Santa Monica Photo Diary

If I went out now, at 3:00 AM, I would go to the pier. I would sit at the edge of the boardwalk and dangle my legs just right above the water and watch the sky turn from a deep, dark, royal blue, to a gradient that went from soft pink hues to a lighter shade of blue. Skies are different out here in LA, but they're just the way I liked them. 

Ventura

Just before we headed to the One Direction concert on the 13th of September in Pasadena, the lovely Pascua family took us to Umami Burger. Isabella and I then went for a stroll with her brothers and checked out the nearby Urban Outfitters, where we then proceeded to spend at least half an hour running about trying things on. It was a good day, if I say so myself. Tiring, but good, and I say that without a single doubt. More photos under the cut!

Home again

If you're following me on any of my social media accounts, then I'm sure you already know about my whereabouts. As of this moment, I'm in Los Angeles, soaking up the sun and most likely taking photos of everything in sight. (It's just as hot here as it is in the Philippines.)

Rosy-hued Smokey Eye Makeup Tutorial

Hello! Today's post is a make-up tutorial, the first of many more to come, I hope, as I've been slowly dipping my feet into the beauty industry. In collaboration with Belle & Cat, Patricia and I actually filmed a vlog tutorial for this look, but after some sort of a technical error, I lost all the video files. We will be filming a new one soon, but for now, this post should do! It's a girly take on the smokey-eye look with a pop of color thanks to the brightly-tinted lipstick. The tutorial and the products we used will all be under the cut.

Comfort & Style

Here is a quick outfit post featuring what I wore to the Life Documented Manila August workshop (read my post on it here). I had anticipated the typical Manila heat when I was getting dressed that morning, hence my opting to go for a look that was casual and comfortable without having to sacrifice my own personal style. I've had the Tuck and Tale top I'm wearing in my closet for a while now, but it wasn't until my most recent trip to River Island that I found just the right bottoms to go with it: Something that was high-waisted enough to cover my navel and match its cropped style, without making me look stubby. Read more under the cut!

Eye see you

If you're following me on Vine, Twitter, and/or Instagram, then you probably know about the day I spent at Belle & Cat filming two different make-up tutorial vlogs for you guys, and getting my nails done. I've previously written about the salon here, after the Anti-Monday bazaar giveaway was held there. If you'd like more information on the services they offer, you can check out their website by clicking here. I will be focusing on their nail art services for this blog post, however, which you can read more about under the cut!

Life Documented Manila

Last Saturday, I attended Life Documented Manila's Project Life workshop. I had previously heard about this scrapbooking method on Pinterest, but I never actually considered trying it because I wasn't sure if there were any materials available for it locally. Most of the scrapbookers I saw were from the US, so you know, I figured it just wasn't for me. It didn't occur to me, though, that there was a community for it in the Philippines until Ate Abbey posted a photo of her book on Instagram, so you can only imagine my excitement. I mean, I've been scrapbooking for as long as I remember; my aunt used to work for All About Scrapbooking and would send me packages filled with art materials that I would share with my childhood best friend, Noelle. It always thrilled me to receive them in the mail even though I was never too good at it; I destroyed photos more than I prettyfied them, and my layouts were anything but pleasant to look at. It never mattered to me, though (which present me is envious of). Scrapbooking, or the arts in general, was more of a release than a means of showing off my creativity to gain my peers' respect. LOL. But eventually, like most things, I grew out of it. My works were subpar at most, and with me hitting puberty hard, it wasn't doing too well for my artistic ego. I figured I would be better off pursuing other things, which—back then—was a different form of art: theatre. But that's another story.

River Island Mega Fashion Hall

Ever since Jam and I found out that there would be a River Island branch opening at the Mega Fashion Hall, we've been waiting patiently (or at least trying to be) on the edge of our seats, biting our nails, and getting our wallets ready for the inevitable splurging that would ensue. Every single time we went to Mega, we'd gaze longingly like insane shopaholics at the massive 'coming soon' sign printed over one of their look-book photos, asking each other, "Just when will it open?" We wanted to be there on the first day like rabid dogs being fed their first meal, but alas, we missed it. Luckily, however, a trip to the store was planned for me at the last minute, and so my adventure begins. Lots of love to River Island for inviting me, being so accommodating, and for letting me play around the store styling things and myself! See the outfit I came up with under the cut. :P