K-Beauty Expo Seoul: THE BEST DAY

This past Saturday was pretty wonderful- I went to the K-Beauty Expo in Seoul. The expo offers the opportunity to view all the new trends/new products/new companies (as well as older established favourites), tutorials and seminars, discount shopping, and just generally be surrounded by the most innovative and exciting K-Beauty everythaaang. I went along with my good friend Megan, blogger from Kimchi Days and Soju Nights, and here’s what we got up to!

Location and Organisation

We had to trek all the way to Kintex in Goyang, which was kind of a pain in the ass, but once we were there it was all very easy. I expected it to be packed and lots of lining up and looking over people’s heads, but it wasn’t at all. There was a desk clearly laid out for pre-registered visitors, and with no line we immediately got our passes and excitedly headed into the hall. 

Once we got inside, we decided the best way to tackle it was to go up and down the aisles from one end of the hall to other. There were so many stalls and so many aisles, it was kinda overwhelming, but we were desperate to get stuck in.

Unfortunately we still managed to miss some stalls, which I’m so gutted about. We were so excited we forgot some of the brands we actually planned to view, but there’s always next year!

Technology

One of the highlights for me, which I didn’t expect, was being able to try and view all the really exciting technology used by dermatologists. This was what we explored first, before the skincare and makeup. We tried LED face masks, natural spray on Botox, and an amazing computer that printed a nail design onto your nail. It was all so innovative and interesting. 

This machine was genius! You picked a design, stuck your finger inside, and it printed (not sure that’s the right term?) the design onto your nail.

 

The spray on botox was really unusual…it was like cold air being pressure blown on my skin, and then immediately afterwards my face was actually tight on the side she covered. It felt as if I’d had what I imagine botox feels like; Megan’s had botox and she confirmed that it felt the same. I was a little worried afterwards about what was actually in the product- I felt like I’d rushed into trying it. However after about 20 minutes my skin felt normal, and although they said I would see the effects in the next couple of days, I don’t see any difference. The guy told us that you had to do it for five days at a time so I’m guessing that’s why I saw no change after one sitting! He told us it wasn’t the same as the medical procedure and used all natural ingredients- with the language barrier it was difficult to get the full information, but I got the impression it was just like a product that copied the effects of botox, rather than the same thing…I should have been more responsible but luckily it didn’t affect my skin negatively!

New Brands That I’ll Be Keeping An Eye On

We wandered around all the stands and enjoyed exploring new brands and products. Some of the trends were of course interesting ingredients  (classics like snail, flower extracts, and gold, then others like placenta and garlic plant), more health and environmental awareness from brands (using natural products, no harsh ingredients etc), lots of lavish and loud nail art with huge nail jewels and accessories, exciting technology as detailed above, and as to be expected new and vibrant packaging. With the packaging, I particularly noticed that there seemed to be a lot of makeup with animated, pretty girls faces on?! Unsurprisingly there was lots of skincare focused on both whitening and anti-aging. 

I loved being able to view brands I’d never heard of before, and these three in particular grabbed my attention.

1.Tan May- this is a completely new brand, and they are very much in the beginning stages of business. We spoke to the lovely lady Jade who runs the company and she let us test their wash off jelly mask and gave us a sample of their cream. Because the company is so new, and they aren’t selling as of yet, they don’t have their website set up, and I couldn’t access ingredients lists. However I will say the jelly mask felt so different and really thick, and the cream felt INCREDIBLE on my hand. Their environmental concerns were what really impressed me. She explained that none of their ingredients are tested on animals, they didn’t print leaflets for the expo to save the paper, and that annually they will be donating an amount of the profits to groups or associations for the protection of the environment. Jade told me they will most likely begin selling and have their website ready around December, so keep an eye out!

2. Haters & Lovers- Sam & Sean Beauty Project. This was a really cute duo that incorporated Sam and Sean’s respective ‘personalities’ into their brand.

What was really impressive was the whitening Tiny Capsule Cream and the Broccoli Essence. The cream was probably the most whitening/brightening cream I’ve ever tried. My skin looked visibly whiter, which clearly I know doesn’t appeal to everyone. I like such creams because they act as a whitening base which I find has a serious brightening affect on my makeup, rather than ‘whitening’ as such, but of course this is just in reference to my own personal skintone. The broccoli essence also gave skin a really dewy, bright look which I loved. 

3. tov- a beautiful, feminine line of floral products. Their packaging is gorgeous, and their products were cool. I loved their Cooling CC which was like an aerosol, cushion base, and their hand cream and lip balm duo. You can check out their website here. There is a focus on their overseas market and they have informed me that around November their products will be available on online market places like Amazon, as well as with a US distributor. 

There were so many stalls it was really overwhelming, and I felt like I probably missed some other new products or companies that I just wasn’t able to take in or view.

What did I buy?

I was SO reserved. I’m really trying to save money, and had already decided I wasn’t going to spend much. The expo was more to see new trends, and take information for future buying.

First I bought a Hello Kitty cleansing brush that I’ve wanted for agessssss, it was so much cheaper than the stores so I grabbed it. It feels incredibly soft, and the design with the holes in the bottom means the water can drain after use.

I also bought a brush holder from a company called Atic, which I’m obsessed with. It looks lovely on my dressing table, and keeps my brushes covered for hygiene.

I loved the nail section, and I bought a bunch of nail accessories, a nail art brush, and some glue for such great prices.

Finally, I had spoken to Celia (the lady at Shangpree Spa who invited me for a facial treatment, which I reviewed), and she told me she was at the Shangpree stand. I visited the stall to catch up with her, and also bought my mum and sister the gorgeous gold masks, for only 10,ooo won a piece- bargain!

Overall, I had a fantastic day, and I can’t wait for the next. In case you missed my instagram story on the day, here’s a recap.