Because Everyone Deserves a Lifetime ®

  A picture of me with my late grandmother, Avelina Antonia Vibar-Provido (1930-1991).   I thought I'd take the time to update you guys on my progress for Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure.  I'm happy to announce that I believe I surpassed the goal that I had set for myself last month.  I had hoped to raise at least $250 by the end of February and I ended up raising $270, with $60 on the way!  It may seem like a small gain, but I'm already at 12% of my goal and I've got a few months left to make a splash and raise the remainder of it.  For anyone interested in checking it out, see my page at http://the3day.org/goto/meganpalos. I...

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Look: Pink and Purple Pokémon Look

I'm sure it's not really a secret that I am a major nerd.  I wear glasses, love Hello Kitty, enjoy video games, watch embarrassing movies and documentaries...I'm sure you all know the type.  Well, I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when I ran into Shiro Cosmetics on Etsy.  The catchphrase of this brand is "makeup and geekery" and with a multitude of hand-blended, vegan mineral shadows on sale with names like Jigglypuff and 1-Up, it certainly delivers. I did a little bit of research, found some excellent reviews, and decided to take the plunge.  I definitely was not disappointed.  I received my package in a very timely...

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Review: Nivea - A Kiss of Smoothness Hydrating Lip Care

Do you also battle dry, chapped lips as I do?  Are you also looking for kissably soft and smooth lips?  Well this product is not for you.  Okay, okay, that was a little drastic.  It definitely wasn't for me, at the very least!  I think it's rare that I give a negative review on a product--I'm very forgiving when it comes to product reviews.  However, despite seeing many favorable reviews for this product online, I definitely beg to differ.  This product did nothing for me! Nivea - A Kiss of Smoothness Hydrating Lip Care What it is: It is described on the website as a lip balm that quickly absorbs to leave...

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Review: Oh So Wet! Quick Dry Topcoat

For those of you that follow my blog, you might have noticed my earlier post on my decision to be Big 3 Free.  As part of this decision, I decided against continued use of my once favorite quick dry topcoat, Seche Vite.  Consequently, I went out and bought myself a few topcoats to try, one of which being Oh So Wet! quick dry topcoat. Oh So Wet! Quick Dry Topcoat What it is:It is described as a quick drying topcoat that is designed to be placed over any 7-day manicure. My impression:Prior to my exploration of the Big 3 toxic trio, I had never really thought about any other quick dry topcoats than Seche Vite.  After all, it was...

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Happy Valentine's Day!

Isn't he handsome? ;) I just wanted to wish all of my readers celebrating/observing the holiday a Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope everyone has a great day filled with love! For those of you wondering who the picture is of, it's my boyfriend!  I thought I'd share with you, since the aim of this blog is to be life-oriented as well.  While the story of how we met is quite long and complicated, I will say that we've been together since 2009 and I couldn't be happier. At the moment, our relationship is long distance, so we won't be able to be together today based on conflicting schedules.  We're not even really Valentine's...

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The Choice to Be Big 3 Free

Truth be told, I was once a nail-biter.  From the end of middle school right up into halfway through my undergrad in college career, I used to bite my nails.  What changed that?  Finding my love of cosmetics and developing an interest in nailpolish changed all of that.  Along with that came my usage of what was then my holy grail topcoat, Seche Vite. I'm sure those of you that are into beauty products as I am have seen it reviewed.  It has earned a reputation for itself as drying nailpolish faster than it would take to dry on its own while providing an attractive glossy finish and the protective properties of a traditional...

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Review: MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer

In the many months that I was missing, I managed to finish up a whole tube of concealer!  Though it didn't turn out to be one of my favorites, I thought that it would be beneficial to review it.  Today's review is of MAC Select Moisturecover concealer, which I first heard about in a video by Tiffany D and then saw that it got a lot of rave reviews elsewhere.  Here is my experience with the product! MAC Select Moisturecover ConcealerWhat it is:It is described on the MAC website as as a blendable, moisturizing concealer with a doe-foot applicator.My impression:  I heard a lot of good reviews on this concealer, and many people...

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60 Miles in 3 Days...Can I Do It?

A picture of me with my late grandmother, Avelina Antonia Vibar-Provido (1930-1991). Those of you that follow my private Twitter account (@VelociMellie) or my Facebook might know that I have decided to take on a challenge--I decided to sign up for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure™, taking place in October in Philadelphia. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the walk, it entails walking 60 miles (roughly the distance between Atlantic City, NJ and Philadelphia, PA) over the course of three days and camping out each night with thousands of other men and women fighting for the same cause.  The net proceeds from this event are...

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Library: Asian Faces by Taylor Chang-Babaian

Taylor Chang-Babaian (with foreword by Yoko Ono) Asian Faces $24.95    One of the things that I've really been getting into lately are beauty books, just because I feel like there's a wealth of information that can be gleaned from their glossy, colorful pages.  This is certainly true of Asian Faces by Taylor Chang-Babian. The book, written specifically for Asian women, aims to address all of their beauty concerns.  As a female of Filipino descent, I had always wondered what would look best on me, and as with any makeup addict, I seek to find my holy grail in every makeup category.  I believe that with this book, I...

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