May 2018 Relax Yourself Gift Guide

This month’s theme is relaxing. May is a very full and dutiful month. In Korea there’s Mother’s day, there’s Children’s day , and there’s Teacher’s day—all in May. After all those family duties and obligations, you need to give yourself a reward just for yourself. Now is the time to relax, and steal a weekend just for yourself. Summer vacation is still far away, but the weather is getting warm already. Here are some gifts you can give yourself to enjoy, to feel, or just to look at and appreciate. No matter what people might say, you deserve a small indulgence, a guilt-free pleasure.

Le Creuset Sorbet Collection Mini Bowls Set

Le Creuset makes you want to get married, just to get a whole set as wedding gift—but for most women, having the whole set is way out of budget, and having a single piece would just remind you that it’s not complete.

No longer! Le Creuset recently launched their sorbet collection. It’s so pretty you just want to cry looking at it, and the best part: the price is really reasonable! The collection covers all the cute functions: espresso cup, cappuccino mug, ice cream bowl—but our money goes to this set of small bowls. We think they are the most versatile part of the collection and each set comes in a lovely box, picture perfect and full of creamy, pastel colors. Just look at it! Have it already, it’s so pretty.

Biscuiteers Royal Wedding Luxe Biscuit Tin

Did you think we forgot about the royal wedding? Allegedly it’s the wedding of the year, and we haven’t forgotten. We know it’s today. Whether you’re English or not, the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has been on your radar for so many months—including news of who’s coming and who’s not, who’s baking the wedding cake, and more. No wonder brands are jumping in on the show with limited edition collections.

To be honest, we wouldn’t go for a tea towel or a china set—unless your initials are MH. No matter how celebratory or well known the occasion, it looks tacky, so please don’t. It’s not even a good icebreaker. But, we’re all for cute and consumable memorabilia … like cute biscuits to enjoy while watching the whole show (we mean the wedding). Even if you miss the wedding, you can watch it later with a proper cup of tea and some nice biscuits.

YULIP Lipstick

Ever since we introduced momtrepreneur Hyesung Won and her Korean lipstick, readers all over the world have asked us where to get it. Finally, it’s available on Amazon, so everyone outside of Korea can now also enjoy this delicious quality lipstick. The founder started the brand so that she could enjoy the beauty of lipstick while not worrying about the ingredients and chemicals of a typical lipstick getting smudged on her baby daughter. The colors are optimal for everyday use by women in their 20s–40s, and the ingredients are all 100% naturally derived. Even if you don’t have a child, this is one lipstick that you can forget to remove … and not worry about what you licked off your own lips overnight.

If you know another awesome Asian momtrepreneur let us know!

Uniqlo x J.W. Anderson Cotton Shirt Dress

Uniqlo saves the closets of so many busy modern women who don’t have much time to fuss over what to wear for every new occasion. Their shirt dress is the epitome of effortlessly chic convenience. It’s the product of a collaboration with British designer JW Anderson who won the British Fashion Council Award for both men’s and women’s wear in 2015. Slip it on, and out you go—no need to ponder what to wear here. 🙂

To The Moon (game)

Sometimes you want to play a really good game, but computer games these days are mostly too violent, while mobile games tend to use that weird and annoying freemium model—a business model based on wasting your life. But a good game can be better than a book or a movie by inviting you to interact with the story, character, and design.

On a cozy weekend afternoon start up this game and enjoy several hours of story-filled, comprehensive game experience. The design is retro, the music is good, the game interface is fun, and the play is rpg-style, but without battle or violence.

Eberjey Pajama Set

A pajama can often be the last item even fashionable women purchase. Who’s going to see it anyway? And we usually already have the option of comfy track pants and wa orn T-shirt. But, hear us out on this one. The co-founders behind Eberjey created a pajama you will want to show to the world—or at least one you will want to find an excuse to wear at night. It’s cute and sexy, but not loud, and super comfy. Just put it on and spend the whole weekend in it, doing whatever you want to do. You won’t even feel like you’re slacking!

Althea Bare Essentials Set

Several years ago Korean skin care, especially the so-called 10-step routine, became world famous. But our editors in Seoul don’t know anyone who’s actually doing it. As you get busier, become sure of what your skin needs, and incline to efficiency, the 10-steps sounds like a Seoul urban legend.

That’s why, when Althea presented their bare essentials 3-step skincare line we applauded—even before using it. The concept is simple enough: cleanser, water, and cream. Even the packaging is minimal. But, of course, the proof is in the pudding, and the products are really quite good. The bubbles popping in the cleanser leave your skin feeling refreshed, the cream is moisturizing, and the water is sticky enough to replace a lotion, without leaving any greasy or oily feeling.

Althea provided a bare essentials set for us to try and we liked it, so we decided to share it with you.

Voluspa Pedestal Candle Gift Set

Light a candle for yourself. Of course, if you already have a favorite scent, you should be loyal to it. But sometimes you should get a miniature combo set of different scents from a reliable brand and just enjoy the different scents.

Voluspa’s Japonica line is inspired by the traditional scents of Japanese culture and feels exotic even to East Asians. Pick one with a beautiful box or lid for a relaxing bath, book reading, or anything you want. Fill the air with your favorite scent and enjoy how it looks.

Vogue: The Covers

When was the last time you read a coffee table book cover to cover? You have it, but you don’t actually read it. This is the one you will read, or look through really carefully. It’s a compilation of Vogue covers from its entire 125 year heritage. It includes contemporary living inspirations like Michelle Obama and Rihanna, but you’ll also be surprised by the creativity of the early illustrated covers! Have a glass of wine or mango juice or whatever your favorite drink is, and flip through this book, taking all the fabulous time in the world.

Vase bookends

This is another one of those items that are too pretty to miss. The Polish craftswoman and designer Monika Lubkowska-Jonas makes these mouth-blown glass vases, which work not only as bookends, but also as stationery containers. Our suggestion is to keep it as a vase. If you’re worried about the moisture of a flower affecting your books, try a dry flower or just a couple of stems. The point is to put something pretty in it so that you can create your own beautiful library space.

Moroccanoil Hair Improvement Travel Kit

A travel kit can be a great way to experience a new and fancy product when you would not normally splurge on a whole bottle. Our suggestion is for hair products. You wouldn’t normally buy a hair kit for travel—after all, any decent hotel should have at least shampoo and conditioner! But just try the whole package from a renowned brand like Morrocanoil or Ouai, and indulge your hair with the full treatment—all without leaving your hotel room, or even your own house.

Miss Sherlock (Hulu/HBA Asia series)

Yes, there is another Sherlock on the market, but we do ask you to try it because it’s really different this time. Sherlock and Watson are both women, and the setting is modern day Tokyo. You’ve seen movies and dramas, American versions, animal animations, comic books—all sorts of adaptations of this Conan Doyle classic—but still, it’s extremely rare to see a female version of Sherlock. Maybe the character is a quintessential fantasy of English men, but its attractive qualities—sharp deduction, quirky level of emotional detachment—would work fine in a woman, too.

Naipo Shiatsu Back and Neck Massager

It looks ugly, but you’re going to close your eyes the moment you turn it on anyway. The whole point of massage is how it recreates the sense of the hands of a masseuse, and it’s come a long way from even a decade ago. Massage machines are no longer clunky, and there are even whole body ones out there. But if you want one that doesn’t take much space, this is our choice. A wand massager works better as a sex toy than an actual neck massager, but this one really does massage your neck. Unless you’re going for some very unusual poses.

Mixology Bartender Kit

Have you tried making a cocktail for yourself by yourself? It’s a real treat. Even if you don’t drink alcohol, there are so many fun and yummy alcohol-free cocktail recipes just a google search away. You don’t need to have a full bar section in your kitchen (or in your office, like the guys in Madmen). The beauty of this whole 14-piece kit is that it all fits in one single pretty tube box. So take your weekend, play some netflix or hulu or Miss Sherlock, make your favorite cocktail properly … and sip.

Moo x Giorgio Fedon Business Card Holder

Some of us have business cards, some of us don’t. But we all can have our own cards, no matter what we do. Even if you’re not employed, you can say you’re self-employed, a freelancer, a domestic manager, or whatever new job title pops up on Linkedin (you can even be the ‘voice’ of your company if you like) that explains what you do.

Make yourself a business card—you can get it from the same company (Moo.com)—and get yourself a really good and pretty card holder. Just having it in your office or home, taking it out of your purse, and showing it to a person you’ve just met—those small moments will give you a surprising amount of satisfaction.

That was our gift guide for May! Did you like it? Would you like to suggest something more? Let us know 🙂