The miraculous Korean 17-Step Facial Skincare Beauty Routine

Girls' talk during lunch can range from new cafes in town to relationship woes to skincare and beauty. My colleague recently gushed about how she read about the 17-step facial routine adopted by the Korean girls, and how it made them all glowing, radiant and poreless.

I have always have problems with my skin... dull complexion and uneven skintone from all that harsh sun and uv rays (woes of living at the equator),  unsightly pores on my nose (i am 'blessed' with oily complexion), and dark eye circles (i am a night owl).

So after hearing about it, I decided to google about this miracle goddess beauty regime. Apparently the regime can range from 10 to 17 steps depending on the number of types of serums used. The most popular would be the 10-step routine by Charlotte Cho of SokoGlam.com.

To summarise, here are the 10 steps:

1. Pre-cleanse: Removal of Makeup

Do remember to use eye and lip makeup remover if you do apply waterproof mascara and long-lasting lipstick.

2. Cleanse

Use your index and middle fingers in light circular motion to massage your face while cleansing.

*Image taken from Beautifille.com

3. Exfoliate

Exfoliation should be done once a week. I have two natural exfoliation recipes in my next post... do keep a lookout for them!

4. Tone

Applying toner prepares your skin to absorb what comes after, do try alcohol-free formulas!

5. Applying Essence

According to Charlotte, essence is a nourishing liquid concentrate that enhances cellular renewal process, leading to an increase in elasticity and firmness.

6. Applying Ampoule / Serum

This step allows ladies to address any potential issues you have, so you can apply different types of serum (e.g. hydration, anti-aging etc) to your face (thus explaining the 17 legendary steps).

7. Applying Masks

Applying masks every two to three days will help your skin absorb these extra nutrients. In my previous post, I introduced the 'Quality First all-in-one sheet masks', which combines the goodness of lotion, serum, and emulsion.

8. Applying Eye Cream

Your eyes are the most delicate and sensitive area. Getting a good eye cream can visibly reduce fine lines and make you look much younger! I personally use the Osim eye massager to allow the eye cream and serum to be absorbed fully into my skin.

9. Moisturise

To rehydrate your skin after all that cleansing at the start, massage the moisturiser into your skin gently.

10. Apply Sleeping Pack to complete the cycle

I am currently using Laneige Sleeping Pack which I bought from Changi Airport DFS. I apply it twice a week before sleeping to provide extra hydration for my oily yet dry complexion.

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Hopefully these ten steps are useful to you for your daily skincare regime! One last point to add, is that applying sunscreen is the most important step before you step out of your house!

Your skin ages the fastest under scorching sun (harmful UV rays actually) and in the long run, you may notice the appearance of dark spots and wrinkles. If you are still not convinced, watch this awesome video:

So remember, the next time you freshen up in the morning, apply some sunscreen on your face!

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Alcatraz E.R. - A Medical Prison Theme Japanese Restaurant in Shibuya, Tokyo

Irasshai, irasshai... yokoso to one of the most interesting theme restaurants in Tokyo!

From the photo below, can you guess what is the restaurant's theme yet? 

Img courtesy of alcatraz-er.net

Alcatraz ER, a legendary medical prison restaurant in Shibuya, Tokyo, boosts of a quirky dining experience where you will be served your orders in a jail cell setting by doctors and nurses, with a daily asylum prison-break show before dinner starts.

This restaurant, located a slight distance away from Shibuya station, is an entertainment gem that is easy to miss if you do not have a map on hand, or the address in mind.

Before the trip, my friends and I have decided that we should have a meal at one of the most interesting restaurant in Tokyo. We have read a good chunk of reviews that pointed us here and we decided to try it on our own.

After all, we are in Japan, where weird is the new norm, and the norm is well, just the norm.

The Japanese are the ones who started the hadouken-ing photo craze anyway:

Img courtesy of hadokening.net

If you are keen to visit this restaurant, it will be good if you are equipped with a map so that you can be sure that you are on the right track. 

It can be located at 2-13-5 Dogenzaka, Harvest Building 2F, Shibuya, Tokyo Prefecture 150-0043, Japan (more details at the end of the post).

The restaurant is where the red bubble pin is

We set off for the restaurant in the evening, and it was rather dark when we reached the building. The streets were empty and quiet, so it can be a little unsettling when you reach the venue (we were rather uncertain if we were on the right track because the neighbourhood was so quiet). 

However, there is a huge banner advertising the restaurant and that provided much reassurance to us: 

Img courtesy of weirdjapan.org

I am someone who cannot stand watching horror movies, so when the lift door opens, I felt slightly spooked. The hallway was dimly lit, with a mummy doll on display behind bars. Even the restroom feels cold and creepy (i think it was my imagination).

Restrooms are located outside the restaurant

To enter the restaurant, you have to choose and press a button:

Choose your blood type!

After we stepped in, the restaurant was much brighter inside than outside, and it really just looked like a rundown hospital. (´･ω･`)

The nurse led us through a narrow walkway and we noticed most diners are seated cross-legged in little jail cells behind bars. The place has been segregated into upper and lower decks, which make the individual table settings smaller and more claustrophobic. Each table is separated by a thick curtain to provide diners with some privacy, but I personally thought it would have been more realistic (and fun) if they had built individual cells for each table instead.

We were led to a table on the upper deck, so most of the photos you see would be from a top-down view:

Miss Nightingale serving other diners on the lower deck

After we were seated, the nurse (who was rather hot in the mini nurse uniform and fishnet stockings) presented us with an overly cute menu (pink menu with rundown hospital... seemed much of a mismatch and identity crisis to me):

I don't know why they think the asylum theme goes well with pink

We had a hard time deciding what to order mainly because everything on the menu (full menu link here) seemed really interesting (we will talk about the taste later):

Fancy some bedroom toys or human body parts?

Or perhaps some blue curry or suggestively-molded fried rice?

We managed to place our orders before the show started at 8pm (there is only 1 showtime every night) and as we wait in much anticipation, the lights were switched off, sirens went off, music came on, flashlights were out, and people were running.

We couldn't see very clearly at first, because we were on the upper deck and the design of the place made it hard for us to see what was happening.

Help...?

It became more obvious as we get accustomed to the dark setting, and it seemed that the plot revolves around a mad prisoner who has broken out of jail. The crew terrorised the diners and created much chaos within the restaurant.

Looks hard to breathe

Though disappointed that the seating arrangement didn't allow us to enjoy the experience fully, I was very impressed by how the crew tried to engage us by climbing up to the upper deck to 'terrorise' us:

Doesn't he give you the creeps?

After the show has ended (thankfully, because we were hungry and the show gets a little boring when you can't really see much of what's going on), the doctors and nurses busied themselves with serving food.

My camera obviously didn't do the pretty nurse much justice

I ordered a 'Human Body Experiment' (人体実験) for JPY880, and it comprises of orange juice, lemon, white curacao, blue curacao, pineapple, and lime:

Now who says you cannot play with your food (drink)?

This other drink my friend ordered... well. let's just call it the banana drink. (´≖‿≖) According to the menu, it consists of coconut, milk, pineapple, and a frozen banana. Before we can do anything, the nurse poured milk all over the fruit and made my friend licked it. 

The drink costs JPY780 and was rather fun, if your company of friends can accept it:

The mild-hearted shouldn't order this drink... just don't.

There wasn't much surprise for the food menu. We had a 'pork intestines with ponzu sauce' (JPY520), Karaage Chicken (JPY580), and Blue curry with Naan (JPY630):

Looks meh but tasted not too bad

As jailed as us...

Tasted ordinary despite looking extraordinary

The highlight of the menu was the 'Russian Takoyaki' (JPY680). It is basically takoyaki presented in russian roulette style, where one of the takoyakis was filled with wasabi.

Proud to declare that I have survived and live to tell the tale

The bill arrived in the form of a medical prescription, which says 'Medicine to make a great love relationship come true:

Cute little bag for the bill

Content of the bag

The trip to Alcatraz ER was an eye-opener as we get to experience how a theme restaurant should be like. However, despite what some reviews mentioned, we didn't get to witness or see any wild acts during the 8pm showtime (such as being handcuffed, or dragged out to a stretcher etc). That was rather disappointing, though the staff's enthusiasm made up for it a little.

Say Cheese!

We spent approximately JPY3,000 per person (~SGD34) and that includes the cover charge (termed as hospitalisation admission charge) of additional JPY500 per person and 10% service charge. This cover charge is applicable for ala-carte menu reservations made.

There are other packages such as the 'Mad Entertainment Course' which sounded more economical because it includes 9-course and free flow drinks during the two-hour slot for JPY3480 (~SGD40, by hp) or JPY3980 (~SGD46, normal reservation).

Reservation timings vary for different packages (for example ala-carte reservation can be done 3 days in advance between 1700hr - 2245hr, while 'Mad Entertainment Course' opens for reservations 2 days in advance between 1700hr - 2100hr). To make your own reservations, check out the official link here. 

Details:

In Japanese:
刑務所病院レストラン アルカトラズE.R.
〒150-0043 東京都渋谷区道玄坂2-13-5 ハーベストビルディング2F

In English:
Medical Prison Restaurant Alcatraz E.R.
2-13-5 Dogenzaka, Harvest Building 2F, Shibuya, Tokyo Prefecture 150-0043, Japan
Tel: 03-3770-7100

Last but not least, let me leave you with my favourite the photo of the night:

Do comment and share your experience with us if you have been to Alcatraz E.R., or if you have any other theme restaurants which you will recommend to us!

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Detailed Guide and Review: How to get to Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku

We spent Tokyo leg part 1 staying in Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku. From the map, it seemed that the hotel is very near from Shinjuku train station, and it is indeed so, but it can be a little confusing to find when one first arrives at the destination with a different culture and language.

We thought that it would really help our readers a lot if we detail the process and route to the hotel (from JR Shinjuku Station).

The hotel is popular among tourists as it has one of the most convenient location among the hotels in that region, and to be frank, with each night costing an average of JPY13,640 (~SGD177) (prices ranged from JPY12,835 to JPY14,450), it is relatively inexpensive.

It is an approximate 10 minutes walk from the JR station, and there are two ways to go about doing it. The exact location of the hotel can be found on google map. I have included the exact link to it here.

Ground-Level Navigation

The first way is to walk out from the south exit (minami-guchi) and navigate your way from ground level:



After you walk out from the exit, turn right and continue to walk straight down the stretch of shopping malls (Lumine2 to be exact). 

This is the stretch of malls seen from across the road:



After you reach traffic junction at the end of the shopping malls stretch (right in front of Lumine), take the traffic crossing twice to reach the adjacent road. If you have cross correctly, looking back at the junction where you started from, you should see this:



Continue to walk down away from the junction and you will see McDonalds. I guess seeing a familiar brand overseas is somewhat reassuring. Anyway, this means you are on the right track! Just continue to walk straight down again.



If you have bulky luggage with you, it may seem like an eternity, but viola! You would have reached the hotel in 10 minutes, or perhaps 15 minutes if you attempted a stroll.

 Overhead Bridge Navigation

The other way is a little further, but you will get to shop (Takashimaya, and Tokyu Hands) and eat (Krispy Kreme) along the way. Ok, I guess you can shop at Lumine and eat at Mcdonalds along the first route too...

Anyway, here's the route using google maps. There are less photos for this route because well. i can't really google map it.



First, exit via the new south exit (shin-minami-guchi). 

You will be able to see Takashimaya building at the back. Walk towards it:

Img courtesy of tripadvisor.com

You will find yourself walking on a bridge with takashimaya on your left. After you reach the entrance of takashimaya closer to the end of the stretch, turn right to walk away from the shopping centre. If you are on the right track, turn back to look at takashimaya, and you will see a huge signboard for Tokyu Hands.

Continue to walk on until you see Krispy Kreme:



Continue to walk straight until you reach the end of the bridge, walk down to reach ground level, then turn right towards the office building. The hotel is right behind the office building. You will see the hotel from the bridge, as shown in the photo below. Pardon the dark lighting, as it was evening when I took this photo:

Economy Double Room

The hotel room was much bigger than I thought, as I have booked a Economy Double room, and it is 15.8sqm (171sqft) big. It was the biggest room we had besides the Ryokan Ubuya stay in Lake Kawaguchiko, but that is technically not a hotel.

Here are some photos of the place:

The hotel room was clean, and the reception desk was really friendly. They spoke good English too. In fact, they were the ones who helped us call and made reservations for the free shuttle bus trip to Mother Farm in Chiba.

Also, if you are presented with two options, smoking and non smoking, do remember to book a non-smoking room if you cannot stand the smell of smoke. This other hotel we stayed in really reeks of cigarette smoke and we have probably emptied the entire bottle of air freshener in a bid to deodorise the place (which failed, btw).

For more information on the hotel, room type and prices, you may wish to check out their website here.

Address:

2-3-1 Yoyogi, Shibuya-Ku

Tokyo, 151-0053, Japan

Do share with us your experience of staying in Sunroute, or let us know if you have found a hotel that provide more value-for-money!

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