LG is a mega company that does almost everything. In foreign lands it's most known for its electronics. But what an average owner of an LG TV is not aware of, is that the company also has a "Household and Health Care" division. That division, though the scope of its activity is very wide and varied, is also responsible for many high-end cosmetic brands.
Names like su:m37, The History of Whoo, OHui or Sooryehan are well known to Asian beauty fans worldwide. They're also known to high end European and American cosmetic makers, who, with varying degrees of success, have been trying to emulate and incorporate Korean skincare ingredients, research and general beauty concepts into their products.
And now, there is a new addition to the LG beauty roster - The Saga of Xiu.
The Saga of Xiu was launched in June of 2015 and, swiftly and without much fanfare, tucked away into selected duty free shops. Exclusively. Only. And nowhere else.
When I first heard the name of this brand, my mind immediately drifted towards China. My first impression was "What the heck? Did LG make an entire high-end brand specifically for China?"
The fact that the only reviews I could find were from Chinese bloggers only strengthened that suspicion. And that the names of the products were also listed in Chinese characters was another giveaway.
And it turned out that my hunch wasn't that far from the truth.
To find out more about this elusive The Saga of Xiu, I decided to ask Alice from W2 Beauty. She works directly with LG, and if there is anyone that will know what's going on, that would be her.
And just to be sure, I also asked the kind people at TGI Wholesale.
The replies were disheartening:
The Saga of Xiu is indeed only available at duty free shops.
The Saga of Xiu seems to be targeted squarely at foreigners.
The Saga of Xiu seems to be intended for Chinese customers.
The narrow-mindedness of this approach is stupefying. LG, really? Truly? What the heck were you thinking?
Oh yes, I know what you were thinking...
There's over 1 billion Chinese out there, and at least half of them are females. And half of that half, let's assume, can afford high end skincare. That's a huge market.
Such moronic logic is oh-so-typical for Korean beauty companies.
While the West gets the drugstore staples of Tony Molys, It's Skins, Clios and Etude Houses, high-end and mid-range Korean brands drool at the prospect of China.
Yes, China gets its own dedicated high-end skincare brand, and the West? An official Skin79 store in a certain European country.
If it was a joke, it would be a funny one. Unfortunately, it's not.
It's a rather short-sighted plan and it's bound to backfire in the end (news about the Chinese stock market and stories of people who went from rich to poor in a matter of days, anyone?).
Ok, let's take a closer look at the brand, shall we?
Right now it seems to consist of three different lines:
- Chunhyeyun Yun Seol - anti-ageing / anti-wrinkle
- Sunhyeyun Bo Yun - revitalizing nutrition and moisture
and
- Sunhyeyun Soo Yun - moisturizing (this one looks like a fresh addition to the lineup).
Putting all the PR nonsense about legends and eternal beauties aside, it seems to be an Asian herbal skincare line. A different take on The History of Whoo? Something like "The History of Whoo meets Sulwhasoo", perhaps?
The packaging design evokes The Whoo, definitely.
If anything, LG knows how to package them.
I can't speak for the contents, though.
The restricted availability and the lack of samples, make it a very elusive brand to get hold of. At the same time, such limited availability, however, makes it that much more lust-worthy.
I am working on getting a product, or two. And when I do, you can be sure to read all about it here.
Stay tuned!
all images - The Saga of Xiu website
UPDATE:
Here are some shots from The Saga of Xiu duty free counter at Incheon airport:
UPDATE:
Here are some shots from The Saga of Xiu duty free counter at Incheon airport:
Price wise it seems to be firmly in the su:m37 and SK-II territory.
It looks like a cream and an eye cream are slowly making their way to me.
And when I get them, of course, you can expect a detailed blog post.
The word on the street is that it is indeed a different take on The History of Whoo to make it more appealing for the Chinese market.
It looks like a cream and an eye cream are slowly making their way to me.
And when I get them, of course, you can expect a detailed blog post.
The word on the street is that it is indeed a different take on The History of Whoo to make it more appealing for the Chinese market.
Stay tuned!
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