Wednesday, May 08, 2019

This is how I multi-mask with L'Oréal Paris Pure Clay Masks (plus a giveaway!)

Okay, I'll talk about multi-masking with L'Oréal Pure Clay Masks in a bit but let me say this first: I totally forgot it's my blog's 13th anniversary this month! To celebrate, I'm doing a weekly giveaway over at my Instagram. Make sure you follow @topazhorizonblog to get a chance to win beauty products!

Now let's talk about multi-masking. From long-ago queen Cleopatra to today’s beauty vlogger royalty, clay masks have been used to detoxify and pamper skin. How does that work? The negative charge of clay attracts the positive charge of oil and dirt on your skin, sucks the yuckiness out of your pores, and leaves skin clean and balanced.

You can apply the clay on your face and let it work its magic, which usually takes 10-15 minutes. Of course it has to be the right kind of mud. You simply can’t go to your garden and put mulch on your face! The best clays are usually made of volcanic ash but there are also clays from the bottom of the sea. For different skin concerns, other ingredients are added like charcoal and essential oils. 

Women used to set aside a good part of their day to indulge in face masks, covering face and neck with their chosen mud. These days, however, women are enjoying the multi-masking trend, painting on several masks on the different parts of the face to target specific concerns. For example, I have combination skin, so I use a charcoal mask on the oily parts of my face, then a hydrating mask on the dry areas. Check it out:

My kids call this my Mama Panda look. The black is Detoxify, the white is Hydrating.
As the mask dries up, you can see the dots—those are all the gunk and oil from my pores! 

The clay masks I use are L’Oréal Paris Pure Clay Masks. I LOVE THEM! The beauty brand addressed the multi-masking trend by creating a line of clay masks that work so well together, beauty-obsessed girls have taken to their blogs and Instagram to share photos of their simultaneous masking treat:

I started multi-masking because of #clayyourway on Instagram

There are four variants available in the Philippines. Each jar is a powerful blend of Natural Mineral Clay + Botanical Extracts so that skin is not just purified, it’s also left aglow. All this in just 10 minutes! I can totally vouch for this because I multi-mask every weekend! My super oily skin has stopped being an oil spill and my pores seem to have shrunk. It's my favorite and super affordable pampering treat on Saturday afternoons!  

If you want to try multimasking, try the whole line of L’Oréal Paris Pure Clay:

L'Oréal Paris Pure Clay Mask Anti-Pores, P399 
This thick mint green mask is suited for oily skin because it controls oil production. It also unclogs and refines pores. The Moroccan Lava Clay leaves skin matte. The rosemary extract is antibacterial and antifungal so skin is further protected. 

L'Oreal Paris Pure Clay Mask Illuminating, P399
This cream-colored clay is perfect for rough and dull skin. The silky texture of the British Kaolin Clay makes it easy to apply and its lemongrass extract brightens skin with its antioxidant properties.

L'Oreal Paris Pure Clay Mask Hydrating, P399
This pot of light gray Atlantic Clay is infused with bergamot complex, which draws out dirt and oil. Skin feels clean and fresh but also incredibly moisturized so you don’t have a dry, tight feeling.

L'Oréal Paris Pure Clay Mask Detoxify, P399
This black clay mask has charcoal extract, which clarifies skin by lifting impurities. Extra sebum is also absorbed and leaves skin matte. You feel perfectly clean and clear, refreshed and flawless.

L'Oréal Paris Pure Clay Masks are available at Lazada, Shopee, and Calyxta. I wish I can say I get a commission from the products I feature on this post but no, I don't. I just wanted to share! But I kinda want to explore being an affiliate. Has anyone tried being a Lazada's affiliate program?


Anyway!!! I got distracted again. Because it's my blog anniversary, I'm giving away a pot of the Hydrating clay mask and throwing in a L'Oréal Paris x Balmain Lipstick in 647 Urban Safari and a L'Oréal Paris Brow Artist Xpert in 107 Cool Brunette. These are my favorite products and I'm sharing them with one lucky winner!

How to win? Check out this post

Monday, May 06, 2019

You'll want these amazing appliances that I found at Samsung Forum Singapore!

I was so lucky to be invited to the Samsung Forum 2019 at Resorts World Singapore! They wanted me to check out the new and impressive home appliances the huge electronics brand rolled out just for mommies like us. And, boy, was I truly impressed! I wanted to bring home every gadget I saw. And after I tell you my favorites, I'm sure you'll want a Samsung appliance in your home, too.

Here's what I want:

1. QLED TVs

The star of the show was this gigantic TV aptly named The Wall. It is so large, it is literally a wall. If anyone watched How I Met Your Mother here, that is the TV that Barney Stinson would've owned. It is massive! You'd need a mansion just to sit far away from it so that you can view your shows and movies properly. I don't have a picture of The Wall because there were just too many media buzzing around it, but here's a photo from Samsung:


Believe me, it's far more amazing in real life. But it's also way too big for me! Here's a much smaller and perhaps more attainable option for condo-dwellers like me: the QLED 8K 98" TV


Yes, it's 98 inches and while I'm very happy with our current 40" one, after I saw this, well, maybe bigger really is better! I really want a new TV now! And a Samsung TV, too, because I saw that the images were sharper and the colors more vivid. The fantastic picture quality is made possible by this feature called HDR10+. It processes the pictures to brighten scenes. It also has an automatic light control sensor so that it adapts to the brightness of its environment. So whether you're watching in bright daylight or in a dark room, your Samsung TV will adjust accordingly. This is the TV we should have used when we watched The Battle of Winterfell!


I also want to tell you about this clever function that the QLED TVs have. It's called The Frame because, okay, let's back up a little. When you turn off your TV, what does it become? A big black ugly rectangular hole in your shelf or living room. Ugh. Well then, if that annoys you, you will love The Frame TV.


Guess which frames up there are TVs? The Frame functions as a picture frame when you turn it off, displaying personal photos or art. I first saw this TV at Mandy Moore's exquisite home (the video tour shows the TV at 3:34) and it is now my dream home. A Mid-Century Modern Home nestled high up in the mountains is my definition of heaven. Anyway, since Mandy owns a Samsung The Frame, I now want one, too haha

2. Sound Bar

I've been lucky to watch my shows and movies with a better experience than most because my husband has always invested in a sound system. We are truly always surrounded by sound! Except lately because we need to upgrade our sound system. This is such a nerdy need but we need new speakers and when I saw the Sound Bar of Samsung, I just knew I had to have it!


According to the Samsung website, we should get a Soundbar HW-K350. It has 2 built-in speakers and a subwoofer for that truly immersive sound experience! I really want this! If you don't have a sound system with your TV, you're totally missing out. Buy one!!!

3. Powerbot Vacuum Cleaner

I have 3 boys. I live along EDSA. I have a rabbit. Of course we need a vacuum!!! We actually own a really good vacuum cleaner. While we love it, it's also large and unwieldy. It's difficult to take out of storage and it's heavy. Plus, its very long wire is always a hazard when you have 3 little boys running around.


So here's the solution! A robot vacuum that takes up so little space and just cleans the house all on its own. Maybe it's still a hazard because it's zooming around quietly and my sons may not see it, trip over it, or ride it (the most likely scenario). But I still want it!


And here's another vacuum cleaner that I want: the PowerStick Jet200!!! It sounds like something out of Harry Potter but this cordless stick is even more magical—it doesn't fly, no, but it sucks up dust like no one's business and I need it in my life! I know you all want this baby, too, because when I shared the appliances I found on my Instagram Stories, this is the gadget that everyone asked about! Sadly, it's not available here yet but, Samsung, you tell us once it hits our shores because my husband and my IG followers want one, too!

4. Air Purifier

I live along EDSA. I have 3 boys. We have allergies (don't worry—rabbit fur is hypoallergenic). Of course we need an air purifier! I saw these really amazing units at the Samsung Forum but I found out they're not available here yet. Sad face now.


That big one at the far right can handle our 110+ sqm home. I know we need an air purifier so that my kids can be safe from dust, allergens, viruses, smog, harmful indoor air gases. It's also relatively small and sleek so it won't take up too much floor space. And it's quiet. I want it!!!

5. Family Hub Refrigerator

You all know I just got a new refrigerator and I love it to bits so I really wasn't checking out the refrigerators at the convention. But I do want to share with you this amazing technology called Family Hub. It's all about Connected Living and Family Hub is the control center. You can check schedules, check who's at the door, answer phone calls, post photos and artwork, send messages, check the weather and the news, search for information—while cooking, cleaning, helping your kid with homework! Hands-free! It sounds like something from the future!


Samsung put this Family Hub technology in their big refrigerators because they deduced that the heart of the home is the kitchen. Every single member of the family visits the refrigerator at least once a day! So as you can see above, it's like a big phone on your ref door. Voice-controlled! It's amazing. I can't even explain it. Lemme study it and maybe do another post describing it once I fully understand it!


And there you have it! My favorite finds at the Samsung Forum Singapore! I had a wonderful time discovering all these incredible technology... for homemakers!!! And I'm not just talking about moms and dads. Anyone who lives in a house and wants household chores to be lots easier will want all these Samsung appliances.

Check out the Samsung Philippines website for more information and more gadgets. There are definitely more than 5 appliances that Samsung showed off (phones, washing machines, air conditioners, ovens, etc) but I was most impressed and needful of the ones I talked about here. Like the Samsung Ph Facebook page for more product announcements and sale promos!


Friday, May 03, 2019

Unboxing the secret to how mommies can truly beat worries

Unboxing post! I only do this on Instagram (and not even often) but the Best Ever Joy press box called to me because it said it will help me lead a zero-worries life. Considering that my life has been a little crazy recently, I felt compelled to finally open the big yellow box and see the secret to a life free from worry!



So Joy, the trusted dishwashing liquid, recently introduced its new Best Ever Joy. I'm sure you're aware of this because of the dancing moms and Michael V ads everywhere!

Anyway, this latest formula is the biggest innovation in 10 years. It has the new powerful ingredient HOD, an amphiphilic polymer that locks in grease better and prevents it from attaching again to dishes when rinsing plates, sponge, sink and hands. So now when you wash dishes, you literally have "zero sebo"*  because the new Best Ever Joy breaks grease faster and more efficiently, keeps grease suspended in the wash solution, and rinses off more quickly. And because Pinoys like suds, they created the Best Ever Joy to have longer-lasting suds, preventing the need for more product on the sponge. Mas powerful na, mas nakakatipid ka pa!

Six bog bottles yes!!!

So paano naging #ZeroWorries ang life kapag zero-sebo sa kusina? I know. Medyo far-fetched but Joy believes that Filipino parents are always worrying about the quality and quantity of time we spend with our kids. And if we're just stuck sa kusina, washing dishes, what a waste of time!

Actually, when I talked to Pinoy mommies, hindi nila concern ang time sa kusina kasi majority of Pinoy households have kasambahays. Parang ako lang ang kilala ko na walang kaambahay! So at least sa bahay namin, issue siya. Husband ko ang taga-hugas ng pinggan (ako ang nagluluto kasi) and sobrang happy siya when he saw the Best Ever Joy box hehe

May P21 savings pa!

Anyway, if most Pinoy parents don't worry about dishwashing time, sama-sama naman tayo sa pag-worry about germs and if malinis ang baunan ng mga bata.

With the new Best Ever Joy, all those worries can be washed away! Moms and dads are assured of "zero sebo" — even though they used less product and spent less time washing, the plates are still completely clean of grease and germs. That means #ZeroWorries over time, energy, cleanliness, and budget. Moms and dads can focus on living the Best Ever Life because of the new Best Ever Joy! Hooray!

May hand-painted plato and sponge pa!

But let me share with you my powerful secret in beating worries: GOD!

Totoo yan! I am the worst worrier in the world. Hindi naman ako ganito dati. Naging ganito lang ako nung naging nanay ako. My worries manifest as a horrible itch sa legs ko (gross, I know), so if you look at my legs now, puros peklat. I tried meditation, exercise, breathing exercises, journaling, etc. Nothing! What helped was going back to God's Word.

There are many verses in the Bible telling us to not be afraid and to not worry at all. God is in control! He is Sovereign! No matter what happens, "we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28). Everything is going to be okay, mamas!

Matthew 6:25-34 says, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

"Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God cloths the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

"So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Such a beautiful promise from our Heavenly Father! Blessed assurance talaga! So let us not worry, mamas. Yes, life is hard and it is full of sadness and pain. But God will see us through! I really believe that! And now, when my worries start creeping up on me, I just take a deep breath and repeat, "I am valuable to God. He will take care of me. Worrying won't add to my life. God will! So don't worry, mama. God is in control!"

So now you know my secret! God bless you all!

Anyway, back to Best Ever Joy! Thanks so much, Joy, for the gift! I'll review it soon. I want to see if it really works.

The new Best Ever Joy comes in a limited offer of only Php99 for the 495ml bottle. Joy is available at all supermarkets, grocery stores and convenience stores nationwide. Joy is a quality product of Proctor & Gamble. For more information and updates on promos, follow their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/JoyPhilippines.

*ZERO SEBO claim is based on technical and quantitative tests with 300 consumers in Metro Manila vs previous formula