#K-Beauty

[gothiccharmschool]

re: gothy lip glosses, korean and chinese makeup companies have been KILLING IT recently with a bunch of purple, grey, black, and greige lip products. girl cult has a lot of cool stuff, and romand has a small collection of products that have varying degrees of black added to regular makeup colors. ghoul.in.japan on instagram does reviews of a lot of spooky-type lip products, and i love her style.

ghoul.in.japan is directly responsible for most of my makeup purchases in the past six months or so. I had no idea that so many Korean and Chinese makeup companies were catering to goths! And the packaging is SO GOOD.

[books]

Writer Spotlight: Elise Hu

We recently met with Elise Hu (@elisegoeseast) to discuss her illuminating title, Flawless—Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital. Elise is a journalist, podcaster, and media start-up founder. She’s the host of TED Talks Daily and host-at-large at NPR, where she spent nearly a decade as a reporter. As an international correspondent, she has reported stories from more than a dozen countries and opened NPR’s first-ever Seoul bureau in 2015. Previously, Elise helped found The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit digital start-up, after stops at many stations as a television news reporter. Her journalism work has won the national Edward R. Murrow and duPont Columbia awards, among others. An honors graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, she lives in Los Angeles.

Can you begin by telling us a little bit about how Flawless came to be and what made you want to write about K-beauty?

It’s my unfinished business from my time in Seoul. Especially in the last year I spent living in Korea, I was constantly chasing the latest geopolitical headlines (namely, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s big moves that year). It meant I didn’t get to delve into my nagging frustrations of feeling second-class as an Asian woman in Korea and the under-reported experiences of South Korean women at the time. They were staging record-setting women’s rights rallies during my time abroad in response to a stark gender divide in Korea. It is one of the world’s most influential countries (and the 10th largest economy) and ranks shockingly low on gender equality metrics. That imbalance really shows up in what’s expected of how women should look and behave. Flawless explores the intersection of gender politics and beauty standards.

Flawless punctuates reportage with life writing, anchoring the research within your subjective context as someone who lived in the middle of it but also had an outside eye on it. Was this a conscious decision before you began writing? 

I planned to have fewer of my personal stories in the book, actually. Originally, I wanted to be embedded with South Korean women and girls who would illustrate the social issues I was investigating, but I wound up being the narrative thread because of the pandemic. The lockdowns and two years of long, mandatory quarantines in South Korea meant that traveling there and staying for a while to report and build on-the-ground relationships was nearly impossible. I also have three small children in LA, so the embedding plan was scuttled real fast.

One of the central questions the book asks of globalized society at large, corporations, and various communities is, “What is beauty for?” How has your response to this question changed while producing Flawless? 

I think I’ve gotten simultaneously more optimistic and cynical about it. More cynical in that the more I researched beauty, the more I understood physical beauty as a class performance—humans have long used it to get into rooms—more power in relationships, social communities, economically, or all of the above at once. And, as a class performance, those with the most resources usually have the most access to doing the work it takes (spending the money) to look the part, which is marginalizing for everyone else and keeps lower classes in a cycle of wanting and reaching. On the flip side, I’m more optimistic about what beauty is for, in that I have learned to separate beauty from appearance: I think of beauty in the way I think about love or truth, these universal—and largely spiritual—ideas that we all seek, that feed our souls. And that’s a way to frame beauty that isn’t tied in with overt consumerism or having to modify ourselves at all. 

This is your first book—has anything surprised you in the publishing or publicity process for Flawless?

I was most surprised by how much I enjoyed recording my own audiobook! I felt most in flow and joyful doing that more than anything else. Each sentence I read aloud was exactly the way I heard it in my head when I wrote it, which is such a privilege to have been able to do as an author.

Do you have a favorite reaction from a reader? 

I don’t know if it’s the favorite, but recency bias is a factor—I just got a DM this week from a woman writing about how the book helped put into words so much of what she felt and experienced, despite the fact she is not ethnically Korean, or in Korea, which is the setting of most of the book. It means a lot to me that reporting or art can connect us and illuminate shared experiences…in this case, learning to be more embodied and okay with however we look. 

As a writer, journalist, and mother—how did you practice self-care when juggling work commitments, social life, and the creative processes of writing and editing?

I juggled by relying on my loved ones. I don’t think self-care can exist without caring for one another, and that means asking people in our circles for help. A lot of boba dates, long walks, laughter-filled phone calls, and random weekend trips really got me through the arduous project of book writing (more painful than childbirth, emotionally speaking). 

What is your writing routine like, and how did the process differ from your other reporting work? Did you pick up any habits that you’ve held on to? 

My book writing routine was very meandering, whereas my broadcast reporting and writing are quite linear. I have tight deadlines for news, so it’s wham, bam, and the piece is out. With the book, I had two years to turn in a manuscript. I spent the year of lockdowns in “incubation mode,” where I consumed a lot of books, white papers, articles, and some films and podcasts, just taking in a lot of ideas to see where they might collide with each other and raise questions worth reporting on, letting them swim around in the swamp of my brain. When I was ready to write, I had a freelance editor, the indefatigable Carrie Frye, break my book outline into chunks so I could focus on smaller objectives and specific deadlines. Chunking the book so it didn’t seem like such a massive undertaking helped a lot. As for the writing, I never got to do a writer’s retreat or some idyllic cabin getaway to write. I wrote in the in-between moments—a one or two hour window when I had a break from the TED conference (which I attend every year as a TED host) or in those moments after the kids’ bedtime and before my own. One good habit I got into was getting away from my computer at midday. I’m really good about making lunch dates or going for a run to break up the monotony of staring at my screen all day long.

What’s good advice you’ve received about journalism that you would pass on to anyone just starting out?

All good reporting comes from great questions. Start with a clear question you seek to answer in your story, project, or book, and stay true to it and your quest to answer it. Once you are clear on what the thing is about, you won’t risk wandering too far from your focal point.

Thanks to Elise for answering our questions! You can follow her over at @elisegoeseast and check out her book Flawless here!

[littlemisspinkette]

makeup steps for a glow-tastic long lasting base ♡

+ product recommendations and tips!

a/n: this is a bit detailed so sorry it's so long. xoxo!

before makeup

what you do before your makeup can change everything. things such as how long your makeup stays, the way it sits on your face, and so much more!! it's the same way as you'd butter a pan to protect your food from buring.

before you do your makeup you should always skin prep.

1. start with a clean base.

- always wash your face. either with just water, or a water based foaming cleanser. my personal fav is the innisfree tea tree foaming cleanser! (Though be careful if you choose this one as the scent is quite strong, so if your sensitive be careful!!!) you can let your face air dry or use a clean towel to dry your face. tiny tip for drying your face: pat lightly, don't rub your face like crazy!! it can be harsh to your skin and cause irritation.

2. (OPTIONAL) Toner

- personally, I'm not a big toner person. though it has some benefits like an extra cleanness to the skin. i like medecubes toner pads from Amazon though usually I use them when I'm going to a fancy event like a nice dinner or something like that as they bring a better hydration to the skin. It really just depends on personal preference! My skin breaks out if I use to many products at once so I tend to avoid certain steps if I can just simplify, especially when I'm rushing.

3. moisturizer

- moisturizer. my shayla. the best way to make sure things such as foundation and concealer stays on and doesn't crease throught the day. my personal favs to use is the COSRX snail mucin or the innisfree dewy jelly tone up cream. (Again the smell is a bit overwhelming if your sensitive be advised!)

4. (OPTIONAL) serum

- I like serums because they make my dry spots not as harsh after concealer. i enjoy just using the COSRX 6 peptide booster serums. Though it is on the more expensive side. Along with the Madagascar Centella Poremizing Ampole right after. (I have large pores lol)

5. Sunscreen!

- my shayla #2. You should always be using sunscreen. If you don't use sunscreen I don't trust you. or if you just choose not to do it, I also don't trust you. stay away. I ask please that you use suncreen please for the love of God. ♡ It helps with aging, cleared my hyperpigmentation, and makes sure I don't get hurt by UV rays. like don't play!!

6. (OPTIONAL) oil blotting sheets

- I'm an combination skin but mainly oily girly. Oil blotting sheets are my #1 best friend so my makeup doesn't fall off like a slip and slide. it also just makes sure my makeup better penetrates (?) my skin and stays all day.

doing your makeup!

1. (OPTIONAL) Primer

- I like a good primer but sometimes it makes my makeup feel heavy. I like doing it around my oily spots because the oil on my face tends to make my makeup slide off throught the day. I like the elf power grip one if your on a budget. but if your looking to spend on a good primer, Dasique's water viel primer is really good.

2. Color corrector

- again, my shayla, color corrector. I get red easily in the face. I'm also big on blush, except when it comes to my lower cheeks where it just looks like I ran a whole marathon. I like the wet and wild prime and color corrector. But I also like numbuzin's Redness Derma Tone up. (Though it does leave a light white cast, so if your a girly of color please stay clear of the product)

3. Fondation / concealer

- I personally flip flop between doing one or the other or both. It just depends. I like to blend with my fingers personally instead of sponges and brushes because the product tends to typically get soaked up by the blender of choice imo. And also it tends to cake up the product and not apply evenly.

If your doing foundation!

- For liquid pump foundations: I like to take one to two pumps onto the back of my hand and use a spatula (or if your like me just use a clean back of a butter knife) and lightly spread evenly onto the face. Blend and continue adding another layer where needed. If you have extra I tend to just take the rest and blend down my neck

Product recommendations: CLIO - Kill cover high glow foundation, Maybelline Fit Me Foundation.

- For cushion foundations: I like to take a bit with the cushion and lightly tap the applicator off with some of the product on it onto the back of my hand or just the lid that protects the cushion from leaking. Continue by patting, going from inner part of your face to the outer, evenly tapping. Blend out the corners so you don't have a line surrounding your face of where the cushion ends. You can also use extra and blend down your neck for a seamless finish.

Product recommendations: CLIO - Kill cover high glow foundation, Tirtir - cushion foundation.

If your doing concealer! - I like to take a bit of concealer under the eyes, on my chin, around the tip and bridge of my nose, on my smile lines, and on my T zone (aka my forehead) and in any other spots needed. Then blend with my fingers. Work your way from inner to outer so evenly spread out the product. For under my eyes I try to blend upwards and down towards the sides of my nose. For my smile lines I blend outwards towards the sides of my face and my lower cheeks. For the chin I try to focus on my under lip and the tip of my chin. For the forehead, evenly spread to the hairline.

Product recommendations: NARS concealer, ELF camo concealer.

4. Contour

- I go very light on contour because I have a already prominent face. Contour can change a lot. I mainly contour the tip, side and under my eyebrow for my nose. For lips I do the cupids bow and under the lips. I used a small fluffy brush. I use a round fluffy brush for my cheekbones. I have a very round face, so I focus on the hollow of my cheeks, I never go past my eyes with the contour and I try to make a diamond shape, only contouring the outer parts. See diagram for this part!

red dots are where I don't go out of for contour. Brown is where I contour.

Product recommendations: to cool for school ART CLASS powder contour pallete, NYX cream Contour and highlight stick.

5. Blush

- I like Blush under my eyes personally. I know a lot of kpop idols do it and I love it. It also just makes my face look nice i guess. I use like a peachy pink color right under my eyes. I use Periperas ink velvet as a Blush. (😭) I like using shade 14 or shade 8 as Blush. If you have darker skin purple blushes are better for you and will look more like the desired color. I also like to re-enforce the color a bit more with a powder. Just a light peachy colors around the sides just to lightly blend it out more for a gradient look.

6. Powder

- Innisfree if you ever get rid of your no sebum powder I will have the most historical catastphic crash out. Now. The key to glowy makeup is to not look greasy/oily. Greasy/oily does not equal glowy. We are not trying to look like Namgyu from squid games hair. (Jk I love him and his greasy rat self lmao) I love Jooshca's tutorial on powder because it's so good. You want to go on the corners of your nose sort of like in a triangle. On your chin, forehead and personally places where you have placed any type of concelar. (Aka under the eyes and on problem spots) I also like to use Powder puffs or a small fluffy brush.

Product recommendations: Innisfree No Sebum Loose Powder, and the Maybelline fit me pressed powder.

7. Eyeshadow

- Now this is where I have issues. Eyeshadow can either look good or horrible. I like to start of with a base shade, typically a pinkish nude shade all over my eyelid and under my eye. Then use a peachy shade in the inner part of your lid and in the inner corners. Blend them together. Optionally, you can do ageyosal if you want. Use a skin-color shadow stick under the eyes, ending where your pupil ends. You can use a nude to make a shadow under the skin color. Then use a glitter of some sort (either on a stick or with a thin brush) along the skin color eyeshadow. Back to the eyeshadow on the lid, use a shimmery shade in the middle of your lid, evenly blending it between both sides of your eyelids. Then if you want do some eyeliner. But I'm not good at it and it also just doesn't look right to me on my face so if you don't want to don't do it. I tend to go for brown eyeliners more often though.

Product recommendations: eyeshadow- flower knows, daisque, romand. Glitter: color pop, peripera. Ageyosal: peripera, too cool for school/art class. Eyeliner: Heroine, CLIO-kills.

8. Brows

- I have large eyebrows that are filled in but you can fill them in and then use a brow gel and they look quite nice like that imo.

9. Lips.

- you can line your lips but it has always looked odd on me so I avoided it. I like the nyx lip liners and the elf ones btw. For lips you can look up douyin lip tutorials on Pinterest if you want something really detailed. For me I just apply it into the center and tap outwards onto my lips. Always hydrate your lips before putting on products! (Vasaline, lipbalm, etc)

Product recommendations: Cream shop lip oils, Peripera ink velvets, romand liquid lipsticks/lip gloss, NYX lipgloss, ELF lip oil, colorgram lip tints.

10. Setting spray:

- I tend to spray 3-4 sprays of setting spray. My favorite is the Tirtir setting spray, the elf setting spray, and the Milani setting spray. I also like to use a fan so it doesn't look to sticky or too wet.

11. Lashes

- you can use fake lashes if you want but they're just not for me unless they're extensions by a lash tech. I like to curl my lashes first then use a bit of Vaseline on a spoole on the tips to make them stay up all day. Then use a mascara. I personally like brown mascaras for a more natural look.

Product recommendations: Essence mascara (any kind), Heroine Water proof mascara, CLIO-kills mascara.

hope some of my tips help you in the future to look even more gorgeous then you already are! xoxo! ♡♡♡

[peachandpinwheel]

hello peeps with sensory issues living in sunny countries, especially Australia and Aotearoa NZ.

do you avoid using sunscreen because it sets off your sensory sensitivities? me too!

just wanted to PSA as we head into summer that many Korean beauty brands have sunscreen that you can't feel, barely smell, and that is SPF 50. I use Etude House Sunprise on my face and it has changed my life. my wife favours the Beauty of Joseon Matte Sun Stick, which is similarly unnoticeable. you can get them (in Australia at least) at k-beauty stores in person or online.

dermatologists do not rate moisturisers with SPF - you need a proper barrier. the ozone layer has been bad lately, and we are heading for a hot ass summer, so please be safe.

[bsr-korea]

#calming #soothing SELENUS Artemisia Calming US

These dry days recently, Would you replenish your skin moisture with intense hydration? SELENUS suggest the Genuine Skin care Solution ARTEMISIA Calming Us Care Solution SELENUS’s Choice, Ganghwa Artemisia Why has SELENUS chosen Ganghwa Artemisia? Ganghwa Artemisia is the main ingredient grown up in Ganghwado Island and only collected in May and June. It is known for a traditional medical…

[twincitiesgeek]

Sweet Escape Is Maplewood Mall’s One-Stop Shop for All Things K-Pop

If you're looking for K-pop or K-beauty in the Twin Cities, Sweet Escape should be on your radar.

As someone who frequently jumps between new hobbies and interests, I often find myself adrift in the sea of confusion, and nowhere has this been more evident than in my recent dive into the world of K-pop, courtesy of the group Stray Kids. As a newbie, the whole world of K-pop feels like a linguistic labyrinth filled with jargon and context that can be intimidating to navigate. I’m stumbling…

[ableco]

Last but not least! 🖐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Germany, known for its strict safety testing, has awarded the Dermatest Excellent grade, five shining stars! ✨ As this skincare line is actress Park Jin-hee's personal recommendation, trust it to build a strong skin barrier and take on the challenge! ❗️

Now, here's a friendly warning: Don't fall for suspiciously cheap deals from sketchy sites with unclear origins. Stick to authentic products and shop safely on reputable platforms! Go ahead, make your skin's dreams come true with this Dermatest Excellence-approved beauty regimen! 💫

Click the link below to unlock all the secrets and embark on a safe and stylish shopping spree! Let's get ready to rock that authentic beauty! 💃💄 💄[must read]How to Join as a Beauty Planner - Step by Step Guide(Click)💄

[valenschirico]

I'M FROM Beet Energy Ampoule – review and before & after

Energy for your yellowish, dull #skin? Here you go: I'M FROM Beet Energy Ampoule. #Kreanskincare in #review

[anubis246]

How big !!

[milfcityblog]

https://x.com/milfcityblog?s=21

[laviencosmetics]

Perfect Balance Moisture Cleansing Milk – Soft & Soothing

Gently dissolves makeup and impurities without stripping moisture. Its hydrating formula keeps skin soft, smooth, and refreshed. Perfect for a clean, nourished complexion every day.

[alisonblackmanadvicesisters]

OLIVIAUMMA: Korean Skincare for All Ages with Glass Skin Focus

OLIVIAUMMA is a vegan, Korean skincare brand created by Hye Young Kim and scientists that works for skin of all ages. The name translates to “Olivia’s mom.” K-beauty has been trending upwards for a couple of years. However, what caught my attention was the cross-generational approach designed for people of all ages. OLIVIAUMMA has a unique “glass skin” philosophy that they say will help to make…

[k-skinboostrr]

#뷰티아 #beautya #skinbooster #filler #botox #skincare #wholesale #kbeauty #sale #스킨부스터 #보톡스 #직구 #쥬베룩 #리쥬란 #미용제품 #피부미용 #전문가용 #미국 #미용장비 #미용기기 #홈케어 #물광