Innisfree Jeju House: Green Cafe

Beauty Cafes are slowly becoming the newest thing in Seoul. These cafes combine two of my favourite things, cosmetics and coffee.

Innisfree has quickly become one of my favourite Korean cosmetics brands. They pride themselves on being a “natural brand,” meaning they use all-natural ingredients in their products and eco-friendly packaging. Like the brand, their ingredients also come from Jeju island, such as Jeju green tea, honey, seaweed, tangerine peels and even volcanic rock. For someone with skin as sensitive as mine, these products have been a lifesaver.

Innisfree Jeju House has 3 floors. On the first floor, there is a store where you can purchase Innisfree products. Personally, I’m in love with their No-Sebum Mineral Powder, No-Sebum Blur Primer and Jeju Volcanic Pore Cleansing Foam. Those are my 3 Innisfree must-have items. While you can find most of these items at any Innisfree store, there are a few exclusive items that you can only get at this location, such as their Fresh Topping Masks. These are customisable facial masks where you get to choose between a “Clay Base” or “Creamy Base” and add 2 ingredients or “toppings” of your choosing. The base is sold for ₩3,000 won and the toppings are ₩1,000 each so it’s also pretty cheap.

The second and third floor hold the actual cafe and it is everything you would expect from an island based brand. The space is filled with simple natural wood furniture and lots of windows to allow the warm sunlight to flood the room. There are also plenty of plants, paintings of seashores and shelves filled with baskets of seashells, jars of dried shrubs and painted rocks. It gives off a very clean, open and somewhat soothing feeling. In some ways it reminds me of O’Sulloc, which is another Jeju based cafe.

Keeping with the natural low-key island vibe of the interior, their drink menu is full of refreshing and unique options. There are plenty of vibrantly colored teas, smoothies and lemonades to choose from. I’m a big fan of the lemonades because they are mildly carbonated and have a nice fruity taste. The Jeju Pink Lemonade is my favorite because it has a nice balance of sweet and tangy. It’s made with fresh lemons, cactus, omija berries and is sweetened with canola honey. It’s also really pretty to take pictures of. The Jeju Blueberry Mint Soda is a close second for me since it’s quite similar to the lemonade, simply substituting the lemon for mint.

If you’re a coffee drinker like me, you may be a bit disappointed by their three options. On the bright side, the lack in variety did get me to try other delicious things, so it worked out.

As for snack options, there are a few cakes, some tarts and even soups on the menu. I haven’t had the chance to try everything yet, but I highly recommend the Jeju Citrus Sudachi Cake (영귤). The soft spongey cake layers are made with Sudachi, a sour Japanese citrus fruit, which are lathered with layers of creamy lemon infused whipped cream. It’s light, sweet, citrusy and delicious! The carrot cake is my second favorite. The thick cream cheese frosting is to die for.

All in all, it’s a great spot to hit up if you want to experience one of the more unique sides of K-beauty. You can nourish your skin with some great products made with natural ingredients and then nourish your body with food and drinks that hold the same value. It’s really a win win situation. So next time you’re in the mood for some light pampering, check out Innisfree Jeju House.

• Hours
  • 10:00am ~ 10:00pm, Everyday
• Address
  • 서울시 종로구 삼청동 64
  • 64 Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoull
• Phone
  • 02-734-0585
• Website
  • http://global.innisfree.co.kr/global/en/eng_main.jsp