Exploring Seoul Through Sulwhasoo

Just barely three days since returning from Korea and I've already booked a flight to my next destination: i'll reveal this soon as the weeks draw closer. 

Korea was a blast. The only reason why I was in Korea was because my team and I had to shoot a special VR (Virtual Reality) project for one of Amore Pacific's brands, Sulwhasoo. If you're ever in Gangnam, go check out Sulwhasoo's flagship store, so intricately designed by Neri & Hu, an award-winning design duo. I didn't take a lot of photos of the store because I was too busy working, admiring the store, trying samples, etc. I think I tried waaay too many samples.

The view right when I woke up! It was 5am and I had woken up from a brief nap. Midnight flights are my favorite kind of flights for long-distance traveling because it's quiet. It does get uncomfortable to sleep on the flight but fortunately, I was too tired from a long day and slept like a baby. 

The rooftop event space at Sulwhasoo's flagship store! I love love love the design of this entire building, but my favorite place was definitely this one. The six-storey store boasts in two spas, VIP lounges, workshop areas and retail spaces. Upon entering, you'll be treated to soothing iced green tea and if you're lucky, an ampoule with ginseng extract for the extra kick.

Of course, the food was awesome! The Korean BBQ was my favorite besides this heavenly piece of Nutella and banana crepe, one of the many street foods you'll find in Myeong Dong, the shopping haven of the city.

I took a bunch of photos but I was too lazy to edit all.

I really enjoyed Korea. It was definitely a country that I had been wanting to tick off my travel bucket list. To be able to travel there for business was a plus, though I believe I would have enjoyed it more if I was there for leisure instead of work. Seoul is pretty safe for solo travel, though the cost of living can be pretty high (if you're coming from Malaysia). I was pretty happy to have had the experience of seeing another country. I doubt I'll be jumping onto the k-pop bandwagon but I must say that external beauty seems to be a thing around here. Be prepared to see an army of well-dressed, beautiful women and a whole load of beauty shops in the city. I hope I'll be able to go back again, perhaps to Busan or to Jeju Island.

P.S. Yes, I bought too many sheet masks (how could I resist a packet of RED WINE sheet masks?) #noregrets

In-flight skin talk and musings on career satisfaction

I'll be leaving to Korea in one day for what I would call a 'workcation', since I'd obviously want to spend time exploring Seoul and Gangnam. It still hasn't dawned upon me that I've reached a point in my career where I am able to travel internationally. Previously, my stint as a travel writer covered local content, so I would be flying off to Penang (mostly) or joining media trips to other parts of Malaysia.

Truth to be told, I miss the media life. I miss being able to brainstorm fresh content for a new issue with a team of creatives. I miss being able to write longform articles instead of the short blurbs that I write now. I also miss meeting new people, attending new openings and gaining fresh inspiration just by researching for an article or conducting interviews and organizing photo shoots.

People say that a job in the media doesn't 'pay the bills'. However, when I look at the very people who say that, those killing it with the formal attire and the high paycheck, I see that they are not happy. After speaking to a few people in my network, I find that most of them are not happy or fulfilled with the career that allows them to have a hefty paycheck. I look at my situation now, with the long working hours, client meetings, occasionally hell-ish circumstances and the high pressure that comes with advertising, I find myself unhappy and unfulfilled despite the high(er) income than what I used to earn when I was in media.

I'll definitely be thinking a lot about satisfaction and salaries during the six-hour flight. In the mean time, I thought of sharing my in-flight beauty essentials. I've never been much of a beauty junkie (until now) but ever since my addiction to beauty vlogs and such, I started an in-flight beauty routine since my last trip to Australia a few months ago. Six to eight hours in a plane is no joke.

Here's what I make sure I have with me:

1. Reading materials. I consider reading as a part of a beauty routine because refreshing your mind and injecting yourself with new ideas and thoughts is part of the beauty journey, at least for me. I think a beautiful mind outshines a beautiful face and I love reading books and magazines that inspire me. One of which are magazines like ELLE, Harper's BAZAAR or PORTER (especially if it's my #KarlieKween on the cover) and a good book. I read "French Women Don't Get Fat" by Mireille Guiliano on my flight back to KL from Gold Coast and I found it so hard to put down because Mireille writes about french culture, beauty and food in a witty and informative way. More on this when I get back!

2. Hair serum. My hair tends to frizz (#curlyhairproblems) because of the dry nature of the cabin. I decided to try out Botaneco Garden's Organic Argan & Virgin Olive Oil hair serum since I've heard a lot about the power of argan oil to tame flyaways and bring moisture back to the hair. It's less that 95ml, so I'm positive that I will be allowed to bring this in on the flight.

3. Sheet mask. You'll never hear the end of my adoration for this. I only decided to try out a sheet mask in the plane because it's gonna be six hours of flying at midnight, so I might as well fulfill my sheet mask quota (I do it twice a week) for the week. I decided to try the Jeju Lily Face Mask by Guardian, only because The Face Shop is not available at my area. I'm gonna be meeting international media and the Korean clients once I land, so I might as well wake up to fresher skin and feel good.

4. Lip balm. Same reason regarding dryness but I try not to wear lipstick or any makeup for long flights, so I resort to a tiny lip balm for moisture. I've been keeping this Born Lippy Passionberry lip balm by The Body Shop for some time and I find that it doesn't really absorb into my lips but it does the work of keeping lips moist. Oh well.

5. Facial wipes. I keep this in my bag just in case my skin looks dull from the flight and I need a quick fix-it before landing. I usually have this in my bag at all times, regardless of whether I'm traveling or not. I like Simple's Kind to Skin Cleasing Facial Wipes because it's designed for people with sensitive skin like me.


I've not packed but I'm excited because I'll be meeting new people, exploring new places and yes, I'm definitely coming home with an armful of sheet masks and instant kimchi ramen. To be honest, the last thing on my mind is work but I know *fingers crossed* that I'll be able to get the job done.



Till then,
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the one with the outdoor adventures and kbeauty madness

I've not had a proper holiday since I started my new job, so these past five days have been really rejuvenating. i think i've spent close to 70% of the holidays being outdoors and working out while the rest was spent watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S. at home and chilling with my parents + boyfriend.

i did cheat on my holiday and went back to the office on Saturday afternoon for about 4-5 hours (#workaholicproblems) but there's this big project coming up for Amore Pacific that I'm highly involved which, comically, has made me a bit of a Kbeauty (korean beauty) skincare convert.

this particular brand under AP is a luxury skincare client and unexpectedly, creating content for them has made me do so much research into red ginseng, skincare, sheet masks, serums, etc which eventually led me into jumping into this black hole of kbeauty that i think i'm never gonna get out of off. i have not purchased a bottle of serum (yet) but i've heard that it does wonders to a basic skincare routine.

as of now, i've been obsessed with sheet masks. i've tried a few brands but I seem to like The Face Shop's Red Ginseng face mask and Bio-Essence's Bio-Energy Snail Secretion Repair Mask. some people have the luxury to do it every night but for me, twice a week is enough.

i don't know if this is a sad thing but i think i've become a victim of my own marketing. writing all these digital beauty content for AP has suddenly turned me into a skincare convert that i now cleanse, tone, moisturize and exfoliate when once upon a time, i didn't even care if there were blackheads on my nose!
the only good thing about wearing the sheet mask is that it forces me to lie down and relax, something I am not prone to do because I'm always doing something and I hate not doing something. to combat my boredom, I decided to listen to guided meditation (I currently love Boho Beautiful) while letting the mask work its magic on my face.


other than that, I've been pushing myself to try out different ways of working out so I've reverted to hiking + body weight workouts. i used to be a gym freak but i realized that i don't have to spend so much money on a gym membership when there's the option of working out for free at home.

i decided to make the most of my neighborhood and popped by the Ulu Kanching waterfall next door (literally 2 mins from my door step) and hiked up the trail. sadly, i was wearing slippers (because i can really be a silly goose at times), so the trail was getting slippery as we journeyed higher, plus my irrational fears of encountering an iguana (or a tiger) made me stop and backtrack.
lesson learnt: 1) wear proper shoes and 2) push through the fear.

i also checked out Bukit Gasing, one of my colleague's brilliant idea, when we planned a hiking trip between the three of us. initially, we wanted to head over to the Commonwealth Park near my house but since it rained at 6am, we changed course and decided to check out this spot in PJ.
[pinching myself now for not taking photos!]

it feels good to be active, especially with great company.
one of the things i love about being active is learning to appreciate the beauty of creation, like the trees, the sky and animals. i hope to get over my fear of reptiles, though. i'm also addicted to the endorphin rush that permeates the body after a really good work out.

also, body weight workouts! i can't seem to get enough of working out with POPSUGAR Fitness. Sometimes, they have a combination of free weights + body weight training but I think what gets me going is Anna Renderer, PF's master trainer who has an incredible amount of infectious enthusiasm.

i sound like i'm doing some marketing over here.
well, if i love something, i'll naturally share it or talk about it.
but really, I highly recommend sheet masks (of the korean variety) and the outdoors as a great way to relax. and if you're ever stuck in a fitness rut (honestly, the treadmill is a waste of time), DO BODY WEIGHT WORKOUTS!

Check out these places in the Klang Valley if you're interested in hiking:
Bukit Tabur
Taman Rimba Komanwel (Commonwealth Park)
Bukit Gasing 
Bukit Saga, Cheras 
Broga Hill
Templer's Park 

I'm sure i missed out a few but if you know of any more places to hike in other parts of Malaysia (other regions in Southeast Asia are also welcomed), just shoot me a comment!