Christmas 2014 Wishlist

Christmas is just a few days away and there's this silent panic going  through me because I'm swimming neck-deep in "things I have to accomplish" before Christmas and one is this particular post. Last year, my Christmas wish list got posted as soon as December hit and I got pressured when I  received a text message from my Ninang asking me what I wanted this Christmas.

This Christmas most of the things I want and need are centered towards my new business endeavors. You won't be seeing anything makeup or skincare related on my Christmas 2014 wish list but I do hope you still find my list interesting.

Top to Bottom : Digital Kitchen Scale, Cutesy Apron, Alpha-Numerical Cookie Cutters, Fondant Smoother, Plain Fondant Roller & Fondant Rollers with designs I think by now most of you can already guess what my new business adventure is? It's baking! Last year I started a small online slash baking from home business that I called Sugar Works and it's received a good amount of notice. This coming 2015 I've decided to broaden the scope of my baking and finally accept customizable cakes & cupcakes (hooray for fondant & gum paste!) hence the need for the above mentioned tools. At the top of my wish list is definitely the digital kitchen scale because I'm trying my best to be more precise in my recipes and I'm looking forward to experimenting with recipes that call for ingredients measured by grams. 
Top to Bottom : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Any or all of these ASOS Curve dresses. I'm in the size US20 or UK24 (yes, there's a difference). I really like the quality of ASOS clothing and the fit.
Okay, I think that's about it. Wait, what? No MAKEUP? *chuckles* Yes, no make up this year because this year it's all about the needs and less of the wants.
PS : I'm also accepting hankies, white socks, black & blue ball pens as well as a new "lunch" food keeper for my hospital duty days. Hehe. :)

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10 Things I've Learned This 2014

It's the 13th of December and this is going to be my first post for the last month of the year. It's been almost a month since I posted anything and I'm due to post a rather personal entry now. It the 12 months of 2014, I've learned a lot about life and did a bit of growing up again this year. I've been thinking a lot about whether or not I should write this but what the hell... It is my blog after all.

TOP 10 THINGS I'VE LEARNED THIS 2014

1. There are always going to be those few people who don't grow out of their teenage petty bitchy selves. It isn't a phase for them. Sadly, it's their way of life. Don't try to change them. Leave them be and make other friends. Try not to associate yourself with people like them. I've learned not to waste my time on petty drama and talking shit about people because to be honest, it's emotionally draining!

2. I now know the difference of what I THINK is embarrassing and what really IS embarrassing. Back in high school I'd rather die than having one of my boy classmates catch a look of my "red tide" napkins stashed in my kikay kit. Now I'd shamelessly ask male friends to go buy me a napkin or tampon in case of red tide emergencies!

3. You won't have a big group of friends. Big groups are difficult to take track of and can get messy when fights break out and you're forced to "take sides". Being able to count your close and trusted friends on one hand isn't a bad thing. I have only a handful of true blue friends who I can trust with my own life and I'm thankful I have them. 

4. Don't try to convince other people that their religion or beliefs are wrong or inferior to your own. Do not judge their agnosticism or atheism. No matter how much you disagree with whatever they believe in doesn't give you any right to call it bullshitting. Plus, it's disrespectful. Just because you go to church or pray more often that some people doesn't make you any better.

5. Reaching your country's legal age (A.K.A. turning 18!) doesn't give you the "right" to no longer listen to your parents especially when they give you advise. 99.99% of the time, they still end up right. Remember they still have a helluva lot more experience with "life" than you do. I'm 23 years old and I still run to my elders for sound advise especially on "big life decisions" like wether or not I should accept a cake order or not. *teehee*

6. Sex. How much you have or don't have of it and with whom becomes a very minute factor in a real relationship but just because that's the case, doesn't mean you can just open your legs up to anybody with something in between their legs. Respect your body. Choose wisely.

7. Karma is a BITCH and she is real. I've experienced it personally and have seen others suffer from her hands too. But she's not all that bad. Remember, if you give more, you'll get more.

8. Your gut is always right. Always. Whenever I refuse to listen to my gut, disaster strikes! They say a woman's gut instinct is her best ally and I totally agree to that... I now try to always listen to what my gut has to say.

9. Energy is palpable. There are just those people who have positive energy and make you feel happy and alive. There also those people who are filled with negative energy and just drain you... I've been lucky to have encountered only a few negative people this 2014 and I pray that I no longer have to cross paths with them again.

10. Don't sweat the little things. I can be very high strung because of my perfectionist tendencies but this year I've learned that "talo inis" is very real. I've learned to not let the small things get to me as easily as they did before.

Well, that's it for me. What have you learned this 2014?

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Virtual Blog Tour : My Writing Process

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I'm going through a phase - transition. Yes, I'm definitely going through a transition. I've realized that I want to shift things around on my blog by starting to blog more about life in general with a random sprinkling of beauty-related posts every now and then. Anyway, I was recently tagged by Kai of LilPink to do this "Virtual Blog Tour" and I think it's a perfect way of sharing more about who I am on this blog,

1. What am I working on?

I'm currently working on improving my blog. A few years ago, I shifted from Tumblr to this lil blog of mine and I started writing more beauty-based posts. In no time at all I started calling myself a beauty blogger till recently when I've felt a bit lost with beauty blogging... To be honest, I have a ton of beauty posts in my drafts folder that are gathering dust and cobwebs! I just think it's time to shift things on my blog to a more personal kind of vibe. At the moment I'm working on several more personal posts that will be posted in the upcoming weeks... I try my best to plan ahead of time what to blog about and I take my time in writing posts. I'm a grammar-nazi and I always try to proofread before I hit that "publish" button. Anything I miss on my first couple of proofreading sessions eventually get corrected when I re-read my posted thoughts.

2. How does your work differ from others of its type/genre?

Let's be honest... There are a gazillion beauty bloggers out there with better photos, better writing style and better blog layouts but despite this I still believe that each blog is as unique as the blogger behind them. Right now I'm going through this (semi) terrifying time of expanding my blog to a more personal one because I want the freedom of posting everything & anything I want to post on this blog.

3. Why do you write what you do?

I started blogging on Tumblr because I wanted to keep an online diary. I've always thought that typing is easier than actually writing in a diary. Plus I have ugly penmanship! *hah!* I used to write just random thoughts and re-blog funny photos on Tumblr but then I discovered beauty blogging, makeup, skin care and all the little things in between. I discovered the joy of using eyeshadows and I started a love affair with pink lipsticks... *sigh* I converted into a beauty blogger  on this current blog because I wanted to show people that makeup can really enhance and boost your confidence without masking your personality plus I wanted to share makeup products that work for me because there's a girl (or guy!) out there that's bound to love them too! *sigh* I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks where I'll be posting more personal stuff and urging the transition to a personal blog... Definitely watch out for that!

4. How does your writing process work?

With my beauty blogging, it always starts with a new beauty product. It involves snapping photos, testing the product out and typing my thoughts out on my iPhone's notes app. I'm very phone dependent and most of my blog posts start as short notes and sentences on my iPhone. I eventually move the photos onto blogger and write more well constructed paragraphs here. I proofread at least twice before posting... Recently I've started typing up more random and personal stuff on my notes app which I plan on turning into blog posts soon... 

Tagging these adorable bloggers to answer the questions above! (Good luck! It took me forever to think of a way to answer the questions without writing a novel...)

Raisie of Raisie Speaks
Jemm of Draco Princess
April of April-Perez
Shugah of WanderShugah
Mary of NarvasaMary

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November Haulage V.1

When I was a wee bit younger, I used to post a lot of hauls on this blog. Even the most mundane of hauls went onto this blog! Recently I've tried to keep my makeup shopping to the bare minimum. To be honest, I think the last time I purchased makeup was way back January. (I swear!) I've tried to stick to a promise I made my mum to actually use the products I already have and not repurchase till I run out of those products... I've gone through quite a bit of makeup and made a dent in my makeup stash so I'm really proud of that. Expect my first ever "empties" post on the makeup products I've used up soon but for now let's get on with this haulage post since my last one was way back in January!
Revlon Age Defying with DNA Advantage Concealer in Light/Medium P225 - Jessa Stephanie Hard Candy Ginormous Lash Volumizing Mascara in Black P150 - Suzanne's Emporium Revlon Custom Eyes Waterproof Mascara in Blackened Brown P200 - Suzanne's Emporium ELF Eyebrow Kit in Medium P250 - @prinsesitasarahcosmetics (IG) / Sarah B.  Revlon Photoready Bronzer in Bronzed&Chic P300 - Jessa Stephanie Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 Palette P450 - Makeup Hub Wet N' Wild Megalast Matte Lipsticks in Smokin' Hot Pink (905D), Don't Blink Pink (966) & Stoplight Red (911D) P180/each - Rebekah T.

Out of all my purchases, I'm most excited about the Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 palette because it's my first time to try a product from this brand and because there is a lot of hype that this is a Urban Decay Naked 3 palette dupe. I don't have the UD Naked3 to do a comparison post BUT there are a gazillion posts online comparing the two palettes and based on the photos I can say most of the shades are pretty spot on!
I'm also very excited for the Wet N' Wild Megalast matte lipsticks. I already have around 10 of 'em and these new shades will definitely be put to good use like the other tubes I already have. Expect a "collection, review & swatch" post of these really great lipsticks soon!

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My Life Outside The Internet : Version 6

The last time I wrote this kind of post was way back in March2014. I did promise myself that I'd write a My Life Outside The Internet (MLOTI) post at least once a month but I've been busy. I know I keep saying that but it's partly the truth to why I haven't been so actively blogging here. Why partly? Well to be honest, there are several other factors that I've considered to be very big reasons why I haven't been blogging much. I keep on thinking that it's about time I've crossed over to bigger things. Well at least blog about bigger things or more personal things. I've been thinking about changing niches for a long time now and since this is the first post for November 2014, this is my little way of telling all my readers that I'll be transitioning into a more "personal" blog. Don't get me wrong, there will still be a bit of makeup blogging going on since makeup is a very big part of my life but I've also decided to introduce other kinds of posts to create a rather huge mishmash of topics on my blog. Does that sound a bit confusing? I sincerely hope not. I feel like I'm rambling again. *chuckles* Yet I feel genuinely happy about this... I hope that by January 2015 I'll be ready to announce the completion of the transition. I've been planning a new layout and a tagline change. Please bear with me as I embark on a new chapter of my life... Which brings me to several other points about my life at the moment.

I'm finally a reliever nurse! After 6 months of being an unpaid trainee nurse, I finally got promoted to reliever nurse and have monetary compensation for my working hours. It's been one helluva ride to get to where I am now in my nursing profession. I've gone through blood (literally!), sweat and tears to get here and I hope that the blessings keep on coming. To be honest I wasn't very sure about being a nurse, some days I still question my sanity as a nurse, but it's a huge part of who I am. I am blessed to be a nurse, and an operating room nurse at that! It's a whole different level of toxicity in the operating room but I do enjoy the work. Oh there are bad days... Days where I question myself why I even try. Days where I want to give up. Days where I just want to throw a fit inside the operating room but there are days that overshadow those bad days. There are days where I experience the lil miracles performed inside the operating room. Days where post operative patients take my hand and say thank you once the anesthesia wears off. Days when I see babies that go through fetal distress and are delivered via caesarean section take their first cry of life. Days where I feel that going through the messy business of dealing with human organs and human blood is worth it because we get to save lives... I am definitely blessed to be a nurse! Being a nurse is one of the biggest reasons I haven't had the time (or energy left!) to blog regular but it's all worth it... I'm experimenting with red & plum lipsticks! I've always been a pink lipstick kind of girl and my long time blog readers know that it's a fact. 90% of my lip products are shades of pink and it's ridiculous at times especially when I realize I have so many similar shades! *lol* So since we're moving towards the "Christmas" season which is also the "fall" season for other countries, I've decided to start experimenting with some red and plum lipsticks. I've even dared going out in public with such daring pouts. To be honest, being in a small city like Zamboanga, wearing bold & dark colored lipsticks draws the "wrong" kind of attention. Some people still consider it to be only for the "putas" but I totally disagree. To be honest, I find red & plum lipstick very nice on my skin tone (I'm an NC30-35) and it really does boost my confidence. I'm currently loving the following lip products : MAC Ruby Woo, NYX Snow White, BYS Reddy Set Go,Wet N Wild Megalast Lipsticks in 918D Cherry Bomb 908C Sugar Plum Fairy & 916D Ravin Raisin, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Smitten, NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss 134 Sunrise, Nichido Lip Liner in Coral Rust & lastly NYX Lip Liner in Burgundy! I'm busy in the kitchen! I've been experimenting with different baked goods and meals in the kitchen. I'm actually planning on sharing some of my favorite recipes on this blog soon as part of my "crossing over". I've also been busy eating different foods out of my comfort zone. I've also come up with weekly meal plans ever since I found out that there was a week where we had adobo 4 out of the 7 days! Talk about repetitive! Geez! Now yaya and I have a guide on what to cook for each meal for each day of the week without any repetitions within the week. I found this method a great way to avoid having so many leftovers. My grandparents also welcomed the change. This coming weekend I've planned on a mashed potato-veggie-steak kind of dinner. Wish me luck! I'm a proud momma to a 5 month old beagle! I'm not sure if I've mentioned this in any of my previous posts but a while back I lost my two labradors to old age. I've had them since I was in high school and sickness took its toll on both of them. After they went to doggie heaven, the house had a really sad kind of quiet. After a few months we decided that we would be getting a new dog and I started researching on what breed to get next. I knew that I didn't want to get such a big dog but I didn't want any of those tiny dogs you can easily stuff into your hand bag. I wanted a medium sized short haired dog and my prayers were answered one day while dad & mum were out just "driving". They passed by a local flower shop with a bunch of beagle pups in a cage displayed outside of the shop. One thing led to the other and after a few days we took home the most active and "fat" puppy of the bunch! The photo where I'm carrying him is a day before we got to take him home. He was barely two months in that photo. Now he's turning 6 months old on the 15th! He's a really active pup and gets into a lot of "trouble" when left alone so I have to still constantly watch him. He has a funny howl and a squeaky bark as of the moment but I do hope he grows out of that stage. Before we brought him home, my sister & I had a pretty hard time deciding what to call him. She wanted to name him after a god or a villain. We had names like Loki, Lucas, Luka, Thor, Zeus & Volt on the list but nothing felt right. We kept on arguing about the name till our yaya told said "Why don't you name him Dexter, after that boy genius on Cartoon Network?" My sister & I really liked it so we decided to call him Dexter. I call him Dex for short and sometimes I still wonder if he recognizes that it's his name! *lol* He's a bit "lingas" at times but after some research I found out that beagles can be a bit preoccupied with smells to even bother listening to you. I'm definitely getting a dog trainer to work with him once he's a bit older. That's it for now... More soon. I promise! 

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#RevlonFOTD

Base (Face) : Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation (Combination/Oily Skin) - 310 Warm Golden Revlon Age Defying with DNA Advantage Concealer - 02 Light Medium Ben Nye Luxury Powder - 2B1 Banana Fanny Serrano Two Way Cake - Chino Revlon Photoready Bronzer - 100 Bronzed & Chic Beauty Uk Blusher - Rose Pink Eyebrows : Ever Bilena Ever Original Pencil - Brown Ever Bilena Color Pencil - Brown ELF Eybrow Kit - Dark Etude House Color My Brows - Natural Brown Eyes : Urban Decay Primer Potion - Original Revlon Colorstay Smoky Shadow Stick - 205 Atomic Beauty Cosmetics 120 Palette - V3 Rimmel London Exaggerate Eye Liner - 001 Black Revlon Custom Eyes Waterproof Mascara - 923 Blackened Brown Lips : Nabi Lip Liner Pencil - l31 Mauve Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain - Honey + Cherish

Oh & don't forget to join my ongoing giveaway!

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Quick Fire Giveaway : "Mason Jar" Edition

One of my recent obsessions just happen to be a quirky lil thing called "mason jar". This new craze hit a couple of months ago but I waited for the trend to die down a bit before getting a couple of these jars for myself because they were too freakin' expensive at first! I got the ones with handles but the more common ones are the ones without handles. If you google mason jar, it'll say that it's basically a molded glass jar commonly used in home canning to preserve food.  I've seen a number of posts like this 28 incredible meals you can make in a mason jar and this 41 easy things to do with mason jars that'll definitely get you thinking more creatively! So anyway, since I've been stocking up on these babies, I've set aside one jar, 2 lids and 2 paper straws specially for this giveaway! This giveaway is open to all my Philippine based subscribers and starts today, October 24, 2014 and ends on October 31, 2014 at 11:59pm. One (1) winner will be picked and an announcement will be made on my official Facebook page. The winner will then be emailed on his/her active email account and will be given 48 hours to reply. Failure to do so will automatically disqualify the winner from claiming the prize and I'll draw a new winner... Good luck everyone! a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Quick Fire October Giveaway : A Collaboration!

Hello my lovely readers! It's been awhile since I last held a giveaway on my blog so here's a new one for you guys! I've collaborated with 5 other wonderful bloggers to bring you this October's Quick Fire Giveaway!

Check out the awesome prices below! Each prize pack is worth at least P300. *wink wink* Good luck to each and everyone of you. Rafflecopter mechanics are below, don't forget to accomplish all the mandatory ones!

Oh! Just a friendly reminder... This giveaway ends on October 23, 2014 @ 11:59pm and is open to all our Philippine based readers only!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Review : Scent Swatch "Happy Women"

I've mentioned on my blog before that I'm pretty sensitive to scents but the past few months I've been trying out different scents and trying to desensitize myself. *chuckles* It's always a sad thing to buy a full sized bottle only to find out that you abhor the scent so much but it's also such a pity to let that full sized bottle sit on the shelf! *sigh* What to do? What to do? Well, I've found the perfect solution to that lil problem. *cue drum roll* Let me tell you guys about Scent Swatch. I came across Scent Swatch on an Instagram post (sorry can't remember the exact person!) and immediately I looked on Facebook and found them here.

Photo From Site

"Scent Swatch offers fragrances made from imported perfume oils that leave you smelling great all day. Choose from our wide range of designer-like scents to suit your taste. Our fragrances are Eau de Parfum grade with higher oil content than the usual Eau de Toilette grade in the market. This means scents are more defined and linger for hours longer. " I was about to place in an order but then I stumbled onto something better. I came across FAB Scents shop, a shop which is an authorized dealer of Scent Swatch. I'm very glad to say that they're Zamboanga based. Now I get to get my dose of lovely scents without paying extra for shipping! The owner, Glenn Omongos, was even nice enough to drop my order off at my grand mum's workplace.  Not that's what I call quality service! I picked up three scents, 2 of which I gave as gifts and 1 which I kept for myself. I kept the 10ml "A Scent Like Happy Women" which is inspired by Clinique's Happy Women perfume. I have to say  that I'm very fond of this scent ever since my mum started using it too. Scent Swatch perfumes come in glass bottles with a sprayer-pump and they come in different sizes too. My 10ml version is perfect for keeping in your purse or kikay kit to touch up through the day. It lasts a pretty decent amount of time as well. I sprayed this at 8am the other day and could still smell it on my wrists and clothes at 1pm. Not bad for something that I paid P100 for... I don't mind paying an additional P10 for this (it's SRP is P90) because it sure beats paying an extra P100 for shipping! *lol* I highly recommend this product to all you out there who are into exploring new "designer inspired" scents that fit the budget and lasts a decent amount of time. Check out more details below on how and where you can order from! Scent Swatch Facebook Contact No: 0998 982 7765
FAB Scents (authorized dealer-Zamboanga based) Facebook Contact No: 0916-113-3744

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Review : Wet N Wild Coloricon Smoke and Melrose Palette with Swatches!

It's been a long time since I last purchased makeup, especially an eyeshadow palette but after seeing the new Wet N Wild Coloricon Palette Fall2014 collection posted all over the lovely internet, I just knew I needed one palette in particular. This particular palette's supposedly a dupe for some of the shadows in the Naked3 palette... Lucky for me, The Vanity Zone had stocks for these lovely palettes and I immediately placed in an order. What : Wet n Wild Coloricon Palette Fall 2014 Shade : Smoke & Melrose Where : The Vanity Zone Price : P379 + shipping Base Shade - This is a light dusty rose toned shadow that can certainly fall under the "light pink" category. It has a demi matte finish, not entirely matte yet not shimmery either. I like applying this all over the mobile lid as well as the inner corners and brow bone as a highlight. Browbone Shade - This is a mauve toned taupe shade with a nice matte finish. To be honest I don't use this on the actual brow bone. To me this is more of a crease color. This actually acts as such a lovely transition color. Definer Shade - The definer shade is a lovely mauve-berry shade with a brownish undertone. It has a lovely shimmer finish. It's best to apply this as something to smudge your eyeliner out with for a different look instead of the usual black smokey eye. Eyelid Shade - The eyelid shadow is a bronzy taupe that's lovely on the lid, crease and even on the bottom lash line smoked. This has a shimmer finish. Crease Shade - champagne gold shadow with a shimmer finish. I don't use this on my crease at all. I love this shade on my mobile lid and on the lower lash line too!
There are so many things I like about this palette. First of all it's affordably priced thanks to The Vanity Zone. There isn't a bad shade in this palette, each one is lovely and very pigmented and applies like a dream. There are four shimmery shades and one matte one. You can create a variety of looks with just this one palette... I have no rose toned shadows in my collection so this palette is a perfect addition to my collection. All the eyeshadows last all day especially when used with a good eyelid primer. The only thing I'm sad about is that this palette still has two sad excuses for brushes but hey, you get what you pay for...

Check out these photos of the palette I used on my client Shania C.

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Review : Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet

Unlike most ladies, I'm not a very big fan of perfumes. It's probably because I have a sensitive nose and subtle changes in scents triggers a succession of sneezes but on certain occasions I do find that specific perfume that's great for me. This one from Dior is definitely something that caught my attention.  "Discover Blooming Bouquet, the newest interpretation of Miss Dior. Created for an irresistibly charming and flirtatious woman, Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet embodies the couture spirit of Dior in a sparkling and sensual essence. Unfurling a delicate blend of Sicilian orange essence to reveal a tender floral heart, the fragrance unveils notes of pink peony and Damascus rose. As a finishing touch, white musks softly envelop this light and sensual floral bouquet. The bottle is a true work of art, expertly showcasing Dior’s savoir faire. The houndstooth pattern made famous by Christian Dior is embossed on the base, while a sleek metallic bow adorns the neck." Due to my sensitive nose, I always go for perfumes that lean on the clean and crisp side with not much muskiness going on. I also go for perfumes that last long and smell better as the day goes on. Maybe this is why I really like the Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet because it fits all my "wants" and "needs" for a perfume. I've gone through 4 bottles already and it's definitely something I'd like to keep coming back to. I'm down to my last stand by bottle and now I really need to get myself a backup bottle of this beauty. How about you? What's your favorite perfume?

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