I've got the second leg of the USMLE in three weeks and I'm still not ready. So I'll be taking a hiatus from blogging and other things not exam-related until then. I have a bit of blog backlog (and no less than 5 drafts in my queue), so get ready for spam starting Feb. 16! Under the cut are previews, as seen on my Instagram. I will still be active there, because it's so easy. :p
Frances, Chrissete and I pooled our washi tape desires together for a giant order from Hey Kessy. Today we met to split up and swap washi at Yabu: House of Katsu. Washi and katsu -- Japanese fun all around!
After the jump are my favorite pieces. They are less literal translations of the strong religious overtones in this collection, for the stark colors and heavy embroidery are also reminiscent of fairy tale princesses and foreboding queens. I can't stop looking at the exquisite drama in the pieces, the play of light and dark in the feminine silhouettes. I highly suggest you click the photos to view them in high resolution.
I'm late to the game, but here are my skincare resolutions for 2013:
This was meant to be a weekly post but things fall by the wayside...this edition is pretty lengthy and random.
Best of 2012: DIY / crafts
top: rubbercut steampunk stamps, snail mail swap, personalizing with washi
middle: scrapbooking instagram, rubbercut Christmas stamps, DIY lightbox
bottom: little kitty love note, rubbercut tag stamp, Hey Kessy orders
Interesting article on the effects of hard water on skin. Hard water is what we have here in the Philippines -- laden with minerals and sediments. I wonder if the water in Korea is soft, and if that's the reason why Koreans have such flawless skin in the media but break out like crazy when they get here (like the Koreans I see in my neighborhood and college).
The art of shaving with a straight razor. First time I saw a man lather up properly for a shave was in the movie Skyfall. That seems appropriate.
I was cleaning up my code and tweaking my layout when I finally decided to tackle the issue of why anything to do with Facebook on this blog isn't showing up in Chrome. A few minutes on Google and I found the solution. As is usually the case, I had a Chrome extension installed that was blocking all Facebook activity on pages. *facepalm* I simply disabled it and everything appeared where it should!
Geek moment over, back to your regular programming.
Geek moment over, back to your regular programming.
The importance of cleaning your makeup brushes cannot be over-emphasized. Not cleaning them is like not washing makeup off your face, ever. I deep clean my brushes every one or two weeks using Julia's method here, substituting baby shampoo if I'm cleaning natural hair brushes. In between, I make do with just wiping the bristles on a piece of tissue. Bad, I know, I'm practically breeding bacteria. I needed something for spot cleaning so I stopped by Beauty Bar for a bottle of Parian Spirit, but it was out of stock. Instead I found that Beauty Bar has come up with their own brush cleaner. I think this is a fairly new addition to the chain.
Mouseover:
(1) brown and pink argyle tote, (2) set of 4 Aldo headbands, (3) organic body scrub, (4) leopard-print iPad mini case, (5) the sundae underneath all these cherries
Snoe is a local brand that has been around for almost 3 years. They're most famous for their 12 varieties of whitening soap bars, the popular Hair Heroes hair care line, and of course their cute and creative packaging.
I stopped by a Snoe kiosk to ask about their sun protection products but walked away with the Snoe White Vitamin C-Rich Calamansi Whitening Detox Clay Mask. I was attracted to the clay part of the label, because kaolin clay is badass at sucking out oilies and comedones.
Baking, art, tech, and of course:
I'm not edgy enough to pull this off, but here's a cute and simple side-knotted tank top made from an old T-shirt.
A comprehensive eraser stamp-making tutorial by the talented Reggie Silva. I learned so much.
And another one with really cute foxes!
DIY!
Check out these 20 (quick) DIY Ideas. Highlights are the chevron Holga, the lace scarf, and the one-evening scrapbook. (Could've used that when I was making my first scrapbook.) The belly band is also pretty genius.I'm not edgy enough to pull this off, but here's a cute and simple side-knotted tank top made from an old T-shirt.
A comprehensive eraser stamp-making tutorial by the talented Reggie Silva. I learned so much.
And another one with really cute foxes!
I've long been conscious of my dark circles and eyebags, and they've only gotten worse over the holiday. The humorously-named Garnier Instant Fairness BB Eye Roll-on (the term "roll-on" brings to mind a deodorant) is an undereye concealer that gives medium coverage in a light and easily blendable formula. The salmon color cancels out purple eyebags, brightening up the eyes and face nicely. The finish is dewy but not oily, very natural.