Hot Yoga- Bikram

Hot yoga is becoming increasingly popular.  Recently, I have decided to give it a try after much persuasion from my friends.  Since I have very low tolerance for heat, I cringed at the thought of exercising inside a room of 105 degrees Fahrenheit.  Nonetheless, I like to give everything a try before writing it off, so I did.  Aside from a slight headache after my first session of Bikram, I actually enjoyed it.  While you are in class, the air may feel stuffy and moist.  You may even find it a bit more difficult to concentrate due to the intensity of the heat.  It is very important to keep yourself hydrated throughout the class.  I believe that my headache from first session was from a very minor heat stroke due to dehydration.  In order to avoid that, it's good to drink an adequate amount of water throughout your workout (bring 2 regular water bottles at least).

What makes hot yoga so appealing?  After a few classes, I do understand why it's addicting.  The deep stretches help loosen the tight muscles and make you feel much lighter in places where you felt tense before.  By the end of the workout, you also feel a sense of detox from all the sweating, which is quite exhilarating.

Before becoming a member to any hot yoga studio, you should take advantage of their new student trial memberships if they have one.  If not, you should take a couple classes at different locations before deciding.  The floors of hot yoga studios are extremely important since you don't want to stay in a room where it's very stinky and germ-filled.  I would suggest picking a studio which has wooden floors or non-porous and non-absorbent premium mats.  Ventilation is equally important to flooring since you will not want to stay in a room with no proper air flow.

As for teaching style, every instructor is a bit different.  Moreover, everyone's body is different.  It's important to try different classes and different instructors to see which suit your style and needs best.  Bikram is considered the hottest, but the movement is not as difficult as for example, hot power yoga.  You may like yoga classes which is slightly cooler in temperature but harder in movements or vice versa.  It's important to listen to your body!

Magnetic Nail Polish

When I have time, I like to get a mani and pedi.  Aside from having effortlessly beautiful looking nails, the whole experience is quite relaxing.  However, it can get quite pricey if you visit the salon on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.  Moreover, it's also a very time consuming habit.  In order to save myself a few trips to the nail salon, I like to play with nail polishes at home when it's a quick fix like color changing.

Recently, I tried this new magnetic polish from Sally Hansen and it's very easy to use.  You apply 1 thin coat first followed by 1 heavy coat.  Afterwards, you quickly put the magnet over the second coat without actually touching the nails and the wavy pattern will appear in a matter of seconds.  I'm not sure who or how they came up with this, but it's quite a discovery.  Unlike painted nail arts that require a lot of skills, most will be able to use magnetic nail polish with minimal efforts.  Moreover, it's so easy to carry.  There is no need for brushes, stickers and etc, just one bottle and you're done.  I definitely recommend giving this product a try.  There are many other brands that also carry magnetic nail polishes, but Sally Hansen is more cost efficient when compared to most.  One bottle cost less than 9.00 USD in most places, both online and in retail stores.  Who can say no to something that's cheap and works great? I know that I can't!

Beaute d' Orient Perfume

I don't wear perfume everyday, but when I do, I want to smell fantastic and like me.  Because of that, I take the time to smell a whole lot of perfume before purchasing. I'm glad that my favorite ones are usually not the ones plastered all over magazines and billboards since I prefer to smell unique.  This is the most recent addition to my perfume collection.  It's perfume and not eau de toilette so it lasts much longer.  A little spray will last you about the whole working day.  It's not too sweet but does have a hint of floral embedded within a woody and fruity smell.  There is not one scent which over powers the other, but instead, it's a nice blend of a bit of everything.  I like it because it smells fresh, feminine, confident, and crisp.  Smell is very subjective, so it's wise to take the time to try it before purchasing.  Moreover, it's also a good idea to bring a friend if you have a difficult time selecting.  You will be amazed to find how quickly your friends or spouse can tell you if it fits your style.

This perfume is expensive to buy in retail stores but very reasonably priced online.  You can find it on Amazon.com for less than 20.00 USD.  For most fragrances, you can usually find a cheaper deal online, but buy from reliable sources since there are counterfeit perfumes as well.

Shiseido Anessa BB Sunscreen

Summer is here and we all need a little more coverage to protect our face from the beautiful yet harmful sun-rays.  BB cream is popular these days due to its easy usability and nice coverage.  Although some have excellent coverage, it leaves your face with an unnatural hue and the thickness of some feel too heavy for summer.  This particular BB cream with medium coverage is not too thick in density and doesn't add an unnatural tone to your skin.  I especially love how it is a combination BB cream with sunscreen although it did raise a concern in me when I first heard it.  Since BB cream and sunscreen can be somewhat greasy in itself, I was worried about its greasiness if combined.  To my surprise, it's not overly greasy.

These days, I like carrying this item in my purse.  With the blistering sun, I reapply every so often and when I do, I also freshened up my makeup!  The problem with normal sunscreen is that it's hard to reapply after makeup, because you are afraid of smearing.  You won't have to worry with this since you are also reapplying your makeup base at the same time.  I was able to get away with being a bit lazy but equally beautiful as before.

You can find this on eBay for around 30.00 USD

Me Time: Emergency Beauty Treatment

When I first started this blog, I thought that it would be easy to keep it up.  The occasional once or twice a week updates and maybe more if time permits.  These days my life seems overburdened with my new business that I've neglected every other parts of my life, starting from friends and family to little things like picking up clothes from the dry cleaner.

 I'm sure that I'm not the only one who feels like they are constantly running on fumes.  As one blossom with maturity, wisdom, femininity, and other wonderful things with age, responsibilities also feel heavier.  While time seems to go slowly when we were younger, these days 24 hours just don't seem enough.  I applaud those who work, go to school, and have a family. Being the greedy person that I am, I also want the whole lot.  Without a doubt, I also want to manage all that with style, which is harder than it sounds when sleeping is considered a luxury.  Although I try hard to wash my face with care and gently put on all my skin care products everyday, I would be lying if I said that I was able to give my skin the same care everyday.  Considering how little "me" time I have these days, I probably missed a spot here and there when moisturizing.  I probably also didn't clean my face as well as I would've liked and shamefully, I completely neglected my skin once or twice because I was simply, too tired.

If you know what I'm talking about, you would also know how easy it would be to just tell yourself that it's ok to not care so much about appearance, because it's not as important as other things in your life.  Is it really not?  Sometimes, it's not just about attracting other people, but it's about our attitude and how we feel about ourselves.  Although it may sound stereotypic, but a lot of times, we females do end up spending more time taking care of others.  Although it’s a wonderful thing, we also don't want to end up neglecting ourselves.

After draining your energy away with chores and works, one will have to stop and say, " I need some ME time".  A mere 15-30min. of "ME" time feels quite rejuvenating.  Maybe you haven't watched TV in weeks, haven't picked up a book in months or maybe you haven't "really" looked at yourself in the mirror in years!  Well, ladies...no matter what age we are at, we need to FEEL refreshed and not yucky.  During my "me" time, I will give my skin a little treat to make up for lost times.  I love trying out different masks, because I can care for my skin while reading a book or do pretty much anything else relaxing.  If you are a workaholic like me, please refrain yourself from the urge of working during your "me" time and persuade yourself that wearing a mask = relaxing, because it's not.      

Shown in Picture:

These two masks are super great deals.  They work so well and it's not pricey.

They made my face look brighter and it’s softer and firmer to touch. 

I recommend once a week.

These two masks both contain hyaluronic acid, which is super moisturizing.

On the Left:

Japanese brand: (Hisamitsu) Lifecella

Product Name: Lifecella Essence Sheet Mask Hyaluronic Acid 5's

This product comes in two different packagings, so look for either one. 

The mask if made with soft cloth.  (standard for most masks)

Leave on for 15min. 

Price range online: $9 to $23 for a pack of 5

If you don't want to bother with international shipping, I would recommend getting it from Amazon.com.  If you want the cheapest deal, you can get it from Sasa.com, but you will have to purchase a minimum amount to qualify for free shipping.

On the Right:

Korean Brand- The Face Shop

Product Name: Baby Face Hydrogel Mask-Platinum

The mask if made with hydrogel, which delivers active ingredients effectively into skin by reacting directly to skin temperature instead of air.  It also has moisturizing content that is about 15% higher than regular sheets.  It feels like jelly and it's cooler than regular sheets.

Leave on for 20-30min.

This product is more difficult to find in USA and not as widely sold online.

There are a few stores in CA, TX, and NYC.  You can check their website at www.faceshopen.com for location.  As for purchasing online, I did find a couple of websites that carries it, but haven't bought from them so am not sure of their credibility. 

Price range: 6.50-7.99 per piece. 

It's pricier, but definitely worth the try.  

SK-II (New Review)

Sorry for MIA!
I've been very busy these days that I've completed neglected my dear blog. In addition to my busy schedule, my allergy has been acting up and unfortunately for me, my allergy always equal to small bumps/rashes on my face.

However, it's because of my allergy that I realized that I've been unfair in my review for SK-II. When my allergy acts up, I usually have a hard time deciding which products to use, because they usually do more harm than good. I decided to give SK-II a try and it worked really well. It was very moisturizing even when I'm getting my rashes (which later turns into dry patches), but it's delicate enough on the skin that I'm not getting adverse reaction. My experiences with other facial lotions during times like this have been less than positive, since they often make it worse or it's not moisturizing enough. I guess that SK-II really came through this time around for me and it's when I need it most!

SK-II

This product has gotten a lot of praises over the years by my friends and family. Although SK-II is actually a sub-brand of Max Factor, there are few who knows of it or at least, most people that I know doesn't know about it. I find that to be quite a smart marketing strategy, because SK-II successfully became a high-end skincare product using a different brand and image. The main ingredient for SK-II is Pitera and it's interesting how they found this ingredient. It was actually found by studying and researching the cause of extremely soft hands for Japanese women who worked in sake brewery.

Unfortunately, It's hard for me to give SK-II a terrific review due to a couple of reasons. Although I do find it to be a fairly well balanced product, which hydrate my skin quite nicely. It's very difficult for me to tolerate the smell. I find myself applying another layer of lotion immediately on top of this product so I don't have to smell it on my face. For me, it sort of smells like saliva and that really bothers me. Secondly, the cost is definitely high in comparison to a lot of other toner/lotion and although I can tolerate expensive items, I need to find it worthy. For me, this particular product from SK-II was only ok and not great for the price.

For 7.3 oz. bottle, it's retailed for 195.00 USD, but you can find it for 140.00 USD online.

Because You're Worth it- La Prairie Cellular Hand Cream

My hands get so dry during the winter that they feel like sandpapers and that's extremely unattractive. With all the cooking and scrubbing at home to typing and shuffling papers for work, I think that my hands deserve some quality care. I tried Aveeno, Avon, Neutrogena, L'Occitane, Eucerin, Kiehl, just to name a few, but none of them work as well as this product.

My biggest surprise of all was the wonder it did for my hubby's hands. My hands can get dry but they are still relatively soft, which was definitely not the case for my hubby after he spent days working on his lovely cars. His hands get so rough and dry that they simply didn't absorb the other hand lotions or they did, but the lotions were just not moisturizing enough. This lotion was such a miracle worker for his hands. Although it works like a charm, some might be turned off by the hefty price tag. I personally think that our hands work so hard every day that they deserve to be treated well and a tube lasts for quite a while, because it actually works so you are not constantly reapplying.

A pair of dry and scaly hands simply doesn’t match a well maintained face or figure. It's the first thing that people see and feel when they shake your hands and we all know how important first impressions are.

Retail: 95.00 USD, but can be found online for about 83.00 USD

Beautifully Smooth Hair

I'm very fortunate to be blessed with naturally soft hair and when I was younger, I didn't need to apply anything for it to look shiny and smooth. However, my hair along with the rest of me tends to need a bit more attention as I get older. Maintenance is key to keeping your youthful appearance and that applies to every part of you, which includes your hair. Weather and external surroundings also play a vital role in how our hair or skin will look and feel throughout the day. I'm sure some of you noticed how your hair looks extremely flat or frizzy depending on environmental changes. These days I turn to these two products when my hair decides to go haywire on me.

John Frida's Frizz Ease (Original Serum) works well when your hair is very frizzy but I don't recommend this if you are looking for an overall leave on conditioner unless you have natural frizzy curls. If not, it gets to be too thick and oily. However, a few dabs of this work wonders on those frizzy ends.

Biosilk's Silk Therapy is less dense in consistency and works better if you are thinking of applying it to your whole head. However, too much of this can still leave your hair feeling greasy.

Although you can apply these two products before or after blow drying your hair, I find it to work best when I apply a thin layer of Silk before blow drying and use Frizz Ease on those ends which needs a bit more work after blow drying. By combining the two, I get a whole head of super silky hair that I can run my fingers through without over conditioning some part and under conditioning the end.

John Frida's Frizz Ease, Original Serum 1.69oz: Retail for 9.99 USD, but you can find it for 7.00 USD online.
Biosilk's Silk Therapy 2.26oz: Retail for 13.99 USD, but you can find it for around 9.00 USD online. It comes in a lot of different sizes.

Love At First Try Lip Balm

At first, Fresh only carries the "sugar", non-tinted version, which I already absolutely love. After they came out with their "rose" tinted version, I switched over and haven't been able to quit my addiction to this product ever since. Although I am never the kind to retouch my makeup every chance I get, I am often seen reapplying my lip balm periodically throughout the day. The reasons are probably because I am often dehydrated from not drinking enough water even though I drink water diligently and/or humidity in the air is close to non-existent and when that happens, I have a terrible habit of biting on my lips when it starts getting chappy!

For those of you who have the same problem as me, you know that it's not a great habit and your face looks distorted when trying to chew your own lips. I am happy to say that I got rid of that nasty habit after using this product and no other lip balm is as moisturizing or long lasting. With most other lip balms, it lasts me probably less than an hour before I have to reapply, this lasts me closer to half a day before I need to reapply. Some people may not like it at first, because it's thicker and creamier in texture. However, it really works and your lips look less wrinkly and much softer after a few try.

I tried looking for a possible replacement for this item, because it does seem a bit pricey as a lip balm. However, I have yet to find one. The good thing is that since they came out with "rose", I use it as a lip balm and lip color so it's a much better deal and more convenient for on the go purpose.

They now have several shades:
Sugar-Original
Rose-Pink
Passion-Red
Honey-Carmel

Unlike most lip balm with colors, their colors are quite vivid for Passion and Honey. Rose is a bit subtler.

Retail: 22.50 USD

My Cheap & Broad Spectrum Sunscreen!

I use this product by itself and/or under my foundations. When by itself, it serves as a light sunscreen that helps even out slight facial discolorations. When I'm out running errands or grocery shopping, I use this product with a few dabs of Benetint on my cheeks to create a natural, makeup free look as my base.

A lot of sunscreens are too sticky, too heavy or it makes me breakout. This product is extremely light so I don't have a problem wearing it under foundation as well. I don't like how layers of products on my face make me feel and this one doesn't make me feel greased out.

The package may look different from picture shown and there are a few different colors for the actual product. The lavender color helps cover dark circles better under foundation, but by itself, I prefer the transparent and/or beige. Moreover, the lavender one doesn't work as well for tanned skin since it makes your face looks a bit too pale in comparison to your neck.

Retail: 22.50 USD, but you can find online for close to 15.00 USD.

I like a couple other sunscreens as well, but I find this to be the best choice in this price range and my favorite for sunscreen with teint.

Tip: PA measures UVA while SPF measures UVB

Misconception: Higher SPF doesn't mean it's necessarily better; the SPF number is an indicator of how long a person can stay in the sun before experiencing sunburn. (SPF 30= 30 times longer, which means a person who was going to burn in 10 min without SPF 30 sunscreen will experience burn after 300 min when it's applied.)

You want to look 20s or 40s in your 30s?

Have you ever turned on the TV and wondered how come this person looks older than they actually are? When we are in our 20s or younger, we can get away with wearing heavy makeup incorrectly, because it may make us look older, but not old. However, makeup skills and styles will need to evolve as we age. Using the same techniques and products without adapting to current trend may result in looking outdated, unattractive, and older than how you feel and want to look.

Our skin in the 30s has a bit more wrinkles, feels a bit drier and collagen seems to be slipping away slowly. If applying foundations without properly moisturizing your skin, it's likely that your foundation will feel more like a mask floating on your skin instead of blending smoothly onto your face. Moreover, your concealers and foundations are likely to get caught in between your faint lines creating noticeable wrinkles, especially around your eyes. For those with more trouble with eye wrinkles and frown lines even after applying moisturizers, you can consider using one of the following products.

1. Dr. Feel Good from Benefit-

Although the instruction on the package says smooth over makeup, I find it to work better before putting on your makeup. It will make your pores smaller and faint lines disappear. It sort of serves as a filler so once you apply your foundations and concealers, the surface of your skin looks smooth and feels silky. When applied after, it's easy to ruin your makeup from smudging even when careful.

Retail for 29.00 USD, but can find closer to 20.00 USD online.

2. Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch from Clarins-

It's a bit lighter than Dr. Feel Good and it serves as a great primer and base for your makeup. Like Dr. Feel Good, it minimizes your pores if not erases them completely and fill up your lines quite nicely. Simply, smooth it lightly around your problem areas and wait for a few seconds to dry before applying your makeup.

Retail for 32.50 USD

Dr. Feel Good is a bit more greasy than Instant Smooth yet it leaves your skin feeling extremely smooth. There is a possibility of breakouts if your skin is more oily or sensitive. For those with more sensitive skin, I would suggest Instant Smooth although is a bit more expensive. Both products last for a long time since not much is needed per usage.

3-in-1, Beauty on the Go!

Benetint is a very natural looking blush. All it takes is a few dabs on your cheek and a little smudge with your fingers then Perfect! Don't let the blood red color scare you off, because it looks much better on your face than in the tube. It even has a sweet rose scent to it which was a pleasant surprise.

It also serves as a liptint and you can control how red by dabbing a little for a subtle pretty style or more for a sexier look. I would suggest putting on lip balm before applying any color products onto your lips to reduce the appearance of dried skins and lines since colors tend to be unevenly distributed when lips are not nicely hydrated. After dabbing and smudging , use the gloss to make your lips shiny and juicy. Unfortunately, the gloss is a bit thick, so it is a bit hard to apply and the applicator could be better. You won't need to bring an extra gloss when out, but you might want to.

Although it's not really meant to be an eye shadow, I have used it during emergency. Dab a drop on your finger and pat it onto your eyelids for a rosy pink shade.

Retail: 20.00 USD