International Mother Language Day (February 21)

Also known as 'Ekushey February', International Mother Language Day is an observance held annually on 21 February worldwide to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. It was first announced by UNESCO on 17 November 1999. Its observance was also formally recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution establishing 2008 as the International Year of Languages (Source: Wikipedia). My husband and I went to an event this past Sunday commemorating Ekushey February at the University of Texas at Dallas. It was organized by the Bangladeshi Student Organization and there were several other organizations that participated in the event by showcasing their culture in various forms. It was a wonderful event. It was free, there were light snacks, everyone was dressed in black and white, the feeling of unity was strong. 

Mini Drugstore Haul

So I bought a few things when I was at ULTA the other day. I have seen many youtubers and bloggers raving about the Real Techniques makeup brushes created by Samantha and Nick Chapman of Pixiwoo fame. I decided to get the Expert face brush ($8.99) and the Eye shading brush ($5.99). I haven't tried them yet...I also bought a NYX Blush ($5.99). The shade is Cinnamon and its a bright orange shade in the pan. Although when applied it goes on more peachy. I haven't tried this on my cheeks yet. Will do that soon, maybe this weekend.

Real Techniques Expert Face brush. Supposed to be good for applying cream and liquid foundations.

    I love how this brush feels.

    Real Techniques Eye shading brush. I like that its small and seems like would  work for my tiny,  barely-there crease.

 NYX Cinnamon blush. I've always loved NYX blushes. For $5.99, they are a steal.

Something I've been loving...

So one thing that hasn't changed about me is I'm still a green-tea aficionado. My love affair with green tea started when I was still in high school, but back then I would drink any kind of green tea. Now, I only like japanese green tea. It has that fresh, grassy, smooth flavor that really feels refreshing and antioxidant-y. There are many types of japanese green tea: sencha, geinmacha, matcha, kukicha, etc. Those are the few that I've tried and the ones that I love most are the matcha and sencha. While sencha is a whole-leaf tea, matcha is finely milled green tea that can be used to make iced-tea, hot tea, ice-cream, desserts, etc. It is a bit on the pricey side, hence its more of a occasional drink for me. Sencha is a close relative of matcha in terms of taste. Upon brewing it turns into this bright green color, almost like a neon green. I could have 10 cups of sencha all day and not complain as the caffeine content in it is very low compared to many other teas. Recently, I found a value pack of sencha tea-bags at a chinese grocery store and it only cost $6.99. Now that's a steal as a jar of sencha (loose leaf) can run you anywhere from $10 to $20. If you like your tea to be grassy, fresh tasting with no bitter after-taste, try sencha. I like it without any additives. However if you like your tea sweet, try it with some raw wildflower honey, tastes exquisite. Speaking of which, let me go make me some...

I am back...

After years-long hiatus, I am finally back. I hope all of you have been doing good...I will pretend that there are people reading this blog, or it will seem as if I am talking just to myself. While the main focus of this blog will continue to remain on beauty, skin and health care, I will also incorporate little tidbits about my life here and there. I must say that while many things about my beauty and health regime have changed, some things have remained the same. See you soon :)

Happy New Year 2013

Using MAC eyeshadow as a face highlighter

So I love the eyeshadow All that Glitters by MAC and one day, I decided to load some of it on my MAC 188 small duo fiber brush and stipple it on the apples of my cheeks. The result? Absolutely beautiful glowing cheeks.

Skin Care Products

Disclaimer: The following products have worked for me and might not work for you, so please use with caution or consult your dermatologist for more questions.

So...I have written in my other blog that I switched over to a more predominantly 'natural' and 'organic' way of taking care of my skin for more than a year now. After a brush with the pimple fairy in June 2008, I tried using various spot treatments such as Clean and Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment, which is clearly the devil. The reason I decided to use this was because it didn't contain Benzoyl Peroxide (which is the bigger devli) and contained Salicylic Acid and other ingredients. After applying to pimples, It started peeling my skin and leaving huge marks. Till today I am struggling with those scars/scabs/marks. I must admit that they aren't as hideoes but for a person who could do without concealer or cover-up, its sad that my favorite product in my beauty arsenal now is my concealer.

Oh well, so I started researching and researching online on how to take care of skin in the most natural ways possible without depleting skin of its natural oils but at the same time providing enough anti-bacterial protection to my skin:

Oil Cleansing: I use equal parts Castor Oil and Jojoba Oil and mix them both. I apply it to my face, eyes, lips and then take a terry-cloth dipped in lukewarm water and slowly start removing all gunk. For heavier makeup days, I use MAC's Cleanse Off Oil, I loveeee this, it has a beautiful orangey scent, but one downfall it can turn you blind for a good minute because it turns milky after rinsing off with water.

Cleansing: Camellia Rose Coconut Shea Beauty Bar. This thing is nothing short of fabulous. Its natural and handmade and contains nothing synthetic.


Exfoliating: I recently bought this No Marks Walnut Scrub which is an indian make. It seems non-invasive and doesn't contain SLS (unlike its famous friend St Ives Apricot Scrub).

Toning: Thayer's Rose Petal Witch Hazel. This is amazing as it's not harsh like the Dickinson's Witch Hazel and feels like rose-flavored water on your skin.
Moisturizing (AM): Pond's Visibly Light Brightening Cream with SPF 15. This cream sounds like a fairness cream but in reality its really a moisturizer and helps in brightening and evening skin tone. This and Neutrogena's Dry touch Sunblock Shield in 55 are the two most non-natural (if you may) products in my skin care, but I do need my sun protection so can't skip those!

Moisturizing (PM): I made my own elixir: I mixed 1 oz. Desert Essence's Organic Jojoba Oil with 2 drops each of lavender essential oil, tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil and 6 drops of rose hip seed oil (all essential oils purchased at iherb).

I put in a dropper bottle and use it every night after toning.

I rarely use face masks (like store bought face masks) as I spend soo much time in the kitchen that I will just slap on some honey or oats or something lying around. But if I do use, here are the two that I use: Missha Yogurt Strawberry Peel Off Mask (I don't peel, I rinse with warm water, peeling is for monsters :-S). The St Ives Firming Mask I've had for a while now and I use it every now and then. Its alright, better for people with really oily skin I feel.