Happy 43rd Birthday To Me!

 

2nd year celebrating my birthday from home!

I never thought I’d be able to do so but thanks to Mr. AMW for making the effort to make my day special!  I started my day the usual, early morning class for Kyle as I sat next to him and do my own work while listening and learning “Pang-Abay” *laughs*

Tutor moms can relate, you HAVE to listen to be able to teach your kids…especially for me who graduated EONS ago!  

I did usual home stuff by the way and Mondays are the most hectic - Laundry day, folding the laundry, clean the study room (art materials and books!)  aggh, Mr. AMW asked me to delay it to Tuesday when it’s not my birthday, but what’s the point of procrastinating if I have to do it tomorrow?  LOL

After I did everything in the morning, my cakes and birthday greetings and gifts started to pour in, it was so heartwarming I kept on saying “I can’t believe it, I am so grateful!”

I REALLY AM.

I can’t imagine celebrating my birthday like this BONGGA even on my 43rd birthday!

Best of all, I get to celebrate it with the 2 most important boys of my life!

Y.O.U. Rouge Velvet Matte Lip Cream Review

 

How does it feel to use a lipstick that works so well on your skin tone?

I can answer that with the smile on this photo!

Y.O.U. Beuauty Rouge Velvet Matte Lip Cream

Available HERE

Php329.00 (On Sale now for Php269.00)

I got 3 shades to try and The Rouge Velvet Matte Lip Cream consists of a smooth and lightweight formula that leaves lips feeling comfortable and moisturized throughout the day.  I was actually shocked how comfortable this felt considering my current lip condition - very VERY dry.

 Texture is super smooth and pigmentation of the lip cream is highly pigmented.  Check out these swatches, I get this shade in a SINGLE swipe. 

Top to bottom: Naked, Kelly and Latte

Innisfree Black Tea Youth Enhancing Line Review

 

RESET your skin.

That is a strong statement that caught my attention when I saw the Innisfree NEW START kit which includes 3 products from Black Tea Youth Enhancing Line.

Intensive skincare solution that quickly resets the look of skin with Reset Concentrate extracted from Jeju Black Tea, offering immediate relief effect for fatigued skin.  (Anti-aging/Brightening Functional)

“Reset” in my mind is like having a full, stress-free 8-hour sleep with a full blown skincare application the night before.  Is it possible for someone who sleeps late and uses only 3 products?  I tested this set immediately and here are the results!   

Innisfree NEW START with Black Tea Ampoule Set

 

Includes:

• Black Tea Youth Enhancing Ampoule (50ml)
• Black Tea Youth Enhancing Cream (10ml)
• Black Tea Youth Enhancing Skin (50ml)

Weekend Style for Busy Moms

 

Hello AMW Friends.

How are you?  I guess the Alert Level of COVID-19 is going down so I hope you guys are taking this chance to visit your loved ones but make sure to protect yourself to be able to protect your loved ones as well.

I usually use my weekend to visit my parents, I haven’t visited them since the start of 2022 due to the sudden surge of OMICRON cases.  See how excited I was to visit them?

Visiting parentals and dropping by restaurant and buying them some groceries is my chance to dress up comfortably.  I also used a long-sleeved top as a cover-up so I can easily remove it before heading straight home after all my errands.

I also used this cute bag from Beyond The Vines 

The cute Micro Dumpling Bag comes in various colors and it is foldable!  Yes you can fold it so small (like a palm of your hand) for storage.  Also, I love it that it comes with a long strap so I can move around hands free!  

Y.O.U. Beauty Radiance White BB Cream Swatches

The Radiance White BB Cream by Y.O.U Beauty is formulated to be free of parabens, synthetic fragrances, alcohol, and mineral oil. 

To suit a wide range of skin tones, it comes in three variants: 01 Vanilla for fair skin, 02 Almond for medium light to medium deep skin, and 03 mocha for deep to medium skin.

The Radiance White BB Cream by Y.O.U is designed to give skin a flawless look with a lightweight feel, while brightening skin and keeping it safe from the sun’s rays. The flawless natural look is made possible by Soft Marshmallow Powder that covers blemishes and makes the skin’s texture feel smoother. The Triple Bright Activator composed of Snow Mushroom, Niacinamide, and Vitamin C brightens, hydrates, and maintains skin elasticity, while SPF 40 and PA+++ are broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays.

I haven’t tried these for long but I am sharing swatches as early as now for you to have an idea what to choose if you plan to purchase online.

Available at Lazada and Shopee for Php349.00 

Keep smilin'

Stay happy!

Clean Concealing Tips

 

“Your skin looks good!”

“You look blooming!”

Are just some of the kind words I get or compliments when I post a photo of me or video of me on Instagram.  I am extremely grateful fo those kind words but I will always stay true to who I am ever since I started this Blog year 2008.

IT IS MAKEUP!  I don’t use filters (I only use Photo editors for Cropping and brightening) but I use Makeup as my “filter”.  

You probably know that if you watch my random IG stories where I would randomly show up sans makeup so my eyebags and redness show up in Hi-Def cameras!  

And the best way to apply makeup as most books and beauty experts would say: “Less is More!”.

I agree and disagree on that statement.  Less is more on some areas of your face but concealing may need a bit more than usual if you need heavier coverage.  

This, maybe just a first layer of concealing, you can go 2nd or 3rd layer AS NEEDED and NO, it won’t look unnatural as long as you picked th right shade. 

Did you know that Obvious makeup can be seen if you picked a wrong tone or shade of makeup?  Now you know!

So if you are a long time reader and maybe attended a few of my makeup workshops, I’ve mentioned this so many times, you won’t overdo makeup application if you pick the right tone and shade.  That is the secret of most Korean and Japanese makeup artist that is why they look like their skin is perfect but in reality, they also have pores and lines because they are HUMAN!

So I will stop blabbing and share a quick video on how to conceal.  

Keep this in mind:

More is good on areas that needed the most coverage and Less Is More on areas that needed light coverage.  

Confused?

Don’t worry, you’ll see what I’m trying to say in this video!

Concealer Used: Make UP For Ever Matte Velvet Skin Concealer in 2.5

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Keep smilin' 

Stay happy! 

Happy Valentine’s Day Nails (Late Post)

 

Remember my Valentine’s Day Look?

Well, I had to pair it with Valentine’s Day Nails of course!  

I used Gel Polishes for this because I only have 15 minutes to create this nails and it is easier to “draw” with a completely dry base.  That said, you can actually still do this with regular polishes!  

Easy Hainanese with Scallion Oil Chicken Recipe

 

The Scallion Oil is the best thing that happened with the existence of spring onions! I can eat this with all my steamed dishes and noodle dishes! Ang sarap niya! 

That said, I am very happy to share my quicker version of Hainanese Chicken. Quicker kasi usually mas madaming steps pa! 

(P.S. don’t substitute Canola Oil with other oils, Canola Oil does not harden even if stored in fridge!) 

Ingredients:

Chicken

• Fresh chicken (whole or chopped)
• Salt
• Water
• Ginger Slices
• Garlic 
• Sesame Oil
• Leeks
• Peppercorn

Scallion Oil

• Spring Onions
• Canola Oil
• Salt

Here’s the quick video I did to show you how to cook this yummy dish perfect for the family.

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Method:

1. Rub chicken skin with rock salt.
2. Boil Water and add leeks, salt, ginger slices, garlic and peppercorn.  Add sesame oil.
3. Once water starts boiling, put in chicken.  Set the fire in medium setting once the water continues to boil and cover chicken and cook for around 20-30 minutes depending on the size of your chicken.
4. Separately in bowl, add chopped spring onions, add Canola Oil and salt.  Mix everything and cook in hot pan for around 4 minutes and serve with the boiled chicken.  
5. You may top the Scallion oil on cooked chicken and serve with rice.

ENJOY!  Happy Cooking!

Keep smilin'

Stay happy!

 

UNIQLO Launches Its 2022 Spring/Summer LifeWear Collection

February 18, 2022, Manila, Philippines — Japanese global apparel retailer, UNIQLO, shows us the joys of clothing as it presents its Spring/Summer collection for 2022. The collection provides fresh, comfortable, functional, and stylish pieces perfect for the season, whether one is in the city, nature, at home, or the seaside. 

 

THE JOYS OF CLOTHING

For this season, UNIQLO focuses on the simple joys that come to life when people and clothes find each other. In its latest lineup, there’s a blazer or dress that captures modern life in the city, a relaxing and roomy pair of shorts for that trip to the great outdoors, and breezy linens and madras shirts in lively colors that can be worn at the beach. UNIQLO presents four sub-themes this season and what ties all these together is that they bring happiness and comfort to its wearer during these sunny days.

The Joys of Skyline

City-dwellers enjoy the convenience of a cosmopolitan lifestyle: a neighborhood cafe with friendly baristas, a deli selling artisanal cheeses, and restaurants serving farm-to-table food. This urban way of life needs contemporary and modern clothes that can be worn at work or off-duty.

 The Joys of Landscape

Relish life off the grid, the rustling of the wind in the trees and the crunching of leaves under the shoes, with colors and textures that blend in with the scenery of nature.

 The Joys of Imagination 

Art and sophisticated designs stir the senses. Imaginations are supposed to wander and enter brilliant new worlds so UNIQLO found inspiration in vibrant and uplifting colors. 

 The Joys of Sun and Seaside

An afternoon by the beach while soaking in the sun and feeling the breeze calls for natural textures, linen fabric, and clothes that drape effortlessly over the body. These are comfortable to wear and more importantly, easy to shed off when it’s time for a dip.

 

Sparkly Eyes Makeup Look

 

A quick make up look and I added a tip on how to clean up those fallouts.  After years of being a Bridal Makeup Artist, I mastered the art of “cleaning” because in the eyes of Professional Photographers and Videographers, the skin of their subject must be 99.9% perfect.  

You know why I said so?  I have been called so many times by photograhers and videographers to “clean up” the face of their subject - it could be a smudged eyeliner, lipstick or falling eyeshadow!

So here, I am sharing a quick tip on how to prevent dirty-looking eyes.

Yes, you are free to zoom in my photo because I cleaned up well! :D *proud*

I used my newest eyeshadow palette Natasha Denona Palette which I got from Sephora.

Glass Skin Minus the Weight

 

Ah, the most requested tutorial - SKINCARE.

I guess a lot of you (like myself)  are skipping makeup because we don’t go out as much.  And when we do, we have a big face mask covering half of our faces!  Same as you, I have been investing myself more on skincare than anything else!

But before you start looking at my tired face, well, that’s the look of a tired mom without househelp and loves to watch K-drama until wee hours of the night —- so just focus on the skin :P  

Please keep in mind that you don’t have to follow th exact products I used but look into your dresser and maybe check my application tecnique and steps?  

In skincare, the way you apply matters as much as the product itself.   

Products used:

• Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner
• Pether Thomas Roth Hyaluronic Eye Patches
• Nars Afterglow Lip balm
• BIo-Gold Gold Water
• Habitude Hardworking Mineral Water
• Habitude GO-Gether Moisture+ Sunstick

Here’s my application technique on IG Reel.  Happy Watching!

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Keep smilin'

Stay happy!

 

Silkygirl GEN MATTE Cushion Foundation Review

 

Silkygirl is a drugstore brand that I’ve tried so many times because of checking other Beauty Bloggers’ review, especially those I follow from Singapore and Malaysia.  I am happy the brand is widely available locally with a wide range of makeup and even skincare products!

I recently get to try their newest foundation called the Silkygirl GEN MATTE Cushion Foundation.

Gen Matte Foundation
- This lightweight, oil-free foundation blends and melts into the skin without weighing it down, giving you a second-skin effect while providing the right amount of coverage to keep skin flawless.  Upon application, skin stays hydrated for up to 24 hours, so you don’t have to worry about those pesky foundation patches caused by any dry skin.

Shade: 03

Half face test 

As you can see, there is a light amount of coverage based from my half face test.  I applied 2 -3 layers of the foundation and the effect is almost skin-like and very natural to look at.  It is great news for those who prefer to use foundation with a tinted foundation effect.  No matter how much you apply, it yields a natural result.  With that, to thoes who are looking for mediumt o heavy coverage foundation may find this to be lacking in that department.  

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

This look was actually done for Chinese New Year.  I wore Red Lipstick from my favorite DIOR and tied my hair up into a curly bun and wore…well…red!  

I’ve decided to share this in time for Valentine’s Day before it is so close to Chinese New Year I find this to be a perfect LOOK for the Hearts’ Day too! 

This is actually a dress which I wore several times on events that requires Cocktail dresses.  

How to: Braid Style without Braiding

 

What?

Yes, it’s possible with simple twists!  And the effect is just like that of a braided Boho half up half down style. 

With only a few pinching, you also get poufy hair and you can always set it with a nice hair clamp and hair spray.  

I hope you like this!  Comment below if you want to create more complicated styles into a simpler version.  I will try my best to do it for you!  

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Keep smilin'

Stay happy!

 

Dishes with McAsiaMart

 

Hello AMW Friends!  How have you been?  I’ve seen a lot of you are cooking more during the pandemic and I find myself cooking way more than before because I cook not only for my family but also for my in-laws who live a couple of houses away!  

That said, I replenish cooking ingredients on a monthly basis because I finish them up so fast!  Thankfully, E-commerce thrived the past years and I am lucky enough to purchase Asian ingredients online as opposed to going to Ongpin or Aranque for that.  You all know I’ve been shopping A LOT online as I share my good finds on my Instagram Stories just like this one.  And no, you don’t have to cook Chinese dishes only for Chinese New Years, you can do so ANYTIME of the year! 

MCAsiaMart (https://mcasiamart.ph/)

And here are just some of the MANY products they offer!  My “Mommy-Chef-Heart” is so happy!

• King Chef Canola Oil - Canola oil is a vegetable oil derived from a variety of rapeseed that is low in erucic acid. Is a safe and healthy form of fat that will reduce blood LDL cholesterol levels and heart disease risk compared to carbohydrates or saturated fats such as found in beef tallow or butter.
• Jade Bridge Mushroom Soy Sauce - This is a special kind of soy sauce with the extract of mushroom. Natural fermented directly with strong sauce and preserved beans flavor. This gives a delicious aroma to cooked dishes.
• Jade Bridge Light Soy Sauce - Jade bridge Light Soy Sauce is reddish-brown soy sauce naturally brewed with Non-GMO soy bean and wheat flour. Light soy sauce has been the most essential condiments in both Asian and Western cuisines.
• Thai Dancer Oyster Sauce - Oyster sauce is made from oyster extracts, sugar, salt and water thickened with corn starch. It’s sweet, salty and rich in umami; that’s why the main purpose of oyster sauce would be to add salty flavors to various types of dishes. It is also used in salad dressing, noodles, stews and soups.
• Thai Dancer Sweet and Sour Sauce - One of the most well-known of all Chinese sauces, with the perfect balance of sweet and sour flavorsin the traditional Thai style. It is especially good with pork, shrimp and fish .
• Shaoxing Wine - Shaoxing wine is one of the most famous varieties of Huangjiu, or traditional Chinese wines, fermented from rice. It adds an unmistakable flavorand fragrance to dishes and an essential in ingredient in Chinese cooking Every Chinese restaurant uses cooking wine in almost every savory dish. It is used to make stir fry sauces, soup broths, marinades, wontons, etc.
• Thai Dancerr Spring Rolls Chili Sauce - The sweetened version of Spring Rolls Chili Sauce for a more fragrant, almost smoky rich sugary chilef lavor that goes perfectly with spring rolls

Year Of The Tiger Nail Art

 

Hello AMW Friends!  Happy Year of the Water Tiger!!!

Ah, as much as I’d like to draw a cute Tiger on my nails like I used to a decade ago!  I’ve decided to make it simpler and …ahem…more age appropriate!  

How do you like this?

My nails aren’t perfect, I haven’t gotten a chance to really buff and clean my nail cuticles —- COOKERIST here LOL!  So without further excuse, here’s a better look.  

Products used —-

• Base Coat: ZOYA Anchor Base Coat
• Girlstuff Away from It All - Light Yellow base shade
• Girlstuff Fairy Dust - Glitter
• 2-way Art Pen in Orange
• 2-Way Art Pen in Black
• Barry M Basecoat Topcoat Nail Hardener

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Keep smilin' 

Stay happy!