Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Winter to Spring Transitional Outfit!

Hi guys!

Looks like I have lots of free time today. =P Also, don't feel like going to sleep even though I'm tired, haha. I have those days sometimes, do you?

So, this is not an Outfit of the Day, the reason it wasn't was because I returned the shoes in this picture. They did not fit my feet well and hurt. =( But I really liked the look so I took pictures before returning it, of course. =P





Dress: Jack Wills "Fabulously British"
Sweater: Loft by Ann Taylor
Tights: Uniqlo
Wedge heels: Nine West
Necklace: Banana Republic

Jack Wills is having a ridiculous sale now. It is a British brand that is relatively well known on the East Coast. Usually their stuff is expensive but their sale was super good because they changed designers so the older clothes can't carry the brand name anymore. This is a light summery dress, it was originally $98.50 and I got it for $40. Not bad =P
It's still a little cold here, but it was in the 50sF today and sunny so it felt nice! I pulled a sweater over it to give me some warmth!
These nude heels are so cute! But they're too tight for my toes. =(. They only had full sizes for this particular shoe, I'm sure 7.5 would have been perfect for me, but they didn't have it. Original price $80 and current price is $30. If you have narrow feet and short toes, I recommend this!
I'm still looking for a pair of nude heels, I don't have any! And I thought it looked so cute with black tights!

Now that spring is coming, it's a transition time to spring fashion! So most people tend to switch over to lighter and more pastel colors in their clothes. I thought that pairing a dark dress and tights with some nude heels and a pale sweater was a lovely transition towards spring. Especially with the nude heels! I can't wait to find a pair that works for me. The dress also has tiny white dots which helped break up the darkness of the dress and compliment the sweater better.
The gold chain necklace adds a pop of warmth and shine without being too showy. I love this necklace because I think it is very flexible and I can wear it with many outfits, and the gold gives a warmer feeling.

I think that dresses like these are great for traveling or for making a variety of outfits and looks. You can wear it alone or wear a shirt or sweater over it and make it look like a skirt! Or you could put on a cardigan or a cute vest! Very versatile. =)

So I hope you liked the outfit and maybe it helped you think about your transitional winter to spring looks! Feel free to comment or ask questions in the comment box below! See you later! Bye!




Review on the Hado Labo Gokujyun Facial Cream and the Aquamoist Facial Cream!

Hi Everyone!

It's the last month of winter! Can't wait for spring!

But before that, here is probably my last winter skincare product! I am comparing 2 hyaluronic acid facial moisturizers. I bought these when I went back for winter break in California. I'm so sorry but I forgot what the exact prices were. X( They should be around $20 each and can be found in Takashima, Marukai Lifestyle, and Mitsuwa or online. They both contain 1.76 oz or 50 grams of product.

Hado Labo Gokujyun Facial Cream

What do I think about this product?
This product does not irritate or redden my skin, or the skin around my eyes. It is a gel white cream. Because of it's gel-like texture, it spreads and applies very easily and it is very moisturizing. It is lightweight but a little heavier and thicker than my Rohto Hadalabo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Lotion . However, it does not make my skin look or feel greasy/oil after letting it absorb into the skin. A little goes a long way and I don't need to use much for my entire face and neck.
Even though it says it is a facial cream, I think that most people in the US, would not think so, and it feels more like a thicker serum. I would still use this as a day or night serum, and apply a moisturizer on top, especially on windy and dry days. I also don't let it absorb all the way into the skin, I often apply my day moisturizer right on top and because of its smooth consistency, it helps spread out my moisturizer easier.
Overall, love this product, and I have been using it almost everyday this winter! Saved my skin a lot from the freezing windchill! Brr!



Aquamoist Facial Cream

What do I think about this product?
This product also does not irritate or redden my skin, even around my eyes. It is a clear gel cream that is decently thicker and heavier than the Hado Labo Gokujyun Facial Cream
I believe that this is heavy enough to be a moisturizer on its own, however, it does leave the skin looking very shiny and feeling a little sticky. It has amazing moisturizing properties and works very well when I have patches of dry skin, especially when I travel around or in very dry weather. However, I only use this at night, alone. It's so moisturizing, I don't need to add anything else!
I am currently not using this in the East Coast, just because my dad has very very dry skin and has eczema and so I gave it to him to use so it would relieve him of his super dry and itchy patches of skin. I did use it when I was in California, and it worked really well and I would use it as an evening super hydrating gel mask/moisturizer when I sleep, but only for that. Again, this spreads out easily and very well, and I don't need a lot of it for my face and neck.

Which product would I recommend?
This will depend on the environment where you live and your skin type. I believe that if you have extremely dry skin or if you are transitioning from a wet/humid climate to a dry climate, I would recommend the Aquamoist Facial Cream. You could apply less of it, if you think it appears too shiny/sticky, and layer on a moisturizer that has a more matt finish for the day.
If you have dry skin or live in a dry environment, or the weather is cold/hot and dry during certain seasons, I recommend the Hado Labo Gokujyun as a day and night serum. Depending on how you feel about it, you could wear it alone or with a moisturizer on top. I wear a moisturizer on top because I feel I need a little more hydration, but it's up to you. =)
Again, I like both and was very happy using both of them during the winter. I probably wouldn't need them during the summer, hopefully, but I would buy both again for the winter. =D

I hope that this review and comparison was helpful and not too confusing. =P Feel free to comment or ask questions in the comment box below! Thank you for reading and I will see you later! ^_^

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Review on Lush Karma Komba Solid Shampoo!

Hi Everyone!

It's February! Time flies!

Today I am reviewing Lush's Karma Komba Solid Shampoo
This product can be bought online or at Lush stores. It is about 2.0 oz and cost $12.
Long story short, the description is online, it's too long for me to write down and the effect that it had for my hair was different than my experience, so I wouldn't find it too helpful. =P

What do I think of this product?
Now, I have always been very skeptical of Lush. To me it was a ridiculous smelling store that was very expensive. =P I still kind of think that way, but now I feel that their products may be worth it for some people.
I tried to use Head and Shoulder's regular shampoo and it gave me the most oily and greasy hair ever. -__- Fail, I hate you Head and Shoulder's, I used you for 12 years of my life and now you suck. Such a disappointment....anyway.
I went with a friend to Lush, she is a Lush lover, and recommended this one for oily hair. My hair is not as oily as it used to be, after puberty, the skin and scalp get less oily, but I currently had oily hair from Head and Shoulders, and I do get oil buildup, especially if I do not shower. Because of that, I usually have to shower everyday. So, I was like, what the heck, sure I'll try it. =P

I have also been very skeptical of solid shampoo, but now I see that it really works!
So, yes this is totally made for oily hair. This is very very good at getting rid of product and oil buildup in hair, lathers up well, and does not irritate my skin or scalp! It does have a very very strong fragrance, which....I am not fond of. I took one whiff of it, and started coughing like I had an asthma attack or something....not good. Also, the fragrance will stay in the hair all day, it's not as strong in the hair, but I can definitely smell it on me all day. It is a kind of flora scent, a unique flora scent....sorry, can't describe well.
After using this, my scalp feels so clean and oil free! It's great! I also don't have to use my blow dryer on it for long because it makes my hair dry a lot faster. I can even not wash my hair everyday because this really cleans my hair very well and prevents it from getting so oily! It's great for lazy weekends when I'm not doing anything and I'm just studying or at home. =P
However, I can't use this everyday, if I do, then it starts drying out my scalp. So I end up using it about 3 times a week, switching it off with my "The Body Shop" Ginger Scalp Care shampoo. If I do use it more often, after I rinse it out, I will rub my Super Mild Hair and Scalp Mask into my scalp to prevent my scalp and hair from getting too dry.
Being winter, this was probably not the best time to try a shampoo that has a tendency to dry out my hair, but it is very good at deep cleansing my hair when I need to, and solved my oily hair from Head and Shoulders without me having to use tons of my other shampoo to rinse it out.
I also use this on rain days and snow days, so that my hair doesn't get damp and musty smelling.

I am looking forward to use this during the summer, where it is very hot and very humid, and I feel so gross and disgusting from the humidity. I think that this will be a lifesaver for me when the time comes. Also, this would be great when I go to Asian countries during the summer because those places are super hot and humid too, and I think it will help prevent my hair from getting too oily, damp, and sticky in that environment. (You can buy a travel tin for it too)
FYI, after using, take this out of the shower, or put it in a tupperware, if you leave it in the shower, the bar will dissolve and you will lose product very fast.
The only thing about this product is that it is kind of expensive. It is supposed to last for 2 months or so, depending how much and often I use it. Because I don't use it everyday, I think it'll last longer than that, so hopefully that makes it worth it. Overall, pretty impressed, it worked well without any skin irritation and I like the results! =D

Do I recommend this product?
If you have very oily hair or you are traveling or living in an area that is very humid, I highly recommend this product, but, please be aware it has a very strong fragrance. If you don't like things with strong fragrance, I don't recommend this, it will hurt your nose. =P But maybe you could just use less of it and it would not be as potent.

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 for reading and I will see you later! =)