Crème de la Mer, the Moisturizing Soft Cream

Vest & Top – Day Birger et Mikkelsen. Khaki jeans – Henry Holland x Debenhams. Wedges – Kurt Geiger Montpellier. Tropical-print blazer – Maarten van der horst for Topshop.

I grew up to the sound of slapping – my mother slapping serums and lotions into her face every morning and evening, that is – nothing at all to do with being a tiger-mum, oh nooo. (Come back after midnight and I’ll share some gory details of me growing up a Korean kid with absolutely no talent for maths) We kept the dressing table in my room even before I had my first acne, but the light was always good in the morning and for years I’d jolt awake to wild noises of my mother’s extensive skincare routine… and in a couple of years once I’d grown a pair of boobs it’d become mine. Layering skincare is no secret to modern women, and while I won’t deny that my mother’s clap-fest was probably more fuelled by the horsepower in her arms than some kind of dedication for good skin, slapping – or ‘firm’ patting – is a neat trick that helps stimulate blood-flow, which makes the skin more receptive to ingredients. Plus, it also raises the skin temperature ever so slightly which means products can seep deeper! So that’s my little skincare tip, whacking in all those layers in and hoping I won’t pop an eyeball.

I’ve been meaning to share the few products I use daily, but this Crème de la Mer review + shoot I did for Editer.com came at a great time so I thought I’d start with this. Make sure to check out for the little treat that Crème de la Mer are offering to Editer.com readers: a deluxe 7ml travel size of the Moisturizing Soft Cream with any purchase at www.cremedelamer.co.uk (just use ‘EDITER‘ when you check out)!

Coat – H&M, Top – Amber Sakai, Jeans – Henry Holland x Debenhams, Shoes – Friis & Company (via Zalando), Camerabag – Stylesscrapbook x Kipling, Leather Jacket –  Day Birger et Mikkelsen, Navy blazer- Uniqlo

Shelving Disneyland and Paris for now – and I’m aware this shelf is still full with unfulfilled promises of Part Two‘s of supposedly fantastical adventures (i.e Azerbaijan and Kew Gardens), but I suppose now they will have to get cozy on the IKEA Billys until I run out of topics to entertain my guests (you) and then soon enough I’ll start pulling out photo-albums and first-editions from the bookshelf at an attempt to impress. I kind of wish I have a fancy chandelier instead.

Ironically, I’d mentioned that Berlin to me was like Disneyland when I was a teenager – a faraway land where all dreams come true… or in other words anywhere but home where curfew is 10pm, parties start at 11 and mother leaves 12 missed calls while you’re dancing. A faraway land with lots of light and a vibrant music culture, preferably. So when I landed in Berlin courtesy of Zalando I was hit by excitement, nostalgia and a tinge of giddiness, but shock to the system, too. I was quickly realizing I’d actually grown out of popular music (is Katy Perry still kissing girls?) and was finding all the graffiti more disconcerting than amusing – probably sharing inner-boiling sentiments of an old German lady living on the second floor of a freshly graffiti-ed compound. But as Carrie and I lost ourselves on an expedition to find the Brandenburg gate for touring’s sake we kept running into unexpected, awesome nooks that diverted us even further off the beaten track. It takes a while to understand, that you need to stop comparing the city to Paris or London at some point and from then on it becomes a completely new experience. The grunge and the architectural disorderliness are simply products of the rich history of Berlin, as if it’s all embedded in the buildings and streets, now how charismatic is that.

Thank you Zalando for having us and Carrie for the shots of moi.