Beauty Products I Want To Try Out This Year!

There are so many interesting beauty products out on the market and so many seem to claim to provide miraculous results. Not all live up to their claims, but some do, and a majority of people rave about them.^_^ However, not everyone gets the same results, and the only way to find out if these products will work for you is if you try them out yourself! There are quite a few that I'm really interested in testing out this year. Some of the products I'll be listing have been around for awhile, but some will be newer, more recently released products as well! :) So without any further ado, let's start!

1. Mane 'n Tail Shampoo and Conditioner

Technically, this shampoo and conditioner is meant for horses, but it can also be used safely on human hair, too. There are many positive reviews about Mane 'n Tail shampoo and conditioner that state that it makes hair thicker, softer, and shinier, and that it even promotes faster hair growth. While my hair is already thick, it's bit on the dry side and can sometimes look dull, so I'm hoping that it would help my hair look healthier. Also, I wouldn't mind if it can help me out a bit with hair growth as well, as I'd like my hair to be just a little bit longer. :)

2. Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB Cream

Currently, I've been using Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in No. 21. It's the first BB Cream I have ever tried and I really love how it feels so nice and light on my skin and how it seems to help some of my blemishes go away faster, but sometimes it just doesn't provide enough coverage for me and I land up having to use some concealer along with it. Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly supposedly provides more coverage than most bb creams, and that's what mainly is drawing me to this. I'm hoping that I won't have to use as much concealer with this during the times a small zit or two or three decide to spring up on my skin. Another plus I've heard about this is that this product doesn't have to oxidize, which I've noticed that Missha Perfect Cover has to do. Missha Perfect Cover has a gray-ish cast to it when it's first applied to the skin, and has to sit for a little while before it blends in. The only thing that seems to be a downside with Aqua Jelly is that it only comes in two shades, so it's kind of a gamble on whether or not either of the two shades would be a match with my skin.

3. Maybelline The Rocket Volum'Express Mascara

I really really hate most mascaras that I've tried. My lashes are a decent length, not too short, not too long, but they sure lack in volume. Almost every mascara I've tried seems to just either clump my lashes together our just make them look longer and stringier than they really are, and that's just not a good look. There is SO much hype over Mabelline's new Rocket mascara though, with many people saying how much thicker their lashes look after using it and how it doesn't clump at all. It sounds like it has exactly what I need in a mascara, so I'm really looking forward to picking up a tube and seeing if it really does deliver. Hopefully I won't be left disappointed!

4. Henna Hair Dye

I've been dying my hair burgundy since I turned 14 using Revlon's Colorstay hair dye, and really, I believe that that's really been taking a toll on my hair's condition. Henna hair dye is supposedly much less damaging to hair and it apparently can help make your hair healthier and stronger since it's all natural, though there are some brands of henna dye that contain metallic compounds that aren't so good for the hair, so it's important to find one that doesn't have those. It also doesn't become brassy as the color fades out, too. I really don't want to give up coloring my hair, so I figured this may be a better alternative to coloring it without abusing my hair to oblivion. I still need to find exactly which brand I should go with, though.

5. Snail Street Snail Cream

It's weird, a cream with the base ingredient of snail excretions, but it's said to help prevent and reduce wrinkles, lighten and fade acne scars, evens over all skin tone, and leaves your skin looking radiant! It just sounds so interesting and there seems to be a lot of benefits from using it, so I'm really curious about it and want to try it out! ^.^

6. Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm

The packaging for these look so cute and colorful, and the idea of it being tinted and nourishing for the lips really appeals to me. I'm kind of a sucker for tinted balms and lip glosses, since I really don't like wearing bold colors on my lips and prefer just a soft, subtle hint of color. I'm looking forward to picking up a couple of these! 

Snow Day!

I woke up this morning thinking that I heard it raining hard outside. I dragged myself out of bed and sluggishly walked over to the window, and to my surprise, it was snowing! I became so excited that I ran out to the porch and stuck my hand out to confirm whether it was really real or not. xD I was in disbelief, because I've never ever lived in an area where it snowed before, so seeing it just seemed so surreal! 

Throughout the day, I kept checking outside to see if the snow was letting up or not, and each time I looked, the trees and the grass became more and more covered under a sheet of white. The snow flakes from the sky kept falling toward the ground more rapidly and in larger amounts. I was counting down the minutes waiting for my husband to come home from work so we could play outside together. ^_^

Luckily for the both of us (since my dear hubby felt the same way I did about wanting to go outside), my hubby was let off of work early, and almost immediately as he walked through the door, we both started to put on our coats and mittens and head out the door! We were like little kids, running around, throwing snowballs at one another, and rolling around on the fresh snow~!  We then decided to try to make snowmen, something we've always wanted to do but never had done. We had tried to attempt making one once before, but the snow was too hard and just wouldn't stick together to form a ball. :( It turned out to be awful... This time around, however, was much more successful! It was incredible how easy it was to form a giant snowball with freshly fallen snow. ^.^ It made such a huge difference. :3 It took us about an hour or so to finish up building our snowmen, but we are both very pleased with how they turned out in the end. ^_^

My snowman, standing roughly around 3 feet tall

My husband's snowman. His is probably around 1/2 a foot. It's cute though!  I think it has lots of character!

After we finished up our snowmen, our faces were stinging from the cold, our clothes were soaked, and our noses were dripping, so with that, we figured we'd best head back inside. We took a quick bath and then right after, got cozy under the kotatsu! Let me tell you guys, those things are made for days like these! During the other days, it seems like our kotatsu tries to cook us alive, but coming in from the snow, it seems so comfortable underneath it that I can almost fall asleep huddled under it. x3 It's really the perfect way to end the day~!

New Years Shrine Visit!

On New Years Day, my husband and I thought it would be a wonderful experience to visit a shrine! We found one near our area called Shinmeisha Shrine, which happened to be only a few minutes away by car! ^_^ However, it didn't exactly have an address, so we kind of got lost a bit trying to get there, but we managed to find our way there. When we arrived, we were amazed with how beautiful it was, and how many people were there! 

There was a huge line waaay outside of the torii gates just for people who wanted to say their new years prayers, but it moved at a fairly quick pace. Once we made it to the entrance, we noticed that people were stepping out of the line and making their way to what looked like a fountain or a well of water with ladles next to it. They scooped the water with the ladles and poured it onto their hands. Following their example, my husband and I did the same. We later found out that this is actually customary when visiting a shrine, and it's to purify your hands. We then moseyed our way back into the line and observed our surroundings as we waited. There were many miko (shrine priestesses) who all looked so beautiful in their red hakama serving tea and selling charms, incense, and small statues of snakes in honor of the year of the snake. We really wished we could have taken close up pictures of them, but we didn't know whether it would be awkward for us to ask them, and plus, we don't exactly know how to say "can we take your picture" in Japanese quite yet. ^^; (We really need to learn that one!)

We also had noticed a fire pit near the altar, where people were throwing what looked like thick, braided rope into it. We're still unsure about what it's for or what it may symbolize, so we are planning on asking someone to help enlighten us on the practice. My husband and I found it to be fairly fascinating, so we really want to know about it!

As we drew closer to the front of the line, we closely observed the actions of those who have made it to the prayer altar. We took note of how they first put an offering of yen into the offertory box, rung the bell (called a suzu) that was set up in front of the box, bowed twice, clapped twice, said a short prayer, and then bowed once more before leaving. We made sure to have it memorized before it was time for us to go up, and mimicked it. 

When we walked down the steps of the altar, we found ourselves in an area of the shrine where New Year fortunes could be drawn for 100 yen! We decided to give it a try, and we both drew our fortunes, though we don't exactly know what they say just yet. xD We'll have them translated by my husband's friend soon though! I really hope neither of us got bad luck! lols! We both were very familiar with drawing fortunes, though. We're both really into anime, and shrine visits are quite commonly seen in countless different series. It was very fun to actually be able to participate in something like that!

On our way out, we spotted a taiyaki (fish shaped cakes usually filled with either sweet red bean paste or custard) and takoyaki ( round balls made from batter with octopus at the center of it and topped with things like Japanese mayonnaise, bonito flakes, green onions, and sometimes other toppings)stand set up just in front of the exit, so we landed up grabbing a couple of taiyaki (we got the red bean ones) to enjoy. They were perfect because they were very fresh and hot and they kind of helped keep our hands warm as we were eating them. xD

I really loved our visit to Shinmeisha Shrine. I hope that we get to go again next year and the year after! 

Here are some pictures we got of the shrine, too! Please enjoy! ^_^

My Winter Fashion Wishlist!

This is coming out slightly late, but the winter season isn't over yet! With the changes of the season, changes in fashion must also be made. Time to trade in the short skirts, shorts, tank tops, and sundresses in favor of things like coats, scarves, sweaters, boots, and so on! ^.^ So, here are some of the things that I've been eyeing up this winter:

1. A Faux Fur Stole

Because real fur isn't cool, yo! :P But in all seriousness, I've always thought this single piece can add some glamour to an outfit!

2. Lace tights

Cute, feminine, and adds something a little extra to an ensemble without being too distracting and over the top. ^_^


3. Newsboy cap

Just because... I've really been wanting one for a little while now. I've always loved this style of cap. It's simple and cute, and hats are really just perfect for this time of year.

4.  A cute trench coat

As most people know, a coat is absolutely essential in cold weather, and since I've never been a fan of  bulky, fluffy jackets, a sleek and stylish trench coat is the way to go for me!

5.  Boots

No, boots in the winter time is nothing ground breaking or unique, but I just never seem to have enough pairs of cute boots! x3 My wishlist just wouldn't be complete without boots on there!

6.  Long satin gloves

Satin gloves can look so classy when you're all decked out to go to a formal event, and they can also be quite functional by keeping your hands and arms warm! It's a win-win! ^.^

7. Knit scarf

Again, nothing earth-shattering, but I know I can really use a nice, knit scarf. Almost every winter, I complain about freezing to death, so it's time for me to do something about it! Plus, scarves can make for nice accessories, as well.

8. Knit leg warmers

Some people love them, and some people hate them.... I'm one of the ones that love them! It's one of the few trends from the 80's that I actually really like! They also come in so many adorable styles lately, so I really want a pair or two!

9. Ear Muffs

I've always wanted some similar to the ones in this picture! Ear muffs are again both cute and functional, and look great being worn properly or around your neck. x3

10. Hand muffler

An adorably stylish way to keep your hands from stinging and becoming icicles when you're out and about! Not to mention, they're really cozy, too!

And that's all, folks! ^_^