naris up egg shell collagen skin moisturizing mask

& july is almost at an end...can harldy believe two months of summer flew by since returning from korea! it could be that since i was much busier in seoul the time felt more eventful, but life in orange county has had a slower pace whilst going quickly by nonetheless..feel as if i've spent most of my summer days cooking, eating, internet surfing & lazing about..while relaxing and pleasant, i fear the busyness that usually comes with the fall season may be a shock to my system after so much lolly gagging about..

lately i've been visiting the japanese markets more often to shop for coveted asian goodies such as ingredients for cooking obento, pastries & snacks, and of course high tech beauty products..i had previously blogged about my dry skin woes and it seems the search is not yet over for the right formulations to quench my thirsty dermis..sadly my skin has not seen much improvement since my travels..whether due to stress or dehydration, i feel the condition of my outer layer has significantly affected my appearance..read, i think i look older than my years & feel less confident about my cuteness these days lol..

i saw the naris up egg shell collagen mask in mitsuwa market for $5 & brought it home since i had remembered reading positive product reviews from other beauty bloggers..compared to the other products in the beauty section which average over $10 i also thought it was a steal..it's been ages since i've used a peel off mask simply because i thought the product type was no longer effective for my maturing skin..i preferred to use a scrub for exfoliation & didn't feel a peel off mask would be at all moisturizing..but low price & good reviews won me over..

the mask comes in a cute white plastic tube with egg shell printed on & yellow cap..the quantity of 3.5 oz is excellent for such an inexpensive product..i had mentioned my penny pinching habits which have been motivating me to only shop for & buy the best bargains i can find..(next product on my wish list is the jumbo bottle of happy 7 soy bean toning lotion for extra dry skin for $12) & have been avoiding high end department store skincare & makeup products altogether..i've been learning that most of the time they are not simply worth the money..

back to the mask, it has a thick, gluey consistency & is not colored or scented..it spreads fairly easily on the skin & dries quickly within minutes..while not having any visible exfoliating effect on my skin, it does leave it feeling clean and refreshed after use..because my skin is so severely dry at the moment i'm not able to notice significant moisturizing effects, but i also noticed that alcohol is one of the main components on the ingredients list..the dreaded drying agent :p i've used the mask only twice so far as i bought it just a few days ago..but so far i'm thinking it is good for a refresher mask but not extremely moisturizing or effectively exfoliating..

the best thing about the product would be it is fun to use, something about the peeling action that makes you feel like a creepy character in a horror film taking off your face lol..but otherwise not the go to product, at least for my dry skin type..in all cute & easy to use but will be searching for a more eggcellent exfoliating product..

sakura usagi

i love shopping at the japanese market..it's always fun to browse the different shops for interesting finds..while hunting for my skin cream yesterday i also spent some time in a shop that sells crafted bowls, teapots & other ceramics..imagine my delight when i came across delicious smelling japanese incense & painted burners..after much sniffing and deliberation, i chose a tiny blue & white ceramic burner with sakura scented incense..there were many kinds to choose from, including french made japanese style incense & white peach fragrance..but i chose the sakura usagi for it's cherry blossom scent, generous amount of sticks & cute paper box with pink rabbit..btw sakura means cherry blossom & usagi means rabbit in japanese :) the ashes the incense makes as it's burning reminds me of bunny droppings lol

these days i've been under a bit more than the normal amount of stress..so i've been looking for things i can do to relax & take time to smell the roses so to speak..yoga was my go to exercise for a while, but ever since i've sustained a few injuries (not from yoga) i haven't been as diligent about daily sessions..i should definitely start again, although incense is one thing i learned that helps to relax the mind..i'm all about environmental elements & relaxation now lol..not exactly into new ageism or feng shui or whatnot, just things that you can do to help improve mental & physical health..

what things do you do to help relax when feeling stressed? hope everyone is doing all they can to maintain good health!

bbq hangover & new skin cream

i recently returned from a two month stay in south korea..was a bit disappointed to come home to june gloom, but glad to see it burning off now.. besides the lingering jet lag have noticed my skin has been having a hard time adjusting to being back in the drier california climate..my face has been acting up with redness & sensitivity & also looks as if it's instantly gained about five years with dry skin & unto foreseen fine lines :(

feeling like i had to act fast or my face would begin to mummify itself, with a level of urgency testifying to my vanity i went to the japanese market to hunt for a face cream..after testing several creams i chose dariya soy milk cream..it was one of the few products in the store without a tester, but i decided on it because of the soy ingredient, popularity & cute packaging..yes, i'm that shallow lol..anyway, there were only a few jars left so i figured it had to be good..

shopping is definitely a luxury for me these days, with the economy still slack & being out of an expensive grad school with loads of student loans..every time i make a new purchase i feel as if i'm bringing home a priceless treasure..i really had to pull teeth deciding to buy the cream which was $15 at mitsuwa..rationalizing that i was saving myself money by opting not to spring for an additional toner & moisturizer which are also $15 each, made it seem more justifiable :p in the end the desire to save my poor mummy face won out..

onto the product itself..the cream comes in an adorable frosted glass jar with white lid..it's a creamy, off white color with no detectable scent..still unable to read kanji, so not sure if it is supposed to be unscented..will definitely have to work on being able to read product labels, as i love anything & everything japanese..the texture of the cream is very rich, which was exactly what i was looking for..to me there's nothing as unsatisfying as a face cream with a too light or watery texture..once it sinks into your skin it's like the job is done & that's it..at my age i feel i need all of the extra hydration i can get, even at the risk of sliding into greasy territory..sudden visual of slathering my face with butter comes to mind lol..

i've tested a few precious dots of the cream on the back of my hand, and from what i can tell so far it's very nourishing..skin definitely feels as if it's been fed a good dose of plumping & moisturizing ingredients, the effects of which you can feel immediately & that last instead of drying out right away..it reminds me a lot of shiseido benefiance, my hitherto favorite which also costs about ten times as much & is therefore unattainable to me for the moment lol..i'm going to try it on my face before i sleep, with the hopes of waking up to fresh skin instead of the mummy face i've been seeing in the mirror lately :)

hmm..it could also be that all of the sodium i've consumed over last weekend is not helping my face or body hydration levels..i've downed more soda, bbq chips & cheeseburgers in celebration of independence than i care to really describe here..& being a coffee drinker has probably also contributed to the diuretic effect..i'm thinking drinking lots of vitamin water & laying off the lays would be a good idea now..

how was everyone's 4th of july weekend? did everyone get by the DUI checkpoints alright? lol thinking of safety, my drinking was limited to 7UP & i didn't drive.. hopefully no one had any accidents involving charcoals or fire & still has their eyebrows & other facial hair intact :D

welcome to my world~ & happy 4th of july!

this is my first beauty blog i've ever created..i'm excited to finally be a part of this world! :)

after stumbling across & coming to admire the many interesting, fun & informative beauty blogs out there, i decided to create my own so i could share in the exchange of ideas & participate in the happy, friendly community of people with a common interest in all things related to makeup, fashion & food..among other fun & enjoyable aspects of life!

to start..i should introduce myself by saying that i'm probably a bit on the mature side (i.e., in my mid 30s) compared to most beauty bloggers out there..so i hope i can keep things fresh & fun regardless of the generation gap hehe..i'm finding i'm a late bloomer when it comes to a lot of things :)

also..i live in southern california, the most beautiful place in the world in my opinion..every day i can simply go out on my doorstep, breathe the fresh air & feel the warm sunshine & i'm in my own personal paradise :) i love where i live and wish for my life style to express & reflect the natural beauty i find around me every day..

some of my interests..living in orange county, each day offers opportunities for some of the best shopping, eating & beach going around..these are usually my favorite leisurely activities :) otherwise i keep myself occupied with music, internet, movies, books, art, photography & writing..i have many & varied pursuits & aspirations!

in a nutshell that's mostly who i am :) glad to be here & looking foward to getting to know all of you!

happy 4th of july!~