AMOREPACIFIC KOREA TOUR

I’ve had the privilege to visit Korea a month ago thanks to AmorePacific and my experience was beyond anything I could ever ask for. I have nothing, but fond memories of the activities and was blessed to be surrounded by a group of amazing people. This was my first official press trip and to be able to have it in an international destination like Korea has been a dream. I was beyond grateful for the unique opportunity because not only am I a huge fan of the brand, but really appreciated the chance to visit the origin of where these products are actually made.

For those who aren’t familiar with the company, AmorePacific is a south Korean beauty corporation that houses 30+ brands, carrying beauty, healthcare and household products. Established in 1945, AmorePacific uses modern science, cutting edge technology and finest ingredients in its products.  It is recognized as one of the leading cosmetic companies in Korea.
I was first introduced to the brand a few years ago when I stumbled across the TIME RESPONSE Skin Renewal Sleeping Masque. This was also during the time that I became more interested in skincare and Korean beauty and wanted to commit to a stricter skincare routine. I remembered being impressed by the packaging of the product and of course was completely sold once I tried on the mask because I honestly saw a difference in my skin’s texture. Little did I know, the mask contains green tea, which is an ingredient that plays a huge role in AmorePacific’s origin.

As many of you are aware, Seoul is the hub for Korean beauty and skincare. On this corporate trip, we visited the flagships of the following brands:

• AmorePacific: Our prestigious flagship brand brings you absolute luxurious beauty that blossoms like the revitalizing plants that heal aging skin with Asian botanical remedies
• Sulwahsoo: Holistic and harmonious skincare inspired by traditional Asian wisdom, cultivating balanced beauty both inside and out
• Mamonde: Floral inspired beauty care that brings you the hidden power and energizing nutrients of flowers
• Innisfree: Natural Benefits from Jeju, Innisfree
• Laneige:  Hydration-packed products combined with cutting edge water technology that deliver glowing skin and sparkling beauty for trendy, confident women
• Primera:  Germination technology that unlocks the potent effects of seeds for your skin

Before I highlight my experience at each of the brands along with the products that I love most, I wanted to first share a brief overview of AmorePacific’s history. The founder of AmorePacific, Mrs. Yun Dok-jeong started the business from her kitchen by selling camellia oil to Korean women as hair treatment. Her second son, Suh Sung-Whan took over the company after learning more about the extraction oil process and cosmetics industry. He decided to transform wasteland to tea gardens and started to cultivate green tea on Jeju island. It was fascinating to see the growth of the company after touring the Osan Beauty Campus and AmorePacific’s headquarters. When I saw the factory of where the products were actually made, I felt much closer to the brand as a consumer. I think we often forget that there’s a whole team that works behind the scenes before the products hit the shelves of retailers. Due to my experience, this trip made me see AmorePacific in a different light because I had the chance to see both the corporate and manufacturing side of the corporation.

One of my favorite product from AmorePacific is their TIME RESPONSE Traveling Icons Collection, which was kindly gifted by the global team during our stay. As someone who travels frequently, this is all the skincare that I need! The set features six of the iconic and essential travel sized products including:

• TREATMENT CLEANSING OIL (Face & Eyes) 1.0 FL. OZ.
• TREATMENT CLEANSING FOAM 1.0 FL. OZ. 
• VINTAGE SINGLE EXTRACT ESSENCE 1.0 FL. OZ. 
• TIME RESPONSE Eye Reserve Creme 0.1 FL. OZ. 
• TIME RESPONSE Skin Reserve Creme 0.5 FL. OZ. 
• MOISTURE BOUND Skin Energy Hydration Delivery System 1.0 FL. OZ. 

Each product contains Asian Botanicals with ingredients such as as green tea, bamboo, and red ginseng that nourish the skin from within. I used this set everyday when I was in Korea and also on the plane because I’m just that dedicated to my skincare routine! The TIME RESPONSE Travelings Icons Collection is now my official skincare kit whenever I travel. Since the holidays are also right around the corner, I believe this would be a great gift for yourself or a globetrotter in your life!

I also would like to emphasize that unlike many other beauty companies who buy other brands, AmorePacific does not. All of the brands are actually under AmorePacific’s umbrella, so I like to look at them as a family and was excited to get to know more about them. Upon our arrival on the first day, we visited Sulwahsoo’s flagship store and it’s definitely a must visit if you’re ever in Seoul. The store itself is absolutely stunning and you can take great photos with all the beautiful interior design. We had the great opportunity to experience the Danjang Hanbok experience. We all chose our own Hanbok, traditional gowns that Koreans often wore during wedding ceremonies. I felt like a princess in my Hanbok because the gowns were made of exquisite materials and detailed beautifully. The Sulwahsoo’s flagship store also offers spa treatments and I have been told that these sessions come in high demand, so if this is on your list, I would highly recommend booking it in advanced. I also wanted to note that this was by far one of the best facial and massage I’ve had so that’s very telling of their services and great staff.

The First Care Activating Serum EX is one of Sulwahsoo’s best sellers and I have tried it myself and absolutely love it. The serum was created with five herbs including Peony, Sacred Lotus, Solomon’s Seal, White Lily and Rehmannia through the brand’s proprietary, JAUM Balancing Complex™.  This serum is great for anti-aging as it hydrates and balances the skin and also promotes natural skin circulation. As suggested by the name, you should use this after cleansing but before putting any other skincare products on your face. It is also recommended to warm the serum in your hands before applying it and I honestly am obsessed with this serum and consider this one of my holy grail products in my skincare routine. If there’s one product that you should try from Sulwahsoo, then this is it!

If you weren’t familiar with Sulwahsoo, I’m sure you have heard of Laneige since Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Mask is a bestseller at Sephora. I use it every night and I love how my lips feel the next morning. As we are gearing up for colder months ahead, this lip mask containing Moisture Wrap™ technology and nourishing Berry Mix Complex™, will come in handy. I am a hands-on type of gal and I love to take part in interactive activities because I believe that’s the best way to immerse myself into the brand.

It’s no wonder was I was so thrilled to make my own lip sleeping mask when we visited the flagship store. There were several scents to choose from and although I was debating between peppermint, rosemary and sweet candy, sweet candy ended up winning me over because the scent is exactly how it sounds! We were instructed to mix the scent with the wax and had to burn it until it reaches a certain temperature and then allowing it to cool down afterwards. The process wasn’t difficult, but it did take patience. I also wanted to mention that the lip mask retails for $20, which is a huge steal because you only use a little and it will definitely last you forever!

Some of the other flagships stores we visited at Myeongdong were Mamonde, Innisfree and Primera. At Mamonde, we saw how they made their lip tints and similarly to Laneige’s sleeping mask, it took a lot of mixing and patience to get the perfect creamy texture and color. You can visit the shop and customize your own lip color, which I thought was a cool feature because even though I personally own many lipsticks, I always feel like I don’t have the exact shade that I want.

At Primera, we had the chance to shop for some products and my logic going into it was to choose the best selling products only sold at Korea, so I picked Super Sprout Serum and Miracle Seed Concentrate Oil. Both products contain natural ingredients and essential oil and I have been incorporating them into my nighttime skincare routine and my skin has been loving it! We also visited Innisfree’s flagship store and I picked up the Pore clearing Clay Mousse Mask, which so happens to also be a bestseller in Korea. It is formulated with 84.7% naturally derived ingredients, including 6,020 mg Jeju Volcanic Cluster and 5 proven exfoliants (volcanic clusters, walnut shells, cellulose, AHAs, BHAs). I love that it clears up my skin and frees my pores and the convenient pump is a genius feature as it avoids a messy application. I also thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Innisfree’s flagship store because not only can you shop for products, but there’s an amazing Green Café that serves the best green tea lattes. All of the food also seemed pretty healthy as the are sourced from local, eco-friendly farms that AmorePacific partners with in Jeju. I wish they would open the same cafe in New York because I know it would be one of my favorite spots in the city!

As evident, Jeju island plays a vital role in AmorePacific brand as the company sources their ingredients from the island. I visited both Jeju Island and Camellia Village and was completely blown away by the beauty surrounding both places. It also gave me a better understanding and appreciation for the company’s origin. I love the fact that AmorePacific focuses on natural ingredients because there are many benefits to camellia oil and green tea and it is evident that they value asian botanicals as it is seen in the majority of their products.

I was also fortunate enough to make my own soap using camellia oil and it was such an eye opening experience to be able to see how real people in Korea make these household items that we use everyday. One of the highlights from my trip was my visit to Osulloc Tea Museum, where I experienced a beautiful tea ceremony. For those who know me know that I’m a tea addict. However, I never was taught the right way to brew tea and I realized doing so is such a therapeutic process. The reason why I love drinking tea so much aside from the health benefits is the peaceful energy that I find surrounding the act. It’s a calming moment that I enjoy as I become in tune with my body. This sensation was elevated when I was at the museum. We also had the opportunity to shop for tea afterwards and if you want the best of the best when it comes to tea, I highly recommend visiting Osulloc Tea Store. I love the fact that I was able to bring a bit of Korea back to the states because I have tons of tea bags that will last me until next year!
Another great place that we visited was Amorepacific Seogwang Tea Garden and it’s absolutely a blogger’s dream come true because the fields made for great photo backdrops. The tea garden is essentially a large field with greenery and we had a great time enjoying the view and taking photos. AmorePacific is actually the only beauty company to harvest its own green tea, so it was amazing to see it in person. I would highly recommend visiting if you’re in Jeju Island.

Reflecting on my trip and writing this recap has made me miss Korea! I am so thankful to have had this experience and I also wanted to send my greatest gratitude to AmorePacific because I’ve never met a team that has been more lovely, attentive or accommodating. I brought home a lot of products and my whole skincare regime has been upgraded thanks to AmorePacific. I know there’s a lot of brands and companies out in the skincare market, but if there’s one brand that I believe truly values high quality ingredients and one that I support 100%, it’s definitely AmorePacific! I am constantly trying out all the new skincare that I have been gifted and I honestly can say that I have been loving each and every one of them!