Korea Trip 2015: Skin Care and Cosmetics Haul

It's not possible to go to Korea--a bona fide beauty destination--and come back empty handed. With their cosmetics and skin care arguably among the top notch in the world, it's no surprise I came back home with half a large luggage of make-up and skin care. Prior to the trip I did all my research and budgeted enough for what I wanted to buy. Unsurprisingly, and with a good reason, my budget flew out the window when I actually started my beauty shopping.  

Let's break down my massive beauty haul.

I love how generous they were with samples!

What I learned: Seoul, South Korea 2015

To this day, I still distinctly remember the two times I exposed myself to the Korean Wave. The first time was in 2000 when I watched the classic Korean drama Autumn in My Heart. The second time was in 2004 when I started following the pre-debut of Super Junior, a formerly 13-member boy band. By that time, I was already in too deep with the 'wave' which ultimately became one of the main reasons of my wanting to visit South Korea for the last fourteen years. 

This past January, I finally did, with three of my closest friends. 

Seoul, South Korea was everything I imagined it to be; from the bustling city streets to the breath-taking night lights, I was so ecstatic to have finally set foot on Korean soil!

And here are several things I learned throughout my 2.5 week trip.

Tour of Canada's First Nordstrom

Nordstrom Canada

I nearly had a heart attack when I found out Nordstrom was coming to Canada. What made it even better was that the first ever Canadian Nordstrom was going to be opened in Calgary, a mere 2.5 hour drive from where I live. That in itself is a call to celebration! I went there for the very first time this month, and it did not disappoint. Well, prices weren't to my liking, but the physical form of the American upscale fashion was right before my eyes so I had nada complaints. Oh, it was glorious indeed.

Shopping Haul

It's dangerously rare for me to go to the mall and come home empty-handed. That's why I try to limit my visits to the mall to emergencies only. So when Christmas came around, it was the perfect excuse to go to the mall because I had so many presents that I needed to buy! Lucky for me, that night I went home with bags upon bags, all for... myself. That's right. A Christmas shopping trip for family and friends became a personal one real fast when I saw sale signs left and right. The excitement in me couldn't be contained, hence the need for this haul post. Let's start. 

Swings: A Sky's Pendulum

Back when I was a kid, my dad's idea of teaching me how to ride a two-wheeler bike for the first time was shoving me down a hill, armed with my helmet and knee pads. Bruises, cuts, bleeding, imagine how scary that was for me. Thankfully I survived. Looking back, I injured myself quite often, but luckily never to the point of breaking or fracturing a bone. When I cut the back of my hand on a door hinge and bled profusely until I thought I was going to die, my mom put a Band-Aid on it, exclaimed it was no big deal and will one day see it become a battle scar. Instead of creating an imaginary safety bubble around the little silly me, they taught me that by falling, I can learn to get back up again.

Picture taken from Pictures On Life

Duchess Bake Shop

I'm a food enthusiast. Actually, to be more specific, I'm a dessert enthusiast because I'm painstakingly picky about what I eat. But when it comes down to the sweet stuff, serve it up on a gold dish because that's just how I like it. A few years ago I was introduced to what I now call my favourite 'sweet escapade', Duchess Bake Shop, a whimsical, drool-worthy, money-pinching bakery done right. You see that chandelier hanging over there? Yes, it's as hipster as it sounds. If you think that chandelier is something, wait until you see what's inside.

Dig A Little Deeper

It's time to get up close and personal. 20 Facts You Didn't Know About Me.