Most of us are shy to be photographed without a stitch of makeup on and if we do post a #nomakeup selfie, let's be honest. We do secretly click on a lot of filters to hide things.
Kino shares a beauty secret that do not consist of expensive procedures and products but by getting to the basic root of all things - a lifestyle change. Actually, this is no beauty secret. These are old lessons that we were taught ever since we were kids - eat your fruits and vegetables, sleep early, drink plenty of water. And as beautiful makeup starts with beautiful skin, we have to start on what gives us beautiful skin.
I said in the article before this that our skin shows our overall health. When I had my physical exam, the first thing the doctor did was ask about my period. The next thing she did was check my skin condition. Your skin reflects if you're dehydrated or malnourished. A flaring up of acne may be due to poor lifestyle, stress, anger, or blocked liver meridians. It's true that it happens when you don't get enough sleep because the body doesn't have time to detoxify and rest the internal organs. I learned from a makeup artist that I should be asleep from 10-2 pm because that's when the body detoxifies, and this was verified during yoga teacher training, Even if we have all the makeup and skin care in the world, if we don't care for our bodies from the inside, it will all just be nonsense.
Taking care of yourself is the best gift you can give to yourself and other people. It's not just your skin that will show the effect, but you will see an improvement in your overall health and well-being. Being in proper health and the right state of mind will not just help you see yourself in a better light, but it would help you take care of others better. That's a clearer mind to work and balance time so you can have time for yourself, your loved ones,and at work. How can you give positive energy if you yourself do not have it?
Let the change happen from within. It need not be a drastic change like going vegetarian tomorrow and for the rest of your life. You need not go hardcore on yoga right away. You can try like say first eating a piece of fresh fruit a day or having a fresh green smoothie. Then graduate to having a vegetarian day. Or set an alarm in your clock to tell you to go to bed earlier. I do not limit the fitness activity to yoga as well. If crossfit makes you happy, then go ahead. If you get your mojo on with running or Zumba, then go. Also, allow your body to rest when you need it. Have a massage and chill watching a mini series. Let these makeup tutorials enhance your own happy glow. That's something products alone can do, since that glow comes from within you.
I wasn't very healthy when I was much younger. I took for granted being skinny and relied on my naturally fast metabolism to stay that way even though I was consuming so much processed food, fat, sodium, and refined sugars. Don't get me wrong though, I welcome a plateful of salad or a healthy dish on my plate, but since I didn't have a lot of time and I didn't know any better, I think there was a higher ratio of unhealthy to healthy food. Since I was tired all the time, I wasn't very keen into exercising, and also took it for granted. I was also smoking then. Although my proportions wouldn't show it, my skin doesn't lie about my horrible health habits.
Me in all my unhealthy glory, 2007
Sallow pasty skin with blotchiness, puffy eyes, spots, and let's not get started with the haven't-eaten-in-days waif look. I was also getting sick very often, memorizing the times I would have a cold or fever. In fact, in a few weeks after this photo was taken, I would be experiencing a cold from temperature change or allergies or what not. These were the days I was still working in an office. Being a makeup artist didn't change it either even though it was a fun job. It was a more physically demanding job and my work didn't end when I got home since I would be washing my brushes and sanitizing and organizing my equipment. Lugging all the heavy bags while commuting also needed a lot of strength. I've quit smoking at that time already, since it was a very expensive habit (not to mention it wouldn't do my body good as well). Since I didn't know what to prepare then and didn't have time to, I would have no choice but eat a lot of "crew food" which most of the time consist of fast food or pizza. Imagine doing weddings every week and eating fried chicken and rice or burger and fries. It's not very good. Because of poor nutrition in a physically demanding job, my sickness patterns were still there. I was also experiencing tummy problems as well.
I'm glad pole happened a few months after that so I was introduced to a fitness routine that I would grow to love. I was also prescribed a diet by a nutritionist I worked with having seen my eating habits and analyzed why I was getting sick and made me notice that I was in fact, consuming a lot of sugar, which may take a toll on my body when I get older. Pole opened me to other forms of fitness and I became more conscious of how and what I was eating as well. It eventually opening the door for me to become a yoga teacher. I also got exposed to a lot of people who encourage to eat clean. Social media nowadays helps because I see a lot of hashtags and Instagram accounts promoting good food and nutrition and even sharing very easy DIY recipes. I made transitions from full vegetarian to pescetarian and then went back to consuming meat for training purposes. When I got sick last February, my body did a reset so I had to go back to a cleaner eating pattern for a time then incorporate my regular food on occasion, just so I stay a bit "normal". I also strictly went off alcohol around that time (it was bad for my flexibility anyway). I started preparing meals at home as opposed to dinners out which saved me a lot of money, making the extra effort of waking up early to cook worth it, for not having a bloated feeling and the urge to throw up.
I did find myself though getting into a food rut having to eat the same kind of food all the time. It was either salmon or tuna, steamed broccoli or spinach and quinoa or brown/black rice three times a day varying it with salad, soup, pasta, or oatmeal. It was good for my body, but I'm somehow running out of ideas. I would Google recipes online but since most of these recipes are made by chefs from another country, some of the ingredients were not readily available or are expensive here.
The Sexy Chef isn't new to me and I've heard about them years ago and they are popular among many celebrities in maintaining a sexy figure for their job. The Sexy Chef is a healthy food delivery service owned by sisters Rachel Alejandro and Barni Alejandro- Rennebeck. Rachel is an actress and a singer and Barni is a chef. They both eat healthy and both love good food. They also have trim waistlines and a healthy glow in their skin even without a lot of makeup. Years ago, they launched a cookbook which shares yummy and healthy recipes that you can make yourself.
I bought their second book, Eat Clean Love a few days ago and I have been cooking their recipes at home.
If you look at my Instagram, my #bambikittycooks hashtag photos of my recipes are very diverse, from the very sinful truffled eggs benedict to a very healthy massaged kale salad. I still do not have a specific diet to follow but I like eating real food, as much as possible. I actually prefer making my own food than buying it, save for salads, which I have outside, when it's easy to have them fresh, Eat Clean, Love has recipes to make real food that's as real as it can get - avoiding a lot of processed and canned and a lot of chemicals. It doesn't scrimp on flavor though and a lot of nutrients. I'm glad I got a cookbook in front of me because it makes me focus on my meal planning more. Plus points too on being a local cookbook. I prefer actually buying local cookbooks than imported ones because they give ingredients that are readily available here in Manila. Most of the ingredients can be found in the market or your local grocery. You'll find a few ones being sold in health food stores, but nothing too rare or exotic.
The first meal I made, Shrimp and Quinoa fried "rice" is packed with color and nutrients. At first, I had to get used to the fact that it needed a bit more saltiness, but I guess that's the point anyway, to take in less sodium. A squeeze of lemon does the flavor trick quite nicely.
Breakfast should never be skipped. It's a very old saying and it holds true. I apply this rule up to now. I must have my breakfast, and the shortcut that is brunch does not count. My breakfast is filling but not to the point that I would have a hard time getting up. Without breakfast, I get migraines, feel dizzy, and sometimes I don't get to function properly. It gives me enough fuel for my workout I love the breakfast selection because the recipes are very easy and it's fast. Perfect for those who need to rush for work in the morning.
Mashed avocado with feta cheese and olives is packed with so much flavor - a mix of tart, salty, creamy, and a hint of spice from the red pepper flakes. I had this with my green smoothie (yes that's actually green smoothie) that taste like chocolate shake. The smoothie can be introduced to children and they wouldn't know it's got romaine lettuce and spinach leaves.
A photo posted by Bambi De la Cruz 🐱🐯 (@bambikitty) on
For those with some time, brown rice champorado can be made for rainy day weekends. I find traditional champorado too sweet for my taste, or probably because all I see are those made from mixes. This one is made from scratch - with brown rice, low-fat milk, cocoa powder, and coconut sugar made mellow with cinnamon and swirled with coconut milk.
I'm a sucker for pasta and these two pasta recipes are great for lunch or dinner. It took me quite a while to get used to whole wheat pasta but there's hardly any difference when the sauce is mixed in.
had this for a nice, light dinner with a mug of warm calamansi juice and honey
The cashew cream sauce makes no difference with heavy cream in terms of texture and creaminess except the former doesn't make me run to the bathroom in minutes. Plus, the yummy smell of basil lingered when I made this pasta last night.
I don't eat munggo at all and I hate munggo with a passion but I am open to consuming lentils, This lentil bolognese pasta is a good and filling dinner or lunch that I can take as baon whenever I would have a shoot, instead of eating pizza or hamburgers.
There's so much more food in the recipe book and there's even a section to make healthy food for children. Fruits and veggies come in all forms - not just a salad but in desserts and main dishes. Each recipe that I made does not scrimp on flavor, texture, and aesthetic value, so going healthy doesn't necessarily mean eating bland food, mush, or strictly raw greens. There's beef, chicken, seafood, and pork. There's wholewheat bread, pasta, and coconut sugar, There's sweet, salty, spicy, tangy, and savory. There are healthified versions of popular favorites. The best part too is that ingredients can be sourced locally. I can go to the mall and I can find every ingredient in the book there. There are so many creative ways to add nutrients to the diet. I found ways to incorporate vegetables in my diet aside from salads, soups, and juicing. Since I can't take a lot of dairy, I needed to find other source of calcium other than supplements. This book shows me that there are a lot of other calcium sources other than milk such as soy milk, chia seeds, spinach, etc.
It's also a great gift for someone you know who would love to go DIY on healthy food at home. In fact, I purchased another one as a birthday gift for my friend Jinky, who loves to eat and eat healthy as much as I do.
photo from Jinky's Facebook account
Just like me, Jinky is a makeup artist who does pole dancing. She's also a Zumba teacher and group exercise instructor. I know she would love this book because the recipes would be giving us the right nutrition to fuel our bodies for our work and would complement our healthy lifestyle in our own practice as well being fitness instructors. The recipes are fun to make and even be great to share for friends and family, even for those who have never tried to eat clean before.
I chose to eat healthy not because I need to walk the talk, being a yoga instructor and a pole dancer. I learned the hard way that I need to make this lifestyle change, and I'm glad I was able to arrest it before things got too late. This book supplemented my need for more healthy recipes that are easy to do and at the same time have ingredients that are easily available at our local groceries and markets. This book will not guarantee you the abs of a pole champion in a month, If you're already into the whole health lifestyle, this can give you more recipes to add to your menu to supplement your needs. If you're just starting to learn how to cook, get this too. What better way than to start cooking food that is right for your body, right?
Looking back at my 2007 unhealthy picture, compare that with more recent photos of mine, older but with a much better lifestyle.
with Dr, Kit, a few weeks after Yin Yoga Teacher Training
taken last Monday at Sonya's Garden. If I did this pose years ago, I would've injured myself. Yay for #flexifirst goals.
I still indulge on pizza, steak, popcorn, fries, and cake, but I have this once in a while, and at a lesser fraction than my healthier real food choices. I no longer go to all-you-can-eat buffets and I haven't noticed it but I haven't had white rice for like weeks now. Maybe it's my body telling me that I don't need them anymore. Ten years of kicking the habit, I haven't missed cigarettes one bit. My flexibility and hydration has been better in just months after detoxifying alcohol in my system. Although red wine may be good for the heart, there are so much better heart-healthy sources like oatmeal and fruits. My skin looks and feels much better than my 2007 skin. And my energy channels are much better now. With five years in adapting a healthier lifestyle, and the healthy habits picking up more as the years go by. The Sexy Chef cookbook added more recipes to my database of healthy food that included recipes for people on-the-go, so we get a balanced diet no matter what your lifestyle is.
If the fountain of youth existed, I would be climbing hills and mountains lugging pails and bottles and filling them up with the clear liquid that would make me look young forever, or as my friend said, make me seem that I have vampire genes. In real life, however, we deal with ageing.
I didn't mind this when I was much younger, and I actually avoided anti-ageing products. It was also the fact that they somehow didn't agree with my skin back then. My classmate from makeup school said that my body probably didn't need it yet and the formulation of an anti-ageing product would be too much for my early 20's skin. I started using anti-ageing products when I reached my late 20s, from my cleanser to my facial wash and my classmate was right because then, skin was now more tolerant to the products. Coupled with a healthy lifestyle and a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, I am glad that for years, I still had the same skin quality with hardly any visible signs of ageing. In fact, when I had my skin analyzed, I had no wrinkles, no excess oil, and normal pores. Healthy skin!
Ageing is a natural occurence that happens to anyone. Exposure to free radicals, stress, pollution, makeup, and even poor health habits can actually hasten our ageing process. Eventually, I know that I won't have this same skin quality when I'm much older. But it doesn't mean since it's inevitable I'll just be lax. I can delay the process too! Also, even if I have a healthy diet and teach and practice yoga, there are factors also that can contribute to signs of ageing. I live in the city, so I get exposed to pollution. I can't wear sunscreen all the time since I might be training that day and also I may slip. Since my other job tells me to wear makeup, my skin gets exposed to minimal tugs and forces, so I should really be very careful.
In my pro bag, I carry basic skincare that's safe for all skin types. I carry organic or hypoallergenic products, since I can use this for various clients with different skin types. Aside from that, I also carry an anti-ageing product. Last month's Stellar summer, where I did makeup, I used the newest skin care from L'Oreal - The Revitalift Laser x3 Total Care
It actually sounds like a mouthful, but it really isn't super complicated. This sleek bottle contains an oil-in-water emulsion that feels light on the skin and is easily absorbed. The smell is pretty much quite tolerable and when I used this alone, I'm glad that my face stayed shine-free and less slick and slippery even at the middle of the day. This also acts as a sunblock, as this contains SPF 27 PA+++. Also, will the high SPF cause a flashback on flash photography? The answer is no. None of the people I used this to had a white flashback and I didn't have also a white flashback myself when I took a photo, so it's perfect for a photo-heavy event during the day when you know that you'll be exposed to sun. For beach weddings or outdoor receptions, this can be your best bet for the moms of the brides and the brides. When to use? ideally in the morning, before you go to work. And you also need probably just a pea-sized amount before using, so one Php 1499 bottle has a long way to go. I like massaging the product onto the skin. It boosts circulation and gives the skin a glow from within. Plus it feels really good! The sleek red packaging looks great too on my display for BTS shots.
This product is already available in Department stores.
I've been meaning to go redhead for as long as I can remember and I kinda miss having fun, fiery red hair. I get my hair colored since it gives me a better look and makes me look less washed out. I usually go for an ash color, since it brightens up my color and it's a color that's super low-maintenance. When I give my hair a rest, I revert it back to dark brown so the regrowth won't be that obvious.
I've seen a peg over at the BDJBox Instagram account, with the trend #fireombrehair, which starts as a bold shade of red, then fades to a copper/orange then to blonde or platinum. and I thought I'd give it a try. Thankfully, my job does not have a lot of strict restrictions with hair color, image, and tattoos or what not.
I went over to Salon Beauvoir yesterday morning and thankfully senior hairstylist Monette Rivera was there. She previously did my pixel hair highlights and I loved how the red didn't turn brassy after the fade. In fact, it actually had some snippets of red still and those that had some fade weren't brassy orange but a nice, cool ash. Since my last dye job was like 3 months ago, it's time for a new change and I went for fire ombre hair, It's my first time to have my hair colored professionally from base to highlight so I'm really excited.
First up, my hair was applied its base color (a bright, bold red) directly with no bleaching. Unlike usual base color where every part of my hair was colored, the color was applied only up to 2/3 of the way and left to develop for 20 minutes (the approximate amount for my hair to develop), washed, and then dried for the highlights to be applied. Unlike usual highlights where the colors were applied in foils at the top of my head, my foils were applied at the bottom. I still had some platinum chunks of hair from my last bleaching, and these would be the parts that would eventually turn platinum blond during the fade. In between the honey/blond and the red, I had a coppery shade for the orange part of my hair. Just like the base color, my hair was washed and blow-dried.
I didn't have the fiery bright red, although it could be achieved by having my hair bleached first and red applied. However, it would be too much for my hair to handle and I might end up with damaged hair. Also, I'm glad that Monette thought ahead about regrowth and colored my hair in such a way that even when regrowth happens, the natural color would look like it's still part of the whole ombre effect (instead of the distinct line of root regrowth that happens). Some hair textures may take an extra platinum bleach at the tips, but apparently, my hair might get damaged if that's the case. I like the hair though, it's like Sansa Stark. I was told that the fade will be ash brown, and by the time my roots grow, it would blend well with my hair too (also, it would save me money so I can prolong the time before I go for a root retouch). The highlights being at the tips of my hair would also enhance my naturally wavy hair and create dimension.
super bright hair under the sun
Red hair can be very difficult to work with and I'm glad I read up on tips on how to maintain red hair color. I agree that going to the pros is the way to go and going DIY will just result into a red mess in the bathroom and a brassy, patchy hair color mess. If I went DIY and went ahead with the peg, I might have damaged my hair with all the bleaching and coloring I did. This was a lesson I learned as well from my past DIY hair color mishaps. It took an expert to come up with a color that fits my complexion and hair texture and know the limitations and boundaries of my own hair and still come up with a look that I want.
The day after (I couldn't wash my hair 24 hours after color), the curls became softer.
I'm thinking of loving this look for quite some time. I'm usually not into a lot of bright colors but I think I'll maintain this look over up until the holidays.
Salon Information: Salon Beauvoir is located at Upper G/F Sommerset Olympia 7912 Makati Ave Cor. Sto. Tomas, Makati 1200 (02) 478 7670
Blackhead removal is a literally painful task. Back in the olden days, they used this torturous device to remove blackheads, Of course, there's squeezing your nose to get rid of the goo but I don't recall it being a less painful option. While the cleanest and deepest way of removing blackheads is a visit to the dermatologist (plus you got pros to do it for you as you relax away), we need budget-friendly ways to go DIY. Thankfully, nose-clearing strips have been invented in the early 2000s (am I right?), which removed them buggers painlessly. A lot swear by them and how they remove it cleanly.
I got a box of Clear Nose Blackhead Remover Solution from our BDJBox Makeup party last month. It's a product from Japan that's designed to remove blackheads and the package looks like a cute scientific experiment. It not only removes pores but also cleans skin of irritants and impurities while keeping skin clear and minimize the appearance of visible pores.
Unlike pore-cleaning strips where you just have that white cotton strip that you wet and stick on your nose, this is a three-step process. I've been neglecting this for quite some time, so I thought I'd give this product a try. The instuctions make it look fun, too.
I always start with clean skin, so I washed my face first. I skipped toner and moisturizer though.
STEP 1: Apply the pore-smooth Magic Water on the nose area and leave this for 2-3 minutes, or until the blackhead is clearly visible. There's a bit of stinging though on the skin, and significant tightening feeling,
I don't know if the blackheads are visible enough but this is how my nose skin looked like on macro setting after 3 minutes.
STEP 2: Apply a proper layer of "Blackhead Eraser Mask" on the nose area. Yes, it's black, and a bit minty with a scent that reminds me faintly of school glue and peppermint.
The black color of the mask actually would make you see your blackheads more. This is where the blackheads would adhere to. Don't apply too thin or too thick, just enough that your nose is covered but not too thick and gloopy.
STEP 3: Wash and dry your hands. Place the Cotton Peel-off Sheet onto the applied area. Apply gentle pressure on the top of the nose downward.
Leave for 10-15 minutes (watch a web series, do a quick yin yoga sequence, talk to your cats, etc).
Step 4: Remove the cotton strip by pulling up from each side of your nose slowly. Do it slowly to avoid breaking the cotton strip. Most of the black mask will adhere to the cotton strip, along with the blackheads.
Why hello blackheads, how are you?
I didn't break out from this product (the demo here is actually my second time to use this product), I used to break out from other brands, There is the little bit of stinging and tightening feeling but nothing really excruciatingly painful. The process takes a little under 20 minutes. I usually do this after removing all of my makeup.
Clear Nose Blackhead Remover Solution is available via Bright Skin Philippines and you can follow them in Facebook and Instagram. If you're the type who would want to go to a physical store to purchase your products, they can be found at Trinoma, Tiendesitas, and Showroom Co. in Timog. They can be contacted via email at brightskinph@gmail.com or send them an SMS or Viber message at 0905-2305359.
A few years ago, I did makeup for a wedding, hair and makeup just for the bride. After prepping the bride for pre-wedding gown pictorial, the mother of the bride brought in the flower girl and asked me if I could put on makeup on the flower girl. I smiled and asked the little girl to sit down while I santized my brushes and let it dry. I took out my flower girl makeup essentials, which consist of pink mineral blush, strawberry-flavored lipgloss, and a few shimmer eyeshadows.
The flower girl happened to be a beautiful little girl, with flawless skin and rosy cheeks, She clearly was a miniature version of the bride, who happens to be her mother. Her yaya already fixed her hair, all they had to do was put on her headdress. She looked a bit impatient though being told to sit still on a chair when she just wanted to play around. I brushed some blush on her cheeks, enhancing their rosiness and applied lipgloss on her lips. I got a fluffy eyeshadow brush, dipped it in a light shimmery powder and brushed some on her lids and told her she was done. The kid went back to her toys and continued playing.
A few minutes later, the bride was back on my chair and I did minor retouches and attached her veil. The MOB (mother of the bride) brought the kid back to me and asked me to put more makeup on the little girl. I was taken by surprise because why would a kid need more makeup. "She's a bit too pale". the MOB said. So I added a bit more blush, just enough to give more pink (the little girl didn't really need more color IMHO, as her cheeks were already rosy as it is, but I didn't want to argue at that point). While I thought I was done and started packing up, I turned around and saw the flower girl sporting pink eyeshadow, pencilled brows, orange blush, and fuchsia lipstick. Her makeup clearly being edited by the entourage artist, and the MOB finally having her standard of "not pale" fulfilled,
Normally in my bridal packages, I would include free makeup for the flower girl since it would sometimes be requested, and I really do not mind since it takes less than 10 minutes, Children have naturally beautiful skin and have no discolorations, enlarged pores, undereye circles, or oiliness. All I need to do is to make them have a bit of color, kind of like they ran around without the sweat. When I put makeup on the flower girl, I use mineral blush because it's gentle and hypoallergenic and gives a nice shimmer. For gloss, instead of lipstick, which might smear when they eat causing stains and smears on the face and the gown, I would go for tinted lipgloss with a nice flavor (usually strawberry or watermelon). The eye shimmer (really just a few loose sparkly mineral shadows in a light color like ecru or bone) is just a bit extra, like a "big girl" treat for the little girl, I explain this to the parents and the couple that my flower girl makeup that used to be free in my package cannot be exchanged for adult makeup because children use less product, just a little color enhancement and not full-on foundation, contour, color, and lashes.
Personally, I'm really not into children wearing makeup for weddings or for everyday and even cringe at the fashionista lookbooks moms post in their social media accounts, or wearing high heels (they have high heels for kids now, can you believe that?), I'm one tita who would not give makeup set to my little girl inaanak as a gift (I considered it before though, but upon proper education, I took it back). Makeup contains chemicals and components that might be too strong for such young skin. There is a reason why bath products made for children are much milder than the ones for adults.
Besides, children really do not need makeup, and some don't want it either. I remember one flower girl crying when she was told that it was time to put on makeup. The cry wasn't the quivering mouth and eyes welling up. It was an ugly cry with tears streaming on her face like I was torturing her or something.
I believe in just letting children be just children, let them have fun, let them play. let them run around the reception and laugh when spaghetti sauce gets on their dress or take off the headpiece after the church ceremony and pictorials and not worry about getting lipstick smeared. Weddings are already an adult affair and having a little child stay up way past their bedtime and wear something uncomfortable is already a bit too much for them, what more makeup, which can be too hot or uncomfortable. Worry about concealer, foundation, and OOTDs when their much older. Now I get why my classmates hated being forced to wear makeup during weddings or presentations when I was much younger.
As for flower girl makeup, I've taken out the free flower girl makeup for my bridal package. I wouldn't want to be put in the situation where I have to take out a hot pink lipstick for the flower girl to wear. What I do say is they can have the hairstylist fix the flower girl's hair for a fee. I do have to charge for the flower girl's hair though because it also takes the same effort to do hair for a little girl as it does for the adult, sometimes even more, because children's hair being smoother and silkier would be more difficult to deal with than adult hair. There is however, an option in my package for children's hair and makeup, but I explain to the couple that's it's really more just hairstyling and a little blush and lipstick for the little girl, and it's for flower girls that are older, about 7 years old and up. For younger flower girls, I would suggest to have the little girl's relative or yaya, who is someone she's more comfortable with rather than a complete stranger, to just fix her hair and make it neat.
