We’ve had a very important person in our office missing for a while - Alicia Yoon!
She’s of gallivanting across Seoul’s beauty scene, and we must say, she’s setting major #girlsquad goals.
If you’ve been following us on Snapchat (peachandlilyIRL), then you probably noticed that Aimee Song of Song of Style, Dani Song of Dani Song, Linette Kim of Dear Linette, and of course, Chriselle Lim of The Chriselle Factor are all exploring all Seoul has to offer in the beauty (and food) department.
But hey, we weren’t the only ones documenting our beauty escapades! Alicia was able to take the girls to the best spas, stores and restaurants that regular visitors might miss out on, and Chriselle rounded up her favorite spas in Seoul that definitely warrant a second visit. To say we’re jealous of her modeling mask facial at Shangpree would be a major understatement...
The Four Seasons Spa is in a newer hotel and the spa just opened up a few weeks ago. This is one of the more luxurious spas and a lot of celebrities are known to come because it’s very private. You get your own room, a private bathroom and shower, which adds a level of comfort and convenience that some spas lack. They offer facials as well as massages, which was much needed because after traveling so much this past month, my shoulders had already begun to tense up again! They only use Fedora products, which is a line that uses 32 botanical extracts, including interesting herbs, in their ampoules. This was an extremely luxurious spa treatment, and the best part was the amazing view of Seoul right outside my window!
2. Shangpree
The Shangpree Spa was one of my favorite spas because they offer such unique treatments. If you guys saw this instagram post, you saw when I did their signature Green Tea modeling/rubber mask! I love that this spa really cares about beauty and your well-being. They focus on everything from facials to overall wellness, like proper circulation! Shangpree is known for their unique techniques and understanding of the body, skin, and how it all ties together to achieve healthy and glowing skin. They used airbags to massage your body to get circulation going. Because I have tension in my shoulders, it trickles down to having tight calves! This spa is more casual in the fact that they have a few beds in a big room where you can get your mask done so it’s great place to go and chat with your friends while getting pampered! The Korean government has even awarded and dubbed Shangpree as the “model spa” for their intense knowledge of skincare and incredible techniques. Here’s just how high the standards are at Shangpree: a licensed aesthetician with 20 years of experience needs to be re-trained for 3 more years at Shangpree before being allowed to even touch a client’s face. Super excited that I got to come here with my friends Linette and Alicia!
3. Local Bathhouse
One thing that is very popular in Korea are their bathhouses/saunas! Bathhouses can be conveniently found within walking distance in neighborhoods. The entrance fee is usually $3-20 depending on which one you go to, but the average bathhouse is closer $3 for the entrance fee. The typical local bathhouse will include a hot bath and a cold bath (it’s recommended to go back and forth between them for optimized circulation.) Most bathhouses will also have a wet/dry sauna room, shower facilities, and an area to lounge around in and even take naps! You have to be totally naked and it’s really fun to go with your friends. It’s really great because there’s no time limit so you can do a bunch of services for a really affordable price. At the local bathhouse, you can pay an additional fee ($10-40) for a total body scrub down where women rub you down until dead skin and dirt roll off your body like eraser crumbs. You can pay another additional fee ($20-40) on top for a full body massage that also usually includes a scalp massage with sesame seed oil and/or milk, which isn’t that bad for a little pampering! Sadly, I didn’t get to visit a bathhouse on this trip to Korea but it’s definitely something you guys should experience at least once! I used to love going with my girlfriends Linette and Sarah because we’d spend all there day just getting pampered and chatting!
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The girls also got their makeup done by renowned MUA (make up artist) Ko Won Hye - we like to think of her as the makeup godmother of Korea. That dewy skin trend? Yep, thank her.
Chriselle learned some amazing makeup tips from Ko Won Hye, and our favorite tip that she shared was:
...in Korea they don’t focus on contouring as much as they do with keeping the makeup light and airy. One amazing contouring technique that Won Hye did was that instead of contouring diagonally along my face, she brushed it lightly horizontally under my cheek bones. Brushing diagonally can elongate and mature the face, but brushing horizontally doesn’t lengthen the face and can actually make you look younger!
Want to find out the other awesome tips she got? Head over here!
We guess the only question left is... when's the next Seoul Beauty Trip?!
