Cynthia L.

K-POP, KBBQ, K Beauty has been all the rage. I only have surface knowledge of what Olive Young is which is like a Korean Sephora but only "better." Besides beauty/skincare products, they also sell snacks, beverages and supplements. But don't bother with any sunscreen products as it's not the same ingredients from Korea due to USA FDA regulations. So of course I took the opportunity to check out the Pasadena location. I'm surprised to see the low ratings. Maybe they were still trying to work out any kinks since they've been newly opened for about 4-5 months? Part of me feels my sister and I had a better experience because we arrived right when they opened at 10am. The pouring rain during Labor Day weekend may have also helped as there was no line to get in plus hardly anyone was inside the store the first two hours. We were able to take our time to browse through, feel/smell/touch everything. Inventory was fully stocked for the most part except for a hand cream I had my eye on as it was on sale but I was able to find a solid alternative choice. We were able to get some Mediheal facial pads, the viral Anua PDRN hyaluronic acid hydrating mist, some workout weight loss boost supplements (this better work! although my sis is skeptical about this lol), some lip products, make up remover wipes and some salty savory snacks. My sis got some eye makeup products from Clio(?) brand. Did I black out? I wasn't planning on spending what I spent. HOWEVERRRRRRR, I really enjoy/satisfied with the products I purchased. People raved about the samples they give you along with your purchase. But like Sephora, those samples can be a hit or miss. Appreciative to try some stuff but the product is not big enough to see the effectiveness of said item. Cannot comment about the employees' knowledge of the products since we were pretty self sufficient. The cashiers were friendly and patient though. Location is very easy to get to with various parking garages. I parked at Schoolhouse Garage on Green St and it was about a 3 minute walk. DeLacey Garage is also a good option to park at too. Happy shopping!

Van D.

Wowwww!! The first Olive Young in America!! Shortly after another location opened in Century City but it's about a quarter of the size of the Pasadena location, so you should come here for the full experience. I parked at the Schoolhouse Parking Garage on Green St between Fair Oaks and Raymond, and it was about a quick 5 minute walk over. For those unfamiliar with Olive Young, they are Korea's #1 Beauty store that has everything from face products, sun protection, make-up, and health and wellness. Every time I've passed by previously I've seen a line, so I came prepared to wait. I came with my cousin, who I knew would appreciate the experience with me, so the wait wasn't too bad. We waited under 20 minutes to come in, and spent more than an hour and a half inside. During this time, we had our skin analysis, tried out products with their cleanse bar, look at all the cool products, used our skin analysis to ask staff for help with products they would recommend based on our skin type and diagnosis. It was also cool to get a copy of the detailed skin analysis, which will be active for 7 days so we screenshot it to keep the info longer than that. Shout out to Kayla who did my cousin's skin analysis. I love the way she explained every step. And shout out to Anelia who I asked for help with toner. She was so thorough and helpful. I felt bad cause I found out afterwards she was about to go on break when I interrupted her. She was so nice and helpful. This was the equivalent of a candy store for my cousin and I. The time passed by so quickly we didn't even notice it went by. We stocked up on a lot of goodies. Oh if you sign up for their membership, they give you a $5 credit. At check out we were additionally rewarded with a member sign up gift and some samples to try with purchase. What an AMAZING experience. We had so much fun. I really like the quality of their products and felt very welcomed and encouraged to try things. I know other stores have samples but it doesn't feel as encouraged as it does here. The prices also seem reasonable and some items have single packets or smaller size available for you to try before buying a big size. We really loved it! My cousin and I are already talking about coming back before Christmas to make our wish lists. Until next time!

Mabel G.

The Mecca of Korean beauty all in 1 store. You have to wait in line to enter. If you want beauty skin analysis you have to put your name on a long list and wait time is about over 1 hour We waited in line about 30 min one sunday morning and placed our names on the list for beauty analysis but we never had a chance to be seen because the line exceed 1 hour and we had somewhere else to go They have every Korean brand you can name for all skin issues, skin and even a colored contact lens fitting station but you need to make an appointment Their prices are so much more affordable than Sephora. I will definitely devote a full day to come back here again There are so many employees who are so nice and their uniforms are stylish denim

Sanny C.

Nothing really stood out during my visit. Not to mention, for such a big store..there was not much service/help available for customers. Staffs seemed busy, but not sure busy doing what lol I tried to ask for assistance. The job was done but it really felt like they didn't want to help. I asked one gal and she tried to have this other gal assist. Then the other gal took off so the original gal had to help look for items. She then told us the items were stored in the back of the display items. We wanted 2 of the foundations, but there was only one so the gal had to go look for it. Luckily, they had more. She gave it to us and took off. Not bothering to ask if we needed further assistance. Besides their own brands, they also offered other familiar brands that you could get at the mall. Kind of odd but whatever they think works for them. They sell some snacks, boxed/packaged tea, and some drinks. Not much deals or promo avail. Staffs at the register were slow. Customers standing in front waiting to check out, but they were busy doing their own things. There were at least 3 there talking to each other instead of helping customers.

Pam B.

Been wanting to go to this since I heard they opened a branch here. Just did a day tour in Seoul during a layover but we didn't explore or at least o didn't see an olive young store where we went so I cannot compare this US location to stores in Korea. Aside from the wait (20 mins in line) I also noticed that while they do have sales people around it's not like a Sephora that can really help you with what you need. I was helped by a guy but just to point me in the right direction of the products that I was looking for. Thanks to AI - I used it to help me find the products that I am looking for - I desperately needed better sunscreen so I got the cell fusion c and the cushion sunscreen from round labs. Also took some dietary supplements and the sheet mask that's 10 pack. I signed up for membership and got a goodie bag for that and the cashier also added another bag with samples. There's a toner I wanted to get but it's out of stock. If you're not patient and if you want hand holding maybe skip visiting and wait until they have more locations. There's a Korean beauty store (small but they sell the popular brands) inside Westfield in Sherman oaks if you live in the valley. Otherwise if you're here - might as well check it out. The good thing about this place is they have testers so go ahead and try those serums, sunscreen and make up. I didn't buy any makeup on this visit though. Sign up for membership to get $5 off.

Aileen H.

Olive Young in Old Town Pasadena opened two months ago as its first ever US store. I was here during their opening month and yes the line was wrapped around the corner. The good thing about coming the first month was that they had this promotion where if you bought $100, you get $20 off. The selection is not as huge as the ones in Korea, but still very fun to look around. I returned today just to browse since I was in the area. Even though you can find many of the same items on Amazon for a lower price, I enjoy browsing and sampling all the different skin care and make up products. I make it a point to support the brick and mortar businesses just so I have a place to actually see, touch and feel the products before purchasing. Today, I got a hair oil. It smelled really good (see, I can smell it in person) and I liked the texture. In addition to skin care products, and make up, they also sell tea, snacks, supplements, shopping bags, and colored contact lenses. Pro Tip: If you sign up for membership (it's free), you get a goodie bag that comes with 2 masks!

Jessica C.

I've been wanting to check out Olive Young since they opened in Pasadena, so I finally stopped by. Just a heads up, be prepared to wait. We stood outside for about 30 minutes in the heat before being let in, which definitely wasn't the most enjoyable start. Thankfully, once inside, the air conditioning was a lifesaver. The store itself was organized enough to browse comfortably, with shelves packed full of popular Korean skincare brands. If you're into K-beauty, it's easy to lose track of time looking through everything. They also had a skin diagnosis booth that I was really interested in trying, but the wait was over an hour, so I decided to skip it this time. Hopefully I'll be able to check it out on a future visit. One thing that surprised me was how much more they offered beyond skincare. They had a Sanrio section, plus snacks, wellness products, and supplements, which ended up being one of my favorite parts of the store to browse. Overall, it was a fun visit, but I'd recommend going on a weekday or during off-peak hours if you can. The selection is great, but the long wait to get inside definitely took away from the experience.

Sarah S.

Welcome to the US, Olive Young! We're happy to have you! This flagship store in Pasadena is much bigger than the second location at Century City Mall in LA (Pasadena is 8,647 sq ft vs Century City's 2,694 sq ft). It's still so new that there will sometimes be a line outside to get in. I went on a weekday morning and although it was packed inside, there was no line to get in - so winning! The security guard at the door was super friendly welcoming me in and actually told me about a bunch of sales, too. However the staff inside was very busy and I didn't talk to any of them as they were all busy helping other patrons. It was still early enough though that there wasn't a big line to check out so that was nice. The amount of products they have in the shop is mindblowing! So many options, it's amazing that you can browse them all plus most have samples, as well. Aside from all the skincare and makeup, they do have snacks and drinks, plus some Sanrio items and other cute things. My biggest disappoint is that the formulations, especially of the sunscreen, are actually different than the products sold in Korea. FDA regulations block some of the things that make these products so great so they aren't being sold. And when Olive Young opened in the US, the online purchases direct from Korea stopped and everything must be bought through the US site so there's no way to get the original formulations anymore. That's quite disappointing! And in general, more Western products are in the store I noticed. I do really want to go back for the skin analysis so plan to take my friends when they're in town in a couple months. However the store is just so darn busy, it seems like the waits for that are quite long right now. I'm very happy this store has opened but think they still have some areas for improvement I'm hoping for in the future!

Jenny C.

Trotting to Pasadena to find Olive Young hype hasn't die down yet, there was a long line waiting to get in. We waited approximately 20ish minutes under this humid hot weather. As I stepped in to the store, the cool air of the AC was very comforting. I was overwhelmed by the amount of beauty products they have. I didn't know where to start, but I found my way to compare prices with the same brand that I bought in Korea a few months ago. Holly molly ~~~ I'd rather buy them in Korea lollll Then I approach to a counter where they were giving out free Face Analysis, but the waiting was ridiculous for 1.5 hrs, so I said forget it lollll The store is pretty clean and organized. It has a sink with face wash and beauty wands for your convenience . Most of the products have SAMPLE to try before committing to a product. And of course I tried to spray a few hydrating facial moisturizer for my face. If you need personal assistance, there's always beautician standing by to assist you. After all, since I am a fan of Olive Young it does worth coming in to grab some korean skincare and makeup if you don't mind waiting under the heat ~! There's something that you might like and would not break your wallet when there's a promo going on. Happy Shopping!!

Therese G.

Yay! Because of the World Cup games, I was able to get into the store without a wait! The store is truly overwhelming and filled with thousands, yes thousands of products. They were sold out of the most popular products and colors, yet OY had many other products available to sell. Staff members walk around and every few minutes they give a LOUD CHEER to lift morale. All of the employees were great and able to make good recommendations. Zoey was particularly helpful and was patient with all my questions. They have a facial washing station to try out the skincare lines. Olivia Young will take back items that are brand new or very lightly used within 15 days with the paper receipt. They will refund all items on the receipt, then they recharge you for the items you are keeping. You must have the original receipt and return items to the original store from which you purchased the items. (They just opened Century City too now!) I was in the store for over 2 hours and still did not check everything out. Overall it was a great experience.

Devi S.

My son and I found free parking on 4th of July and only waited 15 min. to get in. The bouncer let us scan the QR code coupon to get our $40 discount off of $100. Upon entering, you go and follow two Instagram accounts and you instantly receive a free mask. Then, the fun begins! The first thing we did was go get a free skin analysis. Something of this type in Orange County would cost you upwards of $120. Here, in Pasadena, the analysis was free. After, you can get suggestions from all of the section reps on what the best sellers and award-winning products are. For us, we walked away with all of my son's skin care needs as we want to prepare him for his stage in puberty as acne is a huge problem and so are large pores. However, the sun damage is what I'm most concerned about since he's been exposed to the beach weather a lot lately. So, we got him a 4 item regiment for him to do nightly: Mixsoon cleansing foam, Round Lab Dokdo toner, Mixsoon bean cream, and last interchangeably, the Torriden dive serum. For myself friends I picked up the new lip color by Muzigae Mansion, object liquid in the "003 stranger" for $15 . In Orange County these go for about $22.

Rizza D.

Out of curiosity, wanted to check out the store. Went inside no lines, people are curious checking out different products. As a beauty consultant of over 11 years, I know how different products of skincare works. People who works here are young and I want to be honest o am not really that impressed. For some reason I am a regular cosmetics customer in any Korean store and I buy that I know will works for my skin. Not all who works here are knowledgeable and I should say not all are friendly and welcoming unless you asked or approach them otherwise you're on your way to find out what you need. I believe they need more training to sell skincare and cosmetics. But still 4 is good for this review.

Peter J.

My wife and I have been wanting to check out Olive Young ever since they announced they were opening a U.S. location. If you've ever been to Korea, you know it's basically the Korean version of Sephora--packed with skincare, beauty products, and all the trendy items people rave about. My Mexican wife is obsessed with Korean skincare, so this place has been on her must-visit list since day one. We held off because in social media, people were saying they waited up to two hours just to get in. We finally went a few weeks later, and the wait was only about 40 minutes, which wasn't bad at all. Once we got inside... it was game over. My wife went into full shopping mode. I had to set a $150 spending limit because I honestly think she would've easily doubled that if I hadn't. There are so many products to browse, and it's easy to lose track of time. The biggest surprise was the pricing. I expected everything to be marked up since it's the first U.S. location, but the prices were actually very reasonable--comparable to Sephora or Ulta. It didn't feel overpriced, which made the experience even better. If you're into K-beauty or just curious about the hype, Olive Young is definitely worth checking out.