Lace up flats

Lace up shoes or Brogues as they call it too. I love wearing androgynous pieces, it's challenging and exciting to wear. Just recently i bought a white lace up flats. i've been wanting to get one ever since i saw these shoes worn by japanese street fashionistas. the way they wear it is just so casual!

but these shoes looks more perfect for Pina's taste! i can imagine her wearing this with her vests and baggy shirts. thats bony structure would fir perfectly on these. right Pina?? :D

white shoes are very tricky to wear, one should always remember that! it cuts off your height in an unimaginable ways when you pair it stupidly with the wrong pieces. but of course, its not a crime to experiment with fashion, you just need to strut it well.

From British Glamour Magazine, Photos by Coliena Rentmeester

i would really love to wear my brogues with a dainty dress. but since my wardrobe here in Oman is not quite a bounty yet, i will have to make do with what i have. i can always experiment. :)

Casual Tuesday

Pina and i thought we'd share our daily ensembles and how we mix and match our clothes and accessories. So i will start with my fab casual match. this is what i wore for office yesterday, tuesday. we don't have a particular dresscode at the newspaper as long as it is not HARAM (prohibited) for the muslim people and not insulting to them for those that aren't muslim. sleeveless clothes are not really a problem. wearing high heels will not only add more height for me, but it will make my legs longer, which is so not haram! hehe

so here goes my tuesday. ;)

It's always my pleasure to wear a lot of colors in my attire. the colors keep me in a good mood. I pulled my hair up so i can still have some extra dampness when i get to the office. besides, it's very hot out, i duwanna have some hair sticking on my neck while i wait to get a taxi. na-aaah!

A few minutes of wearing the hoodie will help lock in the moisture and the power of the conditioner intact on my hair if i put them on and not let the sun get in the way. by the time i get to the office, my hair is still very soft and smooth.

These mini boots are also perfect with mini skirts and dresses! a bit of more flesh on the legs will put emphasis on the shoes (if the purpose is to flaunt them). Of course it will make your legs more beautiful and super sexy. But it takes practice to wear these high heels and more so on the guts to wear them. ;)

Pina Says:
Your choice of makeup colors is refreshing for a hot, hot day. I'm beginning to pick leopard prints too :)

Facial Spa At Home

Skin is Fashion. Skin should also be as gorgeous as your outfit.

Maintaining a healthy and beautiful skin should not be expensive. There are a lot of natural skin care that you can find in your kitchen. These are the safest, inexpensive and easy to grab whenever you felt like lazing around on weekends. Well, it's not that convenient to use unlike most commercial creams that smell good and doesn't drip from your forehead. But patience and persistence can save you a lot--- money and fine fine skin :)

I love facial spa. It's very relaxing but I cannot maintain it because honestly, it's above my budget. So I researched and applied home-style facial spa.

What you need:

A clean face towel
Tissue paper
Cotton balls
Blackheads and whiteheads pricker (optional)
St. Ives Apricot Scrub (you can also use sea salt as an alternative. Make sure to scrub gently)
Honey (If you have some oatmeal, mix 1 tablespoon of honey to 1 tablespoon of oatmeal), you can also use milk, avocado or ripe papaya and eggwhite
Toner
Moisturizer
Cucumber slices
Lip balm

Procedure:

1.Boil a pot of water. Set aside.

2. Wash face with lukewarm water and mild soap or facial cleanser. I recommend using a gentle cleanser to avoid irritation.

3. Rest your head above the bowl or pot of hot water for 5-15 minutes. Be careful and don't lean too close to the pot to avoid getting burnt. If this is uncomfortable for you, you can soak the clean facial towel on the hot water. Add some lukewarm water until you can pick the towel and squeeze the excess water in it. Pat on your face gently and cover it on your face for a couple of minutes.

4. Exfoliate your skin with the Apricot Scrub or the sea salt.

These are not cucumbers, these are the new Cucu Chanel sunglasses. Really, we don't have cucumber available that day.

Gently scrub your face in circular motion. Do this for about a minute. Wipe with the face towel which was soaked in the warm water.

5. If you have blackheads and whiteheads problem, this is the next step to start pricking them. But first, clean your pricker with alcohol.

ewwww...

6.Wipe your face with the cotton balls dipped in warm water. Squeeze the excess water before wiping on your face.

7. Spread your honey mask (or fruit mask) generously on your face. Leave it on your skin for about 30 mins to 1 hour. Don't forget to apply lip balm on your lips. Most spa clinics neglect the lips in the process. Your lips need some pampering too.

If you have dry skin, I recommend applying honey mask for 3 consecutive days. Then follow an egg white mask on the next 3 days to refine your pores. 

Cover your eyes with your sliced cucumber while waiting for your honey mask to be absorbed by your skin.

8. Clean your face with a damp facial towel or wash with a lukewarm water to remove all the sticky honey. Pat dry with a soft towel.

9. Apply toner to rehydrate your skin

10. Moisturize

shiny, happy, clean face :D

Spread the moisturizer in a circular motion and your done. Drink chilled water or hot green tea and sleep early.

My First Makeup Tuts

this is my first makep tutorial. so be nice on this one. these are things that i learned through my daily use if cosmetics and some i learned from others. i like to show it more in graphics, as you know i am a graphic designer/illustrator and words just escape me. i'd rather show the steps in pictures. hopefully this will work. maybe next time i will use video. ;)

so this is the look i acheived. more on night use. i will concentrate more on the eyes because for me its the most important part of the face.

here are the cosmetics used. most of these are the cheap and common ones you can buy in any department store (esp. in the Philippines). i also have a few known brands and some maybe only in Asia brands. anything  will work on this look, the more expensive your tools are the better way to acheivewhat you want. ;)

two shades for the lipstick. the other one is lighter. 

careful on the liquid eyeliner. they need precision.

good base on the face is very important before applying makeup. find the right hue for your foundation.

the eyeshadow hues. i am proud to say that this product i used is actually awesome and is a Filipino brand. Ever Belina is an old brand in my country and i can say thay this thing is good. :)

just follow the steps above. and mind the tip! as for the eyebrows, i use a Brow Powder Duo i bought from The Face Shop. i would advice to use this kind with a brush. it tames your eyebrows better and gives you a cleaner look.

another tip: you can use the mascara to comb your eyebrows and add extra volume to it. it can also make the brows stay put! hehehe

i wont have tutorials on how to pose with this look but this is how i do it! hehehe you can use this look when trying to feel like a rawk star or that im-so-hot kinda look. whatever fits the mood.

i hope this was useful! ;)