Review: Alba Botanica Natural Acnedote Invisible Treatment Gel

I have been battling it out with my acne for almost a year now. I've tried different facial cleansers, acne cream, and facial masks. Nothing seems to work! Lainey from BelleBeautyBlog recommended Alba Botanica's Natural ACNEdote Invisible Treatment Gel (sorry for the bad quality picture). It has 2% salicylic acid and willow bark extract. The gel is clear and a little dot goes a long way. I bought mine off eBay.com for $7.99 (free shipping), but Lainey said it's about $12 in-stores. Personally, I think it's a little expensive because the bottle is so little! There's only 0.5 ounces :( I have been using this gel every day for about two weeks now. I can't say I'm seeing any improvement. In fact, I'm breaking out even more. It's really bad now and I can't leave my apartment without concealer :( I would probably purchase this gel again from eBay. It smells pretty good and has a refreshing tingle when applied :)

However, I'm not going to assume this gel was the cause. I did start using a clay mask I got for my birthday. I don't really like clay masks and I feel like that's the reason why I'm breaking out. Maybe clay masks aren't right for my skin. I've heard it's best for oily skin. I have somewhat normal skin. It's sometimes a little oily, sometimes a little dry. It all depends on the weather.

Have you tried this? Did it work? Let me know!

You can purchase the ACNEdote Invisible Treatment Gel here:

Happy Halloween

I haven't celebrated Halloween for years, but on my walk to class this morning, I saw a few kids dressed up for school. How cute :) I never really had a costume. I think the closest costume I ever got was when my mom drew whiskers on my cheeks. I don't feel like I missed out though. I don't love candy that much! But sometimes I do wish I had a Disney princess costume at one point.

This week has been pretty stressful. I don't mean from school. There is some kind of stronger stress brewing inside me. I'm having trouble sleeping and have woken up in the middle of the night for the past three nights. I have not woken up once since I moved into my apartment. The first time I woke up, I searched my bed for bedbugs. This is weird because we caught the bedbug over a week ago. I found myself waking up every few minutes to check my bed and I felt really paranoid. The second time, I didn't look for bedbugs. I woke up feeling upset and stressed and I haven't figured out the reason yet. I didn't wake up as many times as the first night though. Last night (the third time), I woke up and I was scared. I rarely have nightmares and when I do, they're all I think about the next day. In my dream, there were a group of people with axes. They said "Let the games begin," kinda like in The Hunger Games movie, and next thing I remember, my family and I were running for our lives. When I finally stopped to catch my breath, I realized my parents were gone...

Sometimes I think my dreams mean something, especially if it's something out of the ordinary. We learned a little bit about dreams in psychology, but I'm interested in learning more. Maybe I'll decide to write about dreams for my research paper due Monday.

Honestly, I don't know what's happening. I'm not really stressed about school. I'm more stressed about our apartment situation/ bedbugs, finding a new major, and my parents. I haven't gone home since Labor Day and I guess it's safe to say I'm a little homesick. But really, I want to go home to eat good food :P Money is also becoming an issue. I'm running a little low since I didn't win any scholarships this school year. I haven't asked my parents for money yet, and I don't ever plan to. Money has always been kinda tight at home and my dad is on the verge of losing his job.

Why don't I get a job then?

Well, I have a few good reasons. One, I rather spend my free time relaxing and doing schoolwork. Two, the neighborhood I live in is just houses, houses, houses. The closest stores or restaurants aren't very close at all. I don't have a car, and because money's so tight, I'm not planning to get one either. Third, I don't even have that much free time to begin with. Even a part-time job requires a minimum number of hours per week.

I really look forward to life after college. Job with good money, car, shopping, food, and (hopefully) living with my boyfriend :)

Have a happy Halloween! I hope everyone will be safe tonight :)

Pizza, Sandwiches, and Pho

I have been craving for good pizza for months now. Yes, I had a slice last week. But I'm talking about a whole pizza here! I want to pull the melting cheese apart, to eat the crust and then decide halfway that I don't want any more. I want to pick off the veggies that fell off in the box and eat them before someone else gets to it. I want to wipe my mouth with a napkin and glance down at the oil stains (gross, I know).

I want pizzaaaaaa.

My other food cravings? Sandwiches and pho! And I'm not talking about Subway sandwiches. I'm talking about going to a fancy restaurant and paying a ridiculous price for a delicious sandwich. Okay, maybe not. I did have one sandwich I will probably remember for a while. It was in San Carlos, earlier this year. The place was actually a cafe in the library! But everything was made fresh (sandwiches, drinks, etc) and there were tons of snacks to choose from. I paid about $7 for a small sandwich, but it was probably one of the best I've ever had. Maybe it was the sauce. I stared at the green, watery sauce while I ate the first half. Then I dipped my second half into the tiny container and took a bite. Why didn't I try this with my first half?! Good stuff. One day, I will revisit that cafe once again and purchase everything that catches my eye. And then I'll cry because almost everything is overpriced, yet so good!

Pho, mmmm. My favoritefavoritefavorite noodle soups in the whole wide world! Everything about it is just delicious to the max. I think the best pho I've had is in Elk Grove. The modern pho restuarant, Pho Le, was introduced to me by my boyfriend :) It's our go-to when we're driving around in Elk Grove. Great food, great price, great location (movie theaters in same shopping center!).

 I'm just going to say that I'm always hungry. Have a good rest of the weekend!

More Pictures From My Birthday!

I had an unforgettable birthday, thanks to my roommates :) Read about the surprise here! Here are some more pictures that I didn't get to post:

Goodnight! :)

Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite

I would post up pictures of my bedbug bites, but... I don't think anyone wants to see that :P I mean, I have those pictures sitting around on my iPod Touch... just kidding. A few weeks ago, I started to notice little red bumps on my arms and legs. Some were itchy, some were bigger than others. Then, on my birthday, my roommate caught a bug hanging out on my boxspring. We Googled a picture of a bedbug and our capture matched the picture perfectly...

And this is where it began.

I was terrified because bedbugs are extremely hard to get rid of. It might even be impossible. There are sprays and things you can buy, but I don't think they are as effective as an exterminator. So, I called the landlord and he told me that the apartment complex I live in have never had bedbugs before. We already have numerous problems with the apartment. Broken fridge, broken window, cockroaches, flying insects squeezing through the bathroom window, extremely filthy carpet, and now, bedbugs. My roommates and I had just about enough with it. We pay $1450 a month for a crappy apartment. With that much money, we could have found a better place (but that's a whole different story). We decided that the landlord might be taking advantage of us from the start and we brought in a lawyer in the situation. This TERRIFIED him and he offered to fix everything, for free :)

Today, the exterminator came. I got the notification less than two hours before he actually came (another fault made by the landlord...), but it was fine. Barely enough time to pack everything and cover things with plastic. Then we were to stay outside of the apartment for about three hours. I was with one of my roommates, Sara, the whole time.

We ate went to Johnny Rockets because we were starving after all that packing! It was like moving out of the apartment :P I ordered The Original (my favorite hamburger on the menu) and Sara got the BLT sandwich.

After stuffing ourselves, we went to the Post Office and I was very disappointed with the lady's rude service. We walked back towards campus and shopped around at Walgreens and Ross. There were lip glosses at $1.59, but I didn't find a shade I really liked. We ended up walking out of Walgreens with nothing. I bought a couple things at Ross. I found these mattress covers that cover the whole mattress and has a zipper. I bought two, one for my boxspring and one for my mattress. Even though we got our apartment sprayed, I still want to be extra careful.

After shopping, Sara suggested we go to the library to kill another hour's worth of time. She bought a book from the used bookstore and I checked a book out. We sat in the children's section and then got kicked out because we didn't have a kid with us :P We decided to just go back home because we had nothing else to do. When we opened the door, we smelled the chemicals and it made my head hurt a little bit, but we made sure all the windows were open all the way. Then we preceded to unpack and organized everything.

What a crazy Thursday!

I bought something similar to this:

Happy Tuesday!

Yesterday was my 19th birthday :) I came home to find pizza from Pizza My Heart (get it? PIECE of my heart?). It's a semi-fancy pizza place near campus. I've walked by it so many times, but it is a little pricey. One of my roommates knew I've wanted to try a slice for over a year now! I can see (actually, taste) why it's pricey. IT'S DELICIOUS. Who knew just pepperoni and mushroom could taste so amazingly fresh? Other pizza restaurants or chains don't taste as fresh to me. From that one slice, I have concluded that Pizza My Heart is one of the best out there. I also love BJ's pizza. Loads of toppings and full of flavor! I have also tried (and loved) a slice of Uncle Vito's pizza. Uncle Vito's is located in Sacramento, CA, but I'm not too sure if they have more locations elsewhere. YUM, PIZZA.

After dinner last night, both of my roommates went into their rooms for a minute and came out with a cheesecake! I love cheesecake! Well, I love food, period. The last of my birthday surprises :)

Today, I only had one class :) It was at 10:30 AM. Ah, the luxury of sleeping in! Next semester, I will try to make sure my earliest class is at 10:30! Waking up for 9 AM classes is just a little too hard...

Have a great rest of the day!

2 Days Before: The Big Surprise

Yesterday was a long, but amazingly fun day! Around noon, I met up with my cousin, her husband, and baby (!) for lunch. We ate dim sum here in San Jose and got drinks afterwards. It was a small celebration for my birthday tomorrow. FINALLY, after two full months, I get to meet the baby!

I got to hold him for a while and he was just the cutest thing ever! He was also very heavy too :P 

I arrived home around 3:30 PM and met up with one of my roommates to go grocery shopping a little bit later. The market we went to was pretty far, but I got a lot of food! That took about an hour an half and when we got back to our apartment complex, I noticed she started walking faster ahead of me. I didn't think anything of it because she had her keys out already and was going to open the door. 

When I got to the door, it was dark and all I heard was "SURPRISE!" Both of my roommates planned a surprise for me! I walked in and saw the dining table was decorated with presents, origami cranes, and FOOD! I really had no idea they were planning things behind my back. We proceeded to eat dinner and talked about how awkward it would be if our fourth roommate came back, lol! 

After dinner, (of course I was the last one to finish eating) I noticed they were being weird again. I wasn't allowed to turn around or stand up, so I just finished my food while they went into the room together. They both came out and started singing to me, with 3 GORGEOUS cupcakes! They were from a really nice bakery and were delicious! We shared the cupcakes and then there were only three bites left. I was forced to eat them if I wanted to open presents!

I took a five minute break and scooped up the last of the crumbs (SO YUM). Then, they both watched and giggled while I opened my presents and tried to figure out which bag of presents was from whom. Of course, I knew right away ;)

Gift bag #1:

- a water bottle I really wanted, for the longest time! I told her so long ago!

- a kitty pencil bag, because I complained about mine

- Herbal Essences shampoo and condition, in the scent I wanted

- Japanese chocolate, yummm

- cute card and envelope set

- facial masks from Target (I told her I wanted these over half a year ago!)

- Odwalla bars, my favorite ones!

- origami paper

Gift bag #2:

- THE PURSE I WAS LOOKING AT AND WANTED TO GET

- the kitty cup I saw with her at the store

- the facial mask I've been wanting

- a scarf because I was complaining about my mom losing my favorite one

- red vines, after hearing me saying I wanted some

I am so blessed to have the world's best roommates. They remembered everything I've said out loud. But even if I didn't say anything, they would know exactly what to get me. What would I do without SEA?

Expect reviews (or just regular posts) in the future about the facial masks, shampoo + conditioner, etccc.

Here are some pictures! I will add more another time. My roommates have better pictures on their cameras.

Oh, and this is what my cousin got me:

- a WoolBuddy kit from a craft fair! I love it!
- amazing handpoured candles (her best friend owns the company!)

And the Fun Begins

My 19th birthday is justttt around the corner, sneaking behind me as I'm distracted with school. I don't even feel 18. I feel more like... 15, hehe! It kinda sucks to not celebrate with my parents and brother back home, but being with friends always makes me just as happy :)

Today, I had a late lunch with my really good friend Megan. We went to the same middle school, high school, and now we're at the same college! We had no idea we would be together. Even more of a coincidence, we both chose the same major! We are meant to be friends ;) But of course, Megan and I are scrambling to find a new major because the department of occupational therapy decided to cut the bachelor degree route. Yep. Anyways, it's always super nice to catch up with friends. I don't see Megan a lot; our school has like 33,000 students. And she's in a club, just started living the Greek life, and is now in the process of getting a job! Megan is always super active in school and she just has this amazing personality. I am so glad to have someone to count on.

We went to this place in downtown called Hydration. I love it. Cute (and delicious!) bento boxes and drinks :) There are so many different types of drinks to choose from... and they're all so good! I love their hot almond milk tea and hot green milk tea. And their cold drinks? I haven't tried them all yet, but of the 10 or so I have had, they did not failed my taste buds!

Other than my boring 2 hour and 15 minute history class I had this morning, my day was great :) I have a feeling this will be a fantastic weekend :)

What are your plans for this weekend?

One Thousand Thanks

Woohoo! I reached just a little bit over 1000 page views! Last night, it was hovering around 980. I guess it wasn't a major success because I get about 20 to 50 page views a day anyway :( I still would like to say "thank you!" to my readers, especially Lainey who was my first follower and still continues to read and comment on my blog! And Natalie, who just started following me recently :)

One thousand page views is motivation to me. I'm normally a person who gets tired of doing the same things over and over. I've had a couple blogs before and gave them up really fast because I had nothing to talk about (even though I still talk about random things, hehe) or my content must have been really boring because no one read my old blogs! I never even had followers or comments before!

With college, I have a lot of free time (except for midterm and final weeks...) and blogging is a great way to use that time! I love writing and working on ways to improve my style of writing. Reading other blogs allows me to discover those techniques. Besides, it's exciting to come home and find 50 page views in one day :)

Next goal... two thousand views! And a few more followers :) Lainey has a super crazy challenge of ten thousand views and one hundred followers before the end of this year. I gave her tons of great tips here and I can't wait until she reaches her goal!

Yay for Internet Friends!

I just wrote a hugeeeeeee list of ideas for my friend Lainey. Post ideas, ways to get more page views, ways to get more followers, etc. If you wish to see that list (and steal some of my ideas), read Lainey's post here! She has an amazing beauty blog with new posts all the time. Lainey was actually my first follower! I have no idea how she stumbled upon my blog, but I'm glad she did :)

Scroll down to the bottom to read my list. It's in the comments section. Read her other posts. Click follow. Receive virtual hugs from internet friends :)

Happy Tuesday!

Today has been a pretty good day for me! I got an A- on my English essay which is amazing because I thought I was failing that class! In  communications class, it was a fun day; we each had to present a piece of work for 2 minutes. I loved the singing! Justin Bieber, One Direction, Taylor Swift, etc. It was so hilarious and entertaining. I wish I chose a song instead of a poem... you could tell people were getting comfortable with each other :) That's all I have for now. Have a great rest of the day!

Change of Plans

As I was sitting in my first class of the day this morning at 9AM, I realized my professor (for my 12PM class) requested two copies of the assignment I threw together last night. Silently screamed inside, but it's okay. The great thing about college is the ability to choose your schedule. I just so happen to have a lovely gap after my 9AM class and I am now back at my apartment, typing this up AFTER I printed my second copy :) Normally I hang out at the library for the 1 hour and 45 minutes of spare time that I have on Mondays and Wednesdays. I happen to really like SJSU's library. It's shared with the public (meaning non-students residing in San Jose) and it's gorgeous! I volunteered at a library for 5 years prior to college and SJSU's library just looks amazing compared to the ones I've worked at.

Anyways, check out my basil and forget-me-nots! It's only been one week!

The pots are only about two inches tall. So cute!

Update

I have created 3 new pages! Recipes, reviews, and my wishlist. It's a much better strategy to keep my posts organized. I will continue to update the list as long as I keep posting!

Review: Up&Up Maximum Strength Acne Medication Benzoyl Peroxide Gel

-- picture coming soon--

Up&Up is a Target brand and it's great because it costs a lot less than other leading brands such as Clean and Clear or Neutrogena. This is the first Up&Up product I bought to be used on my face. Benzoyl peroxide creams tend to be really drying so it's crucial to moisturize right after. I use my favorite Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. This spot treatment dries my face like a snake shedding its skin! I know, it's gross. All I can do is wipe my face gently with a tissue. However, I do find the cream to be somewhat effective. After one thin layer on my face, I notice my pimples are minimized enough to be noticeable. 

The bottom line is, I probably won't purchase this product again because it severely dries my skin. This might be great if you have oily skin, though. The cost is really affordable; I think it was about $3 when I bought it from Target. 

In the meantime, I'll be looking for more acne creams... I'm getting desperate! 

More Than Four

For four years, I have loved you, secretly 
Stealing glances at your lovely smile. Four 
Years have I had my heart pounding like the rain, 
Secretly wishing you were mine and
Secretly planning my way to your heart.

Every night, I prayed to God you would fall 
In love with me. Or at the very least, 
Look my way. Every night, I recite the 
Speech I put together, confessing my 
Hidden feelings for you. And every night, 
I wonder why I couldn't find the words

As I stood close by. After those four years, 
I moved two thousand miles away, heartbroken 
To never see you again and even
More heartbroken to know you'll never know. 

How could a boy like me be so shy? Why

Would a girl like you notice me anyway?

I indulged myself in the waters; the 
waves slowly washed my feelings away, but 
Never completely. Then, I fell in love.
Though she was not perfect, I always hoped 
she was the one. I soon realized she
did not deserve what I gave her and your

Image ran through my mind, lingering behind 
Every thought. The truth is, she was never 
The one. It was you all along. You became 

The air I breathe and my new hope for love. 
You became a part of me. Together, 
We will laugh and cry. Together, we will
Promise to love each other 'till death do 
Us part. Let my voice guide you on rough days.
Let my hand guide you when you are lost. Let
Me love you for eternity and more. 

This is a true story. I am the girl the speaker (my boyfriend) was and is still in love with. I wrote this poem for my creative writing class and the challenge was to take on my boyfriend's perspective. I really had no idea someone could like me for so long... and keep it a secret! He told me after we started dating after a while and it just melted my heart. Secret admirers are the cutest. I just didn't think it would happen to me! And that is my inspiration behind this poem :)

I Have Plant Neighbors

Man 1: You're a plant!
Man 2: YOU'RE a plant!
Man 1: You photosynthesize!
Man 2: You're mean!

Oh gosh, apartments are such fun. Especially since you can hear every word spoken.

Wishlist: So Totally Clean Everyday Cleanser Sensitive Formula

Image taken from here

I have been wanting to try this toner + cleanser for a while. The only places I found that sells it are Walgreens and Ulta. However, the Walgreens that's semi-close to my apartment doesn't have it :( and I most definitely do not want to pay $5 shipping if the product itself is only $5.99. I've only stepped into an Ulta store maybe twice in my lifetime. I know they have a lot of good brands and products, but there just hasn't been one close enough to anywhere I live. 

I can't wait to try this one though. I've read so many good reviews on it! 

Happy Tuesday!

Today is also my good friend Sue's birthday! She has taught me so many things about life, friendships, makeup, fashion, you name it.

Anyways, the bulk of this post will be updates with my life since I didn't get to post much for the past week. Last Friday, I had a midterm in my Asian American Studies class and right after that, I took the train back home to spend the weekend with my boyfriend at his uncle's house. We ate sushi, Taco Bell, pho, In-n-Out, and McDonalds. I know, all fast foods. But I don't get any of that where I live! My apartment in San Jose is located in the residential area and the closest fast food place is 0.6 miles away. Not bad, but without a car, walking that far in this hot/cold weather for one hamburger just isn't worth it anymore.

Here in San Jose, it's starting to cool down. We do still have the occasional hot weather. Time for scarves and boots! If only I have the time to go back to my house and dig through my clothes for my scarves. Yes, I did spend my weekend in my hometown, but I did not go home! It was a secret getaway with my boyfriend ;)

Two Saturdays ago, I got mild food poisoning, unfortunately. It didn't last very long, but it was TERRIBLE. I was home alone and didn't know what was happening or what I should do, so I just sat in the living room until one of my roommates came back. In fact, I didn't even know it was food poisoning since I never had it before. I've always been careful about what I eat and now I'm even more careful. Yesterday, I went grocery shopping and the majority was vegetables! I did buy meat (I think that was what made me sick), but only a little bit.

Then I went home and made pasta. Pasta (corkscrews), pasta sauce, ground beef, spinach, salt and pepper. Easy, cheap, and filling. I wish I added white mushrooms, but they weren't on sale :(

Next topic... The Simpsons: Tapped Out. Yesterday, there was an update in my newest iPod game addiction. A Halloween update! It will end on October 31 (obviously), but totally worth it :) There are zombies to be squished, treats to be collected, and toilet paper and eggs to throw (at your friend's houses!). I can only imagine the Christmas update! I loved watching The Simpsons since when I was little. It was one of those things my brother and I enjoyed doing together, even though he was in the stage of "ew, girls." Of course that's changed, now that I'm in college and see him about once a month or so. We always looked forward to new Halloween and Christmas episodes; they never let us down. I wish I had a TV here in my apartment so I can watch it this year :(

It has been a while since I've written a long post. Enjoy!

In Search of a New Blogger Template

My current template is from Blogaholic Designs, but I'm ready for a change! I'm looking for something cute and simple. I've Googled a bunch of times and have not yet found "the one." Any site recommendations?

Wishlist: Handmade Leather Journal

Image taken from here

Why is this the cutest journal I've ever seen? And why is it $50?! This blank journal is from Shanghai, China. The eBay.com seller states it is handmade, but I can't tell from just looking at a picture.

I love the bunny pendant and the simple strap design. But I just won't spend $50 on a journal, no matter how cute it is. :( $50 can buy a lot of food. Good food. Maybe one day when I become rich, I will cross paths with this journal again and it shall be mine.

Christine

Though years have passed, you have yet to slip my mind.
Anger and tears could never wash the memories away
As now I am the one standing alone. The kind
Smiles we used to greet each other. The days

We spent sharing love. How did we end
Like this? I miss the laughter and hope
We gave each other. I miss the friend
I saw in you. But now, all I can do is sit and mope.

High school was our roller coaster ride
Though it was not enjoyable. It was a time
Of change and identity. To pick a side
And distinguish where we stand. It would be a crime

To speak up and say I was not happy. So I
Kept silent and watched my best friend turn
Into someone I don't know. It would be a lie
To say it was easy, but my stomach churned and churned.

Because years have passed, I have let the pain
Wash away into the sea. Because years have passed,
I am ready for a new friendship after the thunder and rain.
Because years have passed, I found myself at last.