September Faves!

Here is what I have been loving this month beauty-wise, and I guess you can kind of consider these as my back-to-school beauty necessities as I have been reaching for these products so much to make myself presentable!

As I am now in a much cooler climate (but still quite sunny, mind you), I have been using Perricone MD's No Foundation Foundation (which was actually a hand me down from mi madre as she wasn't using it and we do have a similar skin colour). It's quite light-weight but it has got a buildable coverage, good for those times where I haven't gotten much sleep and need to hide the tiredness from my face. I've been pairing that with my MAC Pro Longwear concealer and MAC Prep+Prime highlighter in Bright Forecast, and I feel that it's a great combination for making me look as flawless and awake as I can. I've also been using Clinique's All About Eyes serum quite regularly, and I feel that it's been doing an excellent job at keeping the puffiness under my eyes at bay. Definitely recommend it to anyone. 

Other products I have been loving are the MAC mineralize skinfish in Rio to brighten up my face when I feel it's looking a little dull, my MAC blush in Gingerly (which is a gorgeous terracotta colour that looks like a natural 'blush' for my NC40 skin), the L'Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga mascara (in I think deep black) that gives my lashes a little more 'oomph', MAC fluidline in Dipdown (a gel liner that I daresay rivals Bobbi Brown's Espresso Ink) and the MAC An Amorous Adventure quad (from the A Novel Romance collection) colours are just to die for. I actually have yet to touch the pastel blue colour from the quad, as I have no idea how to wear such a light blue on my eyes. Any suggestions? 

As far as lips go, I have definitely gone for much darker colours, and I'm eagerly waiting for autumn to come just so that I can rock more dark lips. For "my lips but better and darker" I've been loving MAC's Bad Girl RiRi (from the Rihanna holiday collection last year) and Rimmel's Tower of Mauve (240). For days when the sun isn't out and instead rain has graced our presence, I've been reaching either for my Rimmel Electric Plum (300) lippie or MAC's Hearts Aflame, a brick-red colour, to match the dark and damp mood. 

Other beauty products I have been loving this month are my Bioderma makeup remover which takes off all my makeup at the end of the day in a jiffy, my mini Bvlgari Mon Jasmin Noir perfume, the L'Oreal Total Repair Replenishing Detangling Care spray for my hair after I take a shower, and three pastel Essie nail polishes in Ballet Slippers (light pink), Urban Jungle (nude) and Who is the Boss (pale blue). 

Now, as always, here are my non-beauty faves!

 Now who doesn't love chocolate? If you're as much of a chocolate lover as me, you have got to try out the Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Creations chocolate bars! Chocolate heaven mixed with jelly, beans and popping candy, I must say. It does take quite a while to chew because of all the added sugariness but it's well worth it. My cousin introduced me to these babies while I was in Singapore last year, and I am hooked. I need more. I haven't seen these around, so I'm not sure if you can only get them in Singapore or so. Either way, if you ever see these at your local supermarket, GRAB THEM! You won't regret it.

Because I am in the 'back-to-school' mode and have been spending most of my days working away on my laptop, coffee is essential. I'm particularly liking this Kopiko Brown Coffee mix that I brought over from the Philippines. It's not too strong and not too sweet, which is great when I can't be bothered with having to hunt down for milk or sugar in the kitchen. Hmm... a cup of this definitely wakes me up - especially when I've had a late night (and I'm sure there will be many more of those in the coming weeks)! I definitely will be stocking up on these over the Christmas break...

My jam? Definitely 'Find You' by Zedd ft. Matthew Koma and Miriam Bryant. It gets me pumped every morning and the upbeat melody always puts me in a good mood. I do believe this is the most played song on my iTunes library - that's how in love I am with this song ever since it came out in January (it's part of the soundtrack for Divergent, which I actually have yet to see!). I do have tons of similar songs in my "morning playlist", but this one I will always put on repeat. Do you have a morning playlist to get you ready for the day?

What have been your favourites this month?
Happy discovering!

Autumn's here!

 Happy autumn everyone!

I'm so super psyched that autumn (or fall, whatever you want to call it) is here! Granted, the weather has been rather hot during the last couple of days, but I know that in the next few days, I'm going to be donning scarves, chunky sweaters and beanies and that thrills me. Is it obvious that fall is my favourite time of the year? It's not too hot that I'm a sweaty mess, and it's not so cold that I'll drown in all the layers to keep myself warm, so autumn/fall to me is just perfect!

 As everyone knows, fall/autumn is sweater weather and I'm pumped to be wearing them again - I can't count the number of sweaters I own, which goes to show how crazy I can get during the season. Quirky printed sweaters, classic plain ones and casual sweaters for layering? I'm all over them. Here are a couple of ones that for sure I will be wearing in the next few days...

 And how could I forget boots? My boot collection does largely consist of black ankle boots - in fact, all my boots are black (I prefer to add colour to my outfits with my accessories or tops). I have yet to find a good pair of dark brown ones that are both comfy and affordable. 

 Now, another reason for why I love autumn? PUMPKIN SCENTED AND FLAVOURED ANYTHING!!! Pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks, pumpkin spice donut from Tim's, pumpkin pies in general? LOVE IT! And the moment I spotted these Pumpkin Latte and Marshmallow scented body products over at Bath & Body Works, I literally squealed and ran over to get my hands on them. No joke. Last year they came out with the Scarlet Pumpkin scent and I'm gutted I didn't stock up on that, so this year I'm prepared. They've also got a whole range of other pumpkin scented stuff (like the Pumpkin Pecan Waffles hand cream on the far right) so there's something for everybody. 

In terms of beauty? It's time to whip out all the dark coloured, vampy colours - purples, reds, browns and bordering on black lipsticks! Now, I haven't exactly mustered up the courage to rock the uber dark lip colours (think MAC's Cyber or Film Noir) but I'm getting there. For now, I'm excited to rock my dark reds and plums! Are you?

Oh, and another reason why I love this time of the year? All the TV shows are back on! I can't wait to get my Grey's Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory, Glee and Once Upon A Time fixes! Granted, I can only watch them when I have the time, but nevertheless it excites me knowing that I get to see more of my favourite characters! And oh, there's a new series premiering on Sep. 25 called How to Get Away with Murder with Viola Davis that I can't wait to see!

Are you excited for autumn/fall? I definitely can't wait to discover what else the season has to offer. 

Happy discovering!

Ottawa Uni Life: Unpacking, Sightseeing & Jetlag

So it's that time of year again where students find themselves rushing to get back into the 'work hard' and 'damn, gotta wake up early now' modes after a somewhat stress-free summer. Well, if you're up in the Northern hemisphere or attend a school that follows a Western curriculum *ahem* anyway.

That only means, I'm back in Ottawa, and with a few days to go till the start of classes, I'm frantically trying to psyche myself for the mental onslaught I'll be receiving for the next three and a half months until Christmas. I swear, I should have really prepped myself before getting on the plane.

Alas, welcome back to the world of assignments, exams and asking for your seat-mate if they've got a pen you can borrow (and perhaps never give back)! I know, I sound so cynical, and I don't mean to be. Really.

Well, I may be just a tad bit cranky as I did just get back two days ago and am suffering through this terrible thing we call JETLAG. Hence, I have found myself snoozing in the afternoon and waking up at midnight to the sound of students HEADING HOME for the day. And it's only then that MY DAY starts. Meaning, I've been unpacking and sorting out my room in the wee hours of the morning, also meaning, I've got to be extra quiet and not wake anyone up with my stumbling around looking for things.

Here's a little sneak peek of my boudoir a.k.a. the place where I will be typing away on my laptop trying to finish assignments, eating most of my meals and breaking down from the pressure of deadlines. I joke. Maybe.

My work station! I must say, I think I'm prepared for this battle. Printer locked and loaded with ink, board filled with inspirational quotes, memories and reminders, and of course my little minion to keep me company? I think I'm all good. Let's do this!

And yes, I am a sucker for polaroids, and I love hanging them around my room. It can't be helped.

Since classes won't be starting for awhile, I took advantage of that, tapped into my inner tourist and went sightseeing around the city armed with my sunnies, camera and comfy flats.

Having lived here for practically two years now, the sight of Parliament Hill never ceases to amaze me. I can't help but glance at it every time the bus passes by and marvel at it's rustic charm. Summer, autumn, winter and spring? It still looks amazing. I can't count how many times I've photographed it over the time I've been here. I admit, I probably won't ever stop as long as I'm in the city.

If you're ever in the city, do stop by. I mean, I doubt you'll plan your trip here without a visit to Parliament Hill, but still. It's a beauty that you can't miss. And just a tip - if you are planning to visit, come to the city during the summer time to catch Mosaika, Parliament's light and sound show that tells the story of Canada! The Centre Block lights up with all this fancy light work and it is just amazing. I've caught it twice now, and I have to say, I was in constant awe both times. I believe it runs every night during the summer, though the times do change every month. It's free too, which is a plus. You won't want to miss it!

I just, argh, can't handle all this architectural gorgeousness! 

I definitely love strolling around downtown Ottawa, provided that the weather's good. It's one of the instances that I don't mind walking around to get anywhere.

Here's another beauty that is Fairmont Chateau Laurier. It's a historical landmark hotel just a few steps away from Parliament Hill, and again, I drool at the sight of it. I actually have yet to step foot inside. Perhaps this year I will. The whole french architecture just tugs at my heart that is eager to visit Europe and see buildings just like this one. One day, that will happen. But for now, my heart is content with this.

Alright, so maybe there is a perk to this whole jetlag thing. Getting to watch the sunrise for the past two days has been amazing. So, so pretty.

For those who are going back to school, I wish you the best of luck! Make this year count, especially if you're graduating - be it from grade school, high school or university! It's the perfect chance to make new discoveries, be it school-related or about you.

I've got a good feeling this year.
Come at us new school year!