Posts from — October 2013

This post is in collaboration with Dove and Latina Bloggers Connect. Everything expressed is all me.

I work long hours. Sometimes it can be really stressful and the only thing that soothes me a cup of tea and a bubble bath. It forces me to sit, relax and reflect on all of the blessings that come from all of my hard work.

At night, after taking a long (loooong) bath, my beau and I sit down together and drink tea. It’s one of the many rituals we share as a couple that I love. Dove sent me this adorable teapot and delicious tea along with their new Clear Tone Anti-Perspirant, which is perfect for my night time bath and tea routine. It’s a very coveted product that seems to sell out quickly. It’s designed to reduce red and dark marks and even out skin tone caused by shaving irritation. I go to bed relaxed, comfortable and smelling fresh.

I was also selected to be one of the twenty for their #MujerDove campaign, which includes participating in tomorrow’s Twitter Party along with the other 19 bloggers chosen, Vive Mejor and fashion and beauty expert . I’ll be doing double duty at my Twitter account and .
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My son and I went to a pumpkin patch nearby and picked up a bunch of pumpkins just for fun. We brought them home and we were both like “now what?” I think we may have gotten a bit carried away in our enthusiasm for pumpkins. We pretty much picked up every size imaginable, including one that was about 45-50 lbs. We decided to save that one for some carving fun, and the little guys became mini canvases and the perfect size for candle decor. After perusing for ideas, I decided I absolutely love black and white pumpkins. Did you think otherwise? My last few posts have been an homage to black and white! Love how clean the combo looks. The best part about making these tea lights was the company. I loved putting on music and sitting with my guys to paint. These tea lights were made with a lot of laughter, ease and Pearl jam. Yes, you must play rock’s greatest band when painting.

If you’d like to recreate this with your loved ones, I posted a tutorial for . You can find all the step by step details there.

This a compensated post in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and Unilever (Pond’s, Caress, etc). My grandmother and I always loved their products so all of the opinions expressed here are all my own.



During my last visit to NYC, I stopped by the Zara in midtown and was in black attire heaven. I had an awards dinner to attend that night and was not really happy with the dress I packed. Clearly the merchandise in chain stores across the country is different. The dress I’m wearing is not available at the store near me, which is way more colorful in its selections. I was casually browsing the aisles when I spotted this dress. I loved the silhouette – it’s a classic cut and it suits my body type (which I talk more about HERE). It also fit in my suitcase so I couldn’t think of reason to not buy it. I bet you if I were looking for this kind of dress, I wouldn’t have found it. Isn’t that the way things work? It’s when you least expect it.

As you can see I like to keep things minimal with a few statement pieces. Less is more and I can’t stress that enough, especially when you hit 40. Unless eccentricity is your thing and you own it, I love that too. However, I do feel if you’re more like me and love a minimalist look — a great haircut, a nice manicure/pedicure and skincare routine is essential. There’s a big difference between minimalism and looking plain.

I’ve collaborated with Unilever’s Divina Latina products line and was asked to write about what it means to be Divina Latina. Hmmm … The first thing that came to mind were how the women in my family inspired me by taking good care of themselves. They all had different styles and personalities but their nails were polished, their hair was always done and they took great pride in the way they presented themselves to the world. Caring for your hair, skin and body inside and out is what being a Divina Latina means to me. Once you have that in place, you can throw on a dress and look red carpet ready any day of the week. It doesn’t have to cost a lot either. In fact, if you’re near a Walgreens, they’re hosting beauty demos all over the country on October 26th. Check out this store locator to see if there’s a participating store near you. One of the reasons I signed onto this campaign is because my grandmother lived on Caress and Pond’s! She loved it, and now I do too. Have you tried Pond’s Luminous Finish BB Cream? It’s awesome and helps reduce the appearance of dark spots, which I get on my face all the time. If you haven’t tried it yet, I would love for you to win today’s giveaway and tell me if you love it too.

Leave a comment telling me what you do to make yourself Divina? Is it a swipe of red lipstick? A bubble bath? One winner will receive a $20.00 Walgreens gift card. The winner will be chosen randomly via random.org and will be announced October 30th.

We’re also having a Twitter Party on Thursday Oct 24th, where there will more opportunities to try out the Divina Latina line of products (including pre-party prizes just for tweeting). Join us!

My Day of the Dead makeup certainly got more elaborate than it was last year! It was a whole family affair. And did I mention it was a lot of fun too? It’s really an awesome experience when you’re hanging out with your favorite people and creating art while listening to music. From going over ideas, buying makeup and dressing up — these a great things to do as a couple or a family.

Day of the Dead is a beautiful tradition that originated in Mexico and celebrates the lives of those who passed. I’m Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian so it’s not a tradition I grew up with nor did I really know about it until I moved to Los Angeles. The first time I’d heard of it was during a visit to my son’s kindergarten class. The children were making sugar skulls. Intrigued, I looked it up and immediately fell in love with its history and approach toward the idea of death, which completely differed from how it’s perceive in America.

Embracing this new tradition in my life, I think of my grandmother this time of year and how much she contributed to my life with her generosity and love. She’s always there watching over me and her grandson, who she got to see be born before she passed. That was an experience she always wanted. Her life is certainly one I celebrate, as she would have wanted me to. After all, in the 11 years she battled cancer, my grandmother stayed strong and lived life with passion.

If you’re celebrating Day of Dead this year, and would like to see a step by step makeup tutorial, I made two versions. One for guys and one for women!

I’ve been trying out new hair products in the hopes of giving my hair some breathing room from the constant heating tools it endures. I really have never been happy with any products I try, especially the ones used in salons (for the exception of the Moroccan Oil line). My hair is curly/wavy and very full body. The strands are very thin so I easily get fly-aways, which always ends up making my hair unmanageable. I want my curls to just stay place for at least an hour. They almost always go flat or frizzy. Last week, I attended a conference in Atlanta and was given Curls Unleashed products and Curls Defining Moments Serum. The shampoo lather was pretty amazing. I felt I was really getting my hair clean (that’s a big deal when you have a lot of hair). The conditioner was rich but not heavy. The serum was truly amazing. I sectioned my hair and combed in the serum piece by piece. After combing in the serum I twirled my hair and shaped curls all throughout. It dried that way and actually lasted two days (I don’t wash my hair every day). I wrote more about it on Babble.

I feel it’s important to have a variety of basic pieces in different colors in your wardrobe that are easy to dress up for many occasions. There are days when work, travel, meetings, parent/teacher conferences and all of the above seem to happen at once. For day like these, I’ll opt for a peplum or button down top with a pair of skinnies. For comfort, animal print flats go a long way to help spruce up your casual look. Don’t forget your chunky jewelry!

To dress up your casual look for night, it’s great to have a few well-fitted blazers in white, black and neutral in your closet. Beige pumps or strappies and a neutral bag are must-haves. These are just some of things I am to go into depth as a new Style Blogger for Babble. I’m so excited to join this channel. In case you didn’t know, I’ve been writing about Beauty since July and have since been given the opportunity to talk about my other love – Fashion! There will be more of that on this blog too.