I know, this post has been much awaited by a ton of you. The reason it took me so long to come up with this list is because there are SO many makeup products and brands to pick from! I really wanted to have an opportunity to think about and research what I felt were Korea's Must Have / Cult Favorite Makeup Products. I know these might not be the same for everyone, or you might have other products you love, but this is just meant to be a good starting place for those of you looking into buying Korean Makeup. Oh and if you haven't checked out the first part, which is all the must have Skincare Products, don't forget to check that out too!

I know when I started buying Korean makeup, I was so overwhelmed by everything. All of these products are makeup items I've personally used, researched and would recommend to anyone! Plus, these are pretty popular in the Asian Beauty World in general, so you know these have to be good ;)

Now enough rambling! Let's get to the breakdown....

Etude House Beauty Shot Face Blur: Boy, this is my holy grail primer. I did a full review of it and showed you guys how photoshopped this makes my skin! It truly makes my complexion look brighter and my skin flawless. Since it does have a brightening effect, try to get your hands on a sample if you're worried your skin is too tan/dark to use this!

Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB Cream: This is a very well-known BB cream in the Asian Beauty World. It's even loved by Michelle Phan! Seriously, this BB cream glides onto your skin, gives your face a soft glow and is very comfortable to wear. Beware, the shades to run light and there's not much of a color selection. So if your skin tone matches this, you're very lucky! 

SkinFood Red Orange Makeup Finish: This is a very popular makeup setting mist that does a nice job of preserving your makeup throughout the day. Plus, it comes in 2 options: matte and glossy. This is nice because not everyone likes a matte makeup look but not everyone likes a glossy makeup look. So you can choose which one you prefer! 

Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion: If you're planning on trying some new Korean Makeup, you must try at least one cushion foundation. These are awesome because they're easy to carry in your purse and give your skin a natural look. I like this one from Etude House and know most people that have tried it like it as well. 

SkinFood Salmon Dark Circle Concealer: This little creamy pot of concealer does wonders on the skin. Since it has a peachy undertone to it, you can use it to cancel out the blue tones of dark circles. However, it's not overly peachy, so you can still use it to cover spots on your face! It's a great multi-tasking concealer!

Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder: Ok, so this one was a weird one for me to mention because at the moment, I don't actually own the product. I've owned it in the past but used it up! So I'm showing you this one because the No-Sebum version comes in the same exact packaging except mint green. It's an awesome dupe for the Makeup Forever HD Setting Powder, but is much more affordable. I've never heard anyone complain or have any issues with this powder!

 Holika Holika Jewel-Light Waterproof Eyeliners: These babies come in a variety of shades, colors, and finishing and are altogether amazing. Not only are they super affordable so you can try different colors, but they're also long-lasting and waterproof when they set!

Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer: I discovered this eyeliner when I noticed a ton of Korean beauty gurus using it in their tutorials! Then I heard it was a good Urban Decay Eye Primer dupe, and I was sold! It really does make your eyeshadows last longer and look more vibrant. Plus, like a lot of items on this list, it's much more affordable :)

 Tony Moly Petit Bunny Gloss Bar: This is on this list really for the cute factor. Every haul I've watched or read from Korea has had one of this in it. It's a nice, slim balm to keep with you when you need a little moisture to your lips or a light wash of color. It's also just fun to use because it's just so dang cute!

 SkinFood Tomato Cool Jelly Tint: BEST TINT EVARRRRRR! I love this tint from Skinfood. It looks so natural on my lips and doesn't cling to the dry patches. It goes well with every makeup look and has really earned it's spot in my purse. I personally use this almost everyday, which says a lot considering the amount of lip tints I own!

RUNNER UPS!

I mentioned this at the end of my video, but there are a couple runner ups I wanted to mention that didn't make it into the video! These are just as good and are simply my personal recommendation to check out as well :) 

Etude House Drawing Show Creamy Liner: I've tried a ton of gel eyeliners from Korea and have really enjoyed this one from Etude House. It's nice and creamy like the name implies and also lasts all day. I've used it a lot in my recent makeup tutorials, so if you want to see this in action, check those out on my channel, The Beauty Breakdown!

Tony Moly Luminous Goddess Aura Goddess Maker: WHY KOREA?! Why do the names of products have to be so long and repetitive?! Despite this, this product is awesome for achieving that dewy skin Korean girls always seem to have. It's great because there's actually no glitter or shimmer to this product. Just pure, glossy awesomeness!

Tony Moly Panda's Dream Eye So Cool Stick: This is another popular product from Korea. I actually think this is one of Tony Moly's best sellers! Love the packaging of this, of course, but the product itself is great for smoothing on puffy, tired eyes. A quick fix to rejuvenate and relax the eye area!

Well, there you have it! The second part to my list of Korean Must Have Makeup Products! I know there are so many more makeup products to mention, so if you have any personal suggestions, let me know in the comments below! I always love to hear your suggestions! Hope this was helpful for those of you who were like me and completely overwhelmed by all the makeup products Korea has to offer! :)

xoxo,
Morgan

One Brand Korean Makeup Tutorial ♥ Etude House Plus Mini Reviews!

Yay for new series! This series on my channel, The Beauty Breakdown, features makeup tutorials using products from one brand. This video is on Etude House! If you've been a fan of my channel and website for a while, you'll know that Etude House is one of my favorites Korean beauty brands. This is because it's affordable, super cute, and high quality! The video tutorial is below so don't forget to subscribe! 

Now onto the breakdown of the products I used... 

Eye Makeup:

-Shine Volumer in Bright Toeshoes

-Drawing Show Creamy Eye Liner in Black

-Proof 10 Eye Primer

-Lash Perm All Shockcara Mascara

-Fantastic Color Eyes in Rose Garden Eyeshadow Palette

 Face Makeup:

-Precious Mineral Any Cushion BB Cream

-Beauty Shot Face Blur Face Primer

-Eye and Cheek Color in Releve Purple

 Lip Makeup:

-Color Pop Shine Tint in Coral Pop

-My Blooming Lips-Talk in Pointe Coral

And there you go! The product list for the Etude House Makeup Tutorial. Hope you enjoyed and if you'd like more of this series let me know :) 

xoxo,

Morgan 

[Review] Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask

Today I'll be reviewing the Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask! I received this product from Memebox, which is an awesome website where you can buy Korean beauty products. I mentioned it in this post, where I also hauled this product along with several other goodies from Memebox! I also did a first impressions on this product (which is at the end of this post!) , so don't forget to check out that video and subscribe to my channel, The Beauty Breakdown! 

So let's get to the breakdown...

Packaging

This product comes nicely packaged in a plastic tub and also comes with a handy spatula. It also comes with a plastic lid inside to protect the mask from being exposed to the air. I'll explain this later, but don't throw this away! You need to keep it on there while you have the product! 

Directions
How this product works is you use the little spatula is comes with to smooth the product onto your skin. You then leave it on for 5 minutes while it works its magic and then wash it off!

Benefits
This product is supposed to "deep-clean" your pores. Since it's carbonated and bubbly, it works itself deep into your skin to clean out impurities like excess sebum, dirt, oil and makeup! It's meant to work well on blackheads. This is supposed to be gentle on your skin and used weekly!

Texture
Omg, this product is so weird! It's a jelly-like texture and is an almost gross grey color! Ah, I was kind of scared to put this on my face!

Process
When you initially apply this to your skin, work quick! You want to just get a glob from the tub with the spatula and quickly replace the plastic lid inside. This is because this product activates with oxygen exposure! So you want to be careful not to expose your entire tub or it will be ruined :(

Anyways, I used the spatula to smooth it onto my skin. It almost immediately starts bubbling! As you can see from the first picture, after one minute, the bubbles are already activating! You can actually hear the bubbles as the grow and one thing I was not expecting was the tickling/itchy sensation! This is not a bad thing because it's really from the bubbles. They move very slightly because they are growing and activating, and since it's so subtle, you can feel it! I found this very ticklish (as you can see in the video) but don't worry, it only last for about a minute!

After 3 minutes, you can see there are more bubbles! I was having a lot of fun with this mask clearly! haha.

 Finally, this is what it looked like after 5 minutes. There are lots of bubbles! One tip though if you decide to get this product is be careful not to put it to close to your eyes/hair/nose/etc. because it does expand! You don't want any bubbles in your eyes do you? haha.

 Next, if you want to make the mask more effective, once the bubbles have all expanding, massage the mask into your skin! This was a fun process for me because you get to pop all the bubbles and massage your skin. The mask is nice and smooth so this feels really nice!

 Once it's all popped and massaged in, it just looks like your typical clay mask!

And you reveal...dun dun dun!

Results
Amazing skin! My skin felt so clean and smooth after using this mask! It didn't feel overly tight or dry but it just felt so nice and smooth! OMG I'm in love.

 I couldn't even believe how nice this made my skin! I couldn't stop touching my face.

 Overall
I'm in love with this mask. It's fun to use and even better, it makes my skin look and feel SO nice! In LOVE :)

Packaging: ****

Fun: *****

Texture: ***

Scent: ****

Benefits: *****

Results: *****

Overall: **** (and a half!) 

If you end up using this product, tweet or Instagram me a pick and tell Memebox I sent you :) 

xoxo, 

Morgan 

Shopping in Seoul, Korea: A Guide to Shopping in Myeongdong

This is a fun installment to my website that I thought would be helpful for those of you visiting Korea! When I was initially planning my trip, the thing I was really excited for was the SHOPPING. Seoul, Korea is the shopping mecca and of course, there are different areas that sell different things and have different vibes. Because of this, I wanted to create shopping guides for the different shopping districts! Today's post is going to be on the most notorious place; Myeongdong!

Myeongdong (명동) is the number one shopping district in Seoul. It attracts people from all over the world because it's the one-stop shop for essentially everything. All the streets are lined with delicious places to eat, beauty stores, and international clothing stores and designers.

So let's get to the breakdown of shopping in Myeongdong...

Beauty Shops

If you're looking for one place to buy all your Korean makeup and skincare needs, you should definitely go to Myeongdong. Myeongdong has every Korean beauty brand you could think of and most likely, a couple of the same kind. For example, you can walk down one street in Myeongdong and see at Etude House. Take a stroll a little further, you'll probably find another...and another...and another! This is especially convenient for those of you who like to find the best deals! You can shop around and find the best prices because yes, some of the stores will offer different deals. For example, you could go to one Etude House and find buy one, get one face mask and then go to another Etude House and find buy 10, get 10 face masks. 

Also, you'll notice that since they're are so many beauty shops, there will be sales people standing outside of the stores offering you free samples to come in and look. You do have to enter the store if you want the sample (usually it's a small box of cotton pads or a sheet mask), and look around. You actually don't have to buy anything to look, but I usually don't enter a store unless I'm interested in buying something. This is only because in Korea, the sales associates in the stores are very attentive, especially in the beauty shops. They'll actually follow you around so you can ask questions and they'll usually try to have you try some of their products.

Heads up though if you don't speak Korean, Japanese, or Chinese. If you speak one of these languages, there is almost always someone who can help you. English speakers are a little harder to find and you will rarely find someone to help you if you speak any other language. That's not to say you can't enjoy shopping here! Just be prepared to be a little on your own if you don't speak these languages. But hey, maybe you like shopping that way! 

Restaurants/Street Food

If you're hungry, you can definitely find all kinds of food at Myeongdong. Whether you're in the mood for sitting down somewhere nice for something to eat or just picking something up from a food cart to snack on as you walk around, you'll find it here! 

Don't forget to look up! Usually more places to eat :) 

In this area, you can find all kinds of foods, including international foods and fast food. The prices, even at restaurants, are fairly reasonable. If you're looking for something really cheap, check out the food carts that are usually lined along the streets! For about $1-3 USD, you can buy tteokboki, chicken skewers, spiral potatoes on a stick, and many other choices! And of course, they're delicious. You can always find something to your liking to eat :)   

Clothing Stores

Myeongdong is where you can find a mix of international and Korean clothing stores. The prices here for clothing are mid-range. They're not super cheap but you can clothing for reasonable prices. There are stores like H&M and Forever 21 and also stores like SPAO and UNIQLO. Typically, international brands like Levi's or Converse are more expensive since they're imported. If you're looking for super cheap clothing, check out the carts that come out later in the day or at night or go to another shopping district like Dongdaemun or by EWHA University which I will feature in later posts.   

Hope this was a helpful guide to shopping in Myeongdong! More guides like this to come so let me know if it's helpful or if you have more questions!

xoxo, 

Morgan 

Follow Morgan: Visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, Korea!

My mom and I decided to visit Gyeongbokgung Palace the second day we were in Seoul, Korea. Again, this is another you must do if you're ever visiting Seoul.

Since we started our day off by visiting the palace, my mom and I needed to get something to eat. We ate at this little cafe, The Healing Place, which is across the street from the Gyeongbokgung Palace.  

I can't remember how much it cost to get into the gates but I don't think it's too expensive. Once you're inside, you can spend a couple hours checking out the whole area. There's a lot of land to cover so if you're really interested in looking at the entire area, I would definitely wear comfortable walking shoes! 

What's crazy about this palace for me is that this historical spot is located smack in the busy center of Seoul. Although, most of it was destroyed during the Japanese occupation in the early 20th century, several restoration efforts have been made to re-establish it's former glory.

On a side note, one really cool thing about the Gyeongbokgung Palace is that it has free tours is several different languages. Just head over to the information booth to see what time they are held and where to meet. This was the english-speaking one and as you can see, the tour guides wear traditional hanboks, so they're fairly easy to find. 

One of the first buildings you'll come across is the Geunjeongjeon. This the royal throne hall where the king was formally briefed by his officials. 

This is what the inside looked like. As you can see, this is the throne that the king would sit on. Isn't it so pretty?!

 One thing you'll notice on many of the buildings are gargoyles lining the roofs. Our tour guide pointed these out and told us it's supposed to ward off evil spirits and energies. Be sure to look out for these! I find them so interesting!

 I think at this point, my mom and I decided to wander off from the tour. We'd gotten a lot of interesting information from it, but wanted to walk around a little bit for ourselves. The actual area is so gorgeous and green! Here is the Gyeonghoeru. Look familiar?? That's because this is the same structure that is on the 10,000 won! The King also held formal banquets here.

 Another beautiful structure to check out is the Hyangwonjeong. This was the King's informal banquet hall. Although, I have to say, it still looks pretty dang nice to me for being "informal".

 We found these statues outside of the museum. I believe it represents the 12 Korean Zodiac Animals...

 Like I said earlier, what's really amazing to me is how all of this is located right in the center of Seoul. You almost forget you're in such a busy city! If there is ever a day you feel like you need to get away from the crowds and connect with nature, you should definitely visit here!

The last thing I wanted to mention was the changing of the guards! I would check before you go to see what time of the day they change, but every day, they have a traditional ceremony. It's pretty fun to watch and you can also take pictures with the guards, who of course, are emotionless and don't move. But hey, it's all still fun! 

Well I hope you enjoyed this post! I know some people enjoy seeing pictures and reading about traveling versus watching videos so I wanted to do both!

xoxo,

Morgan

Follow Morgan: Visiting Namsan Tower and Riding the Cable Car

Visiting Namsan Tower if you're ever in Seoul, Korea is, in my opinion, something that you should definitely do! Namsan Tower, which means "North Tower", is both a communication tower used for radio and television and also an observation point since it's the tallest point in Seoul. This is definitely a fun tourist destination because there is so much to do!

In my video, you can see that we took the cable car up to the base of Namsan Mountain. The tickets were pretty affordable and the view is for sure worth the ticket price. 

There are a lot of things to do at Namsan Tower. They have several restaurants at the base and even an Olive Young! 

This is also where the infamous lock trees and gates are located. Here, you can personalize a lock and attach it to one of these to ensure you and your love will be together forever (well let's hope so!).

You can buy locks here, but I hear they're pretty expensive and that you're almost better off buying a lock before you come. 

After you're done soaking up all the beautiful sights of Seoul, you can take an escalator into the actual tower itself. From there, you have an even better view and Seoul! There's also a fantastic gift shop that sells all kinds of cute things and activities for children. 

 This is one of the pictures I took from inside the tower. Pretty neat huh? :)

Hope that this Seoul travel series is interesting to you guys! Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for my next Seoul trip! :)

xoxo,
Morgan