Sunday, October 30, 2016

Smoothie Bowl Recipes

Smoothie bowls are like yummy inspirations in the morning. They're super fun to make, pretty to look at and take photos of, and they're full of things that are good for you. If you find consuming a bowl of fruit too hardcore, give all those fruits a new look by turning them to a smoothie bowl, and add a few nutritious ingredients too for more texture and crunch.

Basically, a smoothie bowl is a bowl of a really thick smoothie topped with delicious ingredients (fruit, nuts, seeds, etc). The smoothie in this bowl is very thick, almost like melted or soft ice cream or soft sherbet, with a more scoopable consistency than your regular smoothie. They're perfect not just for breakfast but for snack on a hot day, and with us living in a tropical country and having an abundance of fruits, take advantage of this awesomeness because I have here three smoothie bowl recipes you would surely love. As you get more creative, you can create your own combos and flavors, depending on what you feel like and the fruits that are in season. This is even so much cheaper than eating the ones in health food stores! DIY is the way to go.

For my smoothie base, I start with mostly frozen fruit. I freeze bananas ahead of time (they're usually the main ingredient having that nice, creamy texture and natural sweetness). I prefer the regular lakatan bananas since they're much sweeter and less starchier. I buy frozen berries, especially if they're not in season. I also like doing my smoothie bowls in a chilled, frosty bowl so chill your bowl for around 30 minutes, I usually stick my bowl in the freezer as I do my workout before breakfast and while preparing food. That will get my bowl nice and cold so the smoothie stays cold longer. Also, work with less fluid (usually soy milk, fruit juice, or coconut water), half (or a bit less) than what you would use for regular smoothie.

So let's make these smoothie bowls:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Sweetness

Smoothie:
Frozen bananas
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp cacao powder
1 tbsp coconut sugar
soymilk (you can substitute with any other nut milk like hazelnut, cashew, or almond)
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (optional)

Toppings:
sliced bananas
sliced strawberries
coconut flakes
chia seeds
granola
chopped chocolate (I used 70% dark chocolate)

Blend the ingredients for the smoothie until scoopable consistency. Pour in a chilled bowl and decorate with your toppings.

Tropical Gorgeousness


Smoothie:
Frozen bananas
Frozen mangoes
Passionfruit
Frozen peaches
1 tbsp coconut sugar
soymilk

Toppings:
mangoes
nectarines
strawberry
granola
toasted coconut
chia seeds
a few mint leaves for color contrast and garnish

Blend smoothie ingredients and place in a chilled bowl. Decorate with toppings and serve!

Strawberry Sweet




Smoothie:
Frozen bananas
Frozen mangoes
Frozen strawberries
A packet of stevia or 1 tsp coconut sugar
Soymilk or coconut water (soymilk just makes it creamier)

Toppings:
strawberries
mangoes
chopped dark chocolate
chia seeds

Blend smoothie ingredients and place in a chilled bowl. Decorate with toppings and serve!

I personally prefer starting off with the chocolate smoothie bowl. It's so gorgeous and sweet it's hard to believe it's breakfast when it tastes like dessert, Then you can graduate to the more fruity bowls with a bit more tart and sweet taste, Then eventually, you can work on green smoothie bowls, getting more veggies in the system.

Show me your smoothie bowl by tagging me in your photos @bambikitty. Let me know your favorites!

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Space to Love: Katch Beauty Supplies

When meeting with clients for work, we, as makeup artists, sometimes have the difficulty of finding a place to have our client's makeup done when we're about to be hired for say a trial makeup session or just a personal hair and makeup session. For example, when both of us live too far away from each other or when our own personal space (say the client's place or our own place) may not be available for the makeup session.

Just like photographers who don't have their own studio rent a photostudio, I'm so glad there are makeup artists offering their work spaces for rent as well. I discovered Katch Beauty Supplies, a recently opened beauty supplies store that doubles also as a makeup studio from the owner herself, makeup artist and hairstylist Katchie Mejias.

Katchie's a talented double threat being a makeup artist who's also awesome at doing hair. She has taken her passion for beauty by further by being on the supplier side as well for makeup artists and makeup enthusiasts who want high-quality makeup and tools that are affordable. I usually catch her brand in bazaars (since I always need doubles of certain brushes, and well, I love makeup brushes too) since the only physical store then was all the way in Cainta. I'm so glad she opened a store in Ortigas, which is a place nearer to me and somewhat midway for most people.

Visit us! Now open! "Katch professional hair and makeup artistry" Our first studio/store in ortigas ❤️ Located at: "50th avenue",3rd flr east wing, Robinson's Galleria ,Ortigas center,Quezon City -Professional Hair and makeup services available for walk-in and by appointment -1 on 1 hairstyling/makeup workshop -hair and makeup studio for rent (for artists looking for a trial location in ortigas/ a place to hold one on one workshop) by Appointment -Katch professional beauty supplies offering a variety of: Quality makeup brushes Brush sets Lipsticks Eyeliner Eyebrows Various cosmetics Brush cleaner Disposable makeup lip wand and mascara Makeup bags,organizer Makeup accessories Mink lashes Taiwan lashes Beauty blender Pigments (overdosed cosmetics) Body/face paint Hairstyling combs/brush etc. #makeupstore #studio #teamkatch #hairbykatch #makeupbykatch #katchbeautysupplies #makeupartistph #makeupartist #muaph
A photo posted by Katch Beauty Supplies (@katchbeautysupplies) on

This store also doubles as a makeup studio for her team. It can also be rented out at affordable rates (Php 450 for 2-1/2 hours)  for makeup artists who want a good location to have makeup done for their clients.  Since this studio is located in a mall in Ortigas, it's super convenient to meet halfway and being a mall, there's parking and in case you have companions, they can do their shopping, eat, do errands, etc. while you have your makeup done. Since Katchie is based in Antipolo, she understands the need for a convenient place to meet up with clients who live far from you and can't travel so far for hair and makeup.



These are #nofilter photos taken from my camera phone so you see the lighting is every makeup artist's dream. It mimics daylight so you get to match foundation and check your blending easily. I like that the white isn't too blinding or harsh (there's actually a bit of warmth) as I can get quite photosensitive if light supply is too bright. The lighting actually looks good on photos.


The studio has comfortable makeup stools that are at a good height for both hairstyling and makeup, a perfect compromise in height for the makeup artist and hairstylist to work at the same time. My favorite part also is the ring light, which acts not just for additional light source but also creates a lovely effect when you take your client's photos for documentation.


Rental of the studio also comes with not just the workstation and lights but also use of cotton, cotton buds, rubbing alcohol, and her personal brand of brush cleanser, because we need to get our brushes clean. This one is lavander scented and it smells like a spa.

Check out too the Katch Beauty Supplies merchandise for your brushes, makeup, and hairstyling needs. She also sells makeup palettes, liquid lipsticks, falsies, and contact lenses.

makeup pouches and retouch bags, falsies, mixing palettes, face paints, pigments, etc. 

a wall of gorgeous and high-quality brushes, hairstyling needs, and liquid lipsticks
I like how the brushes are at par with some of the luxury brand brushes we use. The eye brushes go for as low as Php 100-120.


Uhm yea, I couldn't resist these three brushes. Prepping up already for peak season!

I would recommend this studio for makeup artists who need to have a location for their trial makeup, clients, as well as their personal one-on-one makeup workshops with clients. The studio rental rates are very reasonable as well, and you get to work in a space that's super convenient for you, your clients, and their companions. Make sure too to reserve your slot in advance by setting your appointment early and getting there on time.

Store Directory

Katch Beauty Supplies
50th Avenue, 3rd Floor East Wing Robinson's Galleria (branch featured in this post); "Toasted" 1st Level, Sta. Lucia Mall, Cainta; instagram.com/katchbeautysupplies; facebook.com/katchbeautysupplies

Katchie Mejias
katchmakeupartistry.wix.com/makeup; facebook.com/katchmakeupartist; instagram.com/katchmejias/

Monday, October 17, 2016

Know Your (Fake) Blood

I love beauty but of course, I would want to stretch and exercise my creative mojo so sometimes, I like to go crazy. Here comes Halloween, a more proper excuse to get crazy with my craft and my outfits, my face, and my posts.

I've had fond memories of Halloween starting with trick-or-treating starting with crude costumes (basta black and mask OK na) then asking the neighborhood mananhi to make me a witch costume. It was fun, the houses were really cool and scary and I'd go home with so much candy, which I would then sort into jars according to flavor.

When it was my nieces' and nephews' turn for Halloween, it became more awesome because the houses we went trick-or-treating had so much themes, not limited to just scary. Costumes also have evolved and there were more costumes that were readily available in the mall, although some still DIY. It just didn't limit itself to candy but other houses gave out popcorn, cotton candy, fries, mini sandwiches, etc.  Even adults played dress-up, making it an entire family affair.

As a makeup artist, this season gives me the challenge to use not just traditional or airbrush makeup that I use for beauty, fashion, or glam but also special effects makeup and other materials such as tissue paper, cotton, string, etc. Zombie makeup is one of the things I enjoy doing the most. It's a challenge because we have to make it look realistic going from beauty to scary and gory. It's also fun because it's a time where I can let go of symmetry  and just be messy and super random. The bloodier, the better! Now, whenever I watch horror films and look at the zombies and monsters, I go, "Hmm... I wonder how the artist created that?"

Several fake blood I use to create my special effects wounds
What is zombie and gore makeup without blood? It's the key for really awesome, crazy effects. When I did that blog post on fake wounds and all as a practice, all the special effects makeup  were not yet available here in the Philippines and had to be ordered online. Back then, I had to make do with lipsticks, face paint, Elmer's glue, and lash glue. Now, I do most of my special effects makeup shopping in Purebeauty, Kryolan, and Make Up For Ever. I went DIY with my fake blood and substituted liquid latex with lash glue and Elmer's glue (yep, the same Elmer's glue we put on our hand then peel off when they dry when we were kids). I'm so happy that I now have special effects makeup available here!

When I went shopping for special effects makeup, I found out too that there are several types of fake blood, depending on the effect you're going for. Mix and match and you can get a real fun, gory Halloween look. Although I can go DIY on my fake blood using pancake syrup and some red and green food coloring (why green? A few drops of green food coloring can make the color look more realistic and earthy), the problem I have with this is that it can get really sticky, especially if you're wearing your special fx makeup at a party. The food coloring also can stain the skin. I reserve this DIY fake blood for blood that I place in the mouth, since this is edible anyway (it's pancake syrup!).

Store-bought fake blood, on the other hand, is less sticky and tacky and won't attract ants. They easily wash off with water and soap and the color doesn't leave a stain on the skin. You can wear this in a shoot, and just peel off the prosthetic and use makeup remover or wipes and you're good to go to your next appointment.

Should you want to go all gore and zombify the life out of you for Halloween, I'll be showing you four types of fake blood that I have with me and what I use them for.

Blood Paste (shown: Graftobian Blood Paste, Php 380)



Blood Paste comes in a jar and it has a super thick consistency, The color is almost real, and mimics real blood. The look of this is blood that has sitting too long and already gelled or coagulated, but still looks wet. I use this on scabs, deep wounds, or on the corners of wounds or burns, or the wound openings, to look like blood clots.


Blood Gel (shown: Graftobian Blood Gel, Php 480)


Blood Gel is really thick blood that looks almost like thick honey. It's super viscous you can tilt your hand and it won't drip right away. It's got the shine we want in our fake blood (it looks awesome in photos and film).


We can use this if we want the "run" or "drip" effect without the blood getting all over the place.

Stage Blood (Graftobian Stage Blood, Php 380)



This one is really watery. Actually, I use a cotton bud or thin art brush to apply this. I use this to create splatter effects on wounds with a stippling sponge or paper towel, just to make the look more messy. I find this red though a bit too orange for me, but I guess on camera or film, it does look brighter. This one can be placed on capsules as well for gunshot-type shots or when blood comes out of the mouth, from what I read in the directions.

Artificial Thick Blood (Make Up For Ever Artificial Thick Blood Php 800)



When it comes to thinner type of blood, I actually prefer using this because it's less orange and runs less. I can use a really thin brush to apply this on "wounds" or create blood "tears". The color is also more realistic. It's more on the brownish or earthy side and this one really looks nasty on wounds. I like using them on zombies as well since the blood here looks "old" and more oxidized, since no fresh blood runs on zombies as they have been dead for a long while (unless of course, it's a newly-born zombie that you're making).

Combining the fake blood can produce awesome and realistic effects like the infectious boil study I did over here:



Sorry for those who are eating. It actually looks pretty cool with the blood and the greasepaints all coming together. I applied blood paste on the crevices with a small spatula and created texture using a barbecue stick. Then, for a slower pour and drip, I used blood gel and splattered out some stage blood and draged with a thin brush. The messier, the better! The colorings were done using Ben Nye bruise and cuts wheels and foundation and I used my gelatin-glycerin mix to make the boils. The feel is actually soft and almost flesh-like it's freaky.

How crazy are you going this Halloween? What's the story behind your zombie?


Store Directory:

Graftobian
Available at Purebeauty Serendra, Glorietta 4, and TriNoMa; facebook.com/PurebeautyPH; shoppurebeauty.com; graftobian.com

Make Up For Ever
2/F Mega Fashion Hall Building D, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City, (02) 631-5681; G/F Greenbelt 3, Makati City, (02) 621-5248; 1/F TriNoMa Mall, Quezon City, (0915) 990-9571; 2/F Main Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City (0919) 273-4805; makeupforever.com.ph; facebook.com/makeupforeverPH

Monday, October 10, 2016

Nail Polish for the Busy Bee

I oftentimes go DIY with my nail color, and go to the nail salon for special occasions. As for my pedicures, I always rely on a good salon to do their wonders in making my feet look like a person's and not, like a beast or something.

I was invited to try out Gelish over at Nailaholics in Glorietta. Gelish Soak-Off Nail Polish is a safer kind of polish free from harmful chemicals found in other brands. It has fast curing time (only 30-45 seconds via UV lamp) giving my nails major shine and upon removal, causes zero damage. Also, unlike traditional gel polishes, removing Gelish Soak-Off Nail Polish does not require UV lamp.



These nail polish shades are popular among Hollywood Celebrities such as Adele, Lady Gaga, and Khloe Kardashian. They are wedding-friendly and work-friendly without looking too boring. Just in case that you got too attached to your Gelish Soak Off gel polish shade, there are also regular polish equivalents from Morgan Taylor polish.



For my hands, I chose Rule the Runway, which is a pretty, light gray that kind of looks like a taupe color. It's actually the favorite among clients.


I love darker colors on my feet so I chose a dark, berry color named Looking For A Wingman. It's not really bright classic red or a deep maroon but it's got some plum in it.



The difference with gel polish than regular polish is the formulation which lasts longer and looks super shiny . Depending on your activities, your polish can stay vibrant, shiny, chip-free for up to 21 days. Each coat (from base to color to top coat) needs a 30-45 second curing done via a standard UV lamp. As we need trained professionals to apply gel polish, we also need to go to a salon to have it removed as well. 



It's my first time to try to use gel polish on my feet, actually, and I'm excited to see if gel polish could withstand my floorwork and pointe stretches. I like how this color made my feet look cleaner and whiter and for someone like me with abused feet, this can make my feet look more human for a longer period of time. The ladies over at Nailaholics also are very gentle with my pedicure, and they followed my instructions as to not pull on cuticles or dig deep on the nail bed.



My mani looks so clean. This is a gray that's not boring but it's still okay to wear on red carpet events and formal occasions, like a nice accessory to a gray or navy dress or even white, when I do wear white.

A week after, my gel pedicure still looks the same with no chips and still vibrant shine, and this is someone who rolls on her toes, swims, and does a lot of floorwork. The manicure lasted for at least a week, since my nails grow really fast (growth was already obvious) and a lot of heavy housework does cause it to peel. However, even while chipping, the shine was still vibrant.

The best thing I like with gel polish is that as soon as the topcoat is sealed, you can leave right away. No more drying time or holding things like you were Edward Scissorhands. If you would like to try gel manis, shorter nails are much easier to maintain than longer nails. It's also best if you choose a lighter polish, where chips are less obvious. Also, choose a light-colored polish so chips and peels are less obvious when they do happen. Take good care also of your hands by avoiding harsh chemicals or detergents and wearing protective gloves if you do have to handle them. Also, keep your nail beds and cuticles moisturized by applying hand cream to your hands and nails. This would make your hands look so much prettier too!

Try Gelish Soak-Off Gel Polish when you're attending a special event, on your wedding, or even travelling where you wouldn't have to worry so much about chipping and would have super pretty hands and nails for all those food and flatlay posts. I tried Rule the Runway and Looking for a Wingman for this session. Which shade should I try next? Let me know in the comments below which shade I should try or which shade you should try too. Post a photo and tag me.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Healthier Dining Options

Even though I don't follow a specific diet, I'm such a picky eater.  My friends already know this, when it comes to eating out, I veto out so many choices. In fact, during shoots or work, I usually just prefer bringing my own meals so I can control my portions and the food I eat and I won't have to bother others to figure out what food I would be eating.

So what do I eat? Basically, I eat whole, good food - food that's not processed or loaded with so much chemicals the nutritional value of the actual food is practically nonsense. Now that I'm more discerning of what goes into my system, our fridge has to be updated. There's fruit (bananas are a staple), lean meats and good seafood because I love seafood. eggs, real cheese (ABSOLUTELY NO FAKE CHEESE!), brown/black rice, quinoa, oatmeal, nuts, and soy and/or low fat milk among others. The first thing I got out of my grocery list was hotdog and vienna sausage, most especially the red ones which have so many ingredients I could not pronounce and I'm sure the body doesn't need (guys, do a favor to your children and do not feed them hotdog). Did you know hotdog causes cancer? I also do not buy instant mixes and cook my pancakes and waffles from scratch. There's a big difference with using real eggs, real buttermilk, real flour, and not having the weird hard-to-pronounce stuff in your pancake mix box. Unless we are recovering from a big calamity, eat real and not fake food. Also, if you notice, I like food that's fun, flavorful, pretty, and yummy. I make sure I enjoy what I eat.

In times when I go eat out and if there's no food in the house, here are my choices as to where I eat. Yes! We can still eat clean and have healthy food choices even while eating out. Eating out isn't just fast food joints (which is the empire of fake food full of sodium and more chemicals and recycled cooking oil). We can still get our health fix outside the house and dine normal food with friends and family! Just look at these amazing choices

Japanese Food


Fresh Sashimi from Diamond Hotel Buffet
Japanese food is yummy as it is gorgeous. The Japanese treat their food as an art form - it's like everything served to you is worthy of an IG photo. I get Japanese hot tea to warm my belly and miso soup.  In buffets, I prefer sashimi over sushi because the rice just fills you up. I'm not really fond of ramen because I find ramen too salty. I get cold soba noodles instead with pickled ginger on the side. I like tempura as well, It's a great way to introduce veggies to children as well (especially sweet potato). I try not too have a lot of tempura though, because it is still deep-fried in oil.


Vietnamese Food 

Seafood Pho at Pho 2000 in Vietnam
When I went to Vietnam last 2011, I hardly had any photos or even blogged about the trip, probably because I enjoyed the food so much. It's hard to describe Vietnamese food, and the only thing to describe it is awesome. There's so much flavor I could write an entire blog post about it. Also, vegetables! I do not understand the hate for vegetables because they're so fresh, nutritious, and they're good for you. I love fresh spring rolls and pho. The guys over at Pho Hoa always know what I order already. If I want a break from pho, I usually get vermicelli bowls.

Ca Phe Saigon's spring rolls.
Here in Manila, my favorite Vietnamese restaurant is Ca Phe Saigon in Marikina - it's almost like the real thing! I have a regular suki already in Mercato Centrale in Glorietta that sells Vietnamese food such as banh mi, fresh spring rolls, and Vietnamese noodle bowls. They also sell real Vietnamese coffee. Just ask for less condensed milk if you want it less fattening. Back to that trip in Vietnam, on our last night, my companions decided to take a break from pho and ordered pizza. I did not even acknowledge the presence of pizza and ordered chicken pho from the Pho 24 restaurant downstairs.


Thai Food
Simply Thai's Pad Thai in an Egg Net
This cuisine also is all about flavor! I have so many Thai food favorites I like dining in a restaurant like this with friends so I get to taste everything. There's the fresh spring rolls, the pomelo salad, crispy catfish salad, green chicken curry, satay with peanut sauce, pad thai, I opt for vegetarian or seafood pad thai instead of having some pork in it and I don't order rice. Most especially during the summer, I can't miss sticky rice with mango so I share it with friends to get the craving satisfied instead of finishing up one entire order (there's still sugar and rice in it!)


Singaporean

Sambal Shrimp and Sambal Kangkong in Vivo City Food Court in Singapore
For Singaporean food, give me sambal anything, I'll eat it - sambal kangkong, string beans, shrimp, squid, or sting ray. I also like chicken rice (steamed, please!) but I only consume half of the rice  and give the other half to the friend who wants it. I load my chicken with ginger and chili for more flavor. I love ginger! Not only does it give the spice that I want, it's also good for digestion issues and nausea.


Filipino Food

Locavore Sizzling Sinigang
It's hard to find healthy choices for Filipino food because our diet is rich in sodium and we need to consume lots of white rice to offset the flavor. I myself am not too fond of a lot of Filipino dishes because I find them too heavy on the belly. I usually make healthified versions of Filipino food at home, where I can control the amount of sugar and salt in it as well as the amount of oil. I also use leaner cuts of meat and cook in coconut oil instead of regular cooking oil. When I'm out though, I request for brown rice if available and order vegetables and seafood. I like gising-gising to go with chicken adobo. I would choose grilled seafood over crispy pata or dinuguan (which I do not eat in the first place). I like sinigang and kare-kare but in kare-kare, I just eat the vegetables and skip the bagoong. The peanut sauce already has enough flavor anyway. I try to not have much of the kakanin and stick to fresh fruit instead.  I also try to control my portions and not reach for seconds. Having brown rice is not an excuse to eat a mountain of food my body might not be able to handle.

Italian Food

Nonna's Pasta and Pizza in Nuvali serves everything fresh - even their pasta! 
What I like with Italian food is how simple the dishes are, yet they do not scrimp on flavor. Of course, I order pizza and pasta in every Italian restaurant but I always choose oil-based or tomato-based sauces instead of heavy, creamy ones. I try to get toppings such as artichokes, mushrooms, olives, and bell pepper in my pizza, and of course, mozzarella cheese. I like Italian restaurants which have everything fresh and made from scratch - even the pizza dough, tomato sauce, and pasta. That way, you know that there's less fake food in what you're eating. I like Nonna's in Nuvali, Bistro Ravioli, Amici, and Gino's Brick oven Pizza, which serve fresh, flavorful food.


American Food

Grilled Salmon, and a side salad with mashed peas, Food from The Daily Grub
Since I'm not too fond of American food, I usually stop at the soup and salad portion of the menu. I just order clear or vegetable soup and salad, usually choosing something with an oil or vinaigrette based dressing rather than creamy. I get a little portion of steak, but not the entire slab. I opt usually for fresh lemonade (nothing powdered!)  instead of sodas and a few spoonfuls of dessert.


Mediterranean Food

Mediterranean lunch at Sufi Turkish and Mediterranean Cuisine in Arab St. in Singapore
I ate in a little Mediterranean Restaurant in California in my last visit there, and although it was more than 10 years ago, the flavors stuck in my head. As you can see in this post, although I eat real food, real food does not mean sad food. I like food with color and flavor. I like happy food, and Mediterranean food has so much happy, healthy choices that will leave you smiling. I love their salads and feta cheese and of course, their kebabs. My usual choices are chicken or seafood served with grilled veggies with a squeeze of lemon for flavor.  Here in Manila, I go to Cafe Mediterranean, and some of my favorites are their kebab platter (I usually get chicken, tuna, or beef, depending on how much I worked out). I also like getting a sampler platter of hummus, tsatziki, and tabbouleh served with whole wheat pita bread. One recommendation for vegetarians is their lentil burger.

When I started taking away bad things and started eating better, I thought I'd be doomed for life eating at home and would result in just the salad option whenever I would have to go out. Turns out, there are also healthy and filling choices in several restaurants. These healthier options are hardly even sad food. They're happy and quite filling and you felt that you really ate well. In eating out though, we always must remember to control our portions aside from making the right choices to avoid that uncomfortable bloated or heavy feeling. It can be as simple as choosing white meat over red meat or getting more plant-based protein. We can choose to eat sorbets or yogurt instead of ice cream or even choosing pasta primavera instead of carbonara or alfredo. I really don't follow a standard diet but I do try like certain dishes from that diet (like a paleo or raw vegan recipe, for example, even if I'm neither). What I do keep track of is the kind of food I'm eating and how much I'm eating.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Henri Calayag's On-The-Go tips for Gorgeous Hair

I'm one of those girls who leave the house with wet hair most especially in my always on a rush days. On a day that I actually have time to sit down and have it dried and styled, it looks fine since I'm lucky enough to have very obedient hair. However, the towel-dried, combed, and air-dried hair always looks like a frizzy mess whatever I do.



I chatted with TRESemme's newest hair professional Henri Calayag for tips for ladies who are on-the-go and have no time to actually sit down to blow-dry their hair to perfect salon-style smoothness.

For those who have no time to blow-dry their hair, Henri recommends putting a smoothing serum or leave-on treatment on the hair when it's around 70-80 percent dry (not dripping wet). Just leave hair down and wait for it to dry or if you're taking public transportation and don't want to annoy your fellow commuters with hair, you can pull it back with a clamp or tie it in a bun or braid for more texture when you let it loose. A ponytail isn't recommended because it creates a "dent" in the hair that would be hard to comb out.

Pro-blowdrying skills are actually a skill on its own, and it took years for the most seasoned hairstylists to master the perfect blowout with just using a round brush and a dryer. For us ladies who like to DIY, we know how hard it is to blowdry our own hair, most especially the back part. Sometimes, I end up looking like a cocker spaniel when I bring all my hair to the front.

Here's a pro styling tip that I learned as well: before blow-drying, apply TRESemme Keratin Smooth Heat Activated Treatment (PHP450 for 120 mL) or TRESemme Keratin Smooth Heat Activated Treatment Spray (Php495 for 236 mL) on the hair and comb it through to distribute evenly. This would protect your hair from damage, especially if you use heat tools such as irons and curlers, since the hair would be subject to direct heat. Roughly blow-dry your hair with your blowdryer and a brush until it's 100% dry. For hair with volume and just a bit of curl at the ends, we use a very tita staple - set your hair in Velcro rollers while you do your makeup. If you want your  hair straight, proceed to straighten your hair in sections. The same goes with curling or crimping your hair.

The TRESemme Keratin Smooth Range gives you 48-hour frizz control for beautiful, smooth hair you can have at home. They also have styling products and heat-activated treatment to protect your hair from damage when heat-styling.
Styling your hair also takes a toll in your hair so it's best to take good care of it. TRESemme's Keratin Smooth has keratin-infused formula which controls frizz so you hair looks so much better. Unlike the rebonding procedures of the early 2000s, this actually helps repair and care for your hair rather than breaking the natural chemical bonds of  your hair. A friend even told me that it was the TRESemme Keratin Smooth Range that saved her hair from a horrible hair coloring procedure.

Speaking of repairing damage, Do you know that I also use TRESemme shampoo and conditioner to wash my makeup brushes? Our makeup brushes are actually made up of animal hair. Quick-cleaning brush cleansers contain some form of alcohol, which is needed to disinfect the brushes for hygienic purposes. These also evaporate quickly, so we can use the brush right away for applying makeup. The brush strokes we do in makeup application can also damage your brushes. Notice how the older brushes are more brittle than  the newer ones? When I feel my brushes have been working extra hard, I use TRESemme shampoo and conditioner to wash them. Not only do they feel really soft on the skin, they smell really good too.

TRESemme Keratin Smooth is available in all leading department stores, groceries, and drugstores.

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Bambikitty Moving Makeover: Cita

I mentioned in my update a new feature in my blog, which I called Bambikitty Moving Makeovers featuring makeovers that I have done on some of my friends. I chose ladies who are inspiring on their own and as they have given me positive energy and motivation, I hope they do to you too and spread wonderful vibes. I call it moving makeover because I'm  like a mobile salon! :)


I start first with one of the ladies who got me doing this feature in the first place.



Cita is like a living Barbie doll. She's got the perfect hourglass figure, long legs, and long, flowy hair. This Barbie doll, however, is no limp noodle because she's super strong and athletic. She does pole, goes to the gym religiously, runs, and does Crossfit. She also takes wonderful care of her three children. Yes ladies, this sexy, strong lady with amazing muscle tone and rock-hard abs is actually a mom of three.

Doing a handspring in their pole dance recital last year

I decided to give her the favorite celebrity look during events and noontime variety shows: The smokey brown eye and used a nude brown lipstick to match because browns are super back right now and I'm quite obsessed with them myself. This makeover was done after her pole dance class, you guys. Cita sure does have a lot of energy.


Without makeup, Cita has excellent bone structure. Her skin is gorgeous and when I asked about her skincare, it's super low-maintenance. That's what I love so much about these fit girls - despite a super low-maintenance and simple skin care routine, their skin looks amazing, toned with a natural glow.

I used Shu Uemura Face Architect foundation, which feels super light on the face while delivering excellent, dewy skin finish. It's actually one of my personal favorite foundations. Contours were done to achieve warmth and dimension. I didn't really play up on the blush but kept it light with a slight, dewy shimmer since her skin is already naturally rosy. I really wanted to make her eyes pop with her smokey eye.



I didn't use falsies here and used lots of volumizing mascara for to really frame her eyes. A little drop of gloss on the center of her lip to for a highlight.



As for her hair, I smoothed it out before setting it in big curls with a large-barrel curling iron as I did her makeup. When I let her hair down, I curled sections of her hair with a conical curling iron used to make mermaid curls and separated it when it cooled. A bit of teasing on the crown and some hairspray to hold and she was good to go. I just didn't overdo the hairspray as she has very fine hair and a lot of product might weigh her hair down.


This is one way of showing how brown can look sexy and gorgeous and not too tita and ageing. Cita looks like a Barbie doll - ready to work out!

Thank you very much Cita for letting me do your makeup!

Unboxing the September BDJ Box Elite: Bare to Beautiful

Subscription boxes are fun. They are like a surprise that comes to your doorstep, like a boxload of different things to use.

My subscription box gets a hug from baby Sebastian
The BDJ Box Elite for September 2016 goes back to basics with its theme, Bare To Beautiful, which contains your arsenals for beautiful, clean skin and defined eyes. This mix box contains what you need from skincare, to get a beautiful canvas for makeup to adhere to and makeup, to enhance what you naturally got.



The box contains eight items namely:





  • Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths (Php225)
  • L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Magic Blur Cream (Php899 for 50 mL)
  • a 15mL sample of Bioderma Hydrabio Serum (Php808 for 15 mL)
  • The Face Shop CC Cushion Ultra Moist SPF50+ PA (Php895 for 15 g)
  • Inglot Freedom System Eyeshadow (Php425)
  • Pink Sugar Honey I'm Good Brow Gel (Php349)
  • FS Features and Shades Mascarade Mascara (Php 500)



Cleansing Cloths are a staple in my makeup kit as a quick cleanse on the model or client's skin before doing makeup, so this one definitely goes to the pro kit. The L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Magic Blur Cream is skin care + primer as it moisturizes and blurs out imperfections instantly with its Opti-Blur Technology. I'm into the anti-ageing skin care since that's highly recommended for my skin now. If the tub is too heavy or bulky to bring to travel or your gym/office makeup kit, you can bring the sample size Buoderma Hydrabio Serum to give your face the hydration it needs.

As the first three items take good care of the skin, we go next to the other items in the box, which are makeup. The focus on the look is a flawless base and eyes, so The Face Shop's CC Cushion Ultra Moist SPF50+ PA is a light base that's easy to apply. Commuters will like this because it's not too heavy on the face while giving SPF protection. Create softer but well-defined brows with the Pink Sugar Honey I'm Good Brow Gel and just a sweep of eyeshadow and mascara and you're all good. For those who do not have the existing Inglot Freedom Palette, you can use this on your DIY empty customizable makeup palettes. You can use the discount coupon from Inglot (10% cash, 5% card) to purchase a complimentary eyeshadow, blush, or lipstick to go with your look. The Inglot eyeshadow I got is  a really nice purple, shade.  I could use that for some sexy, smokey plummy eye makeup for the holidays and I'm quite curious about the brow gel since I'm on the lookout for brow gels that are more affordable. I color my hair a lot and I usually need brow gels which can match my brows to my hair color.

What do you think about this box? What are your favorites? Let me know in the comments below. Please follow BDJ Box in their Facebook Page and find out how you can shop and subscribe.