Korean Visa Requirements for Philippine Passport Holders

Annyeong Haseyo! 

Hello loves! I am back! Last April, we went to Seoul, South Korea for a very short trip. I want to share with you my experience in getting a visa. 

We applied last March 2016 and after getting our visas, we immediately flew out to Seoul.As with any other visas, you can always opt to apply 3 months before your actual fly date. 

We all applied for a Tourist visa. There are other types of visas available for application but the requirements below are simply for those who are going on a leisure trip to South Korea :) 

Without further a do, here are the requirements for the Korean Visa application. 

Basic Requirements: 

1. Passport - You need to have a valid passport that is not of course expiring or at least have a 6 months validity. 

2. Passport Size Colored Picture - white background 

3. Application Form - download the application form from the website and answer it completely. Do not leave any space blank. Write N/A if not applicable.

Other Supporting Documents: 

4. Bank Certificate - You need to get a bank certificate and show the embassy that you can afford your trip to their country. No amount was indicated but at least have 50k in your account. 

5. Statement of Account - I'm not sure if this is needed but we submitted it anyway. 

6. Income Tax Return or form 2316 - copy is okay 

7. Certificate of Employment - original must be submitted 

8. Copy of the First Page of your Passport 

9. Original and Copy of any existing visas from U.S., New Zealand, Japan, Australia, Canada, Korea - if you have any, it will help if you submit and show it to the embassy. 

10. Marriage Certificate - if you are married 

Once you have all the requirements you can then proceed to submitting the documents to the Korean Embassy. 

Embassy of Korea in the Philippines 

Address: 

McKinley Town Center, 122 Upper McKinley Rd, Taguig, 1634 Metro Manila 

**Take Note** 

Submission of Visa Application is only in the morning (8:30 am to 11:45 am) while retrieval of passports are done in the afternoon (1pm to 5pm). 

Once you have submitted your requirements they will give you a piece of paper that you need to submit to the embassy when you retrieve your passports. 

For first time application, I think it takes 5 business days before releasing the passport. In the paper, they will indicate the date when you have to come back and retrieve it. For second time application I think it's only 3 business days. 

Makeup Groups made me Buy this: CLIO WaterKill Founwear Cushion

Hello loves! I'm back for another review! This time, I will be reviewing from the brand CLIO and the product is their WaterKill Founwear. 

Just a little backstory

I am part of a lot of makeup groups and this product was so hyped up in one group that I was part of - hence the title Makeup groups made me buy this. Hahaha ^_^ 

Packaging 

This is a limited edition cushion. The regular cushion is in white as seen below. While the Summer edition 2016 is in blue packaging (picture above). 

As far as formula, I know it is the same. It's just the packaging that they altered. 

Trying out the Product 

Just a little Background 

I have normal to dry skin. My shade in MAC is NC35. Most of the time, I buy the shade 23 for Korean Cushions since it's the darkest. 

This is how my face looks like when the product is on. 

As you can see, it's not a perfect match. It's a bit lighter but when I finish my whole makeup, it doesn't look that bad. I do like the finish since its matte and it has a yellow undertone. 

This is how it looks like with the makeup. lol this was the only snap that I had. As you can see, after some hours, it tends to oil up on me. You can see some shiny areas on my T-Zone area but that can be fixed with powder. 

Do I like the product?

Yes! Very much. I think it's one of my HG products as of the moment. 

Would i recommend it to others?

Yes! Highly recommend it 

Would i repurchase?

Probably, if I finish the whole thing. 

 

Product Rundown

What: CLIO WaterKill Founwear Cushion

Type: Cushion Foundation

Finish: Matte

Undertime: Yellow 

Does it come with a refill: Yes 

Price: PHP1,300 (US$28)

Where to Buy: Korean Beauty Trends Group in FB 

First Impression Review: Monomola Peel-off Long Lasting Lip Color

Hello Loves! I am back with another review. This time, it's from the Korean brand Monola, and I'm reviewing a very popular product - the trending peel-off lip tint. 

Packaging

It comes inside a box and the product is a tube with a plastic applicator. 

The shade I'm testing out is the Rose Pink shade. 

Scent

The scent reminds me of Elmer's Glue mixed with some Strawberry and Mint essence 

Consistency 

It has a gooey consistency. Sticky when applied. 

Testing Out the Product: 

This is how the product looks on my lips after spreading it. To be honest, it is quite hard to apply because it's quite sticky. As you can see, my application wasn't good. There were places that there was no product. After application, you need to wait for at least 10 minutes for the product to dry out before peeling it off.

After 10 mins

I started peeling off the product and the picture below is the aftermath of the peel-off tint.

As you can see, it gave a subtle pink tint on my lips. Not like the shocking color when I first applied it. 

Do I like the product?

Yes, I do like it even though application is a bit of a mess 

Do you recommend it to others?

Yes, it's an interesting and fun product. I definitely recommend it for others to try. 

Would you repurchase?

I probably will not repurchase this color but rather I would try out other shades 

Was i impressed?

Yes , I was definitely impressed. I had low expectations of the product. I wasn't expecting that it would dry off and peel off but it did. Another plus for me is that because it's a tint, it lasted all day. It actually lasted until the other day which is not surprising. It's just that the tint shade that I got wasn't really showing off. If I probably got like a wine red tint, it would've been great. 

Product Rundown:

What: Monola Peel-off tint in Rose Pink

Where to Buy: SMYLEE group (PH) 

How much: PHP170 + SF60 = PHP230 

Shades: 

 

First Impression Review: Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask

Hello loves! I'm back with another review. This time, it's from the Korean brand Elizavecca and I'm reviewing their most popular product, the Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask. 

I know this product was released a year ago (talk about late? Haha) but anyways, I had reasons on why I didn't join the bandwagon. One, a friend of mine who was a memebox addict, said that she tried this and she had breakouts which gave me a bad impression that it might also do the same to my skin. Second, memebox wasn't available in Malaysia (I was living in Malaysia when this product was released). Lastly, the online shop where I was getting my Korean cosmetics wasn't carrying this brand. Those are the primary reasons on to why it took me so long to purchase this item and review it. Anyways, on to the review. 

This product is a facial mask designed to clean your face and unclog unwanted impurities. It comes inside a plastic tub. It also has a spatula for hygienic purposes. It contains 100g of product. 

This is how the clay looks like. It reminds me of a goo (like a play dough but in slime form). You need to get a chestnut size of it and then close the tub immediately (the bubbles are activated when it becomes in contact with air). 

This is how it looks like when it starts activating. At first it would be dark gray and then when it starts to activate, it would turn to grayish white. 

Do I like the product?

Yes! Definitely. This is a fun product. It's charcoal and it bubbles up. Definitely better than your average clay masks. 

Would I repurchase?

Probably yes but not anytime soon because this can be used for a year. 

Would i recommend it to others?

Yes, if you don't have sensitive skin, you definitely must try it! :) 

Product Rundown:

Name: Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Mask

What: Wash off mask for cleaning your face

Where to Buy: if you live in America you can purchase it via Memebox; if you live in the Philippines you can purchase it via Korean Beauty Trends (FB Group) 

How much: I paid around PHP490 for this item, cheaper than any other shops 

Beauty Favorites: July 2016

Omg you guys! You know what time it is! It's already the first of AUGUST on my side of the world, so it's my Monthly Favorites entry! For this month, I've listed the products that I've been using constantly for July and without further a do, here goes the list :) 

1. Rilakkuma x A'pieu Air Fit Cushion XP - out of all the cushions and foundations that I've tried out for this month, this has been a standout. Aside from the cute packaging and the cushion technology, I really like the finish. My skin is normal to dry and I like that my skin looks healthy and radiant. This does the job. It also is long lasting for me (which is a great plus because of the humidity here in Manila).

  

2. Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer in Light Neutral - I'm already out of my favorite MAC Pro Long Wear concealer which by the way, took forever to finish hahaha ^_^ (I think it almost took me 2 years to get rid of it). I tried the UD Concealer which is a cult favorite of many beauty bloggers. At first I didn't like it because the formula was runny but it does the job of concealing my dark unde eye area. 

3. Gudetama x Holika Holika Cream Blush - this was supposed to be a gift for a friend who lives in Australia. She loves Gudetama so much. I actually didn't know about Gudetama not until she introduced him to me lol ^_^ I am so in love with this cream blush. The formula is the same with colourpop blushes. It's a cream to powder formula and the blush gives you a natural flush. Whenever I go out, I just dab it on my cheeks and I'm good to go. 

4. Banila Co. Clean It Zero - Banila Co. Is a popular Korean brand that already made waves overseas. This is one of the cult favorites, the Clean It Zero makeup remover. I have been using this constantly for the month of July to remove all my makeup. This is a sample size that was on sale and I bought it out of curiosity and I love it. I'm planing to buy the bigger size once I run out of it. 

5. Paddle Brush - I think this is the most hyped-up beauty product for this year. A lot of youtubers and beauty bloggers have been raving about this product and it lives up to the hype (at least for me). It makes application of foundations easier. 

6. Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick in Rose Matter - Despite all the controversies that JS is in, I don't really care. I love his products. Don't get me wrong, I also love KVD's products. So far, this is the best liquid lipstick for me that lives up to my expectations. It's not drying at all. I love this better than Kylie's lipkit. 

So those are my beauty favorites for this month. Let me know in the comments section below what your favorites are :) 

First Impressions: Loreal Infallible Pro Glow Foundation

Hello loves! I am back with another First Impressions entry and this time, I would be reviewing the Cult Favorite from Loreal which is the Pro Glow foundation. After the success of the Pro Matte foundation, they decided to release the "dewy" version of the foundation. 

Packaging 

Like its predecessor, it comes in a squeeze tube packaging (unlike most foundations that come inside a bottle with a pump). 

Unlike the Pro Matte, the Pro Glow is written in Turquoise while the Pro Matte is written in Red. 

I ordered mine via Sweets_16_ph from IG. She's one of my trusted online sellers here in the Philippines. Everything is guaranteed Authentic. 

Anyways, going back. I noticed that the formula of the Pro Glow is very liquid-y. I remember my pro matte to be liquid-y but after putting it on my skin, it becomes powder like. Not sure if it's because of the weather that's why it's too liquid-y for my taste or I just got a bad batch. 

Claims

It claims to give a Radiant Glow. Wears up to 24 hours. It also claims to have a medium coverage and the texture is air-light. 

Background of my skin

To give you a background, I am NC30 to 35 in MAC and I have a normal to dry skin. I prefer foundations that gives a dewy look (but not too dewy like a disco ball). 

Product Testing 

This is how the foundation looks like. It's liquid-y and runny. 

This is how it looks when it's blended with one layer. It is medium coverage because it already covered my vein with one layer. It is also buildable but I prefer using it with a single layer. 

My thoughts on the product

I had high expectations from this one because I was impressed with the Pro-Matte. The claims are true though. It is light weight, medium coverage and it stays forever but it was not dewy enough for me. It was claiming to give you a radiant effect but it didn't give a glow. I know dewy because I've tried a lot of Korean Cushion foundations and those are Glowy like Disco balls. This one is not flat matte but it's also not super radiant in my opinion. It would achieve a radiant glow if you add a moisturizer prior to putting on the foundation but if it is the foundation alone, it's just not glowy. 

Was i impressed? 

No, not impressed because the name said its Pro Glow but it's not. Don't get me wrong. I like the foundation but the only claim that mattered didn't even match my expectations. 

Product Rundown

What: Loreal Infallible Pro Glow Foundation

Where to Buy: Pre-order from Sweets_16_ph (IG) 

Price: PHP950

Foundation Finish: Radiant as claimed 

Shades: (credit to photo owner; grabbed from Google) 

A'pieu X Rilakumma Air Fit Cushion XP

Hello guys! I am back! I'm doing a review on the Rilakkuma x A'pieu Air Fit Cushion XP. As you can see, I have this frenzy over cute Korean Cushion compacts, thus, the crazy spending over cushions. 

Packaging

Packaging is very cute. To be honest, this is their selling point for me. It comes in a vibrant yellow box with Rilakumma as the design. The compact also have the same design.

The box includes an extra refill and a puff. I got mine in the shade No. 23 which I think is the darker shade of the two. Korean Cushions tend to be light in shades since most Koreans are very fair. No. 23 for me is not an exact match to my skin color but it's manageable since most cushion foundations oxidize. 

This is how the inside looks like. There is a small compartment for the puff. The puff design is really adorable. It has the face of Rilakkuma all over. 

This is the cushion foundation itself. As I've said earlier I got the shade No. 23. The shade looks dark but when on the face, it's really light. 

Background on my skin

I am an NC30 to NC35 for MAC. Although I am leaning towards NC30 now. I have normal to dry skin. 

Product testing 

This is my bare face without any primers or moisturizers. 

And this is my face with the A'pieu Air Fit Cushion XP. 

Thoughts

I like the finish of the foundation. It's semi-matte. It's easy to apply. It doesn't crease and it's not patchy. Plus I think the shade is an okay match with my skintone. It also balanced the redness and dark spots which is another plus. Overall, I like the product. 

Would you repurchase: I would probably just repurchase the refill :) 

Would I recommend it to others: Yes! If you have a light skin tone, I highly recommend it.

Product Rundown:

What: Rilakkuma X A'pieu Air Fit Cushion XP

Where to Buy: Korean Depart, TesterKorea or if you live in the Philippines you can buy it from the SMYLEE group

Price: PHP950 (US$20.21)

Shades: 21 and 23 

Product Finish: Semi-Matte