♥ August 2012 OOTDs

shirt OBEY / jeans LEVIS / bag SANRIO / necklace FOREVER21 / shoes VANS

shirt TARGET / cardigan H&M / bag SANRIO / belt & necklace FOREVER21 / skirt ???? / shoes VANS 

( Pokewalker is mine c: )

dress AMERICAN RAG / cardigan H&M / bag D & B / necklace FOREVER21 / shoes VANS

shirt COTTON ON / sunglasses H&M / shorts AMETHYST / shoes VANS

( shell necklace is from my aunt overseas c: )

dress AMERICAN RAG / cardigan H&M / necklace FOREVER21 / hairclip KARINA / shoes ????

hoodie FOX RIDERS / shorts BILLABONG / boots UGGS / bag BUNGALOW 

( necklace pendant from SD Museum of Man c: )

sweater H&M / skirt H&M Kids / shoes VANS / bag SANRIO

( I added the bow on the sweater myself~ )

cardigan H&M / shirt OBEY / shorts BILLABONG / shoes VANS 

purple nail polish Julep ("Renee") / pink nail polish Sinful Colors ("Soul Mate")

( Sinful Colors np is easily found at Walmart on the cheap, and it's

-really- great quality for the $1.99ish I paid.  Comes in tons of colors.

One coat only and you get nice color and no streaking. c: )

+++

I didn't do one per day as I'd wanted :c but maybe that's for the better because 30 photos is a lot, and these are pretty much the only particularly interesting OOTDs.  Next month I may do one every day and then just pick out the best 5 or 10 of them. 

quick note!

Just a note for anyone looking for the Umineko and K-On! Movie links I posted before - I had to take them down due to copyright issues... apologies if you came here looking for those~! :ccccc

If it's any consolation, they're VERY easily found on Google/Piratebay/what have you, as torrents... but you didn't hear that from me. c:

♟Summer '12 face care routine

I've been using this setup for about 5 months, and I very very rarely have breakouts anymore.  I had medium acne on my forehead but that cleared right up!  

It depends on your skin though.  Mine is normal/slightly dry (esp in the heat), so this may be a good setup for general better for mildly-dry skin.  Also I never use foundations, just powder and only maybe twice a year for special things, so I don't have issues with makeup-clogged pores.  

( not the best photo, but that's my skin atm - it's pretty even and there's no obvious spotty bits c: )

MORNING

 Kracie Naive Rose Face Cleanser

* deep cleans and helps even out your complexion
*removes makeup extremely well

* effective, but leaves your face with a squeaky feeling -
not recommended for drier skin

* easily found at asian markets (esp Japanese/Korean/Chinese markets) -

this lasts EXTREMELY long for one bottle, it only takes a pea-size dab to lather

+

Boots Organics: Skin Brightening Toner

* removes cleanser residue and evens complexion - I rinse it off with water but you can leave it on 

* very gentle and supereffective for evening skin tone / pore minimizing 

(I don't have to mix it with water because it's mild), softens skin and removes
the squeaky feeling from the Rose cleanser

* you can get this at Target, or order it online

+++

EVENING

Jason Organic Hand Soap (Lavender)

* really softening and just moisturizing enough, cleans your face nicely without being harsh

* YMMV warning - I tried this one day just to see what would happen and it worked, 

though I thought it might have the opposite effect given that it's a hand soap

* you can find this at the grocery in the organic bath supplies section

 + 

So Totally Clean Deep Pore Cleanser (Original Formula) 

* smoothed out my complexion and minimized pores

* wash with cold water after using for best results

* pretty strong (and strong smelling) - I only ever need a very small amount, 

and I wet the pad before swiping it on my face

* I bought this on the military base exchange, but I'm sure it's likely at Sephora / other beauty shops 

+++

MOISTURIZER

 

Nivea Smooth Sensation Lotion

* very moisturizing and smoothing

* I think THIS is why my skin has been so good for a while, 

it removed all dry spots and made my skin soft and glowy 

(on both my body and face, 2X a day morning & night)

* YMMV warning - I use this for a bodylotion, AND as a night cream. 

I wouldn't recommend this if you have skin that's at all oily.

* easily available in any grocery store, it's pretty inexpensive at Walmart & such

+++

n o t e s

• Less is usually more when it comes to using washes and toners on your face.  Too much will make your skin quite unhappy, usually in the direction of too dry.  
• MAKE SURE YOU RINSE EVERYTHING OFF.  Very very few toners are actually gentle enough to leave on, as the majority contain ALCOHOL which is excessively drying in the long run (no wrinkles pls).  You want to reduce the amount of wash residue on your face as much as you can.    
• Changes in season can really mess up your skin, so adjust what you use as you see fit (ex. dry winter = more moisturizing, hot summer = less oily products ).
• Keep track of what you use so you can remember what works and what doesn't - this is very important in the case of allergies/bad reactions.
• Personally, any sunblock/sunscreen (especially of the spray variety) wrecks the skin on my face, though the rest of my skin's ok with it.  If you're the same, it's safest to stick with a moisturizer that has SPF in it.  Neutrogena makes a good one for sensitive skin, with 15SPF - it lasts pretty long for the bottle, so it's worth the cost.  I've used this before and it doesn't have such a bad effect, but it still doesn't agree with me so I only use it when I plan on going in the sun for long periods of time.
• For the ladies: you may like to keep track of your monthly cycle, because most of us get breakouts a few days to a week before IT hits.  Your face produces more oil in response to the hormone changes, hence breakout - you can mostly reduce/counter the effect if you know about the time it'll happen.  

♔Umineko no Naku koro Ni : Visual Novel & Anime

If you're interested in purchasing the Japanese game, Witch-Hunt sells it here.

Witch-Hunt also has a full demo version here - includes complete 1st arc ("episode 1"), though I'm not sure if you need to have the game installed already to install the demo.

+++

anime - 26 episodes

+++

manga series

+++

Umineko no Naku Koro Ni --> mystery/detective/mild horror/gore/suspense/drama

The plot is based on a closed circle/detective mystery premise - the characters ("guests") are all members of the Ushiromiya.  A storm traps them during a reunion at the island of their family home, upon which time odd things begin to happen, and people begin to turn up mysteriously dead.
The murders puzzle and terrify the guests, until a woman named "Beatrice" appears who claims to be a witch - apparently she made a deal with the guests' father, Kinzo, many years ago, for 10 tons of gold to restore his fortune.
Beatrice left a riddle (epitaph, what you will) - the one who solves it receives the gold and becomes the next head of the family.  Until the riddle is solved, people will continue to die in accordance to the riddle itself...if the riddle comes to an end without being solved, Beatrice will fully revive.
However one character, Battler, believes that there's no way magic can be causing the murders, and because of this the riddle cannot be completed.  He seeks to defeat Beatrice in a game of logic, reviewing the events of the island to show that a human was behind all the strange events, and prove that neither witches nor magic exist.

+++

Someone I knew previously told me the anime series was VERY different from the game, because it takes a different track from the original game plot.  I've only ever watched a few episodes into the anime, but from the wiki articles and the info floating around the web, there's major plot differences.

Personally I've never yet played the game (or any visual novel game, tbh) but I hope to once I have time.  Fyi to the visual/artfart sort, the anime is BEAUTIFULLY done; the game's art is...well you can see the art comparison above - the three characters center on the game art are the same three featured in the magazine clip for the anime.
But the storyline's what matters!

Be warned though: there's a lot of time jumping and flashbacks/forwards (in the most LITERAL sense of the word) involved.
Plotwise, Umineko is highly convoluted and will almost definitely give you a headache trying to keep up.  Not to say that the plottwists and reveals aren't well worth that.

The anime's somewhat gory and mildy creepy, but nothing to keep you up at night.  I'm not sure about the game.  Though from the clips I watched on Youtube - the derpy art actually makes it rather creepy for some reason...the characters' expressions especially.

If anyone's played the game and watched the anime, or has a pretty good knowledge/experience of both, leave a comment please - I'd like to hear!

I'll either update this or make a new post as I finish the anime, and later the game. c:  

UPDATE 2012-August-19:  I added the link to the manga series - I didn't know there was one, but it looks so far to be like the anime~

UPDATE 2012-August-20:  Stipulation of the game links - as mentioned above, you need to have the original Japanese version of the game installed in order for the patches to work.  You won't be able to play by just having those downloads.  Sorry folksies, I was disappointed too. :c

UPDATE 2012-August-21:  I just watched again from the beginning - I didn't remember anymore so nothing made sense until I started over. :I
The plot is very much the type where you best not blink or look away, but not because you'll necessarily miss a visual detail - you'll just be extremely confused later on if you don't keep track of the lines of both Beatrice's and Battler's arguments.  That being said, poor Battler.  Well, poor everybody really, even poor Beatrice.  You'll probably end up just feeling generally bad for everyone except Bernkastel and Lambdadelta but YMMV. 
I still have somewhat iffy feelings about the anime though - after the last ep, I tried to go online and find out if it was like the game.  I found various forum discussions saying NOT SO, and especially of the last ep.  The story's still very intriguing, and personally I'd like to see the real thing.  So I wish to play the game, if I can find a free download for it someplace.  Expect a link up top if I do. c:

P.S. don't miss the epilogue at the end of the last ep.  I quit at the ED credits and then found out and went back to watch it.

EDIT:  Sorry guys, took the links down because of copyright issues.  :c  They're very easily found through Google though, don't worry.

✄ August Freebies!

DID SOMEONE SAY

FREE

...I'm so sorry.

But who doesn't like free stuff though!! :D  Tah dahhhh, August freebies~~~
These are all currently working as of the date I posted this (Aug. 13), & I'll update as they end/run out.
(P.S. None of these are the scammy annoying "fill out another survey/another/another" kind, or scams of any kind, ugh.)

Anything extra required besides personal info (aka shipping, facebook account, etc), I'll indicate next to the link.
These do take a while to be delivered, but personally I've never NOT gotten one when I sent a request in, even though it was a LONG wait.  Just be patient, it was free anyway! c:
Also, they usually ask for your email.  Unless you REALLY want to get product ads from companies in your inbox, it might be a good plan to make a separate email just for these.  I have a separate one I use just for freebies, raffles, mall giveaways, drawings etc., and only use my main one for companies I like a lot (that way I'll definitely see if I receive anything I'd be interested in).

NOTE:  I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing these may be USA & Canada limited.  If anyone outside these territories tries them and it works, I'd be glad to know! C:

+++

L'Occitane - email coupon for a free tube of signature hand cream when you connect your Facebook.  (Really awesome because no purchase required.)

***UPDATE August 14, 2012:  I just got mine today, as well as one for my mom and sister! c:

Nivea - email coupon for a free lip product of your choice via their Facebook page. (I think it's no purchase required.)

True Reflection by Kim Kardashian - free deluxe perfume sample.  ( it's a mini version of the bottle - kinda pretty c: )

Garnier - free Fall Fight shampoo + conditioner sample.

Victoria's Secret - free Beauty Rush lipgloss with any purchase.  Good until September 3, 2012.

PINKNATION (Victoria's Secret) - printable coupon for free Pink panty with Pink purchase, only for NEW Pink Nation members.  Just scroll partly down the page and it's right there.  Coupon's good until September 24, 2012.
***If you put your cellphone number in and say you want texts, you'll get ANOTHER coupon via text message - so that's 2 coupons total. c:  The paper coupon is only good for ONE use.  Some clerks are nice and will let you use the textmessage coupon MULTIPLE times.
They also constantly email you coupons for free gift/gift with purchase, and they'll mail you coupon cards as well.
This is why I have far more panties from VS than I actually pay for, ohoho.

+++

It's really easy to go out there and find free samples for yourself - just go on google and check sites out.  There also may be lots of great makeup/beauty coupons in your Sunday newspaper (incidentally that is, if you GET the newspaper).

It does take a bit of time to hunt them down, but that's the fun of it.  There are also plenty of blogs besides mine where people are nice enough to summarize working freebies.  In a way I guess instead of putting in money, you're putting in time c: so personally I only really ever look for these during summer or school breaks, when things are slow.

I'll do a monthly freebies post, as long as I can find something worth posting that peeps will be interested in. c:

♪ Shampoo&Conditioners + EXTRA haircare tips

Changes of season tend to take a toll on hair - especially in SUMMER, what with sun exposure, going to the beach, and just the HEAT in general.

I put together a review of some things I've tried, as well as some tips to help your hair out.

I figured I'd try some of the Japanese haircare sets, hoping they'd suit my hair better than the stuff I usually got at the grocery c: and for the most part they did.  Your mileage may vary, though, but I hope this helps!

There's three that I've tried out so far:
1.  Shiseido's TSUBAKI Shining (red bottle)
2.  Kracie's Ichikami
3.  Kracie's Umi no Uruoiso ("Ocean's Gift", pretty name!)

++++++++++++++++++

TSUBAKI SHINING

It has camellia oil in it hence "tsubaki", and it makes your hair extremely soft.  On the downside it's oilier than I like, and after a month of using it my hair got weighted down a lot (which I imagine would be worse on finer hair, mine's medium-fine), so I stopped using it.  The plus is that the conditioner is probably optional for most people, since the shampoo's almost a 2-in-1 on its own.

**This is likely best for people with thicker/coarser-texture hair, or for people with dry hair or who use treatments on their hair a lot aka straighteners/curlers/blowdry/dying/bleaching.  The conditioner on its own is REALLY great for split end types!

shampoo & conditioner

+++

ICHIKAMI

Extremely softening like Tsubaki, but it's a lot lighter on your hair.  That being said it did make my hair a tiny bit greasy, but nothing to really complain about.  (This is meant to smell of cherry blossoms, but I think it smells more like apples & flowers?  I don't really like apples but it's a very light scent so I don't mind this one.)  Again, for this one I only needed a tiny drop of conditioner compared to the amount of shampoo I used, because the shampoo's pretty moisturizing by itself.  I used this one for a much longer time than Shining.  Not sure if it was just a side-effect from being moisturized, or if the shampoo's MEANT to do this, but I think my hair got slightly darker from using it.  YMMV.
**This is likely best for people with medium thick/slightly coarse hair, or for people with medium dry hair / use treatments on their hair moderately.

shampoo & conditioner

+++

UMI NO URUOISO

Currently using this one since July.  Definitely my favorite of the three, it smells floral and a little salty seabreeze-like.  It apparently has 11 kinds of seaweed extract (I'm impressed) and deep-ocean water in it as well.  This one's not weighed down my hair or caused buildup at all, and it still made my hair supersoft.  Unlike the other two, my hair seems fluffier and more volumized by it.  c:  You do need conditioner of some sort with this, probably because of the salt content from the seawater.  The matching conditioner does its job but is still really nice and light.
**This is a good shampoo for people with normal or slightly dry hair.  I wouldn't use this if you tend to have split ends, again because of the salt.  

shampoo & conditioner

(  the set that I got is here  )

They also make various hair masks and leave-in things for each of these sets - I've never tried them but if I do I'll post a review here. c:

I live quite close to a few Asian supermarkets, and they often have sales on value sets of hair treatments.  If you live near one I'd say check there first and keep tabs on their sales/specials, as ordering online can be more expensive + shipping/handling.  I paid about $20 for the Ichikami and Tsubaki sets, and $15 for the UNU set.  

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

extra tips c:

• Using paper towels to pat dry your hair does help it from losing too much moisture.  A more cost effective and planet friendly way: using a microfiber towel.  Using either before blowdrying your hair (or instead of) helps keep your hair from overdrying.
• Tying your hair up (ponytail, whatever) when it's wet can loosen the roots and make it prone to falling out.  Same goes for excessively towel-scrubbing your hair.  Just pat or lightly squeeze most of the water out, and let it loose until it's dried.  
• For blowdrying, use either cool air or warm air on MEDIUM / LOW speed.  It takes a little longer, but it's not as rough on your strands.
• For people with longer hair: try putting your hair in a braid (not ponytails) before bed to help keep the hairs from tangling up at night.
• Body lotion actually works quite well as a leave-in overnight hair mask.  I double up my body lotion (Nivea Smooth Sensation) for this use, I've never tried other kinds of lotion but I imagine they'd all work pretty much the same way.
• For bangs or flat hair: to regain some volume and fluff after straightening, gather hair as if you're going to make a pouf in the front (or on top of your head, if you're doing all your hair).  Leave it up and blowdry lightly with first WARM (1 minute), then COOL air (1 min) - this sets the roots of your hair.  I found this works best when you've just recently washed your hair. 
• At the beach during summer - if your hair is the type that tends to BLEACH OR COLOR CHANGE WITH SUN EXPOSURE, get ahold of some spray-on sunscreen and give your hair a spritz.  It's really great especially for dyed hair.  Just make sure you shampoo it out really well later, sunscreen's pretty greasy.
• UPDATE:  Washing your hair with COLD or just-barely-warm water will help prevent hair thinning.  My dad swears by it (he's from the Philippines and he says they didn't use warm water to wash; he's nearly 60 and he hasn't got either white hair or baldspots).  I don't know whether this works myself, but I'm planning to try it out c:

✧ K-ON! Movie! ~ film torrent & OST zip links

I just began watching it now c: already love the intro song (perhaps it's just me, but it sounds a little like the Beatles, and since the club's going to London in the movie it's rather appropriate).

EDIT: OST & film torrent links removed due to copyright. :c  Sorry!

The movie torrent I found is by CoalGuys on Piratebay -- A: 10, V:10, J audio and English subs.

✿ Nail polish + extra tips

Some things I've read or figured out over time, in terms of nail polish. c:
(I haven't worn it much recently because I play guitar, and strumming pretty much means all my polish effort gets wasted.)

+++++++

If you're planning to put color nail polish, put a clear coat on under it.  This will prevent staining.  Another clear layer on top of the color will prevent fading and keep it shiny and chip-free.  It doesn't have to be a top/base coat necessarily, just something to protect your nails.

Light nail polish makes nails look longer, dark nail polish makes them look shorter.  Clear is usually what I use - it goes nicely with everything, looks clean and naturally polished (ahaha.), has no stain worries, and it's nearly impossible to tell when it's chipped etc.

To fast-dry nail polish, put your fingertips in a bowl of ice water for about 10 seconds, then shake off.  Repeat until dry to the touch.  A blowdryer might seem like a good idea but it causes bubbles and streaking.

Don't pick nail polish off.  You'll end up removing the top "skin" layer of your nails as well.  Also don't apply nail polish if your nails themselves are dry/damaged, it'll make it a lot worse.  (Foot cream works a lot better and faster than hand cream, to fix dry nails AND hands.  It's greasier but you only have to use it once or twice to get the same results.)

Don't buy cheap nail polish.  I don't mean price, I mean nail polish made with things that are BAD for your nails aka formaldehydes, formaldehyde resin, toluene, DBP, etc.
Some good kinds that are easily available and affordable: Essie, Revlon, Sally Hansen.  Other kinds I've tried are Sephora, Julep, and Goldie, the bottles are lovely).  My favorite ones I've used are Goldie, Essie, and Julep.  I have a lot of Goldie nailpolishes that I got on sale at Bath and Body Works, but that was a long time ago and I don't know if that brand exists anymore.
(EDIT: From what I could find online, Goldie was a B&BW brand that isn't produced anymore.  If I'm wrong somebody please correct me + source, I'd be glad to know - that stuff's great.)

To prevent streaking, make sure there's enough polish on the brush, then LIGHTLY brush it on in one stroke.  Don't press down too hard, because that causes the streaks/bare spots.

Put nail polish EARLY.  This ensures that it's got enough time to completely dry - I used to put it an hour before going to sleep and figured that would be enough, but nail polish takes MUCH longer to dry 100% so I would wake up with little cloth-crumple impressions.  (I also incidentally broke my habit of sitting on my hands...)

A lot of darker or bold colored polishes will stain nails.  For me, black nail polish doesn't stain, but blues do.  It depends on its chemistry with your fingernails, and it varies a lot from person to person.

Rather than waiting to figure out if it stains/doesn't stain, it's best to prevent it at all.  The best time to remove your nail polish is 3-4 days AFTER you put it on (so not including the first day you had it - therefore 4-5 days total).
An even more unwelcome effect is that your nails may yellow.  This is because, like your skin and the rest of your body, your nails need oxygen - yellowing happens when they're deprived for too long.  My nails tend to yellow/stain quickly, so I remove my polish 3 days after I applied it (total 4 days wearing) just to be safe.

If you do stain or yellow your nails, it can quickly be fixed.  Just put some hydrogen peroxide on a cotton ball, and hold it on each fingernail for 5-10 seconds.  (Don't get any on  your clothes, it'll bleach and leave white spots where you probably don't want them.)  This is obviously not the best thing for your nails, so see above for preventing it.  And if it's a REALLY dark stain/yellow, it'll only fade so much - the rest you'll have to just grow out.
AFTER you've bleached your fingernails, however, DO NOT apply nail polish for at least a week (not even clear).  They'll just stain even more quickly, so just wait for them to grow out a little bit before you get back into it.

++++++++++

COOL AND PRACTICALLY-FREE STUFF.  --> http://www.julep.com/
Just take the "style quiz", and it'll give you what color nail polish matches your style (the other options are on the bottom of the results page, in case you don't like the polishes the quiz gives you).  Choose the one you like, then sign up for a subscription.
Enter either COLOR2012 or PENNY in the Discount Code box - this charges you only $0.01 with free shipping for the nail polish set! C:
After your package arrives, you can call and cancel your subscription (which is regularly $20 a month, there's a page that describes what they send you if you choose to continue subscribing).
(A Julep polish is somewhat expensive if you buy it instore, so this isn't half bad for what you get.  ...actually, $0.01 isn't half bad for pretty much anything in general. |D)
NOTE:  This appears to only work in the US as far as I know :c sorry guys!

2012-AUGUST-13 EDIT:  The COLOR2012 and PENNY codes no longer seem to work. :c  The new subscrip deal is on their website.  After you go through the quiz, you can get 3 nail polishes for $9.99, PLUS 2 extra polishes free when you use the code they give you, which isn't bad at all.