Sensible Mode Living

 I shifted to body washes/shower gels almost a decade ago because of my dehydrated/dry skin which tends to get worse during winters. Mild and moisturizing soaps like the Dove soap didn't do it for me anymore, especially during harsh winters in colder weather countries like the US or Netherlands. This is mostly because soaps in general tend to be more stripping while body washes/shower gels tend to have milder surfactants along with oils, butters, etc. that keep the skin moisturized while cleaning it. So this was an obvious choice for me. That said, not all body washes/shower gels are as moisturizing. There are many gentle ones that I still find to be stripping. On the other hand, there are ones that are way too moisturizing and not cleansing enough. In the last 10 years or so I have tried a lot of body washes/shower gels that didn't quite have what I was looking for but I also found many good ones. Some of them were so good that I have repurchased them many times. My checklist

 Baccarat Rouge 540 was launched in 2016 by the famous perfumer Maison Francis Kurkdjian. Since then it has reached a whole new level of popularity when it comes to perfumes, especially on social media. But since it is a very expensive perfume there are a lot of people like me, who cannot justify spending so much on a perfume, and who are looking for something similar that costs less. On the other hand brands that grasp the popularity also come up with perfumes that are inspired by the OG. People refer to these as dupes or smell-a-likes. It's basically a win win situation for everyone. I am personally not crazy about the scent profile that BR540 belongs to but since it is so hyped I wanted to try it out for myself. So I went to the store several times and tested it on the paper strips, on my clothes, and on my skin. And after several tries I decided that it is not really for me. It's a little too spicy and woody for my tastes. And since it is so expensive it's also not some

I stopped watching youth dramas (dramas usually set in high school/college backdrop) over a year ago since I felt like I was getting too old for these. I find most of them quite juvenile like I am watching the Disney channel. However, before I completely stopped, I tried watching more than 30 popular youth dramas and I had to drop most of them because they were just too mediocre, with bad writing, and bad acting/editing. But I also found some gems that were just too good and should not be missed by anyone, doesn't matter how old you are. These dramas have something more than just being a funny/silly high school/college drama. They have some kind of an x-factor to them that makes them quite unique in my opinion. Be it the story, the casting, the cinematography, the costumes, the locations/settings, etc. all together create a magical on-screen experience that I have not found in the other youth dramas that I have seen. Listed below are my top picks from the Chinese youth drama genre

 Influencer marketing has been there forever but with more online social media platforms it has become even more crazier since the 2010s. This type of marketing trend has its good sides as we get to know about a lot of things that are introduced into the market while sitting at home. So there is no worry of missing out on anything that is good. But it is also sometimes misleading/misinforming which can not only make us waste money on worthless products but also mistrust influencers as a whole.  This post is going to be only about beauty (skincare/haircare/makeup) products that I wasted my money on. It does not mean that I mistrust influencers or that I am not going to follow influencers anymore. I have also benefited in many ways from influencers so this is not a hateful post. I only want to convey through this post that it is important to use our own judgment and not blindly follow what somebody is recommending just because they seem likable, genuine, or convincing on camera. The foll