29. The Korean beauty treatments I would do again
A Money Diary breakdown of my $700 Seoul beauty spree.
Today’s letter includes: Hunter Schafer’s serial killer pivot for Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster, why Amazon is suing an AI startup over who gets to control your shopping decisions, the algorithm working against you (and why newsletters matter), and, of course, a breakdown of the Korean beauty treatments that were actually worth $700.
Hi friends.
After weeks of researching Korean beauty treatments and coordinating schedules for our group, I couldn’t wait to find out if I was about to have the best beauty experience of my life or waste $700+. I’m happy to report that all 3 treatments were well worth it. Here’s the rundown.
Scalp Treatment
Cost: $135
Duration: 2.5 hours (supposed to be 1.5)
Would I do it again: 100% - would do this regularly if I lived in Seoul
Three of us booked the Max 15-step scalp treatment that promised 90 minutes of bliss. The scariest part? When they first show you your scalp under the microscope. I’m talking close-up, high-definition footage of every flake, buildup, and mystery substance living on my head rent-free. Two and a half hours later (making us catastrophically late for color analysis), they show me the microscope again—same scalp, completely transformed. Though I spent what felt like an eternity on a full-body massage bed with a waterfall pouring onto my head, wondering if they’d forgotten about me entirely, the treatment was incredible and my scalp has never felt cleaner.
Color Analysis
Cost: $40 (group rate)
Duration: 30 minutes per person
Would I do it again: Once you do it you don’t really need to do it again, but I’d definitely recommend it to anyone new. Just don’t treat it as gospel—it’s meant to be fun!
We had to split into two groups because even the boys wanted to know their color season. Watching someone get analyzed is pure theater—part science, part fortune telling, all entertainment. When she held up my current makeup and said “um, give these away,” I knew I was in good hands. Purple undertones for lips and cheeks, she declared, then sent me to Daiso with specific product numbers like a beauty prescription. Life changing.
Lip Blushing
Cost: $620
Duration: 3 hours for consultation, numbing, and actual tattooing
Would I do it again: I love the results so I’d like to say yes, but I’m a wimp when it comes to pain so TBD!
My most expensive beauty decision ever and my first tattoo. I’d read horror stories online about people wanting their lip blushing removed immediately, but Korean aestheticians are known for their restraint—the opposite of the Instagram lip filler era. Thirty minutes of pain later, I look in the mirror and my lips look like... my lips, but better. Like I was born with a subtle ombre that makes any lip product look expensive instead of drugstore.
The thing about Korean beauty culture is that it’s both more advanced and more democratic than what we have in the US. These aren’t luxury treatments for the wealthy—they’re Tuesday afternoon maintenance. Between access to these treatments and their amazing fashion scene, I reiterate that we’d all look hotter and cooler if we lived in Seoul.
Hunter Schafer ditches Euphoria glam for full serial killer chic. Speaking of Korea making us hotter, the actress just starred in Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster’s one-minute film “The Hunt” for their 2025 Fall collection. Directed by Nadia Lee Cohen (who knows her way around a moody visual), the campaign dropped October 29th. Between this and the general vibe shift away from clean girl summer, it’s clear that 2025 is the year we’re all embracing our darker impulses.
Anthropic is hiring a Head of GTM Narrative. It’s giving “people are scared of AI, please help us lull them into a false sense of security, don’t worry we’ll pay you $320K-400K a year.” You can apply here.
Amazon is suing Perplexity. Amazon sued the AI startup over its “Comet” browser agent, which can automatically shop for users, claiming it degrades the shopping experience. The real issue? AI shopping agents threaten Amazon’s lucrative advertising business. Plot twist: Amazon has its own AI shopping agent called “Buy for Me.” So essentially, Amazon is saying “only we get to automate your shopping decisions.” Very 2025.
From the world of publishing. Abigail Monti’s post caught my eye. It’s a near perfect Substack feed post - it introduces who she is and why she’s credible, shares interesting insights, and ends with a CTA to follow for more.
It reads:
I’m a publicist at Penguin Random House. Here’s what caught my eye in the media world this week:
Community Clubs: Cookbook clubs, arts and craft clubs, and the like are becoming ideal places to market books to small yet engaged communities.
The SFF Makeover: In 2025, romantasy by female authors (Yarros, Maas, Garber, and Kuang) led sales in SFF, marking a huge shift in the previously male-dominated market.
New Wave Celebrity Book Clubs: From Dua Lipa to Sarah Jessica-Parker, celebrity book clubs are getting a huge makeover away from the TV screen.
Unexpected Brand Partnerships: Jennifer L. Armentrout’s mayo collab might not be as weird as you think—brand partnerships are fantastic ways for authors to leverage their platforms, gain publicity, and sell more books.
The algorithm is not your friend; that’s why you need this newsletter. Social media promised to democratize information—no more gatekeepers, no more establishment narrative control. Plot twist: we just replaced cable news with an even more chaotic system that amplifies the most extreme takes for engagement.
Financial Times reports that recent studies confirm what we all suspected: both cable news and social media platforms share the same business model of promoting divisive, culture-war content because outrage drives clicks. While everyone’s arguing in the comments, actual nuanced conversation is happening in newsletters, group chats, and spaces where people can think for more than 30 seconds.
The collabs are abundant this Black Friday. The fourth chapter of GANNI x Barbour arrives on December 4th at GANNI.com and in store. Graza is collabing with YAHOO! on “Extra Virgin Keyboard Oil“ and I honestly can’t tell if this is a joke but as always the branding is cute. (Ok I read more and it’s a joke, it’s just the “Sizzle” EVOO in a limited edition package) CAMPER × ISSEY MIYAKE FW25 only has a few styles remaining.
Workday is paying big bucks to join the Agentic era. The leading Human Capital Management software has now acquired an Agent Builder and Agent Integration to 3rd party systems.
P.S.
I’m still reeling from how much amazing music our queens have just released: Kim Petras, Lily Allen, Allie X, King Princess, Demi Lovato, and Hayley Williams. I can’t stop listening to these songs.
Rumor has it that Substack is suppressing free content. If you’d like to resist the algorithm pushing paid content only, then liking, sharing, quoting and restacking this newsletter will help! <3
Pls don’t arrive early or late. Lydia demands it!
Need pic of lip blushing asap……