After all the health issues in the family I made sure we make it to the strictly formal affair lined up that weekend. I figured it would energize me. Some "me" time with the husband. Would allow me to get out from the sweat pants and into that long dress (thanks to the big mall who had a big sale that week...).

But don't get me wrong, Im not one to be spending a whole hour or more in front of the mirror just to put on make up. For one thing it now only takes me 20 minutes to do my hair ( if I shampoo the night before and condition on the hour...).

I have always been proud of my 7.5-minute make up. Ahihi (so is my husband, seriously). Doesn't take much really. What I have in my arsenal is just as simple. Must of them gifts, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to afford them.

The 7.5-minute make up. For my formal affair. 

  Two days prior I have already cleaned my face. A simple DIY facial at home, nothing complicated really. This would give any redness the chance to disappear two days later. Dark circles under the eyes are my worst enemies. Took me years and a lot of searching on the net what other ladies are wearing. And what I could afford. Two years ago a friend of mine from New York got me All About Eyes by Clinique. Luckily it works good for me. Lessens the puffiness and moisturizes the eyebags. I didnt have to look far for the cover up as I got the more affordable BB cream specifically for eyes by Garnier. But then of course knowing me, one must not presume I use it for my eyes alone. ahihihi.. works good for the eyebrow and nostril areas, corners of the mouth and under the lower lip, where shadows always form. I usually use my brushes to apply. I love the MAC brushes. But lately Ive been favoring dubbing the cover ups with my fingers. It absorbs and blends better that way.

One treasured possession is the Sheer Cashmere foundation by L'Oreal. It's matte and blends well. But  only apply it in certain areas which need attention. To set everything I love Covergirl's Trublend Mineral Loose Powder, applied with my Kabuki brush by Everbelena. 

Sometimes I like to play with colors as I have demonstrated in old entries of the blog but not during formal affairs. So I stick with the basics. You know the highlight on the middle of the lid and dark contours on the side of the lid routine.... I used to do a lot of winged-tip eyeliners but lately I've been favoring the more circular one. Wherein I just follow my natural curve of the lid up to the tip. I first saw it on Jinky Pacquiao on her controversial cover. No kidding. I said, "wow! Those eyes are not photoshopped. They're remarkably made up and lined! So I decided I like that..."

Gigi, my friend from Singapore gifted me with my now every-reliable color palette. I use them all the time. By Etude House.

Like I said, I always go for the more affordable stuff so I buy my stash at the Face Shop. Eyeliner, eyebrow pencil, the works...

It's a no brainer thing. I just go over some tutorials on Youtube and Im done. hehehe Seriously, 7.5 minutes. That quick. That easy...

I know what you're thinking. Didn't I just write about summer going on year round in this country? Now I'm blogging about rubber boots. But oh, not just any pair of boots... ok, ok, that's just a little melodramatic. Ahihihi, but then again, it's the tropics. It can rain anytime it wants. Anywhere and at any intensity. Tropical depressions. Typhoons. Rubber/rain boots have always been an essential part of our household. Even when I was small, I had my own boots. And mind you, during the great flood in our town back in 1991, rubber boots was the only way we could go about the streets and buy that precious bread from the bakery 5 blocks away.
With my own family, I still insisted we each have our own rubber boots. The trusty helper and nannies included. Wouldn't it be comforting to have a pair on hand just in case?
Last March this year my friend from the United Kingdom helped me ship my very own pair. Well, I just thought I'd level up on my own pair of rubber boots. And as peking order in this household goes, my senior helper (this only means, she's been with us for a long time hehehe) gets my old pair. My kids are still too very young.
My very own pair of Hunter Wellington Boots. Pricey but very well worth it. What's a girl from the tropics doing with Britain's symbol of country life? ...hmmm, just rockin' it, actually. Ahihihi... oh but it is very useful. It's been raining so very hard lately carrying my kids from the car to the door in 3 inch rain is nothing but a breeze for me. They can walk in their own boots but they love to see mine get wet. Ahihihi...kids!!!

I got myself the original tall in color black. Very very lightweight I tell ya! Fashion definitely meets function!
Real leather (so be very careful in opening that box, cover your nose if you're allergic to strong scents). Waterproof and strong enough to protect you from industrial chemicals. I love my Hunter! And are you ready for this? It is the most comfortable boots Ive ever tried on. Believe me, I've tried on more than a dozen!

While in the subject of unending sunshine in our country...

Meet my cute straw hat.

I took a risk here. It is never advisable to buy hats online where one cannot be sure of the measurements 

and fit. 

Luckily this baby fits!

Isn't it such a cutie? An H x M straw hat. Very light weight and very affordable (that's important right?).

It's casual, not too intimidating for city wear. You know what I mean. 

And it hides my unkept hair hahahahaha!

Please meet my photographer. She directed me in this shoot.

Yeah, my hair is nothing compared to her beautiful curly locks...

Stay cool everyone! Cover up and drink your liquids. 

Simply everyone's still abuzz about May 26th event that was LifeDance 2012 Cebu. I am pretty excited about sharing photos but alas, I am to wait until LifeDance themselves release them officially, hehehe. Photo above was taken by a promo girl. Trusty friend, Fred and I. (whew, 3 months of fitness walking and bit of Pilates finally pay off, hehehe, ok so you don't have to agree...)

All photos from here on in are instagram photos:

Afternoon grind was humid. This stall was swamped with customers. I had to hydrate as I needed to last until 5 in the morning the next day...

By 6pm I have changed into the open sandals to let my toes breath, and of course show off my Black Shadow polish hehehehe...

3am... This was already during Adam Bjornberg's set. It was awesome!!! That's Mr. Techbooth right there, sitting by, in case Bjornberg calls on him for tech support...

5am... I was in a taxi already on my way home. Sunrise everybody, sunrise!!!

6.30am...my husband's alarm goes off. He needed to go somewhere early. It was just about the same time my head finally hit my pillow. I still saw him stir a bit though and it was finally good night world for me...

What a day ha? Awesome day indeed!!!

One of the many amazing sets: Funk Avy...

3 more days...

Are you READY?

LifeDance 2012 happens this Saturday everyone! Brace Cebu...brace. It will be EPIC!!!

Since I'm part of the roaster of the production photographers I had been staring and staring and staring at my gears and all the past week, making sure every single item on my checklist is accounted for. The biggest event to happen in Cebu! 

Just like any photography assignment I go beyond the preparations of my gears. I always want to be appropriately dressed for the occasion. And this one definitely calls for the urban chic! 

Trusty utility belt for photography with the lens caps and all will have to sit this one day out (the affair goes for 15 hours...). Out the closet comes my more casual Gucci belt bag. I like to go bag-free, therefore, worry-free. 

 (I use a belt bag when in concerts).

 Definitely it will have to be flats. Comfortable blingy shiny sparkly flat sandals (you know me...) to last me 20 hours. 

Since it's given that I shall be flaunting my black LifeDance shirt, ahihihihi...I went BLING shopping. 

I was thinking silver...All silver wares are from Forever21 (ehem, they were on sale). 

I've got to have a color. Bright one! It's hot pink for the night. I couldn't resist newly acquired teal beads and crystals so I'll throw it in too.

See you all on Saturday!

Gates open at 1pm at the Boardwalk.

Do check out their Facebook page here for more details.

It's more fun at LifeDance 2012 !!!

My friend, Laura Lee, wore these beautiful oversized sunglasses to a lunch date one day. Friday. It was love at first sight for me. Lucky for me, she loaned it to me. I took the photo above while lounging at the lobby of the hotel we had lunch in. Love the look so much. I knew I was gonna wear them sunnies everyday for the rest of the week (decided I'd have it till next Friday).

So went my "7-day Shell-Colored Sunglasses Photo Chronicle"...

Day2 Saturday. Went to South Gen Hospital at Naga, Cebu. This is my "how-to-hold-a-Starbucks-tumbler-and-oversized-sunglasses-with-one-hand-like-a-celebrity" impersonation. At the hospital parking area. And to those who have noticed, yes, I have switched.

Day3 Sunday. Woke up to a rainy Sunday morning. Ava and Alyssa crawled back into the covers and my armpits to go back to sleep. I had to take a pic first.The sunglasses, being borrowed,has taken temporary residence in a hard case in my handbag (which I put on the headboard every night).

Day4 Monday. Errands & work took me midtown. I walked the stretch of Jones Ave. Loving the trees, new red-ish brick sidewalk, dust and everything Cebu! Pretty thick skinned to be taking a pic of myself in the middle of that walk ha? hehehe

Day5. If you're familiar with Cebu you will recognize that hotel behind me at Gorordo Ave. Just came from a camera shop nearby. Ate Letty texted she & Ava was already on a jeepney so I looked out for their jeepney. We were all on our way home. Remember that photo of us on the jeepney, this one was taken before that ride.

A bittersweet Day6. Tomorrow will be the 7th day, I return the sunglasses. I have started cleaning the kids' closet when I was called to a quick last minute meeting nearby. 2hrs later I came home & went back to my closet chores.

Day7 Thursday.Errands to do early morning. I am a morning person I try to put everything work related in the morning. I have no problem waking up early with the kids to prep for school and fitness walking.Plus I try to catch a ride with Joel for any 1st errand especially if it's on the way to his work. This morning I did just that. In my sweatpants and shirt, hehehe. Thursday would be the last day.

If the 33 C degrees temperature this part of the world has been having any indication...it is officially summer. Yes, we have the tendency to skip the season that is spring and jump right into the hot hot summer.

For yesterday's lunch with the trusty photographer friends (none brought along a dslr) I decided to debut the summer look. As you may have noticed, I chopped off another 2 inches from my already short hair. Im loving it!!!

A cool see thru gypsy inspired blouse I got from a flea market tops the look.

My friends give me make up. Most recent gift was a navy blue and frosted blue eye shadows from Doctor Ann/photographer. Oh my dear make up artist/designer friend Sidney Gonzales I hope you will be proud of me, how I have learned from you. The make up look I can do in 7 minutes. Yes, a swoosh swoosh of light foundation with a big round brush does the trick for my skin.

(Well, let me just leave you a cheesy spaced out photo of me. Ahihihi it was a hot morning, I have a big foam on top which we were drying out which acted as a diffuser...)

Blue eyeshadow by Elf, brown eyeshadow by Estee Lauder, foundation and loose powder both by Maybelline, black eyeliner and brown eyeliner both by MAC, lipglass by Forever 21 and lipstick by Clinique.

Have a fun and safe summer y'all!!!

Absolutely gorgeous, isn't it? And it's not even designer. Got this very cool headband. Believe me, it's less than P101. Ahihihi...

A headband, but when you wear it, it looks like a dainty little hat. Pretty enough to be wearing on a royal gig now, isn't it? hehe. I am giddy.

A happy new year to my friends all over the world!

Last night was a noisy one, although not as quite as the past years, just as well, it only means there were less firecrackers. hehehe

Photos taken by my ipod touch 4th gen (yep, I switched and gave myself a Christmas gift, hehe).

An afternoon of joy riding and relaxing at the mall.

Low pressure once again detected around the country, thus the windy and rainy afternoon.

We decided to get ice cream and cold coffee! hahahaha, yep that's how we roll...

Hubby was on holiday from work. It was not so easy for him to be relaxing. He couldnt imagine a day without clients, deadlines and no work at all! hahahaha

Oh yes, as usual, the little miss danced about our table with the wind. She loved it! She had her hood on. Not much people at the mall, except in the supermarkets.

By dinnertime we decided we'd do pizza and pasta. Delicious!!! When in Cebu you should check out Michaelangelo's (pizzeria) in Banilad. Great food, great ambiance. (free wifi, hahaha).

We decided to stay in during the new year's day revelry. It was cool to be lazy on our butts, watching every mall's and every hotel's fireworks from our windows. (We're lucky to have a place on a corner, thus the two sides of windows, works for my photography as well).

Let me share with you one of my mom's gift for me this Christmas! A white Wayfarer! Isn't it the coolest? hahaha, thanks mom!

Hope you all had a safe and fun night!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone!

Year of the Water Dragon... let's do this right!

Christmas holidays everyone! Have you gotten your shopping done already?...

Have you decided how your look will be this season?

Moi. I have decided this year's look will be based on make up Christmas gifts I got. My favorite south sea pearls from my mother will be dressing up ears.

Hair gets the extra wave after being ties up in a bun all day...

The compact with eyeshadow and cheek blush I got pretty much defined everything... it will be neutral on the eyes. With the black eyeliner as accent. Much as I want to keep doing the winged tip style I will opt to take the advise of my make up artist friend to just avoid the wings. It will make my eyes smaller. There will be times for it though. But for the Christmas family card, I will stick with the regular and simple line above the eyelashes for a fuller look, ala Adele. (oh, she's my most fave!!!).

Shimmery pink lipstick...

Layers and layers of mascara...

Neutral palatte...

The H&M ring is from a girlfriend...

How about for a more casual ensemble.

No change in make up. Just the accessories.

Golden studded tiger bangle from Doc Ann...

Merry Christmas to my dear friends from all over the world!!!

After all those heavy make up, big frizzy hair and all black ensemble I just had to take a breather today.Hehehehe... ( I had to shampoo my hair at 1.30 in the morning after the party).
Stacked on my bracelets for comfort...

No. 6. On my wishlist. (The croc boots on previous post was no. 7, hehehe). Thank you Ann F. for this cool lunch tote by Built.

It opens up pretty good.

Hmm...coincidence with the tangerine shade logo for 2012 color of the year? hehehe

Lovin' my lunch tote! Very light and handy! Stylish too.

Call time wasn't that early for our event in Tagaytay. We decided to swing by (ehem, more like go back down to...) Solenad2 in Nuvali to check out the Liquidation Sale in Aldo we spied the night before. And alas!!! What do I see? Can you still remember what number this fancy pair of rubber boots appear on my Christmas wishlist?

Well of course it didn't have the $200 price tag. It's by Aldo. Got it for a sale price of less than $50!!!