Sunday Eats #2

Here is the second round of my Sunday eats and it's also the last one I did while living in the apartment for summer school. The food was pretty random as I was trying finish some of the things that my parents brought over from when they visited me. 

- Breakfast - 

Yogurt with oats, topped with pineapples and honey. 

- Lunch - 

Quinoa and Mandarin orange chicken from TJ's, Japanese Wakame salad, and a Hawaiian roll fresh from the oven. 

(Put my sweet Hawaiian roll in the oven for the first time and it was delicious!)

For dessert, I had a small bowl of Japanese sweet pumpkin soup.

- Snack -

Half a cup of tea with a bit of almond milk and cookies from TJ's

- Dinner - 

Leftover quinoa from lunch, steamed broccoli with black pepper, cherry tomatoes, Hawaiian roll, and homemade shaomai, which are Chinese dumplings filled with sticky rice, minced pork, and mushrooms (There are many different varieties and this one originates from Shanghai). 

Though the food was all very different and a little random, they were very yummy and satisfying :p

Empties & almost empties review

Hi there! I'm typing this post up as I just got out of a nice and long shower after doing one of Blogilates workouts on Youtube. Tried the 5-minute ab workout for the first time and boy, was it intense!

Anyhoo, after I used up my bottle of Aveeno shave gel the other day, I thought I would do a quick review of it along with a few other products that are close to emptying out. I was thinking of saving the empties and do a collective review on all of them later, but I hoard enough things as it is that I think it's going to be hard to keep track of everything. So here are my thoughts on the things I've used up (and almost using up): 

Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel

First impression: Very gentle on the skin and has a light scent. It works into a creamy lather and leaves skin feeling soft and smooth. 

Product details: Helps you to shave less often and helps prevent nicks, cuts, and razor burns. It's gentle enough to use on sensitive skin. 

Final thoughts: While it didn't irritate or dry out my skin, I still managed to get a few razor burns from time to time. After multiple uses, I noticed that I didn't have to shave my legs as often as I used to. The hair on my legs seemed to have grown back slower and lighter. Though the same cannot be said about the armpit situation. 

Mini Pink Grapefruit Shower Gel

First impression: A basic, travel size shower gel that has a refreshingly crisp and clean grapefruit scent. 

Product details: Soap-free, lather-rich, refreshing grapefruit scent 

Final thoughts: This tiny bottle is not worth the retailing price ($4). While I enjoyed the scent, the shower gel didn't stand out to me.

Nuance Airy Ultra Honey Hair Mask, Japan

First impression: It made my hair feel light and soft. It has a flower scent that's not overwhelming at all. 

Product details: Formulated with honey and milk protein that strengthens and protects severely damaged hair. Leaves hair soft, elastic, and easy to manage. Gives limp and flat hair a light and bouncy feel.

Final thoughts: A quick hair profile ~~ I have naturally wavy thick hair with no split ends. ~~

With all the sun and heat damage my hair has gone through, I feel that this mask has really helped with keeping the ends of my hair hydrated and protected as they aren't as dull-looking as they used to be. Overall, it's a good moisturizing hair mask that leaves hair feeling extremely light and smooth.

I hope you have a warm and wonderful Labor Day weekend!!

Feelin' Blue

It's been such a long time since I've treated myself to new nail polish, and even longer time since I've painted my nails. I was trying hard to limit myself on getting new nail polishes because I tend to go overboard with all of the never-ending pretty colors that they're always coming out with. But while I was in Forever 21 the other day, I gave in and picked up this nail polish in the warm blue color, called Stone Blue. This was definitely an impulsive buy and the fact that there was a student discount happening that day did not help haha. I've never tried Forever 21's nail polishes before, but at $2.80 a bottle, I thought why not. 

This is a nice transitioning color from summer to fall since the next season is right around the corner. (I wouldn't be surprised if the stores are stocking up on Halloween things right about now). The color's not showy, but it still has a very cool and chic look to it. I applied 2-3 coats and expected for it to chip easily after a few days. It's been over a week now and the nail polish is still looking pretty good with no major chips. This is impressive considering that I didn't use a base or top coat this time (anyone else guilty of this?). In terms of the quality, it's way better than the nail polishes I have from Claire's, and I would place it right below the drugstore brand nail polishes that I own - the ones from Maybelline and Sally Hansen. 

Forever 21's nail polish in Stone Blue left a great first impression on me. It's decent quality at an affordable price, how can I say no to that? 

What are some of your favorite nail polish colors for Fall?

Beach, sand, and rocking rides

I've been looking forward to writing this post all day today because it is very different from the usual food and somewhat beauty posts that I normally do. This probably has to be one of my favorite posts to share! A big part of it has to do with the photos I've included because I think they captured my Saturday perfectly - clear sky, warm sand, and fun rides! 

Studying at a university that is only a short drive away from the beach boardwalk - the "World's Best Seaside Amusement Park" according to Amusement Today - definitely has its perks. Despite Santa Cruz being a relatively small and local town, it attracts quite a crowd all year round with its breathtaking ocean views, long scenic drives, and of course the well-known Beach Boardwalk. It's no doubt that summer is the busiest time of the year as families and friends come here for vacation. Since I've been staying here for summer school, this is the first time that I got the chance to get in on the excitement with all the tourists and such. It felt like I was on a mini-vacation myself. 

I remember the very first time that I came to the boardwalk was during the first week of my freshman year. And ever since then, I've been here so many times that I've lost count. Just last week, my friends from home came to visit and I brought them to the boardwalk. And a few days later, I came here again when my parents came to see me. Sure enough, I was back at the boardwalk this weekend when my friends invited me for a beach day! The weather's been really nice and I've been craving amusement park food so I couldn't say no. Plus I'm always down for some good company. At the end of the day and some sunburns later, I caught up with friends, played on the beach, and indulged in some amusement park food. It was all very laid-back and wonderful. 

I'm not sure why it took me this long to get a couple of decent shots of the boardwalk when I've been going to school here for more than three years now, but I finally got around to it this time around and wanted to share them here. The photos that I took are only bits and pieces of the boardwalk, but I hope you enjoy looking through them! Maybe it'll bring you a little bit of that summer vibe ☀︎ 

The view of the Santa Cruz Wharf from the beach


Now onto the rides....

 Fireball
One of the most popular rides at the Beach Boardwalk

 Sea Swings
Imagine the breathtaking views you get to see on that thing!

 Cyclone
Spins at maximum speed. I think I'll pass..

Rock-O-Plane

A ferris wheel that spins backwards where you're in control of rocking the cage you're in.

The view of the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster from the boardwalk...

...and here's the spectacular view from the top

And finally, craving satisfied.