2019 is almost over, can you guys believe it?! Literally two days left and then it’s 2020. Time is just flying by, haha. I just turned 27 last month (any Scorpios in the house?!) and collected 27 things I would say to my younger self. I remember when I was younger, I was painfully insecure, shy, and (extremely) awkward around people. It was very difficult feeling comfortable in my own skin and I was constantly feeling “not enough” and blue about where I was going in life. I’m sure we all have experienced the same.
You hear a lot of adults say it, but it’s true – it really DOES get better.
I hope these reasons inspire you to think of your own little messages you’d send back to your younger self. Let me know in the comments down below what yours are. ❤
"When I started counting my blessings, my entire life turned around." -Willie Nelson
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! 2018 is almost over, can you believe it?
I started going to therapy almost five years ago because I was so unhappy with myself. One of the many exercises that my therapist taught me was to start a Gratitude Journal. It has helped me tremendously on how to always count my blessings, and even when shit really does hit the fan, there’s still an extra (sometimes very tiny) reason to still be grateful.
It has helped me to become much happier by reminding me of the abundance, not the deficiency, in my life.
So today, I’m sharing my three reasons for why I’m happy. Please list your own reasons in the comments, I’d love to hear yours!
My Content Creating Gig. I’m thankful that I have a side gig where I can be creative and put out ideas. I’m also thankful for a 100 subscribers, haha. Hopefully it’ll continue to grow! I’m hoping to be more consistent this coming new year.
My family, friends, and loved ones. Without their support, understanding, patience and love, I wouldn’t be where I am.
My Self. I don’t think humans give themselves enough credit at times. I’m grateful for my resilience, discipline and strength to move forward in difficult situations.
I’m grateful for a beautiful year. 2018 has been good to me; I’m reached many milestones this year. I’m even more hopeful for next year. 🙂
AUTUMN IS OFFICIALLY UPON US! In this video I’m sharing my current skincare routine with you. To give you a little bit of background, my skin is more on the normal/dry spectrum. Around the autumn season, my skin has a tendency to get drier which is why I pull out the heavier moisturizers and serums. Furthermore, I share two different routines – a daytime and a nighttime routine. I hope this video inspires you to add one of these items to your skincare routine! J
P.S. If you got this far, tell me what you’re looking forward to as we get closer to holidays. ❤ 😀
AUTUMN IS OFFICIALLY HERE!!! Are you guys excited for chilly weather? All the pumpkin spice lattes, the hot spicy soups, warm cardigans, cute sweaters…! I’m definitely stoked as this is my favorite season to dress up for. Bring on the cute boots, hoodies, scarves, and more!
Buuuut we gotta say goodbye to summer 2018. It was a good season and I definitely racked up some favorites which I want to share with you in this video:
Smith’s Rosebud Lip Salve Balm – This stuff has been saving my lips throughout the summer! In Los Angeles we get dry heat. Consequently, no matter how much you stay hydrated and run your tongue over your lips, your lips will stay patchy and cracked.
I’ve become very picky about lip balm over the years because many of them don’t moisturize my lips anymore. I avoid EOS lip balms because I have gotten allergic reactions to them. I also avoid Burt’s Bees because they don’t moisturize my lips either. The list goes on and on.
The only lip balm that has consistently kept my lips moisturized and supple has been rose salve. I love both Smith’s and C.O. Bigelow’s versions. Check out both if you’re having trouble with your lips as well!
Benefit Dallas Face Powder – When I first started getting into makeup about eight years ago, this was my go-to blush! After a few diligent years of consistent use, I decided to move on from Benefit’s Dallas to explore other products out there.
I’m so glad I rediscovered this over the summer. It is simply stunning and for those of you who are also paled skinned, you’ll be able to double this up as both contour and blush.
It’s a neutral plum shade with a little bit of glitter to give you a splendid (but natural) glow. It does a brilliant job of giving you that sun-kissed look while chiseling out your cheekbones, forehead, and jawline.
The brush that’s included inside isn’t the best brush on the market, but I do use it frequently to apply my blush on the go. Portable and convenient, how nice is that?
Kat Von D Alchemist Palette – I bought this a year ago and I can’t believe I didn’t even crack it open to dip a brush in! It just sat there for many months, lol…
The colors are divine, guys. I love how opaque all the shadows are. In addition, all the shades are unpredictable – depending on which eyeshadow or lipstick shade you have on, you can get a completely different color every time you apply one of these. Think of it as an eyeshadow/lipstick topper. Makes your makeup routine a little more interesting, right? J
Olivia Burton’s 3D Rose Gold Chocolate Bee watch – Before this, I seriously thought I would never be a ‘watch’ person. You know, those people who like to wear watches on their wrists and actually rely on its functionality (instead of just looking at your phone for the time).
But in my line of work, I have to constantly be on my feet and walk around while being punctual. Unfortunately sometimes I forget to take my phone with me – which means I’m relying on everyone else for the time. It wasn’t making my work efficient, hence why I began to contemplate on purchasing a watch.
I could’ve gotten something much cheaper, but your girl here is very extra and wanted to wear something she’ll like for many years to go. So here you go: Olivia Burton’s 3D Rose Gold Chocolate Bee Watch. It’s definitely not minimalistic with the bee in the middle of clock’s face – but I immediately fell in love with the color scheme and design.
I’ve had it for about three months and it’s become my lovely sidekick that rests nicely on my left wrist. My only complaint would be that the pink strap gets dirty easily. But with a wet wipe, it usually cleans up pretty easily.
Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite (White version) – One of my biggest New Years’ resolutions has been to read more. And ever since I bought my kindle, that resolution is finally coming into fruition.
I make it a nightly ritual to read at least a couple of minutes before bed. It decompresses me better than any meditation can. Plus I’ve been learning a lot which feels wonderful.
I know ebooks can be expensive, so if you’re looking to read more without having to spend money I definitely recommend you visit: www.overdrive.com. Overdrive will connect you to your local library where you can borrow books online! How cool is that?
What are you favorites? 😉 Let me know in the comments down below.
I know it’s been forever since I’ve posted. Geezus, time just seriously flies…!
I’m here with another makeup tutorial today. I was itching to try out some new makeup products a friend had sent over to me, and this was the look I came up with on the spot. the pinkish, turquoise, and lilac shades really reminded me of Cotton Candy. Hence the title, “Cotton Candy Makeup” lol.
Overall, it was a pretty easy look to create! There were some holy grail products that I just fell in love with all over again (does that ever happen to you? Lol) which includes my Bareminerals BarePRO makeup. There were some new products that I fell in love after trying it for the first time too (Wet N Wild’s “Halographic” liquid highlighter? Um, GTFO YOU’RE GORGEOUS).
Out of all the new products I tried, I think my least favorite was the BeautyPeople mascara. Definitely will not be repurchasing that. It’s apparently a new Korean brand that has been getting a lot of traction, but unfortunately the mascara did nothing for my short, sparse Asian lashes. I’ll definitely be going back to my Benefit’s “They’re Real” mascara after I finish the current mascara.
Anyway, enough of me ranting. Here are the products I used in this tutorial. And also some pics!
ITEMS USED:
Smith’s Rosebud Salve Balm
Benefit’s Porefessional Face Primer
Bareminerals BarePRO “Golden Ivory 08” Foundation
Laura Mercier Translucent Pressed Powder
Benefit’s Hoola Bronzer
Wet N Wild’s MegaGlo Hello Halo Liquid Highlighter in “303A Halographic”
Anastasia Beverly Hills Duo Brow Powder in “Medium Black”
Estee Lauder’s Brow Multi-Tasker in “04 Dark Brunette”
Wet n Wild’s “Not a Basic Peach” Color Icon Palette
Kat on D’s Alchemist Holographic Palette
Clio Gelpresso Gel Lner in “Golden Black”
Beauty People’s Real Perfection Volume Curl Mascara in “Perfection Black”
3ConceptEyes “French Lilac” blush
3ConceptEyes “Mink Beige” Lip Pigment
Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen
Bareminerals BarePRO Foundation in “08 Golden Ivory”
Smashbox Light/Medium Concealer
Smith’s Rosebud Salve Lip Balm
Laura Mercier Translucent Pressed Powder
Smashbox Master Class Palette (discontinued)
MAC Blue Green Loose Pigment
Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette
CLIO Gelpresso Eyeliner in “Golden Black”
Maybelline Gel Liner in “Blackest Black”
Covergirl LashBlast Mascara
Benefit Dallas Face Powder
Kat Von D Light/Medium Shade and Light Contour Palette
Estee Lauder The Brow Multi Tasker
Anastasia Beverly Hills Duo Brow Powder in “Medium/Dark”
3ConceptEyes Lip Pigment in “Mink Beige”
Ardell Demi Wispies
DUP Lash Glue
Hey guys! I’ve been in LOVE with duochrome eyeshadows this month. I found a blue green loose eyeshadow by MAC recently and I knew I had to use it in a tutorial. To blend it out, I also used the Too Faced Sweet Peach palette to blend out the intensity of the MAC shade.
Hope you enjoy and you see you in the next video! 😉
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ITEMS USED:
Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen (my holy grail!!)
Bareminerals BarePRO Foundation in “08 Golden Ivory”
Smashbox Light/Medium Concealer
Smith’s Rosebud Salve Lip Balm
Laura Mercier Translucent Pressed Powder
Smashbox Master Class Palette (discontinued)
MAC Blue Green Loose Pigment
Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette
CLIO Gelpresso Eyeliner in “Golden Black”
Maybelline Gel Liner in “Blackest Black”
Covergirl LashBlast Mascara
Benefit Dallas Face Powder
Kat Von D Light/Medium Shade and Light Contour Palette
Estee Lauder The Brow Multi Tasker
Anastasia Beverly Hills Duo Brow Powder in “Medium/Dark”
3ConceptEyes Lip Pigment in “Mink Beige”
Ardell Demi Wispies
DUP Lash Glue
This time I created a new video about how to tackle burnout.
Most of us have experienced burnout. It’s the last few weeks before school final exams or a humongous work deadline is approaching… and instead of feeling pumped to take on the challenge like you usually do, you’re suddenly dragging your feet. You don’t feel inspired like you used to. No matter how much you sleep/rest, there’s no relief. All you feel is a sense of dread.
Burnout is so REAL. Life can feel overwhelming and the last thing you want to do is execute self-care on yourself. These are my ten tips on how I push through the fatigue, lethargy, the lack-of motivation so I can rejuvenate my body, mind, and soul. They’re nothing mindblowing; it’s all stuff you’ve probably read online or heard from others. But sometimes, it’s good to have a nice reminder. 😉
On a side note, this video took three tries to film, haha. *hotmess*
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TIPS MENTIONED IN VIDEO:
Hydration: When in doubt, just chug some water down. When I’m going throughout my day, I kid you not, I literally forget to drink water. And what a hindrance dehydration can be! You can’t focus, you’re constantly tired, and you feel even less productive.
Get some good sleep: When I don’t get enough rest, I start wishing I was six feet under and never have to get up another day in my life.
However when I do rest enough, I feel like I can handle the entire world; my coping mechanism feels strong and I feel I can handle any challenges thrown my way.
Hang out with good friends who GIVE BACK positive energy to you: If you’re an introvert like me, you probably find it very difficult to make time to hang out with others. But it’s important to surround yourself with people you really LIKE and whose company you really ENJOY. Acquaintances at school or work don’t necessarily count as friends. Hang out with those who elevate you and give back positive energy.
Hot bath with Epsom salt: Need I say more? This is just the bomb dot com.
Write it down/Journal: Especially when we’re stressed and burnt out, there are so many thoughts and obligations swimming through our heads that just existing feels overwhelming. Vomit your thoughts onto paper whether it’s doodling aimlessly, writing a long journal entry, listing all your thoughts, drawing graphs, etc. It helps to clear the brain department so you have clarity on what your next goals are.
Practice your favorite hobby – go back to the things you love!: When we’re burnt out, we’re in survival mode and forget all the small activities that bring us so much joy.
Take a break and practice your favorite hobby. Yes, life involves working hard. On the other hand, also remember that there’s nothing wrong with having fun; in fact, it’s necessary to reward ourselves so we live out happy lives.
Remember: This Too Shall Pass: When I was a teenager, my emotions were a hot mess. I remember feeling sad and thinking this was how I was going to feel for the rest of my life (sidenote: not true, btw).
Now that I’m an adult, I know that in life there are no plateaus – there are many valleys and peaks. Even during the difficult moments, remember that This Too Shall Pass. You got this. Everything is going to be okay, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Choose to respect yourself: This one is a BIG ONE for me because when I’m feeling unhappy, I immediately go into a victim state-of-mind. I do pinpoint out the problem (which is good), but instead of taking charge and trying to fix the problem I end up taking a backseat in my own life. I start waiting for others to approach me, validate me, recognize me, etc. And while I’m in my ‘Woe-Is-Me’ state of mind, I feel resentment and beat myself up mentally.
This is so unhealthy. Choose to respect yourself. Decide to go the difficult route of affirming yourself, validating yourself, and fixing your own problems. Don’t wait for others to save you. Take responsibility for your own life.
Exercise: Endorphins are good for you! The hardest part is just entering the gym; once you’re there, it’s all good stuff!
Unplug: Be in the moment: Turn off the phone, computer, TV, etc. Go outside, be with nature, and be in the moment.
To keep my promise to be more in touch with nature, I went out another adventure to the Huntington Library. I can’t believe I’ve lived in Los Angeles my entire life and I’m just visiting here for the first time.
Ugh, it was so beautiful!! And what a treat to just walk through all the different botanical gardens they have. My fiance and I ended up staying for five hours; I think we walked at least six miles just meandering through all of the gardens. My favorite had to be the subtropical gardens. ❤
I brought my camera to capture the many moments I enjoyed. It was my first time using my camera for something other than makeup tutorials, lol…
A little creek with flowers growing nearby.
Near the Japanese botanical gardens. The bamboo was amazing!
DUCKY!!!!
Waterrrrr
The sun was beaming down on us when we visited Huntington Library. The trees stood out so vividly in the sunshine.
The reds and the greens ❤
Sunnies and a hat to keep the sun away.
All different shades of pink and reds!
Shadows.
Leaves shining under the sunshine.
I felt so replenished and happy after my trip. I’ll definitely be going back there in the next couple of weeks. Where do you go to be with nature?
Hey guys! This is the makeup that I’ve been pretty much wearing all day, every day – whether it’s to go to work, grocery shopping, etc. You name it, and this has been my go-to makeup look. And so, subsequently I felt inspired to make a quick tutorial about it.
Em Cosmetic’s “Rose Nude” liquid lipstick has been killing me! Their lipstick just glides on and sits on the lips perfectly. Plus it smells like chocolate (yum).
Hope you enjoy watching!
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Item Description:
Benefit POREfessional Face Primer
Bareminerals BarePRO Foundation in “Golden Ivory 08”
Smashbox High Definition Concealer
Laura Mercier Translucent Pressed Powder
Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in “Coffee Cake” (discontinued, unfortunately L)
Em Cosmetics Lip Cloud in “Rose Nude”
Becca Higlighter in “Moonstone”
Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
Kat Von D Shadow and Light Palette in “Light/Medium”
Lorac Unzipped Palette
Maybelline Gel Liner in “Very Black”
Clio Gelpresso Eyeliner in “Dark Choco”
Benefit “They’re Real” Mascara
Estee Lauder The Brow Multitasker
I noticed that I’m usually doing one of two things: I either stay home or go to work. Both are indoors and it’s so easy to feel stifled. Adding on the fact that I live in a big urban city like Los Angeles, and it’s even easier to forget that plants & trees can exist and thrive freely somewhere on this planet.
So I’ve been trying to get back in touch with nature; every weekend I’m encouraging myself to hike, go to the park, etc. Sometimes it’s the last thing that I want to do after a long week… my poor man has to drag me out, haha.
I might feel grumpy in the beginning, but it works like a charm every single time. I feel so nourished, replenished, and wholeagain as as person.
Hello world! I’ve been trying to branch out from just makeup tutorials into other subjects. So to start off easy, I thought I would tackle twenty facts about myself in a video.
Here are my facts:
I am a Scorpio.
I am Korean American, born and raised in Los Angeles.
I am a huge fan of Beyoncé and Christina Aguilera.
I want to get a dog, but because I have killed off all my goldfish in the past, I don’t trust myself to be a good pet owner.
I come from a Ballet dance background. I’ve been dancing Ballet since I was eight years old.
I love food. Especially nigiri sushi. I could eat uni all day, every day.
I love my rice. I can have it three times a day, all day, every day.
I am not a fan of olives and celery.
After taking public transportation for many years, I am thankful every day for my car. My car has a name: Baby Mazda.
I can’t start my day productively unless I have my cup of coffee.
I’m also very grumpy and disagreeable when I don’t have my cup of coffee.
I think I might get my first tattoo this year. We’ll see.
I am engaged to my man whom I’ve been dating for the past eight and a half years.
My favorite feeling in the world is getting into bed after a long day.
I prefer baths over showers. Any day.
I’m not much of an outdoor-sy camping, hiking gal. You can find me in any café, plugging away on my computer.
I am a lover of Nintendo games. Zelda and Fire Emblem all the way!!!
I am all or nothing. I can either be extremely productive and a crazy workaholic; or I can be the biggest couch potato in the entire world.
Sometimes I get into my work so hard that I forget to take care of myself: like drinking water, using the restroom when nature calls, eating meals, etc. And then I crash and burn. But I’m trying to get better at it.
I love me some UFC mma fighting. Respect to all the professional fighters out there with your hardcore training and then going into the cage to shred up the octagon.
What are your quirky facts when it comes to you? Tell me some of yours!!
Bright orange lips are so fun to rock during springtime.
I sat down in front of the camera and just started to play around. Eventually I thought I would go for a more daring cut crease look. To make it more interesting though, I added a wing to the cut crease. Ugh, and the orange NYX lipstick? I’ve been in love with orange, I think it’s one of the best shades for those with a yellow undertone. I went for a muted orange lip by adding in concealer to the lips.
Here’s the video. Enjoy!
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ITEMS USED (in order):
Blistex Triple Essentials Lip Balm
Lorac Behind The Scenes Eyeshadow Primer
Naked 1 Palette in the shade “Naked”
Naked 1 Palette in the shade “Buck”
Modern Renaissance palette in the shade “Golden Ochre”
Modern Renaissance palette in the shade “Realgar”
Smashbox High Definition Concealer in “Light”
Modern Renaissance palette in the shade “Tempera”
Modern Renaissance palette in the shade “Primavera”
Modern Renaissance palette in the shade “Cypress Umber”
Clio Gelpresso Gel Liner in “Golden Khaki”
Kat Von D pen eyeliner in “Trooper”
Ardell Natural Demi-Wispies
Benefit They’re Real Mascara
Bareminerals BarePRO Foundation in 08 Golden Ivory
Bareminerals BareSKIN Pressed Powder in Medium
Kat Von D Shade and Light palette Becca Highlighter in “Moonstone”
3CE blush in “French Lilac”
NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in “Orange County”
It literally feels like it’s been a gazillion weeks since I’ve posted a video. But it’s only been about three weeks. Maybe four. Maybe more. I’ve lost count, lol…
I’ve been feeling more experimental lately and have been trying to venture out of the usual makeup tutorials for every other video. This time I tackle fifteen of my favorite feelings in the entire world. It’s so important to enjoy all the little things in life while we go on with our obligations, right? Recognizing what makes you happy and taking the moment to feel grateful… I feel this is the key to happiness.
I was inspired by another Youtuber, HeyClaire who posted the same concept a couple of years ago. So without any further adieu, here is the video:
And the script for this video:
Hey guys. Today I share with you fifteen of my favorite feelings in the entire world.
I love being in nature as it reminds me to come back to what really counts. Mother Earth.
I am thankful for the good food,
The thirst I can quench after a long day,
And there’s nothing like that first sip of coffee in the quiet mornings.
I love traveling to a new destination,
As a woman who can carve out her own destiny and make her own choices,
Immersing myself with content that inspires me,
To being surrounded by loved ones,
and my man
Activating my body with thrilling movements,
Or taking a delicious nap in the middle of the day,
I love breathing, as it reminds me to slow down,
I’m grateful to feel strong and healthy,
Giving my body permission to release all tension…
And unwinding, as we all need rest at the end of the day.
A little creek with flowers growing nearby.
Near the Japanese botanical gardens. The bamboo was amazing!
DUCKY!!!!
Waterrrrr
The sun was beaming down on us when we visited Huntington Library. The trees stood out so vividly in the sunshine.
The reds and the greens ❤
Sunnies and a hat to keep the sun away.
Shadows.
Leaves shining under the sunshine.
