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