VERY Specific K-Beauty Hand Cream Sought

December 15, 2017 9:25 AM

Any ideas where I can find one of the Etude House Missing U Hand Creams at a brick-and-mortar store in NYC?

This is going to be part of a gift basket for a cousin who's recently started a new dream job as a zookeeper. I saw a suggestion to get a bunch of fun-but-useful stuff for a gift basket - animal-print band-aids, purell in an animal-shaped case, etc. and it would be perfect; she is over-grown-kid enough that getting things in animal prints would be ideal. I've also been looking into some items and discovered some brands that also donate a portion of their profits to benefit endangered species, which makes it even better. That's why I really want to stick with this hand cream - not only is it in a cute animal-shaped bottle, but the manufacturer also donates a share of the profits to worldwide animal associations.

I can get just about everything else in brick-and-mortar stores, but am having a hard time finding this. I'd also like to get everything at the same time so I can wrap it and send. I'm afraid if I order online I won't get it in time and it will hold the rest of the gift up, so I'm hoping to find a source somewhere in NYC. Any ideas?

posted by EmpressCallipygos to Shopping (6 answers total)

Response by poster: Failing this, I would accept any small hand cream if it has a picture of a meerkat on the bottle or something.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:28 AM on December 15, 2017

My local H-Mart has an extensive K beauty selection. Maybe call around to them?
posted by k8t at 9:31 AM on December 15, 2017

I saw some sort of animal-themed k-beauty at Ricky's (specifically, the sale section at the Union Square location), but it may have been a Tony Moly product. Peach and Lily is a brick and mortar. The reddit Asian beauty community may have some leads for you!
posted by quadrilaterals at 9:36 AM on December 15, 2017

Response by poster: I've seen animal-themed stuff at Ricky's, but it all seemed to be the face masks. Which would do in a pinch, but I'm hoping for the hand cream (someone who works with gibbons regularly probably washes her hands a lot).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:38 AM on December 15, 2017

Best answer: I have some of these! I got them on Amazon, though. I feel like I may have first seen them at one of the stores in Koreatown, near Tony Moly on 32nd? There's a bunch of beauty shops all next to each other - Tony Moly, Besfren Beauty, The Face Shop, Nature Republic. Plus Tony Moly has an ADORABLE panda line of hand creams as a backup. They are shaped like very fat pandas, do recommend.

I'd also try oo35mm down in Chinatown on Mott Street. They have a little bit of all the major Japanese/Korean beauty brands. But check out those stores in Koreatown first, since they're all close to each other.
posted by bowtiesarecool at 10:35 AM on December 15, 2017 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: I am holding a penguin-shaped bottle of Etude hand cream thanks to a MeFite (I don't know if you want to be named, if so please let me know and I will sing your praises), who lives near a place in Flushing that had it. We were both going to be in Union Square so she secured it for me. Internet people are best.

(THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:58 PM on December 16, 2017 [1 favorite]