Discovering Napoleon.

"Not to prime is a crime!" This according to Napoleon Perdis, a Greek Australian makeup artist who entered the beauty business in the 1990s. He catapulted to fame soon after he opened his very first concept store in Sydney.

If my memory serves me right, I first came across the name Napoleon Perdis while reading Christine's popular beauty blog, Temptalia. As many of my readers know, I have a strong bias for Asian cosmetic brands (Korean brands, in particular). But every once in awhile I'd come across western or European brands that would pique my curiosity and eventually get my seal of approval. Like this one, for instance.

Napoleon Perdis Tropical Heat Collection in Sand.

In the summer of 2011, Napoleon Perdis released the Tropical Heat Collection - a multi-kit that includes a Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad, a Cheek to Chic Blush Duo, and a Prismatic Lip Veil. I can't remember the regular price of this set, but I got this at a discounted price of $39. Not bad considering you're actually paying for three different products. The collection comes in three shade selections - Ocean, Coral, and Sand. The latter, as depicted above, easily became my favorite.

For some reason this set got relegated to the bottom of my makeup stash; I reckon it has something to do with my going gaga over dark eyeshadows and smokey eyes last year, haha. But now that I'm leaning towards nudes and neutrals and looks that are 'school-friendly' (as in something that I can wear to my son's school functions or PTA meetings), I find myself reaching for the eyeshadow palette and the blush quite often these days. And although this collection was intended for summer, the colors can pretty much be worn anytime of the year.

Now I'm not so sure if this collection has been discontinued or not. After all, it's been two years since its release. But I do know Napoleon Perdis has just released its Spring 2013 collection, and I'm already eyeing a few lippies from the DeVine Goddess line! :)

Foodie Goodie | Tacos Deluxe.

What to do with left-over ground beef? Make tacos, of course! Tacos are perhaps one of the easiest dishes to make, plus you call the shots on what to put in it.

Me want tacos!

Tacos Deluxe

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo ground beef
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 cup salsa
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
16 hard taco shells
Iceberg lettuce, shredded
Grated cheese
Sour cream
Guacamole

Procedure:
1. In a small bowl, mix chili powder, garlic, cumin, salt, coriander, paprika and black pepper.
2. In large skillet, heat oil until it shimmers. Add onion and cook 4-5 minutes or until translucent.
3. Add the seasoning mix, stir it so it combines with the onion. Cook for about a minute.
4. Add the beef, make sure you break the chunks so it cooks through properly.
5. Once the beef is cooked, drop the tomatoes and salsa, stirring to combine. Cook for about a minute, or until heated through.
6. Heat taco shells according to packaging directions.
7. Divide meat mixture among shells.
8. Serve with lettuce, cheese, sour cream and guacamole.


As seen on Spoonful.
Shared with Food Friday and Food Trip Friday.

Show the world what you're made of in the OraCare Ang Galing Challenge!

Whether it's singing or dancing or playing an instrument, or some extreme stunt, let the world see how talented you are by joining the OraCare Ang Galing Challenge! Your talent may just win you some cold, hard cash, or the latest Apple gadgets!

Be confident and show off your Ang Galing! talent with OraCare - a no alcohol, no sting mouthwash with Stabilized Chlorine Dioxide that gets rid of bad bacteria and neutralizes volatile sulfur compounds which cause strong mouth odors.

Showcase your skills!

Here's how it works:
1. Like the OraCare Facebook fan page.
2. Click the OraCare Ang Galing Challenge tab (found just below the cover photo) and allow access to your profile.
3. Accomplish the registration form by indicating your full name, email address, mailing address, and contact number.
4. Head over to YouTube, upload your audition video in your YouTube account, and share the link of your video in the OraCare Ang Galing Challenge app. Don't forget to write a short description of your video, and the talent that you're showcasing.

Video submissions will be from March 20 to April 12, 2013.

Participants whose videos passed the auditions will be notified, and they will form part of the Eliminations Round. Their videos will then be uploaded in the OraCare Talent Gallery, and will be eligible for voting. The ten videos with the most votes will move on to the Finals Round, hence the contestants are encouraged to promote their videos and get as much likes as they can.

In the Finals, the ten videos will still be eligible for voting. At the end of the campaign period, the video with the highest number of votes will be declared the Grand Winner. Four runner-ups will also be chosen.

As for the prizes, here they are:

Grand Prize - Php 25,000

1st Runner Up - iPad 2

2nd Runner-Up - iPod Nano

3rd and 4th Runner-Up - 1 iPod Shuffle each

So what are you waiting for? Visit the OraCare Facebook fan page now and send in your audition videos!

Join | Big Little Me Giveaway!

How about a giveaway for the little ones this time around? It's been awhile since The Rebel Sweetheart hosted one, and this event is just perfect for mommies with infants, and twins, too!

Multiple birth is a joyous occasion that is understood and cherished by Little Me. Understanding that expecting a multiple birth is both a magical and a worrisome time in your life; they would like to help you focus on the double, triple, quadruple… adorable smiles and giggles you’ll have coming to you times many!

Little Me is offering a “Welcome to the World” gift after your multiple child birth. 

To receive your free gift please register for the Multiple Birth Program.

Enjoy!

Welcome to the BIG Little Me Giveaway!

Sponsored by Little Me - Organized by Mom Powered Media

Hosted by: Mom to Bed by 8, Powered By Mom, Baby Costcutters and Capri's Coupons.

Grand Prize $250 Little Me Gift Certificate

Five winners will receive a $100 Little Me Gift Certificate

Twenty winners will receive a $50 Little Me Gift Certificate

Giveaway ends April 15th at 11:59pm, open to US residents, ages 18+. 

To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. 

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. The Rebel Sweetheart is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. 

A Peaceful Day at the Dental Clinic. Not!

Days are always crazy at the dental office, and today was no exception. The waiting room was buzzing as usual. The lady on my right was talking to gossiping with another lady across the room, and now everyone seated at the waiting area knows that their friend Cynthia is sort-of-having-an-affair with her son's swimming instructor.

Meanwhile, on my left, is a kid about my son's age who has been whining for the last thirty minutes or so. I can not, for the life of me, understand what he's complaining about as his stammer is completely unintelligible to me. On top of that, his voice is so shrill that everytime he spoke, it felt like a drill was boring holes into my molar.

Photo credit: Creative Smiles.

As if this madness is not enough, the dental assistant was practically all over the place - going inside and outside of the treatment room every five minutes or so, scurrying towards the stock room, making a beeline for the phone to answer a call, back to the stock room, and then back to the treatment room. Very distracting, really. If only they had dental office two way radios, her life would be a lot easier. Both she and my dentist would be able to work more efficiently with less turnaround time. Plus I can watch the telly in the waiting room in peace. No secretary or dental hygienist blocking my view of Arirang World. Haha!