Infinite: Season 2 2nd Full Album Review

After a month-long delay, on April 21th, 2014, Infinite has finally come back with their 2nd full length album, Season 2! The concept is that the members of Infinite are the "last Romeos," or romanticists. This is honestly my dream concept so seeing Infinite in creamy white lace suits, I knew this album would be perfection.

Reflecting over Infinite's almost four year music career, I came to the conclusion that Infinite is perfection; their songs and choreography can't possible get any better than it is now. And then "Last Romeo" happened. After listening to the tracklist preview, the songs on this album seem so much more amazing than any of Infinite's past songs. I have never been more excited for any other comeback (though "Man in Love" is pretty up there as well, as I love the romantic concepts). I have this thing where I can't listen to the full album until I've listened to it on my own CD, so it's been pretty torturous waiting for my album and only listening to the previews on iTunes. On a side note, the "Last Romeo" MV is on the iTunes US store, so it's nice to watch when internet isn't available!

I pre-ordered Season 2 from Kpoptown.com, and it shipped out on April 20th at 8:30PM, just half an hour after the album release in Korea! It's as if they knew how much I'm anticipating this album. I was scared that this album would be a limited release, like Over The Top, which is also why I pre-ordered immediately! I ordered the Korean version; ever since Woollim merged with SM, Infinite now releases Taiwanese versions as well (Toheart as a Taiwanese version), which is the same as the Korean, just with Chinese characters. The Taiwanese version will be out on June 10th. Infinite will also release three versions of "Last Romeo" as a single on July 2nd.

And the wait is finally over, as I've finally received my package! It arrived 13 days after being shipped, a little longer than average for me. It arrived, as usual, in a waterproof bubblewrap-lined envelope with another bubblewrap layer inside and came in perfect condition. As a pre-order gift, I also received a really adorable set of 5 double-sided Kpoptown unofficial photocards of Infinite in their white lace outfit.

This full length album has a similar layout to Infinite's first full length album, Over The Top. There is a gorgeous sleeve, with an elegent version of Infinite's latest logo. I really like this design, as it strategically still shows Infinite's faces while still showing the symbol well (refer to previous photos). This symbol also spills over to the sides on the sleeve. The backside is full of this symbol, creating a beautiful background.

Here is a close up of the front and back of the album, with the sleeve on. The back includes the tracklist, the sticker (which is on the sleeve itself), and the album still says "2014.4" despite being released in May (obviously they wouldn't reprint their albums, but I'm just pointing it out as an interesting fact).

Here is the album cover without the sleeve. Just from this concept photo I knew that "Last Romeo" would be my most favorite era!

This album is a tri-fold. Opening it once reveals more of that gorgeous Infinite symbol pattern on the left, and a nice matte beige on the right. Opening the flap once more reveals the photobook and photocard in the center, and CD on the right, along with Infinite's social media links.

Here is the cover of the photobook. Everyone looks so handsome and definitely like romanticists (except for Dongwoo and Hoya's hair color lol)! This photobook is really high quality and has 47 pages of photos from three different photoshoots (sadly, excluding the black lace outfits).

Majority of the photos are individual shots. The first set of photos is of Infinite wearing the white lace outfits, then the black (Myungsoo cow) outfits, and lastly the alternative black outfits (ripped pants, leather, etc.). There are also subunit shots of Infinite F and Infinite H, as well as group photos from the first two photoshoots, all placed in their respective sections by photoshoot. In the picture above, the photobook goes in order from top left, clockwise.

The last few pages are for the members' dedication messages, a special dedication message as a whole, and the song lyrics and credits. I'm so happy to see the members of Infinite participating in so many of these songs! To my surprise, Eric Nam and Sunggyu wrote the chorus to "Last Romeo!"

Here is the tracklist, as printed in the photobook. I won't give my opinion on each track, because honestly, this entire album is so amazing and breathtaking, from the intro to the hidden track. There is a total of 13 songs and one hidden track. Here's a huge paragraph of my fangirling over random tracks from the album (which probably would look reader-friendly in bullet points...) The title track, "Last Romeo," is another creation by Sweetune; I'm so thrilled that Infinite worked with Sweetune after taking a break to work with Rphabet for "Destiny." Someone stated during "Destiny" promotions that that was the style Infinite had been aiming for, so I was scared that they were leaving their classic Sweetune days behind. The other track that was promoted is "Memories," which is such a fun pop ballad; I love Myungsoo's "dododododo~" and Dongwoo's vocals really surprised me here! When I first heard the tracklist previews, I couldn't get enough of "Reflex." The chorus is just so fun and upbeat, like "Inconvenient Truth"; I think this will be within my top 3 favorite Infinite songs! And another stunning factor of this album that shows so much growth is the individual and subunit tracks. Sunggyu wrote his solo "Light," Woohyun wrote and composed "When I Close My Eyes," a touching ballad he performed at One Great Step Returns, and Infinite H, along with Rphabet, wrote the lyrics to their song "Alone," which was also performed at OGSR. This is Infinite H's first full song with no one being featured! And Infinite F has officially released a song, "Crazy," which is different from the one they performed at OGSR, meaning they have other songs up their sleeves ready to be released! Also two tracks, "Follow Me" and "A Person Like Me," were originally released in Infinite's 2012 Merry Christmas digital album. And lastly, there is a hidden track as part of the last track, which is an acoustic version of "Hey Hello" that lasts for about a minute and a half. I guess we can look forward to hearing this song on an upcoming album!

This album comes with one photocard out of 14 different designs. It comes in a fancy little envelope, which was sadly bent on the side for me. As you can see, I got Sunggyu!

There is one photo per member, from the various photoshoots, but each member has two different messages on the back. To reveal the message, you have to rip open that center strip. Sunggyu, Dongwoo, Hoya and Sungjong's photocards are from the white lace photoshoot and have the elegant background, while Woohyun and Sungyeol are in their alternative black outfits (not the one with Myung's cow outfit) but with uninteresting poses and backgrounds, and lastly Myungsoo has the fancy background but is wearing his cow outfit. There is also a rare photocard where the entire backside is gold.

The only thing I'm disappointed about is the poster selection. There are three types of posters, two of which L is wearing his cow outfit and one of which they're wearing their alternative black outfits, but the composition is boring (they're just standing in a line with a plain background). I really wish there were a poster with either the black lace suits or white lace suits!

I ended up getting a poster anyways. It's about the same size as Infinite's latest larger posters (New Challenge, Destiny, L's Bravo Viewtiful) but oddly enough it is half an inch longer height-wise and half an inch shorter length-wise.

Overall, I've never loved Infinite as much as I do now. The concept, the anticipation in the comeback, the live stages, the music video, the depth and variety in the songs, I love everything about Season 2 and "Last Romeo!"

SkinFood Facial Water Vita-C (Cream) Review

SkinFood has a skincare line called Facial Water Vita-C, which uses Vita C and Alaska glacier water to hydrate skin. Such products include cream, which I'll review here, a gel mask, total fluid and a mist, which was one of the first (and really badly done) reviews I did here.

According to the product's webpage, this Facial Water Vita-C Cream uses Vita C, which is a mash-up of raspberries, acai berries, cranberries and strawberries, all high in vitamin C for great hydration. This product also uses Alaska glacier water, which is very fresh and has a high concentration of oxygen, minerals and ions.

The directions on the back state to use this after the mist or essence. Then, apply the cream on your face and gently pat it in so the cream can absorb. Online also suggests to refrigerate beforehand for a cooling effect. Also if under exhaustion and stress, you can apply more of the product like a hydrating mask pack.

This facial cream is translucent with a hint of white, and has a very light cream consistency.

The Pros

• This cream has a subtly sweet summer floral scent; it's just slightly milder than the fragrant Facial Water Vita-C Mist.
• It feels very light on the face and doesn't irritate or disturb my skin.
• It retains moisture in my face and I can feel it still on my face in the morning.

The Cons

• Rather than moisturizing and hydrating my skin (which the product's name kind of implies), it more so keeps the face hydrated and healthy looking.

Overall, this is like a light face cream for normal skin to retain moisture and keep the face hydrated, rather than moisturize dry skin. Therefore this cream doesn't seem like a necessity, but maybe more for summer months to refresh your face or to use it daily to retain healthy moisture.

The Face Shop Essential Pearl Mask Sheet Review

The Face Shop has a mini line of Essential Mask Sheets that use more scientific ingredients such as collagen, coenzyme and hyaluronic acid. Here I'll review the Essential Pearl Mask Sheet, the least scientific-sounding from this line.

Information about this product online, as well as on the backside, says that it's for all skin types and uses pearl extract that penetrates into the skin smoothly and lightly. Honestly this doesn't actually tell me what the benefits are...The backside also has directions and a warning. The instructions state to leave the mask sheet on for 15 to 20 minutes, and then let the remaining essence absorb into your skin. The caution warns you not to use this sheet on broken or abraded skin.

The mask sheet is thicker than others and almost circular with deep slits that allow the sheet to fit my face more accurately.

The Pros

• The fit may be big, but this mask sheet surprisingly covers the top half of my face well and my entire face is decently covered, except for my eyelids.
• The mask also stays on my face well, even if I'm facing the floor.
• The thickness of this mask sheet seems high quality.
• I could still feel the essence on my face the following morning.

The Cons

• This mask had an initially too-strong flower-hand sanitizer-hotel soap scent that I could still smell a few minutes after putting on the mask.
• Compared to other masks, this one didn't leave much essence on my face. Even taking the mask sheet out of its pouch, it felt like it didn't absorb as much essence. Usually I'd have to tap the excess on my face, but it wasn't necessary with this one.
• There was barely any essence left inside the pouch, and I could just barely have enough to use on my neck and limbs; compared to others, I usually have lots of excess essence, but not this time.

Overall, I wasn't too impressed with this mask sheet. While it did leave essence on my face, it didn't seem as effective as any other mask sheet I've tried before.

Missha Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Skin Treatment Review

Missha has a line of skincare products, Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail, that uses snail slime to heal and strengthen damaged skin. Here I'll review the Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Skin Treatment. This product's US webpage states that this product is "a soothing gel that contains 30% snail slime extract for glowing skin," and is a "skin awakening booster and toner to firm skin foundation."

The page continues to state that this gel can be used for day and night by applying an adequate amount directly after washing your face. Then you can follow up withe the Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Essential Moisturizer for further cell regeneration.

This product is clear and has a very water consistency, yet it's slightly smooth, like highly diluted gel. Therefore, it's easiest to apply on your face by first pouring a bit into the palm of your hand. The scent is like that of high end perfume...full of musk and flowers. It isn't noticeable once on the face though.

The Pros

• This treatment feels very light on my face.
• I have no reaction, no stings, nothing while applying this on my face.
• Within seconds it dries and leaves a sticky residue, but within minutes that stickiness fades.
• My skin feels a bit smoother the next morning.

The Cons

• There is nothing negative to say...but I'm neutral on the product. It doesn't actually seem like there are benefits to using this, just that I'm adding an unnecessary extra step to my skincare routine.

Overall, I'll probably have to use this product over a period of time to actually see cell regeneration and stronger skin. While my skin does feel a bit smoother afterwards, I'd rather use a thicker face cream that will more quickly moisturize my skin and guarantee instant results.

Asian Music Festival in Seattle Experience

The Asian Music Festival Korean Hip Hop Series Vol 1 is currently in tour in New York, Seattle and L.A. I was so shocked to see Korean artists coming to Seattle, that I had to jump on this rare opportunity no matter the artist! While I was a bit hesitant to go because I'd feel out of place, I had two reasons for going:

1. To support the fact that there are fans in Seattle waiting for Korean artists to perform, and
2. The artists have ties to Infinite, so I must go!

The artists are Bumkey (who was featured in Infinite H's "Special Girl"), Verbal Jint (Infinite H covered his song "You Look Good" in Infinite's first concert), Beenzino (who I don't know), with special guest Kanto (who featured Sunggyu in "What You Want").

The Seattle concert was on Friday, May 23 at 7PM. I got a general admission ticket for $61.50; my ticket was 438 out of 1130 total tickets. There was also an early entry ticket that cost about an extra $25. The venue is located directly across from Pike Place and can be a bit sketchy outside; once inside the venue, it does seem a bit small and rundown, but it goes unnoticed once the concert starts. Also there is a bar to the side of the stage, which is the only section with seating. As for the rest of the layout, there's the floor, and then a slightly elevated platform in the back half of the pit area.

While the ticket says that doors open at 6PM, it wasn't until 6:50 when the general admission line started to pile into the venue. I got in line at around 5:50 and it had already snaked around the corner, yet by the time I got inside, I was a decent 15 feet away from the stage. DANakaDAN was the opening act and had already started; he performed meaningful raps in English for a good 30 minutes. I really liked his personality and the way he controlled the stage and connected with the audience. He really knew how to get everyone in the mood, even the most socially awkward concert goers like myself!

The next half hour was Beenzino, who spoke and performed in only Korean but knew how to get everyone bouncing on their feet and shaking the floor! At one point he even sprayed water on us with his water bottle. He was the most hardcore rapper of the night.

Next was Bumkey, who communicated in both Korean and English. He was very versatile, performing songs in Korean and some old school English songs. To my surprise, he even asked for someone's hand (which led to a major pit shift) while he sang purely without instruments or a backtrack! To top it off, Bumkey also performed a medley of the songs he was featured in, including none other than "Special Girl"! Everyone started screaming and singing along. Here's my fancam of it^^ I was surprised that he sang songs he was merely featured in, but I'm so thankful he did, as it was one of the three songs of the night that I knew -.-

Afterwards, Kanto joined Bumkey's act and together, they performed "What You Want," with Bumkey singing Sunggyu's part! Many people started singing along to this number too, including myself! Here's my fancam. May 23, the day of this venue, was also Kanto's 20th birthday, so Bumkey asked us to sing "Happy Birthday" to him in English. It's crazy that he's just a few weeks older than I am! The two performed a few more songs, spraying water on us along the way, and threw out Troy hoodies to the crowd. Bumkey was on stage for about 45 minutes when he and Kanto finished.

Last up was Verbal Jint, who was on stage for about 50 minutes, performing many old and new, unreleased songs. He spoke in English and Korean and touched many fans' hands. He also accompanied several of his songs by playing the keyboard. A highlight was when he did an almost acoustic version of "You Look Good" (which can be seen in my fancam), then he performed it normally.

After Verbal Jint left the stage, the crowd shouted for an encore, and soon enough, Verbal Jint and Bumkey came back on stage to perform one last song. They left the stage again, and people weren't sure if it was really over, then I think Bumkey came running back on stage, but then left again. Then the lights dimly went up and we all exited at 9:40.

Overall, I'm so happy to have been able to branch out in the music world and experience hip hop music! I cannot get over "Special Girl" and "What You Want" and will forever treasure seeing these two songs live. I love that I saw Infinite H perform "Special Girl" and now I've seen Bumkey perform the chorus, so it's almost like seeing the full song live. Now if only I can see Sunggyu perform "What You Want" live to see that song fully live...

The Face Shop Arsainte Eco-Therapy Crystal Water Super Gel Review

The Face Shop's Arsainte Eco-Therapy Crystal Water Super Gel contains one part iceberg water from Canada and one part phyto-hyaluronic acid, according to the description on the back. This product's webpage adds that this gel cream seeps into your face for lasting moisture.

The directions online say after using toner and emulsion, use an adequate amount of product and apply onto your face from inside outwards. I see no difference as to where you apply this gel first, but if they say so...

This product is a gel that spreads easily and feels like I'm glazing my face. It is a translucent white hue with metallic flecks that turns completely clear once spread around, so there isn't actually glitter on your face. The scent is like that of grass jelly you'd have in boba tea.

The Pros

• The scent is pleasant and not overbearing.
• It spreads easily on my face and feels light, yet effective in providing moisture.
• My face has no reaction to this product: no stings, no burns, nothing!
• A few minutes after putting a layer on my face, it feels like a light layer of wax (in a good way, like moisturization). This smooth layer even lasts until morning, when I applied it the night before.

The Cons

• Nothing!

Overall, I like this water gel. It's light on the face and creates a smooth texture that lasts the following morning. In a way, the results of using this Water Super Gel is like a milder version of using The Face Shop's Olive Essential Cream; this gel could be used for the hotter months while the cream could be used for the colder months.

Skin79 Essential Mask Reviews

Skin79 is a Korean beauty brand that has an easy-to-use website for foreigners, but with only-Korean product descriptions; their US website is www.skin79.us.com. Today I'll review the Bright Pearl Essential Mask and Moisture Ceramide Essential Mask sheets, both of which were purchased in Vietnam, hence the Vietnamese stickers.

Bright Pearl Essential Mask

The front and backside have the same description, stating that this mask uses pearl extract, lily flower extract and lotus flower extract to clean and brighten skin, as well as sooth dull and tired skin. Here is the link to the product's webpage, with facts listed in English and descriptions in Korean.

Moisture Ceramide Essential Mask

The front and back both state that this mask uses ceramide to restore and maintain moisture to dry and rough skin while oatmeal and Shea butter is used to protect sensitive skin. Information about this product in Korean can be found here.

The backside has a description, directions and ingredients listed in English and Korean (and on the Vietnamese stickers). The directions state to rinse your face, then put the mask sheet on for about 10 to 15 minutes before removing, and finally pat the excess essence on your face to absorb.

Here is the Moisture mask sheet, which is the same size as the Bright mask sheet. The shape of this sheet is oddly rhombus-shaped horizontally, with deep slits at the jawline.

The Pros

• The mask stays on really well, even when my face is facing the ground for awhile.
• Though the sheet dimensions are a bit odd, the deep slits allows me to cover more surface area and stay on well.
• The mask is cool and refreshing on the face.
• After removing the mask, there is a good amount of essence left on my face which gets absorbed quickly once I tapped it into my face (though it may feel sticky).
• Directly after using this mask, I went to sleep and the next morning, my face is noticeably smoother, which I'm surprised by the good results!
• The mask absorbs a lot of essence and there is still some remaining in the bag, so there's a good amount left to use on your neck and limbs.

The Cons

• As always with mask sheets, the holes are too big so I can't cover my entire face.
• The Moisture scent is off-putting; it's like that of an old lady's hand cream, a mix of potpourri and melted plastic. But you'd get used to the scent soon enough.  The Bright scent has a similar scent, but more diluted and with a hint of a floral burst.

Overall, despite the smell of the Moisture mask, I do like these sheets. I like that my face is smoother the next day.