Ten Tips: Caring for Your Eyes in Makeup

Hey, guys! Sorry for the bad pic I drew :)) Just thought it'd be amusing. So let's throw in the better one credited to google, shall we?

Alright then. So, since I have been regulating when I'd post (and I've wanted to post often) I'm sort of pained not having a new post earlier than this time. And it's a little frustrating for me because I've been meaning to do more looks than just reviews, you know? And I promised Em a look post tomorrow but because of an eye-thing, I don't really feel like I'd be comfy doing anything to my eyes (well, just my right eye actually) that might make it take longer to heal.

So what happened?

Well, last Thursday, I have two agendas: get my brother's report card and go to Manila Zoo with some friends. Half of the day wasn't so awesome. I was working late the night before and had to get up early. And guess what happened? For the first time ever, by some twist of fate, I, for the lack of a better term to describe the event, poked my eye while doing mascara. And it made my right eye tear up huge droplets! :)) It's sort of funny now, looking back at the boo-boo moment (because sometimes you just got to laugh at life :p) but at the time I was annoyed at my wonderful "start of the day" plus there was drama a little after that. But anyway, that is what inspired this predicament and this post!

So, before anything, I'm not an eye doctor or anything and these tips are mostly practical knowledge I've picked up :))

So let's get cracking!

1. Always ALWAYS have clean hands when touching any part of your face
2. If your hair gets in your eyes and you know it irritates them and/or you (:p) then tie it up or pin it away
3. When putting on any detailed work on your eye like eyeliner (even more so if it's liquid or gel liner) or mascara, have a mirror nearer you as opposed to a "far" vanity mirror as you need to see the detail and it would help you get things done much neater
4. When putting on mascara, tilt your head back so it'd be easier to reach your lashes from base to tip
5. When putting on eye makeup, I think it's important to get quality brushes in quality shape. What does this mean? It doesn't mean that I'm a brush snob by any means but what you want to look for are brushes that don't scratch at your delicate eye area, don't have splayed hairs or fibers that could poke your eye, and when you wash them, make sure that you have a conditioning component to your brush cleaning so as not to dry them out and disrupt the fluid motion you'd normally get if the brush is in good shape
6. Don't wear waterproof mascara that is an absolute pain to get off
7. Find a makeup remover that's good for you, if it gets in your eyes, seems to take forever with scrubbing makeup off, and generally just doesn't get the job done right, you're better off finding another! You want to avoid any tugging when putting on and taking off your makeup.
8. When you do get an eye problem like I did (it may happen at one point or another in your life, take a makeup break or at least give your eyes one. You can turn to a nice lip color to brighten up the face and give you some oomph.
9. Take a nice, gentle eye drop solution to wash out any nasty things
10. Take it easy, and let time heal you :p

So there it is.

To Em, I'm sorry doll, I was so excited for it, too =\

See ya'll soon with a review, I'm guessing.

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Simple Thoughts: A Review on Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat (Radiant Touch) Hightlighting Pen

As the title implies, today we have a review on YSL's much buzzed about Touche Eclat. In fact it's said that one is sold somewhere in the world every 20 seconds!

So is it worth the hype?

Let's see!

So before anything, let's cover the basics of "what you see is what you get."

So YSL TE comes in a gold box like this, bearing YSL's logo. As you can see my box says for darker skin tones. That's because the shade I have is #3 which according to Sephora is:

And inside? The pen looks like this

When it's clean, brand new and spankin'

After you use it and all

So let's take a little back story. A year or two ago, I stopped by a counter at Robinsons Department store to ask how much this little baby is. At the time the lady said it was 1700php (while it's also available at Sephora for $40) for 2.5ml or 0.1 fl oz of product said to go for about 4-6 months of use. I felt my heart die and vowed to save up but as time went on, I just couldn't bring myself to justify the purchase especially since it was "only" a highlighter pen. I asked myself, what difference could something so subtle make? And forgot about it for a while. That is until a few weeks ago.

A few weeks ago, there was a crazy sale at the NBC Tent for Citibank cardholders and being curious, me and the family went.

And wouldn't you know it? I got two of these for 900php each! TALK ABOUT STEAL. It's like getting two for the price of one!

And when I asked what shade the lady would recommend, she said #2 would be good BUT they were all out. She said a lady with my skin tone budged, got #3 and looked fine so I went for it. So let's see it in action!

My hand with nothing on it. I encircled around random spots of discoloration and the long bit is my vein.

What shade #3 looks like (do you notice my vein beside it?)

Blended out. Some of the spots are no longer so apparent and the ones that still show up have faded a little. As for the vein, because of the orange tinge, helped it "subside" somewhat.

Now let's see more info on the claims from Sephora:

Do I think the claims are true? Yes. I believe so.

HOWEVER. There is one very important thing people need to know.

The YSL Touche Eclat is NOT, I repeat, NOT A CONCEALER.

I know it claims things that pretty much covers the job of a concealer but this is not a concealer. It is a highlighter. It brings brightness and light to areas but if you have a pimple or whatever, no matter how many times you slather this on, it would not perform as a concealer because it just really isn't one.

So what do I think?

LOVE:

• The packaging. It's classy, weight is good, doesn't feel cheap and the whole click-pen concept is easy to understand.
• A little goes a LONG way. Two to four clicks is enough for the whole face!
• You can mix it with foundation or even your sunscreen to give you an overall subtle glow. It's like there's something about you but people or even you can't tell what it is exactly
• You don't have to deal with pesky glitter particles! I for one am not a big fan of chunky, shiny, shimmery splendid and prefer more of a cream formula as it's easy to use, it can go over a lot of areas and it doesn't go overboard easily
• All the places you can put it on: forehead, bridge of nose, under the brow, tearduct, eyelids, undereye, cheekbones, cupid's bow, under the chin, take your pick!
• How it's somewhat versatile. I got a shade that isn't perfect for me but it still works!
• THE EFFECT. Let me tell you. It's not anything in your face. It's subtle but... well... let's quote people. The first few days I used it was finals week. YES I DARED. FINALS WEEK. And let me just say (modesty aside), the university and course I belong to is NO piece of cake AT all. Our hardships are plain ridiculous and it's not even funny. And guess what I've heard? A guy friend said, "Maganda ka pa rin. Parang 'di stressed (You're still beautiful. It's like you're not stressed." A gal pal on the other hand stared at me and said, "What did you do? It's like you've never had a pimple." And the best part? When I went to my mum's office and got nothing but compliments! Not from one, two but I can't even count :)) It even went so weird to one of my mom's co-workers to stop by and my mom asked what she was doing there and she said "Gumanda na daw si Mara" ("People have been saying that Mara's gotten prettier"). I kid you not and it IS freaking outrageous! And I do love the lift, the light, the glow this product gives me. It's absolutely fan-freaking-tastic!

HATE:

• The price! Getting it on sale? That was amazing, but when I run out of this and my back up? It'll be a horrible, horrible day.
• In a way, the packaging. The brush applicator means that it's not too hygienic. The product may be stored safe in the tube but when it comes out, and it's there with oils from your skin and all? ICK. Cleaning it is a pain. I use my MAC brush cleaner and some baby shampoo and the color doesn't completely go away.
• The fact that it's only good for 6 months. Because of its formula, it doesn't last as long as say a powder which could last you for years!
• The shade range. I don't know if I just suck at understanding shades but I don't believe that I'm fair skinned so I thought I'd be a medium and 3 should be awesome on me. ENK. Wrong.

Tips:

• Consider the practicality. Would you want this or spend your money on a powder product?
• CLEAN THE BRUSH. Good skin is always good. No amount of makeup could ultimately perfect bad skin.
• Use less than you think you need. You could always add more and then blend it out and pat with your fingers
• Wear alone, under or over foundation, mixed with foundation or even sunscreen!

Verdict and Score:

It's a cult fave, the brand is famous, the product is fab. BUT the price, the hygiene issue? It'd be perfect if it wasn't for all that. So I say it deserves a 4 out of 5. However, I must say, I think it deserves the hype it gets.

Do Love, Do Need, Do Like, Meh or Do Not Want:

To me it's a Do Love and a Do Need simply because of my personal preference but it may not be a need to you. I am absolutely in love with the effect and the reaction of the public :p The price is a killer but hey, if I love it so much, I'd have to cough up the moolah :))

So there it is

Do you have this or have you thought about trying it out?

Do you think the products attempting to copy this work?

What do you think of hyped up and pricey things like this?

What do you think of highlighters?

Let me know below!

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Because I Love Julz: Simple Makeup for Grad!

It's that time of the year again and here's a look I came up with because I love my friend Julz too much :p

A simple grad look!

Yes, this is impromptu, as in we were talking on Twitter one second and the next? Bam! I was getting dressed for the part XD And yes, that is a scarf-y thing. I just felt like it :p

Now, I understand that it's a time to look spiffy, etc etc but remember what those cream colored dresses and all mean! It's a special occasion BUT not really a time to go drag with makeup :p [well, to me at least but if you can work it, work it gurl!]

Now if you're one to have been slaving all those years and didn't really have time to think about makeup, this post could help you! All it needs are FIVE (to six XD) products and THREE (or even just one!) tools!

Heck, this look could even go for everyday, work or anything else you could think of! And what's better is it uses somewhat basic materials that you could use for other looks and would be available in different brands and price ranges. I just pulled out what I had and so can you!

So here's what I used and some things to note about them :)

I began with foundation. I dotted it around my face and just blended it out with my fingers. 

• First point? HAVE CLEAN HANDS. I don't think this needs explaining :p
• It would be best if you had some sort of primer and you're in luck! Your moisturizer could very well do the job. What's good about it is it forms a barrier between your skin and the actual product plus it makes your "canvas" smoother to apply product on. More slip, easier spreading, less product needed!
• Powder or liquid? It's your call though if I may, liquid set with powder would be nice as it's easier not to get cakey with liquid foundation (provided you don't glob powder on after)
• Know what foundation to get. Though I believe in investing in a good foundation (since if it's good enough you may not need to conceal as much), we all have to be practical. Is it a one time deal? Is it gonna cause trouble on your skin? You have to know what you want to get what you want. I've heard good things about Revlon Colorstay but haven't tried it

Then I applied a matte blush of a brown-ish pink color that was really natural and somewhat highlight-y for some reason

• My note is, there's a lot out of variety out there. Go for what works for you skin tone and gives you a light flush. Let's not go so much for glittery :p

Ater that I went for a brown liner that lasts but is still smudge-able. I blended it out with the brush in the picture below which is pretty good as I'm sure it's less than 100php at Watsons and you could use it to apply shadow or smudge out liner :) The good thing about brown is that it's natural, not as harsh as black and if it's the right shade, you can even use it on your brows if you need it!

I then curled my lashes, put on mascara and popped on a sheer reddish color :)

Swatches of what I've used

Color placement! I basically ran my liner along my lash line and brought it up to my outer corner around the outer third of my crease. After that, I took my brush, smudged along the lash line and blended out around the crease area, bringing it a little farther along at times, just so it won't be a harsh stopping point :)

So basically, you just need the products above, an eyelash curler, a blush brush (which can double as a powder brush as long as you use powder before blush or wipe it well if you need to add more powder) and a smudgy brush. You could even screw the curler and with the eyeshadow brush, you could use a Q-tip instead!

Now, the nice thing is, your mascara would define your eyes enough and open them up without being as harsh as a black liner. The brown liner gives definition, too without going over the top :)

Problem with the liner being hard? Run it briefly through a lighter (but don't aim for your eyelid to burn! XD) to make it a little creamier or "softer."

So there you go. It's a lot of words but in reality, it took me more time to take photos and do this post than it did to do my makeup :))

Sorry if this post is a little all over the place in terms of ideas. I'm seriously just excited and happy for the graduates :) Cue the excited and happy pic!

Happy Grad to all the graduates and a big congrats to you guys! You've worked hard for this and you deserve it :) I'll be one of you guys next year, just you wait! :p

So that's it :)

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Let's Play!

By the time this goes up, it would be Monday which isn't very far away seeing as it's 10pm already. Haha.

I just washed up after having loads of fun.

And just what did I do?

After so long of not having the deep desire of simply playing with makeup for the heck of it (because I haven't been myself for a while and acads were majorly killer), I have finally played and come up with something that hopefully looks as fun as what I've experienced doing it :3

Sorry for the not so fun face. Concentrating on getting a good shot XD

This is what I come up with :D

What I used:

Two random eyeshadow pans I got for only 220php BOGO (buy one, get one) from Makeup Academy at RPM. It was such a steal! And for the pigmentation, wow. Used the yellow at the inner corner, drawn in and the blue packed on the lid and defined under the lashline with them too!. Also used my Smashbox Cream Liner Palette. Used the green as liner, the gold to define the green and the purple for the swirls =]

Kat Von D Memento Mori Palette. I used the cream shadow in the far right (yes, it's a cream shadow :3) as a base and I used the two greens on the left at the outer corner :)

MAC Jazzed lipstick and NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk for the dots! :D

So there. Another thing worth mentioning is pardon the flaws because all I was wearing on my face today was my daily face routine + the sunblock YSL Touche Eclat mix trick :)) Didn't want to put on foundation just for play. And yes, this is just play XD I literally was struck with desire, randomly pulled things out and acted! Haha.

So there it is. Something easy, light and fun to start the week off.

What do you think?

Do you play with makeup?

What do you think of brights?

Tell me below!

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Must, Maybe and Skip Products for Summer!

I know it's a little late but summer's barely started for me and seeing as the heat is making itself noticed more and more each day, I thought I'd throw this post in. Must, Maybe and Skip Products for Summer! I came up with this randomly (a few mins ago actually) and I took pics in a snap based on my best judgment at the heat of the moment! Seeing as summer is a time to beat the heat and still look good doing it, here's what I came up with. So let's get crackin'!

MUSTS

• #1 and 2 - SPF for the face and your body. Whether or not you're heading for the beach or out driving, this is actually a must all year 'round (along with your face routine, moisturizing and whatnot)! The sun never stops contributing to aging and making your skin go haywire (though at varying degrees from person to person). I must say that I'm not religious with this but I'm working on it! It only takes a moment of your time and staying at it can really make a difference! Just slather it on at all the places the sun can hit you and voila! I personally prefer the ones here because it hits the budget and it's not too heavy feeling. Plus the body one is a spray! A little goes a long way with both so it's well worth the money :)
• #3-7 - Polishes! Summer is the season of brights and one of the ways you can make a statement and not have to slave on it daily are to paint your tips and toes. #3 and 4 are Orly Gumdrop and Cotton Candy respectively and a cheaper way to go is item #5 -- Caress Mango. Not too keen on brights or work doesn't allow bright tips? You can paint your toes bright (if you go closed shoes at work) and your tips a nice clean neutral color, we have #6 -- Zoya Dovey and a less pocket busting option, #7 -- Bobbie I Do
• #8 is a good lip conditioner! I have Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine. It's good, smells and tastes nice, gives a slight tint and you won't have to worry about chapping or fading!

Maybes

• #1 and 3- need some coverage but don't want to fret about sweating things out? You could try a tinted moisturizer. I don't have one but I have something that comes close! Too Faced Primed & Poreless! I found this baby thanks to Hannah. I wouldn't have gotten it otherwise if it weren't for her! It's a face primer but the neat thing is you could wear it alone and it still gives you life without going overboard! Same goes with a light mineral powder. I have MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural featured here :)
• #2 and 4 - A nice blush would be good too when you feel that you have to wear makeup (party time, anyone?). It coule be a nice pop of color like (2) MAC Marine Life Highlight Powder or a nice subtle shade like (4) Too Faced Mocha Mi Amore Blush Rouge that could double as a pretty contour color if you're on the medium to lighter side. Other pretty things like the staple NARS Orgasm or MAC Stereo Rose are lovely, too!
• #5 - A good highlighter. If you want to add a little more oomph, brightness or life to your face, this is a good way to go. I picked up YSL's much buzzed about Touche Eclat a while back and I must say that it's been pretty darn good! I've even tried mixing it with my sunblock :3
• #6 - Eyeliners that last! If you insist on defining those peepers for pictures, you can do so with either  a black or a brown (much more subtle and natural) liner. Just make sure it's a tried and tested formula otherwise you'd find it traveling to places it shouldn't be at! I have my Urban Decay liner from my Naked Palette here :)
• #7 - This is actually a cross between a must and a maybe which made me think it isn't an absolute must if that were the case! It's more of a must because of the product I featured actually! As I said, summer is the season for brights so take your pick! I have MAC Show Orchid here and it's one of my favorite lipsticks ever! If it comes out, I'm picking up another tube (or three...) because I love it! I always get compliments when I wear it and its brightness and awesomeness really cheers me up a lot, I find. And the best part? It stains your lips and staying power is tres bien! I'd recommend a good lasting lipstick for ya'll or a nice lip stain :) It could range from baby light colors (like the neutral-ish polishes featured above) to the daring. Your call, love :p

Skips

• #1 - a full coverage foundation. Now unless you're going to work or a real posh party, leave this at home, ladies. You may end up looking a little overdone at the start of your day and find that your face is melting off as it progresses! Not cute, right? I love my MUFE Mat Velvet+ but I think it'll take a break for a while!
• #2 and 3 - Again, unless it's absolutely necessary, don't invest a lot of time on making an awesome smokey look or the most artful of eyes if it's going to get washed off by the waves or faded by sweat! I've been reaching for my Urban Decay Naked palette and my Kat Von D Beethoven palette a lot before summer rolled around because of events and randomness but like #1, unless it's to go out and all, they won't be used as much.
• #4 - This is more for me than anything else. A while back I bought a MUFE Diamond Powder and it's a gorgeous diamond-y (yes I made that up) glitter that flashes gold which makes it brill to layer over anything BUT you don't want to worry about glitter when you should be having fun, right? Leave the enchanting later, it's time to show the cute and fun side :p Let loose, girl! Glitter is fun and all, but another time, another time :)
• #5 - I know, I know, reds are classic all year round shades and they're lovely, too, yes but if they're fading and all and take a lot to maintain, it could be a pain! It's either you take a real good lip liner and a lasting red lippie or leave it for another time where you'd need to care for makeup more. (Featured product? Chanel Rouge Allure Lacque in Dragon)

Other summer tips?

• Bring an umbrella, it's not just for the rain y'know! And you can't leave it all up to SPF, my dear.
• Explore! And take whatever meaning you may find in it and go with it. It could be anything.
• Relax!
• Take time out for friends, family or even expanding your circle?
• Do something new!
• Prepare things for those long car rides! iPod, car games, snacks, etc!
• Take lots of pictures :)
• HAVE LOADS OF FUN!

So there it is! Hope it helps and y'know what's most important? Don't follow everything here, experiment, discover, use what you have and share! Tell me what your must, maybe and skip products are! I'd love to hear them!

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Katy Perry for OPI Swatches, a Haul and Re-organizing le Polish Collection

Wow. This is refreshing :p

Before anything, let's have the first of two nail looks I have this week

Sorry it's a little banged up :)) I've had this look since last week. Just a matte black (Bobbie Kohl with China Glaze Matte Magic on top) with gold tips :D (China Glaze 2030)

Anyway, through the time I've been gone, there's been some haul-worthy stuff but I'm afraid that I've been gone so long that they're not so "current" anymore y'know? So with starting new, let's just keep it to stuff I've got this week, yes? :))

A foot pad thingy from Saizen (don't ask. I got curious and I was wondering if it'd do my grandparents well :p), cute strawberry earrings from the tiangge in the mall and the Maybelline Hello Kitty Mascara (because it was on sale, I'm almost broke and I needed a mascara BADLY, hoping for good things on this one but I've only used it once so far so I can't really say anything)

Sasa glitter polishes and a polish (no names though) from my kid cousins when they went to HK :) [AWWWWW cute tots love :p]

And of course, the star of the post ;)

I think, if you've followed me long enough, you know what this kind of wrapping means, yes?

And I know, this is a boring picture. I'm just constantly pleased at things that are packed well but still not a challenge to open at all. And again, I sound like an ad but shoutout to MdE/HoF!

A free sample :)

A key necklace I've been wanting for SO long now. I've actually tried ordering this at another shop before MdE offered F21 orders and it was a fail attempt on the part of the seller. No worries. This baby's mine now :3 Can you tell it's meant to be? :))

Another cute and simple necklace that looks somewhat classic, yes?

The Katy Perry for OPI mini-set, in and out of the box. And boy are they serious about being mini :)) Still, it's a nice concept. I'd like to try a lot without committing to buying each full size.

The much buzzed about black shatter top coat. And lemme just tell you. In the beginning I absolutely thought that crackled looks were, for the lack of a better term, dirty looking and not in the good way. I guess it's the OCD neat-freak in me but maybe it was also because I'd rarely see a black one. I'd see outrageous colors with bad contrasts that I just got turned off completely. Then the Katy Perry collection came out and I was only really into looking at the polishes, but upon seeing this on top of the polishes had me sold!

Swatches! From L-R: The One That Got Away, Teenage Dream, Last Friday Night, Not Like The Movies

My "Mara got too excited while doing her mani she hasn't cleaned up yet" shot pre-shattering

Aaaaand post-shatter topcoat! I must say, they look quite badass and looking at 'em makes me so so so happy! My fave color from the collection has got to be Not Like the Movies because of its gray-green color that gets a pretty purply pink sheen where the light hits it. I'm actually contemplating on getting it full size!

Tips? If you want more spaces between your shatter, go for a thinner coat. Like block-y pieces? Thicker is the way to go! Then you can just sit back, relax and watch as the coat shatters and dries real quick!

Last, I just wanted to reorganize my polish collection. It's not much but from thinking I'd never fill one of the organizers I have and now defying that statement, I'm kinda feeling "wth" about it :)) It's nothing big, really. I just separated the local ones from the non-local ones as well as sort of had them according to brand or kind (e.g. treatments separated from actual polishes or glitters). And I forgot about my nail paints! They're kept away somewhere but I'll fix it soon :))

Here's the first one. I blocked them off because they'll move around too much if I separate them now. This includes a few BK ones, mostly Bobbie and Chic as well as some other brands like Caress. Seeing breathing space in my storage area makes me feel like I haven't been "that bad." HAHA.

And the second one! If you spot the Black Shatter at the middle, you'll see how the mini polishes are dwarfed by its size! Our of the bunch my favorite brand so far is OPI (can you tell? :p) because of the formula/consistency and the brush! Other brands here: Orly, CG, Sasa, Wet n Wild, Sinful Colours, and the famous Nubar 2010 :p

So there. It's not the biggest collection but I love each and every color I have, local or not. I'm glad I had a spare tub (it used to house random thingamabobs on the vanity) because for a while now, I'd have bottles not so safely placed at random spaces between polish bottles! (BAD MARA)

So zere. Hope you liked this post!

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

The Return of the Comeback: 8 Things

O hai :3

Notice anything different?

Well, in light of the changes and because it's summer, I decided to go light on ze blog. So zere.

My, my, my. Where to start?

Well, initially, before I had to go to the bathroom for number 1, I thought of doing a 5 things post as a thing of my return.

Why 5?

I have no idea! And I scrapped the idea.

I'm going with 8 because it's my number :p

So let's get crackin'!

Wow. Who's missed me?

It's been ages, hasn't it? About four months since my last post and honestly, I think a lot has happened and an exponential change just pounced on me.

I wonder who'd notice me blogging again. Well, if you go to TC (Team Carnival) maybe you'd see that I'm no longer on the bottom (from not posting). Or maybe I'dve posted this on Twitter. Or even facebook, maybe.

But that isn't the point, is it?

In truth I wasn't planning on coming back today. I was hoping to come back. And I guess I only felt the real push in me to come back from thinking of what's been happening.

I miss this, y'know? Feeling like I'm talking to a lot of people in one go, hoping to make people laugh or to maybe share something new, something interesting or something completely useless but entertaining nonetheless!

But enough of that!

Let's get to "The 8 Things" shall we? (And yes, I find it amusing that it reminds me of a Miley Cyrus song :p)

1) Well seeing as it's fitting with the number, I am single now :) Don't worry, I'm not making a mess here :)) But I feel that it's something I should put out there as it may be weird to people that I don't mention Mik as much anymore. And yes, it is the reason I've been away. I've needed time and space to find myself and to be okay again. Though I'm not at tip top shape, I'm happy for how I've grown and I'm somewhat strong enough to be back as you can see :)

2) On a lighter note

I wear glasses now :) Well, not 24/7. And the funny thing is that my vision is still 20-20. My problem is glare. All those nights of working on my laptop in the dark has made my eyes sensitive to the light. I've noticed things were screwy when I'd be bothered with sunlight or looking at the AVP in class while no one else seemed to experience pain or headaches :p

3)  I'm somewhat glad I was "away." I got to concentrate on my academics, kinda. I mean, this has been me :))

Buried under papers, getting home late when I'd do them with mates

Studying for exams, ticking off a person per topic and killing the giant that represents the subject :))

4) I'm doing a Lenten sacrifice

It's not that I wanna be all "omg, look I'm awesome and good." Actually, I have never sacrificed anything for Lent before. To me faith is choosing to do something, not being all "ahh fine." I chose to let go of meat from Ash Wednesday all 'til the end of Lent. The only meat I could have is seafood and eggs (because I'm not a veggie person :|). It's a little big for me and surprisingly I'm not complaining as much as I thought I would :p It's hard because I'm more carnivore than anything else but I'm staying strong :) For faith! (PS, I'm not shoving my faith down anyone's throat in case you're getting any ideas :p)

5) I've learned that one's definition of friendship varies from person to person

To me friendship isn't bound by time and space. Someone could be miles apart or that person and I could just have a few minutes together and that would be okay. We don't have to talk all the time, we'd be secure in our friendship and that's that. I have friends miles away and we may not talk everyday, but you know what? That doesn't make us any less of friends.  I found that I like expanding my circle, I like being with people I can be comfortable with in silence, I like being with those who don't bring me down. There's been drama, can you tell? But again, I'm not making much of a mess here :p What I can say is that I found just how much I value me time and space and not having to explain everything. I do, very much so and that I need it respected. HOKAY ENOUGH :))

6) I think I've grown up a little more. And I thought I'd die without Mik but guess what? I'm still here

Yep. I'm still here. I've grown up a little. I'm a little more assertive, I know what I want a little more and generally, things are better. I've learned that I deserve way better.

7) I've gotten a helix piercing

No pics for you guys yet :p But yes, I did get one a few weeks back. If you don't know what it is, google would be of great help :p Why did I get it? Well, the story on why'd I get it and what it was like would be a wonderful story for another post :p

8) There's so much more to do.

I'm planning quite a bit for this summer for bettering myself. Though my summer is significantly short because internship starts kinda early but like getting back to blogging and all, I'll go through it one by one and be happy with myself when internship rolls along.

So there. Phew! I was toying with the idea of including something beauty related here but I think I deserve to have something somewhat personal as I think I wouldn't include any more personal posts (well to a certain degree) here as I'd have other avenues for it :p Don't worry though, I'll get back on track :)

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!