My sleeping habits have gone from bad to worse. My working hours start from 11 pm and end at conservatively 3 am… I might as well be living in a different time zone. Thus, the sad reality of my raccoon eyes. But did you know that even if you do get plenty of sleep, you still can get dark circles under your eyes?

Here are some of the most common causes of under-eye circles: (according to Mayo Clinic)

1. Allergies
2. Atopic dermatitis (more commonly known as eczema)
3. Lifestyle factors, such as smoking and drinking alcohol AND caffeinated sodas (oh no! does that mean COKE??????!!!!)
4. Nasal Congestion (which dilates and darkens the veins that drain from your eyes to your nose) – hmmm now I know…
5. Pigmentation irregularites
6. Sun exposure, which prompts your body to produce MELANIN, the pigment that gives skin its color
7. Thinning skin and loss of fat and collagen – common as you age (whaaaaat?) which makes the reddish-blue blood vessels under your eyes more obvious

What to do???

Who wants to have “twilight” eyes? Well, if you’re into New Moon and True Blood (is that correct?) then you wouldn’t probably mind. For those who do, here are a few things to remember to take care of those peepers and eventually avoid those dark circles:

• Keep it cool. Try placing a cold compress, a bag of frozen peas or two cucumber slices on your eyes to reduce dilated and discolored under-eye blood vessels.
• Keep it high. Elevate your head with two or more pillows to prevent puffiness that develops when fluid accumulates in your lower eyelids.
• More is more. Short nights don’t usually cause under-eye circles but a lack of sleep makes you paler and more hollow-eyed, so shadows and circles are more obvious. OUCH! I need to get more sleep Ü
• I wear my sunglasses at night. Although a tan might hide dark circles in the short term, in the long run, the extra pigment it produces can make circles worse. Use sunscreen!!!
• Keep it clear. Rinsing your sinuses with a saltwater solution (mix 1/4 teaspoon sea salt with 2 cups warm water) or over the counter saline spray can help relieve and clear nasal congestion. I’ve seen this done, but I don’t think I’m brave enough to shoot water up my nostrils. ewww!
• Keep it hydrated. Hundreds of cosmetics and skin creams are out there waiting for you. Look for one that has vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin E and retinol in its formulation.
• Keep it hidden. If worse comes to worse and you need a quick solution pronto, then the right concealer can do the trick for you. If the circles under your eyes are bluish, use a peach-colored concealer, not one that’s white or gray.
• Handle with care. Don’t forget, the skin around our eyes is delicate, that’s why we need to be gentle whenever we apply anything to it. Use your ring finger to dab eye make up or apply night creams.

So I must do as I preach because it’s way past my bedtime. I’m off to bed!!!!

Later, folks!

It’s true. I have found the one night cream that works for me. Yes, it is Olay – Olay Regenerist and NO, I am not a paid endorser. I wish I was. LOL I’m not into make up that much but I do want to have clear, clean skin.  I have tried a lot of night creams out there and it does get tiring to be using so many products to address different needs. Right now, I’m a happy camper with this one. My sister gave this as a present when she came home last year and I was just happy to receive something from her. I didn’t use the product immediately because I don’t religiously put night creams on plus I didn’t want to use it all up because the next supply would come the next time she comes home again. I finally found out how good it was when I finally found a good enough reason to use it.  I was supposed to attend an event and I had to, at least,  not look like a raccoon because of the dark circles around my eyes that comes from sleeping late. I had to do something fast.  And so I used it and I was actually quite surprised and happy with it.  The cream didn’t feel heavy on my skin, it didn’t feel like it was clogging my pores, it was easily absorbed and wasn’t like grease sitting there. I had only like a few hours of sleep and yet it didn’t show. I was hooked! So now, I obligated my sister to be my lifetime supplier of Olay.  Forever! hahaha

We always hear fashion gurus telling us that the “little black dress” is one of those fashion essentials you must have in your closet. But what about jewelry? What should you invest in when it comes to jewelry? I grew up in a town famous for it’s jewelry making industry and seeing jewelry catalogs around our house was nothing extraordinary. Although I am not the “chunky, clunky” type, I do appreciate good jewelry when I see one. Below are what I think every one should have at least one of in their stash. My jewelry of choice would be earrings and here are some samples of what I would wear (if I could LOL).

Diamonds are classic, timeless and always in style no matter what the occasion.

Pearls are elegant, sophisticated and can take you from drab to fab in an instant.

Real gems and birthstones add that personal touch to your overall look.

What about costume jewelry then? Where does that fit in? With all the high quality hip and trendy fashion jewelry coming out, there will always be room for that in your wardrobe especially if they are as cute as this:

… yeah, yeah it’s ballet of course I’ll wear it hahaha (I found this in etsy – image is linked… I think )

So that’s my fashion roundup for this time.

There has been a preggy explosion among the bebots in the forum and having a baby is always a good reason to celebrate. Congrats to all the ladies who recently gave birth ( I actually lost track of who, sa dami LOL). Congrats also to those who caught the preggy dust and found out that they are expecting as well, like Mich and Amore! For those who are expecting to expect, you know who you are, I’m sure it won’t take long for you to get into those cutesy maternity clothes as well. Take care ladies and enjoy your preggy days!

(credits : angela powers prego girl)