Running Man Ep 129: 2013 Winter Olympics & Idol Special Edition Review

I have always wanted to watch the famous variety show Running Man, but it wasn't until I saw the outstanding list of idols that I finally tuned in to the show.  For those who are unaware of the show, Running Man is an SBS variety show that stars the Running Man Team that must compete in challenges to beat the opposing team.  Episodes have different missions, locations and guest stars, making each episode unique and all the more entertaining to watch.

One of the most recent episodes, which aired on January 20th as Running Man's 129th episode, is the 2013 Winter Olympics and Idol Special Edition.  It was quite a treat to have so many stars on the opposing Idol Team, which includes my biases Jung Yong Hwa and Lee Jong Hyun of CNBlue, Choi Min Ho of SHINee, Sulli of f(x), Kim Myungsoo of Infinite and others, such as Hwang Kwang Hee of ZE:A and Lee Joon of MBLAQ.  To my surprise, the Running Man Team also has a celebrity: Lee Kwang Soo, who starred in Nice Guy alongside Song Joong Ki (who is a former member of the Running Man cast).  With such a star-studded cast, they could be eating watermelon or peeling an orange for all I care, I'd watch this any day! Luckily this episode was much more entertaining than that though.

This episode is filled with enthusiasm, funny remarks and banter among both teams.  The "Opening Ceremony" hilariously introduced each member of the Idol Team, immediately illustrating Kwang Hee as a sort of buffoon and Yong Hwa as an ace, after all he is the guest who has starred in the most Running Man episodes.  Not only is the show humorous, it is also adorable in scenes showing friendly Min Ho and Sulli interactions, especially after they starred in 2012's drama To The Beautiful You. The music montage is also fun, offering the latest hits from the guest stars during very fitting scenes. While Myungsoo competed in a race, Infinite's "The Chaser" played.

While watching variety shows, I'm always surprised at how down-to-earth and human idols are outside of seeing them performing. I love how these types of shows exposes more realistic personalities not seen onstage.

Of course this show isn't fueled 100% by guest stars. The Running Man cast all offer different personalities and humorous antics, creating an all-around entertaining cast. The written commentary is also laugh out loud funny. I'm sucked in right away and can't get enough of Running Man!  In all, the show can't stop me from cracking up!

Here is a link to view this episode in full, with English subtitles: http://www.dramafever.com/drama/3970/40

The Awakening of a Korean Wannabe

This blog post isn't a review or recap of anything, but more of the identity crisis I must get off my chest and rant and my life story, all wrapped into one post.

I must be the most oblivious person ever.  Everyone else around me can blatantly see it, everyone but me (this reminds me of that One Direction song...).  It wasn't until two hours ago my friend was mentioning Korean wannabes (not that I was one, but someone else), and that got me thinking of how I was close to that stage of my obsession.  I even looked up the definitions of 'Korean Wannabe' and 'Kimchi Korean' on Urban Dictionary, and that confirmed it for me my revelation.

But let me explain myself, starting at the beginning.  I am a Chinese American who learned Cantonese as my first language, but lost a lot of my 'native' tongue as I got older.  I used to be so proud of being bilingual, but now I am incompetent at communicating in Cantonese with others outside of my family.  I might sound 'banana,' but I try not to be.  I love all Chinese food and the holidays that we celebrate and the family values.  But it's hard mixing my Chinese and American cultures together.

I attended a very small kindergarten through 12th grade school that was predominantly white.  School had a much larger influence on my life than my family, and soon I was obsessed with the Olsen twins, Lindsay Lohan and Disney Channel.  But it wasn't until just before 10th grade that I had found my true interest in Asian pop culture (refer to my first post, 'Introduction').  That same summer I had started watching Hong Kong films like Echoes of the Rainbow and Bruce Lee, My Brother, two of my most favorite movies ever, and listening to music by Aarif Lee (who starred in both those films).  Soon after I watched my first Korean drama and loved how many of these movies and dramas had such meaningful story lines (I'm referring more so to the Hong Kong movies) and how the relationships were much deeper than what I interpret from American pop culture.  From 10th grade onward, I had been shutting out all of the American media, because I hated the messages they portrayed.

But I never realized just how bad my obsession became, not even after naming my blog 'My Seoul Obsession' or when writing my post 'Disclaimer About My Blog,' or even when I told myself that I wanted to  speak Korean and eat Korean dishes and whatnot.  There are some who fully label themselves as Korean wannabes, but I could never mask and be ashamed of my real identity as a Chinese American.  From here on out, I will take my interest in moderation and continue to embrace my own true identity.  There is so much psychoanalysis I could do with this, such as how maybe because I was losing my Cantonese heritage that I wanted to start over with another Asian culture, or how constantly being surrounded by Caucasians for 13 years drove me to such extremes.

This entire 'Korean Wannabe' thing is something I don't want to be labeled as and was probably the underlying reason why I was so iffy on creating this blog.  I would never want to be considered a poser, and to even consider thinking and wishing of myself as Korean is ridiculous (like some do); how could I just shun my own culture like that?  The bottom line is, I'm just interested in knowing more and being exposed to other cultures.

Thank you for reading this entire post, if you did.  I was so stressed about all of this and had to put it all down into a post.  I've written essays about this too for high school and college applications, and now finally onto my blog just for the sake of getting it all out.

Thank you once again for reading, or skimming, or even glimpsing at this post!

SkinFood Mask Reviews (cont.)

I still have more mask samples from that initial purchase at the San Francisco Stonestown SkinFood store! I love how SkinFood focuses its products around common Asian ingredients. As an Asian American, it's hard for me to find relatable Asian beauty products without having to search online. Yet SkinFood conveniently has locations on the West Coast, carrying products involving Asian ingredients such as ginseng (in my last review), rice and even black sesame! I couldn't contain my enjoyment as I saw the interesting samples.

Rice Mask
SkinFood's Rice Mask is supposed to be nutritious to soften, moisturize and brighten skin.  I hope this mask will live up to its words, because those are dashing qualities I'd love to have during this chilly winter.

The instructions on the back of this sample says to massage the product over a dry face, and then rinse off.  SkinFood's website more specifically says to apply the mask onto your face, leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes, and then wash off with warm water.

Please excuse my super red hands-they were soaking in super hot water for half an hour!  The consistency of this opaque white mask is very smooth and creamy and contains clear micro crystals, I suppose rice extract?  This mask has a mild cleanliness soap scent to it, which isn't bad, but isn't to my taste either.

The Pros

•  My face is refreshed, and looks and feels clean right after rinsing off the mask
• The smoothness of this mask makes it very easy to spread across my face, like melted butter
• The crystals are gentle on the skin yet they still work well to massage and exfoliate my face

The Cons

• The smell can improve, but because it's so mild, it's not that noticeable

Overall, I really like this mask!  I took a super hot bath right before putting this on, so putting this mask on was really cooling and refreshing (I wonder if I would have felt the same way if I hadn't taken the bath though).  I like how this creamy consistency feels like a lotion that moisturizes and like a scrub that exfoliates.  This silky smoothness is the best quality about this mask, which I assume is great for sensitive skin because it doesn't cause any stinging sensation.

Black Sesame Hot Mask
According to the back label, the mix of salt, sugar powder and heat opens the pores and cleans the gunk inside while the black sesame leaves skin feeling silky.  I'm not sure how this product is supposed to be warm, as there is no instruction to heat the product or store it in a hot place.  It's interesting, here I'm worrying that this product will not be hot, yet SkinFood's website is worried that this product will overheat.  Here, it says that this mask should be used with moderate temperature.  It can overheat if it is used in hot areas, like a bathroom or sauna apparently.

 

The directions say to apply and massage the mask in a circular motion onto a moist face, leave on for three to five minutes, and then rinse off with warm water.  

The left photos show the super thick, almost coagulated consistency. The mask is very stiff, so I had to really force the mask to spread across my face with my fingers. Now I know why they suggest moistening your face first: it gives a slippery texture for the mask to more easily spread.  The right photo shows the mask on my face. You can see it is translucent with a murky gray hue, and mixed in are crushed black sesame (the black dots are not my beauty marks). Also the smell is a subtle black sesame scent, but it's not as pleasant as the Chinese black sesame pudding (Ji Ma Woo in Canto).

The Pros

• My face feels and looks clean right after rinsing off the mask

The Cons

• The mask itself is very stiff and gooey, so it sticks to itself, making it hard to spread across my face
• The black sesame seeds are rough on my skin when washing the mask off
• It is hard to remove all the black specks when rinsing.  When I used my toner a few hours later, I had so much extract that was still left on my face.
• The mask is room temperature, not hot as implied by its name.

I have really mixed feelings for this mask. While putting it on and letting the product seep into my skin, I didn't like it. But now that I review my notes, I don't actually see anything completely bad about this. In the end, my face feels and looks clean. I would say just don't expect much when using this product (I'm referring to the 'hot pack' element of this mask), and you can be content with this mask.

Bare with me, I have one more SkinFood mask sample which I'll review in an upcoming post!

Tony Moly Eggpore Series Review

I'm finally getting around to reviewing what seems to be Tony Moly's most famous line of products, the Eggpore Series. This series includes the Blackhead Out Oil Gel (white egg), Tightening Pack (brown egg) and Silky Smooth Balm (golden egg) and there is also a less common Real Egg Jelly (khaki egg). I ordered the first two eggs from this series from Amazon's A-Poly and am planning to order the balm in the future! I'll give an overview about the general elements (size, amount, usage, etc.) in the Blackhead Out Oil Get section, because both eggs are pretty similar.

Blackhead Out Oil Gel

Here are the four sides of the packaging of the first egg in the series. The first image, starting in the upper left and going clockwise, is the front of the box. The second image is written in Korean, the third has directions and ingredients in English and the last has instructions in Korean with images to demonstrate. The directions say to massage the gel over areas with blackheads for three to five minutes, then rinse off with lukewarm water.

These eggs are much larger than I had imagined! I thought they would be the size of chicken eggs, but really they are so large that they barely fit into my palm.

Despite being such a large container, only the bottom of the egg has the actual product, containing 30ml. It is recommended to use this series just once or twice a week, so the products will last quite awhile. I have heard a mix of reviews about the effectiveness of these products, mostly negative, but being a sucker for adorable packaging, I had to tap into this series! The first two eggs are wash off products actually to control blackheads, while the balm is a primer to conceal blackheads.  Specifically the Blackhead Out Oil Gel is to eliminate the blackheads and the Tightening Pack is to tighten and close up pores.

One thing to be aware of: when I first opened my white egg, I took off the flat lid. When I put the lid back over the product, I thought the lid wasn't placed well enough, so I kept pushing the lid down until I accidentally pushed the lid into the product, scooping half of the product out of the egg and onto the table. Moral of story: the lid just rests over the product, so don't try to secure the lid!  In this picture you can see how messy the ring is around the yellow lid...one of my biggest pet peeves is messy things!

The consistency is a smooth, fluid gel with occasional yellow beads for exfoliation. The gel is a translucent gray that turns white as you massage it on your face.  The picture of my fingers shows the gel in different, equally poor lighting.

The Pros

• The light citrus scent is pleasant, especially since I'm placing this product all around my nose.
• I like how the gel turns into white foam, showing the product at work.
• The yellow beads are a nice exfoliation.
• The packaging is SO cute!
  

The Cons

• None so far!  I will have to use this product throughout the weeks to see if my blackheads to improve.
  

Tightening Pack

Here are the four sides of the Tightening Pack's packaging.  Starting at the upper left and going clockwise, the first image is the front of the egg, the second image is written in Korean, the third image is the backside with the directions and ingredients in English, and the last image has the directions in Korean, accompanied by three illustrative images.  The directions say to apply over your pores and leave on for 10-15 minutes, then wash off with lukewarm water.

You can see how thick this product is. Peeling off the lid is definitely a struggle the first few times because of how sticky this thick product is!

This product is surprisingly very smooth and has a light consistency, unlike the hard and stiff clay texture I had originally imagined.  I applied a thin layer on and around my nose, which was just translucent enough to barely see the blackheads.  I think just this thin layer is enough for the mask to be effective.

The Pros

• There is no noticeable smell, even throughout the 23+ minutes I left this mask on my nose.
• The smooth, light consistency gives a relaxing, cooling sensation on my nose.
• This product easily smooths over my nose, so I don't need much product per use.
• This mask hardens into clay in about 10 minutes, leaving a smooth finish that I can't stop touching!
• After using both products, my nose feels really clean!  Even if my blackheads don't get smaller, my nose will still be clean, which is satisfying enough.
• The packaging is cute!  These eggs are a set, so I have to get them all!
  

The Cons

• None; I absolutely love this product!  This is my favorite egg out of the two I have.
  

My brother also used these two products with me, and he agrees that his nose feels very clean after using these two products too.  We plan to use these two eggs once a week.  I hope we both get satisfying results soon!

SkinFood Mask Reviews

SkinFood is known for their flavorful and palatable face masks, which is why I'm so excited to try a few of them! I love how SkinFood uses common Asian ingredients for their products, such as black sesame and ginseng. I definitely don't see those ingredients in health products at American stores! My SkinFood purchase from their San Francisco location came with five different face mask samples, so here I will test a couple of them out.  Note that because I received these samples from an American SkinFood branch, all the information is in English.

Ginseng Mask
I am so ecstatic to sample SkinFood's Ginseng Mask!  I love ginseng, its properties of making one feel rejuvenated, and I especially love ginseng in Korean ginseng soup.  According to SkinFood's website, this mask is meant to give you a "pure, luminous complexion" because of its main ingredient, ginseng, from Geumsan County, the largest ginseng market in South Korea.

The instructions say to place and gently massage a generous amount of product onto your face, then let it sit for five minutes and finally rinse the mask off with lukewarm water.

This mask is very fluid and runny.  It is translucent with an earthy yellow hue and contains soft, pulverized ginseng. 

The Pros

• The scent is a mild, bitter ginseng smell, which is amazing for avid ginseng lovers like myself.
• The texture is very soft and gentle, which seems great for sensitive skin.
  

The Cons

• Honestly, my face looked and felt the same after rinsing off this mask.
• The mask leaves a very thin layer on your face, so you need to use a lot of product in order to really feel the mask working at your skin.

Because this is my first time using this mask, I am not able to see a radiant complexion that I might have seen had I used this product frequently.  Overall, I was falling in love with everything about this product, until I washed it all off. Then I realized that I didn't see nor feel any effect, not even the morning after. I would use this product just for the fun of putting one of my favorite foods on my face, but nothing more.

Black Sugar Mask
I'm not so thrilled about the idea of putting sticky, goopy sugar on my face (I hate sticky substances getting on my hair), but I decided to give this mask a shot anyways.  I suppose hard sugar would exfoliate skin, which is a plus.  According to Skinfood's website, indeed this mask does exfoliate dead skin, as well as "revitalizes skin," brightening the complexion, I suppose.

The directions on the SkinFood website suggest mixing this mask with water or toner to reduce skin irritation, depending on how sensitive your skin is.  Apply the mask onto wet skin and massage, then let the product sit for 10-15 minutes and wash off with warm water.  I'm an impatient person, and 15 minutes is a long time, but when I have My Flower Boy Neighbor to watch, I sometimes let the mask sit ever longer (^_^).

A side note, I noticed a couple of my SkinFood samples had a printed white sticker covering the back of the sample, so I peeled it off to reveal the original print. The original back had Korean, so I'm guessing for the American stores SkinFood had to put the information, such as ingredients, in English.

This mask is very rough, consisting mostly of crystalized sugar and melted sugar. It's also tempting to taste! Surprisingly the product is more fluid than sticky, which is much easier to work with.  Because this mask is so gritty, I feel like the exfoliation happens instantly so it can also be used as a scrub, if you're an impatient person or you're in a time crunch. This mask also feels more like a scrub than a mask in general, so the benefits may be just as effective leaving the mask on for only a couple of minutes rather than 10, which is how long I left it on.

The Pros

• The scent is quite pleasing, like a mild coca cola.
• My face and hands are very smooth and polished afterwards (but not soft).
• The mask exfoliates my skin really well.

The Cons

• The product is very rough, especially when massaging all over my face.

Overall, I do like this mask and I would use it again. However, I would use it as a scrub and add plenty of water on my face and in the product to soften the consistency and more easily spread the product around my face.

Kpop Songs 2012, Part 2: Girl Groups, Collaborations, Solo Artists

This is the second and final part of my most favorite songs that I discovered in 2012 (these songs either came out in 2011 or 2012).  To check out the first part, my favorite boy band songs, click here.

Trouble Maker - HyunA and Hyun Seung aka Trouble Maker
It's not often that I see a mixed gender group, so I was instantly drawn towards the new group Trouble Maker, a duo group containing 4minute's HyunA and Beast's Hyun Seung. This song and its music video are very mature and bold, much different from the more innocent, mellow songs I listen to. I am amazed at the provocative choreography in the music video-it's just amazing how fast they're moving. I first found this song by watching several of Kpop Billboard's Hot 100 Top 50, so I've been exposed to this song multiple times. At first I really didn't click with this song because of its sexiness, but soon the fast-paced chorus really got to me and won me over.



Loving U - Sistar
This song and its music video is very fresh, fun, lively and makes me just want to fly to the beautiful beaches of Hawaii just to dance to this music video. Its chorus is very catchy and beats are very peppy, making me feel carefree and worry-free.



Classic - J.Y. Park, Suzy, Taecyeon, Wooyoung
This mini Dream High cast reunion was what drew me to this endorsement song for Reebok. This collaboration of diverse performers makes for a beautiful, gentle song that I like to listen to when I need something mellow.



Back in Time - Lyn
This song is the first track in The Moon That Embraces the Sun OST (the full album; it is Part 2 of the individual albums). Its slow tune and powerful chorus charmed me every time they played this song in the drama. Also listening to an English cover of this song has moved me so much. The translated lyrics are so powerful and touching, I am just in awe.



TTL (Time to Love) - T-ara and SuperNova
It's not often that I see collaborations between boy bands and girl groups, and this collaboration is what first caught my attention with this song. Next the fast pace and fun beat won me over. It's just so catchy!



I Don't Need a Man - Miss A
This song's concept really reminds me of Beyonce's "Single Ladies," which is inspirational and encouraging.  But that's not why I like this song!  I love the fun, carefree attitude that this song portrays, especially the chorus. Like all these other songs, this one is also super catchy!



Though I had an entire year to find a list of songs to obsess over, I only found 10 that really stood out for me. I hope you liked these songs and music videos as much as I do!

Kpop Songs 2012, Part 1: Boy Bands

I love writing recap posts that cover an entire year.  Though we are well on our way into 2013, I want to write about my most favorite kpop songs of 2012. These aren't necessarily songs from 2012, but more like songs that I have only discovered in 2012, and I am still very excited about these songs, so bare with me if I'm writing about 'old' songs.  These songs spoke to me, giving me an emotional connection one way or another, and are always stuck in my head because of their catchy tunes.  I was just gathering the songs that I truly obsessed over last year, and it ended up being ten-perfect!

My entire list included too many labels, so I have to split this post into two parts.  This first part covers my most four favorite songs from boy bands that I discovered last year.  Check out Part 2, which covers six videos of girl groups, collaborations, etc.

Hey You - CNBlue
From their 4th Korean mini album, Hey You is my most favorite CNBlue song!  CNBlue has always been my most favorite band, and their songs always amaze me.  This song really showcased the vocals of Jung Yong Hwa and Lee Jong Hyun, and the chorus is upbeat and smooth.  Random anecdote: this is the song I hum when I'm getting shots to distract myself!



Be Mine - Infinite
I first learned about Infinite through the drama Shut Up Flower Boy Band. This drama stars the adorable Kim Myungsoo, aka L, of Infinite. Early in the drama, there is one scene where the main cast sings a karaoke version of Infinite's song "Be Mine." I instantly fell for the tune and chorus of this song, and after watching at the music video I fell for the members of Infinite! I even try to mimic this dance in the shower sometimes!



Crazy - Teen Top
Similar to Infinite's "Be Mine," I fell for Teen Top's "Crazy" because of the catchy tune and chorus. The English lyrics are very repetitive and simple, making it easy for me to sing this song all the time. I just can't get enough of this upbeat pop song!



Hateful Person - Beast
Part of the Big OST, this song is simply fun and lighthearted, just like the drama. Every time this song is played in Big, I can't stop smiling at the happy tune of Hateful Person. Despite such a negative title, this song is definitely cheery throughout.



This is my short list of favorite boy band songs that I found in 2012! Check out the rest of my kpop 2012 list here.

Tony Moly Cleansing Foam and Etude House Body Scrub Reviews

I love Tony Moly products, so I was absolutely ecstatic when my A-Poly package arrived with four generous samples of various Tony Moly goodies!  Today I'm reviewing on my Dr. Tony AC Control Acne Cleansing Foam sample, along with the lone Etude House sample, Know Your Body Soft Cream Scrub, which also came with my A-Poly package.

Tony Moly Dr. Tony AC Control Acne Cleansing Foam

First off, I love the packaging of this sample.  This brand even takes the time to design cute packaging for their samples, making this cleansing foam sample into a smaller, two dimensional version of the actual product.  Majority of the information is in Korean, with English saying "Non-prescription acne-preventive foam cleanser certified by KFDA," which sounds very fancy and trustworthy. According to the information posted on the Tony Moly website, this cleansing foam has numerous benefits.  Apparently this is a multipurpose product that helps with blood flow within the face, minimizes pores, exfoliates skin, soothes redness, gives sun protection and more.  I won't be able to test any of these claims with my sample, but I'm sure that this product's advantages do outweigh its disadvantages.

This product is creamy and a bit liquidy, but doesn't run like water.  It is very smooth and consistent throughout.  There weren't any directions, at least not in English, on the package or on the Tony Moly website, so I just placed the product in the palm of my hand, added water and rubbed on my face until all of the cream became foamy, then I rinsed it all off a few minutes after massaging my face.

The Pros

• The smell is a gentle detergent scent, similar to that of hotel soap.  The scent could be better, but it's not bad.
• This product easily foams and is easily distributed throughout my face.
• My face feels matte and clean afterwards.

The Cons

•  After drying my face, I have a tingly, stinging feeling throughout my face...does that mean it's working?  It's not a pleasant feeling, but it does go away after a few minutes.

Because this is a sample after all, I'm not sure how amazing the long term effects are for acne-prone skin.  But overall, I would consider giving this product a try. Even if it won't help prevent acne, it still cleans my face. And for the tingly, stinging feeling, maybe my skin will soon tolerate it the more often I use it. At least that's how other heavily medicated acne skincare products have affected me, so it probably means that this Tony Moly cleanser is heavily medicated and great for acne-prone people.

Etude House Know Your Body Soft Cream Scrub
I always considered body scrub as an unnecessary but luxurious step in my shower routine, so I decided to test this product out. There isn't much information about this product online, so hopefully my review will shed some light on this mysterious body scrub.  My skin has been drier than usual due to the bone-chilling weather, so I'm hoping this body scrub will moisturize my skin back to health!

The packaging of this sample is simple, yet girly and adorable, matching Etude House's princess-like concept.

The back has information in Korean and English about instructions. It says to massage the scrub in a circular motion over damp skin, then rinse off. It suggests you to use this product once to twice a week.

The product itself is very light and airy, just slightly thicker than mousse.  While the name does say that this is a soft cream, which it is, there are also small, white specks that exfoliate the skin.  I'm assuming the dark pink dots on the package illustrate these minuscule specks.

The Pros

• The mousse-like texture is interesting and fun
• The exfoliation was a nice surprise

The Cons

• The scent is tolerable, but it is a light, vanilla smell (to describe it nicely) that isn't too appealing
• My skin doesn't feel soft or smooth coming out of the shower

Overall, I'm quite a lazy person when it comes to a beauty routine, and I didn't see or feel any difference in my skin (though I'm not sure if this will be the result in the long run-it could be better if I used it on a weekly basis).  I'm sure others see some benefit to using the scrub, but for me, I'm glad I got to sample it before purchasing it because I probably wouldn't purchase this.

IU: Real Mini Album Review

As I've said several posts ago, I received IU's album Real from Taiwan. Ever since I first saw IU as shy, self-conscious Miss Sushi on Dream High, I fell for her innocent, darling charm and instantly became a fan.

IU has a beautiful, soothing voice with matching songs that I can listen to endlessly when I need a pick-me-up or just a fun song to distract me from my studies. IU's Real extended play, released in December 2010, is equally beautifully packaged, containing her nature photo shoot for the album.

This album is more like a hardcover book, as it contains a photo and lyric book, along with intricate flaps that shield the actual CD.  The photo book reveals IU looking more mature and sophisticated than she has in the past.  Her bangs have been outgrown and her hair is wavy, creating a more adult hairstyle.  IU's elegantly (not trashy) smokey eyes and fake eyelashes offer a flirty, charming side to her overall sophisticated demeanor.

Once opened, this 'book' reveals two more flaps, as seen in the top left photo. On the right side is IU's photo shoot and lyrics. The bottom left photo illustrates two photos along with the lyrics to one of the songs. The right photo, also a part of this photo shoot, shows IU beautifully dressed. I love her minimalistic, yet sophisticated outfits on this shoot! She is such a style icon.

 

The left flap exposes two vertical flaps that protect the actual CD.  This left half of the book is covered with IU in an open field.  I should have lined up the CD with the background image; now it looks funky :(

 

Now onto the actual music of this extended play. Clearly I'm not educated in the music field (you will be able to tell if you read on) so I will use my own, very simple terms to express my thoughts of this album. My most favorite track is IU's second track, Good Day, which is very catchy, with upbeat instrumentals and her flowy voice. This album also ends with the instrumental version of Good Day, which is just as beautiful to listen to when you need a boost of happiness. On this album is also a Christmas song, entitled Merry Christmas Ahead. This slow, cheery song does have gentle tones that remind me of falling snowflakes.

Sadly I don't understand the lyrics of these songs or their meaning, but overall these songs sound more mature than her past songs, with sad, soft and slow tones.  In all, check out this extended play if you're an IU fan!  The layout of this extended play, the photo book, and the song, Good Day, are worth it.

[Update] Aberdeen Centre

The Korean shops at Aberdeen Centre have changed since I last visited in Thanksgiving 2012, which I blogged about here! Last weekend I came back to this mall to find SASA and an updated collection of kpop merchandise at HMart.

SASA (Reopened)
SASA was originally located on the second floor, but now has moved to the top floor.  It is quite a small stall, about as deep as it is wide.

This SASA only sells Laneige products, which is seen on the storefront sign in the center. The store is quite basic, with Laneige products displayed on cases lined against the wall. Only if you are a fan of Laneige would I suggest you coming here, because there is no cute concept or cutely packaged products to see.

HMart
HMart continues to carry beauty products from high end Korean brands such as Laneige, which are in display cases and on glass shelves. Nearby also resides the kpop merchandise.

There are still the main items that were already here from my visit during Thanksgiving, including framed Kim Hyun Joong posters, Super Junior's Sexy, Free & Single album and Big Bang's Alive album. There are also new, smaller, miscellaneous kpop items, including iPhone cases, clocks and stationery of popular bands and actors, such as Lee Min Ho and lots and lots of Kim Hyun Joong.

Directly behind the kpop table is a small cafe in a corner of HMart. This cafe includes a TV that plays current kpop performances that you can watch whole enjoying your food.

Every time I come to Aberdeen, it seems like their Kpop section is shrinking. Hopefully the next time I stop by, it's not extinct!

Tony Moly Magic Tint Review

As a late holiday present, my friend gave me the best (materialistic) gift of all: Tony Moly products! My friend, who is quite knowlegable in the Korean beauty brands department, says that Tony Moly is most famously known for their lip products. That said, she gave me the Cat Chu Wink Lip Tint and the Magic Tint in Grape. I have been a fanatic about lip tints: they're natural and light, unlike glosses and lipsticks, yet a step up from balms.  Here's my review on the Magic Tint (Cat Chu Wink Lip Tint review is on the way).

Magic Tint in Grape
This tint has a fruity punch to it, smell-wise and color-wise. This is grape flavor, and its scent is lightly coated with sweet purple grapes. The color is a deep purple-red wine hue. This tint consists of a very conformed, solid jelly consistency, which is good because when you use your finger to get the product, you can easily control how much product to get.

This Magic Tint is named just that because supposedly once the product is taken out of its container, the tint transforms from its deep purple hue to a softer pink tone.  The product also comes in Green Apple and Strawberry flavors, so if you really want to see this amazing color change, I suggest you try the Green Apple flavor. This blooming concept of transforming colors in lip products is a new trend, and I'm glad Tony Moly has made a product to follow it!

I took a set of three swatches within 30 minutes on my hand, and you can see the color transforming within this time. I swiped the tint several times and only gave me a barely transparent, clear pink coat. Within several minutes, the color became slightly more pink. Alas, about 25 minutes since I first put the tint on my hand, the color became a more flirty, vibrant purple.

The Pros

• This grape flavor offers a sophisticated berry hue
  
• The color is natural, yet vibrant
  
• There is a pleasant, subtle grape scent
  
• A little goes a long way, so this tint will last quite awhile
  
• The solid jelly form makes it easy to get the right amount (which wouldn't be a problem if there were an applicator)
  
• The color stays on well (I used a paper towel to rub off the tint roughly from my lips but it still stayed on).

The Cons
Note: these cons are only for makeup novices like myself (as you can see, all my beauty reviews are for skincare, not makeup).

• You must have smooth, unchapped lips first, so layer your lips with a moisturizing balm beforehand.
• The color stays on too well and there is no applicator provided.  It's hard to control this product with my finger, and I accidentally put some tint above my lip...so stay in control, or else you will have tinted skin!
• This tint gives off a sticky feeling, even two hours after initial application

Overall, this product is very colorful and the color transformation is interesting to watch.  But because it takes awhile for the color to appear, make sure you see how the end result looks on your lips after the complete color transformation!

Korean Beauty Brand: Etude House and Missing U Harp Seal Hand Cream Review

Etude House is a famous Korean beauty brand whose theme is to make customers feel like princesses living in a dollhouse. Etude House shops are beautifully designed to look pristine and dollhouse-like, matching the brand's theme beautifully, and I wish to visit one someday.

Etude's latest celebrity endorsers are boy band SHINee (one of the collections they promote is Missing U Bee Happy hand creams), along with girl group f(x)'s Krystal and Sulli, who have recently joined to endorse for 2013.

I ordered my hand cream from A-Poly on Amazon.com, since sadly there are no Etude House stores in North America. This seal was approximately $6.50 plus $4.40 for shipping.

The Missing U collection is environmentally friendly and part of the proceeds goes to protecting the particular animal of the product you are buying. This cardboard box is green because it is made of 100% recycled paper and it is printed from soy ink. The box also says that this product won for best packaging in 2011, and I can see why. The soft shape and small size makes this seal super adorable.

As you can see, the seal is so small that it can comfortably sit in the palm of my hand. It holds 30ml of lotion, which is only about one ounce. I can use up one ounce of lotion very quickly, but the packaging is too adorable to pass up so I had to order this!

The Pros

• eco-friendly packaging and helps saves seals
• cute packaging (it makes me want to collect all the Missing U hand creams!)
• small size can be easily stored in purses
• pleasant, subtle green tea scent
• creamy texture moisturizes super dry hands (tried and true, by me!), which is especially handy for the cold, harsh weather I've been facing
• just a penny-sized amount moisturizes my hands
  

The Cons

• small sizes means small amount of lotion (this can be easily used up in a few days, depending on sparingly you use it...okay, I may be exaggerating a bit on this one)
  

Overall, this hand cream is so adorable and I will probably order another animal (most likely the penguin) in the future.

On a related note, I just watched the Behind the Scenes episode of Shut Up Flower Boy Band and there is a scene where Kim Ye Rim gives Kim Myungsoo some hand cream.  By the way, I found out this is episode 14.  It turns out, this hand cream is from the Missing U collection, the Pink Dolphin.  Honestly the Pink Dolphin was the least flattering of the four hand creams, but because Myung Soo touched this, I'm so tempted to buy one for myself...!

Kpop Haul from Taiwan!

Last week my uncle traveled to Taiwan and surprised me with some kpop merchandise! I was ecstatic to receive in the mail CDs of my all-time favorite artists, as well as a kpop magazine.

I now have IU's extended play Real, which also includes a photo book. I also received CNBlue's latest Japanese mini album, Robot. Lastly, I have Kim Hyun Joong's latest Japanese full album, Unlimited, which also includes a poster of Hyun Joong. I'll have another post up for reviews and more details on these albums.

This kpop magazine illustrates pages of the latest idol groups and their most current events and projects. Included is also a poster of Queen In Hyun's Man, a drama that is on my watch list for its unique story line!

I was so excited to receive these treasures in the mail and can't wait for my upcoming posts about these CDs!

Richmond, CA: Kpop Shop

I've visited this mall several times throughout my life, but it wasn't until my last trip here (July 2012) that I noticed a shop filled with kpop in an otherwise deserted Asian mall! Kingstone Books is a small shop located in Pacific East Mall in Richmond, California (suburb of San Francisco).  The address is: 3288 Pierce Street, Richmond, CA 94804.

Besides selling books, stationary and random trinkets, they have a fairly decent selection of Kpop merchandise. What drew me to this store was the posters hanging on the storefront (I spy a shirtless Taeyang...). This quaint shop sells unofficial Kpop goods including posters (Big Bang, Taeyang, SNSD, Boys Over Flowers, etc.), hard iPhone cases, folders, post-it note packs, playing cards, and more, all for reasonable prices.

I stumbled upon this shop towards closing time and didn't have much time to choose what I wanted, but I ended up buying a Boys Over Flowers poster, 2PM folder and CNBlue notepad, totally under $20.

My Boys Over Flowers poster is smaller than two 8.5" x 11" put together and is made of high quality, glossy paper. There was another Boys Over Flowers poster with Go Hye Sun in the center, but she ruined the flower boy image for me (though Lee Min Ho and Kim Joon kind of ruin the flower boy image here too).

This is my 2PM folder, which was $5.99. The left photo shows the backside of the folder (man do they look fine in sleek suits!) while the left shows the front, with 2PM in colorful outerwear and making fun poses.

This is my CNBlue notepad, which is about six inches tall and cost $4.99.  It has two different pictures on both sides. This notepad is divided into several sections, and the pages of each section have different CNBlue images at the bottom.

If you're ever in this area, stop on by and get some kpop gear!

My A-Poly Package!

A-Poly is an online retailer through Amazon.com that carries a wide range of Korean beauty brands and products. This company is located in Seoul and ship internationally. All packages are packaged and shipped with care (and lots of bubble wrap), and some packages are cutely touched with felt hearts and other decorations. They say packages should arrive in about 17 days, but on the invoice they say one month to one month and a half.  My package came in 18 days.  All of A-Poly's items are very reasonable and the shipping cost is an additional $4.40 per item.

Here are the stickers that adorned my package. Aww, my first package from Korea! The postage is so adorable.

These are the products I ordered!  Tony Moly's products are always cutely packaged, and I just had to have my hands on their popular egg pore series.  I only bought their first two eggs, Blackhead Out Oil Gel and Tightening Pack, and hopefully I'll get the Silky Smooth Balm in the future.  I also bought Etude House's Missing U Hand Cream in Harp Seal Story because of its equally cute packaging.

My purchase also came with five samples: Tony Moly Tomatox, Vitamin Essence Mask, Dr. Tony AC Control Acne Cleansing Foam and Floria Foam Cleanser, as well as Etude House Know Your Body Soft Cream Scrub.  I'm surprised and delighted at these generous samples and can't wait to test them all out!

Once I try out all of these products, I'll be sure to post up a review!

Three Amazing Dramas That Blow My Mind

When it comes to Korean dramas, I usually watch light hearted, teen romantic comedies, but in 2012 I decided to branch out and watch other genres (because I was running out of school dramas to watch!). Here are the three dramas that I felt had story lines that were mind-bogglingly amazing, despite the little romance involved. Though I mainly watch light hearted romcoms, I found these three complex dramas to be entertaining and intriguing.

49 Days (2011)
This drama is about a young woman who has it all: wealth (meaning she doesn't work), two best friends, a supportive family and her dream fiancé of whom she met in a coincidental, charming way. Yet an unexpected accident lands her into a coma. In a world of the afterlife, a scheduler, played by Jung Il Woo, gives her 49 days to find three people outside of her family to cry genuine tears for her, all while living in the real world as a depressed convenient store cashier.

The storyline of 49 Days is so unique and complex. Even though this drama is considered a fantasy, the ideas behind it are believable and not once did i stop and doubt or question the rules of the Scheduler. The romance is so subtle in this drama, making every interaction in the relationships even more meaningful. I always have trouble predicting even the most obvious endings, but this drama really did have a twist! I was surprised and had no idea how the 49 days journey would end.

The Moon that Embraces the Sun (2012)
This drama is about a crown prince (Kim Soo Hyun) who chooses the crown princess, Heo Yeon Woo, he was destined for. Yet many others want another girl as the crown princess, and go as far as faking Yeon Woo's death. Yeon Woo doesn't recall her life as a crown princess and is raised as a shaman from here on. Several years later Yeon Woo comes back to the royal palace as the king's shaman with no recollection of her past. The present king (Kim Soo Hyun) believes his shaman is his dead crown princess and does everything he can to give his princess her rightful place.

I first watched Kim Soo Hyun in Dream High, but it wasn't until I watched Moon Embracing Sun that I really saw Soo Hyun's talents for emotional acting and moving an audience. Playing the role of such a manly king who would do anything to regain his rightful queen showed me why people call Soo Hyun such a flower boy. Besides the acting and romance, the story line is also impeccable and borderline fantasy, yet still believable. I am not a fan of historical dramas, yet this drama is outstanding in every aspect. I must admit that this drama did take some time for me to get into it (the first five episodes are of a younger cast), and there are slow political/governmental scenes throughout the drama, but it is all bearable and worth it for the development of the initial story line.

Nice Guy (2012)
This drama stars Song Joong Ki as Kang Ma Roo, who has revolved his life solely on revenge.  His childhood girlfriend Han Jae Hee, leaves Ma Roo to be the mistress of a conglomerate.  Ma Roo decides to take revenge on Jae Hee by dating her new step-daughter, Suh Eun Gee.

I am on episode 18 out of 20, and I am speechless! Each episode added an unexpected twist to Kang Ma Roo's relationships with Suh Eun Gee and Han Jae Hee, always leaving me wanting to watch the next episode. This is going to sound very shallow, but I have never seen such a good kissing scene (I should clarify, there were multiple scenes) in all of my two years of drama watching. Song Joong Ki is...breathtaking.

For anyone looking for complex dramas that make you think, or romance dramas that shy away from the teen schoolgirl genre, I highly recommend these three dramas!

My 2013 Drama Watch List

Despite the many amazing dramas in 2012, I am anticipating some exciting new dramas for 2013!

Absolutely Him (aka Absolute Boyfriend)
This drama is very elusive and I have only heard rumors about its production. Absolutely Him is about a woman who orders a perfect, handsome guy robot to act as her boyfriend. I have heard wonderful things about both the Japanese and Taiwanese versions of this drama, and can't wait for the Korean version!

City Conquest
This drama reminds me a lot of City Hunter. Kim Hyun Joong stars as a man who despises his parents and therefore leads him to be a fighter of justice for his city. Despite being an action/revenge type drama, I'm excited for its supposed romance. Another romance with Hyun Joong as the lead-yes, please!

Gu Family Book
This historical drama stars Lee Seung Ki and Suzy and centers around a half gumiho (nine-tailed fox), half human. I'm not a huge fan for historical dramas, but I'd love to see Suzy acting in such a different genre than her usual schoolgirl role (Dream High, Big).

My Flower Boy Neighbor
This drama is the third in the Oh! Boy Series. It stars Park Shin Hye in a Rapunzel-type role as a woman trapped in a tower who spies on her flower boy neighbor, played by Yoon Shi Yoon. I love the Flower Boy Series (especially Flower Boy Ramyun Shop) and hope that this drama lives up to the series' expectations!

I can't wait for another drama-filled year and hope these dramas will not disappoint!

KDrama: You're Beautiful and OST 1 & 2 Reviews

As the drama that exposed me to Korean culture, You're Beautiful has always been one of my favorite dramas. This 2009 drama stars Jang Geun Suk, Jung Yong Hwa and Lee Hong Ki as they find a replacement singer for the idol group, A.N.Jell. Their ideal replacement, however, is in the hospital and his twin sister, played by Park Shin Hye, must take his place and pretend to be a boy band member for the time being. But what happens when she starts developing feelings for one of her band members? And what happens if someone finds out she is in fact a girl?

The Pros

• The music, both performed by members of A.N.Jell and the background music, is phenomenal
• Flower boys Jung Yong Hwa and Lee Hong Ki steal the show
• A.N.Jell is such a cute and creative band name
• The stuffed animal Pig Rabbit is so adorable
• Cute story line that allows the audience to get a glimpse into idol lifestyle
• 16 episodes is a perfect length for this light-hearted drama

The Cons

• Jang Geun Suk is always a pain for me to watch because of his ugliness (sorry)
• The romantic scenes were creative, but the stiffness and non-chemistry feel between the actors made these would-be cute scenes into awkward scenes

Overall: This drama is in my Top 5 favorite dramas because of its music, story line and Yong Hwa and Hong Ki.

OST Part 1 (Chinese Edition)
[UPDATE: On a trip to Hong Kong three years later, I found this shop again! It's called Swan & Co., and I wrote about it here. This will make more sense once you read the next sentence.]
In the summer of 2010, I traveled to Hong Kong and found a hidden shop that sold kpop CDs. This was the time that I had just started watching You're Beautiful just a month before, so I was ecstatic to find You're Beautiful OST Parts 1 & 2!  Inside each album comes with a lyrics book adorned with photos from the drama, as well as four bookmarks of each member of A.N.Jell.  Each part also comes with a DVD of special features, including the concert that A.N.Jell had to perform for the drama's last episode!  Oh, how I treasure these goodies so <3

Part 1 focuses A.N.Jell's two main songs, "Still (As Ever)" and "Promise," in two versions, each sung by A.N.Jell's lead singer Jang Geun Suk and by Lee Hong Ki.  Geun Suk offers a flowy, angelic voice while Hong Ki gives a more raw, edgy version to both songs.  This CD also includes two versions of "Without Saying," an emotional song sung by Geun Suk and Park Shin Hye.  Part 1 also offers Shin Hye's fun and uplifting song, "Lovely Day."

OST Part 2 (Chinese Edition)

This CD covers songs from You're Beautiful that are more emotional and deep, including "Song For a Fool" (unfortunately not sung by Jung Yong Hwa), "Without Words," "What Should I Do" and "Goodbye."  Part 2 expresses songs that reflect when Geun Suk, Yong Hwa and Shin Hye were feeling heartbroken.  These songs aren't as catchy as the upbeat theme songs of Part 1, but Part 2 offers a completely different tone that is still worthy of checking out.

I hope you watch You're Beautiful and fall in love with it as much as I did!