Comments are fixed and lj is emailing me again.

Haven't done this in awhile!

My mom's been jumping between face washes as anyone who read the previous entries in "Tiffany's Random Beauty Buying Trips" knows. She has been using either L'Oreal or Clearsil, both of which I dislike (L for the unapologetic animal testing and Clearasil for the prepetuation of the myth that salicylic acid helps your face). Anyway, we were at the store and the face wash she had been using was out. She had been using something that was a toner+wash. So I did a quick check and found St. Ive's toner+wash here and got her to buy it. It was fairly cheap (under $5.00) and St. Ive's doesn't test on animals. Well, she hasn't used it yet but I did and it works great. I still use witch hazel as my toner but the wash rinses away clean with no residue and so far seems to be keeping me in pretty good shape. I've also used their Apricot Scrub with good results.

Also while we were at the store I finally picked up a Personna razor. The tri-flexx. The razor was about 5 or 6 dollars but you know what the best part is? A 4 pack of replacement blades is under $4.00. Also, not tested on animals. I've been using it for about four days now and I've yet to cut myself and I'm pretty good at slicing myself open while shaving so rest assured it's a good blade. I highly recommend it.

Hi United States. Last time I checked, we had more important things to worry about than two people getting married in California.

Just sayin'.

Livejournal is not emailing me comments or comment replies for some strange reason. I've tried to fix it about three times now. I do check my most recent posts and posts I've commented on but I do miss the occasional comment so if something is important please email me at groovybluecha@yahoo.com

Everything still available for sale. Ask for shipping quotes.
( kawaii )



( Yukiru Sugisaki )
( keychains )

( figures )

( anime misc. )

NERV fan. Perfect condition. In plastic. $3.00

( pencil boards )





( doujinshi )
( manga )

( J-rock )

( magazines )

( purses )

( clothes )

Will be one of the most important yet shortest entries I will write. Mostly because doedorant is so body-chemistry-centric.

For me personally, no typical store brands have ever worked that great. Secret probably works the best, Dove the worst. I hate hate hate scented deodorants and everytime I used one I would make myself sick. All of them have given me rashes and other unpleasantries. Basically, they all suck.

Desperate for something that didn't smell like scratch and sniff flowers and actually did what it was made to do I turned to the world of natural odor prevention. Currently, I use Lush's and it works better then, well, anything! Ever! It's a solid bar and even though it's scented I love it. It smells like patchouli which I adore. It works all day no matter how hot it is and I never had to reapply.

Now, you all know how much I loathe antiperspirants. There's nothing wrong with sweat. Sweat is not the cause of odor. As long as you shower regularly and use a product with bacteria-killers you're not going to smell. I'm pretty sure that's the main problem with Secret etc. They push the sweat stopping power but not the odor control. I did try Lush's powder deodorants and while they do control wetness they, again, gave me a terrible rash. I think people should sweat freely and while it is unproved that antiperspirants cause cancer I'd like to quote this lovely bit from wikipedia for you.

"Aluminum-based complexes react with the electrolytes in the sweat to form a gel plug in the duct of the sweat gland. The plugs prevent the gland from excreting liquid and are removed over time by the natural sloughing of the skin. The blockage of a large number of sweat glands reduces the amount of sweat produced in the underarms, though this may vary from person to person."

Yum. Armpit gel plugs! That sounds nice.

The main problem is the aluminum compounds are proven neurotoxins. I don't know about you guys but I don't want to apply neurotoxins to my armpits everyday!

Alcohol helps to control the gowth of bacteria in the armpit so technically you could just put rubbing alcohol in your armpit. Witchhazel is also an astringent.Also, baking soda. A natural and cheap deodorant is, honestly, just baking soda. It works for some people. Except Arm and Hammer tests on animals. But an astringent (alcohol, witchhazel, etc.) and a dusting of baking soda will work to control body odor. Depending on your body you may sweat but, again, I don't think that should be embarassing.

So, yes, that's the long and short of it. I loathe all store brands and mostly they are all animal-tested (P&G again). I've used Tom's of Maine deodorant and it also did not work. Lush's cream deodorants work wonders especially Aromaco and while the powder ones may work they gave me a rash. Again, if you're feeling adventurous try a swipe of rubbing alcohol (probably don't want to do this on freshly-shaved armpits) and then some baking soda and see what happens. I'd like to know if it works for you guys.

Just incase you ever wanted to see, like, 20 big name Japanese artists sing X-Japan's "X" at the same time.

Even though once you hit the five minute mark it pretty much just becames turbo singing X-Japan's "X" because he is INSANE.

Time for talk about face moisturizing lotions!

This past year (since about September, I believe) I have been using Alba's aloe and green tea moisturizer. It is oil-free, cruelty-free and smells great. the page for it. It has provided good moisture without being oily or over-saturating my face. I use it on my face and neck morning and night.

Until this last month. The weather here decided to make a quick transistion to summer so it is now hot and dry and, for now, windy. This increase in heat has made my face produce more oil and so while I still love the Alba it is too thick for my face so I've been using it about once a week before I go to bed. For the rest of the time I dug out Earth Science's almond-aloe moisturizer. This isn't the homepage but you can see the ingredients. earthscience. It is a much lighter moisturizer than the Alba hence my being unable to use it during the winter. Faces need more moisture during winter weather (same with hair and body) and that may seem counter-intuitive because I at least always thought I would need more moisture when it's hot and dry out but nope, during the winter. So I've been using this again and while it doesn't smell as nice (fragrance free) it's been keeping my face matte and moisturizes. Also, again, not tested on animals.

Before all this I was using Olay face lotion after Benefit discontinued their Do it Daily mosturizer. Unfortunately, Olay tests on animals. Benefit reintroduced a reformulated Do it Daily but for reasons cited before I won't be using it. The Alba works great for my skin as the does the Earth Science and both are cheap.

Brittany is still using the Olay because she hasn't been able to find anything else with a good enough balance of moisture and oil-free for her skin. My mom has been bouncing between face lotions. For a while I didn't have my Alba because I had left it in Sacramento (oops) so I used her Garnier Ultra-lift and, strangely, it made my face dry. It is an anti-wrinkle formula so you would expect it to be moisturizer but it was not. They are currently observing a halt on animal testing from what I can tell but do not have a cruelty-free policy in place so I would caution against them. Especially when there are wonderful, fairly priced companies like Alba and earthscience and Kiss My Face distribuiting quality products. My mom currently started using Lancome and I will not be trying her face products because they are tested on animals. L'Oreal is a company that tests unapologetically (much like Procter and Gamble and Clorox and, well, lots!). Actually here is a fairly current list of companies that test on animals http://pw2.netcom.com/~axleplus/stuff/hotstuff/company.htm l if you're interested.

Well, I'm trying to keep these fairly short. This is pretty much a comprehensive list of the face lotions I've used within the last five years. I haven't tried any of the Lush lotions because they are expensive and I try to keep my beauty regime as cheap as possible. I'll probably do make up next time then move on to hair care unless someone has a burning question about a beauty product. Actually, in honor of the hot Southern California weather, I should do deodorant! You'd be surprised at what horrors your Secret is bestowing upon your body. Word to the wise until next time: Anti-perspirant is not your friend!

Due to the high cost of replacement blades for the Venus razor my mom decided it was time for us all to switch to something new. I'm taking this as an opportunity to get a cruelty-free razor.

The Personna razor system appears to be cruelty-free. I haven't tested it yet but if anyone else is interested in switching you may want to check it out. It is distributed by a company that also makes surgical tools so I'm assuming it will be a quality product. More when I actually get one.

On face wash, I currently use Benefit's Fantasy Mint Wash as a daily and Honey, Snap Out of It! for exfoliation. Benefit's finished products are cruelty-free but that doesn't mean their sourced ingredients are. When I finish these bottles I'll be switching to Lush. I would suggest, if you're adamant about avoiding animal testing, you do not buy Benefit simply because of the sourcing. Also, it's kind of expensive (each bottle is $25). My skin is normal and sensitive/slightly prone to breakouts.

My sister's, however, is oily and prone to redness and breakouts (sensitive) and she uses Lush's Fresh Farmacy and it's basically changed her skin completely. She rarely breaks out and with regular usage most of the red has disappeared from her skin. I used it the other day but it made my skin tight so I would say it's definitely only for oily skin.

Also, Michael started using Coalface (Lush again) and loves it. He has oily skin but is darker complexioned and doesn't break out. He said he doesn't get oily during the day anymore and I've noticed his skin staying more matte as well. Coalface is definitely an oily skin soap though so make sure you have oily skin if you're going to use it. A problem a lot of people have is they actually have dry/normal skin but then use products made to control oil. This overdries your face and then makes your skin overproduce oil to compensate so you only think you have oily skin. I would recommend everyone start a regime believing they have normal skin like I did and go from there. I was surprised to discover how well my skin responded to more moisture and oils in my washes. Also, honey. Honey is a natural cleanser and moisturizer by itself and is one of the best things you can put on your skin.

Next time, the complicated world of lotion and toner. haha.

So I was brave and tried the Trader Joe's brand Antiplaque toothpaste and was pleasantly surprised. It has fennel (teeth whitener) and Myrrh (astringent) in it so I was sort of afraid of what it was going to taste like but it's actually quite mild and pleasant. I really like the aftertaste. I feel like I'm breathing sexy now. My teeth feel nice and clean (and I attacked them with soy sauce and coffee tonight) so we'll see if it holds up.

I also tried their whitening toothpaste with baking soda and, uh, the taste may surprise you if you are not expecting it. Basically, it tastes like baking soda. Not terrible but not a good first step into natural toothpastes. Baby steps, baby steps. I'd definitely recommend the Antiplaque though. It's cheap (1.99 I think) and not tested on animals.

I'm also looking for a good cruelty-free razor but so far the only one I found had reviews that said things like, "great for HIPPIES WHO DON'T SHAVE" and things like that. Probably not a good choice.

I've decided to start logging all natural and/or cruelty-free products I use with the tag "personal care". They will also be public.

Just used a Lush Sugar Rush ballistic for what will be the first and last times ever since they're discontinued. It, thankfully, did not smell like Pepsi AT ALL and instead had a vague, non-offensive spicy scent. I love spicy bath products since I have a perpetual backache thanks to my super small waist so I wish it had been a little spicier but it was still nice to soak in while I read for about a hour.

Really the only problem with it was the CEREAL that came busting out of it. It was full of Fruity Pebbles. I can see where it looks cool (like a big bowl of sunshine and confetti) but knowing I was bathing with cereal was kinda gross. Especially since they started getting soggy and stuck to me.

Still though, since Lush has also dc the Marathon bubble bar which was my go-to product for aches and pains (I guess I'll just bathe in peppermint tea when I get crampy) Sugar Rush sans cereal could have been a nice alternative. I wish they would reformulate and then change the description to reflect the fact that the smell is mostly spicy and delicious instead of nasty and soda-y.

Banned books week is September 29-October 6. Banned Books Week Website. Celebrate your right to read whatever you want whenever you want! Even if it did give you terrible nightmares when you were a kid (Scary Stories books by Alvin Schwarz. Ahhhh!!)

Please leave buying and selling feedback here in the comments. Thank you!

Ok, you know that crazy spam post I made last time? Creepily enough, it worked. My phone rang after I posted it and my wish is coming true. Creepy, creepy, creepy.

So I woke up at 8, got dressed, got my backpack ready, ate breakfast, and fell back asleep. I woke up at 10:30. The exact time my philosophy class ended! =_= Sorry I missed again, Peter.

Sometimes I really think I must have a mental condition that prevents me from studying. I have my second philosophy midterm tomorrow and I need to get a B on it at the very least. Know what I'm doing? Making a myspace account!(http://profiles.myspace.com/users/20628625) God I'm lazy...sitting here making accounts for websites I don't intend on using and watching the Oscars which I really don't care about. I need some excitement in my life. Fo shizzle...

I just woke up from the weirdest feeling nap. I got up at 8 because I needed to take my sister to school and I'm suppose to leave for class about 9 but when I got home from taking her I felt dizzy and weak. After deciding I was in no condition to drive in the rain I decided to sleep from two hours then do the Japanese homework I intended to do I'm my break.

The whole time I was "sleeping" I was actually partially awake but just felt very far away. I kept seeing things in my room and then I zoned and felt like I was riding in a car and for whatever reason was around City of Industry. Now I feel just as tired and dizzy as before.

Have to present in Japanese class today. I still need a couple sentences. Thur...I can't even think in English this week let alone Japanese. But I CAN think in basic German and to some extent ASL. I think I've finally officially managed to mess up my brain completely.

Um....craaaaazy sticker machine pics in my yahoo photos folder. I can't remember what the Japanese call them anymore. In fact, I just can't remember Japanese at this point I think. XD;;

Have el mondo plans for ze shuumatsu but the rain could very easily destroy them all. Well, except Sunday, something exciting and shocking and monumental shall happen on Sunday, but I as of now don't know what it is and therefore can't be sure the rain will destroy it. I really want to get to Little Tokyo and/or Costa Mesa at some point this week. I need Book-offing and to check out the magazines. I think Nishikawa-san has three covers this month and I would like to see more pictures of his new haircut and futher try and decide if it's something I want to do with my hair after I get tired of having it long.

Anyway, one hour to finish my happyou yesh.

You are green. Perhaps one of the most balanced of
all the colors. By balanced, I mean balanced
in both bad and good parts. Let me elaborate:
You're a natural, and somewhat superficial
person. You're extremely generous, but, to add
to the confusion, you're frugal and stingy.
You're a forgiving, but jealous person. You're
imaginative, but still logical. At sometimes,
you're a complete neat-freak, and other times,
you're a total slob. You're very stable, but
undependable. But onto the other traits that
are associated with this color... You're a
stubborn person, simply put. Do you believe in
Feng Shui? Green is closely related to the
thought of having a balanced environment, you
know. When in a bad situation, you're
painfully pessimistic, and when you're in a
good situation, you're extremely optimistic. A
fairly outgoing and amused person, you enjoy
talking to people, and hearing their thoughts
on different things. As a plus, when people
hang around you, it seems like time passes by
all the more quickly.


What color are you? (Amazingly detailed & accurate--with pics!)
brought to you by Quizilla

In other words, a complete crazy.


I can't find my UCR parking permit! *cries* It's the most expensive piece of paper in my life and it's missing.

School started today and while it was good (except for the rain part) I couldn't really enjoy it because I'm so very tired. I got about seven hours of sleep over the weekend and I'm feeling it. I'm happy to be back in Riverside and seeing my friends, but at the same time I wish I could have had another week off to just do whatever I want. I feel kind of cheated with all this rain. I really wanted to go to the beach this week.

I'm excited about my classes though, my Japanese prof. seems really nice, I've always been so lucky with my teachers. He's an American who didn't even start studying Japanese until graduate school. It's very encouraging to have foreign speakers of Japanese teaching my classes, it makes me believe I really can be fluent. Or maybe I'm just delusional. XD