HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!!!

新年快樂!!!

2022 is the Year of the Tiger (my mum's year, and she's turning 60!) 

🐯🐅

Wishing you all health and safety in 2022

🙌 

The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% & Alpha Arbutin 2% Serum Review

I've heard of The Ordinary skincare brand (founded in 2016) for awhile now, and even been inside a few of their stores. However, I was so absorbed with Asian brands that I never thought to purchase The Ordinary when choosing my next skincare product.

Until this week! I found their Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% serum on sale at Ulta for $5 (50% off of yellow stickers!), so I bought a bottle to try (even though I already had a serum 😅)

 

Jump below to read my full review!

Current Skincare Products

I'm starting 2022 with the following day and night skincare products!!

DAY

Products List:

 1. Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Toner

2. Shiseido Revitalizing Treatment Softener

3. Innisfree Jeju Pomegranate Revitalizing Serum

4. Sundari Chamomile Eye Oil

5. Sekkisei Emulsion

6. Supergoop Play Everyday Lotion with spf

Jump below for my nighttime products!

KITAO 1919 Skincare Review

I purchased these Kitao Matcha & Chia skincare products from my local Ulta, because (1) they were on-sale 😅, (2) I wanted to try more Japanese skincare brands, and (3) I needed a new essence and face cream. Learn more about their specific matcha here

Kitao Matcha & Chia Cleansing Cream - A white cream that's applied to dry skin first and then washed off with water. Didn't strip my skin.

Kitao Matcha & Chia Essence Lotion - Clear in colour, smells good, and absorbs quickly.

Kitao Matcha & Chia Facial Cream - Skin changer! I applied this white colour and light scented cream, and woke up with plump and bright skin.

My fave product from this set is the face cream; I already bought a second jar for back-up!

  Main con is the cheap plastic and cardboard packaging. But this may make the product easier to clean and recycle *shrugs*

Learn more about the Kitao brand here

What I'm not Buying in 2022

Want to save coin and consume less? Then buy less!

Below's a list of things I am not buying anymore in 2022:

• Ketchup/Catsup - I have so many free packets from various restaurants, so I won't be purchasing any bottles
• Salt/Pepper/Soy Sauce/Mustard - Similar to ketchup/catsup, these seasonings/condiments come free with takeout
  
• Napkins/Straws - (similar reasons above)
• Mugs/Cups - just wash and reuse to-go cups
• Toilet Paper - grab an extra roll if you're ever staying in a hotel or your parents place!
• Wrapping paper/tissue paper - recycle the gift bags/tissue paper from gifts you've received!
• Baseball hats/caps - I seriously have so many in different colors, so I should stop.
• Toner - I have 3 unopened bottles I need to focus on using before they expire.
• Cable television - you can stream anything you want right now, and I watch more Asian dramas than live TV
  

Skincare Products I Didn't Like in 2021

Here's a list of skincare products I tried in 2021, but would not repurchase or recommend.

1. Eve Lom Radiance Face Mist -  Spritz more than spray, so low pay-off.

2. Yes to Grapefruit Nourishing Moisturizer -  Thick formula (similar to buttercream frosting) that made it tough to apply and difficult for my skin to absorb. Smells nice, but I couldn't see a difference in my skin after 1 week of use, except I got a whitehead 😑 So I'm using up the rest on my décolletage and body.

3. Biossance Squalane + Mineral SPF 45 (not pictured) - Thick formula that applies white and cakey, so not spreadable and not good for more melanated skin.

¡Carnival! pt. II

Throwback post 'cause Gizmo found Yoshi's old draft from 2016!

 

After a day at sea, we finally reached our first landing site; Cozúmel. The drop-off location forced all passengers through a tourist shopping hub, from which we tried to find our own adventure closer to town.

Every afternoon was tea-time! Cute and delicious, it was the perfect addition to every day.

Randomly greeted by Mr. & Mrs. Potatohead when we landed?

The place wasn't as nice as we had heard about, and every 'beach' required buying a ticket and ride to. So we picked what we could and spent most of our afternoon with unlimited drinks and lazy sitting.

My family prefers to have an assortment of activities, so the first day wasn't prime for us. However it was a nice taste of authentic food and shops!

Still some of the best tacos I've had to date, though the shop was small and gloves weren't in sight (cough), the risk was well worth it!

2021 Drama Recap

COVID19 continues to ravage our earth, even with multiple vaccines and boosters. Therefore, I continued to watch tv shows while I work-from-home! 

I've ranked the ones I watched in 2021 below (#1 being my fave!)

1. Alice in Borderland Season 1 -  Mind boggling Japanese drama adapted from a manga. Main characters play games with their lives in order to survive in an alternate realm.
   
2. Sweet Home Season 1 - Loaded with jump scares and frightening monsters, as modern South Korea turns apocalyptic.
3. Royal Nirvana / 鹤唳华亭 and Special/别云间 (2019) - Hella depressing Chinese historical drama that made me weep due to its portrayal of complex relations, e.g. father-son; daughter-father, etc.  
4. The Devil Judge - Dystopian South Korea is full of corruption and only Ji Sung's cheekbones can save 'em!
5. Rebel Princess / 上阳赋 - Zhang Ziyi's first tv drama, enuff said
   
6. Mr. Queen - Hilarious time traveling Korean historical drama with a gender-bending twist. 
7. The Great Season 2 - Historically inaccurate, but hilarious with charismatic cast and colorful costumes.
   
8. Marvelous Women / 当家主母 - Historic Chinese women deliver strong feminist message
   
9. Mine - Korean drama about the scandals and secrets of rich/chaebol family
10. Only Murders in the Building -  Original Hulu show with funny cast and intriguing murder mystery plot
    
11. Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 8 - Last season of this adorable comedic cop show
12. Steven Universe  Seasons 3-4 - Cartoon involving whimsical characters and a save-the-world plot
    
13. Vincenzo / 빈센조 - I watched it because it's Song Joongki's first drama post-divorce. I kept watching, because of its dramatic and comedic characters, but it was hard to binge, due to some ridiculous plot twists.
    
14. Squid Game - Indebted people play traditional Korean games with their lives for a chance to win money.
15. Hellbound - Very confusing South Korean drama about death prophecies
    
16. Song of Youth / 玉楼春-  Long historical Chinese drama centered on a large family and revenge.
17. Light the Night Season 1 - Taiwanese murder mystery drama on Netflix starring Ruby Lin
    
18. Hospital Playlist Season 1 -  South Korean drama set in modern day (sans COVID19 pandemic) about a groups of doctors who have known each other since medical school and start a band after hours.
    
19. Bridgerton Season 1 - Set in 1800s London, this Gossip Girl-esque drama provides excessive sex scenes and historical inaccuracies. 
20. Court Lady / 骊歌行 - Promising cast and story, but ruined with crazy sub-lots and abrupt editing/scene transitions.
21.  Street Dance of China Season 4 - Some of my fave dancers (e.g. Gumball) didn't make it far, and the winner disappointed me, again!
    

Jump below to see which shows I started, but couldn't finish due to various reasons!

My Sartorial Moments of 2021

 Thankfully, I had more fashionable moments in 2021 than 2020. But I'll let you judge the quality!

Seattle, WA, USA

 

NYC, NY, USA

 

 Paris, France

What I read in 2021

A list of the books I completely finished in 2021 (我2021年读过的书):

1. Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng
2. Little Fires Everywhere - Celeste Ng
3. Pachinko - Min Jin Lee 
4. We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson
   
5. The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman
   
6. Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman
7. The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
8. Bridgerton series - Julia Quinn
9. Bad Feminist - Roxane Gay
10. Analog Church - Jay Kim
11. Just Do Something - Kevin DeYoung
    

December Empties 空瓶

😀 HAPPY 2022 to you and your fam!

Below are my emptied skincare products from December 2021! 以下是我12 月清空的护肤品！

雅漾/Avene Eau Thermale Spring Water- Works wells, and likely to repurchase at a later time, because I have other facial mists to use.

Sundari Neem Night Cream (gifted by my cousin's wife) - Unlikely to ever repurchase, because it's hard to find in stores, and I want to try other creams.

Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence Intensive Moist (found at my local Target) - Excellent product, but difficult to purchase online due to changing formula, packaging, and unreliable sellers.

雪肌精/Sekkisei Emulsion (purchased at local Costco) - Smells good and provides great hydration. I already opened another bottle!

Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off (since I bought this the packaging has changed!) - OG physical exfoliator. Smells refreshing and works for my combination skin.

资生堂/Shiseido Senka Perfect Whip Travel Size (won from spinning a wheel in Hongdae, Seoul!) - This popular and inexpensive Japanese foaming cleanser is strong and may be stripping for those with dry skin. I have other cleansers I like more, so I'm unlikely to purchase.

Origins Mega-Mushroom Treatment Lotion - Used up this travel size to avoid product expiring. Works well as a toner and essence, but unlikely to repurchase because the bottle's opening causes spillage.

Bath & Body Works Body Cream (gifted by a friend last Christmas) - Smelled great, and did the job, but I want to try body oils.

Life Hack: Cut plastic squeeze bottles in 1/2 to get out any remaining product!