Alas, Kathy Hochul defeated Lee Zeldin 52.9% (3,026,034 votes) to 47.1% (2,699,054 votes)
Korean Beauty Secrets: A Practical Guide to Cutting-Edge Skincare and Makeup by Kerry Thompson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Korean Beauty Secrets: A Practical Guide to Cutting-Edge Skincare and Makeup lists K-beauty brands; describes skincare products and products like cushion makeup; explains the multi-step skincare regimen; recommends particular products; and provides a Korean to English glossary. It’s a manual or reference book on K-beauty.
H Mart in Fairfax, Virginia recently moved to its new location on 11200 Fairfax Blvd.
I was concerned that the beauty counter tenants from its previous location would move as well. Here’s what HJ said on Nextdoor:
Yes, the beauty counters moved to the new location. Also a small pharmacy, Asian food court, kiddie play corner, a seafood section (follow your nose for that dept), and some parking in the shade are in the new location. Customers are leaving carts all over the parking lot and in precious empty parking spaces instead of pushing them back to the cart corrals, so watch out — or your or your car could hit a cart that’s out of place or rolling around.
Relieved! Naturally, I had to check out the beauty counters. It was gratifying that the beauty advisors remembered me from the old location. Here’s my haul:
FYI H Mart has a stand for lower-priced cosmetics, including Tony Moly, Bbi@, and Missha. Please note that the beauty counters are tenants, not part of H Mart.
Want more pics? See my Instagram account:Read More »
Dear Dahlia is a makeup brand from Korea, but it projects a glamorous image rather than the cutesy image that other Korean makeup brands project.
It’s also cruelty-free, clean beauty, and vegan.
I discovered Dear Dahlia through Facebook and its targeted ads. I was enchanted by its faux-marble packaging and ordered its Paradise Dual Palette in Lady Oxford. Dear Dahlia mailed my package from Seoul and I had to sign for the package at the Post Office. The lady at the counter looked at my package quizzically. Maybe she was from Korea. I told her it was makeup.
As you can see from the picture above, the Paradise Dual Palette has a matte eyeshadow duo on one side and a creme blush/lip tint on the other. The eyeshadow duo could also be used to fill in the eyebrows. In other words, a complete look from a tiny compact.
The Paradise Dual Palette (other color options are available) costs $ 32.00 USD. You may order Dear Dahlia makeup through its website https://en.deardahlia.com/. Sign up for its newsletter and get free international shipping for orders $30 USD or more. Dear Dahlia’s handle on Instagram is deardahlia_beauty.
Here a few updates on the popular article Asian beauty stores in the DC Metro Area | The Style Page:
eCosway has closed, and I changed the marker to red.
There are still Shiseido and AMOREÂ counters inside Super H in Fairfax. Â Not only does AMOREÂ carry AMOREPACIFICÂ brands, but it also carries Missha. Â The women at the counter told me that the most popular items were sheet masks and BB cream – no surprise there. Â Here is my recent haul from Amore:
Because I had been to Super H recently, I changed the marker to green. Â I turned the other markers to gray, as I can’t vouch for them.
Aritaum describes itself as “the one stop solution for all your beauty needs.”  It is a chain of K-#beauty stores whose parent company is AMOREPACIFIC.  Some Aritaum stores operate under the AMORE name.  Aritaum/AMORE locations are identified by blue diamonds.
According to cosmeticsdesign.com, there are 70 Aritaum stores in the US and Canada, with more store openings planned for this year.
Asian beauty stores in the DC Metro Area is one of the most popular posts on The Style Page. You might also want to check out where to find K-#beauty in Los Angeles: see http://www.refinery29.com/where-to-buy-korean-beauty-products-los-angeles#slide
The DC Metro Area hosts a large Asian community, and there are many stores that cater to this market.  Today I’ll introduce you to some Asian beauty stores in the DC Metro Area.
– to see place markers
More Shiseido in Fairfax Circle carries Shiseido, Clé de Peau Beauté, Enprani skin care and makeup, skin care sets, face mask sheets, Darkness beauty implements from Korea, and some unexpected items (underwear!).
Lotte Plaza in Chantilly features a comprehensive selection of international foods.  Grocery shopping in its produce section is a contact sport.  There are so many shoppers there that you can’t maneuver.  Bunny LaRue wrote:
Lotte Plaza is great. I have seen no less than two fist fights there. When they first opened I made the mistake of trying to get some shrimp, I nearly lost my arm. The lady that runs Cinderella is really nice.
Which brings us to…
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From Korea, where trends (BB cream, face masks) in skin care begin, comes the latest innovation: BB cushion!
What is BB cushion? Â BB Cushion is a sponge that is soaked in foundation. To apply, you press a flat pad (included) in the sponge to pick up the foundation and then press or pat onto your face.
I understand that IOPE, one of Amore Pacific’s brands, was the first to bring out BB air cushion. When I was at the Amore store within Super H mart (see Asian beauty stores in the DC Metro Area), one of the saleswomen patted a bit of IOPE Air Cushion on my hand. She said it replaced primer, foundation, sunscreen, and powder. The finish of IOPE Air Cushion suggested the presence of silicones. It also had a white-ish cast, but then, whitening products are popular in Asia.
As I mentioned, Target has entered the premium skin care market. One of the brands that it is now carrying is Laneige, yet another Amore Pacific brand. Not surprisingly, Laneige has a BB Cushion product.
So why do I say that Laneige BB Air Cushion is not worth the hype or hassle?  It is difficult to apply, and it’s hard to know how much foundation to pick up. For the first couple of times that I used, I applied too much: it was obvious to my husband, who joked about it.  Also, the pad doesn’t provide precision in covering spots and other detailed work.  I’ll stick with my IT Cosmetics YSBB™ Your Skin But Better™ CC Cream with SPF 50+ and Beautyblender.
You may purchase Laneige BB Cushion for $34 (taxes & shipping not included) from target.com and Target stores (check online for availability in store – that’s how I found mine)
The DC Metro Area hosts a large Asian community, and there are many stores that cater to this market. Â Today I’ll introduce you to some Asian beauty stores in the DC Metro Area.
More Shiseido in Fairfax Circle carries Shiseido, Clé de Peau Beauté, Enprani skin care and makeup, skin care sets, face mask sheets, Darkness beauty implements from Korea, and some unexpected items (underwear!).
Lotte Plaza in Chantilly features a comprehensive selection of international foods. Â Grocery shopping in its produce section is a contact sport. Â There are so many shoppers there that you can’t maneuver. Â Bunny LaRue wrote:
Lotte Plaza is great. I have seen no less than two fist fights there. When they first opened I made the mistake of trying to get some shrimp, I nearly lost my arm. The lady that runs Cinderella is really nice.
Which brings us to the next shop off the beaten beauty path: Cinderella, which is located in the courtyard of Lotte Plaza. Â Cinderella carries a wide variety of face mask sheets (which I predict will be the next big thing to come out of Asia after BB cream), Korean skin care, Darkness beauty implements, and cheap costume jewelry. Â Don’t let the crowds and craziness dissuade you from going!
While I love shopping at Lotte Plaza for the all the fun things that I can find, Super H Mart in Fairfax is brighter, lighter, and, dare I say, cleaner than Lotte Plaza. Â Never mind that when I entered the store, Gangnam Style was blasting through the speakers!
Within Super H Mart is the Amore store, which carries high-end cosmetics and skin care brands from Korea’s Amorepacific Corporation. Â The displays are as elegant as anything you’d might find in an upscale department store: skin care sets from Sulwhasoo, Laneige, and IOPE are presented on back-lit display shelves. Â I was surprised to find the Sulwhasoo face powder compacts that I wrote about at the Amore Store. Â IOPE color cosmetics are also found there. Â As can be expected from a Korean beauty emporium, Amore carries Darkness beauty implements and face mask sheets.
Across from Amore is the Shiseido store, which carries Shiseido and Clé de Peau Beauté color cosmetics and skin care from Shiseido, Benefique, Qiora, and SK-II.
BTW SK-II is actually a P&G brand, which is why Allure mentions SK-II’s pricey face mask sheets with MUA Pat McGrath, who’s P&G’s global creative director for its beauty brands (Cover Girl, Max Factor, Dolce & Gabbana, and SK-II).
Make Up Plus within Lotte Plaza in Silver Spring carries  Clio makeup from Korea and, of course, skin care, face mask sheets, and Darkness beauty implements.
eCosway is a shoppers’ club in which you pay a $20 VIP membership to get discounts.  For $60, members can recruit other members, who can recruit other members … in other words, a MTM or MLM scheme.  Cosmetics and skin product lines include Beauty Code, Bioglo, L’Ă©lan Vital, and Colour Sense.  I suspect that these are all eCosway brands. eCosway also sells cleaning supplies, nutritional supplements, and more.  Does it sound like Amway, but with a brick-and-mortar store?
How to use Mezaik Double Eyelid Stretch Fiber + Fiter Tool.
After seeing these things at Korean beauty emporia, I was curious about what they are and how to use them.
Here are my favorite beauty stories from 2012:
Sulwhasoo ShineClassic compacts
One story was the invitation to introduce Sulwhasoo ShineClassic compacts to the U.S. Â I love Asian aesthetics, and the compacts were inspired by traditional Korean symbols and artistry. Â They are truly works of art.
Sulwhasoo commemorated 10 years of limited edition compacts in an elegant cloth bound coffee table book featuring traditional Korean artistry, complete with slip cover. Â Flip the book over, unfold the pages, and lo! it features all LE compacts!
The invitation also had extra meaning for me, as I admire Korea for the way it has lifted itself up and I have fond memories of my trip to Korea ten years ago.
Softlips giveaway
Another event was the LE Softlips giveaway.  I have to say that I didn’t think that this would be a successful giveaway; however, it exceeded my wildest expectations.  I had record visits to The Style Page blog at thestylepage.blogspot.com and a spike in new followers on Twitter.
BTW I still have one prize to claim. Â The first person to write to me at thestylepage[at]ymail[dot]com and respond with his/her mailing address will win the prize.
LuMESH beauty from Costco
I enjoy bringing stories about beauty in unexpected places to readers.  Beauty is truly where you find it.  I’ve been in touch with Lu Camerena Meshulam, and I hope that I played a small role in moving product at Costco.
Karen Murrell lipsticks
I love the demi-matte finish of Karen’s lipsticks, and I am proud to have played a role in introducing her lipsticks to the U.S.  Karen introduced 4 lipstick shades in 2012, and plans to introduce more in 2013. I’m anxiously anticipating the new introductions. I’ve seen previews of Karen’s new Rumba Red lipstick.
Cold Cream 'n' Roses 
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