My Current Obsession - Hourglass Foundation/Blush Brush No. 2

Rated the world's number one brush, it is a must have for all. This multipurpose brush allows you to save time switching from brush to brush and cleaning. It allows for you to go from wet to dry which means starting with a primer, continuing to a liquid foundation and finishing with contouring and highlighting with blush or bronzer. The best thing about the brush is the PETA-friendly, soft bristles which are made from high synthetic fibers, perfect for those with the most sensitive skin that are looking for maximum coverage.

Priced at an average of $60, this was one investment that was an enormous splurge. On a good note, for a brush that is so expensive, it is backed with an 8 year warranty. Yes, 8 years. So if the brush and bristles start to fall apart, be sure to get that examined and save your receipt! Because it is such a handy and durable brush, spray cleaning after use and weekly shampooing is not needed, but recommended. If you haven't gotten your splurge on for this brush yet, I do recommend doing so!

Pamper Me Pretty - Korean Fashion

I recently blogged about my obsession with the Korean Fashion, and not much has changed. Feeding off of that blog, I'm extremely excited to share the Korean fashion with you. I have probably became more obsessed and more excited about the Korean fashion since I moved to Korea a few months ago. 

Incorporating metallic jewelry with cotton and fabric is an extremely hit piece of accessory in Korea and I am absolutely in love with the Vintage Hollywood Two Way Bracelet, it is a must pick up for all. Keep in mind there is a limited number of products manufactured and this is the most famous jewelry brand in South Korea. A handful of celebrities have seen with the Vintage Hollywood accessories including the oh so desirable G-Dragon from Big Bang, the Girls' Generation girl group, and Korean pop singer IU.

In regards to the Korean fashion, loose fitting tops are extremely popular. I have picked up a handful of loose fitting tops in Korea, but nothing has compared to the extremely comfortable Lounge 8Eight pocket tank. The light material top is able to keep me cool through the humid summer days. If possible, I would probably wear this top everyday. In addition to the pocket tank, I am obsessed with the Lounge 8Eight white pants which has a touch of silk pink pastel. Although the line is designed for day wear, it is definitely easy to pair pieces and transform it into evening and even clothing for a night out.

One thing to keep in mind when shopping in Korea is that almost all clothing is Free Size. What does this mean? This means that it is literally one size fits all. Problematic? Extremely. Not all women have the same curves in the same area so it can be a bit frustrating when shopping. I am grateful that Mootta offers a handful of stylish pieces that are not free size which makes shopping in Korea easier.

The best part is, Mootta is launching their first sale ever, tomorrow Monday, July 23rd so you can hop on your Korean fashion and update your closet with international fashion that is oh so stylish! I just might have to pick up a few extra items and add to my collection.

Beauty Splurge - Korean Beauty Products

First off, HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEARS! For those of you who celebrate this special day, I wish you and your family the best of health and a prosperous new year. Because it is the week of the new year, I have been busy prepping and planning for the year. Best of all, there's been a lot of shopping included.

I haven't be sharing my beauty splurges in Korea which is a constant thing. Therefore, I decided to share this week's shopping splurge! For starters, I had to pick up a lemon scented bar soap from Lush along with their bar conditioner for the hair. I thought it would be great to finally experiment with the bar conditioner that I have been dying to try. 

For the more Korean brands, The Face Shop is one of my favorite stores back at home with my constant splurges. Finally visiting the Korean Face Shop, I picked off where I left in America with the blemish treatment. Four items to help my random break out here in Korea: the Blemish Zero Bubble Foam Cleanser, Anti Trouble Healing Spot, Anti Trouble Blemish Patch, and the Pomegranate face mask.

Next, I made a stop at Skin Food, an extremely popular organic store that uses a bunch of food goods to develop beauty products from head to toe, literally. Just to experiment, I picked up the Green Tea Boots Fresh Spray, Lychee Essence Mist and Cherry Tomato Wax.

Last stop for this weekend is Holika Holika where I picked up a few of their top sellers which includes the Honey Canola Overnight Mask, the White Wine Therapy Sleeping Pack, the Baby Silky Foot Treatment packs, and a face mask with one of the cutest boys ever. Talk about a great marketing tactic!

Stay tuned for the many beauty reviews on these products! I am definitely excited to try them all out and share my hones opinion. Be sure to subscribe to the blog to win the New Year Giveaway which will include a few of these products as well!

Splurge of the Week - Missha

It is impossible to live in Korea and not pick up beauty and makeup products. It is the time of the year where businesses throws all type of sales for the holiday season, the best time for shopping and splurging on yourself. This week's beauty and makeup splurge is from Missha.

I picked up three Pure Source masks which consists of honey, pomegranate, and aloe. For just about a dollar each, it was worth a try to see how well it would work on my skin. That, and I have never seen a honey mask before and I know honey and oatmeal works wonders for the skin! I was not a big fan of the honey smell, but it was an amazing 20 minute touch.

Next, I picked up a top coat that I forgot to get bring from the states. On sale for just $4, the brush is thicker than those in the states. It allows for one quick sweep of color through the nail and tops my color with a shiny coat. It is a great soft finish for the Missha Lucid Nail Care.

Following, I picked up a Creamy Matte Lip Rouge in PK03, a pink that I have been dying to get for a while now. Today was finally the day! The matte color works extremely well with my lip, I just wish there was a bit more moisture to the lipstick. 

Near Skin Bio White, is one of the popular lines of Missha. I decided to give it a try with the Healing Eye Treatment which is certified but he KFDA that uses white peptide bio technology to minimize fine lines. For those without wrinkles, it is good to prevent and protect earlier.

Lastly, I found an extremely moisturizing Excellent Milky Body Oil for a low price. American brand products can be hard to find in Korea for a low price, but I hope this will help my dry skin due to the difference in water. 

Shopping Splurge - Dong Dae Mun Cheap Pick Ups

The first official shopping splurge in Korea and it only set me back a total of $100. I know back in New York, this $100 will probably be for one item. This week's shopping spree is all from Dong Dae Mun, by the History and Cultural Park in Seoul, Korea. There are just so much stores and outside shops that you can probably get lost, but the best thing is being able to bargain and getting a good steal. For some items, you can skip the bargaining (like my $8 beige parka jacket). 

The only problem with Korea is that there is usually one size fits all. This does not work out to those who are not the typical Korean small. Keep in mind that the size system in Korea is different from that in America, usually a lot smaller. 

For my first steal in Korea, I picked up an eight dollar parka jacket, ten dollar extremely warm and thick hoodie, $5 for two pairs of leggings, $3 zebra tights, ten dollar checkered sweater (doesn't look as good as it does on full bodies like me than it does on skinny Korean girls), $15 furry leather gloves and a $7 wrap scarf that is just oh so comfortable. 

It is definitely a place for college students looking for a good deal. For girls who love to shop and can bargain. There is a regular mall in the area for those who look for luxury Korean brands and items. Unfortunately for me, we just didn't have enough time to explore. I expect prices to be just like designer brands, which equals to a lot of damage!

This Week's Shopping Splurge

This week’s shopping splurge consisted of Forever 21, Harmon’s Discount, and a variety of drugstores.

I’m extremely excited to share with you my shopping splurge at Forever 21 for the cheap items of clothing and accessories that I picked up. Nothing can beat basic tanks that can be paired with any outfit for less than $3. Another unbelievably cheap pick up is the two skinny belts that cost me $3.50. What I couldn’t believe was the price of other skinny belts for just $1.50!

The only top that I picked up was a leopard print racer back dressy top that is extremely comfortable and sheer. This versatile top can be worn as a casual top as well as an outfit night out. My Forever 21 splurge mostly consisted of trouser-like pants which include the colors of gray, purple, and olive. My ultimate favorite of all bottoms is the olive loose fitted, high-waisted woven pants with front pleats.

Moving on, a must have for every household is the dryer balls. This is my second set of dryer balls because one popped on me, I decided to get a new set and have a backup ball. These dryer balls are used to soften the fabric without the need of fabric softeners and dryer sheets. It does not have a fragrance, but it does reduce the amount of chemical intakes to your clothing which is recommended for those with sensitive skin.

Saving the best for last, my drugstore makeup splurge consists of only mascaras. I couldn’t decide between the bunch, so I decided to just purchase them all! The mascaras that I picked up this week were Physician’s Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Lash Mascara, Maybelline The Colossal Volum Express Mascara, Maybelline Define a Lash Volume Mascara, and Covergirl Nature Luxe Mousse Mascara that has a sealed cap.

That is all for now, until my next splurge!

Fashion Night Out

This Thursday, September 8, 2011, as a late reminder, is Fashion Night Out. It is a night where stores are open late for us women to shop til we drop while meeting a few celebrities. My favorite spots are in the SoHo of course, so Fashion Night Out is just another incentive for me to shop til I drop with the girls. Unfortunately, I will not be attending this year’s Fashion Night Out, since I’ll be on vacation over in Maryland. Hope you ladies enjoy and share the goodies you picked up! Someone please take a picture of the Ken doll truck for me, I’m excited to see the cuties behind plastic doors posing with us snapping pictures all night. 

Semi-Shopping Splurge

This week mini shopping splurge consists of bottoms. For starters, white pants are a must have in every closet. This pair of fitted leg cuffed at the ankle was purchased at New York and Company. I definitely got a steal on this one, paying $15 for an originally priced $36.95 pair of pants just because I waited a week. I am ready to go back and pick up more, I just chose to buy one pair because I hate trying on clothes in store because I’m a germ-a-phobe.

Following is my little splurge at Forever 21, only because I didn’t have enough time to shop there which isn’t a bad thing because it saved my pocket. With autumn coming, a shade of darker colors is a must have. I picked up this rust color skinny ankle jeans, a great resemblance of falls leaves that I am excited to rock with a simple white tee and white sneakers. It is the perfect casual everyday look in fall.

Feeding off of my last shopping splurge, I picked up more red apparel because I was basically told that I should wear more red by a fortune teller. Superstitious? Very. Even though I am more or less “forced” to buy more red clothes, I was particularly attracted to this skirt for the bright color and simple yet sophisticated style.

Next off, I picked up two pairs of pajama boxers. Everyone knows I love short shorts! I wear them all year around, even in the freezing cold winter with no heat in the apartment. Although I am not a fan of the lace that doesn’t feel so great against my sensitive skin, the soft cotton material it is made out of is worth the mini surgery I will conduct to remove the lace.

Lastly, Victoria Secret undies are almost everyone’s favorite, even though the prices were upped another fifty cents, priced at 5 pairs for $25.50. The bikini undies are one of my favorite to sleep in and they are great for you, made out of cotton which reduces the chances of a yeast infection and such. I recommend always wearing more cotton underwear whenever possible. Although grannie pannies are not everyone’s favorite, it is worth it to switch it up every now and then for the sake of your health. Remember to change your set of undies every six months!

There you have it, my mini splurge of the week!

Sephora Sale

If you’re a big Sephora person like me, you would know that there is a big sale on the Sephora website going on, like always. If you’re also a big online shopper like me, you would know that Sephora is offering 5 samples free with any purchase rather than their typical 3 from now until August 30^th. If you’re also big on samples like me, you would stack up on the products you normally use because they are the perfect travel size and stick-them-in-your-purse-for-going-out samples.

Moral of the story is to get your beauty splurge on the Sephora website. The SEPHORA COLLECTION is having a crazy sale with products over 50% off. You can find nail accessories, stickers, brow pencils, all starting at just $1. This is the best time to stock up on Sephora products if you use them on the regular. With a $25 purchase, you can get a free sample of Bare Escentuals Firming Eye Treatment with code BEFIRM or two shades of Smashbox HALO Hydrating Perfecting Powder with code TRYHALO. Sephora is also offering free shipping for purchases over $50.

One of the must shares with you is the Sephora Collection Brush Wand (picture above) that consists of four magnetized wands that are aligned to form a wand for eye makeup. It is extremely easy to carry around for traveling, saving yourself the additional three brushes. I love how I can throw this is my bag and touch up on my makeup after work with no problems.

I’m a little sad they ran out of the Boo Boo Bling which is perfect for people like me who have psoriasis cuts all the time in random areas. It would have been fun to play around with, plus it’s only a dollar. There's a lot of other great nail supplies that I wish I would've picked up a little earlier. FYI to you: jump on it quick because a lot of things are going out of stock. Still, I managed to spend over $150 on Sephora.com! That's because Hurricane Irene has me hanging out in the house. 

Shopping Slurge

I rarely have a moment to myself and enjoy my shopping. I sure enjoyed myself this weekend! I just had a great and cheap shopping splurge today which included everything but shoes. I’m a little bummed out about, but I’ve come to realize that once I buy shoes, I really don’t stop so maybe it was a good thing I bought other things today!

For starters, blazers are a must have for every girl. You are able to dress professional and style up any outfit. Match it with short shorts for a sophisticated look or wear it with a dress for a sheik touch. Just be sure to match the right blazer with your outfit, a professional blazer should be kept with slacks. I’ve been eyeing the perfect blazer for quite a while now and I am extremely happy that I was able to pick up two casual blazers. The black is from H&M, the kakhi is from a boutique in SoHo called Mystique. Yay!

Next off, a light scarf is perfect for a windy day at the beach or even just as a cover up on the train and in the office. It may be extremely hot outside, but when you get indoors, you feel a blast of cold air. I don’t know how many times I shivered in the office so this scarf will keep me warm! Just a random pick me up from SoHo. 

Colorful tops are perfect for the summer. A blast of color for plain bottoms will light up your outfit and your mood. Ever feel energized wearing the right colors? It’s also perfect to wear in the office paired with a sweater or blazer for a professional look and stripped off for happy hour. One was actually from a blowout sale Roxy had online with free shipping (I only bought one item) and the other from Charlotte Russe.

Tops are always great when they’re on sale. If you’re buying tops that are out of season, I suggest to keep it solid. Solid colors will never go out of style and it’s easy to mix and match. Both shirts were actually from a sale that Zara had, only $10 each!

A set of white and khaki shaded cuff shorts are my go to this year. I love the high-waist shorts that I am able to wear for a variety of occasions. You can wear in a casual business office setting, go out to dinner and even clubbing with them. My absolute favorite of the bunch is the white BCBG shorts. From left to right: BCBG, Mango, Zara.

Next to the shorts which should be a pastel pink slack pant that is ankle high that I picked up at Mango. I am absolutely in love with the light material it is made out of. This is perfect for the summer time when you have a business meeting and you should wear slacks. The best thing about the slacks is it goes great with practically any shoes—it even accentuates your shoes and top because it’s a simple pastel. 

As for accessories, nothing goes better than a clutch which you can use for a variety of outings. I love clutches that have a strap inside so I don’t always have to grab onto my clutch. The best thing about this clutch is I unintentionally matched it with my pastel slacks, I’ve definitely got the perfect outfit for a low price at Zara!

Lastly, a women’s best friend is her jewelry of course. I used to be the girl who only wore gold, both white and yellow and nothing else. I finally came to learn that sometimes gold is not the way to go. Feathered earrings are definitely in. I prefer the mono earring with a long feather, but nothing beats street bargaining!