a n s w e r s ( p t . 2 )

(you can read part 1 here)

VEE asked: Here's another one, what's your favorite lip balm? My lips have been so chapped for about three weeks now and I've tried everything from a Korres lip balm to Fresh's Sugar and nothing is working. Help Nina!

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My ALL TIME FAVE is Neutrogena's Lip Moisturizer. My lips are always chapped and dry and this is the only thing that can salvage them. It also leaves a nice sheen on the lips. Btw, look for in the skincare aisle.

L.A. DAZE asked: Ummm...which beauty product can't you live without?

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I can't live without Nivea Creme. I use this as my night cream year round cuz I have very dry skin and it's the only thing that keeps it moist thru the night. Plus, it doesn't break me out so I'll always be loyal.

Where is your favorite place to eat in LA?
I always get asked this question and let me tell, it's the hardest to answer. L.A. has so many amazing places to eat and my list of faves is more like a mini book. But if I had to narrow it down it would be the following:

Grace
A.O.C.
Jar
Providence
Hatfield's (re-opening in late Dec.)
Father's Office (best burgers)
Bazaar in SLS Hotel
Loteria in the Farmer's Market (great Mexican food)

We haven't been to the new Bouchon in Beverly Hills, but I have a feeling this will also become a quick favorite since I pretty much worship Thomas Keller. We also love Sona and usually have celebratory dinners here but I hear it's closing soon (anybody know more details?)? Anyway, this list is like a 10th of our fave places...I haven't even covered the surrounding areas (like Santa Monica, Venice, Beverly Hills, etc.).


KIMVEE asked: What kind of camera do you use to take photos of your outfits? :)
I usually shoot my outfit pics w/my little Canon camera and mini tripod. If I'm lucky to have the Mister take them, then it's w/my DSLR. More info about my cameras & equipment here. :)


HONEY MY HEART asked: How would you incorporate style to daily office looks?
Before working in the fashion industry, I worked in corporate America and had to dress in suits or business casual (depending on the company). Although I had to be pretty conservative with my clothes, I found I could get away with taking a little more risks when it came to shoes and accessories. I also loved wearing clothes that were menswear inspired. I felt between my long hair, high heels, jewelry, and makeup, it was a nice contrast and balanced things out. I wore a lot of BCBG and Max Studio, too. And I played more with colors.

(thanks jcrew!)

Where's your favorite place to purchase accessories and jewelry?
I love purchasing jewelry at flea markets, vintage stores, and eBay. I also like to buy jewelry when I travel to foreign places.


MARK asked: What inspires/drives you more as far as your future, concern or optimism?
I would have to say acceptance. Not from others, but me accepting the way things are. I've spent most of my 20's being very ambitious and career driven. I worked for assholes, worked 12 hour days for almost 2 years (no joke), sacrificed time w/friends and family...only to now realize that it's not worth it. I don't regret any of it because I've learned and grown up so much from it and I'm able to do what I do now because of this experience. Now that I've stepped into my 30's, I realize that one can afford to be happy in what they do without sacrificing a sense of accomplishment or ambition. I've definitely gone thru more downs than ups in my life and I've always been hesitant to embrace being happy, scared it was a fleeting moment that would be taken away the minute I begin to enjoy it. But sometimes that's life, isn't it. And shit happens. I've learned to acknowledge it, learn from it, accept it, and move on.

Who would play you in a movie and why?
Given there aren't many Asian actresses, I have no idea. Well, if it had to be an Asian actress, I'd say Faye Wong. She looks nothing like me but just cuz I love her, she's awesome and I'd be so flattered if she did.

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Nilla wafers or double stuffed Oreos.. choose wisely..
DUDE. Nilla wafers. With Haagen Dasz vanilla ice cream, of course.

(yumsugar.com)


CAROLYN asked: How did you get into your line of work? (i think you're a designer but i could be way off!)
How I ended up doing what I do now (freelance designing) is a long journey with one detour after another. I actually attended art school (Otis) then worked in corporate America in financing. I loathed it. Really miserable. Then something happened that gave me the push to leave that career. I had a long talk with Mister about what I really wanted to do, what I always wanted to do since I was 4 - work in fashion. It was a difficult decision because I basically had to start from bottom up and my paycheck was not even 1/4 of what I was used to earning. But Mister was very supportive and a few months later I got my 1st job in fashion. I really lucked out because I worked for a husband and wife team who took me under their wings and became my mentors. They basically taught me everything they knew. I worked for them for a couple of years, then moved onto a few other companies, and now I freelance. That's pretty much the short version. haha

Where did you go to undergrad?
I already answered this above, but Otis College of Art & Design.

Can you speak Korean fluently?
Hm...not fluently but enough to communicate. I can also write simple Korean and read.

Can I see a picture of your Mom? I bet she's adorable! Mine is! Korean moms are the best. ;)
Hahaha I'm not going to post a picture of her here...only cuz I told myself I would not show the faces of my family members. But she's more fabulous than adorable, I think. haha I always say my mom is the Korean Emily Post. And, yes, she is the best.

And last, but not least, what's your favorite Fall/Winter 2009 trend??
Hm...Definitely boots and coats. But I think that's the trend during any cold weather season. I also love that capes are coming out to play more. And definitely tights. I'm a big fan of tights in colder months.

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Jasna of FashionJazz interviewed me for such a cool feature on Style Scoop. Check it out! And thank you Jasna for thinking of me! xoxo

I watched New Moon this past Saturday. I'm a big fan of the books so I was excited to watch it. About 10 minutes into the movie I got a sinking feeling and realized I wasn't liking it. At the end of the movie, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I thought about it again this morning and came to the conclusion that I didn't like it. The acting was God awful (head shaking, rapid eye-blinking, and heavy sighing doesn't equate to emotive acting, Kristen Stewart...it just makes me want to throw something at the screen), it was super cheesy, and a lot of scenes were painful to watch. The audience was laughing at what should have been serious and dramatic scenes cuz it was SILLY. I cringed and squirmed throughout the movie cuz some moments were painful to sit through.

Ok, ok, maybe I'm being too tough. Did I like anything? Yes. It was helluva lot better than Twilight. You can tell they had a bigger budget to work with in this movie. The werewolves were cool and there was plenty of eye candy for the females. Oh, and the music was awesome - one of the best soundtrack compilations, imo. Other than that...here's hoping Eclipse is better.


P.S. The funniest shit I heard from some gf's:

Gf #1: ...if we can only get Robert Pattinson to stop making weird faces on screen.
Gf #2: No such luck. When they killed him in Harry Potter his face froze like that.