Beauty Diary | Your Life Isn't the Same as Anybody Else's

Once again exams and graduate school stress have gotten in the way of me updating the blog. This post is unlike my other blog content but I've been unhappy about this topic for a while and I wanted to write a diary-type post. Long story short, taking care of my skin has caused a lot of complications for me in my life. When I was a teenager my parents would tell me that this condition would go away because it was due to puberty, but my 18th birthday passed. My 19th birthday passed. My 20th birthday passed. My 21st birthday passed. My skin was still blotchy and awful. By this time I started to suspect that my skin troubles were not from puberty but from some underlying condition that no amount of topical treatments could help. I was right. It was only until my early 20's did I find out that my skin issues were largely caused by having PCOS (ovarian cysts) that mess up my hormones. Hormonal acne is much more difficult to treat than other types of acne.

It's upsetting to me because my friends have such naturally great skin and they don't seem to work as hard as I do to take care of my skin. Unlike them, I have low-grade inflammation (so my skin stays redder longer, in terms of post acne inflammation / hyperpigmentation). I've started a new diet that seems to be helping this, more on this topic later! For many acne sufferers, this story is familiar - you go through countless products, desperately trying to find something that works, and nothing ever seems to help you with your problems.

Having acne does a lot of harm to your self-esteem especially as a young person. I know that for me when I was growing up, I always felt so ugly and in many ways hated myself because these blotches kept appearing on my skin. I would compare myself to other girls with great skin and feel horrible. Being a minority in America didn't help either - European beauty ideals remain the predominant social concept of what is "beautiful". In other words, in addition to bad skin, I would feel ugly because of my ethnicity. Essentially I was getting upset over two things I could not control in a very formative period of my life. (Very complicated topic, will perhaps expand on another time, this is a condensed version of my thoughts on the matter).

I've made my peace with the realities of being Asian-American, and that is one of the reasons I started this blog - to help other Asian women feel ok in their skin. I also started it to create a community with women in general who suffer from PCOS related acne. My skin has been scarred from my acne-ridden days and I am just tired of having to wear foundation when I go out. Foundation can't cover the pitted groves from the past damage I inflicted upon myself and I feel so self conscious when I turn around and my face hits certain angles of light - my facial dents look so much more magnified. At home dermarolling has helped SO SO much because my skin used to, in my opinion, looked vaguely like ground beef. I've escalated to rolling with 2.0 MM + needles, but that level of dermarolling is difficult to do because longer needles mean longer down times (2+ weeks) and given my personal life (needing to attend school), I have been unable to do many sessions in the last year.

When I look at my scars I think to myself - this isn't fair and I wish someone understood what it was like to be in my shoes with this terribly annoying hormonal condition. My family doesn't really understand - sometimes I think they think it's all in my head. Managing the skin-related effects of this chronic condition just adds more work to my already tough workload. Sometimes I wish someone could understand how hard I work for all aspects of my life - school, my skin, my other medical issues. But I tell myself, stop wishing your skin were like your friend's or because your life isn't going to be the same as anybody else's and you need to move on. Moving on is really the only option after all.

Beauty | 2017 Fall / Winter Skincare Wishlist and Review Preview

Back to the blog, at least I hope I will be posting again! This post will detail some of the products I'm will be reviewing on my blog in the coming weeks as well as products that I'm looking to try and review. Stay tuned!

1. Hydrogel Masks - I'm obsessed with hydrogel masks right now. For long time readers of my blog, you may know that I am obsessed with TJ Maxx. I've found Leaders Insolution 7 Wonders Masks in stores at TJ Maxx for a much-discounted price. $11 for 10 masks!!! Amazing. I think there should be a saying that once you go hydrogel you never go back. I've been dreading using cotton sheet masks, which is a a very princess-y thing to say, but hydrogel masks are just so intensely luxurious, they stay on your skin better than a cotton sheet mask and they feel almost like a second skin. Stay tuned for reviews of the Leaders Insolution 7 Wonders Masks particularly the Kalahari Melon Moisturizing Mask, Amazonian Acai Anti-Pollution Mask, and the Caribbean Coconut Cleansing Mask.

2. Watermelon Masks - The watermelon sleeping pack by Glow Recipe has been blowing up on Instagram! I've found a cheaper dupe by Skinfood called the Freshmade Watermelon Mask but it is a wash-off.  We're looking at $40 vs. $13! I've smelled the Freshmade Watermelon Mask in person when I was in K-Town at BestFren Beauty (315 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016) and it smells really nice! Also, the pink color absolutely adorable. I am also curious about Skinfood's pineapple mask. The watermelon sleeping pack is definitely on my to-try list.

3. Annie's Way Jelly Masks - Fall and winter means dry air which also means that you have to really keep your skin moisturized! I really loved Innisfree's Wine Jelly Mask (check out my review here) so if these masks are anything like in terms of ability to provide moisture to the skin then I think I will love them. They are priced around $26 / jar for 250 ml, which isn't awful. They are also from Taiwan, which is a plus since Taiwan seems to make some quality masks! I'm most interested in the Arbutin with Hylauronic Acid Brightening Mask.

4. Eye Creams - I recently purchased Skinfood's Black Raspberry Eye Cream. I haven't used eye creams very much before, but now that I'm on the downward end of my 20's I think it's a great time to start. I generally always start out at cheaper products and move upward. I chose this product because it is supposed to help with dark circles, which is my main problem.

5. Multi-Purpose Facial Cleansers - I've been wearing makeup more often in order to go out for events so I've wanted a cleanser that can remove any leftover makeup that I have after cleansing with micellar water. Check out my review for Garnier's Micellar Cleansing Water. I decided to try out Laniege's Muti-Cleanser which is supposed to have 4 benefits: 1) removes sunscreen 2) serves as a cleanser 3) is a makeup remover and 4) exfoliates. I'm definitely liking it so far.

6. Dear, Klairs Products - Dear, Klairs is probably my #1 skincare brand with Innisfree (which is opening up a flagship store in NYC!) and Mamonde coming in a close second and third respectively.  I have loved every product of theirs that I've tried. I want to try out additional products such as the Illuminating BB Cream, Rich Moist Foaming Cleanser, Rich Moist Soothing Cream, Blue Youth Activating Drop (which is their first anti-aging product). I'm completely revamping my skincare routine so keep an eye out for lots of Dear, Klairs reviews!

Linked from left to right above!

Thanks for stopping by! Let me know what is on your skincare wishlist!

Hiatus

Many of you may have noticed that I haven't posted in quite a while. Life is getting in the way so it has been hard for me to make new posts. I will probably be on hiatus indefinitely but hoping to return sometime in September! This is just to let everyone know that I have not abandoned this blog!

Also, I've been working on the Higher Price Brand guide, but that probably will not come out for a few weeks.

Guide | Asian Skincare Guide - Brands 101 - Lower Price Breakdown

The number of Korean / Asian skincare brands out there is straight up overwhelming for the beginner. So what's good to try and what's not when you're first starting out? What are particular points of differentiation between particular brands? I've wanted to create a guide to help others navigate the giant market that is Korean / Asian skincare. I hope this is a helpful introduction for those who are looking to insert Asian beauty products into their skincare routine. 

This guide is categorized by price range and is focused on popular brands in Korea. I've chosen these brands because they are often very popular in the Asian Beauty community or because they have a large product assortment. In other words, this is not a comprehensive list - there are other brands there I haven't covered here such as The Face Shop. 

• ($) Lower means many of the products cost <$15 and can be likened to drugstore pricing.
• ($$) Middle means a sizable portion of the products cost $15 and above - $50. 
• ($$$) Higher end means $50 and up. 

Pictured in the guide are links to some of the brands most popular products, which can give you an idea of some products that you might want to try first. 

NOTE: Brands that predominately make sheet masks will be covered in a separate guide. I am also planning on covering brands that specialize in BB / CC creams / make-up such as Skin79, A'Pieu, etc. 

Holika Holika is a relative newcomer to the Asian beauty scene as it was created in Korea in 2010. I would say their most talked about product is the Baby Foot Mask Sheet - as its name suggests, it is designed to turn your rough, dry and cracked feet baby smooth. I have heard from others who have used that mask that you will marvel as sheets of your skin peel off. (This mask perhaps isn't for the weary!) I have revealed a few of Holika Holika's other popular products here and here. 

(From left to right): Pig Nose Clear Blackhead 3 Step Kit | Baby Foot Mask Sheet (1 day use) 

Baviphat is sometimes also referred to as Urban Dollkiss (it does not appear to have a website). This brand does not have as wide of a variety of products as some of the other brands on this list. Overall, I believe this brand is better for young adults for similar reasons as detailed for Tony Moly below.

(From left to right): Apple AC Therapy Sleeping Pack - see also Lemon and Peach versions | Juicy Mask Sheet (various)

Tony Moly is also a brand that seems to be making inroads in the U.S. - I've seen it stocked at Ulta as well as Urban Outfitters! A lot of the products are really cutely packaged as it should be - Tony Moly means "putting style into packaging". however, I don't really like purchasing / using the cute products - the packaging often turns out to be hard to use and turns out to be more of style over substance in terms of product efficacy. The brand is relatively young (started in 2006) so this may provide an explanation. Overall, I believe this brand is better for young adults.
(From left to right): Peach Hand Cream | Panda's Dream Cool Eye Stick | I'm Real Sheet Masks (Varies) - Check out my detailed review of these masks here. 

It's Skin is another brand that seems to be making inroads in the U.S. - Currently many of its products are sold at Sephora. The company was started by dermatologists from Seoul University. The Power10 Formula Effector is one of the most popular It's Skin products and comes in 11 different types. 

(From left to right): Macaron Lip Balm (here and here) | Power 10 Formula Effector (Various) | Cookie & Body Ice Cream

Etude House - This is a brand that really wants its customers to feel like princesses (hence all the prink branding). The Wonder Pore Freshner is good for those with oily skin. I have reviewed the Baking Power Cleansing Foam here. I'm not the biggest fan of this brand because as someone with normal / combination skin that sometimes gets very dry I feel this brand is more for those with oily skin and would work better for young adults who have puberty-induced acne.

(Left to right): Moistfull Collagen Cream | Wonder Pore Fresher (Toner) | Baking Powder Pore Cleansing Foam (there is a new "upgraded version of this product so the packaging looks different from the one pictured)

Skinfood is a brand that seems to be making inroads in the U.S. I've seen it stocked at Ulta. I think Skinfood is a brand that will succeed in the U.S. just because of its dedication to food based ingredients and the fact that it was established in 1957. Skinfood has a wide variety of products that are in the realm of drugstore pricing, but also has more premium lines such as the Yuja Water and Fresh Apple lines, which can be categorized in the Middle category. Unlike a couple of other Korean skincare brands, it is actually pretty easy to shop on the Skinfood website, as opposed to eBay, with free shipping over $50 an a variety of discounts / promotions. I have reviewed Skinfood's Black Sugar Honey Wash Off Mask so far, read the review here.

(From left to right): Black Sugar Wash Off Mask | Peach Sake Toner | Egg White Pore Cleansing Foam 

Nature Republic - If you want to visit a Nature Republic store in person and are in the NYC area, you can find them located at 12 East 14th Street (call 646-952-0856 for hours) and at another location on 33 West 32nd Street (call 212-244-9444 for hours). The most popular product would probably be the Aloe Vera 92% Gel - it is good to use for a sunburn and often goes on sale!

(Left to right): Aloe Vera 92% Gel | Super Aqua Soft Peeling Gel | Aloe Vera Foam Cleanser

Overall: I would say that Tony Moly, Baviphat, Etude House, Holika Holika are for the younger / teenage consumer while Nature Republic and Skinfood have a broader applicability to adults and middle aged adults. 

Hope this was helpful! Let me know if you have any questions on any of the products listed, the brands listed, or anything else! Also stay tuned for my middle price and higher price brand breakdown to post by the end of this week!

Style | Marshall's Tribeca Luxury Merchandise **Updated**

My computer broke and I have been without a computer for two weeks, which is why I have not been posting. Now I'm back and hope to get back on track! I work close to the Marshall's in Tribeca (see my original rundown of this Marshall's location in my post about their grand opening here). I popped on by today to find an inexpensive pair of sandals but of course I wanted to check out their luxury goods. As always, I'm the perpetual window shopper (browsing but never buying). Here is what I found if you are interested and in the area:

Gucci Medium Lady Bag - it's really cute and is also a great size! I believe this was $1500, which is a good price considering the original is $2410. If you are interested in this bag you can purchase it here as well.  

Balenciaga "Metallic Edge" City Bag - $1500, this appears to be a smaller version than the one I wrote about originally a few weeks back

 Fendi Men's Nylon Monster Backpack for $1500 although I think this is cool enough to be unisex (the front pouch opens up to be a red mouth)! This one is originally $1900, you can purchase a very similar looking on at Saks, minus the metal eyes here. 

MCM Men's "Viestos" Backpack for $600. Sorry for the ugly picture! Decent discount from the $790 that you would have to pay here at Nordstrom. I also saw a few Alexander McQueen Men's cameo print backpacks but didn't snag a picture.

Thanks for stopping by! Have you found anything good at Marshall's or T.J.Maxx lately? 

Review | Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer & SPF 15 Sunscreen *Updated*

Hope everyone has had a good Memorial Day Weekend! Posting schedule will and will continue to be a bit sporadic in the next few weeks as I will be doing a bit of traveling for family events. 

One of my favorite teachers in middle school used to tell me that sunscreen is the key to youth because it will prevent sun damage, wrinkles, etc. I've carried that mantra around with me for 10+ years! This review is going to be for an oldie but goodie - Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer & SPF 15 Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin. So I am extremely picky about sunscreen - most times sunscreen is really sticky and I hate that. 

 

Packaging: Screw cap 177 ml or 6 ounces. This product comes in a variety of sizes (4 ounces, 6 ounces, etc.)

Pricing / Purchasing: (see scrolling links below):

• Here for $10.50 at Walgreens
• Here for $9 at Ulta (this is the smaller 4 ounce bottle, may be good if you are not sure you want to try the product yet) 

Color / Consistency: Thin for a sunscreen, not pasty at all

Scent: Has a very limited sunscreen smell. I absolutely hate sunscreen smell so for those who also hate that sunscreen chemical smell, this is mild and very tolerable.


Usage Tip(s): 

• Use at the end of your nighttime routine, unless you are using a sleeping pack, use this before your sleeping pack

Ingredients: Active Ingredients: 6.0% Octinoxate, 3.0% Zinc Oxide. Inactive Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG/PPG-20/20 Dimethicone, Steareth-21, Stearyl Alcohol, Sucrose Polycotton-Seedate, Behenyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cetyl Alcohol, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Steareth-2, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Disodium EDTA, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Oleth-3 Phosphate.

Style | Kendall + Kylie Sample Sale Recap

I went to the Kendall + Kylie Sample Sale hosted by Clothingline at 121 Prince Street this past Sunday. There wasn't much coverage on other sample sale websites, so I was curious to check it out. It was the last day of the sale and I had read on the Clothingline Instagram that there would be additional markdowns (see price list below). I was curious to see if there would be any sunglasses left, which there weren't. However there was a lot of merchandise left in all sizes - lots of nice sweaters (fabric was good) but they were cropped, which isn't a style I find flattering on myself. Most of the items appeared to be from their past season and for those of you not in NYC, you didn't miss much - most of the items being sold at the sale could also be found on sale here at Nordstrom Rack.

I found this really pretty white dress but it was not in my size, so I had to leave it. It flares out slightly at the bottom, which I thought was darling.

Also found this top, which I thought would be good for going out on a date night, for $25, which is a far cry from the original retail price of $98. The fabric was thinner than I expected (one layer, very thin cotton), so I decided to pass on that too. If you are interested, this particular top is on sale at Nordstrom Rack for $50.

Overall, I didn't have a pleasant experience at the sale, the staff were rude, one of them kicked my leg as I was browsing. She barreled on through to put something back onto the floor, like a charging bull at a red cape...I left after about 15 minutes... 

Despite all the controversy over the Kardashians, I actually think Kendall and Kylie are very stylish when it comes to their clothing line. I like their use of black clothing, geometric angular cuts, color block, lines, etc. in their clothing line which is sold at ShopBop, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, and Nordstrom. I really am a fan of the following items from their newest range:

Thanks for stopping by!

Style | Marshalls Tribeca Opening - Gucci, Givenchy, Valentino, Ferragamo, Saint Laurent, Chloe, & Christian Louboutin Finds!

Fashion post! Sorry about not getting this up on Friday as I had been planning. I'm not sure my Friday posting schedule will work, I may have to change things around so bear with me while I figure it out.

Marshalls opened in Tribeca recently at 206 Washington Street. I am a die hard TJMaxx fan (TJMaxx owns Marshalls as well) so I went there on Friday (three days ago). WARNING: It took me over an hour to find this location and I almost gave up - the Google Maps listing is incorrect. If you want to go check out this location, you should search for 140 West Street as the address in Google instead of 206 Washington Street. If you are not between Barclay and Vesey Streets you are in the wrong place. Technically it's on Washington Street but Washington Street is hard to find given it is a bisected north/south street.

This location has a lot of designer items, which surprised me. Even though I am cash-strapped student, I like to window shop the selection. One day I'm going to get my first designer bag and maybe someone else might find this useful! Check out my pics below (apologies for the watermarks, I know they are ugly - I just don't want the pictures used by unscrupulous eBay / online sellers to trick anyone). My guess is that the store is going to have a lot of designer items for the grand opening and the stock will gradually wean down. Great prices though! I almost got the navy Givenchy below but refrained as my dream is to get it in black. I also saw a classic size Balenciaga "Metallic Edge" City Bag in gold hardware with black leather for $1800 but didn't snag a picture. See here for other similar options.

Mini size Givenchy Antigona in Blue for $1300. It looks like there is a scratch in the picture. This is a great price because it typically retails from $1750-$1790! This bag is HEAVY. I know I want the small size, but the fact that this mini size is already so heavy while empty makes me think twice.

Saint Laurent - I believe this is the Croc de Jour style in a size large (although it could also be the small size as I am not very familiar with this brand. I know however that it definitely is not the nano nor is it the baby size.) It was priced at $2000.

This Gucci Marmont was priced as $1500 and it normally retails $1800+. 

This bag is Christian Louboutin - I wasn't aware that CL made handbags. This pretty little crossbody was $1800. You can see below it in the picture that there is a Gucci mini wallet type thing.

More bags and shoes are pictured below!

Review | CosRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser ** Updated **

I've wanted to try out gel cleansers because they are such a different texture than foam cleansers. I generally have a very high opinion of CosRX products - they are simply packaged and highly efficacious (check out my review of CosRX's BHA Blackhead Power Liquid) so it was a no brainier to pick this one.

Say hello to my little friend (bonus points if you know what movie this is from) - this adorable little cactus. You're going to be seeing a bunch of him and his friends in my pictures as I experiment with photos!

Packaging: Flip top 150 ml or ~ 5.07 ounces

Pricing / Purchasing:

• Here on Amazon.com for $10.80
• Here Sokoglam.com for $11

Color / Consistency: Clear with a consistency similar to gel hand sanitizer (see below for a picture)

Scent: Smells herbal, more specifically like tea tree oil (this is probably because tea tree is one of the ingredients in the product)

Usage Tip(s): 

• The directions do not tell you how much to use, I use about a dime size amount

Ingredients: Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Polysorbate 20, Styrax Japonicus Branch/Fruit/Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Saccharomyces Ferment, Cryptomeria Japonica Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Allantoin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Betaine Salicylate, Citric Acid, Ethyl Hexanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDT