/Announcement/ Gone, baby, Gone

So! I'll be taking a brief hiatus for a about a week and a half. Clues on my destination:

Yes, it's somewhere sunny, possibly tropical. Yes, I have that many sunglasses. No, I'm not bringing them all (only two).

I'll be back soon with new and exciting things to talk about.
Bye for now.

/People/ Han Ga-In

via kdramastars.com
These days it's extremely difficult to find naturally beautiful Korean women. I'm not saying Koreans aren't attractive, I just believe the epidemic of plastic surgery has rendered natural beauty into extinction as everyone scrambles to get their eyes, noses, and faces fixed in an attempt to be ideally beautiful (or, as I like to refer to it, westernized). Believe me, I've seen this first-hand on my cousins who have had eyelid surgeries and nose-jobs. Now, I'm not an expert at knowing which Korean celebrities have had plastic surgery, I could care less even though the thought of it offends me, but Han Ga-in looks natural. Compared to other Korean female celebrities (especially those in girl groups), she has a pure quality that I think is lost on the younger generation. I really see her as an older sister kind of person (at least, that's what I imagine...kind of like what I have with my Korean cousins, but Han Ga-In would be nicer).
I first saw her in "Once Upon a Time in High School".

from listofbestkoreanmovies.com
In this 2004 film, she plays a high school student/student/love interest to the main male protagonist (Kwon Sang Woo). When I saw her for the first time I thought she was so pretty in a natural beauty sort of way. Han Ga-In looked so cute She was playing s girl from 1978 so she was basically barefaced the whole time.

from hancinema.net
The film was shockingly violent for me (at least in terms of what I was expecting), but it still had its sweet moments so overall I liked it and I do recommend it for those interested in Korean films. Since her acting debut in 2002, she has starred in many television dramas and a few films.

Han Ga-In is also the face of numerous products spanning cosmetics to soju in South Korea.

via soompi.com


via getupreadup.com


via soompi.com
She really doesn't age. These are pictures of her from this year:

from www.dramafever.com


from doramakun.ru
That's quite amazing. I scoured the internet looking for interviews about her beauty/skincare routine, but I couldn't find anything substantial or official. For the time beaing, revel in her unchanging, natural beauty.

/Face/ Sonia Kashuk Beautifying Blush

this was purchased by me.
Let's talk about blush. I use it everyday I wear make-up; it's a very automatic process for me even if I don't pay much attention to the process or application. I find that wearing blush really makes you look alive. When your skin gets covered by a layer of foundation/tinted moisturizer/bb or cc cream, it becomes flat. With a pop of color on your cheeks you appear more alive rather than...ghost-like.

/Etc/ Girls Camera

I love purikura.

from http://pixelms.en.ecplaza.net
It's so fun to do with friends (all the weird posing) and the timed decorating process afterwards makes for some strange stamps, drawings, and phrases written. I have many real purikura going as far back as 1998 (!). I think my favorites ones were when I went to Japan a few years back for a summer study abroad--they're probably the most entertaining to look back on.

Since getting an Iphone (I've had mine less than a year), I've perused the app store for free apps and came across Girls Camera.
The app has good reviews and the screenshots looked promising so I downloaded it. Here are some picture, selfies for the purpose of this blog, I took:

i took this picture in an airplane



there's a fancy shark..


my favorite
Overall, it's a good picture app. There's a feature that allows for 2+ people which widens the portrait area and has special frames. Sometimes it's a little tricky to place stamps where you want and the text needs to be customized every tim you want to use it, but I like Girls Camera. It has so many cute stamps frames...and since there's no time limit to decorate you could spend hours (maybe not that long, but long enough) making the picture pretty and/or funny. I don't know if you can tell, but in the last picture of me I put circle lens tamps on my eyes (it's difficult to control the size and placement of the eye stamps...even with the guiding buttons to help position and rotate them). There's a diary feature as well where you can keep all your pictures and make notes/comments/further decorate.
If you like purikura and don't feel like paying $5+ to make them or can't stand the limited time decorating, I recommend checking this app out.

Girls Camera is also available for android phones!

/Style/ Words Brand

Customized Eco-Friendly Cotton Tote

via wordsbrand.com
This was a featured mini post on Notcouture and I fell in love with the words and the concept. Words Brand focuses on witty phrases printed on bags, apparel, and other miscellaneous items (mugs, iphone/ipad cases). The majority of the designs and witticisms and printing is made in the U.S. (things sold in the EU are printed in Germany). Another awesome feature of the website is customizing your own products. I would love to get the tote bag I "designed" (that was a pre-made phrase; it is hilarious). This reminds me of another company that can customize apparel to your liking...I totally forget the name of it, though. (It was L.A. based...ugh...I went to it once, too.)
Update: The other store that customizes stuff is Neighborhoodies !

/Hair/ Dial Kids Body + Hair Wash

this was purchased be me.
Sometimes I really like to streamline my routine and I seek out products that can be used for multiple purposes. I also really like to use baby and kid products because I believe them to be more gentle on the skin (bonus points if they're natural/organic/cruelty-free and smell yummy). I picked this up in the middle of last month when I ran out of shampoo and I wanted to try something new.

/Etc/ Oekaki Gummi

I know I've been gone for some time. I went to my friend's wedding out of state (quite possibly the best wedding in terms of sentimentality and, well, the best wedding I've ever been to period) and I was busy seeing/meeting people, dancing, sightseeing among other things. I finally got back yesterday; I'm still tired from flying around and dealing with the time zone changes. As tired as I was, I went out to pick up some things at a Mitsuwa market, finding this adorable little diy candy kit.

/Skin/ First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

Hello! It's already August...summer's gradually coming to an end...As the seasons change, so does skin and mine has been so very dry and irritated lately (along my jawline and sometimes my cheeks; I think it's the new medication I got). I'm trying everything to make sure my skin stays hydrated, but not too shiny-looking (or full of blemishes...). So today I'm going bring your attention to a FAB cream.


this product was purchased by me