All posts tagged: tonymoly

THE 10-STEP KOREAN SKINCARE ROUTINE

There’s a secret behind the luminosity of Koreans and their porcelain skin, and it’s a complex 10-step system. This highly popularized Korean skincare regime is the norm for beauty fanatics, including myself in SoKo. I get asked all of the time about product recommendations and it’s taken a year to finally put together the perfect lineup for my skin type (dry/sensitive). Below is a better understanding of each step and brands I actually love/use to inspire your own Korean skincare quest. STEP 1: Oil-based cleanser NEOGEN Real Fresh Cleansing Stick Green Tea (Olive Young, ₩18,000) First step is massaging a gentle cleanser all over the face. This one from NEOGEN is my favourite because it contains 13 natural oils that breakdown my makeup (including eye area) and green tea to help reduce inflammation. Bonus: It’s travel friendly since it’s a stick, not a liquid. STEP 2: Exfoliation Bamboo Charcoal Peeling Gel (Amazon, $27) I use this chemical exfoliant from Aritaum twice a week and it literally lifts and rolls dead skin from my face, which is kinda gross, but also kinda satisfying. STEP 3: Water-based cleanser Tea …

THAILAND (CHIANG MAI) PART 1 FT. ELEPHANT NATURE PARK

Winter break is over and in the words of my students, “VACATION WAS TOO SHORT!” Even though it’s back to the grind I’m excited to relive my Thai adventures with you all. I already miss the beautiful weather (legit, so perfect), elephant cuddles, lady boys, and delicious street food galore. Sigh. Alright, let’s begin. On January 15, 2017 I made my way to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where I had an overnight layover before I made my way to Chiang Mai, Thailand. I went to Malaysia last summer for a few hours (a result of another layover) and totally forgot that NO ONE TAKES CREDIT CARD – restaurants, taxi drivers, convenience stores. Nobody. When I got to my Airbnb (KLIA 6ixth Sense) the host was kind enough to pick me up from the airport and even traded American dollars for Malaysian ringgit so I could eat dinner. Bless him. When I was dropped off I felt a little uncomfortable walking around the area where I stayed (men kept staring and it was getting dark) so I didn’t …

PAINTING ON THE BEACH

Hello friends! A couple weeks ago I saw one of my students drawing a picture during class.  She was moving a pencil around her paper so quickly and effortlessly, it was mesmerizing to watch her draw this portrait that would take me a decade to learn how to do. I am constantly amazed at my students and learn more about their quirks and talents every single day. They make losing my voice at the end of the day ALMOST worth it. Haha! But seriously, teenage girls never stop chatting. I am constantly talking over them but, that does not stop me from continually being their biggest fan. Anyway, the student I saw drawing inspired me to be artistic myself. On the weekend, I went to the art store down the street from my house and bought water colours, a notebook and a few brushes. It was a sunny day so I went to Songdo Beach, sat on a swing bench, and painted. I felt at peace to be on my own. To get lost in …