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Rice Water and Centella Skincare: Why Korea is Obsessed
Photo: Sergio Camalich / Unsplash I grew up in Seoul, where my favorite part of the day was stopping by the neighborhood supermarket to see all the new products. My mother used to hide the snack bags on the very top shelf of the cupboard — rice, on the other…
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Korean sheet masks 101: The secret to that famous “glass skin” glow
Korean sheet masks 101: The secret to that famous “glass skin” glow Photo: Olenka V / Unsplash I grew up in Seoul and always looked forward to seeing the new products at the neighborhood store. Now that I live in Maryland, I still buy my Korean groceries at H Mart…
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Korean Consonants and Vowels: The Logical Way to Start Reading Hangul
Korean Consonants and Vowels: The Logical Way to Start Reading Hangul I grew up in Seoul and spent my childhood visiting the neighborhood grocery store after school to look at all the newest snacks. My mother always kept Neoguri ramen in the cupboard, and I remember how the seaweed inside…
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How Hangul Was Created: The Genius Korean Alphabet You Can Learn in a Day
How Hangul Was Created: The Genius Korean Alphabet You Can Learn in a Day I grew up in Seoul, where my favorite childhood memory was visiting the neighborhood store after school to look at the names of all the new snacks. Hangul was intentionally engineered in 1443 by King Sejong…
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Best Korean Instant Ramen Beyond Shin Ramyun: Ranked for Every Palate
Beyond Shin Ramyun: Best Korean Instant Ramen Ranked for Every Palate Photo: Zoshua Colah / Unsplash I remember my mother always keeping packs of Neoguri in our cupboard in Seoul — the kelp tucked inside the packet made the broth refreshing instead of greasy. If you have only ever tried…
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Snail Mucin Skincare: Why This K-Beauty Secret is Still My Favorite Glow-Up
Snail Mucin Skincare: Why This K-Beauty Secret is Still My Favorite Glow-Up I once worked as a fashion designer in Manhattan’s Garment District. Snail mucin is a powerhouse ingredient for deep hydration and skin repair, which is why it has taken over vanity tables worldwide. This natural secretion is packed…
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Buldak Fire Noodles: Why Samyang’s Spicy Ramen Took Over the World
Samyang Buldak fire noodles turned an ordinary instant meal into a global sensory obsession by pairing intense capsaicin heat with internet challenge culture. When I was working in Manhattan’s Garment District, I once brought Buldak ramen to an office potluck, and I still laugh remembering my American coworkers frantically chugging…
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Medicube Age-R Booster Pro vs. Booster Pro X2: Is the Korean “Glass Skin” Tool Worth the Splurge?
Medicube Age-R Booster Pro vs. Booster Pro X2: Is the Korean “Glass Skin” Tool Worth the Splurge? Medicube Age-R Booster Pro (Amazon product photo) I grew up in Seoul, where I spent my afternoons after school looking at the new products that arrived in the neighborhood shops. If you want…
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Karoline Leavitt’s K-beauty Haul: What the White House Press Secretary Bought in Seoul
Karoline Leavitt’s K-beauty Haul: What the White House Press Secretary Bought in Seoul Photo: Dimitris Chapsoulas / Unsplash I grew up in Seoul, and I’ve always been a fan of the local products found there. I even tried to bring several packs of my favorite Korean hair dye with me…
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Templestay in Korea: Is a Night of Buddhist Silence the Ultimate Vacation?
Photo: Brady Bellini / Unsplash If you are looking for a way to truly reset your mind, a templestay in Korea offers an experience that a luxury hotel simply cannot match. I remember a time when I was working in Seoul and felt completely drained by the city’s pace; I…
