ELLE AND JESS

October 12, 2015

Refresh Your Skin & Lips With Nature's Goodness | GULACO Skincare Review

Scrub + mask + moisture kinda day with Loris

Whether you're familiar with skin care or not, I bet everyone wants to have nice skin. Now beside cleansing your face twice a day, using sunblock, not smoking, drinking a lot of water, taking vitamin C, etc., another fun way to maintain a healthy skin is by applying facial mask regularly or at least, occasionally.

Today I'm gonna introduce you to GULACO, a rather interesting local homemade skincare range which uses all natural ingredients such as green tea, honey, lemon, cocoa, to a more unusual selections such as seaweed, daun kelor (moringa oleifera), daun sambiloto (andrographis paniculata), paprika, beer (whaaat XD), and so on. I've tried and tested four of their products here and I'm gonna review them all for you:

Facial Mask

The Paude Mask Kelor comes in dry powder form. You just have to take one (1) teaspoon of it and add a little bit of water (rose water will also do) to activate the powder and instantly turn it into a face mask. Do not add too much water, though, you want the texture to be liquid, but still thick enough (like baby's food, yum!) to be easily applied on your face. I use it on dry, clean face (avoid eye and hair area) and leave it for 5-10 minutes before rinsing it off.

From GULACO's website:

After trying it out several times, I do think it makes my skin feels smoother and softer right after I rinse it off. I can't really tell about the deep cleansing and acne mark reducing effect, but what I love the most from this mask is the freakishly calming herbal scent. It's so different from any other masks I've tried, as the main ingredient itself is very unique: Daun Kelor (Moringa Oleifera); which contains* 46 different antioxidants, rich in vitamin C and A, has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, and used in the manufacture of perfumes and aromatherapy oils for its gentle, calming scent. Other ingredients used in this mask are Oat, Rice Powder, Pure Kaolin Clay, Goat's Milk and Essential Oil - imagine slapping all those nature's goodness on your skin!

*source: http://bit.ly/1LAZpsR and http://bit.ly/1OuJ9Pi

Lip Scrub + Lip Balm

As for healthy lips, one should not forget to scrub one's lips every now and then. Dry, chappy, dull colored lips are sometimes caused by those annoying dead skin cells on your lips, waiting to be scrubbed away! I'm using GULACO's Yummy Lip Scrub Coffee here and I LOVE IT! It uses Caster Sugar, Coffee Beans, European Olive, Almond, Avocado, Cocoa and Vitamin E as the ingredients and it smells and tastes (yes I lick it) super yum! The texture is also very gentle on my lips and it does a good job as a lip scrub. It buffs away the dead skin cells PLUS it moisturizes my lips. Here's how I use it:

STEPS:

Start with clean, bare lips

Dab water on your lips

Pinch out the scrub, put them on your hand and start rubbing 'em gently on your lips

Rinse off and done!

P.S. The Yummy Lip Scrub might come off too solid and make it pretty hard to scoop out (it happened to me!). No worries though, you can just put it all out on a dry bowl, crush it with a spoon, and put it all back to the container.

Now that you have a squeaky clean lips, you just have to protect it by sealing in the moisture with a lip balm! This one here is GULACO's Moiste Lip Ba:m 'Grin:ti. As you have probably guessed, it's made of the ever-popular, beneficial Green Tea!

From GULACO's website:

This lip balm moisturizes but feels a bit dry on my lips. The green tea scent is very strong and lovely, though. I keep it next to my bed so I can remember to use it before I sleep to make sure my lips are protected all night long!

Multifunction Balm

Some areas on our body are more prone to dryness and cracking than the other and they need extra care to keep it soft and youthful. These problematic areas are the elbows, knees, heels, cuticles and um, butt cheeks. It happens to me, and it might happen to you as well. What I do is using a product which is stronger and more moisturizing than a regular body lotion on these areas, especially when they start to feel drier than usual. This Otton Salve Vanilla is one of those products! It's a multifunction balm which is designed to treat very dry skin.

From GULACO's website:

I haven't tried it as a makeup remover or breast cream lol, but as a balm, it does a great job! I keep it next to my body lotion on the bathroom drawer, so I can use it right after shower (the best time to moisturize your skin is right after you cleanse it) on the dry areas. Sometimes I reapply it at night before going to sleep for extra protection. Despite its super moisturizing power, it's surprisingly not sticky or oily. As you can see, the chapped skin on my right heel here is already starting to heal with just one application. For comparison, I used nothing on my left heel (sorry, left heel!):

So, where can you get these lovely products? Here you go:

GULACO's website | instagram | twitter | facebook

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

XOXO

Jessica Yamada

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October 11, 2015

Playing Dress-Up with L'zzie

"Playing dress-up begins at age five, and never truly ends."

I think most girls can relate to this quote. At least I can. That was my primary reason why I loved playing Barbie when I was a little girl. I loved to dress her up! I even wished I could shrink myself to her size just so I could try on all of her clothes, lol!

Now that I'm over my Barbie phase, I'm still not over my dress-up phase, and I don't think I ever will.

It just puts me in a good mood. :)

In today's post, I'm going to play with three adorable dresses from this brand that is greatly inspired by the romance of Parisian country side,

♡ L'ZZIE ♡

When the packages arrived at my door, I was super excited to see these pretty, dreamy boxes!

And my excitement didn't stop there...

When I opened the box, the goodies were there, nicely wrapped in cute wrapping paper with a thank you note on top of it. How sweet! They really think about their customers' shopping experience.

I quickly (and carefully) ripped off the wrapping paper and got even more excited when I saw the lovely pieces inside! And needless to say, the materials and quality are excellent!

After that, it was styling time! As much as I love layering, I didn't do it this time because I want to show you girls a clear look of each dress. :)

LOOK #01:

ALBINO CAT

For this little white dress, I opted for a cute look by adding a detachable collar and cat ears headband—both in white colour.

"Look Ma, I got 4 ears!"

I love how lightweight this dress is, and the structure (two-piece look alike) makes it not too plain. I can't wait to style it with a straw fedora hat for a beach outfit! x)

Sorry it's a bit crumpled, I must put too many things on my lap on the way there. ^^;;

The details. ♡

L'zzie Philiane Dress | Headband and collar are from Japan.

LOOK #02:

BOW ON TOP

I especially adore this dress for its body-flattering seams and elegant sharp lines. It's ideal for formal occasions while still being able to look young with its A-line silhouette. Gotta love that! :)

Added a black bow headband and choker for a more "witchy" look! x)

Love, love the material and simple, yet sweet details they put into their collection!

L'zzie Anniey Dress | 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli Medium Satchel | Vince Claire Suede d'Orsay Pumps | Lunar Cult Thin Leather Choker | Craftholic Bag Charm

LOOK #03:

CONNECT THE DOTS

I played with one of my favourite patterns for the last look... polka-dot! I matched the dress' colour with brown and burgundy to create an autumn look :)

I absolutely love the cutting of this dress; so flattering by hugging at the right places. I feel like it gives off sweet, poise, and retro vibes!

The frills on the sleeves give it a feminine touch. ♡

Pockets are always an added bonus for me! :D

Look at them dainty buttons! ♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)

L'zzie Corliss Dress | Pull&Bear Burgundy Hat | Forever21 Heels | Brown Socks from Japan

Green Tea > Coffee ( ๑ ❛ ڡ ❛ ๑ )

L'ZZIE

Website: www.lzzie.com

Stores:

• Bugis Junction, 200 Victoria Street #02-37/38, Singapore

• 6 Eu Tong Sen Street #01-39, Singapore

(Their stores are superrr pretty, take a look here.)

Good news for you!
• They are offering FREE delivery to Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Hong Kong, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Taiwan!
• 10% discount for my readers using discount code: LzziexElle

I hope you enjoyed reading this post, and let me know in the comment box below, which look is your favorite? :)

XOXO

Elle Yamada

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September 29, 2015

My Mini/Travel Size Perfume Collection + Perfume Tips | Elle Yamada

I used to think wearing perfume was not important at all. I mean, smelling like my favorite body wash was—and still is—fine by me. But, there was this day when I was out with one of my girlfriends, she greeted me with a warm hug, and at that very moment I noticed something: she smelled GREAT! So great that I felt like hugging her a lil bit longer hahahaha sounds creepy, I know!

I have ex-boyfriends who smelled great too, and I absolutely loved it, but it didn't encourage me to wear any perfume. I guess us women get inspired the most by other women?

One thing I learned from that day:

Smell leaves a strong impression, perhaps stronger than any other senses. And smelling great leaves a good, lasting impression.

But still, I'm not big on wearing perfume. I think it's simply because I don't have the reflex?

I only wear it when I'm about to go to formal events or special occasions, like wedding or big dates (first date, Valentine's, etc). That's why it's such a waste for me to buy a normal size perfume.

I much, much prefer MINI PERFUME!

It only contains approx. 7.5ml (easier to finish), it's handy (can put inside your bag, so if you forget to wear it at home, you can wear or add it anytime you want), aaand it's adorable!! x)

So, without further ado, here's my mini perfume collection:

1. E L I E S A A B

(Eau de Parfum)

Let's start with my most favorite among all!

This Elie Saab mini perfume is a blend of orange blossom and jasmine (both flowers), the smell is freshly sweet, young, yet still suitable for a formal meeting. Last a long time too. :)

The simple, classy design certainly adds some points!

2. B A B Y T O U S

(Eau de Cologne)

The bottle design is hands down, the CUTEST I've ever seen! All the teddies lined up just waiting for you to take off their hats! x)

Just like the name and the design, the smell is kind of similar to a baby's smell... clean, powdery, and light. Suitable for kids, but still wearable by an adult. If you're pregnant and cannot stand strong fragrances, you should try this one!

The smell doesn't last very long though, not surprising as they are 'Eau de Cologne', so don't forget to bring them in your bag for some touch-ups! ;)

3. D O L C E & G A B B A N A

(Eau de Parfum)

As you might have guessed by the look of the bottle, Dolce by Dolce & Gabbana has a feminine, floral scent (mix of white flowers to be exact), but it's more of an elegant and sensual feel than Elie Saab. I usually wear it when I dress up formally.

'Dolce' itself means "In a gentle and sweet manner," so if you are looking for a 'statement' kind of fragrance, this isn't for you. :)

That pretty flower cap and ribbon. ♥

4. N A R C I S O R O D R I G U E Z

(Eau de Toilette)

Last! This simple looking Eau de Toilette.

I think among all of them, this one is the least girly. The smell is clean, classy, and feminine—just like the bottle design (minimalist, yet still in soft pink color). It kind of reminds me of a professional career woman. :)