One, Two, Three… Fall?!

How is it almost autumn already?!

So here we are in September, and pretty soon we’ll be seeing fall foliage. And this could mean a lot of things for everybody. This could be a season for change, or a period to do some reflection, or maybe it’s also the right time to be letting go of things that do not help us become the best version of our self.

A lot of changes happen in autumn. From that scorching hot summer we have just experienced, we are now starting to feel a cooler breeze when the wind blows. And you already know what comes next to that: those pile of leaves that you have rake out from your lawn! By this time, we also start thinking about how ready our house is for the cold weather. We check on our heaters and make sure they’re working, we do roof and gutter maintenance, we try to repair broken things ahead of the winter season.

We also begin changing our OOTD – from crop tops, flowy shorts, and flip flops to hoodies, leggings, and boots. While we put away in a box our swimsuits and sun visors, we start pulling out from the closet our sweaters and ponchos. We get into these more comfortable clothes, and we start to put them in layers too.

Take note, though, that there is something we must be consistent with amidst all these changes. What could that be? Our skin care routine, of course! Most especially during this fall season and all the way to winter, no one should forget about moisturizers. I repeat: no one should forget to moisturize! The cold weather can be equally damaging to our skin as any hot weather would. Dry and chapped skin is not fun, not sexy, at all.

So, I suggest that we all stick to our forever love: Skincare by no other than Miss Olivia Quido. She has this Active Moisturizer that has become my best friend in dealing with dryness of the skin. It is non-comedogenic, so we don’t have to worry about clogged pores. Lightweight and quick absorbing, it helps restore the skin’s moisture to keep our skin feeling comfortable all day, most especially now that we are entering the fall season.

Olivia Quido’s Active Moisturizer has been a part of my daily O Skin Care regimen. It should be yours, too. Remember: cleanse, tone, and moisturize! That should feel good, not having to worry about dry skin in the cold weather.

It truly is important to take care of ourselves, and not just our house or our clothes. When we practice self-care, self-love, then it will be easy for that love to overflow to everything that’s external to us. So, just go ahead and take care of yourself, let go of negativity, and live well not only this Fall season, but all throughout the year.

Your Queen’s Top 5 Self-Care Tips

September is all about new beginnings. And I’m very excited to share with you that I have just done a live session entitled THE QUEEN’S CASTLE on my Hydee Marie page. You might be wondering why it’s called as such, so let me tell you the story behind it before we get into what was discussed during that first-ever live session.

As you know, besides having this online store Shop Hydee, I’m a photographer and a partner at Empire Models. Because of my gigs, I have not only become friends with models and beauty queens; I’ve also become their “mamahydz”. My house has been a home for Pinay beauty queens whenever they are here in the United States. Now, I feel like my house is a castle, and I’m a queen myself!

With that, The Queen’s Castle was conceptualized and finally went live on September 1st on Facebook. Different topics about life, love, beauty, and wellness will be on every session, and hopefully, everyone will feel like a royalty through this. And here’s more – there will be giveaways and raffle prizes for those who tune in. Follow my Hydee Marie page so you won’t miss out on The Queen’s Castle!

Top 5 Self-Care Tips was the very first topic. With everything going on around the world, we can’t help but get stressed. There are way too many triggers for stress that we all get affected physically, mentally, emotionally, and even socially. To get through these challenges, self-care is of utmost importance. Here are the top 5 self-care tips from the Queen.

First is physical self-care. This might sound easy yet most of the time, these “basic” things are the ones that get the least attention. Do you have adequate sleep, healthy diet, and enough exercise? If you answered yes to only 1 or 2 of them, it still won’t work. We need to do all these 3 to maintain physical wellness.

Part of physical self-care is skin care. Oh yes, that’s important too and should be given equal attention! And I am happy to share with you my own skin care regimen: cleanse, tone, and moisturize. As you already know, my forever favorite brand is Miss Olivia Quido’s Skincare. She has these amazing products that you can start off: there’s the Cleansing Milk, Toner, and SPF50 Sunscreen, and all 3 are with Lilac Stem Cell.

The second one is about social self-care. Because of the pandemic, and all the restrictions we’ve been through, and for some places that are still on lockdown, our social life must have been gravely affected. It is still very important that we make time for family and friends and nurture our relationships.

We also have mental self-care that we need to focus on. That’s for the third self-care tip. We tend to overthink and worry a lot. Remember, what you feed your mind could make or break you, that is why we must keep our minds sharp. Spend time reading, watching movies, or playing puzzles. More significantly, practice self-compassion and acceptance. Be kind to yourself.

The fourth self-care tip is very much related to that. Spiritual self-care. It does not mean that you must be a member of certain religion, or that you must be a religious person, but what it refers to is your spirituality. How do we do that? There is meditation, prayer, fellowship… whatever way you are comfortable doing to be able to connect spiritually with yourself and the universe.

For our final self-care tip: it is about emotional self-care. Yes, our emotional well-being should also be cared for, most especially during these challenging times. All our feelings are valid, so go ahead and acknowledge them, and express your feelings. Pent up emotions are not good for you, and they could manifest into physical or mental illness. You wouldn’t want that, would you? Do not be afraid and do not be shy to let your emotions flow.

Those are the Top 5 Self-Care Tips that I would like everyone to take note of today and always. I hope these tips will help make the best version of yourself, so you can be the queen or king of your life.

Women: Beautiful Inside and Out

Happy Women’s Month to you, beautiful and amazing ladies!

Oh yes, women are more than just pretty faces. We are talented, skillful, creative, resourceful, persevering, hardworking… and this list could go on and on. With all of these, and more, we do have an entire month to celebrate ourselves as women who are integral and significant members of the society.

As women, it is quite innate in us to be nurturing. We take care of the people we love – our family and friends. More often than not, we also take care of those who might not be close to us but who are in need of our help. Some would even call us Superwoman because of everything that we do for others.

We should not forget ourselves, though. Self-care is still a must for us, ladies. How do you take care of yourself? As for me, my priority is skincare as part of my health and wellbeing. I do my best to eat healthy and exercise, and life before this pandemic would have me go for regular visits to a nail and hair salon, as well as massage and spa for some relaxation and “me” time. 

Now that we are always staying at home, my skin care routine would include washing my face with OSkin Cleansing Milk with Lilac Stem Cell in the morning and at night. When I wake up and see that I have breakouts, I use Benzoyl Wash, then follow it with TonerVitamin C SerumActive Moisturizer and Sun Screen. Before bedtime, I also apply OSkin Blemish Eraser for the dark spots to fade away, then Secret Radiance and Secret Pearl for a healthy glowing skin.

We only have a month for an extra heightened celebration of womanhood. That does not mean we cannot revel in our exquisite good looks, inner strength, and faithful soul on a daily basis. Keep on being wonderful and remarkable. It’s our day every single day!

As always, come and shop with me at www.shophydee.com!

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways!

The love month of February passed by just like that! But whatever month it is, it’s always best to celebrate love every day. What are your different love languages? Here are mine:

Loving yourself

            They say one cannot give what one doesn’t have. I agree! Let’s make sure that we take good care of ourselves so we can, in turn, show how much we love and care for others too.

There are many ways we can practice self-care. Pray and meditate, eat healthy, exercise daily, think positively, rest well and pamper oneself… the list goes on! Trust me, it wouldn’t be too much to add Olivia Quido’s O Skin Care Beauty Queen Kit on that list. Your beautiful glowing skin is a reflection of how you pay attention to your well-being.

Showing love for others

            “Not only do self-love and love of others go hand in hand but ultimately they are indistinguishable”, wrote M. Scott Peck. This New York Times best-selling author got it right! Loving others would be easy-peasy when we have already established self-love.

            As for me, I love giving personalized gifts, especially those that I personally handmade. The amount of time and labor spent in making something extra special for a loved one is truly more valuable than those off-the-rack items from a store. You can try one of my DIY Embroidery Kits and watch how your effort in creating your own masterpiece could be the embodiment of your love for someone. 

Being proud of your roots

            It’s almost like a ripple effect – when you love and care for yourself, then you just seamlessly show compassion for others. And that ripple could go as far as loving your country, literally and figuratively speaking. Like “global citizens”, Filipinos are all over the world and more often than not, you’ll meet one who will tirelessly tell you about the amazing local beaches, the delicious food, and the world-class talents that we have, among other things.

            Living in the United States for so many years now, I have never been prouder of our Filipino artistry and ingenuity. That’s why I made it a point to include Filipino creations in my online shop: from clothing line to accessories to jewelry, and face masks too! #ProudPinoy indeed.

            With all that, I wish everyone to continue spreading love, not only during February, but all year round.