Welcome to the August edition of Editor’s Picks! Unfortunately with the start of a new semester and some changes at work, I’ve not been able to explore as much as I would have liked. How long has it been since I watched a drama? (Probably a couple of years to be honest.) Hopefully things will settle down soon, but for now, here’s a shorter list of some favorites!

1. Music – LEE HI’s Seoulite

I remember listening to LEE HI’s debut song “1, 2, 3, 4” back when it came out. I was impressed by her powerful voice with her unusual tone and style of singing. I think she was around 16 years old when that song came out—I couldn’t believe a 16-year-old girl could sound like that! It was refreshing, to say the least. I listened to a few more of her songs as they came out, but I never really kept up with her. Needless to say, I was late to listening to her two-part album, Seoulite. However, recently I have found myself listening to this album quite a bit. I’ll turn it on at work or just listen to it while working on some editing. Though there are up-tempo songs, they’re easy listening, and I think her voice is soothing. I’m not that great at describing music, but this album is definitely not your typical pop. The songs are similar so that they flow well together, but nothing sounds too over-used. Personal favorites on the albums would have to be “Hold My Hand” and “OFFICIAL.” I also really like “Breathe” and “UP ALL NIGHT” though those give me too many feels sometimes.

2. Beauty – Innisfree No Sebum Powder

This one isn’t even a rediscovered favorite of mine. I’ve probably been using this consistently for at least four years now. I tend to get oily during the day, especially on the T-zone and when I wear a BB cream. This little container of powder is compact and portable, so it goes with me pretty much everywhere for easy touch-ups. It comes with a small puff, so I can just shake out a bit of the powder and apply it to the oily spots. It instantly mattifies the skin and makes my makeup look a lot fresher! Even though it comes in a small container, because it’s a loose powder, I feel like it lasts a long time.

3. Learning — Howtostudykorean.com

I’ve been using this website for a really long time, and I must say that it is one of the best resources out there for native English speakers who are learning Korean. Of course, it’s still useful even if English isn’t your native tongue, but I have found that the explanations used on this site (specifically for grammar) make sense in English, which is sometimes hard to do. In class, I’ve found it difficult to understand certain grammar patterns, no matter how hard the teacher tries to explain it. But then I come home and look it up on this website. Most of the time, the explanation I received from a native Korean speaker (my teacher) and then the English explanation on this website put together give me the most comprehensive overview of whatever I’m having trouble with. The lessons are also well thought out and progress very naturally, so even if you’re starting from the beginning, this site is great! Give it a shot if you find yourself struggling, or even if you want to start learning Korean for the first time!