Before November Ends...
The year 2020 was NOT the year to have made life-changing decisions.
Granted, we thought this year would be full of new things, new opportunities, new... everything. What we got instead was a year full of heartache, death, depression, and WTF moments.
I can't even begin to summarize this year and how it's affected millions of people all over the world - but I don't really need to, don't I? We've seen it on the news and some have experienced it too close to home. Overall, COVID-19 was the biggest, baddest, most horrible bomb this year could've given.
I initially wanted this post to be a look-back post on the world's state and the calamities we've all faced, but who am I to speak for the millions who have been most affected? It's not something I can speak of, BUT I CAN talk about my own experiences.
This year, I had plans to travel across Asia. At the end of February, I already had a hotel booked in Japan and one in Bali. I wanted 2020 to be my breakout year, just me going around and experiencing things on my own. Boy was THIS the wrong year to do so.
You know that feeling of a new beginning? That drive to break free of constraints since there was nothing holding you back? That eagerness to try something new was something I was feeling at Q1 before everything went crazy. I wanted so bad to do my own thing and just be that badass traveler/nomad I always wanted to experience, working remotely and living life the way I wanted to.
Then COVID-19 smacked everyone on the face (and the back of the head).
It shocked me initially, since the last thing anyone expected was a pandemic (and so early in the year). But at the back of my head, it didn't seem too serious so I went ahead and scheduled my trips. When news broke that it was deadly AND contagious, I stopped. At the time, we had no idea how serious it actually was and how it would change everything.
Fast forward to December 2020, and we're all wearing masks and face shields (in the PH at least). The "new normal", as they like to call it. I wouldn't mind masks in cold weather, but wearing one in the PH is incredibly infuriating. It's itchy, rough on the face, extremely hot and humid - it just annoys the hell out of me.
I totally get that we need it to stay safe and stop the spread of the virus, but that doesn't mean I can't complain about it. I still wear it, but that comes after I complain and fret about having to wear one. But let's move on.
As I was saying, the pandemic shut down all my plans.
From enjoying the beaches of Bali and visiting Japanese shrines and anime districts to being a couch potato, working at home, and layering on the pounds monthly... it wasn't what I wanted to do, but here we are.
This might be coming off as a complaint, but you have to understand that no one wanted COVID 19. There we were, dreaming of a better year, when this suddenly happens. Who wouldn't complain?
Then again, we can't stay stuck and do nothing.
So there's the topic of working from home. I am so terribly blessed to have a job that's stable and a boss who is very understanding and encouraging. Working from home has been one of the best things I could've gotten into this year, before we got slapped.
I can only imagine how frustrated other employees must be, if they're under companies that haven't adjusted to the pandemic and who don't have their workers in mind. Tough times.
The year that was supposed to change people's lives for the better became the year it all went down the drain. From celebrity deaths to real life, personal struggles - 2020 has changed us. Changed us.
One other thing I've come to like about this whole ordeal is the fact that I am feeling much more... myself. Being at home really grounded me, made me reflect on decisions I've made in the past and what I need to do moving forward. When you're in an argument with yourself though, the debate goes on for days.
The point of this article? Nothing, really. It's been a while since I just sat in front of my computer and typed away. No structure, no topic, just me and my thoughts.
This is probably irrelevant to everybody but my blog started out as a diary for me to look back on after years and years, and I want to keep it personal. Regardless of how many sponsored posts I've written, this is still my personal online diary I let everyone read, haha.
Life can get better. It will. If it feels like you have no control over your circumstances, you don't. You know who has? God. Trust the process. Cliché, yes, but true. Nothing will ever come from doubt or fear. The moment you doubt yourself, the easier it will be to fail.
So yeah.
I SO can't wait for 2020 to be over.
This might be coming off as a complaint, but you have to understand that no one wanted COVID 19. There we were, dreaming of a better year, when this suddenly happens. Who wouldn't complain?
Then again, we can't stay stuck and do nothing.
So there's the topic of working from home. I am so terribly blessed to have a job that's stable and a boss who is very understanding and encouraging. Working from home has been one of the best things I could've gotten into this year, before we got slapped.
I can only imagine how frustrated other employees must be, if they're under companies that haven't adjusted to the pandemic and who don't have their workers in mind. Tough times.
The year that was supposed to change people's lives for the better became the year it all went down the drain. From celebrity deaths to real life, personal struggles - 2020 has changed us. Changed us.
One other thing I've come to like about this whole ordeal is the fact that I am feeling much more... myself. Being at home really grounded me, made me reflect on decisions I've made in the past and what I need to do moving forward. When you're in an argument with yourself though, the debate goes on for days.
The point of this article? Nothing, really. It's been a while since I just sat in front of my computer and typed away. No structure, no topic, just me and my thoughts.
This is probably irrelevant to everybody but my blog started out as a diary for me to look back on after years and years, and I want to keep it personal. Regardless of how many sponsored posts I've written, this is still my personal online diary I let everyone read, haha.
Life can get better. It will. If it feels like you have no control over your circumstances, you don't. You know who has? God. Trust the process. Cliché, yes, but true. Nothing will ever come from doubt or fear. The moment you doubt yourself, the easier it will be to fail.
So yeah.
I SO can't wait for 2020 to be over.
My DIY Hair Transformation from Black to Purple!
I've always wanted to color my hair something wild. Back in college, some of my classmates were able to dye their hair all sorts of shades (just highlights, but pretty nonetheless) and I would imagine how I'd look if I managed to get my hair done the way I wanted it.
What stopped me before was fear - fear that my hair would get damaged or that the color I want wouldn't suit me and make me look like a fool or a "wanna be". I also didn't want to turn heads if I attended professional meetings with such a striking color on.
Fast forward to August 2020 and I was done with thinking about other people's opinions and what was considered "professional". (The fact that I also didn't need to attend business meetings anymore since I started online work helped solidify my rebellion, haha.)
Fast forward to August 2020 and I was done with thinking about other people's opinions and what was considered "professional". (The fact that I also didn't need to attend business meetings anymore since I started online work helped solidify my rebellion, haha.)
This post is a timeline of things I did and products I used to turn my hair from black to purple in under 2 months. Keep reading if you want to change your look at home with minimum damage (yes, this is inevitable).
Where I Started
My hair had previously been treated (bleached, relaxed, rebonded through the years), so while my starting point was dark, it wasn't a "virgin" by any means.
What I Used + Process
August 29
I asked my cousin to help me apply the bleach since (1) I didn't know how to even begin, and (2) I couldn't see the back of my head. She didn't have any experience either so she ended up winging it (with my guidance after I watched a video on bleaching from Brad Modo).
Two weeks before, I had already ordered a bleaching set from Shopee that included gloves, colors - the whole shebang. A few days after getting it delivered, I set out to bleach.
Materials (Bleaching Round 1)
• Hair Dye Tool Set - P139
• Blue Hair Color with Oxidant (Package 4 - color only + Package 5 - bleaching set) - P260
• Damson Hair Color with Oxidant (color only) - P60
Note: The only items that worked for me were the Hair Dye Set and the Bleaching Set. The colorants did nothing for my hair. It's either the product wasn't good at all or we didn't know how to use the dyes properly. (I'm thinking it's the latter!)
The Process
- Took a shower and waited for my hair to be 80% dry before my cousin applied the bleach. (According to my research, applying bleach on almost dry hair helps the product seep into every strand easier than starting with dry hair.)
- DO NOT start from the roots, but from the bottom to the top. I left the bleach on for around 35 minutes before applying the bleach on the roots. Leave it in for another 10 minutes.
- Rinse the bleach out thoroughly with shampoo. (This prevents the bleach from processing further.)
- I used a Keratin shampoo and conditioner set (bought it from the grocery store so I don't have a link).
- Then, I used a Purple Keratin Toner to start the process of getting rid of the brassy tones. (The instructions on the bottle was to leave it in for 25 minutes, so that's what I did. Smelled super nice that I still use it everyday, haha!)
- Finally, before I got out of the shower to dry off, I applied the Milk Remedy Hair Treatment from Watsons) and left it on for 2-3 minutes.
My hair was actually much smoother and healthier-feeling after the bleach for some reason! It was odd, but maybe because I was extra careful to keep my hair healthy, the keratin-milk combo gave it that boost of life, haha!
Here are the results!
September 12
I didn't want to damage my hair in one day (haha!) so I waited around 2 weeks before I had my cousin go back in to bleach my hair for the second round.
This time, I used a lower oxidize volume (12%) from a different shop. It was definitely more tolerable than the first one, and of course, less harsh on the skin.
Materials (Bleaching Round 2)
• Hair Bleaching Set (x3 because of my hair length) - P435
The process for this was the same as my first round. At this point, my hair could take more bleach so I went ahead for the second time.
Note: Do a test strand before you do it all over! If after the first bleach your hair turned out stringy, DO NOT do a second round! Your hair will just fall off (based on all the videos I've watched during this time) and the damage will be so irreparable that you have to shave everything off. Yikes!
Toning
After I got a lighter shade, I reckoned it was time to seriously tone the hair and neutralize the copper tones. (Toner won't work on hair levels 7 and below - it needs to be at least an 8 to see any difference.)
I used the D5W5 Purple Shampoo Toner (P212) for this process, and it was really effective! I even debated sticking to gray but managed to convince myself that it would be pathetic to stop my journey towards my goal color, haha!
Here's how it looked like before the toner:
It still looks pretty yellowish here, but after I applied the toner, it become more cool-toned. I forgot to take a photo so I don't have the "after toner" photo here! Sorry about that!
Applying the Color
September 25
I remember looking through every single dye on Shopee for the perfect shade that had a good amount of credible reviews before finally choosing one: Royal Purple Hair Dye Set (P340).
I bought 2 just to be sure that it was enough to cover my hair, and it turned out that I only needed one for full coverage. (The other one will be used to color my hair again soon so it stays purple.)
The results:
I totally loved how it turned out! The bleach work was uneven as neither my cousin nor I knew how to properly go about the process, but everything was fixed after the dye.
I opted for a semi-permanent one (2-4 weeks tops) as I didn't want to stick to a single color for long and it's actually already started fading.
This was my own fault though since I shampooed maybe twice a week since going purple and everyone knows shampoo strips the dye off soooo easily. Not making that same mistake the next time around!
Right now, I'm prepping to color my hair purple again but I'm already excited to go full-on gray once the second color round wears off.
I'm still taking very good care of my hair by using keratin conditioner, purple toner, and the milk remedy treatment every now and then. My hair's as soft as it was before it went through the change so I haven't damaged my hair a whole lot!
So there you go - my hair transformation process!
A lot of my friends have been leaving DMs, asking me how I did it and what stuff I used, so here you go, friends! I didn't do a BTS video since I wanted to focus on the actual process and not risk anything by vlogging. It was also a stressful time since we'd never done anything like this at home before. :)
Thanks for reading this far into the post and I hope that if you decide to DIY your hair too, you do a ton of research before doing anything!
Happy transforming! ;)
Tips for Looking Fantastic While on a Budget
I love shopping. Retail therapy is an actual thing and I am one person (of many) who can prove that. There's no better feeling than ordering something you like and getting a package at your door some days later (well, nothing better than a kiss and hug from a loved one, but you get my point).
While some people love to go shopping, others don’t like it as much, mostly because they either don't know how to shop for themselves or their budget is too tight. I totally get it! But there are ways to shop that don't burn your pocket.
So, if you want to look great while not breaking the bank, then this is the guide for you. Here you can find out everything you need to know about being more fashionable, while also being able to simplify your shopping experience.
🌸 What Type of Fashion do you Want?
If you had $100 every month to spend on clothing, would you want one nice piece, or would you want a lot of cheap tops? Either way works, but most people would want the nicer top that’s a little more expensive. If you see something that you love but choose not to buy it because it's just far too expensive, then you may end up buying a ton of other items that you just don’t like as much.In the ideal scenario, you should resist the impulse to make a lot of cheap buys and instead buy what you want, even if it means that you come out with less. (Trust me to tell you to resist... not! Haha!) If you do this then you will feel way more confident in yourself and you may even find that you are able to look better as a result.
🌸 Review Everything you Have
People tend to accumulate clothes and hold onto them, even though they never actually end up using them (guilty as charged!). If you want to help yourself, then you need to take some time and face your closet.Think about it - do you have tons of clothes that are blue but none in red? Maybe you have 100 t-shirts but none of your clothes are date-worthy. If you've gotten to this point, there’s a high chance that you know how you want your wardrobe to look, so now would be the time to start going through everything and find out what fits your space and what doesn’t.
It’s helpful for you to take an afternoon off so you can try all of your clothes on. Whatever you don’t like, or whatever doesn’t fit, they can easily go in a pile. When you do this, you'll soon find that it's very easy to get rid of clothing that you were otherwise holding onto.
I've done this heaps of times over the past years and I must say that with every little session, my clothes get filtered down by 40%. More space in my wardrobe and drawers! Plus, it feels like you just gave yourself more creative ways to mix and match outfits.
🌸 Sell, Toss or Trade
If you have a few things that you don’t wear or that you just don’t like, then now would be the time to start selling them. If you clear the house and are able to make a few bucks, then you can put this money towards your new clothes! You'll also be able to see exactly what you're missing and can purchase that instead.🌸 Shop for the Classics
It’s super important that you write down all of the fashion items that you hope will make up your ideal wardrobe. A closet full of good clothes that fit will make you look and feel so much better when compared to a closet that is full of ill-fitting items that will just never see the light of day.If you need some help with what to buy, then try and stick to some of the classic items and then embellish it with a couple of trends. For example, if you're a woman, you may want to opt for a stunning black dress. This is a classic piece, but you need to try and embellish it with some trends if you want to stand out. The trend would be for you to add an infinity scarf or even some statement earrings.
If you’re a man then a great pair of pants that fit really well, along with a no-wrinkle shirt could be the classic choice. You can then combine this with a vest or even a bowtie as the embellishment. Glasses also work very well, so if you want to buy some, check out Eyeglasses.com.
The classic look that you end up going for will ultimately depend on your style. The classics may be items that you wear all the time. You may also have items which are able to last a thousand washes, or items that pull your entire wardrobe together.
🌸 Creating your Ideal Wardrobe
The best way for you to be way more fashionable with less money would be for you to buy less things. You need to try and scale down and buy what you love (and that is hard to do). Believe it or not, 20 tops that go with 10 pants, 2 skirts and 5 shorts will give you a grand total of... 340 outfits. This may never end up happening but when you look at the bigger picture, you will soon see that the amount of choices you have available rockets.🌸 Looking Fashionable on a Budget
The worst part of living is trying to figure out how much money you have to spend. If you want to help yourself here, then it would be wise for you to set a spending goal every month so you can find out what you can comfortably live with.It doesn’t matter if it's $100 a month or $500 because you need to withdraw this from the bank and set it to one side for your clothing budget. If you just don’t feel as though you have enough money for your clothes and your accessories, then why not think about cancelling the cable channels that you have, or even think about eating out less so you can have something quick at home?
Little things like this can really help you to save more than you realize.
🌸 Shop Online
It’s always a good idea for you to try and shop online rather than in-store if you can. The main reason for this is because when you shop online, you can easily take advantage of some fantastic deals. If you know your size then this will work out most of the time. Online shopping for things like accessories, scarves or even brands you know fit can easily help you to have the best experience, and you would be surprised at how much you could open up your horizons by doing this.🌸 Go out and Shop
Get your list and then start shopping around. If you know that you need basic items, such as a white skirt or even a black tank top then hit shops that are mid-priced. If you want something a bit more speciality then why not shop at the big sale stores? Or even check out the clearance racks.When you do go shopping, try and make sure that you go on sale days. When you do, you can easily find deals that are exactly what you want. Thrift stores are also ideal. The great thing about shopping at thrift stores, is that you can find some real bargains and steals, without having to worry about the price as much.
🌸 Take a Buddy
If you are the type of person who likes to overspend (um, hello!) then you may want to take a buddy with you so that they can then hold you accountable for anything that happens. Don’t take a friend who will encourage you to spend more because if you do, you may find that you end up going way over budget which can put additional pressure and stress on you.🌸 Use Vouchers
Another thing that you can do is try and use vouchers if you can (I rarely use these, and if I do, I make sure it's for a nice high-end brand that will break my pocket without them!).When you do use vouchers, you will soon see that it's easier than ever to save a good amount of money while also being able to get the clothing you want. It’s very easy for you to take advantage of vouchers, and you can easily find them online or even in magazines. Some websites will also give you vouchers if you sign up and make your first purchase.
If you want to get the best result out of your voucher experience, then there are sites out there that will collect vouchers for you and let you know when new ones are released. By signing up with them, you will soon find that you can shop at even more stores.
With so many options available, it’s safe to say that you will easily get a good result out of your wardrobe if you take your time and if you focus on buying things that are going to suit you.
With so many options available, it’s safe to say that you will easily get a good result out of your wardrobe if you take your time and if you focus on buying things that are going to suit you.
If you feel a little unconfident when buying new clothes, then you have nothing to worry about. You're not alone, and there are things that you can do to try and make yourself feel better. This could include taking your partner with you when shopping for clothes, or even shopping late at night so you don’t have to worry about too many people being in the store with you.
It may also be worth trying to plan your accessories beforehand. For example, if you know you want a new black top, plan out your earrings and necklace, so your outfits look better when you try them on.
September Is Halfway Done - What Just Happened?!
Good grief! It feels like we just stepped into the month and now we're half-way in! Why has time flown by so fast for us?
Is it because of the pandemic?
Is it the monotony of everyday life, regardless of how we're going through the "new normal" right now?
Sometimes, I feel like the days merge into a senseless week and before I get the chance to breathe, I'm faced with the next batch of seven days.
Don't get me wrong - I like my job, and I have time for other passion projects - but I can't quite get the sense of having an "alone" time. Is it just me? Anyone else feel this way right now?
Granted, we're all at home 24/7 for the most part (aside from when mom has to work at the clinic or dad and my cousin need to do some errands), but I'd like to think there are ways to not feel like the same day is repeating, right?
So what's the issue?
My insomnia is getting worse, while the cycle continues: I try to sleep and close my eyes, I can't, I check my phone and do some online "add to cart" sessions, I listen to music, I listen to podcasts, and when those don't work, I force myself to sleep at 3AM.
Yikes.
I think I'm overthinking every single day. Literally. Thinking of what will happen in the afternoon, what else I can do to keep myself busy, what I should be doing to keep Youtube uploads consistent and relevant - there's always something going on.
I told a friend earlier this week (or last weekend - like I said, everything's a blur at this point) that whenever I feel like I'm not doing enough in my day, I have the need to find something to do.
Phrases like, "Sayang ng araw" (which means today would be a waste) get thrown around during these conversations, and we both agree that trying to relax would be pointless in our books.
We're workaholics... and 'millenials'... and bored all at the same time.
Like, what?!
On top of that, 2020 decided to be rude and be the worst year we've ever had on a global scale. Deaths, viruses, political propaganda, racism - everything's been magnified this year.
MAG. NI. FIED.
Everyone will remember 2020 for all the wrong reasons, and I can only pray that 2021 will be better by a thousand percent. It'll either be better or it's definitely the end of days, haha!
So yeah.
I felt the need to check in and just leave a note for my future self to read about September.
In the Philippines, September marks the start of the Christmas season (even though there's still Halloween, haha) but you can hardly feel it right now.
Sure, there are malls that try their best to look cheerful and positive, but underneath all that lies the possibility of 2020 ending on the same depressing note.
Think positive, right?
Give me inspiration for the coming months please Lord?
Au revoir pour le moment, mes amis!
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