"We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us."
-Unknown

Friday 20 June 2014

OMG Accessories: Gold Galore by Born Pretty Store + Review


 A galore of gold accessories greeted me when I opened my parcel from Born Pretty

Born Pretty first offered me to review their products last month and it took about a month to arrive in my city, they offer worldwide shipping. My haul includes two gold rings and two necklaces. My first impression? Cuties! 

Let’s go over them one by one shall we? 


On the left is an owl ring featuring a clear crystal gem in the middle and two white opaque white eyes and only one foot has a pink extension. It does look unnecessary, it also cheapens the look. The eyes look uneven. On the right is an emerald bunny ring, it’s gem is ovate and the cut around the gold ring makes it look like it is studded in little crystals which I fancy on top of the four more little stones on the ears. I think it’s a nice touch. Both rings are adjustable which means that I can wear them anytime I like immediately without having to go through resizing them. I particularly like the emerald ring because it is my birthstone and it makes good costume jewellery.  




The cat necklace is cute and will make for good everyday wear. The clasp is also attached to an extension the length is similar to that of a choker. It’s very lightweight and I am afraid that the clasp is not so secure, there's a good chance it will fall off before I notice it. The pendant is cute and is about half the size of a 5 Peso coin. I like that it's shiny and clean, not to mention super adorable!
 

At first look, the design is rather attractive and it comes in an antiquated gold look. What put me off was the presence of some mouldy substance on some branches of the pendant. Otherwise it could have been a very nice necklace that could add a nice touch to a plain tee. I tried cleaning it with dry tissue paper but  it won't come off. It also has a leaf attached to the chain, I don't really know what effect it should have achieved though. What I really like about this necklace though is that it has many inspiring inscriptions written on it, my favourite words are trust, concern and believe.

 

 Looking back at the pieces, it looks like it is a nature haul with a bunny, owl, cat and a tree. I like the selection sent to me and these pieces are glamorous that can add nice details to even the simplest of outfits. I will be mixing and matching them soon. My personal fave is the cat necklace and I have a soft spot for the emerald bunny ring because it's my birth stone, talk about biased. =)

Thursday 12 June 2014

On Fragrances: Supermarket Scents and My Personal Favourite



We all pass by that shelf in the supermarket showing off scents that are absolutely cheap. There are colognes and sprays and the occasional perfumed powder. By the way, I just coined this term while I was flopping in bed thinking of a new feature for On Fragrances and this is what I came up with

I would describe Supermarket Scents as accessible, affordable (sometimes local) fragrances. Passing by this section in the supermarket just shows that your fragrance does not have to be expensive. There is absolutely something for every budget. 

What I particularly like about the supermarket is that it’s accessible. This is the place for shoppers who are looking for:
  •  Bargains
  • All the necessary things in one place
  •  Unexpected finds 
In terms of fragrances, it is the place for local brands to shine. (I also like that  a lot of local brands are introducing affordable body washes so that the average Filipina shopper can try them out and only at less than Php 100 each!) But let me share with you a personal favourite when it comes to local fragrances. Sure, I have fantasized about the bigger names in the fragrance industry every now and again but this one will always have a place in my heart.

Johnson and Johnsons’ has had this long-time running scent, if my memory serves me right it was released in about 2005 and it’s undergone some packaging revamp but the scent still is the same. It’s playful, refreshing and long-lasting.

Its scent is reminiscent of preserving those precious after-shower moments. I think it’s the best cologne to bring back those sunshine-summery days; it’s great for bleak weathers. Its bottle is a transparent pale-yellow although it could have been a better and brighter lemon yellow to reflect a lively sunshine burst. If I am correct, it has a mixture of jasmine and lime to spike up a fragrant citrus scent. Its tail is something milder though but it is not one of those boring scents after a long time. I even like it all over the place and even leave a few drops on my pillows so that when I get back for an evening rest, it’s still fun and lively smelling as that of a mid-day shower. 

To add, this is a great cologne for kids, as well as students and young professionals on a budget, it only costs Php 52. 

Quick update: I’m obsessed with local body washes lately. I’ll space reviews of affordable ones pretty soon that are also supermarket finds. 

How about you? What’s your favourite supermarket scent? Which one would you have me try?

Wednesday 4 June 2014

Scribbles: Quirks and Novelties Haul + Thoughts


Some time ago I did mention that I will  be introducing a regular feature on stationery over here. I mean, who doesn't have a love for journals and stickers and handwritten letters (almost like calligraphy) and with the amount of kitschy-cute stationery abound these days, one's bound to notice right? 

I spotted this haul online from Cash Cash Pinoy and thought, why yes! I need a dedicated blogging notebook to jot down my posts and ideas and a place where I could keep track of all my report writing and dates due of each. Besides, you wouldn't believe how many My Gel pens I can empty in a month because of my scribbling and the post-it notes I have. I run out of post-it notes and my day is not the same again, ever. 

Back to the haul,  I chose the items carefully and narrowed my choices to the ones that reflect what it is that I really do-and that's writing for a living. After settling my payment, you could just imagine how curious and on top of that-very excited I felt to receive them. The ad did say 3 day shipping nationwide and there I was biting my lip from the excitement (must be due to the urge of instant gratification).

But the exchange of emails between me and the rep later would show that my orders will arrive over a month later from my purchase date-something that can get on my nerves. I can understand if shipping can take 3-5 days because I am in ZC and that's something I am already used to, but did I really have to wait for over a month? 

Another thing to note is to align my expectations with realities.

The site didn't provide measurements for the notebooks and they all came in single sizes so all the while I thought that I got good-sized notebooks, especially since I can scribble away like crazy for ideas and posts and things to do. 

This is what arrived.


It's a hot pink silicon bound blank-page notebook that's pocket-sized. At least I can take it anywhere with me. The blank pages may just be something I can doodle on. Its pages are also generous and makes the whole binding quite thick which kind of makes up for the size.


I like that there is a Keep Calm notebook for writers and I chose the one that came in my favorite color.  You can see that it is lined and has colored dividers, again it's not a big notebook and it sort of feels heavy but I think it's also due to the good quality paper. Its edges are a bit worn, it's something I don't fancy at all.


Finally, there is the attractive gel pen set that has assorted designs in pastel colors. If you look at the color labels closely, there are three varieties of blue and two types of green, yep- no brown. But then it's a set that writes fairly well and makes for good headings when I jot down notes on post-its.

All in all, I think that it's a good haul and I am just not satisfied with the notebook sizes because they are not what I expected, perhaps some measurement sizes would have been helpful. I prefer bigger notebooks though and was wishing that they could be used for the intended purpose.

Monday 2 June 2014

Coping With Change, Saying Hello to June


Credits: Rebloggy.com


Change whether big or small may take a person by surprise. 

I won’t be pretending when I say that May was a month of change for me, some were good and some-not so good. I’ve had major disappointments and got hurt both physically (due to an accident) and emotionally (due to my hopes being crushed). 

But I now realize that I am stronger than that. 

It’s no use holding on to what could have been and the best thing I could do is gather myself up and look for what I can do today. So if you are thinking, no, it’s not about relationships or family. It’s about ambition and the desire to be out there, to make a life for myself. And yes, only I have the power to move forward. 

There will be more changes and you will read my updates soon once things are in place. 

In the meantime, I am saying hello to June and embracing a new possibility for me. 

I've always enjoyed writing and presenting my outputs and feeling accomplished. But there is just something that kept hounding me and now I am facing it. You will pick up the hints pretty soon 

I wish you all fun-filled June and have fun with back to school!