VANITY KIT

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1. Mood:
   Mixed emotions. My darling son is turning 7 tomorrow and this milestone somewhat affects my Monday mood (and a-huh, even my appetite, I don’t feel like eating the past few days). I know moms out there can understand what I am feeling right at this moment.
2. One thing you’d like to accomplish today?
   This little birthday surprise DH and me are cooking up for our awesome DS, which requires us to use s hook! Think: NERF + LEGO + Transformers.
3. Do you like salsa or hot sauce with your eggs?
   Neither. On second thought, maybe, hot sauce would be a good idea.
4. What’s one beauty product you’ve been using a lot lately?
   MAC Lip Prep + Prime.
5. Did you take any lessons when you were a kid?
   I took piano lessons from 3 years old till high-school and got 4 silver medals for my performances ahem ahem!
6. Weekly goals:
   For the first time, I am not going to list any to dos this week except for one thing, STAY POSITIVE!

The Mother’s day wishlist I posted prior to this entry is by far the only items left in my wishlist for this year + new lipstick shades in Coral and Raspberry Mauve. Seriously, I am done shopping for make-up this year and the next couple of years. Will have to replenish my basic staples and I’m all good. So no Packages and parcels to be expected in the mail anymore hee hee, unless of course some good samaritan would surprise me with gifts.

So far, here are my hauls for this year.
(not in photos are some drugstore brands I randomly bought)

You be the judge. Have I been good or not? Try to remember though that I AM DONE shopping for make-up for the rest of the year. I guess I have gotten tired experimenting and will finally be sticking with my basic staples.

Oh boy, just like that and April is over!

It is a very scorching hot day in my side of the woods and I know that Summer is fast approaching yet, I still have not had the chance to blog about My Moisturizer with Sunscreen Hunt, under my Sunscreen Series category. Heck, I was not even able to complete the MARCH: Make-Up Photo Challenge. Aside from my usual, “work-is-so-stressful-and-life-took-over alibi”,  admittedly, I also lost my blogging mojo whenever I have free time to blog. But this does not mean, I have lost my interest on make-up and beauty finds per se, in fact, I have been spending so much time in Sephora day in and out. Yesterday, while DS and I tagged-along with DH’s short business trip (yes on a Sunday!), I had to drag my almost-7-year-old-boy at this huge Sephora store in Fredericksburg. He agreed after buying himself a yoyoplay for yomega. I knew I was going to kill (a lot of) time there so I had DS took over my iPhone while I tinkered for a good couple of hours in the Make-Up Forever, NARS and Laura Mercier counters hee hee. This recent Sephora visit prompted me to make this Mother’s Day wishlist.

Beauty Blender Kit (Sponge + Cleanser)

Make-Up Forever Face & Body Foundation in #20 Ivory.
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder

CHLOE Perfume

Full Day at the Spa

HAIR Make-over

Eyebrow Make-Over

What a lovely Saturday we had. Despite the chilly breeze, we managed to have a productive fall stroll. [...]

As if I am not busy enough to commit myself to another photo challenge this month. So far, I’ve completed the February-Photo-A-Day-Challenge and have joined in the March-Photo-A-Day-Challenge, to which I am very much updated. On top of that, I am also trying to complete my Make-Up March Photo Challenge. There is something about Instagram, Taking Photos + Make-up that I cannot resist (it helps me destress after a long day’s worth of hardwork, it would help if I do my photo-editing seated relaxingly in a sanctuary furniture). This is also a good way to share with my IG friends what beauty products I use as well as some tips I have learned over the years. I will share some of my entries here in 3 parts.

I do not mind you sharing my photos in your blogs or sites but please give credit where you get them by linking to this blog. Thanks a bunch!

DAY 1: PINK
A girl can never have too many Pink Lipsticks. These are all my Pink Lipsticks.

DAY 2: LASHES
My little boy’s long and thick lashes, he got it from his dad.

DAY 3: GLOSSY
My fave lipgloss/balm:
*EOS
*Smashbox O-Gloss
*Lancome Juicy Tubes
*C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint
*VS Beauty Rush in Juiced Berry
*Smashbox Quench Moisture
*Tinted Burt’s Bees (any shade)
*Carmex (not in photo, forgot to include it)

DAY 4: Daytime Look
All I need for my 3-minute Daytime Look.
*Benefit Confessions of a Concealaholic
*MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural in Light Plus
*Benefit Sugarbomb Blush
*Smashbox O-Gloss or any lipstick of the day
*Lancome Mascare + Shiseido Curlash
*MAC Brow Set in Beguile

DAY 5: GLITTER
One of my not so-good make-up investments: Urban Decay Book of Shadows Vol3, NYC limited Ed. Not a fan of too much Glitters in the eyeshadow. I know I was lemming on this in one of my past entries but after a few more usages, there’s just too much fall-off and very chunky.

DAY 6: RED LIPS
Went to Nordstrom and bought a Red Chanel Lippie, not for me though hee hee.

DAY 7: BLUSH
My Blush collection, thus far. Wishing for MAC well-dressed (wish granted last weekend!), Benefit Hervana and NARS Luster and I’m all good.

DAY 8: FAVORITE
Definitely my favorite MAC limited edition collection: MAC Wonderwoman.

DAY 9: EYEBROWS
My Eyebrows Grooming Tools
*MAC Brow Set
*Maybelline Ultra Brow Powder in Light Brown
*Tweezerman Brow Mousse
*Tweezer
*Touch-Up Razors
*Brushes

DAY 10: SKIN
I am fair-skinned with warm and yellow undertones. NC20-25. Light Plus. Ivory. Fair.

DAY 11: PURPLE.
Obviously, my favorite color.

DAY 12: COLLECTION
A glimpse of my collection .

DAY 13: FACE
(sorry, I no longer post FACE photos of myself, my family and friends in my blogs, only for friends in IG, Flickr & Facebook)

Day 14: EVERYDAY
My everyday protection from the sun, Olay Complete moisturizer with SPF 30. Was on a toss with this, Eucerin Everyday Face Lotion with SPF 45 and Kiehls UV fluid, but this got the highest rating at Ewg.org with low health hazard and excellent sunscreen stability. Blends well with make-up, absorbs easily, no white overcast and strong sunscreen scent.

DAY 15: NO MAKE-UP
(again sorry, I no longer post FACE photos of myself, my family and friends in my blogs, only for friends in IG, Flickr & Facebook)

DAY 16: HAUL
My March Haul makes me giddy of course!
*MAC Strobe Cream
*MAC Fix+
*MAC Prolong Wear with SPF10 Liquid Foundation in NC25
*MAC Well-Dressed Blush

DAY 17: CHEAP FIND
NYX Round Lipstick in Thalia=$1.00 & NYX Black Label Tea in the Afternoon=$2.00 (both HGs).

DAY 18: GREEN
Green concealer cancels out redness and red spots.

DAY 19: BLEND
Fave brushes to use when I blend liquid and powder foundation.

DAY 20: ORGANIZED
This is how I organize my make-up brushes. Got this tip from Enkore.

My hunt for the best and most effective Moisturizer with SPF began late last year. I admit that I am not religious when applying sunscreen (hello, triple amount of freckles in less than 4 years!) because I could not find something that does not come with a strong-sunscreen-scent. Not that I am allergic to this kind of scent but more of, I feel uncomfortable smelling like a walking beach babe (as if!) at work or everywhere else…And so the hunt for the perfect Moisturizer (tinted or not) with SPF begins… I give stress to Moisturizer WITH SPF because I do not want to apply additional layer (a separate sunblock) in my skincare routine on a morning rush.

I suggest that before buying a sunscreen or any moisturizer with SPF, even make-up claiming they have SPF, check the product first and see their ratings at EWG.org. You can check the rest of your beauty products through THIS LINK. I have to warn you though that reading through every article in that site and checking each and every product I use makes me all the more paranoid of the toxins I put into my skin and hair. Sometimes, I am really tempted to go organic all the way, hmmm, maybe when I become a millionaire (ORGANIC = EXPENSIVE) . Anyway, if you are just a newbie user of any sun protection product incorporated in your make-up/skincare routine like me, you can also learn from this specific page of the: Melanoma Foundation website. I would not bore you with a lengthy article on the facts and tips of SPF since I am not an expert on this but be sure to check those links before you decide to buy one. (EDITED) In summary though, make sure to buy something that has a wide spectrum, protecting you from both UVB and UVA rays. Also, if you are concerned with higher SPF, I gathered this from WebMD.

According to WebMD, SPF is the ability of your sunscreen to block UVB rays, the one causing you Sunburn while UVA is the one responsible for skin damage. SPF 15 sunscreen blocks 94 percent of UVB rays, SPF 30 blocks 97 percent, SPF 50 blocks 98 percent, and SPF 100 blocks 99 percent.

It takes a lot of patience, time and yes, resources when trying out new products but it will be worth it when you find the perfect one. As of this writing, I already tried more than 6 Moisturizer with SPF and found one that I proclaim to be my HG(holy grail).

Reviews on these 6 products + my HG Moisturizer with SPF coming up in April .
In the meantime, I need to do some Spring cleaning, keep all my Winter stuff in a luggage including the pairs of Sidi Adventure Rain Boots. Bring it on Sunshine!