Aesop: An experience & a review

by Grace Ko in , ,


Confession: I love watching YouTube makeup videos. It all started when I was introduced to Pixiwoo and from there, it was history. My affinity to Youtube began with makeup tutorials but now, I don't discriminate and it encompasses "reviews, vlogs, and hauls" (just some YouTube jargon for you). I do confess, it may have enabled a few purchases here and there.

I was introduced to the brand, Aesop by several of my favorite YouTubers (mainly Viviannadoesmakeup).

A few weekends ago, I stumbled upon an Aesop store. And it was glorious. The store layout, the organization, the simple yet classy packaging, the rustic fixtures, the customer service.

The woman at the store asked if i had tried any Aesop products and since I hadn't, she eagerly began to introduce me to a few products. She asked me about my skin type and what I was interested in. I had heard a lot about several products but I chose to indulge myself in just one: the parsley seed masque. At $39 it's not a purchase I would be proud to call a "Steal & Deal" by any means. But lately, skincare has been the area to splurge on if I splurge on anything. And I'm glad I did because it is a beautiful product. 

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It is a clay-based masque of a light gray color.  You are instructed to put on a light layer after cleansing your skin. Once applied, it has a slight cooling sensation which is refreshing while not being painful (you know you've tried those masques). 

It is clarifying and deep-cleansing while being moisturizing. And my skin loves it. My late-twenties skin has been quite confused; it's having a major identity crisis having trouble deciding whether it would like to be dry or oily. This masque seems to be helping to sort that out. 

Best part about my Aesop experience? I walked away with many samples to try. And they're not skimpy with the samples. The lady even gave Y a bunch to try out too. Oh, those sale people. That's how they draw you in. They're so smart. 

Excited to try out some of the samples! 

Excited to try out some of the samples! 


Stars & Stripes

by Grace Ko


Can you tell I love stripes? And they were quite appropriate during MDW. I was in a patriotic mood and channeled my inner patriot donning this shirt last weekend as we went to brunch, explored DC's Capitol Hill Flea Market and soaked in the wisdom of our nation's heroes at their memorials. 

shirt: madewell, jeans: american eagle, sunglasses: forever21 *ended up buying those bracelets. 

shirt: madewell, jeans: american eagle, sunglasses: forever21 *ended up buying those bracelets. 

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local market-fresh strawberries

local market-fresh strawberries

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watch: michael kors, bag: zara

watch: michael kors, bag: zara

y makes a cameo in an OOTD post

y makes a cameo in an OOTD post

with the great MLK

with the great MLK


Friday Favorites

by Grace Ko


I thought my 4-day work week was going to be fairly "easy peasy" but boy was I wrong. With several scheduled meetings and the expected unexpected and "end of the school year" chaos, I am exhausted. But somehow I was still able to squeeze in time to run (in preparation for a 5k this weekend) and these late night runs with Y have been what have gotten me through. 

I hope you all have a great weekend. I'm definitely looking forward to mine. 

i know i recently blogged about my bullet journal being a favorite. but meet one of my other journals: my thanksgiving journal

i know i recently blogged about my bullet journal being a favorite. but meet one of my other journals: my thanksgiving journal

my current favorite pair of earrings: one of my chelseamarket finds 

my current favorite pair of earrings: one of my chelseamarket finds 

lemons: a staple. in pasta, salad, dressing, juice, water. 

lemons: a staple. in pasta, salad, dressing, juice, water. 

a quiet moment after work at a favorite cafe. a yummy veggie sandwich & hazelnut coffee are good companions for a work session. 

a quiet moment after work at a favorite cafe. a yummy veggie sandwich & hazelnut coffee are good companions for a work session. 

and last but not least. a favorite moment of the week. meet my brother, tim. he has the fabulous ability of always making me laugh.it was a humid and uncharacteristically hot may evening. with no central air and our AC units not yet installed, my br…

and last but not least. a favorite moment of the week. meet my brother, tim. he has the fabulous ability of always making me laugh.

it was a humid and uncharacteristically hot may evening. with no central air and our AC units not yet installed, my brother thought it would cool us down by putting on face masks. half way through putting on the face mask, he told me the one i had chosen was making his face feel warmer (origins clear improvement) so i swapped it to queen helene mint julep masque (hence his appearance). then i proceeded to choose yet another mask for myself (i admit, i love me a good face mask) mine, being aesop's parsley seed masque [review to come]. turns out aesop's masque was the most cooling. oops. sorry, brother. 


Stripes Galore

by Grace Ko


Today I bring you another OOTD, this one from our anniversary dinner. My dear husband snapped a few pictures before we headed out for a delicious sushi/sashimi dinner

dress: madewell (similar here), cardigan: borrowed, belt: thrifted, bag: zara, shoes: target 

dress: madewell (similar here), cardigan: borrowed, belt: thrifted, bag: zara, shoes: target 

The orange belt adds a bit of interest to a relatively simple dress. I love that this dress is versatile. I have dressed it up and worn it to a school function with a tailored blazer. I have dressed it down with flip-flops. And this night, I mixed patterns by pairing it with a pair of comfy leopard-print smoking loafers. 

My favorite part of the dress? The pockets!


Sailboats & a panama hat

by Grace Ko in ,


A belated OOTD from my weekend in NYC. It was a relatively warm day but I was glad for the extra layer because the wind picked up midday. I love this anorak. It's the perfect color, shape and I love the gold details. (And it doesn't hurt that I found it at F21 for $30. A steal!

hat: a fleamarket find, shirt: target, jacket: forever21, jeans: gap, shoes: naturalizer, sunglasses: rayban, bag: burberry, watch: michael kors 

hat: a fleamarket find, shirt: target, jacket: forever21, jeans: gap, shoes: naturalizer, sunglasses: rayban, bag: burberry, watch: michael kors 

This outfit is comfortable and casual, perfect for a productive day of exploration in the city. 

bracelets: vintage and gifted, ring: H&M, nails: essie lights cupofjoe: joe's (haha) 

bracelets: vintage and gifted, ring: H&M, nails: essie lights cupofjoe: joe's (haha)