Eye Candy : Song Hye Kyo For Vedi Vero

Song Hye Kyo is equal parts glamorous and elegant in this gorgeous campaign for Vedi Vero. The stunning 37 year actress was chosen as the latest brand ambassador for South Korean eyewear brand as it aims to leverage her image, popularity and influence to appeal to a broader base of global consumers which makes a lot of sense. With over 20 years in the entertainment industry, Hye Kyo is still as popular as ever. She is currently getting a lot of buzz in the drama Encounter in which she stars opposite the equally buzzy Park Bo Gum.

Anyone who is a regular reader here, will know that I'm a huge Song Hye Kyo fan. She is an incredible actress who has steadily challenged herself while improving her craft.  I'm also a fan because she is a quality person who is known to be kind, socially conscious and very low key and down to earth in real life. Yes a celebrity who is refreshingly non-thirsty for attention! If I have any gripe, I would say that it's really unfair that besides being ridiculously beautiful she also seems to be eternally youthful. I really believe she doesn't get enough credit for her acting skills. What is most outstanding about her acting for me is the subtlety and depth. She is very adept at tuning into her emotions and making the viewer feel exactly what her character is feeling at any time. Oh how many times have I cried along with her onscreen characters! Anyone who thinks she's bland or always giving the same performance and should just go back to watching crappy idol acting with over the top reactions with no real emotional connections. Her acting is always a complete performance that includes her eye and facial expressions as well as body language. Hye Kyo is also the type of actor that doesn't need to always shine. She is willing to step back and let her partner do that if that's what a moment calls for. Her husband Song Joong Ki said something about that during Descendants of the Sun. Jo In Sung was effusive in his praise for her when they filmed That Winter The Wind Blows. He was blown away by her beauty as well as her amazing acting skills and felt that her acting elevated his own.  Bo Gum has received much praise for his work in Encounter. It is well deserved but he is not acting in a vacuum. He's advanced to the next level and his onscreen partner has a little something to do with that. Their visuals are out of this world and anytime they're onscreen together it looks like a magazine editorial.

Watching Encounter has been like a warm hug on a cold winter day. There are only 3 more episodes left and I'm going to be so sad when it ends. It is such a high quality production that is aesthetically pleasing, thoughtful and meticulously put together with meaningful details that enhance the narrative. Some people might find it too slow paced or boring because the story centers on one couple but that's the beauty of it. It's a love story and it doesn't pretend otherwise. I enjoy it because there aren't any contrived histrionics, unnecessary love triangles or extraneous side characters. The way it employs standard tropes just to subvert them in unexpected ways is most refreshing and I feel like there is some much needed subtle social commentary against the stigma of an older woman/younger man pairing as well as divorcées which is sadly still a thing in certain Asian societies.

Photos: Vedi Vero