Helping An LA Industry Peer, K-Updates, and Baseline Men's Skincare (Plus a Luxe Giveaway)

Hello Blue Princes. I want to open with an ask. Especially to the brands and PRs who are reading this—but also to every reader.

One of our own lost everything in the LA fires this past week. She’s a top-tier celebrity groomer; she and her partner (and their four-leggeds) are safe, but everything they own is gone. Everything. This network is so expansive; please consider helping to rebuild her life by donating in whichever way you can. Two fellow groomers (Kristen Shaw and Aika Flores) are spearheading a collection of products to help her (and other industry pros) to rebuild their kits. I can connect you to Kristen or Aika, OR you can respond to this email and I’ll get you Kristen’s address to send products. But truly, everything is useful. Grooming devices, Skincare. Hair stylers. Makeup. Luggage. Dopp kits.

But also: Money. Please consider the below links to help her rebuild her life, to get back to work when she is ready. Every bit helps.

Grooming Kit - Amazon Wish List

GoFundMe

Venmo

Again: Brands, PRs, please consider these in-kind donations when they are so immediately needed.

THANK YOU.

K-Updates: K-Brands, K-Spas, K-Barbershops

One annoying thing my white westerner ass if doing in Korea: saying “I am K-Hungry” or “I am K-Tired” or “Let’s get a K-taxi.” K-Everything. You’re probably thinking: “K, loser.”

So here are some basic K-updates from the week, as we venture towards Busan for a couple days, then Jeju. By this time next week, I’ll be writing you form Okinawa, commencing 6 weeks of J-travels.

The Brand Meetings 

Who didn’t we meet? AmorePacific really gave us the celeb treatment, with our photos in the elevator and “Welcome to The Blue Print” strobing across the front lobby LED. We got a hair treatment and head spa experience from Ayunche, and some drive-by sessions with Innisfree and Aestura after last week’s Sulwhasoo and OSULLOC experiences.

This is very “toot my own horn”-y of me but it was so cool to have each meeting flipped around at the end, onto ME, where they grilled me for market advice and consult. I’m learning to celebrate myself with Blue Print, and I think I gained 100+ ego points this week. I’m becoming a (glass-skinned) monster!

We also did a hilariously humbling interactive “skin age reading” with AP beauty (their apex brand, formerly known as AmorePacific, officially rebranding this spring). That scan reads all the fine lines, texture, and deep wrinkles around your face to determine which treatments and products are best, and it gives you an “age” based on how well you’re doing: I registered as 37 (I am 38.5 this week); André read as 28 (while he nears 33 next month).

I was a little spurned that I didn’t read younger. Hmph. If only my botox were topped up! Naturally, they prescribed some of their products which we immediately ripped into. This in the same week that L’Oreal announced its device that will predict how any person’s skin will age…

We got to spend some quality time with the head of men’s at AmorePacific to learn about their core offerings here, including the spectacular B.Ready (not in the US yet—killer SPF, hair stylers, and light-skinned CC creams). Other highlights were meetings with Medicube, Beauty of Joseon (your favorite K-SPF!), Skin1004, Purcell, House of Dowha/TEA Collective, as well as LG (Dr. Groot, Belif, O HUI, Phyisogel). Most of these brands are available on Amazon, and/or YesStyle or Stylevana or they ship to the US via Olive Young—the Korean Sephora, if you will. (I cannot possibly link to all of the brand site right now; stay tuned for a video where I shout of the absolute favs.)

As for my favorite product so far, though? Medicube’s Collagen Overnight Wrapping Mask. Perfect for dry skin, dry seasons. Use it 2x a week, as outlined in the video. FUN—as is everything from the brand.

I’ll try some vlogging this week if time allows, to spotlight some of the key takeaways I have from this market, as well as my favorite products from these meetings and the daily Olive Young visits we did. Our luggage is 100 lbs. heavier, too. Help!

The Top Spa

For my Robb Report assignment, I also got to stay with a couple fantastic hotels, and experience their spa treatments and wellness programs. One unforgettable experience was with the Signiel Hotel, our room 96 floors into the air, towering over the entire city. True A-plus luxury and isolation, if not a pinch too removed from the rest of the city (though that’s by design too—they also need to clear the flight path for low-flying helicopters and planes). Tom Cruise even stays there! But those couple nights up in the clouds will stick with me, as well as the high-altitude, deep-tissue ironing-out they gave my achy muscles from head to toe.

The Barbershop

The Seoul stay concluded with a visit to The Noble Hands Barbershop in Gangnam. I would book with this team over and over again—André in particular had an all-time haircut. In a city/culture where most men either have long hair (and go to the salons) or keep things extremely orderly with a businessman’s barbershop… I appreciate that this trio is holding it down for the trend setters. (Not that I count myself as trend setty these days…but I certainly want my barbers ahead of the curve.)

We have had barely any time to sit down and collect our thoughts (this train ride is a nice respite for such clearance), but I have so many things I want to summarize and spotlight on YouTube. Watch for the aforementioned vlogs, plus the results from our Rejuran skin booster shots last week. Plus, some spotlights from Busan and Jeju; it’s freezing cold but I’m optimistic for some forest healing nature walks in Jeju, in particular.

LuxSB Giveaway: Win a Full Size of Ormonde Jayne and Half-Year Supply of 6 Luxe Fragrances

It’s the second (and final) week to enroll in the luxury scent giveaway, this one from my darling friends at LuxSB (formerly Luxury Scent Box). 

You just answer the simple question in this survey—should take 30 seconds to enter.

We’ll have another giveaway announced next week, which has a nice tie-in to my Korea travels, as well as my favorite products of all time. 

I posted this little love letter to LuxSB, too, since their team has kept me outfitted with tons of fragrance vials and full-size bottles to help me stay top form in the field. It’s a real treat to have them partner with Blue Print for this early-days giveaway!

New on YouTube: Best Skincare Regimen for Men

We’ve got another foundational video on the YouTube channel. It’s 25 minutes of me yakking about the simplest skincare men should follow. Is it simple? No. I mean, I talk for 25 entire minutes. But...

Is it still baseline? Yes. It explains all the ways to achieve the most imperative, essential steps, and even suggests ways you can combine those steps without actually cutting corners.

Shout out to our 13K subscribers on YouTube, too. Next ventures: Facebook and TikTok (if the latter stays alive).

Okee dokee. That’s that. I’ll J-chat you next week from Japan, and I will leave you with this masterful men’s grooming moment from The Golden Globes, courtesy of Christine Nelli: