August 2016 Favorites

It's officially September and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to cooler temperatures. August felt brutally long, partly because of the extreme heat and humidity. I've included some food and pregnancy favorites (guess they kind of go hand in hand) along with some rediscovered beauty favorites for the month of August.

Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB Cream ($13.30 + free shipping for 40ml at Amazon)

I completely forgot about this until I reorganized my makeup collection at the end of July. This is a great face product for those hot and humid summer days and, in case I didn't mention it already, it sure was hot in August. There are only two shades so it probably won't be a match for you if you are very tan or have a darker skin tone. I have shade 01 Aqua Beige. The BB cream gives a nice medium coverage and feels very lightweight on the skin. You can read a full review here for more detailed information about the product.

Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Mattes Lip Color ($5.50-$7.99)

This is another rediscovered product from when I was sorting through my lip products and looking for things to declutter. I completely forgot I had the shade 687 All Fired Up (bright pink with coral undertones) which is a perfect color for the summer time. With the exception of the funky scent of Maybelline lipsticks the formula is great, especially for a matte lipstick. The wear time is around 4-5 hours depending on what you eat and/or drink throughout the day and there's a nice stain of color left behind. The product is quite creamy when first applied but my lips do start to feel a little dry around the four hour mark. Nothing a little lip balm can't take care of.

Etude House Sugar Tint Balm ($9.40 + free shipping at Amazon)

I love these tint balms and how easy and comfortable they are to wear. My go to shade for the month of August was 07 Grape Jam (a brighter pink). I would think the shade would have some purple or undertones of it with the word Grape in the name. The cap twists off and on so you can keep it in your purse without having to worry about packaging malfunction. Read my previous review here for more info about the Sugar Tint Balms.

Secret Key Black Out Pore Minimizing Mask ($6.99 Prime at Amazon)

My pores had been feeling congested because of all the heat. I like this mask for clearing things out or when my skin is feeling oily. My skin has been combination/oily lately so I didn't find the mask to be too drying. However if you have normal to dry skin you might want to avoid this mask or wash off the mask before it completely dries. It dries relatively fast, less than 10 minutes, and is easy to remove. There is a scent to the product which I can't quite describe. I'm neutral to it and neither dislike nor like it.

I hadn't really been interested in food for most of the pregnancy and I was actually eating much healthier than I was pre-pregnancy. That all changed between weeks 30-31. All of a sudden I was starving and had this urge to eat constantly. It took me by surprise since I'd read that it gets much harder to eat with the babies taking up so much room as they grow. Maybe the twins were going through a major growth spurt or something. Anyway, I'm still obsessed with fruit but these two things were rocking my world.
Chef Leo Kang 바다언 연근부각 (3700 won) sent from Korea

These are lotus root snacks which are supposed to be fairly "healthy." Chef Leo Kang was one of the judges on Master Chef Korea and worked with Gordon Ramsay. Apparently he's been described as Korea's Gordon Ramsay. I didn't think I was going to like these but the whole bag gets devoured in one sitting. To my credit, there aren't THAT many in the bag. I looked for these at the H-Mart on 32nd but no such luck. The store just doesn't have the room to carry as many products as other Lotte or H-Marts in different cities. The green bag is hot peppers which are good but not as good as the lotus roots. I'm guessing there are all kinds of varieties sold in Korea.

김 AKA seaweed or laver

I always cringe when I see people buying 김 at Trader Joe's because it's such a rip off. One pack for a $1 is pricey. You can get a whole box of it at the Korean grocery stores for a much better price. The one I have contains 10 packs with 10 sheets or so. You split them into quarters and it comes to about 40 squares of seaweed. I like to eat it with rice and avocado and/or tuna and 멸치 (anchovy).

DaVinci Olive Upholstered Swivel Glider with Bonus Ottoman ($299 at Amazon)

At first I was against the idea of purchasing a glider or recliner chair for two reason. 1)The lack of space in my already cramped apartment and 2) you can't comfortably nurse twins on them because the arm rests get in the way. In the end my parents purchased this for me after I picked it out because I've been having so many problems sleeping at night. I find the glider more comfortable than the couch and alternate sleeping on the bed and this at night. I've been taking afternoon naps on it and find it to be a good investment. I do wish it would recline all the way but it does swivel and rock back and forth. It comes in three colors, cream, dark grey, and grey.

Tirain Maternity Belly Band Belt Pregnancy Abdominal Back Support ($13.99 at Amazon)

I've been wearing the belly band up to a few hours a day when I'm doing housework or working out at the gym. I'm carrying rather low so I need something to lift up my stomach and take some of the pressure off my back. It's particularly useful when I'm on the elliptical or doing things that require a lot of bending over. One of the claims is preventing stretch marks but I'm not sure if that's possible when you go to full term carrying twins. (At my 32 week checkup my doctor told me I was measuring the same as a woman who is carrying a singleton full term.) I'll get some use out of this post pregnancy as well since it's supposed to help with a C-section recovery.

I think I'm going to make a Memebox purchase (it's been over six months!) this weekend. There is a Labor Day sale page and a promotion for 15% off if you spend $50, 20% for $75, and so on. I've been super intrigued by the Esfolio products so I might cave and get a toner or essence and replenish my depleting sheet mask supply.

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Thanks for stopping by,
Jennifer