Thursday, January 12, 2012

Nighttime Skincare Regime (Ver. 2012)

I'm beginning a new skincare regime this year. I shall post the results of this regime after two month of use. I try to go for low to medium cost products, so no hundred dollar night cream for this broke college student. The only splurge item I own would have to be the Clarisonic, but I consider it an investment on my part since I expect it to last several years.

Before I describe my routine, a bit of background about my skin. I am in my early 20s, have oily/combination, acne-prone skin. I breakout easily from poor quality products that will irritate my skin so I'm constantly on the look for something cheap and effective!

This is Part 2/3 of my "Skincare Regime" series. For part 1, which describe my daytime routine, go here. I will be copy-pasting a lot of the same items that I used, so you can skip over those if you read it before.


***Evening Routine***

Step 0: REMOVE

Before we start washing, it is imperative to remove any traces of makeup. If I am wearing any sort of tinted moisturizer, BB cream, foundation, etc I need to remove those before I wash my face so it can improve the penetration of the remaining products. Thus, before I wash my face, I use a Cleansing Oil to remove eye makeup and face makeup. I recommend using Kose Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil, available on Amazon and Asian specialty stores. You can also use DHL or Shu Uemura, which are other popular brands for Cleansing oils. Cleansing oils are awesome because you are restoring the balance of oils in your skin while gently removing oily makeup and other residue from your face. I like the Kose brand because you get the best bang for the buck. A bottle of 230ml goes for $12 and lasts a long time.

Rating: 4.5/5

Step 1: WASH

I will be using the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash from The Body Shop along with my pink Clarisonic Plus. It is suited for Blemished Skin and is designed to remove impurities. It does not foam, which makes it a good complement to my Clarisonic Plus. This cleanser got really good reviews online and I had used it before a couple of years ago, so I decided to give it a shot once again. Plus, it's pretty affordable-- $11 for a big 8.4 fl oz bottle.

Rating: TBA


I really love my Clarisonic Plus and do feel that it is worth the hefty price tag. It is very well made, comes with a standing charge cradle, and is waterproof. It really does leave your face squeaky clean. The only con to the brush would have to be the expensive brush replacements that are recommended every 3 months. (Tip: If you clean your brush daily after use, and weekly with a bit of Hydrogen Peroxide, you can make it last up to 4 months). For the Clarisonic, I use it with the Acne Cleansing Brush HeadThis is not available online via the Clarisonic store, but you can get it from spa stores, or from eBay for around $17 each. The brush itself comes in a set for $225, but I got it off eBay for around $160. So yep, shop around for the best deal!

Rating: 4/5

Step 2: TONE


I will be using the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner from The Body Shop. This is part of the Tea Tree set I purchased, and is supposed to clear away any remaining cleanser residue and impurities from my skin. There is also ingredients in the toner to help with oil control. For toners in general, I just put a bit on a cotton pad and wipe away, focusing on areas that are most likely to have leftover residue (sides of nose, jawline, under the lips, etc.). It also got really good reviews online. A big 8.4 fl oz bottle goes for $11, and should last a long time.

Rating: TBA

Step 3: PREVENT

I normally use a serum type of product at this point of the routine. Right now I am using an Oil-free anti-wrinkle serum with 10% Glycolic AHA from Alpha Hydrox. This product contains one of the highest concentrations of AHA on the market. AHA, which stands for Alpha Hydroxy Acid, helps speed cell turnover and renewal. It helps prevent wrinkles and heals old acne scars. This chemical makes the skin sensitive to UV rays, which is why I am using it at night. You can find this product at some drugstores, but your best bet is online. It goes for about $11 or so. My only complaint is that the packaging is horrible and the product is very runny, but I would purchase again.

Rating: 4/5

Step 4: EYES

I also use an eye cream to reduce my dark circles and moisturize the area around the eyes, which are more delicate than the rest of my face. Right now I am using All about Eyes from Clinique. I would say this product is average and does its job, but its no miracle worker. It's also on the pricier side. I'm still on the lookout for a better eye cream that isn't too heavy, but for now this will do. This product goes for $30 for 0.5 oz.

Rating: 3.5/5

Step 5: HEAL AND MOISTURIZE

This is the night time counterpart to the day time moisturizer from the Body Shop. I will be using the Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion from the Body Shop. It helps with blemishes and also acne scars. This is the most expensive product out of the entire Body Shop line, and goes for $18.

Rating: TBA

Daytime Skincare Regime (Ver.2012)

I'm beginning a new skincare regime this year. I shall post the results of this regime after two month of use. I try to go for low to medium cost products, so no hundred dollar night cream for this broke college student. The only splurge item I own would have to be the Clarisonic, but I consider it an investment on my part since I expect it to last several years.

Before I describe my routine, a bit of background about my skin. I am in my early 20s, have oily/combination, acne-prone skin. I breakout easily from poor quality products that will irritate my skin so I'm constantly on the look for something cheap and effective!

For part 2 of my "Skincare Regime" series, which has my night routine, please see here.

***Morning Routine***

Step 1: WASH

I will be using the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash from The Body Shop along with my pink Clarisonic Plus. It is suited for Blemished Skin and is designed to remove impurities. It does not foam, which makes it a good complement to my Clarisonic Plus. This cleanser got really good reviews online and I had used it before a couple of years ago, so I decided to give it a shot once again. Plus, it's pretty affordable-- $11 for a big 8.4 fl oz bottle.

Rating: TBA


I really love my Clarisonic Plus and do feel that it is worth the hefty price tag. It is very well made, comes with a standing charge cradle, and is waterproof. It really does leave your face squeaky clean. The only con to the brush would have to be the expensive brush replacements that are recommended every 3 months. (Tip: If you clean your brush daily after use, and weekly with a bit of Hydrogen Peroxide, you can make it last up to 4 months). For the Clarisonic, I use it with the Acne Cleansing Brush HeadThis is not available online via the Clarisonic store, but you can get it from spa stores, or from eBay for around $17 each. The brush itself comes in a set for $225, but I got it off eBay for around $160. So yep, shop around for the best deal!

Rating: 4/5

Step 2: TONE


I will be using the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner from The Body Shop. This is part of the Tea Tree set I purchased, and is supposed to clear away any remaining cleanser residue and impurities from my skin. There is also ingredients in the toner to help with oil control. For toners in general, I just put a bit on a cotton pad and wipe away, focusing on areas that are most likely to have leftover residue (sides of nose, jawline, under the lips, etc.). It also got really good reviews online. A big 8.4 fl oz bottle goes for $11, and should last a long time.

Rating: TBA

Step 3: ENERGIZE

*This step is optional* After I tone, I use a light serum in the mornings to "recharge" my skin to keep it from looking dull and fortify it with a dose of vitamins. I really enjoy Vitamin C-based serums, so I recommend using one of those. The one I currently use is called Carrot + C Vitamin Serum from 40 carrots. This one contains Vitamin A and C, which are antioxidants and also have anti-aging properties. The only cons are the hard to control pump and the runny consistency of the product. This product is rather hard to find in physical stores, and even online, and goes for about $15. I am almost out of this, so I will be on the hunt for a new serum or re-purchase this.

Rating: 4.5/5

Step 4: Moisturize and Heal

This is the "treatment" part of the routine. I use the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion from the Body Shop, which provides light hydration, shine control, and has blemish healing properties. It also has very high reviews online and is available for $13 for 1.69 fl oz.

Rating: TBA



Step 5: PROTECT


Almost done! This is the second to last step. I use a SPF moisturizer to protect my face from the sun's UVA/UVB rays. This does not have to be too fancy of a product, I use a very basic moisturizer here: Olay Complete All day UV moisturizer with SPF 15 from Olay. Using an SPF before going out is super important because it is the best thing one can do to prevent wrinkles according to like, a hundred different articles. I like this one because it came in such a big bottle and lasts *forever*. You can find this in most drugstores for about $9. However, I accidentally bought the one for Normal skin when I should have gotten the Oily/Combination skin one. Oops. It left my skin very shiny after a while, hence the rating. I will be switching moisturizers when this one runs out...

Rating: 3/5

Step 6: MATTIFY

I tend to get oily throughout the day and whatnot, so as a finishing step I use some light mineral powder. I do not wear foundation most of the time, and when I do, it's usually just BB cream or a light tinted moisturizer, never full blown foundation since I dislike that stuff. But anyways, I use a bit of powder after my moisturizer and also midday for shine control. Right now I am using the new bareMinerals READY SPF 15 Touch Up Veil in Translucent from Bare Essentuals. It's a bit pricier than an average powder but it is currently one of my favorite products. It has all the benefits of a Bare Minerals powder but in a compact that is way less messy. This does not irritate my skin, controls shine, and looks completely natural. The minor con would be the slight seaweed-ish smell, but it goes away quickly. You can get it for $22 at a Sephora or any store that sells Bare Minerals products.

Rating: 5/5

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Jay Chou 周杰倫 - Ni hao ma "你好嗎" Pinyin Lyrics+ English Translation


Jay Chou 周杰倫 - Ni hao ma "你好嗎"

Lyrics (c) Jay Chou
Authentic English translation by me... please credit this site if used.

Love this song... should be 99% accurate. The part about the spaceship makes more sense to me in this context than that of some of the other translations online.

*** I do not plug the lyrics into a translator...! I translate all by hand. I'm a 3rd year Chinese American college student taking advanced level Chinese. ***



墙上静止的钟是为谁 停留
Qiang shang jing zhi de zhong shi wei shui ting liu
Who is the clock on the wall remaining still for?

是不是和我一样赖着不走
Shi bu shi he wo yi yang lai zhe bu zou
Is it like me, refusing to leave?

你说故事已经结束 很久
Ni shuo gu shi yi jing jie shu hen jiu
You said the story had already ended a long time ago

我忘了 向前走
Wo wang le xiang qian zou
I forgot to move forward

我努力假装现在过得 很好
Wo nu li jia zhuang xian zai guo de hen hao
I tried hard to pretend that I’ve been doing well

现在的你看来已不需要我
Xian zai de ni kan lai yi bu xu yao wo
You seem like you don’t need me anymore

也许在不同的时空
Ye xu zai bu tong de shi kong
Perhaps we are at a different time

还牵着 你的手
Hai qian zhe ni de shou

Still holding your hand

想知道你真的过得好吗
Xiang zhi dao ni zhen de guo de hao ma
Wanting to know if you’ve really been doing well

没有我也许是种解脱
Mei you wo ye xu shi zhong jie tuo
Perhaps not having me is a kind of relief

将思念穿梭在宇宙数千光年
Jiang si nian chuan suo zai yu zhou shu qian guang nian
Shuttling the memories thousands of light years across the universe

悄悄到 你身边
Qiao qiao dao ni shen bian
To quietly arrive at your side

现在我试着习惯一个人过
Xian zai wo shi zhe xi guan yi ge ren guo
Right now I’m trying to get used to being alone

也许你已经开始新的 生活
Ye xu ni yi jing kai shi xin de sheng huo
Perhaps you have already started a new life

陪着我的叫做寂寞
Pei zhe wo de jiao zuo ji mo
What accompanies me is known as loneliness

陪你的 是谁呢
Pei ni de shi shui ne
What is accompanying you?

[Chorus]
想知道你真的过得好 吗
Xiang zhi dao ni zhen de guo de hao ma
I want to know if you’ve really been doing well

没有我也许是种解脱
Mei you wo ye xu shi zhong jie tuo
Perhaps not having me is a kind of relief

将思念穿梭在宇宙数千光年
Jiang si nian chuan suo zai yu zhou shu qian guang nian
Shuttling the memories thousands of light years across the universe
悄悄到 你身边
Qiao qiao dao ni shen bian
To quietly arrive at your side

现在我试着习惯一个人过
Xian zai wo shi zhe xi guan yi ge ren guo
Right now I’m trying to get used to being alone

也许你已经开始新的生活
Ye xu ni yi jing kai shi xin de sheng huo
Perhaps you have already started a new life


陪着我的叫做寂寞
Pei zhe wo de jiao zuo ji mo
What accompanies me is known as loneliness

陪 你的 是谁呢
Pei ni de shi shui ne
What is accompanying you?

Repeat Chorus

也许在不同的时空
Ye xu zai bu tong de shi kong
Perhaps we are at a different time

还牵着 你的手
Hai qian zhe ni de shou
Still holding your hand

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Computer Upgrades...

Every 2-3 months I'm going to upgrade a part of my computer to make it a little less crappy.

This month: CPU Fan (COOLER MASTER R4-BM9S-28PK-R0 Blade Master 92mm Case Fan) $10.99
Priority Level: HIGH

Next month or the month after: USB Card (BELKIN Hi-Speed USB 2.0 5-Port PCI Card Model F5U220v1) $26.99
Priority Level: Medium

New Graphics Card: (Radeon HD 4670 or better) $69.99
Priority Level: Low

RAM upgrade: (G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB)) $44.99
Priority Level: Low

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Jay Chou (周杰伦) - Mine mine lyrics (English Translation + Pinyin)


Jay Chou - Mine mine (Pinyin + Translation)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvQX2Spog4s

English Translation by me

Please give credit if used

(the last part that is Taiwanese is not 100% accurately translated.. sorry!)


*** I do not plug the lyrics into a translator...! I translate all by hand. I'm a 3rd year Chinese American college student taking advanced level Chinese. ***

沒有妳的生活

Mei you ni de sheng huo
My life without you

我開始寫小說

wo kai shi xie xiao shuo
I began to write stories

好多畫面好多靈感

hao duo hua mian hao duo ling gan
With many pictures and much inspiration

我要把稿費都給妳

wo yao ba gao fei dou gei ni
I give the proceeds to you

巷口不小心經過

Xiang kou bu xiao xin jing guo
I have carelessly passed through an alley

妳的車子依舊停在紅線

ni de che zi yi jiu ting zai hong xian
Your car is still parked at the red light

幫妳繳罰單

Bang ni jiao fa dan
I helped you pay the fines

妳叫我別管

ni jiao wo bie guan
You told me to stop caring

我才想到我們已經分開

wo cai xiang dao wo men yi jing fen kai
Then I realized we are not together anymore

想起那一個夏天

Xiang qi na yi ge xia tian
I thought of that one summer day

那不是那不是那是冬天
n
a bu shi na bu shi na shi dong tian
No, no it wasn’t, it was a winter day

想起妳生氣的臉

Xiang qi ni sheng qi de lian
I thought of your angry face

每天就像冬天...唉,唉,唉

mei tian jiu xiang dong tian… ai, ai, ai
Everyday is like a winter day sigh, sigh sigh

妳說那是愛,愛,愛

Ni shuo na shi ai, ai, ai
You said that was love, love, love

誰該堅強起來

Shui gai jian qiang qi lai
Who should toughen up?

月亮還是太陽

yue liang hai shi tai yang
The moon or the sun?

是誰遮了誰

Shi shui zhe le shui

Who should cover for who?

是誰都會依賴
shi shui dou hui yi lai

Whoever it is would still depend (on the other)

妳說已分開

Ni shuo yi fen kai
You said we’ve already broken up

什麼還要幫妳撐傘

wei shen me hai yao bang ni cheng san
Why should I hold the umbrella up for you?

Coz baby you are Mine Mine
Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine
Mine Mine
Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine


太快

Tai kuai

Too quickly

就承認我真的很想妳

jiu cheng ren wo zhen de hen xiang ni

I admit that I really miss you

會不會沒有男子氣概

Hui bu hui mei you nan zi qi gai
Is it because I am not manly?

You say Bye Bye
Bye Bye Bye Bye Bye
Oh Bye Bye
Bye Bye Bye Bye Bye

拆開

Chai kai

Open it up

我的心隨妳看

wo de xin sui ni kan
My heart is for you to see

滿滿的都是愛

man man de dou shi ai
It is full of love

我的眼皮跳一下

Wo de yan pi tiao yi xia
My eyelid jumped

代表你在想我

dai biao ni zai xiang wo
Meaning that you are thinking about me

我的耳朵癢一下

Wo de er duo yang yi xia
My ear itched

代表你在講我壞話

dai biao ni zai jiang wo huai hua
Meaning that you are speaking bad about me

我沒這麼不好吧

Wo mei zhe me bu hao ba
There’s nothing bad about me

不用跟朋友說吧
bu yong gen peng you shuo ba

You don’t need to tell your friends

如果以後和好了, 看到妳朋友不是很尷尬
If we can make peace, it wouldn't be awkward when I see your friends

想起那一個夏天

Xiang qi na yi ge xia tian
I thought of that one summer day

那不是那不是那是冬天
n
a bu shi na bu shi na shi dong tian
No, no it wasn’t, it was a winter day

想起妳生氣的臉

Xiang qi ni sheng qi de lian
I thought of your angry face

每天就像冬天...唉,唉,唉

mei tian jiu xiang dong tian… ai, ai, ai
Everyday is like a winter day sigh, sigh sigh

妳說那是愛,愛,愛

Ni shuo na shi ai, ai, ai
You said that was love, love, love

騙誰 我說的氣話都收回

Pian shui wo shuo de qi hua dou shou hui
Who am I lying to? I've taken back all my angry words

我寫的小說根本是空白黑夜

Wo xie de xiao shuo gen ben shi kong bai hei ye
The stories I write are actually black and white

你說既然已分開 為何還要幫你撐傘

Ni shuo ji ran yi fen kai wei he hai yao bang ni cheng san
You said since we've broken up, why should I hold the umbrella up for you?


嘜嘜 你嘜擱嘜擱偷偷離開

Mai mai lu mai go mai go thau thau li khui
Mine mine, don't you go, don't you secretly leave

嘜嘜 你嘜擱嘜擱偷偷離開

Mai mai lu mai go mai go thau thau li khui
Mine mine, don't you go, don't you secretly leave

嘜驚 我不會放你一人治那

Mai kiann wo bu hui pang ni ji rang di na
Don't be afraid, I won't leave you alone here

你想祙有人靠有人會疼

Ni xiang mei you ren kao you ren hue thiann
You want someone to rely on, to love you


嘜吶 你雨傘雨傘趕緊打開

Mai na li hoo suann hoo suann kuann kin ta khui
Don't stay, open up your umbrella quickly

嘜吶 你雨傘雨傘趕緊打開

Mai na li hoo suann hoo suann kuann kin ta khui
Don't stay, open up your umbrella quickly

嘜鬧 落大雨你淋雨我艱苦

Mai nau loh gua hoo li lim hoo gua kan khoo
Don't fuss, if you get soaked by the rain, I will feel hurt

落大雨我沒你會艱苦

Loh tua hoo gua hoo li e kan khoo
When it pours outside, it will hurt without you here

Coz baby you are Mine Mine
Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine
Mine Mine
Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine

太快

Tai kuai

Too quickly

就承認我真的很想妳

jiu cheng ren wo zhen de hen xiang ni

I admit that I really miss you

會不會沒有男子氣概

Hui bu hui mei you nan zi qi gai
Is it because I am not manly?


嘜吶 你雨傘雨傘趕緊打開

Mai na li hoo suann hoo suann kuann kin ta khui
Don't stay, open up your umbrella quickly

嘜吶 你雨傘雨傘趕緊打開

Mai na li hoo suann hoo suann kuann kin ta khui
Don't stay, open up your umbrella quickly

嘜鬧 落大雨你淋雨我艱苦

Mai nau loh gua hoo li lim hoo gua kan khoo
Don't fuss, if you get soaked by the rain, I will feel hurt

落大雨我沒你會艱苦

Loh tua hoo gua hoo li e kan khoo
When it pours outside, it will hurt without you here

會艱苦 x5

e kan khoo
It will hurt

Sunday, June 12, 2011