Lost. A sea of cars.

We got into a car accident this morning. Another car bumped into the van I was riding (on my side, no less!) but thank the gods of traffic jams, we hardly felt the impact. Our driver settled things with the driver of the other car and we were back on the road in no time. 

I don't even want to think of the other scenarios that could have happened. Instead I'm here, thankful that we didn't suffer even a single scratch from that incident.

So, yeah, hello everyone. I'm alive and well.

Drowning in lists and to do's.

We're preparing for three major events and a minor one scheduled this month, the first of which is happening tomorrow. I am drowning in lists of people I need to coordinate with, invite, and press information I need to collate and disseminate. 

Sometimes I wonder why I choose this lifestyle, why I willingly go through all this stress that a career in PR brings. But then I talk to and connect with a lot of people and know their individual stories, and I am reminded why.

Inhale. Exhale. Wink.

Challenges notwithstanding, I am grateful I have hardworking and inspiring bosses, supportive officemates-turned-friends, and a Love that, with a single hug, makes me feel like I'm home.

Wink.

“Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.”

– Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

There's a Harry Potter quote applicable for every situation. These are scary and turbulent times, my friends, and even though it may be difficult and dreary, may we discern the difference and choose to do what is right.

Anyway, the first month of the year is almost over, and I'd like to do a roundup of the things I purchased. A monthly list for this can be beneficial for me in the long run as I get to see collectively what I spent my hard-earned money on so that I can make better choices next time, for my storage space and wallet's sake.

I realize it's virtually impossible to list everything here as I don't want to bore you with what I ate for lunch last January 17 or even my weekly trek to the supermarket to replenish my snack stash so let me qualify this by listing down the things I purchased online as a treat to myself.


BeautyMNL is one of my go-to online shops when I'm bored, resulting to a wish list that's taller than me. I love it because:

• it's a one-stop beauty shop that has a wide and expansive selection of both imported and proudly local products for the face, body, personal care, skin, hair, and nails, among others. It even carries accessories!
• its interface is easy to use and understand (even to online shopping newbies).
• it rewards legit reviews (check their review section Beauty by You) so real-life customers are more encouraged to share their experiences with the products you're eyeing, resulting to more informed choices. 
• it's quick! I checked out on a Sunday evening and got my orders Monday morning! Perfect for shoppers with low EQ like some people I know (read: me).

1. Expert Class Foundation Oval 1 Brush by Pro Studio Beauty Exclusives - I've been wanting to try an oval brush ever since I saw a tutorial online using it, so this purchase made me giddy.
   
2. Organic Eyelash/Eyebrow Growth Enhancing Serum by Leiania House of Beauty - I have long and thick lashes as it is but I'm still intrigued by the positive reviews even though it only costs P300!
   
3. Pixi Glow Tonic by Pixi by Petra - This is almost always sold out so I jumped at the chance of getting a mini bottle the moment it became available. I'll be getting the bigger bottle if this indeed proves HG-worthy to me!

All it takes is a quick search on this blog and you'll see why I love Althea Korea, but the most significant is that it lets me enjoy KBeauty products at a fraction of the price I see in stores here. They also regularly hold sales and give away free gifts with purchase!

Here are the things I bought:

1. Shining Pink Box - It's an eight-piece brush set with a reusable metal tin box with a mirror. Plus points for the color. 
2. Lovely Pink Heart Multi Volume Brush - Nothing really special about this brush except that it's pink! And heart-shaped! TOO CUTE!!! ♥
   

It is said that for one to be continuously good in his or her craft, he or she must put in the work and the hours it entails. It’s a never-ending quest for development, thus training for it shouldn’t stop.

Without meaning to, I failed to pick up a paintbrush and paint the entire year of 2016 because of reasons. I was too busy with work, with my social life, with a host of different things that I missed tapping into my #KrissyfiedMakes persona and see where my palette of paints could take me.

It was because of this that I slightly panicked when we were asked to pick up our paintbrush and scroll and try our hands on Chinese painting by no less than the Chan Lim Family of Artists themselves at the launch event of their exhibit at the SM North EDSA The Block Atrium.


The Chan Lim Family of Artists has been engaged in the arts for close to half a century. In the present there are three generations of Chan Lim artists who use a wide variety of media, styles, and techniques to incorporate Western into Eastern art. The family continues to get involved in the arts by actively developing and promoting Chinese brush painting in the Philippines and abroad, and it was really an honor to have been invited to participate in this class and learn from them first-hand.

Exactly one year ago, I experienced one of the best nights of my life.

My dream of seeing and hearing Nate Ruess perform live came true. 

I remember how ecstatic I felt when my friend Niche broke the good news to me. I just came back from a work trip in Boracay then and all my exhaustion went away. I had to save up for my ticket (nothing less than VIP, of course) and spent the following months jittery and mildly panicky. I literally had no chill. I miss being this excited for something.

My boyfriend and I were broken up at the time so I bought the tickets not knowing who I will watch the show with. All's well that ends well though because we got back together. ♥ I really couldn't imagine watching the concert with anyone but him.

So, a year has passed since that monumental night. I guess it's a good time as any to reflect on the things that have changed since then? 

I'm terribly sad to be admitting this, but I have become more disillusioned. I know and I acknowledge that life is not fair and we're all going to die anyway, but the amount of injustice happening around me makes me feel so helpless. I refuse to be bitter and consumed by despair, but some days make it harder to do so.

On a lighter note, I'm more comfortable when it comes to presenting myself to people. I still get shy sometimes most of the time, but PR has no place for people who prefer blending in the background. Pro tip: Remember that everything starts with a smile, and there's nothing that a few seconds of pep talk can't help. 

Let me know if it has something to do with age, but I realized I have become less tolerant of bullsh*t, flakers, and people who have no or low regard for other people's time. I'd rather dedicate more of my non-renewable resources to those who value these things.

The quest for learning never stops, but time is always my greatest enemy. I need to learn how to manage my time better. 

I'm still learning to bite my tongue when the temptation to lash out comes. I have learned to choose my battles but sometimes it's so challenging to just grin and bear it, especially when you know you have the perfect retort.

Lastly, one of the most important changes I've applied, maybe, is not forgetting sunscreen every day. We can't stop growing old, but at least we can help minimize the effects of aging.

I don't know if Nate will ever come back to Manila, or release a new song for that matter, but if news breaks that he has a new single out then I assure you I'll be the first one to purchase it from iTunes. God I still wish I have a physical copy of Grand Romantic.

I watched La La Land with my la la love today and I may or I may have not shed a week's worth of tears inside the cinema while the movie's playing, outside the cinema immediately after the movie, and in Serenitea a solid six hours after we saw the movie.

My expectations were already a bit high seeing as how it won a lot of awards, but it exceeded even that. It's beautiful, it's fantastic, and - not that I need it to - it reminded me why I love movies. It's pure magic, y'all.

Now I just want to close my eyes and bask in the glorious beauty of this film, but I want to relive it here so that I have another pocket to tuck good memories in for when the rainy days come. 

That dance sequence under the stars? Sigh. When you think about it, it's just a simple story about two souls trying to go after their dreams, but brilliant acting, wonderful sets and musical sequences, and film artistry elevated and reincarnated it into so much more. But that's not even my favorite part.

My favorite part of any movie is how it sparks conversation and makes you think. I told my boyfriend that in the event we break up (I'm not saying we're going to, but on the off chance that we do), we are not to see other people straightaway because we will wait until we get back together. And then he scolded me for creating problems when there are none. Of course I'm not counting on it because he's the love of my life, but on the off chance!

Across the miles, my friend Ed also watched it today and it got us talking about our dreams. In the case of Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), his dream was to put up a jazz club, while Mia's (Emma Stone) was to be an actress. When I was a lot younger, my dream was to have a glamorous job as the editor-in-chief of a glossy magazine. When I got a little older, I dreamt of living in seclusion with my own bookstore/ café as means of livelihood. I dreamt of writing a book but now that I've realized it's not as easy as it seems and that I couldn't possibly meet my expectations for my own output, it got sidetracked for other goals. Now I dream of having a regular job, a husband, a kid or two, a house of our own with a library/ toy room, and who knows, maybe someday we can put up that bookstore/ café.

Ed: Would you ever give up your love for a dream?
Me: I don't know... My love is my dream, eh. Hehe.

I used to feel limitless, like the world was teeming with possibilities. Now I don't know if getting older made me forget my impulsive and carefree days, but suddenly it felt like the world couldn't accommodate me and my lofty ideas. Maybe I got realistic? Maybe I became more accepting that something always has to give? Or maybe the world is still teeming with possibilities, but I just got lazy.

Having seen La La Land inspired me to regain that missing spark. After all, I used to think I'm the unluckiest girl when it comes to love, and look at me now. ♥

PS: OKAY THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED POST BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHARE. I'm not kidding about the tears, you guys, and it's amazing how my Holika Holika Wonder Drawing 24H Auto Eyeliner stayed intact. Fabulous.

I've told this story countless times to everyone who would care to listen and I've already shared this several times here on this blog, but allow me to tell you once again how I first started blogging legitimately.

Circa 2008. I was working at a BPO and with all the extra time I had I decided I wanted to learn how to do my own makeup. What you need to know about me is that when I become interested in something, I get fixated on it and stop at nothing to learn everything I can about it. The first thing I figured I had to do was read up on makeup, preferably from women I can relate to, so it follows that I should look for local beauty reviews and tutorials. That's when I found the blogs of Shen, Nikki, and Phoebe, among others. Product seeding and events weren't popular yet those day so all the reviews and tutorials they shared, they wrote using products they bought with their own money. I was enjoying my (now defunct) Multiply Journal then and its readership, but exploring Blogspot opened a completely different world for me! I signed up, and the rest was history. 

To be completely honest with you, I've been feeling down the past few weeks and it's so difficult to find joy from things I loved doing before ⎼ reading and writing included. Me? Dislike reading? Amd writing? Why?? Believe me when I say I'm as baffled as you are. That lack of enthusiasm and time is one of the reasons why I haven't been able to blog as much.

And so this couldn't have come at a better time. 

Maybelline chose me to be part of the Maybelline Squad, a group of bloggers they recognized for continuously supporting the brand. ♥ There are a lot of perks for being part of the squad, but my favorites are being given sneak peeks and a chance to try the products even before they get released in the country! 

Sometimes I wonder if the things I do and spend time on are worth it, sometimes I don't get recognized for going out of my way to do a better job, and sometimes it feels like mistakes get magnified and fixated on. Sometimes I think I don't have as much clout as I did before, and that the people who used to read my blog have all moved on. I can't dwell on those, though. Instead I'm going to play with all the new makeup I got from Maybelline and revel on this award because, really, what a great honor to be chosen alongside beauty bloggers I look up to not only for their blogs but also because of who they are as a person, like Nikki and Phoebe ⎼ beautiful inside and out!

One more time, with feelings!

This award is very well-received! Let's go back to the perks. As I said, we'll be given early access to new products before they even hit the market, and I was sooo excited that I wanted to do a twirl then and there!

Here are just some of Maybelline's newest products for this year:

Super BB Fresh Matte Cushion, Hyper Ink Liquid Liner, Powder Matte Lipstick, and Master Strobing Stick!

They're even releasing a Strobing Cream! Of these, I'm most excited for the Powder Matte Lipsticks and Strobing Stick and Cream! A+++, those two.

Thank you again for choosing me, Maybelline! I'm looking forward to a Maybelline-beautiful year ahead!