Bullet Journal Mini Haul

The first quarter of 2017 is over and I have been so bad at writing articles. The past term in school had just been so busy, I didn't have much time to breathe let alone keep up with the blog writing and stuff. I promise myself to do better this term, and hopefully, this Bullet Journaling thing will help me work it all out.

I first heard all about Bullet Journals in the latter part of December 2015 on Pinterest. There are loads of inspirations one can get in there. I got so excited about the concept that I decided to try it out as soon as the year 2016 started. Life took a turn though and I wasn't able to continue the journaling. At the time, I thought bullet journaling was not for me because of all the setting up I had to do before being able to journal (you know what I mean.)

Anyway, during finals week last term, I came across a this Plan With Me video by YouTuber Amanda RachLee and she just made things look so fun and pretty and by the end of the video I was dying to have my own bullet journal. So I planned to start my journal by April. I do have a couple of things that I needed to buy before starting to bullet journal (or bujo as they call it) like a new journal and stuff but I already have colored pens at home so I don't really need much more but I do have a few things in mind to pick up.

My friends and I had an appointment to watch "Beauty and the Beast" and, hitting two birds with one stone, I got to roam around Glorietta/Landmark/Greenbelt to pick up a few stationery items for my bujo.

First, we dropped by Daiso where everything is at a bargain price of PhP.88. I planned to get a fountain pen and ink since I heard they Daiso has fountain pains at a bargain price. They weren't selling one, though but I picked up this brush pen instead, and it's my first brush pen so I was very excited to use it.

Of course I had to drop by National Bookstore. I was thinking of picking up my journal there, sadly, none of the journals available at NBS Glorietta spoke to me as "the one." I may seem overly dramatic here, but I really am very particular with buying stationery products. This journal (although I'm just gonna be trying bujo out) has to be perfect. I did pick up this Best Buy set of 10 matte sticker paper for PhP.33.50 and Elmer's All Purpose Glue Stick for PhP.37.50.

I wanted to get stickers but the ones available at NBS were a bit childish in design and a little on the expensive side. I figured I'd just get pictures off the internet and print them out on sticker paper or on ordinary paper (hence the glue stick.)

Next stop was a store I've been dying to go to ever since they opened their first store in the Philippines at Robinson's Manila. Miniso Glorietta just opened and it was just heaven for us girls who love to shop. I was so proud to say that I limited myself to stationery shopping while in there since getting these stuff for my bujo is already way out of my budget. Anyway, I saw that they have cheap notebooks (around PhP.149 to PhP.199) that can be used as journals but the notebooks where covered in plastic so you wouldn't be able to see if they have lines or such - I was looking for one with dotted or blank pages. We were on a rush so I wasn't able to ask the attendant if the notebooks have lines or what (our movie is about to start in 15 minutes and we needed to pick up some popcorn). I was able to get their 3 for PhP.99 gel ink pens and one washable watercolor pen set for PhP.149.

I got the pens because they reminded me so much of the Muji gel ink pens (which are my faves) although the tips are thicker at 0.5. I got two black pens and one in blue. The watercolor pen set (I have no idea why they call this watercolor pens) was an impulse buy because I wanted to get brush pens. I thought they were really cheap at PhP. 149. I regret buying them though since the brush pens get frayed as soon as they touch the paper. I felt like I should have bought their dual ended brush pen singles instead.

Alas, I was able to get a notebook that I can use as my bullet journal at Muji.

I got this A5 notebook for PhP.165. It has 80 leaves and blank pages. And though it is a bit pricy, I didn't care cause it's from Muji (I'm a sucker for any Muji products.) And while I'm there, I decided to pick up two of my absolute favorite pen in the world: these are the Muji gel ink pens in 0.38. I just got the black inks though I wanted to get colored ones because the colors that have 0.38 are in shades of pink, red, or orange (which are not at all my type) and the shades of green and blue were only available at 0.5. I have tried their 0.5 gel ink pens before (I still have my green one at home) and I really prefer their 0.38 ones.

That is it for my bullet journal mini-haul. I didn't buy much since at the back of my head, I still have doubts if I'd be able to continue bullet journaling for a long time. I'm trying my best and so far so good. I'd be writing about my bullet journal set-up soon so watch out for that. 

Follow me on Instagram for more updates! xoxo

2017 Reading Challenge

I have officially failed at my 2016 Reading Challenge. By October I knew I was gonna fail, so I stopped trying. The thing was, I didn't really have a good enough excuse why I failed to finish the challenge: it wasn't the amount, for sure, since I listed about an average of one book per week so that's pretty much 'realistic'. I think the real culprit was just me and my overthinking. Last year was quite a challenge and it took me away from the things that I love (and that sure includes reading).

So 2017 is a good enough start (I'm working on my second book this year, though the first two aren't really in my reading list, but it's a good start) and I want to share with you my own Reading Challenge for myself.

This year's list is inspired by something I've seen on the internet. One day I was struck by the fact that I stuck with YA books last year and while there's nothing wrong with the genre, I just wanted something that will challenge my intellect. Part of my goal in 2017 is to focus on developing my mind and reading up on books that are far from my genre comfort zone is one way to do just that. I came across a list of Top 25 books that will blow your mind and was a little bit sad that I've only read one of the books on their list. So this year I wanted my mind blown. Sadly, I was only able to get a copy of 19 out of the 25 books in the list, which for me was quite a low number for a reading challenge so I added a few books of my own.

(Updated April 6, 2017)

1. 1984 by George Orwell
2. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
3. Neuromancer by William Gibson
4. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
5. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
6. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote 
7. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
8. The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
9. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
10. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
11. Think Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
12. The Stranger by Alber Camus
13. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
14. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
15. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
16. Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer
17. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
18. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
19. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
20. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
21. Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco
22. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
23. The Light in the Wound by Christine Brae
24. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
25. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

*Titles in bold are already read. :)

Follow me on Instagram and Goodreads for more updates! xoxo

RYOB Challenge: September Update

I'm doing really bad on this challenge, I know.

This month on my RYOB Challenge, I've manage to get just one book of my list. I have valid excuses though: exams and schoolwork and vacation (I have loads of other hobbies I worked on - like sleeping). Still, it makes me a bit sad to know that I wouldn't be able to win this challenge. I have a few months to go though so I'd probably get through a few books more before waving the white flag.

Anyway, so the lone book I've managed to read is Rick Riordan's Mark of Athena, the third book in the Blood of Olympus series. Part of the reason I was only able to read one PHYSICAL book this month is that I had to reread the Percy Jackson series and the first two books in the Blood of Olympus before I started on Mark of Athena. I've had to review the books because it was a long time ago when I read them and if you're also a fan of Rick Riordan's works, you'd know that each book is so action-packed. Even now that I've just reread them, I have a hard time recalling which events happened when. Not complaining though - I'm a big big fan of Rick Riordan and mythology in general.

Manicure Monday: SanSan Nail Polish in Red Gleam

September was quite a busy month for me, and as much as I want to be able rock chic nails on a daily basis, sometimes doing my nails are too much of a hassle. Still, whenever I can, I sneak in a mani-pedi session (which is usually on my off days while watching an Grey's Anatomy or whichever series I'm currently watching.)

Last August I wore different shades of grey and though I love the classy look, I really missed wearing bold, bright colors. Hence this bottle of San San Nail Polish in Red Gleam worked her way out of my cupboards.

RYOB Challenge: August Update

Is it only me or does it seem like time flies too fast this 2016? We may not be able to slow down time but what we can do is make the best out of it. My August had been slow at first with all the class suspension and all but we got loaded up with work as soon as we got back to school to make up for all the missed classes and it made me wish for more class suspensions.

Anyway, although I got a bit swamped with schoolwork and wasn't able to read any book for about a week, I still am proud to say that I finished three books this month. Read on to find out what my thoughts are on these. I must warn you that I will be giving my honest opinions of what I thought about the books so if you are a fan, please don't hate on me. Also, there may or may not be spoilers throughout the review, so you have been warned/

Manicure Monday: Shades of Grey

It's been a few days since August ended and I was not able to share with you guys last month's NOTDs. Better late than never, right? So, I would like to share with you guys my NOTDs for the month of August.

The past year, I've been really in to grey nail polishes. There's something about grey that makes it look classy and in the past few weeks, I've been searching for the perfect shade of grey to suit my skin tone. Unfortunately, the only accessible (and within budget) store to me is Watson's. Don't get me wrong though - Watson's is the best place on earth for budget beauty enthusiasts like me but this particular branch might be the smallest one I've ever been too, in short, they didn't have a large collection of nail polishes. They carried the typical cheap variants, which I totally love to loot, but the said variants do not have my perfect shade of grey. Still, a happy ending though, since I loved the polishes that I bought.

Product Review: Sophie Paris Fairness Peel off Mask

It's another cloudy day and I hope you guys are having a productive day like mine. Yesterday was a holiday here in the Philippines and I don't know about you guys but that was a much needed break from the craziness of the real world. On rest days, we all get the chance to find our center and balance things out - not to mention catching up on those much needed ZZZzzzs.

So today, I'd like to talk about one of my favorite products of all time: face masks. I love face masks since it makes me feel like I'm treating myself to a spa (for about a tenth of the actual cost of spas) and my face always feels refreshed and soft afterwards. I personally love mud masks and peel off masks but they do take time with all that soaking and rinsing. Sheet masks are okay by me for weeknights when I feel like my skin needs more TLC but I find that sheet masks are a lot more expensive versus mud masks and peel off masks since you can only use a sheet mask once.

Product Review: Nichido Pressed Powder (Tan)

Happy Friday everyone! Today, I'm reviewing the Nichido Pressed Powder in the shade Tan. I learned about this particular product from beauty blogger Michelle Dy. What really hooked me on this is the packaging - it doesn't look like it only costs PhP.100!

July Empties and Decluttering

A cold Tuesday afternoon when the all the world seemingly just wants to sleep and here I am, decluttering my stuff. LOL. I'm just the type of person who functions better in a clutter-free environment. Don't get me wrong - my room is messy about 90% of the time.  But on days that I want to be productive I spend a good chunk of my time cleaning up my mess.

I've always been fascinated with empties post and I meant to do one last month (which obviously didn't happen - I kept putting writing the article off and eventually, I decided if I can't make the time to write about it, it probably isn't worth the time reading). So, today's empties will be short since I did a MAJOR decluttering prior to this - just a few bits and pieces of junk and a couple that I'd be giving away to those who will be able to make a good use of it than me.

First off are a couple of lotions. I go through lotions a LOT since I have really dry skin. I've been alternating between Nivea Intense Moisture Lotion and Musk by Alyssa Ashley, both are gifts from abroad so I really can't tell you their prices. Nivea is available locally at department stores, drugstores, etc. Musk by Alyssa Ashley on the other hand, is a little hard to get hold of. I've never seen it in department stores, etc. which sucks since this is probably my favorite lotion of all time: it smells amazing and it's non-greasy but still does a great job of moisturizing my dry skin. (I'm really oily on my face but I have really dry skin for the rest of my body - I don't get it). I'm not really sure if I'd buy another bottle of the Nivea lotion for full price since their yearly sale would save me tons but I do love their lotions and I'd hoard them in next year's sale. I would buy another bottle of the Musk by Alyssa Ashley, as I've said it's my favorite lotion but a little bit on the pricey side plus I only know of one place where I can get my hands on it (stores at the Mezzanine floor at Cash n Carry) which isn't really accessible for me.

Next is The Face Shop Clean Face Mild Lotion. I got through with the toner version of this so fast (which made me sad because this is PRICEY). But I'm pretty happy with this moisturizer which I've used for roughly 3 months in my estimate, which isn't bad at all. I'd be willing to spend money on this in the future, but right now, I'm trying out a few cheaper alternatives for a face moisturizer.

Starting my make up empties is the Nichido Final Powder in So Natural. This was my favorite setting powder last year and I had quite a few months of good use out of it. This only cost me PhP.150 but there are quite a few products I'm currently testing out and since this isn't really a travel-friendly face powder, I'm still thinking if I will be repurchasing this. If I do repurchase this though, I'd go for a lighter shad than the So Natural since this is too tan for me.

Next is a tube of my holy grail mascara which is Maybelline Hypercurl. I've already repurchased this as I've said in my back-to-school haul and I think I will be purchasing a few back-ups since they are still on sale at the Watson's nearest to our place.

Lastly are four tubes of lipstick, one from Avon cosmetics, which I'm throwing away since it's been about two years since I've bought it and the life span of a lipstick is only 18 months. The one from Maybelline which is the Maybelline Colorshow Lipstick in the shade Pinkalicious broke off after only a few uses. I know there are a few tricks of life hacks that would fix broken lipsticks, but I really am giving this one up since living in a tropical country, I need to have my lipsticks melt-proof. I don't want to be constantly fixing my melted lipstick. Next is a lip butter from Revlon in the shade sugar plum. I love this. It felt like I'm just using lip balm but it was just too creamy for me. So creamy that I have a hard time putting it on since it moves and leaves lines and such. I couldn't for the life of me make this work. Lastly is a once favorite of mine which is the Wet n Wild Mega Last Matte lipstick in the shade Rosebud. I've been using this lipstick for a while and lately I've realized that the color does not match me at all. It is quite a good bright pink shade for morenas like me, but I think it doesn't go well with my lip color (I have dark colored lips). So this and the lip butter will go to my sister since the shades work well for her.

And there you have it guys, my empties and decluttering for the month of July. Follow me on instagram and twitter for more updates. xoxo

RYOB Challenge 2016: July Update

I didn't really intend on doing an article today but I woke up today and it was all cloudy and cold and cozy - my kind of weather. For some reason, this got me hyped to have a productive day - so I made myself a cup of tea and sat in front of my laptop and I'm now ready to talk about my Read Your Own Book Challenge July Update.

I've been really bad doing this challenge. When I started this, I thought that four books a month is nothing. Now though, I'm afraid I won't be able to finish my target of 40 books this year. It's already July and I'm at 4/40! I know what you're thinking, for a self-confessed bibliophile, that's not really much. It just so happened that past few months, I've been sticking to reading on my phone and this challenge as I've said in my post, I would only include physical books that I've read. In that article I also have a list of the books I'm targeting to read (which I update from time to time).

Manicure Monday: Obsessing over pastels

I have to admit that even though I'm a positive person, oftentimes, Mondays do get me down. Today, for starters wasn't a very good start for me - having that monthly "visits" and looking forward to a kindah stressful week isn't a very good combination. Still, I'm all for kicking Monday's ass so I did my work out, worked on my nails and now, working on this blog - you know what they say about working on the things that you love.

So, for the whole month of July I've been obsessing on pastel colors. Late June, I got bored with my current collection of nail polishes but I so wanted to paint my nails, so I borrowed one from my sister and got my hands on a Girl Stuff nail polish. I love the color which was a creamy white, but there is no label at all about what exact shade it is (not even a number).

The manicure did last a couple of days without chipping which is quite good given that I wasn't able to do my nails properly because the nail polish has gone all sticky and gooey (my sister has had it for over a year now).

Back to School Skin Care Routine

Any beauty enthusiast would agree with me that the search for the perfect skin care routine is a constant battle. Sometimes, what worked out for you before won't work now or your skin "got used" to the product that it doesn't give a wonderful effect anymore. There are a lot of factors that causes this, your skin might be different or your hormones are acting up or your diet. Anyway, the only real solution for this is to constantly try out new skin care products. A few things to keep in mind when trying new stuff out: give a new product two weeks to work before deciding whether you like it or not, often it takes that long for something to work its full effect. Also, try rotating you holy grail products after two to three months of use so you can give your skin a rest for a while.

Today, I will be sharing with you guys the new skin care routine I've been trying out for a couple of weeks or so (basically when school started). A few weeks before I started this particular routine I've been breaking out on my forehead which is probably an allergic reaction to dust (we had a general cleaning of the house). I found that my skin care routine back then wasn't doing much for the problem. Usually when I break out it only takes a week to dry, I knew I had to change my routine after a couple of weeks without any improvement on my break outs.

Top 5 Tuesday: Top 5 Back-to-School Make Up Essentials

Today's Top 5 Tuesday is a continuation of my Back-to-School special. Here's an extra challenge for beauty enthusiasts like me: how to get a perfectly made up face that could last all day.

We've all been there: the waking up early despite the late nights, the sweat from going around the campus, 12-hour days were you couldn't even pause and take a glimpse on a mirror (at some point, you'd find yourself looking at any reflective surface to assure yourself that you are presentable, at least). The answer to this hectic days of our lives: low-maintenance make up.

I rarely have time for touch-ups in between classes, and I sweat a lot. To top it all off, I have oily skin. So the search for the perfect make up products is a continuous battle for me. But for now, here are my back to school makeup essentials. A bit of a bonus on this article: each product costs PhP.350 or less.

Book Review: This is Me, Love Marie

Happy Thursday guys. I hope you all are having a great week. Today, I will be reviewing Heart Evangelista's book on beauty 101 entitled This is Me, Love Marie. Apart from being an actress, Heart is a painter, makeup enthusiast, tv host and the wife of Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero. 

Back-to-School Beauty Haul

After a few weeks of hibernating from blogging, I'm back! Hopefully, I could come up with a routine for the term and find time to blog more regularly (keeping fingers crossed). Anyway, it's weird starting school in July. Still, it's the best I could hope for given my situation and I'm so glad I can fill up my days with something worthwhile again. What better way to start a new academic year than a shopping haul?

Manicure Monday

Another month has come and gone, and I hope that 2016 has been treating you well! Personally, my year has its ups and downs but really, those are the very reasons why we all deserve a good mani-pedi session.

Product Review: Nature Republic 92% Aloe Vera Soothing Gel

 A few weeks ago, I've scoured the mall for a new brow product as my eyebrow pencil is down to its last few uses. But of course, I ended up buying a bunch of stuff and NONE of those were brow product. Still, I'm very happy with my purchases especially this Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel from Nature Republic. I may be extremely unobservant but it is only now that I've heard of aloe vera soothing gel and I noticed that most of Korean Skin Care shops have one (and we've gone through all the Korean Skin Care shops at MOA). Nature Republic's soothing gel was the cheapest one though (PhP. 245) and so I decided to give it a try.

Top 5 Tuesday: Summer Essentials

Summer is HERE! 

Okay, it's been a few weeks since summer officially started and we can really feel the heat. This may be an unpopular opinion but summer's not my favorite time of the year and I think anyone who lives in a tropical country is of the same opinion. But still, it's the best time to go to the beach and unwind and look at the brighter side of things. 

So today I'll be sharing a few tips on how to stay cool (in the literal sense) and still enjoy summer without hurting your wallet (each product is less than PhP. 500).

Product Review: Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation, Primer and Pressed Powder

Coverage is a big deal for me and if you're a makeup enthusiast like me, you'd know how important coverage is. That's why standards are set high for products that are dedicated to this - from foundations to BB creams to CC creams to tinted moisturizers, you name it;  there's much research to perfect this make up "base". As a girl with oily skin this comes extra hard for me for I not only need to cover up, I also need to keep shine away from my face. That's why I thank the heavens for these lovely products.

Manicure Monday

Happy Monday everyone! I know, I know, happy and Monday don't usually go together but let me tell you a secret to make Mondays more bearable, HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO.

For me, I usually have my nails done on Mondays (or Sunday nights), and I know a LOT of women out there are with me when I say that Mani-Pedis are the best way to unwind. I stick to one nail color a month (so as not to keep stressing myself on nail polish shades) and just keep fresh on a regular basis (I usually remove them Friday night if I don't have anything special for the weekend so as to let my nails "breathe").