A major change and all those blessings in between

I can't believe it's almost the end of the year! It seems only last week when I was driven up the wall, packing all my stuff to go home to good old Manila, saying hasty goodbyes to everyone in Lah-Lah Land, and excitedly anticipating my first Christmas back home...and when I checked the calendar, it's been almost a year since then. 11 months, 3 weeks and 4 days ago, to be precise.

And so life goes on.

I am currently in the middle of yet another major change. Now that I think of it, some of the biggest changes in my life came around October/November. It was around that time 11 years ago that my ex-boyfriend and I decided to become a couple (and now I'm married to the guy!). This time last year saw me moving homes between two countries. And now I am in the midst of moving on to another job.

Well, not exactly moving on. Sort of a homecoming, I should say. I finally accepted an offer from the TV station I used to work with to rejoin them. Not as a talent anymore (not that I would mind), but as a regular employee that would allow me to work within the sphere I had been so used to for more than 10 years, yet be able to keep more reasonable hours (or so I hope). Coming home to Manila to go back to what I've loved doing all this time...I have no other way to call it but poetic justice.

But no matter how sweet the offer was, I was in a quandary for some time, thinking of ways of how to break it to my current employer. After all, there was no love lost between us when I decided to move countries. In fact, they have given me the most unheard-of and the most considerate employee arrangement I've ever found myself in: I was given the chance to keep my job abroad while working at home in Manila. I'd like to think I've done something right in all that time I was employed with them, because no ordinary person would deserve that. And no ordinary boss will just shell out that privilege for that matter.

And so now you understand why my resignation letter was just a blank white page for almost a week after signing the offer sheet from New Employer. I felt like a traitor.

But...

...my Divine Writer reminded me that following His plans does not make one a sell-out. One fine morning, I opened my office email and I found just the solution I was waiting for. My boss emailed me saying he needed to cancel my work permit as he had exceeded his quota for foreign workers. Of course, not being based there made me the best candidate because I didn't really need a permit to work/stay there anymore. Note that while he was saying he needed to cancel my work pass, he was still considerate enough to ask me what the implications would be on my end.

After reading the message, I felt it was the cue I was waiting for. If that wasn't Divine Intervention, I don't know what else is. And so I emailed him my resignation letter. (Fine, I know it isn't exactly within the boundaries of etiquette that one emails the boss her resignation letter...but, hey, this is an unconventional set-up and I place myself as an exception)

If you're curious about the contents of my letter, suffice it to say that I decided to come clean. I felt honesty was the way to go. So I told them I was given an offer to go back to my industry of choice, with a very good position, to boot. And that a work-at-home set-up was not as ideal as I thought it would be. Boss graciously accepted the letter and simply told me that "the possibility to pursue one's desire or aspiration is truly immeasurable." Awww :')

So that's Blessing Number 1. Going back to the old without burning any bridges. It feels great.

And as if that wasn't enough, we were given yet another surprise. Hubby got some unexpected recognition from his bosses for all his hard work. Without really going into the details (he hates it that I post so much about our lives online...), the recognition cemented, more than anything, that this is really where we're supposed to be.

And the biggest blessing of all...

(No, I'm not [yet] pregnant. I leave the timing to my Divine Writer.)

Hubby and I took a leap of faith and invested in our family's future. We bought a piece of property that we thought is a good buy. At first, we were having second thoughts because we felt we might not have enough resources to finance that. But, you know what, the Big Guy Up There wasn't quite finished with us. He proved yet again that when you follow His plans, He will provide. And provide the resources He did. And so we found ourselves signing contracts and issuing cheques like there's no tomorrow.

All these changes are a happy-kind-of-scary feeling. All the decisions we took in the past few months and weeks feel so grown-up.

However, we remain child-like in one matter: our faith. We believe we are on the right path, and when we stay positive, we witness that the universe conspires to listen to the quiet whispers of our hearts :)

Sad Day

iBelieve iSpeak for an entire generation when iSay iMourn the passing of an iCon.

Thank you, Steve Jobs, for putting the future in the palms of our hands. Rest well and Sync in Peace.

Photo from apple.com

5 Years Old Tomorrow

I was backtracking my posts today and realised tomorrow is my blog's 5th year anniversary. That said, I have to think of something worthwhile to post.

I need inspiration.

Etude House Haul

Because I heard from a make up junkie friend that the Dr. Oil Solution Anti Shine Dual Primer was worth a try, I decided to visit a nearby Etude House to buy myself one. This is Part 2 of my continuing search for the perfect make up primer.

And because a girl [like me] simply cannot walk into a cosmetic shoppe and get just one thing, here's a teaser of my haul:

All these cost me only PHP2,000 (less than USD50)

Clockwise, from left: Collagen Moistfull Essence-in Foundation (Natural Beige), Dr. Oil Solution Anti-Shine Dual Primer Moisture and Pore Cover, Surprise Essence Concealer, Nail Lacquer and Perfect Brow Kit.

So far, I have tried everything once. Will post reviews when I get to know them better.

Spoiler Brats

Obviously, this is a rant-related post.

Today is the American Idol Season 10 finale. As expected, there are some who just couldn't resist posting the results.

It's probably my fault that I checked my FB and Twitter accounts right before the winner was declared. Serves me right. Now I know who the winner is even before I've seen the show.

What is it with certain people's desire to announce to the world that they're the first to know? Is it a childish impulse? Is it a deep seated wish to be superior to everyone else? Or is it simply to annoy others? And I'm not just talking about AI results. It could be a boxing match, the Oscars, the FIFA championship match...you know, those things that you'd rather watch from start to finish. Reminds me of that one time many years ago when I said I wanted to watch "The Sixth Sense", and my colleague pointed out that Bruce Willis was a ghost. Thank goodness she hasn't found her way to my friend's list (yet).

I know that some of those who post the spoilers probably just forget the fact that we live in different time zones. That's an honest mistake and it's forgivable. But I'm sure that, on your friend's list, you can readily identify who the spoiler brats are.

I have a few on my list. And my expectations did not fail me. They did post the information on their status messages.

I know that in this day and age, things like that are inescapable. Events are already on the news as they unfold. One of the pitfalls of technology, I guess. I just wish that some individuals would learn to be a bit more sensitive (especially if most of their friends live in the same time zone as theirs!). And if it isn't the most ironic of ironies, they themselves are some of the most sensitive and reactionary people I know...as if the world owes them sensitivity when they themselves are not ready to give it.

The "unfriend" button lurks somewhere and is giving me a knowing look. It's probably a better friend at this point.

Maroon 5 and the Rapture

I know I said previously that I would do one of three things: sell my tickets, give them away or throw them out. Well, I ate my words and I went ahead to watch Maroon 5, anyway.

First of all, let me tell you that I will NEVER EVER EVER again buy silver tickets if a concert is going to be staged at the SMX Convention Centre. It's just not worth it. The stage was too far away, and being vertically challenged didn't help my case. And there were those POSTS in the middle of the venue. And the SCAFFOLDING. And those BOUNCERS that were just all over the place and would happily stand in front of you. And those gold ticket holders who STOOD on their effing chairs.

I miss Singapore's concert scene. I was always close enough to feel the artists' sweat splash down on me. And tickets are not ridiculously expensive.

As a result of that, I have no decent pictures to show. After trying to video everything on my phone (no DSLRs allowed inside...) and realising just how crappy my view was, I contented myself with just plain audio recording. And, yeah, just watching and letting the music take over me.

They played a few songs from each of their three albums. But, of course, the crowd responded best to their hits from the first album such as "This Love", "She Will Be Loved", "Harder to Breathe" and "Sunday Morning".

If only for the music, it was worth it to go to the concert. I would definitely watch them again, given a chance. But, like I said, forget about silver tickets. And I think the concert organisers could do better next time. Judging by the less-than-stellar attendance (there were a lot of people, but not enough to be a sold-out concert), perhaps poor marketing (the sponsors' booths were really dismal and I felt the mileage was not worth the bang) and over-zealous bouncers (imagine stopping teenage kids from bouncing on the floor - they were having a good time, for crying out loud!), the organisers still have loooots of room for improvement.

That said, I don't regret going to the concert because it's still Maroon 5, after all. And I still think Adam Levine is sexeeehhh.

**********

So watching the concert was my first post-apocalyptic act. And here was hubby and I's last act a few hours before the alleged Rapture:

Just in case we didn't have enough time to grab our wedding bands.

L'Oreal Base Magique - Does It Really Work Like Magic?

I've been on the look out for a good make up primer for the past few weeks. Blame it on the upcoming wedding season and all those photo ops that come with such occasions. After all, why would I want my oily face tagged on Facebook, right? 

Dang you, Mark Zuckerberg. Not only have you redefined social networking, you've also succeeded in being the bane of every girl's wardrobe and make up kit.

Anyway, what got me interested in a primer was the fact that I hate retouching. And with the temperature soaring and me sweating like a pig, my make up is bound to be all gone within 10 minutes of heat. I also tend to sweat up along the eyelids, so you can just imagine how my eyeshadow is going to hold up at 34 degrees Celsius. Since one of the weddings I'm attending is a beach wedding, I decided it's about time a primer found its home in my make up kit.

I visited some cosmetic counters and found primers from MAC and Shisheido but I found them a bit too pricey for a product that I'll be trying for the first time. One jar can easily cost me above USD50, so until the primer firmly establishes itself as a need, I decided to hold off my purchase and looked for a more inexpensive alternative.

And here's what I found:

L'Oreal Base Magique Transforming Smoothing Primer

Here's how they describe the product:

"Transform your bare skin texture: The first smoothing primer that makes your lines and pores invisible for a visible and touchable smoothness.

A unique blend of silicon oils and soft light powders create a sensational smoothing velvet formula to refine the skin.

• Smooth wrinkles and fine lines
• Perfectly hides pores
• Skin imperfections are corrected

The rosy shade brings out the translucency on the bare skin tone."

Here's how the actual product looks like:

Photo from kikay.exchange.ph

The product is light pink in colour, with a smooth and velvety texture. Imagine baby powder mixed with silicon gel and you'll get the picture. At the L'Oreal counter, I tested the product on the skin on my hand and I was captivated by the dreamy smoothness. I also layered some liquid foundation on the patch of skin and discovered it blends quite well. I got myself a 50ml jar. Usual price is at PHP945 (about USD22), but since it was on sale, it was a steal at PHP709 (about USD16)!

One thing I learnt about handling this product is that a little goes a long way. I made the mistake of plunking small dots on my face, when what I should have actually done was loosen a small portion with my fingertips before applying on skin (What...? I was excited. So sue me.). As a result, the primer kind of caked in some areas of my face, so I had to reduce the amount of product before I could apply my foundation.

After I corrected that, I can tell you that my make up glided on smoothly. There was a noticeable difference especially in the eye area, as I felt the eyeshadow blended better and held on longer. My eye colour held up for the rest of the day, and looked as fresh as when I first applied it. Even my concealer and cheek colour stayed on. The T-zone was another story, however. In the future, I think I will use the product sparingly on that area, as there is a tendency to oil up as the day wears on. Nothing that a bit of powder can't fix, though.

I'm not too sure about the product's ability to "perfectly hide pores" and correct skin imperfections. I felt the concealer is still a must to hide some blemishes. Upon closer inspection, there was no noticeable difference in my pore size, but since they're not really big to begin with, I didn't find too much of an issue with that. However, if you have big pores and intend to hide it using this product, you might be a bit disappointed. As for hiding fine lines, well, I don't really think one product has the power to do that; I still think the best way to camouflage it would be to use a combination of moisturiser, primer, concealer and foundation...without overdoing it, of course.

Overall, I am quite satisfied with the product. Do note, though, that my purpose in trying out this primer is for my make up to hold longer. Hiding fine lines and blemishes was NOT my main motivation.

Would I buy this product again? I think so. It might actually be my go-to product because it is not that expensive, easy to find and does the job quite well. Would I finally invest in a MAC or Shisheido primer? Perhaps.

Has the primer firmly established itself as a make up essential? A resounding YES! :)

The L'Oreal Base Magique Transforming Smoothing Primer: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclaimer: This product review is based on my personal experience. It is in no way compensated by the company and does not necessarily reflect their own views of the product.