♠ Not Your Language? Click Me ♠

HERO IMAGE

HERO IMAGE
PROFILE PICTURE

Welcome to my blog!



If you are in for an adventure paired with lengthy, quirky, brutal honest thoughts then you are in the right place.

My name is Arisa and was a cosplayer for 12 years in Malaysia before settling down in Kyoto, Japan. Exploring Japan full time has been a long time dream of mine, so let's explore it together!
For sponsorship, collaborations and engagements: arisa1443@gmail.com

Effortless Beauty Regime | Life of a busy Mom-to-be

Pregnancy has really taken its toll on me that i became super lazy in caring on how i look which is really bad. I still need my basic grooming every now and then to make sure that i don't look like a hobo whenever i walk out of the house so finding the fastest way i can to look presentable is crucial as in my life depends on it. I've got dull skin (what "glow"? Can eat ah?), eyebags, pimples, aching body the whole entire works, guess that's the price we women have to pay to have a baby lol and it just gets worst until you are ready to push. I've just entered my 3rd trimester recently, and the worst part of it is the itchiness around my belly area because lil parasite is getting way too big and heavy but that's the least of my problems since I've got Wunderbath's body butter to keep the itch under control (will share more about this is another blogpost) but what i can't prevent is the muscle pain/ cramps on the lower part of my body.



For The Aching Body
After a long day of standing and walking for work since i gotta do my rounds every now and then, i could barely feel my legs afterwards lol. Putting ice pack on them when i reach home sounds like alot of work, and that is IF i remember to dump my ice pack back into the freezer everytime after usage which i don't so no ice pack to use :-/
Also browsing online shopping sites has been my favorite past time lately since i dread going out to do shopping with my condition (just lazy) that's when i came across one of Hanaka's Relaxing Cooling Patch, it's like your gel cooling fever patch except this is larger in size with cooling and slimming ingredients in it. And i thought Hanaka only carries skincare products, never knew they had  detoxing, hand & foot care range too, need to explore more of all the products they have as i do find it interesting that my favorite Taiwanese beauty brand has got me covered from my face all the way down to my feet.


Not that i need the slimming function but the cooling one, as it's recommended to be used during/ after exercising, long shopping walks or during sleeping hours when your body is in recovery mood.
It's supposed to help with your blood circulation, easing sore muscles while contributing abit on the slimming part lol, not sure how true is that because each packet has 3 pairs of patches (6 pcs), and in order to see such results you need to be a consistent user as well, so i am not going to emphasis too much on that section but to focus on the other functions this cooling patch provides.
I don't have to put them in the fridge (you could for extra "omph") in order to enjoy this cooling sensation the patch emits and this is also my "shortcut" ice pack alternative lol, like i said from the start this blogpost i'm going to teach you how to stay beautiful inside out- the GUDETAMA way.




Complete Detox
And one can't help but to indulge in a lil more junk every now and then as a result you'll need to regularly give your body a full detox to flush out all those toxins accumulated from processed food, usually i would go for the 1 week juice method but being pregnant it's not recommended to go on a juice diet as the baby needs nutrients from solid food daily for its growth and so far lemon water can't really flush out all that much as a result i started getting more breakouts than usual :-/



Totally forgot the existence of these detox foot patches, i remembered trying one out back in Japan last year and boy you somehow feel much more refreshed in the morning compared to sleeping without it. So my alternative detox solution is now herbal foot patches, the morning result of it looks quite horrifying too (ugh) shows how much i needed a detox as my body has accumulated too much excess "waste" that could not be expelled from sweating & pooping alone.
So if you are looking for really effective foot patches, go ahead and try out Hanaka's Warm Sap Foot Patches which is available in Ginger& Chili Pepper and Red Beans & Barley with bamboo sap in them as an active ingredient.
You will feel a slight warmth (great if you are sleeping in air conditioned rooms) which is normal as this helps you to have a good night's sleep as it flushes out the toxins accumulated at the bottom of your soles. 


Wrinkle Solution
Worrying on a daily basis (from work & lil parasite) + ageing doesn't help with the wrinkles forming faster than in should lol. I mean we can try to lower our stress levels but ageing is a natural thing, and it doesn't defy gravity; so like it or not your wrinkles are gonna kick in sooner or later but all due in time. One of my beauty secrets to keep my skin firm is Hanaka's facial tighten mask, most facial mask functions are usually for moisturizing/ V-shape face or whitening but hardly come across one that actually removes/ lessens fine lines. Rather small sachet but it's not your average cloth facial mask, it comes in a form of gel-like substance which you are supposed to generously spread it throughout your face and wait for it to dry completely before "peeling off" your wrinkles lol. It does make the skin feel firmer & brighter after each session, and masks like these you can just slap them on and go about doing your work without worrying the sheet will slide off your face.



So that's my night time beauty regime for now :D Preggy moms (or non pregnant ones), you can consider some of these products since they don't require much effort to put them on before bed time, at least you'll wake up feeling much more refreshed overall, that's one of the ways to get the best out of your night's sleep.

Now moving on to my lazy make up solution, just recently Miss Hana has released 2 new cosmetic products to their ever expanding family:- Miss Hana Velvet Seamless Liquid Foundation SPF 50+ PA+++ & Miss Hana Lip & Cheek Mousse
. Now that the cushion hype is slowly wearing down, let's go back to the good ol' basics where your long forgotten foundation brushes can be of use once more lol. Come on, don't lie about neglecting your cosmetic brushes since the latest revolution on make up products that gets the work done with just puffing it on or using your fingers to blend it in. If you are always on the go like me then you can consider converting your foundations into cushions by getting those DIY cushion casing, it's pretty simple to do but take note that the coverage given by a cushion puff and a proper foundation brush does make a huge difference :)


My "no make up, but got make up" look

Feels weird using normal foundation and brushes again after not using them for almost a year lol
 but here is how i get ready in 5-10 minutes (max) before heading out, all you need are these 3 make up items and you are ready to greet the world not looking like a sleep deprived zombie. If you have some time for eyeshadow, mascara, etc, then by all means go ahead with your usual routine.

Foundation →  eyebrow pencil → Lip & Cheek color 


My Verdict of Miss Hana Velvet Seamless Liquid Foundation

It's pretty easy to apply on with Miss Hana's dandelion Powder foundation brush and the finishing of the foundation feels slightly powder-ish instead of sticky or dewy. It's a liquid to powder type of foundation with decent amount of coverage but you'll still need your concealer to cover up imperfections unless you dab on your foundation over your pimples/ scar with a beauty blender sponge instead of a brush. Brushes are used for thin and overall even coverage, so it's not meant to leave a "thick" layer on your face. You would need to apply make up base to even out your skin or cover pores before applying the foundation as it doesn't cover up deep pores very well. Lasts up to 5 hours before it started to "melt" along with my oily face but that can be prevented with a good make up base and finishing loose powder.

I've picked 02 Luminous Beige which is the fairer shade out of the 2 shades offered, i'm probably in between 02 & 01 since 02 turned out abit too fair upon application but doesn't look too obvious once it sets in after 5-10 minutes :) 
Love this because it has a powdery finishing, so i don't need to apply on any press powder except if you want it to last longer then abit of loose translucent powder will do the job.

The Brush however is perfect on it's own, nicely slanted head making it easy to move in zigzag or circular motion. Bristles are super soft (gentle for the skin), and doesn't shed hair too which is surprising for a new brush as they have a tendency to have a couple of loose ones since they are fresh out the oven.



EYEBROWS.

Can't stress enough how important these guys are to define your entire face structure, don't believe me? Try shaving off your eyebrows and you'll noticed the difference lol, just kidding!
And i am not asking you to draw on CATERPILLAR (CRAYON SHIN CHAN) eyebrows like how some "beauty" bloggers are doing and justifying their bad eyebrow drawing skills for the Korean "thick eyebrow" trend lol, yes i sound evil but that's a fact.
For me if it's bad, i'll just say my skills suck and not try to fight back but to work on it till i get it right Because life is all about taking in criticism (or feedbacks) to improve oneself right?
For eyebrows, i prefer them natural on a daily basis since mine grew back a decent amount after using Realash eyebrow enhancer for a month, that might be a pricey growth solution so drawing on eyebrows seems like a more affordable alternative plus you can control what kind of eyebrows to have for the day :-P
Eyebrow pencils are pretty tricky as most of them especially light colored ones tend to not give out any color at all unless you draw them on really hard which can hurt alot just to get some color out of it compared to dark colored ones. If you are looking for an easy to use, smooth, long lasting eyebrow pencil do try out Miss Hana Lasting eyebrow pencil.
Come with a brush tip to help you blend in, it's pigmented enough so you don't need to apply too much pressure on it when drawing or else you'll come out with shin chan eyebrows lol. 

Best way to put it is to "sketch" them in lightly



Lastly finishing up with Lip & Cheek color so that you won't look so pale, think these are one of the BEST inventions ever, first discovered them in Japan when brands like Sugao & Canmake came out with their duo function product which works very well (blending with fingers) and convenient for touch ups anytime and anywhere. The only product design flaw they had was, users had to use their fingers to apply and some who are pretty anal about hygiene would find this a big deal. But to me, before usage just make sure to wash and dry your hands so you won't get them contaminated, no biggie. 
Am glad that Taiwan cosmetics are slowly picking up on the trend too, creating their own version of these lip & cheek duo and to be really honest Miss Hana Lip & Cheek Mousse 's velveteen texture and satin finishing does closely resembles my favorite Sugao's lol.




Except at least i have easier access to Miss Hana products without having to pay a hefty sum for international shipping from Japan since you can't find Sugao brand in Malaysia. Also the product is almost similar but one is easier to get a hold of, i would most definitely settle for Miss Hana's Lip & Cheek Mousse instead :)
Mousse type of products have the reputation to be long lasting and easy to blend without giving you "patchy" problems from being too dry (you'll usually get those problems from cream type) and it gives you a nice silk like finishing too.
But for your lips, make sure they are well moisturized first before applying as mousse tends to enhance those crack lip lines, for moisturizing lip solution you can read about it in my previous blogpost HERE.

It's available in 3 pretty shades:-
  • 01 Desire Red
  • 02 Magic Orange (i chose this!)
  • 03 Tutu Pink
If i could have all of them, i would because i love playing around with blushers, usually mix 2 colors to create a more unique blush effect! And i love blushers over everything else in my cosmetic collection haha, that's my guilty pleasure.
You can get all of Miss Hana & Hanaka products from BeautyStall.com, and don't worry as only authentic goods are sold there and they do not support fakes.



So what's your beauty shortcuts?
Mine's pretty simple (in my opinion), but some of your might have even better solution than mine, so feel free to share with me!


XOXO,

1 comment:

  1. I agreed that being a mum-to-be like no energy all the time, your sharing is great ya!!

    ReplyDelete

Your Comments puts a smile on my face :)
Thank you!

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

© Welcome • Theme by Maira G.