Hakone Estate and Gardens @ Saratoga, CA

"A tranquil place of peace and harmony. One of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s premier sites and 100 years old, Hakone is one of the oldest Japanese estate, retreat and gardens in the Western Hemisphere. Hakone has also been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2013. 18 acres of magnificent beauty is nestled in the verdant hills of Saratoga overlooking Silicon Valley." -Hakone.com

Situated in the hillside of Saratoga, Hakone Estate and Gardens is a serene decent-sized garden, with a pond stocked with Koi and turtles, lots of well-tended flowers and trees, some traditional Japanese crafted buildings, bamboo garden, and a little bridge and waterfall. You can climb up for a nice view of the valley, and there's also a small gift shop outside. There are plentiful benches and shade, and it is not a strenuous walk by any means. I'm 8 months pregnant and was able to do it fine. You can easily see everything in half an hour if you hurry, but you shouldn't...

I always say that I'm not someone who have always dreamed of having my own garden, but if ever I'll have one, it's definitely going to be Japanese-inspired. This is actually my first time visiting a real Japanese garden and to see a real classic Japanese home. I've always been an admirer of Japanese culture & architecture. It's all about a combination of simplicity, serenity and intelligent practicality. Here are some of the pictures that I took of my favorite spots of the garden and the Japanese house:

    

 

 

  

Here's their website: http://www.hakone.com/main.html

There's a $10/adult fee. All kids 4 and under are free.

CONTOUR STICKS COMPARISON: Benefit Hoola vs Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick

FENTY BEAUTY Match Stix Matte Skinstick (MOCHA) || BENEFIT Hoola Quickie Contour Stick

FENTY BEAUTY Match Stix Matte Skinstick

NUMBERS: $25 | 0.25OZ / 7.10g

SHADE: MOCHA (deep with cool undertones)

WHAT IT IS (according to Sephora): A magnetized makeup stick in a long-wear, light-as-air, matte formula to conceal, correct, contour, and touch up skin in 20 shades. 

BENEFIT Hoola Cream-To-Powder Quickie Contour Stick

NUMBERS: $28 | 0.30oz / 8.5g

SHADE: SOFT BRONZE (medium with neutral undertones)

WHAT IT IS (according to Sephora): A soft bronze, cream-to-powder contouring stick.

C O L O R

HOOLA STICK: lighter in color, more neutral toned, and has a slight sheen
MATCH STIX: darker in color, has a cool undertone, and has a straight up matte finish

A P P L I C A T I O N

   

• MATCH STIX: Applies a little heavier and has a little more grab on the skin when being blended.  I felt like it needed more tugging so it can look "well blended" and natural, maybe because it has a heavy cream formula. If not careful, this can look heavy and will take more effort to correct/erase if mistakenly applied.

• HOOLA STICK: Applies smoothly and blends very easily. Because it has a cream-to-powder formula, it didn't take a lot of effort for me to achieve that "well blended" look that I want. Although I notice that too much blending can make this almost disappear on the skin. 

F I N I S H   &   W E A R

FENTY BEAUTY Match Stix Matte in Mocha. L-R: 1st hour, mid-day, night.

• MATCH STIX: This one definitely shows more on the skin since it's darker and heavier in texture. Because it has a cool undertone, it's really good for contouring and I personally wouldn't use this just to bronze up my face. Since it's matte and that it maintains it's color & finish pretty well through out the day, this one would go well with photography, special events, long days/nights, and/or someone who has oily skin. Overall, this is good for those who are looking for a good, long-lasting and very pigmented contour product.

BENEFIT Hoola Quickie Contour Stick. L-R: 1st hour, mid-day, night.

• HOOLA STICK: This one from Benefit gives more of a natural "contoured" look, which I prefer to wear in daytime and for none special days. Because it has a slight yellow undertone to it, it can be used as a bronzer as well and would look good on light to medium skin tones. I personally think this wouldn't show up at all on people with dark complexions. One disadvantage of this product is that it only comes in one shade. After approximately 8 hours, under a yellow lighting, it wasn't showing as much as the Match Stix. However, if you're someone who really just prefers a natural contour throughout the day (like me), I would pick this one over the other.