[UPDATE 8/2017] This is no longer a Tony Moly Flagship Store. It is now known as Kosette and sells multiple K-beauty brands such as It’s Skin, Too Cool For School, Innisfree and of course a ton of Tony Moly’s offerings. [Original Post] The cuteness mothership has arrived. Pandas, apples, bananas, peaches, snails and bunnies – REJOICE! I’ve had the pleasure of attending the VIP opening event for the Tony Moly Flagship Store opening on Friday, June 26, 2015. The celebration included a social media contest drawing, an in-store raffle, free gifts, hair/makeup makeovers and grand opening specials! This space was formerly the Koryo bookstore that also shared space with The Face Shop. When renovation was underway, The Face Shop moved a few stores down into a new storefront and I suppose this was the perfect opportunity for Tony Moly to take over Ktown! The entire space reopened with Kpop and books/media on the right side, Tony Moly on the left side and Shine 32 (Kpop style accessories and jewelry) taking up the second floor.
The Flagship boasts a Tony Moly Lifestyle experience because it has a hair styling and makeup area in the back where you can make private appointments for a makeup and skincare consultations. There is also a Brow Lounge that displays their selection of false eyelashes and recommended brow makeup to complete your look.
The Flagship also operates the official U.S. ecommerce site, if you’ll remember from my Chinatown Tony Moly Photo Tour, the site was still under construction! Now it’s officially opened for business so if you’re not located in New York City, this is where you can buy authentic product direct from Tony Moly and not through a distributor. Click on to see my photo tour of the new space and enter in my FIRST GIVEAWAY!
Use this table of contents to quickly navigate this MEGA POST OF CUTENESS:
Grand Opening First Impressions
VIP Reception
Grand Opening Specials
Notable Flagship Items
Photo Tour the Rest of the Store
Conclusion
CECI BEAUTY THERAPY Tony Moly Gift Bag Giveaway!!!! Ends July 9th, 2015
Grand Opening First Impressions
Address:
Tony Moly Flagship Store
35 W. 32nd Street, NYC
I normally resize my images for these photo tours so it doesn’t take too long to load but I notice that some readers like to click and see a bigger picture to see zoomed details since there’s so many things going on in a shelf. I decided to try to resize my photos slightly less for this post to see how you like it having the ability to zoom in on price labels or see packaging details.
If you missed out on the Grand Opening party, follow Tony Moly on their social media. Of course also follow me since I publicized the opening 5 days before!
Tony Moly USA Facebook
Tony Moly Instagram
CECIBEAUTYTHERAPY Instagram
There was a raffle held and prizes were Tony Moly items, Tony Moly Lifestyle makeovers or makeup and skincare consulting.
You can actually BREATHE in this new space! There is (or was?) a much smaller Tony Moly store that had opened in 2014 and speaking to TM reps, that store will now close because of the Flagship. I suppose that store was just a test run to see its success. There is so much more VARIETY and NEW ARRIVALS in the flagship that it even got an old-timer like me excited!
First is the Flagship Exclusive Brown Lounge/Lash Bar. You can shop the false eye lashes displayed on the convenient bar and the display also recommends brow products to get your perfect eye look. This is truly showing the good life of Tony Moly Lifestyle!
Yayyy I love a good step and repeat with props!
Let me hold you Chubby!
Awesome backdrop after you’re done with your makeovers!
Don’t be turned off by the MAYO and ZAYO hair conditioning packs, they actually smell nice (floral?) and look like regular conditioner.
The Hair and Makeup area where you can experience Tony Moly Lifestyle!
My stylist, Lena, after curling my hair! Before it was in a pony tail and now, gorgeous curls!
Love! It was perfect because I had dinner with former co-workers then movie night (Jurassic World).
VIP Reception
I happened to get invited to the VIP Reception with the help of some serendipity and instagram! If you read my last post on how I stumbled upon the upcoming grand opening date, I was coincidentally at a charity event where several of my friends are board members and Tony Moly – to my pleasant surprise – was a sponsor. I chatted excitedly with the rep about the Flagship opening and she invited me to the private reception – wow, did that just happen?!
From there, I only knew that the opening was “soon” and perhaps in July since the free gift we received was a free pair of earrings but with instructions to stop by after June 30th. Fanserviced chimed in on my ig post hinting that the opening was actually within a week so I went to Google to see if there was any public information posted and there it was! A Yelp event with all the details was listed and I exploded. So here is my post about my happy accident!
Meeting Tracy from fanserviced-b and Tiffany from SokoGlam’s The Klog for the first time!
Delicious Korean desserts! This was a mochi with a sweet peanut mixture inside. 
Desserts
More props for photo ops!
This was the Shine 32 jewelry area on the second floor of the store. 
Korean appetizers, it was delicious!
Grand Opening Specials
There were Buy One Get One Free (1+1) specials on the Wonder Water Sheet Masks and Wonder Butter Sheet Masks. Although they displayed the Wonder Water Cream and Wonder Butter Cream tubs next to the masks, the tubs were not a 1+1 special ($18 and $24 USD respectively).
I missed this as a grand opening special (my pic cut off the poster). Seems like you get a free banana lip balm with your purchase of a Banana Hand Milk and Sleeping Pack. Also 1+1 deals on Panda items (I didn’t see a store poster on this so ask a sales person to make sure).
Notable Flagship Items
I always find it interesting what the stores will stock over other items and note the variety in selection and new arrivals. Below are some things to note that the Flagship will carry either exclusively or have in stock faster than the other Tony Moly franchises. The Flagship gets their stock direct from Tony Moly in Korea. The Flaghip is already blowing me away with all the new Tony Moly items that I’ve seen online. Time to use those testers and hem and haw over a purchase!
New Arrival! Tony Moly’s Pure Eco Bamboo Cool Water Soothing Gel. It contains 99% Bamboo Water and supplies moisture back to your skin while it soothes. It’s mild care and contains rich minerals and amino acids. You can use it on body, face and hair. There was no tester or price tag however. ;( There is also the Bamboo Cleansing Water I see online but it’s not in the Flagship.
The Peach Punch Sherbet Cleansing Balm is here! OMG! I had a hard time finding this a few months ago and I had ordered it from RoseRoseShop but they refunded me the item cost because it actually wasn’t in stock! I want to love you RRS but this was a strike one! </3 It has 10,000 ppm of peach extract and I’ve read that this was a close contender to the banila co. Clean it Zero oil balm cleanser so I bought the banila one since that was in stock over at Peach and Lily and I had a discount code but I wanted this peach boob/butt sitting on my bathroom shelf! If you want this, the markup is high at $29! Ebay has it from a few sellers at around $16 – $20 but I can’t vouch if they are reputable or not…
Also pictured is the Latte Art Strawberry Latte Cream-in-Scrub pink cutie in the corner! I tried this tester in the Flushing location and it left my skin SO smooth and silky – and this was winter time when I visited! I can’t find this particular Strawberry one on ebay or on any other etailer so the stores must carry this exclusively. $18. Sigh! The markups! But, it has a spatula holder right on the lid! Wahh!!
Banana Dalcom Lippie with a practical lanyard string to keep on your key ring or zipper pull for anytime you want to GO BANANAS!
The Banana Dalcom Pong Dang Lip Balm was also hard to find in-store at the other TM locations in NYC. Brand new tester waiting to be abused. lol $10. And what the heck does “Pong Dang” mean?!
Tony Moly Pig Collagen Sleeping Pack in its updated piggie packaging. The old packaging did not have a face.
They updated their Pure Farm Pig Collagen Sleeping Pack ($28) in a CUTE Piggie container. The previous packaging was in a plain flat-top tub and I will admit that I never would’ve paid any attention to that but this is worth throwing your money at. $28 is a huge markup though. Ebay seller, Iamlove-shop has it up now for $14.83 with free shipping (trusted seller). So only throw $14.83, not $28. The Pig Collagen was not available at the Tony Moly Chinatown location. Even the Urban Outfitters will have this at $26 so I don’t understand the inconsistent pricing.
I BELIEVE the Delight Water Melting Gloss is new for 2015? At $9 a pop, this isn’t bad with markup (and it’s not listed on my beloved RRS). It’s a combo pigmentation of lipstick and the shininess from a gloss. It’s a super big tube and I think I will go back and swatch this. The Bunny Gloss Bars are always recommended but it’s $9 here in store as well but they sell close to $4-5 if you’re hauling online (and only $8, a dollar less, at Urban Outfitters…)
Of course don’t listen to me! Tony Moly listed their top 8 best selling items on this handy wall!
Photo Tour the Rest of the Store
I’m Real sheet masks at $3.70 a pop while they are $3.00 each at Urban Outfitters :/ 
The popular Panda eye sticks are here as well as in Sephora. $12 for the Brightening Stick is standard (white stick) and $10 for the Cooling Stick (blue stick).
Read carefully, this is for YOUR HAIR, not your sandwich!
They have a lot of variety in the different types of cotton pads that should fit even the pickiest beauty babe! I believe I saw 4 types and there’s a sample pad in a clear wrapper so you can see what type you’re buying! Sorry there wasn’t a price sticker.
Nail polish – the other TM stores didn’t even have room for polishes. I have the gold foil one – looks awesomesauce slicked over black polish!
All the cute things in one section!
The “FUN” wall. This is where I silently calculated the store markup in my head.
Peach Hand Creams are $8 at Urban Outfitters…
Banana Hand Milks were $8 at Urban Outfitters…
Banana Sleeping Packs were $16 at Urban Outfitters…Okay this is getting awkward.
These were $8 at Urban Outfitters…
Conclusion
Whew! I had such a great time looking at all the new cuties that came into town! I highly advise that you do your research online before committing to a purchase in-store. As I note on several pictures, some Tony Moly items that Urban Outfitters carry are slightly cheaper than buying from Tony Moly directly. UO only carries a small fraction of TM’s complete offerings so in some cases, it would be worth doing a haul in store or online with TM. I’m so happy that I was able to celebrate the grand opening of the flagship – it feels like I’m transported back to Korea!
Tony Moly Gift Bag Giveaway!
I was gifted a VIP thank you bag and while I appreciate the kind gesture, I’m also swimming in my own pool of kbeauty products! I’ll do my first ever giveaway to a reader who comments on my blog and you can increase your chances of winning through the widget below!
The bag contains:
- Tony Moly Red Apple Hand Cream – Value $12
- Nutra Energy Mask Sheet (with argan oil) – Value ~$3
- Fresh Cleansing Tissue ( 15 sheets) – Value ~$5
- Ferment Snail Toner and Emulsion Sample Set
- Hand Mirror for your purse
- Tony Moly Fan
- Foil samples of Tomatox, Banana Sleeping Pack and Panda’s Dream White Hand Cream
Giveaway Rules:
- Giveaway ends July 9, 2015 at 11:59:59 PM EST
- Must reside in the United States and have a US mailing address
- Must be 18 years or older or have expressed, written permission from a parent or legal guardian to enter and receive the giveaway.
- A random winner will be chosen and contacted within 48 hours of the drawing. If you do not respond with a mailing address within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.
- There rules are also in conjunction with Gleam.io Terms and Conditions.
- The winner is responsible for verifying the products and their contents and to determine the suitability of those products for their own needs. CECIBEAUTYTHERAPY is not responsible or liable for the actual products and ingredients.
- CECIBEAUTYTHERAPY is not responsible for damages due to shipping, lost, stolen packages or any other issues. Once the parcel is mailed out, it is out of my hands but I will do my best to package the prize to prevent damage.
Tony Moly Flagship Gift Bag Giveaway
Loved the new tonymoly flagship store in ktown. Got a great preview thanks to my awesome VIP friend!!! Love their peach shaped lip balm! Love u too!
Author
HAHA! You’re welcome! Love you too!!!!
The new Store looks awesome thank you for such great insight. I can’t wait to go see the store in person and pick up so beauty goddies.
I loved your review of the Tony moly grand opening! I’m so overwhelmed with how many items there is at this store, makes me envy all of the new Yorkers for we don’t have any Tony molybdenum stores over here near LA, there’s stores specializing in k beauty but to have an all exclusive Tony moly store is totally a lrivelage! Thanks for this awesome post! 🙂
Author
As I said in my last post about the other Tony Moly opening in Chinatown, I think they are planning to take over the world! I would not be surprised if one opens in LA soon…! Here’s to hoping! In the meantime, they operate the tonymolyus.com website that you can check out!
Wow, you done a great job at taking ton of pictures! Too bad I couldn’t make to the grand opening. Sound like you had a blast! 🙂
Great post and love the pics and price comparisons online vs at the flagship.
Author
Thanks! This is something I always wonder about when visiting physical stores. Glad this is a great resource!
Super cute! Found your post since I’ll be coming to nyc here in a few weeks and I’m super stoked to see that there’s a tony moly now (like a full fledged one) since some things are SO expensive to ship and I’d like to be able to actually look at them. They’re really coming over between sephora/urban outfitters!
Author
Thanks! I hope my resources on my blog are informative and fun at the same time! Definitely also check out my Chinatown Kbeauty Shopping Guide! http://cecibeautytherapy.com/2015/05/29/chinatown-k-beauty-shopping-guide/
Wow, lucky you! It looks like you had such a fun time at this event!
Author
I had a great time! I think they should keep that panda cut-out as a full-time prop!
Ahh I am so excited to visit. I live in NYC but work all the way downtown so I haven’t had the chance to go yet. Looks awesome. I want a bunny pocket mist for summer travel!
Author
Nice! I tried that mist at Urban Outfitters and it sprays quite nicely and evenly! Smells like a dream too (if you’re into fragrance)!
I wished I was able to go. The store looked so cute. And the masks and facial cotton looks so good. But I’m with you, the inconsistent pricing of Korean brands in the US is driving me crazy. Even with crazy NYC rent in a good midtown location, they should at least keep it consistent.
Oh random side note, Club Clio gives you a birthday present if you sign up in their store. Just got mine recently and it wasn’t too bad. A packet with a few samples, peripera makeup remover wipes and a sheet mask. Thanks for the new posts and giveaway =)
Author
Thanks! My bday is actually coming up this month of July and I did sign up for their membership when they opened up! I wonder if I’ll get an email or something?
No, they send you a text. You have till the end of the bday month to pick it up.
I’ve recently got into Asian skincare. I was curious about all the hype around snail creams and essences and I’m about to make my first roseroseshop order. So being a nose-y beauty junkie I’m curious, what do you use? Would you make a post about it?
Author
Hi! Right now I’m using the Missha Super Aqua line and I have the Missha Snail Set waiting to get used (and abused)! I want to so badly just start using the snail set right away but I want to be a good girl and finish the Super Aqua first. I’m already interested in the Nature Republic Snail Solution Booster (toner), Emulsion and Essence or the Tony Moly Ferment Snail sets but since I’m not yet on the market to start buying these sets I also have not done the proper amount of research yet to see if I like the ingredients list or if there is a high amount of snail filtrate concentration. Actually thinking about my stash, I have the Miss Age Snail Ampoule and cream in the frig and I bought those during a huge memebox sale blowout. I would definitely do a review for the Missha Snail set but I say I have about another 2 months until I empty out the Super Aqua! The Missha Emulsion ads says it contains 40% snail filtrate while the Tony Moly Ferment Snail Emulsion has 45% Golden Tea Fermented Snail Secretion Filtrate. I feel like my Missha set is now outdated in comparison to the new ones that are coming out! Lesson learned from hoarding too much!
Did you get to see the salon and makeover stuff? Do you recommend going to that?
Author
Yes! I did the hair styling where Lena gave me magical curls! The way the waves landed and framed my faces was so awesome… and I had a lot of hair too! My friend got the makeup makeover and it seemed that they would focus on one feature of your face that you wanted to improve on (my friend did her eyes) and yes, they made it even bigger (and they were big to begin with!).
I want to go and TOUCH ALL THE THINGS!! Though with all the adorable packaging, I think that even with the markup they’d have me by the purse strings!!
I’m glad that the brand has been able to branch out and set up a flagship store in the U.S.! Looking at those prices though…..The markup is a bit ridiculous. Better to order on amazon for most of these things, although I guess the instant delivery is a plus. Still, hope they expand in the U.S. and hopefully bring down prices sometime.
Author
Yes, the flagship store is certainly exciting! From my experience, Amazon’s prices are inflated as well depending on which product/brand you’re looking at. I’ve actually never bought anything kbeauty from amazon because I’ve always found it elsewhere cheaper on ebay or online at another etailer. That’s why it’s always important to spend some time shopping around so you have benchmarks in your head!
Thanks for posting this! I’m so happy to see more Korean brands opening stores in the US, but the markup is kind of crazy!
Thanks for the virtual tour! I was bummed that I couldn’t make it to the grand opening so it was nice to get a second hand experience through your photos and this post. I will have to try to get up there soon. The markups are a little crazy so I think I will be sticking with products that are exclusive to the flagship with my purchases. I’m really intrigued by those Wonder Butter Sheet Masks.
Ceci! It was so wonderful to finally meet you! Hope we hang out again soon.
Absolutely LOVE how amazing your pictures are and how thorough this post was. I felt like I was back in the store oohing over everything!
Author
Hey Tiff! It was great to meet u and hope we can hang out again too! Thanks for the sincere compliment!
The store looks so organized and pretty! I wish I could visit it soon to test out all of their products. ^^ I really liked the amount and quality of pictures.
This sounded like a lovely opening! You got so many photos….super jealous. Thank you for making note of the price differences too. I’m definitely a bargain shopper since Kbeauty/AB isn’t a cheap love lol. Thankfully it’s possible to shop around and figure out what’s better to get in person or online. Kudos, chica! 😀