Oh you know how it is. Once started, shopping can get absolutely frenzied. Just a day in Apgujeong and my summer luggage threatened to explode at its seams. Fall is my favourite season for shopping anywhere in the world. It’s neither too hot for brisk-walking in the streets nor too cold for chilling with a sugar-filled cup of gelato goodness. Seoul’s summer and fall fashions are just perfect for my own country’s year-round tropical climate.
There exists an underground bags and leather goods store in uptown Garosugil, the likes of which you may find similar to Taiwan’s Ximending and Japan’s Shibuya. No signs for the store has been put up, and the only clue of its existence are the low white racks lined with select samples of bags, purses and clutches. Along the main street, an unimpressive patch of synthetic grass paves the way to the shop’s main tiny main entrance, which leads to a stairway to an impressive storage basement – the shop’s main deck. If you’re into vintage non-designer, this is the place for you. Happy hunting!
Side note for the bag aficionados: Simone Handbag Museum in the 10-storey Bagstage building (also in Apgujeong) is a place you absolutely have to go!
❤ Beaded leather lippie clutch / sling bag from that store in Garosugil at a jaw-dropping low price. Ask me if you wanna know!
This time round, I did less shopping than my previous solo-venture to Seoul.
Banila Co. is a brand I’ve only recently come to love and appreciate! Targeted at ladies in their mid to late twenties (which I’m fast approaching), I find their products more OL-oriented. Definitely less cutesy or annoyingly bubbly like Etude House or Tony Moly. They come in more sophisticated packaging with less exotic names, and since I’ve heard only good things about their products I decided to give these a try.
Missha has got a magnificent range of nail polishes! Got these lovely bright pink and fuchsia colours to match my lippies from Banila Co. and Too Cool for School. Both of which are tiny and so easy to carry around for touch-ups. Banila Co. lippies are way longer-lasting though, and this is coming from someone who at times has to wear makeup for more than 18 hours straight.
A really handy retractable travel-sized brush from Banila Co.! Love it.
This trip, I didn’t get any of of my usual cheap round lenses. Instead, I opted for something more hygienic and safe. Definitely pricier than my norm but since my eyes were recently hit by conjunctivitis, I’ve gone over to the safe side.
Time to start loving my eyes. And to hopefully reduce those stubborn bruises on my eyebags.
Gel nail polishes at a steal! The LED light machines from MODI are comparable to the ones I got from the states.
Some light scent for travelling around. These actually smell pretty good and stays for a long long time.
More of my beauty loot from various cosmetic giants. Face masks – I’ll never give them a miss.
Seeing as I’m returning to Seoul in August (for other reasons), there’s never an end to my Korean beauty/cosmetics/makeup loot. I gave up on The Face Shop – their products are such placebos with zero positive effects whatsoever. Trust me guys, not all the fancy cosmetics stores in Korea have excellent products as advertised. It’s a trial and error thing, you’ll know once you’ve tried.
xoxo,
Viktoria Jean
Viktoria Jean 
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