Monthly Faves: March

Why hello there, how you doing? :P Its been yet another month since the last monthly faves. So, a lot happened between this month and last, Spring officially arrived, daylight time saving happened, we're now in April so be ready for them "April Showers" to bring them "May Flowers".

Arizona decided to give us a 15-minute shower on and off yesterday so the temperature dropped to the low-60s today. It's not that bad actually, because the sun is shinning brightly but still...I'd rather the 80s where it's warm. Sigh... that's bi-polar Arizona for ya.

Sooooooo... Welcome to my March Faves, beauties, non-beauties and other ish.

Face: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Brightening Eye Perfector & e.l.f. Mineral Blemish Powder

I was sick for about two weeks last month, the most dreadful two weeks... I had to drag myself to the doctors and urgent care a couple of times. I could not show my sickly bare-bare face to the world, it would have cause quite a scare. This eye brightening concealer and blemish powder has been my bestest of friends. I would dot the concealer around my orbital bone, cheek bone, forehead, blend it out with a brush and brush what's left on the brush on dark spots and areas with redness. I will then take the blemish powder to set the concealer under my eyes and apply it to other blemishes I wish to conceal. I was able to cover my dark circles, redness around my nose and overall sickly-pale skin without looking too heavy or caked on.

Eyes: Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil(s)

I broke out all of my Essence eyeliners last month. This liner is so pigmented, it glides on with ease and it lasts for a good few hours. If I planned on having an eye look that lasts all day, I will not reach for these. But the fact that I just needed something quick, pigmented and easy to wipe off, I chose to use these eyeliners. They have Long Lasting in their name does not mean it is long lasting, it will smudge and you will be greatly disappointed. I'm not sure if they still carry these same exact colors anymore, Essence usually switches their products out within a few months, and replaces them with new products or shades even. You can find Essence at Ulta, usually at the end of the aisles. They have some nice products for a cheap, affordable price.

Lips: Covergirl Jumbo Gloss Balm in Watermelon Twist (215) & Haute Pink Twist (220)

The last thing I want to worry about while being sick is maintaining my lips, yet I would not be caught dead with dried, unkept lips either. With that said, I needed a lip product that can give me moisture, some color, low maintenance and does not need to last long. Seriously, I was out of the house for 3 hours at most, I didn't need a lip product that lasted for 8 or 12 hours. I love how these Jumbo Gloss Balm feels on my lips, it feels as if I'm not wearing anything; no stickiness, no tackiness and the shine is very subtle. With these two particular shades, they're a very pretty pink color, like your lip color but better and the shine is so subtle it's like you're wearing only a tinted lip balm. I really like to travel with lip products that are in jumbo pencils form, they're so easy to apply, no mirror necessary.

Hair: Salon Grafix Invisible Dry Shampoo

Being sick really sucks every living being right out of ya. Even my hair was suffering for some odd reason. I didn't treat them any different, washed them every other day, or two days, maybe even treat them better since I was in bed all day. They were in braids for most of the day, no heats or tools for two weeks, yet my hair became super dry and brittle at the ends yet extremely oily at the roots and lifeless. For those odd occasions that I had to set foot out of the house, I would spray the shampoo all over my scalp and massage it in before throwing it in a high bun. I've never used a better dry shampoo than this, baby powder would come real close but that's another story.

Skin: Vaseline Cocoa Butter Lotion & Petroleum Jelly (2nd month in a row)

Sucks every being for ya also applies for my skin. It is as if I did not drink enough water, which isn't the case at all. But anyway, my skin and lips were beyond dried; thank goodness for these cocoa butter Vaseline products, my saviors once again, two months in a row.

Scents: Bath & Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist  in Beautiful Day, Pear Blossom Air & Maui Hibiscus Beach

I am not one to wear perfume everyday, I like wearing body sprays or body mist a lot better. Perfumes to me are only reserved for extra special occasions. I own a lot, way too many for my own good, of the Bath & Body Works Fragrance Mist. My top three favorite from last month had very light floral scents, everything that reminds you of Spring. Speaking of which, I think I need to visit a Bath & Body Works soon, they're having another one of those buy 3, get 3 free deal.

Miscellaneous: Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Caribbean Escape & Eucalyptus Mint

My bathroom never feels complete without a Bath & Body Works hand soap sitting on the sink. Last month were these two lovelies. I love anything eucalyptus and mint so this hand soap has been on my sink for ages, I buy new ones to replace the old one. Besides being a loyal fan, I also love to venture out and try new scents. While one bottle sits on one sink, another sits on the other. If pineapple, melon and coconut does not scream Spring Break, I don't know what does. Really loving this scent, a candidate for being repurchased.

Food/Drinks: Teddy Grahams Mixed Berry & Yama Moto Yama Sen-Cha (Green Tea)

Yep, more Teddy Grahams, in Mixed Berry this time. Can't give up my precious sweet chips. These Mixed Berries are like an explosion of berries in your mouth with every bite. Ugh...I want some now. This green tea is seriously the bomb diggity! It's a product of Japan so it tastes a lot different than other green teas I've tasted. I don't think I'll ever leave this green tea, I'm hooked. While I was bed-ridden, I always had a box of the Mixed Berry Teddy Grahams and a mug of hot green tea on my night stand. These two things made being sick tolerable.

Book/Movie: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (novel) & Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (film adaptation)

I read this novel years ago, but don't think I finished it. So I decided to reread the novel and finished it at last. I also got around to watch the movie adaptation. It's not really the best novel to film adaptation ever, but the main message was conveyed. I almost forgot how much I loved novels from Lisa See, so it was a good thing I rediscovered this novel in the midst of sickness-boredom and finished it. I actually miss reading a lot too, I used to read very diligently, like a novel or two every month diligent. I think I'll pick up the habit and start reading again. It is so relaxing. I recommend this novel to anyone who likes a nice plot twist or  reading about women oppression.

Song: "Light Me Up" - VIXX

With new idol groups debuting every other day in the K-Pop world, it is very easily to get side tracked. I am guilty of this. New album release, new single, new mini album, new this and that every day, I sometimes don't get to listen to old songs. Thanks to being sick, I was able to go through my playlist; that's when I rediscovered how much I miss my VIXX boys. It's not like I ever forgot them, I don't forget any groups, but they've been left int he back burner, kinda. Light Me Up jumped to my most listened to the last month. It's a very upbeat song, nice vocals displayed by Leo and Ken and loving the rap sequence from Ravi. ST☆RLIGHTS hwaiting!

And on that bombshell, we end this month's faves. I hope you like these kinda posts. I really enjoyed sharing them with ya'll. Please enjoy the rest of your Thursday night; for some of you, this is already the beginning of the weekend. Congrats! For others, you can do it, only one more day! Yay!

Thank you for visiting and thanks for readings. :)

Current Hair Care Products

I have an abundant of  thick, course hair on my head; the ones that will not hold a curl and too heavy to style. That being said, I hardly ever curl my hair. I don't need to use a flat iron either because my hair is as straight as it comes. I don't blow dry my hair because I let it air dry. My hair is rarely ever down because it's either in a pony tail or a high bun. My hair is pretty healthy, yep.

I've said it before, and I will say it again...this dang Arizona weather! Dry and hot in the summer, dry and cold in the winter. There is no in between-ness here. The heat here is no joke. My hair is naturally black, but from living here all of my life, my hair is slowly turning reddish brown. Swimming in the summer is a must in Arizona so all that chlorine does not that help either. Now that it is winter, my hair has time to revive. But winter is short here in Arizona, soon enough, the heat will come creeping back. My hair will not have the time to revitalize itself in time to combat the summer heat that is to come soon, really soon.

Which brings us to today's post. What I use on my hair, from shampoo to treatment and dry shampoo. I have used  all four of these products for at least two years. There's a reason why I have continued to use them and haven't moved on.

First up, Head & Shoulder 2 in 1 Green Apple. The Green Apple is just a plus really, it smells AMAZING! Besides that, this shampoo has got to be one of the best ones I have ever used. I buy mine at Costco, so it's those really big bulky bottles, but everyone in my house uses this same shampoo. It's great on all sorts of hair type. It leaves my scalp feeling refreshed and my hair silky. They do have the shampoo only and conditioner only bottles if that's how you like it. For me, I prefer the 2 in 1, so much easier and less time consuming.

Head & Shoulder 2 in 1 Green Apple
$6.97 at Walmart

Honorable mention: Clear Hair Care

I wash my hair every other day, sometimes if it's possible, I can go two days without washing it. When I wash my hair every other or two days, my hair produces enough oil to, I guess, condition itself. I wash my hair first and let it sit while I do everything else then rinse at the end. I can definitely tell the difference between a every other day washed hair and days when I have to wash it everyday. My brush would glide through my hair, tangle-free while it takes more effort to brush through if I wash my hair everyday. Now that is why you shouldn't wash your hair everyday, it strips away your natural oil making your hair brittle and easier to break. When I have to wash my hair everyday, I like to use a little helper to help the strain of the brush on my hair.  And that helper is Suave Kids Detangling Spray. Yes, kids' products. I like using things made for kids and babies; if it's gentle enough for babies, I'm pretty sure it's gentle enough for us. How I use this, after allowing my hair to air dry, I will spritz this all over before brushing my hair. I feel like this is not only a detangling spray, but also a leave in conditioner. It definitely does leave my hair silk like.

Suave Kids Detangling Spray
$5.64 at Walmart

My hair is pretty healthy on its own, but it can always use a boost to further maintain the healthiness. That boost is Biosilk Silk Therapy. "Repairs split ends. Strengthens your hair with silk proteins. Moisturizes with vitamin B. Adds shine and softness with botanical extracts and vitamin E. Provides UV protection from sun damage. Heat protection from styling tools. Ideal for all hair types." Need I say more? UV protection is actually the main reason why I continue to use this  year after year. After I stumbled upon Biosilk years ago, my hair became much healthier than previous years. Like it claims, it does a pretty good job protecting my hair from this 100 degrees plus, Arizona temperature.

I use this probably every two weeks or every month during the Winter but in the Summer, it is an every week treatment. I also use this after I wash my hair after a swim in the Summer. When I do curl or use heat to style my hair, I will apply this afterward. Let me tell you, this will give your curls extra shine and bounce, which is always a plus right?

Biosilk Silk Therapy
$29.99 at Target

Last but not least, my favorite dry shampoo.  When I wash my hair every other day and I need to go out but my hair is more oily than it should or I need some volume, I will go straight for SG Dry Shampoo. I have used many dry shampoos and this has been repurchased time after time. Like the name suggests, it does spray on invisible; absolutely no white residue left behind. It is not overtly sticky, which makes it oh-so much easier to brush through.

Salon Grafix Dry Shampoo
$5.94 at Walmart

Honorable mention: Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo

And there you are, what I have been using, that works. I am not the type to venture out and be adventurous when it comes to hair products, especially shampoo. I hope this helped those who are looking to find new products that works. As always, have a great rest of your night. Three more days until the weekend! Thanks for reading guys!! :)

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And for my fellow K-Poppers, SONG OF THE MOMENT.