Outfit of the Day!

Hi Everyone!

I'm back on the East Coast! Left LAX at 7pm, stopped in Dallas, Texas at 12am, left Texas at 6am, and arrived at my place at 10am. Yes, not a lot of sleep involved. =P

Happy New Year Everyone! Have fun and stay safe, don't want to see you in the hospital or as a case study in class. =P

This is what I wore today!

Navy Jacket: Hollister
Gray turtleneck: Express
Maroon cami: Forever 21
Red skirt: street market in Taiwan
Tool skirt: COLZA (bought in Japan)
Gray tights: Uniqlo
Long knee-high black socks: Uniqlo Heattech
Boots: Yesstyle

So, the turtleneck is a little short for me. I have a long torso and uh, my mom put it in the washer and dryer which made it shrink a little =P. So that's why I wore that maroon cami, to layer and keep me warmer as well as not show my tummy. But I love the high collar of the sweater (or jumper if you are from the UK) and the bell sleeves. I think it gives a sort of soft and romantic look to the outfit.

Yes I am wearing 2 skirts, no it doesn't feel uncomfortable to me. The tool skirt has a looser elastic band, it was probably made to be layered, like a petticoat. The tool is not cheap, it's decently soft and there's a layer of cloth on the innermost layer which keeps it from being itchy or scratchy. Also, 2 skirts in 40F weather makes it warmer for me. =P
If you don't like wearing layers of skirts, there are skirts with lace or tool just hemmed to the edge of the skirt, that's a very common thing in Asia.
I feel that a layered look with skirts (or fake layering with hemming) gives a plain skirt more style and looks more fun and cute!

The long black socks, fell a little so you can't see them well. But they just barely go over my knee. They are also too big for me in the foot size (even though it's a one size) so it's a good sock to layer over tights or a more fitted pair of long socks. But they are very soft and good for layering.

The boots are of cheap material and if you are a person with larger calves I don't recommend them. These fit my calves but are too big for my foot, about a half or maybe even one size too big. Luckily since it is winter, I wear layers of socks and/or tights so it fits better. But still it is on the loose side and doesn't give my ankles much support which causes ankle pain after walking a lot.

So I hope you guys have been having a good holiday break! For those of you who attend school, enjoy the rest of your break! I hope that this was a fun post to look at. =D Feel free to comment or ask questions in the comment box below!
Thank you for reading and I will see you next year! Happy New Year! =)

P.S. Yes, I got bangs. =P

Review on L'Occitane 10% Shea Butter Lip Balm and "fresh" Sugar Lip Treatment Advanced Therapy SPF 15

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all had an amazing holiday break! Getting plenty of rest, eating good food, and spending time with friends and family, or your patients =)

Today I am reviewing and later comparing 2 lip care/moisturizing products!

I had an embarrassing moment at school before winter break. Someone was waving at me, and I started to wave and smile back, but my lips were so dry and tight, that I knew that if I tried to smile any further, I'd split my skin and bleed, so it looked like an awkward half-smile, and I felt bad.....and awkward, and well, realized that dry skin and lips during the winter on the East Coast is no joke and so I decided to try a couple lip care products!

L'Occitane 10% Shea Butter Lip Balm

This product costs $12 and can be bought online or at the L'Occitane store. It contains 0.5 oz or 15mL of product.

What do I think of this product?
This is a squeeze tube that dispenses product onto the finger which you rub onto the lips. This doesn't bother me but it might bother some people. Especially if you don't like your fingers getting lip balm or any product with glycerin and/or wax on them.
This product has shea butter but also castor seed oil, vegetable oil and wax as the main ingredients. It has a higher amount of wax than other products which creates a good seal against dry air and wind but it also means that you need to heat it up and rub your lips more (with fingers or your own lips) in order to soften the product and apply it smoothly. Especially as the weather gets colder this product becomes more solid and less creamy.
It will also leave a residue when you drink from a cup or something, that is something that does bother me since I use thermoses in the winter and I don't like lip balm, lip color, residues on the rim of the cup, looks dirty to me.
However, it is decently long lasting and good on windy days. I don't reapply too often and it creates a good seal on my lips and helps prevent them from cracking and drying out.
When I brought this to CA, it was obviously warmer than the east coast, by 20-30 degrees and in the 60Fs and 70Fs, the overall climate is warm enough to soften this product so that it applies very easily.

"fresh" Sugar Lip Treatment Advanced Therapy SPF 15

This product can be bought online, at Sephora, or in a "fresh" store (yes, they exist). This product costs $25 and contains 4.3g or 0.15 oz of product.

What do I think of this product?
So, I know I'm really behind on this "fresh" or "sugar" thing. I have heard many many people and read many reviews on how amazing this product is. I just didn't like the price. =P
Like, this stick can feed me for 3 meals...XD
But I tried this on in Sephora and almost instantly loved it. I thought about it for a bit and then decided to get it.
So this product smells like sugar and tastes like sugar (but don't eat it haha). I don't mind the fragrance I guess, my lips don't smell like sugar, but it makes me a little worried during the summer. I feel that it would attract insects and cockroaches, especially since it's made from sugar (Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate, listed in the ingredients, it is an altered form of sugar derived from sucrose as the main structure).
It's main ingredients are beeswax, jojoba oil, olive oil, castor oil, grape seed oil, and palm glycerides.
This product is very very easy to apply, it glides and applies on very easily and quickly. It is also long lasting but because it's more of a smoother and softer product it won't last as long (for me) and I reapply after I eat and whenever I need to, but I find myself reapplying this more often. It also leaves a residue on cups, which I guess is something I just have to live with.
It has SPF which is great, I guess, haha. I don't usually care much about SPF in lip care, I know friends who have sensitive skin or pale skin and get sunburned lips but I'm Asian, so, I guess that's less of a problem for me. =P
Also, I do really like the packaging, clean, sturdy, with a twist to take off the cap. It is pretty compact and sturdy. Not sure if it is drop proof, have not had that happen to me yet, and I'm not interested in trying.
I have been told by a friend who uses "fresh" lip treatments very often, to only buy this during the winter and not during the summer because then it melts. I can agree with that. The ones at the Sephora store in CA look pretty messed up and malformed (unless someone is really bad at applying lip balm).

Comparison and Recommendations
None of these products irritated or reddened my lips or the sensitive skin around my mouth. I like both and use both.
To be honest, I like the "fresh" one better. I am a busy person who needs to do a lot of things with a limited amount of time so I like convenience. I am willing to pay for convenience if it saves me a significant amount of time because time is the most important thing for me.
"fresh's" lip treatment lets me apply product quickly and then I'm good to go. I don't have to work the product in, warm it up and spread it around and check in my mirror to make sure I don't have any balm residue chunks remaining.
I will still use the L'Occitane one. I leave it in the bathroom and right after I take a shower (which steams up and warms up the bathroom which helps to warm up and soften the lip balm), I put on lip balm so my lips don't dry out. But I don't think I will be repurchasing it.
I'm not sure if I will re-buy the "fresh" lip treatment, it is pricey and I will just have to see if it is is worth it for the rest of this winter. =P

I think that both of these lip care products work well in terms of providing good moisturization to my lips, preventing my lips from cracking, drying, getting chapped and peeling skin.
Of the 2, if I had to chose one, I would recommend the "fresh" one. However, it is double the price and if working in the product during application isn't a big deal for you then I think the L'Occitane one is a very good one to try out. =) If you have skin that is sensitive to the sun, of course, "fresh" would probably be a better choice. =P

So I hope this review and comparison were helpful to you! Let me know if you have any questions or comments in the comment box below. Thank you for reading! Continue enjoying the holiday mood and Happy Early New Year!
I will be flying back to the East Coast tomorrow to get back into study mode so I don't get screwed over when classes start on the 5th. XP But once I'm back, it's just me, myself, and I so I will have time to write more reviews before classes start again!

Review on "The Body Shop" Vitamin E Moisture Cream

Hi Everyone!

I'm almost done with school! Finished an exam this morning and last day of class is tomorrow! Then I'll be flying back home for the break!

Today I am reviewing "The Body Shop" Vitamin E Moisture Cream

This product cost $17 and contains 50mL or 1.7 fluid oz of product. It is said to be a fast absorbing yet moisturizing day cream to keep skin hydrated.

What do I think of this product?
So, this product did not react well with my skin at all. First, it has a pretty strong rose fragrance. I usually don't like fragrances, especially in creams and moisturizers, and I also am not that fond of rose fragrances.
This product also burned and stung my sensitive skin around my mouth, nose, and eyes. >.<
Especially after I exfoliated, it would irritate my skin a lot more, and the burning sensation would be stronger.
It is true that is it is lightweight for a Vitamin E cream, it absorbs quickly, and kept my skin well moisturized. (Vitamin E is a fat-based vitamin, which means in order to make it dissolve into a product, it needs to be bound to a fat molecule, which can tend to make products, heavy and sticky)

So I stopped using it (after using it for 2 weeks), took a 1 week break, and decided to try it again. Surprisingly, the irritation was less, less stinging and burning sensations. However, it still hurt if I used this after exfoliating my skin. Also, I'm not sure if it's because it is getting colder and dryer, but it doesn't keep all of my face well moisturized. The dryer patches around my mouth began to show halfway through the day =/

The only good think I can say about this, is that it does not irritate the skin on my neck and keeps it well moisturized. So, I guess I will be using this for my neck only. Which is probably not a bad idea, since it's cold and windy now, and I wear a lot of turtle-neck tops and/or scarves, and this prevents my clothes and scarves from getting sticky and heavy creams on them.

Other than that, this was kind of a disappointment, sadly. I usually like a lot of "The Body Shop" products, but I guess this didn't work for me. Even when the product decreased in irritation, I would rather be cautious and not use it. When you feel pain, I think your body is trying to tell you something, that something is damaging it, so I'll listen to my body. =P

Do I recommend this product?
If you do not have sensitive skin and you are looking for a lightweight moisturizer, I think this is a good product to try. I don't recommend it because of my negative experience, however, everyone's skin type is different, so it's up to you. =P
This might be better for those who have non-sensitive oily skin, if they want something to maintain hydration and moisturization, but doesn't want to use creams that are too heavy and sticky, which might make their skin oilier.

So I hope that this review was helpful for you! Let me know if you have any questions or comments in the comment box below! Thanks for reading!
Have a great winter break, stay safe, warm, and healthy =)

Review on Origins Clear Improvement Active charcoal mask =D

Hi Everyone!

Today I am reviewing the ORIGINS Clear Improvement Active charcoal mask

I do not own this image, credits and thank you to "herworldplus"

The full size product costs $25 and contains 3.4 fluid oz or 100mL of product. The travel size product costs $17 and contains 1.7 fluid oz. or 50mL of product.

What do I think of this product?

I first bought the full size product and have been using it for 2 months for about once a week and I love this mask. Hands down, the most effective mask I have ever used!

I was looking for a mask that when it dried would not make my face feel like I dumped it into a bucket of ice, because now it is winter and it is getting cold, highs in the 40s and lows in the 30s, definitely not as warm as California.

I heard this had good reviews and tried it out. And wow, it works really well. First, it did not irritate or redden my sensitive skin. A little goes a long way. It comes out with a sort of sticky and glue-like texture, and I just need to spread a thin amount all over my face. (Unlike previous masks that I used that I needed to put a thicker layer on my face, which used a lot more product). The more product you put, the longer it takes to dry, so for me, it takes about 30 minutes for everything to dry. It goes from a shiny black color to a matte dark gray color and then I wash it off. I would like to say, it is a little difficult to wash off, so if you don't like taking a lot of time over the sink, probably do this before you shower, and then wash it off in the shower. It will dry and harden, which probably means you shouldn't be eating, talking, or laughing when wearing this. =P

It is very good at shrinking my pores, amazingly good! My pores look non-existent after use! It is pretty good at clearing my blackheads and white heads. Not as good as I had hoped, but still pretty good. =) I mainly bought this to shrink my pores, and I am very happy with that result!

I recently bought the travel size to take with me when I go back to California for winter break! And then I might leave it there till when I come back or give it to my mom (since I have my full size here).

The price did bother me initially, not that I doubt Origins products, I have used some before and benefited well from them. It's just that I don't like to spend more if I can. =P But, this was definitely worth it for me, and I will continue to use this until I either find something better or that works just as well but cheaper. XP

 I was so impressed, honestly, I usually don't expect much from products that say they shrink pores, because most of the time, the effect is not very significant, or long lasting. But I have found the effects of this product to be decently long lasting!

As for my acne, it helps cool down and shrink inflamed bumps and pimples. I would not advise you to put this on broken skin, scratched skin, or popped pimples. Charcoal is a strong absorptive product and if it takes out all the moisture from the inside (or underneath your skin) when you have damaged skin, I don't think the outcome would be good. Most likely what will happen is that it takes all the water out of your cells, essentially drying them out and killing them, and now you are more likely to get scarring and scarred tissue. So, yeah, I don't advise putting this on broken skin. =P

Do I recommend this product?

If the price is okay with you, I highly recommend this product. Especially if you are looking for something to help clear your blackheads and whiteheads and shrink the size of your pores!

If you are not sure, then try the travel size, especially if you don't use masks that often, perhaps the travel size would work better for you, since you don't need to apply a lot of product,a thin layer on the face is all you need.

I hope that you enjoyed this review and that it was helpful! 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! ^_^

Review on Diorshow Iconic Overcurl ;P

Hi Everyone!

Long time no see! I'm sorry for not posting much. If you have not known, I'm in one of my most difficult med courses now, so I really need to focus and my exam is next week!

I will also be flying back to California for the holidays, I was not able to go back for Thanksgiving because $600 tickets for 3 days was not worth it to me. So I will be taking a nice break and I will try to make time to post reviews, but no guarantees, sorry. When you get a break from med courses, you really want that break, because we study at least 6 hours a day and when it gets near exam time, around 10 hours or more.

Anyway, today I am reviewing the Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara!

I do not own this image, thank you to "Prettyshinysparkle"

The full size product contains 0.33 oz of product and costs about $29. Yes, very expensive. I was lucky and got a "free" mini size from Sephora from my Sephora points. (There's no such thing as a free lunch)

What do I think of this product?
This mascara is waterproof and the color is black but not a super black color. It does curl my eyelashes, I applied it to straight lashes and it does curl the ends of my eyelashes upwards, but not the entire eyelash. So, still need to use an eyelash curler. But it does hold a curl very well, all day!
This product does not irritate or redden my eyes or skin around my eyes.
The brush is kind of large, especially for my smaller Asian eyes, but if I'm careful I can make it work. It is also curved which I love! I find it much easier to apply mascara if the wand/brush is curved.
If I zig-zag/wiggle the brush through my eyelashes, the product will not clump or stick my eyelashes together.This product makes my lashes darker and is very good at separating and defining every eyelash. It doesn't give volume to my lashes and does lengthen them, but not as much as I had hoped.
It gives my eyelashes a natural flirty look. I was hoping for something a little more dramatic, as in the lashes a little longer, not too dramatic. But that's okay. My lashes are super soft and fluttery and I really like that.
I've gotten compliments from friends on my mascara on how naturally cute my eyelashes look, which is good. I don't like mascaras that look too obvious and/or dramatic.
I have tried to take pictures, but my camera just does not have good enough definition to show how well this separates and makes my lashes look so nice and flirty. So sorry, I have no pictures. =/
I will say that this being waterproof makes it very long lasting. For most of the day around 8am till 5pm, I only get a little smudging on the outer corners of my eyes and slight flaking. If I keep on wearing it after that, it starts smudging, =(, but I realized that if I use a translucent powder under my eyes, there are very faint smudge marks at the end of the day, like till 9pm.
Overall I really like this mascara. I would not purchase the full size just because first, it's too expensive for my tastes, and second, I'm more of an eyeliner person than a mascara person, and I usually wear eyeliner with no mascara. But for a lazy or busy day or when I want to look more natural, I'll use this without eyeliner and it looks great! Makes me still look fresh, awake, and cute. ;P

Do I recommend this product?
If the price is not a problem to you, I recommend this product! Just remember it is waterproof, so you need an appropriate makeup remover for it and that the brush is quite large so careful not to poke yourself. But it makes my lashes naturally longer, well separated, and flirty and is long lasting!
If this product is out of your budget, try to get a sample or mini size if you are a Sephora member to try it out before you get it.
If you want another alternative that is a little cheaper ($20-25) There is the Fairydrops mascara, a Japanese brand, that is very good at holding curls and lengthening lashes. My pictures in the Fairydrops review look similar to the Dior mascara, but the Dior does a better job of separating eyelashes, less clumping, and better at keeping my lashes soft and fluffy.

So I hope that this review was helpful! Let me know if you have any questions or comments in the comment box below! Thank you for reading and I will hopefully see you soon! =)