Japan Haul

Hey!! I just got back from Japan, and I got quite a bit hehe... Japan was superbly amazing and a really beautiful country! Hopefully I can go back there again because I had such such a great experience being there. It is truly a fusion of traditional and modern culture, and each place has it's own unique style from Tokyo to Hiroshima. I would tell more about this trip, but right now it's haul showing time!

[if you have any requests for reviews of products then I might be able to do it]

Assorted magazines: Jill Stuart, ViVi, Kpop girls, Popteen, Jelly

One great thing about Japanese magazines are that they are THICK! And for a good price too, usually you can get a good magazine for 500-700 yen. The fashion is a lot more concentrated in Japanese mags!

Hair accessories and bow ring

Random toiletries (deodorant, foam cleanser, face mask)

Laneige skincare (from Incheon airport)

On the return trip, we stopped by Seoul airport and the range of brands they sell is pretty amazing! I found these Laneige products for 17 USD each, but I got a 10 dollar coupon so it was pretty good. The sleeping pack is usually $25 on sasa

Kpop CDs

The fun times were spent exploring CD shops! All the popular artists will have their own stands like Arashi and AKB48. SNSD's Genie was playing on a screen in Harajuku, but I wasn't able to see any KARA promotion. I bought the SHINee CD in Seoul but it was actually more expensive then yesasia which was disappointing. 

Assorted make-up: 

Etude House LUCIDarling lipstick

Missha lipstick

Etude House Proof 10 liquid eyeliner

The Seoul airport has a couple of duty free shops such as Lotte and Shilla, this make-up was from Shilla and they had a limited range of stuff from The Face Shop, Hanskin and other brands. It's more common to see the foreign luxury brands then these cheaper brands so I was lucky to find this store!

ClearLast BB Cream

Kate lipgloss

Kate gel eyeliner

Canmake eyeshadow

Lavshuca liquid eyeliner

Japan has BB creams as well, except they're very different. Very sheer compared to Korean brands and colours are more yellow pigmented. There's lots of cheap brands and expensive BB cream brands. I also wanted a lippy so I got Kate lipgloss then later found eyeliner on sale. Canmake is a good find because it's so cheap but good value. 

Etc: Daiso Japanese erasers and PINK suspenders

A mountain of clothes! Mostly summer clothes that were on sale since Japan is getting colder atm, which is a lot better for me!

Presents for friends and family: chopsticks, erasers, Hello Kitty, figurines, pencils etc

Van's stuff

Van received a very good present from me, she should be eternally grateful haha. Lots of hair products, jewelry and make-up!

Cute pink teddy bear necklace for 1000 yen

I also bought some decorative stuff for home like fans, sandals and figurines, but unfortunately I hardly got any cute stuff like phone charms and Hello Kitty stuff but I can always get that in VN. There's really so many fun places to shop, but it's also really interesting to learn about the culture when you do go to these places.

This is my hair colour atm. It has gone a lot redder as it was a more ash colour before, and my roots are def showing! This is basically what it looks like in natural lighting, but once I find some more pics I think the colour can be judged better. This is about 3 months after dying my hair.

Biore Triple Action

I purchased this a few weeks ago and have been using it twice a day everyday.
Description: Go for a clean sweep. Tingly-cool toner, with salicylic acid, unclogs and tightens pores as it reduces surface shine. It penetrates pores to clear away dirt, oil and blackheads.
Direction: After cleansing with your favourite Biore cleanser, moisten a cotton pad and pat over face and neck. Use daily, or as often as required or as directed by a doctor. For best results, follow with Biore Shine Control Moisturiser.
Ingredients: Water, Acohol Denat., Salicylic Acid, Isopropyl, Alcohol hamameus, Virginiana (Witch Hazel), water, Glycerin, Alcohol, Menthol, Benzophenone-4, Polysorbate 60, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium Edta, Fragrance, Yellow 5, Blue 1.
Price: Because i work at the pharmacy that sold this i got 20% off whilst the product itself was on sale.In the end the price was $6 which was super cheap.
Packaging, smell, Product: The smell is very freshening, however there is a strong smell of alcohol.
The product contains very strong ingredient, hence sometime when putting it on, it may sting. But to me, the feeling is suppper refreshing and intensely cooling and its such a good way of helping me get refreshed in the morning. It has further helped control oil on my face, keeping my face feeling cleaner through out the day. The texture is just like water, and it absorbed extraordinarily quick.
Results: After about 3 weeks of using this, i do think my skin is more radiant and my pores have slightly reduced. It does not cause break outs however i don't think it helps reduce them either.
Rating : 4/5
Would i purchase again: Yes, considering the price, and the sensational feeling after using this...i would definitely purchase again. However i will keep searching for other toner alternatives, until i find the perfect one.

'MY NAME NECKLACE' Purcahse

Heyyy, long time...no post
i'm so bored and cindy is in japan and since its been so long that i haven't post, i've decided to post something.


Well on my birthday, Cindy gave me a necklace with my name (Kimvann) on it YIPEEEE.
we ordered it on mynamenecklace.com.au.




Review
The postage time was around two weeks, which was alright. The company and online store itself is very trustworthy and did a great job on my necklace.
The price was quite decent (30 something i think)and it is real stirling silver.
The quality: The actually pendant thing is very thin and seem quite fragile, but compared to other types, this one is actually really good. Except i am afraid that the pendant and the necklace itself might snaps.
But overall, I really like how its blingy and shiny in bright lights and i REALLLLY like it.

THANKS HEAPS Cindy for the birthday present:D.

PS: if you want to purchase this necklace, heres a coupon for you...just type in "GIFT" and you'll get 10% off.

Prettia Hair Dye in Marshmallow Brown REVIEW (messy photos)

RESULTS:
1st - bright lighting
2nd - medium lighting
3rd - low lighting

I will post pics after a week or so when it has faded!

VAN DELETED HER TUMBLR

:D YAY

De Lorenzo Equilibrium Treatment Masque

My hiar has been so dead lately and i don't even know why since i don't even straighten my hair or apply any heat to it. Neways my hair is so embarrasing and i can't even do anything with it.
arggg the bell went i have to go to class noe byw byw

SHIZZLE BENTO

It’s been so long since i've been out, eating/hanging with friends since i'm so caught up in school and work :(. Finally my assignment were over so me and my mcc girls finally got to go out and celebrate Natalie's b'day.

At first me, nat went shopping then fiona came. OMGG and guess what i bought????
HEELS!!!!! The color of the heels is black and it has this cute bow at the front.



They were originally $70 dollars, but since NOVO was closing down, it went down to $15!!!!!!!. I'm so happy and these are my first pairs of heels ever. (WHAT A BARGAIN!!). Natalie also bought heels (same style as mine) and fiona bought cute boots. Hopefully i'll get to wear my heels out soon.
After wards we went to a Korean restaurant called 'sizzle bento'.





We had korean BBQ with various different meat and seafood, which we PHYSICALLY had to cook by ourselves (hahah). We also had this small, asian interior room for ourselves and it felt like we were cooking and eating in our own house. Hence it wasn't awkward with other customers around. Overall the food was great and customer service was fantastic (lovely Korean women and nice gentlemen. The price was alright, a but pricey but worth it.
Here are a few pics at the restaurant and the meal











Anyways its was a fantastic day hehe. hopefully i'll get to go out again soon.
xx

MY DAILY SKINCARE ROUTINE!!!!

i've been so frigging busy with school assignments etc. But its kind of calmed down for the last few days, however my exams will be coming up in two weeks and i am so stressing.
Talking about stress.... i usually have a bad dietary during this time where i have heaps of junk food which leads to PIMPLE!!!!!
Anyways i just wanted to blog about my daily skin routine.
I= use to use HEAPS of facial products and I've tested an array of different brands - from garnier, to neautrogea, to olay, to laneige, to biore, cetaphil, etude house, Dantree, nivea, OHUI, the body shop, benzac, Bio-oil, avon ... and theres a whole list which i can't be bothered to mention. I've always liked experimenting different skincare brands and products but eventually i don't finish using them and they just expire :(. Also because i work at the pharmacy, i often get free skincare samples and i get big discounts from all facial goodies at my store, thus this influences me to buy heaps of facial things.
At the moment, i'm pretty stable and i try to stick to what works best on my skin
Below are my daily products which i use most often and a brief overview of what i think about it

ST IVES APRICOT SCRUB - BLEMISH FIGHTING


I've been using this exact one for almost 3 years, twice a day (morning and night. It's probably the best facial cleanser I've used (I've used MANY!!) and suits my skin pretty well. It contains very natural ingredient with ex foliating beads. The only problem with this cleanser is that it is quite drying, but my moisturizers back me up on that. The scent of this cleanser is pretty nice, but I've gotten over the smell since i use it everyday. After cleaning my face with this one, my face feels sooooooo clean, and its really refreshing and tightens my skin. Price is decent as well ($8) i get a discount ;)
Rate:9.5/10

OLAY REGENERIST UV DEFENSE REGENERATING LOTION SPF 15



I've only started using this at the end of last year. i use it once a day (in the morning). Its quite moisturizing and the cream is a bit thick. Moreover the fragrance is really nice. I've heard a lot of people get reactions from suing Olay products and i'm really happy that i haven't gotten any bad reactions (i've got sensitive skin). The product has SPF 15 which is quite decent and is good for protection from the uv rays. The price of this is quite expensive (i think the one i bought is $20). Overall i quite like this moisturizer, i've only used 2 moisturizers with spf and this one seems to be better than my older one (neautrogena). Also, the lotion absorbes extra quick and it brings out pretty good radiance to the skin. I can't say that its the best spf moisturizer as i haven't tried that many range in spf moisturizers, but i would definitely repurchase and recommend it.
R
Rate: 8/10

ETUDE HOUSE MOISTFULL COLLAGEN CREAM


I ABSOLUTELY love this moisturiser. its extremely moisturising and has a really nice scent to it. The first time i used this was when i got a free sample, and after that day, i immediately noticed the different (my face was sooo soft, moist and glowy) and i knew i just had to get it. The moisturizer is thick, watery and sinks extremely quickly to the skin. After using this, my skin looks radiant, fresh and it tightens my face, giving it a good glow. i've been using this for about 1 month or more now, after buying it on ebay. i use it every mon,teus,wed,thu and sunday night. It does not give me breakouts and the price is quite decent (you also don't need a large quantity as it evenly spreads out in a small amount). After using this products for so many weeks, i've noticed a GREAT difference in my skin as its much more softer and smoother. The jar is absolutely cute and Asian which makes it soo perfect. the only disspointment of this product is that i can't get it where i live and i have to get in online. However I will definitely repurchase and highly recommend it!!!!
Rate:10/10

AMORE PACIFIC LANEIGE STAR WHITE ESSENE 50ml


This product is also one of my FAVSSSSS!!!!. I love it sooo frigging much. The product is supposed to make your skin smoother, brighter, more radiant, whiter and helps demolish scars and uneven skin tone. It was recommended my a LANIEGE skin specialist person and i'm so grateful she recommended it to me. The product does what it says, and i've also got comments from people after using this product (people saying how glowy and smooth my face is). I've used this for about 5 months and i'm not even half way through the bottle. Since I've been using etude house cream, I've decreased from using this product (using it on nights that i don't use Etude).
Its 50 ml at $40. its a bit pricey but lasts sooo long and the phrase'a little goes a longgg way' applies to this product. The essences itself is very thin and is a bit runny. It absorbs extremely quick and has a good feeling after appliance (refreshing). However the only problem is that, the moisturizer is not as moisturizing, but i have my etude house cream to help me with that.
Additionally, i love the smell and its cute, professional packaging.
I would definitely repurchase...even more than 1 at a time. You also can't get this in Australia unless online (bought this one from Vietnam.) However i think it'll last me until i go to Vietnam again at the end of the year, otherwise i'll buy it from ebay. Overall, when it comes to making your face glow, whiter and more flawless, this is the perfect product. If you're after something that is extremely moisturizing, i would highly recommend the etude cream above rather than this one.
Finally this product does not give me breakouts.
Rating:9.8/10

BENZAC AC 10%


I quite like this pimple cream. CAUTION!!! IT VERYYY DRY. due to the main ingredient in this product (benzoyl peroxide) it causes the cream to be very dry and can be irratigng to particular skin type. For my skin, if i use this cream for more than 4 days in the same area, my skin will begin to start pealing at that specific area. However, although this treatment is drying, it is EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE!!!! in removing pimple. it is super strong which is the only reason i like it. my blemishes tend to go away within 1-2 days. Another negative of this product is that, it can easily cause skin discoloration if i use it in the same area too much. The cream comes in 3 different strengths 2.5%, 5% and 10%. i've just recently began using 10% and it is more effective than 5%. furthermore i only use this cream at night time before i go to sleep. this cream is also pharmacy medicine thus you can only purchase it in a pharmacy. the price of this product is quite expensive $20 (the higher the strength the more you pay). Although the product has many negative factors, the best thing is that its the quickest pimple removing cream i've ever had (i've used several) and since i'm aware of the cautions, i'm able to prevent the negative things from happening. I'll most likely continuing to use this pimple cream until i find a REALLLYY good pimple treatment. Overall i like it, as its effective, quick and does not irritate my skin.
RATING: 7/10

I also use many other things, such as biore face mask, nose strip, avon eye cream and other night treatments. However i have to go now so i'll write a review on my other daily skin care products laterzz
XX VAN

Asian Face Roller

LOL... this is what I got yesterday!
It's from Ebay and it was only $1! Haha
Well I have really chubby cheeks! They seem to be getting bigger and bigger every year and even though this is a gimmicky product, I'm still willing to try it. It supposedly works by "rolling the fat" upwards. It's similar to the other cheap Asian products, like the nose clip that's supposed to reshape your cartilage and the tummy wrap that supposedly sweats out your fat (what???). It does work a little, my cheeks feel more firm and flat but it might take a while of rolling every now and then until I see some real results. It's quite fun to use although it hurts sometimes. Just to note if you are using one - don't roll it up and down the face, you just roll it up because if you roll it down, I'm assuming it would just roll the fat back down into your cheeks lol. So if you're wanting to buy one of these, then you won't be losing much if you buy one!

ASsignment (info - my microsoft dun work atm)

td