Wordless Wednesday #54 | Butterfly Waltz.

"Hundreds of butterflies flitted in and out of sight

 like short-lived punctuation marks in a stream of consciousness 

without beginning or end.” 

― Haruki Murakami, 1Q84

Spotlight | Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion.

I was aiming to get this post up in time for KPop Republic, but alas, I fell ill yesterday and stayed in bed the entire day while nursing a 38-degree fever. Good thing the fever was gone when I woke up this morning, and although I'm still feeling a bit weak, I can manage to sit in front of my laptop and finally finish this review.

Rosa Fiore (the company that brought Etude House to the Philippines) sent me samples of this much talked about Any Cushion a few weeks back, and I've been using this product for several days now. If you're following me on Instagram, then you've probably seen me rave about this latest offering from Etude House.

Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion.

It's a cushion-type foundation that boasts of six major functions - coverage, moisturizer, sun protection, sebum control, whitening effect, and cooling effect. It comes in a pretty pink (albeit chunky) compact that has a full-sized mirror and a double lid closure which separates the puff from the cushion itself.

Double lid closure.

The puff, meanwhile, is made from Rubycell and Polyurethane. It has a rubbery feel, is easy to clean, and does not wear and tear easily, unlike ordinary sponges.

Rubber  puff!

As for the cushion itself, it looks like a big sponge doused with foundation. Haha! To use, simply push the cushion down with the rubber puff, and voila!

The Any Cushion, up close.

One push gets you enough product for light coverage. To build up color and for heavier coverage, go for two or three pushes.

Two pushes will get you this much.

I'm currently using the W24 Honey Beige - a darker shade of beige that suits my skin tone nicely. The funny thing is, I'm actually a W13 Natural Beige when it comes to Etude House's Bright Fit BB Cream. I'm not sure if the colors have been formulated differently, but the W13 shade of the Any Cushion is a little off for my skin tone.

Left without Any Cushion; right with Any Cushion.

I do, however, love its matte to satin finish that feels very light on the skin. I'm also crazy about how my face looks airbrushed whenever I'm wearing the Any Cushion. Haha!

Satin and glowing - straight from a Korean drama, haha! 

What I love:

- Cute, hygienic packaging.

- The rubber puff! 

- Buildable coverage.

- Matches my skin tone nicely.

- Matte to satin finish.

- Gives the skin a nice glow and leaves it with an 'airbrushed' appearance.

- Feels light on the skin.

- Doesn't cake up even after hours of wearing.

- Stays on for about eight to ten hours.

- SPF50+/PA+++!

- No allergies, no breakouts whatsoever.

- Has a mild, pleasant scent.

- Reasonably priced at Php 998 (a little over $20).

What you might not like:

-  For a compact, I find this one a bit chunky.

(But at least it still fits my on-the-go vanity kit, haha.)

Products Used:
FACE: Etude House Precious Minerals Any Cushion,
Missha UnderEye Brightener.
EYES: BYS Waterproof Eyeliner, Majolica Majorca Lash King Mascara,
The Face Shop Design My Eyebrow.
CHEEKS: Human Heart Nature Perfect Glow Mineral Blush.
LIPS: Double Hit Lip in Rose Riot.

Have you tried the Precious Mineral Any Cushion? It's now available at all Etude House branches and sells for Php 998 a pop :)

Foodie Goodie | Hawaiian Chicken.

Thinking of what to serve your kids this weekend?
Here's a sweet and tangy chicken dish that my four-year-old loves - aside from the usual fried chicken and his all-time favorite chicken curry. I'm pretty sure your little ones will enjoy this, too.

Hawaiian Chicken

Ingredients:
500 grams boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Hawaiian Sauce
1 can pineapple chunks
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon flour

Procedure:
1. Rub chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
2. Place flour on a plate and coat the chicken on both sides with flour, pressing to make sure it adheres. Shake off excess flour.
3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces to the skillet. Cook by batches to make sure that the skillet doesn't get too crowded.  Add more oil if necessary.
4. Sauté chicken for 4 minutes,until it turns golden brown . Adjust the heat  if needed.
5. Turn the cutlets and continue to sauté for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until chicken is brown on all sides and cooked throughout. Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.
6. Next, make the sauce by adding the pineapple chunks (juice included), brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, cloves, paprika and salt. Return the skillet to medium heat and stir for a minute.
7. Add the tablespoon of flour and continue to heat the sauce, stirring to collect any remaining juices and brown bits from pan, and allowing it to thicken slightly.
8. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve with white rice.

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

Bringing Home the Bacon.

This weekend had been pretty stressful, with the little man getting sick and all. He had fever the whole day last Saturday, mostly because of his inflamed tonsils. The following day, his fever was gone only to be replaced by weird-looking rashes on his skin. Although his rashes were weather-induced and not contagious, I made him skip school last Monday and Tuesday.

I was quite very worried that he might not be able join the Elocution Contest on Thursday (which is today). Just thinking of all the weeks we spent memorizing his lines and practicing the actions, and how it could all go to waste stressed me to the point that I could cry. Thankfully, Yue's pediatrician 'cleared' him of his medical condition, and he was given the 'go' signal to go back to school.

And guess what? Not only was the little man able to participate in the Preschool Elocution Contest, he even bagged Second Place in the Filipino category! And if I'm not mistaken, he's the youngest (he's only four) in his Preparatory Class.

Looking dapper in a Barong Tagalog!

Not just any yellow ribbon,
it's a 'Second Place Elocution Contest Winner' ribbon. :)

My boy never fails to make me proud, but today he has made me even prouder!

He may not have my looks, but he has my neurons. Lol! :)

Winners all!

Thank you son, for bringing home the bacon and continuing the family tradition! We are very, very proud of you! Love you, baby!

Now here's the little man reciting 'Ang Aming Tahanan'. :)

Wordless Wednesday #53 | 'Twas Another Crazy Weekend.

The little man got sick.

Maleficent showed her wrath.

And Anthony Pettis beat Benson Henderson to become
the new UFC Lightweight Champion! :)