Goat: the saddest of all animals

My uncle Michael and his daughter, my cousin Macy

My uncle passed away last October :(

My father's coconut tree which he planted two decades ago.

The first rays of sunrise

The summer hay and my shadow

My grandmother's orchids

    Out in the Fields with God by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is one of my favorite English poems. I have come across the literary piece whilst I was in college reading some write-ups about the poet's life and works.

     Although the poem was never taught to us, I find it very relevant in so many aspects of my life particularly when the going gets tough. I do hope that the poem shall do you good as well especially in the new year to come. Here's a copy of it so if you ever need a seedbed of strength, remember this poem and you'll find it within you.

Out in the Fields with God

The little cares that fretted me,

I lost them yesterday

Among the fields above the sea,

Among the winds that play,

Among the lowing of the herd,

The rustling of the trees,

Among the singing of the birds,

The humming of the bees.

The foolish fears of what might pass

I cast them all away

Among the clover-scented grass,

Among the new-mown hay,

Among the hushing of the corn,

Where drowsy poppies nod,

Where ill thoughts die and good are born —

Out in the fields with God.

Happy New Year dearest!

love lots,

Tin

Ho ho ho! Nope. I'm not Santa. This is still Tin ladies. There's no magic goin' on here, and I don't know what sorcery it is that made Christmas just a couple of days from now. I guess this is the perfect time for me to greet you all a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year! Regardless of how you celebrate that special event, I do hope you'll spend it well with the people you love the most. 

I know you have a lot of things to prepare from your holiday dinner to your holiday makeup and outfit. However, when Christmas morning arrives, it is a no brainer to throw your most comfortable sweaters. But, it's a completely different story if we have to talk about your holiday hairstyle. Depending on your itinerary on that blissful day, here are five hands-down hairstyles that you can pull together.

Effortlessly beautiful. Those are two of the words that flash into my mind every time I see photographs of hair in twisted ponytail. I love how easy it is to recreate that style and how it looks sassy despite its simplicity. Twisted ponytails are perfect if you are spending your Christmas with a lot of movements. You wouldn't want your hair to get on your way as you try to take that big turkey bite, right? Neither do I.

Another romantic hairstyle that you can wear this Christmas is the Dutch Braid Crown. Similar to the French braid, you can create the Dutch braid by adding more strands as you braid. This is something that I fell in love with though I find this one a bit challenging. But that's probably just because I was never good with experimenting different hairstyles lol. The best thing about Dutch braid is that you can sport it regardless of your hair's length.

This one's easy, but definitely classy as well. If you wanna stay polished after all the holiday preparations, go ahead and try the ballerina bun. It's effortlessly chic and not to mention very comfortable. To spice it up a bit, you can play around with different hair knots or with a pretty ribbon. Whether it's messy or not, the ballerina bun won't let you down.

A bohemian inspired look is always a great option. If you really into braids, then you might also wanna try the French braid. Starting with a Dutch braid, create another braid by at the nape of your neck and viola, you got yourself that pretty French braid. You can also wear it as a crown if you want to.

Everybody loves a sexy carefree hair but not all of us want to own all the hassle to achieve it. The easiest to own it? Create soft loose curls with a curler or your favorite curling iron and brush your hair. Soft loose curls look beautiful in every girl and in every hair length as well. But if want those long locks, don't be sad about it, just grab some virgin human hair for sale like the one in the photo below. All you have to do is to attach it and style it.

Festive holiday dinners, Christmas tree lighting, NYE parties–and that's just some of the things that you have to enjoy this holiday season. Getting ready for all of them can be way more fun if you've got a handle on your hair. I'm still stuck between braiding my hair or curling them. For my holiday makeup, I'll probably stick to a warm glow. 

How about you ladies? what hairstyle will you sport this Christmas? 

love lots,

Tin

Celebrating Christmas with my family is one of the things that I look forward to. Aside from preparing gifts for my family, I love to dress up and come up with a holiday makeup look. For some girls like me though, choosing the best holiday clothes can be frustrating. Some holiday dresses might be too expensive, or too unnatural to wear. So that got me thinking, why not recycle some clothes that I haven't used for quite some time? I know you've got an endless list too. If you are still finding the perfect holiday dress, why not re-wear your bridesmaid dress? Is that even possible? Yes, it is lovelies! Here are three of my top picks for glamorous bridesmaids dresses that you can actually wear again this Christmas. 

As the warmest and most passionate of all the colors, it is impossible not to see the color red all over the place this Christmas. A simple red lightweight dress like this orange-red A-line dress from Sposadress is a no-fail choice. They said everybody looks classy on black. On the other hand, I should insist that everybody looks festive on red!

Anything gold never gets old! Do you have a gold bridesmaid dress hiding in your closet? Don't wait for another year for it to get older. Wear it this Christmas? Gold is classy and just try to imagine how classy you'd look in such a dress. You don't need real gold in your closet to rock the holiday season with class.

Metallics are in vogue this year, which is why anything with a touch of silver are sure why to rock the holidays. If you have that silver bridesmaid dress, now is the perfect time to show it off. There are so many ways to revamp a simple strapless silver dress. One way is to top it off with your favorite sweater. You can also opt to be playful and more creative in layering and with your choice of accessories.

Those are just three of the bridesmaid dresses that you can pull off this Christmas. You don't really have to spend much on dresses, you just have to bring out the fashionista soul in you. I'm still thinking about what I should wear this Christmas, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be in red as it is what our whole family decided to wear. How about you ladies? what are you rocking this Christmas?

 By the way, if you are planning to be a Christmas bride, don't stress about the whole Christmas shopping craze. You can choose good quality yet cheap bridesmaid dresses online. I just thought about it right after seeing a friend from college who recently got married this month. She looked bomb on her dress and her bridesmaids looked equally lovely as well.

Sorry if I haven't checked your blogs for quite some time, was as busy as a bee lately and was feeling under the weather lately. Anyways, I do hope you all had a wonderful December and that you'd have a wonderful time during the most wonderful time of the year! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in advance! <3

love lots,

Tin

PACKAGING

    Everything that you need to know about the product is on its glass container. From the shade of the product, to its ingredients and manufacturing date, they're all in its container. Yes, it is in a glass container so you have to be very creful not to drop it or else, you'll beautify your floor instead of your face. lelz Seriously, just be careful with it ladies. 

Nothing fancy about the packaging. It doesn't look cute like Korean beauty products. Nor does it look classy like the ones from other big cosmetics company. I do love fancy things but it doesn't mater so much for me. I laud L'OREAL for providing all the facts that their customers have to know when buying their product. 

PRICE

I foundation can be bought for 120.00 PHP that's a little over 13USD. A reasonable price for a face foundation. Perfect for working ladies and for makeup artists who are still building their makeup collection.

WHERE TO BUY

L'OREAL Paris True Match Super-Blendable Makeup Foundation is available on Watsons nationwide. It is also available in the beauty or body essentials section in some malls. If you cannot find it on those places, you can also get your hands on the product from reliable beauty shops online like BeautyMNL.

      To apply my foundation, I also got a new face foundation brush from PRO STUDIO Beauty Exclusives. I got the one in color Baby Daisy. You know, I've been very curious how oval brushes work so I was stoked as well to try it. 

      Quick review: It does work. It is very compact, but I feel like I can work faster using the traditional liquid  foundation brushes. I also do not have any idea how to clean it yet, so I still have to research how. It's also available in BeautyMNL. 

Here's a before and after photo of my face using the foundation. As you can see, it doesn't have a dramatic effect on my face. It didn't do much to even out my skin tone. But, the good thing is that my face feels so smooth with the foundation. 

Note:The photos are not editted. I haven't put on any other makeup products on my face as well when I took the photos.

So far, I don't have so many issues with the product other than it's a bit pricey considering its size and that it comes in a glass container. Moreover, it doesn't have an applicator so you have to figure out what works best for you in terms of applying the foundation. In my case, I just carefully let the product fall into my clean fingers and gradually apply it on my face. 

PRO's

-  available in different shades

- easy to blend

- doesn't cake

- lasts long ( can last up to six hours)

- readily available

- doesn't feel heavy on the skin 

CON's

- could be a little pricey

- comes in a glass container

- doesn't have an applicator

I am happy about how the product worked and I would love to use it again. And girls, if you love selfies as much as I do, you might want to join BeautyML's monthly #selfieMNL contest. Winning the contest will give you the chance to win a Printster polaroid of your pretty face and a PHP200 BeautyMNL GC. Click here for the complete details. 

I hope you'll find this review useful for your next foundation purchase. Have a wonderful weekend you guys! Stay pretty and happy as always!

love lots,

Tin

Looking like a zombie isn't cool especially when it's not Halloween, which is why having dark under eye circles is a big no-no. Those pesky circles are enough to ruin any girl's day. The worst thing that it can do is to make someone look older than they really are. That is why we need concealers that can work like espresso for our eyes to make them look more awake. I don't have a wide variety of concealers in my makeup bag, but I do have one that I am satisfied to use on my face. 

Out of need, and partly because of curiosity, I bought the LA Girl Pro Concealer HD. I have also read good reviews about the product which prompted me to finally get one for myself. I am loving the product so far because it works decently and it is available on a very reasonable price. Plus, it also comes in different shades to match different skin tones. Out of the various shades available, I chose the shade called Creamy Beige.

Creamy Beige is yellow toned which is perfect for girls with morena or warm skin tone. It does lighten the skin without making it look unnaturally fair. The concealer is sold inside a plastic tube with all of its ingredients written on the back portion.

The concealer also comes with a built-in concealer brush for easy application. To apply the product, you just have to squeeze the tube for it to come out. You don't want to squeeze the tube so hard because even with a slight squeeze, you'll get enough concealer.

It has the consistency of a skin lotion which makes it very blendable. Though it doesn't provide a full coverage, the concealer still works decently considering its affordable price. The lightweight concealer is enough to convince everyone into thinking that you have enough beauty sleep.

The before and after photo below shows how it works when applied on top of pimples. It's not a corrective concealer, but it does minimize acne redness.

PRICE

Just like any other beauty products, the price of the concealer may vary depending on where you purchased them. I got the concealer for 240php each from a trusted online shop here in the Philippines.

WHERE TO PURCHASE

I got mine from an online shop but I think the concealer is very much available in beauty outlets or in drugstores. You just have to check because sometimes, some of the shades aren't available, which is the reason why I bought mine in an online shop.

PROS

- works well

- affordable

- available in many shades 

- easy to blend
- provides decent coverage to dark under eye circles and pimples

CONS

- some of the shades are difficult to find

If you're looking for an affordable get-go concealer, LA Girl Pro Concealer HD might be the best for you. Though it doesn't provide a full-coverage, it brightens the under-eye area. Plus, it's versatile enough to wear alone or with additional coverage. You just have to find the best shade that will match your skin tone.

I hope you'll find this review useful. Have a lovely weekend!

love lots,
Tin

A colleague of mine once asked me what's the best place for a foreign tourist to visit within the metropolis of Cebu. I told her that somewhere which translates the history and culture of the Cebuanos would be nice. My answer might be biased because I based them on my interests. My colleague didn't give any comment on my response partly because we might have the same answer if I were to ask her the same question. Right after I gave her my prompt response, she went ahead and asked me if I know somewhere good, but is not tainted by false popularity. I pondered deeply to give her an answer, but I couldn't think of any place at that time. 

In the very occupied Gorordo Avenue, I discovered a whimsical place that sat humbly unmindful of the passing cars. I have introduced some of my favorite cafes in my blog before, but this one's the sweetest so far. Named Presents & Such, the family-owned gift shop turned cafe and tea room offers several services which will give their customers an idea of how sweet life can be. Regardless of its limited space, customers can shop, eat and read inside the quaint shop.

Its overall facade will paint a picture of the modern English countryside inside your head without leaving Cebu.

Fanciful handmade gift items such as figurines, jewelry boxes, card holders, and tea cups are available at a very affordable price. Rare book collections by Cebuano writers are also available inside the shop. Some of the books were written by the cafe's owner who is also a writer.

Their menu changes from day to day except for their bestseller Apple Pie A la Mode which is available daily. What does the pie taste like? I want to try it, but it was already sold out when I visited the place. I hope there would be a slice left for me the next time I'd visit the cafe.

They don't have so many items on their menu as well, so if want to enjoy several food items for your gastronomical adventure, then the cafe won't be the best for you. Though I believe that their menu is enough for everybody to have a wonderful eating experience.

Let's take this time to appreciate the tea box where they store their tea bags.

How cute are their teapot and tea cups? I wish to own a similar one, but they aren't for sale.

I didn't have my lunch yet when I visited the cafe, so I ordered their rice + dish menu of the day which is their Pork Stew. What they have is inspired by the traditional Callos recipe, but with an added twist which is a brainchild of the owner.

For my dessert, I had Presents & Such's very own Blitz Torte cake which tastes like a dream. Its equally lovely and light texture will satisfy anybody's sweet tooth. Its rich and creamy filling will also melt anybody's heart. It melted mine and I'm willing to have my heart melted by their fancy-looking yellow cake again and again. It felt like the time when I first fell in love. chaos! Since they do accept orders, I'm thinking of ordering a whole cake for my birthday next month. 

All my love in one photograph <3

As I have mentioned earlier in this post, one can also enjoy reading inside the cafe. The owner put up a bookshelf that houses some different books on different interests. I grabbed a health book about the art of aromatherapy, a delightful book that contains informative notes on how aroma therapy oils can help us improve our overall health.

A page in the book shows how to use oils as facial moisturizers. The book made me wanna buy oils!

Christmas is in the air at Presents & Such cafe!

Hi there!

Presents & Such Tearoom and Cafe is a sweet place that enables everyone to experience how sweet life can be as one enjoys reading, shopping, and eating. If you're feeling down and bitter from all of the worries brought by this pragmatic world, go ahead and visit the cafe. I'm not feeling blue right now, but I can't wait to visit the cafe again. See you there! :)

love lots,

Tin

*Note:

This is not a sponsored post. I am not in any way paid by the cafe to write about them. Neither do I work for them? All photos above are taken by me using my cellphone's camera. Pardon their qualities. Thanks!