by Penny Angeles-Tan | Aug 20, 2022 | Personal Care Tips
As adults, we tend to work ourselves to the bone and we forget about this “new-fangled” thing called work-life balance. Okay, it isn’t really new, but it is something that is often overlooked, especially when we are working towards a financial goal. It could be something like a new car, your child’s tuition, an expensive phone, or even simply future financial security.
I, myself, work several jobs. I teach, which means I prepare lesson plans, deliver the lectures, interact with my students, then check and grade their submissions. I write on the side and right now it is a bunch of AV scripts. I do social media management so I’m preparing a social media plan. I edit for some authors, which for me, does not feel like work. And if any other opportunity comes around, I snap those up, too.
So, like you, I don’t get much time to relax – it is work, work, work. What you and I need are opportunities to destress!
If I could get away I would go to …
… the beach! If time and money are things to consider, the simplest getaway I could think of is a visit to the beach.
Nirvana! I don’t even need company. I just need the peace and quiet of laying on the soft sand with the sound of the waves in my ears and the gentle sea breeze flowing over my skin.
But if money was no object and time was not a factor either, I would love to travel again. It has been so many years since I’ve flown anywhere. The last country I visited was Hong Kong which I have been to many times. So far I’ve only been to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and, of course, different parts of the Philippines. I would love to go somewhere different and new starting with those that countries that don’t require a visa for short-term visits.
Escape for a few hours
You don’t need to go far or spend a lot of time traveling to destress. There are things you can do nearby or even in the comfort of your home that will do as well.
Grab a drink with friends
Whether it is at a coffee shop, a juice bar, a restaurant, or a bar … it’s not about what you eat or drink, it is about who you spend it with!
Meeting up with friends means we get to talk about stuff that has nothing to do with work. We could catch up on each others’ lives, gossip about other people, talk about something we watched or read … really the topics for discussion are endless! Just try not to talk about work as that would defeat the purpose.
My favorite place to meet up with friends is Starbucks, specifically the Starbucks Reserve near my house. I love how they greet me by name and with a smile and wave from the moment I step into the store. They make me feel so welcome! I love how they know me so well that I just give them my tumbler and they know what to put in it without me saying anything.
Another place I like to go to is High Grounds Cafe, also near my house. I think of it as a one-stop shop. They have coffee, tea, food, and beers so, whatever my friends feel like, this place most likely has it.
Exercise
When we think of relaxing exercise most people immediately imagine yoga or pilates. But the truth is, any type of exercise can serve to relax and destress. Exercising releases endorphins – the happy hormone – which help in releasing the tension that may have accumulated while we are working. My go-to workouts are dance exercises, running, and lifting weights at the gym.
You can even exercise at home if you have the discipline for it. I have an exercise bike at home that I try to use once a day for 30 minutes … the operative word is TRY.
Veg in front of the TV
Grab some snacks and the TV remote and put on that movie or TV series you’ve wanted to watch for some time … or watch something new! You can even watch a game if you are into sports. Watch on your own or watch with family or friends. Escaping into a fictional world or watching other people excel in sports takes your mind away from your work.
The last series I watched on Netflix was Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. How about you? What was the last thing you watched?
Read a book
Reading is not something a lot of people enjoy but for bookworms, like myself, this is an easy way to escape! Whether it is an e-book or a physical book, I enjoy getting lost in the stories and characters that jump at me from the page.
If I had to choose between e-books and physical books, it would be difficult. I love how convenient reading an e-book is as I only need to have whatever device I have handy, such as my smartphone or iPad/tablet. And yet, there is something to be said about the smell and feel of holding a book in your hands.
Right now I am reading so many books at the same time! I’m in the middle of a story in iBooks, a couple (or more books on Kindle, and so many more on Goodnovel.
If reading is not your thing, that’s okay. There are other things you can do such as …
Play games
Games abound for game consoles, mobile phones, and tablets. While there are also games available for desktop or laptop computers, many adults (especially the much older ones) cannot be bothered to install a game, unless someone installs it for them. I have a few games installed on my phone. My go-to games to relax are word puzzles, matching games, and shooting games. I don’t like games with timers (especially those with a very short timer) because they tend to stress me out instead of relaxing me.
Recently I did a Google search looking for some classic games I could play online and I came across this website called Plays.org.
Two things attracted me … FREE and ONLINE. So I scrolled through and played a few of the games.
Awe Shoot! shooting games
Cannons and Soldiers
I tried a couple of shooting games. The first one was the Cannons and Soldiers Mountain Offense. As with most shooting games, it has to do with physics. To play you need to choose the correct trajectory and strength to release the cannonball from the cannon and hit the soldier. In this game, there is no need to actually hit the soldier as he can just fall or get hit by debris.
The trajectory of the cannon is easy enough to figure out as it just follows whatever direction the mouse is in. The strength of release, however, can only be controlled by mousing over the cannon first. It would have been helpful if that was written in the help link/button.
The help button at the start is no help at all. It just says Forestry Games and plays.org so to play it I kind of had to figure it out for myself.
The Sorcerer
The second game I tried was called The Sorcerer. This one did not take much figuring out as it is tailored after the classic game Zuma.
In this game, the goal is to form at least 3 balls of the same color in a row to eliminate them and ultimately remove all the balls before they reach the end. I haven’t reached the higher levels yet so I don’t know if this version of this shooting game has the option to switch balls with the spare as Zuma did but so far, it plays in pretty much the same way.
The Sorcerer is a relaxing game until the balls snake closer to the exit … then the pressure really piles on, especially at the higher levels.
Education
Zombie Typing
I mentioned earlier that I am drawn to word puzzles so I looked some up like crosswords, word twists, etc. and the one that caught my interest is Zombie Typing. This is probably not the most relaxing game but I think I enjoyed it the most. If you aren’t a fast typer this game will turn you into one or the zombies are gonna get ya!
On the lower levels, the words are easy with some words just being 3 or 4 letters long. Later the words get longer and longer. If you misspell a word, there is no backspace. What you typed will disappear and you have to start over.
Solitaire and Pinball
Speaking of classic games, we can’t get more classic than Solitaire and Pinball. Of all the solitaire variants available I chose Luxor Tripeaks.
Just as with the original version of the game, the goal is to bring down cards from the pattern above whose value is one step higher or lower than the exposed card. If there is no available card then we open a card from the stack until a card appears that will allow cards from above to be brought down. In the end, what we want to do is to bring down all the cards.
Space Adventure Pinball
For pinball, I chose Space Adventure Pinball. Except for the space theme, this pinball game executes just like regular pinball. The controls are fairly easy as well as it uses the arrow keys on the keyboard. However, I must confess … this game would be more fun if I could use both hands for the paddles. It is probably just me, but controlling the paddles with just the fingers of my right hand is not as fun as having my left-hand control the left paddle and my right-hand control the right.
Beyond playing the games I also took the time to read all the other information on the site and I made some exciting discoveries!
If you want to just play, with no commitments, you can! Just pick a game from their wide selection and start playing. But if you want to save and track your progress then you need to register on their website.
These games could be played on a touchscreen. This means that so long as the device has a browser the games could still be played. Hooray for pinball! Woohoo!
New games are added often and will appear at https://plays.org/games first.
No ads or ads targeting. I was so glad to see this! Do you have any idea how rare that is? I hate how my game gets interrupted by ads. Well, here is a site with TONS of games and no ads. According to their site:
We use Clicky web analytics to track our website performance to see where our site is discussed around the web and how popular various games are so we can create and publish more games similar to the most popular games. We do not serve ads on our site nor retarget users across the web.
The one feature I would probably hope they would add as I didn’t see it is a search feature, just so finding specific games would be faster.
I am not exaggerating much when I say “tons of games”. Look at the number of categories alone!
I feel that I need to explore Plays.org more as I’ve barely scratched the surface. With thousands of games available, I could choose one game a day and will still be visiting the site for years to come. I’m really looking forward to playing some of the cartoon games next like The Powerpuff Girls, the Superhero games, and Looney Toons. I can’t wait to try them all!
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Apr 13, 2022 | Personal Care Tips
Manila, Philippines – The eyes are the windows to the soul. While a bold eye shadow will definitely catch anyone’s attention, lashes with visible length and volume will keep them coming back for more!
So if you’re wondering how you can up your allure for the next date night, lock everyone’s attention during presentations, or simply bring the focus on your eyes while wearing a face mask – here are foolproof ways you can create lashes that stand out in terms of both length and volume, no falsies needed.
Curl your lashes first, girl
Some ladies, especially those on the go, might skip this step before applying mascara to instantly up their lash game. However, a simple preparation will give you that extra edge.
The secret? Curling your lashes for about ten seconds. This gives it enough time to be bent to a more ideal shape while also respecting how delicate lashes actually are – once is enough! After that, you can apply a lash primer or a clear mascara which helps lengthen the lashes and reduce clumps. Let it stay and dry before applying the regular mascara.
Avoid the clumps
Being at home for a while gave us fewer chances to need lashes with extra oomph. This might have affected the mascara formula, which when applied could result in clumpiness.
Set your mascara back to its original consistency by warming the tube (with the cap tightly secured, of course!) in a glass of hot water for a couple of minutes. When taking out the wand, don’t dip it; twirl it instead to evenly distribute the formula onto the brush. Still have some excess? Wipe the brush on a clean tissue before applying it to your lashes for an even spread.
Start at the root and wiggle your way up
Taken from https://www.ipsy.com/blog/how-to-apply-mascara
For mascara newbies, it might make sense to apply the product right at the tip but that’s actually one of the beauty no-nos.
Start by wiggling the brush at the base of your lashes, and then start pulling up while maintaining that wiggling motion to keep the lashes separate from each other and create that desired illusion of full lashes. A flick of the wrist upward as you reach the end also extends the curl.
Take time to layer your lashes
Remember: applying mascara to your lashes adds a layer of product to your natural hair follicles. With each layer applied, the more length your lashes will have, so take time to build it up as you go.
Aside from the clear mascara or primer mentioned earlier, a quick and easy way to add layers is by applying translucent powder in between coats of mascara, which will help the product cling to your lashes and make them thicker as you go. You could also mix and match other variants like waterproof mascara to make sure they’re protected from the elements.
When it comes to your lashes – size matters
You’re already making a huge effort to make your lashes stand out, so keep everything on fleek by using Avon’s new and exclusive Legendary Lengths Mascara.
Avon Legendary Lengths Mascara
Extend your lashes up to 50% with 3x the volume thanks to the next generation polymers expertly formulated in the product, applied with the Instalength tapered brush, giving you 100% Lash Satisfaction from root to tip that can last all day.
Mimiyuuuh
“Why choose between length and volume when you can have both?”, says social media sensation Mimiyuuuh, who refuses to settle when it comes to her look and the beauty products that she uses. With the help of Avon Legendary Lengths Mascara, Mimi turns heads with volumized and longer lashes that are just to die for, without having to compromise one for the other.
To get your own Legendary Lengths Mascara, contact an Avon Representative near you or visit www.avonshop.ph to purchase.
About Avon
Avon has been doing beauty differently for 135 years. Avon is a company that connects people, using the power of beauty to transform lives for the better. Millions of independent sales Representatives across the world sell iconic Avon brands through their social networks, building their own beauty businesses on a full- or part-time basis. Avon stands for gender equality, and we believe in listening to women’s needs, speaking out about issues that matter, and creating positive change. Through Avon and the Avon Foundation, we’ve donated over $1.1billion, with a focus on tackling gender violence and breast cancer. Avon is part of the Natura &Co Group. Learn more at www.avonworldwide.com.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 30, 2021 | Personal Care Tips
The secret to youthful, glowing skin is really no big secret. Locking in moisture or keeping your skin hydrated is key in maintaining that dewy, soft, and young-looking complexion. This, of course, is easier said than done. Drinking enough water, following a specific skincare routine, and using the right products are just some of the ways to care for your skin and keep it hydrated.
Ever Organics, the effective and affordable skincare line formulated with organic-based key ingredients, shares these tips to help keep your skin moisturized every day.
Skip the long, steamy showers.
Hot showers and washing your face with warm water can be very relaxing and refreshing. But did you know that long, hot showers can actually strip your skin of moisture, leaving it feeling dry and rough? Instead of using hot water to bathe or wash your face, use lukewarm water instead—and make sure to apply moisturizer while your skin is still wet post-shower.
Drink an adequate amount of water.
From helping your skin maintain elasticity, to reducing fine lines and wrinkles, drinking lots of water can do amazing things to your skin and your overall health as well. As recommended, drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day is the best and most natural way to achieve that glowing, dewy complexion.
Pat your face dry after cleansing.
Another simple way to retain your skin’s smooth texture is to change how you dry your skin after cleansing. Instead of rubbing your face dry, try gently patting your face using a soft towel to absorb the water without irritating your skin. Your skin will definitely thank you for this!
Use hydrating skincare products.
Products that penetrate through your skin and deliver water are vital, especially if you have dehydrated skin. A good example of this is Ever Organics’ Tomato Glass Skin Gel Lotion.
This gel lotion is infused with 95% tomato extract that brightens and revitalizes dry or irritated skin and aids in maintaining a healthy and youthful glow to the skin. Not only that, but this gel lotion also contains Lotus Flower extract that has natural anti-aging benefits and Centella Asiatica Extract which is a rich source of amino acids and is a good hydrating ingredient to soothe upset or compromised skin. It is also formulated with Green Tea and Licorice Root extracts to help prevent acne, itching, irritation, and redness.
Ever Organics’ products are available on their official Shopee and Lazada stores, and Watsons branches nationwide. Check out Ever Organics on Facebook (facebook.com/EverOrganics/), Instagram (@ever_organics), Lazada (www.lazada.com.ph) or Shopee (www.shopee.ph), and check out their online store (campsite.bio/everorganics)
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Nov 6, 2020 | Beauty, Personal Care Tips
Anything sparkly, shiny, and bright has the ability to get one into a festive mood. Now that we are well into the Ber months with holidays fast approaching, we should allow ourselves to enjoy the season—even more so during these very trying times—while it lasts.
Blythe Cosmetics by Careline helps give you that boost to perk you up, give you confidence, or simply get you into the holiday spirit with these fun make-up hacks you can try using the Blythe Stardust Highlighter Palette (P275):
As an eye make-up
While highlighters are known to be applied on the high points of the face such as the cheeks, bridge, and tips of the nose, and cupid’s bow, it can also be used to make your eye make-up stand out even more! Apply your preferred Stardust Palette shade above and below the eyebrows to enhance the shape of the brows and accentuate the eyes and face. You can also dust on the corners of the eyes to open them up and make them appear bigger and brighter.
As a concealer
Did you know that you can also use highlighters to cover the dark circles of the eyes? To achieve this, go for the pearly white shade or pinkish tone in the palette and dab under the eyes; then apply your favorite concealer on top of it and blend into the skin to make it look seamless.
On the lips
On the days you get to expose your lips, be sure to make it stand out by dabbing it on before or after you apply your gloss or lipstick. Also, apply some on the cupid’s bow to give the illusion of a plumper lip.
On the skin
If you feel as if your skin looks dull and pale lately, a quick application of highlighter on the skin can easily make it look healthy and fresh. You can mix it with your favorite lotion or moisturizer or you can directly apply it on your collarbones, décolleté, shoulder, and arms. You’ll surely dazzle when the sun hits your skin!
Bring a sparkle into your life these ber months by trying these highlighter hacks using the Blythe Stardust Highlighter Palette available on Careline’s official Lazada page (bit.ly/BlytheLazada). To know more makeup tips, visit and like Blythe by Careline on Facebook (@blythebycareline) and Instagram (@blythecosmetics).
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 24, 2020 | Personal Care Tips
In the new normal setting, we are required to practice social distancing and wear face masks in public to better protect ourselves from COVID-19. While makeup may seem unnecessary, it can make a huge difference in improving our mood and boosting our confidence. Even with a face mask on, you can still rock a pretty makeup look with Ever Bilena and EB Advance products.
Wear a light foundation.
We know, wearing masks can get hot and uncomfortable. So opt to wear light-weight, non-comedogenic coverage such as Ever Bilena All Day Liquid Foundation or EB Advance BB Cream to allow your skin to breathe and be comfortable underneath the mask.
Eyes are the focus.
Playing up your eyes is one way to make your look stand out. Beginners can try a monochromatic look by sticking to the same shades in the EB Advance Eyeconic Palette and applying it on the lids and underneath the eyes.
Meanwhile, seasoned makeup users can try more complex looks, blending all the shades of the same EB Advance palette and finishing it off with a winged eye using the Ever Bilena All day Eyeliner Pen.
Glow from beneath.
Give yourself an extra boost of confidence by dabbing on the EB Advance Glow Out Highlighter on the high points of the cheeks, brow bones, and bridge of the nose. You can also opt to go for a flushed skin with the Ever Bilena Blush Rush Tint.
Take care of your lips too!
EB Advance Vinyl Lip Gloss
Even when your lips are hidden underneath the mask, it needs some care, too. Our lips are prone to chapping and drying so make sure to apply a lip balm or a gloss like the EB Advance Vinyl Lip Gloss to keep it moist and protected.
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Give yourself a boost of confidence even while wearing a mask by trying out these products from Ever Bilena and EB Advance available on their official page on Lazada.
For more updates, like and follow Ever Bilena and EB Advance’s Facebook pages (@everbilenacosmetics and @ebadvance) and Instagram (@everbilenaofficial and @ebadvance).
With the Soyoshi Hydrogen Water Generator, you can effortlessly maximize your daily hydrogen intake with a simple touch. It efficiently generates hydrogen in your water within just 3 minutes. It’s convenient and easily portable, allowing you to take it with you anywhere, anytime!
Whether it is at a coffee shop, a juice bar, a restaurant, or a bar … it’s not about what you eat or drink, it is about who you spend it with!
Reading is not something a lot of people enjoy but for bookworms, like myself, this is an easy way to escape! Whether it is an e-book or a physical book, I enjoy getting lost in the stories and characters that jump at me from the page.
Some ladies, especially those on the go, might skip this step before applying mascara to instantly up their lash game. However, a simple preparation will give you that extra edge.
Hot showers and washing your face with warm water can be very relaxing and refreshing. But did you know that long, hot showers can actually strip your skin of moisture, leaving it feeling dry and rough? Instead of using hot water to bathe or wash your face, use lukewarm water instead—and make sure to apply moisturizer while your skin is still wet post-shower.
Another simple way to retain your skin’s smooth texture is to change how you dry your skin after cleansing. Instead of rubbing your face dry, try gently patting your face using a soft towel to absorb the water without irritating your skin. Your skin will definitely thank you for this!
Products that penetrate through your skin and deliver water are vital, especially if you have dehydrated skin. A good example of this is Ever Organics’ Tomato Glass Skin Gel Lotion.
While highlighters are known to be applied on the high points of the face such as the cheeks, bridge, and tips of the nose, and cupid’s bow, it can also be used to make your eye make-up stand out even more! Apply your preferred Stardust Palette shade above and below the eyebrows to enhance the shape of the brows and accentuate the eyes and face. You can also dust on the corners of the eyes to open them up and make them appear bigger and brighter.
On the days you get to expose your lips, be sure to make it stand out by dabbing it on before or after you apply your gloss or lipstick. Also, apply some on the cupid’s bow to give the illusion of a plumper lip.
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