am far more willing to be outside in nature and farmland than just a few years earlier.  I might not be able to consume the fresh fruits but my allergies aren't so bad so I could still touch them and be fine.


Mid to late summer is, apparently, the perfect time for peaches and nectarines. I saw them more often in our fruit basket throughout July and August but didn't know if my mom had sudden cravings or sales were too good to resist, usually meaning it's their season and time to shine. It only clicked after the parentals said we were going on a peach picking day-trip. We joined a bus tour that brought everyone from New York City to Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, Connecticut.



The orchard must be doing something right since they are celebrating their 276th year anniversary this year, 2017. Even though we went with a tour group, there were many families who drove to enjoy the day outdoors as well. It seems to be quite popular amongst the local state residents nearby.

Seeing the rows and rows, acres upon acres of the orchard is just breathtaking. Our bus only allotted enough time for peach picking, but the orchard had PYO peach, apple, and pears the day we went. Lyman's also has a nearby marketplace that sells fruits, baked goods, pantry items as well as BBQ sandwiches. For those looking for activities, the orchard has a golf course and sunflower/corn maze nearby. The maze seemed fun but the day we visited was a little too cloudless to bear the thought of potentially getting lost inside.


The director said that all picked fruit should be paid for first but I would say a majority of visitors had very generous samplings as they went on their picking frenzy. Staff weighs everyone's loot by the entrance/exit and the bags are paid per pound. I believe all peaches were ~$1.50/lb. (give or take) when we visited.

Lyman's has both white- and yellow-flesh peaches (furry) and the same for nectarines (smooth). Since I couldn't eat them, the differences between the variations that I knew were all superficial. Wiki does say the white ones are less acidic and sweeter. My mom recommended us to only pick and purchase firmer ones since these fruits ripen and soften even after picking. It is also wise to keep the peaches and nectarines well protected in the car ride home as any sudden thrashes will surely cause it to bruise.

My biggest regret is not purchasing one of their apple pies and peach crisps/cobblers. It is supposedly an award winning recipe. I got to taste their peach crisp a la mode at the marketplace and it was delish! If only I didn't buy it at the last minute and the bus wasn't on a schedule to leave. Bummer... Perhaps next time?

the SAEM Dear My Foot Power Peeling

12:11:00 AM mandy 0 Comments

I may have unintentionally started a foot peeling mask series, well it was unintentional until the RoseRoseShop haul. The quest was never to try every version available on the market; my target was just to buy the most affordable yet effective version. It just so happened that I would find cheaper ones that were from a different brand. Even though they should theoretically all work the same, there is always the possibility that it might not...right?

the SAEM's Dear My Foot Power Peeling mask looks exactly like The Face Shop's and Etude House's peeling products: from where it is made, to the way everything is packaged, down to the directions. The only variance is in the ingredients list, yet even that is extremely similar. I had high expectations since I've seen success with something that is practically identical to it.



the SAEM's description:

A foot peeling mask infused with hero exfoliants like Salicylic Acid and cell turnover catalyst Lactic Acid. This foot mask powerfully peels away all your dead skin cells, revealing baby soft feet. Its citrus ingredients relax and rejuvenate your tired, stressed feet, while Olive and Argan oils moisturize ’til your soles are silky smooth.

Directions
1. Wear the foot sheet.
2. Cut the pouch along the dotted line and pour the contents (20 ml) along the lateral side of each foot sheet.
3. Tie the ankle area, fix the top of the ankle with the enclosed sticker, and wait until the contents are absorbed into the soles of the feet. (Recommended Time: 60~90 minutes.)
4. After the recommended time, take off the sheet, wash off any residue with water, and towel-dry the feet.
5. After 4~6 days of use, dead skin cells will naturally start to fall off. For softer, smoother feet, wait for the dead skin cells to peel off naturally.

Ingredients
SD ALCOHOL 40-B, WATER, LACTIC ACID, GLYCOLIC ACID, GLYCERIN, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, BETAINE, UREA, PEG-60 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, SALICYLIC ACID, DISODIUM EDTA, ARGININE, CITRUS PARADISI (GRAPEFRUIT) FRUIT EXTRACT, ARGANIA SPINOSA KERNEL OIL, CHAMAECYPARIS OBTUSA WATER, OLEA EUROPAEA (OLIVE) FRUIT OIL, CITRUS AURANTIFOLIA (LIME) FRUIT EXTRACT, CITRUS AURANTIUM DULCIS (ORANGE) FRUIT EXTRACT, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, CITRUS LIMON (LEMON) FRUIT EXTRACT, FRAGRANCE

the SAEM (USA): USD $11.49
the SAEM (Korean retail): ₩7,000
YesStyle: USD $8.90
Jolse: USD $10.48



With this kind of a result, a foot peeling mask series might be very redundant...At least I can gladly say the Dear My Foot Power Peeling works! (I saw that there were some Amazon reviewers who saw no results. I wonder what that could have been due to?)

Packaging

Like I mentioned earlier, the SAEM's version looks identical to the other road shop brands. The mask is sold with a pair of serum-filled pouches and two plastic booties packaged in a box.

the SAEM, unlike the TFS and Etude House, includes an extra pair of stickers to help tape down excess plastic bag. I found it to be very weak. Since I know the booties without a sticker works fine for me, I didn't bother to fix it. I would suggest using regular tape if your feet are on the smaller side.

Ingredients

Again, the ingredients in this formulation are very very similar to the previous foot peels I have written about. The only things that are different are the order of ingredients and plus or minus some essential oils and extracts.

Color & Scent

The serum is colorless and relatively odorless (maybe slightly artificially fruity). I didn't experience any sensitivity to all the acids.

Before

Soaked my feet for 30 minutes in water prior to soaking it for 90 minutes in the peeling serum.

Day 1-3

Saw no changes. Didn't do any extra soaking.

Day 4-6

Still did not do extra feet soaking. Started to see some peeling around the toes, then the balls of my feet.

Day 7-8

Started to get a little impatient and took extended showers (a night of shaving, a night of exfoliating, and a night or two of extra hair washes, etc.) to keep my feet wet a little longer—the skin peeling process sped up a lot as a result.

Day 9

Was pressed for time (had to go on an overnight trip with friends the next day). Soaked my feet for about an hour. When the peeling layer of skin got very soft, I pushed the tip of my nails to scrape/shovel the skin off. Most of it came off without any issues, but then there were stubborn patches and flakey bits that were very much still attached to my soles despite everything.

Thoughts & Recommendations

I can't remember the last time I did a foot peel without having (accidentally) heavily soaking and rubbing my feet with water shortly after beginning the exfoliation process. I forgot how slow it was for the skin to naturally detach itself just from daily showers alone. While the box says dead skin falls off naturally in 4-6 days, it took about 6-7 for the skin to very noticeably flake. When the skin is constantly soaked for a long time, dead skin starts to fall off around the earlier predicted date. It also completely finishes peeling a lot sooner. The whole process takes can take about 9-11 days depending on how much extra help is given, whether intentional or not.

Even though shoveling the skin off with my nails sped up the process, it definitely wasn't a definitive solution. Not everything wanted to come off. What was underneath the scraped areas wasn't as clean and smooth as places where the skin fell off on its own. But hey, it works in a pinch. I would only recommend doing this towards the end of the peeling cycle.

The most important conclusion is this stuff works. It isn't a miracle in the sense that ALL callouses and thicker skin are removed, but it gets pretty darn close! (HG status worthy. Is HG still a thing in the beauty blogging world?)

If bought in Korea, it costs the same as other brands so there is no debating or guessing—just get whatever is on sale or whatever shop you first see it in. If bought outside of Korea, pick whatever is cheapest.

Solar Eclipse

11:48:00 PM mandy 0 Comments

It is difficult to not try and experience it myself when everyone hypes up the solar eclipse. New York City might not have been graced with the marvel of totality, but seeing what was the moon covering 70% of the sun was plenty spectacular. Standing outside while being surrounded by a large group of people all trying to catch a glimpse of something we normally cannot see and stare at an extraterrestrial object which we typically wouldn't dare look at—it was surreal.



I hadn't planned the actual viewing part of the solar eclipse. Even though I knew it would be extremely dangerous to look at with my bare eyeballs, I did not pre-purchase eclipse glasses or make a DIY contraption. I mostly went outside with the hope that some nice person could let me borrow their viewing device for a hot second.



Thankfully, the phone's camera could catch the lens flares from the bright sunlight to give an indirect view of the eclipse. I heard someone say that even pointing the camera straight at the sun could potentially be harmful to both the phone and human eyes; whether I see any side effects remains unknown. It was still incredibly difficult to view through the mobile camera, let alone take a clear photo of it. (This involved max zooming, constant focus tapping, and speedy picture taking.)



Wonders of nature tends to bring humankind together—it isn't about you, me, him, or her specifically for that short period of time—just the sky, the clouds, the sun, and the moon. Complete strangers gather together. Selflessness and sharing spread in the air as a few pair of eclipse glasses passed around a sizeable group of people. Jaws dropped and admirable wows escaped, no matter young or old, as soon as the solar filters covered the eyes.

It felt completely different from the time I saw the super blood moon/lunar eclipse; I was not alone, it was not dark, and there was no chance of not being able to witness this natural event. I hear the next total solar eclipse viewable in the USA will be in 2024 (April 8th to be exact). I also hear parts of New York (far upstate) will get a chance to witness totality. Perhaps I should consider it as a bucket list item?

AprilSkin Magic Snow Pad

12:28:00 AM mandy 0 Comments

Exfoliation is not my strong suite in this skincare game. While I started out using ones with particles doing all the dead skin removal work, I have slowly left those behind in search of less abrasive products. AHAs and BHAs are still such foreign concepts to me. But AprilSkin Magic Snow Pad sounded like it would match well with its non-irritating and skin toning promisings. Plus, who could say no to something that is pre-portioned and seemingly foolproof?



AprilSkin's Descriptions:

The non-irritating peeling pad contains Lactobacillus/Milk Ferment Filtrate along with 10 other grain extracts that remove dirt and excess sebum from skin enhancing skin texture and tone.

100% Cotton & Microfibre
Provides sensitive skin care with 100% cotton pad and microfibre pad.

Exfoliate & Skin Soothing
Gently exfoliates and removes dead skin cells.

Sebum Control
Effectively controls sebum and brightens skin tone.

Cleansing & Hydrating
Pads in gommage type easily remove make-up and nourish and hydrate for smoother skin.

Directions (on package)
1. The white surface is pure 100% cotton and sky blue surface is abrasive (meant for exfoliation).
2. Using the white side of the pad, on a dry face, gently roll on the surface of the dry skin.
3. Use the blue side to gently exfoliate areas with dead skin cells.
4. Rinse with luke warm water.

Directions (on website)
1. Gently rub cotton pad (white) on areas with dead skin cells and skin wastes.
2. Remove peeling and skin wastes with microfibre pad (sky blue).

Ingredients (translated from packaging)
LACTOBACILLUS/MILK FERMENT FILTRATE, CELLULOSE, QUATERNIUM-60, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, DIPROPYLENE GLYCOL, PEG-7 GLYCERYL COCOATE, PEG-20 GLYCERYL TRIISOSTEARATE, CARBOMER, ALCOHOL DENAT, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, GLYCERIN, PEG-60 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, CENTELLA ASIATICA EXTRACT, PAEONIA SUFFRUTICOSA ROOT EXTRACT, PURIFIED WATER, CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA (MATRICARIA) FLOWER EXTRACT, CITRUS AURANTIUM BERGAMIA (BERGAMOT) FRUIT OIL, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, OLIVE OIL, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, CITRUS GRANDIS (GRAPEFRUIT) PEEL OIL, LAVENDER OIL, PELARGONIUM GRAVEOLENS FLOWER OIL, ORYZA SATIVA (RICE) BRAN EXTRACT, GLYCINE MAX (SOYBEAN) SEED EXTRACT, ORYZA SATIVA (RICE) EXTRACT, BARLEY EXTRACT, AVENA SATIVA (OAT) KERNEL EXTRACT, SESAMUM INDICUM SEED EXTRACT, MUNG BEAN EXTRACT, TRITICUM VULGARE (WHEAT) SEED EXTRACT, JUGLANS REGIA (WALNUT) SEED EXTRACT, AVENA SATIVA (OAT) MEAL EXTRACT, RED BEAN EXTRACT, JOB'S TEARS SEED EXTRACT, GREEN TEA EXTRACT, PORTULACA OLERACEA EXTRACT, SALIX NIGRA (WILLOW) BARK EXTRACT, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, COPAIBA BALSAM RESIN, JASMINE OIL, SAGE OIL, ROSE OIL, ELETTARIA CARDAMOMUM SEED OIL

aprilskin.com (KR retail): ₩2,000/ea
En.aprilskin.com: USD $2.00/ea
BBCosmetic: USD $13.21/for 5

Packaging

Each double-sided scrubbing pad comes individually packaged that needs to be torn open, like sheet mask pouches. The pads come pre-soaked in the exfoliating ingredients. The slit is roomy enough for two of my fingers to fit inside. I did find it a tad too spacious; as I rubbed the pad across my face and in circular motions, my fingers bunched up to one side only.

The white side of the pad is supposedly made of 100% cotton but it isn't very soft (not like cotton used for toners). It has more of a thin paper feel (similar to those fancy Japanese oil blotting sheets).

The blue side is textured and feels much softer in comparison to the other side of the pad.

Ingredients

AprilSkin puts a lot of emphasis on the fact that the Magic Snow Pad contains lactobacillus or milk ferment filtrate. I am not 100% sure if this is the same as lactic acid; Google search explains it as a bacteria that has the ability to produce lactic acid (body-wise) and an anti-inflammatory (skin-wise).

The pads also contain a good variety of plant extracts and essential oils, as do many other K-Beauty goodies do. What sets this product apart is the inclusion of the 10-grain extracts that I assume help with the exfoliation process.

I am not sure what in the composition of the Magic Snow Pad is responsible for it, but there is a layer of a white substance that is supposed to be applied with the white cotton side of the pad. Even though most of this stuff sticks to the packaging, there was still enough on the pad itself to scrub my entire face.

Alcohol denat. is in the formula somewhere. People sensitive to that do be cautious.

Color, Texture, & Scent

The white substance I mentioned earlier pills up as it is scrubbed—the more scrubbing, the finer the pills become. Whether or not there is dead skin in there is debatable for me. Whatever the white stuff is, it is soft and almost clumpy, wet paper-like.

The pad has a very strong smell that is somewhat familiar but I can't quite place a finger on what exactly the smell is. Since there isn't any added fragrance in the ingredients list, it should be due to the blend of extracts and oils in the formulation. The scent definitely lingers as long as the product is on the face; I didn't really notice it once I rinsed.

How I Apply

After I cleansed and air-dried my face, I swiped first with the white side of the pad. When it seemed like the white substance was distributed equally, I started to work the pad in circular motions and began exfoliating. Since I didn't like how stiff the white portion of the pad was, I quickly switched over to exfoliate with the blue textured side instead. I paid closer attention to spots where I know I am more prone to flakes and dry patches (corners of my mouth, chin, nose, between the eyebrows, and cheeks).

Thoughts & Recommendations

If there was one thing I wasn't expecting, it would be that the Magic Snow Pad is actually a gommage type exfoliator. I just assumed that something with lactobacillus in a pad form would automatically be an AHA serum infused product (something like the A'Pieu Aqua Peeling Cotton Swab but in a cotton pad form). While I have nothing against gommage peeling gels, I am not sure this vehicle is the best choice. A majority of the chunky stuff that did the pilling stubbornly stuck onto the pouch and wasn't easy to scoop out. *Fair Warning: Please, please use this over a sink! Avoid the mess of cleaning up tiny product + skin pills off the floor.

My skin did feel a little sensitive to the touch after the scrubbing, but nothing too alarming. It also seemed softer and smoother—a feeling that lasted throughout the next day. While I think it did help rid a lot of dead skin on my face, I don't think it helped remove it all. I still noticed patches and flakes amongst my makeup as the day progressed. The patches were smaller than normal but not completely nonexistent.

I also didn't feel dry or tight after using the exfoliating pad; that was a feeling I was familiar with when I used a bunch of other gommage type products in the past.

For the price of each individual packet and lack of a perfect exfoliation, I don't think I would repurchase the AprilSkin Magic Snow Pad. At the very least, not as my regular exfoliator. It is nice to take on trips though. If I were to rely on this only to remove my dead skin, my wallet would burst into tears and my garbage bin would be very full. This product didn't suck. It just isn't the perfect best one for me.

Banila Co. Clean It Zero Purity

12:20:00 AM mandy 0 Comments

Even though I am the type of person to wait a while before jumping on any skin care trends, I am not sure what took me quite this long before trying Banila Co's Clean It Zero line myself. Maybe I was apprehensive towards the new idea of cleansing balms? Maybe I was just a little overwhelmed by the many variations Banila Co. offered? Whatever the reason was that stopped me then, I think my mind has been forever changed.



Banila Co. & SOKO GLAM's Descriptions:

Refreshing feel & Recommended for Sensitive Skin.

Super skin-friendly mild "5 Non-Added Formula" reduces irritation of distressed skin while a healthy combination of 30% ECOCERT natural oils helps soften sensitive, coarse skin.

An offshoot from the popular Banila Co Clean It Zero Classic, this is a perfect first step in your double-cleanse. This award-winning hypoallergenic oil cleanser appears as a solid balm and transforms into a silky oil on the skin. It's sorbet-like texture and lightweight formula effortlessly dissolve stubborn makeup and impurities without stripping the skin of its natural oils.

Free from artificial coloring, synthetic fragrance, alcohol, parabens, and mineral oil. Formulated for sensitive skin types.

Directions
1. Use the spatula to scoop a small amount and massage balm over dry skin, concentrating on eye and lip makeup.
2. Add a splash of lukewarm water to emulsify into a milky texture.
3. Follow with your cleanser as the next step in your double-cleanse.

Ingredients (translated from packaging)
CETYL ETHYLHEXANOATE, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, PEG-20 GLYCERYL TRIISOSTEARATE, PEG-10 ISOSTEARATE, POLYETHYLENE, ARGANIA SPINOSA KERNEL OIL, OENOTHERA BIENNIS (EVENING PRIMROSE) OIL, PORTULACA OLERACEA EXTRACT, GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA (LICORICE) ROOT EXTRACT, CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF EXTRACT, CENTELLA ASIATICA EXTRACT, CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA (MATRICARIA) FLOWER EXTRACT, SCUTELLARIA BAICALENSIS ROOT EXTRACT, POLYGONUM CUSPIDATUM ROOT EXTRACT, ALTHAEA ROSEA FLOWER EXTRACT, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, CALENDULA OFFICINALIS FLOWER EXTRACT, ANTHEMIS NOBILIS FLOWER WATER, EPILOBIUM ANGUSTIFOLIUM FLOWER/LEAF/STEM EXTRACT, BETA-CAROTENE, WATER, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERIN, CAPRYLHYDROXAMIC ACID, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, CITRUS AURANTIUM DULCIS (ORANGE) PEEL OIL, ABIES SIBIRICA OIL, ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF OIL, LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA (LAVENDER) OIL

Balm 100 ml

Banila Co. (Korean retail): ₩22,000
RoseRoseShop: ₩22,000
iHerb: USD $21.80
SOKO GLAM and Peach&Lily: USD $25.00
oo35mm: USD $27.99

Packaging

A narrow and tall-ish jar with a twist off lid. The cleansing balm comes with a small plastic spatula. It is also sealed with a thin layer of circular foam.

I love that it comes with a spatula. However, I would have preferred if the jar itself was a tad wider in diameter and shorter so that I can always have the option to use my hands (specifically with the knuckles) and effortlessly scoop the product. It would just be one less thing to fiddle around with at the end of the day when all I want to do is just shower and plop into bed. Since the spatula itself is clear and small, it could easily get lost if I don't remember to store it inside the jar.

On a similar note, could companies make the lid flip-top instead of twist-off? I haven't ever seen it on a cleansing balm type product but it would just make life so much easier.

Ingredients

The beauty of the Clean It Zero Purity balm lies in the fact that it is free of typical irritants (artificial coloring, synthetic fragrance, alcohol, parabens, and mineral oil). CosDNA's analysis of the ingredients seems to give it an A-OK as well, with the exception of an "Oenothera biennis oil."

Purity is chock full of plant extracts which are popular in most Korean skincare products. Most of them look to serve as anti-inflammatories and/or moisturizers. There are a few essential oils listed towards the bottom of the list that supposedly acts as "natural" fragrances. I've heard of people who do have sensitivities to essential oils like citrus and lavender so I would tread with caution despite Purity being marketed as a sensitive-skin friendly makeup remover.

Color, Texture, & Scent

Banila describes their Clean It line as sorbet balms, which I would somewhat agree with. It is light and easily meltable like sorbet. I use no effort to scoop out product whether it be with my finger or a spatula. The cleansing balm holds its shape well until I want to massage it in. The balm-oil glides well without much tugging and rubbing. I love that unlike traditional cleansing oils, the balm doesn't get uncontrollably runny. It stays put wherever I move it to on my face.

Since this is the Purity version, it doesn't have added color or artificial fragrances. A whiff of the cleansing balm, inside the jar, gives a very faint citrusy scent. But any scents are undetectable in the small amounts needed for cleansing.

How I Apply

The amount I use varies greatly depending on how much makeup I wear but I find a scoop of product with the provided spatula is usually enough for an average day's worth of makeup—perhaps slightly double the amount in the photos above. (I know that is also very subjective. The best I can say is my average face consists of cushion, powder, blush, highlight, bronzer, eyeshadow, eyeliner, and eyebrows.) I tend to be more generous with balm since it doesn't get very runny.

I rub the product between the palms of my hands prior to applying it to my face. Then I will lightly massage all around, including over my eyelids and lips. When I feel like I've thoroughly worked it into every corner of my made-up face, I'll wet my hands a little to start emulsifying the balm. After which I generously splash my face until most of the product is washed away.

Thoughts & Recommendations

Coming from someone who has used cleansing oils and a couple balms to remove her makeup all her makeup wearing life, the Clean It Zero Purity is one of the few (if not only one in recent memory) that doesn't leave skin dry and tight afterward.

But! I do have to say it takes a lot more splashing and rinsing effort to wash away than most cleansing oils. When I don't do a good enough job, I feel like there is still some leftover residue hanging around. It doesn't really bother me too much since I always follow up immediately with a second cleanse.

I do get cloudy vision if I open my eyes before rinsing; my eyesight is fine when I keep them shut until everything is washed away.

Waterproof pen liner (in the above photo) isn't removed well. However, do keep in mind, that is fresh liner on my forearm and not worn-out liner on my oily eyelids. The cleansing balm is able to cleanse that specific eyeliner off after a normal day but it does still need more massaging than other eyeliners would need. For those who wear more waterproof products, I would recommend using a separate eye-makeup remover.

My skin seems to like this product a lot. I have used almost the whole tub and still have yet to experience a drying or tightening effect (knock on wood). I do not think it has ever caused me to break out either. There are some videos and blogs that suggest using cleansing oils and balms to help with cleaning out pores and blackheads—this specific balm would not be one of those. I don't feel like it cleanses that deeply, it just does a good job at removing makeup and facial dirt & oils. If there weren't so many other cleansing balms on the market to try or the Clean It Zero Purity was slightly cheaper, I would repurchase it in a heartbeat. Until the day I get tired of trying new makeup removers comes around, I am just glad to know there is one available that definitely works for me.

July Haul - RoseRoseShop

12:50:00 AM mandy 0 Comments

Oh, the constant battle between the frugal self and impatient mind.

Any Korean beauty lover outside of Korea would know the struggle of choosing between price and convenience. Do I want to have something immediately, support a local business, and pay a little more for it? Or do I want to pay as close to Korean retail as possible but wait a little longer?

When I find sites like RoseRoseShop, it certainly helps the thrifty side win out. Their prices are great and being forced to pay for shipping makes me reconsider everything I lust over. As long as I don't feel like I am in dire, immediate need of any product in my cart I can handle the long overseas mail time. Just please don't get lost!



I ended up ordering various foot peeling masks, Pyunkang Yul Cleansing Foam, make p:rem UV Defense ME Blue Ray Sun Fluid, make p:rem UV Defense ME Blue Ray Sun Gel, Clio Kill Cover Pro Artist Liquid Color Concealer in Mint, A'PIEU Aqua Peeling Cotton Swab in Intensive, and an Etude House eyebrow scissor.

The recent launch and raves for the make p:rem sunscreens instigated this haulage. RoseRoseShop's prices and discounts made it hard to resist when considering how much it sells for on Glow Recipe (make p:rem's only official USA seller).

Pyunkang Yul's oriental beauty line has been highly talked about on YouTube as well. I do want to try everything eventually but chose to get only the cleanser for now.

I couldn't believe how much cheaper all the foot peeling masks were on RRS, so naturally, I added one of each that they had out of curiosity. If it all works well, I will probably just stock up on whatever is the cheapest in the future.

The cotton swab exfoliator, eyebrow scissors, and color corrector were thrown in there either because I liked it, needed it, or just plain o' intrigued by it. Since those products are all light in weight, it didn't affect the total shipping price much.

Price & Stock

K-Beauty products offered on RoseRoseShop seem to be the lowest prices available online and in stores outside of Korea (even with additional shipping costs). Items are all listed with their Korean retail prices but most goods seem to be always on some kind of sale.

RRS offers a majority of the brands and products that are popular in Korea at the moment. Even if they don't have it, there is the option to try and request it via their "Request Form."

Something that makes RRS different is their wholesale option. If there is a product you absolutely love and they carry it, they usually list an "x10" option that is slightly discounted when compared to adding 10 of the "x1" version of the listing.

As if RRS couldn't be any more unique, they also sell sample sachets and mini-bottles. If you want to test smaller amounts first, you can. If you want a super travel-friendly version of your faves, you can get that too. Yes, those things are usually gratis in Korea but it is nice to have the option.

Requesting

For the hardcore K-Beauty fans, RoseRoseShop allows their customers to request items and brands. Requests could either become one of three things: regular listing, special request listing, or be rejected. The main difference between a regular and special listing is the latter includes an additional 8% commission fee and RRS purchases it after the order is placed versus having it in already stock in a warehouse somewhere. (Think personal buying.)

Judging from their Request Form section, it seems that those who ask for something from a brand that RRS already carries has better luck with the request becoming a regular listing.

It can be difficult to find the button to the actual form for making a request, but fear not it is there. Look for the small "Write" button at the bottom of the page next to the "Search" button. Having the "Search" and "Write" functions closer to the top of the site would have been more user-friendly, but I digress.

In my own experience, I received a comment on my request within a day or two, which said whether they could fulfill my request or not. (I asked for a specific make p:rem product and also asked if they could carry other make p:rem goods as well—in hopes that my item wouldn't be considered a special request and thus avoiding the commission fee.) After checking every few days, I finally saw my requested item about 2 weeks later along with a few of other products from the brand.

Communication

Email/Contact Form // Surprisingly quick (within a day or two). Perhaps the quickness would differ depending on the urgency of your inquiry, albeit they were responding to my non-urgent, mistakenly- sent product request.

Live Chat // Has set times on Monday-Thursday (10AM-5PM) and Friday (10AM-1PM). It is relatively fast as long as someone is available. If you see that the chat is live, I think it is more than likely to be first greeted by a "Customer Service" user who might say everyone is busy at the moment and to leave a message with an email address. I left the chat window bar opened for a bit and waited just in case someone freed up to chat. Within 5-7 minutes later a "roseroseshop" user answered my questions very promptly.

Website Design

The website's design has a very typical Korean e-commerce look. (i.e. Global Lotte, Gmarket, etc.) It isn't the most beautiful to look at but it works.

Certain categories are very general (ex: "Makeup - Eye" instead of Eyeshadows, Eyeliners, Eyebrow, etc.). There is basic filtering according to Price, Name, and Rating. However, there isn't a way to further filter pages results by skin type, concern, ingredient, etc. If their offerings weren't so plentiful, I wouldn't as bothered. But because RoseRoseShop has so many products available it takes ages to click through every page.

At least there is a search bar, right? Yes and no. When it works, it does its job. But it is very picky—if the name of the brand or product is slightly off, there won't be any results.
Ex 1: "make p:rem" works but "make prem" without the colon will give no results.
Ex 2: "eyeshadow", "eye shadow", "shadow" will give varying results (2 pages v. 3 pages v. 10 pages)

On the topic of search bars and filtering products, there is no way to find all the "Free Shipping" products RRS has at once. It isn't listed separately under their "Hot Sale" tab. It also isn't a searchable term in the search bar.

The listing information for each product is fairly bare-bones. On rare occasions, they will include a product's infographic made by the brands. One thing I wished they have is the ingredient information.

Account

An account is required in order to check out. I believe creating an account on RoseRoseShop will give new users ₩2,000 credit.

Sign-ins via Google, Yandex, and PayPal are also an option for those who don't want to create a separate account via RRS. I am not 100% sure if the ₩2,000 credit is available for 3rd party sign-ins.

They do not have a points/reward system.

Check Out Process

Quick and simple. No new windows or tabs to overwhelm your computer. All the basic info inputting occurs on the same page and is easily modifiable. A click of the "Continue" button takes you to their PayPal checkout page. Once the payment is complete the page will redirect right back to RoseRoseShop site and say "Your Order Has Been Processed!"

Payment

RoseRoseShop accepts payment via PayPal only—within PayPal you can choose to pay with your linked bank account or a credit card.

Even though the site has the option at the top right corner to view prices in Korean Won and USD, payments are done only in USD at their specified exchange rate. I contacted their customer service and they said it is because PayPal doesn't allow transactions in Korean Won. This seems a little weird since I have shopped on other international sites before where I have paid in a foreign currency via PayPal. So who knows?

As of now, I believe the only function of having the option to switch between the two currencies is so they can easily add new listings in their native Korean Won and then have their site's coding automatically convert the listing to USD for international customers to see.

RoseRoseShop's exchange rate isn't terrible. But it definitely isn't the most current rate at the time of purchase (ex: RRS's USD $1 to ₩1,120 versus actual ₩1,154).  In reality, it will usually only be a few dollars' difference. Those few dollars could potentially add up for larger hauls with shipping in consideration.

Shipping

The most important aspect of RoseRoseShop that needs to be spelled out is, there is no "Free shipping with minimum purchase." Shipping prices are calculated by weight—the more you buy, the more you pay for shipping.

With that said, they offer a bunch of options: K-packet (has a weight limit), EMS, Air Parcel, DHL, etc. There are price tables for every mail courier.

It is a difficult system to "cheat" in the sense that it requires patience and a lot of adding and subtracting items from the cart. I found that this really helps curb my impulse purchases.

Sometimes RoseRoseShop offers "Free Shipping" for certain products or all products of a specific brand. This means that the shipping for each product is $0. If an order consists of only products that are labeled "Free Shipping" they will require the purchase of a tracking number for a few dollars.

Delivery

The estimated shipping time for K-packet (regular Korean Mail) packages to the USA is 2-5 weeks. This seems pretty normal for an affordable international shipment option.

7/7 Placed order.
7/9 Order processing.  (Received no email, just saw the status on my account & order history)
7/12 Order shipped with tracking number. (Received email and on account)
7/17 Package arrived.

At first, I was a little worried that my package took a few days from being processed to being shipped. I had read on forums and blogs that some people have experienced items going out of stock after placing an order. RRS seems to only notify after the order has been shipping. While refunds for the OOS item is a no-brainer, shipping costs seem to be non-refundable.

Luckily for me, the reason for the delayed shipping wasn't due to stock. Perhaps they just had a lot of orders to deal with at the moment? I was surprised by how quickly my package arrived since I was expecting it to come in a month's time. It didn't even take a full week for the order to be transported from Korea to New York.

Packaging

Everything was very well protected. Products that came in boxes were all individually wrapped in a double layer of bubble wrap. Flatter items (masks, beauty accessories, samples, etc.) were bundled together in a plastic pouch. Even the box my order came in was thoroughly taped on all sides.

I don't know if customs made a cut to the box or an untaped edge couldn't withstand the thrashing of international travel, my box had a small tear on one of the corners. Luckily, it wasn't bige enough for any of my items to fall out of.

Returns

Within 7 days after the delivery date with some conditions and limitations. Costs are the customers' responsibility.

Other Comments

Despite their product prices being the lowest available, I feel the possible hidden costs are in the Payment (exchange rate) and Shipping departments. But since all their items are Korean retail price, I'll let it go.

I am not sure how often their USD to Korean Won rate is updated to reflect the real exchange rate but as of now, summer 2017, the difference isn't too large. It seems that the RRS rate is maybe around ₩30 less than the live rate. Since when I ordered, I have seen the site's rate go from ₩1,120 to ₩1,100 to ₩1,090.

Since shipping costs are calculated based on weight, the final cost per item may potentially end up not being the cheapest available when considering Amazon and eBay sellers into the mix. (Still within only a few dollars difference.) However, what customers get in exchange is potentially better communication with RoseRoseShop and ease of mind regarding the authenticity of products.

They don't give a ton of samples but it is better than not receiving any at all. It is free aferall.

Shopping tips to maximize on shipping
Mix heavy and light items // The price tables are tricky to navigate. To summarize, shipping prices are based on some kind of weight tier system. If an order only has heavy items then the shipping fees will only be spread out between that. A few lighter items (under 100g) can usually be added without causing the price of shipping to change—in effect spreading out the cost of shipping to other items or getting free shipping of sorts for the lightweights.

Final price compare // If there is another site that sells the same/most of the same things as RRS, add everything to the carts first and see if there is an estimate for shipping. Gauge what the total price would be to see which ultimately has a better deal.