My 10-Step Routine Before Facing the World

Manic Monday again!
 

Now I was not born beautiful and flawless. So if you please, I need at least 20 minutes (ok, make that 30!) in the morning to make myself up and confidently face the world. Monday or no Monday.

So what are my favorite basic beauty products and power tools? Let me count the ways.

1. Sunscreen. Four years ago, one Korean student asked me if I used sunscreen and she was aghast that I didn’t. I thought that sunblock lotions were just for the beach, I said. She wondered why Filipinas don’t make it a habit to apply sunscreen when in fact we need it more since our country is hot and humid. I realized the truth in what she said, and have started putting on SPF 45+ ever since. The fight against our UV ray-plagued country should be taken seriously by all of us.

Some of these were gifts from my Korean students.
I guess they don't want a wrinkled teacher in front of them!

2. Concealer. For those days when I wake up with dark circles around my eyes due to late night blogging and skyping with my sister (o, nanisi pa!), which is almost practically every night, my Faceshop concealer saves the day for me. It’s creamy and easy to apply. I just don’t put too much though--lest I end up looking like a tired, wide-eyed raccoon.

The Faceshop Real Secret Perfect Contour Kit,
The Faceshop Premier Essence in Magic Cover

3. Foundation. If I had a genie and were given three wishes, I would first wish for a perfect, flawless, smooth, fair skin. (Second wish is a bottomless bank account; third is world peace!). But since genies in bottles have eluded me, I’d have to make do with foundations in pancake, liquid, or cream form. For special occasions, MAC is my second skin. But for my everyday mask, I have settled for EB (go figure!) since Max Factor practically abandoned me.

Depends on my mood. Clockwise: EB Pancake, MAC Studio Tech,
Skin Food BB Cream, Etude House Moistful Collagen Balm, L'Oreal True Match

Oh, I have discovered that BB creams (Blemish Based), which the Koreans originally concocted, are good for light cover-ups. I insisted that my Daughter use one (now that she’s in college I handed down my Faceshop BB cream to her) since it also doubles as a sunscreen.

4. Eyebrow Pencil. If I only had 5 minutes to do my face, after the foundation, this is my next choice. I think my face isn’t complete if I don’t fill in the gaps in my eyebrows. I found this cheap eyebrow pencil in the department store, and I was hooked to it. It’s the right brown color, it has a brush at the end, and it’s only Php55.00!

Kleopatra Eyebrow pencil--perfect!
MAC Fluidliner for the winged eye look

5. Eye shadow/Eyeliner. That MAC Fluidliner thingy up there (which I bought in Singapore) is now my holy grail to achieve my cat eye look. It doesn’t smear, and it doesn’t dry up in its jar.

My collection of eyeshadow is seldom touched. I only put color on my lids when there’s a special event I’m attending. And in Bacolod, I don’t have an active social life to attend events! Oh, boohoo me!

My eye color stash: MAC, Ever Bilena, Clinique, The Faceshop

So on ordinary days, depending on my mood (and the dominant color of my clothes for the day), I use colored pencils to give life to my drab peepers. 

Nichido, The Faceshop, Maybelline pencils

Wishlist: I've always dreamed of a colored pencil set, much like the 12-piece colored pencil sets used by school children. To my surprise, I saw one set like this on the Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Collection set being sold by an FB online site French Macaroons Online Boutique  https://www.facebook.com/frenchmacaroonsonlineboutique
Check it out: (pardon the drool!)

Now why do they have to be this pretty...and pricey? (Php5K+)
Picture from French Macaroons Online Boutique

Unlike other beauty buffs, I'm not into mascara. It feels heavy. It smears.  It clumps. It's hard to remove at night. But that's just me.

 

6. Blush. I admit I’m not so much of a blush-on momma. But again, if I feel like it, I sweep a touch of color on the apple of my cheeks. My favourite used to be NARS Cream blush because it looked naturally blushing when applied. But since it’s a luxury for me to buy it again, my cheaper alternative is Maybelline Dream Mousse in Soft Plum. It blends creamily, but doesn't look oily. The idea is to make it look like I'm blushing like a school girl (Asa pa!Hehehe!).

Maybelline Dream Mousse in Soft Plum, MAC Powder Blush in Fleur Power ,
Fashion 21, Ever Bilena in Shy

7. Lipstick. My 3^rd must-put-on. Almost all my lipstick colors are in the nude shade. I have thick lips and I don’t want to emphasize them by putting red on them. I think by putting on nude colors, I can get away with having lipstick on even in the morning. Note: I don’t particulary like putting on lip glosses. It feels gooey and sticky, and it tends to clump on my lips after an hour.

L-R: Faux, Twig, Siss, Viva Glam II, Blankety, Viva Glam Lady Gaga

Dear Hubby,
Look, my MAC Faux is on its red alert for quite some time now. Please grab me one in Manila? (Update: Yey, he got me one last week!)

8. Pressed Powder. Big pores are my curse. After two hours (or even less), they start producing sebum and it’s gross! So to control these babies a little longer, I dab on some pressed powder with my Kabuki brush (Beauty experts say this is a better alternative).

I wish for a pressed powder to last me my matte look for 8 hours. But as my fairy god mother always denies me this, I still have to retouch every now and then.

Maybelline Angelfit in Beige Ochre, Etude House, Nichido Kabuki Brush
In2It in Beige Blush, Max Factor Facefinity in Porcelain

9. Hair Straightener/Hairspray. If I have the luxury of time, I either heat up the straightener or the curling iron to style my already over-processed hair. But if I am in a tight squeeze, I just do fisherman’s braid to my hair. The hairspray is just for the bangs (Old habits never die!). Then I spray a serum for a simulated (in other words, fake) shine.

10. Scent. Like I said in my previous post, I can live without a scent. But if it’s available and lovingly given, who am I to reject them? Tip to my generous sponsors, I'm partial to light, baby powder scents;-)

Gendarme, Versace Baby Rose Jeans, Victoria's Secret Peony Freesia

                        Before:                                                                            After:                                                               

Piece o' cake!

Love Me some Pre-loved

Some say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Before, hand-me downs were frowned upon by people (especially my younger sisters when they inherited my old clothes). Nowadays, vintage clothing (to the syalan set), or ukay-ukay (to the masses) are as common as food stands in the mall. These shops are being raided now by office workers, teenagers, and those who are quirky enough to find one-of-a-kind treasure under that moth-ball smelling heap.  

I remember when I was working at Ginebra. Our calendar girl before was Aubrey Miles (when she was still a hot commodity) and she had to tour around the country to promote our products. Anyway, when she visited CDO, the first thing she asked Nino Palomo, my co-worker was, “Saan ang ukay-ukay dito?”  Why, even celebrities are ukay victims. See what I mean.

So I’m spilling the beans here. I admit. I go ‘pre-loved’ item shopping. Call it recycling. Call it being economical. Call it stingy fashion. You’d be surprised what still wearable items you could discover (the Daughter has a very good eye on this!). If you are lucky, you may even find branded items in the midst of the pile. As long as you don’t look ratty and don’t smell like a baul, I think it’s ok. Sabi nga nila, nasa nagdadala ‘yan. Just mix and match with your newer items, and you’re set to go.

           Php20(!) skirt + Zara blouse + Forever21 belt                       Php80 shirt + Maldita Leggings
                                 =Fab nautical look                                                        =Balmain coolness

Just make sure you remedy the malodorous what-nots with a generous helping of Downy Passion (and baking powder, just to be sure).

Shhh...don't tell anyone, okay?

Not in My Shopping List

As you may have known by now, there are things which make my heart palpitate when I’m in a big mall: clothes (especially dresses), shoes (especially wedges), cosmetics (especially lipstick), and hair products (especially conditioner). If you have ever seen the face of anyone falling in love for the first time, that’s how I always feel when I set foot at the Mall of Asia. What more if there’s a big SALE sign on Mango’s display window? Panic!

But there are also a few things which don’t make my heart skip. In other words, I can pass by these babies at the display window without much of a second glance. These are:

Fun trinkets are more of my thing

(1)   Jewelry – I know that investing in gold and stones are way better than ‘investment dressing’ because of their re-saleability, (at pwede pang dalhin kay Tambunting or Lhuillier!). The problem is, it seems like I can’t hold on to my jewellery for a long time—I often lose them. There was one time that the Hubby bought a white gold loop earrings for me as my birthday gift. The first time that I wore it, after having lunch with him, I found only just one earring hooked to my ear—wala na ang isa. Kainez! So I do double take on buying them. Diamonds are not my best friend, I realized.

Maldita Dress
Jill Sweater
Feud Shoes
Lacoste Bag

(2)  Bags – I’m the kind of person who uses a bag until it’s worn out. I’m too lazy transferring my things to another bag every day. I don’t mind if my carry-over doesn’t match my shoes or clothes. For me, a bag is where I can conveniently carry my things around. Period. It’s not an accessory. I change my bag only if the Hubby buys me one. Mas expert siya on bag shopping, e.

This bag? I've been using this for five months na--straight!

Sharing a scent with the Daughter
Buy 1 take 1 pa!

(3)  Perfume – Of course I want to smell heavenly. But buying a bottle of expensive perfume to only last for a month or two, I think, is a waste of money. I’d rather spritz myself with powder-smelling cologne (which is way cheaper!), than swathe myself with heavy scents.

But let it be known that I don’t say no to jewelry, bags, and perfume as gifts, of course not! I said I am not into buying them. Never said I hate them, did I? ;-)

Me Want a Cambridge Satchel Too!

The new buzz of the bag world is the Cambridge Satchel from London. Design-wise, it is actually non-descript, because it’s just supposed to be a plain messenger/school bag. But with Vogue, Marie Claire and other fashion mags and blogs declaring love for its retro-look and vintage-feel, fashionistas are scrambling for one (or two or more!). It also helps that the colors are so yummy!

http://www.cambridgesatchel.co.uk

It’s the Hubby who told me about it and asked me if I wanted one. I declined (hey, I do that too sometimes, you know!), because I felt that my Lacoste bag was still doing me a good service. Anyway, when I passed the idea to my daughter, who is going to college and needs a school bag, she excitedly FB’d:

Who can resist such a message? So the mother in me ordered a red 15” Satchel from Chocolate Schubar (http://schushop.multiply.com). After one day, we were able to seal the deal. Since I knew I’d be in Cebu this weekend, I had it sent to their store in Schu Ayala the next day. No hassles. What service!

 
So here she is, carrying her prize for passing the UP Fine Arts talent exam and interview. Seeing her strapping it across her body, the little green monster girl in me drooled and wanted to snatch it and run away from her. I shouldn’t have asked her if she liked one, in the first place. It should’ve been mine, mine, MINE!

Hrmphhh! Me and my big mouth;-)

Confessions of a Shopaholic

According to a Dr. April Lane Benson, PhD, a psychologist who specializes in the treatment of compulsive buying disorder, these are the questions to answer to know if you have a shopping addiction. Answer yes to a few of these and it's a hint that you are a shopaholic. (http://www.shopaholicnomore.com)

Frequency/ Intensity of Shopping   

• Do you often go on buying binges?
• Do you find yourself spending more time and/or money buying on the Internet, in catalogues, or on the shopping channels than you want to?
• Does money burn a hole in your pocket?

  Reasons Why and When

• Do you go shopping because you want to make yourself feel better?
• Do you often buy things because you think they will make you more like your ideal image?
• Do you sometimes feel that something inside of you pushes you to shop?
• Do you shop to avoid doing something else in your life?

  Feelings Before, During and After 

• Do you go on buying binges when you're lonely, anxious, disappointed, depressed, or angry?
• Do you feel "high" when you go on a buying binge?
• Do you feel anxious, guilty, or ashamed after you go on a buying binge?

  Impulsive/Compulsive/Addictive Aspects 

• Do you buy things even though you don't need or can't afford them?
• Do you ever feel on edge, agitated, or irritable when you haven't been able to buy something?
• Have you tried to stop overshopping but been unable to?

  Financial Consequences 

• Do you find yourself making more and more use of credit [acquiring more cards, increasing your credit limit, etc.?
• Have any of your purchases ever resulted in problems with your bank or legal problems?
• Do you worry about your spending habits but still go out and shop and spend money?

  Other Consequences 

• Are your relationships with family and friends suffering because of your buying?
• Has the craving to buy something ever caused you to miss a social engagement?
• Has your job performance been suffering because of your buying?

  Denial, Avoidance and Shame 

• Do you hide your purchases and shopping trips from family or friends?
• Are you not opening your mail or answering your phone because you don't want to face the consequences of your buying?
• Do you not know, or not want to admit, how much you shop?

MNG Dress/Topshop Wedges

 
I’m Bing Alvarez Cacnio, and yes, I’m a shopaholic.

But as my friend Osang would say,

“Teh, walang basagan ng trip!” Yun lang poh!

The bigger, the better!

Movie Review:  Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)

The Story: Rebecca Bloomwood has an obsession with shopping and it has been eating her finances away. When she found herself out-of-job, she became more desperate. Ironically, she landed herself a job writing for a financial magazine giving advice on money management. She almost lost her job, her best friend, and the man of her dreams because of her shopaholic condition.  

My Review:

The Daughter and I immensely enjoy this movie. I think we have seen this for two hundred times. Whenever we feel sad or bored, we put this in the DVD, and voila, all our cares disappear! Isla Fisher was endearingly clueless and blinded with her shopping obsession. Do we see ourselves in the main character? That’s for our psychiatrist to find out!

Trivia:

Reese Witherspoon turned down the role of Rebecca Bloomwood because it was too much like her "Elle Woods" role Witherspoon from Legally Blonde (2001).

Isla Fisher is only 14 years younger than Joan Cusack who plays her mother, Jane Bloomwood.

Movie Trailer:

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On Hair Part 2

I’ve had long hair for quite some time now. It’s rather high maintenance (at least for a working mom like me)—rebond every six months, colour every three months (else white hair peeks—que horror!), cellophane once in between, and loads of hair products every single day. Sometimes, I get tired of the upkeep and all the fuss on my hair that I dream of having it cut short. But like any woman with a vanity streak in her blood, I get scared of that kind of big change.  I think I don’t have the perfect facial features to pull a short ‘do off. Also, one has to have flawless skin, which I’m not genetically endowed with.  In my dream world though, I sometimes imagine myself coming out of the shower, just drying my hair with a towel, and strutting my way out on the street --all in 10 minutes! Still, the only thing missing is what kind of short hairstyle would suit me?

I found this makeover website (http://www.instyle.com/instyle/makeover) where I can try various looks and visualize how I would fare copying the styles of popular celebs. Of course, I added a little make-up and colored contacts para hindi mukhang naka-wig ang lola n'yo. And this is how it went:

Should I go for a blunt cut and color it blonde like Elisha Cuthbert's?

                              

  

What about the old bowling cut of Rihanna?

                                                 

  

Or the pixie look of Emma Watson aka Hermione-post-Harry Potter?

                                          

  I have always wanted to try the modern bob of Katie Holmes

                              

Hey, the edgy short hair of Ciara might look cool...

Or what if I copy Selma Blair's short bob?

                                                    Sorry, I can't resist to see how I would look like

                                                   under the tresses of Taylor Swift! Hehehe!

                                                

Which one is my favourite? I think I made my choice. Now, to find the right hair dresser…and the guts to do it. Ikaw? Try mo rin (ang website)!!!

             Payong kapatid #2: 

       Rejoice is the best hair cream in a jar (at its price).

         Oo na, Kim Chiu, I believe you na!

Reading Fashion

I used to thrive in reading fashion magazines. My month wouldn’t be complete if I hadn’t browsed through the latest trends of the season. Some people may have an expensive addicting vice like smoking, drinking, or gambling. Mine was smelling the newly printed glossy pages and drooling over the expensive clothes, shoes, and bags the models are donning.

Sure, I knew I couldn’t in any way swipe my Visa for an LV or a Prada, with the kakarampot sweldo that I was getting. Else, I would be kicked out of the house to smithereens by the Hubby. I also knew that I couldn’t afford to take a vacation to those wonderful locations in Paris, Milan, or New York like the backdrops of those waif-like mannequins. After all, these lifestyle magazines are there to put us in a dream state, in a ‘what-would-life-be-if’ delusion. Maybe that’s the reason why a lot of women read them, why I read them—to temporarily have an exodus from my ordinary, mundane life. At least until after I’m done with my PhP120++ mag.

Bayo knits
Guess jeans
Janilyn booties

Of course I gained insights on what’s hot, on what’s in and out. I was able to pick up hair, makeup, and fashion tips here and there. But it also deducted a portion of my retirement savings to give to the publishers of these glossies. It also made me always feel less satisfied, less beautiful, more wanting.

Now my three feet collection of magazines is in our bodega amassing dust. I don’t read them anymore, (syempre old season na e!), more importantly though, I don’t run to the suking magazine stand as soon as the calendar hits the first day of the month anymore. Have I turned my back from fashion? Not really. I got smart and turned to the fashion websites on the internet instead. What, a poor girl has to be creative!

Anyway, did you notice something familiar with the picture above? In that September 2008 issue of Preview Magazine, I was picked as the Letter of the Month. I emailed my letter to the editor, and luckily, it was chosen. I won that Burberry ‘The Beat’ Perfume featured on the left hand corner of that page. Can you read the letter? You can't? Okay, oldies. Let me get you a magnifying glass.

There…better?