Aicha Amano

“Pretty is something you're born with. But beautiful, that's an equal opportunity adjective.” -Anonymous I ordered a trial pack of Strip it from Arlette and I just finished using it :D I can't believe how well the product works! I'm a first time user of cold wax, and I never imagined it would be as effective as warm wax! I am used to just going to a salon to get the whole thing done. Some salon waxing services include P150 for underarm, P250 for the forearms, and P500 for the entire leg and etc... Well, a bit of waxing is probably the only vanity I indulge in even before. I tried doing the DIY Home sugaring myself, but more often than not I scald myself that I cry and yelp in pain. No matter what I do, I end up having irritated arms due to the hot wax. I discovered STRIP IT and decided to order it 2 days ago, and today the package came in via Air21: Trial Pack arrived! P160 for the Trial pack, added P15 for extra strip cloths (I knew I was gonna need it), and P106 for ...

My first tag ever from Joanna <3 Five Things that Make Me Happy 1. Books The acquisition, and the reading of books makes me infinitely happy on so many levels. I feel so giddy at the mere thought of scouring book stores and book sales. I feel a jolt of devious pleasure when I buy books for so much less than their value, as it feels like I've just un earthed a diamond in the rough that's overlooked by everyone. I am at my happiest when I'm reading . I am always very eager to read about adventures, complex stories on seemingly mundane things, romances in classic novels, other culture, sub cultures, and so much more. 2. Being with Family / Friends Even if the whole world turns on me, I feel like I can always find support in my family and those I consider my true friends . My family may not be the most perfect, but really, who has a perfect family nowadays? But they are always there to back me up and protect me, and those I consider my true friends accept me for who I am...

I'm tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That's deep enough. What do you want—an adorable pancreas? - Jean Kerr I am super in love with this BB Cream! I believe I've found my perfect brand! Look and see the huge difference my face went through with just a tiny sample pack. USING NORMAL ROOM LIGHTING: Problem Skin: Bumpy, generally non-smooth, huge pores, off-tone Applied a dash of Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream (comes in one shade only), and spread all over the face Instantly my skin becomes even, lesser apparent pores, smooth-looking and smooth-feeling, gives off a non-cakey look, which is important in a bb cream, and has a very natural, dewy finish! Added a teeny tiny bit of loose face powder to lessen the shine (My face is oily), and took the photo under bright morning lights near my window! Oh my gosh, I look kind of pretty already HAHAHA!

Yes, someone will be writing on a moleskin very soon ... Me ! Eeeyoooo! :D I won The Moleskin Giveaway by TopazHorizon , sponsored by Avalon.Ph ! Wow, I can't even concentrate on my work now, I'm so happy! I get to win Moleskine Large Cahier Ruled Black Set of 3 PLUS a PHP 500.00 gift certificate for the Avalon.Ph Online Store! A friendly Avalon Representative has contacted me about the prizes and I am so giddy. This is my first win in the internetz yey me!I've given them my mailing address and contact number to ship the Moleskins to me, and I also used the gift certificate to buy myself: Life of Pi: Illustrated Edition by Yann Martel You can't imagine the burning fire in my chest right now, being able to buy this beautiful book! I love love love Life of Pi ( read my review here ) and I adore Yann Martel (Author of The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios -which I'm going to review soon, too!). I am beyond happy. Thank you so much to both Frances / Topaz...

Blush Me Two Times Baby's Giveaway Rules: [FOLLOW] [POST] [COMMENT] It's that easy! Head off to Linea's Blog for more details! --------------------------------- Kamyarakay's 1st Giveaway [FOLLOW] [POST] [COMMENT] Deadline: 11th of August 8pm. Visit Kamyarakay Now!

"No! No! When a woman isn't beautiful, people tell her. "You have lovely eyes, you have lovely hair..." - Sonya , "Uncle Vanya" by Anton Chekov Click for FULL VIEW . I'll be trying out these starting tomorrow! They're so cute! I also received sample freebies from the the very nice seller: Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint, Lioele Trouble Hunter Duo, and the two Etude House nail polish in Pink & Black. This made my day :)

So my sister just got back from Cebu and she hands me over TWO Aveeno Positively Radiant Facial Cleansers she bought at a mall for PHP 500+ each. Having this surplus makes me want to sell it to someone. I mean, I love, love, love Aveeno. It's such an awesome skin care line. My sister's freaking dermatologist USES this, so that must count at least. Everyone I know has their own Aveeno everything already and are crazy about it. But whatever shall I do with TWO of the same bottle of cleanser? ! I currently use another brand of cleanser and it's lasted me for 4 months already and there's still a lot left. My Aveeno cleanser will probably last me 6-7 months! LOL! I'm selling this and if anybody wants it, I can give it to you for PHP 500 and FREE SHIPPING anywhere in the Philippines. If you don't know yet, Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleanser is Oil-Free, Hypoallergenic, Soap-Free, Fragrance-Free, Non-comedogenic. It is... Love. If you buy this item from me, you ...

NICK & NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan Cohn and Levithan contribute alternating chapters in this high-energy romance that follows two high-school seniors through a single, music-fueled night in Manhattan. Nick, the "nonqueer bassist in a queercore band," is playing with The Fuck Offs, when he spots his ex-girlfriend, Tris. Once offstage, he propositions a girl he has never met, hoping to make Tris jealous: "Would you mind being my girlfriend for five minutes?" Norah, also heartbroken (and hoping Nick will drive her home), agrees. What begins as a spontaneous ploy turns into something surprising and real in the course of one night as Nick and Norah roam Manhattan, listen to bands, confront past hurts, and hurtle toward romance. - Booklist : PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS by Michelle Zink An ancient prophecy divides two sisters- One good... One evil... Who will prevail? Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They ha...

" If you have health, you probably will be happy, and if you have health and happiness, you have all the wealth you need, even if it is not all you want. " - Elbert Hubbard Health and beauty almost always go hand in hand. Eating right is always paired with any beauty regiment you can find. It's not enough that you're taking care of your skin from the outside. Our diet affects not only what's inside the body, but it reflects on our physical appearance especially on our skin, eyes, hair and even on your nails. I always force myself to go eat well because I'm a bad eater. I love love love junkfood and fatty food rich in bad cholesterol, high sodium, loaded with sugar and the like. I'm a huge carnivore, too! So much that I don't even LIKE vegetables. I abhor the icky slimy ones the most. I can only swallow corn, soft potatoes, finely chopped carrots, and some stray malunggay in my tinola . Hehe. I eat meat for breakfast, lunch, dinner. My snacks, well,...

Win A Signed Copy of Rachel Vincent's "My Soul To Take" LLL's contest will run until July 31, 2009. Simply FOLLOW, COMMENT, AND POST! Head off to Library Lounge Lizard now. Goodluck!

"...You try to improve yourself at the start of each new day; of course, you achieve quite a lot in the course of time. Anyone can do this, it costs nothing and is certainly very helpful. Whoever doesn't know it must learn and find by experience that a quiet conscience makes one strong." - Anne Frank Yesterday was a leisurely Sunday as any. I woke up and lounged around the house--- though most of my morning I was rooted in my bed, reading The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde . I've just started reading this morning and I couldn't put the book down, even to get some of my favorite biscuits to munch on. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a great read about mystery, fantasy, and a good bit of literature. The very first sentence of the novel captured me. I was delightfully floored. In the afternoon, I went to the mall to see Blood: The Last Vampire. The movie was lame. Too much talking which made it kind of draggy. The CG rendering of splattered blood looked ...

Because Amanda is feeling a lot generous from the summer (and from getting a lot of giveaways herself) she's hosting her very own Summer Giveaway for her dear followers. Simply follow the rules of the contest and get a chance to win her loot bag.

"It took me a long time not to judge myself through someone else's eyes." -Sally Field MY BAD MOOD FRIDAY NIGHT: My friends are turning a critical eye at my recently-developed taste for cosmetics. They say it's so unlike me to dabble at these things. I can't blame them, though, I mean, I would have the confused and surprised reaction too if any of my dorky, silly friends suddenly wanted to do a spree to shop for high-end clothes and shoes. That's not what's putting me in a bad mood, but the fact that some entity at the back of my mind echoes things. Nagging me, and making me feel discouraged overall. But I go back to this blog, read my quotes, read all your blogs... and all that makes me feel better and I am reassured again that I have all the right in the world to do whatever I want! MY GOOD MOOD SATURDAY MORNING: I ordered not ONE, BUT TWO trial packs from E-Bay this morning. My first order was a Lioele Basic Skin Care sample pack, and the other is a Ski...

Blissfully Enamored's Giveaway Sponsored by Ribbons and Lace : [Comment] [Follow] [Visit Ribbons And Lace ] [Post] Join in the fun and stand a chance to win a Feathered Headband! Click here .

“Life isn't about finding yourself . Life is about creating yourself .” -George Bernard Shaw I've gone through countless of beauty blogs in one day that even my work has suffered. I love going through other people's posts, reviews, updates and FOTD, which means Face of the Day ! FOTDs are my new favorite things ever. I love looking at these lovely ladies and learning a lot of things from them! It's astounding how make-up can really highlight and add definition to the best things on your face and conceal the bad ones, eh? There are about 20 new skincare brands I got to know and 50 more different cosmetics I never even thought existed. One reason is that I wasn't particularly focusing on skin care and cosmetics before and, two, those products I've seen aren't even available here from where I am. I have a few things that I've added to my wishlist. For the first time it's not books, cardigans, or sneakers. I have few skin care products that I really wish...

JBreezy Baby's Giveaway Contest! Joining is as Easy as Pie: - COMMENT - FOLLOW - EMAIL - POST Deadline is AUGUST 12, 2009 @ 11:59 PM CT. She's generous enough to include us Non-US residents in her contests as she mails internationally, too. Click on the banner to join! I'm such a newbie at this, but I really hope I have a chance to win :)

Angeli Chi is one of the members of the Davao Reader's Circle, and in a span of a year of book club meet-ups she has become one of my Most Adored People Evarr . Not only does she have the capacity to read any genre of book that catches her fancy (unlike yours truly that sticks to Contemporary Fiction --with a little bitty sprinkling of Sci-Fi and Fantasy), but she has an open mind and an inquisitive nature that never fails to hook you in. Aside from her volunteer stints at the Davao Museum, she also has a ton of things she does everyday as she freelances and travels around Mindanao on top of everything else. Now, she has a new task that she set up for herself, which I have dubbed as a "Fairy Godwommin of Books" (Been reading " Once Upon An Enlightened Time by James Finn Gardne r" because Chi left it on the couch!) An excerpt from her own Facebook account: On July 1, I announced that I'd be fairygodmother to booklovers and find books you want most but can...

Aaaa, aren't they so cute?! :) If anyone's reading this, please post your own "cutest nailpolish" find, so I can gawk at them too! You can click on the pics for a larger view. The Photos are taken from from NailPolish Forum

Confessions of A Beauty Addict Giveaway (The simplest contest ever or what?) [FOLLOW] [COMMENT] [POST] (2 entries) 3 lucky winners will win the 1ST, 2ND and 3RD cool pizes . Contest closes on the 31st July 2009 at 6pm GMT. CLICK TO JOIN IN THE FUN! Good Luck To Us All !

The Cider House Rules by John Irving "Set among the apple orchards of rural Maine, it is a perverse world in which Homer Well's odyssey begins. As the oldest unadopted offspring at St. Cloud's orphanage, he learns about the skills which, one way or another, help young and not-so-young women, from Wilbur Larch, the orphanage's founder, a man of rare comapssion and with an addiction to ether. Dr. Larch loves all his orphans, especially Homer Wells. It is Homer's story we follow, from his early apprenticeship in the ophanage surgery, to his adult life running a cider-making factory and his strange relationship with the wife of his closest friend." Okay, so I have read this book in highschool, and I have to admit it didn't make much sense to me and I don't remember anything except for this particular scene where this girl runs away and the people in the orphanage believe that she'll do well in life anyway because had with her the book "Jane Eyr...

If there's one thing that goes together so perfectly like peanut butter and jelly, you and me , meat loaf and mashed potatoes, it's coffee and books . Just the thought of me reading a favorite book on a soft lounge chair, sipping from a warm white mug with my favorite mix of espresso, milk, choco syrup, whipped cream and cinnamon powder gets me so pleasantly elated like you wouldn't believe! That's my kind of rest and relaxation, my "ahhh, this is the life" moment, but I'm sure I'm not alone. Davao Readers Circle, the book lover's club I'm part of, love their cup of coffee as much as I do! We all go around the city to visit coffee shops, hang out and discuss our latest reads and share books to members. Our meet ups haven't been as regular recently, but we hope to remedy that soon! We all feel that there are so many things to catch up to. I miss those guys and I'm looking forward to meeting them again. So whenever I think of coffeeshops...