Another year has come to an end, and I'm still trying to figure out where the time has gone. Not sure where to even begin with this post because the end of year always makes me nostalgic. This year it was just, well, a little different from the previous years as I'm taking the longest break ever since I started studying. I spent more time doing things I like with the people I love and I spent more time caring for myself and people around me.

Those of you who read my first blog post know that I've been through some issues when I was in college, which have a big impact on me. Most of you might not know about this because I rarely talk about how much confidence I lost after those incidents. I lost my confidence to the extent that I hate looking into mirrors and I hate going out of the house. I started working out a lot this year and in the beginning, I felt disappointed and betrayed because I don't see any results after days and weeks of hard work. I created my own daily workout routine and started drinking green tea and detox juice this year. There were days when I felt like giving up but I know I have to keep holding on in order to find my confidence back. After 6 months, I finally lost 4-5 kilograms and I started to see changes in my body although I'm still quite a distance away from my ideal weight and body goal. However, I think I'm miles and miles better than how I used to feel about myself.



This year, I finally have the time to do the things I like - travelling and drawing. Drawing is my passion but I don't have the time to draw when I was in college. And, I realized that drawing is like an escape for me and I can spend hours drawing without feeling bored. This year September, I received a reject letter from the University I wish to pursue in and I was so lost and I cried for hours. At that moment, I really don't know what to do and I just sat beside the bed and cried for hours. I felt disappointed in myself for not doing my best during my interview and I blamed myself for not doing well enough during my exam. To be blatantly honest, there were a few weeks when I found myself in a big slump. I just wanted to sleep all day and don't want to think of anything at all. That was when some thoughts like "Should I give up on Dentistry and take Architecture instead?", "Do I really want drawing as my job?" came in. I'm very grateful that my family and friends were there for me when I need advises. I appealed and went for a second interview and finally received an offer letter from them YAY! :D I'm one step closer to being a dentist and I really can't wait to start the next chapter of my life.



I know I will be busier and don't really have the time to spend with my family after my uni starts. So, I spent a lot of time with my family this year after my A level and we traveled to Korea last October. This year I decided to slow down a tad bit on my studies and social life to focus on myself, taking care of my health and spending time with my family. It is so true that we always take our parents' love and care for granted as you know that they will always be there for you no matter what. But no, our parents won't be there forever. My grandpa past away last November and I realized that my parents are growing older while I'm busy growing up. So, I really want to cherish all the time I spend with them.

I'm proud that I learnt something important this year, which is to respect myself by walking away from things and people that no longer makes me happy. There are some people that I lost contact with and people who were close to me that walked away from my life this year. Of course there are moments when something reminds me of them and I want to let them know, but so much time has passed and so many things happened that contacting them would be weird. I learnt that this is part of life and people come and go. But the best, will definitely stay.

Thanks for all the good and bad things happened on me, precious lessons that I learned and people who stayed with me through my ups and downs. In 2016, I aspire to be someone better with more confidence and achieve something bigger. And most importantly in 2016, I want to be more positive. :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! ♡

Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask 100ml - 13,000 won
This product is one of the top products of Innisfree and I have always wanted to try a clay mask. I've tried this product and I think it really does help to tighten my pores. This product helps to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells as well. It is very important for us to exfoliate our skin at least once a week to remove all the dead skin cells on the surface of our skin to avoid them from clogging our pores. I really like the cooling effect of this product and it doesn't irritate my skin at all.

Green Tea Balancing Lotion - 14,000 won
As you might already know, I'm obsessed with green tea. I used to think that I don't have to use moisturizer as I thought it makes my skin more oily and eventually causes break out. Then I realised I was wrong, so wrong! I know it sounds contradictory to apply a moisturizer to oily and acne-prone skin but the fact is moisturizer actually helps to reduce and control sebum production! So, I've decided to invest in a good and suitable moisturizer/lotion for my skin. This balancing lotion provides deep hydration for combination skin. I really like that it has water-like texture so it applies smoothly and absorbs quickly without any stickiness.

Green Tea Balancing Skin - 14,000 won
I bought this toner to replace my previous SO SKIN toner because this product is much more affordable. This toner is specifically for combination skin type and it preps the skin for better lotion absorption by balancing the pH level of your skin after cleansing. It is quite different from other normal toner as the texture is slightly thicker and you don't have to use a cotton pad for this toner. Although this toner has a slightly thicker texture, it applies smoothly and absorbs quickly. I really like the fresh green tea scent of this product.

Eco Safety Daily Sunblock SPF35 PA++ - 8,000 won
One of the most common beauty advice I've ever received was to use sunscreen! Even if it's a cloudy day, there are still UV rays during the day that can cause premature aging and this is why all the Korean women include sunblock in their daily skin care regime. As I've mentioned above, I have very sensitive and acne-prone skin. So I prefer to use a water base sunblock as it is more gentle on my skin. I really like this sunblock as it applies smoothly and it doesn't feel greasy or heavy at all. The good thing about this product is that it doesn't leave white case on my face unlike other sunscreen. It has a very fresh and mild sunflower and green tea smell.

Bija Anti-trouble Facial Foam - 8,000 won
I wanted to find a good and more affordable cleanser to replace my current SO SKIN cleanser. I came across this product when I was doing some research on cleansers and I read quite a lot of good reviews about this product. So I really wanted to give it a try. This cleanser is specifically for skin trouble such as blemish-prone skin.

Olive Real Cleansing Tissue 30 sheets - 5,000 won
Oil based products can remove makeup and dirt on your face easily because it can melts all the makeup, impurities and dirt on your face. Olive oil is really great for hydrating your skin and most importantly, it doesn't clog your pores! These cleansing tissues contain organic olives which provide deep-hydration and at the same time remove all the makeup and cleanse your face effectively. These tissues are very gentle on my sensitive skin as they are very soft. I really like the fresh and nice olive smell of this product too. I bought them during 1+1 promotion so each pack of this cleansing tissue costs 2,500 won only!

It's Real Squeeze Mask - 950 won/sheet
A lot of Koreans are religiously putting on sheet masks, which help to promote having soft dewy skin every other night. That's because sheet masks are great for rejuvenating your skin instantly. I really like the fact that all these face masks are made of different natural ingredients and each of them contain different essence addressing a different skin concern. When you remove the sheet mask from its packaging you can already tell that it's going to be incredibly moisturizing as the essence in it is very rich and thick.

Long Wear Cushion SPF50+/PA+++ (no.21 natural beige) - 20,000 won
I really wanted to get myself this cushion because I've heard how easy it is to use this product and how long lasting this product is. This product contains Jeju volcanic powder which controls sebum production and it reduces the appearance of pores, discolourations and imperfections to enhance the soft and smooth complexion. I like how this product leaves a very light and refreshing feeling without being oily. Some people might find the fresh herbal scent of this product too strong but it doesn't bother me at all.

Gel Liner (no.10 chic black) - 6,500 won
I really like the smooth gel formula of this gel liner as it minimizes the irritation around the eye and it applies easily. This waterproof gel liner is very suitable for tightlining where you apply eyeliner to your upper lash line. Down side is it starts to smudge a little after a few hours but it's not that obvious so it's still alright.

Eco Eyebrow Pencil (no.4 deep brown) - 2,800 won
I like how this eyebrow pencil creates a natural look with a soft texture. It has a spiral-shaped brush on the other end of the eyebrow pencil so it is very convenient. For a beginner in drawing eyebrows like me, it is quite easy to apply with the wide flat tip of the eyebrow pencil.

In one of my previous post about Sinsadong, I mentioned that I stayed at Vella Suite Hotel for all the days while we were in Seoul. And, I think I should do a full review on this hotel for those who are planning to stay here.

We booked this hotel through Agoda and we read a lot of good reviews about this hotel. All the reviews were so good that we didn't hesitate at all to book it. Although there were some bad reviews here and there but the good reviews were too overwhelming (almost 98% of the reviews on Agoda were good).

Although this hotel isn't located exactly at Myeongdong, the location of this hotel is still great as it's just one subway station away from Myeongdong (Chungmuro Station). The airport bus station is also just across the street so it's very convenient. There are quite a lot of restaurants nearby the hotel as well. I guess the location of this hotel is the only thing I like about this hotel.


When we arrived at the hotel, we took more than 1 hour to check in and settle down. We booked 4 rooms through Agoda for 9 person and we had an additional kid. Honestly, their room policy is incredibly inflexible. They didn't allow us to add an extra bed even if we were willing to pay for it. We were willing to pay extra amount for that additional person without adding an extra bed but they don't even allow us to do so. The rooms are big enough to accommodate and I think it is not a big deal to have an additional child in the room when your customers are willing to pay for it. At last, we had no choice but to book another extra room for the first 2 days in Seoul. Due to their inflexibility, two of us had to stay in a guesthouse, Boot Guesthouse nearby for the last 2 days in Seoul as they did not have enough rooms for us. All I can say about this is that they were not customer focused at all and not very understanding. About the staffs, they have poor English level so it was quite hard to communicate with them. And I think they were not professional enough as they were impolite and very inconsiderate.



As you can see the lighting in the rooms is very bad and you can't find any place to hang your clothes or towels in the toilet. Personally, I think the room design could be improved by adding a door to separate the toilet from the bedroom. Because a room with a toilet without a door is more suitable for couples but not suitable for family. I had a difficult time to fall asleep on my first night here as the noise from the street was very loud. Most disappointing thing about this hotel is that their so called "breakfast provided" is just daily coupon for Burger King breakfast set at the Burger King next door. Are you expecting us to have fast food for breakfast everyday?! -.-

I'm not trying to condemn this hotel but all of us were very disappointed about this hotel. And, I definitely won't be staying here again because I can get a better room with better service at the same location at a lower price. I highly recommend Boot Guesthouse which is just about 100m away from Vella Suite Hotel. The guesthouse is very comfortable and cozy with free flow of food and good housekeeping at a lower price.

On the very last night in Korea we took the time to walk around Dongdaemun area after our dinner and we ended up at this Design Plaza. All of us were so exhausted that night from all the walking and shopping so we just explored around the design plaza and took some Intragram-worthy photos. xD However, the lighting was quite bad so didn't manage to take any nice photos actually although the building is very photogenic. We were so impressed with the appearance of the minimal yet aesthetically pleasing Design Plaza. I came across pictures of the LED flower field at the design plaza when I was planning for this trip. Unfortunately we can't find it and didn't have a chance to take pictures of it. :(

Directions to Dongdaemun Design Plaza:
1. Take Subway Line 2 or 4 or 5 to Dongdaemun History & Culture Park, 동대문역사문화공워역.
2. Come out from Exit 1.












This was the last tourist attraction we went to and we went back to Malaysia the next morning. :( Overall, it was a really fun and memorable trip with my family although many of our plans failed and the trip was very different from what I expected. Many unexpected things happened and I didn't manage to visit some of the places I was longing to go to. Korea is a very nice country and I love that this country has an obvious blend of modern and vintage. I will definitely come back again next time when I'm running out of K beauty products! xD

That's all for today and I'll post a review about the hotel I stayed when we were at Seoul soon.

Happy Monday!