Faceshop Chia Seed Sebum Control Moisture Cream and the Chia Seed Watery Eye & Spot Essence Review

Moving on, let's go into Faceshop!

For this recent Seoul trip, every time I head pass Faceshop, this CHIA SEED thing just just shoots straight in my face and I it was hard to NOT take a 2nd look. Ultimately, I was convinced and bought both the Chia Seed Sebum Control Moisture Cream and the Chia Seed Watery Eye & Spot Essence and there's no looking back!

Chia Seed Sebum Control Moisture Cream

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

MY COMMENTS

What really caught my eye was the fact that this is and oil-free, water-base moisturizer that is formulated with Chia Seed which is known to contain moisture 10 times their own weight.

Given that I have combination skin which "shines" within 2 hours of make-up application, all I want is a balance in sebum and water, and a light-weight skin care prior to my make-up.  

When I tested this on my hand, I was sold. Although its description was "cream" this really felt more like a gel and it was quick to be absorbed into the skin.

It comes in a plastic packaging with another plastic seal under the cap (so you need to plug it out in order to scoop the contents). It feels hygienic and air-tight. There is also a plastic applicator that came with it, so you can use it to extract the contents (rather than using your bare hands!)

MY VERDICT?

I like using this Chia Seed Sebum Control Moisture Cream as a day cream because it is light-weight, easily spreadable and after a few pats, it gets absorbed into the skin to give a plump finish. There is no "greasy" after-effect. And because it is light-weight, I do not use this as a night cream.

Whilst this product does deliver its hydration into the skin as promised, it doesn't stop my T-zone from that getting shiny 2 hours after make-up application. By the 2nd half of the day, my skin is back to it's usual part-oily/part-dry-combi state. And I don't blame the cream for that - cause I know the problem lies in my bipolar skin type!

Overall this is one of the creams that I like simply because of its hydration, texture & non-greasy feel.

Now moving on to the

 Chia Seed Watery Eye & Spot Essence!

 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

MY COMMENTS

(again, solely my own, so believe at your own risk)

When I made this purchase, it was really because I was on the look-out for a light-weight, water-based eye serum to apply to my eyes as a base before I applied a "richer" eye cream.

You see, the skin around our eyes is very tender and delicate. If we were to apply a super-rich cream (e.g. anti-aging cream meant for wrinkle-care (of which we have no wrinkles yet), as a preventive measure), perhaps not-knowing that that cream may be too rich for us, it may not fully get absorbed into the skin, instead clogs the pore, forming oil seeds better known as milia seeds. (This is my conclusion from various online sources and via experience)

Hence, to counter that, one may applying a light eye serum first to ensure the skin absorbs enough moisture before applying the 2nd layer of rich eye cream, hence, preventing it from clogging the pores (should it be too rich for that skin to absorb).

Well back to the topic - upon testing, I really liked it's watery texture as per stated in it's name "watery". I don't actually believe it'll do anything else except for the hydration part.

MY VERDICT?

 
Similar to that of the Chia Seed Sebum Control Moisture Cream, I like it because of it's ultra light-weight, texture that is easily spreadable and quick to be absorbed after lightly tapping it into the skin. The skin around the eyes felt instantly hydrated and I liked using it as a base to my other eye creams but that's about it.

I didn't think it helped in lightening any spots or "remove eye circles" as claimed in the product description. (Please just rest well, sleep more and drink losta water - dark circles are not about products, but about lifestyle, yo!)

Overall, I enjoyed (and will still continue to enjoy) this Chia Seed series. It is a reliable hydration range which is affordable enough for one to consider.

Let me know what you think if you have tried this!

Cheers!

Rene Furterer Reactional Severe Hair Loss Treatment Programme

In the recent months leading to this purchase, I noticed an abnormal amount of hair in the drainage when I shower.

Sadly, it has come to a point in time where losing hair is a concern for me. I usually don't bother much about dropping a few strands of hair cause it's only normal, but when I spotted a bunch of hair that almost choked my bath tub's drainage, I AM CONVINCED I need help.

I thought about seeking help from some reputable salons for treatments, but then, I recalled my ultra bad experience with a "reputable" facial salon previously, and decided against it. Brands and reputations are always about how much money is being invested in the marketing and communications to the general public and I am just not ready to put my trust in them.

So happens I was at Khoo Teck Phuat Hospital for an appointment and decided to scan the pharmacy for any possible solutions to help solve this problem and lo & behold - this product caught my eye! They were probably having some promotional activities going on in the store, hence, almost half of the shelf facing the entrance was stocked with Furterer products - it was hard to not notice it and with the persuasion of the designated sales personnel, I was sold!

Rene Furterer Reactional Severe Hair Loss Treatment Programme  

This package cost about $130 or $150+ I cannot recall, except that it was more than $100. It's pretty reasonable for the number of things you get in there. 

(Though I am not sure if this exact package is still available as I heard it was a "limited edition" package and the price of it ala-carte style will cost a lot more - I know, sucha marketing gimmick right! But I still fell for it. *sigh*)

What is in there? 

COMPLEXE 5: Pre-shampoo solution

FORTICEA ANTI-HAIR LOSS SHAMPOO: Shampoo

RF 80: Post-shampoo leave-in treatment

 

You may read the description in the below pictures 

(and you will understand why I bought it - sounds too good to be missed!)

The key here is, it doesn't just STOP hair loss (they don't even bother using the words "prevent hair loss", they use the word "STOP" -how confident?), it strengthens the hair and PROMOTES hair growth.

Now that is what caught me!

Many hair loss products always focus on how it prevents the hair from falling but I have not quite notice those products claiming it stimulates hair growth. So I just need to get my hand on it. 

And to top it off, its compounds are made of Plant Extracts which I felt safe to use given that I AM ALREADY losing hair and I DON'T want any more chemicals applied to what's left of my beloved, precious hair. 

*sob*

Using the words of the Sales Person who sold me this, a hair loss shampoo can only prevent hair loss, it doesn't cleanse the scalp, hence absorption of any nutrients (that may be applied thereafter to the scalp) is minimal, but with this full set, the treatment is complete. 

Complexe 5 cleanse and tones the scalp, making it ready for the nutrients (RF 80) of the treatment to be maximized and fully absorbed, hence more effective.

My Verdict?

Just to get the record straight, I purchased this sometime in April, started the programme for 3 months from May to July and truly, my hair fall quantity in the shower has lessen a fair lot! 

(Update in Dec'13: In fact, I noticed a lot of stray hair falling from my pony tail whenever I tied my hair up. I can only say they are new hair that's grown out not too long ago, hence too short to the caught by the hair tie *relief*)

What I think about COMPLEXE 5?  

I quite like the slightly citrus scent it has. Not repulsive to me, in fact, it was quite refreshing to the nose. 

I did feel some form of a warm sensation when being applied it to my scalp, but it was not stinging, just a light warm sensation which was bearable. The fluid seemed s little greasy to touch but it was not oily.

What I didn't appreciate was the applicator - this pointed opening for pouring the fluid to the scalp. It wasn't convenient to apply and I would much prefer it as a spray head. (But, since it works! No complaints!)

   What I think about FORTICEA ANTI-HAIR LOSS SHAMPOO?

Nope, I completely DO NOT LIKE this shampoo's texture, nor the shampooing experience. 

It is a thick gel form which wasn't quite fluid enough to be worked thoroughly through the hair. I was under the impression that this shampoo isn't going to tangle my hair up in the shower, but it did. So I had to be extra careful in not tugging the hair too hard, fearful that more hair would fall due to the entanglement. I even had to use a conditioner to detangle it.

Thankfully, the Sales Person did also recommend me to another shampoo which was made of Plant Extracts - (KLORANE anti-hair loss range). And said so long as the shampoo was made of plant extracts, it was going to be compatible. 

But. I have my own set of comments to the KLORANE range as well, and will pen them down when I have the time to, in short, the shampoo was better than this Furterer's one but the conditioner was a nightmare, and I have not touched the conditioner since! (I have since been using a regular conditioner (in the likes of Sun Silk and Organics etc.) being mindful of not having the conditioner come too close to the scalp since that was not "Plant Extract". 

Anyways, it all worked out well, with me finishing 1 tube of Furterer, a few bottles of KLORANE anti-hair loss shampoo and Sun Silk Conditioner in that 3 months of treatment. 

What about RF 80?

This post-shampoo leave-in treatment comes in an ampoule form, where you need to break it open in a piece of tissue  and work it into the clean scalp after shampooing and towel-drying your hair.

(I can't quite comprehend why it has to be glass! What if the bits of glass fall into the liquid and I ignorantly rub it into my head? *kiasu Singaporean*)

It was lightly scented, but I can't put a finger to the scent, it's not as strong as the Complexe 5, just a slight fresh scent. More fluid than the Complexe 5 and felt like ""thickened" water (like glucose water?) 

Frankly, this RF 80 works! BUT (and there's a but!) the ampoule form of packaging really sucks because, how do you start applying that into your scalp after you have just broken off the top part? *sigh*

So I poured bit by bit of that solution into my palm of 1 hand, and using the tip of my fingers from the other hand - I patiently worked the whole tube to cover my entire scalp. Tedious process that takes about 5 - 7 mins. I would have much preferred a spray head form! Oh well - the results are most important! 

 

In Summary 

Although the application part and shampoo part sucks, this product DID DELIVER what it promised to deliver over that 3 months (for me, that is). So it was well-worth the effort! In fact, I continue to maintain a clean scalp by using the Complexe 5 without the RF 80 (though I ought to be more diligent and use it once to twice a week). 

Please feel free to leave your comments and share your experience on your personal hair fall solutions. :)

Cheers!  

Presenting the Ultimate Black Liquid Eyeliner Challenge!

  (This is an overdue post, but it's better late than never...)

Some of my favorite things include make-up; and of make-up, the black liquid eyeliner is my favorite. 

An eyeliner can make alot of difference in the way you look and so, out of the blue, i decided to do a little experiment, to find "The Ultimate Waterproof Eyeliner!"

In the following images you will come to realise that my eyes aren't the best eyes to deal with when to comes to applying eyeliners because, even though i have double eyelids, the lids are hidden lids, hence, when my eyes are open, my lids usually overlaps the area where the eyeliner is being applied. 

This makes finding the right eyeliner crucial for me cos the wrong one just "dirties" my entire eyelid as soon as i blink.

My usual choice of eyeliners are those from Faceshop and Etude House and i have been using these 2 brands for a long time as they gave me what i needed; but with the recent introduction of more and more brands, i was pretty tempted to deviate from my usual choice and try a new brand. 

I don't have the ability to buy every black eyeliner i come across, so i simply went to various make-up counters and sampled them on the back of my hand.

Here are the few selections:

Testing begins:

 Spray water and rub

 Now in order to verify that this is the most lasting formula (unbiasedly), i did a run test as well!

Yes, another of my favorite thing is to go for long runs, and usually, i don't wear make-up for such activities, but for the sake of testing the eyeliner, i removed all other make-up from my face leaving only the Etude house liner (and i didn't even touch up the liner which was applied early in the morning). 

So now, after the 8km run, which lasted 57 mins (this is sucha a poor timing!)...

I was really excited to see if the eyeliner smudged, and so i took a self-taken photo of myself under the florescent lighting of HDB void decks.

This is the result of the eyeliner - did it smudge?

It really stayed in tact and DID NOT smudge!

Under the yellow lights at home, this shot is to show that my lids are hidden lids that overlaps the eyeliner area.

And I am proud to say, there was indeed NO SMUDGE (not even below the eyes)! 

*HAPPY*

Indeed this is "The Ultimate Black Eyeliner!

This is my choice Black Liquid Eyeliner! 

The Etude House Oh My Eye Line!

 I hope this serves as a helpful post to all those out there who are seeking for good liners. Give this a try!

Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner Review

Now let's talk about the much raved about Etude House Wonder Pore Range.  The name itself is already enticing isn't it?

Etude House 

WONDER PORE FRESHNER

THE ADVERTISING

 

 Source

Testimonies measuring the effectiveness of this product:

68% claims it has made their skin softer.

64% claims that their coarse skin has became smoother

59% claims that their skin shows increase in luster & radiance (sparkly sparkly twinkle)

58% claims that their fragile, thin skin has became more moist

55% claims that their skin elasticity has improved (highly springy)

 

THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

  This product is the total solution for pore care, preventing enlarged pores, less firmer skin and skin troubles by eliminating what hurts the skin from within. 

 

7-in-1 Solution - Like WOW!

Check-Check! (Who should use this?)

 - If you are one of those suffering from itchy skin,
 - If you have sudden, unexpected skin trouble,
 - If you feel there is over secretion/production of sebum,
 - If you feel your pores are gradually becoming wider

 

Directions (pretty clear)

1. Apply on cotton pad then swipe it over the face (like you would for a toner), once in the morning and once at night.
2. Pour it into a mist-spray bottle and refresh yourself with the mist anytime of the day.

 Ingredient List:

MY COMMENTS

I like that it claims to deliver these 7 solutions all-in-one:

1. Deep cleanse pores, 

2. Mantain ph4.5 ± 1, 

3. Control large amount of sebum, 

4. Minimises appearance of pores, 

5. Refine skin tones, 

6. Keep elasticity of pores, 

7. Moisturize form inside out.

Afterall, who doesn't want to have clean, even, firm, and well-hydrated and balanced skin that is not oily?

PLUS:

It is 6-FREE: NO parabens, mineral oil, artificial fragrance, artificial pigments, talc and animal ingredients.

 

DOUBLE PLUS:

Its use of Traditional Korean Herbs & Plant Extracts that includes

- Korean Pasque Flower, Dandelion, Chrysanthemum, Hinoki Cypress Extracts to treat acne, inflammation with their anti-bacterial properties,

- Rose Geranium Burnet, Lotus Flower, Gambier, Cinnamon Extracts to suppress over production of sebum by tightening pores.

TRIPLE PLUS:
Look at the price? - 15,000 won for 500ml!

INGREDIENTS-WISE:

Top 10 (which usually constitutes the majority of what the product is made of)
Water, Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract, Alcohol Denat, Glycerin, Buylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Betaine, Sea Water, Peg-660 Hydronated Castor Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate

11th and after - includes all that herbs and plant extract, including Hyaluronic Acid.

I feel comforted seeing Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract listed as 2nd on the list because after doing some online research, it reflects the following benefits (in summary):

- an anti-radical power that slows rate of aging and even has repairing actions &
- an excellent anti-inflammatory agent which can provide relief to skin certain conditions.

Read more about this from: Source

MY VERDICT?

After using this for a little over a month, this is my say:

  - I absolutely loved the bottle, the fact that you just place a cotton pad on top of the pump, pump and you have it ready for application. Convenient. Neat. Clean. Hygienic.

 - The scent was not repulsive, in fact it was very light and acceptable.


- It did seem to clean my pores well cause I feel squeaky clean after wiping my face with the cotton pad though it did sting a wee-tit-bit (probably because of the alcohol content), but after 1 week or so, it was fine.

 - It didn't actually remove my blackheads - I still did my manual extraction, but applying this after the extraction did soothe my inflamed skin.

 - It left a fresh feeling that was balanced (no tightness felt)

 - No outbreaks or allergic reactions were recorded

 - And using it with Skin Malgem was superb cause this helps soothe and cleanse and that helps deliver some acid to exfoliate and moisture. 

BUT.

It didn't seem to control my sebum-over production problem, nor add moisture to my skin cause even when I use it as a mist several times throughout the day, my skin just gets shiny after a while (as per usual). My skin tone remains the same. My pores are the same, didn't grow bigger, and didn't grow smaller. The key is it is clean!  

AND WELL,

For a product from Etude House, containing all those ingredients & at that price, I must say I am impressed  and will certainly continue to use it (yes! with Skin Malgem)

I don't expect it to lighten my pigmentation (c'mon it's just a toner!) or minimise my pores (hello, this is not a magic balm, even magic balms may not help big pores! Try laser yo!) I expect it perform like a toner - to leave my skin feeling clean and fresh. And that is exactly what it did for me. And perhaps, it did reduce the rate of pores being enlarged too.

Overall, I am one happy user of this product!

Cheers!

Etude House Skin Malgem Review

Some of my buys from my recent Seoul Trip includes staff from Etude House, Faceshop, Innisfree, Nature Republic & Laneige and somemore, and I thought it would be a pity to not review them, so I am going to do this part by part. And here is the first. Let's look at Etude House's buys!

Skin Malgem

Skin Malgem & Wonder Pore seems to be the 2 star products in Etude House. 

I was somehow very tempted to get my hands on these though I do not usually buy skin care products from Etude House (seems to target a younger crowd!).
It must have been the advertising messages that's created this hype in me.

THE ADVERTISING

  Let's look at some descriptions of Skin Malgem from their advertising & online results:

"Triple-acting treatment combines the benefits of a moisturizer, cream and essence in one bottle for superb hydration that provides immediate relief from skin dryness, while boosting skin's moisture level at the same time. Hypoallergenic formula promotes a clear and pure complexion, while select pore-controlling ingredients minimize pore size for a smoother and more refined surface."

Source

Formulated with 3 main ingredients - Fruit mix, Panthenol, Orchid extract 

"Fresh, Smoother, Moist, Deep Moist, Essential"

   - makes skin feel luxuriously soft and look radiant

  - removes dead skin cells and makes skin soft, smooth and elastic

  - effectively soften and remove blackheads, deep sealed dirt and oil from the pore

>>Paraben free, artificial pigment free, benzophenone free, animal nature material free, mineral oil free.

  

"Emulsion"

 - creates clean, clear, transparent and illuminating skin

- exfoliates old and delivers moisture to create smooth skin

- all-in-one product with [Emulsion + Essence + Cream].

- Babassu seed extract spreads without sticky and protects while delivering moisture.

>>Paraben free, benzophenone free, animal nature material free, mineral oil free.

Source 

THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 

  맑음 [mal:gəm] 

the Korean word for cleanness, clarity and pureness. Skin Malgeum hypoallergenic toners promote clean, clear and pure complexion with moisturizing and pore cleansing formulas.

Here's what I roughly figured out from the above Korean words (based on my "broken-Korean" translation, yes, this is a disclaimer that I may not be 100% accurate): 

- The abundance of beauty essence (in the ingredients) applied to dry skin can deliver nourishment and hydration at the same time, keeping the skin deeply moisturized.
- The abundance of nourishing ingredients containing Soybean that enriches the skin
- Free from (I suppose): Paraben, Artificial pigment, Benzophenone, Animal Material, Mineral oil.

*Made of (IN BLUE):
Fruit Acid that eliminates old/aged top skin layer
Panthenol (Vitamin B5) that delivers and retains moisture
Orchid Extract that gives skin a radiance (on its own)

Instructions:
Pour an appropriate amount on your hand or cotton pad and apply it to skin in a gentle dabbing/tapping motion. Finally, press it in with the palm of your hands all over your face. (For extra dry spots, pour some amount on soft cotton and use as a mask. Leave on for 30 seconds before removing and dry areas will be kept hydrated for a longer time. Should there be no dry spots, using the product alone without will be sufficient to add moisture to the skin.)

This pictorial pretty much tells it all:
1. You can use this as a 2-step system:
First >> Fresh, Smoother (Allow for absorption by wiping on skin) then
Second >> Moist, Deep Moist, Essential
2. Use as a spot mask for dry areas, leaving it on for 30 seconds
3. Using it as a face mask (pouring at least 15ml on face sheet and apply)
4. Use a a mist to spray on whenever the skin feels dry

MY COMMENTS 

 

And solely my own 

(Believe at your own risk!)

I must say the advertising/product claim IS indeed convincing.

Not only does it consists 6 different bottles to suit ANY skin type requirements, it also formulated with 3 main, awesome ingredients, free from 5 of those not-so-nice ingredients & to round that all up, there are multiple uses (spot mask, mask, mist etc.). It claims to exfoliate dead skin cells, keep the skin clear & moist (translated in my brain = translucent skin) And the price being 12,000 won makes it feel like a waste NOT to buy it.

It makes for a value buy, seriously. 

BUT.

We don't know how much of those cool ingredients make up the product. It could be all water and alcohol, with just enough of those cool fruit extracts to "claim" it's mainly made up of them (see below ingredients shot). The fruit extract starts from the 5th element onwards, which I suppose is still not too bad since it's within the top 10.

And I find the description to be a little vague because all 6 bottles have relatively different textures. (e.g how do you use Deep Moist as a mist when it is so thick?!)

When I did a search online before buying the product, I couldn't find any good recommendations on how to use it. But now that I visited the store and roughly tried them all, here is my opinion on it's usage, in relation to their multiple methods of using it.

Use like a toner (via cotton pad):
Fresh (liquid form) - Combination/Oily Skin since it has sebum-controlling effect
Smoother (liquid form) - Normal to Dry Skin
Moist (STILL a liquid form) - Normal to Combination / Oily Skin
Essential (liquid form with oil so solution needs to be shaked before use) - Extremely Dry Skin 

Use like an essence (via hand):
Deep Moist (thick consistency liquid form) - Dry Skin

Use like a moisturizer (via hand):
Emulsion - All Skin


Use as Spot Mask / Mask - A mask is mainly used to restore moisture or deliver hydration to the skin. So I reckon Moist/Deep Moist to be the ones because of its fluid consistency (yet not watery, whilst the rest are more like "water" consistency) Moist claims to have hyaluronic acid that keeps moisture locked in- sounds good isn't it?
*Though the sales staff said ALL can be used as mask!

Use as a Mist - A mist is mainly used to refresh dry spots instantly, control excess sebum and so I reckon Fresh/Smoother/Moist/Essential as the ones. Essential has a mix of oil in there which will aid extreme cases of dryness.  

SO, MY VERDICT

Even though I have combination skin, I went for the Deep Moist one because felt I my skin needed ALOT of hydration. I liked the way it felt watery enough to be applied as a light veil over the face, and yet thick enough to be used as a mask to restore moisture on dry areas.

It has a fresh and nice scent that was not overwhelming. Being alcohol and acid, I expected it to sting a little when applied on my face, but it didn't. In fact, for the first application, I did not even finish my routine with my usual moisturizer (just a toner beforehand + this) and it did impress me a little cos I woke up to a face that was neither too dry, nor too oily. It also did provide some comfort to my face in terms of hydration when I used it as a face mask. (Not the best, but for the price of it, it was fair) No damage or negative reactions were recorded. 

Having said all that, it did not work wonders for me, as my skin and pores stayed pretty much the same. What it did for me as merely to maintain and not to exfoliate or help clear up the previous built-up dead skin cells, blackheads.(Perhaps it only did light-duty exfoliation in terms of ridding the daily build-up of skin cells, preventing it from accumulation?)

Overall, the experience was pleasant and I still continue to use it as a step 2, after my toner and sometimes as a mask. It adds a nice cushion in my usual routine before I apply my does of AHA as a step 3 and my skin was alright, in fact, less stinging. 

For a product of this price - I think it IS a good buy. I will recommend it for light-duty usage and maintenance!

Since this is a pretty long entry, I will continue my review on Wonder Pore in a separate post!

Cheers!

6D5N Suggested Seoul Itinerary

I thought it would be good to post something like an itinerary for experiencing Seoul, in order of proximity, and interest so here it is! This is a super-packed itinerary which includes alternatives in case you don't want to visit some of the places. Well, it is completely up to how you wish to twig the itinerary to make the best out of your trip! :) Enjoy!

DAY 1

Arrival

Take a subway to the station nearest to your hotel. Subway is so convenient. There is no jam and it's fast! 

(Of course you can choose to take the Airport Limousine (a huge and comfy bus that don't cost you more than 20,000 won for transit to Seoul) or just a regular taxi (which will cost alot more))

Myeondong (Line 2, Euljiro 1-ga Station / Line 4. Myeongdong Station) 

A mass shopping area, street-style, with all sorts of make-up, clothes, accessories, cute stationery and alot of nice cafes and restaurants for dining. You could easily spent a couple of hours here! So, budget time enough to shop & dine! (I would say, maybe 4 hours?) 

Click here for my Myeongdong Experience.

Visit the the Seoul Centre for Culture & Tourism @ M Plaza and find out more about things to do in Seoul. Read more about why you should go there.

Accumulate maps and find out about places that may interest you (apart from what you read in here, as there are alot more things to do in Seoul - more than I can write about!) 

Namsam Tower (Line 4, Myeongdong Station, Exit 4)

I paired this place to Myeongdong cos it's really nearby. Walk - take glass elevator to cable car station - take cable car up to Namsan. You can go there in the day or night, but I much prefer the night scenery because it is more romantic!

Click here for full details on getting there and some awesome pictures!

DAY 2

Hongdae (Subway Line 2, Hongik Station, Exit 9)

Trick Eye Museum 

This is a super fun place to visit if you enjoy seeing art stuff and wanna take fun pictures!

Ehwa University Area (Subway Line 2, Ehwa University, Exit 2)

 same area as Sinchon

Both these areas are VERY close in proximity and it's possible to walk from one to another, but, a better alternative will be to take a subway (unless you have the whole day to spend and don't mind roaming around)

Both are university hangout areas, you will see people age 20-27 hanging out here. It is definitely worth the time because they set the trend and fashion for uni-goers and the shops are quaint, cute and different, mostly designed and set-up with each shop keepers' individual taste.

You will find things here cheaper because they are catered to students (some even cheaper than what you can find in Myeongdong & Dongdaemun).

I'd recommend you go to the Trick Eye Museum situated at Hongdae in the morning, spend time in Picasso Street, have lunch in the vicinity, then shop around till mid afternoon. Then you can move on to Ehwa Uni area to shop some more. (In comparison, if you need to choose between Hongdae or Ehwa - then Hongdae will be it!)
 
At night, the party comes alive and you can have dinner off the streets because there are just too many street hawkers selling all sorts of food! (More so for Ehwa Station) (For Hongdae, they are known for their clubs and pubs! And BBQ)

Read more about my experience in Hongdae
Click here to see my fun shots at Hongdae Trickeye Museum
Read more about my experience in Ehwa

DAY 3

Gyeongbokgung Palace (Subway Line 3, Exit 5)

This is the biggest and most well preserved palace by far and if you only have time for 1 palace, this is THE palace to go. They also have guard changing (like most other palaces do). If I am not wrong it usually happens at like 9am and 3pm, need to check prior to going.

Samcheongdong-gil (Subway Line 3, Anguk Station, Exit 1, 2, 3)

This is walking distance to Gyeonbokgung (but you can take a taxi as they are small roads, not much jam).

The place is interesting because the shops (selling mostly clothes and accessories) and architectural structure of the builidngs are very different from the rest of seoul. There are almost like a little town on its own because each shop and cafe there has its own characteristic and are exclusive and diffrerent. It's worth a go just for photo-taking, and you will see ALOT of people on weekends because its a popular date place.

Click for more directions and my experience at Gyeongbokgung & Samcheongdong-gil!

Bukchon Hanok Village (Same area within Samcheongdong-gil)

This is a cluster of existing folk village house with modern Koreans still staying here. It's not really a place of attraction, but tourist like going there to take photos of the old-style houses. Residents are usually OK to let them take photos OUTSIDE the house so long as no disturbance/noise.
Click for some pictures taken while I experience Bukchon

Sanmotoonge aka Coffee Prince Filming Site

Cafe sitted on top of some hill, where you can slowly sip coffee and chit chat. It has very nice ambience and scenery, but the directions slightly complicated, though it's really near the Gyeongbokgung area.
Click here for full directions and some pictures so you know if its worth going?

Alternatively, you may want to visit Insadong

These areas are all awfully situated within such close distance from one another that you can just visit them all within the day (if you start early, that is!)

Insadong is this street which sells all sorts of Korean Traditional items (those you'd like to keep as a souvenir, i.e. long spoons, metal chopesticks, handicrafts, you get the point etc,) It's like what Chinatown is to Singapore. I have not eaten in any restaurants there, but I did spot a few really interesting ones that serves traditional Korean Cuisine and you also get to watch a perfomance while you dine there. So, check it out, if you will!
Read about my experience visiting Insadong.

Gwanghwamun (Line 5, Gwanghwamun Station, Exit 1,2,8 OR Line 3 Gyeongbokgung Station, Exit 6,7)

Just a parade square area in front of the Gyeongbokgung palace (likes of Tian An Men in Beijing).
It's best to go there in the night cos the night light-up and fountains are prettier than that in the day. This is also the end/start point for the Cheonggyecheon Stream that would link you all the way to Dongdaemun area.

Check out some photos here

 DAY 4

Although this is also on line 3, it is more southwards of line 3, a distance away from the above:

Garosu-gil & Apgujeong Rodeo Street (Subway Line 3, Sinsa Station, Exit 8)

Super high class and fashion street area, known for spotting stars. This area is known to be the ATAS district, so everything sold there (including coffee) costs more. Many branded boutiques are found here and those boutiques with no brands "also pretend" to be branded (meaning, the price is expensive).

Also known as the place to go for plastic surgery because ALOT of famous plastic surgery clinics are located here. No wonder the people there are more beautiful! The only problem is they probably all look the same? (No offense, it's just my way of describing the place)

Garosu-gil & Apugujeong are 2 different perpendicular streets, all within the same vicinity.

Read about my experience here

Gangnam (Subway Line 2, Gangnam Station, Exit 8,9,11)

Gangnam is a stone throw away from Sinsa area, although it's on Line 2. It's also known as the ATAS district where most working professionals hang out. (More of the high income class) Frankly, I think Hongdae is more fun - but to each his own - they have pretty decent restaurants and shops all over.

Rainbow Fountain (Subway Line 3, Express Bus Terminal Station, Exit 8-1)

This is one of the nicest night scene to go.It's a part of Hangang where lovers date most. At periodic timings, music will play and fountain of water with diffferent colors spews out from the bridge of the expressway into the hangang accroding to the rhythem of the music. (You can choose to walk there, or take a cab there from Garosu-gil or Gangnam)
Click here on full details on how to go and my experience 

Alternatively, you may want to visit Lotte World (Subway Line 2, Jamsil Station, Exit 4) 

Lotte World is a Theme Park located in Seoul. If you are into thrilling rides and fun fares, these will be one of the options you can consider as part of the trip. They also have an indoor skating rink and all sorts of restaurants in there!

Read about my experience here

DAY 5

Namsangol Hanok Village (Line 3 or 4, Chungmuro Station, Exit 3)
To see traditional folk villages (preserved / re-furnished state)  
Read about my experience here 

Alternatively, you may want to visit Naksan Park (Subway Line 4, Hyewah Station, Exit 2)

A morning trek to the top of a section of the fortress wall may be a nice, peaceful activity to bring you close to nature, yet not too tiresome to climb. This location is one of my favorite because I get to enjoy nature without having to spend too much effort climbing, and yet when I get down to the foot of the fortress, an "off-the-beaten-track" shopping area awaits me!
Read more on how to go and what to do

Dongdaemun (Line 4 or 2 Dongdaemun History & Culture Park, Exit 14)

Mass shopping area as well. Building style, (Good morning, APM, Millionaire, Doota etc.) Mostly selling clothes. There are also alot of street hawkers by the road, outside of the buildings, so you could easily settle 1 meal by eating street food! 

Cheonggyecheon Stream

It's really nice & serene to take a walk down this stream which connects a lot of places. It's known as the only preserved stream, flowing through the city, right from ancient times (of course that is not true cos they kind of rebuilt it for commercial reasons). Nevertheless, it is worth to take a walk there cos it's so refreshing and cool. My recommended route is from Dongdaemun (you should spot some entrance sign from next to DOOTA, if you face DOOTA, it is on your right, just walk to the right), if you don't know, just ask around.

Once you are on the stream, walk downwards, aboutt 30-45 mins slow walk, towards the Gwanghwamun entrance, there will be a water feature to mark the start/end of the walk, nice for photos too. But if you feel like you don't want to walk, just go straight to that area from Gwanghwamun.

Dongdaemun Wholesale Market

Same place as Dongdaemun, but when you reach DOOTA, you will spot a huge pedestrian crossing (in front of the DOOTA) to what looks like a not so well-lited area, just cross and walk STRAIGHT, and you should spot a few buildings with those ah beng and ah lian nylon lightingsd that decorate the building. THOSE are the wholesale clothes and accessory buildings which only open from 10pm onwards.
Read about my experience here

DAY 6

Visit a Jimjibang (Ask your hotel recep for recommendations or call the M Plazza Help Desk, they will find you a nice one!)

This will be your final day before you head home, so time is constraint and you probably want to do some last minute shopping etc. But if you have time to spare, do visit this Korean public bath facility which is WIDELY AVAILABLE all over Soeul as Koreans like indulging in such spas to relax their minds and bond with families and friends.  
 Read more about my experience here


OTHER PLACES which you can add into your itineray includes (but, all requires at least 1 full day!):

 - Soraksan (My encounter)
 - Bukhansan
 - Everland
 - Nami Island (My encounter)


Well this pretty much sums up what you can accomplish in Seoul for 6D5N. Please feel free to drop a comment/question if you have any. :)

Disclaimer:
The above information is true to what I have experienced personally while visiting and staying in Seoul. I apologise for any inaccurate information either due to my lack of awareness or changes in the facilities or maps. Nevertheless, I don't get paid to write any of these, so I am really just sharing what I know, so enjoy reading. :) 

Our Hillsong Conference 2013 experience, Sydney, Australia

I have always heard about Hillsong Conference, but never bothered finding out what it was about.

This year, Mr Chan came home announcing he bought the tickets to Hillsong (I didn't even know we had to BUY tickets) and that we will just "go & see".

So, we made plans to fly there, attend the 5-day conference and continue to stay for a few more days (also in celebration of our 6th year wedding anniversary - it's ALREADY 6 YEARS?!!!! - oh dear...)

And now that the trip is over, I thought it was good to just document some of the highlights of this Sydney trip!

I really thank God for this awesome time of refreshing - and would like to encourage anyone who might happen to read this to go to Hillsong Conference!

BTW,  it is HILLSONG (without an "s") not HILLSONGS (cos I always called it hillsongS! and realized it was without "S")

So, thankfully for us, we registered ourselves to a "self-formed" private group (majority of whom are from New Creation Church, but in no way representing NCC.).

This group was started by a volunteer who wanted to gather all the Hillsong-goers so that we may be entitled GROUP-benefits which included "priority-sitting". Meaning we get designated seats for all services.

Apparently, if we didn't have a "group", we will always have to queue for each service and will NOT have designated seats (even if we had a ticket). *sheepish*

Since the highlight was the Conference, we actually didn't do much research and decided to just go with the flow.Very untypical of me, but, it's sometimes nice to be spontaneous! :)

This is the arm-band that we use as a "passport" to enter the venue.

 

The Allphone arena was HUGE and the venue was JAMMED-PACKED for most of the services.

This was the opening shot! 

Look at the number of "heads" there - all coming together in 1 voice to worship Jesus.

Worship time was INCREDIBLE. 

Good morning! Welcome to Hillsong!

So, speakers to the conference included:
Brian & Bobbie Houston, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Joel & Victoria Osteen, Judah Smith & Craig Groeschel.

I really enjoyed Pastor Brian (with his fatherly tone), Pastor Joel (ultra gentlemanly!) and Pastor Judah Smith (he was slightly "dark" in his humor but it was great!).

Pastor Brian & Bobbie Houston

Pastor Joel Osteen

Pastor Judah Smith

The thing about Hillsong is  -it is packed-filled with activities!

A typical day goes like this:

From 0830 hrs where you are advised to be seated for conference (that starts at 0900 hrs)>> This is called "Morning Rally"

0900 - 1200 hrs (+ -) Morning Rally starts with worship, then sermon.

You get a lunch break. (How long a break will depend on what time the service ends and what time your next activity starts)

Let me explain: "next activity" is termed as "Elective" where they offer various electives for a participant to sign up for. Each session lasts about 1-1.5 hrs.

"Elective" is like a "school" (or course), like afternoon break-out class where you get to attend separate "group-studies" with people who have the same interests. (e.g. Missions School, Evangelism School, TV & Media, The Songwriter, The Musician, The Worship Leader, Dance, The Vocalist etc. and the list goes on) 

These electives happen con-currently and differs from day-to-day in that 5-day Conference. You need to submit your preferred Elective upon purchase of your Hillsong ticket.

At the same time, in the foyer area, there will be lots of things happening in Marquees. You have master classes, interviews, video screening of events, pop-up book stores and various Christian associated drives - one of which I remembered was an "sponsor-a-child" drive etc. It's all free & easy, you choose what you want to attend.

So by the time you are done with the afternoon classes and activities, you have dinner& Night Rally will begin at 1800 - 2000 hrs, which is followed by a Praise & Worship session to close the day between 2000 - 2030 hrs.

This is why it is jammed-packed. You leave the hotel early in the morning and you only get back late at night because if you don't happen to stay near to the Allphones Arena (which was the case for us), you will definitely take some time to get back. (For us, it was a little more than an hour of train ride!)

The station nearest to Allphone Arena was known as Lidcombe Station (and you need to transit via a feeder train to take you to Olympic Station where you can walk to the indoor stadium). We were staying near Museum Station - total of 19 train stops. The good thing is that they have double-deck trains, and EXPRESS TRAIN service, which meant the train doesn't stop as most of these 19 stations, and only stops at key ones, so you have some time-saving there.

How the outdoor Foyer looks like! Buzzing with activities!

A snap shot of what happens in an Elective

And of course, a few shots of our daily picnic fun and lunch boxes.

Because there are limited food choices nearby with thousands of people wanting to fill their stomachs in that short lunch break, our group leader was kind enough to pre-empt us on the "lunch-crowd", hence we brought our our own food EVERYDAY! *happy!*  

Starting from breakfast in the train (yes, you CAN eat in the trains over there - unlike in sg)

Pre-packed sandwiches, ham, cheese, cookies, snacks, chips, yoghurt etc.

Alas, we come to the last night of the Conference, Praise and Worship ended later than usual - and having attended Conference for the past 4 days made us miss Conference already (knowing there's no more 6th day)

This was the beautiful day-fireworks display as a closing to the event.

Final shot in the Allphones Arena on the last day!