beauty tips Archives

June 23, 2016 by Jhem Arzaga 2 Comments

The Skincare Regimen You Need to Refresh Your Beauty

Summer doesn’t only mean outdoor fun, swimming, or walking at the beach under the sun while the sand is kissing and hugging your feet. It’s not all about the outdoors. But you know what? It’s also a perfect time to revamp your beauty from the inside and out!

And recently, I was thinking of rebooting my beauty regimen for this new season. I guess The Vitamin Shoppe has got my plans on their radar and they sent me an assortment of their top selling products to help me refresh my beauty this summer. All these products just made me say “Wow!” when I saw the vitamins, supplements, beauty creams and oils on the package. It seems like they really know what I’ve been dying to have this summer!

I really love these products! So from here, let me share how I incorporated them in my summer beauty routine to refresh from the previous season.

Plnt Liquid Coconut oil

Over the years, coconut oil has been a part of my daily life. I use it to deep condition my hair, and add it to some hair mask I make at home. I’ve been growing my hair for years, and now that I already have a butt-length hair, I use it more often to make it healthier and stronger.

Called the “Tree of life”, the coconut has many uses and amazing benefits including a variety of beauty purposes. Girl, you can use it to remove your makeup. For someone who loves wearing waterproof mascaras like me, try using coconut oil, it helps!

For your lips, too! You can use a thin amount into your lips to make it serve as a lip balm to moisturize your dry lips. Speaking of the word moisturize, you can also use it to moisturize your cuticles, and at home pedicure!

Avocado Oil

I have to admit, avocado is one of my favorite fruit to eat, and actually been feeding my skin and hair with it when I make avocado face/hair mask at home sometimes. But now that I also received avocado oil from The Vitamin Shoppe, I realized I haven’t tried using one with my beauty routines yet. So yes, it is my first time using the avocado oil itself.

But at least now I know that it smells good and just like the fruit, it is rich in Vitamin E– good for moisturizing and revitalizing the skin and hair.

Hylauronic Acid Serum

The hyaluronic acid is getting more and more popular in beauty magazines and in the cosmetic industry. It known for its moisturizing and hydrating properties that helps to boost elasticity. I noticed my skin feels supple and healthier! I really need it in my beauty regimen to hydrate my skin against the summer heat, and I’m glad I have a serum like this!

Alpha Lipoic Acid Anti-aging Crème

I should have started using Alpha Lipoic cream earlier than this age, whoa if I could only turn back time, haha… I’m in love with this cream, promise! I use it daily, that I always start by applying it on my skin while it is slightly damp to lock in the extra moisture after cleansing my face and throat. And neck using upward strokes, of course!

Vitamin E

Taking Vitamin E daily has been a part of my daily routine since then. I always make sure to take it daily. It helps to combat free radicals from our body which is no doubt plays a big role in the aging process.

Biotin

It belongs to the essential vitamins B-complex family and essential for cellular energy production. It also helps nutrient metabolism. You probably heard of it being used to support hair, nails, and skin, did you?

I also get a cute Vitamin Shoppe pill case where I can organize some meds to take for the day. Magazines from Amazing Wellness and Muscle & Performance to make summer more inspiring. Plus the Burnout Tee that I also love because it fits me well and comfy when worn!

Summer won’t be long, so take your time now and get ready to refresh your beauty with these goodies! Head over to The Vitamin Shoppe store near you now, they have 800+ branches! Or… you can simply order it online!

But wait, how about a giveaway?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter to win The Vitamin Shoppe gift card worth $100, gym bag and products with a total value of $250! One winner will be chosen by The Vitamin Shoppe Team and will be contacted by them directly. Good luck!

*This post is sponsored by The Vitamin Shoppe and I have been compensated for my participation. All opinions are my own.

December 8, 2014 by Jhem Arzaga 18 Comments

Beauty Reasons Why You Should Bellashoot NOW!

Image under cc license, shared by Vladimir Pustovit via Flickr

Hey loves! Have you heard about Bellashoot? Yes? Oh, what, NO??? Gosh! Seems like you’re missing something for free to make your all things beauty more organized and convenient. It all started with a website last year 2013, and now they’re bringing the fun in the palm of your hands with their newly launched iPhone and iPad app! So, wow! If you’re a beauty enthusiast, a beauty expert, or a blogger, you’ll definitely fall in love and will enjoy to belong in this super fun and user-friendly social beauty community that will let you discover beauty products, get beauty tips and tricks, share your knowledge and inspire others!

Bellashoot is a beauty lover’s home..

I was once like you, I don’t have any idea that an awesome social beauty community called Bellashoot ever exist! It all started one day while I’m browsing on Pinterest and I came across to a pin that leads me to this website. As a new beauty blogger, I decided to sign-up and see what it has to offer with the hope that I can reach more readers, connections, and get ideas at the same time. Yeah, I admit I’m a member of other beauty communities but I’ve never have posted any on there, the only thing I know is that Bellashoot made me feel more comfortable like I’m feeling at home!

It’s truly a home for beauty junkies and beauty experts, and bloggers of course! It’s a bit like of Pinterest but it’s especially built for beauty lovers in every corner of the world. 🙂 One of the things I really like is that I don’t have to search on different sites for my beauty queries because everything made easy with Bellashoot! Clean interface and very easy to navigate. You can filter your searches by keywords for beauty products, tutorials, tips and tricks, reviews and ah, many to mention.. Haha 🙂 All of that in one place! It lets you like and save a post, then organize them in your account so you can get back on any of them whenever you want to. To comment and interact with other users is an extra privilege and the ability to share posts on other social media platform is a plus!

And oh, they also offer giveaways and contests, but it’s only available for users 18 years old and older with US addresses only. Sigh.. I’m in the Philippines, haha too far!

Their support team is very friendly and informative, yes, they are! Not only that, while you enjoy Bellashooting, you’ll get another treat because they’ll be tweeting your posts. I appreciate it a lot because it helps me to reach more audience for my posts. Dear beauty bloggers, that’s a clear A-D-V-A-N-T-A-G-E, right? I love how I’m gaining free traffic effortlessly from Bellashoot, I love love love it! 🙂 It’s a win-win for all of us!

Tap, tap, tap your screen with Bellashoot app!

This is how the Bellashoot app looks like on iPad and iPhone.

Recently, they launched their first app that will let users to take Bellashoot with them on the go. Good news for iPhone and iPad users because the app is available and waiting for you to download on iTunes now! 🙂 Goooo– take your Bellashooting experience to the next level. And to Android users like me, don’t frown! We’ll be next in line, let’s just pray for it haha.. When will it happen, Bellashoot? 🙂 I hope you won’t let us wait too long.. I’m so excited for the day that this app will also be available for download on GooglePlay! Hmm.. okay, no worries, for me it’s not a big deal because I’m a PC person. 🙂

With this app, you can stay up to date on what’s happening in the beauty community with just a tap on your screen, upload anytime, and post anytime! Bring it with you without any hassle, but of course, your phone should have an internet connection, duh? 🙂 They made it so much easier because you can use your iPad / phone’s camera to take pictures and upload it straight to Bellashoot and see it live in seconds. You can also tag your friends and add tags / keywords like what it used to be on the website.

Let’s sum it up with Bellashoot’s pros and cons!

Pros:

One place to share and store all your beauty related interests, inspirations, tutorials, videos, etc.
Easy to find and connect with your favorite beauty gurus, bloggers, brands, makeup artists, and hair stylists.
Easy to filter searches by keywords or by user names.
Saved posts can be organize into a collection of your choice.
Updating and sharing posts is just a tap away with the app. (Congrats, iPhone and iPad users! Android users will be next to enjoy it!)
The built-in camera has just made it easier to upload when you’re on-the-go. (Convenient, isn’t it, iPhone and iPad users?)
The commenting system was made simple.
The website / app was made clean with a user-friendly interface.
Multiple social sharing buttons which are one click away to share your Bellashoot posts to other social media platforms.
Users have the option to sign in using their connected social media accounts.
Giveaways and contests.
Approachable support team.
You can change your username anytime.
Users can add a link back to their blogs and social media accounts.
Free Twitter promotions. (Thanks, Bellashoot!)
Free traffic. (Yay, bloggers love it!)

Cons:

Not available for Android users (Hopefully, we’ll have it soon!)
Highly addictive! (Haha, yes, it is!)

Convinced? Join us!

Yes or no? If no, why– why– why?

To sign-up is very easy! You can either use your other social media account or your preferred email address. Once done, complete your profile, add your blog and social media links because other users might also follow you outside Bellashoot, and set up your preferences. Follow other bellas and start liking and sharing your beauty related posts. Please keep in mind that it’s always nice to give credit to the source of your posts if you get it somewhere on the web, it won’t hurt anyway. 🙂

Ah-ah, please don’t forget Jhem Jhem! 🙂 Don’t forget to follow me and search for “jhemkitty“. *wink* *wink* Let’s get connected! Come on, let’s follow each other! Feel free to leave your username in the comments. 🙂

September 19, 2014 by Jhem Arzaga 6 Comments

9 Basic Anti-aging Tips To Make You Look Younger

happy woman who look younger with her good skin

Image: Bigstock

Admit it or not, you also want to look younger like everybody does! Admit it, because I also do! 🙂 You like it when someone gives you some compliments about your physical appearance, and you feel great! But what if someone told you that you look old? And how about you look older than your age? For sure, deep inside you, you won’t feel good and thinks that’s an unacceptable word! And maybe you keep on hearing those words echoing in your ears repeatedly. Old~~~old~~~ (echo)

Enough!

Ways to look younger

Here are some basic anti-aging tips that you can do to make you look younger and keep that looks! These include your daily routines and self management, but won’t cost you hundreds of dollars.

Apply moisturizer on your neck area

I know, I know.. applying moisturizer is a part of your routine, but always make sure that you also include your neck area with your application. It’s always a good idea to apply it in an upward motion, basically you’ll start from your neck and move it upward. The purpose of this is to give balance to your facial skin with the lower part of your face. Imagine having a good and younger looking face, wow! But what if your lower facial part like your neck area doesn’t match your face, eh?

Have enough sleep

Getting enough sleep every night will help you look at your best. You’ll notice some fine lines is starting to be visible after just 2 or more nights without enough sleep, plus eyebags! The appearance of pores is also a sign! To avoid all this, consider having 7 to 8 hours of sleep regularly. This seems to be the most difficult for me, ha-ha because I always stay awake at night like an owl.

TLC for your hands

At first impression even without looking at your face, your hands can tell the sign of your age, or worst is when it looks older than your real age! To make it look younger and good looking, use hand creams with SPF and anti-aging properties. Don’t just go for the fragrance, be wise and choose products that will benefit your hands in the long run. Nivea Q10 is a good one to try. Or you can also rub a little amount of castor oil on your hands, just that enough so it won’t make you feel greasy. Castor oil is said to be good in preventing wrinkles and will also make your hands softer, I had tried it and it’s good!

When doing some chores at home, apply lotion on your hands before putting hand gloves on. Using warm water when you’re washing the dishes will also keep your hands look younger and wrinkle free.

Sleep on your back

Even your sleeping habit can cause wrinkles on your face and some areas in your chest. So, it’s always a good idea to sleep on your back. Though it’s unavoidable and unconsciously you move sideward or sleep on your stomach, make sleeping on your back a habit. Also use a soft pillow or a satin one to avoid it from causing wrinkles on your face. A trace of wrinkles won’t make you look any younger.

Keep your teeth white

Tea and coffee can cause staining of your teeth, and smoking too! Whiter teeth can make you and your smile look younger.

There are some dental services for teeth whitening, but that’s only if you’re willing to pay for hundreds of dollars just to make it done. To be practical, you can simply make your own homemade teeth whitening solution by just using baking soda and lemon!

Exfoliate

Exfoliate your face and lips for at least twice a week, it will help you look younger. Use your favorite facial scrub for exfoliating your face or you can also make your own homemade exfoliating solution.

In my previous post about getting soft pink lips naturally, I already had mentioned about using sugar to exfoliate the lips. But for those who hadn’t read it yet, you’ll just have to moisten your forefinger with water, then dip it in sugar, and rub it gently onto your lips. And you’re done! Using a damp toothbrush to exfoliate your lips is another method you can do, you’ll just simply brush it against your lips to remove dry and dead skins in it.

Drinking from straw no-no habit

Avoid sucking when you’re drinking from a straw because if you do so, you’re just letting fine lines to form around the areas of your lips and mouth.

Take time to relax

If you’re tired or stuck from doing your work or thinking too much, take a walk or look around. Refresh your mind by meditating even for a while. A five minutes inhale and exhale exercise will also help you ease your mind.

Always wear a smile

Smiling is a natural face lift solution that can make you look younger and more attractive. It also helps in relieving anxiety and stress while boosting your immune system and keeps colds and flu at bay. Aside from that, it can also make you look more comfortable and approachable to people around you.

Always have a positive mind. Don’t frown, always smile and be happy!

If you have beauty secret to look younger that I haven’t mentioned above, please leave it in the comment below.

September 16, 2014 by Jhem Arzaga 5 Comments

Basic Breakout Prevention List For Acne Prone Skins

asian girl pressing acne breakout on her face

Image: Bigstock

You must be someone who’s exactly like me when my face started to breakout during my 23’s. Seeking answers to questions why you’re having that annoying breakouts that’s popping in your face. Looking for acne advice and solutions here and there. I know how does it feels like, and that was so frustrating when you don’t know where they’re coming from!

To prevent breakout is a wiser idea rather than to act when it’s already there. Although you can’t control if your skin is genetically prone to acne or not, there are things you can do to avoid it before it happens. Because if you don’t prevent it, it could turn into a problem that will require you lot of efforts just to cure and clear it up.

Basic breakout prevention

These are the basic and very easy breakout prevention that you can do to keep it away from bothering you. And also to save your pretty face from having some unwanted decorations hehe, joke okay 🙂

Hands off your face

Keeping your hands off your face. Because if you keep on touching your face, it may cause your skin to breakout. Your hands are getting dirts while you’re doing or touching something, it’s just that you don’t notice it. Hands are one of bacteria’s breeding grounds, and this can lead to acne breakout.

Watch out your hair

Your hair can also be a cause for you to breakout. Hair can irritate your facial skin, so if you noticed you’re having breakouts from the area where your bangs is, try wearing a bobby pin to keep your bangs away from your face. Or you can try using a headband! These can help from keeping your face irritated and keep breakouts at bay. In some cases, the hair causes allergy which sometimes you can see some rashes-like forming on your face.

Way back when I was dealing with acne a few years ago, I always wear a headband to keep my hair off my face. Not only in daytime, but even at night time.. I always used the soft and made from cloth or gartered headband, so it’s not painful on my head or behind the ears when I’m sleeping. Though I’m not too comfortable showing off my wide and sharp forehead, I still preferred using a headband because I know it can lessen the breakouts of acne that’s popping in my poor face.

There are chances that some hair products you’re using could also be one of the reasons of your breakouts. Try not to use it for a while and see if your acne becomes less.

Sleeping habit

Not because you’re not going to face the crowd while you sleep doesn’t mean you don’t have to clean your face! Always make it a habit to wash and clean your face properly before going to bed to remove dirts and oils. If you don’t want to wash your face with water, there is a Cetaphil facial cleanser to help you clean your face even without using water.

And make sure you’re using a clean pillow and bed sheets on your sleep. A frequent washing and changing your pillow and sheets is an advantage to keep you away from acne due to the formation of dirts in it that may cause your face to breakout.

Skin care routines

In my previous posts, I shared about some homemade skin care remedies that had helped me get rid of acne breakouts. Check it out, and see if one of them will work for you. Sometimes, what had worked for another person may not work on your breakouts, acne, or pimples. It varies from person to person because everyone has different lifestyles.

I also tried some over-the-counter products but cetaphil, papulex, tony moly ac cleanser, and celeteque are one of the best face wash that works on my sensitive and acne prone skin. Give them a try, who knows, maybe one of this cleanser will also help you combat breakouts. And without drying the skin, these facial cleansers leaves the skin moisturized. Oh, speaking of moisturizing, though your skin is quite oily, you still need to moisturize. You only need to find which one is right for your skin.

And don’t forget to look for products with glycolic or salicylic acid in it, these ingredients are good in dealing with acne and breakouts.

Ooppss, don’t forget to only wash your face twice a daily, and that is once in the morning and the other one is in the evening. Because if you do wash it whenever you have a chance for the reason that your face gets oily, that’s a no-no! Because the more you wash your face and it loses the oil is the more it will produce more.

Watch your lifestyle

Think about your lifestyle, do you think you’re giving enough attention to your body? The food you eat may also be one of the reasons of your acne breakouts, examples are foods that are high in sugar and starch, junk foods, etc. Eat plenty of vegetables and include eating natural plain yogurt in your diet, it has probiotics that helps in reducing skin inflammations. I prefer Greek yogurt. 🙂

Drink plenty of water, 8-10 glasses a day will do.

Are you stressed? Don’t stress yourself. If breakout is causing you to stress more, it will only worsen your breakouts. Take time to relax and look at the positive side, having acne is not yet the end of the world, I know how you feel. I’ve been there, but I’m okay now. 🙂 Take a deep breath, inhale, exhale…inhale, exhale, yes like that! Add this into your everyday routine to make you feel relax and feel better.

Always remember that prevention is always way better than cure.

September 2, 2014 by Jhem Arzaga Leave a Comment

Get That False Lashes Look (Without Using False Eyelashes)

Long lashes can make eyes look more inviting and enhances the eye features. And in some cases, it helps to achieve a youthful look. But we know that not all of us are blessed to have long eyelashes, and that’s why this eyelash hack will help you achieve that look!

To get that long lashes looks to emphasize the eyes is not a problem anymore. Nowadays, there are many ways to enhance the growth of eyelashes, and some girls are using eyelash extensions while the others are using false lashes. But those solutions are very time consuming. Here is a simple fix that will give you look like you’re using false eyelashes even you’re NOT!

It will make your lashes look longer and create an illusion like you’re using false eyelashes. This is not permanent but the privilege of being able to control how thick or thin your lashes will look like is an advantage. Are you ready to enhance the beauty of you with this lashes trick?

Here’s what you’ll need:

eyelash curler
face powder or baby powder
small brush (a blending brush will do)
mascara

Let’s now make your lashes look fabulous!

Use eyelash curler to curl your lashes.
Now use the small brush and sweep it on your face powder or baby powder. You’re free to choose whether you want to use a face powder or a baby powder. Both have the same effect which lets the lashes to look much fuller.
Start applying a single coat of mascara starting from the bottom and up to the ends of your lashes. Make sure to apply it neatly. Always wait between 3-5 minutes to make sure that your previous coating has been already dry to avoid mascara from getting clumpy. You won’t want that, do you?
Always do a back and forth stroke while reaching to the ends of your lashes. Don’t do a boring stroke from the bottom of your eyelashes up at its ends. Basically, your strokes should be like: down + up, and left + right. The purpose of those strokes is to make sure every lash is fully coated with mascara.
And here comes the last step! Take a look of your lashes and check if there’s some gap. Just use the tip of your mascara wand to fill it if there is any.

That’s it, and you’re done!

Sometimes, two coatings aren’t enough. Oh my gosh, maybe I was referring to myself! Haha I admit, I wasn’t contented with just two coatings whenever I’m working on my lashes~~~peace sign \m/! This part is what taking my makeup time too long! 🙂 So, if you aren’t happy with the result yet, feel free to add more coatings until you get your desired lash looks. But always remember not to overdo it because that will make your lashes heavier, it feels like 1/2 kilo mascara?!!?. LOL 🙂

When it comes to getting a false eyelash look, are you happy with just two coatings? Or are you like me who wants lashes to look thicker?

You may want to follow @JhemSaysBeauty on twitter so you’ll be updated on my new posts!