PFC # 18: Impress Your Date

In case you are wondering what the heck is "PFC"? It stands for Petite Fashion Challenge. Obviously my first participation to this challenge was like two years ago when I first joined blogsphere. Since then, I became way too laze just like with anything else on this blog (what's new?!?).


 This challenge is hosted by Easy Petite Looks to create a special look for important date night. Okay when was my last date night? Nineteen ninty....holy craps...not that long but it sure feels like it has been a decade since my husband and I went for a dinner just the two of us without driving oursevlves nuts and looking like monkeys/crowns (whatever you name it) at the restaurant (parents with small child know how impossible it is to "truly" enjoy your meal with a young one".  When such rare occasion arrives, I wanna go all out. I love to look extra feminine: lace, crochet, frills, bows...you name it...not to mention some makeup. The dress is very short so I also added some shorts underneath for a sense of security.     [Dress / Shoes / Rings purchased from Bangkok | Bag: Chanel mini flap in metallic lambskin]

Wild & Bold~*

Today's outfit combines 3 of my favorite things in the whole wide world in one outfit- bold color + animal print + (faux) leather. It is a new mixing I am experimenting and I quite like it. [On mama: Animal print blouse - Sasha / Faux leather skirt & skinny belt - Forever21 (old) / Cardigan - Old Navy (old) / Shoes - Payless (old) ][On little monkey: Print dress and sunglasses - Children's Place / Shoes - purchased from Bangkok]  Getting pictures taken outdoor has always been a challenge with a young child in tow because she tends to want to go here...there and everywhere. To avoid any mishap that can happen, I decided it would be easier to engage her in the photos so the little money won't get in trouble while my husband is in charge of photo taking. Her pose is getting to be more and more advanced each day, mama seriously needs to a modeling lesson from a 3 year old!

ReVive Renewal Cream Supreme Ultra Retexturizing Hydrator

It was quite a risky choice to try an unknown brand and pay a high price tag for it without proper research. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing and I was really in a mood to find something to soothe my frustrating skin condition so I bought ReVive Renewal Cream Supreme Ultra Retexturizing Hydrator on a whim at Neiman Marcus back in May this year.   Skin condition before using this cream: Extremely dry, flaky, with many red patches, highly irritated, my rosecea flared up, itchy, had a few stubborn bumps on my forehead that didn’t want to go away. Prior to discovering this brand, I was considering skin microdemabrasion or chemical peel to promote cell turnover.      I was told by two SAs that after the first use I may notice more flaky skin on my face but that’s normal, don’t freak out. It is how the cream works to gently exfoliate the top layer of skin. He said it would help the cream to work more effectively if I exfoliate my face in prior to using it as exfoliation will remove the dead cells and aid the cream to penetrate deeper and deliver nutrients into the skin. One of the SAs said she has started using this cream and significantly noticed the difference the next day, especially the glow. I thought to myself – “yeah whatever”.  I seriously didn’t know what to expect from this cream except that I hope my skin wouldn’t break out. The last thing I want is to pay $211 (with tax) and end up using this cream on my feet or my bottom.   1st day: I exfoliated per SA’s suggestion with St. Ives’ and applied this cream to my skin. The next day I woke up I noticed that it did help minimize the dryness.  2nd day: Used it without exfoliation. Applied and felt kinda itchy and tingling in certain areas. I woke up and felt that my skin felt so soft and smooth to the touch. Noticed a subtle glow. A few tiny pimples had formed in addition to the existing one in prior to using the cream (I assume it was an adjusting period)  3rd day: I made an attempt to exfoliate every other day so this day I exfoliate and applied this cream as usual. Still had that slightly tingling and itchy feeling but I hated to give up now. The next morning, skin felt so soft and smooth the next day. Flakiness was completely gone. 4th day: No exfoliation – just a cream. Saw a major difference in skin texture and appearance.   Fast forward to July: A little over 2 months of continuous use of this cream alone (without trying other new products during the same timeframe), I am freaking LOVING it. The first jar was completely empty the other day and I am sad. I think it did a great job in delivering a subtle grow and transforms a top layer of skin texture. Skin feels soft and smooth. I see major improvements overall: red patches/flakiness disappear. My skin has a lovely and healthy glow to it. There is no need to apply foundation to fake a healthy skin. It also helps clear up the pimples. The bumps on my forehead were gone in a few weeks.  A few things worth mentioning: 1) I have never spotted my skin being more flaky or peeling as what the SA warned me though. All I feel throughout the course of usage is a slight tingling sensation and itchy (which appears to be happen to a lot of people based on waht I read on Makeupalley website) especially on my cheeks (just slightly, not to the point where it bothers me badly or feel like my face is burning up). I assume that is the part where the cream is gently exfoliating. I almost stopped using it but decided to continue because I didn’t see any breakouts. It was just tingling sensation.  Upon further research, this cream has glycolic acid (quoted from Wikipedia.org) which is the smallest (AHA). This colorless, odorless, and crystalline solid is used in various skin-care products. Due to its excellent capability to penetrate skin, glycolic acid finds applications in skin care products, most often as a chemical peel by a dermatologist, plastic surgeon or licensed aesthetician in concentrations of 20 to 70% or at-home kits in lower concentrations between 10 and 20%. Glycolic acid is used to improve the skin's appearance and texture. It may reduce wrinkles, acne scarring, hyperpigmentation improve many other skin conditions, including actinic keratosis, hyperkeratosis, and seborrheic keratosis applied, glycolic acid reacts with the upper layer of the epidermis, weakening the binding properties of the lipids that hold the dead skin cells together. This allows the stratum corneum to be exfoliated, exposing live skin cells. Highly purified grades of glycolic acid are commercially available for personal care applications.  Safety note: Glycolic acid is a strong irritant depending on the pH levels. Given that my skin is so darn sensitive and that ingredient seems to be fairly strong, I am quite impressed that it didn’t give me a major breakout. My pimples on forehead cleared up in 2-3 weeks.  2) I would rate its moisturizing property at 9/10. It doesn’t completely heal my desperately dry skin (will any product ever do that?!!!) But people with different skin type may find it too greasy or doesn’t work) but overall it does a better job than most brands out there as far as keeping my skin reasonably moisturized.  3) Give it time to work. Don’t expect to see a huge improvement overnight. Stick with it at least a month (unless you have major breakout and it gets worse).   4) I wouldn’t suggest it if you are in your 20’s because you really don’t need it yet. Unlike me, I am in my early 30’s. My skin needs a bit more aggressive anti-aging product.  5) The effectiveness of product varies from individuals. I find it work wonderfully on me but it may not do any wonder to you.   6) It doesn’t matter how awesome the products claim to be. Other factors also play important roles in improving your skin such as diet, sleep, mood and exercise.  7) Packaging looks quite cheap but that doesn’t really bother me as long as the cream inside does a good job. I would rather spend money on what’s inside than a pretty packaging.   My impression:Its texture is light and has nice consistency. It smells pleasantly (not as strong as some other brands out there I have tried). It absorbs well without leaving grease/oily layer on my skin Comparing to Crème de la Mer which is quite tricky to apply due to its super thick texture, this cream blends and absorbs like a dream (keep in mind I have very dry skin so it absorbs really well in my case). It did a great job transforming my overall skin appearance which is something I have never noticed when using other brands (I also tried Clarins moisturizer which kept my skin well moisturize but didn’t do anything on my skin appearance so I didn’t repurchase).  I saw the results in about 3 weeks.   Will I buy it again? Yes but one thing that stops me from buying another jar is mainly its price tag ($195 + tax). My husband who at a time was with me on this random shopping extravaganza overheard the conversation and its price was in awe simply because I handed a credit to an SA without thinking twice – lol. I am considering buying a second jar with a jar of eye renewal cream. Got a few samples of eye cream and totally loved how it felt around my eyes too (damn it!).  However, this brand is very expensive. It is pricey but totally worth it. Next time though, I will most likely use it every other day in combination of another lower end moisturizer. Plus I am not sure if it is really good to use this every single day in a long run as my skin may become more sensitive due to prolong usage of glycolic acid??  Disclosure: I purcahsed this product with my own money and is not affiliated with the company who makes this product. My opinion is of original and my own.

Feelin' Flirty~*

I thought I was in London this past week mainly because of the rain that never seemed to stop. I can somewhat understand what it would feel like to live in a place where you can expect many gloomy and wet days. Sure was nice to have a temporary break from the cruel July heat but I am not too excited about what the rain left behind - a new wave of mosquitoes infestation! Gotta coat myself with mosquito spray in the days to come! To celebrate the arrival of the sunshine, why don't I wear something fun to work today.
[On me: Tank top - Victoria Secret (old) / Skirt - Zara (old from last year) / Shoes - Payless / Bag - Giani Bini (old) / Earrings - from Bangkok][On mini me: Dress and shoes from Bangkok / Sunglasses - Children's Place] If you know me in person, I RARELY wear skirts on a daily basis. I have never been that super girly girl who wears skirts more than 20 times per year to be exact. I am more of the pants kind of gal. First off, I feel that I am always worried about the awkward moments that can happen when walking or sitting down with skirt. Secondly, my legs always feel cold especially in the office so I would prefer pants to cover up. On a rare occasion like today when people spot me being a bit more ladylike in my extraordinary feminine version, I would get nice comments which encourage me to wear skirts more often.  

Photoshoot for a Magazine~*

One of the fun and new experiences we had while in Bangkok back in March of this year was doing a small photoshoot for a Thai parenting magazine - "Real Parenting".     The model was not me, but my little girl of course. It was quite an experience for the whole family to witness how she had a blast posing and playing in front of a camera and spotlights. There was no "shy or bashful" moment at all. She always loves posing for a camera and make all kinds of silly faces, except that we had to tell her over and over not to stick her tongue out while doing this photoshoot.  They picked out the perfect theme for her - "SHOPPING!!!!" - lol. Well as a matter of fact her photo is used for a column that tells parents how to teach children about money at young age. We thought what a perfect theme anyway because the girl always says she wants to go shopping..haha.     [Getting hair done: I don't think she enjoyed this part too much from her facial expression]  [Her hairdo made by grandma with love]    [All pretty and on her way to the photoshoot]    [Waiting]  [The little girl just can't sit still longer than 5 minutes, she is always busy!!]  [Behind the scenes: Gotta love that bright orange backdrop or what!?]   A photographer and the rest of team were all women so it didn't take my daughter long to get comfortable around them. With lots of experience dealing with small children, they knew exactly what to do to make the little guys and gals happy to get the best shots. She was all smiling the whole time. At a tender age of three, my little one had to make sure she was happy with the results so she would come check the images with the photographer - it was hilarious. Her photo was being used for the July issue. Without further ado, my dad quickly went to the mall to check out the stand, bought extra copies and mail them us via express mail. My mom of course did the show and tell to everyone she knows in her neighborhood back home.  We got the package early this week but haven't shared with this side of the family yet. We didn't tell anybody because we wanted it to be a surprise when the magazine comes out. Can't wait to see their expression at our next family get-together on the weekend. So here is her first professional modeling experience at 3 years old. Dang, no one wanted me to be one at that age, or even now!!  

Wish List

Tell me about women and their wish lists - how many "want" lists do you think a woman creates over a course of her lifetime?  I don't know either because there are way to many to count and one can easily lose count!! Good news though, I have been pretty good in the last three months. It was not my intention to be on a shopping ban or anything but an urge or an excitement to shop for clothes/shoes/bags surprisingly winded down.  To my amazement, window shopping and web browsing became boring and I quickly lost interest (holy crap - I wish this happened long time ago so I would have saved lots of $$!!). It is always good when that happens, especially on the financial perspectives. At some point, I had come to realize how many items in my posession didn't get worn or used. It was sad to spend that kind of money just for the sake of buying or from boredom or whatever so I am making every attempt to think through every single purchase now.  However women are still women, I still love browsing and dreaming about pretty things (wish self-control, of course).    1) J. Crew Sandals     
2& 3) Jeweliq accessories: so in love with this jade green statement necklace!
4) Mint Green Statment Necklace from Himediy@Etsy
5 & 6) Vanilla Cranberry Citrus Body Cream & Buttercream Frosting Lip Balm  : Sakurabathandbody@Etsy. My goodness, they sound too yummy or what 7) Gianni Bini Camelia Platform Wedge Sandals via Dillards: I am gonna hunt this baby down since the website doesn't offer any in my size. Want this style in every color!

Flat Abs Challenge

I hate exercise and I shamelessly make this confession. Since young, I had always been underweighed to the point my mom was so stressed that I would die from lacking nutrition. I was always the smallest kid in classes. I was a very picky eater and hated meats/dairy, I would rather eat veggies. If my mom could, I knew she would stuff food down my throat. She really would.

The idea of exercise especially to lose weight or tone down specific areas of the body never came across my mind because I was always skinny while most people around me struggle to lose weight. However, my short lived luxury quickly disappeared after my daughter was born and my metabolism slows down with age. After I popped my daughter out, I lost most all of the weight which I gained during pregnancy. But like most women that have children, your body is NOT the same especially in the midsection. We have extra fat to carry around which is a PAIN to look at.

It doesn’t seem like I have a waistline anymore. Since I really hate exercise especially sit-up, I thought I would try to adjust my diet first then find a workout method that I can physically and mentally endure. My plan is not to lose weight but to tone down the abs area for a toned/firmer stomach.

I could identify my problems in three areas: 1) Lack of exercise 2) Eat late dinner (like 8-9pm) 3) Eat too much snacks/sweets/bad carbs. After a quick analysis, I start my plan of attack and implementation.

The Diet Change

In the past few weeks, I have taken a gradual step to wean myself off from the yummy goodness of junk food paradise such as potato chip, Doritos, cookies, cupake, cheesecake and carbs. Man…I LOVE carbs: white rice, noodle, Doritos and potato chip most. I can survive with carbs! Potato chips are my all time favorite afternoon snacks at work, people would hear me munching potato chip from my office down the hall every afternoon – lol. It is not easy to give up and I don’t believe in going cold turkey so I slowly cut down and choose healthier snack options (fresh fruit/veggies).

What works best for me is to fill my belly with healthy stuff first, then follow by unhealthy stuff If an urge still strikes. I get into a bad habit of wanting to eat something extra after my main dish especially after lunch and that’s where the trouble begins. After my main dish, I always reach out for a bag of potato chip or sweets. My belly is already full at that point but my mentality sends a wrong message that I need to have something crunchy to munch on. Upon recognizing my problem, I pack a few extra options such as an organic apple and a cheese stick. Load them up and I am pretty full to the point I don’t want anything else. After lunch, I am full until dinner time.

I also try to eat my dinner before 7am and nothing else after except water. This has been working pretty good. Apple is very filling and has that crunchy texture I love (I prefer Gala apple) so I don’t crave potato chips as much. However, I also allow myself 2-3 times a week to some sweet treats so I don’t feel like it is too much of a torture. In the evening, I pay extra attention to carb intake by eating less carb and substitute bad carb with complex carb like whole grains, quinoa, brown rice. Reading food blogs or watching a Food Network channel at night is also a big no-no!!

The Exercise

Okay the last time I exercised was in 2008 when I was pregnant. So imagine how my body freaked out on the first day.

HOLY COW - I thought I was going to die!!

I did a search on YouTube for some good exercise series that target abs areas. My standard for an exercise video is 1) it has to be practical – no sit up kind of exercise!!! 2) it has to be short like 10-20 minutes a day. I came across a 10-minute abs workout which seems like a dream but boy it was the LONGEST 10 MINUTES OF MY LIFE!! – lol. How about 10 seconds!?!?!? I couldn’t even follow all of the positions. My body could barely handle it. I think I got 2 minutes out of this and was painting like a dog. The second day was better, I chose a few positions that my body could handle and made it a total of 10 mins. First week was so so tough I almost gave up. Right now I rotate about 4-5 slow move positions plus a few fun active exercises.

[One of my fave workout videos]

Woo-hoo..I am into my 3 rd week of my flat challenge at this point. It is a slow progress because I can only do 10-15 minutes per day but better than nothing. My body starts to build more endurance so I could endure a longer interval and more challenging positions. It feels so invigorating after each session to say at least. Hope I will have toned abs by the time we go to Aloha Island.

Red, White & (Aqua) Blue

  [Blouse, shorts and sandals: purchased from Bangkok | Bracelet: Forever21 (old)] Red, white and blue were seen everywhere yesterday on July 4th here in the States. It sure was fun to spot  how people of all ages used their creativities to style their outfits according to the colors of the flag. I thought I should join the fun so I dug through my clothes to see what options I had available. There I found an aqua blue blouse, not exactly the same deep blue shade but that was what I wanna go with. Wearing light colored outfits is the key these days to beat the heat and the light shade of aqua blue gives me the cool effect - just what I needed to wear under a cruel July heat.

We started the day by going to the parade. Oh, the last time we went to the parade on the 4th was 7 years ago and that was when my husband's work schedules were "normal" as far as being off on holidays. This year was extra special not only because the three of us got to spend this day together but it was also our little's girl first time at the parade (even though she didn't really care about it,  she was more interested in the playground at the back of the park) but it still was a fun and speical family day.