A Timeless Ritual with Amore Pacific | Jeju Island, Korea

Any time someone throws the age-old question of what my skin routine is on social media, my reply had always been ‘foundation and Photoshop*’. More and more so I’m starting to realise that it’s one of those stupid answers, like saying ‘I’m in shape, round is a shape’. One that warrants ‘yeah… not really funny, sis‘ from my bro. As a South Korean, the topic of Korean beauty is popularly thrown into interview questions, one that stumps me entirely – because as someone who grew up in Europe and regularly gets into punch-fights with eczema, beauty alone is still a topic that scares me. Wherever’s it’s from. I don’t have a regime, let alone one rule I can stick by. Every other day my skin wages a coup d’état.

The one thing I do know, and not to sound like my mum, or Christina Aguilera circa Dirrty years, is that beauty comes from within. No matter what you put on your skin, if you eat crap, your skin will be crap – if not now then later. I learnt this the hard way. Kids, eczema truly sucks balls. Korean Beauty apparently boils down to this somewhat corny ideology – healthy, transparent skin that no diamond cream can buy, only a very specific (borderline anal) lifestyle. Put aside all whitening and cosmetic surgery taboos, that’s what drives the industry forward, products that are based on eradicating irritants and championing botanical active ingredients. Make-up is almost an afterthought.

Jacket – Pinko. Jumpsuit – Mango. Boots – Stuart Weitzman. Bag – Gucci.

AMOREPACIFIC is one of those S.Korean beauty giants, and their unsung hero? Green tea. Now, I am a coffee-lover who thinks green tea tastes like warmed-up pond water. I am however also someone who eats dollar-store sweets and calls it dinner and therefore should really shut up and get with the program. The Timeless Ritual program – to be precise – which launched the new anti-ageing line TIMLESS RESPONSE in Jeju, a volcanic island just off the Southern coast of the Korean peninsula. One hour from Seoul, 14 hours from London. Timed exactly in the window when the first green tea leaves sprout, the purest and most potent harvest – traditionally worth its weight in gold and main active ingredient of the line.

Instagram @parkncube

The first day – detoxing by way of nature, yoga (first time for me, if you can believe) and one of the most invigorating facial massages I’ve ever experienced. The second and final day, restoring through education and experience (a bit of re-toxing on my part with stolen coffee). Turns out I’d been brewing green tea the wrong way my entire life – over-brewing to the point of it tasting like expired spinach water. Hot – but not boiling – water, and 1-2 minutes infusion makes liquid gold – I was sold. I might also consider not putting frozen fish finger-equivalent on my skin, afterall.

When it comes to the product itself, the Time Response Skin Renewal Creme is slightly sticky at first touch, but glides over your skin, leaving a comfortable layer of product that is instantly hydrating. I’d highly recommend it as a day-cream to those with eczema, especially those that suffer sensitive, bone-dry skin. Others may prefer to apply it as a night cream, although I find that if you spend some time patting it in, your skin feels lighter than ever. Unlike many perfumed products, this does not sting, and leaves an aftertaste of freshly picked green tea leaves.

* sadly I do have to resort to light retouching when the going gets rough and I still want to run this blog, a bit of transparency that I hope you’ll understand.

Park & Cube was a guest of AMOREPACIFIC 너무 즐거웠어요, 감사합니다 :)

Top – Zara. Skirt – H&M

Shoes – Adidas Energy Boost

A Skinny Latte at monmouth Coffee

27 Monmouth Street, WC2H 9EU

Coffee-connoisseurs the world around swear by Monmouth coffee – witness how proper lattes are done and don’t forget to take home your own bag of coffee beans to sniff when sad.

Trench coat – Burberry. Bag – Saint Laurent ‘Lulu’. Top – ASOS. Jeans – 7 For All Mankind. Shoes – Adidas Energy Boost

oysters at
the delaunay

55 Aldwych, WC2B 4BB

Sure, they’re known for wieners. Lots of different type of wieners. In fact, go for wieners, but the mittel European vibe at the Delaunay is not complete without oysters on ice to start.

Burgers at Shake Shack

24, Market Building, The Piazza, WC2E 8RD

Dress – StyleNanda. Denim Jacket – Pinko (Similar). Bracelet – Monica Vinader. Shoes – Adidas Energy Boost

Your search for the best burger is over. The cheeseburger topped with Niman Ranch all-natural applewood smoked bacon, chopped cherry pepper and ShackSauce goes famously with a side of crinkle-cut fries and a pint of Oreo shake is match made in heaven. And, as one Sheldon Cooper would say, the burgers come with a satisfying meat-to-bun-to-condiment ratio. (Avoid peak hours unless queuing is a hobby)

burberry beauty box

2A THE MARKET BUILDING WC2E 8RF

Burberry’s first stand-alone beauty store, with looks straight off the catwalk. Try the radio-frequency identification-enabled platform that matches your skin tone to a colour, preeeetty fascinating.

go for a run on victoria embankment

victoria embankment, WC2R

One of the best running routes the city has to offer, the riverside embankment. Opt for an early morning jog when the streets are bare from tourists. Up one bank and back the other, follow signage, or not. I usually follow the smell of breakfast. Beats views from any gym treadmill.

All clothing – Adidas

In collaboration with Adidas UK; Photography – KrisAtomic. Layout & Art Direction – Park & Cube

Look 1: Off-shoulder top – StyleNanda (similar). White linen trousers – Gap. Shoes – Birkenstock. Bracelet – Zara. Watch – Larsson & Jennings. Sunglasses – Carrera x Jimmy Choo. Necklace – Mum’s Mikimoto

Look 2: Jersey Dress – Gap. Denim Jacket – Pinko. Sunglasses -Sunglasses – Carrera x Jimmy Choo. D’Orsay flats – similar

Well this is annoying. In my dirt-stained brick & concrete neck of the woods these two all-white-errythang get-ups would’ve won me some kind of a medal, if not a congratulatory hug from the bloke at the Turkish convenience store in front of whom I’ve spilled, not once but three times, just-bought green smoothie down my just-drycleaned silk top. The whole sun & cloudless blue skies sun setting altogether nullifies the difficulty of wearing white, it not only looks like I was born like dis, but heck, even the food is white in Barcelona (more on this later) – and evidently a spoonload of seabass and rice doesn’t do much damage to a white jersey dress. All my effort is thrown. I will never be an accidental contemporary artist. Either that or I’m getting very good with the fork since the last post and I’m actually aiming for me mouth, even under effect of white wine. Look mum, hands!

To tell the truth, if not for the white pieces from Gap for my style series on the Styld.by platform, I’d probably have scrabbled around Barcelona in my usual get-up looking like a cockroach under a lightbulb and that’s never a good look.

Outfit photos by my two favourite boys, Cup of Couple. Edit by Park & Cube