Good morning, my pookies! Okay so I know I haven't been blogging quite as much as I would like to, but so many things have been going on with me and I'm still trying to figure out how to blog RIGHTLY and EFFICIENTLY that works with my schedule and style. But my friends, I have to introduce to you an amazing human being today! She's a travel instagrammer, Korean skincare enthusiast and a gorgeous woman of power. I present to you Kimmy of KimmyLovesKorea!

Kimmy and I began to interact some on Instagram where we found that we had a lot of the same interests - specifically kpop and Korean skincare! So I reached out to her about doing an interview for the blog and I am just thrilled to present my questions and her answers to you. She sent me pictures to go with the post and I spent so much time just looking through them and studying each one - especially the food ones. Y'all, that looks like some good Korean food. Just looking at the pictures made me hungry.

Kimmy is currently planning to go to Korea for the first time (something I didn't know when I presented these questions! XD) so I'm super excited about getting this post in before the big adventure begins! She's super sweet, awesome and generous and I can't thank her enough for doing this interview. You're amazing, girl.

Without further adieu...KimmyLovesKorea!

Kimmy in front of KPop Burger in Forth Worth, TX

Tell us about yourself! What inspired your love for Korea?

I live in Houston, Texas - a beautiful, diverse city where every culture under the sun is represented (or so it feels like.)  I'm a podcast host, lazy blogger, and a dog mom.  I come from a close family of strong, outspoken women (I have all sisters!), which inspires me to be the open, honest, and downright silly person I am.  Read a few comments on my instagram or listen to a podcast episode, and you'll figure out just how silly I can get. Haha!  My dad served in the military for 23 years, so as a military brat, I've had the opportunity to see the world.  I was born in Europe and spent most of my childhood on the island of Oahu.  So my love for Asian cultures was born in Honolulu, and I learned at an early age to relish the differences I discovered within each culture.  A childhood spent in a state so rich in Asian and Pacific heritage rooted a deep love for food, adventure, and life.  It didn’t take much for me to fall in love with the Korean culture specifically, and I haven't looked back since!

How many times have you been there?

I will be going to South Korea this fall! Although I’ve managed to make my way around the US and Europe, I haven’t been able to make it to Korea until this year. I can’t wait!

G-Dragon at Koreo Books, NYC

What's the best experience you've ever had there?

Since I haven’t made it yet, I’ll share my favorite Korean culture experience here in the US. I had the honor of meeting a couple visiting from Daejeon, South Korea. We had dinner together, and there was an instant friendship between us. They were the most open, honest and kind people I’ve ever met. They offered a place to stay in their home, their cars to drive, and were over the moon at the idea of me coming to visit them. Over something as simple as Chili’s hamburgers (yes, that good old fashioned American classic) I made new lifelong friends! It’s a beautiful thing to connect with someone from such a far off place. I can’t wait to see them in a few months!


What inspired you to become a blogger and Instagrammer?

I am the type of person who loves to connect with others. Instagramming and blogging allows me to reach people I may not meet in every day life.  I want people to feel like they can experience new things without fear.  Not everyone will get to travel outside the United States, but it doesn't mean they can't find international experiences where you live! That's what inspires me to show my followers restaurants to try or facial products they might love.  I'm discovering the Korean influence in America right along with them! And I love it.

CN Blue Burger at Kpop Burger

Have you tried Korean skincare? If so, what are your thoughts?

I am a card-carrying KBeauty addict.  I'm constantly looking for new products to try and interacting with other KBeauty lovers.  Getting into Korean skincare can be overwhelming, but what I always tell people is to start SOMEWHERE.  You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars in order to build a Korean skincare routine.  The beauty of this industry is there are products for every budget, and, even though having a 10 step routine is the ultimate goal, it is not a requirement.  If all KBeauty inspires you to do is take better care of yourself, then I say it's a win!  My Korean skincare routine started with 3 steps until I was able to find more products I could afford (on a long term basis) and as I learned more about my skin, it has grown and customized to my skin type and budget.

The Face Shop, NYC

What are your favorite skincare products?

I have a hard time picking just one, but I would have to say my Tony Moly Panda's Dream Sleeping Pack.  I adore this product because it's the perfect night time moisture for my face, and it absorbs quickly into your skin.  I don't like sleeping packs that leave a sticky residue, so this mask is perfect!  Another product I adore is The Face Shop's Rice Water Bright Cleansing Cream.  It smells delightful (which is a bonus), and it has a very soothing and cooling effect for me when I put it on.  It's a great alternative to an actual cleansing oil.  I have small hands, so pumping an oil into my hand basically guarantees it will be all over the bathroom counter. haha! Cleansing balms and creams are a LIFE SAVER for me!

What are the things that really strike you about the differences between Western culture and Asia?

There are a couple things that strike me.  First, I find it so interesting the difference in what's an appropriate clothing neckline for females in Korea.  In the USA, anything goes, however necklines in Korea tend to stay around the collarbone.  On the flip side, Korean fashion is totally fine with showing as much leg as possible.  It's such a funny imbalance to me.  You'll see girls with super short skirts and super high necklines on their shirts.

The second thing I find contrasted between Asian culture overall and Western culture is the reverence they have for seniority and the elderly.  Koreans, especially, have such a marked respect for those older than you, but specifically the elderly.  I think it's a trait we could learn from in America.  Not to say we don't respect and care for our elders, but there's just something special about the reverence they have, and I think it's something we could learn from.

Goblin Chicken in Koreatown, NYC

Do you think there's a lot to be learned from Korean culture that we could use in our everyday lives?

Absolutely!  I love and admire the Korean work ethic.  It's not always perfect (as nothing is), but there's a passion that is unparalleled with Koreans.  It's something I think we can be inspired by, and even the not-so-good-parts can be a lesson.  Yes, work hard, be passionate in everything, but don't overdo it.  Take care of yourself.  Be sure you eat well.  They're truly a beautiful culture!



Kimmy, thank you SO MUCH for doing this with me! I have loved talking with you about your incredible experiences with kpop artists and your adventures abroad. Best of luck with your trip! I know that you'll have an amazing time, making your dreams come true and having the time of your life. You're absolutely amazing.

Ya'll be sure to follow Kimmy on Instagram and subscribe to her podcast! You totally won't regret it.

Have a gorgeous day, beautiful.

-Emily (and Kimmy!)

Good morning, pookies! I hope everybody's having a happy spring and I really hope it's finally warming up for some of you. It got kind of chilly down here but at long last it's getting warmer. I don't need any more cold in my life. I'm ready for summer.

And a product good for summertime we have! A few weeks ago, the amazing folks at Beauty Park announced on their Instagram that they were recruiting 20 reviewers to try out a new lipstick made by the CLE Cosmetics. And of course, I, never one to back down off a challenge, entered and tagged my girl Abigail.

And we won! So about a week later I received in such a beautiful little package, CLE's Lip Powder in the color Barbie.

First of all, the packaging. So simple and yet so beautiful. I had to hold up the box to the light in order to read the description but I loved the classy minimalism of it.



"For the lass that cannot be described or named easily. You don't know what it is but there's an intrigue in how Cle brings out your own unique beauty, and that's what makes you who you are so effortless and naturally."

And when I opened it, I was a little blown away by the appearance of the powder - first of all, it's a very fine powder and second of all, it is hot, raging pink. Just like the Barbies I used to play with as a child.



In fact, didn’t I hear a few days ago that the Barbie I grew up with, the one that was a princess or a fairy or such, has now taken up vlogging? Oh, well.

Back to the lip powder! What I do is put moisturizer on my lips first and then put just a tiny amount of the lip powder on. Now for some wondering how this works, just know that it's not just powder inside of it. It's got a little moisture to it that makes it manageable, as opposed to like a loose mineral powder. The application is super smooth and it's got a really nice matte finish. I like the feeling of it - it's very light and there's no fragrance or stickiness to it. It looks almost natural: like you didn't put lipstick on this morning, Barbie pink is just the color of your lips!

Another awesome thing about it is the ingredients list that feature coconut oil, blueberry, and niacinamide so it's healing your lips as you're wearing it.

The description also says that you can use it as a blush or as eyeshadow and I really felt I had to review this thing to the max. So I decided to just mess around and put it all over.

I was freaking out the whole time.

Because here's the thing: I have a fair skintone with yellowundertones. So it's me versus Barbie hot pink. That pink is so strong, y'all! And it was looming over me like a monster and honestly, I didn't know how I was going to make it work without looking like Barbie has now taken up being a clown.

Shoot, I've never looked like Barbie a day of my life.

Using it as a blush, I tapped a little on my fingertips and just massaged it into my cheeks. I found that worked really well, it's very soft and blends super nicely. But as an eyeshadow, I find that it's too wet and too thin to last very long. So though it's cute when you first put it on, it doesn't remain that way.

So. Here's my finished product.



Oh Lordy be. And I'm sorry about the terrible lighting but I promise cooler lighting couldn't have made it look better. I did my best. I made it work. It looks festival so I do have that to my name.

I wish I could have vlogged the whole process like Barbie does (still working on figuring out how to vlog at all!) but you would have seen grimaces all over my face that's so un-Barbie. But if I was going to do it, I was going to do it a 110%.

I'm sure Barbie has said before, "Go big or go home."

So here's what I think about CLE's lip powder. Awesome product. Awesome ingredients. Not so awesome color for me. In fact, this lip powder was so awesome, that someday I'll probably get a more suitable color for me.

I had a really fun time playing around with this lip powder, Beauty Park. You're awesome.

Hey, if you haven't yet, sign up for email updates, follow on Bloglovin', Instagram, and Twitter!

Have a great day, beautiful.

-Emily

Good morning, pookies! I'm happy to be back after a small break as I've been trying to figure out my blogging schedule, figuring out what you guys need and what I need to focus on and such. I've decided to just blog on Fridays, at most, just to make sure I'm not overdoing it for you as well as for me! Have to say, blogging on a Monday when I've just come back from the weekend is pretty rough.

Okay, doing anything on a Monday after coming back from the weekend is pretty rough.

But without further adieu, I want to show you what came in my super adorable Ipsy bag this month! Ipsy's theme was Social Butterfly and it's beautifully portrayed on the rose gold bag they gave me. I just want to put a little handle on the zipper and use this gorgeous bag as a small purse. It'd be super adorable that way.




Anyway, it's festival season so the contents were quirky, cute and interestingly enough (for my bag anyway), not so much makeup focused as on body and haircare. I guess when it's festival season, you really have to invest in all day things like making sure your skin and hair are properly moisturized so you can handle the beautiful warm springy days while rocking to your favorite bands with a bunch of other weirdos like yourself.

So what did I get?

1. Briogeo Rosarco Milk Conditioning Spray

First of all, this stuff smells actually edible. It smells like the birthday cake of your dreams. When I first put it in my hair, I felt like the fairy of rosehip oil, argan and coconut oil. Which is a nice feeling. It's supposed to be used on damp hair, but I find that it works fantastically as a refreshing spray, when I've been outside and the wind has been working it's wonders on my curls, it's nice to just give my hair a little bit of hydration to bring back my definition. Also note, there are no parabens, no sulfates and no demethicones so curly girls can feel pretty safe using this.

2. Delectable by Cake Beauty Triple Moisture Body Lotion in Coconut & Cream

You know how a lot of body lotions smell and feel overpowering? Like whatever magic they had at the lab that smelled like unicorn morning breath, they ended up accidentally ("accidentally") dumping the entire contents into the formula? I'm so glad to say that that is not the case with this body lotion. It's got a very lightweight consistency and has shea butter, coconut oil and aloe vera in it. It's nice to put it on right after I get out of the shower for that smooth and fresh feeling.

3. Nomad Cosmetics Illuminating Highlighter in Midnight Sun

The last time Ipsy sent me a highlighter, it was like cotton candy pink. The texture was amazing but the color and shade just didn't match my autumn skin tone. So I wrote on Ipsy's review page that though I liked the highlighter, the color wasn't for me and now I actually have the highlighter of my dreams. I don't know if that was a coincidence (if you got this highlighter, put in the comments what you think of it!) but this is really the perfect highlighter for me. The sample is super small but this girl knows how to make it work.

4. Doucce Punk Volumizer Mascara

This mascara is kind of interesting. I'm not sure if it's any different from any other mascara you can get at the drugstore and in fact, the ones at the drugstore might be better. There's just nothing phenomenal about it, though I do like the brush. There's a lot of bristles on it so it separates each lash really nicely. There's just nothing shocking or blowing me away with it, as opposed to the PUR Mini Fully Charged Mascara I got a few months ago.

5. Ciate London Starstruck Double-Ended Stamp Liquid Liner

When I found out what was in my Ipsy bag, I was super excited that I was getting this liner. And when I tried it out, I was thrilled. First of all, the liner end is a very nice, thick brush that is deeply pigmented. It's a nice matte liner that glides on smoothly and evenly. And then on the other side of the pen, is a little star stamp that is super adorable. I know a lot of girls put it just on the outside of the lid, but I like to follow Ipsy's suggestion and put it on my wrist. It's just one of those quirky, thoughtful things to add to daily makeup.

I really, really liked this edition of Ipsy's Glam Bag but the only thing I was actually kind of disappointed in was their thinking behind the idea of "social butterfly". The little introduction card they put in the bag stated that we should all be really social this month and "say yes" to all the things people invite us to, all the opportunities and experiences that are always around us, just say yes, yes, yes. I would quote it directly, but I threw it away because I felt that they could have come up with something more thoughtful, something more important than just filling up our calendars with things to do and places to be and people to see.

When you say "yes, yes, yes" every single time someone or something presents you with an idea, an opportunity or just a party to go to, you're going to wind up being burnt out, exhausted and in need of self-care. I've said "yes" so many times to so many things and though there's a lot of things I'm glad I've said "yes" to, there's a whole lot of other times when I wish that I had said "no".

If you feel like you need to say "no", please don't feel bad about it. If you feel like you need to say "no", say it. I will too.

It's festival season. It's time to be with people who genuinely love us, it's time to listen to music that has touched our hearts and lives, it's time to take in sunshine and fresh air and be ourselves.

It's a really great time of the year. Let's spend our precious time in pursuit of loving others and loving ourselves.

What did you think of the Ipsy bag this month? Put it down there in the comments! I'd love to hear from you and what your plans are for glowing up! If you haven't, make sure you're subscribed to email updates, you follow on Bloglovin', Twitter and Instagram.

Have a great day, beautiful.

--Emily

*Hi! This post contains affiliate links powered by Viglink! I get a little commission if you make a purchase through one of the links in this blog post. I have tested each product and the opinions I express here are 100% my own. 

Good morning, pookies! Today I'm talking about my favorite makeup brand, Elf Cosmetics: for they have never cheated on me nor shamed me nor jilted me at the altar. My bank account is happy, my face is happy and my overall emotional state is excellent.

As some of you know, I've been foundation free for almost a month now (yay!) and my skin has really benefited from it. I focus more on healing my skin of acne and scarring than just covering it up. It's been really amazing to see in real time how it's been healing!

Because I don't wear foundation, it tons of fun to find new ways of making art on my face. It's just a new way of getting your war paint on!  I want to focus my makeup on places like my brows, defining my eye makeup and bold lipstick.

I felt like I needed to rejuvenate my makeup routine. So enter Elf.



I was getting emails from them about their new glitter line, the multi-use products they recently came out with and I was curious and then I was totally hooked. It totally seemed like the key to remaking my makeup routine and it really is. The products are dynamic and fun to use and they don't hurt my skin.

Enter Elf. The contents of my haul:

1. Hydrating Gel Melt Cleanser $10

(I didn't have it in my layflat picture because it's kind of unwieldy!) This is just a fantastic gel makeup remover, just slides the makeup off super smoothly and gently. Skincare comes first, friends! It's super hydrating and smooth and works great as a budget friendly makeup cleanser. I use my usual cleanser after it to follow through on my double cleansing routine. I love it.

2. Pop of Glitter Gel $4


Now this was interesting! I'm totally up for wearing glitter on my face so I was intrigued by the Pop of Glitter. I got mine in rose gold (I thought it was the prettiest and works well with my skin tone). I put some on my fingertips and apply it on the top of my cheekbones where I would usually put my highlighter. It spreads very evenly and the glitter is very fine. It's not sticky at all! I also put some on my lipstick for a little flash.

3. Monochromatic Multi Stick $4

I read a lot of mixed reviews about the Monochromatic Multi Stick so I decided to give it a try myself. Here's the scoop: it's like a blush mixed with highlighter. If you put it on your cheekbones, it will give you a little warmth as well as a nice glow. I like it for my foundation-free routine. Foundations wearers might find it difficult as it might scoop up your foundation or make you look slick. It's good for me for a little color as well as a pretty glow-up, especially if I don't feel like putting a whole lot of makeup on someday. It works for eyeshadow and lipstick as well! And the name is really fun to say. Monokhromatik Multaye Stik.

4. Satin Eyeliner Pencil $1

I needed just a nice eyeliner pencil and this one works well for me. First of all, the price. Come on. Second of all, it's really blendable so if you wanted to do a nice smoky eye using just an eyeliner pencil, give this one a try. It's very soft, like it's name. It came with a sharpener too!

5. Instant Lift Brow Pencil $2

This brow pencil comes with a spoolie on one end and the pencil is on the other. It gives you a nice balance and control without your brows looking too bold. Good for an every definition of your brows. I got my in dark and it might be a little bit too dark for me, but that's okay. I'll make it.

6. Metallic Lip Crayon $4

I was a little bit intimidated by the lip crayon, okay, I'm gonna be honest! I got it in Radiant Rouge because I thought it looked like a nice glowy soft rose gold on the website. But when I got it, I swatched it and realized that it was like...blackberry juice red. A deep, rich, magenta that leans just a little on the red side with a metallic sheen. I felt relief that it stays just within in my personal autumn hues but I'm not usually a berry sort of girl when it comes to lipstick. But when I tried it, lining my lips and then filling it in, I was pleasantly surprised! Then I tapped a little bit of the Pop of Glitter that I got and put a little highlight on my lower lip. That sealed the deal for me.

7. And because I went just a little over $25, I got free shipping and the Free Mystery Gift that comes with: Prism Eyeshadow Palette, Lip Balm with SPF 15 and my earned Beauty Squad points got me their Liquid Eyeliner.
This thrilled me to no end. I still have to do some testing on the eyeshadow but from what I've seen and tried, the shimmers and the creaminess of the palette makes it a really nice, budget friendly eyeshadow starter. I'll love wearing it for the everyday and use the darker tones for nighttime events, and when you mix the eyeliner with it, the effect is pretty stunning and classy. Note that the eyeliner isn't a strong matte black if you're looking for something pretty dramatic. I liked the feeling of the lip balm but the only catch was that the color is a springy pink and that's not really me. Love the SPF though and it'll be good for sunny and swimming days.


I love you, Elf. This has been so much fun and I felt like a little kid at Christmas. You're amazing and I love what you do.

What are your favorite Elf products? Let me know in the comments down below! Reach out to me on Twitter, Instagram or anywhere on my contact page that you'd like.

Have a great day, beautiful.

--Emily

Good morning, pooklicious! Or is it pookliciousi or is it pookliciousses? What is the fancy plural of pookie?

Pookies.

I'm gonna tell you something crazy. I didn't always have curly hair.




It was actually really weird looking, like a flat-top pyramid that cascaded down in frizzy tangled waves that I used to call with a sigh, "Not-curly-just-messy". Curly hair runs in my family on my dad's side - my aunt has gorgeous curly hair and so do some of my cousins. I always used to think that I only got like, half a gene or something.

Like something just didn't happen at conception that gave me only frizzy hair that could never quite make it to the ultimate destination of curldom.




Yeah. I'm horrified by three things in these photos: my brother had the nerve to put an orange peel on my head while I was eating and take a picture, the quality of my iPod photos but especially the state my hair was in.

You can see that it's trying to curl, especially around the bangs, but there's a lot of frizz, dullness and poofiness without definition.

It was hard to find photos of myself for this blog post. I didn't want to take any selfies because my hair was always a silly looking wreck. I made fun of myself all the time, trying to laugh off the problem but succeeding only in making myself feel bad about it.

When I was about thirteen, I was given a Tres Semme hair set. I was fascinated by the promises of no bad hair days.

And what really caught my eye? On the back of the gel product, it said, "Tame your hair."

So I set out on an quest to "tame" my hair. My hair was a monster, a monster I had to whip back into shape, yelling, "get back, get back, you foul fiend!"

I think this problem of messy, difficult hair happens to a lot of girls who live in family or circles of friends where curly hair is not the norm or something people deal with pretty often. I believe it happens pretty often to Caucasian girls who, unlike a lot of our darker skin curly sisters, might not have friends or family or even role models who embrace their curls.

But I know it happens to all girls, no matter their skin color, who feel that they have to attack their hair in order for them to feel good about it. In order to blend in.

So I put money and time in to get my hair in order. I had to stop the frizzy, tangled, oily, ugly monster. And that went on for quite a few years.

Does this sound like a familiar story to you?

But then all of it changed rather quickly.

One day, my mom read a blog post from a woman who stated that her hair dramatically changed when she went "all natural" with her hair. And looking at the before and after photos, it seemed too good to be true. Her original hair with just normal drugstore shampoos looked just like mine. And the after photos featured her gorgeous, stunning, tight curls all over.

First of all, what does "all natural" mean when it comes to curly hair?


I had to at least try this "all natural" thing. What did I have to lose?

And thus began my journey to respect my hair. To stop hating it for being so "in-between" and even uncaring of me and to start listening to it.

And my hair began to change. I'm not kidding, within two or three days I couldn't believe the curl.


I started to change too. My thinking about my hair changed and so did the way I treated it.

Here's my regimen:

1. Recognizing that my hair - no matter what condition it's truly in - has to be acknowledged as beautiful. 
Your healthy happy, best hair is on the inside of your current state of hair right now. How you treat it will set those healthy, happy curls free. It's already beautiful - it just has to be nourished and cared for. Your best hair days are your best healthy days. When you're treating your body and your hair well, good things can only come.

     2. Clean without stripping.
I use Chagrin Apple Valley Shampoo Bars to clean my hair without stripping it of it's natural oils that it uses to hydrate my hair. Depending on what I feel my hair needs will depend on the kind of shampoo bar I use. Chagrin Apple Valley features a lot of different kinds of shampoos with different moisturizers and cleansing elements. My current favorite is the carrot milk and honey - my hair feels so soft and moisturized after using it!

3. Regulate my PH with an apple cider vinegar rinse.
ACV is my hero. I have a spray bottle of it in the shower so I can immediately spray my hair after rinsing out my shampoo. Apple cider vinegar regulates the PH levels in your hair, cleansing it softly and again, delivering more hydration. My mix is diluted with some water and essential oils to get rid of that rough smell! I like to use lavender, peppermint or lemon. All depends on my mood when I make my spray.

4. Dry with a t-shirt or microfiber towel.
Drying your hair with a normal towel produces frizz (from the little threads making friction!). I use one of my old t-shirts to dry my hair by putting my hair upside down and scrunching my curls.

5. Condition with a product that doesn't contain any harsh chemicals.
I use Giovanni's Leave In Conditioner because it's got a lot of good ingredients and no laureth or any super bad stuff. It's got a little alcohol in it, but it doesn't hurt my hair. It's got a ton of the good stuff that boosts the volume and bounce of my curls while protecting it from drying out.

6. Love my curls!
It's okay to have short, bouncy, nearly black curls. I don't have to have long blonde straight hair to be beautiful. I'm okay just the way I am.




It's fun.

I'm so so glad to share all this with you! I'd love to hear from you all, please introduce yourself in the comments! Tell me about yourself and if you want to see something talked about on this blog, let me know! Subscribe for email updates, follow on Bloglovin', check out the Twitter and Instagram and become part of the #pookiefam.

Have a great day, beautiful.

-Emily

*This post contains affiliate links! I am an affiliate of StyleKorean and get a little commission if you make a purchase through one of my links but just know that opinions in this post are 100% mine. I have tested the product I'm reviewing and would recommend it to anyone. 

Heya, pookies! It's springtime and it's time to invest in yourself and your skin by putting the good stuff in your body and the good stuff on your face. I'm presenting to you one of my new favorite skincare products and that is the Skinfood Egg White Pore Mask.




Oh my goodness. The creamy, happy, smell goody brilliance.

Let me tell you about this mask.

Egg whites are full of protein, collagen and vitamin A. When you put it on your face, it heals your skin super gently by drawing out oil and tightening your pores. It makes your skin more elastic and my favorite part of it all, it reduces texture dramatically with the collagen property that it contains. It kills bacteria that causes acne and feeds your skin the vitamins it desperately needs.

Egg white is the perfect alternative for sensitive skin types that can't handle rough chemicals and need a little more love.

And that's why I love this mask.

Skinfood is a Korean drugstore brand that uses natural ingredients like black sugar, avocado, apples and of course, egg. They designed this mask to be super soft and easy to apply. The results are nearly instant. I use it all the time!

I use a nice clean brush to put it on, but after I dab a bit of it on my cheeks, nose, chin and forehead area, I massage it in with my (clean!) fingers.



Once it's all applied, I leave it on for about fifteen minutes and play some Bejeweled on my phone. Yes, I play Bejeweled. No regrets.

Also fun thing to note about this mask is that when you're in the light, you glow. It's just the reflection of light on the white mask but you do feel a little angelic!

By the time I'm all out of lives, it's time to rinse it off and pat dry my face and be wowed by the glow and dramatic reduction of my texture and tightened pores.

I totally recommend this mask to anyone - it's super gentle and even good for just spot treatment where your skin needs some soothing and smoothing.

And this just in: it's just $10. That's what really got me.

I absolutely love it. I think you will too.

What are your favorite smoothing skincare products? Put it down there in the comments and I will be sure to check them out! Also, if you have any requests for products you'd like to me review or any topics you want to talk about, please feel free to let me know in the comments. You're amazing.

Have a great day, beautiful.

-- Emily

Good morning, pookies! I hope everybody had a fantastic Easter, full of chocolate and family and friends and most importantly, the peace knowing that the day we celebrated was the most important day in history. That beautiful sunrise when Jesus came back from the dead to give us life and prove that He most definitely is Lord.




My Easter was super beautiful. I'm so glad the sun came out and though it was a little chilly for Louisiana April, it warmed up nicely and that's all I needed.

My sisters, dad and I sang in our choir for both services. We had a brass orchestra there and they were absolutely fantastic. I love the feeling of the sound tingling the floor and ringing in my ears. After church, my boyfriend Forrest and I headed to my grandparents house where there was so much to eat and so many people to see! I have no regrets about how much chocolate I consumed.

I found myself feeling so grateful and happy, spending time with my family, all of whom I love to pieces, the moon and back. And I've been finding myself super grateful for Forrest. In a few days, we'll have spent a whole year together - the best year of my life.



He's supportive and loving, funny and accepting, kind and incredible and I'm so glad he's all mine.

(By the way, the yellow cowl neck I'm wearing I got at thredUP. Not an affiliate - yet anyway! - but I have gotten some steals from this amazing online thrift store and I think you'll like it.)

After the party at my grandparents, we went over to his house where we consumed more sugar (coffee ice cream and brownies - it was pure heaven) and watched a 90s romantic comedy.

I love 90s romantic comedies.

My favorites have been You've Got Mail, While You Were Sleeping and this new one for me, Return To Me (though technically, this movie came out in 2000, it's still got that 90s vibe that I love so much).

As per the IMDB synopsis: "In this comedy-drama which shows us how the tragic death of one human being can still save the life of another, a happily-married man (David Duchovny) is struck with tragedy when his wife (Joely Richardson) dies from complications of a car accident. In her death, however, another is given life, as another young woman (Minnie Driver) with an ailing heart is given a transplant. Finally able to live a normal, happy life for the first time in years, she joins her grandfather in helping to run an Irish-themed restaurant, where she meets the widower, never imagining that the heart beating in her chest belonged to his wife. They slowly fall madly in love with each other, but when she learns the shocking truth, she is torn by whether or not she should let him know about the transplant she received and who it came from."



I laughed, I cried and I adored the romanticism and sheer beauty of the film. I love the 90s fashion, comfortable and cool and soft colors. The characters are diverse and though the film was criticized for having a lack of conflict, this is just one of those feel-good movies that you don't have to think too much.

All you have to do is enjoy it and get immersed in the colors and the people you're watching. You just focus on the gentle touches that these people have in other people's lives. And how those touches can drastically change those lives.

And maybe that's why I love 90s romantic comedies. Because more than likely, we're not going to save the world but we can impact people around us with love and light and laughter.

That's so important to remember when everything and everybody expects us to rock the foundations around us. We don't have to. We just have to smile and grow.

How did you spend your Easter and I'd absolutely love to know what your favorite 90s romcoms are! I definitely need to add more to my watchlist. Have fun this week (I'm sure a lot of you have extra candy from your grandparents), stay safe and it's okay to be sad, but know that it's also okay to be happy.

Have a great day, beautiful.

-Emily

Good morning, pookies! Happy Good Friday and I hope you are feeling well, feeling joy and feeling peace this morning. Where I am in Louisiana, it's cloudless and the sun is bright and everything is super green.

I love it. It's nice and cool (though I know it won't last for long!) and it's like the Emerald City with the sunshine touching the dewy grass and makes everything feel better.

I've been thinking a lot about this blog and who's reading it and why I’m doing it. I love talking about makeup and skincare and I think the background to those two facets of this blog is self-care.

It's the root of it all. If you're getting all your makeup and putting effort into your skin just so that you can please other people or feel that it's the only way you're going to be beautiful, it's not going to be fun.

It's going to be painful and unrewarding. It's going to feel like a chore. It's going to tear you down; physically, mentally, spiritually.


It felt like that for me for a long time. Every day, I did my best to cover my imperfections, look as good as someone I saw on the internet and never thought about actually healing my skin because I deserved it, because I needed it just as anyone else.

I'm learning to embrace my own beauty. To know that no matter what, no matter what might happen to my outside, it's the inside that counts and it's what makes every single one of us beautiful or not.

Here's the three things you need to know in order to embrace your own beauty:

Spending so much time wondering to yourself if this is measuring up to another person's ideal is going to kill you. Whether figuratively or sometimes - tragically - literally. I have spent so much wasted time trying to live up to someone's standards of what or how I should be.

What college I should attend, what pursuits I should be working on, what life I should live.

How my entire body image should be.

It's poisonous. It ruins your thinking. We've got to step away from people's ideals of us, whether those people are extended family or friends, Youtubers or someone we saw on Instagram. It's the only way that we can say to ourselves, "I'm okay the way I am."

It's okay to study other people's techniques and learn so much from them, to admire Youtubers and Instagrammers but to put them up on such a pedestal that we feel that the only way we can be beautiful is to be just like them - that's the point that comparison comes in and kills.


You can meet up with the most beautiful woman in the world and be like, "Oh my gosh, that's the most beautiful woman in the world." But if she's abusive, obnoxious, rude and toxic - is she really that pretty?

We all know someone like that.

I'm going to tell you something that can change your entire perspective about your own beauty:


I've been learning so much about reaching out in love to everyone, just in this past week.

I picture a tree with branches reaching out to everything and everyone: the earth, ourselves, the sky, the stars, heaven itself.

I want to be like that tree.


I'm pretty active on Instagram and I follow a lot of makeup artists and makeup enthusiasts so I see their selfies nearly every day. I follow women of various colors, body types, face types and you know what?

I have never seen one ugly woman on there.

I have never seen an ugly woman on Instagram.

They all look so different and yet all of them are dynamically beautiful because they are not afraid of posting themselves the way that they are.

And we can do that too. We can know that the way we look is already supremely beautiful. Makeup or not, plus size or petite, all colors and hair types.

We can look at ourselves in the mirror and say, "Because I'm alive, I'm here on earth…I'm special and beautiful just because."

        And then we can put on our makeup because it's the artful, exciting, fun thing to do because we don't have to change ourselves, but we can make real-life art on our real-life artful selves.


You're so much more than other people's perceptions or your own perceptions. You're a multi-faceted human being with a heart and a mind and a soul that's more powerful than you think.

Let's fill up with love and embrace our beauty.

How are you embracing your own beauty? What are the challenges facing you? Let me know in the comments and I'd love to get in touch with you. Be sure to subscribe for paper airplane blog posts in your inbox and feel free to contact me in any way that you'd like, whether that's Instagram, Twitter or my contact page.

Have a wonderful weekend, beautiful. Happy Easter and I'll see you on Monday.

--Emily

Heya pookies! It's a beautiful day and I'm presenting to you the amazing Youtuber women who first of all introduced me to makeup and skin love and then proceeded to inspire my artistry and also teach me how to take care of my skin. They've taught me so much, from building your skin barrier to slaying your eyeliner. These ladies are so awesome and they're fantastic for starting your makeup and skincare journey with. Without further adieu, allow me to introduce them to you!



1. Liah Yoo

This talented, beautiful and soft-spoken woman is a skincare guru with plenty of research and knowledge in her brain. She just recently started her own brand, Krave Beauty, that is completely based off the idea of being gentle with your skin. She is currently on a foundation free makeup routine and it's totally inspiring to see her rock it.

2. Denitslava

Denitslava is a super talented, super adorable makeup artist who knows how to do the makeup game right! Her makeup looks are completely wearable and she teaches you as she goes. She's just a delight to watch and I adore her Bulgarian accent.

3. Alissa Ashley

Beautiful Alissa is amazingly creative. It's almost mesmerizing to watch her put on her makeup. I first started watching her because she has hooded eyes like I do and she had a video on applying eyeliner for hooded eyes. It was incredibly helpful! She's awesome, check her out.

4. Jackie Aina

                 Jackie-jackie-jackie-jackie! Oh, Jackie Aina is an absolute joy and a blessing from above! She's hilarious and brilliant, imaginative and the makeup looks she has are super colorful and fun. Every time I watch Jackie, I'm like "Yes, ma'am. You're flawless. You're doing amazing sweetie. Yes ma'am. Amen." You will too.

These are some amazing women and Youtube has tons of others! I'd love to know who are your favorites! Put it down there in the comments and let me know who has made an impact on your makeup and/or skincare routine.

Thanks for being part of the #pookiefam. Love you.

-Emily

Hi pookies! Good morning, it's a beautiful day and I have to say, this is the best I've felt all week. I took a small hiatus off of social media and blogging for a few days for some self-care and refocusing. My head feels a lot clearer and my tension is gone so I know I'm going to be okay.

But today is pretty important because I'm revealing to you the one main ingredient that healed my acne and the mixture I'm using that is currently healing my scars and hyperpigmentation. It sounds like a secret sauce and though I usually don't believe in secret sauces (except for Canes sauce, nobody can fight that), this seems like the only thing that has worked for me and I really, really believe that it'll work for you too.

Without further adieu, let me introduce: colloidal silver.



You literally put silver on your face and then you become a silvery queen and then you take over the world and everybody loves your silvery amazingness. That's the long and short of it.

But let me explain this beautiful goodness.

So my little sister had a pretty bad gash on her face about two years ago and her pediatrician recommended putting this Silver Shield Rescue Gel from Nature's Sunshine on it daily to heal the wound and the scar. And we couldn't believe how quickly it healed.

We've used it again and again for cuts and scrapes and when my sister recommended using it for my cystic acne, everything changed for me. It's a relief to no longer have painful and annoying acne that I could never get to actually heal and now have my skin healing from within.

So what is colloidal silver?

Silver is an antibiotic. It is usually used for wound care because it kills bacteria so effectively. When you have acne, it only seems to get worse because of the bacteria that's just sitting there, causing you pain and torture and suffering. So when silver - a disinfectant, antibiotic, antiseptic -  and put it on your face, it cleans your acne out, gives your skin a chance to heal and protects your skin from any other bacteria getting in. It disinfects the whole area and builds up your skin barrier.

This Silver Shield is water based and contains no alcohol or oils so me and my acne-prone friends can apply without fear of clogging up our pores or drying us out. It's super gentle and painless. It actually has quite a nice cooling effect when you first put it on.



I honestly could not believe how quickly this worked for me. Here's my routine:

1. Cleanser
I use a gentle cleanser from Garnier that doesn't contain alcohol, sulfates or any of the like.

2. Moisturizer
My go to is Elf Daily Hydration because it's super light, smells good and doesn't clog my pores.

3. Silver Shield
Using a q-tip, I take just a drop of the gel and gently apply it to my problem areas. I do this twice a day, after washing my face in the morning and after I get out of the shower in the evening.

4. Everything else!
After letting that dry for a little bit, I can go ahead with my sunscreen and makeup.

I've only been doing this for about a week and the results are already pretty obvious.



Notice how my acne in the first photo is super red and inflamed. The one on the left was taken this morning. I don't have any more texture there and it's just a matter of healing the scars now.

Which leads me to my little mixture! Like the mad scientist I am, I've been mixing the silver with a drop or two of rosehip seed oil. Rosehip seed oil is full of vitamin c and it lightens hyperpigmentation. We'll see how it goes!

What are your favorite acne treatments? We all need them so I would absolutely love for you to put them down there in the comments! I also want to say that the stats for the interviews that Abigail and I posted are mind-boggling! It's pretty obvious that you all loved those posts so much. I'm totally open for your requests on anything you'd like to get covered here on It's Emily Claire. You guys are amazing and I love you all.

Have a great day, beautiful!

-Emily

Hi pookies! Welcome back to part two of the interviews that Abigail (at Dreamer of the Day) and I have been collaborating on! If you haven't read my interview with her, be sure to check it out here. Abigail is a fantastic skincare queen and now here is her interview with me. I am so delighted to be doing this with her! It's something we've been talking about for a while now and now we've finally gotten around to it. To be sure, this isn't the last time we'll do something like this. Let's get right down to it!


What was the moment you realized that skincare was important?

I think my journey with skincare goes back to the moment I realized that self-care was important. Growing up, I kind of felt that the way I was (short, frizzy hair, acne-prone, oily/combination skin) was just the way that I was and I couldn't fix it, much less like it. It led me to have low self-esteem and serious comparison problems. But everything kind of changed when my mom discovered a blogger, who unfortunately I can't remember the name of, and she went "all natural" with her hair and discovered that her hair wasn't really naturally frizzy - it was naturally curly. By taking the time to understand her hair and not break it down with chemicals to "tame" it, she found out that her hair needed hydration and special care and when it had it, it became magnificently curly. I decided to do the exact same thing and when my hair of course, totally transformed, I realized that it was because I was just taking care of my hair. I wasn't attacking it with chemicals, I was paying attention to it and nourishing it. So my next question to myself was, "Well what would happen if I took care and loved every piece of me?" And everything changed and is still changing for the better.




What do you think is the most important lesson you've learned on your skincare journey?

Know what your skin can handle. Some "experts" or bloggers will tell you to slather on turmeric and cinnamon or horribly, toothpaste on your face. If it burns you, or if you know it will damage your skin, don't follow the tips! Just because these DIY recipes work for some people, it might not work for you and you have to know that that's okay. Go gentle.

What is the biggest game-changing product you've found so far?

Probably my egg white pore mask from Skinfood. I love putting it on and I have found that it tightens my pores and lightens my skin beautifully. It feels and smells fantastic too!

What is something in skincare that you'd like to try, but haven't yet?


A detox bath. I have never done it before but I'd love to just soak in essential goodness and roses and listen to BTS and feel like a fairy queen.

What, in your opinion, is the biggest skincare misconception?

The idea that we'll someday reach perfect skin. There are so many circumstances around us that can contribute to skin problems: where we live, the air quality around us, the work we do. A lot of things we just can't get out of. That doesn't give us the excuse to throw our hands in the air and give up on loving our skin and taking care of it as best we can. It gives us the opportunity to understand and be kind to ourselves and our skin.



What made you get into makeup?

I've been an artist all my life. I've been a watercolorist, a jewelry designer, a writer, a digital artist, a comic artist and at one point, I was even making music. I have an artistic spirit that I simply can't ignore and makeup has just been another facet of it. I don't assign any insecurities to it, I don't feel that I love it because I'm just trying to impress people or make myself different. I just love art and if I can move it to my entire face, I totally will!

What's one product that you would suggest to anyone and everyone?

LA Girl Cosmetics' the Nudes eyeshadow palette. I've written a review for this on my blog and I just cannot say enough good things about it. The price, the pigmentation, the variety of colors, even the brush tool it comes with, is so wonderful. If you're just starting out in makeup or if you just need a go-to everyday eyeshadow palette, the Nudes is the one for you.

Why is makeup important to you?

I just love doing art to my face and I love to make art for other people. I don't mean that I want to cover up insecurities or put covering up blemishes above healing those blemishes. I just feel that a strong red lipstick gives a girl confidence and sparkling eyeshadow will catch our eyes to look deep into hers. Everybody is beautiful and good makeup will accentuate that beauty and highlight it so that everybody can see it.



What do you hope to add to the makeup world?

A different look. I don't want to bring to the world the idea that we all have to look like one makeup artist, who has the blinding highlight and the killer eyeliner and the brows that arch up so perfectly. What I really want to add to the makeup world is an artistic side to it, that says you don't have to do it like that - bring in the ethereal, the magical, the colorful where you will still look like you but all the beauty that you already have is pulled to the forefront and you rock yourself, not someone you saw in a magazine.

What are you all-time favorite, holy grail products?

My Loreal Color Riche lipsticks. They're the best lipsticks I've ever used, so soft and moisturizing they don't even dry out my lips. And for days when I'm going minimal makeup, I wear Burts Bees lip shimmer balm in Peony. The color is gorgeous and it's perfect for that brows-mascara-lipcolor look.



And that's it! Oh I'm so thankful for my dear Abigail, she is so supportive and kind and amazing. Thanks so much for doing this with me, girl.

What are some of your own favorite skincare or makeup products? I'd absolutely love to hear from you down in the comments. If you haven't yet, be sure to sign up for email updates so you can get paper airplane blog posts in your window every Monday and Friday!

Have a great day, beautiful.

-- Emily