The latest in a list of films with a time-bending protagonist and Rachel McAdams as the love interest (viz. The Time Traveler's Wife, Midnight in Paris, and About Time) is Dr. Strange, a Marvel Studios film about arrogant surgeon Stephen Strange - played convincingly well by Benedict Cumberbatch - who learns mystic arts from the Ancient One after seeking help to heal his hands (rendered unusable for his profession after a car accident) so he could resume his career.

I got invited to the advance screening held at the SM Mall of Asia IMAX Theater last night and oh boy, what an amazing ride it was.

Let it be known that I have zero knowledge about the character prior to seeing the film aside from what is shown by the trailers, but that wasn't a problem because the story was easy to digest and process.

Though it's a completely new story for me, there were some elements from other works of fiction that I recognized and enjoyed: the aforementioned Rachel McAdams as the love interest; buildings and major highways folding into itself and onto each other a la Inception; a "the wand chooses the wizard" moment; and the Cloak of Levitation that made me giggle every time it made a scene because it reminded me of Aladdin's magic carpet.

It's one hour and 55 minutes of adventure, perseverance of the human spirit, magic, multiverses, portals, fabulous eye makeup, hand gestures, altering time and reality, and comedy. Lots of comedy. Also, there are two after-credits scenes so make sure you stay for them!

How lucky I am to have been born in this generation of excellent movies and productions. Open your mind and watch it in IMAX when it opens tomorrow! I swear to you it's more than worth it.

There are days that pass uneventfully, with nary anything that stands out enough for it to warrant being remembered years later.

And then there are days that fill you with happiness and magic and joy and sparkles that memories of conversations exchanged or a song heard or even a specific scent sniffed bring back those same feelings you felt, multiplied even more by nostalgia. These are the days worth documenting.

One perfect example was last weekend, and those days are what I chose to highlight at today's Fujifilm Instax & Crafts workshop in SM Megamall spearheaded by my friend Ana. 

Last weekend involved: a wedding; pretty dresses and suits; proving there's no such thing as beginner's luck in the casino (at least for us);





going to the ballet and seeing a swan, a fairy, and a princess dance;


and carnival rides.

I remember these memories with a smile on my face and in my heart while I was doing my two-page spread at the workshop earlier. My sister joined me and I'm glad to have shared this experience with her as she's better than me when it comes to arts and crafts.



Congratulations, Ana! You did an excellent job stimulating the crowd's creativity and spurring them to create their own journals!

I've been purchasing a lot of materials, tools, and thingamajigs for my planner and I'm so glad I am putting them to good use. Cheers to having more time to document my days, and cheers to days worth documenting!

The brown lipstick trend continues and doesn't show signs of stopping anytime soon, and I'm not complaining. Fall is my favorite season, after all. ♥ Today, we're putting the spotlight on the L'Oreal Makeup Designer/Paris' Color Riche Matte Browns and Creamy Browns.

I know sometimes it's daunting to see A LOT of shades at the makeup counters when you only need a lipstick or two, but I think it's great that brands give us a wide variety of shades and formulations to choose from. 

I was sent three shades of the L'Oreal Color Riche Matte Browns and I'm sharing swatches and my first impressions here.

All three lipsticks glided easily on my lips and are non-drying. The texture is not too far from Maybelline's Creamy Matte lipsticks, actually. It feels more satin than matte that way. They stayed put on my lips for about two to three hours.

Of the three, my favorite is a toss-up between Chocolate Rouge and Maple Mocha as I love how they brightened up and lent color to my face. I feel like Rose Fondu is too light for me.

Next we go to the Creamy Browns. I was sent all six lipsticks from this collection. Check below for my swatches and first impressions.

As you can see in the photos, these lipsticks look "wet" and glossy and as far from the matte spectrum as possible. I like them this way, though, as I think the colors look more appealing and sumptuous, like the apple that lured Snow White to the Evil Queen's clutches.  

Like the Matte Browns, these glide smoothly on the lips and give intense pigmentation even with one swipe alone. Unlike the former, though, the Creamy Browns have a floral smell that reminds me of days spent in my Grandma's room, tinkering with the items on her dresser. It disappears after a while though, but it may be an issue for some who prefer their lip products as fragrance-free as possible.

Of the six, my favorites are Nature's Blush, Raisin Rapture, and Spiced Cider. 

Brown lipsticks don't need to make you look old nor dated. At P400 a pop, these lipsticks are good value for your money as I feel these colors can be staples in your makeup kit even after the brown lipstick trend is over. Try on these lipsticks at the L’Oreal Paris makeup counter nearest you and find your perfect #BrownsNow.

Disclosure: The product was sent to me by L'Oreal Paris Philippines' PR Agency but I was not required nor compensated to write this post. All opinions are my own. You may read my complete Disclosure Policy here. For more information about Color Riche Matte and Creamy Browns, kindly visit their Facebook Page.

There are some performances you watch, and there are some performances that stay with you for a long time. Seeing Ballet Manila's Rebel: EDSA 30 a couple of months ago is definitely one of the highlights of my year because even though I don't dance, ballet holds a special place in my four year old-self's heart. The costumes and set design were simple yet tastefully done, the performances were outstanding, the dances perfectly executed, and the overall production was A+! I was moved to tears several times because it was just too beautiful for words.

And so now I am looking forward to the second act of Ballet Manila's 21st season. If you are still pondering on possible plans for this coming weekend, I suggest you go get a ticket to The Swan, The Fairy and The Princess at the Aliw Theater.


It promises to bring together some of today’s most esteemed names in the international and local art scene for an unforgettable showcase of talent and mastery of their respective crafts, and I am excited to lap it all up.

A production that pays tribute to one of the world’s most distinguished composers, Peter Tschaikovsky, whose masterpieces are immortalized in classical ballet, The Swan, The Fairy and The Princess goes on stage on October 14 and 15 at 8:00 PM and on October 16 at 3:00 PM at the Aliw Theater. It features excerpts from three of the master composer’s most celebrated works, namely Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and The Sleeping Beauty. 

The ballet company is also bringing together some of the world’s most notable artists for this production, including Kremlin Ballet Theater’s Premier Danseur, Mikhail Martynyuk, and Maestro Alexander Vikulov of the Mariinsky Theater who will be conducting the Manila Symphony Orchestra for the ballet’s live musical scoring. In addition, veteran theater and TV actor Miguel Faustmann will assume the role of Peter Tchaikovsky. 

Joining these masters are some of Ballet Manila’s strongest Vaganova Academy style-trained danseurs and ballerinas including Abigail Oliveiro who will dance the role of Odette, Dawna Mangahas who is playing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, and Katherine Barkman who will dance as the well-loved princess Aurora.

I've had the chance to sit in on a few of their interviews with media people and I am so amazed at how humble and down-to-earth they all are, as if they're not fairies without wings when they set foot on the stage!


We all need beauty and magic in our lives, and ballet gives those and more. I hope we can help uplift this art form by supporting and seeing Ballet Manila's shows. The ticket also includes a Ride All You Can stub to Star City, which is valid up to seven days after the show. What a steal!

Are you going to watch this weekend? I'm going to the 3:00 PM Sunday show. See you at the ballet!

Huzzah!

Hey, guys. I'm alive.

I'm so happy I finally got the time and energy to sit down in front of my computer for leisure. I don't even remember the last time I got to do this as it feels like I only ever use my laptop for work now and then my phone for social media. I missed blogging so much!

Here are the highlights of my past week. ♥

Our Saturdate involved traveling from North to South to halfway between the two points and then back to North again. Thankfully the traffic was not too hellish but it was tiring. Not complaining though because I was with this guy. ♥

Aaand I got another toy! This PandaGGuy is SO CUTE!!!

I was too tempted to start working on it right away but I wanted to finish my BearGGuy F first. Hee.

You can't imagine how proud I was of myself when I finished these two. I still need to stick on the stickers for the eyes, though. The hearts are too cute!

Meanwhile, my officemates and I had fun testing my LuMee earlier. Here's my pretty officemate Jean and I. Heehee. I love Jean's golden glow here!

I also got myself a little present today. ♥

This #twinning post is completely unintentional. Alex and I were very amused when we both got to work earlier wearing the same color palette. Hah.

I'm looking forward to the weekend because Miah and I are going to a wedding and I'm so excited to dress up. Ballet Manila's The Swan, The Fairy and The Princess is also happening this weekend and that promises to be very exciting so I hope you can catch a show!

I'm rambling. Sorry, guys. I promise you more cohesive writing on my next post. Thank you for reading and I hope you all have a great week!