A post for Cindy because I will not make and upload videos of myself looking like a fool attempting to demonstrate how I do my makeup HAHA. I can imagine and...FAIL haha Anyway, this is a video on how to blend shadows by Enkore. I like his videos, they are all informative and he has a lot of DIY stuff and he makes everything simple.

For more of his videos, click here: EnKoreMakeup




Finally got the Traincase! Yay! I was virtually stalking my package but gave up today and surprise surprise. I'll post a picture of it next time. I dont know if Im sad or relieved that it wasnt as bright as the on screen image on Sephora. I kept all the boxes just in case I want to return it but finally decided to throw those out becuase its hella cute! and not all of my stuff fit soo I see an upgrade in the future.

Anyway heres the review I left on Sephora:

"Was a bit hesitant to purchase this since at that time, there were no reviews. I thought it looked cute but I was afraid that it wouldnt be in person ( I didnt like the pink one too much) Anyway, on screen it looked like a bright almsot sky blue color. But its actually kind of a dark aqua almost a little darker than torqoise color. Very cute! didnt want to have the usual black or silver.

Took off one star, because I expected it to be a bit bigger. The trays are kind of hard to access and you cant put more than hmm 4? compacts on the top tray they have to be laid flat or it wont close. Maybe an extra and bigger tray would be better. The bottom compartment was bigger than I thought but I also had to lay most of my products flat because it wouldnt close."


I do think its the perfect size if youre just startign to buy stuff. And well I dont think I'll need to bring ALL my makeup with me all the time haha. But I bought it cause I like seeing it organized, and it is now. But its going to be a hassle when I actually need to use the stuff in it cause I swear I tried to pack everything I own in it haha.

Anyway, pictures next time! zzzz

Maui

Big Difference

Another brush post.

I just have to say, blending brushes make a BIG difference. I used to use about 4 to 5 brushes just for eye shadows. And with a blending brush, i can apply them with any kind of brush blend blend blend and tadah. Another one of those things where I wonder how I ever lived without em. LOL. I dont even reach for my MAC 219 which is sad. If I knew how this brush wouldve made my life easier, I wouldve gotten a 217 or a 224 instead.

M.A.C. 224 $28

M.A.C. 217 $22.50

Sonia Kashuk Blending Brush $7.99

The 224 is more like the Sonia Kashuk brush which im using. If you can find one, theres a smaller one which you can get for 5.99. It has a regular white handle though but it gets the job done. Would be better to use on people who have smaller eyes too.

The 217 can also be used for concealing. After applying your concealer, fluff it out with a 217 brush to minimize the product from settling into lines or from looking cakey.


Anyhoo, thats it! :) Get a blending brush, you wont regret it.
Oh and I got the teal train case too, I hope its as cute as the picture or better or back to the store it goes haha.


Sephora is having a %15 off everything for Beauty Insiders until the 21st! Dont miss it!
Have a safe and happy 4/20 everyone! LOL

Toxic

A couple of months ago, I would dread the time when I needed to clean and wash my brushes. I had about 10-15. Todayyyy....

Gack. I know the number of my brushes is nothing compared to most people. Buuutttt! I "manually" deep clean and condition them (baby shampoo and conditioner), then you have to wipe them and reshape them. Blech. But theres never an excuse to NOT clean your brushes even if you only use them for yourself. Can you imagine the product build up and the germs gestating in them? haha. But my hands are so dry from washing them, I should really get a brush cleaner 0.0

M.A.C. Brush Cleaner 233 mL, $11

I just spent most of my morning cleaning them after a "raket" yesterday.

Yes! Raket haha. I did a trial makeup for someone who wants me to do her makeup for a wedding. But we were at a party haha so I ended up doing another persons makeup and threaded someones eyebrows. I was pretty nervous about it because I didnt want to look like the fool who had so much makeup with her but ended up making the "client" look like a clown haha. I think the way I do my makeup is pretty outrageous LOL. Well okay not outrageous but it might be a little too much for older people. I guess it was a good thing that for about a year, I only had neutral colored makeup so I got used to neutral smokey eye whatev looks.

Anyhoo. It turned out pretty good. I dont think the other person wouldve asked me to do her makeup too if it wasnt lol. I got good feedback, so yay for me :) This is my first "real" makeup gig haha. About 5 years ago I kinda did the makeup for a fashion show at school but the biznats who was organizing it was too high strung and too busy basking in her awesomeness to give me credit for it. I do makeup for friends when theyre willing haha, I did one of my professors makeup and blah blah. So this is the first paid gig. haha I think she liked the makeup so im guessing im doing her makeup for the wedding next weekend.

Ahh it was a good thing I had the Studio Sculpt that didnt match my color. It was perfect for them. See, this is why its hard to do makeup on other people when you dont have a decent kit. I kinda have more than a typical person but its just not enough to cover differnt skin tones. And I dont plan on buying more for ocassional rakets until I actually start going to school.

Before the holidays, 2 small cosmetic train cases were enough to hold my makeup. Todayy... I would need about 5. LOL. My mom promised to get me a bigger train case, so yay! I was supposed to order one last night. But Sephora had to confuse me by coming out with a limited edition teal train case. I originally wanted the black one but but teal ahh confusion haha

Sephora Brand Metro Train Case - Teal



Sephora Brand Midnight Train Case

I cant wait to get it though, Im excited to organize all my makeup in one case HAHA dork. And lugging around with different cases is such a hassle. My "toys" are already occupying one corner of the room haha so im just giddy thinking about how everything or at least most of my stuff will be in just one case.

Anyhoo heres a picture of me from yesterday. I like this picture :) Although it kinda looks like im punching her or something haha I was contouring. Too bad I didnt get to take decent before and after pics. I was under time pressure lol since they kinda needed to leave for another party.

Maui

Seriously?!

Okay this cant be true haha. I came across a site where you can get an estimate of how much your blog is worth.


Here's mine:

Website Worth: $273,750,000.00

Daily Pageviews: 125,000,000

Daily Ads Revenue: $375,000.00

Check yours here: http://www.cubestat.com/yourblogURL

WOW HAHA. There must be a bug or something. I mean I know at least 3 people who check my blog once in a while but 125,000,000 daily page views??! thats insane! haha I wish it were true though. I want $375,000.00 everyday haha.

Anyway, I know I havent been updating my blog recently. And the post I promised Cindy a few weeks ago isnt up yet. I just cant bring myself to make a video! haha I think i'll just show you how when I get back haha.

LEMMING:

Ive been searching for m HG foundation for quite some time now. I got a Studio Sculpt a few months ago and though I like the formula, the color is just off :/ I have to mix it with a darker fdtn to get the color somewhat matched. But its still a little too light for me. And I cant find the darn receipt so I cant have it exchanged! hayy

I wanted to get Chanel's Pro Lumiere Foundation. Which I promised to get for myself a few motnhs ago haha but but $54! So instead I think im getting a corrector palette and a foundation palette from Cinema Secrets and a couple of other stuff for about the same price as the Pro Lumiere (maybe i'll get it as a birthday gift? *hinthint* haha). I hate shopping for makeup online though. "Color picking" is hard! I dont know where to get Cinema Secrets here and I want to see the actual palettes *sighs* My friend told me: "I would get 2 to be sure" ahaha. I would too actually, but I am trying and I mean really trying hard to just get the stuff I need. This is where the daily revenue of $375,000 would come in handy.

I wanted to get a palette because well I think it would be easier to find a match rather than getting one full sized product. And I like getting a tan soo my color just changes all the time.

Okay, to show you how much ive been oggling at the palettes. here is a color comparison thingy I made yesterday haha

#1
is Kit3 from Cinema Secrets which contains fdtns form the 300 series. It has yellow undertones which is best suited for Asians. I think this would be the safest choice only because of the undertone. But, I think the colors are a little too light/yellowish for me. And the last color is way too dark.

#2
is Kit6 which contains fdtns from the 500 series. I think this one has pink undertones. So though the colors looks like a good range for me. I might end up looking ashy or gray (think LOVI POE haha I kid, I kid) Pink cancels out brown so I dont know how that would affect my coloring.

#3
is Kit8 which is a combination of colors from the different series. I asked someone who bought it and she said it runs a little darker tha the pictures. She thinks this palette would suit NC 40 up. hmm Im around NC 35- 40 so thats the color range im looking for. But this one looks a little dark

Sooo to summarize. #1 might be too light, #3 might be too dark, #2 will give me a Lovi Poe finish. HAHA. You didnt think makeup could be so complicated huh? Anyway, I just have to choose one and probably just mix the colors to get a match so its either #1 or #3 I think? What do you think? haha

Brushes

There are tons of brushes and brush sets out there. And my friends usually ask me "What do I need?". I started out with a few and until I got, hmm, "a few more" (lol) I thought I did just fine. When you get used to using brushes you kinda think how you managed without them.

There are tons of sets that you can get online, I personally think that most brushes that come in it are useless. But if you're like me, id just buy the whole darn thing and figure what I can and cant use. But thats just me.

I helped a friend pick out brushes on her recent online shopping spree. And instead of advising her to get a whole set, I told her to get 2.

Why? Because the brushes you need really depends on which you want to emphasize the most. For most people its usually the eyes.

Click on the links to get an idea of what kind of brush im talking about :)

• For eyeshadows you need the 2 most basic brushes. A Shader brush which you use to apply and to pack on color onto the lid; and a Blending brush which is very necessary to blend out harsh lines.
  

• Another good eye makeup brush to have is an Angled eye shadow brush which I used for a very long time instead of a pencil brush or a blending brush. An angled brush or a pencil brush helps you create that <>

• If you like wearing eyeliner, its good to get a Flat eyeliner brush. And choose one that best suits your need. I usually like making thin lines so I got a paintbrush at a craft store. The usual flat eyeliner brushes that come in a set are a bit thicker but they make decent lines I just really like subtle thin lines. There are a variety of eyeliner brush but again it all depends on your preference. I personally have two one for gel eyeliner and one for powder/eye shadow
  

• Id go on saying that you might want 2 of each but again, thats just me :)

• On to face brushes. The most basic one that most people probably have is a Blush brush. If you dont have one, i'd suggest getting an Angled blush brush because it can be used for blushes and for contouring.

• Foundation brushes: First consider what type of foundation you use. If youre a fan of liquid foundation, you can get a Foundation brush thats similar to that ( <--link) . I do find that this brush sometimes leaves streaks so I just use it to apply the foundation on my face and blend it out with a wet sponge.

• Another brush you can use for liquid foundations is a Stippling brush. Though its quite costly. You need a dense and un-flimsy one if you want to use it for liquid foundation so the cheaper versions will not do for foundation application (unless ou find a good one). A stippling brush, when used correctly can create a finish that is quite close to airbrushed makeup.
  

• If you like pressed powder foundation or mineral foundation you'll want a Powder brush or a Kabuki brush. The difference between a powder brush and a kabuki is the finish. A powder brush gives you a soft finish with light coverage which is good when youre setting your makeup. I also use a powder brush to buff out any excess. A kabuki brush gives a more evened out, better blended and better coverage.
  

• Concealer Brushes: I personally dont use one. Ive tried but it kinda streaks. It really depends on what works for you. It might work for other people. I use my fingers to warm the concealer and pat it lightly around the eyes. But I do makeup mostly on my self. A concealer brush is necessary when youre doing other peoples makeup for hygienic reasons.

• Lip brush: I dont like lipstick so maybe thats why I find no use for this. And I mostly do makeup on myself and prefer not to share (especially) lipstick with other people. You'll need this one if you do a lot of other peoples makeup; can you imagine spreading or getting a cold sore?! (ew!)
  

• Most sets come with a sponge tip applicator. Those things are useless, I find that they eat too much of the product and do not pack on the color too well. If i had to choose between using a sponge tip applicator or my fingers. i'd use my fingers! haha

• Fan brush: I use this to apply highlighter, apply a light sweep of blush or brush away eye shadow fall out, but its not necessary.

The links on this post are mostly of M.A.C. There are good quality brushes out there that are cheaper and unless you have money to burn I wouldnt suggest getting the expensive ones. I have yet to find cheaper alternatives for the brushes in the Philippines. But here in the US you can find good brushes at a craft store (yes! the paint brushes!) Like Loew Cornell or American Painter theyre even cheaper (around 2$ - 4 $) than the ones you can find at a drugstore and sometimes work even better! Sonia Kashuk brushes from Target are nice too.

The set that ive been using for quite some time now is the Kirkland set from Costco! Although I think they come out with one once a year (during the holidays) and the set varies every year. It comes in a roll and have about 7 or 8 ( I cant remember) for around 20 bucks. Theyre of good quality. No fall outs for me during first wash and theyre pretty durable (I have one from 2007).

So if you have the patience, I suggest you buy pieces instead of a whole set. Buy the ones that you need and just buy the rest later on.

Juicy

Reading: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Feeling: Lazy
Wondering: What sort of trouble she'd get into in the 1800's
Says:

In the Clearest Night,
I see
A reflection that is far from she
In her essence another
breath, a soul!
Reminders of a life bestowed.

Abandoned dreams, she lives! she breathes!
Til the moment she conceives
Righteous, not! we all must go
Abstracted paths, altered lives.

A heaped reverie
We've all been had!

Can you imagine If thats how I talked or how everyone talked all the time? lol We'd all be scratching our heads. Of course I know what I meant by it, what do YOU think it means? haha. Its a pretty nice way of expressing yourself without being overly obvious though :)




Scarlet Letter

America’s first psychological novel, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a dark tale of love, crime, and revenge set in colonial New England. It revolves around a single, forbidden act of passion that forever alters the lives of three members of a small Puritan community: Hester Prynne, an ardent and fierce woman who bears the punishment of her sin in humble silence; the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, a respected public figure who is inwardly tormented by long-hidden guilt; and the malevolent Roger Chillingworth, Hester’s husband—a man who seethes with an Ahab-like lust for vengeance.

The landscape of this classic novel is uniquely American, but the themes it explores are universal—the nature of sin, guilt, and penitence, the clash between our private and public selves, and the spiritual and psychological cost of living outside society. Constructed with the elegance of a Greek tragedy, The Scarlet Letter brilliantly illuminates the truth that lies deep within the human heart.

(Copied from Amazon)

HAVE A BLESSED LENT EVERYONE! :)

Scramble

I find it amusing when people consider me to be strong or confident or assertive or anything related. Well actually its one person haha (you know who you are!) So thank you. I dont see myself the way you do so maybe im not seeing myself the way I should be? lol

Little comments like that mean so much to me. Words are powerful. And i feel empowered by your comment, so thank you! hehe

I've been away for only 3 months and I feel like a totally different person. Im still quiet, im still like the old me. But im happier and I feel stronger. I am more at peace with myself and do not feel obligated to please everyone with nice manners to a point where it is insanely unecessary haha. Its actually very liberating to feel that you dont need anyone to make or keep you happy. Although, friends and family will always be important. I think that Ive finally learned to be happy with myself and to not constantly seek anyones approval.

There's a bug going around! Goodness gracious! Only caby will get it, but please do not reply regarding the "matter". lol. Anyway, things happen for a reason and they will be resolved if meant to be. All the dramz now makes me want to go home to comfort and be comforted. But you know my reasons :)

I still miss home, miss friends, miss everyone, miss BF haha. But I dont feel lonely anymore. Well I have a few weeks left to go anyway and there is so much to look forward to and Im running again soo things are easier and more fun haha.

Im just rambling. That talk with boi on the way home made me miss my friends back home.

Cindy! I promise i'll post something makeup related soon! I just havent been amusing myself with oggling and playing with makeup recently haha but sometime this week.

And thank you to everyone who's been reading my nonsense posts and to those who come back to check if i have new posts haha. I usually just tralala and find things to write in my blog but for the past couple of days im just so ewan haha.

Running

Soo I finally got myself a pair of running shoes and ran out of excuses. The last time I worked out was hmm id say around September. And because I was being teased that I looked like a lollipop (HAHA) I decided to stop running for a while (big mistake!) And well, its been 6 months.

And though I run for reasons that equates vanity, I also needed to find something else to do than to just sit all day and surf the net. And I also plan on going to beaches ive never been to when I get home soo though I dont feel the summer vibe over here, I def need to look smashing! hahaha

I wish I could say that the 2 times that ive been to the park was good. The first time I went there to run I spent two hours walking, brisk walking or whatever cause I couldnt run for more than a minute without huffing and puffing haha. Oh well thats what you get for not working out for so long!

Today was better. I ran much longer but I took a nap after going around twice haha. My goal is to get to run around the whole place without stopping before I leave. Yeah, right! haha

So im hoping the next time I go back will be much much better. Its only sad that I can go there about once or twice a week. Once on a weekend and when im not "working". I really love the place though, its nice to just sit there and think or sleep or just watch the dogs or the ducks or watch people play soccer.

I really do wish we had something like this back home. I usually run on a machine because I am afraid of dogs and well its not pleasant to run while inhaling car fumes :/

Anyway, here are some pictures of the place.

Not so comforting to see when youre trying to decide if you should hike

Ducks everywhere!

Kswiss ultra natural. I love my shoes :)

More pictures over here: FACEBOOK1, FACEBOOK2


I AM POOFED!

Muzaak

If you've noticed, my playlist is kind of a mess. Its a mix of everything. And believe me when I say i've condensed that list! I put it on shuffle so its a surprise everytime I check out my blog haha.

I love how music brings me to all sorts of places, thats what it does to me. It evokes such a strong feeling that it brings me to the past and allows me to even feel what I was feeling a few years back. Ahhh, nostalgia :)

I pretty much listen to anything except country and heavy metal haha. I have a tendency to obsess on certain things and music is no exception. If I like a song, it will be on repeat for days and days until I get sick of it. Right now its mostly eheads and Franco Reyes' cast away. When I get tired of them, I move on to the next but usually go back to old favorites.


My current playlist contains songs by:

Amy Winehouse and Esthero

I love love these two girls. Anything by Esthero and Amy's album, Frank. When I first heard their songs, I remember thinking "oh wow, badass." They sing about things that are usually considered taboo and thats why I love them. And I like that they both have their own style. Im quite sick of hearing songs that all sound like theyre from one artist. I was so amazed by Amy, I think she was about 17 or 19 when she came out with Frank. I wished I could sing and write songs like her. (yeah I dream big! haha) So I have to thank Dom for introducing me to Amy.



Eraserheads and No Doubt

Their songs bring me back to the 90's! Although I was quite young when most of their songs came out. I remember when almost always, it was being played on radio stations. I like that the eheads songs sound "carefree" to me. I wish I was a 90's kid ( I think i belong more to the y2k generation ek ek lol) Just makes me so happy listening to their songs. When I think No doubt, I think girl power haha for some weird reason. I think its mostly because I think of Gwen as such a strong figure in the music industry. Oooh Oasis I love too because they make me feel like im in the 90's. I seriously think ive missed out on the fun during the 90's. darnit!


Urbandub

During a time when I thought it was impossible for me to like rock/alternative whatev you call it, they made me change my mind. I have to thank my brother for influencing me to listen to them. Again with the strong feelings, though no memory in particular their songs make me feel a certain way. idk.


Incubus and Franco Reyes

(Swoon! lol)

I will talk about them together because if youve read one of my previous post. I heard about Franco Reyes through a friend and he asked me what band I listen to and yadah yadah (its down there lol).
You can listen to Franco Reyes' music over here: Franco Reyes


Music is so relateable, no matter what song it is you find a line that makes you think "oh theyre singing about me!". HAHA. Except maybe Steely Dan! haha I love them but I so cannot relate to their songs. It just makes me happy listening to them and reminds me of running around bf doing errands and basically hanging out with my Dad. So thanks Dad!

The other songs on my playlist that are new, are just crap haha no pun intended. I wont even say which ones, but im sure you'll figure it out. I do admit that well, theyre there because I like them. But give me about 2 more months and i'll probably get over them. Just like the new stuff that are being played on the radio. Yeah, theyre good for when youre in the clubs, theyre catchy but theyre basically crap. Nothing good ever comes out anymore, theyre all the same.

But the stuff I listen to are usually just shuffled around, so im re-educating myself.

Staying on track, a couple of years ago ( I dont remember if it was last year or 2 years ago) I got an opportunity to help out on a video. Its nothing big really, I just made the Carousel. No, I didnt make it I just "colored" it haha sort of designed and colored it. Well, but no matter how small that part was, its something to be proud of. I remember I was on hospital duty and was doing this instead haha. You'll see the carousel in the first few seconds of the video. :)

Please Watch in HQ. (I do not own this video and no copyright infringement is intended).

Im going to switch up my playlist when I get tired of the songs there. I have so many songs that I want to include, but I want all of them to be heard so I'll leave it at that for now.

One mess of an entry.

Different things rolled into one entry.


ME:

Great News! I finally feel much better and have the appetite to eat! haha But that is good news, because for 5 days I couldnt eat anything. And if i did eat no matter how small the portion was it just didt not sit well in my stomach. :( But today while walking around in Walnut Creek, i felt it! Hunger! :)



FOOD:

I was looking for pictures of what I had today haha but this is all I found. I had a Yik Yak Salad which is an Oriental Salad with south of the border flair. A crsip of mix greens, cabages, jicama, red peppers, snow peas, tossed with sweet sesame dressing and topped with toasted almonds (yeah, that description is from their menu haha) with a side of Roadhouse Onions which is like the onion brick at Racks but much much much better! :)




And no Im not a pig haha I didnt have two I shared one with my tita. I want one NOW. mmm Im a fussy salad eater haha. I eat them because I have to and I like veggies but its rare that I actually like the salads from restos (this one is a fave and the one from cyma is pure love! ) Which is difficult when youre a starting vegetarian/pescetarian because you think well what else am i gonna eat?! But ive survived for almost a year! :) but anyway i'll save that for an entry on my anniversary haha



MAKEUP:

Anyway, Blue and yellow makeup. I back to mac'ed quite a few things the other day. But the ones I wanted to get were out of stock. Cant really complain when youre getting free stuff so I just got Clarity (they didnt have freshwater or electric eel) and Knight Divine (I want me some chrome yellow!). Clarity is a matte rich aqua color and very similar to Electric Eel, there was barely any difference when I swatched them on my hand but Electric Eel is a satin bright blue e/s with shimmer. Knight Divine ( i kept thinking Dark Knight! haha) is a Black with silver pear e/s its almost like dark gray though. Im about half done with the blue palette! yay! but im not buying anymore haha I constantly have to tell myself not to, but it just happens haha but mind you I just participated in a recycling program and just got them for free so that doesnt count haha.

Hot mess. LOL

This wouldve been so much better with chrome yellow :(

What I Used:

EYES
UDPP - base
Coastal Scent Yellow E/S - lid
M.A.C. Clarity E/S - lid, crease
M.A.C. Prussian - outer corner crease
M.A.C. Nylon - inner corner

M.A.C. MSF in Perfect Topping (Sugarsweet Collection) - brow highlight

FACE:
M.A.C. Studio Sculpt Fdtn
M.A.C.Moisture Cover concealer
Blush from the Coastal Scents Blush Paltte (1st pan on the bottom)

I wish I coudve taken better pictures but we were in a hurry to get to my cousins spelling bee. He was his schools representative for the county and he was one of the youngest. He's in 3rd grade and was up against 8th graders! how fair is that? but anyway, proud that he made it that far :)

MSF - Refined (Tan/peach/coral melange)

MSF - Perfect Topping (Pink/peach/lavender melange)

I love Perfect Topping. I got the wrong one, I was supposed to get refined which suits my coloring much better but I tried it anyway and I love it. Though I dont see myself buying more soon since it has very limited use. Im not a fan of the frying pan look so this I will mostly use as a cheek, nose, brow highlighter and its huge! It will take me years to finish it. My Belightful is about a year old and its pretty much intact.

But looking at Refined makes me want to get it haha. Nah, decisions are constantly made and though i feel tempted all the time to just splurge I always have to remind myself that my luck will eventually run out and in a few months I will be back to being broke again. So i better save!



RANDOM BLAH:

Ahh decisions decsions. I wish that when we decide, it becomes written on stone hahah. But life doesnt work that way and you have to remind yourself over and over again the reasons for your decisions. Like deciding not to get Refined. Whenever I see it, i have to tell myslef over and over again that I dont NEED it haha i just WANT it. No but I guess I wouldnt want it be that way. Its just so complicated haha we always have to conscioulsy make those decisions even when we say or think weve decided haha

We are always faced with decisions. What to eat? What to wear? What to watch?blah blah blah. And bigger decisions in life, "What do I do?" and making decisions is never easy. Especially when you constantly remind yourself that the decisions you make now will affect you in the future (think-butterfly effect haha) But thats the thing, how do you know that the decision you made was the right one? Most of the time, we find out, when we realize that we made the wrong decision.