My favourite Korean beauty brand, innisfree gives us access to all the natural benefits in Jeju island. It is a magical island that is full of wonderful natural treasures such as green tea, volcanic pore clay, tangerine and camellia flowers that Innisfkee went through a great R&D process before packing into their products.
The brand new Jeju Lava Seawater line is no different – it has a base of Jeju volcanic seawater that is said to be enriched with various minerals. The water is supposedly taken not from the sea directly, but from underground pools, in which the water has seeped through volcanic rocks, clarified and picked up the said minerals.
On top of that it also contains a mixture of plant extracts as well as squalane (a naturally occurring lipid that works as a moisturizer) that hydrate and soothe your skin (extra necessary if you’ve been out on the beach all day) as well as battle the first signs of waging.
I felt really lucky to join 50 other influencers from all across Asia to witness the beauty of Jeju Island and the magic of Jeju lava sea water.
DAY 1: Lunch @ Nilmori Dong Dong Culture Cafe -> Check in @ Jeju Kensington Hotel -> Shopping @ emart -> Dinner @ Jeju Kensington Hotel
Nilmori Dong Dong, located near Jeju Airport is a sea-facing cafe that offers the best view while you dine-in.
Everything that we ordered were delicious, especially the Jeju Black Pork ribs and steak.
The cafe is also famous for its special bingsu called Hallasan Bingsu. It is served together with a caramel sauce that resembles lava. We polished the plate clean, because the combination of red bean (hidden inside), creamy shaved ice, pearls, green tea sauce and caramel were too good.
The organiser was really nice to put us into Kensington Jeju Hotel, rated as one of the best hotels in Jeju Island. The hotel is chic, modern and surrounded by plenty of greens and beautiful natural forests.
There is a heated rooftop swimming pool which was really awesome.
I love how to organiser provided us with all the innisfkee toiletries, skin care and even toothpaste.
heart warming welcome note with hydrangeas
Since we had some time to spare before dinner, some of us made a trip to E-mart, the mecca of all Korean snacks/food stuffs. These are some of my must buys when in Korea.
Dinner at the hotel was a relaxed and delicious affair. We tried some of the classic korean dishes such as kimchi jiggae, bulgogi and abalone juk (porridge).
DAY 2: Jeju House -> Mount Songak -> Lunch @ Zen Hideaway -> Hyeopjae Beach -> Gala Dinner @ Jeju Kensington Hotel -> Spa @ Jeju Kensington Hotel
Our first stop of the day was innisfree Jeju House. Opened in April 2013, it is a flagship store selling cosmetic products and organic desserts made from local specialties.
The store is located right next to O’sulloc Green Tea Museum, which is another flagship store operated by Amore Pacific.
I took the opportunity to take some pictures at the huge green tea plantation located outside Jeju House.
There are many limited edition “Only Jeju” products available here. Just take all my money please!
I really love the ambiance of the cafe. It feels so zen and so serene with all the light wood furnitures and plenty of greeneries outside.
I bought myself some peony scented wardrobe sachets and love them so much! The problem is where can I get some new one now that the sachet losses its scent.
The peony perfume room diffuser is also a staple in my bedroom.
Visitors can also make DIY soap with natural materials found on Jeju Island.
The cafe in Jeju House sells mainly organic food and I tried their canola honey coffee, so refreshing!
The organiser also gave us a giant size hallabong each. It is an orange-tangerine hybrid grown in Jeju. The fruit has a high sugar content, soft flesh and abundant juice.
It is time to work off those calories by taking a trail up to Songaksan Mountain.
The view along the way was amazing. We were blessed with great, sunny weather however the winds were so strong, we felt like we were gonna get blown away any second!
The trail leads us around the cliff and to the crater, where we can see an overview of the island.
Our lunch venue was Zen Hideaway, a lovely cafe situated beside Yongmeorie Beach.
Patrons can eat inside and outside, both with a gorgeous view of the ocean and Hallasan.
If you’re in the area and looking for a western food fix – this is your place. Pizzas are great, pasta good and steak good quality.
We had the first preview of the innisfree Jeju Lava Seawater range here. Everyone loves the mist, especially in the sweltering summer heat. They’re refreshing, soothing, and deliver benefits to my skin.
Hyeopjae Beach is one of the most popular and renowned beaches on Jeju Island. The white sand beach has extra sands, and the emerald-coloured water is crystal clear.
We were here to attend a sandal making workshop here. It is so easy to DIY your own sandal with some leftover fabrics. These eco-friendly sandals will definitely have me going on the right track to living a much more greener lifestyle.
We were also the amongst the first to preview the new make up line inspired by the colours of Hyeopjae Beach.
I’m in love with the colour ranges, so pretty.
Everyone dressed up for the gala dinner that is being held at the hotel. Look at the romantic setting under a canopy of twinkling stars.
Thank you so much for such a fun night with great food and good wines.
Right after dinner, we all had our own pampering session at the hotel’s spa, using only the range from innisfree Jeju Lava Seawater range. It is my best facial massage experience ever. The therapist was so skilful and it really helped to lift and firm my skin, reducing the appearance of puffiness and wrinkles.
DAY 3: Manjanggul Lava Tube -> Lunch & Coffee @ Woljeongri Beach -> Jeju Lava Water Complex -> Product Launch @ Walk in Jeju Cafe -> Dinner and Sailing Tour
Day 3 is full day of learning more about Jeju Lava Seawater, the main ingredient behind innisfree’s latest range of skincare products.
Manjanggul Cave is one of the finest lava tunnels in the world, and is a designated natural monument. A lava tunnel is formed when the lava that was deep in the ground spouts from the peak and flows to the surface. Manjanggul Cave has a variety of interesting structures inside including 70cm lava stalagmites and the lava tube tunnels.
Only 1km of the 13,422m Manjanggul Cave is open to tourists, so you don’t have to worry about walking too much.
The inside of the tunnel sustains a temperature of 11~21℃, and there’s water dripping down all the time. Remember to prepare a rain coat.
I have to say that all the beaches Jeju Island are really picturesque. We were having lunch and coffee by the Woljeongri Beach, and we can see wind turbines and colourful houses from a distant. So beautiful!
Here’s Lumi and Charis doing what they do best – video shooting.
Uni Bibimbap for lunch, don’t jealous us!
Since we had some time to kill, we visited some cafes along the beach.
Seriously, all the cafes here are my #cafegoals.
From stylish and hip designer cafe restaurants to original and quaint cafes, there are plenty of places to enjoy a cup of coffee in Jeju Island.
I am really glad that I had this opportunity to learn more about Jeju Lava Seawater by heading straight to its origin, Jeju Island, with innisfree. Apparently, lava seawater is only found in two places in the world: Jeju Island, as well as Hawaii.
Here we are at the processing plant of the water itself – Jeju Lava Water Complex.
We learnt about the lava seawater origins and formation. About 400,000 years ago, Jeju Island rose from the ocean as a result of a string of volcanoes. The eruption caused the lava to flow into the ocean and form a layer of hardened lava, also known as basalt, under the sea.
Over the years, seawater started seeping through the porous basalt. This filtered seawater dubbed lava seawater, is imbued with precious minerals and can only be found on the east side of Jeju Island and Hawaii. The lava seawater of Hawaii is too deep to extract (at 500m below the surface), making Jeju Island the only place on earth that it can be collected.
Through tireless efforts and two years of research, innisfree managed to extract this precious lava seawater to develop the Lava Seawater Skincare Line, establishing themselves as the first beauty brand to use this ingredient for anti-aging products.
The water is also being bottled and sold worldwide, under the brand name of Baranul Jeju Water.
We also took a look at some of the plants nurtured by Jeju Lava Seawater. The tomatoes were really juicy and sweet tasting.
Next, we attended a product briefing at Walk In Jeju, another idyllic cafe located by the beach.
We also learnt that the Jeju Lava Seawater range is a highly hydrating, anti-aging range that is light weight on skin. The Lava Seawater firms up the skin by activating its three hydration factors (Filaggrin, Caspase-14/AQP3). These factors are involved in the formation, refinement, and circulation process of natural hydration.
Its rare volcanic minerals permeate the skin quickly and effectively in order to reinforce the skin’s cell energy to form a strong moisture barrier. Lava Seawater also helps to enhance collagen production by increasing moisture and plumpness. This, in turn, raises the skin’s moisture retention capability for firmer and more youthful-looking skin.
One of the most unique feature of the range is the Jeju Lava Seawater Cream Ampoule. You can actually mi this ampoule with the Jeju Lava Seawater skin, shake well, and get a moisturising antioxidant treatment in a light texture that the skin can absorb freely.
One of my favourite products from the range is this Jeju Lava Seawater Eye Serum. The metal applicator on the eye serum gives the skin around my eyes a cooling sensation, and works really well in reducing the appearance of puffiness and tired looking eyes.
I also can’t live without the Jeju Lava Seawater Cream. See those ceramide capsules? They burst upon application on the skin, helping to moisturise the skin while forming a firm and hydrating protective layer.
We also enjoyed a good soak with pure Jeju Lava Seawater. Pure indulgence!
Since it is the final night of our stay in Jeju Island, we were in for a treat – seafood dinner and a sailing tour.
Jesu Island is famous for a wide varieties of shellfish, and fresh fish that is served raw, sashimi style.
For the most unique way to sightsee Jeju, book yourself onto a luxury yacht trip. Cruising out of the port, we got to see all the different landscape of this beautiful island.
It was truly an amazing experience; even though we got all wet as a result of the strong wave’s splashing.
Thank you so much to team Malaysia for such a fun and amazing experiences, especially Suraya and JooYee who took good care of us. It was great to be able to hang out with these fun bunch – Jenn, Bella, Charis, Lumi and all other media friends from Malaysia.
