Welcome^^ My name is Yumi Kim and I am a 20 year old college student in sophomore year. I study in NY and my major is Marketing, However, I am currently studying abroad in Seoul, Korea. I created this blog to inspire and to inform you about beauty products and what works for me. I love beauty and fashion and all girly things. Expect a lot of reviews from me, as well as random life post and outfit of the day and so much more. Join my weirdness, through college, life, and beauty.
I wanted to introduce this really cool series that I am launching. It is basically seven tutorials inspired on K-POP or Korean actresses. These looks are made to be wearable in real life. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do and if you have any suggestions please let me know in the comments below.
Last year this time was when I started my blog. One of my first post was actually on all the Golden Globes fashion. I love watching these award shows because every celebrity dresses up and it basically becomes a war of who is wearing what best. I do not want to do a in depth look on who my favorite celebrities were. I just want to focus on one person only.
The godess of beauty, she is so pretty, that it is so unfair for us. This is one of my favorite celebrities Jessica Alba. She is a beautiful mother and actress who looked fiiinee on the award shows. Lesbihonest, who does not have a girl crush on her?
I want to start with her makeup. Jessica is wearing very simple makeup on the eyes. Probably a brown palette and bronzer. Her main focus was on the lips with a Orange- Red lipstick that makes her face glow and her dress too. She usually always goes for simple makeup which I love, but in this case she had to so she would not overpower that gorgeous jewelry she has on her neck..
I do not think she could have picked a better dress than this one. I love the salmon mermaid-esque dress she is waring and it looks overall great on her body.
So Jelly.
Who was your favorite celebrity on the red carpet?
Hi Everyone! How was your weekend? Mine was really bad actually. On Friday I woke up and was feeling really drowsy I did not understand why so I just stayed in bed all day long. At night, I finally got some energy to go get some dinner with my boyfriend. We had suundubujigue a very traditional Korean dish. On Saturday, I felt so much better went to the gym, and then my bf and I had plans with my cousin to go to dinner for Sunde(Korean Street sausage). Apparently she was with a really bad cold which transferred to my body like a sticky note. On Sunday I woke up bad again, but it got even worse. I had a runny nose, fever, and was not feeling at all well. My boyfriend ended up taking care of me. To top it off, I puked in the middle of the night. So it was not a good weekend after all. How about YOUR weekend? Was it better than mine? I really hope it was because being sick specially on weekends suck. Anyways, to move on from the chit chat I want to mention some amazing products I have been using for winter,and essentially my winter skincare routine. Disclaimer: I want to let you guys know that my skin type is dry- very dry skin. During summer it becomes normal but not completely. I mention this because products that may work for me, may not work for you. I have also tried products and researched them on other bloggers who I know for a fact have oily or combination skin. Cleanser:
I am still using my Avene Milk Cleanser. It is a good overall face wash for dry skin. However I have been using a new cleanser which is an oil based cleanser. This is the Innisfree Green tea Oil Cleanser. It is Amazing for really dry skin, it is very moisturizing while cleansing and not too thick to the point where your pores can not breath and you find that there is a lot of oily residue left. Unfortunately, this is going to be hard for me to get once I go back to NY so I am really sad, and will have to find a dupe or sneak 3 or 4 bottles in my luggage.
Moisturizer:
Moisturizers, or in my case, my skin best friend are an absolute must for me. I would probably not survive winter if this product did not exist.
My current most used moisturizer is the Clinique Moisture Surge Intense. Do you see why I highlight the intense? Because I also have the Clinique Moisture Surge, but they are nothing alike really. My boyfriend who has really combination to oily skin loves to use this during winter, but when he tried my Moisture Surge Intense he said that he felt he had a mask on. On my skin, this moisturizer works wonders because it absorbs it really quickly and it is heavy enough to keep me moisturized during a full day or full night.
Use: Everyday and every night
Scrub
Scrub is really important for everyone, but it becomes extra important for me during winter because of my dry skin. I have not tried more than two scrubs, but I really like L'occitane's Cream scrub, because it feels creamy and not overpowering. I love the consistency and how it does not peel my sensitive skin.
Use: 2 to 3 times a Week depending on how patchy my skin feels.
Essence:
Essence are really popular in Korea right now. It is really similar to a toner but with a slightly more like a serum. It is packed with all types of vitamins that are good for your skin and I am all about that.
I am currently using the SKII Essence. And it does a good job at purifying and toning my skin. I am not THAT impressed as I wished because of the price, and I feel like there are so much better ones.
Use: Before moisturizer at night.
Face Makeup Remover:
I have not heard one person use this product and not love it. The Bioderma Solution Micellaire is AMAZING and I love using this after cleansing my face with water. It removes any soap that may have stayed from before and soothes my skin. It has won multiple awards in Korea as best makeup remover and a lot of bloggers and youtubers rave about it.
This is a video I posted several days ago and I wanted to do a very in depth review of each and one of them in my blog. It is very hard for me to find time to sit down and write, but honestly makeup is a passion of mine and I feel like this blog is a way for me to at least put my toes inside the industry. Its not about companies contacting me or anything it is just my way of discovering if this is truly who I want to be, professionally, of course. Anyways, I want to put a disclaimer that the products I mention are truly and sincerely the best products I have tried in 2012 and will continue to use in this new year.
Disclaimer: I want to let you guys know that my skin type is dry- very dry skin. During summer it becomes normal but not completely. I mention this because products that may work for me, may not work for you. I have also tried products and researched them on other bloggers who I know for a fact have oily or combination skin.
BB Cream:
For BB cream, or Blemish Balm I chose Banila Co. BB cream. It is almost impossible to know which bb cream suits you best with so many different brands that carry lines and types of bb creams that it is near to impossible to find one that will suit you. I found this one through this tv program called Get it beauty and they were mentioning the best of bb creams and ranking them. The number one bb cream according to them was Tony Moly bbcream, so I immediately ran out to buy it. I have to say it was a good bb cream but I feel like it didn't give enough coverage and moisture which is what I look for in all my products. I then bought Let me touched (weird name right? lol) and the kind of moussy, but creamy texture just captured my attention and loved immediately.
Reasons I love:
-Very moisturizing
- To get glowing and dewy skin
- Medium to full coverage
- Stays all day
Cons:
- Pricey in comparison to other bb creams
Concealer:
Concealer is honestly my bestie. I have panda eyes if not for concealer. It is so sad that when I do not wear concealer everyone ask me if I'm okay because I look really tired. Sad. I know. LOL
Erase Paste:
Reasons I love:
-It is a salmony color (Salmon- Orange- Yellow cancel out Purple and blue) I could do a whole other post on this.
- Full coverage
Cons:
- Again the price
- It is kind of sticky, but if you use an eyecream its gonna be easier to blend
Innisfree Concealer Stick:
Reasons I love:
- Compact and easy to use
- Easy to blend
- Moisturizing
- I have never used a stick concealer that was so creamy as that one.
- Cheap
Cons:
- Korean makeup is always harder to find in US
Highlight:
Soft and Gentle-MAC
Reasons I love:
- Gives you glowy skin without overdoing it
-Can use in different parts of face (cupids bow, cheekbones, eyeshadow, nose)
- A lot of product
Cons:
- Since I purchased this in Korea I would say the price is really high.
Blush:
Coralista- Benefit
Coralista from benefit is probably the best blush ever made. This is the first blush I truly have fallen for ever since the first time I tried it at Sephora.
Reasons I love:
- Smells amazzzzinggg
- Great pigmentation
- Coral-gold
- Great for skintones like mine NC25
- Not to overwhelming
Cons:
- Price
Grapefruit Jelly- Etude House:
Reasons I love:
- Pink/coral color for very natural looks
- Good pigment
-Cheap
-Great everyday blush
Lips:
Apricot Stick- Etude House
Reasons I love:
-Moisturizing
- Kind of like a lip balm with a lot of pigment
- Love the coral/pink
- A pretty everyday color
-Really cheap
Cons:
- Harder to find
Pink Beige- Peripera
Reasons I love:
- Great for smokey looks, nude lips
- Pigmented
- Not deadly looking
- Stays on really well
Cons
- A bit expensive 15,000 won or 14 dollars
MCR 342- Shu Uemura
Reasons I love:
- Matte
-Amazing pigment
Cons:
-Expensive
Mascara
Lash Blast Waterproof - Covergirl
Reasons I love:
- It does not smudge
- Very black
- Lengthens
- Curls
- Stays all day long
- Volumizes
- Cheap
Bottom Lash Mascara- Clinique
Reasons I love:
- Separates bottom lashes
- Volumizes
Eyeshadow Palettes
Dolly Wink - Brown eyeshadow quad
Reasons I love:- Very pigmented
- Not too shimmery (I personally do not like shimmery eyeshadows)
- Compact (easy to carry and use)
Naked Palette 1- Urban Decay Reasons I love:
-Easy to use
-Great mix of shimerry and matte shades
- Favorites: Sin and buck
Eyelash Curler
Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler Reasons I love: - Great Quality
-Sturdy
- Curls really well
Eyeliner
Milani LiquifyReasons I love:
- Creamy
- Blends well
- Stays on for a long time
Stila Liquid EyelinerReasons I love:
- Very pigmented
- Good wand
- Waterproof
- Stays for six hours without smudging on me
Banila Co. Waterproof pencils Reasons I love:- Creamy
-Waterproof
- Easy to use
You probably don't know that I am currently in Seoul in a study abroad program. Anyways, today was the first day of snow in the city and for me its always a love/hate relationship thing. I slipped and fell, and hurt my toe. I did get beautiful pictures from the scenery and decided I wanted to share.
I also wanted to show my outfit of the day since I appear in one of the pictures.
What I am wearing:
- Coat: Zara Basics
- Beige Sweater: Forever 21 (bought it almost two years ago in a sale though)
- Light blue (T-shirt?): Street sale in Seoul
- Black Shirt: Zara Basics
- Plain black leggings with skirt attached: Street sale
- Boots: Ugg
- Necklace: Tous
I opted for a very natural barely there makeup look
A definite must-have for me during the winter are my face highlighters. It makes me glow like a twilight vampire. For the winter time everything becomes really dull so a little bit of shimmer can really spice up your face.
I love to use highlighter everywhere (not at the same time though!) but I really enjoy using it on my inner corners -that's a whole different review- on my high cheek bones and as eyeshadow when I want a pop to my eyes. I also enjoy using it on my cupids bow in my mouth.
The three highlighters that I will be showing today are one of my favorite highlighters I have tried. These are the three that I currently own and have in Korea, but I do not think I need more either.
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish- Soft and Gentle
This gorgeous Skinfinish from MAC is one of my favorite highlighters of all time. It is very shimmery and can even have a glittery look to it if you apply too much. However, the right amount of this product will make your skin look like its glowing from beneath. I have used this as an eyeshadow, on my cupids bow, on the arch of my brows and of course on my cheek bones. It is a must-have for me and my dull winter skin.
Nar Orgasm Highlighter
This is a love hate relationship for me since I find it to be very pinkish. I love mixing this with my foundation to give it a bit of a shimmer.
I am starting this new Countdown to Christmas in which every single day there is going to be a post that can be related to fashion, beauty, or my randomness. Christmas is definitely my favorite time of year since it is all lights, carols, family, and friends. So in this segment you will find OOTDs, holiday tutorials, vlogs, holiday giveaway ideas and so much more. I am sooo excited to be counting down to Christmas stay tune for a lot of surprises as well!!!!!!
Days to Christmas: 22
When trying to be warm for the winter a lot of us (ahem me) can forget how to include being fashionable. Instead we kind of lean towards being more cozy and comfortable. What most of us do not know is that we can be all cozy without risking not being fashionable. I definitely like having both on my side.
Tip #1:
A Pop of color:
I love wearing all black outfits with a pop of color. I like black because it is not overpowering with layering and it also doesn't make me look like a grizzly bear just walking around the city of Seoul.
For the pop of color choose a scarf with a really cool pattern. Check out one of my favorite fashion icons (Blake Lively) rocking this tip
If you are not the scarf type of girl choose a handbag or purse that will stand out. I also love wearing different colored shoes with my all black outfit.
Tip # 2
Bulky it up on different sections
Its winter time and I love my uggs. That doesn't mean you will see me also wearing baggy sweatpants, uggs, and a slouchy sweater. In the contrary when using bulky pieces such as uggs I like to wear pixie pants or warm cozy legging to even out the look.
In this photo I am wearing a skirt, pantyhose and my uggs making the look more fashionable and girly. Its a little bit colder in Seoul now than when this picture was taken. But if I had to take a picture today I would wear my Uniqlo Heattech leggings beneath it.
So these are my tips for today stay tuned for this Countdown to Christmas series and for A LOT OF SURPRISES!!!
OTSN (on the side note) : Please follow me on instagram if you have it (let me know you follow me to follow back)
ID: yumikim25
