Goodbye #60: Bath and Body Works Body Butter

Time flies. It was only around October 2015 when I was introduced to body butter. I was hooked. Went crazy and hoarded whatever I could get my hands on. Whether I have a budget for it or not. Bath and Body Works body butters were one of the purchases I made back then. Now it's 2017 and I am saying goodbye to this unused BBW body butter called Beautiful Day. Their body butters are really thick but sinks in to the skin easily. But then no matter how I tried I cannot love and accept the extreme sweetness. Whatever the scent maybe. Sweetness is the signature smell of Bath and Body Works. Well at least for me.

Most of the time I wish I never had to go through the phase I went through. The consumerism. Purchasing on impulse. Hoarding. But then maybe I would never learn the lessons if things did not happen. The more I think about going home for good due to financial reasons, the more regrets are washing over me for all the money I wasted. So yeah minimalism and frugal is a lifestyle. It is not fad that will come and go. So even if I am done with all these decluttering and pan projects there is no way that I will go back to my old habits.

'Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need'

I finally got some TFS Green Tea 🇰🇷

Not all the products are included in the photo and my morning skin care routine starts after taking a shower. And of course on shower cleansing of the face is included too.
⭕️ Toner ~ but not to be confused with the Western toner. Korean toner or Japanese lotion/conditioner. Whichever is available.
⭕️ Serum
⭕️ Emulsion

⭕️ Moisturizer
⭕️ Sunscreen
⭕️ Primer ~ optional
⭕️ BB Cream ~ optional
⭕️ Make Up ~ optional

Now on the photo. The Face Shop is the only Korean brand or Asian brand readily available in the UAE market. But honestly this baffles me a lot. I mean UAE and USA are both rich countries. But then USA has so many choices of products. Whatever is the new thing or fad anywhere in the world they seem to have an access to it. While it is the complete opposite in the UAE. For example the world has gone crazy over the Speculoos Paste. It came to UAE market only when the madness died down and people went back to the good old peanut butter. A friend told me maybe it has something to do with halal. But then I am not talking only about food. I am also talking about cosmetics and skin care products. Fine we have some here but only the most expensive.

 

Some might say BUT Missha and Skin Food are available too! But the word I mentioned was 'readily' available. I heard about Missha and Skin Food shops but I have never seen one. You know UAE has 7 emirates. And they tend to know only Dubai and Abu Dhabi. So since it is only The Face Shop basically they don't have to compete with any other Asian or Korean brand and so they can name their price. People will take it or leave it. And so Janes like me cannot afford their prices the whole year round. I have to wait for them to go on sale but even on sale the prices will not really drop down that much. So I finally got my hands on the TFS Green Tea line when the sale has started.

 

The Face Shop Green Tea Waterfull Serum ~ I got it last December 2016 for 59.00AED and still that is quite a lot of money when I am seeing Japanese skin care products in Amazon Japan in much lesser prices. But I purchased it anyway as I was itching to try out their serum. It delivers and as I write this I am about to finish the bottle. No plans of repurchasing anytime soon. As I am still searching a cheaper Japanese alternative.

 

The Face Shop Green Tea Water Waterfull Toner and Serum ~ each bottle on sale price is 45.00AED and I got it this month only when they continued the sale due to DFS. Still expensive as the Japanese conditioner I purchased last November from Amazon Japan was the same amount but the quantity is 500ML. In the end I am happy with the performance of Green Tea Line but I still have issues about it due to the amount. I want to be beautiful but without breaking my bank account.

Walang Pera 💰

PHOTO Credits to the owner

Japanese Green Noodles

Nothing much going on here on this post except that I found a green noodles in Dean's Fujiya. And I want to share the photo with you just in case anyone of you is interested. I don't even know the name as it is written in Japanese. Amount is around 10AED.

Whatever Asian products I am seeing in the UAE or consuming I will share them all here for all the other Asians to know.

'I thought I would outgrow Ramen noodles. Man, I was wrong'

Almond

Sadly I do not know where it was purchased as it was given to me. I heard it is from one of the Chinese restaurants in Dubai. But there are too many Chinese restaurants in that place. I don't even know how much it cost. But then all I can say is out of all the almonds I ever tasted here in UAE this one is the best.

And I don't even know the brand name as it is written only as Almond. That's all for today. Till my next Asian food to share.

'You don't need a silver fork to eat good food'

Choices in Life

PHOTO Credits to the owner

Goodbye #59: Soap and Glory Peaches and Clean

I was a stupid hoarder who purchased a lot of things just because they were on sale. But the sad truth is 80% of things we do purchase we end up not using. Today I am saying goodbye to Soap and Glory Peaches and Clean. I'm handing it over to someone else before it expire. It has been in my drawer for months and I don't think I will ever be using it any time soon or in the future. I purchased it because it was available for Buy 1, Take 1. But  I hardly use make up that I don't need tons of make up removers like this one.

'You are one stack shit away from an episode or hoarders'

Goodbye #58: Red New Look Cardigan

Saying goodbye to this red New Look Cardigan it has been so long that I cannot remember anymore which year I purchased this and yet I wore it no more than ten times even though we are having a winter in the UAE. And I am giving myself a pat on the back because since I started discarding my items (majority are clothes) at the same time I am able to fight off the urge to buy something new again. Last clothing purchased I made was in August while I was on vacation as I needed something to wear.

But since coming back to UAE and seeing all discounts all around no matter how affordable it could be, I was able to hold off myself. It maybe just a baby step towards the life I want to have but at least a step anyway. Hope one day I will be able to encourage my friends and relatives too to do the same.

'Less house, more home'.

Bear Brand and Alaska

As I was browsing in Al Maya I found these two sachet of drinks which are from Philippines. Bear Brand milk powder in sachet and Alaska chocolate powder in sachet. Just sharing for those who loves this.

"Food is my bestfriend"

Hustisya 🔫

PHOTO Credits to the owner

HM Nail Polishes

Back in 2009 I have extremely long nails which I had to cut as it gets on the way with cooking. The very same year that I started learning to cook. Short nails meaning I stayed away from nail polishes. But then last year H&M was on sale and these nail polishes were only 5AED and so I purchased a few bottles. Will be wearing then one time only each week then hand them over to my younger sister.

Forever is just a WORD

Goodbye #57: Russell Hobbs

The flat I am living in is magical. In a sense that ever since I started decluttering seems like I never run out of things to get rid of. The place is so small and yet there are thousand of items inside it. I'm saying goodbye to Russell Hobbs travel flat iron. Would you believe that I purchased it a decade ago? But then I hate ironing clothes and I am not good at it. So this has been in my closet for all those years. 

I travelled for a few times but never even once that I needed it out of all those travels that I had done. It has no use for me for the last ten years. So I doubt that I will ever use it in the future. I am happy to let it go. And another space in the drawer saved for something else.

'Try to leave the earth a better place than when you arrived' - Sidney Sheldon

Kapal 🐷

PHOTO Credits to the owner

Chinese Panda's Shrimp Butterfly 🍤

Chinese Panda has been in UAE for as long as I can remember but only last year when I finally tried their Shrimp Butterfly. Or is it Butterfly Shrimp? But whatever it is called surprisingly I find it good. This serving is around 37.00AED? I am not too sure about the price. I ordered this because I have to eat but can't find something I like anymore. So if you are in any food court and find Chinese Panda, try it out!

"Food is my bestfriend"

Sago at Gulaman

Well if I am in the area near the Bacolod Chicken Inasal in Dubai I won't go inside to buy food but I'll have another Sago at Gulaman from them. Small serving and expensive but I love the taste. Should they just focus on selling drinks than food?

"I am in a relationship with food, I'm sorry"

Bacolod Chicken Inasal

There is one restaurant in Dubai, somewhere in Satwa and pardon me as I am not good in directions. But I can remember seeing a train station near it. I can't even remember the exact name of the restaurant aside from Bacolod Chicken Inasal. I had been there last November 2016. Down are the photos of what I ordered from the said restaurant.

Grilled chicken liver with yellow rice and some pickles at the side. I can't even remember the exact price. But no more than 50AED. The verdict? I will surely not come back there anymore. It is very far from me. Expensive. And not delicious. I am opposed in throwing food away but then I was not able to bring myself to finish this food.

I always order lemon ice tea whenever I eat out. This one glass was around 10AED. This was the only thing I enjoyed from the said establishment. But the serving of the drinks is quite small. So even if it tastes good I don't think its worth it.

 

"Good food is good mood"

Liit sahod 💶

PHOTO Credits to the owner

Goodbye #56: Fujifim Instax Mini 8

Just how serious I am to have a minimalist and frugal life? When I am letting go of things that I never thought I would be able to let go of. Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 camera that I'm saying goodbye to! Well as a young kid I had been seeing cameras like this. And I always wanted to have one but I never had a budget for it. Some years ago I got a voucher from Carrefour which I used to purchase this one. It is cute and cool but I used it only once and since then it had been sitting in my closet. I'm handing it over to my younger sister. Hope it will be more of use for her.

'Don't own so much clutter that you will be relieved to see your house catch fire' ~ Wendell Berry

Dear Friday ⏰

PHOTO Credits to the owner