Makeup brushes review time again! :) Here's the second part of my Zoeva review series, and this time we will focus on the eye brushes. (You may read about the first part, all about face brushes HERE.)

I used to think a single brush -- or fine, a couple of brushes -- would be enough do an eye job. An eye makeup job, that is. It still holds true, and indeed, in some instances, a brush or two may be all you need to create a basic eye makeup look. But that was before I became initiated, and before I had crossed over from the dark side. Now I am a big brush person, and now I know that two seemingly similar-looking brush may actually work very differently and may or may not satisfactorily accomplish the task you had hoped it would do. Poorly blended eyeshadows and racoon eyes, anyone?

My little collection of Zoeva eye brushes so far

Here's a rundown of my Zoeva eye makeup brushes. I am still eyeing a few more that are currently (perpetually, rather)out of stock, but for now, I am happy with these:

THE SHADER/ APPLICATOR BRUSHES

Let's start with the shader brushes as in the proper order of a properly madeup peepers, they do come first.

Them shader and applicator brushes

224 LUXE CLASSIC SHADER
Eight letters: MUST HAVE. I'm not kidding, ladies! A good, classic shader brush is one of the very first steps when venturing into eyeshadow world. You just have to have a good one. And this is THAT brush! It's a no-fuss brush yet it works like a pro, so I reckon beginners and pro MUAs alike would probably enjoy using this shader brush.

It is flat, paddle-shaped, the bristles are kind of compact, and unbelievably soft. It picks just the right amount of pigment and applies very evenly. It's neither too big nor too small; a few pats is all you need to cover the eyelids. It works just as decent in the smokey eye department as well. If I can only have just a single shader brush (ouch, what a painful thought), I would definitely pick this.

These two look similar; but 227 is a blending brush.

230 LUXE PENCIL
The bristles of this brush are short, compact, tapered. Perfect for putting on contour shade, for defining the crease or the outer V. This gives me a lot of room for control, which is very important, as this brush always deals with the darkest eyeshadow color. If you are upping your eyeshadow game and moving on to more detailed and complicated eyeworks, you definitely need a pencil brush such as this.

231 LUXE CREASE
Good thing I am allowed to have as many shader brushes as I can; I need a crease brush (and at least a dozen others more) after all. This is my powerhouse brush for creasework. It applies crease color evenly, even doing some bit of blending job while at it. Bristles are soft as usual, and all in all, a very reliable brush.

My 231 is the petite version; I remember this came along as a freebie when I ordered a few other Zoeva brushes. The only difference between this and the full-sized version is the length of the handle. This is a bit shorter, but very much full-sized when it comes to the bristles and their efficiency. How generous, right? I really would have bought this anyway, but thank you Zoeva!

THE BLENDING BRUSHES

Yes, you need a blending brush, unless you want to end up looking like a racoon or something who plastered on an entire pan of eyeshadow on her eyelids.

Blend, blend, blend! A very important step, really.

224 LUXE DEFINED CREASE
I read a lot that this is perfect for hooded eyes; rumor has it that it can magically create the illusion of a crease where there is none. My eyes are anything but hooded, so I cannot vouch for that. It's a light, soft, fluffy (non-dense) blending brush. To be honest, I have yet to maximize this brush since I do prefer denser blending brushes. For now, I use it to lighly swish and blend my highlight color.

225 LUXE EYE BLENDER
Now, this is the part I get very, very excited to be talking about blending jobs and blending brushes. This is one of my most recently acquired brushes, mainly because this has been out of stock for the longest time. And understandably so -- this is probably the best blending brush among all its Zoeva sisters!

This is dome-shaped, very similar to the luxe crease brush except it's fluffier and denser. It's density and texture are just perfect for blending, especially the crease. And that's very important, since I'm also referring to blending the base + the crease and the highlight + the crease to achieve a clean, well-blended look. It makes the blending job a lot easier and faster. Plus, it's unbelievably soft and it makes blending a dream! This one is definitely a must-have.

The 231 luxe crease (above) and 225 luxe eye blender (below) look similar, don't they?

227 LUXE SOFT DEFINER
This brush is flat at the bottom, with a wider-than-base dome-shaped edge. It looks more like the bigger, fluffier sister of the classic shader. Except that this is no shader brush, but a blending brush rather. This brush blurs out harsh lines and polishes the overall eye makeup.

This used to be my lone blending superstar; it used to be way up there, shining alone. And then the 225 eye blender brush came along -- the two shared that spot, and soon enough, the latter outshone the 227 from then on. That is NOT to say that this brush is not good, though. It's a pretty efficient brush, and pitted against other 'superstar' blending brushes, I would say this has a good fighting chance.

Above: 227 luxe soft definer and below: 225 luxe eye blender.

A closer look. Luxe soft definer is a lot more fluffy and diffused.

I use this in tandem with the 225 eye blender, either before or after the "power blending" part done by 225 for an extra polished look. I also use it mainly for lightly applying AND blending my highlight shadow. You see, it has it's own niche and eliminating it from my daily brush set is out of the picture.

THE EYEBROW AND EYELINER BRUSHES

And of course, you can't just apply and blend eyeshadows and step out, ready to greet the day. You definitely need eyebrow and eyeliner brushes to complete your eye makeup, girl.

The eyebrow and eyeliner brushes.

310 SPOT LINER
This is the tiniest brush I have ever seen! The tip of this brush is flat as your cup of coffee, unbelievably small and short, and very stiff. It creates ultra precise lines, and is perfect for tightlining and working with gel eyeliners. It works just as fine with powder products - for lining your lashline with, or for doing elaborate eye work. I can imagine it doing great in outlining a winged or flicked liner, too.

But it does take some getting used to, especially if you have not trudged down the 'tiniest and stiffest brush' alley yet. I prefer my eyeliner just a little bit thicker, so I usually favor other brushes for that purpose.

316 CLASSIC LINER
Ahh, when they say classic, Zoeva really means classic. And I love them all the more for that! This brush has long, thin, and fine pointed bristles. Works very well with gel eyeliners and glides on very smoothly. I do wish it were just a little bit more stiff to lessen the blending and flipping while applying some gel liner.

Here's a closer look.

317 WING LINER
This is the newest addition to my Zoeva brushes, and I gotta say -- where have you been all my eyeshadow-obssessing days?! Yes, I use this mainly to apply brow gel, and it does a really suave job. This brush is small, very thin, with a steep angle, and just exactly how I prefer my eyeshadow brushes. I can easily shape my brows using this. Create HD brows, or come up with subtle brows, this brush could very well do either.

But do take note, that this is mainly an eyeliner brush, and more specifically designed for creating that feline flick. I have used this for that purpose, as well. It glides on smoothly, creates a clean line, and is very competent in the cateye department. Big, big thumbs up for this brush!

318 SOFT PAINT LINER
Zoeva describes this as angled multi-purpose brush -- suited for both eyeliner and eyebrow, and can be used with gel, liquid, and even powder products. This is a little bit bigger and noticeably thicker than the 317.

Left: 318 soft paint liner vs. right: 317 winged liner.

This too has some good reviews online, but I prefer the 317 wing liner as its thickness and size make for an ultra precise and easily controllable application. However, I can imagine this as a better brush for powder products as it is a lot softer compared with the stiff 317.

Above is softer and thicker; below is thinner and stiffer.

------

MY TOP EYE BRUSH PICKS

If you would like to try Zoeva's eye brushes and are wondering which among the multitudes of brush to pick, I suggest you start with a shader brush, a crease brush, a blending brush, and an eyeliner/eyebrow brush. Do try the 224 classic shader brush, 231 luxe crease brush, 225 luxe blending brush, and 317 wing liner brush. Throw in a pencil brush (230 luxe pencil) and you are good to go and fully armed to tackle on more elaborate eye works. :) Enjoy! :)

I used to kind of dread going to our office' ladies' room to do or retouch my makeup, and for one simple reason - my daily makeup brush kit usually invites a lot of curious (sometimes, incredulous) stares and it makes me a little bit uneasy. Someone once hovered while I was touching up and she nitpicked on my brushes. "Whoa! That's waaay too many brushes; do you need all those?! Those little brushes all look the same!" Uhmm, yes I need all those, and nope, no two brushes here are the same, my dear. Hah, to think my daily office kit actually contains only a little over half of what I need for a full-on makeup!

Excuse me, let me just whip out my brush roll for a minor touching up. LOL.

Fears of being misjudged as overly vain aside (ha ha!), I carry on with my brush roll and brushes. I do love AND need my makeup brushes. They are all necessary tools, and I liken them to my fairy godmother's magic wands, beautifying us ladies with every stroke, pat, and swirl.

And today, let me share with you my current favorite brush brand, the superstar among the tools in my makeup arsenal -- ZOEVA!

I discovered Zoeva over a year ago, in my hunt for high-quality brushes that won't break the bank. I found Zoeva, again through "thorough research" (haha! my background is mainly comm and research, after all), and I never looked back. I also never stopped raving about Zoeva since then. I started building my Zoeva collection at a time when no one among my friends have heard about Zoeva, at a time when only one or two posts about the brand exist in various online fora. I relentlessly raved and shared my thoughts on Zoeva, and have convinced some friends to give the brand a try. I am happy to report they were happy with their Zoeva, too. :)

All Zoeva.

Zoeva is a German professional makeup and tools brand, with a company identity and tagline that I really like - "Color. Love. Makeup." Their brushes do not aim to be a dupe of something that already has a loyal following, such as MAC. And rightfully so, for they are carving their own niche in the makeup industry. I find them passionate, dedicated to their vision, and sincere to their clientele in giving the best bang for our buck.

So on to the main meat of this post, a review of the Zoeva makeup brushes that I own. I have about twenty now from Zoeva alone (and double that number from other brands). Let me start with the face brushes:

FOUNDATION BRUSHES: 104 BUFFER, 125 STIPPLING

Two foundation brushes

104 BUFFER
This is one of those brushes my kit is never without. I use this brush every single day. I use it to apply foundation, to buff foundation applied by my fingers, to blend foundation or other base (like tinted moisturizer) applied any other way. Foundation is fundamental in one's overall makeup, and I don't know where I'll be without this foundation brush.

It paints a smooth, silky, and very well-blended canvas. No caking whatsoever. I can achieve a "no makeup makeup" or barely-there makeup even with a full coverage foundation, thanks to this brush. I know, it's magic! This brush' softness is unbelievable, considering it is made of vegan bristles. It is very dense, yet washes and dries fairly quickly. I highly recommend if you prefer using a brush to apply your base products.

Side by side: stippling and buffer brush

125 STIPPLING
I have used two other stippling brushes and hated them. They were too prickly and hurt my face. You bet I waited with bated breath for this brush to be delivered, and used it right away to check if it is nearly as prickly. Thank heavens, it's not!

I don't use this brush as often as my buffer brush (because, 104 is HG!), but for a stippling brush, the 125 does deliver. I discovered it to be multi-purpose, too. It is not only good for stippling foundation, it applies and blends cream products like cream brush and cream illuminator like a dream!

A closer look

BLUSH BRUSHES: 126 LUXE CHEEK FINISH, 127 LUXE SHEER CHEEK

126 SHEER CHEEK
This is one of my newest Zoeva acquisitions. It's a bit of a multi-purpose brush -- you can use it to apply blush, highlighter, bronzer, or even to powder your face. It is dome-shaped, and looks like one of those Tom Ford brushes I'm eyeing. I use it mainly for blending, or for putting on a little bit of highlighter on the high points of my cheek bones when I'm yearning for a subtle, diffused effect. It also rates high in terms of its bristles' softness. As I just recently got this and am still exploring this brush, I'll be happy to report back to you how it fares with further use. :)

126 Sheer Cheek, One of the newest muses in my collection

127 LUXE SHEER CHEEK
Now, this is one brush I am never applying my makeup without. It picks just the right amount of product, not too much nor too little pigment. It is an angled blush brush, and I can vouch for its precision application if that's what you wanted.

I just love the size and shape of this brush!

I've read that some ladies use this for contouring. I would have used this for contouring too if I didn't have THE power contour brush from Zoeva (hint, hint! next brush!). And oh, it blends blush like a pro, too! Did I say this brush' bristles are soft? Too soft actually; I just love running it over my face! I highly recommend this if you are on the lookout for a good blush brush.

So pretty, aren't they? :)

CONTOUR AND HIGHLIGHT BRUSH: 109 LUXE FACE PAINT, 114 LUXE FACE FOCUS

109 LUXE FACE PAINT
Where have you been hiding all my heavier years, luxe face paint brush?! This is seriously one of my best makeup tools, ever. Contouring daily may sound like too much an effort, but this brush over here makes it possible. I just gently swipe and tap from near the top of my ear, down to my cheekbones, blend a little using the other side of the brush, and voila, my face looks like I lost 8 lbs in an instant! It picks up just the right amount of pigment and applies smoothly, never streaky. It is adequately-sized; neither too small nor too big. And as usual, Zoeva does not disappoint when it comes to the bristles' softness.

This pair can do magic, trust me. :)

This brush can achieve everything from a sharp and chiseled face to barely-there soft contour. Of course, just make sure you blend blend blend as you wouldn't want to look like a zebra with two stripes, would you? :) Overall, I highly recommend this brush if you are a contouring enthusiast like I am.

114 LUXE FACE FOCUS
It does two things: apply highlighter and set my under eyes with powder. Oh, I've also used it a few times to line my nose, though I admit I have to master that trick with this brush yet. It's not as soft as, say the two blush brushes I reviewed above, but it's not that scratchy either. If you can't seem to find a brush for your under eyes, this brush over here is the guy for that job.

C'mon let's highlight them cheekbones. :)

CONCEALER BRUSH: 142 CONCEALER BUFFER
I have never used a concealer. Until recently, that is. Other than the color correcting and concealer/ derma wheel that we used in the pro makeup course that I recently took, my only experience with concealer is care of this relatively new Nars creamy radiant concealer. It has a wand, so application is easy peasy. But the concealer step does not end with the wand -- I NEED a concealer buffer to blend the product. And this is where the concealer buffer comes in. Pretty handy, this little nifty brush. It is made of vegan bristles, and is unbelievably soft. Just the way I require any brush that touches my under eyes; rough and prickly brushes have no spot in those delicate areas, unless, ugh, you welcome some pre-mature wrinkles.

This vegan brush is unbelievably soft.

FINISHING POWDER BRUSH: 101 LUXE FACE DEFINER
This brush is the queen of Zoeva softness! When it was newer, I never seemed to stop running it all over my face. LOL. Think of soft cashmere and fur, that's the kind of softness it boasts. I love it's unique tapered shape, which (according to reviews I've read) makes it good for highlighting, bronzing, and contouring, as they say. It's dense yet a little bit fluffy. Personally, this brush' sole purpose in my kit is for applying both loose and pressed finishing powder (or the more luminous Guerlain meteorite pearls, or some Hourglass ambient lighting powder) all over. It reaches all nooks and cranny, including the sides of my nose. This incredibly soft brush is perfect for touch ups, too!

This brush is one of the queens among them :)

-----

MY TOP FACE BRUSH PICKS
OVERALL, these brushes are worth every single penny. They do not shed, and they can be washed and dried pretty quickly. And oh, as you can see in my photos, so long as you know how to take care of them, the white bristles remain immaculately white even after a long time of use! If you are curious about the brand and would like to give the brushes a try, I recommend my top four face brushes that you can probably start with: the 104 buffer brush, 126 luxe sheer cheek, 114 luxe face focus, and of course, the 101 luxe face definer. :)

-----

There you have it, a review of the Zoeva face brushes that I own so far. Can you guess how much I love these brushes already? ;) Coming right up, the second part of this Zoeva review series -- the EYE BRUSHES. *Giddy giddy giddy* I have more Zoeva eye brushes than face brushes, so stay tuned! :)

Hola! I'm taking a break from monitoring the national elections, which I admit, has been taking a lot of my energy the past few days. So, on to something lighter and happier: beauty and skincare talks! :)

I mentioned in my ultimate skincare regimen post HERE that acid toners have rebirthed my skin twice over, and I would love to share more about THAT Holy Grail find. Those unassuming, yet very much "pro-looking" bottles have piqued quite some interest. And here I am, dying to share this wonderful product with you all.

Everyone, meet this revolutionary multi-purpose miracle in a bottle, no other than Biologique Recherche's Lotion P50!

Biologique Recherché Lotion P50 T and Lotion P50

What is THIS thing? Lotion P50 is a revered, cult-favorite acid toner from the French brand, Biologique Recherche. (Don't you like how it rolled in your tongue? I love it!) It's usually referred to as miracle in a bottle, ba-Jeezas in a bottle, liquid gold, holy grail slash best skincare product of all time. And I'm not even exaggerating; just do a quick online search and see for yourself. It's way up there.

I stumbled into this wonder some time last year. I started getting borderline-obsessed just reading about it; but my yearning for it soon waned as the only way to purchase it then was either in Europe or U.S., and you know how hefty the shipping fee goes from there to sunny Manila. That, plus the product itself comes with a hefty price tag.

But it remained in my wish list. Why not when it's much raved, and Biologique Recherché promises that the Lotion P50, a balancing exfoliator, "speeds up the epidermis' natural exfoliating process and the reconstruction of the epidermal shield. The fortified epidermis can then fulfill its protective functions completely, enhancing skin's self-regeneration potential. It gently exfoliates the skin, regulates excessive sebum secretion, moisturizes and helps maintain the epidermis' acid pH."

Hold on tight. We're just about to get intense. :)

It contains acids, and although acids + face may sound like a scary combo - but (surprise, surprise!) acids, when used correctly, are actually good stuff for our face. They resurface and rebuild our skin, stimulate better collagen production, they hydrate and balance moisture. (You can guess that I am now quite big on acids.)

So that sounds like a lot of good stuff for the skin, riiight? The only thing keeping me from getting my hands on it were accessibility and exorbitant shipping fees.

And then something good and something big happened last year. Biologique Recherche launched in Manila. Such great timing that I was going through a terrible dull skin phase then! I was dying to find a product that would bring my skin back from the dead revive my dull, oily yet dehydrated face. And so off I dove into the Lotion P50 territory.

And the verdict..

AND DID IT DELIVER?

I'm happy to report that oh yes, yes, it did! It probably even over-delivered! You see, my whole life, I was convinced that toners were not supposed to bring my skin any visible effects. I had come to a conclusion that the whole you-must-use-a-toner mentality was a big marketing lie. (But mind you, I subscribed to it anyway. A girl can hope and dream of having better skin. Hah!)

I've never been happier to have debunked my own theory! Friends, I am ecstatic to report that this is the first toner that actually made a difference in my skin. A very good difference. My skin is visibly brighter, softer and more even toned, my pores look smaller, my blackheads are significantly minimized. Granted, it is still oily, but it has improved a lot that I don't consider it as greasy and 'madungis'-looking as before. It actually has some glow to it. :) Let me make a confession -- I love looking and touching my skin when it's freshly washed and toned. That's something I don't recall happening before, or probably I was just not that much into vanity loving my own skin then. :)

This is the version that's exclusively available in Edsa Shangri-La's Chi Spa

And here's an even more amazing report -- it did not take forever to see those results. My skin was revived in just a matter of a few weeks! No, it was not just revived, it was REBIRTHED. The benefits redound to my entire skincare arsenal -- serum, moisturizer and cream are now better absorbed by my skin. It's as if it activated and super-charged all my other face products that seemed to be dozing off and not giving me all the benefits they promised to deliver. Aha, so that was the secret to maximizing your creams, moisturizers, serum, and other beauty arsenal - to pair it with a powerhouse acid toner!

So while it may be expensive - it really is - I take into account the fact that I had never come across a toner that did anything for me, so if you do the math, I had actually spent more money on crap than I did on Lotion P50. Plus, it made all my facial arsenal work more efficiently, so that's double win, double yay, and more value for my hard-earned money.

And this is the one I bought from the U.S.

Lotion P50 has set the bar so high I'm afraid I won't find a better product in its category. But a real beauty junkie does not stop being curious and open to what the vast beauty world can offer her, so yes I am open to trying out similar products. I actually have just started testing another much-raved acid toner that promises to bring out the glow in us, ladies. (Of course, while keeping a spare bottle of Lotion P50, you know, just in case.)

I haven't since repurchased Lotion P50 locally (it is exclusively available in Edsa Shangri-La's Chi Spa) because I find it just a little bit cheaper overall if I buy and have it shipped from the U.S. Plus, the U.S. spa which I order it from is pretty generous in giving away samples of the brand's other wonderful skincare products, something that they don't give away here.

OVERALL, I say it's worth every single penny and I cannot live without it!

Forever a staple in my beauty arsenal. :)

TIPS FOR FIRST-TIME USERS:

• Go easy if you are a first-time user, most especially if you are new to acids. The Biologique Recherche aestheticians that I was in touch with recommend using it twice or thrice a week first, with a wet cotton pad. Gradually increase the frequency of use. After a week or two, you may use a dry cotton pad.
• Try to get past the strong vinegar-ish smell. I've read somewhere that not adding fragrance to mask it's raw, vinegar-ish smell makes the product a lot more effective. I've gotten used to it and hey, it's not bad, really. :)
• Use it right after cleansing your skin. Of course, I recommend double cleansing if you are using makeup and sunblock. :)
• Use sunblock. Everyday. Acids resurface the skin and if you don't wear any SPF, you are prone to sun damage. But really, sunblock is highly advised with or without acid toners. :)
• Note: Lotion P50 has different formulations. The original formulation back in 1970 contains phenol but it is only sold in the U.S. now. They have since reformulated and have further improved the product. Now there's the plain P50, P50V and P50W too. Only one version is available in the Philippines, Lotion P50T, supposedly milder and reformulated to suit the needs of Asian skin.

One day after Christmas, exactly on my little guy's two-year-and-six-month-old mark, the most unthinkable happened -- we were apart for one night. Yes, apart, not just in different beds or in different rooms in the house. I mean in different cities, with different companies.

And it happened so suddenly, without any preamble or practice and without any easing into it. What is even more remarkable is the fact that it was MY BABY, err, my little guy, who made the decision (of going away from me overnight and for nearly 24 hours hehe).

Yes, it is a big deal. Since birth, this little guy had always slept by my (and my husband's) side. We have been breastfeeding and cosleeping since birth. I have never spent a night away from him. Wherever I go, he goes too. In as much as I long for a very quick travel with my husband, too, I just could not imagine HOW, given our circumstances with our clingy little boy. :)

Clingy, yes, to the point that I have a self-imposed curfew since he just would not go to bed without me home yet. And believe me, he checks on me in the middle of the night and makes sure we're sleeping side by side. I don't know if he is fully awake when he does, or if he does so subconsciously and half-asleep, but oh he does, all the time. I just could not envision that he (or I) would be ready to be apart from each other overnight soon enough.

And it happened. Too soon and all too sudden, actually. He just decided last minute to go out of town with my parents and siblings and a cousin. We probably asked him a hundred times if he was sure that he wanted to go without me, and if he understood that he won't be sleeping with me. Which means, no dede (breastfeeding) time for the night, too. He was sure and he was very decisive -- YES, yes, yes. Even bid me a sweet "See you tomorrow Momma!" a number of times. So off my family merrily drove to Subic with their giddy two-year-old passenger on a Saturday morning. My husband and I went the following day.

Reunited (in Subic) and it feels so good. :)

And how was it, might you ask? It was goooood all throughout their waking hours. I wish I could say it was good from start to end, but of course, there was some crying involved in the middle of his sleep. It follows that there were different levels of sleep deprivation, too, both on his end and mine. LOL. And, can you imagine, the little boy flat out REFUSED TO SLEEP at first even though he was so sleepy already?! Yes, even before his usual bed time, he had already declared that no, he was not sleeping that night, not until Momma comes the following day. And oh boy, did he try his best to really stick to his words! He did fall asleep eventually, at somewhere close to midnight. Whew.

At least, one of my biggest fears that day -- that we might have to drive to Subic in the wee hours of the night to come to his rescue, because it just did not work out -- did not happen. Halelujah! All in all, we made it, we graciously made it.  I did miss him (A LOT!) and I was pretty sure he missed me terribly, too. He literally never left my side again when we came to fetch them. LOL.

Milestone weekend for the both of us. I love you, Thirdypooper!

It was not the easiest of nights (especially for my family hehe), but it sure was one for the books and one of the many milestones not just for my little guy, but also in my parenting journey. :)

It's the most wonderful time of the year! :)

And it's all the more wonderful if you have little kid(s) running around your home, must I say. Oops, I just realized I already said that piece on my Christmas post last year -- that Christmas is a lot more fun and meaningful once you have your own little family or little kiddos. :)

It really is. It's like kids are magically spreading the Christmas stardust and enchanting us with their infectious merry, jolly, happy Christmas spirit.We had a blast with our second Christmas with our one-year old last year, but I tell you, it just keeps getting better!

Sending over some Christmas cheers through these photos of our little guy giddily opening his presents on Christmas day:

How often do you receive a hug? How often do you give out one?

Did you know that scientifically, research has proven that hugs are much beneficial to our well-being?

Right. Bet you we didn't even need any research to validate that. Let's admit it - what's more comforting than a hug whenever we are down, stressed, and depressed? Maybe not much; other than good ol' shopping, of course. :) But then again, hugs are instantaneous, hugely gratifying, and do not hurt the pocket at all.

Research even says there's a required minimum number of hugs per day and duration of hugs (can you believe that?!) for them to be truly uplifting in our daily lives and for their long-term benefits to be truly felt. No, I won't scrunch up the numbers on you, but we did discuss them in my Psych (elective) classes in undergrad and in grad school. :)

Scientifics aside, I really am a huge believer in the healing power of touch, especially hugs. No, not just its healing powers, but more so its "building powers." Constantly getting hugs guarantees a surge of positive emotions that in turn builds someone's personality (positively so). Hugging just melts away one's daily stresses and lightens the burden of one's more pressing problems. It is not merely a physical connection -- it forges empathy, forms an understanding between the minds and the hearts involved. A lovers' quarrel is never truly resolved without a hug involved. It is a security blanket. It reassures children that they are loved, and that some people are there for them no matter what.

Indeed. (Image source here)

The other day, I learned that our part-time cleaner and plantsadora's (is she an Iron Lady then? I wish I am. hekhekhek) little boy had a minor episode with my little one. Those two boys are roughly of the same age. They were playing one afternoon, and as usual, my Thirdy kept on attempting to hug the other little guy. Much to the latter's protest, and probably bewilderment. The other kid kept on crying whenever Thirdy would hug him. More than that, he was either on fight or escape mode.

We dissed it as nothing but friendly toddler play. But when I got to talk to the mom, she confirmed they (them at home) have never hugged her son, so he probably taught somebody was picking a fight on him when somebody attempted to hug him. My eyes went wide while my heart ached a little when I heard that.

I render no judgment to the parents of the boy, but somehow, I got sad. Here's a little kid who has not gotten any hug his entire life yet. Sure, they have a much different family dynamics and culture. I guess I just thought that, most especially with babies and little kids, it's next to impossible not to sniff and hug them. All the time. I thought it's instinctive, especially to parents. It's like love just flows and overflows and I just hug my little darling randomly whenever I felt like it, which is quite too often -- and he does the same way to us. (I'm not telling she does not have overflowing love for her son here, ok?:) We hug wherever and whenever, we hug even when asleep.

About to give my boys a huuuug. Hug whenever, wherever! :)

I have gotten over it, and I think our cleaning lady has vowed to try harder giving his son hugs. Probably not just hugs, but affection in general.I sincerely hope so.

But no matter, I stand by this firmly: affection begets affection. Hug begets hugs. And those are the cheapest and most potent form of therapy, yo! :)

Sharing an article I wrote for our office's web publication. :) It didn't make it to last month's International Breastfeeding Awareness Month. But here goes, still part of breastfeeding as one of my biggest advocacies in my parenting journey.

------

I have been breastfeeding my son, who recently turned two, since birth. He has not taken any milk other than mine. He eats regular meals and snacks these days, but for the first six months of life, we breastfed exclusively. That means no water, no formula, not even vitamins.

I have personally seen how my son and other breastfed babies around me develop and thrive. My son hardly gets sick, and was assessed by his pediatrician to be  advanced in a few notable aspects of development. We are as close as a mother and  young child could ever be.

I will forever treasure our breastfeeding chapter. :)

Breastfeeding has its challenges, but once one gets past the first few critical weeks, breastfeeding can  be the most natural thing ever for a new mother to do.

As with any beautiful thing worth pursuing, breastfeeding comes with  “birth pains” at the start. Mothers  go through a lot during pregnancy and childbirth, and the first few weeks upon giving birth are  a difficult  and vulnerable period for her. It is important to have a  breastfeeding-advocate pediatrician and a solid support group at home to pursue breastfeeding.

One very important thing I learned from attending breastfeeding seminars and from lactation consultants is that breastfeeding is mostly psychological. You have to believe in your body that it is capable of doing what it was designed for in the first place – to nourish your babies. For exclusive and extended breastfeeding to be successful, you have to really want it, to be fully committed to it.

Expressing and Donating Milk

I started expressing milk  shortly before my maternity leave ended. I would pump once, sometimes twice a day, while my baby slept. By the time I came back to office, my frozen milk stash was substantial enough that I had to transfer them to my in-laws’ house since they have a spare deep freezer to accommodate my growing stash. I  tried to express every three to four hours upon my return from maternity leave. My baby would take some of my expressed milk, but the amazing thing was that he would wait for me to come home so he could latch directly and feed to his heart’s content. I pumped whenever I could. Soon, I had so much more expressed milk than my baby could deal with.

I started donating milk when a friend asked for breastmilk for her sick daughter. Then another from my mommy group asked for a few weeks’ supply of milk for her newborn neighbor who lost her mom in childbirth. When Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the Visayas in 2013 and the Department of Health called  for breastmilk donors, I immediately donated my entire milk stash, then around 10 liters. I saw how the breastfeeding community really mobilized to help the infants in dire need of breastmilk then. The best part was, it was not a short-sighted hand-to-mouth project. Distribution of donated breastmilk came with a much-needed information campaign. Mothers who were mix-feeding were encouraged to ditch the formula, while those who recently stopped breastfeeding were provided with information, support, and resources to enable them to re-lactate.

That was the start of my monthly donations. I wanted to  donate to a children’s hospital, and the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) in Quezon City was easily my top choice. That signalled the start of a wonderful relationship with the PCMC Milk Bank’s nurses and staff. Sometimes they would call me apologetically to ask if I have some spare milk. Thankfully, I have been blessed abundantly and it seemed like I always have something to share whenever I got a call.

Sticking to a pumping schedule at work is not easy. It can become too much of a chore and I would usually miss a session or two. What kept me going was the thought of having something to offer when the PCMC Milk Bank staff knock on my door.

Meeting the Littlest Ones in Dire Need of Donated Milk

Meeting the doctors and nurses tirelessly running PCMC and saving every baby that came their way.

Last month, the PCMC invited me to a simple gathering and awarding of their most frequent breastmilk donors. It was humbling to finally meet the Milk Bank staff and the doctors tirelessly running the hospital, trying their best to save every  baby that came their way. We were ushered into their NICU, to introduce us to their littlest ones that we, in essence, helped feed. It was such a tearjerker to finally meet their littlest ones in the NICU – the topmost priority in the hierarchy of donated breastmilk recipients – bravely soldiering on. Most were premature babies who are on life support (weighing as light as 500  grams and just slightly bigger than my hand), young premature babies who were already operated on, sick babies fighting for life, premature babies who lost their mothers during childbirth. These babies were given nothing but breastmilk. I was crying the whole time I was at the NICU.

Meeting the littlest ones of PCMC.

I stepped out feeling grateful and even more passionate about this biggest advocacy of mine. I also felt complete. Somehow, meeting these babies was the missing piece in my breastfeeding and milk donating journey. I may not know them personally, but I felt very  connected to these little soldiers, and to the hospital that looks after them.

Encouraging Others to Donate

I encourage moms who have a little extra to donate their milk, if they can. What is a blessing to you and your baby may extend lives and may be a reason for some to keep fighting. It does not matter how little extra milk you have each day.

At present, I am only able to express an ounce of extra milk since my body has recognized the lesser demand for milk. I keep thinking I’ve reached the end of my milk-sharing journey, but I always get surprised that until now, I am still able to build a small cache. Miraculously, I still have a few cups in the fridge and at least a dozen more bags in the freezer, waiting to be picked up for donation. I will continue to breastfeed for as long as I can but I know that I will soon be putting aside my “milk donor” hat. I hope a friend or two will fill  in for me.