ALMOST bald

I've been quite busy... but not busy enough, I guess,

since a crazy idea managed to plant itself in my mind and eventually matured to action.

What the heck am I talking about???

I was getting tired of having to fix my hair everyday, so...

This happened.

I had my hair shaved off. :P

[It's #3 on hair clippers, in case you want to know. :P]

A Late Halloween Greeting

Any ghost stories?

I spent my Halloween in Baguio.
In the morning, I went to the market with my auntie and my best friend, SJ.

[I wish CA was with us. It was quite a weekend.]

I don't really have any ghost story to share this time of the year.

Halloween-themed nail art! :P

Why is one nail diff'rent on each hand?

I started with just that, actually. I wanted to paint all my nails with a night scene. :P

Quite ambitious. Hahaha.

When I realized it would take me hours to get all my nails to each have a night scene, I decided to do this, and just apply cracking nail polish on my other nails. :P

My left hand pinky finger has a night scene with silhouettes of buildings and a full moon (partially covered by silver clouds) while my right hand pinky finger has a night scene with silhouettes of dead trees and a full moon (also partially covered with silver clouds).

It was fun to paint the night scenes but really time consuming so this was when I enjoyed the convenience of having a cracking nail polish. :)

 

touring but not a tourist

I came back to Baguio (hometown) for a short holiday. A day before traveling back home, my friend, SJ, and I were chatting and the conversation went to

"Why don't you come with me to Baguio then?" (I asked)

"...I'll think about it."

A few minutes before she logged out, she sent me an SMS:  "I'm going to Baguio with you!"

So, I guess she obtained parents' permission and whatever.

The next day, we met up and took the bus to Baguio. Before falling asleep, she turned to me and said:

"I want to experience Baguio in a different way -- not the normal tourist's thing."

Her statement reminded me of myself whenever I travel. I don't ever want the normal stuff that people do on tours. I want to experience it the way locals do. I guess not everyone is into the drop-by-tourist-site-and-take-lots-of-pictures-then-leave. :) That's not so bad but straying from the usual path leads you to discovering new treasures -- this doesn't just apply to traveling.

So, we arrived in Baguio 3:30AM on Halloween and we were greeted by the cold air of the morning. We took a cab home and buried ourselves under thick blankets until nine in the morning. My auntie told me she was going to the market, so I shook SJ awake so we could go with my auntie.

BAGUIO MARKET AT ~9AM

In my checklist, these are things that should be experienced when in Baguio...

1.  HAVE COFFEE WHILE WATCHING THE SUNRISE.

2.  VISIT THE MARKET! -- Try looking through the ukay-ukay too.

3.  GO OUT AND SEE BURNHAM IN THE MORNING (full of activity).

4.  HAVE A MEAL IN JACK's/50's DINER/SIZZLING PLATE.

5.  HAVE COFFEE WHILE WATCHING THE SUNSET.

6.  FIND A HIGH PLACE WHERE YOU CAN WATCH THE LIGHTS OF THE CITY AT NIGHT -- SM is good enough. :)

7.  GATHER AROUND A FIRE WHILE TELLING STORIES.

8.  TRY TAKING A BATH WITHOUT HEATING THE WATER (hahaha -- even I don't put up with the pure cold water :P).

well, the next two are just optional...

9.  If you like 'partying', visit the bars, etc.

10.  For Catholics (or interested tourists) go to Baguio Cathedral. It is a landmark of the city, after all.

=======================

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

:>

=======================

**photos are shot by SJ, edited by me**

 

Nail Enlightenment

I've admitted it before but I sure will admit it again:

I am a late bloomer.

I dunno if I can still call myself that. I've always been a fashion advocate since I was in Grade 4 (when I realized I loved everything that had to do with fashion)... BUT! At that time, I didn't know the science of it.

Get it?

Like in photography... I may love it but years ago, I wouldn't know how to produce the type of pictures that I admire.

[As of now, I'm still learning stuff on both. :P]

...but this is what I mean with nails too. 

I admired people who put an effort on their nails but I never wanted them on myself. Why? I was weird that way. I liked dresses and stuff but you'd never be able to make me wear one.

I am still weird like that. Hahaha.

The only nail stuff I owned exactly a year ago (OCTOBER 2009) was a cheap purple and blue polish I bought from the supermaket and a Caronia clear top coat.

Two months later, my collection started growing...

These are the cheaper ones of the collection... and the three on the left side are the first nailstuff I owned. I later bought two more (again, from the supermarket) -- the brown and the red.

I hated wearing polish though, coz they chipped and cracked especially when I was careless of what I did. I did cleaning and laundry with these cheap polishes so I hated painting my nails coz after a day or two (if I was lucky), I would have to take it off coz it looked like sh*t. Hahaha.

Since I wasn't a fan, I was reluctant of buying more expensive nail polishes but I gave in once and decided to try.

I first bought the Elianto Navy.

A really dark blue ~ almost black (something random: reminds me of my elementary school uniform :P). With the Caronia clear as the top coat, I discovered it didn't chip and crack as easily as the cheap ones I got from the supermarket.

15PHP (~0.3$) vs. 99PHP (~2$)

That's the price difference. :P

I learned splurging a little is worth it. Hahaha. :P I bought more of the not so cheap ones   and loved coloring my nails. I figured it would last longer if I used a more expensive clear top coat too... so I bought this:

Well, I proved that thought right... My nails didn't chip for a week. :)

When I'm too busy to bother myself with my nails, it could last more than a week without chipping but with the normal polish fading.

But that's bad, :P

My mother's favorite lady who does her nails told me not to leave polish more than 5-7 days. You have to take it off and re-do (if you really like a certain color/design).

If you're on a tight budget but still want longer-lasting nail colors: you may buy cheaper nail colors but make sure to splurge a little on the top coat. The clear top coat will prevent the cheaper nail polish from chipping. :)

Well, my collection didn't stop growing there...

but I don't have pics of it now... so maybe, next time :)

I have to get back to studying. :P

Ms Jehan, thank you thank you thank you!

I received a package around March 31 from South Korea and it surprised my mother.

"Who sent you a package from Korea???"

...and I just went, "ehh..he..he..hehe.." with my Bugs Bunny expression. :P

But after she saw the contents of the package, I explained to her how I met Ms Jehan thru blogger.

If you haven't visited her site yet, click here.

She made sure that all the stuff are "Made in Korea". :D

The colored cards makes me want to go back to school to try it out. :D
I am sooo looking forward to using it!

~pretty colors~

...but seriously, this package would never be complete without the letter:

:")

Thank you thank you thank you~! :D

More blogging years ahead! :)

Flat Top Brushes

As of now, I own two flat top makeup brushes.

The first one I purchased from Sophie&Christine of B&M (linked if interested). :)

They sell the Charm brushes ~ which are great and reasonably priced. I definitely recommend checking out the mineral makeup too (Monave).

Charm flat top brush (top); Charm duo fiber brush (bottom)

-- will review the duo fiber next time --

The second flat top, I purchased recently...

The famous EDM flat top brush. :)

I bought it from ebay.ph, seller: organice07. I'm not sure if she still has the EDM flat top and kabuki brushes. These stuff sell like candy. It took me four tries to get one actually and from different sellers (multiply and ebay).

Before I buy, I ask what's the difference between a flat top and a kabuki brush... and I always get the same answer. So I think I should share the knowledge with you in case you were kept in the dark all these days/weeks/months/years of kalandian.

The kabuki brush is used for light to medium coverage (heavy is achievable but takes a lot of layering and time). The flat top brush, on the other hand, is used for medium to heavy coverage. :) The flat top picks up more product than kabuki and it's usually used with powder products.

[I feel so knowledgeable :P though I'm not.]

Lemme review the pretty brushes:

Charm flat top (500php from B&M):  I remember how excited I was to receive this (what a noob, :P).
It disappointed me the first time though. It shed and bled like maaaaaaad during washing and makeup application. It annoyed me more whenever I picked the hairs off of my face. I gave it a chance though, I kept using it with a firm belief that the shedding will lessen to a tolerable degree... but during the fifth washing, it shed a large clump of hair. I stared at the drain it went into for a while and wondered if it was my fault. I wasn't tugging the hairs or anything. I wasn't even rough in any way. When it dried, it looked weird coz it lost a big clump of hair somewhere near the side. I gave up on it after that -- thinking that all the Charm flat tops were like that -- it turned out that it was a defect.
The second flat top I received was waaaaaaaay better. It did shed a few hairs but not as bad as the first one. I was told that animal hair really sheds. I've been using the second flat top for almost two months, I think. It's been great and it doesn't shed on my face but it sheds one or two during washing.
I like the thick handle coz it gives great control but I'm not very fond of pink. The color will grow on me someday. :P


Everyday Minerals flat top (550php from organice07):  this brush is suuuper soft. I can't deny that. It hasn't shed a single hair since I received it. It's slightly smaller than the Charm flat top that's why gripping it needed some adjusting since I was used to the Charm's thick handle. I think I tend to use more product with the EDM flat top though. Now I know why it's one of the favorites of MMU users. :)

relationship between OCD and a facial brush

Partially convinced, I think I am obsessive-compulsive -- not to the point of it being a disorder though.

I do think everyone has a little bit of obsessive-compulsiveness in them but just like our fingerprint, it manifests differently in each of us.

I've always had a belief that if my material things are not arranged the way it should be, my personal life would follow. So if my things are all over the place, most likely, my relationships/events/mind-setting would be a mess too.

No one has ever pushed me to dump this mentality, so I think I'm doing fine. :) No need to call for professional help. :P

What has this got to do with this post?

I wanted to rant about The Body Shop facial brush.

...and this facial brush has got something to do with my being OC.

How? I'm not satisfied with just washing my face with just a gentle cleanser then exfoliating after a day of being exposed to the pollution of Manila (Philippines) or even after a day of wearing makeup... and being exposed to the pollution of Manila. I felt like my cleansing routine lacked something.


I needed to feel "cleaner".

On weekends, The Body Shop in Greenbelt... I don't know if I got this info right... but the lady says that they're products are 10% off...?

When the saleslady failed to convince me to buy a kabuki brush, I wandered towards the wall where facial cleansers were and I saw this tiny brush, that didn't even fill half of my palm.

When I got home, I gave it a try.

How I did it?

I poured some facial cleanser on the brush, washed my face with water and knowing I have sensitive skin, I started brushing my face with it like it was a cotton ball -- but I soon felt it wasn't.

Of course not~ the bristles are nylon-like. Since I already hurt one side of my face, I gave it another try, but this time on the other side. I was waaay more gentle this time -- that's when I appreciated the brush's purpose! :D

The next day, yes, the next day, I used it again

[I know it's bad to exfoliate everyday...:/].

(1) I washed my face first with something uber gentle
(I used Olay Sensitive).

(2) I let my face dry a bit then used a thicker facial cleanser
(I used Pond's) and spread it on my dry face.

(3) Then I wet the brush until I was sure all the bristles were damp.

(4) Placed a bit of cleanser on the bristles and...

(5) ...started brushing my face -- veeery gently.

...gradually added pressure when my skin gets used to it.
I count my strokes on each region of my face -- right cheek, left cheek, forehead, chin and around the nose.
15 gentle strokes each and 10 more (with a bit more pressure).

(6) After that, I wash all the froth (:P) off my face.

(7) Then I rinse the brush too.

(Note: Let the brush completely dry before storing it in its cover.)

I applied moisturizer liberally to counteract the drying effect though. After that week, I've used it once (sometimes, twice) a week. :D

I like using this brush with a thick/viscous cleanser (like Pond's) than a watery/less viscous kind (like Olay).

For dry to normal skin-types, I actually recommend using it two days in a row the first time so you could feel the effect but make sure you use moisturizer right after. ;)
For oilier skin types, never use it days in a row, it'll aggravate your oil glands into thinking your skin's too dry and it'll produce more oil.

On the safer side of life, it is still recommended to exfoliate once a week...


I think we should all stick to that, :P

Saturday Discoveries

I haven't had a real weekend since March began.

...but after two weeks of locking myself up and studying, I needed to go out... even if it meant not studying for half a day.

Yesterday, my aunt and her daughter suggested we go there for breakfast. I agreed because I was curious... after all, they were raving about it last weekend.

he Salcedo Community Market is in a park in Makati where a lot of stalls are lined up and in each stall, they sell what they want to sell, mostly food and drinks :P but I've seen a stall with bags, a stall for promoting program or whatever too.

...of course, we were there for the food. :D

I'm glad we were there in the morning and the lighting was good. My camera had a good morning exercise. :D

The market is actually a showcase of different foods from everywhere. There's French, Malaysian, Mediterranean and of course, Filipino [and don't think it's just one type of Filipino food, think North to South of the Philippine map]. :D

One famous Filipino food would be Lechon -- there was cow ('twas my first time to see that) and pig. I didn't want to shock the people who aren't used to seeing animals on a large stick so I didn't take a photo of those.

these are japanese cakes, in case you were wondering :P

fruit shakes (above); French & Mediterranean cuisine (below)

"Cotton Candy"

Walking around the market... shaded by trees... you actually forget you're in the city.

Well... not until you look up and you see the tall buildings surrounding the area. :D

We had breakfast in the picnic area (as I mentioned, it's in a park) -- there were tables and chairs and we stayed there for a while. We were about to leave when Sharon Cuneta arrived with her kid and the media men tailing her.

[Sharon Cuneta is a singer/actress in the Philippines -- now she's a host in her self-titled show, Sharon. Anyone watched Caregiver?]

That afternoon [at this point, we haven't returned home yet so I haven't studied yet], we went around to scout for a couch. 

I realized I'm drawn to odd pieces.

I like this lamp. If you don't, oh well. :P

We found a few candidates for the perfect sofa -- sofabed, actually.

The winner, I guess, is the one below.
Comfy, soft, pretty -- and definitely fits the "Asian" theme of the house that it will be staying in.

elegant and functional :)

a story of falling in love

I don't remember when I first fell in love with the camera.

It fascinated me to stay behind it [though my interest of being the subject later developed, :P].

I didn't know the science of it -- I still don't, actually. I think it's funny that with a big love for the art, I own an obsolete point and shoot camera. Though in the world of gadgets it may be obsolete, it has been part of my development as an enthusiast.

It has been one of my goals to own one of those fancy-looking cameras that professionals carry around but borrowing and holding one in my hands was already fulfilling enough. Though I wish I could do better, I was contented with the pictures that my camera produced. The years we've been together -- I guess -- makes it more connected to me. Even when a better camera is offered to be borrowed, I feel I can shoot better with my old and handy one.

It's a Sony DSC-T9, by the way. :P

My dad bought this for the family four of five years ago. I was there when he selected it among the others inside a glass box in the Sony Shop. It was one of the latest models at that time -- with the image stabilizing feature. :P

It was just beautiful and my dad and I (with no professional knowledge of the latest cameras that time) were captivated by it. It didn't take too long, actually, my dad soon asked the salesman to box one for us.

Two years ago, when I needed a camera for my classes -- like Biology (with live specimens and stuff) -- I asked to borrow it. It slowly began to be established as mine since I didn't return it whenever I went back home.

Just last year, a week before my birthday, the T9's flash bulb busted and I never had the time to get it replaced and I know it'd cost me a chunk of my allowance. :(

So for the week of my birthday until January 2, 2010, I borrowed a new family camera for night shots coz the T9 couldn't shoot at night -- sometimes, day too -- without a flash. :(

Sadly, until now, I never got around to getting the flash bulb repaired. There just isn't a Sony Service Center that's really accessible. My blogging decreased since that month too. It wasn't just because I was busy but I couldn't blog without pictures. I guess I was used to having one or two pics in my entries and I'm not that fond of taking pictures from the internet.

Ironic, yes, I'm not fond of taking pics from the net but here's a pic of the camera that I pulled out from dcviews.com back when it was new. :P Hahahaha!

I still love the T9 but it isn't as useful to me as it was before.
Everything tends to age -- even gadgets age too. ^^

Why did I suddenly post about this? Well, I was browsing my Photo folder in my laptop and I found some old photos -- that were produced, I proudly say, by the Sony DSC-T9 and I. :)

:P

I appreciate you reaching this point of this entry.

I'm actually talkative so I turn out to be type-ative too.

:P

Hoping to blog again soon,

HAHAHA picture ads

I easily get bored with my desktop background so I usually browse the internet for pictures I could replace it with and recently, I've been loving advertisements that would make me smile/laugh every time I turn my laptop on.

I really laughed at most of them that some of the ads made me think: "How the hell did the advertising department come up with this!?"

So, I thought of sharing it with you, in hopes of sharing the smiles/laughter to others. :D

Warning:  I want to post all so I'm rating this for 18 years old and above only.

Disclaimer:  I did not make/edit and I do not own any of the pictures. I am giving full credit to the company that owns/made them. All the pictures were retrieved from the Google search engine.

Heineken -- in case some of you don't know, it's beer. :P

One of the many reasons why men say: "Tch! Women." :D

Volvo and the Grim Reaper

Nikon S60 -- too HighDef in my opinion, hahaha!

PETA

[People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals]

An ad for viagra :P

Good night~! :D