It’s Friday, and unlike other Fridays when it was for girls night out, perhaps a date night, or anything else fun and outdoorsy we will be staying in. That does not mean though that we should have forgotten about ourselves, about looking our best, even if it’s just to cross from the bedroom to the living room, or the kitchen, or the bathroom, you get it.

There are memes about this, but they may not be too far from reality. Some of us are in need of a haircut, a hair dye, are missing the pedicures, manicures, the eyelash extensions, the waxing or threading salon. The list can go on, but there’s one I think I can help with. I will introduce you to a product, I like very much and definitely give a 10/10. I started using it before all this was happening because I got tired of spending too much and of not being satisfied with the results.

I am talking face waxing and/or threading. I am sure there are professionals out there who do a great job, and have a huge talent, unfortunately after a couple hiccups I gave up, and tried it myself. I did some research and tried a couple products before coming across Sally Hansen’s Extra Strength All-Over Body Wax Kit. It will take some practice but definitely worth the try; it works great. 

I started using it just to wax my eyebrows, but as I began to feel more confident and as I saw that it worked, I now use it for a full face wax. 

Step by Step with Sally Hansen’s Extra Strength All-Over Body Wax Kit

1. Remove the lid.

2. Microwave for one minute.

TIP!!! – It will cool up as you use it, and will get hard to work with, so as needed,  heat it from time to time 20-25 seconds. 

3. Apply the was on the desired area.

TIP!!! – Use just the tip of a wooden spatula, it will be easier to work with and put more of the wax to good use. 

4. Press the wax with the cloth strips. 

TIP!!! – For small areas, cut up the cloth strips as considered appropriate. 

5. Grab a corner of the cloth strip and pull. 

TIP!!! – Make sure to pull with quick motion and in the opposite direction of hair growth. 

6. Massage area.

TIP!!! I like to keep a bowl of ice to make my hand cold before massaging,  it helps reduce the redness. 

7. Repeat process until all desired areas have been worked on.

TIP!!! – Use the Azulene finishing oil to remove any wax remaining and wash your face with cold water. 

TIP!!! – Apply Rose Water or Aloe Vera to help with the redness. 

If you were looking for options for hair removal during this quarantine, I hope my post was useful. I wouldn’t have taken the time to write about Sally Hansen’s Extra Strength All-Over Body Wax Kit, if it weren’t because it actually works. There’s no excuse for hair removal and looking great this quarantine. Overall, I hope today’s post was useful, if you give it a try comment with your experience.

Today we won’t talk about recipes, face creams, face masks or any of that beauty stuff. Let’s dedicate today’s post to the ROOTS of this blog, and where it sits now. I think its a good point to reflect on its progress and further decide the future of it. I will start out by saying that the first posts where not easy to write, nor to publish. Letting my feelings and emotions out was very difficult. I was afraid and to an extent embarrassed. 

But am glad I did, the weight that all that had over me was too much, and sharing it was the best way to let go. I can look back and not feel the same pain, fault, and despair. Memories don’t hurt like they used to. In the past I was letting my emotions define me in every way. At that time, my “I feel” was not different from my “I am”. 

I was having a hard time differentiating who I was from how I was feeling, not realizing that how I felt was a result of some bad moments, that like any thing else had their beginning and end. Living and learning from them, was like what comes out of a good reading. Where each page holds a good lesson, and after having read it, and having understood it, you don’t rip the page out, nor do you throw it away. Its the complete opposite, we may even highlight it, but never do we stay on the same page, we turn it expecting even more from the next one.

Now, even though letting go has not been easy, dedication, time and the desire to be better off, have made the difference. I have committed more time to myself, and to let out of the positive side in me, to the point that it reaches others. I had one person ask, why are you always so full of energies, so cheerful and talkative. I stopped for a moment and realized that I was getting some where. What I had set myself to was having its results.

Overall, I will continue to work on myself, and if you are doing the same for what ever reason it is, don’t give up. It can be small or big steps, they will all count. And most importantly, don’t hold your emotions, let them out, it doesn’t have to be publicly, even writing them for your own eyes can help. With that said, I will continue to blog, to share what I have been up to, and share my tips and ideas. I do however plan to incorporate more outdoor activities, which I enjoy, as they are very relieving. Leave a comment if you have any suggestions.

Until the next blog! 🙂

Created with Canva by Maria Camacho

I am loving how my skin is looking with all the face masks I have been applying, so guess what? Today’s post will be another face mask. This one in particular I really liked because as I was removing it, the turmeric worked like a scrub/exfoliate, but without being too rough on my skin, like other face scrubs.

Created with Canva by Maria Camacho

Moreover, as I have said before all skins are different, but something I would like to point out is my reaction to Aloe Vera. I know from past experiences that my skin gets itchy with it. For that reason, I made sure to put less than I would have suggested. Instead of doing one tablespoon like I did with the turmeric and the honey, I did 1 teaspoon of Aloe Vera.

A tip I would like to give you this time around is the use of a face peel. I will give you the link to a previous post for the face peel I use. There are others out there; if you have one that you like, share it in the comments, I love to try new products. Back to my tip, I like to do a face peel prior to my face mask, at least once a week. It cleans my skin and leaves it ready to absorb more of the good stuff that I put in the face masks. This is a good idea especially if you apply make-up everyday or almost every day of the week. Give it a try you might get better results out of your face masks.

 With all that said let’s get to today’s face mask. 

Ingredients 

• 1 Teaspoon of Aloe Vera 
• 1 Tablespoon of Turmeric 
• 1 Tablespoon of Honey
• 10 Lime Drops
• 10 Drops of Vitamin C
• 10 Drops of Tea Tree Oil 

As you can see, there are a lot of great ingredients, but it’s super simple to make.

All you have to do is mix all ingredients in a small bowl. To make it easier on yourself, it’s best to add each ingredient one at a time, and mix after each one.

Turmeric Mask by Maria Camacho

I hope you enjoy this post and give it a try, I am very satisfied with the results. With what I mixed, I had enough for three face masks. You can save it in the fridge, it actually feels really good when you apply it cold. Or you can share it with your mom, your sister, a friend…we all want look and great. After this quarantine, I hope to have better skin. We are in this together, let’s help each other out. Feel free to share the post for others to try.

Jumping right off of yesterday’s post, let’s talk more about food, but this time along the lines of self-care. In today’s post we will be making a strawberry jam…for your face. I have tried it before, but this time I added some oils, and I definitely loved the way it left my skin. I will be doing more of them and of course trying other ones. With the extra time at home, perhaps I will come out healthier skin, ready for an awesome summer. I have high hopes that by summer time, all this chaos will have calmed down and we will be getting back to our normal days. 

First of all, I don’t have a consistent skin type, one day it can be dry, the next oily, and sometimes just perfect, right in between. With that said, I think that not all skins will show the same results, also our skin can react differently. I have become pretty good about being aware of my skin. If something does not feel right I will take it off immediately, before it hurts my skin. 

The strawberry face mask I am about to show you, left my skin feeling very fresh and smooth, with consistent use, I think it can help clear dark spots. Along, the same lines don’t expect immediate results. Your skin will certainly feel great, but for specific results there are a lot of factors that go into it. I will be trying and sharing more of the face masks I give a try. 

Let’s get to it!

Ingredients:

• Fresh Strawberries
• One Lime
• Honey
• Tea Tree Oil
• Vitamin E (in oil)
• Retinol Oil

Mask Prep Step by Step

1. Smash the strawberries with a form (one to two depending on the size and desired face mask quantity)
2. Add eight to ten fresh lemon juice drops. If you have very sensitive skin less may be better to prevent irritation. 
3. Add one to two tablespoons of honey.  
4. Add five to six drops of tea tree oil
5. Add five to six drops of Vitamin E oil
6. Ad five to six drops of retinol oil
7. Mix all ingredients very well 
8. Let it sit in the fridge for two to three hours at least. For greater consistency, leave overnight. 
9. Avoiding the eye area, to prevent irritated eyes, carefully apply on your face. 

There are a couple tips I would like to give you before wrapping up this post. Number one I kind of mentioned in the step by step. The first time I applied it, I had just finished preparing it. It was very liquid like, so it was running down my face and was getting everywhere. There are two ways to avoid the mess. One is to apply it while laying down, perhaps with someone’s help.Two is to place a wet towel around your face so it can absorb what runs off. Third would be to leave it in the fridge. This last tip was great for two reasons, it made the face mask more consistent, so it was not running off as much, and the coldness of it will feel great on your skin. 

Overall, if you are like me and enjoy taking care of your skin, this quarantine time may be a great time for you to invest some time on yourself. I am a lover of homemade skin care recipes. 

The oils that I added to this recipe are some of my favorites. I have been applying them for years now, and I really like the results. Give it a try and let me know how you like it, or if there’s a face mask you would like me to try, leave it in the comments. I am always happy to add to my face mask collection. 

Take care of yourself, and let’s shoot for a radiant skin this summer!

During this time of the quarantine, a lot of us are constantly trying to find something to keep us entertained and busy while staying safe and sound indoors. We are in a situation none that of us would like to be in and would probably love for things to be back to normal. Personally I miss going out, spending time with family and friends. But let’s not get on the melancholic side, that is not the purpose of this post. 

The circumstances don’t seem to get better, yet if we are healthy, keeping our patience and making the best of staying home is the most we can do. I have been looking into activities I can do while staying indoors. I have come across bloggers who have done a great job in giving ideas. Some are talking about working out at home, cleaning, working on projects we had been putting off, pampering ourselves, etc. Personally I have tapped into things I had been wishing to have more time for. 

With that said, today’s blog will be about making SOPES! It’s my second time making them, and there are two things I will have to mention beforehand. I am terrible with using measurements, I think it’s common in the Latino culture. We cook al “tanteo” (to estimate), so bear with me. Second of all, every time I cook, I’ll probably change up the process or recipe a bit. This can be good or bad, but it’s best when it’s for the better of the dish, and when I improve it from the time before. Above all, I was very happy with the results, so let’s get to it!

List of Ingredients

Red Sauce

• 2-3 Tree Chilis
• 2-3 Guajillo Chiles 
• 2 Tomatoes
• ⅓ Onion
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• Salt to Taste

The Sope

• 3 Parts Maseca for Every Part Flour
• 1 Part all Purpose Flour for Every 3 Parts Maseca
• Warm Water 

The Meat

• 5 lbs of Asada
• Seasoning to Taste
• Salt to Taste
• ¼ Onion (chopped)
• 2-3 Garlic Cloves (cut up)
• Orange Juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
• Cooking Oil

Toppings

• Cheese
• Onion (w/lime and salt to taste)
• Avocado 
• Lettuce
• Sour Cream
• Hot Sauce
• Re-fried Beans
• Carne Asada
• Cut-up Cucumbers 

SOPES Step by Step

One

Marinate the Meat: Chopped the meat into small pieces and added the ingredients listed under the The Meat list of ingredients. When I cook meat I like to marinate it and let it rest at least an hour or two. The meat absorbs the seasoning for better taste and softens up. 

Two

Prepare the Red Dipping Sauce: Boil all ingredients, let them cool, blend them, and strain the mix.

Three

Make the Sopes: Mix the Maseca, flour, and water. I don’t have exact measurements, but after making tortillas for so long I guide myself by the texture. Once the masa is ready I make balls of it and press them to about 5 inches in diameter. To cook them, I set them on a hot pan, turn it once, and a second time before removing it. I let it cool a bit, then press the edge to make a pot shape out of it.

Four

Cooked the Meat: Preheat the pan, add the marinated meat, and mix until fully cooked. 

Five

Prepare the Toppings: 

1. Onion: Cut up the onion, add lime juice and a pinch of salt. I let it sit in the fridge for about two hours, to get rid of the strong taste and to let it absorb the lime and salt. 
2. Avocados: Cut up the avocados, and the lettuce. 
3. Re-fried beans: There was nothing special about the beans, I just made sure they were soft and warm.

Six

Prepare your Sopes:

1. Preheat your oil in a pan 
2. Dip the Sope in the sauce and fry it 
3. Spread beans on the Sope
4. Add the rest of the toppings to taste and desire

This was my end result! 

I hope that if the dish is of your taste you give it a try. It’s not complicated, it is time consuming though, there are multiple things to prepare. Following my  steps too may not be too easy, I will be working on ways to improve the format of recipe blogs. Leave your comment below if you would like a video that might make it easier.

Remember, more than the dish, I wanted to share my experience with the quarantine and motivate you to find ways to get through these hard and undesirable times. It may be the perfect time for you to do new things, to try what you had been putting off, and to focus on your self care. 

When someone says you can’t, when they doubt, when they underestimate you, do you let their words keep you from advancing or do you do the total opposite? In today’s blog I would like to talk about turning underestimation to your benefit. Has it occurred that you expressed your dream, your goals, only to be told you won’t make it, that they are too big for you, or that you are incapable of accomplishing them? 

I have had that happen, and I won’t lie it can hurt, more or less depending on who it comes from. Yet I don’t let that stop me from doing what I said I would do and maybe even a little more. What’s the secret behind doing this? Well it’s not really a secret. It’s more about taking the feelings that come when people express their doubts. I am sure you have experienced that sparkle of anger, that feeling that comes accompanied by words similar to: “watch me as I do it”. 

When working towards our dreams we will always encounter those who will underestimate us for how we look, were we come from, our past mistakes, you name it. You just need to keep in mind that they are measuring you under their standards. If you are determined to put the hard work, you shouldn’t let them define your limits. They may know what they are capable of, but they will never know what you are capable of, especially when you show them you can defeat the doubts.

Before switching jobs, I was told it would be months before I would find anything, that I should probably wait until I was finished with school, that a job search/a new job would come between my school. It’s like people were doubting my abilities, my skills, and in all my potential. Now if you recall from a past post, that is not the case. A new job opportunity came into my life, and in a short time I was enjoying of a new position at a place where I am beyond happy to call work.

Therefore, when people show you their doubts, it’s not the time to sit back and cry—that may be exactly what they are expecting. While they wait for the moment for you fail, just to remind you of their words, you should be taking advantage of every second to work your hardest.  At the end of the day, what you accomplish is for your best interest, in the process you may have dominated the art of enjoying the underestimation.

I’d like to take this opportunity, to remind you that you are the only one who can put a limit to your potential. Next time someone says you can’t, take their words, and make them your fuel to go out and conquer the world. You don’t even have to waste time trying to convince them otherwise; actions can speak louder than words.  

I invite you to click here and think deeply on those words, to a great extent they hold truth.

As we all know, a lot but at the same time not much at all has been going the past weeks. The world is in chaos with the outbreak of COVID-19. Most of us have been impacted by it in more than one way. Most recently, as a result of it, I got the news that the 2020 UNR Spring Commencement will be held virtually.

With the situation not getting any better, I saw it coming. I will admit though that at first, I did not take the news very well. I was upset and my first thought was “all this hard work, to end up graduating in front of a screen”. However, with a blog dedicated to personal development and to staying positive, I opted to remind myself of a couple things. That is what we are going to talk about today. It is easy to smile and be happy during the good times; but the real tests come during the storm. 

I can tell you all day, to stay positive, and find an opportunity in anything and everything. But it is not that easy, and it is not how it works; things will happen, and we will be challenged. With the news on the Spring Commencement, I decided to read past posts for inspiration. Specifically, my “Live with Purpose Post”. There I reminded myself, that graduating was more than the commencement, and celebrating my accomplishment, for which there will eventually be plenty time. 

My dedication and hard work go back to since I was a kid. I always enjoyed learning and attending school. At only age seven, after insisting too much, I left my hometown and family in hopes of a better future. At that time, I was a kid, and perhaps I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for. Today, as I see where my education culminates, I know that leaving was well worth it. If I continue to work hard, my degree will only be the beginning of a better future.  

When I was about five years old, my mother asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I remember telling her, I wanted to be Mexico’s president. She looked at me oddly and questioned my response. I recall telling her that I was no different, that at one time the president was also a kid, with tiny hands and tiny feet. And so, like him I could too grow up to be president. I know it’s a silly story, and it’s not where I ended up, but what I take from that is that since as a child I dreamed big. So a canceled live graduation is no good reason to be disappointed.

With that said, I know that if my child self were to meet me today, she would be proud. The days when she cried, the days when she felt lonely paid off. Graduation is more than the ceremony. It’s making that little girl proud. I know that even though she was only a child, she knew her dreams could be limitless.

Therefore, if you are like me, another graduate who will be affected by this situation, I ask that you define your real reason for graduating. What is, is, and there’s not much we can do to change it. So instead of getting angry or too upset, let’s appreciate what we do have, and let’s consider the bigger reason why we pursued a higher education. Once this is all over, everything is going to be fine. We just need to stay together as a family, as a community. 

In my last post I talked about building our confidence, surprisingly by doing something that is almost effortless: wearing red lipstick. If you read some of my first post/s, you are familiar with that month I went through to finally make some adjustments to my life. With that being said, today we are going to discuss three important steps I have come across in my journey for personal development.

Let me start off by telling you that it has not been easy, I have had a difficult time finding the balance and time to do everything I set for myself. Yet one of the best things I could have done, was to define my life goal which basically sums up in two words: LIVE HAPPILY.

After living a difficult time, I understand that some things are inevitable, but it is up to us to decide how we are going to let them impact us. We can have as many life goals as we want, but it’s important to define the one that defines our life purpose. Doing so matters, because when something happens, good or bad, our life goal is a reminder that we are working for better things.

We don’t just magically end up living the life of our dreams. Therefore, it’s important that we define what goes into living our life goal, and getting those things done. I am currently at a point where I wan to finish school, I want to spend more time with my family, I want to take better care of myself, I want to do good at work, I want to build my confidence etc.

There is so much I want to do, and the day only has 24 hours. Planning out my day, and understanding my priorities and capabilities is the best advice I can give you. Setting up your plans ahead of time, makes it easier to stick to them. None the less, sometimes they will have to change, but at least you are better prepared. You know what is going on in your day, that you will know where to make adjustments.

Last but not least, reassurance, has been key in keeping up with my busy days, especially those that feel almost impossible to get through. Getting up at 5 a.m. to go work out is not easy, if I stayed up late the night before doing homework because before that I went to dance practice and or a family dinner. However, having my life purpose to look up to gives me the strength to keep going. When I am about to change something, for no good reason, I remember what I am working towards and why I do it.

Overall, if you too are trying to figure your life out, if you are not happy with who you are, try the following steps.

1. Define your life purpose.
2. Plan out you day around your life purpose
3. Always give reassurance to your life purpose

I encourage you to take some time alone to reflect on them, especially if you wish to become a better version of yourself. It will not be easy, but good things don’t usually come easily. We must work for them.

Are you the girl who can confidently walk out the door with red lips? Or are you the one who thinks twice about it, or maybe the one that wouldn’t even dare at all? 

In today’s blog, let’s talk about the power of red lipstick. The one that turns heads, raises eyebrows, and the common question “what’s going on today”? If you are the girl who can rock red lipstick on any day, on any occasion, you know what I’m talking about. You probably also know of the confidence boost, and empowerment you feel the moment you put it on.

I have been at both ends. I used to think that not everyone could do justice to red lips, especially not me. In my mind it was for someone special to wear at a special occasion. Sometimes, I would put it on, just to end up scrubbing it off, or changing it for a more neutral tone. I felt as if it would catch too much attention, to someone so insignificant. 

Today as I work on building my confidence, on getting out of my comfort zone, I have made a point to wear red lipstick even to go to the grocery store. You may find it hard to believe, but wearing red lipstick, is not like wearing any other tone of lipstick. If you embrace it and wear it with confidence (which comes almost naturally with it), it’s like putting on your superwoman cape. It changes your mood for the day; all the sudden you feel like you can conquer all of what the day holds ahead. 

And to motivate you even a bit more, it’s not only about the confidence boost it gives you, the effort I have had to put towards my makeup, is minimal. I am telling you there is something behind red lipstick.

For the last two weeks, my makeup routine has consisted of eyeliner, mascara, and of course my favorite tone of red lipstick. It’s like the red gives life to my face; the five minutes I put towards my makeup routine is enough. The time I save I put it towards applying all those other products that I love to take care of my skin. Read my “Putting on Your Best…Literally”, for some some of those products.

Now because I want no excuses, below is an image that may be useful in choosing the right tone for you.

If you are like me, somewhere between the caramel and almond skin tone, you might opt for a dark wine-red tone. I have been using the Chanel Camelia Pourpre (637) and the Tarte creamy matte lip paint in the Frenemy shade (links below). 

 

Pictures from Chanel & Tarte. 

All I have got to say now is, don’t wait for a special occasion, go get yourself some red lipstick if you don’t already have some, and give it a try. You may even choose to wear it to the grocery store.

RED lips are not for where you are going, but for who you want to be.

Let them speak for themselves.

Let them bring out your inner queen. 

Personal development is endless; it comes in countless shapes and forms. Today, I want to discuss an area that to many of us matters a lot when it comes to feeling and looking better: our appearance.  Let’s be sincere, are we not more comfortable and confident when we feel good about how we look. Don’t you agree that when a woman feels beautiful—she walks, she speaks, and she acts with confidence. 

And a woman who is confident can conquer her dreams.  

If you remember from my previous post, I talked about putting our best face to our problems. Everyone has their own ways of looking and feeling better. Today I want to share with you, products that will literally bring out your best face. They were my run to when my skin was not looking good, and today they are my favorite in keeping a healthy and beautiful skin. 

The following are three products that I love and use most: 

1. My Predire Paris face peel is one of my absolute favorites. I don’t know how may refills I have gone through because I love it. It is an excellent defoliator; it gets rid of the impurities in my skin. Depending on how my skin is feeling and acting, I use it once or twice a week. It leaves my skin feeling smooth and clean. 

2. My second product is Diamond from Kristals cosmetics, and anti-gravity magnetic mask. This one takes more time, so I use it once or twice a month. With its refined magnetic power for increased cellular regeneration it helps to maintain a smooth and young-looking skin. I feel as if it pulls out the impurities in my pores. 

3. The last product which I use every day, is tea tree oil. I have used a couple brands but my most favorite is from Advanced Clinicals. It has been great to treat/prevent acne. It’s not unusual that I break out when stressed, but this oil does miracles. Due to how great it is, I like to mix it with my body cream as well. 

You might not choose to try any of the products that I listed, and that is fine. What I do ask is that you occasionally set time aside to pamper yourself. The way we feel has a lot to do with how we look.  This weekend why don’t you set aside at least half an hour to wash your face, may be apply a face mask, put on some moisturizer, out there are numerous products that are great for the skin. What I am trying to get at is self-care. Stay busy, set goals, and go after them, but do it because it’s what you want and because it makes you feel good.

Disclaimer: I am no dermatologist; these products have worked for me. Each skin is different, if you try any of these products, I suggest you test them on a small area first. Below are links where you can find each of the products.  

PREDIRE

DIAMOND

ADVANCED CLINICALS TEA TREE OIL