So lately, in San Diego, the weather has been unbelievably sweltering hot. My Yahoo! weather app showed that thunder storms were going to occur in the 90 degree weather. Thank goodness it did not, or else it would have contributed more to the humidity in the air. San Diego is known for its unchanging seasons. The weather is pretty much stable, no drastic changes to distinct each season as spring, summer, fall or winter. They all just blend together. This summer, SD was around 80 degrees which is quite bearable. But this past week got hotter and hotter. It was simply warm air floating around the environment. My apartment traps heat like no other. -.- Therefore, I thought I would show you guys how I like to cool off in the scorching August season. I know in some places around the world, August is winter time. But here in the northern hemisphere, August marks the end of summer or the arrival of autumn. But before fall arrives, a blast of heat always attacks before leaving us to the cooler months of the year.
Anywho, let's get started.
Here it is! My skin care routine :)
But before you start scrolling down, I just want to let you know about my skin type. I am an oily gal with sensitive skin that struggle with blackheads year round on my nose and occasional pimples. I am not skin doctor or expert; these are just products that I use regularly to take care of my face. Without further adieu, let's get started.
So two weeks ago, I went with a friend to a unique restaurant, Soda & Swine, in University Heights, San Diego CA. It specializes in soda and meatballs. Weird right? But it is surprisingly delicious. When we arrived, the interior gave off an outdoorsy and vintage feel. There were little lamps and dainty potted plants stationed on the wooden tables. Sunlight filtered through the wood planks above. At the very end of the room, a fireplace was situated. It was odd to see a fireplace because we are in the middle of summer but perhaps it will capture the homey environment in the wintertime. The interior was not very big; I can imagine it getting crowded quickly during the peak hours.
Finally, I'm starting my first post on makeup/skincare. As many of y'all know, the "empties" tags have been circulating around YouTube and blogs. It is basically a post about the products that I have emptied out, used up all the way. I'll give a mini-review to these products, so let's get started. (By the way, the products do not look like their cleanest state.)
Products mentioned:
1. St. Ives Exfoliating Body Wash
2. Shiseido Perfect Whip
3. Skin79 Super BB Triple Function
4. HadaLabo Tamagohada Daily Face Wash
St. Ives Exfoliating Body Wash
I got this body wash almost half a year ago at Walmart. I was looking for a body wash that was not heavily fragrant with flower or sugary scents.It was decently priced at $4 or so, just like most drugstore body washes. I wanted to try St. Ives because I have liked most of the products that I have tried.
This body wash had a nice gentle scent, was not too overpowering. It had sea salts that help gently exfoliate the body. Since it was marketed as a body wash, the exfoliating effects were not very strong and reliable. I mostly used it as a cleanser for the body to remove the accumulated day's worth of dirt, bacteria and such. For exfoliating, I used the Tree Hut Tropical Mango Shea Sugar Scrub. Overall, I thought it was an okay product. It was not a bad body wash, but it did not have anything special that makes me feel pampered.
Shiseido Perfect Whip
I got this facial wash last summer from my friend who got it from Korea. For those of you in California, you can get it at most Asian supermarkets. They run about $12 each but they last for a long time (1 year almost for me). I used this only in the shower to remove my makeup and grime from the day. It comes out as thick and creamy. With a little water, it can be turned into foam that is gentle enough for your face. I did enjoy this face wash, but I probably won't buy another one anytime soon since I just restocked on my HadaLabo Tamagohada face wash. It was good while it lasted ;)
Skin79 Super BB Triple Functions
This is actually my 2nd bottle of the famous hot pink BB cream. I bought my first one about a year ago, and the second one I got from a friend. The triple functions that it claims are: whitening, SPF 25 PA ++ and wrinkle improvement. In all honesty, I did not see the whitening or the wrinkle improvement. However, I am only in my early 20's, so wrinkles are not currently my enemy. In addition, I live in southern California where the sun never sleeps (jk it does), so even if it did have whitening properties, I would not be able to see it due to the constant sun damage and tans that I receive.
I do like this BB cream a lot, but then again, I have only tried this BB cream. It is pretty long lasting and provided me with a dewy fresh finish. I am around a NC30 and the color of this still works well with my face. However, I suggest not putting too much at once because it can cause your face to look off-colored. It is better to take one pump, distribute it over your fingers so that you can pat/rub it onto your face. If you need more coverage, you can always add more since it is a buildable product. It controls oil for about 4 hours for an oily gal like me. I usually wear this BB cream when I go to school or on errands. It is easy to apply and it is simply one of my to-go products. I would re-purchase this again, but probably not anytime soon because I do want to try out other BB creams.
To get the inner white bottle out of the pink plastic covering, stick a paper clip or the sharp tip of a pen into that small hole at the bottom. Push until the white bottle pops out and then pull out the white bottle.
For those of you interested in how much the container actually holds, I have uploaded a picture of it. There is not much product for the giant case that it is contained in. But it did last me about 1/2 a year with regular use (~ 4-5x/week). There is still some product left but I am almost done! :) I love the feeling of finishing up a good product.
HadaLabo Tamagohada AHA + BHA Daily Face Wash
I got this from a Hong Kong drugstore about 2 years ago and I just finished it! o__O It took me an abnormally long time to use it up. And I just bought a new one from Sasa.com, the Hong Kong equivalent of Sephora. The consistency is also very thick and creamy, similar to Shiseido Perfect Whip. However, I find this more gentle, less fragrant and easier to foam than the Perfect Whip. I usually use this in the morning.
This face wash claims improve skin tone/texture and remove impurities. The alpha (AHA) and beta hydroxy acid (BHA) helps exfoliate to promote & generate new skin cells I have used this for a long time and I honestly don't exactly remember what my skin looked like prior to this. But one thing for sure, it helped keep my acne from flaring. My skin tone is much more vibrant and even. It also removes most of my makeup so that's a plus! However, since it does have AHA & BHA, it can make your skin more sensitive to the sunlight so be sure to wear sunscreen if used in the morning. I do love HadaLabo products because they are so gentle and loving to the skin. I have used HadaLabo's Gokujyun Super Hyaluronic Acid Cream in the past, and I'm currently using the Gokujyun Super Hyaluronic Acid Lotion and foaming version of Tamagohada AHA + BHA Daily Face Wash. I will do a current skincare routine soon. So stay tuned for that :)
Did you guys have any empties that you used up recently?
--- J.
So last week, my friend made us a version of chicken bake for our dinner, and I thought I would share the recipe with you all. It is super easy to make, and it tastes pretty good! Feel free to try to at home! ;)
Hello. Welcome to my blog.
This is an outlet for me to express my daily musings in words and pictures. I have always enjoyed reading blogs about beauty, fashion, food, lifestyle, etc. So I thought I would just start one myself.