Why are there so many angels and weird figurines in this house….
Monday Morning Thoughts
Reply
Monthly Archives: March 2015
Take Me Home
Sapphire faded dreams, I hope you get your dreams
Jellyfish VS People
Jellyfish are special creatures. They have no heart, brain or other vital body parts that can cause functioning but they still manage to cause significant damage to their enemies.
Just like people. Except jellyfish are prettier.
It’s Never Too Hot For Leather
Fine, I lied… it’s always too hot for leather! But you gotta admit Cebu weather aside, if you don’t already own one, it is your life’s goal to actually own a leather jacket. Luckily for me, I was able to score one that isn’t too impossible to wear in this hot, hot city.
Here’s another set of photos I did with photographer Jade Caballo at the Temple of Leah. The trick with shooting at spots that may tend to get a little overrated is to try to find different angles or backdrops that others may not have thought of before. A wall, windows, even a pile of scrap metal is interesting if you just use your imagination!
Crop top: Forever 21| Jacket: @cebuthriftedpicks| Pants: Sister’s pants| Shoes: Addidas
xx,
Issa
I’m just so tired and when I’m tired I get depressed and when I’m depressed I start to question everything in my life and when I start to question everything, I realize how unhappy I can get and when I’m unhappy I start to become discontented; sarcastic; crabby and everyone knows I hate this version of Issa as much as the next person does.
I should sue One Direction for the emotional and physical workload they left upon me this weekend. Ugh. WHYYY DID I HAVE TO GO TO THAT CONCERTTTT??
Coke & Kimonos
There are so many things I love about Summer like how the sun is always out, glaring cats in the background of my photos and that I get to wear pretty pieces of clothing like this full length kimono from Let’s Stylize. But almost always, it’s definitely got to be the summery trends that always give a new meaning to my very existence.
I feel like the world is working hand in hand to make all my boho dreams a reality. Kimonos, fringe (or are they tassels?), hats of all styles and braided sandals are all the trend and even if it’s going to cause a massive whole on my wallet I still couldn’t be happier!
What trends are you looking forward to this sunny season? Let me know in the comments! <3
P.S. Decided to carry around a bottle of Coke to this shoot because it was impossible to stand under the heat of the sun without any refreshments. If you’re wondering where my straw hat went, I offered it to my yaya who was taking my outfit shots. She’s currently 5 months pregnant and I didn’t want to stress her out by making her stand under the heat of the sun with me. But it was perfect timing since Coke is always my go to drink during hot days and yummy meals! [P.S.S. This is not a Coke sponsored post!]
[Full length kimono: Let’s Stylize| Romper: Department store find| Sandals: Francesca Collection
xx,
Issa
I’ve always found airports interesting. In my head I’m interviewing every single body I bump into.
“hey, where’re you going?”
To visit a loved one.
To explore.
To find myself.
To go home.
To find better opportunities.
To find love.
To forget love.
We’re all heading somewhere and I wish I knew all the reasons why we do.
— Manila. Casey, Cathy. To dance to semi hot, hopefully half naked men aka One Direction.
How I Do My Make Up feat. Dara Beauty Market
Make up and fashion are two things that always go hand in hand and never without the other. As much as I love a bare face, I have to admit that applying make up is something I do religiously before doing a shoot to put my whole look together.
Recently I was able to do an eyeliner tutorial, but for this post I’m going to go into full detail on how I do my whole face for photo shoots using Korean beauty products purchased from Caffe Dara Beauty Market.
Step 1:
Start with a bare face.
To properly remove my make up, I used Nature Republic’s Forest Garden Tea Tree Cleansing Oil [P 250.00]. Used as a face wash, this product removes any trace of make up or dirt on the face, saving me so much time and energy in removing my make up. I hate it when I have to use face wash and then tons of make up remover to remove everything. This product does all of that in one go!
Step 2:
Apply a base.
Innisfree’s Olive Real Essential Rich Oil [upon inquiry] is a base that has an overall effect on your make up by making your skin glow a lot brighter. Some make up tends to dry out your skin but this product helps lessen that problem. If you have naturally oily skin then you might want to skin this step.
Step 3:
Conceal!
There’s no denying it, I need all the concealer I can get with my dark eye bags and uneven skin tone (from years of tennis/ swimming and any sport I could get into). But at the same time, I also need something light enough to enable my skin to breathe while still doing its job. With Face Shop’s Dual Veil Radiance Concealer (P 460.00), the inconsistencies in my skin are cleared out giving the illusion (yes, illusion) of even and smooth skin.
I top it off with Tony Moly’s BCDation with SPF30 PA ++ (P850.00) and any loose powder to lock everything in place and to avoid looking blotchy. Others prefer to use foundation before concealer but I’ve always done my make up like this and I’ve always been satisfied with the end results.
STEP 4:
CONTOUR & BLUSH
I found a really convenient way to do my contouring and blush on at the same time! By using the Holika Holika Love Fantasy blusher (P300++), I can contour my face and add blush on without having to take out so much make up since it comes in one tiny and not to mention cute container.
When it comes to contouring, there are different ways to do it depending on your face and preference. I usually like to work around my cheek bones, below it, my hairline and my jawline. This is to make my face look skinnier and to give it more details especially during shoots.
STEP 5:
BROWS
This set is a lot harder and took a lot of time and practice to get right. I won’t say perfect since I still need a lot of practicing to do but decent enough to frame my face.
For my brows I use Holika Holika’s Wonder Drawing Eyebrow pencil (P150.00), Mamonde’s Natural Cake + Eyebrow kit (P480.00) and TwistUp (P650.00). If you want to see how I do my eyebrows then let me know, I’d gladly do a make up video for you guys! ^_^
STEP 6:
EYE & LIPS
For my eyes, I’m currently obsessing over Tony Moly’s Backstage Gel Liner (P400.00) and Tony Moly’s Delight Circle Lens Mascara (P150.00). I recently did a tutorial on how I do my eyeliner with Faceshop’s All About Simple Liquid Liner (P150.00) but I still use the same technique with my gel liner so I’ll just go ahead and post the link here for your convenience. 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIEQyMAS-Pg As for my lips, I use Berrisom’s Oops My Lip Tint (P650.00) that comes in various colors. What I love about this lipstick is it works as a lip stain, so I don’t need to worry about constantly reapplying my lipstick. Honestly, I’m not a big lipstick fan so the faster I can get away with it, the better.
And there you have it! A fully made up face, ready for a night out/ party or in this case, an outfit shoot.
For those who are on a tight budget, don’t worry, you don’t need to spend so much in one go to complete your set. I built mine over the span of a few months and I’m really happy that I chose to invest in quality make up. I used to use a lot of cheap stuff on my face which led to a lot of problems in the long run but these Korean brands are perfect for our Filipino skin and most of them are Paraben-free or mineralized which is great for those who have sensitive skin.
Here are more photos:
Dara Beauty Market (@darabeautymarket on Instagram and Caffe Dara on Facebook) sells authentic Korean cosmetics at cheaper prices. Make sure to follow them on their social media accounts to find out what products they have for grabs or you can drop by their store at Caffe Dara located at One Kenji Place, first street La Guardia, Salinas Drive, Lahug. See you guys there! xx, Issa <3
Canvas Bistro Introduces Their New Snack Menu
The Canvas Bistro has just launched its brand new snack menu created by the resident chefs for the local Cebuano population. Canvas, which is popularly known for their Australian/ fusion cuisine has added brand new, delicious and filling items that are sure to keep your stomach’s full and hearts happy after a long shopping filled afternoon.
With lots of items to choose from such as pastas to pizza breads, sandwiches and more, you’re bound to come back for that distinct taste of flavor and technique that can only be found at Canvas.
Here’s their new snack menu:
A few weeks ago, I, along other Cebuano bloggers, were given the opportunity to sample Canvas’ new snack menu. But don’t let the name fool you, their daytime are heavy enough to fill your stomach’s throughout the evening but in case your appetite is bigger than mine, there’s absolutely no harm in staying over for dinner as well. All their meals are worth staying for!
Here are a few of my favorites:
Fried Fish Aioli Sandwich @ P150.00
Spanish Sardine in Olive Oil Pasta @ P 175.00
Sardines, Onion and Cheese Pizza Bread @ P 125.00
Cheesy Tuna & Apple Sandwich @ P 160.00
Check out Canvas Bistro during your next mall trip! They are located at the 2nd floor of the Ayala Terraces and are open during mall hours.
Or you may contact them at 417 1978 for deliveries.
Also, make sure to check out their art installations where they feature different local artists at a time. Here we are creating our own masterpieces!
‘Til next time,
Issa <3
With My Head In My Hands I Sit & Cry
I don’t know how to make it go away.
I don’t know how.
I don’t know.
I don’t.
don’t.