Craft: Natural Style DIY Lace Trim Ballet Flats

Craft: My Hobbies & DIY Headset Cable Cosy

Hi Everyone! Today I'd like to share a new hobby and a simple DIY for headphone owners :)

I'm working a 8-5 day job and a nightly side hustle writing gig, but that doesn't stop me from busying myself even more with different hobby projects and nonsensical things I cook up inside my room. I have recently found the urge to learn how to sew and make my own stuff, even though I am terribly rusty as the last time I picked up a needle and thread was in grade school for our home economics project. Aside from reading books, trying to learn how to draw plus paint in watercolors, discovering personal finance, my anime-watching pasttime, and everything in between, I am not sure why I want to add DIY/Sewing on my list. But I found that it's pretty relaxing and gives a good feeling of accomplishment.

My first venture was a DIY Headset Cable cosy, since I just bought myself my beloved AKG K44 Headphones a month ago and I'm pretty much inlove with it, but since owning this, I live in perpetual fear that something may happen to it. So, I made the cable cosy because the AKG has pretty long cables and it can get tangled and wavy pretty quick :( This is something done in just under 20 mins, so it's really not a huge project but this cosy is really helpful for me.

Procedure:

1. Measure your the length of your cable and cut a matching length of strip of fabric. Fold the fabric lengthwise and baste or pin.

2. Sew the ends of the fold. I used a horrendous backstitch! But it's ok nobody's gonna see it anyway. ;)

3. Thread a crochet thread into a big needle and hook to one end, this will help in trying to turn your fabric inside out.

4.  Pull the crochet thread as you go. Slide the end out.

5. Insert the headset cable and,

6. Thread until it goes to the other end

There! Finished! Here's me on a bright day, listening to GooseHouse JP with the headset cosy.

Thank you so much for dropping by and reading!

DIY Skincare: Homemade Glutinous Rice Powder Mask vs Sheet Masks

A lot of girls are very much into keeping their skin healthy by using face masks. Whether it's a leave-on mask, a rinse-off kind or opting for the no-fuss sheet mask. It's also a great way to feel like you're being responsible about your skin, but it's not so rigorous since you get to do it 2-3 times a week. Great for the lazy bones!

I always feel relaxed when I have it on because it means I get a lot of reading done! But I got to thinking that despite the nutrients within a mask, we can read in the ingredients (for some brands that carry English translation) there is a lot of extra stuff like chemicals and artificial ingredients that are inside a sheet mask.

Image credit from Cosmetic-candy.com

Somehow it's kind of comforting that we can't read the ingredients list of some brands (Cant read Korean/Thai!) so we only see a bright fruit featured at the cover so makes us think it's from 100% fruit nutrient or concentrate, but I'm sure that somehow there's something inside it but at the same time leaves us in the dark! Good for you if you can read CHINESE:

Image credit from DiaryofAProductJunkie

ETUDE HOUSE SHEET MASK: ME AND MY MASKING HABITS


I am an avid fan of face masks. I've tried quite a few from different big brands like The Face Shop, Etude House, Missha, FaceQ and My Beauty Diary. I use it once or twice a week if I have some masks stocked inside my compartment.
 
Here I am with my mask anyway, because I needed a boost to hydrate my skin which has been dulling so terribly due to me always being under the sun, staring for 8 hours infront of the PC and not having enough fluids everyday!

  

 

But I got to thinking that I should really stop depending on commercial masks. I googled some DIY face mask but I always find the ingredients kind of expensive (hello, strawberries are not in season all the time, lemons are terrible to be wasted and it costs pretty high these days, and we don't have pure/raw honey sitting prettily in our kitchen cupboard, okay?)


GOING FACE MASK D-I-Y (Do It Yourself)!

So what I did was first raid the pantry and saw a good deal of GLUTINOUS RICE POWDER left over from New Years! It wasn't expired yet so I was wondering if I could do something with it! :D

Image credit here.

I tried it out myself! This is a DIY Mask that was so basic and so elementary that it doesn't make sense why I don't make it into a weekly skin treat!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RICE FLOUR AND OTHER RICE PROPERTIES:

* Rice Flour is really good for blemishes, wrinkles and pigmentation. It is also known for its soothing and softening properties. (source)

* Its emollient and exfoliating properties keep skin cells healthy, while its Ceramide increases collagen production to make skin more supple and free of wrinkles. (source)

* You don't have to buy in to SK-II or other high end skincare brand which are expensive because it has Pitera properties. Rice naturally has Pitera. And according to SK-II's About Page, Pitera is "...derived from a unique yeast's fermentation, Pitera is a blend of vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and organic acids that work together to allow the skin's natural surface rejuvenation process to function at its prime, enhancing the renewal of the skin's outer layer.  Continued usage of Pitera leads to clearer looking, smoother skin."

So those are the reasons why I am definitely making my little Glutinous Rice Powder mask a weekly habit! It seems that it helps with my oily face somehow. I chose Glutinous powder because it was readily available, but not only that because it sticks on the face better than an ordinary rice powder. Glutinous is more sticky, so it tends to be like that.

Below is my findings:

	SHEET MASK	RICE MASK
Moisture	Very Moisturizing; Highly due to the lotion-like serum. Light feeling, watery.	Moisturizing but the rice powder is mixed with water so it feels thicker but it provides moisture continuously.
Fragrance	Has fruity scent	Has earthy, rice scent that is pleasant
Feel of the Mask	Very cool on the face, breathable.	It has some micro-scrubs but feels so good. Breathable.
Ease of Application	Easy to apply, though some masks may be drippy. The masks, even if they are soaked, the fabric remained strong.	Hard to apply since you will use all your hands and fingers. Make sure that your hands are EXTRA clean.
Removal of Mask	No problem removing; especially when the masks really dry on the face.	Easy to remove with washing it off with water. Very little trouble since it dissolves the second water touches it.

The RICE MASK gave me clean, fresh and clear looking skin!

I had blushing cheeks too, maybe from the powder which felt like micro scrubs.

I feel REVITALIZED! Ohyeaaa! XD



I am really more into organic skincare rather than commercial and chemical-dependent products that tend to be on the pricier side. But it's more than just a matter of having money to pay for it, but it boils down the things I want and don't want to put on my skin. I think I am going to be more adventurous in this new process of discovery!


Thank you so much for reading!
Stay healthy and safe~