Etude House flagship store opens in Singapore & Play 101 pencil swatches

So Etude House opened its largest-ever flagship store today (17 October 2014) and Bubbles was invited to attend the private VIP event the day before! Sneak preview! Meet Pony (a Korean makeup artist who is a-w-e-s-o-m-e)! How could this Alpaca say no? This alpaca got an autograph AND a selfie with Pony. Huzzah!

So Bubbles headed down to Etude House on 16 October, to watch Pony's makeup demonstration from 6 - 7 pm. Pony is as perky in real life as in her youtube videos, and sooooo pretty. She spoke in Korean, which was then translated into Mandarin and English.

What Bubbles first saw when she stepped into Etude House

Pretty Pony giving a demonstration

However, Bubbles got distracted by the Play 101 pencils Pony was using because she was standing in front of... the Play 101 pencil stand.

Here are the 50 available shades swatched for your viewing pleasure (the handwritten number corresponds to the shade number). Bubbles took the (rare) opportunity to do this because it was a private event and everyone was either watching Pony or doing their own shopping. She was also hidden behind the display shelf. Bubbles doubts she would have been able to do it on an ordinary day without people having doubts about her sanity. But hey, a useful colour reference chart's now stored on her phone!

Play 101 pencil swatches #1 - #20

Play 101 pencil swatches #21 - #40

Play 101 pencil swatches #41 - #50

Bubbles' favourite is No. 27 (a soft sparkly coral-pink). As of today, Bubbles owns 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 33. Bliss! She bought 3 yesterday (25 - 27) and then went back for 28, 29 and 33 today to get a free storage tin.

Bubbles also enjoyed the Etude coin capsule machine... she got a bracelet and 2 tokens in her goodie bag, and promptly exchanged the two tokens for two sets of charms. Tokens can also be used in the Etude House photobooth, which works just like a neoprint machine. Currently, the going rate for 1 token is $20 spent ($20 gets you 1 token, $50 gets you 2 tokens, $100 gets you 5 tokens).

The downside of the capsule machine is that it depends on LUCK - Bubbles should have quit when she was ahead (with an Eiffel tower charm and a lock and key charm - the two prettiest charms), but she spent her additional 5 tokens (after dropping $100 into Etude's 2014 annual sales report) and was sorely disappointed. 3 pink "E" charms, a repeat Eiffel tower charm, and a handbag charm (which is sweet and sparkly but looks tacky compared to the lock and key & Eiffel tower). So alpacas, spend your coins wisely. Photos won't disappoint you (and you can use the makeup testers around the shop to spruce up your look anyway).

Pretty charms

Bracelet (it will cost you 1 coin) and 2 free coins from the goodie bag

Bubbles was delighted to see this princessy carriage. It is a cross between a sweet shop and her dream vanity table. Etude House had also conscripted 6 male models to pose with guests outside the carriage during the event. However, Bubbles was more attracted to the carriage. If she could win this after spending a certain amount (instead of autographed Xu Bin memorabilia) Bubbles would have maxed out her credit card. 

Limited edition Princess Happy Ending products found ONLY in Etude House at Wisma! However, this alpaca got her paws on them while in Korea. Nevertheless, she bought more (the Cinderella eye shadows, which have a very spongy texture) because a girl can never have too many pretty things.

The packaging is gorgeous

And the insides are equally beautiful. This is the Belle blush (coral). Toodles, alpacas! Bubbles is off to enjoy her purchases!

Ettusais Premium range review

Aloha, alpacas! Bubbles is back with some Ettusais Premium goodies!

Bubbles went for the Ettusais Luminous Skin Party yesterday because beauty workshops are her new "in" thing. Not only is the $$ you pay for the workshop fully redeemable for products, you get the following benefits as well:

1) Door gift (Sulwhasoo is VERY generous with their door gifts, but that's for another post);
2) Make up/skin care lesson; and
3) Refreshments

Bubbles concludes that beauty workshops are the only way to go. So Bubbles went to the Shiseido office at Orchard Building and walked in to find this:

(1) Launch of the Ettusais Premium range (freebies if you buy 2 premium range products - you get one cosmetic pouch and one gel effect top coat)

(2) White bags are the door gifts, pink bags are for your purchases

(3) All laid out for the hands on session.

(4) Refreshments - cupcakes, fruit tarts, macarons and apple juice

(5) All laid out for the shopping spree

(6) Ettusais premium chiffon foundation powder. It has an interesting puff with 2 textures. The fuzzy side is for the entire face, and the spongy side is to get at the bits around the nose after folding the puff to get a point. The powder is very lightweight, and the Ettusais folks shared that to achieve this effect, the oil is drained off after it is mixed with the foundation powder before it is pressed into a cake. A makeup tip from Oki-san, Ettusais' Japanese trainer: to cover pores, pat on your foundation in an upward manner. 

(7) Ettusais amino caviar cream - contains little spherical capsules which break when you apply pressure to release the essence goodness inside. It has 7 benefits, so one product is all you need 

(throw out that essence, toner, serum, makeup base....) for day and night.

(8) A close up of the amino caviar cream and its texture (very creamy). You only need an almond sized amount for the whole face. It can be applied on the eyes as well, and on the neck if you're feeling extravagant. Bubbles found it very cooling when applied on her mien, but she may have applied too much as her face felt sticky after that (as though there was a thin layer of serum sitting on the surface). Bubbles fixed the sticky face by blotting it with tissue. 

This cream is hydrating, but Bubbles gave it a pass as she's a Sulwhasoo alpaca at heart. The little skincare spheres in the cream are fun to squish between her alpaca paws, but take some effort to break/spread out when put on the face.

(9) Ettusais Premium CC amino cream. Bubbles bought this. It gave an instant glow and evened out Bubbles' skin tone. It is also pink!

(10) A blob of the CC amino cream. Bubbles was surprised that it was pink. It looks very light against Bubbles' human

(11) But it blends out well and will become invisible on the face. The pink adds radiance.

(12) Ettusais Premium Luminous Powder. This is a powder and highlighter all in one. To use it as a powder, mix the shades. To use it as a highlighter, pick up the shade on the left only. The highlighter powder is non-sparkly, unlike Bubbles' Cle de Peau one, so it looks like we have a real winner here!

(13) The powder brush is housed on top

(14) Mirror and powder/highlighter below. The powder is very fine. Bubbles asked if it had oil control properties, and the Ettusais folks replied that it controls sebum and gives hydration. How could this alpaca resist!? It followed her home. 

(15) Testers we played with. 

(16) Bubbles' haul - pink bag with purchases, white bag with door gift

(17) Bubbles bought the powder and CC cream, and got a blue pouch and clear gel effect top coat free. The door gift contained a mirror, an eye make up remover, and some acne thingo which Bubbles will figure out in due time.

(18) A contented alpaca. 

Innisfree Jejuhouse at Samcheongdong

This is the biggest Alpaca Adventure yet! The alpacas went to Seoul for summer, and though they skipped going to Jeju, they found the only other Innisfree Jejuhouse store in Korea right in the middle of Seoul, in Samcheongdong!

Exclusive products such as the fresh topping packs, Innirang merchandise and diffusers are sold only at this store (outside of Jeju). The store even gives you a lucky coin when you spend 20,000 won (around S$24), which you put into a vending machine to get a little box of samples or coupons. Of course, if you like, you can also keep the coin as a souvenir.

How the fresh topping packs work:

There are 11 different flavours, each packed in a little sachet (W1000 each). Each one has different functions, for example walnut shells are for exfoliating, soybean is for firming and volcanic is for pore cleansing. Most of them are powders, and only the camellia and canola honey are essences. You're supposed to pick any two flavours to mix into the base. There are 2 bases to choose from: creamy or clay (W3000 each). Each base comes in a 15 ml container which is good for 2 uses (use it up within a week for maximum freshness). You could buy a spatula from Innisfree (1000 won) to mix the toppings in, but you could just as easily use something from your kitchen. They recommend adding just 2 toppings so that your skin can absorb it all. Do not use 2 essence-type toppings together or it may get too oily.

 Other exclusive merchandise (notebooks, bags etc.)

Lucky box!

Coins for the lucky box

The other highlight of this store is the cafe which serves organic food on the 2nd and 3rd floors. They have a good selection of drinks, cakes, tarts, and soup which comes with bread. The food is really nice and it's organic, if you happen to be a health-conscious alpaca. The cafe overlooks Samcheongdong street and is located opposite a popular Samcheongdong Sujebi restaurant. It was not crowded on both days the alpacas had lunch there, even during the usual lunch hours.

Order at the 2nd floor

2nd floor

2nd floor

3rd floor

View from the 3rd floor

Citrus Sudachi cake (W6000)

Pumpkin tart

Potato soup with walnut bread (W8000)

The store sells various types of fruit jam and tea as well.

The only thing to take note of is that this store does not offer tax refunds for tourists, so you might not want to do all your shopping here -- just the exclusive products. They also don't carry make-up and some of the other products you usually find in other stores.

The store is located along Samcheongdong's cafe street, and is actually along the course of the Bukchon Hanok Village walk, according to the map you can get from tourist information booths in the area. Make a right turn after you come down from the stone steps. It is across the road from a Samcheongdong Sujebi restaurant which always has a queue outside.
Address: 104 Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Tel: 02-734-0585
Opening hours: 10 am to 10 pm