Walking in a K-beauty wonderland – Cree'mare
Oh golly, how many can I fit in my suitcase?
A main part of my Seoul trip was dedicated to finding Korean sheet masks. After a few failed attempts – Myeongdong Korean grocery store, check, Cheongdam's Eden Plaza, check; I decided to get assistance from my hotel concierge. With their persistence we were able to eventually track Whamisa masks at Cree'mare, a newly opened store in Sinnonhyeon.
The 40 mins train ride from Myeongdong didn't deter me (and my travel buddy Elsa who had to come along for the ride) on this beauty expedition and luckily we were able to reach the store without leaving the actual station. You can see from the above photo how glorious this store is, beautifully displayed and curated products not limited to just Korean brands, but also American, New Zealand and from other parts of the world.
First I went over to the Whamisa section and was reassured to find their masks lined up near the counter. After adding boxes of those to my shopping bag, I ventured to explore the rest of the store which made me feel like a kid in a candy store.
Four kinds of Whamisa masks, from left: Organic Sea Kelp, Organic Flowers & Aloe Vera, Organic Fruits & Tomato, Organic Seeds & Rice
They had sectioned off skincare, cosmetics and nail sections in the store, and the extensive lineup was impressive.
Brands that caught my eye included local favourites such as Whamisa, Blithe, Thank You Farmer, Huxley and Klairs. While I saw familiar US brands such as Deborah Lippman, Jack Black, Stila, Peter Thomas Roth and Dr Teals, I was pleasantly surprised to discover new ones such as Linden Leaves, Shea Terra Organics, Treeannsea.
Here are a few images from the Cree'mare Instagram showcasing their curated products:
I can say that I could have stayed in the store for many hours if I didn't need to lug the beauty haul back to the hotel in time for dinner! Here's a peek at what made it back to Hong Kong, take note this was the consolidated effort from both me and Elsa.
Not all those were mine, I swear!
How to get there: Take the train to Sinnonhyeon station, Exit 3. You will see the entrance to Cree'mare next to the escalators before you exit the station.
cree'mare
B2 Urban Hive, 476, Gangnam-Daero, Gangnam-Gu, Sinnonhyeon
Opening hours: 10am-10pm