Style: Trying out Zakka Clothes & Why I Don't Like Fashion Trends

I don't have a sense of fashion.
But I do have a sense of style.

But I'm pretty sure I don't look good at all!

I am just really lost on today's fashion. I don't normally dress up for anything, but I am so sick and tired of being in jeans all the time.  But I don't want to be just following trends because most of today's trends are really... ugly. I often feel lost in clothing boutiques when I try to find something that I will find nice. I can't find it.

There is this movement called ZAKKA STYLE that stemmed from Japan. A quick google image would suffice to impress the earthy nature and the quaintness of it all. A related clothing style for Zakka is the Natural Style that I've come to grow and love.

We all have that certain taste that defies logic sometimes. For me, it's layering clothes. I am amazed at how put-together a layered outfit looks when done right.  I have very little interest in clothes, but I want to choose clothes that reflect the level of comfort I want to feel. And I love to feel comfortable even if it means I look really boring. I've found some sources of inspiration that somehow gives me that "AHA!" moments.

I've searched high and low for Natural style which comprises of clothes that are already in my closet. I really don't want to shop for clothes anymore. My cabinet is really tiny (and inside my wardrobe is a bookshelf, so there's not a lot of space allotted for clothes hahah!) so once I do look for certain pieces of clothing, I make sure that it is made of high-quality and can withstand plenty of uses.

There's a picture I saved on my Dropbox that gave me that AHA! moment. It is this:

From the Mina Perhonen collection seen here

For me, it is pretty quirky! So I loved it immediately. It's not the usual outfit you see around here. I mean, it's hard to wear this in the middle of the day. But I'm glad that my place of work is SOOO COLD. And also, lately, there's a lot of cool clouds in the sky with splatters of rain. I guess I can get away with it so I tried this style with the clothes I currently have!

My Take:

I like that I tried my best in staying true to the colors. It was so fun to wear this, I could almost sleep in it! Soooo comfy! :D Not bad~

I find that Natural Style is being who you are. The organic you. Not being apprehensive if people will think you're being ridiculous. It may seem so for them because it's really not what's everyone is wearing, so you kinda "stick out" a bit. But it's not the attention I want or their criticisms. I want to feel comfortable... and that's it.

I didn't even mind if I got a comment, "Oh, you're covered all over..." so maybe they find my clothes dowdy / not really pretty. And that's a-OK! I don't feel that I'm super pretty in this as well, just very comfy :D

I hope I can scrounge up for more styles that I can use. It's wonderful to feel comfortable in your own skin and in the clothes you wear!

Places: PaperRockScissors the Perfect Craft Store in Davao

Listening to: "It's Time" - Imagined Dragons

Hello everyone! This post is not exactly skin-care related, but I'd like to share something else tonight. Yes, it's a craft shop :) kind of weird, but you know my recently-aquired love for crafting and sewing, right?

However nice Davao City is and its how accommodating its stores and establishments may be, hobby shops are definitely NOT dime a dozen from where I am. I can barely find things I want. National chains for school supplies and crafting items are not much help.

But maybe that's my fault: I don't get out a lot. Well if I didn't go out last night for a dinner at Zabadani Cafe (Grilled Syrian Chicken is just too yummy to pass up!), I would never know that what I needed was right under my nose!

A recently-opened shop called Paper Rock Scissors is one of my recent finds. Located just a minute away from where I work is the hobby shop of my dreams! It is so quaint and pretty and houses a lot of craft items, scrapbooking materials, rubber stamps and so much more.
 

When I got there, I was surprised at the amount of wonderful things to look at! Everything was begging to be bought. Not only their items, their containers and notices are so bright and pretty, too!

I enjoyed browsing around the store as their knickknacks distracted me one after the other. I couldn't stop ahhing~ and ohhhing~ at each little thing inside. It was so colorful, it made me happy! And you know me, when I am hyper I just can't stop myself.

Paper Rock Scissors service menu!

Just outside their main entrance, a random basket of fruit greets you!

I bought something. One of the items in my crafting wishlist~

I commend the owner for setting up this little shop. I also love that when I talked about wanting to modpodge some cute scrapbooking paper, she understood, and she even taught me her secret to DIY modpodge. That definitely is a plus in my books. She sure knows her craft. I feel relieved, you know! I was like "Finally, a store that understands..."

DIY ribbon-tied boxes

Aaaaa! The pastel colors make me want to weep in their loveliness~

Items ranging from ribbons to stamps are the popular must-buys of Paper Rock Scissors. Not a lot of stores carry these, especially ones that you can PERSONALIZE! You can ask about their rubber stamp personalizing at the store. The owner is really friendly and knows her craft! (Pun definitely intended :p )

I love these little jars with the modpodge'd canister covers

So cute! These are cardboard-type crafting paper! Finalllyyyyyy~

I've been interested in purchasing Washi Tape. Not a lot of store knows this, but the owner pointed me to the jar full of washi tapes :) This is an adhesive tape which is made of fabric. I am floored that washi tape is now in Davao!

If you have time, go and visit Paper Rock Scissors at Damosa right along Mamay Road. It's just about fronting Nikkei Jin Kai school. The store has also a Facebook page www.facebook.com/paperrockscissors.ph


I hope they'll stock more on

Products: Organic Skincare - Human Heart Nature, Queen Helene, Lush!

Hello everyone! ~

I am so glad to have some time today to share more about the organic/natural skin care that I use day after day. These are a product of my experiments, tests and from there I finally found some great things that I could use! Being a fan of Human Heart Nature products that I purchased online, I now moved on to incorporating more of their product lines ;)

There are quite a bunch, right? I'm not crazy, these are mostly sample sizes. Also, I am hoping to trim it down sometime soon... I'm just trying out a variety to be sure what products works for me :) 

Human Heart Nature Products (Left-Right) Reviews:

Tomato Extract Nourishing Facial Wash (PHP 79.75 / USD 1.90)- This is a clear, runny gel-type wash that does not produce suds. It cleans so well but does not leave the face 'squeaky dry'. It has a gentle, fresh fruit smell that I really love, and helps me get rid of oiliness and dirt without a harsh feeling. This is a keeper until I try the Blemi & Orange Balancing Facial Wash and see if I like it (Balancing Wash is currently sold out all over!)

Tomato Extract Nourishing Face Toner (PHP 99.75 / USD 2.30)- A wonderful toner that leaves the face dewy. It is clear and watery, with a bright, fruit scent that is not overpowering. I prefer the Balancing Toner over this, though, but this is still good if I need an extra boost for dry parts of my face and especially my neck area.

Citronella Bug Spray (PHP 99.75 / USD 2.30) - I bought this because of the alarming incidences of dengue all over nearby towns. I purchased one for my little nephews and for myself as well--can't be too careful! This is oil-based and heavy. It has really potent citronella herb smell which mosquitoes hate but I like! I usually just apply this on some parts of my body like arms and legs. It definitely keeps bugs away, I stopped getting bitten! :)

Blemi & Orange Balancing Face Toner (PHP 99.75 / USD 2.30) - Amazing, amazing, amazing! I can't rave about this product enough. I love it because after toning it creates a soft, non-dewy, natural feeling on my face. It keeps my oiliness low throughout the day. It works so well for me that I want to purchase the big bottle as soon as it is available. The scent of smooth citrus perks me up! It is easy to spread using a square cotton.

Moisturizing Day Fluid  (PHP 149.75 / USD 3.50) - A light and easy-to-spread moisturizer that lives up to the "a little goes a long way" hype. It is filled with 15 vitamins and minerals for the skin to enjoy so you can't really go wrong with this. Makes the face dewy but I don't mind, it makes you look glowing and pleasant! Scented with some natural herbs, it gives me some energy, somehow... I dunno :)

Sunflower Beauty Oil - I have the large (PHP 249 / USD 5.90) and travel-size (PHP 129 / USD 3) variants. I keep the smaller one in my bag all the time. It is a clear oil which is amazing for almost everything skin-wise and it has no scent, too! It made my elbows smoother and somewhat evened out the tone (usually elbow areas are darker than other skin areas) I also apply this on my legs and feet at night. I take the small bottle with me to our very cold office so in case my lips get chapped I dab a small amount. I also use it as a hand cream hahah~ My skin definitely gets a lot of boost! I give credit to SBO for my smoother skin!

Healthy Lotion in Berry Bliss - Tried the small sample size and LOVED IT SO MUCH that the next day I got the big bottle. I use this night and day, and it is so light and dries so easily on the skin (no greasy feel what.so.everrrr.) The lotion is not creamy as much as it is runny and has a white color with a strong zing of candied berries! No harmful chemicals, a lot of skin-friendly nutrients: This is my lotion for life!

On the left side are my DAY products which consist of the face wash, toner, and moisturizer (if I'm really lazy I skip this which is probably bad!) and a light lotion for my arms, legs and body to keep the skin healthy.

On the right side are my NIGHT stuff which mostly is the same but the Sunflower oil is heavier than the day moisturizer, and I have some Citronella natural bug spray and the Mint Julep mask (which I use 2x a week only or as needed.)

I know that the Queen Helene Mint Julep mask is not 100% organic but it does have Kaolin Clay. I have wanted to try this product for so long. I used to be a seller of Queen Helene before, but I stopped because the product gets sold out almost all the time that I didn't even own a tube of it myself.

I just recently applied Mint Julep mask last week because my face took a huge hit. Due to my very irregular sleeping habits and stress, my face is a wreck. Here I am with a lot of my pimples (very icky, sorry!):

First application: Monday

Well, thankfully my consistent application of HHN products and a follow-up reapplication of Queen Helene (Thursday) helped my skin recover fast! I still have some zits but not as many as before.

Second application: Thursday (You know you love my clothes-clip-turned-hair-clip!~LOL)

I haven't been applying face masks both sheet and DIY face mask regularly like before since I practically have no time at all and I can't find a 100% organic sheet mask brand yet! But I am thankful that Queen Helene really works at keeping zits dry as fast as possible.

An addition to my organic bathcare routine is the Lush Dirty Body Soap that Mike bought for me during our trip to Manila. I made sure that I used up my other organic soap before using this. It is a cute blue soap that smells of the cleanest fragrance of spearmint. It not only keeps your body dirt-free, it leaves a nice scent that settles nicely for quite some time!

All these products are bought by me (or given as a gift!) Quite an aggressive switch from last year's old skincare regimen, don't you think? I'm trying to really make a stand that we should do away with a lot of irritants and chemicals in skin care. It is important that we use products that NOURISH and make our body happy and free from danger! Let's do our best~

Whew!
That was a long post; but that was for being away all the time and not being around more.
Thank you for reading! See you~