Category Archives: Featured

Hydrated Skin with Asian Skin Solution

Hi Loves!

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting Asian Skin Solution for their Hydrocare water boost treatment and it makes me happy to be sharing about this fantastic facial treatment with you all!

There is a very chic waiting area for customers and guests right next to their counter at the entrance area:

After arriving and checking in at the counter, I was ushered into the consultation room for a diagnosis of my skin and its condition.

So the Asian Skin Solution therapist use a device to snap photos of my skin on various spots on my face; forehead, cheek, nose and chin. And the smart diagnosis tool then proceeded to analyse my skin condition based on these factors: Pores, Spots, Wrinkles, Impurities and Keratin.

So apparently my skin condition was not very good. Intensive care is needed with respect to Impurities and Keratin followed by Moisture, Pores, Spots. It was a very sobering diagnosis for my skin condition and I am reminded to drink more water and start taking my collagen supplements religiously again, hahaha! Thankfully the condition of Wrinkles on my skin is Optimum, yay!

After the diagnosis and consultation we proceeded to the private facial room and I changed and prepared for the facial. The Hydrocare Water Boost Treatment includes make up removal (if any), cleansing, misting (to open up your pores), extraction, oxygen jet, massage, mask, application of moisturizer and sunblock.

Having my face cleansed and prepped before misting:

Therapist applying softener to hasten the softening of the skin during misting to prep for extraction, so it will not be so painful.

The application of oxygen jet on my face was a very enjoyable experience~

The hydrating mask was cooling and had a sweet fruity scent:

Very satisfied with the immediate hydrating and brightening effects of the facial!:

Asian Skin Solution also offers their own in-house skincare products; R.Defence sunblock with SPF 35 that whitens and protects skin from harmful UV rays as well as R.H2O serum, a lightweight formula that hydrates the skin instantly for long lasting moisture:

In partnership with the good folks over at Asian Skin Solution, we are giving away this very pampering session by Asian Skin Solution – Hydrocare Water Boost Treatment for just $38 (actual price at $250)! Kindly PM to Asian Skin Solution Official Facebook Page for redemption with this code <ASS-Ena>, limited to the first 20 readers/followers! And if you would like to have a bottle of complimentary exclusive R.Genes serum (actual price at $150) during treatment, be sure to give Asian Skin Solution official Facebook Page a thumbs up and share! **Terms and Conditions Apply. Results of treatment do vary for each individual.

Overall I will definitely recommend Asian Skin Solution’s Hydrocare Water Boost Treatment for its deeply hydrating and immediately brightening effects. I find that this hydrating facial is a very safe treatment for most local asian skin types in our hot and humid weather. I also look forward to going back to Asian Skin Solution next time to check if my skin diagnosis improves with treatments in time!

You can visit Asian Skin Solution at their outlets here:

Asian Skin Solution @ Paya Lebar Square (Paya Lebar MRT) 60 Paya Lebar Road #B1-37/40/41, S(409051)

Asian Skin Solution @ Square 2 (Novena MRT) 10 Sinaran Drive #03-11/19, S(307506)

Be sure to call in first to book your appointment before heading down! You can contact them via their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/AsianSkinSolution/

Thank you Asian Skin Solution for this review invitation and sponsorship!

x
Ena

For Vitality & Radiance – Hao Yi Kang’s Collagen Beauty Essence

Hi Loves!

Today I’d like to share about a new beauty supplement in the market – Hao Yi Kang’s Collagen Beauty Essence!

Before we go into the Collagen Beauty Essence let me share a little about the brand.

Hao Yi Kang is the official sole distributor of Lao Xie Zhen products. Established in 1928, Lao Xie Zhen is a well-known brand in Taiwan. Being in the industry for 9 decades, Lao Xie Zhen prides itself for bringing the best to its consumers, as a favorable and trustworthy brand.

And more about the Premium Ingredients that’s found in the Collagen Beauty Essence here:

Hao Yi Kang’s Collagen Beauty Essence is a proprietary formula that consists of Japan patented Nano Collagen Peptide and 4 plant-based ingredients that are rich in Plant Polyphenols and Vitamin C to achieve glowing radiance from within.

Beauty Collagen Essence

Proprietary Formula from Japan Formulated with Collagen, Plant Polyphenols & Vitamin C to boost production and absorption of collagen by the body

Premium Collagen

Purest and highest grade of Japan Patented Nano Fish Collagen Peptide 5000mg

Lower molecular weight allows quicker absorption of collagen into the body within 1 hour

Plant-based Ingredients

Beetroot, Figs, Hawthorn & Acerola Cherries

100% Natural

No preservatives, additives & artificial colouring Zero fats & cholesterol

Benefits

❑ Achieve anti-aging

❑ Protect against radical damage

❑ Improve skin complexion & elasticity

❑ Lock in skin moisture & prevent loss of collagen

❑ Promote natural collagen production within the body

❑ Repair joints

❑ Aid in digestion

❑ Boost metabolism

❑ Aid in iron absorption

❑ Help with wound healing

Suggested Intake 

A sachet before breakfast
Start the day with beauty and vitality

A sachet right before bed.
Wake up to a glowing complexion.

20s Beauty Plan:

Build up skin foundation Consume 1 pack every 2 days

30s Beauty Plan:

Maintain youthful skin Consume 1 pack daily

40s Beauty Plan:

Pair 1 pack daily with our Chicken Essence for a nourished and radiant complexion.

I’ve been taking this Collagen Beauty Essence almost daily for more than week now. It’s beetroot in colour and tastes like a sweet fruit concentrate – you can’t smell or taste the nano fish collagen at all! I usually have it in room temperature in the morning on an empty stomach. I like the added boost of energy that I get from drinking this beauty essence in the morning and I find that my skin is also more hydrated from within.

I would definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a Collagen Beauty Essence supplement especially if you are unable to have a healthy diet due to your lifestyle and need a booster. It will also make a great pre-wedding or get well soon gift for friends! 

Thank you Hao Yi Kang for the products for review! Visit their website and shop here~

X

Ena 

Of Gratitude, Celebration & Hope

Two months ago I celebrated my 30th Birthday and I was inspired by a friend who prepared an E-book last Christmas to compile a few of my favourite proses, poems and quotes, along with a few photos I took in the recent past.

Hope you will like them as much as I do.

Love,
Ena

Celebrating Father’s Day with 8 Crabs

On Monday night, my family and I celebrated an early Father’s Day over a sumptuous 8 Crabs dinner feast!

Two nights before, my sister and I sat down in her room and scrolled through 8 Crabs’ website to check out their menu – they have plenty to offer!

8 Crabs Website

We booked for a 6-7PM delivery slot as my parents have a tendency to eat an early dinner. Dinner arrived early at 5.45PM, delivered by a friendly deliveryman. While preparing to plate the dishes I also asked my Dad to put on a shirt for photo-taking, haha!

Our 8 Crabs dinner feast in their boxes before plating.
Our advance Father’s Day Dinner after Plating

From L-R; We ordered their 8 Crabs Award-Winning Chilli Crab in Extra-Large ($88) 1 piece of Extra Large sized crab is approximately 900g-1kg(Live), 2 sets of Fried Man Tou ($6/set), Salted Fish Fried Rice – Small ($6), Mee Goreng – Small ($6), Sambal Kang Kong – Small ($10) & Butter Battered Calamari – Small ($14). Doesn’t the meal look more appetising after plating? I don’t recommend doing this every evening, but definitely worth the trouble on special occasions like this one!

8 Crabs Chilli Crab

8 Crabs Chilli Crab did not disappoint! The crab came Extra Large as ordered and my family couldn’t finish it. The meat was sweet and fresh, the sauce was thick and flavourful, Overall I find that the chilli sauce was sweet and not spicy, which makes it good for sharing with the family if you have elderly or younger children in tow!

8 Crabs Fried Man Tou with Chilli Crab Sauce

The man-tous were also fried to perfection, with a golden brown exterior and soft on the inside. They definitely paired perfectly with the sweet chilli sauce!

8 Crabs’ Extra Large Crab Pincer

A little fun fact at this point, 8 Crabs pride themselves in serving grade AAA premium Sri Lankan sourced wild crabs that’s prepared by 5 star chefs, offering the best value on the planet.”

8 Crabs’ Salted Fish Fried Rice

My family and I were very impressed by 8 Crab’s Salted Fish Fried Rice generous portion for its small size. This dish is on the oilier side, so if you are looking to order this, I suggest to balance the meal out with another gravy based dish like their Gravy Hor Fun or Clayout Beancurd.

8 Crabs’ Mee Goreng

8 Crabs’ Mee Goreng also came in a very generous portion for small size. The noodles also added a nice variety in addition to having Fried Rice for carbs. It’s flavourful without being spicy.

8 Crabs’ Sambal Kang Kong

8 Crabs’ Sambal Kang Kong comes with a very flavourful deep broth sauce that goes very well with the Salted Fish Fried Rice!

8 Crabs’ Butter Battered Calamari

8 Crabs’ Butter Battered Calamari is my family’s another favourite after the Chilli Crab – it’s crispy on the outside and soft inside. The squid is very fresh and tender. My mum and sister particularly likes the seasoned veggies on the side – they thought that it was a very nice touch to this dish! My sister also added Chilli Lime sauce to the mayonnaise to make a spicy creamy sauce to pair with the calamari.

Daddy & Mummy with the 8 Crabs Feast <3
And one more with le sis and I~ <3

In conclusion, 8 Crabs’ dinner feast definitely felt very worth-while! The highlight and star of the dinner, 8 Crabs’ Chilli Crab in Extra Large is delicious and came in a huge portion – so big that my sister and I had a seafood pasta dinner the following evening with the remaining chilli sauce. The carb dishes came in very generous portions as well, the meal we ordered could certainly feed 5-6 people comfortably. We realized on hindsight that we ordered too many fried dishes, so we recommend you to order some gravy dishes to balance out the meal. If you’re looking for a more affordable Crab restaurant with an approved Chilli Crab dish, do check them out!

8 Crabs’ Dedicated Fathers’ Day Site: https://fathersday.8crabs.com/

If you’re considering to order a Crab Feast for your Dad this Father’s Day, be sure to head over to 8 Crabs’ dedicated site here.

Have a great one with your family, and blessed Fathers’ Day to you (if you’re a Dad) and your Dad in advance!

Disclaimer: Thanks 8 Crabs for sponsoring vouchers for this meal! All views and opinions are my own. 🙂

Fresh Copper Colour with LEEKAJA Beauty Salon @ Mandarin Gallery

Hi guys! Yesterday I made a trip to LEEKAJA Beauty Salon for a fresh coat of hair colour – been wanting to get a copper colour on my hair for a while, after watching Korean dramas and seeing it on a few actresses – muahaha. Where better to get this colour done then the korean hair salon in Singapore – LEEKAJA Beauty Salon?! 😀

LEEKAJA is one of the top hair salons in Korea with more than 200 salons all over the world (see their official website here) and their first flagship store in Singapore is located at Mandarin Gallery, Orchard. 

This is their front desk / reception area. What’s interesting about the LEEKAJA store is its very leafy and green environment that feels like a garden mixed with raw, industrial materials that makes for a very relaxed environment when you enter and during the length of your stay. I’d say the atmosphere is very welcoming and makes you want to go back again. A very unique experience that you can’t find in other hair salons in Singapore (except Walking on Sunshine, their sister branch, haha).

They even sell Cactus, something I find really random and unusual, hahaha!

I had the pleasure to be attended to by Senior Hair Stylist Sam, I had wanted a bright copper colour and would need to bleach my hair to achieve the effect. But as I had rebonded my hair two months back, it’s not advisable for me to bleach my hair as it might damage it. So Sam suggested for me to proceed with the copper colour without bleaching and that he would add a booster during the dye process so we can still achieve a more vibrant effect – yeah! 😀

What’s really lovely about LEEKAJA Beauty Salon is that it houses an in-house, not open to public cafe that serves visiting clients complimentary light bites and drinks like tea, coffee, green tea latte and even wines if you fancy! I had a cup of green tea with roasted rice blend with mini coffee madelines and a second cup of green tea latte at Sam’s recommendation. Yummy!

A picture at my station, hello!

A quick “before” look – straight rebonded hair, fading hair colour with my dark hair roots showing, a new hair colour is due!

During the process of getting my new hair colour… picture taken with SNOW app – in case you’re wondering why I have on a pair of specs out of nowhere, muahaha.

I also noticed from the IPad placed at each station that they use their own in-house hair care range, when Sam used the shampoo to wash off the dye – it smells amazing! The IPad also serves as a mini TV to show their current promotions – including a new facial salon, Civasan brought in from Korea as well. More on that at the end of this post!

Another remarkable aspect of LEEKAJA is the vast size of the salon – easily two to three times the size of a regular hair salon. The reason being they house various stylists ranging from Junior Hair Stylists, Senior Hair Stylists to Hair Directors who have their own spaces to attend to their own private clients, up to three at a time. Really amazing concept!

One of the open stations area with hair perming equipment and hair wash corner at the back.

This is one of the director “rooms”, there are a few more but it was not convenient for me to snap pictures as there were customers, haha.

This is their VIP room… it’s very private and cosy, isn’t it?

If you’re planning to attend a big event and pressed for time, you can even make appointment to have your nails and hair done at the same time! LEEKAJA Beauty Salon have their own in-house nail manicurist who can attend to your nail-care and needs. If you happen to visit when she’s not attending to customers, you might even get a complimentary nail buff session.

Pedicure corner – those chairs look super comfy!

A whole array of nail polishes and tools for your mani and pedis!

And… here are the “After” pics with my new and fresh copper hair colour! Yippee! 🙂 And a picture with Sam – thanks for today, it’s lovely chatting with you as well!

More pictures under a different/brighter light so you can see a more accurate colour representation of my new Copper hair colour!!!

I’m very happy with the new colour… I also like the loose curls… yes I know I just rebonded my hair not long ago – but I already want to have longer hair with loose curls perm done sometime end of the year! I seem to have lots of hair ideas for this year – I blame it on watching Korean dramas! Hahaha. 😛

I believe you can see how much I’ve enjoyed the session as well – and will most definitely recommend you to visit LEEKAJA Beauty Salon with your bff so you can get your hair cut/colour/treatment at the same time while sipping drinks and catching up!

Something of note – LEEKAJA is not exclusive to ladies – I saw a lot of men getting their hair trimmed while I was there – so guys, you might want to check this place out too!

Before I end off with their September promo and contact details, here are some pics of their sister brand, Civasan facial salon!

It’s very gold due to the lightning at the mall – but the walls are white and the entire space looks very modern, futuristic at the same time, I love it!

Here you go – the white walls with black edges and pink accents – mad love!

This is the makeup area for guests to primp up after their facials! They literally opened just 1 week ago and they’re just one floor above LEEKAJA – so  if you’re looking for a facial place right before or after your hair cut/colour/treatment at LEEKAJA – you know where to go!

For the month of September 2019, they are also running a $100 promotion off on hair treatment with any of their hair services, so if you’re looking to get a hair cut and treatment this is a perfect promo to use!

Book your appointment with LEEKAJA Beauty Salon:

Mandarin Gallery
333A Orchard Road #03-13
Singapore 238897
Call: 8133 0818

Thank you LEEKAJA Beauty Salon and Priscilla for the kind invite! While the hair colour service is sponsored, all thoughts and reviews are my own.

x

Ena

Planning Your International Trip Right

Hi guys! It’s been a long while since my last post isn’t it? I just came back from a long holiday and thought it apt to share about planning an international trip!

Planning Your International Trip Right

What is everyone’s travel nightmare when it comes to travelling internationally? When everything doesn’t seem to add up correctly. Mind you, this isn’t about getting mugged or scammed out of your money, but more on the preparations phase you might have planned poorly before your anticipated trip. Hence in today’s entry, I’d like to raise a few pointers you might want to take into consideration when you plan your international travel, especially if this is your first trip!

Before we get into the thrill of travelling the world, we might have the perspective that to travel, all you need to do is hop on any cheap flights we can find, and off we go for an adventure. However it might be more complex than that, especially when you’re going to somewhere beyond your own country’s borderlines. Lucky for you, I’ve round up this simple checklist for you!

1. The basics: Where? When? How?

Where? – Even spontaneous traveller needs to have a destination in mind before embarking on one. The reason for being sure of where the destination? Well, from knowing just the “Where”, you get to get an overview of what are the things you might need to bring. Let’s say you’re planning to go to Bali. Bali is a beautiful island, hence you know you won’t be needing a lot of fancy clothes because you’ll be spending a lot of time in a beach environment.

When? – Unlike Singapore where we’re pretty much on a one-season basis, other countries might not be so simple. If you’re travelling to the Philippines, you will definitely need to know the seasons they have. You do not want to go there during June because all you’ll be seeing is rainy clouds.

How? – This does not mean the type of transportation you will need because, for international destinations, we both know the main transport you will be boarding is on those with wings. My recommendation based on track record and general demand? SilkAir. Now, this is not the only recommendations I have, but one of it. SilkAir Singapore flights provide all the facilities you need to make your long-haul flights comfortable. I’ll be exploring this bit later in the “Choosing your airline” section.

2. Choosing your airline

Like my previous point, I recommend SilkAir; however, that is one of the many recommendations I have under my belt. Each airline serves different purposes, and SilkAir is one of those that provide well above average services for international routes. You can find cheap Singapore to Bali flights in any channels, be it their official website to the several online travel agency that serves their tickets like Traveloka for example.

Why is airline so important to take into consideration?

Three words: Quality services provided.

International routes, especially those that cross between 4 to 8 hours will be a pain to you physically and mentally if their services are below average – like, way below. You cannot run away from a crappy service because you are literally thousands of feet off the ground! Hence, I’m going straight to the point and listed the services that SilkAir provide well for their flyers.

SilkAir Services:

1. Seating class: Economy vs Business

Their Economy class provides great comfort with their width between 17-18 inches. It gives you plenty of legroom and pretty spacious for your kids if you are travelling with children. Their Business class on the other hand, of course, provide greater comfort with an extra legroom space and seating width between 20-22 inches. In a specific type of airline, their Business class seats even come with additional seat recline.

2. In-flight amenities: Dining and Entertainment

When it comes to food, SilkAir knows the best way to someone’s heart is through the stomach. SilkAir provides large varieties of food choices that could cater to the crazy foodies and those under special diet preferences. Be sure to give them a heads up if you are a vegetarian or allergic in some sort of way with certain food. With varieties of food also comes with a variety of drinks. Be it alcohol-based or juices, you will have the free flow you need to ensure your liquid intake is as satisfactory as your food intake.

When it comes to entertainment, I’m pretty sure you’ll get all the basic stuff you need to make your trip runs smoothly. SilkAir entertainment inventory is packed with the latest movies from various genres. You’re not into movies? Hard to believe but not impossible. There is also an extensive collection of audiobooks and music that could give you some relaxing entertainment.

3. A checklist may seem nerdish, but they are also called smart

Create your travel checklist. This checklist does not necessarily mean how many pair of clothes you have to bring or how many bottles of sunscreen you are going to need. This checklist marks its existence before, during and after your trip. From creating your visa to listing down your medical supplies; from having a checklist for your day-to-day activities at your destination to a checklist containing emergency contacts should things get a bit unpredictable, or even merely a checklist to get you through the airport or immigration. A checklist is your friend; let it be your friend!

So, there you have it. It is a brief anecdote to get you prepped up for your international flights. Either you’re new to travelling or even have been frequent travellers, all in all, we need to make thorough preparations. No matter how small or insignificant it may seem, but, trust me, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Better to have a headache now than later when you’re in a foreign land.

Anyways, happy holidays, everyone! Have fun & stay safe always! 

x

Ena

P.S. This post was written in partnership with Traveloka.

Dejavu comes true for The Lion King

I’ll be catching The Lion King tonight and it’s gonna be a a deja vu experience come true for me!

Quite a while ago, I vividly remember dreaming about watching The Lion King musical in a setting that resembles the Sands Theatres at Marina Bay Sands, I remember the actors dressed up in animal like costumes running down the aisle to interact with the audience – it was all too real! So when I received the invitation to watch the musical a few weeks back, I remarked to my bestie that it’s a deja vu coming true for me!

I’m really excited about walking the red carpet and catching the Lion King grand premiere, touted as the World’s #1 musical with my bestie tonight! 🙂

The Lion King runs for a month starting from today until 26 August 2018, tickets start, from $65 get your tickets on Sistic website here!

x

Ena

If you’re a fan of AVATAR…

…You should catch TORUK – The First Flight Cirque Du Soleil performance inspired by James Cameron’s AVATAR!

I’ve shared a quick review on my IG and I’m reposting it here. ☺️

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I caught TORUK – The First Flight Cirque Du Soleil performance inspired by James Cameron’s AVATAR! The storyline follows the 3 leads as they traverse 5 tribes on the Moon to collect amulets and rescue their universe and we’re captivated by the amazing stage set up, lightning and props that makes the 5 tribes, their creatures and terrain come alive! ⛰

My favourite scene is the one where the performers play with Aerial Silks that are reminiscent of flowers and butterflies and make me appreciate nature once again!

We also got to engage and be immersed in the experience with the special TORUK app, shining lights on our phones during parts of the show. ✨

If you’re a fan of AVATAR be sure to catch this show before it ends its run on 3rd June!

Thanks Mediacorp & Vizpro for the tickets, you can get yours from here, prices from $98 to $188!

GRWM – Winter Skincare Routine

Hi guys!

Last month I was visiting my sister in London and decided to film a Get Ready With Me – Winter Skincare Routine!

If you’re planning to head someone cold or you’re currently in somewhere cold, check out my recommendations for Winter Skincare!

Let me know what Your Winter skincare recommendations / must have are in the comments below!

x

Ena

Check out my Delicious and Healthy Lunch with Vaya Tyffyn Lunchbox | Ena Lifestyle Review

Do you pack lunch to work? Cause if you do, this post is for you!

The other day, I packed a home cooked meal and I’m so happy with my new Vaya Tyffyn lunchbox that I’d like to share more about my experience with you…

My home is never lacking of food because my Mum loves to cook, has lots of ingredients and food in the kitchen and my married sister loves to buy me desserts whenever she visits weekly! I know, I know, lucky me! 😀

So it was perfect to have my Vaya Tyffyn lunchbox so I can pack all of these goodies, home-cooked noodles and salad, fresh tomatoes and Japanese desserts~

Packing Lunch with Vaya Tyffyn | Enabalista Blog Review_0001These are all the ingredients to be packed in my Tyffyn lunchbox!

Packing Lunch with Vaya Tyffyn | Enabalista Blog Review_0002My pretty Vaya Tyffyn lunchbox in “Wool” design.

What’s great about this lunch box is that it is a Heat Retaining, Vaccum Insulated Lunchbox, with a Sleek design and Stainless steel, High Copper finishing containers – more of these in the visuals below! 😉

Packing Lunch with Vaya Tyffyn | Enabalista Blog Review_0003

Isn’t she a beauty? A sight to behold, sure to inspire envious “awws” and “ahs” from classmates or colleagues!

Packing Lunch with Vaya Tyffyn | Enabalista Blog Review_0000This Vaya Tyffyn is capable of holding 1000ml of soup and food contents spilt over 3 handy layers and capable of keeping hot food warm for 5-6  hours.

Packing Lunch with Vaya Tyffyn | Enabalista Blog Review_0004

I chose to put my noodles with dumpling and soup on the base layer, my potato and fruit salad with fresh tomatoes on the second layer, separated with one of the 3 handy dividers also provided in the set, and lastly but definitely not the least, topping it up with a strawberry puff as dessert!

Packing Lunch with Vaya Tyffyn | Enabalista Blog Review_0005Notice how beautiful the rose gold containers exterior are!!!

Packing Lunch with Vaya Tyffyn | Enabalista Blog Review_0006Top down view, each container comes with a handy cover with a small hold for you to easier pop them out with your finger. I love it!

Packing Lunch with Vaya Tyffyn | Enabalista Blog Review_0007

Last but not the least, the lunchbox come with a waterproof and heat-retaining “Bag Mat” which you can use as a sling bag in carrying your meal and double up as a meal mat to keep any food spillage in. SO INGENIOUS!

Packing Lunch with Vaya Tyffyn | Enabalista Blog Review_0008Thanks Vaya Tyffyn for creating this super stylish lunch box!

Meal Packing LunchBox with Vaya Tyffyn | Enabalista Blog Review_0000

Here’s my meal that I’m having with my friends, they were so intrigued by my pretty lunch box, and I’m definitely going to prepare more such meals out with my Vaya Tyffyn!

If you’d like one of your very own stylish lunch box, visit their website here and get your 1000ml or 600ml lunch box! 😉

Thanks Vaya Tyffyn for sponsoring this blog post!

x

Ena

Unconventional Staycation @ 5footway.inn BoatQuay

Are you looking for a weekend staycation? Well, I’ve got an unconventional staycation to recommend today!

A while ago, my bestie and I enjoyed our boutique hostel staycation at 5footway.inn BoatQuay. Our loft room (Standard Triple Loft) was pretty in sky blue, I like that it has a window and natural light coming in. Even though it was small, it’s decent sized and besides we didn’t spend much time in the room apart from sleeping. What we loved the most about the boutique hostel was the view of the river and the city from the open terrace, both in the day and night.

We chose to check in on a Saturday afternoon which coincided with bestie’s birthday! To celebrate her birthday, we headed to Plaza Singapura Mall to shop, dinner and catch the thriller movie “The Accountant” featuring Ben Affleck and Anna Kendrick. It was late night by the time the movie was over so we Uber-ed back to the hostel. After washing up at the communal restrooms, we headed to the open lounge cum open terrace area to enjoy a cup of milo for supper. We fell in love with the view so we decided to wake up for breakfast the next day to enjoy the same view again!

Would definitely recommend this boutique hostels to both locals and tourists – we saw a really mixed and international crowd from Thais, Indians, Chinese and French. Just be reminded that they’re located on the 2nd floor and there’s no lift access so it’s best to travel light or be prepared to lug your luggage up the stairs. If you’re planning to book a visit, I’ve got good news for you! My readers get to enjoy a 10% off the room rates – simply email the promo code “ENA10” to reservation@5footwayinn.com to book your stay. This code is valid for booking and staying before June 2017. 

PROJECT BOAT QUAY
76 Boat Quay
Singapore 049864

Many thanks to 5footway.inn @ Boat Quay for the staycation and promo code! <3

5footway-inn-staycation-review-enabalista_0000 5footway-inn-staycation-review-enabalista_0001With Bestie Fion <35footway-inn-staycation-review-enabalista_0002 5footway-inn-staycation-review-enabalista_0003 5footway-inn-staycation-review-enabalista_0004 5footway-inn-staycation-review-enabalista_0005 5footway-inn-staycation-review-enabalista_0006Pics of our comfy and pretty loft room~5footway-inn-staycation-review-enabalista_0013

They offer this cool mobile “Handy” which allows travellers to call internationally for FREE. Awesome or what?!5footway-inn-staycation-review-enabalista_00075footway inn Signboard~5footway-inn-staycation-review-enabalista_0008Our Jap dinner @ Plaza Singpura5footway-inn-staycation-review-enabalista_0012 5footway-inn-staycation-review-enabalista_0011 5footway-inn-staycation-review-enabalista_00095footway-inn-staycation-review-enabalista_0010Love the view here!5footway-inn-staycation-review-enabalista_00175footway-inn-staycation-review-enabalista_0014

Woke up early for this. <35footway-inn-staycation-review-enabalista_0015This is where you’d exit from if you have luggage like me! 5footway-inn-staycation-review-enabalista_0016Look for 20A Circular Road to alight or hail a cab / book Uber to and fro your destinations! 😉

x

Ena

5D4N Best of Korean Beauty, Food & Culture!

Hi guys!!!

You might have already seen my first blog post for my Korea trip, if you haven’t, check it out here -> 7 Recommended Beauty & Wellness Spots in Korea!

As mentioned at the end of the previous Korea trip post, I want to follow up with another blog post featuring the Korean Cultural and Food spots… But after some deliberation, I decided I’d do this massive blog post detailing pretty much the entire trip, well cus’ there’s so much information and random bits and pieces of my trip that won’t quite fall into “Cultural and Food” features. So here’s my recent 5D4N Korea trip blog post and photo diary! It definitely took me a long long while (>6 hours and counting, broke up in a few sittings) to get this post up and frankly a lot of inertia on my part to get into it – nonetheless, I’m just glad it’s finally up! 😀 I’m gonna try to follow up with a video compilation of snippets of the trip as well – so you can look out for that too! 🙂

Okayyy so let’s just get right into it! 😉

Pre Korea Trip

Bid my sister good bye as she would be leaving for her Phd studies in London while I am in Korea. We took Asiana airline with pretty good service and food! Definitely no qualms flying with them again. Sat next to Carolyn our friendly KTO Singapore personnel for both to & fro trips, glad to have someone familiar next to me to chat and enjoy meals with instead of being alone! 😀 Carolyn had the Bibimbap meal while I chose a fish option… which smelled a lot more appetising than it tasted, hence I opted for the Bibimbap meal on the trip back to Singapore, heh!

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Asiana airlines midnight flight to Korea!
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You can see the last of the funky rainbow coloured hair Chez Vous team did for me for a recent Cleo magazine featurekorea-trip-asiana-air-review-enabalista_0000

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Korea Day 1:
Udong Noodles at Chungha
Incheon Songwol-dong Fairytale Village
Pocheon Herb Island
Dinner at Gogung
Lotte City Myeong Dong
Chimac Dinner at Myeong Dong

Udong Noodles at Chungha

We had Udong noodles at Chungha for our first breakfast in Korea. Before that, we had about 20 min to freshen up at at the airport toilet – makeup and change of outfit to be ready for our first day! I’m not a Udon noodles fan – but after this meal, I have a renewed appreciation for Udon noodles! The way Koreans do Udon is so tasty and the little puffs you see are fried crispies (is that how you spell it, lol). It’s not life changing, but if you’ll be passing by this restaurant I’d definitely recommend trying the Udon here. 🙂

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Incheon Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village

After getting filled up, we headed for Incheon’s Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village – it’s a fusion fairy tale village where it combines both Disney and local Korean fair tales! Very whimsical and cute, definitely recommended for fairy tale lovers to come by and check out this place that’s like a story book (or many fairytales) coming alive! I highly recommend planning a trip here the first thing in the morning from 9-10am to avoid the crowd which will start swarming in after 10am  and it’d be hard to take pictures.

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And of course, a more age appropriate group on what seems like a class outing. 🙂
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Lunch At Pocheon Herb Island

For lunch, we headed to Pocheon Herb Island for a western chicken chop meal which was huge – I only finished 1.5 pieces. They also served up edible flowers which was interesting. Pocheon Herb Island isn’t an island but a european style day resort with flower and herb gardens, herb healing center, bakery, shops, restaurant – mostly boasting with natural ingredients harvested from the “island” itself. I super love the essential oils and teas and regret not stocking up more while I was there – they were very reasonably priced and I highly recommend getting more if you’re planning a trip there. Also, it’s recommended to stay until the night to watch the lights in the night which gets pretty enchanting and magical! Unfortunately we left before dusk as we had to head off for our dinner. Entry to the island is ticketed and additional costs for meals and spa. For more about Herb Healing Center Spa and Herb Island photos and review, head over to my previous post. For more information, visit official website here and Visit Korea english website here.

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Bibimbap Dinner at Gogung

For our first dinner, we had Korea’s famous Bibimbap (mixed rice) at a local’s favourite brand – Gogung restaurant – apparently they have a few outlets throughout Korea so you can easily locate one when you’re in Korea – Koreans have Bibimbap in a steel bowl during summer and stone bowl during winter. The bowl was however too huge for most of us bloggers – I recommend sharing a bowl if you don’t eat a lot of rice and ordering more sides for sharing!

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Chimac Dinner Round 2 with Livia

After dinner, I met up with my local friend Livia for Chimac – which is chicken and beer, a trending favourite supper meal among locals, before street shopping. It was my first Chimac experience and 678 Chimac store at Myeong Dong is a great choice – I’ve had my fair share of Korean fried chicken/equivalent in Singapore – 4 Fingers, Bonchon, WingStop but seriously the Korean one takes the cake – idk why the chicken is SOO soft and tender on the inside?! Must be some kind of special recipe – unfortunately the servings were hugeee and we couldn’t finish both the fish udon soup and chicken. Both items were amazing I would most definitely go back and order both items again. chimac-dinner-myeong-dong-streets-review-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0007A short stroll from Lotte City Myeong Dong Hotel where I stayed.

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chimac-dinner-myeong-dong-streets-review-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0006We had these cute strawberry chocolate mochis – these were pricey (can’t recall exactly how much now but I remember not cheap) but yummy.myeong-dong-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0004 And we each bought a bunny home too! – FYI these are NOT real rabbit fur (they’re around 8000won/S$10 each, the real ones costs around S$50) and I do not endorse buying real rabbit fur key chains. chimac-dinner-myeong-dong-streets-review-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0010chimac-dinner-myeong-dong-streets-review-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0011Tucked mine in bed with me, heh.

Korea Day 2:
K-Makeover at Beaute 101
Lunch at Duggi Tteok-bokki
Garosu-gil Simone Handbag Museum
Spa Lei
Dinner at Black Pig Korea
Seokchon Lake Super Moon Exhibition

Decided to gym twice during my trip and made it on day 2. Both times it was around 15 min but it was nonetheless great to kick start the day with – I don’t have a gym to go to back home and after this trip I realize how great it is to have one. The good news is that the gym right next door to my place (ok, 5 min walk) is opening soon and I’ve already signed up. My tip is to wear gym clothes to sleep and wake up and go down to gym, so less inertia and more motivation, since you’re already dressed for it!  HA. 😉day-2-morning-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0000

Had Angel in US coffee to go more for most of our mornings. <3

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K-Makeover at Beaute 101

Have shared quite a fair bit about this in my previous post!

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Lunch at Duggi Tteok-bokki

We had lunch at Duggi Tteok-bokki, for 9000-10,000won it’s all you can eat and a lot of instant and fried food choices – not a big fan but after speaking to a Korean friend, he was telling me that it was probably because we didn’t know how to prepare the food properly? – I’m not sure if you know how to – perhaps this is a place best visited with locals who can serve up a mean meal with the ingredients! 🙂 duggi-dokbokki-lunch-review-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0013 duggi-dokbokki-lunch-review-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0000 duggi-dokbokki-lunch-review-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0001 duggi-dokbokki-lunch-review-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0002 duggi-dokbokki-lunch-review-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0003 duggi-dokbokki-lunch-review-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0004 duggi-dokbokki-lunch-review-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0005 duggi-dokbokki-lunch-review-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0006 duggi-dokbokki-lunch-review-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0007 duggi-dokbokki-lunch-review-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0009 duggi-dokbokki-lunch-review-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0008 duggi-dokbokki-lunch-review-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0010 duggi-dokbokki-lunch-review-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0011 duggi-dokbokki-lunch-review-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0012

Simone Handbag Museum at Garosu-gil 

After lunch we headed to check out branded and exquisite handbags from past and present at Simone Handbag Museum – this really reminded me of my LASALLE days and especially our fashion exposure industry trip to Hong Kong. If you’re a fashion student. fashion or history lover – I recommend dropping by and catering at least 30-60 min and opt for a guided tour cause the guide shed so much more valuable insights to the bags on display then we would have gained if we were just looking at it by ourselves – it’s best to call in to make an appointment and the guide/curator can speak pretty decent english – way better than she’s willing to take credit for. 🙂 There’s a really impressive bag studio at the basement and if you’re based in Korea – you can sign up for a class of 4 lessons to learn how to DIY/custom make your own bag. P.S. Photos are technically not allowed in the museum displays, but I sneaked these, lol.
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Garosugil Gangnam Streets

After checking out the museum, we had a short interval to walk and shop the streets of Garosugil Gangnam – which is a great place to people watch – the people along Gangnam streets are very stylish and chic – if I had the chance, I’d like to spend hours just people watching while enjoying a cuppa coffee at Coffeesmith cafe.garosugil-gangnam-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0000 garosugil-gangnam-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0002 garosugil-gangnam-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0003 garosugil-gangnam-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0004 garosugil-gangnam-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0006 garosugil-gangnam-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0007

Spa Lei

We headed for Spa Lei with a short 1 hour interval so we didn’t manage to get to do much except touring the space and soaking our feet in the hot spa towards the end – photos are strictly not allowed but we had the manager’s supervision to take these while we were inside, specially for our review. For more info., visit my previous post here.

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BBQ Dinner at Black Pig Korea

If you’re fan of BBQ pork then this is where you’ll be right at home, hahaha. I don’t think I’ve seen any BBQ shops quite as good as this one – on hindsight the smoke suction and the entire shop and service was incredible – I don’t recall smelling like BBQ when I left the shop. Am personally not a huge fan of pork or BBQ in general but definitely appreciate the experience here.

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Super Moon Installation at Seokchon Lake

Can I just say I really enjoyed and appreciate the Super Moon? Super Moon is an installation at Seokchon which coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival when the Moon is the rounded and brightest – so a lot of locals – young and old, couples and in groups were out to admire both the Super Moon and real moon. It was very nice and heartwarming to see grandpas, couples, families with young kids out in the park admiring the installation. And I super love how restful and super cute the Super Moon is!

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Myeong Dong Street Shopping (2nd Night)

For our 2nd night, Joyce, Siaw Ee and I proceeded to Myeong Dong for street snacks and shopping! Shall let the photos do the talking~

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 Korea Day 3:
Breakfast
Kwangdong Oriental Hospital “Oriental Relax Treatment”
Lunch @ Nonhyeon Ginseng Chicken Soup
Site Inspection @ S Class Spa
Barista Experience @ Cafe Teh Bean
Hongdae
King Crab Dinner @ Kim & Kim

After a quick hotel breakfast, Joyce and I came down to Angel in Us for our morning coffee. 🙂

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Kwangdong Oriental Hospital  “Oriental Relax Treatment”

And then we headed for our first visit of the day – where we experienced various treatments – I had my very first acupuncture session! More photos and information over here.

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Lunch @ Nonhyeon Ginseng Chicken Soup

Definitely recommend spot for traditional Korean ginseng chicken soup and porridges! I’m a fan of both and I would like to come back here again! As usual, the servings are huge – I recommend sharing.

nonhyeon-ginseng-chicken-soup-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0003 nonhyeon-ginseng-chicken-soup-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0004 nonhyeon-ginseng-chicken-soup-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0001 nonhyeon-ginseng-chicken-soup-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0006 nonhyeon-ginseng-chicken-soup-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0002 nonhyeon-ginseng-chicken-soup-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0005 nonhyeon-ginseng-chicken-soup-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0000This is ginseng porridge without meat, for Siaw Ee who’s vegetarian.

Site Inspection @ S Class Spa

We visited this luxe S Class Spa – they have this really interesting couple suite that has 2 beds for couple massage and even a love tub for soaking and it looks like a hotel suite. Will post up a picture of it below. Prices are about 200,000 won / ~S$250upwards per pax. For more information, visit their website heres-class-spa-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0003 s-class-spa-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0000 s-class-spa-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0001 s-class-spa-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0002

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Yup, this is the interesting couple room that looks like a hotel suite.

Hongdae, Barista Class @ Cafe The Bean

We had a really interesting Cafe Barista Class at Cafe the Bean located close to Hongdae. So some pictures of the neighbourhood before the class!

cafe-the-bean-barista-class-hongdae-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0001 Didn’t get to meet Jackson in person but it’s ok! We can take with his cut out, LOL.
cafe-the-bean-barista-class-hongdae-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0011 cafe-the-bean-barista-class-hongdae-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0002 SeaNTree is a really cute korean cosmetics and skincare brand that’s just beginning to have some presence in Singapore via online. cafe-the-bean-barista-class-hongdae-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0010 The cute cat above Heynature!cafe-the-bean-barista-class-hongdae-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0003 cafe-the-bean-barista-class-hongdae-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0004 cafe-the-bean-barista-class-hongdae-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0009 cafe-the-bean-barista-class-hongdae-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0008 cafe-the-bean-barista-class-hongdae-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0012 We learnt how to make drip coffee! It requires skills and experience to make good tasting drip coffee!cafe-the-bean-barista-class-hongdae-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0005 cafe-the-bean-barista-class-hongdae-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0006 cafe-the-bean-barista-class-hongdae-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0007 cafe-the-bean-barista-class-hongdae-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0014 Then we learnt how to make latte coffee and latte art – again, skills, practice and experience is key to becoming a pro barista! Haha.cafe-the-bean-barista-class-hongdae-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0013I’m one step closer to becoming a barista! 😛

King Crab Dinner @ Kim & Kim

It’s honestly hard to pick a favourite meal in Korea cause I have a few – but I can say this was my favourite dinner! The King Crab, the soup base, the seafood – top shell, salmon, the rice – everything was SO GOOD. The only issue would be having too much of a good thing(s) in one meal? LOL. So the idea is to come here with a sizable group (at least 4-5) and order to share!

kim-kim-king-crab-dinner-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0000 kim-kim-king-crab-dinner-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0001 kim-kim-king-crab-dinner-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0002 kim-kim-king-crab-dinner-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0003 kim-kim-king-crab-dinner-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0004 kim-kim-king-crab-dinner-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0005 kim-kim-king-crab-dinner-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0006 kim-kim-king-crab-dinner-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0007 kim-kim-king-crab-dinner-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0008 kim-kim-king-crab-dinner-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0009 kim-kim-king-crab-dinner-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0010 kim-kim-king-crab-dinner-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0000

Hongdae Shopping & Night Out

After Kim & Kim, we walked back to contine shopping at Hongdae! And then Siaw Ee and Brenda left to meet their friends respectively. So Joyce and I continued shopping and had desserts before I met my friend Taeseong; for supper and a walk around Hongdae club scene before heading back to the hotel!

hongdae-shopping-night-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0000 hongdae-shopping-night-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0009 hongdae-shopping-night-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0007 hongdae-shopping-night-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0001 hongdae-shopping-night-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0002 hongdae-shopping-night-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0003 hongdae-shopping-night-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0004 hongdae-shopping-night-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0010 hongdae-shopping-night-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0008 hongdae-shopping-night-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0005 hongdae-shopping-night-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0015 Cafe de paris location.hongdae-shopping-night-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0006 Taeseong and I ordered a creative takeaway cocktail here for our walk around Hongdae.hongdae-shopping-night-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0011 hongdae-shopping-night-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0012 This tteokbokki was so good? Especially the fish udon! hongdae-shopping-night-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0013 This is a really popular club – the queue was massive. The signboard keeps changing colour – apparently it’s Greenlight – meaning / slang for singles – though I doubt only singles are in there, haha. And oh – it was pretty bizarre to see people out ready to club in autumn wear – long sleeves, jeans and layered. I didn’t have the foresight to save all the IG stories videos I took that night… Maybe the next trip to Korea I will video my experience if I make it inside a club – I am quite curious what it’s like. hongdae-shopping-night-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0014Finally otw back to hotel after a long day! Thanks to Taeseong for helping to book the taxi!

Korea Day 4:
Angel in Us Cafe Breakfast
K-Style Hub
Grevin Museum
Lunch @ Insadong Chon Restaurant
Sulwhasoo Flagship Store
Myeong Dong Osulloc Tea House
Dinner @ Top Cloud

Joyce and I wanted to try a different breakfast so we headed out of our hotel on the Saturday morning… but our hotel is in a CBD area so there wasn’t many choices available. So we headed back to the Angel In Us cafe where we have our usual coffees. HA.

angel-in-us-breakfast-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0001angel-in-us-breakfast-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0000 angel-in-us-breakfast-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0002My outfit of the day with the new Chuu pink jacket bought the day before!

K-Style Hub

K-Style Hub is a tourist information and experience center for tourists to learn more about all things Korean – culture, food, technology. We had the most fun with the Virtual Reality booths where we tried on goggles and experienced virtual skiing and taking wefies with popular Kpop stars, in our case we chose Big Bang members! We had about an hour here, but you can probably spend half a day here and still not be bored!

k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0001 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0013 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0000 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0003 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0002 Nails done at the Beaute101 salon! Super love it. <3
k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0024 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0017 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0018 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0019 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0004Plastic surgery is huge in Korea – not sure if these are the really popular ones – but pretty sure these would be vet and credible hospitals/clinics to visit. I still think seeking a local opinion – tried and tested options are the safest/best. That said, all surgeries have risk, so always remember that.

k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0005 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0007 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0006 Selfie with Joong Ki oppa’s cut out, LOL.
k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0020 Looks like you can learn cooking here!
k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0021 Checking out the food exhibition hall.k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0008 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0012 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0009 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0022 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0023 And then traditional attire! k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0025 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0014 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0015 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0010 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0011 k-style-hub-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0016We had so much fun experiencing what it’s like to be a Korean dressed in the past! HAHA. If you want the full look you’ll have to wear the head accessories and shoes too. 😉

Grevin Museum

Grevin Museum is a wax museum from Paris. It’s not as famous as Madame Tussauds’s from London but it’s equally as good or even more innovative than the latter. I DID NOT EXPECT TO HAVE SO MUCH FUN. I definitely recommend it. For 18,000 won / S$21 is WORTH IT.  I don’t want to raise your expectations too high cause obviously we went without expectations and were floored – from interactive games to hob-nobbing with notable figures past and present to getting cosy with celebrities from Hollywood to Hallyu fame – you’re bound to enjoy one, if not many elements of this museum. Also, they have a “make your own wax figure” experience which is pretty cool and a fun activity for families with children to experience. Again, will let the photos do the talking! grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0000 grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0006

MOST ENTERTAINING – no kidding! grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0001 grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0007 grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0010 How many of these notable figures can you name? 😉
grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0002 You know, just holding hands with the Queen.grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0003 What a lovely collection, isn’t it?
grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0011 Enjoying my view from a Presidential plane suite  – not something you get to do in daily life! 😉 grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0012 Say hi to Van Gogh and Picasso!
grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0013 How about exchanging greetings with Naomi and Princess Diana?grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0014 Wefies with Angelina, G-Dragon and Rain (doesn’t really look like him).
grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0015 Aerosmith, Michael Jackson and Madonna! grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0016 With my beloved Oppas – Geun Jong Suk and Lee Min Ho! <3grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0017 Hyun Bin, Kim Soo Hyun and Park Shin Hye! So I heard from the Grevin guide that Park Shin Hye isn’t as popular as the other male actors/actresses who are in the industry with the type of credentials and years of experiences that she has – which made me sad and wonder why that’s the case? I mean, she’s such a talented and gorgeous actress, no?! She’s pretty spot on in picking popular Korean Dramas and catapulting her fellow actors to fame. Hopefully she will become a bigger star in time to come! <3
grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0004 grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0005 There’s an area with these backstage mirrors which are SO GOOD for taking selfies and wefies. grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0018 Case in point! No filters required! grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0009 With Carolyn!grevin-museum-visit-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista_0008A group picture to appreciate how awesome Grevin Museum is! <3

Lunch @ Insadong Chon

Taking a breather to stock take how long this post is, LOL. And I am more than half way through – I can do this. HAHA.

Lunch here IS FREAKING AWESOME. If you’re like me and you like traditional Korean meals then this is highly recommended – I tried to look for the address (thanks to Linda!), and I THINK it’s this one, hopefully the numbers still work!

INSADONG CHON
Insadong Sam Gil, Seoul, Korea
Phone: 02 720 4888 | mobile: 011 9875 4349

traditional-korean-lunch-insadong-chon-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0012 traditional-korean-lunch-insadong-chon-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0007 traditional-korean-lunch-insadong-chon-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0008 traditional-korean-lunch-insadong-chon-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0009 traditional-korean-lunch-insadong-chon-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0000traditional-korean-lunch-insadong-chon-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0002 traditional-korean-lunch-insadong-chon-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0003 YES this is how incredible the table spread looks like. <3 Everything tastes great – especially the salmon and the vermicelli. I don’t know specifically what’s what but they taste great. 😀traditional-korean-lunch-insadong-chon-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0004 traditional-korean-lunch-insadong-chon-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0005 traditional-korean-lunch-insadong-chon-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0006 traditional-korean-lunch-insadong-chon-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0013 You should definitely plan time to explore the lovely and pretty neighbourhood where photo-worthy background abound! Like this Mini Hotel Insa. <3
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Sulwhasoo Flagship Store

Another beauty feature you can find in my previous post here. 🙂

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Osulloc Tea House @ Myeong Dong

I love green tea, in case you don’t already know – I drink a cup of sugar free green tea each night before I sleep for the calming and detox benefits. And I love the flavour! So it was perfect to enjoy a cup of matcha latte and caramel/chestnut (we didn’t figure out what the brown cake flavour was, but it tastes better than the matcha cake, lol) here! They even have drip green tea here – didn’t get to try that, maybe next time! Highly recommend purchases to make include Osulloc green tea satchets, green tea powder and green tea spread! Also a tip to check out level 2 for more seats with nice decor as well!

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Dinner @ Top Cloud

I know I mentioned Kim and Kim was my favourite dinner – that’s in terms of taste – but for ambience, Top Cloud’s the top choice. High up on a building – with live band music in the background, beautiful city skyline in the night, a discerning crowd, enjoyable company – and have I mentioned a really cute waitery(?!! Sorry no photos but he looks like a skinny version of Hyun Bin) Top Cloud is the place to bring your date. enjoy the time there and make beautiful memories together. 🙂

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Day 5 (Last Day)
Hotel Check Out
Heyri Art Village: Alive Museum
Lunch @ Chaesundang
Airport
Back to Singapore!

I wasn’t planning to get up earlier for gym but a very kind friend *coughs* reminded me the night before so I kept to my promise and got up early on Sunday, pulled my weary self and went down to gym and pretty much walked and jogged for the 15 min there. Is it weird that I really enjoyed or came to appreciate my view at the gym? Like every morning I’d wake up and watch people stroll and walk to work (my room view is the same as the gym’s). And well, on Sundays there weren’t any but it just made me reflect – it’s funny how easily humans can become attached to things and surroundings. 🙂
last-day-check-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0000 Was already running late for breakfast but still take time to selfie before checking out, LOL. last-day-check-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0001

Joyce left a bag in the room so we sneaked a pic while waiting for her before we went down to catch our mini van. 🙂 We missed a picture with my super friendly and helpful Ajusshi driver – he, along with Heather our tour guide and interpreter (far left below!) – they are the epitome of taking pride in their work – so joyful and professional – and it’s such a pleasure to be in their presence. 🙂last-day-check-out-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0002

Heyri Art Village

For our last cultural spot we checked out Heyri Art Village – which would be a great family spot – dads can chill at cafe (if they don’t want to join the kids – and mums and children can visit the children’s fairytale museums and exhibitions. Well, we spotted an “Erotic art” museum so i guess that’s for adults only? HAHA. Seriously though,  I think this is a great place to enjoy lunch, cafe hope, check out the museum and the flowers here are very pretty too. 🙂

heyri-art-village-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0004 heyri-art-village-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0000 heyri-art-village-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0007 heyri-art-village-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0008 heyri-art-village-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0005 Interesting story about a well – in korean, so I can’t read – but you’re supposed to read the reflection in the well. heyri-art-village-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0006 heyri-art-village-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0001 Again, the fairytales in the children’s museum are mixed with local tales, like the Fairytale village!
heyri-art-village-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0003 Said Erotic Art Museum, lol.heyri-art-village-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0011 heyri-art-village-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0012 It’s so nice to be in a country with changing seasons. heyri-art-village-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0009 A lot of cafes and interesting buildings.heyri-art-village-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0013 Korean Princess, Disney Princess and Princess Ena (Me!), HAHAHA.heyri-art-village-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0014 Probably the closest I can get to attaining pink wings.

Next we checked out Alive museum – after getting spoiled by Grevin Museum – it’s hard to be impressed , but we still had fun! 🙂
heyri-art-village-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0002 Spot the sauna locker key on her bed – SUPER FUNNY LOL.heyri-art-village-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalistah-campina-watch-review-enabalista1-jpg-best-of-seoul-korea-food-and-culture-enabalista_0010

Our Siaw Ee gamed for some interesting photo moments at Alive Museum! 🙂

Lunch @ Chaesundang

Chaesundang was my favourite lunch spot while in Korea – the seafood was SO FRESH and the seafood porridge was REALLY good, as you can probably tell I tried to control myself but I still ate a lot and gained about 2 kg during the trip. #NoRegrets though! HAHAHA.

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Airport!

We had a very easy and smooth process of getting our tax refunds – i had about 8,000 won back which was more than enough for a cup of green tea latte and melon ice cream at Paris Baguette –  I wanted to chill so I missed out on last minute duty free shopping at Korea which stocks all your popular Korean skincare and makeup brands like Laneige, Sulwhasoo and Hera, to name a few!

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Back home in SG!

Special and big thanks to Carolyn and KTO Singapore (be sure to follow them on FB for exciting KR-SG updates!) for making this trip possible! Also thanks to Heather and driver Ajusshi for taking such good care of us while we were there. Shoutout to my fellow travel mates, Joyce, Brenda and Siaw Ee – the entire trip was extra sweet with you girls around! <3

About 8 hours in the making for this blog post! Hope you found it interesting, inspiring and helpful for planning your next trip to Korea! 😉

x

Ena

10 Practical Advice If You’re 26 and Single (like me)

It’s been a while since I blogged about something personal… 1 year and coming 10 months, to be exact. HA. And yes, if you’re reading this, you probably came because you’ve read the title and clicked – and yes, I will get to that. But before I do, a little back story is in order.  (Or you can skip and go straight to the main content below.) Why I say 1 year and 10 months, is because back in January 2015, I wrote this article <9 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Be The Third Party In A Relationship>. And if you’re lazy to read it, the TL;DR version reads: it won’t end well. And the funny thing is, this article has recently been attracting a lot of views, like consistently 20-30+ page views a day, so much so that I was intrigued and then I found out… If you google “third party relationship advice” my blog article comes out top. Not second, not third, but freaking number 1. Case in point:

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No kidding.

And a blogger friend (hi Tay ying!)  recently commented in a group chat how she was casually reading our blogs and she came across that post and how it was really good. And occasionally I go back to read the article and am also quite impressed (#noshame) how I actually formulated all of that post in one seating,  with no prior planning. I guess that’s why they say experience is King because that’s really all you need to actually give credible advice. And so, this recent development of that post really got me thinking – people are searching for relationship/life advice, and I do have a knack in giving them – even if I’ve never had a proper/official relationship and am single right now. And looking back, I was really frustrated with why I was “attracting” all of these attached guys when I just wanted to date a single guy and be in a proper relationship. And it really just dawned on me as I was reflecting / mentally preparing for this post earlier that maybe God intended for me to experience all of those frustrations (nonsense, really) so that I could craft that sincere and heartfelt message and that it would impact 8355 people who viewed the article, as of writing. To give you an idea of how many people 8355 is, it would seat 1.5x of The Star Auditorium which houses only 5000 seats. Additionally, in my recent conversation with a friend (Hi Larry!), I also realized that even though I’m single; I’m not apologetic for that, I’m happy being single. Even without being attached, I’ve had my fair share of dating experiences to share with both guys and girls alike on how to be happily single but still be open to relationships. And that’s what this post is about.

Ok, that was a long introduction, now let’s just dive straight into this post’s main content proper!

10 Practical Advice If You’re 26 and Single (like me)

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1.Face up to reality.
Let’s face it, at 26 years old, we’re no longer young, wide-eyed and innocent – as much as we might want to be. For girls, you’ve probably starting working full time at least a good 3 years and for guys, at least 1+ year. Some of my peers who had kids at 21 years old, their baby is no longer a baby, but a fully grown, walking 5 year old kindergarten-going child ,some even already had their 2nd and/or planning/expecting their second. (I know, at this point, you might be wondering what we’re doing with our lives, huh). I realized that before 25, to have a friend who’s married or pregnant really was the minority and a huge Whatsapp chat topic – but past 25, it begins to be a norm. “Oh another one” is what I think when I see another wedding announcement on Facebook, and no longer Whatsapp hot topic worthy. SO, to say that “Aiya, I’m still young.” ain’t that true anymore, we really could be parents at this age. But the silver lining is that we’ve only passed the mid 20s – we’re still 4 years shy before we hit the big 3. So yes, we’ve got time, but now ain’t the time to be shy – if you’re single, you shouldn’t be desperate to be married (really) but you should start to be concerned especially if marriage is something you’re planning for – because you know, finding the right person and dating is required before marriage, right?

2.Be open to meeting new people of the opposite gender in your life – and actually show interest.
I know this sounds like a freaking “duh” statement. But you know how some people are so absorbed with the issue/problem at hand that they don’t see anything else? If you’ve been single all your life and you’ve never or really rarely go on dates, how do you expect yourself to be attached if you let your life just remain status quo? People you’ve known all your life should/would have asked you out if they were keen. It’s true that it’s hard to make close friends with old friends. Please don’t tell me that you expect God to drop you The One from the skies. Or that you hope to knock into him/her on the way to work (speaking of which, there’s this dating app Happn (not linking them cause this is not a sponsored post, lol – but if you find The One from said app, please come back and report). BUT the probability of those are low to non-existent, so please don’t bank on them. Whether it’s joining and attending a cell group in church, volunteering for a charity or the Resident’s Committee (RC) in your neighbourhood, picking up a new hobby like taking up guitar or dance classes – you’ve got to put yourself out there, and why not choose to also spend your time meaningfully while at it? And the “actually show interest” part – I’ve got to address the girls and guys separately for this one. Girls, guys can be really quite dense and/or shy – so if you like him, and in any of the setting I’ve described above (cell group, volunteer work, classes) there WILL be opportunities where you can send a smile/sweet/tissues his way. I’m not saying that you should buy a bag of sweets and store packs of tissues in your bag and start giving them out to all the potential bfs you meet – but if you’re really interested in the guy, you’ve got to actually interact with him, so he can 1. realize that you exist 2. feel your presence 3. have the chance to talk to you, to get to know you better. Now for the guys – Guys, girls are supposedly the more sensitive gender, I know. But girls can also be very shy – and rightly so, especially when it comes to the guy they actually like. So try to engage conversation with the girl in a group setting where possible, to break the ice and if she shows positive interest, then take and continue the conversation to a private setting.

3.Know your worth.
I know this sounds like it’s more for the girls – but it’s really for both girls and guys. It’s easy to tell the girls/easier for girls to relate about knowing your worth because we tend to think that girls are more insecure and less assertive. But the truth is that insecurity hits both genders, isn’t it?

For the girls, I want you to know that you’re a woman of value – God thinks so and your parents think so. If you don’t realize and acknowledge your own worth, you can’t make others realize that  – and when they don’t, they will not value you. Hence it’s important that you first know your worth – and act like it. What is your worth, you ask? It’s your time, your words (speech, texts, messages), your actions, your body. Everything that’s got to do with you – it doesn’t define you, but rather you define your worth. It’s when you know you are a woman of value that you behave like it, and everything about you becomes valuable and precious – people want to spend time with you, they want to hear you speak, they appreciate your actions and your being/existence. Humans love what’s limited edition and exclusive – it’s a lie that the world tells when it tells you to give in easily because “true love” is about passion and physical expression – let me lay it down for you, it’s not. Love is more than words, actions and physical touch – it’s about being committed – it’s a conscious decision to remain loyal to another, despite time and aging, all odds and temptations, which WILL come.

If you’re the type that always responds to a late night date/ rendezvous after one message or call and finds it hard to be attached – it’s because people don’t appreciate you. I’m NOT saying you should play hard to get. But if you’re always readily available at 26 when one naturally has to balance work, family and friends, people might think maybe you’re just too free (read: your time is not very valuable, it’s easy to date you out.) Hence, you’ve got to explain to them that you don’t do things and spend time with just anyone – you’re making time, only because and for him/her – then they will start to see you in a different light and treat you better, try it.

For guys, if you’re 26, maybe you’re not anxious – because you’re focused on your career. BUT if you’re actively looking and getting anxious – let me explain that girls always fall for the cool guy. If you’re chatting/WApping this cute girl and she friendzoned you or if you asked a girl out and she rejected you, pls don’t swear off all girls and vow to never speak to said girl again. Firstly, you’ve got to know your worth as a man – nothing oozes more confidence than a man (same for girls) who is confident in his own skin, really.  Know that if a girl rejects you, it’s nothing personal. It’s the same if you got rejected for the job, it’s just not a good fit, nothing’s wrong with you. BUT there are ways to make yourself shine – if you know what the girl likes/sees in a partner, find ways to highlight your strengths to her so that she can see those traits in you. Know that if you’ve tried asking the girl you liked out (and hopefully gone on dates with her), it’s all that matters, at least you’ve tried! She’s not the only girl in the world, if she passes you on, know that you’ve got a better girl coming your way (don’t trust me on this, trust yourself on this!). And here’s a piece of more radical (not for the fainthearted) advice – most girls can be won with perseverance – the truth is guys these days give up too easily (you can quote me on this). IF you legit like this girl, and you think that here’s no one but her for you, without bordering on being a psycho/stalker/harassing her, there are ways to continue to show interest as friends until the day when she is finally touched and you’ll have won her heart. I can’t give you exact details or tips on this, but I’m pretty sure there’s a part of the internet that will expound on this topic – found it, it’s here (caveat: I only skimmed through it, but trust that it will be helpful).

4.Don’t settle.
Which leads me to this topic, if you know your worth, you won’t settle. We settle for something/someone when we worry that we won’t find something/someone better. Because we feel we are not good enough. But please, don’t settle. I’d rather be single in life than to be attached and have to seat through dinner with someone I have no feelings for (I’d rather be watching drama at home). Don’t, don’t settle. I recently met a friend who broke up with her bf of 9 years (they were slated to marry next year when their BTO is ready). But because she couldn’t foresee a future with then bf, she initiated the breakup. The good news is that she’s now happily attached to someone new. Don’t take my word for it and break up for the sake of breaking up – what I’m saying is, you determine your decisions, consequences and life. So take charge of your life, take charge of your relationships, take charge of your life and don’t settle.

5.Be ready for the one.
So many times we hear people saying “when will I meet Mr/Ms Right?” but have you every stopped to ponder if you will be that Mr/Ms Right for that someone? Well, I have and that’s why I’ve intentionally chose not to rush into relationship. The best “record” I’ve had was having a “friend” asked me if I wanted to be his girlfriend after a grand time of one week when I was 16. Spoiler: I said no. And yes, he scared me away. And also, he threatened to jump down the building when I wanted to stop a phone conversation with him the day before Chinese O levels – I was so scared, I continued that conversation for over an hour. Looking back, it certainly wasn’t fun then, but now it brings me and my bff much laughter. And since him, suicide threats by guys have no effect on me. “You want to commit suicide? You’re kidding me.” Digressing aside, perhaps at this age we are already emotionally and mentally mature (I certainly hope you are) to be in a committed relationship sans drama and suicidal threats. Maybe you’ve got a bad temper or a bad habit, now’s a good time to work on it before meeting Mr/Ms Right. That said, ultimately, we got to know that we’re not perfect – so we’re not going to find Mr/Ms Perfect, but we can still be the right one for that right person. 🙂

6.Have a check/prayer list.
This might be debatable, but I subscribe to it and let me explain why. Like finding a house, you need to know what to look out for before house viewing and then signing the contract. If you have NO IDEA what to look for, then you may never know where to start looking, never find a place or the right one. (Unless you end up in an arranged marriage, it’s like moving in a house your parents bought for you, I guess.) And like buying a house – there is no perfect house. But if you can find someone that matches 70% of what you look for, it’s a green light! Also, if you have no idea what to look for, you won’t even know it if your Mr/Ms Right walks right by you! But if you do, it opens your eyes to know if someone potential is near you as he/she will check the boxes on your list!  It’s also helpful to pray about the list you might have – like, “dear God, I hope my significant other (SO) is good with managing finances because I’m bad at it.” – not only because God hears our prayers, but also because what our mind asks for, we receive. My friend Su once said, after salvation prayer, our prayer for our SO is the second most important decision in our life, because the person will be the one whom we will spend the rest of our life with. Also, pray for favour! That when others see you, they will naturally like you. 🙂

7.Go on dates.
And yes I mean it – try Tinder, OKCupid, CoffeeMeetsBagel – because, why not? Fun fact: I tried Tinder and OKCupid for the first time in March this year. I deleted both within 3 weeks. Went on 1 date from Tinder who picked me up in a Maserati (dude got married in June, LOL, obviously he wasn’t single in March, tsk), 5 dates from OKCupid and still friends (good friends in fact) with 1 guy. If it’s your first time trying online dating apps – it may be a little overwhelming and definitely time consuming. Tips: fill in your profile with nice photos of yourself and a descriptive profile (get a friend to help if need). For girls, go ahead and ignore, block and delete all sexual related messages. OKCupid is a lot more specific in match pairing then Tinder (swipe left or right). I have a friend who met her fiance on OKCupid and they’re getting married next March, so dating apps definitely work. I’m not recommending dating apps because I think you will definitely find your happily ever after there – but rather I think it’s an effective way of matching busy working adults who have no other avenues of meeting new people if they are too busy for social activities. And also, I think it’s a great way to figure out who you are (if you haven’t already realized this) and what you’re looking for in your SO. Also, the motivation of looking for a SO on these apps can be both a boon and a bane – on one hand, singles are motivated to find someone, which is great. But on the other hand, it might be a challenge to develop a strong friendship (which I think is really important) before jumping into a relationship. For girls, please practice safety and always be the one to decide a safe place and time to meet up with a guy – brunch, lunch. tea time coffee sessions are recommended – avoid night time and alcohol lest said guy becomes frisky and you have a hard time getting away.

8.Read up about dating, relationships and pick up helpful life skills (where time allows, lol).
So much talk about finding Mr/Ms Right and being Mr/Ms Right, there are practical ways to improve and becoming more of a Mr/Ms Right. I’m starting to feel that a guy is really attractive when he shows traits of potentially being a good husband and father, like leadership skills and being good with kids. In the same way, I reckon a guy who wants to settle down and have a family, would look for a girl who enjoys spending time with her family and likes kids. Although my cooking skills are very basic, I’m pretty sure cooking skills are much appreciated, both from guys and girls. So don’t fret if you’re single! Instead of whining and worrying, start investing your time to pick up life skills like doing house chores, cooking and taking care of kids (practise with other people’s kids, LOL). While you’re at it, it doesn’t harm to post about your experiences on FB, maybe your potential SO will notice these positive traits/posts and initiate conversation naturally. 😉

9.Talk to friends from both genders and learn from their experiences.
Again, this might seem like a very “duh” thing again. But either we’re too shy about asking for relationship advice or we don’t have the habit to ask about this kind of personal stuff. (Or maybe it’s just me, I stick to my very small social circle of super close friends that I share my personal life with, lol) The thing is, you’ll be surprised by how much people are willing to share over coffee/meal! It’s good to speak to friends from all spectrum; single, attached, married and just pick up and KIV tips as and where relevant. And also, it’s good to ask for relationship tips from a platonic friend of the opposite gender who will shed insights that a friend of the same gender doesn’t have/can’t give! 😉

10.RELAX and just be yourself.
There’s a phrase that goes “Love comes to those who least expect it. For those of you still waiting, just be a little more patient.” There’s nothing more attractive than a person who’s comfortable in his/her skin doing what he/she’s best at. So continue to work hard in your career and give your best in the things you do and do what you do best – you’re bound to attract your special someone your way! 😉

In case you’re wondering, yes I am single and available. Recently I’ve been texting and went on dinners with a particular guy which I have positive feelings for – not gonna share more on this cause it’s private and will just let nature that it’s course. As to why I’m still single, well in a nutshell, just haven’t met the right guy – maybe I have now, but I’m really not sure about that at this stage… I prefer guys who take the initiative. Thanks for reading the post, just sharing from the heart… hope it’s been helpful! 🙂

x

Ena

Live life Fresh and in Style with COLAB™ Dry Shampoos

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I don’t know about you, but I’m a huge fan of dry shampoo. So much so that after hearing me sing praises for dry shampoo, my friend calls me “an advocate for dry shampoo”!

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I’ve discovered the wonders of dry shampoo only about a year ago and I’ve never looked back since! There are many reasons why I love dry shampoo but in short, dry shampoo helps keep my scalp and hair fresher for longer, it even keeps my hair looking chio-er with more volume and smelling good!

  1. Dry Shampoo keeps hair fresher for longer

My preferred dry shampoo of choice is COLAB™ Sheer+Invisible’s Monaco Fresh Fragrance with lemon, mandarin and light amber scents. Even when I don’t wash my hair in the morning and I need to get ready and out of home in a jiffy, a spritz of COLAB™ Sheer+Invisible Range’s Monaco Fresh Fragrance in my hair makes my hair smell fresh, like I just came out of the shower and I love it!

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2. Dry Shampoo adds volume to limp hair

Another reason why I love dry shampoo is because it dries up any oil in my scalp and it adds volume to my hair at the same time! So any limp hair is revived and got me looking like I stepped out of a salon after a blow out. If you’re all about adding volume to your hair, I recommend COLAB™ Extreme Volume, here I’ve got it in the London Classic Fragrance with rose, magnolia and woody musk scents.

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3. Dry Shampoo makes hair smell fresh and good

Last but not the least, dry shampoo removes any hair odours and adds a fresh fragrance to my hair! Just like how I pick my perfumes, depending on my mood, I like to pick COLAB™ Sheer+Invisible in New York in  Fruity Fragrance with citrusy, rose and violet notes on sunny days and Tokyo Oriental Fragrance with Mandarin, Jasmine notes when I’m feeling a little more feminine.

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How To Get Hair-Ready with COLAB™’s Dry Shampoo!:

<1. Spray 20cm away from scalp>

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<2. Comb through hair and style>

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<3. Voila~ Looking fresh and smelling good!>

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Some days when I’m out and about for work and blogging activities the whole day and want to keep my hair looking fresh and smelling good, I bring my COLAB™ Dry Shampoo out with me! Other beauty babies I bring with me to keep me looking and feeling good includes a facial mist to keep my skin hydrated, hand cream to keep my hand moisturised and lipstick to keep my lips always looking on point! 😉

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I also know girlfriends who place their dry shampoo at their work desk, so after going out for lunch,  they will use the dry shampoo to remove any “odours” and greasiness from lunch!

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And that’s me on a regular day, out and about for work, blogging and personal appointments! Gotta thank COLAB™ for hair that’s tamed, oil free and though you can’t tell, smelling good.

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COLAB™ Sheer+Invisible Range and COLAB™ Extreme Volume Dry Shampoos available at $13.90 and $14.90 island wide. Visit COLAB™ SG’s Facebook for exciting updates about hair and their products!

7 Recommended Beauty & Wellness Spots in Korea!

Are you planning for a pampering  trip with your girlfriends / mum or sisters soon?  I was just in Korea last month for a Beauty and Wellness trip and had the privilege to experience the best of Beauty and Wellness that Korea has to offer. Today’s post will cover 7 beauty spots and services that we visited which I highly recommend! Maybe you can KIV some spots for your next trip! 😉

(1) K-Beauty Makeover at Beauté 101

Beauté 101 is one of Korea’s top 1-stop shop for all your beauty needs; hair, makeup and nails. Need to prep for a night out in Korea? Fret not – just be in your outfit for the night, factor 2-3 hours with them and you’ll be ready to rock and roll in style, with your tresses, makeup and nails done. I also recommend checking out the nearby alleyways for cute spots for OOTDs like we did! For a basic hair styling, makeup and nails package like I did, it costs 242,000 won (S$298), add another 100,000 won (S$122) to upgrade to a party/special package. Located in Gangam, check out their Facebook page here and be sure to reserve in advance for your slot.

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(2) Luxe Facial Spa at Sulwhasoo Flagship Store

If you’re travelling with your mum or favourite aunt, may I suggest and recommend booking a luxe Facial Spa at Sulwhasoo Flagship Store – Korea’s equivalent of La Mer, whether it’s products, place or service, it won’t disappoint. On the ground floor, you’ll find exhibitions of past and present products and packaging. If you think that the ground floor is astounding, you’ll be further impressed by their second level where #interiorgoals abound. You’ll find a gift wrapping segment followed by an array of current ranges of products which are free for testing followed by a private lounge area where you can sip tea and enjoy testing out the products one by one, including the famed Sulwhasoo – Harmonizen Regenerating Cream which costs 650,000 (S$800). Yes that’s right you didn’t read wrong. After shopping (according to the local staff, the store is very generous with their samples and price after discounts for tourists is even better than airport). Before you’re ushered off for your spa, enjoy a vial of ginseng ampoule (drank, not applied), complemented with a cuppa green tea to balance the bitterness of the ginseng. Following which, you can proceed to their spa level and then into individual rooms which are designed like hotel rooms, with individual shower room. The facial spa begins with a foot soak followed by scrub with their special ginseng body scrub that’s not for sale and only available at the spa – talk about exclusivity! There’s even an iPhone cable charge in the spa room, super thoughtful. After the facial, which ends off with Sulwhasoo’s very thorough skincare regime, you can prep your tresses and apply their in house Sulwhasoo makeup foundation and blusher at the private makeup room. I also love that their staff speak basic conversational english pretty well. Visit them at 650, Sinsadong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea.

In case you’re wondering what’s in the Sulwhasoo facial, these are my notes – I can’t recall the entire skincare regime at the end as it was too extensive!:

Hot feet soak
Ginseng scrub
Facial portion:
Remove makeup
Cleansing oil
Hot towel
White ginseng scrub
Sleeping mask
Rest
After facial skincare:
First treatment essence
Lotion
Moisturizer
Serum
Sunblock

(Visit their site if you’d like to find out more about their Beauty Ritual)

sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0000 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0001sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0009 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0002 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0003 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0004 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0005 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0006 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0013 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0014 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0015 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0016 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0007 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0008 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0017 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0010 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0011 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0012 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0018 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0021 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0022sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0020sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0019 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0023 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0024 sulwhasoo-flagship-store-gangnam-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0025

(3) Soak, spa & massage at women’s only Spa Lei

Lei Spa is a popular women’s only spa, and rated #7 out of 230 spas and wellness places in Seoul on TripAdvisor. As we were fully made-over after our Beaute101 experience and we were a little short of time during our visit to Spa Lei, we didn’t (want to) experience a full soak, sauna and massage which will ruin our hair and makeup, lol. We did however enjoy a drink and hot feet soak at both their outdoor and indoor foot spa. While their staff speak very limited english, I was very impressed with their 3 floors of facilities ranging from saunas, spa, massage, sleeping rooms, TV rooms, outdoor terrace, cafe, nails services and more – I can imagine it’s a place to hang out with my girlfriends for a whole day just doing sauna, spa, massage, meals, nails and more. For as little as 2000won an hour, it’s no wonder Spa Lei is a hit with both local and tourists alike. Do note that privacy is a huge concern, so you will need to keep your phones in the locker as no phones are allowed in the spa.spa-lei-women-only-spa-in-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0000 spa-lei-women-only-spa-in-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0001 spa-lei-women-only-spa-in-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0002 spa-lei-women-only-spa-in-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0003 spa-lei-women-only-spa-in-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0004 spa-lei-women-only-spa-in-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0006

(4) Skincare and Makeup Shopping at Myeong Dong

If you count yourself a K-beauty lover, no trip to Korea would be complete without visiting Myeong Dong where there’s an endless supply and promotion of all things Korean skincare and makeup. If you’re a fan of new skincare brands, then you must pay a visit to Olive Young who stocks brands that are more under the radar before they are established enough to have their owns stores, such as CNP, WakeWake and ElishaCoy. If you’re like me and a fan of established skincare and makeup brands such as Laneige, EtudeHouse, Clio & TheFaceshop, then it’s best to plan your trip to coincide with Korea’s sales season which is start of October and the next one would be early next year, visit Visit Korea website or Korea Grand Sale website for updates. If you’re planning to buy in bulk, my local friend suggests visiting Duty Free at Lotte Mall for really awesome bulk discounts.

Also, no street shopping is complete without street snacks!I will be writing a separate article on recommended Korean food spots, but thought I should add this in as well. Speaking of street snacks, On my first night in Korea, I’d met up with my friend, Livia for Chimac dinner. Livia works at Charis and she gifted me with a Klairs Mochi Bb cushion, a lightweight foundation – you can get it from my Charis online store here~  Also, I have to mention that you can get lots of awesome Korean snacks at Big Mart at Myeong Dong, opens till 12am!

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Second night at Myeong Dong (we were there most nights since it was a stone throw away from our hotel!):myeong-dong-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0005 myeong-dong-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0006 myeong-dong-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0007 myeong-dong-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0008 myeong-dong-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0010 myeong-dong-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0011 myeong-dong-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0012 myeong-dong-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0013

I also recommend staying at Lotte City Myeongdong Hotel which is a 10 minutes walk away from Myeong Dong shopping streets. A relatively new hotel with impeccable and friendly staff service, good breakfast spread, comfortable bedroom and great housekeeping service.

lotte-city-myeong-dong-hotel-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0007 lotte-city-myeong-dong-hotel-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0000 lotte-city-myeong-dong-hotel-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0001 lotte-city-myeong-dong-hotel-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0002 lotte-city-myeong-dong-hotel-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0003 lotte-city-myeong-dong-hotel-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0004lotte-city-myeong-dong-hotel-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0008 lotte-city-myeong-dong-hotel-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0005 lotte-city-myeong-dong-hotel-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0006 lotte-city-myeong-dong-hotel-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0011 lotte-city-myeong-dong-hotel-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0012 lotte-city-myeong-dong-hotel-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0013 lotte-city-myeong-dong-hotel-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0014 lotte-city-myeong-dong-hotel-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0015 lotte-city-myeong-dong-hotel-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0016 lotte-city-myeong-dong-hotel-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0017 lotte-city-myeong-dong-hotel-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0010 lotte-city-myeong-dong-hotel-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0009

Apart from Myeong Dong, I also recommend paying a visit to Gangnam where you’ll find Style Nanda and many shop fronts with lovely visual merchandising in their windows and having a cuppa coffee at Coffeesmith, just to people watch – the dudes are particularly handsome there, haha.

Style Nanda store:

gangnam-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0000 gangnam-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0001 gangnam-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0002 gangnam-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0003 Olive Young:gangnam-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0004 gangnam-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0005

Club Clio, got the colour I wanted in Celeb Rose which ran out at Olive Young!:gangnam-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0006 gangnam-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0007 gangnam-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0008

If you have more time, you should also check out Hongdae where there’s more Korean makeup and skincare shops (no surprises, LOL) and more street fashion!

Cap shopping:hongdae-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0000

Walked into Labiotte for their wine lipsticks!
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Got one of these lipsticks, which is a lovely coral and hydrating formula:hongdae-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0004

Burnt orange and browns colours are all the rage this fall!:
hongdae-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0003 Came by StyleNanda at Hongdae:
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Love these new 3CE liquid lips shades in Lazy, Obsessed & New me, except I’d already bought like 8 lipsticks by this time, so I didn’t purchase any, lol! #onemouthonlyhongdae-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0008

Was super tempted to get this, but would be too creamy/shimmery/oily for SG’s humid weather, so I did not – but if I was staying in Korea would go for this!:hongdae-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0007 hongdae-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0011Also, Chuu official has nice lip tints!hongdae-street-shopping-korea-beauty-wellness-must-go-review-enabalista_0010

(5) Wellness Treatment at KwangDong Oriental Hospital

Have I mentioned that we’ve been treated to only the best in Korea during our trip? The same can be said of our visit to KwangDong Oriental Hospital – we were there on a Friday morning at 9.30am and there were already customers at the counters paying for their oriental medicine dosage/satchets after their check ups. My wellness session with KwangDong Oriental Hospital started with registration, followed by consultation with the doctor, interpreted by a very eloquent lady named Jenny – the doctor then administered my virgin acupuncture experience (pretty painless in fact) on my stiff shoulders and aching calves followed by a cold stone facial spa and hot herbal foot pack – it was an incredible and unique experience to have a cold and hot sensation simultaneously on the opposing ends of my body. I love my experience at KwangDong Oriental Hospital and hope to bring my parents there some day.

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(6) Relaxing Spa Session at Herb Island

Last but not the least, if you’re a fan of whimsical European style, I recommend visiting Herb Island and experiencing the Spa session after lunch and staying until the evening when the place is lit in the night. The Spa session starts off with tea and registration followed by a foot soak, a hot pack experience while laying on a cloth over dried hay (I imagine that’s how Jesus felt when he was a baby in a manger, lol) and ending off with massage (choice of back or feet, I picked feet). Also, the shops are super pretty, if you’re a fan of aromatic oil, scents and tea, it’s a place you can stock up on supplies!

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If you enjoyed reading my Beauty and Wellness recommendations, stay tuned to my next post on Korean Food recommendations in Seoul! 😉

If you’d like a chronological update to my Beauty and Wellness Korean Trip visit my Dayre days 272-278 starting here.

Thank you Carolyn and Korean Tourism Organisation Singapore for making the trip to Korea possible!

Ena’s Beauty Talk | 10 New Beauty Reviews & Recommendations!

I’ve just uploaded a 2 part beauty review video on Youtube and here’s a blog post where I’ll include more photos and brief information and review of the products! 🙂

If you haven’t you can watch my Ena’s Beauty Talk – 10 New Beauty Reviews & Recommendations Part 1 on hair & skincare here!:

Ajuste UV Body Spray Shinsui Uruhada Yuzu Body Lotion Dr Ben 7 Day Serum Review Enabalista_0001

Playback Organic Shampoo and Treatment, Ajuste UV Spray, Shinsui Uruhada Yuzu Lotion and Dr.Ben – Nano Hyaluronic Acid Serum. In the video I only reviewed the Playback Shampoo and Treatment as I started on these earlier and haven’t had the change to use the rest enough for a proper review, but will include information and details of the other products below as well! 🙂

Ajuste UV Body Spray Shinsui Uruhada Yuzu Body Lotion Dr Ben 7 Day Serum Review Enabalista_0000The products came in nicely bubble wrapped! Thanks to April Boulevard!

Playback Organic Shampoo & Treatment

I’ve been using this Playback Organic Shampoo & Treatment set for a few weeks now and I like how the shampoo gently cleanses my scalp, keeping it fresh and moisturized. I use the treatment first before washing it out and then shampoo, followed by mask after. I love the refreshing scent of the shampoo and definitely recommend this set! 🙂

Playback Organic Shampoo & Treatment Review Enabalista_0000 Playback Organic Shampoo & Treatment Review Enabalista_0001 Playback Organic Shampoo & Treatment Review Enabalista_0002Product ingredients include 8 Certified Organic Extracts, 100 Natural Botanical Extracts. For more product information and purchase online, visit here.

Ajuste UV Body Spray Shinsui Uruhada Yuzu Body Lotion Dr Ben 7 Day Serum Review Enabalista_0003Ajuste UV Spray, 100% made in Japan promises to be a light and non sticky sun block spray. For more information and purchase, visit here.

Ajuste UV Body Spray Shinsui Uruhada Yuzu Body Lotion Dr Ben 7 Day Serum Review Enabalista_0004Shinsui Uruhada Yuzu/Citron Lotion contains Vitamin 3 and 3 types of hyaluronic acid that lightens and intensely hydrates the skin. I’ve tried it out and my first impression is that it’s very lightweight and watery. It comes in a huge bottle and you can use it for your face and body as well. For more information and purchase, visit here.

Ajuste UV Body Spray Shinsui Uruhada Yuzu Body Lotion Dr Ben 7 Day Serum Review Enabalista_0002Dr.Ben – Nano Hyaluronic Acid Serum  for 7 Days promises to penetrate deeply into the skin with its nano-molecular hyaluronic acid for longer hydrating effects. I have yet to try this one, but am a fan of hyaluronic acid so I am quite excited and will review it on my IG or in another video review after I’ve tried it! For more information and purchase, visit here.

The Wet Brush Pop Fold

This is my new favourite hair brush! My hair ends have become very dry and damaged from multiple bleaching and dyeing and this detangling brush is super awesome! With other hair comb/brush I have issues combing through my hair ends while it’s wet but with the wet brush, combing my hair is a breeze! <3
Wet Brush Pop Fold Review Enabalista_0000Comes folded in a box.Wet Brush Pop Fold Review Enabalista_0005Wet Brush Pop Fold Review Enabalista_0001Wet Brush Pop Fold Review Enabalista_0002 Flip open the comb.Wet Brush Pop Fold Review Enabalista_0003Pop out the bristles.Wet Brush Pop Fold Review Enabalista_0004 How the back looks like after it’s popped out.

Highly recommended detangling brush! You can get yours from here!

The Body Shop Tea Tree 3 in 1 Wash Scrub Mask & Anti Imperfection Daily Solution

The Body Shop has added 2 new products to their Tea Tree range, the first being an innovative 3 in 1 facial wash, scrub and mask and the second being a anti imperfection daily solution serum. I’ve also been using the facial cleansing gel from the same range as a body cleanser for my back acne and it’s been great thus far. Definitely recommended for you to try if you experience acne issues like I do. For more information visit here.The Body Shop Tea Tree Wash Scrub Mask and Daily Solution Review Enabalista_0000 The Body Shop Tea Tree Wash Scrub Mask and Daily Solution Review Enabalista_0001 The Body Shop Tea Tree Wash Scrub Mask and Daily Solution Review Enabalista_0002 The Body Shop Tea Tree Wash Scrub Mask and Daily Solution Review Enabalista_0003 The Body Shop Tea Tree Wash Scrub Mask and Daily Solution Review Enabalista_0004 The Body Shop Tea Tree Wash Scrub Mask and Daily Solution Review Enabalista_0005You can also find the Tea Tree oil as part of the range which is recommended for acne spot treatments as well as for small cuts and insect bites.

Another Tea Tree acne battling product I’d review in the video but don’t have a photo to include here is the Face Shop Make Me Sexy Body Mist with Tea Tree oil and Aloe Vera leaf juice extract! I’ve been using it for a month now and am half bottle through, I use it after I shower and towel dry – I’ve used the above tea tree cleansers and this body mist to completely replace powder talc. 🙂 If you haven’t read, Johnson and Johnson recently paid out $55M in a second lawsuit that claims their talcum powder causes Ovarian cancer – whether or not there are conclusive evidence of Talcum powder causing cancer, it is best to be safe than sorry! Previously I have used Dettol/J&J body talc powders on my back to keep my skin fresh and dry, but I have since stopped after reading about the online news article that says talc causes cancer.

Morilins Masks

I’m very excited to share about the Morilins Masks that I’ve recently received and tried, the one I have tried is the Morilins Soothing Restoring mask and I super love the Diamond Plaid thick mask sheet which feels very luxurious and it promises 5-10 times effect of your daily skin care routine (essence, serum + moisturizer) so hence i infer that it is recommended as a weekly mask. Priced at $34.90 for 5 pieces, each piece is $6.98. It might be a little pricey compared to other masks, but it’s definitely worth it considering the superior quality. The only gripe I have would be the packaging, because at $6.98/piece, the packaging can do much better. Perhaps an all silver or all gold foil packaging with a luxe feel would be more compatible for this amazing mask! For more information and purchase, visit here.

Morilins Masks Review Enabalista_0001 Morilins Masks Review Enabalista_0002 Morilins Masks Review Enabalista_0003 Morilins Masks Review Enabalista_0004 Morilins Masks Review Enabalista_0005 Morilins Masks Review Enabalista_0006 Morilins Masks Review Enabalista_0007 Morilins Masks Review Enabalista_0008 Morilins Masks Review Enabalista_0009

Refa for Body Massage Gel

I’ve been using Refa for Body Massage Roller for a while now, you can read about my blog post about it here. Recently I received the Refa for Body Massage Gel which is an excellent product to complement the massage roller as the massage gel has slimming, lifting and hydrating effects! I apply it generously on my calves (or wherever you would like to massage) before massaging. I’d definitely recommend this massage gel! The good news is that you get it free with any Refa massage product purchased at the Pop Up counter at Robinsons, the bad news is that it’s not available for sale, though it really should be, hopefully they will release it for sale in the future! 🙂 For more information, visit here.Refa For Body Gel Review Enabalista_0000 Refa For Body Gel Review Enabalista_0001 Refa For Body Gel Review Enabalista_0002 Refa For Body Gel Review Enabalista_0003

Watch my Ena’s Beauty Talk – 10 New Beauty Reviews & Recommendations Part 2 on makeup products here!:

ZA Lip Crayons & Vibrant Moist Lip Lacquers

My favourite of the 5 is lip crayon in Magenta 232 (most left) a bright pink that glides on smoothly and feels like a lip balm! Lip crayons available from 1st Sep, lip lacquers already available in stores, exclusively at Watsons. For more colours and information visit here.

Za Lip Crayon ZA Vibrant Moist Lip Lacquers Review Enabalista_0000 Za Lip Crayon ZA Vibrant Moist Lip Lacquers Review Enabalista_0001 Za Lip Crayon ZA Vibrant Moist Lip Lacquers Review Enabalista_0002 Za Lip Crayon ZA Vibrant Moist Lip Lacquers Review Enabalista_0003
Estee Lauder BB Cushion Foundation

Estee Lauder Double Wear All Day Wear BB Cushion delivers just what it promises in its name, the well loved Double Wear all day formula is now in BB Cushion form, which is why I love it! I have recommended this BB Cushion to many of my colleagues and friends because the foundation stays fresh on my skin all day.  Visit here for more information under the Estee Lauder foundations page.
Estee Lauder BB Cushion Review Enabalista_0000 Estee Lauder BB Cushion Review Enabalista_0001 Estee Lauder BB Cushion Review Enabalista_0002

Estee Lauder Foundation Cushion Stick and New Pure Colour Envy Hi Lustre Lipsticks.

Estee Lauder has recently launched their Double Wear Nude Foundation Cushion Stick which makes for convenient touch up on the go and in my videos above, I am wearing the new lipstick colour 330 Bad Angel, a sweet coral red colour. Check out the new lipsticks online here.Estee Lauder Cushion Stick and New Envy Lipsticks Enabalista_0000

Laneige New BB Cushion Pore Control

For long days, I opt for Estee Lauder’s Double Wear All Day Wear Cushion foundation but for daily wear, Laneige’s New BB Cushion Pore Control is one of my preferred options. An upgrade from the well loved BB Cushion, the new cushion now comes with the 3D Skin Fit cushion (diamond embossing) so that the right amount of product is optimally picked up. Also major loving the cool new holographic cushion exterior!

Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control Review Enabalista_0000 Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control Review Enabalista_0001 Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control Review Enabalista_0002 Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control Review Enabalista_0003 Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control Review Enabalista_0004

Clio Kill Cover Stamping Foundation

Last but not the least, Clio is jumping on the stamping foundation trend wagon with their new Clio Kill Cover Stamping Foundation and along with it they have launched a really cute concept “the Korean Morning Beauty Booster Recipe” to teach users how to apply their morning makeup! It goes 1. Smoothen with Kill Cover Egg Pore Primer + 2. Empower with Kill Cover Stamping Foundation + 3. Optimize with Kill Cover Airwear Skin Smoother Pact and lastly 4. Refresh with Micro Fine Oil Control Fix Mist.

I’ve tried all the products and my first impressions are, the Kill Cover Egg Pore Primer is a primer that creates an ultra smooth surface, pretty true to its name. The Kill Cover Stamping Foundation has great coverage and the best formula I’ve tried out of all the Clio Kill Cover foundations thus far. Kill Cover Airwear Skin Smoother Pact will create a very matte look, if you want the dewy look then I’d recommend avoiding the cheeks while applying this but otherwise you can use this as a finishing powder for a matte look. Last but not the least, be sure to spray the fix mist a good 15cm away for fine mist application on the face, definitely feels more refreshing than sticky (compared to say Urban Decay makeup fix spray).

Clio Kill Cover Stamping Foundation Review Enabalista_0000For more information on the respective products, visit the official website links here;
Clio Kill Cover Stamping Foundation
Clio Kill Cover Egg Pore Primer
Clio Kill Cover Air Wear Skin Smoother Pact
Clio Micro Fine Oil Control Mist: Not available online, you can find them in stores.

Let me know how you find my video reviews and also if there’s any video skincare, makeup review, tutorial or challenge you’d like to see from me! 😉

Big thanks and much love to the various brands & PR for sending the products for review! All reviews & opinions are my own.

x

 Ena

Shine Bright Like a Diamond with these Whitening & Brightening Skincare Products

If you’re obsessed about whitening and brightening your skin, this post’s for you. Today’s skincare compilation consists of 4 skincare brands, each with at least one whitening / brightening skincare product / range that apparently we Asians are obsessed over.

If Google brought you here while you’re searching for a specific product review, I hope you’ll also enjoy reading up about other products featured in this post as well! 😉

The Body Shop Drops of Light & Enrich Not Exploit Campaign

The Body Shop’s Drop of Light promises to:
reveal your most luminous complexion yet with our complete skin‑brightening regime. Suitable for sensitive skin with an array of sensorial textures, each product in this range gives you another dose of brighter skin, day after day.
The Body Shop Drops of Light & Enrich Hand Cream Enabalista_0001The collection consists of Pure Clarifying Foam Wash (not pictured), Pure Translucency Essence Lotion, Pure Healthy Brightening Day Cream & Skin Defence Multi Protection Essence. For more product features, information and prices here. The key ingredient in this range is atlantic red algae extract that is rich in minerals, nutrients and vitamin C which gives its brightening effect. What I love about the range is the scent and how light it feels on the skin. I really enjoy using the Facial Foam Wash. Another key product to highlight is the Skin Defence Multi Protection Essence which boasts to be The Body Shop’s highest protection sun block with the lightest weight texture. And it definitely feels like it… as a plus, it smells great too!
The Body Shop Drops of Light & Enrich Hand Cream Enabalista_0000During the same time of Drops of Light launch, The Body Shop also launched a Enrich not Exploit campaign to show that they
are committed to working fairly with our farmers and suppliers and helping communities to thrive. Our products enrich, but never make false promises and are never tested on animals. For more information about the campaign visit here.

The Body Shop Drops of Youth

Body Shop Drops of Youth range helps to revitalise anti-aging skin by kick-starting the cell repair process and delivering a much-needed hit of supple hydration.

The Body Shop Drops of Youth Enabalista_0000Drops of Youth Cream, Youth Essence Lotion & Youth Concentrate, for full range see here.

Having tried the above three products, I can attest that the range is remarkable light for an anti-aging range. A user-pro tip that I’ve seen from The Body Shop’s Facebook post/advertisement is using both the Drops of Light and Drops of Youth serums together for a double packed brightening and hydrating effect!

Thank you The Body Shop Singapore and WOM PR for sending over the products over for review! <3

Eucerin White Therapy Range

Sun exposure, hormonal changes, skin inflammation, and acne scarring can all lead to problems of hyperpigmentation – a key concern for many Asian women. Specially formulated for Asian skin, Eucerin® White Therapy is clinically proven to reduce the appearance of dark spots to give you visibly brighter skin in just over 12 weeks.

Eucerin® White Therapy acts at the root of the problem – where melanin synthesis occurs. The products are formulated with key ingredients B-Resorcinol and Glycyrrhetinic Acid to prevent excessive melanin production and work to continuously reduce pigmentation. Beyond its melanin-suppressive capabilities, the formula also supports and stimulates the skin’s natural ability to repair damage and helps to prevent signs of premature ageing. 

This range works on dark spots, age spots, melasma, freckles, post-inflammatory stress, and acne scarring to give you a brighter and more even skin tone. Overtime, Eucerin® White Therapy also helps to prevent the reappearance of pigmentation.

Eucerin White Therapy Enabalista_0000

Eucerin is a dermatologist recommended skincare that you’ll find readily available at drug store so it’s no surprise when I adopted this range of skincare for a week that it’s fragrance free and very gentle on my skin. If you’ve got sensitive skin and you’re looking for a range of skincare to help you regain your skin’s fairness without any harsh ingredients, I’d definitely recommend this range! For more information about the range, visit here.

Eucerin & Nivea’s Top 10 Best Selling Products

I don’t even know where to start for this. Here are the top 10 best selling Eucerin, Nivea and Nivea Men’s products!

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From left to right: Eucerin Volume Filler Day Cream, Eucerin pH5 Skin Protecting Shower Oil, Nivea Men Oil Control Brightening Mud Serum Foam, Nivea Men Cool Kick Anti Perspirant Spray, Nivea Lip Balm, Nivea Sun Block, Nivea Firming Body Serum, Nivea Makeup Clear Micellar Water

Obviously I can’t attest to the men’s products, but I can say that even before Nivea sent these over to me, I’ve been using Nivea’s Body Milk Night Whitening Lotion at night, because you know, I also want fairer skin and Nivea products smell so good and are so affordable. Sometimes when I’m not too lazy, I also use the above Firming Body Serum with SPF33 as a day body sun block. I’m also almost finishing the Nivea Micellar Water, and they’ve just me the new updated version which is even better! More on the new products in another separate post! 🙂

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Nivea has also launched Extra White Serum Deodorant and Anti Perspirant spray. The key ingredients are 10x Vitamin C and Avocado Oil to smoothen and whiten under arms while keeping them fresh for longer. For Nivea’s whitening deodorant, see here.

Thank you Eucerin, Nivea & The PR People for sending the products over for review! <3

CNP White Peel Home Set

A home-based whitening treatment program that is used in dermatology clinics, it uses the latest Polyhydroxy Acids (PHA) principle. The formula removes dead skin cells and brightens skin tone resulting in clear radiant skin.CNP White Peel Enabalista_0000

For more information, visit their site here. I’ve yet to review this set yet, do look out for my review update on my IG. 🙂

Kiehls’ Nature Powered Masks

Kiehls’ launched two new masks early this year, the TURMERIC & CRANBERRY SEED ENERGIZING RADIANCE MASQUE and CILANTRO & ORANGE EXTRACT POLLUTANT DEFENDING MASQUEKiehls Nature Powered Masks Enabalista_0000 Kiehls Nature Powered Masks Enabalista_0001I love that this is a quick 10 min mask, the cranberry seeds exfoliates the skin in a gentle and natural manner, revealing clean and rejuvenated skin~

Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution

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It seems that I might have just reserved the best for the last, in this case. I don’t think I need to say anything else except that this is a truly remarkable blemish clearing product and it delivers the very promise it makes on its product name; Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution. I’ve used it on my acne spots on multiple nights and I always find that I wake up to clearer skin and lightened blemish spots… highly recommended!

Thank you Wei-Lin of Kiehls for sending the products over for review! <3

Is there any whitening and/or brightening skincare product that you swear by? Let me know in the comments below!

x

Ena

3D2N Penang Cultural & Food Trail | #ThrowbackThursday

Another #ThrowbackThursday post. Thankfully unlike last week’s post which was 2 years ago, this post’s entry dates back less than a year ago, hehe. My family and I headed down to Penang for a family trip which coincided with my Dad’s birthday weekend. We were very blessed that his friend’s wife and children hosted us for the 3D2N that we were there, and we took in a lot of beautiful cultural and heritage sites and sights of Penang, as well as a lot and I mean a lot of yummy food! I love Malaysia not only for its close proximity to Singapore and yummy food but also how affordable it is compared to Singapore’s high expenses. This is an ultra image heavy post with 222 (purely coincidental number) photos and I’ll be adding captions and explanations along the way.

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0001Always love plane rides and enjoying the view from above! <3Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0000With Daddy on the plane!

[ Penang Day 1 – George Town Cultural & Food Trail ]

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0002You’ll see a lot of pretty peranakan-style shophouses in Penang, similar to those along Katong in Singapore. I love the relief designs and the exterior of shophouses in general, so you’ll be seeing a lot of them in my post today! Lol!Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0003Took a photo of this building exterior because it’s interesting. I’d admit it’s not pretty, but definitely unique!Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0004Dad’s friend’s wife and children (in case you’re wondering, Dad’s friend was away on a photography trip as he is a photography enthusiast) came to pick us up from the airport and drove us to Jalan Penang for brunch.

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0005Took a photo so I can figure out later where this kopitiam is located at, but I can’t find it online, except that it’s along Jalan Penang, rofl.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0006 Penang style iced kopi and beef noodles!Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0007Beef tendon noodles. I find that Penang food has its own unique flavours, unlike anything I’ve tried in Singapore.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0008With everyone at lunch table and mummy not looking in the camera, LOL.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0009Shophouse exhibit 2. Told you I have a thing for shophouse exteriors. My dream house is a Notting Hill style house, which is extremely rare in Singapore, the closest examples would be Everton Road and Blair Road houses. There are also some nice shophouse style houses at Katong and Joo Chiat area.

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0010Shophouse exhibits 3.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0011Shophouse exhibits 4. More really old looking shophouses which are a dime a dozen in Penang.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0012 A relic looking building hoarded up possible for works. Reminds me of Malacca. After visiting Penang, I came to realize that Penang has a lot of similarities to Malacca, with the strong cafe culture, a heritage centric zone, Peranakan influence, relics and a lot of awesome local food. The main few differences at the top of my mind is that Penang is much further from Singapore and also famous for Penang beach. Malacca also has a seaside, but not as famous as Penang.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0013After lunch, we arrive at Georgetown Penang which is the cultural center and hub of Penang and also where a lot of cafe action is located at. Ok, maybe “cafe action” is an awkward phrasing. I mean there’s a lot of cafes here and where you can cafe hop conveniently! 😉

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0014Like this rustic looking cafe with industrial style decor and an open roof concept for natural light streaming in. Love.

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0015I love the industrial chic interior style, which is all the rage in interior design lately. Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0016Greenery providing a nice contrast with the industrial vibes.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0017 Different seats thrown together for an eclectic style.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0018 Lots of interesting artworks pepper the streets. It would be really nice if Singapore had a street like that, don’t you think?
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0019 Cute sand art featuring animals.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0020 In front of an artsy souvenir store, ottokedal.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0021We continued our cafe window shopping trail and came across this mural.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0022Another shot of the mural. Love the colours!
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0023Another interesting feature, decorated door. It would be super pretty if its repainted! Oh the possibilities of reworking relic / antique pieces. I am not a fan of vintage, but I do love refreshed, modern takes with vintage elements. 🙂

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0024 This cafe we passed by had a pond in its courtyard.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0025And a “福” which is missing a stroke… which makes for a photo opportunity/wall!
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0026Told Dad to get into position. HA.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0027And here’s my take. 😛
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0028After crossing the courtyard, we made way into a cafe abounding with cat drawings. Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0029 They provide paper and drawing materials on the table for customers to doodle, draw and colour! What a fun idea.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0030Basically The Canteen at Chinatown is a traditional compound of 3 heritage buildings, linked by an open air courtyard and converted into 14 spaces comprising shops, cafes, restaurants, galleries, live music and bakery. Visit their website here for more information.

153 & 155 Beach Street
183B Victoria Street
10300 George Town, Penang
Tel: +604 – 263 7299
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0031We also popped by this coffee shop selling coffee beans.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0032And walked through another coffeeshop with quirky interiors, to say the least.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0033Like these Snow White and Seven Dwarfs statues.

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0034And a really pretty courtyard. Except it was really too hot to to be out.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0035Sis and I popped inside a space for a photo. HAHA. Spot the little birdy on the frame?Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0036

Then we came by this Mama-Miya Coconut Ice Cream stall for a ice cream break! They’re so cool (pun fully intended), they have their own IG page and geo-tagPenang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0037 Casually seated right by the stall.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0038 With our ice creams!Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0039Paired with nata de coco, jelly and corn. Yums!
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0040After ice cream, we continued on the Penang heritage trail. Here’s my next fascination with Penang, mural art. Mural Art exhibit 1.

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0041Came by this spot with a cute upside down baby.

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0042Dad posing for a photo with the baby, LOL.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0043

And then dancing with a live one man show on the streets, no kidding, LOL.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0044 Uncle one-live-band! I totally made that up, but that’s exactly what he is. Which reminds me that I should totally do a vlog the next time I travel, because you can’t hear the music through a blog post.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0045 We came by this building and I love the palace like details that goes into that exterior!Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0046 Look at that. I wonder if its real gold plated or gold paint.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0047 Mural art exhibit 2. Twist.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0048Shophouse exhibit 5. Dad’s got the swag in this pose, lol!Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0049 Want a beach experience right in the middle of Penang? Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0050Ta-da! HAHAHAHA. You must be thinking, “Like that also can?”.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0051Mural exhibit 3. And another really random wall mural / artistic feature. Gotta love the purple wall, so pretty!Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0052 And then we came to visit this temple which is famous for this secret passageway.  For more backstory and temple interior, you can visit this website.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0053Love the broody mood evoked by the shadows on the wall.

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0054 And the contrast of the light and shadows.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0055 Travel trips are all about finding the beauty in the environment and taking artistic shots, hahaha. Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0056The beauty of travel is finding the otherwise mundane lives of the locals, fascinating.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0057 Buildings that might be otherwise overlooked by locals become outstanding. Look at those dragon statues on the rooftop! I didn’t edit the colours of of my photos (trust me when I say it will take forever to edit 222 photos, maybe you will only see it in 4 years if I do, lol) but if I did, this building will look even more remarkable. 🙂
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0058When I’ve earned enough money from making a living, I’d love to travel the world, take photos for inspiration and design collections be it fashion, beauty or interior design from each travel! That’s my dream. 🙂 I don’t always write so much and share so much of my thoughts on my blog, but I’m feeling particularly verbose for this post. So do let me know if you enjoy reading these thoughts! 🙂

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0063For lunch, we came by this Jawa House Cafe Gallery, an award winning local cafe/restaurant.

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0064

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0059Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0060A particularly interesting menu which included a lot of articles and text too!
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0061And thissss. Omg. The food is so yummy, yummy is an understatement. We ordered Jawi Herbal Lemuni Rice, Jawi Briyani, Prawn Briyani and more but I cannot recall the names now, oops. You can check out their menu online here. Initially I thought that maybe 5 dishes won’t be enough for 7 pax but we were so full. Perhaps also because we had a filling brunch from earlier as well. The ambience of the cafe is also really quiet and nice. When we were there, there was also a TV crew filming at the backyard. I’d highly recommended Jawa House Cafe Gallery!

Visit Jawa House Cafe Gallery:
85, Armenian Street, George Town 10200 Penang, Malaysia
+604 – 261 3680
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0062After lunch, we continued the walk around Georgetown from before.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0065Sign of no street food stalls allowed.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0066Mural exhibit 4, of a rickshaw uncle taking a break on the rickshaw.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0067Time to check in! We stayed at Red Rock Hotel, having stayed here previously, Dad recommended this hotel for its affordable rates and convenient location with food stalls easily accessible from the hotel. However after staying here, sis and I realized we should try Glow Penang if we visit again because their wifi there is much stronger, lol! And it also looks much newer and swankier.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0068Parent’s room in the Red Rock Hotel. Damn big, I know.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0069 Photos of a hat I bought for Christabelle as she was looking for something similar for her D&D event. 🙂
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0070 After checking in, we headed out again for some seaside sightseeing. And then omg… I had to walk down this rickety wooden bridge. It was scary!Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0071The view however, was so pleasant. Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0072 Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0073 Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0074 Dad and mum looking so chill by the seaside.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0075 Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0076 We met an uncle who was showing us his fishing loots. Don’t really know what this is either, but it was like the size of my fist.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0077 Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0078Afternoon sun. Looking back at this post, it does feel that we had a super long day, isn’t it?
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0079 We passed by this house which seemed to be rearing bulldogs. This puppy is cuteee. Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0080Then we headed for desserts!
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0081 I had Aiyu jelly, which was yums. Gotta admit though, the street stall didn’t seem very hygienic.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0082We also passed by this Georgetown Wines, which seems like a really pretty and laidback evening spot.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0083And then we came to Kedai Kasut, where world famous shoe designer Jimmy Choo started his apprenticeship!
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0084 Can’t miss a photo with Jimmy Choo, can I? HAHA.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0085 This is presumably the exact spot/shop where Jimmy Choo has his apprenticeship.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0086 Gotta love these cute and informative metal artworks! Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0087 Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0088 More really pretty dining spots.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0089Mural exhibit 5 of a man with a long white beard and sis posing below.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0090Shophouse exhibits 6.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0091Shophouse exhibit 7.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0092Shophouse exhibit 8.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0093A cat cafe! But sadly we didn’t go in.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0094So cute though!
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0095 And a camera museum, which you can visit if you’re keen! 🙂Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0096Mural exhibit 6, a little scary, this one. Of a little girl balancing on/between two windows.

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0097 A cute beer place.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0098Love little details like this.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0099Shophouse exhibits 9.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0100 Mural exhibit 7.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0101Not a shophouse exhibit per se. look at the name of the street, “Love Lane”. LOL.

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0102Yunno, just posing with the fam outside a cute door.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0103Mural exhibit 8, riding on Uncle’s sampan.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0104 Yes, you could totally do a Penang Food Trail cause there’s so much yummy food here.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0105Like this restaurant where we had our dinner, Shing Keang Aun Restaurant which is famous for its authentic Hainanese food.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0106UNFORTUNATELY I was too hungry and forgot to take photos of our delicious dinner. T_T Visit their foursquare page here for photos and food reviews! 🙂
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0107After dinner, we headed back to rest. And then mum, sis and I headed out for supper. HAHAHAHA. I know. I too, am surprised that we had the stomach for supper. XD We just walked down on the further left side of Red Rock Hotel where there’s a lot of hawker and coffeeshops and we opted for one that seemed cleaner and more spacious. 🙂
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0108 They have a lot of ingredients displayed, customers order and the chef cooks on the spot.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0109 We ordered cockles! Although I prefer clams.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0110 A lot of vegetables on display too.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0111 This is the shop we visited. 东京海鲜饭档. Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0112Tbh, supper was not spectacular. It was a tad too oily. I think the experience of having supper was more fun than the supper taste itself.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0113 We also ordered oyster omelette – which is one of my fave! 😀Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0114 Fruit stall by the road. We bought some fresh fruits to bring back to the hotel.

[ Penang Day 2 – Church, HK lunch, Shopping and Tree Monkey Cafe Dinner ]

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0115

We had breakfast at the hotel before heading to church.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0116We arrived early.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0117 A cute wall decor at the church.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0118 Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0119My dad is a retired Hokkien pastor, so he was the invited speaker that day. 🙂
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0139With a sweetheart and her mum after church service!
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0128For lunch, we visited this Zhong Hua restaurant nearby.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0120Crispy noodles.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0121 Fried noodles.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0122 Egg tarts!Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0123 Vegetables dim sum.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0124Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0125 Dim sum galore. Think we over-ordered.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0126 Parents with aunty.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0129 After lunch, we took a cab down to shop! The cab has this cute hand drawn map on his car.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0130 We came to Gurney Paragon to shop. It’s rated number 1 among the top 10 shopping malls in Penang and was recommended by our Penang friends.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0131Gurney Plaza is just next doors. But Gurney Paragon is so big, we didn’t even have time to finish shopping the mall alone in 2 hours.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0132 Came by this cute The Zakka store that sells a lot of cute accessories.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0133 We bought a lot of snacks from Ban Heang which was just next doors to our hotel, haha.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0134 We didn’t shop a lot, bought a few clothings and masks.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0135 Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0136 Random poses right outside the hotel.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0137 The Ban Heang shop with yummy and affordable local treats.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0138We tried this Hello Kitty chocolate mooncake, which was TOO SWEET. Sugar overload.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0140 For dinner, our parents and us went separate ways. Our penang friends Shaw Wooi and Wan Lin brought us towards Penang beach side for drinks and dinner.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0141 We came to Hard Rock Hotel for drinks. The live band was really pretty good! I really enjoyed the songs they sang. Again, another reminder I should do vlogs for my next trip. 🙂

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0144After the rain stopped, we headed to Tree Monkey. Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0142Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0143 We opted for this Asian Tapas set.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0145Unfortunately we missed the sunset, the owner recommends coming in the early evening for a beautiful sunset view.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0146 Pineapple rice.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0147 Calamari Rings.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0148Curry.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0149 Tom Yum Soup.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0150 Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0151 My favourite would be this Asian Tapas.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0152 Group shot!Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0153We really enjoyed the ambient and service by the humourous team as well.

Visit Tree Monkey 
Tree Monkey @ Tropical Spice Garden Lone Crag Villa, Lot 595 Mukim 2. Jalan Teluk Bahang 11100 Penang. Tel: 604-881 3493/4. Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0154 Post dinner, we came by Starbucks for drinks.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0155 Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0156 Walked by all the street side stalls. Located near Holiday Inn Resort.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0157 They even have Starbucks Gear, which is unheard of in Singapore.

[ Penang Day 3 – Coffeeshop Breakfasts, George Town Cultural Trail Part 2, Maple Palace Lunch ]

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0158For Day 3 breakfast, we decided we’re gonna try more local delights instead of hotel fare. So sis and I randomly chance upon this stall opposite the hotel.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0159Slathered on Lip Hop’s sunblock, ready for the day’s sun.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0160 We ordered kopi, teh and char kway teow.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0161I really wanted to try the famous salted egg yolk char kway teow but didn’t have a chance. This was a regular one.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0162 The fishball noodles. The dishes were average. I liked the fried fish!
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0163After breakfast round 1 (yes, breakfast round 2 coming right up, LOL). We headed to walk about/around. We did so randomly and came by this pretty spot.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0164 Which thus called for a photo. Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0165 There’s a 小娘惹 shop that sells beancurd. Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0166 Mural exhibit 9, le smoking lady (made that up myself).Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0167Trying my best to strike up a conversation with her.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0168 Mural exhibit 10. Sister approves of this barrel full of likes. #ThumbsUpPenang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0169Mural exhibit 11. Angel with graffiti wings.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0170 And an angel wannabe. 😉
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0171 Mural exhibit 12. Food machine. Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0172 Located close to this Nagore Square sign.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0173 Shophouse exhibits 10.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0174So pretty. Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0175 Mural exhibit 13. Red nose man.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0176 Mural exhibit 14. Another red nose man.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0177 Shophouse exhibits 11.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0178 Don’t have a series to go with this, but I found this row of pillars very intriguing.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0179 I imagine the relics on the pillars were chipped away by people moving goods along this corridor.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0180 Not a shophouse exhibit per se,  but just found this window above the pillars fascinating. Old buildings and exteriors just seem to have so much untold stories, don’t they?Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0181 Another and final series for this Penang trip, tiles exhibit 1.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0182 Shophouse exhibits 12.  Love the colours!Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0183 Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0184 Not a shophouse exhibit per se, again. Just love the cute doodles on the door!
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0185 Shophouse exhibit 13.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0186Unfortunately that street pole blocks it. It’s so pretty with a cute balcony. Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0188Even the side of the shophouse is pretty too.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0187 Shophouse exhibit 14. Cute red canopy.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0189 Mural exhibit 15. Blue couple.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0190 Mural exhibit 16. Short hair girl.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0191 CHIME Heritage architecture explained.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0192 Tile exhibit 2.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0193 We passed by this very promising looking hawker spot.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0194 Shophouse exhibits 15.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0195This row of shophouses houses a lot of quirky shops, like this Caffeine Chemistry. Obviously 3D2N was not enough to explore Penang with. T_T;Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0196 Tile exhibit 3.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0197 This Lim Brother mansion also caught my eye,
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0198 So did this LX Leather Spa.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0199 And this Taiwei Village Restaurant, because my BIL’s name is Tai Wei, hahaha.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0200 We headed back to the hotel to pack up, and here’s a look at the Lip Hop products I brought along for the Penang trip!

Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0204We had breakfast round 2 at Yummy Cottage.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0201Carrot cake.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0202And finally got to try duck egg char kway teow. It does tastes more flavourful than the regular egg. How come we don’t have this in Singapore?! Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0203 Penang Char Kway Teow stall. For a list of must try stalls, visit here.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0205Then we visited Leong Chee Kee for damn good pastries. Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0206 Very famous with a lot of press clippings.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0207 Their mooncakes were totally yums.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0208Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0209Close up of the clippings. Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0210 Super cute old school stickers and labels.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0211 Old school interior as well.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0213The shop owner, his son and family helping him with the business. He was also very friendly chatting about Malaysia, Singapore the similarities and differences, with us.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0212 Located amidst local housing. Again, these buildings seem to have so much stories within them. 🙂 Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0214 For lunch we came to Maple Palace, an award winning restaurant in Penang. The food, ambience and service here is undoubtedly great!Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0215 Fresh juices.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0216 Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0217 Picked mango appetisers.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0218 With aunt and familyPenang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0219Beef and ginger.Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0220Crispy Peking Duck.
Penang Food Trail Ena Teo Enabalista_0221Fish Steamboat with amazing stock. Very yums!

Took me 3 hours to prepare and write this post! Hope you enjoyed it and find it useful in planning your itinerary for your Penang trip! 😉

x

Ena

Cantonese Fine Dining at Kai Garden @ Marina Square

I’m a huge fan of Asian, especially Cantonese cuisine. Kai Garden open its doors early this year and you’ll be happy to know that they serve up a mean course. Here’s what I’ve tried, read on to find out which ones are highly recommended! 😉
Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0013 Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0012 Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0000 Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0002 Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0006Chilled Cherry Foie Gras. I’d definitely pick this over the other Chilled Mini Tomato with Sweet Plum because I’m a Foie Gras lover and not a fan of sour food. Also, I am fascinated with how they made this. The thin later over the Foie Gras tastes like jelly. It tastes decadent.
Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0003This is not on the menu, its scallop over fruits, and it’s great.
Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0004 Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0005The Chilled Mini Tomatoes with Sour Plum. I guess if you’re a fan of sour plums, you’d like this!
Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0007We had a choice of Double-boiled Japanese Matsutake (mushrooms) Served in Hot Pot or Shark’s Fin in Supreme Collagen Stock. I picked the former. This soup is boiled with pork and it tastes great. The manner of serving is also very unique, as it came in a teapot and pours out to a small tea cup.

Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0014Leanne opted for Shark’s Fin in Supreme Collagen Stock. I do wish restaurants would stop serving Shark’s Fin. Fish collagen is great, but we don’t need to eat Shark’s Fin.

Next we have Signature Crispy Peking Duck!Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0008The many coloured skins/wraps that comes along to serve up the Peking Duck.
Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0009 Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0011The staff slicing the crispy Peking Duck.

Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0010I love this. The 5 types of serving sauces. I like the Traditional Sauce.

Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0015 Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0016 Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0017 Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0018Each skin wrap has a different flavour, the taste of which isn’t remarkable but I do like the various colours. 

And then we have Garoupa in Lobster Soup!Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0019 Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0020The staff brings out the Garoupa and serves up the dish bowl by bowl, as the fresh fish is blanched before placing into the soup bowl. Don’t you agree that the presentation of the Garoupa is spectacular?

Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0021Ingredients placed into the bowl.

Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0022Blanched fresh fish slices served in the lobster soup. Unfortunately I am allergic to lobster, so I cannot comment on the taste of this. But it looks amazing.
Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0023Next we have Sweet and Sour Pork on the Rocks.
Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0024I highly recommend this dish. It’s hot on the inside and crispy and cold on the outside.
Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0025 Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0026 Deep Fried Vegetarian Roll.Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0027Love the generous serving of the ingredients and the pumpkin puree.
Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0028Another highly recommended dish: Pan Fried Charcoal Pork Bun. This is amazing. We were already so full by this dish, but it still tastes amazing.
Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0029For desserts we had Chilled Fresh Coconut Puree. I am not a fan of coconut but this tastes like Birds Nest (it is not) but it does and I love this.
Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0031With Kai Garden‘s owner and executive chef, Fung Chi Keung and Leanne. Chef Fung was previous Group Executive Chef for Paradise Group.

Take a look at the pretty restaurant:Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0037

Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0032Private room.

Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0033Another private room.

Gorgeous city skyline view in the night:Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0034 Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0035 Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0036

Kai Garden Cantonese Cuisine Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0038Live seafood on display.

I’d highly recommend Kai Garden for family dinners and dim sums, whilst the price per pax averages $60 (or more, depending on what you order), it undoubtedly serves superb Cantonese dishes with a twist that will delight both the young and old.

Check out my Youtube video of Kai Garden here:

Visit Kai Garden:
#03-128A/B, Marina Square, 6 Raffles Boulevard, 039594
+65 6250 4826

Check out their websites:
Official website

Facebook

Instagram

Thank you Kai Garden Singapore and Sharon Vu for the media tasting invite.

x

Ena

Flawless Selfies with Casio TR60

Have you ever wondered why some girls always have flawless selfies on their IG / social medias? Apart from the Mei Tu Xiu Xiu app, it’s no secret that the Casio TR60 is the perfect selfie camera with its built in beauty filter function! I had the chance to review the camera and here are the photos and my take! 😉
Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0025Casio Exilim TR60

Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0024Petite in size and pretty in purple.

Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0028Extendable frame which forms a good grip for selfies.

Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0027Extendable frame also forms as a good stand for wireless/”shoot with phone” photo taking function.

Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0026The two dots on the side of the camera indicates the “selfie pad” which allows you to toggle between beauty filters and modes.

Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0021The menu page with the few options which allows wireless download to phone and

shooting with phone.

Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0022The camera album allows storage of about 100 photos, which isn’t a lot. You will need to transfer the photos to the phone and delete the photos on the camera regularly. P.S. These are the photos I took during my Genting trip, you can check it out my blog post of the trip here! 😉
Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0023Send to phone function, will need to download the Exilim Connect app on your phone and then link the camera to the phone wirelessly.Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0030Connect the phone to the camera’s wifi.
Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0031Then open the Exilim connect app on your phone. In this case, I am using an IPhone. Once the phone is connected, you can view photos on phone or use remote capture – allows you to use your phone as a remote and click to capture photos on the Casio TR60.

Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0020Casio TR60 Makeup mode allows you to adjust the skin tone and smooth skin filters.

Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0019The screen displays the few modes at the top which you can click to use accordingly: makeup, mirror, wireless, modes, menu.

Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0014Under modes, you can pick from various options!

Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0015More options under “Art shot”.Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0016Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0017Including a nails option!

Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0018Here’s how the photo taken with the nails mode option looks like! 
Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0029And here’s a photo taken using my phone as a remote control. 🙂

More photos taken with the built in beauty filter, no further editing required! ^^V

Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0000 Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0001 Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0002 Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0003 Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0004 Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0005 Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0006 Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0007 Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0008 Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0010 Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0011 Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0012 Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0013 Casio TR60 Camera Blogger Review Ena Teo Enabalista_0032

I do love the Casio TR60 camera very much for the flawless selfie functions and how pretty and petite the camera is. However at $1400+, it is a huge amount to shell out for a selfie camera, which is why I didn’t purchase after the review.

Thank you Casio Singapore, Nicole and Oglivy PR for providing the Casio TR60 camera for the review!

Will be posting about the launch of Casio’s newer selfie camera model, Casio TR70 in another post soon! 😉

x

Ena