Hello Stranger!

Hello! I am so sorry that I haven't posted in forever. I've been adjusting to my life here in South Korea and I have neglected my writing. I also haven't been cooking very much either. My kitchen is pretty small so I don't have the counter space to really do much. However, I am surrounded by lovely restaurants and I plan to do some posts about them in the near future. I'm also slightly addicted to the food ordering app yogiyo which I will also post about. On the beauty front I have been testing out some fun products and I'll make sure to share those will you as well.
I'm so sorry that I've been away. Teaching has taken a lot of my attention for the past few months and I've been really working towards becoming the awesome teacher that I want to be. I've had my ups and my downs but I really do love all of my students and my school. I want to make sure everyone is learning and having a good time while still setting boundaries. Class management is no joke! I thought that lesson planning was going to be hard but man, it's nothing compared do dealing with children with all different types of personalities and needs. I'm lucky in that I have really small class sizes but it still has its moments. I just want to provide the children with everything they need to be successful. I have so many things I would love to share with my students but sometimes it's hard with the language barrier. Sometimes they fight or get upset and I wish I could comfort them with my words but that's not always possible. Most of the time I just say it in English and hope them can understand the message on some level.
I'm a little over half way through my first year of teaching and it has been a ride. I've learned so much about myself and I am so thankful for this journey. I've made some really good friends and I'll be sad to see them leave. For some, this is just a brief experience but for me I can't imagine leaving so soon. 1 year wouldn't be enough. I haven't fully experienced everything yet. I have more traveling to do, more people to meet, more life to live. At times I worry that I am wasting the experience by not traveling every time we are given time off of work. I do want to see what the world has to offer but I also don't feel the need to escape from this experience. They say to create a life that you don't need to take a vacation from and I feel like that is what I'm doing. I love living in South Korea. I feel so happy and free. And at time things may feel daunting but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I like where I am at and I am so thankful for that. I think a lot of the time we are searching for or chasing after something. We forget the beauty of just being. Of enjoying where you are in this moment. Breathe. This moment is magic.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post and for your patience. I hope to have some new content for you soon.

XOXO,
Rachel

Chia Seed Products

Hello! Recently I purchased a couple products from The Face Shop. These were the first Korean skincare products that I purchased and I was so excited! I had been watching the Korean/Aussie beauty blogger Meejmuse talk about Korean skincare products and I desperately wanted to try them. I was slightly upset because I didn't think you could really get Korean skincare products in America. That was until I learned about The Face Shop. The Face Shop is a Korean cosmetics retailer and they have stores in the U.S. Woo Hoo!
I decided to go with the Chia Seed line because I had heard good things about it and I knew it would be a good brand to use since I have oily skin. The two products I chose were the Chia Seed Boosting Essence and the Chia Seed Watery Toner. In Korean skincare there can be many products used and everything has a specific order that it is put on in. I really loved the packaging of these products because there is a section that tells you the order in which to used the products. I don't follow the steps completely because I don't have all the products yet. I hope to gain a better collection as I become more acquainted with the types of products available. However, my skincare routine is far more complicated than it used to be. I used to wash my face and then put on a moisturizer and that was it. But as I get older I have started to pay more attention to my skin and try to take care of it. Prevention is easier than repairing the damage.

The first product that has been added to my skincare routine is the Boosting Essence. This essence is different because it goes on right after washing the face to help moisturize it. Normally an essence is put on after the toner, kind of like a serum. After I wash my face I will either leave it wet or lightly dry it so there is still some moisture on my skin and then I will apply this boosting essence. After that I will apply the toner. I try not to rub my face too much as apply the products. And especially with the toner I will use more of a patting or tapping motion. I allow the products to absorb into my skin and then I will go on to apply my eye cream and moisturizer.
I really enjoy these products. Shortly after using them I feel like my face looked more youthful. My face felt healthy and moisturized. I used to get dry patches on certain areas of my face but I haven't had any since using these products. I feel like my face has a more even tone and is more nourished. I think these products are great and I can't wait to try out more!
If you have any products that you think I should try please leave me a comment below and tell me all about it. Have a great week!

XOXO,
Rachel

Iope BB Cushion

So as promised I am going to be writing about my Korean beauty and skincare finds. Today I would like to talk about my Iope BB Cushion. I first heard about this product from a Korean/Australian beauty vlogger Meejmuse. I was first introduced to her channel when I watched her Streets of Seoul Korean Makeup Shopping Tour video. I loved seeing all the different products and being introduced to the different brands. This video made me want to start trying different Korean makeup and skincare products. I was slightly bummed because I didn't know where to get these products in the U.S. Then Peach & Lily entered my life. They have such amazing products and great customer service! I love finding companies that are passionate about what they do.
After watching a few Meejmuse videos I knew that I really wanted to try the BB cushions and Iope and Hera were my first choice. I was so excited when I discovered that Peach & Lily carried the Iope BB Cushion. I ordered it straight away and it arrive pretty quickly, especially since it was the holiday season. I chose the shade N21 because I prefer my makeup to be low coverage and I am fairly light skinned. I also love that this came with a refill. I think it's definitely worth the price. This color is a little lighter than I normally like. I may have to try out N23 and compare. That being said this product gives amazing coverage. It goes on very easily and evens out my skin tone. There are no lines and it looks very natural.
I have tried many foundations in my lifetime and nothing can compare to this product. I normally use tinted moisturizers or MAC face and body. They are wonderful and give weightless coverage but this product does just a bit more. My normal foundations go on well and blend in with my skin so it looks like nothing is there, but some things tend to peak through. With this product there is a notable difference. It feels weightless but still gives amazing coverage. Plus I find the application really easy. I never look as if I've missed a spot.

 

I highly recommend this product! I think it's great and will be a go to product in your makeup arsenal. The color choices are limited so I wouldn't recommend this if you have darker skin tones. I would love to try the matte version of this product. Meejmuse has raved about the matte version for people with oily skin and since I have oily skin I'm dying to try it out.
Thank you for joining me on my beauty adventure. If you have any products that you think I should try please let me know in the comments below.

XOXO,
Rachel