Tea Time Part V

Here's a bunch more teas to share with you ^.^

***Disclaimer: I'm *not affiliated* with any of these vendors. Just sharing the goodies I enjoy is all.

Last fall, my reader and friend Julia recommended to me a tea from the German brand Ronnefeldt (thank you, Julia!), a flavored green tea by the name of Morgentau which was one of their best-sellers. So I did some googling and found a tea shop in the USA that carries it: Mrs. Robinson's Tea Shop. While browsing their website, I also stumbled upon a Strawberry Genmaicha that sounded different and yummy enough, so I picked up some of both. 

Snack Time

Since last fall, dear friends in Japan have been sending me care packages with snacks and other goodies. The first giant package I got in November was from sweet Julia who sent me a whole lot of everything I love: adorable printed masking tapes from Daiso, sweets, snacks, tea, hand cream, and lippies! How am I so lucky, I've no idea, but let's just say the sweets and snacks and the tea didn't last past the month. Good thing I took notes as I ate (and drank) them ^.^

Paul & Joe Foundation Primer

After years of reading raves about Paul & Joe Foundation Primers, I finally, finally tried one, not one of the "originals" but instead the LE Sparkling one from the 2017 holiday collection, in the color 001 Pop a Champagne Cork (there's only one variation available).

All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

Through various purchases I ended up with two 4mL/0.14fl. oz. Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate in trial glass bottles with droppers and two more 2mL/0.06fl oz. in a plastic packet.

Kora Organics Noni Glow Face Oil

Here's a quick post for the 1mL/0.034fl. oz. sample tube of Kora Organics Noni Glow Face Oil that I used up in two days :)

Lipstick Queen Saint Lipsticks Part VII

Over the past year (can you believe it's been a year since my last Lipstick Queen Saint Lipsticks post?!), I've collected three more Saint Lipsticks in Saint Mauve, Saint Coral Red, and Saint Bright Berry, the latter two being the newest additions to the lineup. 

All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Pure Shower UV Cut Water Gel SPF30 PA+++

Having gone through a few bottles of Nivea Sun Protect Water Gel for Kids, I figured it was time for something new and opened this 280g/9.9oz pump bottle of Pure Shower UV Cut Water Gel SPF30 PA+++ for our little one as his daily sunscreen. I use it for him but really this was meant for the whole family.

SunPlay Clear Water SPF50+ PA++++

Some time last fall I started browsing Rakuten Global in English, finally. I've known about it for years, and I'd stayed away for just as long because, truth be told, the site sucks balls. Rakuten basically cranks its whole Japanese website through a translation engine, and a sh*tty one at that (to be fair, Japanese isn't exactly an easy language to translate). This sh*tty translation engine then goes on to trash the whole search function, because it translates Japanese product names into gibberish English and vice versa, often with some kana still intact.

Take this disaster, for example: erhhh...UV what now? O.o

***Screencap courtesy of Rakuten Global in US English. Feel free to replicate your own search if you're skeptical. The actual victim product, Biore UV Athlizm Skin Protect Essence, was well-reviewed by Citrine.

With the search engine rendered unusable, the only option left is to browse by category and the wade through the thousands and thousands of products listed page by page. They don't make it easy for you (or me!) for sure. Perhaps the interweb user-friendliness hasn't gone mainstream in Japan yet. Ha.

Anyway, knowing I'd have to restock my sunscreen supply for use this summer, I started browsing early, just to get acquainted with the website and its kinks (pun intended :P). That was when I started seeing these "tinted" sunscreens, and by tinted I meant blue or lavender and often with micro-shimmers. Since I've used and liked Biore SaraSara UV Perfect Bright Milk which was tinted pink, I was open to the idea of blue and lavender and ended up with two 26mL/30g bottles of SunPlay Clear Water SPF50+ PA++++ (and its sister Skin Aqua Tone Up UV Essence too, will review later).

All below pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Clarins Men Revitalizing Gel

Hubby started using this 50mL/1.7oz. pump bottle of Clarins Men Revitalizing Gel for a couple of weeks now so here's another quick post for it. Of course I've been "borrowing" some too :P

Suqqu Eye Color Palette Part VI

Last year, I spotted not one but two(!) Suqqu Eye Color Palettes on E(vil)bay for around $20 NIB with free shipping and snatched both up without hesitation: 03 蒼瑠璃 (Aoruri) and EX-05 澄茶墨 (Sumichazumi).

All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Nature Republic Forest Garden Cleansing Oil Part III

After the detour that was Estee Lauder Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Balm, I came back to the last of my queue-jumper due to leaky packaging: this 200mL bottle of Nature Republic Forest Garden Cleansing Oil in Chamomile. 

Kiehl's Glow Formula Skin Hydrator

Here's a quick post for this 5mL/0.17fl. oz. tube of Kiehl's Glow Formula Skin Hydrator, from the same Sephora Play! Smarts: Skincare by Age 40s as Tatcha The Water Cream.

All pictures taken in natural light without flash.