BTS had a free concert in Busan a few weeks ago. It was aired LIVE on WEVERSE, with almost 47M fans from around the world tuning in. That is a massive impact on the SK entertainment industry. This is a country that relies on talent to generate money as opposed to other forms of income.
I didn’t watch it though. I guess I wasn’t feeling up to it at the time. I’d probably watch the recordings of it on BangtanTV. Heard it was a great concert. Well, I wouldn’t expect less.
Afterwards, the fandom received news that Jin will not only release his solo album but also withdraw his application to extend his enlisting services. I honestly think that it is the greatest move any young, successful, role model would do. To answer to his duty of calling and serving his nation. The rest of the members will follow suit as deemed suitable to their personal timing. The great news is, we know, they will reconvene as BTS in their prime age, in the year 2025.
2025 is roughly 3 years from now.
By that time, InsyaAllah I would have graduated with a psychology degree and probably embarked on my Master’s journey. Perhaps in my final year or something. In short, all ARMY should make it a period of time where they also improve as individuals doing their best in life. Namjoon would be proud.
The only person who keeps saying I am pretty right now is my daughter. Ha ha ha. So, alhamdulillah for this daughter bestowed upon me. Without her, I’d probably be fishing for compliments on social media.
Mummy cantik
Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder but it can be created and maintained. Lately, I have been engrossed in those fast-paced Chinese vlogs on Youtube. The genre is where they have all the exciting and cute gadgets. They’re usually a compilation of TikTok videos (maybe?) portraying females going about their daily routine in the house with the help of these items. The videos are entertaining to watch. I also enjoy watching the ASMR makeup removal videos or skincare regimes videos. One of the funnier ones is Jannatul Mitsuisen. I wonder if that is her name or if it means something else.
Consistency is key
I have been very consistent with my moisturizer, sunscreen and retinol since November last year. It was one of the most significant changes to my skincare habits as I remembered purchasing my first retinol from The Originals. With time, I discovered that there are a lot of reputable brands not only from Korea but also from the States. The thing is, I have only one face. Even the small bottle of retinol lasts me for at least 8 months as the advice is to use a pea-sized amount on the face. I don’t know how the beauty influencers get through theirs so fast. Or maybe they’re the type who just purchases everything.
I am also doing double cleansing. With the oil or the balm before I use the usual foam cleanser. I always have something in my Shopee Cart waiting to be checked out as I scroll through various recommendations on Instagram reels.
My late mum really loved the ginseng based product I bought for her from Body Shop a few years ago. I tried the Red Ginseng mask from EKEL, 3W CLINIC and Innisfree. It seems that Red Ginseng across the brands all leaves the skin feeling fresh and not sticky. I am considering to get the Ginseng toner from Beauty of Joseon end of the year.
I thought I should make the trip worthy by ordering both face mask sheets and hair caps. . I have tried the Bioaqua Ice Mask but have yet to try the Vitamin C type. The caps were cute and I got them in 3 colours which are purple, deep pink and pink. My daughter loved her pink one.
Price: RM2.89/ea for caps and RM0.50/ea for masks
Psychology books
I bought two Islamic psychology books from IIUMPRESS. I thought that I’d like to bring them to the conference and get Dr Alizi’s autograph. It did not happen. I did enjoy his topic though. It was very enlightening. The total purchase was RM71.40
GUMASH
For Gumash, I got a different colour this time. This is one of the henna-based hair dyes for women. Going for a dark brown instead of a copper head. This one was priced at RM54.80.
Whizzfizz
This local product exceeded my expectation. It is a bubble bath essence. It produced a lot of bubbles in the tub. The type where it will stay above your boobs for a long time when you’re soaking. I bought it with me during my trip to Kuching the other day. Each bottle costs RM29.35 and I bought all 3 variants.
My bathroom is like a spa.. yeay
Foot bucket spa
I also bought a foot bucket spa for RM209.90 and it was so worth it. I even received a lot of free herbal powder. Basically, you fill up the collapsible bucket with normal temp water, the machine will heat it up to the desired temperature and just put whatever herbal powder of your choice inside. At the bottom of the bucket, there are rollers to massage your tired feet. You can put on the timer as well. I usually do one for about 20 minutes.
The collab, Bad Decisions was released on my birthday. I had thought that Agust D would drop his track this month but no.. it did not happen. I think there was a VLive sometime last month where Namjoon said he will release his album in the near future. Earlier than Agust D? Anyway, I will take Bad Decisions as a bday gift from bangtan to ARMY’s celebrating birthdays on that day.
Speaking of songs, sometimes… when I need to raise my self-esteem or something, I’ll stream Prince’s song – The Most Beautiful Girl in the World. The birthday celebration is ongoing for a month. LOL. My husband gave me 2 sets of Elianto products. One is a makeup set and the other one is a beautiful selection of perfumes, body mists and EDTs. Enough to keep me fragrant until next year. I Superlove them all. They smell so nice! I need to declutter my old, expired makeup products and clear my vanity again. The collection of skincare and makeup items is growing!
I’ll make a blog series called ‘On my vanity’ soon. Kind of to share what’s on my mini dresser.
I gifted myself a tower of books this year. The initial list was longer but I restrained myself from going crazy with the carts in Shopee. Plus, I still have a TBR list on my Google Playbook.
Remember last year how I have this new friend out of the blue? This year, this friend also sent me the gift of energy. I received Zus coffee and a pandan cheesecake. The friend was worried that I wouldn’t like the selection but I told the friend that I loved Zus Coffee products, so it’s totally fine!
August and September will be interesting months as we head towards the National Sports Day celebration. There will be games and mini leagues in the following weeks.
K-beauty is ruling the world. I have to admit, it’s quite easy to become hooked as they have not only the cutest packaging but also convincing marketing strategies that make you want to become part of that beauty standard. The glow, the tint, the K-Idol look and all. The only problem I have with it, especially the makeup line is the shade. It’s quite difficult to find a fit as Koreans are mostly very fair. So I am always looking for options to suit my skin tone and my skin type. So, I thought I’d look into something more local or regional. I am not a fan of natural or homemade products though because of a possible allergic reaction (think atopy & allergen susceptibility). Most skincare products I discovered in Malaysia are endorsed or produced by celebrities/influencers which is not something I favour. I did find a few that are not produced by a celebrity but I was not WOW-ed by them. The price for the products is also steep for something that is not like La Roche Posay – you get what I mean? LRP pun lagi murah.
So, I looked around the SEA region and discovered Wardah. Wardah is available in Watson but I was never actually intrigued to try it out. Until a few months back when I decided to be more consistent in my skincare regime and bought the toner. I was looking for something with Niacinamide to use in the morning to balance out the use of my retinol (the Originals Retinol 0.5% in squalane) at night. I bought the toner in blue. I loved the product. It was very light on the skin, refreshing and affordable. Wallet friendly too.
I decided to try other products under the brand and bought the Wardah Crystal Secret brightening cream and Wardah C-defense with vitamin C face mist. I have only two makeup items from Wardah which is their powder foundation in 04 Natural shade and the Instaperfect lip matte paint in shade 06 flair. I was surprised with the effect of the powder foundation because, on 1st application, it looked like I am not wearing anything. Meaning it blends perfectly well but after a few minutes, you could see in the mirror that it brings out a smooth complexion look on the face. The coverage is not as perfect as the cushion though. So, flawless is not the keyword here but tona kulit sekata is more like it. The pores are also less visible especially when you’re in your late 30s.
I browsed through their official online store on Shopee and bought a few other things. Again. This time, I bought a new bottle of the Wardah Lightening Face toner, Wardah Renew You Anti Ageing Intensive Serum, Wardah Instaperfect Hypergetic precise Black Eyeliner and Wardah Crystal Secret brightening Day Cream. Once my Beauty of Joseon Sun Cream finishes, I might consider purchasing Wardah’s sunscreen as well. Now, it’s the waiting game.
Minci Moss 