Monday, May 26, 2014

Review: My experience with YourTea.com Tiny Teatox


Many of you have probably heard of Your Tea from Instagram. On their IG they post tons of customer photos of people who appear to have lost A LOT of bloat/weight, many claiming after just 7 days! I have to admit, I fell HARD for this hype... So I decided to try it. This was the first teatox I've ever done, so I decided to split a 28 Day teatox with my coworker, so we both did the 14 Day detox.

Claims: 
"My intricately balanced herbal blend will nourish and cleanse your digestive system, providing it the support it needs to replenish and restore back to its natural state. This cleanse will assist with reducing weight, easing bloating, increasing digestion functionality, improving skin clarity, increasing energy levels and alleviate issues associated with food intolerances. Formulated with Chinese medicine herbs and based upon Chinese medicinal principles, TinyTea is the only herbal cleanse on the market that does not produce a laxative effect. TinyTea has been created by qualified Chinese Medicine practitioners with considerable years of experience. I contain 42 teabags per box. Each teabag weighs 2.5g."

Ingredients:
oolong tea, jue ming zi, he ye, shan zha, lai fu zi, chen pi, mai ya (not that I know what any of this is)

The 28 Day Tiny Teatox is $55 for 84 teabags, for 3 per day (the 14 day teatox is $35 for 42 teabags). Shipping was $11 and it came within a week. My coworker drank it 3 times a day, and I drank it twice a day. On their box, pamphlet, and website, they are very confusing about how much you are really supposed to drink this tea for it to be effective. On the pamphlet it says 2 times a day, on the site it says 3. Yet on their site it says if it gives you too much energy, you can drink it 2x a day instead of 3. But on their IG they say the pamphlet was a misprint and you're supposed to drink it 3x a day to get the full effects. I found it did give me a bit much energy so I drank one in the morning and one in the early afternoon.

You are supposed to steep this tea for 5-7 min and drink it hot (not cold or iced) before or after a meal, and eat healthy while on it. It is not supposed to have side effects.

Again, this teatox claims to:
  • reduce weight
  • ease bloating
  • increase digestion functionality
  • improve skin clarity
  • increase energy levels
  • alleviate issues associated with food intolerances
Both my coworker and I experienced while on this teatox:
  • weight gain 
  • increased hunger
  • increased bloating
  • constipation
  • tiredness
We noticed no change in skin clarity or alleviation of lactose intolerance.

I was extremely disappointed in this teatox because it did the absolute OPPOSITE of what it says it's supposed to do. I know everyone is different but I find it strange how me, my coworker, one of my ig friends, and many other people commenting on their instagram had the very same disappointing experience while on this tea!

The first day I drank this tea, it made me jittery and a little nauseous, so that's why I decided to drink it only 2x a day. I honestly don't think it tastes that bad (it tastes just like what you think chinese herbal tea would taste like I guess) but some bags are more bitter than others. For the first week I drank it, I felt more energetic. But after the 2nd week it all went downhill -- I was sluggish, painfully bloated, always hungry, and to top it all off, constipated. My coworker said she felt exactly the same. We thought maybe that's just how it is as the teatox does its work, so we went on to finish the entire box.... sadly nothing changed throughout. We were both constantly hungry and I actually gained a couple pounds while on this teatox... I wanted to do it mainly because I always feel bloated and thought it would help... NOPE, it made me 2x as bloated and I thought I looked pregnant. Also TMI -- We couldn't even poop for days at a time and it was always hard poop :( Eww I know but I gotta say it lol because it really is the exact opposite of what it's supposed to do!

I ate healthy but didn't work out, while my coworker did work out. Yet we still gained weight and were bloated, and a friend of mine on ig also said that normally she loves to work out and already had a flat stomach, but this teatox made her too sluggish to workout and also so bloated she thought looked pregnant too!

After I finished the teatox I felt horrible for about 2 weeks as the effects lingered. So I started making detox water with fruit and it was not even funny how much better I felt!!!


In this collage, the bottom right was how I looked the entire time while on the tiny teatox. The left and top right photos are after I was off it and drinking lime/cucumber/mint water for only 3 days! I was so much less bloated and feeling much less tired and my digestion issues went away. I recently got a Nutribullet for my birthday so I'm working towards a healthier eating plan making my own food and exercising more consistently. No more relying on supposed "miracle" detoxes!

I personally wouldn't do this tea again. I'm not sure if we got a bad batch... maybe they give out expired stock, so that's why our teatox did not work because it was OLD... my mom did insist that my teabags smelled "rancid" to her hmmm.... :/ Overall I wouldn't say don't try it, because it apparently seems to work for many people... but I'll say don't believe all the hype! Make your own detox water, work out, and you'll see better results!

Thursday, May 15, 2014

NOTD: Pink & Mint


  I get my nails done by Mymy at

Pageant Nails 

235 Waianuenue Ave | Suite 103 
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 935-5888  

This is gel over my real nails. 

Monday, May 12, 2014

NOTD: Black x Gold Love



I get my nails done by Mymy at

Pageant Nails 

235 Waianuenue Ave | Suite 103 
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 935-5888  

This is polish over acrylic base over my real nails.

Product Review: House of Lashes Noir Fairy & Pixie Luxe

I've purchased lashes from House of Lashes 2 times. I love their Pixie Luxe lashes, but wanted to talk about the inconsistencies of the lashes I've gotten. The first time I purchased one pair of Pixie Luxe ($12) and one pair of Noir Fairy ($16). My friend also purchased a 3-pack of Pixie Luxe. When we compared our pairs, we noticed that her 3-pack all had varying lengths of lashes. My single pair of Pixie Luxe happened to be on the short side, so we opted to trade since I like long lashes and she likes short. This was her longer pair:
Above is the Noir Fairy I received. Note how they are really thick and "heavy" and dramatic. I was really disappointed because I expected them to look like the lashes that they post on their instagram page:


Note how long the Pixie Luxe is. And the Noir Fairy? They are so wispy and pretty in this picture! Mine look nothing like that.

The second time I ordered from HoL, I got a 3-pack of Pixie Luxe. I made a note at checkout that I  specifically wanted LONG pairs. But when I got them, just like my friend's 3-pack, all the lashes were of different lengths:



The top box is perfect. The middle box is a little too short for my tastes. And the bottom box is just... can you even call it the same style?? It's half the length that it should be. I honestly felt like I was getting jipped a bit because I pay to get what is pictured: LONG WISPY LASHES. What does that say about quality control when I buy a 3-pack of a specific style and only ONE pair is "right," and the Noir Fairy is totally off?

I contacted HoL and they told me that their lashes are all handmade, so there will be inconsistencies in the lashes, which I understand. What I don't understand is how the lashes I got could pass quality control checks and be sold like this compared to what they advertise on their IG page. I did get sent one pair of Pixie Luxe as compensation and they did say that they were seeing to getting a person to do final quality control checks before the product is sent out, so we'll see what happens.

Overall I think the quality of their lashes is very good, they last the advertised 5-8+ uses on me and the price is great. I just feel that the style inconsistency issue needs to be addressed.


  The Rundown: 


Packaging: 5/5
Cute boxes made of eco-friendly recycled materials

Product: 3/5
Good quality lashes that last, but the styles are inconsistent

Price: 5/5
Wallet-friendly

Overall:

 

[ Click here to read about my Review & Rating System ]


Sunday, May 11, 2014

Product Overview: Blonde and Pink Wig from eBay

I bought this wig from ebay seller xiaowuge2012 because I've been wanting to go platinum blonde but wasn't sure how I'd look and if it would match or not! I figured I could get a cheap wig to test out the color. This wig was $6.99 + $9.99 shipping from China. It came pretty fast actually, about 2 weeks to Hawaii (usually I wait around a month to receive packages from China).


This is what the wig in the listing looked like:


I realize mine looks nothing like that lol but I'm not complaining :-P I actually like the platinum blonde of the one I got. However the pink of my wig is more of a bright almost neon pink. I liked the pastel baby pink of the listing photo better. So word of caution - don't rely on the seller's pictures because they're probably not accurate.


This is the first wig I've ever bought so I don't really have anything to compare it to. It seems nice quality. The synthetic hair is soft and silky, but tangles really really easily (is that just how synthetic wigs are?). The price point was great in my opinion, so that's why I got it. Overall I was satisfied with this purchase even though it wasn't the same as the wig in the original listing. I would recommend this seller because of good prices and fast shipping.

For now my dreams of actually going platinum blonde are on hold... not sure if I could handle the process and the maintenance!

FOTD: Inspired by the works of Michael Hussar & Naye0na





Eyes

Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Tarte Amazonian Clay Brow Mousse - Medium Brown
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil - Perversion
Wet N Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Single - Trashed
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil - Cottage Cheese
Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen - Blackest Black
Circle Lenses - Geo Tear Grey
House of Lashes - Noir Fairy


Lips

Maybelline Baby Lips - Grapevine
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick - Vava Violet
Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner - Black


Face

Neutrogena Shine Control Primer
The Face Shop BB Cream
Dermablend Smooth Indulgence Concealer - Almond
Physician's Formula Super BB Pressed Powder - Light/Medium
ELF Studio Blush - Berry Merry


This look was inspired by:

http://instagram.com/naye0na#

http://instagram.com/michael_hussar#

Friday, March 21, 2014

Review: Whipped Cream Clay from Sophie & Toffee

White & Pastel Pink, Piping Tips, & Fake Sugar Sprinkles

Price: SGD 12.14 (approx $9.53 USD)

Availability: buy here

About the product:

  • This is new generation whipped cream which is 100% environmental friendly with no harmful vapors.
  • It has a slight fruity scent which is similar to our deco sauces.
  • This type of whipped is more flexible and elastic and finished with a gloss.
  • It is also easier to squeeze as compared to other fake whipped cream product which comes in a tube.
  • You can easily attached our piping tips and it is ready to use!
  • Each 100g comes with FREE 4 piping tips (randomly chosen).
  • Colors: white, chocolate, lilac, blueberry, raspberry, peach, pastel pink, strawberry 

Thoughts:

I was super excited when Sophie & Toffee contacted me to try out this product because I'm continuously looking for new whipped cream materials to try! I have never used the clay type before, so this was my first one. I was also really interested because they said it did not have the harsh scent that most (if not all) silicone caulking has. I had to take a break from making whipped cream cases because the silicone fumes were aggravating my allergies, and adding to these headaches I was having :( So to hear that these clay whipped creams have a nice scent was awesome! It smells like vanilla-coconut!

They come in 100ml tubes, and you can screw their inexpensive piping tips right onto the tube. This is very convenient because you don't have to worry about setting up a piping bag and getting the stuff into the bag, and cleaning up after! I love that it comes in a variety of colors also. No need to mix paint and get messy!

One tube is enough to make 2 full iPhone cases, with a little left over for smaller projects. You should unscrew the piping tip after you're done, then put the cap back on tightly to save the whipped cream. You can let the whipped cream dry up in the piping tip, then peel it out afterwards.

I found that this whipped cream is a little hard to squeeze out of the tip. It is more dense than silicone, so it doesn't "flow" as easy. It helped to "massage" the contents of the tube for a few minutes to make the whipped cream easier to squeeze out!

The piped whipped cream will hold its shape. It becomes a little more "flat" after it sets, but doesn't melt into blobs like some other silicones do. It has superior adhesion properties to many silicones! I pulled on the cabochons on the cases I made, and they're not going anywhere lol! The feeling of this whipped cream is rubbery and flexible. It's not "springy" like how silicone is (when you push on it, it kind of bounces back) but it's NOT hard or brittle. It is rubbery.

 These are the cases I made with Sophie & Toffee's Clay Whipped Cream!
in Pastel Pink



I put their Fake Sugar Sprinkles on this ice cream scoop :)


Overall I would recommend this clay whipped cream for deco, especially to hobbyists and people just starting out! It's fun, convenient, simple to use, great quality, smells good, and has lots of colors! It is also not very costly (if you work it out, about $4.76 per case). I think this is a great project you can do with children too, since it's not harsh chemicals/smell like with silicone :)