Summer Hiatus

Dear Readers,

I'm sorry to say that I'm putting my blog on hiatus. The truth is that it's just too damn hot. An average day is over 30 degrees Celsius with 70-80% humidity, and it's still getting hotter!  Right now I'm focusing on skin care and SPF, but I have a good routine which I will not be messing with until the weather calms down! 

Most of my apartment, like my kitchen, is not air-conditioned, and my work is sparing with it. When the aircon is on at work, it's set to 27! That's right. God I miss winter! 

Thanks to anyone who is still reading, and I'll talk to you in the autumn.

This is what I put on my face, and then promptly sweat off.

I keep my skin care in the fridge.

Feeling Fresh without Starting Over

Well it's that time of year in Japan again. If you live in Japan, you know exactly what I mean. It's the time of sweating...so much sweating. With the rainy season wrapping up, I'm no stranger to humidity, and now it's time to bring on the real heat. 

I walk to and from work everyday. My school is on top of a mountain! Okay, fine. It's just a hill. And although I do appreciate what this daily climb has been doing for my legs and derriere, I'm not a fan of starting my workday as a sweaty mess. The sweat will be pouring down my back, face, etc. Now, with that lovely image in your mind, I want to tell you how I freshen up at work, since showing isn't an option. 

Japan has many amazing products to help people deal with the heat. Sea Breeze, by Shiseido, is an absolute summer essential for me! This is a deodorant liquid and powder which you shake and then apply to your skin. It gets rid of any odors and mattifies your skin, leaving skin feeling dry and smelling fresh. This comes in a variety of scents. I have it in peach cooler. At convenience stores you can find this in a smaller spray bottle that's the perfect purse-size. I picked up some little spray bottles from Daiso (Japan's dollar store that is so much more). Some people will pour this into their hand and then spread it on their skin, but I prefer the ease of a spray bottle.

For my face, I keep a bottle of the Ettusais Aqua Splash OB spray in my desk. Not only is it non-comedogenic and fragrance free, it has chamomile extract to calm and cool skin, and regulate sebum. I find this more convenient and effective than blotting papers. This is a great way to touch up your makeup. Spray this on, pat gently, and feel fresh!

How do you stay fresh in the summer?

AIRism at Uniqlo

This is the women's AIRism short sleeve scoop neck t-shirt from Uniqlo, and one of my new obsessions/summer essentials.

AIRism is a special collection of clothing from Uniqlo that focuses on being "light as air" in that hot Japanese summer heat. The tag line is "comfort unlimited." This line has a variety of styles including various tanks, and tees, as well as leggings, slips, and lounge wear.

The material is a soft microfiber blend of 60% nylon, 30% cupro, and 10% spandex. It moves with you, dries quickly, breathes well, and is odour resistant. I wear it on its own, but this would work as an undershirt, too. As for the fit, I recommend trying this on before you buy it. 

It fits much smaller than other tops from Uniqlo. I usually wear a small, because so many of their tops are very drapey and loose, but I wear a size large in this shirt. If you do get a smaller size, and have curves, the shirt will ride up and want to bunch around your waist.

This shirt is so comfortable and I get lots of complements on it. I like to wear it tucked into skirts. It's so versatile, and at only 900yen (or $12.90 in America) it's budget-friendly, too.

Listening to... #1

Here's a little playlist of some things I've been listening to lately. It's a mix of upbeat and more chill stuff. I hope you like it!

Link me playlists or artists you like in the comments!

Review: Let the Good Times Roll

If you've watched my Hawaii Haul Part II, you will know how much I love the smell of this mask. It smells like CAKE! Seriously, people. Cake.

Here's the list of ingredients:

Maize flour, Glycerine, Talc, Water, Corn Oil, Polenta, Fair Trade Organic Cinnamon Powder, Perfume (which occurs naturally in essential oils), Gardenia Extract, Popcorn.

Not only does it smell like cake (have I mentioned that yet?), it makes my skin feel so soft and smooth. I love a product that has all ingredients I can pronounce! It's got maize flour and polenta for gentle exfoliation and nourishment, corn oil to boost skin, and cinnamon to warm and stimulate your skin, leaving it refreshed. This cleanser is both scrubby and gentle, so it cleans but doesn't irritate those of us with sensitive skin.

What Lush cleansers do you love?

Currently Loving #1

Welcome to the first post of a new series! Because you are such smart people, I'm sure you can already guess what these posts will feature! You will see beauty and non-beauty bits here. I hope you enjoy! 

Maybelline Master Glaze Glistening Blush Stick in Pink Fever

This gives a lovely natural finish. It's got a smooth, dewy feel. The colour looks a little intimidating, but it blends out so nicely! These are super easy to apply and wear. I usually put a few short strokes across the tops of my cheekbones and blend with my fingers. If I have time, and want my blush looking extra perfect, I'll go over it using a light hand and my Real Techniques stippling brush. I haven't tried the Nars Matte Multiples, but I think this is a similar product.

These haven't been released in Japan yet.

Washing those brushes!

Am I the only one who doesn't wash their brushes as often as they should? I was feeling ambitious this past weekend. Freshly washed brushes are so nice to use! Every time I do this I wonder why I don't more often.

I use the Shiseido Sponge Cleaner. It was around 400yen, and works like a charm!

What do you use to clean your brushes?