Inspiring Practice.

The Maria Sofia Love Alien Panda Inspired Eye Makeup Tutorial

If you don't know who Maria Sofia Love is, you better Google her or search for her videos on Facebook. I can't really say that I know a lot about her but here's what I got off of her Gandang Gabi Vice interview and her videos:

Pros and Cons of my 180 Eyeshadow Palette (Deck 1 Swatches)

180 Palette Deck 1 - Neutrals - 700Php

Decisions, decisions! If you're a practical beauty enthusiast, like me, you've probably kept your eye on good makeup bargains online. I know I have which is why I decided to buy a generic 180 Eye Shadow Palette. 

You've probably seen eye palettes like this online. If you're thinking of buying one, you're in the right place. Here are my PROS and CONS to help you decided if you really need one or not:

Deck 1 - Top most row - R-L

PRO: You get a great selection of colors. CON: Some eyeshadows don't give you much of a color pay-off.

As you can see on the picture, the first 3 colors don't show up well on camera. You'll be seeing a lot more of this in the next few photos. The upside, though, is that you get a lot more colors to choose from.

Deck 1 - 1st Row - L-R on Swatch 

PRO: You won't need to buy more eyeshadows. CON: You won't need to buy more eyeshadows.

You already have 180 colors and you probably won't need more. That's great from a practical stand point but shopping for eyeshadows is fun. It may take a while for you to experience the fun again - unless you're a hoarder.

Deck 1 - 1st Row on the Picture - L-R on Swatch

PRO: The color is build-able. CON: You'll need to put more of the product on since the color doesn't show up well.

Surprisingly, for a generic eyeshadow, the color is pretty build-able. Build-able meaning that you can apply more color so you get the vividness you want. Of course, it won't be as vivid as high quality eyeshadows but it's acceptable nonetheless.

You can also use eye lid primers so the color shows up better.

Deck 1 - 2nd Row - R-L

PRO: Some colors do show up well. CON: The colors that do show up well are brighter which isn't really my cup of tea but it could be yours (mostly oranges and some browns show up well).

Oranges aren't really my thing so I put it down as a CON. I don;t wear makeup everyday but when I do, I go for more natural looking colors - mostly browns.

Deck 1 - Last Row - R-L on Swatch

PRO: You get a lot of eyeshadows  for a lot less. CON: You get what you paid for.

If you don't adjust your expectation, chances are you'll be disappointed by a generic palette like this. I can't really say that the eyeshadows are of low quality nor can I say that they are of high quality. They are somewhere in the middle which should be good enough for everyday use or for weddings.

After Swatching

Observation: This is what the eyeshadows look like after swatching.

They got a little dusty or chalky after I swatched them. I do notice this with my other eyeshadows (Victoria's Secret ones) but the dust isn't as much.

Shapes After Swatching

Observation: The eyeshadow is a litte concave at the top. There were some eyeshadows that sort of deflated after I put my brush/finger in despite me not putting a lot of pressure.

Some eyeshadows do feel softer than others which is probably why their shape changed easily.

Final Thoughts

When you should buy a generic palette:

• When you're practicing
• When you're saving up money for better quality eyeshadows
• When you're being practical
• When you absolutely need it
• When you want to be creative with your eye makeup

When you should NOT buy a generic palette:

• When you don't  have a purpose for it
• When you don't have the budget
• When you already have the eyeshadow colors you need

I'll definitely continue using mine. For a blogger like me, who loves doing different makeup looks, I'll probably use up most of the colors on the palette or I'll die trying (50 cent reference). So, with you, have you decided on buying one for yourself? I'd like to hear what you think!

The One Lesson we Usually Forget to Teach Our Kids

Before reading any further, know this: I am not making a generalization but rather an observation - there's a difference. I can absolutely say this with confidence because, I, myself, as a parent, forget to teach this to my child very often.

Most of the time, we forget to teach our children the most important lesson in life which is to be happy.

POST LUNCH PLAYTIME

My story starts here.

Every weekend, my family and I would go to the Farmer's Market near Golden Fields to have lunch with my parents. They have a spot there selling juice, desserts and native Filipino foods. We're glad to go because, aside from getting tons of free taste samples from neighboring vendors, we get to spend time as a family.

This is what we would do ever since I was little: spend time with each other, catch up, talk about nonsense while eating. Doing this is like the hallmark for my side of the family because, as a child, we would linger at the dinner table just to talk and eat - myself, my mom, my aunts and my cousins (the adult males in my family did not care much for this tradition). This was my happiness as a child.

MY REALIZATION

One weekend afternoon, my son decided to play football after eating lunch. The market has an open field with a ball and a net to play with. His dad joined him shortly after I took this photo. I decided to document the whole thing.

While watching my son fix the net, I remembered a video I watched on YouTube. It was a TEDx Talks video with Logan LaPlante (a very cool kid). He was talking about hackschooling - happiness and education - in the video which, for a mom with a son, was both interesting and insightful. Among the things that he talked about, one thing struck me the most:

"Much of education is oriented, for better or worse, towards making a living rather than making a life."

I agree with that 100% but I didn't think much of the whole educational system in the Philippines. Rather, as I was watching my son kick the ball around with his dad, I thought to myself: Am I teaching my child to make a life? Am I teaching my child to be happy?

My honest answer is: Not all the time, which shouldn't be so. I get wrapped up with working, checking off items in my to-do list, doing errands, cleaning, sleeping, Facebook-ing and so on that I don't always teach him this valuable lesson.

WHAT IS HAPPINESS?

I started asking myself what happiness meant. For my son, it meant playing Mine Craft, spending time outdoors, being with mom and dad and just doing stuff together (I asked him myself). While I am not about to let my son play Mine Craft 24-7 for the sake of his happiness, the next 3 things he mentioned were not bad ideas at all.

You see, happiness could be subjective but, most of the time, it can be fundamentally broken down into items. If you watched the video with Logan LaPlante, it comes down to 8 things. As a family, we really needed to work on a couple of things from among the 8 and I made the conscious decision to do so.

MORE PLAY

We'll be doing more of play time, quality time or nature time for sure because, while our life is pretty good as it is, it could be better, it could be happier, especially for my son. I want him to have a life - a happy one, that's not all about making money and spending money. I want him to have tons of happy childhood memories similar to my memories of my family around the dinner table.

I always say that things have to change - like less malls, less phones, less TV and so on. This time, I really mean it having seen how happy my son was playing a quick game of football with his dad.

It's ironic because it's actually the little things that we think nothing of that have the highest potential of making us the happiest.

Bacolod Food Adventures (Ep1): Xin Chao Vietnamese Restaurant

If there was ever one thing that I love doing more than painting people's faces up, it would be eating. I, my husband and the rest of my family do it quite often so why not make a series out of it, right? So, now, i'm posting my pilot episode for: The BCD Beauty Bacolod Food Adventures (a mouth full, I know).

A VIETNAMESE INVITATION TO LUNCH

About a month ago, at the Negros Farmer's Weekend Market, I had the chance to taste a Vietnamese sandwich. Xin Chao newly opened their booth there and it was too interesting to pass up.

Php55 for 1 tasty sandwhich

I ordered one sandwich (delicious) and I asked the owner and her partner: Ms. Libby and Ms. Elizabeth, if they could grant me permission to take photos of their stand as well as the sandwich making process. I told them that it was for my blog. They agreed and the whole thing turned into an invitation for myself and a plus one to come to their restaurant and have lunch. I accepted, of course (who wouldn't).

I think she wants a bite of my Xin Chao sandwich.

I walked away with a smile on my face and a sandwich on my hand. I even took a photo of myself enjoying the sandwich because it was so tasty.

THE DAY OF THE XIN CHAO FEAST

Invited fellow mom and blogger Sigrid Says (Sigrid Lo), to come along and taste the Vietnamese goodness with me. We both had "Moms Working at Home Without Yayas" Starter Pack outfits on - t-shirt, hair up, glasses, jeans, flip flops/sandals, no makeup (can you relate).

Menu and Ordering

I understand why most people don't really step out of there comfort zone when it comes to new tastes and flavors. One reason would be the menu. I figured that most people think that they have to pronounce something unpronounceable, shaming themselves and their whole party in the process. Though this is not the case at all with most Asian restaurants, you don't have to worry about this when eating at Xin Chao.  

Like: The menu has pictures with names of the dishes which help the customers decide on what they want faster.

Ordering was a breeze since we knew what the exact dish was. There were moments when we had to ask the waiter what's in a specific dish or if a certain dish was spicy or not. He (I forgot our server's name) answered with knowledge and appropriate gusto.

Like: The servers are very helpful. Ask and they will answer and deliver.

THE MOMENT WHEN OUR DIETS BECAME NON-EXISTENT

We ordered about 5 or 6 dishes which was tragic for our diets but what the hey - #YOLO. 

We didn't have to wait that long which was excellent and surprising (please remember this word). I'll explain a little later why I used the adjective surprising to describe the food preparation and serving time. Anyway, back to the best part.

Bánh mì Việt nam

This was the sandwich I ordered at the market. It has pâté, carrots, cucumber (maybe zuchini), ham, chicken and (I can't tell what the other ingredients were). I like that it's served with a baguette which, I just now found out, is a popular type of bread in Vietnam.

Recommended. You can choose to have this one spiced up if you're feeling a little adventurous.

They sell their delicious baguettes for Php12 a pop.

Spring Roll

What's different about this (for me) is that it's wrapped in rice paper. If you haven't tasted anything wrapped in rice paper yet, this dish could go either way for you because the wrap has a different type of texture and stickiness (one level above from what we Filipinos are used to).

Bún BBQ

This is grilled pork with noodles underneath which I think is Bún chả in Vietnamese. What you have to do is mix the sauce, all of it, into the bowl with the pork and the noodles. The taste is a bit different from what you would expect - it's more sour than sweet.

Phở

You cannot fully say that you've experienced the taste of Vietnam without tasting Phở. Ours was served with mint leaves and chili pepper slices.

Recommended. Phở is best eaten when it's still hot. This is a great dish for when your good, old friend hunger comes knocking on your door, on a rainy day.

Viet Balut

You know what balut is. We asked the owner, Ms. Libby, if this was a traditional Vietnamese dish and she said that they do have balut in Vietnam but it was eaten similarly to how we eat ours. She recreated the dish, adding in sweet chili sauce and bread.

Highly recommended. It was a crime not to eat the balut with the bread and the sauce, combined. You may find it difficult to picture the taste out but it'll make sense when it actually touches your taste buds.

Sea Food Sate 

Now this is a dish that I can eat all day long - it's full of squid pieces, some shrimp and a whole lot of vegetables. When you eat this dish piece by piece, it'll feel and taste like you're eating chopsuey.

Highly recommended. You have to eat this differently, though, according to Ms. Libby. You take a piece of sea food, a piece of vegetable, dip both into the sauce (which is spicy) and then put everything together in your mouth.

Xin Chào Drink

Next up is the Xin Chào drink which is full of secret stuff. I'm kidding. It's tree saps, chia seeds and a whole bunch of other jellies. This is the restaurant's signature drink. Both myself and Sigrid were impressed that it had chia seeds in it while only costing Php50.

Tree saps added to the Xin Chao's signature drink.

Recommended. It's good for you and it's fun to eat. Try this if you want to try something different.

Tamarind Drink 

I forgot if this one was called tamarind juice or tamarind drink. Either way, I can describe it as a snack and juice in one. The taste of it is very different because of the blend of unexpected flavors.

Highly recommended. You have the coconut chips on top (favorite), followed by the nuts, the juice itself and then tamarind pieces at the bottom which you can also eat one by one.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee 

Php60

Do you love coffee? I know I do. What they do in Xin Chao is they place the grinds inside the drip which is that silver thingamajig on top of the glass, add in hot water and leave it there until the drip stops dripping. That's when you know that it's ready. Here's a video:

Sigrid told me that the Vietnamese take a while before they get to the coffee stage of the meal so they make their coffee slowly by dripping (correct me if I misinterpreted this, Sigrid). I love me a good cup of coffee and this is on my top 10 list. They even sell the drip as well as the grinds at the restaurant so you can make your own at home. I just had to bring one along with me because one cup was not enough.

Highly recommended. The taste is very rich. I'm not sure if I will enjoy it hot but, for me, this coffee is best served cold. 

"SURPRISING" + SUMMARY

While we were eating, Ms. Libby was there to explain the love that goes into making all of her dishes. She explained that Vietnamese dishes are healthy and colorful - most are made with vegetables which won't make you feel "heavy" and they are made with the freshest ingredients. They don't cook the veggies for too long because she said that it'll decrease the nutritional value - I agree. She wants her veggies crisp in most of her dishes.

She also explained that one dish could have 2, 3 or even 4 people preparing it so the effort that goes into cooking just one dish is enormous. She, by the way, has her Vietnamese cooks who are in charge of the taste and proper cooking procedure as well as Filipino employees who help in the preparation process of the food. And, this is why I was surprised that our food came out quicker than expected.

I WOULD DEFINITELY GO BACK TO THIS RESTAURANT TO ENJOY MORE OF THEIR MEALS AND DRINKS.

 There's still a lot more that I want to taste so I'm definitely going back.

• Food - 4 out of 5
• Service - 4 out of 5
• Cleanliness - 5 out of 5
• Pricing - Affordable
• Waiting time - Short

Visit Xin Chao Restaurant at Hi-Strip 4, East Area, Bacolod City. They're on the groundfloor, at the same side as Sofia's, Sander's, Nonna's and so on. You can't miss them. They're open from 9am or 10am up until 12mn and they also have sandwich carts at the Negros Farmer's Market and Lopue's East.

Connect with them on Facebook.

3 Photos for a Fat Girl's Saturday Afternoon Inspiration

I am the BCD Beauty.

I AM THIN IN PHOTOS

When I take photos intentionally, I make sure that I look good and thin in them. I achieve my goal through contouring and other makeup tricks. So far, I have managed to convince about 75% of my Facebook friends (those who don't see me that often and those who don't know me well at all) that I am, in fact, thin. The rest of the 25% which includes my crazy group of girlfriends, however, know the real score when it comes to my weight and my body shape.

I've mastered the art of looking thin in photos.

The truth is, though I may have mastered the art of making myself look think in photos with makeup and camera angles, I am a chubby girl (substitute chubby for other synonyms if you like). And, this fact has never been as "in my face" as today when I took a short trip to Gaisano City (Bacolod) for lunch.

AFTER LUNCH DIVERSION AND A BROKEN A/C

After eating a bowl of soup and 2 slices of stuffed crusted German franks pizza, I went to the department store to see if it had any good dresses. I want to buy one for the wedding I'm attending on the 22nd.

Took my time, sliding one hanger after another, chose 9 different clothing articles (count them, NINE) to try on. I didn't want to go back and forth from the clothing racks to the fitting room so brought everything all at once.

I presented my choices to the lady in charge of the fitting rooms (because you have to do this in Gaisano City, Bacolod, FYI) before stepping in and at this point, I was already sweating (severely) from walking around and not feeling the AC air goodness because it was broken.

I felt the heat even more as I struggled to put on and take off the 9 different clothing pieces. I stopped and looked at the mirror after I took off dress #8 and I told myself: "None of these fit" which was absolutely true.

Mind you that I am currently taking progesterone tablets for hormone therapy hence it kind of hit me hard. I felt heavy, tired, hot (not the good kind), sweaty, sad and irritable - I was a burrito of melancholic feels.

A SLIVER LINING OF THE FAT KIND

To cut the story short, I went home feeling [insert bad word here]. Luckily, I found an article on MarieClaire.Com, as I was browsing the interweb, that talked about Instagram banning the hashtag: #curvy. Outrageous, I know! But, within this article I found my silver lining of the beautifully fat kind:

I came to know curvy bloggers who have embraced their bodies - curves, stretchmarks, bellies and all.

I felt better after looking at the ladies' photos. Feeling more motivated, I decided to find more. In my search, I found 3 bloggers/models that you absolutely have to check out for yourself - fat girl or not.

3 Inspiring Photos of My Kind of Phat Ladies

Blog: Sometimes Glam
Blogger: Crystal

kortnijeane.com

Blog: Kathastrophal.De

Blogger: Katha

gudrunsjoeden.de

Instagram: tessholliday
Model: Tess Holliday Campaign: Sea by Monif C featuring Tess Holliday

These ladies are definitely on my favorite list. Thanks to them, as well as others who I have not included in this list, my Saturday afternoon became a little brighter and I learned a little something too: If you accept and are happy with the way you look, fat or thin, it will show outwardly.

I spent the rest of it resting, watching romantic comedy movies and eating left-over pizza.

Get a Natural Glow on Your Wedding Day with Bronzers

In our lifetime, there are only a few life events that we can truly label as "THE BIG DAY". One would have to be the day that we say "I do".

I used to do makeup for people years ago but I stopped and it's only during this year that I started doing it again. The difference is instead of getting monetary compensation for my service, I get paid in other ways: chocolates, thank yous and blog promotions.

I recently did makeup for 2 friends of mine: Georgina who got married and Kath who attended a wedding. Both needed to look great and both needed to have naturally glowing skin. I, of course, obliged. I used my Elf Golden Bronzer on them which worked like magic.

ELF Golden Bronzer - Php 259.75 or $5.74

There are different kinds of bronzers in the market: matte ones or shimmery ones with different shades and colors. On your wedding day, you'd want to apply a bronzer that's shimmery so light can refract beautifully on your skin.

I use my Elf Golden Bronzer as a highlighter - meaning that I usually apply it on the top most part of the cheeks, right above where I applied blush. I also dab a fluffy eye shadow brush on one of the colors to highlight my brow bone.

This is why I love this bronzer so much: it's versatile and the colors are just lovely. If you're doing your own makeup on your wedding day, this is the bronzer you need to give you that blushing bride glow that will make your groom lose his breath at first sight of you.

EYES

Soft shimmery pinks, blended with a warm chocolate brown color. Tight eyeliner in black with 2 coats of mascara on both upper and lower lashes.

LIPS

Non-tinted lipbalm topped with a fuschia lip liner and finished with a lilac lipstain.

HAIR

Check out my hair routine and other haircare tips here.

Disclaimer: I was not paid to advertise the product mentioned on this article.

Hair Tips that Work for the Average Jane

If I don't have my hair up in a bun, I have my hair down and it, usually looks like this. This is my hairstyle - fairly straight at the top and wavy at the ends. I've had a couple of questions thrown at me by several friends, asking how I did my hair this way and I've decided to answer the question today and add on a few of my personal hair tips.

In my opinion, these tips are very do-able and are suited to the everyday, average Jane (like myself). Just a little disclaimer: I was not paid to endorse products that I will mention.

My Hair Profile

Just like knowing what your skin type is, you have to know what your hair type is so you can choose products that are right for your hair. I don't know if there are specific names for different hair types but here's what my hair's like:

• Not oily or greasy
• Not frizzy
• Moisture is, most of the time, adequate
• Easy to style
• Thin but appears thick
• Not so easy to break
• No split ends
• Significant amount of fall out
• Long and wavy
• Colored
• With a couple of white hairs

If your hair is anything like mine, these tips are going to work wonders for you. If not, like if your hair is too dry or brittle, these might not work as well as you expect them to. My suggestion is to deep condition your hair and when it's been restored to a healthier state, you can try one or two of my hair tips.

3 Hair Tips for the Average Jane

Hair Tip #1: Do not Wash Your Hair Everyday

I do not wash my hair everyday. I know that it's been hot as heck in our country (the Philippines) lately but I still stick to my hair routine of washing my hair out every other day. This really helps my hair retain its moisture and I feel like I've avoided having split ends because of this.

Other great things that I've observed about not washing your hair everyday is your hair color becomes more vivid, your hair is easier to tame and comb and your curls, if you have some, become more defined. I definitely think that it is because of the natural oils that coat our hair.

Use baby powder as dry shampoo if you feel like your unwashed hair needs a little freshening up. Just sprinkle some on your scalp and on the ends of your hair. Massage until the white of the powder disappears. 

Hair Tip #2: Bun, Buns

This is my secret to having my wavy hair style. You're welcome.

If your hair is as long as mine, wrap it in a bun while its moist (not wet, moist) and let it stay wrapped for a couple of hours, until it totally dries up. I usually sleep with a high bun on while my hair is moist. Taking out the bun will reveal nice curls that you can redefine and style.

Apply hair gel, hair wax, hair lotion or hair cream with a good hold right before you bun up your hair. This will define your curls even more. 

Hair Tip #3: Use the Right Products

I can't really tell you what to use because I don't know your hair type specifically but here's a list of products that I've used that have worked well for me:

I use the shampoo and the conditioner. I just love how my hair feels after I wash with Total Damage Care 10 products. I do try to skip using the conditioner when its too hot as my hair gets too oily.

Another one of my favorites! When this came out, I just tried it out of curiosity and I, eventually,
ended up recommending these products to my friends. I also try to skip the conditioner when its too hot outside.

I initially bought this for my husband but hey, it works for my curls! I apply the cream on the ends of my hair right before I wrap it in a bun.

I am an avid Avon purchaser. I love looking at the catalogs and picking my orders. This one I also tried out of curiosity. Well, it was probably because it was on sale and I thought it was a good deal so...My hair smelled and felt amazing after one shampoo. Surprising coming from Avon as I had the misconception that the brand didn't really have good hair products. I did not need conditioner at all. This is definitely my go to product during hot days (which reminds me that I have to order a bottle or two this month).