Bliss Tried + Blue Body Lotion

I got 4 of these 15mL/0.5fl. oz. tubes of Bliss Tried + Blue Body Lotion from our 4-nights stay at the ALoft Hotel Taipei Zhongshan.

Shin Yeh Part II (Taiwanese Cuisine)

J. arrived into Taipei early the morning after hubby and I did, so we all went out to lunch together at Shin Yeh. It was a beautiful, clear, and sunny day before a typhoon hit the city. Great timing for a short vacation, right? ^.^"

We picked the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi branch on the 8th floor of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store. I'd made an advance reservation so we didn't have to wait. The moment we got there, we were ushered in right away and placed at a table by the window. Here's the nice view that came with our lunch.

Cici Care Rose Oil Placenta Cream

I last met up with my college friend A. and her now husband S. in Taipei five years ago in 2012. They both have been living in Australia for decade now. A while back A. gave me this 100g jar of Cici Care Rose Placenta Cream, and I've been using it since emptying my tube of First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. (On a side note, I just realize I have several galpals whose names start with "A"!)

Cici Care is an Australian brand and while they have a decent list of in-store retailers, none seems to have an online store, not even Cici Care itself! So this stuff is not really available outside of Australia I'm afraid.

Taipei Eats - Zhongxiao East Road area Part III (忠孝東路)

The night hubby and I arrived into Taipei, we checked into our room at ALoft Hotel Taipei Zhongshan and then ventured out for dinner. We both had been craving for Kiki's since leaving Taipei near the year end in 2012, so of course our first dinner in Taipei after 4 years of longing must be at Kiki's. Hell, we're still craving Kiki's right now T.T

We picked Kiki's Fuxing branch, a 10 minutes walk from MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing Station (忠孝復興站). It was the night of September 15, 2016, right smack on Mid Autumn Festival. The whole city was quieter than usual and many shops were closed for business. So we were counting our blessings that Kiki's was open that night. There was a long line even, and we waited for about 30 minutes to be seated.

Lipstick Queen Saint Lipsticks Part III

Even more Lipstick Queen Saint Lipsticks! Recently, I picked up Saint Rouge and Saint Wine and it's safe to say I won't stop hoarding these lippies anytime soon. They're simply awesome.

All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

'Tis the Season of Giving - Asian Brands

Updated Friday, February 24, 2017.

Blog sale for charity final update.

------------------------------------------

Long post ahead. 

Hubby and I are going to move again in eight months' time, this time just across town, at least that's to my knowledge. We've learned to *not* double down on our words because every time we say we're staying somewhere for a while, we ended up moving the next year.

The biggest reason for our next move being:

Yes, there's a tiny one coming and we now need a shoe-box for three.

So I'm letting go of a substantial portion of my collection.

After moving so many time, I've realized I've missed out on the vast majority of my collection because I can only take so much with me. Since I haven't been around to enjoy them, I thought someone else might be.

IMPORTANT:
1. All sales are final. No returns or exchanges.
2. All proceeds will go to charity:
- The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). See their ratings.
- The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). See their ratings.
- Doctors Without Borders, aka (MSF, Médecins Sans Frontières). See their ratings.
3. Paypal payments in USD only.

ORDERING DETAILS:
1. To order, please leave a comment and spell out your email address (to avoid spam). I will contact you privately.
2. All orders will be sent via USPS Flat-rate boxes with tracking and insurance. I hold no responsibilities for lost packages.
3. Shipping fee varies.
- Domestic: Small ($6.80), Medium ($13.45), Large ($18.75).
- International: we'll work something out privately.
4. My home is smoke and pet-free.
5. My collection is housed in a wooden craft cabinet placed in a cool and dry corner of my bedroom.
6. All items will be sent in a cosmetic bag chosen at random.
7. Eyeshadow palettes and face powders are without applicators, brushes, or puffs. I use my own brushes and have long given away the others. If you need them, please indicate so and I'll include new/unused ones at random.

Let's get on to the good stuff. Click on images to zoom. Follow links for reviews and swatches.

'Tis the Season of Giving - Non-Asian Brands

Updated Friday, February 24, 2017.

Blog sale for charity final update.

IMPORTANT:
1. All sales are final. No returns or exchanges.
2. All proceeds will go to charity:
- The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). See their ratings.
- The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). See their ratings.
- Doctors Without Borders, aka (MSF, Médecins Sans Frontières). See their ratings.
3. Paypal payments in USD only.

ORDERING DETAILS:
1. To order, please leave a comment and spell out your email address (to avoid spam). I will contact you privately.
2. All orders will be sent via USPS Flat-rate boxes with tracking and insurance. I hold no responsibilities for lost packages.
3. Shipping fee varies.
- Domestic: Small ($6.80), Medium ($13.45), Large ($18.75).
- International: we'll work something out privately.
4. My home is smoke and pet-free.
5. My collection is housed in a wooden craft cabinet placed in a cool and dry corner of my bedroom.
6. All items will be sent in a cosmetic bag chosen at random.
7. Eyeshadow palettes and face powders are without applicators, brushes, or puffs. I use my own brushes and have long given away the others. If you need them, please indicate so and I'll include new/unused ones at random.

Click on images to zoom. Follow links for reviews and swatches.

'Tis the Season of Giving - Makeup Brushes

Updated Friday, February 24, 2017.

Last several brushes to go for charity!

I started buying brushes around the beginning of 2014, and since then some have become my daily go-to's and others haven't been touched. I've stopped buying brushes I think I need--I now know what I need and only buy those. So here's to hoping someone else might find the below brushes useful. 

IMPORTANT:

1. All sales are final. No returns or exchanges.

2. All proceeds will go to charity:

- The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). See their ratings.

- The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). See their ratings.

- Doctors Without Borders, aka (MSF, Médecins Sans Frontières). See their ratings.

3. Paypal payments in USD only.

ORDERING DETAILS:

1. To order, please leave a comment and spell out your email address (to avoid spam). I will contact you privately.

2. All orders will be sent via USPS Flat-rate boxes with tracking and insurance. I hold no responsibilities for lost packages.

3. Shipping fee varies.

- Domestic: Small ($6.80), Medium ($13.45), Large ($18.75).

- International: we'll work something out privately.

4. My home is smoke and pet-free.

5. This is how I care for my natural-hair brushes.

6. All brushes will be washed before sending. Please allow 3 days for thorough air-drying. If you prefer to do your own washing, please let me know.

7. These brushes have been wrapped in custom brush rolls and stored in drawers, in a dry and cool corner of my bedroom. 

Photos are *not* current--they were taken when the brushes were first bought. Click on images to zoom. Follow links for more photos and reviews.

ALoft Hotel Taipei Zhongshan

Last September, having just one month left in Tokyo hubby and I decided to take a quick trip to Taipei just to visit our favorite eats. J. joined us and helped book our camp site: ALoft Hotel Taipei Zhongshan. It was centrally located and convenient, being just one block away from the MRT Zhongshan Elementary School Station (中山國小站).

Face Stockholm Creme Blush

I consider these Face Stockholm Creme Blush a high-end version of the Canmake Cream Cheeks and Clear Series and a "hipper" take of Stila Convertible Colors. I've been wanting to try them for years but they're pricey, $25 for 0.14oz/4g of product. Stila's the same, $25 for 0.15oz/4.25g, so I only buy during the warehouse sales when they're $11/each after discount.

I bought the below when Face Stockholm ran a 20% off promotion last summer. They were going to discontinue the old formula and introduce a new one. Having read how amazing the old formula was and not knowing how the new formula will be, I finally caved and grabbed a few colors before they were gone for good: Berlin (now renamed to Munich), Milan, Rhinecliff (now Rhinebeck), and Shanghai (I don't see Shanghai anymore, but there's Hongkong that looks similar).

All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

A day in Nezu, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Part II

After having a delicious kamameshi lunch and taiyaki snack, T. and I walked over to Nezu Shrine famous for Tsutsuji Matsuri (Azalea Festival) during the month of April.

BeautyMate Sakura Series Deep Cleansing Oil

Bought this 200mL pump bottle of BeautyMate Sakura Series Deep Cleansing Oil a few years(!) back and totally forgot about it until now. Woops. Good thing it's still ok and I've been using it for a couple of weeks now, after finishing The Body Shop Moisture White Shiso Make-up Cleansing Oil. Don't be forgetful like me, folks. Skincare products do expire.

A day in Nezu, Bunkyo, Tokyo

While in Tokyo, I frequented a cafe and made friends with a gal who works there. T. had spent a few years in Australia as an international student, so we had lots to chat about. In the second week of September, she had a few hard-earned days of vacation and was kind enough to spend one of those days introducing me to her hometown Nezu (根津).

On another note, I made it to the middle of September in my photo backlog. Will post about a quick and gastronomically satisfying trip to Taipei soon ^.^

Anyway, T. and I met up at Nezu Station and she suggested a kamameshi restaurant. I had zero objections as I love kamameshi. Turned out the place also serves yakitori. What's better than having one of your favorite foods? Why, it's having two of your favorite foods, of course! 

Clinique Butter Shine Lipstick Part III

Long time no Clinique! Had this freebie Butter Shine Lipstick in Baby Baby for a long time now, so here's an quick and utterly overdue post for it.

These lipsticks had been discontinued for a while now, and I'm not too heartbroken about it. Yes, I really loved the formula and I raved about it when I first tried it, but I haven't indulged in more of them due to the color selection.

All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye & Lip Make-up Remover

One 300mL pump bottle of Bifesta Cleansing Lotion last me the entire time hubby and I were in Tokyo, and then some. I didn't finish the bottle even, and prior to leaving Tokyo I passed it on to a friend.

Since settling in back home I've been using this 150mL/5fl. oz. bottle of The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye & Lip Make-up Remover instead. Mine is actually an older version as the packaging is now different and the product is called Camomile Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover, even though it still works for both eyes and lips.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, Shinjuku, Tokyo

The end of August took me to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building with my friend K. and her two year-old toddler, K.

K. and I have actually known each other since 2005, when I was a JET in Takaoka, Toyama, at the same high school where K. was teaching. She was one of the teachers I taught with and we've kept contact intermittently over the years. When hubby and I moved to Tokyo in the late summer of 2015, we met up for lunch every few months or so.

Pond's Age Beauty Creamy Cleansing

Bought this 150mL pump bottle of Pond's Age Beauty Creamy Cleansing before leaving Tokyo and didn't have to take a picture of the outer packaging. So when I took it out to use, I tore it all off before remembering that oops, no packaging photos. Oh well.

Nanzen-ji, Kyoto, Kyoto, Part III

The final installment of Nanzen-ji and the last of our adventures in Kyoto.

Having waited out the pouring rain in the pond garden of Nanzen-in, we moved on to the Hojo next (方丈, head priest's living quarter).

Precious Garden Hand Cream Part II

At long last, after some 9+ months I finally finished my previous tube of Precious Garden Hand Cream in the Relaxing Flower scent. Now I'm moving on to the second 70g tube in the Honey Peach scent.

Well, it smells neither of honey or peach but rather a generic but pleasant fruity flowery scent. It's not overpowering and I only use half a pea size amount each time anyway.

See my previous Precious Garden Hand Cream post.

Nanzen-ji, Kyoto, Kyoto, Part II

Here's a quick detour to Tenju-an, a sub-temple at Nanzen-ji. The original Tenju-an's completion date was 1337, but it was burned down some 110 years later along with most of Nanzen-ji in a great fire of 1447. 

Biore UV Perfect Milk SPF50+ PA++++

Just realized I'd forgotten to post this review of Biore UV Perfect Milk SPF50+ PA++++, which I'd finished using last November.

No, it didn't take me that many months to finish a 60mL bottle. Rather, it was a combination of mixing with the 25g tube of Anessa Perfect Essence Sunscreen, all while experimenting on the side with several other half-used tubes and bottles, among them Menturm the Sun UV Watery Milk, Hada-Labo Koi-Gokujyun Perfect UV Gel, Sunkiller Perfect Strong Moisture, and Nivea Sun Protect Plus UV Creamy UV Essence.