A Costume Party

If I must go all out for a costume party, I’d love to dress up as the famously ill-fated Marie Antoinette, Queen of France. Big hair and big skirt. Pale skin and pink cheeks. She’s everything I’ll never be on an ordinary day. I’ve always known her as an icon but when Kirsten Dunst played her in Sofia Coppola’s 2006 biopic of the same title, she really came to life for me. The movie’s pastel palette was just so delectable, we only have the award winning costume designer Milena Canonero to blame for the ballgown overload. Not that we're complaining.

The Streets of NYC

My Wedding

 

There's a little screaming fangirl in each and everyone of us. Admit it. So when my brother (who is a fanboy too) announced that he wanted to see Sarah Geronimo's 10th year anniversary concert at the Araneta with me, my internal self was literally doing some somersaults. He was totally bankrolling the whole thing!

Yikes! I could still remember the time when we would sit up every weekend to watch Star For A Night. And when the finals night came, it was pretty obvious that the girl who wore the white Rajo Laurel gown and gave a perfect rendition of Celine Dion's  'To Love You More' was going to be the Grand Champion. She was just about my age and the first thing I noticed about her was her huge ears. Not being mean here. Those are lucky ears I think. Pangsagap ng swerte.

But that was a decade ago. The Sarah we have now is a full grown lady. She's still the power belter but she has added busting some dance moves to her resume. And although I don't get to see her ears that often because of the chic hairstyle, I think she's still catching the swerte.


As early as August 2013, we were able to procure two tickets. And I thought 'Wow! This is really happening!'. On September, we were able to book the plane tickets. Another step closer to reality. October came and I made the hotel reservations; just a small one near the Araneta. At the start of November we were literally making a countdown. Excited but nervous.

Around that time too, news said that a strong typhoon is set to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility and might make a landfall on November 7 or 8. We rolled our eyes at that. A typhoon is nothing new to us Warays of Eastern Visayas. Nevertheless we agreed that we'll deal with the typhoon first and we'll think about Sarah afterwards.

November 8, 2013 came and the rest is history. Yolanda left Leyte and Eastern Samar devastated. The concert happened on November 15 and Sarah's Perfect10 just became a huge 'what if' for us. What if we just hopped on a C130 plane so we could go to Manila. But we were just too traumatized with the recent events that we wouldn't even dare be away from our family. And with our gaping roof I don't think we would be able to enjoy that concert.


My brother didn't even bother to refund the plane tickets. We had so many other priorities at that time. Now that a year has passed I actually pondered about what I and my brother missed that day. However, no concert DVD has been released yet. Thanks to a little technology called YouTube I was able to see some parts of it.

I got these from this guy's YouTube Channel - Daniel Mangahas
Let's just say it would have been cool if we were able to go. But that's life and I don't cry over spilled milk. But the Regine/Sarah/Lea number was a tall glass of that milk and ugh I can't believe I was so close to seeing them. Oh well!

Well, that's it. I hope there would be another chance in the future for watching her. And I hope it doesn't fall on another November because there is a huge chance that there would be another typhoon and it would all end up in the drain again.

I don’t know if you’ve heard of her because she isn’t a character who gets discussed so much on a mainstream level. I got curious about her when I watched the TV adaptation of  The White Queen, another book by Philippa Gregory. I asked myself if what kind of woman would have the guts to go toe to toe with King Edward IV’s mother, Duchess Cecily of York when she is just a mere wife of a baron. Further readings about her life gave me all the answers. So many kings and queens are descended from her so I think she's a rock star! 

I made it a point at the start of the year that the year 2015 would be a year of change. I wanted to be more socially and environmentally responsible. Even in just my little ways I wanted to make a difference. Bit by bit I tried to transform my lifestyle because I know that in order to effect change around me I needed to start with myself. 

Check out the products of this noble proudly Filipino company that has served as my constant companion in fulfilling my personal advocacy.

It is no secret though that I am similar with most women in my ‘slight’ addiction with using cosmetics and personal care products. Lately, I have become ingredient-conscious and I’ve been loitering in grocery aisles reading the micro prints at the back of different products hoping to find ones that don’t contain too much chemical based components.

 For more info, you may check out www.humanheartnature.com. They've got so much stuff instore!

XO,

Cassie, The Earth Lover! :)

PS. I am not affiliated with Human Nature  and the stuff that I wrote here about their products are just based on my opinion.

Here's a little something from my Instagram Account.

I'm playing with colors again today. :)

This time it's Orange! Like Oh-range! I remember trying fuchsia in the past when I reviewed the Avon Ultra Color Matte and realized that the color wasn't just for me. You can read my review here. So, how did it go down for me with this baby?

Read more after the jump!

Before I get down to business, let me first do a back story about how I got hold of this lipstick. I've mentioned a lot in my blog that we have been affected severely by Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan in November 2013. You can read my reflections here. There was an outpouring of love and support from so many people around the world and we received lots of things from food and housing supplies to hygiene kits. But in December 2013, shortly before Christmas, my father came home with a different kind of relief goodies. Guess what it was?

Yes, it was a goodie which contained a combo of Maybelline and L'Oreal products. In the face of a huge challenge such as Yolanda, L'Oreal reminded us that prettifying ourselves is part of getting-back-on-our-feet process!

Product Name: L'oreal Color Riche Moisturizing Lipstick

Shade: C411 Wild Tango (Pearly)

"According to L'Oreal Paris . .

Packaging

I think it's a hit in the elegance department. It's golden in color and the cap lock closes well. It haven't observed any breakage in it.

The Experience

Sniff sniff.. And no, it doesn't have any scent. :)

At first glance you can indeed see that it's very vivid in color and that there are golden flecks incorporated in the stick.

Indeed, it glides smoothly and is creamy in texture. It is also very moisturizing and doesn't settle on the lines of my lips. It's very moisturizing in fact that I would understand that if it can't live up to its other claim that can last an all day wear. Long wear is always associated with matte lipsticks. 

It lasted up to 4 hours on my lips, with eating and drinking in between. It fades into a coral shade then leaves a reddish-pink tint in the end.

If it were up to me, I'd like to wear this very lightly. Just one swipe maybe. It also needs a lip liner because the color tends to bleed easily outside of your lips.

 

Orange is indeed a transformer, especially if you are feeling a bit gloomy. It can immediately add life to your face or to your complexion.

I was beyond thrilled when this uberly adorable pair of sunnies arrived! I've been wanting to own one from Sunnies Studios and for a long time I've been scrolling through their equally adorable Facebook page to check out their collections. Unfortunately, they don't have a store in my area. But thanks to Zalora, I was able to grab one! :)

Grabbing this makeup set is very anti-me for so many different reasons:

1. I don't know how to use a bronzer. I've never been around baked bronzers before. My makeup routine is very simple that I consider bronzers as non-necessities.

2. I'm not a fan of lipglosses. All of my previous experience with lipglosses led me to believe that they're just gooey, globby stuff that always make me feel uncomfortable. Like eating lechon baboy (roasted pig) and not wiping my mouth.Oh! But I don't even eat pork. Hehe

3. I've never used and illuminator before. Beauty bloggers say that they're supposed to highlight the parts where you put it. Yikes!

4. I'm still happy with my current primer, the Maybelline Babyskin Pore Eraser so maybe I didn't need the primer here.

But that's just me. I went against myself again and decided to grab this still and try to be adventurous, otherwise I would never know how it feels to use a bronzer or an illuminator. :)

I went through the usual phase of being a teenager: pimples here and there. Not plenty at once but never without one. By the time I got older and established a better skincare regimen, they all cleared up. It might have been because my hormones were no longer as crazy too. But by then, I knew the damage had been done and I was left with some scars to deal with. That's just one problem. I've been pretty much bullheaded about staying up late and now I have these dark circles under my eyes. I think it got worse when I gave birth and now it's just a usual sight. But I admit that they darkened my sparkles. *Hehe*

Last year I discovered this little product: The NATURACTOR COVER FACE FOUNDATION/CONCEALER. Although it can't totally hide all the signs of sleepless nights, I'd have to say that it's one of the most satisfying products I have ever tried.

Thanks for dropping by!:) 2015 is on our doorsteps and of course we are excited! But before we bid adieu to 2014, I'm going to share my review and swatches of one of the makeup stuff I purchased on the first quarter of this year. It's the MUA Heaven and Earth Palette. Now I'm aware that this isn't a new release from MUA and that countless reviews have been made about this and still more bloggers have compared it to the UD Naked Palettes. I can't tell for sure because I don't own any Naked Palette. But UD dupe or not, I heart this palette. I'll tell you more after the jump!

I have never felt happier seeing a plane land safely. Up until the eve of January 17, I have been wondering if Pope Francis would push through with his schedule here in Leyte. What if the authorities won't allow him to board the plane because of the typhoon? But seeing him wave happily and tirelessly to the waiting crowd despite the downpour and the howling wind, I knew that he wanted to be here. He was clearly overjoyed that thousands of people welcomed him despite the bad weather.

Yellow hope. Pope Francis wears the same raincoat as the ones worn by the Taclobanons. This image is property of www.inquirer.net. No copyright infringement intended.

Hurrah people of Leyte! The Holy Father has landed safely. This sight on TV made me exhale loudly. And bravo pilot! This image is property of www.gmanetworks.com. No copyright infringement intended.

Hearing him in his homily during his mass in DZR Airport increased my admiration for him a thousandfold. This is the Holy Father, speaking with all humility and speaking from the heart. And I cannot help but be on the verge of tears because I knew in my heart that he was sincere in his actions. He has been with us in his prayers. Seeing the somber crowd from the TV screen, I knew that we who have come toe to toe with Yolanda feel the same way.

Yolanda was fourteen months ago but the memories and the lessons it has taught us will remain forever. Some people may say that we Waraynons are still wallowing in it and that we can't get over it. Dear friends, it's not about being melancholic. It's about the fact Yolanda has left us irreversibly altered for the rest of our lives, especially those who have lost their family members.We remember but we move forward.

We move forward with the knowledge that Jesus is here for us. As imparted by the Holy Father himself in his homily, Jesus is capable of understanding our pain because He himself has gone through suffering on the cross. We are never alone. He never lets us down.

No copyright infringement intended. Image is property of GMA Networks

I remember when Yolanda was ravaging us, I cried, Lord and Mama Mary, please make it stop. But if this is the end of us, know that we lived in faith until the end. We felt so alone then, me and my family stuck in our kitchen. When the winds stopped, we moved to another undamaged part of our house because we knew that the winds will be back again coming from the opposite direction. Lo and behold, there were people outside our gates and soon enough when Yolanda came back pounding there were about four dozen people in our garage. There were babies and toddlers, pigs and clothes. Suddenly I didn't feel so alone. With renewed strength I knew that we could weather the storm together. These were neighbors and strangers alike and I thanked God for sending them in safely. This memory came vividly into my mind when the Holy Father said in his homily that we are like brothers and sisters because we help each other.

When he faced the crowd in Tacloban, he acknowledged with all humility that he doesn't have the words to express himself but he reminded us that Jesus is here for us. Mama Mary is also here for us. And he reminded us too that we all have each other as brothers and sisters. Suddenly I felt warm despite the cold weather. I would have said that it gave me chills if it were possible but nah, let's stick to warm. :)

Brothers and sisters we are all. Image is property of  Rappler. No copyright infringement intended

Yolanda brought him here but it is sad that another storm, Amang, made him leave early. The Holy Father had to go back to Manila four hours earlier than his scheduled departure. I bet many were saddened but I know that the Waraynons would understand that his safety and security is important. His short but sweet speech at the Palo Cathedral even made me smile. He asked for two things: Pray for him and Be quiet. And then the talk about leaving things in the hands of the Mother.

Photo Credit

He leaves the Philippines today, January 19. Many are still euphoric about his visit and suddenly we all want to be good, to do good. He has left us all with so much wisdom. I hope that our desire to follow his teachings transcends the euphoria and even if a month, a year, or a decade has passed, we would still remember him and keep his words in our hearts.

Xo,

I'll admit that I'm a bit scared of wearing bright pinks such as fuchsia or magenta, especially in matte formula. I've always associated it with being too bright or that it can make your teeth look yellow. That being said, I know that I won't buy something of this color on my own account. I got hold of this product because my mother gave it to me. So, did it work for me? I'll tell you after the jump! :)