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.
(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)
(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.
(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!
Second night at Myeong Dong (we were there most nights since it was a stone throw away from our hotel!):
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.
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:
Olive Young:
Club Clio, got the colour I wanted in Celeb Rose which ran out at Olive Young!:
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:
Walked into Labiotte for their wine lipsticks!
Got one of these lipsticks, which is a lovely coral and hydrating formula:
Burnt orange and browns colours are all the rage this fall!:
Came by StyleNanda at Hongdae:
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! #onemouthonly
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!:
Also, Chuu official has nice lip tints!
(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.
(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!
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!
Browtisan’s Pop Up Booth at ION Orchard Atrium 
Applied on anaesthetic cream before the embroidery session.
Check out the awards they’ve won!
Even her eyebrow pencil drawing looks good on it’s own!
She started with my right eyebrow…
Coco at work. 🙂
As you can see, the gradient technique is dotting instead of drawing lines. It’s catered for me especially to cover up a scar across my left eyebrow, where the line eyebrow embroidery technique doesn’t last.
The colour gradually darkens as she’s working on it.
So so thoughtful. <3
This is a balm that helps speed up recovery.
The products came in nicely bubble wrapped! Thanks to 
Shinsui 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 
Dr.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 
Comes folded in a box.
Flip open the comb.
How the back looks like after it’s popped out.
You 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.
For more information on the respective products, visit the official website links here;
Delicious fruity mocktail!
Super love the subtle shimmer in the Bling Me Prism collection!
Check out the look I wore using the Bling Me Prism collection! And yes I super love my grey hair (thanks to Chezvous hair salon at Takashimaya~) from a year back!
Cute nail treatment products!
A pic of the makeup Clarence used on the model!
Lovely Halloween 2015 palettes. Etude House’s seasonal palettes are mostly always with very lovely, trendy colours and very value for money! 
The super popular Play 101 Pencil, a Pony x Etude House collaboration that’s now almost indispensable in many girl’s makeup pouch! Some colours are meant to be eyeshadows, others more as a lip and cheek product, it’s best to test and try them out in stores before making a purchase! 😉
Kate Tokyo’s new and latest Forming Edge eyeshadow palettes and BB Powder Changing Mousse ($23.50 each).
Kate Tokyo’s new and latest Forming Edge eyeshadow palettes in BR-3 (brown), PK-1 (pink), BU-1(blue) and GD-1 (green). Check out all eight shades on their site 
Kate Tokyo’s Forming Edge eyeshadow palette in PK-1, my favourite of the 4 shades. The colour in the middle is actually more peach (pinkish orange) than pink, nonetheless the colours in the palette complements very well for a sweet and romantic look that’s wearable on a daily basis too. Super love!
Wearing Kate Tokyo’s Forming Edge eyeshadow palette in PK-1 in this look.
Kate Tokyo’s Forming Edge eyeshadow palette in BR-3 is my second favourite colour of choice and I pick this colour on days when I want to go for a more understated glam look, like this:
Kate Tokyo’s Forming Edge eyeshadow palette in BU-1 is a colour I have yet to try but when I do, I’d likely match it with gold or orange to create a more friendly look rather than just full blue, which is a tricky look to wear on its own on a regular day.
Kate Tokyo’s Forming Edge eyeshadow palette in GD-1, unfortunately the powder came cracked when I received it, which goes to show how fragile it is, so do be careful when you handle them. Though the pigment and formula is great, and the fancy diamond packaging looks pretty, it does make it more fragile.
KATE Powdery Mousse BB. I have yet to try this out.
Rounding off my Kate Tokyo review with their Eyebrow Set, which comes with the brow palette, brush and comb, was retailing at $20.50, in December 2015. Not sure if you can still find the same promotion now. My Japanese friend commenting on IG (the same pic as above) that Kate is a very popular brand in Japan and that she has bought the same brow palette 10 times! Wow. However I am more of a eyebrow pencil kinda gal… I tried to apply and like this product but I am just not as efficient with this eyebrow palette as I am with the eyebrow pencil… oops.
That is why we need more than one brand in the market, such as Clio which caters to girls like me who prefers eyebrow pencil rather than eyebrow palette, although you an also spot their version above. They also have their Kill Brow All Day Tattoo (which sold out in Korean when they first launched), which is the K version of Benefit’s Gimme Brow, Gel Brow Pencil and waterproof eyeliners! Have actually yet to break into all of them yet, but do check them out in Watsons stores. As mentioned above, I highly recommend Clio’s Kill Black and Brown brush eyeliner and lately am also really loving their Gradation Dual Eyebrow pencil which is their new summer 2016 collection, which I will review in another post! 🙂
Sometime back, the kind folks of 
I was sent this V-Mina Feminine Hygiene Trial Pack some time end last year and I particularly like the Cleansing Mousse. I am not a daily user of female personal hygiene care because I feel that normal body care products are sufficient for me. However during “that time of the month” aka periods, using personal hygiene care feels extra nice. Read more about V-Mina on their site 
So many Korean beauty products, so little time to try and buy them. If you’re a huge Korean skincare, makeup and fashion lover like I am, you might be happy to know of 
Last but not the least, if you’re looking for an affordable sun screen range, consider LipHop, a made in Korea sun care line with products Ultra Whitening Sun Protection Lotion, Kids Hypoallergenic Sun Protection Lotion, Super Defence Ex Sun Protection Milk, Moisturizing Weightless Sun Protection Spray and Soothing Aloe Vera Gel. With all of the variety, you’re bound to find a type of sun block that suits your preference and needs this summer. I’d brought these along with me on my trip to Penang a while back and I like the lightweight Ultra Whitening Sun Protection Lotion. 🙂
New cosmetics from Etude House Play 101 Sticks / cushion concealers, Laneige BB Cushion, K-Palette Rose Eyeliner, Kate Tokyo Eyeshadow Palettes, Stenders Handcream and Lipbalm.
Swatches of Etude House Play 101 sticks, creamy and pigmented.
My picks for the day. 
Coffee break with Cafedirect (available at Fairprice Finest & Fairprice Xtra) before heading out.
Chic photo spots around every corner around Middle Road, if you seek, you’ll find. 😉
Headed back and washed up with 
We were well fuelled by 
*satisfied grin*
And YES I had also lugged over the new ranges of skincare goodies; shower gel, scrub, body creams from The Body Shop to try out during the staycation, best decision ever! Our bathroom and room were filled and smelled so good of summer fragrances from the Pinita Colada (Pineapple and Coconut) to Polynesian Tiare (island flowers), they’ll all launch by June 9. 😉
And a wefie with the lovely one before we tore ourselves away from the room… we really didn’t want to go.
A very cosy and bubbly lobby atmosphere when we left, ideal for friends or family to gather before heading out.
Some swatches of the Clinique’s Pop lip colour.
Photos and products from the event. Unfortunately I did not like both the chubby mascara and liquid eyelining pen as I found the chubby mascara hard to handle with the chubby body and the eyelining pen smudges. Have yet to review the eye serum, will put it to the test and review on my IG 
Was also gifted the Clinique’s 3 step skin care for taking part in the #FaceForward social media campaign. I have oily + normal combi skin and I was matched with the type 3 for the 3 step skin care, consisting of soap, lotion and gel. Heard really good reviews of the dramatically different moisturizing gel, shall also review on my IG after testing it.
2 / In the Glow Highlighting Trio
4 / Laura Mercier’s fail-proof, budge-proof Caviar Sticks, and with six to choose from in the 
6 / Blush & Glow Radiant Face Glow
9 / 
10 / 
The Moistfull White Mela Perfect Serum is a whit-ish translucent watery consistency serum which I apply after my toner and before my make up base. It is quite moisturising as well. I would recommend if you’re looking for an affordable moisturizing and whitening serum.
The Zero Sebum Line include 1. White Sebum Clear 2. All Day Matte Gel and 3. Drying Powder.
These Korean treats are so authentic and delicious.
For Clio’s Tinted Tattoo Kill Brow, apply on the marker on the brows the night before and brush on in the morning for colour that lasts all day.
Also grabbed a refill for my Any Cushion in Peach (Primer), Eyebrow Liner and Eyeshadow applicators during a members’ sale.
Super cute travel theme suitcase and giftbox, it feels like it’s travelled the world with all the country themed stickers and landed on my doorstep, I love it!
From Around The World New York($24.90) you have these adorable hand creams in Mango, Avocado & Cocoa flavours. How cute are they???
Twist open for the cream.
From Around the World Paris set, we have Cleansing foam and 2 rice masks, $18.90.
Not forgetting, this Christmas, we have Christmas themed facial masks like Santa & Reindeer!
There’s definitely a gift set at TheFaceShop that you’ll find for your special someone~
My order from Althea Korea includes Laneige skincare and came with many mini vials and sachets of samples!
Flatlay of my skincare haul from Althea Korea.
Loving my 
Love the festive Christmas backdrop and cute packaging of the products!
Etude House Enamel-ting polish colours and LED lamp on the table for us to DIY our own gel nails!
The new Play 101 collection for this Christmas!
Swatches for the new Play 101 collection. These colours blend out really well for a beautiful eye look.
Did one thumbnail first, nice?
Proceeded to complete the rest of the fingernails! ^^ These are really super easy to apply, you will need a sponge to create the white gradient layer. After about 2-3 weeks, I could “peel” the gelish layer off my nails. There is an Enamelting gel nail soak off remover from the shop to safely remove the gel nail polish!
Everest’s really cute gelish nail design. 
Another set of pretty nail design! Sorry I can’t remember whose nails these are, oops!
Cake scented tablets, blusher and contour palette – adorable!!!
Thank you Etude House for having me at the Christmas blogger event! ^^
Etude House Loving Days Holiday Special Hand Cream Gift Set.
Etude House 
Etude House perfume in Before You Go.
If fairytales were flowers, they will smell like Anna Sui Romantica fragrance – charming, fresh & fabulous~ I love everything about the fragrance, the sweet mesmerizing floral fruit scent, to it’s feminine & girly intricately designed packaging with gold floral details.
Anna Sui’s Holiday Snow Collection offers 2 options, Frozen Love & Thawed Heart ($88 per collection), pictured.
Anna Sui Smooth Eyeshadow in Metallic Pink, Metallic Beige & Metallic Gold. $19 each.
