A few weeks ago, Korean beauty e-tailer Peach & Lily reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in trying some of their products.
Um…yes please? For, you know, *cough cough* research purposes. Can I have them all?
All kidding aside, I have shopped from P&L in the past and I love their product offerings. And while I would’ve loved to stock up on some tried-and-true items, I asked if they wouldn’t mind sending me an item from Shangpree, a brand that had intrigued me since I first spotted it on their website.
Here’s some background info on Shangpree from the P&L brand page:
Seoul’s highly demanding spa-going elite have been flocking to the iconic Shangpree Spa for a first-class beauty experience for 25 years now. Every Shangpree esthetician must complete an incredibly lengthy and rigorous training process to ensure that they embody the spa’s high standards (even an esthetician with 20+ hands-on experience is required to train the Shangpree-way for 3 years before being able to provide client services)— and when Shangpree launched their product line, that same level of perfectionism was expected in every formula.
P&L hand-delivered an incredible beauty package to my front door, and I was delighted to find not one, not two, but three Shangpree items nestled among its contents.
As you can see from the picture above, the Bitgoa Hue Essence Toner comes in a luxurious pump bottle. It’s not glass, but it’s weighty and solid, with a beautiful pearlescent white finish. I personally prefer transparent bottles so that I can see how much of the product is left, but I have read that many beauty companies forgo this route because it can lead to oxidation of the product.
I’ve been battling some health issues as of late. And with the addition/subtraction of various meds and therapies in an effort to properly treat the problems, I’ve predictably been in a bit of a funk.
I’ve made no efforts in the past to hide my struggles with depression, and I am not about to now. However, at this present moment, my situation is precisely what I’ve described above — a funk — and not a relapse into depression. The reason I wanted to bring up depression, however, is to point you to an article penned by one of my favorite beauty bloggers, Fifty Shades of Snail aka The Crazy Snail Lady, titled “How My Elaborate Korean Skincare Routine Helps Me Fight Depression.”
Research. Controlled experimentations. Routines and rituals. Active participation in a supportive community. I’m not sure about other sufferers of depression, but these have all been great forms of therapy for me in the past. I just hadn’t realized that my recent obsession with Korean beauty products and practices had been acting as a form of therapy — whether depressed, in a funk, or just plain having a bad day.
And on the upside? My skin has never been better. I’ve always had okay skin thanks to genetics, but now…
Well, take a look.
I’ve done and gotten all dolled up for y’all, using mostly Korean makeup. (List of items below.) I was too lazy to use a proper camera so the image quality isn’t the best, but you get the idea.
This picture was taken eight hours after first applying my makeup in the morning…and I made NO TOUCHUPS, not even blotting paper! (Yes, good skin really helps your makeup look better and last longer!) In case you’re wondering, here’s the full list of makeup worn:
IOPE Air Cushion XP Matte Finish in M21
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Dark Brown
Clio Waterproof Pencil Eye Liner Kill Brown in #2 Brown
Peripera Ah Much Real My Cushion Blusher in #4 Shy Pink
The Saem Saemmul Tint Aque in Red
Tonymoly Petite Bunny Gloss Bar in #4 Juicy Cherry
Innisfree No Sebum Mineral Powder
What have I been doing differently since the last time I shared my skincare routine? Mainly, more science. Researching ingredients and using what works best on my skin whilst staying clear of chemicals/additives that do not play well with my skin. The addition of acids and vitamin C. Being more pH-aware.
SCIENCE, guys. There’s a reason it works! 😎
Here is my current skincare routine:
AM:
SU:M37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick
OST C20 Vitamin C Serum* (wait at least 20 mins afterwards to allow my skin to fully absorb the serum)
Mizon AHA & BHA Daily Toner
LJH Vita Propolis Ampoule
Goodal Super Seed Oil Plus Balancing Emulsion
Innisfree Eco Safety No Sebum Sun Milk SPF50+ PA+++
PM:
Banila Co Clean It Zero**
SU:M37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick
Mizon AHA & BHA Daily Toner
COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid (wait at least 20 mins afterwards to allow my skin to fully absorb the acid, and for my skin’s pH level to normalize)
COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid (wait at least 20 mins afterwards to allow my skin to fully absorb the acid, and for my skin’s pH level to normalize)
Mizon AHA & BHA Daily Toner (only if the acids have left my skin sticky)
LJH Vita Propolis Ampoule
Shara Shara Honey Bomb All-in-One Ampoule
A mask, mostly sheet masks but occasionally wash-off masks (I’ve been on the #1일1팩 train for a few weeks now)
Whamisa Organic Flowers Water Cream
Nature Republic Saccharomyces Ferment The First Eye Cream
* My current bottle of C20 is running low, and I have ordered the C21.5 as a replacement. The C21.5 is supposed to be an upgrade from the C20 and supposedly absorbs faster, which I’m very much looking forward to! ** I JUST starting using a new cleansing sherbet, the Botanic Farm Grain Ferment Cleansing Sherbet, this week and I’m LOVING it so far! I actually like it better than the Banila Co, but since it’s only been a week I decided to put the Banila Co on the list instead.
I am fully aware that this is A LOT of steps. Especially when you consider the fact that I used to only use a cleanser and maybe a lotion (only if my skin felt dry) before I got into Korean skincare. And the 20+ extra minutes of waiting time in the morning and 40+ extra minutes at night? It’s a good thing I hardly ever go out!
BUT. It’s so worth it to me. To have some semblance of control in a life that too often seems out-of-control. To keep myself distracted (in a good way). To force myself to pamper myself. The glowing skin is just an added perk at this point!
Besides, it’s not like I lie around doing nothing during those waiting times. 🙂 I actually like to use the 20-30 mins after applying the BHA at night to clean the kitchen and do the dishes. And the 20-30 mins after AHA are usually used to tidy up the living room and get the girls ready for bed.
I also like to chase my daughters around the house with a sheet mask on, pretending I’m a monster or a ghost. They used to be scared of me whenever I used a sheet mask, but now they love it! Additionally, both girls enjoy helping me apply lotion, or assist me in other ways like Aerin has recently with the Lindsay Modeling Rubber Mask.
Please let me know if you have any questions about my current skincare routine, the products in it, or are having trouble locating any of the items on this list. As is the case with practically any product review, YMMV, but most of the products in my routine are those that are beloved by many over at /r/AsianBeauty and I can’t recommend them enough!
Last week, Claire asked me for some plain white paper. “I want to make a drawing for my friend,” she told me. I happily obliged, and didn’t think much of it until she finished her work of art.
“Umma, can you help me spell Kyle?”
Okaaay. What was going on here? I helped her spell, and watched on as she carefully wrote, “To Kyle. Love, Claire.” on her drawing.
The next day, she bashfully handed Kyle her drawing at morning dropoff. Her head was down, and she could barely look his way as he accepted the gift. (How stinkin’ cute is that???)
And the day after that, Kyle reciprocated! He knew of Claire’s love for giraffes, and he had helped his parents choose a picture of two giraffes to print it out for Claire.
“Claire, do you like Kyle?” I teased her later that day.
“Yes, he is my boyfriend.”
“Oh ruuullllly? What makes him your boyfriend?”
“I drew him a picture, and he gave me a picture too. Now we are girlfriend and boyfriend!”
I’m sure many of us are familiar with the Social Security Administration’s annual list of most popular baby names. The database, which dates back to 1880, can also be used to look up popular names by state and territories, as well as track the popularity of a name over time! (The name Jenny was most popular in 1977, when it was the 108th most popular female baby name of the year.)
Is it a foolproof prediction? Absolutely not. After all, it only compares the rank of your name’s popularity, not your parents/guardians’ preferences, cultural and/or familial factors, etc. But it’s still a fun tool, wouldn’t you say?
My results are even less accurate for 2 reasons: (1) my legal, originally given name is Hyojin, not Jenny; and (2) I was not given the name Jenny until the year 1988, when my family immigrated to the United States and the secretary at the school where we were registering could not pronounce my sister or my names and so gave us our English names. (True story!)
“Hyojin” is, predictably not in the database. However, I was able input “Jenny” for 1988…
Personally, I like the 1980 results much better. However, I’m drawn to the name Mona from the 1988 results (from the 1970’s), since my sorority nickname was Mona Lisa. 🙂
What would your name be if you were born today? Do you like any of the names from the results?
I know that she’s ready, both mentally and physically. She meets all the requirements for potty-training, and more.
But at 3 years and 6 months old, my Aerin is still in diapers.
It is not for lack of trying. Books and videos. Pretty underwear she chose herself. Setting schedules. Going without diapers or underwear. Going full-on nude. Having her older sister (whom she shadows and copies all the time) demonstrate. Bribing. Begging. If you’ve seen it or read it online, I guarantee I’ve given it a go.
By this point, I know that it’s just a battle of wills. Because on the few occasions I have made her sit on the toilet — for up to FIVE hours — she still refused to go. And as soon as I gave in? She stood up and gleefully peed everywhere. 😕
I’m frankly embarrassed, because I do not know any other kid in real life who still was not potty-trained at this age. Granted, she was developmentally delayed due to her illnesses and hearing impairment. And she is small for her age, clocking in at the 13th percentile for height and 8th percentile for weight. But this shouldn’t matter that much at her age, no?
This is honestly one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do as a mother — it’s just taking so long with no progress!
And I’m exhausted. I’m not doing so well physically myself with a bunch of health issues, one of which may involve surgery.
Aerin currently is, and has been for the past few months, full into her “threenager” phase. As such, she can get pretty sensitive and overly emotional even with the most mundane tasks and events. And I do not want her to associate the potty with negative emotions or memories.
So my plan for now is to keep trying, once a week. Let her go at her own pace. Hopefully in the near future, she will realize that peeing and pooping in a toilet is preferable to soiling her diaper.
Once upon a time (from the time I first got into Kpop as a teenager, and all through my twenties before popping out my fist kid at the age of 29), I used to stalk the top Kpop tunes on Naver Music and Mnet Chart every week.
Before YouTube was a thing — yes, I’m that old — I remember sharing (via burned CDs and Zip drives) and repeatedly watching Kpop music videos with my friends. And man oh man the Korean music videos these days got NOTHING on those classics from the late 90’s to early 00’s. Who doesn’t remember shedding tears over Kiss’ “여자이니까” (Because I’m a Girl)? Or calling their mom to tell her “I love you” after watching G.O.D.’s “어머님께” (To My Mother)?
And we can’t forget the king of sappy MV’s: 조성모 (Jo Sung Mo). His “To Heaven” video may have been the one that started it all, don’t you think? 😉 (And yes, that’s actor Lee Byung Hun in the music video below! He actually starred in a few Jo Sung Mo videos.)
Anyways, enough digressing. As mentioned at the beginning of this post, I haven’t had much chance to keep up with the Kpop scene since becoming a mother. And the little exposure I did receive failed to impress. 🙁
But a few months ago, I came across an article saying that Korean songwriters have been really upping their game with the nation gaining extra international attention via its dramas and beauty/skincare breakthroughs. So I decided, “Why not?” and began to look up the charts again.
And this time, the music made me feel like a teenager/early-twentysomething again.
I figure that there must be others like me amongst my readers — once ardent fans of Kpop who have fallen astray due to changing lifestyles, new responsibilities, little time, and whatnot.
So please indulge me for this blog post as I share with you my top 5 Kpop songs from the past few months…
The first up is “FM” by Crayon Pop, and this song — along with the one below it — may just be my favorite Korean song from the past 5 years. It’s catchy without being overly cutesy, and while it’s different from the overly-energetic, sometimes-silly tunes that Crayon Pop is known for, it still remains true to the group’s image via unmistakable references to Power Rangers and Sailor Moon.
The second song on my list is one you’ve probably heard if you live in Asia, or have frequented Asian establishments in the past month, because IT’S EVERYWHERE!!! And it’s brought to you by none other than Jinusean, a rap duo whose popularity peaked in the late 1990s.
“한번 더 말해줘” (Tell Me Once More Time) is a throwback to Jinusean’s most popular single, “말해줘” (Tell Me) which was released EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO. 😯 As a nostalgic fan of old-school Kpop, I can’t help but love this song for its references to Jinusean’s older hits. Not only that, the music video pays homage to older music video styles and trends (even those of Puffy!) while poking fun at themselves for being old!
Not to mention, the song is catchy as hell. It’s such a fun song that makes me so happy to hear it. 😆
While the original track and the MV for “한번 더 말해줘” is accompanied by 장한나 (Jang Hanna), a trainee from YG Entertainment, in the past month Jinusean has been performing the song with various popular female artists. How AWESOME would it be if they could get 엄정화 (Um Jung Hwa) — the original female vocalist from “말해줘” to perform “한번 더 말해줘” with them???? Oh please of please make it happen!
Moving on…
A.KOR’s “Always” is another catchy song that randomly find myself humming when I’m in the middle of a mundane task, or dancing along to it whenever it comes up on my iPod. (Claire likes this song too! 😛 ) I had never heard of this group before, but apparently they were involved in a scandal last year for dissing a senior group. (And this is why the YouTube video for “Always” has so many downvotes, a full 6 months after the scandal. ::rolls eyes::) Meh, just as long as the song is good, right?
4Ten released “왜 이래” (Why) early this year and although it’s not a great song, I am once again attracted to it by the fact that it reminds me of old-school Kpop — classic girl groups like Fin.K.L. and S.E.S., in particular! I also like how the music video was filmed in NY amongst people who probably had no idea who they were. 😉
This last song is from one of my favorite female Korean artists, 가인 (Gain), a member of the group Brown Eyed Girls who also has a successful solo career. “Apple” is the first single from her latest mini-album Hawwah which was released in March. It is playful with jazz undertones, and expresses the desires for the “forbidden fruit” in a cute and colorful manner.
I really like two other songs from Hawwah too…so I’m gonna blame Gain for this post becoming longer than I originally intended it to be. 🙂 Here’s a list of some other recent Kpop songs I’ve been diggin’. Hope you enjoy them too!
I know that Big Bang has been killing it the past couple of weeks with “Loser” and “Bae Bae” but I don’t like either song much. 😕 Have you guys been listening to any good Kpop lately? Please, do share!
I like books, gadgets, spicy food, and art. I dislike shopping, hot weather, and the laws of entropy. Although I am a self-proclaimed computer nerd, I still have a love for handbags and makeup... and I am always teetering on high heels. To learn more about me, visit the "About" page.
I like books, gadgets, spicy food, and art. I dislike shopping, hot weather, and the laws of entropy. Although I am a self-proclaimed computer nerd, I still have a love for handbags and makeup... and I am always teetering on high heels. To learn more about me, visit the 
