Busan : My Family in Korea

Spring in Busan.

Fortunately when i got well , weather turns slightly warmer and cherry blossoms were everywhere .
We went on a family trip to Jinhae which is an hour drive away. Jinjae oppa ( my bf’s brother ) took day off so that he can bring me there to see cherry blossoms. So kind of him and he is a really cool guy. He is tall , with a stable job at the top life insurance company in Korea , has a bachelor pad and is a really nice guy. Lol..any single ladies out there ?

Jinhae is an hour drive away from Busan. It is famous for its cherry blossoms at Romance Bridge and the railway station. I am really lucky to see full bloom cherry blossoms on that day because after that day , it rained EVERYDAY till the day i departed from Gimhae airport.

Of cos , you can see cherry blossoms in Busan too. The cherry blossoms lined up along the streets and the best place to see them in Busan is at Namcheon-dong. There is this particular street that looks really nice with the cherry blossoms.

Ok , back to Jinhae.

Jinhae is a small town so you can just spend few hours there. We spent like 3 hours there before we went for lunch and back to Busan.

Jinhae is very crowded during Cherry Blossom Festival in Spring . People and tourist flocked here to see the cherry blossoms , have picnic under the trees and take a stroll along the river canal.

There are both white and pinkish cherry blossoms. All so nice ! And just next to this place is a HUGE mountain.

The backdrop looks damn nice.

After spending 3 hours taking a stroll and pictures of the pretty cherry blossoms , Jinjae oppa drove us to a restaurant located near the base of a mountain and along the coast for the nicest and freshest live eel bbq !

At night , we drove up to Mount Hwangnyeong. It is the best place to see sunset in Busan. But we were at the premium outlets in the evening and can only go here at night. It was very cold.

Not only do you get to see beautiful Busan’s sunset here but you can get to see 360 degrees view of the entire Busan. It is located near Namcheon station so you can put your cherry blossoms sight seeing and sunset viewing on the same afternoon.
How to get here ?

Take MRT to Namcheon station (exit 4) and then take bus number 38 to Hwangnyeong mountain or you can cab there.

City night view of Busan .

Gwangan bridge is brightly lighted.

Jinjae oppa with his fleece blanket because he forgot to bring his coat.

We were all cold and hungry. It was 10pm and we went to the famous “Hae Mae Ddokbokki” at Namcheon for dinner. This place is famous for its noodle soup and Ddokbokki. It is cheap and nice. The soup is free flow too. It is a humble street stall located at a back alley.

All of us were dead tired and too tired and zonked out once we arrived home in Seomyeon !

Busan : My Family in Korea

Apr19

I fell very sick the night after i came back from Nampo-dong. I was resting at home and Oppa went to the bank to settle his accounts. I slept through the entire day till Jinjae oppa came back from work and drove us to Oppa’s mother’s motel in Gimhae because it was her birthday.

It was terrible. I was vomiting and having non-stop clear water diarrhea. Felt really terrible. My stomach was grumbling and growling sooooo loudly. I think it was stomach flu. I felt very sorry because it was Oppa’s mother’s birthday and instead joining them to celebrate , having Korean BBQ and cut the birthday cake , i have to sleep and rest in the room. Felt really bad because i vomited right infront of her..but luckily , i found a plastic bag and not messing up her motel floor.

The motel housekeeper helped to set up the heating pad on the bed for me , made our room and i just fell asleep after that.

Oppa sent me a picture of the yummy cake 😦 But i can’t eat it.

So the next day , Oppa’s mum drove me to the hospital just next door. Because i was too weak to walk , she drove there even though the hospital was just on the next street which is 2 mins walk away.

Put on IV dripped , consulted the door who spoke a little bit of English and collected my medication. The price was only KRW 68,000 . I thought i have to pay like hundreds of dollars and i was checking whether i can claim from my insurance. I was really surprised. No wonder Oppa would rather go back to Korea for medical check ups etc because he maybe able to claim from his insurance company and it is also cheaper even if it is non-claimable. I paid SGD 90 at my local GP just opposite my house when i had fever or SGD 60 for a normal flu.

I don’t know why but suddenly after i came back from Korea , i felt like everything in SG is so expensive.

And it really is.

So for 5 days , i was bedridden , vomiting and having diarrhea the whole day and was too weak to even walk. I can’t eat anything. Whatever i ate just came out. I ate nothing but still i have so much vomit and diarrhea to excrete out. And what’s worst was that it was all clear water. So dehydrated that i only peed once a day.

But thanks to Oppa and his mother , i got well pretty fast . She prepared honey drink and porridge for me. I wanted to cook myself but she insisted i should rest and she reminded me daily to not to eat oily food via kakaotalk messages.

On the 3rd day after i fell sick , i managed to drag my feet to Haeundae beach with Oppa to meet his friend for lunch at his restaurant and a walk to Dongbaekseom (Dongbaek Island) .

How to get to Haeundae Beach ?

Take the MRT line and stop at Haeundae station. The beach front is just 5 minutes walk away.

Oppa’s friend’s restaurant specializes in Duae-Ji-Kuk-Bab (Pork soup with rice ) .

I had no mood for the food and just drank the soup. It is really nice. You can find alot of such restaurants selling Pork Soup with rice in Busan. It is just like our Bak Kut Teh but just that there is no peppery taste.

After that , we went to starbucks for hot coffee. I wasn’t feeling well and the weather was cold and rainy so i didn’t want to walk along the beach. Too windy. Thereafter , we walked to Dongbaek Island ( Dongbaekseom ) .

Dongbaekseom Island is a very small island with many Dongbaek trees. At the top of the island, there is a statue and a monument of a scholar and writer during the Silla Dynasty. It is an island linked to the mainland Busan . So you can walk from Haeundae beach. If you are going to Haeundae Beach , you can put Dongbaek Island together on the same day. It is at the right side of Haeundae beach ( you will see The Westin Chosun Hotel ) and further up , there is a bridge/road that links to Dongbaek Island. If weather was good , you can see Oryukdo Island ( “Or” means 5 , “Yuk” means 6 , “Do” means island ). The reason for its name is because depending on the tide and condition of the day , sometimes it looks like 5 island and sometimes looks like 6 islands. It is a rock island that was made purely out of stones. You need to take a ferry tour around the islands from Haeundae.

I didn’t manage to take pictures at Dongbaek Island because it was raining and windy and i wasn’t feeling well. So i totally have no mood to take picture and just want to go somewhere warm. We took at cab later to Centum City Shinsaegae. The world’s largest shopping mall. It was sooo huge ! Don’t even have the mood to shop because i kept going to the toilet to vomit.

We ended the day early and went back to Seomyeon to rest.

Next day , Oppa’s brother cooked yummy spaghetti for our breakfast before we head to Sajik baseball stadium. Before that , we went to the nearest Lotte Mart to buy beer , coke , water , pizza and fried chicken. My condition was 60% and the smell of any oily food makes me nausea and feel like want to vomit very badly.

By then i already lost alot of weight lol. My arms were like stick. I was 51.5 kg before and after fell sick , my weight dropped to 47kg. Wearing the old Lotte jersey and ready to cheer for the team at Sajik Stadium. Sajik stadium is home ground for Lotte Giants which represents the Busan team. You have to buy the ticket inorder to watch a baseball match. You can buy and book your seats online or at the stadium main entrance.

Full house. First game of Spring. Baseball matches were stopped in Winter and only resume in Spring to Autumn.

Chants of Lotte Giants cheer everywhere. I posted a video on my instagram.

My 3 bodyguards who took care of me when i was sick. My bf , his brother and Soobin his best friend.

After the baseball game , we went to Haeundae beach for dinner and met all of Oppa’s high school friend.

We had 2 rounds of dinner. BBQ live eels with soju and beer and 2nd round was Kimchi jiggae and other food. Whole thing ended at 3am and we were dead tired.

Soobin Oppa booked a sea view room at Novotel Haeundae Beach for me to show his appreciation and thanks when he came to SG last year. I accompanied him everyday to all tourist destinations in SG for 4 days. And we attended a baby shower. This is the first time i attended a Korean baby shower. Things were abit different compared to Singapore style baby shower.

After which , Soobin Oppa brought me to Busan Premium Outlet. But i wasn’t in the mood to shop because i wasn’t feeling good. So the next day , my bf’s bro brought us back to Lotte Premium Outlet in Gimhae to shop after i felt better and my condition was 90%. These 2 outlets are 2 different locations.

How to get to Busan Premium Outlet ?

1133 Jeonggwan-ro, Jangan-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan

Take MRT to Jangjeon station and then take bus No 1008. Bus ride takes about 1 hour.

Take bus No 37 from Busan Bus Terminal . Journey is about 1 hour.

Im not sure if there were any changes made in the bus route so it will be better for you to check and confirm at the MRT or bus terminal.

This place is REALLY ulu..like in the middle of nowhere suddenly pop up a HUGE premium outlet. Apparently the one in Busan is Asia’s largest outlet.

It is a shopping heaven for men because you can buy alot of sports related stuff at outlet price ! Nike , Adidas , New Balance , Reebok , Taylor Adidas etc etc. And if you are traveling to somewhere cold , you can buy North Face jackets at really cheap price at less than SGD 300. A North Face jacket usually cost more $500. For the ladies , you can shop at Roxy , Quiksilver , Michael Kors , Coach , Burberry and any other luxury brands or Lotte Mall for cosmetics and branded stuff like Burberry , Jill Stuart etc etc. The one at Busan has a Lotte Mall and Lotte Mart.

The Nike and New balance shoes are dirt cheap ! I was tempted to get them but i resisted the temptation. I got a pair of Nike sneakers ( white colour with magenta colour Nike ✓ logo ) for only $40. Oppa’s bro bought it for me. Don’t worry , sure have your size. Take your time to shop. Look at the number of boxes of stocks.

I got this pair of New Balance shoes below 1.5 years ago at KRW 99,000 and it is only KRW 39,000 at the outlet.

Sian.

Coach, Ermenegildo Zegna , Polo Ralph Lauren,,
Michael Kors, Burberry , DKNY , Salvatore Ferragamo and many more

There are alot of selections. Not only shoes , but you can find sports wear , equipments or whatever.

We went to the one at Busan and another one in Gimhae. The one in Gimhae is cheaper and has more selections for brands like Nike , Adidas , New balance and Reebook as compared to the one in Busan actually. The one at Gimhae is very near Oppa’s mother’s motel. No wonder she said she goes there often.

Tourist Tax Refunds are available and you have to tell the cashier you want tax refund. Then they will give you the envelope and tax refund slip.

I bought 2 pairs of Havaianas at Busan Premium Outlet’s Lotte Mall.

2 Pairs for only KRW 48,300 after 30% discount. It was cheap even before the discount. One pair in SG is already SGD 59.90 for one with design and the basic one is already $39.90. I got a hot pink basic one with thick straps for KRW 21,000 and $27,300 which is about SGD 60. A good time for me to buy because my dog bite and snapped my havis and im currently wearing a slippery $5 cotton-on slippers.

Samsonite luggages there are 30% cheaper too. A handcarry pull luggage is less than KRW 300,000 .

Guess who bought the most things ? Not me but Oppa’s brother.

It was night time . Look at the cherry blossoms glowing at night under the street lights.

Walking to Oppa’s car. The weather was really good and we had alot of fun probably because my condition was better after i stopped vomiting and having diarrhea.

We had a long day and were so tired. Totally knocked out after that.

Busan : Shop Eat Sleep

Apr13

Another update on my trip to my boyfriend’s hometown in Busan , South Korea.

Every morning , i woke up to the view of Seomyeon shopping and medical street.

The other side is the view of mountains. The air was so fresh and the breeze was abit chilly though cos it was end of Winter and it was really cold. Freezing at 8 degrees and sleeping on heated bed every night. As you can see the trees were bare from the winter chill.

So in the previous post , i blogged about shopping at Seomyeon shopping and medical street.

How to get there ?
Take the MRT and stop at Seomyeon station and when you come out from the gantry , you will be greeted with lotsa fashion shops and beauty shops like Innisfree , VDL , Clio Professional , It’s skin , Etude house , The face shop , Nature republic , Espoir , Holika Holika , Aritaum etc etc. Whatever brands you can think of that are Korean. The salesgirls in the clothing shops are not very friendly to foreigners. So it will be good if you can speak abit of Korean. And if you can speak and understand Korean , they will also be very aggressive in pushing their sales. Oppa and i spoke in English abit and the salesgirl wasn’t that friendly and i was not allowed to try the top. When we switched to speaking in Korean , the attitude changed. Suddenly become friendly.

You will see staircases at the sides , go up and and it is the street level filled with more beauty and fashion shops. The shops at street level are bigger but scattered everywhere. So it will be troublesome for you to compare prices, colours , sizes or whatever you need to compare and hesitate about. If you shop underground , the beauty shops are side by side or just opposite each other. So it is easy to move around the different brands and get everything one shot. There are more fashion shops underground than at street level.

We went on a trip to Oppa’s University with his mother. Yup , we were greeted with this beautiful beach/view which is just right in front of his faculty block. I was told this is the place where campus couples usually go on quiet dates and students have picnic here in summer.

Imagine sitting here and reading your school notes. Weather was pretty good that afternoon before it suddenly turned soooo cold at night. Checked the weather forecast and it was supposed to be cooling (18-23 degrees celsius ) instead of cold and windy. So I brought bandage and skater skirts , dresses , stockings and high waisted pants to be paired with crop knit tops but i ended up have to buy a new top and new pair of jeans because it was too cold. To be in fashion or keep myself warm ? I prefer to be more practical and that was to keep myself warm. So i borrowed the puffer coat from Oppa’s mother. I only brought a trench coat , denim crop jacket and a biker rider jacket.

This is a great place for photoshoot. Found lotsa secret places for photoshoot and if only it was summer , i could have done my shoots here.

I got my top from TOP 10 and jeans from one of the shops at Seomyeon underground shopping strip for only KRW 29,000. There are alot shops selling ripped jeans in Seomyeon. I wanted to get more but i don’t wear jeans in SG and it will be waste of money to buy all the colours i want to even though they are so pretty and chic ! So , i only got one pair. Im wearing size M . Their sizing are reallly small. I even wear size 28 for some Korean jeans.

The view was beautiful and noon sun was great before the weather turns cold late afternoon.

After visiting his University , Oppa’s mother drove us to Gamcheon Cultural Village.

It is like Italy’s Cinque Terre where you see colourful houses on the mountains and cliffs overlooking the sea.

Gamcheon Cultural Village is just like Korea’s own version of Cinque Terre.

Over here , you can get to enjoy cool and breezy view. And also learn more about Korean’s way of living back in the 1960s and when it is still not a developed country.

There are alot of phototaking points where you can go up to the roof tops to take picture and enjoy the view. If you are hungry , you can grab abite at the cafes or road side stalls selling hotdogs , spicy rice cakes and grab a cup of coffee if you feel cold.

Roof top on one of the cafes where you can write love notes and pin it on the railings.

Everyone was queuing up to take picture with this statue. I was on of those who queued for it too lol.

It ain’t scary as you think it is to sit here and take a picture with this little guy !

Oppa’s mother was feeling abit tired and cold after the long drive and walk . So we stopped by one of the cafes to have a coffee. There are alot of French themed cafes here. I realized that alot of Korean cafes are very French themed. Eg. the interior designs and music they played in the cafes.

You can buy sovenirs in the cafes but i think they are too expensive and over priced.

After Gamcheon Cultural Village , we went to Nampo-dong shopping street.

How to get there ?

Nampodong Station (Busan Subway Line 1) .

You can put Gamcheon Cultural Village , Nampo-dong shopping street and famous Jalgachi fish market all in one day. Because Gamcheon Cultural Village is just 10 minutes drive away from Nampo-dong and Jalgachi fish market is just next to Nampo-doing shopping street. So you can have lunch at Gamcheon Cultural Village or light snacks there , shop at Nampo-dong and then dinner at Jalgachi fish market. Also a super huge Lotte Departmental Store is located at Nampo-dong. You can do all of them in a day.

Oppa wanted eat Ho-ddok ( which is a kind of pastry ). So we queued for the famous one. There is a street in Nampo-dong which was lined up with alot of Tarot cards reading stalls and street food stalls. You know those you see in K-dramas. Where they had street food in a plastic sheet covered stalls.

Lotte Department Store Gwangbok is just next to Nampo-dong shopping street. Nearest MRT is Nampodong station , Exit 10.

The world’s largest indoor musical water fountain and the rooftop park, which is the largest in Korea and it offers a great view of the entire city of Busan.

Fyi , Lotte and Shinsaegae departmental stores close at 8pm. So you need to plan your shopping. Street shops don’t close that early and usually before 11 pm.

Street food galore. Street food can fill your tummies and there is no need to go to restaurants or cafes. So many things to eat and so many varieties of local food at Nampo-dong street. You can also visit Busan Tower located at Nampo-dong.

After the street food street is the shopping stretch.

Somewhere along this shopping belt in Gwangbok-dong , you can see an escalator and it leads you to Busan Tower. I have been there 2 years ago so i didn’t go this time. It is the Busan’s version of Seoul Tower. Kinda similar.

How to get to Gwang-bok dong ?

Take MRT to Nampodong station , Exit 1.

So in fact , you can drop off at Nampo-dong station and shop at Lotte , Gwangbok-dong and Nampo-dong shopping stretch. These 3 places are connected. So connected that you don’t know if you are at Nampo-dong or Gwangbok-dong lol.

And after that you can walk to Jalgachi market from Nampo-dong for dinner and go back to your hotel via Jalgachi station.

Difference between Nampo-dong/Gwangbok-dong and Seomyeon shopping stretch is that in Nampo-dong/Gwangbok-dong you can find more bigger brand names like MLB , New balance , Adidas boutiques etc and the shops are bigger whereas in Seomyeon , you can find more local designers and smaller fashion shops. Of cos , the ones in Seomyeon are cheaper than Nampo-dong/Gwangbok-dong. But for beauty brands , all outlets sell same things lah.

We walked further in to Gwangbok-dong.

We ordered Woo-Jing-Or-Tuee Kim ( Squid tempura ) , Korean pancake and Spicy Rice Cake ( Ddok-bokk-i )

Sooo nice !

Korean pancake with spring onion.

Shop and eat . Shop and eat. Because the street food carts were all lined up infront of the fashion shops.
It turned windy and cold so suddenly (8 degrees and im feeling so cold in my outfit ) ,. so the only comfort was to keep eating and drinking the free flow of Oh-Muk (fish cake) soup to keep my body warm. Busan is famous for their Oh-Muk ( Fish cake ) . You should buy them home or eat at the road side stall.

We were standing at the stall eating the street food for dinner and i don’t wanna leave because i felt so warm eating and drinking the hot soup.

Street food are very cheap. We ate so much and spent less than KRW 10,000

Jalgachi Fish Market at night.

So cold lor…i cannot take the cold and just want to go to the nearest Lotteria for a cup of hot coffee.

So we just rushed through a small stretch of Jalgachi fish market , walked back to Nampodong for final dose of Oh-Muk Soup before we head back to our home in Seomyeon via Nampodong station.

I bought alot of beauty products and make up when i shopped at Seomyeon which is just opposite our house. Last post , i blogged about the A.H.C (Korean professional skincare line) which was widely used in aesthetic clinics.
This post , gonna blog about a new serum i bought from Iope and a Leaders Vitamin C serum Oppa’s mother bought for me.

I heard about this brand called Leaders before but i don’t have the chance to try it because it is sooo hard to find. You can buy their masks in SG but not their serums , creams or cleansers etc.

This brand was created by dermatologists from Seoul University.

I tried this serum and i love it . Easily absorbed and after applying the serum , i can apply my emulsion , moisturiser and creams without worrying that it will make my skin oily. It comes with capsule beads which contains high concentration of Vit C. I have been using this for a week already ! I saw that there is a slight improvement in my skin tone. With this Vitamin C serum and other products im using , i think it makes my skin tone looks better and brighter. This is not easily available online and Oppa’s mother bought from the HOME SHOPPING TV program. Lol. That is her favourite TV channel. I tried to find it in Gmarket but it is not available.

Iope Moistgen Serum Skin Hydration.

I tried the samples before i bought this full size bottle. Some times you must be thick skin abit and ask for samples before you buy the full size bottles. I always ask for samples to try first so that im sure the product suits my skin condition before i spend money and buy. If im not wrong it is about KRW 49,900. Lol. I threw away the boxes and can’t remember the price.

What i like about this is that it is not oily and easily absorbed. Im currently using this and Hera’s Waterin Serum. I switched Hera’s Waterin Serum to night because the texture is more sticky than Iope’s. I find it easier to apply make up if i used the Iope one. Hera’s Waterin Serum is good and really hydrating too.

I had my Eyelashes done at Seomyeon eyelash extension studio.

I walked around Seomyeon and all the eyelash extension shops there are having promotion of KRW 30,000 which is approx SGD 35 only. I did it 3 weeks ago and the eyelashes are still very dense till today and i am happy with the results. Usually the ones i did in SG all dropped off within 2 weeks. But the one i did in Korea are still going on strong and dense even at the 3rd week. I took pictures with my HP but i have problem transferring them to the lap top to post it here. Once i have resolved this problem , i will post a picture for you all to see.

The shop i went to was called Magic Face. They do not have any website. I just chanced upon it and read from naver blogs and reviews from other Koreans. You can go to any beauty shops in Seomyeon to ask for the price and usually outside the shop , they will hang a banner or poster if there are any promotions. Seriously you should get it done in Korea instead if you are there for holiday because it is so cheap ! I had eyelash permed and extensions done for total of KRW 50,000 ! I checked with my Korean girlfriends. For eyelash extensions , usually it is only KRW 30,000 even in places like Seoul . It should not be more than KRW 50,000.

Busan : Shop Eat Sleep

Apr5

So im back from my 2 weeks stay in Korea.

This trip was an important trip because im meeting my bf’s mother.

Lotsa things happened during this trip . The major one was that i fell sick and was hospitalized and on IV drip. I was bedridden for 5 days because i vomited and had diarrhea non-stop. Anything i ate were excreted or vomited out. I haven’t had anything and i don’t want i still can vomit and had diarrhea non stop. And the scary thing was that only clear water came out. Yes i vomited water and had clear watery diarrhea. Felt so dehydrated that i only go to the toilet to pee once a day. The feeling was terrible. And the weather was cold during the first week because it was the end of winter and that was when temperature suddenly dipped and got very windy. So i was feeling really bad and spend most of the time on the heated bed and resting. Because i couldn’t eat anything , i lost alot of weight . I couldn’t blog for 2 weeks because i was traveling and working at the same time. Holidays are meant to be relaxing but not for me because even though im away , i still have to allocate at least 6 hours for work and i usually do that at night or early in the morning from 6am to lunch time. Also when i was bedridden , i can only surf the net through my phone and update my instagram account.

Well , at least i got to eat fresh and live sashimi , street food and BBQ before i fell sick.

We have 2 home bases. One in Gimhae (oppa’s mother’s motel) which is located at the north west of the Busan MRT line and a studio apartment ( also known as officetel in Korea and it was oppa’s brother’s bachelor pad ) at Seomyeon which is located at the center of Busan. Jinjae oppa’s bachelor pad is just right in the middle of Seomyeon. It is very convenient because the shopping district is just right opposite his house where i can find my favourite brands like Aritaum , Etude house , The Face Shop , Innisfree etc etc and an underground shopping area which is swamped with make up and skin care brands , fashion shops etc etc. And also , Seomyeon has a medical street where the entire street was filled with plastic surgery clinics and hair salons. I just have to cross the traffic light to get to all these places.

We arrived on Sat night and sleep over at oppa’s mum’s motel. She allocated the biggest room for us with jacuzzi.

On the first Sunday morning , oppa’s brother Jinjae brought me to Yongwon fish market to buy fresh sashimi. It was very cheap and fresh. 3 live fish sashimi for only KRW 35,000. If you were to have this in SG’s Korean restaurant , you can expect to pay up to $400 but in Korea , it was just KRW 35,000 which is approx SGD 40. That’s 10 times difference. So if you are heading to Busan or any cities/towns at the southern part of South Korea, you really have to try their seafood especially the sashimi (lobsters , prawns , octopus etc etc). Instead of going to Jalgalchi , Jinjae oppa said the one at Yongwon is nicer. Yongwon is 20 mins drive away from Gimhae. The fishes were live and sliced live right in front of me. I felt very sad and guilty looking at the Ahjumma cutting away it’s head and slicing its body while it is still moving. 30 minutes ago , it was in the tank and next it was on our dining table. And i was carrying the live octopus in the plastic bag to bring back home to get it chopped and eat it.

Looks cruel but it was really yummy.

Sashimi was really fresh. Soooo fresh and chewy.

Live raw octopus. Soo yummy

So that was my first day in Korea. Sunday was spent having lunch with oppa’s mother and then we head to Seomyeon which is the central of Busan. And that was when my shopping for skincare and make up started.

I bought some new skincare products which i think is pretty good. I will blog about them one by one because im just starting to use them. I didn’t buy alot this time and only bought the ones i wanted and that are good. Also , many were asking about my Busan itinerary which i will blog about too and the place where i want to have my C curls done and where i had my eyelash permed and extensions done for only KRW 30,000 !

I shall start from the next post onwards. Because im going for work trip this coming week with a friend and i have alot of work to do after i came back from Busan as well as to prepare for my work trip. They are my priority right now before i start blogging about my Busan trip , the skincare and make up products i bought and where i had my hair and eyelashes done. Some of the new products i bought were from AHC , Iope , Leaders , Cel Derma masks , Hair steam masks , Hera and other aesthetic and clinic brands etc etc.

If you are going to Korea soon and want to ask me about some stuff , you can email at peonykissblog@gmail.com . Sorry , i know many of you are waiting for me to blog about my trip , products and services i went for in Korea so that you can also plan yours . But if it is urgent , you can email me first because i guess im gonna start blogging only after Monday night.

Dec20

Haven been blogging for the past 1 week because i was soo tied up with work , 2 photoshoots this week and a problem cock up with the China customs.

Now here , sitting in the balcony’s lounge chair and overlooking Keppel port makes feel so relaxed but at the same time thinking through the events and incidents happened this year.

Went out to celebrate NYE and i met my current boyfriend , dated for 3 months before Oppa and i got into a relationship , got a new dog , trying to work on changes in Agneselle , went to Europe to find Oppa when he posted there to work etc.

Just 2 days ago , Oppa surprised me by telling me that he bought the air tix to Busan for next year Spring to meet his mom.

We will be there for 2 weeks.

Im looking forward to this trip. Most people travel to Seoul ( Capital city of South Korea ) for holiday and not many people goes to Busan because you need to take 2 hours train ride there or you can take a domestic flight. It is near to Japan and famous for its beaches , seafood , Jagalchi fish market and many more.

Busan is the 2nd largest City in South Korea right after Seoul (capital). They have the biggest department store IN THE WORLD which can make girls go crazy , awesome seafood and culture. You can even take a ferry to Japan from there.If you want to do a Korea-Japan trip , you can do SG-> Seoul ->Busan->Japan->SG.

I have been to Busan once and i love it there. Not as complicated as Seoul , things are cheaper , sashimi is SO DAMN FRESH AND CHEAP !!! Can see traditional architectures , really long beaches etc. If you are heading there , you need to try their sashimi , ou-deng ( Fish cake soup ) and their Tteokbokki (spicy rice cake). Oppa is always sending me food pics and famous food in Busan. Makes me drool at 12am….. – _ –

Here are some places to go to if you are going to Busan for holiday.

1) Centum City –

Shinsegae Centum City is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest department store in the world. Hera , Laneige and whatever brands..you can find it there. There are outlet stores inside and you can find branded stuff at a discount price. THIS MALL IS REALLY HUGE !

2)Haeundae and Gwangalli Beach –

This beach is very famous in Busan and damn crowded during summer. Chill at the cafes by the beach , enjoy the breeze and sunset.

3) Jagalchi Fish Market –

If you love LIVE sashimi , this is the place to go. Live shrimps , flat fish , abalone etc. I love the live octopus. Not the whole thing. I saw some men just chew on a live octopus but i cant because quite dangerous esp if it is the first time im trying. I might get choked. I like the chopped one. Can feel the tentacles moving in my mouth and stuck to my tongue. Really chewy and you have to chew really hard before you swallow. Dip it in sesame oil and it is nice.

I had these almost everyday ! It is soooo cheap and fresh. Choose the fish you want from the tank and they slice it up for you.

4) Taejongdae –

You can catch a glimpse of some Japan islands from there. D’s university is located there and i can’t wait to get there. Found some places in his university for photoshoot and i just need to find a good photographer + good weather and not too windy to be blown off rocky cliffs.

4) Nampo-dong –

Very good shopping place and also you can go up to Busan tower . It is just like the Seoul Tower. This place is just like Myeongdong. You can shop till you drop. Walk abit up and you can see several streets and alleys. The stalls open in the evening and each lane/street sells different thing eg. one lane selling clothes , one lane selling accessories etc. Like the Dongdaemun in Seoul. You can find alot of cafes here too.

I went crazy there because everything is so cheap ! Cheaper than Seoul. I got a bag for KRW38,000 in Seoul and it is selling only KRW 24,000 in Busan. Can take an entire day to shop there.

Took this picture last year. I was stuck here for hours and almost half a day because too cheap and too many things. So many long lanes.

6) Seomyeon –

Shopping and plastic surgery clinics everywhere. It is like the “Gangnam of Seoul”. Lotte department stores etc. Shop till you drop !

Here are only 6 of the places which i have been to. More places to explore next year and i shall blog about it then. Maybe doing part time at the check-in counter with Oppa. His mum owns a motel near Gimhae Airport. For tourists or local who have to catch an early flight from the airport , they will usually stay overnight there because it takes a long time for them to travel to the airport.And also for locals/tourists who are on a road trip and need a place to rest/stay overnight. Comes with 2 high speed internet computer , jacuzzi in the spacious room . Gimhae is the only International airport at the southern part of South Korea. Incheon airport and Gimhae airport are the only International airports.

휴Motel.

The Korean word means 休 in Chinese. It also means 休息.

Address Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do buwondong 607-4 Street name 1 beongil in Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do

경상남도 김해시 부원동 607-4 경상남도 김해시 가락로1번길 6

Be greeted by his cutie Chihuahua (name is Bomi which means Spring in Korean ) too when you are there. She is sooooo tiny. I wonder how she keeps herself warm in winter.

Very nervous about this trip actually. My Korean speaking went downhill abit because i have been speaking English to Oppa. His English really improved tremendously. My written and listening improved alot because i spent my weekends with him and his friends and we text in Korean. This trip , im gonna meet his mum and very nervous about it.

And i can’t wait to meet the other Oppas. Met some of them when they came to SG and chatted with some of his friends on Kakaotalk or phone call. They are so nice and always tell me ” Minhee/Mini , when you come to Korea dont worry about anything. I will bring you to the best place and drive you around”. They really take care, protective of me , save the best part of the food for me and order what i want.

I gave myself a Korean name just for my Korean friends. Because all of them have problem pronouncing or remembering chinese names. Koreans cannot pronounce “P” and unlike Chinese , they do not have the 4 tones. That’s why when they say “fan” sounds like “pan”. Now from “Minhee” becomes “Mini” which makes it even easier to pronounce.

Just like how some of them who came SG to work , they gave themselves an English name so that it is easier for Singaporeans to remember and pronounce.

That’s why im nervous and excited at the same time about this trip.

Much more to update and shall do it later 🙂 Too tired from yesterday’s rounds of Soju.

***

Preview is up on Agneselle’s facebook page. Launching on 22nd Dec , Monday 9pm

Www.agneselle.com

There is a storewide discount of 10% (Code is XMAS10) and 15% discount off items under PARTY SPECIALS TAB (code is PARTY15). Both code ends 24th Dec 000hr !

Oct1

Here are some beauty buys from Korea. I bought the IOPE highlighter too but i have yet to unpack my luggage so i will review it later. I have started using these for Agneselle’s shoot done on Monday.

I bought these crayon eye shadow from Aritaum. Got the first one at KRW 6500 and 2 at KRW6500 on the other day. They just have random sales anytime they want.

I love these. I gave it to Agneselle’s make up artist – Pearlyn Law to use it for the shoot yesterday. She is my make up guru and advisor. I will always ask her how to use it and if i used it correctly because after all make up is her profession. Before knowing her , i have a foundation , eyeliner and blusher in my make up pouch. But after knowing her , it started from a pouch to several baskets and pouches !

What i like about these crayon eyeshadow is that it is very smooth and easy to apply. Frankly speaking , i dont know how to put on eye shadow. I have single eyelids and double ( sometimes it just suddenly appear probably because i gained weight or i was too tired ). Im a noob when it comes to powder eyeshadows. But this is easy to apply and good for people like me who is a noob when it comes applying eye shadows.

It comes in more than 10 colours and i only bought 3 of them. The pinkish one act as a base , the bronze one for the eyelid and purplish one as liner. It is a little creamy so easier to blend.

It has a blending brush on the other side.

I have started using it so it has little bit of shimmers on it.

It is actually not so glittery like the one in the picture below. I applied more on my back hand so that you can see the colours. Infact it is very subtle when you just go over your eyelids.

So if you happen to know someone there or popping by Aritaum , you should give this a try.

Pearlyn did a vintage hairdo for me to match the upcoming Agneselle’s lace dress which she and Fiona are getting because they love it ! All 3 of us were excited about the dresses we took for photoshoot yesterday because they were so nice.

Pearlyn created this “fake double eyelid” look for me using eyeshadow and eyeliner. I did not go for plastic surgery in Korea. Anyway after i came back from Korea , some people i met asked ” You looked prettier after you came back , did you do something to your face ?? “

-_-

It is the MAKE UP lah !!!! My eye rings look really bad from the flu. I looked like a panda.

Pearlyn used the IOPE BB Cushion which i bought from Korea for the photoshoot.

I bought this lipstick from The Face Shop at KRW10,900 .

It is creamy matt pink and i like it because it i long lasting. Even after drinking a hot latte and eating a cupcake , the colour still stay on and i didnt need to touch up. I used it for yesterday’s shoot too.

I mixed it with the Tony Moly orangey lipstick for the colour on my lips below.

The Hera UV Mist Cushion. Finally i got the Shimmer Vanilla at the Airport. It must be selling really well else it wont be out of stock at Lotte Dept Store and Shinsaegae. It comes with a refill pack and selling at USD31 in the airport ( Lotte Duty Free ).

I have not opened it yet and will review it later.

If you are travelling to Korea, you should buy their make up and skincare products. Cheap doesn’t mean they are not good. Because they are made in Korea, that’s why they are cheap. If you were to buy them in SG , the price will be 2 or 3 times more.

Here are some brand you should buy and look out for if you are travelling them anytime soon !

1) Missha – Buy their sheet masks and Super Aqua Detox Peeling Gel ( Both are less than SG 10) . I recommended them to all my readers and friends. All of them are now a big fan of these and they are very good. Plus it is cheap and affordable. You can buy them from their outlets or counters at Emart or Lotte Mart. One mask cost about $1.00.

2) The Face Shop – Buy their lipsticks and concealers. Available at their outlets or counters at Emart or Lotte Mart

3) Tony Moly – Buy their lipsticks , lipglosses and foot cream/foot mask ! If you want nice and smooth feet , buy their foot moisture cream/mask . I love their lipglosses to the max ! They have one of the best orangey colour lipsticks .It is very moisturizing too. Lipsticks and lipglosses cost about KRW 6,000 – KRW 10,000 each. I got my lipstick during a sale at KRW 4,900 and lipgloss at KRW 6,000. With just $10 , you can have kissable looking lips.

4) Banila and co – Highlighter and Radiance concealer. A little bit pricer than the brands above but still cheaper than other international brands you see out there. They are sort of a replica of Benefit esp when it comes to packaging and products they launched. Highlighter looks almost the same and price difference was 3 times. Of cos Banila and Co is the cheaper one.

5) IOPE – BB Cushion , Highlighter and skincare product. Most of the Korean girls i know age 22 and below are using IOPE skincare products. The BB cushion cost about KRW 38,000 and comes with refill pack too. I have blogged about it. I have the IOPE facial gel cleanser (KRW 15,000) but i still prefer Hera’s foam cleanser because i feel much more cleaner using foam cleanser than gel. IOPE products are not really cheap esp the whitening range. Available at Aritaum , Lotte Mart or Emart. I cant find the counters at Lotte Dept Store or Shinsaegae. Not available at Airport too. Aritaum house most of the products under Amore Pacific.

6) HERA – Known for their skincare products and CC cream. I LOVE IT ! Some of my readers and customers read my post and they went to buy it. They emailed me that it is amazingly good and asked me to introduce more products from Hera. I have not tried their facial masks yet. I was given the White Program Facial Sheet Masks and will review it if it is good and works. I have 10 products from Hera for face ( cleanser , essence , eye serum , moisturiser , toner, emulsion etc ) . I slap on about 6-7 of them in the day and all at night before i sleep. I am also using their CC cream. You can purchase it from Lotte Store , Shinsaegae or their main flagship at Apujeong. Limited range available at Airport and mostly basic skincare. The one at Apujeong gives you ALOT of samples and they are very generous when it comes to samples. I was given 3 or 5 of white program sheet masks when i bought my first Hera set from Apujeong.

That is all i can think of right now. I tried Innisfree and Nature Republic stuff. But they dont really work that well and too mild. Not much or no effect. So usually i skip this 2 brands. But Innisfree apple make up remover smells yummy.

Im like a Korea weather reporter. When i was in Korea, alot of friends asked me what to wear and weather over there and where to go and what make up/skin care brands to buy. When im in SG , still got people ask me about Korea’s weather.

Easy peasy, just bring a good jacket that can keep you warm !

Beside pairing 3/4 knit tops with skater skirt and ankle boots , you can wear long sleeve tight bandage dresses and pair them with leggings or stockings. Throw a nice coat over at night when it turns cold.

Here is one of my favourite dress for Autumn in Korea. I got it in 3 colours – Grey , Ivory and Black. It is made of a rough cotton which helps to trap heat and keep warm. You will probably sweat like crazy if wear it in SG. I love it because it is light weight and trendy.

This is how i pair it up in Korea. With a pair of ankle booties.

Pair this up with leggings and converse sneakers for a casual look at night.

Waiting for Fio to finish the pictures so that i can preview it here ! Gorgeous Racerback front dress , eyelet high waisted skirt that gives you slim looking waist and a 3/4 sleeve lace dress !

I have uploaded part of the preview for upcoming launch on FB ! My favourite gotta go to all the tops ! They goes well with anything esp the Peacock Crochet Top which is made of thick chiffon .

Good night !