Korean Aesthetics

This post was in draft for almost 2 weeks. There are some personal things i want to share after much procrastination.

This post gonna be longggg since it was in draft for 2 weeks !

Something light-hearted to start first…

#KBS

Last week , i finally met up with almost everyone in the #KBS group which i created almost a month ago. KBS stands for Korean Boyfriends and Spouses. The group is made up of Singapore ladies with Korean fiances and spouses.

We had tze char at Melben and after that , we all go to Koryo mart to do our Korean grocery shopping. It was really nice to meet everyone and we shared alot of our experiences. Good to have support in Sg and in Korea. Alot of information we can share and help each other like applying for long term passes in Korea, registering marriage or child’s birth in Korea and SG etc.

We are planning for another pot luck gathering soon and this time with our other Korean halves. If you have a Korean spouse or getting married soon (engaged already) and want to join this support group , you can send me an email at peonykissblog@gmail.com . Glad to hear that everyone is happy to have this support group and people who are in the same situation and marriages.

#SGahjumma

Hehe i tried new dishes over the weekend. This is the first time i made Korean Japchae and Spicy Pork Ribs (Yang Nyeom Galbi). I was quite surprised by my own cooking this time round. So delicious and i cannot believe i cooked it too.

Alot of work for Japchae. Quite tiring to cook this. Alot of plates to wash too.

Here’s how you can cook Japchae :

Ingredients :

Korean thin potato noodles , shitake mushrooms , black fungus, carrots, yellow/red capsicum, onions, eggs, spinach, salt, sesame oil, black pepper, soya sauce.

1) Soak and wash mushrooms and black fungus in water. Slice them into thin pieces and squeeze out the water . Fry in pan with olive oil , add pinch of salt and black pepper.
Put into a big bowl and leave it aside.

2) Cut and sliced carrots and capsicums into thin strips. Fry in pan with olive oil and add pinch of salt. Put all into the big bowl together with mushrooms and fungus. Leave it aside.

3) Crack and beat 3 eggs. Fry it into a large round omelette. Cut into thin strips and put in a separate bowl
Do not mix in with 1) and 2) ingredients. Leave it aside.

4) Boil spinach for a minute. Take out and squeeze all water out. Slice into 3 or 5 cm sizes. Put in a small bowl and season with sesame oil and soya sauce. Leave it aside for awhile.

5) Cut onions into thin slices and fry with olive oil in a pan. Add a pinch of salt. Once the onions become translucent, pour it into the big bowl with ingredients from 1) and 2).

6) Boil the Korean potato starch noodle in hot water and once cooked, take out and wash under cold water and drain away the water. Use scissors to cut the noodles cos they are very very long.

Put the noodles in a frying pan and fry with olive oil. Add 5 table spoons of Korean soya sauce and sesame oil. Add 2 tea spoons of black pepper. Fry and mix to change colour of noodle to brown. Add abit of water so frying will be easier. How much soya sauce and sesame oil to add depends on the noodle portion you are cooking.

After frying the noodles, put into the big bowl with ingredients 1) 2) 5). Wear plastic hand gloves and mix the ingredients with the noodles. Add in the seasoned spinach into the big bowl and mix them together. Add some more soya sauce and sesame oil and black pepper. Lastly add in the thinly sliced eggs and mix everything tog with hand. Add sesame seeds.

Ready to serve on plate and add the last drizzle of sesame seeds.

Now you know what i mean by alot of work and plates/bowls to wash for Japchae. Cut , fry , mix and you repeat for every single ingredient. The more ingredients you add , the more work to be done. I didn’t add in any thinly sliced pork belly or beef because i don’t want my Japchae to be too oily (oil from pork bellies). So you can choose to add in the meat or not it is up to you.

Super yummy. Double work for me because Oppa said it is so nice and i cooked the other half packet of potato noodles. He ate the entire pack of noodles. haha 1 pack can serve about 4 pax.

Yang Nyeom Galbi (Korean Spicy Pork Ribs)

I cooked this too with the Japchae. Really multi tasking. One hand was mixing and the other hand was flipping the pork ribs in the pan.

How to cook Yang Nyeom Galbi (Korean Spicy Pork Ribs)

Ingredients : Prime Pork Ribs , Korean red pepper paste , Korean chilli powder , 1 green chilli , minced garlic , chopped onions , sesame oil , soya sauce , pepper , sugar (brown sugar/honey/white sugar …in my case i used brown sugar).

Well , you need a big round bowl to mix these sauces with the ribs. So get it ready !

In the big bowl , add 4 table spoons of red pepper paste , 1 table spoon chilli powder , 2 table spoon of minced garlic , half onion chopped into minced pieces , 2 table spoon of soya sauce , 2 table spoon of brown sugar, 2 table spoon of sesame oil and 1 tea spoon of black pepper. Mix all these sauces together.

2) Wash the pork ribs and squeeze out the water. Then put into the big bowl of sauces and mixed the pork ribs with the sauces in the bowl. Just keep mixing until the pork ribs are all red. Wear a plastic hand glove and mix it with your hand. It is easier and can mix better this way and so that the prime ribs can be well seasoned. Leave it aside for 20-30 minutes before you start cooking it.

3) Add olive oil in a pork of frying pan or pot. Pour the entire bowl of well marinated pork ribs and the sauces from the bowl into the pot. Fry on high heat before switching to medium heat. Add abit of water and leave it to cook and stir and flip the ribs so that it will not get burnt on one side.

Once done , serve on a plate or the Korean earthen ware. I heat up the earthen pot first before transferring the well cooked pork ribs from the frying pan/pot into the earthen pot. The pot keeps the sauce and the meat hot and warm. The meat can be abit tough and hard if it gets cold.

If you don’t have the earthen ware , you can just serve on a plate.

Cut the green chilli into thin slices and garnish the ribs together with sesame seeds. Some people add the green chilli when they mix the sauces in step 1) but i don’t really like to eat green chilli so i didnt add in from step 1.

The pork ribs looks difficult to cook but actually it is the easiest compared to Japchae ! Just mix all the sauces together with the pork ribs and cook.

Korean soya sauce and Korean sesame oil are commonly used so if you are interested in cooking your own Korean dishes, these are the must haves in your kitchen. They are not that expensive. about $3.60 for big bottle of soya sauce and $3.90 for a small sesame oil. I bought a tin of $14.90 sesame oil (in medium size tin packaging) since i cook often.

#Kbeauty

Here are 2 of new additions into my daily skin care routine which was mentioned in the previous post. I realized i have not reviewed them yet.

It actually took me awhile before i decided to try this brand. I read reviews online and to be honest i don’t trust alot of beauty reviews or i just read their reviews with a pinch of salt because most beauty reviews are paid to do so. And it is hard to determine a product is good or not just by trying it on the back of your hand only for the first time and once. I actually went to try the tester bottles many times before i decided to buy and try. And at most if it didn’t work , just use and apply on my neck lor. CNP products are not that cheap even though they can be found in drugstores like Olive and Young (Korea), Guardians and Watsons ( in SG ). But im glad these 2 products works for me and worth the buy for me.

CNP Invisible Peeling Booster

It promises to remove dead skin cells and boost skin radiance/brightening within a week. It is to apply before toner. You don’t actually see “dead skin cells” coming off like using a peeling gel. So don’t expect to see “beads” or “rolled up” whitish stuff when you apply. Does it boost skin radiance ? The difference is not alot but i can see my skin is slightly more radiant after using it for a week.

I really like this alot. There is no need to rinse off after applying. This is the first thing i apply after my shower before i proceed with toner. It is very expensive in SG. But in Korea, Lotte mall is having 20% discount and this is only KRW 24,000 now. It is about SGD49 if you were to buy in Guardian.

I also got the Propolis Energy Ampule. I usually apply this before my sheet masking. I alternate this with Hera hydration ampule.

I feel that CNP Laboratory is like Leaders Insolution brand. They are products from aesthetic doctors and dermatologists in Korea. I really like these products and so i actually carted out a peeling gel and the serum also from CNP from Lotte.com ! Can’t wait for my bro-in-law to bring them from Korea for me this Sept ! He is coming to SG yay ! I wonder where to bring him around and activities to do. He takes really good care of me and i want to be a good host when he comes too.

Will review the peeling gel and other serums once i started using them for at least 2 weeks and if it is good !

Gonna continue the #Smartlady draft . Some personal things and experiences to share and hope it helps girls out there. And new review on the lip tattoo i used.

Oct17

K-Beauty time.

Im gonna introduce these 2 items that i just bought and have been using them for a 2 weeks already. I am not blogging from home now so i did not manage to take real life pictures of these 2 products. So , i grabbed the product pics from google.

These are the first 2 products i am going to review. More to review soon 🙂

1st item was from HERA.

Hera Essential Mousse Treatment.

I really liked it alot because my skin looks more radiant after a week. It is to be used as the last step of your skincare.

1) Shake it well

2) Squeeze a 20cent coin size onto your palm 3

3) Apply it all over your face and massage for better absorption

“Essential Mousse Treatment is a nutrient-rich, mousse-type, anti-aging solution with light, fine air bubbles that leave the skin feeling refreshed. Skin-vitalizing ingredient (Epi-Vitalizing Cycler™) is absorbed fast into the skin to help the skin absorb skincare products used in the previous step of the skincare routine and deliver essential nourishment.

Massage the skin with carbonated bubbles to improve the elasticity of the skin and stimulate blood circulation.

With simple massage using fine, sparkling bubbles, you can get skin that’s firm and supple. Plus, massage using fine, sparkling bubbles simulate the circulation of the skin results in glowing, smooth skin tone.

Effective and fast formation of moisture field – you can see and feel the effect.

Essential Mousse Treatment is absorbed fast into the skin without leaving a residual feeling to form a shield of moisture on the skin and keep the skin healthy by relieving skin stress.”

One reason why im slowly introducing anti-aging products into my usual skincare routine was because im turning 30 next year and it is time i should “anti-age” my skin. To be honest , i really like this product alot because like what HERA’s website describe it “glowing , smooth skin tone”. I can see glowing and smoother skin tone after 2 weeks of usage. I apply it 3 times a week before i go to bed.

The price tag comes a little pricey at about KRW 50,000 for a small bottle but i think it is worth it. I will buy the 2nd bottle next time.

2) Mise En Scene Curling Essence 2X

I just did C-perm and you know most hair stylist will tell you that C perms are easy to maintain. Well , i don’t think so. In fact the Korean stylist told me that the easiest and simple perms are the hardest to maintain because they straighten out easily if you do not know how take care.

The first thing i did after the perm was to look for curling serum or essences. After some recommendation , i decided to get this from Arituam. You can buy it from Lotte Mart or Olive and Young too.

Price tag at KRW 10,000.

I really like this essence alot because it holds my curls very well !

Since im back in SG , i have to wake up at 8am and go to work at 830am. So there is no time to blow dry and twirl my curls properly. I just squeeze a 20cent coin size onto my palm and “scrunch” my hair. The curls looks bouncy and it creates some volume. If i want it to be slightly wavy (natural) , i scrunch my hair with the essence and then let the hair run through my fingers to the hair ends so that the curl looks more wavy.

It is a curl enhancing hair product. I regretted buying only 1 tube. Should have bought the 3 for KRW 20,000 set . Lol.

It has a nice scent too. If you have curls or perms , this is one product you should get to hold and enhance your curls. I think that’s why it was named curling essence 2X. It does enhance my curls.

Here’s how my curl looks like 10 days later i did the C-curl + wave perm. I like it like this more natural and wavy. I spent an hour twirling and blow drying to create this neat wave.

3) Babor Ampoule from Aeon Medical and Aesthetic Clinic.

My skin wasn’t as dry as my last trip to Korea in April. Partly because i applied hydrating ampoules often and i also mask my face often to prevent dryness. The ampoules from Aeon Medical and Aesthetic clinic was nicely packed in a metal casing to prevent breakage.

The first thought and impression people had was that ampoules are very sticky. That is the reason why some make up artists i know doesn’t like to use ampoules on their clients.
But well , things have changed now. You can find ampoules that are easily absorbed and more efficient. It no longer leaves a very sticky and gluey after feel anymore.

This ampoule from Aeon absorbed into my skin pretty fast and my make up stays even longer. This is something i will get before my trip to Korea again in Spring. It is available for purchase at their counter. You can give them a call 67332002 to enquire. There are several ampoules available to suit different skin types.

Of cos , the first thing i did after my Korea trip was to go for facial.

Due to climate changes and also the bad haze in SG , my skin felt abit dry after i came back SG for a couple of days.

So i made an appointment with Aeon Medical and Aesthetic Centre for laser toning treatment ( for lighten my skin tone) because i was exposed to the sun in Busan. The sky was so clear over there and i realized my skin tone looks abit darker.

My favourite laser toning started and i also met Dr Kim.

We had a good chat about all things Korea and also the Angela (aesthetican) asked about my skin condition and if i experienced any dryness lately before they start the laser toning.

The laser toning session ended in about 15 minutes before i went back to the medical treatment room for post care treatment (masking). I heard from Dr Kim that Aeon is expanding and you can look out for body contouring services soon. Can’t wait to see what are the services available once it is ready.

i had eyelash extensions done in Korea and this extension was still so full and luscious even after 1 mth.

Tadahh..after the 1 hour treatment. Ha..my eyelash extensions done in Korea are still so luscious and thick after 1 month.

It is only KRW 50,000 for unlimited mink lashes.

Call 67332002 to make an appointment at Aeon Medical and Aesthetic Centre or you can give them a call to enquire on the services available.

If you are traveling to somewhere cold , you can try their ampoules. They work pretty well for me and help to “lock in” the moisturize and my make up stays.

Aug30

Happy Birthday Robert Oppa ~ ^^

Saturday night BBQ with the Korea Tigers baseball team to celebrate Robert Oppa’s birthday.

I was very touched by his support and he is more like a fatherly figure to me.

Every BBQ comes with yummylicious Pork Belly , beef and seafood ( alaskan king crab , lobsters and more ).

The star of the day was drenched with ice cold barrel of water. It was a “BEER ONLY” party and i couldnt find any water or soft drinks. Hundreds of cans of beer and sojus.

After the BBQ , we went up to his house for 2nd round of more beer and sojus. Of cos , i can’t drink at all so i was glad that i can finally drink water.

Had great catch up on Saturday with 2 of my SRJC friends Lihua and Candice for lunch at Jpot and then dinner with the Korea Tigers.
I realized that alot of my close friends are teachers and it is good to learn some parenting and teaching tips from them. It was a good catch up talking about the times we spent in school and all the naughty bits.

Talking about school days , i want to talk about this speech by Jack Ma ( Founder of Alibaba ) . It is a good video and i hope that this video inspires you if you are facing any problems in work , relationships or anything now.

Before 20 years old , be a good student….way to entrepreneur to learn some experience.
Before 30 years old , follow somebody , go to a small company….It is not which company you go , it is which boss you follow.
From 30-40 years old , you have to think very clearly…
When you are 40-50 years old ,you have to do all the things you are good at…
When you are 50-60 years old , work for the young people..because young people can do better than you
When you are over 60 years old , spend time for yourself.

When you are 25 years old , make enough mistakes . Don’t worry , you fall and you stand up. Just enjoy the show.

I have to say that i can truly relate to this speech because i have gone through 1) and now i am in 2) . I had made mistakes in judgement of people , relationships and things when i was 25 and young. It is probably a blessing in disguise. Because through these mistakes , i managed to improve myself and learn to be smart when it comes to dealing with people or relationships. Also , i learnt to cherish the people around me. The people whom i know are true friends.

On a side note , i’ve been sleeping really late these days to read up on articles and my eye bag was quite bad.
And i have been putting on the Mediheal eye patch which i bought from Korea in the morning before i put on my make up . It sure does help !
At night , i will put eye serum or light cream.

Here is the eye serum which im using from Aeon Medical and Aesthetics clinic. If you want sunblocks , you can try the sunblock from Aeon medical and aesthetics centre which is SPF90. Oppa is currently using it too because he stays under the sun for 4 hours every sunday during baseball practice. It helps to prevent sun burnt and protects the skin. Im also using Hera collagen eye up cream and Sulwhasoo firming eye cream. I was given alot of the sample sachets lol..it’s been almost a year and i still haven’t finish my sample sachets. LOL. I use the serums in the day and creams at night. I also use eye patch before i go out or put make up. The eye area looks more firmed up and easier to put on make up . But of cos , the best remedy is to drink more water and have ample sleep !

The eye patch which im using now after finishing my Cell-Dermal’s eye patch.

This eye patch is something you may want to get if you are traveling to Korea. You can find it at Olive and Young stores. They have a huge range of Mediheal’s masks at Olive and Young.

Jul5

*Edit: Added some info*

I had freckles removal done via BBL at Aeon Medical and Aesthetic Centre last week.

Whenever i meet new people or friend’s friends or even my friends , they will take a good look at my skin to see if they are really that good or was it because i photoshopped my skin tone on my blog. To be honest and frankly speaking , i do not know how to photoshop lol..i just know how to brighten pics , crop and add text. My skin does not have visible bumps , pimples and i can say it is pretty smooth actually. I don’t have pimple issues since young and i think im quite lucky. Im glad im blessed with good skin because of the genes and it ran in the family. And also i maintain well with skincare. My mum actually forced me to wash my face with those cheap drugstore brands during my sec school days and i remember i hated it because i find it very troublesome. Lol.

I love the sun and i love being under the sun during my sec school and JC days. Being tanned was the hip thing and if you want to be hip , you need to be tan. So i went for weekly tanning sessions at the beach with my gfs. Now i regretted it because i had freckles on my cheeks due to sun exposure. I didn’t protect my skin then and don’t know how to do it. And the freckles stayed with me for quite long.

First was the millia seeds on my eyes after using eye creams which i removed it only 5 years ago after i went to work and got my pay check. Millia seeds removal is not cheap and i actually had it since young and can only removed it after i went to work and earned my own pay cheque. It is a really painful procedure. I still have few small ones though because to avoid scarring as advised by my doctor , it is better to do some first and leave the 2nd half later ( i have so many on my eyes that they formed into lines and when i met people , they would ask what is it on your eyes and that irritates me alot. Plus applying concealer does no help and instead it made it even more obvious.). But most of it were gone esp the “lines” and big ones. It was so painful that i can’t think about going back to remove it again. I have high pain threshold but if you ask me to go for it again , i will probably have to think about it.

And i will never use eye creams EVER AGAIN !

Ok back to freckles , so as i grow older , the freckles became bigger and darker. You can’t really see it in pictures or my selfies but if you were to meet me in real life, you will notice abit of them on my cheeks. Im one more step closer to having clear skin now. And that is to remove all my freckles.

They don’t really pose a problem but as i grow older , i noticed they got darker , bigger and sometimes it looks like shadows on my cheeks. When i apply blusher , there will be a part that looks like shadow.

So Dr Kim recommended using BBL to remove the freckles. Not every freckles are suitable for BBL treatment. So it is best to consult Dr Kim first. You can go for Laser Toning to remove the freckles but it will be a long and slow process. BBL is faster. The freckles turned dark and then the “husks” which looks like scabs slowly dropped off after 5 days. Mine were gone after the 6th day. There is no pain. The BBL laser felt like someone using a rubber band to snap onto your face. No discomfort and no burning of skin like the painful Millia seeds removal via CO2 laser. I can continue chit chatting with Dr Kim about Korean culture and Korean food. There is no need for any numbing cream or ointment. Just like IPL , a layer of gel was applied on the targeted area before the BBL treatment only.

Here is the before after. I took the after photo only this morning after the last piece of “husk” dropped off on Friday morning. You can see some difference. I didn’t do all at once because i am going for important meeting and don’t want to have too many brown/black “husks” like spots on my skin.

The big one under the eye wasn’t that obvious now. And the 3 spots below were gone as well. Im going for the next round soon to remove the remaining ones on my right cheek. I only had part of my right cheeks done last week.

This picture below was taken after the BBL. Dr Kim marked the targeted freckle spots. There will slight redness before the “husk” turned brown and then black before they dropped off slowly. I put on my make up as usual the night after the BBL session. You can put make up to conceal the “husk” easily actually and return to your normal activities ( but of cos it has to depend on your freckle type and size). If you worry and don’t want too many obvious “husk” , you can break it up into several sessions like i do.

After the BBL , you really have to avoid and protect it from the sun by applying sunblock.

Be discipline and don’t expose it to the sun.

I also did laser toning and my skin tone looks more even. My 3rd session in 3 weeks and the skin tone looks brighter ! I even go meet my customers without make up at Bishan MRT.

**
Haha lately i was kinda addicted to this song. This song quite long liao but i just got to know about it after hearing it while dining at Nanta Korean Restaurant which i blogged earlier.

Even though i am learning Korean , into Korean skincare , dramas and variety shows , im not soo into chasing boy bands or music. Haha seriously if you ask me the actor’s name , actress name or singer name , i may not know. I only know those that i like ( eg Won Bin , Hyun Bin , Zo In-Sung , Shin Min-ah , Min Hyorin , Lee Hyori etc !!!! AHHHHH ! Fan girl scream ! )

Whenever i hear a nice Korean song while dining at Korean restaurants , Korean marts or when Jinjae Oppa ( Oppa’s brother who is in Busan ) and other Oppas play Korean songs in their car , i will use NAVER which is a Korean version of google to search for the song. It is very easy. You will find a “microphone” symbol when you go to http://www.naver.com or download the Naver app. It will automatically search for the song , title , album cover , singer name , its producers and the lyrics are included too. Very fast and faster than other song search apps. Go try it !

I have not cooked Korean food for quite a long time. It’s been a month already i think ?
Thinking what should i cook this week heh..

Gonna blog about the list of BBQ places we go often and what else about Korea food, skincare or places you want to know about ? You can email me and let me see if i can make a list. Sometimes i even book mark my own blogpost for reference incase i forgot about it or if i need the information again. And thank you all for trusting my recommendations eh !

Jun12

Just last week , i went for laser toning session at Aeon Medical and Aesthetics Centre with Korean aesthetic doctor Dr Michael Kim. Weather was very hot and humid nowadays and just weeks before i got new models , i was modeling and taking pictures under the hot sun. My skin got abit tanned and so does my face. It is time to do some laser toning to brighten the skin tone. Tanned face means dull and uneven skin tone. I’ve been trying hard with my whitening , brightening and hydrating products. But a shortcut with laser toning makes my maintenance easier. If you are new to the world of aesthetics , you can read HERE and HERE for more detailed posts.

The process was painless and there is no need for any numbing creams. Just right before the laser , you need to cleanse your face and it is better to go down with no make up. Yes , just bare face and if you have no confidence to go out in your bare face , just wear a cap.

The process took less than 20 minutes. You can go for a quick lunch time laser toning and if you have the time to spare , you can do laser toning and post treatment facials. There are different kinds of medical facial treatments available at Aeon so it is better for you to consult the doctor to see which one suits you best. For example , you just came back from a winter holiday and experiencing dry and flaky skin , you can go for hydrating facials. Some facial comes with the Korean facial massage which i blogged about last week. Feel free to call Aeon Medical and Aesthetic Centre at 6733 2002 to enquire.

Does laser toning really helps ? Yes it does . It’s been a week and i can gradually see the brightening effect. Skin is not as dull as before due to the sun exposure.

Took these pictures in the powder room after laser toning and post treatment facials. I just put on only tinted sunblock , eyeliner and lipstick.

Now that im not modeling for my own online shop , im going for intense laser toning treatment.

It is advisable to go for this treatment once every 2 weeks for the optimum results. After the treatment , you have to protect your skin and stay away from the sun. Always wear sunblock , bring a cap or UV protection umbrella. I have all these 3 in my bag everywhere i go now because the weather is crazily hot and humid these days. My body is soooo tanned right now and i wanna find ways to make mayself fair again.

Aeon Medical and Aesthetic Centre is having an instagram event.

1) Post your visit to Aeon on your instagram

2) Add hashtag #aeonmedical

3) Aeon will choose one person every 2 weeks to give a FREE gift !

It is simple…so if you are a patient at Aeon Medical and Aesthetic Centre , snap a pic of yourself in the clinic and hash tag. And if you have already posted your pictures on instagram few weeks or months or days ago , it is not too late to add this hash tag right now ! You can stand a chance to win a FREE gift from Aeon.

See my collection of sunblock !

The smaller tubes and sample sachets are what i kept in my make up pouch incase i need to top up the sunblock.

For face.

For body.

I bought the sunblock pills from Aeon Medical and Aesthetics Clinic.

If you use sunblock before , you will notice that some sunblocks come with a very strong and particular “sunblock smell”. So the pills comes in handy because i just pop it an hour before i go out. Also , i got the sunplay 130 from Watsons. I love this alot because i never seem to get tanned or burnt badly whenever i use this. The only thing i don’t like is the strong smell and abit sticky/greasy. So this is good for beaches and pools. The other one is a spray on sunblock from Happy Bath which i bought from Lotte Mall. It is quite cheap about KRW 5,000. I use it during photoshoots because it is not sticky.

Start protecting your skin now before it is too late. When i was young during my JC and Uni days , i love tanned skin and i used to go to beaches often and apply alot of sun tan lotions. Now i regretted doing that because i can see some spots on my arms. Once you started tanning , you need to keep doing it. When you are tanned , the colour masked your imperfections. But once you stopped going and becoming abit fairer , you start to see some uneven skin tones on your body and spots. So…start taking care and protect your skin from harmful UV rays.

Just few days ago , i went to NEX mall for Korean bbq with my JC classmate and her baby.

I have Korean BBQ at least once every 3 weeks with Oppa and his friends. Some of his friends own Korean BBQ restaurants so i get to learn from bbq techniques.

I can’t really bbq beef that well and tend to over cook it such that it becomes well-done and very hard to chew.

But im good at pork bellies, prawns and mushrooms BBQ !

Haha yes..mushrooms. All my friends love the way i BBQ mushrooms and prawns.

Anyway , i didnt bring my camera out because it was to heavy..So i used my mobile phone to snap the pictures. It may look abit..hmmmmm not that photogenic but i can tell you that they are very TASTY !

Tips for Korean Pork Belly BBQ !

Always BBQ non-marinated meat first. You don’t want to stain other meats with the marinates.

Try not to flip it more than 3 times. There is this 3 times flipping rule.

Sprinkle some salt on the pork. Some pork have a very strong smell/porkish taste. So if you are someone who doesn’t like that “porkish” smell or taste , the salt will help. Sprinkle the salt when it is still raw so that the salt will dissolve into the meat.

I will put my mushrooms at the sides or bottom where the pork belly oil will slowly dripped down. Ya..abit unhealthy but i don’t put it there for too long. After that , i will transfer it to another side. The oil from the pork belly makes the mushroom very tasty. Then when it turns soft , sprinkle some salt and pepper , mix it and wait for it to become even softer and you are ready to eat it. You may think it is easy but actually need some skill okay. If not , you find your golden mushrooms very tasteless.

Never mix cooked and raw food together. After cooking one set after another.

Cook one set, cut the pork bellies into slices using scissors, put a lettuce on the BBQ plate and put the cooked pork bellies on top. This is so that the pork bellies are still piping hot when you eat it and the lettuce prevent it from getting burnt on the plate. The lettuce also helps to absorb the oil from the meat.

Paiseh , this one looks not too photogenic because of the plate filled with burnt LA Galbi marinates. LOL…but we changed it after that.

LA Galbi is a kinda of marinated beef in strips.

Well , i will put the golden mushrooms on top of the beef strip. Because the moment when you put the strips on the plate , the marinates on the beef sizzles and it makes the golden mushroom very tasty and nice lol. Once the mushroom turns abit soft , i will take it away to another side of the plate and wait for it to cook while longer , add some salt+pepper and ready to eat !

You should try it next time !

Ok..that’s all at the moment…

Blog more next time and do look out for Agneselle’s new launches ! Some preview pieces are up and more to come.
Also , we will be giving discount codes to mailing listees only and sometimes only to facebook fans.

Yup , it means sometimes only mailing listees get the code but some times only the facebook fans get the codes.

So be sure to join both sides !

Im in love with this upcoming collection that i kept all pieces !!!!! Yes..really no joke…

Have a good weekend !

Mar2

Hi ~~

Well , today’s beauty topic is Sleeping Beauty !

Woken up by my Prince charming’s kisses every morning but this Sleeping beauty falls back to sleep after that lol. Too tired lah..every work till 2am.

So i went out on Sunday afternoon for lunch with my bf and his baseball team mates. Those who came for lunch were from Gyeongsan-do ( cities like Busan , Daegu , Gochang etc etc which is near the coastal area ). They speak in Gyeongsan-do dialect since they were from the same area. Only my bf and another Oppa speak with very heavy Gyeongsan-do saturi accent. That’s why I have to open my ears real wide and focus when they tried to speak in Seoul dialect to me which was what i learnt in school and my classes. It was a good practice for me because now i can understand abit of the gyeongsan-do dialect ( maybe 40% ? ). One of their wives had mul-guang 물광 injections done. She looks really pretty and young. What is mul-guang ? It means dewy look in Korean. 물광 주사 (Mul-guang ju-sa – Mul-guang injection ) is a kind of injection where the doctor injects hydrating skin boosters into your skin to create a dewy glow. The boosters locks in the moisture which creates the natural glow. I have not done it before and not sure how long it will last. If you are afraid of injections and yet want dewy skin. Then you have to be very discipline and keep your skin always hydrated with good products. Copy this 4 korean words into google search ” 물광 주사” and look at the images if you want to know more. Or these 6 Korean words “물광 주사 가격”into google search to see before and after pictures.

The weather was soo hot and im feeling very lazy. Oppa asked me not to put on any make up. He doesn’t like ladies with thick make up or overly done eye shadows and prefer natural looks. Good thing is that i always go for natural look make up so he seldom nag at me.

So i went out without make up and only apply sunscreen gel and tinted lip balm ( see picture below ) . Sun screen is a MUST ! Even though i don’t put make up but i will not skip my sunscreen gel. It is a water base and i love it alot. No grease and feels like applying serum on my skin. Got it from Missha for only KRW 2,500 during sales.

Heh heh..i don’t go out without make up just like that ok. Before going out without any make up , i will do an extra step of skin care and that is MASKING !

So let’s talk about masking.

There are many kinds of masks and packs in the market now.

There is the modeling pack. Where you scoop up the powder and put it in a bowl , add water , stir and mix , apply onto your face with a brush , wait for it to harden for about 20 minutes and peel it off.

I bought a bottle of Collagen Modeling Mask but i have not used it yet. Too lazy and find it cumbersome.

And then you have the sleeping packs.

Im currently using Laneige Water Sleeping Pack and Sulwhasoo Vitalizing Overnight Pack. The former is more for hydration and latter is for brightening.

Also there is the night cream. Im currently using Hera’s Cell-Bio Cream. It is more of a night cream to me because it is quite thick. I will apply and sleep overnight with it.

And then you have the sheet masks.

Im currently using Missha’s green tea and pearl mask , Hera’s white program masks , Cell-Derma T-laser Hydrogel masks and the new Korean Oriental Herb masks from Aeon Aesthetics and Medical Clinic. Just got them on CNY Eve. So cute the packaging. Comes in 5 different sheets for different skin conditions. They are made of Korean Oriental herbs.

Directions available in Korean and English.

Available for purchase in pack of 5 only.

Comparing Hydro-gel and Sheet masks , i prefer the sheet masks because they are soaked wet with the essences in the packaging. Whereas for Hydrogel masks , they dry up pretty fast if you don’t store and keep them properly. But of cos the fit for hydro-gel masks is better because they really stick onto your skin and face shape as compared to sheet masks. But Sulwhasoo hydrogel masks are the best because the gel masks are thin and really soaked wet with serum and essences ( but they are too expensive) .

I don’t recommend sleeping over night with the modeling pack and sheet masks on your face. It somehow made your skin feels dry the next morning. Well , i go to sleep with the packs or cell-bio night cream. I mask my face everyday lol. Yes..i have to if not i feel very…hmmm strange and “empty” like as if i missed out something. I even mask my face on the plane.
Besides applying on my face , i also apply on my neck and shoulders. But how to apply on your neck or shoulders when you are using the gel or sheet masks ??? well , there are always left over essences or serums in the packaging after you took it out. I will put on my hand in and feel around and then spread the essences and serums on my neck and shoulders and face.

If i applied sleeping pack or cream overnight , i will use a damp warm towel to slowly clean it off the next morning or do a mild cleansing with very little cleansing foam.

When you apply these overnight masks or creams , make sure you have enough sleep and have a good rest.

On days when i go out without make up , i will put on sheet masks first. After shower , i put on the sheet mask and then my normal skin care routine ( toner , essences , serums , emulsions and moisturizer ). The mask helps to brighten up my skin and so even though i went out without make up , my skin tone still looks even and nice. I will also put on lip balms. I dont want my face to look moisturized but yet my lips looks dry and chapped.

Sheet/gel masks aren’t only for night use. You can use it in the day also ! If i have any important appointments , dinners or occasion , i will put on sheet masks before applying my make up.

After swimming or under the sun for too long , i will put on aloe vera gel masks and then another layer of whitening mask. I don’t just apply the whitening mask right away because my skin flushes and gets irritated after being exposed to the sun for too long and whitening products are usually stronger and tends to dry up my skin. So before i apply any whitening products , i will first treat my skin and calm it down first with aloe vera masks or any moisturizing / hydrating cooling masks.

Some people have the wrong thinking that they should “salvage” their skin by applying whitening products first. Maybe it works for some people but i find it too harsh for my skin.

Hope this post helps to those who ask about masking/sleeping packs.

And yup , i put on masks/sleeping packs every night !

You should try to see if there are any improvement in your skin. It doesn’t just happen overnight . It takes sometime depending on your skin type.

Whatever works for me may not work for some people. Always ask for sample packs first ( at least for 3 times use ) !

And store your sheet masks in the fridge if you are not using them yet.

And here’s a bandage dress coming up soon on Agneselle.com !

I LOVE IT ALOT and im sure you will ! Something that you will always pull it out from your wardrobe and wear !

It is shoulder padded and had a unique side cut. My bf loves it alot and he said very very nice !