Tagging Along...

To get the ball rolling, here are my answers to some 40questions Nehs tagged me to answer way back in February.

SKINCARE
-How many times do you wash your face daily?

Since, I'm barely ever at home, I wash my face only twice --- in the morning before dolling up and in the evening before hitting the sack.

-What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo)

Like a lot of people I know, my skin type's a combination of sorts. At times, it's normal-oily (just the nose), at other times, dry-normal. I think there are a lot of factors that come into play with regard to my ever changing skin type. The weather, stress, diet, hormonal changes and the products I use have certain effects on the skin.

-What is your current facial wash?

I use Human Heart Nature's Aloe Vera and Guava Organic Facial Wash. Sometimes, I switch to any of the three --- Biore Pore Minimizing Foaming Face Wash, Biore Revitalize 4-in-1 Self-Foaming Cleanser, Kiehl's Centella Skin Calming Facial Cleanser, or any of the organic soaps I have in my stash.

-Do you exfoliate?

I do though I don't have a schedule for it. I exfoliate when I feel like my skin needs it.

-What brand do you use?

Just like everything else, I switch it up from time to time. I use Biore, St. Ives, Human Heart Nature.

-What moisturizer do you use?

Ever since I discovered that Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion was the culprit behind the milia around my eyes, I've since switched to Human Heart Nature Royal Jelly Day and Night Moisturizer. They're organic, effective, affordable, and Philippine made.

-Do you have freckles?

Last time I checked, none.

-Do you use eye cream?

Yes, though not religiously. *grabs eye cream*

-Do you or did you have acne prone skin?

Thankfully, no. I only get breakouts if and only if I use certain products and when I'm PMS-ing (not always though). So I wouldn't really say that I have acne prone skin.

-Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?

Nope, and I don't think I'll need to.

MAKE-UP
-What foundation do you use?

I switch it up every now and then. At times I use mineral foundation, at other times I use liquid foundation. For mineral foundation, I use Bare Naturals, Everyday Minerals, Pureglow Minerals, Joppa Minerals, and Ellana Minerals. For liquid foundation, I use Maybelline Angel Fit Foundation and MUFE HD Invisible Cover Foundation (shade 140) when I know that I'll be photographed a lot on that day. Notice that I didn't include any Revlon foundation even when I have three of them? I'll say why in future posts ;)

-How about concealer?

Depending on the need, I use Skinfood Salmon Dark Circle Concealer Cream, MUFE HD Invisible Cover Concealer, Pureglow Minerals Tonic Liquid Concealer, Pureglow Minerals Eye Brightener and Eye Wake powder concealers.

-Do you know your undertone color?

I've yellow undertones. Sometimes, it appears golden.

-What do you think of fake eyelashes?

I think false lashes are handy to add extra oomph when attending special occasions. I wouldn't consider using these on a day to day basis.

-Did you know that you are suppose to change your mascara every 3 months?

Yes. I run through mascaras pretty quickly, so I change every so often.

-What brand of mascara do you use?

I use Covergirl, Maybelline and L'Oreal mascaras.

-Sephora or MAC?

I'd like to say MAC, but I think I'd much rather go for Sephora. They offer a wider range of products from a variety of brands.

-Do you have a MAC Pro-card?

No I don't, but I think it'd be great to own one.

-What makeup tools do you use in make up application?

I use the usual makeup tools every girl does: makeup brushes, q-tips, eyelash curler, sponges (rarely) and even fingers!

-Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?

Always.

-For the face?

Yes. I think I've gotten so used to using foundation primers that I never ever skip doing it.

-What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?

Even though I do play with colors at times, I'll still go for neutrals any day of the week. They're versatile enough to create subtle day looks and dramatic smokey looks.

-Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?

I use all: gel, cream, liquid and pencil. It only depends on the look I'm going for.

-How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?

I don't think I've ever poked myself with eye pencils, though I nearly poked my eyes with my new pencil brush earlier this week.

-What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?

Pigment eyeshadows normally have incredible pigmentation to them but they're a chore to use. I still love them though.

-Do you use mineral makeup?

It used to be the only thing my skin can tolerate, so yes.

-What is your favorite lipstick?

Not going for any particular brand, but shade wise, I go for muted pink-browns and nudes for daily wear. On days when I need a burst of color, I reach for hot pinks and reds.

-How about lipgloss?

I'm not so particular with lip glosses coz it's something I can pretty much skip.

-What is your favorite blush to use?

I normally lean towards more peaches and warm corals but I've been having the longest affair with Too Faced's La Vie En Rose Brightening Blush.

-Do you buy your makeup on ebay?

Not normally, but I do when I find something that I like or need.

-Do you like drugstore makeup?

There are some drugstore makeup items that perform just as well as their higher end counterparts if not better, so I'd have to say yes.

-Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)

I most certainly would if there ever was one in the Philippines.

-Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?

Yes, and I have plans of pursuing it.

-Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?

I don't think I'm clumsy when putting on makeup. I like to take my time in doing things. I hate being rushed.

-Name a makeup crime that you hate?

Other than mismatched foundation, I'd have to say blush that's not properly blended. Think *dolls* with those dots on their cheeks.

-Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?

I mix it up every now and then. I can do a totally neutral look on one day and do something colorful or dramatic on another day.

-Which celebrity always has great make up?

Kim Kardashian tops my list on this, though Megan Fox, Kate Beckinale, Natalie Portman and some other celebrities are likewise noteworthy.

-If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item,what would you use?

This one's a toughie as my dark circles are my main problem. I guess I'll go for tinted moisturizer.

-Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?

I can and I do.

-Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?

I think I look okay without any makeup on, though I've been told that I look 10years younger than my actual age.

-In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?

It's hard to pick just one makeup line coz each brand is famous for something. But for the sake of answering the question, I'll go for Make Up Forever.

-What do you think of Makeup??

Makeup is one of man's most amazing inventions. It can change the way a person looks in more ways than one can imagine.

And there goes my answers. I'd like to know yours!

TAGGED! 10th Photo!

Happy Friday everyone! I'm pretty sure all of you guys can't wait till today is over. Although I don't have anything planned for the weekend, I can't wait for it to come so I could spend some quality time with my bed and pillows.

But before that...

I was TAGGED by Em of Beauty Inside and Out.

So the rules of the picture tag:

►Open your first photo folder
►Scroll down to the 10th photo.
►Post that photo and story on your blog.
►Tag five others (or more) friends to do the same.

This is the tenth photo in my first photo folder

Art's Art

This was one of the paintings that my friend Art included in his Davao exhibit last year. I paid him a visit that time (Lunar New Year) in his house in Makati to interview him for a very important paper that I was writing then. He showed me all the paintings that he'll be shipping to Davao and the other ones that he had done in the past. He even gave me a very beautiful painting for free. It wasn't framed yet when I took it, but I really didn't care. I was just in love with the painting. It was kind of gloomy but it spoke to me in ways I can't explain. Before I left, he took some photos of me for my portrait that he would be painting. I haven't seen it yet, but I hope to see myself in a painting one day. I wish my beloved could do that for me (he's an artist too!).

To those who are wondering what bird that is in the painting, that's the head of the Philippine Eagle, also called Haribon. It's the largest living eagle and is endemic to the Philippines. Sadly, this eagle is critically endangered at this point.

I tag these amazing and beautiful ladies

Dana of My Simple Randomness
Becky of Embrace Your Imperfections
Charry of Eyecandy
Louie of I'm Uber Feminine
Donna of My Lucid Intervals
Becks of Hedonist
Sugar of Sweet Sugar
Mary of Beauty Savvy
Golden of Golden's Diary
Thiamere of On Beauty Stuff and What Else's

Hoping to see your 10th photo ladies!

Honest Scrap Award

I owe everybody a lot, specifically an apology. My hectic lifestyle (more like my work) is really taking its toll on me and everything else. A lot of people are complaining about how I don't return their messages, calls, etc. and how I don't have time to sit down and talk to them or go out with them. My usual excuse, "I'm busy," may seem way too overrated already but that's just simply the truth. If I could go and take a one week vacation, I would. I owe my body a break. My body deserves a treat after two years of barely any holidays (our company does not observe Philippine holidays except for Christmas, New Year and Holy Week) To the bloggers who leave me comments or messages on my chatbox, I'm sorry if I rarely leave you comments. I read all your posts but I just never get the chance to park for a bit since I'm always in a hurry. To those who have requested me to do a tutorial (specifically on Beanne's look), I'm so sorry. If I had the luxury of time to be playing with make up all day, I'll surely be able to do so much varied looks. To those who have tagged me on several occasions, I'm sorry I never got to doing it. And speaking of which, here's my post on the Honest Scrap Award. I was tagged by Puff of Oh Puffcake (and others I can't remember anymore. I'm terribly sorry) ages ago and it's only now that I am writing about it.

Rules:
Tell your readers 10 things about you that they may or may not know, but are true. Tag ten people with the award, and be sure to let them know they've been tagged (a quick comment on their blog will do). Don't forget to link back to the blogger who tagged you.

1. I was anorexic for about 7years. It was a tough battle. There were times when I wouldn’t eat anything for months and my only source of energy would be a bite off of a chocolate bar. I didn’t realize that I was already anorexic until my sister who was then studying psychology, kept teasing me about it. I always denied (to myself and others) that I indeed was anorexic, until I pulled out my sister’s readings on psychology. If my memory serves me right, it was the tenth chapter of the book that discussed the symptoms and treatments for these eating disorders. Upon reading the symptoms of anorexia nervosa, I came to my senses. If the article listed 10symptoms of anorexia, 8 of those were evident in me. It wasn’t until last year that I overcame anorexia nervosa. However, I still can’t say that I have already completely overcome it because I still get bouts of anorexia every few months.

2. I was diagnosed with a rare and incurable disease when I was 12, and if that wasn’t enough, I was diagnosed with a heart problem early this year. My life has never been the same since those days that I was diagnosed, and up to this day, I struggle to live a normal life devoid of any limitations and restrictions. To people, I don’t look handicapped. In fact, no one ever believes me when I tell them that I have a number of diseases. Sometimes it’s quite a good thing that no one thinks I am sick, but at times, I hope someone would believe me and not think that I am malingering to get away with things. I’m aware that my appearance does not reflect anything of that sort, and for that, I am honestly thankful to God. At least I’m not walking around with a banner hanging from my neck saying, “Look at me, I’m sick!” Over the past decade, I have experienced pain and suffering which have made me the person that I am today --- strong and unwavering.

3. I was a cheerleader. Honestly, I find it funny how I became a cheerleader when I hate dancing. I’m not even good at it! I don’t even know how to! I can’t tell you much about it, but whenever my friends from way back would talk about our cheerleading days, I wish my seat would just swallow me whole. I am too embarrassed to even think about it. Sometimes I wish I could burn all those photos where I was caught doing those silly cheerleading moves.

4. My first language was English. I and my siblings were trained to speak in English at home (my mom would always brag about me saying the word helicopter perfectly at 11months!). All of us learned Tagalog in school and from our childhood friends. However, being that I grew up in a gated subdivision where elites make up the total population, I never had friends who spoke Tagalog. It was in school that I learned how to speak Tagalog, enough for me to survive daily conversations. I cannot write nor read in Tagalog; my syllabication is just so wrong. Even though I can speak a bit of Tagalog, I’m always teased at how my accent sounds. I try to sound like most Filipinos do when they speak Tagalog, but most of the times, my accent sounds a little too forced and strange.

5. I am an artist in my own right. I used to paint, design gowns and dresses, sketch, crochet and sew; however, a lot of my art projects were never finished. Whenever I find something that’s more interesting than the current project I’m working on, I leave it and get my hands on another project. I heard from other artist friends that this is how most artists are. Aside from visual arts, I’m also into performing (except dancing) and culinary arts. I sing and act (I was a theater actress for two years) and model (if you would call this art).

6. I am a seasonal (pesca) vegetarian. I can see eyebrows raising right now, asking how this can be so. It’s simple. I can be a vegetarian for a few months, break it for a couple of months and go back to being vegetarian. I was a strict vegan when I was in high school. No meat --- pork (I never liked pork anyway), beef, and even chicken, no processed foods, no junk foods. After some time, I became anorexic. When I was recovering from anorexia, I started eating chicken, chips and all that, except beef and pork. I’m not a vegetarian right now coz I eat chicken, but I’m planning to go back to going green.

7. I was never breastfed. My mom would always tell people that I was strange as a baby. She said I never liked her milk, regardless of where she’d put it --- in a glass or a feeding bottle --- she just couldn’t trick me to drinking her milk. Strange as it is, I don’t feel weird nor embarrassed to tell people about it. I feel so special hearing that I’m one out of a million kids who never liked my mother’s milk!

8. The only public transportation that I know how to take is the cab (and tricycle --- the Filipino model --- but hey, is there anybody who doesn’t know how to take a tricycle?). Embarrassing it is, I know. Because I always had someone driving me around, I never learned how to take the jeepney, train, or bus. I would probably hop in to one of these granted that I am accompanied by someone, but alone, I can’t. There were times that I attempted to, but I always chickened out and ended up hailing a cab.

9. I am an indoor girl. I don’t play any sport, I don’t know how to ride a bike or skate, and I don’t know how to do outdoor activities. I may have gone hiking more than a couple of times in the past, but I always showed up looking like I was going for a stroll at the park. Because of this, I’m frequently called an “indoor girl” or a “blonde.” No offense to blondes, but I’m sure everyone has heard of a blond joke at one time or another. I know it’s not fair to label and stereotype people, but sadly, this is how a lot of people are.

10. I’m an OC.

#1 Proof: Before I leave for work, I check my purse about three or four times to make sure that all that I need for work is there and then a few steps after walking out of the house, I stop and open my purse one last time to check for some items that I may have missed.

#2 Proof: Back when I used to store my lipsticks in an upright position in a plastic container, I would fix them every single day to make sure that the same brands (sometimes shades) are grouped together, and every time I see one lippie missing or placed somewhere, I get so pissed and arrange them again.

#3 Proof: The clothes in my closet are arranged in either of these three ways: 1. according to the hanger’s colors. We have quite a lot of hangers, and only about 10 or 20 of them are of the same kind. I love how my closet looks like when hangers of the same colors are grouped together; 2. According to the color of the clothes. I put the black skirts together; the blue tops together and so on. I’m crazy like that; 3. According to the style. I sometimes group my clothes according to the sleeve’s length. All the short-sleeved ones are grouped together and so are the long-sleeved ones. The skirts of the same cut are likewise grouped together. My dresses are all in a separate closet (I have a bunch!).

I could go on and on giving proofs of how much of an OC I am but I’d rather not. Someone might call the mental health association and report me! Haha!

Well, that’s gonna be it for me tonight. I never knew writing ten random things about yourself could be so hard. It took me close to an hour writing these things down.

Because I feel like I'm the last to do this, I'll tag anyone who hasn't done it yet. It's a bit tough, but fun. Enjoy reading! It’s midnight now and I should be going back to reading.