days of dane

[daysofdane]

The smallest peek into my bathroom cabinet. 

I’m somewhat enamored with the idea of time-specific masks. Japanese brand Saborino offers morning and night items meant to make your routine far easier by jamming as many steps into one thing as possible, while also paying close attention to the application medium. I’ve yet to encounter the nighttime products here in Seoul (I’m especially looking for their sleeping pack mist, which I saw in Osaka but neglected to pick up...) but when I saw the morning sheet masks I nearly screamed.

I, too, desire a way to jam as many steps into one thing as possible. Efficiency is so tremendously important to me because, while I’m perfectionistic about so many things, I know that I can do it 100% correctly when I get into the flow of things. I look for the most direct way to get the results I desire—in this case, skin that’s well taken care of—and then get into that groove. 

Experimentation is a given within any skincare routine, because despite the best intentions of recommenders, their recommendations sometimes fall short. This happens more often than not with me, due to the sensitivity of my skin as well as the lack of efficiency that so often comes with single-purpose products. Getting into the aforementioned groove where I am happy with how my skin looks day in and day out is laborious at best, harmful at worse, and overall wasteful and disappointing. Especially since some products are fine for two or three months and then just suddenly stop being effective, and instead trigger an allergic reaction. 

The more multi-purpose products I can get my hands on, the less I end up wasting, because this cycle of new-good-bad frequently happens to me. So while many single-purpose products are unavoidable—oil cleanser, facial soap, and that final occlusive moisturizer all come to mind—I’ve become obsessed with minimizing those in-between steps. 

Which brings me back to these morning masks. I wash my face and put on a mask for all of 60 seconds, during which time it offers a hydrating boost that’s complemented by some cooling menthol feeling that wakes me all the way up. It’s better than a cup of coffee and far better for my skin. Follow that up with another multiple, the Ganbare Watashi Gel, which says it’s a lotion, serum, emulsion, and makeup base all-in-one. My skin still feels too light after this, so I finish with a gel moisturizer. A week in with this routine, and my skin is lovely. We’ll see how long this lasts, but these morning masks are going to be a repeat purchase.

I’ve never been the kind to embrace the delight of a multi-step routine. I don’t find pleasure in adding layer after layer, delicately and deliberately rubbing and massaging to promote absorption before adding yet another product. It’s dull and boring and quite frankly my skin doesn’t agree all that much with it, either. But I understand the benefit, and so I have taken the idea of it and smashed it together as much as possible. So far it’s working.

[daysofdane]

I just got back from a team-building workshop in Jeju, which is an island south of the Korean peninsula. It was roughly 52 hours of constant contact with other members of my team at work. While I like them a lot, I don’t exactly love being surrounded by people for long periods of time; I need alone time on a regular, daily basis, even when I’m at home (in the US) with people I’m most comfortable with. When I don’t get it, I find myself retreating within myself, getting curt or cranky with people who are innocently inquiring about my well-being because I’ve suddenly gone quiet. It is what it is, but this weekend sort of put a point on it and made me realize that I need to tell people about this part of myself. So I did, and I felt relieved afterwards. 

The thing about living abroad is how quickly I’ve had to discover who I truly am. Without a support system nearby or the general semblance of familiarity—language, culture, food, etc.—one becomes solely dependent on oneself. It’s easy to stick my head in the sand by simply going home, where at least I know where I am and I have my things. It is the closest thing to familiar that I can possess and control when I am lacking other comforts. 

But there’s something to be said for the adventure of the new, as well. When I get too comfortable, that’s when I’m especially introverted because I don’t feel quite so much pressure to discover and explore. In Jeju, it was a new environment because I’d never been there before, but it was with the some of the same old people that I’ve known for a year and a half at my company, so it dampened my sense of adventure. That’s why I prefer traveling alone, I think. Being able to create my own itinerary without regard to others is a benefit, for sure, but it’s the embrace of anonymity that really exhilarates me. But is that a positive?

I am reading Joan Didion’s Slouching Towards Bethlehem again for the first time in a handful of years and while there are several times I’ve had to catch my breath over a bit of prose that seems to drill directly into my core, it’s this one in particular that served as catalyst for this current train of thought: “...one runs away to find oneself, and finds no one at home.” Home is both comfort and discomfort for me. I’ve yet to be fully satisfied with what I have and who I am, and when I become too settled in a place, the real me creeps in and takes over, making me want to run once more. 

I can feel that sensation rearing its head again. My horoscope tells me that I’m finding my place in the world. I wonder how these two ideas will meet and where I’ll end up.

[daysofdane]

I’ve been really, really stressed out lately. Which means I’ve been pretty lax about actually putting together thoughtful outfits. But the beauty of the current state of my wardrobe is despite that, I manage to look consistently put together. I’m not saying that to toot my own horn, I mean that I haven’t had a disappointing outfit (in my opinion) for awhile. 

Over the past few years I’ve done a pretty regular cycle of upgrade-pare-hone, upgrading to higher quality clothes, paring down to things I do wear and enjoy, and honing my style as a result. I made a joke on Twitter yesterday that my wardrobe has reached peak SSDD: Same Shit, Different Designer. 

When I first moved to Korea, nearly two years ago, I tried to reinvent myself with the clothes surrounding me. They’re mostly meant to be worn oversized, sometimes with text down the sleeves or across the front, sometimes destructed, sometimes muddied pastels. Partially due to the fact that I am 5′10″ (~177cm) and thus much taller than most of the customer these stores cater to, very few things were actually oversized on me. Those that were, weren’t oversized enough to not look like The Wrong Size. I bought them regardless, desperate to try something new while I found my footing in this new place.

One piece in particular stands out. It’s from Low Classic, a double-knit, oversized, raw-hemmed, boatneck shirt with contrast cuffs that are meant to hang over your hands. It looks awkward on the model, and in a fit of homesickness and depression I bought it anyway, knowing there’s no way I could pull it off if they can’t even style it well on the model. It hung in my closet, moving from place to place as I did. It came to four different apartments, until I finally decided I was going to bring it back to America to try to sell it to someone who would actually appreciate it. The cheaper clothes met a less noble fate, often being tossed into a clothes recycling bin or finding their way to the garbage when they inevitably fell apart. (Cheap clothes make quick work of that, too.)

When I got back to America for a visit and began unpacking and separating the things that would be put up for sale, I also went through my closet and dresser to discover that a lot of what I’d left behind was actually all I’d needed. I managed to bring back to Korea a surprising amount of clothes—maybe even more than I’d brought to discard. It astonished me that things that I hadn’t seen for a year and a half managed to still fit itself perfectly into my wardrobe. In some cases, a piece I’d forgotten about filled a hole I hadn’t figured out while abroad.

I’ve always been pretty good at knowing what makes me uncomfortable and what doesn’t, and as a result shopping online is a lot easier for me than it seems to be for other people—my return rate is comparatively low. As a result, my clothes aren’t necessarily beautiful, they won’t take someone’s breath away when hanging in my closet. But they’re well-made, well-fitting, and I enjoy them. And when my daily life seems to be getting away from me, I know there’s at least one less thing to worry about.

[daysofdane]

hello and welcome to my skincare routine, which recently changed but i’m already so enamored with that i couldn’t help but make a post. i had another post sort of delineating my state of the union (the union that is my body and mind and well-being) but it devolved into what i felt was too mopey of a post so i decided i wouldn’t go through with it. 

instead, you get a rundown of my products. first off, let me begin by saying:

it’s not actually as serious as all that, but the dr. jart products i have are far too heavy these days. make prem, a brand i randomly stumbled across on gmarket, have products that are cheaper than dr. jart and work very well with the way my skin is handling the shift in weather (read: very poorly). suddenly my bathroom was full of make prem products where dr. jart once reigned supreme. this is in part because my needs have changed so much.

one of the pitfalls of living in seoul is the exposure to pollution. a lot of it is sent down from china, and combined with the spring allergens, my face got fucked up and no amount of water was taking care of it. it became really apparent when i returned from my trip to japan, where my skincare had dwindled down to cleanser, sheet mask, and moisturizer, and my coworker commented on how nice my skin was upon return. that weekend went by smoothly, and then monday the eruptions began. my skin was tender and red and dented and spotty. gnarly, in short. so i did some research and found that pollution was a potential culprit. the air is cleaner in tokyo than it is in seoul—the air is cleaner in wisconsin than it is in seoul as well—and suddenly everything that i’d been battling during my seven months here became clear. my hair wasn’t responding to products i’d brought over from america, my face wasn’t responding to old favorites, my body was having a field day with itchiness... pollution, y’all. it’s a demon. 

and so i’ve become a convert of the more in-depth skincare routines that i’ve mostly avoided because it usually was too much for my generally well-behaved skin. now, it’s saving my life. let’s do a rundown, shall we?

i’m on the double-cleansing train now. once a week i shed my skin with the dr. g peeling gel, which does wonders for instantly renewing my skin tone. then the make prem cleansing balm, which melts so softly with the heat of my hands and feels like spreading the most delectable cream across my face. i haven’t totally gotten the emulsifying thing down, where you wet your hands and massage your face to get all the filthies off and out and the balm turns white. sometimes the balm on my forehead doesn’t turn white no matter how much i massage with wet hands, but it’s clean anyway. then i follow up with the neogen green tea cleansing stick, which foams wonderfully and doesn’t strip my skin at all. my face feels fresh and not at all dry.

next up are the serums. the micro oil serum is a good, basic hydrating serum which i use when i don’t use the peeling serum to the right. as of right now, peeling serum is used every other day at night in order to revitalize my skin’s texture and tone and further unseat any pollutants lurking in my pores. it has PHA in it, which is a less-harsh version of the almighty acids AHA/BHA, and includes hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to plump up the skin and prevent any unnecessary damage from being done. the first night i used it i woke up in the morning and my face was soft as a marshmallow. it was wonderful. the micro oil serum is simply a layering piece to further hydrate and soften my skin.

finally there’s the hydration station. the make prem in-shower face pack actually comes before serums, because after i wash my face i plop it on after i shampoo and let it do its thing while i clean the rest of my body. it’s got a goopy, honey-like texture that sits well on my skin without dripping, so as long as i keep my face away from the showerhead, it stays on for the next ten minutes as i condition and shave and wash and whatever else needs doing. 

the keana rice mask is another product i just stumbled upon; i was drawn to it by its beautiful packaging and when i found out it was a #1 product on cosme (which is the makeupalley of japan) i just knew i had to pick it up in tokyo. i was so pleased with the results that i left with three packs... and the huxley anti-gravity cream is not too heavy but still feels nourishing. i like to put it on after letting the serums air-dry a bit, and it settles into my skin nicely. if i don’t let the serums sit and absorb well enough, my face is tacky for at least an hour afterwards, which is really annoying. 

i do use SPF in the mornings, but i’m not totally impressed with what i have. it’s a moonshot sunscreen and it does its job but it’s quite expensive and i don’t think it’s necessarily better or worse than any other, less expensive sunscreens out there. make prem has a gel and a cream formula that my coworker really likes, so i might try those out next.

[daysofdane]

I was sent home early and am in bed with a pretty wretched head cold, so my thoughts turned to Tumblr. Originally this was going to be a skincare blog, now that I live in Korea. And trust me, the skincare here is amazing. I should do an update when I have the inclination to take out my camera stuff. 

As with a lot of things, I began what I couldn’t finish. Instead, I’m going to just make this an infrequent discussion of my life in Seoul, I guess. My friend Lisa said that I should be documenting this because what a life to lead, right? 

My life has taken a very strange but beautiful turn. I’m extremely lucky, all things considered. My last post here was maybe a week and a half into my new life in Korea, and I couldn’t even fathom all that would happen to me six months later. I’ve already had two jobs, one of which was pretty terrible and the other of which I’m still doing and it’s incredible, to say the least. 

(They’re looking into sponsoring me so I can stay longer.) 

The short story is that I was miserable at my first job in Korea and I wasn’t sure what my next step would be, and I had already decided that I would rather leave the country than continue there, when I got an email out of the blue asking if I would be interested in learning more about an English copywriting position this agency had available. If only emails had a screaming option because the answer was resounding, YES!!!! And I’ve been there since, happy as a clam. (It’s not all roses, because, you know, clients, but that’s a minor aspect of it and I love a challenge.)

I’ve made innumerable friends, both expats and Koreans, my grasp of the language is still flawed but I’m getting better, and I’ve worked on amazing projects. I’ve been to Japan three times and Hong Kong once and I’m looking to explore elsewhere, although I am going back to Tokyo in two weeks to check out the cherry blossoms and get some of the cool sakura products that @mariellesales posted all over Twitter, hehe.

I never, ever would have guessed this is the route my life would take. 

I live in a studio apartment in a lively yet wonderfully residential neighborhood. I love my apartment, I love my furniture, I love my dishes, I love the food I make (although I go to the Burger King by the train station more than is good for me, I think). 

I suppose I just wanted to write this all down and make it feel real, because some days I wake up and pinch myself to make sure this is actually happening. When I look in the mirror in my studio apartment, in Seoul, before I head to my job as a copywriter in a digital agency, I truly can’t believe it.

If you have dreams, chase them as far as you can, because damn. I just went with the flow and look where it got me. 

I’m happy to answer any questions people may have, although a lot of the answers about the job stuff will be “I don’t know, it just happened,” because that’s the truth. It just happened.

My friend Jae once said something along the lines of luck comes when you’re prepared, and so I can’t discount the hard work I did to be available and out there and have a Korean and English resume at the ready when my agency did reach out, but the stars truly aligned for me to have it all come together like this. I’m stoked and humbled and making the best of it.

[daysofdane]

Hi, I’m Dana. I recently moved to Seoul via a Working Holiday Visa. I’m getting settled in (I’ve only been here just over two weeks at this point) and exploring all the wonderful things Korea has to offer me, especially the skincare and cosmetics. Okay, the shopping in general. It’s wild here. I love it, and easy access to my favorite products makes it that much more enjoyable.

One of my favorite skincare brands is Dr. Jart. It tends to be one of the more expensive brands in the shops, but is worth every penny. For example, the above rubber mask retails for ₩12,000, or just under $12. That’s a tough nut to swallow when there are ample sheet masks to be had for a tenth of that cost. But with that weird packaging, I had to try it.

The backstory is that my flight landed at 3am and, after customs, travel, etc., I got to my hotel around 7am to find out it was fully booked and dashing my hopes of an early check-in. My hotel room wouldn’t be ready until noon, and after that long flight I was feeling pretty weird, and my skin showed it. Most places around Hongdae, where I live, don’t open until around 10am at the earliest, so I had time to kill. I first hit a sauna to take a shower then grabbed a coffee nearby (cafes are ubiquitous), and waited until 10am, when I trotted over to the nearby Olive Young, which is roughly equivalent to Ulta but with snacks. I needed a mask that would overhydrate in order to rejuvenate my tired, dry-ass face after a fourteen-hour plane ride and subsequent several hours of travel and jet lagged despair. 

These rubber masks were just the ticket. The one pictured above is more for inflamed skin, and I bought the moisturizing one below at first. 

The rubber mask is meant to keep the serum from evaporating as you sit, and I found that to be the case, as my face was incredibly sticky and heavy with serum afterwards, which is unusual. It was an unpleasant aftermask sensation, but I tapped and rubbed the rest of the serum in and found that it absorbed quite nicely. I was still sticky for a bit, but I ended up taking a nap (lol jet lag) and when I awoke, all residue was gone and my skin was glowing. 

Excuse the face. My eyes are tired, but my skin looks fresh. Nice.

In the first picture, you’ll also notice the Ceramidin hand cream that I bought. I have a tendency for serious hangnail issues and with my penchant for knitting I also have some callouses on my index fingers. Both are non-issues with the hand cream.

In short, Dr. Jart rules for heavy-duty skincare. 

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back with more.