30 April 2018

Things That Make You Go Oooooo (April 2018)

...

April has been such a crazy month for me I don't quite know how I got through it, I moved back to Bangkok, celebrated Thai New Years with the family, finally met my friend after over a decade of talking to each other online, got tickets to see GOT7 and had so many other fun and random times that my feet have barely touched the ground and the fun isn't going to stop yet because not only will I be going to see GOT7 again in a couple weeks but a few days after I'll be flying back to the UK for the first time in over a year to visit friends and family! I'm honestly a little nervous about visiting the UK after so long because so much has changed and I've changed but it'll be good to see my friends and of course my dog after being away for so long, I'm sure they'll support me and my new found "Asian habits", enjoy this months links and be sure to leave me a comment letting me know what made you happy this past month.

♥ Sacred Mornings: Experience Your Full Radiance While The Sun Comes Up

♥ Why Breaks are Essential

♥ The Complete Recipe for Living an Amazing Life

♥ Being Comfortable In My Own Skin

♥ Guide to Exploring Kanazawa

girl in the cherry blossom

♥ 7 Bedtime Rituals That Are Hard To Adopt, But Will Pay Off Forever

♥ How To Support a Friend Who Is Dealing With Anxiety

♥ 50 Essential Tips For First Time Travellers

♥ You’ve Been Doing It Wrong: Why You’re Still Dehydrated

♥ Instant Ways to Feel More Confident 

♥♥

♥ How to Keep Your Head Up in the Constant Stream of Bad News

♥ How to Write a Good Blog Post

♥ How To Be A Confident Badass In An Instant

♥ How to Create the Perfect Itinerary

♥ How to Identify Toxic Friendships

Untitled

♥ Suffer From Migraines? Here's Exactly What To Eat (And Avoid)

♥ 7 Ways to Turn Your Passion Project Into a Full-Time Gig

♥ Changing This One Thing Can Majorly Improve Your Happiness

♥ When I Grow Up I Want To Be Kind

♥ You’d Be a Better Communicator If You Weren’t So Afraid of Embarrassing Yourself





Love & Cherries
Cate
xoxo


26 April 2018

A Day at Nami Island - (남이섬) South Korea

Nami Island - South Korea

Nami Island is just over an hour away from Seoul and a great way to spend a day away from the city and in some nature. The island was made famous by it's appearance in a classic romantic Korean drama called Winter Sonata which I haven't personally watched but I know was very popular, especially here in Thailand! We visited Namiseom on Christmas Day and although Christmas has long since passed as it's KDrama month on Cateaclysmic I thought it would be the perfect time to share my perfect day on the island of romance.

Nami Island - South Korea

Nami is beautiful place to visit all year round but I heard it was especially beautiful in winter and it really was with the snow and the soft winter sunlight. I've never really had a "White Christmas" before so this was a mini dream come true and although I was freezing that day it was worth braving the cold to visit and see all the beautiful sights around Nami.

Nami Island - South Korea

One of the attractions at Nami is the ostriches they have living there which was quite a strange sight to see in the snow considering they're native to the African deserts but they did seem quite happy and healthy, and they looked a lot warmer than I felt! I've never been that close to an ostrich before so it was amazing to see just how big they actually are and the size of their feet, one powerful kick from them could probably kill you...

Nami Island - South Korea

Hotteok is one of my absolute favourite Korean treats and I think I ate it almost every day whilst I was in Seoul, it's most commonly sold in winter and it's the perfect thing to warm you up on a cold winters day. I'm not quite sure why the hotteok on Nami was green but it tasted good and I kinda wished I had bought another but I was already full from the giant salad I had for lunch but if you ever have the chance to try some DO IT! They also have a savoury version with japchae (korean noodles) inside which is really tasty to.

Nami Island - South Korea

There were cute snowmen all over Nami and lot's of them were dressed in traditional costumes from different countries from all over the world, the ones above are Thai. Nami also had flags from all around the world and signs welcoming visitors in many different languages which was really nice to see and tourists even get a slight discount on admission to the island. I heard so many different languages spoken that day and a lot of Thai, I mentioned that Winter Sonata was a popular drama in Thailand but I had no idea just how popular it was until I saw the busloads of Thai tourists lining up to take photos with the Winter Sonata statues there.

Nami Island - South Korea

A lot of places in Korea have area where you can draw and write on the walls which I kinda love as it gives a homely vibe and I always love reading the little messages and seeing the cute drawings people leave behind after their visits. For some reason Nami just made me feel really sentimental as it was such the perfect day and such a romantic setting and there was me #FOREVERALONE, I guess being in such a beautiful setting just has that effect on people but at least I was with my BFF who lives sooo damn far away from me and I never get to see, anytime we're together is a good time ♥


So that was my day in Nami. I imagine it looks like a completely different place in the summer and I would love to go again as it's pretty easy to reach by subway from Seoul, there's also Petite France and The Garden of Morning Calm nearby which I'd like to see and have also featured in many Korean dramas so no doubt this won't the end of my Korean drama adventures it's only the start, who knows maybe next time I'll get the Train to Busan...

Don't forget to check out my giveaway and let me know your favourite Asian dramas
Love & Snowflakes
Cate
xoxo

22 April 2018

KBeauty: Make-up & Skincare Haul - 3CE, Klairs, COSRX, Innisfree & more...


I'm pretty much addicted to Korean beauty there's just so many amazing and innovative products that come out of Korea I can't help myself when I'm there. KBeauty has made a complete difference to my skin and since I got into it many years ago I've noticed so many benefits and learned so much about different igredients and what does and doesn't work for my skin. Whilst in Korea I picked up a whole different range of products from all sorts of different brands so I though I would share everything I got and some of my thoughts, so if you're interested in beauty and skincare be sure to watch the video below and if you'd like me to film a skincare routine and do a more in depth review of these products please do let me know as KBeauty is a subject I love talking about.


*Links to the products mentioned where available*










What Korean beauty products would you like to test out?
Love & Oranges
Cate
xoxo


*contains affiliate links



18 April 2018

Asian Dramas I'm Watching & Loving!

又一次 神秘的小森林

As it's KDrama month on Cateaclysmic and I've been sharing some of my drama related adventures in Korea I thought it appropriate to make this list all about, yes you've guessed it, all the Korean dramas I've been watching lately and boy have there been some good ones! I don't know what it is about Korean TV but I'm hooked, I even love their variety shows so if you'd like to see a post about some of the other Korean TV shows I like to watch that aren't dramas do let me know and I'll make a list of some of my faves for you to check out.

사랑의 온도
Temperature of Love is the story of two people, Hyun-Soo an aspiring drama series writer and Jung-Sun who dreams of becoming a chef, that first meet online and then develop an even closer relationship when they meet in person but soon they get separated after choosing different life paths but after several years of finding career success they are reunited once again. I really enjoyed this drama it was a nice break away from some of the heavier dramas I had been watching and as each episode is only 30 minutes long it makes it an easy one to dip in and out of, although I will admit I am guilty of binge watching 3 or 4 episodes in one go! The characters are very sweet and very real and I enjoyed seeing how their relationship developed despite all the problems thrown in their way, sometimes romance dramas can be ridiculously cheesy but this one wasn't at all it was very relatable. The food looked so good it kept making me hungry so maybe some snacks are needed when you watch it and it was a nice surprise to see P.O from Block B in this (one of my old fave Kpop groups) the character he played was just the cutest little bean!

당신이 잠든 사이에
Hong-Joo has the ability to see the future deaths of others in her dreams, although she's never sure of when they will happen but she tries to stop these dreams from becoming reality but has so far never succeeded. Jae-Chan, a rookie prosecutor, moves in across the street from her and has a strange dream about an accident involving Hong-Joo and when he realises his dream is about to become reality he takes action and ends up saving her life. After realising they both share the same ability they decide to work together to figure out their dreams and try to save the lives of the people that they love. So when I first heard about this drama I just thought it was just your typical romance story, I mean look at the posters, but after watching the first episode I realised it was so much more than that and I was hooked! I can definitely see why this is so popular, the supernatural elements, the mystery, the unique storyline and the amazing and beautiful cast (OMG Suzy can you be anymore pretty?) just make this drama a must watch and I can't believe I sat on it for so long, it's definitely worth all the hype it's been getting so check this one out especially if you're a fan of W or Circle.

블랙 
Black or 444 is a grim reaper who inhabits the body of a human in order to find another reaper who has runaway from his duties but in the process he meets Ha-Ram who has the ability to see the shadows of death and a persons moment of death just by touching them, together they uncover the truth about a serial murder and struggle to save the lives of people but in doing so find themselves facing the consequences of breaking the rules of heaven. So I started watching this drama whilst I was ill and it gave me some pretty freaky fever dreams so I had to take a little break from finishing it because not only is it a long drama with each of the 18 episodes being 90 minutes in length it's quite a mentally heavy drama and deals with some very serious themes including, suicide, prostitution, paedophilia and sexual abuse, so be forewarned this is not your typical silly happy romance! The first episode had me really interested but the second episode confused me completely but after a few more episodes I got into it and found myself really intrigued with the characters and the unfolding storyline, there were so many twists and turns and just when you think one mystery is solved another one is uncovered and the plot just deepens, I would probably recommend you give some time to watch this drama as it's a lot to take in and not do what I did and watch it when you're sick, feverish and high on meds because I almost felt even more drained watching but that being said it was well done and even though you will be confused at times, you'll wonder what the heck happened with a certain plot line and feel like it will never end things do eventually start to make sense in an interesting way. I also really enjoyed the character of Black (not so much Ha-Ram though) and the reapers whose stories were all so intriguing and heartbreaking (everything is connected!) they also brought an element of humour to an emotionally heavy series which was very much needed. There's not really another drama I can compare this to as although it shares some of minor themes with previous supernatural dramas I've watched it's definitely the most serious and mentally challenging drama I've seen so far and is not really something you can take lightly especially when it's dealing with themes such as child abuse so be forewarned if you find those subjects triggering.

로봇이 아니야
Min-Kyu is rich, intelligent and handsome but he's forced to live in seclusion because of his unique allergy to people. Ji-A is an unsuccessful entrepreneur with big ideas who receives a phone call from her ex-boyfriend Baek-Gyun who is a world renown developer of android robots and needs her help. Min-Kyu has placed and order for Baek-Gyun's latest creation Aji 3 however after an accident occurs the android is broken and this is where Ji-A comes in as the android was built in her image, so Baek-Gyun desperate to secure investments for his projects promises Ji-A a significant amount of money in exchange for her to pretend she is Aji 3. I was pretty sure from the moment I heard about this dramas I would like it and I wasn't disappointed but I was not expecting to so strongly get hit in the feels! Min-Kyu starts off as quite a comedic character put into this unbelievable situation but as the series progresses a shift happens and you really start to empathise with his condition and what he's going though. By the end of this dramas I was just rooting for everyone to end up happy, I don't think there was a single character I disliked, they all had such great chemistry with each other and the romance (and friendships) was so damn cute it gave me a toothache. I definitely needed this light-hearted happy drama after watching Black although now I really want a robot... or even just a robot hoover!


마술학교
Na Ra is a university student who wants to become a public servant and has never dated anyone. Jay is a popular magician in denial over the death of his younger brother. Joon is an intern at a hospital who wants only to bring joy to his patients hearts. These people gather at a magic school led by Master Han in order to learn the tricks of the trade and bring something more meaningful into each of their lives. This webdrama aired last year in weekly 10 minute slots but recently got a spot on TV as a 4 part drama so I just had to watch it to support my boys Jinyoung (GOT7) and Nichkhun (2pm), I'm so proud of my JYP fam and the success they've all be having in their solo projects but I'm not going to fangirl, you can follow my Twitter for that! I'm actually really into magic and for the longest time I wanted to be become a magician so was forever trying to learn new tricks so I really enjoyed the school element of this drama. Magic is used as a tool for each of the characters to fulfil a void in their lives, Na Ra's story is really cute and Joon is just adorable, of course I'd have a soft spot for these two haha!


Don't forget to enter my Kdrama Giveaway!
Love & Bunnies
Cate
xoxo


14 April 2018

Goblin (도깨비) Filming Locations in Seoul and Incheon


I'm addicted to Korean dramas and one of my absolute favourites is Goblin so on my recent trip to South Korea I thought I would visit a few of the filming locations and re-create some of my favourite scenes. I didn't initially plan this KDrama tour but after randomly recognising an alley in Samcheong-dong and freaking out over the fact my favourite actors had walked these very same streets it became my new mission to visit as many other filming sites as I could, so this is my journey and a guide on how you can visit them to.

I'll be listing these places in chronological order of appearance although a lot do appear multiple times throughout the series, also this isn't a comprehensive list of every filming location you can visit in Korea just the places I visited.

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Yongdap Station Bridge Goblin Episode 1 & 6

YONGDAP STATION BRIDGE
Yongdap Station Subway Line 2, Exit 2
(Exit up the staircase and it will lead you straight up to the bridge)
This is possibly one of the most iconic places in Goblin with many scenes being filmed here throughout the series, from the first scene with Eun-Tak's Mother to Sunny and the Grim Reaper meeting for the first time. This was actually our first successful visit to a Goblin filming location and we weren't the only ones taking shots on the bridge that day, there were several other people re-creating scenes to but we braved the cold and waited till the bridge was clear and after multiple fails finally got those iconic shots!

Yongdap Station Bridge Goblin Episode 1 & 6

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Deoksugung Palace Wall Goblin Episode 1

DEOKSUGUNG PALACE WALL
City Hall Line 1, Exit 2 
(Turn right at the palace entrance and keep following the walls, turn right again at the "squashed statues" and it'll be down that road, the last right corner of the palace walls)
In the first episode this is where Goblin sees through the walls into Grim Reaper's "teahouse" and they interact for the first time. Our visit to this location was kinda a fail, it was near the American Embassy(?) and there were a lot of guards and police around that day also a valet parking business was running right on that corner of the walls so it was a bit too hectic for us to take any real clean shots. However, it's a really beautiful area of Seoul and although we didn't go into the actual palace the walk around it and seeing all the interesting art and tree lined streets were worth the trip.

Deoksugung Palace Wall Goblin Episode 1

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Samcheong-dong Wall Goblin Episode 1

SAMCHEONG-DONG STONE WALL
Anguk Station Line 3, Exit 1
(walk straight then turn right at the intersection, it's the street directly across from Insadong)
This location is where Goblin and Eun-Tak see each other for the first time and Beautiful Life is played which never fails to get me emotional. Such an iconic scene and this is almost perfectly where our KDrama tour all started because I happened to recognise the walls, ask me what I did yesterday and I probably won't be able to tell you but things like this I have a weird memory for! As it was dark when we were first here I didn't manage to get any good shots but we visited Bukchon again in the daytime later in the week and managed to get a few clearer photos despite the crowds of people visiting that day and a random magic show happening in the middle of the street.

Samcheong-dong Wall Goblin Episode 1

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Incheon Starcase Goblin Episode 2

STAIRS OVERLOOKING INCHEON
Dongincheon Station Line 1, Exit 1
(It's is not too far away from Hanmi Bookstore! Here's the LINK for the exact location on google maps)
This location is where Eun-tak escapes from her family in episode 2 then later summons the Goblin to tell him about her new job at the chicken shop. Our main reason for being in this area was to visit Hanmi Bookstore but as we had made the long journey from Seoul to Incheon already and were nearby we thought we might as well visit this place to and I'm glad we did as it's such an unique part of Incheon. To reach the top we went up the backstreet to the left of the second screenshot and there were some beautiful little hanbok houses with some really cute art painted on them in fact by the time I reached the top of the staircase I was so cold and exhausted from the steep climb up I didn't realise I was already sitting where Eun-tak is in that scene. Unfortunately with the sun setting I couldn't get any really clear photos but I still enjoyed the view of Incheon and would recommend a visit there regardless of whether you're a Goblin fan or not as it was just a really interesting part of the city and a stunning place to watch the sunset.

Incheon Starcase Goblin Episode 2

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Hanmi Book Shop Incheon Goblin Episode 3 6 (orig)

HANMI BOOK STORE IN INCHEON
Dongincheon Station Line 1, Exit 1
(The store is about a 10 minute walk from the station past some traditional markets! You can find the exact location HERE!)
This is the bookshop that Goblin visits in episode 3 which is also featured in episode 6 where Goblin learns how to be affectionate with Eun-tak and again in episode 8 where Goblin confronts the Lady in Red. This bookshop was one of our main reasons for visiting Incheon, it's in a pretty cool area that has a lot of traditional markets selling Hanboks and the road itself is famous for second hand bookstores but Hanmi is easy to spot because of its bright yellow exterior. I absolutely adored this place it was floor to ceiling filled with books (some in English an Japanese to) and such a cosy place, the owner even gave me a chair to sit on when he saw me on my knees combing through the many children's books they had there which was a really sweet gesture and I did end up finding a beautiful Korean Children's book for just 500 won (less that 50 cents!) so I definitely would recommend a visit there for book shop lovers, it was honestly the bookshop of my dreams and it featuring in one of my favourite dramas was just a bonus!

Hanmi Book Shop Incheon Goblin Episode 3 6

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Seongsu Graffiti Alley Goblin Episode 3 (orig)

SEONGSU-DONG GRAFFITI ALLEY
Seongsu Station Line 2, Exit 4
(Roughly a 5 - 10 minute walk from the station! You can find the exact location HERE!)
In episode 3 Eun-tak accidentally summons the Goblin here when she's grilling squid, this scene actually takes place just after the first appearance of Hanmi book store. This was our final stop on our Goblin tour and probably one of my most favourite discoveries in Seoul. The whole area of Seongsu-dong is known as the Brooklyn of Seoul and it really does remind you of Brooklyn with all the hip designer cafes, vintage stores and street art. Cube Entertainment is also not too far from here and they have a cafe (20 Space) so if you're lucky maybe you could catch a glimpse of Sungjae (BTOB) on his way to the studio.

Seongsu Graffiti Alley Goblin Episode 3

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Shinsegae Department Store Myeongdong Goblin Episode 9 (orig)

SHINSEGAE DEPARTMENT STORE ILLUMINATIONS
Myeong-dong Station Line 4, Exit 5
(Alternatively you can stop at Hoehyeon station on the same line and take exit 7, this is one of the most popular department stores in Korea so should be easy to find) 
In episode 9 and 10 this is where Grim Reaper and Sunny meet for a date and also where she breaks up with him. This location has been featured in so many dramas and I have to admit it wasn't until I was googling pictures of Legend of the Blue Sea I saw it appeared in Goblin to, also I didn't purposely seek out this location I just happened to notice it whilst shopping in Myeong-dong and had to check it out, luckily it was Christmas at the time I was there so the illuminations were out and although you only really see the fountain in the drama the tree was really pretty to.

Shinsegae Department Store Myeongdong Goblin Episode 9

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Graffiti Tunnel Sinchon Goblin Episode 10 (orig)

SINCHON GRAFITI TUNNEL
Sinchon Station Gyeongui Line, Exit 2
(This station is a bit difficult to get to so you might want to get off at Ewha and walk, the exact location can be found HERE)
In episode 11 this is where Goblin and Grim Reaper re-create their cool slow-mo walking scene from episode 2 but get in the way of a delivery boy on a motorcycle, then wish him a happy new year! This is one of my favourite scenes from Goblin and this was by far the biggest disappointment for me. After attempting to visit the "Goblin House" and randomly finding a filming location in Samcheong-dong this became the first filming location we purposely looked up and decided to visit and we had big ideas on how to recreate the scene, we even dressed up! BUT unfortunately as you can see from the photo below not only was access to the tunnel closed on both sides but all the graffiti there was gone to... FAIL! Luckily after our fails we didn't give up the mission and thankfully we got to take some really amazing photos and visit some other really interesting places we wouldn't have even thought of going to had it not been for our love of Goblin.

Graffiti Tunnel Sinchon Goblin Episode 10

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White Birch Story Goblin Episode 11

WHITEBIRCH STORY TEA HOUSE
Anguk Station Line 3, Exit 1
(It's not far from the Samcheong-dong stone walls so head there, walk up and it's down the first alley on the left)
In episode 11 this is a cafe which Eun-tak and Sunny visit. I won't go into too much detail about this location as you can read all about it in my previous blog post but we luckily got to sit in the exact same place as they did in this scene!

White Birch Story Goblin Episode 11

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Goblin House Filming Location Duksung Women's University

Deoksung Women’s University
Anguk Station Line 3, Exit 4
(The entrance to the university is right next to Unhyeongung Royal Residence)
I had this area bookmarked from my previous trip to Seoul as I happened to pass by the palace while it was closing and it looked interesting and after a little bit of research found that it was also the location they used to film the exterior of Goblin's house. So as we were in Insadong we thought we would check it out as it was on our way to Bukchon but our access was denied by these "STOP" signs posted at the entrance which I'd also like to point out are written not only in Korean, but English, Chinese and Japanese and specifically state that they appreciate you're a fan of Goblin but it's a working university so go away.... I'm guessing they must have had some problems with fangirls in the past and although it was tempting to just ignore the signs we respected the universities wishes and went on our way. So if you're thinking of visiting here don't bother because you won't be allowed in! I was obviously a bit sad but it wasn't something I had specifically planned (unlike the graffiti tunnel) so it wasn't much of a loss but I thought I would include it just incase anyone else is planning to visit there.

Goblin House Filming Location Duksung Women's University

------------------------------

What filming locations would you love to visit? Don't forget to check out my Goblin giveaway!
Love & Lattes
Cate
xoxo


BIG thank you to these blogs for helping us find these locations and live out our KDrama dreams:
♥ Memago


10 April 2018

KBeauty: Etude House Make-up & Skincare Haul


Etude House is one of my favourite Korean beauty brands and I normally visit one or twice a year to stock up on some of my favourite products. I recently visited their store in Siam in Bangkok and thought I would share with you all the amazing things I bought, so if you're interested in Korean beauty be sure to watch the video below to see some of my favourite Etude House products.


*Links to the products mentioned where available*



What are your favourite Korean beauty brands?
Love & Puppies
Cate
xoxo


*contains affiliate links

07 April 2018

Goblin (도깨비) Filming Locations in Seoul - Whitebirch Story - A Traditional Korean Tea House

Whitebirch Story - Traditional Korean Tea House

From the moment you step inside Whitebirch Story you feel like as if you've entered a fairytale, there's so many cute shops and cafes in Samcheong-dong tucked away down the little alleyways of the Bukchon Village you're missing out by just staying on the main roads. Admittedly this wasn't a random discovery this was actually a place I found thanks to one of my favourite Kdramas Goblin (도깨비) which in fact lead me to visit some other really beautiful places around Korea, this is just one of them and I'll be posting about the rest very soon!

Whitebirch Story - Traditional Korean Tea House

Whitebirch Story - Traditional Korean Tea House

I've said this before but I'll say it again, a visit to a tea house is a must when you're in Korea there's just something so quaint and kitsch about them that you can't find anywhere else in the world. It was a very cold day when we visited so I was desperately in need of something to warm me up and I find tea houses in Korea are always so warm, relaxed and welcoming, the perfect place to hide from the cold winter weather.

Whitebirch Story - Traditional Korean Tea House

There was a wide selection of different teas, coffee and other drinks on the menu there but as it was such a cold day I decided to go for a simple hot ginger tea which came with a little butter biscuit as service. I expected the tea to arrive as just a tea bag in some hot water but there were freshly cut pieces of ginger being steeped in my cup which I actually nibbled on later to give me an extra immunity boost. Ginger is just the best thing to eat in the winter not only does it give you that warm feeling but it's really good for you and helps prevent you getting sick.

Whitebirch Story - Traditional Korean Tea House

Whitebirch Story - Traditional Korean Tea House

Goblin was our reason for coming to this cafe but the relaxed ambience and the kitschy decor was why we stayed. We were also lucky enough to sit in the exact same place as Eun-tak and Sunny did in the drama so it felt like I was living out my KDrama dreams. I've always loved acting but my confidence and anxiety always held me back from going any further with it but little moments like this help me live out those dreams I had of becoming an actor.

Whitebirch Story - Traditional Korean Tea House

Regardless of if you're a Goblin fan or not I would definitely recommend a visit to Whitebirch Story it's such a cosy place and everywhere you look there's something cute to make you smile, even the burn patches on the wall are cute, it definitely ranks high on one of the best cafes I've visited in Seoul and I'll definitely be back there on my next trip.

Keep following for more of my Goblin adventures & be sure to check out my giveaway!
Love & Honey
Cate
xoxo

Psssst if you want to see more awesome cafes from around the world you can click the button below, buy me a coffee, get treats & a shoutout on my next post



04 April 2018

Style Korean A.C.N.E. Try Me! Review Me! Box - KBeauty for Acne Prone Skin

Style Korean A.C.N.E. Try Me! Review Me! Box - KBeauty for Acne Prone Skin

Style Korean were kind enough to send me their new A.C.N.E Try Me! Review Me! box to test out and it could not have come at a better time because after going from the harsh winter of Korea to the ridiculously hot season in Thailand my skin was freaking out! My T-zone was producing way to much sebum, I was getting breakout not just on my face but on my body, and my cheeks were super dry so I really needed something to balance my skin out and get it back to a manageable state.


Before I go more in-depth on each of the products I just want to give a special mention to their super fast shipping because this package arrived from Korea to Thailand in less than 48 hours, that's even quicker than some domestic post here so if I ever have a skincare emergency I know I can count on them to get me what I need fast! The video above shows me testing the products out for 2 weeks as I think that's the minimal amount of time you should test out any new products to see real results but as I'm the type of person who likes using products until they're finished as I'm writing this it's actually been around a month since I started using them, so here are a few of my thoughts on each.

Style Korean A.C.N.E. Try Me! Review Me! Box - KBeauty for Acne Prone Skin
Heimish

"All ingredients rank between 1 - 2 on the EWG Cosmetic Database scale - perfect for those with sensitive skin. Provides the optimal acidity (pH 5.5) to soothe and hydrate your skin while preventing break outs and excess dryness. Contains centella asiatica and witch hazel to soothe and heal inflamed skin."

Heimish is a brand I've heard a lot of good things about so I was happy I could test out this cleaner, it comes in a really good size to so no doubt this will last me for a while. This is my first step in my skincare routine and I use it both morning and night and I've noticed quite positive results with it. My skin is super dry and this didn't dry me out at all and my skin felt super soft afterwards, it also did a really good job of removing my make-up to as sometimes I find I have to use an oil cleanser in addition to the foam cleanser to remove all my make-up but I didn't have to do that at all with this one at all. I also used it with my Clarisonic a few times a week to and it seemed to work quite well and foam up really nicely with it, I really liked the gel consistency and using just a small amount and foaming it up with water was more than enough to cleanse my whole face. I'll definitely continue to use this as I really loved how gentle and soft it was which made it perfect for sensitive skin and those days when you're suffering from a nasty breakout.


"Contains calamine, centella asiatica, tea tree and witch hazel extract to soothe and heal body acne (bacne / chestne). Cacao seed powder, papain, oatmeal and basil remove excess sebum and dead skin cells to prevent pore blockage and subsequent out-breaks."

I used this soap every morning and night to cleanse my body as I suffer from bacne which can be exacerbated by the hot sweaty weather here. It comes with a bag which you can store it in or use to cleanse your body which is what I did as the soap got smaller and harder to grip, the soap also contains small grains to give you added exfoliation but isn't to harsh or abrasive so can be used on you face to. I really loved this soap and after two weeks I had almost used it up, it didn't dry out my skin at all and I actually found I had to use less moisturiser when I was using it which was a shock as my skin is super dry! There was a couple days I switched back to my old body cleanser and I found the next day I had some acne on my shoulders so I switched back to the soap and it actually seemed to calm it down and clear it up quite quickly. I will definitely be buying this again as it worked so well for me and I love the little soap net that comes with it which makes it easy to store and also great to use as sort of sponge to prolong the life of it but most of all it really worked to heal my acne and didn't dry out my already dry skin, the only negative is that it didn't really have a scent but if you prefer unscented things it's perfect!


"Charcoal powder absorbs excess sebum and dead skin cells from pores to reduce blackheads and whiteheads. Contains squalane, an oil that mimics the skin's own sebum to hydrate and prevent moisture loss. Also acts as an anti-bacterial to fight against acne."

As it's bad to over exfoliate your skin I haven't used this product that often, I use it maybe once or twice a week depending on how oily my T-zone is looking. The first few times I used it I didn't notice much of a difference and wondered if I should use a nose pack to clear out my pores but I decided to just stick with it and after a few weeks I did actually notice that the pores around my nose looked much smaller and there was no need for me to reach for the nose packs at all! I use this after I've cleansed my face and it helps if you have quite moist skin and take some time to gently work the product in using your fingers to deep clean the T-zone area before washing it off. I also love the way the product is designed as it makes for easy application to the areas that need attention and it's super compact to travel with, which is always a bonus for me.

Style Korean A.C.N.E. Try Me! Review Me! Box - KBeauty for Acne Prone Skin
Benton
Aloe BHA Skin Toner

"All componets rank between 1 - 4 on the EWG Cosmetic Database scale. Contains the key acne-care ingredients: Consists of sodium hyaluronate and glycerin to provide an intense moisturizing effect. Mildly acidic to ensure the skin's barrier is protected without stripping away any hydration."

Toners are something which I never really used to pay attention to before but over the past few years they've become essential to my routine. The key is to find one with a good slightly thick texture that doesn't dry out your skin and allow a little time before your next skincare step for it to absorb in, I really loved this one and used it night and day first wiping it on my face with a cotton pad then just patting a couple of pumps directly into my skin. My face always looked really clear and refreshed after using it and it did a great job at fading some of my hyper-pigmentation and scars as well as keeping my skin really hydrated as one of the reasons I gave up on toner many years ago was that it always dried out my skin but this one didn't have that effect at all. I did find that it was a little sticky at first but it does go away quite quickly leaving you with a nice dewy glow.


"Centella asiatica and madecassoide acts as an anti-inflammatory to soothe and heal acne prone skin. Dermatologically proven to be safe for sensitive skin. SPF 47 PA++ UV protection. Available in 3 shades (#21, #23, #27)." 

This cushion has become my go to cushion and I wear it almost everyday, firstly the shade really matches me well and isn't greying or doesn't oxidise at all, secondly the coverage is really good and from one layer alone it really covered all my redness and pimples, so much so that I found I didn't really need to use as much concealer. The cushion also gives me a nice warm dewy glow, which I love as I don't like matt look foundations and feel they can be kinda ageing. The staying power is also pretty good especially with the heat here, I found that it lasted most of the day without completely melting off my skin, it's definitely better than other cushions I've used which just seem to fade after a few hours even without the heat factor but it's not the best one I've tried when it comes to staying power, however out of all the ones I have tried this is definitely my favourite and I will most definitely re-purchasing it in the future.


"Hydrocolloid dressing to treat acne. Absorbs impurities and protects against external factors such as bacterium to ensure faster healing."

These patches have become a staple product in my skincare routine, I love them that much! I have that bad habit of picking at pimples and aggravating them even more so these patches stop me playing around with them and allows them to heal naturally and stop me creating scars with all my popping and picking. Compared to the COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches I used to use I like these ones a lot more, for starters they're a lot slimmer which means they adhere to the skin better and also as the sheets are cut it's easier to remove them and place them on your face, I find with the other ones when I'm trying to peel them off I often damage them which means they don't stick as well, and I also feel like the slimmer ones do a better job of sucking up all the crap that's inside your pimples. The only thing is that I wished they came in multiple sizes like the others do as sometimes they don't cover my big angry pimples but overall if I had to choose between the two it would definitely be these.


What are your fave products for acne prone skin?
Love & Green Tea
Cate
xoxo



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