This is What She Saw

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Valentia Royal Rose Serum | Review

Ah, this is a long awaited post since February of this year. I received this product from BrandBacker and Valentia for my opinion earlier this year but couldn’t formulate one within a week of receiving it because I don’t normally wash my face in the evening.

Yes, I know this is bad, but when I came home from school this last semester I was so exhausted. I’m not used to staying on campus till about 9pm or 10pm. We were there this late for activities that my brother got us into. I was primarily in them because I’m his driver (he’s fresh to driving in the busy city) and then became head photographer for one of the events without knowing until the week before.
So I extended my time so I could actually use it consistently for at least a week. Unfortunately, I didn’t take pictures, but my face really didn’t change when using the serum. It did improve but that’s because I changed from a Korean acne regimen to Murad because the Korean one caused some nasty outbreaks about halfway through. (I used it from February to the beginning of May when Jere and I came home from uni.)
Despite that, I’d like to believe that it did help calm my skin down when I used it night, the only time you’re supposed to use it. It had a faint rosy scent and is made of 98% natural ingredients. I’m fine with the scent being faint since strong floral scents give me headaches. When applied to the face, it absorbed after about a minute or less. I lose time whenever waiting; I’m usually impatient! I’m tired and want to go to bed haha!
I stopped using it recently since I’m monitoring my face for now while using Murad and only that until my skin is somewhat normal. I’ll probably go back to using it sometime in the near future. Supposedly, serums are good for summertime since they’re lightweight.

For those of you who are curious, according to Valentia, this serum is nourishing and will
  • deeply moisturize skin
  • provide antioxidant protection
  • soothe & nourish dry skin
  • smooth skin tone and texture
  • boost skin resilience.

It goes on to list the important ingredients that contribute to the results listed above:
  • Rose Damascene: One of the most nourishing and skin friendly natural oils, providing balance, moisture, and a variety of vitamins and minerals to the skin.
  • Niacin amide (Vitamin B): This potent vitamin has been clinically prove to fade away hyper pigmentation, sun spots, and acne .
  • Rosehip Seed Oil: Naturally rich in Vitamins C & A, these essential fatty acids work quickly to lock in skin’s moisture.
  • Evening Primrose Oil: Provides light, non-oily moisture to the skin, never clogging or irritating the skin.
  • Bearberry: Reduces melanin production, thereby lightening the skin, revealing a brighter complexion.
  • Lavender: Heals the skin, treating pimples, wounds, and sores.
I’m familiar with all of the ingredients except for bearberry. That’s truly a first for me to hear. I must say, this tiny bottle comes packed with everything good for your skin at any age. It’s moisturizing and nourishing at the same time, helps with acne and scarring as well as fine lines. It’s a little army that works while you rest. If you’re interested in the product and/or would like to learn more follow the links below! 
If you’ve heard of this before and/or have tried it, curious, ask away in the comments! I’d love to hear what’s up!

hair care

Days 2 and 3 with Hask’s Kalahari Melon Shampoo, Conditioner, and Hair Oil | Review

Day 2: Wednesday 15 June 2016, Savannah, Georgia
Happy birthday to me!! Ah, I’m feeling old at 23 with adulthood looming ahead of me. I’ve the victory lap ahead of me at uni since I transferred so adulthood is put off for another year — and I am a-okay with that!
Anyways, I washed my hair, yet again, with the set and moisturized it with the oil. My hair is just as soft if not softer than the first use. I’ve noticed that my hair doesn’t get oily by the next day like it does with other shampoos and conditioners! Another plus for Hask!

Day 3: Friday 17 June 2016, Isles of Palm, South Carolina
FINDING DORY COMES OUT TODAY! And it’s the day we went to the beach. Dory versus the beach. The beach won since we came this far and there isn’t a beach close to us back home.
I’LL SEE YOU SOON, DORY! I LOVE YOU! *tears*
Dad was giddy like a school boy holding a puppy that we were able to swim in the Atlantic. The days leading up to this trip and our arrival at Isles of Palm, he would make mention of swimming in the Atlantic almost every few hours while confusing it with the Pacific. 
We had a great time at the beach, spending a good two hours in the water. Mom and Dad would switch out to watch our things on the beach while my brother and I jumped through some waves. We played with how far our parents would let us go out, noticing how the water changed in temperature quickly and their concerned looks. (Only Dad dared to go out as far as Jere and I did.) It was all good and fun until my throat started hurting from the salt water that got into my mouth on the few occasions I slipped underwater after getting caught by a wave.
That was about 10 minutes in.
*sigh* 
As you can tell, it’s been a while since we last went to the beach. Actually, I haven’t swam since elementary school, but that’s a story for another time.
About halfway through playtime, I felt my hair. It was chunky and weighed down by the water. The texture completely changed. It dawned on me that I should have read up on how to take care of color treated hair at the beach.
I so should have. Once we got out of the water, I tried my best to separate my hair with my hands careful to not pull anything out. That was a chore that became worse with a proper hair brush. Ugh. My hair felt nasty.
And I had to sit with it through lunch and the 30 minute drive back to the hotel.

I showered after my brother and Dad, relieved that the Hask set was able to restore my hair to a more normal state. I think after another round of shampooing my hair will be back to the softness that I’m familiar with when I first started using this set.

See ya, guys, soon!

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hair care

The smell of Kalahari melons in Georgia | Hask Beauty Shampoo Review, First Wash

So the family is out on vacation this week to Georgia! The last time we ventured down south, we passed through Georgia briefly therefore only catching a glimpse of this beautiful state. This year for our family vacation, we decided at the last minute to venture down to Savannah where the beautiful Gone with the Wind was set. (Although, a four hour movie isn’t an ideal movie to watch, but you have an interlude, right? Haha! Vivian Leigh and Clark Gable are gawgeous together. Same with the set design and costumes! I need to re-watch it…😍)

Since we’re traveling, I was a little weary as to what kind of shampoos and conditioners we would get in our hotel rooms since my hair is colored now as of January this year. Not only that, my scalp is finally feeling somewhat normal since it’s usually dry. I was able to remedy this by using Head n Shoulders consistently the past couple of months. Anyways, when traveling I don’t typically bring my own shampoo and conditioner until this trip since Brandbacker and Hask sent me a sample of Hask’s Kalahari Melon shampoo for color treated hair to review. In the package, they sent me a full size of the shampoo and conditioner, a packet of deep conditioner, a tube of hair oil, and a bristle brush. Just so you know, I started using the hair oil last week and it smells so so soooo  good! The shampoo and conditioner is no exception since I tried it last night!

Having said that, last night I took shower at the hotel when we got into Georgia — mind you, not Savannah. I used the wash set and OH MY GAWD it smelled so good! Afterwards, I kept my hair wrapped in a towel for about half an hour to soak up any more moisture before applying the hair oil and letting it air dry to about 75%. Right before bed I tossed my hair up into two buns so I would have some sort of wave action the next day. I removed the buns this morning after dressing and cleaning up and my hair was so soft and smelt so good. I was honestly surprised that it was still soft since whenever I put my hair in buns after letting it air dry and applying x oil or x leave-in conditioner (the x’s are there because I don’t remember what I use — I just kind of grab them, y’know?), my hair comes out oddly textured — almost wiry in feeling.
After using the wash set, I noticed that my hair looks more vibrant in color than it has been the past few months while using Head n Shoulders. Also, when I used it, I noticed that it cleansed my hair and scalp thoroughly. I was skeptical at first since the label said it primarily uses oils. How can oil cleanse? Then again, people use oil as makeup remover so I guess it could work with hair then to remove dirt.
I’m glad I’m given the opportunity to review this set since Hask promises that their products are “free of sulfates, paragons, phthalates, gluten, drying alcohol and artificial colors” (HaskBeauty.com). On top of that, they include that Kalahari melon is “known to thrive and retain moisture in the driest conditions.” I guess this is why my hair is so soft! Below is the full description for the products from Hask’s website.

Shields & Replenishes With Color Shield Complex A UV absorber to protect colored
hair from damage & fading. Free of: sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten, drying alcohol and artificial colors.Preserve and nurture color treated hair with HASK Kalahari Melon Oil Color Protection Shampoo. Found in the African desert, Kalahari melon oil is known to thrive and retain moisture in the driest conditions. This natural color-locking, damage-blocking powerhouse ingredient counteracts dry-out and fading, leaving hair nourished and shiny. With Color Shield Complex, cranberry and sunflower oils, this shampoo delicately cleanses to help maintain long-lasting vibrant color.

I’ll keep you guys posted on how the rest of the week goes with my hair and momma’s! She colored her hair last night at the hotel. My apologies to the hotel staff for the maroon colored towel. 🙁 Come back later in the week for another post or two since I was my hair 1-3 times a week.

If you guys want to check out this product and/or where to get them, here’s the link: Kalahari Melon Oil.

Written on 14 June 2016
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EDIT: Read days 2 & 3 here.

makeup

Maybelline Brow Drama Pomade Crayon Review

If you guys have been watching my videos, you might have come across a video with me without my eyebrows. If not, just know, ladies and gents, that I barely have any eyebrows and fill them in every day. If there is one thing I cannot leave the house without doing makeup-wise are my eyebrows hands down. They’re just not full enough!
When I received the e-mail that I was chosen for the Maybelline Brow Drama Voxbox through Influenster, I was over the moon! Through this voxbox, I was sent two samples of Maybelline’s new pomade crayon, one in soft brown and the other in deep brown. These crayons are chubby little things clocking in at 0.04 ounces with a little bit of product. You can’t push it up by turning the bottom clockwise. They deliver on the crayon aspect in that they’re truly crayon like when you use them to fill in your eyebrows. According to the packaging, you only need one swipe to fill in and shape your eyebrows. With my eyebrows, this was not the case as you can see in the video. My eyebrows came out extremely thick and shapeless. With my resting bitch face, this is not ideal. These bushy brows would have made me look even more pissed off than usual. I went back in with both of my Nyx and Innisfree eyebrow pencils to reshape them, adding more time to my routine.
From my experience, I would give this a 2/5. It could be a 3 or 3.5 if the stick was a tad smaller allowing for more control. This is especially necessary for gals like me who have thinner eyebrows. 
I would definitely recommend these, however, to gals who have thicker eyebrows than mine that also have more shape. This would be an awesome product for you guys!

fashion

I launched a new series on YouTube…

Hello, lovelies!

Did anyone notice the subtle change to my web address? I’ve finally embraced hellosamichan after a long debate over a few years if I really wanted to change back to it. Once I started getting into my groove on YouTube, I finally welcomed the username that I had created for myself back in middle school with open arms and an open heart.

Was it because it had “hello” in it? (Cue the Adele/Lionel Richie covers…)
Was it because it sounded happy?
Was it because it sounded silly so it made you giggle–possibly?

The answer to all of those questions is a resounding yes.

So I changed my url back to my original one and launched a brand new series on my YouTube channel called Fashionably Moody! I’ll publish a new video in the coming days as to why I started this new series, but, for now, you can watch the first episode below. This was an awesome collaboration with the wonderfully talented Lois Lee (YouTube) who did a beautiful acoustic cover of Zion T’s “Eat.”

Please stay tuned for more of my future projects! Also, I should have a review soon…ish.

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Foodie Fridays | FiFi’s Lunchbox [Terre Haute, IN]

Hey, guys, and happy belated New Year! I hope your year started off wonderfully. As for me, my year started off with a clear head and plans for the year that I’m going to put into action–starting with YouTube! Actually, it started with my studies, but…you’re here for food right? So let’s start there.

I don’t know if any of you have noticed, but I’ve added two new series to my YouTube channel within the past few weeks. One is SPAM, Sami-chan’s Portal Around the Midwest, while the other is FATY! or Food Adventure Time Yeah! This series is honest to God all about food. Food places around the Midwest, cooking, and baking–just everything food! The Midwest is a melting pot of the East and West coasts as well as down South and everywhere around the globe. THE PROBLEM IS finding them! But I’m going to make that easy on all of us by going around the Midwest starting in my lovely city Indianapolis.
BUT the first two videos take place in Terre Haute (on the banks of the Wabash River, anyone? Anyone get that reference?). The first video features me and my girl Cori trying food after dissolving miracle berries on our tongues. That was a mind bending experience that I recommend everyone to try out. You can buy some berries online from Amazon (http://amzn.to/1OnZwN8).

The second video features Cori, my baby bruddah Jeremy, and I trying out a locale restaurant called Fifi’s Lunchbox. Head over to the channel (or click below) to check out what we ate and what the place looks like because I forgot to snag some pictures of the place besides the food.

For those who stuck around to read the rest of the article, the three of us hung around after eating to talk with one of the owners of Fifi’s. What we found out is that Fifi’s started off as a food truck going to local events that the three of us went to when we were kids serving homemade comfort food–it’s comforting to me at least. Haha!!

But, really, everything is homemade–including the bacon. Bacon this, bacon that–bacon everywhere! They have a bacon latte for crying out loud!

On top of bacon, they have a lovely list of beers (although, I wouldn’t know since I’m not much of a drinker) along with coffee and free wifi. Before I forget, they also have awesome desserts including a gluten free option. They also have salads that sound great. I almost had one but decided against it when I saw the Darth Vada burger (click the video to find out more).

Did I mention BACON?

So, what are you doing? Check them out if ever you’re in the Haute!

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