10 Summer + Travel Beauty Essentials

Summer is the time for endless traveling + sun felt kisses! Whether its luxurious cruises, road trips, getaway resorts or backpacking, our skin needs our foremost attention whilst exposure to the summer's sun. Traveling can be stressful, and so is forgetting an essential beauty item too! When I am traveling monthly, I tested different creams & protections for all types of weathers, and created a perfect summer's necessities of my favourite products. Here is a list of my top 10 beauty essentials for traveling this summer.

1. Sun Protection Cream

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer 100 SPF+ seems to be the best sun cream protector for its ultra sheer & light feel on my face. The cream is not thick like most sun creams, and doesn't leave an oily look after it is applied. I find this as a perfect base coat before applying any facial correctors. Select a higher SPF+ for the face as the skin is thinner and much sensitive!

2. BB cream

BB cream became such a phenomenal beauty craze when it made its debut to the US from its 27 year use in Korea! Although I never took much heed in Korean products, BB cream had me appreciate what my culture could offer to the beauty guru's in the US, and now there are BB creams made by top beauty brands such as Smashbox, Christian Dior, L'Oréal, and so on. I've tested several Korean & American BB cream products, and Bobbi Brown just might be my fav (& convenient to find). It provides an unbelievable amount of coverage for the little amount needed (just a pea size) & leaves no heavy residue. Perfect to wear alone for a nice dewy feel!

3. Toner

Hydrate hydrate hydrate! No matter what the weather is like, our skin needs to be hydrated well and Bioré's toner has a secret ingredient (witch hazel) that allows us to feel the product working into our skin. This is a perfect & well priced toner that is available at any drug store.

4. Lip Balm
Our lips need protection too! Eos might have the cutest packaging to their products and made an excellent hit with their flavoured balms. These are a perfect fit in any bag & easy to find by their distinctive shape whilst digging into your purse.

5. Waterproof Mascara
To prevent the start of the infamous racoon eyes during the hot sultry months of summer, be sure the mascara of your choice is waterproof. Since my Asian eyes had unfortunately gifted me with long straight lashes, it's difficult to find a mascara that not only was waterproof but curls my lashes too. The wonderful flex wand & its mega plush brush lengthens my lashes & gives a beautiful curl at the tips.

6. Bronzer
Get an even more sun kissed glow at the highlight of your cheeks with your favourite bronzer. The bronzer can be applied under your jawline, temples, and even between your cleavage to enhance a summer glow.

7. Eyebrow Sealer
Summer is all about minimal makeup and natural looks. Since less makeup is applied, pay special attention to your eyebrows as eyebrows play a key role to make up your face. If you're like me and apply makeup to enhance eyebrows, Make Up Forever's Brow Seal is the perfect summer product that keeps eyebrows in place and ads a little tint.

8. Nail Polish

If you're traveling where there is water, sand, and the use of hands, there is no time to get a manicure fix. Pack in your favourite nail polish for quick touch ups on the go. Deborah Lippmann made a wonderful debut with her nail colours in vivid & girly-esque glitter colours. Don't forget to add the clear coat on top for an extra shine & protection from chipping!

9. Milk cleanser

Since traveling, you might be outdoors all day where sweat, debris, and oil can touch your face. Use your favourite milk cleanser like Shiseido's Benefiance that creates a luxurious creamy froth to prevent pores from clogging up.

10. Summer Fragrance

Switch your fragrance around per season! It's fun and you get to experience the changes since the season is changing. Pick a light floral or beachy scent to enhance the summer feel.

-H xx

a little skincare & products.

I received an excellent question couple days ago from an anonymous reader. They asked:

You have such beautiful skin! What do you use to cleanse day and night? And what kind of moisturizer do you use? Do you have any helpful tips for good skincare? What works for you? Sorry for all the questions but I'm dying to have pretty skin like you!

First, I'd like to say thank you for the compliment! Here is the funny thing, I actually am the worst at taking care of my skin :/. I actually don't pay attention to it and I sometimes fall asleep before I take my makeup off which is probably one of the worst things you could do. However I will try my best to answer these questions for you and give you some ideas of what I normally do! I have put together products I often like to use.

• Estee Lauder perfectly clean skin lotion for normal/combination skin : $30.00 @ Estee Lauder Cosmetics.
• Clinique extra mild soap with dish : $13.00 @ Clinique Cosmetics.
• Beauty Drops eye cream : .99¢! @ 99¢ store.
• Olay Complete Lotion with SPF 15 : $9.50 @ Target.
• Olay Refreshing Toner with witch hazel : $3.59 @ Target.

• Green body scrub exfoliator towel : $4.99 @ H Mart (Korean market.)
• Red hand scrub exfoliator : $3.99 @ H Mart (Korean market.)

^ Alright, so some of you may be wondering 'what is that green towel thing & the red pocket?' Well I think this is my secret to having a clear skin. These incredible bath tools are embedded with tiny sand-like hooks that are gentle for your skin to exfoliate the dead epidermis away. I use the red scrub to exfoliate my entire face with some pressure. The green towel is much more coarse so you would have to be much softer with this one. I use the green towel for my chin, my nose, and some spots on my cheeks. For beginners your face may feel raw, but it's so well worth it to remove debris and dead cells.

In the mornings & evenings I use the Clinique soap to wash my face. It has no fragrance so it doesn't sting my face like some soaps available. Next, I apply the Estee Lauder perfectly skin lotion and allow my pores to breathe it in. I always use my Olay Complete Lotion before I apply my makeup & before I retire to bed to allow my skin to feel hydrated throughout. Now I recently started to use eye cream & I was fortunate to receive one as a gift during Christmas from a friend of mine! When I first applied it to my skin I noticed how moist it was & how quickly my skin absorbed the product. I was really impressed by how bright my eyes looked after using it for a while and I had to ask where she purchased the cream and she simply said it was from the 99¢ store! I couldn't believe what a great deal it was! If you are from the U.S. area I believe there are quite a few 99¢ stores located around, so look for this product! I promise you will not be disappointed. Sometimes during the evenings (when I remember) I would apply Olay Refreshing Toner with witch hazel to prevent breaking out, especially during that time of the month.

^ Witch hazel is an active ingredient that helps fight acne! You can purchase 100% witch hazel from beauty stores if you'd like, but I find this toner perfectly fine with the fraction of the price. It has a rather very distinctive scent so I warn you ahead of time.

I also wanted to share with you a brand new lipstick I received when I was purchasing some new products.

• Estee Lauder lip colour in #303 crystal pink : free gift! @ Estee Lauder Cosmetics.

Since I have fair skin, it's hard to find a perfect pink shade to match my skin tone. This lip colour looks great when I apply foundation on my lips and lightly apply the shade onto my lips. It gives a gorgeous subtle look that makes your lip look natural.

*I quickly wanted to mention that I don't think it's just these products that are helping me with my skin. I believe it also has to do with what you eat and what your diet is. I also received a great question about my recent diet change and weight loss so look out for that post next time.

getting ready for saturday art show.

I like to spend my Saturdays waking up early with a fresh cup of English Breakfast Tea with honey & cream, and an arranged plate of pastries & sweets. It's quite a fav!

• English Breakfast Tea.
• Crumpet with boysenberry jam & clotted cream.
• blueberry scones.
• coffee crumb cake.

^ I hardly finish all the pastry goods, but I like having the option of a few on a plate & well, I often tend to pick at it as well. I spent the beautiful afternoon re-arranging my room a little bit & getting rid of clothes I do not need. I still have more work to do, my closet is an utter mess! Once I accomplish cleaning & moving my furniture around I will make sure to take photos to show you the outcome of my new room.

^ I was invited to a grand art gallery opening located in West Hollywood a couple months ago and the day finally arrived. I was thrilled to be invited to this specific event & prepared myself for a great time. It was also Mr. Boss' first art curating event he has ever hosted so I know it means a lot for many people to attend the event.

I decided to go for a soft look with my makeup & of course, to accentuate my eyes again.

• bare minerals: eyeshadow in graphite : $13.00 @ Bare Essentials.
• Revelon Perle: eyeshadow in lavender lilac : $3.50 @ Target.
• Revelon: eyeshadow palette in moss : $7.99 @ Target.
• Bobbi Brown: long lasting gel eyeliner in dark brown : $22.00 @ Bobbi Brown Cosemetics.
• Clinique: liquid foundation in alabaster breeze 01 : $20.00 @ Clinique Cosmetics.
• Estee Lauder: pressed matte finish in aeromatte : $16.00 @ Estee Lauder Cosmetics.
• MAC: mineral blush colour in dainty : $ 22.00 @ MAC Cosmetics.
• Estee Lauder: bronzer in bronze : free gift! @ Estee Lauder Cosmetics.
• Estee Lauder: lip colour in nude: free gift! @ Estee Lauder Cosmetics.
• MAC: false lashes : $8.00 @ The Cosmetic Store.

^ I was so happy when I found my Revelon eyeshadow palette in moss in my pile of makeup I had put away in a box. I use these colours as part of my base to create a 'smoky' eyeshadow look. I photographed my Clinique foundation & Estee Lauder pressed matte finish for you to see. They are so light on my skin & feels like I am hardly wearing any face makeup at all.

For the event I put together a cute outfit I have been dying to wear. I just couldn't find the right time to display my outfit, and luckily this event was the perfect time to show it off.

• Apt. 9 tunic shirt: $36.00 @ Kohl's.
• Theory zipper leggings: $178.00 @ Nieman Marcus.

^ Here is a close up of the zipper that runs down the sides of the pants. I bought these during the Black Friday sale in Las Vegas after Thanksgiving. They were actually very tight on me when I purchased them, but now that I have lost some weight they fit perfectly. I finished my outfit with a pair of my Louboutin's & got ready for a little photo action with my photobooth.

^ If you know me, I hardly smile with my teeth showing. I never really liked my smile even though I have perfect straight teeth, but I was requested by a reader to take a photo with my teeth showing, so here you go!

^ My pants fit!

^ My fun outfit for the event. Here I am showing you the side zipper of my pants.

^ I am showing off my favourite reds.

This is quite a photo show!

I am attending the art show with Mr. Boss's lovely mother..I will have MANY photos to share after the evening so stay in touch.

- Hannah x

5 am.

I woke up a few times in the middle of the night yesterday, and I officially woke up at 5 am this morning. I'm not sure what triggered my awakening but I didn't feel like falling back asleep.

I received an anonymous question under my Formspring account and they asked what kind of make up I wear. It's hard for me to find the perfect lip colour since my skin is rather fair during winter & because I tend to apply more makeup on the eyes, the lips need to be much more subtle.

• Estee Lauder Lip Palette: free gift! @ Nordstrom.

^I absolutely ADORE this lip palette. I received it as a free gift when I was purchasing a matte face finish & it is by far the best little sample kit of lip shades I own. I apologize in advance for the blurry photo, I lent my Nikon to my brother so I have been using my easy point & shoot Canon. My favourites are the second colour, first row & first colour, second row. They are sheer & match my lip colour that just gives the right about of tint to bring out the nude shade.

• Estee Lauder eyeshadow & face correction palette: free gift! @ Nordstrom.
• bare minerals: eyeshadow in bark : $13.00 @ Bare Minerals.
• MAC: mineral blush colour in dainty : $22.00 @ MAC Cosmetics.
• Bobbi Brown: longlasting gel eyeliner in dark brown : $22.00 @ Bobbi Brown Cosmetics.
• Rimmel London: eyeliner in white : $7.99 @ Target.
• Revelon Perle: eyeshadow in snow : $3.50 @ Target.
• MAC: false eyelashes : $8.00 @ The Cosmetic Store.

^ This is my use of make up for the day. I actually didn't photograph the Clinique sheer foundation or the Estee Lauder matte press finish, but the list above is just to show you the collection of colours I use to achieve the look for my eyes.

^ The finished look. Although it appears I may wear too much eye make up due to the list above, I am able to make it look soft & romantic without overdoing it.

^ Here is a close up of my falsies. As you can see I wear glasses, 24/7. I adore my glasses & I think they give me & express my personality. It's hard for me to give them up for anything really, although I know I should give them up from time to time on special occasions where glasses clearly do not match my outfit. I call these the 'whore' lashes, since they are dramatically long, but they define my eyes very well & gives much focus on my almond eyes.

I'm ending my evening with a gorgeous black dress with frills at the top from Forever 21, black lace gloves, & my BeBe leopard Zaharas. I will photograph these later & update this post. Until then, here is a little photo booth action! x