Victoria, British Columbia (US- Canada Trip Part 2)

Day 3: Bonding with the Cousins

Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria, is the capital of British Columbia and is known to be the “Garden City”. It is a popular tourist destination and because Aunt Grace is from this city, we really have to spend time here.

From Vancouver, it is an almost 2-hour travel via BC Ferries. 

US- Canada Trip (Day 1 & 2)

This blog post really took a long time as I got busy with the Yuletide season, with my new born baby (during that time), and with preparing myself to get back to work. But let me give you a taste of the very first out-of-Asia trip that my husband and I had.

Hubby decided to take a break, more for me, as he predicted that I may have post-partum for having 2 babies in 2 years. Hahaha.. Though the mood swings happened during pregnancy, I guess this was a good gift for me as I was really relieved of all the stress. It was hard at first since the kids weren’t with us and I have been thinking about them quite often. But hubby reminded me that we should be partners of one another first- I should be a wife first before being a mother. So I began to enjoy the trip then.

VISA APPLICATION:

10 Things No One Told Me About Pregnancy

Here I am.. Waiting for my 2nd baby to come out.. 7 days to go and I’m about to witness God’s wonderful creation coming out of my tummy again. I was thinking- why didn’t I blog about this during my 1st pregnancy? Why just now? Then I realized that even on this 2nd pregnancy with only 2 years apart, I have experienced things that I haven’t during my 1st. I know very well that I have read multiple books and articles about pregnancy- both me and my hubby actually. Though we are aware of the weight gain, the change in the appearance due to enlarged nose and bloated face, the possibility of stretch marks, the sleepless nights and breathlessness, as some of the so-called “normality in pregnancy”- Things become very different when you experience it yourself at an intensity you could’ve not imagined. So let me share with you some experiences that I have encountered during this new chapter in my life that are both exciting and scary. :)

1. Pregnancy Acne

When I gave birth to my first born, the first thing I did after losing weight was going back to my dermatologist. I was very happy with the result until I got pregnant again. Oiliness and acne can destroy your mood on a daily basis and can literally result to stress, especially on a job like mine, where I meet up with clients and attend a lot of conferences. So I try to google if this is normal as I have never experienced this during my first pregnancy.

FACT: They said that most pregnant women experience acne as the higher levels of hormones called Androgens prompt the sebaceous glands in the skin to produce sebum (causing oiliness). The bigger sebaceous glands and the excessive production of this sebum when combined with our skin cells, blocks our pores that creates a ground for bacteria to multiply. Thus, the inflamed skin erupts and produces acne.

A New Chapter Begins..Pregnancy (Discovery Stage)

So the marriage and honey-moon stage have been more fruitful this year.. God has given us a baby! :)

It is funny how everything started.. 

We got married in 2009 and I told myself that I still don't want a baby. Why? Because I am not yet physically, mentally, and emotionally ready. I still can't see myself giving birth, feeding a baby.. and all that same stuff. I still want to be somebody.. someone successful in the corporate ladder. And thank God, He made me one. I still want more time with my husband.. And I feel so blessed that He gave me the best quality time ever. 

Hubby was already getting impatient as I kept on pushing back the date we initially planned. It started on 2010, pushed back to 2011, then 2012.. When I finally said YES, OK.. LET'S HAVE A BABY.. That was November 2012. He downloaded all the apps related to "best dates" "best food" all these similar stuffs, so as he can get me pregnant. But I got so stressed out and told him that the countdown and the schedule he makes were driving me mad and I can't even enjoy the intimate moment with him as his "OC-DC" is really killing me. I told him to trust in the Lord 100% because He alone knows the perfect timing for everything. I advised him to simply pray and lift up all our worries and cares to Him and He'll give us rest. True enough, he made every minute I have with my husband so memorable and enjoyable. We don't feel pressured anymore whenever everyone is popping out babies. We don't feel stressed anymore everytime "monthly period" starts. The best quality time we've ever had was when we lifted up everything to the Lord- His timing, His provision, His wisdom, and His direction. 

Friends with BENEFIT: A review of Porefessional, Bella Bamba, Hoola, Booing, That Gal, Stay Don't Stray, Sun Beam, and Browzings

I said I was so into make-up these past few months and it started when I went to Sephora and stayed near benefit to get my brows done. In all fairness, I love how the lady waxed my brows. It was very clean and not-so-painful. She did it fast but she was so precise. After doing my brows, she offered me some other items that she said is BENEFIT’s top-rated products.. and because she did well with my brows, I refused to say No to her in whatever she offered me. =P So I gave in and bought a few of their products.

Benefit Cosmetics is based in San Francisco and was founded by twins Jean and Jane Ford in 1976 as per my source Wikipedia. It was also mentioned that Benefit was initially for quick-fix makeup dilemmas and has soon branched out into different units that includes the “brow bars” world-wide. What surprised me is- Benefit is now a subsidiary of LVMH (a conglomerate for the luxurious brand and my favorite brand Louis Vuitton).

I find their packaging really quirky and cute and it was love at first sight when I encountered their products. Though it is a bit price-y, I stayed on track as I’d love to try their make-up line. After months and month of usage, I’d like to give you a fair review of all the benefit products I’ve used and hope this will help you save and splurge on the right products 

1. THE POREFESSIONAL: It claims to be a PRO Balm that minimizes the appearance of pores. It claims to be lightweight, oil-free, translucent, and silky. I bought the packaging with 22ml at Sephora ION for almost SGD40 dollars if I’m not wrong. Though price-y, I’d say that it is really worth the rave! This is the bomb.com! It really lived up to its promise “Now you see it, now you don’t” (referring to the pores). It is so true! Super oily skins, like me, has enlarged pores that are very visible. Because concealers and foundations cannot cover-up the large pores on my face, I decided to take on a PRO. And there I fell in love with the Porefessional. This product is one item I cannot live without. It will really make your face fresh and vibrant. Though translucent, I noticed that it has very little shimmer that is not-at-all oily that makes the face radiant. This is one of the best products that I believe Benefit has come up with. This is also my favorite product and I highly recommend the POREFESSIONAL to all the girls out there. =)

MITCHIKO’S VERDICT:

Foundation Day! A Make-Up Review on- Clinique, MUFE Mat Velvet +, Revlon Colorstay, Missha BB Cream, and MAC Studiofix

I have been loving makeup lately and have been lured into watching and reading different reviews and makeup techniques just to find the best suitable makeup wear for me and my super oily skin. =P Every make up starts with a good primer and a foundation (at least for me). So I was in the look-out for the best foundation there is and I’d like to give you a review of the 5 make-up foundation that I have today:

1. CLINIQUE Perfectly Real MakeUp (64) Crème Beige (G): I went to Sephora at Ion Orchard and have asked them for a foundation that will mattify my oily skin. I guess my mistake was I didn’t exaggerate the word “oily” to “super oily” so they gave me Clinique Perfectly Real Make up. For me, this foundation has a light coverage but is reliable until 4-5 hours for a super oily face I have. That for me is not bad already. Have I said that I blot almost every 2 hours? And since Clinique sits on my face for 4-5 hours, then this is somehow good already. Please see the first swatch from the left. I believe I bought this product to close to SGD50 for a  30ml package so it is a bit price-y for a light coverage foundation.

MITCHIKO’S RATING:

Coverage: 3/5

Long lasting: 3/5

Mattifying effect: 3.5/5

Price: 3/5

Over-all Rating: 3.12/5

2. MAKE UP FOREVER PROFESSIONAL MAT VELVET +: It says here that MUFE Mat Velvet is Oil-Free and Water resistant which I agree. This foundation is a bomb. It has full-coverage that really hides the imperfections in your face. Some reviews said that they’re like wearing a mask on their face since the consistency is really thick. For me, it is really bearable and wearable since it mattifies your face up to 5 hours, blot and it’ll still be there. It also doesn’t make me look cake-y. It doesn’t clog the pores as long as you use make-up remover. As for me I use Nik’s Orange Make UP remover which I will be reviewing later on. It is also long-lasting for me until 8 hours and I use this whenever I have client meetings or gala. The only down-side of this foundation aside from the cost (which is really expensive, I guess more than SGD50 for a 30ml package), I notice that it is super mattifying taking out the natural glow in my face. They said that I can use highlighter to do that anyway, but thing is, when I started to produce oil, it oxidizes so much and it makes my face darker than usual. I don’t know if it’s just the color since Sephora ION gave me the lightest possible for my color already. I even chose this over another (a bit darker) so I don’t know what’s causing the dark color still. Nonetheless, it is quite acceptable as long as I blot and retouch immediately once it’s looking oily.

MITCHIKO’S RATING:

Coverage: 5/5

Long lasting: 4/5

Mattifying effect: 4/5

Price: 3/5

Over-all Rating: 4/5

Oiliness is next to Ugliness: A review on Phillip's Milk of Magnesia and Monistat Chafing Relief Powder Gel

I am pretty sure that I am not the only girl in the world who's experiencing this non-stop blotting within an 8-hour shift. How many times have you used oil-blotting paper? Guess how many times have I done it? About 5 times: 8 hours. Hate it! If there’s someone who blots every hour, then welcome to this blog. This is really meant for you! They said that having an oily face helps to avoid wrinkles. I guess this is right since I notice that most people in my family still look young amidst their age and I guess that same effect goes with me. =) Nonetheless, I still hate the fact that make-up cannot reside in my face for long. So I decided to start the quest to battle oiliness. 

I’ve been searching for the right combination to tame the oil in my face and have landed to multiple pages and youtube reviews about these 2 most coveted products in  Amazon, Ulta, Target, Ebay, and everywhere else in the US- Phillip’s Milk of Magnesia (MOM) and Monistat Chafing Relief Powder Gel.

In the reviews I’ve seen, they claimed that Phillip’s MOM can mattify your face for more than 8 hours and can really avoid being oily all throughout the day. They also said that Monistat Chafing Relief Powder Gel is the best primer comparable to Smashbox Photo-finish Primer. And hey, the reviews I read are countless and they are of all praises to these products. So I jumped at the bandwagon of these products and since both of these are not available in Singapore, I went ahead and ordered this via Singpost Vpost at Amazon.com for less than USD 15 each.. and Voila! After 1 week, I finally got the MOM first, followed by the Monistat. I was so excited to try it out since I also have a planned trip and I don’t want my make up sliding all over my face (just as what’s happening now). Unfortunately, because the Monistat came late and my flight came earlier than the package, I was left trying the Phillip’s MOM first all throughout my trip.

So I tried it.. After washing my face with Nik’s Product and putting on my Nik’s regimen as advised by my dermatologist, Dr. Eileen Lew of Maple Clinic at Block 925 Yishun Central 1 #01-221, I put on the Phillip’s MOM. At first, it really mattifies and I was like “Yes! This is really taking its positive magic” So I immediately put on my Sephora primer, my foundation, powder and continue the rest of my make-up. Just before I left the house, my face was already dewy. So I was like “That’s fine, dewy is positive. Oily is negative” I didn’t realize that the Dewy-look is a prelude to the Oily-look I was trying to avoid. So Phillip’s MOM failed me! I was so sad and found out that it doesn’t work for me.

When I came back to Singapore, I found my Monistat Chafing Relief Gel resting on my bed, so I had a high hope that this perhaps can change the way I deal with my oiliness everyday. So I tried it yesterday. After washing my face, I put on Nik’s regimen and after all those derma-stuffs I put on my face, I blot (just to make sure that the “primer” won’t sit in an oily face) then I put on the Monistat “primer”. There again..my fear started.. Just as I was preparing to leave the house, I already noticed the dewy-effect again so I ignored it again. When I reached the office (after an hour), I tried to blot (which is what I do everyday even before the Monistat era) and have seen less oil so my hope-mometer rises in the faith that this will work for me. Unfortunately, come lunch time, my face is pouring out oil. Unexpected amount of oil that really shocked me. It was like I put on an entire Vaseline Petroleum Jelly on my face! Worst is, a pimple started to come out (Thank God that it’s just a pimple and not pimples!). So although that was the first try, I decided not to take it again today. I was scared that this pimple might give birth to another.

MITCHIKO’S ADVICE: Though these products might work for many people of all races as shown in multiple social media sites, it doesn’t work for super oily skin like me.. or perhaps it just doesn’t work for me at all! For those of you out there who’d like to try it, please do so.. I ordered both for less than USD20 dollars I guess but I spent almost SGD40 for delivery so if you’d like to budget around SGD60-SGD80 to have both of these, please feel free to order these at Amazon or Vitacost. Or if you have friends in the US, just ask them to buy those for you or you can simply order it online and have those delivered to your friend’s house so they can carry it back in SG. I might try this again, perhaps after my next derma session and if still doesn’t work, then prepare yourselves ladies as I’d post it on sale, definitely! Hope this helps.