Lock, Letter Opener, and Anti-Aging

I'm at that age where I'm starting to worry about aging. It's weird, because I do look way younger than I actually am, but after researching about the Korean skin care, I realized that I be preventive and take care of problems before they arrive, because once the wrinkle comes on, they're harder to take care of.

Man, why does being a woman take so much work and effort? Why can't I just be a man and wake up with no care in the world?

Of course, I'm just being generalize, my husband told me that his mother taught him to take care of his skin since a young age, and he's very diligent at it; which means not all men can just wake up, wash face with water, and go.

But still, to have the options. No lengthy skincare routine, no makeup, no hour-long hair routine, and a host of other stuffs that women has to take care of before they leave the house.

Urgh.

Anyhow, I'm 27 going 80, it seems, and despite my good genes, I thought I should prevent the problem before it started. Cue the bunch of anti-aging skin care products I received, both bought at full price and discounted price through the products for reviews thing I'm doing.

The first ones on the list is from Youth and Botanics, whose products is made in USA. I've got both their first line of products, Hyaluronic Acid Serum, and Anti-Aging Cream.

Ingredients: Organic Herbal Infusion, Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf (Aloe), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel), Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide (botanical hyaluronic acid), Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Carrageenan Gum, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba Oil), Wildcrafted Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea), Pelargonium Gravolens (Geranium Essential Oil), Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ethyl Hexyl Glycerin.

They said it's 72% organics, and I like the ingredients, they're great skin nourishing ingredients; plus, Hyaluronic Acid is a great skin moisturizer. They has so much important function in our bodies, from cartilages, to cell repair; and just like any wonderful element, our body produce less and less of it as we age, and in turn making us less invincible @__@

With my damaged skin from the Korean skin care phase, I have a great appreciation to Hyaluronic Acid for repairing my skin moisture's barrier, and giving my skin the hydration it needed, so I've been grabbing all the Hyaluronic Acid serum I can get my hands on. This is one of them.

I have high hopes for this, as the ingredients is great; however, this has not been as effective as I had hope. First thing I noticed is the smell, it is not strong, but it isn't pleasant. It smell like sour cucumber with a hint of dirt (my nose is very sensitive to smell, especially since the embankment on the road of natural skin care, and I've gotten used to/preferred the unscented products). The smell is not that strong, and it faded after I put on moisturizer, so it's not a deal breaker. However, it's not as hydrating as I thought it would be. It did the job of nourishing my skin, as my skin is so soft after using this, but for some weird reason, it left my skin feeling a little dry. As well as not spreading easily on skin, I needed to apply more of this than the Swanson Vitamins Hyaluronic Acid (which has better feel on the skin, and easier to apply/spread easily on the skin). I might have to go back to that, as this serum doesn't give me as much hydration, despite having use more of the Youth & Botanics serum. Which brings me to the next product.

Ingredients:

Purified Water, Organic Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe), Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower Oil), Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide (botanical hyaluronic acid), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel), Glycolic Acid, Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Glyceryl Stearate, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Squalane, Lactic Acid, Isopropyl Palmitate (Palm Oil), Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Octyl Palmitate, Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut Oil), Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa Butter), Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Stearyl Alcohol, Potassium Stearate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Crithmum Maritimum Extract (Sea Fennel Wax), Matrixyl 3000, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber Hydrosol), Carbomer, (2s)-2-Amino-5-guanidinopentanoic Acid, Organic Beeswax, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba Oil), Calophyllum Inophyllum (Tamanu Oil), Wildcrafted Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea), R Lipoic Acid, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract (Bearberry Extract), Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry Extract), Organic Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry), Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry Seed Oil), Wildcrafted Mahonia Aquifolia (Oregon Grape), Organic Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice), Wildcrafted Euphrasia Officinalis (Eyebright), Helichrysum Italicum (Helichrysum Essential Oil), Camellia Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado Oil), Pelargonium Gravolens (Geranium Essential Oil), Organic Borago Officinalis (Borage Oil), Organic Linum Usitatissimum (Flax Seed Oil), Organic Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose Oil), Organic Rosa Canina (Rose Hip Oil), Sodium Hydroxide, Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Phytic Acid, Phospholipids, Tocopheryl (Antioxidant), Lecithin, Pyrus Malus (Apple), Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon), Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane), Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate (peptides), Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass), Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C Palmitate), Acetyl Hexapeptide-3, Sclerotium Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Wildcrafted Arnica Montana (Arnica), Organic Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender), Organic Calendula Officinalis (Calendula), Organic Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile), Vitis Vinifera (Grapeseed Oil), Macadamia Integrifolia (Macadamia Nut Oil), Sodium Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethyl Hexyl Glycerin, Benzyl Alcohol.

I've been using this combination of serum and cream, and yet I wasn't getting enough hydration in my skin, even though the two was easily absorbed into my skin. It is so weird. I've even mix and match these two with different serum/face cream, yet the result is still the same, my skin is soft and feel good, but dry at the same time. I stop using these and returned to my basic skin care, and my skin feel hydrated again. I don't think I'll be using these again. Not to mention, the cream has a very unpleasant scent to it. It smell like cinnamon, boiled bean sprout and holy basil. Not a very nice combination of scents. It's not that strong, just unpleasant, and doesn't linger at all after putting it on. Blah. Oh well, I'll just find other products XD

Another product I got a letter opener. I've been meaning to get one for a while now, but was too lazy, haha. Fortunately, I get offered one in email, saving me the effort of having to look. I quite like it, and it's useful, especially with how I open my mails.

Looks like a toddler has opened it, didn't it?

My mom has been nagging me about it, since I'm usually the one open letters, and it looks like it's been opened by someone who doesn't care. And I don't xD I just wanted to get to the content, but I have to admit for a neat freak, it just doesn't look right. So I finally got a letter opener :)

It is so cute! I'm not a girly girl, but this satisfy my aesthetic senses xD I love the Greek column, and it reminded me of Sailor Moon's staff. Cutesy, no frill, and looks like it's something I can stab something else with XD I'm sold on all aspect :) Plus, the rotating mirror-like heart is pretty neat! I could spend lotsa time just flicking it, if there's nothing else to do XD

Though, I did notice a flaw, right under the column, where the top and the blade connected, I discovered it isn't one whole piece, but two different part glued together. It's sturdy though, and stay put even when I tried pulling it apart (what can I say, I wanted to make sure it wouldn't accidentally fly away when I open my mail too enthusiastically - and I tend to open my mail with great enthusiasm). It's a great letter opener, and it's meant to be! Mwhahahahaha xD

Lastly, I also got a TSA lock, to replaced one I've lost during my transit from California. I am still annoyed because of that.

What happen is that in the airport, luggages get inspected randomly, and I guess I had never been through that experience, so my first one is a little traumatic that I expected. I don't usually lock my bags when I fly, but there was an occasion when I have a lot of stuffs in one luggage, and I have to lock it in case it spills. Murphy's law came into effect, and when I went to retrieve my bags and found out the bag I locked was the one that TSA inspected. I'm ok with inspections, but I had thought they would use special keys to open locks.

Nope, what they did was tore the lock from my luggage, leaving the zipper broken and unable to hold my stuffs. I didn't see this when I pick up my bags, but when I tried taking the locked bag, everything came spilling out. Wasn't a pleasant experience running after pill bottles and stuffing my undergarments back into the bag. Also, since the zipper broke, it rendered the luggage broken, and I have to threw that one away and get a new one when I got home. I was angry and irritated. Anyhow, the one I got was basic combination lock.

Easy to open, easy to set the combination :)

 I don't think I would ever lock my luggages again, but I'd want locks just in case. Maybe leave it unlocked so TSA would stop destroying luggages. Urgh.