Living For The Night Lights

Last August 15, the organization which I am a part of, the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants - De La Salle University Chapter (JPIA-DLSU), hosted a party to welcome the new school year. It was entitled "Xanadu: Live For The Night Lights", and was held at the APEX Palladium at New World Makati.

I love parties for two things (well three, if you count the company): the music and-- well-- the dressing-up. For club parties like these, I always go with a pair of shorts. And of course, I don't forget about wearing heels. Like most people, I went with black (and white). Huge thanks to our master photographer, Tereynz Mendoza, for taking my outfit shots outside the venue haha!

Top: Topshop

Shorts: Forever 21

Platforms: DAS (custom)

Fitclip: Renouveau Manila

Earrings: Franzl Bajada (custom)

Yes, my friends-- those are heelless shoes. Quite crazy isn't it, especially when I wore it at a party? But I'll have you know, it didn't hinder me from having fun and dancing the night away!

The pair was my gift to myself when I turned eighteen last year. I got it customized based on the Alexander McQueen-esque DAS 17 design. The distinct thing about my pair is the spikes on the mary-jane straps. Please don't mind the stains on the toes-- I cleaned them up after

I'll confess: my top is one size bigger, hence the loose fit. That is what happens when you are too excited to buy a wonderful item that's on sale lol. But it's not just the top that's big! The shorts, too; that is why I took on the help of my ever-reliable fitclip. Here's a photo of what it looks like from the back!

Yup, it's that black strap at the back. Not quite sure if I've mentioned it here on my blog before, but I'm planning to sell some clothes (brand-new and preloved) on Instagram! These pieces might make it to the sale. If you're interested, feel free to follow my soon-to-open store: The Closet Case (there I go with my puns again). I initially planned on opening it in early September, but I'll have to push back the date since I'm busy with school.

Right ahead is a bunch of photos of my face (sorry I'm not sorry). It was my first time putting on falsies! It's amazing how much they liven up the eyes. Unfortunately, my lashes are naturally short, and I can't put on mascara to save my life. I also wore circle lenses-- something that I usually do when I go to special occasions. I have black and brown doll lenses, but these grey ones are my favorite; they look natural yet not-so. (I'm hoping to have blue ones someday, too!) For my lids, I attempted to make them smokey. I also filled my eyebrows (they're the most important part for me!). Since my eyes were already dramatic, I went with a light shade on my lips. I finished the look with some contouring using a bronzer/blush (of course after putting on BB cream as moisturizer and dabbing on some concealer).

I didn't even realize my bottom eyeliner was messed up until I saw this photo lol

Contact lenses: Sparkle

False eyelashes: KAI Beauty Care Eye Decoration (from Sasa)

Eyeshadow: Collection Smokey Eyes palette

Eyebrows: H&M Smokey Eyes palette

Eyeliner: Cyber Colors 24hr Eyeliner Duo (from Sasa)

Bronzer/blush: Benefit Dallas

Lipstick: Collection Satin Bow + MAC Rebel

I also attempted to sport a faux pixie. I rarely do something complicated with my hair when I go to parties; but this time, I felt like trying out something new. I've been so sick of my über long hair that I figured I should do something special with it.

To start off, I sprayed some Sea Salt Spray from Lush. My hair is naturally smooth and straight, so it needs a boost in the texture department which the spray could give. It was my first ever purchase from Lush and I have no regrets at all-- it smells really good, like the beach! What I did next was I tied the bottom part of my hair into a bun. For the remaining sections, I braided. them and pinned them at the back. It's really messy at the back (as you'll see below) though!

Did you see my gorgeous soutache earrings? They're handmade with love from Cebu! The pair is actually customized from the Franzl Bajada's Imperatrice - Belle design! Due to the changes that I wanted, it ended up looking like a hybrid of the Cinderella and the Belle designs, and it was perfect! If you've noticed, her Imperatrice collection is Disney-inspired! When I saw the collection, I knew I had to buy a pair for myself! I was looking for statement earrings to wear with the rest of this outfit, and I ordered right away. The transaction was very quick. A great experience for my first time buying online, really. Ms. Franzl just launched a new collection, Sweet Bonbons, by the way. Feel free to check it out too!

Whew, that was a lengthy post! To end this post, I'm leaving you guys with one of the many photos from the party (spot me!) and the after-party video (both courtesy of Tereynz Mendoza again). These doesn't even show a quarter of how wild and fun the party was! Contrary to popular opinion, accountants do know how to have fun! I definitely can't wait for more parties that our org will throw in the future!

x Erika Rosales

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Good Gold

Weeks ago, I received my second-ever blogger mail. I know, right! The feeling of receiving a package is beyond delightful. It feels even greater when it's free! It's like Christmas gone early.

What did the parcel contain, you ask? Why, lovely accessories from Born Pretty Store! Since I cannot wait to share with you guys the goodies I received (and I'm actually already weeks late at it), I'm jumping the queue yet again with this fresh post. I'm so glad my Tagaytay adventure during the holiday gave me a chance to finally shoot these jewelries! (Photo-diary will be posted soon!)

I got to choose what pieces I would like for free, so I chose three gold items. The first one on my list was-- you guessed it-- this gold body chain (also available in silver)! I have been dying for one since it became a trend, and that was around a year ago! Now, I can say I belong with the likes of Queen Bey, RiRi, and also Miley! The design's just simple, but that's exactly how I like it. The length was also just right! If only I had a booty though, it would have draped more nicely at the bottom haha!

I also got this gold ring (also available in silver) because I liked its V-shape. I have always been wary of getting gold fashion jewelry because I am acidic. That means, fake gold tarnishes pretty quickly on me. But guess what! This ring stayed gold even when I wore it for a whole day! It also did not leave any green mark on my skin. It was even subjected to water and soap several times during the day, but it kept its color. Its gold plating is good; I wish all gold fancy jewelry were like this.

Once again, please excuse my manicure.

The last thing I got, this heart bangle, was adorable beyond sorts. Turns out, it's actually seamless! The only downside is that, it was kinda too big for me. Actually, I just naturally have thin wrists. Therefore, I had to be extra careful about making sure it did not fall off. Of course, I did not want to lose it.

Again, you can get these blings and a lot more choices at Born Pretty Store. If jewelry isn't your thing, you should still check them out! They pretty much sell everything from clothes, gadget cases, contact lenses, and even stationery! So what are you waiting for? Like them on Facebook, and head on over to their online site to view their products. Oh, and don't forget to enter my code "HFB10" upon checkout to get 10% off on your order! Happy shopping!

x Erika Rosales

PS: If you would also like to send me some items (for a review and/or feature), feel free to send me an email at e.rsls@yahoo.com!

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Mane Attraction

It's my birthday today! I'm finally 19 (as you can see in my new Pantone-inspired icon on the sidebar hehe). Since it's a special day, I figured to skip the backlogs and post something current! (I also shoot my look today, but that's for some other time.) Anyway, here's one of the greatest changes I underwent recently. Enjoy!

Last September 7, a day before going back to school for another whirlwind term, I said goodbye to my long, all-natural locks. Now, I'll tell you guys about my new hairstyle, in Q&A style.

What did you do to your hair?
I had it chopped off to a medium length, and had it ombre-d.

What is ombre?
It's a French word. In hair talk, it means the gradual change of color. It looks a lot like dip-dye, actually.

Why the drastic change?
Well... I was so sick of the way I looked. I just wanted something different. This feeling has been going on for quite a long time already, actually. In fact, I said before, I will either grow my hair really long or cut it real short. Obviously, I went with the former. But then, I just couldn't take it anymore. In the end, my hair looked dull and lifeless.

Don't you feel sad about your then-long hair?
Honestly, no. True, having long hair is flexible; but the thing is, I didn't do much with it anyway. Yeah, having several inches cut off was pretty overwhelming, but it actually felt a bit liberating, I guess? It's like my hair has been weighing me down (literally and figuratively), and now the burden is gone.

Why did you go for ombre?
I went for ombre for two reasons: (1) I didn't want to be typical, and; (2) I was not yet ready to have my roots touched. The ironic thing about the first reason is, ombre is actually a trend. But then, it was only rampant among the celebrities. Not a lot of "normal" people go with it. So technically, I still felt quite unique hehe. (I jumped on the bandwagon quite late though!)

As for the second reason, the idea of my hair bleached was pretty frightening. I thought that, with ombre, at least only a section of my hair will be damaged. (In case it turned out really bad, I can just have it chopped off.) Also, I think I was not yet brave enough to sport an entirely-different hair color. (But come to think of it, perhaps sporting half-dyed hair takes a lot more courage than a normal, fully-colored one?) The idea of not having to worry about my roots growing out also seemed great to me.

Who was your hair peg?
Strictly speaking, I didn't have any. I didn't see a picture of some and said: "Oh I want this hair!!!". I did have an image in my head though; so what I did was, I looked for pictures of famous personalities that matched my imagination. I ended up with Laureen Uy's hair length (I didn't want very-layered hair anymore, so hers was perfect) and Aimee Song's haircolor. (Note: My hair didn't end up in the same color as Aimee's because they said my base was too dark-- since I didn't have it colored. But it's totally fine, I like how it ended up!)

Where did you get your hair done?
I went to Vanity Circle Salon at Robinson's Place Manila. They were a new salon, so I decided to try them out. Really cute place and nice service! (Not sponsored, btw.) They worked on my hair for three hours (which I think is normal protocol), although a big chunk of it was just waiting for the bleach to do its magic.

They actually asked if I wanted to make the ombre frame my face-- that is, put color on my bangs too; I said no because I actually wanted to skip having bangs this time. Therefore, my bangs were left untouched.

How do you deal with your hair daily?
Frankly, it's quite an everyday struggle. Due to the bleaching done on the tips of my hair, I make it a point to condition it daily (after shampooing, of course). (Side note: Dove conditioner wins!!1!) For the first few days, washing my hair felt like handling a broom. Combing afterwards was even harder. I felt like my hair was being pulled out every time I drove my comb through the stubborn tangles. The tips became really dry due to bleaching, so there. But once my hair's dry, it's all good. Now, everything is a breeze!

As for styling, I usually apply sea salt spray (from Lush!) on it, and either tie it in a bun or braid it in sections at the start of the day. I then let my hair loose after some time to reveal light curls.

Getting saiyan feels from this photo

What did your parents say about your hair?
My dad was furious lol. He said it attracted too much attention due to its peculiarity. On the other hand, my mom was very supportive.

(For my father's sanity --and as I usually do anyway-- I tie my hair up whenever I commute. I always want to keep a low-profile when I'm out and about on the streets. Don't want to attract the attention of evil people!)

What do you think of your hair now?
I absolutely love it! I think it made my face look slimmer, and my skin tone lighter too haha. I also feel like it matches my style perfectly. It's like an everyday accessory now! I'm also glad because it dries easier now. I definitely have no regrets.

What's next for your hair?
Oh, I don't know! Maybe I'll let it grow, but not too long. But then, the ombre parts will get shorter and shorter... Maybe I'll have it retouched? (I don't know how it works, really). Maybe I'll just go back to long hair (but as of now, the thought isn't so appealing to me.) Al I'm thinking right now, really, is that I hope my hair would just stay this way forever lol. I may have to chop the colored section off before internship though. Oh well, we'll see!

Hope you guys enjoyed reading this post! If you have some questions that I was not able to cover here, feel free to comment below!

x Erika Rosales

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