My most memorable trip this year: Tonga

Hi my loves! 

I know it's been a while butttt, I needed to take some time off from writing, re-focus, and get back into the groove of all things beauty, fitness, and such. Although I took a summer hiatus from my blog, it doesn't mean that I took a hiatus from life. Nope, not at all.  I've been traveling a lot this summer and feel very fortunate that my job has allowed me the opportunity to travel for work and see places that I wouldn't ordinarily visit in the US like Minnetonka, Minnesota ( which I actually really recommend visiting for summers. It's beautiful especially being out on the lake). I'm also very grateful that I've had the opportunity to travel internationally this year from Canada, Fiji, UK, Itay, New Zealand and last but not least, Tonga. 

Quick selfie at Pangaimotu Resort, Tongatapu

Definitely, my most memorable trip this year was my trip back to my parents native land, Tonga. I was extremely fortunate to have my best friends Sergio and Tissa there in Tonga with me. I was at a transitional stage of my life, and had allowed myself to be bogged down by first world problems. Visiting Tonga helped remind me that you don't need all the riches in the world to be "rich". Cliché as it may sound I realized on my trip that there was so much that I took for granted living in the US, including a hot shower. And I say that because, Sergio and I got to experience taking cold morning showers nearly every day we were on the main island of Tonga. The saying that you really don't realize how good you have something till it is taken away from you was very much relevant in all aspects of this trip including our cold shower experience lol. What a humbling experience my trip was and still is. The funny part of all of this is that this was not my first time to Tonga. Nope. I spent part of my childhood in Tonga, on a smaller island, Vava'u with my grandparents and my sisters,and left at the age three only to later return as an adult to Tongatapu to briefly live there in 2010. In 2010, I moved to Tonga with the thought that I was going to make use of my Bachelors in Political Science, which is laughable in restrospect now but I will save that story for another blog post. Lol. Overall, I had such an amazing time on my trip to Tonga and Vavau. For the first time ever, I felt that I finally experienced the beauty and culture of Tonga that so many tourists come and appreciate Tonga for. As my bestie Serg best put it, we completely surrendered ourselves to the "chemicals" of Tonga. 

Enjoying a fresh coconut from Friends Cafe in Tongatapu.

My bestie Serg with me at Pangaimotu.

My grandpa Pafilio, Vava'u

Prior to arriving in Tonga, there were so many things I kept raving to Serg about including the baked fresh bread from the bakery all the way to the ocean waters of Tonga and the healing powers within it. As I mentioned before, I was stressed out from life, so much so that my skin was the unfortunate benefactor of my stress. My face had broken out everywhere and it wasn't pretty. Serg can attest to this because even he had never seen my skin so bad. I kept telling him over and over again that the first thing I wanted to do upon arriving in Tonga was to go for a dip in the ocean water because of it's healing powers. I probably sounded like a lunatic talking about the healing powers of the oceans in Tonga, till we actually arrived in Tonga and went out to Pangaimotu to go for a dip. It was immediate that both Serg and myself could see the difference in our skin. I'm not claiming that the Oceans in Tonga are better than any other in the world, but I do claim it to be magical healing waters, at least for my skin it is lol. Speaking of skin, one of my favorite things that I also always rave about to Serg is the lolo Tonga aka Tongan handmade oil. There are different kinds of lolo Tonga, and all have it's different benefits and scents, but all are so lovely to use and in my opinion is better than any argan oil, moraccan oil that you can ever find on the market. I never cared for lolo Tonga growing up, but now it's my absolute favorite thing to always have on hand for my skin.

Pulling up to Nuku Island, Vava'u.

On the small island Nuku, Vava'u.

Besides visiting Pangaimotu, there were so many other incredibly beautiful places that Serg and I visited, but my favorite place that we visited alongside my other bestie Tissa and her husband Misi was Nuku Island. It was such a special trip to Nuku island, because my grandfather, who just arrived back from sea that day, rested for about two hours and decided to go back to sea to take my friends and I out. It was the first time that I got to be side by side with my grandfather, doing what he does and knows best. He amazes me with his knowledge of the sea, skies, and stars especially considering, I know nothing about the ocean, let alone know how to swim. lol. I promise one day I will learn how to swim in this lifetime. lol! My grandfather...he is a true navigator of the Pacific Ocean. I admire him so much for his hard work, his dedication, and the path that he has set forth for his children, and his grandchildren, and so thankful for all of the sacrifices that he has made for me to be where I am today. His spirit of entrepreneurship drives me daily to make something out of myself that will make him one day proud. I love him so much.

Selfie at Mandala Resort, Vava'u

Dessert from Mandala Resort, Vava'u

Post hike @ Mt. Talau, Vava'u with my bestie Tissa.

Although I never wanted to leave Vava'u or my grandpa, I suppose that with all good things, they all come to an end. My friends and I all had such a great time being in Tonga and in Vava'u, and so many life lessons that I came to appreciate and learn that I couldn't have learned anywhere else but in Tonga. My most valuable lesson of all that I learned is that no matter how well planned you may have your life, God can re-direct those plans. I had my life planned out upon my return from Tonga but I'm so grateful though that God re-directed my path when he did.  He put on my path a better answer and direction than I could have ever imagined myself. I truly believe that nothing is possible without him and although I was going through a lot at the time, I honestly believe, that God answered my prayers in the best way possible...with love, with hope, and with faithfulness. Till next time loves!

xo,

Vua

Neiafu, Vava'u

The #WaistGangSociety Trend

It's been a minute since I've been on here to write...but I wanted to finish up a blog post about waist training that I started to write while traveling for work...

En route to DC/VA for work and decided to take a quick Instagram mental break and as I'm scrolling through pictures, I see several selfies of women at the gym with their waist trainers to which I completely cringe at. Ok, I get it, losing weight for a woman is not easy. Duh. From portion control, to watching our calorie intake, and don't forget exercise...that shit is hard! #facetopalms

Now enter the waist trainer. It's not new and it's not revolutionary but it is the latest and greatest diet fad. Women like the Kardashians, Amber Rose, and so many other celebrities who are apart of this "#WaistGangSociety"are promoting this contraption which claims to cinch your waist into the itty bitty tiny waist that society all wants us women to be. Newsflash, not all women were created equal, and not all women were meant to have a tiny waist with accentuated hips.

So you want to be part of the #waistgangsociety you say? Well, let me paint a picture for you (not literally lol)....below is a picture perfect reason of what happens to your body when you waist train. 

Not exactly appealing is it? Didn't think so.

It's been suggested by doctors that waist trainers can be more damaging than beneficial. As the diagram above shows, doctors are worried that waist trainer wearers can compress the lower intestines into the pelvic region. Not only this, corsets worn too tight can cause skin infections or even scarring! Does waist training still sound appealing? Sure, wearing a corset may give you an immediate satisfaction of a svelte like figure but there is no proven long term benefits of wearing a waist trainer. Sorry ladies! I hate to say it but it looks like the best way to get in shape and to have a healthy waist line is through diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle. Not everyone will have that Kim Kardashian or Nikki Minaj tiny waist line and really that's ok. Women come in different shapes and bodies, the way it should be. The idea of this "#waistgangsociety" is quite frankly another trend made popular to make women feel inadequate or unhappy with the fact that our waists isn't as tiny as some of these celebrities waist lines are. Fact of the matter is, have a waistline that is healthy. That's what we should be promoting. Healthy Lifestyles. I'm just saying. 

If you do decide to wear a waist trainer, do it with caution and please do your research! At the end of the day, a waistline doesn't determine beauty but as Audrey Hepburn best said "True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul."

Green Smoothie Recipe

In the mornings I am always in a rush to get out the door and never have time to make breakfast, so,  I love to make these smoothies the night before and refrigerate so that I can quickly grab and go in the AM. The best thing about making these smoothies is that it's easy peezy and it yields at least 4 servings (that's 4 meals!) I normally make my smoothies with apples and pears because they are always in season but my cousin recently brought me some mangoes and pineapple so I swapped out the pears and apples for these fresh fruits all the way from Hawaii. Try my recipe out and feel free to use fruits and greens that you like/are in season.

Recipe: 

- 1.5 cups water
- 1/2 cup ice
- 3 cups Dino kale
- 3 cups spinach
- 2 celery stalks, halved
- 1 cup pineapple cubed
- 1 cup 
- 1 banana, peeled
- 1 lemon juice only
- bunch cilantro with stems (optional)
- bunch parsley with stems (optional)

In your blender, blend all of your veggies first. Next, add in your fruits then blend until completely dissolved and voila your smoothie is ready to pour and drink!

 If you have a smoothie recipe that you like, please comment and share. I'm always looking for new smoothie recipe's. Have a Happy Tuesday my love's! 

Pimples? Zits? I've got that good stuff...

image source: GlamGlow.com

The body has the amazing ability to tell you when something just isn't right. Your face is no exception. Most of the time, when you are stressed, or there is a hormonal imbalance, your skin is the first to show off all of those lovely imperfections and my skin is definitely no exception to this.

For me, it has been a stressful couple of weeks lately with everything on my plate both at work and at home, and my skin has been paying the price for it. Pimples, zits, whatever you want to call them, they all decided to gather and throw a party; location: my forehead. Yay me! While they were partying it up on my forehead, I was agonizing on how I was going to get rid of these new and very much unwanted friends. 

I immediately found myself driving to my local Sephora to find a miracle treatment and was introduced to this amazing mud mask by Glam Glow. What was once Hollywood's Best Kept Secret is now available to all of us. This product was developed for celebrities who wanted a miracle in a bottle that could fix their skin instantly and have them camera ready in an instant. You know when I heard this, I had to try it out! I wanted fast results too! You know, to get myself selfie ready ;)

Alright, let me just tell you how amazing this stuff is!!! As soon as I got home, I cleansed my skin, put on the mask and timed it for 15mins. In the first 30 seconds after putting it on, I could feel this stuff working! (If you are trying this out for the first time, don't get nervous, it will tingle for a little bit but will subside after a few minutes.) The crazy part of this was seeing the dirt from my skin being pulled out to the surface. Gross right?  Gross but cool in knowing that all of that gunk was being cleared from my skin. The proprietary blend of clay, charcoal, AHA and BHA acids worked together like a magnet to absorb all of those toxins, bacteria, and excess oil from my skin. The combination of these ingredients also helped to declog and minimize my pores. It's in a cinch, amazing!

So if you like me, have some uninvited friends that are visiting on your forehead or wherever else on your face, try the Glam Glow Super Mud Mask and kick them out! Don't just take my word for it, go on and try it out for yourself. 

P.S. I do advise that if you do use this mask to have a hydrating moisturizer on hand. Your skin will feel tight and dry after rinsing off the mask, so make sure that you've got a heavy duty moisturizer on deck to slather on after your treatment mask.

Burpees are your friend

Happy Post Easter! I hope that everyone had a wonderful time with their families on Easter Sunday. It's a new season, and it's time to get up and get ready for summer! Summer is my favorite season of the year, it might be the islander in me, but I love the warmth of the sun, and being able to go to the beach and lounge. Anyway, I wanted to tell you all about, the not so secret workout to get you beach body ready for summer. 

BURPEES!

We all hate them but learn to love them!

How many of you have heard the phrase " I hate burpees!"? Well, they weren't made to be loved but here's 3short and to the point reasons why you SHOULD learn to love them:

1. No weights required: This very effective exercise requires absolutely no weights at all except your own body weight and it is a straight forward movement that can be modified depending on how fit a person is. 

2. No gym required: Because all you need is yourself to perform this workout, you can do this workout anywhere, and you don't need much space either. This workout is perfect for anyone who is always on the road. So if you don't have a gym, you literally have no excuse. 

2. Perfect for Weight Loss: I know, what you are thinking..."any kind of workout, will promote weight loss." True, however, burpees, are a FULL BODY workout that activates essentially every part of the body, from arms, to abs, legs, and so many other muscle groups. Burpees help rapidly increase your heart rate, resulting in a massive expenditure of calories. In other words, burpees can burn up to 50% of fat, more so, than any other workout! Need I say more? 

Don't know how to do a burpee? Here's how:

• Stand straight, then lower into a squat position with your hands on the floor in front of you.

• Kick your feet back into a push-up position and drop your chest to the floor. (For beginners, you can remain in the push up position, without dropping your chest to the floor.)

•  Return your feet back to the squat position as fast as possible.

• Jump up into the air as high as you can and add a clap as you jump up.

Take it from me, someone who personally hates burpees, that while they literally suck the life out of you, they burn FAT and in a short amount of time!

I love workouts, that are short, sweet, and to the point, and burpees are just that! Learn to love 'em ladies! My challenge to you is to do 4 sets of 15 burpees. You can do them as fast or as slow as you want but keep a steady pace and TRY to do each set consecutively without stopping. Good luck! Let me know how it goes :) 

Ofas,

Marie 

Kindness...it's free.

Review: Ole Henriksen Melting Cleanser

Last month, while traveling to Rome, I brought with me the new Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Melting Cleanser.  With limited space in my suitcase, I was stuck between choosing whether I can fit an extra pair of shoes OR taking my full size makeup remover + full size cleanser. Obviously, the shoes won out...I'm a girl after all and an extra pair of shoes trumps everything (who cares that I didn’t end up wearing those extra pair of shoes? lol #storyofmylife) Anyway, I had heard so much about this new, melting cleanser and wanted to know what all of the hype was. I am typically not a fan of oil based cleansers, because of the messy consistency and because it requires more steps than I normally care for in my skincare regimen, but, I took a leap of faith and tried it out. 

To start, this cleanser is not like any other -- it is gel formulated and is oil based. Applied directly to dry skin, the gel breaks down into an oil like consistency and emulsifies into a milky liquid once water is added. Melting away all makeup and impurities the cleanser leaves the skin hydrated and brightened with key ingredients: rose hip oil (hydrates) , virgin cherry oil (cuts down redness) , and vitamin c (brightens). 

Overall, I was happy that I took this cleanser on my trip and would recommend this product for anyone who wants to kill two birds with one stone.  Remove your makeup and cleanse your skin at the same time, it’s pretty genius! 

Pros: 

• Gel based consistency keeps the cleanser in tact unlike most oil cleansers - duh it’s a gel ;)
• Removes any type of makeup including waterproof makeup
• Leaves the skin feeling hydrated+ radiant.

Cons:

• Not for anyone who likes the squeaky clean, “dry” feeling after cleansing. This cleanser hydrates and will not give you that feel. 
• If you’re not into using a wash cloth - this cleanser is not for you. Although the cleanser melts off all of the makeup and impurities, you MUST use a wash cloth to wipe off all of that melted matter from your face. 

If this is your first time trying out an oil cleanser, buy the travel size. It’s $12 and you get so much product for what you are spending. Try it out and let me know your thoughts! Happy Cleansing :)