Permanent cosmetics

One thing that has been the same in my daily routine since high school has been putting on eyeliner. Back at home, I never really felt the pressure to look my best daily. Often times I wore sweat pants or running shorts to meet up with friends-- with eyeliner on, of course. In Korea, however, there is a constant pressure to look pampered and your best all the time. Image is everything in Korea and it can really affect how people judge you. Being overweight is one thing, but looking sloppy is a direct way for Koreans, in my opinion, to automatically place you in the "ugly and lazy" list.

So seeing that I'm in the aesthetic capital of the world, why not try out some beauty secrets of Korean females? Looking done up all the time is hard work and Korean women do it everyday. So what's their secret? Permanent cosmetics.

There is a range of permanent cosmetics you can choose from: lipstick, eyebrow, eyeliner, and even eyelashes.

With that said, I have small eyes. If anyone asked me the question, "if you were stuck on a deserted island with one make up product, what would it be?" Without hesitation, I would answer, "eyeliner." This may not be of interest to some people, but putting on eyeliner can be tough and time consuming.

I have waited to do a blog post on this because I wanted to test it out first. Whether or not the results were bad, I wanted to try it out before I made any judgements about it. So the verdict? AWESOME.

I don't consider eyeliner tattoo as a real tattoo. A real tattoo, I have to put a lot of thought into it- what I want on my body and if I want it on there forever. Eyeliner tattoo, on the other hand, is pretty much there to make me look like I always do, but without the effort. In no way am I trying to look perfect the morning after my honeymoon for my future husband. If anything, it's to save me some time in the morning with all the other extra stuff I have to do to get ready.

I went to a place in Gangnam (lower east side of Seoul) where it is full of high end shopping, plastic surgery clinics, and aesthetic businesses. Sounds like a perfect place to get permanent cosmetics, right?

This place was recommended by a friend who was also recommended by a bunch of pretty receptionists at a plastic surgery clinic (how ironic). For the price of 70,000WON, you get two sessions of eyeliner tattoo. This place is also known for eyelash extensions.

Before you actually begin the tattoo process, they make you lie down and put on some numbing cream on your eyelids. If older, muscular men cry during their sessions of tattoos on their backs, you can only imagine what the pain would be like on your eyelids. Once the numbing cream has set in, the "artist" (I don't really know what to call them) will begin her work on you.

This is such an unflattering picture of me, but I hope it gives the readers some assurance of what permanent cosmetics is. As you can tell by the picture, the "pen" she is holding is actually the needle. It's very different from the needles used in tattoo parlors. Shaped like a pen, it has a tiny needle and ink. So the actual tattooing process is pretty much the "artist" drawing on the eyeliner as you would on yourself.

So does it hurt? Yes. The actual process did not hurt as much, more like scratching your eyelids. It's when the numbing cream wears off that you actually feel like someone has REALLY scratched your eye to the point it feels raw. This feeling wears off about half an hour later, but you'll tear up a lot during that time. You know what they say: beauty is pain.

Your eyes will swell like you've been crying for a few days. However, healing time is one week and after the second day, you forget that you even went through all of that.

In no way am I promoting permanent cosmetics or selling it as a must for women in Korea. Since I have been wearing eyeliner for years, I signed on to do this on my own, with the possible consequences in mind. Will I go on to do other forms of permanent cosmetics? Probably not. However, I will take advantage of many things Korea has to offer to make "beauty" seem easier.

Saying Goodbye

Coming to Korea can be a beautiful thing. You come to this foreign land knowing that you will experience a different culture, travel to many places, and teach some wonderful kids. What you don't know is that you will share all these experiences with people that become your closest friends.

I had my share of goodbyes my first year in Korea. Being one of the last to arrive among the group of people I spent most of my time with, I had to say many goodbyes. It's never an easy thing. It almost feels like summer camp, where you bond with people from different places and have to say goodbye and promise that you will see each other again, even though you know it might be unlikely. At one point, I was seriously depressed because I felt so lonely. I lost my appetite and wanted to desperately get out of there too.

What I didn't realize is that you are always making friends in Korea whether it's friends of friends or people new to the country. Now that it's my second year, I am having to say goodbye to people that have sent me off the first time.

Five of my friends have recently left Korea. The last few weeks have been full of celebrations, feasts, and promises. Here are some suggestions of how to send off your friends the right way:

1. Wonder Hour (COEX Intercontinental Hotel): From Monday to Saturday, you can enjoy all you can eat and drink (wine and beer) from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. It's a little bit of an upscale place, so you and your friends can have an excuse to dress up one last time. It costs roughly 34000Won, but worth every penny. Link

COEX Intercontinental Hotel Lobby

2. Big Rock (Gangnam): This bar is very spacious and can fit however many people you bring. They have towers of beer and many different drinks and dishes that will leave your friends with a lasting memory of Korea. Plus, the bartenders understand that it's a special moment and will treat you with different services like free drinks for the whole group. Link

Last hug at Big Rock

3. Rainbow (Gangnam): If you have a big group, be sure to make reservations. Rainbow is a chill, underground spot where you can smoke hookah and share buckets with your closest friends, while listening to trance or reggae music, depending on the night. The atmosphere is perfect for you to slouch back and reminisce the good times with your friends. Link

Rainbow

4. UlZzang (Gangnam): Sticker picture stores are everywhere in Korea. But if you're in the area, you might as well take one last picture with your friends before they leave. You can take pictures with different props and even edit the pictures with funny icons or messages. 

I'm sure I'll meet up with all my friends sometime in the future. The question is....where?