2012 Korean Summer Fashion - BB Creams

Have you ever wondered at the flawless skin that Korean women - and even men - pull off so beautifully? Being Chinese, I am amazed at how Koreans are able to maintain this natural, perfect-skin look on a daily basis. But do not be fooled. For what lies beneath that perfected, clear white, shining skin is a long process that requires retouching after retouching. According to my Korean friend, she usually takes up to an hour applying only the make up. With me, it only takes me up to 15 minutes just to to do my make up. Perhaps, I'm missing out on a whole lot of processes? Nevertheless, this leads to the topic of today's entry: BB creams. What was initially created for post-plastic surgery purposes has become a new fad and popular must-have item for every woman. It was initially created in Germany, but Korea have managed to improve the formula and technique to create one of the best BB creams out there available to Asian - and even Caucasian - skin types.

In lieu with my upcoming trip, I wanted to be able to blend in with the crowd. There are high chances that I will be living in Seoul, and so I do feel a pressure to keep up with the well-rounded fashion that Korean women are well-known for, particularly in Seoul. That includes wearing high heels on a daily basis (prepare some band-aids), impeccable high designer bags, long luscious hair that looks to have been just cut, shampooed, and styled by a hair salon, and... that beautiful clear skin. BB creams were everywhere when I was previously in Korea. At that time, I was blithely unaware of what exactly they were and just how good they were. I had been relying on my Maybelline 24-hour stay foundation, which I still use till now. The past two days have consisted of intensive research on the best BB cream products in Korea. I have to say, I am rather impressed with myself on the amount of information I now know regarding the popular product, and its many various advantages and positive effects on skin improvement. So, I'd like to document at least up to five of the best Korean BB cream products I have come across so far. One thing to note, there are differences between BB creams made in North America and those made in Asia. The difference is obvious, each regions products will cater better to those respective regions' skin types. 

To start off, some of the popular brands associated with BB creams are the following: Missha, Hanskin, Skin79, BRTC, Etude House, and various others. There are a lot more brands out there, but my research has led me to these top brands that make some of the best and suitable BB creams.

1. Skin79

Skin79 has been very successful with its BB cream line. It has been so successful that this will be my first BB cream to test, having ordered it from Seoul.

SKIN79 GOLD LABEL VIP SUPER PLUS BEBLESH BALM 40G

This BB cream is recommended for use in cold/winter seasons, as it is very moisturising. However, I am rather worried about the colour. BB creams usually come in very limited colouring, but the reason is because BB creams contain ingredients that will oxidize with your skin colour. When in contact with oxygen, it will eventually blend in to your skin colour. However, I am unsure of how well it will oxidize with my skin colour. I am hoping for the best. Because this BB cream is for cold temperatures, I decided to give this one a shot. Once summer comes, or once I am off to Korea,  I will be making sure that I will purchase the following BB Cream.

SKIN79 HOT PINK SUPER PLUS BB CREAM TRIPLE FUNCTIONS 40G

I have read nothing but great reviews for this particular BB cream. This BB cream is designed for summer temperatures, has oil-controlling sebum, and loads more ingredients to make your skin look healthy. I was initially deciding to purchase this BB cream first in preparation for summer, but then I realised I wasn't even in Korea yet. However, once I receive my other BB cream, I will be ordering this one right after.

Skin79 pros:

- Most importantly, it does not cause breakouts, or at least reviews have stated that this has caused them to break out.

- the newer, smaller package, is much more convenient for carrying around.

- the pump is better designed, and its vacuum pump is more hygienic.

- the cream is light, but it will eventually oxidize to your closest skin colour. If it still looks pale, this shouldn't be a problem as I usually apply blush afterwards.

- it has proven skin improvement effects.

2. Missha

MISSHA PERFECT COVER B.B CREAM NO# 21 SPF42 PA+++ 50ML

This is another popular BB cream that has three skin colour ranges, light ones in milky beige and bright beige and the other in natural beige. In my opinion, the latter skin colour would have suited my skin colour very well. However, I have read various reviews which have claimed that this product has caused break-outs and other skin irritations.

3. Hanskin

HANSKIN PREMIUM MAGIC BB CREAM 50ML

Hanskin is one of the more expensive skincare products, and this particular BB cream does not prove otherwise. This BB cream can fetch up to $50 dollars on a regular retail basis. However, with careful online shopping research done, you can grab this baby for at least $30. I believe this BB cream has stronger anti-wrinkle ingredients, so I assume this caters to the more mature skin types. Some people have found that its rather grey outcome isn't a pleasing sight to see, especially in summer. However, this might be suitable for the winter look. It might be expensive, but it is one of the BB creams that have strong skin improvements and does not cause breakouts or anything of the sort.

4. Skinfood

SKINFOOD GINGKO GREEN BB CREAM NO1 50G

Most people have said that this is a pleasant BB cream, with a nice light tea smell. Others have said that although this is rather light in coverage, it has a pleasant creamy consistency that is pleasing on the skin. A dowside to this BB cream, in my opinion, is the lack of sun protection, no SPF. It is rather odd, because all the BB creams I have come across include a high sun protection, some reaching up to SPF 50! But, this may depend on the preference of the person. Nonetheless, this has gotten good ratings for its consistency, smell, and non-irritation.

Note: the nail polish of Skinfood is amazing! Try out their Nail Vita range.

5. BRTC

JASMIN WATER SPF30PA++ Blemish Balm BB Cream 35g

Aqua Rush Water Drop BB Cream SPF28 PA++ 35g

TROUBLE BLEMISH RECOVER BALM BB CREAM SPF28PA++

BRTC strikes me as one of the more medically-based BB creams. In particular, the blemish recover bb cream has a rather medicine-like smell, which might be appealing for some but it may emphasize the healing properties for acne. I have found that the BRTC range cater for the more light-skinned colour ranges. In a trial, the BRTC BB cream suited the Caucasian skin, rather than the Asian olive colour. In additiion, BRTC are also one of the more expensive BB cream range, like Hanskin.

There are a lot more BB creams. Choosing on one is just as stressful as choosing the right pair of pumps. It is time-consuming and even money-wasting if you don't choose the right one. Before buying a BB cream, especially if you are new to the concept, doing a lot of research is essential. It is like any other skincare product, and it might not suit all skin types, even though it claims it does. It can irritate some skin types, and not others. Also, the colour is a tricky aspect, especially for the the more tanned, olive skin colour. In conclusion, I found that Skin79 was the suitable choice to make. I have my eyes set on the two particular BB creams mentioned above, one for winter and one for summer. The most important thing for me, being an acne-prone skin type is that it has not caused breakouts or skin irritations. I am rather nervous about the colour, but I would most likely to fix this easily with blush and a darker powder shade.

Internships, placements, jobs.

With my boyfriend having just begun his training program to prepare for working in around a month's time for the semiconductor company, it has prompted me to thinking about my future career. Lately, I've been desperately looking for any internship opportunities in South Korea. It hasn't proven too successful. Either I had just missed the deadline for submission of applications, or internships requiring fluency in BOTH Korean and English. The solution does seem simple: study Korean while you have the free time! I've reached a point in my life where I need to seriously consider what sector of the workplace I want to focus on. Lately, I've found an interest in International Business. Literally, there are a lot of opportunities that I could apply for, but they all require a certain amount of thinking. I have to be logical about what I want to be doing within this year and the next year. Should I buy shifting to another course that is focused on Asian Studies or International Business with a focus on East Asia? I have applied for Monash University and I have yet to hear from them.


So, I've decided to use this blog to help me keep track of what I have found so far. Based from how I've been doing my research these days, I've noticed that I've just been finding the same things that I've already found. It does seem a waste of time to be finding the same information over and over again. Some have been really useful, and I could use those for future references.

2012 Korean Sumer Fashion - Research & Develepment

Tops/Blouses:

Key words: Lightweight material, simple designs, pastel colour palette.

Dresses:

Keywords: Lightweight and thin, breezy, balloon-type, solid colours.

Bottoms/Pants:

Keywords: Sophistication.

Shoes/Accessories:

Keywords: Slip-on shoes, small bags, versatility.

2012 Korean Sumer Fashion - Initial thoughts

In preparation - two months to be exact - for my upcoming trip to South Korea in summer, I have been deliberating on the clothes I'll be bringing and wearing there. I'm opting to pack lightly and not burden myself with a heavy, overweight luggage, which I suffered for in my previous trip to Korea. The reason for my overweight luggage was primarily due to my heavy winter coats and whatever warm jumpers I could bring with me. I paid dearly for the overweight luggage fine, a total of $100 dollars. I have learned my lesson and will carefully be planning on what to bring. There are two important reminders that I keep telling myself: 1) Quantity-wise, I have enough Summer clothes that makes it unnecessary for me to go shopping for the latest Summer fashion trends; and 2) At the end of the day, comfort overrules and looks.


However, temptations keep coming at me. I keep researching on what Koreans usually wear in summer. As I heard, Korea in summer is rather humid. I have lived in an all-year humid country, so I am quite used to living in humid weather. However, most of my Korean friends have urged me that the summer in Korea is so humid. I ask myself whether they are just overreacting and unaware of the fact that I have had a long experience living in hot and humid countries, or they could be dead serious about the hot weather. Temperature wise, summer in Korea is less harsh than Australian summer. In fact, Australian summer is one of the most hottest - and painful - summers anywhere in the world. So, I'm used to walking out in temperatures reaching the hight 30s Celsius. So, after much asking and research done, I'm still confused on exactly how humid it gets. But, I am quite certain that I will be able to tolerate the hot weather.

New pet for my laptop

Today, I received my new Rilakkuma card reader. It is larger than I expected, but it's still cute.

What to do?

Everyone knows that feeling when after a month's worth of hard work put into writing essays and dreaming of the moment when you submit those papers and be cleared with all of that brain-eating work, you become clueless afterwards on what exactly to do with all that free time. I've only been a few days into my month-long vacation, and yet I am already troubled with what exactly it is I want to catch up during this free time. Writing a list of the things I want to achieve would be helpful:


1. Study intensive Korean for the entire month - every day being the target.
2. Read Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
3. Find a part-time job to compensate for the expenses of my upcoming trip to Korea.
4. Pray that I do get into Monash University.
5. Try not to shop too much, anticipating for the glorious summer weather in Korea.


So, those are my top five priorities to either do or keep in mind throughout my entire vacation. I have been finding myself tempted to start shopping for summer wear, when I know that I have a decent collection of lovely dresses and summer outfits that will perfectly suit the hot summer sun when I go to Korea in late August. I have to say, the only thing that's been on my mind is my upcoming trip. I am glad that I booked my flights only after I had finished with all my school work or else it would have been a detrimental factor to my successfully completing everything (and trust me, I was already struggling with it). I have sixty-four days until my departure for a month-long stay in Korea.


During this month-long stay in god-knows-where in Korea, I have been troubled by a few issues or doubts. During this time, my boyfriend would already by in full-time work. I am saddened by the fact that I won't be able to spend the whole day with him, relying only on uninterrupted weekends for when I can spend time with him. He has promised that he would stay with me wherever I stay. However, I know myself and I am rather selfish with wanting him for myself during this time - can you really blame a girl like me who's travelling all this way to see him? In addition, this time will be when I am already well into my second semester in my master degree. I have yet to know whether I get accepted into Monash University. It will be crucial and rather risky with my being absent in over three weeks' worth of school work. What I need to do is to ensure to whoever my professors are that I will be able to follow up on every single thing online, and that it will not hinder my submission of any assessments that might be due during the time that I am overseas. Of course, I do bear the risks and consequences of going overseas during this time. But, I am optimistic and I am assured that it shan't affect anything. Basically, I will just be studying during the weekdays when my boyfriend works, and will hopefully see him in the evening for or after dinner. Funny, I am paying a whole lot of money just to see his face for a few hours.


All of that is in the near future. In the mean time, I should try to just relax and take a deep breath. I have all this free time so I should use it to its fullest before I complain again for not getting any free time to do the things I want. The other day, I bought a lovely powder blue chiffon blouse that would be quite suitable for my boyfriend's upcoming graduation in August. I could match it with a mini skirt. I am quite excited, but I am not looking forward to meeting his parents, if they do intend to attend. As I have been told, they do not understand English and so it is up to me to learn as much Korean as I can in order to be prepared for any confrontations. I'm sure two months will suffice if I do some serious studying. 

영어 영어

I read an interesting and fascinating short account of an American's experience of teaching in South Korea. Her comments on the Korean people, their habits, reactions to foreigners, English teaching, was stimulating. It got me thinking about my failed internship to tutor English to university students. If I had gotten accepted into that internship, would I be experiencing, more or less, those same accounts that this American English teacher talked about? About standing out from the crowd mainly because of heigh, skin colour and hair colour? Would I be the object of stares and whispers by curious Koreans around me? Sure, it did happen to me a few times. Either, I felt that I was being watched heavily, or that I really did look like a foreigner.
It is interesting to observe how Koreans react towards foreigners. Korea's seemingly high interest in native English teachers reflects the country's dire need to get internationalised in some aspect. English. It certainly is the international language at the forefront of this globalisation age. From personal experience and observation, I do find that this, for lack of a better word, obsession that Koreans have with English feels rather superficial. Do they really want to learn English? Despite the language being adopted as the main teaching medium for some university subjects, or scoring a high TOEFL or TOIEC score being a prerequisite for job interviews, where do we see the real motive for Koreans to actually learn English?