January 31, 2014

January 2014: Starting?

Some people say that they will start the year right.  What if the first days of the year didn't go as planned?  Don't tell me your going to wait for another year to make things right?  I know I'm exaggerating but instead of postponing, why not make THIS day right?  Better right? or this is just my simple excuse for not starting the year right?

source

Hello!  January 2014 gone by really fast, I almost missed it.  Just got productive at the middle of the month by finishing some backlogs, joining communities in Google+ although I'm still that active (hello to the members of Filipino Bloggers Worldwide) cleaning, baking, a little job hunting (failed by the way) and slowly sipping a cup of tea which is very enjoyable because of the cool weather.  Does cool weather equates to having an unexplainable nice sunset sky because look what I captured with my phone's camera:

looks like a painting
the clouds and the light from the sinking sun are a great combo

This week I watched the The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and I really enjoyed it and don't know why it has a low rating.  It's a..."It's never too late", "Go for it", "Just do it", "Let it go", "Life is an adventure, "You can do it", "Nothing can stop you" kind of movie.  And did I mentioned that the soundtracks are superb?  I just love Space Oddity by David Bowie and below is what was used in the movie.



I've been jumping from one topic to another, so I'll just continue with my usual monthly thing which I've been pondering if I continue to do so.  I have some projects in mind that I hope will materialize in the next quarter like binibining dalaga which talks about different kinds of basic make-up in a beginners perspective meaning my perspective (totally new to make-up) and I'm also thinking of just doing a one time big time haul post since doing it everytime I buy some random things annoys us (it annoys me now and I know it annoys you too or I'm just assuming).  I also want to improve the context of my review by adding the links where I bought it and stuff like that plus the description on my tabs which I should have done from the very beginning (my mind is in a constant mess so my tabs and topics keep on changing).  Anyway, going back  here are my empties for this month which is not much (and I actually thinking if I should just remove this portion).

january empties

I used the Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream mostly in my hands now as it helps in making it plump (my hands are wrinkled) then everytime I wash my hands after doing my business in the bathroom (which is like on an hourly basis because I drink lots of water and tea) I just use the Eva Vitamin Hand because it's the cheapest hand lotion that I can find in Watsons that is quick absorbent.  The Moringa Oil helps a lot these days in keeping the dry patches in my skin less itchy and because it's so tiny I already bought another one.  And finally, I managed to empty the Watsons Repairing Treatment Shampoo in Honey after many months, you can find my post about it here.

Time for my wishlist which I'm now very excited about because my wish last December came true this January and I'm really hoping that my wishes materialize every month.

source

Okay I want a laptop but not specifically the one above (I just find the photo cool).  A simple, fast and easy to use laptop (with high quality sound effect) is all I really need/want and cheap too basta within my budget.  I also want a camera and I'm already okay with Fuji X10 or if my budget permits them maybe the X20 or the X100 will also be great (man, I really need to find a high paying job).

source

One of my favorites this month has been a surprised to me since I always pick a food as a favorite, this time around a wristlet is included in the league.

xoxo wristlet
celestial sleepytime herbal tea and oishi oaties milk

I love how creamy the Oishi's Oaties Milk and I am also enjoying it's introductory price.  The Celestial Sleepytime Herbal Tea keeps me warm and helps me have a deep sleep at night.  When I mix the two together, they make a really nice almost like chai tea only less sweet.

Going back to the wristlet,  I like that it's big enough to accommodate my phone, a pack of tissue, keys and some money but light enough that it's not annoying to carry it around.  It's convenient to have it when I'm wearing something without any pockets and suddenly my niece would drag me to the mall and I don't want to change, I just grab the wristlet and dumped  my stuff and I'm good to go (with bed head ahahaha).

source

The first photo from this post is just so cool- the lyrics is from Franz Ferdinand's Right Action and they are my "Band of the Month".


I first heard the band when I was in college with Take Me Out which for me is like a combination of different music generations: from my parents rock and roll, to my brothers' semi-hard rock, to my sister's alternative rock and today's pop.  Well it's just my opinion.

Now they are back with Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action which is their fourth studio album and Bullet is currently on top of Jam 88.3's Weekly Top Ten (I like the Right Action more though).

To know more about the band you can just click this wikipedia link or check their site at www.franzferdinand.com.

Made it this far?  Well, thank you...I appreciate it!

January 27, 2014

DIY: Can and Scratch Pad

Just sharing these simple DIYs that I did this January.

The first one is a money container for the 52 Week Money Challenge that's been popular lately.  I modified the amount though because it's too "high" for my budget.

Materials needed:  Empty potato chips container, washi tape/s of your choice and I also used double sided tape.
Just cover the "can" with the washi tape of your choice.  I use double sided tape because I thought one roll of washi tape is not enough to cover the whole can.  Anyway, in time maybe I'll peel off the plastic that is covering the sticky tape and put a paper and write anything I want around it.

tada!!!

Next, is my "scratch notebook" where I put any idea or lists like wishlist and booklist and anything and everything under the sun that I wanted to write.

Material needed:  Kraft notes scratch pad, old stamps, adhesive book cover and I also cut a "Shower!" word from a magazine.
I just put the stamps all over the cover of the Kraft Pad and stick the Shower! word at the center then used and adhesive book cover to cover the pad so that it can lasts a whole year and done!

using an adhesive book cover for the first time

Got a little hard time putting the book cover because it's my first time using it.  It's best to lay down the thing to cover on a flat and clean surface and slowly but surely fold the edges.

tada!!!

Another tada! Here's my scratch notebook chill-in with our furry and well behaved pet (hehehe).

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

Pasta in Tomato Sauce

I always thought that pasta in red sauce in some restaurant are hard and expensive to make.  Wrong!  10 ingredients, that's all I need to make a simple yet delicious pasta with tomato sauce thanks to taste.com.au for the recipe.

promise it's tastier than what it looks like

Tomato Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:
1 tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 onion, sliced
1 tbs tomato paste
2 x 400g cans chopped peeled tomatoes
salt and ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup chopped basil
1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

main ingredients

How to:
1.  Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened but not browned.
2.  Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute (this 'cooks off' the paste, giving it a richer more intense flavour).
3.  Add the peeled tomatoes, reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until thickened.
4.  Stir through the salt and pepper, sugar, basil and parsley, adjusting the seasoning as required.

Note:  You can add a teaspoon of sugar if you want your sauce to be a little sweeter :)


I usually cook at night and the lighting in our home is really poor

Pour over your favorite pasta and maybe put some cheese on top and voila, yummy and healthy(?) meal!  Even my nephew like this and my sister commented that the sauce tasted like the the seafood pasta that we ate at Burgoo sans the seafood.

Give it a try, it's so easy (unless you hate tomato based pasta).

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

January 22, 2014

Hair Mask. Coffee Milk Scrub. Cocoa Glow Lotion

There are just times that I wanted to pick up things just for the sake of going home with a plastic bag on hand.  I usually go to Watsons when those times happen, luckily most of the products (or food) that I pick works!


Naturals by Watsons Olive Hair Mask - P229 (around $5)
I used this again last night, fan dry my hair and went to sleep.  When I woke up, my hair looks fantastic...it's as if I went to the salon:  it's shiny, it's straighter (my hair is straight in the first place) but with body (I hate the walis ting ting/broom style, I like my hair to have that natural semi curve ends), it's soft and definitely less frizzy and my hair feels lighter as if the gunk accumulated for the week went bye bye.  If I don't dry my hair when I used this, I still get the same result sans the straighter effect because well when I commute, my hair just flies in every direction making the ends semi curled which is not bad, right?

The product itself is light (lighter than conditioner), a bit like whipped and my hair just absorbs it quickly that the first time that I used this I thought I'm not putting the right amount but a tablespoon is enough to cover a shoulder length hair.  About the scent...I don't think it has an olive smell, it's more on the flowery side which I sometimes hate...I like subtle olive rather than a flower-y scent on my hair.

Obviously I love Naturals by Watsons Olive hair Mask.  I will love it even more if by the time that I will get another one, it'll be on sale and maybe I'll also get the shampoo and the conditioner from the line.

A Bonne Spa Coffee Milk Creamy Salt - more or less P120 (around $2.60)
My first ever scrub is from A Bonne - the milk salt scrub which makes the skin soft but the hellish feeling when I apply the scrub makes me use it only once in a while so when I saw this creamy variant (plus it's in coffee) I thought it's perfect...I was wrong.

First of all it's not that creamy, it's more like semi wet salt scrub.  Second, the coffee smell is a joke to me...it's like I ordered a black coffee but got a mug filled with sugar with just a hint of coffee.  Anyway, it still works like the milk salt scrub (I hoped you tried it already).  It does exfoliate and makes the skin smooth and radiant and I like that it's in tube but I won't buy it again because the applying it on the skin hurts.


Vaseline Total Moisture Cocoa Glow - P99 (around $2.20)
Ah my savior last December 2013 (when my skin got so dry and itchy), it beats my body butters and oils in terms of performance and price.  This lotion simply moisturizes dry skin and gives it a glow (I can't believe its claims are all true).

The only con that I can think of is that it makes me sweat more than normal during daytime so I usually use this at night.  When the weather is colder and dryer than normal, I use this after patting some dry oil on my skin.

Oh did I mention that it has a yummy chocolate smell?

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

January 20, 2014

January 2014 Read: American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Nope, I'm not going to do a book review ala high school style.  I'm actually not going to make a book review because I believe each reader have their own interpretation and in their minds...well in my mind...hmmm let's just use in our mind, we make or build our own worlds when reading, am I right?  I hope yes!

Instead, I'll just be talking about the book that I'm currently reading because reading the books that I horded last year is in my to do list and Neil Gaiman' American Gods is one of them.

American Gods
Neil Gaiman

I already started reading this and I'm halfway through it but because of change of work schedule and some kind of un-understandable depression, I completely didn't have the time to read unlike before wherein I wouldn't sleep unless I finish the book that I'm reading.

American Gods caught my attention because I stumbled on an amazing list before (I forgot where) and it's number one.  Also included in the list is the Battle Royale.

Neil Gaiman's writing style is very new to me and I have to admit that it took me a lot of chapter before I could get a grip of the book.  Then I get excited with how the story goes then I get lost and the cycle goes on and on and it's taking me time to finish the book.

synopsis

If you already read American Gods by Neil Gaiman let me know what you think and help me know more about the book.  Oh and if you happened to stumble on the list that I'm talking about above, please give me the link too :)

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

Square No More: Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm sipping a cup of coffee (no sugar) right now and told myself "this could have been one of those perfect moments if only there's a cookie in my other hand to munch")...ohhh cookies they sometimes make my world (and my figure) go round and round.

Last December, instead of giving trinkets I gave cookies to my officemates and friends and I think it's a hit that on the very same day some of them are already ordering.  The cookies that I gave out is the salted chocolate chip cookies.  They say that the salt on top of each cookies balanced out the sweetness and chocolatey-ness.

I adapted my recipe from Bake Happy and just revised some of the ingredients depending on what is available in the grocery near our home.  This recipe is a keeper for me because the reaction of the people who tasted it is consistent (everyone loves it!).

Oh by the way my photos here sucks because I was in a hurry packing the cookies, I'm running late for work kasi.

Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
3 2/3 cups minus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chip cookies (or more)
1 bar (38 grams) dark chocolate, cut into chunks I used Goya
Sea Salt to be sprinkled on top of each cookie before baking

How to:
1.  Sift together all dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt) until well combined. Set aside.
2.  Cream butter and white and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3.  Mix in the eggs one at a time.  Then add the vanilla extract.
4.  Mix in the dry ingredients until just combines.  Don't over mix.
5.  Fold in the chocolates. 

CHOCOLATES!!!

6.  Wrap the dough with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours (Bake Happy says 24 to 36 hours for a gooey and chocolatey cookies).
7.  After refrigerating, scoop the dough to form half balls (I used the 1/4 measuring cups).  I sometimes flatten the formed dough to make it look bigger before sprinkling salt.

and here's the shaped dough

8.  Bake to a pre-heated oven at 350F for 15 minutes.

By the way, you can make these cookies even with just a whisk and spatula on hand (I still don't have a mixer when I made 80 pieces of these sinful yummies!).

I can eat 5 of these cookies in one sitting, no wonder I (and my niece and nephew) gain weight last December hehehehe.

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

Missha Super Aqua Water Supply Essence

When I started "building" my skincare routine, I remember saving the "leftover" from the mask sheets that I used and used it as my everyday essence.  After that, I don't remember having a "proper" essence (I remember having a first essence but it's not really a full legit essence more of like a fusion of toner and essence) and only used samples if my memory serves me right.  And if you noticed (I just noticed it too) I use the "used" to much and " in this paragraph, I don't know why.

So here's my very first "proper", full sized essence eversince I started to be "maarte", the Missha Super Aqua Water Supply Essence.

Missha Super Aqua Water Supply Essence
40ml
online regular price around $12 in korean shops/around $30 on non-korean shops
got it for around P600 around $14.50

If M&M melts in your mouth, this one melts in the skin and it's as if providing the much needed water to a thirsty land making my skin feeling refresh and hydrated.  I couldn't believe how this essence made my skin soft and supple overnight that when I woke up the next morning, I couldn't stop pinching my cheeks.

It says in the description that it's a fresh moisturizing essence to enhance skin's moisture level while leaving a fresh feeling of softness on the skin which I already observed on my first day of application and still experiencing it up to now and I regret that I didn't take advantage of the 50% off sale of Missha last December (I asked Bae Lu for the discounted price and she said it's P330 or around $8 only which I think is one of the cheapest yet effective essence that I know and I only ordered it for a friend...I really should have get another one for myself but I guess I was attracted to the design of Missha's Misa essence, I really don't know what I was thinking last December).

the essence

The "secret" of this essence is that instead of purified water, this essence contains 100% Ice Plant Water which is rich in minerals and Active Water (Blue Lagoon Water, Mineral Water, Damask Rose Water) that provides moisture to dry skin and enhances skin's moisture level.  I don't know anything about these kinds of water, they are just in the description of the product's box but it seems that their claims are true.

It also says in  the description that it's oil-free and I don't feel any greasiness when I apply this, it just melts and sinks into my skin.

hooray for english description
Missha forgot to put c on direction

Aside from the nice fresh moisturizing effect, I also like the scent of this essence:  it's like a subtle combination of the fresh ocean and the scent of a freshly showered and powdered baby.  I also didn't experience any allergic reaction while using it although it didn't says in the packaging that it's dermatologically tested.

the pump is much appreciated

For the packaging, I like the blue frosted glass part but hate the plastic cap not because of the plastic material but because of it's not so tight grip to the bottle (I pick the cap of the products when I used them so there are many times that the bottle of this one just drops on the floor, to my relief it's not yet broken up to now).

ingredients

Overall, I love this essence that I bought the rest of the products from this line/series. It's a perfect starter to those who have normal to dry skin because it's simply moisturizing leaving the skin fresh and soft and because of it's oil free and non greasy formula, those with oily or combi skin type might also be okay to use this as their essence-moisturizer (but better try a sample first to make sure, okies?).

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

January 16, 2014

Mizon PoreTightening Lotion

When the words "face lotion" first crossed my mind, all I said was "what the".  I just couldn't believe that another un-understandable skincare product was born and I was like nah I'll never gonna try it, I simply don't need it.

But destiny has it's own way and without pany intention of meeting the thing, face lotion and I meet as if we're meant to cross each others world.  Destiny, fate or whatever you may call it, I'm glad I met such a good friend, I mean product.

Guys, meet Mizon Skin Turnaround Pore Tightening Lotion.

Mizon Skin Turnaround Pore Tightening Lotion
online price around $13 to $17
got it for P710 (around $17)
80ml

I am supposed to be getting the pore essence and a clay mask  from the Pore Line of Mizon so I agreed to pay $17 because I'll be getting 2 products, unfortunately for me the link of Mizon suddenly changed and got this lotion unsale.  Oh well, I have to be smarter next time.

The Pore Skin Turnaround line from Mizon is actually for oily skin type but having the word "tightening" in the essence and lotion makes me think that it can help my big pores (I have dry skin type by the way).

it seems melting

Mizon Skin Turnaround Pore Tightening Lotion is a water based moisturizer that can control sebum and has a new pore refining formula.  It says in the description that it is quick absorbing and reduces oiliness while keeping skin well-hydrated and over time, helps skin create stronger supports for tightened pores.

And I have to agree with Mizon that this lotion is quick absorbing. I don't know if you can see the "melting effect" in the above picture but once I put this product on my skin, it seems that it turns runny and just seems like water sinking into my skin once spread.  I asked my sister to also try this (she have oily skin type) and she have the same observation and she liked that it's moisturizing but not heavy nor greasy on her skin at all.

As for my dry skin, well I still need the help of an emulsion or a cream to fully hydrate my  face.  For the tightening of pores part, well for the first week I am impressed because it tightened/made my pores appear smaller let's say around 25% but on the second week there's not much of a difference anymore but I continued using it for maintenance of the "tightened pores" and at the same time it does really help in making my skin hydrated without any harsh effect.  Plus this one replaces my toner.

The scent might be an off for those who do not like scented skincare products because it has this fresh and a bit overwhelming smell like those in scented stationery  but once applied on the skin, the scent disappears.  As for the packaging, it's heavy because of the glass bottle which I don't mind plus it's sturdy too (I dropped it a couple of times).  I never had a problem with the pump too and dispenses the same amount everytime I use it (I use two pumps for my whole face and neck).

I did my best but the text on the box are just too small

Face lotions in general are use after washing the face followed by a toner.  I digressed and skip the toner part whenever I use this lotion I mean I just couldn't accept that I put a product on my face then wipe it with cotton pad filled with toner?  For me it's a waste, although I'm aware that my skin already absorbed the first product but still there's maybe a little left on the surface of the skin (Am I still making sense).

Anyway, this product opened my mind to face lotions. This one from Mizon is best for those with oily skin type and can be use alone as a moisturizer (if in case you do not like to layer products) because it's light yet moisturizing and can help in tightening ore lessening the appearance of pores (just look for a great deal online, Mizon most of the time throw some amazing sale).

That's it!

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

January 15, 2014

Realization/Update/Mini-Haul

While trying to force myself to update my resume, I realize that I'm scared to take an interview.  It's been a long time since I have my last interview and while reminiscing it, I suddenly remembered that I suck at it because I'm not good with words...I'm more of "I'll show how" person because it's hard to explain...this will drag me for the rest of my week.

Another "sucky" thing is I still haven't started anything that is in my to do list, I'm actually doing the opposite by eating a lot and just laying around chillin hahaha.  I'm trying to be cool with it by always laughing and smiling (well compared to before) which I think is really good because I can slowly see my old happy self and hopefully everything will just follow, yehey!

small things in a big world

Some cute stuff above:  I just suddenly saw the mini burger just chilling in the main building of UST and I think it's funny I mean what is the mini burger doing in one of the pillars of the huge building?  Another cute thing is the mini tic tac that my niece gave me, it's so small it can fit in my wallet or in the pocket of my skinny jeans.

Ohhh I also went to Divisoria last week (you might already seen the washi tapes that I got from my Liebster Award for the nth Time post) after a long time and got some really nice and cheap PJ's, three to be exact.  The other one is "terno" meaning pair and it's been a long time since I wore something terno in my "adult" life...now that I'm thinking about it maybe I just bought it so I can tease my niece because she liked the design but there's no available size for her...very bad auntie right ahahaha don't worry she's already in her 20's like me.  The other two are just the pants and they are so cheap considering the good quality that I immediately bought two because it reminded me of those PJs that I saw in Victoria's Secret catalog only cheaper at P100 (around $2.25, oha san ka pa).  I specifically love the one with the flower print:

cheap stuff from Divisoria
And I also bought a pair of shoes, another chipipay but in good quality find.

kikay stuff

My sister ordered some make-up in Bon Marche and decided to get a Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Fig Jam (yes, we are now girls...my mom and my older sisters will be happy when they hear this) because the swatches online looks good but I have to admit that I hate the color of the packaging so much, it looks so old for me...well I hope the color is really good on my lips (I haven't open it).  I also got another bottle of the Moringa Oil because it seems like it's good for my skin but just a bottle is not enough to justify my claim (hmmm the words seems familiar...oh lyrics from Human of The Killers) inside my head.

Well, I will just leave you with these cookies that I made and hope you are having a great start of the new year.  Cheers (I'm raising my tea cup!).

sugar or butter cookies?  it's an elephant!

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

January 14, 2014

Liebster Award for the nth Time

I'll just show you first the washi tapes that I got from Divisoria because I think they are pretty :)

cheap washi tapes

Back to business.  Reason for this post is for me to finally answer the questions from two awesome bloggers who nominated me for Liebster Awards.  The first one is from Mizu of fairywater79.blogspot.com and the second one is from Amicia Rai of amiciarai.com.  Thanks a bunch guys!


Let's start with Mizu's:

from Mizu's blog

1.  What got you into blogging? What inspired you to do it?


I was having a hard time looking for some descriptions and honest reviews on the korean products that I got and one day I just decided to share what I've research and thought about it.  I started with tumblr but I felt that it's too complicated to upload pics there and remembered that my brother who is also into blogging used blogger and voila...The Certified Latebloomer is born.

2.  If you could look like anyone in the world for one day, who would it be?

I don't know why but Scarlett Johansson came into my mind.

source

3.  Right now what is your most favorite lipstick/lipbalm? Remember to put down the shade! :)

It's the Nichido Lip Blush Vitamin E in Forever Love because it's moisturizing and has this natural looking tint when I'm wearing it.

4.  What are your new years resolution for next year?

None but I got a to do list that you can read in my Happy 2014 post.

5.  When you go outside what is the must have product you have to put on your face before people can see you?

One of the reason why I'm a certified latebloomer is that up to now, I'm not into make-up and I'm only buying them to experiment on and at the same time to "prettify" myself when necessary for example my sister says "will you please fix yourself" when we go out for something and I only hand combed my hair.  I don't mind people seeing my "naked" face, I feel human.  But to answer your question...hmmm lip balm to moisturize my dry lips?  Well that only half answered your question, oopsie :)

6.  Do you have any inner artist? In what way do you channel out the artsie side of you?

I guess?  Not sure?  The problem is I start on something that I think I'm good at but never finishes it because I get bored easily.

7.  How much makeup do you usually wear when you feel like getting fancy or when going out on a date?

Never really been into a date, that's a fact and I also don't go to an event that I needed to be very fancy but if I need to prettify myself...I just want look simple by using a bb cream, blush and a sheer lipbalm/lipstick..I'm working on the eyeliner area.

8.  What is something that you have been wanting really bad for Christmas?

A fantastic, terrific, megahappy and high paying job! LOL

9.  If you read other blogs, what sort of content do you usually look for?

Honest reviews...cheap fantastic finds...awesome recipes..diy and crafts...home decor inspiration...photos

10.  What are your goals that you want to reach with your blogging?

Well my small baby blog started with just the thought of sharing what I have to say about a certain product or whatever comes to my mind but lately I'm also hoping that it will attract something big...like paid advertisement or sponsorship so I don't have to worry about buying stuff to feature on my blog without ripping off my usual honesty when I'm reviewing.

11.  What do you look for in a boyfriend? (wink wink wink)

Oh gosh this is hard...I can't think of any trait...I can't answer this question!!!!!

From Amicia Rai:


from Amicai Rai's blog

1.  What’s your favorite book?

Books actually, it's The Series of Unfortunate Events book series (I have the whole set)...Aside from the simple story with profound lesson/meaning behind, the book itself looks gorgeous.

2.  If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

The top of the Eiffel Tower or if it's an instant going up then Mt.  Fuji.  I just want feel like I'm the King of the World.

3.  What’s your dream job?

I'm currently clueless right...I'm still looking...literally looking :)

4.  Favorite food?

Roast-beef if I'm not mistaken.  I just love the tender juicy beef in gravy...yum yum

5.  Have you ever written anything like a poem or any other type of fiction or non-fiction work? If not, would you like to?

Couplet!  I wrote some on my "real/personal" fb page.  I would love to write a mini series with links of the music that seems suitable to the story and I actually have the draft in mind but couldn't get myself to actually write it in this blog. 

6.  Favorite holiday of the year and why?

New Year!  It marks the start of awesome sales because stores will get rid of the items that are in christmas/holiday packaging hehehe.

7.  Who is you favorite blogger?

Not really a blogger but the blog itself...A Beautiful Mess because it has everything.

8.  Show me a picture of your ideal wedding dress!

I never imagined my wedding dress...it seems like I'm not going to get married but I'm looking into the net right now for some inspiration...I wanted something that is a bit shouting like "yup, I'm a wedding dress not the bridemaid's"...okay found something nice...and maybe a beautiful back details like the ones from this site.

source

9.  Are you scared of any animals?

Not really as long that they will not harm me.

10.  Would you prefer to live in a house or in a flat?

A flat...I think it's easier to maintain a flat.  But I wanted a big glat with a nice spacius kitchen, a cozy library and a lovely refreshing garden and the bed should be comfy...the bathroom should be neat and clean...I all have it in my mind :)

11.  How long have you been a blogging?

I've been blogging for almost 18 months now...and counting!

Okay...I already nominated a lot of bloggers before and can't think of any now so if you, yes you happen to have a blog that has less than 200 followers then answer the questions that I posted here and comment down below your link, alright?

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

January 10, 2014

What Should I call This?- Another Haul

Should I start calling this kind of haul Faux GMarket haul since everything I order from Bae Lu is from GMarket???


This probably is my largest online haul that my big Forever21 bag is hall full.  What can I do, retail therapy is addicting and I had lots of stress last year (when I ordered all these stuff).  Most of the items might already be familiar to you if you have read Just Sharing my Excitement post, I'll just put the links from GMarket if in case you're interested to order them too plus I also ordered some make-up stuff (can you believe that?).

nice boxed sets
First is from this shop that sells samples from Amore Pacific (I hope I'm not mistaken).  Here's the GMarket link to the shop.  By the way, recheck the links...the seller constantly change the items in his shop's links.

I got the IOPE Moisture Intense Miniature Set which includes a softener a.k.a. toner, an emulsion, a cream, a cleanser and a sun cream.  Each order includes 2 boxed sets and a freebie (mine is a 3W hand lotion) for 7,500won (I paid around P500 to Bae Lu).  You can check the set here or here.  I got two orders so that I won't have to pay extra local shipping fee.

I also ordered the IOPE Bio Activator samples (40 sachets plus 2 mask sheets as a freebie) which I will use as a serum.  Unfortunately, I couldn't find the item anymore in the shop...too bad there's a lot of good reviews with this product.

3 orders in total from IOPE

Next is from Laneige.  I am supposed to get samples of eye creams but the link that I gave to Bae Lu changed and got the Moisture Care miniature set instead which includes a softener, an emulsion, gel cream and the very famous water sleeping pack plus 2 sheet masks as a freebie (link can be found here).  I also got the Water Bank Essence (4 with 15 ml product content, link can be found here) and the Original Essence White Plus Renew (4 with 10 ml product content, link can be found here).  The price before for each order is 7500won (got them from Bae Lu around P500) but they are now priced at 9900won per order.

3 orders in total from Laneige
Sulwhasoo

Next is from this shop that sells high-end korean cosmetic product samples.  Here's the link to the GMarket shop.  Oh by the way most sample shop from GMarket has this mandatory freebie rule.

all from Sulwhasoo, well except for the pore strips

There's no way that I can afford a full size Sulwhasoo products so gorabels na me with samples.  From the Renewing Ginseng Line I got the face cream (3 pieces per order), the sleeping pack (3 pieces per order) and the eye cream (33 sachets) for 7500won each order (paid Bae Lu around P500 too per order) and got pore strips as mandatory freebies.  I also got the "basic" emulsion (6 pieces per order).

Unexpectedly, one of my Missha order was already included in the December shipment.  I got this Misa Essence when Missha was having a 50% off on certian products.  Originally it cost 13800won but got it for only P380 (which I think is already cheap for an essence).  GMarket link here.

Misa Essence, everything is in korean

Now for makeup.  I got the 3W Clinic Professional Natural Make-Up Powder (formerly known as Palgantong) in Transparent Pearl (number 10) for only P230, the cheapest I can find online (thanks Bae Lu for finally offering this in your online shop).

Palgantong
Last is from Clio which is my disappointment from this haul.  I guess, I didn't understand the promo and the translation is not correct so I got the wrong shade plus I didn't get what I expected.  I'm supposed to get two eyeliner: one black and one brown plus a lipnicure as a freebie instead I got one eyeliner in "Bloody Red" if I'm not mistaken and a pot of lip balm for P580...for me it's not worth it so, sorry Clio but I will not order from you unless it is super duper clearly indicated in your site the things that I will be getting.  Anyway, here's the link of their GMarket shop.

bloody wrong order
Oh my, Bae already knows that I'm a huge mask addict so it's not a surprise that she sent mask in sheet and in spreadable form as freebies and I'm very happy that I got the cream from the soybean line of Innisfree (I wanted to order the essence before but it's so darn expensive).  I wonder what kind of drink/tea though are those pack in pink?

love them!
Wow it took me two hours to edit everything.  Hope you enjoyed this haul.

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!