HOW TO WEAR SPF OVER MAKE UP : SUPERGOOP DEFENSE REFRESH SETTING MIST SPF 50

Sunscreen is something which is always in my bag. I am refreshing my daughter's sunscreen fix every two hours. But what about Mom ? How does she put on Sunscreen(SPF) over her make up?Dermatologists claim that Sunscreen only lasts for about two hours, after which you should promptly apply. While its easier for kids, it was a dilemma for Moms.

Till there came along a range of miracle products - Make Up Setting Sprays with SPF. For me, that was a game changer. Is it just a new fad or does it actually work? Time to put it to the test.

There are quite a few brands which make this product, but I decided to try out the Supergoop Defense Refresh Setting Mist SPF 50. I was going for a road trip, which also involved many outdoor activities. Not to forget the triple digit heat index of the Summer Sun of the Midwest. So it seemed to be the perfect time to test out a new product. I always like trying out a product for some time, before I start reviewing it.

CLAIMS : 
The product claims to be a unique three in one weightless mist, that sets make up, helps control oil and shine and refreshes your defense against photo aging UV rays .  Its the last part , which I was most interested in.

Enlivened with an invigorating essence of antioxidant rich rosemary , this is a pick -me-up for fresh, flawless, sun-safe skin, throughout the day.

Suited for all skin types.

HOW TO USE : 

Shake !Shake !Shake ! Shake the bottle vigorously prior to each and every use . This not only ensures even distribution of the ingredinets, but it also transforms teh texture of the product within the bottle, so that it can be sprayed. Hold the bottle10-12" from your face. Pull your hair back, close your eyes, and "tuck" in your lips . Spray 7-10 times, working in a  circle. Keep eyes closed and lips tucked for about 3 seconds after application.


VERDICT : 
I had used my regular SPF(Neutrogena Soprt face SPF 70) below my Make Up. As I was nearing the two hour mark, I followed the instructions, of the bottle, and sprayed my face with Supergoop Defense Refresh Mist SPF 50. Make sure , your eyes are closed , when you spray this, as it can tingle your eyes. It claims to be weightless, and the mist was pretty light. As the liquid was drying, I could feel my face tightening,with the SPF shield. It was very evident. I took a look on the selfie cam, of my cell phone, to see if my face had gone white or not. But it hadn't. Asked my husband, if he saw any difference in my face (make up), but he didn't notice the difference. Took loads of pics, without flash, but could spot on the difference in the makeup. Its heavily scented and you cant miss it. It dries super fast. Make sure you have sprayed your whole face with it, so that its covered uniformly. It took me a few uses to master that. And you have to remember to shake up the bottle, to activate the physical SPF. This product is surely a game changer for me. I need not compromise on either my Sn Protection or my Make up, when I am out . I didn't get a tan, despite being out on hikes, and my make up stayed put. I have super dry and super sensitive skin, but this product didn't dry out my skin at all, or lead to any breakouts

I would highly recommend this product to everyone.

SHOP IT : 

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KYOTO SUSHI & STEAK : EATING OUT

 Sushi is a major love for both me and my husband. We had been both planning a Sushi night for some time, and finally decided to try out a new place. We had driven by Kyoto Sushi and Steak quite a few times, so it was on our cards. We didnt have a reservation, and it was a Saturday night. The restaurant is located in Overland Park, and is family owned an operated. We loved the beautiful entry way, and had to take a customary pic. Its a pity I didnt have my camera with me, so we had to make do with my iPhone 7 Plus photos.

The restaurant has a variety of seating options. From the traditional Japanese Tatami Rooms, to booths, Sushi Bar and Hibachi Grill. We were seated in the booths, but my daughter wanted to sit in the Tatami Rooms, which were being cleaned out. So we finally settled for the Sushi Bar.

As we scrolled the Sushi Menu, we started of with an order of Miso Soup. It was hearty and flavorful. A good start.

Raw Fish or proteins are not something which should be offered to children, so we ordered a Popcorn Chicken for our daughter. It was a let down, both from flavor and texture profiles.

Coming to their Sushi Menu. As I had mentioned earlier, that we love our Sushi, so we always love a good Sushi Menu. While Kyoto Sushi and Steak has a reasonably large selection of Sushi, their options include a large variety of cooked fish. And we don't love that. So,our choices were a bit restricted.

We started off with the Blaze Roll : Spicy Tuna Roll, topped with white Tuna, jalapenos, spicy suace and green tobiko. It was crafted to perfection. The Tuna was super fresh. Winner Winner. And who doesn't love a spicy roll? I do.

Our second course was Daikon Maki : Tuna, Yellowtail, Salmon, Cucumber, Crabstick, Masago and Scallions, wrapped in daikon skin with ponzu sauce on top. This was an explosion of flavors , once it hit your taste buds. This roll had no rice, so the flavors were amplified to a certain extent. The daikon skin and the cucumber were the perfect compliment to the fish.

Out third course was one of the Specials of the Day . Laura's Roll: Crab meat, smoked salmon, tuna, cucumber, in soy paper, topped with spicy mayo, wasabi mayo, eel sauce, hot sauce, masago and crunchy bits . It was that hybrid version, which did not use all raw fish. The soy paper didnt have the most pleasing textures. But overall, it had a decent flavor profile.

Ideally, we should have just repeated the rounds of our first two Sushi orders,which we had loved. We had reached the restaurant when they were an hour away from closing time, so we felt we were being rushed into ordering. The Hibachi Grill and its Chefs were interacting a lot with their guests, which was fun to watch, but was a bit distracting. I might go back, one more time,and try out their Tatami Rooms, at an earlier hour.

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FOODIE CHICK EVENT AT PARK PLACE : EATING OUT

Saturday evening became special, as were invited to an exclusive Food Festival in town. Foodie Chick Event, is the latest concept from the Chick Events banner, which made its debut in Park Place in Leawood, Kansas. Its a  KC Tasting experience where guests got to enjoy tastings from KC restaurants, local wine, beer and coffee. In addition to shopping the amazing local businesses. Besides tasting, guests would be voting for their Best Bites, Best Wine and Best Brews, to name a name. Eat,Sip,Shop and Vote !

Park Place is an old favorite stomping ground for me and my Husband Debashish. I still remember the fun we had at 'The Parisian Night Out,' at the same venue , a few years back. So when we received our Media invites from Kathryn Elise Studio, we were thrilled. Seemed like a perfect evening with the fam.

The only problem, was that the local Heat Index was a lil over 105F with a killer humidity to add to the mix. Kiddo refused to wear her ticket bracelet, and in carrying it in my palm, I was afraid it might melt away.

First lets check out our VLOG and then you can scroll down for loads of more snippets and pictures from the evening.

Shatto Milk was our first stop . I dont do too well, with milk, so Daddy and Daughter did the honors. Flavored Milk and Cheese kick started the evening.'Cotton Candy,' flavored milk, won the first round of honors.

We continued on our tasting spree.

801 ChopHouse is one of our favorite joints. So a visit to their tent was a must. Prime Rib sliders were juicy and melt in your mouth. Loved them.

Pig and Finch had to be our next stop. Their brunch is so always on point. Loved their Smoked Salmon bites.

Mini Brat Silders from Gordon Biersch and All Natural Pork Meatballs in Tomato Sauce from Pizzeria Locale were the man's next picks.

 What KC tasting event is complete without its share of barbecue, right? its after all, the barbecue capital of the world. Loved the innovative Barbecue Shooters from Jon Russell's Barbecue. 

CupCookies from McLain's Bakery , and Gelato from Pacuigo , were quite a hit with our daughter.  My husband loved the Pineapple Sorbet from Pinstripes and Key Lime Pound Cake from Best Regards Bakery and Cafe.

It was time for some Wine !

 Followed by some more nibbles. Prime Rib Bite from The Grill of Park Place, Smoked Steak Crostini from Martin City Brewing Company and Seared Tuna with creamy Wasabi served with seaweed salad from RA Sushi.

Despite the crazy heat and humidity, we had a great evening , over some good food . It was like Tapas on steroids , with flavor quotients just perfect.

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BULGOGI AT HOME : KOREAN BARBECUE

Korea Town in Los Angeles made me fall in love with Korean Barbecue . We have had our share of Korean Barbecue, across cities,hence then. From the famous Kogi Food Truck, in LA, to Chosun Barbecue, in Kansas City, we made sure our bellies and hearts were full. The sizzle of the grill, when the marinated beef touches it, the caramelization and the unmistakable taste and texture, whats not to love about it.

Bulgogi , is a Korean Barbecue staple. Bul means Fire, and Gogi means Meat.  Almost paper thin slices of beef, are marinated, and then grilled . If you are at a Korean restaurant, then your server, brings you, your choice of meat, and you grill it , to your taste. If you are making Bulgogi, at home, then you have the choice to either grill it, or pan fry it in a cast iron pan. While my husband loves to grill, this time around, we decided to use our cast iron pan. The juices don't fall in the fire, if you pan fry them. So you have higher chances of not making your meat dry, if you are doing it at home.

We were shopping at the local Pan Asian store, when I came across a tray of Beef marked -Bulgogi Beef. The trick with Bulgogi is convincing your butcher, to cut those paper thin slices of Rib eye or Sirloin or Flank Steak. If you are already getting pre-cut Bulgogi Beef, then just grab it.

What makes it different, from any other stir fried Beef, besides the cut of meat? Its a star ingredient in the marinade. Bulgogi is marinated among other things, in Asian Pear Puree. The Pear acts as a meat tendersizer and also helps in caramelizing the meat, when it hits the pan or grill. We could not lay our hands on Asian Pears this time, so we settled for an ordinary pear. It didn't make much of a difference in taste, honestly. Soy sauce, sesame oil, onion - ginger-garlic puree/paste are the other ingredients. You can use julienned onions and carrots, in the marinade and grill them with the meat. The soy is the basic salting agent. Its very important that you let the meat marinate overnight. It helps in breaking those connecting tissues, in the already thinly sliced beef. Grill or pan fry them meat, till you can see it getting caramelized along the edges. If you are pan frying it, then make sure you dry out all the liquid. You can garnish with some sesame seeds, if you like. I don't prefer that, so we didn't do it. And Bulgogi is best served over a bed of hot steamed rice.

Its a very easy dinner idea, if you do the meal prep a day earlier. Throw on the marinated meat on the grill, and all it takes is 10 minutes or even less.

BULGOGI AT HOME :

Recipe adapted from : https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/bulgogi

Ingredients :
Beef Sirloin/Tenderloin/Rib eye : Thinly sliced - 1/2 inch x 2 inchx1/8th of an inch thick (cut against the grain)
Asian Pear/Pear : Puree : 1/2 cup
Onion : Puree : 1/4 cup
Garlic : 4 large cloves
Soy Sauce : 2 tbsp
Green onion : 1 chopped (we had run out of it )
Brown Sugar : 2 tbsp
Black Pepper Powder : A pinch
Carrot: 1/2 large
Toasted Sesame Oil : 1 tbsp

Procedure:
Skin the pear and core it. Throw it in the blender along with onion and blend to a paste. Finely mince the garlic and ginger. Mix it all together in a large bowl.

Julienne the carrots.

Mix in the rest of the ingredients into the marinade.

Carefully separate the slices of beef and dunk it in the marinade. Close the lid of your marination bowl and put it in the refrigerator overnight.

We had pan fried our Bulgogi in a cast iron pan. Cook it till all the liquid has disappeared and the meat has started to caramelise.

Serve over a bed of steamed rice.

Bon Appetit ! 

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