My first Japanese mooks (Picture Heavy!)

Boutique and designer brands in Japan like to release a quality glossy spread they call "mook" (magazine + book) with lots of info and pictures, and as incentive they throw in a decent-looking "freebie". These mooks, usually around 1,300-1,600yen each copy, aren't regularly published periodicals. In my opinion, they seem to be what you would call glorified catalogues. I honestly didn't buy the below mooks for what they are, so really I bought whatever that came with the mooks (I guess it's the same for most people?). Yes, I am turning into an even bigger sucker as I would never pay a single penny for any catalogue in the states :X Hopefully the mooks are worth it for those who actually follow these boutique/designer brands as they are little more than picture books for me.

Japanese periodical magazines regularly come with freebies too, good thing they are about half the price of the mooks, around 550-750yen each copy. I really hope these magazines have more worth while contents to make their freebies truly "free." We'll see about that, I have my eyes on a few...

Anyway, I've been reading about the mooks and magazines online, mostly from Rouge Deluxe, and although many look so tempting with their cute and adorable freebies (or rather, the non-freebie selling point), I'd been successfully refrained because it just didn't make sense to pay a boat load to have them sent overseas to the states. But now that I'm here, I see them everywhere at the conbinis, bookstores, and magazine stands. And let's just say they're thismuch harder to resist when they're right in front of you no matter where you turn. So yes, that was how I ended up with the 4 mooks below.

Released September 21 - Mary Quant 40th Anniversary in Japan Mook.

I walk by the Mary Quant boutique all the freakin' time at the Yokohama Station, and while the daisy logo motif is super cute, I wasn't going to shell out some 2,000-4,000yen for simple pouches. And honestly, most of the pouches aren't that much better than the ones usually included in the common GWP promotions from Lancome, Clinique, Estee Lauder, et al., so the prices for the Mary Quant pouches seem totally absurd to me. But of course, that's how a brand markets itself...

Didn't stop me from being curious though :P And I definitely won't deny the freebie tote that comes with the mook is the driving force behind this purchasing decision ^.^ Who could resist such a cute tote bag and daisy accessory?

The tote has the signature Mary Quant print of the daisy on various cosmetics items. It is cotton canvas, though on the softer side, and measures 31.5(height) x 43(length) x 12cm(width).

There are no zipper or snap button enclosures but there is 1 pocket inside, barely visible from my picture...sorry!

A close up of the print shows gold glitter on the pink coloring, really cute!

The white daisy accessory is on a metal ball chain. Over all, the tote feels somewhat substantial and well made. The daisy accessory is a nice touch and together, I do think they are worth the price of the mook. Given the retails of other Mary Quant accessories, I would much rather buy these :P

Below are some highlights from the mook itself. These pictures were not taken in the order of the pages as I jumped back and forth. It seems many of Mary Quant's fashion designs are very mod (well duh, she's famous from the 60's!). Most are in black and white with stripes, checkers, plaids and other geometric prints. The only flowery touch is her signature daisy. I guess I do like these designs and would definitely wear them for their understated chic and easy pairing. You can check out more of Mary Quant's designs via the Mary Quant Online Shop (in Japanese).

Left column, 3rd from top: love this stripey one-piece with the wide black band bottom, 2 pockets and the matching stripey daisy motif at the bottom left.

Dead center: super cute babydoll one piece with puffy short sleeves and again the daisy motif in black at the bottom left.

Dead center: adore the checkered one piece with daisies across the chest.

Dead center: would totally wear this poncho with tied tassels.

Cute small pouches.

I very tempted to buy these finishing powders at the urging of my other hobby. At 3,675yen each they seem to be in line with the rest of the Japanese mid-range makeup world, namely Maquillage and friends.

But 3,150-3,570 for a strap seems a bit ridiculous to me.

Adorable wallets.

Paying more for a nice handbag, however, seems much more reasonable.

Released September 17 - Jill Stuart 世界中が We Love Jill Mook. I don't have pictures of this yet because it's with my sister - she bought it for me ^.^ That said, this was a popular mook so there are other blogs with tons of pictures of this mook already. See Rouge Deluxeand A Dream of Tokyo's posts for pictures and details of this mook and its attached freebie. I will post my pictures later, though of course they will be late and redundant. Oh well...

Released August 26 - Cath Kidston 2010 Autumn & Winter Fly to the UK Mook.

Bought this along with the 2010 Spring & Summer Hello from London edition because Amazon Japan is still stocking both. Why the hell not, right?

2010 Spring & Summer Hello from London versus 2010 Autumn & Winter Fly to the UK

Normally the frilly flowery prints are so not my type, but the boxes the mooks came in are in polka dots. If you know me in person, you'd know that I'm a total sucker for anything in polka dots.

The mook comes with a set of 2 totes, both are made of cotton canvas that is a bit thinner and softer than the Mary Quant tote above. So for daily use they should be okay, but I wouldn't load them up with heavy groceries or textbooks.

The small one measures 17.5(height) x 25(length) x 9cm(width).

There are no pockets inside and no enclosures either.

The bigger tote measures 30(height) x 41(length) x 14cm(width).

It does have an outer pocket with a small velcro closure.

No pockets inside though.

Small versus big tote.

Released March 19 - Cath Kidston 2010 Spring & Summer Hello from London Mook.

I like the freebies from this edition much better, and not just because this flower print is more elegant and easier to stomach. Between these 2 mooks, I personally could do without the Autumn & Winter edition. Having extra totes never hurts, but if I have to choose, I'd definitely pick the Spring & Summer edition over this newer Autumn & Winter edition. If you have access to this earlier edition and not having to pay an arm or a leg, I would definitely recommend it.

This freebie is a set of nicely sized makeup/toiletry/multi-purpose bag measuring 15.5(height) x 22.5(length) x 5cm(width), a mirror, and a tissue case. The bag and tissue case are made of very sturdy polyester, though they feel a tad rough to the touch. In any case, I'd rather they be rough and substantial versus smooth and falls apart easily. The craftsmanship looks solid too, even better than the 2 totes set in the Autumn & Winter edition.

The best part, for me at least, is the inner polyester lining. It is a to-die-for pale sky blue with white polka dots print. Hooray for polka dots xD *happy dance*

The mirror is pretty with the same print on the front and "Cath Kidston" written on the back. As you can see it's bigger than my hand!

The multi-purpose bag has many pockets inside and I would imagine it is excellent for travel.

Even the tissue case has polka dots lining! *squeals*

I'm not going to go into details of the contents of either Cath Kidston mooks because, you guessed it, it's just a cataloging of items. Visit Cath Kidston UK-US or Cath Kidston Japanwebsites of you want to see more.

In conclusion, I would say the Mary Quant and the Cath Kidston 2010 Spring & Summer Hello from London mooks are much better an investment, unless you're a Cath Kidston fan or like to collect cotton canvas tote bags. I don't regret my purchase of the Cath Kidston 2010 Autumn & Winter Fly to the UK mook, but I don't love those 2 totes either. Oh well...

Sunstar Tonic Shampoo

My hair washing routine always include a clarifying/deep cleansing shampoo twice a week even though I don't use any styling products. I have an oily scalp, you see, and my hair gets greasy easily so I have to use clarifying/deep cleansing shampoo regularly to keep my scalp clean and my hair roots clear from oil build up.

Usually, I just pick whatever that's on sale or cheapest, like Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo, but of course since that's not available here, I'd have to find something else.

***Picture from Suave.com.

And you wouldn't guessed it, but finding something is rather challenging. Out of the gazillion choices of shampoos at the drug store, all were for moisturizing, damage repair, shiny, or smoothing. There were several other shampoos for color protection, but I actually found very few clarifying/deep cleansing shampoos! That's odd. May be I'm missing something. Anyway, out of the couple choices I had for clarifying shampoo, this Sunstar Tonic Shampoo looks most promising, so I grabbed it. And actually, there are 2 different colored bottles, green and blue, and I tried the green first.

***Picture from Sunstar Tonic.

I'm not sure why it's called "Tonic" Shampoo, perhaps because of the menthol? Either way, it's supposed to make your scalp tingly and the scent is supposed to be energizing. Well, let's just say it delivers, and then some. Holy crap this stuff is strong!!! The clear shampoo looks innocent enough, but the first time I washed my hair with it, I had to hurry and rinse it off because the tingly sensation quickly turned into burning sensation.

Over time, I guess I've gotten used to it and the strong tingly sensation is actually feels really nice. After rinsing, my hair feels super clean and my sinus is cleared! Two birds with one stone, haha! And surprisingly, this tonic shampoo works better for hubby's hair than mine, as it makes his hair super soft for days after too! He liked it so much that for a week or two, he kept using it every other day instead of twice a week and I had to remind him he doesn't want to strip his scalp too much. I guess this means we'll have to go back and try the blue color bottle as well :)

Chili con Carne

Today was a cooler day and it got more chilly later when the sun sets, so I made a big pot ofChili con Carne to warm up ^.^

Here's my recipe for Chili con Carne.

Ingredients:

- Ground beef, though I prefer ground pork because it gives the chili a sweeter taste, 3/4 lb.

- Bell pepper, I prefer red for the coloring but green works too, 1 large

- Onion, again I prefer red for the sweeter taste but white works just fine, 2 large, diced

- Tomatoes, 12-15 fresh chopped, or 3-4 cans. If you use fresh tomatoes, I recommend picking tomatoes on the vine and clean one to drop in with the chili later.

- Garlic, 2-3 large cloves, chopped

- Kidney beans, I prefer dark red, 1 can, rinsed

- Lime or lemon, 1 slice. If the fresh fruit is not available, use the concentrated juice with a light hand.

- Optional: black beans, 1 can, rinsed. I like my chili less "beany," so I usually only add the 1 can of red kidney beans.

- Optional: fresh jalapeno pepper, 2-3, or habanero pepper, 1-2, chopped, or crushed red chili peppers, 1 teaspoon. Yes, I like my chili spiiiiicy.

- Optional: salsa, I recommend Jack's Special Salsa, 1 container

Seasonings:

- Salt, 1/3-1 teaspoon, to taste. Again you're making several meals' worth of chili.

- Dark brown sugar, 1-2 teaspoons. If you're using fresh tomatoes, use less brown sugar because the fresh tomatoes are already sweet.

- Dark chili powder, generous sprinkles. I don't really measure how much I put in, I just gauze at the coloring and fragrance.

- Cumin powder, generous sprinkles. Since cumin is strong, I tend to use much less cumin than chili powder.

- Black pepper, several sprinkles.

- Optional: Paprika, several sprinkles. When I don't have dark chili powder, I use paprika to supplement the coloring.

- Optional: 1/3-1/2 packet of Taco seasoning. This is sort of cheating, but it will do wonders to your pot of chili, so don't turn your nose up (...yet) and try it.

Steps:

- Brown the ground beef/pork in a skillet, drain the greasy run-offs and transfer to clean bowl.

- Add 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a pot, quickly brown the garlic.

- Throw in the onions and bell peppers, cook for a few minutes.

- Add the browned meat, and before mixing season the meat with salt, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, paprika and Taco seasoning (if use). Mix well.

- Add the chopped or canned tomatoes and cleaned tomato vine. Mix well.

- Add the beans last because all the mixing previously will crush them. Mix slightly not to crush the beans.

- Cook for at least 1 hour, or at least twice as long if you use fresh tomatoes. Stir occasionally and be careful not to crush the beans.

- If you are planning to add the 1 container of salsa, do so 30 minutes before serving the chili.

- Right before serving, squeeze in the lime/lemon or sprinkle in the concentrated juice into the pot and stir quickly.

- Serve with tortillas or bread.

Of course we have tons of chili leftovers since I made a huge pot. Guess what I'll be using it for - chili dogs *drools* ^.^

Lip Balms Part III

Even more lip balms ^.^

Canmake

I reviewed the Lip Essence below a loooooong time ago, but forgot to include them in my Lip Balms Part II post, so I've included them here.

Lip Essence

Similar to Maquillage Lip Essence, these aren't really a balm or a gloss. I think they're a bit of both as they are very moisturizing and gives a bit of a sheen but not full on gloss. I have already reviewed both colors (they are completely sheer!) pictured below, 02 Cassis Pink and 03 Milky Pink, back in 2008, so this brief mentioning is quite a bit late and outdated, sorry!

02 Cassis Pink

03 Milky Pink

EOS - Evolution of Smooth
Never heard of this brand until I saw these Lip Balm Spheres in a magazine (Allure?) and just had to have them!

Lip Balm Smooth Sphere

Yes, these oddly shaped lip balms are a bit of a challenge to carry around. You definitely can't sneak them into your jeans pocket (or any pocket, really) as they will bulge up funny. And they take up lots of space in your makeup bag and don't really sit well in pretty much any bag unless you're talking about a big backpack or handbag. The only good point about their round shape, as far as I can see, is that you literally press your lips together and slather them across, which is what I do :P That, and they're so damn cute!

Unfortunately, they turn out to be much waxier than I would like, and they all taste a bit sweet too. Still, I collect them because their freakin' adorableness is too strong to resist. And plus there are days when I prefer something more dry and waxy as oppose to wet and slick. When I bought them, there were only 4 flavors - Honeysuckle Honeydew, Sweet Mint, Summer Fruit, and Lemon Drop, which just came out at the time. Now there is an even newer member Medicated Tangerine, which I am very tempted to get.

- Honeysuckle Honeydew: I normally don't like melon flavoring so this is tolerably my least favorite out of the 4 and I seldom reach for it.

Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Beeswax (Cire D’abeille)*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Natural Flavor, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Tocopherol, Cucumis Melo (Honeydew Melon) Seed Extract*, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract*, Limonene1, Linalool.

- Sweet Mint: now this is my favorite flavor, as the minty scent and sensation is actually quite strong, very similar to Burt's Bees' Bees Wax Lipbalm. Hubby likes it too but gave up on carrying it because of it odd shape and funny fit in his messenger bag.

Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Beeswax (Cire D’abeille)*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract*, Tocopherol, Limonene¹, Linalool.

- Summer Fruit: this one has a cocktail-like fragrance and I can smell the berries in its ingredients plus something else I couldn't put a finger on.

Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Beeswax (Cire D’abeille)*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Natural Flavor, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract*, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract*, Fragaria Vesca (Strawberry) Fruit Extract*, Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract*, Linalool.

- Lemon Drop: this one smells wonderfully lemony, has SPF but is unfortunately a bit drier than the rest.

Active ingredients Octinoxate 7.5%, Oxybenzone 3.0%. Inactive ingredients Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Fruit Oil*, Beeswax (Cire D’abeille), Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Natural Flavor, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil*, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract, Citral¹, Geraniol¹, Limonene¹, Linalool.

***Lists of ingredients from Evolution of Smooth.

Juicy Couture

A clothing brand that ventured a bit into fragrances and cosmetics, though so far I have only seen lip glosses and a few creams here and there. I've seen many others done the same, and there is probably a logic behind this that I totally missed. Seriously, when I think of getting a lip gloss, I don't think Juicy Couture or Express or Gap or whatever. Just my own opinion, but I think stretching a brand too thin, especially with things they aren't particularly good at, will only cheapen the brand's image. With all that said, I did fall for the heart-shape tin pot that holds this lip gloss. Yes, I'm a total sucker and a complete hypocrite.

Lip Gloss

As I said, I bought it solely because of the heart-shaped tin :) To me, it's not a full on gloss but more like VS's Soothing Lip Balm below, only much thinner, and the minty tingling sensation is faint, not to mention it tastes a bit sweet (urgh). But hey, I really do love the heart shape tin pot. There was another one in hot pink tin too but Sephora sold out of it before I got my hands on it. Damn.

- Layer Cake: smells like minty sweet vanilla, which is actually quite a lovely scent. I wish the minty sensation was stronger though, and it would also be nice if the texture were a bit thicker.

Korres

I'm brand new to Korres and have only recently gotten into their Lip Butters and Mango Butter Lipsticks. I really like it that they have value sets and love it even more that they mix things up a bit every now and then, shuffling the color combinations in their value sets. Those sets are such a great way to try out different colors, especially with a promotion or discount ;) If you like to buy in multiples like me, you can satisfy your curiosity without breaking your bank.

Lip Butter

I bought the Save Your Lips Lip Butter Value Collection with Pomegranate, Mango, and Guava. Unfortunately, so far my impression of these are just ho-hum. They are moisturizing, but neither the color or the lip butter itself lasted even an hour on me. If anything, these feel like glorified sometimes-tinted lip balms, which is why I don't feel guilty for getting an excellent deal on these. I would never buy them at retail value otherwise as they run $10 for .21 oz.!

I do think, however, that these Lip Butters have this really neat texture that reminds me of the Pop Beauty Ribbon Gloss. When you rub your finger on their surface, they feel...bouncy. I really hate the more delicate glosses/balms because any pressure at all will dig a hole into their surfaces, but these Lip Butters? Nope, toy away! Of course now we have to consider the hygiene aspect... -.-'

Pomegranate, Guava, and Mango Lip Butter

- Pomegranate: this gives my lips a coral tint that's really pretty. Pity it doesn't really have any staying power. I haven't really been paying attention to the scent. It's got this waxy smell like some unscented lipsticks, and may be just a hint of fruit, either way it doesn't bother me.

- Mango: oooh I really like the orangey peach tint I get from this one. Again I really wish the stuff lasts longer. It does have a faint fake mango scent that's overwhelmed by the waxy smell. Still doesn't bother me.

- Guava: this one, to borrow my teenage brother's language, is a big fail. The guava fragrance smells a bit better in this one, but sadly that whitish color you see is not transparent. It's not even translucent. It's opaque. Yes, opaque, meaning when I apply it, I get this icky white cast on my lips that's just not very pretty. What were they thinking? Why won't they just make it clear? So this one I wear exclusively at home.

Rose & Co Apothecary

Located in the UK. They have a variety of salves and lip balms, not unlike Rosebud Perfume Company. Rose & Co Apothecary's salves are a tad more expensive, but their tins are cuter than those from Rosebud's :) They also have other toiletries, and I have tried their soaps, as well as bath & shower cream, and lotion.

Rose Petal Salve

Their signature salve. The rose fragrance in this salve is even stronger than Smith's Rosebud Salve, more flowery even. The texture is thicker than both Smith's and C.O. Bigelow's Rose Salve, though it's not waxy or tacky and has great staying power. It is a multi-purpose product, just like all other salves, so I use it on my cuticles too.

Beauty Salve Collection

Spotted this and just had to have it. It contains mini tins of Sweet Vanilla Salve, Cherry Kiss Lip Balm, and Rose Petal Salve. Super cute!

From left to right: Sweet Vanilla Salve, Cherry Kiss Lip Balm, and Rose Petal Salve.

Full size 20g. versus the mini size 10g. in the collection

Strawberry Crush Glossy Lip Balm

This went to my sister too, so other than the nice and tangy strawberry scent, I have no idea of its texture or quality. My sister said she likes it best out of the 4 balms I sent, the other 3 being the collection above. She called me one night and said, hey, this strawberry lip balm is pretty good! And she has similar taste to me when it comes to lip balms, i.e. she's also a fan of VS Beauty Rush Soothing Lip Balm below, so I would take her word for it.

Lavender Balm

I think this is probably my favorite lavender scented item right now. Many lavender scented products tend to be on the strong side (well, lavender oil is pretty strong!), but the intensity of this fragrance is just a perfect balance, not too faint but not too strong either. The balm itself is excellent too, though I use it more on my cuticles, elbows, and knees. It even helped sooth my blisters when I was breaking in my Lily Lumberjack Plaid Crocs! The texture is very similar to the VS Naturally Blackberry & Tonka Bean All-over Moisture Salve below.

Rosebud Perfume Company

I have to at least try every salve made by this company ^.^ To date, my favorite salve from this company has got to be the Minted Rose Lip Balm. It's just the best combination of peppermint and rose and I have yet to come across anything that can even compare.

Mocha Rose Lip Balm

Unfortunately this probably will not climb the ladder of my favor anytime soon - the coffee scent is waaaay too strong. I love coffee flavor anything, but not when it's mixed with rose. I'm not sure what, exactly, they were trying to accomplish with this scent. Were they trying to make a coffee-rose scent, chocolate-rose scent, or a combination or both? Either way, this came out skewed in favor of the coffee.

Menthol and Eucalyptus Balm

Now this is your classic menthol balm with similar consistency as the White Cloverine Brand Petrolatum Salve, only I like it much better because it has a tingly menthol sensation. The eucalyptus helps with sinus clearing too!

Victoria's Secret

Of course my most favorite lip balms get a special mention in this post too :P Yes, that includes several of Victoria's Secret items below and no, it's definitely not because they are made by VS. They are just some of the best lip balms I've used, and I've used many many, just happened to be made by VS, that's all. There are no causal relationship here.

Beauty Rush Soothing Lip Balms

I have already reviewed the original as well as the newer additions in updated packaging pictured below, so I won't repeat anything here.

Clear Shine


Pretty Buff


Petal Soft


Pink Sugar

Beauty Rush Minty Lip Shines

I have reviewed the original too and mentioned it again in my previous Lip Balms Part II post. I have also reviewed the newer flavors Citrusmint and Cinnamint, as well as Vanillamint, Bubblemint, and Berrymint.

Citrusmint

Cinnamint

Vanillamint

Bubblemint

Berrymint

Naturally Blackberry & Tonka Bean All-over Moisture Salve

An all-purpose salve and another hit from VS, in my opinion, and I have backups to prove it. I have reviewed it here.

See my previous posts...
- Lip Balms
- Lip Balms Part II

Care package from home!

Guess what arrived in my mail last night? A care package from mum in law ^.^ YAY

I was totally excited. She sent me some really nice goodies that she knows I love most. Yes, soaps, and shoes :D And she sent extra neosporin because I complained that hubby and I have been hunted relentlessly by the vicious mosquitoes here, isn't she sweet? Hubby got a bit pouty actually, seeing the contents were mostly (if not all :X) for me LOL! teehee...

Luuuuuurv those flats :D

Lazy dinner

My local Coop supermarket has these excellent store brand frozen fried rice so I bought a few bags for days I'm too lazy to cook, like today :P

There are 3 flavors: chicken, pork, and shrimp. I have tried all 3 and I must say they are all equally tasty, not to mention quite convenient as it takes a whole 10 minutes to warm up in a pan :) If I want to dress it up a little, I would dice up a small onion and throw it in first to stir fry, then I crack in an egg and scramble it up. Then in the frozen fried rice. Yum...

This picture shows a mix of chicken and shrimp fried rice. I mixed 2 bags together to make a giant portion so that I have enough to pack a bento for hubby ^.^

The soup I made myself. It is actually a "Japanized" egg drop soup with wakame and enoki, basically Japanese ingredients you don't normally see in the egg drop soups served in the states. I copied this soup from an instant egg drop soup bought also from Coop. It was a very different egg drop soup than what I'm used to, but nonetheless it was good, which was why I copied it :P

Oh, and I prefer Korean nori. Love the sesame oil and salt combination. Sooooo satisfying with rice and furikake.