◣ 這裡18巷 | Galerie18 ◥: 4月 2016

2016年4月24日星期日

Experience● A Review of a Hostel in Copenhagen- Generator

Figure 1: The shared space in Generator Copenhagen
(generatorhostels.com)

I did not have enough time to find cozy accommodation with decent price when I decided to stop by Copenhagen on the trip back to Helsinki from London. Although the commodity prices are remarkably high in Copenhagen, I found an ideal hostel via Booking.com. All the information on the Internet showed that their interior was designed in a contemporary art style, the accommodation was pretty clean, and service there were tepid, but nice. In fact, I am going to stay at the same hostel in Copenhagen because of a meeting next month.

Figure 2: A corner of Generator Copenhagen

(generatorhostels.com)

Most comments referenced a clean environment, a good location, nice employees, and a stylish interior design. According to a customer survey conducted by Trip Adviser (checked on April 12, 2016), 83.6% of customers evaluated the overall perceived value as “very good” or “good”; most of their customers speak highly of the hostel. During my stay at Generator Hostel, the overall interior design was comfortable and truly stylish, and the individual space was rather small, but really clean and cozy. However, no there was no refrigerator offered in the room, neither was there a kitchen in the shared space. The location is convenient. It costs 32 Danish Crowns to get from the airport to the hostel, and a one-way trip takes around 20 minutes. Also, people can rent a bicycle from the reception, it costs 100 Danish Crowns per day. They lent me a bicycle with bigger wheel diameter, which I wasn’t used to it at first, but finally found it a good idea - saving your energy for seeing the beautiful scenery around the city. Although located near the bar street, you will not be disturbed by the noise or bothered by the patrons. Employees in the hostel usually looked confident and were involved in their work. Of course, they were willing to help travelers.

Figure 3: The restaurant of Generator Copenhagen

All in all, I slept tightly during my stay there. The good location, clean environment, stylish interior design, and services offered are the components that made my trip in Copenhagen.

2016年4月17日星期日

Experience● A Review of a Cosmetics Brand- THREE

Figure 1: The brand image of THREE

The reason why I noticed the cosmetics brand THREE at the very beginning was fashion and make-up magazines, even before they launched their services and products in Taiwan. Surprisingly, experiencing some products of the Japanese brand on my trip in Bangkok in 2013, I have been addicted to their cosmetics. This brand launched in Taipei the same year, and I became a VIP customer of this brand. Thus, I have used most of their cosmetics. Their value proposition is natural and honest. Although the slogan-like core value is usually considered a cliché, this value proposition somewhat reflects their cosmetics quality.

Figure 2: The containers designed by Oki Sato

( www.trendygadget.com )

To be exact, natural ingredients and a decent price are included in their core values. To elaborate, they use local and natural resources from cities in Eastern Asia, and the percentage of natural ingredients is indicated on the package and container, so that it is more likely for customers to notice the clue of their core value. Moreover, by extracting and purifying ingredients from local areas, they lower their carbon footprint. More and more cosmetics brands are emphasizing the importance of natural ingredient, as long as they use them in the product. However, consumers would never know if those natural ingredients are suitable for their skin. My skin is not stable because of the humid atmosphere around Taipei basin, and it is pretty easy for it to develop allergic reactions, get inflamed, or even show acne. I was not satisfied with other skin care products until I used the lotion of THREE. Their skin care products are probably suitable for all skin types.

Figure 3: The gifts I exchanged by membership reward points-1

Another important component of their core value is a decent price. In Taiwanese department stores, cosmetics brands from Paris or New York are usually more expensive than those from Japan. However, the price of Japanese cosmetics brand is mostly higher than others. It is ridiculous, that those over-priced brands can sell at the same price but in different currencies; for example, a lotion priced at 3000 JPY in Japan can be priced at 3000 NTD in Taiwan. Yet, THREE has set a reasonable price compared to other brands. As a part of brand image, the container design is also impressive. All of their lotion containers are designed by a famous product designer Oki Sato who is the founder of Nendo Design. They focus on the quality, price, and detail.

Figure 4: The gifts I exchanged by membership reward points-2

Membership policy and service from cosmetologists are also worth talking about. The outstanding membership policy makes members willing to repurchase; for example, I got many skin care travel sets through membership reward points, I saved approximately 20% of my skin care budget. Unfortunately, their membership bonuses were reduced this year. Most of their cosmetologists are careful and thoughtful. When you are trying on their make-up, they will definitely serve you a cup of hot Chinese herbal tea, and cover your clothes with a special cloth. One cosmetologist even constantly conveys me information. For example, the due date of my membership reward points, or the latest sales.

Figure 5: A brand mug I received by buying their products again

Overall, THREE is a great brand, and I will definitely buy their products again. Natural ingredient, decent price, well-designed brand image, good membership policy and modest service from cosmetologists make up the attractiveness of the brand.