Drama: Warm & Cozy

Just awhile back I finished a really lovely drama: Warm and Cozy (맨도롱 또똣). Had rather high hopes for it considering that it's a Hong Sisters drama and that they produced one of my favourite romcoms of all time -- Master's Sun. I really like the name as well, it just rolls off the tongue! It being a Jeju-do slang also ties with the drama.

Warm and Cozy has a really simple premise; two people brought together by an almost incestuous plot (which was very thankfully glossed over by the first episode) and various situations/misunderstandings that led them to become closer over time. The vibe of the show reminds me a lot of Full House; slow but sweet in it's own way. The entire show also acts very successfully as a PR for Jeju-do, what with the beautiful scenic spots and helicam scenes.

The show is not without it's plot holes, and I can see it rubbing people the wrong way. I had very little emotional investments with the later plot complication, and I had a full on hate for the 2nd love interest who can neither act nor has an interesting character. For real though -- please remind me never to watch a drama with Seo Yian in. Her tone, her deadass eyes and her demeanour no way pulled off the haughty character. I was also let down by the constant use of "misunderstandings" and "information leaks by unimportant characters" because they often mark me as lazy writing and very family drama where in order to drag on 100 odd episodes, they never reveal anything. Smells of an almost makjang drama to me, truthfully, with the serious family complications that were very easily skipped over that served neither to move on the plot nor to enhance the characters!

Thankfully, Kang Sora and Yoo Yeonsuk had great chemistry and pulled off their characters in a manner that I can appreciate. Yoo Yeonsuk as Baek Gunwoo, a young and frankly shallow and selfish rich son, and Kang Sora as Lee Jungjoo, a down-to-earth and relatable poorer lead. They gave the rather 2D characters a bit more depth and growth, I felt. I actually appreciated the usages of metaphors and wordplays, as characteristic of Hong Sisters' dramas, in this case because they acted as a signal for the growth of the characters. There were also various comedic moments that I enjoyed. A quick shoutout to Jinyoung (an idol on his initial acting endeavour) who acted really naturally and believably!

Overall, I still did enjoy it. It was in no way a quality drama I'll highly recommend, but if you're in a mood for something simple, sweet and romantic (with really good OST), go ahead and give this a go. It won't disappoint.

Netizen: Superman Returns

'Superman Returns' The conversations by the 8 children make the show enjoyable

Source: OSEN via Naver

Photo: Shin Se Kyung for Single

Looking at how pretty she is.. All I can think is that she really needs to improve her acting.

Beauty/Review: The Face Shop Ink Lipquid

The newly released The Face Shop Ink Lipquids for Spring 2015 boasts a whooping 70% moisture serum and a 12 hour lasting power. Very bold claims indeed. There's 12 colours in the line itself, each containing 4g and retailing for a very reasonable 12,900 won (~$12.90). It's also endorsed by Suzy as you might have seen from this CF and her many posters plastered outside stores.


The colours I got were RD02 Red Sing, a bold warm-toned red that leans towards orange, PK04 Pink Hommage, a cool toned pink with hints of purple, and OR02 Orange Some, a true neon orange. The packaging itself is a simple sleek matte black tube; lightweight, slim and very easy to carry in even small purses. The tip of the liquid lipstick is a standard doefoot applicator -- not amazing for incredibly precise application but definitely good enough.



As you might see, Red Sling wasn't as bold a red I expected; it turned out a little more orangey on the lips. Orange Some was quite an out-there purchase for me as neons tend to make my skin look more sallow, but I rather liked the look when matched with brighter foundations and blush colours. Pink Hommage was my favourite of the lot; a basic bright pink in a good formulation.

I really enjoy the formulation of the lipsticks themselves. They're indeed very moisturising and easy to apply, and I could achieve gradient lips without too much effort. I like that they're pigmented enough but not so much that it takes too much effort to apply, and that it is not sticky at all! I haven't given it a full day test so I can't attest to it lasting 12-hours; I find the colour does fades throughout the day as with the glossiness.

In all, thumbs up for the really good price and quality!

Beauty/Review: Rose Espoir Lipstick Nowear G

There are three lines under the Espoir Lipstick Nowear; M (for matte finishes), S (for a satin finish) and G (jelly/gel finish). Espoir describes the texture as "chewy jelly", and the lipstick contains 3.3g and retails for 19,000 won (~$19).

The packaging is really pretty! Matte black lipstick cases with glossy text running down the tube.

The ones that I got was in the gel finish in colours #CR503 Desert Peace, pictured on the right, and #BE301 Merry Day, on the left. They're both sheer finishes as typical of gel lipsticks, and act more as tinted lip balms than actual lipsticks. They're also incredibly lightweight and natural on the lips, and lasts around 2 hours but disappears on any food and drink consumptions. Perfect MLBBs for everyday use; a plus point was that I found that I didn't have to use mirrors when applying.


Merry Day is more of a milky white-pink, and translates rather palely on my skin. I didn't find it necessarily flattering for my skin tone because of the whiteness, but it works rather well layered over thicker lipsticks. I also found it settling on my lip lines despite the gel texture. It also reminds me of a clear lip balm. Desert Peace, on the other hand, worked really nicely. It's more red toned (which I always tended towards) and looked orangey-coral on my lips!

Usually these collections sell out really quickly, but the Rose Espoir collection didn't necessarily sell well this time. In all, I don't find it groundbreaking. There are many similar finishes for better prices on the market if you're looking for gel lipsticks.

Drama: Sly And Single Again

Definitely picked this one up slightly late into the game, but I'm very pleasantly surprised by it. It was, in all, a really fun romantic comedy.

Firstly, I appreciate when writers give their characters appreciable growth throughout the series. The main characters, Aera and Jungwoo, saw mental growth through their many obstacles without degenerating into sobbing melodramatic messes which I absolutely cannot stand. Aera was incredibly true to herself right to the end, never falling into romcom stereotypes despite her stereotypical circumstances. I also enjoyed Seunghyun's character as a 2nd lead; he had a great optimistic character to start off and stayed relatively objective in the love game till the very end. On the other spectrum is obviously the melodramatic mess which is Gook Yeojin -- sad, yes, but also very clingy and an unfortunately drawn third party.

I also really enjoyed the acting of the leads. Lee Minjung is absolutely amazing with her micro-expressions and scorn, pulling off the haughty and honest Aera as incredibly likeable. Joo Sangwook needs no more to be said; I enjoyed him both as a cold workaholic CEO and as the humble "loser" husband where he 눈치s Aera's every single move (which is a great comedic trope). It was also my first time watching Seo Kangjoon as a prominent character and I have to say that he's definitely a rising actor to look out for.



But I'm not going to say that it's a necessarily great drama for bits that did bug me. Towards the end I got really tired and sick of some plots they randomly threw in, and I was in no way invested with any of the company drama (though admittedly I tend to not, except with exceptional exceptions like Misaeng). There were so many outrightly unlikeable characters like the family members of Aera (yes, all three), and the Gook father-daughter combination.

It was a good idea for Jungwoo to step off as the CEO and revert to his hobo days as it was necessary to show the couple being able to live through hardships together (and not simply living happily ever after because of the new wealthy circumstances), but it was rather unbelievable. The setting up of the new company and the ultimate amalgamation of the two were brushed off way too easily, and I found it difficult again to believe that Jungwoo really had to go that far. He was, after all, a CEO with shares and amassed wealth..

Nonetheless, it was a fun drama I'd recommend if you're in the market for one. I definitely also had quite a bit of a 2nd lead syndrome because of how adorably Seunghyun was drawn (I mean, an artistic, optimistic guy who pines after you and only you?? 주세요 heh)

Netizen: Gaeko's A Dad Of Two!

Gaeko Became A Dad Of Two.. Wife To Give Birth To A Baby Girl

Source: Star News via Naver