Cherry Blossom Festival with ZYRTEC®

Spring got off to a little bit of a late start this year, but it is now in full bloom, literally. Today’s post is in partnership with ZYRTEC, a brand I love and definitely need in the spring.

I recently ventured over to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for the Sakura Matsuri, aka the Cherry Blossom Festival! I’m actually a member of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden; I was so excited to attend the festival, and will definitely be heading over throughout the rest of spring and summer to enjoy the beautiful grounds. Highly recommend a visit, or a membership, if you live in the area!

Because it’s been so beautiful out lately, and everything is finally beginning to come to life after such a long winter, I don’t want to waste a single minute of being outdoors! For me, that means addressing my allergies (itchy watery eyes are my worst symptom!) before being outside for the day. ZYRTEC^® is my go-to for allergy relief. I feel so much better throughout the day because of its 24-hour relief.

(Through this partnership, I also learned that ZYRTEC^® works twice as hard when you use it the next day and works consistently strong day after day. I had been only taking it when I knew I would be outside, but now I’m taking it daily for the best results.)

With ZYRTEC^® helping me feel better, I used a few of the beauty tips I picked up from Jamie Greenberg at the panel I did to to help me look better and combat ALLERGYFACE^®. A few weeks ago I got eyelash extensions. Jamie had taught us some tips for applying false eyelashes, and I was totally obsessed with the look. Now I don’t have to worry about mascara smudging from watery eyes and the false eyelashes definitely make my eyes “pop” a little more.

I applied a green concealer around my nose to cut back on redness and went with a brighter pink lip to complete my makeup look. (When in doubt, just wear a bold lipstick!)

The festival was so much fun. We got there right when it opened to make sure we could beat the crowds and I’m happy we did. By midafternoon, the entire park was filled to capacity with everyone taking in the gorgeous blooms. Unfortunately, most of the cherry blossoms hadn’t bloomed yet, but we turned it into a little game to explore every nook and cranny to find trees that had bloomed. It honestly wasn’t that hard because everyone else had the same idea, so you basically had to spot a big crowd and there was surely a tree in bloom. Of course, there were also plenty of other flowers like giant tulips, daffodils, and lilacs to take in.

Despite the lack of cherries, the festival was a wonderful celebration of Japanese culture. “Sakura” is the cherry blossom and “Matsuri” is festival. Throughout the day there were special dances, origami displays, tea ceremonies, musical performances, and more. One part of modern Japanese culture is cosplay and, honestly, it was so cool to see so many people dressed up in costumes. It felt like the first truly beautiful day out and absolutely everyone was enjoying being outside.

A few different stages were set up around the park and it was a constant stream of entertainment. Even walking by was enough to catch a glimpse of a Kabuki Buyo dance or a musical performance. We sat down on these inflatable chairs to watch DJ Sashimi for a bit.

There is nothing like being able to spend the day outside in the sun after months of cold and snow. Without ZYRTEC^®, it’d be a miserable experience though. (Anyone with allergies knows how horrible sneezing, itchy/watery eyes, and runny nose can be.) It’s so nice knowing I can go outside and fully enjoy it with relief from my allergies.

Thank you ZYRTEC^® for sponsoring this post!