Full review of all drugstore acne patches

Are acne patches the answer to keeping zits at bay. Am plagued by the zits. Thanks but no thanks.  

So, I've been testing out every single drugstore acne patch in the market. Seriously, they are God sent and I'll make life easy and breakdown which 3 brands are yays and which are nays. 

1. Nexcare Acne Patch

Pros: 

1. Works well in sucking pus out of the zits

2. Good in drawing a head for cystic acne 

3. Many patches in various sizes. 30 in the biggest pack. Good deal for money. 

Cons: 

1. too thick and shiny surface. Can spot it from a mile. 

2. If you have an old pack, the patch seems too sticky on both sides. Yikes. 

Tip: best to use during bedtime. 

2. Oxy Antibacterial Acne Patch

Pros: 

1. Works like a charm in getting pus out. The best of the three. 

2. Has 26 patches in various sizes. 

3. Great in bringing cystic acne to a head

4. Easy to peel off the packet

Cons: 

1. Still too thick for my liking and too shiny. Very noticeable. 

3. Miacare Acne Patch for Day, Night, Day and Night.

Pros: 

1. the best acne patch in terms of how invisible and thin it is. You can hardly tell its there. I actually forget I have it on my face. 

2. Ok in getting pus out. The Day formula seems to work better than Night version. 

Cons:

1. Quite hard to peel it off from the packet. If it's rippled, it loses its opaqueness which makes it unnoticeable. 

2. Very few patches in a pack. Only 12.

Tip: use it for day as it keeps your itchy fingers from touching your zit, exacerbating it's inflammation. 

So, there you go! Hope it works for you too. 

‪#‎budgetbeautymommy‬

Best shampoo and conditioner to use everyday

Hair is my crowning glory. I'm like Samson, my power comes from my hair. Just kidding, I'm just so used to having long hair most of my life and I can't imagine without it. (or just dead boring lol)

Long hair requires a good shampoo and more so a conditioner. Partly because I've not done hair treatment for years and years. *gasp* Plus, my hair is heavily coloured yet it's not frizzy nor dry. I've tried many brands out there from drugstore to luxe brands and I'm absolutely in love with this mid range salon shampoo and conditioner. 

It's Bain de Terre Meadow Green Balancing Shampoo and it's Conditioner. 

Why I love it?

1. It's very gentle and perfect for everyday use

2. Not heavy so fine hair is not weighed down. I even apply it to my roots and no problems!

3.  Price is mid range so it's affordable

4. Has no parabens so this budget beauty mommy is ridiculously happy

5. Infused with Argan oil and Monoi oil. You know I'm a big fan of essential oils

6. Fresh and crisp scent without a heavy synthetic aroma 

Seriously, what's not to love? I like to get mine in the 1L Bottle as I hate running out of it.

‪#‎budgetbeautymommy‬

How to be a good host for friends with babies

Being a good host to friends with a baby is not an impossible feat. Recently, we had a bbq during Sunday lunch with 6 adults and a baby and it was wonderful. Here are some tips to being a good host:

1. We choose a menu that we're familiar with. 

Bbq is our go to menu for parties as it's easy to prepare, tasty and fun. Plus the men can socialise over cocktails while grilling the meat. And women can relax with the babies. 

2. Prepare lots of toys and play mats for guest's baby to be entertained. 

We've laid down some play mats and fill it with toys and books to entertain our little baby guest. 

3. Prepare a room for mothers and babies.

We always prepare a room for mothers to nurse or change baby diapers. Or a room for babies to nap if they are tired. 

4. Set the mood to vibrant. 

Before guests arrive, I usually do a spot of spring cleaning and also diffuse my favourite Doterra Wild Orange oil in my diffuser to welcome guests. Put on some nice music and we are ready for a good time.

5. Serve food family style

We want our parties to be relaxing and family oriented and nothing is more relaxing than breaking bread together like a family. We serve all the dishes on the centre of the dining table and we all pass food around. The idea is for baby to join us on the table too. 

6. Use unconventional utensils

Let's be real, not all of us have complete matching utensils for all our guests. So be creative and serve bread on artisan wooden chopping boards, serve grilled meat on roasting pans, serve salad on glass mixing bowls etc. It adds more texture to your dining table and gives it a homely, friendly feel to your spread. 

7. Prepare utensils for babies or kids

We always have colourful plates and bowls and large colourful spoons for any kids visiting us. Sippy cups, curly straws and bibs too. At least your guest don't need to pack their own baby utensils.

Here are just some of the tips we use every time we have parties at our place especially when babies or kids are visiting too. 

‪#‎budgetbeautymommy‬

Doterra Deep Blue Oil to Heal Bruises - Fast!

What's black blue and purple and don't go away? Bruises! Who likes them? 

Me and my little darling gets bruised very easily. Or we tend to just walk into table corners and add a few bruises for company. I've tried many creams, rubs, Chinese medicated oils and even diced raw onion as an overnight patch over the bruises.(read it on the internet but trust me it's messy, smelly and doesn't work)

So, I've recently started a wonderful solution to speed up the healing of bruises. I apply a few drops of Doterra Deep Blue - Soothing Blend to the bruises and rub them in gently so it won't hurt. It feels really nice after application as its slightly tingly and cooling. 

In just the second day of bruising, the bruise no longer hurts to the touch. By the third day, it's started to dissipate and turn lighter and more yellowish in colour. Our bruises are literally gone by 4th to 5th day! It's really amazing. My bruises and little darling's bruises take at least two weeks to heal completely before using Deep Blue! 

I'm one happy budget beauty mommy. Doterra essential oils are really amazing and I'm more in love with it everyday. 

Bonus: Doterra essential oils have amazing consistency and it's never oily so no sticky residue on skin. Smells wonderful too with a very calming blue scent and pretty blue colour. Doterra is very effective for pains and muscle aches

‪#‎budgetbeautymommy‬ 

Good life lessons taught by kids

Kids are really wonderful and full of surprises. If we observe them carefully, we can really learn a lot from them. 

True account from two budget beauty mommies. A topic that can be rather icky but fascinating, nonetheless.

My BFF's 2 year old little darling chanced upon a used sanitary pad on her mommy. So she asked, "what is that pretty thing?" Bless her heart, that little darling associates everything red as beautiful. It's amazing how little darlings see beauty in even the most mundane or unimaginable things. Sadly, a trait that most of us have lost while growing up. 

Then, my little darling who was approaching adolescence, started crying when she saw mine. She exclaimed, "you're bleeding. Are you sick? Are you going to die?" Needless to say, I was very, very touched at how thoughtful and caring my little darling is. Such empathy is genuine and not diluted by cynicism, a defensive mechanism we learn in the process of growing up. If all of us truly cared and have empathy for each other like our little darlings, the world will be a much better place. 

Both little darlings have a wonderful life lesson to teach us. And, both little darlings share a similar habit of following us into the bathrooms!

Enjoy it while it lasts because our little darlings grow up way too fast. 

‪#‎budgetbeautymommy‬