Very long time since I updated last. I hate to admit it, but I let life get ahead of me and this blog kind of fell to the wayside...again... But I wanted to update you all on what is going to be coming up for me in the near future! I have been offered a position to help manage two EFL branches in Vietnam!! It is with the sister company of the one I worked for when I was living in Seoul, South Korea (I am currently back home in the US with my family for the holidays), so I am already pretty familiar with how the administrative side of the job works.
I am not going to lie and say that I am not nervous about moving to a new country to work, I am. When I first went to Korea to study back in university, I had already been studying about the culture and the program for over a year beforehand, and when I got in country I had a group of staff members from the program who were helping me every step of the way; from the visa process to living situations, culture adjustments-everything I could ever need help on, help was provided. So when I moved back to Seoul to become a teacher after I graduated, I was already familiar with how the city and culture works, so I was not going in "blind." It is the complete opposite with Vietnam.
I know nothing of Vietnam. I have only really had pho in terms of Vietnamese food, so I have no idea what other foods there are, I don't speak the language, and I have no idea about the culture. So there is going to be a steep learning curve for me as soon as I arrive. But despite my nervousness about managing not one, but two branches, and the fact that it is going to be harder for me to integrate into my new home compared to when I moved to Seoul, I am really looking forward to starting the next chapter in my life!
Now I just hope the stress of getting ready to fly across the world again and packing my life away into 2 suitcases, 1 carry-ons, and a backpack!
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Vacation Time! pt.1- Jeju Island
In September, I was able to go on vacation to Jeju (also referred to as the Hawaii of South Korea) and Busan ( South Korea's 2nd largest city and major port town). It was a really nice treat since it was my first official vacation since I signed on to be a teacher here in Seoul about 2 years ago!
As luck would have it, I actually got more days off than I had originally asked for since as a surprise, my branch manager decided to let us have all 4 days (Thursday-Sunday) of Chuseok, aka the closest thing Korea has to a Thanksgiving holiday, and then I was given the following week off to go on vacation, so in total I had almost a week and a half off (which is usually very very rare in my company)!
So I spent the weekend out with my friends and then flew out to Jeju on the 18th of September. the flight to Jeju is only about 30-45 minutes or so depending on your carrier, so in no time I was landing at the Jeju airport and getting on the airport limousine bus to travel to the Southern part of the island (Seogwipo) where my friend lives. The first thing that noticed was that how much Jeju felt like Jacksonville, Florida; the sun was shining, I could smell the ocean, there was so much green and there were palm trees lining all of the roads-- it was nice to start the trip feeling like I was home again.
As luck would have it, I actually got more days off than I had originally asked for since as a surprise, my branch manager decided to let us have all 4 days (Thursday-Sunday) of Chuseok, aka the closest thing Korea has to a Thanksgiving holiday, and then I was given the following week off to go on vacation, so in total I had almost a week and a half off (which is usually very very rare in my company)!
So I spent the weekend out with my friends and then flew out to Jeju on the 18th of September. the flight to Jeju is only about 30-45 minutes or so depending on your carrier, so in no time I was landing at the Jeju airport and getting on the airport limousine bus to travel to the Southern part of the island (Seogwipo) where my friend lives. The first thing that noticed was that how much Jeju felt like Jacksonville, Florida; the sun was shining, I could smell the ocean, there was so much green and there were palm trees lining all of the roads-- it was nice to start the trip feeling like I was home again.
The airport bus ride took about an hour or so to get from one side of the island to the other, but I enjoyed looking out the window and seeing all of the greenery and glimpses of the ocean flash by my window. When I got to my stop, I had to get a taxi to take me up the side of the hill/mountain that my friend lives on to get to his house. We met during my time at Yonsei for Study Abroad (we were in the same program) and became fast friends when we both flew in on the same flight since we arrived a day later than everyone else. He had recently moved to Jeju after spending a year in Daegu and I am so jealous of his house! My whole apartment is the size of just 3 of his 5 roomed house (2 bed, 2 baths, 1 kitchen/living room). Since he is teaching at a public middle school on the island, his school gave him a house right behind the school grounds and since he had plenty of room and he owed me one for letting him crash in my tiny Seoul digs earlier in the year, I got to use his house as home-base for my vacation (plus I got a travel buddy to do stuff with!).
Once I was moved in, we got to go to visit the Osulloc Tea Fields and Museum. For those of you who do not know, Osulloc is one of Korea's top brands when it comes to green tea. They have tea houses all throughout Seoul and I have been obsessed with their teas and green tea products (green tea milk spread for lyfe~) for a while and really wanted to visit the tea fields and see the museum. The fields were really pretty and smelled amazing, plus since it was a little overcast and sprinkling, there were not too many people, so there were no crowds! Now, there were a lot of mosquitoes out, so I had to take some Benedryl when I got home, nut it was so worth it. We also got to see the history and the process of growing and making green tea in the museum and even got to smell all of their specialty tea blends that they made using the tea from the fields outside. I picked up two, but trust me, if my wallet could have handled it, I would have bought all of the teas they had!! They smelled that good. I got Corey (my friend) hooked on the green tea milk spread, so we picked up a couple of jars to help feed his new addiction.
Next to the Osulloc museum and fields was the Innisfree flagship store. Innisfree is a Korean skincare/makeup brand that uses natural ingredients from Jeju in all of its products. I actually own quite a few of their products myself (can't live without the volcanic pore cleanser) so it was cool to see their flagship store. The products that they were selling were the same as the ones that you can buy in Seoul, so did not pick up anything new, but they did have a station where you could make your own postcards using stamps that were designed with patterns showing the famous landmarks and symbols of Jeju (tangerines, horses, volcanoes, palm trees, volcanic rocks, etc). It was designed for kids, but we did not care and made our own to remind us of the tea fields!
To finish up our first night, we picked up some food from the grocery store and then made dinner and got caught up late into the night.
The main temple on Jeju is called 천약사 (Cheonyaksa) and is in the southern part of the island, facing the ocean. There are palm trees and dolhareubangs ( the statue associated with Jeju) everywhere. The sea breeze was going strong and the sun was out, but not overbearing. Since there was only one large group of Chinese tourists there with me so, I just made sure I as not in the same part of the temple with them, since I wanted to take in and experience the peacefulness of the temple without any major distractions. I will admit that I am a total temple lover, so anytime I get to visit a temple, I fall in love. This time was not exception!! The different parts of the complex, from the main hall to the annex was spectacular and I really felt at peace there. Plus the sun on my face and the palm trees swaying in the breeze was also a nice treat!
Since I was stationed in the southern part of the island for my stay, most of my solo exploring was done around there. I went into the famous Teddy Bear Museum, toured around the botanical gardens, and even went to see Cheonjeyeon Falls (천제연폭포) that were nearby. Everything down South is so beautiful, that I definitely could see how Jeju can be thought of as the Hawaii of Korea!
That night, Corey and I went around near Cheonjeyeon Falls to get one of Jeju's famous dishes: black pork! We found one of the more well-known places and feasted! We were the only foreigners there and since Corey is practically fluent, I think the owner took a liking to us because he gave us "service" (Korean version of "on the house") in the form of a whole serving of black pork! So we had 3 people's worth of meat for the price of 2. The black pork was good, but not too much different from the meat you can get up in Seoul. The only difference really is that the black pork had a bigger layer of fat on the top. All in all, not as crazy good as I was expecting, but still really yummy. especially with the tangerine rice wine that we ordered.
For my last day on the island, I went up to the northern part of the island and toured the city of Jeju (Jeju-city). It reminded me of little Seoul and was not as resort-like, or as green as the southern part of the island, but it was nice to go around the city and see everything. I went to shrines, lighthouses, and quiet a few of the museums. Before I got to the city, I signed up for a bus service (Trazy Tours- would definitely recommend for anyone visiting) which took me around to all of the major tourist areas of the city, with a new bus coming every hour. This worked out since I was able to explore the sites and did not have to worry about flagging down a taxi or trying to find a bus to get to the next spot! The only thing that I wish I was able to see more of was the Sarabong Lighthouse Park. I went to see the lighthouse that overlooked the shipyards but was too nervous to explore the temple that was across from it. The temple was really small and I heard a prayer service going on so did not want to interrupt it by walking around, but kind of wish I did because it is not every day that you visit a temple with a similar name as yours!
The next day, I took the airport bus back to the airport and then flew off to the second part of my fall vacation: Busan! Jeju is definitely one of my highlights of living and exploring South Korea. The fact that it feels like home with all of the palm trees and the ocean breeze and the fact that it is still Korea, makes it a perfect blend of my two homes (yes, I do consider South Korea to be home)! If you ever get the chance to visit South Korea, I highly recommend Jeju Island be one of your destinations!!
Since I was stationed in the southern part of the island for my stay, most of my solo exploring was done around there. I went into the famous Teddy Bear Museum, toured around the botanical gardens, and even went to see Cheonjeyeon Falls (천제연폭포) that were nearby. Everything down South is so beautiful, that I definitely could see how Jeju can be thought of as the Hawaii of Korea!
That night, Corey and I went around near Cheonjeyeon Falls to get one of Jeju's famous dishes: black pork! We found one of the more well-known places and feasted! We were the only foreigners there and since Corey is practically fluent, I think the owner took a liking to us because he gave us "service" (Korean version of "on the house") in the form of a whole serving of black pork! So we had 3 people's worth of meat for the price of 2. The black pork was good, but not too much different from the meat you can get up in Seoul. The only difference really is that the black pork had a bigger layer of fat on the top. All in all, not as crazy good as I was expecting, but still really yummy. especially with the tangerine rice wine that we ordered.
For my last day on the island, I went up to the northern part of the island and toured the city of Jeju (Jeju-city). It reminded me of little Seoul and was not as resort-like, or as green as the southern part of the island, but it was nice to go around the city and see everything. I went to shrines, lighthouses, and quiet a few of the museums. Before I got to the city, I signed up for a bus service (Trazy Tours- would definitely recommend for anyone visiting) which took me around to all of the major tourist areas of the city, with a new bus coming every hour. This worked out since I was able to explore the sites and did not have to worry about flagging down a taxi or trying to find a bus to get to the next spot! The only thing that I wish I was able to see more of was the Sarabong Lighthouse Park. I went to see the lighthouse that overlooked the shipyards but was too nervous to explore the temple that was across from it. The temple was really small and I heard a prayer service going on so did not want to interrupt it by walking around, but kind of wish I did because it is not every day that you visit a temple with a similar name as yours!
The next day, I took the airport bus back to the airport and then flew off to the second part of my fall vacation: Busan! Jeju is definitely one of my highlights of living and exploring South Korea. The fact that it feels like home with all of the palm trees and the ocean breeze and the fact that it is still Korea, makes it a perfect blend of my two homes (yes, I do consider South Korea to be home)! If you ever get the chance to visit South Korea, I highly recommend Jeju Island be one of your destinations!!
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Life Update
Ok, so as you can tell from my archive, I have been doing a pretty poor job at keeping up with my posts here, or well at least keeping them more frequent. I guess all I can say about that is that life happens. I have been busy with getting every thing lined up for one more year here in Seoul, plus I got a promotion at work, so I have had to adjust to a slightly more demanding work load; plus with learning to live on my own (laundry to wash, dishes to clean, the crazy Korean trash/recycling system, balancing work and play, "minor" Netflix addictions, etc) I might have neglected my blog a little too much. But I promise I will try to make a stronger effort to post here.
Alright so where to start with my update...well I guess since I touched on it earlier we will start with what I am going to do for the next year. I have as of 8/26/16 extended my visa until Sep of 2017, I have taken over the security deposit of my apartment (so now everything is in my name, not my company's), and I have signed on for another year of teaching at my academy. Anything past next year is up in the air. I am not sure if I want to go to grad school, if I want to go home and find a job, if I want to go to another country and do something there, or if I want to stay here for another year; I just think I will focus on this year first and the later (maybe around Nov.-Dec.) figure out what my next steps will be. But no matter what they are, whether that will be going somewhere else, working, or going back to school, I know that (hopefully) it will all be for the best!
Moving on to work related updates, If you have not head through the grapevine that is my family's gossip, I have been given a promotion to Head Instructor at my branch and even got a raise when I re-signed for my 2nd year. As a head instructor, I help out the faculty manager and help give feedback and help to the other teachers (even though I tend to work with the newer teachers the most). I also seem to be given all the new and special classes when they are launched, because according to my manager " we only trust our best teachers with the job," so I guess that means that I am doing a good job as a teacher, right?
This weekend is Chuseok, aka the "Korean Thanksgiving"( Thanksgiving because it is there autumn harvest festival where most Korean have large family reunions with lots of traditional foods), so that mean that I got an extra 4 days before I take my week long vacation. I had asked for the week off before I knew that we were going to get the full 4 days of Chuseok off, so I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was going to be getting almost a full week and a half off for vacation! First vacation in over a year, so I am really looking forward to relaxing and unwinding!
For my vacation, I am going to be going to Jeju Island for about a week and the going to Busan for a few days before coming back to Seoul. Jeju is advertised as the Hawaii of South Korea, with beaches and palm trees, and for having a really relaxed attitude--aka the perfect place for me to relax and explore. I am so lucky that I get to stay with a friend of mine who moved there recently, so I did not really need to worry about booking a hotel! After a week in Jeju, I am planning on going to Busan and meeting two of my friends who are going to come down from Seoul, and we are going to explore over the weekend!
Other than that, nothing much is going on, but I promise if anything exciting happens, I will keep you all updated! And of course, I will update here about my vacation^^
Until next time~
Sarah
Moving on to work related updates, If you have not head through the grapevine that is my family's gossip, I have been given a promotion to Head Instructor at my branch and even got a raise when I re-signed for my 2nd year. As a head instructor, I help out the faculty manager and help give feedback and help to the other teachers (even though I tend to work with the newer teachers the most). I also seem to be given all the new and special classes when they are launched, because according to my manager " we only trust our best teachers with the job," so I guess that means that I am doing a good job as a teacher, right?
This weekend is Chuseok, aka the "Korean Thanksgiving"( Thanksgiving because it is there autumn harvest festival where most Korean have large family reunions with lots of traditional foods), so that mean that I got an extra 4 days before I take my week long vacation. I had asked for the week off before I knew that we were going to get the full 4 days of Chuseok off, so I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was going to be getting almost a full week and a half off for vacation! First vacation in over a year, so I am really looking forward to relaxing and unwinding!
For my vacation, I am going to be going to Jeju Island for about a week and the going to Busan for a few days before coming back to Seoul. Jeju is advertised as the Hawaii of South Korea, with beaches and palm trees, and for having a really relaxed attitude--aka the perfect place for me to relax and explore. I am so lucky that I get to stay with a friend of mine who moved there recently, so I did not really need to worry about booking a hotel! After a week in Jeju, I am planning on going to Busan and meeting two of my friends who are going to come down from Seoul, and we are going to explore over the weekend!
Other than that, nothing much is going on, but I promise if anything exciting happens, I will keep you all updated! And of course, I will update here about my vacation^^
Until next time~
Sarah
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Insadong Poop Cafe
So this is a long time coming (since January 13th!), but I have been very busy with school so I have not been able to post as much as I would like to. But I am here now, so that is all that matters!
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So if you know me well, you know that I am obsessed with cafes. I freaking love them so much. I can spend hours and hours just sitting there surrounded by the smell of brewed coffee while I work on my computer or prep for my classes. I had found an article about the most unique cafes in Seoul and that got me thinking about what other fun cafes there could be in Seoul. So I looked up crazy fun cafes in Seoul up on Google, and low and behold I found a blog post about the Poop Cafe that was in Insadong.
Insadong is the traditional neighborhood here in Seoul where you can go to buy traditional goods or to eat Korean food in a more traditional setting. It is near the major palaces and the main touristy area. So really, putting a cafe in this area will definitely bring in lots of visitors. So hearing that there was a cafe that was themed around poop in this area, I knew I had to go check it out!
Well getting there was not too hard and there were signs in the main market area that it was in to let us know what floor it was on. From the outside it looked like a normal cafe (albeit there was a large poop drawing on the window and a large poop plushie in the window as well.) On the inside is where it really became different. Also next door was a little stand that was selling hot poop shaped red bean filled buns, as well as hot citron tea, hot chocolate, and coffee.
The inside was actually not super in your face with the feces, but rather it was just like a normal cafe, but with lots of pretty painted toilet mugs and little "poop" swirl pillows in folk-art patterned cloth. All-in-all, it was a cozy, artsy, and classy as you could make a poop themed cafe. (In fact, I was a little underwhelmed in that it was not as crazy as I had originally thought it was going to be.)
That being said, it was actually a really great cafe and the prices were about normal for the area we were in ($3-5 dollars for normal drinks, $6-8 for specialty drinks, and ~$8-10 for food). I went with my friend Suzie and we ordered some of the specialty drinks and then a spaghetti since it was half off for $4 and I had not eaten yet that day. I got a rose latte and Suzie got a flower fizz (fizzy flavored water with eatable flowers) and then we settled in to study Korean until we decided to leave and go get dinner.
But anyway, here are some pictures!
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Insadong is the traditional neighborhood here in Seoul where you can go to buy traditional goods or to eat Korean food in a more traditional setting. It is near the major palaces and the main touristy area. So really, putting a cafe in this area will definitely bring in lots of visitors. So hearing that there was a cafe that was themed around poop in this area, I knew I had to go check it out!
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| The small shopping center where the Cafe was located. |
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That being said, it was actually a really great cafe and the prices were about normal for the area we were in ($3-5 dollars for normal drinks, $6-8 for specialty drinks, and ~$8-10 for food). I went with my friend Suzie and we ordered some of the specialty drinks and then a spaghetti since it was half off for $4 and I had not eaten yet that day. I got a rose latte and Suzie got a flower fizz (fizzy flavored water with eatable flowers) and then we settled in to study Korean until we decided to leave and go get dinner.
But anyway, here are some pictures!
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| Here is all of our food. My latte is on the left, in the toilet bowl mug and the spaghetti is in the middle and was served in a large toilet bowl. Suzie's drink is the pretty right one with all the flowers. |
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| Close up of my rose latte |
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| I am not sure, but I think you are able to buy the toilet mugs and the poop swirl pillows |
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| So many plants inside and I was really impressed with how they used the different toilets in the decoration |
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| They had pretty succulents around all the windows~ |
So until next time!
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Happy Holidays
Just a quick note from me to say that I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday Season and that the year of the red monkey (aka 2016) bring you all nothing but happiness and joy!
From my home to yours, HAPPY HOLIDAYS
From my home to yours, HAPPY HOLIDAYS
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
November's Protests Against The Korean Government 2015
So for those of you who were reading the news, y'all may have heard about the protests that have happened here in Seoul. On November 14th, union workers, students, parents of the Sewol Ferry victims, and any one else who has taken issue with Park GeunHee's presidency. The protesters were marching calling for PGH to either step down or to apologize/fix her mistakes. From what I have heard, the straw that broke the camel's back was her suggestion of changing the history text books for all public schools to where they paint her father's reign as a dictator in a more favorable light. As a global studies major, very interesting stuff to follow and to see how the response towards the protests has been.
Essentially all of Seoul police showed their force and use fire hose to spray the protesters and there was a lot of uproar from the populous after for how the protesters were being treated. For a good account, you can read the NY Times article here. But so far the reaction form my friends is that they agree with the protesters, no one really likes PGH that much any more. But the scariest thing I have heard is that when the government officials were questions about why they were so heavy handed with the protesters when most of the time they are not that violent. One of the officials made a comment about how since the US police force was being so violent in the US, that they were only following the example of a top tier developed nation. So yeah...USA needs to remember that the rest of the world watches and follows when they do, so they need to be careful about what they let their government do.
Then a few weeks later I got an email form the US State Department since I am registered in their database as living in Seoul (very good way to stay safe and get updates on news when you live abroad and go traveling--check out their site here), that it was best that I stay away from the Jongno area of the city, especially near the temple where one of the lead protesters was taking sanctuary. They (the police) were going to do a huge police raid that was going to shut down that part of the city. So the US-SD was giving people a heads up to let them know that they should plan extra routes of travel to avoid the area, especially since of there was a high change that there was going to be spectator violence.
But as of now, there has not been any major protest or anything. There have been a few people with megaphones chanting and talking about their grievances, but it is usually one or two random people and not in the city hall area (more in the residential places), but I am sure that the issues will not stay quiet for too much longer. They might come back in the spring once it is not going to be as cold as it is here.
Essentially all of Seoul police showed their force and use fire hose to spray the protesters and there was a lot of uproar from the populous after for how the protesters were being treated. For a good account, you can read the NY Times article here. But so far the reaction form my friends is that they agree with the protesters, no one really likes PGH that much any more. But the scariest thing I have heard is that when the government officials were questions about why they were so heavy handed with the protesters when most of the time they are not that violent. One of the officials made a comment about how since the US police force was being so violent in the US, that they were only following the example of a top tier developed nation. So yeah...USA needs to remember that the rest of the world watches and follows when they do, so they need to be careful about what they let their government do.
Then a few weeks later I got an email form the US State Department since I am registered in their database as living in Seoul (very good way to stay safe and get updates on news when you live abroad and go traveling--check out their site here), that it was best that I stay away from the Jongno area of the city, especially near the temple where one of the lead protesters was taking sanctuary. They (the police) were going to do a huge police raid that was going to shut down that part of the city. So the US-SD was giving people a heads up to let them know that they should plan extra routes of travel to avoid the area, especially since of there was a high change that there was going to be spectator violence.
But as of now, there has not been any major protest or anything. There have been a few people with megaphones chanting and talking about their grievances, but it is usually one or two random people and not in the city hall area (more in the residential places), but I am sure that the issues will not stay quiet for too much longer. They might come back in the spring once it is not going to be as cold as it is here.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
My Korean Skin Care Routine
So there is a thing in the beauty realm call the Korean Skin Care Routine**** (don't worry I had to look it up too when I first heard of it, so I posted some videos to help down below) and I have recently adopted it for myself.
Essentially the Korean Skin Care Routine is a process where you layer on different creams and toners that if done right will keep your skin hydrated and healthier. The number of products that you use depends on the person, but most go from 5-10 depending on how many essences you use (mine has 6 steps with about 15 products I alternate depending on the day/what I feel my skin needs). I know it is a lot, but so far it has worked great!
My skin is looking better and I have gotten a lot of compliments from family and friends when they see me. Plus, it is turning into a relaxing nighttime routine that winds me down form my day and gets me ready for bed. Because I am not sure about you, but after I pamper myself, I always feel more relaxed!
My skin and I have always had a love-hate relationship. I hate really bad break outs of acne as a child and teenager and it was not until recently that I have gotten my skin clear and blemish free. My skin was also what some would consider combination (oily and dry in patches), so I decided to switch up my face cleaning routine and it has really made a difference. For the most part, I just used a face scrub in the shower and would apply vitamin E oil when my skin was dry. I still use the vitamin E oil and a face wash, but I have added some more steps:
1. First I use a make up remover oil (this one had green tea extract) to really get off all the make up on my face. I find that the oil is not as harsh as other make up removers and also moisturizes my face wile it gets off almost all of the day's make up.
2. Next I use a face wash to get the rest of my make up/dirt/grime off my face. Depending on the day/what I think my face needs, I will either use the apricot scrub or the volcanic pour cleansing foam, and if my skin really needs it, I have a blackhead specific volcanic clay pour foam that I use on my nose and T-Zone.
3. Number three is turning out to be one of my favorites so far. This is a mask made of organic honey and sugar and really helps to smooth and hydrate my skin. I have been putting it on and leaving it one as I clean/blog/watch dramas/talk to friends/anything really, since the longer it is on your face the more it hydrates and smooths. After I have had it on for a while, I will go back to the bathroom and wash it off with warm water.
4. Next is a Facial toner. This one is really nice since it is more of a water than a toner. For me, western toners tend to be very harsh and leave my skin feeling striped and way too dried out. But with this one, my skin feels more awake and clean, rather than feeling like it was cleaned with a harsh chemical.
5. Essence time!! Essence are pretty cool things if I do say so myself. They are kind of like light lotions that you layer on, but the cool thing about them is that they are all specified to do a specific thing. Sometimes I use all four, or I only use one or two. Plus they smell awesome and make my skin feel really soft!
6. "Skin" toner
The skin toner is a little heavier toner than the first one I put on in step 4. Instead of cleaning my skin of any toxins that may have survived from my washes, this one is formulated to renew the "dewiness" in my skin. Essentially it helps keep my skin looking hydrated and works as a good layering agent between my essences and my final step.
7. My final step is to seal everything in for the night with a lotion/night cream. I have three different ones I use depending on how I feel and how dry it is outside. Since it is winter (and Korea has really dry winters which is not good for my skin AT ALL), I tend to use the heavier creams and will only use the oil in the summer.
It might seem like a lot, but after a while it becomes less daunting and, as I said earlier, very relaxing to do at night before bed. Plus my skin looks and feels more hydrated and healthier!
Bonus:
With only being 4,000 won ( ~ 3 USD) this is one of the best things I have ever bought and i can see why people buy this by the tub-ful! It is essentially just pure aloe vera gel and I use it everywhere. It can be put on your body to hydrate, on burns, on your face, and (my personal favorite) on your hair. I put it on the ends of my hair before I go to bed and then put my hair up in a bun and go to sleep. Since the Korean winters are a little more harsh and windy than I am used to, my hair gets really dried out and tends to break easier (cure my love for long hair). But ever since I started using this on the ends of my hair, my locks have felt healthier and I have had less breakage.
Essentially the Korean Skin Care Routine is a process where you layer on different creams and toners that if done right will keep your skin hydrated and healthier. The number of products that you use depends on the person, but most go from 5-10 depending on how many essences you use (mine has 6 steps with about 15 products I alternate depending on the day/what I feel my skin needs). I know it is a lot, but so far it has worked great!
My skin is looking better and I have gotten a lot of compliments from family and friends when they see me. Plus, it is turning into a relaxing nighttime routine that winds me down form my day and gets me ready for bed. Because I am not sure about you, but after I pamper myself, I always feel more relaxed!
My skin and I have always had a love-hate relationship. I hate really bad break outs of acne as a child and teenager and it was not until recently that I have gotten my skin clear and blemish free. My skin was also what some would consider combination (oily and dry in patches), so I decided to switch up my face cleaning routine and it has really made a difference. For the most part, I just used a face scrub in the shower and would apply vitamin E oil when my skin was dry. I still use the vitamin E oil and a face wash, but I have added some more steps:
1. First I use a make up remover oil (this one had green tea extract) to really get off all the make up on my face. I find that the oil is not as harsh as other make up removers and also moisturizes my face wile it gets off almost all of the day's make up.
2. Next I use a face wash to get the rest of my make up/dirt/grime off my face. Depending on the day/what I think my face needs, I will either use the apricot scrub or the volcanic pour cleansing foam, and if my skin really needs it, I have a blackhead specific volcanic clay pour foam that I use on my nose and T-Zone.
3. Number three is turning out to be one of my favorites so far. This is a mask made of organic honey and sugar and really helps to smooth and hydrate my skin. I have been putting it on and leaving it one as I clean/blog/watch dramas/talk to friends/anything really, since the longer it is on your face the more it hydrates and smooths. After I have had it on for a while, I will go back to the bathroom and wash it off with warm water.
4. Next is a Facial toner. This one is really nice since it is more of a water than a toner. For me, western toners tend to be very harsh and leave my skin feeling striped and way too dried out. But with this one, my skin feels more awake and clean, rather than feeling like it was cleaned with a harsh chemical.
5. Essence time!! Essence are pretty cool things if I do say so myself. They are kind of like light lotions that you layer on, but the cool thing about them is that they are all specified to do a specific thing. Sometimes I use all four, or I only use one or two. Plus they smell awesome and make my skin feel really soft!
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| Rose: Face brightening and helps skin elasticity |
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| Acai Berry: antioxidants that help slow the aging of skin/helps prevent wrinkles |
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| Green Tea Seed: antioxidants to keep skin youthful, moisturizing, redness prevention |
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| Snail Mucin (mucus): surprisingly lightweight and really helps with super moisturizing my skin, helps with roughness and keeps my skin feeling baby soft. |
6. "Skin" toner
The skin toner is a little heavier toner than the first one I put on in step 4. Instead of cleaning my skin of any toxins that may have survived from my washes, this one is formulated to renew the "dewiness" in my skin. Essentially it helps keep my skin looking hydrated and works as a good layering agent between my essences and my final step.
7. My final step is to seal everything in for the night with a lotion/night cream. I have three different ones I use depending on how I feel and how dry it is outside. Since it is winter (and Korea has really dry winters which is not good for my skin AT ALL), I tend to use the heavier creams and will only use the oil in the summer.
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| My good old Vitamin E oil from home! I have had this for about 3 years now (a little goes a long way) it is a great way to hydrate your skin without putting on heavy creams and lotions. I like to use this one in the summers or if I just want a lazy night where I wash my face but want to not do all the steps (aka steps 1 and 2 only). |
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| You are never too young to start working on preventing wrinkles. This cream smells AMAZING and is specially formulated to help prevent and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. |
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| This cream is the heaviest and most "traditional" out of my night creams. It has a light mint smell and tingles when you put it on. Like the other two, a little goes a long way. This one is specially made to help reduce the appearance of pores and to (again) help with the appearance of wrinkles. |
It might seem like a lot, but after a while it becomes less daunting and, as I said earlier, very relaxing to do at night before bed. Plus my skin looks and feels more hydrated and healthier!
Bonus:
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The wonderful aloe vera, but in a smaller "on-the-go" tube. This one comes with roller balls, so it also massages the area as it releases the aloe. I tend to use this one under my eyes to massage away and puffy eye bags or dark circles, while at the same time moisturizing the area which (once again) helps prevent/slow the signs of wrinkles and aging.
So that is everything I am doing for my skin nowadays. It was a hard change and I need to remember to make myself do it, but it has definitely been worth it!
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