My Personal Choices of Face Powder

Finding the right face powder is as tricky as finding the right man for you.  There are a lot of face powders who have attractive packaging promising you things that aren't real, just like some men. :p  I myself spent more than 5 years in finding the right face powder for me that conforms absolutely to the description the product claims.  During my quest of the perfect brand, I've tried some face powders that are worth your penny. A perfect face powder for me sets up my make up a smooth and even complexion and here are some brands of face powders that deserve a good review from me.

1. VMV Illuminants Brilliant Finish 25 Powder Foundation (Price: $46)

http://www.vmvhypoallergenics.com/shop-by-concern/photoaging/illuminants-brilliant-finish-25-powder-foundation.html

My bestfriend (Tattet) and I used this powder when we were still in college. We no longer buy this product because it's way too pricey.  Funny thing is, we can no longer afford this now but we we were able to afford this when we were still students. What the??? Anyways, the reason I put this on my number one list is that this is the best face powder I have ever used in my whole life.  I only put one covering in the morning and that is good for the whole day, even until class dismissal in the afternoon.  This product makes even your tiniest pores invisible - oh that was exaggerated! Seriously, I had a creamy soft skin in my face when I used this.  

2. Clinique Stay-matte sheer pressed powder oil free (Price: $32)

I bought this powder here in Budapest not because of the reviews I have read but because of the friendly sales lady who assisted me well.  If the basis of my purchase would mainly be based on reviews, I would have bought a MAC pressed powder.  But when I came inside the MAC shop in Westend Center in Budapest, the sales lady ignored me at first and then spoke to me unprofessionally.  So I decided to raise my left brows at her and exit the store. I passed by the Clinique shop and went in to browse.  The friendly sales lady attended to me immediately and recommended me this product. I have been using it for 3 days already and I'm happy with it. This product is true to its name as my skin stayed matte most of the day, though I sometimes do one touch up a day.  I alternate this with my VMV face powder when I don't go outdoors.  

3. VMV So Fine Pressed Powder (Price: $38)

I bought this one in the Philippines because I know I can't buy this product in Budapest.  This is one of the best powders I have ever tried and it does exactly what it says in its package.  I use this when I have outdoor activities because it keeps my face look fresh for hours. It has a soft container that keeps your compact powder from breaking in case you accidentally drop it. Just make sure that you don't soil it with dirt!  

4. Maybelline Clear Smooth Extra Shine Free (Price: $5)

 

http://teenfinds2010.blog.com/

I've tried using this when I was still working in the Philippines. I topped it over my BB cream and it gave me a healthy and glowing skin.  It gives a light and natural coverage.  So if you plan to put face powder on the beach, I recommend this product since it is only light and doesn't leave your face cakey.


It really depends on you on what product you are willing to spend your money to.  There are powders designed for your skin type and the ball is in your court in finding the right one.  If you are confused, you better ask the sales lady because some of them are really trained for that.  Good luck pals! :-)

5 Reasons why I love Budapest (Part 5): Hungarian People

When I moved to Budapest, I expected to experience a culture shock, yet due to the kindness and hospitality of the Hungarians I have experienced the exact opposite.

As a person who came from a country where smiling is a common gesture, I smile to people whose eyes meet mine.  I did not understand why some of the people here don't smile back at me.  But as days passed by, I have understood the reason why.   Hungary was under a communist era and they have experienced being dominated. Thus, people here are expected to be serious and deep.  They have the tendency to build a high wall before befriending you. But once you get in, you will see their sincerity and genuine care.  They invest time and emotions in people who can potentially stay around for a lifetime. 

Some of my Hungarian friends say that most of them are pessimistic. They are aware that we don't live in the best of all possible worlds.  They have the tendency to avoid the world's ambiguity. Realism is more valued than optimism.

In any situation, a handshake is a polite way to approach when you first meet someone in Hungary.  It is also common here to kiss cheek to cheek when greeting to friends or even to acquaintances.  So don't get jealous if a hot girl kisses your partner on the cheeks. :p

Here are some famous Hungarian people who made it to the top.

Ernő Rubik - Invented the Rubik cubes

Judit Polgár - Chess Grand Master. Source: Wikipedia

Estée Lauder-founder of  Estée Lauder make-up. Source: wikipedia

Bíró László József: Inventor of the Modern Ball Point Pen

A Miraculous Novena Prayer

I can clearly remember a personal experience of a powerful novena that first occurred when I was still a fresh graduate searching for my first job.  Like any fresh graduate, I was so eager to acquire my first job right after graduation and frustrated when I failed to have one.  It was my mom who gave me a pamphlet of the Infant Jesus of Prague Novena Prayer and told me that it can really help me achieve my purpose.  Being an obedient daughter, I took mom's advice and started to diligently pray the novena.  

O Jesus, Who has said, "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened," through the intercession of Mary, Your Most Holy Mother, I knock, I seek, I ask that my prayer be granted.

(Make your request)

O Jesus, Who has said, "All that you ask of the Father in My Name, He will grant you," through the intercession of Mary Your Most Holy Mother, I humbly and urgently ask your Father in your name that my prayer will be granted.

(Make your request)

O Jesus, Who has said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away but My word shall not pass away," through the intercession of Mary Your Most Holy Mother, I feel confident that my prayer will be granted.

(Make your request) 

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

Divine Infant Jesus, I know You love me and would never leave me. I thank You for Your close Presence in my life.

Miraculous Infant, I believe in Your promise of peace, blessings, and freedom from want. I place every need and care in Your hands.

Lord Jesus, may I always trust in Your generous mercy and love. I want to honor and praise You, now and forever. Amen.

Note: Pray this novena consecutively every hour for 9 hours.  It will not be called novena if you won't complete the 9 hours.

In the novena, I asked God to help me land a job before my birthday, yes I was demanding.  I nearly lost hope on my birthday because instead of landing a job in a corporate office, I landed on a hospital bench watching over my sister who was then confined.  When the clock struck 13:00, a power supply company called to invite me for a pre-employment exam.  In supplication, I asked God for his assistance and guidance. Finally, I got it! It was not the last because almost all of my previous jobs were acquired through this Novena .  I don't believe that the companies I've previously worked for hired me for my competencies and skills alone; it was God who looked out for my best interest and I know He had a perfect job fit for me.  

In addition to that, I also included my mother and sister who were stricken by sickness years ago. My sister underwent two surgeries in one operation - ruptured ovarian cyst and appendectomy.  I prayed the Novena more often for my sister's fast recovery.  We were glad that the operation went well.  However, a few months has passed when my mother was diagnosed with a Stage 2 Breast Cancer and it was the biggest challenge our family has ever faced.  This time, I prayed the novena harder everyday even at work.  The operation was successful and my mom's chemotherapy session was shortened into 6 months.  We felt extremely blessed. My mom's cancer-free now for 10 years.  God has touched my mom, healed her and granted sufficient grace to make it through. It is important to keep in mind and heart that God never gives up on us.  We just have to ask God in supplication and He will provide. 

If you think that you've already done everything to surpass a problem or achieve a dream but still failed, give this novena prayer a try. God answers all our prayers in his own ways and time.  God is wonderful. Just have faith.

Weekend at Tihany, Lake Balaton

A weekend escape from all the weekly stress is crucial for keeping your sanity. Spontaneously, we have decided among friends to spend a weekend at Balaton Lake and more specifically at the peaceful town of Tihany. Balaton is the largest shallow lake in Central Europe. It is a 3-hour fast-train ride from Budapest Déli and the one way ticket costs at around 9 euros.

Tihany is a historical district and one of the main towns of Balaton. It is famous for its historical remnants of the monastery, the unique landscape and the recreational features of Lake Balaton. We got off at Balatonfüred and took a bus for our rented Apartment. I was amazed by the number of summer houses for rent. I have actually seen more of bricked cottages for rent than hotel rooms that we usually see in cities. We stayed in Szilvia apartment http://szilviaapartman.webnode.hu/, which is only a few meters away from cafe's, the church, souvenir shops, mini grocery store and of course, the lake. We were lucky that on our last day, we were able to experience the Goat Nail Festival. It is a major event in the unusual sheep herding, Mutton stew cooking, dog pageant, wine tasting and stick climbing competition. Moreover, Tihany has a widespread reputation for the echo and we did enjoy listening to the echoes of the animal sounds we were mimicking. We had experienced a lot of adventure on a low budget. The more experiences you try the more exciting life can be. To share the experience with you my dear readers, here are some snapshots for you to see.

Tihany, Lake Balaton

Mini train for mini tour

Family Park near the shore

Tihany shoreline

There is a ferry service linking the peninsula with the marinas and quays of Szantod on the southern shore.

The green field

My husband and I posed for a photo ops in a Paprika House

Apát Church

5 Reasons why I love Budapest (PART 4): Public Transportation

I've never tried missing my way in Budapest because of the convenient public transportation they have.  The directional signs are clear - you just have to familiarize the tongue twisting street names - and the buses, tramway and subway are generally on-time.  Some of my Hungarian friends sometimes leave their privately owned cars at home and opt for a public  ride because the latter can deliver them to their destination on time.   

Subways (Metro 1,2 & 3)

Metro 1. Photo by: Mads Guico

The Metro consists of three lines, each designated by a number and a colour. Metro Line 4 is currently under construction; the first section is scheduled to open in 2014.

Line  runs northeast from the city centre to City Park along Andrássy Avenue.

Line  runs generally east to west from the transit hub Örs vezér Square on the city's east side, and provides a connection between Keleti railway terminal and Déli railway terminalthrough the city centre.

Line  runs northwest from the transit hub Kőbánya-Kispest in the city's southeast, along Üllői Avenue to the city centre, and then north to the district of Újpest.

Except for short stretches near the depots of each line, the system is mostly underground. All lines converge at Deák Ferenc square in the city centre, forming the system's only transfer station. This bottleneck is to be remedied by the opening of Line 4, which will cross Line 2 and Line 3 at different stations.

Line  will run southwest to northeast from the transit hub of Budapest Kelenföld railway station in the city's most populous district of Újbuda across the inner city district ofJózsefváros to Keleti railway terminal. -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest_Metro

Tramways

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Combinobp.jpg

This is my favorite mode of transportation in Budapest due to the scenic views, unlike the dark walls on the subway.  The tram on the left apparently is more spacious and has  more relaxing seats than the one on the right.


Buses

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Volvo7700.jpg

Oh well, everybody knows what a bus looks like.  I posted this picture just for the sake of parallelism.
 ;-)  


Trolley Bus

http://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soubor:Ikarus-trolleybus-Budapest1.jpg

Budapest's 13 trolley-bus lines run in Northeast and Central Pest. Unless you are a trolley buff, you're unlikely to use them frequently. However, some of them pass through the City Park (Városliget) and cross Andrássy avenue (Andrássy út), giving you beautiful views while using this eco-friendly mode of transport. Line 70 from Kossuth square (Kossuth tér, next to the Parliament) to City Park (Városliget) also passes through the lively Nagymező utca, Budapest's "Broadway". - http://wikitravel.org/en/Budapest#b

Taxi


Taking a taxi is quite expensive so we usually use one only in dire need. Just a tip though, the rate per kilometer is cheaper when you book by phone than flag down on street.  Here is a list of taxi companies in Budapest:

List of telephone numbers (non-stop)

• 6x6 Taxi: 2-666-666
• Barát Taxi: (20) (30) (70) 5-200-200
• Buda Taxi: 2-333-333
• Budapest Taxi: 4-333-333
• City Taxi: 2-111-111
• Főtaxi: 2- 222-222
• Max Taxi: 2-222-333
• MB Elit Taxi: 232-32-32
• Mobil Taxi: 333-2222
• Penta Taxi: 555-55-33
• Police Taxi: 278-5290
• Rádió Taxi: 7-777-777
• Taxi 2000: 2-000-000
• Taxi4: 4-444-444
• Taxi Plus: 7-888-999
• Tele5 Taxi: 5-555-555
• Volán Taxi: 4-33-33-22
• Zóna Taxi: 365-55-55

For ticket information, visit the BKV website:  http://bkv.hu/

My personal choices of eyeliner

As they say the eyes are the window to your soul, then might as well make it a beautiful window to look through. Eyeliners can be your best confidant in making your eyes look sexy, alluring, and gorgeous.  You can even wear it alone, if you are not into applying eye shadows.  Eyeliners never looked good after putting it on when I was still starting.  Through time and practice, I was able to perfect it and found the best brands of eyeliners.

1. Estee Lauder Double Wear Liquid Eyeliner

The first time I used this was on my wedding day and it stayed with me until after the event. Now, I use this as my staple eyeliner because it is extremely long wearing and does not leave dirty smears.  It's not the typical liquid eyeliner that flakes off after hours of wearing. It has a very fine felt tip that glides easily on your eyelids.  It's quite pricey but worthy. Recommended to a ll who are active and want something easy but looks dramatic.

2. Guerlain Eyeliner and Kohl Pencil

If you are new to using eyeliner, you better start with the eyeliner pencil as it is easy to apply both to the upper and lower lids of your eyes. This product gives me an intense color and holds out against wind, tide and extremely hot and humid climates. Moreover, it comes in a black box with a special sharpener dedicated to its triangle shaped body. It costs high just enough for its long length. 

3.  Essence waterproof liquid eyeliner

I admire this product not only because it does not costs much but also because it does not break its promise of being waterproof and smudge-proof. It's easy to apply, long lasting and doesn't run. However, the brush applicator is not easy to deal with because it sometimes streaks.  

http://www.maybelline.com/products/9

4. Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner

I've tried using this when I was still in the Philippines and it is really impressive.  Gel eyeliner is also a hit in Japan because it is smudge-proof, non greasy, easy to apply and remove.  It doesn't dry fast though you'll just wait for a minute to open your eyes without smudging it.  It is packed with a good liner brush.

These eye poppers are the best I have ever come across.  How about you? Are you willing to spend some money for this or opt for the cheaper ones that may put you  to a dangerous chance of having raccoon eyes?


Here are some instructional videos on applying eyeliner:


Liquid eyeliner: http://www.typef.com/video/make-eyes-look-big-beautiful-oval-eyes/
                            http://www.totalbeauty.com/video/the-basics-how-to-apply-liquid-eyeliner
Pencil eyeliner: http://www.5min.com/Video/Applying-Pencil-Eyeliner-Tutorial-517205340
Gel eyeliner     : http://www.beautylish.com/v/vmvir/how-to-apply-winged-gel-eyeliner

5 Reasons why I love Budapest (PART 3): Climate

One thing that I love about living in Budapest is the climate. I have an asthma and it usually triggers on hot climate, like the country I grew up in - the Philippines! My asthma has long been gone (I hope) since the autumn started. A friend, Judit, advised me to open the window and poke out my head, or even go out to the balcony and breath in some fresh cool air if I feel that my asthma may trigger. I tried it the day after she told me that and surprisingly it's effective! I do this everytime when I feel tightness in my chest and hear it wheeze. Now that spring has come, I got worried that my asthma might come back to visit me, but surprisingly it did not miss me. I even jogged without inhaling my seretide - which I usually do back home. I just hope that it will not come back on summer time.

Now, enough of my asthma story and let's move on! :p God has gifted Budapest with warm summers and cold winters, with plenty of rain all year round. The four seasons differ substantially in their temperature extremes, and even daily changes can sometimes be dramatic. No matter how dramatic it is, I still take pleasure with the weather here. 

The climate of Budapest is temperate and transitional — somewhere between the mild, rainy weather of Transdanubia, the variable continental climate of the flat and open Great Plain to the east and the almost sub-Mediterranean weather of the south. Budapest has four distinct seasons with great variability within the seasons. - source: www.wikipedia.org

Going up to Gellert Hill

Autumn/Fall

Autumn is cool, foggy and rainy. Nights get colder on October and November; the weather falls from 20°C to 10°C. Leaves and flowers are already falling. This is the best time to visit Budapest if you want to avoid the crowd. :p

What to wear: You can wear lighter or thicker coats, cardigans, ankle boots, and light scarfs. Cardigans, skinny jeans and leather jackets are cute too.:)

Me and Mr. Snowman

Winter

The average temperature in Budapest during winter is ranging from -15°C to -5°C. Its gloomy aura is caused by cold, windy, gray, rainy and snowy weather. It is really freezing cold, especially for me who spent 27 years of my life in a hot climate. 

Winter was the one thing I was really excited  being here. I kept on checking in the BBC Weather forecast as to when will the snow fall. I've waited for weeks in December and January, unfortunately, the snow never came as I've expected. Friends even joked that I jinxed it since the last winter came earlier in November. 

The snow came on mid February. It was the first time I have ever experienced this cold, white, wet marvel we call snow. At first, I thought they were just feathers falling from our neighbor's balcony, thinking that she was only dusting off her mattress and the feathers were just falling down. But when I caught one drop on my hand, it liquefied. Alas! Snow has finally arrived. I got so thrilled and excited about playing in the snow that I forgot to put my gloves on while playing a ball of snow with my hand. It was burning cold, I could feel it through my veins. I enjoyed it though since it's my first time. Just so you know, you have to make sure that you have a very good lighting condition in your house since the sun sets at 4:00 pm.

What to wear: It is very important to wear something that can make you warm, unless you want to catch colds and get sick. You should wear thick hats, gloves or mittens (warmer than gloves), woolly scarves, ear muffs, tights, high boots, warmers, thick coats, 120-den stockings and thick socks.

Took this photo while jogging in Városliget

                                                                                      Spring

As the month of March arrives. the snow recedes and the warmth of the Mediterranean pushes northwards to Hungary. The average temperature in the second half of April and in May days rises up to 20°C to 25°. Spring is a wonderful time of year in Budapest. After the bleak winter, the trees come back to life, the flowers are in bloom all over the city and people start to flock to the streets on sunny days which makes the entire city alive. 

What to wear: Since the weather is getting warmer, you can now wear your favorite summer dress, chunky warm scarves, cardigans, leather jacket, ankle boots, shoes of your choice and 40-60-den stockings.

Margaret Island

Summer

Just like any other country, summer is the most awaited season of the year in Budapest. The average temperature can go over 25°C-35°C which leaves the country hot and dry. There are a lot of outdoor activities for people of all ages to enjoy. If you are asthmatic, like me, make sure that you bring water and inhaler with you.

What to wear: You should wear very light clothes so that you won't get drenched on your own sweat. :p You can wear whatever apparel you like as long as you are comfortable with it.