Showing posts with label Monthly Favorites. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Monthly Favorites. Show all posts
June 15, 2017
"Baby, this is what you came for..."

I know that that is a Rihanna song penned by Taylor Swift/Calvin Harris but for someone who flew in all the way to Manila from Leyte just to see the Godney Spearit herself, it just feels like it. And here I am, over a month after the show, still feeling tears in my eyes whenever some wonderful memory of Britney's hair flips and hand flicks crosses my mind.


***
"I'm like a ring leader, I call the shots. I'm like a firecracker, I make it hot."

Yes she is. Yes she does.
You see her on TV, on YouTube, and you know that she is larger than life. In real life though, when you are in the same room with her, she is phenomenal; she's like a force that can make the room explode.

At the Mall of Asia Arena hours before the show.
The show lasted for just over an hour. However, the preparations and the things we did just to make it to June 15, 2017, goes way beyond that. 
We can go back to March 28, 2017, when she decided to drop the news on Facebook that she will be coming to Manila for a concert. You'd think April Fool's Day came too early and Britney could just be playing with our emotions. But when the Britney Army PH started reacting and you realize that it's for reals, how can you not scream at the top of your lungs. 

 Two decades worth of screaming, that is.

 And then there were those succeeding events that occurred that would give you doubt if the show would push through. Good thing the authorities were on their toes for this big event. 

The police force deployed at the MOA Arena for the Britney concert. 
MOA Arena's rules were also pretty stringent so we felt secured when we entered the venue. You can feel the excitement and the common love for Britney that bound us all. The crowd was mostly composed of 20 to 40 years olds. But there were also younger ones and it was heartwarming to see that they had their moms or dads tagging along. Or is it the other way around? LOL.
The beeline towards the entrance.
And we're in!
Now watch me....waiting. :)
Is it 9:00 PM yet?
The "Work Bitch" intro was our cue to screaaaaam and cry. And you just remember how you'd wait up on MTV just to catch "Born To Make You Happy", and you just fail to cop the dance moves all the time. 

You think of the time that she "grew up" and started wearing those deconstructed clothes and wonder how she looked so good on them. All sorts of memories just come flashing back and you cry even more.

Britney: Live In Manila// Work Bitch
Britney: Live In Manila// Womanizer
There were no dull moments in this concert. How can you be bored when you know all the lyrics to her songs? Emphasis on "Philippines" when Britney performed "Piece Of Me" lest we forget what country she's in. Hope she felt "kilig" about that part.
Britney: Live In Manila// Piece of Me
Britney: Live In Manila// ...Baby One More Time
We also sang Madonna's part in "Me Against The Music" like, no big deal. 

There are no downtimes; there's no part where the performer sings a slow song and rests. Britney danced to all twenty songs. She's 35, by the way.

Britney: Live In Manila// Me Against The Music
She's amazing.




***
We didn't want the night to end but eventually it did. We knew the show ends with "Till The World Ends" so it is the part when we were went on our feet, raised our hands, sang, screamed and cried like there's no tomorrow. 


Thank you Britney, for slaying it on June 15, 2017. And thank you for "jumping over drama and landing on your feet". How you made it through the worst part of your life will always be an inspiration for me and all of your fans throughout the world. Gosh I tear up again as I type that.

 XO,
Carissa
PS. I will never forget how shrill and high pitched her voice was, I didn't expect that. LOL.
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Well, if April could retort, I bet he or she would say that yes, it does. Time flies when you are having fun. 


#SummerFeels...
What is summer without a day or at least half a day at the beach? Still at the local beach in Victoria. :) Great good Friday weather, btw.
Three makes complete. :)
The little lady is still daddy's baby. :)
My daughter's little mermaid moment. Although she was belting Moana medleys.
The Easter Weekend...
The looooong weekend also allowed me and Tin to visit Leyte. We arrived to a stormy weather. Like literally, after crossing the San Juanico Bridge, the weather was really different from Samar's. On Black Saturday, Tacloban's streets were flooded due to the rains brought by Tropical Depression Crising. Thankfully the weather cleared up on Easter Sunday. Hung out at Robinsons Place Tacloban the entire day.


The Posh girls looking fab!
Bunny Love...
There's mayhem if both of them love to hop around, kid and bunny.
Celestine and Napoleon. 
Favorite Products...
Here are some of my much-used products this summer.
For my base, of course I reach for something that has a good amount of SPF. The Belo Intensive Whitening BB Cream gives me that plus tons of other skin benefits. For keeping my oily skin and huge pores in check, the Quick FX No-Shine Mattifier has got my back. The Maybelline White Super Fresh Powder Foundation sets my bb cream. Did I mention that it also has SPF 34? I have BYS Contour and Highlighting Kit to thank for my bronzy summer glow. Maybelline's Fashion Brow Palette has been helping me achieve some brows on fleek and I am so in love with it that I'm already thinking of repurchasing it for years and years and years.

For my puckers, I'm also very nude-heavy these days. My favorite is the Maybelline Creamy Matte Color Sensational in Clay Crush. Sometimes I wear it alone or top it with the Burt's Bees 100% Natural Lip Gloss in Sunny Day. Sometimes I wear the gloss alone and it also looks fab. If I want a pinkish hint of color, I go for the Maybelline Baby Lips Love Color Lip Balm in Cherry Kiss. It nourishes my lips really well and doesn't feel heavy.

Click the heavy fonts for reviews of each product.

*Disclaimer: Some of these products were sent to me for review purposes but it doesn't in any way affect my opinions about the them.  This is definitely not a paid post. :)  I'm just sharing honest love for each one of them. *

I've Read...
....Jay Asher's novel called Thirteen Reasons Why. Yes, the Netflix series of the same title is based on this book. I got curious about it when I saw the teaser on Facebook. But then I can't really do Netflix so I decided to just read the book. I'll post a separate review about in the future. It didn't really give me the goosebumps that I expected.

***
Here's a panoramic shot of the beach front in Victoria , 1 PM-ish, last Good Friday. What's not to love? None, April says. ;) Postcard perfect.

XO,
Carissa
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And so, on some days you'll be amazed at the shadow that She casts on the white sand.

Or that She plays catch with the waves.

You'll be content that She finds zen when She sits on the edge of the water.

Or you'll be reminded of a certain goddess who rose from, when She stands on the sea foams.

I have never used my own wit on waters that took away the sand castles that I build. She does so freely, and in abundance.

***
The beach is called Burobudyongan. Yes, that's the name of the place, not a tongue twister. It also goes by the name 'Spice of Life' or just 'Spice'. I'm debating whether I should say this is in Allen town or in Victoria town because it's somewhere in the middle. It's the favorite local watering hole, and understandably so. It's beautiful. It's basically free. There are no entrance fees. You only pay some when you rent a cottage or one of those overnight spots on the beach front. We are frequenters and usually do our stuff at 6:00 am when the air is fresh, the front is clean and the place isn't swarmed yet by the locals.
***
Meanwhile. Yes, Celestine's wearing a toga because on the 21st of March she moved up from Day Care Schmaycare and come June will enroll into Kindergarten Schmarten. Everyday I'm amazed at how close she to getting into college. It felt like only yesterday when I first saw that slimy head of hers. Ha ha. Anyway, I hope she learns to read soon so she will know all the wonderful stuff that I write about her in this blog. Every milestone is a milestone. ;)

The classic peace sign.

I know she looks kinda tall. Trust me, she just turned five.

The classic salakot. Literal na suru-salakot an kasayaw. Classic, kids.



...And the classic choral presentation that will have us laughing and tearing up when the time comes. They sang "It's A Beautiful Day", these little munchkins.

Proud parents are we now. Always, always.
XO,
Mummy Cassie
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This is me, trying hard to put some words together to write a blog post despite the writer's block that I am experiencing. I'm basically having a brain hemorrhage while doing this. My only consolation in this moment of deficiency is that I can still do graphics. See ⇓⇓⇓ ? Thank God for the holy Photoshop and all the angels behind it! At least I can still express myself in this manner.

This little spread was inspired by florals and pastels. I added a good amount of hearts too, aside from the word itself. After all, Feb's the love month. 

Like I said, I'm really struggling with words so I'll just leave you with the rest of this post. It took me more than a week to compose this blog post. Slow month. It's a capsule post comprised of some favorites, a few mini hauls and one big event that happened on the Love Month. Care to guess what that is? I hope you get to the bottom of this blog post. (*_*)




FAVORITES
I've had previous posts about monthly favorites but I'd only included beauty products or makeups. For a change, I thought I might include some other sorts of favorites like movies or music or books, or other interests. Here come the favorites for this month!


SLEEK MAKEUP I-DIVINE MINERAL BASED EYESHADOW PALETTE IN OH SO SPECIAL
I purchased this one from SHOPEE last January but I only got to use it fully on February. Truly, there are so many palettes to choose from Sleek's I Divine collection. I picked this "Oh So Special" one because it has a combination of pretty pink pastels, basic browns and smoky ones, in a mixture of mattes and shimmer. It can take me through any mood and any occasion. I will be using this throughout 2017 and hopefully I will feel the satisfaction of hitting the pan.

Hacksaw Ridge//Image Credit: www.crimsonmultimedia.com
HACKSAW RIDGE
I spent Valentine's Day night cuddling with my husband, watching this. Yes, our daughter was holding a bowl of cheese-flavored popcorn, squeezed in between us. How romantic! No hint of sarcasm there, we really do love war movies.

Okay, much has been said about this movie and I won't go into details anymore. On my part however, I decided to go blindly when I watched this: I didn't read reviews, didn't see the trailer, didn't know the plot. I loved the romantic and comic beginnings but I was surprised at where the story was taking me. Needless to say, I ended up wiping tears with my cheese powder-stained hands. My daughter will have been asleep by the time we got to the  gory part, thank God! Andrew Garfield playing Spidey was iconic but from now on I will always remember him as Desmond Doss. I know my Enemy At The Gates, Fury, Pearl Harbor, Saving Private Ryan, Unbroken, Schindler's List, etc. but Hacksaw Ridge is just wow! Watch it if you haven't already.

BUYS

FLORAL LIGHT PLANNER IN GREEN
Where I Got It: Shopee Philippines//Seller:jennruiz of FabuLESS Shoppe
How Much: Php 127.00
I've been looking for a planner at the start of 2017 but as much as possible I didn't want to purchase anything pricey, after all, it's still just a notebook, right? Hey, it's an individual's prerogative if he or she wants a fancy Starbucks planner. But I didn't see the need for that so I really tried to find something affordable, functional and lovely.  Thank God I found this one at Shopee. What I love about it is that it's open dated - there are no indicated years or dates on it. I can use it beyond 2017 and it's up to me put the dates. About 50 more leaves can be used as a journal, diary, wishlist, listahan ng may utang, etc. Saya! It's perfect for someone like me who commits everything to writing aka malilimutin na.


HAPPY DAY KOREAN SIGN PEN
Where I Got It: Shopee Philippines//Seller:jennruiz of FabuLESS Shoppe
How Much: Php 120.00
When I picked up that planner, I thought it should come with some colorful pens to write it with. The pens also have cute designs, I feel like a child just having them around. That's Php 120.00 pesos for ten pieces. Hopefully I can fight the writer's block with these.


 MANGO LEOPARD PRINT ZIP WALLET
Where I Got It: Lazada PH
How Much: Php 650.00//Discounted from €25 or about Php 1300.00
I was thrilled when this one arrived at the start of February because it was shipped from abroad and I thought it would arrive at a later time. It came well packaged, complete with a price tag and smelled like it just came out of a factory; it's pretty much legit MNG to me. The leopard print is really lovely and the material is soft, however it can easily get scratched (you can see the white marks on the photo). That's the reason why I couldn't fall head over heels over this one. That's one of the hitches. About a month into using it I'm having trouble with the zipper because it's not running smoothly. So heads up ladies. If you ever want to purchase something like this from Lazada, those are the troubles that I ran into. But I'll make the most of it, I'm not tossing it easily, after all, leopard print is still F-I-E-R-C-E.

I read the tags inside and it says that the outer part is made of 88% Polyurethane, 12% Bovine Leather, and the lining is 100% Polyester. It was made in China. 

MOMENTS :)
Mayora Ding Suan looking kilig. Ha ha.


......aaaaaaaaaaand surprise! Dan and I have gotten married. It happened last February 21, 2017 - 02-21-2017 - the date had a nice ring to it so I pushed for IT to happen on that day. There's really nothing much to explain here. We have been together since 2010; we have Celestine. Although, never in my wildest dream did I ever imagine that this would be the wedding setup. 

If somebody told me seven years ago that I would be married in the Mayor's Office, in a town called Allen, with two police officers as witnesses, I would have screamed "SHUT UP!". But here we are. I'm a legit missus. :) Thanks for the greetings.

See, there's a lot to love during the love month. ;)

XO,
Carissa

PS. If you are feeling the love, just like me, you might want to check out my Love Songs Playlist.
PS # 2, I haven't signed anything in my new name yet.
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It feels like only yesterday when 2017 started and now here we are in the middle of February. It will be summer soon so let's enjoy the few days left when we wake up to cold mornings, breezy noons and rainy afternoons. How time flies, indeed. And every time I look at my blog, I'm appalled at how much of a slacker I've become, with no blog entries for February. Whaaaat! What is happenin' to me? Well, anyway, to fix that situation, I am posting my favorite products for January Twenty-Seventeen. If I may repeat it again (!), the weather's been cold and I have suffered from a few issues skin dryness and just coldness in general. I'll stop blabbin' and start talking about the products. All products were purchased by me, no PR stuff here just me sharing my favorites and some quick comments. ;)



Nichido Final Powder in Shade Ivory Glow
- A very affordable finishing powder (Php 150 for a tub of 25g) but don’t easily dismiss it because of its low price tag. The fine powder is great for baking purposes and I love how I still look good after wearing it all day. Price: Php 150.00//Got Mine At: Watsons Robinsons Place Tacloban


Suesh Concealer Pot in Shade C210
- I may have found a holy grail concealer with this one from Suesh. It’s yellow toned and perfect for cancelling those dark circles. It does cake so make sure to prep the under eye area beforehand and don’t forget to set with powder (like the Nichido Final Powder) so that it stays put. I will be posting a review of this soon! Price: Php 110.00//Got Mine At: www.beautymnl.com

The Suesh Concealer in Shade C210
Human Heart Nature Sunflower Beauty Oil
- January’s cold weather has left us all feeling brrrrr and yes, our skins have dried up too! Thank God I still had this beauty oil in my stash. I have used it as a body moisturizer and it’s doing great in keeping my skin soft and smooth. And since it’s made of oil, it also help keep the skin feeling warm. Price: Php 175.00// Got Mine At: www.humanheartnature.com

Nivea Crème
- Still for fighting the dryness bout. Since it comes in a very compact tin container, it’s perfect for carrying around. Price: Php 153.00 (gift pack with 4 Nivea products)//Got Mine At: local Mercury Drug store


Tresemme Keratin Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner
- Ok, am I such a looser for trying out the Treseme line just recently? Well, maybe. Ha ha! It's really good, I couldn't keep my hands off my hair. Seriously. ;) Price: Php 120.00 each//Got Mine At: local Mercury Drug

Maybelline Baby Lips Love Color Lip Balm in Cherry Kiss and ColorSensational Creamy Matte Lipstick in Nude Nuance
- I got two lippie products from Maybelline on this list. One is for giving a nice and subtle hint of color and the other one is for a more vampy look. Thankfully they are both non-drying so my puckers are well taken cared of. Price: Php 88.00 (Lip Balm) from Watsons//Php 299.00 (Nude Nuance) from wwwbeautymnl.com

That would be me, wearing a subtle hint of Maybelline's Nude Nuance. 
Witch's Pouch Selfie Perfect Eyebrow in Gray Brown
- It has a twist up mechanism so we can do away with sharpening. It also comes with a spoolie on the other end so there's no need to bring an additional brush, especially if you've got a small purse. I got this one from Althea for less than Php 150.00, I think. It's super sulit for its price. I will also be reviewing this one soon. Price: discounted at Php 120.00-ish from ph.althea.kr


***
Musings, Thought Bubbles :)

My youth is yours.
This January too, I found myself listening to Troye Sivan's Youth a lot. The song was released like, eons ago and I've only discovered it recently because I'm no longer that young and I barely have time to check out what's on Billboard's Hot 100. Excuses. But gosh! It made me long for younger more carefree days; it made me miss my hometown, my family, my crazy siblings, my good ol' friends from college. Sigh! The only things I don't miss about being eighteen were the pimples and the Math subjects. Ha ha! But here we are. Seize the golden moment; treasure the wonderful memories.

"My youth
My youth is yours
Trippin' on skies, sippin' waterfalls"
Read more: Troye Sivan - Youth Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

XO,

Carissa
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July just flew by like whoa! Today I would be sharing my favies for this month. Here's the thing though: I've been busy for the past few months and I wasn't able to make the May and June list. The products included here are long overdue for a list and well, let's just say that this is a May to July favorites list. Ha ha. More after the jump. 
July 2016's short but sweet list. All good things, all good things. All affordable things, too. ;)
"The Keep You Skin Clear Combo"
Human Nature Acne Defense Facial Wash and Human Nature Coffee Body Scrub

Human Nature Acne Defense Facial Wash
If I have not experienced any major pimple issue for the past few months, I owe it all to this facial wash. I have previously used their Balancing Facial Wash and I loved it, too but I feel that this Acne Defense is more appropriate for my greasy and pimple prone skin. I use them alternately for now, but this one especially when it's that time of the month.Tea Tree is great indeed. It kills the pimps and is non-drying to the skin. I love the herbaceous scent too!

Human Nature Coffee Body Scrub
I have reaped the benefits of constant exfoliation that it has become a cardinal rule for me now. My companion for this thrice a week ritual is the Human Nature Coffee Body Scrub. It smells like ice cream and it has coffee granules that serve as exfoliators. It is also very much moisturizing, it feels like a body butter and scrub at the same time (but of course you have to rinse this off).

"The Keep You Hands Soft and Clean Combo"
Muzu Hand Cream and Human Nature Natural Sanitizer in Fruit Burst
Muzu Hand Cream and Human Nature Natural Sanitizer
I discovered the Muzu Hand Cream while walking down the hallowed aisles of Watsons last April. I love that it's very affordable and yet really works in keeping the hands soft and nourished. The scent is also very subtle. It contains olive oil, horse fat (yes), sunflower seed extract, coconut oil, shea butter and vitamin e so that's a helluva lot of a good stuff. A little goes a long way too, so this little bottle here has lasted a loooooong time.

..And here's another product from Human Nature: the Natural Sanitizer in Fruit Burst. I've purchased other variants of this and I think this 'flavor' is the latest addition to the bunch. Let's just say that I thank the Heavens that this variant was developed since I didn't like the scent of the other ones I tried. :) 

"For the Stay Pretty Bunch"
A Little Bit of Everything
Back to basics with neutral hues, forgiving pinks and a tone adjusting primer.
I've been using the BYS 8 Neutral Palette almost everyday  ever since I got it. I don't do anything intricate to my eye make anyway so there's no need for complicated stuff. And I veer away from glitters so this matte palette is perfect for me. I use it on my eyebrows, I use it as an eyeliner, I use it for defining my eyes. I love it! ;)

For my lips, I've been trying to rock the matte pink with the Avon Perfectly Matte Lipstick in Pure Pink but I figured I can't make it perfect without using a trusty lip balm in the same shade so this favorite from April, the Human Nature Tinted Lip Balm in Pink Orchid made a comeback. And boy they do work great together like they're related.

Also in this list is the purple-tinged e.l.f. Tone Adjusting Face Primer. Prior to purchasing this, I researched a bit and I learned that this one has positive feed backs, statements that go as far as "If you won't get anything else from e.l.f., you should get this', and well, I couldn't agree more with that statement. It's lightweight and instantly brightens the face and makes for a smooth canvas prior to makeup application. A real bang for your buck!

Cheap Thrill but is a real treasure: The Maybelline Hypercurl Volum' Express
I've also been using the Hypercurl Volum' Express mascara from Maybelline. It's already quiet affordable at Php 199.00 but I chanced upon it at Watsons (again) and it went for Php 169.00 and I knew I had to grab it. It's waterproof, it doesn't smudge.

"The Wellness Duo"
Human Nature Rescue Balm and Soothing Balm
Keep calm and reach for the balm.
I have recently reviewed these two and you can read it here.

xxx

...And that's about it. those are favorite products for the past three months or so. The good news it, everything on this list is affordable; nothing over expensive, knowing the spendthrift that I am. But they all work great and that is what's really important. ;) Ayt?! Ayt!

'Till next month's list. Buh bye!

XO,

Carissa

July 2016 Favorites

by on Saturday, August 06, 2016
July just flew by like whoa! Today I would be sharing my favies for this month. Here's the thing though: I've been busy for the pa...
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