Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Woman’s Day June 2013




Smart tip - to give your skin the ultimate protection against damaging rays, use sunscreen that contain antioxidants.”

How to Tame Frizzy Hair :
Rinse with cold water - Washing out shampoo and conditioner with cool water helps seal your hair’s cuticle, which reduces frizz and promote shine.
Avoid cotton towels - The fibers create friction between strands and cause split ends. To prevent damage, use your hands to wring out excess water from your hair or gently pat it with a microfiber towel.
Skip heated tools - They suck moisture out of hair, which increases frizz. If you must blow dry, set your dryer to low heat, the switch to a cool setting for the last few minutes to seal the cuticle.”

“Rinse strands with tap water [I heard bottle water or conditioner works too] before diving in. This way, hair absorbs less chlorine or salt. Hydrate dry ends with a weekly deep conditioner”.

Summer Beauty Fixes -
Your makeup feels like it’s melting the minute you step outside.  Makeup is made to rinse off with the help of water, so it’s not surprising that the rise in humidity can cause it to slide away. To prevent this, sweep on a translucent setting powder over your foundation. It combats slick skin without depositing color. Try it on your eyelids, too, to keep eyeshadow in place and mascara from smudging.

Your legs and underarms get red and bumpy after shaving.  Skin may seems flat, but it peaks around hair follicles and dips into valleys between them. When you shave, the razor can irritate slightly  uneven skin. To help your razor glide more easily, coat legs with shaving cream or conditioner [avoid soap, which can be drying]. Pressing the razor down against skin can also cause redness. Use a lighter touch, the actual weight of a razor is all that’s needed. And remember to replace the blade of it’s dull and feels like it’s tugging at skin.

Your hair looks greasy a few hours after you wash it. What’s going on?  The scalp is the first place your body begins to perspire. Whether you have an oily scalp or a dry one, the increase in moisture causes your hair to look limp. Keep a travel size dry shampoo in your bag to spritz  on roots midday to absorb sweat and give hair back some volume.

You paid for a manicure but your nail polish turned yellow. Blame the sun! it can cause the paint to become yellowed or changed color. Next time, ask the manicurist to use a UV-blocking top coat [or bring your own] to protect against color - fading rays. That way your nails will look their best longer.

Face peeling from sun.  Use a creamy foundation and blush. Powder formulas absorb your skin’s moisture and highlight flakes.

You used self-tanner and ended up with dark streaks.  The best way to minimize a self-tanning mistake is to exfoliate with a mixture of baking soda and lemon juice, which naturally helps lighten skin. Mix 2 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp baking soda to create a paste. In the shower, rub it on the area for a minute, then rinse.”

Sleep away your wrinkles:
Go to bed with a clean face - when you take off your makeup you're also washing away pore-clogging dirt and oil, so skin has a chance to naturally exfoliate  - cleaning away dead skin and bringing new cells to the surface. Products can penetrate skin better, too. For nights when you’re too tired to make it to the skin, keep a pack of cleansing cloths next to your bed.

Make skin care products work harder  - because your skin temperature rises at night, it’s the ideal time to apply rejuvenating products, which will warm up and seep deeper into the lower layers of your skin. Look for a serum enriched with Vitamins A and E to help jumpstart collagen growth and keep skin looking firm and smooth.

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize - after your face, remember to apply lotion to areas like your neck, lips, hands and feet - they’ll soak up the hydration, too. But if you usually slather on formulas with SPF, do yourself a favor and save those extra ingredients for daytime, swap in creamier products formulated for night.

Aim for at least 6 hours  - when you sleep, there’s a boost of blood flow to skin, which prompts cells to turn over eight times faster than during the day. But getting under 6 hours will increase production of the stress hormone cortisol,  which slows down collagen production and results in more pronounced lines.”

Family Circle June 2013



Tips to try this month
“1. Try a scent containing citrus or exotic fruit notes, such as lychee or guava, which are uplifting and energizing
2. Aqua liner is a fun option for making eyes really pop. Swiping close to the lash line, don’t color in the entire lid and extending slightly upward at the outer corner.
3. One up the basic ponytail with a textured low bun for a causal, pulled together style. Starting with a low point at the nape of the neck. Then tease roots with a comb to boost volume and loosely twist hair around the elastic, securing with bobby pins.
4. Show off your shade with sun-kissed locks. A few highlights are all you need for a boost. While   buttery streaks are great for blondes, brunettes and redheads should try a few shades lighter than their own - think golden and coppery hues.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Campbell Go Moroccan Style Chicken with Chickpeas













I saw these on sale the other day and I thought I would give it a try. I usually visit Hale and Hearty or a cafe for lunch and I rarely have soup at home but I thought since it was new I might as well give it a try. I stuck the packet into the microwave and nuked it for a couple minutes. Be sure to grab the packet where it says “cool touch” [I dropped my first bag] and pour it in the bowl. The soup actually smell really delicious. To my surprise the soup was actually a bit spicy and the flavorful.  The only thing I didn’t like was the chicken. It wasn’t tender and a bit dry. Eating the bits of chicken made me thirsty. But overall, I did like the soup. I took a look at the other 5 flavors and only two others really spark my interest but I might get this again and pick out the chicken.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Juara Avocado Banana Moisture Mask









I read great reviews on this mask and I thought I should give it try. The only one problem with this mask, well it turns out I am allergic to avocado. Although, it didn’t stop me from using the mask. The creamy mask goes on smoothly and washes off fairly easy. It doesn’t have a strong scent which is okay because I mostly like only floral scents [ I am spoiled :) ] The mask is infused with nourishing avocados that hydrates and bananas that soften skin.  Upon application, my face started burning and stingy but after washing it off my face; it was a bit sensitive and felt a bit tight. I followed up with some moisturizer and my face felt amazing smooth and soft. Even couple of days afterwards my face still had a dewy look and felt soft like butter [I am so hungry now]. I love this mask, I am just a bit sad my dumb self had to be allergic to avocados. Perhaps, I can build up a resistance?

Sunday, February 23, 2014

The Body Shop Honeymania Soap







The cute honeycomb shaped soap  with a bee imprinted in the middle is sweetly scented like honey but with a hint of floral. The soap is made with fair trade honey  that came from the nectar of over 1,000 wildflowers, yup you are basically bathing in yummy goodness [very hard not to lick the soap]. The soap provided a generous lather and left skin feel smooth, silky soft and delicately scented.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Sambazon Acai Superfood Juice






I was given the opportunity to try this juice for free from some coupons. I decided to take some to my  office to see what everyone thinks.The consistency and smell reminds me of prune juice which made me very wary to drink it. It was actually surprising pretty tasty. [Be sure to remember to shake well otherwise it might be a bit gritty.] My co workers thought the same thing, most of them thought the juice was yummy but the scent was appalling.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Olay Night of Olay Firming Cream


Photo Credit - Olay

This drugstore staple is worth it’s weight in gold and then some! My skin gets really dry especially at the temples. No matter how much cream I slather on, my skin still get dry patches. The Olay firming cream made my skin feel soft, smooth and hydrated. The non greasy formula goes on smoothly and according to Olay it doesn’t clog your pores. Even if it did clog my pores I wouldn’t even know or care, my skin is so soft and dewy! Needless to say, I wanted to bathe and roll around in this. Although, I probably just burned a horrible image in your mind and you can never undo that. Sorry.




Thursday, February 20, 2014

Caress Body Wash - Wild Blossom





I came across this body wash while cleaning one of many, many stashes [okay, I am a hoarder] of products. As you can probably tell this body wash is actually a bit old as they have a new curvier bottle design. I was a bit hesitant to use it but I hate to throw away a full bottle. I am surprised the body still smelled great and provided an luxurious lather. I am usually very wary of products that give good lather because I always feel that they would leave my skin dry. I am happy to report this was not the case with this body wash. I am kind of sad, that I only found one bottle of this body wash as I don’t see this scent in Walgreens or Rite Aid.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Burt’s Bees Nourishing Lip Balm with Mango Butter





I love mangoes and I am quite fond of Burt’s Bees lip balm so I thought this would be the perfect combination. Although the person who thought “Fruit” and “Cake” would be a great idea is sadly mistaken. The lip balm is infused with nourishing mango butter that promises to smooth and hydrate dry chapped lips. I like the fruit scent of the lip balm and I believe there was a slight mangoey taste. My only misgiving is that my lips didn’t stay hydrated and I was constantly re-applying -- granted it could be my fault that it smelled so sweet and tasted so yummy I kept licking the lip balm off.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Smith’s Rosebud Perfume Co. Rosebud Salve









This multi-tasking salve soothes dry skin, heal irritation and soothes minor burns. It has a delicate scent but it is a bit greasy. Which does make it ideal to relieve dryness at my elbows, knees, and hands. But the best part is there is no limit to what you can use it for and especially for the price, it is quite the steal. I can see why this is a cult favorite and almost everyone has one in their purse.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Sinful Colors Professional Nail Lacquer - Flutter











This is from an old collection but I finally got around to using it. It is from the Girls with Pearls collection that came out, I believe in 2012. Yes, it is 2 years old and it still works! :P

The nail polish is a soft baby pink with silver shimmer.  The polish is a bit sheer, so it took several coats to get a nice coverage. It is a nice neutral color, it is perfect for work or even for girl's night out.

I am sorry the photos don't do the polish enough justice. I should really get around to getting a new camera. :( I just need to stop spending money on makeup! :P

Sunday, February 16, 2014

L’Occitane Shea Butter Rose Petals Lip Balm

Photo Source - L'Occitane


The Rose Petal lip balm is supposedly should smell like roses but it doesn’t smell anything close to it. It wasn’t  particularly bad smelling either; I was just not very fond of it. The rich creamy lip balm goes on smooth and leaves my lips soft.  The non sticky lip balm is formulated 10% shea butter which was naturally sourced. The lip balm promises to “nourish, protect and repair dry and chapped lips” and doesn’t leave lips greasy. Overall,  I did like the lip balm [it did live up to it’s promise] but didn’t really care for the scent and the taste.