Pssst! Guess who just got a makeover?

A little more than a year of giving us Filipinas the option to try before we buy, Sample Room has debuted their new packaging featuring Arlene Sy's beautiful artwork! 

So pretty, yes? Perfect for reusing, as I'm sure my friends will only be too happy to get little presents from me housed in this beautiful paper bag. I'm so excited to get more samples in the mail because of this! Paper stock is thick and durable, too. In fact, these Burt's Bees products came in this paper bag and they all arrived unscathed!

Incidentally, July was a great month for being a Sample Room member as they released a lot of fantastic products. I got two samples these month: the Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Watermelon (worth 105 points) and the Colour Collection Lip Perfection Lipstick in Bella (worth 100 points). 

When it comes to lip-care products, Burt's Bees tops my list. I'm so glad I received a free sample of Lip Shimmer from Sample Room and I'd be happy to repurchase once I finish this tube. At P395 a pop, I love how it moisturizes my lips while giving it a minty flavor. Can I just say that mint is one of my favorite things in the world? Okay. Burt's Bees Lip Shimmers have Vitamin E and Beeswax and enriched with Sunflower and Coconut Oils. I also love how it lends a sheer shimmery color to my lips.

This line of lipsticks from Colour Collection is said to be a line of treatment lipsticks as they are infused with Argan Oil for ultimate lip protection.

As mentioned on one of my previous posts, Argan Oil is one of the rarest and most expensive oils in the world. This lipstick also contains a host of other nutrients and antioxidants like Vitamin E (fights off damaging effects of free radicals), Vitamin F (essential fatty acids for skin elasticity), and Squalene (powerful antioxidant that maintains skin's moisture.

What do you think? Pretty without being too conspicuous. I think it's great for everyday wear! They're too soft, though. Mine feels like it would fall off whenever I use it as the base connected to the tube looks like it has melted. I might have to follow my blogger-twin Tellie's tips on how to depot my lipstick! If only carrying a lip brush everywhere doesn't sound so impractical. In any case I would also love to try Crema too, so I'm hoping they restock soon. 

Here are the two products side by side:

I can't choose one over the other as they're both really pretty and the formulations are great. I love that I got them for free from the site in exchange for my honest reviews.

Are you a Sample Room member yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Register here and enjoy sampling!

This August, you may attend a hot Cali wedding and a San Francisco wedding photographer will capture you and your bridesmaid style. Because August is always hot especially in California, here is a tip on how to survive a wedding in heat for those who might need it.

First of all, if your ears are nice (and I’m sure they are), wear your hair up. It is comfortable and chic and there are dozens of hairstyles that you can choose from. If you know how to accessorize a look with the hair up, there is no way you’ll get it wrong.

Anna Paquin wore her hair in a retro-inspired style for the 7th and final season premiere of True Blood. She just put on beautiful gold jewelry and voila, total hit for the red carpet. Diane Kruger let some strands loose in the front but made a whole party in the back of her head with the help of a few directional plaits at the premiere of the controversial TV series Fargo. The little braid looked absolutely fantastic and made the blonde hair look bohemian and chaotic at the same time.

The chic knotted up-do is something that comes natural to a pink lipstick and a Mad Men kind of dress while the side swept up-do together with a classic '60s-inspired makeup can make you look like a first lady. Add some huge earrings and you’ll be a typical '90s supermodel attending Armani parties. A high rise up-do plus some long pair of lashes is easy to do and always looks great. It goes perfectly not only for weddings but also for high tea, job interviews, romantic dates and dinners out.

If you’re searching for a hairstyle that makes you look extremely elegant, the low slung side up-do is the answer. It will make you look like Cate Blanchett and your grandmother will be so glad you did it as it’s a hairstyle adored by all generations. Also, don’t forget about the high ballet bun with a loosely parted fringe which is a super stylish way of dealing with your naughty hair. ;)

Oh Gone Girl, where do I even begin?

Written by Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl is one of the biggest books to have come out in the last two years. It has been in my to-read list for a while now but I didn't really get the drive to go and get myself a copy until I realized the movie adaptation's going to be shown soon. When I started, I couldn't stop. It's one of those books that grip you into a chokehold and never let you go until you stop resisting and fully submit yourself under its spell. It didn't matter how sleepy and tired I felt, I kept reading until past midnight. I actually finished it while on a weekend swimming getaway trip with my family yesterday; no matter how inviting the pool was on this cloudy but humid weather, I decided I wouldn't take a dip until I finish this book.

From an outsider's point of view, Nick Dunne and Amy Elliot-Dunne look like a perfect couple. And they were! Everything started changing when they both lost their jobs in New York and they were forced to move to Nick's hometown in Missouri. On the day of their fifth wedding anniversary, Amy mysteriously disappears. What follows is a riveting he said-she said tale of lies, betrayals, treasure hunts, and mysteries surrounding their marriage and the people around them. Where is Amy? Did Nick kill his wife? If not him, who?

I read somewhere that instead of two, there are three sides to every story: his side, her side, and the truth. What kept me at the edge of my seat was wondering what happened to Amy, and I didn't want to be spoiled I didn't even check any reviews beforehand. I had at least five different theories regarding her disappearance, but I inferred from the get-go that Nick didn't murder his wife. Filled with red herrings and questionable characters, this book will get you guessing right until the second part where the plot twist is revealed.

Lies and betrayals aside, I think Gone Girl is also very romantic. In the words of Nick Dunne, "catastrophically romantic." Here's an excerpt from Amy's side of the story:

So you suffer through the night with the perfect-on-paper man - the stutter of jokes misunderstood, the witty remarks lobbed and missed. Or maybe he understands that you've made a witty remark but, unsure of what to do with it, he holds it in his hand like some bit of conversational phlegm he will wipe away later. You spend another hour trying to find each other, to recognize each other, and you drink a little too much and try a little too hard. And you go home to a cold bed and think, That was fine. And your life is a long line of fine. And then you run into Nick Dunne on Seventh Avenue as you're buying diced cantaloupe, and pow, you are recognized, the both of you. You both find the exact same things worth remembering. (Just one olive, though). You have the same rhythm. Click. You just know each other. And all of a sudden you see reading in bed and waffles on Sunday and laughing at nothing and his mouth on yours. And it's so far beyond fine that you know you can never go back to fine. That fast. You think: Oh, here is the rest of my life. It's finally arrived.

This book is very polarizing and understandably so. Immediately after I finished reading it, I was so puzzled! And mad! But mostly puzzled at how someone can be so diabolical. I kept thinking how it just proves that life is not fair and not everyone gets their comeuppance, and I wished there was some way I could unread it. However, after simmering in my mind for 24 hours, I must say that I really did like it. I mean, I hate that it had to end that way, but it is what it is. I cannot deny how mind-blowingly brilliant it is and how I got a kick out of the transitions to the succeeding chapter. I liked that the characters are flawed, because yes, I do like veering away from cutesy and ideal fictional-but-I-wish-they-weren't characters every once in a while. I also liked that I had to make use of my Kindle's dictionary because I wasn't familiar with some of the words Gillian Flynn used. (Yay for expanding my vocabulary!)

That being said, I am happy that the producers and the author decided to write a completely different ending for the movie. Now I regret not waiting until September to read the book, because I am freakin' excited for the movie! Just check out the trailers below.

I still haven't pegged Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/ Batman because I'm waiting for the trailer before I pass judgment, but I think he's going to be an excellent Nick Dunne! I actually pictured him in my mind the whole time I was reading the book. And Neil Patrick Harris as Desi Collings? It's so anti-Barney, I love it. I pictured Tanner Bolt as older and I wish they cast Rose Byrne as Go but other than that, I'm okay. David Fincher at the helm, hello? October can't come fast enough.

Brilliant book! The moral of the story? Never marry a psychopath. How do you know if someone's a psychopath? That's the problem.

One of the things I enjoy the most with my job is the opportunity to go to a lot of different events with very creative themes.

A couple of weeks ago, we assisted world-renowned local fashion accessories label ARANÁZ for the launch of their Resort 2015 collection through a fun market-themed event named Boqueria (after a large public market in Spain; also the name of the collection) held in Privato Hotel.

Photo from Erica

Travel aficionados will find this collection hard to resist as it was inspired by designer Amina Aranaz-Alunan’s perpetual wanderlust. It embodies the essence of travel in every detail down to its name as Boqueria places emphasis on mixed media embodying the melting pot environs of global markets.





Aren't they just beautiful? Much like the places that inspired ARANÁZ Boqueria, the collection is colorful, bright, and showcases the expert artistry the brand is known for. Every piece is handmade with a heavy emphasis on weaving technique. This is a series that explores the rich combination of textures and materials, layer upon layer. Delicate embroidery atop Ikat prints and thoughtful beadwork on woven surfaces exude this pure, artisanal feel. The collection covers a range of materials from wicker to plastic and leather along with fun elements in vegetable and fish patterns. That Piña clutch, I positively covet.

Miguel Aranaz and the mother-daughters trio behind the ARANÁZ brand Rosanna, Amina, and Becky

Aside from being given an exclusive sneak peek to the collection, we were also treated with a mini shopping spree at the mini market they have set up!

We shopped using our ARANÁZ pesos

Some of the wares available for sale were:

herbs and succulents;

kesong puti (that I regret not getting because after consuming the cheese, the jars would've been perfect for mini terrariums);

soaps; Photo from Celine

organic pineapples;

organic coffee;

an assortment of jams and marmalades;

an intricately designed dishware, among others.

Aside from a sumptuous buffet, we were treated to yummy pineapple sorbet by Kool Kids Ice Cream and Co.

I went home with these:

A mint plant and succulents I told you about in this post, the freshest and sweetest pineapple I have ever tasted, Rosemary + Peppermint Soap, and jars of orange marmalade, strawberry jam, and mango + pineapple jam.

Select pieces from the ARANÁZ Boqueria collection are currently available at ARANÁZ boutiques in Greenbelt and Rockwell with the full collection launching soon at all ARANÁZ branches.

ARANÁZ is also available locally at Raffles Hotel, Balesin Resort, Amanpulo Resort, District 32, and Shangri-La Mactan, and internationally at Wolf & Badger (London), A Bag With A Story (Belgium), Latitude (New York), Aha Life (New York), Iris House (Kuwait), Miranta’s (Greece), Itsie Bitsie (Hong Kong), and Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong and Maldives.

Are you in the mood to go shopping this weekend? Ah, who am I kidding. It's not like you need to be in a specific mood to go shopping. ｡^‿^｡

Since that's the case, I'm inviting you all to come join The Caravan!

Following the success of the first The Caravan, The Caravan II is now here. Follow the tale of the thread and find something just for you with the second installment of The Caravan: Bespoke, An Affair of Monograms and Stories, in coordination with The Proscenium, Rockwell. Discover a diverse selection of customizable finds on July 26 to 27, Saturday and Sunday, 10 AM to 7 PM at The Kirov Model Unit (beside the Rockwell tent), Rockwell Center, Makati. From bags to shoes, jewelry, food, and beyond, it's time to make your mark and create something truly unique.

If you love customized and personalized finds, you'll definitely enjoy it there! Aranaz will offer bags monogrammed with letters of your choice, Mawee Borromeo will do illustrations, Adorno will sell repurposed jewelry and monogram charms and pendants, Risque Designs will sell bespoke shoes and carved heels, Coco & Tres will monogram leather goods on the spot, Twinkle Ferraren will showcase customizable swimwear and belts, while The Best Impressions will also sell personalized embossers and stampers. Other designers who will display their designs include Maureen Disini, Camille Villanueva, and Michelline Syjuco.

Guess what, you can also choose your own charms for your one-of-a-kind Stockton Row piece!


What I am most excited about are these Crow's Nest bespoke dolls, though. Just check out these samples of their dolls!

I'm sorry Hulk, but Batman holds a special place in my heart.

Your Local, Scarsdale, and Habitual Coffee will also be there for refreshments!

Come join The Caravan and join this new wave of cult shopping!

Say what you will, but I didn't think I'd be this *kilig* when I saw my very own Coke bottle with my name on it.

These special Coke bottles have actually been making the rounds at the supermarkets and neighborhood sari-sari stores for a little more than a month now.

Look, even Tegan and Sara has one each! via

As I don't have any luck whatsoever in finding my name on keychains, notepads, and the like, I didn't think I'd find one of these. Thanks for considering my name and including it in your selection, Coca-Cola Philippines! Would you like to find out if your (or a friend's, or a family member's, or a lover's) name is already available on a Coke that you can readily buy in stores? Click here!

For over 128 years, Coca-Cola has consistently been finding ways to spread happiness all around the world. I certainly appreciated sharing a Coke with a friend I haven't seen in a while!

We solemnly swear that we are up to no good that we didn't plan on matching outfits that day! Photo from Kira

Even though it's not Christmas yet, spread the happiness around by creating a virtual Coke and sending it to a friend together with a sweet message!

I made my friend Niel a virtual card ♡

If you're not contented with a virtual Coke and you want the real thing, you can actually vote for the names you want so that they'll have a chance to be included in the next batch of 50 additional names to be released in stores! Awesome!

Buuut if you're impatient (like me, heh), you can also get your own personalized Coke by dropping by the #ShareACoke tour! They'll be in TriNoma, Glorietta, and Market! Market! this weekend, isn't that exciting? You may check out the schedule of this tour as well as the official mechanics here.

Do you have your Share a Coke bottle already? Now I want a Share a Coke with Krissy, too. ^_^

Remember those all-nighters you pulled with your best friend, dissecting every word your crush told you at homeroom? Remember those times you used to call your crush's house and felt absolutely mortified when someone else answers? And when your crush finally comes on the line, remember how you wished those conversations would never stop?

via

Remember when prank calls were all the rage? Remember that satisfaction you get when you slam the phone down when you're upset? Priceless.

Let's not forget about how everyone's on time and how you can't cancel on a friend since they would've already been on their way and you have no means of reaching them.

God I forgot how good that felt. We should totally use landlines again.

Whew, that was a long prelude to the main point of this post, which is a review of the book Landline by Rainbow Rowell.

Georgie McCool (how cool is that name?) and Neal Grafton have been married for fourteen years. Georgie is a TV writer while Neal stays at home watching over their two young daughters. An opportunity to write her dream show with her writing partner/ best friend since college Seth comes up just before the holidays, forcing her to forego visiting Neal's mom in Omaha with their kids. With her iPhone conking out on her and being unable to contact Neal, she uses her old rotary landline phone in her childhood room instead. What follows are magical conversations with her husband from fifteen years ago. Magic. 13 Going on 30 and 17 Again kind of magic. At first she thinks she's going bonkers, but then she realizes this *magic* is happening because she has to change something. If she plays her cards right, her husband would come propose and they'd have the life they currently have now. But if he doesn't come, does that mean they'll never get together? Does that mean their kids will be erased from the timeline?

Riot Read said it best: "This is more than just a contemporary novel about life and work and everything in between. It's about the magic of fixing your future by examining your past." This reminds me of one of my favorite parts in {500} Days of Summer, when Tom's sassy younger sister played by Chloe Moretz said, "When you look back, look again." In the same way that it's true that you should always look forward, you should also look back every once in a while because maybe you're missing something. It's ironic how Georgie's past leads her to question the present and their future. Will Georgie and Neal be better off without each other? Can she live without him? Does she want to?

I loved Landline so much it hurts. Sad tears, happy tears, airport scenes, pop culture references, a dash of magical realism — it has everything I want in a novel and more! (Also, Rainbow loves parentheses, I love parentheses.) It seriously felt like Rainbow's gift to me. Pop culture references! For something that I expected to be a light read before I start with Gone Girl (Who am I kidding? Eleanor & Park wasn't a light read at all! Loved it, though.), Landline was quite a ride. She knows how to take the unspoken thoughts in my heart and put them down into tangible, readable words. "I want to be happy. Like, seventy to eighty percent of the time. I want to be actively, thoughtfully happy." Fangirl may still be my favorite book of hers but this is a close second. (I also enjoyed Attachments but didn't like the ending that much.)

To think I almost didn't read it! I was about to, when a friend unintentionally spoiled the Easter egg for me. I don't mind spoilers that much but it's the Easter egg we're talking about here, people! Good thing Bea asked me to continue. The reveal is indeed worth it! I get a different kind of buzz when fictional worlds collide (which is why the Pixar theory excited me so the first time I read it), and when it happened here, it was all kinds of amazing. Did I mention the many pop culture references? "Your face is like an O. Henry story. The world's sweetest dimples and the boy who never laughs." LOVED. IT.

Charming, fantastical, a whole lot of adorable... Rainbow Rowell is magic.

"The future was going to happen, even if he wasn't ready for it. Even if he was never ready for it. At least he could make sure he was with the right person. Wasn't that the point of life? To find someone to share it with? And if you got that part right, how far wrong could you go? If you were standing next to the person you loved more than everything else, wasn't everything else just scenery?"

Reading this really gave me a reality check on marriage. (Not that I've ever been married but you know what I mean.) I'm currently reading Gone Girl and, oh boy. I'll wait until I finish reading it before I form an opinion. Anyway. When I get married, I will never not have the energy for conversations, for asking how my spouse's day went, for touching base. I will never not have enthusiasm and patience for my kids. I will never be too consumed by work that I won't have time for anything else. I know it's a logical fallacy since I really can't pass judgment on something I haven't experienced yet, but I'm just saying being a good wife and mother would be nice, is all.

Have you read Landline? Did you like it? What is your favorite Rowell book? I'd like to know the books you're currently reading, too. ♡

I used to just pair my clothes with my shoes, but now I make sure that my makeup also complements my outfit. One just looks more polished when everything complements one another.

For this OotD though, I built my outfit around my makeup. Specifically, my eye makeup. This is my Butterfly Look:






Doesn't this outfit remind you of The Secret Garden (which is incidentally one of my favorite classics)?

The star of the show is the L'Oreal Paris False Lash Butterfly Mascara. (See my review of this product here.) It gives the illusion of having false lashes, without the hassle of applying glue and worrying it might come off at inopportune moments. To create this look, I also used the L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Les Ombres in Velours Noir and the L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Gelmatic Pen. I can say I have above average eye makeup skills because of makeup school but I'm sure everyone with even the most basic knowledge of eye shadow application can do this.


Watch the video below.


Here are the other products I used for this look:

L'Oreal True Match in W6, L'Oreal Paris Shine Caresse Lip Gloss in Luna, Ellana Eyebrow/ Eyeshadow Quad for my brows, Ellana Pressed Mineral Blush Duo in Kitten/ Peach Passion, and Ellana Sheer Velvet Mineral Finishing Powder

Do you have your own tube of L'Oreal Paris False Lash Butterfly Mascara, too? I'd like to see your Butterfly Looks!

(Disclosure: The photos in this post did not go through any post-processing. This is my official entry to the L'Oreal Create the Winged Eye Look contest. L'Oreal products have been sent to me for free but all opinions are my own. Read my blog's disclosure policy here.)

Nothing reminds us of our own mortality than the death of someone, even more so when it's a loved one. It's a rude awakening of the fact that we are not invincible, that life is but a series of hellos and goodbyes, and that we are just passing through. We are encouraged more than ever to make the most out of life and make sure that when the end of our days comes, we won't be accompanied on our death-beds by regrets.

It always feels like time is not enough. So many pursuits, not enough punch. There are so many things I want to do, but not enough opportunities (and resources) to go do them. I'd like to watch more movies, read more books, take more classes, see more of the world, create more... but I can only do so much.

Still, I am making the most out of what I can do. This weekend, I started taking an interest in gardening.

I got these from the Boqueria-themed press preview of Aranaz's Resort '15 collection held at the Privato Hotel last Wednesday. (More details and photos from that event soon.) Unlike my mom, I don't have a green thumb so I am really hoping and crossing my fingers that these plants won't die on me. I did my research and read up a lot of materials online on how to take care of them. I am actually planning to bring the mint plant to my aunt's garden because it is bigger there but the succulents will stay with me. I also woke up yesterday feeling this intense desire to make my own terrarium so I also read up on it. My only problem is I don't know a lot of stores selling plants here in Manila so I don't know where to get the materials. Craft MNL will have a terrarium building workshop under Wawi Navarozza on August 10 so if this desire hasn't waned by then, then I will enroll. I really enjoyed Craft MNL's Stamptabulous dye-and-stamp workshop last year so I'm sure this will be just as helpful.

Regarding the romance novella I'm writing... Well, I was supposed to finish it on the end of July but I hit a roadblock so I don't think I can. I promise I will finish it, though. In the meantime, I'd like to share this with you:

The theme of the first issue is You are the Sun, which centers on "acting on your choices, dreaming big dreams, going easy on yourself, and being the writer you want to be." I was emailed by its editors Bea and Isa less than a month ago to ask me to participate, and there is no shame in saying I felt extremely flattered and giddy being a fan of their work, I said yes straightaway! I was asked to write about "my writing journey", and you can read my article here, accompanied by Lari Gazmen's beautiful artwork.

Thanks for asking me to be a part of this special project, Bea and Isa! My heart is grateful.

So, yeah. So many things I want to do, so little time.

Everything is fleeting.

Your perfume will wear off before the day ends. Your eye makeup, no matter how budge-proof it claims to be, will smudge. Trends come and go. Your favorite TV show will end no matter how you badger the producers to keep it on air. The flowers in the garden will bloom and then wilt. Even your favorite toys as a child will either be lost to wear and tear or be kept hidden in the attic and never see the light of day again, until the time comes when you'll have to pack all your things and move. The lyrics of your favorite song, in time, will be forgotten and when heard again, will remind you of times past. Memories fade, photographs of these beautiful memories will fade. Even the sun gives way to the moon and vice versa. It's a never-ending cycle and everyone is affected; it's arrogant and ignorant to think you will not fade into oblivion eventually.

Today we said goodbye to my grandfather. I'd like to think he had a good and happy life. He and my grandmother had eleven children, one them my father. My life is a product of him and his circumstances, together with the life and circumstances of everyone before him. I am grateful and I will miss him.

Goodbye, Lolo Popoy. Please watch over us together with Lola Binyang, my sister Kim, and my dear friend Poly. May your soul rest in peace. ♥

What can P1,500 buy you at Shakey's?

A LOT.

Shakey's has a wide range of beloved and iconic dishes, while continuously adding new favorites to their menu. You can choose among a wide variety of pizzas or even opt for the new Shakey's Pizza 1954, Shakey's first contemporary gourmet pizza which is a salute to the amazing taste that has built the brand.



With the new Shakey's Pizza 1954, “the secret’s in the crust,” with a new chewy, soft, delectable dough base and topped with fresh rosemary and basil leaves, juicy morsels of Italian sausage and Angus beef, slices of pepperoni, 100% mozzarella cheese, savory red onions, and a sprinkling of parmesan. 

Of course, you can always go for trusty ol' reliable Bunch of Lunch, perfect for those who want a little bit of everything.

My little brother and I showing off our medals! #ShakeysPizza1954 #ShakeysXKrissyfied