Beauty Barrage: Manicure Monday - Silver Glitter

Monday is almost coming to a close, so I'm rushing this post. I didn't do Manicure Monday last week because I knew I was having my nails done later in the week. I attended a wedding last Thursday with the hubby, so I went to the salon to get a blow-out and a mani-pedi that morning. 

The thing is, I have some standards when I get my nails professionally done. I'm really super critical of manicurists because come on, if they do a bad job, I might as well just do it myself at home. I have only found two manicurists I like at two separate salons that are both at the Podium - one from David's named Flor, and the other at Bench Fix that I forgot the name of because I've only been there once. I haven't tried the Nail Spa at Shang and the nail salons at Megamall though. If you've tried any of them, please let me know in the comments! Don't ask me about other places that aren't in the general Ortigas/Kapitolyo area though, because I just go to the salons near my neighborhood for convenience.

That day though, I was pressed for time so I decided to just go to the David's along Shaw. I really don't like the manicurist there, because I have had my nails done multiple times there before (since it's the closest proper salon near me), but it really seems like she doesn't make enough of an effort to do her job well. I had no choice though, and I thought I'd give her yet another chance, but sadly, I was disappointed once again. Sorry but I just have to rant.

See, I usually bring my own nail polish, especially the ones that I have a hard time putting on myself since I'm so manicure-challenged. Since I was wearing glittery silver shoes and accessories that day, I decided to do silver glitter on my nails. I brought Forever 21 Love and Beauty Nail Polish in Moonbeam for the base and Nicole by OPI's Make U Smile from the Justin Bieber collection to put on top of it. We accidentally ruined one of the nails (the manicurist and I moved in opposite directions at the same time) but I noticed after I left the salon that she didn't bother doing it over. She just tried to patch it up with more nail polish which turned out looking a bit lumpy. She also didn't bother spreading the glitter around my nails. I told her to do two coats so the glitter would show up more and she did, but she didn't make sure that the glitter was visible on every nail. It looked very inconsistent. There were also some blank spots. They're hardly noticeable but they're there. Frustration!

Anyway, bad manicurist aside, I liked the combination of Forever 21's Moonbeam and Nicole by OPI's Make U Smile. Metallic nails just add instant bling to a look. 

I wanted an elegant look since I was going to a wedding. The silver foil of Moonbeam looked great with Make U Smile's big hexagon and small dot glitter. 

My Instagram pic of it last Thursday didn't quite catch the details but it looked very classic and polished.

Fitness Agenda: Juju Cleanse - The First Time

Juice love!

Back in March, I decided to try doing a juice cleanse. It was a few weeks before my wedding, I was feeling a bit stressed, and I was right in the middle of personal training at the gym. I wanted to detox -- clean out my insides, give my body a nutrient boost, and to just be a bit healthier on the whole. After checking various options online, I went for Juju Cleanse. It's a juice fast program that delivers fresh, raw, cold-pressed juice kits right at your doorstep. 

GETTING IT

My friend Cielo and I ordered at around the same time, though we tried different things. She wasn't a veggie eater so she just got a few solo juice bottles that aren't part of the cleanse programs to try them out. On the other hand, I began eating veggies when I first started working out and seeing a nutritionist a couple of years back, so I opted for the one-day Level One Cleanse. It's designed to ease one into the program gently, and isn't so green. That is perfect for me, because while I may be able to eat quite a bit of veggies now, I can't do veggies for prolonged periods of time.

Pretty drinks all in a row! [Pic from the Juju Cleanse website.]

Ordering was really easy, since everything was done online. I was lucky that I live in a city where Juju Cleanse delivers. Those who aren't as lucky have to go to designated pick-up points all over Manila. So I ordered, paid, set my cleanse date, and my juice kit was delivered promptly the night before my cleanse day. 

THE JUICE KIT

The juice kit came in a very convenient thermal bag. It's insulated to keep the juice bottles cold, and the bag makes it easy to tote the juices around with me in case I had to go somewhere. However, I purposely did my cleanse on a day when I had nothing scheduled and was just staying at home, because it was my first time and I didn't know how my body was going to react to the cleanse.

Clothes Spin: What I Wore on the Day I Said Yes [Throwback Thursday]

It's Throwback Thursday! My husband and I got married last April, and we are currently in the process of going through our prenup and wedding photos. I'm feeling quite nostalgic, so I decided to look back on what I wore that day, when he asked and I said yes.

I didn't know I was going to get proposed to that day, so I was really glad I dressed up! I was feeling girly and went for a semi-bohemian outfit. I was so happy I wore orange that day too, since the husband wore blue and those two colors became our wedding colors. It was such a happy day.

p.s. The entire story can be found at our wedding blog, That Happy Day.

Gold Forever 21 hoop earrings, brown Liz Claiborne shoulder bag, Forever 21 orange crop top, sheer orange skirt from Landmark, Tomato orange tassled loafers

Fashion Candy: Sole Society Chloe Fringed Heels

I was going through my closet earlier because I have a wedding to attend next week and I'm considering my outfit options. My Sole Society Chloe fringed heels caught my attention, and I realized these shoes merit a post as they've become one of my favorites.

They're peep-toe heels with fringes on them, plus silver studs on the fringes. I got them in the color Rust because I wanted a color that was unusual. I also wanted a silhouette I didn't have, and these fit the bill. They're definitely not your everyday shoes.

Trippin': The Start of Travel Tuesdays

One of my many obsessions is travel. I didn't care much about it when I was younger, save for my yearly two-month vacations at my mother's ancestral home in Bicol and occasional trips to my father's hometown in Ilocos. I became a journalist in my twenties though, and I had no choice then but to travel a lot for work. It made me love travel in a way that I never thought I would. It opened me up to new cultures and experiences, and ever since my first ever out-of-the-country trip to Singapore, I've been bitten by the travel bug.

Beauty Barrage: Manicure Monday - Gunmetal Silver-Gray

Hello! I know it's technically Tuesday because it's past midnight, and I almost missed Manicure Monday haha, but it's still pretty much the same day (more like night heh), and I'm just late in posting. Okay, enough with the excuses and let's get on with it.

This week's color is gunmetal silver. I'm starting to sense fall coming even if this country only has two seasons and autumn isn't one of them. It's probably this chilly, crisp weather we're having (though we're still smack dab in the middle of the sucky rainy season), so I'm feeling dark colors at the moment. I'm not excited for the holidays yet though, and that's a long way away, so no to sparkly stuff for now. Dark and moody is my jam, so I chose Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear nail polish in Gunmetal.

Bookworming: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan Books

As if it hasn't been established in this blog already, I love YA (Young Adult) fiction. They're always easy, light, relaxing reads, even if they deal with serious issues. They also take me back to the carefree days of being a teenager, and give me a break in between heavy, adult books. 

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan are my two favorite authors. They've done three collaborations to date, and all have made it to my favorite books list. There's Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List, and Dash & Lily's Book of Dares. 

Clothes Spin: Heels to Flats [Throwback Thursday]

Hello! Here's a quick Throwback Thursday look for this week. Had to change shoes that day so the outfit went from polished to casual. I was wearing my Charles and Keith gladiator heels but after walking around for an entire afternoon, I eventually changed to super comfy flats from Posh Pocket Shoes.

Blue Kate Torralba for Paper Dolls top, Human jeans, black Charles and Keith gladiator heels

Black Mango bag, brown and tan cap-toe flats from Posh Pocket Shoes

Toy Nerdiness: Lego Lord of the Rings - Gandalf Arrives

I collect toys, but I don't collect Lego. The sets are way too expensive and I have way too many other obsessions. Once in a while though, something comes along that's too good to resist and that's when I give in. One of those sets is Gandalf Arrives from the Lego Lord of the Rings series.

I love the books and the movies, and I have the Lego LOTR DS game too, so this set was a definite must-have for me. The hubby and I picked it up last year as soon as the LOTR sets were released.  It shows Frodo meeting Gandalf at the Shire, during the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring. It contains two mini-figs - Frodo and Gandalf, plus the book Frodo was reading, and a horse with a cart filled with fireworks and veggies. Here go the pics!

Beauty Barrage: Manicure Monday - Deep Orange

I have a confession to make. I hate doing my own nails. I usually go to the salon to have them done. I suck at giving myself manicures, that's why. Each manicure takes ages for me, and I have to redo each nail a few times before I get it right. My hands aren't suited for applying nail polish. They slip and slide and get nail polish everywhere except on my nails. This is why I rarely ever make the effort to do my manicures and pedicures myself.

The thing is, I love nail polish. I have a large collection and I've been feeling bad that I haven't been using my nail lacquers. Plus, I rarely ever get myself to the salon nowadays, and I miss having color on my nails. This is why I'm starting Manicure Monday. It will make me try very hard to give myself manicures to use up my collection, give me the practice I need, and I can do nail polish reviews at the same time. Please don't expect my manicures to be perfect though. They'll most likely be messy, but who knows, maybe I'll get better at it someday. 

For this week, I went with a deep orange lacquer -- The Face Shop's OR202. The weather has been really gloomy, with rain pouring down in torrents in the afternoons, and I felt like wearing something bright.

Food Trip: Yakitori One - First Visit

Up until last Saturday, the hubby and I have never been to SM Aura. It's just one short trip down C5 from our neighborhood, but we just haven't gone somehow. We finally went there this past weekend, just to try the new yakitori (Japanese barbecue) joint, Yakitori One.

There are a number of good yakitori places in Manila (our most recent favorite is Nanbantei), but proper yakitori fastfood has been non-existent since Tokyo Tokyo phased out their chicken yakitori. Enter Yakitori One, which opened at the SM Aura foodcourt -- Food on Four -- earlier this year.

Purse Peek 090613

When I went out yesterday I noticed that my bag didn't feel like I was toting the entire house including the kitchen sink with me, which is what I usually do, heh. I just ran errands, met up with a friend briefly, and did a bit of shopping yesterday, so I somehow didn't toss a lot of stuff in my bag. I was amazed that my purse seemed so streamlined, so I decided to do a What's In My Bag thing and snap a pic of my bag and its contents.

What's in my pink Mango fringe bag? 

Public Service Announcement: Site Update 09.06.13

Hi peeps! The Blue Purse is now as finished as it can be. I'd just like to point you to a few new tweaks, done to make things easier to find and navigate, to clarify some things, and to tell you more about this site and its owner, me. Please feel free to tell me your thoughts on anything here. Thanks for reading!

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Beauty Loot: Mini Lippie Haul 09.05.13

My biggest weakness when it comes to beauty is lipstick. I always have way too much in my stash, but I can never seem to stop acquiring lippies. I've been trying very hard to use them all up and not let any go to waste, so I have been keeping myself from getting new ones these past few months.

Today however, I caved! I couldn't resist, and it's all my friend Sheva of Beauty by Berrymix's fault, hah! She ordered a bunch of makeup from the US, and I bought a couple of her stuff. One is something I've been wanting for a while, and the other isn't available here so I had to get it. Here's my mini-haul, with first impressions after the jump.

Toy Nerdiness: BMO from Adventure Time Fig

I love toys. I collect movie/book/cartoon/TV show tie-ins, as well as designer toys and vinyl figures. Toys are my vice.

My last toy acquisition besides the ones I got at the most recent Toy Con, was Adventure Time's BMO. I think this cartoon rocks, especially all the geeky references it makes, and my favorite character is BMO, who looks like an old skool Gameboy. I found the toy in Greenhills, along with Finn and Jake figs. 

It's absolutely mathematical! 

  

Beauty Barrage: Getting to the Bottom of the Neutrogena Deep Clean Revitalizing Pink Grapefruit Ultra Foam Cleanser

Hello! Let's get to the bottom of this post, shall we? By "getting to the bottom" I meant literally getting to the bottom of a product! In makeup circles it's known as "hitting the pan", but the phrase doesn't really work for all products, so "getting to the bottom" it is.

Now, getting to the bottom of a product doesn't automatically mean it's so good I used it all up. Sometimes it means I just used it up because I didn't want to waste product, since products mean money after all. Such was the case with the Neutrogena Deep Clean Revitalizing Pink Grapefruit Ultra Foam Cleanser. 

Clothes Spin: Fashion Love for July and August 2013

Hello September! I'm so glad August is over because that month was just horrible! I actually haven't been documenting my outfits much since July because I've been feeling blah and unenthusiastic about everything. That is why, unlike June's Fashion Love entry, I've combined July and August into one post and it's still going to be super short. I have high hopes for September though. Anyway, here are my favorite looks from July and August, ganked from my Instagram.

Aztec Blue

Whenever I wear this dress, I think of my bachelorette party, which was the first time I wore it. This time around I wore it to the hubby's friend James' birthday party. 

Blue Aztec print dress from Cotton On, blue studded bracelet from Meg, Relic boyfriend watch, and black Cotton On sandals 

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