5 Things to Do in Seoul If You've Done It All

When you visit a country for the fourth time, especially if you've lived there for a period of time, it's hard not to fall into old habits – staying in with friends and ordering takeout, going to you usual haunts, or just running all your errands (and by errands, I mean shopping to restock on makeup and skincare). 

I found this conundrum on my third trip to Seoul last January, and struggled even more on my fourth trip in October for Seoul Fashion Week! While most of my days were filled with shows, there were some that I needed to fill – and while spending the day at the hostel helping the owner improve his English is fun, it's not ideal (not going to lie, most of my early evenings in were spent drinking tea and discussing cultural differences with him, it's great to learn something new!). So I've put together a few tips for anyone who's making a first, second, or third trip to one of my favorite cities. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Photos by Michael Chan Photography

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Nothing is more suited for the romantic hallmark holiday than a beautiful dress, and I've been wanting this Self Portrait piece for awhile now.  

Top 5 Tips for Styling an Oversized Jacket

Photos by Christopher Yoon

Trying to channel my inner Olsen twin all bundled up for winter. This outfit is the result of Boxing Day sales and a lovely gift from my sister. I saw this jacket at H&M a few months ago, and decided my search for the perfect wool, camel jacket was over. But I looked at the price tag and balked – $99.00?! My experience with H&M jackets hasn't been the best, and because this wool is pretty loosely knit, I was worried it would pill too fast to make it worth it. (I'm lazy and hate dealing with pilling, and then the jacket is tossed to the back of my closet to be mourned next season.) So I put it down and walked away, set on a more fitted, 4x the price coat from Club Monaco. 

The Pleated Midi

Question: are you a mini or maxi girl? Or a midi girl?

 With winter coming, I've been slowly adding layers and length to my outfits. Cue the pleated midi skirt. Nothing I would have worn even a few months ago, but this gorgeous pink satin caught my eye on Asos. Sadly, I decided that since it "wasn't my style" and I was going to wait for a decent discount before buying it... and it sold out a few days later. 

5 Things to do in London.... and one thing not to do

A long time coming, I finally have a mini travel guide to London! Or at least my favourite things to do in London. Also, look at how pretty this post is. It maybe have taken a full week (over the course of a few months, because seriously, it took two days just to figure out how to make a text box) to figure out the coding, but it was well worth it, don't you think? Either way, let me know what your favourite things to do in London are? Or any misses? WestJet seems to be having seat sales there every fall, so you can bet I'll be going again (maybe I'll even make it to London Fashion Week this time). KLM is also having a flight sale to Amsterdam right now... I'm so tempted.

It's Sale Season! How to Shop Without Going Broke

It's sale season, and we all know what that means: impulse buying and clothing that will be worn once then forgotten about at the bottom of the laundry basket. Or is that just me? To be honest, I don't usually forget my new purchases for at least a few months (because I love them so much I'll wear them over and over for two or three months and then never want to see them again). I do tend to buy things I don't need (love, but don't need), whether it's a repeat in my closet (because I love it so much!) or just something I can't wear in my daily life (hi there bare shoulders – scandalous in Korea, frozen in Canada). So here are my top five tips to shop sale season without causing your wallet to cry... as much.

Black, White and Grey

Photos by Michael Masulli

You know you have an addiction when you're almost entirely in Asos. It’s one of my favourite stores to shop (online) at normally, and it’s really the only place I’ve been shopping at in Korea (besides checking out Zara when I go to Seoul). 

Layer up

I've discovered the secret to keeping warm in Korea. 

Layer up, and layer lots (more than you think!). Seriously though, I end up wearing four layers (not including a jacket) if I really want to stay warm (bonus, four layers means I don't even really need a jacket). Light layers is the way to go so that nothing is bulky - everything underneath my sweater is super thin cotton or viscose. Looser clothing also works better at retaining the heat. A cotton tank, viscose blouse, long vest and a sweater to top it all off. On colder days, tights or leggings underneath jeans is a must as well. 

Cozy in Lace

Photos by Becca Ann

 Hello from Gongju! 

It's freezing here. I'm from Canada, and I thought I could deal with the Korean winters. Turns out I can't, because they're a lot wetter. The cold just clings to you and never seems to leave. As a result, I have a newfound love of knitwear – something I usually skipped in favour of a good wool coat back in Calgary. 

Spring Transitions

Hi everyone! Happy Friday (whoo almost the weekend!). Spring is nearly here, and today I'm guest posting on Fashion Food Flair. 

Four Eyes

Glasses... They can make or break your look. They can take you from chic nerd, to vintage glam, to sexy librarian. Glasses are the ones of ultimate fashion accessories, especially when it comes to changing the overall feel of your look.

Sheer Floral

I have been incredibly lazy (and trying to fend off a cold) these days, and my 7FAM boyfriend jeans have been a constant go-to lazing around the house. My trip to Korea has been delayed until September unfortunately, and for the last month, I've been taking advantage of being a bum around the house (I swear I'm job searching this month).

School Girl Layers

I love the idea of layering, but to be honest, I'm not the best at it. For awhile, I've been searching for the perfect sweatshirt to layer over dresses and tops – not too bulky, but still has shape, not cropped too high, etc. etc. I found this on sale at Aritzia (my favourite store to get basics from) and it's nearly perfect.

Investing in Leather Pants

Ahh, the leather pant... something I've obsessed over in the past year. I fell in love after purchasing the best leather leggings ever from Aritizia. They were soft, perfectly form fitting, and had a realistic leather-like texture and finish. Unfortunately, they weren't durable.

Winter Skin Saviors

It's winter and you know what that means. Dry, irritated and possibly wind burnt skin from days skiing and hiking in the mountains.

With the change of seasons, a change in skincare is called for. Our skin condition changes given the weather, and in the winter, we're more prone to dryness, dehydration, and irritation – especially if you're living in a winter desert (hey Calgary). 

The Boyfriend Trend

A Skirt for Work, School, and Play

It's the start of September and you know what that means – back to school! 

Pure Heals Propolis 80 Cream Review

The Pure Heals Propolis 80 Cream is the match to their 90 Ampoule.

The cream contains 80 per cent propolis extract, an ingredient with amazing anti-inflammatory properties, as well as being antibacterial and anti-microbial. This cream is also meant to give you "honey skin," ie. a new term in Korea for dewy skin, as your skin will shine like honey.

My Favourite Acne Busters – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

It's that time of the month again... that period where I break out horrendously for a week and don't want to show my face in public. Needless to say, I'm pretty well versed in the world of spot treatment and preventing acne, and have tried a number of products throughout the years.

Here's some of my favourites I've tried and have come back to, as well as the ones that didn't work for me in the past. I've also included products that were meant to fight and prevent new pimples... but didn't quite work out in that sense.

Coral Ambition

Finally a sunny day to wear this Urban Outfitters romper. I bought this when rompers first started appearing in stores a few years ago. Let me tell you, it was quite the hunt to find the perfect first timer playsuit!