Celebrate!: The Sprees of September

Good-bye to my new job, hello to my old blog!

If working with a megalomaniac has taught me one thing, it’s that honesty and openness matter. Getting the public to take notice is fine, but an inflated ego never made lasting friendships. So, I’m done with toxic hours and third-rate people – and back to what I love the most: celebrating me, my crafting and my everyday pleasures.

September is not only my freedom month, it’s a month full of very worthwhile pursuits and interests.

• Chicken Month
• Piano Month
• Honey Month
  
• Ethnic Foods Month
  
• Healthy Aging Month
• Baby Safety Month
  
• Classical Music Month
• College Savings Month

We haven’t had honey in the house for a very long time, so I’m jumping at the chance to research and make all the yummy honey things! With September’s dailies, my month’s looking pretty full.

• Aug 03 – Welsh Rarebit Day
• Aug 05 – Lazy Mom’s Day
• Aug 06 – International Vulture Awareness Day
• Aug 12 – Stand Up To Cancer Day
• Aug 13 – Roald Dahl Day
• Aug 16 – Guacamole Day
• Aug 18 – Cheeseburger Birthday
• Aug 19 – Butterscotch Pudding Day
• Aug 21 – International Day of Peace
• Aug 22 – Hobbit Day
• Aug 26 – Johnny Appleseed Day
• Aug 27 – International Rabbit Day

Now, I wonder where I can find a nice butterscotch pudding for the 19th…

Hooray for International Beer Day!

I was never much for a beer on the weekends. My ‘brothers’ in chefs’ clothing taught me to drink whisky and I never saw the point in drinking beer after I’d reached the happy boozy level. I avoided it for the same reason I avoid soda; the carbonation stings my throat something awful.

Fast-forward five years and I still don’t much like beer (or soda), but in honor of International Beer Day, I’ve discovered a few delicious ways to celebrate it without having to partake of the bubbly.

Let’s kick it off with starters: These sinfully crunchy onion rings coated with beer batter, paired with some delicately steamed shellfish. How are they steamed, you ask? Why, with beer!

There’s nothing better than hot soup on a cold day, and our stormy weather here in the Philippines gives us multiple excuses to break out the soup bowls. If you prefer a more filling potato base, grab your favorite ale and boil up this version of beer cheese soup. There’s also another take on chicken soup that I’d like to try. Chicken + Cheese + Beer sounds like the sort of thing that greets the porcelain throne after a long hard night of drinking, but eeehhh why not?

And now for the ‘meat’ of this post!

Long, slow cooking isn’t really an option for us now that gas prices are high, but I like the premise of this yummy chicken chili. I wonder what kind of beer would go well with it?

Guinness seems to be the best beer for beginners to brew cooking. Check out these ribs, marinated in rich dark stout overnight and grilled to perfection.

One of my guilty pleasures is deep-fried cauliflower dipped in tahini. I’ve found a recipe that gives me a healthier alternative with half-simmered, half-baked cauliflower with some tangy flavors. Big plus: it comes in a taco shell!

I’ve saved the yummiest main course for last: Chicken in Honey Beer Sauce. I’m a sucker for honey-flavored anything, and I imagine a Guinness or another creamy rich beer would absolutely make this.

I long for an ice cream on a daily basis. Our tropical heat is to blame (or so I like to say), and the urge doesn’t lessen when I see gorgeous recipes like Beer-flavored ice cream with Chocolate-covered pretzels. I mean, come on, what’s a girl to do against temptation like that?!

And finally, if you have a sweet tooth, the perfect way to end International Beer Day is with these Guinness-flavored cupcakes. If I had a working oven, I’d bang these out without a care for my waistline.

 

Have I whetted your appetite? Do you think you’ll be following one of these recipes this month? Tell me all about it in the comments below!

Celebrate!: The Anniversaries of August

Oh, how I have abandoned thee!

Real life can just be so full sometimes. Houdini’s first birthday with the dress I made for her, the first time she blew a kiss, the first time she had damn persistent diarrhea (she’s fine now, thank goodness), getting my first job as a work-at-home parent and SO MANY other things that have gone on these past few months. But I have missed writing so much, and I was inspired by my new job, believe it or not. A friend and I have been planning new and exciting things and I can’t wait to get started, but for now, it’s high time that I breathe new life into this blog!

August is a damn fine month,

• Sandwich Month
• Catfish Month
• Goat Cheese Month
  
• Onion Month
  
• Mushroom Month
• Breastfeeding Month
  
• What Will Be Your Legacy Month

August is looking like a kick-ass month, never mind the Catfish part. I don’t believe a dish is complete without a good helping of onions, and sandwiches are the ultimate evolution of sliced bread.

I do hope to make delicious goodies to celebrate August properly, but to help me (and other August hearts) along, here are some dailies.

• Aug 01 – International Beer Day
• Aug 03 – Watermelon Day
• Aug 06 – Wiggle Your Toes Day
• Aug 08 – Odie Day
• Aug 10 – S’mores Day
• Aug 13 – International Lefthanders Day
• Aug 15 – Julia Child’s Birthday
• Aug 16 – World Honey Bee Day
• Aug 21 – Hawaii Day
• Aug 26 – Eat Dessert First Day
• Aug 28 – Race Your Mouse Around The Icons Day
• Aug 29 – More Herbs, Less Salt Day
• Aug 30 – International Whale Shark Day

A celebration for the butanding is more than I could ask for. Let me start planning our August!

Made-To-Order Mondays: Ganchill-O Buddies

MTO Spotlight is a year-long feature on ‘Kyaru and Bunnies’ which aims to highlight Filipinas who are dedicated to bringing the long-ignored art of crochet back to the Philippines. If you or someone you know would like to be featured on this blog, please send your details to bamfkbunny@gmail.com

Many thanks to today’s interviewee, Grace of Ganchill-O Buddies! From one avid crocheter to another, my hat’s off to you, Mommy Grace! For those who are disheartened by other people who don’t appreciate our craft, read on and be inspired ^.^

WIP Wednesdays: May 2 Yarn Haul!

As I may have mentioned before, I went to my first yarn event last Saturday (if your memory is a bit hazy, take a little detour over here) and in a word, it was fantabulous. The people, the conversation, the lemonade – Ahhh, I can’t wait to go to the next one!

But of course, the MAIN reason for going to any yarn sale is the yarn. And oh, were there choices. I purposefully took just enough money for what I needed to buy, because I just knew I was going to have a hard time choosing.

Smart move on my part, but…Well, a haul is a haul is a haul!

The purple Kipling on the right was my trusty yarn bag, and I was able to stuff all of the above into it. My husband says I pack like a boss… Actually, he said ‘burglar’ but I heard ‘boss’, because I fit all that into one bag, and that takes serious skillz.

20% Nylon, 30% Wool, 50% Acrylic / 50g, 164y / Php 45

I got this pretty peach-pink skein from Yarn Shack for free, because I bought the ergonomic hook set (bottom left of the top picture). The handles are made out of the same resin that is used for Clover brand hooks. I can’t say yet if they’re better than the generic aluminum set, but that’s  because I’ve only made the one hat this week. I do love the grip, though I wish it was longer (I’ve got bigger hands than most).

Alize Diva (Batik) / 100% Microfiber Acrylic / 100g, 383y / Php 290

I’ve looked around, and I can confidently say that only Kurazu Online Shop (also known as Yarns Kurazu Rumeka) stocks the Alize brand. As a matter of note, it’s pronounced a-liz, like “a-liz ka diyan” (XD!), and not a-liz-Ay, like the drink. These yarns are imported from Turkey, which is why they’re a little more expensive. But I don’t even care because look at those colors! Asdfghjkl!!!

I may have weirded Kurazu out a little because I literally said “Take my money!” (Sorry, girl >.<) In my defense, I had been thinking it all day ever since I saw her booth because those colors had me slavering like a dragon in front of a treasure pile. Yeah, I said ‘slavering’.

These two are light fingering-weight to me, and will find new lives as scarves. I’ve even found the perfect patterns. As always, I’m wary to working with such a small hook size, but hopefully I can get over it so I can use these beauties.

Alize Cotton Gold (Batik) / 55% Cotton 45% Acrylic / 100g, 361y/ Php 290

These colors are gorgeous, gorgeous I say! I love their soft pastel hue, and I wish I had bought more. I will buy more, come the next yarn sale!

This supremely soft sport-weight yarn is perfect for baby things. Even at this moment, I’m flipping through my magazines and scouring Ravelry’s very bones for the perfect patterns. I also have to the consider the weather, which is absolutely brutal right now. It’s storm weather without the storm, just dropping the humidity everywhere without even the promise of rain. Poor Houdini is taking two baths a day now.

Alize Burcum and Batik / 100% Acrylic / 100g, 250y/ Php 250

If I were to choose only one kind of material to make hats out of, it would be this worsted-weight yarn. It’s amazingly soft and workable. If I were a braver person, I’d have hooked this up immediately. But I’m not, so I’m content to rub my cheek against it when I’m bored.

Note to self: Must find more hat designs!

Alize Burcum and Batik / 100% Acrylic / 100g, 250y/ Php 250

The obligatory purple yarn. I don’t really favor purple all that much, but it reminds me of my brother. This is a nice pastel shade mixed with a soft grey, so whatever I make can be used for either of us. That is, if I don’t fall in love with it first!

I can already tell that I’m going to have a lot of trouble selling my FOs if this is the kind of yarn I’m using, hahahaha.

Hand-dyed Yarn / 100% Cotton/ 200g, 150y/ Php 200

Of course I couldn’t go to a yarn sale hosted by Crafty Yarn Paws without getting anything from her! I had already pre-ordered these beauties before the sale, so I just had to pick them up. The colors could not be any more vibrant: Cacao, Cheesecake and Old Rose. I love Old Rose, surprising because I don’t usually go for shades of pink, but I seriously can’t wait to work with this. I could probably make a dozen hats of this color and I wouldn’t get tired of it.

Big Floral Buttons, Php 40 for 10 pcs. / Doodle Buttons, Php 30 for 10pcs.

I love buttons. I looooooove theeeeeem. These particular ones are from The Yarn Traveler and to tell the truth, I bought them before anything else. If I weren’t so obsessed with yarn right now, I’d be collecting buttons. I really may have been a dragon in another life, given how devoted I am to maintaining and growing a hoard. It used to be stamps, now it’s yarn, soon it’ll be buttons!

I’m so glad I’m working with new kinds of yarn. It makes me feel like I’m slowly growing as a crocheter because I’ve lifted my no-acrylic rule. Depending on the results after I’ve already made something, Alize may become my go-to acrylic.

Have I made you lust after some of these yarns? Don’t worry, the online shops’ links will be down below. If you missed the chance to go to this sale (and are wondering why I keep raving about lemonade), drop by the next Yarn ‘n Lemonade event, which will be July 4th. I’ll definitely be there, and I hope you will be too. For further details and to keep up-to-date on any new developments, please drop by Crafty Kitten Paw’s website. Whether or not you end up buying some yarn while you’re there is completely up to you ^.^

Facebook Page links:

• Crafty Kitten Paws
• The Yarn Traveler
• Yarn Shack
• Yarns Kurazu Rumeka

Update: Due to Real Life, Yarn N’ Lemonade events have been postponed. This is such a huge bummer because the ladies behind it are phenomenal and I love spending time with them. Never fear though, we’ll find a way to ride again!

Made-To-Order Mondays: Yarn At Heart

MTO Spotlight is a year-long feature on ‘Kyaru and Bunnies’ which aims to highlight Filipinas who are dedicated to bringing the long-ignored art of crochet back to the Philippines. If you or someone you know would like to be featured on this blog, please send your details to bamfkbunny@gmail.com

Many thanks to today’s interviewee, Nix of Yarn At Heart! She’s another mommy who has found her calling in crochet. Read on for her inspiring story!

Stay tuned tomorrow for my big stash unveiling, as well as a few fun announcements (hint: they’re yarn sale-related!), and be sure to come back next week for another installment of Made-To-Order Mondays. Thanks for reading!

Yarn ‘N Lemonade: My First Yarn Event!

It was promising to be a hot, sticky day. TV broadcasters had the temperature at a sweltering 39 degrees centigrade. Not exactly a day to be out and about.

But nothing was going to dampen my spirits. There was a yarn sale waiting for me!

The Yarn ‘N Lemonade sale, held on May 2, had been in the works for two months. I was beyond excited for this; not only would I be spending the day with Renee Rose from The Yarn Traveler, but I would be meeting the brilliant beauties behind three other local yarn shops and I would be completely surrounded by gorgeous wonderful yarn. It was a fiber-fanatic’s dream come true.

I nearly went right past this. How awesome is this giant star?

I arrived early, but I still wasn’t the first on the scene. There were already a few dedicated yarn souls looking through the colorful bounty displayed by our hosts. Words completely fail me at this time, so I’ll let my pictures speak for me!

Here’s Renee Rose from The Yarn Traveler, thoroughly enjoying her line of Spectra Ombre Hand-dyed yarn

The very sweet Annlyn of Yarn Shack and her supportive other half

Our saucy winding queen, Karen of Crafty Kitten Paws! She worked hard all day, winding that mountain of finicky Vigan yarn into soft caked perfection

Carmelle Lou of Yarns Kurazu Rumeka not only brought the lion’s share of yarn on display, but she inspired me to try my hand at amigurumi!

Speaking of ‘yarn on display’, take a gander at these beauties!

        

Even Lady Imana came by! Imana provides knitting workshops that are completely off the hook (if you catch my drift ^.^)

We were having so much fun, the hosts decided to extend their sale til 4pm! It was a happy get-together of yarn enthusiasts, with the best company a girl could ask for (and the yummiest lemonade that was finished far too quickly).

I was fortunate enough to stay until the very end, just so I could listen in on their post-sale meeting. I’m prohibited from disclosing more, but I can say that we’re going to have a very interesting year ahead.

This Wednesday, instead of my WIPs (which are still WIPs, boohoo), I’ll be posting my awesome haul from the sale, as well as a few announcements from Crafty Kitten Paws, The Yarn Traveler, Yarn Shack and Yarns Kurazu Rumeka. Stay tuned!

Facebook Page links:

• Crafty Kitten Paws
• The Yarn Traveler
• Yarn Shack
• Yarns Kurazu Rumeka

WIP Wednesday!

It’s been two weeks since my last post, and I have to admit… I’ve only finished one WIP!

It’s been slow-going around here for the past few days. I’m coming up with a fun new venture with a friend, and if it all works out… well,  I’ll have a nice surprise for everyone. I’m also preparing for a new blog feature that, I’m hoping, will give our local crochet community a big boost. Super excited about this one!

While we wait for the big reveal, feast your eyes on my new works-in-progress:

I’ve finally started my baby girl’s birthday dress! It took me two weeks to get up the courage to actually put hook to yarn, and I’m so glad I did. This has got to be one of my favorite baby dress patterns: it’s well written and easy to understand.

Up close, you can just see it’s simple treble clusters, but the drape is really nice. I’m using Baguio Cotton Sheen in Blonde. It’s darker than I would have liked, but it’s a lovely beach-brown that Houdini can wear around until she grows out of it. My mom heavily hinted that I should make a matching set for her too. Don’t think I have enough yarn for that, haha.

 

I’m finally using Crafty Kitten Paws‘ Tablea and Egg Yolk! I’ll honestly forever love her 12plys. They are soooo soft and workable! Every time I see a 12ply ball go up for sale at The Yarn Traveler, I have to sit on my hands to keep from buying it.

As I said before, I’m working on making a baby sling. Houdini loves being chauffeured around in someone’s arms, doesn’t matter who, and our backs are paying the price. The essentials of a good baby sling is that it should support the baby’s back and legs properly, while at the same time dispersing the weight so that you can move about freely. The trick here is getting the tension right, so in the above picture, I”m testing different stitches to see which one has a good stretch without becoming too warped.

I’ve decided on two stitches. For the Tablea, I’m going with the Honeycomb stitch. Not too much stretch, so it’ll give good support. Also, the holes make it nice and airy, perfect for our humid weather of late.

For the Egg Yolk, I’m going with the Grit stitch. This one is a little stretchier than the Honeycomb, so it’ll give way when Houdini gets heavier.

Now I just have to decide the length and actually begin these projects so that when the rest of the yarn comes in, all I have to do is join them along.

That’s my update in the midst of this busy week. Stay tuned for next week, when I uncover my newest feature!

Links:

• Crafty Kitten Paws
• The Yarn Traveler

Happy Surprises: BDJ Box April 2015

I officially love getting BDJ boxes in the mail. I swear, after the May Yarn Sale, I’m saving up money for a 6-month subscription!

Look at all these goodies!

The theme for this box is ‘Spring into Beauty‘, a call to show off your best blooming self during this helter-skelter vacation time. Traditionally, here in the Philippines, these hot summer months are the perfect time to get away from the humidity of the city, to go lose yourself in the beaches or enjoy the cool breezes of the Cordilleras. Wherever we go, the products in these box aim to keep us at our radiant best.

Here’s a list of what I got, according to the helpful little card that always comes in these boxes:

• MyChoice Pure Herbal Soap (Php 55, 100g)
• Tony Moly Intense Case Snail Foot Mask (Php 198, 18ml)
• Asian Secrets Lulur Whitening Facial Scrub (Php 120, 100g)
• Asian Secrets Lulur Whitening Body Scrub (Php 15, 20ml)
• MyChoice Bubble Shower Salt 2-in-1 (Php 100, 225g)
• Mustela 2 in 1 Hair and Body Wash (Php 520, 200ml) – 5ml sample sachet
• Mustela Stretch Marks Double Action (Php 1750, 150ml) – two 10ml sample tubes
• Mustela Hydra Bebe Body Lotion (Php 790, 300ml) – 5ml sample sachet
• MyChoice Anti Acne Cream (Php 100, 20g)
• FS Cosmetics Lash Extravagance Mascara (Php 350, 9g)
• Revlon Highlighting Palette in No. 002 Rose Glow (Php 625, 7.5g)
• MyChoice Perfume Spray (PHp 60, 22ml)
• Tony Moly Luminous Glow Aura CC Cream (Php 1098, 30ml)

There’s also the usual inspirational stickers, which I love, and an introductory pamphlet to Mustela products. There’s also an FS Cosmetics catalog, which my daughter will love because she’s in a phase where she likes turning book pages.

Serious respect to whoever packs these monthly subscription boxes. Once I’d pulled everything out, I had no idea how to make them fit again. There’s so much to look at! Huge plus for me, the cosmetics n00b – I have never used any of these products before, ever. And there are SIX full-sized products in here! Totally worth the Php 580 that I paid for it, yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas!

Tony Moly Luminous Glow Aura CC Cream

I’ve tried BB Cream before, but never CC Cream. Does it mean a level up in coverage? Apparently not.

According to Wikipedia (which is usually where I end up when I use my Google-fu), these are both classified as tinted moisturizers. However, BB Cream, or Blemish/Beauty Balm Cream can be used as a foundation, but it also has certain healing or protective qualities depending on the brand. CC Creams, or Color Control/Correcting Creams, are lighter than BB Creams and are suppose to even out the color of your face, so I’m guessing they’d be more of a primer than an actual full-coverage foundation.

Squeak-worthiness: 1 out of 6. I’d be more excited for this if there were at least two sachets in the box. I would get only two days of use out of this slim sachet, maybe three if I spread it really thinly. I can’t really do a good review in such a short amount of time.

Revlon Highlighting Palette in No. 002 Rose Glow

I’d just commented on another beauty blog about shimmer pearls. I know these aren’t quite the same, but I’ve also never used a highlighter before. In my mind, I always imagined it to be crayons in shades of white, for that Kim Kardashian contouring routine.

Dreams of sky-high cheekbones aside, this is actually quite a versatile palette. I can see this being used for eyeshadow and blush. I may have to watch more Youtube makeup tutorials to learn how to use it as a highlighter though, because I”m a bit wary of the shimmer.

Squeak-worthiness: 4 out of 6. It’s a much more neutral set of colors (compared to the blush that I got from the Jan-Feb box) so I feel more comfortable using it, but three glittery colors? Might take some getting used to.

MyChoice Anti Acne Cream

Squeak-worthiness: 3 out of 6. I don’t really have acne anymore, but I’m always excited to try new products that will help my husband, who hasn’t left those woes behind yet. I try to tell him a change of diet helps too, but while we’re implementing that, we’ll try this new cream too!

MyChoice Pure Herbal Soap (Rejuvenating Effect, Natural Papaya)

How fun looking is this? It’s like the jello dessert that looks like stained glass. And it has a subtle sweet fruity scent. I’ve never used papaya soap before, mostly because any soap I used leaves a faint residue and always leaves my skin feeling dry.

Squeak-worthiness: 4.5 out of 6. Every time I look at it, I’m reminded of jello, haha.

Mustela Stretch Marks Double Action; Mustela Hydra Bebe Body Lotion; Mustela 2 in 1 Hair and Body Wash

Why didn’t this arrive during my 8th month of pregnancy??? That is probably one of my greatest woes: not a single stretch mark to be seen until the last seven weeks of my pregnancy, then BOOM! It’s like they were waiting for me to stop watching for them.

Now I know there’s no way to completely get rid of stretch marks once they’ve developed, and to be honest, I don’t really mind that they’re there. My brother and I have been living with stretch marks ever since our adolescent years, and now we don’t even notice that they’re there. I do love the tiny sachets though, they’ll be perfect for when we go traveling with Houdini.

Squeak-worthiness: 4 out of 6. Mustela is a really good brand for mommies, and I’m excited to try out that it’s like.

Asian Secrets Lulur Whitening Body Scrub

Can I just squeak about this for a moment? I’ve been wanting to try this brand out since forever, and now I have 6 sachets and the facial scrub! Kyaaaaaaa for one full month of use! I love  shower-related everything, especially in this heat. Shower-time is me-time, just me under the cold, cold spray of the shower washing the day’s dirt and dried oatmeal off – Heaven!

Squeak-worthiness: 6 out of 6. 6 sachets! They’re 20g each, so that’s 120g of scrubby shower bliss, woohoo! I’m using this tomorrow ^.^

Asian Secrets Lulur Whitening Facial Scrub

Now this scrub contains bengkoang, known by its English name ‘jicama’, or by it’s local Philippine name ‘singkamas’- which, coincidentally, is in season right now. I’ve seen ‘jicama’ turn up in some whitening products, though the only one I’ve ever used was a sunscreen. It’ll be interesting to see how this one works out.

Squeak-worthiness: 6 out of 6. Will this return me to my pre-pregnancy shade? We’ll see!

FS Cosmetics Lash Extravagance Mascara

FS Cosmetics Lash Extravagance Mascara (Bristles)

 Ah, mascara. With this and a good eyeliner, I’m all set for eye makeup. I’m not really good with eyeshadow, but I’m happy to say I know my way around a mascara wand. Some days, that’s all you need.

Squeak-worthiness: 5 out of 6. I love mascara so much, I’ll wear it around my baby, just so she thinks my lashes are as long as hers.

MyChoice Perfume Spray (Passy)

I’m not much of a perfume person because they tend to make my head ache. I don’t even like going down the fabric conditioner aisle in the supermarket. When I buy perfume for myself, I usually go for neutral fruit scents, like cucumber. This perfume smells like an Arabian souq. No joke, it took me right back home. And it’s strong. Even after washing it off, I can still smell it on my wrist four hours later.

There’s a nice undertone when it does wear off, a musky sandalwood note that reminds me of traditional Muslim dress and henna and their very thin walking sticks. But I don’t know if I should keep it. Maybe I’ll look up ways to dilute it properly.

Squeak-worthiness: No squeaks here.

MyChoice Bubble Shower Salt 2-in-1

First it was the soap, then two Asian Secrets products, now this. Usually I’m up in arms about whitening products. Just be happy in the skin you’re in, I say. However, recent exposure to the sun has made me rethink my stance. I darken like nobody’s business. The inside of my wrist and my face doesn’t match, that’s how quickly I tan. And it takes absolutely ages to even out.It took me almost a year to get read of my last tan line, and I wasn’t even looking to get one! So, in lieu of swimming in the nude, I guess I’ll try a few of these products to even myself out.

Squeak-worthiness: 5 out of 6. Any excuse to exfoliate is good for me, and I love citrus. And it’s a huge tube!

Tony Moly Intense Case Snail Foot Mask

My experience with pampering feet ends at a homemade soak with warm water and whatever essential oil is at hand. As for the escargot, I knew their slime was used for face masks (and I don’t know how I feel about that), so this product is a totally new beastie for me.

Excerpt from the leaflet: ‘Its unique formula speeds up the renewal process allowing the outer skin to mature and peel away – painlessly – giving way to new skin’

Now I’m torn: should I use it for myself, or for my mom? And if I do use it for my mom, do I tell her there’s snail slime in it?

Squeak-worthiness: I honestly do not know. I’m not a big fan of slime, which is possibly a side effect of having to eat raw oysters for chef school. Regardless, will definitely do a review of this on my mom.

Ahhhh, I really can’t wait to use these (aside from the perfume >.<)! And there’s such a variety here, which is great. I’ll say it before, and I’ll say it again, BDJ Subscription Boxes are GREAT for people who want to try something new. If anyone wants to subscribe, just drop by bdjbox.com.

What about you, any new surprises lately? If you got the box, did you get anything different? Which product would you most like to try?

#7DaysWith Lucido-L Hair Make Supplement Styling Milk

The Product: Lucido-L Hair Make Supplement Styling Milk [Curl]

The Promise: A hair styling product with treatment function, powered by high penetrating Hyaluronic Acid that coats hair strands for soft and tangle-free hair – with long-lasting sweet fruity-floral fragrance.

The Star Ingredient: From the website – “CMC (Cell Membrane Complex) exists among cuticles and cortex cells to help them bond with each other and also works as a “path of water” to transport water to cells. When CMC is lost due to hair damage, cuticles and cortex cells break away, reducing the water-maintaining ability of hair, thus the combination with CMC-like ingredients help water retention to create manageable hair up to ends.”

The Test Subject: I ‘convinced’ my mom to be part of this test. Not that I’m saying my hair can’t use some improvement, but to really put a hair product to the test, you’ve got to try it on hair that needs it the most.

The ultimate pre-product picture: Uncombed Hair Fresh from the Shower

The Breakdown: I received the milk serum, along with its sister product, the oil treatment, in the January – February 2015 BDJ Box. I won’t lie: the first thing that attracted me to it was its unique shape. It’s so cute!

Don’t they remind you of Matryoshka Dolls?

Here’s the sitch with my mom’s hair: She CAN’T go a day without conditioner. In its natural state, her hair is easily tangled, brittle and wiry to the touch. Its the kind of hair that definitely benefits from a luxurious hot oil treatment. Note the word ‘luxurious’ in that sentence, so my mom’s no stranger to at-home hair treatments.

Uncombed vs. Combed

On the day of the test, I had my mom go without her usual conditioner. As is obvious from the picture, even when it’s been combed, her hair still looks uneven, with the natural waves just making it look even more untamed. I think this is typical of hair that has undergone chemical treatments, color changes, or has been damaged by extreme weather changes.

Enter Lucido-L.

Check out these results! I personally love the feathery fringe at the ends of her hair, no tools required!

The Curl variation of Styling Milk really works for my mom. Her waves are definitely defined and tamed, giving it a very uniform look. There’s a shine to her hair that wasn’t there before, but even after twelve hours, her hair wasn’t greasy, sticky or oily. And no tangles!

Look at that gleam!

Pros:

• The pump dispenses a measured amount, so you can decide how much or how little to use
• The consistency of the product is watery, but not sticky, so it’s easily worked into your hair
• This teensy 70ml bottle goes a long way – The recommended amount for mid-length hair is the product from 2 to 3 pumps, but with how damaged my mom’s hair is, we had to use around 5 pumps. We’re going on our 3rd month using it!
• It’s the perfect size to put in a bag – even a mommy’s bag!

Cons:

• This stuff has a strong floral smell – fortunately, it dissipates after half an hour or so, leaving just a slight scent

This product is going on my Re-buy list. With Php 295 and five minutes, I can have healthy-looking, salon-worthy hair for months!

Have you tried the Styling Milk? Any other hair goddess products I should try out?