S. Korea: Dazed & Confused Magazine + Jessica SNSD

Aside from street fashion, pictorials and shoots keep my creative juices flowing even crazier and more furiously. Por qué. Because a lot of stuff I see on high fashion magazines like Vogue are often things I could (would) never wear. So, I was a bit surprised to see that the outfits from Dazed & Confused Korea were very quite wearable ( :o!!) Makeup and hair are important not to miss...

Jessica from the Korean girl group SNSD was one of the main subjects of the March photo shoot of Dazed & Confused Korea. Se7en being the other and also sharing the honor of being on the (second) cover.

Issue: March

Magazine: Dazed & Confused Korea

Cover: Jessica from SNSD

Place: New York

Things to notice:

+ neutral tones

+ European grunge (olive green parkas, layers, baggy over straight, etc)

+ NY City sleek (black undershirt under clean-cut white blazer, black liquid skinnies)

+ smokey cat-eye makeup

+ polished and futuristic cat-eyes

+ thick brows

+ Cory Kennedy hair ;)

Jessica on the cover !

+ gotta love the thick brows and smokey cateye

[[ source: allkpop ]]

Harajuku, Tokyo JP: street fashion

Oh sadness, oh sadness, it's that time of the month for me so all I've got to stay sane and alive is some tea and advil (PSYCHE. i don't eat pills.) and as you all know, ridin' on the cotton pony is no joyful wonder ;* kidding, i'm glad we're all ladies here.   ... Anyways, I'm surprised I haven't dedicated a post to Harajuku fashion ._. REGARDLESS!, I am making one now. For the next few posts, I'll be focusing on JTK (Japan, Taiwan, Korea) street fashion and also a few of my "tidbit posts." 

Quick note: Pictures that I am using in this post are all from the website japanesestreets which focuses on fashion inspiration from the streets of Japan and the catwalks in Japan (and some other stuff)

j a p a n e s e  s t r e e t s

you can probably find the cross ring pretty easily. the spikey bracelet she's wearing: i got mine at forever 21 (but in black plastic for around 8 USD)

diggin the tights !!

+ acid washed denim shirt under a thick red cardigan

Things to notice:

+ Doc Martens

+ thick fur (faux), leopard print

+ nail designs

+ interesting accessories

+contrasting textures and fabric and complimentary colors

[source: japanesestreets]

HIPHOPER: S. Korea Street Fashion

[[read my post on Pink Chocolate Break> !!!]]

Though I tend to like the Ulzzang look, it's hard not to like one of the most common styles in S. Korea: something along the lines of the b-boy look, the street fashion look, and perhaps a (neon-colorful) S. Korean twist on the European grunge look. Most Korean American guys I know or see have this street look, just in a more simplified and polished look. A few common brands include Sakun, Supreme NYC, Nike, and Bape.

Anywho, the site that I would like to introduce is a fantastic website for S. Korean street fashion inspiration. There are other fantastical stuff too, but I'll leave that for you to explore :)

P.S. Yes, it's in Korean. But, a lot of the material features trends from around the world and the main text that you need to successfully navigate the website is in English ;D

How to navigate to the Street Fashion part of the website:

www.hiphoper.com  > LOOK (left panel) > STREET FASHION (top)

Things to note:

+ Nikes and New Balance sneakers mixed with anything and everything

+ baggy clothing, usually with no waistline

+ bright pops of color

+ layers

+ dark skinny jeans, tights, or leggings

+ acid wash jeans or jeans with interesting designs and textures

[ source: hiphoper ]

Ulzzang Tidbit: the importance of the Highlighter

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THE  H I G  H  L I G  H T  E R .

The usual pale and matte-BB-cream-face is the Ulzzang's obvious first step. However, it is excruciatingly :( important not to forget that having no highlighter on your matte BB cream foundation will only make your BB-creamed-face look dull. and perhaps cakey. Options that you have:

[a] apply highlighter on top of bb cream

[b] mix 1/3 creme highlighter with 2/3 bb cream and apply all at once

[c] use a mist, like the ones sold at StyleNanda, all over your face.

- - -

If you chose [a], then refer to 2. highlight of the below picture to see where highlighter should be applied:

BUT WAIT! add a bit of highlighter on your chin so it gets some attention!

- - -

If you chose [b], then... apply 1/3 cream highlighter with 2/3 foundation.

The highlighter I use is the Benefit high beam.

Quick review:

(+) does the job

(+) natural if you put the right amount and mix well with skin and foundation

(-) put even a little too much, it will look obvious in the sun

(-) doesn't look pretty on dry skin, but that's for many things

Buy Me :>

The BB cream I currently use is the HanSkin Silky Treatment BB Cream SPF 50

Quick review:

(+) refreshingly silky on my slightly drier-than-normal skin

(-/+) gray tones. not sure if this is good or bad because most bb creams are gray

(-) incredibly pale if you put too much

Buy Me :D

- - -

If you chose [c], then you have chosen to go a little outside the "Ulzzang look" and more into the Nanda look, otherwise known as inspiration from the fierce and sexy models (as opposed to the reserved and innocent Ulzzangs) from the S.Korean online store NandaGirls. (en.nandagirls.com) has created the glossing face mist as a part of the 3concepteyes collection. (Another option is the glossing body mist)

You can choose to spray after applying makeup and foundation for a very glossy-Nanda look.

However, to achieve the Ulzzang look, apply the mist before foundation for a subtle and dewy look.

here's a photo of a very glossy-Nanda look

Buy it HERE. [[ photo creds to stylenanda ]]

Here's a photo of a dewy-Ulzzang look (with Nanda attitude :)

- - -

[[ photo creds to stylenanda , sephora, yesstyle, tumblr, + myself<-lol]]

>I hope that this helped and that now you won't forget to apply some sort of highlighter! Ulzzangs aren't all about flawless pale skin: they also want a healthy dewy glow.

So, have fun and good luck :)

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JP: Sen Mitsuji

Hallo all, I've added another segment/label to this blog and that means I'll also be posting on the haute couture aspects of the fashion industry, which shall include models, photo shoots, etc instead of just the daily and casual trends in Japan, S. Korea, and Taiwan. 

So, I've recently discovered a male model from Japan/Australia. Suppose I'm a bit behind, but all's good. Voila:

source John Tan

WHAT a handsome face, you must agree

-  -  -

Before I expose to you of his recent photoshoot, click the links below if you're interested in "knowing" about him:D

ici

and oh hello, ici

and hi, i'm sen

-  -  -

And to the good stuff: he appeared in 3.1 Phillip Lim's "Improv-isualists" Men's Spring/Summer 2012 Collection. This was actually published in June of 2011. Watch the video to be mesmerized ya + 19 days late for the video, I KNOW!! shoot me now, but jk don't, because for those who didn't know about Mr Mitsuji here, all will thank me now. ;D

And to further glorify Sen Mitsuji (I suppose this post was originally to focus on Mitsuji himself), here are a few (2) of his individual photos from Phillip Lim's collection:

source

Tidbit: Ulzzang Lips

In the next few days/weeks, I'll be making posts on specific areas on becoming an ulzzang!

So, to start off:

The   L  I  P  S .

source: tumblr//original

What we want to achieve:

+ pink-red pout.

+ a bit of shimmer, not sparkle, concentrated on the middle bottom lip and middle top lip

+ matte on the areas without the gloss

+ soft kissable lips!

P  R  E  P :  

 Condition your lips using any of these methods, or any method you know (care to share?):

1. The Sugar-Sweet Lips Method.

Take a tsp or so of sugar and mix it into a some Vaseline. Dab it on your lips and let it sit for a minute. Gently rub your lips in a circular motion, then rinse off with water. Apply a moisturizer after or else your lips will be dry !! This is a good method if you're going on a date: your lips will still be slightly sweet ;)

2. The Toothbrush-Plumping Method.

Take a toothbrush and gently rub your lips: concentrate on the outer corners: it's not as sensitive as the middle. Use a moisturizer after. This gets the blood pumping to your lips so your lips will become naturally red and plumper!

The   S  T  E  P  S :

1. Did you exfoliate and moisturize yet? Good: next step!

2. Apply lip stain for a more natural look

3. Take a lip liner the same color or close to your lip stain

4. Line your lips and slightly go outside your natural lip line at the middle bottom lip and at the middle top lip

5 Blend.

6. Take a translucent powder and dab it on your lips to matte and set your lip color even more.

7. Take a red gloss and dab it, concentrating on the middle area of your lips. Especially the bottom middle lip.

8. Use a highlighter and add a bit on your cupids bow. Blend~

9. Done!

Now the guys won't stop thinking about those lips of yours ;)

P.S. I think when you see letters written in bold maroon, it's like a double emphasis haha. But definitely don't overlook the bold black letters!

Adios!

JP: Boots + Trends

++ Good News!! I've become a new contributor to Pink Chocolate Break's blog, so I will have several posts featured on their blog each month ^^ "Pink Chocolate Break is a personal lifestyle blog that offers you a daily dose of fashion, beauty, life wisdom and chocolate" You can most definitely stay entertained for a long time with the huge variety of things in the blog !

☀

Wow it's already  2012 and you know what that means... SALE!!! Yess, life's good.

Anyways, if you're planning on buying some boots right now, why not take it from the trends in Japan?

- - -

First off:

The Docs. The Platform Sneakers.

These ones below are made in the UK and designed with the Japanese retailer Beams + they're another popular choice in Japan.

No, you don't have to buy Docs (they are really quite pricey!) Opt for platform sneakers or if you happen to find shoes similar to Docs for cheaper... then you're good!

The Desert Boot

These boots are good for people who have wider feet. Oxfords, desert boots, and anything slim and pointed make your feet slimmer and classier-looking ^^

+

I'm quite obsessed with these shoes at the moment and only just bought myself a pair last week!

Though, I couldn't find as awesome-looking ones as the one above^, I'm still very satisfied with my pair.

Now, if your style isn't so much like this, go for the heeled or wedged boots,

like this one below:

- - -

Next ones have already been popular for awhile, but i'm not talking about plain ones...

The Oxfords

[[Notice the one of the left are desert boots!]]

GET THESE!

No, oxfords don't have to be black and white, or even solid brown or tan.

Opt for the neat designs, half canvas fabric/half leather, or anything different.

- - -

Then, we have these (which are also pretty popular)..

The Penny Loafers

[[ Majority of people wear loafers like the left two^. But, the right^ shoe is also a great choice]]

But, yet again! Opt for the ones with the neat design, fabric instead of leather, suede instead of leather, pretty designs, interesting colors.

- - -

The Laced Ankle Boots

I couldn't find a picture but non-laced boots are also popular, but probably harder to find out of Japan!

- - - 

To conclude, don't be scared off by the masculine-look. You can alter your outfit in so many ways, so many different styles, that these shoes are oftentimes accenting your outfit in the way you want them to~ if that makes sense..!

Anyways, hope this helped you on what type of boots to buy, now that stores are having huge sales!

Good Luck~!

☀

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