good advice ^_^

girls talk: latest word learned

This warm-weathered week, we Girls Talk about a word we recently learned. I agree with Ms. Kaye's former professor's advice - it's good to learn at least one word a day. Although I must admit, my memory is no longer as sharp as it was when I was a student. :p

Here is my new word:

macarism (n.)
taking pleasure or praising another's joy;
a beatitude or blessing;
the act of making another happy

Ain't it a lovely word with an unselfish meaning?

Its verb form is macarize which means to congratulate; to declare as happy or blessed.

As we go through Girls Talk, let's macarize one another for stretching our noodles a bit to learn new words. ;p

today's current faves

Every now and then I post a random list of my current favorite things (I need to put the word "current" in there because my preferences change over time). I haven't done that in a while, so I suppose I could do it now.


1. Starbucks cake pops

They're portable, bite-sized cakes on a stick! Absolutely brilliant! I can have a quick cure for my sweet tooth without feeling like I overstuffed myself.


2. Coconut oil
I raved a bit about it here.


3. Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer

I stumbled onto this while passing time at a Pharmacy in Las Vegas, waiting while my Mama had a medical check-up. Am I glad I found it. ^_^

Its main ingredient is beeswax - natural, organic, and chemical-free, it has moisturizing and healing properties. I was told by avid users that even uncolored beeswax could give lips a healthy glow since it combats discoloration. As an added plus, this product is tinted in several different shades and is shimmery for a prettier pout.


4. Cover Girl Clean Liquid Make-Up

Another acquisition on the trip to the U.S. (I must note how happy it made me see how much cheaper branded American products are there compared to here ^_^). Cover Girl Clean is aptly named for the mess-free way you apply it onto your face. I love the superior coverage without the greasy feel or the cakey look. I kinda think it's good enough on its own for daytime wear, I mean even without blush or eye make-up.


5. Careline eyeshadow powder in a shimmery shade of off-white /cream

I forget what the specific shade is called because I have this habit of peeling labels off from stuff :p I'm not in the habit of sweeping a sparkly shadow over my entire eyelid, but I dab a bit of this to highlight (such as, at the center of the lid for more depth, or at the corners for a weird, artsy look). Since it's in powder form, a very light dusting is suitable for highlighting other parts of my face - like my cheekbones when I don't intend to put on too much blush.

I also found that it can be incorporated into a home-made lip balm mixture for added shimmer, as was used by this lady in her recipe.


6. Wedge sandals

Wedge sandals are a fab cheat for casual wear. They not only create the illusion of added height, but also of less width (hee hee hee). Their moderate chunkiness makes me look a bit more proportioned by balancing out the extra ham that I carry around in my legs. Not too hefty though, so as not to look too Spice-Girlsy.


7. Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Lotion

I discovered this at my Ma's home in Vegas and found that it quickly and effectively treated dry, cracked skin. I'd used it for but a few days when I decided I ought to buy my own tube. It smells really nice too.


8. My new "business card" home page

I found a template that perfectly houses links to all my blogs and other sites in one compact layout, without the unnecessary items. With it, I don't need to put a huge number of links when I want to promote myself; I could just put the one. On top of a short profile, it contains buttons to: all four of my active blogs, my FB page, my Twitter account, my Tumblr log, my 360 Project, my Multiply shop and the site where I upload my art and photos. See what I mean here.

I grabbed this idea from one of those how-to blogs, and I think it's neat and nifty. I highly recommend it for people with several blogs, sites and/or web stores.


And that's it for now. ^_^

girls talk: favorite word

Glad to be back at Girls Talk after a long absence from the blogosphere!

Today is all about our favorite words. I had a bit of difficulty choosing because I have quite a few. Still I think today's topic is such a pleasant coincidence, because I recently met a word that quickly became my new favorite:

frisson
a brief moment of emotional excitement; shudder, thrill
Definition from Merriam-Webster.com

Ain't it cute? ^_^ I mean it sounds cute out loud, and it means something cute. I stumbled upon it while making my own crossword puzzle; I needed something that had an R, an I and double S, I asked Google and it gave me this. I fell in love with it and decided it will feature in my next poem.

I can't end this entry without mentioning my all-time favorite word: butterscotch! =D

It's one of those words that are delicious to pronounce. And it means a yummy thing too! Check out my easy butterscotch syrup recipe here.


Like words? Read about the other Girls' Talkers choices at Beauty Queen Gene. Thursdays in the month of August are reserved for discussing words, words words! ^_^

still crazy over coconut oil ^_^

It wasn't very long ago when I discovered the many good things about coconut oil, but it's now one of my favorite things ever. It's very affordable (especially here in the Philippines), all-natural and loaded with benefits.

I've been using virgin coconut oil as make-up remover and as skin moisturizer, and I quite prefer it over chemical-laden products (My skin is super dooper sensitive and it often breaks out when I use certain lab-concocted substances). Since I started using coco oil there's been a visible improvement on my skin.

I've also been making an all-natural body scrub with it. Previously shared the recipes here.

Speaking on homemade beauty products, someone recently tweeted this link to a recipe for body butter using coconut oil. I think I'll be trying that sometime.

It is said its subtle scent has a calming effect. Using it thus doubles into an aromatherapy session. ^_^

I've already tried cooking with it - it not only smells better than the usual store-bought cooking oils, but it also lowers the bad cholesterol. And it tastes yummy too.

The other day, I stumbled upon this lady's blog entry on 80 Uses for Coconut Oil. Intriguing. I'm a bit cynical about some of the claims, but I'm willing to test a few. ^_^

Photo from here.