NEW Ichikami!

I must have been on to something when I posted about Ichikami the other day because they have recently released a new line!

As far as I can tell, this new line includes apricot extract, instead of cherry blossom and tsubaki. I love the peachy/apricot packaging! I'm tempted to buy, but I just posted about how I didn't have the best results with the original Ichikami. I still have a Shiseido Tsubaki set to use, then maybe I'll pick this up or the Asience Nature Smooth.

I took this picture at Marukai in West Covina and as you can see, the shampoo and conditioner are $15.98 and the refill bags are $10.98. They also currently have a set with the shampoo, conditioner and treatment for only $20. This is an awesome deal, because the bottles are big at 550ml. 

Can I also just say that Marukai has really stepped up their beauty game? I noticed that they were now carrying BIODERMA!! But I didn't buy it because the 500ml bottle of crealine solution was $30 ($27 on sale) which isn't that different from Amazon prices. I was still excited nonetheless. And finally, just because it is super cute, here is a box of Hello Kitty corn flakes (made in Italy, natch). 

Japanese Beauty: Kracie Ichikami

Treatment, Shampoo, Conditioner, Hair Treatment Water

I thought it would be interesting if I featured more Japanese and other foreign products on here since I do buy quite a few of them!

First up is the popular Ichikami line of hair care by Kracie. I was introduced to this brand about 3 years ago, when I was given some samples outside of the Shinjuku station in Tokyo.  I was immediately attracted to the scent which smells sweet, floral and super girly. Much like the Shiseido Tsubaki line, Ichikami also contains Camelia (tsubaki) oil, which is a popular ingredient in Japan. The other ingredients include Rice Premium EX, Sakura (cherry blossom) essence, Black Rice essence, Chinese Soapberry and Blackberry Lily. I have no idea what all of those things are supposed to do!

I wasn't a huge fan of the shampoo. For some reason I couldn't get it to lather up very well so because of that I felt like it wasn't doing much for my hair. The conditioner is good, but the hair mask/treatment is even better! I love this mask because you only need to leave it on for 2 minutes instead of 20. I just leave it on for the duration of my shower and my hair is super soft afterwards. I'm not entirely sure what the treatment water is supposed to do. From what I can make out on the back with my 2nd grade level Japanese reading skills is that it helps with damage and makes hair smooth. I can't really say I've seen any results except for a nice smell. The other annoying thing is that the spray nozzle squirts a stream of water at your head so I had to transfer it to another spray bottle so that I get a mist instead. 

You can purchase Ichikami at Japanese grocery stores (Marukai, Mitsuwa) as well as online. I got the shampoo and conditioner as a set for $18-20. These bottles are pretty big at 550 ml and I feel like I've been using them for most of the year. I believe the treatment and water were $10-12. You can also buy eco-friendly refills in a bag for slightly cheaper. If you're looking for a good hair mask, I would highly recommend the treatment!

Target Fall 2012 Beauty Bag

I'm not sure if you guys are familiar with the Target beauty bags, but you just sign up through their Facebook page and you are sent samples for absolutely FREE. Apparently, this is the last Target beauty bag ever which is disappointing.

I can't complain too much because it was free, but Target has definitely done better bags in the past. Usually you get mini bottles and tubes (or I heard sometimes even full size?), but this time around it was all packets. I have to say though that I absolutely love the leopard print bag! It has already become by purse makeup bag. Here's what was inside:

Fekkai Technician Color Care Shampoo and 3-Minute Mask
L'Oreal EverCreme Nourishing Shampoo, Conditioner and Deep Nourishing Masque
Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner
Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer
Jergens Daily Moisture Lotion
Target Coupon Book

Did you guys get a Target beauty bag too?

September/October Empties!

I can't believe it is November already! And not just November, but mid-November because I've been lagging on my blog upkeep! Well, if you live in Southern California, you'll know that it's only recently started feeling even remotely autumnal, so I guess I can just pretend it is still August.

Well, that huge pile of garbage/recycling up there are my September and October empties. I love reading other people's empties posts and I don't go through product quite fast enough to do a post every  month, so maybe I can make this an every other month thing.

First up my body empties.

Dove Original Clean Deodorant - I've been loyal to Dove deodorants for years. I like the packaging and it works well enough. But recently I feel like it hasn't been as good as it used to. I think maybe my body has developed immunity to it??

Dove Ultimate Visibly Smooth Nature Fresh Deodorant - This one is supposed to "minimize the visual appearance of hair over time." I can't really say I've noticed any results, although I did get lasered over the past year, so who knows. I have another one of these to use because I got a two pack, but I'll probably give something else a try after that one's through.

Body Shop Mango Whip Body Lotion, Shower Gel and Scrub - Yes, I like me some matching bath products! I love love love the scrub. The lotion and shower gel are pretty standard, for some reason I think the scrub smells better! I like the scent, but I did tire of it towards the end.

Skintimate Skin Therapy Moisturizing Shave Gel - I've been using this product on and off forever. Again, another two pack purchase at Target, so I have another one to get through. It lathers really well and does the job. My one gripe is that rim of the can gets rusty. They fixed the bottom so it won't rust, but not the rim??

Next is hand and nails.

Orly Top 2 Bottom - This was alright. I didn't really notice any changes to the lasting power of my manicures, but I can't say I've noticed that with any top coat.

Orly Bonder - I really like this base coat. It's rubberized and is supposed to grip on to your polish. It's a good and bad thing because maybe it makes your polish last longer, but it also makes it easier to peel strips of polish off which I like to do! This got really really gloopy towards to end, so I like to buy the half size bottle. I've already purchased another one.

I actually finished some makeup items!!

Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Pink Frosting - These have been discontinued so it doesn't really matter what I say! This color was way to sparkly for my taste/age, but I really like the soft mousse texture.

Blinc Eyeliner - This brand is built around being good for people with sensitive eyes, but I wasn't too impressed. Once it's dry, there is zero smudging, but with a little rubbing it will flake right off. I found it creased really easily on my eyes.

NYX Super Skinny Eye Marker - I really love these marker/pen style liquid eyeliners. This one is good, but it could be a little blacker IMHO. This lasted a really long time without drying out and only recently did the pen tip start getting kinda bushy.

Now for some super old hair care.

Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo - Who knows how long I've had these two products! I really loved the slight coconutty scent of this shampoo. My hair is pretty normal, so I'm not too fussed over shampoos so I don't know if this was good or not. I would be open to purchasing the full size though.

Bumble & Bumble deeep Treatment - I love a good hair mask, but it's so hard for me to use the ones that need 20 minutes to do their thing. What am I supposed to do get in the shower, wash my hair, and get back out for 20 minutes, and get back in?? This is one of those conditioners. My hair didn't feel any differently after using this, but admittedly, I never left it on for 20 minutes!

And finally, a butt load of skin care!

Olay Pore Minimizing Cleanser + Scrub - I never realized how much stuff I buy in multiples! This is my second of a two pack from Costco. This works great with the Clarisonic as even though it is labeled a "scrub" the beads are super super tiny. Also, can I just say that the I love the pump on this thing? You can clearly see that you get every tiny little bit of product out.

Hadanomy Aquaplacenta Cream - I really like this lightweight gel cream. It's supposed to contain the placentas of salmon or something, but I sort of just block that part out. This is a pretty big jar and very reasonably priced at less than $20.

Arcona Cranberry Toner - This came in my Sample Society box and I read reviews that said it was too heavily scented. I do agree with that a little as I can smell it on my skin, but it's not an unpleasant scent - fruity and soapy. Toner has been a step I haven't bothered with for a long time, but I might have to reconsider after using this!

Caudalie Beauty Elixir - I have a whole post about this so I won't go on too much. I still don't think it does anything for my skin, but I am addicted to the scent! I might buy another...

DDF Amplifying Serum - This tiny tube lasted FOREVER. A tube probably isn't the best container for this product because it is very liquidy. I used this after I ran out of my Estee Lauder Advance Night repair, but I didn't notice any benefits. I've since gone back to the Estee Lauder!

Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Moisture Lotion SPF 15 - I hate this with a vengeance. It has to be the worst moisturizer I have EVER used. It made my face so greasy that the only way I could use this was to follow it up with blotting papers. WTF How is this "mattifying" at all? Or maybe my skin is just freaky??

REN Glycolic Skin Renewal Peel Mask - This has gotten a lot of blog press recently and rightfully so. My skin feels super smooth after using it and I really need to consider the full size. I'm kind of torn between this, Alpha H Liquid Gold and Kate Somerville's ExfoliKate (which is amazing, but $$$). The only thing about my sample is, I found the texture to be a little chunky like marmalade, while pictures I've seen online make it look smooth. Was mine off??

Exuviance Night Renewal Hydragel - I got this as a sample in a package from Ulta. You're supposed to use it at night and it is supposed to reduce oiliness the next day. I didn't think it worked, but maybe my face wasn't that oily to begin with.

Elemental Herboloy Facial Glow Radiance Peel - This is similar to the REN mask, but it works in only 4 minutes (why not 5??) and contains AHAs. It's white like a lotion and it actually did it's thang in only 4 minutes!

Murad Skin Perfecting Primer Acne and Shine Control - I guess this is more of a cosmetic item, but it's a tinted primer. I actually really liked this and am considering the full size. It comes in dewy and matte varieties as well. The thing is, the tint is quite a medium color, so it works great for me, but I can see it not matching very fair or dark skin tones. Since I'm not a big foundation wearer, I feel like I can get away with using just this, like you might a tinted moisturizer.

Clarisonic Refreshing Gel Cleanser - I got a few sample sized cleansers with the purchase of my Clarisonic nearly 3 years ago and I've finally just used them up! It's fine, nothing to rave about and I'm sure you could get something similar for far cheaper.

PHEW! That was one long ass post. Using up products is definitely satisfying and I really like whittling down my "stash". If only, I could use up makeup items faster! So for two months that is a total of 14 full size and 11 sample size products! I love my beauty subscriptions, but damn those samples really start piling up. Til next time!

October Glossybox

After my disappointing Birchbox and Sample Society, I am having a total love affair with Glossybox. Like I said, it costs a little more ($23 something in CA, including tax), but you really get mostly deluxe to full size products from amazing brands.

I just realized that while cleaning up this morning, I seem to have thrown away the product info card so I'm going to have to wing it and do some googling to figure out the descriptions and prices! I think the theme of the month was something like a home spa day, but if it was up to me, I would have called it the month of amazing smelling products. Yeah, that doesn't sound as nice, but whateves. Here we go...

Alterna Bamboo Luminous Shine Mist (full size $22) - I always enjoy a good shine spray and this should come in handy since a sleek look is in for fall. I'm not super familiar with the Alterna brand although I have received quite a few samples of their products through beauty boxes and shops. What are your favorite Alterna products?

Carol's Daughter Almond Cookie Shea Souffle (full size $13.50) - OMG holy deliciousness! I love love love the way this smells! I love it so much that I already placed an order for the spa set which includes a shower gel, scrub, oil and another souffle. The smell kind of reminds me of the L'Occitane almond line - a little nutty, marzipan-y, and sweet. I'm not usually one for sweet/cookie type scents, but this one blew me away. The texture is reminiscent of a body butter, but as the name suggests, it is a lighter more whipped consistency.  I have so many shower products waiting to be used, but I can't think of any more appropriate for the holidays than this one.

Heartland Fragrance Co. Exfoliating Loofa Soap (full size $8) - This is an interesting product in that there is a piece of loofa inside of a glycerin soap. I'm always looking for scrubs and exfoliating products, so this will definitely be useful. I received the Secret Garden scent which smells more fruity than floral to me, but delicious none the less.

Nastassja Skin Enzyme Facial Peel (full size $40) - Another product that smell amazing - very citrusy and fresh. You just need to put a thin layer on your face and neck, let it sit for 2-3 minutes, then massage in circular motions. Dead skin is supposed to start pilling off. This is perfect because I just used up the last of my REN Glycolactic Renewal Mask so I needed a new exfoliating product.

Model Co. Lipstick/Gloss duo (full size $39) - I'm not entirely sure if this is an actual product because I can't find it on their website. I think the full size price just reflects the cost of a lipstick plus the cost of a lipgloss. In any case, $39 is pretty steep even if you are getting two products. I've never had a lipstick before that smells so good! It smells like gummy candies or something. I like that the color is a very wearable pinky brown with a peachy nude gloss. However, I will say that lipstick/gloss is really big and somewhat unwieldy when applying the lipstick side. There is also a built in mirror on the side, but it sort of defeats the purpose because you can't really use the mirror and the lipstick at the same time if that makes any sense.

Overall, another great Glossybox. I can't wait for my next one!

September Glossybox

I am so so so so soooo excited about the September Glossybox! Glossybox is my favorite beauty box and even though it is the most expensive, I also feel that you really get your moneys worth. It is $21/month, but in California you have to pay sales tax, so it comes out to just over $23. It is still WELL worth it and I am psyched to share with you what I received:

GKHair Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner (full size $20) - These were the items that I was the most "meh" about. I pretty unfussy about my shampoo and conditioner, probably because my hair is generally quite well behaved and I've never really been wowed by a shampoo. These smell quite nice though so I'm sure they will be good for travel.

Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water (full size $13) - I am so happy that I received this! I started snooping online at other people's boxes and noticed that someone received this, but most others got some kind of mattifier. Well, I really wanted to try a cleansing water like Bioderma, but couldn't bring myself to buy one until I used up my current eye makeup remover. Now I got one for free!! (well sorta, you know).

Kryolan for Glossybox Moisture Rich Lipstick in Glossy Pink (full size $14) - Pretty nice lipstick in a rosy pink shade. I don't think this is a color I would have picked for myself, but it'll work.

Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 (full size $29.99) - I actually almost purchased this, but then I remembered that I had given up on Asian BB creams. Most of them are just too darn light for my skin color and give me a bad case of the ghost face. However, the Missha BB cream comes in 5 shades and the shade I received, 31 Golden Beige, is the darkest. I saw that some people received shade 21, which would have been waaay too light for me so I was hoping and praying that I would get 31! I guess I just got lucky because Glossybox doesn't ask about your skin tone.

Anyway, a lot of stuff to be excited about! I might do a more in depth review after giving some of these products a go. I was also really happy because on the tracking info it originally said that the box would be arriving Oct 3-4 which really annoyed me. I don't really understand their shipping system and it annoys me to no end when I see that it takes over a week to get to LA from Las Vegas!