Woot! Blog layout update! It has been too long. Even though I really loved the other one, I think certain elements in the back-end caused the blog to load way too slow. Now things are even more simplified. It took a whole night's worth of tinkering, but I think it is almost done! (Just a few small things left.)
The biggest change is probably the move to Disqus commenting. After switching to a new template I could no longer reply to comments. All the tutorials I found did not work. To save my sanity, I decided to make the switch. Luckily, no past comments were lost! I hope this change isn't a hassle for anyone who is used to the standard blogger/Google commenting system. If it is, definitely let me know! I'll try to figure it out again.
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Onto the topics at hand!
I know I missed a month of empties, but that was because I didn't use anything up.
March was a tad better (just a bit).
I had to time to squeeze in a few masks here & there and I must say I almost forgot how relaxing it was to do sheet masks. Other than their moisturizing features, I have never really seen the other claimed benefits of the masks. Of the ones that I have tried, I like My Scheming masks the most. The sheet isn't too flimsy and fits my face shape/size really well.
My makeup collection isn't too big, but it is definitely too much for just one person to have. I discovered this eyeliner not long ago and realized it hasn't been touched in a good year or more. When I went to sharpen and refresh the tip the whole eyeliner came out! I guess it must have dried up a bit in the tube? What do you think I should do with it? Is it savable?
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24kei.com Purchase
Hitachi Hada Crie N820
The big purchase I, finally, made last month. I was sitting on whether or not to buy since mid-February. I don't remember exactly how or why this little gadget piqued my interest. When it did there was no turning back! I have used this for a little under a month and am liking it so far. I still need to test it some more before I will know for sure if I like/love it or not.
Aesop Control
Before going to their location by University Place, I was not aware of Aesop at all. But the natural/medicinal vibe I got when I walked into the store made me feel reassured to try something...anything. I have many different acne treatments on hand, but was still drawn in to this one. The SA there got me with "non-drying". Apparently what makes this difference from the rest is that this is an aloe based product. I haven't used it consistently enough to be able to tell if it does help with pesky pimples or not, but I do appreciate that it really hasn't brought about any extra dry patches after using it.
Have you tried anything new lately or rediscovered something? How did you like (or not like) it?
Ah, I'm so sorry for the lack of posts. The PC that I usually edit photos with is all sorts of messed up right now and can't be fixed anytime soon. Because of that I kept on making excuses, like "I have no where to edit my pictures...", all month long.
Luckily I was able to score a really relaxed, very part-time, job and could spend my downtime editing photos, blogging, or studying. Although the quality of the edits isn't what I am used to, this will make do for now.
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Since the Spring semester started, I have been able to enjoy a few lunch dates with Bestie C. Some time mid-February we decided to try a (I think...) authentic Japanese meal. We ultimately picked Hiroko's Place in Soho because they had a lot of seating and Bestie C wanted to try their omurice.
(Although...come to think of it, we should really limit our food spendings for the rest of this semester. Explanation coming soon! :P)
Hiroko's Place
75 Thompson St.
New York, NY 10012
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| English Milk Tea |
Err definitely not worth the money. But it was very cold the day we went and I wanted to drink something warm. I should have just had water...
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| Omuhayashi |
This is basically omurice (omlette + rice) & hayashi (beef stew) rice and is an off-menu item that I found through Yelp photos. I was stuck between this and curry rice but ended up with this because I wanted to feel special ordering something off-menu. (I know, it's a silly reason...) I remember liking it a lot because I prefer to eat these type of saucy rice dishes. But the meat was a bit tough? (I'm not too sure though. It's been so long...I don't really remember.)
Ladurée Soho
398 W Broadway
New York, NY 10012
L to R: Pistachio Macaron and Salted Caramel Macaron
While wandering around Soho, Bestie C remembered that a new Ladurée had opened on lower Manhattan and we set to locate it. Somehow we ended up walking a very big circle before realizing we had been walking in the opposite direction from Ladurée. When we got to the storefront there was even a line-up to get inside! Good thing the line moved quickly, otherwise the wait would have been torturous in the cold and snowy weather.
I had not planned on buying anything. Once I got inside the store I couldn't help to pick up two macarons. They are as sweet as I remembered. But of the two, I think I prefer the salted caramel one more.
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Although I have been pretty good at controlling my spendings (excluding food-wise), I did end up making some small impulse purchases this trip.
Murad Acne Spot Treatment - $
Bestie C recommended this to me. I never really had an interest in Murad acne products because I thought they only used salicylic acid (which doesn't really work for me). But this spot treatment product uses sulfur. I have never tried sulfur on breakouts so I got one to try. *Cross my fingers* Hoping for the best!
Sunrise Mart Soho
494 Broome St.
New York, NY 10012
L to R: Kai Bobby Pins, Kao White Bar Soap, Cow Brand SkinLife Medicated Acne Care Cleanser
My beauty buys from the Japanese market. I don't really have an explanation for these other than I wanted to try them? I have heard from somewhere before that Cow Brand cleansers are pretty good, so why not try it out? It wasn't too pricey anyways.
What have you been up to lately?
Woot! My birthday just passed and I am now really an "adult".
Ah...I don't think I am quite ready to face the world as one yet.
Worries aside, I had a pretty awesome birthday.
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Cocoron
37 Kenmare St
New York, NY 10012
b/t Mott St & Elizabeth St
It was hard to decide on a lunch spot, but I settled on Cocoron. This has been on my "To try" list ever since ExtraPetite posted about this a few months ago. Bestie C and I had actually attempted to eat there once before on a Saturday and the place was packed. This time we made sure to get there right when they opened and we were the second to be seated!
Mera Mera Dip Soba
My main agenda at Cocoron was to try their dip soba. I have never had authentically prepared soba and I liked the idea of being able to dip the noodles. I ended up choosing this medium-spicy soup base and really enjoyed it. It wasn't too spicy when eating with the noodles, but definitely too hot for me to drink the soup. I can't wait to go back to try some of their other versions!
Steamed Chicken Meatballs
Yelp reviews raved about this appetizer. I think it is ground chicken (or chicken pieces) that is surrounded by sticky rice. This is pretty simple, but I love the combo (especially how it is bite-sized). For the price, I am not sure if I would get it again...but I enjoyed it while it lasted!
Green Tea Affogato
Again, another item I wanted to try after going through Yelp. (Notice a trend...?) I don't think this was anything too special but it was a nice end to the meal. Something sweet, something bitter, something chewy, something crunchy, and something cold. But because I didn't evenly spread the anko (red beans) out, the last quarter of the dessert just tasted like soggy green tea cereal.
Homemade donuts by Bestie C!
Samoa Donuts and Green Tea Donuts
She's been baking a lot of donuts recently, but I never got the chance to try one. I was so excited to get these. Between the two, I really liked the Samoa ones the most. But then again, I have a bias towards the caramel, coconut, and chocolate trio. These tasted even better with a sip of milk!
Ah the never ending purple themed presents from her. But I am not complaining. I was so surprised by the purple BeautyBlender though. I know the Pantone color this year is Orchid but had no idea BeautyBlender came out with a sponge to match. I hope this is a permanent color! (Is it...?)
As usual, we had two cakes this year as well because my mom invited a lot of family and friends over for dinner. To think the cake almost spelled MADY...
I initially wanted to try a new cake from Paris Baguette that I haven't had before...but I had the hardest time deciding at the store. To save myself the trouble of spending an hour staring hopelessly at all the options, I ended up getting the blueberry one instead. For some reason this one just doesn't compare to the blueberry chiffon cake I had 2 years ago. It tasted slightly sweeter and is definitely less purple than I remember. It was still good nonetheless, just different.
Would it be surprising if I said that yesterday was pretty much my first time having alcohol? (Other than the one mega tiny sip each of beer and wine I had a couple years ago.) Good thing there were 4 of us sharing the bottle, or else I do not know how I would have finished it. Bitter...bitter...bitter! After a few sips of the Heineken, I had to dilute it with Sprite. Yup...I guess I am not a drinker. But then again we also had a Coors Light and that was slightly more enjoyable. Not sure what to think about alcohol now.
How do you typically spend your birthdays?
Big ol' parties or meals with small groups?
