Month Faves: June

Hellllo guys! It is yet another hot day here in Arizona. Thank goodness I am indoors all day.

So it is that time of month again where I share with ya'll my favorites for beauties and non-beauties. Thank you for joining me, please enjoy!

FACE: Blotting Papers - NYX, Palladio, Clean & Clear, ELF

I've mentioned time and time before that I have been excreting more oil than olive oils. All the components of excessive makeup wearing and for long periods of time, the weather, the foods have caused me to become extremely oily. I have been trying not to wear makeup as often, and done masks, facials and scrubs like crazy. Thank goodness it's slowly improving. When I do wear makeup and become oily, I would use oil absorbing blotting paper/sheets to blot away the oil. The four brands that have worked for me throughout the years are NYX Blotting Paper, Palladio Rice Paper, Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets and ELF Shiner Eraser. Of the four, Palladio works best for me, Clean & Clear comes in a close second while NYX is just hanging out in third place. Although ELF Shine Eraser is very cheap, $1 each, you'd need four or five sheets to fully rid the oil.

BEAUTY CONFESSION: This is a big no-no but I do it anyways and have not said anything about it until now. I sometimes skip the blotting sheets and go straight for the Kleenex. I place it on my face and lightly press on it. My makeup will look refreshed and mattify. It doesn't pick up that much makeup for me, just the oil.

EYES: Clear Eyes Cooling Comfort

Surprise, surprise, look who made it in twice in a row! This has been a life saver for me all month. Whether from swimming or the dry heat, this baby goes in and soothes my eyes from the burning sensation. I have this stash all over the place, I have one in my room, my makeup room, my handbag, in the bathroom. I try not to use this too excessively because the directions did say not to use more than so and so. I use it when I'm in bed ready to sleep, to help clear out the days' dirt and calm my eyes for a night's slumber.

LIPS: Maybelline Baby Lips

As a severe lip junkie, I own quite a few lip products, tinted lip balms being some of em. Of the bunch, I have been grabbing my Baby Lips the most. I love how low maintenance they are, yet still provide moisture, hydration and color to the lips. Being all dolled up is fun, all fancy and high maintenance and all, but being quick and not having to use the mirror is also fun. Before I leave for a quick errand run, I'll grab one and throw it in my handbag or pocket.

I love, love, love the formula, feels super light on my lips. Like some lip balm can be so heavy on the lips and it makes me super annoyed. The scent is no joke either, I enjoy them so much. They don't smell like chemicals nor too strong; they're like candies, delicious candies. If I do not eat or drink for the duration of being out, this can last me for hours on end. One of the best makeup purchases I've made, good investment.

I own all of the originals, limited editions, Neons and Dr. Rescues so I have quite a few selections. I am itching to get the Crystals. Should I? Have any of you tried it yet? If so, please let me know how it is.

HAIR: Johnson's Baby Powder

As you may already know, I wash my hair every other day; rarely will I ever wash it everyday. In the Summer time, even with freshly washed hair, half a day in, my hair will become oily as if it has not been washed the day prior. I used to use dry shampoo... every time I see my hair become greasy and just keep spraying. By the end of the long day, I'd use too much product and it just isn't pretty. I knew about baby powder for a while, it was actually the first thing I used but I found dry shampoo to be much easier so I switched. Recently, I gave baby powder a go again and was surprised how great it fended. I have naturally black hair (that's slowly browning as the years go by) and baby powder is white so too much will just look too obvious. I used just a BIT, a teeny tiny bit with a kabuki brush.

SKIN: Coppertone Ultra Guard with SPF70

I keep saying Arizona is hot, it's hot, it's scorching, it's dry heat. But you probably cannot fathom how hot it exactly is. We've been ranging about 108 degrees F, about 42.2 degrees C for those not in the US. Imagine a red hot brick oven, now imagine you standing inside of one. It's about the same. I kid you not. It's so hot here I can see the heat wave from a distance. The skin feels like it's being torched off of you. It is deadly. Ever since Summer started, I have not once stepped foot out the house without first applying a sunscreen. I go to town on it, covering every inch of my body with it. Prevent skin cancer and use protection guys!

SCENTS: Glade PlugIns Scented Oil in Aruba Wave, Hawaiian Breeze & Bali Room

I came across these while I was browsing around Target. Surprising, haha. I love Glade's past limited edition scents so I did not hesitate to pick these up. My house smells like paradise wherever I go. Each room, each area has their own scent so it's quite amazing.

Aruba Wave has a light fresh scent while Hawaiian Breeze is more sweet paradise-y and Bali Bloom is very floral-y. I enjoyed all three scents and will definitely repurchase them if I come across them again. They lasted me for about a month too, so worth the price.

MISCELLANEOUS: Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge

If you keep up with my blog and read my Today's Make Up, you'd probably notice that I have been using beauty blenders instead of my brushes. Besides the fact that the products applied with a sponge seems more flawless, I've noticed that it lasts me longer than when I use brushes. I also excrete less oil too, which I'm not entirely sure why that is.

This specific one is Sonia Kashuk and sells for about $10 at Target. I alternate this and the other cheap sponges that are like 10 for $3 at Walmart. Any sponge will do the job actually. After a few uses, I can just toss the cheap ones away.

If you want that flawless, natural look, I advise you use a sponge, possibly a damp sponge. Remember to dab, don't drag.

FOOD/DRINKS: Blue Bell Ice Cream Red White & Blue Bell & Thai Tea

My choices last month were so healthy, I was so proud... And here we were this month with ice cream and thai tea. I probably went through two or three tubs of this ice cream this last month. I can explain this guys. One word, delicious. It's a new flavor that Blue Bell introduced in May in time for memorial day.  This is basically like a Neapolitan ice cream with vanilla, strawberry but instead of chocolate, they substitute with blueberry. Oh my gosh, I seriously wonder why they don't come out with just blueberry. It is sooo yummy!

I was addicted to thai tea for the longest time, then I quit for a while and now, I am back. The aroma of the tea, the creaminess of the milk, the coolness of the ice, the 100 degree of dry heat, how can one say no to a glass of thai tea?... I drink both, freshly brewed and instant ones if I'm lazy, both are delicious. You guys should give it a try. Add in a few boba and it's golden.

Delicious as this ice cream and tea are, they are equally as unhealthy. I try to balance it out with healthy foods like fruits and vegetables and work out a lot. I used to be very unhappy with the person I see in the mirror, although I am still not completely satisfied with myself, I feel a lot better now. I watch what I consume and make time to exercise. Slowly but surely, I will soon become satisfied with myself.

BOOK/MOVIE: Uppity Women by Vicki Leon & Netflix/Dramafever marathons

How bad is it that it took me two months to read a book?... And I haven't finished it either. It was a busy month... :roll: You can probably count on seeing this book appear again in next months' list. This is not a bad book by any means, I just honestly have been caught up on other things like marathoning Netflix and Dramafever. There's nothing in particular that I watched, just catching up on seasons of shows I missed and documentaries before Netflix gives em the boot again. I caught up on American Dad, Family Guy and My Little Pony, finished off Futurama and Scooby Doo.

Netflix is probably the most well spent $7 per month ever. Between my brother and I, we get our money's worth half a month in. Although I wish there are certain shows and movies Netflix will make available OR better yet, QUIT BOOTING SHOWS OFF. There are certain shows I have yet to get to and when i get around to it, it was long gone.

Thank goodness Dramafever is free because I think I would have to pay another monthly fee. I watch as a regular member so there was ads every 15 minutes or so, I guess you can upgrade to a premium member and watch in higher qualities and ad-free.  I can honestly deal with the ad, it gives me a minute break to use the bathroom, not worth to pay to get rid of.

SONGS:

"A" - GOT7

"Can You Hear Me" & "Fever" - Halo

"Delilah" - Bigflo

"Alarm" - Boyfriend

"Dance With U" - B2ST

"Oppa, You're Mine" - Tahiti

K-Pop is my obsession and there's nothing I can (or willing to) do about it. There's been so much going on lately within the Korean entertainment industry and as an Avid-K-Fanatic, I am kinda stressed out about most of the news. Thank goodness last month was a good month for comebacks and debuts. To name a few from the top of my head, GOT7 made their first comeback, BEAST and Boyfriend finally made their awaited comebacks while Halo and Bigflo made their grand debut. I am soooo not ready for July's batches of comebacks yet, too soon. I haven't even gotten through most of the songs twice yet. G.O.D dropped their album yesterday, it was pure ear-gasm, 100% K.Will, f(x), Tiny-G, History, C-Clown came back, LU:KUS finnnnnnally made their debut and B1A4, Secret and Girl's Day will make their comeback sometime this month. This is ONLY to name a FEW from the top of my head, the list seriously goes on and on. Unfortunately Infinite, VIXX, U-KISS and ZE:A already finished their promotions... :( Still, there's always something great to look forward to in K-Pop, because August 1st, WINNER is "set" to YG standard, to debut. Last but not least, 2PM and JYJ will soon return! AHHHHH!!!!

Anyways, of all the songs that were released last month, these songs were replayed the most. Although "A" received a few "ehhh" from people, I myself really enjoyed it; repetitious or not, it's such a fun summer song. Halo and Bigflo really made a BANG with their debut with their catchy songs and strong vocals... Of course, visuals are always a major plus. Although I did enjoy the title tracks from B2ST and Boyfriend, it was other songs from their album that I slightly loved more, just slightly. Tahiti did it again with yet another fun, catchy song, loved the MV. Haha. Jinwoon looked especially delicious.. :P

Wheew, that concludes another month guys. Did ya read through it all? Anything you find interesting? Please share with me some of your favorites of the past month.

If you enjoyed this, why not give the past months a go also? May, April, March

Thank you for visiting and thanks for reading guys. Come back soon. :)

Monthly Faves: April

Well hello, hello, hello there everybody! It's that time of month again to share with ya'll my monthly favorites, beauty and non-beauties. Have you checked out my March and February favorites?

FACE: IPKN NY Moist & Firm BB Cream

This BB Cream is a a perrrrrrrrfect case of "you should use new products more than once before deciding", "don't judge a product from their looks" and why iPsy is a great investment. I received this product in my February iPsy bag, not the full size of course but a deluxe sample.

To be honest, I initially didn't think much of this BB Cream when I found it in my bag. I actually didn't even like it because it seemed too dark for my skin tone even though it was in Light. My skin was still fairly light back in February so the shade seemed too dark and yellow for me. As the months went on and the temp kept rising, my skin darkened a bit. The shade started matching me a little bit better. Eventually, without even realizing it, I used this on a daily basis. My sample is almost out and what to do??? So I placed an order...for Light and shade lighter, also the lightest shade they offer, in Fair. If anything, I can use the shades on their own, Fair for the Winter months, Light for the Summer months and mix 'em for the transitioning months.

I love this BB Cream so much it was included in my Spring Face Routine post. IPKN NY stands for Independent Professional Knowledgeable New Yorker; it is a Korean brand, pursuing the New York sophisticated style, very Americanized. And when I say Americanized, I do not mean it in a bad way, in any way. It's just that Koreans' and Americans' make up are way, waaaaaay different from each other. While the Koreans' go for the natural dewy skin, radiant skin, popsicle stained lips while Americans love to contour, full coverage foundation, mattifying and full lips. So it is very interesting to see a Korean brand targeting the American market like IPKN NY. Although this is a BB Cream, it's nothing like the BB Creams I've used  from Korean brands like Skin79, Lioele, Missha, Holika Holika or Etude House. For starters, most brands don't have shades selections, they come in one or two shades. Some brands are slowly releasing four or five shades now since their consumers are increasing worldwide. IPKN NY has four shades to choose from, Fair, Light, Light/Medium and Medium. As for the texture, IPKN NY is runny and liquidy yet thick, differing from other BB Creams which has a thicker texture. Depending on the type of BB Cream, it varies from light to medium to full coverage unlike this Moist & Firm BB Cream is a full coverage. It has such a full coverage that it can be worn alone without the aid of a concealer. This BB Cream has not broke me out, but then again, I don't have sensitive skin so that rarely ever happens. When I do wear a new product and it does break me out, I will not use that product ever again. I've used this since February, when the temperature was in the high-4os to low-60s up until now, when the temp is at 100+ degrees. It did not dry my skin out in the cooler months and controls my oily situation fairly well as of now. Like I said, I've worn this with and without concealer, on days if I didn't get a good night's rest, I'd use concealer for my dark circles or if I grew a pimple, I'll use a concealer, but on good days, this BB Cream alone is able to do the job. I have worn it with and without a setting powder, it works just as great either way; however, I like setting with a powder no matter what.

Exactly like the name suggest, whenever I wear this BB Cream, I feel like my skin becomes firmer, as if I was 16 all over again. As for moist, yes, it keeps my face hydrated throughout the duration of the wear and even afterward, my skin still retains the moisture from morning.

EYES: Covergirl Lash Blast Fusion

This mascara was the second mascara I've used since getting back into make up again, but it's the first mascara I've ever fell in love with. Of course, I have since moved on to love many other mascaras, but this mascara still holds a special place in my heart.... I just kinda forget about it every once in a while, but every Summer though, or when the temperature rises, I am reminded of how much I love this mascara. Seriously, this mascara, waterproof, does not smudge, budge or lose effectiveness even in the scorching Arizona weather. I'll be sweating bullets and my lashes are still curled and smudge-free. Just don't go swimming with it though... I made that mistake years ago and it was NOT pretty. :|

LIPS: Nivea Kiss of Smoothness Hydrating Lip Care SPF 15

Even though I purchased this lip balm later in the month, it was quick to become my favorite lip product. This will continue to be my night time lip balm if or until I find a better lip balm. Now, if we're talking about overall favorite lip balm, it'll definitely go to EOS over and over again, every single month, so to have variety, EOS will not be named in any of the Monthly Faves, maybe at the end of the year. But yeah, this Kiss of Smoothness is very moisturizing yet lightweight and keeps my lips hydrated throughout the night. In the morning, when I brush my teeth, it'll automatically wash off, leaving my lips baby-bottom soft. I also apply this while I'm doing my make up and rub it off and put on EOS as a base for my lip colors.

HAIR: Suave Naturals Conditioner in Juicy Green Apple

I started using this back in high school and it's stuck around since then. It is seriously affordable, like less than a dollar at Walmart, but it does the job. No matter what shampoo I use it with, I always get the same results, conditioned, healthy, silky hair. I don't know how many bottles of this I went through already. I can probably build a fort with it.

I usually use this when I use a 2-in-1 shampoo. If I'm using a shampoo that has a corresponding conditioner with it, it's useless to use this also. So what I do is after shampooing and rinsing my clean hair, I would lather this all over my hair then tie it up and move on to bathe my body or shave. Ya know, the norms. After I rinse my body, I'll then rinse my hair as well. I'll let the conditioner run down my body. Just that, both my hair and skin are conditioned.

My Uncle has an outdoor shower so we can rinse after gettin' out of the pool. Immediately after getting out of the pool, I would lather my hair in this conditioner, tie it up and let it sit for about five minutes before rinsing. By doing this, I saved my hair from chlorine and sun damage last Summer. Yay for quick and easy hair care!

SKIN: Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion

Yes, of all the fancy shamnacy lo-ti-on out there, this plain ol' Aveeno lotion made it to my favorite list. Surprising? Maybe, maybe not. Vaseline Cocoa Butter lotion and jelly are still my holy grails, but for the sake of variety, I chose my other favored lo-ti-ion. While I used Vaseline Cocoa Butter for night time, I use Aveeno for the day time, whenever I'm at home. I don't usually wear lotion in the day time, but when I absolutely needed to, my go to is this Aveeno. I can't say it's scentless, there is a scent, I just cannot pin point what. It's not an artificial scent, like perfumes masking for chemicals, I think it just smells like oats and soy, their natural ingredients. I especially like this for the fact that it dries SUPER quick! It literally takes like zero seconds for it to fully absorb into my skin and leaves no grease whatsoever behind.

SCENTS: Bath & Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist in Morocco Orchid & Pink Amber, Tokyo Lotus & Apple Blossom & London Tulips & Raspberry Tea

I guess Spring and orchid goes hand in hand. Here is another scent that includes these gorgeous flowers with light, floral scent mixed with Pink Amber; this is my least favorite out of the three, but I still like it very much. It's just a bit too strong to what I'm used to. Tokyo Lotus & Apple Blossom on the other hand, is my absolutely favorite this month. I love anything apple scented and anything "blossom" smells great. It's very light with a hint of sweetness to it. London Tulips & Raspberry Tea is the in-between one. I like it, I just can't really pin point exactly why I'm not too crazy about it as the Apple Blossom. I think it's a little TOO sweet for my taste. Does that make sense? That I can smell sweetness? But yeah, that's probably what it is.

MISCELLANEOUS: Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Aloha Orchid & Honolulu Sun

Last month, I talked about the possibilities of repurchasing Caribbean Escape... It was tempting but I didn't repurchase it and bought a couple of new scents. Of the bunch, my favorites for this month are Aloha Orchid (again with the orchid) and Honolulu Sun. I usually dislike anything coconut scent, yeah I know, I'm weird, but I like this soap. There's a very faint coconut smell to it that I enjoy. I'm not entirely sure what the stand out scent for this one is, but I assume it's orchids. This soap has a sweet floral scent that isn't headache inducing strong.

FOOD/DRINKS: Blue Bell Ice Cream  Mint Chocolate Chip & Butter Crunch & "Detox Water"

My favorite food this month is so unhealthy...but it's so yummy. I can't help it! Two ice cream favorites this month, both from Blue Bell. The first is no surprise because Mint Chocolate Chip is my all time favorite flavor, Blue Bell just makes it THAT much better. The second flavor kinda surprised me a bit because I don't really enjoy peanut butter as a flavor. Butter Crunch is "vanilla flavored ice cream with chunks of crunchy chocolate peanut butter candy", it tastes even yummier than it sounds. It tastes almost identical to my favorite Dairy Queen Butterfinger Blizzards. I'm still drooling just thinking about it. Buuut it'll be another while until I get to taste those deliciousness in my mouth again. Since Blue Bell has many, many flavors, I'm trying to go through all of it, I might find a new favorite. It takes me a while to finish a tub though because I only indulge in this deliciousness once a week on Wednesdays when I'm enjoying my Criminal Minds.

Speaking of Criminal Minds, the second of the two part season finale airs tonight on CBS at 8 Arizona time. Ahhhhhh, the previews from last week has me super worried. :( Reid. Morgan. Nooooooooo.... :'(

My favorite food is unhealthy but my favorite drink sure is. The internet calls it a Detox Drink or Flat Tummy Water because it detoxes the body. The drink is a concoction of lemon (or lime), cucumber and mint leaves, ginger and orange are optional, brewed in water. Just throw all the sliced ingredients into a bottle, add water and let it sit overnight. It's so easy yet it's so yummy and effective. I'm not entirely sure if it really helps with flat tummies, because I've been exercising diligently and eating healthier, but I know for a fact it does effectively detoxes my body.

BOOK/MOVIE: Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino & The Swan Princess series

Another novel I started years ago and never finished, Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino; I believe it was translated, whether by the author herself or a translator. This novel is set in Japan and the narrator is an unknown, unnamed woman, she is the sister and old school friend of the two murdered prostitutes. If you're into the foreign, thriller, mystery genres, you might like this novel. This isn't the best novel I've ever read, surely isn't my favorite but it is a great relaxing read that kept me occupied.

I first watched The Swan Princess maybe when it first came out in '94 and I have yet to see it again until recently. I was not aware that it also came out with a second, third and fourth movie and a fifth impending. I totally forgot how much I loved this when I was a little girl. And honestly, you're never too old for cartoons, no one is. I really enjoyed watching this again and I was able to watch all of the parts thanks to Netflix. The first one is still the best out of the four in my opinion, the second one wasn't too bad either. Starting from the third, it kinda declined, but still.

SONG(S): "Ooh Ooh" - Eric Nam Ft. Infinite's Hoya & "Mr. Chu" - A Pink

I love me some Eric Nam, but don't let his baby face fool you; he is currently 25, turning 26 this year. :O I'm not complaining though, with all the idols popping up left and right, they just keep getting younger and younger...:'( So I appreciate Oppas like him.

His new song "Ooh Ooh" has been on repeat for the majority of the month. It's so dang catchy, he looks so happy and his dance is so freaken cute! What more can a fangirl ask for? Oh wait, he collaborated with Infinite's Hoya....yes, it just got THAT much better.

Aside from Eric Nam, I also enjoyed A Pink's new title track, "Mr. Chu". These girls never never fails at what they do. "Mr. Chu" is as catchy as "No No No" was. Their MV, live performances, dance, outfits and make up just screams Spring! They're just so beautiful, cute and sexy without even having to try. Pink Pandas hwaiting!

I am guilty again this month for favoriting two newly released songs. Gahhh, it is so hard to go through  3000+ songs when albums, mini albums and singles are released on the daily adding to the load. Just my luck that EXO released their mini album recently. Wheesung and G.NA finally made their comebacks, Hyosung made her solo debut, Infinite, GOT7 and Phantom are making their comeback and VIXX is rumored to make a comeback soon. 2PM and Beast will come back soon as well. New rookie group BTL is about to debut.... Woe is me. OTL

Alrighty, that concludes April Faves, I do apologize that it's a bit overdue; it was suppose to be up last week but things happened and everything got pushed down, but please look forward to May Faves in a couple of weeks, I'll try to be on time for that. Thank you for visiting and thanks a bunches for reading! :)