Pray for Visayas

I am always fascinated every time I visit a particular historical site as my imaginative being tends to arise and visualize how it looks like back then, theorizing if one of my ancestors had once visited that place, and how many people from generation to generation have seen it, realizing how lucky we are to witness a place that has shaped our culture. But last week, a big part of our culture was ruined by a recalcitrant earthquake that unpredictably hit the center part of our country.

Bohol was totally affected being the epicenter of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake. Just earlier this year, I had the chance to visit this beautiful place. And I cannot deny that Bohol exhibits a rich Filipino culture through its century-old churches and picturesque sceneries that cannot be just seen anywhere. I am deeply saddened by this tragedy as these grande structures that played the vital role in our history will now remain alive on photos and postcards and cannot be anymore seen first hand by future generations (unless the government will spend real big bucks restore it). 

Baclayon Church (erected 1500s), the Second oldest church in the country, that is made out of coral stones and egg whites as cement.

(View prior post here)

My visit (April 2013)

October 2013 (c) Choose Philippines

 The famous Chocolate Hills. I bet every traveller/tourist could not afford to leave Bohol without visiting this place.

April 2013

October 2013 (c) ABS CBN News

The Chocolate Hills View Deck. Every visitor must ring the bell after casting their wishes. Pretty sure nobody wished for this to happen. But it unfortunately did.

April 2013

October 2013 (c) Inquirer News

And little did everyone know that the largest python in captivity (one of our treasures in ecosystem and biodiversity) that was housed in Bohol died couple of months before the disaster. It was definitely a tragic year for us, especially for Boholanos (and Cebuanos as well). I heard from the news that they still experience thousands of aftershocks week after the earthquake. Let us all pray for their safety and for their strength to stand up and start over again.

After all, it's not just the century-old structures and beautiful sceneries that make up our history and culture. What really matters most is how we respond to the needs of others in times of distress, and how we can be heroes to our fellow Filipinos in our own different and simple ways. And those are the traits that we Filipinos are most known for.

 Always,

 

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!

Celebrating Anniversary at a Book Fair

I spent my first year at work in a haven for learning - The Book Fair! Since I have no one to date with to celebrate this embarking moment of my life, I pulled out a book lover officemate with me and indulged in a geeky way of taking a break from the stressors at work and start looking for the unusual cheap finds at the Fair!

I am not a hundred percent bookworm. I read a lot, but I only prefer the same list of genres since then, and I never want to explore reading something new to my mind. But the enticing book scent welcomed you as you enter the vicinity, just like the aroma of a sumptuous food tingling your appetite. The pleasant smell of the thousand books exhibited in the fair made me crave to enter the world of knowledge and explore what it instills.

A lot of exhibitors were present in the fair. Major bookstores, textbook publishers, religious printing press from various sectors (Catholic, Protestant, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc) and different Filipino independent publishers nationwide. Side events and book signing of different authors were scheduled every day as well. And what I really like about book fairs is they give a big discount exclusively to the book fair visitors. That's something looking forward about this kind of events!

I was not really prepared about visiting this fair. So I felt somehow lost about what to look for and what to buy. Hence lessons to be taken note of are the following:

1. Have yourself a list of books (title or at least a genre) of what you would like to search for or buy. Almost all of the books were present in the fair yet I did not know what I really like to have after all.
2. In this part, I might be charged a lawsuit case for saying this, but I advise everyone to prefer getting Filipino/local books instead of the books from the foreign publishers. Admit that electronic book copies spread in the online space and sometimes they come for a cheaper price or even free, so I prefer looking for books from local publishers since they rarely release e-copies. But if you're more comfortable reading in the paperback copies, then go grab it! LOL

We came across PSICOM Publishing and we found Pinoy entertainment books written by Filipino authors Stanley Chi, Ramon Bautista, Tado Jimenez, etc. Never thought we would have such entertaining materials that are very light to read; a break indeed from those serious themed books that I used to read.

Other finds

Aside from books, you can also get school
supplies for a lower price! Of course you all know
I'm graduated from this stuffs.

Indeed an evidence that technology invades books. Several
e-books were already exhibited in the fair and you can
purchase a copy for your electronic gadget. I'm still not
 used to seeing e-books substituting the paperbacks.
Though I myself is already an e-book reader,
 having experienced reading almost several
electronic copies through my iPad/iPhone.

Keri Smith

I visited FullyBooked Booth and stumbled upon Keri Smith's cool activity books and journals. Me and my friend had the longest time of our visit as we got confused on what Keri Smith book we would get.

(L) Mess Book: More like a Wreck This Journal Book. As the title speaks, it is more about random ramblings in life, writing it without control and living a better life from mistakes. (R) Finish This Book is a book for geeks. I like it how it teaches you unique writing codes so you can scribble freely without anyone getting it.

How to be an Explorer of the World is I guess a book for introverts like me. It makes you realize the things that make you up and yet remained unnoticed. Sounds deep but I love its fieldwork activities. (Credits)

Of course this is what I got after a long time of contemplating: the famous Wreck This Journal! This is a very cathartic way to express your grievances in life - A perfect partner again for introverts like me!

What I got

I only got few Filipino books and PSICOM, Wreck This Journal (which I got a 20% off) and a Doraemon Comics in Filipino with notebook and a pencil as freebies!

'Til my next geeky adventure!

Always,

 

Demi Lovato - Heart Attack Inspired Makeup

I love how makeup transforms Demi Lovato into two different looks: the sleek and fresh and the dark and smokey looks. And in my latest tutorial, I will be recreating these two different inspired looks in one video!

Makeup used:

Sleek and fresh look:

1. Benefit Porefessional
2. Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup
3. In2It Eyebrow Pencil
4. Clinique Eyeshadow
5. Benefit Peek-a-Bright Eyes (Light Cream Shadow)
6. Mac Eye Kohl in white
7. Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Ultra-Volume Mascara
8. Lime Crime Uniliner Quill
9. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick Matte 003

Dark and Smokey look:

1. Forever 21 Love and Beauty Midnight Eyes
2. Hoola Benefit
3. Benetint by Benefit

Notice that I used more items in the first look because we need to create an illusion of having a healthy and glowing face with a dimension. Unlike in the second look where we just had to swipe dark eyeshadow and contour the jawline with a matte bronzer.

Here's the video: