kisses, love!

I’ve just moved. And even if I’ve got boxes to unpack, and feather boas to unfurl, I’m shaking my booty the whole time. The archives are staying here, of course. But everything new, bright and beautiful will be there!

On Warehouse 13, the episode entitled Age before Beauty. Models are aging rapidly and dying, like in a matter of hours. And finally our beloved female agent, Myka gets to play dress up. I almost feel like it’s a nerd girl’s (meaning mine siyempre) fantasy worked through. Make-up and a great dress turn you from the girl who didn’t play with Barbie’s but learned Latin into well, a model (who bares their soul on the catwalk and in photographs.) Let’s not forget that computer hacker extraordinaire whose social skills are highly dependent on snark and the Juno-like  proclivity to have McNicknames for everyone goes on a date on the proto-nerdbuthottie (with great brown hair) who laments that you’re taking onions and will not kiss him good night.

But because the plot must thicken around everything, this is what happens to Myka:

now that's a woman who's aged.

And my google reader gave me this:

some eye cream for barbie! STAT!

though you have to admit, she obviously had her  chest done, the photoshop aging magic didn’t quite translate below the neck. Also she’s still got her sparkle. Though you’d think she’d be hunched over because of those oversized breasts on that disproportionate everything else.

Though the question would be, conspire for what really?

Don’t worry, I’ve got some anti-aging magic too.  Come on, nerd girl must admit to her vanities too.

But my answer is YSL’s Touche Eclat. It’s supposed to magically brighten your undereyes! But I think they haven’t met the morena and the natural dark circles around her eyes! Though perhaps there is hope because I just saw that they have colors, I’m probably a Luscious Toffee or something. it’s probably a great highlighter which if you know how to use well is brilliant!

Another thing I don’t get it is why this is pretty. And worth $90!

um, i think i want something else

I mean, I get retro. But no.

As much as I enjoy reading about releases that never reach Manila shores (Hello Illamasqua and Urban Decay!) I find that I take more stock in what these two have to say!

So contest entry, right?

Well, if you go to her blog, you could win one of ten goodie bags! Like this one:

I think it was that the pouf-y kabuki brush was dipped in hot pink!

I think it’s the body shop hair care that really intrigues me. D and I went on a little mission but took a detour into The Body Shop to sniff these shampoos. We’ve both got curly hair, so this is a real topic of discussion.

Though since she’s trying these shampoos out, I told her that I would try Leyende once I ran out of what I already have in my shower. I’ve already tried their skin products and loved them (Face Canvas, Clean Slate, and I still have Kiss Kiss Bang Bang in my bag.) I think once again, I am enamored by their names (Rapunsilk and Taming of the ‘Do,) but I am curious about what these paraben-free and sulfate-free products can do. Especially since the shampoo is best used with curly hair! And it’s got egg whites in it!

Does anyone remember Dying Young? With Julia Roberts and mayonnaise in her hair? No? Moving on.

So click through to her entry, and see what catches your fancy, there are ways to win!

But a list first done on the fly

1. I do think BB cream is a good thing, you just have to apply just a little, blend it out really well. Am thinking that a regimen with a new moisturizer, frequent exfoliation and the possible aftermath of my Shinagawa afternoon might allow me to forego foundation, which may end our expedition early.

Right now a week before aunt flow comes, my skin is actually even with few tiny blemishes. I actually feel like I wore too much make-up today because am wearing spackle.

2. Though I will probably still return to gel eyeliner (MAC fluidline in black,) I just bought a new palladio liquid eyeliner and am marvelling at what can be done with a fresh and still fine tip. Must remember to blot first, or you’ll get black morning crust and/or transfer.

3. Blending is still uber important, but using a highlighter and fully understanding how a lot of make-up is lights and shadows (more than smoke and mirrors,) spells the difference between oh, she’s wearing make-up to oh wow, she’s pretty!

4. Putting make-up on a friend still makes me really happy. And though it can get challenging, it is different to apply make-up on yourself–i get pumped! Let it be as minor as just “oh, let me put blush on you,” to  “i have a wedding, and i’d really like to be pretty.”

I hope there will come a time when I could do it more often. Must get more eyebrow gear, disposable mascara wands, more brushes (or brush cleaner!), and a tiny eyelash curler.

Have been singing about a Muji apron to wear while I work on people’s faces.

More entries this week, finally stories of a fabulous gift haul, the perfect peachy nude with a lovely name, a new manicure, a plum mascara, and a look of the day!

rawr!

click over to the Big Picture for more photographs

note the pink lipstick!

For full disclosure, this picture is part of an entry for Karen’s contest. How lovely to have an opportunity to win something (click on the link for more information, you have until the end of the month to join!)

But every year, October (and May/June) comes along and I always want to write something. But I end up with short, quick statements. With this beauty blog, I’ve been able to sort of deal with it via helpful links about your bras.

And though there is tons of information out there about how you can prevent cancer via depriving yourself of certain things, but apart from keeping yourself healthy really (enough sleep, enough exercise, enough good healthy food), I don’t really feel stuffing any more information down your throat.

Except if there’s one thing that my mother tried to give me was that the ability to listen to my body, to emphasize that knowing it well was key in being healthy. And I should admit that ever since I gained weight, it was always easier to just ignore that it’s there. I think this is why the self-test and just all these awareness campaigns are so important.

You’d think that we’d know better by now, right?

The funny thing about  beauty multimedia swirling in the world is that it forces you to both see and not see your own bodies. Also the pseudo-feminista outcry that we are not JUST our bodies, I am my brain, I am my heart, I am my soul—though true, defeats the purpose.

I will help teach women to write for themselves, speak for themselves, work for themselves and whatever else they want for themselves. But to be able to make people feel comfortable in your skin, I’ll get into the mud too.

Because to do that would go against what the Church has told us about ourselves. I want to help break pervasive ideas about sex, pleasure, self-worth and even reproductive rights because really, they’re just killing us. And they’re so overarching that our breasts, our beautiful beautiful breasts are not enjoyed for the wonders that they are. Sustenance, desire and even identity, all in what are basically lumps of flesh.

So knowing feels like half the battle. And it’s a good fight.

[I know why it took me forever to really write about this, i have way too many body issues to wade through.]

So: FEEL YOUR BOOBIES, find how you CANSERVE and make sure you check yourself regularly.

But her newest entry? Fabulous! She did something signficant for the make-up community, and that’s aggregating personal recommendations. Though you can and should still check out Make Up Alley, Christine’s newest entry contains Make Up Recommendations, a nifty embedded Google Spreadsheet chockful of hers and other beauty enthusiasts’ favorite products neatly categorized and recorded. You can also check out the foundation matrix to drum up a list of possible matches to your skin. Testing it on yourself is extremely important still.

Why is this so cool? Because make-up is driven by word of mouth. I love beauty advertising, but there is nothing like seeing a shade on someone and wanting to know what they’re wearing.  And moreso, if you and said lucky beauty diva of the day share the same skin tone.

So click through and have a whirl. Make sure to recommend a couple of your favorite products to fatten that list up!

Oh, if you were wondering, my recommendations are:

1. NARS Blonde Venus lipstick

2. NARS Dolce Vita Powder Blush

3. MAC Margin Powder Blush (I’ve never written about MAC Margin, but I swear, it is just happy healthy. You know how people rave about NARS Orgasm? This one actually showed up on my face. Though that name? Not as much fun as Orgasm or Super Orgasm for that matter)

There are tons more obviously, just comb through this blog, but these three? They’re staples. I think I will be buying my third Blonde Venus in a couple of weeks.

But Monday while waiting for my dad to finish watching a movie, I slipped into the SM Marikina Department Store and walked over to the Women’s Intimates Section. And while asking to fit bras, the sales girls showed me something that I swear, I think changed my life.

Bra Extenders! Woot woot!

We all know how difficult it is to get a bra which fits perfectly that even with the many possible sizes there are available, sometimes your cup size just doesn’t fit the band size. So this will give you some leeway. Which just makes me happy because I can still use my older bras. And if you could read the price, a set of three (according to the number of bra hooks) is worth PhP49.50.

I also found yet another helpful set of solutions for bra issues. Though I was able to find the right cup size, my straps always seem to slip. And just by making sure that you would pull down your back strap to make it lined up with the front, I solved this problem. Simple, really. Read more here.

I also picked up a new big powder brush from Marionnaud.

I really love the short, thick handles. Though the crimping on the brush hair itself is a bit strange.

So how are your girls? Have you been taking care of them girls?

[featured image is from Vanity Fair]

Especially when good news comes while you’re having your nails dried in their cool hand and foot dryers. I guess white lightning can strike twice, near you. Wait that doesn’t make sense.

Anyway, manicures!

maalis-alis!

Beginning from lower left and ending with the upper left, the colors are: NYPD Blue (imperial navy blue,) West Village ( a creamy milky coffee color,) Celebrity Circuit (opaque red zinfandel,) and Milk Tea (I can’t find the description on the site.) There will be no pedicure pictures, but my nails are in City that never sleeps (opaque midnight blackberry.) I love these dark colors, in normal light they look black, but once under bright white light, you see the rich rich color. Most of the colors are from The Manhattan Collection. I had the combo package and it cost PhP650.

See what I mean about the colors:

In yellow light, shiny rich black.

In too bright flash, you can almost feel the polyester. It's darker blue, not this indigo.

But there are more pictures to complete the lovely weekend, fantastic dessert from Lusso and happy friends.

Extremely creamy, rich chocolate with gold flecks.

the cheese was velvety and nutty-ish.

So manicures, pedicures, and lovely desserts. The storm was just about to begin. And my cab driver was deaf. I should have fallen in love with a man with a well-chiseled jaw and long hair.

Dashing Diva is attached to Beauty Bars. Lusso is in Greenbelt 5, 1st floor, beside Balenciaga and Myron’s.