The year 2014 has ended and I am publishing this post just now because I didn't have time to do so last year. I was so busy doing many other things including playing Kings Road on Facebook. LOL!

Anyway... Last year, I was introduced to lots of products and there are those that remain a favorite. But the products I included in this list are not all new to me. I have been using some for years, others I have rediscovered. Here they are in no particular order:

Epiduo Gel. This saved my life… along with oral antibiotics my derma prescribed to me. My pimples started to heal after a few uses and long term use made them all disappear. I so love this product and I cannot imagine what my life (or my face) would be like without this. One small tube costs around Php 1200, quite expensive for its size but the result is so worth it. After all, the tube lasted me for around half a year so it’s really a great investment.

 Lactacyd Baby Bath. This is another life-saver. I have been using this on and off for years and I have recently found it effective in treating my dandruff. Daily use for two weeks is all it takes for the dandruff to disappear completely.

Acne Bar (from my Dermatologist). The soap contains salicylic acid and tea tree oil - two ingredients said to be effective in treating acne. Currently, I only use this every night (morning and night before) as I no longer have pimples. This soap is a bit drying so using moisturizer is recommended.

Revlon Balm Stain. This lipstick is light on the lipstick and has that minty flavor I love. It is easy to apply thus my go-to lipstick especially when I am feeling lazy or running late. I have three shades only - Romantique, Rendezvous and Honey.

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2014 was a rollercoaster year for me. The down: my mother was hospitalized, undergone surgery and we learned that her cancer has progressed to Stage 3. The up: I got married to a responsible, loving and funny man. When I look back to what transpired last year, I couldn’t help but thank the Lord for all the blessings he showered upon me particularly during the days when I felt so down and helpless. He never abandoned me and instead sent his angels in the form of family, relatives and friends to help me get through the difficult situation I was in.

With my father and only brother dead (there’s just me and my mother), it can be difficult for me to face the world with a cancer-stricken mother but I managed to survive the turbulence with the Lord’s guidance and support from the people around me. Truly, I am thankful for what I have.

With regards to my blogging, oh well, 2014 was kind of disappointing as I failed to reach the quota I set for myself. I should have posted at least eight posts per month (at least 96 for the whole year) but I only reached 79. I tried my best but I am not always the most dedicated and focused person thus the failure. Besides, I have lots of shoes to fill; daughter, wife, employee (with part time work), niece, friend and many others so my failure in blogging is partly due to the people that really matters. :D

Despite that failure, I won’t be changing my blogging goals this year. My eight post per month quota is still on. I hope I can do better this year though I know this year will be busier than the last since my husband and I have a couple of BIG plans for our family: baby and new house. We all know that these two are something to be taken seriously and the former will surely take a lot of my time so that will definitely affect my blogging. But then, as what my husband always tells me, “it will be worth it”. It would be understandable if I will not reach my quota AGAIN this year. LOL! At least, I’ll be adding a new topic in this blog - baby stuff!

To my readers, thank you for taking the time to read my posts and I wish that the Lord grants the desires of the hearts of everyone of us. Happy New Year!

My last post on this series for this year! Aaaah time flies so fast! Anyway, here are the things I got to try for the first time this month:

Daylong Sunscreen. After finishing the sunblock I got from my dermatologist, I decided to try something else. I was torn between Neutrogena moisturizer with SPF 15 and Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Complete UV Waterlight Lotion SPF 50 but I end up with this. LOL! I have been using this sunblock for almost a month already and so far I am loving it.

Ellana Minerals Lip Scrub. I read good reviews about this so I decided to get one for myself. I think this is ideal to those who loves to use matte lipsticks.

Glysolid Cream. My cousins who are based in Abu Dhabi usually bring home a few tin cans of this. I am using this on my underarms every night hoping that it will help lessen the chicken skin which I really hate.

Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in Istanbul. This is my second shade from the soft matte line and I’m loving it so far. It’s warm pink and is one of the MLBB (my lips but better) lipsticks I have.

Face powders and foundations are not as important to me as lipsticks. I can go to work or meet up with friends with just moisturizer and sunblock on my face but I can’t do the same without applying lipstick. I feel incomplete without that hint of color. Probably because of my lip’s discoloration, my confidence to go lipstick-less vanished. Since powders and foundations are not that important to me, I rarely buy them and I would just often throw old or expired ones that are half or barely-used. However, there are times when I want to look a bit more polished so I would go hunting for a good face powder.

My latest catch is this Neutrogena SkinClearing Mineral Powder. It’s my first time to buy a Neutrogena make up (I have used Neutrogena skin care products before) so I’m quite excited how this one fares…

Product Description

Neutrogena SkinClearing® Mineral Powder is the first and only gentle powder to blend soothing minerals with MicroClear® technology that cuts quickly through oil to speed the delivery of maximum-strength acne medicine straight to the source of breakouts. SkinClearing Mineral Powder works quickly to treat and help prevent breakouts blemishes without the dryness or flakiness of other acne treatments.

• Oil-free
• Non-comedogenic
• Gentle, non-irritating
• Dual-sided applicator gives the perfect level of coverage

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After our three day escapade in Bohol, we went back to Cebu for supposedly a bit more adventure. But since it's already around 8pm when we arrived in Cebu and yours truly got sick, we decided to just stay in the hotel for more R & R and just wait for our flight back home the next day.

Three months before our trip, I already booked our hotels and that includes this hotel in Cebu - Gran Tierra Suites. I booked through TravelBook.ph as they were having a promo at that time. I paid php 541 only for a room that is supposed to cost Php 883 per night. Gran Tierra Suites is located in Don Mariano Cui corner Don Jose Avila Capitol near the Osmeña Circle. I chose this hotel as it is near the hot spots but unfortunately, we weren’t able to spend the night outside because “someone” needs to rest. (Note: some taxi drivers do not know this hotel so better give the exact address as well as some nearby landmarks)

Gran Tierra Suites Double Room (credit:grantierrasuites.com)

If you have read my TravelBook.ph post, there is one comment there (made by someone who also booked through TravelBook.,ph), that they had problem during check in. It took almost one hour waiting time before they were accommodated and allowed to get in their reserved room as the hotel staff has to verify with TravelBook.ph if a booking is indeed made. Upon reading the comment, I immediately contacted the hotel directly to verify if there is a booking made under my name. Fortunately, they replied with a yes.

When we got there, I gave them my booking confirmation and after signing some receipts, etc, we were ushered to our room. I am thankful that we didn’t encounter any problem, thanks to my blog commenter.

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I have always wanted to get this since a long time ago but I can’t find one anywhere because there is no Healthy Option outlet nor seller in Iloilo. When I shopped online for our organic shampoos, I discovered that the seller also carries this and many other organic products of various brands. So without further hesitation, I added this to my shopping cart and got my hands on it a couple of days after.

I started using this around the time my acne problem is 90% healed. If I got this earlier, when my acne is still at its worst, I might have hold off using as I do not want to sabotage my treatment. I know this Dickinson Witch Hazel Toner is natural and has lots of good reviews but I am just cautious to prevent those pesky pimples from ruining my face again. So is it causing my pimples? Find out...

Product Description

Since 1866, our original formula is still the only gentle, non-irritating, oil-controlling skin care product made with Original Witch Hazel. Our natural facial toners gently remove excess oil and impurities without overdrying, leaving your skin soft, smooth and naturally balanced.

• Refines Pores
• Removes and controls oils
• Soothes irritation
• Locks in moisture

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It’s been a month since our trip to Bohol and I have not finished working on my posts yet. I might be able to publish all of them next year. :D Anyway, for this post, I will be talking about our home while we were in Bohol - Panglao Regents Park Resort. We were there for three nights and we didn’t have any trouble all through the duration of our stay there (except for me getting sick, I guess).

Panglao Regents Park Resort, frequented by foreign tourists, is in Ester A Lim Drive though can be easily accessed from the highway as it is only just few meters away. Given the location, the resort is obviously not beachfront but the famous Alona beach is just walking distance.

We arrived at the resort past six in the evening through commuting. When we checked in at the front desk, we were accommodated by friendly and competent staff. Since I booked online through booking.com, I was asked for the credit card I used. After confirmation of my credit card, we were then reminded of the hotel’s rules, which for me I think is necessary to avoid conflicts later on.

Main building

The standard room I reserved is in their annex just across the street (that’s the cheapest deal when I made the reservation). The annex building has only three floors and we are on the third. They do not have elevator or escalator but that wasn’t a problem to us. We are kind of used to it already as our office is also on the third floor and we do not have elevator or escalator either. A little exercise won’t hurt! Besides, they also offered to carry our bags but my husband refused since the staff taking us to our room is a girl and we only have one trolley bag. It’s nothing to a man who tries to lifts weights everyday. :D

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The use of organic soaps is not new to me. In fact, I have tried a few kinds already and all have varying effects. One thing I love about organic soaps is that they are made of natural ingredients like papaya, calamansi, milk and many others. Recently, I tried Milea (All Organics) Calamansi Soap because I was attracted with its deodorizing claims. I was on the process of switching to natural underarm deodorant at that time and I was thinking that with the help of this soap, I may skip using any deodorant during less active days and still feel confident that I won’t stink.

Photo credit: milea.ph

Find out how Milea Calamansi Deodorizing Soap fares...

Product Description

The Calamansi extract in Milea's Organic Calamansi soap is particularly useful in eliminating strong and harsh odors, especially the distinct smell that accompanies fish that may linger on hands or a cutting board.

Milea's Calamansi soap can help wash away dull and dry skin and also help with acne.

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