Skincare, Shopping, and Seolleongtang in Seoul

A not-so mini guide.

Somehow I wound up in Seoul twice over the course of five months this year which is a happy coincidence. In January, it was a whirlwind of four days except really it was more like one full day of exploration as I spent the other on our 10 Magazine USA cover shoot. Then in May, Puma was re-launching their H-Street sneaker and so I headed back. This was when things at Newark were a disaster and I had plenty of panic that I wouldn’t make my connection in San Francisco. (Yes I’m exclusively a United/Star Alliance flyer, don’t @ me Delta people.) Due to my paranoia, I made the decision to fly out a day early and connect in Narita as international flights were prioritized by air traffic control. It was so nice to land and be able to get a good meal in the airport. Was it the best omurice and melon float that I’ve ever had? No, but it definitely hit the spot. Also, it was a great chance to restock on all my favorite snacks like matcha mille-feuille cookies and white chocolate butter sandwich cookies (highly recommend these!).

Once I landed in Seoul, I had a full day on my own before work obligations. I fully took advantage of that to get a K-pop makeover (more on that later), eat some good food, and stock up on skincare at Olive Young. And thankfully we did have a good chunk of free time on this trip, unlike my prior times in the city, so I was able to cross off places that I never got a chance to go to. Below, a very brief breakdown of my favorite moments, along with a deep dive of my skin treatments after the paywall. Also, even though I linked all these places on Google Maps, the app does not work there — download either Naver or Kakao maps for navigation. And while Uber is readily available there, Kakao taxi is actually faster and I wished I had used that instead.

Food Highlights

Eulmildae — multiple locations

Being that the temperature was 80 degrees on my first day, it served as the perfect reason to get cold noodles as my first meal. Plus, it happens to be one of my favorite dishes. My friend Alex recommended hitting up Eulmidae and there happened to be one within a 15-minute walk of my hotel so off I went. They’re known for their Pyongyang naengmyeon aka North Korean-style buckwheat noodles. Most people around me got the mul naengmyeon, which features slushy beef broth. Usually I get that as well but for some reason I was in the mood for the bibim naengmyeon instead. In retrospect I should have gone for what everyone else around me was eating but chalk it up to jet lag and my muscle memory always choosing the spicier option. That’s not to say it wasn’t delicious — added some vinegar and hot mustard and it was absolutely perfect. Plus, it was around $12 for the bowl and given that I usually pay $20-something in NYC, I was more than happy. My only other regret was not getting the mung bean pancake but that’s what happens when you dine solo, not enough stomach space.

Gebangsikdang - 17 Seolleung-ro 131-gil, Gangnam

Normally I would never repeat a restaurant when in Asia — too many places to check out and too little time/stomach space to eat it all. This place, however, is the exception. I went there in January and I knew I had to go back. The Michelin Bib Gourmand spot is known for their soy marinated crab but I also love the red shrimp as well as the crab roe noodles. You know the dish is done correctly when you squeeze the body and the meat comes out perfectly creamy. They somehow choose female crabs with a ton of roe, a bonus in my book. Add the rice to the shell, mix it all up and it’s the absolute perfect bite. You can make a reservation online but when I was there for lunch, walk-ins were also readily available.

NUDAKE Haus Dosan — 50 Apgujeong-ro 46-gil, Gangnam

Cafe culture is amazing in Seoul and when I needed to do a quick coffee meeting, I was beyond thrilled that my friend Paul suggested NUDAKE. Located in the basement of the Gentle Monster flagship in Apgujeong, they have some of the most creative desserts. You might have seen their viral mini croissants, which I was super tempted to get until these tomato desserts caught my eye. Normally I would never, after a bad experience with a tomato dessert at Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana that was bizarre at best, but this one hit the right notes. The exterior is made from gelatin with tomato and strawberries while the interior has a hard white chocolate and strawberry shell with more strawberry and tomato inside. Super fun to eat even if it wasn’t the most mind blowing dessert I’ve ever had. Again, I’d go back if only to try the rest of the lineup as well as all of the creative drinks.

Low Roof — 46-1 Bukchon-ro, Gahoe-dong, Jongno

Speaking of cafes, the first pic in this newsletter was taken at Low Roof, a very aesthetic spot near Bukchon Hanok Village. They have a few tea rooms that are perfect for enjoying desserts, just remember to take your shoes off. The Americano was so strong that I felt very very awake after downing the large cup. But my favorite was this mugwort dessert. It’s hard to describe the flavor of this herb but I love it in desserts, whether as mochi or in this little mousse cake that’s sitting on a layer of puffed rice. Perfectly not too sweet!!!

Imun Seolleongtang — 38-13 Ujeongguk-ro, Jongno District

Like Tokyo, a lot of places in Seoul don’t open until 10 or 11 in the morning so breakfast spots can be hard to come by. Fortunately near my hotel was Imun Seolleongtang which opens promptly at 8 a.m., if not a bit earlier as I got there exactly then and there were already a few tables seated inside. Founded in 1904, it’s the oldest operating restaurant in South Korea and also on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list. They serve beef bone broth soup, another one of my favorites. The ahjumma clocked me for an American the second I walked in and pointed to the QR code with an English menu. But I already knew my order: regular bowl of seolleongtang please. Both cabbage and radish kimchi are on the table along with scissors to cut up any big pieces, while the napkins and utensils are tucked away in a drawer built into the table. Once you get the steaming hot bowl, season to taste with the salt, pepper, and scallions (I like a ton of each) and it’s such a soothing way to start the day.

Gwangjang Market — 88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno District

Here’s the thing with food markets: the most well known ones are generally tourist traps. I feel that way about Tsukiji in Tokyo and Nishiki in Kyoto. Yes, you can find delicious foods there but is it worth the crowds and lines? I’d argue you go once and never return. That being said, I’ve never been to Gwangjang so I figure why not. The knife cut noodle stall, as made popular by Netflix’s Street Food, had a long wait and we were tight on time. And for some reason the line moved incredible slowly at the radish tteokbokki spot, so I wasn’t able to get that either. What did I eat and love? A really really good mochi donut and some watermelon juice. So I don’t consider this a highlight but more like a requisite inclusion with mixed reviews.

Getting a K-pop Idol Makeover

Bit.Boot 49 Dosan-daero 81-gil, Gangnam

If I’m in Asia, I’m getting a haircut because New Yorkers know how expensive they are in NYC. I can’t justify nearly $200 every time I need one (which is truthfully fairly often because my hair grows fast). My friend Jess went to Bit.Boot when we were last in Seoul and she loved it. They’re known for their work on K-Pop idols like BTS and Rosé, so I figured why not get both a cut and some professional makeup application.

Unfortunately I wasn’t allowed to record so I had to rely on my Notes app. Skin prep was paramount, they pat so much moisturizer into my face — way more than I would normally use. I don’t know what sorcery this was because I’m normally very oily and too much would leave my base sliding off my face and yet, everything absorbed nicely. The brand was Helen Park but I have no clue which one, or how to get it in the U.S. sadly. From there they blended two shades of Nars’ Natural Radiant Longwear Full Coverage Foundation in L2, Montblanc, and L3.5, Salzburg. Normally, my skin tends to lean extremely warm in comparison to my hair but somehow they balanced it out to create a cool toned complexion that worked with the blonde. They applied two thin layers with a spatula foundation brush and then tapped it in with a damp sponge. For the center of my face, they added more of the lighter shade for dimension.

Idol makeup artists really excel when it comes to enhancing the eyes. This is where they lost me because it’s less about products and more about technique. They primed my lids and then applied a peach shadow over my lid before adding brown shadow along the lower lash line. Using a combination of gel liner on the inner corner along with liquid for the flick at the ends, they really emphasized the overall shape without making my eyes look smaller. Then, there are the lashes which arguably made the most impact. First, they used a lighter to heat up the curler and they followed up with a burnt stick to help emphasize the curl. Instead of a strip, they strategically placed clusters to create a doll-like effect. And finally, they somehow managed to curl and apply mascara to my lower lashes, which I never knew was possible. Coupled with some inner corner highlights and a lighter brow, it made a huge difference.

Oh, and there was also blush, strategic contour and highlight, and the perfect lip tone. I generally would do a smidge more blush but hey, they knew best and in photos, it works. As for contour/highlight placement, it was centered on the nose, adding light to the high points and shadow on the sides to really sculpt a bridge. This was probably the most helpful takeaway, now that I know the spots, I can work to recreate it. And finally, as for the lipstick, all I recall were that they used two shades with one being a coral/brown-ish shade, something I’d never choose but really works. From start to end, this took two hours and cost $300 for both hair and makeup. So I didn’t exactly save money, but the experience was super helpful in guiding my future makeup application as well as my Olive Young haul.

The Olive Young Haul

I’d say half of my suitcase was filled with beauty products. While I haven’t tried everything quite yet, this is what I love as of right now and would 100% repurchase:

Fillimilli Mini Spatula Brush 828 — Inspired by the makeup artists, I’ve been using this to apply foundation and it’s perfect for thin layers.

WAKEMAKE Soft Blurring Eye Palette in 04 Lavender — Honestly, I picked this up because it was one of the few ones left in stock at the big Olive Young in Seongsu and what I could get my hands on with the giant crowd in front of the display. While the colors aren’t identical to what was used on me at Bit.Boot, I find that the shades work well to create a similar look, especially the glitter shades for the inner corner.

Clio Waterproof Pencil Liner in black — Being that the Clio Kill Black is the only liquid liner I’d ever buy, I had high hopes for their pencil version. I’ve been using it to tightline the lash line as well as the inner corner. There is a tiny bit of smudging but overall, it’s a solid choice.

CLIO Kill Brow Slim Ash Browcara — I probably could have gone a few shades lighter to mimic the brow they gave me at Bit.Boot but this dark brown has just enough ashy tones to soften up my otherwise black brows. The brush is tiny, the formula really holds, and somehow it looks completely filled in, without using a pencil to draw in strokes after the fact.

Fillimilli Point Piece Lashes — Since they already come with adhesive all you need to do is use the tweezers and apply where you want to enhance your own lashes. Not completely idiot-proof as I’m still working on applying these but I have to say they’re far more user friendly than any strips I’ve worn in the past.

SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Tone Brightening Tone-Up Sunscreen — LOVE this sunscreen. I’m forever going to be a chemical sunscreen person, mineral does NOT agree with my skin. This one absorbs quickly and does not interfere with my foundation. I love that it has a tone-up effect as well, smoothing out the complexion.

SKINFOOD Carrot Carotene Calming Water Pads — These toner pads went viral and for good reason: they’re super hydrating and soothing on inflamed skin. I started using them at home since I got Rejuran done and they are a lovely addition to the routine.

Medicube PDRN Sheet Mask — If there’s one thing on this list that you should get, it would be this mask. PDRN aka polydeoxyribonucleotide, is currently the hottest skincare ingredient at the moment and nearly every brand has their own formulation. I bought a ton of PDRN products but this is the only one I’ve tried so far and I LOVE it. I’ll dive more into the ingredient later, as that’s what gets injected into the skin when you do Rejuran, but using this post treatment helped greatly to soothe my face. The silicone sheet mask should be worn until it goes clear — roughly 2 hours — and offers amazing plumping and hydrating effects.

Still on my list to try from my stash: VT Cosmetics Reedle 700, which mimics microneedling and a slew of PDRN products from the likes of Rejuran, Iope, and Anua so stay tuned.

Everywhere Else Worth Shopping

For the sake of brevity, a selection of shops worth checking out:

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MOTH — 6 Yeonmujang 7-gil, Seongdong-gu

Quite possibly my favorite store, stumbling upon it was a happy accident as we were wandering through Seongsu. The concept shop carries everything from McQueen to Margiela to Rabanne to brands that were new to me like MIKIOSAKABE (Japanese platform sneakers), De Pino (strong Ghesquiere at Balenciaga energy), and my personal favorite, Atelier Eveil Ludique. The last brand is an avant-garde upcycling label from Paris that re-imagines basics like shirting and pleated skirts. I was thisclose to buying their white shirt that’s made from two stitched together but Moth was so new that my credit card refused to recognize it as a legitimate vendor. Next time!

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RECTO Flagship Store — 8 Hannam-daero 40-gil, Yongsan

I already briefly mentioned this in my last newsletter, but Recto is a lovely label for fans of the The Row/Toteme/Khaite/Old Céline/Phoebe Philo aesthetic. I loved some of their sheer, thin knits as well as their outerwear but I actually think the menswear is where they excelled, namely the trousers. Cut loose, it was super flattering on literally every guy who tried them on there. Were my husband there, I think we would have done some damage.

Nothing Written — 14-5 Hannam-daero 40-gil, Yongsan

Caveat: I actually don’t love the clothes here, there’s nothing that special about them. But if you’re at Recto, head over to Nothing Written simply to soak in the vibes. The interiors are designed to look like a home and it’s lovely. Plus, there’s a cute coffee shop on the first floor, making it a nice place for a bit of a rest.

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Maison Margiela Flagship — 657-91 Hannam-dong, Yongsan

Yes, you can technically find a Margiela location in New York, Paris, etc. but can you find one with a cafe attached that offers Tabi shaped desserts and coasters? I don’t think so. My biggest regret was not having time to go here and stealing helping myself to a stack of coasters.

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Osaki — 397-15 Mangwon-dong, Mapo-gu

Of course, I also found the one place that carries vintage CdG in Seoul. Osaki is the womenswear side while Kiki Homme offers curated menswear. Either way, the owner sources from Japan, the prices are fair, but the sizing is very limited. The only downside is that it’s a bit of a trek as it’s in Mangwon and I again, ran out of time but someone please go and report back!

Okay, if you’ve hung on this long below, a breakdown of every insane thing I’ve done to my face in Korea along with details on how I found each clinic.