How many times have you seen one of the numerous “how to understand introverts” cartoons floating around online? Or came across another article extolling the secret power of introverts?
Intentional or not, we introverts have been receiving some extra attention in the past few years. Society is finally starting to understand that introversion is not just about being shy and introspective, that extroversion is not just about being talkative and social. Rather, it is about how and where you derive your energy — from others or from within yourself?
And today, I’ve learned that it goes even deeper still. According to a model developed by psychologist Jonathan Cheek and his colleagues, there are actually four types of introversion: social, thinking, anxious, and restrained. Many introverts are a mix of all four types.
Embedded at the bottom of the article is a quiz you can take to see what shade of introvert you are. The above graph depicts the results of my test; it seems that I have no strong inclination for a particular type of introversion, but I am more socially introverted than anxious.
Be sure to head on over to the NYMag article for a more thorough description of each type, and if you have a spare few minutes, take the quiz yourself!
This webstrip made me LOL today because I can relate all to well! You know you’re pale when a friend makes a remark about your pale legs and you show them your tan lines to prove that this is your tan skin.
In all seriousness though, I’ve learned to accept my pale skin and now wear sunscreen every day, even when I don’t go out. I always tell my friends that Asian — especially Japanese! — sunscreen is the way to go, because the sun protection technology is more advanced, with better formulas that are usually a lot cheaper as well.
(Don’t believe me? Go read Why You Shouldn’t Be Buying Your Sunscreen in America.)
My favorite sunscreen, the Innisfree Eco Safety No Sebum Sun Milk SPF50+/PA+++, has sadly been discontinued but you can bet that I picked up a couple of extra bottles when I first found out. 😉 I’ve gotten J to start wearing sunscreen every day too; I bought him the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence Sunscreen SPF50+/PA++++ for its light formula with no whitecast. And the Nivea Sun Protect Super Water Gel SPF 50/PA+++ is a great option for the body!
As for the girls, they love their Sunkiller Mild Baby Milk Sunscreen Lotion SPF38/Pa+++ for its cute, pink packaging. Now, they’re the ones who remind me that they need to apply sunscreen before we go out! 
For more information and reviews on Japanese sunscreen, be sure to check out RatzillaCosme!
Via Reddit.
Once upon a time, I considered myself an artist.
I attended studio art classes twice weekly. I even considered attending an art college — and in preparation, I devoted the summer vacation before my senior year in high school with 5-hour portfolio classes every weekday.
I was accepted to some of the best art schools in the country. However, I decided to pursue a more “stable” future and decided to attend a traditional college instead. That being said, one of the reasons I chose JHU was for its affiliation with the prestigious Maryland Institute College of Art.
I only ended up taking a couple of classes at MICA, and haven’t done much drawing or painting since college. I subconsciously put that part of my life behind me.
So last week, when I felt a sudden and overwhelming urge to draw something, I first became confused…then excited! I quickly grabbed a #4 pencil and a gum eraser from my dust-covered ArtBin and turned my attention to a subject I know, cherish, and study every day: my children.
It was only a 5-minute sketch, so it’s not perfect. But I like to think that I captured Aerin’s essence well.
I showed the portrait to its subject and she immediately recognized herself and smiled, which was the greatest compliment I could’ve asked for. I then turned to Claire, but my shy older child asked not to be drawn.
But the next day, she agreed.
Claire was considerably more difficult to capture, as her features are less pronounced than her younger sister’s. Just as I had concentrated on Aerin’s strongest feature — her eyes — I decided to concentrate on Claire’s hallmark: her slightly smiling, pursed lips.
My ability to draw doesn’t seem to suffered as much as my skills with the piano or violin, and for that I am both glad and grateful. I think I will continue to draw and paint more in the future; I had almost forgotten how much joy it can bring me!
Did you guys hear that there’s a little thing called Comic-Con happening this weekend?
No? Don’t care? Well, then…carry on.
If you’ve chosen to keep reading, let me take this moment to once again lament my not being able to attend this year. I will make an appearance in the near future. I will dress myself, and my girls, in adorably geeky costumes. (They began practicing long ago!)
As per my usual fashion, I have been closely following my favorite sites for Comic-Con coverage…and while this year’s convention seems unsurprisingly kickass, the most anticipated panels do not seem to have revealed much. 🙁 (See: How ‘Star Wars’ won Comic-Con 2015 — while revealing nearly nothing) However, I did read about one little proceeding which I believed warranted a mention on this blog…
Yesterday, when a fan asked Joss Whedon — probably my favorite writer/producer/director — who his favorite character creation is, he replied, “My answer would change daily. It could never stop changing.”
But if he had to make a choice?
“How can I not say Buffy? She is the very distilled essence of everything I’m not, and want desperately to be or be around.”
Then he took it a step further by adding that Buffy is “sort of the nexus, the beating heart, of everything that I have done — or will. She gets the nod.”
Oh, the feels!
I ♥ you, Buffy! And I ♥ you too, Joss!
And if you’ve never watched Buffy, take a look at this 5-min video to see why you totally should:
A few weeks ago, Korean beauty e-tailer Peach & Lily reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in trying some of their products.
Um…yes please? For, you know, *cough cough* research purposes. Can I have them all?
All kidding aside, I have shopped from P&L in the past and I love their product offerings. And while I would’ve loved to stock up on some tried-and-true items, I asked if they wouldn’t mind sending me an item from Shangpree, a brand that had intrigued me since I first spotted it on their website.
Here’s some background info on Shangpree from the P&L brand page:
Seoul’s highly demanding spa-going elite have been flocking to the iconic Shangpree Spa for a first-class beauty experience for 25 years now. Every Shangpree esthetician must complete an incredibly lengthy and rigorous training process to ensure that they embody the spa’s high standards (even an esthetician with 20+ hands-on experience is required to train the Shangpree-way for 3 years before being able to provide client services)— and when Shangpree launched their product line, that same level of perfectionism was expected in every formula.
P&L hand-delivered an incredible beauty package to my front door, and I was delighted to find not one, not two, but three Shangpree items nestled among its contents.
First up is the product that excited me most: the Shangpree Bitgoa Hue Essence Toner.
As you can see from the picture above, the Bitgoa Hue Essence Toner comes in a luxurious pump bottle. It’s not glass, but it’s weighty and solid, with a beautiful pearlescent white finish. I personally prefer transparent bottles so that I can see how much of the product is left, but I have read that many beauty companies forgo this route because it can lead to oxidation of the product.
I’ve been battling some health issues as of late. And with the addition/subtraction of various meds and therapies in an effort to properly treat the problems, I’ve predictably been in a bit of a funk.
I’ve made no efforts in the past to hide my struggles with depression, and I am not about to now. However, at this present moment, my situation is precisely what I’ve described above — a funk — and not a relapse into depression. The reason I wanted to bring up depression, however, is to point you to an article penned by one of my favorite beauty bloggers, Fifty Shades of Snail aka The Crazy Snail Lady, titled “How My Elaborate Korean Skincare Routine Helps Me Fight Depression.”
Research. Controlled experimentations. Routines and rituals. Active participation in a supportive community. I’m not sure about other sufferers of depression, but these have all been great forms of therapy for me in the past. I just hadn’t realized that my recent obsession with Korean beauty products and practices had been acting as a form of therapy — whether depressed, in a funk, or just plain having a bad day.
And on the upside? My skin has never been better. I’ve always had okay skin thanks to genetics, but now…
Well, take a look.
I’ve done and gotten all dolled up for y’all, using mostly Korean makeup. (List of items below.)
I was too lazy to use a proper camera so the image quality isn’t the best, but you get the idea.
This picture was taken eight hours after first applying my makeup in the morning…and I made NO TOUCHUPS, not even blotting paper! (Yes, good skin really helps your makeup look better and last longer!) In case you’re wondering, here’s the full list of makeup worn:
What have I been doing differently since the last time I shared my skincare routine? Mainly, more science. Researching ingredients and using what works best on my skin whilst staying clear of chemicals/additives that do not play well with my skin. The addition of acids and vitamin C. Being more pH-aware.
SCIENCE, guys. There’s a reason it works! 😎
Here is my current skincare routine:
AM:
PM:
* My current bottle of C20 is running low, and I have ordered the C21.5 as a replacement. The C21.5 is supposed to be an upgrade from the C20 and supposedly absorbs faster, which I’m very much looking forward to!
** I JUST starting using a new cleansing sherbet, the Botanic Farm Grain Ferment Cleansing Sherbet, this week and I’m LOVING it so far! I actually like it better than the Banila Co, but since it’s only been a week I decided to put the Banila Co on the list instead.
I am fully aware that this is A LOT of steps. Especially when you consider the fact that I used to only use a cleanser and maybe a lotion (only if my skin felt dry) before I got into Korean skincare. And the 20+ extra minutes of waiting time in the morning and 40+ extra minutes at night? It’s a good thing I hardly ever go out!
BUT. It’s so worth it to me. To have some semblance of control in a life that too often seems out-of-control. To keep myself distracted (in a good way). To force myself to pamper myself. The glowing skin is just an added perk at this point!
Besides, it’s not like I lie around doing nothing during those waiting times. 🙂 I actually like to use the 20-30 mins after applying the BHA at night to clean the kitchen and do the dishes. And the 20-30 mins after AHA are usually used to tidy up the living room and get the girls ready for bed.
I also like to chase my daughters around the house with a sheet mask on, pretending I’m a monster or a ghost. They used to be scared of me whenever I used a sheet mask, but now they love it! Additionally, both girls enjoy helping me apply lotion, or assist me in other ways like Aerin has recently with the Lindsay Modeling Rubber Mask.
Please let me know if you have any questions about my current skincare routine, the products in it, or are having trouble locating any of the items on this list. As is the case with practically any product review, YMMV, but most of the products in my routine are those that are beloved by many over at /r/AsianBeauty and I can’t recommend them enough!
I like books, gadgets, spicy food, and art. I dislike shopping, hot weather, and the laws of entropy. Although I am a self-proclaimed computer nerd, I still have a love for handbags and makeup... and I am always teetering on high heels. To learn more about me, visit the "About" page.
These represent the current most popular posts (by pageview). If you would like to see a more comprehensive list, please see my Popular Posts page.
 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue V. E. Schwab |
 The Orphan Master's Son Adam Johnson |
 The Last of Us |
|
