Visit Korea: My Microneedling Experience at Abijou Clinic

The Clinic in Gangnam

I've always shied away from needles when it comes to beauty treatments like botox or microneedling, but on a recent trip to Korea, I found myself lying down on one of many beauty beds with numbing cream all over my face questioning my life choices. Let's rewind to how we got here. As most people are aware, Korea is like the beauty capital of the world with many traveling to the country specifically for laser and cosmetic treatments as they are much more affordable than in the US. My friends and I wanted to have facials in Korea, but were undecided on any additional treatments.

When we arrived to the clinic, we first had a consultation with a doctor and a translator. For myself and one friend, the doctor recommended a microneedling treatment to target pore size, boost collagen, and improve elasticity. Being adverse to needles, I asked the translator twice to see if there was a similar laser treatment I could receive instead. Twice, they stuck with the microneedling as they said the treatment would be more effective. On the one hand, I was scared, but on the other I was curious and didn't want to regret not having a beauty treatment done in Korea. My tipping point was when my friend said she would do it, if I would do it. Just so you know, if she jumped off a bridge, I would stop her! 

Okay, so now we are back on the beauty bed with numbing cream and plastic wrap on the face feeling nervous and a little claustrophobic. There's a rush of movement and they sit me up and put the grounding pad on my back and as I lay back down, the doctor tells me, "this is going to be painful, but you can do it." The first pass was not bad, but the subsequent passes over my face were very painful and I almost told her to stop, but thankfully she was finished before I could tap out. My face felt as if it were on fire, but the translator assured me everything went fine and looked normal. They followed up the treatment with a light massage and cooling mask. 

My friends and I received varying levels of after-treatment information and were all in sort of a stunned state as the translator watched over us making sure we wrote a google review before we could leave. The google review was in exchange for an add-on to our treatments. In hindsight, make sure you know they are trying to upsell you during the consultation and to ask all your questions before you leave. If you're the type that needs handholding, I suggest you find another clinic. I don't regret having the treatment done, but now that I know how painful it was, I doubt I will have it done again - no matter the results.

We stuck around to have a complimentary drink.

   

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Visit Korea: Scalp Analysis at Park Jun Beauty Lab

Another thing we wanted to do on our Korea girls trip was get the famous 15-step scalp treatment we had seen all over Instagram. After asking friends for advice, we settled on Park Jun Beauty Lab and made an appointment through their IG account. 

When we arrived, we were greeted and shown to a locker area and then were almost immediately seated to have our scalp analyzed. It does feel a little bit like a factory operation, but I think that is why the experience is so efficient. Be prepared to stand your ground if they try to upsell you, but I didn't mind getting the additional detox treatment that they offered.  

The 15 steps are: step 1 microscope consultation and diagnosis, step 2 head massage, step 3 cleaning and exfoliating, step 4 simple stretching massage with aroma oil, step 5 neck massage and hot towel, step 6 a sitting shampoo, step 7 light therapy or cleansing, step 8 relaxing shampoo, step 9 “YUME BAS” Spa Room, step 10 scalp treatment, step 11 MMS (Mirco Massage System) or JENIMORY TONIC – T, step 12 rinse hair after light acupressure, step 13 re-diagnosis of scalp with a microscope, step 14 tonic, and step 15 cold wind dry. The entire process took about 90 minutes. One of my friends also opted to get a digital perm and her results were great!

The cost of the 15-step scalp treatment was about $150, but you may find a better price if you shop around. We chose Park Jun because they speak English and have a ton of convenient locations. Juno Hair is another company we saw often while exploring Seoul. This was definitely a highlight on this girls' trip! 

Loving the end result!

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New to Kakaako: Drybar

I absolutely love getting my hair and make-up done so I was ecstatic to attend a Yelp event at Hawaii's only Drybar located in Kakaako.  Guests of the event were treated to a blowout ($45 - gratuity not included) which includes a wash and a complimentary glass of water, tea, coffee, mimosa, white wine or champagne!  Drybar offers a menu of 8 different types of aptly named blowouts ranging from the sleek and smooth Manhattan to the Mai Tai's beachy waves to the Cosmo's loose curls and some in between.  They also offer uptinis, braids, hair treatments, and specially priced blowouts for the 10 and under Shirley Temples.

My stylist was awesome and super sweet.  I had already picked out the style I wanted - the mai tai for some beachy waves.  She led me to the washing room where she washed my hair and gave me the best scalp massage.  I was in heaven.  We walked back to her station and as she applied sweet smelling products to my hair and dried it, I sipped on my mimosa and felt so relaxed.  It was just what I needed after much traffic and a long day at work.

As I was relaxing, I thought how fun it would be to get a group of girlfriends together and treat ourselves to blowouts before a nice dinner.  Or how my daughter would love to get her hair styled on our next mommy-daughter outing or maybe get an updo for her upcoming banquet.  Ah, the possibilities are endless!

My entire experience was stellar from start to finish and I would definitely recommend it.  I loved how my hair turned out and I felt so pretty and renewed.  I also got lots of compliments from my friends so that was the icing on the cake!

About Drybar:
Drybar is based on the simple concept of focusing on one thing and being the best at it: Blowouts. The idea was a natural one for curly haired founder Alli Webb, a longtime professional stylist, who constantly found herself overpaying for blowouts at traditional salons.  In addition to 70+ locations throughout the US and Canada, their growing product line (created specifically for the perfect blowout), is sold through their own shops, as well as Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta and Bloomingdale's.

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Malie Organics - Quality and Luxurious Beauty Products

Disclosure:  Complimentary products were received for review purposes.  All opinions are entirely my own.  

Mother's Day arrived early when I was treated to a box of goodies from Malie Organics.  I was generously gifted with the koke'e beauty oil, luxe cream soap, perfume oil, and jet set gift set.  My favorite aroma is their koke'e.  It's described as being surrounded by Hawaii's natural foliage of wild plants and exotic florals.  It's a beautiful, clean, lush floral scent and immediately takes my mind to the spa where I feel relaxed and pampered.

I took everything with me on my Mother's Day staycation and the first thing I opened was the perfume oil.  It's wrapped in a pretty box, complete with ribbon that makes it perfect for gift giving.  I loved that it is a roll-on perfume and made from a blend of rich organic oils that went on smoothly and absorbed quickly into the skin.  I also love that I can slip it into my makeup bag for travel.

The next thing I tried was the beauty oil - fragrant and therapeutic botanical oils that moisturize and revitalize from head to toe.  The beauty oil features a blend of ten all-natural, 80% organic botanical oils (Organic Jojoba Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Apricot Oil, Almond Oil, Avocado Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil, Organic Sunflower Oil, Kukui Nut Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, and Vitamin E) that infuse skin and hair with moisture for a silky, radiant glow.  You can use it on the face and body for a powerful moisture boost and it promises not to clog pores.  It can also be applied on wet or dry hair.  So far I have tried it on my face and body.  At first I worried it would be too oily for my face,  but after applying it my face felt really soft and moisturized.  In fact, my skin felt so soft that I couldn't stop touching it and now I am worried I might get addicted to this product!

I started using the body cream from the jet set gift set just because I love the smell of the luxurious cream, but I look forward to taking the entire set with me on a trip next week.  Since I'm only bringing a carryon, this set is perfect as it includes travel necessities of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and body cream all in 2.5 oz sizes -TSA approved!  Best of all, they are perfectly packable in a Malie travel bag.

I'm also excited to try the moisturizing bar soap because it promises to lather so well that I can shave with it.  It's made through a cold process method which preserves the integrity of the natural ingredients and the benefits they have on the skin.  The technique also creates a harder, longer-lasting bar of soap that Malie states won't disintegrate in the shower.  This sounds great to me since I usually don't buy bar soap because it dissolves so fast.

Besides koke'e, Malie products come in other sweet aromas like plumeria, mango nectar, pikake, coconut and vanilla, and hibiscus.  They also have an extensive line of products for the home that includes candles, diffusers, and linen and room sprays.

I honestly loved all the products that I have tried and as a busy (and most times stressed out) mom, I appreciate a quality beauty product that is going to keep my spirits lifted throughout the day and night.  They must also be made with a bit of magic because I promise, the koke'e scent instantly creates a soothing environment for me.  I just love it!  I am definitely a huge fan of the products and the local company.  


www.malie.com


About the Company:  Malie Organics was founded in 2004 by creator Dana Roberts and her husband.  The company, with roots in Kauai, has grown to include over 200 luxurious products for the home and body along with 4 flagship boutiques, creating jobs and opportunities for other small companies & entrepreneurs as partners & suppliers throughout Hawaii.   Malie Organics uses only all-natural, organic and wild-crafted ingredients, approved for use in cosmetics by the Natural Products Association.  All ingredients in their products are safe and nontoxic, with absolutely no petroleum, mineral spirits, sulfates or parabens nor do they ever test on animals or use animal products.

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Kristin Wood New Location

 

Back in August, I was treated to lash extensions by Kristin Wood that were so amazing they changed my perspective on the beauty procedure.  After keeping up with the maintenance of getting re-lashed for a couple of months, I decided to take a break.  The regret was instant.  I called the next day to get an appointment to have them reapplied and have happily kept it up ever since. 

 

Earlier this month, the lash salon said goodbye to its Kapahulu location and has opened up a newer and brighter space at 2885 S. King Street.  They have extended their hours and are in the process of adding a dry bar where you can treat yourself to a blowout and makeup application. 

 

Kristin also welcomed a new baby boy this year and her team is soon opening a location in Las Vegas!  Congratulations!!    

 

 

Dry bar in the works.

Kristin Wood

2885 S King Street Suite 201
808-738-7386

 

 

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For a Lash Transformation, see Kristin Wood

Want to look your best and get your eyes to pop, but don't have the time to mess with makeup?  Kristin Wood's eyelash extensions are designed for today’s on-the-go modern woman.  Her semi-permanent Couture, Designer and Ready-to-Wear Collections dramatically enhance the length and volume of the natural lash, using Kristin’s proprietary Multi-faceted Lash technique. You can expect to receive a customized look in one session.  Need more reasons?  Here's 5 more.

I am no stranger to eyelash extensions having them done for the first time in 2006 when they were still fairly new to the scene.  I wasn't well educated on the maintenance of the extensions and while they were pretty, they didn't last a week.  I decided to give it another go about two years ago when I decided that I needed a make over.  I had tried Latisse, the prescription required treatment for lash growth, and while I noticed a difference it wasn't big enough for anyone else to notice.  I decided to give eyelash extensions another shot.

I had mixed results.  The first application looked great.  When I went back to get them re-done, they fell out within a weekend.  When I went back for my third set, it seemed like my eyelashes could not support the weight of the extension and I had a sleepy kind of look going.  I chalked it up to the fault of my sparse and weak lashes and I decided to only wear eyelash extensions for special occasions or vacations.  

It was kismet that I was offered a complimentary lash of luxury treatment from Kristin's Ready-to-Wear collection.  I practically jumped for joy since I could time the extensions for my birthday and show them off at all my birthday celebrations.

I had heard many great things about Kristin from my friends and all her Yelp reviews are exceptional.  Kristin has over 18 years of experience in the cosmetology industry and is a renowned eyelash and beauty artist with an extensive following.  Through education, research, apprenticeships and occupations at some of Oahu's top luxury spas and salons, Kristin garnered exclusive training, which led her to become Hawaii's first Certified Eyelash Extension Trainer.  

Kristin's studio in Kilohana Square has many comfortable and chic treatment rooms.

Kristin started off the consultation with a discussion of the lash extension application process and maintenance.  We talked about my exercise regiment and while it doesn't include strenuous activity, she has many clients with active lifestyles and they can resume activities after 48 hours after the extensions are applied.  It's important not to get the extensions wet the first 24 hours in order for the adhesive to set so plan accordingly.  Kristin is introducing a new technique that will cure the adhesive faster, but is still researching through case studies and has received great feedback from her clients.  

We discussed what kind of look I wanted to achieve.  With the Ready-to-Wear collection ($150), about 80-100 semi-permanent faux mink extensions would be applied per eye and  we could go classic or cat eye.  She discussed the different types of curls of eyelash extensions and the varying lengths.  Having a small eye, I wanted to add length to the middle of my eye, hoping to open my eyes a bit.  I admit, I may have used the words "younger" and "cute" to describe the look I wanted.  We decided on a D curl with the longest length being 12 mm.  Kristin can use up to 5-6 different lengths on one eye.  For a more natural look to enhance the eye, she will use 2-3 varying lengths so the possibilities are endless.         

The difference between the J, B, C, and D curls are in their curvature.  

The session for the Ready-to-Wear collection takes about 1.5 hours and was so relaxing that I immediately fell asleep.  Everyone is so busy these days that taking some quality R&R time is really hard to do.  Consider eyelash extensions at Kristin Wood's lash studio as multi-tasking!  What's also really nice is that instead of using tape on your eyes during the treatment, she uses an under eye treatment so your eyes are refreshed as well.

Kristin also offers 2 other collections in addition to the Ready-to-Wear collection.  The Designer collection ($250) takes 2 hours and was inspired by Kristin's diverse and gorgeous clientele, using 160+ luxurious faux mink extensions per eye to achieve a truly customized designer look.  The Designer Re-Lash is $100 and takes about an hour and will maintain the customized Designer look using an estimated 50+ faux mink extensions per eye.  

For her clients looking to experience the ultimate lash of luxury, Kristin offers her exclusive Couture Collection which features her proprietary Multi-faceted Lash Application technique.  The Couture Set ($350) will take 3+ hours as 250+ luxurious faux mink extensions will be applied per eye.  The Couture Set promises to dramatically enhance the length and thickness of the natural lash.  The cost of the Couture Re-lash is $150 and clients will need to allot up to 1.5 hours as 75+ faux mink extensions are added per eye.  

When I saw my before and after pictures, I was stunned!  I knew my lashes were pretty puny, but I didn't realize how much in comparison.  What shocked me was that even though the extensions quadrupled my natural length and volume, they didn't look ridiculous.  They looked gorgeous.  Please excuse the filters on the photos below.  Decided to spare you lovely readers a close up of my pores. 

  

I was shocked to see the difference extensions can make.

A photo with the lash maven herself, Kristin Wood.  She is awesome, talented and very personable.  

Here's a couple of selfies I took before and after my Ready-to-Wear lash extension session.
I have lashes!  The lash extensions really soften my look.

Not only do I love my new look, but I have received a lot of positive feedback from my very honest friends and family.  They are also amazed how natural the lash extensions look and I have had at least three friends comment that they like these extensions much better than my previous ones.  Did I mention they were honest?  They felt that the Kristin Wood lashes looked more natural and that the color of the lash looked darker which made for a bigger impact.  It was great feedback for me because it was the look I wanted to achieve.  I love that I can skip eye makeup all together and still look put together.  These extensions have saved me a lot of time.
  

It's been a week and my extensions still look beautiful.

When I first went to see Kristin, I didn't have the intention of scheduling any re-lash services which is recommended every 2-3 weeks to maintain your customized look.  But now that I am on my second week and lash maintenance has been a breeze, I've decided to schedule re-lash sessions as I have a couple of big events coming up.  For the Ready-to-Wear re-lash, the session is about 45 minutes (still long enough for a nap) and the cost is about $65.  Think of eyelash extensions as the new mani/pedi but with a bigger impact on your busy life.  One thing that did take some time getting used to was not rubbing my eyes.  But being a Mom of a germy preschooler, it's actually been a blessing in disguise as I'm now much more cautious about touching my face.    

Kristin has had much success with her signature eyelash services and with increasing demand for her talent, she will be expanding to new locations in Hawaii as well as Las Vegas!  She plans to continue to develop new products and techniques as she finds her work rewarding.  Kristin loves that her services can add value to someone's life and make them feel good and create more confidence.  I definitely will vouch for that!  My experience has been great and it's one of those that you must try for yourself.  If you do decide on this amazing transformation, I highly recommend you seeing the best lash artists in the business at Kristin Wood. 

Kristin Wood

Kilohana Square #260

1016 Kapahulu Avenue

(808)738-7386         

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5 Reasons You Should See Kristin Wood for Eyelash Extensions

5.  You have a special event coming up.  Whether it’s your birthday, you’re a guest of a wedding, or your own wedding, eyelash extensions complete your head to toe look for the big day/night.  They are also very convenient for weekend getaways or vacations.  It’s one less thing you need to worry about which means less makeup and tools to pack.  Kristin can give your eyes just the boost they need.  

4.  You want to enhance your natural look.  Kristin can customize your eyelash extensions with varying lengths and thickness to get the natural look you desire.  You will still look like you, only better and because they are semi-permanent, when you go back for your re-lash in 2-3 weeks you have the option to change your look whether it’s classic or cat eye.  They also are nearly weightless that you will forget you have them on.      

3.  You want to go GLAM.  Not only can Kristin enhance your natural look, but she can take it and maximize it by giving you voluminous and gorgeous lash extensions that will enhance the length and thickness of your eyelashes.  The result will be dramatic and glamorous.  Those beautiful lashes will help you feel confident about your look too.        

2.  You need a nap.  Depending on what kind of eyelash extensions you desire, you may need to dedicate between 45 minutes to 3 hours.  Just you, the bed, and Kristin.  Not only will the lashes do wonders for your tired eyes, but you are sure to feel rejuvenated after that cat nap.      

1.  You value your time.  Or you don’t have much time because your three year old is tugging at your dress the entire time you are getting ready.  Eyelash extensions save you time and make getting ready a cinch as eye makeup is no longer needed.  As a mom to a teenager and a one year old, Kristin knows how hectic life can be for the modern woman and loves that eyelash extensions save women time.  You no longer have to worry about curling your lashes, applying coats of mascara or keeping eyelash glue out of your eye.  Your eyes will look bigger and more defined even with no makeup.   

Please stay tuned for my full review of my eyelash extensions experience from Kristin! 

About Kristin:  With over 18 years in the cosmetology industry, Kristin Wood is a renowned eyelash and beauty artist with an extensive following in her Honolulu, Hawaii studio.  She is widely referred to as the ‘lash maven’ for good reason, offering her incredible talent and technique to each client she works with.  Celebrated as a pioneer in the industry, Wood’s vision, creativity and passion for all-things-beautiful, has driven her to develop exclusive products and techniques that have redefined the industry.

Kristin’s studio is located at 1016 Kapahulu Avenue; (808) 738-7386

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