It is a truth universally acknowledged that anyone who’s lived in New York City long enough must become accustomed to a certain level sticker shock. $6 boxes of cereal, $14 salads, $30 brunches….hmm, why do I live here again? Today’s tip isn’t exactly going to unbreak the bank, but it’s still pretty awesome: MUJI cotton facial pads. If you live in New York (or any city with a MUJI), please stop buying those sad, generic brand cotton balls from Walgreens—you need to…

I’m not spontaneous person—my idea of taking a risk is buying skincare products IRL at unexpected places, like Trader Joe’s, TJ Maxx, or Whole Foods, without Googling them on my phone. This stands in stark contrast with my usual shopping habits, which consist of minutes hours of diligently reading reviews online before finally clicking “Add to Cart.” I recently took a chance on an IRL purchase of MUJI Face Soap Moisture—and boy, do I wish I hadn’t. I used it over…

I was recently lured into getting one of Sephora’s 15-minute mini facials. My inner frugal Asian lady is generally pretty suspicious of “free” treatments, but my facialist didn’t pressure me into buying anything that day—and she actually recommended something that I already own, thanks to the Sephora Sun Safety Kit: Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte Sunscreen. Plus, I also picked up a few bonus skincare regimen tips from her.