Suppose taking a trip is as simple as confirming travel plans, packing bags, and flying to a new city in a new country. Forget all the other nuances like deciding what the best places to eat are, which hotel would be the most ideal, or where the most popular attractions are. Does such an easy way of exploring really exist?
Traveling abroad can be really daunting. Potential problems vary depending on the destination in mind. If I go somewhere foreign, will people there speak or at least understand English? How much universal sign language and hand-flapping should I brush up on? What kinds of transportation are there to take? Which is the cheapest and safest?
Of course, these sorts of scenarios shouldn't ever keep anyone from gallivanting through the big world we call Earth. Our phones are a great resource nowadays. If not, the good old trusty travel guide books are a safe bet as well. Otherwise, the simplest answer for those who are hesitant of their own abilities and prefer a guided experience is a bus tour. This is the preferred method for my mom and many other older immigrants who haven't really traveled much before and have in recent years had the capabilities and wish to do so. It is also the solution to the biggest hurdle that might stop them from actually booking the trip: language.
I cannot attest to all bus tours because there probably are many different styles and many different price points within the travel category itself. My experiences mentioned here are going to be specific to Chinese budget bus tours abroad.
These are the kind of tours that are booked mostly through a travel agent at one of the many Chinese travel agencies that are open in the Chinatowns throughout the world. (Yes, I am going to make that bold statement because all the fellow bus tour members I have met in Thailand, Taiwan, and China did, in fact, come from all over the world. Whether they were from the USA, Canada, Australia, or Malaysia they all found their way to where we were because of a travel agency in their respective Chinatowns.) Somehow, the deals are always undeniably captivating: BOGO Free, BOGO 50%, ~$200 roundtrip flight to Asia + food + room & board + mandatory tour around Shanghai and neighboring cities, etc.
When promotions sound like that, how could one possibly resist? Sometimes a couple hundred dollars could land a person thousands of miles away. Participants don't have much to worry about since tour guides almost always speak Chinese, whether Cantonese or Mandarin varies and English is a plus not a must for tour guides. Everyone is bussed from one location to the next. Hotel and food are already part of the itinerary and mostly paid for. What a steal and it is headache-free!
If simply being to the most number of places in one trip is a priority, there is probably nothing like what the bus tour could offer. No matter if the tour is 6 days, 7 days, or 8 days, the sheer quantity of places and cities the tours can manage to fit in the itinerary is praiseworthy. On days where it was attraction-heavy, the guides would take us to 3+ photo-worthy spots. Other days, it may be one attraction and a bunch of shopping stops in addition to the travel time needed to reach a new city that is hundreds of miles away.
The places on the travel itinerary are usually ones that are relatively famous and/or tourist hotspots. The Grand Palace in Bangkok, Great Wall in Beijing, Taipei 101 in Taipei, and West Lake in Hangzhou. Sometimes it was to a lesser traveled to yet historically significant and interesting sights nonetheless. The Shakadang Trail in Hualien and Mountain Resort in Chengde. Regardless, the common point across all tours, no matter the country it is in, is the limited amount of time spent at all the attractions. The reason is pretty obvious. The only way to be able to visit all the places and see so much in a limited timeframe is by sacrificing the chance to slowly absorb the surrounds and move around at a relaxing pace. It is a tight line that tours usually try to stretch so attendees don't feel like they aren't getting their money's worth in terms of sights that are seen.
Shows and performances on the itineraries are interesting, for a lack of a better word at this moment. Cultural recitals, drag shows, and tease shows in Thailand and acrobatic shows in Beijing. It is a difficult topic to explain in a way without being contradictory. Having to go to performances that I had no say in picking keeps me open to other cultures. Yes, it is (usually) a representation of their customs and lifestyles and definitely unique from what I would ever get to normally see. But a majority of the performances we were taken to were filled to the brim with only other Chinese tourists. The shows were lacking the authenticity of the local art and culture that I would personally prefer. Something that people who live there are excited to see and give praise to instead of something that is more-or-less manufactured to profit from outsiders with.
The greatest and worst thing that comes with bus tours is the bus itself. Greatest because if anyone is the type, like me, that can fall asleep anywhere, the bus rides will add countless hours of naps to your schedule. Which is great because wake up calls are usually pretty early in the morning. Buses can be the best because there is no worrying about safety and transportation and money, just make sure your butt is with the rest of the group when the bus is ready to get a rollin'. Then there is the bad because not all buses or tours are the same. Some vehicles might have tons of leg room while others have barely any (which is saying a lot because I am a short girl). Some tour groups are larger than others (buh-bye double seats). Then there is the absolute worst because most of the time anyone spends on a tour is on the bus itself. Whether it is being driven 30+ minutes between stops or 2+ hours to reach the next city on the trip, your butt is in for a long long ride.
Food is one of the main reasons I travel; being able to eat and taste things that I wouldn't normally try or be able to try at home is a big driver. But on bus tours, food is more of an afterthought. All of the tour guides I met all joked that food on the tours were not to taste good but to survive on; it would not be anything particularly outstanding, just edible. What this actually meant was lots of buffet food from the hotel or family style Chinese stir-fried meals. Hungry, I was not. Yet I didn't get to taste very many local delicacies outside of what the hotel buffet line had to offer. Again, it is just an issue I personally have with authenticity to the local culture versus something tailored towards a foreign visitor. Why would I travel to a place like Beijing, Shanghai, Thailand, or Taiwan to have southern style Chinese food? The 2 exceptions to the buffet and southern-style Chinese food meals were once when the Beijing tour included a Peking Duck dinner and once when the Taiwan tour included a street-food themed sit-down meal.
As everyone's preferences are different, so are the way food is fit into tour itineraries. Some would include time at markets so that travelers could walk around and buy local snacks for the bus ride. Others would organize night market time as a dinner replacement. Certain occasions the guides would upsell meals after the included meals so that they could bring you to a "special local spot" for things like turtle soup in Taiwan or shark fin soup in Thailand.
Shopping stops are the single most shocking experience across all the tours. There were many stops to buy jewels, jade, pearls, tea leaves, teapots, animal-skinned goods, silk bedding, and dried fruits and candies. I had mentally prepared myself to fight off the temptations of just wanting things that look nice. I also readied to dissuade my mom from doing the same. Yet the tactics and sheer numbers of shopping stops got the best of us. There is always something that looks too good to resist. Case in point for me, local food and snacks.
I should clarify what these "shopping shops" are first in order to paint the full picture. The budget tours are so glaringly cheap because of the various sponsors who probably negotiate deals with travel agencies to provide food and hotel in exchange for customers who would be willing to buy a lot of stuff at their establishments. Establishments which aren't really open to the general public, from what I could tell. They are usually in seemingly remote places where the only other people you'd see, besides the employees, were tons of other bus tour groups members. The main goals of these shopping stops were so the sponsors would basically earn back the "investment" they made on the travelers. The better way of putting this would be to say they offer good prices for luxury goods to visitors.
There have been shows and reports, especially in Asia, that talk of how sometimes the establishment would force travelers to buy things before they can pass the doors to leave. I can say that I mostly didn't experience that particular style of sales on the tours but what I saw could be almost on par. The more typical approach was to offer steep promotions. Sometimes manager types would offer freebies as a way to entice. Then the penultimate maneuver is the story.
Oh, the power of a story! Each busload of people is usually brought into their own rooms with their own manager to explain the various kinds of things that they sell. Then there is the noteworthy "this is the one and only of it's kind," the strategic "best and safest investment," or the sympathy-inducing "I didn't really want to work for the family business but my dad is ill so here I am" scenarios that happen all too frequently. When the story is paired with the freebies or steep promotions, or better yet both, that is when the magic happens. Something in the minds of the people turns them into customers. The ability to make someone believe in something that may or may not be true is really something else. The sponsors and the guides bank on the affirmation that the formula works and that all bus groups are separate from beginning to end so the stories are never shared until it is too late. Now whether to call this a form of forcing is probably arguable. Saying it is the power of a story is being nice. Calling it deceit is the extreme.
Earlier I mentioned "I mostly didn't experience any forcing to purchase" because there is one scenario where it did sort of happen to a certain degree. At a shopping stop, there were only a few couples and families purchasing. A majority didn't see a need for the product or had particular excellent self-control that occasion. Many sales girls stood around with no sales to make. Despite the lack of interest, our tour guide hadn't suggested we leave any earlier. So we stood and sat around. Perhaps a manager noticed and started pushing a bit. While travelers who came as pairs were able to shrug off the advances more easily, a big group didn't fare the pestering as well and eventually gave into buying and all was well for everyone else. The reasoning? If enough people buy enough things, it would cover for what the non-buyers did not spend.
Yet with all that said, I don't think I want to completely condemn the idea of these Chinese budget bus tours. It is definitely not my preferred style of traveling: the time spent on the bus, the time wasted for me at the shopping stops, and the low freedom to roam. However, it is extremely difficult to deny how cheap it is. While the included tour is mandatory, it is still possible to get away with buying a very limited amount of things. It is especially easy if you don't speak Chinese or don't look Chinese. In exchange for the tour, the flight tickets are usually open for a long period of time; if holiday time allows the shopping tour does not have to be the only destination! I met a couple who took advantage of the cheap package price to also stop in Hong Kong for a week or so for their honeymoon. My mom and I, on the other hand, utilized the air ticket as a way to go to not only Hong Kong, but also my families' hometowns in Southern China, Japan, Singapore, and Korea all in one go. Hint, how there can be 3 more parts to this series to come.
To say I am excited for the beauty and non-beauty products I got last month in October is probably a very big understatement. Another Sephora order was made, surprise surprise. But there is an explanation for the madness! My Aunt also came home from an almost month long trip to China and Hong Kong which meant souvenirs galore!!
Sephora is making it's regular appearance in my monthly haul posts. Here is my explanation justification for the recent buying frenzy from them. I had set my mind on making a very big purchase from them but in order to get the best deal possible I needed to reach that VIB status for the annual holiday 20% off in November. I know...I am playing into their tactics. But it will be the best price then and I tried my best to only buy the stuff I needed from Sephora in order to reached VIB. Anyways the wait is almost over since the 20% VIB code starts in about a week from Nov. 11-14 this year. I can't wait!
Anyways...back to the haulage. The thing I needed from Sephora this month was the Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray Duo that recently came back into stock online. Their setting spray has been a part of my morning routine for years! I love how it makes my face look less powdery after spraying and how well my makeup holds up throughout the day. When it came time to repurchase the duo a few months back, I was surprised to not see it sold at Sephora anymore. Who knew it was one of those "Limited Edition" Sephora things that has really been offered a long time...until recently. I held off on buying it again since 1 spray sells for $30 and I remembered paying ~$30 something for the duo in the past. It also gave me the chance to retry the MAC Fix+ setting spray.
The non-necessary purchase of the haul was the Captain Blankenship Mermaid Dry Shampoo. Since I was trying to buy as little as possible but still $11 shy from Free Shipping, I decided to give the travel sized dry shampoo a try. The Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment, Guerlain Kiss Kiss Creamy Satin Finish Lipstick in 325, and Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer were all either promo code items or deluxe samples I finally used my Beauty Insider Points for.
Before my Aunt left the country, I requested a few things that could either 1) be bought for a better price than what I could get online and 2) be only found in Hong Kong and/or China. She came back with a ton of other stuff and offered some to me so who am I to say no?
With the major acne breakout issues I had this year, I was majorly regretting the small amount of Nexcare Acne Dressing Patches I got myself whilst in Korea. My Aunt finalized her tickets to Hong Kong a few months ago and the patches were the first thing I requested. I used to be very indifferent towards these kind of acne treating methods. Apparently I had just been using them on the wrong kind of pimples. FYI The little buggers need to be the kind that are ready to pop and full of puss in order for the patches to work it's full magic.
The second item I was really excited for was Taikoo Red Sugar. I am not 100% sure if it is the same thing but it seems like it may be. I had some really good Doufuhua or Tofu Pudding when I was in Hong Kong and Guangzhou. But the one thing I noticed they did differently from what I was used to was the sugar component options they offered me. In New York City, doufuhua is usually served with a simple syrup. In Hong Kong and Guangzhou, it was served with my choice either bright red-orange sugar crystals or simple syrup. I gravitated for the sugar crystals as it was a completely new concept to me. Sweetener is sweetener is sweetener but the redness made the doufuhua look so nice! I tried to find anything similar in the Chinese supermarkets near me in NYC. But red sugar here translated to something akin to molasses-y brown sugar. If this is what I had in Hong Kong, then I may ask my Aunt to help me get more the next time she goes back.
A trip to Hong Kong, or anywhere in Asia, for the matter isn't complete for beauty junkies without buying tons of masks. My mom isn't into beauty products but my Aunts are. I just wasn't expecting her to come back with a suitcase full of goodies since she always claimed to be a "buy as little as possible" kind of gal. I opted to take a couple of each to try since I still have a rather large stash of sheet masks of my own to use up.
Dr. Jart and Korean beauty products have come a very long way since I first became really interested and invested in how my face looked. I remember when the only Dr. Jart things I could get my hands on were their BB Creams, from indie (re)sellers on the Soompi marketplace. Am I dating myself a little here? Who knew K-beauty would blow up in the past couple years and become so mainstream in the American and Western beauty world.
Now Dr. Jart is sold at Sephoras nationwide and their brand even releases new products regularly. Colored makeup hasn't been on my radar lately. But I was intrigued by the new sunscreen options available now, especially with all the new Asian brands being sold at Sephora. Why Asian brands specifically? Well, to me, Asians are known to avoid the sun and its rays as much as possible. For those that aren't into beauty things, hats, umbrellas, and long sleeves anything are always a must. For those who are beauty-enthusiasts, sunscreen plus all the stated above are necessary before heading out. Asian beauty brands must do something special for their research and formulations, right? At least I can hope.
I can be pretty picky when it comes to sunscreens. It generally has to be SPF 50. Between the physical and chemical versions available on the market, I will almost always lean towards the physical ones. Not that I am against chemicals or anything like that. It's just that I have read with physical sunscreens or sunblocks to be more precise do a better job of blocking the actual UV rays than chemical sunscreens do. With that said the choices for physical/mineral/natural sunscreens are very limited at major beauty stores. Which is why, more often than not, I am pretty tolerant of the downsides of natural sunscreen: white casts and being heavy in texture.
But after swatching a ton of products in Korea that claimed to be natural or had either Titanium Dioxide and/or Zinc Oxide in the ingredients, I had hope that lightness in texture and less white-casting physical sunscreens existed somewhere on the market.
Before settling on the Dr. Jart + Every Sun Day UV Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 for $34 at 1.7oz, I made a list of all the mineral sunscreens available at Sephora that I was interested in and had a swatching field day one afternoon. Most of them were as expected in terms of white casts. Since the Sephora I went to either didn't have this Dr. Jart one in stock or I missed it in the store, I decided to go on a whim and order it via their online shop. Let's just say it didn't turn out to be what I was hoping for but kind of close.
Dr. Jart describes this Every Sun Day sunblock as:
lightweight and non-sticky
offers SPF 50 protection
provides a natural looking tint
leaves skin fresh and moisturized
doesn't leave skin white or clump.
Of the main points, the brand says this product is, I generously agree with maybe a half of them.
As the main sunscreen components of Dr. Jart Every Sun Day UV SPF 50 is Zinc Oxide, it is more akin to typical physical sunscreens in texture: creamy. But true to its claims it is light, non-sticky, and very spreadable. Thick and clumpy this product definitely is not. Maybe the lighter texture is due to the 2 chemical sunscreen components in the product since those tend to offer more options in terms of color and runniness.
This sunscreen says it has moisturizing, hydrating, and soothing properties because of Candula, Aloe, and Oleracea extracts respectively. I can't attest to just how effective those would be since I tend to moisturize also before putting on the sunscreen, but it definitely doesn't make my skin feel or look any drier. Although I would probably say it might not be very moisturizing or hydrating since the extracts are on the bottom of the ingredients totem pole.
Scent-wise this sunscreen isn't heavily fragranced with an artificial perfume scent. Yet there isn't a blaring sunscreen smell either. It is barely noticeable after it is applied.
Now onto the biggest gripe I have with this particular sunscreen: the white cast and/or pink tint for brightening. I want to say it is just the abnormally high percentage of zinc oxide, 12.66%, that is in this sunscreen which left a white cast. But Dr. Jart does also market it as a brightening sunscreen slash makeup base. I admit that it was probably my mistake for not reading the description clearly to see that it was marketed that way. Maybe if I saw it, I might not have bought it since my skin got pretty tanned over the summer. If I was less tan the "brightening" property wouldn't have been as big of an issue. But on my tanner skin, my face was clearly a different shade even when I put a light layer of foundation on.
The "brightening" powers led to the second issue I had which is applying much less sunscreen that I normally would. Now some people might say, isn't using less product a good thing? A little goes a long way, ya? I would say of course, for anything but sunscreen. The proper amount of sunscreen is supposedly 1 tablespoon, tablespoon! There is already no way I am using anywhere near that even with sunscreens that don't leave as bad a white-cast. But still, I try to use as much as I can handle without feeling like I am drowning in sunscreen. However, with this Dr. Jart sunscreen, I apply half as much as I would typically use (2 finger lengths worth versus 4 fingers) and there is already a pretty prominent color difference to my face already.
I really do love the spreadability and physical sunscreen components of this product. I have worn this out for long walks on sunny days and have come home without burns or a drastic tan on my face. It also hasn't caused any major breakouts for me, from what I can tell. But the white cast/brightening factor isn't the most ideal for my skin tone right now. Perhaps if I tried this when I was less tan. I wouldn't have minded it as much.
My Korea Diary series was supposedly completed two months ago with the TY giveaway. But I found a bunch of footage in my storage and remembered it was always my intentions to stitch something together with it, eventually. Keep in mind I am definitely no vlogger.
I finally mustering up the courage and time to look through hundreds of video clips and man does my video work need improvement. Two-thirds (if not more) of it was too shoddy to incorporate. In other words, shaky, moves from subjects too quickly, and just not very interesting. At least I can say I tried my best to condense 50 days worth of memories into something a little intriguing and quick to watch.
Basically to sum up all the posts I have made and the video...I learned a bunch of stuff during the study abroad (inside and out of the classroom). I saw a lot of different things and met many great friends from around the world while eating a ton of delicious and indulgent foods along the way.
I hope this doesn't become the new norm. Sharing hauls, yes. Buying too much, no. But hey! At least some of the new stuff I got last month were free.
Moroccanoil Treatment Light, Kate Somerville Clarifying Treatment Toner,
Peter Thomas Roth Strawberry Scrub Fruit Enzyme Polisher
The part of the haulage that I actually paid for: Sephora skincare, hair care, and body care goodies. I have been meaning to try Moroccanoil for a long, long time. It was so popular (what seems like years ago now) but the price was always a little too intimidating for someone who barely takes care of her hair. The difference now? There is the slight incentive of earning points at Sephora whilst also getting eBates. Shopping excuses. Ha!
As for the Kate Somerville toner and Peter Thomas Roth scrub...well I have been running low on those two types of products and they are both brands I have always been interested in trying. Acne hasn't been a very good friend lately and breakouts are too frequent a sightings on my face. Hopefully, the toner and scrub can help a girl out. I can dream.
essence the velvets eyeshadow you better mauve!, essence all about chocolates eyeshadow palette,
pop beauty Ink Outliner, Dior Rouge Lipstick 999 Matte
On to the freebies that found their way into my hands in September. The Dior mini lipstick was a promo item that I chose from Sephora.com. This is probably the only scenario where I would be more than willing to add a lipstick to my makeup collection. Now let's see when I will actually be brave enough to wear a boldbrightredmatte color out.
It was hard to say no when my Aunt asked if I wanted any color makeup freebies. To be honest, I was expecting common drugstore items. I was intrigued when a bunch of essence and pop beauty products fell out of the bag she handed me. There were a bunch of blushes and nail polish as well but I have plenty of blushes in my stash already. Maybe I will see if any friends are interested in those, if not then for future a giveaway. The standouts were definitely the eyeshadows: something I don't have a ton of and in not extremely bold colors. I am a little iffy on the eyeliner though. Liquid ones have never been my forte, so forget about a fat chubby marker type. I guess it doesn't hurt to give it another try since there were two in the bag.
Oh, feet... They take me to see new places and meet new people, yet I am too embarrassed by them sometimes. It isn't an odor issue that plagues my soles. Mine suffer from more discrete problems instead: dry, cracked, and flaky heels, deep calluses, and occasional blisters.
I may not be the most diligent, if at all, with body or foot care. Lotions? Pumice stones? They are almost like foreign concepts to me. But when I compare my soles to my brother's, who also does absolutely nothing but wash his feet, the two are like night and day. My feet like sandpaper. His feet like a nice crisp sheet of paper. Okay, maybe that is too extreme. But you get the idea right?
Maybe being barefoot at home adds to the tough skin. Maybe wearing sock-less shoes contributes. Maybe I got the bad end of the feet skin genes from my parents. Who knows what the cause(s) truly are.
Some people might say they need to get their feet summer ready. Other people might say they need to heal their sandal-clad summer feet. For me, it isn't just a seasonal affair. A weekly or monthly routine is closer to reality. Which is why I completely ignored it for the longest time. As long as my feet were functional and not causing me pain, I was A-okay.
That's not to say that I haven't been interested in possible fixes for these feet problems. Curiosity really kicks in when big events come up: living in a dorm, attending graduation, attending weddings, etc. I tried pumice stones to no avail. It didn't even scratch the surface of the calluses. I tested the Baby Foot Easy Pack a few years ago in hopes of miraculous results but it only helped a small amount. But results do vary from person to person. For the price of the Baby Foot Peel back then, USD $20+, it was too pricey to try it multiple times in exchange for a mediocre outcome. I recently experimented with the Amopé Pedi Perfect Foot File with Diamond Crystals after seeing interesting results via YouTube demo videos but could have hoped for better results with this gadget as well. The electronic file worked alright for sanding the rough edges and flakes on the surface. Alas, it didn't stand a chance against the deep calluses which called my feet home. The absolute worst part was, hands down, the inevitable plume of feet skin dust that came with the filing.
Even though the original foot peeling exfoliator didn't work well for me, I didn't give up hope on all foot peeling exfoliators. I came across The Face Shop's Smile Foot Peeling Mask 스마일 풋 필링 during one of my many many trips to the road shop beauty stores in Korea. Even back in 2014, this was a pretty hot item at The Face Shop. A big motivator that got me to purchase a pack to try was definitely the price. This version was about half the price of Baby Foot's, at around ₩10,000-15,000 (I don't remember the exact price I paid for it in Korea. But in New York it sells for USD $12 at TFS stores.) Boy, am I glad I gave this peeling mask the chance because my feet have been forever changed since I first slipped my toesies and soles into those serum filled booties.
Enough with the words talk. Photos speak a thousand words. I am sorry if the above photo made anyone queasy. But it is necessary! How else can I show everyone the results? Do keep in mind that these are photos from the very first time I tested The Face Shop's Smile Foot Peeling mask. The results I had from the first time doesn't look 100% perfect but believe me when I say it surpassed any of my original expectations. I am definitely in no way sponsored by The Face Shop. Plus, I have used the same product over a handful of times. All with varying degree of results. But I think I have finally figured out the kinks to attack all the stubborn skin.
Before the chemical exfoliation process can really begin, a good deep soak in the serum is required. The packaging recommends leaving feet in the booties for 60-90 minutes. I tend to leave it in for the maximum amount of time while sometimes even edging towards the 120 minutes mark. The plastic socks make it possible to walk around but I prefer to be seated while catching up on shows or surfing the web. When the time is up, take off the pouches and rinse off the remaining serum with water. It is also advised to not forcibly peel off any skin and try to let it happen at its own pace. The Face Shop estimates 4-6 days of major peeling and two weeks for full complete callous removal.
First trial.
I did the bare minimum. Feet in bootie. Serum in bootie. Soak for 90 minutes. Rinse off excess. Wait for skin to fall off. It took 3 days for my feet skin to show a physical reaction to foot peeling mask. From day 4 onwards, a bit of the skin would detach in a small layer (like dried glue on skin) while most would come off in flakes (like dandruff). The very first time I tried TFS Smile Foot Peeling, it took about 9 full days for all the major peeling to finish. My heels were still stubborn but every nook and cranny else was smooth as a baby's bottom. I remember very vividly gushing to my Besties about how nice and soft my soles felt.
Second to (maybe) fifth trials.
I also did the bare minimum but the results from each session that I used the foot peeling mask were all different. A couple of times I felt like my feet barely shed any skin. A couple times I would get baby-soft skin. Why the differences completely baffle me. Even still, the most recent trials' results were effective so I continue to gravitate towards The Face Shop's version whenever my soles are in need of some TLC.
Sixth (most recent) trial.
About a month after the fourth trial, I stumbled upon a Snapchat story from (I think) Refinery29 dedicated to Baby Foot's peeling mask. The snaps said something about soaking feet in water for maximum effectiveness. Then everything clicked! The skin on my feet did seem to come off much easier after showers. So easily, in fact, that every step I took when my feet had been thoroughly moistened resulted in patches of skin on the floor. Nasty right? Anyways, I experimented myself and have been completely blown away by the results. Even the deepest callouses and cracks have almost completely vanished. Of all the times I have used the product and similar products, this latest attempt has shown the best results. The downside was the time and effort necessary. I soaked my feet in water for 30 minutes before soaking it in the peeling serum for 90+ minutes. The entire week following, I continued to soak my feet in water for 30 minutes every day as well. The skin didn't start to peel until day 3 or 4, as expected. But the water soaking helped speed up the process of the peeling. By day 6, most of the flaking had ended. Only 2 days of being a walking skin shedding machine? Wondrous! Day 7 onwards, the soaking helped to loosen even the super tough skin on the heels.
The image at the top is my day 9 results from the very first time I tried the product and the photo on the bottom is day 11 results from the most recent peeling. Photos cannot lie. Well, maybe heavily photoshopped ones can. But these are not, don't worry! Life is forever changed. I went from not giving a darn about my feet to very diligently using peeling masks every 1.5-2 months in 2016. Callous formation is something beyond my control but callous removal is very much within my grasps now.
For me, perfect is a word that is usually never put in the same sentence with organized. Things may seem like they were placed well at the moment. But maybe a year or so later I can completely rethink everything and find an even better place for it.
My bag collection has moved around quite a lot since I first moved into this house. Everything used to be& sprawled across a shelf inside the closet. Then I got a couple new bags and the shelf became an eyesore to look at and dig through whenever I was pressed for time to leave.
I upgraded to an accessory hook as I bought more clothes and needed the shelf space. The Container Store is a treasure trove for organization enthusiasts. Although the Classico Accessory Hook was described to be for scarves, belts, or ties, it was a great solution to help consolidate the space my handbags and book bags were taking in my closet. Plus for $2.99 it was a quick and inexpensive solution, at the time.
Little did I know, I was solving a space problem but creating a practicality problem. Getting to other bags was a pain in the butt. If a bag was hung a long time ago, it required me to take out every bag that was hung after that to get to it. The exception was for cross-body bags; those have long straps and I could easily loop through the bundle in one fell swoop.
A good long stare at my closet as a whole gave me an idea to the storage problem: doors. All that free space that was going unused! If only I could somehow hang all the bags up without damaging the doors in any way. I toyed with the idea of getting Command hooks. But decided against it in case they weren't strong enough and they definitely weren't the most affordable option.
Luckily, The Container Store was having a sale at the time and I was able to find 2 different over-the-door organization contraptions that fit what I was looking for. Both made use of a space that previously was unused and made it ridiculously easy to see and grab the bag I needed. The Chain Purse Organizer was perfect for my handbags, while the Door Hook was perfect for my book bags.
Set up for both organizers were quick and simple. All that was needed were my hands, a stool/ladder, and the contraption itself. The only thing I wish I had double-checked on was the width of my closet doors. I lucked out with the Door Hook organizer because it came with 2 sets of different sized hooking mechanisms. However, I had to push my luck a little, literally, with the Chain Purse Organizer as the included hooks were just a tad small for my doors' thickness. Nothing a bit of force and slightly indented door edges couldn't fix.
So far I have ben really loving the current setup. It is perfect, for now.
A part of me can't believe that it's been over 2 years since the last haul post on this blog. But looking back on it, I know why and how it happened. The main culprit was that I never shared the massive beauty haul from Korea. Inevitably, a month went by. Then two months. Then two years. It was very easy to fall off track once something wasn't a part of my routine anymore. Waiting to use products, taking photos, and sharing them were habits that became no more.
As I began to clear out the super old products in my collection that I had been hoarding, I realized how useful those past haul posts could be. Some items that I thought were not too old were actually quite the opposite. Having some sort of record helped me hoard less and made it much easier to toss out unloved products.
Thus I have decided to revive the haul posts again! I would be completely lying if I said I don't spend an extraordinary amount of money on beauty products compared to most people. But compared to me from 2+ years ago, I can say I have been scaling things down.
This August 2016 edition features some skincare essentials in my beauty routine. Eye makeup remover, sunscreens, and foot peeling masks. While the Sephora Collection Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover and The Face Shop Smile Foot Peeling Mask are both repurchases, the two bottles of sunscreens are new buys.
I am not very loyal to any particular skincare or makeup product. It doesn't help that there is always new releases and innovations in the beauty world. When my sunscreen was running low, the hunt for a replacement was on. My specifications? Physical sun protection. Doesn't leave a white mask.
Dr. Jart+ Every Sun Day UV Sunscreen SPF 50 and Look At Me Jelly Sunscreen SPF 50 PA+++ seem to fit the bill ingredients wise. But the true test is definitely whether it comes with a white cast or not. But hopefully not.
A Mandy haul isn't complete without at least one impulse purchase, now is it? Bestie C was purchasing the Kojie san Skin Lightening Soap and said it was similar to the papaya soaps that were really popular a few years back on the Soompi selling forums. I remembered having decent results with that soap for exfoliation and my summer tan lines back then so I was intrigued by this soap. I don't have any expectations since it isn't a brand or product that I have heard of before. Let's see how it goes!
Today marks the 2 year anniversary of sorts of the day I returned home from my study abroad in Seoul, Korea. It was never my intention to drag out the Korea Diary logs for such a long period of time but that's how it ended up. Time sure does go by quickly. As I finally finished reminiscing those days and essentially said goodbye to that time of my life, it is only appropriate for me to say thank you to everyone who followed along the way.
My travel logs may not have been the most interesting. It certainly didn't receive as many views as my past beauty posts. Yet this was a period that I equally wanted to reflect upon for my own records.
For those that found the journey worthy of a little bit of your time to read, thanks!
I've gathered some goodies from various Korean beauty shops as a little token of my gratitude for the support. Some items are personal favorites of mine and others are just random bits and bobs that looked nice. Hope whoever ends up winning will enjoy everything I've amassed!
This is an international giveaway and will end on September 10, 2016 11:59PM USA Eastern Standard Time. As it is meant as a thank you for those that followed me all this way, the only requirement is that you are a follower via Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin'. It will be a bonus if you also follow me via e-mail and social medias (Instagram and Twitter). I will be going through to verify all entries and a winner will be selected randomly within a week of the giveaway ending. The winner will have 3 days after I announce and notify. If not, a new winner will be selected instead. In case the Rafflecopter form does not load on this post, please CLICK HERE.
Highs are typically followed by lows. Good things usually come to an inevitable end. Despite having the photos for this final post in draft for a month (if not more), I couldn't find the words to say goodbye to that chapter of my life (even though I am 2 years late at it already). To say I am not good with goodbyes is a terrible understatement. Whether it was 2 years ago in the lobby of SK Global House with newfound friends or currently at home with this blog post, my emotions run high.
There was not a moment to waste after my friends and I got back to the dorms after our Korean spa visit. We had to have our bags packed and rooms cleaned by morning so that we could have the required check-out inspection done in time.
I was surprised that I was able to fit all my beauty purchases into the biggest 29" suitcase that I had brought. Shoes, schoolbooks, and miscellaneous items fit a carry-on 21" sized suitcase perfectly. While all the clothes I had filled a medium sized Nike duffel to the brim. Getting all my belongings to fit was one problem solved. The next hurdles were to figure out whether or not any were overweight and how I would navigate around with 3 bags as opposed to the original 2.
In the midst of tidying, everyone ignored all rules (i.e. no boys after night) and gathered in the lounge. Routine hall inspections by security meant hiding out in dorm rooms for a bit. But what was the risk, we would get kicked out...on the last day?
Anyways, there was a good reason to the behavior. Remember the birthday event that we had planed? Sometime between 3AM and 7AM all of us gathered in one dorm suite to surprise our friend with a cake.
It was a much welcomed tidying break. Before the event, I think it was safe to say that a lot of us were pretty burnt out from just trying to make some sense of our luggage situation. Afterwards, I felt like I had newfound energy to finish clearing my room. Bestie C and I took our linens downstairs to the laundry room around mid-morning. The pile mountain of bed sheets, blankets, and pillows was unreal! But of course we should have gotten a hint judging by the flood of garbage and unwanted clothing in the lounge.
Returning the linens meant we were ready for inspection. For us it was a quick and painless process; in, out, and OKed. Then it was goodbye to our dorm room forever.
The SK Global House lobby was hectic as everyone cleared their own rooms and met their friends to say goodbye. Even though I spent my entire night with all our friends perfectly fine and cheery, I was a hot mess the moment my brain finally took in the fact that we were all separating. I have always been the more emotional one so it wasn't a complete surprise that I ended up bawling. Social media and the internet may keep us connected but it wouldn't be the same as seeing everyone day in and day out.
Bestie C and I were the only ones in our group to immediately fly back home that night. The others were staying behind for an extra week or two to do some more exploring. Some were meeting up with family members who were flying in. Somehow it just worked out that most of our friends ended up staying in Korea and even the same guesthouse together for the rest of their summer. (I had tried to extend my stay as well but flights back to NYC were apparently packed until September!)
Bestie C and I chose to leave on a night flight in order to make the most of our stay in Korea. When time came to it, we didn't end up doing much the last few hours anyways. I was an emotional mess, the weather was rainy, and we were both pretty tired. Things just didn't work out the way we imagined.
We helped the big group of friends load up their luggages and sent them off with hugs and byes. A few hours of recouping later, Bestie C and I grabbed a taxi and headed towards Incheon Airport ourselves. The potential headache of fitting our luggages into the sedan taxis thankfully never came. This particular taxi driver was super patient and nice. He somehow found a way to fit 5 suitcases, 1 duffel, 2 personal bags, and 2 passengers into the vehicle with him. Just like that we were on our way home.
The last anticipated hurdle I had to face was the weight of my suitcases. Despite the 29" suitcase still having free space, it was way over the maximum weight with all the Korean beauty goods that I amassed over the past 50 days. There was no reshuffling things between bags or tossing things out. At that point there was nothing I could do but pay the overage fee. On the positive note, at least I had the option to pay a fee instead of being told it was completely too heavy to fly.
Who knew we would be faced with more issues once after that?
Due to some miscommunications, I ended up passing through security before Bestie C thinking that she was already inside. I actually somehow got permission from the security personnel to let me backtrack to the check-in area when I couldn't find her. They even gave me special permission to return via the faster "TSA Pre-check" equivalent lane once I located Bestie C.
We were both at the airport well before our scheduled departure time yet mother nature had other plans. The rain storm was heavy and relentless that day. It was inevitable that our flight ended up being delayed a bit. Luckily it wasn't by much and I think we even arrived back home around the expected time.
The homebound flight was a little easier than the Korea-bound one. No more worrying about being in a new place and being on such a long flight for the first time. I really wasn't homesick while studying abroad but I was definitely thinking about the comforts of home awaiting me after the flight.
Who knows when I would get to fly internationally or even get to go to Korea again, but whenever that would be, the experience would definitely not be the same as what those past 50 days were.
