Seoul Experiences

A Hair Cut at A. By Bom Salon, Cheongdam

17th May 2017 4 Comments

Am I a beauty blogger? Yes. Do I take meticulous care with my skincare routine to ensure as perfect skin as possible? Yes. Do I do anything with my hair? NO.

No. No I don’t…I’m embarrassed to admit but I really, truly do nothing to my hair, and it had been about a year since my last hair cut. I literally just shampoo, condition, and use a curling mousse, every couple of days. That’s it. I invest nothing, and I think most of the time, being curly and carefree, my hair usually looks kinda ok-ish.

BUT, after visiting the A. By Bom salon, my approach has kinda dramatically changed, and now I know why I need to get to the salon more often…here’s the deets of my experience!

Makeup, Seoul Experiences, Skincare

Spring Makeup Picks/ Cherry Blossom Junkie Pics

13th April 2017 2 Comments

In case you hadn’t noticed on my Instagram, I’m ~~a pretty big fan of~~ obsessed with spring in Korea. I run around Seoul, unable to stop taking photos of every kind of flower and blossom in sight, often getting bizarre looks from older Koreans as I’m all up on their doorsteps photographing the pretty flowers outside their homes (shoutout to @adoredee ). I bombard all my social media channels with said photos and I can’t stop. My cosmetic choices also change. I go from the black hearted queen of dark nails and deep red or purple lip colours, to pastels and flowers and butterflies and princesses and clouds.

So here are my spring makeup and skincare choices, chosen because they make me feel happy, work well with my skin tone/type, and the colours suit my mood during this time of year. And I’ve also tried to include all the cherry blossom feels from here in Korea, so you can share and revel in the beauty (and it gave me a valid reason to take more photos).

Makeup, Seoul Experiences

Review: Jung Saem Mool Essential Star-cealer Foundation

19th March 2017 6 Comments

Jung Saem Mool is a Korean makeup artist legend. Period. So when I saw she had her own cosmetics company? My expectations were HIGH. Along with many of her products (ahem, all), I was desperate to try out the Essential Star-cealer Foundation (Allure Editor’s Pick), particularly after reading: Jung Saem Mool’s “special blending know how is contained in this radiant-lasting foundation”.

GIMME ALL THE RADIANCE, was my first thought.

When the foundation arrived in the post, I ripped straight into it, ready to get on Jung Saem Mool’s radiance train. She has, after all, been leading the way of the glowing, transparent skin crew in Korea for over two decades. After a month of continual use, I’m ready to review her Essential Star-cealer Foundation.

(This product was provided courtesy JSM Beauty. See my disclaimer for my policies).

Seoul Experiences, Skincare

Exclusive Interview with Korean Skincare Expert: Joo-Eun Kim of Shangpree Spa

9th March 2017 4 Comments

Shangpree Spa is a world renowned spa in Seoul, frequented by celebrities and offering the latest and most innovative skincare treatments to achieve that chok chok glow that Korea is infamous for. If you read my review of their facial, you’ll know the kinda heavenly glow I’m talking about. I’ve never looked as radiant as the night I left Shangpree Cheongdam.

But I digress…a few weeks ago I was back at Shangpree, this time to get the professional scoop on Korean skincare from Ms Joo-Eun Kim, Shangpree Spa director and industry expert, and share her tips and news with you beautiful readers!

Makeup, Seoul Experiences, Skincare

Japan Trip: Beauty Haul!

6th March 2017 5 Comments

If you’ve been following my Instagram, you couldn’t miss that for my winter vacation this year, I jetted across the sea to the Land of the Rising Sun. Not only this, but I was lucky enough to have my mum fly over from England and meet me for a one week adventure in Kyoto and Osaka.

Of course while I was there, I did some beauty shopping! The beauty scene in Japan is unique and pretty nuts compared to anywhere else I’ve shopped. I tried to refrain from going as crazy as I did on my last trip, and only purchased products I felt weren’t easily available (or are way more pricey) in Korea. So gonna share my haul, and I’ve also included some travel photos and information at the end of the post, for those of you who are interested!

Seoul Experiences, Skincare

Getting That Glow: Facial at Grace Clinic Seoul with Eunogo

14th February 2017 No Comments

If you know anything about Seoul. you know it’s the city of skincare and surgery. Where every bus is plastered with beauty advertisements, and getting a nose job is virtually the same as getting an eyebrow wax, South Korea’s capital is overrun with surgeries and clinics offering every procedure you could possibly imagine, all in the name of beauty.

Whilst I’m not opposed to surgery, it’s not for me right now. So when Eunogo, an award winning concierge company for medical beauty trips to Seoul, suggested a surgical procedure for me to try and review, I turned it down. However after learning more about their company, I felt they were providing a fantastic service for foreigners, and we decided I would instead write about the skin detox facial they also offer. So here I am, post facial, and ready to review!

(This experience was provided courtesy of Eunogo. This does not affect my review- see my disclaimer tab for more information on my policies).

Makeup, Seoul Experiences, Skincare

My Top 10 Beauty Bargains at Daiso

4th February 2017 4 Comments

Daiso. If you don’t know what Daiso is, you haven’t lived my friend. Daiso is the Japanese version of the dollar store or poundland- only a million times better. The stores are situated in many countries all over the world (why not the UK yet? I hear you, and I don’t know why, sob), but after Japan, Korea has the highest number of shops. You can literally discover ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING in these stores; one of my most recent useful purchases is a mini toilet brush that curves at the neck to get right into, and clean, the area under the rim of the bowl where the water comes out…yeah they think of all your needs, ever. But the best bit for me? Their beauty section. Here are my top beauty purchases from Daiso- mostly in Korea, but a couple from Japan too, and all of them are under 5000 won (roughly $5/£3.50).

Makeup, Seoul Experiences

My Favourite K-Beauty Makeup Picks of 2016

5th January 2017 6 Comments

I’ve been finding it pretty hard to sit down and focus on my blog recently…I’ve felt tired and kinda down, January always does this to me. It’s not my month! But enough self wallowing in nothing. I had a great 2016 year in terms of Korean makeup. In 2015, I found a lot of the products I bought to be hit or miss, and a little bland. But with some new fabulous base makeup, and bolder brighter colours in the shops, I discovered some gems for myself and my face in twenty sixteen! Onto my choices.

Some of these products were provided by individuals/companies for my review consideration. These will be specifically disclosed in the text. See my disclaimer for more information on my collaborations.

Seoul Experiences, Skincare

2016 K-Beauty Skincare Favourites

2nd January 2017 2 Comments

2016 came to an end (thank the lord I hear you say?), so I thought it was time for a predictable round up post of my skincare favourites.

This is a post on the top skincare products I tested for the first time in the last twelve months. I’m not counting old favourite staples such as my Su:m37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick or Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. I’ll be doing an updated morning and night time skincare routine post so you can see my full list of skincare choices when I write that! But for now, here’s my top 10 (in no particular order) of my new tries in 2016.

Some of these products were provided by companies/individuals for my consideration to review. Products that I was provided will be specifically disclosed in the text.

Seoul Experiences

An update and some professional photos…

25th November 2016 No Comments

Hey guys, so this isn’t a post as such, but more an update! I’ve had the busiest time recently…I had my family here from the October 31st- November 14th which was wonderful, then I had my birthday celebrations, and just this week I’ve had an unbelievable amount of paperwork and deadlines piled onto me for my daytime teaching job. Thus, no blog posts recently, as you may have noticed. I apologise, and I will be back in action after December 1st (which is my day of six open classes at school). After that, I’m fully back onto writing, and I have a few reviews lined up. I was already working on an eye patch comparison, Shangpree vs Berrisom, and I’ve just about finished testing the G9 Skin White in Milk Toner, so that’s what you can expect to see on here at the beginning of December.