Seoul Searching | Children's Day at Lotte World Mall.

Children's Day may have long been over, but this will always be Yue's favorite Korean holiday. After all, he has been part of this occasion for two years running.

In Korea and Japan, Children's Day is celebrated every 5th of May. Parents often give presents to their children, as well as spend quality time with them. More often than not, the children are taken on excursions to zoos, museums, parks, and other venues with kid-friendly entertainment.

Last year, I took Yue to Seoul Forest, where he fed deer by hand, went bird-watching, and enjoyed the beauty of nature as we strolled around. This year, we chose to go to the Lotte World Mall because we heard there'd be lots of fun activities on Children's Day. And true enough, there was already a great buzz happening when we arrived at the place. Kids were crowding around the mascots that made a surprise appearance at the Lotte Department Store!

Miniso mascot, and the Miniso pop-up store at the first floor.

Dokkaebi!

Snorkmaiden!

Playful Moomintroll!

The house-cleaning hamster, Ebichu!

More Children's Day photos after the jump!

Seoul Searching | Unhyeongung Palace + Goblin's House!

When we arrived in Korea last week, the first thing we did (after catching up on much-needed sleep) was go to Unhyeongung Palace. If you're a Kdrama fan, then you'll probably understand why this place is at the top of my spring itinerary.

The palace, located within the vicinity of Insadong, was a filming location for the hit drama Goblin, which starred Gong Yoo. We did not have the chance to visit this place last winter, during the height of Goblin's popularity, so I made it a point to stop by the next time we come to Korea. And we did, last Tuesday. Unhyeongung Palace was actually our first stop, then Insadong, and afterwards Jogyesa Temple.

The entrance to Unhyeongung Palace.

To Goblin's House we go!

More of our adventures after the jump!

Seoul Searching | Hyundai City Outlets.

We visited Hyundai City Outlets last winter upon the recommendation of my Korean friend, Bong Sun unni, who owns the Filipino store in our neighborhood. Knowing my penchant for sneakers, she told me to drop by 'this new mall in Dongdaemun' where there's a crazy sale on shoes. And so off to Dongdaemun we did, with hopes of finding a pair of Jordan 11 Space Jam in my size.

Hyundai City Outlets.

Huge Christmas tree near the entrance.

Huge tops that kids can sit on and play with. 

More of Hyundai City Outlets after the jump!

Seoul Searching | Lotte World Mall.

On the day that Yue and I were supposed to do a walking tour of Insadong, it rained like crazy as soon as we boarded the Green Bus that would transport us to the nearest subway station. Right at that moment, I decided to make a raincheck (quite literally) and head for Lotte World Mall instead.

Yue was more than glad with the change of plan. "Are we going to the amusement park again?" he asked. "No, since Daddy is not with us today. But we'll look for something fun to do when we get there", I said.

Truth be told, the two reasons why I decided to go to Lotte World Mall is because it's just a 12-minute subway ride from Ttukseom AND there is no risk of getting wet in the rain as the mall is connected to Jamsil Station.

Welcome to Lotte World Mall!

We arrived at Lotte World Mall in no time, and I was surprised to see a throng of shoppers despite the weather being very erratic that day. Holiday rush I guess, since Christmas was just three days away.

More of the 'Landmark of Korea' after the jump!

Pucker Up! | Labiotte Wine Lip Tint.

One of the few makeup items that I bought during my most recent trip to Seoul is the Wine Lip Tint from Labiotte. They're all the rage on social media, and the curious cat in me wanted to know what the hype was all about.

Pronounced as 'la beauty', this botanic-based cosmetics brand was launched in August 2015 and has become extremely popular since then. The brand even created quite a buzz among Kdrama fans when Kim Go Eun, who then played the role of Seol in 'Cheese in the Trap', was named as its model and endorser. You probably know her now as Ji Eun Tak in the hit TVN drama Goblin.

Labiotte Wine Lip Tint.

I reckon that the lip tint's packaging is one of the key factors to its huge popularity. As you can see, it comes in a small wine bottle that's both cute and elegant. The box is just as sophisticated, with its embossed prints, shade indicator (the upper portion of the box) and all.

The colored part of the box indicates the shade of the lip tint;
at the back of the box is an English print of the product description.

Inspired by the delicacy and the intensity of well-aged wine, this long-wearing lip tint dyes the lips while moisturizing it at the same time. It also contains Sepivinol, a wine extract with antioxidant properties.

As cute as it can be. :)

The neck of the bottle twists off, revealing an attached applicator with a slanted doe-foot tip. The shape of the applicator actually plays an important role in determining the authenticity of your lip tint. The fake ones that are now circulating in the black market and even online have either flat or rounded doe-foot applicators.

Slanted doe-foot applicator.

I've seen lots of online sellers promoting their Labiotte Wine Lip Tints as 'authentic', yet the prices seem too good to be true. Php 150 for an original Labiotte Wine Lip Tint?! Sounds shady to me. 

Swatched once on the left, twice on the right.

With regards to the texture, this lip tint is thin and watery - but not too watery that you lose control. Its formula is fast-drying, moisturizing, buildable, and incredibly long-wearing. For a lip product that's thin and practically weightless, its longevity is amazing! They stay on your lips for about eight hours, with the color fading just a wee bit when you eat. 

More than eight hours later...

As for the finish, the shade that I own is semi-opaque. This one is RD 02 Nebbiolo Red, a lovely pinkish red shade with a bit of sheen to it.

Nebbiolo Red on my lips.

A cup of coffee and a full lunch later...

I swatched all six shades of these lip tints while at the Labiotte store in Myeongdong and I was particularly drawn to Nebbiolo Red (the third bottle in the photo below). And it's not only because its cap is purple, which happens to be my favorite color.

The Wine Lip Tint collection at the Labiotte store in Myeongdong.

It's not as crazy pigmented as Chardonnay Orange (fourth bottle) or super opaque as Shiraz Red (second bottle). Yet it's not as sheer as the other three shades - Pink Blush (last bottle), Rose Coral (the bottle next to it), and Merlot Burgundy (first bottle). It's the perfect balance between opaque and sheer, and its color is one that I can wear any day, at any given occasion. 

Yue meets Labiotte!

Priced at 12000 won (around Php 500), the Wine Lip Tint is definitely worth the money, and more than just a hype. I got mine at a cheaper price (around 9000 won if I remember correctly), as Labiotte went on sale last winter. I could have bought more, but the boys were already giving me that 'are-you-not-done-yet-we-are-famished' look just as I was moving on to the Wine Lipsticks. Oh well, there's always the next trip (read: Spring)!

Products used:
FACE: Beyond Alice in Wonderland Skin Tone Blooming Sun Base,
Ever Bilena Liquid Concealer in Light,
Missha x Line Friends Magic Cushion in #23.
EYES: Shiseido Eyebrow Pencil in Brown,
Clio Kill Black Waterproof Brush Liner,
Clio Salon de Cara Backcomb Cara.
CHEEKS: Tony Moly Cristal Blusher in Pleasure Peach.
LIPS: Labiotte Wine Lip Tint in Nebbiolo Red.