It has grown on me!: 07/2023

Thursday, July 27, 2023

Top 15 Popular Posts from Best Japanese Beauty Products

I've occasionally written about popular Japanese products which have many positive reviews and won beauty awards in Japan. Today, I checked one of my blog labels, Best Japanese Beauty Products, which is all about excellent Japanese beauty products. The label has 110 entries now. Today, I'm going to share with you 15 most popular entries from Best Japanese Beauty Products in the past a year. Hopefully, you are able to find Japanese beauty entries that you might have missed. :)

No. 1 3 Best Japanese Dark Spot Correctors - Affordable Brightening Beauty Serum

Rohto Melano CC Beauty Serum

There are many brightening beauty serums which have many positive reviews in Japan. If you are looking for the best Japanese beauty serums work well on hyperpigmentation, dark spots, you should check out this entry.

No.2 Top 5 Most Popular Japanese Pore Minimizer

Kanebo Suisai Beauty Clear Powder Wash

Kanebo Suisai Beauty Clear Powder is the most popular Japanese enzyme facial cleansing powder. When you foam up Suisai Clear Powder, I recommend you to use a Japanese foaming net. (Japanese cosmetic companies and beauty experts always recommend to wash your face with plenty of thick foam.)

No. 3 3 Best Japanese Deep Conditioning Hair Masks

Tsubaki Premium Repair Mask

If you are looking for the best deep conditioning hair mask, you should try Japanese one. This Shiseido TSUBAKI Premium Repair Mask has won many beauty awards in Japan and also has many positive reviews on Amazon US.

No. 4 Top 5 Best Japanese Double Eyelid Glue/Tape Products

Ledouble Double Eyelid Glue

Many of my Japanese friends who have monolids have used Japanese double eyelid glue/tape every day. I always forget my friends have monolids originally. Their double eyelids look perfectly natural to me.

No. 5 5 Best Japanese Facial Lotion (Toner), Kesho-sui

Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioner

Japanese facial lotion is called keshosui (化粧水) in Japan, and it is seriously the most important skincare item for Japanese women. By the way, my current favorite keshosui is Muji Light Toning Water. :)

No. 6 The Best-Selling Japanese Soap, Cow Brand Soap - Red Box vs Blue Box

Cow Brand Beauty Soap

Cow Brand have been selling this red box soap since 1928, and it has been very popular in Japan. Many Japanese dermatologists also recommend to use Cow Brand Soap for people who have very sensitive skins. If you are looking for affordable Japanese soap that is very gentle to your skin, I recommend you to try Cow Brand Soap.

No. 7 Top 3 Best Japanese Double Eyelid Glue/Tape Products

D-UP Wonder Eyelid Tape

If you have monolids and look for the best double eyelid glue/tape products, this entry will help you.

No. 8 5 Best Japanese Deep Conditioning Hair Masks

Shiseido Fino Premium Touch

Japanese deep conditioning hair masks are affordable and truly work! Shiseido Fino is very popular on Amazon US.

No. 9 Top 5 Life-Changing Japanese Beauty Products

Japanese Foaming Net for Face Wash

I want you to try these five products! I think that most Japanese women use a foaming net, which allow you to create very thick foam very quickly with only tiny amount of a facial cleansing product.

No.10 2 Convenience Store Skincare Products I Got in Japan - Japan Haul

Kose Sekkisui

While you are in Japan, Japanese convenience store beauty products definitely catch your eye. Convenience stores in Japan have popular Japanese beauty products which are often seen on Japanese beauty magazines. I purchased a few skincare products at convenience stores in Japan while I was traveling Tokyo.

No. 11 4 Best Japanese Anti-Aging Creams And Serums

Hada Labo Gokujyun α Wrinkle Cream

There are many anti-aging creams and serums won beauty awards in Japan.

No. 12 3 Best Japanese Eye Creams Won Beauty Award This Year

Pola Wrinkle Shot Medical Serum

I believe that applying eye cream every day is very important because the skin around eye area is thinnest in the body and is the first to show age.

No.13 Top 3 Most Popular Japanese Eyelash Curlers

Shiseido Eyelash Curler

Because nearly 99% of population of Japan are Japanese, many Japanese eyelash curlers are perfect for Asian eyes. I think the most important thing to find the best eyelash curler is finding one which fits your eyelids' shape perfectly.

No.14 The Best Japanese Shampoo & Conditioner

Kracie Ichikami Shampoo and Conditioner

Japanese shampoo works great and is very affordable in Japan. I miss Japanese shampoo!

No.15 3 Best Japanese Enzyme Powder Cleansers to Minimize Your Skin Pores

Fancl Deep Clear Washing Powder

If you have stubborn blackheads, it's good idea to wash your face with facial cleansing powder that containing enzyme which dissolves blackheads.

These are my entries you might like.

♥3 Best Japanese Eyeliners You Should Try

♥3 Best Japanese Cleansing Oils, Oil-Based Makeup Removers

♥3 Best Japanese Face Washes for Blackheads

♥3 Best Japanese Facial Lotion, Keshosui/Toner - Best High End Products

♥All Beauty Products I Purchased in Japan

♥3 Best Japanese Sunscreens for Sensitive Skin

♥3 Best Japanese Dark Spot Correctors - Affordable Brightening Beauty Serum

♥3 Best Japanese Eyeliners

♥10 Best Face Masks Won Beauty Awards in Japan

♥Top 5 Most Popular Japanese Charcoal Soap

♥Top 3 Japanese Powder Sunscreens

♥3 Best Japanese Sunscreen Products to Try This Summer

♥3 Best Japanese Eye Creams Won Beauty Award This Year

♥10 Best Sunscreens Won Beauty Awards in Japan This Year

♥3 Best Japanese Nyueki, Japanese Facial Lotion

♥Top 7 Japanese Facial Sheet Masks That Rescue Your Dry Skin

♥3 Best New Facial Sheet Masks in Japan

♥7 Most Popular Japanese Facial Cleansing Wipes for Removing Makeup

♥10 Best Japanese Beauty Products on Amazon Japan, You Can Also Purchase Them at Drugstores in Japan

     My entries related to Best Japanese Beauty Products can be seen here.

   My entries related to Japan can be seen here.

     My entries related to beauty can be seen here.

   My entries related to Japan Haul can be seen here.

     You can find my beauty entries by categories from here.

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Breakfast Meal at Sukiya, Beef Bowl Restaurant, - What I Ate in Ikebukuro, Tokyo

Sukiya (すき家)

As I mentioned in my previous entry, my husband and I visited Japan in 2022 and stayed at Sunshine City Prince Hotel in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. For breakfast, we decided to go to Sukiya (すき家) because Japanese beef bowl is one of our favorite foods in Japan. You can check out my previous entry, My Top 15 Must Eat Foods in Japan - My Favorite Japanese Foods. We've visited Sukiya many times since we lived in Japan for many years. Yet, I think that this is my first time to enjoy their breakfast meal. (We also enjoyed beef bowl at Sukiya in Japan in 2019 and 2014.)

Sukiya has 1,942 branches in Japan in 2022, so you can easily find Sukiya restaurant in Japan. This time, I visited Sukiya Ikebukuro Sunshine Mae branch.

Sukiya Ikebukuro Sunshine Mae Branch

Times Station Ikebukuro

4-25-9 Higashiikebukuro

Toshima-ku, Tokyo

Open 24/7

Order Through Sukiya Touch Screen Menu

Even if you don't speak Japanese, you can order meal in English through Sukiya touch screen menu.

Sukiya Touch Screen Menu

You can choose your preferred language from Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean.

Sukiya Touch Screen Menu

You can also choose size of rice. 😀

Sukiya Breakfast Combo Meals (すき家の朝食)

I've always wanted to try breakfast meal at beef bowl restaurants in Japan. It's because it looks nutritious and affordable. The cheapest breakfast combo meal is 290 yen, which is equivalent to $2.05 (1USD = 141 yen)! Sukiya's breakfast menu is only available from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. You can check out Sukiya official website for their breakfast menu. Today, I'm going to share what we had for breakfast at Sukiya with you.

Beef Bowl with Raw Egg Combo with Grilled Mackerel

My husband ordered this beef bowl with raw egg combo with grilled mackerel for 580 yen, which is equivalent to $4.11. It included rice, beef bowl plate, raw egg, grilled mackerel, simmered hijiki seaweed, nori and miso soup.

Beef Bowl with Raw Egg Combo with Grilled Mackerel

We were surprised that the meal was served in paper plates to reduce plastic waste.

Beef Bowl with Raw Egg Combo with Pork and Vegetable Miso Soup

I ordered this beef bowl with raw egg combo for 350 yen, and I chose pork and vegetable miso soup (とん汁) for extra 100 yen instead of regular miso soup, so in total, it cost 450 yen, which is equivalent to $3.19. It included rice, beef bowl plate, raw egg, simmered hijiki seaweed, nori, and pork and vegetable miso soup.

Raw egg on rice is called tamago kake gohan (たまごかけご飯) in Japanese and is popular breakfast meal in Japan. You might think eating raw egg is insane. However, as I mentioned in my previous entry, How to Make Tamago Kake Gohan - Raw Egg on Rice, because Japanese people eat raw egg, eggs are sold on the premise of being consumed raw in Japan. That's why egg producers make eggs perfect cleaning before marketing those. If you are interested in tamago kake gohan, you can try it with ease in Japan.

Raw Egg

I'm going to share with you how to eat tamago kake gohan. First, put soy sauce in raw egg bowl. Then, mix the egg and soy sauce together thoroughly.

Make a hollow in the center of the rice.

Then, pour the mixture into a hollow, and stir the mixture into the rice. That's it. You can enjoy tamago kake gohan.

I put beef over tamago kake gohan, and topped it with kizami shoga (刻み生姜), pickled ginger. This is my favorite way to eat Japanese beef bowl.

We really enjoyed our first Sukiya breakfast meals! If we have a chance to visit Japan next time, we will definitely try Japanese breakfast at beef bowl restaurants such as Sukiya (すき家), Yoshinoya (吉野家), Matsuya (松屋) and Nakau (なか卯).

These are also my entries you might like.

♥How to Make Tamago Kake Gohan - Raw Egg on Rice

♥Hotel Room Tour and Review - Sunshine City Prince Hotel - Ikebukuro, Tokyo

♥My Shopping List for Japanese Beauty Products - What I Want to Get in Japan

♥How to Purchase Japanese Affordable Eyeglasses at Zoff

♥Driving A Rental Car in Japan, 6 Things You Should Know Before Driving in Japan

♥6 Facts about Kokyo Gaien Jogging Course

♥How to Purchase Japanese Affordable Eyeglasses at JINS

♥6 Japanese Products Loved by Foreign Tourists in Japan

♥Top 3 Japanese Powder Sunscreens

♥3 Best Japanese Sunscreen Products to Try This Summer

♥3 Best Japanese Eye Creams Won Beauty Award This Year

♥3 Best Facial Sheet Masks Loved in Japan This Year

♥7 Most Popular Japanese Facial Cleansing Wipes for Removing Makeup

♥7 Best Japanese Beauty Products Hall of Fame

♥Top 5 Life-Changing Japanese Beauty Products

♥Top 5 Most Popular Japanese Charcoal Soap

♥5 Best Japanese Facial Lotion (Toner), Kesyou-sui

♥The Most Popular Facial Sheet Masks in Japan

♥4 Reasons Why I Love Kose Softymo Cleansing Oil

♥10 Best Japanese Beauty Products on Amazon Japan, You Can Also Purchase Them at Drugstores in Japan

     My entries related to Best Japanese Beauty Products can be seen here.

   My entries related to Japan can be seen here.

     My entries related to beauty can be seen here.

   My entries related to Japan Haul can be seen here.

     You can find my beauty entries by categories from here.

Thursday, July 13, 2023

【Hike】Upper Hot Spring Canyon to Falls Trail in Lake Elsinore - Cleveland National Forest

In April, my husband and I went to Upper Hot Spring Canyon in Cleveland National Forest to enjoy hiking. In our previous hike, we went to Black Star Canyon Falls Trail and enjoyed seeing waterfalls. Because we had a lot of rain in Southern California this winter and spring, waterfalls had a lot of water and were flowing beautifully. We thought that we should go to another waterfall trail in this season. We finally found this Upper Hot Spring Canyon to Falls Trail on AllTrails App, and we also found this trail in the book, 50 Hikes in Orange County, which I purchased to enjoy Orange County hikes.

Tips for Walking on Upper Hot Spring Canyon to Falls Trail.
・Apply sunscreen on entire body.
・Wear sunglasses and hat with high UPF.
・Drink water often.
・You can bring your dog.
・It's a moderately strenuous hike.

・It's rocky and slippery and not recommend small kids for this trail.

・No cell service.

My Upper Hot Spring Canyon to Falls Trail Walking Summary (UA MapMyWalk App)

When I go hiking, I use Under Armour MapMyWalk App to track my walk.

My Upper Hot Spring Canyon to Falls Trail Walking Summary (UA MapMyWalk App)

Last year, I also started using AllTrails App. It's easy to use and helped me to not get lost. In addition, it's easy to find new hiking trails, and you can save your activities on AllTrails App. If you love hiking, you should try this app. It makes your hiking more enjoyable.

My Upper Hot Spring Canyon to Falls Trail Walking Summary (AllTrails App)

Parking

There are some parking lots around this trail. The closest parking lot to the trailhead is just past the Falcon Group Campground entrance, but it's a pretty small parking lot.

Falcon Group Campground Entrance

San Juan Trail Upper Trailhead Parking Lot at Blue Jay Campground

However, Google Maps through AllTrails took us to the different parking lot, which has a plenty of parking spaces is located the San Juan Trail Upper Trailhead at Blue Jay Campground. This parking lot is about a mile away from the trailhead of Upper Hot Spring Canyon Falls Trail. Because it's almost no cell service, it's hard to google the right location. We eventually parked at this parking lot and decided to walk two extra miles round trip.

Public Bathroom at Blue Jay Campingground

The public bathroom doesn't have flush toilet.

Falcon Group Campground Entrance

Falcon Group Campground Entrance

After walking for 20 minutes or so, we arrived at Falcon Group Campground entrance. You will see two trailheads (right and left) from the small parking lot. We took the trail on the left-hand side.

Trailhead (Left)

It's pretty narrow trail.

Then, we made the left and kept walking on the trail. If you are using AllTrails App, it's easier to follow the trail with GPS.

We crossed over the stream several times.

The trail was easy to follow but very rocky and slippery. Because some areas had very steep and narrow path, we sometimes needed to be very careful not to fall nor slide down from the trail.

The trail follows Hot Spring Creek.

Miner's Lettuce

I had never seen these cute plants before. They were miner's lettuce.

The water was clear and beautiful.

We finally made it to the first waterfall.

We sat on the rock for a while. We enjoyed the soothing waterfall sound.

This time, we didn't go to the second waterfall and decided to return the way we came.

We finally made it to the small parking lot near the Falcon Group Campground entrance. Then, we walked to the Blue Jay Campground parking lot, where we parked.

It's flat and easy path. We enjoyed birdsong while walking.

Finally, we were back to the parking lot. My legs were so tired after walking 4.5-miles including the steep rocky trail.

This trail was harder than I had expected. It's because rocky and slippery trail with little to no shade. However, the waterfall was amazing and soothing.