Korea Diary | Rainy Day Exploring (Day 2)

1:49:00 PM mandy 0 Comments

What to do on a rainy day?

We were forewarned of Korea's summer monsoon season but of course as travelers we hoped it wouldn't rain on us at all. When we woke up to see rain outside our window, we had to do some last minute researching for indoor activities. Luckily Bestie C had the COEX Aquarium on her to-do list and off to Gangnam we went.

The surroundings felt surprisingly familiar once we got out of the subway closest to the aquarium. Tall buildings, chain cafes and shops, and tons of people in business suits bustling to and from their offices. It almost seemed like we were back home in New York City. Guess most financial/business areas have a similar feel.

COEX Aquarium is actually inside of COEX Mall, which (I think) is a big building that houses a variety of stores, restaurants, and event spaces. To say the least, the place is huge! Since it was only our second day in Korea, our goal was only to visit and not to buy. We spent a good chunk of our day slowly enjoying the aquarium. If you're still tired from traveling and need something to do at your own pace, museums and aquariums are a great option! Tickets were ₩22,000 when we went.









Bossam & Rice Set Meal @ Banhaneun Bossam&Bapsang - 반하는 보쌈& 밥상
I'm going to consider this dinner the first sit-down meal we had in Korea. Can't go wrong with a restaurant in a fancy mall right? This place had the longest lines out of all the eateries we saw. It must be good!  ₩9,000 got us meat, rice, lots of side dishes, and even soup. I don't remember this meal being bad or anything but it wasn't one of the most memorable meals I had while in Korea.


Something I've never seen before. But it is definitely an interesting concept.
I wonder how many people find this handy?

This series is so long overdue. But better late than never!...?
Get ready for the upcoming travel log/photo dump.

Project Make A Dent | Half Year Update

1:03:00 AM mandy 0 Comments

The statement of updating monthly or quarterly on my PMAD progress fell by the wayside. Rather than me being too busy to blog or anything like that, it was in reality because I didn't really wear makeup as much as I thought I would. Nonetheless! Progress has still been made (barely, but there).

Before	After

L to R: Hada Labo BB Moist Emulsion SPF50+ PA+++ in Natural Ochre, Nanoce BB Moist Cream in No.2, Canmake Cover & Stretch Concealer UV in Shade 2, Benefit Highbeam
It is hard to tell if any progress has been made with these guys. Why opaque packaging? Why!
Out of these 4 bases, I reached for the nanoce BB Cream most often (most likely because I can actually feel it getting lighter and lighter). Even though I could use the extra coverage on spots and dark circles, I still don't reach for concealers in general. When I do use it, I tend to mix a little of the Canmake Cover & Stretch Concealer in with the BB Cream.


Before
After Only one item in this group looks like I made any progress with at first glance. But truly any progress made with powders is an accomplishment, don't you think?

Before	After

mark Powder Buff Natural Skin Foundation in Powder Buff Ahh~ The satisfaction of seeing so much pan! Such a tease though, it will probably take another long while before this mark Powder Foundation will be all gone. I like the extra coverage this foundation gives but it's a little too powdery for me.

Before	After

Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher in 5 Lovely Pink Etude House Model Face Color in 2 Model Shade Nowhere near seeing the bottom of the pan but the edges are visible! It helps that these two products require more swirling to get product onto brushes. This works well for me since I prefer to work in light layers and build up.

Before	After

MAC Cream Colour Base in Virgin Isle Ermm, so I don't think I will be making a dent in this any time soon. This MAC Cream Colour blush didn't get any love until recently and I was immediately reminded how well it worked. I only need to lightly dab a brush to get a ton of color for both cheeks, otherwise my cheeks will end up looking very clown-like.

Before	After

Maquillage Face Creator Do you see it? The dips? I tend to grab this Maquillage palette when I want to highlight on a day-to-day basis. But it was also a great all-in-one option when I did some traveling back in April. Definitely saved me the headache of overpacking beauty-wise.

Before	After

Esprique Precious eye palette Even though this palette was very readily available for me to use every morning, I still didn't reach for it often. My subconscious must not be accustomed to the idea of wearing eyeshadows daily yet. Mental note: make an effort for the next half year please!

Before	After

L to R: Cinique Chubby Stick in Woppin Watermelon, Lioele Donut Glo-Stick in Milky Pink, Living Nature Lipstick in Sandstone As with the eyeshadow palette, these lippies were underloved too. Of all the items, the trio here looks practically untouched! Must try harder to make dents here.

I might make another update before the end of the year if I make bigger progress.
But anyways!! Any exciting pan sightings for you?

End of a Chapter

10:33:00 PM mandy 0 Comments

I know...it is super cliche. Nonetheless, graduation really does signify the end of one chapter in life. For me this commencement meant the end of my undergraduate years. Whether or not it is the end of my educational life is question to be answered further down the road.


Something that I have said constantly on this blog and just in general: time sure does fly by. It didn't feel like 4 years had passed even though it was staring me right in the face.

June 3, 2011, I was attending my Freshman orientation and getting my college ID card.
June 3, 2015, I was attending my graduation as a Senior for an undergraduate degree.




Witnessed by closes friends & family members (+ thousands of other people) during such a surreal moment of life.

Many classmates talked about how commencement wasn't anything special, especially since our names wouldn't even be called. But just being in the stadium with fellow excited graduates & knowing that family members could physically see this moment in time was enough for me. Nothing like being in a cap and gown to finally feel like you've made it. (Of course it would have been great to be personally and individually acknowledged but it wasn't realistically possible.)


While I can't be more happy that the days of school-related cramming, exams, projects, and sleepless nights are over, there are a new set of worries ahead waiting. Before graduation was in sight, I had already (tried) adopted the idea of letting the future play out as things come. Sure people get further with defined goals and everything but I guess that's just not how it happened for me? Maybe I'll share what happens/will happen to me after graduation in another post. I will be one heck of a story!