Tag: Why do you wear makeup?

Hello! Finally, a skincare and makeup related post eh?
Got this Blog Tag from kmmyp on Google Reader :)

Recently, I've been attending Christmas parties left and right. And what usually happens with these kind of parties is more often than not you are obliged to dress up. Company parties, business party get-togethers, that kind of stuff. It did get me thinking that I still suck at putting makeup on.

(1) When did you begin loving make-up?
I started being interested in makeup mid 2009, when I was having a rough patch about myself and how I looked. I realized that I was the only one holding back on improving myself in the looks department. I used to think that only the inside counts. I still believe that now, but there's also no harm in making myself go the extra mile! I don't really love make-up per se, but it is an impressive tool in making me look decent for parties and formal events! Because on a daily basis, I put my sunscreen on and that's it.

Bare face, everyday, all day

Apparently, eating choco bars and drinking almond milk are but a few of my hobbies that take up my time

 The first was on 2011. This was heavy makeup for me. Consisting of a face base, loose powder, blush, eyeliner, and eyeshadow! The second picture was just recently taken (last week's company Christmas party) and I realized that this was pretty light, compared to the makeup jobs some of my coworker had XDD But I like it enough because it changes my face without having to go to a dramatic transformation.

(2) How do you feel without make-up?
I feel absolutely fine. I wear no makeup on a daily basis except for a very pigmented lip balm.

(3) What do you like about make-up?
I'm not huge into it but I would like to be. It's nice to learn useful stuff like this, as event makeup artistry is a lucrative freelance job for some people! On a personal note, I like it when eyeliners define my eyes. I like it when the skin on my face looks really smooth and fine with a face base. I like it when my cheeks have a peachy color. You know, the whole shebang.

(4) What are your three of your holy grail make-up items?

 Majolica Majorca Eyliner, The Face Shop Liptint, Majolica Majorca Face base

If you're feeling like jumping on this nifty bandwagon, feel free to do so! If you have time, comment on this post with your responses or leave a link to your blog below so I can read yours, too :D

Travel: Pearl Farm Vacation for My Summer's Last Hurrah!

June has been more than kind to me and my frazzled nerves! The past months have definitely been a handful, with work left and right, and barely having time to really take some quiet time and not get those terrifying surge of rush and panic: that-"ohhh, wasn't I supposed to finish X and Y and Z by tomorrow?!"-feeling every 5 minutes. I can tell you that's not always a happy time, that's a lot coming from me, the queen of breaking deadlines before the deadline it even realizes I'm all "...hasta-la-vista-baby!" with a smirk.

So my June vacation leaves were a kind treat to me before I got thoroughly down with burning myself out. I love that I was given 5 days (3 working days + weekends!) to feel refreshed and see a lot of places! Together with our friends Pat & Ren, we went to Pearl Farm Beach Resort which is one of the best beaches in the country.

Aside from all those food trips all over, I had also some time to practice some of my hobbies. I've been learning to watercolor now, and though it's going slow, I love the times when I just sit down quietly, tapping little brushes and splotching color on rough paper :)

And this is my watercolor desk inside my room. Bring in some Bon Iver music and you have a very happy girl.

July is catching up and I can't help feeling like I have to wait again for a long time until I can have another taste of summer. I used to feel really excited about August/September/October because it's one of the 'cooler' months but now I'm longing for summer just right after it has come to a close.

Thanks for reading!
I love strawberries.

EDIT:  I made a simple new header. Figured I needed a new one. I'm not very good at digital painting as much as I'd like but no one really makes a mistake with a meadow, some mountains and fluffy clouds, right? Featuring one of my favorite quotes in the whole world!

Stupid Weight Gain

This must be my punishment for letting my blog go... I've also let myself go! What started as something I wanted for myself (a healthier me), I now want to rid myself of!

2 months ago I started the quest to gain weight. I honestly thought that at 97-99lbs, I needed to add a bit because a double digit weight is kind of worrying.

Though I'm only 5'1", most poeple would say that the 97 lbs is okay for me since I'm small, but I'm not very comfortable with it, and I don't want to give the appearance of weakness or being frail at all. I want to look and feel healthy and active at a normal 100-105 bracket at least. That's not bad to want, is it? It is stull under normal weight range.

It started out manageable, but I guess I kind of lost focus for a bit. What I ate were chocolates. I LOVE CHOCOLATES. I cannot put into text how much I love them, but the pictures below will show you. So everyday in the office I ate a lot:

Aaargh! And so many more chocolates that I really feel guilty now. :( I haven't weight myself recently but I think I am at the 108-110 range. The weighing scale in our workplace clinic is busted and is up for calibration until further notice, and I don't really have a weighing scale at home.

I'm now on the way to recovery! :d I stopped eating chocolates Monday this week and it's made even harder because my sister just sent a package of chocolates along with other stuff just yesterday, too. We have almond chocolates, crunky, pucca, pocky and gourmet cafe chocolates that I refuse to eat anymore!!!

:( I'm suffering hahaha! But I know I have to stop eating snacks so much and start eating healthy. I need to lower it a bit again!

Sorry for being away, I missed everyone :)

Camera-Less Rants (Again), Updates, Plans

In my last post, I used my webcam yet again and to tell you frankly I think it sucks having to use a webcam or a phone for blog photos. But I'm camera-less again because my pink Lumix camera has gone dead on me. THIS IS THE SECOND LUMIX WE BOUGHT AND IT SUFFERED ALMOST THE SAME DISEASE LIKE MY OTHER BLACK LUMIX. IT MAKES ME HATE THE BRAND SO MUCH.

I'd like to put some swatches of some purchases I made recently, like Ellana Minerals Cheek and Lip tint which for me, beats the Skinfood Cool Lip Jelly tint. I mainly use the Ellana tint on my lips because I'm not the blush-on kind of girl. I also wanted to do a personal review of the Majolica Majorca Pressed Pore Cover, which I've been using recently because I've finally hit pan on my Beauty Credit Pressed Powder SPF 27. Yay!

I wanted to post a comparison between two blackhead strips/cream I've been using, because I found out that I have a lot of hidden whiteheads and blackheads on my nose and I'm using this product to get rid of all of it. I also wanted to do a little swatch on some Innisfree stuff I got from a korean friend of mine. I have the Innisfree Mineral Skin BB Cream SPF40 and the Innisfree Whitening Mask Sheet. I am totally inlove with Innisfree! If it wasn't so freaking expensive, I would really switch all my skincare products to their line.

I also would like to share to you my experiences in using Skinfood Peach Sake Emulsion and Peach Sake Toner set because, man, I really really like them! I wish I had a camera to document them all... This sucks so bad.

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For a lighter note, I am still okay, though very frustrated. I am going to resign from my job. LOL what a way to start the year, right?! I am finding it hard to be productive... It's pretty freaking difficult to be a stay-at-home girl so lonely and alone and working on some random internet job. It makes me feel like writing is a chore... And I kinda love writing! I've been blogging even before starting University and writing lame stories ever since Grade School.

I am also a proud owner of two puppies now, actually, THEY own MY heart I love them to pieces. Their names are: Umeboshi (Pickled Plum--He smelled so sour when we adopted him LOL) and Yojimbo (An "Aeon" or guardian force in the game Final Fantasy X -- I love video games.) They're absolutely sweet and cute.

What are your goals this 2010? I'm aiming for something to better myself!

MAJOR 2010 PLANS:

1. Get my money back I lent from my Sister ++ at least a month or two's pay: MY TRAVEL FUNDS TO GO TO JAPAN THIS SEPTEMBER!

2. Get a stable office work that pays more than my current job. Or get a part time job for extra cash. Preferrably somewhere closer to where I am, and one that has no internet! Or at least a computer that blocks social media sites! Grrrr, less productivity for me if I open Facebook or Plurk, and I can't seem to help it.

3. Take care of myself better. Eat less fat and less salty things plus lower sugar intake, 1 hour exercise at least 2-3 times each week so I'll lose my "holiday fats"! And I promise to take care of my skin better! Especially my problem areas like my legs which are rough with hair all the time, and also my underarms which I have no idea where to start! (PLEASE HELP!)

4. Buy nicer clothes! Quality, not quantity. Stick to designs that I like! Don't start falling prey to fashion. Have your own style. Classy, feminine, but still practical! Cheerful, light colors, pastel floral designs, cute accessories are a must-have! Add these stuff to monthly budget. Buy 1 or 2 tops per month, bottoms and shoes tri-monthly!

5. Read more. Start borrowing or renting books, not buying them. I already take up too much space when it comes to my books! Read a lot, diverse my author and genre list! Make friends with the same interests! Discover and appreciate those bookworm friends around me!

Not a lot, but I like being realistic!

THANKS FOR READING GUYS! You're all so great.

Secret to Great Skin

Q: "What's your secret to great skin?".
A: "Photoshop".

SO THERE! I AM NOT ALONE!

I don't have the clearest skin in the world! I have blemishes that are so stubborn that I don't have any idea how to clear them up. I have pores on the sides of my nose and etc etc! But you know what, I read something from VivaWoman.net...

Chizu Saeki, the author of “The Japanese Skincare Revolution” said:

Don’t fuss over every spot and line on your face. It isn’t as if their presence diminishes your worth as a woman. Most brown spots and lines can be erased with patience, and, at any rate, the overall demeanor and luster of your face are far more important in determining the impression you give.

More often than not we always have spots on our faces! It's very normal. Since I am absolutely stumped on what to do, there is always one treatment that never fails me! AT ALL!

PHOTOSHOP!
(yay.)

Click on the picture for FULL VIEW

Above is what I learned, how to make skin more clearer, erase the blemishes, give yourself a smooth glow, a tan, or even snow-white skin! Lighting also makes it easier, but you can adjust that in Photoshop, too.

What I did with the picture of Angelina Jolie above is just very subtle, and it's what magazines do to make models look pristine. It's kind of fairly easy to do in Photoshop, too, mainly because Angelina already has an almost blemish-and-line-free kind of skin. Just a little touch up and smoothening is needed :) Remember to be kind to the picture. Sometimes too much retouching can also weird the face out, making it look fake and plastic-looking.

But what about those with extremely bad skin? Like someone who has an acne-filled face? Well, Photoshop is also your best derma! LOL!

The original photo at the left is of someone suffering from dried-up acne. I ended up spending 7 minutes for cover up of the acne alone, not including the smoothening, lightening, and adjustment too! Though I don't like this editing, the person on the right looks like a CG character because his skin is too perfect. You can also adjust it in Photoshop to have a texture that can help the skin look more natural.

I only do photoshops when I am commissioned to do so, or when my friends and I gather for a little Photoshoot or something. For THIS Photoshoot Xiao and I didn't edit it, because the amazing room-lighting was already very good to us HAHAHA!

Some people might frown upon using Photoshop to cover blemishes, telling me that it's a form of LYING or that it's DECEITFUL. Um, tell that to photo editors in the magazines first, LOL! Just imagine how the sales of FHM would plummet if they were to post the models in all their raw-photo glory!

Whenever I post my picture on facebook or in any other social media, I do photoshop it, but not really super duper edit it. I just take out an embarrassing zit, some shine on my face, and some weird discoloration in my under eye. But here in my blog, I post pictures as raw as possible!

LIKE THIS!
You can't really photoshop a webcam shot as much as one you get from a digicam. The picture's are always too freaking pixelated and noisy to begin with.

Well that's all I wanted to share to you, guys! Thanks for reading! :3

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Southeast Asia Youth Movement

SEACHANGE YES2009 TRIP

From yes2009.asia:

The Youth Engagement Summit (YES2009) is a platform to create a cadre of engaged, active youth leaders dedicated to making positive changes happen in their communities and in the world. Youths are not just leaders of the future, they are today's leaders in their own schools and communities.

Hence, it is with this in mind that the Youth Engagement Summit has been established to bring together youths, active youth leaders, world leaders in business, government, entertainment, and the general public to a platform where opinions, discussions and experiences can be shared.

The 2-day summit which is hosted in Kuala Lumpur this November, brings together some of the most inspiring, engaging Global Change Icons.

We’re giving 500 Southeast Asian youths an opportunity to be inspired, meet people and experience Malaysia in all its glory. Why are you still there reading this? Head over to http://youthsays.com/seachange for the next step!

What will you get when you are part of SEACHANGE?

Free Trips to YES2009 Worth USD$2,500

Do the survey for the SEACHANGE YOUTH REPORT. Be heard by global leaders. Be in the running free trips to YES2009 worth USD$2,500 each!

• Learn more about YES2009
• Learn more about the rules and regulations of the FREE TRIP

Meet youths who share your goals

Ask them questions, get answers, share ideas, meet friends who have the same goals.

Get support from leaders and organizations

We have partner organizations ready to develop programs to help you with your personal change needs. The more youths voice out on what they need, the more programs, opportunities, and activities we can bring in!

Your membership in SEACHANGE also means you're part of the YouthSays.com community

YouthSays.com specializes in bringing organizations to listen to youths. We've helped Malaysian youths be part of 200+ research projects and organized the country's largest youth festival with them. This means SEACHANGE will get proven support... but focused on more partners and more of your personal needs!

SEND YOUR NAME IN!

Cosfail (Cosplay Fail) with Friends

I went to Xiao's place to help have some Happy-Time.

xiao, aicha, moe

Haha, random uniforms! lol! Xiao is wearing a real Japanese school girl uniform we found in a thrift store and Moe was wearing a Haruhi Suzumiya-inspired uniform. Xiao let me wear her Nursing Type-A (I'm not a Nursing graduate like them! LOL)

We took lots of funny pictures and for the rest of the day. When I spend time with my friends, there is never a single moment I'm not grinning and laughing and smiling and horsing around. Here are some pics they took of me:

I'm not licensed to operate a stethoscope (haha!)

me and moe doing sexy poses and failing

Don't cry, it's ok, I think your brain is still functioning! Yay!

It's my first time to wear a nurse's uniform, it looks so cute but the fabric is very very stiff! It's also hot! Xiao and Moe told me that they had to wear that everyday for 6 months straight for their hospital duty, and they had to take a bath twice in a day: one in the morning and another after their duty because of too much sweating underneath their nurse dress! D:

Being with friends is always refreshing. You always think of fun ways to spend the day <3

Meet My New Shampoo

"...You try to improve yourself at the start of each new day; of course, you achieve quite a lot in the course of time. Anyone can do this, it costs nothing and is certainly very helpful. Whoever doesn't know it must learn and find by experience that a quiet conscience makes one strong."

- Anne Frank

Yesterday was a leisurely Sunday as any. I woke up and lounged around the house--- though most of my morning I was rooted in my bed, reading The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. I've just started reading this morning and I couldn't put the book down, even to get some of my favorite biscuits to munch on. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a great read about mystery, fantasy, and a good bit of literature. The very first sentence of the novel captured me. I was delightfully floored.

In the afternoon, I went to the mall to see Blood: The Last Vampire. The movie was lame. Too much talking which made it kind of draggy. The CG rendering of splattered blood looked so fake that it ended up like red mud/thick grease.

After that I hit the department stores because I ran out of shampoo that morning. I was using Vaseline shampoo because it makes my hair smell like it's very clean even when I'm sticky and sweating all over; and it's the cheapest, too. Last week I was thinking to myself of buying a new brand, preferably something that's higher in quality. I decided between L'Oréal Vive Pro Smooth Intense Care and Herbal Essences Dangerously Straight - Pin Straight. I'll try several shampoos out to see what's best for my hair :) I bought the Herbal Essences first because the bottle is so cute!



Isn't it so adorable? It looks like some twisty candy thing. This 355 ml costs just around PHP170 or approximately $4. Maybe I'll post a small review if the product is worth it.

See you!