Pink Eye Shadow

About a month before I left for South Korea, I did considerable research on the best souvenirs to buy in Seoul.

Which is to say I Googled around for a few minutes. But the results I found were quite consistent and comprehensive.

Make-up. When in Seoul, buy make up.

Blah.

I wear make up. But I am not really a make-up person, if you catch my drift. Make-up for me is about like toothpaste: a necessary, important, and somewhat enjoyable part of my daily routine that may be upgraded from time to time but is not really an area of experimentation or shopping inspiration.

And sure enough, when I got to Seoul, stores full of cosmetics and skin care abounded.

Etude House
Olive Young
Innisfree
Tony Moly
Too Cool For School

The list went on and on. Seemed that around every corner was another store full of lip gloss pots, face masks, skin toner, and eye pencils, and my daughters who were with me could not get enough.

I spend a lot of time sitting outside these stores, people-watching and pondering the state of my make-up free universe.

Until we went to StyleNanda Pink Hotel

Okay, if I have this right, StyleNanda began as the handle of a Korean beauty blogger who built up such a following that she created her own line of products called 3CE. StyleNanda played out her fantasies for the ultimate shopping experience by creating the self-named Pink Hotel where one can buy not only her 3CE brand but also clothing, accessories, and snacks at her Poolside Cafe and Rooftop Garden.

The first time I visited there, I was so wrapped up in the fantastical experience that I could barely see straight.

The second time, my head cleared and I was ready to shop.

I didn't buy a lot. But each thing I chose was a treasure.

A pair of creamy white velvet socks.
A tiny hot pink traveling blush brush
And a set of four pink eye shadows.

Now I'm home, wrapped up in the gloom of winter and the repetition of my daily routine. The magic of the StyleNanda Pink Hotel seems like a faraway dream.

But in the mornings, when I pull out my 3CE compact and brush a thin line of pink across my eyelids, right next to my lashes as a sort of sparkly eyeliner, I feel the magic come flooding back. I remember the floating chandelier and the water lilies in the bathtub and the tangible sense of dreams coming true that filled every inch of the Pink Hotel.

And I do believe that when I bought my pink eye shadow, I bought the best souvenir ever.

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Wanna go on a tour of the StyleNanda Pink Hotel with me? Check it out here.