Since last year, I had been more frugal due to a number of grown up decisions like taking more expensive vacations, buying a car, saving money for the rainy days and eventually buying a home. I would give in for some days, but I can feel the change in my spending habits tremendously compared when I was just too busy opening my wallet for no good reason.
Inspired by the random discussion with a friend recently, how do you assure yourself a second date? And what to do when you don't get one?
Dating is supposed to be fun and exciting, however it can be that complicated to some people like me and you. So yes- there were times I pressured myself answering this question why the guy never called me back after the first date.
If you like anything Japanese, then there is no reason why you should miss knowing that Miniso opened a store in Manila. Their first store was opened in Robinson's Place, Manila and oh my- it's always full of people! I checked out the store one weekend and the line to the counters is loooonngggggg! I saw all these people with their heavy baskets full of Miniso items.
I am sure you know about my facial oil obsession previously discussed here on my blog. To begin, I have combination to oily skin- and yes there are days that only my T-zone turns into a greaseball but there are lonely days that my pores are overacting and producing oil in every pore I have. I mean that is just unfair.
I was facebook-ing yesterday and came across a post by one of my friends which says:" Less friends, less b*llshit. Keep your circle small."
If only I could hit a million likes for her post because that's exactly what I've been doing now- keeping my circle small. I am friendly yes- but pleasing everyone, no- I am not that kind of person now. I realized there is joy in keeping only those who never left, who stood by me when I've got nothing on my wallet, who walked with me when I didn't have a car back then and so on and so forth. In short, when my circle got smaller, my perspective of genuine friendship also got clearer.
I have said this before so I am going to say it again: I color my hair a lot like every 6-8 weeks. It's a hard habit to kick when I started coloring my hair. If you haven't colored your hair before, don't start it if you cannot commit to giving it more care than it ever had.
I subject myself to a weekly hair treatment to combat damage brought by frequent coloring. My ends would have the occasional split ends too and overtime, I see some strands being brittle. I also don't like my hair sounding "crunchy".
One of my best buys in Japan is the Detclear Bright and Peel Fruits Cleansing Liquid with AHA and BHA.It is an exfoliating Japanese cleansing liquid which dissolves waterproof makeup.
I picked this up without any idea whether it has good or bad reviews. Also there wasn't an English translation in the packaging which could have helped that time. But anyhow, I picked it up and paid it right away.
I've been wearing makeup full time since I started working. My university days were spent only using a lipstick--- a hand-me-down from my mom from Revlon and yes, baby powders!
Then work came and I was able to finally afford some pressed powders. I used to buy the one from Johnson's and Johnson's. I am unsure if they still carry it these days, but if they do, hey there my first powder:)
Then work came and I was able to finally afford some pressed powders. I used to buy the one from Johnson's and Johnson's. I am unsure if they still carry it these days, but if they do, hey there my first powder:)
I always try to stick to my DIY weekly hair and skin treatments no matter how busy I am. I feel bad whenever can't because that means I failed miserably in time management.
I put on some hair mask/ treatment weekly because I color my hair a lot and I mean every 6 weeks! To get rid of white/ blackheads, excess sebum and impurities, I use the Mario Badescu Silver Powder.
I added toner as part of my skin care regimen quite late. For many
years, I would only do the wash-moisturize regimen. Nothing too fancy
but since I can't stick to the 10-step Korean skin care regimen, I figured the
wash-tone-moisturize would be a slightly better option.
My skin's not perfect to begin with and I would have dark spots from pimples every time after each menstrual period. It would take some time to lighten them unless I go through a serious exfoliation and so I would look for skin care with brightening properties not necessarily to whiten my skin.
The Andalou Naturals Clementine + C Illuminating Toner description says this: Fruit Stem Cell Complex, superfruit antioxidants, and Vitamin C, work as powerful cell energizers to target hyperpigmentation and UV damage, improving skin tone and texture. Aloe vera effectively hydrates and oxygenates, balancing pH, and stimulating circulation for healthy luminosity.
My skin's not perfect to begin with and I would have dark spots from pimples every time after each menstrual period. It would take some time to lighten them unless I go through a serious exfoliation and so I would look for skin care with brightening properties not necessarily to whiten my skin.
The Andalou Naturals Clementine + C Illuminating Toner description says this: Fruit Stem Cell Complex, superfruit antioxidants, and Vitamin C, work as powerful cell energizers to target hyperpigmentation and UV damage, improving skin tone and texture. Aloe vera effectively hydrates and oxygenates, balancing pH, and stimulating circulation for healthy luminosity.
To put it, I just wanted to simplify my everyday makeup life. And so my story goes by me applying my foundation or tinted moisturizer/ sunblock first, set with a powder, do my eyebrows, apply some blush and on with my usual fave lippies mostly from Revlon. I really think Revlon has great lipsticks selection and they work pretty well on me.
I wanted to catch the tail of Japan's winter and so what a better way to do that is fly to the island of Hokkaido. It is already spring in Tokyo (in fact almost about to end) but in Hokkaido, I could still get a taste of its winter season.
Hokkaido is the second largest, northernmost and said to be least developed of Japan's four main islands. Temperature on winter can be unforgiving with lots of snowfall, below zero temperatures and even frozen seas (Let it go, Elsa), while in summer it does not get as hot and humid as in other parts of Japan.
If you are reading this, yes- my blog is still alive! Earlier this month, I was notified by Google whether I’d renew my domain and that’s how I realized life lately consisted mainly of work and personal space. I didn’t write here mainly because I don’t want to make it as a chore instead, I consider my blog as my inspiration in so many ways.
Dear You,
I am not sure how you can take this but let me tell you this now: In few years time, you will be okay. And I mean not grand okay- but you will have a time of your life.
You will struggle with self-esteem as you grow up but will soon overcome it. When you enter university, a boy who developed liking in you shall try to pursue you, hold your hand, kiss you on your cheek and will be a stranger later on. You will be jealous and broken but all you will do is scribble in your journal how hurt you are and never speak to him again until you were in the same trip going to the city.
University days shall pass without you having a boyfriend (yes, you shall be single till you graduate) but another geeky boy shall profess his love to you complete with flowers, love letters and home visits. But then you will realize you still like the first boy and so you will just end up as friends, nothing more nothing less.
Such a clincher question, don't you think? Growing up, I was always hungry for knowledge even outside the classroom. I would read everything from comics, newspapers, fashion magazines, psychology books and even engineering books owned by my brother when I want to punish myself. When I was young, I felt like a sponge ready to absorb everything in this world. I talked to many older people much than I talked to my peers.
Then when I thought I was smarter enough, I dreamed of money to come to me. I worked hard to buy the things I can afford, take vacations in many places I adored and rewarded myself with a nice pair of shoes when I feel lonely. Though I'm not ultra rich, it feels good to be able to pay things on my own without any help from others. My new found financial freedom has given me confidence that it is possible to work hard and at the same time be rewarded for it.
Solo traveling is my thing. Not because I am snob, but because I have no time to spend on moody, self-centered and spoiled brat friends, hahaha! But it is true. And it is also what it is. I like to take my time and spend less time on worries. The last thing I want to see is a person whining at the end of each day of sightseeing. I have zero tolerance for this behavior.
I first started traveling solo in Beijing and although my reason for traveling there was because I was infatuated with a man I met in Manila, when I look back, I have no regrets. Not even a thing. And soon after that, I dabbled into a being tourist in some Asian cities, got totally drunk in Beijing and Seoul and also had my heart broken.
Each time I travel, one of the many things I wonder is the safety of each place. To illustrate, I felt safer in Singapore than in Malaysia for example. It's not because there are more axe murderers in Malaysia than Singapore but it's a feeling inside me that I will forever have trouble explaining about.
But to date, Japan has beaten all countries I visited. Many times, I came home to my hotel super late in the cold winter night and never felt safer. There are no men drinking beers outside to harass you. Not even construction workers to catcall you. There may not be too many people outside when it's late but it is still safe. How cool that can be?
Because I decided to travel to Japan very late for the new year (I'm spontaneous like that!), most hotels during this period were all booked. The ones left were either too pricey and way above my price range or far away from the city center. If you are a seasoned traveler, you would know that staying out of the center has its own disadvantages.
For one, you'll likely to end up spending more on train, bus or taxi fares which can potentially make your travel more expensive. You will also need to wake up extra early during a day of sightseeing to account for travel time. You will need to check the availability of any transportation means after a certain time, say 11pm to 12am in the event that you plan to extend your hours of strolling or shopping around.
After my post on how to apply Japan visa for Filipinos, I received some messages from friends asking if me if I can possibly write about my other visa application experiences. I always wanted to write about them to be honest, but then I procrastinated for a while. Some of these friends are curious how I got my Dubai/ UAE visa so I am going to talk about the process I went through in this post.
I didn't have much expectations on how beautiful Dubai is but now that I think about it, I underestimated its beauty and grandness.I love the fact that it is one of the most diverse places in the world and very different from the places I visited before.
While food makes me sane, makeup makes my eyes sparkle. But maybe not too much anymore (I am trying to age gracefully, lol). Some years ago, I would spend a lot on makeup only because I was curious and not necessarily I want them all in my face at one time. In fact, my friend Khim who lives in Tokyo was quite surprised I wasn't too crazy about buying makeup in Tokyo anymore.
My theory is that now I already know which products work for me and which don't. And so I am a more intelligent buyer now (naks!). Sometimes, I would falter and I think that's alright (we are all humans afterall).
My theory is that now I already know which products work for me and which don't. And so I am a more intelligent buyer now (naks!). Sometimes, I would falter and I think that's alright (we are all humans afterall).
One of the many things I enjoyed in Japan was the FOOD! OMG- from their local restaurants to convenience store hot meals, you’ll soon realize Japanese people know how to prepare food right.
A lot of times, as I come home from a long day of sightseeing, I would just crash Lawson or Family Mart and get myself these ready-to-eat meals. They are surprisingly delicious and quite different from the hot meals I would experience in sunny Manila.
I just came back from a 10-day trip in Japan covering two cities, Tokyo and Fukouka. Tokyo is more cosmopolitan being the capital while Fukouka is more laidback. I was told by someone that if you plan to excel professionally, go to Tokyo as there are more job opportunities over there. On the other hand, if you want to raise a family and have a work-life balance, then Fukouka could be your best bet.
If you are wondering how difficult it is to get a Japan visa if you have a Filipino passport, don't stress yourself too much because it is actually easier than you thought. The rule of thumb is this: Have all your documents/ requirements ready and be detailed about them.
If you are wondering how difficult it is to get a Japan visa if you have a Filipino passport, don't stress yourself too much because it is actually easier than you thought. The rule of thumb is this: Have all your documents/ requirements ready and be detailed about them.
Happy 2016 everyone!
So how did you spend your holidays? I was away from work for 17 days, imagine! The last few days of 2015 were spent visiting family and a Japan trip, yay! I spent good old 10 days in the land of the rising sun, Japan:)
I am still trying to wake myself a little more as I really had an amazing time in Fukouka and Tokyo. I was able to see my good friend of 8 yrs, Khim who now lives in Tokyo (I haven't seen her since 2012) and met super cool and awesome people along the way.
I will soon write about my travel experiences and the many fun things I did in Japan. For now- all I really wanted was to say hello and tell you I am still alive and kicking!
Love,