FromChristina has quickly become one of the most prominent street fashion bloggers in New York. With nearly 80,000 followers on Instagram, Christina documents her unique and chic fashion across the globe. She spoke with us about her favorite places to shop in Seoul, the best places to people-watch in New York, and the place she wants to move next.
What does your current skin care routine look like?
My current skin care routine is pretty simple. I feel like, at a time like this where it’s not to cold, not too hot, [my skin] does fairly well. Right now, I just make sure I clean my face really well. That’s always been part of my skin care routine so, three-step cleansing: a makeup wipe, a balm, and then I’ll go in with another cleanser. And then I have just an essence.
How do you adjust your skin care for when you’re traveling?
For my cleansing, I usually do end up just bringing two [cleansers]. So, I’ll skip the balm and I’ll just use travel size wipes and then my cleanser.
And do you change anything up for flights?
For the flight, I usually do [change things up] because my skin does really bad on flights so I’ll go on with no makeup and then when I get off, I just cleanse really well and leave it with no products, this way it doesn’t get irritated by anything. I’m not trying to moisturize or anything.
Do you have any favorite K-beauty products?
Skin care wise, I think my all time favorite has been Banila Co’s cleansing balm. I think that’s the star of the show. I really like Innisfree’s green tea line so the toner, the essence, all of it.
You go to Korea a lot; what are your favorite places to buy beauty products when you’re in Seoul?
I think there’s a lot of brands that you can get here nowadays, especially online, but I focus mainly around Innisfree, because some products that aren’t as easy to get here. They just opened Innisfree in New York, which is great, because it used to be really hard to get their products here.
Are there any products that you like to stock up on while you’re in Korea?
The Banila Co. cleansing balm, for sure. Especially, in Korea, because they usually have a deal so it’s like buy three, get one for free, and I’m like ‘I’ll take it.’ And I go through them pretty fast.
How do you balance being a student with being a blogger and traveling a lot?
I definitely take advantage of all the absences every class allows you to. Since I go to business school, some professors are really willing to let you take business trips and excuse the absences. And then, just very little sleep. The last two weeks, I’ve been sleeping less than four hours a day. It’s okay. Caffeine is my best friend.
How would you describe your fashion style?
Very minimal. Probably minimal pieces and then mixing it up. I wear a lot of black. Like a lot of black. And then I’ll do pops of colors. There aren’t really many patterns, just basics.
Where do you derive inspiration from?
I’m in SoHo (in New York) a lot of the time. Especially nowadays, since it’s become such a trendy spot and the fashion there is insane so I love people watching and everyone that walks around is just so chic and dresses so well. I just like getting my inspiration on the streets. There’s a street by Broadway and Howard, where Palace and Billionaires are, there are all these shops around there and people that are wearing brands head to toe will all stay there and I’m just watching on the side.
What are your favorite places to shop in SoHo?
& Other Stories is an amazing store that I love. They have clean and soft colored clothes that I love and the place, in general, looks so pretty! Off White is another one of my favorites to shop around for quality pieces from time to time. Palace, Kith, Billionaire Boys Club and Supreme are great for streetwear. And Zara! You can never go wrong with Zara.
What are your thoughts on Korean street fashion?
I love it. Whenever I go I just think, “Oh, these people are so cool. They look so cool.” There are some really trendy spots where it really just sucks up all my money. Wonderplace and A-Line have a lot of cool pieces. I think a lot of [Korean fashion] derives from K-pop right now. A lot of artists are mainly leaning towards street fashion and it’s headed towards pretty urban, like Dean and Zico. I really like the way it’s going.
I recently bought some stuff in Korea because it looks so cool, but I just can’t pull it off. I’ve tried out some of it. I tried out these funky glasses. It’s these neon orange sunglasses, which I can’t even see through any other these colors. And then I bought this bucket hat. I wore at and my friends were like, “No.” But I’m still gonna buy it. I want it.
Do you have any must visit places in Korea and New York?
For New York, I’d definitely say SoHo. That’s where my heart lives. Just the main strip and then the side streets as well. And then, for Korea, if you’re looking to shop, for beauty products especially, Myeongdong is a great spot because they give out samples and they’ll pack in a bunch of masks. I usually stay around the Gangnam area which is my main area. I think it’s a great place to explore.
Do you think you’d ever move out to Korea?
I’ve thought about this so many times, I have so many friends there, but I don’t know. New York is home. I’ve thought about LA. I usually move because I miss my friends, but I actually have been thinking about moving to London. It’s not the states but I’m going on a trip next week and showing my mom the place to convince her to move.
What beauty trend from Asia would you love to see come to New York?
It’s already starting to head over, but glass skin and this really clean and watery, dewy skin is coming through and I really love that.