After my manic shopping at Aritaum and manic photography in the gorgeous W Seoul Walkerhill room, I dozed off and woke up to prepare for the Orientation of the Global Beauty Camp. Essentially, it was just a welcome note as well as an introduction to what we would be undergoing in the next two days.
DAY 1 4PM: ORIENTATION
After dressing up (and trying to figure out if I should bundle up or ditch the heat tech), I took the lift down. I’m always very bemused by the lifts in W Seoul Walkerhill – the place is PITCH DARK, save for these lighted handles on the ceilings. I have really bad night blindness, so it was really like stepping into a black hole whenever I took the lift. But still, it was fun!
There are 3 lifts – and each one is color differently (much like a traffic light!) Now I took the photos of the red and yellow handles, but the green ones were taken off the internet (cos apparently, I forgot to take a photo of the green ones).
Anyhoos, down to the lobby to Woo Bar where the briefing was to take place. This bar is GORGEOUS – the seats are scattered over a really wide surface area, including these stadium-like step-seats. It’s said that you have to open a bottle of (pricey) alcohol just to get these seats on a normal basis.
They even have camera man! Omg I don’t have my HD makeup on!
My beauty is so awesome that I blinded myself HURHURHUR (ok LAME). It was just me looking all spazzed cos I wasn’t ready for the shot. Hah
I haz found my table! Being the only Singapore blogger rep, I was mostly bundled together with the other countries for most of the time. This time, I was seated with the Hong Kong contingent.
Bloggers from so many countries – Korea (a hugeee contingent of about 10 I think), China, Shanghai, Taiwan, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and moi!
The briefing didn’t take long – about 10-15 minutes at most – telling us what activities we would be undergoing for the next few days. Short and sweet – totally my style. Following that, we headed back up to our rooms to change for the Gala Dinner.
One last look of the gorgeous Woo Bar
DAY 1 6PM: GALA DINNER
After (even more) hemming and hawing, stripping and changing, I was ready for the gala dinner (much thanks to my stylist friends JA and LL for helping me plan all my outfits, and to Larry for planning my makeup – seriously, I feel so so loved by the amount of help that my friends are willing to dispense to me all the time~ xoxo)
but wait, what’s that blue shimmery thang in the left-hand corner?
ZOMG I WANT DEES IN MY ROOM! it’s GORGEOUS, kinda like simulated crystallised rain droplets
Fine, so I look blue/ghastly/not chio, but i don’t careeeee. It’s too gorgeous to pass up!
After going through the gorgeous crystal rain droplets, we arrived at this area – clearly it’s an experiential zone for us try the product.
Enhancing the experience to a whole new level – the area is even scented with the Sleepscent aroma that’s available in Laneige’s Water Sleeping Mask (and trust me, it smells so damn good)
Being a true-blue Singaporean – Being the first into the experience zone meant that I managed to get this shot with nobardy blocking my shot – Presenting to you – the NEW Water Sleeping Mask (not to be confused with the Water Sleeping Pack or Water Sleeping Pack EX)
Admittedly, the Water Sleeping Mask does look rather similar to the older version (the Water Sleeping Pack EX), but this container is frosted and has more angular corners.
And in come the swarms and hoards – everyone’s so busy testing the product out on their hands. Of course, I mustttt join in the melee.
The texture of the product is somewhat similar to the Water Sleeping PACK EX, but it smells slightly better, and comes with better technologies such as the MoistureWrap, SleepScent and SleepTox. It also contains new ingredients such as the evening primrose oil (and more!). First impressions: easily absorbed, lightweight, VERY hydrating, and smells heavenly. Review to come REALLY soon (I’ve been using it for 2 weeks and I’m totally loving it!).
After I had my fair share of trying the product (aka product hogging), I decided to (finally) head into the dinner hall.
I’m wowed! The hall is large and the number of tables are significantly lesser than your usual wedding dinner, but somehow, it looks cosy enough.
Tucked in a corner of the dinner hall is this little Laneige corner (in case we couldn’t get enough of the product). But enough with the mucking around. Time for the gala dinner to begin!
Everything’s bathed in a lovely swarth of blue light
Pre-dinner entertainment: Sand art-neon light drawing…
…followed by hot hunky pretty Korean male assistants walking around with a tray of Water Sleeping Mask tubs. It’s basically a lucky draw, with the grand prize being a staycation in one of W Seoul Walkerhill’s suites. ZOMG I must winnnnn. I must pick the winning tub! (psst, shouldn’t there be a consolation prize of a date with one of the boys too? hurhurhur).
Alas! I did not have any luck that night. Should have worn my undies inside out perhaps? Hurhurhur.
Never mind, the fact that I was actually there in Korea for this Global Beauty Camp was good enough – thou shalt not become yet another deluded pompous self-entitled blogger “influencer”. (see what I did there hurhurhur?)
Plus, I was distracted from my disappointment by the arrival of superstar and long-time Laneige ambassador Song Hye Gyo OMGGGGG. I somehow managed to zoom all the way to the front to sneak some paparazzi shots (before getting very politely shooed back to my seat by the staff)
Song Hye Gyo laughing sheepishly (and yet so gorgeously) when asked why she was seen buying Laneige products from the duty-free zone during one of her trips :D Isn’t she so lovely? The fact that she could have asked Laneige to provide her with more products, but she didn’t, and decided to fork out money to gift her friends the very products she endorses – what a wonderful example she sets.
OK THIS WOMAN IS A GODDESS – honestly, who has such perfect skin and beautiful features?!
Anyways, after the goddess Song zipped off (she was only there for a short while), I closed my mouth from the excessive fan girling and put it to better use – time for dinner!
Red Quinoa: Cauliflower, broccoli and orange sauce
The prawn appetizer that I couldn’t eat due to my allergy (photographed off my seat neighbour)
Perfect for the freezing weather – roasted red capsicum soup
Smoked duck breast with confiture apple, vanilla potatoes and mango sauce – SUPER YUMS
Grapefruit Sherbet to cleanse the palate – I actually popped the entire thing into my mouth cos I gave up trying to chip at it daintily with my spoon heh. Brain FREEEZEEEE
I see why the palate needed to be cleansed – here comes the main highlight of the dinner – Hanwoo beef ZOMG. It’s like the Korean equivalent of the Japanese wagyu beef nom nom nom.
Last but not least – dessert of Strawberry vanilla cream cake – by this time, I was pretty stuffed :D
I wasn’t the least bit worried about the amount of calories I’d just wolfed down – after all, the night was still young. We still had plans after dinner (oh yes, Sleepless in Seoul is totally the theme for this year’s Global Beauty Camp!)
Our little door gift for the night – my very own Water Sleeping Mask AND a ScentScent teddy bear, which is a special collaboration between the Teddy Bear Museum and Laneige :D
I headed up back to my room (cos the dinner was held in the same hotel), and changed for the next item on the agenda – SHOPPING AT DONGDAEMUN! YAYYYYYY!
Stay tuned for my next blog post (and yes, this is defo an activity-packed Beauty Camp!) xoxo