Note: any time you start your day seeing a narwhal, or a picture of a narwhal, emerging from the sea with Christmas ornaments or other seasonal or holiday decorations on his/her tusk, well, chances are you’re gonna have a good day. 🙂
This is one of the reasons I looove this Trader Joe’s Decaf Candy Cane Green Tea. My heart will break into a trillion tiny pieces when I finish the box.
I was hoping it would last me through this last leg of my pregnancy, up through BG’s big debut, a.k.a. the day she gets her eviction notice, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen, and I’m kinda freaking out a little… Since it’s seasonal, I think they already pulled it off the shelves for the year at Trader Joe’s.
Serves me right for not stockpiling…
Also in green tea news, this cleanser!
It’s called Neogen Dermalogy Real Fresh Foam Green Tea Cleanser. It’s $19 and looks good enough to drink (but please don’t).
It looks like there are bits of real tea down there at the bottom…
Anywho, I’m still on that Korean beauty and skin care kick, so I’ve been trying lots of Korean products, and this Neogen Dermalogy is another one of them.
The bottle says that it’s a 100% Naturally Brewed Soothing Bio-Cleanser for sensitive skin.
I’m very finicky about my cleansers, and a lot of them leave my combo skin feeling super tight and dry, but this foaming face cleanser doesn’t. As far as I can remember, I’ve never used a foaming face cleanser before (I’ve used plenty of foam hand washes, but never a face cleanser), and I like it. It feels like I’m really babying my face.
When I rinse off the foam, my skin feels clean, great, and it smells faintly of green tea.
The ingredient list is RIDICULOUSLY LONG, but most of the things in there are plant extracts…
I’ve also started using Son & Park Beauty Water, a $30 hydrating toner that smells like roses and adds a great deal of moisture (I apply it with a cotton pad after cleansing).
Both products are available from sokoglam.com, in their “Best of Beauty List,” and both of them get great reviews.
I think it’s only a matter of time before I’m fully involved in the 10-step Korean beauty skin care regimen, for real!
Oh! — here’s something fun. El Hub got me this book from a store called Francesca’s at the mall the other day. It’s called the Q&A a Day 5-Year Journal.
There are 365 pages, and each one has a single question at the top and five little sections for answers at the bottom. You’re supposed to just quickly jot down the year and one answer, and then you do that every day for five years.
It’s kinda cool, and it looks like a real book! As you go through it, year after year, you can look back at your earlier answers.
I always mean to do more journaling, but it feels like I never have enough time. Maybe this will be sort of a workaround that doesn’t involve the commitment of a full journal entry.
Some of the questions are very thoughtful and interesting, too, while others are just slice-of-life convo starters.
Today’s question for February 2 is, “Who do you live with?” and so my answer for 2016 was, “El Hub and Tabs, although that will be changing soon to El Hub, Baby Girl and Tabs (hopefully my senior tabby will still be around, awww!).”
Do you keep a journal, and are you good about maintaining it?
Talk to you soon, my friend. Bye!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
The worries of senior pet parents 🙁 Quincy turns 9 this summer, but he’s still getting into mischief.
A lot of Korean skincare products aren’t great for me because of fragrance and all the plant extracts (I’m guaranteed to have a reaction to at least one of them, but this happens with US and especially “natural” products – why’s there gotta be chamomile in everything?!), but I do have a kind of long elaborate skin care routine, but it keeps my skin looking really nice and under control, and I enjoy doing it.
“Narwal narwal swimming in the ocean causing a commotion ‘coz they are so awesome….”
I used to keep a journal and then I looked at them one day and they looked like the rantings of a psychotic person. Tiny, even handwriting on every free space in the book. It was reminding me of Kevin Spacey’s character on “Seven.” It was a little disturbing. So now I do not keep a journal. I try to express my emotions when they happen and have no reason to hold onto anything.
Loving all the cats in this post!
^ My friend in high school use to sing me the narwhal song. Lol. Aw, sorry about the tea! That cleanser sounds lovely! Price isn’t too bad either.
I need this face cleanser! I’m obsessed w foaming cleansers! Also need this journal. What a great memory piece!! Aww how old is Tabs? Kitties can live a long and healthy life ESP since he gets walks!!
I journal everything. Favorite makeup “blends,” workouts, and a personal one how I feel, etc. And I don’t have the heart to pitch them. This 5 year diary will be a huge treasure to you esp with BG entering it very soon! Xoxo
I’m obsessed with Korean skincare despite not actually having any products; does reading up on it count? And also, I live in a primarily Caucasian area & have to drive a minimum of 40 minutes to even find a decent ethnic market or store of any kind. I know I can order on-line but I really, really prefer the tactile experience of in-person shopping.
I just hit up Trader Joe’s myself & stocked up on their dried coconut strips, which is my favorite dried fruit because it’s not too chewy nor overly sweet. Oh & some of the ginger chews which help alleviate nausea.
I’m off to Arizona & California in the morning for a long overdue vacation; take care of yourself & Baby Girl!
That is such a neat journal! I think I want one!
I never can find anyone else who loves mint and more specifically peppermint all year round! Everyone always says “It’s only a christmas thing” but I think it’s a year round thing, I may be biased though, peppermints are my favorite candy (I know, I’m soo boring) but what can I say, they’re fantastic! I’ve probably tried every peppermint tea on the planet and I’m a coffee person so that’s saying something
I,m with you India I drink peppermint tea most days but sometimes ginger tea (homemade) after breakfast, lunch & dinner
I have that same exact journal! I bought it for myself last Christmas and have loved it. Now I write down my answers for this year before sneaking a peek at last year’s. It’s really interesting to take a quick glimps back in time!
That seriously is one long list of ingredients! I think I’ll check out this cleanser as I have the same problem with foaming cleansers.
I usually have a journal in my bedside table drawer, but I only write in it occasionally or when I need to get something off my chest. My grandpa on my dad’s side kept a journal for just about his entire life. He would just write a couple lines everyday, but they’re pretty cool to look back on, especially when he was in the South Pacific during WWII.
I have a similar journal but it doesn’t have a daily question – just space to jot down a couple of lines each day. I love it & it’s just the right amount of journaling for me – wish I could do more of it but at least it’s fun to look back over the last few years to see a glimpse in your life. I’m currently on the 5th (and final) year.
For your tea!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006131UYK?sa-no-redirect=1&pldnSite=1
Amazon is honestly the best thing since Betty White!
Light & love!
FRANCESCA’S!!!! Gurl, I just bought some arm candy (read: bracelets) from there about two weeks ago. I bought them to complement my MK Runway Slim watch in Sable (look that watch up). That store is heavenly. And dangerous! What a good hubby you have. In other news, I’m going to TJ’s with friends this week. Is it weird that we, like, planned a trip there and we’re, like, counting down the days? I’m starting to get into tea as well. I’ve been drinking a Yogi Detox Lemon flavored tea that I don’t think is cleaning me out any (TMI ?) but it’s totes giving my cold the boot. That’s a score in my book. I add real lemons & honey for taste & now I’m kinda addicted. Now I’m happily adding tea to my TJ’s list. I’m so easily amused 🙂
Oh and, yes, I journal. I have every journal since I was 14. And now I’m 38. Journaling is the spice of my life ?
Karen, I have two sealed boxes of that tea that I would be glad to ship to you (anything to keep a pregnant lady happy!). Though weirdly enough, neither one of my boxes has a narwhal on it.
If you’re uncomfortable receiving food from someone you’ve never met in person, it looks like it’s the exact same tea as Celestial Seasoning’s Candy Cane Lane.
I stockpiled the tea Karen! ! And live in N8vato, anytime you wanna pick up! I thought my addiction would last forever, but am kinda over it now.
Wow, that really is a long ingredients list! Regardless, that cleanser sounds intriguing. It’s always nice when you can find one that gets the job done without turning your skin into a desert. lol
Also, that journal design is genius. I know so many people who love the idea of keeping a journal but never get around to the actual journaling part for similar reasons.
Woah, yeah, long ingredient list, lol. Just like you I’ve also been wanting to get into K-beauty more.
That journal looks sooooo pretty! Love the concept.
I gave this journal to my sister two years ago for Christmas and she still uses and likes it. Myself I never felt the need to keep a journal, don’t know why.
Candy cane green tea…hmmm. maybe you could mix peppermint tea with green. Or try moroccan mint tea, which is gunpowder green with spearmint. it’s pretty fantastic.
I really like the idea of that journal — so easy to track the changes from year to year!
I’ve been curious about trying Korean skin care, but have heard that many of the products are heavily fragranced (even if only with essential oils), and almost all fragrance in skin care products (even essential oils added for skin-care benefits) irritates my sensitive, rosaceic skin, so I’m not sure where to start. I have to be super-careful with what goes on my skin if I want to keep it from turning bright red or swelling up like a balloon.
You are totally working that Korean skin care regimen! 🙂 What a super thoughtful gift from El Hub. I think it’s a brilliant alternative to full-on journaling. I kept a diary in grade school (no idea where it went but I’m sure it would be immensely entertaining – HAHA!) but haven’t since then. Maybe it’s because I write a lot at work or I’m just not keen on self-reflection. Or maybe it’s because I wouldn’t be 100% honest because I’d be afraid someone would read something I wrote in anger, etc, and be hurt. Anyway, that’s probably why I think this book is so fab; it’s more of a time capsule.
That cleanser sounds interesting. Says the girl who’s Dear Husband is bringing back a major haul of green teas from Japan.
I don’t really journal or do a diary. I do always have a sketch book with me and try to do a drawing or sketch a day. Doesn’t always happen. I’ve never been one for words.
I love korean skin care. Please do more reviews. If possible. And that journal is very interesting!i want it tooo! 🙂 🙂
wow,that is a long list of ingredients!
and i had to look up a ‘narwal’. cool.
I used to keep a journal (both hard copy and online). I don’t do it much anymore. Some of the stuff I wrote back then was embarrassing. Nowadays, the closest I’ve come to journalling is writing about my life on FB sometimes but not often.
I like the idea of that journal. Simple, and easy to keep up with daily! I love Francesca’s! I always find lots of sparkly jewelry I want there.
I recommend using essences like that as a splash. I pour them in my hands and put them on after acid toning with a cotton pad. Those hydrating toners get wasted in cotton pads. I like all the ferments in your face wash!
That ingredient list had me cracking up! The scroll was very appropriate. 🙂 And even though I’m a dog person, I giggle at how you manage to get a cat into nearly every shot. Hey, I can’t hate someone who is so shameless in her her kitty love!
Francesca’s is an awesome store. I usually get sucked into buying some candles while in there. The journal looks very cool–I think you’ll like sharing that with your daughter when she gets older.
That’s the thing with TJ’s seasonal items – they’re always the best, so it sucks when you fall in love with something! At least they bring back many of them every year. 🙂
That journal looks amazing, I’ve been thinking about a one-liner type like that! What a great time in your life to start one. 🙂
I picked up a couple Pixi skincare items this weekend and I’m so in love, especially with the glow pads. They have a higher glycolic percentage and are helping already (the Glow Tonic was already a staple), plus the Glowtion Day Dew makes me way glowier than I expected and feels so good!
OMG that ingredient list is huuuuge!
I really want to get my toes into Korean skincare, so all recommendations are welcome 😉
i’d love to try this cleanser! a lot of korean skincare have artificial fragrance which i can’t stand but this look promising. wonder what are the benefits of this cleanser tho.
and btw, did u get that neko magazine at kinokuniya? so cute!