NOW KPOPPING: Mel Beauty Blogs about K-Cosmetics (& KPOP, obvs)

Apols for being MIA for a bit. I pinched a nerve in my left hand (a residual problem, I'm afraid -- darn you, carpal tunnel) so the thought of typing more than necessary (I "moonlight" as a Social Media professional) didn't exactly enthrall me. Before I jump into all the goodies I've been listening to (Tegan & Sara! SHINee! AlunaGeorge! Demi Lovato!), I have gotten a lot of requests on the Twitters (follow me via @melismaticdiva) regarding my trip to The Face Shop here in NYC. I am by no means a beauty blogger (what's up, LesleyKat!) but for you Americano KPOP fanaticals (don't deny the madness, ya'll) who were asking for more info, this one's for you...

(Some) of The Face Shop's private label makeup.

Back in January (aka the height of Girls Generation's "I Got A Boy" campaign -- it feels like eons ago, TBQH), I took a trip to Koreatown here in NYC. For those who don't live in/haven't been to New York City, Koreatown isn't nearly as "large" as it's name suggests -- it's basically a two block radius right off Herald Square (where the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is spotlighted) around 32nd Street in Midtown. It's mostly eyecatching for its plethora of Korean BBQ restaurants (I've yet to be disappointed no matter which restaurant I end up choosing), but in the middle of 32nd between 5th Avenue & Broadway there's a little blink-and-you-miss-it beauty store inside of a bookstore that is a literal goldmine for KPOP nerds like you and me. 

You'll notice a brown awning with Hangul and the words "Koryo Books" in white English lettering with KPOP posters in the window display. If you hit the cute little French meets Korean (Frerean?) cafe Tous Les Jours (yes, the same franchise that Super Junior Eunhyuk's fam co-operates), stop where you are and look around. It's right next to it.

It's called The Face Shop (apparently there is another one in Chinatown in NYC -- near Canal Street, but I haven't been there so I can't totally verify) and it's one of South Korea's largest, most well-known beauty stores. However, here in America, it's basically a single aisle of beauty goodies imported from South Korea, complete in cutesy packaging (pots of lip balm with kitties on the cover? ERGMAGAH) and unique ingredients. When I say single aisle, I mean it, folks. It's basically like a closet stocked with beauty goodies -- from face masks, to skincare, to makeup removal cloths, to BB cream (oh, the BB creams!), cheap makeup, tools and applicators. 

When I walked in, I was inundated with a large photo of a smiling Won Bin (squee!) lobbying your interest for a particular BB Cream (which I bought, obviously). KPOP music blared as I shopped the small shelves. I had a bit of an awkward moment when I was suddenly the sole shopper amongst the two (Korean) ladies who worked there and 2NE1's "I Love You" came over the sound system and I inadvertantly (I swear) started humming along. One of the girls asked me if I knew the song, and I said yeah -- "I'm a big fan of CL and 2NE1." Her whole face lit up and she told me she saw 2NE1's concert...in Korea. I nodded and said I also saw them live...here in New York. Ahh, international bonding.

I ended up purchasing a handful of things -- overall the prices were pretty agreeable ($2 for a face mask? Hell yeah.). I will definitely be going back for more in the future. Here's what I bought:

All of these items are The Face Shop brand. Above you see: Herb Day Cleansing Wipes for Makeup Removal ("gentle yet thorough cleansing wipes with plant extracts"); Face It Power Perfection BB Cream with SPF 37 in Light Beige; Face & It All About Lipstick in Semi-Matte PK101 (yes, that's the name; Incorrect Usage of Ampersand, Party of You -- "intense color and matte cream texture for sophistication and staying power"); and three Face Mask Sheets in Supreme Cereal Soybean, Pearl and Black Bean.

The Chia Seed Moisturizer Cream samples were thrown in as a bonus gift with purchase. Samples are provided every time you shop and the selection always varies depending on availability.

My Korean BB Cream, swatched on my hand for effect. It's not as glossy as it looks when it's applied.

Overall, I was obviously most pleased with the BB Cream -- I've been burned a bit by the American interpretations of this "miracle" cream and was dying to try the real thing. The Face Shop had quite a few different types or styles of BB Cream that provided different "benefits" depending on your skin type (moisturizing vs. not; matte vs. glossy; etc.) but for those of you ladies who have darker skin, I'm sorry to say you might be out of luck. At most, I saw two different shade options for the creams, and the majority of the styles had only one shade. I'm lucky in that sense, as I'm pretty vampiric pale -- and couldn't be more ecstatic with my choice.

On the box, the only English (other than the title) is: "A BB Cream providing total skin treatment to achieve power perfection skin by imparting proactive care to overall skin problems, including bagginess, roughness and dryness."

Ms. Melismatic

I would describe BB Cream as something in between a liquid foundation and a tinted moisturizer. It can be used instead of foundation for light coverage, or it can be used in tandem with it. I couldn't be more pleased with the Power Perfection, and I will probably be buying more once I run out. You don't need much at a time -- a little goes a long way -- and unlike many of the American BB Creams, it comes with a pump dispenser top so you don't waste the product by squeezing out too much. Literally -- one pump and you're good for your whole face. 

It was available in two sizes at the store, and I opted for the smaller one as I didn't know what to expect. I have been using it pretty steadily since then and it still feels pretty full -- so it's a pretty good bargain. To the right is a photo of yours truly, rockin' my dewy-faced BB Cream-ed look. I did not wear any foundation that day -- just the BB Cream over my usual moisturizer (it's by Benefit, if you care to know details). I do have a bit of occasional acne around my mouth and chin and I find this BB Cream covers redness very well.

PS - Notice the snow in my curls? That was the day of Hurricane Donghae Nemo!

For a bit more about Korean BB Creams from a Western point of view (and not from a makeup guru), check out the fab folks at Eat Your Kimchi.

As for the lipstick, that I was a bit disappointed with. The color I chose wasn't the most flattering (I blame the lighting in the store), and the texture was a bit chalky (maybe because it was the Semi-Matte?) so it bleeds very quickly and doesn't like to stay put. Next time I think I will opt for more of a gloss or less of a matte texture.

I should note though that both the BB Cream and the Lipstick have very distinct smells that I can't quite place. This might be off putting to some so buyer beware. I don't find it overwhelming but it is noticeable.

The face masks come in a little plastic square package as shown, and inside is a cloth that is in the shape of a face with folded flaps for your eyes, nose and mouth that is soaked in a thick, almost jelly-like substance. Basically, you look more than a little demonic when you put these suckers on. You leave it on for 20 minutes, then pull/slide it off and rub in the remaining whatever into  your face. I've tried the Black Bean one and found it incredibly cooling, and left my face looking very fresh and bright. Again, for reference (and lolz), see EYK.

Example of Engrish on the Packaging: "Mask sheet made of pure cotton that contains Korean black bean extract makes your skin elastic." (Fon-tastic. Eh-lastic. Ring ding dong. Ring ding dong. Ding. Ring a ding. Ring a ding ding ding.)

Directions for the Black Bean Mask...in Hangul.

The Face Shop is basically inside a "Korean Book Store" -- real name: Koryo Bookstore, so once you pay for your goodies, swivel your head to the left and even more treasures await. The vast majority of the store is made up of actual books in Korean or about Korea/Koreans, but a large corner is alotted to all things KPOP, and another toward all things KDRAMA. However -- while the prices at The Face Shop are awesomely budget-friendly, I can't really say the same for the KPOP merch featured at Koryo. Be prepared to pay quite a bit more than you would at YesAsia.com. To be fair though -- you will have the product in your hands immediately, and as a person who waited a month for her Sexy, Free & Single album, that is pretty gratifying.

Imagine my utter euphoria to walk amongst all of this.

Top Shelf: All things 2NE1 (and a bonus Trouble Maker). Bottom Shelf: All things SNSD/Girls' Generation.

It should come as very little surprise to you that the major three labels were very present in extreme abundance with SM being the obvious King. It can be argued that because Girls' Generation were in active promo mode for "I Got A Boy", it would make sense to see them literally everywhere, but I would venture a claim that a good 30% of the KPOP selection there was solely GG with discs and photobooks and DVDs galore. Don't forget, I Got A Boy (not unlike Mr. Simple) was released with different covers for each of the nine members. As I was walking out, a group of boys made a beeline for the disc and I overheard one grumbling (in English) about no TaeYeon-featured covers being left. I did spy HyoYeon, Yuri and Sunny being bright and center.

Top Shelf: All Super Junior, including the "U" single(!). 2nd Shelf: SHINee (hello, topless Minho). Bottom Shelf: 75% Infinite (right); 25% Teen Top (left).

They also had Super Junior merchandise like pens and calenders but I was already feeling a bit self-conscious being the sole White Girl taking photos of SHINee albums, and decided to call it a day.

Random Tidbit: While I wasn't looking too in depth, I did not see one piece of merch for JYJ. Sad face, even though a dark part of me expected it. I was, however, pretty surprised to not find one bit of merch for B2ST (beyond that Trouble Maker album in the first photo). Hmmm. Overall, it was much more Girl Group heavy than Boy Bands.

In the wake of the "I Got A Boy" mixed-bag-of-feelings fallout, I was quick to assert on the Twitters that it was very clear there was a reason SM was pushing the Goddesses Nine in the American market. Homegirls were the only group there that had multiple shelves completely to themselves.

That's a lot of GG (oh-mo!). You can see a bit of Wonder Girls, f(x) and KARA in the bottom shelves. GG also had a whole other wall display in addition to this.

So much good, right? Hope this was as detailed as some of you were hoping for! Next time, I'll be sure to duck in to Tous Les Jours as well...

All of these photos are mine, but feel free to use if them if you want to (shrug). A link back to MelismaticBlog.com would be just dandy. For more random photos like these (along with lots of random weirdness, live concert events and lots of nail polish), follow me on the Instagrams via @melismaticdiva.

So non-NYC KPoppers, are you jelly yet? What are you lemming for? Have you been to The Face Shop/KPOP Book Store? If so, what did you buy? Let me know in the comments.

LIVE FROM NEW YORK: Straight No Chaser at the Beacon

I think it's fairly safe to assume that if you are a fan of reading rambly music blogs like mine, you are a fan of sangin'. And if this is the case, perhaps you already are aware of a little acapella act out of Indiana called Straight No Chaser. In the rare event that you are not, however, let me educate you.

L to R: Mike, Randy, Tyler, Steve, Jerome (center), Charlie, Walter, Seggie, Dave, Don.

Straight No Chaser, or SNC as they are known to their fans -- affectionately referred to as "Chasers," because that's not creepy at all or anything -- is made up of ten college friends who formed their own acapella troupe back in the late 90's/early 00's. After graduation, they all went their separate ways but when they reunited for a ten year reunion in 2006, a video of their rendition of "The 12 Days of Christmas" was posted on YouTube and went viral, gaining over six million hits within a month. The rest was "history": a Chairman at Atlantic Records signed them to a five-album deal and they have since released two Christmas albums, and an album and two EPs of unique cover material, with a second full-length, titled Under the Influence, due in May.

SNC performed a full two hour set of covers and closed with two encores ("12 Days of Christmas," full of comedic references and a blend of Toto's "Africa," was included at the tail end, despite it being Valentine's Day the night of the concert). While their vocals are all superb, that much kind of goes without saying in an acapella group. It was their charisma as a group on stage that really set them apart -- I didn't know who to look at first as each member was constantly making faces or interacting with another whether he was singing solo or not. It sounds hokey, but they were really funny for an acapella "lounge" act that has several casino residency's under its belt.

I walked into the beautiful Beacon Theatre that night with a vague appreciation of the Men Chaser, thanks to my BFF who is a big fan, but left a fan myself. It was hard not to be hooked by their charisma and undeniable sheer talent.

In terms of vocal stands out, the group's sole African American member, tenor Jerome, was an immediate star with his Stevie Wonder-esque head shaking and crystalline clear melismas. Another obvious highlight was one of the younger members, fellow tenor Mike, who's more husky voice rounded out the warm harmony blend perfectly. The two often duetted together with incredible results -- the best example being their genius blending of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" (Jerome) and Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison." Listen to the studio version here.

The group performed a variety of their unique "twists" on popular song -- including Madonna's "Like A Prayer", Coldplay's "Fix You," Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know" and fun.'s "Some Nights/We Are Young." However, the vocals were balanced out by sheer tomfoolery (with ace vocal harmonies), as was the case with their "Movie Medley" which puts lyrics to popular movie themes. They even closed out the night with a mashup that included Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger", LMFAO's "Sexy And I Know It", Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" and PSY's "Gangnam Style" (yes, really).

They even offered up more traditional acapella group pieces with a comedic twist, like with their version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (which includes references to "Don't Worry, Be Happy", "Hakuna Matata", "Brown Eyed Girl" and even the notorious "Harlem Shake"). Watch my video of this crowd pleaser below.

If and when Straight No Chaser is in a town near you, go. You will not be disappointed.

LIVE FROM NEW YORK: Miasha Slays at Montana Studios

Last night was one for the books, fam. 

I was invited to a private showcase for "dance" artist Miasha at the infamous Montana Studios on the West Side last night. (I say "dance" in quotes because the genre tagging doesn't do her stupendous voice true justice but more on that later.)

Miasha, a New York club kid who also hails from  the Manhattan School of Music and the American Musical & Dramatic Academy, recently released her debut single "Everybody's Beautiful" -- an uplifting jam about confidence in just being yourself, and who can say no to that -- and it's already sitting pretty on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Charts at #18. The song was produced by The Tracklacers, who recently worked with the likes of The Saturdays, P!NK and Christina Aguilera.

However, don't let the dance tag fool you, as it did for me. After making the trek to the famed Montana Studios -- despite it's ramshackle appearance, it has been home to many a recording artist (Lady Gaga! Beyonce! Britney Spears! Mariah Carey! Christina Aguilera! I'm dizzy!) and has autographed posters of Joan Jett, Carly Simon and The Fugees on its walls amongst too many others -- I quickly realized labeling Miasha as a dance-trick pony is a total disservice. With a voice highly reminiscent of Heart's Ann Wilson for its sheer strength and power, Miasha literally blew through her set in small Studio A. It's when you see artists like this with such soulful, powerful voices that you wonder why Auto-Tune exists in this world.

Aside from "Everybody's Beautiful", much of the material was a bit darker, the mixture of Miasha's big, smokey voice mixing well with dark, crunchy synth. She was backed by a three-member band which included a drum kit and two synthesizers.

Miasha, slaying it live.

Undoubtedly the highlight was her unexpected cover of  Al Green's "Let's Stay Together." If this does not become an eventual release, I will cry foul -- it was positively electric. Other fan favorites included a more Sky Ferriera-esque dirty jam that included "I want your sex, drugs, filth, love" in the chorus.

Keep your eyes on Miasha, she's one to watch. My thanks to Jason and Perpetual MR, Matt Vogel and Green House Management, and of course, Miasha herself, for an incredible night with a fab new artist. I'm looking forward to hearing what's next!

For more on Miasha, follow her on the Twitters (@ThisIsMiasha) or like her on Facebook. "Everything Is Beautiful" is available for purchase on iTunes and perusal on Spotify.

STATE OF KOREA: Sub-Units Galore, News & SHINee's Back (Soon)

Well, hello there. It's been a second since we've last spoken -- especially since we've last spoken KPOP. Don't blame me -- blame New York. We had a "blizzard" named after my #2 KPOP Bias (if you don't get that joke, you're not an ELF, and I apologize) during Fashion Week of all times (the nerve of some weather systems) and February is proving to be a crazy busy month for yours truly. This marks the second year I've been a judge for SELF Magazine's Healthy Food Awards (it's not as glamorous as it seems, I just like to eat free food), and in this month alone, I will be seeing not one, not two, but three artists live in concert (two of them are this coming week). Enough of the personal stuff...onto the the KPOP.

+ In mid-January the generally amazing Simon Curtis announced on Twitter that a song he had written was being used by a KPOP artist. He didn't give many other details other than in a reply tweet he mentioned "group" which only narrows it down to 45 million potential artists. (FYI - if it's SHINee, I will cry happy tears of joy.) Let the speculation begin...

+ Speaking of SHINee, it was confirmed that not only will they have a new song in Japan under the promising dancey title of "Fire" (koong koong koong...no wait), but will also be returning to Korea with a brand new full album on February 19th under the title "Dream Girl". Three teaser images have been released so far (Taemin, Key and Jonghyun) and are all predictably confusing but hey -- at least they look genuinely attractive this time and not creepy as all eff like during the "Sherlock" era. Can you believe it's almost been a year since the SHINee bb's got "so curious, chyeahhhh"? (PS: SM, if this "Dream Girl" is just a rebooted Korean version of "Dazzling Girl", I will cry foul.) Anyway you look at it, you can definitely expect a fangirl keyboardsmash post -- we all know SHINee is my third favorite KPOP boyband.

+ BoA released a music video for her one off single "Disturbance" which features the youngest SHINee bb as her main love interest in honor of her first ever headline tour in Korea. I know -- BoA's the original KPOP Queen and yet this is her first tour in Korea? Wait -- you're surprised BoA, a 26 year old popstar is using a 13 19 year old boy band cutie in her video? Um...are you new here? SHINee's marketing was built upon seducing noonas.

+ Apparently, I was really lucky to see the Wonder Girls live in concert when I did. You may have already heard that leader Sunye recently tied the knot, making her the first Korean idol to get married while a group was still currently popular. (Her bridal party included her BFF and the genuinely snap FABULOUS! JoKwon of 2AM.) She also confirmed that she would be leaving Korea to live in Canada, in order to live with her hubby, who is Korean-Canadian. While your obvious first reaction should be, "Awww, good for her!," it does kind of beg the question of what's gonna happen to Yubin, Lim, Yenny and Sohee? Will the Wonder Girls continue as a four-piece? Will they get a new member? Will they switch leaders? And most importantly, will we ever see that freakin' English album? The answer is...who knows? JYP is not answering any questions at the moment, other than the remaining four ladies will be focusing on solo projects for the time being. A large rumor swept fandom that former member SunMi, who left the group in 2010 following the English release of "Nobody," might return to take Sunye's place, but JYP was quick to shoot that down. There are also rumors running rampant of a possible sub-unit release, most likely of Yubin and Sohee, and potentially mixing them with members of little sister group miss A, although nothing has been confirmed or denied. Basically, the sum up is, the future of the Wonder Girls is completely uncertain. :(

+ The reason why I put some hope and faith into a possible Wonder Girls sub-unit situation is because: currently in Korea, the cool thing seems to be unit groups, and by "unit" I mean sub-units. 4minute debuted their second official "unit" group following the highly successful Trouble Maker duo pairing of HyunA and B2ST's JS (well, if you don't count HyunA's solo work, which I don't) in the form of duo group 2YOON (pronounced "ssang-yoon" officially, in Korean) or "double yoon". They have taken on this name as the two 4minute members featured are GaYoon and JiYoon. Get it? They released their title track "24/7" back in January and it was described as a "country KPOP dance fusion". Yes, country as in with farm animals and twangy banjo. I'm not joking. A lot of people were digging it; I was not one of them. You can check watch the music video below.

+ More recently, two of the hotties from quartet group SISTAR (ooh hoo hoo hoo) have re-emerged their sub-unit SISTAR19, featuring the main star of SISTAR (and the best known member) Hyorin alongside rapper Bora. The significance of the 19 suffix to SISTAR is supposed to suggest a sexier, "more mature" feel than SISTAR's usual repertoire, but considering SISTAR is one of the few genuinely curvaceous ladies of KPOP, I think they were already mature to begin with (did you see the video for "Alone"?). Anyhoo, the unit released a follow up to 2011's "Ma Boy" (which honestly, I didn't much care for) in the form of the incredibly redundant title song "Gone, Not Around Anymore". The song is fairly sparse, features a hip wiggle dance and recently went to #1 on the Billboard KPOP Hot 100 Chart. It's definitely a grower, but lacks the immediate appeal that "Alone" had. Watch the video below.

+ And finally, the last sub-unit worth mentioning is the aptly titled Super Junior-M (M is for Mandarin), who returned with their new cut "Break Down" (downnnnnnnnn-uh!), complete with fashionable dubstep swooshes. The song was released in both the Chinese music market and the Korean music market, and this is incredibly important for this very reason: "Break Down" was performed and promoted in Korea. This has never happened before officially for Super Junior M. Which meant it was Chinese member Zhou Mi and Taiwanese-Canadian member Henry's big Korean debut! After five years as a member of the Super Junior family!! It was definitely an emotional moment for the two of them to perform on a Korean stage -- and is proof positive that the very nationalistic "Only 13" drama that plagued them when they were first added to the SuJu collective is finally starting to dissipate. (Seriously: Only13ers, go get a life. With cute boys of any nationality, the more the merrier.) It also supplied us with questionable hair (Eunhyuk, I'm looking at you -- not just in the video but through this whole promo phase, just stawp it with the Manic Panic dyes), terrible fashion and lots of borderline too-much body waves. Seeing as it's SuJu, it was predictable -- and I wouldn't have it any other way.