Remember when I said I would do a Korea make-up haul post? Shopping for makeup in Korea was an incredible experience, especially for skincare. I have three rules when I am shopping for skincare: organic ingredients, affordable, and of course, effective. The Korean makeup industry is much more advanced, cheaper, and regulated than the US. Therefore, South Korea was a haven for a picky shopper like me!

Here are a couple of products I came back satisfied with. All the products are either from Skinfood or Innisfree, brands known to only use natural ingredients. None of these products contain harmful parabens!

Moisture Firming Skin and Lotion 36,000 won (18000 won each)

The Koreans have developed a 5-step skin regimen, essence, serum, skin, lotion, eye cream. I opted out for barest necessities, skin and lotion. The Innisfree had a nifty device that measured the moisture level of your skin. My skin was just below the ideal moisture level, so they suggested products that focused on hydrating my skin. After using it for a week, the moisture and firming lotion by Innisfree does pretty much what it says. The skin feels hydrating and the lotion makes my skin velvety smooth. The price was great too for the generous size especially considering how expensive organic products are in the US.

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I’ll admit it. I am a consumer of brightening products and trust me I’ve seen and tried them all.

Alright, maybe not all of them but most of the products you can buy at your local oriental market. From Likas whitening soap to Glutothione cream, I have exfoliated, masked, and peeled my face in order to achieve lighter skin. I guess I have my ethnic traditional values to blame. Hundreds of years ago, light skin meant wealth and dark-skin meant working class (i.e. field work and manual labor) for Asians. Somehow the historic notion stuck with Asian culture until this day and unfortunately, several Asian Americans like myself have adapted the same concept. Lately I have been on a mission to truly appreciate my caramel skin and kick the whitening regiments to the curb!

As I was browsing on YouTube to catch up on current documentaries, I found an interesting story on the developing cultural underground movement in Japan where Japanese men and women want to emulate “Black culture,” or “hip-hop lifestyle.”

The rap/hip-hop music videos serve as their main inspiration associating the voluptuous and well-manicured video models as the new “Barbie.” Since their reformation, they schedule weekly appointments at their neighborhoods tanning salons and hold underground hip-hop parties where big hair, vibrant make-up and sexy outfits are a must.

Whether or not anyone believes this movement is joke, untrue or completely racist, it proves to be a brave surge of change to a longstanding traditional beauty standard. At the least, this movement helps women like me feel more comfortable in her own skin and open to the idea of change.

I believe that is amazing in it of itself.

I’ll admit, collecting hotel shampoos and conditioners has become a sort of a hobby of mine. I just love their compact size for traveling! (Although, irony of irony, when I go to a new place, I usually don’t use my looted hotel toiletries, I use the new ones in the new hotel).

This winter, I’m not going to hide away and hibernate, I’m planning on doing some hefty traveling and what better set to carry with me than Hugo Naturals Winter Retreat Pack?

Available in Vanilla & Sweet Orange and French Lavender, each pack sells for $14.99 and includes:
· 1 Shampoo
· 1 Conditioner
· 1 Shower Gel
· 1 All Over Lotion
· 1 Essential Mist
· 1 Lip Balm

Compact, efficient and well-scented– this is traveling done right!

We’re giving a total of TWO (2) lucky winners one Hugo Naturals winter retreat pack each for this week’s TGIFree Friday! Check out how you can win yourself one below.

HOW TO ENTER:

1. FOLLOW Audrey Magazine on Twitter and Facebook.
2. SPREAD THE WORD: Retweet the contest to your friends, and repost on your wall: Link @audreymagazine so we’ll see you did this!
3. COMMENT BELOW: Let us know where you want to head to this winter, and we’ll pick two lucky winners!

You may enter as many times as you wish! Contest ends Wednesday, October 19, 11:59 PST. You must have a mailing address to win.

Good luck!

Shelly massaging Cell Conditioner into my skin, which stimulates collagen, improves skin texture, and suppresses melanin.

Walking along Market Street in downtown San Francisco, I noticed that this years summer in the Bay Area was unusually hot. Beads of sweat began to from on my face upon my arrival at Estia Salon, a nature-inspired haven that offers holistic skincare and bodywork, located in the heart of the city. My skin felt oily, congested, and gross and I began to feel terribly sorry for the esthetician that would soon have to witness the ghastly sight of my skin.

Luckily, the minute I met Shelly Michaelis, the owner of Estia Salon, I knew I was in experienced, knowledgable, and caring hands. Shelly is a well traveled surfer who understands the risks people face from exposure of the outdoor elements. Being half-Filipino and half-German, Shelly also is an expert in dealing with Asian skin which is often prone to hyper-pigmentation and oil. At my tender age, I already had sunspots creeping beneath the surface of my skin and had unsuccessfully battled my oily t-zone area for years. Could Shelly be the heaven-sent redeemer for my doomed skin?!

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When looking for a shower gel, here is my single most important requirement: it has to smell good.

While I put emphasis on scent above all else, my mom looks for ones with the best value. Others prefer ones that guarantee they kill 99.99 percent of germs or ones that won’t irritate their skin. Surely we put some consideration when we purchase our daily essential body cleanser, but have you ever thought about what happens to it when it goes down the drain? After all, there are chemicals inside that are bound to have a negative impact on the aquatic environment. But no worries — there are ways to reduce your chemical waste. The Body Shop introduces the first ever 100 percent biodegradable shower gel range from their Earth Lovers Collection. Now, as quoted by The Body Shop, you can “lather up with a clean conscience”!

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In our Summer 2011 issue, we introduced you to celebrity dermatologist Dr. Jessica Wu’s new book Feed Your Face: Younger, Smother Skin and a Beautiful Body in 28 Delicious Days. Here, some more beautifying tips from the skin guru.

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By now, it’s a no-brainer that sun protection must accompany your trips outdoors.

People are always telling you, “Be sure to wear your sunblock!” or, “You don’t want to get sun damage!”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 70 percent of adults do not apply sunscreen regularly and more than one-third of the U.S. population reported experiencing sunburn in the previous year. These are alarming statistics, especially since melanoma and sun-induced skin cancers are increasing each year.

We asked Dr. Ranella Hirsh some pressing questions for this summer’s hottest accessory.

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Now that we’re in the middle of winter, tans are fading and it looks like everyone needs a boost of color to their skin. I certainly do. I wish my skin would glow all day and night so it doesn’t seem like I’m lacking some much-needed sleep. I’m obsessed with powder bronzers, but it becomes a hassle to have to apply it every day, especially when I’m always in a rush.

With Fake Bake Beyond Bronze products, you can get a natural looking tan without the sun. Plus, we’ve all heard that too much exposure to the sun can be harmful, so why not do it the safer way? Pure forms of soluble Vitamin D are added to these products to benefit the skin. These easy-to-apply formulas will keep you glamorously golden all season long.

I’m always worried about making a mess with self-tanners, but with the different application methods (Beyond Bronze comes in airbrush, mousse or lotion), there’s bound to be one I can perfect to keep people wondering how I managed to keep my tan through the cold days. It sure costs less than a vacation in the tropics!

Five lucky Audrey readers will be able to win a whole Fake Bake Beyond Bronze set, which includes a Self-Tanning Mousse, an Airbrush Self-Tanner, the Face Anti-Aging Self-Tanning Lotion (plus a cute pair of pink rubber gloves for application.) By Wednesday, December 29, 11:59 pm, please comment below which sunny locale you’d best like to spend your vacation. Retweet, “Hey @audreymagazine, I’d most like to spend my vacation in __[insert your location]__” for an additional entry. Remember, you must have a U.S. mailing address to win.

Good luck and hope you get to score that marvelous winter tan!

Many people wish they can turn back the hands of time. Go back to their youth. Go back to their youthful body, youthful thoughts and most importantly, youthful skin. But alas, sometimes time and the sun does take its toll on us. That’s why it’s important to use products that are healthy for our skin. This Lavere anti-aging SOLUTION facial toner mist is pretty awesome because it not only hydrates your skin but it also brings about an anti-aging effect. It’s like killing two birds with one stone?

This is definitely one solution you should add to your day and night skin ritual.

I’m pretty indecisive. Whether it be picking a place to eat for dinner or choosing what color socks to wear, I like having plenty of options. That’s why I always hated it when I only had one type of lotion to wear. Why would I want to be stuck with the same scent on me all year round?

This Carousel Hand and Body Lotion set came to my resque. It comes with a variety of 6, 2oz tubes presented with six of our Bubalina signature girls. Scents included: Chocolat’, Dolcetto, Tropical Lime, Wild Pomegranate, Cranberry Brown Sugar and Tahitian Vanilla. Perfect for someone who wants a variety to take on the go!