The Makeup for the "NO MAKEUP LOOK"

It may sound too ironic, but sometimes in the world of makeup, a little effort is needed in order to enhance an effortless look.

It has been awhile since I posted a real post here on Blogger, and I'm glad to have myself back! Allow me to share with you my favorite everyday makeup that looks like you're not wearing any makeup at all! I might be sounding like violating a Philosophical rule under a Circular Reasoning Fallacy, but actually, there's really a secret to no makeup look, and it's literally called The Secret to No Makeup Makeup by Too Faced. It's a one-stop shop palette for your blemish-concealing and face-contouring needs, allowing you to achieve a fresh and effortless looking face, just like you just got up from your bed with a very sweet dream this morning!

The packaging looks like joking (Well, the title of the makeup itself did it). But it's definitely a girl's every power! 

It absolutely provides your contouring basics to enhance your fresh looking face!

Contents:

1. Bronzing Veil - swipe it on your jawline, top of your forehead and sides of your face for a more sun-kissed look.

2. Creme Blush - its cream-based texture achieves a more looking natural finish.

3. Blush - unlike the Creme Blush (above), it's in a powder shimmering form for a more glamorous look. Great for evening parties where you need an extra sparkle!

4. Conceal - used for hiding your blemishes and covering your eyebags.

5. Luminize - Basically, it's your highlighter! apply a little bit to the highest points of your face (temples of your cheeks, brow bone, nose bridge and cupid's bow). It's the most powerful tool in the palette to achieve a fresh looking face since it creates an illusion of a full-looking face profile, making it looking more young and blooming.

6. Brighten - used to cover up your dark circles. It has a lighter shade than the concealer. To achieve a perfect way to hide your blemishes, apply the concealer first and dab a little bit of brightener to fully cover them up.

For noobs, the package provides a brief guide to contour your face, depending on which effect you would prefer for
the day, be it a "just woke up look", "blemished covered nude face" or a "party ready makeup".

Swatches on my warm undertone (with flash)

I personally love this palette, that I always tag it along to my everyday makeup to-go kit! My top palettes that I definitely use are the luminizer/highlighter palette. Its cream based texture looks so natural when applied. I also love the creme blush because it stays so natural on your cheekbones. It makes me look so young and blooming everyday!

However, trying to be unbiased, let me lay some disadvantages on the line:

1. Not undertone friendly. It only offers 1 set of shades and honestly, looking at those swatches above, the concealer and brightener certainly don't blend perfectly on warm undertones and darker skin tones. 

2. The bronzer, for me is not too dark. Because again, I have a darker skin tone than the shade of the bronzing veil.

I already tried creating a fresh looking makeup in my Demi Lovato's Hear Attack tutorial, using this palette. And this
is the palette's effect on me.

Alright, selfie-ing is a cyber offense. Don't worry I have enough savings to bail myself out! Ha ha! So here are another set of "selfies" using the fresh face palette.

Allow me to share again the video using the actual product. Please refer to the first part of the video.

I hope to see you guys in your effortless beauty. After all, makeup was created to enhance our innate beauty, and not to transform us into a different being (Costume makeups are exemptions). :)

Always,

 

Pins, Studs and Fringes

Such a late post, but in a country where everyday is almost summer (except when typhoons and southwest monsoon come and stay for a couple of days), shorts and sleeveless are the basic clothing in Philippines! And to make your basic look distinct, learn to make a statement by ripping up and add a little drama to your little piece of clothing!

Fringed top from Urban Hour and High Waisted Shorts from Anti Fashion Manila

HYPE ME ON LOOKBOOK!

Spicy Mind Goes to Bohol

For Pinoy and international wanderers, Bohol should be one of the bullets in their bucket lists. Aside from its world-class beaches and finest shorelines, Bohol is also historically and culturally rich in famous landmarks and must-visit sites for tourists. It is a human heart-shaped island located almost at the center of the country, no wonder it has been coined "The Heart of the Islands"

This post includes my day-long journey around Bohol countryside. For first timers, it is advisable to put your countryside tour on your first day right after you land at Tagbilaran. Most of the tourist spots in Bohol are really distant from each other and land travelling will take almost half of your day. If you prefer to spend the most of your stay at the beach, you better put the countryside tour on your top itinerary because it may cost you some hours travelling from Panglao back to Tagbilaran and vice versa.

What to Expect and What to Prepare:

1. Have your countryside tour on the first day of your stay, especially if you plan to spend the rest of your stay in Panglao or hence it will cost a lot of your time travelling by land.
2. Expect long land travels. Tourist spots are too far away from each other most especially the Chocolate Hills. Have a bottle of water or bring something to munch with you to avoid hassle.
3. Apply sunscreen, wear light clothes and bring umbrella/hat. The weather is extremely hot, but you have to expect a little drizzle sometimes (very tropical). Unless you already want to get a tan before you go beaching at Panglao!
4. Prepare small bills with you. Tourist spots require a small amount of entrance fees for maintenance and wildlife protection (for animals). To avoid hassle of waiting for you to get changed, better pay them in smaller bills. Aside from entrance fees, you might also want to drop additional donations/tips for entertainers you meet along your way, or buy souvenir items from small stores you can bump into.
5. Bring camera! Unless you're not a photo buff unlike yours truly :)

We had an hour delay from the original time of our touchdown to Tagbilaran. Hence, our time was a little bit compressed to visit the all the sites.

Our Bohol Countryside Tour Itinerary (and our time of arrival and entrance fees to each site):
Tagbilaran Touchdown : 10:30
Butterfly Sanctuary : 11:30 ; 20 PHP
Loboc River Cruise : 12:00 ; est. 450 PHP
Sevilla Hanging Bridge : 13:30; 20 PHP
Man-Made Forest : 14:30 ; free
Tarsier : 15:00 ; 60 PHP
Chocolate Hills : 16:30 ; 50 PHP
Bohol Python and Wildlife Park : 17:00 ; 20 PHP
Baclayon Church : 17:30 ; free (25 PHP for the museum)
Alona Beach : 18:00

We booked an airport transfer who picked us up in the airport, but instead of bringing us straight to our hotel, we decided to arrange the countryside tour for 2000.00 (500 for airport transfer, 1500 for tour). But as you approach the exit of the airport, a lot of taxi drivers will welcome you as they offer countryside tour package that are affordable and "haggleable" :)


Butterfly Sancuary
Our first stop was the Butterfly Sanctuary, where we had a real encounters with butterflies. For 20 PHP, you can have a real time glimpse of the butterfly cycle, the most nostalgic lessons we had back in grade school.

Click Here for more pictures of our Butterfly Journey and other animals in Bohol!

Loboc River Cruise
Since it was almost lunchtime, we headed straight to Loboc River Cruise. It is one of the famous tourist spots in Bohol that should be in every traveller's must-visit list.

Basically, the Loboc River Cruise is the most efficient way to tour the wonderful place. You can eat your buffet lunch/dinner while having the picturesque view of the site, while listening to relaxing live music, while inhaling the fresh air, detoxifying your lungs from the polluted air of the city -- All in an hour of boat ride around Loboc River. They offer services four times a day, the first two batches during lunch and the other two at dinner. It is also best to visit the site at night, as relaxing lights around the river adds up the ambience of romance to the nature. This can be a different way to be romantic especially if you are with your loved ones -- an escape from a traditional restaurant fine dining at the city.

At the middle of your trip, we were serenaded by a group of young locals as a sign of welcoming us to their wonderful paradise. It feels so light and entertaining, especially when two from the kids got into the groove of Tinikling, a traditional Filipino dance.

Click Here for a complete blogpost (prices, boat tickets and more details) and my spicy verdict about Loboc River Cruise.

Hanging Bridge
Talking about a little bit of adventure, our driver brought us to the Hanging Bridge of Sevilla where you have to cross at least 40 meters of hanging bridge made of bamboo. But need not to worry, since it has become a tourist spot, the bridge was improved by strengthening its stability and crossers' safety through the installed steels on handles and sides. But you can still feel the bridge rocking and hear some "cracking" sounds as you make every steps.

There are food stalls, buko juice vendors and souvenir items as you cross on the other side of the bridge.

Man-Made Forest
While we're on our way to the Tarsier sanctuary, I failed to take a snapshot of the man-made forest because I fell asleep during our trip. Destinations are really far from each other so you better allow a  whole day trip for your countryside itinerary and book a driver to tour you around all day long. But this Man-Made Forest is deserving to be seen and captured. It feels like one of the beautiful national forests in the west. Make sure you don't fall asleep or better notify your driver to take you there and take some photos.



Tarsier
Lucky are those who belong to this generation, we have the opportunity to witness the most special creations God has given the world. Although it's too bad for me, I was not allowed to touch the tarsiers anymore unlike before. Since they are critically endangered, we have to preserve the remaining species by making their lives more comfortable.

Tarsiers are small primates found in Southeast Asian regions. It may be commonly coined as smallest monkeys, but scientifically speaking, they belong to a group of primates, not monkeys.

More about my Tarsier encounters and other animals!  Click Here

Chocolate Hills
This is probably one of the frontliner spots in Bohol. As the name says, its more than a thousand number of hills turn like a pile of chocolates as grasses tend to dry during summer season. It may be the farthest destination in your itinerary, but never ever leave Bohol without visiting its flagship tourist destination that is known not only the whole country, but worldwide as well!

More details on this trip and my spicy verdict for Chocolate Hills! Click Here

Python
We also had the chance to see (and touch!) the largest python in captivity, and its name is Prony. Aside from the python, you can also see a vast number of species in the area, such as the money, hornbill, and turkeys.

Know more about Prony the Python and other animals! Click Here

Baclayon Church
There are a lot of historical churches that are worth visiting in Bohol, but The Parish of Immaculate Conception, also known as Baclayon Church possesses the historical charm of them all. Being established in 1595 using coral stones and egg whites as cement, it is one of the oldest standing church in the Philippines next to San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila.

 

When microphone was not yet invented, priests used this podium with a small canopy on top to amplify their voices so they can be heard by the mass-goers. They usually call it as Pulpito or Pulpit.

The Miracle Wall
 One of the reasons why it also catches attention of tourists is the face that mysteriously appears on one side of the church's exterior walls. They believed it to be the face of Padre Pio de Pietrelcina.

(c) sankieblogger.wordpress.com

Panglao Island
It was almost dinner time when we reached Panglao Island, the home of the best beaches in Bohol. It's Beachin' time!

Click Here for our Panglao Summer Adventure!

Always,

Beachin' in Panglao

Panglao is the home of the finest beaches in Bohol. Known for its powdery white sand, no wonder it is known internationally as one of the best summer destinations!

(c) traveltreats.wordpress.com

Panglao's area is quite bigger than Boracay, so it comprises several beaches for you to stay and chill. Due to compressed time, I only visited Dumaluan Beach and Alona Beach.

Dumaluan Beach

Dumaluan has more maintained shoreline, hence it is known for having the finest powdery sand and clear waters, unlike Alona Beach shoreline that is clumped with seagrass most of the time. It houses the most high-end beach resorts in the island, Bohol Beach Club and Eskaya Resort. But if you have a strict budget, you can still visit Dumaluan Beach Resort that is locally owned and maintained. For as low as 25 PHP, you can already have a splash of Dumaluan's clear water and waddle on it finest white powdery sand! There are also beach resorts that offer reasonable price for frugal beach buffs aside from BBC, Eskaya and DBR. 

If you're looking for more serene beach spots, Dumaluan is the best beach area for you! However, food choices are limited in the area compared to Alona Beach, where the party and crowd reside!

Dumaluan Beach Resort is one of the most affordable beach in the island. 

Dumaluan's finest powdery sand (c) boholblog.myboholguide.com

Alona Beach

If you're looking for nightlife, foodtrips, party and crowd, go to Alona Beach! But need not to worry, it's not as crowded and noisy as Boracay, but not as quiet as Palawan as well. It's somewhere in the middle! So it is really perfect for tourists who would like to chill and do a little party as well!

Seagrass are scattered around, and small diving boats are parked everywhere making the beach a little bit crowded.
But it has a white, fine powdery sand and clear waters as well. 

Food and accommodation is not a problem in Alona Beach. It offers a vast number of hotels, restaurants and bars just in front of the beach, from expensive to the most affordable price!

Hotel

We stayed at Alona Vida Hotel, right at the heart of Alona Beach. The price is just somewhere in the median if you list all the hotel rates in the area. There are a lot of resorts that are in the beach front area, but if you are a backpacker who just needs a little place to spend the night, there are also bed spaces for rent pricing from 1200 PHP per night.


Activities

There are lesser activities to do in Panglao unlike in Boracay. But Alona Beach has the best diving spots for its rich marine biodiversity. No wonder why diving shops are also scattered around the area.

Island Hopping

When you get bored chilling and burning your skin from the sun, hire a boat to bring you to Balicasag and Virgin Island. A lot of locals around the shoreline actually bump into you to avail of their boat rides for at least 1000 PHP. Here are some list of the activities you can do and spots that are must-see! 

Dolphin Watching!

Snorkelling at Balicasag Fish Sanctuary (c) boyetstour.blogspot.com

Lunch at Balicasag

Fresh Sea Urchins! Tastes like the sea. Vendors will break these sea urchins in front of you, so it's guaranteed fresh from the sea! It's 60 PHP each.

Visit the Virgin Island's Sandbar!

Visit the Virgin Island's Sandbar! (c) Reyan Abes

Food and Nightlife

Alona by night

Since Europeans do visit this place most of the time, restaurants offer vast kinds of cuisine, from Italian, Swiss, French, Thai, Korean and some Continental dishes so your taste buds won't get bored on your entire stay. While at night, these restaurants turn into bars as they offer different kinds of drinks and cocktails while you are serenaded by different live bands of different genre. I don't usually get loyal to any of those restos during my stay. Every night, I usually go restaurant and bar hopping to taste everything Alona Beach has to offer as much as I could. So here are the must-visit bars and restaurants at Alona Beach!

Brick-oven Pizzas

Don't forget to stop by Alona Brick Oven Pizza or Hayahay Hotel and Restaurant and Coco Vida and taste their freshly baked hot Pizza!

Ihaw-Ihaw

For authentic Filipino dishes, stop by the Alona's grilling station. They are scattered everywhere, every night! It might be a little bit costly (since these are imported from Tagbilaran) but I guarantee you a great taste!

Squids, crabs, shells and fish, these are guaranteed fresh!

Coco Vida

Of course I have to blog about the bar and restaurant of my hotel. It offers one of the best and sumptuous food in Alona Beach (without bias!) though it's a little bit expensive. Don't worry, it's worth the price!

My Papa and I cannot just get away with our comfort food -- SINIGANG

Happy Hour!

Stay awake until 22:00 and you can have alcoholic drinks for a cheaper price. No, it's still not cheap after all. But as a benefit of being an explorer, I discovered Lost Horizon Resort for having a legit happy hour prices. Its beers cost from 25 - 40 PHP during happy hours, compared to other bars in area, which prices are doubled. Aside from the beers, you can also have a Rhum-coke for a price of 25 PHP compared to 100 PHP price on other bars. IT'S A REAL HAPPY HOUR!

Bohol Bee Farm

It's outside the area of Alona Beach (20 mins away from the area), so you have to approach your front desk to bring you to Bohol Bee Farm. It offers the best organic food so you can eat without guilt. Do not also miss their homemade ice cream with dried cassava cone.

Malunggay and Ginger Ice Cream in Dried Cassava Cone! Click the link below to know more
about Bohol Bee Farm!

Click Here for my Organic Journey and my tour around their farm and my spicy verdict!

Panglao Island is the best place for a little fun and a little chill. Since there's not much activities to do in here and it is not much crowded as well, all you need to do is relax, dip into its cool waters, lie down on its white sands and move away from the stressful world in the city.

Always,

TPS Goes to Bohol! Click Here