Home

After my first month back in university, I was itching to go home to Cebu! And, of course, the pleasures that came with it - freshly cooked meals, neatly pressed clothes, crisp bed linens, and long conversations over dinner with my parents and brother. It's funny how so many things have changed over time (my third year living alone in Manila), yet some things stay absolutely the same. 

Spent my time there seeing my grandparents, visiting the Sto. Niño church, catching up with friends, and bonding with my family. It was something I have been longing for for a long time. 

Sunday night: it was time for me to head back to Manila. I hoped to be able to stay longer. It was so difficult to let go - it never gets easier. But the best thing about it was that it reminded me that my family will always be with me - my constants in a world where constants are an extreme rarity. Remember that home isn't a place; home is a person, it is where one's heart lies. 'Till the next time I'm home!

COOLottes

Manila's weather has been bipolar lately, giving us hot days and rainy nights. The perfect way to beat the heat, and at the same time, brave the cold is to simply dress the part! Put on my favorite cropped off-the-shoulder lace top, and paired it with my latest buy - culottes. Comfort and style rolled into one! What more can a girl ask for!? Felt like I was wearing pajamas the whole day!

I was planning to stay out late, so used high heels. Have to admit, I always feel more girly with these on! Swiped on my treasured "Taylor Swift" NARS lipstick and I was out the door! Thank goodness the culottes kept me warm the whole time!! 

Zara Sunglasses, NARS Dragongirl Lipstick, Zara Heels 

Sexy Back

After a couple of travel and activity posts on the blog, I finally have a style post! Black is a basic colour, so you can never go wrong. Used one of my go-to (backless) dresses to get a demure, but slightly sexy look! Added some accessories, and my outfit was complete! 

My friend, Caycay (featured on my previous post), did my makeup. She gave me smokey eyes and red lips to get that perfect sultry look!

H&M Dress, Pandora bracelet, Hermes bangle 

Beauty School

Caycay, a friend of mine, joined a makeup class last month. She had to do a photoshoot for her graduation; she got me and our other friends to be the models. Yay! A dream come true!

Started the day at 10 AM, and Caycay immediately started with my hair and makeup. There were 5 of us; 3 guys and 2 girls. She did one avant garde (experimental ideas, especially in the arts) look, and the rest were beauty shots. 

She had all the kinds of makeup you could think of! From foundations to eye shadows to lipstick palettes! Self confidence applied directly to your face? To some extent, I would say so!

It was a nice way to catch up with some of my friends from high school. Plus we all looked fab! Totally agree with Bobbi Brown when she said, "I believe that all women are pretty without makeup - and can be pretty powerful with the right makeup." 

Out On A Boat

One of my favourite things to do in Cebu is going boating or island hopping! The sun, the ocean, the good company, and the sumptuous food make the whole activity enjoyable!  

Booked a banca - a dugout canoe often provided with outriggers and a roof made of bamboo - from Islands Banca Cruises for a whole day. Included in the package are towels, beanbags and an auxiliary cord so you can play your own music. You may also choose to pay extra to have a masseuse, rent snorkelling gear or have a packed lunch. However, we chose to bring our own food - shrimps, crabs, and the bestseller: lechon! - and pay the corkage fee.

The dock is right beside Mövenpick Hotel in Mactan Island. It wasn't such a clear day and the current was so strong, but that didn't stop us! We got to the first destination, Pandanon Island, in an hour. The island lies in between Cebu and Bohol. Its main asset is the stretch of white sand. Since we didn't really have much to do there, we went back to the middle of the ocean, chose a spot where it wasn't too wavy, and docked there. This was actually the highlight of our boating experience. Most of us immediately jumped into the water and, of course, took lots of photos!

After a couple of hours in the ocean, it was time to go back. It was roughly a 6 hour activity; we got back to the dock at around 3 PM. Island hopping is definitely one of the top things to do when you're in Cebu - for both tourists and locals!