I feel stuck in a rut. A beauty rut, that is. I feel like I'm already tired of my pixie cut and I think I want to grow it back but then again I know that short hair suits me better.

What's the easiest way to change up your look without something as drastic as a haircut? Simple. A brow makeover!

As I wrote before, more than the practical uses of our eyebrows, they are also important for aesthetic purposes because they bring attention to the eyes and frame the face, and a bit of tweaking here and there can change your look from simple girl-next-door to sophisticated and dramatic. I used to groom my brows myself but I've started neglecting it lately so the shape has gone a wee bit wayward, so times like this I know I have to go to the experts — Browhaus. I went there with my officemates yesterday to use my gift cards for Classic Eyebrow Threading and Upper Lip Threading.

Please pardon the following vanity shots. I rarely take selfies these days but I made an exception for this case since these pics can demonstrate my point better (^_^)

ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER

I don't know if you noticed the difference, but because it is my face it is very obvious to me ha ha.

Also, are there tear ducts connected to our upper lips? Can I just say that upper lip threading hurts ten times more than a Brazilian Wax? I didn't flinch a bit when my therapist was doing my brows, but when she started on my upper lips? Oh wow, I couldn't stop the tears from falling!

I have thick eyebrows and long eye lashes but they remain hidden behind my glasses. Because I am digging this new relationship with my brows (a browmance, if you will), I decided to try to prettify them even more.

Revlon Brow Fantasy Pencil & Gel

 Today I applied eyebrow makeup on myself for the very first time. I am moving up in life.

Here's a photo with my friend Abby, owner of Swan Lake Accessories, during lunch earlier

Aaaand another My eyebags were trying to make a supporting appearance

So friends, if time comes when you feel you want to change something about yourself, why not start with the eyebrows? You will be amazed. ;)

It always amazes me whenever I read a book or watch a movie that I can relate to; a character, a line, a word, a look, or even a song played at the perfect moment that hits a little too closer to home. I am emotionally attached to fictional characters, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

Months ago I told you about fictional characters I would want to be friends with in real life. I've also confessed multiple times how Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is my ultimate favorite movie yet Jesse and Celine are my favorite fictional couple ❤. See, I can't even think of them without feeling compelled to put a heart symbol there. But if there's someone from books or movies or even TV that I can identify with more than the rest, it would be Iris Simpkins from the movie The Holiday.

In the movie, Iris (played by Kate Winslet) works as a columnist in an English newspaper. After being humiliated and having her heart broken one too many times by a jerk a coworker, she decides to go away. She exchanges houses with Amanda (played by Cameron Diaz) and goes to Los Angeles where she gets a meet cute and, so to speak, stops acting like the best friend and becomes the leading lady instead. It's a good movie, and although I can't say it's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind-good, it's cheesy and mushy and made me cry good, happy tears. Jude Law isn't so bad either ;) It's one of my favorite rom-coms, and I thank my friend Ed for urging me to watch this film.

I identified with her and it felt like she was speaking my thoughts out loud. Especially when she said this:

‎"I understand feeling as small and as insignificant as humanly possible. And how it can actually ache in places you didn't know you had inside you. And it doesn't matter how many new haircuts you get, or gyms you join, or how many glasses of chardonnay you drink with your girl friends... you still go to bed every night going over every detail and wonder what you did wrong or how you could have misunderstood. And how in the hell for that brief moment you could think that you were that happy. And sometimes you can even convince yourself that he'll see the light and show up at your door. And after all that, however long all that may be, you'll go somewhere new. And you'll meet people who make you feel worthwhile again. And little pieces of your soul will finally come back. And all that fuzzy stuff, those years of your life that you wasted, that will eventually begin to fade."

And when she consoles Miles after he got his heart broken, she tells him this:

"Because you're hoping you're wrong. And every time she does something that tells you she's no good, you ignore it. And every time she comes through and surprises you, she wins you over, and you lose that argument with yourself, that she's not for you."

Exactly.

I wish I can meet my Miles soon and we'll talk about movies and books and going to far away places together and he won't even think I'm weird for having all these emotions and feelings over fictional worlds because he will totally get it. Because he gets me.

Also, I want Kate Winslet's accent ktnxbai.

I guess it's a good time as any to say that if Ted Mosby of How I Met Your Mother ever crosses over into the real world, I would definitely be his female counterpart. But that's another story for another day. I have an entire female Ted Mosby post mapped out in my head right now, but I don't want to bore you right off your socks so I'll write that some other time ;p There was also a time before when I became Tom in a {500} Days of Summer-esque romance, but I'm glad that is over and done with. Have a great week ahead!

Want your own pair of denims from Miss Sixty or Energie Jeans? Check out the poster below for a chance to win one for free!

Good luck! ;)

The first time I saw Barbie in person was during the lighting of the giant Christmas tree in Araneta back in November 2011. We met online when she left a comment in one of my posts; I visited her blog, then we clicked and became friends instantly. 

After over a year, our long overdue second meeting finally happened today!

Poco Deli is the newest restaurant in Ayala Triangle Gardens that now occupies the space CBD left. They serve pizza, pasta, sandwiches, dessert, and there'll even be wine tasting every Wednesday beginning on February 20. It was only my second time to eat there but I really liked the food, plus the servings are HUGE!

Citrus Delight for me, Estrella Galicia for her

She also wanted pizza but the waiter and I warned her about the serving size so she cancelled the order. Good thing she did because we were barely able to finish our Bacon Slabs! So sinful yet it's so good!

My Citrus Delight was delightful, indeed.

While eating, we were also able to talk about a lot of different things like our careers and individual future plans. I think it's always nice to share these with a friend to gain more insight from a different perspective, at the same time help you visualize it even more. Barbie said their family is planning to open a restaurant/ cafe, so I am crossing my fingers for them and hoping it will come true!

The first time I saw Barbie in person, she brought me cupcakes that unfortunately I wasn't able to eat because someone stole them while we were too busy watching Spongecola during the tree lighting event. I've been wanting to try her goodies for so long because she keeps on posting really yummy-looking stuff on her Instagram ^_^

Today I got to try them, and oh boy when I opened the boxes she gave me I felt like the most spoiled friend in the world!


I hope their family's plan to open a cafe materializes soon because Barbie definitely deserves to be famous for her baked goodies! The lady's gifted! But while they are still on the planning stage, you can also get your hands on her cakes and other delicious baked creations by visiting 1017 Cupcakes' Facebook page.

Thanks for these, Barbie! I really enjoyed talking to you and my mother LOVES everything you gave me, she's asking when I can see you again so she can come too, ha ha!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! This is what I wore to the office today, and no, wearing black does not mean I am trying to make a stand against this special non-holiday or anything. I just happen to really like this dress because it looks like something Helena Bonham Carter would wear, and I love Helena Bonham Carter. I actually like Valentine's Day. Whether I'm part of a couple or not is immaterial, I think it's nice that we are all given free rein to be as cheesy and mushy as much as we can and have this Hallmark holiday to blame for it ;p

How did your day go? Mine was like any other day spent in the office: fun and eventful. Except today, I got a hot pink long-stemmed rose.

It's from my friend/ officemate Anne. She's the best.

My boss asked for my help to make this for his girlfriend:

Sooo cute, right??

I miss doing things like this. I used to make my ex cheesy crafty things like this. :)

I also had lunch with my sunshine and serenade-in-a-box, Ed. It was great to see him again after three weeks! As he laughingly joked on the phone the other day, we two are members of the "Sawi Society" LOL.

Fabulous.

I was actually planning to write about something I'm really passionate about, but it doesn't really match the tone of the photos included in this post so I'll just write it separately. For the meantime, you have these gratuitous photos to enjoy ha ha.



I hope you had a great, LOVE-filled day! Kisses!

Hi, I am Krissy. Half a year ago, I wrote this post describing how after more than five years, I have finally decided to take a leap of faith and get out of my comfort zone. To be completely honest, I was batsh*t scared and worried crazy about letting go of my relatively easy but high-paying job to take on a job with lower pay but caters more closely to my skills and interests. I even quoted Neil Gaiman when he said, "Whatever it is you're scared of doing, Do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever." 

About that age-old adage saying that time flies when you're having fun? It is true. Today marks my six month with Outsmark and it fascinates me that time flew by so quickly yet at the same time I have learned so much already that it's amazing to think I have been here for six months only. (Because yes, as compared to the five years and three months I spent with my previous company, six months is but a blip.) But because I'm that type of girl who loves marking milestones and celebrating anniversaries for everything, this is already something to celebrate about, considering how worried I was before that everything will go wrong and I would just regret it in the end.

But no, I am really happy with where I am right now and I think it shows. I am currently almost chest-deep in tasks but I really enjoy what I do. My bosses and officemates are great (really great) and I already found the easiest way to go to and from work (service vans). You know that if you told me back in 2009 that I would find myself in this place now, I would've told you to shut up and stop bothering me while I read. But now, look at me, working in a 9th floor office in a city that I very rarely go to until six months ago. One silly confession... I always feel inexplicably happy whenever I walk to the office every day. There's just something  about walking with all these impeccably dressed and smartly suited professionals within Makati's Central Business District and feeling like I belong that gives more spring to my steps.

If you identify with the same dilemma as I had, then I say go ahead and do it. There's always the risk that things won't go as planned of course, but you won't know if you don't even try. The way I see it, the best thing you can do is to stop saying "I wish" and start saying "I will".

Certainly no regrets and no complaints. I'm looking forward to the many more months to come. ♥