I SHOOT OUR OWN WEDDING PHOTOS

Last May 2, 2019 we got married here in Norway in a civil wedding ceremony.  

As we all know, everything here in Norway is expensive hence I have to DIY everything including our wedding photos.  

So how i took this photo? I used my Fujifilm XT1 with 35mm 1.4 lens and a tripod ofcourse. Also my phone as my remote control shutter using the fujifilm app. I do some minimal editing using lightroom classic cc. I am glad that I saved a lot of money from refraining to hire a professional photographer. :) So here are some of the photos I took. 

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Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Honey Drops Body Cream Review

Moving to Norway with an ice-climate makes my skin prone to dryness. As I have mentioned in my previous blog, I am not into moisturizer unless it is for my face because I used makeup often hence the needs of moisturizer. When I was in the Philippines, I believed my skin is moisturized enough so I thought I do not need to use a moisturizer or some kind of lotion, but after moving here in Norway I started to noticed the difference. So while I was checking lotions at vita.no physical shop at Amfi Stord I came across to this body cream from elizabeth arden because it was on sale. So i bought it for like 149 kr if I am not mistaken. I find it expensive because I am used to buying cheap stuff in the Philippines. My inner "kuripot" in me told me not to buy this. But I ended up getting it since It's on sale anyways. 

So the next day, I have the chance to use it after shower. I've read before that when you apply moisturizer it is better to do it while your skin has some water drops like you are not totally toweled dry. Just have some mist of water if I explained it better.  I hope I made sense. So after shower I applied it on my skin and I can tell that It is worth the money since It has the cooling effect because of the green tea I think. It smells so good that I don't think I need perfume to smell this good for the entire day, considering that I really do not owned a perfume. Yes, you heard it right! I do not use perfume because it makes me dizzy but in this case this doesn't smell too hard on me. So i think I will be fine since for me It smells just like I came out from the shower. It makes me feel refreshed after a bath. It is rich and deeply penetrating without being greasy or sticky. Since I moved here my skin turned too dry but this body cream hydrates, softens, smooths and plumps up my skin. I would consider buying it again. 

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HOW TO PERFECT YOUR MACARONS

The past few days I have been trying to bake macarons. As they always say, try and try until you succeed. Finally, after my fourth attempt I was able to perfect my macarons. So here I am sharing you my own recipe, because when I followed the recipe I found online I was not able to make it perfectly. But when I adjusted the amount of the ingredients into my own desire of measurement I successfully nailed it! This recipe is best if you want to make small amount of macarons since you are not sure if you are going to be successful on your first try but hopefully after following this recipe you can make it too. 

FRENCH MACARONS INGREDIENTS: (15 pcs macarons)

• 95 g finely ground almond flour
• 110 g powdered sugar
• 1 large egg white, at room temperature
• 25 g granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt, divided
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup granulated sugar(50 g)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

LIME VANILLA BUTTERCREAM

• 100 g unsalted butter, at room temperature 
• 150 g cups powdered sugar 
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• ½ teaspoonlime zest 

PREPARATION

1. First make the macarons. Combine the powdered sugar, almond flour, and ¼ teaspoon of salt in a bowl of food processor if you have and process on low speed, until extra fine. Sift all the dry ingredients to avoid lumps. 
2. In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites and the remaining ¼  teaspoon of salt with an electric hand mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the granulated sugar until fully incorporated. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
3. Add the vanilla and beat until incorporated. This is also the part where you can add food coloring if you opted to have one. 
4. Add about ⅓ of the sifted almond flour mixture at a time to the beaten egg whites and use a spatula to gently fold until combined. After the last addition of almond flour, continue to fold slowly until the batter falls into ribbons and you can make a figure 8 while holding the spatula up.
5. Transfer the macaron batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
6. Pipe the macarons onto the parchment paper in 1½-inch circles, spacing at least 1-inch apart. For the first timer like me I use a macaron template.
7. Tap the baking sheet on a flat surface 5 times to release any air bubbles.
8. Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until dry to the touch.
9. Preheat the oven to 300˚F (150˚C).
10. Bake the macarons for 18-20 minutes, until the feet are well-risen and the macarons don’t stick to the parchment paper. If the macarons are sticking into the parchment paper it means it is under cook. Put it back in the oven for a minute or two. But never over baked it because it will make it super crispy and hallow inside. 
11. Transfer the macarons to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
12. Time to make the buttercream for filling. In a large bowl, add the butter and beat with a mixer for 1 minute until light and fluffy. Sift in the powdered sugar and beat until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. Add the cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat to combine, until desired consistency is reached.
13. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
14. Add buttercream to one macaron shell. Top it with another macaron shell to create a sandwich. Repeat with remaining macaron shells and buttercream.
15. Do not eat yet. It is best to eat your macarons after 24 hours. But if you do I can't blame you. It means you made it perfectly that you wanna eat it right away. 

I hope you guys would give it a try. Don't be afraid to try and make a mess because that's how you learn, from trial and error.  Goodluck! 

ADDITIONAL TIPS TO REMEMBER:

• If you can't find almond flour on your favorite shop you can make it out of almond nuts.
• Make sure you use a fine well sifted almond flour mixture because if not your macarons will not rise properly and you will have a hard time piping the perfect circle shape just like the first time i baked it. See the photo below.

This tasted perfectly but as you can see i didn't get that perfect shape and appearance of the macarons that you can buy in the shop.

• Do not over beat your batter because it will ruin your macarons. Ofcourse I didn't know that I over beat my batter the second time I made it so it turns out like a biscuit without feet. Just a flat crispy cookie. See the photo below.

I tried making a chocolate macaron on my second attempt but still fail because apparently this is how it will look like if you over beat your batter. 

• Make sure to wait until your macaron is dry to touch before baking them because it will ruin the appearance of your macarons just like what happened to my third attempt. See the photo below. 

Tasted really good, almost perfect for me but as you can see it does't looked like a macaron. 

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Maintaining my Curly Hair

Having a curly hair can be a curse for some people who doesn't know how to fix it properly hence they intended to have it straight. But any straightening products can damage your hair and even more expensive to maintain since you have to re-do it every 6 months or every year. Trust me i've been there. I was born with curly hair and when I turned 14 I decided to have it straight (rebonded) for like 13 years. Yes, it looks good and i also liked it but i find it hard to maintain because when it starts growing you have to use a flat iron every now and then so it will look even. I got tired of doing the same routine every day so I decided I'l just let my hair grow back to its original which is curly. 

So some of my friends are asking me how do i maintain my curls, that's why I am going to share you the products I am using to achieve this kind of curls that doesn't looked messy.

Please read below to know more. 

(OGX BEAUTY PURE & SIMPLE / GARINER RESPONS CARING CONDITIONER / BAZILIAN KERATIN SHAMPOO)

SHAMPOO

I use shampoo every other day so as not to damage my hair thoroughly because using it every day will strip your hair off its natural oil which will adversely affect the growth of your hair and trigger damage. I use lukewarm water to rinse my hair. The warm water will help open the cuticles of the hair so that the shampoo can penetrate deeper and remove dirt and oil from the hair. The open cuticles will also be able to absorb the oil and moisturizing effects of the conditioner better. I don't apply the shampoo all over my hair specially thru it ends because you only need to focus on your scalp when shampooing so you don't get dandruff in the long run. So far I liked using the brazilian keratin smoothing therapy shampoo because it does't feel dry after washing it off. Some shampoo i have tried has that effect that I can't finger comb my hair while washing it. If i cannot remove the tangles of my hair while shampooing, then I won't use it again. So for me this brand works for me better. 

CONDITIONER

After shampooing you definitely need to conditioned your hair. Remember never apply a conditioner on your scalp, as that’ll make the roots oilier than they naturally are. It’s your hair that needs the most hydration and thus, should be conditioned from the mid until the ends of your hair. The ends of the hair are the driest and need additional moisturizing, therefore, apply more conditioner at the ends and leave it on for longer. I usually leave the conditioner for 10 minutes before washing it off. Once I applied the conditioner, this is the moment when I like to use comb with a wide-tooth as they call it. So when i wash it off my hair is tangled free. I wash my hair under cool running water to wash off the conditioner. The cold water will help close the cuticles and retain moisture. This will ensure that my hair doesn’t absorb more moisture from the environment and turn frizzy. As for the brand, I used two different brands as of the moment. The garnier respons caring conditioner and the ogx beauty pure and simple. I mostly use the garnier respons caring conditioner as it works perfectly on my curls. What i liked about this product is it doesn't make my hair feel sticky afterwards. But when i feel like my hair is super dry and lacking its natural oil, I like using the ogx brand because I feel like it has the power of reviving my hair from the damage. Like for example after using high heat to straighten my hair occasionally, I feel like i just killed my hair, hence it needs deep conditioning. 

LEAVE-IN CONDIONER / HAIR REPAIR SPRAY

After I washed off the conditioner I used Schwarkopf Gliss Fiber Therapy spray while my hair is still dump but not dripping wet. It helps reconstruct damaged hair fibers. Liquid Keratin reconstructs your hair and renews it by repairing damaged areas deep inside the hair and on its surface. Since my hair is curly it is prone to damaged every time i use any tools with high heat. Even though I said I embraced my curls, I still use flat iron to have a straight hair whenever I am attending a special occasions and I feel like I wanna have a straight hair. But I make sure that I do it seldom. So far I have straightened my hair twice since I let my curls grown on its own for over a year now. 

SCHWARKOPF GLISS FIBER THERAPY / THE CURL COMPANY ENHANCE & PERFECT CURL CREAM  / SHAPE & DEFINE STYLING CREME-GEL

STYLING CREAM AND GEL 

Since I just started reviving my curls from having it straightened for 13 years, my curls aren't in perfect shape, that's why I need to use a special product that is designed for curly hair just like this cream and styling gel from the curl company. This are the last products that I used after using all the products mentioned above. I first lather the curl company enhance and perfect curl cream onto my hair and then use a paddle brush to create that cure little curls. It is an instant perfector for my curls, smoothing and de-frizzing it for a flawless finish. After that I apply the creme-gel to locked that curls that i made after using the perfect curl cream and brushing it perfectly using the paddle brush.

As you can see, my hair here looks healthy. This is how it looks like after doing all those steps I just mentioned above.

While this is how it was when I don't know yet the secret on how to perfectly create those perfect curls and making my hair shinier, smoother and healthier . I'm sure you can see the difference. 

I got all of these from Normal in Amfi Stord except the ogx which I got from Vita.no also from Amfi. 

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My Current Obsession

Knowing me, I'm not into moisturizer specially if it's only for my hands. However, upon moving to Norway, it made me realize how rude I am to not take good care of my hands same as how I'm taking good care of my face.

As we all know, I came from the tropical country so I never had dry hands back then. But then coming to Norway with a different climate as we have in  my beloved country, it came to a point that my  hands almost feel like a dry cement. Can you picture what I am talking about? Yes that is how i feel without using a hand cream.

Good thing I found a solution for that. Right now I am trying these three different products. One is from clarins and the other two are the same brand which is oriflame. I found clarins the best so far. Aside from giving me the moisture that I need the entire day, it smells good too. While the other two from oriflame are also doing their great job in moisturizing my hands. But I didn't like their smell. Is it kinda weird that I want my hands to smell good as well? I guess not.

So i will suggest that you try the clarins hand and nail treatment cream if you are into smelling good while having soft hands at the same time. Tell me what's your verdict too.

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Kiko Milano Makeup Review

Being a makeup artist has an advantage of playing around and trying out different makeup products from different brands. Since then I was not able to find the best makeup brand that will suit on my skin type. I have an oily skin that is prone to break out every time I apply makeup on. So I tried a lot of products however I still can't find which brand will work on my skin until I found Kiko Milano brand. When I was in Norway, during my free time I like to research for makeup products that I think would work on me. So i saw this brand and went on to their website to check it out and upon checking they all look promising. One thing the caught my attention is the Radiant Boost Face Visage since I like makeup that feels light on my skin. I am not a fan of full coverage makeup. I want my skin to breath because i'm afraid that i might break out again. So i ordered online and have it shipped to my address in Norway, I have to wait 3 weeks before it arrived and I have to pay toll fee since everything over 500nok is taxable.

Among all the products I tried, my most favorite is the radiant boost face base as it gives me natural glow without looking like a have makeup on. This face base is best to pair with any of their foundations like the second skin foundation if you want a no makeup look and the 2-in-1 concealer and foundation if you want a full coverage makeup. Whatever foundation you prefer to use on tope of the radiant boost face visage it will still give you a natural glow hence I love this product. I've been using this product for a year now and I never had a problem with breakout anymore. 

Watch out for more product review from Kiko Milano.

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Shrimp Scampi Pasta with Asparagus Recipe

I know that this is my first time to make a food blog here but I'm happy to share this recipe because it is just so good that I can't believe I made it perfectly knowing that it is my first time to cook this. This is by far the best dish I made that looks fantastic and taste amazing that you don't need to go to a fancy restaurant to eat good food. You can watch the video and check out the recipe below. 

Ingredients for Shrimp Scampi Pasta:

350g spaghetti (cooked with 1 Tbsp salt)

400g shrimp, peeled

1 bundle asparagus, rinsed

3 Tbsp butter, divided

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

4 cloves garlic, minced

Sea Salt and Garlic Pepper (pepper is enough)

1 large freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 Tbsp grated lemon zest

Grated parmesan

How to Make Shrimp Scampi Pasta with Asparagus:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 Tbsp salt and cook pasta according to package instructions until desired doneness (meanwhile, continue with recipe). Drain pasta, return to pot and cover to keep warm.

 2. Place a large, deep pan over medium/high heat and add 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter. Add asparagus, season lightly with salt and fgarlic pepper and cook uncovered for 5 minutes or until crisp tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan.

4. In the same hot pan, add oil and  butter. Once the butter is melted, add minced garlic and sautee, stirring frequently for 1 minute. Add shrimp in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Saute until shrimp are pink and not translucent (about 2 minutes per side). Be careful not to overcook or shrimp will be tough.

5. Add lemon juice & lemon zest and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and return asparagus and pasta to the pan. Toss everything to combine and serve with grated parmesan. 

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My Northern Lights Experience

Taken at Førde in Hordaland around 10pm March 18, 2018

I wasn't really expecting to see the Northern Lights in where I'm staying right now because I live in the southern part of Norway. But I guess I am just born lucky. :) It was just one random night when we just got home and then I opened my laptop then I browsed my facebook and saw someone from  Stavanger Aurora Chaser's group posted that northern lights is showing at that very moment. Stavanger is just 3 hours away from where I live so I was hoping that I can also see it in my place. Because I'm so excited about it I looked outside right away, at first I can't see it so I'm like disappointed. But it was the boyfriend who said he can see it. I was ecstatic like a kid, grabbed my camera and asked my boyfriend to find the tripod and then get dressed right away then went outside where we can take a nice photo of it because i'm dead. lol. I'm just obsessed with Northern lights, if you read my blog, I mentioned that the reason why I'm here in Norway is I  wanted to see it. So now that I saw it I can now go back to the Philippines. Already ticked one of my bucket list. 

So i therefore conclude that I don't need to travel to the northern part just to see the northern lights. you just need patient and watch out for the statuses on facebook. haha. I suggest that you join in a facebook group that is into chasing the northern lights. Make sure to follow the one that is close to where you live because there will be a big possibility that it is also visible at your place when they say that it is showing up at their location.

One more tip, go the place where is away to the city lights so you can see it clearly. I think the best spot will be by the beach just like where we went to.

Take a look at some of the photos I took. Excuse the quality of the photos because It's my first time to do this kind of photography.  One huge mistake I did is not learning how to take northern lights photos. Lesson learned, be prepared for you don't know when the battle begins. haha.

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Hiking to Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen)

Finally, the long wait is over after 3 years of dreaming to see one of the famous tourist spot here in Norway. When I was here 2 years ago, I was not able to go hiking to any touristy places because I do not know anyone who is up for any adventure like this. But now finally I found someone who is also adventurous like me. So I'm lucky to have a personal tour guide lol. 

Pulpit Rock also known as Preikestolen is located in the southern part of the Ryfylke district in Rogaland county in Western Norway. The city of Stavanger, the fourth largest in Norway, the parking facility for Preikestolen is located about one hour from Stavanger by ferry and car. 

Since we are coming from Stord, the total travel time by car and ferry is more likely 3.5 hours. We took two ferries in total to get to the starting point of the mountain. If you are planning to go to Preikestolen, I suggest you go there by car because If you go by bus you'll be walking 2 more hours since there will be no bus going directly to Preikestolen. Or you can book a tour online with travel inclusion from your hotel to Preikestolen and vice versa. It will cost you around 1,200kr for a day tour. 

Preikestolen is 604 meters high, total estimated time to reach he peak is 2.5 hours, however, for some reason we only took 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach the peak. I'm not trying to sound like bragging though. haha. I guess I just walk really fast which is normal for me since I walk faster than normal. And also my mindset is to reach the top right away so I will not feel tired. During the hike, I have to take a 5 minutes break once because I feel like dizzy. Since I'm not feeling well to start with. But it went well so i have nothing to worry about.

Take note that whenever you go out here in Norway you always need to check the weather so you will know what is the proper clothes to wear. Like this time, we knew that it will be sunny but windy so it is still cold so our clothes have to be wind proof and warm enough so as we wont freeze. Though my hands are still freezing because you know Asian, I'm not used to cold weather. haha.

Also you should bring some food and water because you will be hungry during the trip. We are smart enough to bring enough food to eat. I was actually dreaming of eating chicken adobo or sinigang with rice. haha. It must be cool to bring filipino dish and have a picnic on top of the Pulpit Rock.

Once we reached the top we just had a small break, since it was tiring before we decided to take photos of course. But unfortunately when I was about to take photos, it was only then that i know that there's no memory card. So bringing my camera without the memory card in it is a huge fail. So again do not be like me. haha. I'm becoming forgetful now, must be sign of aging. lol. But life must go on. We have our phone so that saves the day. Though I must have some awesome photos if I used my mirror-less camera. 

Please bear with me if the photos I'm posting is not the best quality. But the memories are best saved in your heart and in your mind so that's the most important thing. haha.

Pretending like I can go closer to the edge

Should I go closer?

But the wind blows so maybe no. 

Well I can come closer, That was me the one closer to the edge

As you can see, I can't stand that long so I have to sit. Too scary. haha

hhhmm. I'm sure I can stand here without fearing of falling down

See? I told yah I can. 

Oh well I'm just kidding. It's really windy and I'm scared. I guess 

I hope you guys learn something from this blog.

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Hiking to Himåkåna

When the sun shows up put on your shoes, go out and enjoy the weather. Hiking is the usual outdoor activity to do here in Norway. I'm not really a fan of hiking but since Norway has an amazing nature to offer, I decided maybe I should enjoy it while I'm here.

So the original plan was to go to Hardanger, however since we don't have much time, we decided to go somewhere closer and not too steep mountain to hike. 

It is 1 hour and 30 minutes drive from where I live and more than an hour to reach the peak. But it depends on how fast or slow you walk. But most likely it's just more than an hour walk.

Himåkåna is 357 meters above the sea level so it is not that hard to hike. Just make sure you wear the proper shoes. Do not be like me, I didn't wear the proper shoes for hiking so I ended up having wet feet since the mountain is a bit wet because it's been raining the day before we hike. Also it can be slippery so a proper shoes is really a must. And make sure you are wearing clothes that are warm enough if you are hiking in a cold weather. A waterproof/water resistant clothes is ideal in case it suddenly rain.

If you don't like hiking in a rainy days like me, make sure to check the weather before you plan of going out. In Norway, the most reliable weather forecasting app is called yr. You can also check their website here. 

Once you reached the peak of the Himåkåna you'll be just blown away because the view is breathtaking. Make sure you brought your camera with you so you can have an instagramable photo with it. The most important thing. lol. 

Here are some of the photos I got during the hike.

Pretending I'm not afraid. :p

When suddenly wind blows

That was a little bit scary

I hope you guys like it. See you on my next blog. :)

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