The 7- Minute Quickie

for a barely- there Sunday Make- Up.

I can't be all- dolled up on church. Thus, I went out today with a natural- looking powder- and- blush only make- up (with a hint of brown eyeliner on the eyes and a sweep of mascara on my lashes).

Here's what's on my Sunday pouch (I would have different sets of face essentials depending on the day) but I did not use all of them):

I do not really spend too much money on Mascarra and eyeliner so here are two steals I discovered which does their job work in highlighting the eyes:

Shawill Mascarra; works even better than my Maybelline's. I'd definitely not purchase a mascara from Benefit, this'll do the lash- extension and curling just the same, no curler needed.

Nichido Eye Pencil in Pink Diamond: Use this on your lower lid and it'll transform your sleepy eyes to it's wide- awake form. Love it!

I cleansed then moisturized my face, primed it up using Loreal Base Magique. I then lined my upper lids, then Used Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch concealer, applied Maybelline Cheeky Glow blush and set everything with powder, then used a Mascarra. Voila! I was ready to go out with a light feel- make up.

Before and After

I am writing this blog to also commend The Chic Closet for the recent purchase I made from them. I love the Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer, I bough it at a BOGO offer; got Nude and Buff. It does not crease, does not oil up and can last for several hours. I especially like the extra effort that the Chic Closet puts in on the products, the owner would attach the Pink Cute label on the product, then even send it out with a Thank You note, little things like that really count on creating good relationship with buyers. Yay! There goes my Before and After Pic. The two pictures may not have the same lighting, but my under- eye area was definitely concealed unnoticeably.

  

from The Chic Closet

Blog entries are owned and copyrighted by Leah Bulacan © All Rights Reserved 2012. Unauthorized use, copy, editing, reproduction, publication, duplication and distribution of the blog content, without author's explicit permission, is punishable by Law.

Confessions of a Concealaholic

One day you thought you found the best concealer, the next day you'd go online and check out beauty blogs and makeup alley and compare concealer reviews.

I've been on a hunt for concealers for my under- eye area. I tried MAC, remembering the song 'UNPRETTY' which has this line "you can buy all the make up that MAC can make," thus leading me to think when I was young that it's the best make- up brand ever and that as soon as I am able to buy things on my own, I'd buy myself MAC.

I tried MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC30, none of the sales staff in Trinoma was helpful. I asked questions and they just simply nodded, never talking smart about the product they sell. I'd say this is not for under- eyes. It has a thick consistency, almost dry and you need to warm it up through your fingers for it to somehow liquefy.  It creases like hell so you need to use it on top of other products like primer or another concealer. It' perfect for pimples though, you just simply get a few amount of (oh yeah, it's too pigmented a jar may last you a year or more) it through your finger then dot it on the pimples or other areas and it it'd work miracles. This is not a bad product after all but it's not meant for under eyes. I found out later on that concealer jars are not really meant for the under- eye area because of their thickness, liquid concealers work best.

A week after I rushed to the mall and find an alternative, or something I can use in combination with MAC. I got Maybelline's Angel Fit concealer in light. The two work well together- the Maybelline is pigmented as well (not as much as MAC of course) yet since it's liquid, it helped counter- act the drying effect of MAC. The light color is too light even if you have Kris Aquino's complexion, and on it's own it looks grayish than light brown so you really have to choose the right color. I got the light one and when used on it's own, I look like a Panda with white under eyes, but when used with something like MAC which has the yellow/ olive feel, it's good enough. I am not crazy for this one but taking price into consideration, it's not that bad. I give it 3.5/ 5 and may use it on "not so special occasions."

After months of searching I heard about Milani's HD Concealer, and how it compares to YSL's Touch Eclat for 80% off the price. We don't have it in the Philippines so what I asked a friend a favor to buy me three of it. it's being sold for $8 a piece (men the shipping cost more than the item as it had to be shipped from US to Canada then Canada to Philippines). I loved the consistency, it's not at all drying yet not too thin and it looks natural. It would not conceal the under- eye area 100% but merely minimize how obvious eye bags are but so far it's the best one I have tried. It has its built- in brush and it's a click- pen concealer. This is the type which would make people not notice that you have a concealer, not unlike MAC and the others which makes the under- eye area look so puffy. I am giving it 4.5/ 5. 

Then I've got Revlon from my aunt and now I'm torn between liking it more or liking Milani more. This is way better than MAC, does not crease and is very pigmented. I'd put it on the morning and it'll last me whole day. I'd switch from using this and Milani, I lost my MAC and I never cared buying another one. This would only cost 600 pesos yet it's consistency and lasting effect is way better than those make- up brands which cost a fortune. This is the best drugstore brand, period. It's another 4.5/ 5 for me. 

I find it easier to use my fingers when using this than using a concealer brush. You have to be careful pinching it though as it should be done lightly or else the content may spill. My sister's got a light complexion like Lucy Torres but just like Maybelinne, the Medium shall be selected for those who are fair- skinned. 

I heard a lot about Physician's Formula and the liquid concealer that mos bloggers recommend is not available in the Philippines and I've got no other friend abroad who I can bug so I got this sampler from sulit.com. Sure, it's authentic but there's really nothing to like about it. It's like a yellow chalk, too thick, too obvious when you put it on, it's really just an epic fail.

Just recently I got a hand- me down concealer from my sister and it's the Revlon PhotoReady concealer. It's a heavy coverage concealer just like MAC Studio Finish. It would have been great had I not known about liquid concealers, thus I'd still go for the Revlon Age Defying Liquid Concealer, both has SPF which is good but liquid concealers are more natural- looking so I'd still go for Milani and Revlon.

Note: I don't own this photo, got it from a blog by 

maximum_versatile@yahoo.com.

A picture taken in Ilocos with my Milani on, this may be a blurred picture yet imagine me without anything on-- dark under eye area with purplish veins.

Blog entries are owned and copyrighted by Leah Bulacan © All Rights Reserved 2012. Unauthorized use, copy, editing, reproduction, publication, duplication and distribution of the blog content, without author's explicit permission, is punishable by Law.

Me with my Revlon Age Defying concealer on.

The Pattern

Written last May 20, 2012 at 2:16 PM MLA

I'd touch your nose, the first one I'd see perspiring than then the other parts of your face. I can stay still for minutes; watch you as you sleep, with the pillow beside you. I'd then force myself to replace the pillow, snuggle my body into yours; happy as always.


I'd think about you though I'm already beside you, as only you consume my thoughts. I'd look at the sun rising from your window, stretch out my still- lazy body and try to wake you up with a kiss. 


You'd squint your eyes then sleep again, I'd stay still and watch you, within few minutes you'd fall back to slumber, even snore or mutter words I can't make out the meaning of, as you'd always do when you dream. I'd stand in awe, wondering how deeply am I in love, noticing that I am in this bubble of happiness I wouldn't want to burst, that I am in a trance I wouldn't want to end then suddenly, I'd think about how everything seems so familiar.


I'd look at you again and recall the same way I looked at someone else years back. I'd think about the dreams that were formed through those moments of silence, the hopes I had, the promises I was picturing to come to life as I was immersed in my pool of thoughts.


I'd think about how his hands perfectly fit mine just like mine would perfectly fit yours, how your embraces give the same type of comfort, how madly in love I am, just as I was before.


From time to time I'd fear when it'll end, how these feelings, though familiar are threatening. At any point a needle that will burst my bubble of happiness can stealthily lurk beside me, like it once did- stealing my long- fought peace of mind.


I’d appease myself with a belief- that everything’s just a pattern, you fall and someone falls to be with you, then that someone stands to leave you, then you stand up and be still and rest yourself from the pain until you’re ready again. These all sound too simple but it doesn’t all occur in few seconds- standing up may take months which seems like an eternity, trusting again may take longer than you could ever think, being finally free from the wound may seem forever.


After all those, you’d regain your peace of mind- free from haunting thoughts, from hopes and promises which took you a while to let go. Then you’d fall again, happy as you’d never thought you’ll ever be, and then hold on to a new world with new set of hopes and promises.  You’d think it’s the same thing and when it all ends, you’d declare you will definitely be able to move again like you did before.


You’d brush all thoughts away, painstakingly. You’d touch his nose, the first one you see perspiring than then the other parts of his face. You’d curl up your fingers into his, watch him sleep, snuggle your body into his. You’d keep doing this each time the fear of having the pattern come completely into life visits you, and suddenly, with his smile, you’d believe that maybe this time it will be different, maybe this time there’s really nothing to fear.


 *Trying to fight writer's block, I wrote this. I hope I won over it, haha.



Blog entries are owned and copyrighted by Leah Bulacan © All Rights Reserved 2014. Unauthorized use, copy, editing, reproduction, publication, duplication and distribution of the blog content, without author's explicit permission, is punishable by Law.

Loca Over Ilocos

It was my third time and I still love it the way I did the first time I set my feet on its land; Ilocos is really one of those places you want to keep coming back to.

I can’t even distinguish Ilocos Sur from Ilocos Norte being the no- sense of direction person that I am. We set to Vigan first rather than heading to the beaches right away. There's more to Vigan than just exploring the Heritage Street which looks like your bigger Intramuros. At P150 per hour calesa- ride we got to see The Hidden Garden, few minutes away we headed to the place where pots are made then to Baluarte, one of Chavit Singson’s houses which is open for public viewing, (did not look as well maintained the first time I got there though) and Ramon Magsaysay Museum. I tried what everyone has been raving about- Ilocos empanada, this seemed to me as your local Lumpiang ubod but fried not in a lumpia wrapper but in the not so usual- empanada wrapper whatever that is called. At Cafe Leona's, a restaurant which is a few- minute walk within Heritage, I gobbled Bagnet and Vigan Longanisa which is the best tasting- longanisa I should say.

To explore other places in Ilocos Norte we stayed at Currimao at a friend's house, an hour and a half ride from Vigan and hired a van (we just payed for the gas though since he is my friend’s friend, yiha). I was able to see Marcos Presidential Museum in Batac, Malacanang of the North which was the residential house of late Ferdinand Marcos in Paoay, the old Church in Ilocos Norte which name I don’t recall yet you can see the picture below, the Fort Ilocandia Resort in Laoag, Cape Bojeador in Burgos which is the highest lighthouse in the Philippines; the last two mentioned places being my favorite. If you do know someone in Currimao kindly beg them to tour you around as the houses in the place they called Seawall are in front of a beach. Yay, we swam there, the waves are too strong to swim on though yet there are rock formations within the beach you can hold on too.

Kapurpurawan Rock Formation on the left, Cape Bojeador Lighthouse on the right.

Malacanang of the North.

Fort Ilocandia Resort: open for public viewing at no charge.

In Pagudpud, I got to conquer both Saud and Blue Lagoon- the two beaches Ilocos brags about, the two beaches every travel bloggers out there would be proud to have experienced relaxing on. Blue lagoon is a haven in itself, I felt like the sands are finer in Blue Lagoon than it was in Saud, it’s not a long stretch of beach though and since it sits on the west, you can’t have a feel of the perfect sunset, this, you can have in Saud. If you would like to enjoy the beach with less crowd then Blue Lagoon is the one you have to try if you don't have ample of time to try both. From Pagudpud's main town, Blue Lagoon is the farthest beach designation from the town proper of Pagudpud as another blogger exclaimed, and our one- hour trip from Pagudpud proper towards Barangay Balaoi, where Blue Lagoon is situated, proved that statement true.

First beach from Saud, 2 photos from Blue Lagoon (below).

We stayed at Hanna's Beach Resort, it's a beach- front resort which looks like an urban subdivision (imagine a group of small houses clustered in an area) plus the green scenery (grass surrounding the houses, coconut trees, and stuff usual resorts would have), the cheapest rate one can get is 2K a night and if you'll go there during peak seasons you'd have no choice but to get the higher rates like 3K a night. Kapuluan Vista Resort seemed like a charm since the structure has a vintage or "Vigan- like" aura but the only available room at the time was the dormitory. There are "homestay houses" within the whole stretch of Barangay Balaoi and as I read once, price would start at 3h a night, I guess it's as good as staying in a resort minus the amenities yet we really wanted to relax and to try out a resort in front of Blue Lagoon.' The tip is to make a reservation before heading to the resorts right away, and ask a hotel representative over the phone if they have discounts (we were told we missed the 20% discount).

Oh man they caught stingray?


If you want good food with a reasonable price don't buy from Hanna's though as you'd feel like your robbed after eating a meal or two (7h for a simple breakfast for two comprising of Tapsilog which you can enjoy for 1h per head in Manila). There's this store near Hanna's where you can have the owner cook you food. We ate lobsters I guess it was half kilograms and prawns and fish in sweet and sour (the fish are fresh from Blue Lagoon, the store owner buys it directly from the fisherman of Barangay Balaoi), the cost did not even come close to a thousand! The owner was a good cook it's as if you ate at those fine- dine restaurants in Manila.

I spent the first 3 hours of my stay in Hanna's just sleeping as the Vigan- Pagudpud trip wore me off. I got to try the beach at 4pm and I would not say this really is your ‘Boracay protégé’ but close enough, sands are still finer in Bora where you could just sit around or lie down without feeling any roughness. Yet I wanted a calmer place with the sounds of the waves alone so it definitely felt good, therapeutic it was.

On our last day of stay at Hanna's we hired a tricycle to take us to the tourist spots and it cost 8h. We went to the Patapat Viaduct, the 4th longest Beach in the Philippines. The scene was breathtaking, just along the side of the road you’ll see the Mabugabong Falls, a mini hydro electric plant. After that we went to Bantay Abot Cave, a cave like the ones you'd Explore in Puerto Galera but bigger and it has a hole in the middle, offers a great view of the sea as well. We also went to Paraiso ni Anton, a mini fall where you can drink water coming directly from the mountains. Natives say this is a healing water. We took some pictures in Aqua Grande, nothing so special though, it looks like to me a deserted place which someone placed a covered place to sit on for tourists to have a great view of the sea and the rocks before its wide vast. We also went to Kapurpurawan Rock Formation (my friend says Kapurpurawan means ‘kapuputian’), it was a 10- 15 minute walk to get the rocks per se. I have never seen anything quite like it, it resembles the slot canyons like the ones in the movie 127 hours though it's not a canyon but a simple rock formation you can easily walk on. Our last stop would was the Windmills in Bangui; picturesque. I was really out of words when I saw it and I just kept walking watching the waves on the blue water and feeling the wind on my face. We did not get to try Kabigan Falls which the driver said is a 45 minute trek for fast- paced walkers, tired as we were.

Patapat Viaduct shows a good view of the sea.On the side of the road you'll see the Kabigan Falls (right picture posted below

Above: Bantay Abot Cave

Paraiso ni Anton:

Aqua Grande: nothing grand though so this can be missed. Below: breathtaking view of the Windmills in Bagui.

Instant beach experience: Seawall, Currimao, Ilocos Norte, my friend's house is facing a magnificent view.When going back to Manila from Pagudpud, I don't suggest boarding a plane if you are on a tight schedule (say you'd go back to work immediately after the vacation). From Blue Lagoon towards the airport you'd hire a tricycle for P300 to take you to the spot where you can ride on a Bus towards Laoag, from Laoag you'd take another tricycle for P150 to take you to the airport, the transfers were really exhausting. Another thing to note is that unlike the airports that we know, Laoag Airport does not sell any of Ilocos specialties or any souvenirs so buy pasalubong at the market first before leaving.If you want to try both Saud and Blue Lagoon, I am suggesting you stay at Saud first, stay in the beachfront resorts and from there hire a tricycle or a van that could give you a tour to see Kabigan Falls, Patapat Viaduct, and all other spots I mentioned. The drivers would allow you to enjoy Blue Lagoon for an hour or two so by doing this, you get to try both Saud and Pagudpud without having to pay room rates at your selected beach front resorts on both beaches (Say just stay in Arinaya beach resort for two days then spend the second day on a tour to see Blue Lagoon, without having to pay costly room rates in Hanna's like 3K a night).

I can't wait to go back. It takes a lot of effort to go back to work immediately so always always allow at least two days to rest after the trip before going back to 'reality.' Haha.

Next project: re- visit Mount Pinatubo, gotta take good pictures.


Blog entries are owned and copyrighted by Leah Bulacan © All Rights Reserved 2012. Unauthorized use, copy, editing, reproduction, publication, duplication and distribution of the blog content, without author's explicit permission, is punishable by Law.

Mom

I wonder why I've never finished a poem about mom

I wanted to write

about her love for me -

never demanding,

unconditional

I wanted to write about her endless sacrifices:

the tiresome tasks she do

to make me live and study

Sickness she has to deal with while working hard for me

I wanted to write

about how grateful I am to be her daughter -

That I'd been blessed with a gift that is her whom I will treasure forever

I wanted to write

about the beauty within her

that never fades, that never fails to be admired

I wanted to write

about how a 'thank you' and 'I love you'

seems not enough as a response to her love -

Yet that is all she needs to live

and that, I shall never cease to give

I wonder why I've never finished a poem about mom

I know now:

There are lots of great things to say about mom

and a poem would not tell enough

Blog entries are owned and copyrighted by Leah Bulacan © All Rights Reserved 201412. Unauthorized use, copy, editing, reproduction, publication, duplication and distribution of the blog content, without author's explicit permission, is punishable by Law.