Way to GO!

Just a short and exciting (I'm so kilig to the bones!) post to offer my most sincere

CONGRATULATIONS!!! 

to my baby brother! He graduated high school today! Although we might not get along sometimes, and we're at at each other's throats most of the time, I'm still very happy for him and I'm proud to be his big sister. Here's to college and UAAP rivalry! Cheers!

Happy Birthday Beautynomics!

This month, Beautynomics is celebrating its Fifth Year Anniversary with a big bang! Join the awesome contest put together by Sophie. Wonderful prizes include Kerastase and Obagi sets and Golla bags.

Image from Beautynomics

Win prizes from Avon, Pond’s, L’Oreal Paris, The Body Shop, PureDerm, Obagi, Beauty & Minerals, Goodskin Labs and Golla! Visit Beautynomics’ 5th Year Anniversary Contest entryto know how!

I know my post is a bit late, but there's still time! You have until the end of March (tomorrow!) to join. 

My help_japan Panda

Aside from my Paws for Japan donation and blog post, I've been finding little ways to help in the relief efforts. Thanks to a dear friend, J, I stumbled upon help_japan, a Live Journal community bringing together different fandoms to help raise money for different organizations. I thought long and hard about what I wanted to offer, and I came up with a simple little felt panda, which I'll attach to a blank card. Since my internet's been a little wonky, I haven't had time to post it until today.

Panda! Hand sewn, with so much love ♥  

Like my other creations, all of whom have found homes with some of the people I love, Panda! is not perfect. His stitches aren't perfect, and he has his own little quirks. He likes to pick at his stitches sometimes and eats a lot of Reese's and Twix when no one's around, so you'll have to watch him. Panda! is nice and round and he has a big heart. Love him, and he'll love you back a hundred-fold. You won't regret it :)

My thread can be found here: Handsewn Felt Panda Greeting Card. My request is that the winning bidder send his/her donation to World Vets.

Paws for Japan: Support WorldVets

Many of you have seen the destruction caused by the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan. Many people are displaced and a lot are missing. The death toll continues to rise by the minute. What many people may overlook is the plight of many Japanese pets; the four legged victims who do not have the voice to ask for help.

World Vets has sent a team and supplies to Japan to help in the animal rescue efforts. They are coordinating with local groups to help animal victims as well. Below is a photo from the World Vets page of a rescue worker and a beautiful Sheltie.

Image from World Vets

This video is of a dog who is protecting his fallen friend. He seems to be alright despite going through the quake and tsunami, as evidenced by his matted fur, caked with mud. Anderson Cooper showed a part of this clip on AC360 today, and he has reported that both dogs have since been rescued. They are safe, and are currently receiving veterinary treatment.

Donate to the World Vets now. You may go to this page for the Japan Animal Aid since the heavy traffic on their website caused their donation page to show an error message. You may also donate directly through this blog. I put the World Vets' Chipin widget on the upper right part of my page in the sidebar. I have donated through the widget, and I am confident in saying that it is safe and secure. You will be brought to Paypal. If you don't have an account, you may still donate using your debit or credit card as a guest. 

Finished Product for Mid-March

I have to admit, I'm really bad at finishing products. I'm a pack-rat and a hoarder, so like my mom, I tend to buy things in bulk. Whenever I see something I like, I'd buy it even though I still have 2946198 other products. Our toiletries cabinet is filled to the brim with soap, shampoo, conditioner and other bath products. I have a bin in my room filled with masks, BB creams, facial cleansers and other stuff. My make-up boxes have lot's of back-ups and unopened items. So it's a celebration, a fiesta, when I finally finish something. I hope I can do more of these posts, it's fun to look back at what I've finally emptied.

My conditioner for the longest time

First up is my Garnier Fructis Fortifying Cream Conditioner in Color Shield. This variant is specifically for colored or highlighted hair. It helps maintain your color and protect your locks against the harmful rays of the sun. I don't have product info or the ingredients list anymore since I already chucked the empty bottle. But it was a good conditioner; it kept my hair tame and moisturized enough from going haywire. 

The compact with the smudged mirror

My second product isn't really a finished product. But I've started to hit pan with it, so I'm on my way to finishing it, yei! This is the Maybelline Clear Smooth Foundation in Natural, I think. This is a dirt cheap product that works fairly well. At the P299 price point, I'm sure may girls who are just starting to use make-up can be drawn to this. Staying power is okay at about four hours until it begins to disappear on me. Oil control is fair; it takes about two to three hours before I start oiling up, depending on the environment. (On a side note, I love the HK weather when I was there three weeks ago. No sign of oiliness all day! And all of my make-up stayed put. I love fall-winter-spring weather there.) The only gripe I have with the Clear Smooth Foundation is that even after I buff all day, it still has this weird powder-y look on my face. Which is why this remains my going-to-the-market foundation when I don't particularly care if I look super made up and good or not.

Sibling Anecdotes

I was in the car with my Mum and baby brother. We were on our way home from picking him up and having lunch and we were talking about random things from math tests to Percy Jackson. Then the topic shifted to reading books and on being a bookworm.

Brother: There are advantages and disadvantages to not liking books.

Me: Yeah, you're stupid.

Brother: Yeah, you're stup- No, you're not stupid.

Me: *laughs uncontrollably* 

Gotcha!