philosophy.

One of my favorite things about the holiday season is getting presents for my friends and family. It gets me excited just imagining their reactions when they receive them and open them on Christmas day. To me, gift-giving isn't about finding that "perfect gift" or something that's outrageously fancy or expensive. It's about the gesture, and the thought and care that's put into the presents. Guess you can tell I'm a sentimental person there haha. 

I had a lot of fun picking out these philosophy shampoo, shower gel, & bubble bath items because each scent reminded me of a different friend of mine. I purchased them around Thanksgiving when all the sales were happening so I got four bottles for $40, which was quite a steal because they retail at $17 a bottle. I loved their wide range of yummy & festive scents to choose from and the vibrant colors they come in are very fitting for the holidays!

almond glazed, for the friend who loves nuts 

sweet, candied apple, for the friend who embraces her fire side 

pink marshmallow buttercream, for the friend who adores pink and is the sweetest person ever

vanilla jasmine, for the friend who is classy and versatile, like vanilla 

Review: Etude House toner & night cream

This has probably been the longest I've been away from the blogging scene since I first started this space for my thoughts and all things random. I have no excuses, except to say that balancing school with work, and trying to squeeze in a bit of a social life has basically taken up a good chunk of my time. In case you missed my previous post, which was back in early October, you can read all about it here - it's a little catch-up post consisting of the bits and pieces of my time being back in school during the first week. 

Now that we're halfway through November, you have no idea how excited I am for the holiday season! I'm already in the Christmas spirit even though we haven't started with all the Thanksgiving festivities. You might think it's a little early to get out the Christmas lights and such, but personally, it is never too early. (I've already put up fairy lights in my apartment). The holiday season almost always goes by in a blink of an eye. So, why not start early?!

Anyhoo, I've gone completely off topic and let me just dive right into the review here:

Wonder Pore Freshner 

For the price, this all-in-one toner comes in a very generous size. It has a refreshing and light scent, which makes the skin feel incredibly clean after each use. It's gentle, absorbs easily, and does not irritate my skin. It claims to minimize the look of pores, control oil, and firm the skin. From all the positive reviews I read online, a few users noticed differences in as little as a week. Unfortunately, this was not the case for me. I've been using it every night for over a month and has not seen any improvements to my skin. 

Moistful Collagen Sleeping Pack

I picked out this night cream, because I ran out of the Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizer. The cream is incredibly lightweight and almost has an airy feel to it. Like the Wonder Pore toner, it has a light scent and leaves my skin feeling refreshed. It's very gentle as well as hydrating for my skin. I've been using it as part of my nightly routine along with the toner and have noticed that I wake up with with a slightly brighter complexion than I used to.

~ ~ ~

I think the the toner and night cream are great purchases for those who want to try Etude House's face products for the first time. Whenever I try new face products, I always have high hopes of them working its magical properties and seeing wondrous results. Clearly, that's not the case. But I will continue using them since it does keep my skin fresh and clean, and because I feel it would be a waste not to. I will keep you updated if I notice any major differences! :)

Have you tried any of Etude House's products? What did you think of them? 

Photo diary: Back to school

Back-to-school week is always filled with so many emotions and excitement. Now imagine what it must be like to have what might be your last first week of school ever. Yep, if all goes according to plan, I will be graduating in Spring next year, which makes this my last year at the university. Pretty nerve-wracking, I would say. And seeing the freshmen class with their maps and freshmen lanyards around campus makes me feel incredibly nostalgic. College years really do go by in a blink of an eye.

In the midst of the hectic week, I took some photos to document the highlights of my back-to-school week. I love looking back on them maybe years from now and having a goofy smile on my face, remembering all the wonderful and crazy times I had in college ;) 

- Saturday, Sept 27th - 

Heading home from a mini-vacay in San Diego. After arriving home at 9pm, I unpacked and packed again as I was leaving for school early in the morning the next day. 

- Sunday, Sept 28th -

Move-in day! Move-in days are always crazy, exciting, and extremely exhausting. I tend to take my time when it comes to unpacking so my desk (on the far right) was (or still is) a mess when I took this picture. As I was going through my things, I realized that I forgot to bring so many things from home. Never pack last minute guys! You are just bound to forget something if you do. 

- Tuesday, Sept 29th - 

Though school doesn't officially start 'till Thursday, I had to go to work to finish a few projects before the quarter begins. I ran into this fella on-campus as I was on my way to work in the morning. Deer, squirrels, and raccoons are all over campus so spotting animals around school is an every-day thing. Did I mention that we also have cows?

- Thursday, Oct 2nd - 

Dinner at Rosie McCann's Irish Pub and Restaurant to celebrate the last first day as an undergraduate student!

- Saturday, Oct 4th - 

Fireworks for the 100th anniversary of the Santa Cruz Wharf! Spent the day with some girl friends at the beach and caught the amazing firework show at night.

For those who are in school, I hope you study hard, sleep more, and play wisely.

Be bold, says the pillow

                   

I've always thought that throw pillows can make such fun and statement pieces for the home. With their endless designs and patterns, they bring a little bit of a personality to a room. I picked out a few that caught my eye when I came across society6. I was particularly drawn to their unique and customized styles, which I later learned that their products on the site are designed by artists from all over the world!