Personal Goals for 2016

With the GRACE, MERCY and GUIDANCE of the Almighty Father, I believe I can do all of these this year!!

©       Read the Harry Potter series

©       Read a Bible reflection everyday

©       Learn how to drive

©       Rice for breakfast only HAHAHA or one cup of rice a day limit

©       Go to at least 2 different countries I’ve never been to  (TARGET: Thailand and )

©       Visit an amusement park I’ve never been to (TARGET: Lunapark in Sydney)

©       Go to at least 3 local destinations (TARGET: Palawan, Cebu and Boracay)

©       Get my second tattoo (TARGET: silhouette unicorn or traditional tatt)

©       Take the IELTS Exam

©       Go on a trip ALONE

©       SAVE money : live below my means

©       Write weekly

©       Watch Les Miserables

©       Take time to unplug and be present in the NOW [limit use of phone esp. when with family and friends]

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Ella's Lashes and Nails Salon, Boni Mandaluyong

Before the holidays, my niece and I decided to have our eyelash extensions. Our first choice was to have it done in Oh My Lash.. Since it's just our first time, we opted for a cheaper choice!! Hahaha!

Went to Ella's Lashes and Nails Salon along Boni in Mandaluyong.

Here's their price list. Both of us availed the Barbie Doll Curl Lashes for only 399!

Here's my niece having her lashes done.. It takes about 1 hour to finish the whole extension procedure.

Done! Her new lashes look natural.. Barbie Doll lashes are alternate of size 10 and 8.

Mine a day after:

Mine a week after:

Mine after a week and a half:

Some lashes are have been removed already.. It tends to be itchy at night so I scratch it.. Haha! Plus, they have the tendency to "stick together" so you need to "comb" them using toothpick or old mascara brush.. 

Personally and honestly, having eyelash extension tends to be uncomfortable because sometimes it tends to be heavy plus I can't wash and wipe my face properly because I'm scared I might easily lose them.. BUT it's worth a try!! You don't need to put mascara everyday!! Just put your lipstick on and you're good to go :)

Will I have my eyelash extensions again? Yes, but I might try Oh My Lash this time! :) 

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You've been good 2015! Let's get it on, 2016!

Honestly, 2015 has been a great year.

Going to places..

• My year started with a very long weekend due to the coming of Pope here in the Philippines so we grabbed the opportunity to go to Cebu for their annual Sinulog Festival. 
• My sister and her family also went home from Australia so we had a lot of family gatherings. One of which is we had a quick getaway to Baguio and we visited the famous La Presa where you can pick strawberries!
• I was also able to tick of my first Disney Amusement Park experience (Disneyland and Disneysea) and it was in Japan. I was able to eat authentic ramen and cross on their famous Shibuya crossing.
• I was also able to tick of Hong Kong.. It was my first time to go out of the country without my family! It was fulfilling because I felt a sense of independence. 
• We had a side trip to Macau and saw the Venetian gondolas and Ruins of St. Paul.
• During sembreak, me and my colleagues went to Ilocos which is one of my DREAM LOCAL DESTINATION. Can you imagine how happy I am to tick this off this year? Seeing the Bangui Windmills and walking through the street of Vigan feels so surreal!
• Lastly, because of APEC week, we were able to squeeze in a trip to Banaue and Sagada. Walked through the world-famous Banaue Rice Terraces, saw the sea of clouds, hanging coffins, beautiful views and got to experience spelanking and pottery! 

On other aspects of life..

• Was able to perform on stage with my co-teachers for the Augustinian Showdown.
• Painted a house for Gawad Kalinga.
• Saw huge hotair balloons on a Valentine's Day.
• Lead the invocation in front of the whole Junior Kinder family.
• Won 2 Cleanest Classroom Award
• First time to try (bara-bara) driving in my entire life
• Finally was able to visit the National Museum and saw the Spolarium
• Gave painting and me a second chance :))
• Tried boxing for the first time
• Met Ruthiepie!
• My grandmother passed away at the age of 92.
• Let go of my first batch of CSA students.. :( But another batch came in.. and they were all blessings!!!!

2015 was indeed a great year though it is not merely pure fun. There have been struggles but I'm glad I'm still whole and is going to face 2016 alive!!

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EB Advance Supreme Lipstick in Red Twilight (Matte)

If you live in the Philippines then you probably know Yaya Dub.. Yaya Dub aka Maine Mendoza is one of every girl's icon here when it comes to wearing red lipsticks!! So while browsing instagram, I've stumbled upon her post wearing a very nice shade of red which happens to be Loreal.. I immediately wanted to go to the mall to look and buy for it but to my surprise, it was out of stock!! :(

I passed by the stall of Ever Bilena and I heard some customers say they were looking for a nice color of red.. The staff replied that they have their best sellers which are Vamp Red and Red Twilight :) I wanted to see and try those two so I asked the staff for some swatches.

The staff said that the Red Twilight is better because it beling to the Supreme line which are just newly released.

And out of wanting a nice Yaya Dub-looking-lips, I wanted to try this.

Above are the ingredients:) Though it's matte, it contains moisturizers so that the lips won't dry easily/too much.

It comes in a white plastic bullet tube which is somehow similar to MAC's bullet lipsticks (but this one is white) :)

I'm excited to try this!! I'm a red-lipstick fan eversince!! :) 

It may appear really dark and intimidating to use at first.. :)

But I'm pretty sure girls of any color can pull this off! Oh by the way, it smells like blueberries!! Yum!

Before applying Red Twilight:

After applying Red Twilight:

Tadaaa!! I love how it reminds me of my all time favorite red-- MAC's Ruby Woo. It's a warm shade of red and at the same time very wearable. I don't mind wearing this everyday at work and did I mention that it is very affordable? It retails for only P195 per tube!! :) 

I just hope that it lasts long and not too drying! :) I suggest you out very thin lipbalm first before using this! :) I'm happy with this product but I still want to look for Yaya Dub's red lipstick! Haha!

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Review: Maybelline's Lip Polish in Glam 6

One time, my niece showed me her loot of lipsticks of different shades. I wanted to try a shade with violet undertones so she suggested this Maybelline's Lip Polish in Glam 6.

Note: All pictures were taken under natural light.

I love the packaging!! It's a bullet-sized container with shiny silver cap.

It has an applicator so you can easily  glide it on your lips. 

Hand swatch! It has violet undertones.. Perfect for those girls who wants to go out of the usual red and pink tones. This also fits girls of any skin tone. 

Before applying:

After applying:

See the difference? Hehe! Love that it has violet undertones <3 It complements my skin color and highlights my face. This color is a "to-go" because you can just apply powder, mascara and lipstick and you're good to go :)

The only thing I don't like about it is that it's not matte. I prefer matte lip products because it doesn't give me the feeling of "there's slime on my lips" and I don't want very glossy lips though this products can moisturize your lips all day :)

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Review: Maybelline's Dream Satin Skin (Air-whipped Liquid Foundation)

I My very trustworthy Naturactor's running out already and it is so difficult to look for a seller who sells legit Naturactor (if you know someone, let me know!). In this case, I knew I need to look for another product that will replace (for the mean time) my Naturactor. I need to find a good foundation for my everyday wear at work plus a foundation that works best for my oily skin.

Upon researching, I've stumbled upon Cosmopolitan's list of best foundations for oily skin. One of which (and one of the cheapest among the list) is the Maybelline's Dream Satin Skin Air-whipped Liquid Foundation.

Before buying, I did some research and found out that it's perfect for oily skin and it does give you an air brushed look after applying. So yeah, maybe this is worth a try :)

It says "Air Whipped Liquid Foundation. Our unique air-soft formula provides poreless, satin-smooth looking skin. Extraordinary coverage that does not clog pores. Long-lasting and moisturizing all day."

Ohh sounds so promising!! Let's go try it on :)

It's a pump bottle which is really good so it will be less messy to use!! :) You might need a sponge to apply it.. Though some just use their hands when doing so. Just make sure your hands are clean!! :) Oh by the way, I bought the B5 shade.. This might be perfect for girls who has a fair complexion but doesn't want to look like a walking white lady. 

Here's a swatch on my hand under natural light :) Don't press the pump to hard or you might end up wasting some foundation :) For me, it's not too light nor too dark -- just right.. though honeslty, this is not my first choice.. I really would like to buy the lighter shade (B1) but they ran out of stock. No worries cause I think this shade's better!

My super bare-just-took-a-bath face. I want to see the difference it will make :)

2PM: After applying the Dream Satin!! It does make my face look smoother! It was able to hide some of my blemishes! :) It was just so "slippery" when applying because it is in liquid form so you really need to apply it evenly and carefully! :)

Let's see if it will last long especially I have oily skin..

Around 4PM: My face doesn't seem to be that oily yet.. I'm still satisfied with it and no touch up needed at the moment :) (It does look a bit oily here because of the sun's glare tho).

Around 6PM: While eating dinner.. Woohoo. I think I still have that satin-looking face though I also think my face is starting to get oily :) 

Around 7PM- Just before I wash my face.. :) No need for touch ups yet but blotting may be a good idea.. :)

Overall, I think this product is a good buy for only 499php though you really need to find the perfect shade for you. Also, don't put too much or else it might end up uneven on your face. Let it dry first before you put on your blush on or it might not blend well :) I also love that it is SPF 24 which is perfect for full-coverage everyday.

If you really have a VERY oily skin, you might want to try this product but prepare to do a powder fix every now and then :)

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Foodie: Maisen "Japan's Finest" now in Manila

I'm fond of eating Japanese food especially katsu(s)!! So when I saw a post about the newly opened Maisen on my feed, I can't resist feeling excited to try this out :) I've heard that Maisen is Japan's best tonkatsu restaurant so I have high expectations on this.

Went their branch in SM Megamall level 3 of Building A. The place was quite huge and their staffs are really accomodating. They are the ones to ask you what do you need like more cabbage, extra miso soup and etc.

Different sauces are readily available on each table which includes their Katsu sauce, sesame dressing, salt w/ herbs & others.

What to expect on their menu:

Of course, Katsu sets :) Comes with unlimited rice, cabbage, pickle set and miso soup.

They also offer Donburi sets :) It comes with rice, pickle set and miso soup :)

They also offer sandwich sets served with fruits and salad.

They have 1 Maisen Kid's Set for 330php.

We ordered what they call Maisen's specialty which is the Katsumabushi Set for 390php.

This is what it actually looks like :) Bite-sized Tenderloin katsu chops served with rice, Onsen Tamago and Dashi stock.

You can enjoy your Katsumabushi in 3 ways:

1. Scoop out the katsu and rice into the bowl.

2. Garnish with sesame, wasabi and green onion (picture above).

3. Pour the Dashi broth 

Tadaaa!! You can now enjoy your Katsumabushi. It also comes with soft boiled egg so you may also opt to mix it in the bowl :)

We also ordered Cheese Minced Pork Katsu Set for 390php. These have cheese inside!! Oh I love cheese :) This set comes with rice, cabbage, pickle set, miso soup and some fruits.

I was only able to finish 2 of these because it's very heavy plus it's "nakaka-umay" because the taste of the cheese it too evident. :)

Overall, we're happy that the famous Maisen in Japan has finally arrived here in Manila. Their Katsu tastes good.. It's tender and their breading that hugs the katsu altogether is crispy though it may be too thick :) However, Maisen was below our expectations and we can't help but compare it to other katsus we've tried.

I still prefer Yabu while Angela prefers Kimukatsu over Maisen when it comes to katsu :)

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Review: Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Cherry

Let me share to you a treasure given to me as a gift last Friendship Day :)

During the time this was given to me, I'm really looking for a good lip balm to sooth my very dry lips. When I opened the gift, I found this and it feels like one of my prayers has been answered :)

Tadaaa! Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Cherry :) It's sleek and it's a twist and pop up type of lip balm.

The only thing I don't like about it is that once you twist it up to pop, it won't come back anymore so you really have to be careful when twisting it. 

My bare and dry lips. See? That's why I really need to put on some lip balm.

My lips w/ the lip shimmer on. It gives a light color and it gives you a mint feeling after applying it. This is what I use everyday and it keeps my lips moisturized however, I have to reapply atleast after eating. I also use this as a base when applying matte lipsticks :) 

Pros: 

-gives a minty feeling

-gives hue so no need to put lipstick on if you're on the go

-sleek

-easy to apply

-can last a long time

Cons:

-once you twist it to pop, it won't come back anymore that's why it's a bit messy to use

Overall, this product is perfect for people who wants some gloss, color and moisture for their lips though it might be a bit pricey (400php) compared to other lip balms available.

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