Coffee with 수지

Red Queen

2015-09-02T18:55:00.000-10:00

After sitting in my TBR pile since June, I finally finished reading Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, and can I just say I can’t believe I waited so long to read it because it is five stars amazing.

To briefly summarize the book, the story takes place in a world separated by blood color, silver (elite class with powers) or red (low class with no powers), and the main character is 17-year-old Mare Barrow with red blood. However she soon discovers that she has her own power just like members of the silver elite. Due to circumstances she begins living at the palace with the silver elite. Fed up with the mistreatment the Reds receive, Mare joins the Scarlet Guard, a Red rebellion group trying to bring equality. Choosing between the two princes, Cal and Maven, Mare is forced to make choices and learns first hand that any one can betray.

Once I started reading Red Queen I literally could not stop reading. I found myself reading faster just to find out what was going to happen and I am glad I did. The story is well written and the only part that I felt was rough was the romance/relationship between Mare and the two princes. I felt like they were awkward and not very smooth in terms of development, however it did not ruin the story. I am not sure about others, but maybe because I watch a lot of Korean dramas, I could sense the betrayal and had “what if” situations running through my mind as I was reading. Even though there was romance and Mare was falling for the prince (not naming), her character was never weak. From the beginning of the story, before she even realized she had powers, you could see that she was independent and aware of the mistreatment between the classes. When she joined the rebellion, despite her feelings towards the two princes she never lets that cloud her goal to fight for the cause. Even with the greatest betrayal and what she thought would be the end, she continues to fight and comes out stronger. And now readers need to wait until next year to find out how much more Mare has grown, how the relationship with the prince will change and if the Scarlet Guard will get closer to their goal.

I give the book five stars and if you were a fan of the Hunger Games, or books of the fantasy/dystopian/romance genre, then definitely give Red Queen a read.

Beautiful Oblivion

2015-08-31T16:07:00.000-10:00

Part of Jamie McGuire's Maddox Brothers series, Beautiful Oblivion occurs in the same time frame as the events in Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster. In Beautiful Oblivion, the story is told through Cami’s point of view as she falls in love with the second oldest Maddox brother, Trenton. I honestly liked Cami and Trenton’s story way more than Abby and Travis’s story from Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster. I enjoyed how Cami and Trenton's relationship progressed, it never felt forced or strange. As a reader you could see that they were good for each other and brought out the best in each other. Jamie McGuire also did an excellent job building the curiosity and foreshadowing the ex-boyfriend’s identity and why Cami felt wrong for accepting her feelings for Trenton. After reading this book you will definitely feel the urge to reread just so you can catch all the hints with the newfound knowledge. I wish the author would write Trenton’s point of view because he claimed to always have loved Cami but as the reader we never get to really know why he suddenly approached Cami, how he felt during the time they were strictly friends, and when he learns the truth behind Cami’s reluctance to be in a relationship with him. Although the back cover description (at the end) is exaggerated in my opinion, Cami and Trenton’s story will definitely grab your attention and leave you wanting to know more. I give the book 5 Stars and recommend it to those looking for a good new adult contemporary romance.

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The Producers

2015-08-28T17:33:00.003-10:00

As my premium subscription to DramaFever comes to an end, I binged watched the popular drama, The Producers. The story follows Tak Yejin (Gong Hyojin) the PD of Music Bank who likes her best friend and fellow KBS PD, Ra Joonmo (Cha Taehyun), and Rookie PD Baek Seungchan (Kim Soohyun) is placed into Ra Joonmo’s production team, 2Days1Night, where popular idol Cindy (IU) is casted as a member.

Filmed like a mockumentary (think Parks & Recreation) the drama is unique in its own way where it not only follows the relationship between the characters but also shows a glimpse into the life of a PD. A romantic comedy that is only 12 episodes long, it definitely makes you laugh while being heart warming at the same time. The actors prove to have amazing chemistry with one another and took on their characters flawlessly. There were also many cameos made by other famous actors/singers/entertainers. The story is not dragged out and moved along at a good pace. I definitely recommend this drama and give it 5 stars!

Below are the drama/movies I recommend that feature or star the actors from The Producers.

Gong Hyojin- Sangdoo! Let’s Go to School, Thank You, The Greatest Love, and It’s Okay That’s Love

Cha Taehyun- My Sassy Girl

Kim Soohyun- Dream High and Moon Embracing the Sun

IU- Dream High and You’re the Best Lee Soonshin

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The Time That I Loved You & Oh My Ghostess

2015-08-24T19:40:00.002-10:00

Two dramas that I have been enjoying recently aired their final episode and I am here to recommended them. The first drama, “The Time That I Loved You, 7000 Days”, is a 16 episode romantic comedy about two friends Oh Hana (Ha Ji Won) and Choi Won (Lee Jin Wook) who don’t realize that they are the right person for each other. The drama was slow paced (in a positive way); light hearted and an overall good romantic comedy. The lead actors took on their characters and had great chemistry with each other. Some people may find the drama boring due to the slow pace but I personally thought that it was calm and moved at the right speed. The plot did not feel dragged out and maintained the fun lighthearted feeling while allowing the viewers to get to know the back-story of the characters. I even found the ending to be perfect! If you are looking for a slow paced drama that is lighthearted and will give you a good laugh I recommend “The Time That I Loved You, 7000 Days.”

The second drama I enjoyed, “Oh My Ghostess”, is also a romantic comedy. The story is about Na Bong Sun (Park Bo Young), an aspiring chef who can see ghosts, working for her crush, Chef Kang Sun Woo (Jo Jung Suk). Things become more interesting when the ghost Shin Soon Ae (Kim Seul Gi) possesses Bong Sun and the story unravels. This drama had me laughing from episode 2 and kept my interest until the very end. I loved the interaction between the characters and their individual growth as well. A perfect mix of romance, comedy, and some drama. This was a great drama from episode 1 to 16 and I highly recommend that you watch (but keep in mind the fun begins in episode 2&3).

Below is a list of other favorite drama or movie the leads have also starred or featured in.

Ha Ji Won: The King 2 Hearts, Secret Garden

Lee Jin Wook: Spy Myung-wol

Park Bo Young: A Werewolf Boy

Jo Jung Suk: The King 2 Hearts

Kim Seul Gi: Flower Boys Next Door

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*I watched both dramas on DramaFever and the images above are the screenshots I took.

This Girl

2015-07-31T08:00:00.000-10:00

Quote is from Will's poem "My Final Piece" (page 284)

I finished reading all the books in the Slammed series back to back and here is my quick review of the final book, This Girl. Right away I can tell you I rate This Girl five stars and declare it my personal favorite out of all three (I just “butterflying” love this book).

This Girl follows immediately after the wedding when Will and Layken are on their honeymoon. While on their honeymoon Layken asks Will to tell her about his past and he agrees. Will begins to tell his version of the events that occur in the first book, Slammed. I love how we get to see Will’s vulnerable side, especially since Will appeared to have it all together in Slammed.

I will say that even though the main events are the same in Slammed, Colleen Hoover flawlessly makes it different. Will’s retelling of the main events we saw in Slammed as well as his additional personal events make This Girl a new story. This Girl is more vulnerable in a sense that we get to see a side of Will that was never really shown. In the second book, Point of Retreat, we see a side of Will that is openly in love with Layken. The side of him that doesn’t mind showing his affection in public and proving his love on stage. However, in This Girl we see the side that tries to deny his feelings and the side that struggles to “keep it together”. It also helps that the ending is perfect with the time jump and poem (oh my god the feels).

If I could only recommend one book from the series, This Girl would be it.

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Point of Retreat

2015-07-29T17:29:00.001-10:00

quote is from page 296

Point of Retreat is the second book in the Slammed series by Colleen Hoover and unlike the first book the story is told through Will Cooper’s point of view. The story begins a few weeks after Christmas (where Slammed left off) and start of the spring semester for university. A misunderstanding occurs, which causes Layken to question their relationship and Will trying to prove it’s strong.

I would give Point of Retreat four stars because as much as I “butterflying” love this book I also found it to be a bit boring. *SPOILER* The beginning of the story is good and I like how we get to see how their relationship has deepened and how they help each other grow. However after the misunderstanding occurs I felt like it was taking too long (in terms of the plot) for Will and Layken to overcome it, especially when a more dramatic event occurs in the story. I get where Layken is coming from but at the same time it is obvious that their relationship is strong, but she can’t see that. The overall story plot was good but Layken’s character was so annoying that I also felt irritated while reading. On a more positive note, I felt like we really got to know Will on a deeper level and the ending was perfect. Getting over the misunderstanding and the accident made their relationship that much stronger. I did not feel disappointed at all with the overall story and appreciated the deeper character development, which I felt lacked a bit in the first novel. Point of Retreat is a fast read (finished in one sitting) and like Slammed I could feel the emotions of the characters.

On a side note, I forgot to mention this in my post about Slammed, but I love the side characters in the series. I would personally love to read a spin off about Eddie and Gavin’s relationship.

I have to say that Colleen Hoover is quickly becoming a favorite author. Although I find her writing to be simple she manages to bring out the emotions, which brings readers to laugh, cry, and smile along with the characters.

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Slammed

2015-07-27T17:42:00.001-10:00

When reading Slammed, I laughed, cried and smiled – all in one sitting. It was that good.

This novel is the first of the Slammed series written by Colleen Hoover.

Slammed is told from the point of view of 18 year old Layken Cohen who just moved from Texas with her mother Julia and younger brother Kel. She meets her 21-year-old neighbor Will and his younger brother Caulder. Immediately they feel a connection but due to their situation they can't be together because Will is actually Mr. Cooper, the student teacher at her high school.

Although I devoured the book in one night and I am looking forward to reading the last two, I personally give it a 4 star rating. The back cover summary is a bit misleading (kind of dramatic as well), as if you will get to know the characters on a deep personal level - but that never happens. Despite the misleading summary the novel is entertaining and you can feel the emotions of the characters. It is also interesting how Colleen Hoover incorporated slam poetry into the story (the quote used in the above picture is Layken's slam poetry/love confession to Will). I don't personally read or analyze poetry so I can't judge whether the slam poetry in the novel is spectacular but I thought they went well with the plot. This was definitely an easy read and nothing too deep but enough to allow the emotions of the characters to be felt. If you are looking for something extremely deep and want to analyze the poetry that was incorporated into the story then this is not for you. However, if you are looking for a good contemporary romance that is a light read this is the book.

Slammed has a lot of good quotes and my personal favorites from the story are from Layken’s mother, Julia, to Layken herself. The quotes below are actually sound advice, in my opinion, which is why I am choosing to share them. The first quote occurs at the very beginning when Layken’s mother was giving her relationship advice – how you know if someone is a good guy and worth being with (forgot to get the page number).

And the last quote is from a letter Layken’s mother wrote, basically the whole thing is worth quoting but I just chose the last bit (page 316).

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Favorite K-Pop Summer Song

2015-07-20T23:00:00.002-10:00

My favorite song this summer is SNSD's song "Party", which was released on July 7th. I personally think that the song and music video has the perfect summer feel. Below is the official music video from SMTown's official youtube page.

Overnight Makeup Essentials

2015-07-14T21:41:00.000-10:00

This past Sunday I was able to stay at the Pagoda Hotel overnight thanks to my good friend’s mom. There were three of us who stayed at the hotel overnight and because I figured we would go out I wanted to pack some makeup. Since we were only staying for one night I wanted to bring only the makeup I knew I would use that night as well as the following morning.

For this overnight stay I used my Etude House makeup bag that I got as a free gift (after spending a lot of money) during a family vacation to Korea in 2013.

The makeup bag is divided into two sections and is perfect for carrying only your essential makeup. The only downside to the bag is the size, which makes it difficult to bring any large palettes. The top portion has bands that are perfect to hold any stick products such as eyeliner, mascara and shadow sticks. The bottom portion of the bag has a space for your makeup brushes with a protective covering and room for other products.

I used the bottom portion to hold my face makeup, eye shadow and primer, and brushes for both powder and eye shadow.

In the top portion I stored my eyeliner, mascara and eyebrow pencil.

I didn’t want to bring a bunch of face brushes (except for powder) so I brought things that came with a good applicator or that I could use with my hands.

-Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

-Makeup Forever HD foundation inside an empty and cleaned Etude House Cushion Pact

-Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Roller

-Tony Moly Cats Wink Clear Pact

-The Face Shop Face It Designing Dual Shading Pact

-Benefit Watt’s Up Highlighter

For eye makeup, because the weather in Hawaii has been really hot and humid, I wanted to bring my favorites that I also knew were long lasting.

-Anastasia Brow Wiz

-Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original

-The Face Shop Lovely Me:ex Eye shadow (old packaging)

-MAC quad with the eye shadows: Naked Lunch, All That Glitters, Soft Brown and Embark. These were my first MAC eye shadow purchase and my good friend (who is amazing with makeup) helped me pick out all the colors. Since this palette I have become a MAC addict lol.

-The Face Shop Face It Extreme Brush Pen Eyeliner in Black Force

-Em Cosmetics Waterliner in the shade Ro’s Gold

-Etude House Play 101 Pencil #5 and #49

-The Face Shop Freshian Volumizing Mascara

I have just a few more uses for both the Face Shop eyeliner and mascara so just in case, I also brought the Dolly Wink Eyeliner and Lancôme Definicils Mascara (sample size).

Finally I brought exactly five additional tools, mostly for my eyes, to apply my makeup.

-Mini/travel size Too Faced kabuki brush (I used this to apply my Tony Moly Cats Wink Powder)

-Wet N’ Wild portable eye lash curler (Super old…)

-Sephora Professional shadow brush #12

-Sephora Professional small shadow brush #15

-Sephora Professional crease brush #10

-Sephora Professional smokey eye brush #24

I didn't include any lip products because I kept them in my purse, but I brought my Etude House lip balm and YSL lip stain.

The list seems long, but besides the extra eyeliner and mascara, I did use everything when we went out on Sunday and Monday morning.

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The Face Shop Freshian Volumizing Mascara

2015-07-08T23:16:00.000-10:00

The Face Shop Freshian Volumizing Mascara is my second favorite mascara (4 Stars).

When I first purchased the mascara it had a very wet formula, which tended to smudge, however after the formula dried a bit (around 3 weeks later with continued use) I found the results to look much better.

I have only one complaint: it tends to clump easily, which is not a problem if you only apply two coats. The mascara is long lasting and because the color is very black it really defines your lashes while holding the curl. Although this is a volumizing formula, I noticed that whenever I happen to wear this particular mascara I get complimented on how long my eyelashes look (bold but natural).

If you are looking to try a mascara that gives volume and lengthening I recommend you check out the Freshian Volumizing Mascara by The Face Shop.

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Hawaii Food and Drink Favorites 1

2015-07-03T23:57:00.002-10:00

A quick post about some of my favorite food and drinks here in Hawaii.

I posted this photo on my Instagram

Haleiwa Joes Seafood Grill: Ginger/Thai (can’t remember) Peanut Chicken Salad (around $14) and the Garlic Bread (around $6 or $7).

Location: 66-011 Kamehameha Hwy. Haleiwa, HI 96712

Café Kyra: Iced Thai Coffee. I never tried any of the other drinks but my sister enjoys the smoothies without the bubbles/tapioca. They also have a stamp card that you can exchange for a free medium drink when completed.

Location: 801 Kaheka St Honolulu, HI 96814. Right in front of the Don Quijote entrance. Palama Supermarket is right next to the additional parking lot if you want to buy some Korean food/snacks.

Yakiniku LuLuRaRa interior

Yakiniku LuLuRaRa: For all the Korean drama fans craving black bean noodles (aka jajangmyeon) this restaurant is the best in my opinion. Like the name, they do have Yakiniku (grilled meat) but I have yet to try it personally.

Black Bean Noodles served with the sauce on top (some restaurants give the sauce separately)

After mixing the sauce with the noodles

Location: 915 Keeaumoku St Honolulu, HI 96814. Ireh is located right next door and also another favorite. Keeaumoku Market (across Wal-Mart) is a few seconds away if you want to visit. I highly recommend getting the walnut bread (pronounced hodu) at the small bakery near the checkout. It also looks like they opened some sort of coffee stand/shop at the opposite end of the bakery.

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Borrowing eBooks from Hawaii State Public Library System

2015-07-02T22:31:00.000-10:00

I mentioned in my quarterly favorites post that I have been using an app called OverDrive to borrow eBooks through the Hawaii State Public Library System (HSPLS). In order to borrow the eBooks you need to have a HSPLS card and you need to download the actual app to either your smartphone/tablet or computer.

A visual guide to access the webpage:

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Quarterly Favorites 1: April - May - June 2015

2015-07-01T08:00:00.000-10:00

I always enjoy watching videos or reading blog posts about people's monthly favorites and since June is now over I decided to put together my own favorites post.

Couple months ago, I found out about the app OverDrive through the Hawaii State library website. I have no idea when it became available, but through OverDrive you can borrow ebooks. All you need is a Hawaii State library card and a device to use the app. You can borrow up to 10 e/audiobooks for 21 days. There is no need to worry about overdue fees because the title automatically expires. This is super convenient for when you are on the go or if you don't have time to go the library to borrow books. I have also found the wait time for popular titles to be shorter than if you were to request a physical copy of the book.

Through the app I have read multiple books but I really enjoyed two series, Dragon Kin by G.A. Aiken and the Highlander Series by Karen Marie Moning.

I recently watched Outlander Season 1 Volume 1 and fell in love with both the show and soundtrack.

For all my K-Pop fans and fellow VIPs, Big Bang made their comeback and I am loving all their new releases ("We Like 2 Party" is my personal favorite). After watching their recent performance on Yoo Heeyeol's Sketchbook (watch with subtitles on KBSWorld's YouTube channel) I have been listening to their old songs as well.

This year I have also started listening to Podcasts and my favorites are The Simple Sophisticate and Mind Palace, which both talk about living a well curated lifestyle, minimalism, living intentionally and etcetera.

Below are the few makeup favorites I have been reaching for consistently these past few months.

Review on The Face Shop Primer

Review on the Tony Moly Powder

Now that the weather is getting hotter I am starting to reach for BB cream instead of foundation but everything else is likely to stay the same during the next few months.

Last favorite is one I mentioned couple times this month and that is the book Paris Letters.

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June 2015 Birchbox

2015-06-30T16:27:00.000-10:00

After waiting almost 20 days, I finally received the June 2015 Birchbox. This is my first time ordering any type of subscription box and probably the last time I will order a Birchbox. Although I liked the products I received, I did not like how long I had to wait to receive the actual box. June is already over and the excitement of receiving the box disappeared as the month came to an end. After being shipped out on the 10^th, the box was sitting in California since the 15^th. Even though I live in Hawaii and shipping generally takes a bit longer, this was the first time I ordered something from the states and had to wait 20 days. On a positive note, the actual box is very pretty and sturdy and I am actually interested in trying the products.

Inside my box:

Beauty Protector: Protect and Detangle

Coola: Classic SPF 30 Cucumber Moisturizer for Face

Marcelle: BB Cream Golden Glow

Marcelle: Waterproof Eyeliner – Electric Blue

Skyn Iceland: Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels

Emi Jay: Hair Tie (Lifestyle Extra)

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Skinfood Choco Smoky Eye Palette

2015-06-29T15:07:00.000-10:00

The Skinfood Choco Smoky Eye Palette is available in two shades and I have #2 Warm Brown Choco.

This palette comes with three shades (champagne, light taupe brown and dark warm brown) and a brown gel eyeliner. While the colors swatch beautifully, the lasting power is terrible. Even with primer the color tends to fade within the first few hours. The gel eyeliner immediately smudges no matter how long you wait or if you set it with powder. These eye shadow works best with a sponge tip applicator or your fingers. You can use a regular eye shadow brush, but there is a lot of fallout and the color application is more sheer. I also found that the when you use both brown eye shadow the final look is more muddy, versus using only one of the brown shade with the champagne.

Although the colors are nice and the fact that the eyeliner comes with the palette, which would make it a great travel palette, the lack of staying power, fallout, and inability to create various looks makes the overall palette a miss.

Final rating: 1 Star

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The Face Shop Face It Primers

2015-06-26T14:02:00.000-10:00

The Face Shop has three locations here in Hawaii - McCully, Ward and Waimalu. I have been to all locations and for some reason I prefer the McCully and Waimalu location.
This is a quick mini review on three face primers, the Velvet Skin, Moisture Pore Balm, and Oil Cut Pore Balm.

Of the three primers, Velvet Skin is definitely my favorite and a cheap alternative to the Smashbox Photo Finish primer. It is packaged in a white bottle with a pump and comes out as slightly white gel. It blends out clear on the skin and does a great job of smoothing the face. It does not control shine as much as the Oil Cut Pore Balm, but I also never found myself getting excessively oily either.

I finished using the Oil Cut Pore Balm last month so I do not have any pictures but it came in the same package as the Moisture Pore Balm but in a blue package. Both of the primers come in a balm form and while the Moisture balm is pink the Oil Cut is slightly yellow/clear tint, but they both blend out clear. The Oil Cut Balm is also a favorite because it really help keep the skin matte and smooth. If I did not feel like wearing any foundation or BB/CC cream, I could just use the Oil Cut Balm to help control the shine on my face. The only reason why I might not repurchase this product is due to the package. It didn't bother me at first, but unlike the Moisture Balm, the Oil Cut only came with a sponge and no spatula. So unless I had an extra spatula on hand, I had to use my fingers/or sponge to apply the product, which also meant I had to keep dipping into the product. On the other hand, the Moisture balm came with a spatula and a sponge (half a round). The spatula made it easier to scoop out a desired amount of product. However the Moisture Balm was my least favorite out of the three primers. While both the Velvet Skin and Oil Cut made the skin smooth and foundation application even, the Moisture Balm made the foundation application worse. The Moisture balm was not very moisturizing and although it did smooth the skin the foundation application was never even or long lasting.

My rating for the Velvet Skin and Oil Cut Pore Balm is 4 stars and 1 for the Moisture Pore Balm. I will be getting rid of the Moisture Balm and finishing up the Velvet Skin.

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Tony Moly Cats Wink Foundation and Powder

2015-06-24T15:56:00.000-10:00

“Global beauty brand” Tony Moly is available at two locations here in Oahu, which makes it very easy to try various products. Today I will give a quick review for two products, a foundation and powder, in the Cats Wink line.

I bought both products last November so I have used it enough to have a clear opinion.

I have the Cats Wink Shiny Skin Foundation in the shade Natural Beige. The foundation has SPF20 PA++ and is suppose to provide a smooth and moisturizing coverage. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the foundation to follow through. Whether I used a primer (oil free, pore/smoothing, matte, moisturizing etc) or not, I always found the foundation to apply very patchy and hard to blend out. I have tried various ways to apply the foundation (brush, sponge, hands) and I found that using an air puff (the puff that comes with cushion pacts) was the best. Despite providing good coverage it emphasizes dry spots and I found at the end of the day, no matter what I used to set it, the foundation seemed to disappear. I never find myself using this foundation and with more cons than pros I would not recommend it.

My final rating: 2 stars

Unlike the foundation I love the powder in this line. The Cats Wink Clear Pact in Clear Beige is a great powder packaged in an adorable cat shaped compact. This powder does not provide a completely matte finish. Instead it gives a soft but smooth matte (보송 보송) finish. I have very oily skin with some dry patches and I find that this powder provides good oil/shine control (roughly 4 hours) and does not cling to the random dry spot. However, I find that with my skin type, it does not work well with moisturizing/glowy foundations. When used with a foundation that gives a glow, the powder does not seem to control shine (the finish is very nice but touch up is needed more frequently). I personally found that it worked better with my foundation or BB creams that provided a normal to matte finish. The powder gives good shine control without making my face appear very matte or dry. I would recommend this powder if you want shine control without the overly matte finish.

My final rating: 4 stars

As part of my journey to declutter and keep only the things I use (or love using) I will be getting rid of the foundation and keeping the powder.

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Book: Paris Letters

2015-06-22T22:46:00.000-10:00

Book: Paris Letters

Author: Janice MacLeod

Genre: Memoir

Rating: 5+ Stars

Favorite Quote: “We must know how to design our lives. We are all artists, and each day is a canvas (240).”

Written by Janice MacLeod, Paris Letters is the book that inspired me to go out and create my own life. As I read her book I often found myself forgetting that it’s a memoir not fiction, especially since it focuses only on one portion of her life (roughly three years).

Paris Letters is Janice MacLeod’s story of trying to save enough money to give her a work free year, quit her copywriting job, and travel through Europe. During her stay in Paris she finds love and a new career doing what she loves, painting.

Words cannot explain how much I love this book. To give you some sort of idea of how much I love the book, I first borrowed the book from the library and after I finished reading it I decided that I had to own a copy. Since I bought my own copy of the book, I have reread the book twice.

Although her book does not focus on minimalism or living light, in trying to downsize to one suitcase for her travel, she got rid of many things and instead of emptiness she felt content. This part of her story inspired me to look into minimalism and begin my own personal journey to living light.

Her discontent with her advertising job also made me realize that I don’t know what I truly want to do. Although we all need to work in order to support ourselves do we really need to sacrifice our happiness? Janice Macleod’s story proves that it is possible to do what we enjoy and live the life we want.

Janice Macleod’s story, unlike any other memoir, surprisingly impacted my life in so many ways. Paris Letters inspired me to want to find and go after something I am interested in (working on it), live light/embrace minimalism (working on that too), travel (still dreaming), and most importantly it has reminded me that we can live the life we want.

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Korean Drama: The Girl Who Sees Smells (냄새를 보는 소녀)

2015-06-21T13:55:00.000-10:00

Image is from SBS's official drama page

The Girl Who Sees Smells (냄새를 보는 소녀) stars JYJ’s Park Yoochun as Officer Choi, actress Shin Sekyung as Oh Chorim/Choi Eunsol, actress Yoon Jinseo as Lieutenant Yeom and actor Namgung Min as Chef Kwon.

The drama follows Oh Chorim/Choi Eunsol, a girl who can see smell, and Officer Choi as they try to solve the barcode chain murder mystery and fall in love. Wikipedia has a great summary of the plot if you want to know more in detail.

I would rate the drama 4 out of 5 stars and definitely recommend others to watch if they want something with romance, comedy, and suspense. Despite the fact that the murderer is revealed early in the drama, the interest in the drama remains. Although murder is involved the drama successfully, in my opinion, manages to keep the overall mood lighthearted and fun until the end. To be honest the ending was a bit dragged out and the producer/director/writer (whoever is in charge) could have wrapped up the story quite nicely by the end of episode 15. Although I did enjoy the final episode (16) I couldn’t help but think how ridiculous it was to drag it out but at the same time it truly did put an end to the chain murder.

Here in Hawaii, the drama just aired its last episode on June 18, but you can find the drama on Drama Fever under the name Sensory Couple (the original/working title) if you have not seen it yet.

If you are interested in seeing other dramas with Park Yoochun I have watched, enjoyed and recommend Sungkyukwan Scandal, Miss Ripley and Rooftop Prince.

If you are interested in seeing other dramas with Shin Sekyung I would recommend High Kick Through the Roof and Deep Rooted Tree (my personal favorite). She also acted in Fashion King but it was a ridiculous drama that I would not recommend.

Unfortunately I have not seen any other drama or movie that Yoon Jinseo and Namgung Min have participated in, but I did enjoy their performance in The Girl Who Sees Smell so I will consider watching their future dramas.

안녕!!

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ps. The OST is amazing! My favorite song is "Confusing" by Jubi and Jang Yi Jeong.

Memebox and Tony Moly Haul

2015-06-17T12:42:00.001-10:00

I have been interested in learning how to contour/shade my round face. So I picked up a few contour/shading products from Memebox and Tony Moly. Of course I also bought a few items I was interested in trying for quite some time.

From Memebox (online) I bought the following:

- XO Memebox Cushion Puff Set - $5

- Yeondukong x Memebox Easy Shading Stick #01 Contouring Brown - $12

- Too Cool For School Art Class By Rodin - $17

- Pony x Memebox Pony Easy Mix Block Blush - $9.50

From Tony Moly (inside the Dillingham Palama Market) I bought:

- Crystal Blusher #05 Sugar Brown – $3.64 (it was 50% off but the original price was $7.28)

- Egg Pore Yolk Primer - $15.98

I feel like Tony Moly prices the products oddly…

안녕!!

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And So the Adventure Begins...

2015-06-14T17:18:00.000-10:00

Journal from TJ Maxx

Two years and some months later I have returned to what I attempt to call a blog.

In the time between, some things have changed (I am officially a college graduate) and some have stayed the same (my terrible writing skills lol).

Since late last year, specifically after I read Paris Letters, I have been thinking about what I truly want to do in life. Unfortunately I have no answer…

I am still interested in K-Pop, Dramas, books and makeup but I also know that my job will not be anything related to my interests. None of the things I am interested in can get me a job. I can’t be a makeup artist because as much as I like makeup I am terrible at it (feel free to take a look at my tutorial attempts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8). I can’t be a writer because this blog itself just proves how terrible I am at writing (and I also lack creative story telling). I also can’t speak, write, or read Korean so there is no way I can get a job in the K-Pop and drama industry. I just have to accept the fact that I may not enjoy my job but need it for the salary, health insurance, retirement plan and etcetera... or not. I now realize that I am willing to try and work hard to get where I want in life. The first full time job I take on won't have to be my career. I have the power to change and work towards whatever goal I set.

While I continue to put off the job search and think about what I want in life, I decided to restart this blog. My attempt to blog again comes from a sudden desire to share my thoughts/opinions and to record my journey as I live the life I create (or as Shannon Ables from the The Simply Luxurious Life said, be the CEO of my own life).

And so the adventure begins…

안녕!!

Lee Hi "It's Over" Inspired Eye Makeup

2013-04-05T18:30:00.000-10:00

Hello!
Here is another simple K-Pop inspired look. This look is inspired from Lee Hi's teaser image for her song, "It's Over" from her album titled "First Love."
It is a very simple look to achieve.

Original image is from YG

안녕!!

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[Manga] Red River by Chie Shinohara

2013-03-15T09:12:00.001-10:00

Image is from VIZ

Red River aka Anatolia Story is 28 volumes long and written by Chie Shinohara. This is one of my all time favorite, so good I read the series 3 times now. This series is the first and only manga that I have bought entirely, all 28 volumes, only to sell it for not even a quarter of the price I paid (which I regret because now I want to read it again -.-). Anyways this series is one that I strongly recommend for a few reasons.

Red River is an amazing historical fiction following the main heroine Yuri. She is brought into the past by the evil queen dowager Nakia of the Hittite empire. There she meets Prince Kail and begins her adventure for survival as the Goddess Of War, Ishtar. It only sounds like a cheesy plot because I am being very vague. Chie Shinohara has successfully created a fictional story set perfectly to fit the background of some historical facts. (Go to Google or Wikipedia for a better plot summary)
Yuri, the main character shows amazing growth and strength. Although Yuri never starts off as a typical crybaby who needs her knight in shining armor to save her, she shows enormous growth as an individual. Pulled into an unknown time period she is unfamiliar with the customs and rule that govern the empire she learns to adjust to her new life. Never hiding behind Kail, who saved her from being killed, she accepts her position as the Goddess Ishtar using her status to aid Kail and help the unfortunate. She learns to ride a horse, basic fighting skill, lead an army, outwit the enemy with little to no bloodshed when possible and much more.
Romance. The love between Yuri and Kail doesn't occur automatically like other stories but starts off like a flower bud that blooms throughout the story. Chie Shinohara was really good with the timing of Yuri and Kail's romance. As a reader I enjoyed the fact that they did not fall in love so fast, but rather it progressed with the timing of the story.

I have not given all the reasons why I liked the story but those were the big three that really made the story amazing for me. There were some things that I did not really like but it is like that for every story and I rather just go over the positive.

I highly recommend reading this series now - and lucky you its finished so there are no cliffhangers. You can read each volume immediately following the previous. (On the side note there are three side stories in the last volume, which wasn't all that interesting to me but still good) And if you have finished reading the series, did you enjoy it as much as I did?

Happy Reading!!

SNSD Hyoyeon's 'I Got a Boy' Inspired Eye Makeup

2013-02-08T22:45:00.001-10:00

Hello, Here is a short inspired tutorial on how to achieve Hyoyeon's (Dancing Queen of SNSD) eye makeup from their new song 'I Got a Boy'
This makeup look is not worn in the music video but are pictures from the album.

Image is from 'Wonderful Generation'

Products I used to achieve the look

And finally the tutorial:

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Hello 2013

2013-01-01T23:54:00.000-10:00

Q: What is a great way to enter the New Year?

A: A new planner of course! lol

My uncle got me this planner at the calendar store while we were at Pearl Ridge shopping mall. A whole bunch of items were 50% off so this planner came out to roughly $8. Here are some additional photos of the planner:

Pocket behind the cover

First page

Behind the monthly title page there is the full calendar with smaller previous and future months

Laminated monthly title pages with tabs that have the month listed

How the weekly pages look

Back Cover

This planner is extremely cute - I literally fell in love with it when I first saw it. I forgot to take a picture but after the monthly calendar there is a page that lets you write your goals for the month.

I have decided to use this planner for both school, personal, and work stuff since I want to be able to use it everyday ^^

I have yet to decide how I will actually organize everything but I am thinking about just using different colored pens (which is what I usually do for my planner dedicated for school to write down assignments for different classes).

I wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

안녕!!

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