It's a Wrap: July 2016

This blog idea came up to me because number one, I can’t sleep. Yes, that’s what happens when insomnia attacks. Two, I couldn’t access the internet at this hour so I’m saving the drafts for my blog on a .doc file format. I already finished four blog entries so far with a couple of product reviews which can cover me ‘til September. And lastly, I just thought of documenting important details (and some not so important too) in my life every month.

•     Change has come! Lol! Nah… it’s just because I’ve finally decided to get back to the grind and move forward. I’ve been a bum for so long that it only makes me feel sick even more. I’m excited and scared at the same time but I’m keeping my fingers crossed and hope that everything will work out fine.

•      I’m trying to adapt that “positive outlook in life” mantra. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pessimistic. I’d say I’m a realist and I just have a different perspective in some things and situations.

•      I received a gift from the Korean Tourism Organization which I am very much thankful for. It is this beautifully hand painted passport holder. The thing was I have to pay Php 112.00 for customs tax before I could claim it. Yup, Php 112 for a passport holder! Annoying right? That’s why I didn’t dare do online shopping from overseas sites because I’m afraid of customs taxes. Anyway, I hope that the new administration will address several issues within the Philippine Customs the soonest.   

So far, these are the things that I can share with you my dear readers. July 2016 is an uneventful month for me but since I'm starting something new this August 2016, it will rather be different. I know I'll have a lot of stories to tell you so please look forward to it. Thank you so much for keeping up with me.

 See you soon! :)      

 

   

Product Review: IWhite Korea Aqua Moisturizer Whitening Vita

Good morning my lovely readers! Today, I'll be reviewing another product from IWhite Korea, the Aqua Moisturizer Whitening Vita. 

I am never a fan of moisturizers before because most of the available moisturizer brands that we have in the Philippines tend to be heavy on my skin that it causes some breakouts and since it's hot and  humid in our country, I would feel oily some time after applying it. 

Later on, I realized how important it is to wear a moisturizer and keep my skin hydrated thus, I'm constantly on the look out to find a product that is best suited on my skin type. IWhite Korea's Aqua Moisturizer Whitening Vita piqued my curiosity because of its unique packaging and of course, I immediately bought a couple of it.

 Aqua Moisturizer Whitening Vita is a water-based moisturizer that has the following active ingredients:

• Mulberry Root Extract that contains arbutin which is known for inhibiting the melanin production and helps in achieving a fairer and even toned skin.
• Panax Ginseng which helps in cell regeneration and collagen production that is needed in reducing wrinkles and fine lines.
• Green Tea which has anti-bacterial properties that helps in preventing acne.

THUMBS UP

*** Packaging – How can I say no to its cute packaging right? As I've said, I find it unique. 

*** Affordability - For a moisturizer with this quality, I'd say it is very affordable. A 50 g. tube is priced at P169.00 while a 6 g. sachet is available for only P20.00.

*** Scent – It has a very light scent to it. People who have a certain sensitivity to strong scents in face products would definitely love this.

*** Consistency - It has a gel like texture which turns into a watery-like substance once applied on the skin.

*** Effectiveness – Well, as far as I'm concern, this product really does its job well. It does give my skin the hydration it needed leaving it soft and smooth. Since it is water-based, I recommend this for people who has combination to oily skin like mine. The formula is very light weight thus, it wouldn't feel sticky or greasy at all. It is very easy to apply and doesn't give me any breakouts. What more can I ask for?

*** Availability - It is available in all leading drugstores, department stores, and supermarkets nationwide.

Yes, YES! I will repurchase this product because I LOVE IT! It truly delivered what it promised to do. How about you? Have you tried any IWhite Korea products recently? Share your experience on the comments section below.

See you soon!  

My Top 10 Favorite Korean TV Series of All Time

The Korean Wave or Hallyu brought us not just their food and music but also many interesting and well-made Korean series and movies. Today, I would like to share with you My Top 10 Favorite Korean TV Series of All Time. These are the series that I watched a couple of times already and I feel like I will never get tired of watching it again and again.

10. You're Beautiful (2009)

Main Casts:

Park Shin Hye - Go Mi Nam / Go Mi Nyeo

Jang Geun Suk - Hwang Tae Kyung

Jung Yong Hwa - Kang Shin Woo

Lee Hong Ki - Jeremy

I like this drama because of Park Shin Hye and Jang Geun Suk. Their on-screen chemistry is just superb. You're Beautiful is a musical romantic comedy which tells the story of a popular band A.N.Jell. The plot gets interesting when Go Mi Nyeo was forced to posed as her twin brother Go Mi Nam after he left to go back to the US because of a botched plastic surgery procedure. She then joined A.N. Jell as a new member but Hwang Tae Kyung, the grumpy band leader, later on found out her secret and was about to tell the truth to the company president but due to her insistent pleadings, he was swayed to hold it and gave her time until her brother comes back. A series of complications followed as both slowly come to realize that they like each other. However, Kang Shin Woo and Jeremy, the other band members, also like Go Mi Nam despite of her disguising as a man. You should watch this drama if you want to know what transpired after. Due to this drama's popularity, a remake has been made in Taiwan (Fabulous Boys) and in Japan (Ikemen desu ne). 

9. My Girl (2006)

Main Casts:

Lee Da Hae - Joo Yoo Rin

Lee Dong Wook - Seol Gong Chan

Lee Joon Ki - Seo Jung Woo

Park Si Yeon - Kim Sae Hyun

Lee Da Hae and Lee Dong Wook is another Korean pairing oozing with chemistry even  just by staring at each other's eyes. This hilarious romantic comedy series is another big hit not just in Korea but in other parts of the globe. A remake of this drama has been made in the Philippines as well. It tells the story of Joo Yoo Rin, an ordinary girl that works as a tourist guide in Jeju island to help her gambling addicted father in paying his debts. Seol Gong Chan, a chaebol, who was tasked to fulfill his grandfather's dying wish, asked her to pretend as his grandfather's long lost granddaughter in exchange for a huge amount of money. Desperately in need, Joo Rin acted out what was expected of her but being together with Gong Chan under the same roof since they pretended to be cousins is getting harder because of their growing attraction to each other. 

8. My Princess (2011)

Main Casts:

Kim Tae Hee - Lee Seol

Song Seung Heon - Park Hae Young

Park Ye Jin - Oh Yoon Joo

Ryu Soo Young - Nam Jung woo

I think I watched this thrice already. Hey! I'm just in love with how beautiful Kim Tae Hee is plus I love her outfits in this drama. She played the role of an ordinary college student who later found out that she was a princess and the long lost granddaughter of the Joseon Dynasty's last Emperor, Sunjong. The chairman of Daehan Group would like to find the princess so that the monarchy can be restored. He then asked his grandson Park Hae Young, the heir of Daehan Group to do the task. Hae Young found Lee Seol and was again put in charge of the princess's education which made him unsure of what he really wants because aside from falling in love for the princess, he is also torn if he is ready to give up his inheritance once the monarchy has been restored.  

7. Hwang Jini (2006)

Main Casts:

Ha Ji Won - Hwang Jini
Kim Young Ae - Im Baek Moo
Wang Bit Na - Bu Yong
Kim Jae Won - Kim Jung Han
Ryu Tae Joon - Byuk Kye Soo
Jang Geun Suk - Kim Eun Ho

This is one of the two saeguk dramas that I was able to watch from start to finish. I was fascinated by the life of Hwang Jini and how she overcame the hardships that was thrown her way.  She was a popular gisaeng in her time. A gisaeng is someone  who is trained in singing, dancing, and hosting. They serve the aristocrats in the Korean Dynasties by entertaining them. 

6. Jewel in the Palace / Dae Jang Geum (2004)

Main Casts:

Lee Young Ae - Seo Jang Geum

Ji Jin Hee - Min Jung Ho

Park Eun Hye - Lee Yeon Saeng

Hong Ri Na - Choi Geum Young
Im Ho - Jungjonf of Joseon
Yang Mi Kyeong - Han Baek Young
Choi mi Ri - Choi Sang Geum

Another saeguk drama which tells the story of Jang Geum who was the first female physician in the Joseon Dynasty. She started out as an apprentice cook in the palace kitchen and eventually trained to become a nurse and then a doctor. She uses natural medicine and in this case, food to alleviate the king's many illnesses.  

5. That Winter, The Wind Blows (2013)

Main Casts:

Song Hye Kyo - Oh Young

Jo In Sung - Oh Soo

Kim Beom - Park Jin Sung

Jung Eun Ji - Moon Hee Sun
Bae Jong Ok - Wang Ye Ji
Kim Tae Woo - Jo Moo Cheol

This is the first Jo In Sung starring drama that I watched and oh boy he's so handsome. This is a melodrama which is a genre that I don't usually watch but I like the plot of this one. It is a story about Oh Soo, who grew up as an orphan and became a carefree happy go lucky kinda guy after his first love die. He was into a high class gambling when he met Oh Young who was an heiress of a large conglomerate but was legally blind. Their path crossed when Oh Soo decided to disguised himself as Oh Young's long lost older brother to get some money to bail him out of his perilous situation.

4. My Lovely Kim Sam Soon (2005)

Main Casts:

Kim Sun Ah - Kim Sam Soon
Hyun Bin - Hyun Jin Heon
Jung Ryeo Won -  Yoo Hee Jin
Daniel Henney - Dr. Henry Kim 

This is another feel good romantic comedy series with just the right amount of drama. Kim Sam Soon is a patissier who ended up jobless and brokenhearted after she found out that her boyfriend was cheating on her. She accidentally met Hyun Jin Heon in a men's restroom and that's where their love-hate relationship began. 

3. Princess Hours / Goong (2006)

Main Casts:

Yoon Eun Hye - Shin Chae Kyeong
Joo Ji Hoon - Lee Shin
Kim Jeong Hoon -  Yul
Song Ji Hyo - Min Hyo Rin 

Yoon Eun Hye and Joo Ji Hoon is one of those OTPs you wished were dating in real life. They are just bursting with chemistry on and off cam. Goong or Princess Hours is a popular romantic comedy series based on a mahnwa series written by author Park So Hee. It is a story set in a modern day monarchy where the Royal Family's public popularity is decreasing while the current king  is plagued with illness and in order to resolve the issues at hand, the royals decided to marry off the crown prince Lee Shin to Shin Chae Kyeong. Both have been betrothed by their grandfathers in the past but Lee Shin is in love with Min Hyo Rin who declined his marriage proposal, that's when all the complications follow. I watched this drama for several times already and I will never get tired of watching it. 

2. Full House (2004)

Main Casts:

Song Hye Kyo - Han Ji Eun
Rain - Lee Young Jae
Han Eun Jung - Kang Hye Won
Kim Sung Soo - Yoo Min Hyuk

I got addicted to this drama when it was shown here in the Philippines. I would usually rush home just to catch its airing on time. It tells the story of an aspiring script writer Han Ji Eun who lives in a house called "Full House" which was built by her late father. She was tricked by her friends believing that she won a free vacation so that she'll leave the house and they could sell it. On the plane, she met Lee Young Jae, a popular actor whom she got acquainted with. When she returned home, she found out what her friends did and was shocked to know that Young Jae was the new house owner. I find the characters' banters very hilarious. This is the series that introduced me to a whole lot of other Korean romantic comedy series and their interesting plots.

1. The First Shop of Coffee Prince (2007)

Main Casts:

Yoon Eun-hye - Go Eun Chan
Gong Yoo - Choi Han Kyul
Lee Sun Kyun - Choi Han Sung
Chae Jung An - Han Yoo Joo
Lee Eon - Hwang Min Yeop
Kim Dong Wook - Jin Ha Rim
Kim JaeWook - Noh Sun Ki

This is another Korean series that has a unique story to tell. It became very popular that a remake has been made, again in the Philippines. Yoon Eun Hye plays the role of Go Eun Chan, a girl who does several jobs to help pay off their family's debt and because of this, she was forced to give up her femininity. She then meet Choi Han Kyul played by Gong Yoo who is a chaebol in their food business. Han Kyul is a happy go lucky kinda a guy so her grandmother wants to marry him off and set him up for blind dates. Han Kyul doesn't like it so when he crossed path with Eun Chan, he asked her to pretend as his "boyfriend" thinking he was a guy, to ward off his dates. He then hired Eun Chan at his coffee shop where the servers are all boys. He developed an attraction with Eun Chan which became his dilemma because all the while he thought Eun Chan was a boy. More complications arise when he found out the truth about her sexuality.

And there you have it folks. I hope you enjoyed my list as much as I enjoyed writing about it. How about you? What are your favorite Korean dramas? Tell me on the comment section below.

See you soon! :)

Event: 2016 Global Taste of Korea Contest

Photo courtesy of Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines

Last 2^nd of July 2016, the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in the Philippines hosted the 2016 Global Taste of Korea Contest. It is a yearly event where people, with passion in cooking Korean cuisine, whether an amateur or a professional can join.

The Philippine leg of this competition was held at the Lyceum of the Philippines University – Culinary Arts Center in Intramuros, Manila where the first placer will win Php 30,000 in cash plus an all-expense paid trip to Korea to represent the country on the grand finals. 

Aside from the cooking competition, KCC also prepared other programs for those who will be at the event. I was able to attend as a guest by registering online to get an RSVP. I regret not being able to take photos because I tried taking video footage instead and it didn't work out the way I want it to be.

Some guests attended workshops in making Kimchi and Korean Lunch Box while others like myself watched video presentations on how to cook Korean dishes. I get to taste Korean food such as Kimchi Bokkeumbap and Bulgogi. There are also sampling booths at the hallway where you can try some Korean snacks like Peppero, Choco Pie, and Banana Milk. Korean food staples like Kimchi, Curry Rice, and Dumplings were also available. The only downside was, these stuff are not up for sale (except for the Peppero) it was just there for food sampling purposes only.

 Photo courtesy of Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines

Korean students also presented a cooking demo of Tteokbokki, a popular Korean street food made of cylindrical rice cakes smothered with gochujang or Korean chili paste. We were given an opportunity to sample it as well so I dig in. It has a unique flavor, sweet and spicy at the same time. They are also kind enough to prepare Pat Bing Su, Korea’s version of our very own halo halo. It feels like I’m on a food coma after eating everything that they offered!

Aside from the food, we also enjoyed raffle prizes and other freebies. Yes, I did won something from the raffle draw! I get to bring home this Easy Korean Cooking cook book. Cool right? Now, I can make other stuff than just my usual Kimchi Jjigae and Kimbap. 

I really had a good time at the event and I admire how KCC is actively promoting the Korean culture not just here in the Philippines but all around the globe. How about you? Have you attended any cultural events lately? Share your experience at the comment section below.

See you soon! :)

Product Review: Bench Fix Frizz Away Hair Serum

Good morning everyone! The product that I’ll be reviewing today is from Bench Fix Professional. It is the Bench Fix Frizz Away Hair Serum. 

I have a very dry and frizzy hair which only looks fine when it’s wet. It’s really annoying most of the time because it looked like I haven’t combed it for days. The worst part is when you’re about to take a photo and your hair sticks out everywhere. I’ve used baby oil previously to somehow tame my locks but then it feels really greasy and kind of heavy on my hair so I looked for alternatives.

When I visited a Bench store to buy a cologne, I noticed that they have an ongoing sale on one of their racks and that’s where I found the Bench Frizz Away Hair Serum. I fell in love with it the first sight because it’s blue and I immediately decided to include it in my stash! Lol!

HOW TO USE:

1. Dispense a few drops of serum on to the palm and rub hands together to distribute evenly.
2. Apply smoothly to damp or dry hair.
3. For a smoother finish, stroke hair using a comb.

THUMBS UP

*** Packaging – I love that its container is a transparent bottle with a pump. You can control the amount of product that you’ll use and see how much of it is remaining.

*** Affordability - A 35ml bottle sells at Php 109.00 which in my opinion is already very cheap as compared to other available hair serums in the market.

*** Scent – It has a very subtle scent that I bet you wouldn’t even notice which is good because it will not be mixed in the scent of your shampoo.

*** Effectiveness – It really did make my hair soft, smooth, and manageable. It looks shiny without the heavy feel of oil because of the serum’s lightweight formula.

Will I repurchase it? The answer is a resounding DEFINITELY! I’m sure that this will be a mainstay in my hair care product box. What? You’re looking for the THUMBS DOWN section aren’t you? Naahh… I decided not to put it anymore since I can’t really think of anything that I didn’t like about the hair serum. Until our next review!

See you soon!