No this isn't a photo of some kind of monster figurine that has only one eye and a tongue sticking out. Silly!!...Although it does look like it could be from this angle.
This little thing is actually a toothpaste squeezer! I recently bought this Squeezeit during my visit to The Container Store with Bestie C. The intentions were just to squeeze every last bit of toothpaste out of the tube with the contraption. I didn't have too high expectations for this since, to be honest, sometimes products like these can look very gimmicky, yet we're still all curious if they really work or not right?
When it flatten my tube of toothpaste like a car tire ran over it...I got a little Squeezeit everything happy and I used it for all the opened toothpaste tubes in my house. Then I thought why not try it on other tubed products? Disappointingly, my cleanser and exfoliator tubes were just a little too wide to fit into the Squeezeit. *hint make a bigger one please! hint* I guess I'll just have to keep cutting those open for now...
For a few seconds after my tube hunting, I almost forgot I had this little tube of eye cream to try the Squeezeit on. I'm so glad I did because now I can get everything (well...almost everything) out without having to cut open the tube. I don't mind doing a mini operation on my beauty containers but it always bugged me when I have to leave the product all exposed to [bathroom] air afterwards.
So to sum it up, the Squeezeit does work! I'm sorry for thinking this was gimmicky and doubted its abilities! I bought this in a set of 2 for $2.99. It seems pricey at first glance but when I think about it again, it'll help me use a lot of product that I might just throw away if I didn't have one of these. Plus I probably won't need to own more than 2 anyways. It's a little difficult to take the Squeezeit off the tubes but it isn't impossible. After you use it on one tube, just take it off and do another!
How do you get the most out of your products?
Does anyone else get a little peeved by germs after cutting their tubes open (or is that just the germaphobe in me talking)?
I have a confession to make...
I completely neglected to take care of my skin over the summer!
After I finished my last round of skincare products (in maybe June or July), it was the perfect opportunity for me to use up the sachet samples I accumulated the last few years. All was going well until my skin started to break out all over.
I thought maybe going the simple route [just washing my face with water and not put anything on] my face would help. Alas, it did not. Ultimately I gave up trying altogether. But school was starting and I really did not want to go anywhere with my face looking the way it did.
I had been meaning to go to Naruko earlier to buy a new set of products to use. I wanted to try the Tea Tree line for a long time now because of one of my besties raves of it. But since it's started to get cooler here, I had a difficult time choosing between products for oil controlling & acne fighting or moisturizing. In the end, I decided to go for the former choice because I chose to go shopping right after my facial appointment. At the time I felt like treating acne and the red spots were top priority! Whether this was a bad decision in the long-run...we'll have to wait and see soon.
My haul in all its glory! I did make a big dent in my wallet with this one. But I think it was worth it. It seems like it's doing good stuff for my skin. Plus the Naruko store in Brooklyn had (might still have?) a special GWP promotion at the time. I think it was something along the lines of...spend $30 and get a free mask(s), spend $60 and get a free $25 product, spend $100 get a $10 off coupon. Since the necessities that I chose were close to the $100 mark anyway I decided to add an extra toner [Rose Astringent Lotion] to my total to get the $10 off. What the heck, right! I'll need it in the future anyway.
Top row, L to R: Rose Astringent Lotion, Tea Tree Oil Out Night Gelly, Narcissus Total Defense Repair & Relaxing Eye Mask*, Apple Seed & Tranexamic Acid*
Bottom row, L to R: Raw Job's Tears Supercritical CO2 Brightening Cream, Narcissus Total Defense Night Brightening Serum*, Tea Tree Oil Out Balancing Serum, Tea Tree Oil Out Toner
*GWPs
I also bought the Tea Tree Acne Clay Cleanser with a coupon I got from them. [I forgot to take a photo of it, so sorry!]
Ah! Heads up to those who are in NYC/Brooklyn and want to purchase from the store rather than order online. I found that the prices in-store were all +$1 whatever is listed on naruko.us ...I'm not exactly sure why it is this way (maybe to make up for shipping) but just to let you know! The boutique does add tax. I've never ordered through their website so I'm not quite sure how it goes with tax there. Also, if anyone is the type who likes to look around by themselves...I warn you to be patient there. Like almost all other Chinese beauty stores I've been to in NYC, the SA(s) really like to follow you around and make sure you are being helped. If somehow you can get away from them pestering you, in the end, you'll eventually have to ask them for help to get your products anyway.
Of all the products that I bought, I only started to use the basic ones.
Toner & Serum
Moisturizer & Gelly (Sleeping Mask/Pack)
Even though I've used tea tree infused products in the past, I still cannot really get used to its scent. Other than that I have really come to like my new skincare goodies. I seem to have a lot fewer breakouts and clogged comedones compared to how it was a week ago. I wish that Naruko had an actual moisturizer (gel/lotion/cream consistency moisturizer) for the Tea Tree line rather than its milky lotion (which I consider a toner, but the SAs all tell me otherwise).
Both photos are unedited.
Sorry if they scare anyone...
One week earlier & Current skin condition
Please excuse my dark circles! Anyways...back to the main point here!
As you can see the red spots have almost all completely disappeared within the week. I noticed there are fewer breakouts on my forehead and chin (but not completely...sigh..my chin is always the problematic area). My face hasn't felt this soft and smooth since April! I hope this is here to stay and not just a temporary stage *knock on wood & cross my fingers!*
However, I'm having a difficult time trying to decide whether this is because of the new skincare products or if the facial really did help my skin. Perhaps both contributed equally? What do you think?
