Garlic does the skin good!

When I was little I used to hate garlic! I hated garlic, onions and any "green stuff" (aka. green garnishing). Of course my mother found these ingredients to be absolutely impertinent to all her recipes. She would try to mince up the ingredients so small, hoping to trick my taste buds but I was never fooled. Now that I'm older and cooking meals for myself and my family, I've realized my mother was onto something. There really is no way of getting around it. Garlic, especially, is just a must in a lot of recipes. What I also didn't know was that garlic is really good for you.

The Wonders of Garlic

* Got a pimple? Rub some garlic on it, best natural antibiotic
* Rub some garlic on your blackheads, it will help clear out your pores
* Feeling under the weather? Chomp down on a clove of garlic. It'll taste nasty, but it will make you feel a hell of a lot better

Here's a neat trick to use if you suffer from acne and blackheads. I found this in a book called "Babushka's Beauty Secrets" By: Raisa Ruder and Susan Campos

1) 1 clove of garlic
2) Mash garlic
3) Boil water and add garlic

VOILA! Garlic Toner. This can be used in place of your regular toner, before your night moisturizer. But beware it smells very very strongly! So if you can handle the smell, it will do wonders for your blackheads and acne.

As babushka says, "It smells strong because it is strong!".

Book:
"Babushka's Beauty Secrets - Old World tips for a Glamorous New You" By: Raisa Ruder and Susan Campos

Soft kitty, warm kitty graphic tee

Soft kitty graphic tee, a photo by SoudavoneS on Flickr.

I love Big Bang Theory, I love my cat and I love this tee!

I bought it from HMV

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Happy Valentines Day, Lovers!

It's the big day of love and I can feel it in the air. Sad to say i've been looking forward to this day for weeks because I knew it was guaranteed wine and dine date night. Wine and dine date nights used to be frequent just like any blossoming love promises to give, but they have dwindled down over the years as expected. I am a big foodie and enjoy being wined and dined so I took it upon myself to book reservations at a nice restaurant well ahead of time (aka. the morning before). Such a rare outing calls for some "looking good" time, so here's the Valentines' Day look for 2012.

Top: Aritzia Talula Skirt: RW & Co Tights: sister's closet :p 

Focus: I always base my outfits on a focus item. I think of an item that I absolutely want to wear and I base the rest of my look on it. I purchased this top originally because it reminded me of  a red top my sister and I absolutely loved that mom used to wear back in the day. But somehow we misplaced it over the years. The top was on sale so I went for it. I later found out the Aritzia top was orange.....I must really be colour blind because I swear that's red!
Outfit: Once again I know the top is actually orange, but i'm sticking to my colour blindness.... IT IS RED! So Valentine's Day = Red. Red and black is such a classic glam wham bam thank you mam!
Makeup: My inspiration for this look was Hyuna in 'TroubleMaker'.

Hyuna in 'TroubleMaker'

 Red lips and lots of liner! Thank god i finally grabbed some liquid liner, I've been lost without it.

So Valentine's Day ended up being wonderful. The restaurant we went to had  really pretty flowers they gave me lots of inspiration. Hope they inspire you as well!

White hydrangeas and roses

Thanks for reading chiclets! Tell me how your Valentine's day went in the comment box below.
 
Source for Hyuna 'TroubleMaker' image:
http://www.allkpop.com

Oh Father Winter, You Again! Weapons of Mass Hydration

Winter hit us hard finally this week and as usual we're all acting like we've never seen snow before. Come on people this is Canada don't pretend like you don't know what to do when it snows, it happens every year! This year it came pretty late. Everybody's acting like it's never been so cold before in their entire lives when really this is what February is supposed to be like. After living here my entire life, I have adapted pretty well to the four seasons. This in turn shows in my skincare routine. Fall and Winter routine is different than my Spring and Summer routine for obvious reasons. When it's cold outside our skin needs more hydration. From the frigid winter airs to the arid indoor heating systems, our skin is taking a beating.
Here are a few beauty must haves for the winter months:

Biotherm Aquasource Nuit $48

Biotherm Aquasource Nuit $48

Goodies: 

• P. Antarctica - it's superpower ability to retain water in order to survive super cold Antarctica. 

Highlights:

•  unlike traditional night creams, this is not heavy or rich
• gel texture = non-oily, non-sticky and fast absorbing

Verdict:

• Major Hydration for those who don't need anti-aging richness
• Good for all skin types
• Chocked full of relaxing fragrances

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack EX

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack EX $30 (prices vary)

Goodies:

• Chestnut Extract - removes dead cells to maximize massive water supply, hence, smoother hydrated skin

Highlights:

• light gel texture feels comfortable on skin so when you wake up your skin feels refreshed

Verdict:

• Wake up looking well rested and energized

It is not necessary to use both products at the same time. Using one or the other is fine. But both products offer similar benefits and results: hydration and lots of it. Extra hydration for the skin is essential during the cold winter months.
Hope you enjoyed my post today!

Btw, I just joined the Twitter world (finally, I know!) so please follow me at SoudavoneS Twitter

Blue me away!

This past week I was feeling a little under the weather. So when i'm feeling sick the last thing I want to do is put on a crap load of makeup, just to wipe it all off at the end of the day. I barely want to even change out of my jam-jams and wash my face let alone bother with all that crap. But my job requires me to wear makeup and look somewhat decent so I have no choice in the matter. So i've discovered a loophole around it.

Throw on a bright, vibrant lipstick, curl my lashes and apply a blue mascara! I know this isn't a new concept but damn it it's new to me! I never understood why there were different colours of mascara, I mean why would you want something other than black or blackest black on your lashes? But by wearing blue mascara it gives me a little colour without having to apply eyeshadow or eyeliner (which I ran out of, so that was another reason for the new found love of blue). Plus i'm already wearing a bright red or pink on my lips so that already takes the attention away from my eyes.
My first day doing this I walked into work and the first thing my manager said to me was "That's a really nice colour of lipstick". SCORE! 

Diorshow Unlimited Mascara '258' Blue $31

Shortly after I ran into a coworker and she commented on how blue my eyes looked. DOUBLE SCORE!
This is something I might keep up with.

My blue mascara of choice?
Diorshow Unlimited Mascara '258' Blue



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Welcome to Canada BB Cream!

Can we be any slower? Lately I've been hearing all the rage about BB Creams. Whether it be at the beauty boutiques, salons and spas or even on the local news. Where was everybody like two years ago? BB Creams (aka. Blemish Balm Creams) are making their debut in the Canadian scene this season and its caused a manic frenzy. When I say BB Cream is coming to Canada I don't just mean we are selling Korean brand BB creams in Asian stores in Canada. Duh, I know we've been selling them here for a while now so don't be pelting trolling stones at me. What I mean is that major North American cosmetic companies are launching their own BB creams. They've already made their debut in the U.S, but are only emerging on the Canadian market now. But before you make the transition let's go over some differences.

Let's state the obvious. When it comes to skincare Asia and North America got some major differences when it comes to needs and wants. Over in Asia there is a huge emphasis on flawless, porcelain like skin; while in North America the emphasis is more on keeping our skin looking as young and radiant for as long as possible. So this of course reflects in the major differences in how BB cream is being advertised and formulated in the opposing continents.

Asian BB Cream

• skin whitening and brightening
• even out skin tone
• anti-scarring and anti-blemish
• can be used in place of foundation 
• used in conjunction with other skincare products
• Advertised as a healing product

North American BB Cream

• similar to a tinted moisturizer but with added properties
• lifting, firming and hydrating
• colour correction
• all in one sunblock, moisturizer, light coverage foundation, colour correction and anti-aging product
• can be used in place of foundation or under foundation like a primer
• for those who want convenience and don't want to fuss with all the products, this does it all
• Advertised as an all-in-one product

As of now Smashbox, Marcelle, Garnier and Estee Lauder have BB creams. Lancome, Clinique and MAC should be debuting soon. Soon pretty much every major cosmetics company will be coming out with a BB cream, it's just a matter of time. But hold your horses before your transition. Let's just make this clear "Asian BB Cream is not the same as North American BB cream". Although they have many similarities in the end the needs in Asia are very different in North America, so it is almost impossible to compare the products. You have to consider what your skincare needs are and go from there. If you want something to use in conjunction with your skincare routine that will heal and recover your skin throughout the day, go with Asian BB cream. But if you are not one to fuss with makeup and skincare products and just want one item that will do it all (not very well, consider if you like 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner then you'll like this) use the North American BB cream.