Be Like What?

Ten Tips: Caring for Your Eyes in Makeup

2011-04-16T11:30:00.000+08:00

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!

Always ALWAYS have clean hands when touching any part of your face
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
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
When putting on mascara, tilt your head back so it'd be easier to reach your lashes from base to tip
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
Don't wear waterproof mascara that is an absolute pain to get off
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.
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.
Take a nice, gentle eye drop solution to wash out any nasty things
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

2011-04-13T08:00:00.002+08:00

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!

2011-04-11T23:58:00.000+08:00

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!

2011-04-11T00:00:00.001+08:00

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!

2011-04-09T00:00:00.003+08:00

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

2011-04-07T00:00:00.001+08:00

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

2011-04-05T22:21:00.000+08:00

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!

Touched by an Angel

2010-12-09T09:25:00.001+08:00

It's been what, three weeks?

Yes.

Day in and day out I've been thinking of how to just come out with what I feel.

Mostly, it's been about figuring out how I feel.

I've been meaning to do a decent post since... well, I've always meant to.

The thing is (and I just have to say it before I ramble and be all taking too long to get to it) something's happened.

No, no one died or anything but i's something that's had a big impact on me.

For the lack of a better encapsulating phrase, my world's been turned upside down and shook out.

It hasn't been fun.

Somehow, I feel like I'm the same person (with what I like and whatnot) but different (with how I view things, how I act and how I feel).

I've been withdrawn, somewhat.

I still like polish, makeup and whatnot but it's just not the same.

I've been trying to escape the bleh moments with spontaneity but it doesn't happen much.

But enough about that.

Like I said, I've been meaning to post decently (with products of the month, etc) but today something happened that just woke me up.

On my way to school, as I was about to cross the street, I just looked and waited for the green man to appear.

It flashed and when I looked left a jeep was speeding, not bothering to stop or slow down.

I made way to move back with all sense of me and someone half-grabbed, half-tapped my arm thinking I wasn't moving back.

I didn't know who that was. I had no clue. But at that moment I didn't feel so lost anymore.

I knew what I was.

Alone, trying to find myself, I wanted to cry and suddenly nothing really matters anymore other than me being okay or trying to be. I felt like it was a message as calm washed over me with each step that I took after the raging jeep passed.

So the truth is I'm not okay. I'm not sure when I'll be at tip top shape. I'm living one day at a time and I'm tired of sharing myself because I feel like all my life I've been giving too much of myself.

I don't know if I'm coming back. I thought my blogging days wouldn't be so short lived but I wouldn't want to post crap here.

What I'm sure of though is this: when I do come back, be it for a day, be it for random sporadic posts, I'd be different.

And so I leave you with this

'Til then,
Love muchness,
Ciao

Adventure Days and Hauling: Eating, Drinking and Merrymaking :p

2010-11-18T12:36:00.000+08:00

Heya everyone!

Phew. I feel like I've been through a weekend! And it's all because I spent two days for myself just the way I wanted and I couldn't ask for more :)

Let's see how I did :p

Tuesday -- it was a holiday and my brother's been wanting to stop by Megamall for the longest time but since it's so far from us, we never really got the chance to stop by 'til yesterday. He was real pumped and we went out with our mom for an awesome day. Finally, the day that I got to see Payless, Forever 21 and Etude House! (Yes, in that order!)

BUT

It wasn't all that I thought it would be like.

Payless was nice. Shoes were arranged by shoe size but I've noticed that not all shoe styles translate to different sizes =\ My mom was a little bummed 'bout that.

Forever 21? Well it's quite a sight to behold. It was big, very big. I was overwhelmed with all I saw. There is a lot of stuff but there wasn't a lot that I was particularly all amazed with and with those that I saw that were cute or whatever had price tags I could not justify. Why? In the words of my mom, "ang mahirap dito e yung chance na may makapareha ka" (The hard part here is the chance of having the same stuff as other people) And I couldn't have said it better myself.

Etude House was probably my biggest let down. It was small, crampy and all. I expected more stuff but when I got there... neh =\

That's why this was all we got that day

Actually these were all I got that day :))

I got the last one :3

Aaaand I got the last one for this too!

It was actually funny. When I put the ring on, my mom said I shouldn't let go of it with all conviction :))

So that was it for Tuesday. It was really crowded then and the only thing I hated was how the freaking guards didn't know where anything was! Even more frustrating was the fact that even the damn information booth gave us the wrong directions. Not liking that mall very much, I'm afraid =\

So onto Wednesday!

Mai, Luis and I have been wanting to go out for the longest time since we don't really hang out much anymore. So we took advantage of the time to go to MOA :D

And guess what? It absolutely feels like Christmas at one point there :p

I swear it was more beautiful than the pictures make it seem :p

Mai and I got there before Luis did and we just walked around, checking the department store, Marionnaud, window shopping and whatnot 'til we got his text that he was around! We rushed to Sakae Sushi and got in, waiting for him to get there. We each grabbed a plate, stared at it, wishing he'd get there faster. We prayed, prepared our dipping sauce and everything, and when he got there, we were like "we're done praying, we eat, you pray then eat *OM NOM NOM*" Haha!

Look at that... *drools*

Mai

Luis and I

Being vain on the shiny side of the conveyor belt beside me

Trying to show off my necklace :p

My absolute favorite type of sushi -- Sake (salmon) sushi. When they weren't cranking any out, I waited, and waited then I requested for it and some came out. Took the opportunity to grab two plates!

Definitely in love with their green tea. It's absolutely delicious.

The verdict: L-R Luis' plates, Mai's plates and my plates. Luis tasted everything! Mai lost to us by one plate and I totally ate sake sushi 'til I couldn't no more. My faves were that and the kani salad-ish one.

After that, we had to walk... a lot. Haha. We went window shopping s'more. Trying to look for Christmas gifts and all. I finally got to stop by Frostings because of my friend, Sam's recommendation :p

After about two hours of walking around, we retreated to the food court to sit down. We mostly chatted and I'd break into song and the best part is? We'd all find ourselves singing! HAHA. Totally adorable :)

As the clock struck 6ish, we decided to walk out and head home.

The sight outside was pretty. So many lights celebrating Christmas.

And here's what I ended up with!

But here's what's really mine (the others were gifts). A jewelry organizer (as recommended by Suyen), a Marrionaud powder brush (it was insanely soft for just 250php, totally a bargain), MAC brush cleanser, foot masks (I'm planning to pamper myself later, a spray bottle (so I could travel with some brush cleanser as opposed to lugging a big bottle around. Plus having a spray top saves product) and a panda hat!

And here's what I got from Frostings

Clockwise from upper left: Swiss Chocolate, Smores, Red Velvet and Choco Lava cupcake! The Red Velvet wasn't that brill, sadly, and the Swiss Choco was alright. I gave the other two to my cousins though and they seemed to like it a lot. I'll try those next time :)

And a dorky shot of me in my new hat! It's redundancy I tell you. A panda on a panda! Haha. I've been wearing it around the house a lot :p I'm in love with it. Actually, Luis put it on, then put it on Mai, then the put it on me and said "It looks good on you" I said it didn't but when I looked in the mirror, it did! So I had to have it :p

So that's it for the past two days. Really had quite a blast. Now I have quite a list of things to do for the day:

~~Blog~~
Wash brushes
Make some MRL2 reviewers
Make my second face chart ever (I made my first one and it's pretty :3 I'll show it to you guys on Friday or Saturday *crosses fingers)
Pamper myself with a face masque, long shower and a foot mask
Plan my makeup strategy tomorrow
Pack my makeup kit :)

So there's that!

Hope you're all doing well :)

What do you think of all that went on above? (It's a ton, huh? :p)

Let me know below!

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Simple Thoughts: A Review on NARS Orgasm

2010-11-16T12:00:00.000+08:00

Hey kids! Guess what!

That's right. Today we have NARS Orgasm blush. One of THE most hyped products in makeup.

Okay. One thing though? This is SO hard to photograph in the pan. In the pan, it appears a little peachier and it does NOT look like a bright pink like the photos are making it seem =\

As for swatches, here's a few

I think to fully understand the color, you need to see it in different lights, hence me posting more than a single swatch. It's a peachy pink (to me, I understand that as pink with tones of peach but it's more pink than peach. Don't quote me on that. Correct me if I'm wrong) with gold shimmer. It's not so much a ton of shimmer/chunky glitter as it seems to translate as more of a golden sheen to me. Here in the Philippines, it's available at Rustans Essenses for 1350php with 4.8 g of product.

LOVE:

It's a no-brainer blush, could go with just about any look!
Pigmented. Very pigmented.
Gives you a nice glow.
Texture's good.
Packaging looks good and doesn't feel cheap at all. Seems protective of the product. Plus it has a mirror.
Is it just me or does it smell like a rose?

HATE:

Though the packaging is nice over-all, it is a rubbery sort of material which makes powders, glitter and whatnot all too likely to stick to it.
It is a little bit on the more expensive side and lately, cheaper dupes (similar blushes but not exact copy of it) have been coming out in the market.
People may not like the shimmer/sheen particles on it. In my opinion it depends on how much you layer the blush but if you want the matte look and avoid looking too shiny/oily or want to avoid possibly highlighting blemishes, then you may not like it.
It's lightly scented but it doesn't really carry onto the skin. You may not like it if you're picky about that though.

Tips:

Use a light hand for this and a brush that isn't too dense. Maybe a duo-fibre would be best or maybe even a fan brush just so you can slowly build the color as opposed to putting on too much and trying hard to blend it away.
Swatch or try it out in the store before committing. It is one of the most hyped things but before anything, it should work for you and you shouldn't just jump on it just because "everyone's raving about it."

Verdict and Score:

NARS is one of the more expensive brands but it's known for its products' quality and that certainly translates with this blush. It's great but I believe it's a little too hyped up than it should be. Nevertheless, it IS a great product and if it doesn't work out for you, fear not! There are many more shades to choose from :) I give this a 5 because:

it does the job
I think the quality and quantity vs price is a match
the only reason why this wouldn't work for you is if it doesn't suit your skin tone, etc. Which is forgivable as it is rare to find a universally pleasing product. It's hard when people expect too much from products :p

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

For me, it's a Do Love. It's not a need but I like how it could go with just about any look. Plus, I don't think I can find anything particularly bad to say about it.

So that's it.

Do you have this product? If so, how do you feel about it?

If not, have you been curious about it? How did you feel about it after the review?

Let me know!

Guess that's it for now :)

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

CHUNKY POST: Sembreak, Haul, FOTD and My Makeup Bag Tag

2010-11-13T23:50:00.000+08:00

Damn that title was a mouthful. HEYA! How are you all doing? Me? I've had my first day of the second semester the past Friday. I was meaning to do a sembreak-ender post BUT my net flaked on me! It's been real bad and it only improved when I got to my mom's.

PS, getting help especially nearing midnight is HARD. I spent over AN HOUR on the phone. Didn't get help that night.

IN OTHER NEWS

I'll reflect on my sembreak now (you can skip ahead if you'd like :p)

My sembreak wasn't as eventful as I'd hope. It was nice to unwind, not having to do so much buuut I took up work and it was basically lazing around, work, getting enrolled, and all that.

The bad about my sembreak:

times of argument
stress from work
stress from personal issues
no trips anywhere (didn't really have the time)
wasn't as awesome as I wanted it to be
it's my last =\

The good about my sembreak:

making up
the satisfaction of finishing
spending time with my family
getting things done, tidying up a bit
the shopping moments
GETTING MY LICENSE (TOTALLY FTW)

And I'm sure there's more but my inspiration on the topic has long left me. It wasn't the perfect sembreak but it was definitely a lovely one :)

Now let's get on with the haul!

I got a few things this week so let's go through them in order (because I have CDO... it's like OCD but alphabetized... as it should be... LOL)

Well, after quite a wait my MdE order finally came in.

T'was the first time I was actually so excited that I ripped the wrapping paper of happiness. Haha. I used to be so OCD and I'd srsly look for the tape ends to try and end everything with the paper intact. PS. Mr. Postman, damn you for making the paper crease-y. My OCD does not approve. Not really. Haha.

A sample I'd use on a special occasion.

My Kat Von D palettes! Well, one for me, one for mum. Shhh. She doesn't know about my blog. I'm giving her one for Xmas since she wanted the one I had before. T'was on sale at $10 off so I got it for $24 each. SUCH a steal. Now almost all Kat Von D palettes are "limited edition" they seem to have been around for a while and I thought the limited edition thing was a joke but I actually cannot find the Gypsy palette anymore so that makes me think there's some chance it's actually legit :p

Dia de los muertos design.

What's inside.

Different packaging than my Beethoven one. The box of my Beethoven palette was of a more pizza box design.

This delicate paper is SO pretty. The presentation of the product is definitely amazing. When it comes to these palettes, presentation, packaging and all is wonderful.

Slid it out because I don't want to ruin anything. Yes. That bad.

The palette bearing the same design as its box.

The names of the shades again.

The actual colors, all very gorgeous. One cream shadow, seven regular shadows, two little applicators.

Comparing them because the buttery yellow shades reminded me of each other but they're actually not as similar as I thought.

A touch wider.

A touch longer.

With these palettes, the "new" one is a little larger which is more apparent especially with the mirror. The newer version is also a little heavier and feels more solid. Both have the rubbery cases which remind me of NARS packaging. The new one is also much harder to open. I feel that it's good as keeping its contents sealed shut would prevent the cream shadow from drying out too fast but I'm worried that it's not the most manicure friendly thing ever.

Then came Friday. I had class then I finally got to take care of my notice from the post office.

YES. Got this from eBay. I think it's around 200php with shipping and all already for 10 boards that have 20 nails each. I think it's a real bargain since the Nail Up Shop and stores on Multiply sell it for 60php each. Srsly, wth.

I wrote the number of coats it needs to look right and the yellow thing is a post it of the shade names. I put a dot indicating shade number 1 so everything's organized :D

And finally, my buys for Saturday. Stopped by Sol's stall today at the bazaar and got myself Zoya Dovey and the e.l.f studio powder brush. I'm hecka excited to use the brush tomorrow and as for the polish, it's the type I've been lemming for to make my french tip moods more successful. It's actually what I wished OPI Tutti Frutti Tonga to be when I was looking for a fieldwork shade :p

Phew. Hello, weeping wallet :))

Now for the FOTD

I'm sorry D: I got home at night and didn't get to take shots this morning because we were in a hurry ._.

Products used

Eyes:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Kat Von D Memento Mori Palette (True - base, Agatha Pink - crease blend, Sugar Skull - inner 1/2 lid, Peggy - outer 1/2 lid, Hard Luck - crease/outer corner, Tijuana - liner)

Face:

Liquid foundation
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Deep
Bronzer side of Sephora Sculpting Disk
MAC MSF in Stereo Rose

Lips:

Laura Mercier lipgloss in Champagne

And lastly, the tag.

Actually I just did it because it looked fun. It's from Clariza's post about what's in your makeup bag.

With me, since I'm at my mum's and I had plans of doing swatches (that didn't work out) I brought a little too much than I normally pack. Here it is.

Well, here's the chaos. My facial wash and Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque were in the bathroom though. And for the ease of everything, let's split it all into groups.

The prep stuff

Liquid foundation, NARS Orgasm, Sephora Sculpting Disk, MAC MSF in Stereo Rose and MAC MSF N in Medium Deep

TFSI, MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack, Too Faced Duo in Teddy Bear & Heaven (Heaven is my FAVE highlighter atm. Shoutout to Hannah! Thanks, doll!), Urban Decay Cream Shadow in Midnight Rodeo, Kat Von D palettes in Beethoven and Memento Mori

Random Penshoppe gloss, MUFE l/s in #17, Too Faced l/s in Centerfold, NYX Tea Rose l/s, NYX Hebe l/s, Artistry gloss, MAC Lipglass in Fold and Tuck, Laura Mercier gloss in Champagne, Burt's Bee Cuticle Cream, NYX lipliner in Hot Red, Ulta liner in Rose and Spice.

My brush holder thing. Yeah I travel with it. Julz gave it to me and it's excellent for holding brushes and I especially love it for drying them in because of its wide opening, letting the air dry the brushes faster as opposed to just a straight up glass :)

Brought my Elianto Powder brush, Charm Powder brush (both of which have lost their oomph, gonna give 'em away/ sell them. Depends on my grandma), Ellana round top brush, Charm Duo-fibre brush, Charm angled blush brush, random drugstore quality brushes, Charm angled liner, Charm flat liner Sigma: 239, 252, 224, 217, 266, Skin food eyeshadow brush and brush guards (somewhere down there).

So there you have it. A chunky post.

For the students, how was your sembreak?

Have you been hauling anything? How's Christmashannukahkwanza shopping going?

What's in your makeup bag?

Let me know!

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Simple Thoughts: A Review on the Sephora Sculpting Disk

2010-11-10T11:46:00.001+08:00

Hello, darlings. Today I bring you a review on the Sephora Sculpting Disk.

And you know how we do this, right?

BACKSTORY

This was one of the first non-drugstore-y things I've ever had. When my interest in makeup was awakened and I knew my mom had a business trip, this was one of the things I asked for because of how sccastaneda on youtube loved it so much (I was young and easily swayed back then xD). So over a year ago, it came in looking like this

Pretty, right? I mean LOOK at how much product's in there and how BIG that mirror is!

Aaand here it is now

Haha. Rubbed down a little, eh? :p Yes. For the past few weeks I've been busy with cleaning and working and I've either thrown out or sold some old makeup and/or polishes I wasn't feeling anymore and I thought that I should get back to posting more since I have a bunch of unreviewed stuff in my little collection :))

ANYWAY here are a few more looks and swatches :)

So there you have it. As you've seen in the first photo, it retails for $24. You get 5g each for the bronzer and the highlighting powder while you get 12g of the mattifying powder. The bronzer side is a beautiful brown with just the right amount of warmness and orange tones. The highlighter side is a frosty pink while the mattifying powder generally blends out into nothing (unless you pile it on, which you do not want!)

LOVE:

The packaging feels secure and sturdy and is easy to clean (just wipe it down :) )
HUGE mirror
You get a TON of product
The mattifying powder isn't chalky or anything and blends out fairly well. Plus it definitely does its job well. If it's ending up cake-y and stuff, you're putting on way too much! Take it easy :p
The bronzer is SO well made. It's completely matte which makes it good for its purpose (if you're trying to enhance shadows, you DON'T want shimmer as it would reflect light!), it's not too orange or anything. It's a little lighter and warmer than the photos above and it could definitely be applied as sheer as you'd like or built up to as intense as you desire!). It's so smooth that the consistency is almost creamy or buttery.
It has a diagram to guide you in placement of the products :)
Multi-purpose
You get what you pay for (probably even more!)

HATE:

I feel that the highlighter's a little too shimmery that it almost looks frosty when swatched. It wouldn't be so wonderful for oily skin and for anyone who doesn't want to highlight fine lines and other imperfections.
If you lug it around it's size is slightly absurd :p
It has an odd powdery scent. It's not bad, but some people like their products either scentless or scented some random scent. Don't worry, you won't really smell like the product :p
Not available in locally. (But you can pre-order it from House of Flair :) )

Tip/s:

Don't be limited with just using this on your face, you can use it on your eyes, too! (I didn't experience any irritation or anything. Hope you have a good experience as well!)
Use the right tools and apply the right amount, otherwise you'll end up hating it!
... Then again with bronzer and the highlight powder, you can use it with your fingers as long as you place it right and blend it well :)

Verdict and Score:

This is a solid product that lets you explore three avenues in one. It's definitely worth the price for the amount of product, the variety and the quality. It's good for anyone starting out in makeup and would last quite a while. Though I'm ashamed at how impulse buy-y I was back then and easily swayed, I'm glad that I went for this product because it turned out pretty good :) To me, it deserves a 4.

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

Do Like. Though I did praise the product, it's not a "must-have" to me. I think it'd be rare for me to go say Do Love and Do Need so yay. Glad that's out of the way.

Do you have this? If so, what do you think of it?

What are your fave bronzers/highlighters/mattifying powders?

Let me know!

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao! :)

Spring Cleaning?

2010-11-06T08:54:00.000+08:00

I know it's fall and I've been meaning to do it forever but I only got around to doing it lately.

I've been going through all my clothes, going through so much because, well, a lot's been going on. I've been getting sniffly from all the cleaning, too. Only yesterday I was mopping my nose up every 2 seconds and all that. Haven't managed to get any work done even and I better do it after this because I have twice as much to conquer today as I didn't do work yesterday.

To give you a "visual" on what it's been like here's a scary photo

Yeah... I'm keeping it small, haha. Hot damn what a mess. That was what was left after "the sorting." Everything's well and good but my brother's crap is everywhere so... yep, kinda annoyed about that. My real problem is my jewelry/accessory storage. Do you guys have any suggestions? I hate keeping them in a way that they're not all organized with their own spaces and whatnot. I don't want tangles or anything like that. My OCD is such a terrible disease :|

So there.

But you know what's good about going through all your stuff? You get to find cool things you own.

One of the cool finds might not be much for ya but here it is

GEEK.

Haha. I was a big fan of Cardcaptor Sakura back in the day.

Man, this brings back memories. I wanted to have her staffs and stuff. My biggest crush was Yukito. Bah.

So that's it for now. Hope you're all doing well. I'm counting on your suggestions for storage! Haha.

'Til then,
Love muchness,
Ciao!

NOTW: Sea of Stars

2010-11-03T08:49:00.000+08:00

Hello, darlings. GREAT NEWS!

I'm employed!... again!

I need the job for the Christmas shopping and whatnot so this'd be pretty good :)

IN OTHER NEWS

I am about to show you a manicure I'm seriously in love with. I'm a little sad that the pictures don't do this justice, and if I could just give you all a high five and show you my nails personally, I would, alas, such are the limitations of our screens.

The best part about it?

IT WAS ALL TOO SIMPLE.

So let's get on to it because I need to get to work asap after this XD

I feel like I have the galaxy on my nails. Excuse the pre-clean-up look. But admit it, it looks absolutely gorgeous.

A closer look.

And the cool thing about it is, if you tilt it, somehow, it looks like you're going deeper into space even though you know there's glitter there.

This is probably the shot that shows why it's so cool best. The reason I named this Sea of Stars was because it was a mix of elements of the ocean, water, fish scales; but at the same time, it's pretty much like space, the galaxy, filled with stars and depth and wonder. Still, this didn't do it justice :p But here's my base color anyway, Chic Blue Velvet. I don't know if I just had a bad bottle or what but usually, their polishes run on the thin and runnier side. This? This was a pain to work with. T'was a little thick and globby at random moments which just bothered me because I just want everything nice and even!

The genius behind it all.

This, this is addictive. My friend Mai got this as well after I got it and she's fine with one coat. I used two initially which produced glowing results and seemed more space-like as the "stars" were more dispersed but I couldn't help it! I did two more coats and bam. Rock n roll space sea lost control. Sorry I didn't take a before and after shot, the sun wasn't out at the time =\

Anyway, there you have it. I'm grabbing breakfast then I'm getting to work!

How are you all doing?

Are you into this glittery mess? :p

I think it's a great way to solve your dilemma when you want something dark and yet bright at the same time!

So yay

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Simple Thoughts: A Review on Orly Top2Bottom

2010-11-02T20:38:00.000+08:00

This is a little odd for me. I never thought I'd review something like this but after much deliberation, I thought that even this would matter, somehow. I know it would've mattered to me if I saw a review on it when I was starting out. Then again, I didn't search a lot :p T'was an impulse buy I'm afraid.

And wouldn't you know, this is my second bottle! But not because I globbed on the first bottle like there was no tomorrow, but because my first bottle smashed during a bad day sometime ago :|

At least it's somewhat telling of what I think of this, yes?

Anyway, this was the first basecoat/topcoat I've ever owned. Thought I'd "splurge" since this should make manis last. I didn't feel I had the right to really review this until I'm able to try another basecoat and/or topcoat and wouldn't you know, I finally tried using my Seche Clear and Seche Vite yesterday and today about three times. Haha. But that's story's for another time, right now we must focus.

I got this sucker for just under 400php. It contains 18ml BUT I don't think you'd see this packaging for long as I've noticed in my local PCX counter, they've switched it up to a much slimmer bottle that you can buy for 249.75php I believe.

LOVE:

Formula's good, not too thin or runny and not thick and globby either.
Experience is good all in all, though quality of manicures are the success of the mix between a good basecoat/topcoat. I've experienced manicures lasting for about a week more or less with this.
I like how when I apply this as a topcoat, the polish seems to look brighter. I don't know if it's the blue-ish tint (though it doesn't seem blue when applied as a basecoat) but whatever it is, I like it!
Feels like it'll last forever :p

HATE:

Sometimes you may miss a spot with applying this as a basecoat. Not sure what causes that (formula? amount on brush? manner of application?) but it'd turn up when you're applying polish and all you'd get to say is "bugger..." or something of that nature :p
If you're looking for high gloss/shine this isn't *the best* out there.
People may cringe at the price but it's definitely better than getting a basecoat and topcoat separate at your local PCX.

Tip/s:

Make sure you've got everything covered!
Store in a safe space to avoid smashing booboos :p

Verdict:

Before wrapping up this entry, I went through Makeup Alley to see what other people think of it just for the hell of it and to make sure I've covered all the necessary points and now I'll just rant.

Why are people wishing something worth $xx to perform like something worth $xx dollars?

In any case, I am well aware that this product may not be the best there is but I am quite sure it is pretty decent. It's a two in one and I'm glad definitely good when you're starting out. It has done me good for many a manicure and though I'm not saying it's "the one" for me, it would always be "my first." :p

Score:

I give it a 3.5 out of 5. It's slightly better than decent, not great because of my need for shine, but definitely a good starter if you want to get into doing your own nails. Plus, it'll last you quite a while. I've only used 1/3 of mine!

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

Do Like!

So that's that.

What are some of your favorite basecoats/topcoats?

Do you have this? If so, what do you think of it?

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

RED, Monthly Love Muchness, A Haul of One and Finding Treasure

2010-11-01T16:17:00.000+08:00

Bah. I'm kinda sad.

Why?

Halloween was lame for me.

Originally, I wanted to do all these cool looks but as academic pressure pressed itself upon me more and more through October, those plans just went up in smoke.

Tragic.

I've had terrible sleep last night. It was being tired + being a scaredy cat + restlessness.

But in any case, here I am.

I've been wanting to blog, really. But nothing really inspired/grabbed me. Maybe I was just tired from all the hoopla *shrugs*

What have I been doing? Taking care of some important personal stuff.

And yesterday?

We saw Red

(Photo credits: Google Images)

And why did I choose the Helen Mirren poster? BECAUSE SHE WAS THE BAMF IN THE MOVIE.

The start was a little slow, but in the end, it deserves a 3.5 out of 5 :p Cooper/Karl Urban was pretty cute in it, too :p (mum and I liked him xD)

Anyway.

Without further ado, here's my October favorites

(MUFE l/s in #17, NYX l/s in Hebe and NYX lipliner in Hot Red)

Yep. It's pretty much just these three things and I know I haven't had my hands on them for a long, long time but I've been using them almost daily since I've got them! I honestly feel completely made up with these three on. I'd give you a picture buuut I'm saving that for later ;)

In other news, we've been to the bazaar again because of the free passes we have for the month. But sadly, I only came home with one thing. Good news? I've wanted it since the first time I set foot in the bazaar. Problem before was it was out of stock.

Ever since I saw this type of necklace on TiffanyD (a YT guru), I've been wanting it. BUT, it cost a ton from House of Harlow. Luckily, while I was flipping through mags, I found that Jean and Rosz offers a less expensive version of it! How much? 480 php (roughly $11). Quite happy about it and really excited to sport it around :D

As for the last third on the title...

I FOUND MY BOOTS AGAIN!

Damn, I've been wondering where these beauties went but when we were cleaning about, they've come back to me!

They look teeny here but they come in at 4 inches, actually.

Trying to get a good random pic for tumblr :p

Guess the brand's Lower East Side but then again, I think it could pass of as a good piece for the GG Upper East Side gang :p

Well guess that's it. I simply must work this break (what a drag, I know) and finally get around to getting my license because my student permit's about to die.

Here's to hoping I do get around to doing those looks, earn a good amount, get my license and somehow enjoy the whole process.

Happy Halloween :p

Hope you're all keeping well :)

Hm.

2010-11-01T10:50:00.000+08:00

Right now I will be random and go.

Hey, from now on, I'll post in blogger alone like I wanted.

Mhm.

Sahree ._.

NOTW: Orly Galaxy Girl, Freedom and Gratitude (Warning: Pic Heavy)

2010-10-27T18:55:00.000+08:00

I'm not sure how to begin as I have a lot to say but before anything, I guess I should give what the majority of people want -- the NOTW :p

Behold -- Orly Galaxy Girl :D Two coats. In this shot it was taken at my school before our meeting started today :p 2 coats, three days old :3

A close up shot.

A closer close-up? :p

Different views, still indoors.

Outdoors in the sun.

It's a really interesting color. It's mostly a dark violet base that pulls off hints of burgundy in particularly bright sunlight. The sheen it pulls off is mostly blue though green seems most apparent in the bottle and if you look under different angles and/or hard enough, you'll detect magenta shimmers. When I asked myself what words could describe this shade (aside from the colors that have come to mind), the first to come to me are mysterious and almost vampy, especially since I'm looking at my hand with my sparrow connector ring on :p Adds to the effect.

BUT the sad thing is, this isn't being carried locally. I got mine through Sol at Digital Traincase for 500php so it's best to turn to her if you have your eyes on this. BUT (yes, another but) if you want a similar duo-chrome effect and don't care for the triple digit price tag then I recommend you try 24k Black Pearl for 29php available at select Watsons stores.

Here's the two together. Looks completely different right?

But if you look at me holding it like this and I told you that I was wearing 24k, you may believe me :p

The difference? There's much more shimmer particles in Orly's polish, it's chunkier and catches the light better. When I wore the 24k polish, the green sheen (compared to the blue sheen from Orly) was pretty much a thin sliver while that of Orly's is more of a band than a sheen.

Next?

Freedom.

Since yesterday, I'm officially "free."

From academic work that is. Today I had a PAASCU meeting, tomorrow I get my class cards and on Friday I have to attend to something personal/important. I'm also toying with the idea of working for a week just to earn a little extra but I'm not entirely sure yet. What I'm most excited for though is time with the family :) After my meeting today I felt light, free, happy. Snapped random pics, too.

But of course, I can't help but look back at my journey and be thankful for the people who helped me through it :) It's been a rough ride but I've survived thanks to God and the angels he sent me -- friends.

October 19. With Donna. I was feeling worthless that day, forgot what my status was but she took the time out to reach out to me and said this.

Donna: You are a wonderful person. :)

Mara: *hugs* Awww :) Love ya, Donna :D

Mara: You're wonderful as well :)

Donna: I swear it's true. :) So if ever you really feel empty, remember there's still a percentage inside you that is worth loving :)

Mara: :"> Thanks, Donna :)

That caught me off guard. Donna, you don't know just how that affected me, but thank you :) You gave me hope that day.

October 20. The fieldwork AND finals for OT180 was going to be the day after. I was losing steam, losing hope again and I was filled with anxiety. Instead of waiting for a miracle, I asked for one. And you know what? The results overwhelmed me :)

19 likes. NINETEEN. I was hoping for like two or three but look at that :) So now I want to thank all them peoples in the order facebook's showing me :p

Glenda
Kaka
Ate Da
Jan
Ernest
Millie
Gi
Luis
Sam
Isay
Andrian
PatZu
Mica
Julz
Suyen
Em
Niel
Yayie
Shiela

You guys gave me hope :)

And I looked for another sign, thinking I had nothing to lose.

I know it's facebook, blah, blah, blah. But in that moment, I felt that those words were meant for me. I still do.

October 21. Do or die.

I ended my "training" at 3am. I was at peace knowing that I've done what I could and that I needed rest. Before the exam, I was a wreck, I was all over the place. After the exam I half-could-not-care as I had my fieldwork to worry about. I mainly gobbled up my brunch and prepared (best I could) for fieldwork.

The day was hard to get through, 1/3 of me said, "the day is finally over," another 1/3 said, "I'm so anxious, I wish all I've done is enough," and the last 1/3 said, "it's all okay, you'll be alright now." I got home, tired, feet hurt, wet as the rain didn't yield to my umbrella. I saw this and again, I took it as a sign.

October 22. OT 179 news and trying to do my IE

"Lord, thank You for 179. Really, thank You. Just 180 now :) Hope it'd be okay even though what happened to me with fieldwork was a SUPER SUPRISE!"

List of those for removals came out. I wasn't listed :) I passed!

"I really hope so :) Today, I'll do my IE because tomorrow I have something important to take care of and I need enough strength. Thank you :)"

It was hard starting, I wouldn't have if it weren't for April. Later in the evening, I finally got into the groove of it though I did lose steam as midnight approached...

Haha. This? Well I was, as I said, losing steam sometime around midnight when Jigz suddenly messaged me. I was surprised he did and he showed me his new "crown" via webcam. It was funny. I'm not posting the big picture as I'd like to give him some peace, but yeah, t'was pretty funny and gave me enough life to get on with my IE. The comments? He was making puns. 1 out of 3 puns was good :p He told me to get back to studying/working and I surprisingly had no problems doing that. Somehow I can't help but think that the unfolding of events were really in my favor then. I ended up sleeping sometime afer 5am but hey, I was done :)

October 26. Judgment day

Fast forward to yesterday. It was judgment day.I wore all the lip products I hauled from the weekend :p Why? Sometimes I look at makeup as my war mask and I had to put my game face on. My red lips highlighted subtly with gold was a hit XD I had my meeting with my faculty teammates, hung out with Mai a little, helping her look for a dorm/apartment for the next sem and soon, we were waiting for our prof to come around. Call time was 3 but prof wasn't there yet so I just chatted up with my friends. Jolo came around and I HAD to take a pic of his awesome shirt!

Shirt = EPIC WIN.

Soon, our prof came with a huge stack of papers -- our finals. My heart skipped a beat and we ran inside the classroom to see how we did. I looked at the grade sheet. At first I though I failed, my heart sunk as I remember I calculated around 210 or something as my target but I got around 204 instead but when I looked at the percentage, I remembered something. I calculated 75% as my target but I still passed :) I got 72% and when I checked everything, I realized that I passed! I asked my prof to be sure, too! But in the end, this was all I could say when on FB when I got home

Thank God.

Thanks to Miki who's always there for me, and though you may feel under appreciated, I do appreciate you being there no matter what. Sorry for when I snap and when I have terrible memory for my age, but do know I love you.

Thanks to my family. When I told them I passed my subjects they said they were really happy and thankful as they'd see me stay up a lot. They told me they were proud of me :)

Thanks to my friends/the believers. Up 'til the very end, you all prayed for me and all the "God bless" 's were really just wow.

Next sem, I'll try/fight even harder. For now, I'll enjoy victory :)

That's it.

I'm a happy girl.

Hope you're all doing well, too :)

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

JAM PACKED: Update, FOTD, NOTW, Haul (Bazaar+MUFE), Rant

2010-10-24T19:06:00.000+08:00

My week was interesting to say the least.

Before anything, I just want to get something out of the way. If anything else happens on twitter or any comments come related to this part of my post, it will be left unanswered/ignored. Why? Silence doesn't mean you're stupid. I just think it's not worth it anymore.

Where am I going with this?

This is the type of condescending attitude that I HATE.

Today I saw a retweet that made me go "WHAT?!" and srsly just irritated me so much because I personally have been on this earth long enough to know sellers who give a damn about consumers and those who have the attitude of "Srsly, are you buying anything?"

And I had to srsly check the profile of the person to make sure they said it!

Tell me. TELL ME. How is that NOT snooty/snobbish/condescending. TELL ME. And if you can relate to this tweet and you're in the retail business or something, then WTF. Seriously, WTF.

I even backtrcked a little and found anoher tweet that made me go, "wow, really?"

I admit, I'm not the biggest fan of stupid people either, but if you have the audacity to blatantly tell potential customers this, then again, a big WTF award for you, bub. While you're at it, have four more. WTF, WTF, WTF, WTF.

I wonder if there's ANY store where anyone and everyone walks in and comes out with something 100% of the time. I don't even want to know if there's such a store because frankly, I don't care. I don't think that statistic is helpful to anyone but the store. If anything, it's a big turn off.

Wow. Really? Because I didn't think that it's the right thing to do. And if you can't feel the sarcasm in that then I've lost all hope in you.

I have a dream. When I finally earn a living for myself, I am walking into a high-end store in either jammies or better yet, in tattered clothes and all, and I want to see how the people treat me before and after I hand them a huge wad of cash.

I mean, we all have mean, judgmental moments, but I never believed that I ever wanted to broadcast anything uncalled for. But if you thihnk this entry is, then by all means, you may leave.

So I backtracked on my own tweets and these were the kinds of responses I gave.

That's one and another... (it's timeline version so it's from down to up with these two)

(Same case with this, bottom up approach :p)

To which I got this reply

Yeah, saw that. But somehow, I still CANNOT see what has been said in a good light. Can you? If so, please enloghten me. What, you wanna rid the earth of people who don't buy stuff when they ask about it? Geez.

At that point, I've had enough. Well, almost. I stopped looking at their tweets 'til I saw this.

An RT by a friend by so I checked it out (again, bottom up approach :p)

Now tell me, am I INSANE, or did you not just read the first tweet and go "WTF" along with me? I had SUCH a hard time seeing ANY good in that tweet.

Then I got a DM

("Aw, Mara. I hate how I started this. Let's just pray that people get what they truly deserve. Anyway, you're not alone. Tweet deleted)

To my friend -- it's nothing. What needed to be said was said. Doesn't matter if I was the only one who would stand up to something that sounded and pretty much is SO WRONG and just FILLED with WTF-ery or if I was with a bajillion (note: not real number, lol) but really, come on. Kudos to those who were bothered about such a snide remark. My faith in humanity is not lost. Anyway, with that being said, I checked and yep, deleted (thankfully after I got proof, and as Em said, people RT'd it so too late)

I also tweeted this just to air my thoughts and I'm glad Em RT'd it because it means I didn't have to look for it, lol.

And you know what happens when you can't back yourself up? You either apologize, keep pushing and/or give it up.

("It's cut... the other half says, hence we answer 100% coz wel will never know who is the 10% :)) ) Mhmm. No shit.

These tweets were from "the perso" to Em. First of all, what brought on the deleting Twitter thing? I don't care about that. Second of all. Oh, so you DID want drama. You wanted to stir people up. WTF. They also had this to say

Wow. Ya think?

They also had this to say to Em who was battling the forces of evil with me

Wow. So it was a question for everyone? It never occured to you that by some "slim chance, it'd be taken like it has been received by a number of people? And by the looks of this, I'd say, quite a number of people took it the way I did and decided to stand up to the WTF-ery.

No shit
Out of context? WHY DID YOU WANT TO WAIT FOR WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT? That alone shows that you were looking for drama.
For the lack of a better term. ARE YOU EXALTING YOURSELVES? I think helping/answering when you're the sales person is but necessity. I mean, who gets a congratulations for doing what is expected of them? liek if you brushed your teeth every night, should your parents be all, "HOT DAMN EVERYONE, THAT'S MY KID! YES S/HE IS!"

And btw, they RT'd this saying that this is what they meant with what they said. They're hoping it would be a good analogy.

Hate Bieber. Not fond of him AT ALL
I would not freak out if JB jumped off a cliff
I would not catch him
Where's my share of the population? I am not negligible and I think I'm not the only one who feels the way I do.

Okay. Srsly. I wish my day was like the "And not a single fuck what given that day" meme but it's not. I can also relate to those who read stuff and go "heck... please don't procreate, don't spawn, just.. no..."

OKAY LET'S END THAT. ENOUGH. THAT IS SUCH WOW BS.

Next is update time.

I honestly don't know how I survived my week.

Oh wait, I do.

It's because God helped me drag myself through it the best I can.

I was mostly stressed, trying to study for my 180 finals that was supposed to be on Tuesday.

Supposed to be.

And I was going through the motions of family stuff.

Tuesday happened. I was freaking out over drama and then, over 30 mins before the exam, it was cancelled due to the weather.

I was thankful for it. Got my issues together. Studied more, then judgment day came.

Now, because the exam was moved to Thursday, it meant exam in the morning, fieldwork in the afternoon.

I slept at 3 am. Studied everything I had to. I went to school, anxiety was high, I was in bad shape and I was all over the place. I didn't get to eat breakfast because of me sleeping and I had to endure the long exam.

I gobbled my meal hastily after that and prepared for my patient.

But wouldn't you know it, I suddenly got a new one... and I had NO idea about the diagnosis.

Needless to say, I was a wreck but I tried my absolute best.

Before I knew it, the day was over and I was hanging out with April.

Soon I was with Mai.

Soon it was raining hard and I got wet as my umbrella wasn't enough to shield me from the gusts and showers.

Then I was home.

I ate some but didn't really get to chow as much as I should've because the hunger got tired of me ignoring it =\

But you know what? Somehow I was free :) Finally. I can't really remember much from fatigue, but there you go :p

Friday.

I was determined that day to finish my IE.

I went to my mum's place BUT I wasn't able to really start right away :))

As night came, I was finally in the groove. I worked hard and finished my IE AND observation paper before 5. I wrote up an email to my professor and slept at about 5:18am.

Alarm set for 9:30 since I had to pick up my bro after his xam.

I know. An exam on a Saturday?! But it was true.

ANYWAY

Just a little after 8, my mom was gonna go, so I had to lock up after her. I heard all her instructions and somehow, though I was running on a little less than three hours of sleep by that time, I understood. After telling her to take care and all, the door was closed, ec, I was running on tiptoe chanting "bed.. bed.. bed!" hurriedly back to bed. It was cute, believe me :p

But when I got there I decided to check around online instead before I got ready :|

I decided to do my makeup that day, ready for bazaaring-ing. After all was done, this was how I looked :)

What was used:

Liquid foundation
Concealer stick
BareMineral Powder (to set)
Too Faced Primed and Poreless
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Too FAced Duo Eyeshadow (Heaven side - base color up to the brow bone)
Urban Decay Naked Palette (Virgin - lid, Creep - outer v, Naked - blending/transition color)
MAC Blacktrack Fluidline
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Comfort (blush/contour)
MAC Fold and Tuck Lipglass

So off I went to get my brother. We ate lunch at a mall near his school (Kitaro = suck). We checked out Japan Home, got a few stuff for cleaning the house and got something from CDR-King.

What'd I get? A USB hub/card reader! I needed one, and thanks to that, I'm able to rediscover my camera and show you some shots I took while I was bored at mum's office :)

My connector ring from F21. I'm not much of a ring girl but this is perfect :)

Shoes on sale at Topshop. Got this pair for 995 or something like that. Less than 1000php I'm sure. And yes, I took off the price sticker but wasn't that victorious :p

One of my favorite bags :)

NOTW: Chic Chestnut Brown. Prettier than it is in the pic (my grandma said that it must be her next mani color :p). Couldn't photograph it well because I wanted to eat the chocolate ASAP :|

After that, we headed home and me and my brother cleaned up. M mom got home and was happy that we actually cleaned :p Soon after resting we were off to the bazaar!

Now let's fast forward, I didn't get much the first day, and I actually went to Sol three times this weekend (once the first day, twice the second)! Yep, she was there. Should've gotten pics but I was too shy and/or too many people and/or mum'd be like "let's go" :p It was nice to actually meet her and her voice was quite pleasant and accommodating and... buh I suck at describing voices :| Anyway, you know what this means?

HAUL PICTURES

(Btw, pics were take at diff. times of the day so pardon the difference in lighting and whatnot)

Stamp for the bazaar.

Everything I actually got. (Ignore the green bag, it's random Xmas pressie material :p)

Scented candles. For the longest time, I've been wanting a burner + funky soy melts form Ichabod's Hollow BU this is the best I could get. I was gonna buy form Amber Lights Laguna buuut it was a little far for me and I don't wanna order online w/o actually smelling 'em first. So I settled with this form S&R at less than 200php a pop. I have one in Vnanilla and Rose for my room while nan got Rose, Ocean and Strawberry for All Souls Day.

Comparing the size to a polish. It's pretty huge I think. Good for the price, high fragrance, making me a happy bear :D

My super awesome data transport device :p J/k, you can read on what it is and it's just 250php. Handy? For me, it's a HELL YEAH.

Then it's time for the stuff I got form Sol :D (PS, SOl, if you're reading this, sorry for being so makulit. There's no other word for it xD)

L-R: Orly Galaxy Girl, Misa Toxic Seduction and Orly Out of This World.

I got GG the first day and the other two today the first time I stopped by Sol. I'm quite happy that I didn't totally miss out with Orly and I'm pretty happy with the price becase they're $10 and I got them for 500php each. The Misa on the other hand was 380php :)

Misa Toxic Seduction

Orly Galaxy Girl

Orly Out of This World

Lovely. Every single one of them :)

Round two!

Fal on the overly shiny pic. But after stopping by the bazaar I headed on to Makeup Forever for something I've been lemming :D

That's right. I got two lipsticks form Sol and a lipliner all for just 500 pp! And I finally have my very first MUFE Rouge Artist Intense in #17 a beautiful gold. Not the most practical color, but I promise you I'm in love with it and I have plans for it! I've been trying to find its price locally online but he only one I found actually has it wrong! But now I'm telling you, a MUFE lippie here in the Phils costs P1280. YAY FOR FUN FACTS! I'm planning to get #43 akak Moulin Rouge next :) And the guy I transacted with was nice. No pressure, no bad feeling like I get from MAC :)) And I'm prolly switching over to MUFE I guess. Should've gotten his name, huh? =\ Oh well.

So there's that. Sorry if it's long, I feel like I've been away for a while anyway. My sem isn't over yet, I still have one "gigantic requirement" left, two PAASCU meeting s and I'm hoping I don't have to take removals for OT 180.

What do you think? (Yes, about anything and/or everything I've said :p)

I'm pretty much cleaned out :p But hella happy for everything I've got!

So yay. Happy long weekend! (If you're in the Phils :p, if not, just happy weekend :p)

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

The Power of Purple

2010-10-20T16:07:00.000+08:00

Hey guys.

A while back, I said something about getting a tumblr.

Well, I've had it since 10.10.10 not because of the day, but just because my impulse told me to get on with it.

Now I must warn you, this is not a beauty-related post, but I promise you, it's a post aiming for a much more beautiful tomorrow.

That being said, let's just drop thinking about makeup, going through page after page for beauty secrets and whatnot, and think about something that matters a whole lot more, even for just a fraction of your day.

Now, after that intro, let's get into it.

Today, I noticed that tumblr was purple.

I didn't know why, but it sure got my attention. Soon, I got more info from the stuff being reblogged.

That's one of the images I saw which made everything clear to me (Could be traced here)

Through the month, I've been seeing news about teen boys committing suicide because of the hate they get from their gender. I've seen it on youtube, twitter and now tumblr.

If you want to know more about them, and I deeply hope that you do, please click this source. It's short, I promise you and it would not take much of your time.

Personally, I'm deeply saddened by such happenings. If you look at my first image(taken from tumblr as well), you'd see what I go for, love = life.

And my philosophy on people cannot be better expressed than this post I found on tumblr

Don't you think it's true?

Now if you are one to hate as well, I am sorry, I am not here to please you. If you are going to throw "God will save your soul, condemn gay people" then I have choice words for you.

FOR THOSE WHO THINK LESBIAN/GAY/BISEXUAL/TRANSEXUAL PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HELL

Well. Personally, I am Roman Catholic. I have my beliefs and I respect yours, but if you're throwing the argument that we're of the same faith and that it is dictated that we must be hateful towards genders other than male or female, then let me remind you what was taught to me to be the greatest rule according to my religion teacher at my grade school, the people heading my confirmation thing and what I pick up from mass and all that:

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOU LOVE THYSELF/LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOU LOVE ME

Aside from honoring whoever we believe in, I think, no matter what religion you have or don't have, it's pretty basic that you can't be a douchebag, you have no right to treat people like shit, and if anyone's judging anybody, it's not you. Sure there are crimes, blah, blah, blah, cases, courtrooms, those are for real evil issues.

IS FALLING IN LOVE A CRIME?

No.

IS KILLING SOMEONE AT WAR A SIN?

I'll let you answer that.

I'm spending my break right now, typing this out, almost out of time instead of playing, resting or anything. Why?

Because this issue needs attention.

I don't know what good I could do, but seriously? The whole purple thing catching my attention? I thought it was effective, a good means of spreading awareness. Look at what it made me do.

So if you can, spread the word. I caught on late, but that doesn't mean I can't be one of those who love, respect and are willing to stand for lesbian/gay/bisexual/transexual persons whether they want me to or not.

Early on in life (before I reached my teens, even) I have learned: I rather see two men holding hands, than pointing guns and shooting each other.

I don't demand that everyone would kiss anyone's ass, no.

But if you don't want/like something/someone or hate something/someone, then just avoid it. Give him/her the respect s/he deserves. What are we all? Human. Are we better than anyone else, really? No.

You know what I think?

PEACE DOES NOT SIMPLY EXIST.

It's is not something that simply is, it is a state we must work on, and we certainly cannot find it by violence, hatred or fighting.

If we want a better world, let's not just complain. Let's actually do something.

If you wanna spread the love and honor those who lost their lives, then do it. You can comment, do your own post, text/tweet about it, anything. The choice is yours. Don't be limited by one day. Kindness doesn't have a deadline and shouldn't have an expiry date. You don't go "meh, it's not 10.20.10 anymore." No. If you have a cause worth fighting for, you go for it, damn it!

So there's that.

Again, please read the source I put up there because it's important and you'd really feel just how messed up the world is.

It's sad that it takes deaths to get attention over such a topic. DEATHS.

So let's act now and fight!

I stand for love!

Do you?

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao

Katy Perry for OPI

2010-10-19T03:56:00.000+08:00

Heya guys.

Sorry I've been crazy busy.

Just wanna share something I'm excited over

The Katy Perry collab with OPI

Preview pics are now up at All Lacquered Up so check 'em out! I'm liking Last Friday Night, Teenage Dream (so far my fave song off her new album :p) and Black Shatter.

Still gotta see swatches though!

That's it for now. I'm still alive and right now, I'm actually having a very bad day.

Be sure to blog ya soon :)

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Inspiration: A Close to My Polish Hunt (Sort Of)

2010-10-14T08:35:00.000+08:00

Geez.

Two finals exams and a fieldwork left (I'm counting on not having to do removals) then I'll be free.

Free to do what my heart pleases.

Can't wait.

So near, yet so far and my mind/body/soul is already on vacation mode. And it's been hard getting me to study but with this, I think I'll finally be able to get on a roll (you know, when you're studying on a good momentum? THAT!)

Today I got an email, an alert, from multiply.

At first I was like "Mmmmyeah" since I've known about it for a while now and I didn't really have anything in mind to get from Amazon. I mean, I don't go there often, that's for sure. I thought it was more for stuff stuff than anything I was really interested in. But I was bored of course, sick of studying, sick of my handouts (that I haven't really even touched much), so I thought of typing in Sally Hansen's Hidden Treasure (I was originally aching to get Gosh Rainbow but the seller I asked hasn't gotten back to me =\). So did I find HT? Sadly, no. But the search suggested that I grab Nubar 2010.

NUBAR 2010. THE top player (to me) with the whole flakie craze. And what's better? It was on at less than $6 than the regular $7.49 that it goes for.

SWEET.

Before I could even think of anything else, I shot Suyen a PM (which she responded to in no time at all) and got a quote. I told her to hold that thought and looked around s'more :p

I tried looking up the Orly Cosmic FX polishes that broke my heart (:p) but nothing turned up either! I looked around brands and thought of polishes I wanted (and I really don't want a lot anymore since I have a lot already for someone like me who isn't exactly nail addict title worthy) then I remembered what made me want Orly's Halley's Comet in the first place.

That's right, OPI Catch Me in Your Net. I've been wanting this for the longest time and I know it's comparable to Zoya's Charla and the aforementioned Orly polish but when I look at photos, this is the particular one I want! It's this one! What can I say? I'm weird. When I have a shade of something, I call it a day (China Glaze For Audrey and Orly Gumdrop), but when I fall for something, I'm quite particular to it. I'm not a real legit nail addict (at least I'd like to think so) but I'm hella hella picky with colors and all.

My total? A mere 1010php (500 for nubar 2010 and 510 for OPI CMIYN). I know I said that I'd never pay over 500php for a polish but I think this is worth it :p I think for what I'm getting, the whole availability issue and all, the price is pretty fair. Plus I know I'm in good hands and I don't have to worry about picking up stuff from the post office and whatever! I don't think I could get this anywhere else at this price so yes, I can't stop raving.

I've been wanting a flakie polish since I first laid eyes on Nubar 2010 and I was going to settle for Gosh Rainbow but luck smiled my way and I got it cheaper than I would've on eBay! As for OPI CMIYN, I feel the same -- happy that I'd be getting what I actually wanted and not the alternative :p

Shipment comes mid-December so I can't wait for that little gift for me :D (I've been getting gifts for myself a lot lately, lol. Naked Palette, Memento Mori palette coming around next month I think, wth! XD I MUST stop D: )

If you're interested in seeing either of the polishes in action, just google 'em! They're pretty popular and there'll be tons of pics. If you wanna order from them as well, or order anything else from Amazon (or eBay, or Sephora, or VS, or other places) and are somehow unable to (due to shipping woes and whatnot) then I suggest you do turn to House of Flair aka MdE like I did :)

Now I'm ready to study!

What about you? Ever wanted something so bad, thought you couldn't get it, but somehow you got it eventually? [haha, that was a mouthful]

What do you think of flakies?

Fond of gifts for yourself?

Any other random comments? Leave 'em below :D

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Simple Thoughts: A Review on Nail Decals + How To + NOTW

2010-10-12T18:42:00.000+08:00

3-in-1 post, huh? Just finished my 180 lab exam and from here on end, it's about finals. Wish me luck!

Anyway

A while back, I posted a collective haul which included a purchase from an online store on multiply called My Online Shop. I bought a dotting tool and a few nail decals from there and after about three weeks, here I am, finally, using them!

Yesterday I had severe polish withdrawal. I couldn't do papers, couldn't review for my exam, why? Because I couldn't stand not having anything on my nails for over a week! So, do to fear of being reprimanded if I wore anything bold, I just put on two coats of China Glaze 2030, a wonderful chrome gold. It's most stunning without a topcoat but I put one on anyway just to protect my nails and it turned a more tame, old sort of gold that was pretty and unique all the same.

Today I couldn't wait 'til I got home because I could finally play with my decals :)

So off we go!

HOW TO

What you need:

base coat (I used Orly Top2Bottom)
base color/polish (I used China Glaze 2030)
A small dish or cap of some sort with some water
decal sheet
scissors
tweezers
tissue/random piece of cloth
top coat (just used Orly Top2Bottom again :3)

Steps:

Put on your basecoat!
Apply a few coats of your polish of choice as needed
Cut the decal to your desired shape
Let a piece sit in water for a few seconds
Take your tweezers and bend the sheet a little to check if the film has separated from the paper, if not, just give it a little more time.
When the film separates, hold a bit of it with your tweezers and position it on your nail
Take a tissue/random piece of cloth to blot out the excess moisture from the decal
Repeat steps 4-7 with all your other nails
Let it set (My OCD told me to go for 15 mins, but you can get away with less, maybe)
Put your top coat on, let dry and admire your pretty digits!

A few pics for you:

Soaking the little decal piece in one of the compartments of a medicine thingy I don't use. Resourceful? Yes.

Tiny bits I cut for my wee little nails.

The film is actually clear letting your base color pop through :) The tweezer just makes your life easier separating the film and positioning the decal on your finger. Your finger tips may not be fine enough to position the decal well :)

NOTW

And now, here's what my nails look like :)

Thought I'd let you see what CG 2030 looks like before designing/decal-ing all over it.

So there you have it :) Pretty isn't it? It's my first try so it's not completely neat as I hope it'd be, but c'est la vie. My OCD can't always win :p

REVIEW

Well, I got this (along with 3 other design sheets) from http://shopmyonline.multiply.com for 50php per sheet. I'd say each sheet is about 2.5in x 5in by the looks of it, but I haven't really busted out a ruler to check. I've seen other online shops (well, one on Facebook) that carry this type of decal BUT so far this is the cheapest, so unless you want to pay double the price, this is probably your best bet. Before getting this, I watched a few how-to's on youtube just to make sure I'm not getting myself into anything too complicated and after some time, I finally got to ordering.

LOVE:

Not worrying about the design
How you can get intricate, neat, crisp and consistent designs
The ease of application
Getting a lot of uses from a single sheet (number of uses vary with your nails size/shape, etc)
The price! I think it's pretty worth it :) Can't say the same if I bought it from the other online shop I saw. I guess it's great but knowing that I can get it cheaper would of course tick me off :p
Tons of designs to choose from

HATE:

Having to cut out the shapes for my nails. My OCD found it a little frustrating

Tips:

I thought about how to make shaping easier if you wanted to cover the whole nail and I thought of a way to make it a little easier to get the perfect shape but it takes a little effort and time. It entails using paper and a pencil. You place the paper on your nail, outline it, cut it out, trace on the decal sheet and cut out. The down side is that it's tedious and your nails are rarely the same size and shape every single time. But if you're OCD, you may want to go the route of making yourself a guide to cut out with.
Use tweezers for ease of manipulation
Use a light colored base color to let the design show.

Verdict:

I had fun! This was a really, really cool experience and I didn't have to worry about making a booboo with drawing on too thick or whatever. The sizing thing may be a pain, but that's pretty much the only down side to this process. Otherwise, it's pretty cool and I'm definitely excited to use my other decals!

Score:

I give it a 4 out of 5 because it's pretty good but there's some degree of difficulty to get the size just right.

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

Do Like

I don't find that this is a necessity. With nail art, to each his own. It's something that's nice to have, but obviously, you're not really missing out if you don't have it. It's more of a nice to have than a must have :)

Extra info:

If you like the decal or are interested in checking out other designs, just head on over to My Online Shop on multiply. Just click and you'll be taken there :)

If you're into the China Glaze 2030, your best bet would probably be to get it from eBay. I believe I got mine for $2.99 excluding shipping. I think my first purchase from eBay then was pretty good since I would've paid much more given that I purchased elsewhere. I know there's some scary crap going on there but I guess I was lucky with this one :) Here's the seller's page if you're interested in getting anything from her :) Not sure about stocks though, they're pretty random.

If you're fretting about not having an ebay account or a paypal account, I suggest you turn to someone who can buy your stuff for you. My recommendation would be MdE (Maison d'elan) aka House of Flair. Just be sure to read their policies and all and you should be fine :)

Hope this helps. If you have any more questions, just comment below.

Have you ever tried decals before?

What do you think?

My extra info makes me feel like I should make a disclosure policy soon. Though I've never been sponsored or whatever, people might think I'm promoting stuff/sellers/whatever when I'm really just raving about stuff I like. Rest assured, I work with 100% integrity on here but of course, I'd want things clear because my OCD is terrible :p.

So that's it. Hope you enjoyed this one :D

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Urban Decay Naked Palette FOTD + Polish Addicts Gonna Hate

2010-10-10T12:09:00.000+08:00

Okay before anything, let's just get the polish addicts gonna hate part.

I'm not 100% sure how true polish addicts would feel as I am not one but I for one just went "OH HEEYYYL NAW" in my mind when I saw it.

It started with this tweet I saw

And honestly, all the what the eff-ery started. I clicked the link which led me to *this page*

Honestly?

I understand all other merch but this? This is nowhere near subtle in terms of making money out of fans. I'm not a fan, but sadly, I bet there are millions who are.

*shakes head*

IN OTHER NEWS.

I finally used my Urban Decay Naked Palette! And here's the look :)

The last pic is obviously yucky but srsly? I want to laugh at myself now and hate myself later :p No one's perfect and I bet I'm as imperfect as they come. And you know what? That's okay. To the people reading my blog, I think that's a random lesson out of nowhere. I've been stressed lately. I do not want to use more energy worrying over something like that :p [SO PROUD OF MYSELF LOL]

Products used:

My face powder
Virgin - highlighter; It's a little frosty for a highlighter to me. Maybe it'd work for certain looks but for this one, it was a little too much
Half Baked - main lid color
Smog - contour color
Darkhorse - outer corner color
24/7 liner in Zero
Too Faced Shadow Insurance - I don't see the point in busting open the UDPP when I'm not even out of this yet :p
Too Faced Lash Injection (Hannah, you are a bad influence)
Sunrise + MAC Jazzed on the lips
Blush from the 10 blush palette for subtle color and a glow since the eyes are a little heavy and the lips are colored.

Notes:

Sahree for the crappy pics. I was having a bad photo day just when I had awesome lighting :p After over 50, these are the only ones that seemed "meh, passable if I were drunk/high" lol
Em commented that it's the first time my hair would actually be quite detailed on cam. Yay for that :p
Yay for bad under eyes? Blame hell month!
Those the rest of my face is pretty much clear, my chin has been devastated by Ponds. There's proof. Looks a little worse than that actually.
I need to have my hair cut. I lost my bangs and my hair's to thick :|

In other news! (again lol)

You may or may not know that I sync multiply and blogger together. I am thinking of just sticking with blogger for the heck of keeping things simple. The old entries on multiply stay and all but then I may just use it for buying things, you know? People who want to keep reading me who read via multiply shouldn't find it troublesome to check out my page, right? Right! (PLEASE DONT HATE ME D:) I've been thinking of the pros and cons and scheduling updates, etc is just more convenient especially when I get busy. So there's that!

I am also thinking of having a tumblr for random things people could just check out. And if they don't want to, it'll be for my pleasure :p Haha.

Btw! Posted this on facebook and maybe you guys can pitch in? :)

If you'd like a peek at my collection to know what I could work with (e.g. you want me to use the 88 palette, etc) just tell me :) I can't work 'til sembreak though. So I can't do anything 'til then.

So there you go. One week down, two to go for me. I *CAN* do this. I know I can. Trying to balance things out and grow.

How are you all keeping?

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Urban Decay Naked Palette Swatches and Initial Thoughts

2010-10-09T12:17:00.000+08:00

Hey dolls. I'm chillin' before the second wave of hell passes by this month. Goodness knows my freedom doesn't last for over two days. So I decided to offer up a swatch post before I do my look tomorrow :D

I'm at my mum's so I thought I'd take advantage of the better lighting to get better shots in :)

As you can see I just washed my brushes so now I'm ready to go with this! And it's actually great that I took shots when I did. The sky's getting dim and is significantly dimmer than it was just when I decided to start blogging. Phew!

So there's a new shot of the palette. It's not so accurate but it's another look at it :p Sun exposure was a little too much, methinks.

So, onto the swatches + some descriptions in case you'd like to find dupes in your collection :)

L-R: Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog

L-R: Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

With the swatches, because of the overexposure (sunlight's fault :p), they were washed out a little and the sparkle isn't apparent, so keep in mind that they are slightly darker (and significantly richer) than they appear here. Photos were taken on a MacBook Pro, so that may give you an idea on photo quality vs a real point and shoot cam :D

Virgin - With the reviews I've seen and all, this seems quite popular as a lid color and highlighter. In the palette, it seems to be a low shimmer sort of beige but has some pink tones to it when swatched (on my skin at least).
Sin - This one's a pinkish champagne. What you see in the palette is what you get. This one's a lovely lid color, no doubt.
Naked - One of two matte shades that is definitely a breath of fresh air to those who've followed UD's palette range. It's one or two shades darker than my skin tone. I could use this for contouring around the nose actually. It's a beautiful almost cool medium brown that would make an awesome transition shade :)
Sidecar - a shimmery medium bronze
Buck - the second matte in the palette. It's a beautiful warm brown that's a little on the darker side.
Half Baked - a frosted copper bronze shade.
Smog - a richy brown-y bronze
Darkhorse - shimmery ashy dark brown bronze color.
Toasted - a BEAUTIFUL plummy bronze.
Hustle - plummy chocolate shade.
Creep - a dark dark gray with a lot of fine shimmer of different shades (depending on the lighting
Gunmetal - WOAH. This color is seriously beautiful metallic blue-gray gunmetal color! You really need to see it to know just how beautiful it is.

Aaaand almost forgot!

The 24/7 liners in Whiskey and Zero. Whiskey is a beautiful chocolate brown with a red base and zero is your typical flat black.

Initial thoughts:

The shadows are definitely beautiful and unique (to me at least). I know the price seems steep, but I promise you, for the amount of product you get (I think each shadow is like a full size one) and the quality it has, you'd definitely get your money's worth, more than even, if I may say so myself. They're all soft, rich, and in comparison to my Kat Von D palette, they're not as crumbly, though the Kat Von D shadows I have are almost buttery. I have always admired the Urban Decay line from a distance because I could not just be sold on all shimmer, or worse, shimmer + glitter alone. I'll be honest, when this baby came out, I was like "what's the big deal?" because everyone seemed excited about it. I guess I was in the color phase. But somehow things changed. And now that this palette's with me, I'm crazy happy.

I'm also quite excited to try their liners that have definitely been a crowd pleaser. I used Whiskey the other day and I must say, even though I was sweaty from the heat and I'd rub my eyes by accident on more than one occasion, it never budged.

So there's that.

Hope you're all keepin' well :)

What do you think?

What's your favorite palette?

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

It's Here! [Urban Decay Naked Palette + What's in my Weekend Makeup Bag?]

2010-10-08T17:59:00.000+08:00

Hello, Friday. I thought you'd never come around. And I'm sure, before I know it, you'd have left my side again.

Just as the sudden influx in posting came last week did it all disappear, like smoke.

I sound like I'm really out of it, huh? Lol.

Well, I'm still breathing.

Let's see what's been up, shall we?

Well, I forgot to tell ya'll that I bought something awesome (or something I'm counting on to be awesome) last Sunday in my Monday post.

I've been hearing a lot of hype over this for a while now and after finding out it's available in Healthy Options, I decided to get myself a tube. There are supposed to be other sizes of this product but the one I went to only had this humungor tube. Cost? 329php. I say for the amount it's not bad. But then again, we're never in it for quantity when it comes to products, huh? It's about QUALITY. I've only used it once before and now I have it on my face again! :D

Gee, I can't even remember what went on this week. As I'm trying to recount the events, I find it more difficult than usual.

Ah, now I remember. (Had to look at my twitter to find out what's been going on. Lol. Wth?!)

Monday I had my 179 exam. Was it difficult? How was it? Idk. I forget. So much has been going on. I got g-cash and blogged. Kind of let PAASCU go then. I went to bed early. I guess I was just so tired then.

Tuesday. Had my PAASCU meeting. Wasn't bad. Class. Blah. Suyen said my Naked Palette was in and I sent the rest of my payment right away. I was counting on it to get me through the week :p I was trying to prepare for my fieldwork the next day.

Wednesday. Fieldwork day. I prepared in the morning, trying hard to memorize, prepare. I was pumped in the morning. By the time I was actually there...? Yeah, not awesome at interviewing yet. I was better with evaluation buuuuut yeah. First time interviewing. Learning experience though :) Hopefully I get better. It's a skill so I guess it would only get better with. When I got home, I wanted to study buuuuuut I had to do my running notes AND had to do my clinical reasoning homework =\ What time did I finish? MIDNIGHT. Goodness :(

Thursday. A whole day in school, even went overtime =\ And you know what's worse? MORE HOMEWORK DUE THE NEXT DAY D:. I didn't get to studying 'til 9pm :( I managed to study around four topics and then I slept because I couldn't keep up anymore =\

But you know what was absolutely GREAT about Thursday?

Dearest Suyen, if you're reading this now, I would like to thank you not just for the palette and the Murad sample... but see this bubble wrap? This humungor bubble wrap? IT KEPT ME SANE. Popping one was like popping the bubble that grew thicker and thicker, blinding me and my nerves. Sweet relief, sweet release came to me each time I popped one of those chubby, chunky bubbles. I only popped less than five, I think. I'm saving the others for the next few weeks. Where'd you get your bubble wrap!? I'm in LOVE.

Yours always,

Mara :p

Haha. I'm serious.

The cards are always a nice touch and when you turn them over, you get a nice surprise! This time it was Murad Clean Scene. I'm excited to use it when I'm done with my L'oreal one. If it's good, might go for that instead. Depends on what works for me :3 Again, thanks for this :)

And of course...

The pictures I took with my phone and Mac don't really do it much justice but I am a happy camper. On Sunday I'll do a look and put up swatches! :)

Lovely.

Then Friday came. Today.

Reviewed as much as I can in the morning and though I should have been panicking, I didn't have the energy too.

And did you know? When you worry, it takes up a lot of your brain and actually blocks out your ability to retain more information! So yeah.

I'm proud I've been keeping my cool this week :)

I got ready and got to school on time and went on with the exam. It was difficult. I really hope I do okay. Oh well.

After that it was orientation for our next fieldwork and the next thing I knew I was on a jeep home.

I spent the ride making this kid (2 years old by the looks of it, male, wait... he's not a patient, wth! Haha) smile and giggle. He'd stare then look away bashfully, stare, then look away bashfully. He was adorable :)

Then I got home, got dinner, got ready to go to mum's because it's the weekend! I always miss her.

While waiting, that's when I decided to share what I've got for the weekend :)

Here's what I've got for skincare/necessities.

And for makeup...

I know I shouldn't pack heavy, and by heavy, take a whole blush palette but I want to use the bottom right most one and I don't have anything similar in single form so, whatevs :p I'm aiming for letting my eyes do the talking and being all soft and whatnot. I'm excited :D

Well, it's been a while since I started. My face is done and ready for rest. I know this is an abrupt ending, haha. For now I need rest and I've been really looking forward to R&R, more time with my family and of course, more time with Miki :)

Tomorrow I do my initial eval as well as plot things to do and whatnot.

Oh yeah... WE'RE BAKING COOKIES TOMORROW.

I'm excited :))

What're you guys doing for the weekend?

How's school?

Guess that's it for now :)

'Til Sunday,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Monthly Love Muchness and Bare Week

2010-10-04T16:52:00.000+08:00

It is October.

Today I am drained.

Just had my OT179 exam today.

I'm doing this post, then working on PAASCU because after months, we finally have a meeting again. Wow. (So not looking forward to it :p).

Last month I didn't really find myself lovin' anything but this month (as I foresaw :p) I do :)

The staple in favorites posts: Makeup/Polish/Beauty Items. So from L-R: MAC Show Orchid Lipstick, BeutyCycle Lipgloss in Pink Opal, OPI My Private Jet, Random Penshoppe Gloss and Too Faced Lipstick in Centerfold.

I've been into these two lip combos lately. The random impulse buy Penshoppe Gloss I got a while back + Centerfold over it is such a pretty pretty nude combo. Show Orchid lightly dotted on my lips and blended out with my finger + Pink Opal for a nice shine is lovely as well.

As for MPJ? It may not be the holo but it's probably the only nail polish that didn't need designing to attract so many compliments. Used it again! It's on my toes now :D

I love getting the last bowl of Lucky Charms. I had this after dinner actually. Sorry, brother dear. I just got lucky :p

Love it when people thinks my boots are all that when it's really just rubber boots! Guess I make them look good with what I pair them with :p (Hannah and Sue wanted to see this XD Nothing special, really. For some reason, people just went bananas for them o_O)

I loved my new discovery. The best discoveries are probably the ones of beautiful accidents. I was on my Mac when I pressed command+T and wow... The best display ever unfurled before my eyes. If you're on a PC, fear not! Works on all iTunes (Mik checked :) ) and it's absolutely a beauty to watch. Much better than the stuff on media player. These are the best shots I've got :) But srsly? It's better when you watch it. It's beautiful. Magical. Awesome.

Guess that's it for September.

And now, what's Bare Week all about?

It's something silly, actually. It's just because of three things.

1) Mara's energy cells would be left bare as the week progresses (actually, I think it's pretty bleh already and it's only Monday).

2) My nails? Been bare since this morning! And they'll stay bare for the rest of the week (maybe 'til next week even *le gasp*) Why? Because this is what hell month has in store for me:

This week: The recently concluded OT 179 Lab Exam 2; PAASCU meeting; OT 179 Fieldwork; OT 180 4th Lecture Exam
2nd week of October: OT 180 Lab Exam 3; OT 180 Fieldwork; OT 179 Finals
3rd week of October: OT 180 Finals

Oh well. Near the finish line, right? My nails need the rest anyway :p (Inside I'm sad ._.)

3) This week is the much anticipated arrival of my Urban Decay Naked Palette. MdE said ETA is Oct.7 so maybe I'll get it Friday? Got my fingers crossed. All I know is I'M SO FREAKING EXCITED! Lately I've been on a neutral kick. Initially, when I started out, I was in love with colors. Still am, (CAN'T WAIT FOR MY KAT VON D MEMENTO MORI PALETTE) but I never really appreciated neutrals much. I thought they were boring. But really, lately, (and especially when I worked on Faith) I've been loving the simplicity but fierceness of a well executed neutral eye.

So there it is. Now I have to rest and get to PAASCU duty.

Right now, Imortal is on ABS CBN. My thoughts? Already there are hint (okay, CHUNKS) of Interview with the Vampire and the Twilight series. Ugh. Terrible. Oh well.

What have you been loving for September?

How do you feel about neutrals?

What do you think of the UD Naked Palette? Do you have it? How is it? If not, any plans on getting it? Why or why not? :3

If you're in the Phils., what do you think about the new show Imortal?

That's it for now :)

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Taste of Being a MUA

2010-10-02T15:27:00.000+08:00

Hey guys.

Wow. Been updating more than usual huh?

It's Saturday. It's scary how the days go by and I should be studying/practicing for my Monday exam but all the stress that's been had toda has just really gotten to me. Right now I'm just letting my Korean dinner digest and writing up this entry.

Anyway, yesterday was awesome. Why?

It was my first time putting makeup on someone for a shoot.

I've done people's makeup, sure. My mom when she has events, my blockmates when we had a talent show, but this was different. I feel like there's nothing else to look at but the subject, you know? In an event there's a lot of other faces, no matter what. Talent show? Even more so. But a shoot? It's a moment captured and with a single subject, it's like make or break.

I spent a little of my Thursday afternoon after class helping my classmate pick out a foundation and the next day, I was prepping for the action. She told me to bring eyeshadow brushes when I asked her what she needed but I packed my CS 28 neutral palette just in case (I'm picky with shades and whatnot, plus we're on neutral because the theme was Mafia which meant it should be along the lines of pin-up 50's glam looks). Glad I did too! I really liked how it turned out and I might replicate the look on me and post closer shots here on my blog :) Without further ado here's an outtake from her shoot (shot by her sister, I believe, can't wait for the photographer's shots to come out! Stay tuned for that :D)

I've never applied foundation on anyone before and all. It was quite an experience but I think it really helped me not just with makeup but handling clients (like for OT actually) in the future. Being nervous, freaking out, I guess it's there in the beginning, but with practice, I know I can :)

My over-all objective then: let the eyes do the talking WITHOUT closing it up. I think I was able to achieve that :)

Wish I had:

Brought my Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Brought my CS 10 blush palette
Brought my Sephora sculpting disk so I could've contoured a little around the hollows of her cheeks but more importantly around her nose just to give her more definition

I'm learning!

Still, pretty good for a first try, huh? :) I think she looks absolutely lovely :)

Well that's it for now.

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Second NOTW for the Week: Bad Fairy Wannabe

2010-09-30T18:12:00.000+08:00

First things first, if you wanna know how I am, click here. I don't want to be repetitive :)) Otherwise, read on.

ANYWAY

If you've seen my last post, you'd know I purchased a nail polish from Nail Up that reminded me of MAC's Bad Fairy. Just an update, it's not actually #40. It was different on the swatch board so I think the lady had it mixed up.

In any case, you know I didn't like how Caronia's Goddess was all chip-y so I changed my polish today :)

Beware: Lots of pics were taken in hopes of showing how pretty the color is.

It's quite sheer. Took me four coats to be satisfied with the opacity. I feel that it's the evil twin of Bad Fairy. It's sparkly, not really all over chunky glittery whatever. It's shiny and pretty, but instead of the copper tone taking the backseat and the reddish color being the base, it's the opposite case here. I really wanted it red so I had to make the red sparkles apparent, hence the number of coats. It's my first time trying the brand and I really like the color. Makes me think about fall and leaves changing color. Its red sparkles have a little mauve-ness to it, so you may see a purplish tone to it under certain lights too. You can see golds, oranges, purplish tones, reds, bah. It's quite difficult to describe the color but it definitely is pretty. Even my gran wants to use it for her next mani :p The only thing I could complain about is the brush not being completely cut well. But I'm OCD so you could doubt my judgment with that, you might not notice it :))

All in all, for the price and how it turns out (smooth and awesome), I'm definitely happy.

That's it for now!

I must rest.

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao

Polish Haul, NOTW + Update on Ze Collection

2010-09-29T18:22:00.000+08:00

Hello, loves.

It's Wednesday.

I'm frustrated because I'm living with this HUGE zit on my chin. I swear, it's prolly one of the biggest I've ever had, if not the biggest.

I took a picture but then I was like "ugh, that's completely disgusting. Do not want!"

Haha. Can't believe I even got the idea. Guess I'm *that* out of it.

ANYWAY.

Early this week (I think it was Monday?) I finally got my notice!

Did my first eBay purchase and after about 3 weeks of waiting. Tadaaaa.

But I didn't get it Monday or Tuesday because of my exam =\

So today I decided to go for it!

Caught a cab, just so I didn't have to deal with commuting and getting stressed that I wouldn't make it there before their lunch break. I left past 10 I think.

I went to the posty and I was on a jeep to my uni by 11. I felt so awesome for the quickness :p

I got to school super early (try 11:15ish?) and so I just waited around 'til Mai came a little past 12 and we had lunch at Kido Manga :D

Damn. Gotta stop eating junk, huh? ._.

Haha. That's when I examined my package more.

Though it's annoying to get stuff from the post office (I CANNOT see why it's SO hard to send things to my house. Srsly) I love getting stuff in the mail. At an age where everything's so quick and stuff, there's something about getting something in the mail that just gets me so excited. Mai thought I looked like a kid getting excited over this :p

Everything came secure! I just wished they were all upright and stuff, but meh, I'm just anal about things like that because of my OCD :p Took a look at them but the lighting was bad at the place (yellow/orange) so I just saved all the waiting for later :p So that's four bottles :p

Then we had class. It ended early and me and Mai just went around the mall. After lots of walking, we ended up at Nail Up, a stall at the mall with lots of nail stuff :D

After looking around, I couldn't resist picking up a few things D:

So after walking a lot (my feet hurt D:) We finally headed home.

And now it's time to see what I've got :D

[Haha, you can totally tell I've been taking pics with PhotoBooth on my Mac before doing the blog :p] The four on the left was from my eBay purchase and the two on the left were from Nail Up :D I got the ones on the left for ($27.96) P1,629php and the ones on the right for 200php :) I think the eBay purchase was worth it, if I were to order anywhere else, I think it would've cost a lot more =\ The thing that made it expensive was the shipping. Otherwise all four bottles would only be $15.96. Yes, $12 for shipping. Outrageous :p

Got Seche Clear Base Coat and Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat :) I've been hearing mad raves about this so it's really got me curious. It's not really available around here so for the longest time I'd just sit around wishing I had it. I'm intrigued by how people talk about how shiny it is and all. Can't wait to use them! I'd have to finish off my Orly Top2Bottom first though :p I'm through half a bottle so it's all good :)

Next up is China Glaze 2030 and Millennium. These came out in the 2009 Khrome collection. I didn't know about them. It's actually Sol who sparked my interest in 2030 and got me to searching about the collection. I didn't think I'd be able to get it because she said it wasn't available but when I saw that a seller on Multiply had it, I went ahead and ordered it. Sent an order form and everything. I asked if it was available so I went for it (despite the outrageous price of 480php) and you know what? To my dismay, it wasn't in stock. Fail. That night I went on eBay (no idea what possessed me) and looked up polishes! I let all my frets on eBay go and went ahead and ordered. Set up for combined shipping and the waiting game was on! Here's what they look like!

Next two is BK polish in #40 (120php) and BNC Nail Color in M22 from Daewon Cosmetics (what a mouthful :p, 80php). I'm not really sure if the BK one is really named #40, it's only #40 on the swatch board and when I tried looking it up online, weird crap turned up (please don't search for BK polishes ._. it's traumatizing. You'll see why if you do, don't blame me) so let's just call it that. It's actually kinda cool, reminds me of something like Bad Fairy (sans the glitteryness) from MAC's VV collection, specifically the Maleficent part. I'm not saying it's a dupe (and from the swatch, doesn't look like it, then again, it was just one coat) but I'm happy with it all the same. As for M22, ya'll know how I felt about the Orly Cosmic FX line not coming out here right? Though Hannah awesomely offered she could get them for me (Thanks, love :D) I thought long and hard about it but when I went to nail up and saw M22, I no longer felt bad and instead, a light bulb went on in my head. It's not really how it's shown in the bottle. It's clear with lots of blue and blue green sparkles. It looks divine over black and I'm guessing it could spice up a lot of polishes into looking a little more special :) I may not have Haley's Comet and the other polishes I was lemming for but hey, I still have it good as it is :D

A second shot at #40 just because it deserves it.

Now for my NOTW :D

Used Caronia in Goddess as my base. Not really loving the color a whole lot, and to be frank, I don't like their formula much anymore. I wasn't happy with how un-smooth the white was (just thought I had a bad bottle) but when I used this and it chipped the next day, I was like, "Okay, sticking to Bobbie" =\ And I thought Caronia was the shizz. Guess I was wrong D:

My design - stamped flowers on and used my dotting tool to put on a curve of dots. Looks kind of Chinese-themed to me. I like it a lot. And yes, pardon my chipped index finger. The pic was taken while I was studying for my exam, not after I finished my mani =\

Yay for failed symmetry! Haha. It's hard working with my left hand ._.

Now I remember Em's question a while back about my nail polishes, talked to Mai about it actually. And bringing these new babies home, I had to reorganize because I didn't think they'd all fit D: (and yeah, not everything fit in one place because of my nail art stuff and whatnot, so I put polishes and prep stuff in one place and others in another... 'til I find a better solution)

Here's what it's like now :)

Yay! OCD STILL APPROVES! Haha. So those are the polishes, glitter stuff and treatments (base coat, top coat, matte top coat). So far I've got Orly, Seche, BK, China Glaze, Chic, Caronia, Bobbie, ones from HK, OPI, Wet'n'Wild, 24k, forgot the brand of the other thing, and Sinful Cosmetics.

The rest though, is not in such an orderly home.

OCD does NOT approve =\. I've got nail stickers in here. Nail paints, dotting tool, cuticle remover, emery boards, glass nail file, nail art pen, image plates, stamping stuff, a brush, cut up paper plate wedges for when I'm doing "art" and all that. Can't even close this chest ._. Oh wells.

These have to go though, their time is done :)) Well except the rightmost. I just didn't like the color but I put it back in my storage after because I felt bad since there was nothing wrong with it :p

Status?

46 polishes
3 glittery things
4 nail "treatments"
5 nail paints
3 things that gotta go

Damn. Honestly didn't think I'd fill up my little storage thing. Wow. Hopefully when sembreak comes along I would be able to:

Tidy up my room
Get my freaking license (for the love of all that is good)
Fix my set up with makeup/nail polish
Get a job and make Xmas pressie moolah :p (and possibly Xmas pressie moolah.. for me? :D)

So there.

Now I leave you with a shot of DQ ice cream cake from my cousin's bday

Yum. It was delightful :D

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!!!

Sad News: Orly Cosmic FX

2010-09-28T15:05:00.000+08:00

Hi guys.

Buh.

Had an exam today.

It sucked.

In fact it sucked so much that Jem and I needed comfort food... badly

Meh. I've been down lately and I really need to bounce back just so I could survive the rest of the sem. This was okay. Heavy on the wallet (99php, I know, I spend tons on makeup/nailpolish but I'm cheap with food, wth?) but fries = the shizz when you're down. Eating with Jem at the crowded McDee's near my uni helped keep me together somehow :p

ANYWAY

Right now I have to share some sad news for ya'll if you've been waiting for the Orly Cosmic FX line.

Backstory:

A few days back I think it was Tracie from TC who shared info on Sprint Asia Beauty

Seeing as they supply Orly, thought it'd be nice to ask about the line I've been eyeing.

Only to get depressing news

My heart sank. Felt quite sad about it but c'est la vie. The beauty scene here's slowly growing so hopefully someday, we'd be up to speed with things.

Well there's that. I was thinking of doing a review today but... mmmeeeeeh =\. Maybe tomorrow.

I need pep talk/motivation/etc D:

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Simple Thoughts: A Review on Pond's Pure White Facial Foam

2010-09-27T13:29:00.000+08:00

If you live in the Philippines, chances are you've heard about this little bad boy.

Yep. It was August 28, a Saturday, when I posted on this blog that I've purchased this 100g tube of hyping facial wash for 149.95php at S&R. It comes in 100g and 50g tubes as well as 10g and 50g sachets. I think the first time I've used it was August 30 so it's been almost a month of me using no other facial wash but this one. Now does it live up to the hype? Well let's see!

Claims (on the bottle):

Contains activated carbon
Easily absorbs and lifts away impurities
Helps to cleanse your face throughly
Reveals your natural pure white looking skin

Info taken from Preview Vol 15 No 07 - August 2010 issue:

"How can we be sure that activated carbon will not damage the skin?

Activated Carbon comes from charcoal which is a pure and organic substance obtained from plant parts, hence, it is all natural and proven to be safe on skin.

It is actually popular in various industries as an effective purifier. It is used in water dams to separate chlorine and other harmful chemicals, in hotels to control odor and even in homes as drinking water."

SO let's get crackin'

I'll be honest. Prior to using this product I was already in not so good terms with Pond's. Why? The past few washes I've tried off them were not idiot proof. Somehow they always, ALWAYS got into my eyes no matter how tight I'd close them and they left my face dry and I feel like it's just too harsh. Like a lot of people, I was curious. It's grayish and seems to be something different all together with the arena of facial washes (at least to me). I picked this up because I cannot wait for reviews on it and I didn't want to have to rely on big name reviewers who had reviews out just when the product came out.I mean, it's a skincare product. Unlike makeup, you can't say much about it in an instant. I don't want to knock off the great review-y people but that's just how I see it.

ANYWAY

I've been using it a little over a month and here's what I think

LOVE:

Definitely cleans
I like the sort of dude smell off it, it's different (but if you don't like it and it bothers you, then meh :p)
The new look - it's gray and different from the regular white/clear wash you see
The sleek black packaging

HATE:

Leaves my face feeling quite dry.
Hello pimple city. Wth?! I don't get pimples. I felt like I've had more pimples during the duration of me using this than I've ever had all in all the past year, srsly.

I tried to love it, I really did. I asked my for her feedback and guess what? She's breaking out like crazy too. I tried to give it time, tried to find other reasons for this but there's just none. I get pimples on my forehead, around the arch of my brows (yep, had them around each of my brows, pfft), the tops of my cheeks, middle of my cheek and a LOT on my chin. Some even hurt slightly when touched.

And to demonstrate my woes, here's a drawing I did on Skitch

My drawing skillz pwn all, and yeah, that's sort of my reaction to the whole thing. I've tried it long enough (and longer than I should've, to be honest) and I think I'm being fair through the whole process. I usually have an almost clear face but thanks to this =\ yeah, messed up. Now I have to get my face back to normal.

Tips:

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize after!

Verdict:

I'm not happy. Now I have to get my skin in check. I think I'd stay away from Pond's for good no matter how interesting it seems. I'm not saying you shouldn't try it, I mean, skin varies form person to person no matter how alike your type may seem. I wish you have better luck with this than I do.

Score:

I'll give it a 2 out of 5 because it did what it promised but wreaked havoc on my face.

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

Do Not Want

So there's that. First review I've done in a while. How do you like the new format? And the lolcat patterned final say? Haha. Had fun with this. My OCD approves. Hope you guys like it. Now I have to eat dinner, then study.

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Corset NOTW, Happenings and Random Thoughts

2010-09-26T17:15:00.000+08:00

I srsly need to be more creative with titles. I guess that's just the product of exams and shizz.

ANYWAY.

First things first. The NOTW the past week?

Corset nails! Recreated from a youtube tutorial :)

Damn. How's the weather been, eh? The heat/rain combo = not good especially since it's either raining really bad or the sun is scorching. Lately though, it's been pretty much wet for the most part

The view outside the classroom. Yep, outside our building is a lake-ish water formation :p

Lots of rides to and from school where personal space was compromised (this particular time, there was lots of space before him but he would try and weasel his butt to me D: )

Hanging out Thursday with Mai. She treated me to a corndog because of a bet. She passed her Physio exam :) Congrats to her. My toes were freezing off at this time because of the rain. I have an umbrella but still =\ It's been like that for a lot of days so I vowed that I'd use a pair of rubber boots at home when I get the chance.

And of course, the best treat during a rainy day is ice cream, right? Well no. Haha. I promised Jigz I'd treat him to ice cream (since he's treated me to movies) the next time we hang out and I ended up treating Mai too :p It was delicious I had the Double Dutch blizzard, he had Choco chip and Mai had Strawberry Banana :D

Jigz amazed at how you can turn a blizzard upside down but it doesn't fall out. I guess it was his first time :)) It was quite amusing to watch his amused reaction xD [Note: Amusing = funny, lol] When we met with him I thought he looked decent and told him, then I was like "Oh yeah, you're going to your gramps' bday bash. Pssh" Otherwise he'd be in a shabbier state :)) [If you're reading this by some off chance, yes, I am being mean]

Mai's enjoying. I can never imagine why *sarcasm* LOL. Haha. J/k Had a taste of her blizz, it was really yummy too!

Jigz after finding his glasses. It was hard when we were ordering, had to read out shizz because of his then low vision status :p It was funny, the dude didn't punch in his order soooo awwww. He felt sad and stuff... and I took pleasure in making him feel worse about it :))

The next day I had to go to school for some group assignment. I dressed in a tube-ish dress and a slouchy top (because I'm not feelin' the revealing vibe :p), my fave necklace and RUBBER BOOTS because it's started raining already.

Well wouldn't you know, my outfit was a hit :))

Not only was it completely functional (people had to pay tricycles to ferry them through the flood while I walked on with a smug look) but when I got to school, some the juniors were at the entrance and they were all "WOAH"-y. I felt better that day than I've been feeling :)) They thought my boots were straight up dressy ones! But upon closer inspection, they found that I was trying to impress no one ;)

My gran and Mai thought that I looked like some foreign chick because of that. Sweet :p

Here's the best pic I could muster btw!

The weekend's been spent trying to study, catching up with Mik and it's been the best ever :)

My status lately?

"I know the letters in our name are M, A, R, A and M, I, K, I. But somehow, to me, it spells love. CHEESYYY but I love it ;) Who loves my pick up lines? :)) I do! I do!"

Thanks for being the best baby :) You make me happy like no other. Yes, I'm a cheeseball, but only for you ;) :p

Posts I HAVE to do:

Reviews (Ponds Pure White Facial Wash, Olay Regenerist Eye Cream, Olay Regenerist Face Cream, Sigma Eye Brushes, Kat Von D Beethoven Palette, etc. [tell me which you're most interested in? :)])
NOTW for the new week
September favorites

Things I'm worrying about:

blog posts (here and on TE)
PAASCU work
Exams
Budget for Xmas. Been spending TOO much

Did I mention I ordered the Urban Decay Naked Palette from MdE? YEAHUH. ETA is Oct. 7! I'm so excited!

Also got this at the grocery today

Yay for gum that takes care of your teeth. Got a new facial wash and toner too (is it a spoiler? :p) plus I needed more cotton balls so there's that :)

How's your week been? Have you been spending too much? Too little? (tell me your secret lol) Buh. First -ber month almost down! Let's do this!

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

NOTW's and Ze Collective Haul

2010-09-21T07:01:00.000+08:00

Heya to all the sweet people out there!

Finally, I'm free for a few days before I have another exam.

How was the lab exam? It was better than the last one. At least I didn't cry this time :p

Hopefully I'll pass. Got my fingers crossed. Even picked up a lucky 5 centavo coin out in the rain :p

Pretty much my days have been

So yes, here we are, finally, a semi-decent post :p

First up let's have the NOTW's :3

OPI DS Coronation - Honestly, this made me feel like Lady Gaga. It has a subtle holo effect that I was quite pleased with and I'm only sad that my Mac's cam didn't pick up on its entire awesomeness

OPI Tutti Frutti Tonga. Supposedly, this was going to be my fieldwork nails buuuut idk. Guess I just neglected it? :p But because exam time was rolling around I thought I could get away with this color (and I did, hah :p) This is what I have on for the week but I might change it up as the week goes (like design over it or something). It's a pretty light pink with hints of peach to it. At first I thought it wouldn't be all that awesome on me, but the longer I have it on, the more in love I get with its simplicity.

And now for the haul.

Remember the "not really" part? Haha. Here's the explanation

Meh you know what a sphyg looks like :p Also got a goniometer. Just forgot to take a pic. Spent 900php for the stet+sphyg set and 150php on the gonio. I only really had to get the gonio buuuuut thought I'd get everything I thought I needed at Bambang just to save myself some trouble in the future. I really wish we had better goniometers around though. I'm not really feeling the stock of what we have =\

Now for the real haul stuff!

My first one is from

Olevia's Treasure Trove.

I forgot which blogger on TC blogged about this but after reading through her post I was immediately interested with what the site just had to offer. It was all great.... but there was some trouble with the whole payment thing. I chose paypal but apparently, something wasn't cleared yet, blah, blah, and there was some delay because at the time, I just didn't have time for g-cash. It was all okay and the prices really are pretty good. I guess it's about finding little gems that work for you. So, without further ado, here's what I got from there

A simple bangle, 40php, figured it'd be a nice piece that'd be good for layering.

Gorgeous pair of earrings, 70php. They look classy and cute. This was the one I fell in love with first :)

Pretty chained isuckatdescribingthings earrings. Haha. I thought these were cute too. I was a little hesitant at getting them because they're much more huge than what I'm used to but they're gorgeous on :) Very happy with it and it's only 50php! This'd at least be 100-150php at stores, don't you think?

My rating of the store? 3.5 out of 5. You can get things at a good price but the trouble kind of put me off a little and I wish there was a bigger selection :p But it's not bad especially if you need pressies and don't want to bust your wallet up.

Next up!

NailArt Outlet

Found the store through my friend on facebook. Didn't think much of it but after getting the idea of browsing through, I decided to pick up a few things.

2 image plates and 2 nail paints. I think the image plates were 100 each and the nail paints were 80php :)

Package came in on time, no difficulties transacting, really. I rate the store 4. Why? No complaints really, but it's not exactly fantastic either, y'know? My 5 standard is still MdE but I'll shut up now because I know you're all sick of hearing that :p

Last but not the least is My Online Shop.

It's a shop on multiply that I found and I thought the stuff was cute so I thought I'd give it a whirl :) And here's what I got :D

Dotting tool - 70php. I don't have toothpicks on hand at home and it'll add up in the future so I thought of investing in a dotting tool :) It'd be really helpful with designing!

NAIL DECALS! They were 50php each (just a little over a dollar in US) so all in all I go 4 for 200php :) (yeah, aren't you jealous of my mad math skillz? Lol). The last one's a kiss mark btw in case it doesn't make sense :)) Can't wait for a good time to use this! I'm kind of anxious about them but hey, I gotta learn some time, right?

I also got a freebie buuuuut I'm on the fence about using it because

I've never tried anything Avon
It looks kind of toy-ish to me that it makes me wonder about the quality of the actual product
Personal things. Yes I have a bias but I won't tell you unless we're close :p It's nothing big really :))

Store rating? 3.5 out of 5. There was some trouble with one thing not being in stock and having to wait, then I was promised it'd come Wednesday or Thursday but it came Saturday. It's the supplier's fault but I wish the stock status on the products were updated and all.

So there's that. All in all I'm pretty pleased. Can't wait to play! For now, my alarm's going off, meaning I have to get ready for school :)

What do you think of what I got? (Personally, the comic book-ish nail decals are genius to me)

Have you been haulin' lately?

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

'Sup?

2010-09-21T06:08:00.000+08:00

Heya guys :)

Before I put up my post on the haulage, just wanted to put up a little photo diary of what little pics I managed to take through the whole MIA period :)

Bro's birthday. Badminton with his friends. I was just watching with mum :p

Trying to catch the subtle holo effect on my nails through my phone. There's some trace of it but meeeeeh :p

Eating lunch at BK. Fun fact: My fave there is the Mushroom Swiss burger! What's yours? :)

Getting tickets while my brother's off with his friends playing laser tag. Took us forever. There was a problem with the ticket print-y thing. Oh and the scissors there at the lady's side. It's for stabbing unruly customers. J/k :))

[Image credit: Google Images]

Movie of choice? Going the Distance. I loved it. Laughed a lot, felt my heart crumble a little at some parts but all in all it was really, really lovely :) It was actually funny because years ago, my mom would cover my eyes whenever there's anyone kissing on TV or movies and stuff. Now that there was some sort of sex stuff there, all she could do is laugh along with me. I feel kinda old thinking that now, but oh well :p

Sweet moments :p Yes that is cake and ice cream served on a heap of pain -- my exam reviewer xD

Shawarma rice from the food fair at my uni. I was so hungry that day.

And my pretty drink to wash it down! It's Zen Tea's Hibernate made with Lychee, Grenadine aaaand I forgot :)) I usually HATE HATE HATE lychee buuuuuut this was actually pretty good! Made me feel like I was sippin' on a cocktail on a school day :p I don't drink, but still, I have my moments XD

So there's that. Other than that, it's been studying, trying to stay awake, feeling hecka tired and going crazy.

How have you been lately? :)

The promised post comes next! See ya'll!

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Update on the "Collective Haul"

2010-09-19T09:47:00.000+08:00

Hello, one and all. As of yesterday, all the stuff I've been expecting has finally come. Buuuuut I can't really post the whole she-bang until the middle of the week because I have an exam tomorrow =\ So there's that. Been hecka busy with my exam last week, trying to chill, finding out the exam was moved a day early, freaking out, etc.

Those? Well the only thing that's really part of the haul is the tiny blue packet. The other stuff came earlier in the week. Kinda hauled the stuff in the white plastic bag but... it's not really... you'll see what I mean :))

For now I have drama at home to just try to ignore and some homework, plus practicing for my exam tomorrow. Wish me luck!

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Issues: Personal, National and International "News" :p

2010-09-16T15:27:00.000+08:00

First things first.

Personal news?

I am royally pissed at Air21. Remember my story? The last post? Yeah. My second order? Got it today, yay, right? Day after it was up for shipping. Whoopie. Yaaaaay.

BUT

What about my other order? Hm. Idk. Here's the "development" on the situation

[UPDATE. It's 7:17 and I finally, FINALLY got my order as I'm writing :))]

Sorry for the first screenshot fail :)) But you get the gist, right? Yes. I'm glad I have it now but all the trouble it caused? The suspicion on my family's part because I've been so anxious :p Yeah. Lesson learned? If you want packages to arrive where you want 'em and on time... do NOT, I repeat, do NOT DO NOT DO NOT use Air21. Air21 = crap service. Since my first post, I've been getting info of similar disappointment with the courier service.

I don't know just how many people are reading my blog, I started this blog for me in hopes that I would fulfill my dream of helping someone out somehow through the posts in my blog. That being said, I hope you'd all join me in screwing Air21. Why? So we eliminate the craptastic occurrences. You don't have to do it. I'm just really, really disappointed with the service.

National news tiiiime.

"Gulf Air Baby"

My take?

Freaking hell. How much is a condom. Tell me. I don't know how much it is (shame) but srsly, tell me.

I doubt it's anywhere near the cost of:

going to the hospital for check ups and all the actual birth action
food
clothing
equipment
schooling
generally all the things you need to nurture a new life

You know how I feel about the health bill here in the Philippines and sex education. So there's that

"Shaina/John Lloyd Stuck Rumor"

I've read about this on someone's blog, forgot who (sahree) before it got big. Wasn't long before names were attached to the rumor. True or not I'm sad for Shaina. It's only really degrading for the woman, isn't it? I shake my head at all this drama. Hope this crap dies out soon.

"Mariel/Robin Lovey-dovey Crap"

Meh, no links yet. Just can't believe their "whirlwind romance." I don't want to be one to judge if it's legit, whatever. I just hope it's not just another gimmick relationship, y'know? All the luck to them.

"MMDA Anti-Littering"

Today, I'm happy to catch news that finally, FINALLY, there's some sort of authority working against littering. On the news, people who were given tickets and made to pay a fee for littering. I hate, hate, HATE it when anyone (be it strangers or family members) just toss trash anywhere. I mean, if we don't even have the discipline to wait to get to a freaking trash bin, what hope do we have for discipline over more complex tasks? This is BASIC. We learned this in kindy, we should have learned it at home too. Come on people. To keep our country clean, we don't need people cleaning up after everyone else, we need to toss our crap properly.

IN INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Okay so the first isn't really "news" news but here goes

"Guru Beef"

I don't often get on my TweetDeck but I checked things out tonight and saw this. Ignore the middle tweet but the first and third ones are what to pay attention to.

Personally, lately, my impression of MichellePhan (yt guru, twitter username:RiceBunny) hasn't been good. It's like I don't think she's as awesome as I used to (Pixiwoo sisters rock btw, but that's for another time). Lately I've been watching ThesPNation and I like his frank brand of humor. I like it when it's true and when it's not such a low blow. I am by no means a fan girl defending MP with everything I just think that with any issue, given that this was someone close to me or someone I hated, that tweet was totally uncalled for, such a low blow. I mean, I thought SP was smart and everything and I guess he is with some of the things he says but this has definitely turned me off.

NEEEEXT

"Gabourey Sidibe Lighting and Lightening Issue"

If you click on the link you'll see all the talk about it.

My personal opinion? I don't know much about photography but she definitely looks lighter than a lot of photos on google images. Do I think there's any issue on race? Mmmmm, I don't want to go playing the race card this time. What bothered me really was this comment I found below

I don't want to comment, I'm sure you could generate all your own opinions on your own. All I can say is: more power to women of color, more power to full-figured women.

I think GS is beautiful :) And to show you, here's a particular photo I liked (credit: Google Images)

Fierce with all the confidence oozing from the photo. 'grats to your cover photo, GS :)

AAAAAAAND last but not the least is a fun fact for ya'll

September 15 = National Backpack Day in the US :D I learned that in school today :)) Today's the 10th year celebration :) Basically, it's something started by AOTA (American Occupational Therapy Association) to spread awareness not only on the OT profession but more importantly how backpacks affect posture. Did you know that your backpack must only contain 10% of your body weight or less? If you don't have the right straps, wear it wrong, overpack, your posture = bad. And bad posture means strain on parts of your body like say your muscles. So, let's all be good at packing, shall we? ;)

Haha.

That's it for now. Do you like little news things like this? I enjoyed doing it :p What do you think on any or every issue? Are you packing good? :p

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!

Rant: Online Shopping and Shipping

2010-09-15T18:06:00.000+08:00

This is how I feel right now.

Had an exam today. Head hurts. Lacking in sleep. I know I should post something beauty related and I promised a haul but only two out of three things I wanna show you guys are in. I'm also quite irritated today for certain things going down.

No names or specifics would be said, I just need to vent.

Online shopping's quite a wonder. It doesn't feel like I've been doing it long but looking back, looks like I've had my fair amount of buys through the net. Right now I just feel bleh because of some crap going on. I'm not claiming to be perfect, to be the grade A customer but I know I read terms and conditions and abide them and pay on time. I don't see any point in making trouble for other people because I know that would only yield a problem for myself as well.

That being said, I've recently placed an order for something I've been eyeing for a while now (haha, I've placed a lot of orders lately :p) and it was all well and good. I actually asked the seller something which resulted in me getting something else. My initial order was placed Monday morning in time for that shipping day's shipping cut off. The other order was placed the same day, night time.

That's where the trouble is. In both orders.

Problem with the first order:

Supposedly, it was shipped out Monday. I was told to expect it either Tuesday or Wednesday the latest. Well, it's not here. I received my tracking number this morning (like eaaaarly in the morning) and I thought that I'd definitely get my order sometime today. Every faint sound of a revving motor got me excited but alas, nothing. Again and again it'd go off, but luck just wasn't on my side. I called the courier twice, first early in the evening and again over half an hour ago.

With the first call I was assured that I'd get it within the day and that there was no set time for their deliveries. And that was okay. I was just a little anxious because I'm used to next day deliveries, y'know? But whatever, another day to wait is okay. I was informed I'd get my package Tuesday or Wednesday anyway.

But I didn't.

A second call was placed at 8:28. I asked the status after checking online and seeing that delivery was attempted.

BULL.

I was told it was attempted at 8:25 I told them it was only 8:28 and that I was right at home. I was given some crap about the house was prolly empty or whatever. Uhhhh, no. Family members and household help = present. I've been home since past 4 or around 5, eagerly waiting. Then the guy was like "Oh! Uhhhhh. That's was just when it was scanned we're not sure on any exact time" Gee, thanks. I said "Well that was supposedly sent Monday, so it's been two days" He said that it was only shipped out Sept. 14, Tuesday. That was news to me. I'm not saying anything. Right now I'm just irritated with the courier because the house is NOT empty and they suck. Ever heard of a doorbell? They said they'll re-attempt tomorrow.

They better freaking get it here or else.

So that's that

Problem with second order:

So yes, I made another order, same day, night time. I waited for an invoice/confirmation, nothing.

Tuesday came. Still nothing.

Today, I texted early so I could get word and pay ASAP.

I waited, stalled, I didn't have time for that crap. I have a freaking exam.

I was a little ticked because I know operation hours start at like 10am. I waited 'til before 12 and I just really had to leave so I could get to school and study s'more.

Wasn't 'til I was halfway to school that I got a text saying an invoice was sent. She said she checked that it was sent, etc.

Okay, let's say you did. Is it so hard to send another? From then on it was pretty hard getting "warm replies" from her. I'm not expecting kiss-ass but I want to be treated like a customer should be treated, y'know? Looking back, I'm disappointed for being apologetic about the trouble because 1) I didn't cause it; 2) I didn't do anything wrong; 3) I have the right to know what's up. Long story short, I got to pay ASAP when I got home. Informed the seller but no reply. Gee, thanks. I checked my inbox to check if it was really my fault, if I was really troublesome or whatever. Nothing. Just as I left it. I checked the trash folder. Nothing either and it contained emails that go back as far as the weekend.

Needless to say, I didn't like the service, the trouble on both orders. I understand the shipping deal isn't the seller's fault but when I feel like a seller's being impatient with me, when I feel that I have to beg for info/updates, etc, it's not really far from the bad treatment you could get in the local stores (be it in the mall or what) where you feel like the sales lady thinks you're just part of her quota, treats you like "come on let's get it over with" and all that.

Buh. Hopefully, if I ever *do* try to purchase there again, I'd feel better about the money I'm spending and enjoy my purchase because srsly, it goes with anything. When you buy something but the transaction was crap, you feel like you didn't get what you paid for. I don't care if it's a gadget, makeup, food, furniture, whatever. Part of the "gratification" of acquiring something is how you're treated, maybe even a huge part of it.

I know customers aren't always great, that you could get terror ones, I don't really deal with that scene as well BUT do I suck as a customer? I'd like to be confident in saying that I don't think so.

So there.

Sorry about all the drama.

Just thought it'd be better to vent than to be MIA still.

Hope things would be resolved soon.

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao

[Photo credit: Google Images]

I'm even more frustrated. Ever wished you had more time for something? I wanna bang my head right now. 15 minutes. Wow. Okay. Please pull up to the next window. Thank you for the drive-thru. Now you see him, now you don't. What a joke.

Update + Spending Fail

2010-09-10T13:19:00.000+08:00

Hey guys, it's Friday. If you're in the Philippines, you don't have class/work today just like me because of the Eid'l Fitr celebration. Huzzah huzzah for the long weekend!

So far we've been "celebrating" it by sleeping in, ordering pizza and whatnot, stuffing our faces, chillin' and right now my family's napping :)) And I guess when they wake it's pretty much dinner time XD.

But enough about that.

Wow. Friday already? I honestly can't believe how days just slip by. Starting next week I'd have at least one exam per week. Isn't that lovely? Meh. The week's been spent with classes and faculty evaluations which made us feel that the sem is coming to a close so soon. So what did happen to my week?

Last you heard from me was Monday. I can't even remember what happened on Tuesday so let's jump to Wednesday -- hump day :p

We had to submit our homework then, plus our extra credit work. Call time set by my classmates? 10 freaking AM. Time I had class? 1 PM.

Yeaaah, three hour block in between. I woke, got ready, left, had my work printed, got to school, turned it in, and felt lost as I found I had three hours and no knowledge of how to spend it. I'd walk slowly, aimlessly, talking to people, saying hi, then I found Ernest :)) He was gonna hang out at Rob and I was like "I have nothing to do, I'm going with you" not really giving him any choice :p

We waited for the rest of the mall to open, just hanging out at the bookstore. He needed a new notebook, I needed a new pen. Soon, as the doors opened, we headed for Timezone.

Initially, the plan was that I'd just watch.

Yep.

And I did... I watched him play a round of Guitar Hero then he got some more credits on his card to play some more... and... I impulsively got credits too :|

Damn. When was the last time I played at Time Zone? I'm guessing it was when my cousin from the US came over and I don't even remember when that was anymore (I think it wasn't as far off as I make it sound but still, it's been a while)

Snapped a few pics with my phone actually.

I LOVE GUITAR FREAKS. Guitar Hero challenges me too much :p Three buttons is enough for me :D XD I can do speed 7 but only on basic :p

Went on those massage chairs. It felt better than I thought it would. Damn. I should get on that like every before and after my exams :p Lasts for 4 minutes and was 25php. Worth it? I think so. It really went along the trail between my scapulas, from my thoracic to my lumbar spine... Bah :)) It was a different kind of "full body" massage and surprisingly even the leg parts felt good :3

My view of Ernest from the massage chair. Initially he didn't think much of the massage chair.

He ended up getting on it... TWICE. HAH! :)) I swear, it was good. He said it was quite relaxing and good for studying. Towards the end of his second go, he said something along the lines of "noooo, don't let it end!!!" XD

Seriously though, I really felt my blood flow get better :p

Anyway you know what humpday entails right?

At the end of all that, it was only 11ish.

ONE HOUR!? THAT WAS IT? D:

I went back to school and ate my packed lunch. Ernest left, went off to who knows where.

I mostly checked things online after eating. That and I watched the rest of MacGruber :)) It was quite funny at some parts but others were still meh for me :p

Then it was class time and I couldn't remember what went on again :))

Thursday came.

The day was spent mostly on class. Range of motion.

We had didactics in the morning and skills practice in the afternoon and boy did it DRAG.

It was sort of fun. I found that I could hyper internally rotate my arm, hyperextend my elbows and hyper-a lot of motions because my ligaments were probably lax. Prof. said that to sort that out, muscles should be present to keep the ligaments in check.

So I guess I must put on some bulk, huh? =\ Otherwise I'd be prone to a world of hurt :))

(Mental note, now I have to buy my own goniometer, stethoscope and sphygmomanometer [YES TRY TO READ THAT OUT LOUD] or at school we just call it sphyg :p)

Now for the annoying part -- the spending fail.

I thought that the OPI thing was the last of my purchases but apparently not. Hopefully the stuff I get this week is finally the real "last hurrah" for my purchases for a loooong time. I bought something from Olevia's Treasure Trove, Nail Art Outlet, My Online Shop and... my first eBay purchase for myself. zOMG :))

So you can expect one haul in the middle of next week and another when the eBay thing comes in (hopefully that won't be a fail buy. I've been scared shitless of eBay for the longest time).

Buh, if my wallet could express how it feels, it'd be like this

Haha. There's still my MAC reservations for the Venomous Villains collection (I loved the colors, not so much the packaging). Other than that I'm keeping my fingers crossed to NO buy (unless the Orly Cosmic FX line comes out here.. :| )

So there's that.

Btw, I promised that I'd show my nail polish stash once it's orderly again so... here it was before, when I was starting out.

Aren't the empty compartments cute? Plus I used the long back compartment for Back2MAC stuff. Aaaand here it is now.

BIIIIIIG difference XD Haha. Hope my polish cravings wane because I do NOT need another addiction :p If I get any more, it'd have to go in the tool compartment :p

So I guess that's it.

'Til then,

Love muchness,

Ciao!