Lana Del Rey Illustration by me :)

Unfinished business.lol. Painted the hair first after I did the sketch.

It's my first time to use watercolor on my illustrations.I was a bit afraid I'd mess up the whole thing but I'm glad I didn't :) It turned out the way I want it to be.The result seems okay to me.hehe
If you're not familiar/if you have no idea who Lana Del Rey is, she's an American singer-songwriter. Just heard a song from her last December. Thought it was nice and yes,she's pretty. So when I looked at her,I knwo exactly what I have to do-->make a portrait of her! I don't know why but I find it much easier to draw girls with Caucasian features.lol.There's a lot of portrait of her all over the net but I hope you like mine. hehehe

My favorite Lana Del Rey soundtrack is "Born To Die". It sounds so tiring but it suites my taste in music :D
plus, she's so pretty in the music video wearing her hair wreath and retro inspired make-up.

• Everything is going to work out. Your dreams and hopes will find their place in this world.
• Smile freely. Your smile lights up your face.Your smile is one easy way to make someone’s day.
• It will get better. Give yourself and life time.
• Your fears are only as powerful as you allow them to be. Don’t allow them to paralyze you from living your life.
• I know you get lonely but that doesn’t mean you are alone. There are so many people who love and need you. Loneliness comes and goes. It won’t stay forever.
• It’s okay not to be okay all the time.
• Don’t be afraid of the work ahead of you. That’s how you learn, how you grow, and most importantly how you get to where you want to be.
• Getting lost is how you get found.
• Don’t be afraid to take detours.
• Vulnerability is not weakness.

• Your life doesn’t revolve around a man. Your story is one about love of self before any other kind of love. Please don’t forget that.
• Your scars might not be physical but they are still there. They are a part of you. Reminders of internal battles you have won. Don’t ignore them or feel ashamed of them. They are a part of your story but they don’t define you.
• You are beautiful. Really, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. I know some days you don’t feel beautiful but even then YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. Let yourself embrace your beauty. Don’t dampen it with negative thoughts or cruel words.
• If you don’t believe in yourself, and I mean wholeheartedly believe in yourself no one else will. You’ve got to have that faith and confidence in who you are, what you want, and how you choose to live. You have to believe in yourself. Your dreams, your talents, and your hopes for this life you have.
• Don’t just give good advice take it too. Teach and learn. Learn and teach.
• Do the things you love because you love them. Nothing else matters. Not compliments, recognition, acknowledgement, fame, or fortune. All that matters is how the things you love make you feel. Don’t shape what you love to fit into other people’s idea of what it should be. You are the painter, the canvas, the muse, the paintbrush, and the paint. You have all the ingredients to create something of your own.
• There are no bad days. Only bad moments.
• Choose your attitude wisely.
• Don’t limit your happiness. There is no definition of what it means to be happy. You decide what your happiness looks, feels, and sounds like. It’s up to you. It always has been.
• You are imperfect and that is a beautiful thing. Stop trying to deny that.
• Everything is not about you. Everything is not about them. Find a middle ground between those two extremes.
• Life is a give and take relationship. I hope you give more than you take.
• Everyone has to start at the beginning you are no exception.
• You are not broken. You are not shattered. You are not a lost cause.
• Your art matters. Whether it’s your poetry, stories, songs, or drawings they matter. You matter. No one has to tell you that for it to be the truth. Have faith in yourself and the things you do.
• You are loved.
• Don’t bottle your feelings inside.
• You are more than good enough. 
• Don’t hide your sorrows.
• Your life is meant to be lived.
• Don’t be anyone other than you.
• Take care of yourself. Mind, body, and soul.
• Make time for yourself to do some self pampering.
• Be the best version of you. The best you you can be.
• Mistakes and failure are not things to be ashamed of. They are the catalysts of growth and wisdom.
• You are the main character in your story, stop sitting on the sidelines.
• Laugh without restraint.
• Dream without worry.
• Love yourself the way you want to be loved by others.
• Breathe. In and out. Breathe.
• This is your time. Be who you want to be.

photo by Roanne Rae

     Hey guys, I just wanna share to you two of the trending news from Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com). If you've followed my blog for a long time you'll know how much I adore reading. Here's a random fact about me, I haven't watched tv for more than a minute for a very long time like a year (that long) because our television's broken. As a result I always spend time reading news from Yahoo (and other web sources) to keep myself updated from news (and gossip) kidding! hehe
     Basically I opened yahoo and find these great tips from their BeautyTalk section where they post a lot of useful tips. Here they are:
First,

How to Find the Right Lip Color for Pinay Skin Tones

photo by bbs "Shalene Joyce Diez

In Bobbi Brown's latest makeup book Pretty Powerful, she advises women to look for a shade that is closest to one's natural lip shade. "The most flattering color will either match or be slightly darker than your lips," she writes.
In the case of most Filipinas, a rosy pink with brown undertones, like NARS lip color in Dolce Vita, works best as an everyday shade.

left = pink, right = brown undertone

Photos from google.com 'NARS lipsticks'

 The other one is this:

Get an instant makeover with 5 quick tricks

1. Quick trick to revamp your look: Stand up Although we risk sounding like your mother, if you want to revamp your look, stand up straight. Your posture is hugely important to the way you look.

Having good posture doesn’t mean standing polka straight. You need to stand naturally, allowing your spine to curve in an S shape. Make sure when you are standing that your hips and ears are aligned. 

 

2. Quick trick to revamp your look: Eyes and lips Your eyes and lips are you chance to have fun and, if you want to give yourself a makeover using makeup, start with these areas. Firstly, find an eyeliner pen or pencil that matches your natural eye color. Then play around with designs.When applying your eyeliner make sure you keep checking what your liner looks like when your eyes are open so that you get the finished look you were after. Also, to keep your lipstick on for longer first apply a lip liner and use a lip brush to apply your lipstick. This will also give you more control during application.

3. Quick trick to revamp your look: Eyebrows We all know that your eyebrows can dramatically change your face. The right brows can frame your favorite features and change your appearance. If you have a long face and would like to make it look shorter choose a flat brow shape. Although a DIY job can work wonders, sometimes getting some professional guidance goes a long way. If you want to change your entire brow shape, book an appointment at your trusted salon. Then once you’ve had them re-shaped you could maintain your look at home with tweezers. 

4. Quick trick to revamp your look: Dye Changing your look doesn’t have to be expensive; it can be as cheap as you want it to be. If you feel like your wardrobe needs updating, take a look at what you already own. If you have a pair of trousers or skirt that fits well but is looking a little old, pop it into the washing machine and add in some fabric dye.

5. Quick trick to revamp your look: One statement piece 

Sometimes a total revamp or makeover isn’t necessary. All you need is one statement piece that ties together your outfit. To find that magical piece of clothing, try on lots of different items and explore new styles, cuts and colors. Ideally, your statement piece will have a wow factor so that it can turn an ordinary outfit into one that will turn heads. The key to getting this wow factor is to look for bold, unusual colors. Don’t choose a multi-colored item though, unless lots of your other clothes are plain. This is because you want to be able to wear your statement piece with a lot of outfits, so choose items in bold, block colors. Instructions: Your statement piece should be a little out-there and should definitely reflect you and your personality. Take time to find this special item and you’ll soon reap the rewards.

 Note: All images on the second post are from Yahoo

My Insights

         Of course both of the post are equally important right? The first post is very helpful for all Filipinas especially ladies of my age. I'm not being mean but I can't help to notice it when some girls of my age fail to match their lips with their skin tones. Anyway mistakes are inevitable and there is always a room for improvement. Most Filipinas have morena skintone so either rose pink colors or brown undertones will suite them well. I guess the best thing to remember in choosing your lip color is to choose a color close to your natural lip color. As for me I have this not so light/not so dark lipcolor but I opted on brown/red undertone colors simply because it looks good on me. What I'm using now are the lipsticks 'Romantic Red' from EB Cosmetics and 'Fresh Melon' from Avon.