Korean Skin Products

Koreans are known to have really beautiful natural skin. It literally glows and mocks you with its flawless, blemishness. (Trust me, my dad had skin like that :P ). Anyway, I decided to try some Korean beauty products because of this. Koreans are known to focus a lot on physical and outer beauty; therefore, it makes sense that their skin, hair, and beauty products are some of the best in the world. They also have more care to put on your skin like essences and creams. All of them work really well. Koreans spend a lot of time on their skin, and it obviously reaps good results. However, remember, their good skin also comes from their diet of veggies and water. I decided that I would try some of these products soon. (When I run out of my current cleanser).

Sadly, in VA, there are not many Korean beauty supply stores. There is one in Annandale called The Amore, which is the parent company of IOPE and Laneige, but it is an hour away from my house :(. HOWEVER, THE INTERNET ALWAYS PREVAILS! I have found some good websites that have fairly-priced Korean cosmetics and skin products. Currently, I'm looking at O HUI, Isa Knox, and Laneige (some really expensive stuff!!!). I think I am going to get a whitening system and a hydrating night system and a pack. I want to regain my lighter, glowing skin and fade my acne scars. My mom refuses to take me, though, until after my SAT II exams in June. We'll see. UPDATES TO COME AND QUESTIONS WELCOME! THE LINKS TO GOOD KOREAN PRODUCT RETAILERS:

http://www.imomoko.com/index.php
http://www.evecare.com/
http://facial-shop.com/index.php
http://webichi.com/en/products/0/0/Skin_Care/Cleanser/Whitening/0

Have fun shopping and don't forget to always take the time to take care of your skin :)

Acne? Treatments

As a girl, I struggle to battle and conceal my acne as much as I can. Here are some handy solutions to control your acne. If anything, its always good for anybody to spend extra time tending to their skin. After all, the first thing somebody sees is your skin.

Natural:
I thought of this video.

 DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT MINE, IT IS SECRETLIFEOFABIONERD'S

Try it! It's a good natural solution. A mixture of sea salt and water can work! Just remember like she says! Don't do it for more than a month. Stop. And use it again only when you need it.

Cleansers:

Choosing an acne cleanser can be hard depending on what skin type you have and what causes your acne. Most people who have acne are teenagers or young adults who deal with a lot of stress and hormones. This is the biggest cause of acne. Cleansers for this could be like neutrogena stress control. Oil control is also good for oily skin. You really should only use the brightening face cleansers or washes after your acne clears away during your later teen years. This will help fade scars and brighten your skin. Choosing a cleanser that does two jobs is also good. The less chemicals you put on your skin, with more acne fighting power, is a good thing. One that I know of is Clearasil's Acne and Marks Cleanser. AND DON'T FORGET TO PULL BACK YOUR HAIR/BANGS SO YOU CAN REACH ALL OF YOUR SKIN!

There are specialized cleansers for nighttime use also. I recommend the Clearasil Overnight Wash. I have only heard good reviews from it.

Scrubs:

A good scrub is also good for people with severe acne or just want cleaner skin. Scrubs penetrate deep into your pores to get rid of excess dirt and oil that builds up and causes acne. I personally don't use scrubs everyday. I think 2-4 times a week is good for me. It really depends on your skin and acne levels.

Masks:

Another good addition to your skin regime is the use of a mask. Masks, like scrubs, clean deep down. Good masks will give you a tingly sensation from your pores opening up and getting cleansed. Masks really let your skin breathe. I once tried my mom's Lancome white clay mask. It was really good; however, I am not saying get a Lancome one. There are cheaper options. Really look at what type of mask it is and what it is made of. Try them out and when you find one that suits your skin (doesn't dry it out or actually helps), stick to it. Use a mask a few times in a week at most. Don't do it everyday because that would severely dry out your skin.

Toner: 

The job of a toner is to do another cleaning job on your skin and also to shrink your pores. Really, this is just preference. I normally get a water based one rather than oil or alcohol. I just feel like it's gentler to my skin.

Moisturizer:

Always a super important part of any regime. Moisturizer keeps your skin young looking and fresh. Don't pick one that will clog your pores because it is too thick. For those who don't know the difference between lotion and facial moisturizers, DON'T USE BODY LOTION ON YOUR FACE!!! Body lotion is too thick and can clog your pores. Clogging = ACNE. Use a face moisturizer or cream. For super sensitive skin, use a baby cream (that's what I use--just don't confuse the bottle of cream and lotion).

Spot Treatment:

This is for bedtime use only. Don't use these in the morning, or you will walk around with either an extremely shiny zit or a dried up one. These are super powerful tubes of acne zapping greatness. Seriously, this stuff is strong. When you put it on the acne, you feel the burn (don't worry, that is a good thing unless you get a rash--then its too powerful for you). If you put it close to your eyes, it makes them water. I recommend my super-powerful one: Clean and Clears Advantage Acne Spot Treatment. It contains like 10% Benzoyl Peroxide. Anything with Salicilic Acid or Benzoyl Peroxide will help with acne.

Acne Treatment Sets:

A good way to get all of this in a bundle is an acne control set. You can find these and research them for yourself. But basically, they contain a cleanser, a moisturizer, and a spot treatment mostly. Since its a set, they normally work off of each other, which is good. I recommend these only to people with severe acne (acne all over their face). Those of us that get a few pimples and freak should stick to spot treatments. Good sets include but are not limited to: Clean and Clear Spot Treatment, Neutrogena Skin ID, and Proactive.

Morning Routine:

• Cleanser
• Scrub (optional)
• Toner
• Moisturizer/Sunscreen (I'll write more about the importance of sunscreen later)
• Moisturizer/Sunscreen
• Makeup (if you want to, but I don't recommend it if you have acne--I'll write a post later about how to properly cover a pimple)

Mid-Day Routine:

• Oil-blotting sheets (if you have oily skin)
• Cleanser (only if you have time...I really don't know anybody that would do this)

Night Routing:

• Cleanser (& Make-up remover)
• Scrub (optional)
• Mask (optional)
• Toner
• Moisturizer
• Spot Treatment

STICK BY THIS ROUTINE! DON'T BREAK IT AND NEVER FORGET TO WASH YOUR FACE EVEN IF THAT IS ALL YOU ARE GOING TO DO! THERE IS SO MUCH BUILDUP ON YOUR SKIN SO NEVER FORGET TO CLEAN IT!!!!

NOW. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have severe acne, its always a good idea to consult your dermatologist. They can prescribe more powerful acne medications to control raging acne. Anyway, all of this I learned through experience and reviews.

A Pink - I Don't Know Review

So lately I've had the song "I Don't Know" by A Pink (a new girl group) stuck in my head. I only watched it once and it just popped up randomly. So I watched the video again a few more times. I break my reviews into first impressions, video, dance, concept, and overall.

First Impressions:
The first thing I thought of was that these girls were not that pretty. I don't mean that in a mean way, but I mean, they don't look like perfect little dolls which are common in the KPop scene. They look natural. However, I mean they could go astray like Dal Shabet from Supa Dupa Diva to Pink Rocket. However, even so. I still feel like they all look alike. And trust me I was trying to tell the difference. (I am Asian and I don't like it when people tell us we all look alike)

Video:
OMG! Kikwang was in the video! He's so cute

Then I was like. Wow, should the director have made the girls wear heels. He's shorter than all of them when they have heels one. Maybe that's why they had so many sitting scenes.

My next thought was, "Wow. They are all such creepers." I'm not bashing, but wouldn't you be freaked out a bit (even if it is a KPop idol) that a random stranger sneaked into your room and was watching you sleep? Also, how did he get there? Was it like T-Ara's Yayaya where he crashed a plane? And if he was stranded there, how did he get out in the end? Why did it also look like there was only one bedroom in the entire house?

Dance:
The dance looked really cutesy. When I first saw it, I had the impression of a little girl skipping down a meadow. I really did like the clapping move though. I think I'm try that someday in the middle of school :)

Concept:
I understand the concept is clean and cute. This is a debut MV for a girl group so it fits the cutesy parameters. However; the girls sometimes look like they are trying painfully hard to act cute. Some girls can act cute naturally, but never force it. You can act cute just don't over do it or you look like you are choking on a too sweet piece of candy.
No bashing on my part. I normally love the cute concept, but natural or even slightly feigned cuteness is better that "MUST ACT CUTE! GIGGLE GIGGLE GIGGLE!"

Overall:
The music was good. I thought it was a sweet cute song. The video was a little over the top for me on the cuteness level, but it was clean and good. I am just having trouble imagining this group diverging from the cute concept.

Art Designer

SUCCESS! I HAVE A NEW PARTNER-IN-CRIME FOR THIS BLOG. My good friend Masie has graciously agreed to become my new art editor/consultant. Together we'll be managing the artistic and design aspects of this blog! Without her, I the blog would probably be very plain. Anyway! THANKS!

NEW SITE!

Alright, so technically it's not really new. But it looks new! (with a new name and focus and everything!) As you now know. Enjoy the Sunshine has now become My Inner Child! This site should still be helpful and (pensive?) interesting, but it looks cooler ;) anyway! enjoy!

Health and Beauty...

I haven't decided yet, but I know I am going to either create a new blog or branch off of this one on health and beauty and more...Currently I am leaning toward branching on this one. Updates and more to come!