FOTW: Maybelline Baby Lips

I did not own a single lip balm for the longest time and the last time I went make up shopping with my sister (check out the haul here), I decided to get one. I got the Maybelline baby lips lipbalm with SPF 15 and all I can say now is that I CAN”T LIVE WITHOUT IT anymore! It's so moisturizing!!

You know when they say that you’ll never know the importance of something until it’s gone? I feel that way with my lip balm. Few weeks ago I organized my lipsticks so I put all my lip products in one place including everything in my makeup kit so I left my lip balm there also. I left it for 2 days. OMG. I felt so uncomfortable without it! My lips felt dry and mind you, licking your lips with your tongue won’t help you, it will just make your lips drier. I didn’t lick my lips, I am just trying to remind you. Ha! Anyway, my lips felt dry and heavy and uncomfortable. Really. Believe me because that’s how I feel right as I’m typing this because OMG can you believe it? I left it again today. I will buy lots of it the next time I visit the mall so I can keep one in my bag, one in the car, in the office, at home and an extra. Okay, you get it. I feel so uncomfortable right now and that’s when I knew that this is a favorite! Not just for the week but forever for a very long time unless I forget to apply lip balm everyday for a very long time and get used to the feeling without it.
What is your favorite lip balm? I want to try others too!

Xx,

Annie

Favorite of the week: Payphone

Been on repeat the whole week. <3

xx,

Annie

Favorite of the Week: Mac Prep and Prime BB Cream

Had this for almost a year now but never used it because I always thought it was too white for me. This was my problem with BB creams, I think they are too white and they're supposed to be make up bases so I still had to put a powder on top just to make my face matte, especially that I have oily skin so I never really liked it because it was too much for me. Tinted moisturizer + face powder is my usual face routine.

I learned to appreciate this product this summer because of the weather!! With the heat outside you sure wouldn't want to leave the house without SPF. That is a big no-no. NEVER leave the house without SPF, you want to protect your face from the harmful rays of the sun. It is recommended to use SPF 15 everyday all year round and my old tinted moisturizer provides me that but since it's summer time and the sun is scorching hot, I switched to MAC Prep + Prime BB Cream which has SPF 35/PA+++. PA+++ is the ranking of protection against the UVA rays so the more +, the higher the protection. I feel so safe with my BB cream since it gives me protection from the sun. If you will be exposed from the sun most of the time, then you should choose a higher SPF and you may need to reapply.

Since I am in field work most of the time now, I stopped applying make up because I'm almost always sweating (EWW! It's hot outside and it's field work ya know!) and it's not necessary to put makeup as it melts away less than an hour after so I opt for just this and I'm ready for the day. No need to worry for heavy coverage after powder because I don't even apply powder anymore. I don't even have to worry about how I look anyway. Ragged look is the way to go!

xx,

Annie

Favorite of the Week: Tian Seng Ube Hopia

I did not plan for the favorite of the week segment of my blog to be all about food but I just can't stop having new food favorites! The next post will be non food, I promise.

One pack of Tian Seng Ube hopia for 18.75 pesos

This week's spotlight goes to Tian Seng Ube Hopia! Since I moved work place, I now temporarily work in a non-office setting and that makes me hungry all the time because of the heat and constant moving. My sister bought snacks for the Chinese engineers who came here to install our machines and I find myself reaching for Ube Hopia almost everyday. I feel guilty for this because as I always say, I'm the Queen of binge eating so obviously, I can eat a whole pack of ube hopia in one sitting less than 10 minutes.

Finished a pack in lass than 10 minutes! Gluttony!

It's not the best tasting snack but I find myself craving for it every day and today, I promise that it's the last day I'll be eating ube hopia as my snack. I promise to stick to my diet and never deviate again or eat unhealthy food. No unnecessary snacking again!

Favorite of the Week: Chicken (Cauliflower) Arroz Caldo

This has been one of my most favorite healthy food ever! If you love arroz caldo, you will surely love this too or maybe you'll love this even more. Personally, I like this dish so much better than the original arroz caldo. If you are on a diet or a health freak, try making this for a low-fat meal that is healthy and is so good it doesn't feel like you are on a diet.

My picture did not do justice for how yummy this actually is!

Ingredients:

Olive oil

1 1/2 cup cauliflower

100g chicken breasts, cut into cubes

onion

garlic

ginger

salt and pepper to taste

What you need:

Blender 

In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add onion and garlic, saute until the garlic is slightly brown and the onion is translucent. Add chicken breast and ginger. Saute til the chicken is half cooked then add the cauliflower. Add 2 to 3 cups of water. Reduce heat then boil until the chicken and cauliflower is cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the cauliflower and transfer it to the blender with some soup then blend to your desired texture (I like it just right, not too coarse, not too mushy. I like to still be able to chew some bits of the cauliflower). Pour the blended soup into the pan and boil again. Serve hot. Garnish with green onions and chili flakes if desired.

It's perfect for anytime of the day.

I can eat this everyday. I actually did this week for breakfast that's why it made it to my favorite of the week. :) Easy breezy and oh so yummy! It's on of the best comfort food I have eaten.

Let me know if you try it!

xx,

Annie

Favorite of the Week: Jacob's Low Salt Hi Fibre + Blast from the Past

Hey everyone!

Starting today, I'm going to post a Favorite of the Week segment on my blog. It can be anything. When I say anything, believe me.

For this week, I want to share with you my favorite cracker.

Favorite cracker!!!!

Jacobs Low Salt Hi Fibre

If you know me, you'd probably know how frustrated I am when it comes to losing weight. I seem to have a pretty bad relationship with it. I always cheat on it. I have been trying to lose weight probably since 4th year high school. I had issues with my body weight/image since then. I always thought I was a little too chubby for my age. People would tell me that I'm not fat but I know they're just being nice.

4th year self 

4th year grad picture taking

High school

I think I got carried away with posting pictures from the past so here's more.

high school grad ball 2007

2007

2008

2009

2010

Feb, April, July 2011

Five years later, I'm still trying to lose weight and to no success, I'm at my heaviest right now. See the irony? I keep trying to lose weight yet I still manage to gain so much of it and it's because I keep cheating on it. I wish I will just be loyal to him (it) and just be happy with him (it) but I'm inlove with food. Diet, food and I, we're on a love triangle.

Notice the pictures above, I can be fat and not fat in a period of a year. That's how inconsistent my body is.

Anyway, most of the time I'm on a diet, I eat vegetables, proteins and some crackers and that will be my first favorite of the week post, my favorite cracker. It's so good I think I can eat it with anything.

I eat it with my meal, for my snack, with my chocolate drink, etc. I wish I can eat it all the time but I can't. It's so hard to look for it. It's not available everywhere and you have to look around supermarkets to look for it so I try as much as I can to eat only less of it everyday. I eat 5 to 10  (I'm only allowed 5) pieces of this cracker every single day and I'm almost running of it (hoarder alert!) but seriously, I have only 1 and a half can left and I am starting to bug my sisters to look for my crackers again.

Jacob's package from Manila

We can't find Jacob's in the supermarket here in Cebu so we have to ask our sisters to send some over here.

Hoarding

Look closely at the pictures and look at the hearts I put in the Jacob's Low Salt Hi Fibre boxes. Notice the ratio with the Hi Cal crackers? There's a scarcity of Low Salt Hi Fibre crackers which put more fun in it. I feel like I'm in a Easter Egg hunting game and I have to hunt for these crackers.

Hay. I wish I have unlimited supply of this.


xx,

Annie