April Showers, April Flowers [Picture Heavy]

"April showers bring May flowers."

With the kind of weather we've been having, I don't know if that saying will ever be true anymore. What I do know though, is that beauty is still everywhere. We need to appreciate the world around us while we still have it.

We went to downtown DC over the weekend to check out the 100th year celebration of the gifting of the cherry blossom trees to the US. The peak of the celebration was scheduled then and so it was extra crazy but I was excited to be able to bring my sister-in-law (who's from the Philippines) to see what the whole thing was like. 

Here's a few pictures to share if you haven't or will not get to see the cherry blossoms downtown. 

March 2013 Favorites (Beauty, Skin, and More)

Always better late than never, right?

Last month, I posted a video on my February favorites. I haven't gotten the time or space to film a new one and realistically speaking, I think it's better if I do favorites alternating between my blog and my channel. So yeah.....

Here's some of what I loved in the month of March 2013:

1. Garnier Skin Perfector BB Cream (Light/ Medium)*

     - First of all, this Garnier version is nothing close to the original Korean craze. If anything, this is a tinted moisturizer. Looking at the ingredients, it doesn't have any of the skin rejuvenating elements of it's Asian predecessors. Moreover, it has the controversial sunscreen ingredient, Octinoxate. I've heard mixed reviews of this BB cream ever since it came out. Last year, I finally gave in and got myself one in Medium/ Deep. I did not like it at all. It came off too dark, too dewy and just impossible to blend. Fast forward to this year and I decided to try it again, this time in the Light/ Medium shade. I'm loving it now! The verdict is still on about the chemical ingredients but other than that, it's just the coverage I need for most days. It evens out my skin tone and has good lasting power. I also adopted a new way of putting it on. I've found that it works best if I rub the cream between my fingers and then apply it on my face. The warmth of my fingers "activates" the product and makes it easier to blend. It's still a little too dewy for my taste so in comes my next favorite....

2.  L'oreal True Match Super Blendable Powder (Warm - W2 Light Ivory)*

         - I use this powder to set my BB cream or my foundation and concealer (if I ever use them). I got it in a really light shade but I think this works best for me to give my skin a bright, natural look. It leaves my skin in a matte finish and keeps it that way for the rest of the day.

3. E.L.F Eyebrow Lifter and Filler (Medium)

         - This was kind of an impulse purchase when E.L.F was having a really good sale - 50% off everything or something like that (side note: follow me on twitter for sale and coupon alerts). Anyway, I've never heard of this before but I decided to try it. I have been using the ELF eyebrow kit (love this too!) but I wanted to try something else. It's a two ended pencil that just makes doing my eyebrows so much easier. One end is the filler and my more favorite of the two, on the other end, is the highlighter/ lifter. It's so easy to blend and it makes a huge difference. It makes the brow bone more prominent and the brows more made up.

4. Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream

         - LOVE THIS STUFF! I've been on the hunt for a good moisturizer and I haven't been this impressed with a daytime moisturizer since I found my Clinique gel hydratant. It is very lightweight, good to use for everyday and moisturizes deeply enough that I trust it to keep my skin hydrated when I need it the most, like when I go snowboarding. It is kind of pricey but it's so worth it! I am definitely repurchasing this item. And can I just say, Kiehl's has an awesome return policy. Basically, you can return anything and everything if it doesn't work out for you. It doesn't matter if it's almost gone. They want nothing else but customer satisfaction so you can feel safe to try out their products and see what works with you. I have gone through product exchanges seamlessly and I can say that Kiehl's definitely has my business for years to come!

5. Mario Badescu Drying Lotion*

         

        - I found out about this product through my sister. She has acneic skin and has been trying out different ways to get her breakouts under control. This didn't work with her as well as with me so I wouldn't recommend it for everybody. I think this might work well with occasional pimples on normal skin. I use it on the first sign of breakout, leave it overnight and when morning comes, the pimple has completely dried out. It heals in a day or two so I have saved me plenty of days of pimple breakouts and healing processes!

6. Luminessence Scented Jar Candle (Ocean Breeze)

              - I genuinely love scented candles and when I love something, I don't become a snob for labels and such. Sure, I love the Bath and Body Works three wick candles and some other brand names (I get lots of candle gifts!). They definitely hold up to the quality of the name brands they're carrying but they also carry the price tags. If you burn candles as often as I do, then this luxury does not come cheap. I try to find cheaper alternatives and I think have found a good, inexpensive one in these Luminessence candles that I get from the Dollar Tree. That's right, folks, scented candles for a dollar! The scents are not as strong as the fancier ones so what I do is get two of the same scent. Burning two at the same time makes it cover the room better. I even mix and match scents! (Try ocean breeze and fresh linens together for a clean, fresh scent) I use it in my room and for the price, it's a good enough alternative for $20 a piece candles.

So there are my March favorites! Have you tried any of them? What products did you discover and love in the last month? Do share!

Love,

PRODUCT RAVE: Pequi Oil Treatment by Couture Colour

Hey guys!

Today I just wanted to quickly rave and share with you a product that I absolutely love - The Pequi Oil Treatment by Couture Color. 

I received this little guy from my October My Glam Bag (read about what I got here). I only started using it in December. I have loved using it on my hair after I shower, just before my hair completely dries. I do a few drops on my palms and apply it to the ends of my hair and when it dries, it's a lot shinier and softer. I have been enjoying it so much on days when my hair feels extra limp and even included it in my February Favorites collection.

The reason I'm doing a separate post on it though is because I have fallen even more in love with this product when I brought it with me to my trip to Boston a couple of weeks ago. It was so cold and windy and on days like that, my outfit usually consists of scarves, chunky knitted sweaters, tights, and boots. Now, because of the wind and the friction from my scarf/ sweater, my hair gets more static and frizz than usual and at the end of the day, it's just one big tangled, rough mess! The first day we were there, I tried combing my hair to get rid of the tangles but that was a BIG mistake. I ended up pulling a lot of my hair off and afterwards, my hair just felt rough and dull. So the next day, I decided to apply the Pequi oil to my hair and then just worked it in before I brushed and I cannot tell you how much it helped!!

My hair was out of tangles in just a couple minutes and when I was done combing and brushing it, it was so shiny and smooth and soft! I was so glad I tried it out and now I've been using my Pequi oil more frequently now. It just helps manage my hair so well! 

I recommend it for everybody especially if you live in a place where it gets crazy cold and static-y. I know a lot of people are concerned that it'll make your scalp and hair oily but it definitely does not. Just make sure you don't apply the oil to your scalp and you'll be fine. Apply it on the ends of your hair, working your way to the middle part and just comb your fingers through to bring back the moisture and shine. Doing so will keep your hair healthy and will prevent breakage (read: SPLIT ENDS).

If you are interested, I found it the cheapest on Amazon here. They also carry it at Sephora but it costs a little more. I'm not sure if they have it in store. It is a little pricey but it lasts you for a really long time. It is definitely worth it. This .5 Fl. oz bottle lasted me til this month. I only use about 3-5 drops every time and  I am definitely repurchasing this product!