A Natural (and Delicious!) Remedy for Sore Throats

     Since the weather has been acting pretty weird lately, alot of people are coming down with a bad case of respiratory ailments. I myself woke up one morning with a swollen throat and when I checked it out in front of a mirror with a flashlight I saw a number of white spots scattered around my tonsil. Ech. 

     I googled for some natural remedies to ease the irritation that I felt in my throat and came across a wonderful recipe made of warm water, lemon, and honey. Here’s how I prepared it:

• Fill a cup with warm water. Make sure it’s not too hot as it might irritate your throat even more.
• Pour in around two tablespoons of raw honey. Raw honey is richer in nutrients and is apparently much healthier than honey that has been filtered.
• Squeeze half a lemon into the cup and stir well.
• Enjoy the drink!

     You will feel the effects almost instantly. My throat felt much better, and a few minutes later, I took a tablespoon of honey. I then let it melt a bit in my mouth before swallowing.

     The next day, the biggest white spot on my throat disappeared and my throat wasn’t swollen anymore. I didn’t even take any drugs! A friend of mine (who was sick too) had been taking medication for a long time but the white spots refused to go away. I recommended this remedy to her and she said that it was so effective and that it was probably the only thing that eased her throat’s suffering.

     I’m not saying that you should stop any medication that was prescribed to you, but this concoction really helps in speeding up the healing process. Oh, and here’s my favorite bottle of honey which you could purchase at Healthy Options:

     This is probably the best-tasting honey that I’ve ever tried. All other honey brands in the supermarket (the cheap ones) pale in comparison. This is also a healthier alternative as it is raw and unfiltered.

     So do give this recipe a try when you have a sore/irritated/dry throat. Your throat will definitely thank you for it!

Secret Player Select T-Shirts!

      My boyfriend along with his cousins launched their very own T-shirt line yesterday at the Summer Komikon. They are now officially accepting orders through their virtual store at http://secretplayerselect.multiply.com. Check out their catalog!

More designs are available at their website.

Permission Plz. Kthx.

     You know what annoys me? People who don’t bother asking for permission before using your shit. I know the world and the internet have their share of assholes but that doesn’t mean that I have no right to get pissed off about their actions.

     Someone left this comment on my old blog:

“hi i copied one of your photo, will use for presentation on awareness issue.. tnx so much!”

     She’s not even asking for permission. It’s like it’s already a done deal. “I’m going to copy that photo that you worked your ass for into my presentation and there’s nothing you can do it about it KTHXBYE!!!!11″

     I don’t even know if I’m going to be credited for that photo. The point is that she didn’t ask in the first place, and I don’t know how to get back to her and tell her that, yes, she can use it but she must credit me. You see, she didn’t even leave an email address or URL.

     You’re probably thinking “Christ, it’s JUST a photo!” Well screw you. I hate it when people think that art, whether it be painting or photography, is something so effortless to produce. Most people don’t realize how much heart, sweat and tears is put into composing the right shot or even thinking up a concept. It also annoys me when people belittle the profession of an artist thinking that it’s so easy to just sit down and draw and color all day. Let me tell you something: IT ISN’T.

     I really hate resorting to watermarking my work because I want people to be able to appreciate it without anything obstructing their view. But what can an artist do? It’s just one way for us to protect ourselves and our work.

     I’m sorry for the rant but I really just had to vent. Besides, it’s been a while since I posted here.

Ciggy, Robe and Freckles

Created these quick and very rough sketches using Sketchbook Pro 2009. It’s a nifty drawing program that has awesome pressure sensitivity when you draw (at least, compared to Adobe Photoshop 7’s). I just love the feel of using it’s pencil tool. Guess you’ll have to try it out for yourself for you to know what I mean.

In the meantime, enjoy the squiggles!

Make Your Own Tinted Moisturizer

     You know what I love about mineral makeup? It’s versatility. You could control how sheer or how heavy you want it to be and either way you’ll always end up with a natural-looking finish. Other than applying it dry with a brush, you could also turn your mineral foundation powder into a tinted moisturizer.

     You’ve probably read other blog posts about mixing your mineral foundation with moisturizer and they seem to say that it’s coverage is very sheer. In my case, mixing my foundation with moisturizer actually gives me a heavier coverage. I suppose it depends on what kind of mineral foundation and moisturizer that you’re mixing up together. I use Ellana mineral foundation and Celeteque (a lightweight, water-based moisturizer). I use this technique when I’m having a bad skin day and my makeup lasts longer throughout the day.

     Here are the steps to create your own tinted moisturizer:

• In a small bowl, place around 6 drops (or more) of Celeteque.
• Put in a dash of your mineral foundation into the bowl and mix it with your finger (if your don’t want to use your finger, you could use a stippling brush)
• Keep adding mineral foundation until it becomes a creamy paste. Not too watery, not too thick. It’s really a trial and error thing.
• Once it’s fully mixed, apply it to your face with your fingers/stippling brush.

     That’s it! All-natural coverage that lasts longer than when it is applied dry! You can opt to dust on your mineral veils/finishing powder with your kabuki brush afterwards.

     Stay tuned for more mineral makeup tips!