Hey! Today I want to share what I got in my September Ipsy glam bag. If you don't know what Ipsy is, it's a monthly makeup subscription where they give you a new makeup bag every month filled with about 5 cosmetics tailored to your preferences, which is based on a little questionnaire you take when you first sign up on Ipsy. In my case, I did not want to receive nail polish of any kind so I made sure to put that on the questionnare. (And yes, Ipsy is advertised by Michelle Phan, for those wondering.)

Ipsy is $10/month, which is cheaper than your average makeup subscription boxes such as Wantable, Glossbox, etc. It does put you on a waiting list when you first sign up and urges you to share Ipsy on your social media websites if you have Facebook, twitter, and Instagram in order to 'get out' of the waiting list. Basically, you need to give them free promo before you even get the products. Not too impressed by that practice. I've also heard how hard it was for some people to get out of the waiting list, even though they've shared Ipsy on all of their social media outlets. They said that others have to click on the link you post on Facebook first in order for you to be able to get your subscription.

I'm not sure why that was the case for some people, as I did absolutely nothing to get out of the waiting list at all! I basically waited for two days and got an email saying I was in. I signed up mid-August and actually got the September bag. So... take caution, people.

Here's a video of me (being suuuuper awkward and less articulate than usual) showing you guys what I got in my Ipsy bag. I'll also write about each item in the post.

(Also: I got September Glam Bag #2!)


So below is a rundown of the things I got in my September Ipsy glam bag (#2). If I had to rate this, I'd give it a 3 out of 5. I wasn't too impressed, to be honest. My favorite thing from this was the shimmery pink packaging, the metallic makeup bag, and the Cailyn lip gloss. The rest were just ok.

The products I received: Cailyn lipgloss, Mitchell & Peach hand cream, Crown eyelid/crease brush, Nourish Organic face cleanser, and the Pacifica eyeliner.

1. Cailyn Lip Gloss - 08 Love Affair


This one is actually a keeper. I mentioned in the video that I liked this lipgloss a lot despite wanting the lipstick instead, but I actually like it even more now after wearing it aout and about. This lipgloss lasts for two hours at most, but does not fade completely. It leaves behind a very pretty pinkish-red stain on your lips, so you don't have to worry about your lips being completely out of color after a meal. As far as how long the stain lasts, I think it can go for about 3-4 hours, depending on your activities. Obviously not super high quality, but it's pretty good.


2. Mitchell & Peach - Flora No. 1 (Luxury Hand Cream)



This smells too overpowering for me. Imagine a bunch of different flowery scents thrown together and stirred inside a pot to make this hand cream. Yuck. It's overwhelming. Otherwise, it worked just as well as any hand cream you can find at your local drugstore. Nothing too spectacular about this product.


3. Crown - Eyelid and Crease Brush




4. Nourish Organic - Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser (Cucumber + Watercress)



Ugh, just no. First of all, the consistency of this product is very watery and almost slimy or gooey. On top of that, it smells very strange— almost fishy. That was a huge turn off. However, I decided to give this a go despite the warning signs. Pros: removes makeup. Cons: smells, strange consistency, and ABSOLUTELY DRYING. It will sting and make your face very red. Or at least it made my face very red and my skin isn't even that sensitive! I will never use this again. There are better cleansers and makeup removers out there. Find one that compliments your skin type and works well for you.


5. Pacifica - Gun Metal Eyeliner



This eyeliner was fairly easy to apply and lasted for a while. It did get quite smudgy after a few hours though. I did not like the color very much on myself. It is a very silvery -blue color (hence its name, 'gun metal') and it did not suit my dark brown eyes. I think I may use this to add shimmer to my smoky-eye eyeshadow look instead of using it as an actual eyeliner.

----

Well, that's about it. Wasn't too pleased, but not too disappointed. I did get a bunch of things I wouldn't have otherwise bought, so that's something. I like trying new things! Let's hope the October glam bag has more exciting things in store.

:)

Hey! This final part has been super delayed but I've been so busy with everything going on around me. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do the extra levels like I said in the video, but I'm still going to try. It might be a while, though.

Anyway, here's part 3 of the Mr. Bree saga, where I am finally able to get our hero home. I fast-forward a lot in this video because otherwise, it would be way too long. Time really goes by when you're playing Mr. Bree...

(Okay, fine, maybe I also kind of suck at the game. But at least I finished it?)


Another thing about this video, I actually filmed this, edited it, and uploaded it weeks ago. It's this blog post that I've been delaying writing, for some reason. Eventually, I forgot about it altogether! Whoops.

Well, that's all. Hope you are all having a super lovely Saturday!

xoxoxo

Hey! More casual gaming today. Here's the second part of the Mr. Bree saga. I did actually manage to get him home, but you'll have to wait next week for that post. I'll also tackle those Butchery levels, so stay tuned!




By the way, I know I didn't talk too much in this video. I was just too focused on playing the game and trying hard not to die that I sometimes forgot that I was recording!

I'll try and talk more next time around... maybe!


Hope everyone is having a fabulous Saturday! Keep a look out for the next post, where I finally get Mr. Bree home. :)

Hey peeps! Kind of a late post today, but only because I've been so busy doing this and that around the house and running some typical errands out in town.  

Hey! Today I felt like playing a nice platform game. Then I thought, what if I recorded myself playing it? Well, in my search I found Mr. Bree: Returning Home. And... here it is!





If you are bored out of your mind and have 15-minutes to spare, watch me play it here:


This game looks promising! I know I didn't really get to do much in this video, but I have a feeling that it'll just get harder from here on out. I can't wait to play more of this game and get Mr. Bree his lost memories back!

Hope you're all having a wonderfully savvy Saturday!

Hey! So I know I'm a little late with this post because everyone everywhere on social media who ordered the August Q Box has already Instagram-ed it, blogged about it, made a video about it, etc. and has already moved on to bigger and better things. Except me.

The Q Box is a monthly surprise make-up & accessories subscription box, except this one specializes in mostly Korean and Japanese brands. It's similar to other subscription boxes like Wantable, Smashbox, Ipsy, Glossybox, Joliebox, Birchbox, Starbox, etc. In choosing a subscription box, be sure to factor in the monthly costs and have an idea what to expect in each box. The more expensive boxes usually offer full-size high end brands while the cheaper ones only give out sample-sizes. Some specialize purely in make up, others in skin care. Some boxes, like the Q Box, is fairly random although it does promise to include one piece of jewelry and makeup in each box. ALSO: beware! I've heard that the subscription plans for some of these makeup boxes are a complete hassle to cancel. Make sure you are always aware of their policy on cancellation, returns, and refunds.

Okay, I'll be honest— this is not a first impression review because I actually already opened the box about a week ago. Plus, if you don't already know this little tidbit about me, then here you go: I do not like surprises. I like to be as omniscient as possible about future events in my life. It's just the way I am. So because I'm like this, before I even opened this box I had actually already looked at pictures and a whole lot of spoilers about what was inside the August Q Box prior to receiving it. So basically, surprised I was not.

Anyway, I was a bit let down by this box. Don't get me wrong, I still liked plenty of things in it (my mom loved the toilet seat handle... more on that later) and everything was so cute! But compared to what I saw in the June Q Box and the March Q Box, I feel like the August Q Box was the Joker card of the bunch so far. I'm still quite hopeful about the Q Box subscription as a whole though, because I got the 3-month plan. I'll be expecting great things from you, September Q Box. You too, October Q Box.

So here's the August Q Box by Get Q Box:


Okay, so let me just get right into it.

The box itself is really cute. However, I wasn't super impressed with how it was sealed. Take a look at the stickers on the side. They were more or less peeling like that when I picked it up at the post office. The stickers on the side looked as though they'd been opened by someone. Although nothing in the box was missing, I was really turned off by that. Q Box people, please seal your boxes properly. Cuteness is a minor thing when it comes to shipment. I'd rather have a heavily-taped box than one that's been tampered with.

Here's what was inside:


Here's a complete list of what I received:

1. Rilakuma Noise-isolating earphones (Korea)
2. Lotte Cereal Choco (Korea)
3. Jouetie Little Bunny earrings and strawberry necklace (Japan)
4. Jetoy Choo Choo Cat postcard set (Korea)
5. 3 Concept Eyes Full Cover Concealer (Korea)
6. Happy Wing toilet seat handle (Korea)
7. Cath Kidston Floral Lunchbag (Japan)

And now for more pictures!

Rilakuma Noise-isolating earphones (Korea)

Now I really wish I'd kept my Rilakkuma iPhone case! This one to be exact. I used that thing for over a year before deciding to chuck it due to the whole 'pedo-bear' meme spreading around. Now that I have these earphones, I no longer have my case to match it with. :(

If you can't read the tiny text on the picture, the 'features' of these earphones are:
"10mm Audio Drivers"
"Lightweight Ergonomic Fit"
"Tangle-free cable"
"Soft ear pillows"

.... 'Soft ear pillows'???

Also, let's not forget that beautiful little goldmine of a description at the top: 'Sporting twin 10mm ear exciters, tangle-free cable, and a mixed material finish for extra mochismo, the Rilakuma boasts the street cred of a Brooklyn street gang and is synchronized to the beats and rhythms of roots, rock, and hip-hop.'

Like, what?

Now I'm actually not a fan of earphones with the clear, gummy inserts, but I'm willing to use this at least once because it is just so cute!

Lotte Cereal Choco (Korea)

Jouetie Little Bunny earrings and strawberry necklace (Japan)

The bunny studs are so adorable! They aren't actually red, like these pictures show. They are more of a cool, vibrant pinkish hue with gold frames and eyes. I have to admit, I like them more than the strawberry necklace, which looks and feels cheap.

The strawberry necklace is small. The picture I have here of it is actually a bit bigger than the actual size.

Jetoy Choo Choo Cat postcard set (Korea)

There is such a thing as cute being borderline creepy. Take the infamous ball-jointed dolls people collect, for example. This thing is exactly like that. I'm not sure if I find this cute or just strangely creepy. These big-eyed cats in technicolor surrounded by giant, blooming flowers is not really my kind of thing. I also don't even know who I would send these to and for what occasion?

The postcards themselves are very thick and glossy. They are pringted on really good quality paper and not one of those flimsy, 50-cent ones that crumple or bend with a slight touch. I may just give this one out as a gift. Or maybe I'll save it in case I ever get the urge to host an exclusive frou-frou tea party for cat lovers. These would make the purrfect invites.

3 Concept Eyes Full Cover Concealer (Korea)
I am actually pretty happy with this concealer. It's not the best ever that I own, but it works just fine for me. I love how blend-able it is with my foundation and how light it feels on my skin. It is a touch too light for me. This shade is in 001, for fairer skin tones. The 002 would have been perfect! However, the difference is not too drastic and I can blend a little bit of my BB Cream or foundation with it to make the shade just right. For more information (or if you'd like to buy this for yourself), click here.

I believe that others got the 3 Concept Eyes Lip Pigment as an alternative to the concealer. I'm a huge fan of lip products and own way too many lipsticks for my own good, so damn! I would have loved if I'd have gotten that one too. (Maybe instead of those cat postcards.) Phooey.

Happy Wing toilet seat handle (Korea)

Talk about a gag gift. I wasn't sure what to make of this, but I guess it is sort of useful. The first thing I did after opening the Q Box was slap it on my parents' first-floor toilet lid. My mom loves it because now, when dad forgets to put the toilet seat down, she doesn't have to touch the seat. But I mean... isn't it the same thing? Because of airborne germs or something? I don't know. Also, how do they even advertise this kind of thing?

But seriously though, it's not a bad product. I can see germaphobes maybe taking some comfort in this thing.

Cath Kidston Floral Lunchbag (Japan)

For starters, this is a lunch bag, not a tote. It's about ten inches wide and seven inches tall. I think it's adorable, but I have no idea what to use this for. I've always been the long-strap, shoulder bag type, so I'm thinking of using it in the future as a gift bag. It would be super cute! And also, it's never too early to plan your Christmas shopping...

There's one flap pocket on the inside and there's a button to keep the bag closed. It's not really a thick canvas material, but some sort of lightweight fabric. However, it's not the kind that would wrinkle easily because it is a bit stiff. Would have loved this as a full-sized tote— it would've been perfect as a beach bag!

Okay!

So that is all for this month's Q Box. Again, I wasn't too impressed compared to what I saw for their June and March boxes, but I'm definitely still hopeful for their future boxes.

One last thing. Get Q Box promises that the items in each box all amount to over $60 in value, which is great considering each box is only $25 (excluding tax and shipping). The Q Box lists the price value of these items in the little pamphlet they include in the box, which is as follows:



Um...... What's up with that?!

Maybe they intentionally lowered the value for their declarations in customs, but I can't be sure that's what's happening here. Are we all being ripped off? Or do I just not know how this all works? I mean, I know for a fact that the 3CE concealer costs more that $5. Or do they receive a special discount for bulk buying? Hello? So what do these costs mean? (My head hurts...)

Anyway, just wanted to share that. Still can't wait to see the September items!

Bye!

Hey! I'm back with twenty more boring questions about myself because nothing really happened last week so I have nothing to talk about. Unfortunately, I am just that boring.


Speaking of last week, I did get my August Q Box in the mail. If you don't know what a Q Box is, it's one of those monthly surprise make-up & boxes (subscription is optional), except this one specializes in mostly Korean and Japanese brands (link here).

Something you may or may not notice in the video is the improved sound quality! Yay! Even though I'm not really into video-making, the audio quality in the previous video was seriously awful. I'm sure no one cares, but it really bothered me so I bought a USB microphone from Audio Technica. The one I got is the AT2020, which I think is pretty good. I am thinking of buying a filter for it soon, though.

Anywayyyyy— because I have nothing to talk about other than what I just mentioned, I thought I'd do another 20 questions 'tag' where I try to practice my video editing skills on iMovie and try to be less derpy and ramble-y than before. It's still strange. I used to video-tape myself a lot in the past just for fun whenever I was on vacation, but it's quite different when I'm just in my room talking.

Here are the twenty questions I answer in this video:

1. Do you have a middle name?
2. What is your favorite subject in school?
3. What is your favorite drink?
4. What would you name your children?
5. Do you participate in any sports?
6. What is your favorite book?
7. What is your favorite animal?
8. What is your favorite perfume?
9. What is your favorite holiday?
10. Have you been out of the country?
11. Do you speak another language?
12. Do you have any siblings?
13. What is your favorite store?
14. What is your favorite restaurant?
15. Do you like school?
16. Any favorite YouTubers?
17. What is your favorite movie?
18. PC or Mac?
19. What phone do you have?
20. Do you have any pets?

I feel like these were the questions I should have started with. The questions in the previous video were definitely more personal in comparison.

To elaborate a bit on question one, my actual first name is one of those hyphenated names, 'Sarah-Dianne.' Of course, that's way too extra (and way too many syllables for my liking) so I just go by Sarah. (sorry Dianne, you're just not me)

I also forgot to mention Studio Ghibli animations as some of my all-time favorite movies to watch. There's just something so feel-good and heart-warming about them. Love them so much. My favorite has to be Castle in the Sky, closely followed by Kiki's Delivery Service and Spirited Away.

And as a final note, I don't own any pets not because I never wanted one, but because I've frequently lived in apartments that do not allow them. I wanted to clarify that one because I have wanted a dog ALL. MY. LIFE.

Well that's all I have to share for today. Hope you guys are having a swell start of the week so far!

Bye!

Today I want to talk about something deep. Maybe not ocean deep, but at least skin deep. I want to talk about the flaws we find in ourselves.

So when I look in the mirror, I see a lot of things that I would like to fix about myself. Like most Asians, I find my nose too wide and my face too round. I can't do much about my spots and blemishes because it's hormonal and pops up whenever I'm stressed, anxious, or experiencing "the joys" of womanhood. I'm also quite short so I always wanted to be a few inches taller. (Short person perk: touching my toes were never an issue growing up and to this day I can still reach them easily without doing any warm-up stretches.) I could go on and on about what's wrong with me, but I won't bore you.

As any woman, I've been brought up to feel extremely self-conscious about my appearance. Thus, I have a love-hate relationship with the idea of plastic surgery. We all have this notion that everyone is special and beautiful the way they are and that it is both unnecessary and a shame to go under the knife. In the USA we have a strange, standardized notion that plastic surgery is something to hide and be ashamed of. It is looked down upon as something exceedingly vain and, because of its price, a frivolity available only to the immeasurably wealthy. This particular view only heightens the shame of those who wish to have plastic surgery, especially the average Jane or Joe. Celebrities seem to be exempt from this shame (though not the ridicule), as being glamorous and beautiful is expected of a Hollywood star. But that's a double-standard. Why can't us ordinary shmucks have the same privilege?

Of course, if your appearance is making your life dysfunctional in some way, plastic surgery seems like the most appealing option; being severely bullied, having some sort of disfiguration, or some other third thing that would make it all forgivable. However, if it's only a slight hindrance to what would otherwise be a perfect selfie, it's hard to justify in our society. Well...

Not in South Korea!

So I've always been in the 'it's-your-body-do-what-you-want-with-it' school of thought, but even this is a bit extreme. I have a born-and-raised South Korean friend named Esther who discussed the plastic surgery 'scene' in South Korea and a lot of what she shared with me was quite shocking.

For those who don't already know, South Korea is the world's leading country for the most plastic surgery. It is so common, in fact, that parents often use it to reward their children for their good grades. Can you imagine? I got my favorite home-cooked dinner if my grades were good, not a rhinoplasty! The most popular procedure is double-eyelid surgery. According to Esther, this surgery eliminates the 'mono-lid' that most East Asians have and gives them bigger, more 'Western'-looking eyes. Surgery clinics are everywhere in South Korea and not only is it apparently common, but it's also something to brag about among school friends.

According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), Korea ranks first on a per capita basis, with 13.5 cosmetic procedures performed per 1000 individuals. That is insane!

After some half-assed Google searches, I found the term: plastic surgery tourism. It means exactly as it sounds. As the leading country in plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures, South Korea experiences a high volume of plastic surgery tourism where individuals from other countries travel to South Korea in order to get a procedure done. And it's not a bad idea either! According to several different rates I've found from both US and SK clinics, getting plastic surgery South Korea is definitely much cheaper than getting one in the USA. A rhinoplasty, for example, goes for about $5,000-$7,000+ in the USA whereas in South Korea, the prices range from $2,500-$3,000+. Including roundtrip airfare, getting a nose job or something equivalent is still much cheaper in South Korea. Also according to my research, Gangnam, SK seems to be the place to get your new looks. Go get yo Gangnam style! 

Even after having tumbled into this plastic surgery wiki-hole for a while, I still don't know how I feel. There are plenty of beautiful before and after shots of South Koreans on Google getting plastic surgery, but there are also plenty of horrifying 'botched' before and afters. Knowing myself, I'll keep this love-hate dilemma of plastic surgery without ever making up my mind, maybe get one done someday, and absolutely go back to missing my old face. That sounds weird... but sounds about right for me.

I think there's nothing inherently wrong with wanting to look more conventionally attractive, as dictated by society. I would say it's normal, even. However, plastic surgery should always, always be about YOU— not for other people. Because at the end of the day, you are the one who has to live with yourself. If getting plastic surgery will give you a confidence boost, I say go for it. Why not? But if you only want plastic surgery so you can look better for your Instagram posts, I wouldn't recommend it. Because there's a bigger issue at hand— you are someone who only values yourself by the number of 'likes' you receive from others... You deserve more than that.

Hey! I think I want to try doing video diaries, so this is my forray into that idea. Although I love to write, my forte has always been fiction— specifically, fantasy. I've written so many fantasy stories and this writing obsession is a huge problem when it comes to keeping journals and diaries. What I'm getting at here is that I absolutely SUCK at keeping journals because I tend to write things into a story. It'll start normal, as it always does, perhaps me browsing the orange juice section at the grocery store, and all of a sudden a strange, mysterious portal to another world will open up at the ground beneath my feet and take me away to Lala land. Not very journal-esque. (Or even factually true, for that matter.)

Maybe I think my life is too boring to write. Still, it's such a shame not to keep some kind of record of my day-to-day life somehow because I want to have something to look back on when I'm old and gray. (And definitely not those grocery-Lala-land stories!)

So enter here's my first attempt! It was a really strange experience talking to my webcam as though I was entertaining it over tea. I kept rambling and glancing over my shoulder, ready to defend myself to someone at a moment's notice. Fortunately, there were no interruptions and I was free to be my strange, awkward self. So awkward. I'd apologize for it, but I don't know how to change that part of me, so I'll probably just end up apologizing again. Sorry.

Also, I apolize that the video and audio quality is horrible. I just very quickly recorded it on Photo Booth (MAC) and edited it on iMovie. I ain't a professional. Just a wannabe vlogger with too much time on my hands, apparently.

Anyway, here are all the questions I try to answer in the video:

1. What are you wearing?
2. Ever been in love?
3. Ever been in a bad break up?
4. How tall are you?
5. How much do you weigh?
6. Any tattoos?
7. Any piercings?
8. Favorite show?
9. Favorite band?
10. Something you miss?
11. Favorite song?
12. How old are you?
13. What is your Zodiac sign?
14. Quality you look for in a partner?
15. Favorite quote?
16. Favorite color?
17. Loud or soft music?
18. Where do you go when you're sad?
19. How long does it take you to shower?
20. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
21. Have you ever been in a physical fight?
22. Turn on?
23. Turn off?
24. The reason you joined Youtube?
25. Fears?
26. The last thing that made you cry?
27. The last time you said you loved someone?
28. What is the meaning behind your Youtube name?
29. Last book you read?
30. Book you're currently reading?
31. Last show you watched?
32. Last person you talked to?
33. Relationship between you and the last person you texted?
34. Favorite food?
35. Place you want to visit?
36. Last place you were?
37. Do you have a crush?
38. Last time you kissed someone?
39. Last time you were insulted?
40. Favorite flavor of sweet?
41. What instrument do you play?
42. Favorite piece of jewelry?
43. Last sport you played?
44. Last song you sang?
45. Favorite chat-up line?
46. Have you ever used it?
47. Last time you hung out with someone?
48. Who should answer these questions next?

Some of these questions were really strange. I think I did omit a few of them so the numbering may be off in the video. And I'm so awkward. But! Practice makes perfect? So I'm definitely going to be doing more of these.

Bye!

Hellllooooo!

Today I got my very first order from PrettyAndCute, an Oregon-based makeup store specializing in Japanese and Korean makeup. They do have a store in Portland, Oregon, but you can also order their products online.

So right off the bat I've got to say: WOW was the shipping super fast! I placed my order on July 1st (two days ago) and received my package today. For reference, I live on the east coast side of the U.S. so you can all imagine that this thing practically teleported from coast to coast. 

 
To top it off, it just so happens to be my birthday today so it was like receiving a birthday present!

• [Holika Holika] Eyebrow Shaver
• [Etude House] Wonder Pore Trial Kit
• [Lioele] Auto Eyebrow (in Dark Brown)
• [Lioele] Oxygen Foam Mask
• [Lioele] Quick Point Eraser
• [Pretty&Cute] Three BB Cream Samples