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).

An Honest Review of Tee Rak Spa and Wellness Co. Bacolod

The Inside of Tee Rak

For myself and my husband, it's hard to find a good spa that we can go back to every time we feel like it. Our criteria are simple: it has to be clean, it has to have great service, it has to have a relaxing atmosphere and, most important of all, it has to have people who are good at working out kinks - keep this in mind while reading my honest review.

The Couch and the Back Area

Cleanliness and Ambiance

I think it was a Sunday night when we were driving around the city in search for a new spa to spend our, once in a blue moon, "US" time at. He mentioned a new spa (Tee Rak) where his friend Ryan was working in. We visited it and arrived at around 10:00pm or 10:30pm.

• The inside smelled like Jasmine (or some other kind of relaxing smell).

• The air conditioner was on a comfortable cool and the lights were dim - very relaxing.

• They had a lot of seating which was a plus.

Hands down, there was no question that this place was clean and relaxing. However, they were all booked, just like every other spa we went to before this one, so we decided to just go back after an hour when there was a free masseuse and masseur (as instructed by the nice lady at the reception).

Service

We went back, precisely, after an hour after. There was still a couple having there backs done so we had to wait a couple of minutes, they said. No big deal especially because the owner (very accommodating) instructed us to sit on the recliners at the back so we can begin to relax while we wait for our turn.

Soaking feet in warm water before the massage.

• The owner extended his offer of letting us relax on the recliners instead of just us sitting on the couch, waiting.

We did not have to wait long. The two massage therapists that were assigned to us arrived about 6-8mins after we got our feet up. They gave us slippers and got our warm foot soaks ready. At this point, I was full on decided that this was THE spa we were looking for.

• Though we arrived precisely after an hour, we didn't have to wait long for our turn so I was under the impression that they timed or scheduled the massages accurately.

• The therapists were very instructional. I mention this because I know how it is to go to the spa for the first time and not know what you need to do next.

Working Out the Kinks

We went for the Tee Rak Combination Massage. If I had to rate the massage from 1 to 5, I'm going to give it a 3.5 because I felt like not all areas of my body were "worked out" enough. This, of course, is a matter of preference but, still, it was a pretty good massage. If I opted for just a plain back massage, it would have been better for me.

Will give you a choice of water or tea after your massage.

• Massage is 3.5 out of 5.
• Serves the usual warm water or tea after your massage.

Packages

Aside from the above mentioned, here are other things that I like about this spa: they have packages and they have discount hours.

A discount or a savings is always a plus in my book. I know that Tee Rak is fairly new but I'm hoping that they will continue the great work that they're doing to increase and maintain their customer loyalty. Personally, I and my husband will be spending more "US" times here soon!

FOTD: Neutral Eyes + Blue Eye Liner (on Waterline) + Makeup Tips

My Before Picture. I look like a boy.

Today was rainy as heck. I was supposed to go somewhere with my besties but the rain did not look like it was going to go away anytime soon. I decided to stay home and get some work done; that included getting some posts up for my blog. Decided on a Face of the Day post and here it is.

FOTD: Blue Eyeliner on the Lower Lashline

Still looking like a boy after foundation, contour and brows.

The Face Up Close

Product List:

BROWS

- Koshize Brow Pencil in Dark Brown

- Etude House Brow Mascara in Dark Brown

FACE

- Ever Bilena Foundation Stick in (the color is in Japanese Characters)

- Revlon Photo Ready in Shell

- Palladio Rice Powder in Translucent

- Contour and Highlighting Palette (no brand product)

- Model Co Matte Bronzer

- Revlon Color Stay Concealer in Light

- Physician's Formula Concealer Twins

- VS Blush from Model on the Go Kit

EYES

- 180 Eyeshadow Palatte (no brand item)

- Maybelline Gel Liner in Black

- VS Lash Dare Mascara

- Fashion 21 Double Up Mascara

Mea's Quick Makeup Tips

Tip #1: Contouring is important because it can make you (your face, I mean) look thinner without ever having to step into the gym.Tip #2: My eyes look lengthier than they really are. That's because of the winged liner. Draw one on to lengthen or augment your eye shape.Tip #3: Wear this look to a party. You can even pull off wearing this at a wedding with a teal or turquoise theme (granted that your outfit is of the same color). It'll really give your eyes that extra pop!

Before and After

Thanks for reading and See you soon for more FOTDs!