Camellia Hill, Seogwipo-si, Jeju Island

The signature flower of Chanel's creation is the Camellia, you're able to spot the emblems on the brand's clothes, shoes, the famous sandals that most of my friends were crazy over. Gabrielle Chanel’s adoration of the camellia flower begins a gift from a charming man who captured her heart forever. His name was Boy Capel and was a very wealthy man by the time he met Chanel.

Although their love affair was brief and ended tragically, camellia left an unforgettable mark in Gabrielle Chanel's heart and has become her beloved flower. During my trip to Korea's Seoul and Jeju last November, we decided to pay a visit to Camellia Hill located at Seogwipo-si, Jeju Island. Getting there wasn't hard if you're driving and have the access to internet, just waze: Camellia Hill and it will lead you there. 

To be honest, it was a mistake to do so because during November (start of winter season), not much flowers bloom and the whole arboretum were more to brown/green than colourful. It is advisable to go during spring or summer time so you'll be able to witness full bloom scenery and get to see different types of flowers.

All for one and one for all~

The admission fee is 7000won per adult, so after currency exchange is about RM28 per visit. We went quite late in the afternoon, so we're basically the last group to go in. Last admission is one hour before closing, and operating hours vary between seasons, do check out the information of this arboretum in the end of this post.

Dol Hareubangs (large rock statues) inside Camellia Hills
These rock statues has become Jeju Island's symbol and can be found everywhere.
They are considered to be gods that provide fertility and offers protection, often found at the entrance to protect demons from traveling between realms.

I went to Korea with Peiyue and her family members, so it felt like a huge group. It was fun, free and easy to travel with this bunch, most of the time is just me and Peiyue walking around non-stop snapping photos. I like easy travel partners minus all the drama. (But probably I'm the drama queen in other's eyes?!?!?! who knows...)

One blurry group photos before we split into smaller groups

Located at a plot of land as huge as 172,000 square metres, Camellia Hill has 6,000 camellia trees of 500 different species. Aside from camellias, this arboretum is home to palm trees, wildflowers, bushes, fruit plants etc. If you check out their Instagram, you're able to see that it's covered by beautiful hydrangeas now! (I wanna take photos with all the hydrangeas~ )

Sun is setting already when we're just started to tour around the arboretum lolololol

One of the perks when you're traveling with me is that I'll snap few hundreds of you for your all types of social media platform posting needs hahahahahaha. I think at one point she got quite annoyed because I keep snapping her photos and she totally run out of posing ideas lolololol. 

Sorry to say but now only I realize the flowers behind kinda resembles cemetry flowers you saw on grave....

I love you too!

White camellias are everywhere, very instagrammable
Imagine if you're here during full bloom

Pink camellias

Calming my rushing pace inside a Korean traditional stone house

Oh how I miss traveling with you guys~

Different tone of green

Jeju is famous for their mandarin oranges but I'm pretty sure these aren't for consuming purpose lol

Different type of flowers found inside huge glasshouse

I can do live sketching here seriously

One of the happiest thing I've done - hugging a tree!
It's feel like the peaceful energy were transfering to me through this hugging process.

beautiful pathway made of tree branches and lights

Let me tell you a bit of side story: 

While we're joking and snapping photos while walking through this pathway, there's this couple walk past us and we can feel the girl is furious with the heavy pace. After the bf finally catch up with her, she went hysterical because he didn't take nice and proper photos of her at the pathway because the background is clustered with other visitors a.k.a us and other groups. 

Kinda pity this guy at the same time I have to remind myself that now I have a bf and I shouldn't take advantage of him and go all rage and angry just because he couldn't take instagrammable photos. (I could go on about all the ugly photos he took of me for days!) Different aesthetic views leads to different angles and perspectives taken in a photo, hence what I perceive as beautiful might be ugly in someone's opinion. 

Hence girls, if you were trying to teach your partner to become Instagram bf/husband, please put extra patience in it. Things might not turn out well at first but if they really make effort to help you take photos, at least take a deep breath and say thank you. 

Okay let's go back to what's left of Camellia Hill:

Super pretty berry bushes

This beautiful Hanok located on top of a hill which I believe is the peak point of Camellia Hill
And from there, we witness....

One of the prettiest sunset at Jeju!

At the exit, I thought it was "artistic" to sit in the middle of nowhere and asked Peiyue to take this photo of me but no,
this photo looks hilarious but here ends our visit to Camellia Hill

Can you imagine all the full blooms if the timing of visit is right? Scrolling through Camellia Hill's recent instagram updates makes me wanna go back! It is a nice place to visit, some long walks, photos taking and cafe sipping if you weren't in a rush. I heard they have lodging facilities too so do phone over for inquiries as they provide information in Korean, English, Japanese and Mandarin.


For more information:

Address:

166, Byeongak-ro, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 안덕면 병악로 166 (안덕면)

For more info: +82-64-792-0088

Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330
(Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) 

Operating Hours
December-February 08:30-17:00
March-May, September-November 08:30-17:30
June-August 08:30-18:00

* Last admission: 1 hour before closing.
* Admission may be restricted according to the hour of sunset and weather conditions as there are no lighting facilities on the grounds.
Admission Fees
Individuals: Adults 7,000 won / Teens & Seniors 5,000 won / Children 4,000 won
Groups: Adults 5,000 won / Teens & Seniors 4,000 won / Children 3,000 won

* Adults: ages 19-64 / Teens: ages 13-18 / Children: ages 3-12 / Seniors: ages over 65
* Infants ages 3 or younger: Free
* Groups: 30 people or more
www.camelliahill.co.kr (Korean only)







I miss smelling the camellias, looking at all sorts of flowers blooming, feeling the soft petals on my face and skin really does make me happy. Now, Mamonde Malaysia has collaborated with 11Street.my now you can have this flowers inspired skincare and makeup products deliver directly to your door step!

And also, 11Street has this ONLINE EXCLUSIVE ONLY products that you cannot find over the counter. They are Rose Water Toner, AC Balance Spot Serum, AC Balance Spot Patch, Highlight Lip Tint, Colour Tone Base just to name a few. 

Rose Water Toner and AC Balance Spot Serum

Best seller basic skincare set at RM49.90

As the first beauty brand that uses flowers as their main ingredients, Mamonde really do reminds me a lot of Camellia Hill at Jeju Island, the rare femininity that I felt when I visit the arboretum and using Mamonde products is strikingly similar. So hop over to 11Street and find out more about Mamonde's products and do look out for future deals and makeup workshops exclusively for 11street customers.



For more information:

Mamonde Malaysia Official Facebook Page

11Street Mamonde Products List

Happy 4th Birthday Butterfly Project Malaysia

If my blog were to count by years/days, this is will be my 12th/11th years of blog writing. It wasn't all-so-fancy when I think about it, blog writing definitely needs patience, perseverance and support and I am so glad that during my early blog writing years, I met the mamasan of Malaysian bloggers - Tammy. 

Honestly, I've never seen someone with so much passion when it comes to writing blog and sharing experiences and good deals she came across in her everyday life. I met her in SaSa blogger gatherings 8 or 9 years ago and I'm glad this friendship has been going on for so long and things has become bigger for her as she's one of the person-in-charge in Althea Korea and also the founder of Malaysian fashion/beauty blogger community - Butterfly Project. 

This year marks the 4th year of Butterfly Project, a lot of bloggers missed out the first celebration so Tammy decided to throw another party for bloggers to celebrate this wonderful event and she's the one paying for the party. Can you find someone who has so much passion and love when it comes to blogging and the love to see this industry grow? Honestly I can't, she really is the one and only mamasan for this industry, if it's not for seeing her going through her life's ups and downs and still insist in doing what she love + creating opportunities for bloggers, I might have gave up blogging some time ago. 

Upon receiving the invite to the party and saw the dress code was pastel, I seriously can't think of anything to wear as nowadays I'm more to monochromatic/casual style. Pastel is really not my thing lolololol so I decided to fully utilise my butterfly washi tape and use them to decorate my plainly drew makeup. 

Last minute working on the decoration. Event started at 3pm I'm cutting these butterflies out at cafe beside from 2:30p.m. with shivering hands because I'm too excited. *breathes heavily*

Beautifully decorated venue

There's no birthday party without cake and this cake is major love which later on it became a photo prop to all the bloggers. Jean almost drop it on the floor LOL!

Name cards and stickers for decoration purpose!
Perfect for crafty person like me yay!

TADAAA~! Our birthday bag sponsored by so many brands!
Not our birthday but we get presents! And so many of it! What sorcery is this Butterfly Project!

Here's what we have received inside the birthday bag!!! Totally OH-EM-GEE!!!

One of many Tammy's good traits is when she gives, she give whole-heartedly that you're the one being shy to receive. And this round, thanks to her and the whole Althea team, each and every blogger who attended the party received a birthday bag full of surprise goodies so that we have more things to blog about. I cannot tell you how much I love the products and I've already prepared a few separate blog posts to review them so stay tuned!

Here's a list of what we have received and thanks to all these generous sponsors who loaded the birthday bag with love and joy for each of us: 

• Wanderlust Things Unicorn Face Makeup Brush
• W.Lab Pocket Shadow Palette
• Orkid Cosmetics Liquid Lipsticks
• 1028 Bigs Eyes Magnifier Mascara
• Dolly Wink LiquidEyeliner
• Mamonde Liquid Eyeliner and Hydro Mist 
• Neesya Cleansing Set
• Hadabisei Moisturizing Face Mask
• Clinelle UV Defense
• Clinelle Hot Body Shaper Cream
• Adidas Climacool Shower Gel and Deodorant
• Pax Moly Aloe Vera Soothing Gel
• Photobook Malaysia book and 4R prints

I guessed you would've know which few are my favourites as I've already started using them and posted in my instagram/insta story. Will do more reviews of these products so be sure you follow my Instagram account as well. 

Last but not least, G&G Studiobooth for beautiful photobooth decorations and photo print outs as memorabilia! The printed photos with Jean and Zihang is definitely going into my journal already.

The one and only photo that features me and makeup lol. Thanks Jean!
I've won a NYX makeup goodie bag too for best makeup XD

After seeing all these for a community birthday, can you find someone who has so much passion and love when it comes to blogging and the love to see this industry grow? Honestly I can't, Tammy really is the one and only mamasan for this industry, if it's not for seeing her going through her life's ups and downs and still insist in doing what she love + creating opportunities for bloggers, I might have gave up blogging some time ago. 

Seeing Butterfly Project going stronger and stronger, with more younger bloggers joining and senior bloggers like me and Jean staying around, this community is a platform to support each other in blogging industry especially when there are people who wanna exploit and use bloggers as free advertising marketing strategy. Community like Butterfly Project and people like Tammy teaches us that we bloggers do have our own worth and never, ever do anything for free, even bloggers need to eat and live life and there's no free lunch in this world right?



I hope I can continue be invited to the 5th, 6th, 7th and so on birthday of Butterfly Project and continue to be a part of this wonderful community.




For more information:

The Butterfly Project Official Facebook Page

Mamonde, A Beautiful Place Inspired by Flowers

What does your world made of? Are they made out of love? Peace? Or Anxieties? Stress? I've been questioning myself a lot lately, trying to position myself at the right position in my world because I know that me, myself should be the center of my world before others. In order to love and cherish others the right way, I should love and cherish myself so that I would knew the way to do it.

My world is made of laughters, love, friendships and a little bit of sadness + stress here and there because in the end of the day, we were talking about the real world ain't we? But I really wouldn't mind cut myself off the line and from all the social networking platforms for a day or two, to take myself really off the grid and treating myself to this:

Ain't this a beautiful scenery?

I was shooting a short film at Sekeping Serendah two weeks ago and the surroundings is just awesome! I would literally stare into the sky, into the woods, listening to sounds of crickets, cicadas and birds, let my mind wander off to another world for a long long time when I'm off shooting.

Basically I look like this most of the time, just starring and relax

Woods and flowers that's surrounding the premise is purely inspiring. I wanted all these goodness to be absorb into my skin, I wanna feel the essence of plants from skin deep, and smarty me, I bought Mamonde's skincare with me for the short work trip because I knew my skin needs goodness which is as good as the negative ions that the forest's releasing. 

Mamonde First Energy Essence & Serum
Mamonde Moisture Ceramide Light Cream

Mamonde, which literally means "My World" in French, is the latest imported South Korea beauty brand that's gonna be available next week at Aeon Bandar Utama. It's my pleasure to be one of the first few bloggers who get to try on Mamonde's products way before its release. There are a wide range of skincare and makeup products that suits every woman's needs which price range from RM6- RM169.




"Inspired by flowers" is the tagline of Mamonde where flower, the sign of beauty and symbol of grace, is able to communicate with ones soul in a magical way that words can't be explain. Research & Development of Mamonde - AmorePacific has discovered the close relationship between flowers and a woman's beauty. From a flower's roots to its stem and petals, each and every inch of flowers contains amazing power and energy which can be nourishing to the skin. AmorePacific and Mamonde's flower science technology bring women's beauty into bloom so that every woman are radiating in blossoming beauty with Mamonde beauty products.





There are various types of flowers which are being used as key ingredients in Mamonde's beauty products for these benefits:

• Vitalizing: Honeysuckle and Evening Primrose. 
• Moisturizing & Hydrating: Demask Rose (Rose Water), Hibiscus, Narcissus and Peach Blossoms.
• Anti-Aging: Camellia
• Cleansing & Exfoliation: Lotus Flower
• Brightening: Magnolia and Water Lily
• Pore Care & Oil Balancing: Heartleaf Houttuynia and Sage.

The First Energy Essence/Serum, Cover Powder Cushion, Age Control Power Eye Cream, Moisture Ceramide Cream, Lotus Micro Cleansing Foam, Rose Water Toner and Floral Hydro Cream are Mamonde's star products. I'm currently using Moisture Ceramide Cream and First Energy Essence + Serum and I'm loving them to bits.  

Mamonde Moisture Ceramide Light Cream (Hibiscus)

I loathe thick and heavy moisturizing cream and I find Mamonde's Moisture Ceramide Light Cream in Hibiscus is the perfect moisturizing cream for my daily use as it is so light-weight and absorbs into my skin in an instant. This Moisture Ceramide Light Cream is made of Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus and Ceramide, a perfect combination of natural moisturizing elements which provides flawless hydration wall on my skin.

With a faint hint of flower scent, this cream is what I apply on my skin on daily basis

Another reason I felt so good while surrounded by the forest is that I can felt the nature eliminates the positive ions in me, the bad ones, recharge me with good ones and my mind is at ease for most of the time. That's when I can think clearly and thoroughly about stuff and clarity in mind is very important for making decision. Same goes to Mamonde's First Energy Essence and Serum.

Sometimes I felt that my skin need a boost in order to receive all the benefits from good beauty products and somehow I can feel the blockage is there even though I've used scrubs and peeling gel regularly. Mamonde's First Energy Essence and Serum is a booster to uplift my skin and making absorbing nutrients and benefits from beauty products easier, giving my skin a healthier and suppler appearance from inside out.

Happy tangy yellow packaging is major love

This is an upgraded version of First Energy Essence and Serum with Antioxidant Lactobacillus that is extracted from Honeysuckle Flowers. While the Lactobacillus is blended together with the 1 year-old fermented "Flower Vinegar", it enhanced skin's anti-oxidative and strengthen skin's immunity, making skin less susceptible and more resilient to external aggression. 

The "flower vinegar" is a natural fermentation process from all parts of Honeysuckle flowers for over a year, made up to 81.31% in the bottle of essence and serum, are to aids in density of skin for transparent and unify skin texture. Besides that, "flower vinegar" contains antioxidant Polyphenol that provides strong antioxidant effect to skin for beautiful and radiant looking skin.

Mamonde First Energy Essence

Mamonde First Energy Serum 

The smell of Honeysuckle flower is so nice and refreshing, both essence and serum are lightweighted as well as easily absorb into my skin, prepping my skin for the following beauty routine. Skin feel nourished and better looking on the texture and feels firmer too. It has anti-wrinkle and whitening effect, which are what I'm looking for in skincare products lately.



I can't wait to see the full line of skincare and makeup products from Mamonde as their first beauty counter will be officially open on 30th July and be sure to dropby Aeon One Utama and check'em out yourself!

For more information:

Mamonde Official Website

Mamonde Malaysia Official Facebook Page

Mamonde First Energy Essence (150ml): RM119

Mamonde First Energy Serum (100ml): RM119