Korea Purchases + Review

Shopping while on vacation is inevitable. I had budgeted a decent amount for splurging on skincare, souvenirs, and potential impulse buys, but generally found beauty products and services to be extremely budget-friendly. Souvenirs would echo the same sentiment. On the other hand, dine-in coffee and touristy spots were discovered to be astoundingly pricey.

O-SULLOC

O-Sulloc's Jeju flagship was undoubtedly the biggest disappointment of the island leg. Besides café offerings that were either underwhelming or strictly average at best (but still better than the Innisfree Green Café!), the Tea Store failed to deliver the degree of quality expected at their associated price tags.

Our haul at the O-SULLOC Tea Store was as follows:

• Jeju Green Tea Baumkuchen (Buy 3 for 22,000 KRW) (x1)
• Jeju Hallabong Baumkuchen (Buy 3 for 22,000 KRW) (x2)
• Samdayeon Milk Tea Packs 10,400 KRW
• Jeju Green Tea Raspberry Truffle 12,600 KRW 
• Jeju Volcanic Tea (50 g) 35,000 KRW
• Jeju Green Tea (50 g) 17,000 KRW
• Matcha Stick (5-pack / 70 g) 8,000 KRW 
• Jeju Green Tea Chocolate Bar 9,900 KRW
• Premium Matcha (40 g) 18,400 KRW
• Matcha Pretzel (70 g) 5,400 KRW
• Green Tea Wafer (100 g) 5,400 KRW
• Camelia Forest Tea Bags (3-pack) 5,500 KRW
• Jeju Tea Museum Badge Set 5,000 KRW
• Premium Matcha Waffle (72 g) 5,400 KRW
• Green Tea Milk Spread (x2) 19,800 KRW

The Jeju Green Tea Raspberry Truffle wasn't half bad. It retained mild, bitter notes of matcha and a hint of fruitiness from its raspberry filling. When consumed alongside my own tempered creations though, it paled in comparison, lacking both the depth and snap of handcrafted bonbons. Similar remarks were extended towards the Jeju Green Tea Chocolate Bar, which had actually served as the inspiration for my own Matcha Ganache Truffle.

Matcha powder was a non-negotiable purchase of the visit, so I tacked on a few instant mixes as well, having embraced high expectations. To my utter dismay, the Samdayeon Milk Tea Packs were gritty and bland, the Matcha Sticks horrifically sweet with absolutely no trace of bittersweet grassiness, and the Premium Matcha tawny and odour-less.

​​Meanwhile, the Camelia Forest Tea Bags were certainly aromatic. Like DAVIDsTEA's countless varieties of floral and herbal teas though, flavour payoff did not correspond to its impressive, alluring fragrance. On a general note though, loose leaf tea definitely assumed the more informed decision compared to drink mixes.

Packaged snacks, such as the Green Tea Wafer cubes and Matcha Pretzels, were quite tasty though! Unfortunately, neither were particularly easy on the wallet, ringing in at 5,400 KRW each. With the assistance of plastic, re-usable containers, both packages successfully made it back without their contents suffering damage.

Several years later, the Green Tea Milk Spread remains wickedly popular. The customer in front of me had slipped three jars of the spread into her basket before vanishing into the other aisles. Although I was more or less disillusioned by the taste tests that proceeded, the spread persisted as being one of the passable purchases. Indeed, it tasted no different than matcha powder whisked into sweetened condensed milk, save the addition of stabilizers and the relatively disappointing matcha used. Customization of intensity was not possible. At its given price, the spread serves as a solid souvenir, but overpriced otherwise.

Without a doubt, the Jeju  Green Tea Baumkuchen  and Jeju Hallabong Baumkuchen were the worst purchases of the entire haul! Both varieties were crumbly and disappointing: the Green Tea tacky and, again, bland, while the Hallabong wholly synthetic and cloying. 

Even my derailed pound cake iterations exhibited superior taste and texture to these abominations.

Note that any items without comprehensive reviews were chosen by my browsing partner and have not been sampled by yours truly.

SEHWA-IN

I had previously showcased the souvenirs obtained on our first night in Jeju from a boutique by the name of Sehwa-in.

This haul comprised of the following:

• Jeju Coaster (x2) 16,000 KRW
• Clear pouch 12,000 KRW
• Jeju Tile Magnet (x2) 10,000 KRW
• Handmade Wallet 10,000 KRW
• Jeju Tangerine Wood Magnet 6,000 KRW
• Hallabong scrubber/수세미 5,500 KRW

All items were well-made and priced very reasonably.

​Particularly fond am I of the Hallabong 수세미. It was the last one available and the only variation featuring the signature shade and surface bulge of Jeju tangerines. The knitted stem and leaf sealed the deal for me!

The coasters have also been adorable additions to the kitchen. Being silicon, they are also easy to wash and reposition around the table.

JEJU

​An exclusive Kakao Friends pen set trio from the Jeju International Airport set me back 10,800 KRW. The stone grandfather keychain hailed from Jeju Stone Park, while the gummies Nonghyeop Supermarket in Seogwipo. I cannot recall the costs of these items, nor a beach-themed postcard that I picked up.

​The stone grandfather-shaped gummies were one of my best purchases of the entire Jeju trip though, for they were zesty, sweet, and chewy in all the ideal proportions.

I somehow convinced my browsing partner to invest in a single sheet of Black Pork Jerky for 16,000 KRW. Considering its measly 80 g weight, I have been reserving the specimen for a special occasion. On average, all items (key chains, postcards, charms, etc.) were pricier at the Jeju International Airport than when we had seen them driving around the island.

N SEOUL TOWER

Back in Seoul, souvenir prices at N Seoul Tower had evidently suffered a markup.

The N Gift receipt reads as follows:

• Tile magnet 8,000 KRW
• Postcard 2,000 KRW
• K-Food Bibimbap Magnet 15,000 KRW
• Bunggeoppang embroidered keychain 19,800 KRW

21 years ago, our household had purchased a set of ceramic K-Food magnets similar to the ones I laid eyes on. However, those were not only constructed of sturdier material, but cheaper still. Today's 15,000 KRW earned me a magnet crafted of coloured plastic with minimal details. The Tile Magnet depicting N Seoul Tower in the autumn season was more economic and better quality still.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA

The National Museum of Korea certainly offered their fair share of ornate souvenirs. For those looking to procure a subtle reminder of history and tradition, stationery appeared to be the solution:

• Memo set (4-pack) 9,000.00 KRW
• File folder 2,000.00 KRW
• Ruler 1,000.00 KRW

THE NORTH FACE (MYEONGDONG)

• The White Label crossbody bag with drawstring 29,000 KRW
• Packing cube 39,200 KRW
• Women's Black Pants 89,000 KRW
• Carry-on luggage 249,000 KRW
• Hangul tote bag 30,000 KRW
  

​The fact that all three of my TNF purchases are black is a complete coincidence.

Exclusive to Korea is The White Label lineup, from which I hastily plucked a crossbody bag. I haven't used it since my return, though the compact bag appeared the most functional aside from down jackets (I already own many) and oversized blazers (which do not favours for my height).

Yet to be used is the waterproof packing cube. The apparatus was unbelievably handy for nesting most of my beauty-related purchases for the flight back. Not only were woes over spillage nixed, the case seamlessly encased even the largest bottles of makeup remover without emerging bulky.

​Another splendid purchase was a black canvas tote bearing a Hangul typography design of a local artist. Upon my request, my browsing partner returned to the flagship store and secured the "사람/Person" edition, for I had hesitated during my own visit. I love the spacious interior, Velcro closure at the top, and convenient inner pocket, and would have surely regretted not buying.

As for the pants, I've worn them a handful of times to the office and found them a tad too toasty. The carry-on was utilized to transport our combined haul back home; due to its book layout and zippered compartments, packed contents hardly shift during transit. On the other hand, the luggage cannot be opened in its upright position for last-minute adjustments. Otherwise, I do not have any complaints.

MUJI

• Cord roller (x3) 8,700 KRW
• Photocard case (12 pcs) 4,900 KRW
• Smartphone stand 9,900 KRW
• Purple pen 2,900 KRW
• Sakura Alcohol 7,500 KRW

If I am being completely honest, Muji items are usually a miss for me. The cord rollers could only be used with thin, short cables. Most of the 2 m long jelly or knitted styles sold in North America did not fit in the case.

The Sakura Alcohol was sweet but dimensionless, the smartphone stand was not intuitive/user-friendly, was restricted to one position, and did not enable tilting, and the photocard case did not fit half of the postcards in my collection. Only the purple pen could be used effectively, but, given its compact length, it stands slightly below the rim of my pen holder, causing me to rarely gravitate towards it. All in all, it was 25,400 KRW poorly spent at Muji. (And let's not talk about the Iced Chestnut Latte!)

K-BEAUTY

1) Innisfree

• ​Anit-Aging Duo 20,300 KRW
• Retinol Cica 17,500 KRW
• Perfect Nine Eye Cream 31,500 KRW
• Green Tea Amino Cleanser 26,600 KRW
• My Melody Retinol Pack 28,000 KRW
• Green Tea Mist 11,900.00 KRW
• Lotion Duo 24,600.00 KRW

2) Olive Young

• Banila & co. Lip & Eye Makeup Remover 4,550 KRW
• PONDS Eye & Lip Remover 22,500 KRW
• Honey Mask 26,600 KRW
• Lip & Eye Makeup Remover 10,900 KRW
• Jojoba Lip Essence 3,800 KRW
• Clean & Clear Oil Blotting Film (x5) 22,500 KRW
• Sun cream 12,800 KRW
• Skinfood Rice Wash-Off Mask 9,100 KRW
• CLIO Kill Cover Foundation Cushion 27,000 KRW
• Banila & co. Priming Veil Cover Pact BE02 15,000 KRW
• Mediheal Tea Tree Sheet Mask 1,000 KRW
• Mediheal Tea Tree Impact:In Sheet Mask 3,000 KRW
• Mediheal Vitamin C Sheet Mask 1,000 KRW
• Mediheal Collagen Sheet Mask 1,500 KRW
• Pine Sheet Mask 1,450 KRW
• Moisturizing Sheet Mask 1,450 KRW
• CLIO Kill Cover Foundation 34,000.00 KRW
• CLIO Kill Cover Concealer 8,400.00 KRW

3) Daiso

• Vaseline Sheet Masks (x15) 15,000 KRW

Investing in Korean beauty products in its country of origin was a superb decision indeed. Despite returning with a gargantuan haul, the entire assortment cost me just one-third of the Canadian equivalent!

LINE FRIENDS (GANGNAM)

• Sally magnet duo 5,400 KRW
• Setting powder 11,000 KRW
• Brown card wallet 16,000 KRW
• Tourist series gel pen 3,500 KRW
• Moon gel pen 3,500 KRW

Thinking back to the days of splurging on LINE Friends in Times Square and catching limited time pop-ups at Yorkdale and Eaton Centre, taking advantage of the sales at the Gangnam outlet was a wholly surreal experience.

NYUNYU
​

• Chick charm 2,000 KRW
• Heart necklace - Gold/silver 4,500 KRW
• Earrings 3,500 KRW
• Faux Jellycat Heart Claw Clip 4,500 KRW
• Socks - wine 1,500 KRW
• Socks - navy 1,500 KRW

Introduced to the brand by my fellow Canadian turned Seoulite, I was able to uncover an endless array of kitschy accessories, cute socks in excellent condition, dainty, work-appropriate jewellery, and more. The sole caveat: not a scarf or wide-brimmed hat in sight. I guess they weren't popular in Korea.

Bags were not provided, but all purchases were neatly wrapped in a single plastic package for prevention of damage during transport. Necklaces and earrings had been slipped into individual plastic fittings to eliminate potential for tangling. The jewellery quality alone had me awestruck, for two dollars wouldn't even suffice for tacky costume jewellery back home; on-site tax refund machines and pleasant cashiers were a tremendous bonus.

DAISO
​

• Can opener (x3) 3,000 KRW
• Mini hair elastics (x2) 2,000 KRW
• Brush cover 1,000 KRW
• Nexcare Band-Aids 2,000 KRW
• Tattoo sticker 1,000 KRW
• Face patch 1,000 KRW
• Crochet coaster 1,000 KRW
• ...and more

This retailer needs no explanation. From hair ties to piping bags to stationery to an ice cube tray, each item was indeed merely 1,000 KRW. How could one resist?

HBAF

• Honey Butter Almonds (120 g x 2 packs) 9,900 KRW
• Mix Packs ?? KRW
• Wasabi Seaweed Chip 3,200 KRW
• Coffee Biscuit Almond ?? KRW​

After sampling every single flavour in the packet, it can be confirmed that:

• Classic is best. Honey Butter is the only flavour variety of almonds worth purchasing.
• Cookie & Cream is a close runner-up, but not recommended unless one is a huge fan of cookies n' cream to start.
• Wasabi Seaweed Chips were also worthy of bringing back, luggage space permitting, as they were brimming with pungency without being excessively salty.
• Coffee Biscuit Almond, arguably interpreted as a Biscoff spinoff, could taste horrifically chemical depending on the batch received.
• Injeolmi Almond is powdery, Caramel Salted Almond & Pretzels is decent, Garlic Bread Almond was strangely sugary, and the rest are, well, forgettable.