Scenting the room

laelene Posted in general blog,Tags: , , ,
0

lit red flower candle in italian blood orange scentIn the latest Yuzen box, I got a lovely red flower candle that I love. It’s been over a decade since I last used a candle so I was pretty excited to give this one a try. I’ve burned it for about 8 hours now, which is just over halfway through its life cycle of 15 hours. For such a tiny candle (only 1.5 oz), it sure does burn for a long time! I’ve loved the enhanced mood you get just from being in a room with a candle gently flickering, day or night. I feel cooler and the space immediately feels homier. Pretty great for such a tiny change. 🙂

This has really gotten me back into candles, though this time around I’m looking for soy (or other plant-based wax) candles, which I hadn’t heard of back in the day. Since my childhood, I’ve learned a lot about more eco-friendly products and when it comes to candles, plant-based ones are the way to go. red flower is a wonderful eco-friendly brand and I’d like to get their larger 6 oz candles that are topped with flower petals! Also, one of the brands that I really want to try is Diamond Candles, partly because of the novelty, and partly because of their scents. They’ve got really strong branding and very active social media channels and right now I’m dead set on winning a candle since they hold giveaways so often.

However, I also want to try fragrance oils since I seem to be sensitive to the burning of the candles. My throat gets a little scratchy and I even get a bit of a headache. I’m extremely sensitive to particles in the air! Ever since I went tunneling at UCLA (exploring the underground tunnels there), I’ve suddenly become what I deemed a “smog-o-meter” – whenever the quality of the air outside drops, I’m sure to know it. It was very dusty down there and that seemed to exacerbate something in me. In fact, in the three months directly after my tunneling experience, I had a nasty cough that would rear its head whenever I went outside. Things have calmed down since, but I’ve always been sensitive to smoke, particularly whenever someone is smoking in the same room. I think that the smaller flame from the tea light should be fine since I’ve never had an issue with that. I’m looking forward to testing fragrance oils soon!

National Aquarium inhabitants

laelene Posted in video blog,Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

There certainly are some strange creatures here… (this was at the National Aquarium in DC, not to be confused with the larger one in Baltimore).

spotted eel from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

skinny eel from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

seahorses from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

upside down fish from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Blanket of snow!

laelene Posted in photo blog,Tags: , , , ,
0

A little bit of snow finally came ’round. I love all the snow you can see falling in the pictures – those flakes got pretty large!

layer of snow covering trees and cars in parking lot outside

bare branches of tree covered in snow

snow starting to collect on edge of porch

Yuzen September 2012 edition

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Alright, I know I’m totally late to the game with this one, but I still want to put it out there for posterity. It’s still useful to go through the treats that came in previous Yuzen boxes and who knows, maybe you’re looking for a review of a specific product that was included.

Yuzen is $26 per month and comes with around 5 or 6 eco-friendly beauty, skincare, food/snacks, and home products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. Sometimes there’s a waitlist to get the subscription. They do not offer a referral program.

[Update: the collage below was featured on Yuzen’s Facebook page! How exciting. :)]

collage of unwrapping of september 2012 yuzen box

Even my cat was eager to check out the box this time!

I got so excited to try out this box that I completely forgot to take a shot of all the products together! Oh well…

Click on the pictures for the full sizes so you can enjoy all the details of each product!  You can even zoom in to read all the messaging.

collage of cowgirl ranch hand cream included in the september 2012 yuzen boxCowgirl Skincare – Ranch Hand Cream: My very first reaction to this was of stunned surprise, because the packaging is the exact kind I was looking to use for a product I was working on launching (different dimensions though). What a coincidence! I was happy to get another Cowgirl product, after enjoying the cleanser that had come in the previous Yuzen box. When I first opened this, the flower pattern was just too pretty to ruin! I let it sit around for a couple of weeks as I used up my current solid lotion and then I couldn’t resist anymore. Now this is my go-to lotion whenever my hands feel dry from too much washing. It’s wonderfully hydrating and really fun to apply.

collage of st. clarie's organics spearmints included in the september 2012 yuzen boxSt. Claire’s Organics – Spearmints: I wasn’t expecting brown mints when I opened the tin, so that was kind of cool. It makes these mints feel more natural, as if they’re straight from the earth. I also love the quote inside the tin, which is totally random. The mints themselves are great and not only taste good, but have a good texture. If I ever need more mints, I’d definitely look at St. Claire’s. It’ll probably take me ages to get through just this tin though! I love that Yuzen started adding discount codes so you can save when you do decide to buy more.

collage of la fresh instant body soother, oil-free face cleanser, acetone-free nail polish remover, and waterproof makeup remover wipes included in the september 2012 yuzen boxLa FreshInstant Body Soother, Oil-Free Face Cleanser, Acetone-Free Nail Polish Remover, & Waterproof Makeup Remover: Wow, wow, WOW! I mean, I am just in love with La Fresh. I had heard of them, was intrigued, but couldn’t make the plunge. Thank you Yuzen for completely converting me into a fan. I was amazed at how effective the nail polish remover was (and how wonderful it smells) – all without acetone! The face cleanser was lightly scented and very soothing. My skin felt so good afterwards I didn’t even apply lotion. The body soother is a great refresher to your skin after a workout or time out in the sun. Its peppermint scent is totally relaxing too. Finally, the makeup remover was gentle and effective for the one time I’ve used makeup since I got it! Thank goodness I had that wipe, so I didn’t have to wash my face multiple times or rub my eyes like crazy. I’ve since bought a ton of things from La Fresh, taking advantage of their free shipping for orders over $50 and 10% discount code for first-timers (8LFFSW5)!

collage of pangea organics japanese matcha tea with acai and goji berry facial mask and nigerian ginger with lavender and thyme facial cream included in the september 2012 yuzen boxPangea Organics – Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai & Goji Berry Facial Mask & Nigerian Ginger with Lavender & Thyme Facial Cream: Ok, I admit, the hype around this brand has intimidated me. So much so that I have actually yet to open these bottles to try! I just want to really enjoy them and right now I’ve got all this facial stuff that I want to use first. I promise I will try them and update, if you ever come back again… I have tried another product that I got in a later Yuzen box, which I like so far.

collage of honey stinger pomegranate passion organic energy chews included in the september 2012 yuzen boxHoney StingerPomegranate Passion organic energy chews: These gummies are fun! I’ve got to be careful not to treat them like normal candy, or else I might just down the entire bag. I think this is a great way to get energy, especially since I don’t drink coffee or energy drinks. I haven’t gotten to test how effective the energy boost is though, so that has yet to be seen. At least the taste and texture is good! The energy boost wouldn’t be worth it if they weren’t.

Lego creations

laelene Posted in video blog,Tags: , , , , , ,
0

Look at all the cool things they can build with Legos!!

lego escalator from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

lego santa sleigh from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

lego hollywood bowl from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Adventures in cooking

laelene Posted in photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

For a period, my cousin and I had to fend for ourselves, so we got into cooking rather than eating out or microwaving. This is what we ate that week…

meal consisting of chicken & snow peas, tomatoes & eggs, rice

Day 1: chicken & snow peas, tomatoes & eggs, rice. The chicken was leftover from my mom’s previous dish.

meal consisting of potato strips, sausage with carrot & snow peas, mung bean jelly, rice

Day 2: potato strips, sausage with carrot & snow peas, mung bean jelly, rice. The jelly is a cold dish.

meal consisting of potato strips, sausage with carrot & peas, tomatoes & eggs, brownie, rice

Day 3: potato strips, sausage with carrot & peas, tomatoes & eggs, brownie, rice. Rice not pictured.

meal consisting of chicken noodle soup, sausage with carrot & spinach, mini quiches, tomatoes & eggs, rice

Day 4: chicken noodle soup, sausage with carrot & spinach, mini quiches, tomatoes & eggs, rice. Soup & quiches from store.

meal consisting of chicken noodle soup, spinach & eggs, mini quiches, rice

Day 5: chicken noodle soup, spinach & eggs, mini quiches, rice. Soup & quiches from store.

Slick razor upgrade

laelene Posted in reviews,Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

I’ve used a Venus razor since I started shaving some 12-13 years ago. I don’t shave often, so those first couple of replacement heads that came with the handle have lasted me all this time. While I have supplemented my shaving with a few disposable razors and whatnot when I was at hotels, I’ve pretty much been a one-brand gal. Enter the Schick Hydro Silk razor, which I was given to try (for free!) as part of a BzzAgent campaign.

collage of schick hydro silk razor box openingWith five blades spaced pretty close together, you get a very close shave and I was actually able to navigate my knees and ankles without fear of nicking myself!  They have a strip of “moisture serum” that is supposed to sort of melt from the heat of your shower, but I didn’t really notice it coming off to hydrate my skin. Still, my legs didn’t feel dry so it must have worked, right? Also nice is a little suction cup hanger so you can keep your razor within reach, yet out of the way in your shower.

After trying the Schick Hydro Silk razor, I definitely have a very positive impression of Schick. Prior to this, I hadn’t really known much about the brand or thought of it as highly as I did Gillette, but now that I’ve experienced one of their products, I’d put them on par with Gillette.  In fact, they might just be my go-to brand for my shaving needs now. That will be determined as I continue to put their razor to the test over the next few years!

Cat addictions

laelene Posted in video blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Even animals can be addicted to bad behaviors. Case in point: Molly loves to lick tape and Missy enjoys chewing plastic.

cat eating tape from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

cat chewing plastic heat pad from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Dogs in cars

laelene Posted in photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
0

I come across a fair share of dogs waiting in cars for their owners (sometimes with them too). Other than the pair of dogs I saw hanging out together in the front seats of a car, here are some others I’ve noted:

fluffy dog staring out back window sitting in car on rear deck

This one was waiting for its owner to get lunch at Panera Bread. I was pretty startled when it barked at me fiercely!

big fluffy dog staring out passenger window sitting in car on front passenger side seat

This one was waiting with its owner for someone to come out of the Hertz rental return. I was shocked to see such a large dog staring at me.

boxer dog staring out driver window sitting in car on driver side seat

This one was waiting for its owner to get packages from the rental office. It was so calm and still.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...