Hello, peeps~


Recently, I have been very much into Korean and Japanese skincare and one of the products I saw used in Pony's Skincare and Make Up video was a sugar scrub to exfoliate! I got curious and did my research into reviews of the product and it was really positive, so I decided to try it out for myself! 

(not my picture)

Since I wasn't too experienced with scrubs, I didn't use it to it's full potential, where you scrub it into your skin and leave it for about ten or fifteen minutes. I just scrubbed and washed it off afterwards, which was a waste. I quickly learned from my mistake though.
After properly adding it into my routine, and I have to say, it made my nose feel much smoother and cleaner! The scrubs smells a little strange, but it's like the "you know it must be good for you if it smells strange" kind of strange~

I use it about once a week on Thursday which is my skin pampering night, since exfoliating is something that needs to be done, but not overdone! I get small portion on my finger, and, rub it into my nose first (since that's a major problem area of mine), and then spread it around my T zone. I have combination skin so using a scrub is too harsh for the rest of my face, I just clean the rest of my face and use a clay mask.

After about 10 or 15 minutes, I wash it off and continue with the rest of my routine.



My skin has smoothed out since I started exfoliation a few times a week and it helped clear up my break outs. It's important to exfoliate occasionally otherwise your skin will not absorb the products since dead skin builds up.

Finishing it off with a mask or some kind of moisturizer really helped my skin feel good afterwards!

Overall, I am quite happy with this product! It's benefited my oily skin and I haven't seen any negative effects so far!

Have any of you tried a product like this? How did it go for you? Do you have any other recommendations?

Enjoy life!

Nina

Hello, friends!

Wow, so the girl, meaning me, went from literally having no life to having so much on her mind. I began university and my Japanese class is so hardcore! I need to do so much extra study to catch up to everyone (which I am procrastinating from, I hate myself sometimes)

I also spend a while trying to find work and it made me realize how hard it is to find work, I found some recently (finally), which got me thinking of everything I could have done before to help my current situation. Those thoughts inspired this little blog post!

1. Be More Confident and Choose Friends Well

I entered high school with the confidence of nothing, and I think once I found the right people to surround myself with it quickly grew. After graduation, you realize who your friends really are since a lot of mine just disappeared or gave up contact over such little things. High school forces you to see a number of people everyday for five days a week, so it's really the best time to be social and grow as a person socially. I was shy from the very start and it was only in the last two years I started to open up and speak out more, which meant I had lost a lot of time to meet and make friends. And when you are thrown into the real world, you need as much support as you can get.

2. Find Work

Following from No.1, I was always thinking that I was in no position to work, I was scared of disappointing people or making a mistake and not good at dealing with strangers. I think if I properly focused on getting myself in check and found some work or experience, I would have made life so much easier for myself. I guess I couldn't help it at the time, but it's just... why did I do that to myself.

Let's be serious, while you are in school where everything is structured and planned out, it's easier for yourself if you find work and build your skills before moving out into the real world against hundreds of other applicants. That's what I would tell my younger self, very, very strongly.

3. Take Study Seriously

I wasn't too lazy when it came to schoolwork and studied well, I just didn't push my limits and tried to build good study habits and skills. After graduation, I didn't do very much over the holidays and didn't maintain what knowledge I had, so when I entered my Japanese class in university, I had to quickly resurrect all I learnt from last year. Comparing the study I have now to what I did last year, high school is so much easier and I had no reason to complaining about the workload last year :')

4. Make the Most of Each Day

Sitting around and being a potato probably is not the best way to spend my youth, it would have been nice, if I was not working or studying, that I would have gone out and did some kind of activity, whether it's volunteering or taking some extra study. Just to be more productive, you know? 

5. Be Healthier and More Active

This probably sounds a little dumb to suggest I wish I was more healthier and active in high school, but if I was, I would have felt better on the inside and maybe the outside. If I learnt more about health and how to take care of myself, I would have had the positive results for a few years now and made more progress now. The earlier you start, the better of course.

These is a little reflection of mine, is there anything you wish you did when you were in school or any part of your life, previously? Of course, don't have too many regrets! Everything you have done before has helped bring you to where you are now :)

Enjoy life!

Nina

Hello, everyone! <3

Today, I want to share a small review of a White Contrast Organza Floral Loose Sweatshirt that I ordered from Sheinside:


White Contrast Organza Floral Loose Sweatshirt:

Size I Ordered: Medium

Measurements: Shoulder (38 cm) Cuffs (15 cm) Sleeve Length (57 cm) Length (56 cm) Bust (98cm)

I was a bit worried about sizing since a part of this sweatshirt is sheer, which I have been in LOVE with and need more! 

Quality: The reviews I read were quite good, and after I ordered it, I saw there was a review saying the sheer material was itchy (after I ordered). I thought maybe I would be fine but it turn outs the material up the top is pretty uncomfortable and scratches the skin easily, which is disappointing and has made me put off wearing it out for quite some time. Maybe when it's cooler and I can wear a thin shirt underneath, I can.

I was also worried about how the sheer will look across my shoulders, but that was no problem, the thing that is worrying me instead is the design of the shoulders and how the material is stitched together. It sticks up in a way that makes my shoulders look square, haha. 

I give this a rating of 3!

Since the material is putting me off wearing it often, I have to give this a three out of five. I will try to find a way to fix it since I really like the design and colours.

(Sorry for my messy room)

Enjoy life!

Nina

Hello, lovelies~

The other day I was watching a few videos and the celebrities were asked about their ideal type, which got me thinking, why is this question so often asked? Do people really have a clear understanding of what they would like in a partner?

Of course, when I think about these things, I think long and hard. I see everywhere how guys and girls alike hate the idea of someone having standards, since things like friend-zoning and all that is created. But, if you are looking for a partner long term, isn't having some preference important?

I'd imagine a lot of people don't consider marriage and kids straight off the bat in a relationship, but if it's something that will be considered, it's more than likely a lifetime commitment. With a commitment like that, you'd want it to be with someone you are compatible with, or who you can work with well, right?

I remember someone saying, or I read it somewhere, that the purpose of our existence is basically to reproduce. That's a bit harsh, haha. I was also thinking about how scarily similar I am to my dad, and how scarily similar my brother is to my mum. It's not always the case the children take after the parents, but it's pretty common that they pick up some things up from the parents. That needs to be considered too, since you'd want the best for children and want them to be the best people, so you'd your partner to have the traits you'd want your children to have. They need to be the best that they can be in this harsh world, after all.


I think standards has gotten such a bad reputation in the recent years that people forget why they exist in the first place, we can't really function in society without a few rules or guidelines. Obviously, it's not good to be unreasonable with what you would like to expect from another person, but if it's meant to be, it'll work out, right?

These are just a few of my thoughts, what are yours? What is your experiences when it comes to standards and their impact?

Enjoy life!

Nina

Hello, everyone! ♥

Today, I will be writing a post, that will most likely end up as several posts, since there is so much to talk about!

The reason I named this series Gaijin Gyaru, is because, I am a Western girl whose style is inspired by Hime-gyaru and Hime-kaji, and trying to achieve this style can be a bit difficult due to availability of clothing, size issues and so on~ And since Gajin Gyaru, or 外人ギャル, means Foreign Girl (or a foreigner who follows the gyaru style) I decided it fit as my title. But this style can be worn by anyone, and I want to help that~



What is Hime-gyaru and Hime-kaji?  Also known as Hime kei. It is one of the more over the top and also one of the most expensive style of dress of all of the categories. The hime style is largely based on the Rococo era. Gyaru of this style wear dresses or skirts in pink or other pastels with lots of lace and bows. Rose patterns, pearls and crown motifs are also very common. Headpieces range from large bow clips with pearls to rose accents, while the hair is either bleached, poofed up in a bouffant at the top and curled or a wig/extensions are worn. The make-up style has even more exaggerated eyes than the typical gyaru. Hime gyaru does not only include clothes, but many girls see it as a way of life and make or buy custom-made decor for their homes. The style blossomed in the early 2000s but has since declined or turned more casual (this version is referred to as hime kajii), even if the old one is still present. Not to be confused with Lolita fashion. (Source: Wikipedia)

The clothes are so pretty ヽ(ｏ`皿′ｏ)ﾉ

But finding stores that have this clothing can be very hard, when shopping in stores with friends I can barely finding anything, and online stores can be very pricey. I don't even know how long I have spent now, searching, and searching online stores that stock clothing that is easily accessible and affordable. I really regret not asking whether I could visit Liz Lisa while I was in Japan in 2013, oh my lord.

Of course, there is still hope! I have found some stores that may help us achieve what we want, although, they all vary.

Storenvy:

Storenvy is a great place to find secondhand or new clothing at a cheaper price! I have bought bags from there before, which are excellent, and I always see a variet yof clothing on there as well. There have been great priced jfashion items, but they were sold out, so I missed out. So it's good to keep checking regularly!

• Spreepicky is very popular for their cute clothes and accesorries, catering to a lot of harajuku styles, cosplay and even lolita. 

• Kawaii Gyaru Shop specifically stocks authentic Liz Lisa clothing, which I adore to look at, since it's too expensive for me to buy yet (but it's still cheaper than the original price). It's also good that this store has been set up since it allows people to get their hands on Liz Lisa clothing without using a shopping service and so on.

• Kawaii Clothing: This is another cute store that stocks a variety of clothing! I see that with a lot of storenvy stores, the products are quite similar, but it's good to explore to get the best price and size!

eBay:

I have found eBay to be a great place to find new or second-hand clothing at a great cost! Sometimes it can be a bit of a hit and miss since new or authentic clothing can still be pricey, and cheaper ones can be short or of lesser quality, so always review what you buy carefully!


Sheinside:

Although Sheinside doesn't specifically cater to a hime style of any kind since they stock clothing that's really a really western kind of style, if you know what I mean? But there are some pieces that you can use to mix and match to create a style you want. My experiences with them have been great previously, and the items I got are really cute!


Here are a few more stores I might suggest looking into even though I haven't bought from them before, yet:

K-StyleMe.Com/Asian iCandy: I found these as a suggestion to shop at for jfashion/kfashion clothing, and I see why. I haven't shopped from them yet, but the clothes are worth checking it out as well.

Yesstyle: I have seen people buy from this store, for example, Bubzbeauty, and the clothes look so cute! I have seen some unique clothing pieces too, and some of the detailing on some of the tops is really cute! I hope to shop from them soon!

Romwe: I have bookmarked a lot of clothes on this site since some are so pretty! I'm pretty sure that this site is American, maybe, like Sheinside, so the clothes might be more chic than floral or jfashion like~ But it's still worth having a look since some items can be paired well with other clothing items to achieve a nice look!

Lalalilo.com: I very much want to try some of the clothing from this site, it all looks so wonderful! I have bookmarked a few dresses I think are really cute and I hope I can review them when I get them soon!

AliExpress.com: I heard that this was the English version of Taobao so I thought it was worth checking out, and there are some items on there that are of gyaru style! Has anyone shopped from it before?

I hope I will be doing more reviews in the future and hunt down some great purchases to share with you all! Do you guys have any other recommendations of stores that stock nice clothing online or anywhere else? Have you purchased anything from the stores above? How was your experience? Let me know!

Enjoy life!

Nina