2 years

13.12.30.


Today marks my 2nd year on blogger! (I missed my first anniversary last year...)
I know, I haven't updated in a very, very long time.

I love pictures of messed up sheets and beds in the morning on gray days; it gives me a sense of tranquility

Two years, going on three! It sure doesn't feel like it. Probably because I haven't even done much on here. It is small here, but it feels like my own little corner. Thanks.

[on the job] it was her

13.07.19.

wallet tears

I went to Hmart and wandered around their beauty counters a bit - they got a Laneige counter so I'm going to eye up that soon (...well, as soon as my wallet recovers.) :p

DOTD (damage of the day):

I bought the orange masks and the bb cream - the rest are free samples!

The masks are more expensive at this Hmart, but I needed some new whitening masks, so I picked up the cheapest pack that looked decent.

I also decided I really wanted to try the famous Missha BB cream - the lady was super helpful and actually tried to sell me the cheaper one, but that one looked  too light, so she helped match me to this one. She told me this would 'suit me the most', not match, because I'm reaaaaally tan right now. The last time I swatched this BB cream, I matched no. 21 perfectly; but now you can tell I look a bit pasty-faced with no.23. ㅠ ㅠ This is what I get for going outside in the blazing sun and not wearing any sunscreen all month.

I always find the ladies at the Hmart beauty counters are really helpful, nice, attentive, and they almost always give (a lot of) samples. ^^

Going to Boston on Wednesday, and I'm excited! No 10 hour drive because we're taking a plane this time :D

[diary] ouch (and bap!)

5/27/13

(Kickball is serious shit)

I was diving for the base with the ball, I fall, guy running towards the base falls on top of me (apparently he could've ran around me), my ankle is twisted at an angle it is not supposed to be twisted at.

That was Thursday.

I left school early and iced it the rest of the day before going to the ER the next day and getting the splint and crutches.

The swelled-up area was the size of a small egg but it's now a lot better. I just wish it would heal before my formal on Wednesday. ;~;

I am now a pro at doing things with one foot though haha.

B.A.P. had their tour in the U.S. with APAHM and my sister was able to get really, really, good seats for the D.C. show. x____x We were set on going because it's in D.C.; less than an hour away (we live in the suburbs), and when is a chance like this ever going to come by again?
I have more pictures from the concert (and two fancams), but I'll post them on tumblr. Eventually. 

Asia Day 9: Hong Kong Day 1

9/24/12

Chinese security was an absolute nightmare. Saw a very youthful looking mother (I assume she is a mother because a little girl was following her around, and they didn't look like sisters) a  fancy dress, high heels, and sunglasses. Who wears all that to the airport? (especially with a young child you have to run after... won't your feet hurt?) O.o


Saw this hilarious movie on the plane - it had subtitles, but I still had no fucking clue was going on. Was a very pretty day in Xi'An!




It was very sunny and bright when we left China (it was a gorgeous day - and I usually hate sunshine), but when we landed in Hong Kong it was cold and rainy. (better than humid and rainy, I guess). Passed by Sasa and got really excited. Initial excitement died down after we passed twenty of them. Note: If you are worried that you won't be able to find a Sasa in Hong Kong, do not fret. There are at least ten within one street, sorta like cosmetic shops in Myeongdong. Okay, that is a big of an exaggeration, but seriously - you will not have to look hard for a Sasa.



View from our hotel room. Wtf with the pool at the top of the building.




Hotel room was not very big - but it was spacious and cozy at the same time. Loved sitting on the ledge and looking out the window. Everyone was screaming that I was going to fall out the window lol. (Not me with the curly hair, it's Danie. ^^)

After getting settled, we went right back out to walk around to find some place to eat. It was really rainy and cold. ; ;   While walking around we went to Sasa and I was really happy and excited (makeup makes me really happy lol).

After a lot of walking around in the cold, we ended up going back to the complex that we could go to without walking outside from our hotel (Hyatt Regency in Tsim Sha Tsui).


The name of the place is absolutely adorable! Address is B231-B233, K11, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui


The interior was very modern-looking! It was pretty crowded.

Food was pretty okay (their sushi is really good! However certain types do get sold out quite fast), but their desserts are so good. x___x I am a sucker for sweet things.

We were really full, but we really wanted to try their soda-bubble thing. Pretty sure this is the cola one that my dad had (who I am 98% sure is a bottomless pit)

Danie and I shared this one! It's the cream soda one, I think. When I bit into the bubble I was mindfucked to be honest. They burst in your mouth. They absorbed some of the carbonation, and they're basically thin bubble skins filled with soda or something and gah. The best part of this was the frozen yogurt at the top. It was absolutely amazing. Sweet and creamy, and slightly tart. The soda was meh to me, but that's because I don't like soda - especially Asian soda because the carbonation is really painful for me. ><


Then we went back to our hotel where we just watched a bit of TV before we fell asleep. (Running around in the airport and Hong Kong is tiring, okay.)

[Review] Lush Fresh Face Oatfix Mask

5/5/13

I've (still) been trying to take care more of my skin nowadays, so I picked this up from Lush a few months back when I was still (sorta) new to the brand. The weather was warmer then (but now it's freezing even though it's May...?), but that also meant allergies which also meant drying meds. = = So I chose Oatfix because it said it was for dry and flaky skin.


You can bring back 5 clean pots and get a free mask, which is great for the environment (as the containers are reused)!

You have to refrigerate this mask - which is a pro and a con at the same time. Pro: Feels really cooling and nice after a long day. Con: I have to run downstairs, then run upstairs, put it on, then run back downstairs, then run upstairs again. Well, this could be a pro as I get exercise.


 As lovely as this mask is, since it is preservative free, there is an expiration date so to say - here is the expiration date sticker, which also says who made it! Don't worry, this picture is from my first pot from a few months back, which has been finished a long time ago XD. I'm pretty sure if you use the mask a few days after the date it won't hurt too much though. 



 It looks like it would be very mushy and liquid-y like oatmeal, but it actually is quite thick (especially after you put it in the refrigerator) in real life. Also. This mask smells amazing. I am really tempted to eat this 98% of the time. It smells like oatmeal cookie dough, and it doesn't help that it looks like it too.




I was never (and still am not) the biggest fan of wash-off masks, which is why I always used sheet masks - less mess. But since this one said I only had to leave it on for 5-10 minutes instead of the usual 15-20, I have stopped using sheet masks.

As you can see, the texture is really thick, and a bit difficult to wash off. The thicker the layer, the harder it is to wash off. The first few times I used this, I had to use a washcloth to get it off because I put on too much. Now I just use a thin layer, which is easier to wash off, but is still pretty difficult.

After rinsing it does leave a bit of a residue, which I don't mind too much but others might, so do keep that in mind. The first time I used this it, I was like, "Holy shit my face feels amazing"; but the second time I used it I broke out in hives all over my neck. This freaked me out, but I gave it another shot because my skin probably just needed to adjust to it (don't try this at home) and my face was perfectly fine.

It takes care of all my flakes and dry patches, but that is all it does. If I want something to help with my acne scarring or pigmentation, I have to sigh, and put on a whitening face mask.

I think taking 10 minutes instead of 20 out of my pre-bed fic reading time is a great improvement.

Product - 3/5 - It works well, I just dislike the fact that it's difficult to wash off. (Yes, it is so bothersome for me to rinse that it is a -2. If taking a lot of time to rinse does not bother you, go ahead and +2)
Packaging - 5/5 - It's not ugly, durable, and environmentally friendly - what more could I ask for?
Price - 5/5 - At $6.95 (round that up to $7), I think this is a great value. I would have to buy 10-12 $1 face masks (maybe more) to match the amount of uses I get out of this.

I'm almost done with my second pot, but since the weather is getting warmer and the residue won't settle well with humidity + heat + me, I'm going to try something different.

Jang Heung Area Children's Center [장흥 지역 아동 센터]

4/30/13


I've been very busy recently with this school, the Jang Heung Area Children's Center in South Korea that I found through The Grand Narrative.

I did some research and also contacted their sponsorship manager, John Wurth, so here is a little synopsis I put together:

The Jang Heung Area Children's Center is in  Jang Heung County in Jeollanamdo, South Korea. Jang Heung is one of the five poorest counties in South Korea.

The center was started by their current CEO, Jeom Seok Cha in 2006 as her retirement work. She grew up in Jang Heung, where she and her family were fortunate, but she went to school with a lot of other children who weren't. She decided that if she ever had any money, she was going to open a children's center for these kids so they could get a good education and improve their lives. With the help of her family and the local government, she was able to open the center.

Their program currently serves 61 children with a monthly educational budget of 1,200,000w (~$1,200 USD), which means that each child has 20,000w per month (~$20 USD).

They have three classrooms, one that is part of the main building, and two others that stand as a separate building next to it. These two are in bad shape - their heat and air conditioning aren't working properly, some windows are broken, parts of the floor have collapsed, the electricity is bad, and parts of the wall have rotted.

They currently have 61 kids in one classroom. They need 12,000,000w (~$12,000 USD) to rebuild these two classrooms, and from their indiegogo, they only have $175 out of the $12,000 needed.

My Interact group is set on raising $1,000. That still leaves a lot left, but it's a good start! But I want to help even more     by spreading the word.

If any of you guys can, please donate - every dollar gets them closer to their goal and better classrooms! And if you can't donate, please share this with your colleagues, friends, family members, etc. to help get the word out about this.

To find out more information about the Jang Heung Area Children center and how you can donate (their indiegogo campaign is closed, but it does give info and pictures on their classrooms), here are the links:

Indiegogo

Facebook

and here is the link on how to send an international money transfer since their current indiegogo campaign is closed

Thank you for reading!

Empties (+ not so mini reviews)

I finished most of these ages ago. I decided to throw them all together and stick them in a post to do some mini-reviews because if you finished something, you must have a pretty good opinion on it, right? (No.)



Majority is skincare as you can see - I only have three make-up related products because as much as I love make-up, skincare will always come first (I am actually surprised at how much skincare I use/own compare to makeup lol).

MAKEUP

Covergirl Lashblast Waterproof Mascara - Most waterproof, clump-free drugstore mascara I've tried. It held up wonderfully well in super humid Korea where it was at the peak of it's rainy season. It is the ONLY drugstore mascara that does not irritate my eyes (Maybelline and L'Oreal mascaras just flake and smudge awfully on me). I did really like the fact that it held curl beautifully (because it's waterproof), and that it never clumped and defined my eyelashes really well. I wish that it would just do a bit more as a mascara. It just defines and gives a nice amount of volume. Good for natural, lazy makeup days. Repurchase? As nice as it is, no - I want to try other mascaras.

L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen Waterproof Mascara - One word. A w f u l. I opened this tube before I left for Asia, closed it (tightly, mind you), and when I returned it dried out. When I tried it before it dried out, it wasn't any good either - clumped, flaked, and smudged. And it's supposed to be waterproof. Repurchase? Hell no.

Benefit Posietint - This sample size was in my Finding Mr. Bright Kit a long time ago, and I finished it a long time ago as well. I love the pretty pink color and will repurchase (when I remember to). I absolutely love lip tints and Benefit in general so I will (eventually) cash out the money for the full size. Eventually.

SKINCARE/BODYCARE

Shiseido Advanced Essential Energy Hand Nourishing Cream - This is a tiny, tiny  sample tube with only 15mls in it (it took quite a while for me to finish though), but it is absolutely amazing. I remember my hands were very cracked, almost to the point of bleeding about three winters ago (yes this is really old) and when I used this consecutively for a few days my hands magically healed and I no longer had to cry while washing my hair. Repurchase? Maybe. It is $24, and I find that a bit excessive for a hand cream x____x maybe if my hands were cracked that badly again I would go for it since it works wonders for me.

Clinique Turnaround Overnight Moisturizer - My sister has this habit of never getting her own beauty stuff, so she usually ends up taking my moisturizer and we share it (not the best idea considering it is a jar moisturizer and she sticks both of her hands in there, ew), hence one jar does not last very long. I've been using this moisturizer for about two years and I find that it works quite well - not entirely sure of how effective it's brightening properties are as I use a number of whitening/brightening products in conjunction; but I like that it moisturizes my face without being overly greasy, has no scent, and is considerably light (I like to layer products sometimes). Repurchase? Obviously yes (until I find something better) - Those two jars are just the tip of the iceberg, I've finished a lot more of these jars lol.

Etude House Collagen Moistfull Facial Freshner and Emulsion - These two were tossed into my bag along with a bunch of other samples in the Etude House shop in Korea. I really liked these- they had a nice light scent (I am okay with scents in skincare products as long as it doesn't seem like a perfume in a cream form), and worked very well for my snake skin face. Note: These were very moisturizing for me during a time when nothing seemed to give enough moisture, so I'm not sure how a person with oily skin will fare with these. Both made my face feel a bit sticky, but I don't mind that feeling at all. The Facial Freshner reminded me of a light serum, and the Emulsion reminded me of a light lotion. I enjoyed these so much that I want to buy the full sizes, along with the cream - I might do so if I find them at reasonable prices (in Korea they're probably 14,000 ~ 15,000 won, so I am not going to pay $33 dollars for one).

Isa Knox X2D2 Original Hydra Skin and Hydra Emulsion - Usually, when I buy masks at the beauty counters in Hmart, the lady either a.) gives me no samples or b.) gives me shampoo/conditioner samples (does my hair look that damaged) or c.) starts speaking Korean to me. The lady at this counter must've taken pity on my peeling face and threw in these two in my bag. The Hydra Skin is basically lightly scented water. It did (very) slightly hydrate my skin, but nothing to rant about. The Hydra Emulsion was very nice and hydrating (might be too emollient for others). Purchase? No. They're nice, but not outstanding in any way.

Burt's Bees Lipbalm in Grapefruit - The citrus smell/flavor, the smooth glide and moisturization of the formula is amazing. I like this more than the original one. Repurchase? Yes (if I remember orz)

Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer SPF 20 - Was meh. It moisturized okay, didn't really see an improvement in my skin tone, and it's only SPF 20 (I like my SPF high). Repurchase? No.

Lancome Genefique Eye Cream - This actually took me 5-6 months to finish even though it's just a sample (and I did use it every. single. day.). It just wouldn't die no matter what I did. Smells nice, gives instant brightening effect due to the light-reflecting particles in it, moisturizes decently; but nothing life-changing. It didn't even do anything for my dark circles. Repurchase? No. And the search for an eye cream continues.

Clinique Take the Day off makeup remover for eyes & lips - HG makeup remover. I know that there are drugstore makeup removers that work just as well, such as the Neutrogena one, but I used that and got a sty. :| Have never tried anything else after that. Repurchase? Yes. I like my super waterproof makeup.

Lancome Nutrix Royal Body Cream - Very nice scent - a very modern, elegant, classy scent and not too overpowering. Sadly, the scent does not make it to the next day. Moisturizes pretty well, leaves a very subtle sheen and residue (that I don't mind), but it goes into the skin pretty fast. Nothing special in my opinion. Took me forever to finish this as well. Repurchase? No.

Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle & UV damage corrector - Despite not having wrinkles, I used this anyways lol. I've been through multiple 15 ml sample bottles (full sized is 30 ml, so I've been through quite a few full-sized ones basically) to know that I like this. It moisturizes nicely, brightens my skin, has lightened up my acne scars a bit, and makes my skin feel plump and moist the next morning (I assume it would help wrinkles with this effect). Repurchase? No - I would like to try other serums, and I have used 495849 sample bottles of this already.

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack_ EX - I love this stuff. It smells amazing, feels amazing, and the color is absolutely gorgeous - a light aqua color that I adore (and makes me feel at peace). I have used it alone, with facial masks, with facial massage, and I wake up to plump, moisturized, smooth skin every time. I bought this at Lotte Duty Free for $16 (usual price is $18, but there was a discount), and I was really sad when I finished it. However, a Laneige counter just opened recently near me, and I will definitely creep on it. Repurchase? HELL YES


Have you guys tried any of these, or want to try these?

Feel free to leave a comment down below, and thanks for reading!

-aga

[Diary] hello there

Follow my blog with Bloglovin
(created a diary tag so you'll know what's a personal post and things ^^)

130216 OOTD + Things

Pretty laid-back OOTD. I went out for lunch with my family, and then I tagged along for clothes shopping with my sister and mother. I just sat down and read fic on my phone because I'm not very fond of clothes shopping when my sister's there because she is a godzilla when it comes to clothing. Aaaaaand I am not too fond of shopping for clothes in the first place.

Should've blocked my face orz. 

Shirt is my sister's! (It's from J.Crew.... and is ancient. I'm pretty sure they don't have it anymore :/) I have found that you can never look under-dressed or over-dressed with a button-down shirt.

My sister made a deal with me - I put up with her going around and looking at clothes with them, then she would put up with me going to Lush. (This is a very good deal that I could not pass up).

I've been into bath and body stuff recently, and I had heard a lot about Lush, so I really wanted to check it out. The store was adorable and tiny, and smelled great.

My sister and my mother were just standing there as I was looking at their bath bombs, and an SA came up and asked if we wanted a demo; which was really nice as she explained everything very well and in general had a great, approachable, easy-going attitude (I am scared of Sephora SAs. Terrified.) as did the rest of the Lush staff. After the demo, my sister wanted one as well (she got the same one that was used in the demo - Avobath, I think it was called).

On the other hand, I got two - Honey bee and Sex Bomb (I've seen good things about both of them)

They both smell amazing - I just left two on my vanity and I can smell it from my bed. Haven't used them yet, but I can't wait to! The only thing that bothers is me is the stain that they're going to leave behind - especially the Sex Bomb. It's bright pink and purple, that can't be very good for a bathtub (as pretty as it is). I prefer Honey bee over the Sex Bomb, because it smells sweet (but not headache inducing sweet), and I'm a sucker for sugar-scented things.

But the Sex Bomb is sooo much prettier. It photographs beautifully, as you can see. I can't stop staring at it. ;A;

Have you guys tried anything from Lush, or want to?

I really want to try more of their bath bombs and massage bars - do you guys recommend anything, or have suggestions?

Hope you guys are having a great weekend! ♥

新年快乐!

新年快乐, Selamat tahun baru cina, Happy Chinese/Lunar new year!

Red toned eotd for Lunar new year!

Products used: Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo Metal in 70 Barely Branded and 55 Inked in Pink, Maybelline 24hr color Tattoo Pomegranate Punk, UD 24hr eyeliner pencil in Demolition, Fairydrops Mascara

hurry and run away

When I'll post today's results, I don't know. *______*

 

130120 EOTD

Nothing special, but I like it.

 

Products used: Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Naked2 palette - Bootycall, Suspect, Snakebite, Tony Moly Backstage Gel liner 01 Black, Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus, Dolly Wink Brown 01 Long Mascara

On rainy days

I like to relax.