Posts Tagged ‘opinion’

Blissmo no more

laelene Posted in general blog, subscriptions，Tags: , , , , , , , ,
07 May 2013
2

It’s coming up on one year since I signed up for an annual subscription for Blissmobox and while I’ve enjoyed some boxes, others have been “meh.” Throughout this time, I’ve had to deal with customer service multiple times due to some issues with their system. They’ve always been helpful and accommodating (albeit slow to reply). But this time, I am NOT happy. The past two boxes I got from them had a repeat product. And not just a small sample or one of many other great products, but one of the main products that make the box actually worth its value! So, I emailed their customer service expecting at least a partial refund of my money, an offer to send a replacement item, or something to try to make up for this transgression. What did I get? “Sorry, but that item was actually a bonus item.”

collage of blissmo march and april boxes

See something familiar in both boxes? Now imagine the right box without the lotion. Would you be happy?

Allow me to vent.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! If they had tried to send the box without that item, I bet you they’d get a ton of unhappy customers complaining! After all, it made up for half the value of the box. How puny and pathetic would the box be otherwise?? It’s sad. So I suggested a compromise: they could give me a prepaid shipping label and I’d send the box back to them, all items intact. I would count the month as “skipped” and we’d move on. What was their reply? We don’t provide prepaid shipping labels.

I’m sorry, what?!!

Maybe my standards of service are too high, but seriously, you can’t give me a shipping label??? That is just unheard of. I mean I understand if you’re just an individual seller like those on eBay, but here you are an established business with plenty of customers and YOU WON’T SEND ME A FREAKIN’ LABEL? It’s not like I just didn’t like the items in the box. I feel cheated that I paid twice for getting THE SAME EXACT PRODUCT when I got this service to get introduced to new ones. I would have been ok if it was the same brand but a different product from their line. But I can handle repurchasing products just fine without you, thank you very much.

They’re not even trying to make it right. All they’re saying is sorry, but we’re not going to help you. That’s what I’m getting from their correspondence anyway. So I guess it’s a good thing my year is almost up, because I am ready to part ways with Blissmo. I never complained before when their boxes weren’t very good and the one time I do have a problem with a box, they won’t do a thing. This kind of “service” isn’t even service. -___- At least this helps me decide my next move, since I wasn’t sure if I should renew my membership. I will take my business elsewhere.

Languishing

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
01 May 2013
0

I’ve been in and out of a funk lately. For a time, I was focusing on a new project, but ever since I got back to the West Coast I haven’t really been able to concentrate on it. Instead, I found myself getting into my blogging again, with a big bout of inspiration. Also, I picked up a hobby obsession with entering (and winning!) sweepstakes/giveaways. Oh, and I’ve started to carve out a little piece of the reviewing world for myself, getting some products for free in exchange for feedback for those brands/companies.

sitting on front porch with legs extended working on laptop

Why wouldn’t I want to work on my front porch?


While all this is good and well, it’s not exactly a career unless I get a mad following or something. I’ve been working on promoting my blog more and I’ve seen improvement, but still, it’s tough to make a good living as a blogger and few people can rely on it solely. I’m enjoying myself and doing what I like, but I can’t help but feel that others are judging me for my lack of career at this point. It makes me wonder if I should be more eager to get back into the work force and earn a more steady income.

I’m a stubborn one, so the more people try to push me towards “normalcy” the more I want to buck against it. But I do see the benefits – I mean, I don’t want to have financial difficulties in my life. I’ve been fortunate to never have been in debt or had anything I couldn’t pay back and I never plan on experiencing that. Perhaps it’s unfair to assume the “housewife” role and stay at home doing what I can online as Panda goes out to work each day.

sitting under cabana working photo edited rainbow filter

Enjoying the weather while working? Certainly!


Still, I can’t help but wonder why I need to join all those Americans who work too hard, stress themselves out, and don’t even have fun along the way. What’s the point of earning a ton of money if you’re risking your health and happiness? Why is it that career success is often seen as more important than personal success (like within the home)? Perhaps that’s what’s wrong with this society. There’s so much glamour in earning a big paycheck, driving a fancy car, owning a large home, and otherwise living the “high life.”

Meanwhile, the quality of life and your personal well-being is completely ignored. Is a crazy high income worth never being home? Is a super busy schedule worth the shortcuts you take for your health? Maybe I’ve been taking it easy for too long (a year), but I sure do enjoy this ability to sleep in or stay up as I feel and manage my time freely. Are you only “good enough” if you’re sleep-deprived, too busy for socializing or relaxing, and soaring in your career? It sure seems that way, what with people bragging about how crazy their lives are.

lounging by pool in cabana with view of harbor

Should I feel guilty I get to work like this?


It’s sad really, that I almost feel ashamed that I’m not overworked. In fact, it’s just guilt that maybe I’m not being ambitious enough with my earning potential that is causing me this stress right now. I’m perfectly happy otherwise – I get time with family, I get work done, I get rest, and I am pretty well-balanced with the areas of my life. But I bet there are those who would look down on me and my situation and think that they’re better off because they have a nice paycheck. It’s not that I don’t want to earn money – I’ve just seen how big the trade-off is and I’m no longer sure that all that insanity is worth it.

I’ll probably still end up getting into the grind, working at that rat race that never seems to end. Yes, even entrepreneurs who don’t enter the traditional rat race find themselves in one of their own. Anybody with a job in the US isn’t truly immune to the intense competition, no matter what your industry or role. All because our society has developed in such a way that we aren’t deemed “successful” otherwise. And gosh darn it, I’m not about to disappoint my family. If they see failure in no high-power career, then I guess I’ll try to build that nice little career. But I’ll probably still languish around from time to time since I can’t quite say that it’s what I truly want. However, I don’t want to be dead weight and/or a burden either. So I guess it’s time to suck it up and get back in touch with my work-related ambitions.

AVEENO® POSITIVELY RADIANT® Intensive Night Cream

laelene Posted in reviews，Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
27 April 2013
1

My very first Influenster VoxBox was this lovely AVEENO Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream, which I’m loving!

influenster voxbox with aveeno positively radiant intensive night cream and eye mask

It even came with a matching eye mask! How cute and considerate.

Just a quick background: Influenster is a site where you share your opinions and get to help influence brands. They send out VoxBoxes, which are filled with FREE products that they send out based on the brands’ target audience. We, as the members of Influenster, get to try out products and give feedback to the brands. If you want more information, their About page covers it pretty well. Want to join? Just let me know and I’ll invite you! 🙂

tub of aveeno positively radiant night cream openOk, so back to the product that has changed my nighttime routine and improved how my skin feels when I wake up. To be honest, when I first got the complimentary product to try, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to notice any results. A night cream’s just something you put on your face so it doesn’t dry, right? Well, happily, I can report that I’ve felt so great that I’ve used it every night (which is no small feat for me, since I usually forget to use skincare products).

Let’s review some facts about AVEENO Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream:

“The AVEENO® POSITIVELY RADIANT® Intensive Night Cream, formulated with ACTIVE NATURALS® Total Soy Complex and vitamin B3, helps to reduce the appearance of discoloration, uneven tone and blotchiness, revealing healthier-looking skin.”

~Contains a proven concentration of ACTIVE NATURALS® Total Soy Complex boosted with vitamin B3 to help visibly diminish the appearance of dullness, blotchiness and brown spots

~Oil-free, hydrating formula penetrates deep within skin’s surface while you sleep revealing an even, more radiant complexion

~In a clinical study, women saw improvement in tone and discoloration

~Gentle enough for everyday use

AVEENO Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream addresses the 5 factors of radiance (tone, dullness, brown spots, texture, blotchiness) to brighten tired and dull-looking skin.

Upon opening the night cream, I got a whiff of a really nice, subtle scent. It’s a little bit sweet and very fresh, which I love. The cream is a nice consistency that’s rich and thick but not clumpy. It smooths on really well and leaves your skin feeling softer and hydrated. When I apply it right after washing my face, I get a little warming, tingling sensation that makes me feel like the product is really working on my skin. Maybe that’s the Active Naturals Total Soy Complex doing its thing!

aveeno positively radiant night cream on fingerI’m really fascinated by this product because it’s the first time I’ve seen a skincare product with soy as an active ingredient. I’ve heard of the health benefits from consuming soy and soy products, but I hadn’t ever considered it for skincare. In my search to learn more about it, I found an article from LiveStrong detailing how soy is great for combination skin (hey that’s me!) and evening out skin tone. There’s even a portion about reversing skin damage, which touches on blotchiness and discoloration. Totally lines up with what the AVEENO Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream is meant to do for us!

The morning after my first night using my new night cream, I was surprised at how refreshed my skin felt! Usually my face feels grimy or oily in the morning, but the night cream worked some magic to prevent that from happening. Since it’s oil-free, it is great for oily skin and not only does it not make your skin feel more greasy, it somehow manages to reduce the oil your face produces. Amazing! Overall I do feel like my skin has improved and my appearance is more radiant, though I suck at pinpointing exactly what improved. I’d love to say my skin tone and texture improved, but truthfully, I don’t even know what that means. All I can say is that my skin feels much better in the mornings now and that’s all that matters. 😛 Also, I love how the tub will last me a really long time too – I’ve used it every night and barely made a dent!

If you want to get in on the conversation about AVEENO Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream, just jump on your favorite social media channel and use #RadiantWithAVEENO, or search for it to see what others are saying.

applying aveeno positively radiant night cream with cat

I apply Aveeno Positively Radiant Night Cream “war paint” to battle dullness as my cat Missy shows me how positively radiant she is. 🙂

Rationing control

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
24 April 2013
0

Perhaps you associate rationing with wartime, like I generally do. Did you know that in China they still do it? Well, at least in terms of the [centralized] heating supply. Every year, as fall fades away, the citizens await the day that their heating will get turned on. It’s earliest in the northern cities (like my hometown of Shenyang) and later in areas like Beijing. For those in the south – forget about it. No matter how cold it gets, they have no heat unless you purchase a special air conditioning/heating unit for your home. Then, as spring approaches, as soon as the government deems it warm enough, the heat is taken away again. And so year after year, the Chinese get to deal with bundling up in their homes because they don’t have enough heat.

chinese granddaughter and grandfather standing outside doorway in winter

Maybe that’s why winter wear looks like this and usually includes 5-7 layers, even indoors.

Back when I was born in the 1980’s, there was a lot of food rationing too. My mom always told me how eggs were a valued commodity in the cities and when she was pregnant, she got to enjoy the one egg per household (per month I think, though maybe it was per week). I had a cousin who was a year older than me and when I was born, I turned out to be a big eater. Or drinker, I guess. I gobbled up milk like nobody’s business (which meant that my cousin’s milk rations often went to me too). Maybe that’s why I grew up so big and strong.

Even housing in the old days was “rationed” – you were given a place to live and that was that, pretty much. If you wanted to move (within the same city), you could apply to be “given” a different apartment that might be newer and/or in a better location. I believe there was some sort of lottery system to help determine who got to live where. Certainly unlike the American buying experience I’m used to, where any house anywhere is fair game if it’s in your price range.

And then there’s the One Child Policy, which is kind of like rationing children to families. Except in this case, rather than waiting to be given what you want, you have what you want (once) and that’s it. Still, it’s similar to getting handed rations since you are allowed a limited supply, which has nothing to do with your personal situation. Rather, it’s an “everybody gets the same restriction” kind of thing.

Each of these in their own ways take control away from you the individual. You do not have the power to decide that you want to heat your home earlier in the year, or that you want to eat half a dozen eggs in one sitting, or that you want to move clear across town to that beautiful new complex, or that you want to have another child. Granted, things have eased up over the years and many of these rules have gone away or at least become more flexible. Still, sometimes it amazes me what sort of uber-controlling environment some cultures grow up in. And how the act of rationing itself is a rationing of control: Here, this is how much control we’ll give you over your own life. All’s fair in communism, right?

Zoya Earth Day Nail Polish Exchange

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , ,
22 April 2013
2

Happy Earth Day! I hope you all are a little more mindful of how you can be less wasteful these days. 🙂

And I’ve spent the day contemplating and struggling over that very issue. See, I came across a really cool offer for a nail polish “exchange” by Zoya. Zoya makes 5-free nail polish (aka they don’t use 5 toxic ingredients that have commonly been in nail polish before people started taking note). They’ve got a ton of designs and colors, which are pretty awesome! For this week, they’re offering to help you swap your old toxin-laden nail polishes with their lovely 5-free nail polishes (excluding the PixieDust collection).

zoya earth day nail polish exchange offer 2013

Here’s the deal: you can pick anywhere from 6-24 bottles of nail polish to get at half off, which would make them $4 apiece. Then you’re supposed to gather up that same number of bottles of non-5-free brands from your collection to mail in to them. They’ll help you dispose of them appropriately. So for something like $35, you can get 6 bottles of Zoya nail polish and send off 6 bottles of your old nail polish. That’s 6x$4+$6.95 shipping+$4 shipping to them. I’m not sure exactly how much it would cost to mail your nail polish since you have to do ground shipping and that might have different rates from “standard” shipping, but my estimate should be close enough.

Now I don’t know about you, but a $4 bottle of nail polish is still kind of expensive. Factor in the shipping costs you’d have to pay and you’re paying around $6 per bottle. While I love the thought of my old, mostly unused polish getting properly disposed of, I’m struggling to decide if this is the best option. In a way, I still feel bad that that polish would get trashed rather than used and enjoyed. But then again, if something’s not good for your health or the environment, should you be enjoying it?

Dilemmas, dilemmas.

collection of nail polishes in shoebox top view

Some of my current collection.


Oh, and let’s not forget the economic aspect too – from that perspective, this is NOT a good deal since you’re not really gaining any new polish yet you end up paying $35! All in the name of “green”(er)? Well, there is a caveat here – you don’t have to return your old polish. That’s right, you are not obligated to send them anything and they will honor the deal! So basically you can look at this as a 50% off sale. In which case you should either get the nail polishes because you want them and this is a good deal (comparatively) or you should not get the nail polishes because you could just use your old ones.

However, I can’t just ignore the moral concern about doing good for the planet and being more responsible. Here is a chance for me to ensure that my nail polish with toxic chemicals is not left to leak into a landfill, but be treated however it’s supposed to be in order to safely dispose of it. Well, as safe as nail polish can get anyway. Unfortunately I don’t know if nail polish will ever be *that* green. So I could just try giving up on using nail polish, but I’m not that noble. I like having fun painting my nails! The best I can do is try to minimize the negative effects of it.

If I knew of a place I could drop off my nail polish to have it properly disposed of, I could go there and donate my “bad” polish. I’m not aware of such a service though and Zoya’s offer is the only way I know how to get that done at this point. So I think I’ve just talked myself into taking the offer. Can $35 buy me less guilt? Maybe for awhile. At the least I want to feel like I did better.

365great Day 11: snow

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , ,
25 March 2013
1

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 11: snowYet again, as we were hoping for signs of spring, nature decided to take its own course and lightly blanket us with snow this morning. And even though many people are complaining and griping about this endless chill, I think there’s always a beauty to snow. There’s something truly wonderful about those light, fluffy flakes floating down and slowly layering until all you see is a landscape of white. In just an hour or two, your world can turn from tones of brown and green to bright, bright white! I love looking out the window to suddenly find my neighborhood transformed. It’s magical.

I wish that more people took a moment to sit in awe of the beauty in front of them, even as they have to get up in the cold and trudge off to work after digging their cars out of the drifts. I think all children do as they trot off to school! Everyone should retain that sense of wonder and wide-eyed enthusiasm. Snow is such a cool phenomenon and it makes an excellent & versatile playtoy. So while the plants have shown the first signs of spring and everyone is tired of the cold, don’t let it diminish the experience of snow. The way that it can alter our landscape and be so much fun to play in is what makes snow great to me!

My waist & my ankles need to breathe!

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , ,
25 March 2013
0

I really dislike wearing pants with high waists and socks that go above the ankle. For some reason, they make me feel like I can’t breathe. Why my belly button and ankle bones psychologically affect my (perceived) ability to breathe is beyond me. All I know is that it’s a pervasive feeling that I have to purposefully ignore to overcome it. So, I take the easy way out and don’t wear articles of clothing that make me feel that way. That’s why I love low-rise jeans, sweatpants, dresses, ankle socks, and booties. Am I the only crazy one out there?

Creativity with contraints

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , , ,
22 March 2013
0

I’m taking a course on Coursera about strategic innovation, which started by covering creativity. One idea I found really interesting is that this whole “thinking outside the box” concept is flawed. Basically, our professor explains how to truly innovate, you need to work within certain constraints, or else your ideas are cast aside as too crazy, too weird, too something. And so, creativity at its best may not actually be thinking outside that box per se, but thinking within and working to alter the box itself. Certainly it’s more effective that way.

That got me thinking though – are people more creative with constraints than they are with none? I mean, if you think of a contest for example, it provides a certain set of guidelines and then lets contestants add their own personal flair or interpretation. Oftentimes, these challenges produce amazing results. I think this is because these people are given a focus. It’s not just about writing the best essay or taking the best picture – it’s about writing the best essay about pie and taking the best picture of a flower. The specific nature of these tasks also lend themselves to more diversity in a way.

I’ve found, for instance, that I can be creative in many ways, but one of the most rewarding has been writing my Wacky Wedding Ideas blog. When I have to limit all my ideas to the general structure of a wedding, it actually creates so many possibilities. Personally, I think ideas I have for wacky weddings would far exceed ideas I can come up with for any old party, or even events in general. Since I already have something to work with, it’s really fun to stretch the limits with what can be changed about a wedding while still preserving its essence. If I tried to write a blog about any cool event ideas I could think of, I’m sure it’d be far less interesting.

Similarly, I recently started participating in a photo challenge hosted by Chantelle of FatMumSlim. Each day, there is a simple prompt and we are encouraged to interpret it as we wish, then take a picture expressing that idea, which we can then share on various social media outlets. This has been a really rewarding experience and part of what inspired my 365great project. It’s always fun to think about different ways to interpret and convey the given prompt, whether it’s as ambiguous as “explore” or as specific as “shoes.” I definitely think it’s a fun thing for anyone to try! What a fun way to exercise your creativity on a day-to-day basis.

So the next time you need to be creative, try coming up with one constraint. It could be something like “there must be something round” or you’ll include the number 8 somewhere. Whatever you choose, I think you’ll find yourself viewing the world a little differently and making connections you might not have before. And as with most things, practice brings improvement, so go on and exercise that creativity muscle consistently!

Great ideas

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , ,
12 March 2013
2

I’m pretty addicted to learning about great new things, which I’m currently doing as I read through the profiles of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list for 2013. It never ceases to amaze me (and I should hope it never will) the cool things that are becoming realities and even commonplace in our lives. I love that we live in a world with such wonderful ideas. One of my recent favorites, which I wrote about before, is crowd-sourced, crowd-powered community marketplaces. I love how it empowers people to be their own micro-entrepreneurs and removes so many barriers to more traditional ways of doing things.

One in particular that I’ve learned to see in a new light is Airbnb – not only are they allowing anyone to rent out their space to bring in extra revenue, something else that has blossomed from their service is the availability of unique spaces. I mean, how else would you have gotten to stay in a repurposed jet or an igloo or a treehouse? These are the sorts of things that I only would have dreamed of previously, but now are an attainable reality. I find that truly breathtaking.

Another thing that I’m sure most other people are familiar with by now are those wearable bands (and other technology that is meant to monitor your day-to-day movement). There’s a quiet revolution building up in these gadgets, which at once are high-tech and high-fashion. While right now most of the applications are for health-related issues, I see a lot of potential here. So much data can be gathered about each and every one of us, which can be presented to us in meaningful ways: how active were you today? What places did you visit? How much time did you spend here or there, doing this or that? With each of those answers, we are empowered to understand our lives more and make better choices with that information. More lifestyle changes are coming!

Oh, and speaking of a change in how we do things – I’ve discovered Fleksy, which allows you to type without looking. Quite accurately too. How wonderful would it be to walk down the street and not have to look down at your device? To send out messages on your tablet while watching a show or even taking notes while keeping full eye contact with your professor? These are the kinds of things we’re used to with keyboards that give feedback via clicks and physical movement. Now we can do it on a completely flat screen without any feedback while typing! They’ve tested this on blind people with great success and us seeing folk do pretty well with it too. No more pudgy finger syndrome! Gotta love that. Let’s just hope that Apple actually lets them integrate this sort of technology into iOS, which they currently aren’t. AND, I hadn’t realized how intuitively I type with my thumbs without looking! Added bonus: this app makes you feel smarter. 😉

There are so many great things out in the world, constantly changing and upgrading and becoming even more awe-inspiring. Maybe instead of a photo a day blog, I should do a 365 great ideas blog. Then, I can share something I learned every single day (and that would encourage me to actually be consistently seeking new information). I might just have to do that…

Slick razor upgrade

laelene Posted in reviews，Tags: , , , , , , , ,
03 March 2013
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!

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