Hotmail Spam Emails

It's New Year's Eve! What do you guys have planned? I don't really celebrate the New Year because we have Chinese New Year, which is usually in late January. Every year, Chinese New Year falls on a different day. Looking at a Chinese calendar is the only way I can tell when the big day is :P Crazy, huh?

Well, I have been babysitting these past few days and yesterday while the baby was sleeping, I handmade a few cards! I'll post about that one later, with pictures and all.

This post will be about the dreaded spam emails. I've had my Hotmail account for about... six years now. And I can probably say majority of the emails I receive... are spam! There is no one way to get rid of this problem, but here are a few tips I have used:

• Be careful who you share your email with. I created a separate email for college purposes only and I used it for applying to scholarships. In return, it seems as if the companies sold my email to advertisers. Any company can sell your email. Even something as innocent as a scholarship! Treat your email like your phone number.
• Unsubscribe. One very time-consuming method is to click through each spam email and find the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom. I used this method for a while, until I realized it didn't help much. Then I read an article that doing this can even bring in more spam. How? If the company sees you are an active user of that email address, they will bug you even more. 
• Block them. This is another time-consuming method, but I find it to be the most useful. Since I have a Hotmail, I go to Options > Safe and Blocked Senders > Blocked Senders. Then, I open each email (again,  this might not be very safe) and find the sender of the spam email. I take the domain and enter it onto the Blocked Senders list. What is the domain part of the email? @IWantToSpamYou.com, @SpamCompany.com... it's basically the last part of the email. The domain includes the @ symbol. What this does is, any email with that domain will be blocked. The spam could be sent from a Robert or Bill with the same domain. Both emails will be blocked :)

These are a few methods I use or have used to combat those annoying spam emails. What are your strategies?

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Okay, so I forgot to add a random picture yesterday. I'm just going to stick a cute kitty in here... hehe.

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"Red" by Taylor Swift

I'm a pretty big Taylor Swift fan. The first song I heard was "Teardrops On My Guitar." I liked it so much that I had it on repeat for weeks and I learned the lyrics perfectly. Since then, Taylor Swift has crafted some incredible songs. I accidentally stumbled across her "Red" album on Youtube... the FULL VERSION. Enjoy!

0:06 - State of Grace
4:58 - Red
8:38 - Treacherous
12:38 - I Knew You were Trouble
16:16 - All Too Well
21:41 - 22
25:31 - I Almost Do
29:31 - We are Never Ever Getting Back Together
32:43 - Stay Stay Stay
36:08 - The Last Time
41:03 - Holy Ground
44:23 - Sad Beautiful Tragic
49:05 - The Lucky One
53:00 - Everything Has Changed
57:03 - Starlight
1:00:38 - Begin Again

Upcoming Week

Hey guys! Tomorrow, I am taking the train to my cousin's place :) She's the one with the baby and I will be helping out for one whole week. My cousin Maggie is about to start working again and needs all the help she can get :)

I'm going to put product reviews on hold. Instead, I'll probably be talking about random happenings in San Mateo.

Anyways, have you guys tried tea candy?! I normally don't like hard candies, but this is an exception!

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I bought the Green Tea Latte (middle) for $1.89, which is a good deal since you get 40 pieces. There were lots of green tea varieties at the Filipino market. The brand is "Bali's Best." I don't think I've ever seen these around before... so I'm not sure where else sells these yummy drops :( However, I did find it on eBay :P

Have a good day :)

Review: Laura Geller The Real Deal Concealer

One of the many gifts my friend Sue gave me for Christmas this year was a concealer from Laura Geller. The color is "Light," which actually looks much darker than the picture. It's more like an orange-y beige color. I have naturally fair skin and didn't think this concealer would work for me.

What do I think about this product?

• It looks really orange-y but once it's blended out, the concealer matches my skin perfectly.
• Really amazing coverage. Sue once said this stuff can cover up a tattoo. I wouldn't doubt it. 
• The texture is a creamy mousse and it can be a little heavy.
• After blending out the concealer, my face was really cakey. 
• It's $22 for less than 1 oz.

In conclusion, this Laura Geller concealer is great. It seriously does cover up any blemishes or dark undereye circles. However, powdering your face afterwards is a must. It is really important step that cannot be skipped. Another thing is: use a very tiny, tiny amount. A little really goes a long way. I am going to predict this little bottle will last me a year or two. I might purchase this concealer in the future, but the price is a little high. Also, I think liquid concealers just feel better, but I think that's just me :P 

I currently use a liquid concealer from Cargo and it's a lot easier to blend out. It doesn't feel heavy on my face either. The downside is that coverage isn't as great as this Laura Geller product. 

You can check out the true color and buy the Laura Geller The Real Deal Concealer at Ulta here. 

Christmas 2012: Part 2

Hey there! Today's the day after Christmas. There are lots of good sales right after the big day, but I didn't go this year. Did you? Instead, I spent my day hanging out with one of my bestest friends ever... Sue! :) We just sat in her room for about 5 hours and talked. I love friends like these where you can talk about anything and everything until your jaw is tired of talking! I haven't seen Sue since summer, but I still consider her my sister and best friend. Here's what she got me for Christmas (and my birthday, which was in October, but we haven't seen each other since):

Random picture of almost everything Sue gave me :)

Benefit Mineral Foundations

Skin 79 BB Cream, MAC eyeshadow, Laura Geller concealer, Burt's Bee's chapstick, Missha BB Cream, Benefit High Beam highlighter

More facials! :D

The yellow Morning Burst! How'd she know?!

What else did Sue get me? 

• A Sandisk flash drive
• Tampons (lol)
• Box of brownies
• Chocolate things you melt (think chocolate-dipped strawberries!)
• Scrapbooking ribbon

And...

• A black Coach purse! (I'll put a picture up soon! :D)

I love my best frienddddddd <3

Christmas 2012

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you all had a great time with your family and ate lots of delicious food :) I didn't get out of bed until 11:30 AM and then I just watched TV until dinner, haha! We had a big family dinner with the usual Chinese dishes. Since this will just be a little short post, here's what I got for Christmas!

Scrapbook, candle, shampoo + condition sample, notepad set, nail polish

Forever 21 socks

Cat book!

Inside of cat book!

Honey facial mask

Candle

Nail polish and lip balm

Philosophy body wash and lip gloss set

Lucky cat phone charm

Vanilla hand soap and lotion set

Tell me about your Christmas! Family traditions? Favorite dish? Got an awesome gift?

Mini Haul: Sanrio Hello Kitty Store

1. Little Twin Stars eraser
2. Rilakkuma Duckie notepad (the head is the notepad!)
3. Japanese girl notebooks
4. Sugerbunnies letter set (Sugarbunnies is a newer Sanrio character group)
5. Keroppi stickers and a Hello Kitty eraser

Recently, I learned a new trick to take clearer pictures with my Nikon point-and-shoot! Zoom in all the way and use macro mode. I'm still getting used to it, but my pictures have been amazing! If I didn't use the zoom + macro combo, my pictures would be one big blur! I think the first and last picture came out the best :)

What tips do you use for your camera?

Hope you enjoyed this mini haul! It's almost Christmas :D

Review: L'oreal Go 360 Clean Deep Cream Cleanser

Hey everyone! Today I will be reviewing this L'oreal cleanser, but don't think I love it just because I'm almost done with the bottle! When the "Scrublet" line came out, I wanted to try it so bad, but I waited because 1) I wasn't out of a cleanser yet and 2) I like sales! One day, while I was looking around at CVS, I saw this cleanser and it was on sale for about $2 or $3! I decided to buy it because it was so cheap. I was a little disappointed because the other "Scrublet" products weren't on sale :( I bought this a while ago and I finally decided to use it. 

What is a "Scrublet"? 

A "Scrublet" is the little facial scrubber the product comes with (L'oreal came up with the name). Since I bought the "Deep Cream Cleanser," my "Scrublet" is pink. It pops right out and after wetting it a little, you put a dime-sized bit of product on there. Then you cleanse your face in a circular motion. 

What do I think about this product?

• I use this cleanser in the morning because I find that it doesn't cleanse my face too well. If I use it at night with a makeup or oily face, I don't feel as clean. That's why I use my Morning Burst! ;)
• The "Scrublet" is soft and flexible, but BEWARE if you have a big pimple. Sometimes the "Scrublet" pops my pimple for me and I'm left with a bloody face :( If you have a pimple, try using the cleanser with your fingertips instead.
• It contains salicylic acid, but for me, it has done nothing to combat my acne.  
• It's a gentle cleanser that leaves a tingly, refreshing feeling. 
• Lathers easily with a little bit of water. I like to wet my face and the "Scrublet" just a little bit. If there's not enough water, it will feel too dry and will not lather.

In conclusion, I am just trying to use the bottle up. It cleans somewhat effectively, but I can still feel a little bit of oil left on my skin sometimes. It does nothing for my acne, even though it has salicylic acid as an ingredient. I will not purchase this product again because there is nothing special about it. However, I might try the other "Scrublet" products. I know they have a gel cleanser (in a green bottle, I think) and I happen to like gel cleansers :)

Review: Clean & Clear Morning Burst Detoxifying Facial Cleanser

This little blue bottle is my lifesaver. If I skip a day without cleansing my face with this, I break out. The Clean & Clear Morning Burst Detoxifying Facial Cleanser is so great that this is my second bottle! The first time I used it, I didn't have really bad acne, but it kept my pores clean. After I used up the first bottle, I decided to try other products, since my acne wasn't that bad anyways. Bad decision. My acne came back, worse than ever, about a year ago and I had to tell my mom to buy this for me! I could have bought it myself, but there are no stores around my apartment, remember? :( Anyways, I've been using my second bottle for about a month now and my acne is calming down :)

The words are hard to see in this picture. Here's what it says:

• Oil-free 
• Oxygen-infused formula
• Wakes you up
• Cleans deep for visibly healthier skin
• 8 fl. oz. (240 mL)

The product comes out like a gel and once I lather it between my palms, it foams a little bit and the beads break apart. In the bottle, the beads look pearlescent, hehe :) It's important for the beads to break up because sometimes beads or scrubs are too harsh for the skin. Also, the bottle claims that the "Bursting Beads release antioxidants, leaving your skin clean, fresh, and visibly healthier." 

What do I think about this product?

• Smells good. Not too fruity or flowery. More like a minty scent.
• Works easily into a lather and the beads break up almost to the touch.
• Cleans oil and dirt amazingly. My face feels so fresh and clean afterwards!
• It doesn't have benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, BUT I feel that it does a great job to tame my pimples. I think it's because it keeps my pores clean!
• I actually use this at night, because so much dirt and oil build up on my face throughout the day. I use a more gentle cleanser in the morning: Loreal Go 360 Clean Deep Cream Cleanser.
• Inexpensive and can be found in lots of stores (Target, Walmart, Walgreens, etc). I think I paid about $4, which is a great deal because the bottle lasts a few months :)

In conclusion, this is my favorite cleanser. Ever. I don't think I will replace it, unless it gets discontinued :( It does everything it says, for me at least. Remember: everyone has different skin types. I have tried a different Morning Burst from Clean & Clear. It's the green bottle, and it smells amazing and cleans great, but the beads in it were too harsh. Maybe I will try the yellow and orange bottles, one day...

What did you think about this review?

Hello Winter Vacation!

I am finally done with finals and the fall semester! This morning, I woke up at 5 AM, but didn't get out of bed until 6:30, hehe. My last final was at 7:30, but I wasn't panicking too much because it was just a little two minute speech :) After finals, I went back to my apartment to finish packing up my things and organize a little, since I'll be gone for an entire month! (yes, we get one full month of winter vacation :D) Then I boarded the train and three hours later, I'm back home!

Jon picked me up at the train station. When I was one town away from home, I texted him and said, "5 more minutes!" He replied back with, "Stuck in traffic" or something like that. I got off the train and still, he said stuck in traffic. I walked towards the waiting room and there he was :) So basically, Jonathan lied. He did the same exact thing last time when he picked me up from the train station. But I didn't get mad, because I was so excited to see him!

After Jon picked me up, I had to get a package at my friend's house. It was Jon's birthday and Christmas present combined. Today is his 20th birthday (he's old, I know!) and he's leaving for Oklahoma in two days, so why not?

He opened his present back at his house and loved it all! I got him three jackets from Aeropostale and the Gandalf Lego keychain. The Spiderman one in that same post goes to my brother. Why? Because Jonathan and my brother have the same birthday. HA! Maybe that's trying to tell me something... hehe!

1/2/3

(I would have him model the jackets himself, but I don't think he's up for that, haha!)

Jon tried on every single one of the jackets and rewarded me with hugs after each one :P I could tell he was so happy :) Especially because I know exactly what he likes. That was the first time I bought him clothes, by the way. Now, if only he knows what I like... :(

After presents, we went to a sushi buffet! It's called Fuji's and we've been there a few times before. We always try to sit by the sushi bar so we can experience the moving sushi boats! It's so fun watching the boats glide on by and snatching up plates of sushi! Click here for a really good review of Fuji's, along with amazing high-quality pictures!

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Have you guys tried any sushi buffets? What's your favorite kind of sushi?