MAYBELLINE: The Perfect First Impression Mission

Research shows that it only takes up to 8 seconds to make a first impression.

Believe me -- I know how nerve wracking it is on the first day. Be it for work, for class or just meeting someone new, first impressions aren't always spot on, but they matter. So to avoid those awkward misconceptions, it's always good to put your best foot forward.

There are a few simple things you can take into consideration to make sure you leave the best impression.

#1 The Look

They say that clothes make the person. The way you put yourself together and your entire demeanor is affected by the way you dress. So one simple rule to remember? Dress to impress. Be it for meeting new friends, the first day of school, the first date or your first day on the job -- the way you dress makes all the difference.

Another way to make an impression?

#2 The Eyes

It's amazing what a difference the eyes can make. After all, they have been said to be the windows to our soul. So change your look up, not just with your eye makeup, but with your eyebrows as well. Go for the natural look, the polished look, or the more recently popular Korean eyebrow look to go from playful to sultry to a natural beauty.

Eye makeup also does half the work for you, whether you want to appear like a sweetheart girl next door or go the extra mile with those mile-high lashes, your eyes tend to tell a lot about you.

So if one half is the eyes, what's the other?

#3 Instant Skin Perfection

Some people are fortunate enough to have that natural flawless finish. Lowly humans like us, however, have Maybelline.

Maybelline wants to help you make the perfect first impression with its new line of 8-in-1 BB Creams that are perfect for everybody.

The Maybelline Clear Smooth Shine Free Clear Stick the first BB Stick to offer 12 hour anti-shine matte finish perfect for people with oily skin. If you want that put-together matte look, this stick is perfect for you. Rest assured that your makeup will stay in place and shine free, and with SPF21 PA+++, this stick offers decent UV protection for hot days out.

Apply the stick in key areas of the face and blend outward, giving you a matte even finish. Top the look off with some modest matte contouring to achieve that put-together professional look.

If your skin lacks that radiant glow, Maybelline Clear Smooth 8-in-1 Skin Transformer BB Cream offers brightening, evening, smoothening, refining, clearing, concealing,and moistrurizing properties. So for that natural glow, and all-day wear, you don't need to look any further.

And for those of you recovering from that fresh summer tan, keep your skin in check from harmful UV rays with Maybelline Clear Smooth BB White with SPF50 PA+++ for ultimate sun protection.

Use both these products to achieve the perfect radiant glow. Choose a shade that matches your skin tone and apply in dots in key areas before blending outward for a smooth even finish. Highlight points of your face that catch light and blend liberally to achieve that radiant natural glow perfect for a day out or meeting your friends.

Change yourself up and make that perfect first impression.

Want to find out what first impression you make on others?

Take Maybelline's First Impressions Meter and find out. It is a fun, one-of-a-kind app that gives you 8 seconds to decide your first impression of other people, while they decide their first impression of you!

Because #firstimpressionsmatter

Wanna learn more? Visit Maybelline Phillippine's Facebook Page for more tips and tricks on how to make the perfect first impression.

Follow me!
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Google + | Bloglovin

FOTD + OOTD = LOTD Casual Camo

I'm horrible with all this beauty blogger terminology. I don't even know if LOTD is a legit term. It reminds me  more of Land of the Dead than it does Look of the Day. *Shudder* what a horrid comparison. This post is an FOTD-OOTD combo so I guess it counts as a Look of the day? Hahaha, I'm hopeless.

click to enlarge

Ohemgee it's GREEN. Lol. I heard that this year's color was emerald green. To be quite honest, I cringed internally when I heard the news. I'm not a huge fan of green, despite my site layout being partially green :P In an effort to get into the hype, I started wracking my brain as to what I could do to pull green off in a makeup look. And while this isn't exactly emerald green, I feel like it's a hundred times better. BUTT-KICKING CAMO GREEN FTW.

Like a lot of my colored looks, the eye makeup is pretty subtle. Unless I'm playing around in my room, I don't tend to go crazy with makeup. I made this very wearable because, well, I was wearing it out that day :P My outfit wasn't exactly camo to be precise. It was more of a dull grey-olive military green so I thought why not try to incorporate it in my makeup? The result wasn't too bad.

There really isn't much out of the ordinary in this makeup look, just the pop of color from the green eyeshadow I used in my VS Palette. Other than that, it's almost exactly like my Everyday Peach FOTD. Surprisingly the color stands out a lot more IRL than it comes out on camera.

To make the colors stand out more IRL, I weant with a super nude lip by dabbing just a tiny bit of my Lip and Cheek Tint from The Body Shop and then subsequently concealing it with some liquid concealer. A secret step I like doing is applying a thin thin thin layer of petroleum jelly and dusting some of my  E.L.F. Peachy Keen blush on so the result is matte with a peach tint and the color from the lip tint popping out just a little bit. This way I have a subtle nude lip without making my lips look too dull.

Because this technique is quite drying, I made sure to moisturize my lips with some chapstick before applying all the product. I wouldn't recommend this technique for people with dry lips, you might just end up looking like you have gunk on your lips x_x When done correctly with practice though, the result looks a lot better.

If you'll notice in the above picture, my face is a few shades lighter than my neck. I tried to hide it with some matte bronzer, but all the blame goes to Lioele's Beyond the Solution BB Cream. Let's just say I tried it out, was disappointed with it, but didn't have enough time to remove it. So I tried my best to make do hahaha. I hope it isn't too obvious.

My actual outfit, however, has little to do with camo other than its color scheme :P Nothing I'm wearing is above 500 php (12USD), unless you count my shoes, but I wear them so often I'm sure their net value has dwindled down to a tiny little sum. LOL. Despite the cheapness of my outfit, I got a lot of compliments on it. BUDGET SHOPPING FTW!

Despite popular opinion, I think my pigtails look cute in this outfit. Who says pigtails have to be juvenile, eh?

Anyway, that's it for another FOTD and OOTD. What did you guys think? Are you all for emerald green this year? Or are you as averse to it as I am?

Ada, signing out.

Winter Ballerina Pt 2 - OOTD

Hey Guys! Yesterday I showed you a sneak peek of the outfit that came with my Winter Ballerina FOTD. Today I bring you my Winter Ballerina OOTD.

LOL I am so not used to wearing things like this. But heck, we survived the end of the world. I think it's time to live a little. Surprisingly, most of these clothes I found buried in my closet from disuse :P Yay for reinventing your wardrobe!

The shawl or outer piece or whatever you call it is something my mother bought for me four years ago on our trip to L.A. at a T.J. Maxx. No shame in admitting that I shopped at a T.J. Maxx. Half the clothes there are better than what I own here in the Philippines anyway, and at half the price LOL. I remember not really using it that much because it was Large when as you can probably tell, I am an extra small. But for this look it doesn't look oversized, it just looks cozy and cute haha.

The frilly top is another piece I rarely wear from Promod. I could never really pair it right with anything. That is until I got this skirt. Funny story - this skirt was actually for one of my underclassmen at college. She was our muse for a sporting event and needed something poofy to wear under the skirt we made her, so I went scouring Greenhills for it. This was one of the two I found which were supposed to be layered, but she ended up just using one. This skirt is finally being put to good use again today haha.

And by far my favorite part of this OOTD - the shoes. These are the same shoes I wore to my Senior Prom haha. When you buy things for events like prom you usually think they're a one-use type of thing. Apparently not. These shoes are semi-heel-less have these cute sparkly stones on them. The heels are works of art in themselves with shiny embosses and the straps just add to the cute dainty feel, don't you think?

One thing I really love about this look is how versatile it is. The first few pictures show you how you can wear it when it's a little warm out (which it is here in the Philippines. Damn you tropical climate!) and on the other hand it also makes itself pretty cozy and wrapped up if needed as you see above. So you go from sexy in one picture to cute, shy and innocent in another haha.

I'd also like to give a special mention, once again, to the hair. I've really become quite fond of the sock bun lately and here it is yet again. This time I did it a little off-center so as to lessen the formal and make it look more doable for casual occasions. The flower clips I used are from Forever21 and really give this look a feminine feel.

So how'd you guys like it? Ready to rummage through some of your old clothes and reinvent your wardrobe? Remember, even your oldest pieces can become part of a pretty new outfit. Why not share some of your closet rummaging experiences as well? Feel free to tell me in the comments if you've had any experience reusing some old clothing like me haha.

Speaking of bringing life to old things, the next few posts will be a Year-End Review just to recap the past six months that this blog has become active. I hope then you'll be looking forward to it just as much as I am. So join me in that little bout of nostalgia, mmkay?

For now enjoy the rest of the season as well as the rest of the year~ All up until new years, okay? Thanks for everything!

Ada, signing out.

Winter Ballerina Pt 1 - FOTD + Lash Review

Hey guys! As promised, I'm back with another FOTD and a matching OOTD to come with it.

Today I'm sharing you a look that's somewhat similar to my Everyday Peach FOTD but you can probably tell that this concentrated more on highlighting, shimmer and it definitely has a pinker feel to it as opposed to a flat neutral. I was inspired by some cute pink and girly Tokyo fashion and thought, hey why not add a little Tokyo to my repertoire of OOTDs? Granted, not all Tokyo fashion looks like this, but a lot of the ones being posted on Tumblr remind me of little winter ballerinas, thus the title of this series of posts.

I say series because I'm splitting this post into two - one to concentrate on the FOTD and one to concentrate on the OOTD, though I'll be posting a shot of the outfit on this post as well :)

click to enlarge

This look is almost the complete opposite of my last one. While the last was vivid, colorful and bold, this one is more subtle, gentle and girly.

Eyes
I think the highlight of the entire look is the softness of the tone of the eye contributed by the brown gel eyeliner, but the definition that the false eye lashes and thin line of liquid liner gives. You might understand what I mean better if you look at the closeup of the eye makeup in the picture below by enlarging it. The double layer of liner gives the eye a subtle hint of dimension and is definitely a trick I recommend you guys try out. Thick light-toned eyeliner under and thin dark black liner over. This is also one of those rare occasions that I sport falsies, but even still they're very natural looking. I used the Etude House Clear Line Natural Lash in 06 which are wishbone top lashes with a clear band for ultra natural looking enhancement.

Each little wishbone is tied into a knot which allows you to distribute the lashes any way you want. For this look I concentrated the individual lashes to the far end while leaving the inner parts sparse. I cut off a bit of the tip so it would fit into my eye. The set actually comes with some pretty legit lash glue that's hell to remove after. But one thing I actually like about it is that it has this iridescence to it when you apply it to the lash so you can tell exactly how much you're actually applying. At the same time, the glue comes with a wand so it's actually a lot easier to moderate how much lash glue you're using. The false lashes themselves are pretty sturdy and the band is quite flexible without being flimsy. A little caution though if you're going to curl these lashes. They tend to fold as opposed to curl when using a lash curler with a heavy hand so make sure to be gentle if ever.

The rest of the eye is straightforward - white shimmery eyeshadow on the inner corners and inner third of my eye, working toward a pink gradient that tapers off into a nice light brown, all from the E.L.F. 100-piece eye shadow palette. I highlighted my brows with a pink-toned highlighter and emphasized my inner corners with a white eyeliner from Prestige and then blended it out for a frosty effect. I also dusted some dark brown on the outer third of my lower lash line to make my eyes seem more almond shaped. The result was a very subtle Japanese magazine inspired look.

Lips
My lips will probably look familiar to you because I used the same lipstick as in my Everyday Peach FOTD. But to make the color stand out more, I defined the edges of my lips with some Etude House Surprise Essence Concealer so my lips had a more definite line of distinction between my skin. At the same time, to lessen the warm tone of the lipstick, I laid a very thin coat of my favorite Dior Addict Ultra Gloss in Pearl 267 for a pinker tone.

Face
I think the face is really what makes this look stand out. I really went all out highlighting my cheekbones and under eye to give my face a brighter look so as to echo shimmery snow when the light hits it. I also used a pinker plush and concentrated a lot on the apples of my cheeks. Contouring and highlighting was key in this look and I think the subtle highlight on my nose and Cupid's bow really makes a difference :)

Of course this look wouldn't really make sense if I don't show you the outfit I put together to go along with it.

Here's a sneak peek of Part 2 of this winter-inspired FOTD/OOTD combo. Stay tuned for more tomorrow!

Ada, signing out.

EDIT: I selected this post to be featured on Make Up Blogs. Please visit the site and vote for my blog!

OOTD: Cozy Blue

Whoo~ I'm back with another outfit of the day. This was from quite a while back, mid-November when the weather was just starting to gain some semblance of coolness to it. And by coolness, I mean it's at most 24 degrees in the morning as opposed to the usual 30+. Thus I, being the eager beaver that I am, was excited to finally be able to wear this cute little blue knit sweater my aunt got me from XXI.

I know blue isn't the typical color for a sweater but it was just so eye-catchingly bright. I've always had a thing for brightly colored sweaters, I just never could get the chance to wear them with the weather here in the Philippines, but considering that the days are getting colder, plus the fact that almost all my classes are being held in frigidly air-conditioned rooms, I finally got to put this baby (and hopefully more of my warmer clothing) to use. Surprisingly, even when worn out in the sun, this sweater didn't feel too hot. Probably because of the aeration of the holes. But it did keep me quite cozy during class and in the cold mornings.

Sweaters are so incredibly easy to style with simple accessories. The necklace I have on is actually one I got free from a dress I got in Bangkok. The simple rustic feel does wonders with the brightly covered sweater. It also went pretty well with coral hair accessories and a belt contrasting the cool tones of the blue. Since I was so covered up on top, I decided to balance it out with some denim shorts, and my favorite boots. It makes for a pretty canvas of color, really :P

I've been doing my hair in braids quite often recently. I think I'm starting to get a hang of the technique. While it would usually take me thirty minutes to muster a decent looking french or dutch braid, I can actually do one in under 15 minutes now hahaha. It's far from the ideal, but hey, it's progress. Also, excuse the flatness of my bangs in these pictures. They sorta lost their volume throughout the day, plus I didn't actually do anything to them to make them look more bang-like lol.

Now that December's here, are there any fashion pieces you think are more appropriate this time of year? Feel free to share down in the comments. I love exchanging ideas with you guys haha.

BTW, just another reminder to go ahead and join Amanda's Giveaway! Check it out below by clicking on the pic below~!

Ada, signing out.

OOTD: Cartoon Casual

Taking a break from product reviews for awhile. I hope you guys don't mind :3 Just thought I'd share another OOTD. This one isn't as prim and proper as the past few ones. In fact it's pretty laid back haha.

If you guys have followed this blog for a while, you'll know that I'm a huge art junky. Actually, if I hadn't gone to a science high school I most likely would have wanted to enter an arts high school and I'd end up in the College of Fine Arts instead of the College of Science in my in university. That being said, I guess this look is a tribute to what could have been, haha. Thus, quite appropriately, I chose to shoot in one of the artsiest places on campus, the Fine Arts Wall.

Every year (or semester? I'm not quite sure). The students of Fine Arts repaint the wall with a different theme or concept. This year seems to draw inspiration from mainstream media, but then again, I'm not sure. Do you guys recognize any of the characters? Either way, it's always fun to come by here and see what's new. They do this so frequently that it seems that the wall gets thicker and thicker each year with each new painting. You can see how thick the paint is judging by the cracks near the bottom.

I thought my outfit matched the ambiance quite well, no? What with the cute moe anime girl on my shirt and the mustache statement necklace haha. Excuse my pose, it's a rather awkward position, but I tried, okay!?!? lol.

I spot Lumpy Space Princess, Darth Sidius/Palpatine, and No-Face/Kaonashi haha. How vibrant.

I'm actually very fond of this necklace. It makes me look like a sir. A rather uncouth and slightly crazy sir, but a sir nonetheless.

While we were shooting a random student whose identity I forget came up to us and asked if he could take a few shots. This was the result haha. It's a rather artsy shot and I guess you can attribute the picture's general lack of my face to creative freedom. I quite like it actually.

Well, that's pretty much it. Nothing very special about this look. I actually think the venue carried all of the merit of this shoot. Who knows, maybe next year I'll return and see what's up next for the University of the Philippines Fine Arts Wall.

Ada, signing out.

OOTD: Old School Casual

Hey there guys! Miss me?

Things are finally starting to kick in where academics are concerned so get ready for the figurative juggling act that is my trying to keep on track with posts haha. So here I am with another LOTD set at my university's film center (University of the Philippines Film Center). I wasn't exactly sure what to call this look since it was rather normal IMO. I think my hair just upped the ambiance a bit and tipped it over to a more kawaii look.

The door behind me actually has some sentimental value since this is where I shot one of my very first photoshoots in my university for a contest haha. The door has a perfect balance between rustic and modern IMO, making it a simple yet aesthetically pleasing venue for a shoot.

The theme was Mafia. Do I look like a hitgirl to you? haha.

That being said, I'm back here more than two years later for a shoot with no significant purpose but to show off a look-of-the-day haha. Shallow vanity indeed.

My clothes are all quite cheap so it's not really worth mentioning where I got them (aka, bargain shopping ftw). I think the subtle navy blue lace of my shorts and floral print of my blouse look exceptional together, despite their price haha. Again, my favorite boots make a stunning appearance :P

I only realize now how large high-waist shorts make my thighs look haha. Sorry for the meat legs. I tried fixing them with shadowing but there's no hope haha.

My hair was done similar to how I did it in my Classic Demure look, except that the bun was set higher on my head for added poof haha. And the result was my failed attempt at looking cute.

So what do you guys think?

Ada, Signing out.

OOTD: Back to School Floral

So Thursday was the start of a new semester for me. The first few days of class aren't very hectic because most teachers are on break hangover just like we are so we end up only having numerous orientations and sometimes the teachers don't even show up. Needless to say, I apparently happen to have some rather responsible teachers because all of them showed up on the first day of class. Bleh, I was even late for my first class. What a way to start the sem.

That aside, I always get dismissed at 2:30 (pretty early IMO) on Thursdays so I managed to sneak in a few shots of my outfit that day :P A special look for a semi-special day I guess haha.

The dress is a cheap steal from JAG, so it's not really much to rave about. I'm a bit of a cheapskate when it comes to clothes - if the make is good and it looks pretty then why not? Although I am a sucker for brands sometimes. Probably the only most expensive things in this outfit are my shoes and my bag.

That bag is surprisingly thirteen years old from United Colors of Benetton. I've always been taught to take care of my belongings so I'm proud it's lasted long enough to be called semi-vintage haha. The shoes on the other hand are from Naturalizer (N5 Comfort) made with real leather and suede. My aunt got them for me on sale for 120 USD as a graduation present. They seem to do their job well as an everyday college-life pair of shoes.

It was a rather gloomy day that day and the sky was overcast so I had to cheat a little and up the saturation to make the blue really shine through. Why waste a beautiful setting with a gloomy sky, right?

The glory of the amphitheater speaks for itself.

These photos were taken at the new Science Complex in UP Diliman. My new home for the last few sems of my college life. It's become a famous photoshoot setting for a lot of people because of the greenery and landscape. A testimony to this is the fact that while we were shooting these photos, another group of people were shooting what I think to be blogshop photos as well haha. Our complex is famous!

Another thing I'm pretty proud of is my hair that day haha. Yeah, I actually exerted effor this time :P I think braids go beautifully with this outfit don't you think? The flower clip is one of a pair I got from F21 :P. Yeah, I'm cheap. Sue me.

I could post a tutorial on this braid if you guys want, so just tell me if you do :P It's actually very simple =_="""

I would have taken more photos but then it started drizzling. Poo you, rain D: It isn't very clear just how overcast the sky was here because of my awezome photoshop skills but yeah. Shortly after it started pouring D: So much for a nice bright day. At least my outfit's ambiance lasted for a short while haha.

I'd ask you guys to share your back to school outfits as well, but that ship has sailed and gone. I blame the Philippines for having an odd academic calendar. Owell.

So what do you guys think?

Ada, signing out.

LOTD: Classic Demure

Been pretty busy preparing for the resumption of class lately. Ohnoes. Hopefully I'll still be able to keep up a regular blogging routine, but since I have some time on my hands, I thought I'd cap my sembreak off with a simple LOTD.

I used the sock bun technique on my hair, which worked out pretty well considering the length and thickness of my hair. The bun could've been much poofier had I wanted it to be lol.

I was going for a more Audrey Hepburn type of look but realized that with my bangs I wouldn't be able to pull it off exactly. Close enough.

Sorry for the shoulder up shots. Until I get a better tripod and better lit room this'll all have to suffice haha. So what do you guys think?

Ada, signing out.