All posts tagged: seoul

THE FINAL ONE: GOODBYE SOUTH KOREA

Published by

Two years later, here we are. My bags are packed and I’m ready to leave South Korea, the place that has made me constantly crave spicy food, challenged me with language barriers and (many) cultural differences. The place I pushed my limits, challenged myself, fell in love, and battled loneliness. The place I found inner strength, discovered the power of my voice, and (most importantly) a place I felt safe and called home. Busan, South Korea will always have a special place in my heart. I’ll miss the mountains, beaches, prompt public transportation, cheap convenience store ice cream, and of course, my students. Leaving has been an extremely emotional and overwhelming process. I was not prepared for how much it hurts to say goodbye to people, places, and memories. But such is life. You grow and move on. Currently I am in Seoul, wandering around the city until my departure on Sunday. I’ve been taking my time to walk in and out of shops and discovering new places such as the COEX Mall‘s Starfield Library, which holds …

NEW YEAR, NEW ME?

Published by

HAPPY 2018 MY LOVES! Typically around the holiday season I get a little somber, especially since it’s my third year in a row away from my family. But, if I learned anything from the past few years is that you make your own happiness. I repeat: YOU MAKE YOUR OWN HAPPINESS! Instead of curling into a ball and hiding away, on Christmas Eve I headed to Seoul to be with my friend Annie and celebrate December 25th with red bean donuts, ice skating, and treating myself with skincare related prezzies. And of course, I vlogged it all for ya. My New Years Eve was way less eventful. I bundled up at home in my thickest blanket, gathered my favorite junk food (chicken burgers, french fries, popcorn, and chocolate ice cream), and had a solo Harry Potter movie marathon. It. Was. Ah-mazing. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is by far the best movie of them all. I fell asleep around 11PM (lol, living the dream!) and woke up at 1:30AM with texts from my family …

THE BEST BEAUTY STREET STYLE LOOKS DURING SEOUL FASHION WEEK

Published by

Fashion may have been the focus, but beauty reigned supreme as Korean trendsetters strutted the grounds of Dongdaemun Design Plaza with chic, puffy eye make-up, eyebrow slits and dramatic, striking lenses. Looks were bold, carefree statements that opposed tradition. Coloured hair of sunburst reds, icy blondes, and pastel pinks were a signature look amongst the stylish youth as well as cheekbones bedazzled with gemstones. In the ever-growing wave of male beauty, men rocked flesh-toned foundation with edgy eyes and bold lips inspired by the latest K-pop music videos of EXO and BTS. See the best beauty looks outside Hera Seoul Fashion Week this season. Article and photos for FASHION Magazine.

ULTRA KOREA

Published by

Earlier this year I bought tickets to Ultra in Seoul, an EDM music festival that’s waaaaay out of my element. I’m not a rave-all-night type person, let alone having sweaty bodies push and shove me all night, but decided to give it a shot. I attended solo but if I learned anything from that day, it’s that music truly does bring people together. I met lovely ladies while in the entry line and we became instant friends, dancing all night to beats of Alesso, Pendulum, and Steve Angello. Don’t be afraid to tip-toe your way out of your comfort zone and try new experiences. This is a mantra I’ve had ever since I’ve moved to South Korea. I opened my mind to a new crowd, new music, new environment, and I’m so happy I did. Watch all the craziness go down in my Ultra Korea vlog below!

CUPCAKES, COW BLOOD, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

Published by

Another week, another life update. Even though I haven’t had a true life update in three weeks.. oy. It’s currently Sunday evening and I will be going to bed in about an hour, but I wanted to get this up so you know that I’m still alive and well. Vlogging every week can be difficult, sometimes. Especially when you’re going through life’s adversities or feel exhausted, then no part of me wants to shove a camera in front of my face and forced to be entertaining. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE filming and editing videos of my daily life, it’s a hobby. I do it because it allows me to release creative energy and keeps me occupied. But some weeks, like the last couple weeks, it can be strenuous to film a side of me that’s a bit more vulnerable. But no need to worry, all is well. I’m happy and revitalized so, let’s talk about Sport’s Day. Last year I filmed Sport’s Day at my school in a little more depth, which you can watch by clicking, HERE. …

SEOLLAL IN SEOUL

Published by

My one year anniversary since moving to Busan, South Korea is less than a week away. HOLY SMOKES! Fellow English teachers have started to pack their bags and will be traveling South East Asia or going back to their home countries doing, whatever adults do to progress their lives nowadays. I will be living and teaching in SoKo for one more year and looking forward to new adventures, collecting more passport stamps, and meeting friends the universe will put into my life next. Even though there will be a handful of changes happening in the next few days, some things will be staying the same. I’ll be living in the same apartment, teaching at the same school, and continually getting lost while navigating the city streets but making the best of it by finding a pretty place to sit down and take a picture. On January 28th, my cousin Melissa and I traveled to Seoul for Seollal, otherwise known as Lunar New Year. The best part of the weekend was our visit to Gyeongbokgung where we took an audio …

STREET STYLE, SEOUL FASHION WEEK: 29 ECLECTIC LOOKS FROM OUTSIDE THE SPRING 2017 SHOWS

Published by

Last week, Dongdaemun Design Plaza was the epicentre of Seoul fashion and showcased the upcoming trends for the Spring 2017 season. Outside the spaceship-looking landmark, however, was where the real show was happening. The street style in Seoul was a sartorial circus where the kitschy, 90’s grunge and pantsuit-polished style-setters congregated to display a spectacle of their own. Berets with ring and chain attachments, mismatched shoes and tinted sunglasses were prominent, as well as Korean kiddies who stole our hearts with an eclectic style all their own. See 29 of the best street style looks outside Hera Seoul Fashion Week on FASHION Magazine. While you’re here, watch my SFW vlog! I may or may not hug a shirtless male model..

BIRTHDAY AT EVERLAND

Published by

To celebrate turning one year older, I went to the largest theme park in South Korea – Everland! I am going to answer all of your burning WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and WHY questions from the fun-filled day. Let us begin: WHO: Went to Everland with my friend Dev and stayed at an Airbnb in Seoul (Gangnam). We took the 5002 bus, which was luckily just outside our place. The ride was 45 minutes and took us straight to the theme park. The bus is the cheapest form of transportation from Seoul (around ₩2,000), but I advise going as early as possible to avoid standing the entire time, like we did. WHAT: Everland is a magical place that holds the world record for having the steepest wooden roller coaster, T-Express (it has a slope of 77 degrees.. yikes!), and the prettiest gardens I ever did see. WHERE: It is located in the city of Yongin, which is in the province of Gyeonggi-do (same province as Seoul!). WHEN: My birthday is in October so Everland was packed with spooky ghost and pumpkin decorations as …

5 THINGS I LEARNED AT HERA SEOUL FASHION WEEK S/S’17

Published by

This season, I had the pleasure of attending Hera Seoul Fashion Week to watch Spring/Summer 2017 collections stomp down the runways at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP). I signed up for a press pass a month before, which gave me access to all of the stylish shows. If you’re an EPIK teacher who has a trendy blog or have a kick-ass photography portfolio, you can email the designers individually to potentially receive ticket to their show too! After attending the fashionable affair, here are 5 things I learned: 1. Always be photo ready Outside of DDP are hoards of street style photographers ready to snap a photo of your #OOTD. If you’re anywhere near fashion week, be sure to give ’em your good side and channel your inner Zoolander, blue steel pose. 2. Elbow your way to the front If you have a unassigned seat to a show, it means you’re four or five rows back. Wait until the last couple minutes before the show starts to hear the volunteers say you can move forward. Front row seats will be reserved for magazine editors …

CHUSEOK IN SEOUL

Published by

Chuseok is known as Korean’s version of Thanksgiving and the longest holiday of the year. It has recently passed and for the five days I had off from work I packed my bags and took the KTX straight to Seoul. I was happy to be back on the streets of Korea’s capital, and even happier to be with my cousin and his girlfriend who visited from Toronto. The first place we toured around was the beautiful Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was built in 1395. Doesn’t that blow your mind?! WHAT WAS LIFE EVEN LIKE BACK THEN?! One of the best parts of going to the palace, especially during Chuseok, was seeing almost every Korean dressed in a Hanbok (Korean cultural dress). Perhaps they wore it because of tradition orrr maybe because if you wore one during the holiday it was free to enter all palaces in Seoul (facts). The next day we took a stroll around Naksan Park, located smack dab in the middle of the Seoul. You can have the BEST view of the city here! …

SEOUL FASHION WEEK

Published by

I can officially tick off that I have attended fashion shows on an international stage. Where you ask? Seoul, South Korea for HERA SEOUL FASHION WEEK! AHH! Dongdaemun Design Plaza, where SFW took place, is one of the coolest buildings in Seoul. It has a modern, architectural design and is absolutely massive on the inside. You can see just how big it is from the photo above, I look so little in comparison. I went on behalf of FASHION Magazine and was floored at the incredible talent from the designers, makeup artists, hair stylists.. and the fact that I got to sit front row (name on seat and all) at one of the shows. This may not be a big deal to many but, seeing my name on a front row seat gave me a sense of, I made it. You best believe I kept that little piece of paper, as it will remind me of the first of many shows around the world I hope to attend in the future. 😉 There were crowds of stylish people surrounding the area, some waiting …

THE CRAZY BEAUTY TREND THAT WAS ALL OVER THE SFW FALL 2016 RUNWAYS

Published by

You no longer have to be under the age of five to appreciate a colourful mural on your face. Ah, those were the days right? Going to a carnival and getting a butterfly painted on your entire face? Heavenly. Well, your inner kid will appreciate that the Fall 2016 shows at Seoul Fashion Week made it pretty obvious that vibrant face paint is the latest beauty trend. Models at the Doii show (above) donned an array of forest inspired hues that ran down the side of their face and nose. They resembled mystical creatures, or a tribe that I would very much like to be part of. #squadgoals For more sublte(-ish) face paint inspiration, models at the Kye show had their eyebrows and under-eyes painted white. It looked pretty badass tbh, and it’s an immediate attention-grabber. Maybe not for the office or going grocery shopping (imagine…) but we know you want to try it out. Another update: smudged lipstick on your face is no longer embarrassing! Ok, yes it is when it’s not intentional, but …