My Verbal Diarrhea

Ideally, one should wash, tone and moisturize their face. I just wash and moisturizer. When I hear the word toner, I would immediately imagine Eskinol or astringents. I'm not a big fan of these products because the former with its high alcohol content can be drying and the latter can cause redness and often leaves your face white while your neck is several shades darker. Awful! Hence, I always steered away from toners.

However, when I read one article that discussed the importance of toners, I was swayed. Apparently it not only removes the dirt that the facial cleanser failed to wash away, it also helps tighten or shrink your pores. Impurities and other environmental contaminants will have a difficult time penetrating your skin and cause infection. This reduces oil on your face and makes your pores look smaller. Another benefit is that it also restores and balances the pH on your skin after it has been washed by soap. since they also serve as humectants, they help seal moisture on your skin.The reason I love best is that in lieu of washing with water, I can use this to remove dirt and grime on my face.

The proper way in using the toner is to wash your face first with a cleanser for your skin type. Then, you moisten a clean cotton ball with the toner. You can start wiping it on your T-zone which is the forehead, nose and chin. These are the oiliest areas on your face. Afterwards, you can then wipe your cheeks and other areas. Once it is dry, you can then apply a moisturizer.

Since I am a big fan and believer of Olay, I decided to purchase one despite its steep price of 319Php for a 212ml bottle. I could have gotten a Celeteque or generic toner for half the price. After all they just have the same main content: witch hazel.

Witch hazel is commonly used in toners because it contains tannin, a natural astringent. It also reduces bacteria in your skin which often causes unwanted pimples and acne.

I love the Olay oil minimizing toner because it is gentle on my skin. There is no sting and dryness after I use it. Indeed I noticed that it kept my oiliness at bay so I don't need to blot my skin by lunch time. I can also easily apply it on my face before I lather moisturizer and sleep at night. Will I buy another bottle? Certainly.

CONVERSATION

My bestfriends told me that their ate (older sister) now has crow's feet. This alarmed me, she is just a few years our senior and hasn't even stepped out of the calendar yet!

If she has one, then I am sure that mine will surely crack a few months from now if I do not take action. I didn't have a budget then but I knew that I should not go home to Tacloban without one.

Luckily, I won a contest at our Christmas party and I splurged this money on my rather expensive cream. Celeteque and Garnier has cheaper alternatives but I am an Olay girl. Hence, this 699Php 7-in-1 anti-ageing Olay Total Effects anti-ageing eye cream at Watsons.

It is just 15ml.

All you have to do is to place small dots around your orbital area using your beauty or ring finger sinc ethis one has the least pressure. The undereye area has thin skin with no sweat and oil glands so you have to be extra gentle when applying cream in this area.

This formula promises to fight the 7 signs of aging:

Fine lines and wrinkles: reduces the appearance of fine line and wrinkles.
Dark circles: reduces the appearance of dark circles.
Crow's feet: reduces appearance of crow's feet.
Puffiness: reduces under-eye puffiness.
Uneven tone: balances and evens out skin tone.
Uneven teture: smoothens and evens out skin texture.
Dryness: provides nourishing moisturizer.

I don't think I have any of these but since it is an anti-ageing cream, I have to use it before it appears.

Look at this deceiving box. You thought the bottle was big right? It just occupies half of the box.

So this is how it looks in the inside but so far I have only used the cream stuck on the cover.

You only need a thin layer for your eyes. I think this bottle is gonna last me long.

Don't forget! Use your ring finger!

Pat it gently or in a circle motion under your eye and on the crevices of your crow's feet. Apply cream also below your brows and on the creases of your eyelid.

I don't have any experience iwth eye creams before so let me just tell you why I love this cream. It is not heavy and is easily absorbed by my skin. I think it lightened my discoloration.

I will buy this again because it is rich and creamy and doesn't leave my periorbital area grayish.

I am not paid for this review. I bought this with my own money. Although I have emailed their FB page for samples because I am a great fan of their product. Oh well...

Tip: If you want your pot to last long, keep it refrigerated.

Vamoose!
Ma.Diwata

CONVERSATION

"The Guide to Sleeping in Airports" called our Ninoy Aquino International Airport as one of the "Worst Airports in the World." I find this particularly interesting because NAIA is the main international airport in our country. If this is one of the worst, then what would be their impression if they get to visit our local domestic airport here in Tacloban with its quarter of a century old (perhaps I'm exaggerating) baggage belt.

If the factors considered were “safety concerns, lack of comfortable seating, rude staff, hostile security, poor facilities, no (or few) services to pass the time, bribery, being kicked out, and general hassles of being in the airport.” I'd say check, check, check, x, check,check,check,x,x.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) wants to increase the current 30Php terminal fee by 500% making it 150php. This is 50php short of the terminal fee I paid when I was at the Mactan International Airport this December.

With around five airlines and 17 flights to Manila, Cebu or Iloilo daily, improvements of the facility should first be made before increasing charges. Their toilets are dismal and there are even times when there is no water for flushing or washing your hands. The air conditioning system works like a fan. The seats are old and dilapidated. There are also limited seats so others resort to sitting outside the terminal building while waiting to be checked in. This becomes a problem on busy days.

My friend Ronald Reyes of the Leyte Samar Daily wrote in his article titled " Finally, a ‘new’ Tacloban airport" printed out today this list of grievances:

" On the airport’s maintenance and cleanliness, area outside terminal building, near the arrival area entrance from tarmac is not well maintained. There are instances when the area is littered with trash. On some occasions, this area also has an obnoxious smell. Cleaning implements (brooms) are left in the places where in-coming passengers can see; lacking promotional collaterals / information materials at the visitor information counter, while its counter staff should be trained to respond to queries and concerns of passengers / visitors; and for porters and its porterage system, they need to improve appearance (comparable to porters at the NAIA and Mactan airports).

On the airport’s exit and arrival area: door of the arrival area is not as wide, thus passengers crowd by the door when luggage tags are inspected as they leave the arrival. Most of the time, Police assistance desk is unmanned.
For the transport service, there is a need to clarify status of airport land transports service providers, like are they franchise holders? are franchise issued by LTFRB and/or if accredited, by what agency, other than DOT? If yes, what are the guidelines for accreditation? Drivers and barkers of airport land transport service providers approach and tag along arriving passengers to offer their services. Demeanor/decorum of drivers and barkers (rowdy, noisy, loudly making comments about arriving passengers). This gives our airport a “market place” ambiance. Also there is no fixed rates.

At the Arrival Parking area, clarification is needed on who are authorized to park in the area near the arrival area (directly in front of airline cargo offices and VIP Lounge). Public Utility Jeeps? (in several instances these vehicles have parked in the area to load luggage of passengers)Airport land transport concessionaires? (some are parked in this area, others are parked along the access road) Privately owned vehicles? Government-owned vehicles?

On Security and safety, the DOT has noted the presence of children begging from arriving passengers. This may be the only airport in the country where beggars can freely roam around the airport, particularly the arrival area.

For the Security officers, there is a need for values reorientation for certain security officers for them to remember proper demeanor / decorum when manning the entrance gate as well as x-ray machine. (lacking common courtesy; one was even seen with his feet raised/resting on the x-ray machine acting as though he was lounging in their own leaving room).Personal items (comb, mirror, lunch boxes, cups) are openly placed on the desk at the entrance, and are seen by the passengers.

For the Check-in area and pre-departure area, there is a need to improve physical layout and cleanliness.

Along with these, rest rooms also lack of maintenance. Airconditioning facilities not enough. Ventilation is bad specially when there are many passengers. The canteen also needs to improve its look and cleanliness, along with its restrooms.

To top it all, VIP lounge should be ‘VIP lounge’, that is free from old furnishings (dusty, sagging upholstery), old curtains and anything which is a sore-sight to any excited, eager visiting dignitaries in the region. "

I believe he hit the nail in the head.

It is no wonder that www.tourisminthephilippines.com chose to post this pic of our airport:

Picturesque from a distance because of the fishermen. Albeit this is a good way to hide frm the rest of the world the real situation of our derelict airport.

I am sure that these problems are also experienced by other airports throughout the archipelago. How can we attract foreign tourists this way when the first thing that welcomes them to our land is backward.

Take for instance the NAIA-Digichive issue where Digichive, who was handling all of NAIA's placement ads. Yes, those things that you see on the walls while you take all those long walks before you reach your terminal rakes in hundreds of millions each year. Yet Digichive duped the government and did not properly impose fair profit-sharing. Had the government properly acted on this and did not let these people win, then perhaps these income from ads could have helped developed NAIA into a livable airport where travelers would love to sleep and lounge around. (This is I think the basis for the worst airport tag.) There would also be enough budget to have actual working cameras and roofs that does not fall off.

CONVERSATION

Ulzzang (uhl-jang) or Uljjang shipadae is the epitome of South Korean beauty and fashion. This means, best face or good looking and seems to be the goal of almost anyone interested in Asian fashion. Ulzzang's take pride in their healthy unblemished skin.

To create an ulzzang look, there are basic items you must have in your beauty arsenal:

1. Circle lenses.

Since the eyes is the highlight of the look, they use circle lenses to make their iris look bigger. A lens with a 14.5mm diameter will give you a doll eyed look while the 14.8mm will make you look like an anime.
There are 1 tone, 2 tone,3 tone and 4 tone lenses. Black and brown 1 tone lenses are popular. the 2 tones have a black limbal or outer lining while the 3 tone has yellowish blending at the middle. I personally like the 3 toned ones. 4 tone lenses have an evenbetter blending.

2. Double eyelid glue or tape.

If you don't have a fold on your eyes like most Asians, you can use eyelid glue or tape to create one.
When using glue, allow it to become transparent before pushin gup your lid.
Here is a good tutorial I found at wikihow.

3. Put on BB cream all over your face for a nice base.

4. If you want to have a slimmer looking face, you can contour it using bronzers and contouring powders.

5. Apply an apricot or pink blush on your cheekbones.

6. Brush your brows and fill it in with a soft brown color.

5.Curl your lashes.

To open up your peepers, curl your lashes. I fyou don't have an eyelash curler at home, you can use a spoon to do so. Here is a good tutorial:

6. Put on falsies.

Once done curling, apply false eyelashes. Wispies with the transparent bands look more natural than the spikey ones. You will also need to put this on with the glue you used for your eyelids.
You can also trim the falsies if it is too wide for your eyes.
Underlashes are not necessary unlike the gyaru style.

7. Put on mascara.

After putting on the falsies, bond your natural lashes with it using mascara.

8. Line the eyes.

If there are uneven areas in the lashes, fill it out with a black eyeliner.

To make your eyes even bigger line the lower lashline with a white eyeliner.

9. Apply natural eye makeup or smokey eyes.
Check this out! http://www.totalbeauty.com/content/gallery/asian-eye-makeup
or this tutorial:

10. Gradient lips.

Gradient lips are pretty popular among Ulzzangs. Just apply a nude shade or lip concealer then dot the inner part of your lips with a lip tint and then slowly spread it outside with your beauty finger or q-tip for a natural ombre'd look. Top it all off with a clear gloss.

Now take a lot of photos of yourself trying to blow bubbles. Others say this is the fish face and a classic Asian pose.