~via lascivia~

Timeout!

2012-01-16T00:53:00.007+08:00

I was about to lose my mind last week... so I decided I needed a break.

My parents were visiting relatives so I tagged along.

Ilocos Norte, Philippines

In Baguio, it's easy to dress up. Because of the climate, you could wear whatever you want (layering galore!). :P

For concrete examples, check this out:

BAGUIO STREET FASHION
*discovered this blog last week*

I hate layering when I travel to warm places, so I have some pieces reserved perfect for warm weather.

beaded/embroidered top

perfectly branded (for this trip) as "Timeout"

odd-wash jeans

and my favorite: rose-tinted glasses

Dressing up to travel was rejuvenating enough already. :P

fave STUFF of 2011

2012-01-08T22:41:00.001+08:00

I really can't do "Top 10" or "Top 20" of whatever coz I don't want to work with a number and find ways of fitting an odd number of things into 10/20 and later adding an item that I don't really appreciate.

[So, no ceilings, no floors :P]

whatever-comes-to-mind FAVE STUFF of 2011

CoverGirl TruBlend in Translucent Honey

after losing my MAC foundation, I bought this and I've been loving it more than the MAC one :D

I bought this around September2011 and I've hit pan before December2011 -- I've never hit pan on any of my powder foundies before.

Maybelline Lipstick "Born With It"

I love this shade -- so naturally healthy pink! I don't usually like glitter but this one doesn't show up like disco lights.

Bath&BodyWorks Warm Vanilla Sugar

obviously LOVE this -- since 2010 even! I've fallen in love with vanilla-ish scents because of these!

BeautyBuffet facial mask sheets

cute, cheap, and effective!

ONE body scrub, "You wild coconut, you!"

I love the scent and how my skin feels after I use this. I bought it when it went on sale and I'm regretting I didn't buy more :/

iLash eyelash extensions "Trial"

I just wanted to "experience" having false lashes but people around me didn't notice it until I pointed it out coz I got "small" and it just blended with my natural lashes -- still, it IS addicting but sooo hard to maintain.

I don't even think I reached 10 but that's all for my 2011 list :D

Nail Polish Dilemma

2012-01-07T23:11:00.004+08:00

My one problem with my nail polish collection: It keeps growing >_<

I just can't control myself.
Who would have thought the world would have so many colors???

But beside my lack of self control, I don't know how to store them now especially since they wouldn't fit in my old 10inches by 4inches basket :s

So I had to resort to using an old shoe box that I have kept away and never used -- stupid pack rat me.

It's so heavy and my vanity drawers do not have any space for this so I had to store it inside my closet, above the shelves.

I have to label it like that to avoid accidents :s especially when someone would go around my room and look for stuff.

If you have any suggestions on how I could store these things better, please do tell.

...and I am changing my blog title :P just coz it's a new year :D

Cleaning Out My Closet

2012-01-04T20:34:00.000+08:00

It took me 3 months to finally get to fixing my room.

It's not something to be proud of -- but for the new year,

I promised I'd finish it by the first week -- and I did :)

It is the time of the year

to start fresh -- out with the old and in with the new :P

So, I cleared out some clothes from my overflowing CLOSET with simple reasons:
1. does not fit me anymore (too big or too small -- stop thinking it'll fit you someday)
2. does not look good (stop justifying to yourself that you look good with it in a certain light -- if a tiny voice in your head tells your it's fugly, it is!)
3. have never worn it for more than a year (yes, many of us are guilty of this)
4. damaged (that can't be repaired -- if it's something that you've never gotten around to repairing or getting repaired, just give it up)
5. not comfortable (itchy but looks good? throw it away; hurts but looks good? don't suffer anymore)

Really, when an organized me fought with the pack rat me, it was easier to give the clothes away. Once I placed it in the "never returning to my closet" pile, I forgot about it anyway.

For make-up and skin care products, I dumped some too:
1. expired (for some of my unlabeled products, I consulted: checkcosmetic.net)
2. funky-smelling even though it still isn't past its expiry date
3. a change in the product that isn't comfortable for you even if it still isn't expired: it irritates you now even though it didn't before; weird tasting -- for lipgloss, lipstick, etc -- I don't eat it but I noticed it tastes weird so I threw it out; color change -- white to beige (creams, etc) or clear liquid to cloudy liquid (like in toners, etc)

some stuff I threw out :/

and then after organizing my vanity table, this is the best I could do with my limited space (I do think I need more drawers, :P but for now, I'll survive):

Party 'til 2012!!!

2012-01-03T23:39:00.001+08:00

the title is bogus :P

Some people were out waiting for the final 10-second countdown to 2012 while some were laughing and sharing stories with their family just before they noticed the fireworks starting out the window...

where was I?

Laying on a couch -- back aching, heart pounding and woozy -- I thought I was going to have a heart attack! -- funny but it may have been true: heart attack in my early 20's.

What a way to ruin a New Year's Eve Party.

I woke up 5 minutes before 12 midnight and slowly walked to the window and watched the fireworks coz I still felt pain in various places.

I heard my family say: "Happy New Year Geli!" and I could only whisper a very unhappy-sounding "Happy New Year".

But -- besides that, I'm just glad my family was there -- with a doctor and a nurse that I could have easily called in case my body wanted to cause a scene just before the fireworks were lighted.

Anyway, 'nuff drama! :P I still had fun -- the next morning -- with lots of food (again) and fun!

my holiday nails!

Happy New Year!!! :)

Baguio Sunset

2011-11-25T20:28:00.002+08:00

Baguio sunset is one of the most overused subjects in tourist photography...

but c'mon, why refuse the romantic view?

It provides slight comfort for those sh*tty days in life.

Moby, Chiya's new playmate

2011-11-12T06:06:00.000+08:00

You've met Chiya (black) (^^;)

Now, we have Moby (white)! :D

Adopted: November 4, 2011

7th day: DOVE 7-day Challenge

2011-09-11T11:09:00.001+08:00

It's Sunday morning I'm staying home all day! Yay!

DOVE 7-DAY NO MIRROR CHALLENGE

Day 1 and 2 was hard, it took some getting used to but on Day 4, I was getting used to it (no makeup & no mirror).

It became automatic: "Ooh mirror!" *looks away*

On Day 5, I didn't get any sleep the night before and I broke two rules on that day:
1. No face products besides Dove: I used something for my puffy eyes (>_<) due to staying up all night for Midterms.
2. Not looking into the mirror: I did (>_<) to check on my clothes. I forgot I shouldn't look into a mirror. (@_@)
Day 6 was kind of the same coz I still still didn't get any sleep.
Day 7: Awesome skin! Though I looked into the mirror on Day 5 and 6, I did not inspect my skin.

I don't know if it's the soap or because my skin was able to breathe without any other chemicals for the whole week or both but it's just amazing. :D

Post-Exam Disorder

2011-09-07T21:46:00.000+08:00

Just about to finish my midterms week of exams. Damn (@_@)

I am starting to admire our doctors.

How did (and still do) they get through a straight month with only 0-3 hours/night of sleep?

One time, I walked into 7-Eleven after two weeks of sleep deprivation. I picked up some energy drinks (ironic, :P) and when I got to the counter, I had a hard time trying to understand what the cashier was asking me. Hahaha! Talk about weirdo.

She ended up laughing it off with me when I apologized for staring into space.

Even though I love sleep very much, I'm going to give it up for this. :)

...I have to find another favorite activity in life.

I have a new favorite celebrity though :D

Have you guys met "BOO", the famous Pomeranian?

Here are my TOP 3 FAVORITE PICS of BOO :D

I kinda feel like this today (UP)

...
and I wanna do this but can't (DOWN)

**sigh**

***photos (NOT MINE) are from BOO's FB fanpage**

http://www.facebook.com/Boo

SOOO CUTE! :D

Dove 7-day NO MIRROR Challenge

2011-09-04T11:13:00.000+08:00

Most of you would be familiar with this.
I know it's kind of late but I am still going to take this challenge on :)

RULES:
1. use Dove 2X a day (ideally, morning and night)
2. you are not allowed to look at yourself in a mirror -- probably any reflective surface -- eep!
3. no moisturizers, serums, etc on the face -- just the Dove soap (they're quite confident noh?)
4. minimal make-up [not to cover up Dove's effect -- so lipgloss and mascara are allowed]

DAY 1

9:30AM

As I woke up, I knew what my problem/s would be:

1. How do I fix my hair without a mirror?
2. No moisturizers, etc? Won't my face dry out? (@_@)
3. I don't know how to apply make-up when there's no mirror so "minimal make-up" might even become "no make-up". It's my exam week anyway, so this part will be easy.

**photo: before washing :) I don't have after washing pics coz I think that will count as looking at yourself in the mirror (?) so this photo would be the last time I see myself for a while.**

So, I washed my face with Dove and avoided mirrors.

I even covered up my vanity mirror in my room.

I took this pic using a laptop (pixelated @_@) -- I avoided seeing myself again by covering the lens whenever it was facing me hahaha!

My sister came into my room and said: "Why did you do that? *points at mirror*"

Hahaha!

puppy love?

2011-05-28T21:15:00.000+08:00

My family isn't exactly the type I imagined to spoil a dog.

2nd, my brother, bought a [Pomeranian X Miniature Poodle] last month and brought it -- well, her -- home...

...we named her "Chiya".

And last week, though I don't admit it (because I don't believe in boredom), I guess I was bored that I ended up making a dog dress/shirt. Hahahaha!

There are some things in life that makes you wonder why you did it (kidding! :P)... There are some things in life that are achieved only when your mind and heart are in it.

So... I decided I will still be a student for the next many many years of my life until an exam decides that I can be called a "doctor".

...at some point, I preferred to be "unemployed" than to be "student" but after a month being a bum, I guess I'm not ready to work just yet. I know I can help everyone (includes family, etc) more if I learn more...

...who stops learning from life anyway? :)

a week to a 'Simple Beef Pot Roast'

2011-01-16T17:32:00.003+08:00

It's a Sunday and the past week was, by far, one of the most eventful and fulfilling weeks in my life.

Why?

Well, it includes: (1) Friends, (2) Others and (3) Family

Though (4) Self was almost neglected (but since sleep was kind enough to be there for four hours at most), I'm contented.

During a late night chat, a friend asked me: "Why are you so hyper tonight?"
I think I overwhelmed him with all the laughing icons and excessive addition of letters to emphasize emotional overflow
(a likely example: waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!! *5 laughing icons*).
I answered: "I feel great! It's weird that I feel stressed but happy." :D

On one night of the week, I traveled and stayed out overnight (not to party, I assure you) a city away from where I live to be with my best friend who needed a best friend at that time. We all go through troubles in life and no matter how strong we perceive (or even if others think so too) ourselves to be, we all need a moment -- even if it was just a few minutes -- to give way to the pressure and let someone else be strong for you.

I don't really know what hit me to volunteer for GK (Gawad Kalinga) last Saturday (for a med mission) -- my last volunteer for GK was 4 years ago, which seems like decades away to me now. I was assigned to be in the 'youth development' (I think is what they call it) part of the med mission -- this simply involves playing with the kids and prevent them from distracting the doctors assessing people and the mothers waiting for their turn. I was there to help but it seemed they helped me more (psychologically and emotionally).

And on family day, I cooked for the house:

basing on one of my favorite chefs' -- Chef John of FoodWishes.com -- videos

Click here for his simple pot roast video. :)

We all know Filipinos love rice, hahaha, so I added the supposed mashed potatoes and turned it to potato cubes and added it into the pot roast.

Though it's not a perfect week (what is a perfect week anyway?),
I'm happy. :)

For the love of beef,

Review: BNC nail polishes (Korean)

2011-01-14T19:15:00.000+08:00

Why do I think these are awesome?

1. Lots and lots of colors!
I say it like I have all the colors. Hahahaha. :P I just have 5 at the moment (the ones you see in the photo above).

2. Doesn't chip or fade easily.

3. Sometimes, you don't need a top coat. :P

4. Relatively cheaper compared to other Korean brands (TheFaceShop, SkinFood).
Though I think Etude House have the same prices (but I don't own any yet so let's exclude it for now).

5. Available in the Philippines! :D (that is always comforting to know)

I bought this from "Nail Up" in Robinsons Place Manila (P. Faura wing).

Instead of names, these babies are coded (numbers, sometimes letters):

(from left to right)

319 (gray) >> 729 (yellow green) >> 630 (deep green) >> 54 (beige) >> M68 (sky blue? haha)

I really can't prove number 1 to you. You'll just have to go and see the colors they have. :)

For number 2, let's just say I can wear one of these colors and won't need to take it off even after 5 days 'cause it still looks great (despite my activity-filled life: laboratory, house chores, etc :P).

One time, I came up with this design on a sleepover with my bestfriends:

I used 630 (the deep green one) as a base and used other brands for the designs. This design stayed on my hand for more than a week -- WITHOUT a top coat! I forgot to layer on a top coat, actually, hahahaha.

I usually do nail designs at night then let it dry very well (overnight) then layer on a top coat in the morning. But on that day, my bestfriends slept over and I forgot the top coat.

I traveled to Baguio that weekend and I still had it when I came back to Manila the next week after it was created. It never chipped! I swear!

It faded at the ends though (the normal fading -- the polish looks thinner -- you get when you have your nail polish on for more than a week).

for the pictures above, I used M68 (blue-ish) as the base

for the one above, I used 54 (beige) as the base

for the one above: I topped the 630 (deep green) mixed with yellow (another brand) for the green part of the design

For the last one:

(my best friend did this on my hand)

ahahahaha

The green and red are BNC nail polishes.

The others are different brands.

Good night! :D

A New Year

2011-01-08T01:43:00.001+08:00

Happy New Year!!!

Another year has ended and welcoming the new one feels like seeing a clean slate. :)

For any mistakes of the past, let's learn and forgive.

For all the happy memories of last year, may we draw strength from them and stand through any future conflict.

For the sad ones, may they be a reminder that no matter how hard it was, we got through it anyway.

Be thankful to all those who touched your life and make sure you become part of other peoples' lives this year (hopefully in a good way :P).

BTW, i went home for the holidays.

I thought I'd share how my hometown looks like :P

day

night

ALMOST bald

2010-11-21T12:14:00.001+08:00

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

2010-11-04T23:10:00.002+08:00

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

2010-10-31T23:00:00.002+08:00

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

2010-10-18T21:29:00.001+08:00

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!

2010-04-17T20:53:00.002+08:00

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

2010-04-15T22:40:00.004+08:00

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

2010-03-16T20:27:00.003+08:00

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

2010-03-14T14:19:00.018+08:00

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

2010-03-11T21:37:00.003+08:00

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. :)

I appreciate you reaching this point of this entry.

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

Hoping to blog again soon,

HAHAHA picture ads

2010-03-09T23:21:00.003+08:00

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

Hangover?

2010-01-07T22:52:00.052+08:00

I know that my mind hasn't still settled that it's already 2010.

Just this morning, as I was writing the date on a piece of paper, I ended up writing:

January 7, 2009

Hahaha!

And that didn't happen once, I still ended up with 2009 when I wrote the date again in the afternoon.

Major hangover.

When the countdown was over -- the time that marked the line between 2009 and 2010 -- I was sitting on the couch in my grandparents' house watching the people on TV do the countdown.

While the TV was filled with people cheering and clapping, I looked around me and I saw people were lying down: snoring, sleeping soundly even if the noise of the fireworks outside were filling our ears.
See the contrast of the scene where I was and what was happening on television?

Where's the excitement? Where's the drama? Where's the confetti? The cheers? The overflowing drinks? And most importantly, where's my New Year's kiss?

Though they say that 'what you do on the first day of the New Year will be what you'll be doing for the rest of the year', I drank with my brother a bottle of tequila after the countdown, :P I don't believe this crap [yehrayt! I actually planned to study 5 mins before New Year's Day until 30 minutes after 12 midnight to ensure good study habits 'til the end of the year, but I didn't end up doing that -- *ding* maybe that's why my study habits hasn't still improved]. Hahaha!

When asked what are your top 10 memories of 2009?

My answer would be:
*some are linked to a past blog posts*

1. my Mami's return from America (Feb09)

2. my trip to America with my cousin (Apr-May09)

3. my first public blog post (Oct09)
4. shopping galore (Oct09)

5. started public blogging (Oct09)

6. first time to use a DSLR (Nov09) haha -- ignorant ass :P

7. seeing how much money left in my bank account -- very bad (Nov09)

8. my night in pseudo-Persia with friends (Dec09)

9. the night out with my friends in Baguio (Dec09)

10. my trip to our parents' provinces for the holidays (Dec09)

*out of 10, I only have one bad memory -- the horror of my bank account :P

more memories of 2009:

watched the sun set as we drove by the edge of the Philippines (North)
teasing my parents with my siblings
making new friends
reuniting with a friend from way back in elementary
Harry Potter 6 the movie
reading the twilight series in 5 days due to insomnia
jogging before the sun rises (before class and weekends)
discovering i like someone (too much)
enrolled in fashion school to learn how to sew
changing my mind about not proceeding to become a doctor
loving tea more and more
donating my clothes to victims of Typhoon Pepeng
stayed safe even after Typhoon Ondoy
driving to Baguio from Manila first time!
first time eating in ISDAAN -- I am such a loser (my sister's words :/)
Lantern Parade of 2009 -- in school

I'm sure there are lots more... but I'm ending it here :D

Goodbye 2009~!
'Twas a great year.
I hope I'll stop writing 2009 now. ^^

What are your top 10 memories?

2010!

2010-01-01T19:29:00.004+08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I'm currently sitting in a cottage by the beach with my parents and siblings.

A very impulsive decision: we're taking the long way home to Baguio.

We were supposed to arrive home this evening but Papi suggested that we take the scenic route home -- meaning longer hours of driving. Along the way, we had a lot of stop-overs that we have to spend the night in this resort before continuing our trip home tomorrow.

I'm just happy I'm with them this day.

I hope you're having fun too! :)

The Spirit Of My Birthday Part III

2009-12-22T23:30:00.004+08:00

I arrived home in the morning. It was very cold and the temperature change was starting to affect my body -- I was losing my voice... again.

light show at the mall :D

I went to the mall with my high school friends -- it was our reunion of some sort -- as we haven't seen each other in almost a year! There were just four of us -- supposedly five but the Telet couldn't come up to Baguio.

(from LtoR: Ange, Me, Nemo and Laine)

We probably missed each other too much that whatever one suggested, we did it.

We initially wanted to go into this comedy bar but Ange didn't want to since she didn't like being picked on -- that's how a comedy bar works, they make fun of the people who are in the bar for others to laugh at. It IS fun until they pick on you ^_^.

Instead of the comedy bar, we ended up buying our drinks and taking them to Ange's home. She was alone that time so she offered her place for us to stay over a night. On the way to her house, we were joking each other about the weather and we dared Laine -- who was wearing a tank top under her jacket -- to face the cold.

at 10-15 deg Celsius, she was walking like this~!

We had "warm up" drinks as we called it while watching TV in Ange's room but maybe we wanted the excitement so we decided to go into the cluster of bars near her house.

We started getting weird as the night progressed.

one of us called her guy friend over :P

and all the smoke in the place was ruining the pictures
At around 3 AM, Ange was already too confused so she wanted to go home. Since she lived nearby and I was still sober enough to take her home, I half-carried her to her house while dragging someone I just met.

After some trouble that Ange initiated, I just had to ask for help from the stranger. When Ange was safe inside, I walked back to the bar with the stranger.

When one of us was getting swarmed by three guys, we just had to leave and sleep.
It was already around five in the morning. We invited the guys to continue the party but some of us couldn't even walk properly anymore.

I thank my genes for my high alcohol tolerance.

Hahaha. Of all the crazy things we did together, this was the craziest.
Why? Since some details should never be known to others.

When Nemo, Laine and I got home, Ange was already fast asleep -- we were just thankful we didn't find her lying on the floor beside her dog. Hahaha.

we drew on her face while she was asleep :P -- evil friends

I was slightly paranoid that we'll all have guilt trips (over EVERYTHING we did) the moment we wake up but I was wrong we all had suuuper fun even the always ever paranoid Ange! :D

Which was verified through text messages from each other. Hahaha!

Nemo's motto: I love parties but I hate hangovers.

I'm thankful I didn't have a hangover that morning even if we did have a weird mix of drinks that night! :D

= = = = =

I have found my favorite eyeliner!!! :D

Thanks to this occasion! :D

REVLON COLORSTAY LINER

It's staying power was uber! No smudges either! Evident in my pics though I didn't think of taking close ups -- I swear -- I still had it on when I woke up -- bad I know but I wasn't exactly in thinking condition: "Oh, I still have eyeliner on, I should wash it off first." Oh c'mon. I just wanted to sleeeeeeeeeep.

MAYBELLINE's BB CREAM

What I liked about it?

= SPF 27! :D you gotta love that~!
= a small amount is all you need
= available locally

It was all I had and it was what I used. It didn't impress me enough to get 10/10 though.

I've got a list of complaints:
shade -- it wasn't my perfect shade and sometimes had a weird cast in photos
packaging -- the nozzle's probably too big or something but I almost always over-squeeze the product and I hate wasting products (who doesn't?)!
moisturizing? don't expect it to be -- it even says so in the label -- to be worn over moisturizer

This BB Cream is a fairly new product of Maybelline.
It retails for 299php, I think. But if they're 30% off sale is still on -- it's around 200+php.
(18 mL bottle)

= = = = =

20th birthday series ends here.

The Spirit Of My Birthday Part II

2009-12-21T23:30:00.044+08:00

Lantern Parade

A day after Trio in Persia, we had to attend the Lantern Parade [annual event in school] but since Cham&Sarah were busy with their MedSchool applications, I was the only one who attended. Sarah followed later but the parade already ended that time.

We didn't win any place -- we won "Most Original" award though. I congratulate the Top 3 lanterns: College of Allied Medical Professions, College of Dentistry and College of Medicine. :D 'Twas a colorful night~!

Since I know the labor and love poured into the CPH's [my college, :P] lantern, it deserves Before and After pics.

BEFORE

(weeks to a few days before the Lantern Parade)

AFTER

(during and after the Lantern Parade)

*materials were recycled: we used X-ray films, shells, newspapers, expired tablets, casing of the expired meds, bottle caps, CDs (that weren't working anymore), etc.

Don't buy!

I had a day left before leaving for my hometown so I accompanied my aunt (Mami's sister). We went mall-hopping, hahaha, and I was her driver. We went to about four malls~!

I promised myself I wouldn't purchase anything unnecessary -- even hoped I wouldn't purchase anything. Still ended up buying some stuff.

Grrr, Geli, grrr...

the one on the left is the new one :)

Fruits&Passion was on sale :P

That night, we traveled up to Baguio and arrived home around 5 in the morning.

A bed was set in the room I share with the 4th (my only sister). I wasn't sure it was made up for me until I saw this.

*sigh*

...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

The Spirit Of My Birthday Part I

2009-12-20T19:26:00.011+08:00

For the past days, I haven't had the time or energy to face my laptop to blog. One time, I actually fell asleep in front of my keyboard with an empty "New Post" on Blogger.

It's been crazy -- every event happened one after the other.

Just the other night I was in Manila but now I'm back home in Baguio.

What makes a person smile more than a gift is a thought from people who don't know you personally but greeted you anyway, :D

THANK YOU~!

Just because I don't want to bore you with loooooooooooong posts with lots of words, I'm cutting "The Spirit Of My 20th Birthday" in three parts.

= = = = =

TRIO DISCOVERS PERSIA

Wednesday night (two days after my actual birthday) -- my two bestfriends (Cham and Sarah) weren't able to celebrate my birthday with me that Monday so we decided to sleep over Cham's apartment. But before proceeding to her apartment, we went to the harbor and had dinner there.

We had dinner in Sizzling Pepper Steak but I was full so I just ordered iced tea while they ate the house specialty. :P

**Cham and Sarah**

After dinner, we went to another place to drink
(coffee for them, :P)

It's a Mediterranean-themed place. There were a lot of foreigners -- most of them were (noisy) outside -- since we wanted to talk, we stayed inside. Great interior huh? It's set like a resto-cafe. See couches (back) and dining tables (front) of pic. :)

Check out my ring~! :D The ring retails for 180php (~4$) in malls. So cute :D

I received a gift from my aunt a few hours before I met up with Cham&Sarah.

Isn't it stylish? :D
Over dinner, I took this out of my bag, my friends went "What's that?"
and when I answered "tissue holder"
"Sooo cute. I want one. Where did you buy it?"

Hahaha. The number to order it from is in the pic. :)

End of Part I.

a year older

2009-12-14T23:30:00.007+08:00

I didn't actually feel like it was my birthday today. I woke up with a very bad abdominal cramp and worrying that I haven't studied well for my 'human parasites' exam (I fell asleep on my books without reading them) due to being tired the previous night studying for the National Medical Admission Test (NMAT).

Stressed... but oh well. :)

After all my classes for the day, I went to the mall with two of my friends and we ate cheesecake (fave~!).

We had fries and some junk food (just this once, we deserve the break, :D).

I just came from dinner with Auntie J, Den and mi Mami (she traveled 7 hours from home to celebrate my birthday with me since mi Papi and my siblings were busy with work and school).

We went to this famous Thai restaurant called Som's Noodle House. They serve authentic Thai food.

chicken wrapped in pandan leaves

shrimp fried rice

chicken red curry

chicken satay

milk tea

Are you drooling yet?

Our orders are kind of chicken-y but 'twas all good! :D

After that, we drove to Red Ribbon for cake, doi! :P

Smores cake!
(marshmallow, graham, chocolate... *sigh*)

care for banged hair

2009-12-12T12:33:00.013+08:00

I realized how much work banged hair can be. Since my bangs started out right at the part where it covers my eyebrows, it took three weeks for it to start getting into my eyes.

My hair was growing weird and long that I had to tie it differently -- sometimes oddly -- just to get it away from my eyes.

I like hassle-free hair so I had it trimmed.

Hahahaha.

It took me three days to decide if I should grow it out or stick to having bangs. While studying, it irritated my eyes so much that I went out and into the nearest salon to get it done.

= = = = = = = = = = =

I should have posted this earlier but I wasn't able to.

GeekyMacBoy gave me the following:

#1: I Love Your Blog award

#2: Blogs I frequently read

Anyway, I copied this from his post:

03. Geli (She's from the Phillipines and has lots of interesting blogs about makeup, food, and many more!)

*full post here*

Thank you~! :D I was smiling when I read my descrip on your blog entry :D

...for the 1st blog award,

my preferences haven't changed...

the same 15 I tagged in A Lovely Blog Award are the 15 I nominate for this

. . . . .

as for the 2nd award, the blogs I frequently read would be:

(my current Top 5 -- I'm sorry I haven't been visiting the other 10 recently -- so I'm just posting these five)

I don't comment all the time because I usually just have time to read and run.
Haha, does that make sense?

Sunday Story

2009-11-30T21:54:00.002+08:00

So, I went out with my Lola (grandmother) and my cousin yesterday.
And it's a Monday holiday today for my fellow countrymen and I. :P

We went to my cousin's favorite mall.

We ate at Kitchen (in Greenbelt 3).

my Lola's order

deep-fried catfish with Jackfruit and rice. :)

my cousin is a pasta person

so she ordered fetuccini with fish fillet

and my order... was probably pretending that i was on a diet...

this is called "Seafood Diet"

hahahaha!

It was sooo good and I was so full after this... didn't want dessert!

I wore my fave heels! :D

I love them... it's just that I can't stand too long in them :P Four hours is my limit, hahaha.

After going to church (just near the house), went back home and changed to my flats before going to the mall. :)

Check this out too!

It's great lip-synchronizing video to A Whole New World, hahaha.

To go to the site, click here.

One of the best ones I've seen since BackDormBoys! You don't know BackDormBoys? I'll post them up next time. :D

Online Makeover

2009-11-29T09:18:00.006+08:00

One of the blogs online (I don't remember what site exactly) but it led me to this Online Makeover site.

So, I checked it out and played around with hairstyles, make-up, etc.

This was before I got my haircut (with bangs) so I was experimenting if I could pull off having bangs, :P

This reminded me of my Elementary years. I got rid of my bangs when I was in Grade 5. :P

This was just for fun! Wahahaha. Still can't stop cringing when I see this!

Another banged hairstyle -- was still not convinced to get my hair banged.

This is quite cool... the online make-over site lets you apply make-up on you too so I was surprised how this turned out. :D

Still funny though... I wish I was that fair but c'mon! I won't have natural SPF with that skin tone. :P

In the end, after using the site, I was NOT convinced to have my hair banged (but I have bangs now, :P) and I had fun playing around. Hahahaha.

If interested, click here and enjoy!

probably stress-eating...

2009-11-26T23:00:00.011+08:00

Here's another chicken recipe:

(a picTUtorial)

What you'll need:

chicken (any part you want or a whole chicken)

onions

garlic

coconut juice and coconut meat/flesh

chili leaves

salt

This starts simple: put the chicken in a pot and turn the stove on.

I don't like to put additional oil so I cook the chicken first to let the chicken fat ooze out (which you can use to cook the garlic and onions in later).

...if you prefer to start with additional oil, put the oil first, then sautee the chopped onions and garlic when the pot and oil are hot. When it turns slightly brown, add the chicken in and let it cook (cover the pot and don't add water).

Add the coconut juice and coconut flesh when the chicken's cooked (slightly brown and no bloody parts). Cover the pot again and let the mixture boil.

*see the chicken oil floating in the 2nd picture? If you think it's too much, scoop it up and throw it out -- oil sits on top of the soup so it's easy to scoop out.

When it's boiling, add the salt (how much? depends on your taste ~ I like the soup to taste sweet but with a tinge of salt).

When you're satisfied with the taste, turn the stove off and add the chili leaves.

Do a quick mix and serve. :)

*this recipe tastes great with cooked rice

LOVING:

These are Kenny Roger's Roasters' muffins. It's part of the set meals when you order. My friends and I ate there one time and one of my friends couldn't eat the muffin that was on her plate so I took it, :P

I love love love their corn muffin!

Next!

Red Ribbon's White Forest Cake...

This is Black Forest Cake's sister.

Hahaha.

Well, I think Black Forest is male-ish. :D

It's sweet ~ duh!

(but some say it's too sweet... to my sweet tooth, nothing's too sweet, hahaha)

If you don't like cherries, I don't think you'll like this. If you love cherries (like me), this is another way to enjoy eating them!

...but I think I'll still choose the masculine Black Forest over the feminine White Forest just coz Black Forest has chocolate, :P

Pacquiao, Cotto and a mermaid

2009-11-15T10:40:00.016+08:00

I am typing this in the living room, looking at the TV occasionally as I wait for Pacquiao's fight. I bet most Filipinos are sitting in front of their TV, waiting anxiously while watching the other boxing fights.

photo from pinoygigs (dot) com

I know you've heard this before but I want to post it up too...

Whenever a Pacquiao fight is on, the crime rate in the Philippines is down to zero. :D

And what I noticed right after Pacquiao fights, I'll hear conversations near the house, in school and even in the malls about the fight. Hahaha.

...but it's really nice to know that at least once in a while, the crime rate here is zero. :)

I downloaded an editing software: Meitu Xiuxiu! :D It's a free photo editing program which can be downloaded here.

It's sooo fun and cute... The problem is it's in Chinese so if you don't understand Chinese characters (like me), you'll have to feel your way around the program.

It's quite easy coz it has visual demonstrations on the side but it's annoying that I can't maximize it's potential since I don't understand the texts. I just click and click and if I like the outcome, I save it. If I don't, I do it over. :)

Hahaha!

Oh and I received a blog award from GeekyMacBoy. Thank you so much~! :)

These are the blogs I am passing the award to:

Kandee (I love her~!)

The Toothfairy

Fuzz

Food Wishes (my fave food blog, :P)

Pass the award to 15 blogs that you love and make sure you inform all of them~! :)

I'm off to watch Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto. Enjoy the rest of the day~!

What I did last night...

2009-11-08T15:21:00.009+08:00

While watching my all-time favorite sitcom, Will and Grace (til 2 in the morning), I managed to edit some pics of my free days in Baguio (days when I didn't go to the city center)...
Hahaha!

...and this is one of my favorites:

a pic of the 2nd* and his girlfriend, Jill. :)

*I refer to my siblings by birth order (it's just easier, :P)

A Reunion

2009-11-05T23:25:00.007+08:00

...over pretty drinks :)

I met up with a friend I haven't seen in a very long time.
...and I freakin' passed my problem subject :P
Good night! :)

sig. from mylivesignature (dot) com

50's with family

2009-11-04T21:09:00.001+08:00

My parents, siblings and I went out for dinner.

And if you visit Baguio (in the Philippines) some time in the future, make sure to stop by here:

IIf you don't know where that is, just ride a taxi cab to get to the 50's Diner. ;)

50's burger = ~80php

Mix Grill = 170php

and for dessert!

Banana split = 100php, I'm not sure. :)

I was soooo full.

This place is always full and is open for 24 hours. We waited for 10 minutes or so coz all the tables were occupied.

Once you enter the door, you'll notice the pinkish glow of the light bulbs that snakes the ceiling. I still can't decide if it annoys me, the food serves as a distraction! :)

Oh, and I saw these two cars before dinner:

Cool eh?

The pink one (see the gold rims? :D)

= = = = =

And check out Erica's giveaway!

Click here!

She's giving away NYX lipsticks!

= = = = =

A piece of me... (November '09)

2009-11-02T13:38:00.007+08:00

This month...

I like: that I am home (even for just 2 weeks).

I don't like: that I am worrying about my grades.

I want you to know: that I have not changed my mind about my course.

I've planned: to graduate from this course and see what I'll do next after that. (To continue to Med or not?)

I want to say to someone special: Pa/Ma, I'm sorry I'm not as smart as you.

To join this game, click here. :)

~ hosted by the Toothfairy!

A Chicken Recipe

2009-10-31T14:17:00.025+08:00

I don't know what you call this recipe but it's one of my favorites:

(a picTUtorial, yey~!)

What you'll need:

a (chopped) whole chicken (= usually 4-5 servings) or just the parts of chicken you want (legs, breasts, etc)
tomato sauce (I prefer Italian Style ~ the Filipino tomato sauce is a bit sweet)
onions
garlic
oil/butter
salt and pepper

*measurements need not be exact. It depends on what you want but be sure that the amount of tomato sauce should be enough to coat each chicken part in it.

Boil the chicken. Add a bit of salt. Don't overcook!

Chop onions and garlic (cubes, if preferred) while boiling the chicken then sautee the onions and garlic in butter/oil.

When onions and garlic are slightly brown, add the boiled chicken (without the water you boiled it in!).

After 10 minutes or so (with occassional mixing), add the tomato sauce.
Add salt and pepper (til satisfied with the taste).

Done~!

The 2nd (I refer to my siblings by birth order to avoid confusion) and I cooked.
So, that was our lunch today. :D

ice blue~

2009-10-27T09:19:00.013+08:00

In an attempt to change the mood of my day...

I was sweating after running up just to get better (natural) lighting for the photos~!

I was wearing one of the basic black false lashes.

I think that me not having Adobe Photoshop is a good thing.

It makes me more conscious of taking photos without thinking "I can edit this" coz without Photoshop, I can't.

Also, without Photoshop, I use more of my camera's features. :D

My Big Fakies and I, a tutorial

2009-10-21T11:07:00.032+08:00

Line above the upper lashes and thicken the line slightly.

Use black coz most lash bands are black. :)

Apply mascara.

For every false lashes (or at least, all that I have), has this small band extension. In the pic below, the band extension is on my finger (the black part). That extension will stay on the inner part of your eye. I am pointing this out so that you could distinguish the left and the right lash. :D

Trim the lashes to fit your lids. Cut bits from opposite the band extension and trim small bits at a time (not a big ass chunk at one time).

Apply eyelash glue on the band of the false lashes.

I used Aido eye putti. 140php in Fashion 21 stalls.

Count up to 15 to let it dry slightly (it's more adhesive as time passes but not too much time coz it'll harden).

Put it on! :D

Stay as close to the real lashes as possible. Gently push the lashes to make sure the band is attached to your skin.

An extra step is to curl your false lashes with your real ones but my big ass lashes does not fit into my curler. :P

But you don't really need to if you did an okay job with it. Curling them was supposed to make the false one move as close to your lash line as possible (curling is done when glue is not completely dry).

Ta-da~!

It looks so weird when done to just one eye. So, don't forget to put on both. :)

Reminders:

When applying the eyelash glue, apply more on the outer bands coz false lashes (especially the heavy ones) tends to lift at the corners when worn for some time.

Lastly, take care of your false lashes!

If you want them to be used and re-used a lot of times. Especially if you spent a lot on them (you want to make the most out of them), store them in their cases (if they have one).

My fakies (from HK) came from a friend and I love it. I have a lot of classic black lashes (available in department stores, etc) but I've never had colored ones like this one.

Don't apply mascara after the false lashes are installed ~ I tried this before and I couldn't re-use them coz they clumped. :P

88 regular palette REVIEW

2009-10-12T23:39:00.007+08:00

Time to test the palette! :)

The palette is a combination of mattes and there are some with shimmer too.

Though I bought this mainly for costume looks, I'll probably be using it for everyday too.

I tried the pinks/reds on the back of my hand to see how pigmented the colors are:

but I really wanted to try it on as an actual look so...

I really played with the colors.

I couldn't choose just one color so I used them all!

Loving the palette! <3
Thanks again Allie!

buying an 88 palette

2009-10-12T17:37:00.006+08:00

I've been surfing the internet for a long time just for this:

The 88 regular palette

^o^

These aren't sold in stores (or I just don't know where).

I only see them online which would require shipping, etc.

I got this from Allie's site: M.O.I. Cosmetics.

Thanks much Allie!!! :)

El Cheapo eye primers!

2009-10-04T23:37:00.007+08:00

Careline Cream Eyeshadow Sticks:

"Seduction" (top-purple) and "Black Pearl" (bottom-black):

One thing to consider with shadow primers is if your skin is oily or not. I'm more on the dry side so the Glamour Eyes work okay for me. :)

Penshoppe makeup stick:

"Moon Shine": very shimmer-y

Fashion 21: "Lagoon"

On the left, Fashion 21 (Lagoon) and right, Penshoppe (Moon Shine)

The one on the left it kind of pointed and really slim so it works well as an eyeliner too. The one on the right is easy to apply on the eyelids because of its shape.

These are great for starter make-up kits! :)

*"It's complicated."

2009-04-20T20:10:00.004+08:00

recently, i received news about one of my friends having an 'almost-boyfriend'. it may not sound like such a relationship exists... but it does.

haven't you noticed how many accounts in friendster have selected "It's complicated" as their status? [especially in my age group]

"It's complicated" can mean a lot of things!

ranging from...

vague

: two-sided mental/emotional confusion.
: one-sided mental/emotional confusion.

to

delusional.

: A likes B and has detailed plans for a future with B but B doesn't even know A
: A thinks B likes A even though B expressed that B doesn't like A
: A thinks B is being hard-to-get because B told A that B is in a relationship
: (insert more here)

why can't people just answer "Single" or "In a relationship"? If you think you're in between, don't choose "It's complicated"... choose one of the first two!

if you think that choosing "single" will be shouting to the world that you're available... well, HA-HA! simply flashing "single" will not help you in advertising your availability. in present time, advertising oneself requires more boldness and more creativity.

for example...

posted in front of a shop with medium to heavy human traffic.
as i said, boldness and creativity.

why can't finding a mate (also means a lot of things) be as easy as the chicken's way of attracting one?

*phone photos

2007-04-23T23:18:00.008+08:00

*using Sony E K750, 2MP
this has amazing resolution for a handphone~

*my Libre look-alike

2007-04-20T09:00:00.006+08:00

at a certain angle, she looks like me (--fine! just the face :/)

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

.Photo from LIBRE.