Serious Talk: Why I Don't Do EOTDs Anymore

Hello everyone! I'd like to start the week with something a little bit serious. Back when I was just starting with makeup, I really didn't know anything about using eyeshadow, and I experimented eagerly with different eye looks. Eventually, as my makeup addiction heightened, I studied professional makeup. However, now, I almost never present EOTDs anymore, which may look ironic. Now that my eyeshadow skills have improved, that's when I stop posting EOTDs? I still show FOTDs sometimes, but don't focus on eye makeup anymore. That's because my eye makeup is really simple. Why? I have realized that my eyelids are extremely uneven. Actually, I only have a double lid on one eye. The other eye is a monolid. It's not just that one eye has a bigger lid than the other, one eye has no lid at all! This has frustrated me to no end, and the only way to even out my eyes with makeup is to put an absurd amount of eyeliner in one eye (putting very thick falsies also helps camouflage the problem). Of course, I don't want to to that. I've tried eyelid tape but it looks very unnatural, and I don't want to use eyelid glue because I'm afraid of the wrinkles I can get from all that tugging.

This dilemma has frustrated me to no end, which brings me to another topic: cosmetic surgery. I'm contemplating getting blepharoplasty (double eyelid surgery) in the future to correct this problem. I know my eyelids aren't as big of a deal as I'm making it, after all, we all tend to amplify our flaws. This flaw in particular really bugs me, and I might just be willing to go under the knife for this. I don't plan to get it anytime soon, but maybe in the future.

I'm still thinking about this really hard. What are your thoughts about this?

I'm Back from Cebu!

I'm back from my Cebu trip and I must say I love it there! Now I know what's so charming about it.

We stayed in the newly-opened Golden Berry Suites care of our Ensogo coupon! We paid less than P3,000 for a suite with a king-sized bed and a balcony (although the view is not good LOL)

Here's my sister at the bed. She loved it so much she didn't want to leave.

We spent our first day sight-seeing, and of course we went to the usual tourist spots. I saw something I did not expect, though, and this was in front of Sto. Nino Church:

I don't know exactly what it's called, but it's really beautiful. I never thought I could find something like this in the Philippines.

I love that Cebu is significantly cheaper than Manila. Here's a picture of a really large dessert we had from Casa Verde, known as Death by Chocolate. It's so big for P125!

Aside from cheaper food, the massages are also cheap. Thai massages are common in Cebu and they offer it for as low as P150 per hour. Sadly, though, the cab price is the same as Manila :(

A few minutes away from the city and you can go to higher ground and see the Cebu night lights! Here is Mr. A, a restaurant with a nice view!

I really enjoyed my trip! Hope to see Cebu again soon!

Will Be Jetsetting Again!

I'm sorry for not being able to update my blog. I just came from a shoot today, I'm so tired but I cannot rest because I gotta pack. I'll be leaving for Cebu tomorrow and I'll be there for three days. So I'll be signing off for tonight. See you next week!

On Why I Haven't Been Blogging

Hello pretty people! I have to apologize for not blogging recently, but for the past week I have been battling cellulitis. It began as a simple bite (most likely by a cockroach) but got infected by some bacteria. I actually have a feeling that the bacteria itself came from the cockroach. We never know where it's been! That same day, I had a hard lump that was around 1x1 inch and painful. The next day, I could barely walk going home so I passed by a doctor she diagnosed it as cellulitis (which confirmed what I had searched in the internet). My bump had grown more than twice its size. The doctor started me on a regimen of oral and topical antibiotics, but for several days it still continued to grow. My foot had really swollen, too. I had a hard time walking for days and sometimes, I was confined to the bed. It's only now that I'm already walking properly, although my leg hasn't healed yet. I still experience some pain. But as of today, I am back to work. Hopefully, my leg will continue healing soon and I can start blogging again. 

'Til Then!

My Sister Gets a Makeover + I'm Going on a Vacay!

I just love giving my friends and family makeovers, especially when they don't wear a stitch of makeup most of the time. My sister is such a person, despite me being the beauty junkie that I am. So when she went to a party, I was more than happy to do her makeup. Too bad there was no time to do her hair.

Anyway, here she is! Everyone says she looks like me LOL

Plus, I'm going on a much-needed vacation. It's just going to be nearby, in Hong Kong. I just wish it would be colder but unfortunately, it's quite warm in Hong Kong this time of year, too. I want to go shopping, but hopefully, just moderately. I don't want to open my credit card bill and get a heart attack! Wish me luck!

I Have a New Blog!

I'd love to thank you all for the support you gave Musicalfan Loves Minerals. Don't worry, I will not be abandoning this blog, but I will be making a new one for the more personal side of me--my music. I do hope you follow me there too. It'll be different from this one, and I'm quite excited. Say hello to my new blog: Musicalfan Unleashed

Weekend Blogger Meet Up!

Hi everyone! How was your weekend? As for me, I spent my sunday afternoon meeting up with fellow bloggers Thiamere (On Beauty Stuff and What Else's), Arg (The Beauty Bin), Grace (J'adour Rougit) and Gale (Gale Loves Colors). Our first names are both Crystal but she goes by Gale which is good because I go by Crystal! Haha.

I've met Arg and Grace before, and I've also met Gale before but it's been a long time. It's my first time to meet Thiamere.

photo taken from thiamere.blogspot.com

We had dinner at Va Pensiero at Gateway Mall. It was fun spending time with you gals! 'Til next time!

Me, Me, Me!

For my friend, Herroyalbleakness.

When I posted this FOTD during my last concert, she wanted to see what I was wearing. 

So here it is, it's really simple, since it was in an intimate setting like I've said before. I know, I know, I've really gained weight and I'm still in the process of losing it. It's so sad, I only have two gowns that fit me now. Argghhh... I'm at a loss for clothes...

Me with our pianist.

And look what I found from the vaults of facebook, another FOTD. A blast from the past!

The light was really strong, since this was taken under stage lights. I love how my skin looks like here :P

Have a great day!

Clothing Fail

How many of you have tried to buy clothes online? I've never done it, but after seeing so many sellers with their enticing pictures of clothes on Korean models, I decided to give it a try. So I made my order and patiently waited for more than a week. What came next surprised me. Upon inspection of the dress, I found the stitching to be loose and not layered on. There was actually a part wherein the stitching had already gone loose; I don't think it was worth the P800+ I paid for excluding shipping. 

When I tried the dress on, that's when I noticed that there was already a rip in the waistline. It was small, around 1 cm, but the threads around that area was coming loose too, and it seems inevitable that the surrounding areas will unravel too. I contacted the seller I bought it from and asked if I could get a replacement. She told me that she'd contact the supplier and that she'd do her best to get the dress replaced. When she got back to me, she told me that she argued with the supplier but the supplier refused to replace the dress, saying that the damage was small and could be repaired. She offered to refund me the profit she made from the dress, which was P150. I explained to her that having the dress repaired might cost more than P150, because to remove the damage would mean removing that entire area.

She then offered to replace the dress with another style that she had on-hand stocks of. But I could only choose from three styles because those were the only ones left, but I decided not to because of the following reasons: 1.) I didn't really like any of the three 2.) The three dresses were all worth less than what I paid for 3.) She didn't offer to reimburse my shipping.

So, I decided to just take the P150 and use that money to have the dress altered. And there you go, my first time to buy clothing online was a major fail. I don't think I'll be doing this again anytime soon :(

Going on a Lifestlyle Change

After I came back from my trip to the US, I gained a lot of weight. I gained 5 pounds in 6 weeks. But before that, I was already ballooning up to an alarming rate. I seriously let myself go, just eating whatever I want, seeing the scale give me a bigger number every few weeks, but not doing anything to correct it. After I came home from the US, I finally put my foot down. This is not right. I needed to make a change.

I wasn't talking about just going on a diet (which is still hard to this day), I'm talking about a lifestyle change. Since June, my main goal was to exercise twice a week. At first I found it hard, only exercising one day a week. I started losing a bit of weight. Then, I decided to commit to finally making it a steady two to three times a week. I felt my arms get leaner. I've only lost a bit of weight, but I felt myself get stronger. I've been a couch potato all my life. Ask all my friends, I've always been extremely weak. But now, I feel different.

I started adding cardio to my workout. At first my goal was three times a week. I'm still not very good at it, but I'm getting better. Starting last week, I decided to up my cardio to five times a week, but keeping the normal workout to two or three times a week. Now I'm finding that I'm getting addicted to it. I actually make time now to work out before going to work. When I'm lying down in my bed I feel like I have to move about or something. 

I still haven't lost much weight. I'm very far from my target weight, but I'm seriously much happier. I'm getting muscles in my arms, and starting to see a little definition in my abs. Just yesterday, I walked/ran 23 stories going up! It was really hard, but I'm planning to make this a regular workout, and hopefully make it to 30 stories, and be running more than walking.

A Great Night for Me + FOTD

Yesterday was an important night for me as my orchestra, the Metro Manila Concert Orchestra celebrated its 10th anniversary. I was one of the three featured soloists for that concert and I was very honored to have been chosen to perform. I played Chaminade's Concertino for Flute. I was quite nervous but I'm glad the performance turned out all right. 

My good friend and co-MUA Theresa offered to do my makeup. I, of course, said yes, because it meant less stress for me. She did a great job and I really felt great.

So here's some pictures of me performing:

Congratulations to MMCO, my fellow soloists, the composers, the choir!

And, of course, I had to take a pic of myself before the night ended!

I'm sorry it's a bit dark. I took this in our bathroom before I took my makeup off! Ciao! 'Til next time.

How Corrupt Are We?

Last night, I had every intention of being home by 9:30 PM, browse around the internet and blog. I know I haven't been blogging lately, so I intended to be back in circulation last night. Fate, however, had other plans for me. I got into a minor car accident with a taxi driver 5 minutes away from home. I was alone. It was nothing serious, but it was hard to identify who was at fault. Me, being the panicky person that I was, called my dad. In the end, we all went to the police station to settle things.

Like I said, it was hard to say who was at fault. The policeman who was in charge of our case, pulled my dad aside while the cab driver and I did the paperwork. He was hoping that my dad would bribe him to skew the case in our favor. The nerve of that policeman! Everyone's heard of bribing policemen  to escape traffic violations, but I can't believe they'd stoop that low to get a few hundred bucks. Of course, my dad didn't. Then the talking went on. 

At the end of the night, the policeman said that both our licenses will get tickets because none of us would admit the blame. Both of us drivers contested, because it we felt that it was not fair to both of us. Then he said, "Sige ganito na lang, ano mas gusto niyo, for the good of the government or for the good of the office patrol?" He wanted us to pay him instead of paying our ticket. Normally, when you incur a traffic violation, policemen try to make us bribe them by making us think that it was our idea. But in this case, he already said it straight out! He even said, "Tulungan niyo na lang yung mga nagtratrabaho dito (Help those who are working here)." Wow, such nerve. 

In the end, we didn't pay anything, because his superior officer said some vague comments that we "interpreted" as meaning it's okay, we didn't have to pay.

It's so sad that the state of our country is so bad. Some people will do anything just to get a little more money. Policemen will tweak results for a small amount, just think what they will do for a big amount! If you can't trust the law enforcers in this country, who can you trust?

Be Back...

Hey Everyone! I'm going to be MIA for a few days, because my computer is experiencing all sorts of problems that is driving me slightly insane! I hope to be back soon! XOXO

Please Bear with Me

Hey everyone! I'm sorry I haven't been blogging. I arrived two nights ago, and I started working the day after I came home, so now, I spend my days working sleepily, and crashing into bed as soon as I get home. I expect to be back in circulation this week. Until then, thanks for being patient!

As the Big Day Draws Nearer...

Only a few days until the big day! And no, I don't mean my wedding day. I'm talking about a day that will affect the lives of all Filipinos. Yes, you all know what I'm talking about. I won't be able to vote since I am in the US, but for those who are able to. Please, please, please, don't throw away your vote. Every little vote helps. Politics are uber uber dirty. Please let's at least make it harder for some people to cheat. And please, whatever you do, don't vote for...... Well I'm not going to tell the whole world who NOT to vote for, but I'm hoping that most of you know who I'm talking about. Peace!

Going to San Antonio, Texas

Hey everyone! Yes I haven't gotten back to beauty blogging. It's hard since I don't really have much material, since all my makeup is back home in the Philippines. I only brought a pot of mineral foundation, setting powder, 1 MAC blush and some lippies. I don't even have concealer! 

Anyway, last weekend my family went to San Antonio, Texas. I went to the Alamo, Riverwalk and Six Flags! I'll be frank, I don't know anything about The Alamo, except that it was a place were there was a battle. It was nice to get to know some American history.

My favorite shot of the lot: Me wearing a hamburger hat while eating a hamburger hat at the same time! Hahaha. The things you find in the US.

My siblings and I had our picture taken in one of the monster rides of Six Flags. Apparently, Six Flags is known for its monster rides. I've been to many different theme parks around the US, and I have to agree! Six Flags have the most monster rides. I didn't ride all, but I rode a lot, and screamed my head off! I love theme parks! Don't you?

'Til next time!

I'm Back! + The Shallower Side of Me

Hey everyone! I'm back! Not in the Phils, I mean, I'm back in the blogging world. I finally have my internet set up here! And I'm enjoying my vacation, basically I just laze around all day. Wahahaha! Yeah, at least I get to catch up on my reading. Anyway, I'm going to post something that I've never talked about before in this blog. I was supposed to post this before I left, but oh well, better late than never.

A few weeks ago was the end of a TV show that I try to catch as often as I can, the Mexican telenovela, Maria de Jesus: Ang Anghel sa Lansangan (the original title is Cuidad con el Angel). I have to admit, this show was really guilty pleasure for me. Why did I love this show? Because of hot stuff William Levy, who played the leading man, Juan Miguel Sandoval.

Isn't he gorgeous? I did some research, he's a model-turned-actor, and is considered the Brad Pitt of Mexico. Well if you ask me, Brad Pitt got nothin' on him.

I found some pics of him, and turns out, he's even yummier without his shirt on!

Ah, I could look at him all day. I will miss watching you!

See You in a Bit!

Hey everyone! As you know, I'll be leaving for the US tonight! I'll be having a VERY long flight, because I have 5 flights!! Manila to Guam, Guam to Honolulu, Honolulu to LA, LA to Dallas and Dallas to McAllen! I'm totally dreading it already because arrggghhhhhh! I hate layovers, much less 5 flights! I'll probably be travelling for almost 2 days at this rate :( Anyway, I'll be back in the blogging world once I settle down. Toodles!

MAC Mini Haul + Pre-Order Closed!

Hello everyone! First of all, I'd like to say thank you to those who wished my grandfather's wife well. We still don't know what will happen, but I'm hoping for the best. Anyway, this post is really delayed but I'd like to post it anyway. I'd like to show you my mini mini haul from MAC when the Spring Colour Forecast came out. Well, I can't really haul that much, since I'm not rich. 

From this collection, I bought the Stacked 1 pigment set.

Here are the swatches. The camera didn't do it justice but I find the shades to be really pretty! I SO do not regret purchasing this. This will do well when I really need color for photo shoots and stuff.

While I was there, I also picked up a mineralized duo in Rhapsody in Two. I find this really pretty; one part is a cute, light gold and one part is a light pink-peach. But the magic is when you combine both colors and end up with a combination of both. I'm sure this will work beautifully!

I tried swatching this, but it just wouldn't show up well in my camera. Time to buy a better one! Haha. Hopefully that will happen soon.

BTW, I'd just like to remind everyone that today was the deadline for the pre-order. If anyone wants to make pahabol, deadliest deadline is tomorrow. Thank you!

I Can't Believe It!

This is a personal issue. I really can't believe it. I went to my relatives' house today and they told me a story. My grandfather and his wife (not my lola) who are both based in the US came here sometime last year. During that time, his wife got sick and had to undergo an operation. She had it done in a VERY prestigious and high-end hospital here. Because she lost a lot of blood, she had to undergo a blood transfusion in that said hospital. Presently, she is now in the US and she's been in and out of the hospital. Lo and behold, what they discovered is that when she had her blood transfusion done, she contracted Hepatitis B from one of the blood donors. Now she already has liver damage because of the Hepa B, and she cannot recover due to her old age. I can't believe this has happened in one of the most prestigious hospitals here! Isn't it SOP to screen the blood first before transfusion to a patient? And now, she is paying for the hospital's mistake. And the hospital won't even suffer any consequences for their actions. Is this country THAT backwards? I'm sorry for ranting. I just feel so helpless and that these things still happen today.