Beauty and Lifestyle Blog
Hee, love this photo of the boyf and I, taken by a dear friend 🙂 I can’t believe May is almost over! This means I need to get my shit together just in time for two out of town trips! Lawrd, I’m in dire need of a decent vacay and from the looks of things, June just might be the perfect month for it!
Days ahead are gonna be exciting and I cannot wait! I love planning trips with the boyf and my friends 🙂
I was on a roll two weeks ago, bought me a great number of makeup brushes from The Body Shop and Real Techniques, the latter I ordered from Stuff in Style!
So the first batch of brushes, I got from The Body Shop. I wasn’t really planning on getting these brushes but since TBS is celebrating their 17th year with a month-long sale, I just couldn’t resist grabbing these babies while I shop for a Mother’s Day gift. I got the Blender Brush, the Kabuki brush and the Blush Brush. All are fabulous, particularly the Blush Brush which is the softest makeup brush I ever came across with! It’s super kitten paw soft! I’ve always been a fan of TBS brushes because I got one that lasted me for six years and I still use it today! It’s def worth the money and I recommend their bigger brushes (Powder brush, blush brush, Kabuki brush, retractable brush).
I was mondo, mondo excited about the Real Techniques brushes because I waited a while before I finally decided to get them. Why? First, they’re not available locally, you need to order them online (I highly recommend Stuff in Style!) and second, the brushes comes in sets and there’s a couple of brushes in the Starter Set that I don’t need.
That said, I’m extremely glad I finally got a-hold of these coveted brushes because they are so good. As in so, so good! I fell in love with the base shadow brush (second one in the pic) and the deluxe crease brush (first brush in the pic). My favorite is the base shadow brush because it allows me to pack on the colors and then blend ’em flawlessly!
Also, another favorite is the Expert Face brush, which I got specifically for the wedding I attended last week. I volunteered to do my own makeup and I wanted to use liquid foundation but since I rarely use liquid foundation (I prefer powder foundation), I never bought a foundation brush before. I got this because it’s a cult favorite among all RT brushes and now I know why!
The Expert Face brush has very short and firm bristles that spreads the product on the face evenly. With just a few strokes, I am able to achieve the result I wanted without any streaking! This brush is a bit smaller than your average foundation brush but I guarantee you, this is an advantage because the small head allows it to reach every inch of your face. It’s such an ingenious brush and I love it to bits!
So far, I got all the RT brushes I’ve been eyeing but next on my list is the Core Collection, the Blush Brush and the Shading Brush. Hopefully, these brushes will be available locally by the time I need to buy them na, hahahah!
K, so I mentioned I felt so bad about having such a crummy week that I might drive myself to the nearby Uniqlo for a shopping spree? Well, I did nothing of the sort. Instead, I went to Megamall and went on a shopping spree. So I guess the terrorist won, hahaahha!
Nothing major, just got shirts from Promod and shorts from the newest Korean store to hit the PH, Basic House. I love Basic House na! They’ve got loads of cute Polo shirts which I’m a fan of plus great basic shirts! A bit on the pricier range though but it seemed like a really great brand to try out!
I guess, I should really steer clear of malls when I’m feeling blue. On the other hand, I really do need a fresh set of wardrobe as my boyfriend and my sister kept saying I wear the same thing over and over again.
Oh, we’re not done shopping yet. Phase 2 would be an all-out shopping spree at Uniqlo probably sometime next month. I’m already eyeing the UT line as well as a couple of tunics from their permanent range. Already picked out stuff to buy and did the math na, hihihihi! I’m so, so excited! I only wish Uniqlo carry bigger sizes in the menswear line. The boyf is a bigger Polo shirt nut than I am and Uniqlo got a fabulous range of shirts but they’re too damn small! Boyf either needs to lose weight or find another brand because nothing fits him there. Oh well, can’t win ’em all.
I’ve been having a really crummy week, to be honest. I seriously don’t want to complain or rant about it because that’ll only make me feel so much worse that I might drive myself to an impromptu shopping spree at nearby Uniqlo, hahahah! So instead, I’ll just go count my blessings:
Let’s not forget to be grateful for all the blessings to get through bad days! Yiheeee!
Traditionally, cufflinks are worn with semi-formal and formal attire. Cufflink designs will vary according to the type of dress shirts you choose to wear it with. Additionally, cufflinks should reflect the personality of the wearer. In terms of quality, the option is just as endless. Designer cufflinks can be made out of silver, gold and platinum and decked with precious stones like diamonds, emeralds or rubies. Modest ones are crafted with copper, Chrome, stainless steel or silver-plated rhodium and fitted with crystals, Mother-of-Pearl, enamel or even semi-precious stones.
Metal cufflinks are typically made with chrome or stainless steel. Polished to a high shine, these cufflinks may either come in classic designs, engraved or customized style. Metal cufflinks are best worn during semi-formal and formal gathering.
Novelty cufflinks, on the other hand, are best worn during casual and semi-formal events. Unlike classic cufflinks that feature traditional designs, novelty cufflinks come in a wide range of design, mostly inspired by iconic characters.
Choosing Cufflinks Based On Your Personality
We know how fashion is a form of self-expression and when it comes to dressing up, your own personal style has to show through. The same thing goes to the kind of cufflinks you wear. For instance, guys who are into understated fashion are likely to choose cufflinks in classic designs like square or knot cufflinks in subtle colors. These types of cufflinks features minimalistic designs, clean lines and understated elegance that fit the wearer’s fashion sense.
On the other hand, men who love the flash often choose equally flashy cufflinks, particularly those that are made with gold or platinum, adorned with dazzling stones or bold colors and crafted in ornate designs. Flashy cufflinks are often worn to make an impact on people. These types of cufflinks are all about drawing people’s attention to the wearer.
Novelty cufflinks are similar to flashy cufflinks but are often worn by people who are passionate about specific things, perhaps, by iconic people, legendary movies that shaped a generation or pop culture personalities. Novelty cufflinks are often design-driven and come in widely recognized styles.
Choosing Cufflinks Based On The Occasion
When it comes to dressing according to the occasion, formal wear should include cufflinks, preferably in classic or traditional designs. For instance, black-tie events, business meetings or even for an interview, dress shirts look best when finished off with classic square cufflinks. On the other hand, semi-formal events, novelty cufflinks or classic cufflinks should work great.
If you are unsure about the type of cufflinks that fits the occasion, silver cufflinks is the safest choice. Its versatile design and subtle shimmer will look fantastic in either formal, semi-formal and even casual events.
Dressing for success requires great accessories pulled together with the right attitude. When you show up in style, you leave a good impression on people. This is particularly important if you are meeting with the boss or is dressing up for a job interview. So it pays to know how to choose the right cufflinks that not only suits your style but also fits the occasion
Pinterest, according to its own CEO, Ben Silbermann, is a platform where people find inspirations. From DIY projects to pretty people and everything else in between, users can actively participate in the Pinterest community simply by pinning interesting items from their virtual bulletin board. The simplistic concept behind Pinterest wasn’t expected to woo users. In fact, many lobbyists thought Pinterest is just a fad, something that will eventually fade, like other trendy social media sites of the past (Friendster, anyone?).
However, Pinterest never stopped growing. As of April 2013, Pinterest users has grown to a jaw-dropping 48.7 million with 40% growth per annum, easily making it one of the largest social networking sites in the world.
But why is Pinterest growing at such a seemingly supernatural rate? What’s the secret behind Pinterest’s unprecedented growth? Most people attributed Pinterest’s success to effective algorithm but Ben Silbermann, debunked this notion, crediting grassroots marketing as the reason why Pinterest became the social media juggernaut it is today.
What is Grassroots Marketing?
Grassroots marketing, often referred to as “guerilla marketing” is a promotional campaign that starts from the ground up, rather than broadcasting marketing messages to a wide audience. This type of marketing campaign requires working with a small group of people, hoping that this group of people will spread the word about your message to a much larger audience. In short, Pinterest grew because of word of mouth marketing, which happens to be the holy grail of marketing campaigns.
Pinterest started its campaign by instigating meetups with users at local boutiques, engaging people through common interests and inviting influential bloggers to “Pin it Forward”. Rather than establishing superficial relationships on more popular social media sites like Facebook or Twitter, Pinterest banked on real conversations, creative projects and complete engagement between users.
Fueled by the fact that Pinterest is more of a visual platform than anything else, the generated result is steadier, longer lasting, as opposed to results yielded from algorithm. Pinterest is considered as addicting by many users because the platform established a compelling, extremely sticky approach to marketing.
Just like anything, grassroots marketing starts with a great product to inspire it. In the case of Pinterest, the seemingly simple concept of creating a channel for online inspirations is something that not a lot of social networking site offers. Despite what many believed to be just a trend that will pass in its own time, Pinterest has, time and again, surprised fans and detractors alike with longevity and remarkable growth throughout the years.