Last Wednesday night, Carly Rae Jepsen blessed us with her presence at the Manila leg of the Dedicated Tour. 

I burst into tears the moment she showed up at the stage and sang the first few bars of No Drug Like Me. 

It was an explosion of energy and magic and colors and great music, with Queen Carly belting out song after song without any breaks in between!

I was worried about the venue being too small at first, but I soon found out it was just perfect because it felt like an intimate party where everyone was connected through our common love for Carly and her music.

My only complaint is that it was too short, and that my body hurt after because I was dancing and screaming and singing out loud too much, but I don't think that's Carly's fault, heh.

I loved her rainbow dress and I'm going to have one made, I'm just thinking of the perfect occasion to wear it to.

My boyfriend enjoyed the concert, too, but he was complaining about being deaf in one ear because I was screaming too loudly. 

Shoutout to the girl who offered to take our photo because it was a struggle to take a selfie with the huge standee. :)

Definitely one of the best memories I will cherish forever. Thank you, Carly Rae Jepsen!

It's probably the combination of late nights in the office, unhealthy choices, the changing of the weather, and skin care fatigue, but my skin has been looking dull lately and I've even started seeing tiny bumps on my forehead and cheeks. I remembered BEACHBORN Witch Hazel Wash working so well for me in the past so I contacted my friend Sarah to order a bottle and then some. What do you know, she lovingly sent me a box filled with my BEACHBORN skin care favorites and even some new goodies to try.

Full disclosure: the brand's founder Sarah and I have been friends since the early days of my blog. I first learned about her dreams for BEACHBORN shortly after she launched their first product, the Sea Salt Spray, during a work trip in Boracay four years ago. I am SO PROUD of her because in that short span of time, Sarah was able to grow her brand exponentially and I am excited to see it grow more!

Here's a rundown of the contents of the box and quick reviews.

BEACHBORN Witch Hazel Wash

A soothing non-soap cleanser that effectively removes dirt, excess oil and impurities without drying skin.
Crafted with Pure Witch Hazel which has been proven to shrink pores, control acne, reduce inflammations, prevent ingrown hairs, soothe hemorrhoids and heal rashes.

Two pumps of the BEACHBORN Witch Hazel Wash

I already lost track of how many bottles of this I have gone through so it's a good thing they now offer a 250 mL refill variant of this! It cleanses my skin without leaving it dry, and you can also use it as a feminine wash! No need to lug a separate bottle when traveling!

BEACHBORN Healing Toner

ALCOHOL FREE AND MADE WITH PURE WITCH HAZEL, ALOE VERA GEL, LAVENDER, CHAMOMILE AND SEAWEED EXTRACT!
This clarifying toner fights off acne, shrinks pores, moisturizes, firms skin and gets rid of impurities for an over-all healthy glow!

I spray it on my face after cleansing then use a facial cotton pad. It can also be used as a facial mist to refresh throughout the day but I haven't used it for that function yet. I should get a smaller bottle so it's more handy. My Mom also likes using this!

BEACHBORN Witch Hazel Extract

A potent extract that has the ability to dry up pimples overnight! An ancient native American remedy that's a must have in every modern home.
Effective spot treatment for acne and clogged hair follicles. Soothes swollen veins, bites, rashes, as well as minor cuts and bruises.
Apply as an after shave or post treatment for hot wax hair removal to relieve skin inflammation.

It was my first time to use this the other night and OMG THIS IS A MIRACLE PRODUCT! I am kicking myself because I don't have before and after photos but I put a couple of drops of this on a zit at the side of my face and some insect bites on my arms and they were COMPLETELY GONE the next day! I swear by this product and have started recommending this to my friends and officemates!

BEACHBORN Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin B5 Serum

Experience softer, smoother + dewy skin within minutes of applying this miracle serum. HA can absorb up to 1000x its weight in water but we decided to add some vitamin B5 to our formula to boost hydration even more!

I apply this on my face and neck after cleansing and toning. I like that it's not too runny nor thick unlike the Vitamin C serum I tried before. It gets absorbed by my skin easily and it doesn't feel greasy at all!

BEACHBORN Balancing Anti-Blemish Face Cream

An instant glow isn't impossible with the latest addition to our witch hazel skincare line. Notice the difference immediately as you slather on this luxurious cream made with organic matcha to brighten and even out skin tone, witch hazel to tighten pores and control acne, rose water to reduce oil production and revitalise skin.
Our special lightweight formula melts like magic when applied to the skin leaving a youthful, dewy glow.

I am not a huge fan of green tea scent in general but this one is just right. I apply this after the serum is completely absorbed by my skin, and I like that it doesn't feel oily nor greasy.

One pump each of the Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin B5 Serum and Balancing Anti-Blemish Face Cream

BEACHBORN Pink Clay Mask

A purifying and detoxifying mask that works deep within the pores to remove dirt, toxins and excess oil.
Has a mildly cooling effect upon application.
Instantly brightens complexion! Also tightens pores, evens out discoloration and controls excess sebum with continued use.

I may be biased because of the color but I love this! It's not too harsh for my skin and is not too difficult to rinse out unlike other clay masks. It's the perfect treat to cap off a long and busy day.

Me with the Pink Clay Mask on

Immediately after rinsing out the mask

The morning after

It has only been less than a week since I changed my skin care routine but my skin feels soft and looks youthful again, without the nasty bumps! I am so glad to find a new routine that works, and I'm also happy to support a brand that is locally made, all-natural, cruelty-free, with no parabens nor artificial fragrance!

Sarah said she has more products in the pipeline and I am looking forward to testing them out as well!

Visit BEACHBORN on their official website and check them out on Facebook and Instagram. You can also purchase their products from their kiosk at the 5th level of Mega Fashion Hall in SM Megamall.

Disclosure: My friend Sarah who owns the brand gave me these products as a gift but I was not required to nor compensated for this post. Read my blog's complete Disclosure Policy here.

Hello, folks! If you have been hankering for a book to read and you're looking to laugh, cry, gush, and fall in love, then have I got the book for you: Raya & Grayson's Guide to Saving the World by Catherine Dellosa. It's short and compelling enough that you can read it in one sitting, funny in all the right places, charming and relatable, and tear-inducing without being too sappy.

“If I don’t break your heart, the world is going to end.”
When Grayson posts about his girlfriend breaking up with him with that line in an anonymous “Breakup Confessions” thread, Raya recognizes the references and knows that it’s him.
Raya has been dealing with a deeply personal loss, with only her comic books to give her quiet comfort. But thanks to her forum-lurking, she now knows that the guy she’s been crushing on for years is single again. What’s that called, when she might actually have a chance with him but senior high school just ended and they’re heading off on separate paths forever and ever? It’s called a long shot. Right. Only heroes take a risk with those odds and still win.
But when Grayson walks into the hobby shop she works for and asks Raya for a comic book recommendation, Raya realizes that superheroes can come in all shapes and sizes. And as they bond over the summer on all things caped and geeky, Raya discovers that maybe—just maybe—she deserves a chance at a super-powered love story of her own.

Content warnings for readers include grief, off-page death of a parent, accidental death of young person told in flashback, cancer, illness of elderly person, characters kissing and considering having sex.

I feel like if I were part of their universe, I would have totally fit right in and in fact Raya and Grayson feel like my long-lost friends; I would've been a lurker at their online forum who is also a regular customer at Cowls at the Door, Please, the comic book shop Raya works in. I would've bumped into them at Cons. I would've been one of the many who saw Raya's inadvertent confessions and cheered them on from the safety of my keyboard.

Look, I don't want to reveal too many details because you deserve to read it with fresh eyes, in the same way that I didn't pay special attention to the content warnings so one of the twists surprised me. (That's not an invitation to go read the content warnings again, mind you.)

I loved this quote mostly because I related so much:

"There's nothing more exhilarating than having your significant other share the same weird interests with you, and when you find someone like that, well... he's a keeper."

My boyfriend got a long and cheesy text message from myself after I read that line, heh.

Don't mind us, we're just a couple of NPCs in Raya and Grayson's world.

ToyCon 2016

AsiaPOP Comicon 2016

Oreo's Spider-Man: Far From Home Event, 2019

But enough about inserting myself in what was supposedly a book review. If it wasn't clear before, I loved this book and if I could hire someone to write my and J's love story, then it would be Catherine Dellosa.

Can I also say that it's so refreshing to read about people celebrating their fandoms and not being mocked for it. I've had my fair share of this when I was a little younger because I am very excitable when it comes to things I like and I refuse to apologize for it. It's great that being a geek is considered cool now and we have a lot of businesses investing in hosting different types of Cons.

If there's anything that I had a little bit of a problem suspending my disbelief for, it's that a college student can own a comic book shop located inside a mall. Rent for even a kiosk at a mall can rack up to hundred thousands of pesos, and their store is even big enough to host events! I mean, not to say it is impossible, but it could be difficult and very expensive. That, and how there's no other staff aside from the owner Grace and Raya. What if they both need to be somewhere else? What if it's just Grace or Raya there and she need to pee?

That aside, I hope you can let Raya and Grayson into your bookshelves and/ or Kindle Libraries. The ebook is available on Amazon, while you can get physical copies of the book from #romanceclass, or you may contact the author directly on Twitter or Instagram.

One more thing! If you would like to read more romances written by Filipino authors, definitely check out the #romanceclass community! Feels Fest 2019 is happening next week, October 5, and we're having a Slumber Party! Listen to live readings, interact with romance authors and fellow readers, and purchase your next great read/s! Register here. I will be there and I would love to meet you! 

I can survive with just groomed eyebrows, face powder, and lipstick combo any other day, but for special occasions I do like experimenting with more creative makeup looks.

For Batman Day 2019 I decided on a bold lip and lots of glow.

Here are the products I used:

Only the ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* glowiest golden glow *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ for my favorite Caped Crusader.

And you guys, I'd like to thank my lucky stars as I really hit the jackpot with this set of products because save for one Stunna touchup after lunch, my makeup did not budge at all! I really need to hit my blogging stride again because I'd like to post more makeup reviews here.

This is what I looked like hours later, while waiting for our xiao long bao to be served.

My makeup survived hours of going around the huge Fully Booked store in Bonifacio High Street, movie screenings, and walking around BGC lugging heavy bags to take photos of my boyfriend J in Batman Beyond cosplay.


Did you know that the first time we met, one of the first things we found out we had in common is that we're both BatFans? Look how spiffy he looks here. ^_^ Batman Beyond suit from Spandex Hero Philippines! Contact the Page if you're still looking for your Halloween costume!

Because it's Batman Day, all Batman titles and graphic novels are being sold at 20% off. I made a bee line for the Sandman volumes and got these:


This morning, while checking Facebook, this appeared on my Memories:


I wore the same lip color last year and even got the prequel and first volume of Sandman! I also have the same arm candy with me but he wasn't wearing a costume then, heh.

Cheers to spending more Batman Days with my favorite BatFan, and cheers to posting more makeup looks here!

Weeks and even days leading up to MIBF (Manila International Book Fair), the biggest and longest running book fair happening in the Philippines annually, I was completely convinced that I wouldn't go. My pile of unread books is taller than me as it is, and my Kindle is filled with books I have yet to read. My number one reason for not feeling the need to go? I still haven't read all the books I got from the past MIBFs I went to!

I was supposed to spend the weekend at home, but it wasn't to be. Heh. My boyfriend J asked if I wanted to go to MIBF, and I was like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  and then (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

Determined not to spend too much and wearing comfortable shoes, I went to SMX with J and I. Felt. Old. Crowds always flock to MIBF but I used to be able to tolerate and even elbow my way through them, but I didn't have the energy to do that now. The huge halls of SMX were filled with cheap books, pens, and stationery, and my eyes almost watered with want, but of course my wallet won the argument and I only ended up with these:

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert and Dear Evan Hansen (The Novel) by Val Emmich with Steven Levenson, Ben Pasek, and Justin Paul

I am not exaggerating: Eat Pray Love changed my life, and I have followed Elizabeth Gilbert's works since. The blurb of City of Girls intrigued me and I have been wanting to get a copy but as I mentioned, I still have too many unread books collecting dust on my shelves so I didn't. Well, I figured a 20% discount is a good enough reason to finally get one, so I made a beeline for this the moment I entered the huge hall.

As for Dear Evan Hansen, I am a fan of Ben Platt and the Original Broadway Cast Recording that you may listen to below if you haven't yet, and I would like to read the novelization of the musical.

The original price of the two books is Php 1,704 but I only paid Php 1,363.20 after the discount.


I also got a bunch of stickers, mostly because I wanted the Dunder Mifflin, Inc. Paper Company sticker, hee.

Love love love

After hanging out a bit with Mina and Layla and dropping by the #romanceclass and Viviamo's booths, J and I trooped to Megamall to get his Spandex Hero masks from consignment at Collecticon. We walked around a bit while the sellers were closing shop, and were even able to score a couple of items.


I.. I don't know what this is called but I AM SO AMUSED! It's like a squish ball that looks gross but really I can't stop squeezing it! It's my stress reliever in the office now.


If you don't know yet, the Alien from Pizza Planet featured prominently in the Toy Story movies is one of my top favorite animated characters, and J got me this big plushie. He knows the way to my heart, that guy.

And thus ends my weekend that was supposedly spent without incident, but ended up being well-spent. I love my MIBF + Collecticon haul.

Did you go to any of these events? I like checking out other people's hauls so I'm usually found hanging out on Instagram just visiting whatever event's hashtag, and right now I'm checking #MIBF2019.  See you at MIBF 2020, I guess?

Did you know that September is Self-Care Awareness Month? I was today years old when I learned about it. Perfect timing, too, as I have been ruminating on this post for days now.

Self-care is underrated, but there has recently been a surge advocating it. More than slapping on face masks and lighting some candles though, self-care is any activity that we do deliberately to focus on taking care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. It's a simple concept in theory, yes, but it is something we very often overlook. 

It is important to carve time from our daily hustle and bustle and smell the flowers, so to speak, because good self-care is key to improved mood and reduced anxiety.  The weekend before last was one of the most restful weekends I've had: rain pitter pattered outside and I was so cozy on the a sofa reading my Kindle while nestling a mug of freshly brewed coffee and listening to Taylor Swift's Lover album. Definitely a Pinterest-worthy day. Here are some of the other things I do to practice self-care:


Write
My current favorite journal is my customized medium Quest Journal in Canary that I got from I Love BDJ. It's such a happy color! There are two fillers: the monthly and weekly undated filler and filler with blank pages. The monthly view gives me an easy view on the important events for each month, and the weekly view has more than enough space for my to do lists. I jot down my daily tasks here every day, and I get immense satisfaction from crossing out each item. The blank filler is for my notes and things I am thankful for.

I feel like I have become rusty as I don't get to write nor blog as much as I want, but I'm hoping this exercise will help me get back to my writing groove.


Look at pretty little things
The newest addition to my desk is my Alice in Wonderland Nendoroid Doll which is a gift from my boyfriend. She's completely poseable and has replaceable hands! I want to get her cute outfits and face plates with various expressions, too! Ughhh so cute!


Eat healthy food
I am so happy that my former boss RJ opened a Saranglayap branch in Metro Manila to add to their first branch in Baler (that J and I tried to visit but was closed when we went there for our anniversary). It's in Maginhawa, Quezon City though and it's still too far from me so I'm hoping they can open another store in Makati or Taguig. Shown here is the Vitality Classic Smoothie Bowl with sugar beets, mango, pittaya, and acai. Yum! So good!



I don't wander beverages sections of supermarkets that much so I'm happy to have discovered the new Alaska Yoghurt in the office. They're made of milk, yoghurt, and real fruit juice and THEY'RE SO GOOD! I keep on switching between Blueberry and Strawberry as my favorite, heh. And look at them matching my laptop case, makes me go heart eyes emoji.


Read
I get lost in mindless scrolling on social media sometimes and I don't get to read as much as I used to, but I try to read at least one chapter before bedtime. I like anthologies because I get bite-sized stories that make me feel like I'm reading more than I really am. My last read was Bojack Horseman creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg's collection of short stories, Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory. I really liked most of the stories and it's a book I won't forget for a long while.


Look at pretty colors
Makeup especially eyeshadow palettes, and watercolor pots, and crayons, and book spines, and flowers...the list will never end.


Put makeup on.
Whenever I feel like I'm not myself, I just put a little color on my face and watch myself transform. On my eyes are Ellana Loose Mineral Pigments in Bluebell, a shade given to me by Ellana owner/ founder Theresa herself when I visited their office for an event around two weeks ago, and on my lips is Avon Mark. Prism Lipstick in Energy Flash.


When all else fails, I lie and ignore the world.
Just kidding. My job actually doesn't allow me to do that. But I do have deep pockets that I have stashed with little moments and memories that bring me joy so that I have something to pull out any time I need to. And that, my friends, is-what I think-the most important thing to do.