DC Photo Diary

Lechon!!

Sloppy (bolognese sauce) Mac n Cheese on the right and Meatball (chicken) Mac n Cheese on the left. 

Triple Chocolate European cupcake. Boom!

Air and Space Museum

Barbie Astronaut. Major girl power.

National Gallery of Art

Five Things

This is going to be a new type of posts for me. Basically, I'm going to try to post Five Things I'm currently loving and highly recommend to all of you. It's going to be everything and anything so here we go. My first one!

This stuff is like crack! This is soo much better than plain almonds and so much better for you. Cinnamon has amazing health benefits too!

Bath and Body really did well with this candle. The name says it all. It burns evenly, last a really long time and of course the scent. Yum! I love to cook but hate the funk that comes with it but with this lil baby,  I never worry now. The scent has definite staying power.  Beware. This is a seasonal item so you might wanna run to B&B. :)

Best 40 something dollars I've ever spent! I tried really hard to stay away from this shoe but it's just so comfy and convenient. Slip it on and forget it! Wait, that sounds um..haha.  This is particularly amazeballs when going thru airport security.  I'm going to be sad when it's too cold to wear . Oh and lets not forget the children who benefits from the purchase of this shoe. The best part is being able to give back.

Not gonna lie. I bought this because I love drinking green tea but I'm quite surprised how it's very gentle and stops the  oil and prevents breakouts.  I even got the brother to purchase. Trust.


Need I say more. If you're a major dork like me, you'll know why this is the best invention ever. I've been made into a believer!

Movie Recommendations

I always get asked this question. What's a good movie to watch? Well, I am quite passionate about movies.The more movies I watch, the pickier I become about which movies I want to give my time to. These are my top movies this week. The first two are out in theaters and the last two are out for rental/dvd. Enjoy!!

This was a shocker to me. I didn't expect to LOVE this film! I love when I'm proved  wrong. :)  I was never really a Brad Pitt fan but this movie made me a believer.  Mr. Pitt did well. Really well.

Such a stylish film. The way each scene was shot was a bit 1980's  but so fresh. If you like films made by Quentin Tarantino, you're gonna love this. One of my all time fave's is Kill Bill so this was right up my alley. The soundtrack was amazing too! Oh and Ryan Gosling. Haaaaayyyy ladies!!

I love me some Jane Austen but Charlotte Bronte' got this right! This is the best version of Jane Eyre too..at least I think so. 

Warning. This is in French but it's subtitled. The ending's CRAZY too but well made.

Lactarded Heaven

The best tasting nachos I've ever had!!Why you ask? It's Vegan!! I can eat and eat with no worries. Plus, people who have no issues with dairy loved it. Couldn't tell the difference. 

Vegan Quesadilla. This was also another great pick but I must admit..the nachos were much better.

I don't think this is on the menu but just ask your server for this. They will know. My new fave "spirit" beverage...DC Tap Water. This is a creeper but soo good. This is a must order.

Now can you see why the beverage on the right is called DC Tap Water. lol. The one on the left is the real tap water!

Most of my life, I've felt like a freak when it came to food. My lactarded (yes, I made that word myself..I should trademark right?) tendencies made me very conscious about what to order when eating out. Busboys and Poets is now my haven. I've been going to the DC location but at last.....they opened one in Hyattsville. It's sooo much closer now!! I'm so excited to try the other Vegan dishes! I love thinking I'm eating junk but in reality, the ingredients are incredibly healthy. Score! Highly recommend you check this place out amigos. Oh and just FYI, the menu is not all Vegan. Check out the site. :) www.busboysandpoets.com

Tres Belle Nouvelle-Orleans

Bonjour amis aka hello friends. I'm back! I figure it's time to give this blog a whirl again. I know I know. I'm a horrible blogger but I'm back and hopefully I will have some exciting experiences to share with you all. First off. I recently made my way south to New Orleans for my cousin's bachelorette party. While Nawlins, (I know very tourist of me..sue me) particularly Bourbon street, definitely felt like the party mecca of the South, I knew there was more to this city. Here are a few of my PG rated pictures of my time in the dirrrtyyy. lol. Enjoy.

All the vibrant colors caught my attention.

Only in New Orleans. I thought he made eye contact with me and was  going to hug me. No thanks spikey.

This is a neighborhood badly affected by hurricane Katrina. The blue poles  shows the heights the water rose. Deeply moving to see. Made me realize how blessed I truly am. 

Houses built after Hurricane Katrina courtesy of Brad Pitt. 

Brad Piit's Katrina project. All houses are eco friendly and purposely elevated in case of another flood. 

Yes. Your eyes aren't playing tricks.  There's an empty one. WTH.

Boudin at Emeril's restaurant. Not my favorite but when in New orleans right? Gotta try everything.

I love old architecture. It's so french too. Reminds me of Moulin Rouge.

Not my cup of tea but not something I will see anywhere in the DMV. Def creeped me out though.

Boom! Another thing off my bucket list. Loved loved the beignets!

Laissez les bons temps rouler!!

My Beauty Must Haves

I swear by this to keep my eye makeup vibrant. I've repurchased this over and over and will continue. It's not cheap ($19) but so worth it! I even used this in the Philippines where the heat and humidity can be a nightmare for makeup wearers. Urban Decay Primer Potion passed the test!

NYC Bronzer in Sunny. I used Benefit's Hoola bronzer for a long time and I still love it but I wanted to try something inexpensive and was easily accessible. I just went to Target instead of Sephora to purchase this. I became impressed right away. This is total matte. No shimmer. It cost less than $4 too.  This pale girl is happy.

Not to toot my own horn but my teeth gets a lot of compliments thanks to this miracle bottle! Listerine Whitening mouthwash is what I use every morning to keep my pearls white. I don't use strips and do not get my teeth professionally whitened. I love this stuff. I've even introduced to my pops and he was impressed as well. He's an avid user now. :)

I've tried LOTS of mascaras from low end to high end. Lately, I've been impressed by Maybelline's The Falsies mascara.  I have short Asian lashes so if this works on me, this will work for you. lol. Plus, look at that cute container!

If you use MAC Carbon eyeshadow, stop and purchase this instead! This is not even $5 and is much better. It's not easy to find NYX makeup but if you have an ULTA near you, run! Amazing pro quality but with a budget conscious price tag. Great combo don't you think?

EcoTools Eyeliner Brush. If I had to pick a favorite makeup brush. This is it. I used this to apply NYX black eyeshadow as  liner. I've had the same brush for almost 3 years and it is still in tip top shape. Just make sure to wash it once a week. This is also eco friendly. Its made up of recycled materials and bamboo handles.

I know this is old school  but I listen to my mama. She uses this and so I decided to use this. Her skin is immaculate so why go against it? Plus, Oil of Olay is the Chanel of beauty world. I make sure to purchase the one containing SPF 15 though. Prevention is key and also laughing. Stay away wrinkles!

NARS lip glosses are yummy. Not taste wise but quality and feel. My besty introduced me to to this CRACK and now I'm addicted. One must definitely save for it though. Not cheap but you will definitely get your money's worth. 

I'm a blush girl. I like that just-left-the-gym flushed look. Plus, it looks great worn over some bronzer.  Maybelline's Mineral Power blush last for a long time as well. This contains a lot of product and when applied, the color stays for a long time.  My favorite color is Soft Mauve. It's not too pink but not dark like a bronzer either. 

This is the ONLY lipstick I've ever used up and had to repurchase. This is Rimmel's Airy Fairy lipstick. The best way to describe the color is that it's between a nude and pink lipstick. The combo looks great on everyone I think. Try it!

Finally, this product was made for someone like me. A very lazy person.  If it wasn't for Up&Up Makeup Remover towelettes, my pillow cases would've been stained with eye shadows, mascaras, and bronzers. :):) This is so refreshing and cost so much less than the other towelettes out in the market. Of course, I have a liquid cleanser as well but at night, I can't be bothered with cleanser and water. This is it for me.  Also, this does not dry out. Even when I get to the last two towelettes, it's still very moist. Great product and less than $4!!

Ok. So now you know what my bathroom holds. Creepy..jk. My purpose for this post to pass on the beauty gems I've found. It may not all work for everyone but you'll never know unless you try. I've had awesome ladies give me tips too so I'm just returning the favor. One more very important thing. Don't be trapped by the notion that you need to spend lots of money when it comes to beauty products. I love the drugstore and feel that it's not all about the products but also how you feel inside. Drinking lots of water, exercising, and eating right is enough but products are fun too! Make sure to laugh often. It's a beauty essential!!