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Jan 21, 2015 • In Beauty, Infographics, Information, Personal

100 Years of “The Perfect Body”

One of my favorite sections from Tina Fey’s 2009 bestseller Bossypants deals with body image:

I think the first real change in women’s body image came when JLo turned it butt-style. That was the first time that having a large-scale situation in the back was part of mainstream American beauty. Girls wanted butts now. Men were free to admit that they had always enjoyed them. And then, what felt like moments later, boom — Beyoncé brought the leg meat. A back porch and thick muscular legs were now widely admired. And from that day forward, women embraced their diversity and realized that all shapes and sizes are beautiful.

Ah ha ha. No. I’m totally messing with you. All Beyoncé and JLo have done is add to the laundry list of attributes women must have to qualify as beautiful. Now every girl is expected to have Caucasian blue eyes, full Spanish lips, a classic button nose, hairless Asian skin with a California tan, a Jamaican dance hall ass, long Swedish legs, small Japanese feet, the abs of a lesbian gym owner, the hips of a nine-year-old boy, the arms of Michelle Obama, and doll tits. The person closest to actually achieving this look is Kim Kardashian, who, as we know, was made by Russian scientists to sabotage our athletes.

I know that in this day and age, we women are taught that true beauty shines from within, that our happiness, health, and confidence are far more important than our physical attributes. But let’s face it — I have not come across a single woman in my life who was 100% satisfied with her body, all the time.

And how can we, when our society’s perception of an ideal body is every-changing as well?

To illustrate this point, The Greatist has put together a series of images that outline just how much the American standard for the “perfect body” has evolved over the past 100 years. Take a look!

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?

Thanks to the expansive trove of treasures offered by Netflix, I have been introduced to various cable shows I would have never watched otherwise. I’ve gone through almost all of USA Network’s original programming (some of the best cable shows out there!), and now I’ve moved onto Syfy TV with the likes of Z Nation and Haven.

There was an episode of Haven last season in which a relatively unknown cover of an old song served to heighten the emotionally bittersweet conclusion. The song and the scene continued to play in my mind for days on end, so I did what any nincompoop would do and looked it up online.

I present to you: “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” by Sweet Talk Radio.

Isn’t it hauntingly beautiful? Months after tracking down and listening to the track in its entirety for the first time, this song still plays repeatedly in my household, my car, and in my head. It’s perfect for those contemplative moments wherein one becomes lost in memories and possibilities.

Or, even just to have on in the background as you take a moment to relax. 🙂

Do you know of other covers where an artist takes a popular song, totally rocks it, and makes it his/her/their own? (The first that pops into my head is Tori Amos’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”)

Marvel’s STAR WARS #1

This past week was a big one for us Star Wars ~~nerds~~ fans.

Even if you’re not into the greatest sci-fi franchise ever created, you may have heard about a certain comic book already breaking records before its official release date. 😉

That’s right — Marvel’s Star Wars #1 was released on January 14^th, 2015!

Did you know that these days, major comic book releases almost always include different cover variants? And that there exist illustrators who make their living just from doing comic book cover variants?

So with Star Wars being such a popular franchise — and because Marvel’s acquisition of the comic book rights is such a big damn deal (previous Star Wars comics were published under Dark Horse) — it seemed that every major variant artist, comic book store chain, distributor, etc. was clamoring for its own exclusive cover…resulting in 69 different cover variants (as of this writing). 😯

Here are my favorites. Aren’t they fantastic? And I’m sure my fellow female fans will find the Kings Comics variant by Joe Quinones — where Leia carries Luke as they swing their way to freedom — particularly satisfying. 🙂 (You can see this cover at the bottom left of the matrix below.)

And because I am such a devoted fan, you can bet your arse that I managed to get my grubby hands on a copy on launch day. 😀

Correction: I managed to acquire 10 different variants on launch day. Of course I wanted more (ideally, all of them!) but depending on the availability, some of the variants cost hundreds of dollars. 😯

The Skottie Young variant even came with a print!

Look how happy I look with my favorite cover by Alex Ross!

Are you still there? Because I’ve got more! Two days after gingerly touching each comic and reading it cover-to-cover 3 times in a row, I trekked to Midtown Comics Downtown to meet Jason Aaron (author) and John Cassaday (illustrator) and got their autographs!

I still can’t believe I stood in line for almost 3 hours in sub-30ºF (that’s -1.1ºC for you metric folks) temperatures with biting wind to get these autographs. My neck and shoulders are still sore from being scrunched up and shivering for so long!

But it was sooooo worth it.

And look at all the free swag I got from Midtown Comics!

Not to mention, being in a line full of Star Wars nerds who were clearly as — if not more — enthused as me by the momentous event. A small group of your typical sci-fi/comics nerds stood right behind me in line, and I truly enjoyed eavesdropping on their conversations. They formed intelligent (albeit nerdily obsessed) discussions about my favorite Marvel and DC characters. They exchanged theories on popular cliffhangers, such as Arrow‘s winter finale cliffhanger. And, of course, they debated various Star Wars issues, questions, and areas of contention.

I was with my people. 🙂

But back to Star Wars #1. Marvel (and Disney!) did a marvelous job with this first issue. This new series is set between episodes IV and V, and is meant to be canon, not just another supplement to the Star Wars expanded universe. You can read a fantastic article titled “Why Marvel’s New Star Wars Comic Book Series Matters” over at /Film.

I personally can’t wait for the next issue — not only because this first book ends with a cliffhanger (don’t they all?), but also because from what I’ve read, it will only continue to get better from here.

And this new series will certainly whet my appetite for Episode VII. 😛

I’ve Been a Bad, Bad Blogger

Harro there! Remember me? I’ve decided to ease back to this blogging thing with a contrived post that crams my life within the last month through pictures (many which my Facebook friends and/or Instagram followers have already seen) and captions.

Can you believe it’s already been 3 weeks since Christmas? We kept it low-key again this year with a casual dinner at my parents’. My mother asked me to cook my famous 갈비찜 (kalbijiim, or braised short ribs) and while I was a bit nervous because I hadn’t made it in over a year, it still turned out delish and I was proud of myself for not losing my touch.

The day after Christmas found me at King Spa. My mother had insisted on treating my sister and I, and while I’ve never been a big fan of 찜질방 (jjimjilbang , or Korean bathhouses/spas) — I always have trouble just letting go and relaxing — I had a fantastic time sweating, destressing, and gorging on snacks.

Just a few days later, I hopped on a plane…

How cute is this confirmation I received from Virgin after checking in for my flight?

For an 8-day vacation in LA! The purpose of the trip was for a cousin’s wedding, and while the original plan was for everyone to go and have the girls experience their first trip to Disneyland, the holiday airline fares were killer. And since I had visited LA the past two winters too, I decided to take this opportunity for a third annual solo vacation among friends and family.

(Thanks, C, for letting me crash at your place again! And I know you’re reading this! 😉 )

And you guys, I had such a fabulous time in LA. I am so thankful for J and his parents who allowed me to take this solo trip, for my family out in the west coast (I always forget that I have such a large extended family out there!) as well as those who were visiting from Korea for reminding me how awesome my relatives are, and my friends for taking time out of their busy schedules to meet up with me, drive me around, and feed me ridiculous amounts of yummy grub. (I swear I gained like 5 lbs from this trip.)

At the wedding with family who were visiting from Korea.

First time getting dressed up in ages. (Love my friend’s mirror
for making me look thinner! 😉 )

I even got to meet with an old blogging friend I’ve admired for years: none other than the Broke-Ass Bride herself, Dana! We both confessed that we were nervous about our “blind date” — while we had talked online for years, we’ve never met in person before and people can have such different online personas, you know?

But my fears were completely unfounded, because Dana is friendlier and funnier than I ever imagined. We hit it off immediately and I had a wonderful time cooking (I taught her how to make my famous kalbijiim and her Korean husband who has eaten at many famous eateries agreed that it’s the best kalbijiim he’s ever tasted 😀 ) and hanging out with her.

This picture doesn’t do her justice — Dana is GORGEOUS in real life!

I also got to sneak in a coffee break with Hellobee’s Mrs. Pencil, whom I’ve known since her days in NY many many years ago. It’s so strange to think that the last time I saw her (on my last trip to LA almost exactly a year ago), she was pregnant with her son and this time, he was a real life human being who is gurgling, drooling, grabbing, and just straight-up lovable. 🙂 You’d think I wouldn’t have these thoughts seeing as I’m a mother of 2, but this little boy was so well-behaved and charming that I couldn’t help it!

Look at that smile! Look at those cheeks! He was sick with his first
cold but once I worked my magic on him, he became a giggling,
gurgling little guy. 😀

And of course hanging out with my friends’ cute babies made me miss Claire & Aerin even more. One of my favorite days in LA was on New Year’s Day, as I hung out with my friend C (whose place where I was staying) on the couch all day, pigging out on junk food while gossiping and watching Friends (I’m sure everyone with Netflix was watching that show when it debuted on Jan 1!) and 슈퍼맨이 돌아왔다 (Return of Superman, a Korean reality show). I hadn’t watched this show in ages, so Song Il-kook’s triplets completely won me over and made me miss my girls so much.

Daehan, Mingook, and Manseh wish you a happy new year.
I need to start watching this show again!

Sometimes, a little time away from mommy is a good thing.
Everyone agrees that the girls have become closer to J and their
grandparents during my time away.

One last good and one bad. On December 31^st, 2014, I was greeted by this message after I finished my daily devotional:

I had started the One Year Bible plan at the beginning of 2014. (It’s a reading plan that includes a passage from the Old Testament, a passage from the New Testament, verses from Psalms, and verses from Proverbs every day, divided so that you can read the entire Bible in one year. It actually goes through the book of Psalms twice.) Although I think I’ve read the Bible in its entirety at least once in my life, I could never say that with certainty…until now.

And I learned sooo much from the One Year Bible plan, especially in the connections between the Old and New Testaments — even through seemingly mundane subjects such as genealogy!

Needless to say, I was very proud of myself for this little accomplishment. I think it’s the first new years resolution I kept throughout an entire year. 🙂

The negative note with which I’ll end this post may be funny to some: on January 3^rd, 2015, I felt my very first earthquake…AND I FREAKED OUT. 😳 The earthquake was a small one by LA standards — a 4.5 which was later downgraded to 4.2 — but it was large enough to make me lose my balance and hear things falling from the apartment upstairs.

(source: NBC Southern California)

I immediately texted some friends in the area, and while some were sympathetic/supportive, all of them found it hilarious that I was making such a big deal of it. 👿 Look, people. If you felt your very first earthquake at the age of 34, wouldn’t you be freaking out too?!?? I mean, a solid ground is something you come to expect without any given thought, y’know?

(I am reminded of the 2011 east coast earthquake and how my west coast friends reacted to that. Remember my response? 😛 )

I got very little sleep that night because I was so shaken. (My friend was away for the night, so I was all alone at her place.) I ended up wrapping myself with a blanket, curled up on the floor in the corner of the room, tried to watch shows on Netflix in order to try to distract myself but failed, and ended up falling asleep only after singing praise songs to myself to gain some courage.

Yeah, yeah…you can laugh at me too. 🙄

Illustrator Gives Western Fairy Tales a Korean Makeover

Korean artist Na Young Wu has recently unveiled a series of illustrations which combines well-known western fairy tales with the Korean manhwa (the equivalent of manga in Korean) as well as the traditional Korean drawing style! They’re quite stunning, to say the least.

The Princess and the Frog:

The Little Mermaid:

Snow White:

My Holiday Sales-Slash-Birthday Beauty Haul [Food Poisoning Edition]

I’m on day 4 of (what I believe to be) a bad case of food poisoning. My poor tummy. My poor plumbing system. My poor family.

Anyway, because today is the first day since last week where I felt semi-human yet still suffering a bit (and out of blogspiration) — and because so many of you seem to like my beauty recommendations, I wanted to share with you my holiday sales (all the Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and numerous F&F sales) – slash – birthday present to myself haul!

1. Banila Co It Radiant CC Melting Foundation, $36

I’ve been using the Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control ever since I ran out of the Innisfree Long Wear Cushion. (My thoughts after trying both? The Laneige cushion provides a marvelous finish that is a bit more radiant than the Innisfree cushion. However, the Innisfree has more coverage and better lasting power. And although the Laneige cushion is almost twice the price of the Innisfree one, the Laneige cushion comes with an extra refill, which evens out the price, IMO. Also, the Laneige packaging is so much prettier and more luxurious.)

I was just about to replace the Laneige cushion with the included refill when I read about the Banila Co It Radiant CC Melting Foundation. A product that’s similar to cushion compacts but with more coverage? I was sold, and patiently waited until Soko Glam’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale to pick one up for myself.

And you guys. This stuff is uh-mazing. Seriously. If I had one complaint about cushion pacts, it would have been their poor staying power. (But then again, they’re meant to be re-applied multiple times throughout the day.) But this Melting Foundation has about the same longevity as a regular foundation, layers beautifully, and is just so easy to use. In fact, it has become my go-to product when I do not have the time, or is too lazy, to use a full foundation. And it’s perfect to carry around to for use as touchups.

2. Skinfood Strawberry Black Sugar Mask Wash Off, $10

I had heard some great things about Skinfood’s Black Sugar Mask, and how it’s supposed to be a great dupe for the popular $58 Fresh Sugar Face Polish, at a fraction of the price!

This strawberry version was released earlier this year as a gentler alternative to the Black Sugar Mask. I had read that it performs just as well with a scent that is TDF, so I decided to go it a try since I currently have no exfoliating system in place.

After trying the product for myself, I can definitely say that the smell is a hit-or-miss. Meaning, it smells — and looks! — exactly like strawberry preserves! Including the strawberry seeds! So while many people will love the scent (it seriously tempts you to taste it), I didn’t particularly like it because I’m very particular about scents in my beauty products.

(I should add that J makes fun of me whenever I use this scrub. “Why don’t you just slather some strawberry jam on your face?” I try to explain to him that it has other beneficial stuff in it than just strawberry and sugar, but he just smirks. 🙄 )

Despite the smell, I LOVE how this mask makes my skin feel. You can see an immediate difference in your skin texture as soon as you wash it off — it never fails to leave my skin baby soft, smooth, and supple. It has definitely become a weekly staple in my skincare routine.

3. The Face Shop Lovely ME:EX Design My Eyebrow, $8

I only decided to pick up this product in order to quality for free shipping…and I was pleasantly surprised!

The coverage on this eyebrow pencil is buildable, and it comes in 4 shades: brown, dark brown, black brown, and dark gray. It even comes with a spoolie on the other end to help soften your brows for a more natural look.

However, my favorite part of this eyebrow pencil is its shape: it is angled! (For a close-up of the tip, see here and here.) I don’t know if there are other eyebrow pencils that have a similar shape, but this little detail was mind-blowing to me. 😳 It just makes the application so much easier and precise!

4. By Terry Cover-Expert Perfecting Fluid Foundation, $66

I have read so many great things about the Cover-Expert foundation from By Terry. (Have you heard of By Terry? It’s a fairly-new cosmetics line from Terry de Gunzburg, the mastermind behind the iconic YSL Touche Éclat.) So when Beauty.com was having their F&F sale, I snapped up a bottle in #7 Vanilla Beige.

The verdict: I like it almost as much as the Giorgio Armani Maestro. Actually, strike that. I love them both for different reasons. The Maestro’s finish is unparalleled — I have yet to find another foundation that literally feels like I have nothing on my face, and even seems to enhance the texture of my skin. However, the By Terry Cover-Expert provides more coverage, is easier to build, and lasts longer than any other foundation I’ve ever tried.

Both foundations do have their caveats. The Maestro is not very travel-friendly (I usually wrap it in cling wrap and even then, it has sometimes leaked), while the Cover-Expert has a tendency to pool into the cap (I store it upside-down for this reason). However, this foundation junkie can confidently say that these two are my favorite foundations. I now have them both on rotation, using the Maestro for days when I want a more natural, glowing finish, and the Cover-Expert on days when I want a more polished, longer-lasting look.

I should add one thing about the color: I’m not sure if this is an issue with just my shade (#7, see Beauty Professor for swatches of all the shades) or all of them, but upon initial application, the Cover-Expert has a teensy bit of a gray undertone, similar to my favorite BB cream, the Missha M Perfect Cover. But like the Missha, the color quickly adjusts itself to match my natural skintone.

That’s it for this mini beauty haul! As usual, please let me know if you have any questions about these products. And stay tuned for another giveaway in the near future, featuring more goodies from Shiseido! (A teaser: it features items that are not even in stores yet!)

I now end this post with yet another omg-I-can’t-believe-how-old-I-am-now whine. My 34th birthday was quiet but enjoyable, and despite my stomach issues, I insisted on going to a seafood place for dinner. I was craving shellfish and beer, and I was going to have them, doggone it! Look how sick and tired (but happy!) I look!

How Famous Artists Would Arrange Their Thanksgiving Plates

Happy Thanksgiving! In honor of the holiday, I’d like to share with you a series of photographs by Hannah Rothstein. Each picture depicts theatrical plate stylings from some of the most recognizable names in art.

I’m a bit bummed that my two favorite artists (Modigliani and Kandinsky) weren’t included, but I gotta admit that each arrangement is beautifully and accurately executed when you consider the limitations of the medium.

Piet Mondrian:

René Magritte:

Mark Rothko:

5 Things I Found on the Internet This Week

1. Do you want to code a snowflake?

Disney Interactive and Code.org has teamed up to inspire future computer programmers — especially girls — to learn some basic coding skills in a fun, visual way. Head on over to the Frozen Hour of Code to help Anna and Elsa create shapes and patterns on ice using simplified blocks of code that snap together.

No prior coding experience is necessary, because you start off by drawing simple lines, with short video tutorials between each subject. (Pop quiz: which “dinosaur” makes an appearance to explain functions? 😉 ) But you’ll soon be creating shapes like this:

To appeal to the social-media loving crowd, the game even lets you share your creations with your friends. Each generated URL leads the visitor to a unique page where people can see your code in action. (See an example here.)

Give it a try! I’m sure any Frozen-loving child — heck, adults too! — interested in computers would love the tutorial.

Via Mashable.

2. The competitive rankings of Super Smash Bros characters over time

Head on over to The Unbalanced Design of Super Smash Brothers, written by Forrest Smith, to read and pore over various data, charts, and research dissecting the game and its characters, how the game has changed over time, and how the players’ perception of balance has shifted through the years.

In other words, some very nerdy stuff.

Via Reddit.

The Bible in TL;DR Form

Redditor Cabbagetroll has written the stories of the Bible in TL;DR (that’s “too long; didn’t read” for you clueless folks) form.

GENESIS
God: All right, you two, don’t do the one thing. Other than that, have fun.
Adam & Eve: Okay.
Satan: You should do the thing.
Adam & Eve: Okay.
God: What happened!?
Adam & Eve: We did the thing.
God: Guys

THE REST OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
God: You are my people, and you should not do the things.
People: We won’t do the things.
God: Good.
People: We did the things.
God: Guys

THE GOSPELS
Jesus: I am the Son of God, and even though you have done the things, the Father and I still love you and want you to live. Don’t do the things anymore.
Healed people: Okay! Thank you!
Other people: We’ve never seen him do the things, but he probably does the things when no one is looking.
Jesus: I have never done the things.
Other people: We’re going to put you on trial for doing the things.
Pilate: Did you do the things?
Jesus: No.
Pilate: He didn’t do the things.
Other people: Kill him anyway.
Pilate: Okay.
Jesus: Guys

PAUL’S LETTERS
People: We did the things.
Paul: Jesus still loves you, and because you love Him, you have to stop doing the things.
People: Okay.

PAUL’S LETTERS PART II
People: We did the things again.
Paul: Guys

REVELATION
John: When Jesus comes back, there will be no more people who do the things. In the meantime, stop doing the things.

And in true Reddit/internet form, the comments are worth reading too!

JOB
Job: I didn’t do the things. Can You ease up a bit?
God: No
Job: Guy

THE STORY OF JOSEPH
Joseph: I love my brothers.
Brothers: We hate you. [Sells Joseph to neighbors as slave.]
Brothers: We’re starving, let’s ask our neighbors for food.
[plot twist like a bad M Night Shyamalan movie]
Joseph: The neighbors made me boss. Okay here’s food.

LEVITICUS
God: And here’s every reason why you’re sinners.

THE STORY OF DAVID & BATHSHEBA
God: Don’t do the thing.
David: But she’s naked and hot and I’m king so I can do what I want.
God: Guy.

JOHN 2:1-11
[Jesus’ mom asks him to make a booze run.]

In conclusion, I think it’s safe to say that the whole thread’s TL;DR should be “Guys.” 😛

Suck My Brick

I love these LEGO creations by Flickr user SuckMyBrick. Can you guess the pop culture icon depicted in each sculpture? (Highlight just below the photo to see the answer.)

Dumb and Dumber

Michael Jackson

Psy

100 Years of “The Perfect Body”

You may also like:

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?

You may also like:

Marvel’s STAR WARS #1

You may also like:

I’ve Been a Bad, Bad Blogger

You may also like:

Illustrator Gives Western Fairy Tales a Korean Makeover

You may also like:

My Holiday Sales-Slash-Birthday Beauty Haul [Food Poisoning Edition]

1. Banila Co It Radiant CC Melting Foundation, $36

2. Skinfood Strawberry Black Sugar Mask Wash Off, $10

3. The Face Shop Lovely ME:EX Design My Eyebrow, $8

4. By Terry Cover-Expert Perfecting Fluid Foundation, $66

You may also like:

How Famous Artists Would Arrange Their Thanksgiving Plates

You may also like:

5 Things I Found on the Internet This Week

1. Do you want to code a snowflake?

2. The competitive rankings of Super Smash Bros characters over time

You may also like:

The Bible in TL;DR Form

You may also like:

Suck My Brick

You may also like:

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