I just wanted to make a quick note that I’ve added a new page on my site, called For Sale or Trade, where I’m listing the various things I have up for trade or sale. I’ve seen a ton of these “trade list” sort of things on the Makeuptalk forum and I will be posting there, but I wanted to host one on my own site as well. If you want to acquire some stuff and help me cross some things off my wishlist, do take a look! A lot of it is skincare-related but there are all kinds of random items like iPhone cases, water bottles, gift cards, socks, etc. I’m still working on getting photos up so keep checking back. If you’re interested in anything, just contact me and I’ll send you the appropriate pictures!
Posts Tagged ‘products’
FSOT
laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: accessories, announcement, items, products, sales, sell, skincare, trade, trading
27
May
2013
0
365great Day 73: foldover elastic
laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 365great, crafts, elastic bands, foldover elastic, hair ties, pictures, products
26
May
2013
Learn more about 365great here.
Awhile ago I decided I wanted to make my own hair ties in the Twistband style since I didn’t want to pay those outrageous prices. For the longest time, I couldn’t seem to find the right product to make them with! I knew they were stretchy and shiny and pretty elastic bands, but none of my searches were yielding the results I wanted. Then I finally came across the term “foldover elastic” and it opened up doors for me. I was able to track down a ton of sellers and buy a couple of rolls in a variety of colors. I’ve since experimented with different ways of tying and cutting, which has been fun. And for the price of one Twistband, I was able to make like a dozen of them. These little suckers are great and I’ve enjoyed using them as hair ties as well as “fashion” bracelets.
On My Mind, episode 6
laelene Posted in on my mind，Tags: beauty, bzzagent, conscious box, contact lens, contact lenses, contacts, dr scholl's, food, future, influenster, insoles, ipsy, marinated mushrooms, on my mind, owls, panda, pictures, products, skincare, subscriptions, treatsie, work
23
May
2013
Linking up with Ramblings of a Suburban Mom for “Thursday Thoughts” aka On My Mind.
a~ I can’t believe this is my 6th one already! Where did the time go? I’ve been bumming around lately because I’m hoping my first choice in future employment pans out and I’m not that motivated to apply for other jobs just yet, plus I haven’t watched my shows since early February so I’m catching up now that all the seasons seem to be ending. I’m slowly transitioning back to working more and resting less.
b~ On the box front, I have a lot going on! I got into the Influenster Spring Voxbox (yay!) and hopefully I qualify for the summer one as well. I sprang for the May Ipsy bag and while I liked the overall value and items in the bag, I’m looking to trade two items. I’m going to cancel the subscription and wait for June spoilers before deciding if I want to get it again. I got that free Bulu box that I mentioned and I’ve suspended my subscription for now. I liked the box but I didn’t love it, so I’m reluctant to spend money on it when they’re more on the healthy scale than I’m interested in. I also received my first Conscious Box and it was packed full of goodness! Gonna take me some time to get through everything. And finally, I got Panda to get me a Treatsie box subscription because I’m a sucker for treats. Call it a very early birthday present.
c~ Every now and then I get my contacts out of place in my eye and it hurts for a bit, but then I get it back in place. Awhile back, my contact kept creating discomfort in my eye so I took it out and put it back in after washing it down with solution. Still, it didn’t feel right and the next time I took it out I discovered this:
Torn contact lens. Ouch!
d~ It has been many long months since I heard from BzzAgent and I was pretty sad they weren’t including me in campaigns even though my BzzScore is pretty high. Then FINALLY I got an email from them and I am IN for the Dr. Scholl’s massaging gel insoles! Pretty excited about that since I’ve always wanted to try them but kind of never got around to figuring out which one I should get. I’m going to put them to the test on my next vacation, where I expect a whole lot of walking. My feet always hurt after standing all day and a massaging gel sounds amazing.
Some of the owl things I’ve gotten.
e~ Is it just me or are owls cute on/as almost any product? I mean, I love them as jewelry and decorations and sculptures and designs and even oil warmers. Something about their round, pudgy bodies and those giant eyes melt my heart. If I could find an owl bag, owl blanket, or gosh even an owl metronome, I’d probably get it. I was pretty tempted to get a felt iPad case made to look like an owl, but I don’t use cases for my iPad so I resisted. I’m that much more likely to get something if there’s an owl involved! I feel similarly about pandas and cats.
f~ I’ve made it a habit of keeping a lot of my skincare and beauty products upside-down lately. Everything from toners to shampoo to nail polish. A lot of these products tend to settle and I don’t like having to shake them up each time, so by keeping them on their heads, I don’t usually have to shake them. And for very thick things like lotion, I don’t have to struggle (as much) to get it to come out. I wonder if they have some sort of adjustable rack that I can use for this purpose?
g~ I’m obsessed with marinated mushrooms!! It was about 10 years ago that Costco stopped carrying the ones they had in their stores and I’ve been checking the pickled goods aisle ever since. In the years since, I managed to find them in the salad bar at Ralph’s a couple times, but it is very expensive to buy them by the salad bar’s weight pricing! Then I happened upon a new brand at Costco out east when I was visiting Panda a few months ago and I was joyous. I took home two jars that day and devoured them. We got some more jars and I happy ate them until I had to come back to SoCal. Unfortunately my local Costco does not carry it. I then had Panda bring me more when he came to visit. A few weeks ago he reported that there were only two more boxes of it left in the store, so I had him help me buy an entire box (8 jars). Gotta stock up in case Costco stops selling them! Yes, I am that in love with these suckers.
h~ When I got a bar of Mrs. Meyers soap in my Yuzen box many months ago, I was pretty excited to try this brand I’d been curious about. Once I started using the soap I found that the smell was too clean for my taste. I was sad and put it aside while trying to figure out what to do with it. Then I had to do some cleaning and I decided to use that soap since it was handy and seemed to cut through grease really well. I’m glad I did! For some reason, using it to clean with is perfectly fine, but using it to wash myself with feels weird. Maybe it’s a psychological thing? I associate that refreshing smell with cleaning but what I use on my body I want to feel more like I’m beautifying. Totally random, but just goes to show that you may not like something for certain reasons at first, but those very reasons can make it great for something else.
What are your random thoughts these days?
365great Day 69: subscription boxes
laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 365great, boxes, brands, pictures, products, service, subscriptions
22
May
2013
Learn more about 365great here.
It’s been about a year since I first got into subscription boxes and it’s a service I hope to use for a long time. I love how they help you navigate through the waters of whatever you’re not knowledgeable in, whether it’s eco-friendly brands or great ingredients to cook with. I’ve seen ones helping you with your child-rearing efforts, ones that offer something fun and useful for guys, ones that offer a complete set of ingredients to cook a fabulous meal, and so much more. I personally have been exploring a lot of skincare and eco-friendly products, most of which I never would have come across if not for these services. They’ve helped me discover amazing brands that I will likely be using for years to come! How great is that?
Goodies Co. Rise & Shine March Taster’s Box
laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, breakfast, food, goodies co, pictures, products, reviews, snacks, subscriptions
22
May
2013
Been meaning to write about my very first Goodies box and here it is!
They ship in very large boxes.
This was box #4 and included:
~Alo Water Watermelon & Peach drink (like)
~Ola! Vanilla Almond Handbaked Granola (meh)
~Rickland Orchards Toasted Coconut Greek Yogurt Coated Granola Bar (like)
~BelVita Cinnamon Brown Sugar Breakfast Biscuits (yum! like healthy Teddy Grahams)
~Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves (haven’t tried yet)
~Erin Baker’s Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookie (peanut butter’s not my thing)
~Jovan’s All Natural Creamy Vanilla Instant Breakfast (haven’t tried yet)
~Nabisco Newtons Triple Berry (like)
For the most part I enjoyed these snacks, which was nice since I’m not a breakfast person and I wasn’t sure if I’d like the theme. Luckily, all these are great as a snack anytime so it’s not exclusive to “morning foods.” This was sadly the last time they included those nice large info cards, but I guess it’s easier for them to list the varieties online.
Yuzen Summer 2013 edition (May – July)
laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: action wipes, acure, base coat, beauty, body lotion, body wipes, cocomels, coconut milk caramels, discount codes, eco-friendly, food, green, health, jj's sweets, juil, lait hydro nettoyant, level naturals, lip cream, marula oil, mineral cream makeup, moroccan argan oil, nail lacquer, nail polish, phyt's, pictures, pritte, products, review, sea salt, shoes, shower bombs, skincare, snacks, sparitual, suki skincare, sukicolor, summer box, top coat, yuzen
20
May
2013
Ok, changing it up a bit this time. All my previous posts have been way after the fact so in an effort to be more timely, I will first post up what came in the box and then update as I try the items. The summer box had the most items yet and was just as fantastic as you could imagine.
Yuzen is $26 per quarter (with boxes sent Feb, May, Aug, and Nov) and comes with around 7 or 8 eco-friendly beauty, skincare, food/snacks, and home products. Boxes are sent quarterly with no option to skip, but you can get one-time gift boxes too. Sometimes there’s a waitlist to get the subscription. They do not offer a referral program.
*Disclosure: As a super fan, I was invited to be the Yuzen Ambassador to help them spread the word about their brand. Starting with the October box, I began to receive them for free. I was not compensated otherwise and all opinions are my own, irregardless of my relation to Yuzen. I just happen to think they’re awesome (as does everyone else I’ve heard from). 
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.
SukiColor – Luscious Lips Berry Cream Trio Fresh Finish Mineral Cream Makeup: What a cute little palette! I’ve never had this kind of cream that you brush on your lips and cheeks so I’m pretty excited to try it. Might I add that there’s a nice citrus sort of scent coming from at least one of them (I can’t tell if it’s just one or all). I kind of want to lick them! Is that weird? Well, I’ll probably end up doing that once they’re on my lips anyway. 😉
JJ’s Sweets Cocomels – Sea Salt Coconut Milk Caramels: Yum! I love caramels and the concept of making them with coconut milk is pretty cool. I didn’t use to like coconut much but it’s definitely growing on me and these are quite the tasty treat. My taste buds didn’t know what to do with the sweet coconut flavor with a hint of saltiness. So unique!
PHYT’S – Lait Hydro Nettoyant: Wow, this must have come straight from France – they didn’t even translate the product name into English. I actually took French in middle & high school and I know lait is milk and nettoyant is cleanser/washer. So I could tell this would be a face wash. It cleans off makeup too! It looks super soothing and gentle. I have a lot of face washes/cleansers at the moment so I don’t want to open it just yet. I imagine it to be creamy, maybe even silky and either clear or white-ish. We’ll see if I’m right!
Level Naturals – Shower Bombs: I got these in a different box awhile back and I actually decided to sell them at that time, but this time around I’m going to try them out! The smell is so invigorating and clears up my sinuses in a snap so I’m sure it’ll be very refreshing in the shower. I might have to keep one intact just to sniff because it is super effective at invigorating and soothing me at the same time. When I get back into the workforce I could definitely use these to help wake me up in the mornings since I am not a morning person. In fact, I often doze off a little while showering and getting ready for work (oops).
Acure – Marula Oil & Moroccan Argan Oil: I’ve never heard of marula oil, so I’m totally curious about it. It’s supposed to be good for scars, redness, fine lines, and dry skin and if it lives up to all that I will be very impressed. I scar easily so anything to help prevent that would be amazing. I’m familiar with argan oil for your hair but I’ve never tried it on my face or cuticles so I’m going to use this bottle towards that.
SpaRitual – Emerald City Lacquer & Multitasker Base & Topcoat: Love this brand! We got a bold red in the December Yuzen box and now it’s a beautiful green for the summer. I love that they rolled the base coat and top coat into one so you don’t have to get both separately. These are super cute and I like smaller sizes since I never use much nail polish and I’d rather have small ones of a ton of colors so I can change it up all the time. They also apply really well/easily!
Pritte – Moisturizing Body Lotion: I like the slender tube and push dispenser they use. It makes their brand seem classier than most and it reminds me of some high-end product lines. I tried a bit and it’s a wonderful citrus sort of scent that I enjoy. It absorbs well and hydrates very effectively. I’m going to have to use this on my feet since they tend to get the worst beating. Got a chance to check out more of their products online and I am really loving their packaging! Maybe it’s the use of gold on the labels? I just want to try more of their products, haha.
Action Wipes – Full-Body Wet Wipes: I can see myself using these after a workout or after being outside in the sun. They seem very refreshing and a great way to rejuvenate your body without having to take a shower. I mean, sometimes it’s just not convenient to have to wash up so I’d totally wipe down instead! I can’t wait to try these out. I’d use them on myself and my yoga mat after a class and I’m sure Panda could make good use of these after his workouts. I’ve been trying to get him to cut down on his water usage and if he can save a rinse with these I think that’d be pretty great.
Juil – $40 off discount code: Ok, I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of their style of shoes but I love the concept! I had the same problem with Crocs until they started making more designs so I bet the same would happen with Juil. These shoes are pretty pricey so a $40 discount helps out a lot! (Most of the women’s shoes are $85 and the men’s are $95.) I’d be really curious to try these so I can see what grounding shoes feel like but at the moment this sort of thing is not within my budget.
What a fabulous box! Everything is very fitting for the summer months, helping you soothe, relax, refresh, cool down, calm down, and so much more. There is so much to try and I can’t wait to field test everything!
What do you think of the Summer Yuzen box? Did you receive it too? If this looks like something you (or someone you know) would love, but sure to sign up for the fall box! Currently there’s a waitlist so don’t delay any longer! Also, you can get in line for the summer favorites box, which will include items from previous boxes. Gift it to someone special or claim it for yourself, especially if you missed out on previous boxes.
365great Day 66: nail polish
19
May
2013
Learn more about 365great here.
Recently I’ve really gotten back into painting my nails. For many years, I didn’t bother, but I’m finding it to be quite fun to play around with. I like being able to change the color of my nails as frequently as I wish and using it as a way of expressing myself. Sometimes I go for bold, wacky colors and other times I just use a neutral shade that you may not notice. Some colors are happy and bright while others are somber and dark. I also enjoy changing it up with the color combinations I use, sometimes painting all nails a different color while other times using an accent nail. It’s a simple way to try out creativity! And I swear, one day I am finally going to use up one of my bottles of nail polish… I may need to paint the nails of everyone around me, but I will do it! I’m sure it’ll be great fun.
Ipsy May 2013: Spring Fling
laelene Posted in reviews，Tags: anastasia, beauty, boxes, brow gel, concealer, glam bag, honey shade, ipsy, lipstick, mirabella, nail polish, pacifica, perfume, pictures, products, reviews, roll-on, roller ball, subscriptions, yaby, zoya
19
May
2013
I got my very first Ipsy glam bag because I looked for spoilers and found that 1) there would be a full size Zoya polish, 2) there would be a lip gloss or lipstick (I was really hoping for the lip gloss since I indicated in my preferences that I never wear lipstick), 3) there would be concealer and not eye shadow (whew, I never use eye shadow and it’d be a total waste for me), 4) there would be 2 other products so the value of the bag would be pretty awesome, and 5) the bag design was appealing. So I took the plunge and this is what I got:
So my initial thoughts were that the bag is ok, but kind of cheap-feeling. Not a huge deal but I would have preferred better quality (then again for $10 a bag with those products I can’t complain). I don’t wear perfume, so I wasn’t excited about the Pacifica perfume roller, but it does smell nice in Island Vanilla so maybe I’ll use it. I wasn’t sure what the Anastasia brow gel was at first, but now that I think of it, I can get into that. I’m super sad I got the Mirabella lipstick and not the Juice Beauty lip gloss since I clearly stated I do not use lipstick but I like lip gloss. The Yaby concealer seems to be a good shade for my skin tone so I’m looking forward to trying it. And Zoya… oh, my polish. Of the 5 colors they offered this month, this was the only one I didn’t like. I’m just not into pink!
Products with packaging.
My verdict for these items:
Pacifica Island Vanilla Perfume Roll-On – keep. I’m willing to dab it on here and there if only so I can smell it.
Anastasia Clear Brow Gel – keep. This could be something good for me to use on my brows.
Mirabella lipstick in Daydream – sell/trade. I would never use this so I’ll try to swap it for the Juice Beauty lip gloss with someone, or just sell it.
Yaby concealer in Honey – keep. My skin could use some concealer and I don’t have any I’m using now. Definitely worth trying!
Zoya nail polish in Gie Gie – trade. I would like to have one of the other shades (preferably purple) so I’m going to try finding someone to trade with me. Let me know if you’re interested!
Ipsy is $10 per glam bag and comes with 5 or so beauty/skincare products. Bags are sent monthly with no option to skip. There’s usually a waitlist to get the subscription. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free products.
[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this bag and wanted to share what I got!]
Naturopathica skincare regimen
laelene Posted in reviews，Tags: beauty, brands, cleansers, exfoliators, moisturizers, naturopathica, organic, products, reviews, serum, skincare, winnings
16
May
2013
Awhile ago, I mentioned the Naturopathica skincare set that I had won. I got the products for normal to oily skin, since I’ve been dealing with breakouts for quite awhile. It includes the Oat Facial Polish, Rosemary Oil-Reducing Moisturizer, Aloe Cleansing Gel, and Plant Stem Cell Serum. The first two you use in the mornings and the last two you use at night. All of these products are really soothing and gentle on your skin. I haven’t been following the regimen strictly, but nonetheless I’ve seen impressive results!
First is the Oat Facial Polish, which I actually got a deluxe sample of in my Yuzen Spring box. It is smooth and creamy, with bits of oat and jojoba beads to gently exfoliate your skin. It feels very moisturizing and I swear I can feel it seeping into my skin to hydrate it. After washing my face with it, my skin feels so soft and supple. It’s quite refreshing!
Then there’s the Rosemary Oil-Reducing Moisturizer that is a nice light formula. It also absorbs well into the skin and feels rather healing. It’s apparently an astringent blend, but it doesn’t sting at all! I never knew astringent and gentle could coexist in one product, so this is great. I love the light feeling and how it’s not oily at all – perfect for my combination skin. I use this to prevent my face from overproducing oil and it definitely calms things down.
My absolute favorite product of the set is the Aloe Cleansing Gel. At first, I didn’t really pay attention to it. It was just a soothing face wash that was calming and gentle on my skin. But then I noticed that I was about to break out one day and after washing with the gel, nothing happened. I have NEVER found a face wash that does that. Amazing! Since then, I’ve been washing my face with it exclusively, since I always seem to have a new breakout about to happen. Now I can actually prevent breakouts with a sulfate-free cleanser. It’s my new holy grail.
Rounding it all up is the Plant Stem Cell Serum, which is a bit richer and thicker than the moisturizer. It’s organic and meant to slow down the signs of aging. At this point I don’t exactly have wrinkles, age spots, or other signs of aging, so I can’t tell if it’s working. All I know is that it, like all the other Naturopathica products, is smooth and gentle on my skin. It absorbs well and feels great! I feel confident that I’m giving my face some great preventative care when I apply it.
All in all, I am SO glad I was able to try these products. I probably wouldn’t have thought to buy the kit for myself, but now that I’ve tested the products, I am definitely going to be a Naturopathica customer as my current products run out. I’ve got my eye on some of their other items that I’d like to try as well!
365great Day 61: Loaded Boards
laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 365great, college, experiences, high school, pictures, products, skateboards, skating, skill
14
May
2013
Learn more about 365great here.
Sometime in high school, I decided I wanted to learn how to skateboard. One of my friends promised to teach me, but then time went on and it kind of never happened. I graduated high school and moved on to college. Then, my senior year of college, I happened to hang out with some friends who skated and often had their boards around. I started by standing on them while leaning on a picnic bench. From there, I practiced standing without holding onto something. Before I knew it, my balance and control were improving and I could even manage some push-offs without hurting someone. After a tough Valentine’s Day with three brutal midterms, I decided to pull the trigger and treat myself to a board. The one I had in mind was a Loaded Board, which one of the guys had. It’s made from bamboo and is super flexible. I absolutely loved it and chose the Vanguard design. Soon enough, I was cruising around campus on my board, rushing off to classes and meetings and whatnot. It was so fun! I even got a chance to go cruising from Malibu to Venice Beach one weekend and had a total blast. I’ve had my share of scrapes and bruises, but that hasn’t stopped me. I do keep it pretty conservative though – no carving down major hills or trying any stunts. Nonetheless, learning how to skate and getting my beloved Loaded Board was one of the best decisions I made! It has been undeniably great.
