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: May

Helllllo everyone! Yet another Hump Day we got through, almost there folks, almost there.

So today I bring you another Monthly Fave post, things of beauty and non-beauty I enjoy most the past month. Please continue reading to learn what they are. :)

Even though Summer doesn't officially start until the 21st of June, it's pretty much Summer here in Arizona. This is what I mean by Arizona only has two seasons; we're still in Spring but the temperature is in the triple digits already! As you scroll though my favorites for each category, you will see that they pretty much reflect Summer.

FACE: Avene Thermal Spring Water & DIY Cucumber & Aloe Vera Face Mask

I received a travel size can of this Thermal Spring Water in my May iPsy bag but have since purchased two more full sized cans since. I was skeptical at first but fell in love with it after testing it out. Yes it's "water in a can" and I can just "spray water" onto my face without having to spend $18. But somehow, this "water" feels amazing on my face. It's so refreshing and cooling. I use this to set my makeup, which keeps my face super hydrated throughout the Arizona day, I use this after I exercise which immediately cools me off, I use this before bed which looks in the moisture until morning. I don't know what it is about it but I cannot part ways with it now.

I usually use this mask on days I go swimming but even if I don't swim, I will still use it, as often as I could. I would alternate between this and the Hydrating Face Mask almost everyday if possible. The reason why this became a favorite and the other did not is because this recipe is also good for soothing sunburns... which is pretty much inevitable in Arizona. I'm actually still recovering from my sunburn, and this is what helped me through it. It is super quick and easy, requires only two ingredients and your skin will love it! Definite must try!

EYES: Clear Eyes Cooling Comfort

I am fortunate enough to not need contacts or glasses so I can pretty much use any eye drops, any time, any where I want. Arizona sun is so hot that whenever going outside, my eyes feel like someone pulled my eyes out and boiled them in hot, boiling water. Whenever that happens, I use this Cooling Comfort eye drops on my eyes. I am aware that I'm not supposed to use this often so I try to limit myself to like three times daily, with the exception of using it after taking off my makeup, before bed and after swimming. For those, I use a different eye drop but when my eyes are burning I cool it down with this eye drop. It's been a life saver really. When you live in Arizona, you gotta take drastic measures to protect yourself.

LIPS: Chap Stick Moisturizer with SPF15 in Green Apple

Last month, I raved about Nivea Kiss of Smoothness and declared that it is my new favorite night lip balm until I find a new one. Well...move over Nivea because Chap Stick is back in the picture! Before I used Nivea, I was using Chap Stick Candy Cane Peppermint, a Christmas limited edition, but I eventually ran out so that's why I picked up Nivea. At the beginning of last month, I was on drugstore.com and stumbled upon these beauties. Green freaken Apple scent! I looove the scent of green apple, it is absolutely refreshing. I've been wearing this to sleep, to exercise and just all around the house. It hydrates, moisturizes and it smells amazing...

HAIR: Hair Ties (Ouchless) & Silicone Rubber Bands

Even though a hair tie never leaves my body, it's either on my hair or around my wrist, ever since I can remember, they finally receive recognition this month. I chopped my hair off some months ago...maybe before Spring even, but all I've been doing with this hair of mine are high pony tail, high bun, high pony tail and braid. Point being, it's up and out of my face. When I'm asleep it's in a braid, when I swim it's in a braid, when I'm home it's in a pony tail when I'm out it's in a bun. None of that could be possible without those little guys up there. Amazing things they are. The only two brands I use are Scunci and Conair but I do prefer Scunci a little more.

SKIN: Dove Purely Pampering Body Wash in Almond Cream with Hibiscus

I love Dove Body Wash. It moisturizes my skin all throughout Winter and now it keeps my skin hydrated in the Summer months. The wonderful smell is just a plus really.

SCENTS: Fresh Gardenia (from the garden)

I have a couple of Gardenia shrubs in the backyard and recently started blooming...ugh! My yard smells AMAZING! I love Jasmines, Gardenia and those other flowers with scents similar; some people cannot stand them but not me. Nuh uh! I picked the flowers and put them in a bowl or plate and place them in each room of the house. Gardenia heaven throughout.

MISCELLANEOUS: Axis & Allies Spring 1942 Edition

I kid you not... this game is Addicting with a capital A. I blame my cousin. He just finished his freshmen year of high school in May but halfway through the school year, he joined a Board Game Club (I did not have that club in high school!). What the club does is pretty obvious, they play all sorts of board games; but one particular board game that stood out to him was Axis & Allies. He begged his parents to get it for him. Once he had the game in hand, he came running asking my brother and I to play with him. To be honest, I was just being a good cousin at first, lending a hand. Buuuut, two games later, I was as hooked on it as he was. My brother and I both actually. It really gets my brain pumping hard!

I'll explain a littler further for those who might not understand. Axis & Allies literally means the Axis and Allies power during World War II (WWII). There are five players, three Allies and two Axis. Russia(Soviet Union). U.K and the US make up the Allies while Japan and Germany are team Axis. There's a BIG board which is the map of the world and each country set up your land and naval control and basically battle it out... I'll leave that as it is as this can be a touchy feely topic.

FOOD/DRINKS: Homemade Fruit Salad & Detox Water

To make up for last month's unhealthy food choices, this month's favorite food is not only super healthy, it is super easy to prepare at home. All of last month, all I've been snacking on were fruit salads. Spring/Summer means fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, watermelons are in season, so my Mom, being the ever lovable Mom that she is stocks up the fridge with fresh fruits every week. Too much to snack on them alone, I threw some raspberries and banana into a bowl and poured on some vanilla yogurt to experiment. Oh my gosh, it was love at first bite! My brother nudged his way in to try some and he took my bowl and ran with it. The next day, I tried banana with strawberries and the next day strawberries, banana and blueberries. Ever since then, it's been a combo of fruits of  fruit salad, all day, everyday.

This was also last month's favorite drink and to no surprise, also made the list this month. It's so refreshing and body cleansing this Detox Water is. It's also called "The Flat Tummy Water" but to be honest, I'm not sure what's maintaining my weight loss, the exercising, eating healthy or this water. I'll just go out a limb and say it's a combo of all three. But anywho, this is super easy to prepare, one cucumber, one lemon and a few mint leaves. I have mint leaves and a lemon tree out back and cucumbers are crazy affordable so this is what I drink every other day this last month, as well as April.

Hooray for healthy favorites this month! :P

BOOK/MOVIE: Uppity Women by Vicki Leon & Pride & Prejudice

I actually didn't get to finish this book yet, because of that darn Axis & Allies game up there, but I love what I've read. I will finish it off most definitely. It's basically a book about how women are the best with proof through history. I like reading these type of books from time to time. I can easily stop reading at any give moment without being totally into it like I can with novels.

A rediscovered favorite movie. I almost forgot how much I loved this novel. I almost forgot how much I loved this movie adaptation. Still waiting for my Mr. Darcy to come around...

SONG(s): "Night and Day" - Wheesung & "Good-Night Kiss" - Secret's Hyosung

Wheesung finally came back and the title track is orgasmic to my ears. His voice, the song, they MV, him...

Secret's Hyosung made her solo debut and although I love her Mini-Album, my favorite is still the title track. Ugh, she's so sexy! My Woman Crush Wednesday #WCW is definitely Jun Hyosung.

And that's it guys, surprisingly most of my favorites are not even beauty related this month. Avene Thermal Spring Water is borderline skincare, sooo. This just shows you that when it's Summer here in Arizona, beautifying myself is not my first priority.

So I hope ya'll enjoyed this post and if you haven't read the previous months, please check out April, March and February. Thank you for reading and thanks for reading all! :)