Review: Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes

This is a review for the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes!

I got these during my trip to New York!

What it does:  
Make-up Remover Cleansing Towelettes effectively dissolve all traces of dirt, oil and make-up--even waterproof mascara--for clean, fresh skin in one easy step. These gentle, ultra soft cloths contain superior cleansing technology so effective it removes even waterproof mascara. With one step, it leaves skin thoroughly clean with no heavy residue, so there's no need to rinse. And it's gentle enough to use around the sensitive eye area, even for contact lens wearers.

(from the Neutrogena website)

Price: I'm not sure how much I paid, but the refill pack was $5 at Target.com and $7.99 at drugstore.com.  Each pack contains 25 pieces.

Size: 7.4 inches x 7.2 inches, or 19 cm x 18.5 cm, according to the package.  It is pretty big!

Pros:
- VERY moist!  I usually find makeup wipes to be too dry to effectively remove makeup, but this was really good!
- didn't irritate my eyes
- got everything off, including my eyeliner and mascara
- not drying
- each sheet is BIG, which means I can always find a clean spot to wipe with.  If I wipe with a spot which is already dirty, that's not really making my skin clean!

Cons:
- the instructions say not to rinse afterwards.  Huh?????  I can understand that they say "no need to rinse", but the instructions on the website say "do not rinse."  Not rinsing makes me uneasy (and yes, I always rinse afterwards).

- A friend said that my face was red after using these.  This happened multiple times.  This is really weird because the wipe was not irritating to my skin.  I think that maybe my skin just doesn't like getting rubbed...

- they close with a sticker (vs a ziplock bag), which means they will dry out over time


Would I repurchase?  Yes!


All in all, I really liked these.  I don't like using wipes for everyday usage, but that is my personal preference and doesn't really have to do with this product in particular.  I wish they were available in Japan!

Having said that, I've read numerous reviews saying that the Target brand wipes are just as good, and they are slightly cheaper!  It's worth checking them out if you can get a hold of them!

Hope you liked that review!  Please let me know if there's anything else you would like me to review from my New York Haul (posts here and here)!!

xoxo, K

Comparison: Beauty Blender vs Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge

This is a comparison for the Beauty Blender and the Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge!

The Beauty Blender is a great makeup tool, but it's pretty pricey!  I heard the Sonia Kashuk one is a good dupe, so I picked up both during my trip to New York!

Left: Beauty Blender (Pink)

Right: Sonia Kashuk (Purple)

Price: $19.95 (Beauty Blender) vs $9.99 (Sonia Kashuk)

The Beauty Blender is a whopping 2625 JPY (around $28.50) in Japan!

Unfortunately, we don't have an equivalent like the Sonia Kashuk!!

Availability: 

The Beauty Blender is available at Sephora and online!

The Sonia Kashuk Sponge is available at Target!

Size:

You can see from the picture above that the Sonia Kashuk is slightly larger.

It is also slightly bigger in diameter.

HOWEVER...

Both are designed to be used damp (soak them in water and squeeze out the excess)

We need to compare them wet!

Wow, the Beauty Blender expands A LOT!!!!

When it is damp, the Beauty Blender is bigger than the Sonia Kashuk!

Density:

This was the most difficult part about this review - how to show the difference in density!

I put a few magazines on top of the two sponges for the picture above.

You can see that the magazine is slanted towards the Beauty Blender.

The Beauty Blender has more bounce.  The Sonia Kashuk is stiffer.

Overall: I prefer the Beauty Blender for a few reasons.

- Shape: I think the simple shape of the Beauty Blender is easy to use.  The Sonia Kashuk is easier to hold, but the curves on the side make it hard to use anything other than the bottom and the tip for application.  With the Beauty Blender, I can use any part of the surface for application.

- Density: The bouncier Beauty Blender is easier to use when I stipple and blend foundation onto my face.  However, the big difference is when I clean the sponge.  I found that I had to squeeze harder when cleaning the Sonia Kashuk.  I'm not very confident that it got 100% clean each time, and I felt that the lifetime of the sponge would be shorter since I squeezed it so much.

BUT... Considering the difference in price, and that neither sponge will last you very long, the Sonia Kashuk is a good dupe.  I'm going to see how long each lasts, so that I can do a better comparison!

Either way, I'll be picking up another one of each on my next trip to the US!

xoxo, K

PS:  Looking for Japanese cosmetics? Nic Nic has opened up a new store called a pop of kawaii where you can get lots of great Japanese cosmetics! Be sure to check it out!

Love from Anastacia / Empanadas, Coleslaw, and Kit-Kats

I got some love from Anastacia!

She very kindly sent me the Laneige Water Sleeping Pack!

 Wow, I've been really interested in trying this!

She also included some face masks from the Face Shop!

Thank you so much, Anastacia!

Some quick food porn:

This is the newest LE Kit-Kats  (Strawberry & Cranberry flavored)

I've been making this really easy, really tasty coleslaw lately!

Just shred cabbage, blanch it, and mix with oil-free dressing.
Blanching it (or alternatively, microwaving it for one minute) will reduce the volume and make it easier to eat, while retaining the crunchy texture.

I really like Japanese oil-free dressings (like this one) because they are really fresh-tasting and not overly sweet!

I also like to add a bit of ponzu and concentrated soba sauce!
I can eat up a whole plateful of this!!  

I've been making empanadas again!

THESE ARE SERIOUSLY GOOD!!!!!  The filling contains ground beef, onions, tomatoes, chopped olives, and chopped hard boiled eggs.  I'll add more olives and more boiled eggs next time!

I'm also getting better at making the pastry!

I love to stash them in the freezer so that I can pop one into the microwave in the morning.

Hope you're having a great week!

xoxo, K

Bra Fitting by an Expert!

 I went bra fitting in New York.

If this is TMI for you, please skip this post.  This was such an amazing experience that I had to make a separate post on it!

 

I went to Orchard Corset Center on the Lower East Side after reading reviews on Yelp!

The store looked pretty seedy from the outside, and the inside was also pretty shabby.  I swallowed my doubts and told the lady I wanted a T-shirt bra.

She took me aside, told me to take my shirt and bra off, and handed me a bra.  It fit perfectly!!  Without even measuring me!!!

She fixed the straps, saying,  "I don't trust anyone with the straps.  You and every other girl that walks in here wear their bras too low!"  She told me to put my shirt back on.



OMG.  I looked totally different!  I looked thinner, and my boobs just... looked better!  AND the bra was REALLY comfortable.

I asked her for 2 more of exactly the same one, and also asked if I could wear the one I had on.  She laughed and told me that most girls do that!

AND the bras she had were all affordable.  There are other bra stores in New York, but I've read that the bras they sell you are pretty steep.  These were very affordable, in fact, I found that they sell the exact same ones on Amazon for the same price.  She is FAST, too.  I was in and out of that store in less than 15 minutes.  I think I waited the longest for my credit card to go through!

Basically, the lady takes the guesswork out of figuring out the different types of bras, and helps you to find the correct size!  Apparently she's been doing this for 28 years!



This was TOTALLY different from being measured at Victoria Secret's or any department store.  I seriously recommend you to get fitted by an expert!  I just searched for "Bra Fitting" on Yelp!

(Oh, and read the reviews for Orchard Corset Center on Yelp.  They are pretty funny, but they are DEAD ON accurate!)

That's it for my New York posts!  Now back to writing reviews!

xoxo, K

Food - Mitarashi Dango (rice dumplings with sweet soy sauce)

eki requested that I do a post about mitarashi dango (mochi dumplings with sweet soy sauce glaze)!

 Please excuse the lopsided dango - I made these myself!

I got the recipe from cookpad.com (a Japanese cooking site similar to allrecipes.com).

Dango are pretty easy to make, but they take some practice to make well!

Basically, you mix joushinko (a type of rice flour) with water, knead well, roll it into balls, and boil them.

The dough is really hard to knead, and it won't be sticky, so it's hard to know how long to knead it.

However, if you don't knead it well enough, the dango won't become sticky after they are boiled!

Dango made from rice flour will become hard the next day, similar to the way day-old rice is hard.  Some people knead some tofu into their dango, which helps to keep the dango soft.  I like dango with tofu because it lightens the texture!

Mitarashi (the sauce) is made from soy sauce and sugar, thickened with soy sauce.  I like to add mirin (a kind of sweet cooking wine) to the sauce to give it a nice glaze.

Eki-chan, hope that helped!

xoxo, K

Winner - 400 followers giveaway!

Thank you so much for all the great suggestions for a new MAC eyeshadow! There were over 75 entries!!

Guess what the most suggested eyeshadow was?  Surprisingly - Ricepaper!

Here are all the colors which got more than 1 vote:
6 votes: Ricepaper
4 votes: Amber Lights, Club
3 votes: Beautiful Iris, Contrast, Cork, Greensmoke, Humid, Patina, Stars 'n Rockets, Sushi Flower, Trax
2 votes: Bronze, Jest, Naked Lunch, Romp, Shroom, Soba, Sweet Lust, Twinks

Thanks again!  I'll be sure to check out some of these great colors!!


The giveaway winner is... 

Musicalhouses for her suggestion of Club!  

Please contact me (bihadadiaries at gmail dot com) with your full name and mailing address within 3 days!

Thanks again for joining my giveaway!

xoxo, K

Hauling in New York - Part Two!

Here is Part 2 of my haul!

I realized I didn't take pictures of some of the things I bought that I've already started using! I'll try to find some pictures online!

I collect Starbucks City Mugs!

The one for New York was a bit boring, so I got this mug instead at the Metropolitan Museum of Art!

I went to Lush and got some things!

Angels on Bare Skin

Brazen Honey Fresh Face Mask (I love this so much I got two!)

Love Lettuce Fresh Face Mask
I realized that these containers leak... especially Brazen Honey!

New! Solid Shampoo

I went to Bath & Body Works and got 5 full sized items!

Velvet Tuberose Shower Gel and Body Lotion

This is a new scent for me, and I really like it!

Twighlight Woods Body Lotion

I love this scent so much...

 ...that I got the body splash as well!

Twilight Woods Body Splash

Moonlight Magic Shower Gel

I'm not sure yet if I like this one!

I went to MAC to Back 2 MAC
They were snotty again!  Either I don't have the confidence to pull off shopping at the MAC, or I have too high standards from living in Japan!!!

 Silver Ring Eyeshadow

Goldmine Eyeshadow


I went to Target...
I'm not going to bore you with the multitude of other things I bought, but here are the beauty things!  Looking at it now, it's not much!
(Mona kept wanting me to go to CVS with her!  I should have, because I did not get half the stuff on my wishlist!

NYC bronzer

L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara

Cover Girl Lash Blast Volume Waterproof

Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eyeliner

 Neutrogena Makeup Remover wipes
These are SO much better than any wipes I can find in Japan!

Milani Liquif' Eye Eyeliner
I got the black one, and it's seriously LOVE!!
I should have gotten more!

Brush Cleanser
I'm pretty sure I got this at a drugstore somewhere!

Band-Aid Friction Block Stick

This is such a fantastic invention!  I buy one every time I go to the US!

ROC Deep Wrinkle Night Cream

This is the only anti-aging item I bought... even though I was planning to buy a LOT more!

The Sonia Kashuk Beauty Blender Dupe

I've tried both, and I like the Beauty Blender more.  Then again, I think this is pretty good for $10!

Magazines!

Isn't it funny how American girls buy Japanese magazines, and I like to buy American magazines???

Real Simple is my LOVE.  Too bad it's not shipped here!

That's it!  Not too much!!

I really was planning on going crazy, but something held me back...

I think that when I went to Target, I didn't buy everything I wanted, but then I got over my urge to haul!  Oh well!!

Next up: My bra fitting experience
xoxo, K

Hauling in New York - Part One!

Someone very kindly helped me get some things from the Sephora Friends and Family / Urban Decay Friends and Family sales!

I FINALLY jumped on the Beauty Blender bandwagon!

I've tried it a few times already and I really liked it!

I'll do a full review of it soon!!!

(The red tape is to stop the cleanser from spilling in my luggage)

Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Corrector

Hopefully my skin tone will improve with this!

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Can you believe I FINALLY got my hands on this?

I've wanted it since I started blogging a year ago!

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner

I haven't tried this yet since I'm still using my Milani Liquif Eye liner (which is LOVE)!

Stella by Stella McCartney

This is a perfume which really brings back memories for me.

I LOVED it, but after I finished my bottle, I could not find it anywhere in Japan!

Imagine my surprise when I found out that Diana also bought the same perfume!

See?  Not much!

Part 2 is going to be the rest of the stuff I bought!

(Trust me, it was surprisingly little...)

xoxo, K

PS: Don't forget to join my giveaway!

CLOSED - GIVEAWAY - Canmake Lipgloss & Blush

I've reached a whopping 400 followers!

Thank you so much for reading and supporting my blog!!!

To celebrate, I'm doing a quick giveaway!

Here are the prizes:

Canmake Nudy Glow Rouge Lipgloss in 06 Peach Milk

Canmake Cheek Gradation in 06 Candy Stripe

Peach Milk and Candy Stripe are the newest colors in these lines!

I'm so excited about these new colors since both Nudy Glow Rouge and Cheek Gradation are such popular products

No swatches since these are brand new and still sealed!!

Here's what you need to do to win this!
In the comments, please answer this question:

What one MAC eyeshadow would you suggest I buy?

(1) Please suggest something I do not currently own.  I have the following:

Vanilla, All That Glitters, Nylon, Satin Taupe, Honey Lust, Sumptuous Olive, Mulch, Woodwinked, Carbon, Phloof!, Silver Ring, Goldmine, Parfait Amour

(the color you suggest does not have to be a neutral!)

(2) Please suggest something from the permanent line!

(3) If you are not familiar with MAC eyeshadows, this post from Temptalia may help!

(3) This giveaway is open to everyone who is publicly following my blog!

(4) The deadline is 23:59 on Saturday, May 15, Japan Standard Time!

Thank you so much for your love, and I'm looking forward to reading your suggestions!

xoxo, K

Eating out with Mona!

Mona took me out to eat on my last day there!

What better way to end my trip than to go food hopping!!!

(Yes, I did get to meet Charlotte as well!)

Pommes Frites with Mango Chutney Mayo!

Lobster Rolls!

Crab rolls!

Crab claws!

YUM YUM!!!

Mona generously gave me some gifts!

Lush Snowcake soap!

Lush Smitten hand cream, which smells like Snowcake!

Bath bomb!

EOS lip balm!

FOOD

Eyeshadows!

Falsies!
These will be my first American falsies!
I wonder why the lashes are so different from Asian falsies?

An Eyeko palette!

Lipgloss!

MAC creamstick!

Stila Lip and Cheek Stains!

MAC Oh Baby Lipglass!

Thank you so much, Mona!

I had a great time with you!

Next up: My haul, part 1 (I bought surprisingly little!)

xoxo, K