I just wanna share this. I am lately fond of using stuff you can find at home to use as part your beauty regimen. I’ll look for more and post them up soon.

- from Cosmopolitan, beauty on a budget article, Philippines

Rock Red-Hot Lips

One of the cheapest—and easiest—looks: a bold lip on an otherwise bare face. “Bright red lips are all you need to look instantly put together—and you won’t have makeup sliding off your face,” says NYC celeb makeup artist Brian Duprey. We like Avon Color Rich Lipstick in President’s Red, Php379 (US$9.50). Apply sheer powder foundation so your skin becomes a flawless backdrop to your sultry smacker. A great buy: Fasio Fit & Stay Foundation SPF28, Php545 (US$14).

Brew a Refreshinging Body Mist

To create a fresh-smelling skin treat, pull off the petals from about four roses, steep in hot water for 10 minutes, and pour the strained liquid into a spray bottle, says Tara Oolie, owner of Just Calm Down Spa in NYC. Then spritz all over.

Banish Blemishes With A New Formula

If you’re prone to frequent zits and blemishes, review your current skin care stash: You might need an extra clearing boost from pimple-busting products that contain salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide.

Mimic Surfer-Girl Strands

Here’s a shortcut to perfectly textured tresses: Combine two cups of warm water with two tablespoons of sea salt in a spray bottle, then shake it up so the salt dissolves, says Jet Rhys, a hairstylist based in California. Mist all over damp locks for a tousled effect. Don’t scrunch—the key to frizz-free results is not to touch your hair at all while it dries, says Rhys.

Whip Up a Glow-Giving Face Mask

Try this easy DIY treatment. Chop up a slice papaya and combine with a quartercup of plain yogurt. Apply to your face, then rinse off after 20 minutes. The papaya enzymes and lactic acid from the yogurt will lightly exfoliate your skin.

Fix a Self-Tanner Snafu

If your fake-bake body looks streaky, orangey, or too dark, go for a swim in a pool, says Ryan Crabbe, spa director of the Ritz-Carlton Spa in Miami. “The chlorine will dissolve the self-tanner a bit so the mistakes aren’t as obvious.”

Get Ultrasmooth Skin

Brew a pot of coffee, then use the leftover warm grounds in the shower as an exfoliator. They’ll slough your skin, making it smooth, plus caffeine has a temporary, mild firming effect.

Here are one of the dresses found at Toppicks.multiply.com

( note: photo credits are rightfully to the owner of the site)

It’s inspired by a Marc Jacob dress and I find it cute! The catch? It’s only 700php ( US$ 17.50) .

Here’s the runway dress:

here’s the Toppicks version:

Not bad, isn’t it?

>> Auth Marc Jacobs cotton green long sleeves shirt !

I was nonchalantly browsing ebay, no intentions of buying anythiing. Just taking pleasure browsing around, checking out cool potential purchases. When I saw this item, 2 minutes and 36 seconds remaining time before the bidding ends. Maybe it’s this panic sale buyer impulse I have in me that made me automatically place my bid! hahaha (Signs of addiction to Ebay, I presume.) The good part, it has only 1 bid and the starting price?? 100php (approximately US$2.50). I don’t mind if it was pre- owned plus it’s been quite some time since I started my hunt for that perfect everyday cotton long- sleeved shirt. But come on? What are the chances that you can bump into this kind of top in Ebay, which in excellent condition btw, for just 100php??? It’s Divine intervention that I won this without sweat! Hahaha. The top is not that exuberantly eye-catching, I just love that it’s green, comfty and a functional piece too. After joyously celebrating this great deal, next step is to fervently pray that this one will not disappoint me when I get the actual item. :((

so here’s the pic:

Ok. Before i let you swarm over my unfortunate, sad story, let me warn you that if you are easily disgusted, i strongly suggest not to continue reading..

So let me start the history:

Saturday, (last week) my bf and I went out to have my post birthday celebration. He wanted to buy some new CD’s so we had to drop by first in Metrowalk. Come 6 pm, we decided to have our dinner there and getting on with our adventurous side, we tried this restaurant because he doesn’t want to wait that long in queues in fast foods and he doesn’t want to wait 10 thousand years before having our food served. We ordered a dozen of baked oysters with cheese& garlic, his all-time favorite “Sisig” (finely chopped and fried pork with fatty skin parts, with egg and seasonings served in a hot plate) and the house specialty fried rice. Dinner was great.. we enjoyed the food so as the place itself. The waiters were very courteous and accommodating. Definitely a good choice to dine out.

Sunday, my Bf picked me up again and originally, we planned to watch a movie in Trinoma (mall). But for some reason, we both got lazy butts and just headed back to his place to watch basketball and DVDs. He cooked dinner for both of us - sauteed corned beef with tomatoes & potatoes (what a rhyme) and rice. We heartily ate dinner and bummed around for a while. After 30 minutues or so, I felt my stomach rumbling wildly. So I excused myself and had my business in the CR. I thought that was the last of it.

Monday, it’s EDSA day- Holiday in the Philippines where we commemorate the 1985 People Power Revolution in EDSA ( Name of a Major Road here in Manila) to oust the former President Ferdinand Marcos. My itinerary for that day was to go to the Norwegian embassy to file my Visa application but watching in TV that it’s heavy traffic along EDSA ( I’ m taking that way to reach the embassy), I’ve decided against it and stayed home. I still have trip to the CR once in a while but conscientiously ignoring it because I thought it’ll pass sooner.

Tuesday, I woke up early and left home around 6am for the Norwegian embassy. Considering the rush hour traffic, I reached my destination by 9am riding the bus. Luckily, I was able to finish what I came there for and then headed to Greenbelt-Glorietta (mall) to have lunch and review for a quiz later in my Norskkurs (Norwegian course). To my dismay, I went down for another trip to the toilet as soon as finished my meal. I was feeling nauseous and weakened. So i bought 2 bottles of gatorade and 2 bottles f mineral water to bring along with me as I go on the entire afternoon and evening. More and more trips to the toilet came after that and you don’t want me to gross you out by telling more details.

Wednesday, the bathroom by then was becoming my best friend. Every time I eat or drink something, it’ s the sweet music of a flushing toilet I hear. I tried to attend my Norskkurs that afternoon, but along my trip, I had this 3-second blackout. When I regained my consciousness, I sent my friend an SMS if i could stay in their place to rest and just in case, need the use of their toilet. I managed to pass by a drugstore and bought oral rehydration tablets. Good thing, nothing bad happened to me plus I also watched Project Runway 4 in the comfort of their home.. I owe you big time, my dear friend! ( I know you are reading this).

Thursday-Friday- I stayed home and busied myself blogging here in sanrio while I still have those regular, frequent visits to my bestfriend, the toilet. Haha.. but as expected, I started to lose weight and look unhealthy-thin or thin-unhealthy (whatever, but I’m not complaining, since it’s nearly summer and we gotta show some skin). What really bothered me, is that I easily tire, even just walking 10 steps. My appetite was dramatically suppressed and I was developing the sunken eyes, my heart rate increased, oliguria and dry skin and chapped lips - all of which are signs of dehydration. Despite religiously drinking my ORS (oral rehydration solution) and feeding my self with bananas and having small frequent meals (soft diet) , dehydration had its way on me. When I had dinner with my parents last night, they just can’t help but notice the changes in me.. my mom even accusing me of having bulimia or anorexia, which is really irritating. I explained to them that it’s because of my 5-day diarrhea that i lost too much body fluid.. but she still keeps pointing out that it’s because of my dieting that made me have this. Grrrr… anyway, she then visited me in my bed last night and checked me out (she was a nurse, btw. haha love yah ma!).

So today, I decided to have a IV because if not, this may go on as worse as hypovolemic shock or whatever is causing my diarrhea, may spread to other organs and cause another problem or even worse toxemia. (ok, enough with those terms!) Talk about paranoia! haha. My doctor gave me 1 liter D5LR IV to consume overnight and capsules of antibiotics. I just hope this is just a simple bacterial infection of the GI (gastro-intestinal) tract and not Amoebiasis.

I am feeling better now and i really have to get well soon so that I can continue with my normal activities. It’ s becoming annoying to be pinned in front of your PC for hours without accomplishing anything, you know. haha