Lookbook.nu Look: Celebrity Crushin'

So, here's what I wore to the Lancome Beauty Workshop - sans the fishnet stockings. I have yet to muster the courage to don these things in public. I mean... I just wasn't sure how appropriate it would be to head out like that in the rain...? Also, do I look slutty in them? (Wow. I really need to boost my confidence levels a little bit, huh?)

black shorts from Just G

beige ballet flats from Janylin

fishnet stockings (gift)

dark blue vest from Forever 21

mustard striped crocheted sleeveless top from Forever 21

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What are your thoughts on fishnet stockings? Are they slutty or fashionable? If it's the latter, can they be worn in rainy weather? Let me know! :)

Movie Review: Friends with Benefits

via iGossip

It's hard not to like "Friends with Benefits", especially if you're a sucker for Mila Kunis and naked male butts like I am. Yes. You get to see Justin's sexy naked male butt in this. And his sexy abs. He's looking great. Yum.

via Sassy Mama in LA

ANYways… Aside from that, though, it was a little hard for me to decide whether this is in the hit or miss category. For one, I love the cast, the dialogue, the music, the cameos and the way everyone talks so fast, it's like they're trying to run towards a finish line aka the end of the movie.

But, on the other hand, I've already seen a movie with an incredibly similar storyline that I absolutely LOVED to bits - and, let's face it: in my eyes, "No Strings Attached" cannot be won over (which, coincidentally enough, stars the other half of "Black Swan", Natalie Portman). Not even by something that includes Justin's sexy naked male butt.

via K8

Anyway, what I probably hated the most about this rom-com is that it tries to poke fun at other rom-coms while being an actual rom-com itself. (Did that make sense?) I mean, in the beginning, they're making fun of Hollywood movies and how life isn't like that, so they decide to go against the norm and become friends with benefits. And then, all of a sudden, they try to turn their own lives into a Hollywood movie? What? I just didn't get it. I don't know. Maybe it's just me.

And another thing: it was far too long for a regular rom-com. Rom-coms are supposed to be light and funny and over-before-I-get-sick-of-it-please. This one lasted 100+ minutes. Wow.

But never mind all that. Did I mention that you'll get to see Justin's sexy naked male butt in this? Coz you'll get to see Justin's sexy naked male butt in this. Mmmm…

Overall rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (an extra .5 coz of Justin's butt).

P.S. There are outtakes at the very end of the credits, but nothing worth waiting for.

The Harry Potter Experience in One Word

Quick. Describe the HP experience in one word. Can you do it? ("Is that even possible?" I asked myself.)

Truth be told, I had a lot of trouble doing it myself. In fact, I sat here for a good ten minutes and still couldn't come up with the perfect word for it. There were three words that really summed it up for me, though: unforgettable, legendary, and magical. So my final answer would have to be unlegengical.

Funnily enough, three of the actors in the movie chose those words, too. What word would you choose? Leave it in the comment box before you watch the video. :)

Lancome Beauty Workshop

Have you ever had your skin tested? Well, I have. Last Saturday - the rainiest day of that week, I might add - I headed over to Mall of Asia for the Lancome Beauty Workshop, and I brought fellow blogger Maricar along with me.

a very intimate and small affair

Maricar, taking pictures

The beauty workshop consisted of a 411 on how to prep your face for makeup and how to apply makeup - things that Cosmo magazine had already taught me through the years - so what I really focused on instead was the different Lancome products that they used. Since they passed the products around for us to test on our skin, I was actually able to find out whether the products were something I'd actually want to use myself before shelling out any money on them.

Ms. Cari Co-Choa wasn't just pretty; she was helpful, too

Although I almost instantly decided that I'm not quite fond of the smell of Lancome products, in general, I was quite blown away by two particular products: the Lancome Genefique and the vibrating power mascara.

via Lancome

The Lancome Genefique is a youth-activating serum that works as a skin renewal booster, so to speak. Basically, while it usually takes about a week for our skin to renew itself and to produce youth proteins, the Lancome Genefique can speed up the process and leave us with younger-looking and younger-feeling skin in almost an instant. Plus, it leaves the skin moisturized, hydrated and soft.

When they passed the tube around for us to try, I put a couple of drops onto the back of my hand and a few seconds later, I could already feel the difference. My left hand was silky smooth and supple and reminded me of my baby daughter back home, while my right hand was left a little drier and a bit rougher. In fact, I just felt my hands just now… It's Monday, and my left hand still feels softer. Seriously.

via Lancome

As for Lancome's vibrating powermascara - need I say more? Usually, when I put on mascara, I have to jiggle the mascara wand on my eyelashes before I spread it on properly. Well, with the vibrating mascara, there is no need to do that anymore - perfect for lazy tech lovers like me. :) It also happens to be water-resistant, heat-resistant, humidity-resistant, and smudge-resistant. Wow!

Anyway, after the event, we were given the chance to take a skin test - and, my God, was I worried! I know I neglected my skin for more than a year while I was pregnant and shortly afterwards, so I knew it wouldn't look good. Well, guess what? It really didn't.

My pores were wide open, my eyes already had a few fine lines and wrinkles showing and my skin was slightly dehydrated. :( The good news is that the firmness of my skin was above excellent. Woot! Go, genes, go! Haha.

Maricar, getting her skin tested

I would highly recommend the skin test. It will truly open your eyes to the flaws that you actually need to focus on. Try visiting any Lancome booth and ask whether they have it available. :)

And, oh, while waiting in line for our skin test, we met a sweet little girl (yeah, right! Haha.) named Mara who approached us because she fell in love with Maricar's nails. Check out her nails here - so pretty!

Mara

Mara, getting her skin tested

When Maricar left, I ended up spending another 3 hours or so at MOA just talking to Mara. I love just randomly meeting people who are exactly like me. Makes me feel all happy inside. :) Will definitely invite Maricar and Mara along to the next beauty event that I go to.

Of course, the beauty workshop wouldn't have been complete without a goodie bag - and we got a loofa, a discount voucher and testers for several Lancome products, including the Genefique. Yay!

We also got a 10% discount card for Lancome products that could be used that day, but with my Dublin trip coming up… I didn't think I could splurge on Lancome just yet. Thank goodness for freebies! Haha. Will review these when I get the chance.

And, oh, if you know of any must-attend events coming up soon, please share! :)

Movie News: The New Look of Superman

Okay, I admit that I am all for Spiderman going down a darker and more serious route with the new movie, but does Superman really have to do it, too?

Let's backtrack a little bit here. My favorite superhero movie of ALL TIME is Superman. The first one. As in, the 1978 one with Christopher Reeve in the lead role. And there are various reasons for this. First of all, Christopher Reeve was the epitome of Clark Kent / Superman. I admit that Tom Welling does a good job of being Clark Kent in Smallville, too, but the whole package? Christopher Reeve all the way!

Second of all, Superman's costume in that movie was classic. It was unforgettable. Why? Because he had this bright red underwear-looking thing for a costume. Actually, he was just wearing an insanely bright-colored costume, in general, as if to tell the world, "My costume may look stupid, but I'm a freaking superhero who fights evil and can even go back through time to protect the woman I love, so who cares?" And guess what? No one cared. His costume was iconic. It was pure awesome. No idea what I'm talking about, child of the millennia? Then here's a photo:

via Wildsound Filmmaking

Now that you've seen the photo, I can get to my third point: the forehead curl. What is Superman without the iconic forehead curl, I ask you? NOTHING. He is NOTHING. See, one of the reasons why I was so happy to hear that Henry Cavill was going to be the next Superman was because I could envision him looking like this:

via The Angry Joe Show

But, no. Instead, Warner Brothers does this:

(click on the picture for a bigger view)

FAIL, Warner Brothers. FAIL. Although I like the out-of-this-world texture of the costume and I like the awesome cape (Superman better be flying in this movie or I'll be angry - and you don't wanna see me when I'm angry), it just doesn't do it for me. I mean... Where's the red underwear? And where's my forehead curl???

Please tell me I'm not the only one bothered by this... Oh, and did I mention Clark Kent won't be wearing glasses, either? *shakes head*

Movie Review: Hesher

I only had one reason for wanting to watch this film: JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT.

Yes. I admit it. I have had the biggest crush on Joe since I was 7 and saw him in "Angels in the Outfield". But I'll leave my Joe crush story for another day. I just wanted you to know for now that I scoured the world for his movie, "Hesher", and finally got to watch it a few nights ago.

Now, before I saw this movie, I relied solely on things I saw on the Internet for information about it. Originally, I had found this:

via Just Jared

And this:

So, when I actually watched the movie, I was quite pleasantly surprised. It wasn't the stoner movie I thought it would be at all. Hesher isn't about a stoner. Hesher isn't about pyromania. Hesher isn't about pure insanity (though, there are a fair few bits in the film involving fire and pure craziness, and a lot of bits involving four-letter words and obscene drawings). Heck, Hesher isn't even about Hesher, really. Instead, it is quite simply a beautiful drama about loss and life. Something that I really would not have expected from the trailer above or from the cast. (I mean, who can take Rainn Wilson from The Office seriously, right?)

In a nutshell, this is what the movie taught me:

"Life is like walking in the rain. You can hide and take cover - or you can just get wet."

I mean... how beautiful is that?

Overall Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Lookbook.nu Look: Dive In

My 18-month-old daughter Syrena is in love with Hello Kitty. So, of course, I took it upon myself to buy something Hello Kitty-ish, too. What I love about this Hello Kitty find, though, is that it isn't in the usual red or pink Hello Kitty colors of my childhood days. Instead, it's inspired by the the new and modernized black collection.

I still find it a little weird when I go into Gift Gate and see black Hello Kitty items (and yet I impulse-bought a black Hello Kitty wallet anyway *sigh*); but, hey, like Barbie, I guess Hello Kitty had to grow up, too. Here's hoping that my baby girl stays a baby girl for as long as possible, though... Now, on to the outfit:

black hello kitty tank top from Forever 21

blue cropped jeans from Penshoppe

black leather jacket from eBay

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What's your still-existing childhood guilty pleasure? :)

Mommy Lessons: On Sick Babies and Spew

This morning, I happily announced to my boyfriend that I was finally wearing the Mango shirt that I bought during the last sale. (Lookbook post on the outfit tomorrow - too lazy to upload pics. Lol.) He absolutely loved the shirt on me and my entire ensemble, in general. However, after a hectic hospital and furniture window shopping day, he and I both fell straight asleep and I didn't even bother to change my clothes or Syrena's clothes - she was wearing her Zara shirt from Ninang Gwen Zamora, by the way (yes, the GMA artista).

A few hours later, Syrena started to cry [ her fever came back this morning :( ] so I cradled her in my arms on the bed and groggily gave her some medicine-filled milk. Bad move. Two seconds later, she quite suddenly spewed a hefty amount of phlegm-filled milk onto my Mango shirt, her Zara shirt and the bed sheets. Disgusting.

Moral of the story? Wake up, mommy, and focus! If your baby is sick, she needs you to give her all of her attention - no matter how tired you are. That way, your expensive clothes won't get spewed on and you won't have to worry about cleaning the sheets the next day, either. :p Well, this episode definitely woke me up. Back to work for me!

Mommy Scare: A 39.5C Fever

Okay, I admit it: whenever my daughter has a fever or gets sick in any way, I panic. Don't laugh. I'm a first-time mommy, so I believe I have the right to get panic attacks whenever my 18-month-old gets weird rashes, gets a fever or even just snores louder than her dad.

Well, on Monday night, Syrena got another fever - just two weeks after her last one. And although I kept telling myself she was fine since she was playing normally and giggling and laughing despite her fever, I couldn't stop my head from reeling at night.

Night number one went something like this: "Where did the sudden fever come from? Hmm... She got bitten by mosquitoes last time she visited her lolo in BF. Maybe it's dengue. But it can't be dengue. I wonder if it's dengue. Is it dengue?!??"

Night number two went something like this: "I bet it's because of that cold shower I gave her. I'm such a horrible mother. Is she still breathing? Okay, good. She's still breathing."

Night number three went something like this: "OMG. 39.2? She's never had a 39+ fever before. *googles* Okay, she should be fine as long as she's happy and eating normally. Has she been eating normally? No, she hasn't. *googles some more* Okay, she should be fine as long as her fever doesn't go past 39.44. Got it, Google. Thanks!"

Night number three and a half: *goes online* "Wow. The first thing I see is a dengue article on Female Network. Really, world? Wait. What if it is dengue? *checks temperature* 39.5?!?? That's past 39.44!!! HOLY SHIT."

After that, I dressed Syrena up immediately and took her to the nearest hospital. When I got there, the doctor pretty much just laughed at my face for worrying, but humored me by taking a blood sample and a wee-wee sample - things that Syrena, of course, did not appreciate.

She cried and cried and cried some more, until finally, she sweated so much that her fever vanished.

Moral of the story? I really need to stop worrying so much.

Lookbook.nu Look: Someone Else's Skin

My cousins from England came to visit us this week and this is what I wore to see them:

grey top with lace trimming from the Glam Camp bazaar

beige necklace from Mango

black shorts from Just G

pink heels from Stella Luna

Hype this look on Lookbook.nu!

This pair of Stella Luna heels is my most expensive pair to date! Got them in Bangkok on sale at 50%, but it was still beyond my regular price range. Well worth it, though. They're super comfy! In fact, I successfully walked down a car ramp in them and my aunt was so impressed, she took this picture to show everyone and tell them about it:

That's me and my cousins Christina and Christopher (he's 6'4" and only 16 years old!) Anyway, we ended up having dinner at a yummy, yummy Korean restaurant on Aguirre Avenue in BF Homes called Bi-Won (which means temple in Korean). Their bulgogi and kimchi pancakes are to die for! And all of their spicy stuff, too, if you love spicy food like me. :)

If you ever eat there, though, don't choose to eat in the room where you have to sit on the floor - especially if you have long legs. It gets incredibly cramped and uncomfortable after a while. Lol.

Afterwards, we went to Ruins for some pirated goodness, and then went back home to give my cousins the slightly-grand tour of our new apartment - a tour that I will soon give my dear readers, too... once I've put up all the decorations and gotten all the renovations done. Can't wait! :)

AAA Thrift

Hi guys,

I decided to sell some of the clothes from my closet that haven't seen the light of day since I first wore them. Please visit my online store on Facebook here for great finds at cheap prices. Your support will be greatly appreciated! :)

- Wonder Woman

Free Lancome Beauty Workshop

Hey, guys!

Are any of you interested in going to a Lancome beauty workshop - for FREE?

Well, I have reserved two slots for the event on August 27, Saturday at 2pm to 4pm at Marionnaud, SM Mall of Asia. Unfortunately, my resident beauty partner (aka my gay brother, Kyle) can no longer go because of work commitments. So, if you are interested in being my plus one, just leave a comment on this blogpost and let me know why you want to go to the Lancome beauty workshop. :)

Did I mention that there will be beauty bags and promo discounts, just for going? Awesome, huh?

Alternatively, you can tweet me (@the_lil_miss) or send an email to ariangel.rod@gmail.com

Will let you know by Friday if you're my new plus one! :)

Upcoming Movie Alert: The Woman in Black

Who doesn't look forward to what the HP gang has in store for us, now that the Harry Potter movies are all over?

Well, we all know that Emma Watson will be making a grand appearance on the big screen in the movie adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel 'Perks of Being a Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky - alongside Logan Lerman and Nina Dobrev, I might add.

But what about Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe? Well, wonder about Danny Boy no more. Here is a trailer for his upcoming movie 'The Woman in Black' - a movie I am *dying* to see, even though I am a complete wuss when it comes to movies like these. Check it out:

Doesn't Daniel look a little like Jake Gyllenhaal in this? :) Are you looking forward to seeing this movie as much as I am, just to see how Daniel does (and perhaps get scared shizless)? Admit ittt!

Haul: Forever 21 Sale

I can't decide whether I love Forever 21 or hate it.

I love it because of all the beautiful clothes, shoes and accessories that they have, but I hate it because I spend so much money and time there. Plus, I always look around far too quickly and end up feeling cross-eyed by the end of it all. Case in point: the weekend sale at SM Makati.

It was my first time at the Forever 21 in SM Makati since I usually shop at the Megamall branch and, to be honest, I didn't really like it. The layout was so cluttered, the sales were all spaced apart instead of in a single area, and the people... urgh. I had a Forever 21 shopping bag, and some people actually grabbed a couple of the things that were already in my shopping bag and squeezed their way through the crowd to escape! And one chick even tried to grab my leather jacket when I put it on the counter - a leather jacket that I had brought with me and wasn't even from Forever 21! Grrr...

Anyway, in the end, I left with three items that I was quite happy with, and only one of which was actually on sale. Lol. All of the other sale items that I liked were far too big for me, unfortunately. :( And the shoes were all too small. :( Annoying. I think I'm going to stick to my favorite Megamall branch from now on.

I can't find any pictures of the clothes that I bought (a black vest and a grey ruffled top with a black bow), but here is the crocheted vest that I got from the Heritage section - the last one in my size! :)

Photo taken from the Forever 21 website

Did anyone else go to the Forever 21 sale? Show me your haul. I'd love to see it! :) And hopefully, you had a more successful haul than mine.

Sale Alert: Forever 21 + Regatta

Like every other young woman in her twenties in this city, there is nothing I love more than a good sale (except, of course, my daughter Syrena - love you, sweetie!). And today is the day I have long been waiting for since, well, the end of July when all the other awesome sales seem to have ended or run out of good stuff:

That's right. Forever 21, baby!!!

I first fell in love with Forever 21 when I first saw the store in Central World in Bangkok. I remember walking in and just having no idea where to start because I wanted to be everywhere at once.

Well, I still love this store and everything in it, so I'm definitely going to be shopping my shoes off! (No. Seriously. I'm bringing my trusty foldable ballet flats just in case my Nine West high-heeled feet start to hurt from all my running around.) Expect my first haul post when I get back! :)

Oh, and apparently, there's also a huge Regatta sale going on - but whatever.

Gah. Still can't believe there's a 50% off Forever 21 sale!!! And the best part is that if you get there between 10am to noon and see something you like that isn't on sale (which is bound to happen at F21), you can even use your SM Advantage Card to get 10% off regular-priced items! *faints*

Wait... It's past 10am. What the heck am I still doing here?

Movie Review: Midnight in Paris

Nostalgia is denial - denial of the painful present... the name for this denial is golden age thinking - the erroneous notion that a different time period is better than the one one's living in. It's a flaw in the romantic imagination of those people who find it difficult to cope with the present. - Paul, Midnight in Paris

Photo taken from Bonjour Paris

Who doesn't love Woody Allen movies? I know I do. Well, 'Midnight in Paris' has easily made it into my top 5 Woody Allen movies, which also includes 'Annie Hall', 'Hannah and Her Sisters', 'Match Point', and 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'.

In 'Midnight in Paris', Owen Wilson plays a guy named Gil who is set to marry Inez (Rachel McAdams). They travel to Paris before the wedding, a city that Gil absolutely loves (who doesn't, really?); but once they get there, they start realizing that they have nothing in common. At all.

Photo taken from Just Jared

Mistakenly described as a "romantic comedy" - or rom-com, for short - this movie actually gives its viewers a much deeper look at how people are somehow wired to be unhappy with their current lives - and it's true. Ask anybody you know whether they would rather live in an era gone past, and most of them will say yes.

Of course, I might just be biased because I agree with Owen Wilson and everything he says in the movie. :p And with Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams reunited after 'The Wedding Crashers', I simply could not resist watching this.

That Paris exists and anyone could choose to live anywhere else in the world will always be a mystery to me. - Adriana, Midnight in Paris

Photo taken from The Jetshopper

Of course, during the movie, some emphasis is set on the beautiful sights and sounds of Paris during the day, at night and in the rain (I mean, who could resist filming there without capturing the sights, right?), but the story mostly focuses on the lives of some of the most famous artists of the 1920's, which Gil refers to as 'the golden age'.

Ernest Hemingway, for one, makes an appearance, along with F. Scott Fitzgerald (played by Tom Hiddleston from 'Thor' fame) and Zelda Fitzgerald (played by Alison Pill from 'Scott Pilgrim' fame). Gertrude Stein and Salvador Dali (apparently pronounced da-lee as opposed to dahlia) played by Kathy Bates and Adrien Brody, respectively. And, of course, there is Marion Cotillard who plays Adriana, Pablo Picasso's alleged muse for his painting. T.S. Eliot and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec also make appearances; though, sadly, Vincent Van Gogh does not. (What’s Starry Starry Night doing on the poster, then??)

Now, if none of the names I just mentioned ring a bell to you, you might find yourself completely lost while watching this movie and might not even enjoy it. My boyfriend kept asking me 'Who?', 'Who?', 'Whooo???' every time I reacted when someone legendary popped up, so… If you aren't a big fan of the arts, you might want to skip this movie and watch something else instead.

But back to being unhappy with our current lives… it's sort of true, isn't it? Don't you wish you were born in a different era/place/lifetime? Share your thoughts! :)