The Monthly Gram: June 2013

Hello all! I know I said that I was going to try to get up monthly favorites, but I realized that nothing really changes in my makeup or beauty routine. My fashion crushes do change somewhat frequently, so I'd probably mention it on a haul. Anyways, I have just decided to do a recap of Instagram pics of each month, which seems a bit more doable for me and is kind of like a monthly favorites ;). I love the convenience of posting pictures on IG rather than on Facebook. So here are a few pics that were taken in the month of June:

It was super hot that day, so after my first purchase at Lush, Jason and  I stopped by our favorite tea stand at Ala Moana called the Tea Place, which is across from Neiman Marcus. I've been going to this place for years after classes at UH. Recently, I've been constantly ordering their Hawaiian Pineapple Ceylon Tea Float with pineapple gelato (right). Their gelato is all homemade and it's delicious. Jason's usual is the Dragon Phoenix Jasmine Tea Float with jasmine sorbet (left).

This was taken on Ward Ave. Hawaii always has beautiful sunsets, but this one in particular seemed  picture worthy! 

This is just a simple strawberry parfait from a gas station, but the reason why it was extra special was because Jason got it for me after dropping me off at home. It was a tiring day for him that day and I just happened to mention that I was craving a piece of cake. I was surprised that he returned with this! It made my heart flutter a bit (o^-^o)

I think Rilakkuma has got to be one of the cutest characters ever. I don't know why I never bought a plushie in Japan (actually I was too busy buying clothes >->). This was the window display of Hakubundo, a Japanese bookstore at Ward Warehouse. I always slow down to admire the cuteness, but then Jason starts pushing me away in the other direction >:(

(top) Mini Mochiko Chicken plate (one of my favorite eats from Zippy's)
(bottom) Tonkatsu Teishoku from Kimukatsu at Shirokiya. I have been wanting to try the famous Kimukatsu  tonkatsu. Honestly, it isn't as good as Ringer Hut in Waikiki, so I'm glad I never paid the expensive price at their Waikiki location.

(left) $3.90 Kirin at Yakiniku Glad. They have three different sizes of beer and they're all $3.90, so you might as well get the large!
(right) Loving the Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher for summer, although my drink of choice nowadays is the Cotton Candy Frappe :9

(left) Fringe Top: GUESS, Pants: Pacsun, Necklace: Brandy Melville, Ring: H&M
(top) Vest and Mr. Bunny Tee: GUESS, Camo Pants: Brandy Melville
(bottom) Sheer Shirt, Pants, Booties: GUESS, Necklace: Brandy Melville
I'm thinking of doing a separate OOTM post for July instead of mashing it all up in one post. 

Thanks for reading!
-LAUREN

The Shopping Diaries: LUSH

Hello all! Did you guys have a wonderful 4th of July weekend? Luckily I was able to spend a lot of time with Jason so that was a major plus :)

About a month ago, I paid a visit to Lush just out of the blue and it just so happened it was their 7th anniversary being at Ala Moana and they were having some in-store demonstrations. This was my second time going into the store. The first time I went, no one bothered to help me even though I was curious about some of their products, so I just left. I decided to give the store another chance and this time I was assisted.

Dark Angels (1/4lb): This was probably my favorite product. It is a facial cleanser for dull, oily skin. I have normal-oily combination skin, so it is perfect for my skin type. This cleanser is made up of sugar and charcoal, the latter in which it's supposed to extract the oils from your skin. My skin feels really nice and soft after using it. My only concern is that I'm not sure if it really gets rid of my acne. I began using this twice a day and, at first, it seemed to be doing all right, but then I noticed I started breaking out a lot and I knew there was a chance that it might cause breakouts for the first couple weeks of use. But, my acne didn't go away after continuous use. I ended up reverting back to my regimen with my Clarisonic and my skin calmed down quite a bit. I don't think this product causes breakouts. I think it just doesn't cleanse my skin the way my Clarisonic does and therefore, my acne reappears. I'll still continue to use this every now and then though.

Tea Tree Water ($9.99): I've heard great things about their tea tree products, especially the toner. It's supposed to be great for acne-prone skin. Once again, I'm not sure if it has helped a lot. I was using this twice a day and yet I started breaking out more than usual (but it may have been due to my change in skincare). I don't think this would cause anything as it is a toner. What I do now is use this in the morning before makeup. I have my other toner from Nature Republic that I love and I use that for my nighttime regimen.

Grease Lightning ($13.95): I was also excited for this product because of the tea tree elements and that it's supposed to be a spot treatment for acne. Like before, I'm not sure if it has helped, but right now I'm trying it out differently so hopefully it'll work.

Ocean Salt ($35.95): Now this product is pretty good! The salesperson demonstrated the product on my hand and the skin felt so smooth and supple. This can be used on your face and body, but you should only do it, at most, twice a week because it basically is a dermabrasion product and it's not good to over-exfoliate. I think this might be a little too tough on my face, even though that's the reason I bought it, but I would definitely use this more for my upper arms because I have keratosis pilaris. This might help to exfoliate my pores and smooth out the bumps.

I hope you enjoyed my Lush haul! To be honest, I'm a bit sad that these products didn't deliver the results that I was hoping it would. I'm not sure I would purchase from Lush again, but that's just me. Everyone has different skincare needs. Lush is an all-natural company, so there aren't any harsh chemicals that many popular brands have. If you're looking for skincare solutions and haven't tried Lush yet, give them a try! Their products come in different sizes, so you can buy smaller portions and try them out.

Thanks for reading!
-LAUREN