For the past 4 years or so, I've had short hair, and always wanted to grow my hair long again, but I keep cutting it and it's been impossible. So I started wearing clip-in hair extensions. The first ones that I got were from a store in the mall. Sadly, they were horrible quality, had very little hair, and as I wore them, they got thinner and thinner, and I found white hairs in them. What's worse was that they costed me over $200, and they didn't look natural. When I wore them, you could tell that I was wearing extensions because my short hair would peek through underneath, or the sides would look weird.
After that I stayed off the extensions for a few years, but this year I made two hair extension purchases. One of which, was from HeadKandy.com. The other one was from OriginalDiva.com.au, which completely disappointed me after having high hopes for it based on the website and media.
The Original Diva hair extensions at first felt like heaven. The hair was SO soft, and never tangled. But they didn't look natural on my hair. I had that same problem, with my short hair showing at the nape of my neck, and the sides looking weird. And then I washed them once. Just once. And they're not soft anymore at all. They feel gross.
HeadKandy was the cheapest of them all, so my hopes weren't too high for them. I just thought, for as much hair as they say they come with, and for the price they offer, I might as well try it out. And they are amazing. They felt even softer than the Original Diva ones did at first. They blend right into my real hair, no hair at the nape of my neck shows, and the sides look completely natural. I've washed them three times now, and I've blow dried them because I never have the patience to wait for them to air dry, I straighten them everytime before I put them on, and I've even dyed them once, and they still feel amazingly soft, almost the same texture as my real hair. Given that they are so long (I got the longest length), they do tangle, but the tangles come right out when I run my fingers through them. Also HeadKandy does come with A LOT of hair. It's probably 4 or 5 times as much hair as my first set of hair extensions, and 2 times as much hair as the Original Diva ones. I do get strands of hair falling out here and there with these, but that's normal, and considering how much hair is in them, it doesn't seem to even matter.
29 July 2010
Product Review: Softlips Organic Lip Balm (Pomegranate)
It's been a very long time since I last used Softlips lip balm, but this time with all their newer flavours and stuff I just had to try at least one out. I wanted to try out the tinted ones, but I couldn't find that anywhere, so I went with the Organic pomegranate one. It smells amazing. And it's tasteless. And organic. And cruelty free. They feel very smooth on the lips without any waxy or sticky feeling. I love it, except that my lips seem to have been peeling since I started using it. It's not dry or anything, it's just peely, which is weird.
What's also weird, is the packaging of Sotflips in Canada is different from the Softlips in America. I don't know if its the same or not, but the American ones definitely look like they're targeted more towards younger ages just because of the text they chose and the colours and whatnot.
What's also weird, is the packaging of Sotflips in Canada is different from the Softlips in America. I don't know if its the same or not, but the American ones definitely look like they're targeted more towards younger ages just because of the text they chose and the colours and whatnot.
Skin 79 Super Plus Blemish Balm Triple Functions
I just realized that I said I'd do a review on this almost 2 months ago and never did. So here it is. Well its not really a review since I only used it once, and I don't have it on hand so I'm just saying what I remember about it.
The colour at the time was too dark for my skin (of course now since I'm so tanned it would probably work, but I left it at home so I can't really try it again). So that's why I haven't used it any more than just once. It also seemed to have that greyish undertone(and maybe pinkish?) in it which I hated. I remember that it had quite a good coverage, I think it was a little too heavy for me though. I also didn't quite like the scent.
I kept hearing such great things about this BB cream though, I was kind of disappointed when I finally got to try it. So no, this isn't something I'd actually recommend, but just because so many other people recommend it, maybe it's just me. I'll probably try it out again next time I go home.
The colour at the time was too dark for my skin (of course now since I'm so tanned it would probably work, but I left it at home so I can't really try it again). So that's why I haven't used it any more than just once. It also seemed to have that greyish undertone(and maybe pinkish?) in it which I hated. I remember that it had quite a good coverage, I think it was a little too heavy for me though. I also didn't quite like the scent.
I kept hearing such great things about this BB cream though, I was kind of disappointed when I finally got to try it. So no, this isn't something I'd actually recommend, but just because so many other people recommend it, maybe it's just me. I'll probably try it out again next time I go home.
Product Review: L'Oreal Paris Go 360° Clean (Deep Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin)
Immediately after first seeing ads all over the place for this cleanser, I have had the urge to purchase it and test it out. Because I already knew about these silicone scrubbers, tried them and loved them, and they finally made their way to Canada. I read and watched some reviews on them, and found out that a majority of people found the cleansers to be drying. So I kept that in mind when purchasing and went with the one for sensitive skin, which is a white, creamy cleanser. I have actually been using this for about a month now, because I idiotically left my Neutrogena Skin ID cleanser back at home. So here's my thoughts.
I love the scrubber. It is better quality than the crappy ones I ordered online from Ebay a while back, before these. The "bristles" are really soft and it just feels really cool. There's also a little suction thing on the back so you can stick it to the shower walls. I noticed that Sephora now sells these as well, for $5 and it's exactly the same thing. So if you're just in for the scrubber, I'd say just get that.
Now the cleanser, has a very light scent. It hasn't dried out my skin or anything, but maybe that's just because its summer and my skin tends to be more oily in the summer. It feels like a very gentle cleanser though, and it doesn't lather up much. I don't feel like it's doing much for my skin though. It isn't something I would recommend. It's not bad, but its not great either. I've only been using it for so long because I'm waiting for my next Skin ID order to come in.
I love the scrubber. It is better quality than the crappy ones I ordered online from Ebay a while back, before these. The "bristles" are really soft and it just feels really cool. There's also a little suction thing on the back so you can stick it to the shower walls. I noticed that Sephora now sells these as well, for $5 and it's exactly the same thing. So if you're just in for the scrubber, I'd say just get that.
Now the cleanser, has a very light scent. It hasn't dried out my skin or anything, but maybe that's just because its summer and my skin tends to be more oily in the summer. It feels like a very gentle cleanser though, and it doesn't lather up much. I don't feel like it's doing much for my skin though. It isn't something I would recommend. It's not bad, but its not great either. I've only been using it for so long because I'm waiting for my next Skin ID order to come in.
12 July 2010
Product Review: Maybelline Define-A-Lash Lengthening and Defining Mascara (Very Black, Waterproof)
Description:
Product Features
• Zero-clump mascara creates stunning length and clean definition
• Flexible brush is shaped to the lash to elongate and define lashes, one by one
• Built-in wiper contours brush to remove excess formula, ensuring clean deposit on lashes
• Smooth and lightweight formula feels comfortable on lashes
• No smudging, smearing or flaking
• Allergy tested, ophthalmologist tested and contact lens safe
My Review:
The first thing that I have to say is, this is my new favourite mascara!
I don't remember where I first saw this... It was in a review or something, and I decided I had to try it. I bought it about half a year ago, or maybe more, but never got to trying it out, and I wish I tried it earlier!
The first thing I noticed, was the mascara wand. It's flexible. Like, the part with the brush. Not just the bristles, but the whole thing is flexible, which was like, really cool and amazing to me. Also, the brush is rather slim, which makes it really easy to get every single lash on the top and bottom without accidentally getting any on the skin.
This is probably the first mascara I've had that actually lives up to all of its claims. I don't get any clumps at all, it really lengthens and defines my lashes, and it doesn't smudge, smear or flake.
Whenever I wear this mascara, it lasts the entire day without smudging the tiniest bit, or fading. It also holds the curl of my lashes throughout the whole day.
Although it doesn't claim to add any volume to the lashes, I use it with my Lancome mascara base, which does add volume, so it's not too big of a deal for me. I love the look that this mascara creates. I love how I don't get any clumps, so I don't have to comb my lashes, which means no mascara fallout under my eyes and on my cheeks. This is definitely going to be my holy grail mascara from now on.
Mineral Makeup Haul
Okay so I know it's been a long time since I last blogged.... I just haven't really been feeling like it. Again, I don't have any pictures... Because I've been waiting to get my new camera! But ever since I decided what camera I wanted, all the stores have been sold out. Hopefully I get my hands on that camera soon.
Like I mentioned before, I have made a couple hauls from two different mineral makeup brands, and I've tested them all out thoroughly now (except for the samples), so I can finally write about them.
First off, is Everyday Minerals.
Things I got are:
I got every single one of their brushes
Natural Reflections Fair
Soft Bronzer
Kaolin Powder Fair
Champagne
Utopia Blooms
All Smiles (Sample)
Intensive Medium Concealer (Sample)
Multi-Intensive Concealer/Eye Primer (Sample)
Sunlight Color Corrector (Sample)
At the Zoo (Exclusive)
The brushes.... I absolutely LOVE them. And they're really, really soft, and best yet, they're synthetic, cruelty free brushes. I've had no problems with shedding even when I washed them, which is great.
The Natural Reflections Fair, is supposed to set your makeup and mattify your skin. I haven't really used it though to tell how well it works. I guess I lied earlier about having tested them all thoroughly. I just kind of forgot about this one for some reason.
I really love the soft bronzer. I use it mainly for contouring, and it is a really soft bronzer, just a few shades darker than my natural skin tone, so it looks very natural.
The Kaolin Powder is for those who have oily, shiny skin. It's supposed to mattify the skin, and absorb oil from the skin. I've been using this a lot ever since I got it. I don't have oily skin at all, but for some reason my nose is always shiny, even right after washing it. It immediately mattifies it, and stays a matte finish throughout the entire day. I'm not too sure how it really works for absorbing oil and for oily skin, but it's great for my skin.
Champagne is a really subtle highlighter. It's really shimmery and goes on really nicely. I haven't used it very much since I got it though, because I haven't been much into the dewey look this summer for some reason.
Utopia Blooms is an eyeshadow collection with 25 different eyeshadow colours, and an eye smudge brush. They all come in the sample sizes, though they're not too small of a size. The colours are all very pretty. I haven't tried every single one of them yet, but so far, I have mixed opinions about them. Some seem to be more pigmented than others. They are buildable though.
All the other samples that I got, I haven't really tried enough to say anything about them, since they're the same sizes as the eyeshadow samples... Imagine trying to dip a blush brush into that. The concealer and colour correctors don't seem to work very well, but I've only tried once.
The At the Zoo exclusive I got for free with my order by entering a promo code, which I forgot. Everything is in sample sizes, with three eyeshadows, a blush, and a powder, and a Jr. Eye Kabuki Brush.
Also a note worth mentioning are the containers the full sized products come in. They are flatter than the usual mineral makeups, such as Bare Minerals, but larger in diameter. This means a bigger lid to swirl your brushes in. Which means less mess. I really love how the lids are so much bigger. And there's also a thing on the sifter that turns and covers up the holes so there's no mess when travelling with them, which is one thing I absolutely hated about many other mineral makeup brands.
The next brand is Signature Minerals.
I've been eyeing their brushes for a very, very long time now, and finally got them, along with some of their mineral makeup to try.
I ordered all of their brushes, a foundation, a blush, a soft radiance veil, concealer and colour corrector, and 6 sample eyeshadows.
The brushes were kind of a disappointment to me. The face powder brushes weren't as big and dense as I expected. Actually, they turned out to be a lot smaller than I had expected. The hairs are really soft though, and they are synthetic, cruelty free. I don't think I'd really agree that they feel like "pure silk" like it says on their website though. They feel just about the same as the Everyday Minerals brushes. I just really liked the look of the brushes... with the white and bluish grey tips. Don't like the look of the handles though, and the writing on them. I haven't had any shedding at all with these.
The foundation turned out to be too dark for my skin (I got #4.0) Even now that I've tanned a few shades darker than I normally am, it is way too dark. It did look too dark on the website, but I was reading the descriptions and it said:
"Yellow to Olive undertones.
For very light complexions with yellow or olive undertones.
Many of our very light Asian clients enjoy this shade along with Angel Wings Veil."
So I decided it must work for my skin. Apparently not.
The blush that I got was Desiree Peach. It looks kind of orange. It is very pigmented though, and has to be applied with a very light hand and I love the colour of it on my skin. I'm not too sure about how long it lasts though because I've only worn it a couple times and didn't take notice.
I have nothing to say about the soft radiance veil since I haven't used it at all yet.
The concealer and colour corrector seem to work really well. Especially considering that they are mineral makeups. I never thought mineral concealer would really be able to cover up my under eye circles, but it does! As for the colour corrector that I got, it was way too much for me. Too yellow, too pigmented, did correct the colour, but concealer on top of it couldn't even make it look normal. I looked like a raccoon or something after. Sometimes when I want even more coverage for my under eye circles I'd use a normal cream concealer, and then top it off with this concealer which sets it as well.
I have yet to try the eyeshadows because they came in little baggies, and I don't know... I'm just scared to open them up because I just know it'll be a huge mess. The colours look amazing though.
I also have to mention the containers for these. Well, for the foundation and blushes. They are smaller in diameter. Even smaller than Bare Minerals actually. Which makes it so difficult for me to tap the product into the lid and swirl my brush in it without getting powder everywhere. It's so messy! And there is no cover for the sifters. One thing I found cool about the sifters though, was that the plastic isn't hard like all the other ones I've come across. It's flexible. Kind of rubbery. But I don't think that makes any difference whatsoever. I just had to mention it.
So overall, I really do like Everyday Minerals, and not so much Signature Minerals. I probably won't ever buy from Signature Minerals again. Everyday Minerals... Maybe.... But I probably won't, just because there's so many others out there I want to try.
Like I mentioned before, I have made a couple hauls from two different mineral makeup brands, and I've tested them all out thoroughly now (except for the samples), so I can finally write about them.
First off, is Everyday Minerals.
Things I got are:
I got every single one of their brushes
Natural Reflections Fair
Soft Bronzer
Kaolin Powder Fair
Champagne
Utopia Blooms
All Smiles (Sample)
Intensive Medium Concealer (Sample)
Multi-Intensive Concealer/Eye Primer (Sample)
Sunlight Color Corrector (Sample)
At the Zoo (Exclusive)
The brushes.... I absolutely LOVE them. And they're really, really soft, and best yet, they're synthetic, cruelty free brushes. I've had no problems with shedding even when I washed them, which is great.
The Natural Reflections Fair, is supposed to set your makeup and mattify your skin. I haven't really used it though to tell how well it works. I guess I lied earlier about having tested them all thoroughly. I just kind of forgot about this one for some reason.
I really love the soft bronzer. I use it mainly for contouring, and it is a really soft bronzer, just a few shades darker than my natural skin tone, so it looks very natural.
The Kaolin Powder is for those who have oily, shiny skin. It's supposed to mattify the skin, and absorb oil from the skin. I've been using this a lot ever since I got it. I don't have oily skin at all, but for some reason my nose is always shiny, even right after washing it. It immediately mattifies it, and stays a matte finish throughout the entire day. I'm not too sure how it really works for absorbing oil and for oily skin, but it's great for my skin.
Champagne is a really subtle highlighter. It's really shimmery and goes on really nicely. I haven't used it very much since I got it though, because I haven't been much into the dewey look this summer for some reason.
Utopia Blooms is an eyeshadow collection with 25 different eyeshadow colours, and an eye smudge brush. They all come in the sample sizes, though they're not too small of a size. The colours are all very pretty. I haven't tried every single one of them yet, but so far, I have mixed opinions about them. Some seem to be more pigmented than others. They are buildable though.
All the other samples that I got, I haven't really tried enough to say anything about them, since they're the same sizes as the eyeshadow samples... Imagine trying to dip a blush brush into that. The concealer and colour correctors don't seem to work very well, but I've only tried once.
The At the Zoo exclusive I got for free with my order by entering a promo code, which I forgot. Everything is in sample sizes, with three eyeshadows, a blush, and a powder, and a Jr. Eye Kabuki Brush.
Also a note worth mentioning are the containers the full sized products come in. They are flatter than the usual mineral makeups, such as Bare Minerals, but larger in diameter. This means a bigger lid to swirl your brushes in. Which means less mess. I really love how the lids are so much bigger. And there's also a thing on the sifter that turns and covers up the holes so there's no mess when travelling with them, which is one thing I absolutely hated about many other mineral makeup brands.
The next brand is Signature Minerals.
I've been eyeing their brushes for a very, very long time now, and finally got them, along with some of their mineral makeup to try.
I ordered all of their brushes, a foundation, a blush, a soft radiance veil, concealer and colour corrector, and 6 sample eyeshadows.
The brushes were kind of a disappointment to me. The face powder brushes weren't as big and dense as I expected. Actually, they turned out to be a lot smaller than I had expected. The hairs are really soft though, and they are synthetic, cruelty free. I don't think I'd really agree that they feel like "pure silk" like it says on their website though. They feel just about the same as the Everyday Minerals brushes. I just really liked the look of the brushes... with the white and bluish grey tips. Don't like the look of the handles though, and the writing on them. I haven't had any shedding at all with these.
The foundation turned out to be too dark for my skin (I got #4.0) Even now that I've tanned a few shades darker than I normally am, it is way too dark. It did look too dark on the website, but I was reading the descriptions and it said:
"Yellow to Olive undertones.
For very light complexions with yellow or olive undertones.
Many of our very light Asian clients enjoy this shade along with Angel Wings Veil."
So I decided it must work for my skin. Apparently not.
The blush that I got was Desiree Peach. It looks kind of orange. It is very pigmented though, and has to be applied with a very light hand and I love the colour of it on my skin. I'm not too sure about how long it lasts though because I've only worn it a couple times and didn't take notice.
I have nothing to say about the soft radiance veil since I haven't used it at all yet.
The concealer and colour corrector seem to work really well. Especially considering that they are mineral makeups. I never thought mineral concealer would really be able to cover up my under eye circles, but it does! As for the colour corrector that I got, it was way too much for me. Too yellow, too pigmented, did correct the colour, but concealer on top of it couldn't even make it look normal. I looked like a raccoon or something after. Sometimes when I want even more coverage for my under eye circles I'd use a normal cream concealer, and then top it off with this concealer which sets it as well.
I have yet to try the eyeshadows because they came in little baggies, and I don't know... I'm just scared to open them up because I just know it'll be a huge mess. The colours look amazing though.
I also have to mention the containers for these. Well, for the foundation and blushes. They are smaller in diameter. Even smaller than Bare Minerals actually. Which makes it so difficult for me to tap the product into the lid and swirl my brush in it without getting powder everywhere. It's so messy! And there is no cover for the sifters. One thing I found cool about the sifters though, was that the plastic isn't hard like all the other ones I've come across. It's flexible. Kind of rubbery. But I don't think that makes any difference whatsoever. I just had to mention it.
So overall, I really do like Everyday Minerals, and not so much Signature Minerals. I probably won't ever buy from Signature Minerals again. Everyday Minerals... Maybe.... But I probably won't, just because there's so many others out there I want to try.
18 June 2010
Collective Haul
I got all these things in the past week and thought I would share them with you guys, along with a little review on them. I don't have pictures though, just because I'm too lazy to take pictures, but I will take some pictures and do swatches of some of the stuff later.
First I want to talk about mineral makeup. I'm officially over BB creams, and moved on to mineral makeup now. I started off with trying out the bareMinerals Matte SPF 15 Foundation in golden medium. I actually meant to get the golden light shade, but I somehow picked up the wrong one, but it's not too much darker than my skin tone, especially since it's summer and I will tan a bit. I also got the bareMinerals Hydrating Mineral Veil. The foundation is very lightweight and has very light coverage, which is fine with me because I don't really need that much coverage. When I want more coverage, I just go back to my BB creams, and then buff this on top of it. Then I conceal, and use the Mineral Veil. The foundation does keep my t-zone area nice and matte all day, which was the main reason why I ended up choosing the matte finish one. The Mineral Veil is slightly shimmery, but goes on unnoticeable. It sets all my makeup very well. I'm not sure if it really is hydrating though. I have also just placed an order on Signature Minerals mineral makeup, as well as Everyday Minerals mineral makeup because of how much I love using mineral makeup now. I also have this Physicians Formula Powder Palette Mineral Glow Pearls in Translucent Pearl that I picked up at the drugstore. It comes with a bottom compartment which has a brush in there, although I never use that brush, because I just don't like the feel of it. The palette looks mainly pink, but it has parts that are darker and more brown and parts that are lighter pink. I like using this as a highlighter on my cheekbones and nose. It is really shimmery, but gives a really subtle highlight... It doesn't really make sense, but I like it, except its probably not the best highlighter out there.
Speaking of highlighters, I finally got the Benefit High Beam to try out, and I have to say, this probably is my favourite highlighter I've ever had. I just love the way it looks on my skin!
I also finally got the NARS Orgasm blush that everybody raves about. I had the cream blush before, but that never really worked for me. I just don't really like cream blushes, but I got it that time because Sephora was out of the pressed blush. I absolutely love the colour of this blush. And as with all NARS blushes, they are highly pigmented and last all day. I love them!
Moving on, I got this Palgantong Make-Up Theatrical Powder in Clear White. Apparently a lot of celebrities use it, which is why I got it.... I don't know though, I haven't used it much, except to set my makeup sometimes, but I feel like it doesn't really do anything, and it definitely doesn't work nearly as well as bareMinerals mineral veil or Mac mineralize skin finish, so I can't say much about it. The powder is white, but it goes on completely clear. And it is very fine and smooth.
While I was at the drug store, I also picked up two cheapo lip balm/gloss things. I don't know what I'd call them. From Nivea. One of them is Nivea Fruity Shine in Strawberry, and the other is Nivea Glamorous Gloss in Natural. The Fruity Shine smells amazing! But I don't like the colour. It's a shame that they don't show the colour on the packaging or anything... I was expecting a little hint of red that would look like I just sucked on a popsicle or something. Well I guess it could be a really red popsicle... I don't like the colour on me though, because it's much too dark and red/pink, so I've only used it like, once. It does go on really smooth and it isn't sticky at all though which I like. I am considering giving it to my mom since she likes redder lipsticks, but she's also too lazy to wear lipstick usually, so this would probably suit her better. The Glamorous Gloss again, didn't show anywhere on the packaging what it would look like. The tube is a really light pink and I love the colour, and I just assumed that the gloss would be coloured similar to the tube. But, the gloss is more like a very, very pale peach, and very close to being just a clear gloss. I like the smell of it, and it isn't sticky at all, but I think it does make my lips kind of dry, so I haven't been using that much either.
Now for Milani's HD Advanced Concealer that I mentioned last time. I got this in the lighter shade, which is perfect for under my eyes. It works like a click pen, with a clicking thing at the end. I don't like how the clicker works though because it usually takes quite a few clicks before anything starts coming out, so I get impatient and madly click and then end up getting too much product. The formula itself is very lightweight and coverage is kind of on the light side, but it somehow still covers up my undereye circles pretty well and brightens them. It isn't good enough to cover up blemishes though. It lasts most of the day, but not all day. By the end of the day, the inner corners of my eyes, which are the darkest areas, would look so dark and horrid.
On to the NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils, I got 6 of them, in Iced Mocha, Pure Gold, Cottage Cheese, Black Bean, Pots & Pans, and Purple. These are super pigmented and glide on really easily and are sooooo smooth and easy to blend. The only problem I have with them is that they smudge. And crease. But that happens with most cream eyeshadows. I have tried using these as a makeup base, and overall they work okay as a base. They certainly do make colours adhere and pop more and last longer but I still have a little bit of problem with the creasing, but that can be easily fixed with just a smudge with the finger. Also worth mentioning, is that these are cruelty free.
And since I'm talking about cruelty free, I just got this eyeliner from Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencils, in Bourbon. I actually had one before, but I used up the whole thing! I am in love with Urban Decay's 24/7 eyeliners. They go on so easily and smooth, and they look amazing, and last all day. This is actually the first time I've ever used up an entire eyeliner pencil and had to buy another one of the exact same thing. I love them so much. I will do a more complete review on these pencils later along with the eyeliner reviews that I promised quite a while back. I just haven't gotten to it yet because of my laziness... Oh and what this had to do with cruelty free, is that all of Urban Decay's things are cruelty free, which makes it one of my favourite cosmetic brands.
I made my first purchase from Lush today, and got the Vanilla Dee-Lite Hand and Body Cream. I love how everything from Lush is hand-made, and they have a wide selection of vegan items too! This cream that I got is vegan, and it smells great. I normally HATE things with any tinge of coconut scent in them, but for some reason this has coconut in it, but I love the smell. And its not overpowering like many creams and lotions on the market are. It feels very moisturizing and it is non-greasy. I love it. I am really considering getting more things from Lush now.
I also made my first purchase at Bath and Body Works a few days ago. I know, its unbelievable that this is my first purchase from them. But I'm such a cheapo, I never wanted to spend $11 on a bottle of lotion, even though that's not even expensive. But I walked by the other day and saw that they had a huge 50% off sale, so I decided that it's about time. I HAD to get one. I spent so long in there trying to decide on a scent to go with, and finally chose the Sweet Pea one from the Signature Collection. I love the smell so much. It's kind of fruity and florally. It feels very moisturizing and absorbs quickly and it isn't greasy at all. I really do like it.
First I want to talk about mineral makeup. I'm officially over BB creams, and moved on to mineral makeup now. I started off with trying out the bareMinerals Matte SPF 15 Foundation in golden medium. I actually meant to get the golden light shade, but I somehow picked up the wrong one, but it's not too much darker than my skin tone, especially since it's summer and I will tan a bit. I also got the bareMinerals Hydrating Mineral Veil. The foundation is very lightweight and has very light coverage, which is fine with me because I don't really need that much coverage. When I want more coverage, I just go back to my BB creams, and then buff this on top of it. Then I conceal, and use the Mineral Veil. The foundation does keep my t-zone area nice and matte all day, which was the main reason why I ended up choosing the matte finish one. The Mineral Veil is slightly shimmery, but goes on unnoticeable. It sets all my makeup very well. I'm not sure if it really is hydrating though. I have also just placed an order on Signature Minerals mineral makeup, as well as Everyday Minerals mineral makeup because of how much I love using mineral makeup now. I also have this Physicians Formula Powder Palette Mineral Glow Pearls in Translucent Pearl that I picked up at the drugstore. It comes with a bottom compartment which has a brush in there, although I never use that brush, because I just don't like the feel of it. The palette looks mainly pink, but it has parts that are darker and more brown and parts that are lighter pink. I like using this as a highlighter on my cheekbones and nose. It is really shimmery, but gives a really subtle highlight... It doesn't really make sense, but I like it, except its probably not the best highlighter out there.
Speaking of highlighters, I finally got the Benefit High Beam to try out, and I have to say, this probably is my favourite highlighter I've ever had. I just love the way it looks on my skin!
I also finally got the NARS Orgasm blush that everybody raves about. I had the cream blush before, but that never really worked for me. I just don't really like cream blushes, but I got it that time because Sephora was out of the pressed blush. I absolutely love the colour of this blush. And as with all NARS blushes, they are highly pigmented and last all day. I love them!
Moving on, I got this Palgantong Make-Up Theatrical Powder in Clear White. Apparently a lot of celebrities use it, which is why I got it.... I don't know though, I haven't used it much, except to set my makeup sometimes, but I feel like it doesn't really do anything, and it definitely doesn't work nearly as well as bareMinerals mineral veil or Mac mineralize skin finish, so I can't say much about it. The powder is white, but it goes on completely clear. And it is very fine and smooth.
While I was at the drug store, I also picked up two cheapo lip balm/gloss things. I don't know what I'd call them. From Nivea. One of them is Nivea Fruity Shine in Strawberry, and the other is Nivea Glamorous Gloss in Natural. The Fruity Shine smells amazing! But I don't like the colour. It's a shame that they don't show the colour on the packaging or anything... I was expecting a little hint of red that would look like I just sucked on a popsicle or something. Well I guess it could be a really red popsicle... I don't like the colour on me though, because it's much too dark and red/pink, so I've only used it like, once. It does go on really smooth and it isn't sticky at all though which I like. I am considering giving it to my mom since she likes redder lipsticks, but she's also too lazy to wear lipstick usually, so this would probably suit her better. The Glamorous Gloss again, didn't show anywhere on the packaging what it would look like. The tube is a really light pink and I love the colour, and I just assumed that the gloss would be coloured similar to the tube. But, the gloss is more like a very, very pale peach, and very close to being just a clear gloss. I like the smell of it, and it isn't sticky at all, but I think it does make my lips kind of dry, so I haven't been using that much either.
Now for Milani's HD Advanced Concealer that I mentioned last time. I got this in the lighter shade, which is perfect for under my eyes. It works like a click pen, with a clicking thing at the end. I don't like how the clicker works though because it usually takes quite a few clicks before anything starts coming out, so I get impatient and madly click and then end up getting too much product. The formula itself is very lightweight and coverage is kind of on the light side, but it somehow still covers up my undereye circles pretty well and brightens them. It isn't good enough to cover up blemishes though. It lasts most of the day, but not all day. By the end of the day, the inner corners of my eyes, which are the darkest areas, would look so dark and horrid.
On to the NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils, I got 6 of them, in Iced Mocha, Pure Gold, Cottage Cheese, Black Bean, Pots & Pans, and Purple. These are super pigmented and glide on really easily and are sooooo smooth and easy to blend. The only problem I have with them is that they smudge. And crease. But that happens with most cream eyeshadows. I have tried using these as a makeup base, and overall they work okay as a base. They certainly do make colours adhere and pop more and last longer but I still have a little bit of problem with the creasing, but that can be easily fixed with just a smudge with the finger. Also worth mentioning, is that these are cruelty free.
And since I'm talking about cruelty free, I just got this eyeliner from Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencils, in Bourbon. I actually had one before, but I used up the whole thing! I am in love with Urban Decay's 24/7 eyeliners. They go on so easily and smooth, and they look amazing, and last all day. This is actually the first time I've ever used up an entire eyeliner pencil and had to buy another one of the exact same thing. I love them so much. I will do a more complete review on these pencils later along with the eyeliner reviews that I promised quite a while back. I just haven't gotten to it yet because of my laziness... Oh and what this had to do with cruelty free, is that all of Urban Decay's things are cruelty free, which makes it one of my favourite cosmetic brands.
I made my first purchase from Lush today, and got the Vanilla Dee-Lite Hand and Body Cream. I love how everything from Lush is hand-made, and they have a wide selection of vegan items too! This cream that I got is vegan, and it smells great. I normally HATE things with any tinge of coconut scent in them, but for some reason this has coconut in it, but I love the smell. And its not overpowering like many creams and lotions on the market are. It feels very moisturizing and it is non-greasy. I love it. I am really considering getting more things from Lush now.
I also made my first purchase at Bath and Body Works a few days ago. I know, its unbelievable that this is my first purchase from them. But I'm such a cheapo, I never wanted to spend $11 on a bottle of lotion, even though that's not even expensive. But I walked by the other day and saw that they had a huge 50% off sale, so I decided that it's about time. I HAD to get one. I spent so long in there trying to decide on a scent to go with, and finally chose the Sweet Pea one from the Signature Collection. I love the smell so much. It's kind of fruity and florally. It feels very moisturizing and absorbs quickly and it isn't greasy at all. I really do like it.
15 June 2010
CherryCulture.com Haul
I recently made a purchase on cherryculture.com on a bunch of NYX eyeshadow palettes and some eyeshadow pencils, along with a Milani concealer.
I was starting to get really worried about the shipping, because I'm leaving in a week, and it had been about 3 weeks already and I still didn't get my package. I was looking up how long it takes for Cherry Culture to ship things, and saw all these complaints about how it took 2 months for them to receive their packages, so I almost freaked out when I saw all these people complaining about that.
Well, I did get my package today, and I'm somewhat satisfied, since nothing was done incorrectly, and nothing was damaged and whatnot.
I did say that I'm never buying from them again though. Why? Because they took about two weeks after I placed my order, just to electronically submit my order through USPS. And then on top of that, it took another three weeks for the shipping. So I was really unsatisfied with the shipping time. Also a few days after I had placed my order, but before it was shipped, I emailed them and asked them if I could cancel my order, because I knew I was going to be leaving soon, but I wasn't sure how soon so I didn't want it to arrive at this address after I was gone, but I didn't want it to arrive at my other address before I arrived either, so I didn't bother to ask for them to change my address, I just wanted it cancelled so I could place the order after I had my dates set. They said "once an order is placed we are unable to modify or cancel a pending order". So I was really pissed off. Like seriously. What makes me even more mad, is that I had to pay for the shipping. And it took them so long just to dispatch it.
But anyways, I really do love the products.
I'm not going to do a full review on the NYX shadows, because there's so many reviews out there on them already. And I'm not going to do swatches, because I got so many colours, I'm too lazy to swatch them all.
I will do a review on the Milani concealer once I've tried it out for a few days.
As for the Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils, I only intend to use them as a shadow base, or the lighter colours as a highlighter, but I will review them as well once I've tried them out.
I was starting to get really worried about the shipping, because I'm leaving in a week, and it had been about 3 weeks already and I still didn't get my package. I was looking up how long it takes for Cherry Culture to ship things, and saw all these complaints about how it took 2 months for them to receive their packages, so I almost freaked out when I saw all these people complaining about that.
Well, I did get my package today, and I'm somewhat satisfied, since nothing was done incorrectly, and nothing was damaged and whatnot.
I did say that I'm never buying from them again though. Why? Because they took about two weeks after I placed my order, just to electronically submit my order through USPS. And then on top of that, it took another three weeks for the shipping. So I was really unsatisfied with the shipping time. Also a few days after I had placed my order, but before it was shipped, I emailed them and asked them if I could cancel my order, because I knew I was going to be leaving soon, but I wasn't sure how soon so I didn't want it to arrive at this address after I was gone, but I didn't want it to arrive at my other address before I arrived either, so I didn't bother to ask for them to change my address, I just wanted it cancelled so I could place the order after I had my dates set. They said "once an order is placed we are unable to modify or cancel a pending order". So I was really pissed off. Like seriously. What makes me even more mad, is that I had to pay for the shipping. And it took them so long just to dispatch it.
But anyways, I really do love the products.
I'm not going to do a full review on the NYX shadows, because there's so many reviews out there on them already. And I'm not going to do swatches, because I got so many colours, I'm too lazy to swatch them all.
I will do a review on the Milani concealer once I've tried it out for a few days.
As for the Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils, I only intend to use them as a shadow base, or the lighter colours as a highlighter, but I will review them as well once I've tried them out.
Review: Konjacu Sponge (Charcoal/Body)
So I have been using these sponges for about a week now, so I am finally ready to review them.
They come in a little cellophane package, along with a small piece of paper that contains a description and instructions on how to use it. Nothing too fancy.
When completely dry, the diameter is about the length of my middle finger. When soaked, it only expands about 1-2 cm more. One side is flat, and the other side is round. When it is completely dry, it is really hard like a rock... like pumice, and it takes a bit of time to soften it in warm water. But once it is softened and wet, it takes a long time to completely harden up again, so if you're using it twice a day like I do, or even just once a day, it will never get the chance to harden up completely.
In the description, it says that "it has a very soft texture like butter". I would have to say that this isn't true. Well it could be, if it didn't have little air pockets in it and it was completely smooth, but then it wouldn't be exfoliating. It is nice and soft, but I wouldn't say its like butter. It is a very nice and gentle exfoliant, which works great on my skin. I no longer have any dry flakes of skin at all, and my skin feels very smooth after using it.
It's supposed to be deep cleansing, remove blackheads, dirt and oil, and kill acne-causing bacteria. I'm not too sure about this though, because I have had a few blackheads start to pop up on my nose about a month before I started using this, and they're still there, I haven't really noticed them diminishing or anything. Also I've still been using my SkinID cleanser along with the sponge, so I don't know if it really kills acne-causing bacteria or not.
Also one thing I really don't understand is how it claims to naturally balance the pH of your skin. I just don't understand how that works, but I'm tempted to somehow test the pH....
In the instructions, it says specifically how to clean it, and says "Do not twist or squeeze too hard, it may damage the sponge." And also, "Discard once sponge starts falling apart." This makes me so conscious about when I am using it, I'm so scared that I'm going to squeeze too hard and it's going to start falling apart. And it actually makes sense, because there's so many little holes in it, and it feels kind of fragile to me.
Also, "Try keeping the sponge in a container/bag and in the refrigerator. It lengthens the usage life of sponge while keeping it extra fresh, clean & mold-free." So apparently these things will mold.... The thought of using something moldy on my skin isn't very appealing. But it says to "Store or hang the sponge in a cool & ventilated area to air dry." So how would that work? I can't hang it up to air dry and have it in a container or bag in the refrigerator at the same time, and it won't work to let it dry first then put it in the refrigerator since it literally takes forever to dry. So that doesn't really make sense to me.
So now onto the difference with the bamboo charcoal sponge, and the moisturizing body wash sponge. They're practically the same to me, except ones white and one's black, and ones round and the other is rectangular. Maybe the white one feels a little bit smoother and has smaller air bubbles in it? Even though the black one is supposed to be for oily skin, and the white one is supposed to be moisturizing, I really haven't noticed any difference in them.
Overall, I do like using this product. It is much better than using towels. And I do like using it more than the silicon scrubbers I had been using prior to this, so it is probably something that I will stick to using, until I can afford to try one of those Clarisonic Skincare Brushes.
They come in a little cellophane package, along with a small piece of paper that contains a description and instructions on how to use it. Nothing too fancy.
When completely dry, the diameter is about the length of my middle finger. When soaked, it only expands about 1-2 cm more. One side is flat, and the other side is round. When it is completely dry, it is really hard like a rock... like pumice, and it takes a bit of time to soften it in warm water. But once it is softened and wet, it takes a long time to completely harden up again, so if you're using it twice a day like I do, or even just once a day, it will never get the chance to harden up completely.
In the description, it says that "it has a very soft texture like butter". I would have to say that this isn't true. Well it could be, if it didn't have little air pockets in it and it was completely smooth, but then it wouldn't be exfoliating. It is nice and soft, but I wouldn't say its like butter. It is a very nice and gentle exfoliant, which works great on my skin. I no longer have any dry flakes of skin at all, and my skin feels very smooth after using it.
It's supposed to be deep cleansing, remove blackheads, dirt and oil, and kill acne-causing bacteria. I'm not too sure about this though, because I have had a few blackheads start to pop up on my nose about a month before I started using this, and they're still there, I haven't really noticed them diminishing or anything. Also I've still been using my SkinID cleanser along with the sponge, so I don't know if it really kills acne-causing bacteria or not.
Also one thing I really don't understand is how it claims to naturally balance the pH of your skin. I just don't understand how that works, but I'm tempted to somehow test the pH....
In the instructions, it says specifically how to clean it, and says "Do not twist or squeeze too hard, it may damage the sponge." And also, "Discard once sponge starts falling apart." This makes me so conscious about when I am using it, I'm so scared that I'm going to squeeze too hard and it's going to start falling apart. And it actually makes sense, because there's so many little holes in it, and it feels kind of fragile to me.
Also, "Try keeping the sponge in a container/bag and in the refrigerator. It lengthens the usage life of sponge while keeping it extra fresh, clean & mold-free." So apparently these things will mold.... The thought of using something moldy on my skin isn't very appealing. But it says to "Store or hang the sponge in a cool & ventilated area to air dry." So how would that work? I can't hang it up to air dry and have it in a container or bag in the refrigerator at the same time, and it won't work to let it dry first then put it in the refrigerator since it literally takes forever to dry. So that doesn't really make sense to me.
So now onto the difference with the bamboo charcoal sponge, and the moisturizing body wash sponge. They're practically the same to me, except ones white and one's black, and ones round and the other is rectangular. Maybe the white one feels a little bit smoother and has smaller air bubbles in it? Even though the black one is supposed to be for oily skin, and the white one is supposed to be moisturizing, I really haven't noticed any difference in them.
Overall, I do like using this product. It is much better than using towels. And I do like using it more than the silicon scrubbers I had been using prior to this, so it is probably something that I will stick to using, until I can afford to try one of those Clarisonic Skincare Brushes.
7 June 2010
Paper Towns by John Green
I was just thinking about this book that I read last summer.... Because I was asked, what do I want to do with my life? I don't even know anymore. I mean, I had all those dreams... But are they what I really want? I keep asking myself, and I keep changing my mind. I feel like I'm avoiding the future. But why does it matter? Why does the future really matter? Sometimes I just want to be a hobo and live a free life and be happy...
But maybe living a life like that wouldn't really make me happy. I don't know what I really want. Being able to have a comfortable home to live in, having food to eat, being able to afford a good education, and buy most of the things that I want, all makes me feel very lucky, and I'm grateful.... But I feel like I'm trapped in this world full of expectations. Its like, people are expected to follow this lifestyle. To have a home, a family, a job, a career, a good education...
"Did you know that for pretty much the entire history of the human species, the average life span was less than thirty years? You could count on ten years or so of real adulthood, right? There was no planning for retirement, There was no planning for a career. There was no planning. No time for plannning. No time for a future. But then the life spans started getting longer, and people started having more and more future. And now life has become the future. Every moment of your life is lived for the future--you go to high school so you can go to college so you can get a good job so you can get a nice house so you can afford to send your kids to college so they can get a good job so they can get a nice house so they can afford to send their kids to college."
And I'm stuck between the two. I can't decide what I really want.
A part of me wants to live that foraging lifestyle where I'd always be on the go. I wouldn't settle down with a permanent home. I wouldn't work or have a career and I wouldn't need to finish my post-secondary education. And I'd be free.
Another part of me wants to pursue a career, to become distinguished, renowned figure in society. But would I be happy with that? Even if it's a career that I choose, based on what I like to do, would I really be happy with it? I'd be tied down with it, for the rest of my life...
And then I thought of getting married and having a family and being a housewife for the rest of my life. But I don't feel like I can have people depend on me. I can't even depend on myself. And again, I'd be stuck with it for the rest of my life.
In the end, I just want a pleasant, comfortable life, but I don't want a career and I don't want a job. I don't want a family, I don't want any commitments or responsibilities, but I want to be loved and have people to love.
What can I do?
But maybe living a life like that wouldn't really make me happy. I don't know what I really want. Being able to have a comfortable home to live in, having food to eat, being able to afford a good education, and buy most of the things that I want, all makes me feel very lucky, and I'm grateful.... But I feel like I'm trapped in this world full of expectations. Its like, people are expected to follow this lifestyle. To have a home, a family, a job, a career, a good education...
"Did you know that for pretty much the entire history of the human species, the average life span was less than thirty years? You could count on ten years or so of real adulthood, right? There was no planning for retirement, There was no planning for a career. There was no planning. No time for plannning. No time for a future. But then the life spans started getting longer, and people started having more and more future. And now life has become the future. Every moment of your life is lived for the future--you go to high school so you can go to college so you can get a good job so you can get a nice house so you can afford to send your kids to college so they can get a good job so they can get a nice house so they can afford to send their kids to college."
And I'm stuck between the two. I can't decide what I really want.
A part of me wants to live that foraging lifestyle where I'd always be on the go. I wouldn't settle down with a permanent home. I wouldn't work or have a career and I wouldn't need to finish my post-secondary education. And I'd be free.
Another part of me wants to pursue a career, to become distinguished, renowned figure in society. But would I be happy with that? Even if it's a career that I choose, based on what I like to do, would I really be happy with it? I'd be tied down with it, for the rest of my life...
And then I thought of getting married and having a family and being a housewife for the rest of my life. But I don't feel like I can have people depend on me. I can't even depend on myself. And again, I'd be stuck with it for the rest of my life.
In the end, I just want a pleasant, comfortable life, but I don't want a career and I don't want a job. I don't want a family, I don't want any commitments or responsibilities, but I want to be loved and have people to love.
What can I do?
Fake Skin 79 BB Cream
Well, being unlucky enough, one of the BB creams I ordered online over Ebay turned out to be fake.
This website has a really good comparison of fake and real Skin 79 products, though its pretty impossible to check all these when buying online...
http://littlemakeupbox-eng.blogspot.com/2010/05/skin-79-real-vs-fake-bb-cream_13.html
Luckily though, the other one I got is real, I'll be doing a review on it in a few days.
This website has a really good comparison of fake and real Skin 79 products, though its pretty impossible to check all these when buying online...
http://littlemakeupbox-eng.blogspot.com/2010/05/skin-79-real-vs-fake-bb-cream_13.html
Luckily though, the other one I got is real, I'll be doing a review on it in a few days.
Konjacu Sponge Update
Well, I finally got the sponges in the mail today, and like a little kid with a new toy, I couldn't help but to open the package right away and play with it and try it out.
I got four charcoal ones, and one of the body wash ones. I don't even know why I had to get so many at once if I was just testing them out.... They do have a buy three get two free promotion though, and shipping is free. Well I'm not sure if its a promotion or if its permanent...
But anyway, when they are dry, they are hard and feel like pumice. Especially for the black ones, they even look like pumice. They do soften up and feel very spongy once they're wet though. But they don't feel like normal sponges. It's kind of hard to describe how they feel....
When I first opened the package and saw them, I was kind of disappointed in how small they are. Well, the face sponges looked to be an okay size, but the body one was exactly the same size, except in a rectangular shape instead of round. So I really don't know what the difference is with it being for body or face. But I really did expect the body sponge to be bigger. Once wet though, they do expand a little... not quite twice the size, but almost there. And it soaks up SO much water.
I only tried it once so far since I just got the mail about 20 minutes ago and excitedly thought I should do an update on it. I just wet the sponge, and used it on my entire face in a circular motion. I didn't use any cleanser or anything with it. Just water. I did have BB cream on my face from earlier, but no other makeup. It did clean off all of the BB cream, and it even kind of lathered a bit... I don't know if that's the BB cream or what though. After I just dried my skin with a towel, and my skin felt SO soft and it didn't feel dry or tight afterwards like it usually does after I wash my face.
I'm going to continue using this and update about it again in a few weeks or so about how it's working, and about the body sponge as well.
I got four charcoal ones, and one of the body wash ones. I don't even know why I had to get so many at once if I was just testing them out.... They do have a buy three get two free promotion though, and shipping is free. Well I'm not sure if its a promotion or if its permanent...
But anyway, when they are dry, they are hard and feel like pumice. Especially for the black ones, they even look like pumice. They do soften up and feel very spongy once they're wet though. But they don't feel like normal sponges. It's kind of hard to describe how they feel....
When I first opened the package and saw them, I was kind of disappointed in how small they are. Well, the face sponges looked to be an okay size, but the body one was exactly the same size, except in a rectangular shape instead of round. So I really don't know what the difference is with it being for body or face. But I really did expect the body sponge to be bigger. Once wet though, they do expand a little... not quite twice the size, but almost there. And it soaks up SO much water.
I only tried it once so far since I just got the mail about 20 minutes ago and excitedly thought I should do an update on it. I just wet the sponge, and used it on my entire face in a circular motion. I didn't use any cleanser or anything with it. Just water. I did have BB cream on my face from earlier, but no other makeup. It did clean off all of the BB cream, and it even kind of lathered a bit... I don't know if that's the BB cream or what though. After I just dried my skin with a towel, and my skin felt SO soft and it didn't feel dry or tight afterwards like it usually does after I wash my face.
I'm going to continue using this and update about it again in a few weeks or so about how it's working, and about the body sponge as well.
5 June 2010
Review: Shills Super Magic BB Cream Cherry Blossom
This is a Taiwanese brand BB cream that I've been wanting to try ever since I first learned about BB creams.
According to Phillis from makeupforlife.net (I couldn't find any other translation):
"It offers protection against free radicals, evens out skin tone, brightens the skin, controls oil, moisturizes and conceals.
... and the main ingredients are Gingko, Green Tea and Vitamin C."
First of all, I personally thought that the box it came in was kind of pretty.... BUT I HATE THE TUBE. It looks really cheap, shiny... plastic... I don't know, I just hate it.
The first thing I noticed when I squeezed it out was how pink the cream looks. Definitely a pink undertoned BB cream. It's probably the most pink BB cream I have yet tried. So I had my doubts that it would work on me. When I actually blended it in though, it seemed to be fine, but still a little too pink for me.
The next thing I noticed was the smell. I hate the smell so much, I don't think I can wear this very often. I don't know how to explain the scent... but it kind of reminds me of public bathrooms. Or this other BB cream that I had, I don't remember which one it was though. But this is an even stronger scent than that.
The consistency is pretty thick, and it offers a medium coverage with a matte finish. I don't like the way it feels on my skin though.
I've only worn this once, and I refuse to wear it again. So I can't say much about its lasting power and it's oil control...
Overall, I wouldn't recommend this BB cream. I hate it. I hate the packaging, I hate the smell, I hate the colour, I hate the way it feels.... I don't even think it's worth the 8 dollars I spent on it. But I know there's lots of people out there who seemed to really like it, so maybe it's just me.
Skin ID Update: Final Thoughts
So I have been using Skin ID for almost 3 weeks now, and I think I can place my final verdict on it now.
It was drying up my skin a lot last time I posted an update on it. Since then, I started going back to using my Kose moisturizer (I'll do a review on it later.... I keep putting it off for some reason...) after cleansing and before putting on all the other Skin ID products, and my skin hasn't felt dry at all anymore. Also for the anti-acne treatment, I've been only putting it on my forehead and nose. Everything else stayed the same. I continued using everything twice a day.
So did Skin ID actually help my acne?
YES! Almost ALL of my acne is gone now. All that's left are basically scars on my forehead. I've never seen my skin SO clear since I was about 13, so I'm really happy and excited about it. What surprises me even more, is that even my milia/whiteheads are gone. I don't have a single one on my face anymore.
So I definitely recommend trying Skin ID out. I know that everybody will get different results from the evaluation, and I can't say anything about the other products, if they work or not, but I think its worth trying, and most importantly, results don't always show up right away. Stick to the routine for a while longer. Only a week ago, I was starting to suspect that this was not only not working, but even breaking me out more, and drying out my skin at the same time. A week later, everything vanished.
It was drying up my skin a lot last time I posted an update on it. Since then, I started going back to using my Kose moisturizer (I'll do a review on it later.... I keep putting it off for some reason...) after cleansing and before putting on all the other Skin ID products, and my skin hasn't felt dry at all anymore. Also for the anti-acne treatment, I've been only putting it on my forehead and nose. Everything else stayed the same. I continued using everything twice a day.
So did Skin ID actually help my acne?
YES! Almost ALL of my acne is gone now. All that's left are basically scars on my forehead. I've never seen my skin SO clear since I was about 13, so I'm really happy and excited about it. What surprises me even more, is that even my milia/whiteheads are gone. I don't have a single one on my face anymore.
So I definitely recommend trying Skin ID out. I know that everybody will get different results from the evaluation, and I can't say anything about the other products, if they work or not, but I think its worth trying, and most importantly, results don't always show up right away. Stick to the routine for a while longer. Only a week ago, I was starting to suspect that this was not only not working, but even breaking me out more, and drying out my skin at the same time. A week later, everything vanished.
4 June 2010
Review: Kiss Me Sunkiller BB Perfect Strong SPF 50+ PA+++
I've been really lacking motivation to do anything lately, which is really the reason why it took me so long to finally write about this BB cream. I don't even know what's wrong with me, but I'm suspecting mild depression. Probably partially because I feel like I have nobody around me that really cares. And because I still haven't been able to find a job... It really brings my self-worth down a lot. And probably because I haven't been eating my daily oatmeal lately. Since oatmeal is a natural anti-depressant, and it's healthy. It seems that every time I stop eating oatmeal, I become the depressed way I was again. But the problem is that I've been unable to wake up early enough to have breakfast at all lately.
But anyway, back to the BB cream.
This is what it looks like...
This is another Japanese brand. What lured me to try this, is it's SPF 50. I have yet to see any higher SPF in a BB cream, so I had to try it.
Again, I obviously don't read Japanese, but I found this description on some website.
"Features:
1. The highest class sunscreen product in the Sunkiller Series.
2. With beauty essence ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid, Collagen and Lipidure.
3. In natural skin color finish without white trace
4. It gives BB Cream foundation performance like concealing pores and blemishes
5. Fresh texture, light weight feeling.
6. Water proof. High resistance to sweat and water.
7. With Odor-cut formula to avoid unpleasant smell of product.
8. No fragrance. No synthetic colorings.
Made in Japan."
I really love this BB cream. I love the fact that it has no fragrance and no synthetic colourings.
The consistency is REALLY watery, and it reminds me much of the Shiseido Ultra Sun Protection Lotion. Even the texture and all are almost exactly the same as that Shiseido sunscreen... Including the fact its SPF 50. The only difference seems to be that this is tinted, though I think Shiseido has a tinted sunscreen too, but I haven't tried that. I don't mind the watery consistency when applying it to my face at all, since it makes it super easy to blend. The only thing I hate though, is how hard it is to control how much comes out of the bottle, and how messy it can get because the stuff just leaks right out of the nozzle even though it's so small. I also think that bottle is very, very ugly.... Just the appearance of the bottle almost made me not want to try this.
It is really light weight and coverage is really light, but it evens out skin tone really well. Also, it has sort of a matte finish.
The colour is kind of yellow. Well actually, it looks very yellow when just squeezing it out, but when its blended into the skin, it seems to look perfect, probably because its coverage is so sheer, but since it is yellow based, I'd probably recommend this mostly for light-medium yellow/olive skin tones.
I am assuming that this formula is supposed to be anti-aging, since it contains lipidure, hyaluronic acid and collagen, but I haven't used it long enough to know if it actually does, plus its not like I have very many wrinkles or anything.
Each bottle contains , and I found it on Ebay selling for approximately $10.00 USD, so I think it's a really good price and definitely worth the money, and it's probably something that I will buy again once I use it all up. I have yet to have ever used up an entire tube of any BB cream though, since I keep trying new ones.
But anyway, back to the BB cream.
This is what it looks like...
This is another Japanese brand. What lured me to try this, is it's SPF 50. I have yet to see any higher SPF in a BB cream, so I had to try it.
Again, I obviously don't read Japanese, but I found this description on some website.
"Features:
1. The highest class sunscreen product in the Sunkiller Series.
2. With beauty essence ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid, Collagen and Lipidure.
3. In natural skin color finish without white trace
4. It gives BB Cream foundation performance like concealing pores and blemishes
5. Fresh texture, light weight feeling.
6. Water proof. High resistance to sweat and water.
7. With Odor-cut formula to avoid unpleasant smell of product.
8. No fragrance. No synthetic colorings.
Made in Japan."
I really love this BB cream. I love the fact that it has no fragrance and no synthetic colourings.
The consistency is REALLY watery, and it reminds me much of the Shiseido Ultra Sun Protection Lotion. Even the texture and all are almost exactly the same as that Shiseido sunscreen... Including the fact its SPF 50. The only difference seems to be that this is tinted, though I think Shiseido has a tinted sunscreen too, but I haven't tried that. I don't mind the watery consistency when applying it to my face at all, since it makes it super easy to blend. The only thing I hate though, is how hard it is to control how much comes out of the bottle, and how messy it can get because the stuff just leaks right out of the nozzle even though it's so small. I also think that bottle is very, very ugly.... Just the appearance of the bottle almost made me not want to try this.
It is really light weight and coverage is really light, but it evens out skin tone really well. Also, it has sort of a matte finish.
The colour is kind of yellow. Well actually, it looks very yellow when just squeezing it out, but when its blended into the skin, it seems to look perfect, probably because its coverage is so sheer, but since it is yellow based, I'd probably recommend this mostly for light-medium yellow/olive skin tones.
I am assuming that this formula is supposed to be anti-aging, since it contains lipidure, hyaluronic acid and collagen, but I haven't used it long enough to know if it actually does, plus its not like I have very many wrinkles or anything.
Each bottle contains , and I found it on Ebay selling for approximately $10.00 USD, so I think it's a really good price and definitely worth the money, and it's probably something that I will buy again once I use it all up. I have yet to have ever used up an entire tube of any BB cream though, since I keep trying new ones.
29 May 2010
Review: Meishoku Moist Labo BB Essence Cream SPF40 PA+++
I finally got two of the BB creams that I had ordered in the mail a few days ago. So far I've only tested out this one, so I'm only doing a review on this for now, and hopefully I'll be able to do a review on the other one soon.
So this is the first Japanese BB cream that I've tried.
And of course, I can't read Japanese, so I don't know what the package says.... but, I Googled it to find some more information about it, and....
"Meishoku BB Total Cream covers all your blemishes perfectly and cuts off UV rays that are harmful to your skin. A perfect waterproof and sweatproof cream which gives you porcelain skin while keeping it moist. The color easily adheres to fit your skin color, hence solving the problem of unmatched color. Suitable for all skin types.
Hyaluron Moist Essence, SPF40 PA+++, Concealer, Foundation, Pore and sebum care, Trouble soothing and Skin Improvement."
It comes in #1 Natural, or #2 Shiny. I went with the #1 Natural. The tube contains 33g of product, which is smaller than typical Korean BB cream sizes of around 50-60 ml. I ordered mine over Ebay for about $15 USD, which I think was really worth it.
Compared to all the other BB creams that I've tried, instead of being darker than my skin tone, this one is a little bit lighter, and it does not have any greyish undertone, which is something I really like about it.
It has a very thick consistency, which makes it kind of hard to blend, which I hate, but its fine if I mix it with a little bit of moisturizer.
It is VERY lightly scented, barely even noticeable. I only notice it if I put it right up to my nose and start sniffing. Smells kind of like a really faint sunscreen smell or something.
It has pretty good coverage considering that it's so thick, and lasts all day for me without drying out my skin, getting cakey, or fading away. Plus, it makes my skin look brighter and have a healthy glow.
Overall, the only thing I don't like about this BB cream is that it doesn't blend very well. Otherwise, I'd definitely recommend trying this out if you have a lighter skin tone.
26 May 2010
Skin ID Update 4
So it has been a week of using Skin ID now, and I have major updates about it since the last time I talked about it.
Last time, I said that my skin was feeling tight. That was what? Like, 3 days ago? The next day, it was feeling even tighter. And I hated it. It was so tight, that whenever I made any facial expressions, wrinkles would form and I looked like a 70 year old lady.... Or something rather. So I decided I needed to do a mask that night to replenish the moisture and I also went back to using my old moisturizer. I also reduced my use of the products to only my forehead, nose and chin.
The next day didn't feel as tight, but instead, my skin was flaking around my eyes (I don't even know why.... I didn't even put any of that stuff around my eyes) and on my cheeks. I felt so embarrassed about it because I was seeing a friend of mine that I hadn't seen for over 20 years. I hope next time my skin will be doing better. I did another mask last night.
Today, most of my skin feels almost back to normal, but around my eyes is flaking A LOT. It looks so horrible, I'm so glad that I don't have to go anywhere today. I put more eye cream around the area today hoping it'll restore some moisture, and I'll be exfoliating my entire face tonight so hopefully that'll get rid of the peeling dead skin.
The pimples on my forehead have reduced a bit, except a few of the bigger ones, they haven't gone away or seem to have even shrunk. But I guess I will stick to it a bit longer to see how it goes. It seems to be fine for my forehead. It hasn't felt dry or anything, so I'm assuming that this might be okay for people with oilier skin. I can't even imagine getting the other products for the oilier and less sensitive skin types, how drying that would be.
Last time, I said that my skin was feeling tight. That was what? Like, 3 days ago? The next day, it was feeling even tighter. And I hated it. It was so tight, that whenever I made any facial expressions, wrinkles would form and I looked like a 70 year old lady.... Or something rather. So I decided I needed to do a mask that night to replenish the moisture and I also went back to using my old moisturizer. I also reduced my use of the products to only my forehead, nose and chin.
The next day didn't feel as tight, but instead, my skin was flaking around my eyes (I don't even know why.... I didn't even put any of that stuff around my eyes) and on my cheeks. I felt so embarrassed about it because I was seeing a friend of mine that I hadn't seen for over 20 years. I hope next time my skin will be doing better. I did another mask last night.
Today, most of my skin feels almost back to normal, but around my eyes is flaking A LOT. It looks so horrible, I'm so glad that I don't have to go anywhere today. I put more eye cream around the area today hoping it'll restore some moisture, and I'll be exfoliating my entire face tonight so hopefully that'll get rid of the peeling dead skin.
The pimples on my forehead have reduced a bit, except a few of the bigger ones, they haven't gone away or seem to have even shrunk. But I guess I will stick to it a bit longer to see how it goes. It seems to be fine for my forehead. It hasn't felt dry or anything, so I'm assuming that this might be okay for people with oilier skin. I can't even imagine getting the other products for the oilier and less sensitive skin types, how drying that would be.
23 May 2010
Skin ID Update 3
Its been almost a week since I started using Skin ID. The first few days it didn't seem like it was doing anything. And then I almost felt like I was breaking out even more. And the past couple days, my skin is starting to feel a little bit tight (dry), but its not peeling or anything. And my skin is definitely getting a little bit sensitive, especially the upper cheek, near around my eyes, it stings a little bit when I apply the anti-acne treatment. So I probably wouldn't recommend this for people who actually have sensitive skin. But I also noticed, as my skin started feeling drier, it also looks and feels clearer. There's still a lot of acne on my forehead, but on my cheeks it definitely looks and feels smoother and brighter. The pores on my nose appear smaller too. Not that I had large pores to begin with though, so I can't say much about that. All of my stray pimples that were on my cheeks, and chin (and not forehead, where almost all my pimples are), are gone now. I'm not completely sure if they're gone just because of time, or if Skin ID actually helped though. But I'm definitely looking forward to seeing if it helps with my forehead.
21 May 2010
Konjacu- The Original Japanese Konjac Sponge from INOSH
I came across this today, and decided that I definitely need to try it out.
What it is, is a sponge made from a vegetable fibre extracted from the plant Amorphophallus konjac. It has no preservatives, colouring or additives, and it's eco-friendly. I haven't felt or tried these yet, but the description kind of reminds me of loofahs, only they don't look quite the same as loofahs.
They come in three different types. A white one, charcoal one and one for body. The white one is for dry/sensitive skin, while the charcoal one is for oily/acne prone skin.
These claim to neutralize substances on the skin. I don't know how that works, but I'm interested to find out. It's supposed to be exfoliating, deep cleansing, get rid of blackheads, kill acne-causing bacteria, balance out the pH of your skin, and moisturize, enhancing skin tone and texture.
All this information is from the website by the way, which you can find by clicking here.
I personally have not tried this yet, but even if it doesn't do everything that it claims to, I'm sure it'll be a good exfoliant, and more preferable to the normal towels I use to wash my face.
I will do a review on it when I receive them in the mail and when I've tried them for at least a week.
Cleansing Oil
It might seem odd, to be cleaning your face with oil. Especially for those with oilier skin. I was skeptical when I first heard about cleansing oils, but I kept hearing about how well they remove makeup and all that so I had to try it.
The thing was though, that they're not very popular in North America, so it was hard to find myself some cleansing oil to try. But when I went to Hong Kong last summer, the first thing I bought was probably a bottle of cleansing oil. I had no idea which one to try, so I just randomly bought one.
The first one I got was the Decleor Cleansing Oil. I love Decleor products for their essential oils, and I loved the scent of it, although I am aware that not everybody will like the smell. It removed my makeup okay, but not the best. I never had any problem with it clogging my pores or anything so it was all good. I don't quite remember how well it washed off though. The bottle lasted me about 4 months.
After that, I went back to the Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover that I had been using for years, for a few months, and then I decided to try another cleansing oil.
This time, I had to order it online, because I was not in Asia anymore. So I went to Sasa.com, and got the Kose Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil White. This is definitely on the cheaper side compared to other brands, making it a lot more affordable. I really like how this one comes in a pump dispenser so I can control how much of it comes out. The oil has a very light citrusy fragrance which I really like. I find it works really well in removing makeup. I just use my hands to rub it on my face and eyes to remove the makeup without cotton or anything and it all comes off gently. It rinses off really easily and doesn't feel oily at all, leaving no residue. I haven't noticed my skin brighter or whiter with using this, although it claims to do so. But overall, this is definitely worth the price, and works really well. I love it.
The thing was though, that they're not very popular in North America, so it was hard to find myself some cleansing oil to try. But when I went to Hong Kong last summer, the first thing I bought was probably a bottle of cleansing oil. I had no idea which one to try, so I just randomly bought one.
The first one I got was the Decleor Cleansing Oil. I love Decleor products for their essential oils, and I loved the scent of it, although I am aware that not everybody will like the smell. It removed my makeup okay, but not the best. I never had any problem with it clogging my pores or anything so it was all good. I don't quite remember how well it washed off though. The bottle lasted me about 4 months.
After that, I went back to the Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover that I had been using for years, for a few months, and then I decided to try another cleansing oil.
This time, I had to order it online, because I was not in Asia anymore. So I went to Sasa.com, and got the Kose Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil White. This is definitely on the cheaper side compared to other brands, making it a lot more affordable. I really like how this one comes in a pump dispenser so I can control how much of it comes out. The oil has a very light citrusy fragrance which I really like. I find it works really well in removing makeup. I just use my hands to rub it on my face and eyes to remove the makeup without cotton or anything and it all comes off gently. It rinses off really easily and doesn't feel oily at all, leaving no residue. I haven't noticed my skin brighter or whiter with using this, although it claims to do so. But overall, this is definitely worth the price, and works really well. I love it.
18 May 2010
Skin ID Update 2
Okay so I have tried all the Skin ID products now. I can't say much about them, since I haven't used them long enough, but I'll just describe the formulas a bit.
The cream cleanser looks like the typical foaming cleanser, except it's not very foamy. It doesn't seem to lather up very well for me, which might be a good thing, since cleansers that lather up tend to dry out my skin more. But sometimes when I don't get that lather I just feel like I'm not cleaning well enough. That's probably just psychological though.
The acne spot treatment contains 2.0% Salicylic Acid. It is a gel, and it pretty much feels and smells like any other spot treatment that I've tried before.
The anti-acne treatment contains 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide. It says its a gel, but it doesn't look like a gel. Putting it on at first feels creamy, but then it dries out really quick.
The moisturizer and skin soother I already described last time. I forgot to mention the medicinal ingredients in them though. The moisturizer contains 0.5% salicylic acid, the skin soother doesn't contain anything for acne, so I guess its just for moisturizing. Also, I think I forgot to mention that the moisturizer is a cream, and the skin soother is sort of like a gel. I don't know if it would be called a gel though.
But another thing I want to mention, is that upon using this set of stuff (I haven't figured out if its the skin soother or the moisturizer), my face doesn't seem to be as dry as it used to be. In fact, it feels a lot more oily and shiny. So I'm not too sure about that. I'm planning to start using the spot treatment and anti-acne treatment twice a day as well since my skin doesn't seem to be drying out or anything. And I doubt that it feels oily because I put too much moisturizer or skin soother, because I put less than a dime size amount of each on my entire face.
The cream cleanser looks like the typical foaming cleanser, except it's not very foamy. It doesn't seem to lather up very well for me, which might be a good thing, since cleansers that lather up tend to dry out my skin more. But sometimes when I don't get that lather I just feel like I'm not cleaning well enough. That's probably just psychological though.
The acne spot treatment contains 2.0% Salicylic Acid. It is a gel, and it pretty much feels and smells like any other spot treatment that I've tried before.
The anti-acne treatment contains 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide. It says its a gel, but it doesn't look like a gel. Putting it on at first feels creamy, but then it dries out really quick.
The moisturizer and skin soother I already described last time. I forgot to mention the medicinal ingredients in them though. The moisturizer contains 0.5% salicylic acid, the skin soother doesn't contain anything for acne, so I guess its just for moisturizing. Also, I think I forgot to mention that the moisturizer is a cream, and the skin soother is sort of like a gel. I don't know if it would be called a gel though.
But another thing I want to mention, is that upon using this set of stuff (I haven't figured out if its the skin soother or the moisturizer), my face doesn't seem to be as dry as it used to be. In fact, it feels a lot more oily and shiny. So I'm not too sure about that. I'm planning to start using the spot treatment and anti-acne treatment twice a day as well since my skin doesn't seem to be drying out or anything. And I doubt that it feels oily because I put too much moisturizer or skin soother, because I put less than a dime size amount of each on my entire face.
Create the Steamy Look with Urban Decay
I love this look SO much so I thought I'd share it.
Click here to go to the Urban Decay website to see the look and learn how to do it.
Click here to go to the Urban Decay website to see the look and learn how to do it.
17 May 2010
Steamed Custard Buns
Even though I haven't been baking or cooking as much now that I'm home, I still make things from time to time. What I like most about being home, is that when I do bake something there are people to help me eat it all within 1 or 2 days, so nothing gets wasted.
The other day I decided to make steamed buns. I made a batch of the usual steamed bun recipe, but then I decided to split the dough into three parts and make three different kinds. Plain, green onion and custard. They were all really good, but the custard ones were exceptional, especially considering that they were vegan and low fat, unlike the typical custard.
My brother liked it so much he even suggested that I try talking my uncle in letting me make them in bulk and sell them at his shop. That is, if I don't find a job for the summer, which I still haven't. But if I did, then it would be my first step towards opening my own bakery. Even though I will be selling these steamed buns through my uncle's shop, it'll make me happy just to know that people like the things that I make. And maybe I could gradually introduce more baked goods, and then one day, gradually move off onto opening my own little bakery.
I doubt it'll all happen though, and even though it's like, my lifelong dream to open my own bakery, it's also my dream to finish design school and become a successful architect or interior designer. So I don't know, I probably have to decide between the two one day.
Or maybe I can open up a new and different kind of store, sort of like Urban Outfitters or Anthropologie where they sell clothes and home decoration stuff, but I'll have baked goods and home decoration stuff all designed and made by myself.
Omg I absolutely love that plan! And I don't think there's anything like it yet, so it would be perfect! Now I just need to finish my design schooling, go to some culinary school, and get the funding (maybe work a few years), build up my name, and hopefully in about 10 years this can all happen....
The other day I decided to make steamed buns. I made a batch of the usual steamed bun recipe, but then I decided to split the dough into three parts and make three different kinds. Plain, green onion and custard. They were all really good, but the custard ones were exceptional, especially considering that they were vegan and low fat, unlike the typical custard.
My brother liked it so much he even suggested that I try talking my uncle in letting me make them in bulk and sell them at his shop. That is, if I don't find a job for the summer, which I still haven't. But if I did, then it would be my first step towards opening my own bakery. Even though I will be selling these steamed buns through my uncle's shop, it'll make me happy just to know that people like the things that I make. And maybe I could gradually introduce more baked goods, and then one day, gradually move off onto opening my own little bakery.
I doubt it'll all happen though, and even though it's like, my lifelong dream to open my own bakery, it's also my dream to finish design school and become a successful architect or interior designer. So I don't know, I probably have to decide between the two one day.
Or maybe I can open up a new and different kind of store, sort of like Urban Outfitters or Anthropologie where they sell clothes and home decoration stuff, but I'll have baked goods and home decoration stuff all designed and made by myself.
Omg I absolutely love that plan! And I don't think there's anything like it yet, so it would be perfect! Now I just need to finish my design schooling, go to some culinary school, and get the funding (maybe work a few years), build up my name, and hopefully in about 10 years this can all happen....
Neutrogena Skin ID Update
I received my Skin ID package today in the mail via UPS and I am so excited to try it out now! I can't believe it took less than a week to arrive. But first I have to put these pictures up and more information about it.
This is what the package looked like. Very simple and clean. I blurred out the UPS label of course so I don't get any stalkers.... =D
Opening the box.... Its all pretty and blue inside! There is a letter and two pamphlets (one French and one English) on top of all the stuff. And a bag to put all the products in. I chose the orange one.
Taking all that stuff off, the products are all embedded in plastic so they don't get thrown around or squashed in the box. And then there is the little acne spot treatment that was supposedly free, and the receipt underneath it all.
A picture of everything taken out of the box.
And everything put in the bag. There's still so much room!
First use, First impressions.
I just went and took a shower and tried out a few of these products.
It took me a very long time to decide if I should use all of them, or only certain ones, and in what order am I supposed to use these, since there are no overall instructions, only instructions for each one.
Obviously #14 the cream cleanser would go first. And then from there on it wasn't so clear. Do I use the acne spot treatment first and then #32 the anti-acne treatment, #53 moisturizer and finally oil-free skin soother? Or do I use the anti-acne treatment, moisturizer, oil-free skin soother and then acne spot treatment last? Or what? It probably doesn't make much difference though, so I'm going to go with this order:
1. Cream cleanser
2. Anti-acne treatment
3. Moisturizer
4. Oil-free skin soother
5. Acne spot treatment
But that's only if I'm using all the products. I was reading the directions on the back of each of them, some don't say how often to use them so I assume once in the morning and once at night. The anti-acne treatment says twice a day, but fair skinned individuals should begin with one application. The acne spot treatment and moisturizer says 1-3 times a day. So for the anti-acne treatment I will begin with once a day, as well as acne spot treatment. The moisturizer I will use twice a day.
So for now I decided in the morning I will use:
1. Cream cleanser
2. Moisturizer
3. Oil-free skin soother
(I still use my eye cream and sunscreen as well, and makeup on top of everything.)
And at night I will use all of them.
I can't believe how complicated this thing sounds. I think they really should include overall directions based on your answers to the questions on the evaluation thing online.
But anyway, now that I had set a routine for this, I got in the shower and brought my cream cleanser with me. (I wash my face while I'm in the shower in the mornings.) After shampooing and conditioning my hair, I washed my face with just a towel and water first. And then I washed my body. After that, I put about a dime sized amount of cleanser in my hands and massaged it into my face. Then I used my little scrublets to scrub. (They're sort of like the ones that come with the new L'Oreal Paris Go 360 Clean, only I got mine from Hong Kong for a really cheap price and without the cleanser.) And then rinsed it all off. The cleanser was foamy, but not super foamy and had a nice cooling sensation. It didn't seem to dry out my skin too much. My face didn't feel tight or anything after so that's a good thing. After I rinsed with cool water to close the pores and got out of the shower and dried myself off.
I then applied the moisturizer. It feels really smooth and creamy, fast absorbing and made my skin feel really moisturized. And it had a nice cooling sensation, just like the cleanser. It also seemed to give my skin a nice glow to it, which I love. And then the oil-free skin soother was more gel-like, but felt nice and moisturizing as well and absorbed really fast, and had the cooling sensation as well. After putting all this stuff on my face, it still felt "cool" for about 10 minutes, and I loved the feeling. Now I don't know how well this stuff does after a period of time yet, but I will update about it later on.
This is what the package looked like. Very simple and clean. I blurred out the UPS label of course so I don't get any stalkers.... =D
Opening the box.... Its all pretty and blue inside! There is a letter and two pamphlets (one French and one English) on top of all the stuff. And a bag to put all the products in. I chose the orange one.
Taking all that stuff off, the products are all embedded in plastic so they don't get thrown around or squashed in the box. And then there is the little acne spot treatment that was supposedly free, and the receipt underneath it all.
A picture of everything taken out of the box.
And everything put in the bag. There's still so much room!
First use, First impressions.
I just went and took a shower and tried out a few of these products.
It took me a very long time to decide if I should use all of them, or only certain ones, and in what order am I supposed to use these, since there are no overall instructions, only instructions for each one.
Obviously #14 the cream cleanser would go first. And then from there on it wasn't so clear. Do I use the acne spot treatment first and then #32 the anti-acne treatment, #53 moisturizer and finally oil-free skin soother? Or do I use the anti-acne treatment, moisturizer, oil-free skin soother and then acne spot treatment last? Or what? It probably doesn't make much difference though, so I'm going to go with this order:
1. Cream cleanser
2. Anti-acne treatment
3. Moisturizer
4. Oil-free skin soother
5. Acne spot treatment
But that's only if I'm using all the products. I was reading the directions on the back of each of them, some don't say how often to use them so I assume once in the morning and once at night. The anti-acne treatment says twice a day, but fair skinned individuals should begin with one application. The acne spot treatment and moisturizer says 1-3 times a day. So for the anti-acne treatment I will begin with once a day, as well as acne spot treatment. The moisturizer I will use twice a day.
So for now I decided in the morning I will use:
1. Cream cleanser
2. Moisturizer
3. Oil-free skin soother
(I still use my eye cream and sunscreen as well, and makeup on top of everything.)
And at night I will use all of them.
I can't believe how complicated this thing sounds. I think they really should include overall directions based on your answers to the questions on the evaluation thing online.
But anyway, now that I had set a routine for this, I got in the shower and brought my cream cleanser with me. (I wash my face while I'm in the shower in the mornings.) After shampooing and conditioning my hair, I washed my face with just a towel and water first. And then I washed my body. After that, I put about a dime sized amount of cleanser in my hands and massaged it into my face. Then I used my little scrublets to scrub. (They're sort of like the ones that come with the new L'Oreal Paris Go 360 Clean, only I got mine from Hong Kong for a really cheap price and without the cleanser.) And then rinsed it all off. The cleanser was foamy, but not super foamy and had a nice cooling sensation. It didn't seem to dry out my skin too much. My face didn't feel tight or anything after so that's a good thing. After I rinsed with cool water to close the pores and got out of the shower and dried myself off.
I then applied the moisturizer. It feels really smooth and creamy, fast absorbing and made my skin feel really moisturized. And it had a nice cooling sensation, just like the cleanser. It also seemed to give my skin a nice glow to it, which I love. And then the oil-free skin soother was more gel-like, but felt nice and moisturizing as well and absorbed really fast, and had the cooling sensation as well. After putting all this stuff on my face, it still felt "cool" for about 10 minutes, and I loved the feeling. Now I don't know how well this stuff does after a period of time yet, but I will update about it later on.
Travel Tip
Queenie made this video yesterday, showing us what she brings with her when she travels, along with an amazing tip that I will definitely use from now on.
Instead of bringing the entire original product, she uses contact lens cases and puts it in them. Its even better than getting all those travel bottles that they sell! I absolutely love this idea, and since I wear contact lens, I have so many contact lens cases lying around that I just don't use which is a perfect use for them next time I travel.
I just loved this idea so much I had to share it. It is amazing.
14 May 2010
Review: NYX Concealer in a Jar
"Provides smooth, long lasting coverage so you can pretend the word "concealer" doesn't exist in your dictionary!"
I normally don't really like to use cream concealers like these, but after trying the Barbara Daly concealer, I decided I wanted to try these ones as well. I went with the shades CJ04 (Beige) and CJ05 (Medium), because CJ04 seemed a little bit too light so I wasn't sure. CJ05 ended up being way too dark. CJ04 has sort of a yellow undertone, while CJ05 is more of a pink undertone. What I usually do is use CJ04 to cover up all my dark circles and then dab a tiny bit of CJ05 on top of it to get the perfect shade.
These concealers are super smooth and velvety. They go on really nice, provide great coverage and they don't cake or settle in fine lines or anything, and it lasts all day. I think I might actually like this more than the Barbara Daly concealer actually because it feels more lightweight.
They do have a weird... bathroom-like (I don't mean shit-like) smell to them though, which is something I don't like, but its not like I'm putting tons of it on or anything so the smell isn't noticeable. Other than that, these are great!
13 May 2010
Review: 2B Alternative for Face
"* Improve your prominent jaw line.
Besides water retention, it is traditionally believed the cause of a prominent jaw line is an oversized jaw bone. However, according to plastic surgeons, the facial bone structure would not affect the overall size of a face significantly. An angular jaw line is more often due to the thickness of inner chewing muscles, which results in the protrusion of facial cartilages that causes undesirable jaw lines. Basing on this concept, 2B For Face from 2B Alternative provides a total solution for you.
* Safer and more effective than bone reduction
Unlike common products in the market that only focus on water retention in the face problems, 2B For Face contains a brand-new French Acetyl Hexapeptide-3, which effectively weakens and thins out chewing muscles that cause a square jaw by topical application. It would make the jawline softer and more feminine. According to plastic surgeons, weakening the chewing muscles is safer and more effective than bone reduction surgery. It effectively resolves different facial problems and is therefore a common practice in Europe.
* Total solution for facial recontouring
In addition to Acetyl Hexapeptide-3, 2B For Face contains de-swelling ingredients from the U.S., which accelerate lymphatic circulation and reduce double chin and facial swelling. Besides its re-contouring effect, Lipidure from Japan can also moisturize the skin and reduce wrinkles. Melaclear 2 re-vitalizes the skin texture, leaving the skin velvety, elastic and radiant after use.
How to refine the facial contour with the professional recipe?
5 steps for professional facial contouring steps:
1. First, the coix extract in the lotion reduces the facial swelling.
2. Increase the water-holding capacity of the skin with Lipidure. The seaweed extract encourages the moisturized cells to organize well.
3. Aloe extract and witch hazel extract tighten the skin and eliminate your double chin.
4. The major active ingredient, Acetyl Hexapeptide-3, keeps the chewing muscles tightened and prevents the appearance of pendant and loose jowl.
5. Melaclear 2 and Ginkgo extract activate the bottom cells, increase skin elasticity and promote skin whitening.
Apply 2B For Face for 2-3 months, and your facial features would look firmer, the square face would disappear gradually and a slimmer facial contour be promoted."
So I've been using this for about a month, or maybe a little bit longer now (I don't remember the exact date I started), and so far I haven't noticed any of the slightest changes though it does say 2-3 months in the description, so maybe I haven't used it long enough. I also missed some days/nights during the period. But since I did get 5 boxes, and I'm still on the first box, I will definitely keep using this until I've been through them all, hoping it'll work.
On the top of each box, there is a 2B Alternative seal for authentication I guess.
It opens on the side.
Take it out of the box, remove the aluminum seal, lift the rubber stopper cap thing off and place the tip on and voila! It works like an eyedropper.
12 May 2010
BB Cream Haul
Since I just found out how much oil is in the Missha Watery BB Cream I've been using lately, and it was the only one that I brought with me going home for the summer, I just spent all morning on Ebay (My source for most Asian products other than Sasa.com) picking and choosing out a number of BB creams, while trying not to spend too much. All of them are the cheaper end of BB creams, costing less than $15 each including shipping. So they're very affordable and I hope they work well! I ended up going with 5 of them, two of which are Korean, two are Japanese and one Taiwanese. Will be doing reviews of them as I receive them in the mail.
Neutrogena Skin ID
I first learned about this in an advertisement at the movies and thought, maybe I should try it. And then I totally forgot about it until last night when I was looking for some new products to try out for my skin, since it hasn't been doing very good lately. My forehead is breaking out, my chin and around my nose and lips are really dry and flaky....
So I went to the website and did the evaluation and got 25.32.53.
I checked some reviews on the program and figured it was mostly either love or hate. People either thought it was great and it worked perfectly on their skin (And I found out most of these were those who claimed to have drier/sensitive skin), while others thought it was horrible, dried out their skin like crazy, made them break out even more. So I'm thinking, maybe they exaggerated their problems thinking it'll work better, but in turn the treatment was too strong and dried out their skin making it flaky and peely? I don't know, but I definitely said I have dry skin when I was doing the evaluation, and said that my skin was sensitive most of the time. Even though its not that sensitive, I put that because I find it does get very sensitive to acne products.
So I placed an order on my set of Skin ID, and I added Oil Free Skin Soother for $15 so I'd get free shipping, which would've been $6.99 so I think it was worth it.
Now I'm just waiting for it to arrive in the mail and hopefully this will be something that'll really work for me!
Updates on this to come when I receive my products and every week from then.
So I went to the website and did the evaluation and got 25.32.53.
I checked some reviews on the program and figured it was mostly either love or hate. People either thought it was great and it worked perfectly on their skin (And I found out most of these were those who claimed to have drier/sensitive skin), while others thought it was horrible, dried out their skin like crazy, made them break out even more. So I'm thinking, maybe they exaggerated their problems thinking it'll work better, but in turn the treatment was too strong and dried out their skin making it flaky and peely? I don't know, but I definitely said I have dry skin when I was doing the evaluation, and said that my skin was sensitive most of the time. Even though its not that sensitive, I put that because I find it does get very sensitive to acne products.
So I placed an order on my set of Skin ID, and I added Oil Free Skin Soother for $15 so I'd get free shipping, which would've been $6.99 so I think it was worth it.
Now I'm just waiting for it to arrive in the mail and hopefully this will be something that'll really work for me!
Updates on this to come when I receive my products and every week from then.
LORAC Haul
(Please excuse the dullness of the photos in this post, due to lack of lighting)
Hautelook recently had an event for Lorac, and everything was super cheap so I thought I couldn’t go wrong trying some of these things out. I ended up getting:
Lorac Mini Mocktail Bar (Flavored Lip Gloss Collection) $9.99 USD
Lorac Gloss Stick (Sheer Peach) $4.99 USD
Lorac Lip Polish (Kiss Embarasser) $3.99 USD
Lorac Cheek Stamp (Coral and Golden Glow) $4.99 USD each
I also noticed that they are on Loraccosmetics.com for VIP Discount as well.
And also, another Lorac product I’m adding to the list to review that I didn't get with the haul:
Lorac Natural Performance Foundation (Sensitive Skin NP3) $36 USD
Lorac Mini Mocktail Bar
“Let your inhibitions go wild with LORAC Mocktails!
Don’t worry about having one-too-many with LORAC’s Mini Mocktail Bar! Six yummy, high-shine lip glosses drip lips in gorgeous Red Carpet color, while each delicious flavor tastes like your favourite after-party cocktail. 0 Calories, 0% Alcohol- grab a LORAC Mocktail or two and let your inhibitions go!
Mocktail List
Guava Tiki
Tropical Dream
Lava Flow
Razberi Cosmo
Caffeini Martini
Sex on the Beach”
I really like the lighter shades (Guava Tiki and Tropical Dream.)
It comes in a box that has a cover which opens to reveal a window that shows the glosses.
They are like, squeeze tubes, where you just squeeze it and the product comes out onto the little brush. Which was not at all what I expected. I was expecting the typical wand brush thing.
The only downside is that they are slightly sticky. At the full price of $25 I’m not sure if I would still buy this, though it is really cute and would be a great gift.
Lorac Gloss Stick
“Super Slick Moisture Rich Natural Oils Preservative-Free”
The packaging seems kind of cheap…. Just a normal lip balm kind of thing, but I don't know... the plastic they used feels really cheap or something. But the product is great. It goes on really nice and smooth, and moisturizing like a lip balm.
The colour is sheer, which I love since its better for everyday wear than lipstick is. It’s a little bit glossy, but definitely not glossy like lip glosses are. More like a soft sheen.
The only thing I don’t like is the smell. It reminds me of those cheap drugstore lip balms that are targeted towards children. Like, those Lip Smacker things. And it doesn't last very long. Maybe a couple hours max.
Lorac Lip Polish
This is really cute, looks exactly like a mini nail polish. Even the formula is very much like nail polish, maybe a little bit thicker.
It smells great and its not sticky like the Mocktail glosses are. It feels very nice on the lips, and has a kind of cooling sensation. I wouldn’t apply it directly with the little brush though because it gets way too much on the lips, and the shade is just a bit too dark to my tastes, so I just apply a little bit with my finger on top of lip balm to give my lips a little bit of colour.
Lorac Cheek Stamp
These looked really cute when I saw them on the website, and I couldn’t decide which shade to go with so I got both. But I’m very disappointed in them.
It twists open, and in the base is a little blush compact which the foam applicator dips into.
I just don’t like the way the applicator side of it is always in contact with the blush side, so its always has too much blush on it to apply. So what I have to do with this is either lightly dab a little bit of the blush on my cheeks and use a brush or my fingers to blend it in, or just use a brush to apply it in the first place. Which defeats the purpose of having an applicator built in.
The blush itself is a non-shimmery, non-sparkly, matte finish, which I really like. It seems to last really long which is a plus. I guess that makes up for the crappy applicator.
Something I found really cool about it though, was that the applicator is spring loaded, which I tried to show in the following picture.
Even though it only cost me $4.99 for each of these, I think it was a waste of money, nevermind the regular price at $22.00 each.
Lorac Natural Performance Foundation (Sensitive Skin)
“LORAC’S Natural Performance Foundation gives you picture perfect coverage that lasts throughout the day. It is Oil, Paraben and Fragrance Free and loaded with botanical actives Xyleine, Premier Olive Leaf Extract and Vitamin A to help protect, nourish and sooth sensitive skin.”
I’ve only used this maybe like… twice since I got it. It was a waste of money. I really liked the packaging. It twists to reveal the pump.
It provides pretty good coverage, but I don’t know if I just got the wrong shade or what? When I pump it onto the back of my hand, it looks like the perfect shade, but when I start to blend it in, it becomes darker and more pink.
The formula is very creamy, feels very smooth and satiny. The only thing though was that about half an hour after putting it on my face, it extremely dried out my skin and made it really flaky. That was in the winter though so my skin was naturally drier. So I tried it again in the summer when my skin was less dry, and it did the same thing. Even on the more oily areas of my skin such as my forhead and nose, so I definitely wouldn't recommend this for anyone with normal/dry skin, and probably not even for those with oily skin.
And then I never used it again.
Homemade Gluten/Seitan (Using all-purpose flour)
Many vegan/vegetarian dishes are made with gluten/seitan, but it can be kind of costly to buy it premade and cook it. This is usually made using high gluten flour or instant gluten flour, which would be much easier and faster to make, but regular all-purpose flour can make this just as well.
Ingredients:
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups water
Directions:
1. Place flour in a large mixing bowl and gradually add water while kneading it to form a stiff, elastic dough. (It shouldn’t be sticky.)
2. Cover and set aside the dough for approximately half an hour.
3. Pour water in the bowl just enough to cover the dough.
4. Cover and set aside for approximately two hours.
5. Wash the dough by kneading it in the water. The water will become cloudy.
6. Pour out water and refill with clean water.
7. And wash dough by kneading more…. And replace water and wash…. and wash… and wash….. Until the water runs clear. (This will take approximately half an hour or more, and you’ll be left with approximately half the size of dough as what you started with. It will look gross and kind of like… brains….)
8. Place in a clean bowl, cover and place in fridge for a day. After a day, it will look smoother and be more elasticy.
9. Cut or shape into desired shapes and cook as desired.
Ingredients:
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups water
Directions:
1. Place flour in a large mixing bowl and gradually add water while kneading it to form a stiff, elastic dough. (It shouldn’t be sticky.)
2. Cover and set aside the dough for approximately half an hour.
3. Pour water in the bowl just enough to cover the dough.
4. Cover and set aside for approximately two hours.
5. Wash the dough by kneading it in the water. The water will become cloudy.
6. Pour out water and refill with clean water.
7. And wash dough by kneading more…. And replace water and wash…. and wash… and wash….. Until the water runs clear. (This will take approximately half an hour or more, and you’ll be left with approximately half the size of dough as what you started with. It will look gross and kind of like… brains….)
8. Place in a clean bowl, cover and place in fridge for a day. After a day, it will look smoother and be more elasticy.
9. Cut or shape into desired shapes and cook as desired.
Vegan Flour Frosting
Okay, I know this sounds weird and probably gross, but this is seriously the best frosting I have ever made. I always have the problem with buttercream frosting or any other frosting that is made from confectioners/icing sugar because it always turns out way too sweet, especially if I’m piping the frosting on, it’s just way too much.
And then I discovered this type of frosting. It is amazing. It’s lighter tasting than buttercream frosting, and a lot less sweet, which makes it perfect for piping onto cupcakes or cakes. The consistency is a lot lighter, almost like whipped cream, but slightly heavier than whipped cream. So its kind of like a cross between whipped cream and buttercream frosting, which I absolutely love. So far I have only tried this on cupcakes, though I am planning to try making a black forest cake using this instead of heavy whipped cream.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup soymilk (I like to use Vanilla Silk)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup vegan margarine (Earth Balance)
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
*Note: Don't try to use all margarine, it doesn't seem to work. I haven't tried all shortening though so I can't say anything about that.
Directions:
1. In a bowl, sieve flour into soymilk. Whisk together until smooth.
2. Pour into a small saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to bubble. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, cream together shortening, butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy.
4. Add vanilla and salt. Blend well.
5. With an electric beater, beat in cooled flour mixture on medium speed, approximately a teaspoonful at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Continue beating until light and fluffy.
*Note: Make sure there aren’t any small lumps of flour in the frosting, especially if you are piping it, lumps will look unattractive and get stuck in the tips. It can be really frustrating!
And then I discovered this type of frosting. It is amazing. It’s lighter tasting than buttercream frosting, and a lot less sweet, which makes it perfect for piping onto cupcakes or cakes. The consistency is a lot lighter, almost like whipped cream, but slightly heavier than whipped cream. So its kind of like a cross between whipped cream and buttercream frosting, which I absolutely love. So far I have only tried this on cupcakes, though I am planning to try making a black forest cake using this instead of heavy whipped cream.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup soymilk (I like to use Vanilla Silk)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup vegan margarine (Earth Balance)
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
*Note: Don't try to use all margarine, it doesn't seem to work. I haven't tried all shortening though so I can't say anything about that.
Directions:
1. In a bowl, sieve flour into soymilk. Whisk together until smooth.
2. Pour into a small saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to bubble. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, cream together shortening, butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy.
4. Add vanilla and salt. Blend well.
5. With an electric beater, beat in cooled flour mixture on medium speed, approximately a teaspoonful at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Continue beating until light and fluffy.
*Note: Make sure there aren’t any small lumps of flour in the frosting, especially if you are piping it, lumps will look unattractive and get stuck in the tips. It can be really frustrating!
Vegan Sugar Cookies
I found this recipe on vegweb.com and replaced the silken tofu it called for, for applesauce. And I added a cookie frosting to them as well. I have been meaning to try this out for ages and I finally did. They turned out great. The cookies themselves taste really good. Soft and rich. And not too sweet. But once I added the frosting, it was a little bit too sweet to my taste. But I’m sure if they’re being made for children, they won’t be too sweet. Also I did a horrible job of frosting them, its embarassing… that’s why I don’t have a picture for these. But I will take a picture the next time I make them.
Ingredients:
Cookies:
3 tbsp Applesauce
1/2 cup Earth Balance margarine
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Frosting:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp soymilk
2 tsp light corn syrup
Directions:
1. Cream together margarine and sugar until fluffy.
2. Add applesauce and vanilla.
3. Sift in flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Mix well.
5. Roll out and use cookie cutters to cut out cookies. Make them however thick you want them to be, since they won’t rise much.
6. Bake for approximately 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
While cookies are cooling….
1. Mix together confectioners’ sugar and soymilk.
2. Add corn syrup and stir well.
3. The frosting will be somewhat stiff.
4. I suggest putting the icing into a piping bag and pipe it onto the cookies. It’s much easier, less messy, since the frosting is so stiff it’s kind of hard to spread on with a spatula. You can also add a little bit more soymilk so its easier to spread and more like a glaze. If you’re adding sprinkles, be sure to put it on immediately after frosting, before the frosting hardens.
Ingredients:
Cookies:
3 tbsp Applesauce
1/2 cup Earth Balance margarine
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Frosting:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp soymilk
2 tsp light corn syrup
Directions:
1. Cream together margarine and sugar until fluffy.
2. Add applesauce and vanilla.
3. Sift in flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Mix well.
5. Roll out and use cookie cutters to cut out cookies. Make them however thick you want them to be, since they won’t rise much.
6. Bake for approximately 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
While cookies are cooling….
1. Mix together confectioners’ sugar and soymilk.
2. Add corn syrup and stir well.
3. The frosting will be somewhat stiff.
4. I suggest putting the icing into a piping bag and pipe it onto the cookies. It’s much easier, less messy, since the frosting is so stiff it’s kind of hard to spread on with a spatula. You can also add a little bit more soymilk so its easier to spread and more like a glaze. If you’re adding sprinkles, be sure to put it on immediately after frosting, before the frosting hardens.
Back to Blogspot
I haven't posted for a while because I had decided to switch to Tumblr. But I've decided that I much prefer Blogger over Tumblr, so I'm back, and I will be transporting all the posts I've made on Tumblr onto here right away, plus I have a bunch of new posts I'm planning to put up very soon!
15 April 2010
Electric food steamers.
I have been meaning to get a proper steamer ever since I moved out. At first I just opted for one of those bamboo steamers. I got one. An 8 inch one, I believe. And whenever I tried to make steam buns, I would have to spend hours in the kitchen steaming probably three buns at a time for dozens of them. So I've been avoiding making steam buns for the longest time. And then whenever I had to steam something that had to be in a bowl or plate, I had no bowls or plates that would fit in the bamboo steamer. So what I ended up doing, was putting it in the rice cooker and hoping it'll work. Which never does. I'd get partially cooked- whatever it is- that I'm making. I finally had some room in my budget to get a proper steamer. I was expecting to get one of those huge pot things with 3-5 tiers that go on top. But then I came across an electric steamer. It was actually the first time I've seen these. I feel so out of date. But I really regret not having bought this sooner. It is literally my life now. I love it so much.
It has a base, where the water goes in, and a turbo steam function that makes the water boil/steam almost immediately. I plug it in and turn it on, and after probably 5 seconds, it would be steaming already. Which saves so much time of having a huge pot of water and waiting for it to boil. Also it has a digital clock on it and a timer. So when its done steaming, it will beep and turn to the "Keep warm" function. Like a rice cooker. So now not only do I not have to wait forever for the water to boil, I don't have to be hovering around it forever waiting for my food to be ready and checking to make sure there is enough water inside. (When it runs dry, it will beep to let you know and turn itself off!) It also has a delay timer, so I can set it to start steaming whenever I want, so for example if I want something ready to eat right when I get home from school, I can set it to start 15 minutes or so before I expect to be home.
The steamer looks something like this:
It has a base, where the water goes in, and a turbo steam function that makes the water boil/steam almost immediately. I plug it in and turn it on, and after probably 5 seconds, it would be steaming already. Which saves so much time of having a huge pot of water and waiting for it to boil. Also it has a digital clock on it and a timer. So when its done steaming, it will beep and turn to the "Keep warm" function. Like a rice cooker. So now not only do I not have to wait forever for the water to boil, I don't have to be hovering around it forever waiting for my food to be ready and checking to make sure there is enough water inside. (When it runs dry, it will beep to let you know and turn itself off!) It also has a delay timer, so I can set it to start steaming whenever I want, so for example if I want something ready to eat right when I get home from school, I can set it to start 15 minutes or so before I expect to be home.
The steamer looks something like this:
Although this isn't the exact one that I got, it is very similar to it.
And of course, I immediately had to make steam buns with it, which I will post a recipe for in a bit.
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