Monthly Highlight : July 2020

Hello! I come back with the first monthly highlight after taking a break this year. Honestly, this recent situation is more like a roller coaster ride, one time you feel good, another time you feel so bad like many stuff being trapped inside your head, the other time you don’t feel particular feelings – neither in a good nor bad way, just neutral. The reason I didn’t write is just I can’t encourage other people when I can’t do that to myself. I don’t want to spread negativity here, I don’t want to share all the bad things that sometimes creep into my head. It’s better to step out from anything and anyone when those thought stream comes in. Yeah, those are not real, yet they are there. Fear is something unreal that MIGHT happen but it’s not happening in the real world right now, like it haunts you without any visible forms. You can’t fight it, you can’t escape from it.

Seems so dark, right?

I don’t want to share those dark stuff here. I only write them on my journal, that some entry titles have some creepy energy by only looking at it. For now, I will reflect more, go inward, while doing my everyday things like job and other normal daily activities. I might write one or two blog posts when I feel like wanting to.

If you are currently experiencing similar thing as me, you are in the process of something. It might be difficult, yes, this thought sometimes comes to my head too. You and I are the same, we just appear to be different in the form level. We will definitely experience challenges. I don't say that you have to persevere or to not give up. You can give up, you can let go, you can be angry, you can cry, you can do anything, or nothing. 

Honestly after taking a break, I'm surprised seeing the new editor interface of blogger, I can add emojis, symbol and some special characters directly through this editor. Also, the default font I usually use for this blog becomes bigger. Haha.

Okay. Here are some highlight from last month. Monthly highlight is always my favorite section of this blog, so I won’t let it die.

1. REPURCHASE : PURITO Centella Green Level Buffet Serum

I repurchase one of my favorite serums that is PURITO Centella Green Level Buffet Serum. I wrote about it previously in this April Monthly Highlight. There are 2 versions of this serum, the green one that is scented, and the white one that is unscented. I recommend that unscented version for sensitive skin. Since I have no problems with oils in this serum ( and I really love the scent ), I repurchased the green one.

It gets easily absorbed once I apply it on my skin, a lot faster than its essence that needs more time to fully get absorbed. Even though it has no highlights for acne or brightening purpose, I choose this product because of its calming ingredients like Centella Asiatica and Niacinamide.

2. PRODUCT EMPTY : iUNIK Centella Calming Gel Cream

Another favorite moisturizer I emptied this month is the one from iUNIK which is Centella Calming Gel Cream. It has clear color, water-based consistency, so it doesn't make my skin greasy. Recently I only choose the moisturizer for calming and moisturizing purposes. For brightening or acne-fighting purposes, I’ll leave it only to exfoliating toner or serum I already have. Even though the brand claims that this moisturizer can do brightening stuff and working on wrinkle, I don’t aim for that.

It can be used for any skin type, even sensitive skin (as it claims). The consistency is light and can easily absorb on my skin (that’s why I prefer gel type for my skin). My favorite ingredients in this product are Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Niacinamide, Allantoin and Centella Asiatica Extract.

3. NEW : Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Soothing Gel

After emptying my iUNIK moisturizer, I bought another moisturizer from Illiyoon which is Ceramide Ato Soothing Gel. There are some variants of Illiyoon moisturizers which have similar packaging, so you really need to read the title carefully. It comes in some different sizes too. The one I bought was 150gr one.

Since it’s been colder here, everyone in my family has problem with dry and flaky skin, so they also use this moisturizer too. Haha. Mom really likes this one too. I chose the gel type since I also use it under my sunscreen during the day, I don’t want to use heavier moisturizer beside my skin will get easily oily during the day.

Ingredients I love from this product are Ceramide (ofc), Betaine, Squalane and Glycerol.

4. FOREVER READING : A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

One book I can’t stop reading is A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. Between May - July, I read this book like everyday. His books are life-changing. For many years, I look for an understanding about life that is not judging, comparing nor spreading hate. The common advices I got during my earlier ages were covered by judgement toward differences, comparing one human to others, and spreading the words of hate. Even though the message is purposed to ask people to understand life more, to be compassionate, and so on, but I feel there is something missing. I don’t say I hate the way people spreading good messages like that, but there is something inside me that constantly saying : there must be another way.

Then I found The Power of Now and A New Earth, two books of Eckhart Tolle which I always come back to every time I want to. Even after I found these books, I didn’t instantly turn into someone new or my life changed so drastically, no, I just found the answers I asked for so long. Also, whenever I re-read them, there is something like new-ness in it no matter how many times I do that.

I can’t really explain what it is that makes me sticking into his books. One of my favorite quotes from his book is : "The ego isn’t wrong; it’s just unconscious."

5. PLAYLIST : Takahashi Yu, NiziU, HIRAIDAI

There are some songs released this month that I really like and immediately becomes my playlist.

🌿 Takahashi Yu – one stroke

The newest song (new digital single) from singer-songwriter Takahashi Yu, the first one after departing from Amuse. He then released his song globally through Warner Label. The music video was firstly released during his 10th Anniversary live stream. He also will release a new album soon. Hopefully it will be released globally too! The music video shows him flying accross the sky, I really like this scene where the background is the blue sky and he flies freely. I really want to fly!

Listen here : Spotify | Music Video

🌿 NiziU – Make You Happy

A new group under JYP Entertainment consist of 9 Japanese girls, selected from TV show that is collaboration between Sony Music and JYPE. They release a pre-debut digital mini album titled Make You Happy along with the Music Video (and Dance Video in Korean version). A bright cheerful youthful song that will make you happy once you listen to it. My favorite member so far are Mako and Miihi. Maybe it’s because Mako is the leader of the group, and I already falling in love with Miihi’s voice during the audition and show.

Listen here : Spotify | Music Video | Performance Video (Korean Ver.)

🌿 HIRAIDAI – EndlessSky

New song by HIRAIDAI titled EndlessSky, has the vibe of summer, sky, Hawaii, and holiday. He also released lyrics video of EndlessSky which has English translation of the song. It’s a perfect song for enjoying sunny vibrant days (recently it’s likely to be sunny and summery, even though it’s colder during the night and morning here). "To the world that is still unseen, let your heart guide you through, follow the sign in front of you, endless sky"

Listen here : Spotify  | Lyrics Music Video

6. FAVORITE PHOTO : Airbrush-ed Sky

The sky is always beautiful everyday! Whether it’s sunny or cloudy. The sky remains open and being what already it is despite of the situation going below it. What I can learn from the sky is that no matter what happens in this life, that doesn’t change the essence of who you really are. You might think you have certain identities you accepted as you based on your situation. I read it from a book titled : The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim that sky teaches us this valuable thing. “Negative emotions come and go like clouds, but the wide open sky remains.”

This is one of my favorite sky photos I took during July. It looks like as if the cloud pattern was edited by software, but it’s airbrushed by the nature. Of course the real sky was more beautiful. I think I can never capture nature’s beauty as photos, it always turns out to be different compared to the real one.

Thank you for visiting this blog. Thank you for sharing your comments. I believe I will be able to finally look back to these days and I will just smile as I understand that all of these weird scary stuff is needed for my growth, and I will be grateful that they all happened and sent for me with love from the whole universe.

Whoever you are who found and read this blog post, I pray for the strength to face all the challenges  you currently experience.

See you on the next post!

Title picture by lailiving

Photo by Marina Kraus