Aly's 8th Birthday

Her birthday was last Sunday and I know this is a little late.  Nevertheless, I'm dedicating this post to my little princess -- the heir to my throne.  Heehee!

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Birthdays are extra special so a birthday dress, complemented with a birthday bag and shoes are a must!  But that's just my kaartehan.  I'm just passing on my birthday traditions to my little girl.  Anyhoo, this is what I made her wear on her big day:

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Bohemian top: Central Department Store

Leggings: export overruns bazaar in Nuvali

Watch: Gap

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Pink flats with flower detail: Gap Kids

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Knapsack: Hello Kitty

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I really love this top!  I wish they had for grown-ups too!  Heehee!  I had my eye on this last year and it was already on sale, but at 30% only so I didn't buy.  I'm really glad I didn't because just last week, they put it on sale again but this time at 50-70% off.  Hindi ko na sya pinakawalan.  Haha!

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She will be borrowing stuff from me before I know it.

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Maxi dress: from Pratunam

Cardigan: Zara

Bag: Louis Vuitton Neverfull

Watch: Baume & Mercier

Wedge sandals: Charles & Keith

The Fat Dress Part 2

I told you that I love my fat dress because it can be worn many ways.  This was #1.
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And now, this is another way to wear it:
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As a shirt, with pants (Tracy from Tesco Lotus) and my trusty Fitflops.  The only accessories I had on were my gold drop earrings from Chinatown and my Baume & Mercier watch.

Disney On Ice

We all had to wake up early to catch the 11am show, which was the only show in English during the entire run.  Since the venue, Impact Arena, was an hour away from our place, I had to move fast.  Magagalit si boss pag na-late kami.  So make-up had to be minimal but picture perfect and the outfit had to be decent but comfortable.  This is what we wore:

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On Aly: 

Shirt, jacket and jeans: Gap

Shoes: Little Lulu

Bag: Barbie

On me:

Pocket tee: Gap

Cardigan with puff sleeves: Platinum Mall

Leggings: BF

Bag: Banana Taipei

Shoes: Zara

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We knew it was going to be cold at the venue so jackets were a must!

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My fast make-up look: just powder, kilay, mascara and red lipstick.  I chose red lips so I won't need eyeshadow, which will only eat up more time.  I'm also wearing my cuff bracelet from Diva.

Earth Hour 2011

Image from the Earth Hour Website.

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There is nothing more fab than helping save our planet!  Tomorrow, March 26, Saturday at 8:30pm, switch off all lights and electric appliances at home for an hour to support Mother Earth.

Mani/Pedi

A few days after going to the spa, I gave myself to another much-awaited treat: a mani/pedi.  For mani/pedi dates, it's best to wear a dress, shorts or anything that's easy to pull up to your knees when you need to soak your feet in a basin of hot, soapy water.  Flip flops are a must as well, but we all know that!  For my mani/pedi date, I wore:

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White tank top (worn under my sweatshirt): Platinum Mall

Black V-neck sweatshirt: export overruns from the lunch market.

Shorts: export overruns from the lunch market.

Silver flip flops: People are People.

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These shorts don't come with a zipper.  It has a sort-of elastic waist, which I think is perfect for bathroom breaks while I'm waiting for my nail polish to dry. Having to pull up a zipper can totally ruin a perfectly good manicure and that's just unacceptable!  What I love about the salons here in Bangkok is they either ask you to pay before you get your treatment (because they know it will be hard to open zippers and wallets with wet nail polish) or they put small electric fans near your hands and feet to help the enamel dry faster.  Speaking of enamel, I veered away from my usual red color and went for something less stariray.

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I'm loving this neutral shade!  It's OPI You're A Doll.

Blazer: A Wardrobe Basic

I used to think that blazers are strictly for the office but I think every woman, working or not, has to have at least one in her wardrobe.  It makes any outfit look dressier.  Besides, office or no office, we stay-at-home mommies have a full-time career too!  And it's more challenging than a regular 8-hour job because ours is 16-hour, 7-day a week job with no holidays and sick leave.

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Back to blazers...Bangkok temperature dropped for a couple of days last week and I thought it was perfect to bring out the blazer again.  It was also gloomy outside so I decided to wear something sparkly.  Heehee!

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Blazer: AIIZ Career

Tank top: from the bazaar in Nuvali last Christmas

Jeans: Gap

Flats: Zara

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I wanted to wear denim shorts but it was too cold!  As in, no aircon but I was wearing socks and covered in a blanket cold.  So jeans na lang.  I also paired this look with make-up ala Penelope (gave it another go but with heavier eyeliner) but the funny thing was, it took me too long to put it on that by the time I was done, it was too late for me to go anywhere!  I was all dressed and ready with nowhere to go!  I ended up ordering room service for lunch.  Pffft!!  Sayang ang effort!  Pero pwede rin naman mag make-up kahit nasa bahay lang dba?

Ultimate Beauty Secrets

InStyle Ultimate Beauty Secrets

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Richard bought me this book.  Now before you start to visualize anything, he didn't actually go to the beauty and make-up section of Kinokuniya to buy this.  I wanted to buy this and the Bobbi Brown Make Up Manual but I only had enough money for one so he paid for this.  Heehee!  He spoils me like that :)

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Anyway, enough with the cheese...

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I love how this book is a compilation of beauty tips.  Ang mahal kasi ng InStyle magazine dito (Thb400-500/Php560).  I don't want to buy because I get really guilty so I make tiis by buying the Thai version (Thb90/Php126).  I don't understand a thing in the magazine -- only brand names and prices are in English so I just look at photos.  Pwde na rin to satisfy my cravings.

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Sabi ng editor in her foreword, "The tips are timeless and cover every skin type, tone, issue and every beauty personality, so be sure to pass them on to friends and family."  Allow me to share with you some of my favorite beauty tips :)

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• Clean your cellphone with antibacterial wipes to prevent chin and cheek breakouts.  Ideally, you should do it every morning, but if that's too much, aim for once a week.
• Moisturize within two to three minutes of showering to keep water from evaporating off your skin.
• To reduce puffiness and rev up circulation before you put on your makeup, massage moisturizer into your face and neck for at least five minutes.  A relaxed face with softer lines makes a smoother foundation for makeup, plus you'll get an instant healthy glow.
• Always sharpen a pencil to remove any bacteria before lining eyes.
• For a smoky eye in a flash, just use eyeliner.  Rim lids with a black pencil, making the line quite heavy; then wipe it off.  You're left with a sexy wash of color. - I tried this last Saturday and it was the quickest smoky eye ever!
• Turn any lipstick into a durable stain by blotting, reapplying, then blotting again to remove excess oils. - I do this with my lipstick all the time and it really makes your lipstick last longer!

Hope these tips will help you stay fab and beautiful.  Have a great week ahead!

My Beauty Routine

My kumareng Dy from Belgium and I have been exchanging a lot of emails about beauty and make-up tips lately and we had so much fun in the process that it inspired me to come up with the idea of sharing beauty routines of real women here on my blog.  We'll start, of course, with yours truly.  Here's a peek at my dresser.  Hope you enjoy it!
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Before we begin, a little side kwento: I'm ashamed to admit that it takes me a lot of time to get ready in the morning: shower, seremonyas after shower, dress up, put on make-up...30 minutes is not enough!  An hour is ok.  Evening rituals are relatively shorter but not entirely faster.  Removing my make-up alone takes around 10-15 minutes and I like to spend more time with my skin care routine to sort of "pamper" my face so it can rest properly after a day in make-up.  It's not a scientific fact or anything, it's just my thing.  Heehee!
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In the shower, I like to alternate between two shampoos #1 Rejoice anti-frizz - I love the scent, my all-time favorite!; #2 Pantene nature care - I just saw this at the supermarket and thought I'd give it a try since it's new.  I'm addicted to shower gels and I like to keep a couple of them in stock.  Right now I'm using #3 Soap & Glory's Wash Almighty, which is so bango!  It's a blend of eucalyptus, rosemary, chocolate, mint and thyme. And the detox spa claim is true because it really relaxes me when I use it at night after a long, tiring day.  I exfoliate at least once a week and I love Soap & Glory's The Scrub of Your Life because it smells like candy.  Soap & Glory products are found at Boots.  I love the how they name their products and their packaging is nice.  I wait for their annual buy 1 get 1 sale so I can hoard their stuff.  Heehee!
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My skin care routine.  I use the "famous" Clinique 3-step skin care which is customized for my skin type (combination to oily): #1 Liquid Facial soap - mild and tingly.  #2 Clarifying Lotion - which is supposed to remove excess oil and dead skin.  #3 Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel - I first tried this when my sister Angel gave me a sample.  I love how it's non greasy and my skin really drinks it up as their ads claim.  #4 Burt's Bees Acne Solutions Spot Treatment Serum - for my zits.  This came with a cleanser + moisturizer but this is all that's left.  It's pretty much ok, but I'm looking for a better alternative.  I want something that will zap away my zits faster.  #5 Clinique Derma White Micro-Motion C Serum - it's supposed to remove my freckles.  It comes with a roller and you're supposed to massage the serum on your face.  I find it cumbersome so once this small vial is finished, I will replace it with another formula.  #6 Pore Minimizer - I'm hoping that this will work wonders on my pimple scars.  #7 Repairwear Intensive Eye Cream - this is just a freebie from the stuff that I purchased.  I tried All About Eyes before (another sample from my sister) and I loved it.  I'm trying to see if this will do a better job at "repairing" my dark undereye circles.  For daytime, I finish off my skincare routine with #8 Super City Block in SPF 40.  It's tinted so it's great as a make-up base, but I think SPF 40 is too much for me, considering I don't really get a lot of sun exposure so I might replace this with a lighter formula when it's finished.  At night time, my last step is #9 Clinique Super Rescue Antioxidant Night Moisturizer - I absolutely love this!  It makes my skin really soft and when I wake up in the morning, my face feels great.  It's a great buy!  It has a daytime alternative too with SPF 25.  
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Two products that I consider a classic are #1 Jergens Original Scent lotion - mom and dad have been using this forever!  Just a whiff of the cherry almond scent immediately transports me back to my childhood.  That's why this is the only scent that I buy.  Richard uses this lotion too!  #2 Pond's Cold Cream - I use this to remove my make-up and it reminds me of my lola Nene.  My mom uses this too.  I remember when I was a kid, she'd smell like Pond's in the evening.  So I keep a jar because it's like keeping a beauty legacy of my lola.  I'm down to the last drops of my #3 Maybelline make-up remover.  Great value for a cheap make-up remover.  After Pond's, my face feels a bit oily and there are small traces of make-up left so I use #4 Boots Cleansing Wipes.  Got this on sale (buy 1 get 1) so it's great and cheap enough for everyday use.
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At night, before I go to bed, I slather on lotion on my feet #1 Boots Fashion Survival Softening Foot Butter - this was on sale as well (buy 1, get 1 -- isn't Boots the greatest?) so yay!.  I also put cuticle oil on my fingernails to keep them soft #2 Sephora stimulating lavender cuticle oil - I bought this from Hongkong and I love the convenient, click-type pen packaging.  I keep both on my bedside table.
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My favorite scents right now are #1 Ferragamo Incanto Charms - a Christmas gift from Richard.  I'm just finishing up the bottle so I can use #2 Acca Kappa - I discovered this through my BFF Pat.  I was in her house, waiting for her to get ready before heading off to dinner and when she came out of her room she was so bango!  It was the perfect after-shower scent!  Apparently she was wearing this and she got me a bottle which is great because they don't have it here :)  Thanks, Pat!  #3 Gap Dream body spray - I usually spray this on in the morning when I bring Aly to school.  #4 Bath & Body Works body spray in Night-blooming Jasmine - I spray this on at night before going to bed.  I love how it leaves a faint scent on my pillow and shirt.
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My favorite make-up. #1 MAC Studio Fix powder foundation in NC30. My go-to shade for almost-nude lips is #2 Bobbi Brown Brown 4, but on days when I want to look stariray, I put on #3 MAC Russian Red. #4 NARS Orgasm blush - my all-time favorite blush!  I don't think I will look at anything else!  This blush rocks!  
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Pencils: #1 MAC lip pencil in Whirl - this shade is close to my natural lip color and when I'm wearing my Bobbi Brown lipstick, I like to line the lips (after putting on the lipstick) to define my lips.  #2 Bobbi Brown eyebrow pencil in Mahogany - I never leave home without filling in my brows because I don't want to scare my neighbors when they see me with unmade brows.  I look like a ghost!  Haha!  #3 Maybelline Eyestudio eyeliner in black - another cheap find but it works really well.  It glides smoothly.  Great value for money.
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More make-up -- yes, I use these everyday!  Kaya ako natatagalan.  Hehe!  #1 NYX eyeshadow base in skintone - my best ebay purchase yet!  I love how this intensifies my eyeshadow and it really makes them last longer!  I like to keep my eye make-up as natural as possible, so I stick to neutral shades #2 Clinique eyeshadow trio in Totally Neutral - a pasalubong from Richard.  #3 Maybelline XXL Pro-curl mascara - my lashes are stick straight and even if I curl them, they'd straighten back after a while.  This mascara may not work 100% on me, but it helps keep them curled longer.  I bought this from the airport here in Bangkok.  Another mascara that I love is #4 Bobbi Brown Extreme Party mascara in black - I love how this makes my lashes look lush and I like the brush because it doesn't clump my lashes together.  #5 Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper gel in clear - after filling in my brows with pencil, I put this on to keep them in shape.  They say it also makes the color last longer too.  This, together with the mascara, pencil and cleansing oil are all included in the kit that I got.  The only concealer that I have is #6 Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals Healthy Natural Concealer in medium sand - it does an ok job for a cheap concealer, but I'm looking for a better one.
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Gosh, I didn't know this post was going to be this long!  Let me wrap this up with my make-up tools:
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I got a #1 set of brushes from Platinum Mall.  It's a set of 10 brushes, but I only use the blush, eyeshadow and eyeliner brush more often.  #2  Tweezerman tweezers for removing strays.  They say this is the best tweezers for the job.  #3 Shu Uemura eyelash curler - another beauty awardee.  #4 Sephora I Will Survive! Radiance Face Spray - spray it on my face after putting on make-up and it makes my skin glow.  It's similar to MAC Fix+ which I'm getting soon kasi malapit na tong maubos.
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So there you have it: my beauty routine.  It's a lot of work, but as the saying goes, "no pain, no gain".  Let's face it, we're not getting any younger.  That's why I was motivated to start taking better care of my skin.  I don't have great skin to begin with kaya doble talaga ang effort!  Haha!
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I had fun doing this and I'm hoping that my friends and family will have as much fun when I feature their beauty routines here.  So friends and family back home, get ready because I will be raiding your boudoirs soon!

Spaaah

After ten years (ok, that's an exaggeration), I finally got a massage.
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Heaven!

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I've tried other spas here in Bangkok but the only one that I really like is Green Leaf Spa, which is right here in our apartment.  It's perfect for me because I prefer to have my massage in the evening para derecho tulog pag uwi.  There are cheaper spas out there but I like Green Leaf because I think I really get my money's worth with them.  They have big treatment rooms, each with its own shower.  Their shower gels are so bango!  They use local products and I love it!  Since I've been a suki there, I have my own masseuse who knows exactly how I want my massage (not too hard, not too soft either).  She also knows that I like the room not too cold, 28-30 degrees please and sets the a/c before I enter the room.  Best of all, they have regular promos, like this month's Buy 1 Get 1.  Ang saya!

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The common restroom.

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I love the mosaic tiles!

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The waiting area.  Very relaxing!

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Green tea and fruit after a massage.

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Ladies/mommies/wifeys, just like a mani/pedi, I think a day at the spa is a must to make us look and feel more fab.  It's a surefire way banish the muscle aches and pain from all the housework that we do.

It Still Fits!

I unearthed an old dress from my closet the other day.  I wore it to lunch with a girlfriend at Crepes and Co.

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Dress: Zara 

Shoes: Charles & Keith

Pardon the bruises on my knees.  Aly and I have been working on craft projects that required some kneeling on the living room rug.  Occupational hazard of being a hands-on mommy.  Haha!

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I bought this dress in 2008.  I think I only wore it twice, once during the annual Christmas party with my AC friends.

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20lbs. ago.  Haha!

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I stopped wearing the dress when I started gaining weight.  But last week, I tried it on again.  I thought it looked ok so I wore it :)  I just had a little trouble finding the right pair of shoes to go with it.  I wanted to wear flats, but it didn't look too nice so I put on the pair that I usually wear with the dress.

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My 2008 birthday shoes :)  
Back then, these babies felt sky-high and I felt a bit wobbly when I walked.  But since my mom gave me my Michael Kors, I was surprised at how comfortable these shoes are!  I walked for a block or two in these babies.  Hindi sumakit paa ko, promise!

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I'm so glad the dress still fits!  20lbs. is still a long way to go.  I may not even shed all that weight.  But at least I know I'm getting there.  Baby steps.

Train-Ready Wear

Trains here in Bangkok can get really cold no matter how hot it is outside.  I dunno about you, but that change of temperature is not good for me plus, it can give me a really bad headache so I think it's always best to bring a light cardigan or shrug when riding the train.

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I wore this to Paragon the other day.  Oh, and the malls can get really cold too so hindi talaga masasayang ang pagdala ng cardigan or shrug.

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Cardigan: Kashieca

Oversized tank top: Gap

Leggings: BF

Sandals: Charles & Keith

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These sandals are three years old and they might need to retire soon.  I'm starting to see signs of wear and tear.  I love them to bits!  I got these on sale (50% off!) and I love the sexy strappy/peep-toe vibe going on.  It's going to be hard to let go of these babies and even harder to replace them because I haven't seen any that's close to this design.  Sniff!

Umulan ng Make-up

I'm sorry for bombarding you with posts about make-up but this and Wonder Woman happened on the same day so sorta kinda umulan ng make up the other day.  Wheeee!!

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I was pleasantly surprised when Aly saw this at the door when we got home:

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A message from the bell desk, which only meant one thing...

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...something has arrived for me and that only meant one thing kasi isa lang naman ang hinihintay ko.

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My order from ebay!  It arrived way earlier than I expected -- like a week earlier.

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NYX eyeshadow palette in Catwalk, mosaic powder in Truth and eyeshadow base in Skintone.

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NYX cosmetics is generating a lot of buzz on the internet because it's a lot cheaper than the usual MAC, Bobbi Brown, Make-up Forever, etc.  The blogs say the quality is good.  I have yet to see for myself.  I tried their lipstick though, but I didn't like the texture.  It was too slippery so the color would slide on my lips.  It might not be the same for everyone.  Maybe it's just me.  But I love how this brand is an inexpensive way to satisfy to my make-up cravings.  Just to give you an idea: the stuff that I got from eBay costs as much as ONE tube of lipstick from MAC.  Of course, MAC is MAC.  The quality can't be compared.  But really now, if you see someone wearing make-up, can you tell if she's wearing MAC or NYX?  So if you're on a budget and if you're not too maarte about the brand, then NYX fits the bill.  

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That afternoon, the view from our window was this:

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Maulan.

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And inside our apartment, I had these:

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Umulan ng make-up.  Heehee!

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Ang babaw!

MAC Wonder Woman

Wonder wo-maaaaann!  Finally, you're mine!

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I placed myself on voluntary house arrest because I was fighting the urge to get a piece of the MAC Wonder Woman collection.  Turns out, it was a wrong decision because stocks were running out fast!  When I checked out the MAC counter at Central World, all the items had small black stickers on them with the two words that every shopper fears the most: SOLD OUT.  Ok, maybe not all items because the eye shadow palettes, nail polish, colored mascara, pigments, cosmetic bags (super mahal!) and two shades of lipstick and lipglass were still available.  But I didn't really dig them so dedma na.  As far as I'm concerned, sold out na sya and it made me sad.  Richard told me to go and get it already since it was a "critical situation".  So I went for it.  Heehee!  I have the best husband ever!  He's very supportive.  Haha!

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My original plan was to buy lipstick but they were all sold out.  Only the bronzers and blushes were going to be replenished at the counters so I ended up with this:

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Mineralize Skin Finish (MSF) in Pink Power.  Love the packaging!

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It's a bigger compact and costs more than the usual MAC MSFs...

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...but it has three components -- blush, bronzer and highlighter so it's like buying three products for the price of one.

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I asked the make-up artist at Paragon to try it on me before I bought it and I liked it!  I like it very much :)  Apparently, you can use this product in many different ways: the dark shade in the middle can be used under the cheeks for contouring;  the pink shade on the apples of your cheeks as a blush; the lightest shade on the cheekbones as a highlighter; just the bronzer and blush together; or you can sweep your brush all over the pan as an overall bronzer.  Perfect daw for travel according to the blogs that I read.

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For me, it's perfect for summer.  I want to have that "sunkissed" look without the sun exposure.  Heehee!

Richard's Pants

Ladies, I think I found the cheaper solution to expanding your wardrobe!  Raid Borrow from your husband's closet!  Heehee!  Come to think of it, I think I used the wrong word because it's not really a "cheaper" solution -- it's actually for free!

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I "borrowed" Richard's pants when I had lunch with a new girlfriend the other day.

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Top: Easy Pieces from Central Department Store

Richard's pants (which I folded into shorts): Topman

Flats: Tory Burch

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These pants are super comfy!  I love them!  Will definitely borrow them again :)

A Must-Have Shirt

These cotton-jersey shirts are love!  I think it's a must-have in every woman's closet.  

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For illustration purposes, let's take this gray shirt as an example:  My bestfriend Pat bought them for our other bestfriend Ria's wedding.  

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We paired it with a ball skirt and jacket.

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The other, I wore it with jeans.

Shirt: from the Cuenca bazaar (tama ba, Pat?)

Jeans: Bossini

Fitflops

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I love how these shirts are so versatile!  It can go formal or casual with the right skirt, pants, etc.  And it's basically a blank canvass so you can accessorize all you want!  There are many styles out there, but I prefer the ones with a little bit of a stretch and the right fit.  This gray shirt is perfect in terms of stretch and fit.  Pat, you have to get me more!  Heehee!