October 22, 2014

USA Beauty Products Shopping Haul Review | @bjunkiesindo

Hello, everyone! Today I'm gonna review ALL these delicious products I'm holding here~ (ˆヮˆ)づ♡
There are a total of eight products (one being a mask sampler set containing six masks, so, a total of thirteen different products it is, yay!!). I'm so happy I got all these safe and sound, thanks to @bjunkiesindo for directly importing them from the USA!

 Curious, curious Princess Bolu is as curious as me when the package came! ♡
(made the order by May 20, package arrived by June 23).
Instagram : @bjunkiesindo
Text / WhatsApp : +6287887605288
Line : BJunkiesIndonesia
Email : bjunkieshop@gmail.com

About @bjunkiesindo
So basically, @bjunkiesindo is YOUR personal shopper when it comes to USA products, be it cosmetics, skincare, body care, haircare products, to fashion and accessories. You browse, they get them for you. Some of us might refer to it as PO (pre-order) system.

I've got to admit that @bjunkiesindo service kinda reminds me to my ex boyfriend *whoops*, which was studying in USA back then when we were in relationship (yeah, I had a LDR for four years, woohoo!). He used to came back to Indo twice a year and I, being an online shopaholic as I am, ALWAYS browsed and browsed and browsed for the things I lusted and he will shopped and shopped and shopped those things and bring them to me when he came to Indo and THAT WAS AWESOMESAUCE because I LOVEEEEEE USA products!!! Especially when you can buy them so much cheaper online. Yeah, online stores always have this special discounts / promotional items / coupons / free samples / free shipping / free gifts / online-only sale / etc. etc. on the net and that made me went dingdong almost every freaking time I set up a budget and decided to shop.

Now I know that a lot of USA brands have established stores in Indonesia nowadays, why not just buy them there, you ask. Well, from my experience, most of the time, the products I bought wouldn't even show up in Indo after months! And the price? Undoubtedly cheaper in USA itself.

Anyway, now that I'm not with my ex bf anymore lol, I can still get my USA products without a fuss thanks to @bjunkiesindo! I don't have to worry about tax, hidden fees, whether they ship to Indonesia or not, etc. which will most likely occur if I order the products directly from the websites. Not to mention the efficiency they offer: One stop shopping place and that means one shipping fee for all those different products from different websites! You want BB cream from Sephora? Books from Amazon? Perfume from Beauty.com? Sneakers from Nordstrom? Or even supplements from DrugStore? You name it, they'll fetch it for ya. 100% original products, money back guarantee. All you have to do is browse, browse, browse, just like I did! ;D

Click here for @bjunkiesindo's How to Order. ~♫

And now, without further ado, let's get to #JessReviews~~~!

Nails
Minnie Mouse theme made possible by red, white and black nail polishes with dotting tool! ♥
Aside from the silver polish which I don't know yet when I will use it, I TOTALLY LOVE this set!!! I love this because it is cheap *ya huh* and is such a bargain with those super pigmented red and black polishes (one wipe is all it takes, my man, one wipe) and the 2 in 1 big-n-small dotting tool.

Wet n Wild Wild Shine Nail Color, French White Creme 449C
0.43 fl oz (12.7 ml) $0.99
Does a good job, ULTRA CHEAP I mean look at here (Wet n Wild Indonesian website), even in the official Indonesian website, it doesn't come in complete color swatch as in the DrugStore website and the price is six times (yes, 6x) more expensive. >_< The large size is also a plus point! ♡

// CLOSE UP LOOKS //
Um, yeah I know it's a bit very messy haha. By the way, I used the large dotting tool for the dots and Minnie Mouse head, and the small dotting tool for the Minnie's bow.

But I guess not bad lah! If I were armed with better skill (which I will *literally* polish), these tools would make great result, for sure!

Care

$69.00
I have read some good reviews about Astara masks in the past so when I found out that they have THIS set, I thought to myself, "What a bargain"! What sold me at the moment was when I stumbled into their website and found this on their testimonial page:
"One of my favorite moments this Season was when I turned Salma Hayek onto your line (Astara) and told her that they were so pure you could eat them. She proceeded to scoop some moisturizer into her mouth! Thankfully your products are as I said and she was able to continue her day with us and for that I THANK YOU!"
SOLD.
There are a total of six mask samples in this set and here's my review about them:
The Blue Flame Purification Mask, Violet Flame Enzyme Mask and Green Papaya Nutrient Mask are the ones with solid texture. I use them whenever my skin feels oily, dirty and such because the effect they give is similar to wearing a clay mask; skin feels dry-clean, fresh and mattified afterwards. The Blue Flame you can also use on zits and leave it overnight. I do such thing, it does dry up the pimples but it takes more than 1-2 nights on me. The con is that these three tend to dry thick in the jar when left unused for awhile. Worry not, you can easily add water and stir.

The Golden Flame Hydration Mask, Sea Mineral Mask and Nourishing Vitamin Mask are the liquid ones, the Sea Mineral being the most solid between the three. These guys are best used when my skin feels really dry and in dire need of nourishment. The Golden Flame and Vitamin Mask can be left overnight so I tried them so and when I woke up, my skin feels really good! Dewy, soft and very healthy. Note that they are very 'rich' type of mask so I dare not use them when it's acne season on my skin.

All of them has herbal scent, feel very natural and give out zen effect when I wear them. The set also include a brush, which I never use but I appreciate the good will lol.

250 tablets $16.99
Now I haven't take this regularly, but when it comes to anti-aging products which are considerably 'okay' for acne-prone skin, I'm a total sucker. Guess I'll just take them down daily starting today, along with my other supplements, hoping it'll do it's job.

2.5 fl oz (73 ml) $9.59
Since the invention of BB Cream, I never really use regular sunblocks anymore. But sometimes, BB Cream could feel pretty 'heavy' for daily use, especially for working out or… swimming. So after roaming through some options and read a lot of reviews, I decided to get my hands on this one because it seems most... promising haha. Thankfully it does give me what I wanted: A no-nonsense sunblock which is oil-free, noncomedogenic (doesn't clog pores), water resistant and as you can see up there, it doesn't leave white cast like most sunblock does. It simply soaks into your skin and gives you healthy glow. I think it'll be great for active men, too, since the packaging is not girly lol.

Make
Wearing CC Cream, Loose Powder and Tinted Lipbalm!

1.08 fl oz $38.00
This is the heaviest CC Cream I've tried. It seriously feels more like a BB Cream to me. Maybe because it has SPF 50, while most CC Creams I know have up to SPF 30? It breaks me out for the first two days, but the next days it doesn't.
It has herbal scent and the coverage is awesome. Unfortunately, the shade turns out a bit dark on my skin. It makes for a great make up base, though. I read a lot of great reviews about this product, but I think it will suit dry skin better. Mine is combination-sensitive, btw. :)

I first used BareMinerals loose powder on 2009 and ever since then, it's been my favorite among other loose powders I've tried. It does what a loose powder should do; it makes the skin soft, shine-free and compared to compact powder, it is weightless so it's good for South East Asian hot n humid weather.
But what makes it absolutely irresistible is the 'Click, Lock, Go' sifter. It is really awesome because you know how loose powder can get really messy when you take it out. Great idea, love it! It doesn't come with a brush, though, so make sure you have one first. ;)

$18.00
This is my first tinted lip balm ever and the moment I put it on my lips, it was love at first try. The color is so natural, although it fades rather quickly (bummer) so I have to reapply it pretty often. Hydration is nice and I looooove the feminine rose scent. I always carry this on my purse now, ever since I own it. Thank you so much, @bjunkiesindo! XD

↑ Last pic is because my bf kept teasing me for trying so hard to hug all these goodies lol ↑

Okay then, thanks a lot for reading and see you guys on my next post! (ˆヮˆ)づ♡

XOXO
Jessica Yamada
By ELLE JESS at 6:49 PM 14 comments
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October 20, 2014

IKEA Alam Sutera Tour + VIDEO!

#OOTD: GOWIGASA Maple Capri Pants Mustard & Brown
#IKEAsaysHEJ, and EJ–Elle Jess (lol) says, "Hi, IKEA! Welcome to Indonesia!" (ˆヮˆ)づ♡

OMG can we just say that we're sooooooo excited that IKEA finally opens its FIRST. STORE. EVER in Indonesia?? That means we don't have to go to Singapore or anywhere else to shop their awesome stuffs again!

Besides, even if we can go shopping at IKEA overseas, we couldn't buy the large stuffs anyway like the tables, bookshelf, etc. because the shipping would be troublesome and expensive, right? But NOW WE CAN!! OMG SO HAPPY!!!!!!!! ♡♡♡


↑ Click to watch our IKEA Tour Video or click this link ( bit.ly/ikeatour ) to watch it on Youtube ↑

Okay, why we love IKEA, you asked.

Well, if you're looking for (or just love sightseeing) good quality furnitures that are functional, good looking and cheap as well, you're guaranteed to go crazy here! The way they arrange their furnitures itself is very creative and inspirational, yet it effectively displays the entire catalog. Very clever! It's as if you're going through a labyrinth of super duper awesome rooms (showrooms, actually), filled with cool things that you can buy that very same day! The freedom to sit on the couch, switch the lamps on-and-off, and even take pictures on the spot makes a trip to IKEA somewhat recreational, too. :D

Hello, gorgeous display!

 Located at Alam Sutera - Tangerang (a tad bit outside Jakarta), this world's largest furniture retailer originated from Swedish established its first Indonesian branch on a 33,000 square-meter property. It's reaaaally large and spacious! IKEA opens daily from 10 AM to 10 PM. Breakfast is also available from 09:30 AM!


Map and directions:

Okay, first thing you'll encounter here (if you park on the basement) is this entrance which resembles a theme park ride's queue, so exciting!! (≧▽≦)づ

The parking lot itself has over 1000 basement and outdoor free parking spaces, but on the opening day last Wednesday -October 15th, 2014, it was overflowed that guests had to park their cars at Mall Alam Sutera and rode a bus to get back to IKEA (the bus was provided by IKEA as well) haha.

Next thing you'll see *if you're going to a toilet first, like we did* is this row of vibrant blue lockers, equipped with cute neon green kitchen utensils as the keychain. Customers can put their belongings here if they wish to lighten up before going into the store, because boy, it would be a long ride before they reach the exit. This brings us to our first tip on visiting IKEA: wear comfortable shoes. Period.

Showroom Displays

IKEA's creative, pleasant-on-the-eyes displays show us that even small houses or apartments can accommodate a bunch of stuffs while still looking good and comfortable to live in. They use even the smallest space efficiently, which makes us wonder, "How come I never thought of this before?".

Can't decide whether we like this cute corner workspace more:

 Or this elegant home office more:
 Both are so pretty!!!

Modern family bedroom. Love how the pretty lamp makes up the room's ambience.

Oh, if only we had a room like this when we were kids. Can't imagine how more lively and adventurous our playtime would be!

 Whatta cute kitchen! Too bad we don't cook lol.

Selfie on the bathroom display area! Wearing GOWIGASA Chloe Bow Sleeveless Top Navy, Boston Plaid Skirt in Red-Blue and Black-White. Anyway, yes, we changed our clothes because it was a different day. We visited IKEA two days in a row because one day is simply not enough!! XD

 Randomly bumped into Clara:

Jess was taking a selfie when suddenly, out of nowhere, Clara hushed and called her name lol so embarrassing!!!!!!!

Unique Selling Points
Aside from how much they invest on the showrooms (such large space could actually be used for storing more things, right? Instead, they spend money and time decorating those beautiful showrooms which, oh well, cleverly trigger our needs to buy the stuffs on display anyway lol), IKEA also have some other house rules which allows them to put cheaper price tags than what it should be.
See those brown boxes up there? They consist our newly bought cabinet, standing lamp, etc. and it is one of many ways to save money which is applied by IKEA; by flat-packing the furnitures which make them easier to store and transport. Customers bring their furnitures home themselves instead of using a 'free delivery service' already included in the price AND assemble the furnitures themselves, too, instead of paying someone to do it. 

As you can see, IKEA applies 'independent ways' of shopping, which is considerably new in Indonesia (yes, we're kinda spoiled and accustomed to being served haha). Anyway, despite all the do-it-yourself stuffs, delivery service is still available here, starting as low as IDR 280,000. Assembly service is also available here for 8.5% of the product's price or more.

Lunch At The Cafeteria
The famous Swedish Meatballs and friends!
Although there's no Lingonberry Sauce on the meatballs yet, it still tastes good enough for random nomming. The Salad is really fresh as well, but our favorite is the salmon sashimi and... the BROWNIES (which is not in the picture ahaha)!!!!!


Okay, we strongly suggest you watch the video because it shows this part (the cafeteria) a lot better. We were so busy filming (and eating) that we forgot to take pictures!


↑ Click to watch our IKEA Tour Video or click this link ( bit.ly/ikeatour ) to watch it on Youtube ↑
How To Shop
How to shop at IKEA? You can click here for an easy guide on their website, or let us guide you instead *curtsies*. 

 First you have to know that there are two types of items at IKEA: The ones that you can grab from the display right away and put in your trolley or IKEA shopping-bag (usually the small ones, like hangers, pots, towels, etc.) aaand the BIG furniture ones that are too big to fit in your trolley! Here's a few simple steps to shop for the latter:

1. Grab one of the pencils and one of the blue brochure (there's an empty note behind it).
They will serve as your shopping list.

2. As you can see, each large display item has a price tag on it (Rp 999.000) and "Area Layanan Mandiri" tag which shows WHERE you can pick it up in the self-serve furniture area–the rack and section number of the item. WRITE that down on your shopping list!
3. Go to the gigantic self-service warehouse to collect your flat-packed items! :D
 Elle spotted Jess on the aisle
Jess ran toward Elle in high speed lol

Anyway, this is how one of our shopping carts look like, by the end of the day:
Our second tip on shopping at IKEA: Bring a guy if you're planning on buying some heavy stuffs. So grateful we brought him with us:
Baby bro all strong and grown up!!! ♡♡♡

Okay then, thanks a lot for reading and watching, hope you guys enjoy it and see you on our next post! (ˆヮˆ)づ♡
By ELLE JESS at 10:15 AM 12 comments
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