12.31.2018

The year came to an end rather quickly and in a blink of an eye it's going to be my birthday again. I am slowly dreading my birthday now. Why? Because I am getting older and I am not really where I want to be in my life but I am learning that it is completely okay to not have your shit together right now. That doesn't mean that I am slacking off...no I am working towards my dreams and my goals. This year...I thought sight of what my end goal but I think now I really know what I want to do. I have been throwing it out into the universe and I know that it will happen for me and even if it doesn't happen for me this year then it definitely will happen for me next year.

Okay, enough of that! I am working on some Blogmas posts for you guys and I do have a small blog post that will be explaining just was "Blogmas" is just incase some of you guys were confused. I think I mentioned in my second to last "Let's Get Coffee" post that I have been visiting so many new coffee shops and cafe's lately but because I needed a new laptop I have been neglecting my blog for the 1,000x time this year. I have noticed ( and I am pretty sure you guys have as well ) the significant decline in blog posts the last couple of months. It's really not intentional. I promise you. It's just that I was in a rut and no amount of time...me telling myself that I was going to write a blog post today was going to actually get to login to wordpress to write a blog post. Even though I had all these ideas swirling around my head. I didn't even want to OPEN wordpress.

Anyways...I can literally sit here and ramble on but I think that this is enough sad and depressing shit for this post. Now to get into something exciting..like the actual topic that this blog post is about. Which I mean if the title doesn't give it away then I don't know what to tell you guys!

I wanted to tell you guys about this new cafe/coffee spot that I was introduced to by my blogger friend Erin! I think that I have actually mentioned her before when I was sharing my experience at a blogger brunch that she hosted at Masa 14! If you guys want to read it the you can click here. Just keep in mind that I wrote that LAST YEAR! I think my reviews have gotten a bit better since then haha. Like I was saying...Erin introduced to me to this very aesthetically pleasing ( like I can live here...seriously...if they are reading this...I would LOVE TO LIVE IN A ROOM ). It's attached to a hotel and even the hotel ( which is brand spanking new ) is just goals. I am so sorry compass but I think Kintsugi will be my new home until I find somewhere else. It's known as Eaton so let's just call it Eaton BUT the coffee spot does have it's own name and instagram which I did mention above.

I am going to jump into this review...it will be slightly longer than my normal coffee reviews just because I really have a lot to say about it. By the way for my new readers and I have noticed that there are a few of you ( so hello ) I don't get paid to write these reviews. I spend my own money to check out these locations and write about them! So, if you guys are ever interested in visiting DC you can visit my blog and never have to ask for recommendations when it comes to cafes. I am working on restaurants but until I get there...I will settle on coffee. Everyone loves coffee.

Let's start with the good! Why? Because everyone loves hearing good things before they read the bad. It's kinda like reading yelp reviews just not limited to a certain amount of words.

If you are a content creator this is a paradise for you. Especially of your aesthetic is more neutral and earth tones. It's like a paradise for me and as I walked in...I was in love with the interior alone. Safe to say that I can create endless content here which means that they will be taking all of my money. I love the openness. Some coffee locations are very tiny with limited seating but this place is rather on the large side which is good. It has tons of seating and I don't mean like tables and hard stools I mean plush seating so if you want to sit there and write blog posts all day then your bum wont be numb. The prices aren't bad either! Plus they have latte art for all my content creators out there.

Bad: lack of outlets ( that's about it )

Overall I loved Eaton and I have definitely been back a couple times before leaving D.C!
















12.19.2018

Can you guys believe that Christmas is 5 days away! Let me just say that I personally cannot believe it because that New Years is 11 days away. Holy crap! This month is definitely gone by rather quickly and as much as I don't want the year to be over yet...( my birthday is next month ) I think that I am ready to see what the New Year has to offer.

I am back with yes you guessed it...another amazing Chanel Beauty post. I don't think that I will ever get over being able to work with Chanel. I still feel like a child who had candy for the first time whenever I see a package from them. This time I am happy to be reviewing their Manicure Essentials. It's apart of their Limited Edition 3 piece manicure set for the holidays and you guys know how much I love the holidays. The set comes with La Creme Main, Le Vernis nail colour in a Rogue Noir and lastly Le Gel Coat which is the top coat and it all comes in this gorgeous signature pouch as well. I am just obsessed with how it all looks together I am not going to lie.

I prepped my hands before with Le Creme Main which by the way is very light and smells divine! That is something that I definitely look for when using hand lotions. I don't want it to be overly greasy and it has to have a light smell because I tend to have a sneezing fit when the scent is to strong.

Then of course I add the nail polish ( after pushing my cuticles down ) which is this gorgeous shade. I applied 2 coats and I was instantly put into a Christmas-y mood! I wanted to pull out my Christmas sweater ( my only Christmas sweater ) that I got from H&M and blast Christmas music all day long.

I think this Manicure Set will make a great gift for someone who does their nails often. The bag that it comes in is something I can pack with me when I am traveling. Plus it feels amazing. Like velvet? I am actually planning to go to the nail salon and have this gorgeous colour put on my toes.

PS: Chanel is still offering FREE shipping until the end of December! Get shopping lovelies!!








*This is a sponsored post but all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own*

12.09.2018

On the first day of Christmas...my secret Santa gave to me... 3 brand new scents.

I literally cannot believe that we have about 17 more days until Christmas and 3 more weeks until the New Year! This year has definitely flew by rather quickly and even though I was thinking 'oh my god slow down' I am actually happy to start new habits in the upcoming year.

It's pretty obvious that the best part about December other than Vlogmas, Blogmas and Holiday Gift Guides....it's obviously spending time with loved ones and I think the second half of this year has definitely been about giving big time!

If you haven't read my first blog post about Chanel Beauty then you can definitely read it here. I have partnered with Chanel again ( which is super exciting ) to share some of their amazing fragrances! I personally think that these particular fragrances would make perfect holiday gifts for your family, friends or even yourself ( treat yourself ).

Let's hop right into these gorgeous scents!



First scent is called Paris-Venise: This one is my second favorite! I love Autumn and it smells like Autumn in a bottle. When I first sprayed it...I got a hint of Vanilla and something else that I for the life of me cannot place but it's okay because it definitely transports me somewhere fancy. Like I need to be wearing a backless plum satin gown...drinking a gin & tonic and I don't even like gin & tonic.





Second scent is Paris-Deauville: This scent is more of a typical everyday scent. Something I found myself reaching for more over the other 2 scents. I cannot deal with overly strong fragrances which is why this one is perfect for me. It's very refreshing scent. Definitely in my rotation of go-to's.




Last scent is called Paris-Biarritz: The best way to describe this scent would be to give you guys a scenario. It's like you have been sitting on a flight for hours and when you make it to out of the terminal and you breathe in that FRESH BRISK AIR. That is what this scent is like. It's like stepping outside and just breathing in freshness. It's floral with a tinge of fruit ( which makes me sneeze if I put on to much ) but non the less it's perfect for Spring. Just be mindful that the bees might think you're a flower cause you smell oh so good.





See, each one of these fragrances are unique in their own ways BUT I haven't even told you guys the best part. For this month only ( we're in December ) Chanel is offering FREE SHIPPING! Yes, please go back and re-read that sentence! FREE SHIPPING!

Can someone say Christmas gifts for everyone!?!?







*This is a sponsored post but all thoughts & opinions are 100% my own!*

12.06.2018

Oh yay! You guys have made it to day 6 & I am beyond excited! Thank you for putting up with my rambling posts talking about my memories which doesn't make anyone reach for the tissues! Which is good because even though I want to share more personal things about me...I don't want to make anyone sad in the process! I want everyone to read my stories and go 'oh hey, I have done something like that before'. I mean let's get a little real. As a kid of the 90's we had to get very creative because we didn't really have a lot of the things we have access to know and let me tell you right now technology has definitely come a long way!

My older sisters and I ( I am the middle of 5 by the way ) used to basically live outside. My Mum was VERY strict since she was a single Mother ( widow ) raising not 1 but 3 girls alone at the time. Like I said...crazy! Anyways, my sisters and I were always getting into something. Whether it was fighting over not wanting to eat a bloody donut ( I don't mean an actual bloody donut ), being put into the trunk of a car, cursing for the first time at private school, being chased by a bull...you know I can go on forever. The gist of it is...my sisters and I have A LOT of activities that we used to do but I think the biggest one and my favorite one would be when we would sing Christmas songs together. It was when we forgot about fighting and disliking each other and just actually act like sisters.

We would wake up in the morning, open our gifts and watch Christmas cartoons all day with our Mother. I think that if I could go back in time I would want to relive those moments where there was no yelling, fighting or disagreements but just pure bliss and happiness.

Well that's it for day 6! See you guys on day 7!




12.05.2018


Chestnuts roasting on an open fire....jack frost nipping at your nose...

Did you guys actually sing my opening sentence or just read it normally? Well if you sang it then you aren't completely devoid of Holiday cheer. I know that is probably a very mean thing to say...and I know deep down I should take it back BUT I really don't want to. I am telling myself that this is going to be the best Christmas ever because I am going into the New Year on a positive and healthy ( still will be consuming my junk food ) mindset. With that being said..I wanted to share maybe like 1 or 2 of my favorite Winter Memories with you all.

You guys might probably think it's weird but I look at it as a way for you guys to get to know me even more! Completely different mindset to what I was thinking a few months ago. So, what gut wrenching memory will I share with you guys in todays post...? To be honest...as I am writing this...no specific memory is coming to mind. Which is insane because I have tons of memories it's just that maybe...I am suppressing the happy ones at the moment? Who knows...I mean maybe subconsciously I want to keep those certain memories treasured or maybe there is something wrong with me and I just CANNOT for the life of me remember!

Okay, I am not going to lie. I had to save this as a draft and walk away from it. I needed to pick someone brain because seriously nothing was coming to me and it was beginning to get on my bloody nerves.

It was a few years ago and I decided to go up to NYC to celebrate my birthday. For all of you guys who don't know...I am actually a winter baby so I guess that itself is a great memory. Being born lol. Ahem..like I was saying...a few years ago ( more like 2 years lol ) I visited NYC  to celebrate my 24th birthday. I know NYC isn't really something special especially if you go all the damn time like I do then it wouldn't come off as special in any way.

We had lunch at one of my NOW favorite restaurants in Koreatown and 1 I speak a little Korean so I love ordering my food and conversing in Korean! 2 we ordered Bokkeumbap ( it's kimchi stir fried rice with eggs & cheese ) Rabokki ( Ramen and Tteokbokki mixed together...got it spicy ) Veggie Pajeon ( Korean Pancake ) and it was the best Korean food I have had ever! They also served Su Jeong Gwa which is a cinnamon punch to wash your palette after and oh my god! I asked the manager where I would be able to buy some and he told me they made it ( he said this to me in korean ) and I ended up finding it in the local Lotte Market so HA ahjussi!

Anyways...talking about food is making me hungry so I am going to power through this post and go get some takeaway!

To continue the day...we went shopping which I loved but I don't shop much anymore unless it's for basics that I can wear each year. We grabbed coffee at this korean coffee spot and I had the best Bingsu of my life. Then as we were winding down the day...it began to snow. So, on our way back to the bus s

top we stopped by this little park that had this tree that was light with these gorgeous blue lights. I am not sure what came over me but I just felt a sense of peace and happiness there. Even though it was ridiculously cold and I couldn't feel my fingers BUT all of that left my mind because it was just really beautiful.

When we got back to DC I felt a sense of emptiness and I wasn't sure why but non the less I think that day was probably one of the best Winter Memories I have.

Stay tuned for Day 6! Not the singing group by the way. I also know that...that was very corny but I don't care!

[shop_slider full="no"][shop_heading]Shop my Outfit[/shop_heading]

[/shop_slider]

12.04.2018

Woah, I cannot believe that it's already day 4! I am not going to lie it feels really great being able to sit down anywhere and write out all these posts for you guys! For this post I thought since you know Blogmas sounds like Christmas...I wanted to share some of my favorite Holiday movies! I mean who doesn't love Holiday Movies!? It was definitely a tradition in our household where we would wake up early in the morning and watch movies together as a family.

I wanted to share some of my favorite movies that I still watch every year to this year. I will share some from my childhood and the rest will be a variation of movies I have grown to love the older I got. Let me know if you guys have seen any of these movies and which ones are your favorites!

[asym_gallery style="style_one" full="no" layout="portrait"]  [/asym_gallery]

The first 3 movies are from my childhood 'A Nightmare Before Christmas' which is a classic by the way and I think everyone needs to watch! 'How The Grinch Stole Christmas' another classic with Jim Carrey! They are doing an animated remake but I think everyone should watch the Jim Carrey version before watching the new animated one! The last one would be 'Jack Frost' which is such a sad but touching story. I personally think that EVERYONE needs to watch Jack Frost at least once in their lives!

[asym_gallery style="style_two" full="no" layout="portrait"] [/asym_gallery]

Now that I am older...I have learned to appreciate Holiday movies that fits my life. 'The Polar Express' is another classic that I think everyone should watch. One movie that I grew to love was 'The Holiday' my Mum would watch the crap out of that movie and I am pretty sure that I know all the words by heart now. Insane right? The last movie is a product from a classic! 'The Best Man' was an amazing movie showcasing African American actors and when they came out with 'The Best Man Holiday' of course you guys know that I had to watch it....oh my god all of the emotions and the feelings I got watching this movie made all these emotions I didn't know I had surface.

I swear I could go on forever about my favorite Holiday Movies but I didn't want to make this post longer than it needed to be!

Stay tuned for Day 5!

12.03.2018

Happy Blogmas Day 3! I cannot believe that this is getting easier and easier to do! Doing Blogmas is actually putting me in a very good mood because I get to sit down and just write about the shit that has been accumulating in my head! In my last Blogmas post I talked about the fact that I love to sing. I am talking...either old school R&B or just slow jams by my girls Billie Eilish & Sabrina Claudio. Whatever the case might be I have a playlist for just about every mood you can think of.

I did write a blog post sharing my writing playlist which you guys seemed to love because it showed you guys that I am not limited to one genre of music. This the same case. Cozy to me doesn't necessarily mean snuggling up under the duvet, sipping a glass of wine...well right now that sounds amazing and I don't even remember the last time that I actually had a proper glass of wine. I need to get back on that.

A few of my current favourite artists are:

Billie Eilish

Sabrina Claudio

Bang Yongguk

Alessia Cara

Shaed

Bazzi

IKON

Mamamoo

You know just to name a few right off the top of my head. If you guys are interested in listening to some of their music then I highly recommend them! As usual you guys can shop some of the similar items from my photo!

I am excited for you guys to read Blogmas Day 4!

 

[shop_slider full="no"][shop_heading]Shop This Post[/shop_heading]

[/shop_slider]

12.02.2018

Oh my god! I am happy that it's day 2 BUT oh my god I am freaking out because 2018 went by in a blink of an eye and it feels like the days are getting shorter and shorter each time. I cannot be the only one freaking out about it! I know that there are 24hrs in a day but I swear every time I sneeze I teleport 2 hours further into the day! I know that I sound a bit dramatic but in all honesty yeah I don't care lol.

Everyone has things that they want to do before the end of year rolls around. I just happened to wait until literally the END of the year to do a lot of the shit that I really needed to do! I mean hey I have about 29 more days to get everything that I want to do done before the New Year rolls around. I think that I can do it! Does anyone have faith in me that I am able to pull a miracle out of my ass? Because I personally think that I can.

Some of the things that I need to tackle are leaning more towards brand work. I am kinda behind on them but hey I am still pushing them out. I have been having some intense dark days and I keep telling myself that the next day will be better but yet . here I am posting things past their due dates but at least I am posting them right?

Another thing was I wanted to really start buckling down and looking for a new place to live. I have a couple apartment tabs open on my phone and I have called a few but I haven't really taken the initiative to move our of the current apartment that I am living in right now even though I am not a lease anymore. All that will change!

Decluttering my apartment is also on my list of things that I NEED to do before 2019! I want to go into the New Year with as little shit as possible! I will keep the things that I need, donate and sell the rest because I literally have no space and I also don't feel like buying anymore hangers. I cannot afford to have the bar in my wardrobe fall like the last time. That was one of the main reasons I ended up investing in clothing racks. HAHA.

Heading back into the gym is a big one for me as well. I started going with my Mum and my little sister but I was trying to show off and ended up seriously bruising my back which hurt like a bitch. I wouldn't say that I was showing off in a sense as oppose to trying to get to the handle bar. If I fell another way then I would have hit my temple and I probably wouldn't be alive to be writing this post.

I want to find what makes me happy now. I don't want to wait until 2019 to figure what makes me happy. I am making that one of the biggest missions for me to do for the month of December. I am going to go out and live life. Even though I love staying home and playing video games. Sometimes it's good to meet new people, try new foods and just enjoy life.

I think the last thing I will do is TRY my best to stay away from purchasing new stationary! Why? Well you guys should see the little bookshelf that I attached to my desk and all of the beautiful stationary that fills it. Yes, I have that many and yet I feel the need to continue buying new ones. I think that I legit have a problem and I need to attend a Stationary Anonymous group.

I know that there are a few more things that I need to do but I cannot for the life of me remember what they were so I think I will end this blog post here. As usual you can shop some of the items in the photo down below!

[shop_slider full="no"][shop_heading]Shop this Post[/shop_heading]

[/shop_slider]

12.01.2018

Happy start of Blogmas everyone! I am so excited to actually be writing out a blog post everyday for you guys! I am also counting down to my birthday but we're going to get into that in another post. I really don't want to overwhelm you guys with long posts during Blogmas since I am already going crazy with posting everyday. I want you guys to tune in not go away.

My December goals are super simple! I think I will do the in list form to save time and to save you guys from reading so much because you know me....I can ramble on & on...& on haha.

Becoming Happier


This is basically self explanatory! I have been feeling really down and uninspired lately but I told myself that I am going to keep pushing through it because my happiness is right around the corner.

Maintaining a clean apartment


I am the worst when it comes to keeping my apartment clean. Why? Mainly because since I blog and I get alot of products to post about..my apartment is currently covered in tons of PR boxes and not to mention all the items that I used to create my flatlays. I normally jump right into editing as soon as I am done so I just forget until the next day. I work better in a clean apartment so that is my goal!

Cook more


I used to cook a lot and I loved trying new recipes but with my depression came the need to not do anything that I loved anymore. I was constantly staying in bed facing the wall tackling my inner demons but I am in a way better place right now and I cannot wait to start sharing recipes with you guys!

Starting my Resolutions NOW


I am starting to dislike waiting until the New Year to start new resolutions. I told myself that I was going to start them now. Now to figure out what they are and start them lol. I think I should have them written down somewhere by this upcoming week and of course I will share some of them with you all!

Going into the month on a positive note


I am not really a negative nancy but lately I have been a little negative and it was scaring me a bit. I am normally the one that always gives people the benefit of the doubt but I have just been in such a shitty mood and I know that triggers these negative thoughts. That is going to change ASAP! Also I wont be holding onto all the negative things that people have done to me this year. I am going to forgive and learn from this year.

Being more adventurous with food


If any of you guys know me in person you would know that I am EXTREMELY picky when it comes to food. I hate trying new things and I end up always ordering the same damn thing over & over & over. I kid you not. I think I want to change that! I want to taste what the world has to offer!

Stop leaving my clean laundry in the basket


This is the biggest thing that I do! I will literally wash my laundry then leave it in the laundry basket for about a month and just dig through it and take out what I need! I know that some of you are probably like 'yeah I do that to' and some of you guys are judging me very hard right now and that is completely okay! Why? Well because I am definitely judging myself as well.

Call people who I care about more


I hate talking on the phone. I feel like my conversations are always about nothing and I also dislike those awkward pauses because you both don't know what to say. Yeah, I decided that I am going to change that. Even it's to say hello or ask how they are doing. I am going to make it a priority to call someone I care about often.

Sing more


Random fact about me...I sing. I wanted to be a singer when I was younger but when I realized that I have an insane amount of stage fright so I leave all the singing within the 4 walls of my apartment and of course the shower.

Stop hoarding beauty products


This is a BIG one for me because I do get a lot of Beauty Products to post on my instagram page and I end up hoarding a shit ton of them on my desk! I do invite my family members over and they go through and take what they want & I get to keep all the ones that I love. I will be adding a few of my current rotation in another blog post!

See there! Super simple and things I know that I need to work on! Nothing to hectic right just little things here and there. Also you can shop my outfit down below!

Happy first day of Blogmas lovelies! I cannot wait for you guys to read tomorrows post!

[shop_slider full="no"][shop_heading]Shop my Outfit[/shop_heading]

[/shop_slider]
Instagram @ JIASCOMFYCORNER
lelondonchic