Music/Recommendation: Standing Egg ft. Park Seyoung - Lean On Me

One of the more well known "acoustic emotional" indie Korean band, Standing Egg, released this beautiful and subtle song yesterday. As with all their songs, it's one great for listening while staying in under your sheets on a cold day. This is their second collaboration with actress Park Seyoung, whose soft and straight (the kind which does not utilise too much vocal tricks and techniques that, while great, may sometimes tamper with certain styles of music like this) voice adds a lot through her harmonising.

Take a listen at this healing sort of music.

"하루가 힘들 때면 난
너의 웃는 모습 그려
너도 매일 조금 힘들더라도
여율 갖고 나에게 기대"

When I'm having a tough day, I think of your smile.
Should you have a tough day too, relax and lean on me.

TV: The Genius 2 - Rule Breaker (Midway Point)

I'm at episode 6 and I have so much contradicting emotions.

Wow. That's really fucked up.

This was my previous raving shining review on The Genius - Rule Of The Game and I feel that, at the midway point, the sequel appears fell short. I am aware that this I'm not done with the show, and this does not represent my concluding thoughts so here I go.

The games are definitely much simpler with much lesser leeway for mind games. The PD of the show has said beforehand for 2's games to simpler, as in Rule Of The Game people were not able to uncover many of the hidden layers and alternative techniques during the course of the game. What happened instead: there were main games that didn't feel like they were one, either leaving pretty much no room for scheming through over simplification or being too planned, and main games that gave pretty definite outcomes halfway through the game - losing the beauty of excessively unexpected twists-and-turns that was in the first. Even some of the twists were rather expected.

And this definitely bled into how people play.

Perhaps it was that people already knew what to expect and fell more comfortably into how the show works. Perhaps it was the mix of characters, or lack off, where there were seemed to be only two distinct types of characters - the follower and the *smart* leader. I couldn't see the charm of the individual characters - the insufferable ones like loudness, ganging up (poor Jaekyung, and Eun Jiwon had the guts to say that she was at fault) and betrayal (and I'm saying this despite being one to tolerate well-played betrayal and realistic negativity). Also, their individual strengths in their various fields were not given as much a chance to be displayed, which was unfortunate.

There were too many plain annoying characters (too loud, too out of the loop...) than appreciable "bad" characters who are scheming and actually used their brains. Alliances were expected and not interesting, and people were more willing to betray than use their brains.



I'm probably quite emotional due to the departure of one of my favourite members in an obviously underhanded manner that can't be acknowledged as easily.

I still love the show. It's still one of the most unique ones out there, and I probably will go on watching it. For example, episode 3 was probably the best with amazing editing and the unexpected double-crossing by Duhee (the type of betrayal that actually worked) with the viewer being completely out of the loop due to good editing + Oscar-worthy anger acting heh.

I still enjoyed the episodes so far perhaps with the more obvious exclusion of 4 (the Blackout game fell short and had no interest if not for the nonsensical betrayalS; I thought Eungyeol's betrayal made no sense, and the others like that annoying Yooyoung in elimination round making even lesser) and 6 (wtf really? All time low with their lack of moral code + 50% of the show dedicated not to either games but to the discovery of the token + a pretty uninteresting main game with even Hong Jinho not participating in the game ultimately + Duhee getting eliminated even without the chance to use his brain in the episode AT ALL).

I'll conclude by saying that while it fell short, it's still pretty good.

Maybe. I can't tell yet, I'm a little emotional right now. The more I'm writing, the more I'm getting upset.

First with the elimination of the female lawyer who played the smart and strong woman card better than Kyungran, then with all the obvious alliances, then with the horrible betrayal by Eun Jiwon who I used to quite like (he has since swept his image through the rugs), and the cherry on top with the elimination of Duhee.

Sigh.

Update (7): It was a fun episode but wow is there still a reason for me to continue watching..... In such a sheer unfortunate manner as well..... 이럴수가.....

Music: Orange Caramel - Catallena

I was rather ambivalent, for the longest time, about Orange Caramel. Sure, they make great and catchy dance tracks and they're a strong and overwhelming whiff of frilly and nasally fresh air midst all the sexy pop music the industry rolls out. But at the same time they're music tends too much towards gimmicky/J-pop PONPONPON/theatrical for my liking, so I typically don't lend my ears more than a few times to their songs.

But, oh boy, do I like Catallena.

It might be the same off tangent concept with the same quirky and repetitive dance moves, but it got me. I find myself humming oye-hoi-hoi alongside their ridiculously adorable dance.



The music video was really well shot, as usual, capturing their quirkiness with the colors, outfits and obviously-fake-yet-very-well-made sets. The minimalistic backgrounds also gives a sense of surrealism and modernity which I really like. The song itself talks about the typical jealous-yet-still-adore frenemy but I like to hyperanalyse and say that the MV brings it a little, just very very slightly, deeper.

My interpretation after two watchings (with the first being absolutely puzzled) is that they are lower grade sushis who are completely jealous of the octopus (depicted with the polka dot outfits as s/he zooms past). Then they somehow got themselves, in a The Little Mermaid fashion, to become an octopus (when they sported very similar polka dotted outfits) and got a bite of their previous flesh. They realised they were just as good despite the lower pricing and tear about the past they lost. I also wanna talk about how I thought their concept, from just looking at the teaser image, was about how beauty isn't everything when even the elusive and beautiful mermaids gets their prices marked down due to a lack of substance. Maybe not.

I hope I'm just a little coherent.

Either way, it's a cute and addictive pop song with a well-made music video - Orange Caramel style.

Fashion: Ahn Sohee

My fourth instalment in my fashion blogpost line a.k.a eyecandy post will feature another kpop idol whose sense of style is largely acknowledged by many - Ahn Sohee. I do have a penchant towards sleeker street styles that are more understated, so I do find myself liking her style quite a bit. She does seem to experiment quite a bit with her style, revealing many different facets and not solely sticking to one.




It was unfortunate that I didn't manage to source out more of the recent style images of Sohee, with many dating back to 2012 when Wonder Girls was just a tad more active than its current stagnancy. It definitely would have been quite enjoyable. But I definitely was able to find a lot of photoshoot images of her; very well stylised, shot and modelled.





I'm secretly glad that she left Wonder Girls and went ahead to pursue a career in acting. I rather liked her in drama special Happy Rose Day. For a first (or first few) venture she did decently well and I can see her blossoming as an actress with her already solid fan base. I await her next project.

Music/Recommendation: Crucial Star - Three Things I Wish To Give You

At first listen, I knew I loved it.

I love the mellow sound. I love how Sojin, from Girls Day, made her voice much lighter and sweeter (I hear it as emulating the original; Park Hyekyung's version). I love Crucial Star's chill rapping and singing. I love the entire tone of the MV.

Completely right up my alley.

I've always loved Crucial Star's works particularly FALL which was chockfull of beautiful music, as well as his many featurings with other the other hip hop artistes. This song was sweet, mild and easy to digest, and the MV was simple yet exceptionally well executed and suited the sound really well. I also enjoyed the entire cliche (but beautifully done) love-at-first-sight scene of two strangers at an art gallery, and the fact that the artworks actually are reflected throughout the entire MV with the 2D silhouettes, shapes and pastel colour schemes. The combination of the yellow overlay, simple movements and the pastel colours made for a rather nostalgic and heartwarming video - great song once again.

I'm actually quite easy to please when it comes to hiphop. Heh.

P.S. This is the 2nd Girls Day member to make their featuring in a hip hop artist's song. The first was Minah, with Dindin, in another sweet love rap song which I also really liked.

Music: Toheart (Woohyun and Key) - Delicious MV

I don't think I'm going to do a full album review for Toheart because I don't have too much to say about it. Rather, I'll do this post up instead to give props to the rather well done MV and to give my thoughts on their title song which I'm honestly.. You'll read about it. Anyway the MV was revealed two days ago but I only got to watch it today because I was so caught up with uni.

Music wise, it is obviously not totally in my comfort zone. While I appreciate a rather wide range of songs from fluff to hip hop to ballads, overly poppish and in-your-face-happy songs I usually steer away from. Delicious seems quite that kind of track. In my opinion it overdid the funky 60s sound a little too much, didn't do too much justice to Woohyun's vocals (or maybe a little too much with the seemingly forced adlibs, but Key sounds way better than I thought) and the lyrics that were too overtly dialogue coupled with the kind of one dimensional dance I can't help but cringe at.

Though, I do enjoy the beat especially like in the intro song.

Just to say, I'm feeling rather sad as I'm typing this considering how excited I was about it and the fact that I'm a huge fan of Woohyun. On the upside on the album I think that Tell Me Why and 출발 are pretty great tracks at my first listen! (Update: They're good. I like.)



The visuals of the MV very well suited the vibe of the song. I liked the vibrant colours and the styling of the members are done very well. Woohyun looks helluva suave with the dapper hair and suits, while Key had a very funky rugged yet put-together look. One thing I have to give props for is how the members look so distinct yet harmonious; as a unit you can distinguish them very easily at first glance and they didn't have outfits that overtly tell of their relation, yet they still worked together. Styling (especially for Woohyun's very Ryan Gosling-esque hair) receives two thumbs up from me.

Delicious also had a couple of very adorable scenes like their double-decker bed MT-looking scene and the morning after scene. I also felt that the dance scenes were handled rather tastefully, not overwhelming the entire video while providing enough interest with its camera work. However, I also wonder why if the lack of inclusion of an actual lady, considering the song is about their fight over a lady, is wise because it kind of made it look a little yaoi fanfic-ish.

The MV had also quite a couple of obviously hipster elements like the vintage storeroom & its props and the font of the starting credits. Nothing too in your face or jarring, just something interesting because I find interesting in a high-budget kpop MV. I'm gonna throw it out there and say that Woollim probably had a larger part to play in the visuals of the MV (box MVs anyone?).



While I am rather disappointed with the sound of the title track (since Prologue I and Prologue II was so good, both in looks and sound; kinda Nell-ish), I feel that they have a lot of room to explore combining both's sense of musicality into a sound that's more distinct and perhaps less generic kpop. Since I believe they created Toheart with the idea of it not being a one-off project group, I hope future sounds rolled out will appeal to me a bit more!

On the side note, indie hip-hop group Play The Siren completed their showcase in 홍대 successfully a few days back! They're pretty dope so do check them out if that's your thing.

Fashion: The Song Ji Hyo Edition

I like her. She's really really pretty, seems to have a great easygoing personality (reflected in Running Man) and receives at least a pass grade in acting. But I wasn't so sure what I really thought about her fashion? I do not exactly keep myself abreast with her style since I find that actresses tend to not get documented as much as idols fansites do. Nonetheless I thought it would be a fun post to do up so I did it!






I got a couple sneak peeks at her style through the variety shows that she's on, outside of photoshoots and the red carpet. I like that she often is seen in a variety of styles; presenting her more feminine side on the red carpet and at events, while maintaining a more experimental and androgynous style at other times.

By experimental, I do mean it in a more casual off-fashion-week daring manner as I find her to mix prints, colors and textures quite a lot. The more androgynous aspect comes from the silhouettes she often dresses in; more loose fitted tops or a structured outerwear like blazers. It's rather fresh style, I have to say, since you get a lot of the girl groups dressing in skin tight mesh outfits and many of the Korean actresses stuck in a more feminine and innocent mould.





I have to mention though, I do get a little taken aback occasionally by some of the looks she chooses to sport on Running Man (when they are given the chance to dress as they do), but a lot of the other times I really like her street and casual style.

Fashion/airport fashion posts are slowly becoming some of my favourites to do. I get a little eyecandy action while researching, I get to talk about a topic I'm rather interested in and I get to compile some of the looks others might not have the inclination to do. I do have a couple others in mind!

Music/Recommendations: Sweet Hip Hop

I think that "sweet hip hop" is something definitely quite distinct to Korean hip hop and something I really enjoy. I love good rap sounds, and recently there has been quite a few songs that fits into the lovely x rap mould so I decided to look back into my music folder for more.


Din Din & Minah (Girl's Day) - Just Hold Hands


Giriboy ft. Crucial Star - Different


Swings ft. Lovey - Major Depression


Zizo ft. Lim Kim - Winter of Haeundae (previously mentioned here)


Sunny Side ft. Haye - First Love


Brother Su ft. Lovey - Another Star


BToB - 2nd Confession


2Bic ft. 79 - Your Eyes, Nose and Lips

Is this too much? Seems like a bit of an overkill. Heh. Either way I really had fun listening to some of the (relatively) older songs that I used to really enjoy!

Fashion: Woohyun's Airport Fashion

I'm not gonna lie; I'm typically not very interested in male fashion cept for certain outstanding ones. But I'm doing this anyway, because I'm so excited for the upcoming TOHEART mini-album. This is a result of watching the 2nd teaser released recently.. So here goes.








I have to say though, despite occasionally treading the outlandish kpop idol waters, Woohyun is a pretty decent dresser. Especially when he opts for dapper, casual or clean silhouettes rather than street, for my personal preference. Two of my favourites is him in the extremely dapper forest green coat, and the one with the simple gradient raw-edged tee.

It was really easy to find outfit images of him outside of stage given that he's an idol of relative popularity. This thing with airport fashion... While it's always lovely to see their dress sense outside of the stage, wouldn't it be an absolute chore to put on makeup and contemplate outfits just for a static snapshot that brings nothing? When I am on a flight, I'm more concerned with how I'm going to spend my few hours in absolute comfort than worrying about the height of my heels.

Nonetheless I do have a few fashion posts drafted on my wall now of some of my favourite faces; I'll probably try to refine them further before getting them posted. Such posts are indeed rather fun to do.

Trend/Hair: See-Through Bangs

See through bangs (씨스루 뱅) or wispy bangs is a hair trend that has been around since about last winter in Korea after many actresses, like Lee Yeonhee and Yoon Eunhye, sporting them. It gradually gained popularity over the previously popular center part and side swept long bangs. It is softer and more feminine than blunt bangs, and exudes more youth than long side bangs. I like that it's a hair trend that can be replicated really easy at home with a pair of sharp scissors!

You may be interested to check out this Get It Beauty clip on how to easily attain them from a longer bang.



While I am interested, I personally don't see myself getting them. They do take a bit of effort to maintain, and it does appear to be the kind of hairstyle than can't withstand too much ruffling outdoors. I also have rather oily hair, so bangs are typically not my thing as they do get really oily at the end of the day.

But it's still a really feminine and pretty look, so if I ever find myself mustering enough courage to cut away my long hair for a fringe I'll definitely do it.

Photos cr: 낭만소녀

Review/Thoughts: You Who Came From The Stars

Obviously this had to come. It just had to.



This has got to be one of the nicest dramas I've watched. Definitely up there with Master's Sun for me. I have near zero negative things to say for it (just a couple of alternative thoughts I had). It kept me laughing, crying, and in awe throughout all the 21 episodes. An hour felt just like a minute.

First up: impeccable casting. There was no one lagging behind with everyone rising up to their roles and more. No other words needs to be said for Kim Soohyun and Jun Jihyun, they're just great. Jun Jihyun with her 4D acting cracked me up more than a few times, and I have to point this out because it always struck me: I love how natural her crying looks. No forced eye openings, she just naturally let the tears fall while blinking just as how it would be in real life. Kim Soohyun too, his stoic acting was done to perfection and that ending scene when he cried to the camera hits you so hard with his pain.

Apart from the mains, serious props have to be given to the rest of the cast. Park Haejin absolutely rose to the occasion towards the end with his passionate acting, and others like Yoonjae was perfect. I initially thought he'll just be another annoying flower boy character, stoic to girls and the rebel in the show, but he turned out to be an absolute chocolate-milk-loving astronomy heartthrob which was adorable. I liked we could really follow through the antagonist's train of thoughts; how his initial greed let to more killings to cover up just that first mistake. I personally really enjoyed Semi's character as well, the kind of non-antagonist who can't really be hated for anything else other than her insecurity and jealousy. A trait common in our everyday society, she was just a girl green-eyed for her best friend's success. While there wasn't too much character development with her even till the end, I enjoyed her complexity and how she stayed with her initial character to the end. Even random characters like Bokja and the two random dudes, the manager and the stylist I enjoyed.



I really enjoyed the plot as well. I absolutely loved all the various parodies and references: the kid version of The Heirs cracked me up, the cast and all the GagCon's catchphrases, historical references like that of The Tales of Hong Gildong being inspired by Do Minjun, and even that of Suzy and Soohyun in Dream High. There were so many hilarious plot lines, like Do Minjun's netizen moment, Lawyer Jang and his overacting as the father, Yoonjae's obsession with ET and all of drunk Cheon Sungyi, sealed my love for it.

The scriptwriter also really had the knack of making its viewer's heart flutter: the sudden kiss after her '15 second fairy' moment, the touching narratives and the bittersweet moments especially towards the departure.

I'm not gonna lie, halfway through the last episode all I could think about is how it was going to be wrapped up. A large part of me wanted either a non-ending or a sad one, just because I couldn't see an overly romanticised ending after 20 episodes of brilliant writing. I just wondered if they extended the show without proper material and drag the entire last two episode. While I can't say too much about it, I guess I'm alright with it. I'm glad that while it was a happy ending, it wasn't entirely unrealistic. While I did have quite a few questions, I decided, for my sake, to not probe too much into it. Many issues were resolved and that's good enough for me.

Personally I didn't invest as much emotions as I expected to in their love line. I can't exactly pin point it, perhaps it was the very sudden jump from strangers to lovers, or perhaps it was the brilliance of everything else that tempered with it. I still did - just not that much.



Also a huge shoutout to the great OST and all the appropriately timed entrance of them (maybe with the slight exception of the overuse of "You aaaare my destiny"). Nonetheless it's definitely a drama I've been enjoying a lot and has definitely ruined the bar for a lot of the rom-coms to come. I can see this being a massive contestant against all the 2014 dramas to come.

P.S. I can totally see The Miraculous Journey Of Edward Tulane suddenly rising in sales in Korea. Heck, I'm gonna give it a read as well.

Beauty: Uni Everyday Makeup Routine

I don't think I'll ever reach a point in my life where I only use a fixed set of products; I honestly love experimenting and playing with new products way too much. This is just what I've been using for the past couple of weeks to uni and I've been pretty much loving how it looks and feels. It's pretty simple and easy to execute in the mornings, and kind of replicates a no makeup-makeup look while still looking more put together than otherwise.



The Baby Choux Base by Etude House has effectively replaced all my foundations for the past few weeks. It works like a CC cream in terms of simply evening out my skin tone and brightening it up by half a shade while giving near to zero coverage. Because I've been having better skin days recently, I opted for this because it brightened my skin up well and looks really natural. Next, I use the Maybelline Undereye Concealer for my dark circles and dab a little on my existing acne scars. Lastly, I set it all with the Bare Minerals Mineral Veil. A loose powder I've loved for quite a while, it really helps smooth everything over. I also like applying this before my foundation for extra oil control.

I have quite thick brows but sparse at certain spaces, so I just fill in and shape it all with the Innisfree Eye Brow Pencil. I'm not very particular with my eyebrow pencils, I find that most work well for me. This one has a slanted edge for faster application and a spoolie wand on the other end which works really well to smooth out and make my brows look more natural. Then, I set it with the Maybelline Clear Mascara which has been working very well in terms of keeping it in place.

Opting for a more natural look, I don't do too much with my eyes. Priming it with Urban Decay Primer Potion and a simple wash of any eyeshadow shade I've been loving recently typically does the trick. The eyeshadow of choice changes around quite a bit; for now it's the 3CE Eyeshadow in Saturn for its unique shimmery burgundy. Lastly I thinly line the outer half of my top lid with the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner or a matte black/dark brown eyeshadow, pulling the liner downwards for a more innocent and natural look.

The finishing touches include contouring of my nose and cheeks with the Too Faced Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder and applying a natural blusher like Mac's Blush in Fleur Power. My blush of choice is also another product that changes a lot depending completely on my mood, but I tend towards matte peachy pink blushers for a more feminine and natural warmth. Depending on time constrains I may apply a highlighter; I particularly enjoy 3CE's Shimmer Stick. Lastly I apply my lip color of choice; a natural and easy to apply one like Sleek's Pout Polishes and seal it all with a setting spray.

The overall look is simple and natural. My choice of products change around a lot, and I'm still experimenting for a even better and more natural finish. Applying make up in the morning, for me, is a rather therapeutic process that I really enjoy!

Fashion: Krystal Jung & The Heirs

Can't believe it's already March! Time is passing by way too quickly.

I don't really know where I'm going with this but I've always really enjoyed browsing at what celebrities wear off-stage and without the help of stylists. So for my first fashion post I decided to feature one of my major kpop eyecandies - Krystal Jung. Apart from the fact I think that she's excessively pretty, I think that she has quite good style that's more laidback; something I appreciate outside of her typically outlandish style whilst in f(x). Although, I have to say, hers can be a little more of a hit and miss with me as it at times look a little overly unstylised for my taste. Still, she pulls them off well.





The Heirs, while not being my favourite drama, had some of the nicest styling. I thought that Bona's outfits very adequately portrayed what her character stood for. It often suited her age-group and financial standing (though not excessively realistic; they're high schoolers for God's sake.. but it could have been worse), looking modern, classy and moderately casual. I think they were channeling a bit of Blair Waldorf in her, what with the prints and hair accessories, but in a more toned down, Korea-appropriate manner.

I personally thought she even looked really good in her school uniform, adding pops of style that distinguishes her from the extras.

Here I picked some of my favourites: preppy and put-together.






I didn't exactly mean to make this so image-heavy; I definitely got carried away. Heh. I also have to mention that I really enjoy looking at her pictorials from photoshoots. I think that she can pull of quite a variety of looks and does execute quite a modelesque vibe. But to include images from my favourite shoots of hers would be quite an overkill so I'll leave it for another day. Either way I really enjoyed searching more into her style for this post so I'll probably do more!

Currently listening to and loving while writing up this post: Nell - Newton's Apple