Miniso Opens in SM San Pablo!

After months of eager anticipation, an unexpected change in schedule, and a few more weeks of waiting... Miniso SM San Pablo is finally open!

The first lady of San Pablo City, as well as Miniso VIPs, gracing this momentous occasion.

The Japanese fast fashion brand, which has gained global popularity for its wide range of household and consumer goods, has found a new home in SM San Pablo. And together with my friends, we trooped to the mall today to witness the opening ceremonies, and of course, do a bit of shopping.

We Bare Bears at Miniso!

Attending ribbon-cutting ceremonies isn't exactly my style, but I was willing to make an exception for Miniso. I've developed quite an interest for the brand after its breakthrough appearance in the hit 2016 Korean drama Goblin, where the lead characters Kim Shin and Ji Eun Tak were seen shopping at the Miniso store in Lotte World Mall. But what solidified me as a huge Miniso fan was their collaboration collection with one of our favorite animated shows, We Bare Bears. 

We Bare Bears plushies, Php 399 each.

These adorable bears were the main reason why I wanted to be at Miniso today as soon as the store opened. I wanted to get my hand on these plushies as early as possible, because from what I've heard, these items sell like hotcakes! True enough, almost everyone headed straight for the bear stack as soon as the ribbon was cut and the store was declared officially open.

Here are some of the We Bare Bears items that you can find at Miniso SM Pablo.

We Bare Bears water bottles, Php 179.

We Bare Bears neck pillow, Php 229.

We Bare Bears facial tissues, Php 149 per pack.

We Bare Bears tote bag, Php 229.

We Bare Bears steam mask, Php 179 per box.

Aside from these three adorable bears, Miniso also has Pink Panther and Moomin products, all licensed by MGM and Moomin Characters Ltd., respectively.

Pink Panther plushies, Php 299 - Php 499.

Pink Panther key ring, Php 179.

Moomin hand mirror, Php 179. 

Pink Panther notebooks, Php 179.

Pink Panther makeup palette, 299.

Moomin power bank, Php 799 - Php 999.

Other interesting finds at Miniso include these makeup brushes, perfumes and body mists, makeup, and toys. They also have arts and crafts supplies, computer peripherals, and even kitchen tools! 

Beauty brushes starting at Php 179.

Perfumes and body mists starting at Php 99.

Makeup items starting at Php 99.

Toys starting at Php 149.

If one-stop shopping and affordable prices are your thing, then swing by Miniso this weekend and check out their wide array of products. Their San Pablo branch, which happens to be their first in Laguna and the 59th store in the country, is located at the second floor of SM San Pablo right across Kidzoona.

And before I end this post, allow me to share with you my Miniso haul. I got all three bears, yay!

My Miniso haul!
We Bare Bears plushies (Php 399 each), We Bare Bears Children's Towel (Php 179, pack of two),
We Bare Bears Steam Eye Mask (Php 179 pack of five), Pink Panther Makeup Palette (Php 299),
Screen Cleaning Kit (Php 99),
TOTAL: Php 1953.

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!

Pucker Up! | Moomin x Code Glökolor M.Tint Lip Balm.

I became acquainted with The Moomins a few years back, when Uniqlo first launched a clothing range featuring the cartoon family created by Finnish author and illustrator Tove Jansson. I've been smitten by these adorable characters since then, and I now have a small collection of Moomin items, most of which were bought in South Korea.

Some items from my 'relatively small' Moomin collection.

The Moomins are quite popular in the Land of the Morning Calm; no, make that extremely popular that there's actually a Moomin Cafe smack dab in the heart of Apgujeong Rodeo. Korean cosmetics brand Code Glökolor even has a makeup line featuring The Moomins, and the collection includes cushions, blushers, eyeshadows, nail polishes, and lip products.

I chanced upon a 1+1 sale on the Moomin x Code Glökolor collection last spring so I bought hoarded a few items - including this M. Tint Lip Balm.

Moomin x Code Glokolor M. Tint Lip Balm.

It's uncertain what the 'M' means, but my wild guess is that it stands for Moomin? Haha. :)

Product description in English, ingredients in Hangul.

The Moomin x Code Glökolor M. Tint Lip Balm comes in three different shades, and this one is Medium Cherry Red, the darkest shade in the collection.

Shade indicator on the top flap.

Licensed product.

All three shades for your reference. :)

The lip balm comes in a transparent plastic jar. Sturdy yet lightweight, this jar easily fits into your makeup pouch and even in your pocket.

Moominpappa loves Moominmamma!

I'm a sucker for cute packaging, and this product is a perfect example of it. Moominpappa and Moominmamma are so lovey dovey adorable!

Moomin x Code Glokolor M. Tint Lip Balm in Medium Cherry Red.

Here's what the 'Medium Cherry Red' looks like. Very bright and neon-like, right? Thankfully, I had the chance to swatch this product while at the Code store in Myeongdong and from there I knew that this won't look Cyndi Lauper on me. LOL!

Cute and handy!

And here's how the product looks like when swatched. The color payoff isn't as pigmented as it seems, but the sheer, barely-there formula works nicely on the lips. The lip balm also has a subtle raspberry scent; too subtle you can only smell it when you sniff the product right under your nose. 

Swiped thrice.

I love how this product gives my lips a nice pop of color while moisturizing it at the same time. The color is buildable, and stays on the lips for a decent period of time. It does fade after a bit of drinking and eating, but it leaves a nice, natural-looking, pinkish stain on the lips.

Medium Cherry Red on my lips.

Not bad for Php 150 pesos, right?

This lip balm was originally priced at 7000 won (around Php 300 or $6), but since I purchased this during the 1+1 event, I got two products for the price of one. (I gave the other lip balm to my Mum, who also likes The Moomins.) That makes each lip balm worth just 3500 won or a little over $3!

Products Used:
FACE: Beyond Alice in Blooming Skin Tone 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,
Missha x Line Friends 4D Mascara.
CHEEKS: Ever Bilena Cheek Blush in Raisin.
LIPS: Moomin x Code Glokolor M. Tint  Lip Balm in Medium Cherry Red.

Excuse my moon face. I'm currently on doctor-prescribed steroids for my asthma. Boo hoo.

Seoul Searching | Apgujeong Adventures - K-Star Road, Rodeo Street, Moomin and Me Cafe!

For any Kpop fan, no trip to Korea would be complete without visiting Apgujeong - Seoul's upscale shopping and residential area, and home to K-Star Road and Korea's top entertainment labels. I did not have the explore the area during my first trip to Korea, so it was a must that I visit Apgujeong on my next visit (ergo, last spring).

Apparently, Apgujeong was just one subway stop away from the Seoul Forest Station, a relatively new station in Korail's Bundang Line and a ten-minute walk from where we live. Yue didn't seem to mind walking all the way to the station as the spring breeze was nice and cozy that day.

Under Stand Avenue.

Yes, it's built from cargo containers.

We even took photos as we passed by Under Stand Avenue, a cargo container mall similar to Jayang-dong's Common Ground.

Just another 'sunset in Seoul' photo. 

Stopping to appreciate the flowers.

Spring is <3.

We were in Apgujeong in no time, and ready to take the walk down K-Star Road!

K-Star Road!

Let the Apgujeong Adventure begin!

Full post (and lots of photos) after the jump!