BeautyMNL: Makeup in a Jiffy + Maybelline Haul

Shopping is a delight but one has to admit that it's not all pretty. Long queues at the counter, the flock of people at this time of the year and not to mention the catastrophe that is traffic, it can get ugly. Then there's online shopping. It sounds great and the lure is too good to resist but truth be told not all experiences are delightful. Think of counterfeit products or delivery that takes ages (or is twice more expensive than the product itself). This prompted me to be extra cautious when it comes to the sites I buy from. Actually, I tend to avoid shopping online as much as I could. That is until I discovered BeautyMNL.

‘Tis the Season to be Sephora Glammin’

Audrey Hepburn's iconic look in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" has a certain charm that gets you every single time. There's an enigma to it that screams magic. Sorcery or not, this classic makeup look is timeless beyond measure. Since the holidays are upon us (aka parties and family gatherings), here's a glammed up version that'll make you smolder and sparkle like the firework you are! You wouldn't want to look passé, "loshang" or "haggard", do you? Come on. What if you bump into your crush? 

5 Fun and Free Christmas Thrills

The holidays are upon us once again and everything seems to be basked in light, warmth and cheer. Well, except for your wallet. Whether you've spent your entire bonus buying gifts for everyone or you're simply being practical, here are 5 fun and (almost) free activities that you can do this Christmas. Memorable holidays doesn't mean you have to break the bank.

Bengal Brew + Wolf and Bear Cafe

Wagging tails. Furry paws. Gentle eyes. Ready to go giddy all over? Pets are my absolute weakness, perhaps next to ice cream. When my best friends from Cebu came over to visit, I gave them quite a tour. As we traveled back to the city after a day trip in Tagaytay, we decided to rest and relax at this pet cafe we spotted in Cubao: Bengal Brew + Wolf and Bear Cafe.

Freezer Burn: Not Your Ordinary Ice Cream

If you need someplace touristy that's only a few minutes from the airport and showcases great food and awesome dining, BGC is the place to be. It was therefore a no-brainer when I brought my kindergarten best friends from Cebu to Bonifacio High Street's newest ice cream place, Freezer Burn.

The term "freezer burn" may not sound palatable by the dictionary's terms but chefs Miko Aspiras and Kristine Lotilla turned things around by marrying artisan ice cream with hot snacks. But more than taste, their desserts pack quite the graphic punch. If I may say, they fit the definition of what we nowadays call Instagram-able.

Geek Chic: The Art of Dressing Smart

Gone are the days when all things nerdy scream unworthy. Geek is in! The recent shindigs, fashion runways and your favorite bloggers and influencers are proof enough that it’s cool to look smart and be smart. If you want in on this trend then you better bring out your pen and paper. Buckle up! It’s time to take some notes!

Level Up Your #PiattosTime and Win an Asian Trip

Although a full-blown sweets fanatic, I'm all for tangy and salty flavors too especially when it comes to chips! Growing up, I've come to love these hexagonal beauties that is Piattos and today I'm showing you three new ways to enjoy it (think marriage of chips and dessert) and how you can win a Southeast Asian trip for you and a friend!

Word Vomit: 24 and Unfiltered

I never thought there'd come a day when I'd cringe at the thought of my age but not for the reason that most people would think. I'm a year older now, 24 to be exact. It feels surreal because so much has already happened and yet so much hasn't. I feel like I'm in an "in between" phase. I think I know what to do and yet I don't. But looking back, 24 years is quite a lot of time and boy I never imagined it to be such a roller coaster.

So today, I decided to spit out some word vomit. Don't worry I'm not going down the Cady Heron/Regina George highway. Think about this as a more personal and casual post. A friend talking to a friend. Something a little more easygoing and unfiltered unlike my fictional, poetic and well-curated posts. This is more of me and my thoughts spilling. Just spilling.

Change The Way You See Friendship

If you told me that I'd make good friends by virtue of the internet, I would have laughed in your face. It's scary. That's dangerous. You're begging for trouble. There's a stigma around forging such connections through cyberspace and I for one can't blame people. But believe it or not I managed to find kindred souls, in most cases by happenstance, and this has changed the way I see friendship forever.

To the Guy I First Loved

Dear first love. There’s something about the rain that reminds me of you. 

Its gentle pitter-patter against my bedroom window brings me back to how I used to sneak out of our house just to spend a night with you at the park. You’d be in your usual graphic tee with that snapback worn backwards and a smile across your lips. You’d bring a bag of fries and we’d talk endlessly about random things until the sky shows faint cracks of light and we’d hurriedly head back hoping nobody noticed our little crime.

5 Hashtags for Your Next Bestie Photo

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (MBC)

We live in the so called golden age of social media and taking pictures with your best friends has never been the same. It’s no longer just about snapping and sharing. Somehow, people have come to terms with extracting their creative juices to come up with memorable trinkets that are not only #tbt worthy but also #Instagrammable.

How I Make Worklife Easier

Adulting is no joke. Whoever said that turning twenty-something meant the era of "having things figured out" was definitely on a daze. Mad Hatter crazy if you ask me! No wonder Peter Pan ran off to Neverland! But don't get me wrong. I like my days productive and I always find myself looking for something to do but then again there are times when stress becomes a wee bit too much to bear. 

P.S. I Love You

We were best of friends. Past tense. But before you wrap your mind about this being one of those sad stories, let me tell you otherwise.

DIY Pants to Dungarees

I'm a huge fan of thrift shopping and upcycled transformations so whenever I could, I try to DIY my way with clothes. Some of them turn out great while others don't get that lucky. About a year ago, I found these bright pink pair of pants that were too baggy for anyone to bother with. I've been wanting to buy some dungarees at the time  but didn't have enough cash. The fix? I sewed up the old pants and turned them into dungarees. And the best part is, the straps are detachable so you can wear it as a pair of shorts too!

Manila Ocean Park: Sharks and Rays Encounter

The most random and unplanned adventures can sometimes be the greatest and that's regardless of how grand or simple the trip was. A few months back, my uncle and cousin decided to treat the whole family (read "barangay") to a buffet lunch. Coincidentally the tickets they got came with a free entrance to Manila Ocean Park's Sharks and Rays Encounter so we thought, why not bring out our inner child and go visit?

Imagine This! Doodles to Draw Out Your Life Purpose

The people closest to my heart know very well that I'm a voracious reader who has a penchant for crying over books. I also have an inclination for stories and doodling. If my blog's name isn't proof enough then I don't know what is. So here's my question for you. What was the last book that made you cry (or at least teary-eyed)? I'm sure some would scream 'The Fault in Our Stars' or 'Me Before You'. Those are absolute tearjerkers but the latest for me would have to be a non-fiction entitled "Imagine This! Doodles to Draw Out Your Life Purpose" by Migs Ramirez.

Cebu Taoist Temple

Have you ever tried cleaning up your room and finding treasures in the process? Think about diaries, old photographs, childhood toys and the like. I've been doing some cleaning too but this time with my computer. While backing up my files, I realized that there have been a couple of photographs that I haven't shared and I thought what a waste it would be if I left them hidden in my hard drive. Now, enough with my whatsits. Have you heard about the Cebu Taoist Temple?

Blogapalooza: Yay or Nay?

Blogapalooza Horizons: Charting the Uncharted, marks my second year with the event. Dubbed as one of the biggest, if not the biggest Business to Blogger event in the country, it certainly does not disappoint. As commerce graduates, my sister and I have a thing for how businesses introduce themselves and sow their identity in the market. Blogapalooza was certainly an avenue to satiate that. Also, it was the perfect way to bond, get to know new friends, discover amazing brands and have crazy fun. But was Blogapalooza really a yay or a nay? Well, why don't you find out?

5 Book Covers That Scream Vogue

"Never judge a book by its cover." Or so we're told. But let's face it, we sometimes could not help but be drawn to their beauty. In a store full of paperbacks and hardcovers, these standouts pack a graphic punch and as visual beings we all can’t help but notice, flip open and read. The next thing we know, we’re handing them out to the cashier, shopping bags lying in wait. 

Easy DIY Color Block Pots

If you're like me who has a penchant for greenery, you're bound to have plants and pots lying around. I'm not one to buy crazy expensive albeit pretty pots. We have DIYs for that. I've been seeing color blocked pots around the garden section of the department store lately and I find them ridiculously priced and so I thought, why not make a homemade version? After all, we'll need less materials than the fingers in one hand. Read through for instructions!

Live with the King

In the world of smartphone royalty, nothing beats the king. With technology changing the landscape by which we work and live, smartphones have evolved from being a mere gadget to a powerful tool. We could say that it is the epitome of productivity encapsulated into a single device. It is a marriage of entertainment and functionality.

Quezon Memorial Circle: Boating and Speedway Fun

If I were to list down the reasons why I love Manila, it'll surely include its parks. Sure there's traffic and pollution that people often whine about but if we look at the brighter side, the capital city surely has its charms. The  Quezon Memorial Circle (aka QC Circle) included.

#MayForever Nga Ba? (Does Forever Exist?)

While eating a piece of chicken wing, my eyes darted across the room. The Filipino-Chinese fast food chain was packed to the brim and noise filled the air, a muffled mixture of chatter, cashier register clicks and silverware clinks. 

But amidst all the chaos, three tables caught my attention: one by the door, the other by my side and the last nearest the counter. In each one, a couple sat with their graying hair stark amidst the bright hued interiors. "Look. they're dating." I whispered to my mom. "How cute."

How Online Shopping Saves the Day

Shopping is supposed to be fun but let's face it. There are days when it feels blah like a chore. There are even occasions when it's so bad that all you'd want to do is scream for help as if some superhero would dash in to save the day. Luckily, technology's got some brawn. It may not have super powers but it sure offers us something quite like it in the form of online shopping.

Blog Anniversary + Giveaway [Closed]

Hey you! What makes you super? For Clark Kent and Kara Danvers aka the super-cousins from Krypton, it's totally the glasses. Sorry folks, it's not the cape. So to thank all my readers and make you feel like the superhero that you are, I teamed up with Firmoo for the blog's 3rd anniversary!

Hundred Islands of Pangasinan

Hot and humid. The sun may be scorching down the Philippine archipelago come summer time but Mother Nature made sure to make amends by blessing the islands with beautiful sights, majestic mountains and of course pristine beaches. Case in point, the Hundred Islands National Park in Alaminos Pangasinan. 

Pinterest-ing: 10 Tips for Bloggers

Pinterest is a gold mine not only for ideas but also for blog traffic. Think about it as a cork-board of sorts, albeit a digital one. I stumbled upon it a few years back and because it satiated my OCD tendencies, *hoorah neat freaks* I used it on the regular. Quite accidentally too, I happen to have pinned images from this site which went viral over the said platform sending massive traffic to my then one year old blog. So today I decided to share some of the tips I've learned while using Pinterest as a blogger's tool. Ready?

Dolce Cafe Cebu

Before I flew and moved to Manila from Cebu almost a year ago, I made sure that I had a despedida date with my kindergarten chummy. (Hoorah for backlog posts! I finally got the time to blog about this after 10 months. LOL.) Of course, my little sister got to tag along. We didn't really have a choice, did we? I'm just kidding! With two of my favorite people in the world, we spent a quiet Sunday afternoon at a dessert place up the mountains of Busay called Dolce Cafe.

10 Movies for the Single Girl on Valentine's Day

Valentine's day is for everyone and by that I mean the single ladies too. No we don't sulk in misery contrary to popular belief. That's a rather childish idea that needs to be squashed flat. Besides, being single means you get to eat that tub of ice cream all to yourself. Plus, no one's going to judge if you finish up that box of double pepperoni pizza. You get my drift? 

To that Stranger Who Stole My Book

I’m a nerd as geeky as can be. With verses and words, I squeal with glee. Books are friends to me. Despite my peculiarity, they do not flee. So I went out one day, off to the bookstore with hardbacks on display. Inside I went and immediately I sense, the scent of stories quickly descend. 

Azure Urban Resort and Residences Staycation

Travelling is an art. You see, you don't necessarily have to go somewhere far in order to travel. You can stay within your city and be able to satiate your thirst for wanderlust. Case in point, staycations. When I won a contest earlier last year for a piece I wrote, I wanted to spend it on a grand vacation of sorts but budget-wise it wasn't practical. Also, I just recently moved to Manila then so I decided to get to know more about the area and its metropolitan charms. Luckily I found the perfect place: Azure Urban Resort and Residences.