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! :)

Repairing Sun Exposed Skin

You guuuys....even though it is Saturday and I usually don a face full of makeup (I used today to experiment), that's not the case today... :(

If you guys read yesterday's blog, I was supposed to go swimming but I didn't. Since I was stuck at home waiting on the repairmen anyways, might as well make the best of it and get some house chores done. I spent the majority of the day outside yesterday, in the blazing Arizona sun, 95+ degrees. I generously lather sunblock all over my skin that is exposed to the sun and sprayed myself down every 30-40 minutes. Well... I ended up getting burned still, but if I hadn't gone through all those drastic measures, it would have been worst.

My shoulder, arms and neck are the most burned. I actually didn't even notice I was burned until I was getting ready to shower. I was bright red. BRIGHT. In the shower, my face felt a little tighter than normal and after getting out of the shower, I noticed my forehead was also slightly red. I was a mess.

I made a Cucumber and Aloe Vera Mask for my face and used the left over aloes for my shoulder, arms and neck. It felt sooooooooo good. I could have swore I heard a sizzling sssssssssssssss  my skin made as soon as I applied the aloe. Hahaha. So I reapplied the aloe after it dried and continued to do that for about five times.

Later in the night, as I was watching Music Core, I cut up some cucumbers and applied that on the burned areas. I kept it on until it loses its cool and replaced it with new ones for about three times.

When I woke up today, my burns cooled down a lot and it's not as red anymore. As for my face, it's very oily, but that's pretty normal when I spend all day out in the sun.  I gave it more love by using a Hydrating Mask to further keep my skin hydrated. I think my face is almost back to normal, but I will stay away from wearing any sort of makeup today. Maybe tomorrow too if possible. As for my shoulders and arms, I applied raw potato slices to 'em all day and the burning sensation  is almost gone.

I almost forgot to mention but I kept myself especially hydrated today by drinking lots and lots of water. Alternating with water, I am also drinking my Detox Water. I find that by drinking that, I heal a lot faster than I normally would. On top of that, I am also eating lots of fresh fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries.

And that consists of what I've been doing all day. Fixing myself up and doing more house chores, indoor. It's not fun but I'd rather be indoors today and things gotta get done anyways.

So I hope you all enjoyed your day and will have a terrific weekend. Thank you visiting and thanks for reading all! :)

Sunday Mask: DIY Cucumber & Aloe Vera Mask

Hello everyone! What a glorious Sunday, no? :P

It is time for another mask recipe. Yay! Today's recipe, I have used for as long as I can remember. It is the most frequently used recipe upon all, in the hot Summer, whenever I go swimming basically. I use this to soothe my skin from the sun and chlorine damage. As you all know, I just went swimming yesterday; the first swim is always the most painful afterwards, I think my skin isn't used to the chlorine and sun exposure from the Winter months. It eventually gets used to it, but after every swim, this is my go to mask.

CUCUMBER & ALOE VERA MASK

What you'll need:
-1/2 a Cucumber
-a medium leaf of Aloe Vera
*This recipe yields one mask; if you want to use an entire cucumber, add another leaf of Aloe Vera. Place the unused mask in a container with a lid and store in the fridge for no more than two days.

What to do:
- Cut a cucumber in half. Leave out the half you’ll use and put away the other half.
-Wash and peel.
-Cut off the serrated edges on both sides of the Aloe Vera.-Slit the top layer of the leaf lengthwise. You will see the translucent Aloe Vera gel inside.-Carefully fillet the Aloe Vera gel from the leaf.-Place the Aloe Vera gel in a bowl
-Blend the Cucumber to a puree.
-Add the Aloe Vera to the puree and blend.*You can add a bit of water if the mask comes out too thick.

How to use it:
-Apply the mask onto a clean face.
-Leave for about 15 minutes.
-Rinse in cold water.

Ahhhhhh, my skin is now rehydrated and rejuvenated. A very easy recipe, yet such a life saver. :)

Thank you for joining me and thanks for reading. :)