A Journey in Adulting & Self-Care

 Ah yes, September...for many of us this means back-to-school, end of summer holidays and crazy routines as we get adjusted to new schedules. It may mean putting yourself on the back burner but remember, pushing the pause button and taking care of yourself is just as important as helping others! Here are a few ways to inject Ahh...into the AHHH! of your daily life (too corny?) 1. Sheet Mask it up When I first got into Korean skincare, I would go through sheet masks like q-tips...I thought it was an essential part of getting slowly, hydrated skin. And don't get me wrong, it feels fantastic but I soon learned it was not necessary for my skin. However, it does feel amazing, especially when paired with a jade roller. I am not sure if the jade roller does anything but it feels good as it smoothes out any bumps on the sheet mask and massages my face gently. So, if you are answering emails or making last minute calendar updates, pop one on (bonus points if you chill it in the fridge for a

 Similar to my Skincare sins I will never repeat, my journey has had me overdoing or messing up my skin in more ways than one. Luckily, I was able to fix these fairly easily as well. So pull up a chair and learn from my mistakes! - Overexfoliating my skin So, if AHAs are good...and BHAs are good...and retinol are good...then all three must be good! Nope, I damaged my skin barrier so much that my skin had a weird plastic-y sheen and felt so tight. After some research I realized I had stripped all the moisture our and had damaged my skin barrier. I had to use the seven layer method and lay off actives for a while before my skin stopped looking like Saran Wrap - Actives every day...and night I had blackheads on my nose and was so excited when I saw results from the CosRx BHA lotion. I started applying it twice a day and had my skin flaking off. Even with sunscreen, it wasn't enough to help protect my skin and I was shocked that I could pull dead skin off my nose. Again, slow and gentl

 Even if you are brand new to skincare, you have most likely heard of The Ordinary.  One of the first skincare companies to approach skincare from a scientific approach and less marketing-oriented, The Ordinary believed in empowering customers to gain knowledge around skincare ingredients and routines but they also priced their products incredibly low. There are other subsidiaries with different formulation and higher price points but the Ordinary quickly gained traction with simply, transparent ingredients, clinical packaging and helpful routines. It was my first foray into cherry-picking products to customize my own routine. Below are the items that worked...and what didn't: The Good Argireline Solution This was huge at erasing wrinkles around my eyes and eyebrows. It could have also been an issue with hydration but I noticed when I stopped using this, my wrinkles were deeper and more noticeable. I will continue to use this as a spot treatment, especially for my tech neck! Retino

 Ah yes...after a long, busy day, we are all ready to crash into our cozy beds and get a good night's sleep. But, not until you have completed your 12 step routine, facial yoga and taking a cryogenic nap in the anti-aging chamber! Ok, I kid but in all seriousness, one of the worst things you can do to your skin is sleeping with makeup. Your skin repairs itself at night and makeup is not something that contains goodies to be absorbed overnight. So, no matter how tired or drunk you are, clean your face before going to sleep every night! Here are some basic steps to include... Level 1: Augh! I can't...just get me to bed ASAP Ideally, you don't have makeup on and it will super quick to get your face clean but the reality is that you may have a full face of glam by the time you are ready to turn in for the night. If this is the case, at a minimum...keep makeup wipes so you can swipe your face before crashing to bed. If you are upright long enough to add a few more steps, conside

 Welcome my inquiring reader! I have noticed that false eyelashes can be quite baffling to many people and as the mask debate rages on, one thing is clear. A full face of makeup isn't necessary but fun eye looks are always a win. False eyelashes are a quick, easy way to make it look like you've got your $hit together, unless the thought of lashes makes your eyes water and eyelid twitch. I am here to break it down and offer different steps to eyelash wearing from beginner to advanced! You can also jump down to the end for a basic how-to guide in applying eyelashes. Stage 1: I want to look like I am wearing false lashes but there is no way I can apply them For total beginners, I recommend a really good curler and bomb mascara. If you can couple that with eyelash serum and are dedicated about applying it, you may see results similar to false eyelashes. She Umera's eyelash curler has never, ever pinched my eyelid and I love the KissMe Heroine Long & Curl mascara is my numbe

 So, this post may be a bit polarizing...I want to share things that I will never use on my skin but with the caveat that this may work well for other people! So, as with all other aspects of self-care, do your research and make sure it is right for you! There is no one-size-fits-all but hopefully my experience will help you on your journey as well. 1. Pore Strips God, I loved these...the little forest of gross sebum that would be pulled out, the rush of seeing your nose without the connect-the-dots happening on them. I swear, my nose looked smaller because there were less things to look at after I did a pore strip on my nose. Turns out, pore strips weren't pulling out gunk and pus...but sebum, literally the moisturizing oil that we produce to keep our skin in check. No doubt I also got blackheads but they always came back no matter how many I pulled out. Since blackheads are just oxidized sebum plugs and since pores don't actually open and close (did anyone else think of high

If you walk away from this blog only have read this post, then just know that your neighbors will thank you. Smelling good not only makes us feel good but can be pleasant or even down-right alluring to those around you. And before you think all it takes is a shower and deodorant, just know that we are about to level up your aromatic game. The Basics Because this is a blog about making self-care accessible, we will start at the beginning. Shower regularly. Even if you feel depressed, tired sick...a warm shower can work wonders. Even if it is the only thing you manage to do...pull yourself out of the bed long enough to get under that shower.  If this tweet is to be believed...the Vikings and all their showered glory were too sexy for European women so the power of a shower cannot be denied! Great! You are freshly showered! Now what? Use deodorant. If you are using anti-perspirant (the difference being that antiperspirant  actually block your ability to sweat), then use these at night sin

Sun's out, toes out! When the weather gets warmer, we get cuter options for footwear with sandals and flip-flops leading the way. But if your heels are callused and your toes have seen better days, you may find that you are less excited about the prospect of open-toed footwear. Never fear, your girl is here with a guide to keeping your toes as cute as possible at home! 1. Don't go barefoot First of all...if you wear shoes in your home...stop doing that, its just gross. But if you go barefoot at home, wear socks or slippers! Barefoot, even at home, can cause calluses and damage to your feet. 2. Exfoliate! Whaaa...even your feet?? Yes! I personally love the Babyfoot Peel for a bi-annual, at-home pedicure. This magical yet gross process starts with your pre-soaked feet in plastic booties and ends a few days later with sheets (that's right...I said sheets) of dead skin peeling off your feet. It gives you the same, enthralled feeling of disgust you get when you look at a pore st

If you've heard the term "double cleansing" and have an idea but not quite sure what it means, not to fear! I am here to help explain what double cleaning is and how you can add it to your routine. Double cleansing is the practice popularized by Asian beauty where you wash your face twice. Easy enough, right? Well, the cleansing is a bit different each time. First cleanse This is great at removing make-up, sunscreen and more stubborn layers of dirt, pollution or other residual evidence of the day. This is done using an oil-based cleanser which might be in a liquid oil form or in a balm-to-oil form. The whole point is that if you can get this layer off then our second cleanse can focus on a gentle cleansing which doesn't strip your skin.  Personally, I love oil cleansers which are gentle enough to work into my eye area because I like waterproof mascaras and long-lasting brow products. I also look for products which don't drip too fast so it doesn't feel as gooe

 Tretinoin, retinol, Retin A, Differin, adapalane...is your head swimming yet? Chances are you have heard of one of these and maybe even how amazing retinol is but don't know what it does or how to add it to your routine. This mega-post will help you make sense of things and hopefully get you started on this super ingredient. I would like to note, r/tretinoin on Reddit was super helpful and informative on my tret journey. This treasure trove of information and resources made it so easy for me to figure out what to do next and what to expect. What is Tretinoin? Tretinoin is the ingredient in brands such as Retin-A that is an active derivative of Vitamin A. If you've heard of retinol, it is the much weaker version that is available over-the-counter. The way it works is by helping expedite cellular turnover, a process which is as quick as 15 days when we are young and slows down as we get older. This is why our soft, babylike skin becomes dull, tired and wrinkly as we get older.

The inspiration of this blog came from my friends and families admitting that all the information and products out there about skin care was so daunting that they didn't even know where to start. I am a self-professed skincare nerd so I love learning about the chemistry and science behind it but I can certainly relate to it being complicated. Here I will provide different tiers of a morning routine to get even the very beginners off to a right start! Level 1: Help! I splash water on my face...when I remember First of all, yay! You are inspired enough or have come to some sort of realization that maybe you want to do some sort of routine. For the very, very beginners, all you really need in the morning is: - cleanse your face. I personally just like to splash water on my face . That's it! My sensitive, oily skin does better if I don't strip it of all the natural oils and goodies that have been on my face from my PM routine the night before. You do not need to use a cleanser