July 2013 Favorites

Soooo I know I didn't do a favorites post for June and May, mostly because a lot of the products I was using last month were either already old products or stuff I'd just started trying but I'll try to be more consistent with this, from here on in. I like doing these posts mostly because I do use a lot of cosmetics and if I don't write about it then it seems kind of like a huge waste of knowledge I could otherwise be sharing with the collective cosmetic unconscious.

 

I tried a lot of face products last month because I'm always on the hunt for good, non-sticky/non-greasy face products that either will help improve the over-all health of my skin or at least not damage it. First off is the Lancome Pure Focus Moisturizer for Oily Skin. This is hands down the best moisturizer I've ever used. (Shout out to my sis-in-law Ate Audrey who gave it to me!) It really sinks into your skin and leaves your skin feeling smooth and silky without having it feel greasy. It gets the job done and it works really well under make-up because it keeps your pores from clogging without leaving your skin feeling dry or flaky. :)

 Next is the Ever Bilena Advance Perfect Concealer. Okay. This is probably the best value for money product, ever. EB is impressing me more and more, these days: this concealer is perfect. It stays on all day, it doesn't clog your pores, it doesn't cake or make you get those weird lines under your eyes and it gets the job done. Dark circles, blemishes: BAM, concealed like a mofo! I like it way better than other more expensive concealers I've tried like the Cinema Secrets one or the Collection Last Perfection one. :)

 It's been raining like crazy lately but it's also been insanely humid, so I've refrained from using any muskier or heavier fragrances. I've been using Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh because it's light and stays on for a pretty long time (although not "all day" by any means). I could sniff this shiz forever.

 I don't think I've mentioned it on here, ever (mostly because I'm also a little embarrassed by this) but I'm a huge lipstick junkie. Lip things (although I must say, lipsticks in particular) are definitely my favorite make up bits. This month, I've been a lovin' the Pure Gloss lipgloss from Collection. I have the one in the color Lollipop and I love, love, love it. Of all lip products (balms, glosses, glasses, sheens, sticks, liquid lipsticks, tints) lipglosses are probably my least favorite. I don't like how they get all sticky and bothersome--mleh. That being said, this is one of the few glosses that don't do that. It's a really pretty, sheer pink color and it isn't sticky or too much. It sinks into the skin but still gives your lips a noticeable little lift and (obviously) gloss. :) This was P169 at the Metro Department Store.

Next are two lipsticks from Avon's new collection (click here to see the TVC--Avon names their collections and lines with really not catchy names--aka Ultra SomethingSomething and Ultimate Something--which doesn't bother me too much but they're just so difficult to remember!). I have them in the shade Crush (left) and Hot Pink (right). Beautiful!!!! I love how they go on (the formulation) and I love how they look on the skin. I had some of their Totally Kissable lipsticks too, but I found that while those felt moisturizing, the pigment just sort of sat on top of the lips and got really drying throughout the day. These don't do that and have a lot better (in my opinion) shades than he last collection. These go for P249 each. :)

 Aaaand, that's it for this month! :) Tell me how you guys like this post (either here on Twitter or message me or whatever--ya'll know where to reach me).

Acid Wash

Today is going to be one hectic son of a gun; I can tell. I just got back from getting vaccinated (it's flu season again!) and after lunch I'll be off to school for my Trig long test (wish me luck). Wahoo. Here we go, double and half identities! I'm going to kick your ass--in these awesome jeans. 

From the minute I laid my eyes on these pants (that were on sale) I knew I had to have them. The color, the fit--everything about these jeans is desirable to me. Acid wash is a tricky thing and when you see something so well-done, you just can't not get it. Especially when it's on sale. I also may have overworn this shirt, but whatevs.

Wearing:

top, tiangge | P100

jeans, Zara | P650

shoes, Shoebox | P899

Time Goes By

Time flies. I looked at the calendar today (because I have a test tomorrow and am again, trying to buy more study time) and realized that it's been 2 years since I was in Harry Potter class (that was August 2011). Hot damn, time flies. In honor of that, I decided to wear my Ravenclaw shirt with one of the only pleated things I own: this floral skirt. I thought that this'd be a playful take on the whole school girl thing but part of me regrets not wearing this with my black skater skirt. 

Wore: Ravenclaw shirt, Perfect White T | P 350

skirt, Just G | P650

shoes, Shoebox | P899

I will be honest: it was a hassle walking around in this outfit today because it was freaking windy and you know what happens to pleated skirts in the wind (insert highschool flashback here). But, whatever. I only had one class today anyway so it wasn't too bad. Although no, I definitely wouldn't wear this again. :)) Anyway. I must get back to a'studying. Night, ya'll!

On Being Yourself & Personal Style

I finally got around to fixing the sizing issue re: the photos on this blog and I just realized hey, I've been doing this for over a year now (the whole personal style blog thing). It's taken me a while to figure out what I want to do with this blog; it's true what they say about having to figure out who you aren't to figure out who you are. And so these are some of the things I've figured out, re: personal style and being yourself (not that you have a choice).

(1) Forget "trendy". I understand that SEO and marketing are important things re: monetizing your blog but also, it shuts you off from being yourself a lot of the time because it creates pressure to fit in. And if you're going to be like everyone else, then why on earth would anyone want to read your blog?

It's also harder and harder to find people's style interesting: I feel like no one does anything un-safe or "normal" anymore. Everyone's wearing things they think will make them look "fashionable" instead of things that reflect their style (the very point of personal style, I think). Throw away the heels if you don't really wear them out, ditch the maxi skirt that dips in the rain--unless that's what you want to wear. Wear what you actually wear.

(2) Forget freebies. I can name a billion people (including myself) who had free stuff on the mind when they started taking photos of themselves and what they wore. And I must admit, I got pretty crazy at the beginning when I started getting stuff from online stores and passes to bazaars--you can just imagine how I felt when I got asked by Zalora to be one of their brand ambassadors--but things get lost in the hullaballoo of what to wear and what to post about and will I actually wear this and before you know it, you're forgetting that there's life outside what you wear and which sponsors you've gotten. This is why I stopped doing this: it went against the very reason that I like blogging and why the blogosphere is so interesting to me. Each blog is a glimpse into a life and I don't want mine to be just "hey, look at the cool stuff I got". 

(3) Forget "fame". I'm not saying that I don't want followers or readers--no one can blame you for that. Part of the reason why we write is because we'd like for what we write to be read. But also, since the advent of the bloggerebrity (someone famous for no real reason other than owning an awesome blog), I feel like so many blogs have come out that don't have an ounce of originality to them. People forget that blog-fame is a byproduct of a good blog (good writing, interesting content) and not vice versa.

 So many blogs that want to be famous are terribly written and offer no real insight into the person's life. This is why I love blogs like AlessiLikesIt and ArtsyFartsyAva: even if they inevitably talk about fashion and food and style, they also tell you about themselves and offer a real point of view on whatever it is they're blogging about. 

(4) Forget formula. Part of me wants to go back to my subdomain (winawonders.blogspot.com) because the formula nowadays seems to be (1) get clothes that will get you mistaken for someone famous (2) buy an SLR (3) take photos of you wearing said clothes (4) buy a domain (5) get followers. It's all so boring. And no one smiles in any of these damn pictures. I also have renounced follower-trading (I'll follow you if you follow me) because it's all such crap: most of the time people just want the big numbers popping up in their stats and don't actually read any of the blogs they've "followed back". It's ridiculous.

(5)  Don't Forget Fun. It should be fun. Or at least soothing. Otherwise, click Delete.

Strangers

I haven't expressed my curiosity toward strangers in a while--probably because the ones at school seem less and less interesting, the older I get; probably also because I'm getting older, in general--but today was an exception. Today, I felt curious about the people around me who I didn't know: the weird guy in all my classes who talks to himself and occasionally offers me unsolicited legal pad, the girl in my one lab class who I always see hanging out at the Coffee Bean early in the morning, the noisy guy in my Trig class with a middle eastern last name and alabaster skin, and so on.

I wonder why these people are in the course we're in and how they got there. I know some of them are my age, some of them maybe older. Some of these people are in BS Psychology (I always feel the need to stress the difference between that and AB Psychology as I cannot help my condescension despite being aware of it) as a result of wanting to be there--some of these people shifted to this course, like me. Some of these people are disappointed, too. And also, some of these people seem so truly, thumpingly normal: some of these people are there because they didn't know what they wanted in High School, except that they wanted the option of going to Med School one day. These are the people who fascinate me the most: the ones who rush out of the classroom or lab so they can have lunch with their friends or so they can go catch a movie. These strangers, so excited and so ready for the day always make me wish I was invisible, so I could see the expressions on their faces when they meet up with their friends or when they see the guy they met at an org party who they thought they wouldn't see again. How must that feel? I know I knew, once. But I've left so many things behind: part of that is memory of feeling.

On one hand, thank god. On the other hand--

Leotarded

 It's taking all my will not to start this blog post with "dahurr". Anywho. It's Monday again. August is here, dontcha know it. Before we know it, it'll be holiday/birthday (for me and my friends)/celebrating shiz season again. So I decided to go into mourning for the following illusions that I thrust myself into last January: a) "This will be my year!" and b) "The year's just starting: let's start it right!" by wearing black. I don't wear black very often. In fact, I think there might be less than 5 photos of me wearing black on this blog. And I must say, after wearing this leotard-reminiscent shirt from Cotton-On, I may look into wearing black more often.

 

I have to apologize, as well for the uneven sizing of the photos: I seriously do not know what is up with blogger, but yeah: I didn't want these to go to waste, because well, it's a bitch to shoot yourself (whichever way you take that phrase) so it damn well better be worth it. :) This is one of the most expensive outfits I own, probably--but I figure no one's a cheapskate all the time, right? Right??

 

Wore: Top, Cotton On | P450

Jeans, Nafnaf | P1,200

Shoes, Shoebox | P 899

 Glasses, Giordano | P 2,500

And, yeah! :) Hope you guys had a rockin' Monday!