Getting ready for a new year…this time the Lunar New Year!

February 1st is on the way. If you didn’t like the way 2022 started there is still time to ring in a new one. YOU don’t have to be Asian to celebrate the New Year1

I am not sure if you know it but I am an American and made in America too. And my nationality is a blend of Chinese and European. I have enjoyed all kinds of Asian food and love my Asian friends too.

Chinatown all over the USA are my go to when traveling. So much to explore and so much fun in doing so. All without a plane trip to Asia.

So here’s a peek into a few things about the Lunar New Year. I used to think that only Chinese people celebrate the lunar new year. But did you know not only the Chinese celebrate it the people of Vietnam,South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia do too. So over the next week into the month of February I will be sharing some fun facts and customs you will enjoy as well as some foodie & beauty rituals and delicious recipes.

To prepare and in anticipation of the new year celebration most Asians go shopping for gold and red decor. Lanterns, signs,artwork,candles,red light bulbs and other table top decorations for the meal and home decor. These colors they say bring wealth and good luck! So that is why they surround themselves in these hues.

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Asian people stock up on incense to perfume the air for protection and ward off evil spirits at their door. Although it is burned year round at homes and in temples for prayer,meditation and celebrations.

Sandalwood incense rules! When I visited Hong Kong and beyond the cities smelled so lovely with this aromatic scent. I have been burning these sticks since I was a teen. Burning incense for me is quite calming and soothing to your space. Work or home.

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They not only stock up on groceries,fruit, ingredients for making dumplings, noodle dishes and buy fresh fish for the new year celebration. They also buy the Togetherness bowl of snacks that is given as a gift or served with an array of nuts,dried fruits and coconut pieces,melon seeds and more. Kumquats and oranges are also enjoyed during this time. Flowers are also celebrated and decorated with all around the house.

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They clean their houses and change bed linens to be ready and fresh for the new year to begin.

They also BUY new clothes to wear to celebrate the new year in. It isn’t like our traditional date night new years eve. The lunar new year is all about FAMILY ❤️which they think is the best gift 🎁 of all.

Yummy Bites for Your Valentine!

Or for yourself and your Valentine too. You don’t need one to enjoy this yumminess!

Sweet and Sexy Asian Meatballs

1 package (12 oz.) of  Italian meatballs (fully cooked) Or you can make them from scratch!

1/2 cup of Asian hoisin sauce

4 tsp. brown sugar

2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar

1 tsp of Sriracha hot chili sauce

1 clove of fresh garlic minced

1/2  tsp. of ground ginger

At the end before serving add sliced green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds to garnish.

In a saucepan add all of the above ingredients but not the meatballs. Warm up the ingredients and keep stirring.

Next, add the meatballs,stir, cover and cook. Prepare on medium high heat until done.

I like to serve over Jasmine rice. Your house will smell divine! And serve with delicious aromatic jasmine tea 🍵 .

Add a dash of something naughty and sweet and some Prosecco and you are all set!

As I always say I love to COOK and entertain for one or for a crowd.

Enjoy these yummy bites!

Happy Valentines Day!

PS

 

 

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How to use a LIP 💋 mask

I love love love  the new gel and tissue masks for your lips in those adorable lip shapes. I use them at night before I go to bed 🛌 and when I feel like I need a hydrating lift to my lips for an evening out.

Here is how I use them.

Take your time. Don’t rush. Enjoy 😊!

• WASH your hands well.
• Cleanse and tone your skin.
• Brush your teeth.
• Wash your lips.
• Pull the lip mask out of package with tweezers. (Or clean fingers)
• Apply it to your lips and lightly press and pat the mask down.Make sure it is laying smooth.
• Leave the mask on your lips for at least 15 minutes.
• BEFORE you remove the mask … pat the remaining moisture like residue on your lip area. Do not wash your face or lips afterwards. Blot lips dry with tissue if you’d like.
• If your lips are extra dry and flaky… Condition your lips 👄 with a lip conditioner if you’d like or simply rest.

Sweet 😴 Dreams! … and enjoy softer sexier healthier looking lips,Beauties!Beauties!

PS

If you smoke,vape or sunbathe…you’ll love the skin softening benefits of these KBeauty lip masks too!

Las Vegas IS always fabulous!

Been so busy since I came back from Las Vegas I finally had a moment to tell you about my beauty filled and foodie trip. I got to go with my sweetie so that’s always good. It wasn’t as hot this year as it usally is in the 100 degree and more mark. I never get tired of Las Vegas and go a few times a year.

I guest spoke at the International Esthetics Cosmetics and Spa Conference.

My class went well and I love the eager to learn audience of makeup artists,estheticans,plastic surgeons and Boss Babes.

I enjoyed and sat in on some other classes TO LEARN too but my fave part of any beauty conference is always  discovering what is on the show floor! Shopped til I dropped. I discovered a few new brands and tools I will share with you in the next few blog posts too.

Healthier Looking SKIN is still in! And so are all kinds of beauty devices and facial tools for anti-aging but they are sold to beauty professionals in the spa or plastic surgeons and dermatologists offices. Where they need to be. I think sometimes these at home machines and pro devices are best used by the PROFESSIONAL. Putting the wrong device in the consumers hands can harm you especially if you don’t know what you are doing.

💄 Makeup is sparkling with all things glam and glitter.

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Lash and hair extensions reign supreme.

Photo by George Sistonen on Pexels.com

Nails 💅are so colorful and blinged out with crystals and some are in varying shapes including very pointy.

Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com

I enjoyed my usual foodie spots for food away from the strip where the locals like to go. And at the top of that food list is the infamous In & Out Burger and animal fries too!

I stayed on an extra day to RELAX  and to join Las Vegas Now’s  host Courtney Perna again. So happy to join her again as she’s always fun to work with and quite a show host… loaded with personality! This time my segment was  Asian Beauty Secrets Revealed. Having just been to Korea and China I had a few unique things to share with their TV viewers. The best part of the segment was rolling an Asian Skin Smoothing and Relaxing face roller with her for fun on Boomerang.

This cool little tool is still on a roll in China and now the USA. Using it is so cool and refreshing and the beauty benefits surely beats a face lift… any day!

Asian Royalty used it for centuries now it has made it to main stream from China. Great for those of you who love all things anti-aging. Revs up circulation and they do so much.

Have you ever seen unusual fruit at an Asian market and wondered what they are?

Dragon fruit and Durian are delightful to eat or add in a smoothie for younger looking skin and overall good health. Don’t be afraid to explore what’s not familiar to you and taste what you never tried before.

Asian women I interviewed on the streets of Hong Kong also shared with me that infamous Pearl Powder. Sold by the box in little vials you almost think you are buying something white powdery and illegal. But it is not. It is a powder when mixed with water makes an amazing skin brightening and tightening face mask. The women use this beauty find that is handed down from generations.

Wishing  I were back in the Orient I had a craving for Dim Sum (Chinese Brunch) that is in some places served all day. I adore the owner,staff and food at Orchids Garden. So, authentic and delightful! About 8 MINUTES from the Las Vegas strip. They serve it on hot oven carts. So delicious and you won’t break the bank.

Shopping in Las Vegas is always fun. You can shop on the strip or go out and drive half an hour to an outlet mall called in Prim. They have a Tommy Bahama Outlet my husband so loves. I enjoy the H & M outlet and other discount shops.

By the airport there is also fabulous shopping experience (not just on the strip) and since I am addicted to all things containers and tidying up… The Container Store is also there! I don’t have one in my city so I try and shop one when I travel. After you’re done stop at the center and have a cocktail or go to grab a bite at The Lazy Dog restaurant. The first time I ever had sweet potato tater tots. Everything made from scratch and from the farm! Food …so fresh.

And by the way, if you’re into cannabis. They have licensed recreational dispensaries there now. It is legal.

Next time you travel ✈️ to Las Vegas check out some of these spots. You don’t need a ton of money or gamble to enjoy Las Vegas. I can’t wait to go back in a few months.

I’ve always had a beautiful experience!

DIY for your accessories & more!

 

I have a fashionable guilty obsession! Accessories!

If it sparkles,dangles or glows around your hair,neck,ears or wrists …I’m in!

I use to and still do store all my fashionable beauties on veleteen boards and earring trays like Tiffany’s. But that can get expensive after awhile when you own as much costume jewelry as I do!

Last month my husband and I visited a new Asian grocery store that sold some incredibly delicious Japanese Mochi in the freezer section. After devouring all these cool and yummy goodies I was going to throw away the tray they came on. I got to thinking…how wasteful is that. And SILLY. The tray was quite sturdy and had spaces that could accommodate earrings,pins and more. So, I rinsed it out and started to fill. I left some space empty so you can see.

They work beautifully. It was just perfect storing for me. And they do not collect dust like the black jewelry trays and boards can do. Today I went and got more Mochi flavors for the long weekend.I look forward to organizing my jewelry in them and more.

What do you think? Pretty cool and eco- friendly idea.

PS

I think it would be great for eye shadow,gloss pots and the like too.

EGGstra, Eggstra Face Mask!

Do you want to brighten up your complexion?

One of my dear friends who happens to be of Asian descent shared this recipe with me.She swears by it’s skin brightening! I also find it refreshing and skin tightening.

What you will need is:

2 raw egg whites

2 tablespoons off fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons organic olive oil

Mix all of the above and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Clean your face,apply a generous layer of the above mixture on your face as if you were icing a cake. Your face is the cake. Then let it dry completely.

Afterwards remove the mask with a warm washcloth and wash your face with cool water.

Next apply a moisturizer.

I recommend you use this at least once a week maybe two.

After a month you will really notice brighter skin!

This is mask is good for normal to combination skin.

HOP TO IT, Gorgeous and enjoy looking at your skin in the mirror.

PS

Stay tuned for my EARTH DAY gorgeous giveaway next weekend.

One lucky BLOG reader will win!

 

 

 

 

 

I LOVE to Create all things Beauty!

As some of you know I love and am so attracted to all things Asian beauty namely China and Japan. And I continue to embrace all the K-Beauty  products that have come to the US. It is so much fun exploring the NEW and the tried & true! Yet I think I have only begun to tap the surface of this other world of beauty finds.I want to learn and test drive even more!

Through the years I created kits filled with beauty products from China but my other love is creating beauty products inspired by the Orient.It is so satisfying to my beauty spirit to create. From choosing the formulas,what they can do and I get to name the products too! Our clients love them too.

Last year I introduced a beauty box filled with products called Lucky Cookie…it is filled with beauty I curated from China,Korea,Japan and more.My signature chopsticks and fortune cookie included.You’re a Lucky Cookie if you own this box is how I look at it!!!

Recently I curated a kit of products that I named the Bento Box of Beauty. It is an actual Bento FOOD tray FILLED with beauty and bath products. Happy to say …We sold out over Valentine’s day!

The best part you get to enjoy it all and not throw the packaging out.

If you are a foodie, a beauty junkie and or appreciate the flawless beauty of a China doll complexion…you will fall in love with this Bento Box!

Tell me what you think of this fun box of K and other Asian beauty?  I love eating from these unique compartments but I think I like it even more when it is filled with ALL things beauty and fun!

 

 

 

Attn:Beauty Lovers!

With chilled Champagne in hand I am toasting to YOU and wishing you a …

Happy and Healthy New Year! Happy 2017!

Today starts a new year and a beautiful sunny day in Florida.I hope the sun will shine where you live today or you can make your own.I don’t make new years resolutions anymore.Do you?

What I do hope to accomplish this year is to grow more,learn more, live and love even more.

If you are addicted to all things beauty,a touch of travel and food and a day in the life of an entrepreneur…please follow my blog. If you already do a sincere Thank You to you.

If you are intrigued by American beauty and Asian beauty please follow me! Not only am I have created my version of an Asian Beauty Box. I have been retailing and celebrating all things Asian beauty and inspired by the orient for years!

Only now have they come to be all the rage in the US.

My first collection was all Chinese beauty products filled in a Take-Out Box and we can’t keep it on our pretty shelves. Our latest venture this year is filled with Korean face masks,hand and body lotion and more!

These past few months have been spent testing,spraying,rubbing,sniffing and ENJOYING all things Korea and more.Today I will be testing some face masks and body products.

My fascination with these beauty products stems from my being an all American girl whose parents happen to be Polish and Chinese. I know what a combination platter am I!  The strange part was when I was growing up I wanted to buy Revlon and Avon.I did not appreciate the history and culture of my background.

I am picky what goes into our Lucky Cookie beauty box!

So stay tuned. I will be sharing some awesome beauty secrets and rituals…this month!

We I will also doing a beauty giveaway to one lucky follower of my beauty and lifestyle blog!!! Getting excited?

Oh happy day!

skin-deep-mag-lucky-cookie-11-2016

Remember I shared with you about my new beauty box sensation of KBeauty and other Asian beauty treasures?  Well I’m happy to say it is featured in some magazines already! This magazine is for spa professionals,plastic surgeons,estheticians and makeup artists. I am so excited.

Hard work does pay off! Like the cover reads…NEVER STOP GROWING. I truly believe that!

We are already working on our next Asian Beauty Box…expect to be wowed!

Happy New Years eve! How are you spending the night?

My sweetie and I are just chillin’ and Champagne and Brie cheese are on the menu. Oh and of course KISSING under the kissing ball.xoxo

 

 

Dim Sum …tiny bites of exotic deliciousness!

If you are looking for an exotic brunch in NYC this is it! Your new spot to dine!

It is called Joy Luck Palace and it is on 98 Mott Street in NYC.

Chicken feet,Beef short ribs,shrimp dumplings,pork steamed dumplings,taro root,Chinese like potatoes and more oh my. I had to try almost one of everything!

Ladies push metal carts around filled with tiny bites of exotic delights…including sweets.I’ll never forget the first time my husband experienced it. You should have seen the look on his face. If you haven’t been you point to what you want to try and eat and they serve it to you.Most do not speak English or speak broken English and it is hard to know what they are saying in Chinese.

Oh what a fabulous time I had (they seat you with other people not your own table) I was seated with women who were around 80 years young doing what we do best… Girl Talk but spoken all in Chinese.I don’t speak Chinese I speak English and Polish. They sipped hot tea like it was a great glass of wine!

After the meal they nodded goodbye and went on their merry way fed and happy.

It was a lovely sight to see…I will be there one day.

If you are ever in NYC look them up. they are fairly new and this location used to be The Grand Harmony but now has been renovated,new chefs and new and even better dim sum…which I did not even think was possible!

As I have told you before I love to cook,eat out and makeup! EAT up what the world has to offer and explore beyond your door,your town,your country.Life is a beautiful buffet of people,places,cultures and glorious things! Don’t you agree?