October 2018 – Rese & Ry

Tax Free Shopping: UK

One of my favorite things about the UK is that the price you see on the tag, is the price you pay! Unlike in the states, where tax is added on at the register and depending on the location could be over 10%. So walking through Primark on Oxford Street and seeing super cute Harry Potter sweatshirts for just 5 pounds is amazing!

Since the tax is already included in the price, there are no surprises at checkout, unless there’s an extra discount, in which, case bring on the happy surprises! As foreign travelers, we can get a tax refund, or some places call it tax-free shopping. To do so, just tell your cashier at checkout that you’re shopping tax-free. They will print out a form along with your receipt and ask to see your passport, so make you have it with you. There are certain amounts that you need to spend in order to get a tax refund and the amount is different depending on the store. For example, Jack Wills requires that you spend 50 pounds, while Longchamp required 75 pounds. Some other place are lower and some higher.

Before going to airport, fill out the forms and have them ready when you get to the airport. Depending on your airport of departure, you might just drop off the forms in an office and the check will be mailed back to you later, usually at smaller airports like Stansted. Or you will need to wait in line to submit your forms and get back cash immediately. Although the dropping forms off is easier, it does take about 3-6 months before you get your money back. At Heathrow, we had to wait in the office, have a couple of our items checked, then got cash immediately.

Things to know:

Get to the airport early if you plan on completing a tax refund, the lines can sometimes be long and you don’t want to miss your flight!
Don’t check in your luggage before getting tax refund, they may ask to see any item.
Purchased items must not be worn or opened, in the case that they check each item.
It’ll be faster if one person makes the main purchases so that just one form is needed.

Halloween! Last Minute Costumes

I’m not very big on dressing up for halloween, but this year I figured I’d put in a little more effort to get the discounted burrito bowl at Chipotle, lol. Here are a few easy, comfortable costume ideas:

Dustin from Stranger Things– It was around this last year that I binged watched both seasons of Stranger Things for the first time…yes, I was a little late.

2. Headbands, headbands, headbands There are so many different headbands to choose from to coordinate with things you already have i your closet. This season, cheetah print is in, pair it with a cheetah print headband and you’ll be set!

3. Sabrina from the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Netflix just released this series and I know everyone is binge watching it before Halloween hits. This would be super easy to pull off and the pieces are reusable if you don’t already own it! To get this iconic look, you just need a red coat and a black headband. You might already have a classic red coat in your wardrobe, but if you don’t…

4. Now our costumes above are rather cute and fun, but if you prefer to be a bit more ghoulish– then you can opt to be someone from The Purge. You can order the mask, wear some white and go mad with a red marker (or fake blood if you’re dedicated).

Hope some of these ideas work for you! Use this links to amazon prime to make sure you get them in time!

Morning Skincare: Short and to the Point

I’ve always heard, “Take care of your skin to prevent early aging!!” And sad to say, as I’m nearing my 30’s I’m starting to think I should have started sooner…there’s just not enough time or money for all of the new life changing, or should I say “skin changing” products.

A little background about my skin journey: In my teens, my skin was relatively good, sure my skin was a little oily, but I do live in a hot a humid climate, so almost everyone had shiny skin. It wasn’t until my mid-20s when I started to struggle with problematic acne. It was during a pretty stressful time of grad school and starting my first in filed job that I started to really struggle with acne. My acne ranged from small whiteheads to large wide cysts that hurt. So with the acne, came the many products I bought in attempt to cure it and almost more importantly cover it! I tried everything!!

The one skincare line and three products that really saved me was La Roche-Posay. I used it for about two months, but honestly saw results in the first 1-2 weeks. I was so relieved after over a year of spending money on so many products. I will say that the foundation that really helped to cover and stay all day was the L’Oreal Infalliable Pro-Matte Foundation.

So after struggling with acne, then just oily skin, then wanting KPOP idol status skin, I found that just a simple, to the point routine has worked wonders for me. With just two steps in the morning:

Step 1: Toner

Step 2: Moisturizer

I truly feel that this toner has really helped to control my oil, and this is my go to moisturizer with anti-aging properties and SPF! It is a quite pricey, but when I think back to how many products I used before, it adds up to be almost the same.

Let me know what your holy grail products are!! I am in the market for an eye cream! Check out my nighttime skincare routine too!

Simple Nighttime Skincare

About a year ago, I was sucked into the 10-step Korean skincare craze–I bought everything, even multiple products for each step. I was so obsessed with trying to get the perfect routine down to reach my “KPOP idol” skin goals. Every morning and night, I would take the time to complete each step…

Fast forward a couple months, I did not see many results. In fact, my skin was a little worse for wear and did not feel great. My skin actually felt a little oilier. After to trying to get though as much of the products as i could, i was able to narrow down my skincare to four-five steps depending on the day. To some, five steps may still seem like a lot, but my skin has never been happier.

Step 1: Micellar water to take off any makeup or just oils/dirt built up from the day