TSD July 2013: romwe.com, Fighting Eel, ALDO, Nature Republic

Hello all! This is one of my favorite monthly posts that I like to upload basically because it has to do with clothes :P. I've been reeeaaallllly trying to cut back on shopping, but all these cool pieces keep popping up and I just gotta have it >-<. I've been somewhat (?) good this month-ish...I don't know. Even I don't fully believe that statement //_-. Anyways, let's get on with this month's goodies.

Asymmetrical Black Top: I came across this top when I was watching a clothing haul by Youtuber Cutiepiemarzia. She hauled this from romwe.com, a site I'd heard of but never bought anything. I thought it looked really cool and just something that I didn't have in my closet at all. So I signed up with romwe.com and instantly got a 20% off coupon for joining and applied it to this top. Also, free shipping is always a great plus. I thought it looked really edgy on, especially after I piled on some chain necklaces. The only thing that I would warn future wearers of this top is to pre-wash it, especially if you're going to wear white pants with it. The color rubbed onto my pants, but luckily I was able to get it all off ^^b

Black and White Tie-Dye Dolman: I'm a major fan of Fighting Eel, but it is a bit pricey. I understand where the pricing comes from though! Anyways, they had 20% off their entire store during the 4th of July weekend. I checked out their Downtown location and I decided to pick up this piece. I had seen it before at the Waikiki location and was instantly attracted to the print. I love that this isn't the most obvious tie-dye print. The print reminds me of something earthy and natural. Also, I happened to see a much older woman wearing this top and I can say that it wears nicely along all ages! The brand is Ava Sky, which is a subset brand of Fighting Eel.

Navy and White Fishnet Knit: I'm into anything that has a nautical feel to it. Not only did the colors give me that vibe, but also the material. It literally reminded me of a fishing net as funny as that sounds, but a wearable, chic fishing net lol! This brand is called POL. I looked it up and it happens to be a brand out of L.A. The slight hi-lo is a nice touch to the design.

Brown-Nude Strappy Sandals: I've been on the hunt for a nude sandal, especially for summer. I saw these at Aldo; the one downstairs at Ala Moana. I thought they looked great and they seemed comfortable. I like the different textures of the strap and the slight wedge gives me a bit more height. They aren't the most comfortable shoes to wear, but perhaps that's because I need to break them in a bit more. The annoying thing about this transaction was that since they didn't have my shoe size in-store, they said they could ship it, but I had to pay $7 for shipping. The shipping cost annoyed me, but whatever. At least it came super quick through UPS.

Cooling Mist, Truffle Sun Cream, and Snaytox Mask Sheet: A couple weeks ago at the Korean Festival, I decided to trek down to Nature Republic since it was somewhat close (although the hot weather made it feel like miles away). I wanted to get a light-weight feeling sun screen for my face. The truffle sun cream is great because it has SPF 50+ and PA+++. It absorbs nicely into my skin and it doesn't have that icky smell that sun screens usually have. Since I was super hot, I grabbed a cooling mist to add to my purchases. This has a fantastic, fresh smell and I spray it on my face and arms when I need to feel cool. Then as I was checking out, I got a free face mask and this one is my favorite from Nature Republic. I really wish they would sell them individually, but it seems like you can only get it if it's bundled with something? I don't know it's kind of weird.

Thank you for tuning in to my post! Next month is my birthday so I might have some goodies to share. Actually I have already started a b-day haul since I did some early birthday shopping with Jason :3. I'm waiting for this other piece to come in and I'm not sure if I'm ever going to get it.... I need to contact Nordstrom's and see what's up.

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

Beauty in Review: AQUA Super Aqua Max

Hey all! Today I want to introduce you to this wonderful skincare routine that I purchased from a Korean brand store called Nature Republic. It's kind of new to Hawaii since they first opened in Waikiki in December 2012. This is the second Korean skincare store to enter Hawaii, I think, besides The Face Shop. I love the vibe of this store and the products that they have. 

I've never really had a skincare routine that I really stuck to. Before this, I was just using samples from Ole Henriksen, which is also a pretty good line, especially their truth serum that smells like an orange creamsicle! Anyways, I thought that this line of product would give me better results because it's an Asian product and might work better with my skin. Needless to say, I've been using these products for almost a month and I can definitely tell that my skin has greatly improved in texture, color, and acne production. What's great about this is that they have the same products for dry skin, oily skin, and whitening. The ones that I use is for oily/combination skin. So here is a breakdown of the products!

1. Combination Watery Toner ($12): First step in skin routine. Toner is important whenever you wash your face because besides the makeup, you're washing away the natural stuff that your face produces to balance your skin. So in order to re-balance your pH levels, toner must be applied. Plus, it leaves the skin refreshed and clean. Also, what I like about this toner is that it doesn't leave my skin dry feeling like many other toners. It's very gentle and feels nice!
2. Moisture Capsule Ampoule ($15): I've never heard of this before but it moisturizes the skin and smooths and revitalizes. A technique used to better absorption is to wrap your hands around your face. I guess it means to gently press the product into your skin rather than letting it dry.
3. Combination Watery Essence ($12): This also moisturizes and creates a barrier to keep the moisture in. It says to use after toner, so actually I think Step 2 can be optional, but I wanted to see optimal results, thus I got the ampoule.
4. Combination Watery Emulsion ($12): More product to moisturize and refresh the skin! This has a more wetter, creamier texture than the essence. The only thing I don't like about the packaging for this is that there's no pump. Because it's a cream, it's hard to tap out the product so I'm violently shaking the bottle to get it out lol.
5. Combination Watery Cream ($18): Last step! This is applied to both your face and neck. They say that the first things to start showing age is the neck and eyes, so taking care of the skin on your neck is just as important! It comes with a little spatula to scoop out the product. It's a more sanitary way of getting the product out rather than dipping your fingers into it. I got the big size container, but there are other sizes for cheaper. I figure you might as well go all out lol.

And there you have it! All together, I think this is quite a reasonable skincare routine compared to other brands like Shiseido and Ole Henriksen, which are both quite pricey. The point of the matter is that you should find a skincare routine that works for your skin type. This is the reason why I love samples since it helps me weed out which products work and which ones are just meh. I admit  I took a chance on this brand and line without any prior knowledge, but I'm glad I did! By the way,  all these product smell EXACTLY like Victoria's Secret Bombshell perfume. No joke! It seriously does smell like it, which is a MAHJOR plus for me hehe!

To learn more about Nature Republic, check out their website and Hawaii Facebook page. If I remember correctly, I believe the Hawaii Nature Republic now ships to the mainland U.S!

Thanks for reading!

-LAUREN