3 WEEKS ✈

Well, 2 weeks and 6 days actually. Until what? JAPAN.
I've had a countdown on my phone for the past 2 or 3 months now, just counting down the days until I leave for Japan. It's so surreal that in less than a month I'll be in another country, adjusting to a new lifestyle and experiencing a different culture. I've always really wanted to return to Japan after visiting with my Japanese class on a school trip in 2012. I didn't really see student exchange as an option either, I honestly thought my next visit would be several years after once I graduated and saved up some money. Well, bless government scholarships and a wonderful thing called student loans.

I'm pretty much all set in terms of paper work, insurance, and flights, which makes it feel a whole lot more official. I've even began organising what clothes I should bring, since I only have a 20 kilo baggage limit plus a 7 kilo carry-on. For someone who's about to spend 10 months in a foreign country, that's not a lot of baggage I can bring. I've also made it a goal to not buy any more makeup before I leave, since I figured I'd have to bring most if not all of what I already have, and I can also binge on makeup shopping in Japan. I honestly think I have a problem...

I also bought a new camera not too long ago, since I really wanted an upgrade on my old worn out camera. I bought the Samsung NX3000, for those curious. I thought this might also be a good chance to use it while I'm abroad, to take some photos and possibly make some videos of my trip. I'm really keen on blogging my exchange experience, so I'm looking forward to doing that. This also means that my blog photos should be of a higher quality from now on, once I finish writing up reviews on some last few products which I have photos of from my old camera.

On a last note, my Japanese host mother finally contacted me on Facebook maybe just over a week ago. I found it strange that a random Japanese woman wanted to be friends with me, but then I saw where she was from in Japan and realised it was the same area my host university is located in. It suddenly clicked and she messaged me a cute short introduction of her family and expressed how they were all looking forward to meeting me. In Japanese, of course. I had a mini panic attack, since I really wanted to reply but I had forgotten how to Japanese. I did end up replying though, and creeped through her whole Facebook page. As you do. Apparently her and her husband have 3 small kids and a dog. I also figured that they host 2 exchange students at a time, judging by her photos and the limited amount of Japanese I was able to read on her posts. Nonetheless, they seem like really nice people and I feel more at ease now that I know who I'm staying with.

REVIEW: Nature Republic Aloe Vera Soothing Gel Mist

Today I'll be reviewing the first item from my mini haul back in July (has it really been than long omg). Introducing the Nature Republic Aloe Vera Soothing Gel Mist. You can find it on the Nature Republic website, though it doesn't offer much information strange enough. If you're familiar with the Nature Republic Aloe Vera Gel in the tub, which I've also tried, then this is exactly that but in mist form. The tub formula didn't really do much for me honestly, but I was drawn to just how affordable it was and how much product it offered. I find that most mists rarely contain anything over 100ml, so I was surprised to see that this came with 150ml. I wasn't looking for anything in particular at the time, but kept my eye out for any sort of mist I could use to hydrate my face and or use after setting my makeup.

The actual bottle comes wrapped up in plastic

As expected of something that comes with 150ml of product, it's definitely a decent size. Unless you like carrying around a bulky spray bottle around with you, I probably wouldn't recommend this for travelling if you're one to slip in a mist into your bag or purse. There's definitely the option of decanting it into a smaller spray bottle for convenience, so I wouldn't let size stop you from trying this mist if you do decide to give it a go.

The actual product itself is quite hydrating, nothing special, but it does the job quite well. I like to keep it on desk with my other face products, since that's where I normally do my makeup and spend most of my time on in my room. If ever I feel like my face is a bit dry or just needs some refreshing, I spray it all over and it usually does the trick. I also sometimes use it after my face makeup if I'm not using the Etude House Lock 'N Summer Face Conditioning Fixer. While it doesn't exactly prolong the wear of your makeup, I like that it adds a healthy sheen to my face and gets rid of the cakey look people often get straight after doing their makeup. Since it's still winter here in Australia, I've also been digging the semi-dewy look as opposed to all matte.

The nozzle for this mist is your regular spray nozzle found on most spray bottles. I can get pretty picky with nozzles, only because I don't appreciate getting squirted in the face by a single stream of product. While this does do a pretty decent job at covering the whole face in a few sprays, I have noticed that it tends to squirt out random blobs of product together with the actual mist. In other words, you get big droplets of product on your face sometimes. This doesn't necessarily bother me too much though, and it doesn't seem to affect my makeup after I spray it all over. It's just something to keep mind if you prefer something that offers a finer mist.

The scent of the mist itself is definitely reminiscent of the Nature Republic aloe vera tub version, if I remember correctly. They pretty much smell identical. For those who haven't tried the the aloe vera in the tub and have no idea what I'm on about, I'd say this mist smells somewhat citrus-y and really refreshing. I think it's definitely a scent that most people would like.

Overall, it's a really decent mist. For the price and the amount of product that it comes with, I think it's definitely worth a try. The bottle itself is probably not the most convenient in terms of size if you like to carry your mist with you, though you can always pour some into a separate spray bottle. The mist isn't the finest mist too, so you probably wouldn't appreciate this if you're picky with things like that. For a basic hydrating mist though, it definitely does the job. It's refreshing and it also smells good.

Would you repurchase?
For the price and value, I probably would. I haven't tried many mists though, so I'm definitely interested in trying out some different ones out there. 

REVIEW: Sukin Facial Recovery Serum & Moisture Restoring Night Cream

Today I'll finally be reviewing Sukin's Facial Recovery Serum and Moisture Restoring Night Cream. I've been so incredibly lazy during my break that I kept putting this off, until I completely forgot about it. I've been using both products for a good 2 months now, so I have a pretty good idea of how they work.

Sukin is an Australian skincare brand who prides themselves as being natural and using natural ingredients in their products. I had never used Skin products before, but chemist warehouse was having a sale at the time and I was in need of a new serum and night cream. I personally love using the more natural products on my face, and my skin seems to like it.

The first product is the Sukin Facial Recovery Serum. The serum is marketed as "a refreshing daily facial with natural actives of kale, spiralling, parsley and acai fruit extra to restore a healthy glow." It's apparently suitable for all skin types and is paraben free. Some may also be happy to know that it's 100% vegan and carbon neutral, and is not tested on animals. It also boasts as a product that doesn't include things such as animal derivatives, harsh detergents, artificial colours, mineral oils, etc. How do you say no to that?!

Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Decyl Oleate, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Xanthan Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract (Acai), Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract (Goji), Spirulina Platensis Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Petroselinum Crispum (Parsley) Extract, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract (Kale), Fragrance (Parfum)*, Lactic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol.

The actual serum comes in a 30ml glass bottle with a standard pump. I found that I needed at least 1 and half to 2 pumps to cover my entire face and neck. Given that I used it both during the day and at night after my toner, it didn't last very long. I had been using the serum in conjunction with the night cream for the past 2 months, and my bottle is now completely empty. It was nice while it lasted, but its life period is probably the biggest let down. Of course if you were to only use it during either the day or at night, it would probably last you a bit longer.

Forgive the weird lighting in the pictures above, but you get the gist. The serum comes out as a white cloudy substance, almost like shampoo(?). The formula itself is quite runny, though definitely denser than water. I would pump the serum in my palm and first dot it around my face and neck before spreading it out and patting it in. The result? My face felt plump and moisturised, prepped for moisturiser. The serum also dries out matte, so it doesn't leave any sticky residue. It just feels like your skin chugged down a big bottle of water. I personally wouldn't wear it alone without a moisturiser though, nor would I say that it gives enough hydration by itself. The directions also recommend that you follow with a moisturiser.

Lastly, the scent is one that I really can't describe. If anything, it smells quite organic but not in a terrible way. I always worry that products with natural ingredients will smell like herbs or weird medicinal plants, but this serum actually smells quite pleasant. As with most products, the scent does die down once it settles into your skin.

The next product is the Sukin Moisture Restoring Night Cream. The cream is described as "Enriched with rose hip, evening primrose and borage oils to promote elasticity and protect the skin's moisture barrier." Like the serum, its marketed as being suitable for all skin types, paraben free, and doesn't include all the nasty stuff as mentioned for the serum.

Ingredients:

Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil , Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Ceteareth-20, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil (Rose Hip), Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Borago Officinalis (Borage) Seed Oil, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Extract, Arctium Lappa (Burdock) Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Vanillin, Vanilla Planifolia Extract, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Linalool,* Limonene.*

The cream comes in a 120ml glass jar. Its quite a thick solid glass, so nothing flimsy. The jar also comes full to the top with product, so you know you're getting a full jar of cream as opposed to 40% air. Like the serum, I've been using this cream for a good 2 months now and I've found that my jar is still just over half full. I do like to slather this stuff on, so I can see this cream lasting for maybe 4 to 5 months. 6 months if you're not as generous, though its recommended that you throw the product away 6 months after you've opened it.

The cream itself is really nice and thick and dries to a satin/matte finish when rubbed in. Great for all those people who hate a shiny finish or a sticky feeling for nighttime. Like the serum, my skin just absorbs this thick cream up and my skin feels instantly soft and plump. Despite it being such a thick formula, it's surprisingly light and doesn't feel heavy at all. You do need to apply some effort in rubbing it in due to the thick consistency, but I find that it absorbs quite well. You could probably get away with just using the cream if you decided to not purchase the serum, though I personally like to use other hydrating products under my cream to maximise the effect. 

Like the serum, the scent is hard to explain. It doesn't smell terrible whatsoever, though if I had to try describe it I'd say it smells really fresh and clean, and not overly sweet. Likewise, it doesn't smell anything like herbs but smells somewhat organic. That's a terrible description, but its just something you have to smell for yourself. It's not terribly strong or overpowering too, and the scent doesn't seem to linger for too long.

Overall, my skin has felt nice and moisturised after using the two in conjunction. I feel like the serum didn't do too much to my skin other than hydrate it, though it was a nice addition to my skincare routine while it lasted. Likewise, the cream does what it's supposed to do: moisturise. My skin looks and feels plump after using it and wake up with my face still feeling somewhat moisturised. I tend to move around while I sleep and often end up sleeping on my side, so there is a chance of my moisturiser transferring onto my pillow. Other than that, both products haven't broken me out or irritated my skin in any way. If you're just looking for a nice everyday moisturising serum or moisturiser, I'd definitely give these a go. I can't say much about the longevity of the serum, though I'm really impressed with how long the night cream has lasted me and how much product is left even after 2 months of everyday use. 

Would you repurchase?

I probably wouldn't repurchase the serum again, only because I feel like I can find better products out there that can offer me better skin properties. On the other hand, I'd be happy to repurchase the night cream again if ever I was in need of one and I didn't feel like ordering online. You get a good amount of product too, so what's there to lose?