Thursday, January 29, 2015

Outfit of...Yesterday =P

Hi guys!

I wore this yesterday, but was too busy to post it. Hope you like it!




Yes, I know the stairs look dirty. Sorry if it bothers you. They're just old, not as dirty as the look. 

Coat: Banana Republic
Scarf: gift
Dress shirt: Forever 21
Inner long sleeve top: Uniqulo Heattech
Skirt: Lowrys Farm (Japanese brand)
Belt: some street vendor in California
Tights: Uniqlo
Boots: Aldo

So I wore the belt because the skirt is a little loose around my waist and I was sitting and walking around and I didn't want to deal with constantly tucking my shirt it. That's a pain. =P
The belt does give me more shape and definition, but I think because I am already such a slim person, it makes my waist look a little too skinny.
I also think that without a belt, the outfit looks softer, and younger and so a little sweeter and kinder.

The boots are new! I love them so much! I have been looking for a pair of lace up tall Victorian style boots! These are not true Victorian style because I have a zipper, haha. But I think this makes my legs look so slim! Also great for gothic Halloween costumes =P. They were originally $160 and I got them for $80. They are a perfect fit for my calves and a little loose for my feet, because I have relatively large calves for my foot size (darn you sports), but the looseness doesn't cause any pain or walking problems.

The coat is a new favorite as well! It was originally around $200 but I got it for about $75! Post-Christmas shopping is the best! I think this coat is decently warm but still looks modern, professional, and slimming. I hate puffy coats and jackets, my cousin once told me he thought they looked like garbage bags and now I think of that everytime I see one. XP Sorry, it's stuck in my head now.

Currently it's around the 30s (in F) where I live and I have gotten pretty used to the cold. Especially my legs don't seem to care very much as long as I am warm up top! However, if you live in a colder place or get cold easily, perhaps you might want to layer up more with thick leggings or another inner layer, etc.

I know that this isn't some people's style but maybe you can get some good ideas out of this for yourself. Especially if you are young, be bold! Try new things! You never know whether it will look good or if you like it if you don't! I don't care what others think of me and I wear whatever I want. XD

Have a great rest of the week! Thanks for reading and I will see you later! =)

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Review on Shiseido Super Mild Hair and Scalp Mask =)

Hi Everyone!

Hope you are having a good weekend! I've been in the library, yay. =P

Today I am reviewing Shiseido's Super Mild Hair and Scalp Mask
This product cost about $13-14 and contains 200 grams of product. This can be found in Mitsuwa, Marukai Living/Lifestyle, and online on Amazon for free shipping.

What do I think of this product?
So ever since moving to the East Coast, and experiencing real winter (haha) I have to blow dry my hair after showering before I go out, or else I'll feel very miserable with wet hair in 30-40F weather and possibly get sick.
I feel that blow drying my hair everyday was not something my hair was used to and it started to look and feel dry. =/
I wanted to find something that would help moisturize my hair, including the hair on my head and scalp. I do get very oily and greasy hair if I do not shower everyday and generally it is not advised to put conditioner on the hair closest to the scalp because they should be moisturized by my natural scalp oils and not need conditioning, and if I put conditioner in my hair, it gets oily quickly.
But I wanted something that would help re-hydrate all of my hair and scalp but not make my hair oily or greasy.
I have tried the Super Mild Shampoo and Conditioner before and I find them to be very gentle and nourishing so when I found this, I was very excited to try it out!
This product does not irritate my scalp nor does it make it feel or look greasy or oily. A little goes a long way and I don't use a lot on my head. I don't find it as moisturizing for the ends of my hair, because it is more of a light hair mask, not as thick or heavy. But I am happy to just use this as a hair mask for my scalp and the top of my head. I have other alternatives for the dry ends of my hair.
This makes my hair feel very soft and smooth and not as dry and itchy as it was before and I really like it! I don't use it everyday because I am trying to save product and I probably use it every other day.
Once the weather starts warming up, I probably won't need this anymore when I no longer need to blow dry my hair, but I find this a great addition for my winter haircare. =)

Do I recommend this product?
I believe that if you have a dry scalp and you need additional moisture and you are looking for something gentle, non-heavy, and light, I recommend this product! Or if you are in an environment that is very dry and/or windy or you find your scalp and hair starting to dry out like me from constant blow drying, I also recommend this product. =)
If you have very oily or greasy hair, I'm not sure if this will work for you. I have recently tried a shampoo that is specialized for oily hair (my hair is not very oily, but the oils do build up and I need to wash them out from time to time) and I will do a review on that! A heads up, so far I really like it! ^_^

I hope that this review was helpful to you! Let me know if you have any questions or comments in the comment box below. Thanks for reading and I will see you later! =D

Monday, January 19, 2015

Review on Make Up Forever Sens' Eyes

Hi Everyone!

For those of you in the US, I hope you had a good 3 day weekend!

Today I am reviewing an eye makeup remover by Make Up Forever: Sens' Eyes
This product can be bought in travel size or full size. The travel size is 30mL or 1.01 fluid oz of product for $10. The full size is 100mL or 3.38 fluid oz of product for $24.
It is said to be for sensitive eyes, waterproof makeup, non-irritating, no fragrance, and mineral oil-free.

What do I think of this product?
So I primarily bought this product because it was said to be oil free. I have been playing around with false lashes for fun and I wanted to remove them with something that was oil free so I could re-use the false lashes without having oil residues on them (otherwise the glue might not stick as well).
I bought the travel version to try it out, because it is cheaper, and also because I am currently traveling more frequently, so a travel-size eye makeup remover is handy.
I really like the container. Not only is it sturdy and leak proof, but it has a pump which allows me to control the amount of product I dispense very well.
It does a good job of removing and cleaning my false lashes (I just apply some on a Q-tip and gently rub on my lashline to remove the glue and makeup) and is great at removing all my other eye makeup as well, including waterproof mascara and water-resistant eyebrow makeup.
The product is a light cream texture, it is not very thin or water-like but it is also not like a heavy cream either. It also does a great job of not drying out the skin around my eyes because it is more cream than liquid. This does not irritate or redden the skin around my eyes. However, I have gotten some in my eye, and let me tell you, it hurts. =/ It stings and I do not like that. It says on the bottle "Tested on sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers/Ophtalmologist-tested". I'm not sure what that means. I guess it's fine with the sensitive skin around my eyes, which is good. But what's the difference with testing a person who has contacts and who doesn't? Do they expect contact lens wears to get some in their eye? Because if they do, then that certainly did not work for me. =P
Overall, I still like this product, it is super great for traveling and does a good job of removing all my eye makeup. I just have to becareful to not get any in my eye, especially when I am removing false lashes or else I'll get stinging eyeballs. =P

Do I recommend this product?
If you are looking for a non-drying, fragrance-free, portable and travel friendly waterproof eye makeup remover, I recommend this, BUT, don't get any in your eyes, it might hurt. =P
If you're the kind of person, like me, who's a bit sloppy and in a rush when removing eye makeup on a daily basis, perhaps this is not the best for you (because you'll likely get it in your eyes) and you might want to try something else.

I know that this has been a long-standing popular product, sorry, I'm a bit late in getting to know it. =P But I am glad that I tried it. I'll probably only use this for removing false eyelashes and when traveling. Otherwise, I'll stick to my either Neutrogena or CVS waterproof eye makeup removers. (The problem with those, is that they are not travel friendly, highly prone to leakage.)

Anyway, I hope this was helpful in some way. =P Let me know if you have any questions or comments in the comment box! Thank you for reading and I will see you next time! =)

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Review on L'Occitane Eye Care & Mask Duo Brightening Correction ;P

Hi Everyone!

Happy Belated New Year! Errr, sorry, it's been a while. =P
I'm so sorry for not updating recently, I had an exam and a practical today, it was my first practical and I was very nervous for it. And we had only 2 weeks to study for both exams!
By the way, a practical is an exam based on cadavers and radiology, we are show images of cadavers, x-rays, CAT scans, and MRIs, have to either identify structures or knows what happens if they are damaged, so it can be intense!

Anyway, today I am reviewing the L'Occitane Eye Care & Mask Duo Brightening Correction

This product cost $38 and contains 0.5 oz or 15mL of product. It is said to offer 3 benefits: "a smoother eye area, an even and luminous eye area, and a fresh and rested look" And further describes to reduce wrinkles, firm skin, brighten the eye contour, minimize puffiness and dark circles. And a lot of lovely adjectives describing how wonderful this product is. =P

Directions:
"Apply this melting and fresh gel cream texture each morning and evening. massage the soothing applicator across the eye area and then gently spread a small amount.
To use as mask, apply a thick layer, leave it on for 10 minutes, then wipe off the excess, do not rinse."

What do I think about this product?
So, if you've been with me for a bit, you know that I find most eye creams pretty useless. I personally feel that they don't do much in terms of alleviating dark circles. They may reduce fine lines and puffiness, but not significantly and I'm not old enough to say that they reduce wrinkles, cus...I don't have any yet. =P
However, East Coast winter has been drying my skin out like crazy! Especially with the wind chill! The skin around my eyes get dry, tight, and have dry patches and fine lines start showing up and it feel uncomfortable. =/
I have an eye cream that I use at night, my Sana Nameraka. However, that one has retinol in it, so I only use it at night, because it makes my skin sensitive to the sun during the day.
So I was in L'Occitane and tried the sample and I really liked it! I do not like heavy or sticky eye creams, I don't think I'm at the appropriate age to use them and I don't like their texture. The super expensive eye cream at L'Occitane was to heavy for me and the fragrance was too strong.

This eye cream is more like an eye gel, the texture and appearance is gel-like, it spreads on easily and is buildable and absorbs fast. It does not feel sticky or heavy and does not irritate the skin around my eyes. It keeps the skin around my eyes well moisturized all day long! =D And it helped reduce the fine lines I was getting from my dry skin. As for brightening and reducing dark circles, honestly, I can't really tell. I'm also taking medical school classes, which involves not much sleep and, well, having dark circles all the time, so I can't really tell if this made a difference. However, it does reduce my puffy eyes when I don't get enough sleep, so that's good. =)

This is a squeeze tube container that has an applicator tip like so:
I don't use the applicator tip, just because I put on serum and moisturizer on my face (which includes the skin around my eyes), and I don't like it when products mix together on an applicator. I also find it much easier to just squeeze a bit on my fingers and massage it into my skin. So, I don't really care or have no use for this way of applying the product. =P However, if you like using eye products this way, it's probably very convenient for you.

I have also only used this as a day eye cream, not at night because I use my other one and also to make this product last longer because....it's expensive! I have not used it as an eye mask either, also to save product. So I can't tell you how I think of it as an eye mask, sorry. =/

Overall, I am quite happy with this product. To be honest, I bought it without looking at the price, and if I had saw it, I might not have bought it. =P It is very expensive. However, it worked very well for my skin and the skin around my eyes have not been dry since. =)

Do I recommend this product?
If you are young, 20s-30s, and you are looking for a high-end, light-weight, day and night eye cream for moisturization, fast absorption, and to reduce fine lines and puffiness, I recommend this product. =)
If you are an older person, maybe 40s, 50s, and/or you are  looking to reduce wrinkles and dark circles, I don't think this product is strong enough for you and you might want to try something else.
Also, of course, if you are looking for something more affordable, also, might want to try something else. =P

I hope that this review was helpful to you! Let me know if you have any questions or comments in the comment box below. Thank you so much for reading. =)

I'm sorry for not posting lately, things have been picking up speed and my brain isn't going to memorize all that anatomy by itself, so, I am studying alot! This month and the beginning of next month will be very crazy for me. A 3 hour exam every 2 weeks, so I will probably be studying non-stop! I will try to post when I can! Good luck to those of you in school! Keep on going!

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Review on L'Occitane 10% Shea Butter Whipped Body Cream!

Hi Everyone! It is 2015 =D

Today I am reviewing L'Occitane's 10% Shea Butter Whipped Body Cream
This can be bought in stores or online for $24. It contains 125mL or 2.46 oz of product. (I think I got it on sale for $20)

What do I think of this product?
As winter progresses, my skin gets dryer and so I was looking for a good body cream. I don't like thick, or heavy body creams. I want something usually that is easy to apply and spread out and fast absorbing.
In this case I was also looking for one that didn't have a fragrance, or if it did have a fragrance, it would be its natural fragrance, no fragrance added. This cream would be something I would wear to see patients or attend a patient and physician panel. Patients are usually weaker and more sensitive to fragrances and do no like the smell of fragrances. (I'm sure if you were sick in bed, you probably wouldn't want to smell some strong perfume scent either). So this is to just be respectful and mindful towards them. Especially cancer patients, ICU patients, and other critical care patients, it is very important to not irritate their senses when their bodies are so weak.
First, I would like to say how light this container felt to me. When I picked it up, I was like.....O_o, what? Feels like nothing? Are they giving me an empty can? XP haha, jk. But it felt very light, as if it didn't have anything in it.
Inside is a white cream, and it looks whipped. Kind of reminds me of the texture of cottage cheese? Maybe feta cheese? Something like that haha.
The product does not irritate my skin and the scent has not added fragrances, just smells like a plain moisturizer.
The consistency of this body cream is a little thicker than what I would like, but overall I think compared to their original (non-whipped) Shea body cream as well as The Body Shop's Body Butter, this is much lighter and easier to work with. It does a great job of keeping my body skin moisturized all day long and makes my skin smooth and soft. =)
Overall, I think this is a great body cream. It is a little pricey to me and I'm not sure if I'll buy it again. Luckily, I only use this for certain occasions involving patient contact and what not, so I won't be using up this product any time soon.

Do I recommend this product?
So this cream is thicker than a liquid lotion but has a much thinner consistency than other L'Occitane's body creams and The Body Shop's body butters. If you are looking for a body moisturizer with a consistency like this, not too runny but not too thick and heavy and with no added fragrances, I recommend this product. It lasts all day long for me and prevents my skin from getting dry, wrinkly, and itchy from the dryness.

Hope this was a helpful post! Feel free to write any comments or questions in the comment box below! Thank you for reading and I will see you later! =)