なつかし！Nostalgia~ JAPAN 2008 Part 1

It has been almost 5 years since the first time I have visited JAPAN...  I miss JAPAN! ;A;
Soo anyway... I traveled alone when I went there... I was 16 years old turning 17... and it was NATSU(Summer) season there. :) August! It was 5 days before my 17th birthday so I was really happy to celebrate my birthday there with my relatives.

I arrived at NARITA Airport maybe 8pm~ but I was held inside a waiting room 'cause I was a minor and traveling alone... they confirmed where I'm going to stay... and I told them at Sagamihara... I was out of that waiting room at exactly 9pm... I actually cried 'cause I didn't know what to do because the last bus that is bound to Machida is around 9pm... ;A; I missed it... I looked for a public pay phone to call my aunt in Sagamihara... to make the story short... My aunt in Sagamihara called my other aunt that lives in Shibuya(which is much closer to the airport) to pick me up at the airport... whew... So I went out and sat at the bench outside.

I took a picture of the waiting area :) sorry for the low quality photo... I took using my old Nokia phone~ LOL... ^^;  Soo... I'm going to put some major events that happened in my 1 month vacation in Japan! :)

AROUND SAGAMIHARA! 

I have a few photos of  what's around Sagamihara~ I don't have a digital camera before soo... I just took some using my phone :(

 - this is like a highway that is going to Yokohama.

 - I love this store~ :) I'm a videogamer so yeah this is like an awesome place! :) that person on the photo above is my cousin. :)

Lots and lots of videogames! :) from old school consoles to the modern ones 

my two cousins~ :)

-- this outside of the apartment building where my Aunt's family lives. :)

--- going to Sagamihara Train Station :)

--- I love Japan's vending machines :) 

--- Public pay phone booth :)

--- view from my Aunt's apartment terrace. :)

--- ahhh :)

How I really wish to go back there again :( with a digital camera on hand... I would snap lots of photos for sure... well I have to save up money...(airplane ticket doesn't come cheap y'know) 

NEAR SHIBUYA SCRAMBLE...

During the day scenario... this like 7 in the morning so it seems so quiet, peaceful and not a lot of people around yet.

During the NIGHT scenario... lots of people! D:

MY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION @ MACHIDA

Machida Tokyu Twins --- haven't gone inside of that place though... LOL

Me and my relatives celebrated my birthday @ TGI Friday's! Yummy food!  That's me at the middle LOL!

I don't know what street is this... :/ hmm but this where TGI Friday's is at.

My Birthday cake that my Aunt bought for me~ I will never forget this cake... :) How it

tasted and soo it's unique 'cause back where I'm from there's no cake similar like those made in Japan. :(

to be continued... :)

next part will be about my visit at Harajuku and Disneyland~ :)

FOREVER 21: Search for my Graduation dress~ :)

Hi everyone! 

It has been a while since my last post... ^^; I was really busy because of my thesis project but I am glad it's all over! and now I'm graduating college! HOOORAAY!

really big relief! ;)

Sooo 2 weeks ago I went dress shopping for my upcoming graduation ceremony and I always thought that FOREVER 21's dresses are really my kind of style. :) So I went there and picked dresses to fit. :p Soo here I go... :)

1st Dress

 - my mom told me it was too simple~ 'cause polka dot dresses are now very common and you can buy a cheap one... This dress costs I think 1000+php... soo yeah I think it's not worth it... but I like the dress *u* I love polka dots.

 2nd Dress

--- this one O_O hmmm... I think I look more like a mom with this dress... LOL so no likey~  I think this costs like 1500+php. The fabric feels very nice though. ;)

3rd Dress

--- I definitely like this ;) So mature looking~ :)) Price: 1500+php don't know the exact price...xD

4th Dress

--- hmm I think this is too casual looking~ but I like it ;)) 'cause it's PINK! Price: 1000+php I think O.O

5th Dress

--- I  like this :) cute color and studs on the color looks really nice :) but I have to buy a belt to make it look more decent. :/ and it costs 1500+php~ and I only have 2000php on my budget and I still have to buy shoes. :/ 50-50 decision on this one...

6th Dress

--- hmm :/ too corporate looking~ LOL I look like I'm going to the office... so I think this is not it... but then again I love the fabric...it's very comfortable :) Price: 1500+php. 

Last Dress

--- I love the color of this dress~  the style...it's soo 50's like :) I love that era~  hmmm this would be on my check list :) Price: 1000+php but F21 is having it on SALE so this dress costs like 615php! Buy 1 take 1! I was like oh my... *o*

sooo... F21 was having a SALE so I bought some additional clothes too ;p

this bracelet costs like 300+php regular price but I bought it for 119php and earrings for free... it's for my mom ^^ a gift for her 'cause she went dress shopping with me~ it was hard to fit dresses without any assistance. ^^;

I bought two black tops~ LOL I browsed the SALE section well I didn't like the other clothes... but I never thought I bought two black tops LOL. well I love the color BLACK. :)

So this is how they look like when worn... :)

 Sooo I bought a dress that is right on my budget but I won't be posting what dress that I bought... ;) it's a surprise... our graduation ceremony will be held on Saturday so I won't be posting it and also my kareshi doesn't know what kind of dress that I bought that day... ;p 

I was glad that I bought a pair of high heels for 500php~ ;p it was also on SALE! Thank God for SALEs! :)) I forgot to transfer the photo of it on my PC though :/

 so that concludes my dress shopping experience @ F21~ will be shopping there in the near future ;p well I think whenever they have a SALE... 'cause I don't really like splurging money on reg. priced items. :)) It's being practical ;)

and I also discovered this under F21's plastic bag :)

'til my next post ;)

xoxo, LYANNE

HADA LABO Review + My Skin Care Updated :)

Hi everyone! :) It's been a month since I bought the Hada Labo products that I have mentioned before on my previous blog post. (http://lyannechan.blogspot.com/2013/01/singapore-trip-collective-haul.html)

So now I'm going to blog about it and it's going to be a bit long. 

REVIEW TIME! 

HERE I GO! :D

1st off I'm going to show the products that I'm going to review today.

From Left to Right: Hada Labo SHA Hydrating Facial Wash, Hada Labo Whitening Lotion, Hada Labo Whitening Milk & St. Ives Apricot Scrub Blemish & Blackhead Control)

Before I start here's a little background about Hada Labo

• is a skincare line research & developed by Rohto Pharmaceutical Co. Japan and The Mentholatum Co. with a philosophy 'Perfect X Simple'. Hada Labo uses only the purest ingredients that are beneficial to the skin, with no unnecessary additives & manufactured under strict pharmaceutical standards.

#1 Hada Labo SHA Hydrating Facial Wash

About: Contains advanced skin hydrating ingredient - Super Hyaluronic Acid with twice the moisture retention capacity of Hyaluronic Acid (1 gm of Hyaluronic Acid is able to hold up 6 liters of water). Replenishes essential moisture to visibly improve skin texture and prevent dryness so skin stays soft, hydrated and supple.

• Hydrates as it cleanses. Helps restore and preserve skin's natural moisture, leaving it silky smooth.
• It is free of fragrances, mineral oil, alcohol & colorant. Skin pH balanced. Low irritation.

Texture:

it's colorless and a bit foamy.

Smell: none

Opinion: the first time I used the facial wash... I was quite surprised because it really does not dry your face. My face feels light, clean and smooth. I have used a facial wash that has Hyaluronic Acid too and that's Etude House Happy Essential Foam(228php if I could remember it right) but Hada Labo is way much better than Happy Essential Foam. 

Usage: I always write on any facial products that I buy so I can keep on track of how long have I been using the product. 

So it's been a month. I can sense that there's still more inside the bottle soo I think it can last up to 3 months or more... it's because you only have to put a pea size amount of it and it's good for the whole face.

Net Weight: 100g

Made: in Japan

Price: Sing $13.90 so I think about 460php... I think the price is a bit pricey for a college girl like me that has an average type of living.(I'm not a rich girl okay?xD) The reason why I buy such pricey products because of the quality...anyways...I bought the Hada Labo products in Singapore if you read my previous blog post about my Singapore collective haul. :)

Where to buy?: If you're in Singapore you can buy it @ Sasa, Guardian, Watsons & Supermarkets. If you're in the Philippines I saw an online shop that sells Hada Labo here's the link. http://www.facebook.com/asianbeautysecretsrevealed :) 

Purchase again?: It's a YES! :)  I really love the results! :)

CONS: none :)

RATE: 8.85/10 --- AWESOME product! Must try! :)

#2 Hada Labo Whitening Lotion

About: Contains Arbutin to help fight dark spots. Smooths and clarifies to optimize skin's radiance and translucency. Vitamin C helps reduce the appearance of dark spots to give clearer, fairer skin. Contains Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate intensely, keeping skin soft & supple. It is free of fragrances mineral oil, alcohol & colorant. Skin pH balanced. Low irritation.

3 Benefits of Shirojyun Whitening

• Deep Moisturizing
• Intensive Repair
• DoubleWhitening

Arbutin is an extract from natural plant bearberry, with natural whitening properties.

Texture: since it's a toner... it's watery.

Smell: none

Opinion: After washing le face~ I use this lotion/toner(obviously LOL!) and what I love about this toner it doesn't make your skin feel dry like other toners. My face feels fresh and hydrated because of the hyaluronic acid. And for a whitening lotion/toner it really helps to brighten up my skin and I have noticed that my dark spots aren't visible anymore. I'm loving this product right now!:D + if you use the whitening milk after, you'll get the best results.

Usage:  Since I can see how much is left in the bottle... I marked the side of the bottle where I can see the water level. It's 1 month already so I marked it 1. It was really a shocker because look at it~ xD for a month of usage there are so much more left in the bottle. Soo I think it can last half a year LOL~ 'cause you only have to use 2-5 drops and pat it on your whole face and voila awesome coverage. Pretty neat huh? :) 

Net Weight: 150ml

Made: in Japan

Price: Sing $ 22.90 about 760php... Pricey~ yes for us average Pinays... LOL! but if you really care about your skin. Well for me it's worth it! :) and thinking that it will last for about half a year? why not buy it right?

Where to buy?: If you're in Singapore you can buy it @ Sasa, Guardian, & Watsons. If you're in the Philippines I saw an online shop that sells Hada Labo here's the link. http://www.facebook.com/asianbeautysecretsrevealed :) 

Purchase again?: YES YES YES! :D LOL! love love love! :)

CONS: none :)

RATE: 9/10 --- the best lotion/toner I've used so far! :)

#3 Hada Labo Whitening Milk

About: 

• Contains Arbutin to help fight dark spots and re-balance skin tone for visibly fair & radiant skin.
• Enhanced with Vitamin C for a more uniform skin tone and renewal of dull skin caused by UV rays.
• Preserves skin's natural moisture. Smooths and clarifies to optimize skin's translucency.
• It is free of fragrances, mineral oil & colorant. Skin pH balanced.  Low irritation.

3 Benefits of Shirojyun Whitening

• Deep Moisturizing
• Intensive Repair
• DoubleWhitening

Arbutin is an extract from natural plant bearberry, with natural whitening properties.

Texture:

(please excuse my palm's texture LOL xD) soo yaaah there it is. The texture is kinda like those hand lotions.

Smell: none

Opinion: When you put it in your face...it's kinda sticky and oily at first but after awhile the skin will absorb it and you'll definitely feel the difference. Smooth, supple and you'll see that your face will brighten up a bit but when you go to sleep and wake up the next day you'll see an amazing result. :) Smooth & bright skin.

Usage: Just apply 2-3 drops and pat it on your whole face. :) It's quite practical. I think this will last for 3-4 months. 

Net Weight: 140ml

Made: in Japan

Price: Sing $ 22.90 about 760php... Pricey~ but it's worth buying! :)

Where to buy?: If you're in Singapore you can buy it @ Sasa, Guardian, & Watsons. If you're in the Philippines I saw an online shop that sells Hada Labo here's the link. http://www.facebook.com/asianbeautysecretsrevealed :) 

CONS: none~ :)

Purchase again?: It's a YES :)

RATE: 9/10 --- AWESOME moisturizer! :) you should buy! :D

#4 St. Ives Apricot Scrub Blemish & Blackhead Control

About: 

• America's #1 Scrub 
• gently cleans pores and helps stop breakouts before they occur.
• treats Acne.
• exfoliates to prevent blemishes without over-drying.

Texture: 

it has micro beads. :)

Smell: nice smell~ very apricot-ish~ LOL! :))

Opinion: I think I've been using this for 2-3 months now~ ( see if I don't label the date that I first used it... I fail on keeping on track) so far... I don't have serious breakouts except when I'm going to have my monthly period. Keeps my pores clean and I've noticed that I don't have visible blackheads anymore.

Usage: Once or Twice a week... but the description on the bottle said 3-4 times a week. I mean like seriously??! it's an exfoliant! I advice that you should use it once a week.

Net Weight: 170g

Made: in USA

Price:  198php for a big bottle it's quite practical. :)

Where to buy?: Watsons & Supermarkets

CONS: I just don't like what the bottle described about how many times you will use the product. LOL

Purchase again?: Yeah :) so far it satisfied me :) but I'm still on the hunt for that Tsururi Blackheads remover soap~ :(

RATE: 8.5/10 --- maybe not the best scrub but I've seen good results when it comes to using St. Ives scrubs.

WHEW! So that's about it :) that ends my review about what facial products that I use now. I hope that I helped some of you decide what to buy for your own skin care. :) These are all my opinion. I've read a lot of reviews about Hada Labo and now that I'm a user... I now know what they meant about the product. :) 

That's my daily skin care products as of now and I'm loving the results. :)

And about me not taking a photo of my current face~ it's because I look super stress right now because of my thesis~ being an animation student is hard...but fun... I had a lot of sleepless nights lately so we can finish our presentation before the deadline. whew....

'til my next blog post. :)

xoxo, Lyanne

(about the pixel gifs some of it I just found in my sister's files and I think she got it from

www.pixel-diary.tumblr.com)

 UPDATED : http://lyannechan.blogspot.com/2013/07/hada-labo-usage-update.html