Confessions of a Shopaholic: 8 Things to buy from Korea! :D

By 2:25 AM

Hi everyone! :) So sorry for the hiatus as I was trying to dig out the photos for this post! 8 Main things to buy from Korea!!! :D These are my 2012 Korea Trip Hauls~ Confessions of a shopaholic haha.. I know this is a really backdated post but nevertheless, I think this will serve as a pretty good guide to those who are heading to Korea soon, so you can plan how much cash to bring for your shopping expenses! :D

Personally, I am a shopaholic.. So, these 8 things to buy might not apply to everyone! :p Hope it helps in your planning for your trip to Korea!

PS: Pls pardon the quality of the photos as they were all taken using my old iphone :p

*Edited*
For all other Korea adventures please click on the link below:

*****
Without further ado, introducing...
Number 1:
Beauty Products!!
 Skincare, Cosmetics, Hand Cream, Face Masks, Nail care, Sunblock and the list goes on~
Some of the Korea Skincare & Cosmetic brands that I will target would be..

- Laneige 
It's my must buy/must go to place whenever I head to Korea! Laneige needs no further introduction! It's my favourite skincare brand! Haha.. my ultimate must buy would be their water sleeping pack, bb cushion, toner, moisturiser, eye cream etc etc.. Oh! And I will always help B & my Bro to stock up their Laneige Skincare products under the Homme Series~  I will also definitely get their newly launched product when I'm there hehe~! 
 -Innisfree
Love the volcanic pore clay mask! :D
Currently not found in S'pore yet, but I heard there's news that they might be opening an outlet in SG soon! :) Nevertheless, it is definitely still going to be cheaper when you purchase it in Korea!
-Banila & Co.
I always restock my face primer from Banila & Co. whenever I head there! Shall buy even more when I head there next year :p Love their face primer esp the Classic Primer Primer which I bought for 18000 won (approx S$18? :))
-Tony Moly
Bought mostly cosmetics from Tony Moly as my skincare products are mostly from Laneige and Innisfree.. Bought the pot of brown liquid liner recommended by Jessica, blusher, cute lipbalms and white lower lash liner. 
-Etude House
Bought my favourite hand cream, nail polish & spray on sunblock! :D
-Saem
The cute russian doll design hand cream that smells so good! This brand was endorsed by IU when I was there in Jun'12! :)
-Nature Republic
Stocked up on my Aloe Vera gel from here! :D Huge tub that is cheap and good! Check out the green tub in the picture below! :) It was less than S$8 for one tub? (if i did not rmb wrongly! Cheapest from a shop on Ewha shopping street)
-Face Shop
Face masks and cute hand creams to gift your friends!
-SkinFood
Bought their face masks becos it's way cheaper in Korea as compared to SG! :D


Here's a tip for you! Remember to always request for more free samples if possible if you are buying alot of things from the stores! :D Usually, they would have put 1/2 samples when you purchase any item from them hehe.. But if you are getting more, eg. check out my Laneige pile (this was not inclusive of the products I bought for my friends and B), they gave me so many cute mini tubs of water sleeping pack! <3 Samples are perfect to bring along whenever you travel! So do rmb to ask! :D

PS: Most of the products are bought at Myeong-dong where you can find most of these brands lined up on the same street! :) So be prepared to go crazy! Hehe!

Number 2:
CLOTHES!! :D
Sorry, only guys clothes are pictured here as these were the rare pics I took and whatsapp-ed to B & my bro, while shopping~ :p I was too focused while shopping for my own clothes teehee~ And yes.. I bought lots of clothes for myself, my family and B :D

The picture of the guys clothes stall below was from one of the malls in Dongdaemun where we shopped past midnight, and cabbed back~ Love the design and quality of the guys' shirts from this stall! If i did not recall wrongly, it was only $15 for the shirts? or lesser when you buy more.. Cheap & good! :)

Definitely a shopping paradise for both guys & girls! :D
Number 3:
FOOD!!!
Biscuits, sweets, chocolates, chips, instant noodles, Market O Brownie etc etc.. Too many different brands to list down! Definitely cheaper than buying from the Korea stores here~ :p 

We had so much fun stacking two trolleys of food lol! So terrible! #fatdieme

Remember to get seaweed from Nandaemun market as they have a whole street of stores selling seaweed! :D Definitely cheaper and comes in a variety of flavours~ Perfect to eat with rice :) 
PS: Sorry, no pictures of the seaweed we bought though :x

Number 4:
Cute stationaries!
From stickers, notebooks, post-its to pretty pens from Artbox.. You name it, I've got it! :D 
Stickers in the pic were from the bookstore at Ewha Women's University :) I bought many more cute stationaries, but didn't feature all in this post hehe.. So don't miss these out when you head to Korea- Seoul!

Number 5:
Hair accessories~!
Do you remember watching Korean dramas where the female actresses always adorns their hair with pretty hairbands/hairties/clips? :) Remember to stock up on your accessories stash when you are there! Got most of my accessories from the push carts set up along the streets when we were near Hongdae, Insadong & Gangnam area! Cheap and pretty hehe! :p So do keep a look out when you pass by any push carts!

Number 6:
Toiletries for the ladies~
Yes, you did not see wrongly, these are sanitary pads haha.. You might be wondering why am I posting such a pic? Why did she buy something so weird when she head to Korea? LOL! 
But this can only be found in Korea! :) Korea Herbal Sanitary Pads! Yup they are Korean red ginseng pads lol~! Something interesting for ladies to bring back..hehe.. and they are pretty good to use (in my opinion) So.. I will stock up on these from the supermarkets or convenience stores when I head to Korea! :)
Number 7:
Bags!! :D

I simply went crazy at the 10000 won bag shops near our hostel and would happily jump into any bag shops once I saw the 10000 won (approx S$10~) signs haha.. Went a bit overboard and bought bags for my grandma, mum, sister and of course tons of bags for myself lol! I think I lugged home at least 15 bags :p #shopaholicstrikes

The quality of the bags were pretty good, you could find sling bags, bagpacks, document bags, clutches etc etc for only 10000 won! :D Pretty good deal for bargain hunters like me! Do check out the 10000won bag stores when you head to Myeong-dong, Ewha, Gangnam station shopping street and also Insadong! (Those are the places where I spotted these bag shops!) :)

Number 8:
Souvenirs!! :)
I'm sure you would need to buy some souvenirs for your colleagues, friends and relatives and something for yourself to remember your trip to Seoul! :)

So, apart from face masks etc, do check out these cute postcards, keychains, magnets, luggage tags etc etc that we saw at the souvenir shop at Namsam Tower! :D Love this cute 3D card below! We spent quite a while picking out cute stuff for our friends and family at this souvenir shop near the Teddy Bear Museum at Namsam Tower! Do check it out!
If you are wondering what is the aftermath of excessive shopping, please refer to the pictures below: 
 Packing was a nightmare and our hostel room literally turned into a warehouse lol! 
PS: Do bring a huge recycle bag when you are shopping so you won't lose any items that you bought with the many plastic bags you are going to get.. We used the bags we got from the Nike run :D

And yup, that's me with dark eye circles from the overnight packing & too much shopping (really cui looking face hence the cover up) and that's the amount of luggage I lugged home, together with a box of Krispy Kremes, Paris Baguette's goodies and a Rilakumma plushie.. lol! I have no idea how I did it, but yup I did.. Haha!

That's all for my Korea Trip'12 Hauls! :D I will be doing up my Taiwan'13 Hauls post soon! Hope to finish up my Korea Travelogue soon hehe! Hope you like this post! Do drop me some comments on the things you like in this post! :D

Good night! And have a great week ahead!

XXOO
♥  ♥  ♥  

If you are also interested in my other latest Seoul adventures, do click on the link(s) below:
Korea Trip 2015 #3 - Gapyeong- Jade Garden
Original Honey Butter Chips Taste Test!^^
Confessions of a Shopaholic {Korea} Face Sheet Masks
Korea Trip 2015 #2 - Seoul - Gapyeong
Korea Trip 2015 #1 - Seoul - Edae & Gangnam

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53 comments

  1. Do they charge you extra at the airport to bring back so much? I mean for the weight? Supposedly you can mail them to yourself right?

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    Replies
    1. Yeah haha.. i learnt my lesson the hard way by paying quite a bit for the excessive luggage weight. :x Yes, mailing back will be a cheaper alternative!! You should do that instead :)

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  2. how much did you spend (exclude the makeup)?? cause I'm going to Korea this march .I need to adjust my budget since I'm not a shopaholic :P

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  3. hi! :) Hmm i think excluding makeup, I spent around $1k or so? :p That's inclusive of food and transport as well. Hope this helps! Enjoy your trip to Korea!

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  4. Hey there! You travelled alone?

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    1. Hi there! :) nope i went with 3 of my friends as well :D

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  5. Hey there! may i know where I can find the Laneige products in korea? In departmental stores? or they have Laneige outlets everywhere? :)

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    1. Hi Christie! :) You can find Laneige products at Myeongdong in Seoul. Huge dept stores also carry the Laneige brands, I remember that I saw Laneige products sold at Gangnam bus terminal underground malls too :) It should be easily available, however for a wider range and variety, I would prefer to locate the Laneige Flagship store in Myeongdong :) Hope this helps!

      Love,
      Chloe

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    2. Hi Chloe,
      May I ask how much did you pay for the LANEIGE time freeze eye serum 20 ml? What's the price difference compared to SINGAPORE?

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    3. Hi Joy,

      Sorry I did not buy the Laneige time freeze eye serum so I can't advise on that. You might want to check out the Korean website for Laneige and do a rough conversion to Sgd. Hope this helps :)

      Love,
      Chloe

      Delete
  6. hey there.may i know if i buy kimchi is it can pass thru at airport customs?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Charlotte! so sorry for the late reply! Yup it should not be a problem but you might like to let the person know so they can pack it properly for you Enjoy your trip! :D

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  7. Hi, may I know is there any brand of skin care product is suit for oily and acne skin very well? thx

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    Replies
    1. Hi Karlap :) So sorry, i'm not too sure about this as I have combination skin type. I have tried the Ettusais Acne Aqua Shooter and it works pretty well for me :) You might want to give it a try after consulting the counter staff. My friends have also told me about the Laneige trouble care series for acne conditions, hope to get a set of that during my upcoming trip to Seoul, hope to provide a review on that soon ;) Hope this helps!

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  8. Do laniege provide tax refund at Myeongdong store?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Pauline, apologies for the late reply as I was away in Seoul for the past two weeks :p Yes, most of the Laneige flagship stores and Aritaum stores provide tax free refunds. However, do note that the cash refunds can only be received after getting the custom chop at the airport and proceeding to Gate 28 or 27 upon departure from Incheon Airport for the cash refund :) Hope this helps!

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    2. Hi Chloe! Is the refund process quick when done at Incheon Airport? You can only process this upon departure?

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    3. Hi! :) Based on my recent experience at Incheon Airport (May 2014), the queue moved pretty fast! But do note that you might need to approach 3 different tax refund counters depending on the tax refund receipts that you have. Do factor in around 30mins buffer time or more in case of long queues ;) Hope this helps! And yes, you can only process the tax free refunds at the airport upon departure :)

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    4. Hi Chole! Can I check if you need to show custom officer all the cosmetics that you are claiming tax refund for? This is because due to the hand luggage restriction on liquids, you have to pack them in your check in luggage?

      Thanks!
      Isa

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    5. Hi Isa,

      Sorry for the late reply! You might need to show the custom officer if they request for you to do so (that was what happened to me in 2012) but during my recent trip in May 2014, they did not asked me to :) So to be on the safer side, visit the tax refund counter before checking in your check in luggage. Hope this helps!

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  9. Hi!! Can I know which bookstore you bought the stickers from? The bookstore inside the university?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Sahh, yes, it's the bookstore inside the university, sorry I can't really recall the name but it was the only bookstore I found there :)

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  10. Hi Chloe!

    Regarding shopping...
    How do you mail your shopping items back to yourself? Does the airport do that? How do you get your items to be packed into cardboard boxes? Do the sellers do them or?


    Regarding cosmetics...
    Do you use any countouring products? If yes, how do you choose and which brands are good?
    Which loose powder/face mist/BB cream are good for combination skin? My nose tends to be the oiliest.
    Do you have any recommendations for concealers/primers?

    Thanks in advance for your reply! (:

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    Replies
    1. Hi JJ! :)

      Sorry for the late reply! You could approach any place that provides courier service to mail your shopping items back :) I spotted the courier counters at the airport as well as at Lotte Mart (Seoul Station). You could get the cardboard boxes from Lotte Mart or probably check with the courier counters.

      As for cosmetics, I've recently just returned from my shopping trip to Korea (May 2014), will be updating about my loots very soon! Do stay tuned! As for the contouring product, I've just bought a contouring powder from 3CE and it's pretty good! Face mist from Aritaum (Baby Mist Spray) & concealer from Hanskin as well as primer from Banila & Co. are among my top recommendations! More pictures and reviews coming right up! Do stay tuned! :D

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  11. Didn't know you blog! Interesting read. Please update. lol!

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    1. Thanks Josiah! :D updating my 2014 loots now hehe!

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  12. Hi, may i know how much is the total cost that you spend for laneige product? And may i know the price for each product? Because in Malaysia its very expensive. My friend will have a trip to korea this September. TQ.

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    Replies
    1. Hi! :) I am trying to update my latest loots from my May 14 trip, I will try to list the prices for the products that I rmb :) Do check back! :)

      Delete
  13. hi there. i want to ask is that we just take the receipt to airport can straight do the tax free refunds? Any step we have to do before leaving the shop we buy things? like is that any form to fill up?

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    Replies
    1. Hi there! :) yup, after telling the shop that you would like to get tax free for the products that you buy, they will prepare the tax refund forms for you. You will need to fill in your details on the forms before you head to the airport's tax refund counter :D

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  14. Hi Chloe, How much we spend so that we can claim for tax refund? Anything other things that must purchase from korea? Thanks You

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    1. Hi there! :) From what I recall, different stores might have different minimum amount Eg. 30000 won and above (if I never recall wrongly) to spend before you can claim for tax refund. Hence, you might want to check with the sales assistant before making your purchases :D Hope this helps!

      Delete
  15. hi there,

    how did you manage to buy so mani things and put into a carton? and how do you find such a big carton?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there! :)

      I had a 28 inch lugagge on top of the big carton hehe.. Oh you can find carton boxes of all sizes at Lotte Mart packing area ;)

      Delete
  16. Hi,

    I have a few questions if you don't mind. Been trying to find answers online but can't seem to find them.
    Firstly, do you have to declare your cosmetic loot at customs on your flight back?
    Secondly, is it better to buy Laneige from the flagship store, Lotte Duty Free, or the Incheon Airport store? Is there a difference in price and variety?
    Lastly, I read your comments and you mentioned Lotte Mart is at Seoul Station? Just wanna clarify that :)

    Thanks in advance!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there! :)

      I had to declare my cosmetic loot and show it to the custon officer when i came back from Korea in 2012, but didn't need to do so during my recent trip in 2014. :p As for which place is cheaper to buy Laneige from, when I went in 2014, I bought from the flagship store at Edae. My friend recently went to Korea and she told me that it's actually cheaper from Incheon Airport (but downside probably would be lesser samples). You might want to check out those few places before making your purchase :) Hope this helps!

      Yup, Lotte Mart supermarket is at Seoul Station itself :) enjoy your trip to Korea!

      Delete
  17. Hi Chloe,my friend and I are going to visit Seoul next month. I'm wondering to bring another luggage bag since I know I like to shop.Are those bags pricey there?If they're not,I'm thinking to buy one there

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    Replies
    1. Hihi! :) For the luggage bags, if you spend above a certain amount at various makeup or skincare stores like Laneige, Innisfree etc, they will usually gift a cabin size luggage. Hope this would be useful for you! :) Or not you might want to search for bags in those bags shops which might be pricey depending on the brand you pick. Enjoy your trip to Korea! :)

      Delete
  18. Hello Chloe!

    Can i know for your amount of luggage and cartons back, how much excess did you have to pay?
    Could you do a blog post about these tax refunds and with lots of luggages back? :D is very hard to find people who do a detailed blog post about these :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jaycel! :)

      Sorry for the late reply! In my most recent trip to Korea, I came back with 80kg checked in lugagge (for two) :p Abit extreme but I topped up my luggage weight to the max :) Yes, i will be doing up a blogpost on tax refund soon! Do check back again! :)

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  19. Hi chloe, may i know how much cheaper laneige and 3ce is as compared to Singapore?

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    1. Hi Elaine,

      Sorry for the late reply! I think it depends on the exchange rate as well. Overall, 3CE might cost around the same as preorder sites in SG or probably 5-10% cheaper :) But you get to try out the products at the Style Nanda before purchasing, not forgetting the photo booth too hehe!

      As for Laneige, during my latest trip i think it's around 15 to 20% cheaper after tax rebate etc.and you get more free samples :)

      Hope this helps!

      Delete
  20. Hello! I just came across your blog and need some help with my budget. I am going to Korea this 18 November till 28/29 November, so basically it is 10 days, i need some advices in shopping! I want to buy some clothes and cosmetics, i am kind of a shopaholic, but not an extreme one hahaha :P So how much do i actually need to bring? Just for spending on cosmetics and bags and clothes :)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Si Ting,

      I woud think roughly around $1k to $2k for expenses? :) Depends on how much cosmetics and skincare products you plan to buy haha.. My most recent trip was 14days and estimated expenditure was around $3k (i'm an extreme shopaholic though :p) Hope this helps!

      Delete
  21. Wow it is really very interesting. I read this whole blog thoroughly and it creates so many curiosity in my mind about the korea. Now I really want to visit there at once in my life time. The first step seems very interesting to me because as a women I am very used to about the cosmetics. I heard so much about the Korean Skin Care Products in many blogs and websites. In one of the site named All Cosmetique I found online shopping chance to buy these products in a very affordable price.

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  22. Hi! Can I know which season are you going? It's look like autumn. So how's the weather? Thank you :)

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    1. Hi Shirli,

      I have been visiting Korea in Spring for the past two years :) It's about 15 degrees, perfect weather to layer clothes without sweating ^^

      Love,
      Chloe

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    2. Hi Chloe,

      Would you recommend mailing packages overseas from Korea when travelling. As in mailing back to your home address?

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    3. Hi Cheryl,

      I would recommend mailing packages only if they are non perishables :) It also depends on your budget. You might want to compare the rates for mailing vs. extra cost to pay for extra baggage weight (do this top up in advance to save money) and see which is more viable. Hope this helps!^^

      XXOO,
      Chloe

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  23. Hi Chloe I love shopping in Korea too but haven't been there in the recent years. May I check with you whether Hanskin still has a flagship store in Myongdong? And is it a fully hanskin store or is it carrying many other brands as well. I saw at the panorama view of this site http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SH/SH_EN_7_2.jsp?cid=1034614&nearBy=site& and it seems that there is a mixture of brands in this Hanskin shop. Is that true?

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    1. Hi dear, so sorry! I think i did not visit this store when I was there >.< Too many stores to go to hahaha... Hmm there is a possibility that they carry a mixture of brands in the Hanskin shop though :)

      XXOO,
      Chloe

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  24. Hi Chloe, was wondering if you recommend places to go in summer in July as would be going there for my summer programme this year!Thanks in advance!

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  25. I am very impressed with the blog,will recommend to others,good information about the brands u carry.

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